Rhubarb (Peach) Pie

So...I haven't posted here in a really, really long time. What can I say? I got distracted. And cooking feels like a hassle to me when I have to photograph everything. But I've been sitting on these photos for months now, and I have no excuse for failing to share this recipe.


Pie is my very favorite dessert in the world. All that fruit feels virtuous, plus it's one of those rare foods that seems daunting but is easier than it appears. Lots of people have told me they couldn't make pie. I get it. All that stuff about "cutting in" and not letting gluten form in the crust probably sounds as mysterious to a lot of folks as "proofing yeast" and not overkneading bread dough sounded to me. But just like I managed to turn out a decent loaf of bread my first time, you can do the same with pie.



This is my grandma's pie crust recipe, and she made the best pies in the world. The secret is in the liquids: vinegar, unlike water, prevents gluten from forming when you work the dough (gluten makes the crust tough and chewy), and the egg keeps the crust from falling apart when you roll it out.


Grandma Frieda's Pie Crust

3 cups flour (unbleached, all-purpose, unsifted because I'm lazy)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups butter (or, if you can find it, fresh lard)
1 egg
1 Tablespoon vinegar
up to 5 Tablespoons ice water

1. Mix flour and salt. Dice the butter into 1/2 inch cubes (this makes the next step easier and faster, which keeps the butter colder, which prevents gluten formation).

2. Cut in the butter. You can use a pastry cutter or two knives, but I prefer to use my hands, picking up handfuls of the mixture and rubbing it between my hands. You're finished when the mixture resembles small peas.

3. Beat the egg with the vinegar and mix in. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time until you are able to form a ball with the dough.

Yields four 8 or 9 inch crusts (two double-crusted pies), or three 10 inch crusts.

Rhubarb Pie

Saran or other plastic wrap
2 10-inch pie crusts from recipe above
7 cups rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar
pinch salt
milk or egg white

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450. Place Saran wrap on counter. Dust with flour. Place one crust over it, dust with flour, and roll out. Place in a 10-inch pie plate, preferably glass.

2. In a large bowl, mix rhubarb, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Place in pie crust.

3. Roll out second crust. You can just place it on top and poke some vents in it, but I like to make a lattice crust. Using a butter knife, cut into 3/4 inch strips. Use two of the longest strips to make a cross in the center of the pie with the vertical strip on top. Add two more horizontal strips, top and bottom, above the vertical strip. Continue to work outward to the edges of the pie, folding the strips back as needed. Here's a video, in case, like me, you can't visualize anything spatial.

4. Brush the top crust with milk or egg white. This makes it shiny and pretty.

5. Bake 10 minutes at 450. Turn the oven down to 350 and bake an additional 50 to 55 minutes, until the crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool at least 10-15 minutes before cutting. Best still warm from the oven, but good for breakfast too.



Since rhubarb season is long over and we are right in the heart of peach season, I suggest using them instead:

7 cups peaches, peeled and sliced.
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 Tablespoons corn starch



Tune in next time to hear about the travails of trying to eat well in a non-air-conditioned apartment. Or, why I haven't been cooking much the last few months.

Baked Pasta with Asparagus in Pink Sauce

Still snowing. I'm usually not much of a pasta person, but it's a fantastic way to combine the lighter flavors of spring veggies with my cold-induced cravings for rich, creamy carbohydrates. This dish is easy enough that even my dad could make it. If, you know, he were willing to make anything that called for heavy cream.



Baked Pasta with Asparagus in Pink Sauce
Serves 4-6

1 lb dry pasta (ziti, spirals, gluten-free, whatever)
2 tablespooons olive oil
1 yellow onion
1/2 head garlic
1 lb asparagus
2 cans diced tomatoes, with their juice
1/2 c heavy cream
salt and pepper
1 c parmigiano reggiano*
4 oz mozzarella

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Fill a large pot 2/3 full with cold water, set over high heat, and cover. Set a heavy, oven-proof casserole over medium-low heat and add the oil. Dice the onion and sautee until golden in color. Meanwhile, remove the tough ends from the asparagus and cut it into bite-sized pieces, and mince the garlic. Add them to the pan, and sautee 3 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and cream and bring to a simmer. Add about 3/4 of the parmigiano cheese and stir it in, then add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low.

