Are you all ready for the end and the beginning, ragazzi? Annalena here is certainly ready for the end, and not sure about the beginning. She has a whole list of things that she needs to start doing , and end doing, comes 2013. Either breathe a sigh of relief or groan in disappointment, the blog shall stay. But one very well may see more tales, more healthy recipes, and so forth.
We shall not be going the healthy route today, bambini. No, we are going to make a very easy cake, but one which will intrigue both you and your guests.
There is a large family of cakes, mostly from Italy and France, based on the use of olive oil as a fat, rather than butter. And why not? If the fat you have at hand is olive oil, and butter is too dear, well... Indeed, let us keep in mind that some of our favorite cakes - carrot, for example, are based on oil. Undoubtedly somewhere, there is a cake based on duck fat, or goose fat. Annalena, as the song goes "don't want to know."
Well, in exploring this repertoire, Annalena was looking for easy, complex and tasty. Sort of like the way she likes her men. Sort of. This one won the competition. Except she changed it. See, the recipe did NOT call for sweet wine, which for Annalena was essential. So she changed the dry white to a sweet white.
There is a subset of these olive oil cakes that are very much like fallen souffle cakes. This one is not like that. And that's a good thing if you want to make this ahead of time. What is also good about it, is that you don't need the food processor. Nope, you can do this all in a bowl, using your hands. You really can.
Here we go. First, let's sift together about a cup and a half of all purpose flour, a quarter cup of cornmeal, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and a big pinch of salt. The cornmeal really adds to the color and texture of the cake. Please do not leave it out.
Put that aside, and mix together a cup of sugar, and the zest of half an orange, and half a lemon (use a full fruit of one if you prefer). And now... chop up a teaspoon of rosemary, real fine. Remember that you'll be adding a minty kind of back note to the cake, and you wont mind it. Get this all together, and get your fingers in there, and rub things together to release the oils. All of citrus peel, and rosemary, are loaded with oil. They will flavor your sugar nicely.
Let's start having fun now. Make sure that sugar mixture is in a large bowl. Start adding a half cup of olive oil. Extra virgin? Sure. Virgin? Also fine. "Pure". NO. Absolutely not. Think about the oil you use before you pour it in. Those super tuscan peppery green ones that burn the back of your mouth are NOT the right choice. You want something that's,well, "buttery." Something that you would cook with, but wouldn't use to dress your vegetables. Annalena used her McEvoy extra virgin, leaving her olio nuovo for another use. Whisk this up. You will get something resembling wet sand and begin to worry. Pazienza. Start mixing in two large eggs, and ... now you'll have eggy wet sand. Worry not, because now, you're going to add half a cup of a sweet wine. Annalena has seen this done with sauterne, with baume de Venise, and others. She used a late harvest gewurztraminer from California that had oxidized a bit. Use what you have.
NOW, you'll have something beginning to resemble cake batter. And into that, stir your flour mixture. Get this into a parchment paper lined, oiled 8 or 9 inch cake pan, and get it into a 350 oven, for 30 - 40 minutes.
It browns up nicely, and has a beautiful crumb. And since you have half the zest of two fruit left, why don't you make two? It certainly didn't take you long.
There are olive oil ice creams out there, for the intrepid. Forse....
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Let the good times roulade: pumpkin roulade with mascarpone and ginger filling
Ragazzi, just about a week ago, Annalena posted a cookie recipe "for next year," because she was SURE all of you had your Christmas baking done.
Well, it has turned out to be one of her most popular recipes. Braciole still outpolls everything, by about an 8:1 margin (Annalena has NO idea why this is the case. Any thoughts?).
But.. rather than begin digressing, she thought that, given this situation, and that some of you will be entertaining for New Year's , she would share one of her Christmas desserts with you. This one comes courtesy of one of her goddesses, Ina Garten.
Annalena first made this recipe about six years ago, maybe longer. And it was SO good... she has no idea why she didn't make it again. Perhaps because there was a very good chance she would eat the whole thing. Indeed, she loves everything that is in this dish, and as the evidence supplied, so did her and the Guyman's dinner guests. Annalena's persimmon pudding was barely touched. Her blueberry cranberry pie was left to serve as leftovers, but the roulade.....
Oh well... who knows? But this is a good recipe to have, and there are some really good, important techniques to be learned here, for making "roulade," which is also essentially "jelly roll." You remember those, don't you? So bad for you, and so good. AH.... if she weren't eating Mexican food tonight
OOPS. Digressing again. Ok, here we go. Please pay heed to the directions in this recipe. They are important. Your technique will matter, as will organization.
First, let's get the dry ingredients for our cake together. You need 3/4 cup of flour, and combine it with half a teaspoon each of baking powder and soda, and full teaspoons of ginger and cinnamon. Add a touch of nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Put that all together.
Now, put to the side a clean dish towel, laid flat on a surface. And sprinkle a hefty quarter cup of powdered sugar all over it. We're going to come back to this, and it's ridiculously important.
Back to our cake. Measure out a scant cup of pumpkin puree , either homemade or canned (it's half of a can. So you have an excuse to make two of these), and put it aside. Measure a cup of granulated sugar, also to the side for now. And, finally, put 3 extra large, or four large eggs, in a mixing bowl equipped with your paddle. Put in the sugar.
Start beating the eggs and sugar at a high speed, and let them go for a good five minutes. What you are doing here, is essentially making the start of a genoise. Your egg yolks are going to carry the air that meringue usually does. And wait till you see how t his fluffs up, thick and yellow and gorgeous. And while it's working, preheat your oven to 375.
Now, get a full sized cookie sheet (the one you normally use, NOT a jelly roll pan), and grease it. Put down a sheet of parchment, and grease it too, and flour it. NORMALLY , Annalena doesn't do this. Do it here. You will be sorry if you don't.
Now, take those beaten eggs off of the mixer, and fold in the flour mixer with a spatula. Work carefully, because it's not so easy to combine these. Make sure you do not have unmixed powder in the bowl before you proceed (the eggs are so light that the flour does tend to settle to the bottom).
Pour and spoon this out onto your baking sheet, and spread it out as far as you can. There isn't a lot of batter here, and you may not get to the corners. It's fine. Just get it spread as far as you can.
Put this in the oven, and bake for just twelve minutes. Check after ten. If you see the edges browning, stop the baking.
Now, the part that is most challenging here. If the cake is sticking to the edges of your sheet, loosen it with a small knife. Protect your hands, and invert the thing over that dish towel. Be brave ragazzi. Tentativeness will not serve you, and it WILL come out (remember all that greasing?). Remove the paper carefully. Ok, now something fun. Take the edges of the dish towel, and use them to roll the cake on itself. Don't use your hands. The cake is more than warm: it's HOT. If you wait too long, this will crack horrifically (and if that happens, you can use this cake to make trifle. We will address this below). You'll get four or five rolls in all. Move this to a rack, and let it cool completely.
Now for our filling. You can use other ones, but Annalena DOES like the original, which calls for a pint of mascarpone (Italian cream cheese, so to speak, or as one writer put it, the tough New Jersey cousin of the Parisian creme fraiche. Annalena does not accept that, but so what. ), which you mix with a hefty cup of confectioner's sugar. Again, the mixer and a CLEAN paddle will help. When it's all incorporated, stir in a quarter to a third cup of candied ginger.
Now, when the cake is cool, unroll it on the baking sheet, or some other flat surface and spread the filling over it. Get it as even as possible. Roll it up again. Here, you may use your fingers.
