Butter Pecan Ice Cream

I don’t remember when it was that I first fell in love with butter pecan ice cream, but I know it was my grandmother’s favorite flavor, so maybe some flavors just choose you.

The first time I tried a recipe, though, I followed the directions precisely and used salted butter. Oops. That was at least two years ago, a mistake I finally remedied this month and am so glad I did. Brown butter, as you well know, usually doesn’t let you down in the flavor department, and while it might seem like the ice cream will come out rich and heavy, it’s lighter than you might think. Although, I will warn you, a small scoop goes a long way.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Recipe courtesy Simply Recipes

Ingredients
6 large egg yolks
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans

Method

1. In a medium sized heat-safe bowl (metal, ceramic, or glass), whisk together the egg yolks until well blended. Set aside.

2. Pour the cream into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and set a medium-mesh sieve on top. Set aside.

3. In a medium thick-bottomed saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter cook it, stirring constantly, until it just begins to brown. Add the brown sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar completely melts.

4. Slowly add the milk, stirring to incorporate. It will foam up initially, so make sure you are using a pan with high enough sides. Heat until all of the sugar is completely dissolved. Do not let boil or the mixture may curdle.

5. Whisk in hand, slowly pour half of the milk and sugar mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly to incorporate. Then add the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk sugar mixture.

6. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a wooden or heatproof rubber spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula, about 5-7 minutes.

7. Pour the custard through the sieve and stir it into the cream. Add vanilla and stir until cool over the ice bath. Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.

8. While the mixture is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay out the pecans on a roasting pan in a single layer. Bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Let cool. Once cool, roughly chop the pecans and set aside. Note, if you want an extra punch to this ice cream, brush the pecans with melted butter and sprinkle with salt before roasting.

9. Once the ice cream mixture is thoroughly chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

10. Once the ice cream has been formed in the ice cream maker, it will be fairly soft. Fold in the chopped pecans. Put in an airtight plastic container and place in the freezer for at least an hour, preferably several hours. If it has been frozen for more than a day, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it before serving.

Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

Arancini (Fried Rice Balls)

I've been waiting to make these for a long time. It's not that I don't make enough risotto. The real problem is that when I do make it, we never have any leftovers. So you can imagine my surprise when we actually had some risotto left on the stove after a lovely meal last weekend. I was so excited!

Arancini, or fried rice balls, can be made with any risotto you have. And if you think leftover night is less than appealing, think again. These little morsels are anything but boring. Especially when you melt some goat cheese with heavy cream to make a decadent dipping sauce to go alongside.

Fried Risotto Balls

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

2 large eggs, beaten to blend

2 cups Risotto, cooled

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups dried Italian-style bread crumbs

Salt

Directions

Pour enough oil in a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

Stir the eggs, risotto, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a large bowl to combine. Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture for each, form the risotto mixture into 1 3/4-inch-diameter balls. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.

Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot ail and cook until brown and heated through, turning them as necessary, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain. Season with salt and Parmesan cheese. Let rest 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Peach and Blackberry Galette

I made this dessert with little advance planning. Translation: I was wandering the produce aisle dreaming of something sweet. Remembering I already had a bag of peaches in the freezer, I opted the frozen route, but fresh fruit would be perfect, too.  This made a large tart—enough for three nights worth of desserts for myself and my husband. For garnish, I didn’t have time to make vanilla ice cream, but crumbled amaretti cookies did the trick (like in this Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp).



Peach and Blackberry Galette

Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling:
2 to 3 cups blackberries (thawed if frozen)
2 cups sliced peaches (thawed if frozen)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. amaretto liqueur

Directions

Pulse flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Gradually add butter and pulse until coarse meal forms. Add 4 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoonful at a time, stirring until dough forms moist clumps, and adding more water by teaspoonfuls as needed if dough is too dry. Turn out onto a cutting board and form dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before rolling out.

In a medium bowl, add fruit, cornstarch and amaretto liqueur and gently toss together.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a 10-12 inch round. Spoon fruit mixture into dough, leaving a 1 ½ inch border. Crimp up sides. Slide the galette onto a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. If desired, brush dough with melted butter or an egg wash.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake until crust is golden and filling is set and begins to brown, about 25 minutes longer. Run spatula under galettes to loosen. Let rest 5 minutes. do ahead Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Serve galette hot or at room temperature.

