Gianduja (pronounced -zhahn-DOO-yuh) a sweet chocolate containing about 30% hazelnut paste. It takes its name from Gianduja, a Carnival and marionette character who represents the archetypal Piedmontese, a native of the Italian region where hazelnut confectionery is common. Nutella is a form of gianduja, although the hazelnut accounts for only 13% of the composition.
1 cup nutella
½ cup sour cream
1 cup whipped heavy cream
Blend the sour cream and nutella together. Fold in the heavy cream. Serve with a cookie. Add a tablespoon of amaretto if you have any.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 pack of spaghetti
4 cloves of garlic
1 tspn brown sugar
1 tspn red chilly flakes
Salt
Parmesan
1 tspn oregano
1 onion
Olive oil
2 Italian spicy sausages (optional)
1. Simply sauté the onions till translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes and other ingredients.
3. Simmer on slow heat till done while adjusting for water.
4. Add the boiled spaghetti and sausages to the auce.
5. Serve with pecorino or parmesan.
Fairly simple, the quandary is to use the spaghetti after one serving. This dish can get monotonous and the challenge is to reinvent the rest of the spaghetti. Obvious choices include a spaghetti frittata or a spaghetti pie. I am thinking -carrots, french beans, sweet and sour ketchup, bell pepper, and some garam masala.
1 pack of spaghetti
4 cloves of garlic
1 tspn brown sugar
1 tspn red chilly flakes
Salt
Parmesan
1 tspn oregano
1 onion
Olive oil
2 Italian spicy sausages (optional)
1. Simply sauté the onions till translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes and other ingredients.
3. Simmer on slow heat till done while adjusting for water.
4. Add the boiled spaghetti and sausages to the auce.
5. Serve with pecorino or parmesan.
Fairly simple, the quandary is to use the spaghetti after one serving. This dish can get monotonous and the challenge is to reinvent the rest of the spaghetti. Obvious choices include a spaghetti frittata or a spaghetti pie. I am thinking -carrots, french beans, sweet and sour ketchup, bell pepper, and some garam masala.
Mixed Vegetables – Carrots, Kale, Zucchini, Peas Paneer, Bell Pepper, Tomatoes, Spring Onions
Basically emptying the refrigerator but not succumbing to the temptation of panch phoron. With any medley like the above, it is important to get the vegetables in at the right time, so that each vegetable cooks perfectly, and then to tie them all together with a sauce that complements the flavors. I like to get this all ready in one pot, so the sequence of adding vegetables is important. Again, quantity of each vegetable does not matter. Increase or decrease the quantities according to what you have or prefer.
1 bunch of spring onions chopped finely
1 pack of paneer
2 zucchinis cut into semi circles
5 baby carrots cut into fours
¼ cup of peas
1 bell pepper – squared
Kale – chopped finely, should be around 1 cup
1 tomato – cut in eights
Fresh coriander
3 cloves of garlic
1 piece of ginger
1 tbspn coriander powder
Turmeric
Cayenne Pepper
Crushed Tomatoes- 1/2cup
• Heat some oil in a pan. Add the paneer and sauté till golden.
• Scoop the paneer to the side and add the zeera and wait till it splutters.
• Add the chopped spring onion and the carrots. Sauté for at least 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste. When it reduces , add the spices and roast while coating the vegetables.
• Add the kale.
• Cover and cook for a few minutes. Add the zucchini and tomatoes.
• After two minutes add the peas.
• When the vegetables are nearly done add the bell pepper.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
1 bunch of spring onions chopped finely
1 pack of paneer
2 zucchinis cut into semi circles
5 baby carrots cut into fours
¼ cup of peas
1 bell pepper – squared
Kale – chopped finely, should be around 1 cup
1 tomato – cut in eights
Fresh coriander
3 cloves of garlic
1 piece of ginger
1 tbspn coriander powder
Turmeric
Cayenne Pepper
Crushed Tomatoes- 1/2cup
• Heat some oil in a pan. Add the paneer and sauté till golden.
• Scoop the paneer to the side and add the zeera and wait till it splutters.
• Add the chopped spring onion and the carrots. Sauté for at least 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste. When it reduces , add the spices and roast while coating the vegetables.
