Recipe, interrupted

Spaghetti Ice Cream

When I made the raspberry sauce from our family’s recent berry-picking expedition, I immediately thought of a childhood favorite: spaghetti ice. This was (and probably still is) a popular kind of sundae that I had eaten in Germany. Vanilla ice cream is passed through a press with little holes in it so that it comes out as soft-serve ‘spaghetti.’ Then it’s topped with raspberry sauce and grated white chocolate for the parmesan.

I tried to replicate this at home using a well-chilled potato ricer to shape the ice cream. It didn’t look quite as convincing as the ones from the ice cream parlors of my childhood but the skeptical looks on my kids’ faces vanished as soon as the spoons hit their lips.     

 

Recipe: Raspberry Sauce

We went raspberry picking over Labor Day weekend at Thompson-Finch Farm in the Hudson Valley. It had taken a little bit of searching to find a u-pick place that doesn’t spray their berries. But when we found it, we showed up bright and early so that we could get some good picking in before we had to wrap up our vacation and head back home to Brooklyn.

As I reached out for that first berry I was feeling especially thankful that it was free of pesticides and said to my 5-year-old, “I think fresh raspberries straight from the bush are my favorite food.”

In response, she sweetly asked, “Why are fresh raspberries straight from the bush your favorite food?” (Have I been pushing the idea of speaking in complete sentences too hard?)

“Because they are so sweet and delicate and still warm from the sun. And they are fun to pick and pop in my mouth,” I answered with a raspberry-tinged grin.

They were fun to pick. We kept picking and picking, and by the time we got back home, after several hours in the car, popping berries in our mouths like they were popcorn, we still managed to bring a small bucketful up to our kitchen. By this point, I could hardly look at them. I considered the possibility that it was my full belly pleading, ‘no more!’ But I had to admit, they really did look a little worse for the wear. During the drive, with the bucket being passed around, accidently kicked, and jostled over bumpy roads, these very ripe raspberries had gotten a little bruised. They were still quite plump, but the deeply red juice was starting to seep out and stain the bottom of the bucket.

Something had to be done with them soon. They were going to go downhill fast. And so was I. I was tired from the long day and was not interested in doing anything complicated. The raspberries went straight into the saucepan (I don’t like to wash raspberries, another reason for picking organic) with some sugar and simmered gently for about 15 minutes. After straining the thick liquid, I had a deeply crimson sauce that was rich with the flavor of the sun-soaked berries.

In the days that followed, I poured the sauce over ice-cream, pancakes, and cake. I also sneaked a spoonful of it every now and then, just to hold on to that feeling of soaking up the summer sun.
 

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Makes about 1 cup
 

1 pound fresh raspberries (or, if you are longing for that summer flavor in the middle of winter, frozen raspberries work nicely, too)

½ cup sugar (or more if you prefer a sweeter, less tangy sauce)
 

1. Bring raspberries and sugar to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer until raspberries have broken down into a thick sauce, about 15 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   Using a fine mesh strainer or chinois placed over a bowl, strain the seeds out of the sauce. Encourage the liquid to pass through with a plunging motion of a pestle, wooden spoon, or small ladle. Try to squeeze as much liquid out of the pulpy mess; the final pressings will add thickness to the sauce.
   
   
   
2. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature over ice cream, cake, pancakes or waffles. It also can be drizzled into mixed drinks and smoothies.

 

Recipe: Late Summer Tomato & Corn Stew

Summer must be coming to a close, because the thought of a bowl of hot soup has once again become appealing to me. I’m not ready to throw on a parka and snow boots quite yet, though. I still want more of the flavors of summer. This soup makes use of farm-stand ingredients like ripe tomatoes, fresh corn, and thyme. If it already is parka and snow boot time when you set out to prepare this, you can use boxed or canned tomatoes and frozen corn.

I also used Irish bacon here, but Canadian bacon or pancetta are excellent substitutes. For a vegetarian version, I’d use a teaspoon of smoked sweet paprika and a handful of chopped green olives.

