Spring has sprung at Jean-Talon!

As you can see from these pictures (click on each to enlarge), our beloved Marche' Jean-Talon is back in full swing! Ok, so only the potatoes and the cherries above are local, but at least all the stalls are set up and selling something. We're making progress on the season at last. I was supposed to go to a dog show in New Jersey last weekend, but there was only one other class male (non-champion) entered, so I figured it wasn't worth the gas money to go down. Instead, we headed north to Montreal, as we are so wont to do, especially now that the weather has become quite lovely. And sure enough, everyone in Montreal was out and about, walking and biking and shopping and spilling out of all the cafes. It was just wonderful; there was a familiar, palpable energy of people making the most of what little non-winter they get each year.

As for me, I bought myself a cute polka-dot rolly-bag just like a real city dweller (or perhaps like one of the grandmas from the old country), and we worked our way through the whole market, filling my new wheelie cart with all sorts of edible treasures of the season. We got new fingerling potatoes called "La Ratte" which are reputed to be very nutty and buttery-tasting, tender young asparagus, fresh snap peas, carrots, brussels sprouts, some greenhouse-grown tomatoes, peppers and basil, and of course, that fleeting harbinger of spring, fiddleheads. My friend Cyd is especially fond of fiddleheads, though you'd never know it from her description of them. Allow me to quote her: "Fiddleheads are small, greenish-brownish things that seemed to have recoiled upon themselves to escape their own aroma of marshy rot. They are vegetation as Tim Burton may have imagined it." Tee hee. I suppose it's very fitting that the first time she ever heard of fiddleheads was in a Stephen King story where a girl was lost in the woods and ate fiddleheads to survive. Cyd continues: "These unopened fronds of a variety of fern are not for the culinarily cautious. They are somewhat elusive and daunting. Indeed, one may need to be lost, cold, starving and delusional to purposefully walk up and try one." Geez! If she hasn't completely turned you off to trying this somewhat asparagus-tasting delicacy, Cyd's favorite method to prepare them is quite minimalist. Simply saute' them in butter with some minced garlic for a few minutes until the fiddleheads are crisp-tender and the butter has begun to brown, season with salt and pepper, and if you really want to gild the lily, finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The quintessential taste of spring!

Once our cart was overflowing with produce, we headed back to the entrance to hit one of our favorite places where we always end up spending way too much money, Petit Olivier. There we bought the most amazing red pepper sauce, some artichoke dip, this awesome spicy marinated eggplant (and I thought I hated eggplant!), and of course, some roasted garlic-stuffed olives. At this point, we decided to break for lunch. We had a couple of our beloved Romanian hamburgers called "mici", then bought some extra ones to take home and grill ourselves, along with a pint of their wonderfully crispy housemade sauerkraut. YUM! To wash down our mici, we made our way over the Mangue & Melon for two most excellent smoothies. I had a triple berry/orange concoction that was delicious, except for the seeds that always vex me. And Cyd had something called the Mediterranean--their signature mango and melon smoothie but with a whole fistful of mint blended in. Cyd loved it so much, she declared it the official drink of the summer, and rushed right back into the market to acquire mangoes and melons to make her own frothy beverage at home. She urges you to try it as well. The "recipe" that we developed requires you to add about one cup of chunked cantelope to the jar of a blender along with the flesh of one ripe mango (also about a cup), one cup of orange-mango juice (try new Tropicana Pure=good stuff), six ice cubes, and to quote Cyd one last time, "as much fresh mint as you're man enough to take" (I recommend the leaves from 4-5 big sprigs). Blend, drink, and sigh with refreshment.

Before we departed Jean-Talon, we had one more important stop to make, at Au Pain Dore' for some more confidences. (I told you I was gonna do it!) Cyd got her favorite chocolate ones, but I had to have some of the ones sandwiched together with lemon curd. Man, oh, man! Now I really am going to have to figure out how to make those scrumptious little buggers at home! I haven't yet cracked the code, but I did get some new and valuable clues at the bakery. According to the little sign posted near the cookies, the ingredients included whipped egg whites, almond paste, powdered sugar, and as I suspected all along, flour. Surely, I will be able to work with that short list to make a reasonable fascimile of this addictive pastry.

Speaking of pastries, we had another sweet destination to visit in Montreal, a bakery called Fous Desserts (Crazy Desserts!). According to some learned folk on Chowhound, they have the best croissants in the city. Well, we tried the plain, the almond, and the chocolatine, and they were darn good. But I think my favorites are still to be had at Patisserie Belge. What we did discover at Fous Desserts, though, was an incredible nut tart that one of the Chowhounders claimed was their finest dessert. It has a buttery short crust (one of the best I've ever had, truly), and it's filled with a soft, fleur de sel caramel, and three kinds of nuts--almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios. So delicious! In fact, I'm afraid that this is another thing that I'm going to have to try and recreate at home. I think I'd like to try it with macadamia nuts in the mix.

All of this to say, we had a lovely outing over our Memorial Day weekend. I hope you did, too, before it was back to the grind. I started teaching the first summer session this week, so no rest for the weary. Oh well, cheer up...Fourth of July is right around the corner!

In search of....confidence.

That title sounds like I need therapy, or at least a decent self-help book. And maybe I do, but that's a whole 'nother Oprah show! No, this is a request of my readership to help me do a little culinary detective work. Now that we've got the Levain chocolate chip cookie sorted out, I need another copycat project. Actually, the Levain discussion continues over on Anna's blog and elsewhere, as someone decided to remake it with yeast as a leavener. I might give it another try, but the baking soda version was so wonderful, I figure, what's the point? Oops, I've gotten myself off track...

First, a wee bit of orientation to the topic (can you tell that I teach public speaking?). Years ago, I was hopelessly searching for a brioche loaf. Martha had put it in my mind that I needed to try making French toast with a loaf of brioche (she gets hers from Balthazar in NYC, of course). And this was long ago when I was too nervous to try and make it myself (hmm...maybe confidence is the theme after all!). So I searched many bakeries, but if I found brioche at all, it was always the traditional molded ones, not loaves. That was until I moved here and began exploring the bakeries in Montreal. One of the first boulangeries/patisseries that we discovered was a chain called Au Pain Doré, and lo and behold, they had a nice loaf of brioche for me! Joy of joys! A happy ending to be sure, IF that were the point of this anecdote. (Teacher, teach thyself that brevity is the soul of wit!)

The point is, and I do have one, is when I went to the counter to pay for my brioche loaf, they had a little basket of these delectable-looking cookies next to the cash register, and we bought a couple to try. They were called confidences, and they were sort of crusty and flaky on the outside, but so delicate and soft on the inside, not unlike angel food cake. Then they were sandwiched together with a rich chocolate ganache and dusted with powdered sugar. So good! Ever since then, probably for eight years now, we regularly stop at Au Pain Doré to procure les confidences. However, the last time we bought some, they had really shot up in price. With the cost of flour and eggs through the roof, I suppose it's to be expected. But by the time you factor in the gas money to get us to Montreal, those become some seriously expensive cookies! So I'd really like to be able to make them at home. And that, friends, is the thesis of my narrative.

