Posted by Anita on 09.15.06 8:33 PM
Tami of Running with Tweezers is the hostess of this month’s installment of Hay Hay! It’s Donna Day, a very cool meme dedicated to Down Under food-magazine diva Donna Hay. The whole thing was started by another antipodean, Barbara at Winos and Foodies. The blogger who creates the best entry for each month gets to pick the following month’s theme. And — happily for those of us who love the oven — Tami chose savory tarts for Donna Day #5.
Given how much we’ve been enjoying caprese salads and other variations on the tomato/cheese/herb axis this summer — and knowing that the end certainly must be right around the corner for both heirloom tomatoes and the basil on the back porch — it seems only fitting to honor Donna Hay’s “turn simple into special” tagline with a rustic tart based on all the flavors of late summer. Coming late to the party as always, I turned to store-bought — but 100% butter — puff pastry for my base, a truc that I know Ms. Hay would approve.
Caprese Tart
1/2 package (or 1/2 recipe, if you’re feeling more Martha than Donna) puff pastry
4 smallish heirloom tomatoes, preferably various colors
3oz. Crescenza or other soft-ripened cheese
rosemary salt, or coarse salt + herb of your choice
basil, preferably small leaves, for garnish
basil-infused oil, or good olive oil, for brushing
Preheat the oven to 400F. Briefly thaw the pastry as directed on the package, and cut to fit your tart pan(s) — I used four small 4-inch rounds — and press the dough into the pans. Alternately, go freeform and cut pastry into four rectangles. Dock the crust with a fork or a toothpick. (If you’re not using pans, leave the last 1/2 inch undocked, all the way around). Spread the cheese thinly over the docked portion of the crust.
Slice the tomatoes into shapes that make sense for your crust (about 1/4-inch thick, regardless), salt lightly, and set aside for a few minutes. Blot the tomatoes’ excess moisture, and layer the slices in alternating patterns over the cheese.
Sprinkle the tarts lightly with rosemary salt. Bake for 10 minutes at 400, then reduce heat to 350 and continue cooking until pastry is puffed and throughly golden brown — mine took almost 30 minutes more. Brush with the oil, then garnish with small basil leaves (or chiffonade, if your basil is large). Serve with a salad as a light main course, or as a side dish for grilled meats.
cooking, magazines, other blogs, recipes
3 Comments »
Posted by Anita on 09.15.06 7:33 AM
Tonight is Noche del Grito, the big celebration on the eve of Mexican Independence Day. Now, I know you probably think that Cinco de Mayo is the equivalent of our July 4, but we gringos concocted that caca del toro… probably in order to sell more Cuervo and Coronas.
When I was in Puebla last May and mentioned that norteamericanos celebrate May 5 as a Mexican holiday, the poblanos were understandably perplexed.
But el 16 de Septiembre is the real deal, so it seems only fitting to make up a batch of Margaritas. Don’t touch that blender, Sancho: The real thing’s served either up or on the rocks, and made with lime juice… none of that sicky-sweet “sour mix.”
Margarita
2 oz. good-quality silver tequila
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled, salt-rimmed cocktail glass, or serve on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange twist or a wedge of lime.
Drink of the Week, drinks, Mexican, recipes, travel
3 Comments »
Posted by Anita on 09.14.06 4:52 PM
We had the Prather chili last night. What can I say? Even a few days’ rest in the fridge didn’t make it taste much better. But, while puzzling over what to serve alongside it, I realized that we still had cornbread left over from a batch Cameron made with Bob’s Red Mill coarse-grain cornmeal. It was all dried out, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt terrible throwing out a batch of cornbread just in time to turn around and make a fresh pan. Too bad there wasn’t a way to revive it. Or was there??
Thankfully, I didn’t have to go far for inspiration: One of our favorite chef-type-guys, Tom Douglas, offers recipe for Etta’s Cornbread Pudding in his first cookbook, Seattle Kitchen. I made a few tweaks and voilá… recycled food at its most-utterly luxurious! Custardy, corny goodness with a kiss of cheesy love. Even Cameron — certified bread-pudding loather — licked the bowl clean and asked me to put the recipe in the permanent file.
