Valentine's Day 02/15/2010
 Eric and I had been dating about 6 months when Valentine’s Day rolled around. We’d been together long enough that he, I think, expected some pressure from me for him to make an event of it. He’s later told me that he realized he wanted to marry me when I mentioned that the holiday was coming up, asked what his thoughts were, and then told him I thought we should screw it because I hate Valentine’s Day.  Not in the way you all might think, though. I can’t remember a time I was single on Valentine’s Day. I’m not bitter, weeping softly into my chocolates while I watch a terrible Lifetime Movie and plan elaborate weddings for my cats while I wear a Snuggie™. I’ve just come to realize it’s generally a terrible idea to go out for dinner on February 14th. Every restaurant is crowded, the service is terrible, the meal will be half as good and twice as expensive, and there’s TONS of pressure on the date to be romantic and perfect. No thanks.  Instead, we stay in, order pizza, and play video games. We go out other nights of the year and we tell each other that we love one another every single day. Lately, though, we’ve had a lot of pizza. I thought I’d make a special meal instead – steak, wine, candles, etc – for us to enjoy together. We managed to eat while Eleanor was taking a nap, and then played Beatles Rockband. A step up from pizza, but still true to our tradition. I’ll post the recipe next year in time for you to plan your own special Valentine’s Day in.  1 Comment For Daphne: Ginger and Meyer Lemon Scones 02/14/2010
 Today I met a really nice woman at Whole Foods. She’s going to make scones for her boyfriend for Valentine’s Day, but feels like she isn’t very good at baking so she had a mix to help her. I assured her that making scones from scratch was well within her capabilities and told her I’d send her the recipe, but she was nice enough to check out this (now largely defunct) blog and she said terribly complimentary things about it in an email to me, so I decided to really help her with the scone project and put up step-by-step instructions. Let’s talk a bit about baking mixes. I’m against them. I think in large part they’re a scam perpetrated against baking-shy or –phobic people who, for whatever reason, think they can’t bake or are bad at it or that it’s difficult or somehow beyond them. The thing is, most mixes contain little more than flour, leavening, sugar, salt, preservatives, and sometimes flavoring. If you’re going to the trouble of baking, mixing those things together (minus the preservatives, of course) is the easiest part! You’re going to have to get out the eggs, milk, oil or butter, and mix-ins anyway, so why not do a tiny bit more work and be able to say you made it from scratch? As far as I can tell, there’s no good reason not to. You’ll eat fewer preservatives, it’s significantly cheaper, and you can feel smug about baking from scratch. Scones are a great place to start if you’re new to baking. They’re easiest to make if you have a food processor, but you can also use a pastry knife. In theory you can use two knives like scissors in place of a pastry knife, but I’ve never had much success with that method and a really high-quality pastry knife costs, like, 12 bucks at Williams-Sonoma and it will last forever. To make scones, you don’t need to do any creaming or much blending – it’s largely just mixing the flour with the leavening, salt and sugar, cutting in the butter, then adding the mix-ins and the liquid and stirring until it looks like dough. There’s a bit of kneading at the end, but it’s not very challenging. Then you just pat the dough into a disk, cut into wedges, bake, and enjoy! Let’s get started.  You will need: 2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces) 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half 1 T baking powder 1 t kosher salt (or ½ t table salt) 3 T sugar 5 T cold butter 1 Meyer lemon ½ cup crystallized ginger The first thing to do is to set up your mise en place. Make sure you have everything measured out, chopped, and ready to go. This way you won’t have to stop while you’re cooking to look for an ingredient, and you’ll be sure that you have everything you need to complete the recipe. Measure out your flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cream.  Finely dice the crystallized ginger. The easiest way to do this is to cut it into narrow strips, then turn all the strips 90 degrees and cut them again into dice.  Zest the lemon with a Microplane grater or a lemon zester or other grater if you don’t have a Microplane. If you don’t have a Microplane, get one the next time you’re out shopping. Bed, Bath, and Beyond sells them for under $15 and you can use one of those coupons they’re always mailing you. My Microplane is absolutely invaluable in my kitchen. I use it for grating parmesan, ginger, zesting lemons, and a myriad of other tasks.  