It will be beautiful. Except the edges will be ragged. Cook's prize here, ragazzi. Cut those pieces off and enjoy them. Now refrigerate your cake. And serve it forth. A beautiful contrast, in orange brown, and creamy white.
Now, if for some reason, you didn't get your cake right, cut it into small pieces. Moisten it with some liquor, like amaretto, or some other spicy/nutty flavor you like, or ginger liqueur if you have it, and layer it in a bowl, alernately with that mascarpone filling. A nice little trifle if you will.
You will see recipes like this one occasionally. They have unfortunately fallen out of favor, but they are SO good. So, look for them. Key word: roulade. Put this one in your toy chest as "sponge cake training wheels," and thank Ina and Annalena for the new dessert. Make it more than once
Well, it has turned out to be one of her most popular recipes. Braciole still outpolls everything, by about an 8:1 margin (Annalena has NO idea why this is the case. Any thoughts?).
But.. rather than begin digressing, she thought that, given this situation, and that some of you will be entertaining for New Year's , she would share one of her Christmas desserts with you. This one comes courtesy of one of her goddesses, Ina Garten.
Annalena first made this recipe about six years ago, maybe longer. And it was SO good... she has no idea why she didn't make it again. Perhaps because there was a very good chance she would eat the whole thing. Indeed, she loves everything that is in this dish, and as the evidence supplied, so did her and the Guyman's dinner guests. Annalena's persimmon pudding was barely touched. Her blueberry cranberry pie was left to serve as leftovers, but the roulade.....
Oh well... who knows? But this is a good recipe to have, and there are some really good, important techniques to be learned here, for making "roulade," which is also essentially "jelly roll." You remember those, don't you? So bad for you, and so good. AH.... if she weren't eating Mexican food tonight
OOPS. Digressing again. Ok, here we go. Please pay heed to the directions in this recipe. They are important. Your technique will matter, as will organization.
First, let's get the dry ingredients for our cake together. You need 3/4 cup of flour, and combine it with half a teaspoon each of baking powder and soda, and full teaspoons of ginger and cinnamon. Add a touch of nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Put that all together.
Now, put to the side a clean dish towel, laid flat on a surface. And sprinkle a hefty quarter cup of powdered sugar all over it. We're going to come back to this, and it's ridiculously important.
Back to our cake. Measure out a scant cup of pumpkin puree , either homemade or canned (it's half of a can. So you have an excuse to make two of these), and put it aside. Measure a cup of granulated sugar, also to the side for now. And, finally, put 3 extra large, or four large eggs, in a mixing bowl equipped with your paddle. Put in the sugar.
Start beating the eggs and sugar at a high speed, and let them go for a good five minutes. What you are doing here, is essentially making the start of a genoise. Your egg yolks are going to carry the air that meringue usually does. And wait till you see how t his fluffs up, thick and yellow and gorgeous. And while it's working, preheat your oven to 375.
Now, get a full sized cookie sheet (the one you normally use, NOT a jelly roll pan), and grease it. Put down a sheet of parchment, and grease it too, and flour it. NORMALLY , Annalena doesn't do this. Do it here. You will be sorry if you don't.
Now, take those beaten eggs off of the mixer, and fold in the flour mixer with a spatula. Work carefully, because it's not so easy to combine these. Make sure you do not have unmixed powder in the bowl before you proceed (the eggs are so light that the flour does tend to settle to the bottom).
Pour and spoon this out onto your baking sheet, and spread it out as far as you can. There isn't a lot of batter here, and you may not get to the corners. It's fine. Just get it spread as far as you can.
Put this in the oven, and bake for just twelve minutes. Check after ten. If you see the edges browning, stop the baking.
Now, the part that is most challenging here. If the cake is sticking to the edges of your sheet, loosen it with a small knife. Protect your hands, and invert the thing over that dish towel. Be brave ragazzi. Tentativeness will not serve you, and it WILL come out (remember all that greasing?). Remove the paper carefully. Ok, now something fun. Take the edges of the dish towel, and use them to roll the cake on itself. Don't use your hands. The cake is more than warm: it's HOT. If you wait too long, this will crack horrifically (and if that happens, you can use this cake to make trifle. We will address this below). You'll get four or five rolls in all. Move this to a rack, and let it cool completely.
Now for our filling. You can use other ones, but Annalena DOES like the original, which calls for a pint of mascarpone (Italian cream cheese, so to speak, or as one writer put it, the tough New Jersey cousin of the Parisian creme fraiche. Annalena does not accept that, but so what. ), which you mix with a hefty cup of confectioner's sugar. Again, the mixer and a CLEAN paddle will help. When it's all incorporated, stir in a quarter to a third cup of candied ginger.
Now, when the cake is cool, unroll it on the baking sheet, or some other flat surface and spread the filling over it. Get it as even as possible. Roll it up again. Here, you may use your fingers.
It will be beautiful. Except the edges will be ragged. Cook's prize here, ragazzi. Cut those pieces off and enjoy them. Now refrigerate your cake. And serve it forth. A beautiful contrast, in orange brown, and creamy white.
Now, if for some reason, you didn't get your cake right, cut it into small pieces. Moisten it with some liquor, like amaretto, or some other spicy/nutty flavor you like, or ginger liqueur if you have it, and layer it in a bowl, alernately with that mascarpone filling. A nice little trifle if you will.
You will see recipes like this one occasionally. They have unfortunately fallen out of favor, but they are SO good. So, look for them. Key word: roulade. Put this one in your toy chest as "sponge cake training wheels," and thank Ina and Annalena for the new dessert. Make it more than once
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Well, maybe next year: vanilla cookies with baker's ammonia
It's almost upon us, is it not ragazzi? Two more days. Have you done your shopping? Gotten up your tree? Planned your menu? Or, should Annalena not be putting these questions to you because you are, well, at the end of frazzled.
Trust her, ragazzi. Annalena gets it. She truly does. If anyone can say "2012 was not as tough on me as 2011 was," bravo to you, and tell us all how you did it. Annalena just finished her cookie baking today. The beloved "sashas" came out of the oven at 11. Now, she can turn to the mechanics of getting Christmas dinner on the table , and then the New Year's party, and then... rest, wonderful rest.
So, perhaps this is the wrong time to post, YET ANOTHER Christmas cookie, especially since it calls for an ingredient you probably don't have (but Annalena knows where you can get it). It is a cookie that is deceptively simply, and wonderfully good. So, she recommends that, if you can't or won't do it this year, save this recipe and do it next year. You will thank her. Or, just make it as soon as you can. The cookie is not particularly Christmassy, and who can't use a good Christmas cookie.
The mystery ingredient here, is baker's ammonia. Also known as ammonium carbonate (which you should be able to get at the pharmacy. You will have to ask for it. It's a component of smelling salts). It is also called salt of hartshorn, and for this reason, Annalena dedicates the column to Max.
See, baker's ammonia is the old leavening agent used by Eastern Europeans, and Scandinavians. It predates baking powder, and baking soda, by hundreds of years. "Salt of hartshorn," because it was oringally made, in a laborious process which involved extracting oil from the bones of deer.
Now, Max: Annalena suggests you not buy deer bones and get to work making your own bakers ammonia. But get some. All of you should. And you might also put some of it in your regular cookie recipes.
And why is that? Well, the product results in a cookie that is so crisp: so SHATTERINGLY crisp, and so airy, you may wish to dispense with baking powder and baking soda all together. Don't do that, but Annalena will tell you what to do, if you like it.
