Arsip Bulanan: November 2023

pomegranate grapefruit paloma – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

All January and early February, as glacial winds smacked us in our face on the walk to school — and somehow back too (uphill, both ways, etc.) — I counted down the days until we would go to Florida to visit my parents (who winter-as-a-verb there like all the other smart retirees of the Northeast) and thaw our bones for five days. Instead, the warm weather found its way here and apparently it’s been full-out spring while we were away but I’m not mad, how could I be, I was sitting on a beach in the middle of winter and it was exactly what we needed, or at least the 3/4 of us that are willing to let our feet touch the sand. Spotty wi-fi, falling asleep shortly after the kids did each night (one who learned a new word “mom-MEE!”) and great heaps of fresh fruit at the hotel’s breakfast buffet (shamelessly one of my favorite resort things) all contributed to an overall feeling of wellness that I hope to carry with me at least for the next 15 minutes, because I believe in keeping expectations reasonable.


west palmwest palm

[Somewhere in here is a wry observation of how far this is from the kid-free cocktails-on-the-beach style vacations we’ve taken other years, but if there’s anything that the retiree population of Florida makes clear it’s that you get those days back, although you might spend them cooing over other people’s tiny children and telling them how much you miss those exhausting days. I’ll spare you.]

what you'll needsalt rima little stiradd the fizz

Before I left, however, I made us a holiday-ish cocktail that instantly became my new favorite winter thing. We usually think of margaritas as the go-to Mexican cocktail, but the unfussy and unfancy paloma is much more a bar standard, part tequila and part grapefruit-flavored soda (usually Fresca, Squirt or Jarritos), saved on the rocks with a lime wedge, sometimes with a salt rim too. A grapefruit junkie, I like to make it with fresh juice and a splash of lightly sweetened seltzer, but when cleaning out the fridge before we went away I found both a full pomegranate (score!) and pomegranate juice and decided to make a version with both. It was fizzy, dark pink, tart-sweet perfection, all with a proper kick of tequila and I really, really think you should too.

pomegranate grapefruit paloma

Previously

One year ago: White Russian
Two years ago: Spaghetti Pangrattato with Crispy Eggs
Three years ago: Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew
Four years ago: Blood Orange Margaritas
Five years ago: Double Coconut Muffins
Six years ago: Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil
Seven years ago: Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze and Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart
Eight years ago: Devil’s Chicken Thighs with Braised Leeks and Red Kidney Bean Curry
Nine years ago: Pear and Almond Tart
Ten! years ago: For Beaming Bewitching Breads and Baked Tomato Sauce

And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Eggplant Parmesan Melts
1.5 Years Ago: Angel Hair Pasta with Raw Tomato Sauce
2.5 Years Ago: Smoky Eggplant Dip and Strawberries and Cream with Graham Crumbles
3.5 Years Ago: Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes and Almond-Crisped Peaches
4.5 Years Ago: Mediterranean Baked Feta with Tomatoes

Pomegranate Grapefruit Paloma

The sugar is optional but trust me, as someone who doesn’t sweet-first cocktails that this is still tart and balanced with it. I don’t skip it. You could make it with all grapefruit juice or you could make it with all pomegranate juice and both work, but if you get a chance to make it with both, I think you’ll find, like us, it’s meant to be. Size-wise, this fit neatly in this 8.65-ounce tumbler. Finally, this combination — fizzy, lightly sweetened pomegranate and grapefruit juice — makes a fine mocktail, just add a bit more fizz and adjust to taste.

  • 2 thin slices or small wedges grapefruit
  • Kosher salt for rim, if desired
  • 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey, sugar or agave
  • 1/4 cup white tequila
  • About 3 medium-sized ice cubes
  • 1/4 cup club soda or seltzer
  • A few pomegranate arils (for garnish)

If you’d like to salt the rim of you glass, put a little kosher salt on a small plate. Swipe the rim of your glass with a wedge of grapefruit (or a wedge from the emptied grapefruit you’ve just juiced) and place the damp rim in the salt, twisting to coat it.

Place both juices and honey or sugar in the bottom of your glass and use a long spoon to stir it until combined, and/or until the sugar has dissolved. Add tequila, stir to combine. Add ice then club soda or seltzer. Garnish with additional grapefruit slices and pomegranate arils. Repeat as needed.