Cut the butter into cubes by first cutting lengthwise down the stick, then cutting lengthwise again, then several times crosswise.  Put the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into your food processor and pulse several times to mix it all up.  Next, scatter the butter cubes over the flour mixture. Pulse it 12 times (or use a pastry knife), until it looks like this:  Now dump the mixture into a bowl and add the ginger and the lemon zest. Use a spatula to mix the ginger and the lemon in. Don’t worry if the zest sticks to itself a bit – you should be able to mix it into the flour mixture easily. The flour will help it distribute evenly.  When everything is mixed together, pour the cream into the bowl and mix it up. The motion you want to use is less of a stirring motion and more of a scraping or folding motion. Use the spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and fold the flour that’s on the sides inward, turning the bowl as you go. If you keep at it, you’ll end up with dough that looks like this:  Turn the dough out on a clean counter or butcher block or pirate map or whatever work surface you’ve got. Knead it a bit until it all sticks together and forms a ball. Pat the ball into a disk that’s slightly domed and about 6 or 7 inches in diameter. Cut into eight wedges (like a pizza) with a large knife.  Now (or maybe 15 minutes ago) would be a good time to put an oven rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Note: do not use waxed paper. The wax will melt into your scones and it will be terrible. Not that I’ve ever done that, or anything.  Place the scones on the baking sheet, then bake for 15 minutes. I like to turn the baking sheet around halfway through so that the scones bake evenly, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. When they’re done, the scones will be baked all the way through, golden brown on top, and turning dark brown on the tips.  Serve them warm with a thin slice of butter, a dollop of whipped cream, or a spoonful of lemon curd if you have some. I imagine they’d also be good with berry jam.  (Seriously, this recipe is so easy a 2-year-old could do it.)  Better Than Your Momma's Meatloaf 07/12/2009
 I’ve always heard people say that when you’ve grown up eating your mother’s meatloaf, no other meatloaf recipe will taste “right” or even good. I guess my mom (or dad, actually, as he did most of the cooking) didn’t make enough meatloaf when I was a kid because I really don’t have a preference for “her” recipe. I don’t even know if my parents have “their” meatloaf recipe. In any case, this is good meatloaf. It’s flavorful, juicy, uncomplicated, and (this is most important) is better as a leftover than it is the day it’s made. It’s GREAT for meatloaf sandwiches, which if you ask me is the best reason to make meatloaf in the first place. Hobo Monday: Picnic Food 07/11/2009
This Hobo Monday, we're taking a picnic.  Meatloaf Sandwiches ($2.15 each, 1/2 sandwich per person)  Spinach Salad ($2 for the spinach, cost of the dressing is negligible) Passion Tea Lemonade ($.50 for 16 oz of lemonade on sale at Whole Foods, $.50 for the tea) Smitten Kitchen's Blueberry Boy Bait ($2.53 for 4 slices) Total: $9.83 to serve 4  Oh my goodness do I love meatloaf sandwiches. It’s two comfort foods combined into one hybrid ULTIMATE comfort food. It’s MEATLOAF in a SANDWICH.  You will need: 4 ½ inch thick slices of meatloaf 2-4 large lettuce leaves 4 slices bread dollop mayo squeeze Dijon mustard splash lemon juice 1 onion large splash leftover wine  Cut the onion in half pole-to-pole. Remove the skin and slice in half-moons as thinly as you can.  Heat a small amount of oil in a pan, then cook the onions over medium-high heat until they have softened and picked up a bit of color. After 5 or 10 minutes, splash in a few tablespoons of wine and stir. When all the wine has evaporated, cook for another minute or two stirring frequently. Remove from pan and set aside.  In a small bowl, mix the mayo, mustard, and lemon juice. Spread on each slice of the bread (toast the bread first if you like). Place 1 or 2 leaves of lettuce on each of 2 slices of bread, then two slices of meatloaf, then divide the onions between the two sandwiches. Top with another slice of bread. Cut in half diagonally and serve.  Halibut Poached in Red Curry Broth 07/02/2009