3. Add the pasta to the boiling water along with a generous amount of salt. Cook according to package directions. Meanwhile, stir the sauce frequently and grate the remaining cheese. When the pasta is done, strain it and add it to the casserole with the sauce. Stir.

4. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the rest of the parmigiano over the pasta/sauce mixture, and bake for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

*The real stuff is stamped on the rind. Don't use the pre-grated gross stuff. You can substitute pecorino romano if you can't have cow-milk cheeses, but as it is much saltier and more pungent than parmigiano you'll want to cut down on the salt and use less.

Pork Chops with Apple Chutney and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

A classic dish, ever so slightly modernized. I love apples with savory pork products and make all sorts of variations on the apples and pork combo every fall. (Okay, 90% of this is apples sauteed in bacon lard, but whatever.) I realize that it's May, but it's supposed to snow tonight, so cold-weather food feels appropriate.

I've ordered the recipes for this meal in the order you should start preparing them. Sauce comes first, because it's easy to keep warm if it's done too early. Start by preheating your oven to 400.


Apple Chutney
Serves 4
I'll confess, I've never made this before, but I wanted to get apples and onions into one dish, so here's what I came up with.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 apples, cored and sliced*
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons plus one pinch sugar (I prefer brown, but white works too)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1. Heat the olive oil over low-medium heat in a medium saucepan while you dice the onions. Saute the onions with a pinch of sugar (to help them carmelize) until they are golden in color, stirring frequently.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring frequently until the apples are mushy, 20 minutes minimum, or up to 40 depending on how mushy you like your sauce.

*I personally like the texture of the skins, so I leave them on. Peel if you wish, but you're sacrificing flavor for texture.


Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Once the sauce is simmering, cut up 1 sweet potato per person. Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Roast at 400 until tender, at least 20 minutes or up to 40.


Pork Chops

4 center-cut pork chops
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil

Find the fattiest pork you can. If you must use supermarket pork, try marinating it for up to 4 hours in salted milk, as this will help make it tender.

Rub the pork with salt and pepper, dip it in milk, and dredge it in flour. Heat oil over high heat, then add the pork and cook until golden on both sides. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, turning once or twice, until it reaches an internal temperature of 140** and, if cut into, is slightly pink with clear-running juices.

**The FDA recommends cooking pork to 160, but don't listen to them unless you're pregnant, have a weakened immune system, or like extremely tough meat.


I finished off my meal with braised spinach.

Weeknight Coq au Vin

I love Coq au Vin, but most recipes turn it into an event. Here's a version that's simple enough to put together on a weeknight.


I left work at 5; dinner was on the table by 7, even though I putzed around a bit.


I served this with packet asparagus* and roasted potatoes.**



*Cut the tough ends off, season with salt, pepper, thyme, and a squeeze of lemon juice, spread in 1-2 layers and wrap in foil, bake in oven at 200 for one hour.

**Cut into bite-sized pieces, toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil, spread in a single layer and cook in a 400 degree oven for 20-40 minutes.


4 tablespoons bacon fat (or 2 each of olive oil and butter)
2 breasts and two whole legs of chicken
flour
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt, pepper, thyme
1 can diced tomatoes
1 c dry red wine
1/2 c stock (beef is traditional, I used goat, chicken would also work)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the fat over medium-high heat in a large pan for which you have a cover. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge it with flour. Add it to the pan, one piece at a time so the temperature of the oil doesn't drop too much, and brown on all sides. Remove, set aside, and wipe out the pan.

