Annie's with Tuna and Spinach

Sometimes I just crave processed mac and cheese a la Kraft. As you may have gathered, I love real cheese, but it is an entirely different food than Velveeta. Although in general I buy whole foods and put them together myself, there's nothing wrong with stepping over to the dark side a couple times a year. When I do, I try to compromise by buying organic substitutions. Annie's Goldfish alternative, Cheddar Bunnies, are a dangerously good snack, and I'm a huge fan of Sunny Bears, the gummy bears from SunRidge Farms. When it comes to mac and cheese, Annie's Organic Whole Wheat Shells with White Cheddar are about as healthy and responsible as you can get when it comes to processed food, and mixed with some tuna and fresh spinach, it's a delicious way to satisfy my craving.

Thanksgiving Sandwich

It has to be sourdough bread. And don't skip the mayonnaise. There is something magical about the way cranberry sauce and mayo combine, topped with stuffing and sliced turkey. This is my favorite sandwich in the world. If I could choose my dying meal, it would be a Thanksgiving sandwich with corn pudding on the side, and a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert.

Sweet Potato-Coconut Pudding

This is a Deborah Madison recipe that I tried the first time for Thanksgiving. I'm not sure I loved it (it took much longer to cook than it was supposed to and the eggs in the custard scrambled a bit so it tasted really eggy)- I think next time I would try making a stovetop custard and see how that went.

2 cups cooked sweet potato, from 1½ lbs. sweet potatoes
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk (1¾ cups)
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
⅞ cup dark muscovado sugar or organic dark sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup wide strips dried coconut


If you haven’t sweet potatoes already cooked, chop them into large pieces and steam until tender, about 30 minutes. Peel, then coarsely mash.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a kettle of water on to boil for the bath.

Purée the cooked sweet-potato flesh in a blender or food processor with the remaining pudding ingredients until smooth.

Pour the pudding mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Set it in a larger dish and add the boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Bake until the pudding is firm, 45 to 50 minutes.

Before the oven cools, toast the coconut shavings on a sheet pan until crisp and golden, just a few minutes.
Once the pudding has cooled, top with whipped cream, cover with the toasted coconut, and serve.

Apple Pie

I can't believe I've never posted apple pie before! To be honest it is not one of my favorite pies (just as vanilla is not one of my favorite ice creams), but everyone else loves it, and I've certainly made my share of apple pies.


6-8 apples (or more if you are using small, home-grown ones)
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg (I recommend grating your own- you only need a tiny bit, as it is very strong)
Ground ginger (or you can grind fresh ginger- yum!)
Ground cardamom
2 Tbs corn starch
Juice of one lemon
1 stick of butter, diced into small cubes
Two pie crusts

Peel and chop the apples how you like (I usually do pretty big chunks) and toss with the lemon juice to stop them from discoloring. Add the spices (to taste), corn starch, and butter and put aside. Roll out your crusts. Fit one into the bottom of your pie pan, and fill it with the apple mixture. I like my filling to mound up a bit, but use your judgement on how much will fit. The traditional way to do the top crust is to simply lay it over the top and pierce it with a fork or knife in the center to vent the steam, crimping the edges. This pie definitely needs to be mostly covered because the apples will dry out otherwise, but you can have fun with it! You could do a lattice, or use cookie cutters to make shapes like the stars I did here. I also brushed my crust with some egg wash and sprinkled a little sugar on top, just to make it extra pretty.

Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, and then turn the oven down to 350 and bake for another 45-50 minutes until the apples are soft and the crust is golden brown.

Hot Cereal with Raspberries

My dad gave me these raspberries from his yard and I wanted to have them for breakfast. Since it's cold and rainy out, I opted for something cozy. My favorite hot cereal is Malt O Meal but I prefer it savory, not sweet. Cream of Wheat would have been my first choice for this dish, but since I didn't have any I used polenta and it came out great! I just cooked it with milk instead of water, and added a tiny bit of sugar.

P'tit Basque and Honeycrisp Apples with Dijon Mustard on Walnut Levain

Chorizo and Sweet Potatoes Over Polenta

Baby Lettuces and Mache with Asparagus, Chervil, and Pomegranate Seeds in a Creme Fraiche-Lemon Dressing

Lemon Mascarpone Tart

I had a slice of this tart at River Cafe last month and have been dreaming about it ever since. I found the recipe and made it for some friends the other night- served with a dollop of creme fraiche (or sour cream) it was every bit as delicious as I remembered, but I would recommend adding even more lemon zest if you can to make it extra lemony.

