New ways to celebrate Thanksgiving

Planning your Thanksgiving menu? This year forgo the staid staples and try something new. A rich mushroom tart and tangy cranberry compote are sure to please; just a few more recipes to add to your turkey day favorites.

Earthy mushrooms, rich Piave cheese and salty Speck give this tart a lot of flavor.

Thanksgiving comes only once a year, giving us a reason to cook lavish meals, splurge on expensive ingredients and eat extravagantly. It presents quite the conundrum, as many a cook(and a chef), make the same dishes every year, cooking the turkey, stuffing and potatoes just the way Mom may have. Others praise the holiday for the culinary epitome that it is, refusing to waste this cooking opportunity on already-been-there recipes? This year change your menu completely or just add a few newbies to the old favorites. Cook the turkey in a way you never have, add a few new side dishes, and ignore the apple for a different flavor pie all together.

In my family, Mom always made Thanksgiving dinner the same. My sister had to have her mashed potatoes and gravy, my dad wanted the deviled eggs, and Mom’s turkey was always a bit on the dry side. After my first year in culinary school(when I thought I had conquered all there was to know in the world of food), I decided it was my turn to make the meal. I roasted my first turkey covered in a butter and herb soaked cheesecloth(a trick I had seen on Martha Stewart, in fact). My sister turned her nose at my rosemary and roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and Mom still made those deviled eggs, but that first year gave me the boost of confidence to keep trying new things when it came to turkey day. Since then I’ve stuffed the turkey with oranges, made polenta stuffing, shredded root vegetables into latkes, and baked pie after pie sans apples or pumpkin, just to name a few.

Of course I know more than a few friends who have the same meal every year. Part tradition, fixing the old staples keeps the guess work out of cooking and generally pleases the masses. However, if you look around your larder this year and realize its time for something new, try to change up your menu. Use beer-soaked rye bread for the stuffing, smoked potatoes instead of mashed and orange meringue pie for dessert.

This rustic tart, with its deep flavors, is the perfect addition to your new Thanksgiving Day menu. Earthy mushrooms, cooked with lots of sage, sweet sautéed onions, and salty Speck(German-style bacon), make for the perfect flavor combination to celebrate Fall with. Bored with canned cranberry jelly? This cranberry compote gets a kick of life with pomegranate seeds and a splash of Bourbon. You can even make it ahead of time, saving you time on the big day and you can jar enough to use into the new year. Easy recipes, these two are just the beginning of your new Thanksgiving Day cuisine. The possibilities are endless, and thankfully, you have every year to try something new.

Orange juice and burboun brighten this cranberry compote

Mushroom and Speck Tart
Savory pastry dough
1 white onion, small diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch sage
2 pints mushrooms, thinly sliced
vegetable oil
1 cup Speck or thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/8 inch cubes
1 cup shredded Piave, or Parmigiana Reggiano
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt
pepper
fluted pie pan with removable bottom

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Remove pastry dough from the refrigerator and, on a floured surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch circle. Carefully lay the dough into the pie pan and press into the corners of the pan and the sides until the pan is covered evenly. Using a a sharp knife, slice the excess dough off the edges. Dock the dough, making small holes with a fork in the bottom. Place a sheet of wax paper inside the pie pan and fill with baking beans or weights. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and set aside to chill.

2. Heat a heavy-duty medium saute pan over high heat. Add a small amount of oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Add a portion of the mushrooms. In cooking mushrooms, it is important not to crowd the pan, to use high heat for good, caramelized flavor, and to not season the mushrooms until the end(otherwise the leak out water and will become soggy from steaming). Cook the mushrooms on one side, then shake the pan to cook the other. When both sides have a nice brown color, add salt and cracked black pepper. Remove mushrooms onto a plate and repeat until all mushrooms are cooked. If pan starts to get dirty, add a good amount of oil and let the mushroom speck cook off. Carefully remove oil and wipe the pan clean. Continue cooking mushrooms in the above method.

4. While the mushrooms are cooking, heat a second, medium-sized heavy-duty saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic and sage and cook slowly to release the sugars in the onion. When the onions start to become translucent, add the speck. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper, removing sage. Turn off heat and stir in the heavy cream and half the cheese. Place the tart shell on a half-sheet tray and fill with the filling, topping with the remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20, until the tart shell and melted cheese are golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Cranberry and pomegranate compote(make 4 4-oz jars)
2 pounds fresh cranberries
4-5 pomegranates, seeds removed(you can find them pre-seeded at some grocery stores or if you don’t want the extra work, and the extra crunch in the compote, substitute with 1 cup pomegranate juice)
16oz sugar
2oz sure-jell or pectin
1/3 cup bourbon or whiskey
1 cup orange juice
1 tbsp cinnamon

1. Place the cranberries, pomegranate seeds, and orange juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Add 3/4 of the sugar and stir. Allow to come to a boil and simmer until cranberry skins begin to crack. Whisk together the remaining sugar and pectin and slowly rain into the pot. Allow to come to a boil again, cooking for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add liquor and cinnamon.

2. Place in jars and process using the boiling-water canning procedure and store in a cool, dark place. Or allow to cool to room temperature and store in the fridge(if you are planning to use it quickly)

Buttery, flaky pie dough enrobes crisp apples to create the perfect slice of pie. Sweet persimmons and rich coffee rum syrup give a twist to this fall classic.

Fuyu Persimmons at the Hollywood Farmers Market

Nothing says fall like apple pie. This year, try a variation on the classic by adding persimmons. An orange-red, pumpkin-shaped fruit, persimmons are available from October through December. Fuyus are the hard variety, sweet and crunchy like an apple. They can be eaten raw or cooked into jams, purees and baked goods. The heart-shaped persimmons are called Hachiya and should be eaten when they are very soft to the touch. They fruit can also be pureed and makes wonderful cookies.

Persimmons have a sweet, earthy flavor that adds depth to this apple pie. Adding a rum and coffee syrup brings notes of spice, earthiness and tang, giving a more complex flavor overall.

Persimmon and apple pie

Apple and Persimmon Pie
Pastry Dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup ice water

For the Filling
5 apples of your choice, Pink Ladies work well
5 medium size fuyu persimmons
1/4 cup spiced rum
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup +2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp clove
1 tsp nutmeg
1 egg

1. Stir together flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the cubed butter, and using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the dough, creating small pieces of butter mixed with the dries.

2. When the butter is fairly incorporated, add half of the ice water and mix together. Add more water until the dough just holds together. Form a ball with the dough, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

3. While the dough is chilling, cut the apples and persimmons into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the rum with the 1/2 cup of water and dissolve the coffee powder and 1 cup sugar in it. Add the liquid and spices to the fruit. Set aside.

4. Pre-heat then oven to 425 F with a sheet tray in the oven. Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut the ball into two pieces, re-wrapping one piece and placing it back into the fridge. Lightly flour your workspace and roll the dough out to 13-inch round. Spray a pie pan with cooking spray and lay the dough into the pan, pressing down into the corners of the pan. Trim the overhang of the dough with a pair of kitchen shears, leaving a 1/2-inch rim. Place the lined  pan in the refrigerator and remove the second piece.

5. Re-flour your work surface and roll the second piece of dough out to a 13-inch round. Whisk the egg together, and, using a pastry brush, lightly coat the dough. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp sugar. Using a round cutter or cup, cut out circles of the dough.

6. Remove the lined pie pan from the fridge and place the apple filling into the pan, pushing down to create an even, flat top surface. Carefully lift the dough circles with an offset spatula and layer them onto the top of the pie, like fish scales. Cover the entire pie.

7. Place the pie on the hot sheet tray and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Cool pie to room temperature. Freeze to enjoy later, or slice and serve with vanilla ice cream on a chilly fall day.

