What's in a Name?

I realize this is a little bit of a tease, but hopefully it will also be motivational. 

I had leftover cauliflower curry and some potatoes au gratin. Looking at them they just seemed like tired leftovers, but I threw them in Thor and whipped them up with some chicken stock and viola, soup. More accurately, it was a rich, creamy potage. When experimenting with food I've found it is a good idea to hold off on naming the dish until finished. So much of success is defined by expectation. For a soup it was a little thick, but by calling it a chowder or potage I hit the nail on the head. It's all in the spin, don'tcha know.

Of course, I can't pass on a precise recipe for you (there's the tease) because it was a one time shot. I think I may start designating one night a week for cleaning out the fridge and seeing what delights materialize.

Out of Your Gourd Good

I'm not the first to think of it by far, but pumpkin makes a great base for smooth, custardy, sweet things. Pie, mousse and ice cream come to mind. You can double up on this recipe if you are making it for a group. I tend to like to make smaller batches because I live alone and can make my way through a pint before growing bored of the flavor. (Here I paired it with homemade granola).

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Makes 3 cups

5 egg yolks

3 ounces brown sugar

1/2 cup half and half

1 cup 2% milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash kosher salt

8 ice cubes of pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

To make the custard whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat the half and half and milk over medium heat until just below boiling. In a small, steady stream add the hot milk mixture to the yolks. Return the milk-yolk mixture to the saucepan and return to medium heat. Whisk fairly constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Transfer to a closed container and chill.

Place pumpkin cubes and custard into the container of the Vita-Mix. Add the spices. Start on variable #1. Increase to #10. Run until combined and smooth, 30-40 seconds. 

Transfer back to custard container and freeze for 3 to 4 hours. Place frozen mixture with sweetened condensed milk in the container of the Vita-Mix. Blend on variable #1, increase to #10. Stop as soon as four mounds form. This can be eaten soft serve or frozen a final time for a perfect scoopable ice cream consistency.

Therapeutic Baking

I'm at home sick today. And although it is completely warranted, I find myself with enough energy to bake. Actually, it gives me energy and comfort. It's cathartic to measure things out, have them work as they should and fill the house with the domestic smell of sweetness.

I love my Kitchen-Aid and would never give it up. However, I've found there are some joys to using Thor for baking I never would have expected. Creaming butter and honey (especially if you haven't planned ahead and brought it to room temperature) can take a long time and not fully homogenize. As long as you only use the Vita-Mix for the wet ingredients you won't have to worry about over-mixing the batter.

Typically I add some salt, but the honey has enough sodium it doesn't go missing. This bread is super moist and the lemon oil gives it a lift from being too earthy.

Honey Pumpkin Tea Bread

Makes 1 loaf

(Adapted from the National Honey Board)

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup honey

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon lemon oil (may substitute 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray.

Combine the butter and the honey in the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1, increase to #7. Run to completely homogenize the mixture. Add the pumpkin. Blend in on #5, using tamper if any sticks to the sides. Add eggs, lemon oil and vanilla. Run again on #5 as before.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda and spices with a whisk. Pour the wet mixture over all and fold in. Do not over mix.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60- 65 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold and continue cooling on the rack for 30 minutes before cutting.

Take-Two Granola

My boyfriend has unlocked the magical mystery to homemade yogurt. I failed miserably on my first attempt, so I am profoundly grateful that someone in the family has figured it out.

To contribute my part I went back to the drawing board on granola to serve with it. You have complete control over what you add or subtract from this blend as long as you keep the wet to dry ratio of ingredients fairly consistent. This becomes just one more dumping ground for pantry leftovers.

Homemade Granola

3 cups uncooked oatmeal (not quick cooking or instant)

1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/c cup honey

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Mix together all but the maple syrup, honey and vanilla in a large bowl. In a glass measuring cup combine the syrup, honey and vanilla. Pour over the dry mixture. Stir to thoroughly combine. Bake on a cookie sheet with sides, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 35-45 minutes.

Allow to cool completely on baking sheet.

Store in airtight container

Gas Station Chili

Ok, so it's not much to look at. But to be fair, neither is traditional chili. 

I'm kind of weird about my meat. I don't enjoy steaks or ground meat in any of its many forms, i.e. hamburger, spaghetti sauce, lasagna. But give me a strip of dehydrated cow and I'm in heaven. I find the salty, chewy consistency of jerky utterly irresistible. So the idea planted in my head of using jerky in place of hamburger in chili. Once I was in prepared-food mode I thought of some other short-cuts that might be fun. Salsa! Canned beans! This effectively did away with the need for the spice cabinet. While I used much higher quality ingredients than the corner 7-11 (all can be found at Trader Joe's), technically speaking one could make this from ingredients found at the gas 'n' sip... thus the name. There's something comforting in knowing an all-American meal is just a flickering neon sign away.

