Pistachio Ring

I got a weird impulse to try and make bread this weekend. So I started flipping through my latest Taste of Home magazine and found this recipe for pistachio bread. It was a lot easier than I thought it'd be (though in the process, due to sheer clumsiness I burnt three fingers, tore a fingernail, and made a complete mess of our kitchen - just thought I should provide a warning). It's time intensive, mostly because you have to do a lot of waiting for it to rise. That worked out perfectly for me though, as I was able to clean up my mess, do my laundry and watch part of the Super Bowl at the same time. I brought most of it into work today and received many compliments. It's not too sweet, not too bready, generally a great and easy (and somewhat impressive looking) breakfast treat.

PISTACHIO RING

TIME: Prep: 30 min. + rising

Bake: 25 min. + cooling

Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup shelled salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, salt, 2 cups flour and remaining sugar; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. On a floured surface, roll into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with pistachios and sugar. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet; pinch ends together to form a ring.

With a scissors, cut from outside edge two-thirds of the way toward center of ring at 3/4-in. intervals. Separate strips slightly; twist to allow filling to show, slightly overlapping with the previous piece. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Brush with egg. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Yield: 1 ring (18 slices).

Spaghetti alla carbonara

Make this! *from 30Sec Wine Adviser Food Newsletter

INGREDIENTS:
(Serves two)
3-4 strips American smoky bacon or 2 ounces Italian pancetta
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
4-6 ounces (120-180g) spaghetti
1/4 cup (60g) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Black pepper
Nutmeg
2 eggs, preferably freshest possible free-range
2 tablespoons heavy cream

PROCEDURE:

1. Cut the bacon or pancetta into thin strips. Peel and smash the garlic cloves. Brown the garlic over medium-high heat in a skillet or saute pan; discard it, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook the bacon until it's crisp. Remove from heat; leave the bacon in the pan, but spoon off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and, when it comes to a full boil, cook the spaghetti until al dente, typically 7 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.

3. While the spaghetti cooks (or do this in advance if you don't like working under pressure), grate the cheese, put it in a small bowl, and season it with freshly grated black pepper and nutmeg. Break the eggs into a cup, add the heavy cream, stir in the grated cheese mixture and whip it gently with a fork until all the ingredients are mixed.

4. Just before the spaghetti is done, spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water into the egg mixture, stirring briefly. Reheat the pan containing the cooked bacon and remaining fat. Quickly drain the pasta in a big strainer or colander, then put it in the skillet with the bacon and fat, reducing heat to very low. Pour in the egg mixture and toss with two spoons until every strand is coated and the egg mixture barely cooks. Don't overcook; it's better creamy than dry.

WINE MATCH: The dairy flavors pretty much call for a white, and the smoky bacon suggests a richer-styled white. It was fine with a modestly priced, textured blend of Carignan Blanc and Vermentino from Southwestern France, Domaine du Poujol 2006 "Pico" Vin de Pays de l'Heurault.

Friday Treats

Everyone at my work takes turns bringing treats on Friday and I got a lot of good feedback on my entry today. These recipes were quite easy (I did shopping then made all three between 6:30 and 10:30 pm on Thursday) and there weren't any really exotic ingredients.

Blueberry Lemon Corn Muffins

These may be the best muffins I've ever had. Sweet, moist, crunchy (I used medium grind cornmeal) - perfection. I also used skim milk (which didn't affect the taste, from what I could tell) and one pint of blueberries, which is a bit more than the 1/2 cup it calls for.

Banana Coconut Muffins (pictured left)

I'm a sucker for coconut and these little beauties were delicious. The one thing I would've done differently, however, is to let the bananas ripen more. Mine were still edible, and I think for this recipe to really wow, they need to be much darker. But still very good!

Cool Veggie Pizza Appetizer (pictured right)

I hadn't made this in years, and in doing so, I remembered that it's one of my favorite super easy entertainment recipes. I changed a lot of things about the spread this time, but it's one of those things that you can play with and figure out what works best. I don't like Miracle Whip, so I made it with cream cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing and mayonnaise instead (the same amount of cream cheese, small amounts of the other three). Also, instead of onion salt and dill, I used a tablespoon of the Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup powder. Delicious!

