Reading Material: Daylight Savings Edition

November 06, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Reading Material

Ever have one of those weeks when it’s just hard to get going? I wake up, head full of all the things I’m going to accomplish – recipes to test, errands to run, posts to write. It starts innocuously enough – just a little light lingering over morning coffee which quickly spirals into a morning spent futzing around on the Internet. (If that’s what you’re doing here right now, don’t worry I won’t tell!) All of a sudden it’s lunchtime and that perfectly reasonable to-do list, well let’s be fair, maybe it was a bit ambitious, has gone out the window.

Let’s blame the time change or the busy October we just wrapped up, because it was that kind of week around here. Some progress was made but I’m afraid I procrastinated a bit. Whoops. It’s good news for you though, since I’ve done the heavy lifting you can futz in a slightly more focused way. You’re welcome.

Reading Material:

Recipe alert! Deb Perelman of the fantastic blog Smitten Kitchen once again, has intuited what we all truly need in our lives. This time it’s a recipe for Oven Fries and I can’t wait to try them!

Bon Appetit has a formula to help determine how much counter space we really need. Filing this away in case I ever get to design a kitchen that has more than one work space…

I almost overlooked this interview with legendary cookbook and literary editor Judith Jones in Eater and I wouldn’t want that to happen to you! Want more JJ? Check out her memoir The Tenth Muse to learn how hugely influential she was in introducing world cuisines to the U.S.

Speaking of careful editing – Paste Magazine is fed up (pun 99% intentional, so I’m part of the problem) with this list of words they wish would disappear from food media. Do you agree? Or do you nom nom nom?

A strong cup of coffee in the morning is one of life’s small pleasures, but the lovely writing of this piece makes a compelling case for bad coffee. (via Serious Eats)

Better Chocolate Babka

September 22, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

If Ina Garten is my spirit guide, then Deb Perelman of the wonderful blog (and cookbook!) Smitten Kitchen is my favorite tenured professor, the Department Chair of Food Blogging. Her writing voice speaks to me in soothing tones – reminding me that it’s just cooking – no lives hang in the balance. If the outcome is delicious then it’s cause for celebration, if the results are less than amazing, then hopefully you learned something and the recipe is one step closer to the dish you dreamed. Cooking is about trial and error, experimentation. The fact that her recipes are so well written and specific inspires confidence, which brings me to the point: Better Chocolate Babka.

I took a 5 day bread baking class last February at the International Culinary Center where we learned the ins and outs of yeast, temperature, rising time, shaping, and baking all under the guidance of bread expert Chef Johnson. You would think that once we made our way through the dozens of loaves I brought home after class the scent of freshly baked bread would constantly waft from our apartment. Um, not so much. I’d like to blame it on hot summer weather, but it’s not like I didn’t use the oven for other things. Really, I was still intimidated. Frightened to go out on my own and tackle a yeast-based recipe without a net. Except, I have a secret weapon: Deb and her coterie of dedicate commenters to see me through.

In the grand scheme of things nothing will get me into the kitchen like the promise of a decadent baked good. Naturally, I chose a bread recipe that involved deep, dark, bittersweet chocolate – why go the healthy route with a loaf liberally loaded with pepitas and flax seed when what really motivates me is sweets! I’ve presented Deb’s recipe faithfully with just a few of my own observations and recommendations. I hope you’ll find it inspires you to tackle yeasted dough, but be forewarned: one taste of this and you’ll find yourself scheming new reasons to make it again and again. There's a reason Jerry and Elaine wanted that babka!

Deb Perelman’s Better Chocolate Babka (yield: 2 loaves)

Dough Ingredients:
4 1/4 cups (530 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast*
Grated zest of half an orange
3 large eggs
1/2 cup warm water, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons extra, if needed
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter (150 grams or 5.3 ounces) at room temperature
Sunflower or other neutral oil, for greasing

Filling Ingredients:
4 1/2 ounces (130 grams) dark chocolate, recommend semi or bittersweet
1/2 cup (120 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon [optional]

Syrup Ingredients:
1/3 cup water
6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar

Instructions:
Mix the Dough: Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and zest in the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs and 1/2 cup warm water, mixing with the dough hook until it comes together; this may take a couple minutes. It’s okay if it’s on the dry side, but if it doesn’t come together at all, add the extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms a mass.