Tom-Meets-Bob Cornbread Pudding
2-2/3 cups 1-inch cubes of leftover cornbread
– preferably made with coarse-grind, whole-grain cornmeal
1T butter (plus a little more for buttering the pan)
1 cup thinly sliced onions
3/4 cup grated Dry Jack or other semi-hard cheese
2 tsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp. chopped thyme
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
4 large eggs
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven temperature to 350 degrees. Butter an 8×8* baking dish and set aside.
Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-low heat and carmelize the onions very slowly until golden brown, at least 20 minutes. While the onions are cooking, cube the cornbread and place cubes in the buttered pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, stock or broth, eggs, salt and pepper and set aside.
When onions are done, sprinkle them evenly over the cornbread, followed by the cheese and herbs. Pour custard mixture over the cornbread cubes, and let sit for 10 minutes to absorb. Bake until custard is mostly set and the top is golden, about 40-45 minutes, and serve hot.
* Note: A 9×9 square pan is too large; the custard won’t adequately cover the bread cubes. Use a pan with a maximum bottom area of 64 square inches. A deep 9-inch round cake pan would do, as would a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. I happen to have a rectangular 6×8 inch Pyrex baking dish that worked fabulously.
cookbooks, cooking, recipes, restaurants, Seattle
1 Comment »
Posted by Anita on 09.08.06 7:46 AM
I know, I know… not very creative. But even though I’m back in foggy ol’ SF, I feel like I’m permanently parched from the Vegas jaunt. And — as if I needed another excuse — it’s Mom’s favorite.
Gin & Tonic
Fill an 8-ounce highball glass 1/2 to 3/4 full of ice. Add 1.5 ounces good (but not great) gin, and top up the glass with tonic. Garnish with a wedge of lime, squeezed if desired.
Drink of the Week, drinks, family, recipes
9 Comments »
Posted by Anita on 09.06.06 10:01 AM
Everyone knows about the natural affinity of pears and blue cheese, but unless you’re a fan (as I am) of the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market Cookbook, you might not have though of trying peaches avec bleu.
This recipe is good even when you make it with supermarket stuff, as we did… finding local produce in Vegas is virtually impossible. But I promise that you’ll make little grunty noises if you try it with good gorgonzola, perfect peaches, and Acme bread.
Peach Bruschetta with Bleu Cheese
Adapted from Becky Smith’s recipe, as told to Peggy Knickerbocker
4 slices country bread, or 12 slices good baguette cut on the diagonal
2 of the best peaches you can find
extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound soft gorgonzola
Halve peaches lengthwise, and remove the pit. Cut each half in half again, and peel each peach quarter. Cut the quarters into 1/4-inch slices, keeping them as flat as possible.
Place the bread slices on a medium grill, and cook until golden brown. Remove from heat and brush with olive oil. Spread with the cheese, and top with the peaches. Eat standing over the sink, slurping the peach juice from your hands.
cookbooks, cooking, farmers markets, recipes, shopping, Vegas
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Posted by Anita on 09.01.06 9:03 PM
I’m visiting my folks in Henderson, just outside of Vegas, where the temperature — at almost 9pm –Â is currently 88.2 degrees. Eesh! Mom says it’s gorgeous out and perfect weather for a walk; I think it sounds like a recipe for a sweat overdose. My preference: A nice sit-down in front of the computer, under the ceiling fan, with a cool bottle of Rolling Rock… ahh.
Even though this heat is nothing surprising given the location and time of year, I still felt like I was walking into a furnace when I stepped off the plane. (It was only 105 then, at 6pm.) Not really feeling like turning on the oven, or even firing up the grill, we made a nice dinner out of a rotisserie chicken from the market, and a bowl full of orzo salad Mom had whipped up from a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe off of the Food Network site. It was the perfect antidote to the heat — crisp, cool, and satisfying without being too much.Â
Giada’s Orzo Salad
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzoÂ
2 cups garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (or flat-leaf parsley)
About 3/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer.
Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely. Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat (about half of recipe below). Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at cool, or at room temperature.
Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.
cooking, family, recipes
Comments Off on It’s a dry heat
Posted by Anita on 09.01.06 6:02 AM
Flashback: Just as spring ended, we garnished this sangria with pears and citrus for our garden-warming party. It seems only fitting that we bid adÃos to summer with a peachy version.
Both the syrup and the fruit need to be made up ahead of time, so this is a perfect recipe to start today with an eye toward the long holiday weekend.