Mustard Braised Beef

My husband and I have been in a soft, tender meat phase. It started with short ribs on New Year’s Eve and has been especially important in the last several weeks while he's recovered from having his wisdom teeth removed. Plus, there is something almost magical about braised meat. It takes hours to cook, but most of that time is spent leaving it alone, not babysitting it in the oven. This recipe, with a dry mustard and herb rub, was incredibly flavorful. Onions made the sauce sweet, paprika imparted warmth, and mustard rounded out the dish. I guess what I’m trying to say is it was pretty spectacular.

The recipe also comes from a new magazine I picked up on a whim, Fine Cooking. Sure, I’ve seen it on the shelves, but I already have my four subscriptions and haven’t been interested in flipping through another. But the cover recipe, and everything I saw inside its glossy pages before tossing it into the cart, looked fantastic. And so far I have not been disappointed.

Mustard Braised Beef

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking

I modified the original recipe for indoor grilling, as well as improvised a couple of ingredients. No molasses (oops, forgot it at the store), and we substituted scotch for bourbon to save us from buying a bottle of alcohol we might never finish.

Ingredients
For the beef:
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tsp. dry mustard (preferably Coleman’s)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 4-lb. boneless beef chuck roast

For the braising liquid:
2 to 2-1/2 cups lower-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup bourbon
1 Tbs. coarse-grain Dijon mustard
2 tsp. unsulphured molasses
2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the thyme, rosemary, paprika, dry mustard, and 2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Sprinkle the spice blend all over the roast. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

Drizzle some olive oil into a large Dutch oven and warm over medium-high heat. Grill the roast until nicely browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Let cool briefly and then tie the roast with several loops of butcher’s twine. Put the roast in an 8-quart heavy-duty pot.
Braise:

Reduce heat to low. In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of the chicken broth with the bourbon (we used scotch), mustard, and molasses and pour the mixture over the meat. Scatter the onions and garlic on top of the meat; it’s fine if some fall off. Put the pot on the grill over the cool zone. Cover the pot, and cook for 1 hour.

Uncover the pot and turn the roast over so the onions are now on the bottom. Check the liquid level in the pot and add broth as necessary until there’s about an inch of liquid in the pot. Continue to cook, pot uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring the onions and checking the liquid level every 20 minutes and adding broth as needed to maintain about an inch of liquid.

Replace the lid on the pot and continue to cook the meat until fork-tender, about 1 hour more, checking after 30 minutes and adding more broth as needed to maintain 1 inch of liquid. Move the meat to a tray and pat dry. Pour the onions and juices into a heatproof vessel, such as a Pyrex measuring cup, and let sit until the fat rises to the top. Skim off and discard the fat.

Pour back into the Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, until reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.

To serve, remove the string and slice the meat into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Ladle the onion mixture over the meat and serve.

Frozen Yogurt alla Pinkberry

There’s a magical place called Pinkberry. Have you heard of it? Until moving to LA, I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Even the first time I tried it, I wasn’t convinced. It tasted like the yogurt-granola-raspberry parfaits I sometimes make at home, so I didn’t see the value in shelling out $4 for it. But two or three days later the cravings hit. I began to dream about that tart, semi-frozen yogurt flavor and couldn’t believe I fell for it. I knew it must be possible to recreate it at home, (and I finally started eating Greek yogurt again and realized that the flavor was so much like…Pinkberry) so I set out to find a recipe that would live up to the expectation. Enter David Lebowitz and the recipe from his book, The Perfect Scoop.

It’s a measly three ingredients, and you might have all of them sitting in your kitchen right now. I like to top mine with white chocolate shavings and raspberries, but you can use whatever you like. And since summer is inching closer and closer, this is a great recipe to keep in the forefront of your mind for all the times you just want to sit around and eat something cold.

Frozen Yogurt
Recipe via 101 Cookbooks, via David Lebowitz

I made it once with vanilla and once without. Neither will disappoint, but for Pinkberry purists, go sans vanilla for a tarter flavor.

3 cups (720g) strained yogurt (see below) or Greek-style yogurt
½  cup (150g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla (if using). Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, about 25 minutes.

