Fine Cooking I: Week 4

Week 4 covered Compound Salads, Basic Theory and Techniques of Egg Cookery, Perfect Poached Eggs, Beurre Manie, Croutes Scrambled Eggs, Omelets, Whipping Egg Whites and Soufflés. I like eggs but this many egg dishes at once was a bit overwhelming.

After lecture each team prepared their own Salad Niçoise and Soufflé and each person rotated through the omelet and poaching stations. Omelets were eaten immediately; everything else was served in our traditional big meal at 2:30 pm.

Omelets
The term omelet refers to the way the egg is shaped when it comes out of the pan, not the filling inside. French omelets are not browned on the outside; American's can be a little brown. I attempted the French omelet with some minor difficulties including excessive clarified butter, not letting the pan get quite warm enough and starting to overstir into a scramble. The result was still pretty good, though the amount of butter made it almost inedible. I had to pat the omelet down with a paper towel to eat it. Nice.
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Salad Niçoise
I was less than thrilled that this lesson focused on Salald Niçoise as it has never appealed to me. I was surprised to enjoy it as much as I did. Having been involved with making it, I also now understand why this the salad costs as much as it does. Compound Salads are labor intensive! Two dressings, endless cutting, arranging... By the way, sashimi means the fish is as fresh as possible. I always thought it was a cut of fish.
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Eggs Benedict
We poached the eggs and Chef Jane did the rest. I feel more comfortable with poaching eggs, but they are going to take practice. My yolk was properly runny, but my whites kept blooming into interesting shapes. I think my transfer from the bowl into the gently simmering water was too slow, giving the white more time to spread out. Regardless this should never happen again! When poaching eggs add enough white vinegar to the water that you can smell the vinegar if you waft the water toward your face.
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Banana, Lemon and Chocolate Soufflé
Our group chose to make chocolate soufflé. It was challenging, especially since we decided to beat the egg whites by hand until the stiff peak stage. The chef's assistant ended up getting involved, but ultimately they were right because Chef Jane could turn the bowl upside down over her head without them falling on her. The soufflé's end result was warm, rich and light in texture. I think if I practiced enough and had a mixer, this could be an impressive, easy dessert to master. The banana soufflé, my favorite, was the most dramatic. I definitely want to recreate it at home. Maybe with a caramel sauce on the side? Or all the accoutrements of a banana split? The others are a lower priority though still good.

Now for some visuals...

You can't see the full effect of my meticulous arrangement/direction of the arrangement but you get the idea... Yes, the whole class basically made fun of me about the perfectionism.

Lemon

Banana

Fine Cooking I: Week 3

I skipped week 2's homework, even though I had two weeks to do it as we didn't have class Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. I wasn't ready to eat another chicken and it turns out leg of lamb and standing rib roast are expensive and must be purchased in large portions. Who knew?

Week three covered Brown (meat is browned in advance) and White (meat is raw) Roasting, Reduced Pan Sauces, Deglazing and Reduction, Preparation of Mussels and Whipping Heavy Cream. Between being overtired from weekend activities and being not so into mussels I wasn't quite as excited about this week.

Mussels steamed in White Wine with Cream, Thai Curry Paste or Chili-Garlic Sauce
Our group prepared the Thai Curry Paste variation. Mussels are surprisingly easy to prepare. I liked them more than I remembered, but did not feel like there was a noticeable difference between the different variations. Perhaps if there had been more bread to soak up the juices?
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Braised Lamb Shanks with Juniper Berries and Rosemary
Braised Leeks
One Pot Potatoes
Glazed Carrots
Warm Lentil Salad
Each group prepared a batch of the braised lamb shanks. Our group's are the one's closet to the camera in the picture below. Chef said our sauce and shanks looked the best, so unfortunately someone ATE my portion. That was so not okay... Anyway, the shank I ate was tender but I wasn't in love with the dish. Ultimately it reminded me of roast beef, very heavy, which I've never loved. Our group also was assigned the warm lentil salad. It tasted good and was easy to assemble, but the prep work took longer than I expected! The glazed carrots were by far my favorite side; they were very rich with a sweet flavor.
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Belgian Endive Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Our group was assigned prep for this dish, but ended up only making the vinaigarette when the other group washed and prepared too much endive. This seemed very bland and colorless in my opinion. I won't revisit it.
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Chocolate Mousse and Truffles
Both are very rich, chocolate desserts. The guys on my cooking team made our mousse and it ranked very high for its texture. I didn't remember mousse being so thick; I believe the texture is what ultimately caused me to prefer the truffles. That said I definitely want to try making it at home for the experience. I'm sure I could add a little Baileys for flavor and that might win me over...

Fine Cooking I: Week 2

My second class in the Fine Cooking I series at ICE followed the same structure as you would expect: lecture, practice and finally a VERY big meal with wine. Did I mention we get to take home leftovers after class? It's pretty awesome, especially as class makes me way too tired to feel like cooking dinner.

Anyway, this class I felt more comfortable as I knew what to expect. Week 2 covered stocks, basic chicken stock, classic and express methods of degreasing stocks, roasting and baking of proteins and vegetables, rice cookery and trussing and carving poultry.

The stock we made was so clear. It involved more steps and patience than my past attempts at stock making but it was worth it. Also, apparently you should NEVER use leftover bones to make stock as it won't have enough flavor.

I was excited that my team seemed to let me take charge and assign tasks from the assigned recipes. The menu for Lesson 2 and pictures are below.

Arborio Chicken Soup
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Rosemary Roast Chicken
I've roasted chickens successfully before, so this wasn't life changing. However, Chef Jane pointed out something very smart. You should NEVER ever wash poultry before you cook it. This spreads any potential infection around your sink, etc. and ultimately anything that could make you sick will cook out. Our group had a little trouble with following the trussing instructions; we hadn't tucked the wings properly. The chicken was super tasty as a result of lots of basting. Carving was pretty easy to follow and it probably will change my life. Previously I've just masochistically picked everything off the bones.
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Baked Stuffed Tomatoes Provencale (YUM)
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Roasted Garlic
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"Best" and Brown and Wild Rice Pilaf
My group made the brown and wild rice pilaf, which was pretty fantastic and a great compliment to the chicken. I loved the texture. It involved porcini mushrooms, pine nuts, shallots, currants, parsley, etc.
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French Style Spinach, Bacon and Mushroom Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette or Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
I sauteed the lardon (thick cut bacon) for the salad and was excited to receive compliments from Chef Jane and her assistant on the even browning. My homework paid off! I also made my first vinaigrette ever and it held, all week. My arm was BURNING by the time I finished the tasks though.
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Claufouti, 3 types, with Haagen-Dasz Vanilla Ice Cream
Our group made a blueberry clafouti. Chef Jane describes it as sweetened pancake batter poured over fruit,which is accurate. This is a great, simple dessert. I think lemon zest would have spiced up our version. I'm contemplating an attempt at creating a peanut butter and grape "jelly" clafouti.

