Orange Almond EVOO Heaven

  

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, every food blogger/writer/celebrity/enthusiast (and their mothers) were putting out their "Top 10 Cookbooks of the Year."  Over and over these lists mentioned NYTimes columnist Melissa Clark's new book Cook This Now:120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can't Wait to Make.  If you're not familiar with Clark, she writes "In the Kitchen With a Good Appetite" (and has another book by the same name), which is, in my opinion, the highlight of the NY Times's Wednesday Dining Section.  After the holidays I finally requested the book from my favorite place, the Cambridge Public Library.  Since picking it up I have to say I'm totally in love with it, if only for the following recipe, an Orange-Almond-Olive Oil Cake that is just out of this world.  I also want to make about 90% of the other recipes, too, but in the last 2 weeks I've made this cake 3 times.  Yes, it's that good.  (And no, I haven't eaten them all myself--I gave 2 away.)  But seriously, this cake: so good!  It has this incredibly light texture, while still being very moist.  Clark calls it "intensely almond-y" but I really pick out the orange flavor--guess they're both there in perfect harmony.  The cake also contains buckwheat flour, which I had never used before, despite owning a bag (that, admittedly, I pilfered from my mother's cupboard).  The nuttiness of the buckwheat flour offers another interesting layer of flavor, so I'd recommend getting a bag, even if it's just for this cake.  You'll probably want to make it so many times that it'll be gone in no time!  However, if you're so desperate the try this before making a trip to the grocery store, I'm sure that replacing it with all-purpose would also produce a very good cake. 

Simple, rustic, but oh-so-tasty!

Cake > Chili

**Photos coming soon**
 

So, remember how last month I said that I like cooking one thing, then eating it for several meals in a row?  I take that back.  At least for now.  Two and a half weeks ago I made a pot of vegetarian chili, and I have been eating it since then.  TWO AND A HALF WEEKS, PEOPLE!!!  Okay, well, I admit, I managed to eat out every night the entire week that I cooked it, so I didn't actually eat any for the first seven days.  But, I've been eating it since then, and enough is enough!  I thought it would be a bloggable recipe, but to be honest, I can't even tell you at this point if I even liked it or not.  So it's not making to blog cut.

What will make the cut are a few cakes that I kinda snuck in during those 2 weeks when I was supposed to be virtuously eating that pot of beans.  Yeah, a few of those nights I might have just had cake for dinner...probably another reason why that stupid chili lasted so long.

In honor of a couple of bourbon drinking friends who were leaving the island for the season, I made Orangette's Whiskey Soaked Chocolate Cake, which is a big winner in my book.  It's a dark chocolate cake, made doubly--no, triply--delicious because it has both espresso and booze (and lots and lots of it) to really amp up that chocolaty flavor.  I have been reading Ina Garten's cookbook Back To Basics this week, and in the introduction she talks about unlocking the flavors in ingredients to bring out their essence, about that extra "special element" that each recipe needs to elevate it from ordinary to extraordinary.  In one perfect example she writes: "Close your eyes the next time you teas a piece of chocolate cake; did it really taste like chocolate, or did the fudgey-looking icing just trick you into thinking it would taste like chocolate?  The best chocolate desserts have a depth of flavor that hits you in a few ways--both sweet and bitter, with a winey complexity."  Ahh, Ina.  So right.  Couldn't have put it better myself, even if I tried all day.  I have noticed that Ina often uses coffee and/or espresso and rum to make her chocolate desserts extra special, so I am sure that she would approve of this cake, with its espresso and whiskey (or bourbon).  The cake has a dense and fudgey texture that makes you just think "chocolate," but it also has enough booze to make your nostrils sting just a little, or at the very least, makes you open your eyes and say "wow."

The one question that I am still trying to figure out is what the best brand of booze to use?  Molly of Orangette says to use a brand that you would also drink, but not being a whiskey or bourbon drinker myself, that's sort of hard for me to pinpoint.  I can't remember what I used the first time I made the cake, the second time I used Old Grand Dad, because that's what my parents had around the house.  (Yes, this is an oft-repeated recipe.  That's how much I like it)  This time I used Jim Beam, because it's the only brand my local liquor store sells in smallish bottles, and I only had about $10 on me when I went to go buy it, thus, it was all I could afford.  And besides, I didn't want leftovers, because I wouldn't drink it if I had it.  Perhaps next time I make the cake I will split the batter in half and try two slightly higher end brands, and see what's best.  I mean, it's a rough job, but someone has to do it, right? 

