Lamb Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Back in December, I visited a new doctor (or, as I like to call him, "hot doctor" because, well, look at him), an MD with an acupunturist's license and a holistic approach to medicine. His practice is radically different from traditional practices: he's the only person there, the number of patients admitted into the practice is limited, co-pays can be paid through PayPal, his waiting room is pleasant and relaxing (the kind of pleasant and relaxing you'd expect when waiting for a massage, not when waiting for someone to potentially draw blood).

At my appointment -- required to be an HOUR long as I was a new patient (see, I told you this is different)-- we did a lot of talking about health, in part about healthy eating. After congratulating me on my weight loss and exercise regimine, he asked me to think more about the gylcemic index when choosing what eat. It's not enough to eat low-fat, it isn't even necessarily "good" to do so, but my goal should be to reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates I consume and increase the amount of vegetables and fruits I consume, supplementing that with lean meats and complex carbs.

Now, this isn't news to me, but my tastebuds don't want to hear it. I really love sweets. (As you may have noticed.) And to me, the glycemic index has a loopy kind of logic: a glass of skim milk and a packet of peanut M&Ms have the virtually the same glycemic index. On a low-fat diet, there's an incentive to choose the milk, but here? Pass the M&Ms, please!

I tried the South Beach diet a few years ago, and didn't make it past the two-week/no-sugar phase. (Spreading natural peanut butter on a sugar free fudgsicle to sate a craving didn't seem like healthy eating behavior to me.)

Still, it's been something I've been thinking about. I've lost quite a bit of weight on WW. But if you stay within your given calorie point allotment, and you choose to eat all those points using simple carbohydrates (potato chips, cookies, cupcakes, etc., etc.), you can still lose weight. It's not a balanced diet and WW doesn't advocate doing this. But if the primary goal is to lose weight -- and they are called "Weight Watchers" -- you can lose weight and not learn healthy eating habits.

Then again, what's a healthy eating habit? Gary Taubes argued in his article, What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?, that low-fat diets aren't really healthy, and were thrown upon the American public based on wonky policy:

While the low-fat-is-good-health dogma represents reality as we have come toknow it, and the government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in research trying to prove its worth, the low-carbohydrate message has been relegated to the realm of unscientific fantasy.

Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, [...] is the de facto spokesman of the longest-running, most comprehensive diet and health studies ever performed, which have already cost upward of $100 million and include data on nearly 300,000 individuals. Those data, says Willett, clearly contradict the low-fat-is-good-health message ''and the idea that all fat is bad for you; the exclusive focus on adverse effects of fat may have contributed to the obesity epidemic.''

Taubes goes on to challenge what we commonly believe about fats and their relationship to "good" and "bad" cholesterol:

Few experts now deny that the low-fat message is radically oversimplified. If nothing else, it effectively ignores the fact that unsaturated fats, like olive oil, are relatively good for you: they tend to elevate your good cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (H.D.L.), and lower your bad cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (L.D.L.), at least in comparison to the effect of carbohydrates. While higher L.D.L. raises your heart-disease risk, higher H.D.L. reduces it.

What this means is that even saturated fats -- a k a, the bad fats -- are not nearly as deleterious as you would think. True, they will elevate your bad cholesterol, but they will also elevate your good cholesterol. In other words, it's a virtual wash. As Willett explained to me, you will gain little to no health benefit by giving up milk, butter and cheese and eating bagels instead.

Add to the mix the body fat acceptance movement (you can get started reading about this and related topics on The F Word), which advocates health at all sizes, and constantly questions what medicine and science say are "healthy" body types and you've got a big fat (ha-ha) pile of confusion on your hands.

In the face of all this, I plan to stick WW and an increased an effort to eat less sugar and other simple carbohydrates. There will still be PLENTY of dessert recipes on the blog, it's just that I'll be giving away a lot more of these treats to friends and coworkers.

But it's also why I turned to Kalyn's Kitchen . I thought if anyone would have scrumptious recipes emphasizing lean meats, vegetables and complex carbs, it would be Kalyn.

Naturally, she did. I cooked up her recipes for lamb souvlaki and tzatziki; both were excellent. The souvlaki was and as flavorful, with a nice herbal kick, and wonderfully tender. And her tzatziki -- well, it really might be the world's best.