Today, the place the stuff is used, mostly, is in Ritz Crackers. Putting aside issues of taste, or ingredients, if you like that texture, you will love these cookies.
Annalena has had several versions of this cookie around for a long, long time. This year, she put them together, subtracted and added, and came up with what she thinks is a superior cookie. You let her know, carini.
Let's get to work. Preheat your oven to 300 (this is one of the peculiarities of this leavening. If you use too hot an oven, the stuff goes off, and you get no "lift.). Get two sticks of butter, either salted or un, depending on how you like your cookies, at room temperature, into a bowl. And get the best butter you can, because the taste of the butter is going to shine out here. Add a cup and a quarter of granulated sugar and, if you're not using salted butter, a teaspoon of salt. Also, squeeze in the juice of one, very large lime. (this is where Annalena changed the recipes she has). Mix all of these together. Now add 2 cups of flour and a scant, quarter teaspoon of the baker's ammonia. Stir all of this together, and mix it until you get a large clump of dough.
Break off lumps, about the size of a small walnut , and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper . If you like (Annalena does not), you can roll them in granulated sugar or that wonderful ingredient, sparkling sugar, or even pearl sugar, before you put them in the oven. They will spread a bit, so on a standard sheet, let's say no more than 24 of them.
You have to bake them for about 30 minutes. Again, this is a result of the leaven. It takes its time. But if, like Max, you just spent upwards of two days making a pudding, 30 minutes is a spring. DO check on them, because with cookie making, much is imprecise. If you used amounts that are smaller than the recipe, or than what Annalena did, yours will cook in a shorter period of time. Look for browning on the edges.
The cookies will puff up, like little balloons, and then deflate. When they come out of the oven, they are soft and need to be left alone for about ten minutes. Then you can move them to a plate or tin. They will have a rough, mottled texture. Wait an hour, and eat one. It will crack apart, like a well fried egg roll (can you tell Annalena has Chinese food on her mind?), and the combination of the butter, the salt, and the lime (in that order), will fill your mouth. And you will want another. And another. And another.
So, once you've made these (and you can substitute, for example, vanilla extract or orange extract or almond extract for the lim juice: 1.5 teaspoons), what do you do with the rest of that baker's ammonia? Well, if you have a cookie that you think could use more crispness, add a quarter teaspoon of the stuff to your standard recipe. Gingersnaps, for example. Or lace cookies. Don't do it to biscotti though. You should be getting your crispness from a double bake there, and in a cookie like a coconut macaroon, are you REALLY looking for crispness? That is PERVERSION in Annalena's view.
Annalena is off to the final stages of her Christmas planning. Happy holidays to all, however you spend it. Please try to hug and kiss one person whom you haven't in a while (and define "a while" broadly. Let's start with a day).
Trust her, ragazzi. Annalena gets it. She truly does. If anyone can say "2012 was not as tough on me as 2011 was," bravo to you, and tell us all how you did it. Annalena just finished her cookie baking today. The beloved "sashas" came out of the oven at 11. Now, she can turn to the mechanics of getting Christmas dinner on the table , and then the New Year's party, and then... rest, wonderful rest.
So, perhaps this is the wrong time to post, YET ANOTHER Christmas cookie, especially since it calls for an ingredient you probably don't have (but Annalena knows where you can get it). It is a cookie that is deceptively simply, and wonderfully good. So, she recommends that, if you can't or won't do it this year, save this recipe and do it next year. You will thank her. Or, just make it as soon as you can. The cookie is not particularly Christmassy, and who can't use a good Christmas cookie.
The mystery ingredient here, is baker's ammonia. Also known as ammonium carbonate (which you should be able to get at the pharmacy. You will have to ask for it. It's a component of smelling salts). It is also called salt of hartshorn, and for this reason, Annalena dedicates the column to Max.
See, baker's ammonia is the old leavening agent used by Eastern Europeans, and Scandinavians. It predates baking powder, and baking soda, by hundreds of years. "Salt of hartshorn," because it was oringally made, in a laborious process which involved extracting oil from the bones of deer.
Now, Max: Annalena suggests you not buy deer bones and get to work making your own bakers ammonia. But get some. All of you should. And you might also put some of it in your regular cookie recipes.
And why is that? Well, the product results in a cookie that is so crisp: so SHATTERINGLY crisp, and so airy, you may wish to dispense with baking powder and baking soda all together. Don't do that, but Annalena will tell you what to do, if you like it.
Today, the place the stuff is used, mostly, is in Ritz Crackers. Putting aside issues of taste, or ingredients, if you like that texture, you will love these cookies.
Annalena has had several versions of this cookie around for a long, long time. This year, she put them together, subtracted and added, and came up with what she thinks is a superior cookie. You let her know, carini.
Let's get to work. Preheat your oven to 300 (this is one of the peculiarities of this leavening. If you use too hot an oven, the stuff goes off, and you get no "lift.). Get two sticks of butter, either salted or un, depending on how you like your cookies, at room temperature, into a bowl. And get the best butter you can, because the taste of the butter is going to shine out here. Add a cup and a quarter of granulated sugar and, if you're not using salted butter, a teaspoon of salt. Also, squeeze in the juice of one, very large lime. (this is where Annalena changed the recipes she has). Mix all of these together. Now add 2 cups of flour and a scant, quarter teaspoon of the baker's ammonia. Stir all of this together, and mix it until you get a large clump of dough.
Break off lumps, about the size of a small walnut , and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper . If you like (Annalena does not), you can roll them in granulated sugar or that wonderful ingredient, sparkling sugar, or even pearl sugar, before you put them in the oven. They will spread a bit, so on a standard sheet, let's say no more than 24 of them.
You have to bake them for about 30 minutes. Again, this is a result of the leaven. It takes its time. But if, like Max, you just spent upwards of two days making a pudding, 30 minutes is a spring. DO check on them, because with cookie making, much is imprecise. If you used amounts that are smaller than the recipe, or than what Annalena did, yours will cook in a shorter period of time. Look for browning on the edges.
The cookies will puff up, like little balloons, and then deflate. When they come out of the oven, they are soft and need to be left alone for about ten minutes. Then you can move them to a plate or tin. They will have a rough, mottled texture. Wait an hour, and eat one. It will crack apart, like a well fried egg roll (can you tell Annalena has Chinese food on her mind?), and the combination of the butter, the salt, and the lime (in that order), will fill your mouth. And you will want another. And another. And another.
So, once you've made these (and you can substitute, for example, vanilla extract or orange extract or almond extract for the lim juice: 1.5 teaspoons), what do you do with the rest of that baker's ammonia? Well, if you have a cookie that you think could use more crispness, add a quarter teaspoon of the stuff to your standard recipe. Gingersnaps, for example. Or lace cookies. Don't do it to biscotti though. You should be getting your crispness from a double bake there, and in a cookie like a coconut macaroon, are you REALLY looking for crispness? That is PERVERSION in Annalena's view.
Annalena is off to the final stages of her Christmas planning. Happy holidays to all, however you spend it. Please try to hug and kiss one person whom you haven't in a while (and define "a while" broadly. Let's start with a day).
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Two simple sides for the frazzled: fennel lemon relish, and tahini lemon squash
It is crunch time, ragazzi, isn't it? If you, like Annalena, have a busy dance card of food prep coming up, but insist on doing it "right," you do not cut corners. Rather, you look for things that are tasty, fast and easy. That way, you have the time to devote to the more complex things, or to wrap presents, or to do, whatever... This truly is a time of year when we can all use something that takes no time, but nourishes us, and our loved ones.