*To make 1 cup (240g) of strained yogurt, line a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheese cloth. then scrape 16 ounces or 2 cups (480g) of plain whole-milk yogurt into the cheesecloth. Gather the ends and fold them over the yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. So, for the above recipe start with and strain 6 cups of yogurt.

Israeli Couscous with Parsley

When it comes to easy side dishes, couscous is too good to be true. It's very pantry friendly, needing little more than a sprinkle of herbs to make it work with just about any main dish. My go-to flavors are almost always parsley and pine nuts—two ingredients I always have plenty of.  And the recipe? It came right off the side of the box.



Israeli Couscous with Parsley

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 1/2 cup Israeli couscous

1 2/3 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

zest of 1/2 lemon

salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add couscous and saute until browned slightly, about 3 minutes. Add broth and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, pine nuts and lemon zest (I also tossed in some scallions because I had them). Season with black pepper to taste.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Making this cake was a bit of an impulse. But don’t you love when you realize you have everything you need for a perfect dessert? Well, minus one, but raspberries were all I needed to make this easy cake, so I added the lone ingredient to my grocery list and left for the store.

The batter comes together in minutes, and although my cake didn’t rise as much as I expected, it didn’t take away from the flavor or experience of the crunchy, sugary crunch. This recipe would also be great for small, individual cakes if you have the pans and want to show off a bit.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

I like to dust powdered sugar on things, but this cake has a nice sugary crust and needs nothing else to dress it up.

Recipe courtesy Gourmet

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

Golden Beet Soup with Mascarpone Chive Cream

This spring, one of Bouchon’s nightly specials was golden beet puree. Paired with a dry chardonnay, it was a delicious first course and made me wonder where this vegetable had been all my life. The last time I had beet soup was in Poland, after a terrible river raft trip in the pouring rain and my feet were so cold I wasn’t paying any attention to what the borscht tasted like, just that it was warm.

Beets aren’t very common in my kitchen (and I’d be willing to bet most kitchens), so this soup will be unexpected for anyone who tries it. The flavors blend together so well you just swallow a big spoonful and smile. The cool mascarpone with a hint of onion flavor from the chives is a beautiful combination, and when lingered over a glass of wine, makes for an exceptional light dinner (we had an arugula salad with goat cheese alongside) or first course of Thanksgiving or other autumnal dinner party.

It tasted almost identical to what we had in the restaurant, but Andrew thought they might have used pumpkin instead of butternut squash. Next time I make this I’ll use pumpkin instead and see which version we prefer, but considering that I recreated this dish from our favorite restaurant using only my taste buds and an immersion blender, I’m very, very proud.

Golden Beet Soup with Mascarpone Chive Cream

There are many ways to garnish this soup. I remained true to the original soup I tried, but you could also make pesto with the beet greens, use goat cheese, or fried sage leaves.

Wine pairing: Rusack 2007 Chardonnay

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 golden beets (skin on, trimmed at the stem and leaves removed)
1/2 of 1 medium butternut squash, seeds removed
1 large onion, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
Zest of one lemon, plus additional juice to taste
4 cups chicken stock
1 to 2 tsps. cider vinegar
Mascarpone and chive cream (recipe follows)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle squash with olive oil and salt and set on a lined baking sheet. Wrap each beet in foil (this will make the skin easier to remove) and place on the same baking sheet. Roast vegetables for 40-45 minutes until fork tender. Let cool slightly, then gently peel the skin off each beet under running water. Slice in quarters and reserve in a medium bowl. Scoop out the butternut squash from its skin and add it to the bowl with the beets.

In a large stockpot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic and cook for about five minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Add beets and butternut squash and stir to combine. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Puree soup with an immersion blender. Add cider vinegar and butter to soup and thin with more broth, if desired. Add lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.

For the Mascarpone chive cream, add chopped chives to 1/4 cup Mascarpone and stir to combine. Season with a bit of salt. Dollop a small spoonful into each bowl and serve.

Black Bean Burgers

I’ve posted quite a few burger recipes lately. Okay, two, but they’ve been close together so it feels like more. But I’ve decided to embrace the burger bandwagon this summer, so here’s one more burger recipe, this time for another variation on the classic, using black beans instead of ground meat.