So thank you, Kalyn. Thank you for providing us with a dinner that was not only easy-to-prepare, not only health-conscious, but delicious as well. I'm looking forward to exploring more of your recipes.
--

Lamb Souvlaki (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

1 lb. lamb shoulder meat

Marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil (preferably Greek olive oil)
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
1 tsp. minced garlic or garlic puree

Cut lamb into pieces slightly over one inch square, trimming off some, but not all of the fat. Combine marinade ingredients. Place lamb cubes and marinade in small Ziploc bag and marinate in refrigerator for about 4 hours, no longer.

To cook, place lamb on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until done. Serve hot.


World's Best Tzatziki (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

3 cups Greek Yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained )
juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
about 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
1 T finely chopped fresh parsley (substitute dill or mint leaves for a slightly different version)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Dice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.

In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)

This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

Donuts! I got donuts!

I’ve thinking a lot about donuts lately. My beloved Krispy Kreme – just a stone’s throw from work – closed down, leaving me bereft of my favorite flavor: glazed kreme filled. Now, my only local options are Dunkin’ Donuts (serviceable), the bakery department at Wegmans (pretty good) or Timmy Ho’s (where I seem to get stale donuts 50% of the time). I don’t think we have any “artisanal” donut places in the area (If I’m wrong, PLEASE correct me) so I’m filled with envy any time I see anything about Voodoo Donut or the Doughnut Plant.

So Peabody and Tartlette’s challenge – Time to Make the Donuts – seemed like the perfect idea. I could satisfy the donut craving right at home! But since I didn’t have any experience deep frying, I thought I’d make things a bit easier on myself by finding a recipe using pre-made dough.

Slightly adapting Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe for Italian donuts, I cut pizza dough into donut and donut hole shapes, then fried and decorated them.

Things were nearly flawless, with the exception of my deep fat thermometer cracking while in the oil. (Thankfully, it was only an inconvenience and not the disaster it could have been.) The dough puffed up beautifully, turned a nice golden brown, and was tasty both warm and cool. I made two types: donut holes rolled in cinnamon-sugar, and donuts dipped in a butter vanilla icing. I thought the cinnamon guys were delicious, until I tasted the iced donuts – heaven on earth.

It's amazing how simple ingredients -- flour, oil, sugar, and butter -- can create an extraordinary treat. But I guess that's the beauty of donuts.


Italian donuts

Pizza dough (this worked surprisingly well)
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
(See icing recipe, below)

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness.

For donuts:
Using a floured 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out donut rounds. Using a floured 1-inch cookie cutter, punch out a hole in the center of each donut. (I used a wide-mouth wine glass for the donut rounds, and a small circular cookie cutter for the hole.) Gather the dough scraps and reroll. Cut out more donuts.



For donut holes:
Use a small, round cookie cutter to punch out bits of dough. Gather the dough scraps, reroll, and cut out more donut holes.



Whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl to blend. Place cinnamon-sugar inside a medium-sized paper bag and set aside.

Pour vegetable oil into a large frying pan to a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Working in batches, fry the donuts or donut holes until they puff but are still pale, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the donuts to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly. While the donuts are still warm, generously coat each 2 times with the cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

Alternately, cool the fried donuts to room temperature. Melt 4 Tbsp of butter and add enough powdered sugar to form an icing. (If needed, add more powdered sugar to thicken; thin the icing with small amounts of water.) Add a bit of vanilla extract, perhaps 1/4 tsp. to start. If desired, add food coloring and blend well. Dip 1 side of each donut into the mixture, dust the donut with sprinkles and set aside until the icing is set.

Mmm ... Forbidden Donut

Amy Secrest's Donut Earrings.

I would love to wear these, but I'm 30 and I just feel I'm past the age of doing so. Then again, I couldn't really see myself wearing these when I was 20, either. Besides, where would I wear them? When teaching a college course? Going food shopping? Out on a romantic dinner date? I guess I'm just not a whimsical fashion person.

I'd love to wear this, this, or this but won't for the same reasons. That, and I imagine Tim Gunn being horrified at the prospect of my wearing these. "Oh, Laura! No."

