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We got our tomatoes in late this year but the harvest promises a good yield - especially on leaves. One of my favorite fragrances is that of the leaf of the tomato plant.
While at the Harold McGee Lectures series at the French Culinary Institute in November of 2009, I was given print outs of many of the Curious Cook columns Mr. McGee writes for the New York Times. One of the many wonderful articles was about tomato leaves in cooking. Now, yes it is thought that they are poisonous, but it turns out that this has never actually been proven. To read the article click here.
I will freeze a few leaves too and see if in the heart of winter I can evoke some summer aromas into my tomato sauce. I tried putting tomato leaves in jarred pasta sauce and also in homemade. The results were nice. Overall the Paul Bertolli recipe wins.
To try that recipe click here. You can also put a few of your leaves into pesto. For Harold McGee’s procedure for this click here.
September 2nd, 2010
A recent work project has me making ice cream! A recipe for homemade honey ice cream is offered below.
I wish I could use liquid nitrogen as it is far more dramatic. I don’t even know where to begin on this part of the lecture series as I was so mesmerized by the liquid nitrogen.
Harold McGee started off with a brief history if ice cream along with a sample of what would be considered the first ice cream. Click here to read his account and technique for making "instant ice cream." Dave Arnold’s raspberry concoction was made by pouring in liquid nitrogen. It was part of his quest to try and replicate Salep dondurma - or Turkish ice cream.
This unique frozen concoction has a secret ingredient that is illegal to take out of Turkey, it is so highly revered and impossible to reproduce commercially. To read more about it click here.
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In the course of my research, I rediscovered one of my favorite Saveur articles on the world of ice cream. It was published back in 2001. Coming up with the flavors and making them outstanding for a commercial package is harder than you think.
Ice cream always tastes unbelievably the best just after it’s been processed. Still gooey and nicely chilled, the texture is dreamy and no commercial ice cream can come close to the almost chewy texture.
Once ice cream firms up and sits in the freezer, it changes in flavor as well as in texture. I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker and once you make ice cream, like most things, it gets easier and easier and more fun to do as you become less intimidated by the process and more creative.
And if you don’t even want to bother with making the custard, Kim’s No Cook Vanilla from July 2009 is fantastic.
This recipe - however is slightly old school. It does require making a custard. I recommend a nice clover or star thistle honey. Creamed honey would also work nicely but anything darker would be a bit overbearing.
You can easily make this into cinnamon ice cream by replacing the honey with 1 cup of sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Serve it with the Mexican Chocolate Sauce featured a few weeks back.
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Honey of a Honey Ice Cream
It really helps to have a candy thermometer so that you don’t over cook the eggs.
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup honey
In a heavy bottom an heat the cream and milk and bring to almost a boil. In a another bowl whisk together the honey and the eggs. Using a ladel, slowly pour some of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking.
Keep pouring until all the milk is gone and the eggs are "tempered". Return mixture to the pot and cook on moderately low heat until the thermometer reads 110 degrees. Stir constantly and do not allow the mixture to boil, this will cook the eggs. If you don’t have a thermometer then you can tell when the custard is ready when it coats the back of a spoon
At this point, remove from heat and pour the custard into another bowl (If you are nervous about having cooked the eggs, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve). Allow to cool completely.
You can speed this process up by placing the bowl into a ice water bath and stirring occasioanlly to release some of the heat. I like to refrigerate my custard for a few hours before processing. Usually I make the custard the day before want to have homemade ice cream or at least in the morning.
Process according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Once it comes right out of the ice cream maker, I think it’s perfect to eat. It is also the best consistency for making ice cream cookies, cakes and for filling roulades.
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June 18th, 2010
We love brownies.
We love making them.
We love buying them at Verbena.
But mostly, we love eating them.
When it comes to desserts, a well-made brownie is the real deal. Rich chocolate flavor in a sweet, buttery dough - It just doesn’t get any better.
Most brownies are easy to prepare and the following recipe definitely falls into that category. I am happy to report that Lollie, the hesitant cook, and her friend have become quite the expert brownie makers.
This is a fabulous recipe to make with children. There are three eggs to crack (All kids love cracking eggs as much as mine do, right?). These brownies are made from 7 pantry items with a bowl and a spoon. Stove-top cooking and electric mixing are not required.
I found this recipe on GoodLife {Eats}, a lovely blog about food and family. Many thanks to flavorista Katie Goodman for this one bowl wonder.
One Bowl Cocoa Brownies, slightly adapted from GoodLife {Eats}
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cups good quality cocoa powder
generous pinch of kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8×8-inch baking pan. Set aside.
Add butter to a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high for 1 minute to melt. Stir in the sugar; then stir in the cocoa and salt until evenly blended.
Whisk eggs and vanilla into the cocoa mixture. Stir in the flour and mix until smooth. Pour batter into a prepared 8×8 pan. Spread batter into an even layer.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan, on a wire rack, for at least 2 hours before slicing. Brownies can be stored on the counter or in the fridge in an air-tight container.