Finally, it is important to note that this cake is even better after it's had at least 24 hours to sit around and let the flavors mellow and meld, so it's a perfect bake-ahead cake for a party.

Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Cake (From Orangette.com)

Makes 1 Bundt cake or 2 loaf sized cakes

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan

* 2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

* 5 ounces of unsweetened chocolate

* 2 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

* 1 cup of your favorite whiskey or bourbon, plus more for soaking

* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

* 1/4 cup instant espresso granules

* 1 cup of boiling water

* 2 cups granulated sugar

* 3 large eggs at room temperature

* 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* Confectioners sugar for dusting, optional

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan or two 8-or 9-inch loaf pans, and set aside.

2.  Set up a double boiler--place a heatproof bowl over, but not touching, a saucepan of simmering, not boiling, water.  Break up the chocolate and put it in the bowl.  Stir occasionally until it melts, then remove from heat and let cool.


3. Put espresso and cocoa powders in a 2 cup capacity glass measuring cup and add enough boiling water so it reaches the 1 cup line, stir to dissolve.  Add 1 cup of whiskey or bourbon and salt, and set aside to cool.


4. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.  Add sugar, continue beating until well combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is well combined.


5. With the mixer on low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey mixture (2/3 of a cup). When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Add another 2/3 cup of the whiskey mixture, beating until absorbed, then add the 2nd cup of flour, beat, then end with the remaining whiskey mixture.  The batter with be very liquidy; don't worry--this is normal.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes for a Bundt pan, or about 55 minutes for loaf pans.


6. Cool the cake, still in its pan, on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out of its pan and sprinkle the warm cake with additional whiskey. (I did this by pouring a little bit into a teaspoon, and then shaking the teaspoon over the cake, using a few tablespoons in all.  If you wanted to be high-tech about it, a clean spray bottle would probably give nice, even results.  Next time...)  Cool completely before serving.  For bonus presentation points, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.  Also fresh whipped cream, sweetened with a tiny bit of confectioners' sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract is a perfect accompaniment.  '


Enjoy!

Poached Pears in Raspberry Sauce

  

Poached pears are one of my favorite light desserts, and a perfect make-ahead dessert when you are having people over for dinner.  Everything can be done ahead of time and just sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve up a sweet yet light ending to any dinner.  My mother used to make spiced poached pears when I was younger, although I had forgotten about them until I discovered this recipe in one of my favorite cook books, (and one that I've mentioned before), In The Kennedy Kitchen.  Neil's recipe is a a cinch to follow, but I simplify it even more by using the poaching liquid to make the sauce.  The following recipe is for 4 pears, but the recipe can easily be increased, as long as you have enough sauce pans!  Also, by using good quality frozen raspberries you can make this dish year round!

Wine Poached Pears with Raspberry Sauce (Adapted from In The Kennedy Kitchen)

Serves 4

For the pears:

* 4 Bartlett or Anjou pears, firm but ripe

* 1 bottle of Chardonnay or any white wine that you like--sweet or dry

* 1 1/4 cups white sugar

For the sauce:

* A 12 oz bag of frozen raspberries, (organic, if you can find them), thawed, or 1 1/2 pints of fresh raspberries

* 1/2 cup of the poaching liquid

* Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, to garnish (optional)

1. Peel the pears and cut out the bottom 1/2 inch of the core using a paring knife.  Leave the stem on top, for an elegant presentation.  Slice just enough off the bottom of the pears so that they will stand upright.

2. In a saucepan, dissolve the bottle of wine and the sugar over medium heat.  Add the pears, lower the heat, and cover.  Simmer the pears until they are tender--if you started with ripe pears, this should take about 20 minutes.  If your pears are quite hard to start, this may take up to 45 minutes.  Check on them periodically--they are done when they can be poked with the tip of a knife easily, but not yet falling apart. 