 

Makes 6 servings

Preparation time: 40 minutes

 

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on at the end

1 medium onion, diced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 ounces Irish bacon, diced (about 1 ¼ cups)

2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme

8 cups seeded and diced ripe tomatoes

1 cup fresh corn blanched and cut from the cob 

Aged Cheddar cheese, as garnish (My favorite is Cabot Clothbound Cheddar which is not just sharp, but also balanced with the taste of caramel and nuts.) 

 

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and a good pinch of salt and a few twists of pepper, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.
    
2. Stir in bacon and thyme and cook until heated through, an additional 2-3 minutes.
   
   
3. Add tomatoes. Continue to cook over medium heat until the tomatoes release their liquid and begin to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until liquid has intensified in color and soup is very fragrant, about 20 minutes. Stir in corn and cook another few minutes.
   Tomatoes just stirred in
   
    
   Tomatoes simmering
   
   
   With the corn
    
4. Add salt to taste if necessary (it may not be – the bacon can be quite salty). Ladle soup into soup bowls. Drizzle each portion with additional olive oil, garnish with crumbled or thinly sliced cheese, and serve hot, ideally with some crusty sourdough bread. 

Technique: How to Seed a Tomato

Here's how to get the pulp and seeds out of a tomato easily when all you want is the sweet tomato flesh.

1. If you also want to skin the tomatoes (for a more smoother texture and none of those floating bits of tomato skin in your sauce or soup) do a real tomato concassé. I usually skip this step since I tend to make more rustic, home-style dishes. Score a cross-hatch into the bottom of the tomato and blanch it for 30 seconds or so in boiling water, just long enough to make the skin easier to peel but not long enough to cook the tomato. Then, you’d plunge the tomato into ice water to quickly cool it.
    
2. Core out the base of the stem.
   
3. Cut the tomato in half, cross-wise. (If you are doing plum tomatoes, cut them lengthwise.)
    
4. Squeeze the seeds and pulp out, scooping them out with your fingers to make sure you get them all.
   
5. Dice or crush them according to your recipe.
   

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies with Whole Wheat Flour & Wheat Germ

There’s something very gratifying about sharing chocolate chip cookies.

The first recipe I ever posted on my blog was one for chocolate chip cookies. I’ve baked up at least a couple thousand of those cookies and shared them with family, friends, colleagues, friends of friends, and fundraising events. Sometimes I’d leave out the sea salt, sometimes I’d change the type of chocolate, but there has really been no reason to alter the recipe. It’s a tried and true hit as it is.

But more and more I’ve been appreciating the flavor and texture of whole grains in baked goods. I like to bake with King Arthur’s white whole wheat flour. It’s much lighter in texture, color and flavor than traditional whole wheat flour but retains a pleasant hint of whole grain nuttiness.

So when I got ready to visit my favorite pregnant lady and her happy little two-year-old, I tinkered with the original recipe a little. I had it in my mind already to make these cookies with the white whole wheat flour and wheat germ and this seemed like the perfect occasion. Wheat germ is rich in folic acid, especially important in the diets of moms-to-be. And the whole grains are better for all of us.

I actually like these cookies a little more than the original. They have just a slightly deeper golden color and a more complex flavor that hints at honey and nuts. Right out of the oven, you can detect the flaky texture of the wheat germ. It’s not unpleasant, but slightly perceptible. Still, I fed them to my kids and their friends the other day when the cookies were almost hot (they couldn’t wait) and I heard nothing but mmm’s and quiet munching. As the cookies cool, they stay moist and bendable, and the wheat germ texture is undetectable.

I don’t mean to masquerade these chocolate chip cookies around as health food. They are still loaded with a good bit of fat and sugar and I do use all-purpose flour in here too. But, if you are going to indulge in a treat (and when you are 8 months pregnant, how can you not?), an indulgence that is fortified with flavor and nutritional value seems like a no-brainer.

