Category: Recipes

recipes we’ve made

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baking therapy: brownies

I came home from work today and really wanted to bake. And when the mood strikes … I’m thankful I have an above average supply of butter on hand.

Jordan and I have also been hitting the Ad Hoc at Home cookbook pretty hard lately. Thomas Keller works magic in the kitchen and this cookbook compiles his family style recipes.  Thanks Liz and Kyle for this awesome book!

Brownies, from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home
Note: Below are the measurements for the whole recipe. I halved the recipe because I didn’t think it was wise for Jordan and I to eat an entire tray of brownies in two days (the recommended period of freshness).
3/4 c flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t kosher salt
3/4 lb unsalted butter, cut into 1 T pieces
3 eggs
1/2 t vanilla paste or extract (I used extract, although vanilla paste sounds awesome)
6 oz 61% – 64% chocolate, chopped into chip-sized pieces (I used some Scharffen-Berger I had laying around from a previous dessert)

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9″ x 9″ baking dish (I used a loaf pan because I halved the recipe).

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt.

Melt half the butter in a small saucepan. Pour the melted butter over the cold butter. Stir to melt the butter. There will be some butter chunks. These are awesome.

In a mixer, mix eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add in 1/3 of dry ingredients alternating with 1/3 of the butter. Continue with remaining dry mixture and butter. Last, add in chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared dish and bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until the center when poked with a tester has just a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Cool in the pan until a bit warmer than room temperature.

Invert and cut into pieces. Dust the tops with powered sugar before serving.

Conclusions: Quite good, but more of a cake-like texture then a brownie texture. The little gooey bits of dark chocolate definitely made the dessert!

Still searching for a brownie recipe!

-Emily

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we don’t just eat pork and desserts

Jordan loves pork and desserts. I love desserts and pork. Still, most nights we eat reasonably healthy (those just aren’t always the most fun to blog about). Last night, we ate great! (And local! And balanced! And pretty darn healthy!) It was awesome.

The menu:

Pan-seared sturgeon – salt and pepper, sear briefly on each side, rest, add a squirt of lemon

Red rice – 2 parts rice to 3 parts water, cook covered for 25 minutes, rest for 5 minutes

Sauteed green cabbage – toast some pistachios, sauté the cabbage for 3 – 4 minutes, add a little shallot, add chicken stock, cook until evaporated 4 – 5 minutes more , stir in nuts

Green salad with pesto and cara cara oranges – wash greens (and well when you get them from your CSA box and they are full of grit), supreme oranges, top with pesto (carrot tops, pistachios, orange zest, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil all mushed together in a mortar and pestle or blender)

I would recommend all the items this menu. It was delightful and satisfying. I especially loved the pesto!

-Emily

P.S. It couldn’t be all healthy, so there’s a little lemon, brown butter sauce on the fish.  I simply browned about a tablespoon of butter, added some lemon zest and salt and spooned a little over the fish.

-Jordan

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sage grilled cheese

You all know how much I love Alice Waters and Julia Child (as in I’m totally obsessed, think they are beyond awesome ladies, and wish I could meet them) … well, I have a new crush to add to that list: Judy Rodgers. Judy rocks and so does her cookbook The Zuni Cafe Cookbook.  Recently, Judy taught me the importance of salting early (do it, it will improve meat ten-fold) and how to make this incredible grilled cheese.

Everyone love grilled cheese because there is absolutely nothing bad about it. Well, this recipe is no exception.

Sage Grilled Cheese, from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook
Makes four sandwiches

About a dozen fresh sage leaves
2 T olive oil
1/2 t fresh black pepper
8 slices 1/4 inch thick from a chewy, peasant-style bread (we used a sour batard)
4 oz Fontina or Swiss Gruyere, coarsely grated or sliced thin

Chop the sage. Place it in your smallest saucepan, add the oil, pepper and set over low heat. Warm to the touch. Turn of heat and let the oil infuse while you assemble the sandwiches.

Blanket the bread with cheese, taking care to bring the cheese all the way to the end. Top with another slice of bread. Lay a heavy cutting board over the sandwiches to press them for about 20 minutes.