Chicken and Parsnip "Fries" with Spicy Vinegar

Ohhhh, Parsnip. I love you.

Sure, you’re supposed to be the side complementing a roast chicken breast but, let’s be honest: you’re the star.

You made me eat each and every piece of you, sliced in thin strips, tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. The high temperature of the oven softened you and then crisped up your edges. It gave you lovely bursts of dark color, carmelizing your sugars – sugars I wasn’t even aware you had.

You’re flavorful. You’re sweet. You’re earthy. You’re marvelous.

The chicken, perked up by the fiery and tangy notes of a homemade chile vinegar, was jealous. You, without adornment, were delicious.

I look forward to seeing you next time, Parsnip. You will be mine again very, very soon.


Chicken and Parsnip "Fries" with Spicy Vinegar (adapted)
1 1/2 lb parsnips
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 chicken breast halves with skin and bone (1.75 lb)
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450-degrees F with rack in middle. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray generously with cooking spray.

Peel parsnips and quarter lengthwise. (If large, cut lengthwise into eighths and cut out cores.) Toss with 1 tablespoon oil, spread onto prepared sheet pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, while preparing chicken.

Rinse chicken, pat dry, then sprinkle salt and pepper. Spray a 12-inch heavy skillet with cooking spray and heat on high until the oil shimmers, then brown skin side of chicken, about 3 minutes.

Transfer chicken, skin side up, to pan with parsnips, reserving skillet, and roast until chicken is cooked through and parsnips are tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

While chicken roasts, reheat fat in skillet with remaining tablespoon oil, then add vinegar and red-pepper flakes and boil, stirring, for 30 seconds. Pour into a cup and keep warm, covered.

Serve chicken and fries drizzled with spicy vinegar. Serves 2.

Lemon Chicken with Mushrooms

Photo courtesy of Light & Tasty.

As a flavor, lemon has been on my mind a lot lately. Naturally, it took center stage in January's Daring Baker challenge, but I think there's more to it than that.

When I was in London, though the calendar said "January," the air felt like early spring. The days were sunny and bright, the temperatures ranged between 45 and 50 degrees, and flowers (yes, FLOWERS) were blooming.

When I returned home, there was snow on the ground, it was well below freezing, and the light had that sad, greyish cast typical of winter.

Still, the knowledge that spring is coming (eventually) is there, and the flavor of lemon -- bright and sunny -- is akin to those longer, warmer days ahead.

This recipe is adapted from one in the current issue of Taste of Home's Light & Tasty magazine, which is fitting, as this is a light and tasty meal. I added more lemon juice (about 1/4 cup total) to brighten the flavor and additional chicken stock (2/3 cup total), as it took longer than expected for my thickly cut mushrooms to cook. If you like, you could leave the mushrooms out altogether, make extra sauce, and serve the chicken and lemony sauce over a bed of rice. If you'd like more mushrooms, double the amount making sure to increase the chicken broth and lemon juice as well.

Additionally, it's a healthy recipe, featuring healthy fats (only 9 grams per serving), lean meat, and veggies. Since I began watching what I eat and exercising about a year ago, I've lost over 25 pounds, knocked 4 points off my BMI, and built up my muscle mass and overall endurance -- it's something I'd like to continue in 2008!


Lemon Chicken with Mushrooms (adapted)

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup lemon juice

Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 1/4 cup flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in butter until golden brown and juices run clear, flipping once. Remove and keep warm.

Add 2/3 cup broth to the pan, stirring to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Add mushrooms; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Combine the remaining flour and broth until smooth; stir into the mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in lemon juice, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with chicken.

I Love You but I’ve Chosen Karol Lu’s Champion Vegetarian Chili

PHOTO TK? The camera still isn't taking a charge. Sigh...

Not Eating Out in NY is Cathy's journal of, well, not eating out in NY. She's committed to not eating at ANY restaurants in the city in which she lives, instead creating her own recipes. The results are pretty fantastic, and if you haven't checked out her blog, please take a look.

Each recipe is accompanied by a cost calculator, which breaks down exactly how much it costs to prepare, and the "Brownie Point," which rates each recipe's health factor (one being the most healthy, and 10 being the least).