 

Yields 3 ½ dozen cookies

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

½ cup wheat germ

½ teaspoon table salt

1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder

1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 ½ sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, softened slightly at room temperature but not mushy

1 2/3 cups lightly packed light brown sugar (the flavor of this organic brand, Wholesome Sweeteners, makes a difference)

1 cup granulated sugar (I like using raw sugar)

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

20 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (my current favorite is Ghiradelli 60% chips)

 

1. Whisk together flours, wheat germ, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
    
2. In a separate mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until lightened, 3-5 minutes.
    
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
    
4. Stir in flour mixture just until combined.
    
5. Gently mix in chocolate chips.
    
6. Wrap dough in wax paper or plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours, up to 36 hours.
    
7. Preheat convection oven to 325F. If convection is not available, preheat conventional oven to 350F.
    
8. The dough will be very hard. You can use a tablespoon to chisel off chunks of it and roll the dough into 1 ½ inch balls. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet lined with a silicone linger or parchment paper.
    
9. Bake until golden around the edges, dry on the outside, but slightly moist looking in the crevices, about 12 minutes or so. Depending on your oven, you may need to rotate the baking sheet after the first 8 minutes.
    
10. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further. 

 

Recipe: Soft Crab and Corn Tortillas

This spring a mom visited my daughter’s class for a cooking project. She made corn tortillas with them, using a tortilla press. I heard the kids had a great time with it and, not wanting to be left out of the fun, I had to try it for myself.

Immediately I could see the appeal. The dough comes together like play dough – no wonder the kindergarteners took to it so readily. And because there’s no gluten in the flour, you don’t have to worry about over- or under-working the dough. The flour is masa, which is made of lime-treated corn (like the hominy used in grits). It’s really very easy. I just followed the directions on the bag of flour (which I am basically repeating below). I’m sure that using a tortilla press to flatten the dough down makes the project even more of a Play-Doh Fun Factory. Alas, I don’t have a tortilla press but I did just fine with a rolling pin. And the extra work was rewarded when I got to build a colorful stack of my favorite fresh summer ingredients on top of the tortilla.

Instead of the traditional cotija cheese, I used ricotta salata. I love adding this cheese to salads and some pasta dishes too. It has a clean, milky flavor, with just enough tang and salt to add flavor without being overpowering.

Makes 8 tortillas

Preparation time: 45 minutes

 

For corn-tomato salad:

3 ears fresh corn, cooked

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons minced red onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 small sweet green or bell pepper, diced

juice of about ½ lime

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt, to taste

For tortillas:

1 cup corn masa flour (such as Maseca brand)

2/3 cup water

1/8 teaspoon salt

For crab:

2 cups fresh fully cooked crabmeat (you can also defrost frozen crabmeat, which I did but it’s just not the same)

1 teaspoon minced fresh chives

½ lime, quartered (use the other half of the lime for the salad)

 

Other fillings:

Guacamole, see recipe

8 small butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried well

½ cup crumbled ricotta salata

 

1. Prepare the tomato corn salad: Remove the kernels from the cob by holding the cob vertically on a cutting board or into a steady bowl and slicing the kernels off in strips with several downward motions of a chef’s knife. Toss vegetables together. Dress with lime juice, olive oil, and salt to taste. Refrigerate the salad while you prepare tortillas.
   
   
   
2. Prepare tortillas: Mix together tortilla ingredients until they come together as a soft dough similar in texture to play dough. If the dough is somewhat dry or crumbly when you try to roll a portion of it, stir in another tablespoon or so of water. Roll dough into 8 balls.
   
   
3. If you have a tortilla press, you can use it to press the balls into 6-inch tortillas. Otherwise, roll out the tortilla between two sheets of wax paper or silicone liner. If you want the tortilla to be perfectly circular, use the rim of a cereal bowl to cut out circles. Keep both the unrolled balls and the rolled-out tortillas moist by covering them with a damp towel while you work.
   