Of course, Annalena is coming to the rescue, waving her magic cooking spoon (wands are for wimps), and giving you two things that , collectively, will take you less than twenty minutes of work. And they are both good.
Know that neither of these make a meal; however, they make your meal better.
Let us start with the relish first. To be honest, Annalena had her doubts about this one. It looked like it wouldn't work. It does. And if you are worried that the fennel in this recipe will displease your guests, let Annalena reassure you: the anise flavor that some find displeasing, is nearly not there. Annalena happens to love the flavor, and missed it. Still, it is good. And if you are planning on some white fleshed fish, or some chicken breasts, this will do you nicely.
You need a quarter cup of olive oil - 2 ounces carissimi. Also, finely grate the zest of one lemon. Put this in with the olive oil. Now, chop up that lemon very finely. (If you happen to have a meyer lemon, it works better. If not, the lisbon lemon is fine, too). Now, get a second lemon, and squeeze the juice of that fellow into the cup with the other ingredients. Pour this all into a bowl, and whisk it. Add some salt, but don't put the salt away. You'll want some more of it.
Next, dice up some fresh fennel: maybe half a cup worth, maybe more. Also, a shallot. Very fine. As fine as you can without getting frenetic. And a couple tablespoons of parsley. Put this all in the bowl. Whisk it all together. Taste it. Add some salt. Add some ground fennel if you like, or fennel pollen if you have it. Taste again.
Now, how long did that take you? Spoon some of it over scallops, or monkfish, or cod, or a chicken cutlet. You will be SMILING.
Ok, now for the harder one, keeping in mind that hard is a relative term. You need about two pounds of squash here, and we have to be careful, because we need winter squash, but varieties with thin skins.
No comments please. Delicata and butternut come to mind. You can still find butternut squash very easily. You may have some trouble finding delicata, but do give a look for it. It's probably one butternut squash, or two delicatas. You can, also, mix them, or double the recipe, or do what you like here.
Before you begin work, set your oven to 425. And then slice your squashes into thin, half moon slices. No more than about an inch thick. Half inch is actually better, in Annalena's view. In a bowl, toss them with three tablespoons of olive oil (more than you think), 1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin (REVIEW: the equivalent of.... GOOD half a tablespoon), and some salt.
Dump this onto your baking sheet, and roast it, for fifteen minutes. If you are so inclined, check after ten, stir the squash pieces around gently (they will be falling apart). At fifteen minutes, add four sliced scallions to the baking sheet, stir things around, and roast for another fifteen minutes.
Let's make SAUCE. Easy here. You mix the juice of two lemons, and about an equal amount of tahini. Taste. Remember that your squash has salt on it, and the squash is going in here.
When the veggies have roasted, dump them into that tahini sauce, and just stir gently.
Ragazzi, you will NOT believe how good this is. In all, it will involve about six minutes of work on your part. The oven does the rest.
Annalena almost ate the whole pan of this herself (she DID eat all the relish and had to make more). ALLEGEDLY, you get six servings from this. HAH, says Annalena.
Challenging times, ragazzi. But we are COOKS. We can do this. We've done it before, we'll do it again. Into your aprons, comrades, stand facing the stove, and GET TO WORK!!!!
Of course, Annalena is coming to the rescue, waving her magic cooking spoon (wands are for wimps), and giving you two things that , collectively, will take you less than twenty minutes of work. And they are both good.
Know that neither of these make a meal; however, they make your meal better.
Let us start with the relish first. To be honest, Annalena had her doubts about this one. It looked like it wouldn't work. It does. And if you are worried that the fennel in this recipe will displease your guests, let Annalena reassure you: the anise flavor that some find displeasing, is nearly not there. Annalena happens to love the flavor, and missed it. Still, it is good. And if you are planning on some white fleshed fish, or some chicken breasts, this will do you nicely.
You need a quarter cup of olive oil - 2 ounces carissimi. Also, finely grate the zest of one lemon. Put this in with the olive oil. Now, chop up that lemon very finely. (If you happen to have a meyer lemon, it works better. If not, the lisbon lemon is fine, too). Now, get a second lemon, and squeeze the juice of that fellow into the cup with the other ingredients. Pour this all into a bowl, and whisk it. Add some salt, but don't put the salt away. You'll want some more of it.
Next, dice up some fresh fennel: maybe half a cup worth, maybe more. Also, a shallot. Very fine. As fine as you can without getting frenetic. And a couple tablespoons of parsley. Put this all in the bowl. Whisk it all together. Taste it. Add some salt. Add some ground fennel if you like, or fennel pollen if you have it. Taste again.
Now, how long did that take you? Spoon some of it over scallops, or monkfish, or cod, or a chicken cutlet. You will be SMILING.
Ok, now for the harder one, keeping in mind that hard is a relative term. You need about two pounds of squash here, and we have to be careful, because we need winter squash, but varieties with thin skins.
No comments please. Delicata and butternut come to mind. You can still find butternut squash very easily. You may have some trouble finding delicata, but do give a look for it. It's probably one butternut squash, or two delicatas. You can, also, mix them, or double the recipe, or do what you like here.
Before you begin work, set your oven to 425. And then slice your squashes into thin, half moon slices. No more than about an inch thick. Half inch is actually better, in Annalena's view. In a bowl, toss them with three tablespoons of olive oil (more than you think), 1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin (REVIEW: the equivalent of.... GOOD half a tablespoon), and some salt.
Dump this onto your baking sheet, and roast it, for fifteen minutes. If you are so inclined, check after ten, stir the squash pieces around gently (they will be falling apart). At fifteen minutes, add four sliced scallions to the baking sheet, stir things around, and roast for another fifteen minutes.
Let's make SAUCE. Easy here. You mix the juice of two lemons, and about an equal amount of tahini. Taste. Remember that your squash has salt on it, and the squash is going in here.
When the veggies have roasted, dump them into that tahini sauce, and just stir gently.
Ragazzi, you will NOT believe how good this is. In all, it will involve about six minutes of work on your part. The oven does the rest.
Annalena almost ate the whole pan of this herself (she DID eat all the relish and had to make more). ALLEGEDLY, you get six servings from this. HAH, says Annalena.
Challenging times, ragazzi. But we are COOKS. We can do this. We've done it before, we'll do it again. Into your aprons, comrades, stand facing the stove, and GET TO WORK!!!!
Friday, December 14, 2012
When life gives you lemons: oven fried chicken thighs with lemon and oregano
Yes, ragazzi, it is the time of citrus. And the time when we are all running around looking for "easy," especially with food. And, did we mention, healthy and low in calories?
A contradiction in terms, don't you think? Peppermint candies at the office coffee machine, and salad for dinner. Ah, as we say back home "chi si e' visto, si e'visto." Literally "who saw it, saw it." or "it is what it is."
Don't ask Annalena to explain these idioms. They are fascinating though, aren't they, you language geeks out there?
OK, now where is this digression leading, because it always does come back doesn't it? Well, most of the time. Oh yes - to a dish that is easy to make, low in calories, and ultimately, economical, because the cut of chicken that it uses - the thighs - are far less expensive than breasts and drumsticks. And, ragazzi, Annalena prefers the dark meat (ON HER PLATE!!!!). Chicken thighs are , in Annalena's view, usually the juiciest part of the bird, and the tastiest. Yes, they are more fatty and more caloric than the breasts, but ultimately, compare this dish (which comes out to a whopping 300 calories a portion - which is two of the thighs)- to a big mac, or a steak, or what have you. Annalena did not look at the protein content, but you can do that. It's probably up there.