For the sweet pastry

Unsalted butter 8 oz
Egg yolks, organic 3
Plain flour 1 1/2 C
Salt 1/2 tsp
Icing sugar 1/2 C

For the filling

Lemons 6
Eggs, organic 6
Egg yolks, organic 6
Caster sugar 1 1/2 C
Mascarpone 1 1/3 C
Icing sugar 2 tbsp


For the pastry, cut the cold butter into small pieces. Separate the eggs. In a food processor, pulse-chop the flour, salt and butter to the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar and egg yolks, and pulse into a soft ball. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 300F. Coarsely grate the pastry into a loose-bottomed, fluted 10" tin, then press it down evenly to cover the sides and base. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 20 minutes. Cool.

Reduce the oven to 275F. For the filling, grate the lemon zest, squeeze the juice, and mix together. Beat the whole eggs and extra yolks with the sugar. Add the mascarpone, stir to combine, then stir in the lemon mixture.

Pour into the tart shell and bake for an hour. Leave to cool, then sprinkle over the icing sugar. Serve with sour cream.

Out Like a Lamb

A little while ago I saw Bobby Flay on Iron Chef making a rack of lamb glazed with honey, chilis, blackberries and rosemary. My immediate reaction was, "that would make a GREAT cocktail!" so I decided to give it a try.

I made a honey syrup (1/2 water and 1/2 honey, brought to a boil and stirred) with rosemary, chili peppers, and black peppercorns steeped in it, and then muddled some blackberries (frozen from the summer) with orange peel. Then I combined the two with gin... spicy, sweet, aromatic, yum!

Duck Legs with Quince, Plums and Sage

This is a pretty broad adaptation of a Jamie Oliver recipe. I followed his steps pretty closely but all the ingredients except the duck and plums are different (his recipe had a more Asian slant, with chilis and cinnamon and soy sauce). Since I made this up as I went along, there are no quantities- just use your judgement.


Duck legs
Oranges
Plums
Quince
Sage leaves
Fennel seed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chili flakes
Honey

Marinate the duck legs in orange juice and olive oil with sage, fennel seed, salt, pepper, and chili flakes for an hour or more. Cut the plums and quince into large chunks and toss with a little lemon juice (to keep the quince from discoloring) and honey (you can skip the honey- my plums were not very ripe so I wanted to sweeten them up a little). When the duck is done marinating, toss the quince and plums in the marinade and arrange in the bottom of a baking pan, with the duck legs on top. Roast in a 325 degree oven for 2 hours.

I served this over creamy polenta (surprise!), with a big green salad on the side and roasted squash.

Roasted Vegetables with an Egg

Pretty simple: just some roasted sweet potatoes, squash, beets and fennel with an egg on top! If I was better at poaching eggs, I think that would have been even better, but this was very tasty.

Spinach with Avocado, Grapefruit, and Fennel

This is also really good with smoked whitefish or trout, if you have it.

Croque Madame (or Monsieur)

For Croque Monsieur, skip the eggs.

2 slices good bread
Sliced gruyere cheese
Thinly sliced, aged ham (proscuitto works great)
Dijon mustard
Butter
2 eggs

Spread mustard on both slices of bread. In a large frying pan, melt the butter, and place the bread in it, mustard-side up. On one half, arrange the sliced cheese, and on the other, the ham. Cook until the bread is nice and brown on the bottoms, and flip the cheese half onto the ham half to assemble the sandwich, keeping it on one side of the pan. Crack the eggs into the empty side of the frying pan and fry until the white is mostly cooked. Cover the pan with a lid to finish melting the cheese on the sandwich, and to just cook the top of the egg yolk (you want the yolk to still be runny, just not raw). Serve the eggs on top of the sandwich, with a nice green salad on the side.

National Sandwich Day! (Finocchiona, Manchego and Figs on Walnut Bread)

Pasta with Caramelized Sweet Potatoes, Arugula, Purple Basil and Goat Cheese

To caramelize the sweet potatoes: parboil them just so they are barely cooked, and then let them caramelize in a hot pan with olive oil (or butter!), some garlic and seasoning. To make them extra sweet, you could add some honey or brown sugar.