Whoopie! for a grown-up Halloween treat

Celebrate the haunts and horrors of Halloween in grown-up style. These spicy, pumpkin whoopie cakes, filled with a chocolate stout cream, are frighteningly good.

Oatmeal stout lends a rich, earthy undertone to these chocolate filled, pumpkin whoopie pies.

Chilly days full of changing, colorful leaves and warm, apple cider speak of the lush hills of the New England countryside. A Pennsylvania Amish tradition, whoopie pies are a favorite all over the Northeastern states, combining fluffy cake cookies with a creamy center. These treats are most commonly made with a chocolate cake outside and marshmallow center, reminiscent of another sweet treat, Oreo cookies.

This October, celebrate Halloween in a grown-up fashion by making this twist on the traditional whoopie pie. Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout is the perfect addition to the rich, chocolate cream filling for these spicy, pumpkin cake cookies. The whoopie pies are easy to make and sure to be a favorite at holiday parties or with trick-or-treating adults. Make some ahead of time and keep a batch in the freezer so you’ll always be prepared for a sneak ghost attack!

Pumpkin whoopie pie with chocolate stout cream
For the pumpkin pies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp pumpkin spice, or 1 tsp each of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg
2 tsp ground ginger
6oz butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
15-oz can pumpkin puree
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

For the chocolate stout cream
1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
3/4 butter, room temperature
1/2 cup Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout, room temperature
2.5 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

1. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices together.
2. Whisk the brown sugar and melted butter in a large bowl until smooth. Slowly mix in the oil and then add the eggs, one at a time. Add the puree and mix until smooth.
3. Sift the dry ingredients into the mixture, alternating with the milk. Fold until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
4. After one hour, preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a sheet tray with baking spray, line with parchment and spray the again. Spoon the batter onto the tray in 3 tbsp sections, trying to make round scoops(each tray should fit 11-12). Wait ten minutes and bake the cookies in the top section of the oven for 20 minutes.
5. Remove cookies from oven and pull parchment off tray on to a cooling rack or work surface. Rinse tray with cold water to chill, then spray and line with parchment and bake another round of cookies. Repeat until all batter is baked.
6. While cookies are cooling, prepare filling. Sift the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa together. Cream the butter and sugar mixture using the paddle attachment of a hand held mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Stream in the stout and mix until completely incorporated. Mix in the cool, melted chocolate until smooth. Remove bowl from mixer and set aside.
7. When cookies have cooled, scoop the cream filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Top with the other cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to eight hours, or store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

You can can, can’t you?

Stretch summer into chilly days by preserving the last of the farmer’s market peaches in this rich jam. The dark caramel base and rosemary add earthy, malty flavors perfect for the fall.

Canning is one of those kitchen projects that’s a bit intimidating. With worries about the equipment, temperatures, amounts of thickener and the actual process, it’s no wonder that canning has such a fraughtful reputation. However, preserving homemade jams, pickles, fruits and vegetables is fairly easy and a wonderful way to enjoy your produce all year round. It’s a good idea to start with small batches(between 3-5 pounds of product) and to make sure you have all the proper tools ahead of time. You’ll need jars with lids and screw bands and a boiling water canner, which you can make by placing a rack on the bottom of a large pot. Make sure your pot is large enough to allow the jars to be covered by one-inch of water.

The last of California’s peaches are still available at a few farmers markets. This jam turns the summer fruit into a fall favorite by adding dark caramel and nutty rosemary. Be careful, as the rosemary flavor can get quite strong, so taste the jam as you make it and remove the sprigs as you prefer.

Rosemary Peach Jam, (makes 4-0.5l jars)
2 quarts of peaches, washed, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/8 inch pieces
7 cups of sugar
50g of pectin
2 springs of rosemary
boiling water canner or pot with rack
tongs or canning tongs
funnel
sheet tray
thick dish towel

1. Fill a large, heavy duty pot with water and place over medium-high heat to boil.

2. Place a second large, heavy duty pot over medium heat and heat for several minutes. Combine 1 cup of sugar with the pectin, mixing completely. Scale out a second cup of sugar and sprinkle enough into the pot to cover the bottom in a thin layer. Allow sugar to melt and turn a golden color and sprinkle more sugar into the syrup. Continue to add sugar, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and being careful not to let the sugar burn. When the entire cup of sugar is in the pot, cook the caramel syrup to a dark, amber color.  Add the rosemary sprigs, fruit, and last five cups of sugar. This may cause the caramel to harden slightly, but it will melt back down.

3. As you cook the fruit and sugar, mash the peaches against the bottom and sides of the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and slowly rain in, or sprinkle in, the pectin/sugar mixture. Remove the rosemary, and continue cooking(and mashing), bringing the jam back up to a boil. Allow to boil for five minutes, then turn off heat and let the jam sit while you prepare your jars.

4. Heat the oven to 250 Farenheit. Remove the lids from jars and place the jars in the boiling water for five minutes. Remove carefully with tongs and place on sheet tray. Place the lids and funnel in the boiling water and boil for five minutes, then remove and place on tray. Place tray in the oven to dry and keep the jars warm. This step can be done ahead of time or during the jam making process.

5. Remove half of the water from the pot and place the rack on the bottom or place the water in the boiling water canner. Carefully remove jars from the oven and, using the funnel, fill each jar with jam, being careful not to overfill. Fill to just under the rim.

6. Gently screw on the lids, making sure they are secure but not too tight. Place the jars inside the pot on the rack so they are not touching. Carefully fill the pot with more water so the jars are covered by one inch of water. Do not pour water directly on top of jars, but on the sides.

7. Bring the water back up to a boil. When boiling, cover the pot and start a five minute timer. Place a towel on the sheet tray. After five minutes, use the tongs to remove the jars individually and place them on the towel-lined sheet tray. Do not allow the jars to touch. If the jars have been properly canned, the seal on the lid will be sucked in slightly and will not bounce back when pressed. If the lid is not sealed, return the jar to the canner, repeating the above process.

8. Allow the jars to cool completely at room temperature before moving. When cool, store jam in a cool, dark place. Wrap with ribbon and mark with tags for gifts or enjoy the jam on buttered toast.

Bakin’ Challah

With its familiar rich, tender crumb, Challah bread is a dough steeped with Jewish tradition. In this whole wheat version, honey lends sweetness, while tart raisins add a chewy bite.

Inspiration from the recent Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah lend itself to this moist, sweet Challah recipe. Challah is a traditional braided bread, eaten on the Sabbath and holidays by Ashkenazi and by most Sephardic Jews. The six-legged braid of the traditional loaf represents the six challot that Moses was to place before the Lord.

Observant Jews recite three blessings prior to their meal on Friday evenings, and the last blessing is over two covered loaves of challah, giving thanks for the bread of the Earth. As Joan Nathan states is her book, The Jewish Holiday Baker, “On the Sabbath, the bread becomes a symbol of holiness…[t]he blessing over the bread at the beginning of every meal connects the Jews continuously to the food that grows in the earth and to God.”

The traditional Rosh Hashanah challah is braided and then rolled into a circle, a symbol of the year’s cycle. A honey glaze is sometimes added, with hopes for a sweet year. An easier method is to shape the portions into loaves, and bake in loaf pans. The dough can also be braided and left as a long loaf.

Representing religious and historical significance, Challah bread is an integral part of Jewish life. Families make the bread each week before the Sabbath or purchase it from a Jewish bakery.

Of course, many non-Jews enjoy the rich bread as well, and bakeries around the world prepare Challah in many ways, adding honey, raisins, seeds, saffron, cardamom, or other flavoring agents to increase flavor. Challah is a sweet bread, perfect for toast with jam or in making french toast. An egg bread similar to brioche, it is enriched by oil instead of butter or milk. This recipe uses a portion of whole wheat flour and honey, for a sweet, earthy flavor and raisins plumped in orange juice, for a tangy chew.