   
4. Heat a comal, griddle, crepe pan, or cast iron skillet with low sides over medium-high heat. Cook tortillas for about 1 minute on each side. When they are done, they should have a dry appearance on the surface but still be tender and pliable. Place tortillas in a dish covered with a napkin to keep warm and soft.
   
   
5. Serve crab and other fillings: Put the crab in a serving dish and garnish with chives. Serve the lime wedges alongside. Serve guacamole, lettuce, and cheese in small dishes so that each person can assemble their tortilla as they like.
   

 

Recipe: Toasted Okara

A recipe that calls for okara, the soy bean pulp leftover from making soy milk, may seem kind of esoteric. But these last weeks, I'd been working on a how-to post for Serious Eats about silken tofu and soy milk. So the question of what to do with all the by-product of okara, was a practical one. When I made my first couple of batches of tofu, I just dumped the okara in the compost bin. But after a while, I started having a guilty conscience over wasting the stuff, considering that it's supposed to be very nutritious and that many dishes could be made out of it.

It needs to be cooked further before eating, as the soybeans aren't fully cooked. One night, I simmered them with some vegetables, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, mirin, and added lots of lime juice. That was great, but I couldn't serve okara every night this week. Then I focused on making something I could keep in the fridge and add to whatever dishes I happened to be making.

This toasted okara comes together very quickly and easily and makes a savory vegan and gluten-free substitute for breadcrumbs. It's also a nice protein-packed topping on salads and steamed or sauteed vegetables.


Makes about 1 cup

Preparation time: 25 minutes

1 cup okara

2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil

2 tablespoon raw sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 300F. Whisk together all ingredients.

2. Spread okara mixture on a baking sheet.

3. Bake until deeply golden and crisp, about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even toasting. 

4. Cool completely. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Recipe: Pimento Cheese Spread, Zesty Happy Hour Version

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, I’ve got a spicier, more grown-up version of pimento cheese spread. To add a little kick that goes well with beer and crackers, I first made a few substitutions. Hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese took the place of plain Monterey Jack and hot mustard replaced yellow mustard. On top of that, I added scallions and horseradish. It’s not crazy hot, but it does have a pleasant heat that is definitely not for kids.

 Here are the ingredients that make this grown-up pimento cheese spread different
from the lunchbox version.

 

Preparation time 5 minutes

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

 

4 ounces sharp orange cheddar, cubed

4 ounces hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese

¼ cup sliced, drained pimentos (such as Cento pimientos)

¼ cup cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons crème fraiche

White and light green portions of two scallions, roughly chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

2-3 teaspoons grated horseradish (the fresher it is, the hotter)

1 teaspoon hot mustard (I used Colman’s mustard)

1 clove garlic, finely minced or passed through a garlic press

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Pinch Kosher salt (to taste)

Optional (for heat lovers): hot sauce (such as Tabasco), to taste

 

1. Place all ingredients except salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well-blended and more or less the consistency of a small curd cottage cheese. Salt to taste. Add hot sauce if desired.
   
2. In order for the garlic, horseradish, and scallion flavors to develop, make the spread a couple hours ahead of serving and refrigerate until shortly before serving. Allow the spread to come to room temperature, or at least lose its chill, before serving.

 

 

 

Recipe: Lunchbox Pimento Cheese Spread

The first time, and, up until very recently, the last time I had pimento cheese spread was in Louisville, Kentucky, where I spent the summer after graduating college. I taught at a summer enrichment program for at-risk children. Whenever we had a break to run out and get food, the teachers would go to a nearby supermarket and pick up provisions. As soon as I tasted the odd, lumpy orange spread that someone had brought back, I was hooked. Every few days I stopped by the prepared food/deli section and pick up a container of it. I really had no idea what was in it but I loved the stuff. I’d roll it up with lettuce and avocado in flatbread or sometimes just scoop it up with Triscuits. Yet when the summer was over, my love affair with pimento cheese seemed to end as quickly as it began.

