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A local non-profit, The Organic Food Fight started by the very enterprising Alexandra Hanifin and Sarah Orens hosted a local baking contest to benefit their favorite non-profits, The School Food Project and Allergy Kids.
My dense chocolate sweet bread (made gluten-free) took third place. While I prefer the version with flour and no nuts, this one came out pretty well. To read more about the event click here. The recipe for the winning vegan carrot cake is there. It was exceptionally good!
My secret ingredient was duck eggs from Grant Family Farms. They really help make this wet batter rise beautifully. My favorite way to enjoy this cake is with a fresh fruit sauce. Although a bit of freshly whipped cream would be divine too and is how most folks in my house devour it.
With Valentine’s Day on a Monday, make this cake today, it’s even better the next day.
Be sure to follow the directions exactly. I also include 2 fruit sauces for you to try, either with this cake or with vanilla ice cream. I poured a very smooth and thin layer of chocolate ganache over the top of my cake and dipped several whole hazelnuts in the ganache for garnish.
Rich Ebony Cake -Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess.
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/3 cups flour (or gluten free baking mix. See note below)
1 tsp. baking soda (If you are using a gluten free baking mix, omit this ingredient as GF baking mixes already have baking soda added to it)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 duck eggs ( or 2 extra large chicken eggs, 3 if at high altitude)
1 tsp. vanilla extract plus 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. freshly boiled water
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups, chopped hazelnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degree. Butter a 9 x5-inch loaf pan – glass works best. Line it with parchment paper – you can just place the parchment in on the longest side with some of the ends hanging out. This is just to help lift the the loaf cake out once it has cooled. Place on a baking sheet as this batter is very wet and can spill over during the baking process.
Mix your dry ingredients together. Cream together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs -1 at a time- and then the vanilla.
Next on low, mix in the cooled chocolate. Do not over beat. Make sure to have your flour mix and boiled water ready. Now gently add some of the flour and combine. Now some of the boiled water. Once all the wet and dry ingredients are combined you will have a fairly liquid batter. Now add your chips and nuts.
Pour it into the loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 then reduce temperature to 325 and bake for another 15 minutes. The toothpick tester method will not work as the cake is very moist. The cake should be firm and not totally gooey in the center.
If you can let it cool for a solid day then that is what I recommend. It doesn’t happen in this house as this is my kid’s favorite dessert. But you should really let it cool for a few hours before removing it from the pan.
Two Fruit Sauces
Cranberry Garnet Sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (tangerine works well too)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier (optional)
Combine all the ingredients, except for the Grand Marnier in a heavy sauce pan. Simmer over meduim to low heat for 12 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor or use an immersion blender and mix until smooth. Add the Grand Marnier. This sauce gets very thick as it cools. You can thin it with water if you like it less so.
Strawberry Balsamic Sauce
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 pints strawberries, sliced
2 tsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh mint
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the strawberries and cook, stirring occasionally until the berries begin to release their juices.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the berries to a bowl and continue to reduce the sauce for another 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and mint. Remove from heat and stir into the strawberries. Let stand for 2 minutes then remove the mint. Stir and serve slightly warm.
February 13th, 2011
These delightful almond cookies are just the best. They are so much tastier than the ones you buy at the store. I like these all year round.
This almond cookie recipe came from a teacher at my children’s preschool a few years back. Unfortunately, I lost the original recipe so I had to go from memory. I’m not sure where she found it but am thankful to have at least remembered this much.
Traditional almond cookies are made with lard, I used butter but if you feel intrepid and want to be truely traditional, just use lard in place of the butter. This year I am going to try making them gluten free with just almond flour.
2 3/4 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
48 whole almonds
Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter, much like you would for making pie crust. Add the egg and almond extract.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches a part on the cookie sheet. Press one whole almond into the top and flatten them ever so slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
February 12th, 2011
Happy Lunar New Year! February 3rd is the start of the Year of the Rabbit. There is plenty of time to plan a celebration as the festivities go on for a week in China!
Kimchi Crepes
Duck Pancakes
Here are some ideas from my Tiger celebration last year. Most items turned out as planned but some really stand out and will be repeated. Both the green beans and broccoli are stellar recipes and are good anytime. The Kimchi crepes (first picture above) came as a last minute inspiration and they were delicious. Below is the recipe for the duck pancakes (pictured second).
I "cheated" and purchased assorted dim sum but I made some yummy spare ribs too.