Whole Wheat Challah recipe
*makes two loaves
1 1/2 tbsp instant yeast
3/4 cup warm water, 90 degrees Farenheit
1 tbsp sugar
5 eggs, room temperature, +1 for egg wash
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp salt
4 cups AP flour
4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in warm orange juice and drained
Poppy seeds or sesame seeds for garnishing

1. In a medium sized bowl, or bowl of stand mixer, combine water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes, until yeast is frothy.

2. Combine the eggs, honey, salt, vanilla, and oil in a second bowl. When yeast is frothy, add the egg mixture to the yeast. Add one cup of flour at a time, until all the flour has been incorporated. When you have a shaggy dough, turn out onto board and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, at least 10 minutes. If using a mixer, mix with dough hook until smooth. Soak the bowl in hot water during kneading process to prepare for proofing.

3. Grease the bowl with a small amount of vegetable oil and place dough inside, rolling over to coat both sides with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm space to proof to double in size, 1-2 hours depending on your kitchen. You can also proof inside a warm, but turned off oven.

4. Punch dough down, by pushing down on the center of loaf, to release gas build up. Cover and proof for another thirty minutes.

5. After proofed, knead raisins into dough. Divide dough in two pieces and shape as desired, either in loaves or breads. If braiding, divide dough into six pieces and roll into logs. Stick logs together at one end and braid. When finished, stick dough ends together to seal. Keep as long braid, or bring ends together for a ball shape. Place on a greased sheet, with two inches between the loaves or in  loaf pans for normal loaves.

6. Beat egg with 1/4 cup of water. Brush onto loaves. Let rise one hour.

7. After the third rise, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and re-brush the loaves with egg wash and honey. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if desired. Bake in the center rack of oven for 40-60 minutes, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool loaves on rack. Once cooled, you can freeze loaves for future use, or store wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator.

End of Summer Lasagna

Tomatoes are in full bloom, a sign that summer is fading into chilly fall afternoons. This hearty lasagna, filled with summer squash and crisp heirloom tomatoes, is the perfect way to celebrate the last burst of summer’s produce.

Summer's Bounty: Basil, heirloom tomatoes, and squash

As the last days of summer go by, the farmers markets are full of rich, flavorful tomatoes. At Santa Monica’s farmer’s market, Munack Farms offers customers a wide array of heirloom tomatoes, deep in flavor. Fans flock to bins full of bright yellow and red Pineapple tomatoes, tiny green and yellow striped Zebra Striped tomatoes, and deep red and yellow Brandywines. These tomatoes are so complex, they need little more that a simple seasoning of salt, pepper and olive oil. This lasagna goes one step ahead, highlighting the beautiful fruit in a squash and tomato sauce, artfully layered with pasta, squash and sliced tomatoes. A hearty meal, it’s the perfect way to celebrate the end of summer.

Tomato and Squash Lasagna
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 white onion, small diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 large squash, or zucchini, or a combination; 1 diced and the others cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 cans whole plum tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
4 large tomatoes of your choice; 1 diced and the others slice into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 bunch basil
160z ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Greek style yogurt
2 eggs
1 package no boil lasagna noodles
16oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp honey
salt
pepper

1. Place a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil and allow to heat, for around 3 minutes. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become slightly translucent. Add the diced zucchini and cook until both are translucent. Add the tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes more. Using your hands, crush the whole plum tomatoes, being careful as the juices will squirt out. Pour in the tomatoes and tomato sauce, honey, and half of the basil bunch. Season well with salt and pepper and cover the pot. Allow to cook over medium low heat.

Saute oninos, zucchini and garlic

2. Place a heavy bottomed saute pan over medium high heat. In a bowl toss the squash slices with 2 tbsp oil and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Add the last tbsp of oil to the pan, and working in batches, saute the squash slices. The squash will begin to look translucent. Flip over and cook until the squash is sightly soft. Place on tray or plate, and saute the remaining pieces.

3. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, yogurt and eggs together. Season with salt and pepper. Chiffonade, or thinly slice, the remaining basil and add to cheese mixture.

4. Preheat the oven to 375. Spread a thin layer of cheese mixture onto the bottom of a 12×8 pyrex pan. Cover with dried noodles, carefully cutting to fit the entire pan. Spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture onto the noodles. Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce on top of cheese. Lay the squash slices on top of sauce, covering the entire area. Top with a thin layer of shredded cheese.

5. Add a layer of noddles on top of shredded cheese. Top with thin layers of the cheese mixture and tomato sauce. Line the sliced tomatoes on top the sauce, covering the entire area. Top with mozzarella cheese. Repeat these steps to make a third layer with sliced tomatoes. Top tomatoes with shredded cheese and pasta noodles. For the top of lasagna, spread the remaining cheese mixture onto noodles, add a thin layer of tomato sauce, and cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Top tomato sauce with a layer of sliced tomatoes

6. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour. Lasagna will be done when bubbling, cheese is golden brown, and sides are crisp. Remove from over and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Or allow to cool completely and freeze for later use.

Bubbling hot, finished lasagna

Skip the ice cream, cool down with semifreddo
A chocolate, honey, peanut dessert speaks to our inner child’s sweet tooth cravings. This two-in-one dessert is a decadent chocolate cake that gives way to a cooling, honey semifreddo. Toasted peanuts add an earthy crunch.

Whisk a few eggs together, sweetened and held by honey, and lightened with whipped heavy cream and you’ll have semifreddo. With an airy mousse texture, this frozen treat is easy to make, smooth and creamy on the tongue, and a versatile alternative to ice cream. This recipe hides the rich mousse inside a chocolate cake enhanced with peanut meal. It’s addictive; try even a small slice and you’ll be hooked.

Chocolate and peanut cake with Honey Semifreddo
For Cake
100g peanuts, toasted, cooled and ground into fine meal with food processor
230g bittersweet chocolate
6 large eggs, separated
150g granulated sugar
10g salt
25g cocoa powder

For Semifreddo
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature for 30 minutes
60g honey
150g heavy cream, chilled
100g toasted peanuts, cooled, and chopped finely

To make the cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Spray at 10×10 inch baking pan and line with wax paper, allowing a 1-inch overhang.

2. Slowly melt the chocolate in a microwavable safe bowl, stirring frequently and melting for thirty seconds at a time(be careful chocolate will burn easily!) Set aside to cool.

3. Beat the yolks, 75g of sugar, and 5g of salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer at medium high speed until they are pale yellow and thick, about 6 to 8 minutes. Mix in the melted chocolate.

4. In a clean bowl, beat whites until frothy, then rain in the remaining sugar and salt, mixing on medium until whites just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of the whites into the yolk mixture, mixing completely but gently, then add the remaining whites and carefully fold together.

5. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and carefully spread until even. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until top is no longer wet and cake springs back when pushed.

6. Allow to cool for 10 minutes of rack, then run a knife along the edges, and invert the cake onto a piece of wax paper.

7. Lightly spray a loaf pan and line with plastic wrap or aluminum foil in strips so that each section is covered. Cut the cake in pieces to fit the loaf pan, using the pan as a stencil. Cut a rectangle for the bottom and top, two long pieces for the sides, and two small pieces for the short sides.  Fit all the pieces into the pan, gently pushing the pieces into the pan, leaving the top piece off.  Wrap the cake pan and piece in plastic wrap and place in freezer while assembling the semifreddo.

To make the semifeddo:
1. Beat together the eggs and honey in a medium sized bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Mix with an electric mixer until egg temperature reaches 160 degree Fahrenheit. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. In a chilled bowl, whisk the heavy cream together until it is thick and holds soft peaks. When the egg mixture is cooled down, about ten minutes, mix a portion of the cream into the eggs, gently folding together. Add the rest the the cream, fold together and fold in the chopped peanuts.