Fine Cooking I: Week 1, Homework

Each week we have unenforced homework, after the first week I was most eager and made two practice recipes. I thought it was extraordinarily important to learn proper sauteing after doing it incorrectly for so long! So much so that I was late to/almost missed birthday party 1 of 2 on the following Saturday. My priorities were a little skewed perhaps.

Recipe 2 was Veal Cutlets Piccata. I substituted chicken cutlets for veal as they likely cost less and I couldn't find veal cutlets at Whole Foods. It was a quick, good/decent recipe. My disappointment rose from a disconnect between reading the ingredients, making the dish and still somehow imagining/wanting Veal Scallopini i.e. a completely different dish as the result.

I loved the Sauteed Fish Fillets with Ginger-Lime Butter, recipe 1, and will definitely revisit it. Preparing the ginger-lime compound butter, which I disgustingly enough wanted to eat by itself, makes this recipe take a bit longer but I found the results worth the effort. I sauteed some green beans in garlic and sesame oil for a side.

Fine Cooking 1: Week 1

When I arrived for my first session of Fine Cooking I at the Institute for Culinary Education (ICE), I wasn't really sure what to expect; I was just nervous and excited (nothing rare about that though). I made it just in time, slipped into my seat at the long table, applied my name tag and marked my name in my binder.

Soon after Chef Jane launched into the lecture portion of the class... She went over rules and procedures, recommended kitchen implements, food safety and a myriad of other topics before reaching what we would cover in lesson 1: knife skills, blanching and refreshing vegetables, sauteing, theory of protein cooking, simple salads, sauce vinaigrette, compound butters and macerating. The first class has the longest lecture - it was around 2 hours?

Then the 14 of us were divided into 3 groups to cook. The major difference between class at ICE and class at the Bowery Culinary Center is that you cook in teams. You may not get to do each thing in class, although you'll hear about the technique and at least watch someone do it. This confused me at first, but then I realized that is because they follow their model for teaching students to work in kitchens professionally. I had to adjust to the concept but I've found it enjoyable. The menu for Lesson 1 and pictures are below.

Chilled Gazpacho Soup
Spicy Hot Vegetable Soup
My group did the hot soup. I helped dice the veggies. The soup wasn't actually that spicy but it was a good vegetable soup.
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Sauteed Lamb Chops with Herb Butter
Sauteed Broccoli
Diced Sauteed Potatoes with Persillade
Every group did all aspects of the main course. I made the compound butter, which was easy enough. You mix room temperature butter with ingredients, then make a log on parchment paper and chill until firm. I also cut a lot of herbs for the butter and persillade (a 50/50 mix of finely minced garlic and parsley). Discovering that sauteing involves using your arm to move the food in the pan rather than using a spatula was a big lesson for me.
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Simple Salad with a Vinaigrette
Simple salads involve 3 or less ingredients, so this was easy enough to put together. I didn't personally make the vinaigrette this week but it looked hard. You have to whip together the oil and fats enough to emulsify them together. Most of the prepared vinaigrette's broke (separated).
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Macerated Fruit: Sliced Oranges with Grand Marnier, Blueberries with Maple Cream and Strawberries Romanoff with Fresh Whipped Cream
Each group made a recipe. My group was assigned the strawberries and I helped whip the cream by hand! I learned that I needed more endurance in my arm, that each motion with the whisk should hit the side of the bowl and that you need to use a large bowl to ensure the proper volume (if the bowl is too small not enough air will be added). The blueberries were my favorite macerated fruit recipe.

Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

I made these Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes for a delayed dinner, dessert and wine viewing of Gossip Girl at Meg's the other week. They were my first foray into baking with the Baileys I purchased specifically for that purpose in the Bahamas.

As soon as I saw their perfectly domed tops coming out of the oven, I was in love. My cupcakes/muffins have never before had perfectly rounded tops. I suspect beating the egg whites into stiff peaks before folding them into the rest of the cupcake mixture, instead of just mixing in whole eggs, creates this effect. I have to admit I wish it could be done with less work, but I still will make these again one day.

The resulting cake is very moist with a pound-cake like texture and you can taste the Bailey's without feeling like an alcoholic. The frosting is a rich chocolate. I really enjoyed how the mixture of shortening and butter made the icing more of a solid, easily spreadable mass.

Thumbprint Cookies

While I slept regular, grown-up hours in the Caribbean, my sleep schedule has been all over the place since my return. Case in point, the week before last I felt inspired at 10:00p to make cookies for Administrative Professionals Day. Since I had all the ingredients handy for thumbprint cookies (a.k.a. Veronas), I went for it.

The best part is after staying up late making the cookies, I hid them at my desk all day and didn't give them to our Administrative Professionals because I didn't like how they looked. They weren't uniform and, frankly, reminded me of breasts. Finally at 4:00p I realized I had to put them out or I would be eating oh 30 cookies by myself. As usual my worries were for naught. They were a hit with my co-workers still at work and at our committee meeting that night.

I followed the recipe except I accidentally included the egg whites. The cookies probably would have been more crisp and flat without them, but the mistake didn't effect the tastiness of the cookies. The soft and buttery shortbread was perked up nicely by the strawberry jam center. I chose to omit the nuts.

I'd consider making these again, if I can be less of a perfectionist and/or can figure out a way to make the proportions better.