With the mixer on lowest speed, add the salt, then the butter, a spoonful at a time, mixing until it’s incorporated into the dough. Then, mix on medium speed for 10 minutes until dough is completely smooth; scraping the bowl down periodically with a rubber spatula. If after 10 minutes, the dough doesn’t begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl add 1 tablespoon extra flour to help this along.

Before removing the dough, check the gluten development by taking a small piece of the mixed dough and spreading it apart gently with your fingertips. If it stretches without tearing and forms a thin, translucent membrane (think bubblegum) it’s ready.

When the dough is developed, coat a large bowl with oil (or turn the dough out onto the counter and oil the mixing bowl) and place dough inside, cover with plastic and refrigerate. Leave in fridge for at least half a day, preferably overnight. (Dough will not fully double, so don’t worry if it doesn’t look like it grew by more than half.)

Prepare Filling & Shape Loaves: Melt butter and chocolate together until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar and cocoa; mixture should form a spreadable paste. Add cinnamon, if desired.

Next, brush the bottom and sides of two 9-by-4-inch (2 1/4 or 1kg) loaf pans with oil or butter, and line the bottom of each with a rectangle of parchment paper.

Divide the dough in half, leaving the half you aren’t working with in the fridge. Roll out the first portion of dough on a well-floured surface to about a 10-inch width (the side closest to you) and as long in length (away from you) as you can when rolling it thin, likely 10 to 12 inches.

Spread half the chocolate filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border all around. Brush the end farthest away from you with water. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough up into a long, tight cigar and seal the dampened end onto the log. Transfer the log to a lightly floured baking tray in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to make it easier to cut cleanly in half. Repeat the steps with second portion of dough and filling.

Final Assembly: Gently cut the log in half lengthwise and lay the halves next to each other on the tray, cut sides up. Pinch the top ends gently together to form a V. Lift one side over the next, forming a twist – think braiding – and try to keep the cut sides facing out so they’ll be visible when the loaf is baked. This might be a little messy, but just transfer the twist as best as you can into the prepared loaf pan. The dough will fill in any gaps by the time it’s done rising and baking, so don’t worry if there is extra room in the pan.

Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise another 1 to 1 1/2 hours at room temperature. Repeat process with second loaf.

Bake and Finish: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove towels, place the pans on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 30 minutes, checking for doneness at 25 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted into an underbaked babka will feel stretchy/rubbery inside and may come back with dough on it. When fully baked, you’ll feel almost no resistance. If you babka needs more time, put it back and re-test at 5 minute intervals. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it with foil.

While babkas are baking, make the finishing syrup. Bring the sugar and water to a simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool a little. As soon as the babkas leave the oven, brush the syrup all over each. It will seem like too much, but will taste just right — glossy and moist. Let the babkas cool about halfway in pan, then turn out to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Note from Deb: Babkas keep for a few days at room temperature, but will freeze and defrost really well.

*Note on Yeast from Laura: Active Dry Yeast and Instant Yeast are two different ingredients, so read the packages in the store carefully. If you can only get Active Dry Yeast, then “proof” it by adding 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) to the 1/2 cup warm water (80-90 degrees) called for in the recipe with a small pinch of sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature then add it at the same time you add the eggs to the flour mixture. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

Rewritten from Smitten Kitchen’s Better Chocolate Babka, which is adapted from the Chocolate Krantz Cakes in Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes and no. Yes, if you have a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook capable of handling bread dough, or if you are up to the physical challenge of mixing and kneading dough by hand. You’ll also need a medium mixing bowl, scale, liquid measuring cup, rubber spatula, two 9x5” metal loaf pans, one sheet pan, a rolling pin, and sharp knife or bench scraper. Parchment paper and a pastry brush for preparing the pans round out the list.