3. Remove the cake pan from the freezer. Evenly fill the pan with the semifreddo and place the last cake piece on top. Gently cover the cake with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 9 hours, or overnight. Before serving, remove the top layer of plastic wrap, and invert the cake onto a long platter, using the lining to help remove the cake. Garnish with sifted cocoa powder, toasted peanuts, or chocolate shavings. Slice, serve, and enjoy.

Destination Dinners: Let your cooking take your away

Enjoy traveling the globe without ever leaving your home. With these cooking kits, discover a new culture and destination on your dinner plate.

If you dream of traveling to Bangkok or Istanbul, but the reality is your suitcases haven’t left storage in quite some time, Destination Dinners answers your traveling prayers. The company offers recipe kits with easy to make dishes from all over the world. Try traveling to Thailand with pad thai, Korea with bulgogi, or Bangladesh with chicken garam masala. Decide where you want your dinner to take you and order the kits on line.

Each kit makes cooking a breeze; the primary ingredients are included along with a shopping list for meats and vegetables, trivia about the destination, and cooking instructions. Inside the sleek box, the pre-measured ingredients are found attached to a cardboard sheet. Following the easy instructions, one simply adds the ingredients together to create an international dish in less than an hour. With everything pre-measured, it almost seems too simple, and without listed measurements, feels a bit like blind cooking. Although, for those intimidated by ethnic cooking, it’s a great first step and introduction to spices, sauces and dry goods. After enjoying the meal, sip on a cup of the included tea and learn something new about the destination with the trivia questions. 

A great idea for a gift, date activity or party, the Destination Dinner kits range from $25-30 and are delivered in a few days. The kits feed 4-6 people, and for parties, the company offers Party Kits, which include the recipe kit along with serving dishes, necessary cookware, and a cd with music from your destination. Or sign up for the Passport, a 3,6, or 12 month pre-paid package, for a recipe kit each month with a coordinated gift. With so many options, Destination Dinners makes a trip around the world easy, by bringing culture and cuisine into your kitchen and your dinner.

Travel to Bangkok, Thailand with Khao Ob Sapparod Baked Pineapple Rice with Chicken & Cashews

]]> http://lavitacucinare.com/2009/05/28/words-of-wisdom-for-the-class-of-2009/ Thu, 28 May 2009 00:13:42 +0000 Katherine Sacks http://lavitacucinare.com/2009/05/28/words-of-wisdom-for-the-class-of-2009/

Words of Wisdom for the Class of 2009

Congratulations Class of 2009. You’re a graduate, so pat yourselves’ on the back and give a giant round of applause. You’ve made it through the long hours, hard classes, and sometimes boring professors. Finally it’s the day when you can take off the toque and walk out a free cook.

As you push through the doors of your culinary school, realize the wide world of restaurants is a tough business. You’ve managed to acquire a job and it’s time to put your schooling to use. Here is some tried and true advice based on experiences in some of the toughest restaurants. Take it with a grain of salt and use it as best you can. Be advised this is a harsh environment and these words of wisdom are meant to help you steer clear of many of the problems you may encounter. The advice may seem jarring, but it’s tough in hopes you avoid bearing the worst brunt of kitchen abuse. With your guns of knowledge fully loaded, you will be ready to learn and grow into the best cook possible.

- First of all, swallow your pride just a bit. Yes, you graduated culinary school, but, compared to everyone else in the kitchen, you don’t know much. Head into your new kitchen home acting like hot stuff and you are more than likely going to get pushed around. Treat the older and wiser cooks with respect, and if you are lucky someone might tell you there is tape stuck all over the back of your chef’s coat. If you go in showing respect, chances are you will gain some along the way.

- Be prepared. Always have a sharp knife, a notebook, and a sharpie. If you can’t manage those three things, think seriously about whether this is the career choice for you. You will always need these tools. You don’t want to be the guy with a dull knife when the chef comes around and borrows it, do you? And you need a notebook to write down everything. Because you won’t be able to remember anything when the chef, sous chef, and senior line cooks are barking orders down your throat.

- Appearances are everything. Don’t walk into the kitchen looking like you just rolled out of bed. And it’s a good idea to have a clean jacket, hat, knife, and apron if you are staging. Even if the restaurant tells you they will provide these things, it’s better to be safe then sorry.

- Never, ever wear Crocs in the kitchen. They have holes in them. Hot liquids go through holes. Sharp knives go through holes. Please go and buy a decent pair of chef shoes. Preferably a wooden soled pair, because you are starting a job that requires you stand on your feet for 10-12 hours a day. Wooden soles will hurt your feet at first, but you will adjust and they are the best thing for your back. The only person who can get away with wearing the ridiculous Crocs is Mario Batali and that’s because he is a rock star.

- Always say “behind you,” “hot behind” when you are carrying something hot and “sharp behind” when you are carrying your knives as you pass behind your coworkers. If you don’t, you will get burned, stepped on, cut and even worse, you will hurt your coworkers. This is not optional.

- Always wrap and label everything you touch. Pull out that sharpie and put it to good use. Always take the tape labels off of everything you send to the dish pit. If you don’t, there will be a sticky residue left over from the tape. This residue is a sign of laziness. Do not be lazy.

- Always keep at least two side towels on you. Use a towel to touch any pan. Even when you know it’s cold. Take a pan from the freezer, use a towel. Trust me on this one.

- See the chef over in the corner, leaning against the counter, chatting with the manager? Don’t do that. Follow suit of your fellow co-workers and stand up straight with your head down, working quickly, very quickly. At one point, that chef did the same thing, but now he is the chef and has decided he has the time to chat it up. Hopefully, one day you’ll have that option as well. Today, however, you are being paid minimum wage to attempt whatever task your sous chef has given you. So be quiet and work.

- Always work like you are in the weeds. Quickly and efficiently. That way when you are actually in the weeds you will be ready. And everyone around you just might believe you are taking your job seriously.

- There will come a day when someone newer and less experienced comes along and you suddenly get moved up from the lowest spot on the totem pole. When this happens, it is likely that your coworkers will invite you along for drinks after work. This presents a dilemma. Commodore in the work place soothes the anxiety of a high stress environment and bonding over beers after work definitely helps in building a solid team. However, if you party all night with the guys, then everyone knows why you are lagging the next day during prep time. And it’s probably not the best idea to have one too many drinks and call your sous chef a jerk, especially when you need him to help you get set up for a big party the next day. So be fair warned, when you play with fire, you may get burned.

- Try not to make constant references to culinary school. You graduated and that’s wonderful, but no one wants to hear stories about your professors or your recipes. We all had them and we all have learned new and better skills and tricks. So start learning your new tricks too.

- There is always work to be done. If your prep list is done, then prep for tomorrow. If you are done with that, then clean. What if you’ve already cleaned your station? Okay, detail all of the equipment with a toothpick. There is always work to be done in the kitchen. If you don’t find it, chances are someone will find some work for you, and you probably won’t like it.

Kitchens are tough, hard places to survive in. They are full of a lot of ruthless, unyielding, people who only look out for themselves. You have to really, really love food and have tough skin to survive in this world, but at the end of the day if you are doing what you love, it will get you through the rough patches. You will almost certainly get yelled at, but everyone does. When you are eating that amazing juicy fig, or plating the perfectly cooked steak, it will be worth it, I promise. Hopefully this advice will help you along your way. Good luck and welcome to the kitchen.

Lubitel Youbitel

A few months ago I was flipping through the pages of a fashion spread when a svelte model caught my eye. She was holding a Lubitel camera, and I was smitten. Not long after, Thomas, my long-distance beau, arrived for a visit from Los Angeles with a present in tow, a Lubitel of my very own. I have to say, I was a bit intimidated at first by the double lens and waist level view finder. However, this beginners level, medium-format camera isn’t difficult to use, and the nuances that come with variations in shutter speed and exposure are a welcome change from the monotony of the world of digital photography. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the first rolls I have developed, complete with idiosyncrasies in focus, exposure and lighting. Enjoy and look for more Lubitel pictures to come!