So, here we go, with a trick for making something crispy, without drenching it in fat. This works for any cut of meat that is relatively rich in fat. Duck is the prime example, but we'll use it here, and we can also do this, with fattier cuts of beef and pork. Let's start by collecting our ingredients: 8 chicken thighs, on the bone, and with the skin on. You will also need one large, or two small, lemons, be they the standard lisbons, or meyers. One TABLESPOON of olive oil, but divide it: one teaspoon, and two teaspoons. Three sprigs of fresh oregano please, a minced, medium shallot, and a minced clove of garlic. Finally 1/4 cup of a dry white wine, and 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
Turn your oven to 425. If you have time, let the chicken stand at room temperature, and salt the thighs . Let it sit for at least an hour, or overnight if you can. If you can't, dry them as well as you can, and then salt them anyway. Now, get a pan that will hold four of them nicely, and WITHOUT HEATING, add a TEASPOON of the olive oil. Spread it around as best you can, and put the chicken thighs in, skin side down. Now, put this on the flame, at medium heat. You will see fat begin to render from the meat. This happens remarkably fast, and with great volume, with duck. Less so here, but it happens. Let them continue to cook for about ten minutes, and they will get nice and brown and crisp. Repeat this with the other four chicken thighs. As you go along, if you feel that there is too much fat in the pan, pour it out. You only want that "slick" from a teaspoon or two.
The chicken is not finished cooking at this point. What you want to do is , while the meat is cooking, slice your lemon or lemons thinly. In the empty, cleaned pan, put down about half the lemon slices and position the chicken in the pan, as best you can. Try not to let it lay on the lemons, but if it does, not the end of the world. Put the other half on top, and then move the pan into the oven and leave it to roast for about another ten minutes. In that time, the lemons on the bottom of the pan will carmelize - a GOOD thing.
Now, get the pan out of the oven (PROTECT YOUR HANDS RAGAZZI), and get everything to a platter. Now add the oregano, the chopped shallot and the chopped garlic.Cook this at medium for a minute, before you add (off of the heat), the wine. Put it back on the heat and cook for a minute. Watch how fast it reduces. Now add the stock, and cook for three minutes. Put the chicken and the lemons back into the pan, and put it back in the oven, for another five minutes or so.
Just about done here. Pull it out, and squeeze some of the lemon slices over the chicken. All done.
You'll have a really delicious dish that, to be honest, is more homey than pretty, but it sure is good. And it's not hard. Go and wrap some presents while it's cooking.
YOU CAN DO THIS! And you'll be glad to have this technique and this recipe in your repertoire.
A contradiction in terms, don't you think? Peppermint candies at the office coffee machine, and salad for dinner. Ah, as we say back home "chi si e' visto, si e'visto." Literally "who saw it, saw it." or "it is what it is."
Don't ask Annalena to explain these idioms. They are fascinating though, aren't they, you language geeks out there?
OK, now where is this digression leading, because it always does come back doesn't it? Well, most of the time. Oh yes - to a dish that is easy to make, low in calories, and ultimately, economical, because the cut of chicken that it uses - the thighs - are far less expensive than breasts and drumsticks. And, ragazzi, Annalena prefers the dark meat (ON HER PLATE!!!!). Chicken thighs are , in Annalena's view, usually the juiciest part of the bird, and the tastiest. Yes, they are more fatty and more caloric than the breasts, but ultimately, compare this dish (which comes out to a whopping 300 calories a portion - which is two of the thighs)- to a big mac, or a steak, or what have you. Annalena did not look at the protein content, but you can do that. It's probably up there.
So, here we go, with a trick for making something crispy, without drenching it in fat. This works for any cut of meat that is relatively rich in fat. Duck is the prime example, but we'll use it here, and we can also do this, with fattier cuts of beef and pork. Let's start by collecting our ingredients: 8 chicken thighs, on the bone, and with the skin on. You will also need one large, or two small, lemons, be they the standard lisbons, or meyers. One TABLESPOON of olive oil, but divide it: one teaspoon, and two teaspoons. Three sprigs of fresh oregano please, a minced, medium shallot, and a minced clove of garlic. Finally 1/4 cup of a dry white wine, and 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
Turn your oven to 425. If you have time, let the chicken stand at room temperature, and salt the thighs . Let it sit for at least an hour, or overnight if you can. If you can't, dry them as well as you can, and then salt them anyway. Now, get a pan that will hold four of them nicely, and WITHOUT HEATING, add a TEASPOON of the olive oil. Spread it around as best you can, and put the chicken thighs in, skin side down. Now, put this on the flame, at medium heat. You will see fat begin to render from the meat. This happens remarkably fast, and with great volume, with duck. Less so here, but it happens. Let them continue to cook for about ten minutes, and they will get nice and brown and crisp. Repeat this with the other four chicken thighs. As you go along, if you feel that there is too much fat in the pan, pour it out. You only want that "slick" from a teaspoon or two.
The chicken is not finished cooking at this point. What you want to do is , while the meat is cooking, slice your lemon or lemons thinly. In the empty, cleaned pan, put down about half the lemon slices and position the chicken in the pan, as best you can. Try not to let it lay on the lemons, but if it does, not the end of the world. Put the other half on top, and then move the pan into the oven and leave it to roast for about another ten minutes. In that time, the lemons on the bottom of the pan will carmelize - a GOOD thing.
Now, get the pan out of the oven (PROTECT YOUR HANDS RAGAZZI), and get everything to a platter. Now add the oregano, the chopped shallot and the chopped garlic.Cook this at medium for a minute, before you add (off of the heat), the wine. Put it back on the heat and cook for a minute. Watch how fast it reduces. Now add the stock, and cook for three minutes. Put the chicken and the lemons back into the pan, and put it back in the oven, for another five minutes or so.
Just about done here. Pull it out, and squeeze some of the lemon slices over the chicken. All done.
You'll have a really delicious dish that, to be honest, is more homey than pretty, but it sure is good. And it's not hard. Go and wrap some presents while it's cooking.
YOU CAN DO THIS! And you'll be glad to have this technique and this recipe in your repertoire.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
When the bomb gives you satsumas: satsuma buttermilk loaf cake
And that, Ragazzi, is quite a mouthful. In more ways than one. Now, by way of explication. Many of you will remember the expression: "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Well, the Citrus Bomb provides Annalena with her lemons. And her oranges. Her blood oranges. Her bergamots (reminds her of the Supremes song: "Bergamot... My Bergamot.."). Well, citrus, like all things comes in seasons. We ALL have to learn that. There isn't always a season for oranges. Or broccoli, or whatever. In fact, if we were true to nature, there would be seasons to eggs, to duck, to chicken, to beef, to pork, and so forth. But we have, ragazzi, gotten so far away from protein seasons that it is indeed a lost cause.
Oh, another digression. What a surprise. Ok, the point here was.. (uh, wait a minute).
Oh, yes. Annalena had a recipe calling for grated orange peel. Except... oranges were not quite in season yet. And she was unwilling to buy anything less than the quality she gets from Kim da Bomb. BUT.. she had a box of lovely (MORE than lovely), satsumas. Now, grating the peel from a satsuma is no easy feat. In fact, Annalena daresays, it is ridiculously challenging to do. And she wanted this cake. She wanted it badly. So she found a solution.
