Posts filed under 'Food Press'
I recently made a batch of Coconut Almond Macaroons from Martha Stewart’s Living. The macaroons were supposed to be delivered to flavorista Mimi, but husband Marco got to them first. After 12 years of marriage, I learned that my husband LOVES macaroons (he ate almost every macaroon that I baked). I wonder what other surprises he might have tucked away?
If you have never made homemade macaroons, you should give it a whirl. Most macaroons are made in one bowl with a wooden spoon. They are a perfect cookie to make with children. The recipe above is exceptionally good: Toasty on the outside; soft and chewy on the inside and just the right balance of sugar-sweet coconut and crunchy almonds. The recipe can be easily doubled.
Be sure to use dried coconut as compared to sweetened flake coconut. I used lightly crushed, sliced almonds and I also added 1/4 tsp. almond extract in addition to the vanilla extract called for in the printed recipe. The cookies really come together in the oven, so don’t be too concerned if they seem crumbly before they go into the oven.
For the recipe click here.
June 16th, 2009
Recently, I was lucky enough to work on an assignment for fresh magazine about Portuguese cooking. I interviewed Ana Ortins, an expert on the cuisine of Portugal.
My first experience with Portuguese specialties was in the early 90′s. I was managing Turner Fisheries in the Westin Hotel, Boston and my PM bus staff was principally Portuguese. How I miss the treats that my Nando and Freddie would deliver: Chorizo in Crusty Rolls, Kale Soup, Fish with Spicy Pepper and Paprika Sauce, Sweet Rice Pudding and Trutas (sweet potato pastries).
Anyway back to the fresh recipes, the finished article included recipes for Broa (yeast leavened corn bread), Spicy Clams with Chorizo and Onions, Tuna Steaks and Potatoes with Spicy Pepper Sauce and Bolo de Ceraveja (beer cake).
Working on this article really changed my opinion of paprika, a humble culinary staple. The Portuguese deftly use paprika in what seems like almost every dish and the result is an extra layer of flavor that really makes things, well, more special and more tasty. Add some paprika to sauteed vegetables or onto fried eggs and you will see what I mean. Be sure to check the date on your paprika, any spices over a year old should be swapped out for fresher ones.
Contemporay cooking in Portugal is based on historic peasant foods. The Italians have pasta and polenta; the Portuguese have rice and potatoes. Kale and other vegetables take center stage. Paprika and garlic spiked sausages and well as an abundance of seafood round out the menu. In typical Mediterranean fashion, fruit is a preferred dessert, but tradtional sweets are loved as well.
If you would like to read the article, click here. Hannaford recently launched a new (and very cool) feature on their website. You can virtually flip through a color pdf. of fresh magazine. Give it a try! I hope you’ll think the technology is as terrific as I do!
If you give these recipes a whirl and find that you want more Portuguese food on your table, check out Ana’s website or her book.
June 2nd, 2009
If you liked the Pizza Night Redux recipe, here’s a few more muffin tin recipes to try out:
Chicken & Rice Muffins
Mac & Cheese Muffins
Cheddar & Brocolli Meatloaf Muffins
I worked on these recipes with a very talented food editor, Lise Stern, for fresh magazine. The recipes were really fun to develop and a big hit at casa Mayone, kid-friendly and kid-size.
April 14th, 2009
I have been working on a really crazy assignment that has me shopping, cooking and typing like mad. Thank God for grandmothers who babysit and husbands willing to take on extra duties.
Last week, I had to make fattoush, also known as Lebanese bread salad. This wonderful recipe from Catherine Walthers is just so good; one bite off the fork and I was transported to an August, backyard dinner resplendant with cukes, tomatoes and fresh herbs. This salad made me take pause amidst all the chaos. During that pause, I reminded myself that this cold spring will soon be over and that I’ll be planting pickling cukes soon enough.
Recipe Adapted from Hannaford fresh September-October 2008.
Salad
1/2 (6oz) bag Stacy’s Pita Chips, broken into smaller pieces
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 English cucumber, peeled and diced or 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1 dry pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (15-oz. can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup slivered fresh mint
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley, and mint. Toss well.
2. Just before serving, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, and salt. Pour dressing over lettuce and toss. Gently mix in pita chips and feta. Serve immediately.
April 5th, 2009
It’s sometimes funny how a blog post comes to be. There are moments when I think the planets align very nicely in my favor, especially on this topic – vanilla. I was out of vanilla and while shopping I found a vanilla from one of my favorite suppliers, Frontier Co-Op.