3. Meanwhile, puree the raspberries in a mini food processor or blender.  Transfer the puree to a large meshed sieve and press the puree through, straining out the seeds.  I have found that you really need to take a rubber spatula or a spoon and mush the puree around to press the liquid through, and periodically take your spatula and wipe off all the puree that sticks to the underside of the sieve.  If you feel like a lot of the puree is still sticking to the seeds, add a few tablespoons of water to the puree, mix it around, and this should help. 

4.  When the pears are soft, remove from heat.  Take out a 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add it to the raspberry puree.  Taste the sauce and add more poaching liquid if it is still too tart.  When desired sweetness is achieved, transfer the pears, still in the the remainder of their liquid, to the fridge to cool--at least 2 hours but up to 24.  Cover the raspberry sauce and refrigerate until it is time to serve.

5. To serve, place each pear in a shallow bowl and pour a pool of sauce around each pear.  Add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream, if desired.  For even more pizazz, a sprig of mint is a nice garnish, or light sprinkle of grated dark chocolate, but these will taste divine as is.

Enjoy!

Fresh Whipped Cream

* 1/2 cup of heavy or whipping cream

* 2 tablespoons white sugar

* 1 teaspoon of real vanilla extract

Combine ingredients in a bowl and whip with an electric beater until cream is thick and holds its shape.

A Dessert Fit For Kings

 

While I have no proof that any kings have eaten this dessert, it is called Eton Mess, and it's British, so I am left to conclude that it originated at Eton College, the famous English prep school that's been around longer than America and has educated scores of famous Brits from the Princes of Wales to James Bond to Mark Darcy to Captain Hook. (Okay, I realize that 60% of these are fictional characters, I am just amused by the fact that Eton is so full of itself that they bother listing fictional characters who fictionally attended Eton, along with all of the actual famous people that went there.)

I actually don't even know if this dessert is served there; a quick search of their website shows no matches. I first had it at a Marco Pierre White restaurant in England a little over a year ago when I was there touring gardens with the fam. It was so delicious that I jotted down a diagram in my notebook, for future reference. Now the diagram is the only thing I have to go by, since I've pretty much forgotten all of the details other than that it is delicious.

I threw these together for Erik and me just before watching Mad Men last night. If you prep the berries in advance and let them macerate (sit in lemon juice & sugar) for a few hours up to a few days, the dessert comes together in about 10 minutes. Although I haven't tried it yet, I think it would be great for a (smallish) group, because the only thing you need to increase for a crowd is the amount of whipped cream you whip, which, if you're using an electric mixer, isn't too much of an effort. Like last week's caramelized fruit dessert, this recipe allows you to vary the type of fruit you use. I like strawberries, but I also think raspberries or blueberries or some kind of a mix would be great, too. These look particularly festive in fancy glassware, such as a martini or wine glasses, or parfait glasses, if you have them.

Eton Mess (adapted from the Marco Pierre White's Yew Tree Inn)

Note: Apologies for the imprecise quantities--I just eyeball everything. These are my best per-person guesses for quantities, but you can adjust the amounts of each component according to your own taste.

* Vanilla ice cream, 1 small scoop per person
* Whipping cream or heavy cream, 2-3 tablespoons per person
* A few pinches of white sugar
* A few strawberries per person, or any assortment of berries that you like
* About 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (you can get by with bottled if you'd like)
* Vanilla meringue cookies, a few per person, roughly crumbled (I find these at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or the Christmas Tree Shops. They're probably available elsewhere, too, but these stores definitely carry them)
* 1 or 2 semisweet chocolate chips per person, or the equivalent in bar form


1. In advance, rinse and chop the berries. Toss the berries in a bowl with equal parts lemon juice and sugar, but taste and adjust sweet/sour mix if needed. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until you are ready to assemble the dessert--at least a few hours, or overnight.

2. Combine the cream and a few pinches of sugar in a deep bowl and whip with an electric mixer until the cream can hold stiff peaks. Gently fold in the meringue cookie pieces.

3. In the bottom of a glass place a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Next layer on your berries, adding lots of the juices too. Top with a generous dollop of the whipped cream/meringue mixture.

4. If desired, finely chop a few chocolate chips and sprinkle the chocolate on top, or if you have a solid chocolate bar, run a vegetable peeler along a side to make some elegant chocolate curls. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!