Chorizo and Butter Bean "Stew"

As I've posted many times before, I have a huge crush on Jamie Oliver. Ever since his days as the Naked Chef, I've been following his cookbooks, television shows, products, projects and now... his magazine. I love getting Jamie Magazine every other month more than any other piece of mail. It's chock full of simple, rustic recipes, including the magnificent "recipe a day" centerfold, and is a constant source of cooking inspiration for me. I am so excited for his American tv series to start!

I had leftover polenta from last night's dinner, so I decided to have it for dinner with this chorizo and butter bean "stew" from the latest issue of Jamie. One thing I love about Jamie's recipes is that they are very intuitive, so even though he provides quantities and instruction, it's pretty easy to just look at the ingredients and improvise. I made this by just sauteing some Spanish chorizo with onion, adding some canned tomatoes and beans, and simmering until it was all good and soft. It was, as Mr. Oliver would say, "easy peasy" and deliciously smoky on a cold autumn night.

*Note: I also served this on top of crostini as an hor d'oeuvre at my last dinner party and it was a huge hit! I paired them with my "Out Like a Lamb" cocktail, which really complimented the smokiness of the chorizo. To make crostini, just slice good bread, brush with olive oil, and bake for a few minutes until it gets crispy. Then top with whatever you like!

The Bee's Knees!

This is a classic 1920's cocktail that I recently discovered and LOVE.

3 parts gin
2 parts lemon juice
1 part honey syrup (1/2 honey, 1/2 warm water, whisked together)

Polenta with Roasted Winter Vegetables and Swiss Chard in "Bagna Cauda"

Bagna cauda is an anchovy-based sauce that is used for dipping vegetables. At the River Cafe in London, I had it with some delicious winter vegetables, and I decided to make a main course out of it at home by serving it over polenta. I just roasted beets, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and fennel with a little olive oil, thyme, and fennel seed. Meanwhile I made the sauce with anchovies, garlic, olive oil, and a little sweet vermouth and lemon juice, and I wilted some swiss chard in that while I made the polenta. The saltiness of the anchovies really complimented the sweetness of the root vegetables. Yum!

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Tacos

This is pretty much a direct rip off from Doña Tomas... except theirs were called "quesadillas" and served with an amazing tomatillo salsa. Lacking tomatillos, I just used lemon thyme instead of regular thyme to add a little citrus to the dish.


1 medium sweet potato/yam, peeled and diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
lemon thyme
goat cheese
salt and pepper
3 small corn tortillas

Parboil the sweet potato. Sautee the onion and garlic until lightly caramelized. Add the sweet potato and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Serve in small corn tortillas.

Pasta with Tuna and Arugula

1/3 pound pasta (any kind- all I had were tortelli)
1/2 can tuna packed in olive oil
about 1 C arugula
1/4 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp red chili flakes
salt and pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon

This is an easy dish that can be varied in a million ways. You could add capers (I meant to but forgot), or tomato paste, or broccolini, or use anchovies instead of tuna... All I do is quickly sautee the onions and garlic with the chili flakes, add the tuna just to heat it, and then throw the arugula on top and let it wilt while the pasta boils. Then you can just squeeze a little fresh lemon juice into the mixture, toss it with the pasta, and eat! Yum. These quantities serve one, by the way.

Bibb Lettuce with Elephant Heart Plums, Proscuitto, and Mint-Yogurt Dressing

Banana Milk "Shake"

I used to make this all the time in college, but I forgotten about it until I had a banana-Dulce de Leche milkshake in LA last weekend, and now I can't get enough!


1 Banana
1 Cup Milk
1/2 oz Simple Syrup (or more if you like it sweet)
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend and serve over ice! (Peanut butter and honey on walnut bread optional.)

Endives, Baby Spinach, Comice Pears (from Dad's garden!), and Shaved P'tit Basque with Aged Balsamic

I have been really into endives lately. They add such a nice crunch to baby greens.

Warm Fingerling Potatoes with Olive Oil and Sea Salt, Over Baby Greens

Endive and Watercress Salad with Pluots and Marcona Almonds in a Lemon-Yogurt Dressing

Lemon-Yogurt Dressing
1/4 C plain yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Still Hungry?