Knowing what I know about vanilla: Where it’s grown, how delicate the crop can be (which has a direct impact on the global price) and how each region has a very different flavor profile,(i.e. Madagascar, Mexico, Thahiti and Indonesia being the largest producers) I try to buy this ingredient with the "Fair Trade" symbol. The Fair Trade folks make sure that the farmers/harvesters actually get paid a decent price so that middlemen don’t get all the profit.
Anyway as I was grabbing what I thought was the usual bottle of vanilla extract I rely on, I saw a bottle of "Gourmet Ugandan Vanilla Extract". I pondered and decided to give it a try, as I had never seen vanilla from Uganda. Flavoristas have very little self-control when it comes to discovering new products.
Then came the obsessing over which recipe to try the Ugandan vanilla in to see if it really had an impact on flavor? As I was reaching for the other bottle of vanilla I bought, I realized to my horror that in my haste, I had grabbed a bottle of vanilla flavor! I hate vanilla flavor. I find it insipid, one dimensional and medicinal.
I was all ready to return it when I stumbled upon an article about vanilla flavor in the April issue of Cook’s Illustrated. Their research is excellent and I now know that vanilla flavor, or vanillin as it is technically called, is in fact one dimensional but that it has uses in baking cookies and some cakes. Stay tuned as I find the perfect recipe to highlight the Ugandan vanilla, but don’t dump your vanilla flavor yet either.
One more note: Vanilla is one of my mother’s favorite scents. She attributes it to her nanny growing up who would place a dab of it behind each ear. The Ugandan vanilla is very floral. I imagine this as her nanny’s scent although I’m sure she wore McCormick’s.
PS from Kimberly: OK, OK, I admit it! I always stock "insipid" vanilla flavor in my pantry. It is my secret vanilla milkshake ingredient. I also use it when making dozens of cookies for school events where the cookies will be inhaled rather than eaten.
March 16th, 2009
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Two big "thank yous" are needed. First to flavorista Eliza who invited the Mayone clan over for dinner. Second to Victoria Granof, the food writer from Cookie Magazine, for the totally easy (and yummy) hand-held pizzas pouches. The recipe serves 4 but can be easily doubled.
Grease a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut 1 lb. of your favorite store-bought pizza dough into 8 even-sized pieces. Let the little "chefs" stretch the dough into rounds twice the size of the muffin tins.
Add 1 Tbsp. favorite prepared red sauce or pesto.
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Add pre-cooked meatballs, pepperoni or veggies, if desired.
Add 1 Tbsp. grated pizza cheese. Close up the dough over the top of the filling, pinch it closed. If you are super crafty, label popsicle sticks so that little chefs can ID their masterpiece.
Brush each pizza with egg wash (aka beaten egg) and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until golden on the bottom and top. Let pizzas rest for 10 minutes to cool slightly before serving. This is a good time to pass the veggie tray (and the wine).
Voila. Total yum.
March 15th, 2009
The Boulder Daily Camera had a wonderful recipe this week for gianduja – more popularly known as Nutella. Amy Scattergood confirmed what I thought to be true: The Nutella that they sell in the U.S. is different from that which is made in Europe.
My first trip to France as a teenager with few funds, had me eating Nutella on baguettes regularly. There are a few good natural products out there like Rapunzel’s Choconut from Germany and Kettle Foods has a roasted hazelnut butter which I used in the recipe below. Artisan Sweets has some interesting selections that are even more gourmet. I tried the recipe featured in the Camera because I thought the addition of hazelnut oil would make this nutty chocolate spread even more special. I was right!
While the end result of my recipe was not as smooth and creamy as other store bought brands, I loved what the roasted hazelnut butter added in texture and flavor and I didn’t have to take the skins off the hazelnuts. I was able to store my end result back in the Kettle jar. The left over 1/8 cup of hazelnut oil is going in our salad tonight. Stay tuned for future posts on fun things to do with your homemade gianduja.
Barr’s Easy Homemade Gianduja
1 (11 oz) jar Kettle hazelnut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. Hazelnut oil (from jar of Hazelnut butter)
Open the jar of hazelnut butter. Pour off the oil on top into a measuring cup. Place the butter into the bowl of a food processor and add all the remaining ingredients, except for the reserved oil. Place the lid and begin to process. Add reserved oil, one Tbsp. at a time, until you reach the consistency you want. I used 3 Tbsp.
February 25th, 2009
There’s something about snowy days that inspires me to bake. Maybe, I just want to turn the oven on to add some extra warmth to the house? Maybe, it is easier to eat desserts in the winter because one can wear a sweater instead of a bathing suit?
I keep a file of "desserts to try" next to my mixer. Most of the recipes are clipped by my mom, flavorista Mimi. It seems prudent to keep a very loving and supportive grandmother well stocked with sweets. In my mind, it ensures future babysitting.