So now, in the month following Christmas -- December being a time when there was an excess of both cash-spending and calorie counting in this house -- I'm especially loving the recipes on Not Eating Out in NY.

I gave I Love You but I’ve Chosen Karol Lu’s Champion Vegetarian Chili a test run the other day. As the name implies, it's an award-winning chili, and let me tell you -- it's a vegetarian chili for those who are normally put off by vegetarian chili. It's flavorful, it's spicy, and it's just very good. We paired it with tortilla chips and grated cheddar; if I'd had sour cream in the house, I would have put a dollop on top as well.

Cathy's cost calculation was $10.22 for "a lot of servings" (it yielded 12 cups for me) and with a two brownie point health rating.

Click here for I Love You but I’ve Chosen Karol Lu’s Champion Vegetarian Chili recipe and enjoy!

January '08 Daring Baker Challenger: Lemon Meringue Pie

A quick pic using Shane's digital camera -- my camera (with allllll the other pictures) is holding its images hostage...

This month's DB challenge was hosted by Jen of The Canadian Baker. She asked us to make Lemon Meringue Pies as "it is something [she's] always wanted to try to make and [she] also wanted something lighter after all the holiday treats. "

Sounds like a good idea to me, Jen!

I baked the crust -- a lovely, lightly sweet shortbread style crust -- on Saturday night, then made the curd and meringue yesterday, about 6 hours before serving. I invited my friends Jenny and Nancy over for dinner, so Shane, Kian, Sadie, and I wouldn't have to tackle the finished pie by ourselves! (If you're wondering, we had lasagna, Italian bread, and a simple green salad for dinner.)

I was fairly confident about the whole thing (or at least not stressed) until I begain reading some meringue "tales of woe" on the DB blog. Reports of shrinking meringue (the meringue pulls away from the crust after baking) or weeping (a watery layer fors between the meringue and the curd) got me a little nervous, nor was I thrilled to hear about lemon curds with a soupy consistancy.

Still, given my inexperience with meringue, I was more worried about that. So, I turned to my Christmas-present-to-myself, CookWise by Shirley O. Corriher. (She's the food scientist featured on Good Eats.)

Corriher prefers using superfine sugar for soft meringues on pies, but writes that "undercooking and overcooking are the most common problems" adding, "it's possible to both overcook and undercook a meringue at the same time."

Oh, good.

"If you pile meringue onto a cold filling and cook it in an oven that is too hot," writes Corriher, "the top of the meringue can over cook and bead [little drops of moisture form on the baked topping] while the bottom remains undercooked and weeps. The filling has to be hot for the meringue topping to cook through."

She further advises preparing the meringue BEFORE the filling, so it's ready to go when the filling is nice and hot (this differs from the DB recipe, which directs you to spread on the meringue after the curd has cooled). Corriher also mentions that a colleague even sprinkles fine cake crumbs over the surface of the curd before spooning on the meringue. The crumbs absorb any moisture, but you can't detect them when you eat the pie.

Her biggest tip is to add cornstarch (1 TBS stirred into 1/3 cup of water and heated to form a thick gel), which gets beaten into the beaten egg whites a tablespoon at a time. "This prevents the meringue from shrinking, lowers the changes of beading, and makes the meringue tender and easier to cut smoothly."

Well, I cheated a bit on the DB challenge (I know, I know...) and spread the meringue on the curd while it was was hot. I still had a bit of weeping and shrinkage, so either it doesn't really matter when you pile the meringue on OR I'd screwed up the pie badly enough that using Corriher's fail-safe measures proved only partially successful. (I'm leaning toward the latter explaination.)

But the taste? Really wonderful. The curd (which was a little loose, but I think that was completely my fault for not vigorously whisking the mixture for the entire time) was packed with lemon flavor, but not so much so that it fell into "Sour Patch Kid" territory. The meringue was light and lovely, and along with the crust, balanced the acidic notes in the curd nicely.



(Incidentally, I rolled out the leftover dough and sprinkled it with cinnamon and sugar. Then, I rolled it and sliced it as you would for cinnamon buns, and baked them in a 350-degree oven for 11 minutes. The result is a very tasty cookie!)

So, all in all, I would make both the crust and curd again, but to cut down on weeping and shrinkage, I'd try Corriher's meringue recipe; see the end of this post for her recipe.