Lentil Goat Cheese Burgers with Citrus Supreme Salad

Since all my previous memories have been replaced by conch salad (a variation on ceviche), pina coladas served in coconuts and sunshine in the Bahamas, this will be brief. For the aforementioned movie night's main course, I made Lentil Goat Cheese Burgers and Citrus Supreme Salad (the recipe is at the bottom).

The burgers are really simple to put together, but be sure to leave enough time to prepare them as you must cook the lentils, chill the mixture, etc. all before "grilling" or in my case sauteing them. The burgers are smooth on the palate, filling without being heavy and reasonable to make. While Leslie's Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette was pleasant I would venture to say the burgers would still be tasty without it. I'll definitely make them again, especially since I have yellow lentils leftover.

The Citrus Supreme Salad is great too, although it requires significantly more prep time than the burgers. I love the crisp bite the sliced red onion provides in contrast to the citrus' sweetness and the avocado's smoothness. I think it is one of the first things I've made with a fail-proof attractive presentation.


Citrus Supreme Salad (from the Fundamental Knife Skills class worksheets)
Serves 4

• 2 Navel Oranges
• 2 Grapefruits
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cups Baby Greens
• 2 tbsp. Fresh Mint, chiffonade
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and White Pepper to Taste

Directions:
Supreme citrus fruit. Squeeze carcasses into separate bowl, reserving juice. Set supreme and juice aside. Clean and dry greens. Whisk one part oil with one part reserved juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust acidity accordingly. Cut avocado into slices and coat with extra reserved juice to avoid discoloration. Dress greens with citrus dressing. Place 1 cup of greens onto each plate. Layer with citrus supreme and onion, and top with avocado. Garnish with fresh mint chiffonade and serve.

Mango-Chile Cupcakes with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Saturday Leslie made Mango-Chile Cupcakes with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting for our dinner, Wedding Crashers and Saturday Night Live night. I had forgotten how hilarious Wedding Crashers is. I love that movie and Zac Efron on SNL wasn't half bad.

We were doubtful throughout the baking process... The batter looked awfully wet and tasted like like a muffin - almost healthy - which cupcakes obviously never are. The frosting required a lot more confectionery sugar than stated in the recipe. And with the addition of all that sugar would the lime flavor hold? Then they required 15 additional minutes of baking time. All our worries for naught. The cupcakes didn't rise evenly, which apparently made frosting harder than normal, but they tasted good. By the time we ate our second "mupcake"* they tasted great and they tasted even better a day later. These cupcakes are addictive.

The cupcake is like a muffin - very dense nad moist with a fruit flavor that you can't forget thanks to the mango chunks. The chili flavor is very subtle, so much so that I would consider adding more in the future. The frosting is divine; as Leslie said while we were eating it from the bowl it is just like key lime pie filling. If you make these be careful not to over frost or you'll obscure the mango flavor of the cupcake.

This summer we plan to create a variation on this recipe for peach mupcakes with a marscapone cheese frosting. We just have to figure out how to make the cupcakes a touch lighter. Who's in?


And, yes, we used the leftover mango nectar with vodka and soda to make cocktails.

*Leslie came up with the term mupcake to describe them and it is/was perfect.

Fundamental Knife Skills

Last month I took my first cooking class: Fundamental Knife Skills at the Whole Foods Bowery Culinary Center. While I knew my cooking would benefit from learning knife skills I wasn't sure what to expect going into the class. However, I did know that a $65 three-hour lesson including dinner was a great deal, less expensive than the Institute for Culinary Education's Recreational Division where I'm taking Fine Cooking on Sundays starting next month. In fact if I had known the Culinary Center was going to start a series of Fundamental Kitchen Techniques Courses I might have done theirs instead. Either way, I'm excited and nervous for May. Back to the topic at hand...

The class was comprised of 9 students, mostly couples, and 2 very knowledgeable instructors. We each had a station with a cutting board, an 8" Chef's Knife, a Paring Knife, a waste bowl and another bowl with a piece of citrus fruit, a carrot, half a leek, an onion, a clove of garlic, a sweet potato/root vegetable and a tomato. Christine Carroll, who runs the Culinary Center, led the class. We went over knife safety, sharpening, watched a precision cutting demo for each item in the bowl, did guided practice and then ate a delicious meal of Bass and Tomato Compote Baked in Parchment, Maple Roasted Root Vegetables with Goat Cheese; Avocado, Red Onion and Citrus Salad made from what we cut.

I learned that I held my knife wrong (as of Sunday night I have officially blistered my hand holding it properly), that the knives in my apartment are SUPER dull and we don't even own the proper tools for sharpening them (a steel is key) and most importantly how to cut properly. We also learned that to be efficient you should cut everything in stages i.e. peel the outside off of all the onions, halve all the onions, then get into dicing them, etc. I always did each onion fully before moving to the next one. Apparently this is not a speedy method.

It is going to take plenty of practice and, more arm muscle for things like sweet potatoes, but I walked away with an info packet and more knowledge. I only wish I had been less self conscious in the class as I probably would have learned more and asked a few more questions that way. Oh well. Practice makes perfect with that too.

Spring Is Coming?

The Greenmarket had onion chives and ramps this weekend. The trees have buds and sometimes blooms. I see the signs of Spring, but it is still in the 30s way too often. Maybe some sort of weather miracle will occur and I'll return from the Bahamas to more warmth or at the very least the next Spring vegetable: Asparagus. Mmm.

Hearth

Friday night Meg and I decided to dress up and treat ourselves to a nice dinner. This week was great, but last week pre-DC I was a bit all over the place and I needed a palate cleanser. Our evening at Hearth was fantastically refreshing, although maybe more so without the East Village bar hopping afterward (Cheap Shots was, um, interesting. Aces was better. I'm awful as Skee-Ball though.).

Unsurprisingly, Hearth's decor is warm: red walls, low lighting with candles and wooden tables with lots of room. It was surprisingly loud at capacity, although not overwhelmingly so as we could still carry a conversation without yelling. The service started slow, in spite of our timely seating at 9:00p, but was very attentive yet unobtrusive for most of the meal. Our waitress was very bubbly and had an instant rapport with Meg. It was funny to watch.