Mother’s Day Confections Box

I distinctly recollect the first life lesson I recognized my Mother had taught me. It was a hot summer day in Philadelphia, and I was on my way to a funeral service. Although I was a college student who often disregarded the proper rules of attire, that morning I had remembered to slip on a pair of pantyhose underneath my black shift dress. Walking into the funeral parlor, I realized my Mother would be proud at my commitment to propriety despite the heat. Of course, this is one of the many simple lessons my Mother has taught me along my way into adulthood. She is a strong,spirited, and thoughtful woman who raises me with a kind of loving nature that I can only hope to emulate. She faces life with passion and makes daily sacrifices for her children, and, like many so others, she is a truly wonderful Mom.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and this year make your Mother a gift that’s unique and thoughtful. Put a distinct, customized spin on a present of assorted confections. Tailor a designed box and fill it with flavors of your Mother’s tastes to show her your true appreciation for all those life lessons she has taught you along the way.

Decoupage Confections Gift Box
Gift Box(Paper Source, Micheal’s Arts and Crafts)
Designed Paper(Art Store, magazine cut outs)
Lace, ribbon, fabric
Fabric flowers
Scissors
Decoupage glue such as modge podge
Small foam paintbrush
Tissue paper or thin cotton paper

1. Carefully cut out area of designed paper that you wish to apply to the box lid. Apply a thin layer of glue to area of box and place paper down. Cover with thin coat of glue and allow to dry completely.

2. Add ribbons, lace and flowers in decorative manner. Use glue as an adhesive and also as a glaze.

3. Cut a piece of the tissue or cotton paper out to fit the inside of the box so the paper will lay on the bottom of the box and then cover the confections.

4. When the lid is completely dry, carefully place the confections inside the box and cover with the paper. Place lid on top and give to your Mother.

Mother’s Day Confections
Salted Caramel Truffles
567g dark chocolate
67g sugar
30ml water
160ml heavy cream
1/4 tsp fleur de sel
1 plastic piping bag
150g chocolate
1 cup cocoa powder

1. Place the chocolate in a microwavable bowl and microwave thirty seconds at a time, stirring in between until melted. Be careful, chocolate will burn easily.

2. Place the heavy cream in a small cup and place in microwave. Place the sugar and water in a heavy-bottom, small sauce pot and place on medium heat. Cook until amber in color. Heat cream for thirty seconds, then add to caramel. Be careful, this will bubble up. Stir to combine completely.

3. Pour the caramel into the chocolate and mix. Add the salt.

4. Chill until set. Place chocolate into pipping bag and on a lined tray, pipe into quarter size dollops. Let set until hard, for several hours.

5. Roll quarter dollops into balls. Melt the 150g of chocolate in the microwave. Place the cocoa powder on a parchment lined sheet tray.

6. Dip one of the truffles into the chocolate and then drop it into the cocoa powder. Using a fork, push it through the powder to coat it completely. Proceed until all truffles are coated.

Macarons
See recipe in San Fransisco Dreamin’

Marshmellows
See recipe in Spring Sprung

Mother’s Day Confections Box

I distinctly recollect the first life lesson I recognized my Mother had taught me. It was a hot summer day in Philadelphia, and I was on my way to a funeral service. Although I was a college student who often disregarded the proper rules of attire, that morning I had remembered to slip on a pair of pantyhose underneath my black shift dress. Walking into the funeral parlor, I realized my Mother would be proud at my commitment to propriety despite the heat. Of course, this is one of the many simple lessons my Mother has taught me along my way into adulthood. She is a strong,spirited, and thoughtful woman who raises me with a kind of loving nature that I can only hope to emulate. She faces life with passion and makes daily sacrifices for her children, and, like many so others, she is a truly wonderful Mom.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and this year make your Mother a gift that’s unique and thoughtful. Put a distinct, customized spin on a present of assorted confections. Tailor a designed box and fill it with flavors of your Mother’s tastes to show her your true appreciation for all those life lessons she has taught you along the way.

Decoupage Confections Gift Box
Gift Box(Paper Source, Micheal’s Arts and Crafts)
Designed Paper(Art Store, magazine cut outs)
Lace, ribbon, fabric
Fabric flowers
Scissors
Decoupage glue such as modge podge
Small foam paintbrush
Tissue paper or thin cotton paper

1. Carefully cut out area of designed paper that you wish to apply to the box lid. Apply a thin layer of glue to area of box and place paper down. Cover with thin coat of glue and allow to dry completely.

2. Add ribbons, lace and flowers in decorative manner. Use glue as an adhesive and also as a glaze.

3. Cut a piece of the tissue or cotton paper out to fit the inside of the box so the paper will lay on the bottom of the box and then cover the confections.

4. When the lid is completely dry, carefully place the confections inside the box and cover with the paper. Place lid on top and give to your Mother.

Mother’s Day Confections
Salted Caramel Truffles
567g dark chocolate
67g sugar
30ml water
160ml heavy cream
1/4 tsp fleur de sel
1 plastic piping bag
150g chocolate
1 cup cocoa powder

1. Place the chocolate in a microwavable bowl and microwave thirty seconds at a time, stirring in between until melted. Be careful, chocolate will burn easily.

2. Place the heavy cream in a small cup and place in microwave. Place the sugar and water in a heavy-bottom, small sauce pot and place on medium heat. Cook until amber in color. Heat cream for thirty seconds, then add to caramel. Be careful, this will bubble up. Stir to combine completely.

3. Pour the caramel into the chocolate and mix. Add the salt.

4. Chill until set. Place chocolate into pipping bag and on a lined tray, pipe into quarter size dollops. Let set until hard, for several hours.

5. Roll quarter dollops into balls. Melt the 150g of chocolate in the microwave. Place the cocoa powder on a parchment lined sheet tray.

6. Dip one of the truffles into the chocolate and then drop it into the cocoa powder. Using a fork, push it through the powder to coat it completely. Proceed until all truffles are coated.

Macarons
See recipe in San Fransisco Dreamin’

Marshmellows
See recipe in Spring Sprung

]]> http://lavitacucinare.com/2009/04/13/braising-101/ Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:24 +0000 Katherine Sacks http://lavitacucinare.com/2009/04/13/braising-101/

Braising 101

The idea of cooking for a large group of people can be quite daunting. Holidays especially invoke the kinds of gatherings in which large roasts and glazed hams are required to feed the masses. Worries spread from not having enough food, to burning the rolls, to spilling red wine all over the carpet just as everyone has sat down. Often the meat can cause the most anxiety, as people are usually the least comfortable cooking several pounds of the main protein. From cooking time and temperature, to seasoning and butchery, meat cookery is a skill that requires some effort.

Braising is without a doubt the easiest of the meat preparation techniques, and produces a moist product full of flavor. Defined by the Food Lovers Companion braising is “a cooking method by which food(usually meat or vegetables) is first browned in fat, then cooked, tightly covered, in a small amount of liquid at low heat for a lengthy amount of time.” This process allows the meat to stay moist while the cook has time to prepare the rest of the meal. Adding vegetables to the cooking liquid during the hour provides a side dish for the meal and the liquid becomes the sauce. Whether braising an eight pound leg of lamb for a large Easter party or a three pound brisket for a simple Friday night dinner, add braising to your repertoire and you will find yourself no longer worrying about the main entree. With more time on you hands you can focus the rest of the meal and try that tricky recipe you have been meaning to get to, or better yet socialize with your guests.