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butterscotch pie – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

I love two things most of all about chess pie — that sweet, buttery baked custard pie well-known across the South but whose reach can be tasted in everything from Canadian butter tarts to Brooklyn-ish Crack Pies — one, that it has none of the fussiness usually associated with custards and flans (separated egg yolks, tempering, straining and water baths); you could, and in fact should, make this with any little chefs in your life with ease.


pie dough, ready to rolltrimmed and fluted or somethingparbaking cheata quick butterscotch saucewhisking in eggspour into parbaked crust

I also love that chess pie pronounces any flavors you add to it exceptionally well, like it’s holding a megaphone to them. A chess pie with a splash of rum is, in fact, a rum chess pie; a chess pie with lemon is buttery lemonade heaven and a chess pie to the tune of butterscotch will stop everyone in their tracks as they walk into your home and smell the brown sugar, butter and vanilla trifecta bouncing off the walls. The taste — booming with butterscotch — lives up to the aromatic promise, way better than the butterscotch pudding pie I’d thought about making first before deciding that it was too much work for a too muted flavor.

puffy from the oven

Butterscotch, in case you’re worried there’s a catch, is even easier to make than caramel. Caramel is essentially melted white sugar. Sometimes there’s butter in it (hooray) or a few flecks of salt and cream is usually added to stretch it into candies and sauce. Thermometers are almost always required for textural precision. Butterscotch, however, is butter-mandatory, as is brown sugar, vanilla and salt. The last two are what makes a puddle of melted brown sugar and butter taste unmistakably of butterscotch so please, don’t be afraid to adjust either until it’s exactly right.

butterscotch pie

Previously

One year ago: Everyday Meatballs and Roasted Yams with Chickpeas and Yogurt
Two years ago: The ‘I Want Chocolate Cake’ Cake and Cornmeal Fried Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes
Three years ago: Morning Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel
Four years ago: Blood Orange Margaritas
Five years ago: Fried Egg Sandwich with Bacon and Blue Cheese
Six years ago: Pina Colada Cake
Seven years ago: Thick Chewy Granola Bars and Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding)
Eight years ago: Thick Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Soft Pretzels
Nine years ago: Escarole and Orzo Soup with Meatballs
Ten! years ago: Vanilla Bean Pound Cake and Three of My Favorite Indian Recipes (making the potatoes and cauliflower tonight to go with a new dish for next week!)

And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Even More Perfect Blueberries and How To Julienne
1.5 Years Ago: Crispy Peach Cobbler
2.5 Years Ago: Corn Cheddar and Scallion Strata
3.5 Years Ago: Key Lime Popsicles and [Relevant Tip!] Butterscotch vs. Caramel
4.5 Years Ago: Leek Chard and Corn Flatbread and Vanilla Custards with Roasted Blueberries

Butterscotch Pie

A few quick and lazy tricks are within this recipe: I rush things along more than ever these days, making a pie dough and plopping the wrapped packed directly in the freezer (if you don’t have half to a full day to chill it in the fridge) for about 20 minutes until firm, but please keep an eye on it, we don’t want it fully frozen. Then, I roll it out, freeze it right on the pie plate and use foil to hold the shape instead of pie weighs. While the crust is parbaking, we’ll make the filling and you can pour it in right as it comes out of the oven, which is all to say that yes, pie dough and filling is work, but this one, with these tricks, can come together in under two hours, most of which you can spend doing work watching Instagram stories.

    Crust
  • 1 1/4 cups (155 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea or table salt
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) very cold water
    • Filling
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) cold unsalted butter
  • 1 3/4 cups (335 grams) light or dark brown sugar (dark used here for darkest color; both work)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse or flaky sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream, cold
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract (yes really)
  • 6 large eggs
    • To serve

    Softly whipped cream, unsweetened or barely sweet

Make pie dough:
– By hand : In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Work the butter into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles a coarse meal and the largest bits of butter are the size of tiny peas. (Some people like to do this by freezing the stick of butter and coarsely grating it into the flour, but I haven’t found the results as flaky.) Add 1/4 cup cold water and stir with a spoon or flexible silicone spatula until large clumps form. Use your hands to knead the dough together, right in the bottom of the bowl. If necessary to bring the dough together, you can add another tablespoon of water.
– With a food processor: In the work bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and pulse machine until mixture resembles a coarse meal and the largest bits of butter are the size of tiny peas. Turn mixture out into mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup cold water and stir with a spoon or flexible silicone spatula until large clumps form. Use your hands to knead the dough together, right in the bottom of the bowl. If necessary to bring the dough together, you can add the last tablespoon of water.
– Both methods: Wrap dough in a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 48 hours, or you can quick-firm this in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. Longer than 2 days, it’s best to freeze it until needed.