Until the heat of this summer hit New York. Somewhere in the dusty recesses of my brain I must associate pimento cheese with stiflingly hot weather and kids. Out of nowhere I started to crave pimento cheese sandwiches and wanted to put them in my kids’ lunchboxes for summer camp.

Fortunately, I was able to consult with my hair stylist buddy, born and raised in the South, while getting my hair cut the other day. Cheddar, pimentos, garlic (usually in powder or salt form, she told me), and mayonnaise are the main characters in most versions of pimento cheese. Variations include cameos by cream cheese, hot pepper, and pickles. She always ate it between two slices of Sunbeam white bread.

I weighed my options and considered a few additions. I didn’t want to stray too far from the classic version. The mayonnaise, though, had to go. I love homemade mayonnaise, but in this heat, I really didn’t want to make up a batch. Of course, I could’ve used mayonnaise from a jar, but I felt there had to be another, less oily option. Crème fraiche has a very similar consistency that would help make the cheese mixture more spreadable, plus it adds a nice mild tang.

If my pimento cheese spread was going to stand a chance of making it into my kids’ lunchbox rotation, it couldn’t be too spicy. So I stuck with mild and lightly tangy flavors. It turned out to be perfect comfort food, delicious in a sandwich spread with a light layer or sweet relish. And instead of Sunbeam, I used an all-natural honey oatmeal bread that is just as soft. My younger daughter loved helping me make it. She’s good at dumping things into the food processor and pressing the button (supervised, of course!). My older daughter loved eating it. And so did I.

P.S. A happy hour pimento cheese spread to enjoy with beer is next on my list. Stay tuned for jalapeno- and horseradish-spiked version.

 

Preparation time 5 minutes

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

 

4 ounces sharp orange cheddar, cubed

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese

¼ cup sliced pimentos (such as Cento pimientos) 

¼ cup cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons crème fraiche

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 clove garlic, finely minced or passed through a garlic press

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

pinch Kosher salt (to taste)

 

1. Place all ingredients except salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well-blended and more or less the consistency of a small curd cottage cheese. Salt to taste.
   
   
2. In order for the garlic flavor to develop, make the spread a couple hours ahead of serving and refrigerate until shortly before serving. Allow the spread to come to room temperature, or at least lose its chill, before serving. Delicious with crackers or in a sandwich with soft sliced bread and relish.
   

 

 

Recipe: Fresh and Bright Guacamole

This has been a guacamole summer for me so far. I never really made the stuff much before, but since May, I’ve been whipping up a batch about once a week. I’ve found that salty corn tortilla chips, a beer, and a generous bowl of guacamole is a very pleasant way to wind down a day. Especially when the creamy guacamole is loaded with a spectrum of fresh flavors and just enough heat.

Though red onion is more common in guacamole than shallots, I like the mild sweetness that shallots contribute to the mix of flavors. But, of course, feel free to use a tablespoon of minced red onion if you like prefer.

If I don’t have fresh jalapenos on-hand or if I just want a deeper, slightly smoky guacamole, I use a dab of chipotle in adobo sauce. You can buy a small can of it and, after opening it, store it in a jar in the fridge until you need it again.

 

Makes about 2 cups

Preparation time: 10 minutes

 

2 medium ripe and tender hass avocados

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, pith removed, and minced

1 small tomatillo, minced

1 small shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, passed through garlic press, or mashed well with the salt

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

Juice of up to 1 lime

¾ to 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, to taste

 

1. Scoop the avocado flesh into a mixing bowl along with the pepper, tomatillo, shallot, garlic, and cilantro. Add the juice from about half the lemon and ½ teaspoon or so of the salt.
   
2. Using an electric hand mixer, working up to high speed, blend the ingredients together until creamy. If you like a chunky guacamole, use a potato masher instead, or use the electric hand mixer just until you reach the consistency you like. If you want a very silky guacamole, use an immersion blender.
   
3. Taste and season with additional lime juice and salt as desired.