The almond cookies (recipe soon) are now a family favorite and are so much better than the hard ones available at most Asian grocery stores. These recipes are super easy but do require a trip to a well stocked Asian grocery store for pantry items. Stay tuned for the rest of the recipes over the next several weeks.
Kimchi Crepes – an inspiration from David Chang, Chef at MomoFuku and the Milk Bar (to name just two) in New York (recipe soon).
Broccoli and Peanut Salad & Sesame Green Beans(previously featured as a Meatless Monday post)
EZPZ Peanut Noodles – Made with Sisters Pantry Peanut Sauce and fresh Chinese noodles
Sticky Spare Ribs – stay tuned
Nian Gao (this time I made it vegan and it was even better)
Almond Cookies – these are good anytime, especially with tea.
Vegan Mango Jelly
The duck pancake recipe came from a caterer I used to work for in San Francisco named Betty Zlatchin. I have always loved them as an hors d’oeuvres.
Duck Pancakes
This makes enough to feed at least 30 people as an hors d’oeuvres. The key to this recipe is a tea smoked Chinese Duck. These are available at Chinese butchers, some Chinese restaurants or if you have a Chinatown near you, they are plentiful.
1 Chinese Duck, from Chinatown, cut into long pieces, skin removed
(Use the carcass to make duck stock!)
1 package Menlo Lumpia wrappers (available in the freezer section of Asian grocery stores)
1 jar Hoisin Suace
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 bunch cilantro, several sprigs cleaned
Place a lumpia skin on a kitchen work surface and have all your other ingredients around and ready. Brush some of the hoisin sauce on the lumpia then scatter some scallions and cilantro over the top. Place some nice meaty pieces towards the bottom end of the wrapper.
Now roll the wrapper up with the longest side facing you. Make sure they a not too loose. Place on a cookie sheet and continue making the remaining rolls. These can be done a day ahead. Wrap them well in plastic wrap trying not to get them stuck together as when you try to pull them a part they will tear.
Once you are ready to cook, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the rolls on the diagonal into 1 1/2-inch wide pieces. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Enjoy! Gung Hay Fat Choy.
February 3rd, 2011
This year, I participated in a fledgling soup swap here in Boulder, CO. Our host, Julie, has a friend in New York who has been participating in National Soup Swap for a while and had 197 quarts of soup at her house during this year’s swap. That’s a lot of soup!
While we didn’t have quite that much our choices were wonderful and they were all unique. There was Harira (a personal favorite, recipe forthcoming), Greek Chicken Soup with Orzo and Lemon, Spanish Bean, Carrot Ginger (made creamy with tofu), Boulder’s famous Kitchen Cafe’s Tomato Soup, Adirondack Smoked Bacon, Potato and Cheddar, Dahl, Flanken, White Bean Turkey Chili (which was featured on Epicurious) - just to mention a few…
The best thing is you make 6 quarts of one soup, which quite frankly you never want to see again, and come home with a quart of 6 different soups! Brillant! Much to my surprise there were many soups that featured meat (this is Boulder after all).
As per my modus operendi, I couldn’t make a choice, made 3 soups but had to settle on one and decided to go with a vegan mushroom barley which was actually teeming with barley and mushroom flavor. It came out more as a stoup (soup/stew) which would make it suitable for Meatless Monday. Can’t wait for next year!
Teeming Vegan Mushroom Barley
Makes 6 Quarts
1 1/2 cups pearl barley, soaked overnight in 4 cups of water
For caramelized onions – You can try Kimberly’s method for the onions, but dice the onions. Otherwise, dice 6 medium to large onions. Heat a large enamled coated cast iron pot (like Le Creuset) and pour in enough oil to coat the bottom well. Once the oil is warm, add the onions, give a good stir then cover and cook for 40 minutes. Check on them periodically and stir them around. Now’s a good time to start the vegetable stock. Both of these can be done a day ahead.
Vegetable Stock – this recipe is based on Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (one of the best vegetarian cookbooks out there). One surprise ingredient is nutritional yeast which adds a wonderful element of umami. I also added a large piece of Kombu seaweed, but this is optional. One quick note: while I am sure the desire to use stock in a box is strong, I really encourage you all to make fresh vegetable stock. It just tastes better.
olive oil
4 carrots, roughly chopped
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 onions, with skin chopped in quarters
8 cloves of garlic
4 thyme sprigs or 1 tsp. dried leaf
1 bay leaf, Turkish preferred
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 large piece of kombu
4 qts. water
Heat some oil in a large pot. Add the carrots, onion and celery to get them brown. You can also do this step in the oven on a cookie sheet at about 425 degrees until they just turn brown.