Heat oven: To 400°F (205°C).

Roll out crust: On a floured counter, roll the dough out into a 12 to 13-inch circle-ish shape. Fold dough gently in quarters without creasing and transfer to a 9 1/2-inch standard (not deep-dish) pie plate. Unfold dough and trim overhang to about 1/2-inch. Fold overhang under edge of pie crust and crimp decoratively. Save scraps in fridge, just in case.

Par-bake crust: Freeze for 15 minutes, until solid. Dock all over with a fork. Coat a piece of foil with butter or nonstick spray and press tightly against frozen pie shell, covering the dough and rim and molding it to fit the shape of the edges. Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully, gently remove foil. If any parts have puffed, just press them gently back into place. Patch any tears or cracks with reserved dough scraps. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, make filling: Melt butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and salt and stir to combine (it will be clumpy, not smooth) then let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Whisk in cream and remove from heat. Let mixture cool for 15 minutes, then whisk in eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Assemble and bake: As soon as crust comes out of oven, you can pour in the filling. Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F, and then reduce heat to 300°F (150°C) and bake pie another 25 to 30 minutes. A fully baked pie will only jiggle slightly in center when moved. Let cool completely — we like this completely cold from the fridge — and serve in wedges with softly whipped cream.

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punjabi-style black lentils – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

Because I have strange habits, I spent a lot of time one night last week watching videos on YouTube of grandmothers and other home cooks making dal makhani, a rich black lentil dish from the Punjab region. Unpolished home cooking videos are one of my favorite ways to learn how to make a dish that is foreign to me, and while what I’ve made here isn’t an authentic black lentil (urad) dal, it’s worth knowing why it is isn’t. For example, it would have a small portion of kidney beans (rajma) it in too, you’d definitely have soaked your lentils and beans together the night before and in almost every case, cooked them in a pressure cooker on another burner while making the spiced base sauce, and then together for a little or long while. The more authentic versions I looked at have a lot more butter and cream in them, and only sometimes began with an onion. In every case, the cook had a “ginger-garlic paste” that seemed to have come prepared, something I was previously unfamiliar with but find brilliant as they are so often better together, and of course all spices were added with eyeballed measurements.


what you'll needblack lentilschoppedtomato-spice base

It’s also much more loose. A traditional dal is like a gravy or a loose soup, but here I go for something thicker, almost like a chili. You can loosen it a bit with more water and serve it like a soup, or ladled over rice; you can also add a spoonful of rice to the middle, as we did with this soup to give it a bit more heft. We ate it in small bowls with some toasted naan and these potatoes and cauliflower on the side, a forever favorite.

browned onions
simmering
a kinda dal makhani

But you can’t write about a dish known as buttery lentils without talking about all the of cream and butter typical in it, and for this, can we talk for a minute about monter au beurre? Literally, lifted or raised with butter, it’s one of these French cooking techniques that sounds complicated but isn’t at all — it’s just finishing a sauce or dish with additional butter for maximum flavor impact. This idea of putting rich ingredients where you can best taste them has useful home cooking applications, especially here. I find that by finishing this with a smidgen of butter (salted, please) and a spoonful of cream, rather than cooking much larger amounts into the dish, it tastes like you’re eating the most decadent thing on earth without the arterial implications that go with it. It also means you get to have it more often, which was, after all, the goal.

black lentil dal

Previously

One year ago: Churros
Two years ago: Cornmeal-Fried Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes
Three years ago: Kale and Quinoa Salad with Ricotta Salata
Four years ago: French Onion Tart
Five years ago: Multigrain Apple Crisps
Six years ago: Whole Wheat Goldfish Crackers
Seven years ago: Baked Rigatoni with Tiny Meatballs and St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake
Eight years ago: Meatball Sliders and Key Lime Coconut Cake
Nine years ago: Devil Dog Cake and Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges
Ten! years ago: Strawbery Rhubarb Pecan Loaf

And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Plum Squares with Marzipan Crumble
1.5 Years Ago: Corn Chowder Salad
2.5 Years Ago: Chocolate and Toasted Hazelnut Milk
3.5 Years Ago: Butterscotch Pudding Popsicles and Pink Lemonade Popsicles
4.5 Years Ago: Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

Punjabi-Style Black Lentils

Black lentils, if you haven’t bought them before, are wonderful: tiny, pretty and they stay perfectly intact when you cook them, meaning they also scatter well over salads. Also called beluga lentils, I like to think of them as luxurious as caviar without the price. [Note: This dish was previously named “Black Lentil Dal.”]