She ground up the satsumas whole. Why not? They were not sprayed they have no seeds, what harm could there be? And there wasn't any. Rather what there was, at the end was a wonderful cake where everyone knew there was a citrus kick, but no one could tell what it was.
So, get yourself a couple of satsumas (actually, get more than a few. Ask Annalena how to get them from Ms. Kim. Eat the rest as fruit). Now, let's make some cake. And, ragazzi, this will be the last dessert recipe for a while, with no regrets. We have much to cover on other fronts.
You start with a heaping three cups of all prupose flour. Mix this with a tablespoon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of baking soda, and a teaspoon of salt. Add a pinch of cinnamon - say a half teaspoon, maybe more . And if there is a spice you like with citrus, use it. For example, Annalena is convinced that this recipe will be awesome with cocoa in it. Do we have volunteers to try it?
Put those dry things to the side. Now get two satsumas, make sure you take the label off of them, and cut them into quarters. Put them in your food processor, and churn them to a wet puree. Don't worry about the fact that there's peel, or liquid. None of it is an issue. And you can't overdo this step. Put that aside.
And now, in a mixer, start blending two sticks of softened, unsalted butter, with 2 cups of sugar. When this looks nice and fluffy add that satsuma puree. You may think things are curdling but worry not. Now add 4 eggs, large, one at a time. You may need to scrape down the bowl as you do this.
Ok, now we have our dry ingredients and you will also need half a cup of a dairy of some kind: sour cream was called for in Annalena's recipe, but she used creme fraiche. You could also use plain yogurt, or a flavored yogurt. Add that, as well as a good slug of vanilla. Say half a tablespoon(which is.... come on, who knows? If you guessed one and a half teaspoons, have an extra slice of this). Your dry ingredients are there, and pour out a cup and a half of buttermilk. And if you only have plain milk: let's see a show of hands: who knows how to clabber milk, besides those of you who stare at it until it sours? YES. Nora, big and strong, got that one right: a tablespoon of vinegar in the milk and let it sit. GOOD GIRL, Pecuniaria.
Add about a cup of the dry ingredients, and when that looks combined, add half the buttermilk. Then repeat. And finish with dry.
Now, get yourself three, 8x4 inch baking pans. DO NOT USE two larger ones. The reason for this, is that this cake is going to take a long time to bake, and if you try a b igger pan, you risk never finishing it. If you don't have three 8x4 pans, then use 8 inch cake pans. Or muffin tins. In any event, in this case, go SMALLER than the 8x4. And grease everything well, and pour batter in. Don't go more than half way up the pan, regardless of what you use, knowing that this is not going to rise much.
Now get it in the oven at 350, and be patient. You will need 45 minutes for the 8x4 pan, and less time for smaller, less deep variants. You all need how to tell when it's done. Show of hands? GOOD SUE. Knew you'd be here. The knife in the center. Gunky (NO GOOD), or dry (GOOD). And if it's not, good, let it bake some more.
When you're done, you need to be a bit patient in unmolding these. There is so much fat in this recipe, that the cakes are soft, tender , and delicate ( a combination Annalena has never found in men, by the way, but that's another story). Let them rest for about twenty minutes, and unmold them.
Even though you do not have a syrup, the cake develops a nice, sweet, sticky top, and the cake itself is dense, and lovely. It feels like breakfast. It's not. It's dessert. Get some ice cream to go with it if you like (it cries for vanilla), and sit down and enjoy it. And with three loaves, or whatever variations you have, you have plenty to share. So, let's try not to think about the calories, because we will be sharing the stuff with our friends, yes? And they will be sharing back with us?
Seriously, ragazzi, if you are of the type who likes to send homespun gifts, get little tiny, disposable loaf pans, and make this. And if you do want to do it following the original, forget the satsumas and add a tablespoon of grated orange zest. Annalena thinks you will like the satsuma version better. But try them both. Tell her. Let her know.
When she comes back, Annalena will have a killer lemon chicken recipe for you, and some incredible roasted vegetable recipes that will almost make you forget, it's winter.
A presto, amici!
Oh, another digression. What a surprise. Ok, the point here was.. (uh, wait a minute).
Oh, yes. Annalena had a recipe calling for grated orange peel. Except... oranges were not quite in season yet. And she was unwilling to buy anything less than the quality she gets from Kim da Bomb. BUT.. she had a box of lovely (MORE than lovely), satsumas. Now, grating the peel from a satsuma is no easy feat. In fact, Annalena daresays, it is ridiculously challenging to do. And she wanted this cake. She wanted it badly. So she found a solution.
She ground up the satsumas whole. Why not? They were not sprayed they have no seeds, what harm could there be? And there wasn't any. Rather what there was, at the end was a wonderful cake where everyone knew there was a citrus kick, but no one could tell what it was.
So, get yourself a couple of satsumas (actually, get more than a few. Ask Annalena how to get them from Ms. Kim. Eat the rest as fruit). Now, let's make some cake. And, ragazzi, this will be the last dessert recipe for a while, with no regrets. We have much to cover on other fronts.
You start with a heaping three cups of all prupose flour. Mix this with a tablespoon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of baking soda, and a teaspoon of salt. Add a pinch of cinnamon - say a half teaspoon, maybe more . And if there is a spice you like with citrus, use it. For example, Annalena is convinced that this recipe will be awesome with cocoa in it. Do we have volunteers to try it?
Put those dry things to the side. Now get two satsumas, make sure you take the label off of them, and cut them into quarters. Put them in your food processor, and churn them to a wet puree. Don't worry about the fact that there's peel, or liquid. None of it is an issue. And you can't overdo this step. Put that aside.
And now, in a mixer, start blending two sticks of softened, unsalted butter, with 2 cups of sugar. When this looks nice and fluffy add that satsuma puree. You may think things are curdling but worry not. Now add 4 eggs, large, one at a time. You may need to scrape down the bowl as you do this.
Ok, now we have our dry ingredients and you will also need half a cup of a dairy of some kind: sour cream was called for in Annalena's recipe, but she used creme fraiche. You could also use plain yogurt, or a flavored yogurt. Add that, as well as a good slug of vanilla. Say half a tablespoon(which is.... come on, who knows? If you guessed one and a half teaspoons, have an extra slice of this). Your dry ingredients are there, and pour out a cup and a half of buttermilk. And if you only have plain milk: let's see a show of hands: who knows how to clabber milk, besides those of you who stare at it until it sours? YES. Nora, big and strong, got that one right: a tablespoon of vinegar in the milk and let it sit. GOOD GIRL, Pecuniaria.
Add about a cup of the dry ingredients, and when that looks combined, add half the buttermilk. Then repeat. And finish with dry.
Now, get yourself three, 8x4 inch baking pans. DO NOT USE two larger ones. The reason for this, is that this cake is going to take a long time to bake, and if you try a b igger pan, you risk never finishing it. If you don't have three 8x4 pans, then use 8 inch cake pans. Or muffin tins. In any event, in this case, go SMALLER than the 8x4. And grease everything well, and pour batter in. Don't go more than half way up the pan, regardless of what you use, knowing that this is not going to rise much.
Now get it in the oven at 350, and be patient. You will need 45 minutes for the 8x4 pan, and less time for smaller, less deep variants. You all need how to tell when it's done. Show of hands? GOOD SUE. Knew you'd be here. The knife in the center. Gunky (NO GOOD), or dry (GOOD). And if it's not, good, let it bake some more.