Add the aromatics, yeast, kombu and then the water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain and continue.
Teeming Mushroom Barley Soup -continued
caramelized onions (instructions above)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, re-hydrated and chopped, reserve the water
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped marjoram (or rosemary, your choice)
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced celery root
4 large carrots, diced
1/2 cup olive oil (for the mushrooms)
2 pints cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup dry or sweet vermouth, again your choice
5 cloves garlic, chopped very fine
Freshly grated Pecorino cheese for garmish
Once the onions are all soft, add the tomato paste and really work it into the onions. Add the marjoram and stir again. Now add the celery, celery root and carrots. Stir well. Add the re-hydrated porcini and the water.
In another pan, heat the olive oil and cook the mushrooms, in batches if necessary. Add the vermouth and allow it to cook off. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add them to the pot. Now add the drained barley and strained stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 25 minutes. Add the garlic and adjust the seasonings. If the barley absorbs too much liquid, add a bit more to your liking. My soup was fairly thick.
For serving, place into large bowls and be generous with the grated pecorino. Freeze the rest and give it away!
January 31st, 2011
Food52 is a wonderful blog, it’s the brain child of Amanda Hesser and Merrill Staub. They hold a weekly contest for recipes in unusual categories. I have yet to "win" but I keep trying in vain. I did get an official review on one recipe (finally) for my favorite curried apples (so perhaps I’ll get a winning nod soon).
The "Your Best Non-Pie Thanksgiving Dessert" contest held real appeal for me because I am not crazy for pie; I like tarts.
As you may well know, we here at flavorista like our sweets. There are a few upside down cakes and clafoutis already posted. This recipe is not quite as down homey as the others but VERY appropriate for any holiday or just some weekend baking.
The difference between this recipe and others that we have posted is that it has a basic genoise cake on top. I highly recommend that you use a spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment before adding the fruit.
If you happen to be attending a potluck and feel the need to "do something different" this cake will be welcomed by all. I used fresh cranberries but dried would also go well.
Pear-Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
For the Fruit:
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 to 4 medium, ripe pears, peeled, quartered, cored and either diced or sliced into long slivers
2 Tbsp. juice from an orange, or any variety tangerine
1/3 cup fresh or dried cranberries
Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan then add the brown sugar. Pour into a 9 inch spring form pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom.
Toss the pear with the orange juice. Scatter the cranberries on top of the butter-sugar syrup and then layer the pears on top. Now make the cake batter.
Genoise Cake Batter
2 Tbsp. butter
4 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. Massey’s Vanilla Bean paste (a Flavorista fave!)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sifted cake flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt until they triple in volume – this takes about 4 minutes.
Fold theflour into the mixture 1/3 at a time. Pour about 1 cup of this batter into the butter and fold. Return this butter portion into the main batter and fold until just combined. Try and do this as quickly and delicately as possible. You don’t want to loose any volume.
Pour the batter over the fruit and spread evenly. Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing the springform and inverting onto a cake plate. Remove the parchment carefully.
January 23rd, 2011
Amidst all the slow cooking going on around here, I needed a skillet-centered break. This six ingredient, vegetable-heavy frittata fit the bill for this week’s Meatless Monday.
Spinach & Mushroom Frittata from Hannaford.com
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 portabella mushroom caps, coarsely chopped
1 (5 oz.) pkg. baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or chives
5 eggs, lightly beaten
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Warm the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the mushrooms. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes, the mushrooms will give off most of their water and begin to brown. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
Add green onions, eggs, a sprinkle of salt and few grinds of fresh pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until bottom and edges are beginning to set. Carefully lift the edge of the frittata and hold the pan so the liquid falls under the frittata. Continue to lift he edges and allow liquid to fall under until the center is mostly set.
Add feta cheese to the top and put under the broiler 2 – 3 minutes until frittata is golden brown and cooked through.
For Barr’s Potato and Chive Frittata, click
here.
January 17th, 2011
Saturday, January 22 is National Soup Swap Day. What? You didn’t know?
It’s actually a grand idea. Make 6 quarts of your favorite soup and freeze it in clearly labeled, 1-quart size containers. Make a plan for a soup swap with six friends and take home 6 different soups!
Here are a few of our soups you can use to organize a soup swap in your neighborhood.
Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Soup
Vegetable Barley Soup
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
Clam and Kale Soup
Deborah Madison’s Lentil Minestrone – Sorry no picture!