    Base
  • 2 tablespoons oil, butter (regular or ghee)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional but traditional)
  • Ground chile powder, to taste (I started with a 1/2 teaspoon, but I have to keep things weak for kids)
  • 1 cup finely chopped or pureed tomatoes, fresh or from a can
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup dried black lentils
  • 4 1/2 cups water, plus more to taste
    • To finish
  • 4 teaspoons butter (salted is lovely here)
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • Handful chopped fresh cilantro

Make the dal: Heat oil (or oil and butter) over medium. Once hot, add onion and cumin seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion browned in spots. Add garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minute more, then the rest of the spices and tomato and cook for 3 minutes more, scraping up any stuck bits. Add water and salt, then lentils. Bring to simmer, then reduce to low and cover and cook until lentils are tender, between 35 and 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. For a looser dal, you can add more water. Adjust spices and seasonings to taste.

To finish as shown: Ladle into four bowls. Place a 1-teaspoon pat of butter in the center of each, letting it begin to melt before swirling in 1 1/2 teaspoons cream and finishing with cilantro.

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easiest french fries – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

Last weekend, we had 13 friends over for moules-frites. This — plus a big green salad, some crusty baguettes and more white wine than seems conscionable — is my favorite dinner party menu. It makes the easiest, surprisingly budget-conscious meal and might, if you play your cards right, make you feel ever-so-slightly like you’re on vacation somewhere European and full of sailor-types. Okay, maybe that’s pushing things but let’s run with it. I forgot to add, however that it’s best for 6 people, 8 at most. As soon as the mussels exceed the volume of your largest pot or the fries surpass the one large tray that fits in your oven (plus you have a salad you really only want to toss at the last minute), basically everything needing to be cooked à la minute, you’re going to have to hustle. I am constitutionally incapable of hustling; we ate dinner at 10.


moules-fritesmoules-frites

I usually make my oven fries, but I decided that for a crowd it would be easier to let a fryer do the work and borrowed one from a friend (who is married to another friend who’s obsessed with fried chicken, I mean, I’m sure it’s just coincidence). Loosely following J. Kenji López-Alt’s directions, I prepped 7 pounds of potatoes the day before but as I stuck them in the freezer overnight, I realized that this was going to allot each person approximately 16 fries. Look, I know we all like to believe that we eat only 16 fries when we go out and that’s totally fine, but I think we can all agree that we are going to be happiest if person who makes your fries knows better and cooks accordingly.

how to cut your potato
look at us go

So I went back to the store for another 7 pounds of potatoes and as I peeled and soaked and dried and fried and drained and only to fry these again later, 1. I began to understand why restaurants have a dedicated fry cook. 2. I decided to make these with a less complex twice-fried method and I did a quick search for the best starting temperature — and you can tune back in now, I promise the point is nigh — I landed on a 2009 Cook’s Illustrated recipe that boasted no peeling, no soaking, no deep-fry thermometer or deep-fryer needed, and that used 1/3 of the oil that the deep-fryer required, also meaning that you can also buy better stuff without going broke, and that claimed to absorb less. [This the cooking equivalent of searching to the ends of the earth for the dress you’re looking for only to settle for a nonreturnable second choice before finding it.]

cold oil barely covering the potatoes
bubbling oil

You’d think I’d never want to see another french fry again after last weekend, but only if you don’t know me and my tireless devotion to fried potatoes better. Plus, how could I not want to find out? I was reminded as I was prepping these of my friend Valerie, who would sometimes make really excellent fries for our lucky kids at playdates and I would pester her in the kitchen, “Do you soak them to get rid of extra starch? You fry them twice at different temperatures, right?” And she looked at me like I had two heads and said “Non. I just fry them.”