Additionally, I'd use a smaller pie plate -- there was a lot of "head room" left for my curd on the 10-inch dish, nor did the meringue look as impressive as it could have (as it was partially "buried" beneanth the top of the pie plate).

Big thanks to Jen for hosting! Check out scores of other Daring Bakers via the Daring Bakers Blogroll.



Lemon Meringue Pie
(from "Wanda's Pie in the Sky" by Wanda Beaver)
Daring Bakers Challenge #15: January 2008

Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:
3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

To Make the Crust:
Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling:
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

***

Shirley O. Corriher's Meringue (via this link).
This is NOT what the DB challenge used, but what I plan to try in the future.

6 egg whites
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Stir the egg whites, 2 tablespoons water, cream of tartar and sugar together well to break up whites in a medium-size stainless-steel bowl.

Heat 1 inch water to a simmer in a medium skillet and turn the heat off. Run a cup of hot tap water; place an instant-read thermometer in it.

Place the metal bowl of egg white mixture in the skillet of hot water and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl constantly with a rubber spatula to prevent the whites from overheating. After 1 minute of constant scraping and stirring, remove the bowl of egg whites and place the thermometer in the whites. If the temperature is 160 degrees, beat until stiff peaks form when the beater is lifted from the mixture and the mixture slides only slightly when the bowl is tilted. (Peaks are stiff if the tips stand straight. If they bend over at the top, they are ''soft'' peaks).

If necessary, keep heating the whites 15 seconds at a time until they reach 160 degrees. Rinse the thermometer in the skillet to kill salmonella and return it to the cup of hot water after each use.

Sprinkle cornstarch into a small saucepan, add 1/3 cup cool water and let stand 1 minute. Then stir well to form a paste. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. The mixture will be thick and slightly cloudy.

Let it cool for a couple of minutes, then whisk 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch mixture into the meringue and continue adding and beating until all is incorporated. Whisk in the salt and vanilla (if using).

Pour over pie filling, pushing all the way to the crust to form a seal over the filling. The meringue tops one 9-inch pie.

....And, We're Back!

A small sampling of the delicacies offered at Harrods' Food Halls.

Hey! Hi! Hello!

I know it's been a while, but I'm back from my trip to London. I was there to assist two colleagues in leading the "Media: The British Experience" course/trip- what a fabulous time! Not only did we get to check out all sorts of amazing media offerings in London (BFI & Mediatheque, tours of the BBC and the National Theatre, and talks with numerous experts in their respective fields) but we toured Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, Stonehenge, the Roman Baths at Bath, the Tower of London, and Greenwich, too! (Interested in taking the trip? Keep an eye on this page for updates on the 2009 trip.)

Please click here, here, and here to view my photos from the trip.

But, since we're all here because of the food, I have a special gallery devoted to the Food Halls at Harrods.

From This is the Life.com:

In 1849 Henry Charles Harrod opened a small grocery and placed the emphasis on high-quality customer service. He could hardly have imagined that it would one day turn into one of the most luxurious and indulgent gastronomic experiences known to man. Harrod's food hall - or rather the several halls that make up the whole thing – is the piece de resistance of the world's most famous store, situated in the opulent surroundings of Knightsbridge in central London. Each hall is lavishly decorated according to the food it sells – and there are very few types that it doesn't. Go with a friend and spend a couple of hours soaking up the sights and smells of this shrine to food. And if you can't afford what's on offer, look out for the frequent samplings and promotional launches. One thing is for sure: you won't leave here empty-mouthed.

Click away, get drooling, and enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

OK, yes, I realize that I'm doing this on New Year's Eve, but I'm headed off to London tomorrow very early (unofficially, I'm co-leading this trip/course) , so I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading the blog in 2007 and invite you back for more in 2008!

Things will likely be quite around here for the next couple of weeks while I'm out-of-town, but things will be back to normal soon enough. Hopefully my digital camera will keep up with me and there will be lots of pics to share along the way.

But until then, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy New Year!

Guest Recipe: Lisa's Mayan Mystery Cookies

I used to date a man who loved the cocktail hour at wedding receptions; the combination of elegant mixed drinks with a panoply of carefully prepared finger foods proved too irresistible. Forget the cake, or the carefully plated fish-or-chicken entrees, the cocktail hour was where it's at.