Hello again! I am thinking about posting on this blog again. Most of the things I cook lately are very simple (and don't really require recipes), but I would like to keep a better record of them, so I guess that this will be more of a collection of different combinations of ingredients from here on out (with the occasional real recipe, I'm sure). Summer makes it easy to take advantage of all the wonderful local produce available. Here are some of the things I've eaten over the last couple of months:


Tomatoes on toast with Fleur Verte goat cheese.


Blistered Padron peppers with sea salt.


(Richard made this one, but I intend to copy it.)
Tomatoes, basil, snap peas and grilled chicken in a garlic-anchovy dressing.


Sangria made with kumquats, key limes, plums, nectarines, grapefruit, and Moscato D' Asti.


Little gems lettuces with Mission figs and mint in a creme fraiche dressing.


Homemade pot pie and a spinach salad with mint, basil, fennel and strawberries with pecans and ricotta in an orange-balsamic dressing.


"The Eton Mess" (strawberries, whipped cream, and crushed meringues).


A gimlet with bergamot-basil simple syrup, lemon juice, and vodka.


Scrambled eggs with broccoli rabe and aged Danish gouda served with fruit salad and toast.


Tomato-grape salad with mint and feta.

Aperitif

Well, it should come as no surprise to you that after nearly a year without any posts, I've decided to close up shop here. The truth is that although I still love to cook and share my recipes, I just don't have time to maintain all these blogs! So in the future, there may be the occasional recipe posted on Printer & Piemaker, but I will no longer be posting here. Thanks for stopping by, and in the words of Paula Deen, I wish you "Best Dishes."

Peach Clafoutis

My friend Max and I went peach picking last weekend and made a clafoutis from our pickings. It was deliciously eggy, and would have been even better if I'd had the time to make my friend Piper's peach ice cream to go with it! Maybe next year...


6 medium peaches (about 2 1/2 cups of cut fruit)
3/4 C heavy cream
Vanilla (seeds from a bean or extract)
1/2 C milk
4 eggs
1/4 C sugar
1 Tbs amaretto
2/3 C flour
Confectioner's sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drop the peaches, whole, into a large pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath. The peels should come off easily. Slice the peaches, and arrange in a well-buttered baking dish.

Whisk the eggs with the sugar, flour and vanilla. Do not over whisk! Then add the cream, milk, and amaretto. Pour over the peaches and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown on top. Dust with a little powdered sugar and serve warm.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

These are delicious on panini or bruschetta, or served on top of a juicy steak. I used them on these little open-faced steak sandwiches I made for a party last month, with blue cheese and arugula.

2 pints cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper


Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and arrange in one layer, cut side up, in a baking dish. Season well with salt and pepper, and drizzle generously with olive oil. Roast in a 300 degree oven for between 2-3 hours.

Cherry Ice Cream

Every year, my friend Jane and I go cherry picking, so I was really excited to see this recipe on Simply Recipes just days before our planned date! Unlike most ice cream recipes, this one does not call for eggs, so it's not quite as rich. If you have an ice cream maker (or an attachment for your mixer, like I do) I highly recommend it. Unfortunately we were so busy eating the ice cream that by the time I managed to take a picture, it had softened considerably... don't worry, none was wasted!


1 1/2 cups pitted ripe sweet cherries (from about 3/4 lb cherries)
3/4 cup milk
1 3/4 cups cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 Tbsp crème de cassis, kirsch, cherry liqueur, or rum (optional)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine, keep in freezer until use


Put cherries, milk, one cup of the cream, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat until the mixture is steamy, then lower the heat to warm and just let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into a blender, or use an immersion blender, and carefully purée. (Careful because you are dealing with a hot liquid. Make sure you hold the cap down on the top of the blender while puréeing.)

Put mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of cream. Chill for several hours in the refrigerator until completely cold. (Can also place bowl over an ice bath, to speed up the cooling process.)

Before putting the mixture into your ice cream maker, stir in the lemon juice and the crème de cassis or other liqueur (or rum) if you are using. Note that you can skip the alcohol if you want, but the addition of it will help the ice cream from getting too icy, and the flavored liqueurs such as kirsch or crème de cassis can add a nice flavor boost to the ice cream. Churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Once the ice cream has completed churning, the ice cream should be pretty soft. Gently fold in the finely chopped chocolate. Put in an airtight container and place in the freezer for at least an hour, preferably several hours.

Makes about one quart.