The burgers looked pulled together, but as soon as they hit our mouths they nearly broke apart. That didn’t stop them from being delicious. Cumin helps pump up the black bean flavor, and mashed avocados, well, when aren’t they a good idea? I’ll eat avocados anywhere, anytime, and black bean burgers are a wonderful canvas for them. If you have a few leftover burger buns, this is a great way to use them.

Black Bean Burgers

Gourmet | February 2009

Ingredients
2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 soft hamburger buns

Accompaniments: sour cream; salsa; lettuce

Preparation

Pulse 1 can beans in a food processor with mayonnaise, bread crumbs, cumin, oregano, and cayenne until a coarse purée forms. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro and remaining can beans. Form mixture into 4 patties.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook burgers until outsides are crisp and lightly browned, turning once, about 5 minutes total. Serve on buns.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Back in January I set a goal to use my ice cream maker more this year, but I pulled it out of the closet a bit earlier than expected. You see, my husband had his wisdom teeth taken out on Friday, so that means for the next week he'll be having lots of soup, smoothies, mashed potatoes, and ice cream. And since he needs to avoid anything with seeds (goodbye, strawberries), I decided on the ultimate ice cream classic: vanilla.

The beauty of this recipe is the method. It lends itself to any flavor you'd like (try cocoa powder, espresso or fruit puree), and because it's egg-based, it tastes extra creamy, like the ice cream you'd buy in the store. Andrew couldn't have any, but I crumbled some amaretto cookies on top of my bowl for extra crunch and it was absolutely delicious.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Recipe courtesy Everyday Food

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups skim milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

Directions

In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until blended. Gradually whisk in milk.

Cook over medium, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and evenly coats back of spoon (it should hold a line drawn by your finger), 10 to 12 minutes.

Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl set over ice. Stir in cream and vanilla. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to a resealable plastic container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours (or up to 3 months).

Wine Resolution #2 + Truffle Grilled Cheese

I’m the kind of person who likes to make lists and then add check marks next to the tasks I complete. Memorial Day weekend allowed me to cross off another wine resolution: Go to a Wine Bar and have a flight of wine.

Andrew and I headed to Bottle Rock in Culver City, a place we had been meaning to try since September. Their concept is simple: order wines by the glass from a prepared list, or order any wine on the menu (at least two glasses) and they’ll open a new bottle. The rest of the bottle will be saved and it’s written on the board for other customers to try. (I know what you’re thinking, we didn’t actually have a flight, but it still counts, especially since this is the first of many wine bars we plan to try.)

We started with a glass of white (Chardonnay for me, Sauvignon Blanc for Andrew) with a cheese platter, then moved to reds for caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes and burrata cheese and their claim to fame, truffle grilled cheese. Let’s just say the grilled cheese was melt-in-your-mouth amazing, so amazing, in fact, that we ordered two.


Here's  a photo of our attempt to recreate it. The white bread slathered with butter was dead-on, but the truffle goat cheese didn’t quite pull through. On our walk back from Whole Foods it occurred to me that the cheese at Bottle Rock was likely a cow’s milk cheese so it would melt like cheddar does. Using goat cheese was the first attempt at many to get it right, and although we didn’t manage to pull it off completely, it's all part of the fun on a culinary adventure. But  don't say you haven't been warned. If you go, order the grilled cheese and you’ll never look back.

Lamb Burgers with Goat Cheese and Garlicky Spinach

You know summer is close when I start posting about burgers. Last week I went traditional, and although juicy cheeseburgers have their place in this world, I couldn’t resist these decadent lamb burgers from Food & Wine. It’s been a while since I’ve had lamb, and I couldn’t believe how tender it was. Every bite melts in your mouth (it also doesn’t hurt that a toasted bun is slathered in goat cheese and topped with wilted spinach). The goat cheese/spinach combo was so appealing that I might be topping it on a grilled Portobello sometime soon...

The recipe garnished the burgers with marjoram leaves, but I took it a step further and drizzled on reduced balsamic vinegar to finish it off. Paired with a crisp glass of rose, it was a great end to the holiday weekend.