After last night, I'm reminded why I agree.

Nancy hosted an end-of-the-year cocktail party last night, replete with lots of little nibbles: focaccia and olives, several wedges from the European cheese shop, shrimp cocktail, grilled mushrooms, pretzels and spicy mustard -- all delicious.

But my lust for sweets is never vanquished so, as soon as Lisa and Kip, two of Nancy's friends, showed up with a huge platter of cookies, I was on them like white on rice (the cookies, not the couple).

Heaped on the tray were scores of dark chocolate cookies, glittering with a light coating of sugar. They had the lovely, heady aroma of cocoa and cinnamon (a combination I love).

Taking a bite, I was rewarded with a tender cookie and a rich depth of flavor -- the chocolate and cinnamon, of course, but also little bursts of pure chocolate, followed by a gentle Cayenne heat. So delicious -- and a nice departure from the usual holiday-time cookie flavors.

I took a few home with me, but they're all gone now: sacrificial virgins to my hungry sweet tooth god.

Thanks to Lisa and Kip for the delicious treats (and the tip about the mechanic!) and to Nancy for hosting a terrific shindig.

Mayan Mystery Cookies (source)

Note: the recipe directs "tuck[ing] about 5 chocolate chips into the center of each one." Doesn't that seem like a lot of extra effort for what's otherwise a very simple recipe? (Lisa thought so, too.)

After thoroughly combining the vanilla into the dough, and just before chilling, I'd fold in about 6 oz. (half a standard bag) of semi- or bitter-sweet chocolate chips, check to see if that was enough chocolate for my preferences, and add more if need be.

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar, plus more for rolling
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon finely and freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Semisweet chocolate chips (see note, above)

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Cream the butter and ¾ cup sugar in a food processor. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and cocoa in a medium bowl and add to the butter mixture. Add the egg and vanilla and process until the batter is uniform.

Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.

Using your hands, roll the dough into balls about the width of a quarter. Tuck about 5 chocolate chips into the center of each one. Put some sugar on a flat plate and roll the balls in the sugar to cover lightly.

Place the balls on the baking sheets. Bake for 8 minutes, being careful not to overbake; the cookies should be delicate and soft in the center. Let cool on the baking sheets.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Kicked Up Green Bean Casserole

Kicked Up Green Bean Casserole: pretty, by casserole standards.

I've never been a fan of the traditional green bean casserole but Shane really likes it, so I'll make it on occassion -- most recently, for Thanksgiving. I'm not crazy about green beans anyway, and the regular recipe yeilds a bland-tasting and grey-looking casserole.

For Christmas dinner, however, I set out to find a better recipe -- and I did! Not only is it delicious, with loads of onion flavor, it's creamy and even attractive (by casserole standards, anyway). It only requires a couple of extra steps and ingredients, but it makes all the difference (plus, it actually comes together more quickly than the original). They've taken a casserole I normally turn my nose up at into something I crave in the middle of the night -- or right now, even.

Kicked Up Green Bean Casserole (adapted)

20 oz. frozen French-cut green beans
2 large red onions, finely diced
6 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 (10-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup (I used reduced fat)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (6 oz.) can French-fried onions


Blanch the French-cut green beans in hot water for about 3 to 5 minutes, drain and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.

In a large skillet, saute the chopped onion in butter. Then add the cooled beans and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the canned mushroom soup and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a greased casserole dish and top with French-fried onions. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

This month, Lis and Ivonne challenged all the Daring Bakers to create a Yule Log for the holidays. Mine is a few days late -- it's been a hectic month, and the past few days have been especially sad for me because Chester died-- but the cake is finally here: a Christmas miracle.

Please check out all the other beautiful Yule Logs by visiting the links on the Daring Bakers blogroll and, again, happy holidays.

Yule Log

Orange Genoise:

3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup cake flour - spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off (also known as cake & pastry flour)
¼ cup cornstarch
Zest of one orange

one (1) 10 x 15 inch jelly-roll pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper and then buttered again

1.Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

2.Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.

3.Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees if you have a thermometer (or test with your finger - it should be warm to the touch).