Hearth's wine list is very comprehensive i.e. overwhelming. We finally settled on Yellow + Blue's 2007 Malbec thanks to "Wine in the Box" by Justin Timberlake (page 17 here) and Meg's love of Malbec. It is supposedly more eco-friendly due to its Ceres-like juice box packaging and contains 1,000 mL rather than the standard 750 mL. Its rich, smooth flavor took boxed wine to a new level. It also brought up memories of the MTV movie 2gether and one of its hit songs: You + Me = US (Calculus). Ha.

Our meal started with several slices of a hearty, sesame-crusted bread and butter (what I was hungry!) and a complimentary shot of warm fava bean soup, which tasted similar to lentil soup. Both items were delicious.

As I'm never able to resist a deal and have been curious about goat, I ordered the Cucina Povera i.e. their prix fixe menu of humble cooking. It started with an Escarole Salad with Walnuts, Red Onion and Aged Pecorino. I liked the ingredients and the presentation, however, the dressing was strangely sweet and distracting. The Braised Goat was better - a generous portion accompanied by Rapini, Cannellini Beans and Gremolata. The goat had an earthy flavor reminiscent of rabbit or venison, but was dry and the tomato-based Gremolata and creamy Cannellini Beans, the real stars of the course, could only help so much.

While I wouldn't go out of my way to order my starter or main course again Meg's were very impressive. The Pork Terrine was moist with a concentrated, savory flavor and was presented nicely with colorful Pickled Vegetables and House-Made Mustard. But it was nothing compared to the complexity of the Veal and Ricotta Meatballs. My taste melted in my mouth - the flavors were like a wave. The Meatballs came with Ricotta Ravioli, Parmesan and Parsley.

I also loved, loved, loved the dessert we substituted for the one included with my prix fixe: Semolina Pudding with Blood Orange Soup and Pistachios. Semolina Pudding is reminiscent of Panna Cotta, if it contained plumped up raisins, very smooth, creamy and slightly sweet. The Blood Orange soup's rich citrus flavor really made the dessert pop - think of a very decadent marmalade soup with decorative pistachios.

I would definitely revisit Hearth one day. For now though I'll probably continue to vary my self-indulgent dinners as my nonprofit salary is limiting.



Location: 403 East 12th Street (the entrance is between 1st Avenue and Avenue A - closer to First)
Hours: Sun-Thurs 6:00p-10:00p, Fri-Sat 6:00p-11:00p
Cost: $$$

Double Crown / Madam Geneva

Having read reviews for Double Crown all over, I had placed it high on my mental list of places to try so it was a great start to things when K suggested it for drinks a few Fridays ago. We arrived right at 8, which was perfect for grabbing two seats at the bar as the restaurant became progressively more packed all evening. Luckily the volume never became too loud to hear each other speak. Service was prompt and attentive without being cloying. The drinks were well mixed, although for the most part I stuck to vodka soda.

Most enchanting was the decor. I was especially fond of the gold chains with decorative elephants hanging right where you turned to go downstairs and the ornate wooden carved walls by the restrooms. Overall the space feels very open and the bathrooms while overpoweringly scented with cinnamon and too dim to touch up make-up are clean and private. The main restaurant's lighting was warm and flattering and the "speakeasy" Madam Geneva is appropriately dark with its lace decorated walls. British Colonial really is the perfect description.

It is rare that something meets my expectations, but Double Crown and Madam Geneva did so much so that I took Leslie for a drink there the next weekend. She tried Madam Geneva's signature Gin and Jam, which sounds confusing but literally is gin over crushed ice with a spoonful of jam. I don't like gin, but this was surprisingly good - less Christmas in my mouth and more Slurpee. I can't wait to eventually have dinner here.

Location: 316 Bowery (at Bleecker)
Hours: Double Crown Mon-Wed: 6:00p-11:00p, Thurs-Fri: 6:00p-12:00a, Sat 11:00a-3:30p, 6:00p-12:00a, Sun 11:00a-3:30p, 6:00p-11:00p Madam Geneva 6:00p-2:00a
Cost: $$ for drinks, probably $$$ for dinner

Cheese Ravioli with Three Pepper Topping

This recipe was one of my two go to recipes for most of junior and senior year in college. The other one involved chicken, a can of peaches, salsa and rice... See this isn't my first cooking phase, but this one is much more serious and sincere. I visit a wider variety of sites than Allrecipes.com, I am not coming off the cottage cheese/salsa/Diet Coke diet and I don't even make Hamburger Helper anymore (much less burn it on a regular basis!).

When confronted with way too many yellow, orange and red peppers a few weeks ago this recipe was a great, simple solution. I still like it and so does my family, who experienced this dish countless times. I strongly advise you to tone down the olive oil if you don't like having slippery lips and to be generous with the Parmesan cheese!

Cheese Ravioli with Three Pepper Topping
Prep Time: approx. 15 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 15 Minutes.
Makes 6 servings.

• 1 pound cheese ravioli (I never have used cheese ravioli. No reason)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth, divided (or vegetable broth)
• crushed red pepper to taste

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat olive oil in large saute pan. Add peppers and onion; cook 5 minutes. Add one cup of the broth and cook stirring another five minutes.
3. Add remainder of broth and cook until most of the broth has evaporated. Top ravioli with pepper and broth mixture.

This Week's Main Meals

Homemade Pizza topped with Caramelized Onions, Garlic, Goat Cheese, Arugula and Prosciutto... The results were pretty good, although the toppings could have stuck better. Pizza dough is much easier to make without whole wheat dough.

Stir Fry with Sauteed Tofu, lots of Veggies and a sauce made from Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Chili-Garlic Paste, Rice Vinegar and a touch of Sugar topped with sliced Basil. The dish's base was glass noodles from the Korean Grocery Stores i.e. Saifun Bean Threads.

Sweet Revenge

After two and a half years of discussion, no lie, Courtney and I finally had a cupcake together. When choosing the bakery, my biggest priority was finding somewhere with enough space to sit and catch up. Bakeries typically require the grab and go, but it was too cold to walk around outside (can't wait for that weather to get here).

Based on Yelp reviews, I chose Sweet Revenge. The large windows and white walls help the space feel airy, even though it was carefully filled to the brim with seating for about 15. There was a little bit of a wait and service wasn't 100% due to a high volume of customers, but the most important part - the cupcakes - was good!