Pictured here is the object of our desiring (I should mention that this is my roommate's favorite cookie in the world!). Sadly, extensive internet research and a sweep of the many cookbooks on my shelves have yielded no information about a cookie or pastry called confidence. I am guessing that they are a close cousin to French almond macarons--not the American macaroons made of coconut, but not exactly like macarons either, as these are crackly on top, not smooth. And though they surely involve egg whites and sugar, they are more than just straight meringues. There is some sort of flour, I think, maybe something delicate like rice flour, or perhaps it's almond flour. In fact, someone over at Egullet suggested that they looked very similar to Italian amaretti cookies, so maybe almond paste is involved? This is where I turn to you, the foodie community, to help me identify this cookie and, hopefully, a recipe that would yield a similar result. Can anyone help me out? I mean, come on, I shared the world's best chocolate chip cookie recipe with you. Don't you owe me now? Pay it forward, people! (Tee hee.) Seriously, though, if you can offer any clues to point me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it.

Here's what they look like inside with the ganache, though an Egulleter in Montreal reports that Au Pain Doré is now offering a version with lemon curd inside! Oh, man! Now I'm gonna have to make a trip to Montreal on the weekend--unless one of you can help me figure out a recipe before then. So please, I beg you, put your thinking caps on and load up the comments with your opinions and suggestions. I thank you in advance.

Another Blogga Bandwagon--Get on Board!

A few weekends ago, I was watching Food Network, as is my way, and I caught one of Bobby Flay's Throwdowns. This one was with the women of Levain Bakery who are reported to bake the best chocolate chip cookies in New York City. Poor Bobby tried, but he simply could not best the best. Before watching this progam, I had only heard of these infamous cookies via Anna's blog, but I think I kind of tuned it out because I didn't understand what she was talking about. But now I get it. Apparently, these much-heralded cookies have several mesmerizing qualities. First, they are GINORMOUS at six ounces apiece. Secondly, they are chock full of chocolate chips. Also, they are very tall and puffy, both cakey and dense. And lastly, they are very, very moist, to the point of being underbaked (cookie dough lovers, take note).

Ever since that episode of Throwdown was aired, the food blogs have been electrified with attempts to replicate a cookie like Levain Bakery's. One of the most promising early leads came from Su Good Sweets and one of her loyal readers named Lisa. Lisa felt she had cracked the code, and many bakers were happy to test her recipe with good results. I was one of them. I had a committee meeting coming up at school, the end of a very long search process to fill an important position at the college. Therefore, I thought each committee member deserved a BIG cookie for a BIG job well done! The cookies were very good, but unlike Levain's or even Lisa's copycats, they were not tall and puffy. I did make them a bit smaller (four ounces), but I think the main problem was that I formed them by hand into hockey puck shapes, and they ended up spreading a lot. Still, they were quite yummy, enough to justify a repeat attempt. I thought maybe I'd try the recipe again with a little more leavening and by mounding up the dough before baking. But before I got around to doing it, Anna jumped into the fray to perfect Lisa's recipe.

Like me, Anna had never actually tasted the real deal from Levain Bakery. But one of her readers from NYC was kind enough to ship some samples to her via express mail. (Levain does do mail order, but it's $40 for four cookies!) And as is befitting a Bake-Off winner, Anna set herself to task, baking micro-batch after micro-batch of Levain copycats until she found the winning combination. As it turns out, the cookie is most successful when it contains baking soda as the only leavening and...brace yourself for the shock...bread flour instead of all-purpose! Most importantly, to get that desirably craggy mountain of goodness, you need to bake the dough in tall, shaggy haystacks, preferably on the back of a rimmed cookie sheet. And of course, they MUST not be overbaked. That is critical.

As Anna has never led me astray, I did a test batch this afternoon. I made six four-ounce cookies, following Anna's revised recipe pretty closely. The only changes I made were to start with cold, cubed butter instead of room temperature (because that's what the Levain ladies did on the Bobby Flay show), and I added vanilla. Be advised that the Levain bakers said that they do not add any vanilla, because they don't feel that it adds anything to the flavor of the cookie. But I just could not bring myself to omit it! Well, let me tell you, the resulting cookies were terrific!

Of course, I have never had one of the real Levain cookies, but these look identical (Anna's photo of one of the cookies from Levain is below so you can compare to my pic above), and they taste awesome. The only thing I would do differently next time would be to pull them a minute or two earlier. I was concerned that they looked a little too underdone when I checked them at 15 minutes, so I left them in for another four minutes when two would have probably done it. Still, they are delicious--especially when still warm from the oven, but 15 seconds in the microwave the next day will bring them right back to soft and gooey. Try them!










(<----Photo credit: Anna Ginsberg)

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie Copycats (via Lisa and Anna)

8 ounces (two sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature--I prefer to start with cold, cubed butter as the Levain bakers do
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional, but I prefer it)
3 cups BREAD flour (13 1/2 oz)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 to 1 1/3 cups coarsely chopped, untoasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat butter and both sugars just until they come together. Don’t overbeat. Add the eggs one at a time and beat just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla, if using. Mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. When thoroughly mixed, add to batter and stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. The dough should be neither sticky nor dry.

Divide dough into tall mounds, but keep them kind of raggedy. (That is, don’t smash them into compact balls or disks.) Bake on ungreased insulated cookie sheet or an upside down rimmed cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 17-18 minutes for four ounce cookies or 19-20 minutes for six-ouncers. Cool on sheet for about 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

This should make a dozen four-ounce cookies or eight six-ounce cookies.

It's over! It's over! WHOO-HOO!!

Like crashing into a big brick wall, it screeches to a halt. The school year ist kaput. Over. Finished. Stick a fork in it, it's done! YIPPEE! That was a long one and a tough one, to be sure. But I survived year #17 in higher education. Celebrate me! I wish I could say that I don't have to go in next week, but I have one more class (out of seven) to finish grading, plus a couple of annoying little end-o-the-year evaluations to tend to. Still, no biggie. I can knock those out either Monday or Tuesday afternoon. And then I am blissfully free of obligations for about a week and a half until summer school starts! Yeah for me! I am looking forward to sleeping and reading and playing with the dogs and watching movies and cooking and blogging and catching up on emails and such. And surely, we'll squeeze in a trip to Montreal as well...Jean-Talon must be in full swing by now!

I've been so busy with the end of the semester that I haven't been making too much to blog about. It's all been about quick meals and, I'm afraid to admit it, eating out a lot. But I did make some stupendous enchiladas the other night. You see, my dear friend June is out of town for awhile, tending to her mother who is in the hospital. And her husband, Tom, is at home, holding down the fort while she is away. He's been really wonderful, helping her long-distance to get her finals grades done and submitted, so I thought I might make him a pan of enchiladas to keep him from starving to death while his wife is away. And since it's just as easy to make two batches of enchiladas as one, I figured I'd make us some, too. I began with two roasted deli chickens, skinned and boned them, and chopped up the meat. Then I sauteed a large chopped onion in a little oil until soft, and added some taco seasoning and water to make a sauce. Because Tom likes things very spicy, I added a couple of tablespoons of habanero hot sauce, and poured the completed sauce over the chicken. Finally, I added a can of black beans and a can of corn to the mixture along with salt and pepper to taste, and that was it for the filling.