4.Attach the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume. The egg foam will be thick and will form a slowly dissolving ribbon falling back onto the bowl of whipped eggs when the whisk is lifted. Fold in zest.

5.While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour and cornstarch.

6.Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.

7.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

8.Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the cake doesn’t overbake and become too dry or it will not roll properly.

9.While the cake is baking, begin making the buttercream.

10.Once the cake is done (a tester will come out clean and if you press the cake lightly it will spring back), remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.

Chocolate Buttercream:

4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks or 1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled a bit
2 tsp. vanilla

1.Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

2.Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Add chocolate and liquor and beat into the buttercream.


Marzipan Mushrooms:

8 ounces almond paste
2 cups icing sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
Cocoa powder

1.To make the marzipan combine the almond paste and 1 cup of the icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until sugar is almost absorbed.

2.Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar and mix until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

3.Add half the corn syrup, then continue mixing until a bit of the marzipan holds together when squeezed, adding additional corn syrup a little at a time, as necessary: the marzipan in the bowl will still appear crumbly.

4.Transfer the marzipan to a work surface and knead until smooth.

5.Roll one-third of the marzipan into a 6 inches long cylinder and cut into 1-inch lengths.

6.Roll half the lengths into balls. Press the remaining cylindrical lengths (stems) into the balls (caps) to make mushrooms.

7.Smudge with cocoa powder.


Assembling the Yule Log:

1.Run a sharp knife around the edges of the genoise to loosen it from the pan.

2.Turn the genoise layer over (unmolding it from the sheet pan onto a flat surface) and peel away the paper.

3.Carefully invert your genoise onto a fresh piece of parchment paper.

4.Spread with half the coffee buttercream (or whatever filling you’re using).

5.Use the parchment paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder.

6.Transfer back to the baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours.

7.Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end.

8.Position the larger cut piece on each log about 2/3 across the top.

9.Cover the log with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump.

10.Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark.

11.Transfer the log to a platter and decorate with your mushrooms and whatever other decorations you’ve chosen.

A Little Holiday Cheer

Every year, the George Eastman House hosts an exhibition of Gingerbread Houses created by people all over the Rochester area. Take a look at some of the lovely creations!

Vosges Exotic Caramel Collection

The fine folks at Vosges (specifically Paige -- Hi, Paige!) sent me a gorgeous Exotic Caramel Collection 18pc 2-Tier Hatbox . And, let me tell you, it knocked my socks off.

The collection features two samples each of nine different caramels with flavors featuring notes of maple syrup, blood orange, peppercorn, or chile, among others. Each confection, however, is anchored by a superb caramel -- rich, complex and satisfying. They are beautiful little candies, both for the eye and the palate.

My favorite, however, was the "Tart" pictured above. Oooh, it is irrisistible. Maybe Vosges will release an all Tart box soon? (I could always ask Santa to pull a few strings...)

Very Cool Tool at a Very Cool Price

I've been tooling around the American Science & Surplus site, which is filled with all sorts of little goodies at very resonable prices, when I came across this:



Butane Beauty
It's stylish, it's handy, it has a slightly menacing look to it, and-truth be told-it's a lot of fun. It's a handheld butane torch, great for everyone: in the lab, under the hood, working with circuitry, melting copper and other metals; heck, a chef can even use it to flambé the dessert. 6-3/4" tall, 1-1/2" dia base, 4" long at the top, with a textured grip, push-button start with safety, and air adjustment to control the size of the flame. Easy to fill with butane, which you'll need to do 'cause no fuel is included. $14.95 each.

A creme brulee torch for $15?!? That's pretty impressive, especially when you consider how much they can go for elsewhere. Not a bad little gift for your favorite chef/pyromaniac on your list.

Pescatore's "World's Greatest Tuna Noodle Casserole"

An email from Mark, verbatim:

It was one of those awkward social mixers at the beginning of my first semester at The University of Alabama in 1990. All the grad students were invited to the home of the one of the professors, so we could get to know each other and meet some of the faculty before the real fun began. It was here that I tasted the world's greatest tuna noodle casserole. The dish came from the girlfriend of one of my new classmates, and she shared the recipe with me. It takes about an hour from prep to serve. It's not a complicated recipe at all, but the results are ... well, the world's greatest. In 17 years, it's never let me down.