Lamb Burgers with Goat Cheese and Garlicky Spinach

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

1/2 pound spinach, stems discarded and leaves rinsed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb

2 tablespoons dry red wine, preferably Pinot Noir (I substituted red wine vinegar)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large garlic clove, minced

4 slices of peasant bread or brioche

4 ounces fresh goat cheese, cut into 4 pieces

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions

Heat a medium skillet over moderately high heat. Add a large handful of spinach and cook, stirring, until the leaves are wilted. Transfer the wilted spinach to a colander and repeat with the remaining leaves. Gently squeeze the spinach dry, coarsely chop and reserve.

In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the red onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Transfer the onion to a large bowl and let cool. Add the ground lamb to the bowl and break it up slightly. Add the red wine, cumin, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and blend well. Gently form the mixture into four 4-inch patties.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 40 seconds. Add the wilted spinach and cook, stirring, until hot. Season the spinach with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm.

For the balsamic vinegar, bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until vinegar has thickened, about 10 minutes. Watch it closely toward the end--a minute can be the difference between perfect and burned vinegar.

Light a grill. Lightly brush the bread with olive oil and grill, turning once, until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Spread the fresh goat cheese on the bread and top with the garlicky spinach.Brush the lamb patties with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until the patties are nicely charred outside and medium-rare within, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chopped lamb steaks to the bread, garnish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, if using.

Strawberry Birthday Cake + CAF's 1-Year Anniversary

I just celebrated another birthday, and it also happens to be the one-year anniversary of my blog! Celebrations were in order, and this cake was a great way to kick off the holiday weekend.

Every year for my birthday my mom would ask what kind of cake I wanted, and my answer was always the same: strawberry cake with strawberry icing.  So on May 23rd she opened the box of Duncan Hines and spread the baked cake with canned frosting. It was everything I could have wanted. That is, until I caught on to the obsession of this whole bake-from-scratch thing.

I love strawberries, and count the seed-studded fruit as one of my favorite indulgences.  They can be covered in chocolate, dusted with sugar, or poured over angel food cake.  When my in-laws found out I loved strawberries, I spent several years driving back to Santa Barbara with a trunk load of strawberry-flavored treats. Strawberry cereal, strawberry pop tarts, strawberry candy. If they were shopping and something strawberry caught their eye, it was mine. They’ve since caught on that it’s really the fresh berries I’m after, and still stock chocolate sauce and plastic containers full of them when we visit (so sweet!).

So, was this cake everything I hoped it would be? Absolutely. Although some experiments might be in order during the next few years (cupcakes, strawberry icing, strawberries between the layers, etc.), this recipe as is, was exactly what I wanted.

Strawberry Birthday Cake or Pink Lady Cake or Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe courtesy Smitten Kitchen, via Sky High

This cake makes quite a bit of batter, so you have several options for how you’d like to proceed. I happen to have two, 8-inch cake pans and was feeling lazy (on the Friday afternoon of a three-day weekend), so I opted for two very thick cake rounds instead of three. I later cut them in half to create four layers.

Cooking times may vary depending on how much batter you place into each pan. For two pans, I spread 5-6 heaping ladle’s of batter into each. What began as 30 minutes turned into something like 45-50, so just check on them and adjust your baking times accordingly.

I added three small drops of red food coloring to the batter. For the frosting, I planned on keeping the color white, but then threw caution to the wind and started adding food coloring. I lost count around drop eight, but just add them one by one until you get the desired color. I might add more next time for a more neon pink, or less to keep it elegant, so just follow your heart.

For the cake
4 1/2 cups cake flour
3 cups sugar
5 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups pureed frozen strawberries*
8 egg whites
2/3 cup milk
1 to 2 drops red food dye, if using (to make the pink color pop more)
4 to 6 large strawberries, thinly sliced (These are optional, but I think adding them between each layer really drives the strawberry flavor home.)

For the cream cheese frosting
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Make the cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350»F. Butter three 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pans. Line with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; the batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk and red food dye, if using, to blend. Add the whites to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter among the three prepared pans.

4. Bake the cakes for 30 to 34 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert and turn out onto wire racks and peel off the paper liners. Let stand until completely cooled before assembling the cake, at least an hour.