For Tom's batch, I poured some red enchilada sauce from a large (28-30 oz.) can in the bottom of an oblong baking dish, then I used 14 small corn tortillas, filling them with a couple of tablespoons of the chicken, corn and black bean mixture and some shredded Mexi-cheese before rolling them up and placing them seam side down in the pan. Then I poured the rest of the red sauce over the enchiladas, topped them with at least a cup of shredded cheese and some sliced black olives, and baked them at 350 for 30 minutes. For our batch, I decided to try green chile enchilada sauce instead of the traditional red, and I used eight large flour tortillas instead of corn (which Cyd prefers). Man, were they GOOD! The green sauce was tangier and fruitier than the red, and also a bit spicier. Slathered with sour cream (and topped with eggs today for brunch!), they were just scrumptious.

My second cooking obligation of the week was to make the dessert for the divisional party yesterday afternoon to celebrate all of my colleagues with summer birthdays. I was torn between making the Devil's Food White Out Cake on the cover of Dorie Greenspan's baking book, or perhaps finally trying the carrot cake cheesecake from the Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook that I got months ago. I decided on the latter, a rich carrot cake with luscious cream cheese frosting and a whole cheesecake sandwiched in the middle. It may be one of the most delicious and decadent desserts EVER! However, it may also be one of the most time-consuming undertakings ever*, so don't even attempt it if you don't have a LOT of free time on your hands--two or three days' worth! My theory is that Junior's makes their recipes SO long and laborious that you'll give up, say screw it, and just go buy your cheesecake from them. But I persevered, did it in stages, and somehow managed to complete the wretched thing by the end of finals week. And I think it was all worth it. Everyone at the party seemed to think so, anyway. ;-)

Junior's Carrot Cake Cheesecake
(Source: Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook, Alan Rosen and Beth Allen)

For the cheesecake:
3 eight-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cups heavy or whipping cream

For the carrot cake layers:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins (optional!)
boiling water
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups carrots (about 4 large), peeled and finely grated
3/4 cup apple (about 2 medium), peeled, cored, and minced
3/4 to 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

For the cream cheese frosting:
3 eight-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously butter or spray the bottom and sides of a nine-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil, both the bottom and up the sides.

In a stand mixer on low speed, blend one package of cream cheese with 1/3 cup sugar and the cornstarch until creamy, about three minutes. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down as needed. Increase the mixer to medium and add the remaining cup of sugar and the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the cream just until fully blended.

Gently spoon the batter into the springform pan and place it into a large shallow pan with hot water coming about an inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for about 1 1/4 hours until the edges are light golden brown and the top is golden tan. Remove from the water bath and cool in the pan for two hours. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for about four hours until completely cold. Then freeze overnight.

To prepare the carrot cake layers, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter or spray the bottoms and sides of three nine-inch cake pans and line them with rounds of parchment paper (just the bottoms). Sift the dry ingredients and set aside. If using raisins (longtime readers of this blog will know that I hate them and therefore omitted them!), plump them in the boiling water for 15-20 minutes in a covered pan. Pour off the water and drain further on paper towels.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a stand mixer on high until pale yellow, about five minutes. Gradually add the sugar, then drizzle in the oil, then the cream and vanilla. Beat for 15-20 minutes(!) until golden and airy. On low speed, blend in the flour mixture, then the carrots, apples, walnuts and raisins. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans and bake for about 45 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched and a tester comes out with moist crumbs attached. Let the cakes cool in the pans on wire racks for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto the racks and remove the paper liners. Let the cakes cool completely, about two hours, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake.

When ready to assemble, remove the cheesecake from the freezer and let stand at room temperature for ten minutes while you make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter on high until well-blended. Add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla, and beat until smooth. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the cream. Unwrap the carrot cake layers and break the least attractive one into crumbs.

To assemble, place one layer on a cake plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Remove the cake from the springform pan (try heating the bottom over a low flame for thirty seconds and then breaking the vacuum with a thin spatula). Place the cheesecake, top side down, on top of the frosted cake layer and spread the bottom of the cheesecake with frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer, top side up. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Decorate the top edge of the cake with a ring of crumbs about two inches wide. (The next time I make this, I think I'd rather put the crumbs around the sides of the cake and leave the top plain, or decorated with carrot designs as tradition dictates.) Refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the cheesecake to thaw enough to easily slice. Use a sharp, straight-edged (not serrated) knife to cut it. Cover and refrigerate leftovers or freeze up to one month. (I think I will freeze a piece for June when she comes home.)

*Seriously, by my calculations, this project will consume at least 20 hours of your life. To make it a more humane experience, I strongly suggest making the cheesecake on day one, the carrot cake layers on day two, and the frosting and assembly on day three, preferably the day before you intend to serve it. Yes, that's right--begin FOUR days before your party for best results and less stress on you!

Too Much Alone Time Makes for Good BBQ

So my roommate abandoned me for several days last week as she had to go to Minnesota (of all places) to the "home office" for work. So I spent some quality time with the dogs, and we watched a lot of movies and Food Network together over the weekend. We especially enjoyed a Down Home with the Neelys marathon. In one of the episodes, they made New York strip steaks with a homemade steak sauce. Now we prefer ribeyes in this house, but that beer-and-molasses steak sauce looked amazingly good, and I had never thought of making my own steak sauce. So I whipped up a batch, and though I accidentally put apple cider vinegar in it instead of apple cider, it turned out great--sweet and spicy, just like I like it. We had it on steaks to celebrate Cyd's return home, but there was a lot of sauce left over. Then I had a vision. As the homemade steak sauce and barbecue sauce seemed to be indistinguishable from one another, I thought I might make some pulled pork in the crock pot with it. I credit my inspiration to Nicole at Baking Bites. You see, another project that I undertook while Cyd was gone was to bake some of her soft yogurt sandwich rolls. It is an excellent recipe that yields large, tender rolls that can stand up to everything from French dips to BBQ pulled pork.

To make the pulled pork (a la Baking Bites), I sliced up an onion and put it in the bottom of the crock pot. Then I put in a six pound pork butt that I seasoned liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I poured in a scant cup of water around the roast, and added about a cup and a half of the Neely sauce on top of the meat. Then I put on the lid, and set it on low to cook for about 12 hours. When it was done, I pulled the meat apart with two forks and dressed it with some additional sauce. I served it on the homemade yogurt rolls that I had toasted and topped the pulled pork with fresh cole slaw. Delish!

FOLLOW-UP (5/13/08): My new Gourmet magazine came in the mail today, and we cracked up when we saw the cover. It looks almost exactly like the picture above--a pulled pork sandwich topped with cole slaw! I guess great minds think alike...tee hee.

The Neelys' Beer and Molasses Steak/BBQ Sauce
(Source: Food Network)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup apple cider--I used apple cider vinegar on acccident, but I'd do it again!
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup lager-style beer
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper--I would start with a teaspoon and taste it for your preferred heat level!
1 tablespoon paprika

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes, until softened. Add the rest of the ingredients; bring to a boil, then simmer until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 30 minutes.

Soft Yogurt Sandwich Rolls
(Source: Baking Bites)

3 1/2 - 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour--I used white whole wheat
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup warm water (100-110F)
1 cup yogurt (nonfat/lowfat is fine; Greek-style is preferred)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, the active dry yeast, the honey and the warm water. Stir well and let sit for 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.