Decrease the heat to medium. Add the remaining fat to the pan and, when it is hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until they brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until the onions are translucent and beginning to turn golden, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and cook, stirring, until they break up, 5 minutes. Add the wine and chicken, cover the pan, and reduce heat to med-low. Cook an additional 20-30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.

**One can also omit the chicken, double the recipe, and serve the mushroom sauce over rice. I've done it, for vegetarians.

German Pancakes

How brilliant is it to bake pancakes in the oven so you can crawl back into bed until they're ready instead of having to stand over a stove and flip them? Germans are awesome.


These are significantly eggier than regular pancakes, more like thick crepes. It's fun to watch them get all puffy in the oven.

German Pancakes
from Smitten Kitchen

Yields 2 9-inch pancakes (feeds two, generously)

4 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons soft butter

Heat oven to 375°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans well. (As in, 1 tablespoon per pan.) Blend eggs at low speed in blender until they become light yellow. Increase speed to low-medium, remove cover and add remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Pour into buttered pans and bake 20 minutes; then reduce heat to 325°F and bake 10 minutes.

Traditionally, these are served with lemon slices, powdered sugar, and butter, but I like them piled with fresh or stewed seasonal fruit, and most others seem to prefer maple syrup.

Salsas: Rojo, Verde, Ranchero

I'd been thinking about doing a Mexican feast for a few weeks. At this time of year, avocados and limes and mangoes are cheap and nothing local is really in season yet. Plus I'm generally sick of wintery foods and want something brighter. So I'd been toying with the idea, but didn't quite know how to get around the lack of decent tomatoes. Then, on St. Patrick's Day, the New York Times posted this article on authentic Mexican salsas. I was inspired.


Each salsa is very different than the others, and each recipe yields about 1 quart of salsa.

First, the salsa roja was a disappointment. I love cinnamon, but this was just too cinnamony for my taste. Instead of providing background sweetness, the canela dominated the dish. However, I have found a way to use it, as I'll explain in a later post.


Salsa Roja
Adapted from the NY Times

2 pounds roma tomatoes (or 1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes)
3 tablespoons light olive oil
4-8 dried chiles de arbol (or Thai or pequin)
1 small, sliced yellow onion
1 clove peeled garlic
6 whole cloves
1/2 piece Mexican canela
1/4 teaspoon salt

If using fresh tomatoes, place in a pot with water to cover and simmer 15 minutes. Drain and puree in the blender.

In a skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Add chiles, onion, garlic, cloves and canela (or spices), sprinkle with salt and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes. Add tomato purée or canned tomatoes and simmer, stirring often, until thickened and slightly sweet, about 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed, keeping in mind that cold food tastes saltier than hot food. Puree in the blender until smooth.

Next, the salsa verde was delicious and light, and was excellent on fish a few days later.

Salsa Verde

Adapted from the NY Times

3 tablespoons grape seed oil
2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, halved
6 to 12 serrano chilies, stems and seeds removed*
1/2 onion, peeled
1 clove garlic, also peeled*
12 whole sprigs cilantro, stems included (about a handful)
juice of 3-6 limes
Salt

*I used six and found the salsa to be well-balanced: it had enough heat to be kicky, but not so much I couldn't taste the other flavors.

*I substituted four green garlics.

1. In a wide skillet, heat oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add tomatillos, chilies, onion (cut side down) and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, turning often, until vegetables are browned, turning to black (I got distracted, and mine turned black, to no negative effect), and seared on all sides.

2. Add cilantro (and garlic greens) and purée with blender until smooth and creamy, adding a little water if needed to loosen. Season to taste with salt and lime juice. The sauce should be tart and spicy but rounded in flavor.

Finally, the salsa ranchera was the favorite. I believe it would have been excellent with huevos for breakfast, but sadly, there were no leftovers.