Courtney had the Dirty (Valhrona Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Truffle) with a cappuccino and I had the Pure (Mexican Vanilla Cake with Mexican Vanilla Icing) with milk in a wine glass. The cupcakes came wrapped carefully in paper rather than in a traditional cupcake wrapper. We agreed the cake was moist; it left that yummy residue on the cupcake paper, which is always a good sign for me. You could actually taste the vanilla in the cake and frosting, rather than just enjoying something sweet. I especially liked the frosting. It was not cloying and had large sugar crystals on top for texture.

Sweet Revenge paid a lot of attention to details that enhance the experience. I will definitely make a return visit. I want to try their namesake cupcake the Sweet Revenge.

Location: 62 Carmine Street (Between South 7th Avenue and Bedford Street)
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:00p-11:00p, Fri 8:00a-12:30p, Sat 11:00a-12:30a, Sun 11:00a-9:00p
Cost: $$ ($3.50 per cupcake, which is a bit higher than most)

Homeade Oreos

The lovely and bubbly Louise is moving back to London, which is definitely New York's loss. For this occasion I was willing to watch The Bachelor's season finale (What a dick! I hate boys!) and naturally offered to bring something. With no suggestions, I recalled that Louise liked chocolate and found a recipe for homeade oreos.

These cookies are delicious, but pretty darn sweet, especially when you can't resist eating another and another and another... I love the chocolate cookie; you can feel the crispness of crystallized sugar when chewing. The filling's consistency is dead on with a regular Oreo, but with a much better vanilla flavor and less waxy aftertaste.

I followed the suggestion for decreasing the cookies' sugar and might even try taking more out next time. My other alterations were using Spectrum's Organic Vegetable Shortening, which is trans fat free and not hydrogenated, and using vanilla bean paste instead of extract. The paste substitution made the filling have the cutest brown specks. These will definitely be made again. Maybe for the holidays next year instead of caramels, marshmallows AND cookies?


"Brilliant! This falls right into my “why buy it when i can make it for twice the cost and 20 times the work” ethic." 2007 comment on the linked recipe describing my mentality perfectly. ;)

bill Granger's Caramel Chicken

My parents were my Valentines this year. They kindly came up to visit and decorate my room with my birthday present, an Ikea mirror from September, over Presidents Day weekend. They also hung a few photos and fixed up the bathroom with, sadly, only the tiniest bit of assistance from me. Everything is much more homey now and my room looks slightly more like a grown-up room.

As a thank you, and because I was a bit under the weather and not inclined to go out, I made them bill Granger's Caramel Chicken. It is fantastic and simple to put together. It tastes much better than Chinese takeout with impressively similar results. If you want to use chicken breasts instead of thighs, they work almost as well though you lose a lot of the chicken's tenderness, which is part of what makes this so similar to something at a restaurant. I also think this could successfully be adapted into a pescetarian dish with braised firm tofu.

I recommend using low sodium soy sauce instead of regular based on my experience with regular in July; I couldn't get enough water while eating due to the saltiness. I also feel like the low sodium soy sauce allows for a better balance between sweet and salty.

Between this dish and his amazing coconut bread, I'm seriously considering investing in at least a library reservation for bill's cookbooks. Both dishes have been easy with impressive results.

Cafe Habana

Cafe Habana still is one of my absolute favorite brunches in the city. This trip I tried something new - their flan. It is a very smooth and served with a sweet, sweet caramel sauce. I've never loved flan, but it was pretty decent. I had the revelation that flan is similar in texture to panna cotta. Maybe I'll research that. Regardless of what I eat at Cafe Habana nothing trumps the grilled corn i.e. choclos.

(Carving and Photo courtesy of JM, who introduced me to the place.)

Ricotta Zucchini Cheesecake

Sunday one of my friends had a birthday party for her Yorkie, Dixie, who was turning one. The hostess flattered me into cooking, in spite of some serious reluctance on my part. The best part was she had only tasted my cookies before so the flattery was without any knowledge of results. Ha ha. Her request was something savory, not a bread. I found this challenging as the easiest dishes to take on public transportation are sweet and/or bread. Plus! I'm more comfortable with sweets.

Intensive online research turned up this recipe for Ricotta Zucchini Cheesecake. I found my lack of a spring form pan a little disconcerting, but everything turned out okay even with my substitution of oregano for dill and use of an 8 x 8 cake pan. It didn't look quite as pretty as it could have, but the flavor was good and the cheesecake very filling. For me the goat cheese on top's rich, tangy flavor made the dish. It also added a contrast in texture to an otherwise slightly soft yet grainy (?) dish. One heads up: it took forever to make, even with the lovely mini-food processor my brother gave me for Christmas (that machine is a miracle worker).

I'll probably try this again in the summer. It's been a great leftover breakfast in the morning most of the week. Should you happen to take this back home via bus with saran wrap on top, start reading a magazine with it under your purse and stand up in a rush dumping it off your lap upside down (saran wrap intact), I'm pleased to report it will hold up.

Butternut Squash, Apple, and Carmelized Onion Gallette with Rosemary

I've been intimidated by pastry dough for quite some time, in spite of owning A New Way to Cook and reading blissfully about the "easiness" of free form galettes for years.

Yes! It really has been years. This was the first cookbook I ever wanted; I received as a gift from Jaime and I've used it twice. Well, the other night I finally decided to make a tart and purchased ingredients to improvise a filling only to discover THE INTERNET WAS BROKEN, which was SO not okay. I had to do things the old way with a good cookbook and my mind.

Somehow everything came together. The tart was pretty easy to make, although time consuming as the flaky butter pastry has to chill twice, the onions have to caramelize and the squash/apples have to be peeled and cubed then tossed in oil with rosemary before you can even cook the pastry.

The end result was well worth the effort. This was a very tasty breakfast all week long, although I need to work on pressing the ingredients into the crust a bit more as things tended to fall off the crust into my lap (or maybe I just should use silverware when trying to eat tarts).

Random Fact

New York Magazine, February 16, 2009 issue

"Fenugreek, the processed seeds from which produced that maple-syrup smell."