Stir in yogurt, vegetable oil, salt and 2 cups of the remaining flour. Gradually stir in more flour until you have a soft dough that sticks together pulls away from the sides of the bowl (This can all be done in a stand mixer with the dough-hook attached as well).

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding additional flour if necessary to prevent sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, or about 5 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn risen dough out of bowl and onto a lightly floured surface. Gently deflate, pressing into a rectangle. Divide dough into 10 even pieces with a board scraper or a pizza cutter. Shape each piece into a round roll. To do this, take all the corners of one of the squarish pieces you just cut and pull them together, pinching them to create a seal. This will pull the rest of the dough “tight” across the top of your roll, giving you a smooth top. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Once all rolls have been formed, press down firmly on each one to flatten. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes. Bake for about 20 minutes, until rolls are deep golden on the top and the bottom. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Makes 10 rolls.

Of course, we had a LOT of pork left (a four pound roast would be have been sufficient!). So this weekend, after being sucked into multiple episodes of Diners, Drive-In's and Dives, I was craving homemade corned beef hash, and I wondered if I might make it with pulled pork instead. I browned some country hash browns (the diced kind) in some of the fat that had rendered from the pork roast. Then I topped the potatoes with shredded cheddar cheese, the pulled pork, minced onions, chopped tomatoes, basted eggs, hot sauce, and a dollop of sour cream. KILLER! (Perhaps literally...but it's going on my imaginary diner's breakfast menu regardless!)

And there was still MORE pulled pork! So tonight for dinner, I made yet another dish featuring the leftovers. Since I made the matzoh toffee a couple of weeks ago, I've had a spare box of matzohs sitting on my counter, and I didn't know what to do with them. But while Cyd was gone, I didn't feel like cooking a fancy meal just for myself, so I preheated the oven to 450 degrees, brushed two matzohs lightly with olive oil, topped them with marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, onions and mushrooms, and baked them for about ten minutes in the very hot oven. Crispy and delicious! So tonight, I made matzoh pizzas with the homemade BBQ sauce on the bottom, then a mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheese, then minced onions, and finally, the pulled pork. Yummy! I guess Cyd should go away more often, eh? Alone time gives me bursts of culinary creativity! ;-)

Thinking sweet thoughts to get me through finals!

Yep, it's that time again, folks. Finals are upon us, and I am pert near frazzled to death! I actually have been doing some interesting cooking and baking along the way to keep me sane; being in the kitchen is a great stress reliever for me, and an opportunity to to re-energize and get my creative juices flowing again when I'm overextended with work and other commitments. So I always make time for cooking and baking, even when I'm harried--I just don't have the time to blog about it! Hence, this post will be a bit of a catch-all and a catch-up. But there will be a unifying theme of sugary incentives to power you through this super-busy time right at the end of the semester.

First, I must share with you a recipe that I made from the April issue of Gourmet (see how behind I am, since the June issue is already on the newsstands?!). The issue was all about Italian cooking, and they had a recipe for a decadent chocolate hazelnut cheesecake (Nutella lovers, listen up!) that I just had to try. I did put my own spin on it, of course, but it came out absolutely delicious! It's dark and extremely dense and, in that European way, not overly-sweet. The changes I made were to make an Oreo crust, as I did not have any Wheatolos around (though I know they would be great for this recipe). Also, I used macadamia pieces instead of hazelnuts and doubled the amount called for (personal preference here--and any nut would do, I think, but only hazelnuts will give you that Nutella taste). And finally, though many people like that this cheesecake is not very sweet, I still think it needs a boost in that department. I served mine with a thick mantle of powdered sugar to compensate which worked fine, and that let people control their own level of sweetness. But personally, I would up the granulated sugar a little next time. Nevertheless, I highly recommend that you give this recipe a try. It's not difficult, it's elegant, and it's delicious--a chocoholic's dream!

Perugian-Style Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake (Torta di Cioccolata al Forno con Vaniglia e Nocciola--you do, and you'll clean it up!)
(Source: Gourmet, April 2008)

For crust:
1/4 pound wheatmeal crackers finely crushed (about 1 cup)--I used crushed chocolate Famous Wafers
1 ounce fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), grated--I omitted this for my Oreo-type crust
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

For filling:
1/2 pound fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), chopped--I used Ghiradelli bittersweet chips
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 pound 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar--I used regular granulated sugar and it worked fine, though next time, I would up this to a full cup!
1 cup hazelnuts (4 1/2 ounces), toasted loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel while still warm, and nuts chopped--I used 2 cups roasted and salted macadamia pieces

Accompaniment: lightly sweetened whipped cream--I garnished with powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients for the crust, then press onto bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.

Melt chocolate with butter, then remove from heat and whisk in cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Whisk together eggs and sugar in a large bowl until mixture has a mousse-like consistency, then stir in chocolate mixture and nuts. Pour filling into crust and bake 1 1/2 hours. (Top will be slightly cracked.)

Cool to room temperature in pan on a rack, about 1 hour, then chill at least 1 hour. (Cake will sink slightly.)

Cooks' notes:
•Wheatmeal biscuits are British-style whole-wheat crackers. Look for Carr's (labeled "Whole Wheat Crackers" and found at most supermarkets) or McVitie's brand (found at some specialty foods shops).
•Chocolate hazelnut cheesecake can be chilled up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Secondly, I thought you might like to see the cake that I made to celebrate my friend Judy's 15th anniversary of teaching for the college where I work. At the recognition ceremony, she came down from the stage after receiving some token gift or another looking very vexed, muttering to herself, "15 years here, and I didn't even get a cake!" (She was kidding...kind of.) So of course, I took it upon myself to celebrate her properly in the manner that she desired. This had to be kind of a shortcut cake, as I decided on a whim to make it on a Thursday night to take to school on Friday. But I think it turned out very well. Judy loves citrus, as I discovered when I made a lemon and orange curd years ago and shared some with her. So that "sunshine curd" became the flavor inspiration for her 15 year cake. As I had done before with a similar lemon-blueberry cake, I simply zhooshed up a French vanilla mix with extra vanilla, lemon juice, both lemon and tangerine zest, and a soupçon of Fiori di Sicilia (which has a bit of a creamsicle quality to it). Then I split the layers and filled them with my homemade honeybell vanilla bean marmalade, and frosted the whole affair with a luscious cream cheese icing that I enlivened with a little lemon oil. Finally, just for fun, I topped the cake with a big, polka-dotted one and a five, and decorated it even more whimsically with some citrus candy slices. Cute, huh? Oh, and then her card read: "ORANGE you glad you've made it 15 years? We sure aren't LEMON-ting it! Survive another 15 years? PIECE OF CAKE!" I know...I am nothing if not clever and amusing, and I do so love a theme to play with! ;-)