• Add the kale.
• Cover and cook for a few minutes. Add the zucchini and tomatoes.
• After two minutes add the peas.
• When the vegetables are nearly done add the bell pepper.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Ravioli with balsamic browned butter sauce
I bought this box of twelve pieces of freshly made spinach ravioli with artichoke and ricotta filling from the farmer’s market. I already knew I was going to pair this with a balsamic browned butter sauce. Beurre noisette [bur nwoi-ZET] or brown butter, refers to butter which has been cooked till the milk solids turn brown and this lends a nutty aromatic scent to the butter. Browned butter sauce teams well with pasta, fish, vegetables, and even mashed potatoes. Once the sauce is finished, it can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
The addition of balsamic vinegar, adds acidity, sweetness, but it should be added only after the butter cools a littlee, so that the butter does not splatter.
I checked this recipe and made some adjustments:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/ravioli-with-balsamic-brown-butter-recipe/index.html
4 tbspn butter
2 tbspn balsamic vinegar
1 tspn Dijon mustard Black pepper
1 Tspn dark brown sugar or honey
Salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
12 pieces of ravioli
Parmesan Cheese
1. Add the ravioli to boiling water. Fish out the ravioli when it floats to the top as this indicates that the ravioli is cooked. Drain.
2. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Toast walnuts for around 8 minutes. Keep an eye on this step. Every oven has a different time and you want the walnuts toasted, not burnt.
3. In a heavy bottom saucepan add the butter on medium heat. The butter should start turning golden brown in around 4 minutes. I keep shaking the pan. The butter should emit a nutty aroma at this stage. According to Michael Ruhlman, the trick with making a brown butter sauce is to recognize the right color and aroma, then to stop the cooking by adding the acid which cools the hot butter fat.
4. Turn off the heat and add the balsamic, followed by sugar, and mustard. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Add the ravioli to the pan and coat it with the sauce so that it absorbs the butter.
6. Add the walnuts.
7. Serve with some grated parmesan on the top.
The addition of balsamic vinegar, adds acidity, sweetness, but it should be added only after the butter cools a littlee, so that the butter does not splatter.
I checked this recipe and made some adjustments:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/ravioli-with-balsamic-brown-butter-recipe/index.html
4 tbspn butter
2 tbspn balsamic vinegar
1 tspn Dijon mustard Black pepper
1 Tspn dark brown sugar or honey
Salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
12 pieces of ravioli
Parmesan Cheese
1. Add the ravioli to boiling water. Fish out the ravioli when it floats to the top as this indicates that the ravioli is cooked. Drain.
2. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Toast walnuts for around 8 minutes. Keep an eye on this step. Every oven has a different time and you want the walnuts toasted, not burnt.
3. In a heavy bottom saucepan add the butter on medium heat. The butter should start turning golden brown in around 4 minutes. I keep shaking the pan. The butter should emit a nutty aroma at this stage. According to Michael Ruhlman, the trick with making a brown butter sauce is to recognize the right color and aroma, then to stop the cooking by adding the acid which cools the hot butter fat.
4. Turn off the heat and add the balsamic, followed by sugar, and mustard. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Add the ravioli to the pan and coat it with the sauce so that it absorbs the butter.
6. Add the walnuts.
7. Serve with some grated parmesan on the top.
Another Omelette Recipe
So it all started with my partner giving his version of his favorite omelette. “A filling of sausage preferable Louisiana hot links, chunks of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and tomatoes,”
Louisiana hot links are spicy and used in New Orleans Gumbo. But since I did not have any, I used a morning sausage in the fridge, and just heated one small link. Omit, if this is a vegetarian version.
• Grated ¼ cup of Vermont maple smoked cheese.
• Chopped 4 cherry tomatoes.
• A small slab of cream cheese and cut it into large cubes.
• 1 tablespoon of mozzarella
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of black pepper
Mix all of the above. The hot sausage should help he cheese melt a little. All the ingredients should be at room temperatures. Remember, the cream cheese should not mix in, but should be in large cubes, so that you get a mouthful of cream cheese. Try to cut in the same size as the pieces of sausage.