This recipe is based on Katie Loeb’s version.
Spicy Sangria
750ml bottle of neutral red wine
4oz orange liqueur, preferrably Cointreau
4oz brandy — we use E&J XO
4oz spiced simple syrup (recipe follows)
chopped fruit macerated in additional brandy and/or liqueur
club soda or sparkling water
Make the simple syrup the night before you plan to drink the sangria. If using hardy fruit — such as citrus, apples or pears — macerate the fruit overnight as well; summer fruits like peaches and berries only need a few minutes’ soaking time or they’ll turn to mush.The morning you plan to serve the sangria, mix the alcohols and syrup, and adjust for sweetness and booziness. Chill thoroughly until ready to serve.
Place LOTS of ice in a glass, and add some of the boozy fruit. Nearly fill the glass with sangria — leaving about an inch of head room — and then top with a glug of club soda.
Spiced Simple Syrup
2-3 sticks of Mexican canela (or 1 stick regular cinnamon)
4 full pieces star anise
1-1/2 tsp. cloves
1-1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
one pint of 1:1 simple syrup
Boil the spices in the syrup for 5 minutes, then cool overnight. Strain, then use as desired.
Drink of the Week, drinks, entertaining, food boards, Mixology Monday, recipes, wine & bubbly
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Posted by Anita on 08.25.06 6:56 AM
This Drink of the Week is trés simple:
Le Poire Royale
– 1 oz. Belle de Brillet (pear cognac liqueur)
– sparkling wine
Place the liqueur in a champagne flute and top with champagne or other sparkling wine. Garnish with a raspberry.
C’est bon!
I haven’t tested it, but if you don’t feel like hunting down Belle de Brillet — which I recommend that you do eventually, as it’s a nice thing to sip all on its own — you could probably substitute 2/3 oz. pear eau-de-vie (like the Clear Creek Pear that I know many of you have on hand for Falling Leaves) and 1/3 oz. cognac or other good-quality brandy.
Drink of the Week, drinks, recipes, wine & bubbly
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Posted by Anita on 08.24.06 7:53 AM
Last Saturday at the market, Steve gave us a copy of a recipe for Carne en su Jugo — a traditional dish from Jalisco — that he said was indescribably delicious.
We finally got around to making it last night… and he’s right. It’s a gorgeous soupy, spicy dish that’s somehow hearty and light at the same time. If you’ve already got the beans cooked, it’s even quick enough to make on a weeknight after work.
Carne en su Jugo, Estilo TapatÃo
Adapted from Savoring Mexico
1/2 pound good-quality bacon, cut into small sticks
1 pound beef sirloin tip, thinly sliced on the diagonal and then coarsely chopped
4 cups rich beef broth or stock
2 chiles chipotles en adobo
2 small bay leaves
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 pound dried beans – soaked, cooked and drained (we used Red Nightfall)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
8 large spring onions, grilled
4 serrano (or 2 jalapeño) chiles, minced
2 limes, quartered
In a frying pan, slowly fry the chopped bacon over medium-low heat until crisp, then drain on paper towels. Raise the heat to med-high and cook the beef in the bacon drippings for about 2 minutes. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon, and place in a large, heavy pot.
Put chipotles in a blender with about 1 cup of the beef broth, and blend until smooth. Add the chile-beef liquid to the large pot, along with the remaining beef broth, the bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, approximately 20 minutes.
Warm the beans over med-low heat. When meat is cooked, divide the beans among 4 bowls, then ladle the meat and the broth over the beans. Garnish with the bacon and cilantro, and lay 2 onions along the rim of each bowl. Pass the diced serranos and limes at the table, and enjoy with good-quality tortilla chips.
cooking, meat, Mexican, recipes
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Posted by Anita on 08.18.06 6:57 AM
Another one from Murray — I promise next week we’ll come up with something on our own, but this one’s too good.
Currier
2 oz. medium-body bourbon
1/2 oz. Kummel (caraway-cumin liqueur)
1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/4 oz. Rose’s Lime Juice
Shake with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Murray found the Currier in the old Playboy Bar Guide. He sent it on to Simon Difford, who says he likes it so well he’s including it in the next Diffordsguide.
Drink of the Week, drinks, recipes
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