Braised Leg of Lamb

8 pound leg of lamb(I had the butcher removed the bone, wrap the meat around it and tie it up)
8 cloves of garlic, peels removed
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 small can tomato paste 6 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 cup dry red wine 2 bay leaf,
2 rosemary, 3 thyme stalks
4 medium size parsnips, peeled and sliced quartered
15 baby carrots
20 new potatoes
20 red pearl onions, peeled
salt, pepper

1. Remove lamb from the refrigerator one to two hours before you are cooking to allow the meat to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut small slits downward into the lamb in sporadic places, pushing the garlic into the slits.* Season both sides vigorously with salt and pepper.

3. Place the roasting pan on the stove top on medium high heat. When the pan is hot, heat the oil in the pan. Add the lamb and sear one side until browned, five to seven minutes. Turn over and sear the other side. Remove from roasting pan.
4. Turn heat down to medium and add the sliced onion to the roasting pan. Cook the onion until translucent and soft, then add the tomato paste and cook one minute more. Add the wine, stock, and herbs. Bring liquid to a boil. Add the lamb back to the roasting pan. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil. Place the pan in the oven.

5. Roast for two hours(make sure the liquid is simmering, the temperature will depend on your oven)
6. Remove pan from oven and add the vegetables. Place the pan back on the stovetop burners and bring the liquid back to a boil. Tightly cover the pan with tin foil and place the pan back in the oven for an additional hour.

7. Remove lamb from pan and strain out vegetables. Reduce the liquid for 20 minutes, skimming the fat from the top. Thinly slice the lamb and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with the vegetables and the sauce.

*This tip and many others found on this post and throughout the website were shared by my good friend and culinary confident Jessica Largey, a true gem of a friend and a gift to the gastronomic world.

Spring Sprung

Spring is in the air. As the white dots of cherry blossoms flutter through the sky, it’s hard not to notice the green leaves popping up and the warm days turning into longer nights. Warm weather means spring and spring means Easter.

This year Easter eggs get a fresh face with inspiration from the herb garden and what could be better for your bunny basket then home-made chamomile marshmallows?

These sweet, soothing treats are easy to make and sure to put a smile on anyone’s face. And take a cue from the kitchen for this year’s eggs. Try using different teas instead of dyes; raspberry, black and green teas lend subtle, organic tones to the eggs.  Parsley, thyme and dill make the perfect addition to these earthy Easter eggs. With home-made treats this handsome and tasty,  Easter will finally shed off the neon eggs and bright yellow marshmallows and bloom into  something naturally beautiful.

Chamomile Marshmallows

120g egg whites
50g granulated sugar
950g granulated sugar
300g water
2 bags chamomile tea
45g gelatin sheets
Potato Starch

1. In a small pot, bring water to boil. Add tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and pour tea into bowl. Place this bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and let cool completely.
2. Place the 950g of sugar in a heavy bottom medium sauce pot. Add enough warm water so that the sugar is a quicksand consistency, mixing the water into the sugar completely and avoiding sugar on the walls of the pot. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Put the gelatin into the cold tea water, adding each sheet one at a time so all the sheets are completely submerged in water(this helps make sure the entire sheet of gelatin absorbs enough water).
3. Turn the sugar pot on medium high heat. Turn the mixer of medium high speed and mix until the whites are frothy. Slowly rain in the 50g of sugar into the whites while the sugar cooks to 120 degrees Celsius.
4. Once the whites begin to look shiny and the sugar is cooked to 120 Celsius, put the gelatin into the sugar syrup and mix until all the gelatin is dissolved. Stream the sugar/gelatin/tea into the whites and turn mixer to high.
5. Mix on high until the meringue triples in volume and becomes shiny and thick.
6. Pour onto a half sheet tray lined with a sil pat.
7. Let marshmallows sit for 30 minutes. Loosely cover the top with potato starch. Let sit for 30 minutes. Cut around edges of tray using a sharp knife and invert the marshmallows onto counter top. Cover the other side with potato starch.
8. Let sit for one hour. With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the marshmallow, wiping the knife with hot water each time you use it. Cut the marshmallows into square pieces. Coat the pieces in  potato starch so that all sides are coated and shake the remaining starch off marshmallows.
9. Store in an air tight container. If not using that day, store in freezer for up to one month.

Herb  Decopaged Easter Eggs

1 dozen eggs
2 bags tea; your choice raspberry, green or black work well as dyes
Selection of herbs including flat leaf parsley, thyme, rosemary and dill
Decopage glue such as modge podge
Small foam paintbrush

1. Fill heavy bottom pot with water and place eggs in one layer on the bottom. Turn heat onto high and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to low and let cook for one minute. Turn heat off and cover pot, let sit for ten minutes.  over medium heat. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water.
2. Bring one quart of water to boil and let tea bags steep until dark color is achieved.
3. Place some of the eggs in the tea water and let sit until desired color is achieved. Cool in ice water.
4. When the eggs are cool, dry them completely. Remove herbs from stems, picking out desired leaves for decoupage.
5. Place a thin layer of glue down on the area you wish to apply herbs. Gently place herb and push down. Allow to dry completely- using a turned over egg cartons works well as a drying holder.
6. Once herb is attached and glue is dry, cover the entire front side of egg with glue .
7. Allow to dry completely.
8. Arrange eggs in Easter Basket for a beautiful table center piece.

I was suddenly shaken awake late one night last month. I groggily opened my eyes to three masked figures hunched over me in the dark. Before I could make sense of the situation I was pulled out of bed, down three flights of stairs, and out of my apartment building. A lone van awaited in the dead of night, and a door opened as I was dragged inside. The van sped away and a blindfold was pulled over my face. Excitement filled up inside of me as the van screeched to a halt. Two arms pulled me out of the van and into a building, up stairs and into a room. Suddenly in my hands I felt tools, and my mask was lifted. One hand held a whisk, the other a spatula and I faced a mixing bowl full of egg whites.

“Mix, mix mix,” the women who filled the room cheered. I jumped into action, pulling pans of sugar onto the stove, whipping up whites and folding batter.

“Hurrah,” they all cheered as I garnished off my cake and it was over. I had made it, a Daring Baker I would now be.

A few months ago I came across the Daring Bakers and I’ve thought about this scene ever since. Here was a group of bakers who all participate in a monthly recipe challenge, each posting about their luck or struggles with the recipe. With La Vita Cucinare finally up and fully running, I joined last month with eager anticipation of the challenges to come. And with March fast and furiously at an end, my first challenge is finished and a Daring Baker I have become(sadly without the blindfold)

This month’s challenge was Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake, my first Daring Baker challenge and my first Dorie recipe. The cake came out too thin in my half sheet tray, but when the recipe was doubled, became a a nice classic sponge. Butter cream never ceases to amaze me, as the curds of butter and meringue break and then always faithfully come back together, and Dorie’s was a good recipe that I would use again. I tried a variation on the recipe below, orange zest and juice in the cake and a marmalade between the layers, which made for a nice citrus cake, great for a friend’s birthday and as my initiation into Daring Bakers.

PERFECT PARTY CAKE
From Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours (pages 250-252)

For the Cake
2 ¼ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk with the lemon)
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
About 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Getting Ready
Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Whisk together the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean
Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.
Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
On medium speed, gradually beat in more lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half.
Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
Spread it with one third of the preserves.
Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.
Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).
Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.
Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

The sun shines a bit brighter, the days seem to stretch a bit longer, and all that’s on my mind is the upcoming fruit season. I dream of bright Emerald Drop Pluots and oh so sinful Persian Mulberries. And figs, glorious figs bursting at their seams with sweet honey nectar. But in mid March, these fruits are still months away, and all that brightens the farmers market stalls are rows of oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. “Think citrus, Kat!,” Karen, the godmother of Southern Los Angeles produce and my recent new friend, keeps chiming in my ear. And so citrus it is for a little while longer. This playful pie is a bright way to celebrate citrus, with a molassesy crust and a decadent brown sugar meringue. It’s a great way to cool off on a hot, but it’s still winter, day.