When you're done, you need to be a bit patient in unmolding these. There is so much fat in this recipe, that the cakes are soft, tender , and delicate ( a combination Annalena has never found in men, by the way, but that's another story). Let them rest for about twenty minutes, and unmold them.
Even though you do not have a syrup, the cake develops a nice, sweet, sticky top, and the cake itself is dense, and lovely. It feels like breakfast. It's not. It's dessert. Get some ice cream to go with it if you like (it cries for vanilla), and sit down and enjoy it. And with three loaves, or whatever variations you have, you have plenty to share. So, let's try not to think about the calories, because we will be sharing the stuff with our friends, yes? And they will be sharing back with us?
Seriously, ragazzi, if you are of the type who likes to send homespun gifts, get little tiny, disposable loaf pans, and make this. And if you do want to do it following the original, forget the satsumas and add a tablespoon of grated orange zest. Annalena thinks you will like the satsuma version better. But try them both. Tell her. Let her know.
When she comes back, Annalena will have a killer lemon chicken recipe for you, and some incredible roasted vegetable recipes that will almost make you forget, it's winter.
A presto, amici!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The tease ends: cranberry cobbler
Ragazzi, we can all do our criticisms of the internet all we want, and Annalena will be one of the most critical; however, we have the internet to thank for this post.
See, when Annalena started looking for her recipe for cranberry cobbler: SHE COULD NOT FIND IT!!! Now, to be fully honest, it was on a very small piece of paper, which she thought she could identify by its bright blue color (she has no idea why a recipe for cranberries was printed on blue paper, but such is our lives), and tore her apartment apart this morning looking for it (today being the day before her housekeeper cleans, it is probably the case that no one could TELL she tore the apartment apart, but we cook, we do not clean). It was to no avail. So... she was all set to give you her recipe for buttermilk satsuma loaf cake (OOOOOH. Annalena sees some drool forming), but then she started sleuthing.
VOILA It has been found. And you are going to be SO happy to have this. Yes, you are. Even Johnny D, who loved the stew recipe, because he, like most of you, has dessert phobia.
Johnny D, you can make this dessert. ALL of you can. The recipe says 10 minutes of working time, and that is probably an overstatement.
Now, to be fully fair, for those who grew up on "cobblers," this will not strik as authentic. It is more like a quick cake, with cranberries in it. Know what? WHO CARES? It is easy. It is delicious. And it is festive. In fact, perhaps you should make two, and save one for breakfast, or to give away. Annalena did so.
Ok, so what's the fuss about? Well, here we go. To make ONE, melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter (that's 3/4 of a stick. Just cut two tablespoons off of the the thing). While it's melting, preheat your oven to 350, and collect your other ingredients: 2 cups of cranberries, be they fresh or frozen, or part thawed, a cup of sugar, a cup of flour, 1 heaping teaspon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt, half a cup of milk and one large egg.
You probably have that all in the house, right? Even you Johnny D. Ok, maybe you need the flour. So, you take your cake pan, or a skillet, or a pie pan, whatever you like, and butter it, probably with the paper used to wrap the butter you just used. Put that aside, and whisk all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a second bowl, mix the butter, eggs, and milk until they are combined. Then pour those liquids into the flour, and stir until you combine everything.
Annalena then stirs her cranberries into this, but you can also spread them all out on top. Then put it in the oven for 30 minutes, and you know what? You are FINISHED!!!!
Yes, you have a dessert that you could put out at Christmas in an hour. LESS than an hour.
You might choose to dress this up with some grated orange peel, or some vanilla extract. You might also consider adding a handful of dried cranberries (those "craisin" thangs) or some chopped nuts. But do try it just unadorned and simple, before you start geegawing it.
You can handle that. Even if you just put it out as a nice breakfast for people during this holiday season.
Stress? We don't need no stress here, man. Destress. Make and eat. Enjoy.
See, when Annalena started looking for her recipe for cranberry cobbler: SHE COULD NOT FIND IT!!! Now, to be fully honest, it was on a very small piece of paper, which she thought she could identify by its bright blue color (she has no idea why a recipe for cranberries was printed on blue paper, but such is our lives), and tore her apartment apart this morning looking for it (today being the day before her housekeeper cleans, it is probably the case that no one could TELL she tore the apartment apart, but we cook, we do not clean). It was to no avail. So... she was all set to give you her recipe for buttermilk satsuma loaf cake (OOOOOH. Annalena sees some drool forming), but then she started sleuthing.
VOILA It has been found. And you are going to be SO happy to have this. Yes, you are. Even Johnny D, who loved the stew recipe, because he, like most of you, has dessert phobia.
Johnny D, you can make this dessert. ALL of you can. The recipe says 10 minutes of working time, and that is probably an overstatement.
Now, to be fully fair, for those who grew up on "cobblers," this will not strik as authentic. It is more like a quick cake, with cranberries in it. Know what? WHO CARES? It is easy. It is delicious. And it is festive. In fact, perhaps you should make two, and save one for breakfast, or to give away. Annalena did so.
Ok, so what's the fuss about? Well, here we go. To make ONE, melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter (that's 3/4 of a stick. Just cut two tablespoons off of the the thing). While it's melting, preheat your oven to 350, and collect your other ingredients: 2 cups of cranberries, be they fresh or frozen, or part thawed, a cup of sugar, a cup of flour, 1 heaping teaspon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt, half a cup of milk and one large egg.
You probably have that all in the house, right? Even you Johnny D. Ok, maybe you need the flour. So, you take your cake pan, or a skillet, or a pie pan, whatever you like, and butter it, probably with the paper used to wrap the butter you just used. Put that aside, and whisk all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a second bowl, mix the butter, eggs, and milk until they are combined. Then pour those liquids into the flour, and stir until you combine everything.
Annalena then stirs her cranberries into this, but you can also spread them all out on top. Then put it in the oven for 30 minutes, and you know what? You are FINISHED!!!!
Yes, you have a dessert that you could put out at Christmas in an hour. LESS than an hour.
You might choose to dress this up with some grated orange peel, or some vanilla extract. You might also consider adding a handful of dried cranberries (those "craisin" thangs) or some chopped nuts. But do try it just unadorned and simple, before you start geegawing it.
You can handle that. Even if you just put it out as a nice breakfast for people during this holiday season.
Stress? We don't need no stress here, man. Destress. Make and eat. Enjoy.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Stewing over stew: beef stew with root vegetables for Johnny D
She's a tease, isn't she? Annalena keeps on promising you her cranberry cobbler recipe. But, as the song goes "you just have to wait." See, when there is late breaking news, or new ideas, Annalena has to share them with you. It is her obligation.
Last week, Annalena made a beef stew from a recipe she concocted on the spot. As she prepared the dish, she realized that, really, all stews are built on a simple template. We can complicate them, but we don't need to. And a stew is something that everyone could use this time of year. Yes, they take a while. This one too 2.5 hours of cooking. But, the yield is wonderful, the work involved is minimal, the product is delicious, the cost is de minimis, and anyone can make it. And if you make it, you can eat it for at least a few days, simply changing what goes with it. Think of it as another basic black dress of the cooking world.
As we go through this recipe, Annalena will be telling you where you can make your own choices. OK? Good.
So, it's beef stew. That means you need... duh... BEEF. But what cut? When you are going to cook something for a long time, you want the part of the animal that works. Muscles take a long time to break down (and they make damn tasty food). So for this, Annalena used chuck. It's very lean, and it takes a while to cook. You could use shoulder, or you could use other cuts. Try to avoid what is called "stew meat," as you never know what it is. Get a roast, and cut it into chunks yourself. If you have a knife, you can do it. And you can cut it to the size you like.