25 minutes later

And it turns out, both Valerie and Cook’s Illustrated were onto something which is that if you use the slightly waxier potatoes known as Yukon Golds (or yellow potatoes), which are far more delicious if you ask me anyway, you can put them right into a pot of cold oil that barely covers them and cook them over high heat for about 25 minutes almost completely hands off and drain off the most golden, crisp, glittering with fine sea salt heap of french fried happiness. And then, if you’re in it for the science, you can measure the oil you have leftover and discover that they’d absorbed all of 4 tablespoons, which will absolutely lead to french fries in your life more often. Guys, I am just here to help.

easier french fries

Previously

One year ago: Nolita-Style Avocado Toast (still my lunch at least half the days of the week)
Two years ago: Red Bean and Green Grain Taco Bowl
Three years ago: Broccoli Cheddar and Wild Rice Casserole
Four years ago: My Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits
Five years ago: Potato Knish, Two Ways
Six years ago: The Best Baked Spinach
Seven years ago: Warm Mushroom Salad with Hazelnuts and Coconut Milk Fudge
Eight years ago: Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies and Pita Bread
Nine years ago: Big Crumb Coffee Cake and Alex’s Chicken and Mushroom Marsala
Ten! years ago: Italian Bread

And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Piri Piri Chicken
1.5 Years Ago: Caponata
2.5 Years Ago: Herbed Tomato and Roasted Garlic Tart
3.5 Years Ago: Zucchini Parmesan Crisps and Baked Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
4.5 Years Ago: Fig Olive Oil and Sea Salt Challah

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peanut butter swirled brownies – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

I always bake with a smooth commercial brand of peanut butter but I don’t see why this recipe wouldn’t work with more natural ones; you might find you want a bit more salt.

I realize that the sugar level seems high here but promise it won’t taste excessively so. Unsweetened chocolate requires a lot more sugar than sweetened would, and the peanut butter volume here is substantial enough that it needs to be sweetened as well. Don’t forget the salt, however; it brings out the flavor of the peanuts and adds a great accent to the whole pan.

    Peanut Butter Batter
  • 3/4 cup (190 grams) smooth peanut butter
  • 2/3 (135 grams) cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extra
  • A few pinches of flaky or coarse sea salt
    • Brownie Batter
  • 3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup (115 grams or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
  • 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky or heaped 1/4 teaspoon of coarse sea salt
  • 2/3 cup (85 grams) all-purpose flour
    • To finish
  • 1/4 cup (40 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips

Heat oven: To 350°F (175°C).

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment and coat the bottom and sides with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

Make peanut butter batter: Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

Make brownie batter: In a medium heatproof bowl over gently simmering water, melt chocolate and butter together until only a couple unmelted bits remain. Off the heat, stir until smooth and fully melted. You can also do this in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. Whisk in sugar, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and salt. Stir in flour with a spoon or flexible spatula.

Assemble brownies: Spread a thin layer of brownie batter (about 1/3 of total batter, but no need to be exact) in bottom of prepared baking pan. Dollop peanut butter batter all over in big spoonfuls. Dollop remaining brownie batter in pan, aiming, if you can, between the peanut butter dollops. Use a butter knife to swirl the batters together in loose figure-8s. Sprinkle chips all over.

Bake: For 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out batter-free.

To keep: Brownies keep well at room temperature, in the fridge or freezer.

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cornbread waffles – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

Can you make these as pancakes is something someone usually asks when I share a waffle recipe. I didn’t check this time, however, I can tell you with authority that these are the most excellent cornmeal pancakes in the world, plush and ungritty but still crisp.

I made these in a Belgian-style waffle iron (I’m like a broken record, guys, but I’m still obsessed with this one because removable, dishwasher-safe plates) but I think they’d be just fine in a standard, shallower one.

Joy called for 2 tablespoons honey but I skipped it, wanting fully savory waffles. I did not skip the suggested tablespoon of molasses and hope you do not. It adds the faintest hint of sweetness and a real nuanced flavor.

  • 3/4 cup (100 grams) coarse yellow cornmeal
  • 3/4 cup (100 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) molasses
  • 1 cup (235 ml) buttermilk, well-shaken
  • 4 tablespoons (55 grams) melted unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bottom of a medium bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk molasses, butter, buttermilk and egg until combined. Pour into dry ingredients and stir to combine. Let batter rest for 10 minutes. Use this time to place a oven-safe cooling rack over a tray and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions; I found a medium heat just fine here.