But if you really are in the weeds and can't muster the time or strength to think up fruity puns or to make even a boxed cake mix, let alone a cheesecake from scratch, then I have one final recommendation. I realize that this is at the end of a long post, and therefore, likely to be overlooked. But gather around, my beautiful babies. Mama's got something important to say to you. As you know, I only offer product recommendations on this blog once in a blue moon, and only when something makes a real impression on me. For example, have you tried the McSkillet Burrito at McDonald's? I'm not a fan of fast food as a general rule, but their newest breakfast burrito is pretty tasty. And I would like to shake the hand of the genius from Mt. Olive who came up with the Kosher Dill Petites Pickle Pak! They give you a little fruit cup-size pack of teensy little cornichons, and I keep them chilled in the mini-fridge in my office to eat with sandwiches at my desk. Yum! But these items pale in comparison to my latest discovery of the greatest food product ever known to man or woman. My only hesitation in sharing this revelation with you is that all my fellow Plattsburghers may descend on our handful of grocery stores and deplete the local supply before I can buy more for myself! Friends, listen to me. Hear my words. Häagen-Dazs Reserve Fleur de Sel Caramel Ice Cream. I'm going to say it again. Häagen-Dazs Reserve Fleur de Sel Caramel Ice Cream! "Reserve" translates to "costs a dollar more," but this is one of the few products where the exorbitant price is more the justified in my mind. Indeed, I'm boldly declaring this the best ice cream in the history of humanity! The base is caramel, but not overbearingly so (I usually prefer a vanilla base for this kind of thing), and there are soft, swoopy (not sticky) swirls of salty caramel throughout. And just when you think it couldn't possibly get any better, it is also chock full of miniature dark chocolate-covered fleur de sel caramels! I was anticipating that the candy would be superfluous, but I was wrong...dead wrong. They actually remind me of the wonderful sea salt caramels that Trader Joe's carries around the holidays, but these are Lilliputian in scale. All in all, it is a SUBLIME, nay, even SURREAL combination! If you dig the sweet-salty thing like I do, this is going send you over into going crazy (name the movie...anyone?)! If you need something to live for, something to make getting out of bed worthwhile in these trying times, something to give you the energy to survive to the end of a long school year, this is just the ticket. Mark me well, friends. (And save me some at the stores!)

The hottest new food trend?

Alright, it took me awhile to get on board with the no-knead bread, and sadly, I was one of the last to start baking with Dorie. But this time, I'm jumping on the bandwagon in record time! I've already made two batches of homemade chicken stock using....wait for it....CHICKEN FEET! Yes, you heard me--FEET! I first read about this venerable but wacky idea on Elise's excellent blog, and then the lovely gal at Just the Right Size had to try and replicate the tasty experiment with great success. So I thought, why don't I give it a whirl, too? But just try to find a source for chicken feet in teeny tiny Plattsburgh, I dare you! I never really thought I would, but I felt certain that my old school butcher in Covey Hill (QC) could hook me up. But even they shook their heads, chuckled, and suggested I try Chinatown the next time I was in Montreal. So I did just that. When we were up there two weekends ago, we hit up an Asian grocery store just around the corner from Jean-Talon, and I got four pounds--enough for two batches--for less than six bucks. Score! We did stop at Le Quartier Chinois later, but that was to grab dinner at a great place called Keung Kee on Rue la Gauchetiere to take home. I chose salt and pepper fried shrimp, General Tso's chicken, and spicy beef and black bean sauce with wide rice noodles. DELISH! But back to the chicken feet...

Making stock is a great project for a lazy Sunday afternoon. There is some initial prep involved, but then you can go away for hours and just let it do its thing--take a nap, watch a movie, spend some quality time with your dogs (or human loved ones, if you insist). It'll make your house smell great, and when it's all over, you'll have the richest, most flavorful stock imaginable, and it will have the most incredible body due to all the collagen in those feet. In fact, when you refrigerate it, it will solidify into chicken Jell-O! But that weird jelly will add an amazing flavor and texture to all of the recipes in which you choose to use it. Ok, brace yourself....I'm going to show you what they look like. No screaming now!

STOP THAT! I said no screaming! Man up, will ya? You sound like a cowardly little girl! I realize that they look like little fingers complete with glamour-length Lee Press-On's (note to self: consider scary Halloween party possibilities). Nevertheless, they are TASTY little fingers! And why should we be any more horrified by using the feet than we are by eating the wings? And you don't even really eat the feet. Well, some Asian folks do, but I'm not yet ready to go that far. After all, I have chickens, and I know where those feet have been and what gets on 'em! Eww! This is why most recipes for chicken feet stock begin with a five minute pre-boil--surely, to rid them of any lingering impurities. Then you drain and rinse them, and at last, begin making the stock in earnest. Here are the instructions from Adele Davis' book, Let's Cook It Right, via Simply Recipes.

Chicken Feet Stock ("...and I don't care!" Sing it!)

2 pounds of chicken feet
2 large carrots, cut in half
1 onion, cut into wedges
2 celery ribs, cut in half
1 bunch of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns

1 Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Put the chicken feet into a large stock pot and cover with boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes. Use a large metal spoon to skim and discard the scum that rises to the surface.

2 Drain the chicken feet completely. Rinse with cold water so that the feet are cool enough to handle. Using a sharp knife, chop off the tips of the claws and discard (I used kitchen shears for this). They should cut easily if you cut them through the joint. If any rough patches of claw pad remain, cut them away with a pairing knife. (Mine did not have any of these little poultry calluses, thankfully!)

3 Place chicken feet in a clean large stockpot. Fill with cold water to cover the feet by an inch. Add carrots, onions, celery, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer, immediately reduce the temperature to low. Partially cover, leave about a half inch crack or so, and keep the stock cooking at a bare simmer, for 4 hours. Occasionally skim any foam that may come to the surface. Uncover, increase the heat slightly to maintain a low simmer with the pot now uncovered. Continue to cook for an hour or two. At this point you are reducing the stock so that it is easier to store. Strain the stock through several layers of cheesecloth (I used a doubled flour sack towel) or a fine mesh strainer (ideally both) into a pot. Pour into quart-sized jars. Let cool for an hour or so before storing in the refrigerator.

When your stock has cooled, it should firm up nicely into a gel. Makes approximately 2 quarts. (I made a double batch, but I forgot to cover my pots as the stock reduced, so I only ended up with three, not four, quarts. Oh well. Even more concentrated chicken-y flavor...can't be a bad thing!)

So what did I do with the fabulous result, you ask? Well, first, I made a shortcut version of one of my favorite dishes, chicken and noodles using a rotisserie chicken, some authentic German spaetzle, cream of chicken soup, and the glorious homemade stock. So good! Then last night, I made another dish, largely of my own creation. My idea was to make sausage and cheese ravioli using won ton skins, cook them in the lush stock, and then finish them with a chicken-y Alfredo sauce of sorts. And I must tell you, it worked like a charm and tasted UNBELIEVABLE! I was mostly making it up as I went along, but I will attempt to transcribe a recipe that can be recreated.

Won Ton Ravioli with Chicken Alfredo Sauce
(Makes about 14 large ravioli)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 large onion, diced
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or fresh, if you have it on hand)
1/2 cup water
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

26-28 won ton wrappers
egg wash (one egg beaten with a tablespoon of water)
1 quart homemade chicken stock

4 tablespoons butter
1 (to 1 1/2) cups half and half
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan, brown the sausage in the olive oil and butter along with the onion, carrot, mushrooms, and garlic. (I used a pepper sausage this time, but if I had used regular Italian sausage, I would have also chopped up half a red bell pepper to add to my saute.) Add the pepper flakes and parsley, and the half cup of water. Reduce for a few minutes, then turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes (it can be warm, but not hot), then add the ricotta, the parmesan, and the egg. Stir to mix well. Season to taste.