Zuni Cafe's Roasted Chicken

Zuni Cafe's recipe for Roast Chicken is the easiest roast chicken recipe I've made to date. Oh wait. In the past I haven't exactly used a recipe. I just followed Mom's expert advice and winged it with a small piece of citrus in the middle and thorough rub down of the chicken with salt, pepper, etc. before placing it in an oven cooking bag. I also have poached chickens twice in a just barely large enough pot.

While those results were tasty, this recipe trumps the aforementioned methods due to its fantastic results without the oven bag.* If you aren't squeamish about feeling around a small chicken, this recipe will provide fantastic results. Typically I don't enjoy skin on my chicken, but this crispy, not greasy, skin was an exception. The chicken itself is tender and moist on its own or an excellent source for making chicken salad, stir fries and soups during the remainder of the week.

I didn't even use marjoram as I couldn't find it fresh, without spending way too much for something I only needed a 1/4 sprig of. Best of all the clean-up was minimal and the pan juices were quite tasty mingled with the leftover brown rice, cherry tomatoes and parmesan in the fridge.


*Unless you want chicken soup and stock, in which case poaching the chicken is probably the best choice.

Hearty Potato Leek Soup

I'm in love with this potato leek soup. There are beautiful step by step pictures if you follow the link, although I didn't realize that until I went back just now.

I made the soup Sunday night, without a food processor, using my amazing immersion blender. It took a little over an hour; I only had to pay attention half the time. I ended up cooking the potatoes for around 25 minutes to get them soft enough to mash/blend, but otherwise found the recipe very accurate.

More importantly, I could NOT stop eating the soup, even before I added the cup of cream. Next time I make this, and there will be a next time, I am going to try using regular milk or a lot less cream as I just didn't find it necessary (although the cream certainly makes it much more rich). It reminds me of New England Clam Chowder without the clams. ;)

It's divine, rich, creamy, comforting and warm in my stomach when it is so, so cold out. I hope you will try it and fall in love too.

Brown Rice Broccoli Cheddar Pie

This recipe for Brown Rice Broccoli Cheddar Pie was proposed as a way to use leftover brown rice, which I never have. It was so appealing that I purchased all the ingredients fresh to put it together.

The broiled cheese and broccoli on top was the best part, followed by the spicy spots from the chili garlic paste I used in place of hot sauce. I really need to buy S'ri cha. It would have been the perfect spicy sauce for this dish. This pie similar to a quiche or frittata with rice and reheats really well in the toaster oven. It is chunky and yet a little soggy at the bottom, which makes sense given the ingredients.

While tasty enough that I would make it again if I ever do have leftover rice, it didn't hit the spot for me. I think the texture is what throws me off, not the flavor.

Chicken and Dumplings

You wish Chicken and Dumplings with Leeks and Tarragon was your lunch. It hs been mine almost every day this week, even though I halved the recipe.

The dish has a thick stew-like consistency that is very warm and filling for the cold week we've been having. One problem with using this for lunch is that while I LOVE dumplings - savory, firm yet squishy and in general delightful - I have to admit they don't reheat well. They end up a bit soggy, basically returning to dough.

A few notes: This dish takes a while, so plan on spending a few hours cooking. There is lag time, but you can't really leave the house. In spite of following the halved ingredient list exactly, my dough was too firm to be dropped. I had roll and place the dumplings. I doubt this effects the flavor, but certainly changes the presentation. I also ended up adding a bit more chicken broth to every serving to juice it up enough for my taste.

Um, the picture is really small. I'll have to upload it again at home. I can't figure out how to do that with Picasa and deleted the thumbnail that I typically load up by accident. :(

Curly Kale, conquered.

For a year now I've been trying to find a way to eat kale since it is so healthy. I've followed countless sets of instructions off the internet: I've cut it into ribbons, I've steamed it, I've sauteed it and I've even made cashew cream to top it, which was real feat without a food processor. Regardless of the preparation, kale just was too bitter and chewy. Nothing about kale made me happy. I gave up.

Then in early December I ended up taking a GIANT Whole Foods veggie platter home after an event. How could I let that go to waste? It was calling to me to take it home. I found easy uses for the asparagus, carrots, celery, etc., but the whole thing was lined with kale. I had to do something with it, so instead of throwing it away, I tossed it in some chicken vegetable soup I was making. It was in there about 25 minutes simmering. Turns out Kale can be good. It just needs to be cooked until it is very, very tender while retaining it's shape.

Ultimately kale is reminiscent of spinach with more texture, if cooked enough. This made it a perfect complement to another one of my healthy winter concoctions, which I'll definitely recreate at a later date. The flavors of this dish went well together and I liked the crunchy, earthy mouth feel. Plus, I knew everything I was eating was great for my health! It's a full bunch of curly kale cut into ribbons and cooked down, cubed sweet potatoes, skins on, tossed in olive oil, cinnamon and cumin and roasted in the oven, and quinoa.

Winter Israeli Couscous

In a rare turn of events, I threw together a meal that I found creative, and enjoyable, enough to try posting about it. This couscous concoction was easy to put together, seasonally appropriate and fairly inexpensive.

Unfortunately, my description at the very end might not be entirely accurate as the dish was eaten weeks ago before Christmas. Then again my descriptions, perhaps, are never that accurate.

Winter Israeli Couscous
This prepared 4 to 5 servings, which I ate as individual meals.

• 1 box of Israeli Couscous from Trader Joe's
• 3 lbs of Butternut Squash
• 1/3 c. Italian Parsley, finely chopped
• 4 pieces (I think) of Trader Joe's Uncured Turkey Bacon
• 1/2 Red Onion, chopped
• Salt to taste
  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the butternut squash and cut in half. Scoop the seeds and stringy part out with a spoon. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and place in the oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until you can easily poke through it with a knife.

While the squash cooks prepare the couscous as directed on the box. Cut the red onion and place on top of the couscous to steam (in the future I may saute it before cooking the couscous for a sweeter flavor) while the couscous cooks. Take the bacon and place it on a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven until not quite crisp, which in my oven took around 20 minutes as expected from the package. Cut up the parsley and set it aside.

By now the squash should be done. Remove it from the oven and let cool until you can handle touching it. Cut it into cubes, whatever size you'll enjoy. Add the squash and parsley to the couscous once it finishes cooking. Cover pan again to keep everything warm.