Brush waffle iron with melted butter or coat with nonstick spray. Ladle in waffle batter, 1/4 cup at a time. (It makes 4 or so -inch finished waffles, cute ones made for an egg on top.) Cook until lightly browned and carefully transfer to rack in oven. They’ll crisp as they set. Repeat with remaining batter. You should get 8 waffles out of this, ideal for 2 per person.

Waffles keep well for 4 days in fridge and longer in freezer. Waffles re-crisp and come back to life in a warm oven.

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mushroom tartines – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

Would this be a good place to admit that I only moderately enjoy sandwiches? I know, what kind of monster says such things! But, wait, come back. What I mean is, it’s the proportions: too much bread, too little filling. The obvious solution would be Dagwoods or sandwiches from one of those Jewish delis that are taller than your glass of Cel-Ray, but what if you didn’t want to have to unhinge your jaw just to take a bite?


extra-pretty mushrooms
thinly sliced

My solution, as ever, is to serve them open-faced, piled high and with ideal proportions. If we were in Paris — and oh, I wish I were — we’d call them tartines. My brain is clearly already there because I modeled this “toast” on a croque monsieur (which I just learned, to my delight, translates as “gentleman crunch”), those cheese-coated, pan-fried ham and cheese sandwiches with frico for miles. I’m partial to the forestier-style croque at Buvette, where mushrooms take the place of ham and there’s a thick, Dijon-rich bechamel underneath (where a cold sandwich might enlist mayo or aioli). My open-faced version uses a whole-grain sourdough bread as a foundation and so much cheese on top that it spills down onto the baking sheet and lifts off in crispy flakes. I honestly don’t know why we’d ever want to eat anything else.

sauteed mushrooms

butter, floursaucywhole wheat sourdoughschmeared with dijon bechamelpiled high with mushroomsall the cheese

Previously

One year ago: Spring Chicken Salad Toasts
Two years ago: Baked Chickpeas with Pita Chips and Yogurt and Carrot-Graham Layer Cake
Three years ago: Wholegrain Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Four years ago: Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Feta and Tahini
Five years ago: Raspberry Coconut Macaroons
Six years ago: Spaetzle
Seven years ago: Romesco Potatoes and Hazelnut Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Eight years ago: Beef Empanadas and Bialys
Nine years ago: Caramel Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake and Chicken with Almonds and Green Olives
Ten years ago: Rich Buttermilk Waffles

And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Garlic Wine and Butter Steamed Clams and Baked Alaska
1.5 Years Ago: The Perfect Manhattan and Broccoli Cheddar Soup
2.5 Years Ago: Latke Waffles
3.5 Years Ago: Miso Sweet Potato and Broccoli Bowl
4.5 Years Ago: Crackly Banana Bread

Mushroom Tartines

We’ve made this for dinner twice in the last month and have found it each time surprisingly substantial, especially with a salad on the side.

A few notes: If your bread is on the softer side, you might want to lightly pre-toast it before adding the other ingredients. However, if it’s already quite sturdy or has a dark crust, as mine did, it’s not needed.
This makes an exactly-just-right amount of bechamel (3/4 cup), I use about 1 tablespoon per slice. If you’d like more, it can easily be scaled up with 3 tablespoons each butter and flour and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, and a heaped tablespoon of Dijon.

    Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (175 ml) milk, ideally whole but lowfat should work
  • A few gratings fresh nutmeg
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) smooth Dijon mustard
    • Mushrooms
  • 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) fresh mushrooms (cremini, white or a mix of wild all work), thinly sliced
  • Olive oil and butter as needed
  • 2 teaspoons minced mixed fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
    • Assembly
  • 1 pound loaf of a hearty white or whole wheat sourdough bread, in 3/4-inch slices
  • 8 ounces (225 grams) coarsely grated gruyere or comte
  • Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Make the sauce: In a large skillet (so you can use it again for the mushrooms), melt butter over medium heat and then stir in flour until a paste forms. Very slowly drizzle in milk, whisking the whole time to keep the mixture smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until mixture has simmered for a couple minutes. It will be thick and get thicker as it cools; this makes for a better spread. Scrape into a bowl and stir in Dijon. Adjust seasonings if needed. Set aside.

Heat oven: To 425 degrees F. Line your largest baking sheet with foil.