On a work surface, lay out one won ton wrapper, fill with about a tablespoon of the sausage filling, brush around the edges with egg wash, and top with another wrapper. Do a preliminary seal on your work surface, then pick the raviolo up to seal all the way around with more gusto. Reserve on a large sheet pan and continue making the rest of your ravioli. (This would be fun to do with kids...if I had any.)

Rinse out the big saute pan and then add your chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and slide in half of your prepared ravioli. Simmer on one side for three minutes, and then flip each one and simmer on the other side for an additional two minutes. Remove to a plate with a slotted spatula and repeat the process with the rest of the ravioli.

If necessary, you may wish the reduce the remaining stock a bit. (My chicken feet stock was plenty thick when I was done simmering all the ravioli, and of course, the flour on the won ton skins helps.) In the thickened remaining stock, melt four tablespoons butter, then add the half-n-half, the parmesan cheese, and the garlic powder. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Simmer until the cheese melts, whisking until the sauce is smooth and has thickened. Plate the ravioli, top with a generous amount of sauce, and garnish with more shredded parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley. A-mazing!
















This picture doesn't really do the dish justice. It just looks...all...beige. But trust me--the taste is truly wonderful! Cyd said that it should go on my menu (that is, the imaginary menu of the hypothetical cafe' that I don't even own...yet!). Still, it's a winner. Try it.

A Simply Delicious Brunch

I was all kinds of lazy on Saturday, recuperating from an EXTREMELY difficult week at school (not bad, just insanely busy). And I don't mind telling you that I spent the better part of my day dozing off and on to the soft, soporific drone of the Food Network. At some point, I woke up to that vivacious Latina with the inexplicably Germanic name...Ingrid Hoffman of Simply Delicioso. I haven't seen the show enough to have much of an opinion of her. However, she seems evidence of the latest Food Network trend to only employ and televise "chefs" that look like supermodels. Plus, I have seen her hawking Tostitos cheese sauce on the regular networks, and if that doesn't scream SELL OUT, I don't know what does! (And you thought RR and Dunkin' Donuts was bad!)

All of my suspicions of Ms. Hoffman aside, on the program Saturday, she made a tapas menu that included a delectable-looking Spanish tortilla. No, not tortilla tortillas--rather, the big, oven-baked Spanish version of an omelette (more like an Italian fritatta) filled with sliced potatoes. One glance, and I knew it must be mine....oh yes, it must. It was not a difficult recipe per se, but you have to fuss with it a lot: into the pan, out of the pan, back in the pan, flipped out and then back in the pan--and from stovetop back to stovetop to oven and back to the oven again. Despite my trepidations about undercooked potatoes or losing the tortilla on the big flip, it turned out perfectly! We shamelessly ate two slices apiece along with the excellent sausages that we got a couple of weeks ago at Conroy's Organics. Cyd also enjoyed her brunch with some little Campari tomatoes from the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal. It's nowhere near in full swing yet--the outside vendors/stalls aren't even set up. But it was so nice last weekend that we had to go see what, if anything, they had to offer. Of course, these aren't the magical tomatoes of late summer/early fall, but until that blessed, fleeting time, greenhouse-grown Camparis will surely tide a person over. And they go great with a Spanish tortilla!

Simple Spanish Tortilla
(Source: Ingrid Hoffman, Simply Delicioso)

1/2 cup olive oil
4 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/8-inch thick, see Cook's Note*
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
6 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnishing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add the potato slices a few at a time so they don't stick together. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the onions are golden but not brown, about 10 minutes. Place a strainer over a bowl in your sink and transfer the potatoes and onions to drain; reserve the oil.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Drain excess oil off of the potato mixture. Add the potatoes and onions to the egg mixture and combine until they are completely mixed in. Set the bowl aside for about 15 minutes to let the potatoes release some of their starches into the eggs.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high for 1 minute. Add the egg-potato mixture, rotating the skillet in a circular motion to distribute it evenly. Lower the heat to medium-low and shake the pan a few times to prevent sticking (by shaking the pan, you ensure that the eggs and potatoes release from the pan bottom). Cook the tortilla for about 5 minutes or until the potatoes on the bottom start to turn golden brown. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until almost set. Remove from the oven and place a large flat plate on top of the skillet and invert the skillet. The tortilla should come right out. Add a tablespoon of the reserved olive oil to the skillet and slide the tortilla back in to cook the other side until it is golden-brown, about 5 minutes.

Turn the heat off and set the skillet aside until the tortilla cools to room temperature. Transfer the tortilla to a plate sprinkle with parsley and serve at room temperature cut into triangles or squares.

*Cook's Note: The Yukon potatoes should be sliced using a mandolin.

Happy (2nd) Easter!

I bet you thought we were done with Passover and Easter last month? Well, that's true, if you celebrate with the traditional Protestant holiday calendar. But of course, for our Jewish friends, Passover was last week and ended yesterday. As a special treat for my friend, Rosanne, in Miami, in celebration of Passover AND her 60th birthday, I sent a little care package down south. In it was a batch of super-fabulous Matzoh Toffee: matzoh crackers on the bottom baked with a coating of brown sugar toffee, topped with chocolate, and sliced almonds. YUM! Of course, to make it appropriate for Passover, I would have to use margarine instead of butter, but....eww! And Rosanne doesn't follow the strict dietary laws anyway, so I wantonly used butter and warned her not to share with anyone eating only pareve foods (no meat or dairy) during Passover.


Matzoh Toffee
(Source: Marcy Goldman of Better Baking, via David Lebovitz)

4 to 6 sheets unsalted matzohs (I used lightly salted ones and skipped the sea salt below)
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
big pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer Guittard bittersweet--up to 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup toasted sliced almonds (or nut of your choice)

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet (approximately 11 x 17", 28 x 42cm) completely with foil, making sure the foil goes up and over the edges. Cover the foil with a sheet of parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
2. Line the bottom of the sheet with matzoh, breaking extra pieces as necessary to fill in any spaces.
3. In a 3-4 quart (3-4l) heavy duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is beginning to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add the salt and vanilla, and pour over matzoh, spreading with a heatproof spatula.
4. Put the pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 350F degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. As it bakes, it will bubble up but make sure it's not burning every once in a while. If it is in spots, remove from oven and reduce the heat to 325F, then replace the pan.
5. Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread with an offset spatula.
6. If you wish, sprinkle with toasted almonds (or another favorite nut, toasted and coarsely-chopped), a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, or roasted cocoa nibs.

Let cool completely, the break into pieces and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. It should keep well for about one week (if it lasts that long!).

