Old Fashioned Gingerbread

December 15, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Something about Christmas time makes me crave warm spicy desserts like this Old Fashioned Gingerbread. I made a few small changes, but I really can’t take credit for this recipe; it’s something my mom found in a cookbook several (like 15?) years ago and it quickly became a family favorite. Case in point: even though the ingredients are standard spice rack fare the results are so delicious I even trusted this recipe when I needed something to bring the first time I went home with Mike for Christmas (6 years later it was obviously a hit.)

It’s deeply spicy and rich, perfect have with coffee on Christmas morning or gussy up a little with some whipped cream for an easy dessert. It also consists almost entirely of ingredients from the pantry, so it’s a great last minute recipe to throw together when guests arrive. The scent of the ginger, cloves, and nutmeg perfumes the air in such a tantalizing way, who could help feeling welcomed and loved? All that means is that you should definitely make this sometime soon, you won’t be sorry!

Old Fashioned Gingerbread (yield: 1 loaf or 12 muffins)

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup boiling water
Non-stick spray

Instructions:
Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl, beat one egg with a wooden spoon. Stir in the molasses, vegetable oil, and sugar until well mixed.

In a separate small bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture and stir together until all the flour and spices are incorporated. Batter will be moist, but a little thick.

Finally, add the boiling water to the batter. It will look like you’ve made a mistake, but trust me – continue to gently stir and the hot water will incorporate into the batter.

The gingerbread can be baked at 350 degrees in either a greased loaf pan for 40 minutes or in lined muffin tins for 20-25 until lightly browned.

Adapted and rewritten from The Flavor of New England cookbook (Page 165 by Grace Addition).

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, indeed! I used one small mixing bowl, one medium mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, liquid and dry measuring cups and measuring spoons. I also used a glass loaf pan, but this gingerbread can also be baked in muffin tins.

The Verdict:
Mike and I now have a copy of The Flavor of New England cookbook and the spine is cracked at this Old Fashioned Gingerbread recipe, that’s how much we love it. Usually chocolate is my jam, but it’s so addictive anytime I make it I have to try so, so hard not to just inhale all every last crumb in 24 hours. Now that’s an endorsement.

Scouting: Food52 Holiday Market

December 12, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Scouting

Erin McDowell's Dessert Creations | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Erin McDowell's Dessert Creations** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

When I’m looking for guidance on a recipe or cooking technique (and Ina isn’t available to help with her words of wisdom) I check out Food52 to see what their experts have to say. So I was excited when I found out that the site was organizing a holiday pop-up shop downtown complete with demos and classes to help home cooks step up their game for holiday entertaining.

As soon as I saw the list of offerings I knew immediately that I wanted to sign up for a session called “Make Your Desserts Beautiful” with Erin McDowell a food stylist and test kitchen manager for Food52.

Erin in Action | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Erin in Action** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Check out this description – doesn’t it sound amazing?

"Fancy cakes and pies aren't just for bakeries. Erin McDowell will teach you foolproof ways to make intricate pie crusts and decorative cakes. She'll demo tips for braided pie edges, the perfect crimped crust, the classic swirled cake icing, and more."

Classic Crimped Edge Pie Crust | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Classic Crimped Edge Pie Crust** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Classic Lattice Pie Crust | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Classic Lattice Pie Crust** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

I went full-on honor society, showing up early, sitting right in front, asking 1,000 questions, and Erin could not have been lovelier or more approachable. She showed us her tricks of the trade for frosting and decorating cakes beautifully, proper technique for rolling out pie dough, and how to do fancy things like cut out top crust. She also introduced us to a brilliant creation of her own devising called the “fattis” aka a fat lattice crust (photo evidence below.)

The Fattis (aka Fat Lattice) Pie Crust | Image: Laura Messersmith — **The Fattis (aka Fat Lattice) Pie Crust** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

I probably should have taken better notes, but thankfully Erin has several pie specific how-to articles on Food52 in case I need to jog my memory. I left feeling so jazzed about making pie and finally conquering a food group that’s always intimidated me. I’d sign up for this class again in a heartbeat, so while I wait for Erin to open up her own pastry school it’s going to be pie central around these parts while I practice these new skills. Step 1: try the All Buttah Pie Dough. Consider yourself warned.

Parmesan Fennel Gratin

December 10, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Surprise Italian Party”

The Set-up: Antonia is coming to visit and Ina is surprising her with an Italian themed dinner party.

The Menu: Balsamic Roasted Beef, Parmesan Fennel Gratin, White Bean Arugula Salad, Parmesan Crisps, Limoncello and Ice Cream with Biscotti, Rossinis

0:51 – I heard a rumor once upon a time that Ina was a spy in a former life and with the level of scheming she does around surprise parties I’m beginning to think there’s some truth there…

1:14 – The party is for her friend Antonia and since she’s Italian that’s the theme of the meal. First up: White Bean Arugula Salad.

2:33 – We head outside with Ina for some rosemary and encounter Michael the Florist. “Ciao, Michael!”

3:05 - Back inside where we learn how Ina met Antonia. In a nutshell: Ina heard that Antonia was fun, so she looked her up and the rest was history!

4:27 – The white beans for the salad are coming together and Ina’s tossing them with roasted red peppers and prosciutto.

5:43 – Now Ina gives us a run down of her Party Pro Tips… #1: Keep it really simple., #2: Do as much ahead of time as possible. #3: Make familiar dishes that you know will turn out right. #4: Combine store bought items with homemade.

6:06 – Ina says that the white beans should never be salted while they’re cooking or it makes them tough.

10:26 – Next up: Parmesan Fennel Gratin and Ina is simplifying the process by essentially cooking the fennel twice. Once with wine and chicken stock to tenderize the vegetables and again at high heat.

11:43 – Outside with Michael the Florist again and he’s decided to “add a little drama to the table.” I can’t wait to hear how…

12:18 – As it turns out he doesn’t mean Real Housewives style with wine throwing, but with fig leaves and whole figs. DRAMA!! Oh, Michael you are a delight.

13:52 – We’re back with Ina to make the crunchy panko topping for the fennel gratin. Impromptu French lesson: “gratin” doesn’t necessarily mean cheese, “gratinée” however is a sure sign cheese is involved.

14:20 – Ina observes that she really prefers fennel cooked instead of raw, isn’t it amazing the difference in flavor you can get through the cooking process?

18:29 – Now we’re working on the centerpiece of the dinner Balsamic Roasted Beef

and Ina’s coating an entire filet of beef with a mustard/balsamic glaze. Mmmmm.

19:13 – She says a friend of hers Brent Newson taught her to make this and that he’s the “best caterer in the Hamptons, which is saying something.” High praise?

20:42 – Now she’s coating the glaze with a heavy layer of cracked black pepper – spicy!

21:30 – Ina joins Michael the Florist outside to see is handiwork and cackle over their plot to make Antonia eat dinner with friends. They are the evil geniuses of fun.

21:51 – Ina says she’ll save him some food - wait a second, is Michael not invited to the party? Antonia was a florist before she moved is there a beef here that never really got squashed. Maybe that’s what he meant by “adding drama to the table…”

22:36 – Now for the hors d’oeuvres - Parmesan Crisps (aka frico) and Ina says these hit three of the points on her Party Pro Tips list: Simple, Tested, Made in Advance. Nice.

26:49 – Cocktail time! Rossinis are a mixture of fresh strawberries pureed until smooth, simple syrup, and orange liqueur mixed with prosecco. Sounds heavenly.

27:22 – The guests have arrived and have their drinks in hand while they wait for the guest of honor to arrive… Antonia seems genuinely surprised and delighted this is so, so sweet.

28:02 – Ina puts the finishing touches on the White Bean and Arugula Salad, slices up the Balsamic Roasted Beef, and pulls the Parmesan Fennel Gratin from the oven. It all looks gorgeous, naturally.

29:54 – Last but not least, dessert (Limoncello and Ice Cream with Biscotti a store bought item) and a toast to Antonia.

Final Thoughts:
This was a great episode to watch right before we have people come for a little holiday gathering this weekend – I need to keep Ina’s Party Pro Tips in mind!

The Italian theme of this dinner was so subtle and elegant. Not a meatball or piece of garlic bread to be found!

Alas, there was no Michael the Florist in sight at dinner. The petals will have to fly another day.

Lessons Learned:
Parmesan Fennel Gratin is really straightforward and essentially combines a braising technique with roasting. For the first 35-45 minutes the wedges of fennel are in a covered dish with white wine and chicken stock, then once the vegetables are sprinkled with the panko topping the oven temperature increases to crisp the bread crumbs and partially caramelize the fennel.

Honestly, the trickiest part is prepping the fennel bulbs and fitting them into the baking dish. Since the fennel will cook down a little during the braising process it’s important to snuggle the wedges in fairly tightly. I’d suggest alternating the wider “stalk” ends with the narrower “frond” ends to get a few more pieces in the dish.

Normally I think Ina’s seasoning is spot on, but with this the black pepper was a little too strong for me. I’d probably add a few more dabs of butter and reduce the pepper to 1/2 teaspoon on the fennel and maybe just 1/4 teaspoon in the topping.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, indeed. I used a medium cutting board, a large casserole dish, a chef’s knife, a liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons, and a microplane grater. That’s it!

The Verdict:
Both Mike and I were shocked how much we loved the roasted fennel in the Roasted Pork Loin with Fennel we had for dinner a few weeks ago, so I was really excited to make Parmesan Fennel Gratin. I liked the results in the gratin and it’s really easy to make, but honestly I preferred the caramelized, roasted version from the pork loin. I’d like to try it again, but with a new version that recaptures the depth of flavor we loved so much.

Coq au Vin Blanc

December 08, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

I’m always interested in a great glass of wine and I love recipes that incorporate it as an ingredient. I made the traditional version of Coq au Vin for the first time last winter to rave reviews from Mike and now that the weather is freeeezing (25 today in New York, yikes!) I was toying with the idea of making it again. Then, serendipitously, as I was scanning through my Pinterest board this gorgeous picture reminded me of Nigel Slater’s Coq au Riesling. Genius!

I loved the flavor of the original dish with red wine, but burgundy or cabernet can sometimes be a little overpowering and I was really intrigued by the idea of using white instead. The recipe calls for riesling (surprised?) which I’m sure is delicious, but I prefer dry white wine, specifically, sauvignon blanc. And, since I was already thinking about ways to use more subtle flavors I also decided not to use bacon and honestly, I didn’t miss it. I can hear gasps of horror from across the land, but trust me on this it works!

The first 30 minutes of the recipe are a little prep intensive, but then the entire pot goes in the oven and requires ZERO tending until it’s time for dinner. In my book this is the perfect amount of effort. Extra bonus: Something about the wine in this low-stress dish makes it feel special enough for guests, so file it away for your next dinner party.

Coq au Vin Blanc (serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 (3 lb.) whole chicken, on the bone in pieces
1/2 cup (1 large) diced shallots
3/4 cup (1 medium) diced yellow onion
1 1/2 teaspoons (2-3 cloves) minced garlic
1/2 cup (2 stalks) diced celery
3 cups (3 large) diced carrots
1 cup sliced white mushrooms
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons minced thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat three tablespoons olive oil in a large French oven over medium-high heat. Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both the skin and the underside of each piece with kosher salt and black pepper. Starting skin side down brown the chicken pieces in batches, about 3-4 minutes per side. Resist the urge to crowd the pan! Remove the browned chicken to a plate with tongs and set aside.

While the chicken browns, prep the vegetables. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and slice the caps about 1/8 inch thick. Dice the shallot, yellow onions, and celery into 1/4 inch pieces. Next, peel and dice the carrots into 1/2 inch pieces, and mince the garlic cloves.

Once the chicken is finished browning, reduce the heat to medium. If the pan is a little dry, add another teaspoon or two of olive oil. Sauté the sliced mushrooms in the olive oil until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Next, add the diced shallots, yellow onions, celery and carrots to the pan. Sauté until the shallots and onions begin to soften and become translucent. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté one minute more. Return the mushrooms to the pan.

Sprinkle the entire mixture with 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables with the flour and seasonings and cook for 1-2 minutes until the flour absorbs the pan juices.

Add the bay leaf, minced thyme, chicken broth, and dry white wine to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the chicken broth and wine up to a low simmer before replacing the pieces of chicken in the pot.

Use the tongs to nestle them, skin side up, into the broth and vegetable mixture. Pour any collected juices from the plate into the pot and cover. Braise at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until the chicken is tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, it is! I used a 5 qt. French oven, medium cutting board, chef’s knife, vegetable peeler, wooden spoon, and tongs. I also needed dry and liquid measuring cups, spoons, a large plate, and paper towels.

The Verdict:
This version of Coq au Vin Blanc is pretty darn awesome – the dry white wine, mushrooms, and vegetables compliment the chicken beautifully. Mike said he would happily eat this anytime I want to make it. The sauce manages to be rich without being heavy and I’d definitely serve this with crusty bread, or mashed potatoes so none of it goes to waste.