Salsa Ranchera

Adapted from the NY Times

1/4 oz dried guajillo or New Mexico chiles
1/4 oz dried ancho chiles
6 roma tomatoes
2/ cloves garlic
3/4 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 poblano chile, roasted, stemmed, seeded and diced*
salt

*I may have not read the recipe closely and diced my poblano without roasting it, then seared it in a dry pan over high heat. Although this meant I couldn't remove the skins and they were a bit tough at first, after a few hours you couldn't tell the difference.

Cover dried chiles with boiling water and let steep until tender, 1 to 3 hours. Drain off and reserve soaking water. Purée chilies in a blender or food processor, adding soaking water as needed to make a smooth paste. (The longer you can soak the chiles, the less water you will need and the easier this process will be.) Strain to remove skin bits and set aside.

2. In a pot, combine tomatoes, garlic, 1/2 cup onion, cumin, 2 tablespoons of chile puree, and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 10 minutes. Purée in a blender, then pour into a skillet.

3. Bring to a simmer and stir in remaining 1/4 cup chopped onion, diced poblano chili and salt to taste. Let simmer another few minutes to help flavors blend.

The Farmers' Market, Taco Night, and a New Camera

This Saturday was the first farmers' market of the year...in Boulder. In Denver, none of the markets start until May. So, I drove up to Boulder on Saturday morning. I sort-of justified it to myself by meeting my dad for brunch at Foolish Craig's, but really, this was about getting amazing food and whatever food miles I may have saved by buying local I more than compensated for by driving 30 miles to purchase.



What can I say? I *love* garlic greens.


...and fresh spinach...


...and especially fresh tortilla chips. This weekend I wanted to make tacos, and I wanted to make fresh salsa for them.


I may have gone just a wee bit overboard and made a total of four(!) salsas. But the tacos were delicious. Tacos are a brilliant food: you can eat them with your fingers, and once you understand the basic composition, they can be varied infinitely.

Start with good tortillas. The only ingredients should be corn, water, and lime. Preferably, head over to the west side (or the Boulder farmers' market) and pick up fresh tortillas...they really are worth it.

Next, you need a protein. I made carne asada.


Carne Asada

1 skirt steak (mine was small, about 3/4 lb, and fed two generously)
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons cumin

Pre-heat your grill or heat 1 teaspoon of grapeseed or canola oil over high heat. Crush and peel the garlic, then rub the clove over the meat. Rub the spices into the meat. Cook 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare. (If you like your meat well-done, then braise your meat. Skirt steak will be extremely tough if you cook it all the way through.) Let rest for a few minutes, then slice as thinly as you can.

I also made black beans.



Mexican Black Beans

1/2 lb black beans, soaked overnight
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste

Cover the black beans in hot water to soak overnight, then pour off the liquid, rinse the beans, and cook in fresh water to avoid gas.

Heat the oil to medium-low and saute the pepper and onion until the onion is translucent and the odor shifts from sharp to sweet. Add the garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes.

Add the beans and enough water to cover by about one inch. Add the spices and bring to a simmer. Simmer 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, covered, stirring every 1/2 hour or so and adding water as needed.



Once you have your protein, you need salsa, but I'm saving those salsas for another post. In addition to salsa, you need crunch. I found some beautiful red cabbage at the market.



I added salt and lime juice and let it sit for about an hour before eating. This produced a mild version of pickling that eliminated any toughness and balanced nicely with the slight bitterness of the cabbage.

Finally, I added a little cotija cheese. The tacos were delicious! (And since I resisted my usual impulse to overload them, I was able to actually eat them with my fingers.)


Oh yeah, and as you can see, I also finally got my new camera! So from now on, pictures will be a regular feature around here.

Baked Beans

I always liked baked beans as a kid, but as an adult, meh. These, however, I love. They are a world away from the the saccharine, mushy, HFCS-containing canned ones.

The first time I made this recipe, it was summer, I was trying to cut down on cooking time, and so I used pre-cooked canned beans. While the results were okay, they were a lot mushier than I would have liked. I don't recommend using canned beans unless you're going for baked beans refritos.