Then right after the Jewish Passover concludes, it's Easter in the many Orthodox churches. My friend Janice, of Middle Eastern descent (Syrian, I believe), celebrates Orthodox Easter, and every year, she invites all of her friends and family over for a huge, Mediterranean potluck that is truly over the top and to die for! There's always WAY too much food, and she never lets anyone leave empty-handed. Nevertheless, I decided to take a contribution to the party this year. A quick Google search revealed that one traditional dish served for Pascha (Easter) is a soft cheese spread normally made from draining farmer's cheese overnight, then mixing in various tasty additions before chilling it in a pyramid-shaped mold. The cheese is then eaten with Pascha bread, usually something eggy and sweet along the lines of challah or other rich Easter breads. However, since I decided two hours before I left for the party to make something, I used a simpler, cream cheese-based recipe that I found online. And because I abhor raisins, my twist was to make a version with dried cherries and almonds. It was pretty yummy, if I do say so myself. However, our dear host Janice was unfamiliar with it. Another friend of ours in attendance, Marta, who has a Ukranian background if memory serves, did recognize it from her childhood. So I'm guessing it's more an Eastern European tradition and not Mediterranean. Nevertheless, we were quite happy to eat it on top of mini-pitas, which made for an interesting and delicious intersection of culinary cultures!

Cream Cheese Paskha
(Source: adapted from Food for Paradise via Elizabeth's Vegetarian Kitchen)

1 pound softened cream cheese
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I also added a dash of almond extract)
golden raisins (optional--I used dried sour cherries instead)
slivered almonds (optional--I used toasted/sliced/blanched almonds)

Cream the cheese, butter, and sour cream until very smooth. Add sugar and vanilla. Next stir in the raisins and almonds in desired quantities (I halved the whole recipe, and I probably used at least a half cup each of the cherries and almonds). Chill well to firm the mixture. Spoon into bowls and decorate the top as desired. This will keep for about a week, covered, in the fridge. It is delicious as a spread on Pascha bread or bagels.

You've got syrup...now what will you do with it?

So you've been to the maple breakfast, eaten your weight in pancakes, and bought a jug or two of that sweet, amber goodness on your way out the door. Now what are you going to do with it? Of course, there are endless tasty things to do with real, local, fresh maple syrup, from sweet to savory applications. But it might be nice to start off enjoying it straight up, the way the Good Lord intended us to eat it...on WAFFLES! I have had waffles on the brain for some time, but I was haunted by the memory of the ethereal ones at Amy Ruth's in Harlem. Nothing could ever live up to those! So I was forlorn. (Sidebar: When will the good people of Amy Ruth's put out their own cookbook? It's high time, I say!) Then, to my great surprise and delight, I stumbled upon their recipe for chicken and waffles in a Today Show archive (apparently chef Carl Redding was on the show a couple of years ago, demonstrating his techniques for Al Roker). Lucky, lucky me! It was definitely worth busting out the Belgian waffler. The waffles were light and crisp, and when slathered in melted butter and warm maple syrup--what more could you need? Fried chicken, that's what!

I know it sounds like an odd combination if you've never tried it, but it's heavenly. Think of it as a cousin to honey-dipped fried chicken--same principle. And who doesn't love that salty-sweet thing? Though I've never had much luck making fried chicken at home, their recipe is a simple as it gets and really quite delicious. I always thought you had to abide by the traditional triple-dunk method (flour then egg then flour again, or another coating of your choice). But this one only coats in flour once, and that's it. And you'd think they'd marinate the chicken ahead of time or some other fancy maneuver, but no. They just season it well, flour, and fry. As basic as can be, and it's remarkably good. (However, I am considering trying a buttermilk soak overnight next time just for shiggles.) In any case, this sweet and savory meal gets a very enthusiastic thumbs-up from me--and it's perfect for everyone's favorite meal, BRINNER! Do give it a try before the weather changes for good and lighter fare prevails. Plus, you've got to use up that maple syrup you just bought, right?


Amy Ruth's Waffles
(Source: Carl Redding, via The Today Show)

6 eggs, room temperature and separated
4 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
3 cups milk
16 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled

Beat egg whites in a small bowl until stiff and set aside. Mix together dry ingredients and set aside. Combine egg yolk, milk and melted butter. Add to dry ingredients, mixing until just blended. Fold in beaten egg whites until just mixed. Do not over-beat batter. Pour 2 cups waffle batter onto waffle iron. Bake 2-1/2 minutes at 250ºF (may vary depending on waffle iron). Plate and garnish with butter and maple syrup, or fruit topping, nuts, whipped cream or powdered sugar.

*Note: I halved this recipe, and it still made a LOT of waffles! But you can always freeze the extras and then crisp them back up in your toaster for breakfast. Presto, homemade Eggos!

Southern Fried Chicken
(Source: Carl Redding via The Today Show)
6 servings (yeah, right! try 2-4)

3 cups vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3-1/2 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat until hot (350º F). Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge each chicken part in flour. Be sure the oil has reached the ideal temperature of 350ºF. Fry chicken 15 minutes until golden brown (turning occasionally). Remove chicken parts from hot oil and let it drain well on paper towels. Serve hot.

Coming out of hibernation...

I begin, as I often do, with an apology. I have been remiss in blogging for two weeks--SHEESH! After the onslaught of midterms, I was in Orlando for nearly a week for the annual PBGV National (dog show and conference). Don't be jealous--the weather there was awful. It was dreadfully hot and muggy the first few days, and then they had torrential downpours after that. I was actually pleased to come home to nicer weather. When I left, there was still snow on the ground, but when I got back to Burlington (VT), I actually sat outside in the sunshine--without a sweater, mind you--waiting for my ride home from the airport. We have had 60-degree days since, and darn near got to 70 one day last week! Nevertheless, I managed to contract a nasty virus and have been battling a severe cold for four or five days now. All of this to say, I haven't had much to blog about, culinarily-speaking.

However, I wasn't going to let some nagging pestilence keep me from one of my favorite annual outings to the maple pancake breakfast at Sanger's Sugar House. It's held one weekend in April during the peak of sugaring season as the main fund raiser for a local square dancing group. It's $6.50 for all-you-can-eat pancakes and warm, fresh maple syrup, with sausages, applesauce, and either white or chocolate milk. Extra sausage will cost you 50 cents (for two) and an extra milk is a quarter (we opt for both!). It's funny, because even though it's the quintessential spring-welcoming event, it always feels like fall. Everyone bundles up to stand in line to get into a large tent lined with hay and made extra-cozy from big, portable heat-blowers. Then some kindly menfolk cook you up some grub, while the women and children run around, dishing up seconds when you're ready for them. Now that's my idea of a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday!
After our pancake brunch, it was so nice to be out of the house, that we decided to continue to shake off our cabin fever with a little road trip north to some of our favorite Canadian haunts. But first, we stopped stateside at Conroy's Organics to pick up some of their own ground beef and the first greens of the season (greenhouse-grown, but still fresh and local!), then to Giroux's Poultry Farm for a flat of eggs, and then to the new bakery in Chazy for a huge loaf of bread. Finally, we headed across the border to the German butcher (Charcuterie/Metzgerei Frick) in Lacolle for their homemade sausages; we chose some called Oktoberfest, some Garlic Polish, and some Swiss that had beautiful black casings and Emmenthaler cheese inside. We also picked up a pint of homemade sauerkraut and a bag of imported spaetzle. I feel a German dinner coming on...