Butter Lettuce-Citrus Salad

*Stolen from the SF Chronicle's Food & Wine Newsletter - this sounds like a deliciously fancy salad that I must remember to make later.

Butter Lettuce-Citrus Salad

Thursday, January 10, 2008

This recipe is from local cooking teacher Linda Carucci.

INGREDIENTS:
2 large, firm heads butter lettuce
1/2 small red onion, cut lengthwise into thin crescents
2 large Hass avocados
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large ruby grapefruit, cut between membranes to release segments
1 1/2 cups glazed walnut halves, broken up (see recipe)
Dressing:
Finely chopped zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup canola or light-flavored olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS: Discard tough outer leaves from lettuces. Quarter lettuces lengthwise, remove tough cores, and cut each quarter into thirds; wash and spin dry.

Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk well to combine.

Toss together lettuce and onion in a large bowl. Vigorously whisk dressing again, pour over the salad and toss.

Pit, peel and dice avocados; toss into salad. Taste a piece of lettuce and add salt and/or pepper if desired.

Divide salad among serving plates. Divide grapefruit sections evenly, tucking them into folds of lettuce. Garnish with glazed walnuts.

Serves 6 to 8

PER SERVING: 335 calories, 5 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 27 g fat (3 g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 143 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.

Glazed Walnuts
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup superfine sugar
2 quarts water
2 cups walnut halves
2 cups canola oil, or as needed

INSTRUCTIONS: Put sugar in a large mixing bowl. Put a large sieve in the sink; set another one over a bowl near stove; cover a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels.

Bring water to a rolling boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Add nuts, blanch for 1 minute. Pour into sieve in sink; rinse with hot water. Drain well. Transfer to bowl with sugar; mix with a rubber spatula to melt sugar and coat nuts evenly.

Heat oil to 350 degrees in a heavy skillet. Using a large slotted spoon, put half the nuts in the oil. Fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer nuts to the dry sieve. Shake to separate pieces. Transfer to the baking sheet, moving them about with a spatula to keep them from sticking to pan or each other. Reheat oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining nuts. Let cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They keep well for up to 4 days.

Yields 2 cups

PER 1/4 CUP: 195 calories, 4 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (2 g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 3 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Lentil Soup Article from NYTimes

Thanks Olivia! I wanted to post this so I remember to make it. Lentil soup, in general, is great though. Very easy and filling.

A Lentil Soup to Make You Stop, Taste and Savor

FOR years it seemed that everyone I knew had a special lentil soup recipe, one that sustained them and kept them warm all winter long. I had flirted with countless incarnations, and most tasted reasonably good. They were brawny, solid and predictable. I liked them in varying degrees, but never quite enough to take home to my soup pot. Until recently, when I fell head over heels. Could this be the one?

Recipe: Red Lentil Soup With Lemon (January 9, 2008)

It was so unexpected. At a friend’s dinner party this fall, white espresso cups filled with a steaming liquid were passed around as hors d’oeuvres. Deep in conversation, I took an absent-minded sip that instantly dazzled, yet mystified me. A gorgeous soup, it was warming and hearty, and possessed a velvety texture that recalled some kind of puréed legume. But it had a zesty, spicy flavor that was more ethereal and sunny than any earthbound, wintry bean.

“It’s nothing, just a little lentil soup,” said my hostess nonchalantly when I cornered her in the kitchen to grill her.

Lentil? It didn’t taste like lentils. And with its muted golden color, it didn’t look like them either.

“Red lentils, Sweetie, with chili and a little lemon; I’ll e-mail you tomorrow with the recipe,” she promised.

In fervid anticipation, I picked up some red lentils the next morning. Unlike their more familiar green and brown cousins, red lentils are hulled and split when you buy them. This lets them cook much faster than their relatives, though they don’t hold their shape as well, making them problematic for salads — and ideal for soup. Or so I found out with a little Googling.
The e-mail appeared. I wasn’t coy; I had already pulled out the soup pot.

As I figured, the ingredient list called for red lentils (check), broth (check), onion (check), cumin (check), garlic, lemons and chili powder (check, check, check). Then came some surprises: dried mint, fresh tomatoes and bulgur — none of which were in the cupboard.

As determined as I was to make the soup, I was equally determined not to leave the house. It was cold and rainy, and there was only so much I was willing to sacrifice for a nascent crush.
Still, I had my heart set on lentils. Clearly, there would need to be some compromises if this was going to work.