Make the cream cheese frosting
5. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Frost and assemble the cake
6. Place one cake layer on a cake board or platter. Tucking scraps of waxed paper under the edges of the cake will protect the board or plate from any mess created while frosting the cake. (I forgot, as can be clearly seen above.) Spread about 2/3 cup frosting over the layer, spreading it to the edge and lay strawberry slices on top. Repeat with the second layer. Add the top layer and frost the top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, reserving a small amount if you wish to tint it and pipe a decoration on the cake. If not, you can decorate the cake top with thinly-sliced strawberries. Remove the waxed strips to reveal and neat, clean cake board.

Chicken with Three M’s: Mustard, Mascarpone and Marsala

I realize that lately I keep saying “this is my new favorite... INSERT DISH HERE.” I suppose it’s a side effect of trying so many new recipes. Sure, I have my staples. This soup. This pasta. And a few others. But it’s been a while since chicken has really amazed me. Though skin, definitely, is a big help. For months and months I had only skinless, boneless chicken in my freezer. Bor-ing. There was only so much of it I could take. So during my latest Costco trip, I broke free and grabbed bags of skin-on thighs. I’m so glad I did.

And did you know you can make Chicken Marsala without Marsala? I suppose at that point it would need a new title, but don’t cast this recipe aside if you don’t already have some in the fridge. I added a splash each of white wine and balsamic vinegar instead and it was wonderful. The mushrooms add an earthy flavor and taste delicious wrapped up in creamy mascarpone sauce.

Chicken with Three M's: Mustard, Mascarpone and Marsala

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces (I used four chicken thighs)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine (I substituted splashes of balsamic and white wine vinegar)
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

A Big Juicy Burger + Homemade Hamburger Buns

Sometimes I rate the quality of a food magazine by the number of pages I dog-ear. A magazine is even better if I find my way back to those pages and make the recipes that initially piqued my interest. Lately, Food & Wine has been hit or miss for me. It just depends on the month, the theme, the recipes themselves, but there have been enough useful issues to warrant renewing my subscription year after year.

So, each year around this time magazines do their summer grilling/summer parties issues, but I was not prepared for what was in store this time around. I’m telling you, I must have dog-eared every other page in the June issue. The cover recipe alone (a big, juicy burger) made my husband pick up the magazine from the ottoman in the living room and bring it to me in the kitchen, hold it up proudly and ask: “When can we make this?”

I have a good feeling about summer. And now that we’ve sold the grill that didn’t fit on our patio and replaced it with a smaller, still functional version that does fit, we’re ready to go. So let’s start grill season off with a classic. Summer is probably the only time I’ll eat a hamburger. I never order them in restaurants, and aside from the occasional In-n-Out drive-through after loading up our trunk at Costco, I pretty much avoid them all together. But now that I’ve discovered I can make my own hamburger buns (people, this was a revelation!), there might be a few more burgers on our menu this season. And if you have ever been to the mostly-West coast burger mecca that is In-n-Out, well, they just might have some competition.

Big Juicy Burger

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine

The original recipe is below, but to make these burgers more like In-n-Out’s, I replaced the raw, red onions with chopped, caramelized onions. Saute them in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 15-20 minutes. I also omitted the bacon and lost the BLT element, but you’re more than welcome to use it.

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

12 ounces thickly sliced bacon

1 1/3 pounds ground beef chuck

1 1/3 pounds ground beef sirloin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 6 slices

6 hamburger buns, split and toasted

6 iceberg lettuce leaves

6 slices of tomato

6 slices of red onion

Directions

For the Russian Tarragon dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the ketchup, red wine vinegar, onion, parsley, tarragon and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, turning once, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain and cut the bacon into large pieces.

Light a grill and fill a large bowl with ice water. Gently mix the ground chuck with the ground sirloin, salt and pepper. Form the meat into six 4-inch patties, about 1 1/4 inches thick. Submerge the patties in the cold water and let soak for 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the burgers to the grill and brush with some of the melted butter. Grill over high heat for 9 minutes for medium-rare meat, turning once or twice and brushing occasionally with butter. Top the burgers with the cheese during the last minute of grilling and let melt.

Spread the Russian dressing on the buns. Set the lettuce leaves and tomato slices on the bottom halves and top with the burgers, red onion and bacon. Close the burgers, cut in half and serve right away.