Gas Station Chili

Serves 4

6 ounces peppered beef jerky (or any favorite flavor)

16 ounces spicy tomatillo salsa (or any favorite flavor)

15.5 ounce can Cuban style black beans, undrained

15 ounce can kidney beans*

Put the beef jerky in the container of the Vita-Mix. Set on #6, start and stop in bursts until the jerky is a uniform "grind". You don't want it to entirely loose it's integrity and turn to powder, but you don't want large strips remaining either.

Microwave the salsa and the beans until hot, about 4 minutes. Stopping after 2 minutes to stir.

Add the salsa and beans to the Vita-Mix. Pulse on #3 until combined, but still chunky.

Microwave in serving bowls if not hot enough.

Serve with extra-sharp cheddar cheese and ciabatta bread.

*I didn't try it with the final can of kidney beans, but think the intensity of flavor would have stretched over another can if desired.

Parsnippity!

Parsnips are a completely under-utilized vegetable. Ask six people what they are. Three will think you mean a turnip. The other three will have no idea what it is, though they vaguely know you find it in the produce aisle.

Parsnips look like albino carrots and taste piney. They often play supporting cast to a more dominant vegetable, but I think they deserve center stage.

This is a fall soup that does just that. The one carrot to the pound of parsnips give the soup its orange hue. The flavor is subtle and over-all earthy, but once you peel and chop the raw guys you'll know what lends this soup it's distinct, hard to place flavor.

Parsnip Soup With Caramelized Apples

Makes 5-6 servings

(Adapted from Bon Apetit, Nov. 2001)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 cup chopped onions

1 pound parsnips, peeled, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons half and half

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add apple slices and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer 2/3 of the apples to a small bowl; set aside for garnish.

Add onions and carrot. Saute until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add parsnips and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Using a ladle for the solids and then pouring in the liquid, transfer the soup to the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1, then increase to #10. Run until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the half and half and lemon juice. Blend on #1 to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each bowl of soup with reserved apples.

Happy Accidents

There's a reason they call it Gingerbread and not Molasses-bread. But all too often you find a recipe with too much "edge" which comes from an overdose of black strap molasses.

As a happy accident (seemingly the story of my culinary experiences) I only had half the amount of molasses for this gingerbread. In its place I substituted honey, one of my current favorite flavors. The result is a super moist, milder cake, still redolent with spices, but not as bracing.

Honey-Gingerbread

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch cake pan.

Mix the milk, lemon juice, zest, brown sugar, eggs, molasses, honey, butter and vanilla in the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on #1 variable. Increase to #7. Run until combined, about 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the container. Pulse on #5 a few times to incorporate. Do not over blend.

Pour into the cake pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top of the cake is dry and the cake has just begun to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cool in pan before cutting.

More Than a Pound Cake

This is one of those lifetime finds. My friend had a slice of this pound cake last year at her office over the holidays and couldn't stop raving. My friend is very knowledgeable and particular about her baked goods, emphasis on the "good". On her recommendation I have been holding tight to the recipe. The impulse purchase of a new bundt pan spurned the making of it.

It is a testament to both the pan and the cake that it unmolded beautifully - nothing is more frustrating than spending time and ingredients making a cake only to have it stick to the sides and implode. When looking for a bundt pan you want it to be heavy. Nordicware makes great products.

The Ultimate Pound Cake

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 tablespoon lemon extract

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the cream cheese and butter in the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1, increase to #8. Use the tamper to make sure all the goop makes it to the bottom for mixing.

Add the sugar. Blend on #8, using tamper until all is incorporated and creamed, about 3 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a pitcher. Add the extracts.

Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. (Keep on #8). The extracts will take care of themselves as you add the eggs.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Fold in the dry ingredients. 

Pour the batter into a 10 cup bundt pan sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Cool for 1/2 hour in the pan. Invert to unmold on plate.

The Ugly Duckling Gets His Due

You're probably thinking this looks a lot like the chocolate mousse I posted over a month ago. But it is a very different creature. This is chocolate coconut pudding and the secret is tofu. Before you stop reading, hear me out. If you are incredulous about the merits of tofu this is exactly the recipe to convert you. Yeah, yeah, heard that teaser before. What makes this dish different is that the tofu is there for consistency and body and it does a marvelous job of both. There is no beany, weird taste.

It makes a luscious, creamy pudding that takes about five minutes and is packed with protein. What's not to love?

Chocolate Coconut Pudding

Makes 4 cups

1 cup coconut milk

Dash of cinnamon (optional)

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 12.3 ounce box Lite silken firm tofu, drained

1 teaspoon vanilla (or coconut extract if you want more punch)

Bring the coconut milk to a boil. Add the agave, cocoa and salt and bring back up to a boil. Whisk to combine.

Place the drained tofu in the container of the Vita-Mix. Add the cocoa mixture and the vanilla. Start on variable #1. Increase to #10, then high. Run for about a minute, using the tamper to get any stubborn cocoa from the sides.