Brown Sugar Pate Sucree:

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter on low speed for 2-3 minutes until slightly creamy.

Brown Sugar Meringue:

1. Place brown sugar and water in small heavy bottomed sauce pot and place over medium heat. In clean bowl of standing mixer, begin to whisk egg whites on medium low speed. As foam begins to form on whites, add cream of tartar and slowly rain in sugar. Continue to mix whites to frothy until sugar reaches 235 F.
2. Slowly pour hot mixture into whites and mix on medium high speed until stiff peaks. Mix on lower speed until meringue is cool.
3. Place meringue atop orange custard. Using a piping bag to create a rim of meringue around pie shell is helpful. Use rest of meringue to fill in center, completely covering the custard.
4. Place pie back into 350 F oven for 15 minutes. Remove and use a kitchen torch to brown meringue further if you wish. Let cool completely and enjoy.

Tucked back into a corner of downtown Weisbaden’s shopping center, the tiny bakery is far from the bustle of nearby shoppers. It is not one of the numerous stands that lines the pedestrian zone, selling piping hot pretzels for fifty pfennings. Nor is it the corner bakery case that offers bright fruit tarts and our favorite, fluffy dampfnoodles, steamed buns with a salty, crispy crust. Far away from the hip clothing stores that entice my teenage eyes with the latest Euro fashions and Spice Girlesque boots, the bakery is saved for trips downtown with my mother. We always travel deeper into the shopping district, near the giant cuckoo clock store and the linen shop where she often buys new table cloths. There, the tiny bakery awaits, full of wonderful poppy seed brotchen, rich apfel strudel, and buttery, jammy, linzer cookies.

It is always at this bakery that I ask for the linzer. Big round cookies, filled with bright raspberry jam and topped with powdered sugar, I rarely leave the cookie in it’s bag long enough for the grease to mark the paper. The cookies are the perfect mix of spicy, sweet and delicious.

Back in the US, several years after my European adolescence, memories of those linzer cookies still connect to shopping trips with my Mother. Thoughts turned to her Valentine’s Day gift, the idea of baking these cookies swirled in my mind. Traditionally made with ground nuts, spices, butter, sugar and eggs, the cookies are a form of the Linzer Torte. Home to Linzer, Austria, the dough that forms both the torte and the cookies is said to date back as far as 1696. As I searched for the perfect recipe, I found many variations from this traditional dough. Each used brown, white, or confectioner’s sugar, a variety of different nuts and a mixture of spices. Some called for chemical leavener’s, other’s did not, and many included variations for the jam filling, including using any kind of store bought flavor. At first I thought traditional:ground almonds with cinnamon and nutmeg, and perhaps Apricot jam, but I needed a recipe. Mulling around with the ratios for linzer’s that I found, I decided finally on one egg to one yolk, and dark muscovado sugar for it’s deep molasses flavor. With a good base linzer cookie recipe created, I decided to play around with the ingredients. Pistachio linzer with cherry jam. Punched into hearts and topped with confectioner’s sugar, these cookies were quite attractive all boxed up and tasted almost as wonderful as the linzer’s I remember eating with my mother in Germany. For Valentine’s Day or any day that needs something special, these Linzer’s are a great way to go.

Over-baked, under-mixed: The challenges of baking

Baking is a tricky little art. Reading a recipe seems straightforward enough. Measure ingredients, mix together, and bake. These simple instructions should create the perfect cookie, batter or dough. Mix those ingredients too much (over creaming them) and you are left with lacy, crunchy cookies or an overly, aerated batter. Under-mix the ingredients and you have cake-y cookies and batter with bits of butter and sugar about it. Butter too cold: that dough won’t cream the same. Water not warm: no elasticity in your dough. Misread a recipe, skip over a step, forget an ingredient, and the whole thing may go down; way down into the garbage, a causality of pastry battles. Every element’s handling is vital and a change in each can garner a different result. Of course this means the same recipe could turn out different numerous times, and getting it right often may just be luck. With so many elements and so much to concentrate on, pastry certainly is a tricky art.

Getting over these adversities means being meticulous. Reading a recipe thoroughly before beginning it. Measuring and measuring again every ingredient. Studying text on how ingredients work together and how each should be handled in order to produce the desired result. Working at it, practicing over and over again in order to master the minute skills of art. Trying to understand failures and working to improve recipes in the future. Those without the lucky touch of a pastry chef who seems to always get it right must work at it. The perfect cookies, beautiful bread, and smooth custards will be all the reward needed for the hard work pastry can be.

Of course, even if the elements are right and all the ingredients are accounted for, even then a recipe may fail. A poorly written recipe may be the cause, which means back to the testing board to try again. Was the oven too hot? Were the eggs too cold? Was there enough flour? Should the tart shell be par baked? Should the butter be room temperature? All these details can be vital in perfecting a recipe, and this becomes the focus of those dedicated to pastry and to their recipes. Frustrating as it may be to turn out cakes or candies that are not quite right time and time again, it is these tests that create tried and true recipes and teach the intricacies of the pastry arts. So although it may be difficult, trying at it over and over again is the way to win the pastry battle and create the perfect cookie, cake or dough.

Look forward to more thoroughly tested recipes and pastry battle wins coming soon.

Although I have seen my fair share of cakes being made, until quite recently I had never assembled a fondant cake myself. Sure I’ve made cakes of many shapes and sizes with all sorts of types of cakes and fillings, but these were generally cream covered. The few fondant cakes I have seen assembled have been covered by master crafter pastry Chefs. Envious of how easily they molded the sugary fondant dough into shapes and over cakes, I decided to try it out for myself for a friends birthday.

First came the decision for the design. An aqua party calls for an aqua cake and my friend’s favorite underwater animal is the octopus, so I decided on a round cake topped with an octopus and sea creatures on the sides. Miss Katzie, my pastry partner in crime, lent her own limited experience with the fondant cakes to my first try and we were off.

First we tackled the frosting. Coating the cake in a thin, smooth layer of butter cream is important as this will allow your fondant to lay smoothly on top of the cake. Using a flat plastic bench scraper works well to smooth and flatten the butter cream in order to create a clean and uniform coat. This also can be easier to manipulate if the cream is slightly firm.

Once the butter cream coast was properly applied and the cake was returned to to the refrigerator we tackled the fondant. Adding a small amount of gel color to a white piece, we slowly kneaded the fondant and folded it over itself until the color was completely combined into the mass.Then we continued until all fondant was dyed.

Using a lightly powder sugar dusted sil pat, we rolled the fondant out evenly, making sure not to roll it too thin. Then we rolled the fondant onto the rolling pin and then slowly laid it from one end of the cake to another.

Next was the trickiest part: smoothing out the fondant. Using the heel of our hands we slowly smoothed the top of the cake using a soft rotating motion. Then carefully, with the bottom of our palm we worked from top to bottom to smooth the fondant down along the sides of the cake. This certainly was not as easy as those chef’s make it look. Once the cake was covered, I carefully trimmed the extra fondant with sharp scissors, leaving a1/2 inch border. Then using a sharp exacto knife, I carefully trimmed along the edges. With a few minor mistakes, it certainly wasn’t perfect, but was a good try for a first shot.

Once the cake was covered it was time for decorations. Using a large circle cutter, I made a purple plaque for the top of the cake. Then came the octopus, which was no easy task. All along fondant had seemed so play dough like, but now it was wet or dry when I didn’t want it to be and hard to cut and manipulate. Using a stencil, I tried several times to cut out an octopus shape until I was happy with the results. A few white rolled balls for eyes and the top of our aquatic cake was done.

The sides continued the underwater theme. Using a star cutter, Miss Katzie made star fish that were indented with a sea shell to give a more realistic look. Green fondant was cut into spiny trees for underwater sea weed. A few yellow balls were pushed into purple fondant and rolled out to make a polka dotted fish, and a crab cutter was used to create the finishing touch.