Finally, beans make some people gassy, especially people who don't eat a lot of beans. To avoid this, pre-soak the beans in hot water for up to 24 hours, then drain and rinse, and cook in different water. (This also reduces cooking time.)

Smokey Baked Beans
Adapted, liberally, from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
15 minutes prep, then 2-4 hours unattended, then another 15 minutes prep.

3/4 lb white northern beans, pre-soaked and rinsed
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon bacon lard*
1 cup apple cider**
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1/2 tablespoon dry (English) mustard
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle en adobo, seeded and minced (or some cayenne pepper)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon bacon lard
1/3 lb bacon

1. Heat the bacon lard in a 2 1/2 quart casserole with a lid over low-medium heat. Mince the onion and saute approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the beans, stock, water, cider, and spices. Bring to a simmer while you mince the garlic and chipotle, then add them, cover the pan and reduce heat. Simmer 2 hours until beans are just tender, adding more water by the 1/2 cup as needed. (NOTE: Cooking times for beans vary enormously. If timing is an issue, cook to this point the night before and store in the fridge. This also makes the beans extra-flavorful.)

3. Add the tomato paste and return to a simmer. Simmer 1.5 hours. Add the vinegar.

4. Pre-heat a large frying pan with the additional tablespoon bacon lard over medium heat. Slice the uncooked bacon into 1/4 inch strips and fry, stirring frequently, until it is very crisp. Add the bacon strips to the beans along with 1/2 of the fat from the pan, stir, and serve immediately while the bacon is still crisp.

* I always reserve the fat when I make bacon because it's delicious (and it can damage your pipes if you pour it down the drain), so I always have some around. If you don't, you can substitute olive oil or another fat of your choice.

**I keep this on hand during the winter months. I buy it by the gallon and throw in a half-dozen cinnamon sticks and a handful of cloves. (The spices preserve the cider for months, even at room temperature.) I think the spices add additional depth to the flavor of the beans, but they'd still be very good without them.

Note for vegetarians: You *could* make these vegetarian, I guess, by adding an extra onion, omitting the bacon, and using vegetable oil in place of the bacon lard. But expect any friends who love smokey, porky things as much as I do to be sorely disappointed.

Pizza!

Pizza dough was my first use of yeast. I figured if I messed something up and it didn't rise, it didn't matter because it's a flat bread anyway. I had never made pizza at home before, because I thought I needed a pizza stone and a peel. But you don't. You can bake pizza just fine on a baking sheet.

Now pizza is one of my go-to meals, especially in the summer: it's impressive enough for company, if I'm alone it's not so much food that I'm stuck eating the same thing for a week, and it's infinitely adaptable to whatever toppings I'm in the mood for. Yes, it involves turning on the oven, but only for 10 minutes.

The reason I never used to make pizza at home is that store-bought dough....well, it's practically inedible. Seriously, it is *so* easy to make your own and only takes 5 minutes of actual cooking (plus a little more than an hour of letting the yeast do its thing). The following recipe will serve two, three if served with a big salad and some garlic bread.

Pizza Dough
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

7 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons white wine
5/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups bread flour (plus more for dusting)
cornmeal

Whisk water and yeast in a medium bowl until yeast has dissolved. Wait up to 5 minutes for the yeast to start foaming. If the yeast does not foam, start over with new yeast. Stir in wine, oil, sugar, and salt. Add flour and stir until it comes together as a dough.

Sprinkle some flour on the counter and knead the dough for a minute or two.

Wipe out the bowl you made the dough in and coat the inside with olive oil. Put the dough in, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for an hour or up to two, until it is doubled. (Or, make it the night before and let it rise in the fridge.)

Start the sauce (see below).

Preheat your oven to its highest temperature. If you have a pizza stone, sprinkle it with cornmeal and put it in the oven. Otherwise, sprinkle a baking pan with the same.

Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured counter and gently deflate the dough with the palm of your hands. Form it into a ball and let it rest on a floured spot with either the plastic wrap over it or the upended bowl. Wait 15 minutes.

Gently stretch the dough with your hands to roughly 12 inches round, trying to keep it an even thickness. Spread the sauce over the dough, then add whatever other toppings you wish.

Slide the pizza onto to your preheated pizza stone, or put the baking sheet in the oven.

Bake for about 10 minutes, checking at 7. Slice and serve immediately.

Pizza Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
splash of red wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
pinch cayenne pepper
salt* and pepper to taste

*Go easy on the salt, as the tomatoes already have some.

Heat the oil in the pan to low-medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute until soft. Add the red wine and reduce by half, then add the tomatoes, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered an additional 30 minutes.

Toppings

You can add pretty much any toppings you want: feta, goat cheese, or mozzarella for the cheese, and just about any meats and/or veggies you want. However, anything that needs to be fully cooked or benefits from long cooking times (meat, carmelized onions, etc.) needs to be pre-cooked in a saute pan, and if, like me, you like to pile on the toppings, it's also a good idea to pre-cook any veggies that have a high water content (i.e. peppers, mushrooms, spinach) because they reduce a lot.

Resist the temptation to pile on too many toppings: this is thin-crust pizza, and while I've never had this crust fall apart under the weight of toppings, I have had that unfortunate experience when eating out, and it's quite disappointing.

Be creative, and enjoy!

Apfelkuchen

I work for a judge, and every other week, all the judges in the court meet over breakfast, and they rotate who brings food. This week it's our chambers' turn to bring the goodies, and my judge, who knows I like to cook, asked me to make something.

My first thought was to make baked apples tossed in butter, spices, and sugar with granola baked on top. Because I hate cloyingly sweet things for breakfast. But the judge said that many of the other judges liked stuff that was a bit more decadent.

My next thought was to bake a pie...I make good pies, and I love pie for breakfast. Then I remembered that it's March and no fruit is in season. I looked at a bunch of recipes and eventually stumbled across one for coffee cake, which reminded me of this recipe that I became pretty much obsessed with this summer. I made it with peaches, I made it with plums, and then I made it with peaches again.

This being March, I decided to adapt it for apples. I also made Blueberry Boy Bait with frozen blueberries, and it's delicious...very buttery and only slightly sweet, it's an ideal breakfast cake. Plus, it was super easy. To adapt it to our altitude, reduce baking powder to a generous 2 1/2 teaspoons. To make the night before, wrap the pan in foil when you remove it from the oven to keep the boy bait as moist as possible.

Apfelkuchen
Adapted from Gourmet, via Smitten Kitchen.

2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup tepid water (about skin temperature, 90F)
2 cups (267 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (18 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup sugar (220 grams), divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (124 grams) at room temperature
1 large egg, warmed in shell in warm water five minutes
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces or 142 grams) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softened, divided
3/4 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c raisins
1/4 c rum
3/4 pound apples, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 apple)

Pour the rum over the raisins to soak. Stir together yeast and warm water in mixer bowl and let stand until foamy, about five minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)

Add two cups flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, yogurt, egg, spices, and vanilla to yeast mixture and mix at medium-low speed 1 minute. Beat in one stick of the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and shiny, about five minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.) Scrape down side of bowl and sprinkle dough with remaining two tablespoons flour. Cover bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Butter a baking sheet. Cream the remaining two tablespoons butter with the remaining 1/3 c sugar, then mix in the walnuts and raisins. Spread the mixture in bottom of a 8- or 9- inch square (I used a 7 x11, because that's what I had) baking pan. Slice and peel the apple and arrange in one layer in the pan.

Stir dough until flour is incorporated, then spread evenly over apples. Loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake until kuchen is golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan five minutes, then invert and unmold onto a rack to cool completely.