Pour into a lidded container and chill for at least 2 hours.

'Shroom, 'Shroom!

I had plans to make a pumpkin soup, but the co-op had no canned pumpkin. I guess they deem it a seasonal food and apparently it's not the season (baffling). No worries though. Instead I improvised this delicious mushroom soup. It's somewhere between a bisque and a chowder. The corn gives just a whisper of sweetness. If you're looking out for your health you could switch out the butter for olive oil and the half-and-half for low-fat milk. But I find every once and a while it's worth a little extra.

Mushroom Bisque

Makes 5 cups

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 leek, sliced and rinsed

7 ounces fresh or frozen corn

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 1/2 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup 1/2 & 1/2

Melt the butter in a saute pan (12-14 inches is best to allow the vegetables room to "breath"). Add the mushrooms, leek and corn. Saute for about 10 minutes, until all has wilted and shrunk a bit. Add salt, pepper and rosemary and continue to cook for another minute.

Transfer the mixture to the container of the Vita-Mix. Add milk and half-and-half. Start on variable #1, increase to #10, then high. Run for about 8 minutes to puree and heat soup.

Citrus on Steroids

"Never eat anything bigger than your head." It's a good rule to live by. But recently I found this mammoth Pammelo at the store and I had to have it. Pammelos are like giant grapefruits. (The picture shows it next to my keys for scale). 

The sticker promised it to be as sweet and juicy as a ruby red. Instead the inside of mine was a bit on the dry side. Still I found it fascinating and compelling to pick at. 

I'm making my way through it in at least two sittings. Thus keeping the rule intact.

A Match Made in Heaven

Thor has a girlfriend! It was only a matter of time. I mean, he's such a stud I'm surprised word of his bachelorhood didn't get out sooner. 

I was making a chocolate tart for my friend's house warming and used Thor to make the filling (I like his help even though it can pretty easily be done by hand). But to make the crust I used my trusty Kitchen-Aide. She's older than Thor by about seven years and a few inches shorter than him. She's a quite, brushed steel which doesn't foretell of her own strong engine. She has different motives in the kitchen, but matches Thor's power pound for pound. They make the perfect pair because they compliment each other's strengths.

I find it perfectly appropriate that the first thing they should create together be lustful chocolate, smooth and rich. A beautiful partnership.

Chocolate Tart

Adapted from "Cook with Jamie," by Jamie Oliver

(makes 1 11-inch tart and 1 10 x 4-inch rectangular tart)

For the pastry

1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

a pinch of sea salt

3 large eggs

4 cups flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

For the filling

3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk

2 cups heavy cream

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

12 1/2 ounces dark (70%) chocolate, broken up

2 large eggs

Cream together the butter, sugar and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Stop mixer and scrape down sides to thoroughly combine. While the mixture is coming together, sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl. Slow the motor to the lowest setting on the mixer. Add the flour mixture gradually. Mix until just combined. Don't overwork the dough. Place the dough in a large zip-lock bag and flatten out into a disc shape. Seal the bag and refrigerated for at least an hour. Roll out and line the tart pans. You may need to "cut and paste" the dough to fit the pan. Don't worry. You can work with this dough very easily and it will forgive you. Freeze the dough-lined pans for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and blind bake the pastry for 12 to 15 minutes or until it is firm and almost cookie-like. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 325.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate filling.  Place the chopped chocolate in the Vita-Mix container. Heat the milk, cream and sugar to just below boiling. Pour the milk mixture over the chocolate and run on #3 until combine. Add eggs and run again to combine all. Pour chocolate filling into the two tart crusts. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave tarts alone for about an hour. It will keep firming up as it cools. Cut with a hot, dry knife for clean slices.

Taking a Second Taste of an Ol' Pucker

To be honest persimmons are prettier than they taste. Sort of the dumb blonds of the fruit world.  

 

There are two varieties widely available in the U.S., the Fuyu and the Hachiya. The latter is responsible for the bad rap (if any) the persimmon has received. It is extremely astringent and immediately causes a reflexive, unpleasant puckering of the mouth. The Fuyu, however, a Japanese variety, is jammy and sweet when ripe. The window of opportunity between unripe and over-ripe is narrow- about a day. Their skin is very thin and they become vulnerable when ready to eat. (Be aware of this when transporting them.)  

They are unremarkable in flavor, but filled with iron and vitamin c. Each fruit has a whopping 3,641 IU (International Units) of vitamin A. They make a great textural addition to smoothies. I am fortunate enough to work with someone who has a persimmon tree in his yard. He brought two in for me. This smoothie kicks off the season.  

Persimmon Smoothie 

Makes 2 

1 frozen banana 

2 ripe Fuyu persimmons 

1 small apple, quartered 

1 cup ice 

1/2 cup water 

1 tablespoon bee pollen  

Place all in the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1, immediately increase to #10, then high. Run until all is incorporated and smooth, about a minute.