Cook the mushrooms: Wipe out skillet and heat over medium-high. Add a glug of olive oil or a mix of olive oil and butter. Once it is very hot, add 1/3 to 1/2 of mushrooms, 1/3 to 1/2 of herbs and let sear in pan until brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, before stirring and continuing to cook until tender and any liquid in the pan has cooked off, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.

Assemble and bake: Spread bread in one layer on prepared baking sheet. Schmear each all the way to the edges with sauce; you should have exactly enough for a thin coat on each. Heap each slice with mushrooms; use them all. Sprinkle cheese over and since the mushrooms are heaped so high, you’ll probably have to press it in a bit with your hand. You’ll be glad you got all the cheese on there.

Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted all over, then transfer to the broiler and cook until tops are browned, a few minutes more (but keep an eye on it because broilers vary wildly and mine is rather weak).

To serve: Scatter with parsley and eat with a knife and fork, preferably with a big green salad on the side.

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almond horn cookies – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

Can you use marzipan for this? Marzipan is usually a bit sweeter and stiffer than almond paste because it’s intended for rolling out and molding candies. Usually you don’t want to use them interchangeably but I’ve seen so many horn recipes that start with marzipan since I started looking around, I don’t expect that it would be a problem and in fact might be easier to handle (the dough is quite soft with paste). Still, if you can find paste, use it first here.

Traditional Mandelhörnchen are quite large; these are smaller (about 3 to 4 inches across).

Luisa Weiss says in her recipe that she prefers to get chocolate in each bite and not just at the ends; to do so, she simply spreads the chocolate down the back of the cookie instead of dipping the ends. For this, you might find you need a little less chocolate (about 4 ounces) because you won’t need a volume that is dippable.

  • 7 ounces (198 grams) almond paste
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg white
  • Two pinches of sea salt
  • 1 1/4 cup (130 grams) sliced almonds, blanched are more traditional
  • 6 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate, chopped or in chips (about 1 cup)
  • Colored sprinkles (optional, but not really)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make cookie dough: Cut, tear or grate paste and place in bowl with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. (Mine was quite soft, so I just dropped it in in hand-torn chunks.) Add sugar and beat, covering lip of bowl with dishtowel to get bits from flying out, until almond paste cannot be broken up any further, approximately 3 to 5 minutes at a medium-high speed. Add egg white and salt and beat until uniform and creamy. Place sliced almonds in a wide-shallow bowl or plate. Have another bowl with water to get your hands wet.

Form cookies: Wet hands and scoop 1 tablespoon of dough (can use a measuring spoon, a little overfilled is fine) into your palms. It’s going to be very soft and you’re going to think something has gone very wrong; it it has not. Just keep your hands wet and roll it into a 4-ish inch log (I just stretched it across my hand, as you can see in the photo above) and drop it into the bowl of almonds. Wipe your hands dry on a towel (or the almonds stick to your hands, pulling them off the cookie) and roll log through it. Again, it’s quite soft and will seem weird at first but do you best and transfer the soft almond-covered log to the prepared tray and arc it into a horn shape. Press any loose almonds back on. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake cookies: For 15 minutes, or until almonds on cookies are gently toasted and horns are puffed. Let cool completely.

To finish: Melt chocolate in a small bowl and dip ends of cookies into it, then return to parchment-lined tray to set. Add sprinkles (optional, but of course you want to).

Do ahead: Once chocolate is set, these keep in a tin for a week.

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granola bark – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

Most questions about granola recipes are about substitutions and this one, particularly ingredient-rich, will probably have many. I made it to the letter so I cannot promise that all swaps will work however, it is my hunch that when it comes to granola recipes, what makes them work is keeping the balance of wet to dry in check, with an eye to the size of the ingredient. Thus, seeds or finely chopped dry ingredients usually swap out well for seeds, nuts for nuts, and sugars for sugars and often, unlike most baking recipes, swaps done by volume (i.e. 1/4 cup for 1/4 cup) are more successful than those done by weight, which can make things easier. Let us know what variations you try and how they come out; these comments are invaluable to everyone.

Prueitt notes that the granola bark works without the egg white, but it’s more crisp with it.