The cake was fairly moist and were merely laid the decorations around the sides of the cake, trying to cover any tears or holes we initially made covering the cake. Although it could have become the kind of project we just kept adding things to, pinching and prodding at the fondant, we found the line when we had to stop. In the end I was quite happy with my first try at fondant and will certainly tackle the sugary substance again. Covering the cake was definitely the hardest part, so practicing on smaller cakes or even plastic wrapped Styrofoam may help. And my decorations were fairly simple. The harder the decorations become, the more difficult the challenge, and next time I will definitely put myself to the challenge. Once is not enough for a cake ala fondant.

Watermelon, Watermelon Everywhere: Summer Fades Away

Summer hit Los Angeles this year with a few weeks of unforgiving heat. After the warm pleasant days and cool nights of June and July, the dry, suffocating air of late August made it hard to want to do much of anything. Barely adjusted to the year long moderate temperatures of the West Coast, the sunny skies of Los Angeles made it hard to think fall is fast approaching.

Hanging onto the last bits of summer, the farmer’s market recently brought beautiful and quite refreshing watermelons, a cool snack for these final summer days. With the summer heat as inspiration, I decided to experiment with a few watermelon recipes to try and cool down.

Watermelon, smoked buffalo mozzarella cheese, heirloom tomato, and shaved fennel salad

This is a simple salad that is perfect to throw together for dinner for two or as an easy starter for a dinner party. I chose a smoked buffalo mozzarella that I picked up at Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica, because I like the contrast of the hearty cheese to the sweet watermelon, but a nice tangy blue cheese or ricotta insalata would pair nicely with this salad as well.

1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ tsp fluer de sel

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

½ cup watermelon, cut off the rind and cut into ¼ inch cubes

½ cup heirloom tomatoes cut into ¼ inch cubes

½ cup smoked buffalo mozzarella cheese cut into ¼ inch cubes

½ cup fennel, sliced paper thin

¼ cup fennel tops, lightly chopped

¼ cup red onion, sliced paper thin

3 cups mixed salad greens

1. Use a microplane to zest lemon into a large bowl.

2. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into bowl.

3. Add salt, pepper, and olive oil to the bowl and whisk around to combine.

4. Add watermelon, tomatoes, cheese, fennel, fennel tops, and red onion and toss.

5. Add salad greens and toss until greens are covered in dressing.

Watermelon Panna Cotta with Watermelon and Mango Spicy Fruit Salsa

This is an easy recipe that can be made a day or two ahead of time to allow the flavor to really develop. The recipe uses both fresh and cooked watermelon juices, giving the panna cotta a well rounded flavor. For this recipe you need to puree watermelon flesh and strain this through a coffee filter and a sieve (see picture). This juice is then reduced for a more concentrated flavor. The salsa that goes with it is a little play on the Mexican fruit stands I have become so accustom to in Los Angeles. This spicy fruit is cooled down by the creamy panna cotta, making for a nice ending to a meal.

For the Panna Cotta:

6 cups watermelon juice (puree watermelon flesh, strain through coffee filter and sieve)

1/3 cup watermelon juice

1 ½ tsp powdered gelatin

2 ¾ cup heavy cream

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a heavy-bottomed, medium sauce pot, reduce the 6 cups of watermelon juice to 1 cup of liquid over medium-high heat. Pour into bowl and set aside.

2. Pour the 1/3 cup watermelon juice into a medium size bowl. Whisk the gelatin into the cool watermelon juice.

3. Bring the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract up to a boil in a medium saucepot and remove from heat.

4. Add a small amount of hot cream to the watermelon juice/gelatin mixture and whisk to combine. Add the rest of the cream to this mixture and whisk together until completely combined.

5. Whisk the reduced 1 cup of watermelon juice into the cream mixture.

6. Let mixture sit until cool, stirring every 15 minutes to allow to completely combine. Once cool, pour into molds and place in the refrigerator.

I pour my panna cotta into silicone molds for easy removal. Paper or plastic cups are also easy to use; just make sure to spray them with non flavored cooking spray so the panna cotta comes out cleanly.

For the Salsa:

½ cup watermelon cut into 1/8 inch cubes

½ cup mango cut into 1/8 cubes

2 tsp Cholula Chili Lime Seasoning

¼ cup lime juice

1. Add the watermelon and mango in a bowl. Toss with a spices and lime juice.

To serve: Un-mold panna cotta. Place salsa on top of or on the side of panna cotta.

Watermelon Pate de Fruit

Pate de Fruit can be extremely difficult to make, especially when using fresh fruit purees because the sugar content for each piece of fruit is different. It is this sugar content that determines that amount of pectin necessary to create a smooth yet stable but not too gummy pate de fruit. For this recipe, I tried using both fresh watermelon puree which yielded little flavor and a reduced watermelon puree which produced a much better product.

500 g watermelon puree

35 g sugar

6 g pectin

225 g sugar

75 g glucose

5 g citric acid

*Pectin, glucose, and citric acid can be found at specialty cooking and baked goods shops. Kitchenkrafts.com also has selection of products as well as many other internet suppliers.

1. Reduce the watermelon puree by half so that you have 250 g of watermelon puree. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

2. Mix together the 35g of sugar and pectin.

3. Add the reduced watermelon puree to a heavy bottom pot and whisk in the 225 g of sugar and glucose. Over a medium flame, bring to a rapid boil, whisking constantly to avoid browning the puree.

4. Slowly rain the sugar/pectin mixture into the pot, whisking the mixture so that the pectin does not clump up.

5. Whisking the entire time, bring the mixture to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. The mixture will thicken and will be done when a small amount on a cold plate sets up and its only slight sticky to the touch.

6. Take off the heat and whisk in the citric acid.

7. Pour the mixture out onto a sheet tray lined with either a silpat or plastic wrap. Allow to cool.

8. Once cool, cut the pate de fruit in any shape you desire and roll in sugar. Only roll what you will be using immediately and wrap the remaning in plastic.

A Bakeshop Of My Own

Working as a pastry cook who attended a Culinary Arts school with a program not designed specifically for patisserie, I often wonder if I missed out. When my fellow co-workers talk about tiered wedding cake projects and colored sugar pieces, I wonder how my simple Pastry I and II classes can compare. Courses outside of work are costly, and are often demonstration driven which give little opportunity for the kind of hands practice necessary for real improvement. I console myself with the fact that I am currently enrolled in the Hands On/Learn As You Go School Of Arts, but sometimes it takes that extra step.

In the past year, since arriving in Los Angeles and landing a pastry cook position, I’ve managed to transform my home kitchen into somewhat of a mini bakeshop thru Christmas presents, gift certificates, and, well, splurges. Starting with my pride and joy, a hot pink Kitchen Aid mixer signed by Mario Batali, Lee Hefter, Alain Ducasse, and Jacque Torres among others, I have built up my utensils from necessity and desire. Silpats, cutters, ring molds, a digital scale, pastry brushes, plastic bowls for melting chocolate, metal bowls for mixing, whisks, off set spatulas, regular spatulas, you name it, I probably have it. One day I cleared out all three of the drawers in the kitchen and thus my bakeshop was born. An empty flower vase became a holder for my wooden spoons and spatulas; all my piping tips, cutters, silpats, and plastic piping bags went into one drawer together. Things have a home, a place where they always belong. And when the mood strikes and I manage to find the time, I test recipes in this little bakeshop I’ve created.

Of course the oven’s still a still oven and the food processor from Target isn’t quite the same as restaurant quality. A speed rack would be a wonderful addition although lord knows where I would find the space to fit it, and I still haven’t managed to purchase a blow torch, although Home Depot carries them for only thirty dollars a pop. And there’s always more to purchase, like the space heater I decided is a must after a sugar demonstration I recently attended. But for now, my little bakeshop is working just fine.