The Verdict:
Deb is a genius.

I could just leave it at that, but for the sake of posterity I’ll continue. If you like brioche and pain au chocolate then Better Chocolate Babka is a glorious combination of the two. The baked dough is lovely and soft, rich with butter and just a hint of orange zest. The chocolate swirls so elegantly revealed are deep and dark taking this bread out of sticky-sweet breakfast loaf territory and into a more elegant realm. Bring it as a hostess gift to your favorite friends, have a slice with morning coffee, or a piece after dinner with a spoonful of whipped cream for dessert, this bread is welcome on my table at any time of the day.

Baked Eggs & Baby Spinach

August 07, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Need some inspiration to eat more vegetables? Step 1: buy lots of greens. Step 2: realize you’re going out of town for four days virtually guaranteeing a box of baby spinach sludge when you return. Step 3: begin searching frantically for recipes that call for an epic amount of baby spinach, but won’t leave leftovers. Step 4: discover that Smitten Kitchen has you covered, breathe deep sigh of relief.

I genuinely like leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc., but they don’t often make an appearance on my breakfast table. So, when I read Deb Perelman’s recipe in the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook for Eggs, Greens, and Hollandaise I was struck by its brilliance and simplicity. What a great way to incorporate some wonderfully healthy greens (and use them up before they go gunky) in a way that makes them seem indulgent with just the addition of a perfectly soft egg cooked on top.

Deb’s recipe was super straightforward and I’m sure this dish would be delightful with hollandaise if that’s your jam, but I’ve pretty much never met a recipe I couldn’t further simplify with laziness and lack of time. This version captures the spirit, if not the letter, of the law.

Baked Eggs & Greens (serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds fresh baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup (1 large) finely diced shallot
1 1/2 teaspoons (2 cloves) minced garlic
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:
Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Next, prepare four individual sized ramekins by brushing the inside of each one with approximately 1/2 tablespoon softened butter. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan melt together 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the shallot and sauté for 4-5 minutes before adding the minced garlic. Sauté for another minute before adding the fresh spinach a few handfuls at a time. Allow the spinach to wilt a bit before adding more turning the leaves with tongs to coat them with the shallots and garlic. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper.

When all of the greens are cooked and the liquid released has evaporated, divide them evenly among the ramekins making a shallow divot in the center. Carefully crack one egg into each ramekin taking care not to break the yolk.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes until the whites have set and the yolk is just beginning to thicken.

Sprinkle with kosher salt, ground black pepper and/or red pepper flakes as your palate directs. Serve immediately with toast cut into long strips.

Inspired by and adapted from Greens, Eggs and Hollandaise by Deb Perelman in the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (page 33). Similar recipe here.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes indeed! I needed 4 ramekins (mine are 7 ounces), a pastry brush to spread the butter, a small cutting board, chef’s knife, and large non-stick sauté pan. Measuring spoons, tongs, and a rubber spatula round out the kit.

The Verdict:
Baked Eggs & Greens is a deceptive dish - the ingredients are so simple, the preparation is straight forward, and yet the results are so delicious you might be surprised how many leafy greens you’ll gladly consume. Picture it: tender spinach rich with shallots and garlic tucked under a blanket of soft egg, served with crisp toast soldiers perfect for dipping. Even better? The eggs and greens come together so quickly that it doesn’t have to be a special occasion to make this.

Farmers Market Tomato and Ricotta Tart

August 18, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

These days I’m pretty much always thinking about cooking – what to make next, what are we in the mood for, what new skill should I attempt, can I make that restaurant dish at home? After a deluge of inspiration - the Heirloom Tomato Tart with Ricotta and Basil from Williams-Sonoma, which was preceded in my Pinterest feed by this beautiful pin of Tomatoes on Garlic Toast. Then, the current issue of Bon Appétit which features a beautiful dish by Yotam Ottolenghi, and finally my brand new copy of the Smitten Kitchen cookbook arrived. I’ll give you one guess on the image gracing the cover: Tomato Scallion Shortcakes with Whipped Goat Cheese (pg. 65).