Preheat a griddle or cast-iron pan over low heat.

Use a brush to spread the oil on both faces of the sandwiches. Add to the pan and cook until golden, 2 – 3 minutes per side. Keep the heat low so you don’t burn the sage or pepper.

Eat while still hot!

Conclusions: I love you Judy! Way to take something that is already great and make it even better! So simple, so perfect. Totally worth the extra few minutes of prep. I mean, look at that sandwich!

-Emily

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ricotta gnocchi

Two quick gnocchi anecdotes:

1. In Argentina (where Jordan and I lived for a wonderful while), it is traditional to serve gnocchi on the 29th of every month. Gnocchi are apparently good luck. This is how it goes … You serve the gnocchi to your family on the 29th.  Under someone’s plate you hide a peso. The person who finds the peso has extra good luck for the coming month. Jordan and I never remember to eat them on the 29th, but I still love the idea.

2. When we had the most amazing, wonderful, perfect meal of our lives at Chez Panisse last year for our anniversary, we were served ricotta gnocchi in one of the courses. They were delicious!

Both of these stories (and finding a recipe in Judy Rodger’s Zuni Cafe cookbook) encouraged me to make my own homemade ricotta gnocchi. Here is a photo essay detailing the adventure. If you want to attempt yourself, consult Judy’s recipe. She does an incredible job explaining how to make them.

In a kichenaid mixer, beat eggs, ricotta, lemon zest and salt really well until it is light and fluffy. Then start “rolling” the gnocchi, using a spoon and your fingers.

Forming the gnocchi with a spoon.

Coating the little guys with flour.

Placing them on a another baking sheet to chill and firm up before cooking.

Ricotta gnocchi, home-make chicken broth and wild mushroom (black trumpet and maitake to be specific) soup!

Conclusions: While a bit tricky to make, the gnocchi were light and delicious. It was really fun and we have a bunch left in the freezer. The soup was great, but I think next time I’ll just try them sautéed in butter like Judy recommends, as to not overpower the delicate ricotta flavor.

-Emily

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sushi

There’s something really special about good sushi that Emily and I both enjoy.  When you’ve got perfect rice and super fresh fish, you get something so amazing that you almost forget there’s no bacon involved.  Unfortunately, maintaining an addiction to sushi can easily get out of control, and before you know it you’re deciding between paying rent and going for that extra plate of chirashi.  What does one do in such a dilemma?  Well, I’ve been making it myself about once a week since our hiatus began, and I think the results have been pretty tasty and relatively cheap.

rice:

Making perfect sushi rice is a craft that is mastered over many, many years.  Seeing as I’ve made it about half a dozen times, I’m not going to pretend that I’m doing everything right, nor am I going to pretend that I can teach those reading everything there is to know about sushi.  I will give some basics that have helped me make rice that is at least as good as a decent sushi bar.  First, you need rice specifically for sushi; this means short grain.  Short grain rice has a lot of starch, so it needs to be rinsed so it’s not too sticky.  I like to put two cups of sushi rice in a bowl, add about four cups of cold water, and run my fingers through the rice to separate all the grains so each is rinsed.  Then you run it through a sieve and repeat.  You’ll see a lot of cloudy water come off at first, but after about 4-6 times, the water becomes much clearer.  I know this seems excessive, but this is crucial to have the proper texture.  Next you let the rice drain in the sieve for about 20-30 minutes, then you throw it in a heavy sauce pan and add enough cold water to cover the rice by about 0.5 in.  Let the rice soak for 30 minutes, then heat until it boils, lower to a bare simmer and cover for 20 minutes.  Then it’s done right?  No way!  Don’t open that lid during the 20 minutes, or for 15 minutes after because the steam continues to cook the rice.  Once the rice is done cooking you cool the rice quickly by putting it into a large, non-reactive container and stir it gently with a wooden spoon.  Having a friend fan the rice helps cool it faster.  As you cool the rice, add  the sushi-zu to taste.

sushi-zu:

Sushi-zu is the seasoned rice vinegar used to give sushi rice that delicious balance of sour, sweet, and salty.  I’m sure there is some perfect balance of the ingredients, but I mix them according to my preferences.  In a small saucepan, slowly heat 0.25 cup of unseasoned rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of salt.  As soon as the salt and sugar dissolve it’s done and you can let it cool before adding it to the rice.

fish:

Now that you’ve got your rice under control, it’s time to get some good fish.  As long as you get fresh, quality seafood from a reputable fish monger you should be safe.  I tend to trust Whole Foods, Sun Fat Seafood, and Nijiya Market.  Nijiya Market is a pretty awesome store in Japantown; they carry really obscure ingredients as well as high quality seafood.  So far I’ve only bought salmon, ahi, and octopus and all were excellent.  I’ve also been tempted by their uni (sea urchin roe) and toro (fatty tuna), but that’s when the habit starts getting pricy.  This place is really cool and worth checking out even if you don’t buy anything.

sushi:

Fish and rice.  That’s all you really need.  If you want to get funky and make some rolls, that’s cool too; that’s just not what I like about sushi.  My favorite thing to make is chirashi (sashimi scattered over rice) as it’s really easy to make and eat.  Overall, making sushi is really fun as well as a bargain; it’s also easy to tweak what you’re doing to keep improving.  If anyone out there is even remotely interested in making their own sushi, I highly recommend it.

-Jordan

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baking therapy: nonnie’s carrot cake

Because I’ve neglected you all for so long, I’ll start this out right … with a Nonnie recipe. As many of you know, Nonnie’s recipes aren’t something I’ll put out there just any time or make for just anyone … they are unfailingly that good.

This carrot cake is perfect. Moist, delicately spiced, and easy to make. The cream cheese frosting is also divine, and good on just about anything!

Nonnie’s Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 t each baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon
1/2 t each ginger, nutmeg, salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup carrot, grated
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2/3 cup oil
1 t vanilla

Preheat an over to 350 degrees and grease a 7″ by 11″ pan. Mix dry ingredients. Add eggs, pineapple, carrot, pecans, oil and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes.

Pour into greased pan. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Cool and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 T butter, softened
1 t vanilla
dash of salt
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted (especially if you live in damp SF)

Cream butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Frost just about anything and I guarantee you’ll love it!

-Emily

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aioli

There’s nothing better than a creamy, flavorful sauce to dip just about anything into.  Some of my favorites include chimicurri (great on steaks), romesco, and the topic of this post: aioli.  Aioli is a type of mayonnaise made with garlic, lemon, and olive oil.  In Provence, it’s typically made very slowly by a little old lady with a mortar and pestle until a creamy sauce results from the emulsive powers of the egg and garlic.  In our modern world, we have the benefit of using food processors and immersion blenders to achieve a similar sauce in much less time.  I’ve made aioli many times, usually with great success, but there have been a few failures along the way.  I’ll share them with you so you don’t make the same mistakes.

Failure #1: Avoid any recipe that calls only for olive oil.  This was my first mistake.  The result will be a lovely, creamy sauce that is bitter and inedible.  Not to mention you just used about $5 in extra virgin olive oil on this mess.

Failure #2: Don’t rush.  While you don’t have to sit there for an hour like the old lady in France, you still need to take your time, especially with the first drops of oil you add.  This is where (pardon the pun) you make or break your sauce.

Failure #3: Go easy on the garlic.  One clove doesn’t sound like much (at least to me), but it is.  The flavors in garlic are fat soluble, so while it might be mild when you first taste it, the flavor gets more intense as it sits.

Failure #4:  “Oh no!  There’s not much liquid in the my bowl, so the blades of my food processor or immersion blender aren’t doing anything!  I know, I’ll add a bunch of oil to get the emulsion going.”  Nope, it won’t work.  You need to add the oil slowly or you’ll never get a thick sauce.  This almost happened to me the most recent attempt, so I opted for a whisk and it worked beautifully.  Now a bowl, whisk, and a little effort are my preferred tools for making aioli.

