Plum & Raspberry Crumble

July 16, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Long Island Food”

The Set-up: Ina owes her realtor Jack a “big favor;” the end result: she’s doing the cooking when his Friends visit the Hamptons.

The Menu: Beef & Horseradish Sauce Sandwich, Montauk Seafood Salad, Plum Raspberry Crumble

0:33 – Before we get started on the Beef & Horseradish Sauce Sandwich can we speculate for a moment on what Jack did for Ina that resulted in her owing him so big? Did he settle a bridge-related gambling debt? Alter some records in the surveyor’s office? I smell a mystery!

1:16 – Okay, back to the food. She’s roasting an entire beef tenderloin just to make sandwiches for four people, so the debt must have been serious.

2:27 – Pro Tip #1: pat the tenderloin dry with a paper towel then coat it with butter, mustard, salt & pepper to keep the meat moist while flavoring it.

3:49 – While the beef cooks she makes the horseradish sauce, which also includes Dijon mustard and coarse-grain mustard. Talk about clearing out the sinuses – spicy.

4:08 – The roast is out of the oven and it looks so good that I feel bad for teasing her 4 minutes ago. Pro Tip #2: Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, then cover with foil and allow the meat to rest for 10-15 minutes.

4:45 – We check in with Jack and Friends to find them at Mecox Bay Dairy doing some cheese tasting. Remember when we had our pairing lesson? Art tells them about Mecox Sunrise and they decide to bring some to Ina.

5:12 – Sandwich assembly time. Ina’s using Eli’s Health Loaf #2 and I can personally assure you that this is really good bread.

6:23 – I like Ina’s take on sandwiches – lots of Pro Tips #3: a thin layer of butter on the bottom slice keeps the bread moist. #4: don’t neglect the corners with the sauce! #5: something crunchy (in this case arugula) is always nice.

6:51 – Jack and Friends come to Ina’s and they trade witticisms, sandwiches, and cheese in that order. Can I just say that I don’t really get the Friends? Who are these people? Does Jack owe them a favor? I feel like we’re in deep waters here…

10:04 – Now that we’re alone with Ina again she pretends like everything is normal and that we’re just making Plum Raspberry Crumble like nothing happened, but I noticed she didn’t let Jack and Friends into the house.

11:28 – The combination of red plums and raspberries is beautiful and she hasn’t even cooked it yet! Pro Tip #6: stirring a little flour into the fruit makes for a delicious “goo.”

13:11 – The crumble is in the oven and we get a check in on Jack and Friends. It’s so odd, they seem like regular, sandwich eating people and yet they have such a hold over Jack. He promises them an afternoon of surprises to placate them.

14:56 – Back to Ina’s to start the Montauk Seafood Salad and she must be really rattled because she’s having a hard time remembering the reason for the name. (Hint: it’s where the fishing boats are!)

15:20 – As Ina peels and deveins the shrimp she gives us Pro Tip #7: the trick to cooking shrimp is to slightly under-cook them 1½ - 2 minutes.

20:09 – Next, Ina poaches the sea scallops in hot water with white wine vinegar and salt. These also take just a few minutes – 1 minute for small bay scallops, perhaps 4-5 minutes for larger sea scallops. I never realized shellfish was so delicate!

21:17 – Now we get a little lesson on mussels. First, all mussels should be tightly closed (open before cooking means they’re dead – no good.) Second, mussels need to be scrubbed and soaked in water with a little flour to get rid of the sand. Third, remove the ‘beard’ before cooking.

22:02 – Montauk Seafood Salad seems like quite a process. After cooking the mussels they now have to be removed from their shells. Whew.

23:33 – Off for a wine tasting break with Jack and Friends at Channing Daughters Winery. Jack would clearly like a generous glug of chardonnay, but decides to keep his wits about him pleading designated driver. Smart play, Jack.

24:01 – Back with Ina. She’s making a lemon, thyme and garlic vinaigrette by infusing warm olive oil with the seasonings. I like that idea and I bet mixing the seafood with warm dressing will really bring out the flavors.

28:54 – She finishes plating the seafood salad just and Jack and Friends arrive. It’s a race against the clock. Once again, Ina greets them outside. This time they don’t even make it to the front porch!

29:45 – She hands off the Montauk Seafood Salad and Plum Raspberry Crumble in exchange for three bottles of wine. Her relief is palpable and she let’s us know that “while they’re eating their dinner she’ll be drinking hers.” Point taken.

Final Thoughts:

Those filet of beef sandwiches looked really, really good. I wonder if I could make a smaller batch using filet mignon?

I love how many crumble recipes Ina has – literally several for any season of the year.

I learned an important lesson: never get in the position of owing Jack a favor.

Lessons Learned:

After the success I had with the Peach and Blueberry Crumble a few weeks ago and with the bounty of summer fruit still filling the markets I was in the mood for more crumble. You might not believe me, but Plum Raspberry Crumble is actually even easier.

Once again, the recipe consists of two components – the plums & raspberries and the oatmeal almond crumble topping. Both elements require minimal prep (no skin removal this time!) and just a little measuring and mixing. Also, just one large dish instead of several small ramekins – bonus. Don’t forget your parchment paper lined sheet tray and keep the butter cold!

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, for the most part especially in comparison to the Peach Blueberry Crumble. I used two medium bowls (one for the fruit filling and one for the crumble mixture), one large casserole dish, and a sheet pan. I also used a spatula, pastry cutter, measuring cups and spoons, and my bird beak paring knife to cut the plums. (The curved blade works well for cutting stone fruit, but a regular paring knife would work too.)

The Verdict:

Plums are somewhat sweet and fairly mild in flavor, so the combination with tart raspberries is great. We also really liked the balance of textures – crispy crumble top + firm plums + delicate raspberries + cool ice cream = a nice contrast. I didn’t owe anyone a favor when I made Plum Raspberry Crumble, but it still makes an excellent summer dessert when you want people to feel special (look, I baked!) but need something relatively low pressure (no pie crust to stress over.) Definitely try this while plums are still in season.

Bastille Day Cherry Clafoutis

July 14, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

So many of the recipes I love to make are inspired by the flavors and traditions of France, so in honor of Bastille Day I wanted to make a classic French dish to celebrate a country that has given so much to the culinary world. As I scrolled through the Google results looking for inspiration I came across a dessert called clafoutis.

The descriptions and photos I studied made it sound like a recipe straddling the borders of pancake, soufflé, and custard (distinctions that seem to depend on cooking time, flour content, and batter ‘fluffiness.’)

Intrigued and psyched to find a dish that didn’t involve a ton of actual cooking on this humid quatorze julliet (I do want to make bouillabaisse some day, just not on in the middle of summer!) I decided to attempt it. I came across many other recipes that used other fruits and contained variations on the batter proportions, but decided to go with Saveur’s recipe, which uses the traditional black cherries.

Lessons Learned:

The biggest challenge I encountered was regulating my oven temperature. Remember all the trouble I had with the Honey Vanilla Pound Cake a few weeks ago? Well, I think I found the culprit: wonky calibration. I discovered when I bought an oven thermometer that my oven runs about 20 degrees cooler than the marked temperature. Turning it up 20 degrees doesn’t fix the issue because then it over compensates. As a result, I nearly burned my Bastille Day Cherry Clafoutis! Thank goodness I checked on it after about 10 minutes. I think I salvaged it by covering the top with foil and reducing the temperature for the remaining cooking time….

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, absolutely! I used a 9” cast iron skillet (heavily buttered with a pastry brush), but any baking dish about the same diameter should work. All the mixing takes place in a blender, so all I needed was a small bowl for the pitted cherries, measuring cups and spoons.

A note on pitting cherries: Even though traditionally the cherries are just de-stemmed and added whole; I’m just not interested in dodging pits when I’m trying to enjoy a delicious dessert so I did pit them for this recipe. However, I don’t own an olive/cherry pitter… Food52 to the rescue with this DIY kitchen hack using a beer bottle and a chopstick. I tried it and it really works!

The Verdict

Black cherries are one of my favorite fruits and are definitely the star of this Cherry Clafoutis. The batter surrounding them is fairly mild even with the strong doses of liqueur and vanilla, a little more salt (I started with 1/8 teaspoon but I think ¼ or even ½ might be better) would help enhance the flavor. I like the lightness bread pudding-esque texture, but next time I’d like to try a variation that uses even less flour for a more custard-y result.

Minty Fresh Scouting: Sundaes and Cones

July 11, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Scouting

Sundaes and Cones in East Village | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Sundaes and Cones in East Village** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Everyone needs a summer project; a goal to work toward over the hottest months of the year; a plan that will give meaning to an otherwise lazy series of days. I considered this question carefully and arrived at the most obvious answer: visit as many ice cream shops as possible in search of the best Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream. This is a super-timely search because July is National Ice Cream Month. Convenient, right?

You might be wondering: why Mint Chocolate Chip? Mainly, because it’s my all-time favorite flavor, and because most shops offer an option that combines mint and chocolate. I’m willing to consider gelato, shakes, and 'novelties', but ice cream is really what I’m after.

My second stop on this delicious adventure was Sundaes and Cones in the East Village. Based on the information I had going in my hopes were high, perhaps too high. S&C calls their flavor Mint Chocolate Chip, but information on the formulation and process was, ummm, non-existent. Color me suspicious. I found myself underwhelmed and the ratings tell the tale…

Mint Chocolate Chip by Sundaes and Cones | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Mint Chocolate Chip by Sundaes and Cones** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

The Scientific Part:

The five criteria are Flavor and then the four “Cs” - Color, Creaminess, Chips, and Charm. I wish I could come up with a cool acronym, but I'm stumped.

I like a little kitsch matched with great ingredients, so my preference is for pale green ice cream with intense mint flavor and deep dark chocolate shavings. Yes, I realize that this doesn’t make them ‘chips’ per se, but then they’re more smoothly incorporated with the ice cream. I’m giving extra points for a whimsical setting or special experience.

Flavor – strong, syrupy minty-ness. I doubt this was achieved naturally. (1 of 5)

Color – bright green color that leapt across the line too far into kitsch for me (2 of 5)

Creaminess – almost fluffy?, but still nice and smooth (3 of 5)

Chips – large shavings of semi-sweet chocolate (4 of 5)

Charm – not much effort put into the shop itself, but cute benches out front (1 of 5)

Total Score: 11/25

Guacamole Salad

July 09, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Girls That Grill”

The Set-up: Ina and some lady friends are showing the guys how it’s done with their own cookout. Laura’s hosting, Valerie is setting the table and providing granddaughters.

The Menu: East Hampton Clam Chowder, Blue Cheese Burgers, Guacamole Salad, Chocolate and Vanilla Sundaes

0:39 – As Ina describes the premise of the episode I realize that she’s doing all the cooking, while the others just bring table settings. The least they could do is bring beer!

1:10 – First up, and frankly most important: the Blue Cheese Burgers. Pro Tip #1: use a combination of ground chuck (moisture, aka fat content) and ground sirloin (flavor.)

2:51 – Ina forks together the ground beef with breadcrumbs, steak sauce and eggs before forming the patties. How do we feel about this meatloaf-esque mix? I'm not so sure….

3:36 – While the burgers chill before the party, we get an interlude with Laura (the hostess) at her oceanfront home. I take it back, all she needs to do is keep paying the mortgage; I’ll bring the beer.

4:44 – We’re back with Ina to make the Chocolate Sauce sundaes. In her catering days she’d make sundaes for the children at family barbecues and fancy desserts for the adults, but guess who wanted sundaes too? Sundaes = crowd-pleaser.

5:12 – Pro Tip #2: add a little brewed coffee to bring out the chocolate flavor. This is a classic Ina recommendation, but worth repeating.

8:49 – Road trip! Ina’s taking us to The Seafood Shop to buy the clams for East Hampton Clam Chowder.

9:18 – We get a brief lesson on clams (steamers = best for linguini with clam sauce, little necks = small & expensive) as she searches for the right clams for chowder. Colin, our Seafood Shop rep, comes to the rescue with chowder clams that fortunately have already been shucked. How convenient….

10:37 – Back in the kitchen to start the chowder the best way: onions sautéed in butter. Always a good decision.

11:14 – Over to Valerie for a table setting discussion. Ah-ha! Valerie seems to own a home décor shop and now I understand why she’s in charge of the table. I’m betting there won’t be a paper plate in sight!

12:59 – Onward with the clam chowder! Ina makes a case for fresh clam juice, and while I’d like to tease her about this the idea of bottled clam juice gives me the chills

13:06 – Next, the roux (melted butter + flour + whisking) and Ina give us a super helpful Pro Tip #3: to prevent flour-y lumps whisk a ladle of the hot clam stock into the roux before adding it to the larger pot.

14:23 – Now I see why the clam juice is so important. The diced clams, which only need to cook for 2 minutes, are added at the very end and don’t really have time to flavor the chowder.

15:02 – This chowder looks so, so good. I’d love to be near the ocean with a cup and some oyster crackers right now….

19:17 – Time for the Guacamole Salad, which is essentially the vegetables you’d find in guac but diced larger and tossed in a lime vinaigrette.

20:29 – Ina mentions that she doesn’t like really hot dishes, so I’m surprised that she’s adding jalapeños to the salad. Honestly, I usually skip them when I make guacamole.

22:34 – A little last minute prep montage – charcoal chimneys being filled, tomatoes being sliced, paper napkins being put into Mini Coopers – all set to the Barefoot Contessa “things-are-afoot” music.

23:15 – Two things: one, that is a GIANT cooler; and two, Ina is super Prepared (capital P) with storage containers.

27:36 – I can’t tell what time of year this is, but if I had to guess I’d say September. Valerie’s granddaughters are rocking their cable knit sweaters (grey & lemon yellow if you’re wondering.)

28:03 – Laura is put in charge of the grill, but I saw her and Ina both pressing down on the Blue Cheese Burgers with a spatula, which is a no-no. Ladies, I know it’s tempting, but you know better than that! Think of the juices!

28:52 – The granddaughters decline the blue cheese, but earn their keep by helping with the Guacamole Salad.

29:41 – Last but not least: a toast to girls grilling (and ruling!) with the Chocolate and Vanilla Sundaes. That’s my kind of toast…yum.

Final Thoughts:

These are all really approachable recipes that I could honestly imagine at a back yard cook-out.

I love New England Clam Chowder and if I could get Colin to shuck the clams for me I think I could actually manage it.

I wonder who drew the short straw and had to clean up after dinner? I’m guessing Valerie’s daughter…

Lessons Learned:

I love, love, love guacamole so I was really interested to try the Guacamole Salad which seems to be a slightly healthier twist on a classic. This recipe consists almost entirely of chopping produce, so if you can dice bell peppers and rinse black beans you’ll be in good shape.

I’m kind of fussy when it comes to prepping vegetables and in this case I focused on keeping the major components (i.e. the tomatoes, peppers, avocado) medium-diced and what I consider the ‘flavoring’ ingredients (red onion, garlic, jalapeño) minced quite small. Biting into a giant chunk of any of those ingredients is not my favorite.

I was looking for a moderate spice, not a blast of hot jalapeño, so I also de-seeded. Depending on your preferences I’d adjust the size/seeds/amount accordingly. I'd also suggest adding some chopped fresh cilantro if you’re sure everyone likes it (I do.)

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, definitely. I used a medium bowl to mix together the vegetables, a medium sieve for draining and rinsing the black beans, a medium cutting board, a chef’s knife, a small paring knife, and a large spoon for tossing the ingredients together.

For the dressing you’ll need a liquid measuring cup, microplane grater, and measuring spoons.

The Verdict:

I made Guacamole Salad to bring as a side dish to a cookout we were attending in Connecticut. I wanted something fresh, a little unusual, and portable since we were taking the train out to the suburbs – this absolutely fits the bill for all three.

One note of caution: this salad isn’t the best choice if it’s going to sit on a buffet table for very long. Definitely wait until the last possible second before serving to add the diced avocado, otherwise it begins to turn brown and slightly disintegrate in the dressing (not very appealing.) I brought whole avocados with me and borrowed a knife to prepare them before we ate.

However, the flavors are bright with a nice balance of acidity from the lime juice, and spice from the jalapeño and cayenne. I’d definitely make this again as an accompaniment to burgers or serve as a dip with tortilla chips.