1 can tuna (drained)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can peas
8 or 9 oz. noodles (I prefer wide)
1 can french fried onions
3/4 cup milk
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Boil noodles and drain. In casserole dish, mix in tuna, soup, milk, cheddar cheese. Add the noodles, then 1/2 the can of french fried onions. Delicately stir in peas (you don't want them mushy). Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle remaining onions on top and put back in the oven for five minutes at 300 degrees.

Enjoy!

Emeril, No Longer Live

I can't believe it, but the Food Network has cancelled it's flagship show, Emeril Live.

From Changing Courses at the Food Network, NYT 12/17/07:

You can find chef Emeril Lagasse’s name and face all over a dozen cookbooks, 10 restaurants, lines of pots and pans, knives, Wedgwood dishes, spices, salad dressings and pasta sauces, and even a deep fryer.

But as of last week, it will no longer be found on new episodes of his signature “Emeril Live” show on the Food Network. The program taped its last installments and laid off a half-dozen staff members, bringing an end to an impressive 11-year, every-weeknight run.

Viewers will not see a difference for at least a year as the new episodes that have already been taped are shown. But industry executives are scratching their heads over why the network canceled “Emeril Live” — which they speculate became too
expensive for its softening ratings — without having a new deal in place, given the role that his program played in the network’s success.

Food Network executives assert that Mr. Lagasse, who declined to comment, remains a valued member of the family. “All good things come to an end, and it was time to do something new,” said Brooke Johnson, the network’s president. “Right now, we’re figuring out what that something new is,” she said, noting that Mr. Lagasse’s “Essence of Emeril” on the network remains in production.

The article goes on to discuss the Food Network's new strategy, namely getting a piece of the pie (ha-ha) when its stars write cookbooks, promote cookware, etc., etc. Check out this quote from Mario Batali:

“They have decided they are mass market and they are going after the Wal-Mart crowd [...] a smart business decision. So they don’t need someone who uses polysyllabic words from other languages.”

If he's right, this means more Sandra Lee type programming and less Batali quality. More Cool-whip frosted angel food cake, anyone?

Attention Whore

I signed up for Facebook earlier this year and am completely addicted. Why I (and everyone else on Facebook) find updates on all my friends' minutia so fascinating, or why writing "on walls" is fun, or why challenging each other to movie quizzes is so compelling is not something I've fully figured out, but I'm along for the ride.




Anyway, I created a Facebook page for this blog so, if you're inclined, please join up!

Russian Tea Cakes

Sometimes, a cookie is so tasty that, even though you've planned to blog about it, you eat all the treats before you have a chance to take pictures.

These cookies fall into that category. (But Jerry let me borrow his photo -- Yay, Cooking By The Seat of My Pants!)


On Saturday night, we had dinner with a few of the HWS students with whom we traveled to Russia. We had a very nice time, and I especially enjoyed the Russian tea cakes Mandi brought along for dessert. They're sandy little cookies, studded with nuts and rolled in powdered sugar. They accompany a cup of hot tea very well, and are an ideal holiday cookie.


Russian Tea Cakes (source)

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
confectioners' sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 400-degrees F.

Cream the butter, adding sugar gradually until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, vanilla, and walnuts or pecans.

Roll between hands into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Remove from oven and while still warm, roll in confectioners' sugar.

Corn "Fluff"

It's a pretty wintery day here today -- all the area schools have been closed (except MINE) and Shane is staying home from work, so even though I'm probably going in (let's face it, I am) it still feels like a bit of a vacation day. A good time to play catch-up on a recipe I hadn't posted.

I'm not a big fan of corn bread, but I'll wolf down a plate of corn fluff anytime. It's a blend of savory and sweet, with a consistency approximating bread pudding. I especially love the little bits of corn kernels studding the bread.

This is comfort food at it's simplest, and a great side dish for a winter's night meal.

Corn Fluff
one 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
one 14 3/4-ounce can cream-style corn
one 8-ounce package corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream

1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F; grease a glass pie plate or small baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, egg, and butter. Pour into prepared pie plate/dish.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Yields 6 to 8 servings.