*

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Recipe courtesy Annie’s Eats

The buns ended up smaller than I expected. I might not have waited long enough for the second rise, but regardless, I ended up with 9, slider-size buns. Next time I’ll make five large buns instead, but you can play around with the recipe until it’s right for you.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. sugar
2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast
¼ cup warm water (105°-115°)
1 cup warm milk (105°-115°)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
3 to 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. cold water
sesame, poppy or caraway seeds, or coarse salt, for topping

Directions

In a bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve the sugar and then the yeast in the warm water.  Add the milk, oil, salt and 1 ½ cups of flour to the yeast mixture.  Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.  Gradually add flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Switch to the dough hook and knead until you have a smooth and elastic dough, about 7-9 minutes.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl.  Turn once to coat the entire ball of dough in oil.  Cover with a tightly-woven dampened towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface.  Working with oiled hands, divide the dough into 9 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball, and flatten into 3 ½ -inch disks.  For soft-sided buns, place them on a well-seasoned baking sheet a half-inch apart so they will grow together when they rise.  For crisper bun, place them three inches apart.

Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

15 minutes before you want to bake the buns, preheat the oven to 400°.  Just before baking, brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with any desired toppings.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190°.  When the buns are done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack.  This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.

* Note: This particular dough should be quite slack, i.e. very relaxed in order to make soft and tender buns.  So you want to add only enough more flour, past the 3 cup point, to make the dough just kneadable, sprinkling in only enough more to keep it from sticking to you or the work surface.

Pasta with Anchovies and Zucchini Ribbons

Before you get turned off at the thought of anchovies in your dinner, hear me out.  You might be surprised to know that anchovies, as strange as they look stacked in a can, are delicious. In fact, anchovies are a brilliant little ingredient because, when used, they actually disappear into your dishes. That’s right. You won’t even be able to see them, or even pin down the taste of them.

They are complete flavor enhancers, and if anchovies still freak you out, there’s always anchovy paste, which brings all the flavor without having to pull them out of their can and chop them up. So, hopefully I’ve convinced you to give them a chance. If so, this is a great recipe to try. Also, this one. All you need are a few kitchen staples and you’ll have pasta on the table in no time.

Pasta with Anchovies and Zucchini Ribbons

Recipe adapted from Gourmet

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 lb spaghetti
3 garlic cloves
12 oil-packed flat anchovy fillets (or 2 tablespoons anchovy paste)
1 1/2 lb zucchini (about 3 medium), thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Heat oil and butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sauté zucchini 1/2 tsp salt until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente.

While spaghetti cooks, mince and mash garlic and anchovies together to form a paste. Add paste to onion with 1/2 tsp pepper and sauté 2 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain spaghetti. Add spaghetti to zucchini mixture with reserved cooking water and toss to coat. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and zest.

Peaches with Amaretti

Let me introduce you to my new favorite dessert. Whenever I have a dinner party, this will likely be my top pick to close the meal. Ok, maybe not every single meal, but it’s really so good, and has far too many dinner-party-perfection qualities not to at least consider it.

Let’s discuss. First, it’s a complete make ahead dish. You can grill the peaches, sprinkle them with sugar and let them rest in a baking dish all afternoon. And they only need to bake for 10 minutes – the perfect amount of time to rest after the main course. Second, the flavors are lovely, and slightly unexpected.  Amaretto is one of those “wow” flavors, in my opinion, because we’ve all heard of almonds, but the liqueur is something that isn’t usually stocked in every liquor cabinet.

Next, texture. The mascarpone is creamy, peaches are soft, and cookies crunchy. One little bite has everything. And finally, this little dessert has great stage presence. They look special on the plate, and will end your next meal on a perfect note.Peaches with Amaretti

Peaches with Amaretti

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

8 ripe peaches, cut in 1/2 and pitted (or one peach per person if small)
1/4 cup good almond liqueur (recommended: Amaretto Di Savonna)
Granulated sugar
8 amaretti cookies, crumbled
Mascarpone or vanilla ice cream to serve, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat and brush with olive oil to make sure the peaches don't stick. Place the peaches, cut side down, on the grill and cook for a few minutes, until they're slightly charred.