Grape Tomato Salad

I had a really amazing salad at Cafeteria in New York with fried green tomatoes, feta cheese, and grapes that inspired this salad. It's super simple: cherry tomatoes and grapes in a balsamic vinaigrette, tossed with crumbled feta and some mint. Delicious!

Lemon Cheesecake

I found this recipe through Deb at Smitten Kitchen , who found it in "Gourmet" magazine. The recipe calls for almonds in the crust (for Passover we can't use anything made with flour like Graham crackers), but I substituted pistachios. I topped the cake with candied lemon peel and fresh strawberries.


3/4 C pistachios (or toasted blanched almonds)
2/3 C sugar
2/3 C matzoh cake meal
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
3 8-oz packages of cream cheese
3/4 C sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pulse the pistachios, 2/3 C sugar, matzoh meal, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add the melted butter until combined well. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan, and up the sides 1 inch. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the crust is firm. Cool completely.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, until combined. Add the lemon zest and vanilla. Pour filling into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the filling is set around the edges but still a little wobbly in the middle. Immediately run a knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Let cool for at least 2-3 hours.

Empanadas

I made these with a pork filling, but you could substitute chicken, beef, or vegetables if you prefer. The dough recipe is from Tyler Florence. I made it without the masa, and I think it was a mistake. I imagine you could fry these as well, if you didn't want to bake them.

3-pound pork shoulder
Olive oil
1 can chipotle in adobo, minced
1 large onion, in large slices
Garlic, coarsely chopped
Fresh oregano
Salt and Pepper

Empanada Dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup masa harina
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Butter, for greasing the pans

Season the pork well with salt and pepper. In large, oven proof pot, heat the oil and brown the pork on all sides. Remove the meat from the pot and add the onion, garlic, and half the chilis. When the onions become translucent, add the pork and oregano, and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and transfer to a preheated 350 degree oven for about two hours, or until the meat begins to fall apart.


In a large bowl, sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water, working it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter. Divide the dough in 1/2 so it will be easier to work with and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 10 circles of dough; repeat with the other 1/2. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Once the pork is done cooking, remove it from the pot and let it cool before shredding it with two forks. Mix the shredded meat with the remaining chipotles and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold the dough over in 1/2 to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Chill at least 30 minutes before baking.


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the empanadas on a buttered baking sheet and brush the tops with additional egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the top of the empanadas for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

Mid Century Supper!

Here are the pics from Jenn and my dinner experiment... The diptychs show the photo from the original cookbook on the left, with our version on the right. I was especially excited to finally make the "Meatloaf Train," which has always been one of my most prized recipes. I should note that the cake was decorated by a very capable 10-year old. We also served cheese fondue with the canapes, but I didn't get a good pic. I'm not posting recipes, but if anyone wants them, please let me know.

Arugula Tart

This recipe came from "The Produce Bible" and originally called for ricotta, but I thought goat cheese would be a good substitute. The consistency is very quiche-like, and I think that next time I would up the cheese to egg ratio.


1/2 C goat cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs
2-3 C arugula
1/2 small onion, finely diced
Olive oil
Nutmeg, salt and pepper
Puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a greased tart pan with the puff pastry. Prick the pastry with a fork, cover with parchment, and fill with baking weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights and parchment, and then bake for another 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and sautee the onions until soft. Stir in the arugula until just wilted. Meanwhile, combine the egg and cheese, and season with a little nutmeg, salt and pepper. Leave some lumps of cheese in the mixture. Add the arugula and combine. Pour into the pastry crust and bake for about 25 minutes, or until set.

Kumquat-Lime Marmalade

This recipe is adapted from "The Produce Bible." The original calls for either limes or kumquats, but I decided to use a combination of kumquats, mandarinquats, and key limes. Yum!

2 lbs fruit (limes, kumquats, or a combination)
5-8 C water
6-10 C sugar
Cheesecloth


Start by halving all the fruit and then slicing it very thin.
Remove the seeds and place them in the cheesecloth to make a little bundle. Put the fruit, seed bundle, and water in a large, non-metallic bowl and leave overnight, covered.


Transfer the contents of the bowl into a large pot. If you are using just kumquats, add 1/4 C lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 20 minutes before reducing to a simmer. Let cook for 30-45 minutes and then add the sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring often, for another 20 minutes. Once the mixture acheives the desired consistency, transfer to jars and seal.