Remove the bacon from the oven and cut into pieces; I used scissors as it was easier. Add to the other ingredients in the pan and toss. Enjoy.


I liked the texture of the larger couscous. It is denser and chewier than the smaller version, similar to the tapioca balls in Bubble Tea. The roasted butternut squash and turkey bacon provided a salty sweet contrast that spiced up a potentially plain grain. Onions are a safe bet and the parsley added a splash of color with a refreshing flavor. I will make this again.

Maybe Someone Could Teach Me To Write About Texture

I had no idea there were classes to hone food writing, blogging and reviewing skills. There is even a food writing related class on food history! But the whole thing with this "food blog" is that I'm not committed; I don't even post regularly. Classes are kinda expensive and would go against that. On the other hand the reviewing one promises to teach you to not describe things as delicious (so guilty of that!)... Hmm. I guess this goes to show you can study anything!

Ziti with Tuscan-Style Cauliflower

I knew I wanted to make something with Cauliflower last weekend, but didn't know what. Soup was my first thought since my stockpile of broth was/is taking up most of the space in our petite fridge, but all of my bookmarked soup recipes called for expensive extra ingredients i.e. blocks of cheese, creme fraiche, wine, and all that good stuff. I could have roasted it, which reminds me of healthier popcorn, but it would have only filled me up for a night.

No good. I wanted an economical meal option. Once again the internet solved my problems by turning up a recipe for Ziti with Tuscan-Style Cauliflower. I purchased the ingredients for a half portion, which actually resulted in four meals. I don't know what kind of servings they think people need!

Once the cauliflower was cut, the dish was quick and easy to put together. I couldn't taste the mint (at least it added color), but the hint of red pepper provided a pleasant kick to a simple, satisfying meal. I blocked out the ziti part when purchasing ingredients, illustrated below, but followed the recipe exactly otherwise. I would highly recommend it, especially as for the second week in a row Lauren found something I cooked appetizing in appearance.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apples

I finally made it to the Greenmarket a few weekends ago for the first time in months. When hauling my groceries home, I realized why I really should stick to visiting irregularly or at the very least stick to my shopping list. Everything is so tempting that I end up grocery shopping like the apocalypse is coming.

Does one person really need a 3 pound bag of apples, a full stalk of brussel sprouts, 4 pounds of chicken, etc.? Not so much. Oh well! At least I put the ingredients to good use. My successfully met cooking goals for the week were making from scratch shredded chicken and veggie soup (needed salt but otherwise decent), chicken broth, pumpkin bread, and Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apples.

As I had never purchased brussel sprouts on the stalk cutting them off without cutting myself was a bit of an adventure. While my bravery with trying new dishes has improved over time, I haven't gained knife skills. In spite of this the brussel sprout dish was a success. I'll definitely make it again, probably using pre-cut brussel sprouts, as it was refreshing, light and filling. My co-worker Lauren actually thought it looked tasty, which never happens, and I felt healthy eating it.

My favorite aspect was the maple syrup browned tofu, a unique preparation that I suspect could be used in other dishes.

nagomi

Last Friday my friend Matt was in town and we caught up wandering from TriBeCa to Soho to the UES. It was a great night; Matt is the first person I really traipsed around restaurants with back in Richmond during college. We used to act like we were writing reviews using as much alliteration as possible. Our servers loved us.

One of my less inspiring temp jobs when I first moved to Manhattan was in Soho. As a treat for calling 600 people that I didn't have direct phone numbers for about an event, I decided to treat myself to lunch. "Extensive" research about sushi and lunches under $10 brought me to nagomi. I walked over, ordered the lunch special (some rolls and miso soup), and went to pay with my credit card. Guess what? nagomi doesn't take credit cards if you are spending less than $10. I was a dollar or so short. Embarrasing, but they were very kind and let me keep my food, which was delicious. So I always meant to go back and pay in full for a meal...

Cue being in Soho on Friday night craving sushi. Matt and I stopped in around 8:00 pm, were seated immediately, and ordered promptly. We started with edamame. nagomi's is served hot and with the perfect amount of salt and then split 5 different rolls. Everything was fresh and as tasty as I remembered it being 2+ years ago. As always I loved the eel cucumber roll, but was pleasantly surprised by the spicy scallop roll. It wasn't a marshmellow of the sea served this way but it worked well with the spice. Also interesting was the squash roll, which tasted completely different depending on whether or not you dipped it in soy sauce.

It was a great meal, although the service could have been more attentive, and I'll definitely return if my location and timing is right. Our bill also included a sapporo and was under $50. Not bad.

Location: 179 Prince Street (Between Thompson and Sullivan)
Hours: Mon-Sun Dinner, Lunch Mon-Fri
Cost: $$$

Instead of Eating to Diet, They’re Eating to Enjoy

Yesterday in the NY Times, there was a great article: Instead of Eating to Diet, They're Eating to Enjoy. A few quotes from an already short article...

The percentage of those consumers who are on a diet is lower than at any
time since information on dieting was first collected in 1985.

Resources reported that 53 percent of consumers say they are cooking from
scratch more than they did just six months ago, in part, no doubt, because of
the rising cost of prepared foods.

“We need to demystify cooking,” Ms. Waters said. “It creates feelings about
food that make you feel cared for, and that’s the kind of food that really
changes habits.”

Also, the more time people spend on tasks like food shopping, cooking and
kitchen cleanup, the more likely they are to be of average weight.

Cherry Tomato Clafoutis

I don't know how you say Clafoutis, but I assume it kind of rhymes with delicious. This recipe for Cherry Tomato Clafoutis is one of my favorite breakfasts to date. I was so excited to see a savory recipe for it instead of sweet that I made it as soon as possible.

As I had feta cheese on hand from one of the zucchini recipes last week, I used it as my cheese. I also substituted egg whites for one of the three eggs. The result was similar to my Mom's german pancake, but thicker and with a richer flavor. It reheats perfectly, although I liked it so much that there wasn't too much to reheat. The nice thing is it doesn't collect condensation on top like so many other breakfast dishes I have made...

I'm definitely going to make this again. It provides a nice break from my muffins and breads. I think eggs are technically a healthier breakfast anyway.