 Whenever Eric and I make Thai or Indian food, we always forget to start the rice. We usually realize it about 10 minutes before the rest of dinner is ready, causing us to swear profusely and throw the rice and water in the rice cooker. Because we prefer brown rice over white, forgetting usually sets our dinner back a good 30 or 40 minutes. Recently I bought some pre-cooked frozen rice that’s been waiting in the freezer to rescue us from our tragically delayed dinner. Oddly, its presence seems to serve as a reminder to me to put the rice in the rice cooker and I haven’t needed to used the frozen rice. I say all this as a way of leading into my point: make sure you start the rice before you do anything else for this dish. It holds well and you can’t hurry it. Poaching is a great treatment for fish, especially fish that has a tendency to get a bit dry. The small amount of fat in the coconut milk keeps everything lovely and moist, and as long as you cook at a simmer rather than a boil it you will be hard-pressed to overcook it. The broth is fragrant and full of flavor, but not too spicy to serve to your Aunt Edna who gives you a shifty eye when you mention Thai food. The best part is that it all comes together in about 20 minutes. Provided you start the rice on time, of course.  You will need: Method: START THE RICE. Place 1 1/3 cups rice along with 2 2/3 cups water and a heavy pinch of salt into a rice cooker and turn it on to cook.  Pour about 1 T olive oil into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots until they begin to brown and smell really good. Stir in the curry paste and cook briefly, about 30 seconds, until it smells incredible. Whisk in the coconut milk and then the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  While the poaching liquid is heating up, place the spinach into a large glass bowl. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and microwave for a minute on high. Remove the spinach from the microwave, stir or toss it a bit, then microwave for another minute. Divide into four bowls and set aside.  When the poaching liquid is hot, place the fish fillets in it. Put the lid on and simmer until the fish is cooked through, 7-15 minutes depending on size and thickness of fish. When fish is just cooked through, stir in green onions and lime juice then remove from heat.  Scoop about 1 cup of cooked rice into each of the bowls, then place one cooked fish fillet on each bed of rice and spinach. Ladle the poaching liquid over the fish, about 1 1/3 cups per bowl. Garnish with minced cilantro and serve immediately.  Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a few days, but should be re-heated in the broth. Greg's Cucumber Lemonade 06/27/2009
 This recipe is adapted from an idea I stole from Greg Frost. I met Greg in the first class I took at UW during August of 2002. It was a drama class with a nutty tyrant of a professor who refused to go barefoot even though she made us do so and yelled at me to “just learn to take a goddamn note!” when I asked her a question about a note I didn’t understand. At one point the class was playing some sort of movement game and Greg stood up quickly and whacked my face with the back of his head. I ended up with a HUGE fat lip. Seven years (God, has it really been SEVEN YEARS?) later, I think he’s finally made it up to me with this recipe. It’s very easy to make and is wonderfully crisp and refreshing. Sure, it’s a little more complicated than mixing a can with water – but it’s not something you can find in the stores and it makes a lovely non-alcoholic drink to serve to guests at a barbecue or to take with you on a picnic. And it would definitely take the sting out of a fat lip.  You will need:  Dump the lemonade concentrate into your pitcher. Fill the can with water twice and pour into the blender carafe. Cut the cucumber into pieces, reserving several very thin slices, and place in the blender. Blend until pureed, about 30 seconds.  Place the strainer on top of the pitcher and slowly pour the liquid from the blender through it. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, press on the solids in the strainer to eke out all the liquid you can. Mix two more cans of water into the pitcher and stir to combine. Serve very cold garnished with reserved cucumber slices.  Note: This also mixes very well with Midori if you want to punch it up a bit. Yum... Raspberry and Custard Tart 06/17/2009
 This is a great dessert for entertaining. You should make it a few hours in advance, but it can be served either chilled or at room temperature so it’s pretty low-maintenance. It’s made in two stages: first the crust is baked, then the filling is added and the whole tart is baked again. This is 1/3 of my summer entertaining menu; I pair it with roasted chicken and broiled asparagus with balsamic reduction for an easy dinner that’s sure to impress. Raspberries are in season now so don’t delay making this tart. I’ve adapted David Leibovitz’s Tart Dough a la Francaise to fit an 11” tart pan. The filling is adapted from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe.  