Place the peaches in an oven-proof dish, sprinkle each half with a little sugar. Drizzle a dash of amaretto liqeuer over each peach. (If preparing these in advance, this is the time to just let them sit on the counter until you’re ready to bake.)

Bake the peaches for about 10 minutes, until they're very tender. Serve hot, at room temperature, with with crumbled amaretti cookies on top or with the cookies on the side. I like to serve them with a dollop of mascarpone or vanilla ice cream.

Potato and Zucchini Latkes

I discovered latkes last year and I’m hooked. So when Ralph’s had a heavy bag of potatoes on sale for $1.99 last week, I grabbed it and didn’t look back. It was a starch-filled week: soup, gnocchi, French fries, and these cute, crunchy latkes.

I used the same yogurt-brown-butter-pine nut mixture as last time (minus the sage) and it made for a perfectly light meal. Latkes might be more traditional in December, months and months from now, when the weather is a bit colder, but don’t wait until the end of the year to make these. They’re really perfect any time.


And I have to apologize. I don’t know what I did with this recipe. It happens, sometimes, with all the recipes I pull out of magazines and e-mail to myself that I can’t remember where I found it. So I’ve included a few places you can find your new favorite latke recipe:

Gourmet’s Potato Latkes
Food Network’s Zucchini Latkes
Saveur’s Perfect Every Time Latkes
Giada’s Crispy Zucchini and Potato Pancakes

Ina's Chicken Pot Pie

Leave it to Ina to master the best comfort food recipes. One tip: Don’t get excited (like we did) and burn your tongues on the filling. Just be a little bit patient, let some steam release, and wait. Pulled from the oven, these will be very, very hot. And you can use any chicken you like. Also, don't be confined to her bone-in, skin-on method. It works, of course, but if you have boneless, skinless chicken in the freezer (like I did), you're set.

Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe courtesy Ina Garten

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Macaroni with Goat Cheese and Marinara

Years ago there was a marinara sauce called Prego Pasta Bake. It was, essentially, dinner in a jar, requiring only two additional ingredients: pasta and shredded Mozzarella cheese. Before I unleashed the gourmet in me, my husband and I would make this quite often. It was one of the first things we cooked together (if you can call it cooking) and may well have started us on the culinary journey we’re on today.

When I first noticed this recipe for Rigatoni with Goat Cheese and Marinara, I didn’t make the correlation, but after pulling it from the oven I realized how much it reminded me of the pasta bake’s we made in college. Pasta, sauce, and cheese—a simple list of ingredients with plenty of satisfaction. But this version appeals to the more sophisticated palate we’ve developed over the years. Goat cheese gives tang and creaminess to the red béchamel-like sauce and the breadcrumbs, well, they usually make everything a little bit better, especially when they’re toasted.

MACARONI WITH GOAT CHEESE AND MARINARA

Recipe courtesy NY Times

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Your refrigerator is part of your pantry, and if you have Parmesan and goat cheese on hand you can make any number of dishes. This is a grown-up macaroni and cheese, with a creamy tomato sauce standing in for béchamel.

1 pound of small pasta, penne or macaroni
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can plus 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes in juice
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
A couple of fresh basil sprigs (optional)
1 teaspoon dried oregano, if not using basil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 ounces soft, mild goat cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Meanwhile make the tomato sauce. Pulse the chopped tomatoes in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or pass through the medium blade of a food mill before you begin. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide nonstick skillet or saucepan and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to a minute, until it begins to smell fragrant, and add the tomatoes and their juice, the sugar, salt, oregano if using or basil sprigs. Stir and turn up the heat. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until thick and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes, or longer if necessary. Remove the basil sprigs and wipe any sauce adhering to them back into the pan. Add freshly ground pepper, stir in the goat cheese and Parmesan and combine well. Taste and adjust seasonings.

2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin with olive oil.

3. When the water for the pasta comes to a boil add a tablespoon of salt and cook the pasta for a minute or two less than the instructions on the package indicate. It should still be a little underdone as it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomato-goat cheese sauce and stir together until the pasta is thoroughly coated. Transfer to the baking dish.

4. Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni. Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Advance preparation: You can make the tomato sauce up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. Reheat and stir in the cheese just before tossing with the pasta. The assembled macaroni will keep for several hours outside of the refrigerator, and can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking.