Scouting: Artisanal Bread Class @ ICC

February 20, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Scouting

Focaccia with Rosemary | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Focaccia with Rosemary** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

If you had told me a few weeks ago that I could shape a pain aux chocolate, bake brioche, or braid challah I wouldn’t have believed you. I used to actively avoid recipes that called for yeast - proofing, folding, shaping - these were all totally foreign to me and really intimidating. Sadness, right? Because bread is sooo good -#ilovecarbs - and even better when you can choose your own adventure with the ingredients.

So, I signed up for the Artisanal Bread class at the International Culinary Center (formerly the French Culinary Institute) in Soho and spent 5 days in the bread kitchen with the talented and encouraging Chef Johnson Yu learning the ins and outs of flour, water, yeast, and salt and how variations in ratios, fermentation time, shaping, and additional ingredients like eggs, olive oil, and whole grains can result in an amazing variety of delicious bread.

Muesli Brötchen dough | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Muesli Brötchen dough** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

In addition to using giant mixers and scaling - baker speak for measuring by weight - massive quantities of ingredients we also practiced the traditional shapes for bread: batard-shaped multi-grain loaves of pain aux cereal; thumb folded and lengthened baguettes; rolled round, hand-sized muesli brötchen, which loosely translates to “buns with fruit and nuts in them.” We braided that challah I mentioned, twisted soft pretzels, and rolled loops of dough into bagels.

Croissant in Progress | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Croissant in Progress** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Croissants | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Croissants** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

I got used to working with a kitchen towel at my waist; a thin dusting of flour on my hands (my notebook from class still has a light coating between the pages.) I learned that there’s something really satisfying about working with bread – the rhythm of timing, the focused mindlessness of portioning and shaping – and something even better about eating a slice that bears your invisible fingerprints. Or visible fingerprints, as in the case of the dimpled focaccia with rosemary.

Walnut Raisin Bread | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Walnut Raisin Bread** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

We now have a plastic bin functioning as make-shift bread freezer on our fire escape thanks to the frigid temperatures in New York, and it’s full to the brim with tightly plastic-wrapped and carefully labeled loaves. One of each kind we made, evidence of the week’s efforts, ready to be defrosted and served – inspiration for future baking endeavors.

International Culinary Center | 462 Broadway; New York, New York 10013 | 888.324.2433

Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

February 19, 2015 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: “Birthday Parties”

The Set-up: To celebrate Jeffrey’s birthday Ina is cooking him a dinner of Jewish comfort food straight from his grandmother’s playbook.

The Menu: Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls, Stuffed Cabbage

0:43 – Is it weird that Jeffrey and I like to celebrate our birthdays the same way? A stroll through a charming town followed by dinner at home – just add chocolate cake and we’re golden.

1:32 – Ina drops Jeffrey off at Book Hampton to browse while she heads home to finish their dinner. Is that a copy of “Back to Basics” I spy?

2:16 – First up, Stuffed Cabbage. Hmmm.

3:25 – So, there are raisins and brown sugar in the tomato sauce? Not winning any points…

4:41 – This is a complex recipe, not only does it involve a meatloaf-esque filling, but there are also cabbage leaves to blanch. This is love exemplified.

5:07 – On a positive note, I can definitely appreciate Ina’s cabbage rolling technique. They’re like little green burritos!

6:19 – Ina says that the flavors are “sweet and sour” and again, I’ve never really been on board with that combination when it’s a savory dish. Oh dear, this is one of the few Barefoot Contessa recipes that I will never make. (Sorry, Ina, you’re still perfect in my book!)

9:35 – We visit with Jeffrey for a moment as he relives past birthday surprises that Ina has organized. He married well, Ina would be the perfect surprise organizer.

10:23 – Back with Ina to make Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls and she’s in competition with Jeffrey’s grandmother for Grand Champion of Chicken Soup.

11:16 – We get a quick over view of Ina’s process for Homemade Chicken Stock, which involved three whole chickens. She is not messing around with this soup.

12:20 – Matzo ball time and I am watching this carefully for tips… Pro Tip#1: beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the mixture; Pro Tip #2: use just 1 cup of Matzo meal.

13:35 – I’m curious about the in-between steps of forming the matzo balls and actually cooking them – it seemed like Ina chilled them again…?

14:28 – The matzo balls look gorgeous, golden, and fluffy with a little bit of a rustic appearance. Yum!

17:45 – Now to finish the soup with the traditional carrots, celery, and shredded chicken.

18:02 – Ina is still challenging Jeffrey’s grandmother – is there a beef that never got squashed? Why the competition? It’s quite a mystery…

19:14 – Now for the fresh herbs – dill and parsley – they seem to be resisting a little. Darn those unruly, tangled herbs!

20:43 – Ina recommends saving the stems of herbs to use when making stock. I love it when she gets all Home Ec.

21:37 – Dinner time! Ina is ladling up bowls of the Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls and Jeffrey appears on cue.

22:11 – Ina appears to have won the Battle of the (Matzo) Balls, now let’s see how the Stuffed Cabbages go over…

22:19 – Ina is watching Jeffrey like a hawk as he takes the first bite. The consummate diplomat, he manages to compliment his lovely wife and honor his grandmother. Well played, sir.

25:50 – Ask Ina time. Question #1: Amy from Wisconsin wants a cutout sugar cookie recipe. Ina suggests this one: Classic Cookie Glaze.

26:16 – Question #2: Steve from Illinois needs advice on baking cakes ahead of time. Ina says – bake them, cool them completely on a rack, wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Frost them the day of the party.

27:45 – Question #3: Kim from North Carolina wants a recipe that her husband and young son can make for her. Ina says that Filet of Beef with Gorgonzola Sauce is a winner.

28:14 – Question #4: Chris from New York needs ideas for an easy, elegant birthday celebration for his partner. Ina’s recommendation: a picnic in Central Park catered from a specialty food store.

29:30 – And now Ina is off to entertain her birthday boy…

Final Thoughts:
really want to make Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls, but there is no way I’m boiling three chickens. There must be an easier way!

Note to self: start a stock bag in the freezer.

Cooking someone's favorite food for their birthday - such a sweet way to show them they're loved!

Lessons Learned:
Ina's Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls is a classic Jewish dish and I've eaten several versions both in restaurants and in private homes, but never attempted to make it myself. I should offer the disclaimer that with zero Jewish heritage to my name it’s nearly guaranteed that my adaptation (noted below) isn’t authentic or Kosher. You’ve been warned!

Matzo Ball Mixing: All the recipes I consulted emphasized maintaining a light, fluffy texture to the matzo mixture and ultimately to the cooked matzo ball, which is essentially a dumpling. The process of mixing reminded me a lot of making meatballs, crab cakes, etc. with one exception: instead of flavoring and binding crab meat the matzo meal is the main event. Definitely whip the egg whites thoroughly until they’re firm and then fold them gently into the matzo meal.

Matzo Ball Prep: The finished matzo mixture is really sticky, even after chilling in the refrigerator, so an ice cream scoop will be really helpful in forming the matzo balls. I’d also recommend chilling the formed balls on a baking sheet overnight to allow time for the mixture to absorb more of the liquid and become firmer.

Matzo Ball Cooking: Wet hands will keep the chilled matzo balls from sticking as you remove them from the baking sheet and place them in the hot stock to cook. Resist the urge to over crowd the pot – cook in batches if you need to – and since they’re relatively delicate when uncooked wait until they’ve been in the stock a few minutes before gently stirring. The matzo balls will float easily when they’re done, but check one by cutting it in half. If the interior still resembles dense, damp dough, the matzo balls need more cooking time.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Not the original recipe, but my alternate version (below) is a bit more manageable. I used a large stock pot, two medium mixing bowls, a baking sheet, a medium cutting board, a chef’s knife, and an electric hand-mixer. I also used a wooden spatula, rubber spatula, small ice cream scoop, measuring cups and spoons. Parchment paper and plastic wrap will also be helpful.

The Verdict:
The soup is so flavorful with beautifully clear broth and tender shreds of chicken. To me matzo meal tastes a lot like crushed up saltine or oyster crackers, so the finished dumplings are perfect compliment to the soup. This recipe definitely takes some work and a fair amount of time, but the results are worth it!

Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls (yield: 10 servings)

Chicken Soup Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for chicken
1/2 cup leeks, chopped
1/2 cup yellow onions, diced
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for chicken
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
3 cups carrots, peeled and large diced
2 cups celery, large diced
12 cups chicken stock
3 chicken breasts, skin on bone-in
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Chicken Soup Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and place the chicken breasts skin side up on the sheet. Coat the skin with olive oil (1/2 teaspoon each) and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and black pepper.

Roast at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees. Allow the chicken to rest on the baking sheet until cool enough to handle. Reserve some of the chicken drippings for the matzo balls.

Meanwhile, in a large pot sauté the leeks, yellow onions, and shallots in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme.

Add the large diced carrots and onions to the pot and sauté 4-5 minutes more. Add the chicken stock to the vegetables and stir to combine.

Remove the skin from the cooled, but still warm chicken breasts and pull the meat into bite-sized shreds. Stir the chicken into the soup and simmer over very low heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot with the simmered matzo balls.

Matzo Ball Ingredients:
4 extra-large eggs, separated
6 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
1/4 cup rendered chicken fat or butter, melted
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for egg whites
1 cup Streit’s matzo meal

Matzo Ball Instructions:
Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one medium mixing bowl and the whites in another. Whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup chicken stock, chicken fat, parsley, and salt. Stir in the matzo meal.

Next, use an electric mixer on high speed to whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the matzo mixture until just combined. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.

Use a small ice cream scoop to portion the matzo into 18-20 balls the size of ping-pong balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Wet hands will help to handle the sticky mixture. Chill covered, preferably overnight. Drop them into 6 cups simmering chicken stock and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until fully cooked and puffed, turning once. Remove and serve hot - 2 per person - with a ladleful of the chicken soup and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Adapted and rewritten from Ina Garten's Chicken Soup, with additional reference to recipes by Chicago Tribune, and Smitten Kitchen.

Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls 3 smaller.jpg

Cranberry Apple Steel-cut Oatmeal

February 17, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

This recipe is my new favorite way to start the day, especially when it’s a horrifyingly cold one like today. My love of breakfast cereal is well documented, but in an effort to eat more healthfully and reduce some of the sugar in my diet I’ve been eating a lot more oatmeal. When I was growing up my parents would often make oatmeal on cold weekend mornings. Periodically I’d try it, but even covered in raisins, and brown sugar I never liked the texture or the flavor. Even when I made the switch to steel cut oats, which have a firmer texture than old-fashioned oatmeal I still wasn’t thrilled with how they tasted.

Fast forward to this past fall and a conversation with my sister-in-law, Megan, who mentioned that she often cooks oatmeal in apple cider. Cue light bulb moment. I can’t believe I didn’t realize that what my oatmeal needed was to infuse the water with flavor so that the grain itself would absorb it too.

After lots of experimentation with ratios and amounts I’ve come up with a combination that I absolutely love and truly look forward to eating every morning. It takes a little more effort than just pouring a bowl of cold cereal, but there’s something about the ritual that feels indulgent and worthwhile, like I’m starting the day right.

Apple Cranberry Steel-cut Oatmeal (yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:
2 cups 100% apple juice
1 cup water
1 cup McCann's Quick & Easy Steel Cut Irish oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup (1 medium) diced apples, prefer Macintosh or Granny Smith

Instructions:
Heat the apple juice and water in a medium sauce pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Add the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and kosher salt to the hot apple juice mixture.

Next, sprinkle the Irish steel cut oats into the spiced apple juice and swirl the pan to gently stir. Reduce the heat to low.

Meanwhile, core, quarter, and dice the apple into 1/2" pieces. After the oats have cooked for 1 minute, add the dried cranberries and diced apples to the pan.

Simmer the oats, cranberries, and apples for another 3-4 minutes until the oats are al dente, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula to prevent the oatmeal from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serve immediately with an additional sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
This is super simple and definitely small kitchen friendly. I used a small sauce pan, a small cutting board, utility knife, dry and liquid measuring cups and measuring spoons. A rubber spatula will also be your best friend when it’s time to stir and serve!

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti

February 12, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Episode: “Boss for Dinner”

The Set-up: The “top brass” from House Beautiful magazine are coming to Ina’s for dinner, including her “dear friend” and editor in chief, Stephen Drucker.

The Menu: Real Meatballs and Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Ice Cream Sodas

0:38 – Ina says she want’s to “dazzle” her guests, but most of all she wants them to go home saying, “wasn’t that fun?” These are good goals.

1:29 – Contrary to expectations of a fancy dessert, Ina is serving Ice Cream Sodas with chocolate and raspberry sauces.

2:15 – There really is something about childhood desserts – don’t get me wrong I love elegant recipes like crème brulee, but sometimes a brownie sundae just hits the spot.

3:22 – Of course Ina is making her own sauces, no Hershey’s Syrup here!

4:10 – I’m a little surprised that the chocolate sauce uses cocoa powder and not melted bar chocolate. Maybe it would harden?

5:23 – Interesting. I thought the raspberry sauce would include the whole fruit, but instead Ina has pressed the sauce through a sieve to just get the juice.

6:35 – Quick field trip to Villa Italian Specialties in East Hampton to pick up some antipasti for a platter and adhere to Ina’s Rules for Easy Entertaining: never make more than two things. Works for me!

10:47 - The unofficial theme of “Surprise! This Fancy Dinner Isn’t Fancy” continues with the main course - Real Meatballs and Spaghetti.

11:13 – Pro Tip #1: A combination of fresh breadcrumbs and dry breadcrumbs will keep the meatballs tender while also helping them to bind together.

12:06 – Ina has an interesting way of thinking about meatballs – the ingredients fall into two camps: flavoring and binding.

12:52 – Remember when I said I wanted to make Rao’s meatballs? Well, one of Ina’s tricks is from their playbook: warm water!

13:45 – Meatball sautéing montage. What a delicious turn of events…

14:27 – Now onto the tomato sauce montage, which appropriately includes a lot of onion and garlic chopping.

15:33 – Ina’s recipe also calls for red wine, which I’ve seen in things like boeuf bourgignon but not in a pasta sauce.

19:10 – Onward to the Garlic Bread made with fresh oregano and ciabatta!

20:25 – The garlic bread involves an olive oil and herb sauce that almost seems like a really loose pesto, without the parmesan and pine nuts.

21:51 – Ina says that once the bread goes in the oven that the whole house will smell like garlic. Sounds like heaven. Sigh.

22:48 – Out into the garden where Ina is setting the dinner table with a green striped cloth, beautiful bunches of fresh herbs, and white tulips. Again, heaven.

23:20 – Ina leaves the guests speculating on what dinner will be. Their hints are "Italian" and "oregano."

24:49 – Final assembly montage as Ina cooks the pasta, slices the garlic bread, and lifts the lid on a bubbling pan of meatballs and sauce. I am officially hungry.

27:27 – Ina arrives in the backyard with the most enormous footed serving bowl I’ve ever seen full of Real Meatballs and Spaghetti. If these people aren’t excited they must be dead inside.

28:36 – Back inside to set a tray with the ice cream soda makings. Note to self: anything looks elegant in silver bowls and parfait glasses.

29:14 – Guest Barbara goes first and chooses a chocolate soda with espresso ice cream. Well done Barbara, a woman after my own heart!

Final Thoughts:
My fate is sealed. It’s time to make meatballs!

I am absolutely on board with doing simple “home cooking” for important guests – it’s so much more relaxed that way.

At the close of the episode Ina asks for a raise and Stephen tells her she can have a meatball. Which actually sounds like a pretty good deal to me…

Lessons Learned:
It seems like meatballs are every where all of a sudden, so it was time to tackle them for myself. Here's what I learned from Real Meatballs and Spaghetti. Meatball Assembly – I’m a little meh about veal, so I used equal parts ground pork and lean ground beef (90/10). I also didn’t have seasoned dry bread crumbs, so I added 1 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano, and garlic powder to compensate. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly, including the nutmeg. It’s tough to roll them all exactly the same size, but it’s worth it to try. I’d also recommend the “PlayDoh” technique – slightly rounded palms, gentle pressure when forming them.

Meatball Cooking – This is another time to practice your oil heating. Remember that shimmer from the Chicken Piccata recipe? Same deal here – you want the oil good and hot before adding the first batch of meatballs. Resist the urge to crowd the pan – too many meatballs and the oil temperature will drop making them greasy. A baking sheet alternately lined with aluminum foil and paper towels was super helpful during the rolling and sautéing processes.

Sauce Cooking – They say necessity is the mother of invention; well, the timeframe for the final 30 minute cook of the meatballs and sauce coincided with Maddie’s late-afternoon walk. Luckily, or was it by design?, I was using my enameled cast iron French oven. Covered and put in a 350 degree oven it took about 35-40 minutes for the meatballs to braise and cook through – thank you meat thermometer – plenty of time for a spin around the block with the dog. Honestly, with no bubbling, spattering pan on the stove top to worry about I’d do it that way again in a heartbeat.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Fairly, more so than I’d expected. I don’t have a sauté pan large enough for 16 meatballs AND sauce, so I used my trusty 5.5 qt French oven for the meatball sautéing, sauce preparation, and final cook. I also needed a second large pot for the pasta, a colander, medium mixing bowl, a baking sheet (useful during the meatball rolling & sautéing process) and medium cutting board. For utensils, a dinner fork, wooden spatula, two rubber spatulas (gentler than tongs) a liquid measuring cup & measuring spoons, a microplane grater, and an instant read meat thermometer.

The Verdict:
OMG. Real Meatballs and Spaghetti are so, so good. The meatballs are tender and the accompanying sauce has incredible depth thanks to the Chianti. Mike rarely is interested in having the same meal multiple days in a row – but in this case he was more than willing to revisit this dinner. I think it’s because they seem to grow in power – Day 2 and Day 3 might even be better than Day 1. Please set aside a lazy weekend afternoon to make this recipe – you will not be sorry and whoever you choose to share with will be eternally grateful. Trust.