Serve with additional yogurt, lightly sweetened, or sweetened crème fraîche.

For an uglier, but longer-lasting, kuchen, dice the apples, mix with the butter, sugar, raisins, and nuts, and fold into the dough before spreading it into a greased baking pan.

Braised Chicken with Olives and Almonds

This dish is a real show stopper, because it's one of those where you can't quite tell what all is in there, but the flavors are balanced marvelously. It's a bit fussy, but *so* worth it, and it's perfect for this weird time of year when I'm completely sick of wintery food but the spring veggies haven't yet started to arrive, and when I still want stick-to-your-ribs food but not quite as sticky as I wanted in November.



Adapted from my absolute favorite food blog, Smitten Kitchen. Serves two, or up to four if, like me, the eaters think one thigh is plenty.

Braised Chicken with Olives and Almonds

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup blanched almonds (preferably Marcona)
1/4 cup country bread, torn into small pieces (I used my now-somewhat-stale no-knead bread)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
Small pinch saffron
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or green garlic)
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
4 chicken thighs
Salt
Paprika
Flour for dusting
1 dried ancho chili
1/2 large white onion, sliced
1/2 cup very dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup pitted green olives, sliced

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small braising pan. Add the almonds, bread and garlic. Cook over medium heat so the garlic softens and the bread toasts but nothing burns. Scrape into a food processor and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the saffron and parsley and pulse until it resembles tabbouleh.

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Add the grape seed oil to the braiser and place over medium-high heat. Let the oil get very hot, almost to the smoke point, while you dust the chicken with salt and paprika and then dredge it in the flour. Add the chicken, two pieces at a time so it isn't crowded, and brown all sides, then remove to a plate. Wipe out the pan. Add the remaining olive oil, the chili, and the onions and cook until softened. Remove the chili and reserve it for your next dish. Nestle the chicken in the pan, pour in the wine and reduce by half.

3. Add the almond mixture and the broth, bring to a simmer, cover the pan and braise in the oven until the chicken is almost tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in the olives and cook until the chicken is very tender, 10 minutes more. Serve from the pan.

So that was Monday dinner: I snacked on some manchengo and quince paste, some of the green olives, and some of the marcona almonds while I was cooking, then dinner proper was this chicken, saffron rice, and the braised greens from my last two posts. And...yum...and definitely company-worthy.

Spanish Saffron Rice

This is more a method than a recipe, as it is infinitely adaptable to any veggies you want to include and any spices you wish to add. However, this is the variation I made to go with Spanish food last night:

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion in small dice
2 pinches saffron
1 c rice
2 1/2 c water
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over low-medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and rice and saute, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Add the saffron, salt, and pepper and saute 1-2 minutes longer.

Add the liquid, bring to a simmer, then cover and turn heat to low. Simmer about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Braised Spinach with Currants and Pine Nuts

I had something like this at Piatti a few months ago. I thought the idea was super-exciting but, sadly, the dish was so salty I couldn't taste any of the other flavors.


So, I decided to make it myself.



This will feed four (three if one of them is a spinach fiend like me):*

2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 large shallots
1/3 c pine nuts (pinons)
1/3 c dried currants
6 c baby spinach
salt

Heat a pan with the oil over medium heat while you thinly slice the shallot, then add to the pan. Add the pine nuts and currants. Saute, stirring frequently, until the shallot is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Wash the spinach and tear it into bite-size pieces. Add it to the pan and stir until wilted, about one minute. Add salt to taste. (4 large pinches worked for me.)

(Note: Washing the spinach adds needed moisture for the cooking process and is necessary even if the spinach is pre-washed.)

*The photos show a half recipe.