May 26th, 2010
One of the many things I love and cherish about my mother is her passionate love of delicious things. Mimi is one of my unofficial recipe scouts; she finds a lot of winners. This dandy comes from Martha Stewart’s daily show. My mom was entranced by these caramels and I knew that I had the perfect Mother’s Day gift.
These caramels have got it going on. The goat butter adds a certain nuance (Goat butter can be found at Whole Foods). Honey is the predominant flavor, its sweetness gently tempered by the light dusting of sea salt.
In my lifetime, I have met very few homemade caramels that I didn’t like but these caramels are really special. I love the uniqueness of these caramels, subtly different than traditional caramels. These are chewy, rich, honeyed nirvana.
Ready for an overnight cool.
Using Marco for his muscle, plus he is always angling to get his picture on the blog (oh the shots I have deleted).
Goat Butter Honey Caramels with Sea Salt from Martha Stewart
1 cup goat milk butter
2 cups pure wildflower honey
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. sea salt, for sprinkling
Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper; set aside.
Melt butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add honey, cream, and sugar; stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil.
Continue boiling, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla; pour into prepared pan. Let cool for 1 hour; sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely, overnight.
Turn caramels out onto a cutting board; remove parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut caramels into 1-inch squares; wrap each in wax paper. Caramels will keep in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 month. Caramels will soften at room temperature or stay firm if kept chilled.
From The Martha Stewart Show, February 2010
May 15th, 2010
Today’s post is more of a dinner suggestion than a recipe. While I wholeheartedly embrace Meatless Monday, some of my choices have been a tough sell with the bambinos. Barr’s family likes the Quorn Chik’n Nuggets so I thought I would work the cutlets into a family-friendly sandwich: Vegetarian Chicken Parmesan.
It was years ago that I first tasted Quorn. Made from mushroom and egg proteins, it is such as impressive product. Marco did not even realize it was meatless.
With 150 calories each, Quorn patties are very diet-friendly. Each cutlet contains 9 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber. They can be microwaved or baked in an oven. Served with a garden salad or some steamed green beans, it makes for an easy, healthy dinner that everyone can bite into.
Quorn Chik’n Parmesan Burgers
Serves 4
4 Quorn Chik’n Patties
2/3 favorite tomato sauce
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices
Prepare the patties according to package instructions. Warm the sauce in the microwave. Toast buns.
Layer 1 oz. of cheese slices onto each roll and top with a generous Tbsp. of sauce. Place one patty on each roll and top with an additional Tbsp. sauce.
May 10th, 2010
I intentionally tuned in to Martha this past Monday because she was going to be hosting Flavorista Icon, Alice Waters, to discuss her new book, In the Green Kitchen, Techniques to Learn by Heart.
I did not make it through the whole show (the round table discussion seemed a bit forced) and the interviews did not give me any huge insights, but man, Alice Waters is a soft spoken, powerhouse. The Chez Panisse Foundation works towards ensuring that all children have access to fresh, healthy food, without a doubt a laudable goal.
Back in my Odwalla days, Barr brought a group of us to a marvelous lunch at Chez Panisse. It was there that I experienced my first nettles, sliced into a perfectly prepared hanger steak and sipped my first aromatic tisane. I have since purchased a few of Alice Water’s books and I use them regularly for recipes and for research.
Like most Americans, my diet could use more leafy greens. When it comes to green veggies, I first turn to green beans, asparagus, broccoli and baby spinach. Few leafy green recipes speak to me but this recipe piqued my interest and had me running to the store for collards.
Vincenzo had fun with the huge leaves. The simmering pork broth permeated the whole house with a divine, bacon smell that filled me with anticipation of a leafy green dish that I could embrace.
The finished dish was superb. I served it over a mixture of brown rice and wheat berries and garnished it with sprinkling of feta. You could skip the the preparation of the smoked pork broth and substitute chicken broth but I would not recommend it. In fact, I would strongly encourage you to make the "bacon broth" because it is what makes this dish notable.
Spicy Collard Greens with Tomato, Onions and Garlic from Martha Stewart
Makes about 8 cups
8 cups Smoked Pork Stock (see below)
3 lbs. collard greens, stems and ribs removed
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
In a large pot, bring pork stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add greens and cook until tender, 15 to 40 minutes; drain, reserving stock. Roughly chop.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook, breaking up with the back of a spoon, for 10 minutes. Add cooked greens and 2 - 3 cups of reserved stock; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; serve.
Smoked Pork Broth
Makes about 12 cups
1 pound sliced smoked pork shoulder, country ham and bacon, rinsed
Place pork in large stockpot and add 16 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium and let simmer, partially covered, until stock develops a strong, smoked pork flavor, 2 hours. Strain and discard pork. Stock may be kept refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.
If you are interested in watching the Martha program with Alice Waters, click here.
May 7th, 2010
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