So with all these issues, you may ask: is it worth it?  Yes.  This is what I do to make an outstanding aioli:

Whisk together a fresh egg yolk, about a tablespoon of lemon juice, a tablespoon of canola oil (or any light oil, such as peanut), and a big pinch of salt.  Slowly add more canola oil until the sauce starts to thicken.  This step is crucial, so go drop by drop if you have to.  Once you see your sauce start to thicken up you can add the oil more quickly.  You can make the aioli as thick as you want by adding more oil, but a little bit before you get to your desired thickness, switch to extra virgin olive oil to get some good flavor.  Stir in a clove of finely minced garlic (I actually use a microplane to get a garlic paste) and add salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste.  It will keep for about 3 days in the fridge, assuming you don’t eat it all.  We enjoyed ours with some artichokes.

-Jordan

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baking therapy: chocolate chiffon cake

I recently purchased the Tartine Bakery cookbook and it is wonderful! The recipes are well written and clear, the photos are beautiful and now I get to learn the secrets behind of the tasty delights from Tartine that I love so much!

For our second Thanksgiving dinner with Jordan’s parents, my parents and their neighbors, I spearheaded the dessert course armed with my new cookbook. There are so many wonderful things to choose from, but I decide to go with something relatively easy.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Vanilla Pastry Cream

I’ll briefly describe the recipe. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In another bowl mix egg yolks, water, and oil. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Add lemon juice and zest. Fold these three mixtures together and pour into a springform pan. Bake for about an hour in a 325 degree oven. Let cool and then unmold.

You’ll end up with a four inch tall, very impressive looking cake. I was pretty proud when that puppy came out of the oven … and didn’t collapse.

The pastry cream is like making any sort of custard. Whole milk, salt, eggs, sugar, vanilla bean, and cornstarch plus heat. Also fairly easy, but requires a great deal of attention. There is no going back from burnt milk or curdled eggs!

Conclusions: The cake was good – chocolatey, moist, of the appropriate density. The vanilla bean pastry cream might just be my new favorite accompaniment. I can’t really think of anything that wouldn’t be good with it! A sprinkling of fresh berries would have made this dessert outstanding. Next time!

-Emily

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quick cauliflower

We’ve been getting really into cauliflower lately … sauteed cauliflower, baked cauliflower, broiled cauliflower, maybe even braised cauliflower … perhaps because it’s cheap, but certainly because it’s delicious.

We made this quick side dish last night with ingredients we had languishing in the fridge.

Cauliflower with Fontina, Chives and Chili Flake
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 T olive oil
Salt, pepper, chili flakes
Chives, sliced
1/2 -3/4 cup grated fontina cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss cauliflower with olive oil, salt, pepper and chili flake. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, or until fork tender. Turn oven to broil. Sprinkle with fontina. Melt cheese under the broiler for a few moments. Sprinkle with chives and enjoy!

-Emily

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brunch

I have a complicated relationship with brunch: I love breakfast foods. I love lunch foods. I love waking up late and still getting to enjoy breakfast in the company of friends. BUT… I hate waiting in line. I hate even more waiting in line for mediocre food (as brunch food out often is). I’ve struggled with these dueling desires for the last few years, especially during my stint in Washington D.C. where brunch is oh so fashionable. Last weekend I decide to host a brunch for a few friends hoping to maximize the elements of brunch I enjoy and minimize those that I don’t.

The Menu

Fresh Berry Tart with vanilla bean pastry cream (recipe courtesy of my new Tartine Bakery cookbook!)

Breakfast Pizza with fontina, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, eggs and chives (recipe by Jordan)

Hash Browns

Orange-Cranberry Scones (baked expertly by Jeff Quinn)

And of course, mimosas

(That goopy brown bit in the upper right is the hash browns. While not visually appealing, they were tasty).

Jordan and I diligently prepped all we could the night before and the cooking went splendidly that morning. Everyone showed up! The food turned out wonderful! The dishes were simple, but very satisfying. It was fun and relaxing – a perfect brunch! And the best part … No lines!

And perhaps one of the best compliments I’ve received lately from my dear friend Jeff: “… and I thought the gays had a monopoly on brunch!”

And just one more picture of my tart …

-Emily