I decided to take this deluge of brightly colored tomato-based photos as a sign. Perhaps I should get with the program and make something that highlights the beautiful tomatoes in season right at this very moment? Worse culinary ideas have happened and with all those experts to guide me I couldn’t make too big a mess.

I knew I wanted this recipe to be a light and summery tart, featuring tomatoes (and cheese). I referred to both the W-S recipe and to the crust from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook recipe for Wild Mushroom Tart (pg. 95), but then went on to make something new – partially out of necessity (like when the pantry is missing cornmeal and uncooked polenta is substituted) and partially to satisfy my own taste.

The ‘fanciness’ of the presentation is deceptive, so I hope you won’t be intimidated like I was when I first saw W-S’s tart. But, if you’re a perfectionist or feeling stressed here’s a tip: after the tomatoes are sliced practice layering on the cutting board or a piece of foil before trying to arrange them on the tart. It helped my confidence and reassured me that even if I didn’t make a precise, mathematically balanced kaleidoscope of slices it would still look lovely. And, in the end, I think it did, so there’s that.

I hope you try this soon while the tomatoes in the farmers market (or grocery store) are still amazing – I’d love to see your results!

Farmers Market Tomato and Ricotta Tart (serves 6-8)

Tart Shell Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup polenta or finely ground cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced in small cubes
1 tablespoon room temperature butter
1 large egg

Filling Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
2 1/2 ounces plain goat cheese, softened
1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 pint small-medium heirloom, grape or cherry tomatoes, washed and dried

Directions

In a medium bowl mix together flour, polenta or cornmeal, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork work the diced butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is in very small pieces and the mixture is just starting to come together. Add the egg and mix in with a fork until the dough forms a rough ball. The mixture will be fairly dry, resembling shortbread.

Turn the dough into an ungreased 9” tart pan with a removable bottom and using the floured, flat side of a measuring cup press into the bottom and along the sides of the pan in an even layer. Even the edges with a butter knife, or by flattening with the measuring cup.

Place the unbaked tart shell in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until the dough is firm to the touch. While tart shell is chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the shell from freezer and place on a baking sheet. Using a brush or clean hands, spread the room temperature butter on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to cover the tart shell with some overhang. Smooth the buttered side of the foil along the bottom of the tart shell and up the sides.

Bake the foil covered tart shell for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the foil from the shell and using a fork, prick the bottom of the shell – this will allow any air to release. Replace the uncovered tart shell in the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes until it is lightly golden and crisp. Set tart shell aside on a baking rack and allow to cool completely.

While the tart shell is cooling, assemble the ricotta filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta and softened goat cheese until smooth, then stir in the finely grated parmesan, kosher salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Cut the tomatoes – a serrated knife will work best – into 1/4 to 1/8” slices.

Once the tart shell is completely cooled, spoon the ricotta mixture into the shell and smooth with a spatula or knife. Layer the sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese in any pattern or arrangement you like – this is a moment to be creative! Sprinkle with a few fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper.

Serve just as it is or with a spoonful of pesto sauce.

Small Kitchen Friendly:

Yes, definitely. I used one medium bowl (used twice and washed between the dough and filling steps), one 9” tart pan, one baking sheet, a pastry cutter, one medium cutting board, one serrated knife, a microplane grater, a rubber spatula, and measuring cups and spoons. A butter knife and a dinner fork round out the tools.

The Verdict:

Mike and I had this on sunny, August Sunday afternoon and were really happy with the taste of these classic flavor combinations presented in a slightly different format. Mike particularly liked the flavor and texture of the polenta/cornmeal crust as a contrast to the creaminess of the cheese filling. And, since I had a little pesto in the freezer from a few weeks ago I defrosted it and we drizzled a little on top – yum. A success I’d say, since we’re already brainstorming variations with other seasonal vegetables. I foresee something involving caramelized onions in our future…