Don't want to do beef? Ok, substitute lamb. Or pork. Honestly, ragazzi, you could use duck, but you would want to use the duck legs, rather than the breast, because in the avian camp, it is the legs which do the work. That's why it's dark meat. Even in duck, which is ALL dark meat, you will find the breast to be blazing crimson, and the legs, a dark brown.
Pat the meat dry, and then salt it., whatever you choose (by the way, if you choose duck legs, there is no reason to cut the meat into small pieces unless you really want to. It's fun to eat a whole duck leg after it has been stewed. Sometimes, we call that cassoulet if everything else that goes into the stew is the right thing). Put a good amount of oil in a pan - a WIDE one. Enough to coat it. And wait until it gets hot. Again, you want the "ripple" or the smell of the oil to meet your nose. When you have that, put in as much meat as the pan will hold, in one layer, and LEAVE IT ALONE. You are cooking to create a nice sear. Listen to your pan. It will tell you when it's time to flip the meat. The sizzle will drop from fast and furious, to slow and lazy. Now brown the other side.
If you need to do this in two batches, do so. (Note we haven't used any flour. We won't). Store this meat in a bowl, because you don't want to lose the juices. And when it's all browned, you don't need the fat anymore. Out it goes.
Put the meat in a big pot. Here, it doesn't need, and in fact shouldn't, be one layer deep. So pile it in, and then add some liquid. What liquid? Well, for beef stew, Annalena uses beef stock, and red wine: zinfandel is always good, but anything with some body , where you don't have enough to drink, can be used. You want to cover the meat just to the point where the liquid comes 3/4 to 4/5 up the sides. Use a cup of stock, then half a cup of wine, and keep varying until you have the mark. Now, Annalena would use red wine for lamb, but change the stock to chicken. For pork, she would use chicken, and a spicier white wine, like gewurztraminer. For duck, chicken stock and zinfandel. Your choice ragazzi.
Cover the pot, and put it on the LOWEST heat your burner can handle. Leave it for an hour, and then come back and turn the meat, so that the stuff on the top is on the bottom. And let it go for another 45 minutes.
During that 45 minutes, prepare your vegetables. Again, here you can use what you like, but you are going to cook them for at least another 45 minutes, so keep that in mind. Annalena used parsley root, carrots, and a big Korean yam. Big chunks - about the size of your meat. And at least half the volume of the meat, up to the same amount. Put the veggies in with the meat, stir everything together, and let it go for forty five minutes.
Taste it. Is the meat tender enough for you? Are the vegetables tender? Is the salt right? Would you perhaps like a spicy element? Do it now, and let it sit for another fifteen minutes or so. This is also the time to add the quicker cooking vegetables you might want, like peas, or artichoke pieces, or something like that. Again, construct it the way you like it.
Try not to eat it the first day. It gets better on sitting. It really does. And on refrigeration, any fat in the meat will come to the top, and you can scrape it off before you reheat it.
Polenta, rice, pureed cauliflower, noodles, mashed potatoes, are ALL good with this. And they cook quickly enough.
So, ragazzi, go stew on this. You'll be really happy you did.
The cobbler is coming. Promise
Last week, Annalena made a beef stew from a recipe she concocted on the spot. As she prepared the dish, she realized that, really, all stews are built on a simple template. We can complicate them, but we don't need to. And a stew is something that everyone could use this time of year. Yes, they take a while. This one too 2.5 hours of cooking. But, the yield is wonderful, the work involved is minimal, the product is delicious, the cost is de minimis, and anyone can make it. And if you make it, you can eat it for at least a few days, simply changing what goes with it. Think of it as another basic black dress of the cooking world.
As we go through this recipe, Annalena will be telling you where you can make your own choices. OK? Good.
So, it's beef stew. That means you need... duh... BEEF. But what cut? When you are going to cook something for a long time, you want the part of the animal that works. Muscles take a long time to break down (and they make damn tasty food). So for this, Annalena used chuck. It's very lean, and it takes a while to cook. You could use shoulder, or you could use other cuts. Try to avoid what is called "stew meat," as you never know what it is. Get a roast, and cut it into chunks yourself. If you have a knife, you can do it. And you can cut it to the size you like.
Don't want to do beef? Ok, substitute lamb. Or pork. Honestly, ragazzi, you could use duck, but you would want to use the duck legs, rather than the breast, because in the avian camp, it is the legs which do the work. That's why it's dark meat. Even in duck, which is ALL dark meat, you will find the breast to be blazing crimson, and the legs, a dark brown.
Pat the meat dry, and then salt it., whatever you choose (by the way, if you choose duck legs, there is no reason to cut the meat into small pieces unless you really want to. It's fun to eat a whole duck leg after it has been stewed. Sometimes, we call that cassoulet if everything else that goes into the stew is the right thing). Put a good amount of oil in a pan - a WIDE one. Enough to coat it. And wait until it gets hot. Again, you want the "ripple" or the smell of the oil to meet your nose. When you have that, put in as much meat as the pan will hold, in one layer, and LEAVE IT ALONE. You are cooking to create a nice sear. Listen to your pan. It will tell you when it's time to flip the meat. The sizzle will drop from fast and furious, to slow and lazy. Now brown the other side.
If you need to do this in two batches, do so. (Note we haven't used any flour. We won't). Store this meat in a bowl, because you don't want to lose the juices. And when it's all browned, you don't need the fat anymore. Out it goes.
Put the meat in a big pot. Here, it doesn't need, and in fact shouldn't, be one layer deep. So pile it in, and then add some liquid. What liquid? Well, for beef stew, Annalena uses beef stock, and red wine: zinfandel is always good, but anything with some body , where you don't have enough to drink, can be used. You want to cover the meat just to the point where the liquid comes 3/4 to 4/5 up the sides. Use a cup of stock, then half a cup of wine, and keep varying until you have the mark. Now, Annalena would use red wine for lamb, but change the stock to chicken. For pork, she would use chicken, and a spicier white wine, like gewurztraminer. For duck, chicken stock and zinfandel. Your choice ragazzi.
Cover the pot, and put it on the LOWEST heat your burner can handle. Leave it for an hour, and then come back and turn the meat, so that the stuff on the top is on the bottom. And let it go for another 45 minutes.
During that 45 minutes, prepare your vegetables. Again, here you can use what you like, but you are going to cook them for at least another 45 minutes, so keep that in mind. Annalena used parsley root, carrots, and a big Korean yam. Big chunks - about the size of your meat. And at least half the volume of the meat, up to the same amount. Put the veggies in with the meat, stir everything together, and let it go for forty five minutes.
Taste it. Is the meat tender enough for you? Are the vegetables tender? Is the salt right? Would you perhaps like a spicy element? Do it now, and let it sit for another fifteen minutes or so. This is also the time to add the quicker cooking vegetables you might want, like peas, or artichoke pieces, or something like that. Again, construct it the way you like it.
Try not to eat it the first day. It gets better on sitting. It really does. And on refrigeration, any fat in the meat will come to the top, and you can scrape it off before you reheat it.
Polenta, rice, pureed cauliflower, noodles, mashed potatoes, are ALL good with this. And they cook quickly enough.
So, ragazzi, go stew on this. You'll be really happy you did.
The cobbler is coming. Promise
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