From Lacolle, we headed east to Noyan to our favorite cheesemaker, Fritz Kaiser. And boy, were we surprised! The last time we were there, they were selling cheese out of a carport-type structure, and now they have a big, fancy new building! And despite the early season, it was packed with tourists visiting stop #11 on the Circuit du Paysan. We bought a number of different cheeses, including: Noyan, Port Royal, St-Paulin (semi-soft), Clos St-Ambroise (beer-washed), Cristalia (with garlic and parsley), and Le Douanier (a Canadian Grand Champion cheese transversed by a gorgeous ribbon of bleu).

Finally, we headed west back towards Hemmingford and stopped at our faithful butcher (Abbatoir Viau) in Covey Hill for some bacon, ham, and smoked meat (that's a Canadian version of pastrami to the uninitiated), all smoked on the premises. At last, depleted of funds and the will to make any more stops, we transported our tasty bounty back over the border. When we got home, Cyd unloaded the car and put everything away while I mucked out the long-neglected chicken coop (now that you can get back there without having to skate on a vast and treacherous sheet of ice!). Then I had just enough time for a quick shower before heading into town to perform in the Champlain Valley Oratorio Society's spring concert, The Great American Songbook, featuring the works of Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, and Irving Berlin. Now that was great fun! In fact, so much so, that I hope we do a "Part II" in Spring '09.

So all in all, an excellent, most delicious day, and a fitting welcome to the new season!

Sugar Shack Feast (Le Banquet de la Cabane à Sucre)

(Photo credit: Doug van Kampen, aka The Wooden Shoes on Flickr)

I have no idea what possesses me to do these things, but instead of completing the other million chores that needed to be attended to this weekend, I spent all day in the kitchen on Saturday preparing a feast to celebrate the high maple season. That's right, kiddies, the steam is up in these parts, and with our cold nights and sunny days, it should be a fine year for it! In fact, on the drive home tonight, one of the maple houses that we pass was completely packed out with cars; they were still sugaring at 9pm on a school night! I love it. And my favorite maple season tradition, the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at Sanger's Maple House in Ingraham, is the weekend after next (April 12-13). In the meantime, I took inspiration from--once again--An Endless Banquet for a fantastic, maple-based, sugar shack feast! I made a rather fancy tourtiere (Quebecois meat pie), homemade feves au lard (baked beans), the traditional and ubiquitous condiment, fruit ketchup, to go with both, and some fresh cole slaw dressed with a sweet vinaigrette. And to top it all off, I baked an apple crisp and churned up some maple frappe (ice cream) to make it fabulously a la mode! So good! (I even shared my leftovers with the French teacher at school. I'll hope I'll receive high marks!) Alas, I didn't take any pictures of the food, but I have lots of recipes for you if you want to celebrate the maple sugaring season yourself in a similarly grand fashion.

(Photo credit: a fabulous photographer of kitschy and retro pop culture named Julia Miller on Flickr)

Tourtière de Ville (Quebecois Meat Pie)
(Source: adapted from An Endless Banquet)

1 pie dough recipe (your favorite)
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal (I used ground beef)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 oz. mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon butter
1 small potato, grated
1 small pinch ground cloves (I omitted the cloves, but added one tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce)
1 small pinch ground cinnamon
1 small pinch ground nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large pot, sweat the onions and the garlic in the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the liquid released by the vegetables has evaporated. Add the white wine and continue cooking until the wine has evaporated as well. Add the ground pork, the ground veal (or beef), and the spices to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring to break up the chunks of meat. Add the grated potato and cook for another 10 minutes. Correct the seasoning, remove from the heat, and allow the mixture to cool.

Preheat your oven to 450º F. Roll out the pie dough and line a pie plate with half of it. Fill this with the ground meat mixture. Cover with the top half of the pie crust, brush it with the egg yolk, and poke or cut some holes in the top crust to allow the steam to escape during cooking. Bake the pie in the oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350º F and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Serve with ketchup aux fruits.

Ketchup aux Fruits (Winter Version)
(Source: An Endless Banquet)

1 28-oz can of whole tomatoes & their liquid
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 cup maple syrup (preferably, Grade B)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pinch of ground cloves (I omitted this, personal preference)
1 small pinch cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a saucepan, bring the whole tomatoes, the onion, the garlic, and the celery to a boil and then simmer them gently for about 15-20 minutes, and gently break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Remove the saucepan from the heat and using an immersion blender or a conventional blender, blend half the mixture, then return it to the saucepan. Add the apples, the maple syrup, the vinegar and the spices and simmer for another 30-45 minutes.

Fèves au Lard (Baked Beans)
(Source: An Endless Banquet and A Taste of Quebec)

1 pound dried navy beans
1/4 pound salt pork (I used bacon and also a medium onion, diced)
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar (preferably, dark)
1/4 cup maple syrup (preferably, Grade B)
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak beans overnight in a large pot. Drain. Put soaked beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to medium and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Drain beans, reserving the cooking liquid, and transfer them to a large bean pot or casserole. (I made mine in a crock pot—on high for about five hours, and then low for a couple more hours. But the traditional oven method follows.)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place salt pork in a small pot, add water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Drain the pork and add to the beans. (I just chopped the bacon and browned the pieces instead along with a diced onion.) In a small bowl, dissolve mustard in a teaspoon of warm water. Add dissolved mustard, molasses, brown sugar, maple syrup and bourbon (if using) to beans. Season with pepper and mix gently but thoroughly.

Pour enough of the warm reserved cooking liquid (about 1 1/2 cups) into the bean pot so that the beans are moist but not floating. Reserve the remaining cooking liquid. Cover pot and bake, checking occasionally to ensure that beans are not drying out, adding reserved cooking liquid as needed. Cook until beans are soft and the bean liquor has turned rich and hearty. This will take 5 hours, or so, although we recommend baking them for 7-8 hours if at all possible. The beans will be that much tastier; your house will be that much more aromatic.

Remove cover, gently stir beans, and return to oven. Bake uncovered until cooking liquid thickens into a sauce. Season to taste with salt (you'll need very little salt as the salt pork will have provided the beans with plenty of salty flavor). Serve with a crusty loaf of bread, ketchup aux fruits, and a salad or coleslaw.

--adapted from John Thorne's "Down-East Baked Beans" as found in Serious Pig (1996) and Saveur Cooks Authentic American (1998)

Salade De Chou
(Source: adapted from A Taste of Quebec via One Whole Clove)

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 large head of cabbage, shredded (I prefer Savoy—it’s milder)
2 carrots, peeled and grated1 medium onion, minced

In a saucepan over medium heat, mix together sugar, oil, vinegar, mustard, celery seed and salt. Bring to a boil, turn off heat and let mixture cool slightly. In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, carrots and onions. Pour the cooled sauce over the vegetables, mixing the liquid to incorporate all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. This salad can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week. Serves 8.

Maple Frappe
(Source: An Endless Banquet)

3 eggs beaten until creamy, 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup (I like amber here), 1/2 can of condensed milk, 1/2 can of evaporated milk, 1 cup of heavy cream whipped to soft peaks, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix together and freeze in an ice-cream freezer then “ripen” for a few hours in the freezer until firm. This makes a generous quart of frappe that by itself is pure nectar, but atop warm apple pie is a delicacy that must be tasted to be believed. (I served it with an apple crisp instead.)