Beet and Buttermilk Soup

In the spirit of a frequently too hot summer, I have decided to start experimenting with cold soups. As eating beets cold was what made me learn to love them in the first place, I thought this recipe for Beet and Buttermilk Soup was a perfect place to start.

Once I tracked down buttermilk, it was ridiculously simple to put together and required minimal use of the stove. Something my roommates were bound to appreciate.

The buttermilk does an excellent job of cutting the sweetness typically found in beet dishes and the dill adds a unique flavor. Unfortunately it also reminds me of delicious Kosher Dill chips, which I haven't had in years and have no idea how to track down. Sigh. The magenta color is unique and garnered lots of compliments. It also made for a disaster with a pair of khaki capris; they were on the way out anyway, so I wasn't devastated.

If there was an appropriate occasion, I would probably make this soup again... Otherwise, I am just going to keep trying other recipes to find cold soup that tastes half as good as the carrot soup from June.

Zucchini Recipes (for Jaime)

Earlier this month, Kalyn posted an entire blog entry on using up zucchini, which might help. I tried the Roasted Zucchini with Green Onions, Feta Cheese and Basil this week. It has a good flavor, but is a little juicy for my taste. I also found it to have an intense aftertaste/effect, which I never appreciate.


I also tried a variation on this Zucchini Carpaccio this week. I have had it bookmarked since it was posted last July...I'm glad I got around to trying it. As I don't have a food processor or mandolin and tend to be lazy about food aesthetics, I made it into a salad with thicker (but still thin) pieces of zucchini and carrots. The combination of flavors is great and it doesn't require you to heat up the oven. Win!

I also have this recipe for zucchini strand spaghetti bookmarked to try and am tempted by the zucchini recipes that were covered in Animal, Vegetable, Mineral.

Broken Computer

I am still lazy but my current reason for not posting here is that I broke my computer! Or, rather, something I downloaded unintentionally without any awareness broke my computer. When it fixes, I will resume my semi-regular posts.

What's in Season in NYC?

Time Out New York always has a handy listing of what is available seasonally at Green Market. I forget about it and then remember. So glad summer is here! There are so many more tasty food options - berries, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.!

Blue Fin

Last Monday my former co-worker, Scott, who taught me all my initial event planning knowledge, was in town staying at the W in Times Square. He is starting an environmentally friendly clothing company specializing in kid's clothes and had a meeting with the factory reps from India. I love how entrepreneurial he is. We were going to meet for drinks, but ended up doing dinner at Blue Fin. Thank God as I was starving and don't have a tolerance at all.

He started with the Yellowtail Ceviche as his appetizer and insisted I taste it. It was beautifully presented and decently flavored, but it was surprisingly dry for ceviche. Having first encountered this dish in Ecuador, I suspect I have abnormally high expectations. Our entrees were much better.

He had the Wild Striped Bass with Lobster Risotto, Melted Leeks, and Lemon Sweet Peas; it was very rich (buttery) and light at the same time. The peas made it feel like a summery dish. I had the Chilean Bass (bad for the environment, I know!) with Artichokes, Dates, and I can't recall what else as it has been removed from the menu...with good reason as it seemed heavy for June in spite of the delicious flavor. Both fishes were perfectly cooked.

We split the most creative dessert on the menu, a variation on a smore: chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, and graham cracker ice cream. The chocolate aspects and the strange marshmallow-like, yet not at all, topping didn't do anything for me. The ice cream was very unique though and given the option I would order that part of this dessert again. It tasted more like marshmallow than the topping but was actually vanilla rolled in graham crackers, which gave it a unique, crisp effect.

The W is so chic. I'm glad I got to check it out! My favorite part of what I saw was the lobby; it was completely surrounded, ceiling too, with a waterfall/fountain type thing that created wonderful shadows on the floor. I totally want to stay at a W one day. I'm sure they can't compare to the Le Meridien in Cyprus, but it is a much more reasonable goal.

Location: 1567 Broadway (at 47th Street)
Hours: Sun-Mon 7:00a-11:00p, Tues-Thurs 7:00a-11:30p, Fri-Sat 7:00a-12:00a
Cost: $$$

Vanilla Vanilla Mini Cupcakes

To celebrate my friend Meg's birthday a few weeks ago and my new mini-muffin tin, I made cupcakes for the first time in over a year. In an attempt to be on time to the party and use ingredients I already had I decided to stick with vanilla, which is my favorite anyway.

This strategy didn't work out...I still went to the grocery store and was a good hour late for the party. Fortunately, the cupcakes made that excusable!

I used Tartelette's listed recipe and switched out the listed frosting for the matching frosting from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook. I chose yellow coloring for the icing as that is Meg's favorite color to wear in the summer (I think). I don't recall liking the resulting frosting in the past, but this time it was very good. I think the trick is to be very cautious when adding the confectioner's sugar. My frosting was much softer than in the past and retained a tasty butter flavor.

Dell'Anima

When UrbanDaddy sent around notification that Dell'Anima served ricotta pancakes, I was sold for the aforementioned reasons. I immediately contacted Kimberly, who fell in love with ricotta pancakes at a different upscale hotel on a business trip, and we made plans to go. It only took scheduling a month and a half out... She, Catherine, and I finally went a few weeks ago. The restaurant is tiny, very intimate and cozy. The staff is friendly and the service attentive. But the best part is the food...

The meal is served family-style with generous portions and complimentary, fresh bread served with ricotta cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil. We opted for three selections ($14) instead of six ($18) and enjoyed ricotta pancakes, scrambled eggs, and an arugula salad. The ricotta pancakes were great, but the real standout was the eggs. They were thick, pillowy clouds just like my Grandpa Sweetiepie used to make. I reveled in them. I had not encountered eggs that good since he passed away a few years ago. The salad was refreshing compared with the weight of the other choices; it was dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, fresh pepper and parmesan cheese. Personally, I could have done with less fresh pepper since arugula has a peppery flavor on its own but it was still good.

I would love to go back for a different meal, but that might be a while as it is a bit pricey. In the meantime, anyone want to go for aperitivo? It is Friday through Sunday from 4-6 pm... The food is free with your drink. :)

Location: 38 Eighth Avenue (at Jane Street)
Hours: Mon-Sun 5:30p-2:00a
Cost: $$$