The recipe was originally printed in American Profile, a newspaper supplement that runs in my parents’ Sunday paper. I’ve made a few desserts from this publication and they have all been quite good. These pumpkin pie squares were totally yummy. The topping was superb! Honestly, I had a hard time handing them over to Mimi.
Pumpkin Pie Squares, from American Profile
Submitted by reader Martha Zeleniak of Taylor, PA
Ingredients
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup old-fashioned oats
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
Filling:
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin or squash
1 (12-ounce) can low-fat evaporated milk
2 eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Topping:
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Whipped cream, optional
Instructions
1. Preheat oven 350F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish.
2. To prepare crust, combine flour, oats, brown sugar and butter. Using a pastry blender or fork, stir until crumbly. Press into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes, or until partially set.
3. To prepare filling, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, granulated sugar, salt and spices. Pour over crust and bake 30 minutes.
4. To prepare topping, combine pecans, brown sugar and butter. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until filling is set. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Makes 30 squares.
Nutritional facts per serving: 120 calories, 6g fat, 2g protein, 16g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 85mg sodium.
January 29th, 2009
If you’ve got a cookie swap coming up, these will be a hit, especially with those who love peanut butter cookies. My mom found this recipe in November’s Better Homes and Gardens. For holidays, I often gift my mom a "cookie club." She picks recipes that look good and I bake them for her. These peanut butter cookies were a basic, but very good, peanut butter cookie. The cream filling is Fluff mixed with peanut butter and to think you thought homemade peanut butter cookies couldn’t get any better.
If your household has budding culinarians, this is a great recipe for them. Lollie enjoyed helping with the dough and marking them with the fork. Maverick had fun filling the cookies when he wasn’t filling his mouth with the filling. Vincenzo decided that he doesn’t like peanut butter cookies.
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
Cookies
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups flour
granulated sugar
Filling
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup Fluff (Marshmallow Creme)
2 Tbsp. milk
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, beat peanut butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add brown sugar, egg and vanilla, beat until smooth, scraping sides of the bowl. Mix in baking soda, salt and flour.
2. Form dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten by making criss cross patterns with a fork dipped in sugar. Bake 7 – 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 1 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
3. To make filling, whisk together peanut butter and fluff. Mix in milk and confectioner’s sugar. When cookies have completely cooled, spread a generous teaspoon of filling between two cookies. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
December 9th, 2008
This is a recipe that I developed over the Summer, when the Mayones were celebrating Christmas in July. I mean this literally as most magazines run at least 4 months ahead of time. Right now in my kitchen, I am pretending that it is Spring.
With this recipe, it’s time to get back to reality and cold November rains. I happen to slow cook all year long, but the winter months are particularly suited to slow cooking, so dust off your slow cooker and get cooking already.
Slow Cooker Ale Braised Brisket Topped with Onions and Gorgonzola
Thin slices of savory, slow-cooked beef are sandwiched in a soft roll, topped with onion and gorgonzola crumbles. Cook’s Note: Make sure to buy prepared horseradish, which is plain grated horseradish in vinegar, and not horseradish sauce, which can be made with mayonnaise or sour cream.
1 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
2 cubes Beef bouillon
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
12 oz pale ale beer
1/4 cup grated horseradish
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp molasses
2 tsp paprika
1/3 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 ea Submarine/hoagie/sandwich rolls (or finger rolls for a party)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 -5 lb Beef brisket, flat-cut
1 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1. Sprinkle tapioca on bottom of slow cooker. Top with onion slices and bouillon cubes. Pour ale over onions.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together horseradish, garlic, mustard, molasses, paprika, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and salt.
3. Trim fat from brisket. If necessary, cut beef in half to fit your slow cooker. Coat beef in half to fit your slow cooker. Coat beef with horseradish mixture. Place it on top of onions. One piece of meat can be placed on top of the other. Pour any remaining sauce over the beef. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.
4. Remove beef and place on a cutting board. Stir onions and sauce. Use a fork or slotted spoon to lift out onions from sauce and place in a small serving bowl.
5. Thinly slice beef against the grain and return slices to sauce. Stir to coat. For serving, there should be just enough sauce to cover beef in cooker. Remove extra sauce and place in a gravy boat.
6. Place rolls on a platter and gorgonzola in a small bowl. To serve, put slow cooker with beef slices on a serving table. Next to it, place onion slices, sauce, rolls, and gorgonzola. Each sandwich should be assembled with slices of beef, some onions, and 1 to 2 Tbsp. gorgonzola crumbles.
Recipe courtesy of Hannaford fresh magazine November-December 2008.
November 17th, 2008
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