The tomatoes were easy to get around. I used a fat dollop of tomato paste instead, sautéing it with the onions and garlic to give it a sweeter, more intense flavor. I also added a chopped carrot to compensate for the lost vegetable matter and to deepen the color.
The bulgur was harder to swap out. I considered rice, buckwheat groats, even steel-cut oats before deciding to leave it out altogether and double the lentils. I had plenty, and weren’t they the point after all?

Then I added some broth to the pot and set it all to simmer. Half an hour later, my lentil soup was bubbling hot and ready. I squeezed in some lemon for vibrancy, drizzled on some good olive oil for richness, and to substitute for the mint, floated a handful of chopped cilantro over the surface.

I was a little nervous about digging in. With all my changes, would the soup live up to my expectations?

In fact, it was even better. Lighter and more brothy than the bulgur original, it had a buoyant, lemony disposition grounded by a profound cumin and chili backbone. It was the perfect lentil soup, at least for me. Bright, deep, compelling, and easily accessible: if I kept a supply of red lentils around, I could make the soup in under an hour whenever my heart desired.

I have been making it ever since.

Christmas Cookies

Does anyone have a favorite recipe they want to share? I'll post one of mine once I get home (my mom has the only copy of the recipe), but I found this one online (again 101Cookbooks - genius). Every year, because we're an insanely competitive family, we have a "best new cookie recipe" competition - I think I may submit these. I'll let you girls know how it comes out.

Minty Chocolate Christmas Cookie Recipe

I use Dagoba cacao powder for these cookies, but that's a personal preference. I also seek out organic powdered sugar, which isn't as bright white as typical powdered sugar, but once you beat a bunch of air into it, it brightens right up (see photos). This recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour, but you can use unbleached all-purpose flour if you like.

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup nonalkalized cocoa powder
1 egg white
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

Peppermint cream filling:

2+ cups powdered sugar, sifted
10 - 15 drops peppermint extract (to taste)
1/4 cup half and half (or water if you are going to keep the cookies around unrefrigerated for a while)

Pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees, position the racks in the middle of the oven, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and cream some more, scraping the sides of the bowl a time or two. Stir in the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, egg white, and salt and mix until the cocoa powder is integrated and the batter is smooth and creamy and the consistency of a thick frosting. Add the flour and mix just until the batter is no longer dusty looking. It might still be a bit crumbly, and that's okay.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, gather it into a ball, and knead it just once or twice to bring it together into a smooth mass. Divide into two pieces place each into a plastic bag and flatten into disks roughly 1 inch thick. Put the dough in the freezer for 20 minutes to chill.
One bag at a time remove the dough from the freezer. On a well floured surface roll it out very thin (remember these are going to be sandwich cookies) - roughly 1/8 inch thick. Or you might find it easiest to roll it out between to Silpats or pieces of plastic. Stamp out cookies in whatever shape you like - I used tiny scalloped circles here. Place on the prepared baking sheets, and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until they small of deep warm chocolate with toasty overtones. Larger cookies will take longer to cook than smaller ones. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack (if you have one).

While the cookies are baking, go ahead and make the filling. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, whisk together the sugar and half and half until nice and fluffy. You want the filling to be thick enough that it doesn't ooze out the sides of the cookies after they are filled, so if you need to add more powdered sugar, do so in small increments. If you need to thin out your filling, add more half and half a few drops at a time. Whisk in the peppermint extract a bit at a time, and taste as you go, the peppermint flavor shouldn't be overwhelming. When the cookies have completely cooled slather a bit of filling on half of the cookies. Top each slather with another cookie and enjoy!

Makes about 3 dozen 1 1/2-inch sandwich cookies.

101 Cookbooks

Great, great cooking blog. Today, gmail linked me to a post of hers on "Creating Your Own Cookbook". While most of us have already experimented with that, with last year's collection of recipes, she plugs a service that's a good deal more sophisticated: www.tastebook.com

While I don't have quite the volume of rag-tag recipes for an entire cookbook yet, I hope to someday require this service, because I do think it'd be fun to design the collection. Also, this would probably make a great gift for your culinary friends and family. Just wanted to spread the word.

Also, if you missed last year's recipe book, e-mail me or comment and I'll send you the pdf.