No-Knead Bread at Altitude

I've long been afraid of baking bread. Yeast is so...alchemical and mysterious. And I'm not really one for measuring. But last weekend it was snowing (again), I was already making soup, and I figured that since I was going to be stuck inside anyway, it was time to conquer my fear. Reminding myself that flour is cheap and it would not be the end of the world if the loaf ended up in the trash, I pulled out Bittman's No-Knead Bread recipe that's been lingering in my recipe file for three(!) years and dove in.

And the bread wasn't bad. Really, it wasn't. But it wasn't great, either. It was kind of dense and tough. I suspected this might have something to do with the fact that (1) I used all-purpose flour instead of bread flour, because that's what I had on-hand (2) I mixed it 2-to-1 with whole wheat flour, because I ran out of all-purpose (did I mention it was snowing?) and (3) I was using a sea-level recipe at 5280 feet.

I did not, however, let this deter me for long. This weekend, I tried again, followed the recipe better, and tweaked it for high altitude. And this time, it was *delicious.* So without further ado, I bring you:


Mile High No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, via Mark Bittman at The New York Times

Ingredients:
3 c bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt*
scant 1/4 teaspoon instant (rapid rise) yeast

*I recommend Real Salt. It's mined in Utah from a prehistoric seabed and Whole Foods sells it in bulk for less than $3 a pound.

1. Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups tepid (warm room temperature) water and stir until blended. Dough will be sticky and shaggy, but will come together in a rough ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature (68-70 degrees) for 12-15 hours. When dough is ready, it will have roughly doubled in size and surface will be dotted with bubbles.

Note: High gluten content in your flour is essential at high altitude. Do *not* substitute all-purpose or whole grain flours unless you add additional wheat gluten.

Note: Don't be tempted to skimp on the salt. It turns out it's important.

2. Dump dough out of bowl onto lightly-floured work surface. Fold it over itself a few times. Sprinkle with flour, cover with saran wrap, and let rest 10-15 minutes

3. Using just enough flour (really, the least you can get away with) to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a silpat or non-terry cotton towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with an oiled piece of saran wrap covered with a second, damp cotton towel. (This is to make up for the fact that air pressure is less at altitude.) Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel or silpat and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 45 minutes, then check the temperature of the bread. Remove lid and cook for up to another 15 minutes, until bread reaches an internal temperature of 210 degrees.

Note: Mine got stuck at just over 200 degrees, but I took it out after about 55 minutes anyway because, well, it just seemed done.

5. Remove bread from oven and cool on a rack until it reaches nearly room temperature before you cut into it. (This keeps it from drying out.)

Enjoy!

Welcome!

I've been wanting to start a food blog for a long time now. I was putting it off until I found a job, and then my camera broke, and I've been procrastinating on buying a new camera for months now. Well, my parents gave me money for a camera for my birthday. In November. And I still don't have a camera. So....

I've decided that if I can't stop myself from putting off camera-shopping, I can at least stop procrastinating starting my blog. It's minimalist for now, until I learn a bit more about layout. But at the very least, I can start posting.

My goal is to share some of the wonderful things that come out of my kitchen. When I moved out of the dorms and into my first apartment, I cooked much the way my (wonderful, but busy) mom had. I love my mom, and one of the ways she showed she loved us was putting dinner on the table every night. But she was busy building an academic career and raising me and my brother, so she didn't make anything that took more than 15 minutes. Most meals had the same template: saute a bunch of veggies, add a can of beans, or boneless skinless chicken breast, make some rice or pasta, and dinner was served.

But you see, my first apartment was in Minnesota, and I am from the West. And I had a burning desire for Mexican food: not the bland, salty, Midwestern kind; I wanted the mole from the Red Iguana . Since I couldn't find it, I decided I would just need to figure out how to make it myself.

So I figured out how and began migrating away from the simple food my mom makes. And I discovered a dirty little secret: If I cook it myself, I can make it exactly the way I like it. Restaurants have to cater to the taste buds of thousands of people: I only have to cater to me. Control freak that I am, I fell in love with the kitchen. And here, I hope to share that love.