You will need:  For the filling: 8 T butter (1 stick) 2 eggs ¾ C sugar heavy pinch salt ½ T vanilla extract ½ T raspberry liqueur 1 T lemon juice 3 T flour 3 T heavy cream 1 pint fresh raspberries  To make the crust: Heat the oven to 410 degrees. Place the butter, olive oil, water, and sugar in an oven-safe bowl. When the oven is heated, place the bowl in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the bowl from the oven, place on a heat-proof surface, and stir the flour into the hot butter mixture. Be careful as the butter might spatter a bit and it will definitely sizzle and bubble initially.  Dump the dough into an 11” tart pan with a removable bottom. When the dough has cooled off enough to touch, press it out into the pan and up the sides with your hands. Dock the dough with a fork (this means to poke small holes into it all over) and bake in the 410 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.  For the filling: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter and cook, swirling intermittently, over medium heat until it’s brown and toasty around the edges and smells nutty and delicious. Pour the melted butter into a heat-proof bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour, whisk, then slowly add the vanilla, liqueur, lemon juice, and cream while whisking. Slowly pour in the butter (it should now be cool enough to touch) and whisk until the mixture is homogenous.  Place the tart shell (still in the tart pan) on a cookie sheet. In the tart shell, place the berries evenly. I start in the middle and work outward in concentric rings.  Slowly pour the custard batter over the berries, taking care not to pour too quickly lest you move the berries around. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through. The tart is done when it is set and the filling is golden brown on the surface. Cool for several hours, then remove from tart pan and serve. An 11” tart pan will serve 12, for a 9” pan cut the recipe by 2/3, using one egg plus one white and 6 T butter. A 9” tart pan will serve 8.  C’est delicieux!! Orange Altonius 06/06/2009
 The heat has finally broken here in Seattle. We’ve returned to our regularly scheduled programming – overcast mornings, sunny afternoons in the 70s, drizzles in the evening and cooler temperatures overnight. It’s much more civilized and we’ve all recommenced wearing pants. If you’re living somewhere that it’s hot – or even if you’re not – you’ll love this sweet and creamy blended drink. The recipe is adapted from one given on Alton Brown's show Good Eats. I’ve adjusted the measurements to make a full-blender batch, which serves 4 if you’re feeling generous or 2 if you’re thirsty.  You will need:  Juice enough oranges to get 17 fluid ounces of juice. The number of oranges you need for this will vary depending on the type of orange, its size, and how ripe it is. When I made this recipe to take the pictures it took 10 small ones, but earlier this week I used 8 medium-sized oranges.  Reserve 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup) fresh juice, then pour the rest into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours. When the juice is solid, empty the cubes into a blender. Add the milk, vanilla, powdered sugar, and reserved non-frozen orange juice and blend. Serve garnished with an orange wedge.  Too Damn Hot 06/05/2009
 It’s hot here in Seattle. Damn hot. Today temperatures peaked at over 90 degrees which may be fine if you live in a place like California or Arizona where every house has air conditioning, but here in Seattle only the grocery stores and movie theatres are climate-controlled. When it gets hot like this the only thing to do is lower the blinds (to reflect the sun), open the windows, turn on a fan and lie around in your underwear drinking cold beverages. To that end, we’ve been drinking wine cocktails. They’re a little bit boozy, cool and refreshing, but there’s not enough alcohol to cause problems with dehydration and hangovers. I picked up a bottle of Lillet a few weeks ago and we’ve been sipping our way though it in the evenings. Lillet is an aperitif wine that is sold in wine shops and upscale grocery stores. This cocktail is slightly sweet, a bit sour, and lovely and bubbly and cool. There’s less alcohol in it than in most traditional cocktails, so we’ve been able to enjoy a glass as we make our dinner without feeling completely squiffy.  You will need: Lillet Cointreau (or Triple Sec) Lemon juice Sparkling water (chilled) Raspberries (to garnish) I use a measure that is .75 fluid ounces. If you have a jigger, the small side probably holds that much. Mix 1 part Lillet, 1 part Cointreau, 1 part lemon juice, and 4 to 5 parts sparkling water. Serve in a champagne flute garnished with 2 raspberries. Best if very cold.  | Emily90% of my emails were recipes, so now I blog instead. ArchivesFebruary 2010 CategoriesAll |
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