Coconut Red Lentil Soup
Revithia (Greek chickpea soup)
January 10th, 2011
Jaimie Oliver is working hard to change the way we eat. This video made back in March worked in converting some kids to appreciate real chicken. I propose that you can actually make a wonderful chicken nugget using chicken breast meat and even more economically, you can use the chicken tenderloin pieces that have been pounded to an even thickness. Whole Foods sells them and I use them when I’m in a hurry.
The key ingredients to a good, crispy nugget are egg whites, baking soda, panko bread crumbs, crumbled corn flakes and if you wish, Parmesean cheese finely grated.
A quick note on the ingredients: using just egg whites lightens the batter and makes it taste less eggy. If you like the addition of the yolk, then go ahead and use it. The egg white batter made for lighter crispier nuggets, but I’ve used the yolks as well and it’s still pretty good. Baking soda helps with the overall color. I also believe that using granulated onion, garlic and a little paprika really helps add to the flavor.
If you don’t have cornflakes (Kellogg’s does make already crumbled flakes, but you can make your own by processing whole corn flakes in a food processor) then just use the Panko bread crumbs and if your are feeling more virtuous, use some of the whole wheat ones mixed with the Italian style. Either way it will be good.
Once you get the proportions down, you’ll be rotating these crispy nuggets in your monthly menus and you won’t buy the frozen ones anymore (except in a pinch). I make the coating in advance and have it in the cupboard for those harried nights. Everyone will enjoy this meal, not just the kids. I’ve served them with marinara sauce for dipping and also just with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You could serve with BBQ sauce or honey mustard as well.
While you still might buy the frozen nuggets, once in a while these will beckon you back as they are pretty tasty.
Coating for Nuggets – This coating makes enough to feed 6 hungry kids.
There is no salt in the coating as I recommend salting after the nuggets are fried. You will end up using less salt and not sacrifice any flavor.
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornflakes, crumbled
1 cup Panko style bread crumbs
2 tsp. granulated onion (not powdered)
1/2 tsp granulated garlic (not powdered)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp. Paprika
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
4 cups peanut oil or other high heat vegetable oil
If you are using chicken breast, make sure to pound it down to a uniform thickness. This will ensure even cooking throughout.
Place all the coating ingredients, (except the egg whites and the oil) into a large container and shake or mix well. I use my Pyrex pie plates, one for eggs and one for coating. Lightly whip the whites until just foamy.
Dip the chicken pieces into the egg whites making sure to coat both sides. Then place into the coating. Press down gently on each side of the chicken so the coating is pressed into the meat.
Heat 3 cups of oil in a large pan. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, fry the nuggets until golden on each side. This takes about 6 minutes each side. Hold the cooked ones in a warm oven while cooking the rest.
January 6th, 2011
As the year draws to a close, Barr and I like to reflect on amazing meals, favorite finds and professional accomplishments. We are grateful for our clients, editors, beloved husbands, cherished children and fantastic friends.
We hope that current projects will move forward and succeed; that Everyday Gluten-Free Slow Cooking will be valuable book for families struggling with wheat-free diets and that Flavorista continues to grow in readership and popularity.
So "Cheers!" to you our dear flavoristas! May your New Year’s celebrations be full of crisp champagne, delightful dishes and naughty sweets. Cin Cin!
December 31st, 2010
Here is a recipe I picked up while traveling in Thailand in 1989. I attend a cooking school at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bangkok. It was a great class covering the basics of Thai cooking. This is one of my favorite recipes for parties.
I usually offer it with beef tenderloin and chicken breast. Grilled they are superb but they broil well too. I serve it with a cucumber dipping sauce. If you have any leftovers, you can chop up the cooked meat and toss it with the cucumbers for a delicious salad. Place on your favorite greens.
Beef and Chicken Sate
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lime zest
1 can coconut milk (lite works well too)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. toasted cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
3/4 to 1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into evenly sliced long pieces
3/4 lb. beef tenderloin, cut into long thin strips
24 (6) inch wooden skewers soaked for at least 6 hours in water
Mix all the ingredients (except for meats) together well. If you are making chicken and beef sates, then divide the marinade up between two bowls. Allow the meat to marinate for at least 1 hour.
Thread the meat onto the skewers and place onto a parchment lined broiler pan. You can grill these for about 4 to 6 minutes or broil them for the same amount of time. Serve with Cucumber Chutney (recipe below).
Cucumber Chutney
1/2 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup rice wine winegar (non-seasoned variety)
1 cup diced English hot house cucumber
1 shallot, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Place all ingredients into a bowl and allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Serve with the sates.
December 28th, 2010
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