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) maple syrup, honey or half of each
  • 1/2 cup (75 grams) coconut or brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (but I skipped this)
  • 3 cups (300 grams) rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
  • 1 1/4 cups (175 grams) almonds, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups (60 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup (80 grams) flax seeds or chia seeds, whole or ground
  • 1/4 cup (35 grams) sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) almond or hazelnut flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive, vegetable or coconut oil, or melted butter
  • 1 large egg white, whisked until frothy

Combine maple syrup, sugar, water, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile combine cinnamon (if using), oats, almonds, coconut, seeds, almond or hazelnut flour in a large bowl.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed half-sheet (13×18-inch) pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Once liquid mixture is back to room temperature, whisk in olive oil, which will cool it further, then egg white. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

Spread mixture evenly across the prepared baking sheet. Press down firmly to compact it before baking, using another same-size baking sheet or the bottom of a pot. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until dark golden brown, rotating the sheet every 15 minutes to promote even browning. While it bakes, open the oven door a few times to release steam.

Set on a cooling rack until surface of granola is crisp. Leave oven on. If surface is still tacky to the touch once it has cooled — although I didn’t find this at all — return the pan to the oven and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes. Don’t let it get too dark or it tastes bitter.

Once totally cool, break into pieces in store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the fridge up to 1 month.

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pistachio cake – smitten kitchen

Dipublikasi pada November 30, 2023 oleh pbnbigesdi

Recipes are very, very heavily adapted from both Yossy Arefi’s Sweeter Off The Vine and Rose Carrarini of Rose Bakery’s Breakfast, Lunch, Tea (read post for details) to the point that neither should be blamed for anything that happens to this recipe below, or the technique, which I invented out of my own laziness/disdain for washing dishes. The glaze, however, is entirely from the Breakfast, Lunch, Tea book.

To add more flavors to the cake, feel free to rub lemon or orange zest right into the sugar for maximum flavor dispersal/release. Rosewater is also a popular addition to pistachio cakes.

To make the cake without a food processor, you’re going to want to start with 140 grams pistachio meal or flour (vs. shelled pistachios) and softened butter and can proceed as with a traditional cake.

Now, here is the terrible warning I must give you: My oven is acting up, not holding temperatures properly and yes I have complained endlessly to my landlord and we are maybe waiting on a new panel, I don’t even know, I don’t want to talk about it. I have two (!) brand-new oven thermometers in there and watch them like a hawk when I bake so I can adjust the temperature as needed but I want you to take the baking time listed (about 70 minutes) with a grain of salt and promise to check it at 60 minutes but also know that there’s a small chance it might take up to 80 minutes. As people report back with their baking times, I’ll narrow the range.

    Cake
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 grams) roasted, shelled, and unsalted pistachios
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 10 tablespoons (5 ounces or 145 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • Slightly heaped 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (115 grams) all-purpose flour
    • Lemon-Pistachio Glaze (optional)
  • 1/3 cup (40 grams) roasted, shelled, and unsalted pistachios
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Heat oven: To 325 degrees F. Line the bottom and long sides of a loaf pan with a sling of parchment paper. Coat paper and exposed short sides of loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter.

With a food processor: In the work bowl of your food processor, grind pistachios, sugar and salt together until as powdery as you can get them without it turning to paste. Cut butter into small chunks and blend with pistachio mixture. It’s going to be lumpy at first, and then balled for a minute, but keep running the machine until the mixture loosens up into a frosting-like consistency, i.e. smooth and shiny. Add eggs, one at time, blending briefly between each, scraping down sides as needed. Add milk, blend to combine. Add extracts and baking powder and blend to fully combine, scraping down workbowl. Add flour and pulse just until it disappears.

Without a food processor: You’re going to want to start with 140 grams pistachio meal or flour and softened butter and can proceed as with a traditional cake. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in milk, then extracts until smooth. Beat in salt and baking powder until fully combined, scraping down bowl well. Add flour and mix just until it disappears.

To bake: Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread top smooth. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes (see note up top by way of explanation/apology). Mine took 70, but it’s safest to check sooner. Look for a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake to come out clean and then, do a second check near the top. I find with loaf cakes that the undercooked batter likes to hover right below the top crust. It often takes 10 minutes extra (built into this baking time already) just for that to set for me.

Let cake cool in pan on rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around cake and transfer to cooling rack. Let cool completely.

To make glaze (optional): Bring pistachios, sugar, zest, and juice to a simmer in a small saucepan; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes then pour over cooled cake.

To serve: Cut into slices. Cake is great on the first day but even better on the second, as the ingredients settle. Keep at room temperature for several days, wrapped in foil, or longer in freezer.

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