Break 3 eggs at room temperature. Season with salt. Take 1/2tbspn butter in a 10” pan. When the butter heats a little, add the egg mixture. When the eggs are slightly set at the bottom, scramble it once, and run the egg mixture around to fill the gaps. Keep scooping the omelette at the edges, and shake the pan, so the liquids run to the sides. When the omelette is almost set on the top, add the mixture, and fold. Slide on a hot plate.
Louisiana hot links are spicy and used in New Orleans Gumbo. But since I did not have any, I used a morning sausage in the fridge, and just heated one small link. Omit, if this is a vegetarian version.
• Grated ¼ cup of Vermont maple smoked cheese.
• Chopped 4 cherry tomatoes.
• A small slab of cream cheese and cut it into large cubes.
• 1 tablespoon of mozzarella
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of black pepper
Mix all of the above. The hot sausage should help he cheese melt a little. All the ingredients should be at room temperatures. Remember, the cream cheese should not mix in, but should be in large cubes, so that you get a mouthful of cream cheese. Try to cut in the same size as the pieces of sausage.
Break 3 eggs at room temperature. Season with salt. Take 1/2tbspn butter in a 10” pan. When the butter heats a little, add the egg mixture. When the eggs are slightly set at the bottom, scramble it once, and run the egg mixture around to fill the gaps. Keep scooping the omelette at the edges, and shake the pan, so the liquids run to the sides. When the omelette is almost set on the top, add the mixture, and fold. Slide on a hot plate.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Pindi Chana
The weather is such an important component of any inane conversation in this country. Any meeting with my boss starts with a ten minute monologue about the weather interspersed with tentative interjections from the rest of us. Yes, I know its raining, you know it’s raining, and is an admission of the same going to change anything?
Anyhow, so it has been raining and with not much to do during this weekend, it might be a great time to make something hearty and spicy. Here is a recipe of Pindi Chana which I made a while ago. I like it with a rich bread like puri or naan. I personally like my Pindi Chana without onion, tomato, and garlic – and a dash of ghee at the end. I like to use dried pomegranate seeds and dried mango to flavor the Chana. I like to use whole spices and I use ginger. What I love about this dish is the taste of ghee and spices, with no garlic and onion to obliterate this taste. It is rich and tastes like something you would find at a sweet shop and not a restaurant. Not to imply that the dish is sweet, the flavors are mild and the absence of onion and garlic imparts a very clean flavor.
1 ½ cup Kabuli Chana- soak overnight and pressure cook with a tea bag.
2 green chilies - slit
1” inch ginger piece julienned
1 Tbsp ghee
Pinch of asfoetida
Whole Masala
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 tspn cumin seeds
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
Powder Masala
• Coriander powder
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Red chilly powder
• Dried Mango powder
• Dried Pomegranate seeds
1. Take some ghee in a pan. Add the asfoetida and whole maslala. Wait till it splutters.
2. Mix the powder in some water. Add to the mixture. Roast for a while.
3. Add the chana, ginger, and green chilies.
4. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, adjusting some water to prevent burning.
5. When done garnish with chopped coriander and 1 tbsp ghee.
I like to garnish it with fresh mint leaves as well. You could substitute the dried mango powder with tamarind if you like; this will also give the dish a sweet edge.You can also add boiled potatoes to the mix.
Anyhow, so it has been raining and with not much to do during this weekend, it might be a great time to make something hearty and spicy. Here is a recipe of Pindi Chana which I made a while ago. I like it with a rich bread like puri or naan. I personally like my Pindi Chana without onion, tomato, and garlic – and a dash of ghee at the end. I like to use dried pomegranate seeds and dried mango to flavor the Chana. I like to use whole spices and I use ginger. What I love about this dish is the taste of ghee and spices, with no garlic and onion to obliterate this taste. It is rich and tastes like something you would find at a sweet shop and not a restaurant. Not to imply that the dish is sweet, the flavors are mild and the absence of onion and garlic imparts a very clean flavor.
1 ½ cup Kabuli Chana- soak overnight and pressure cook with a tea bag.
2 green chilies - slit
1” inch ginger piece julienned
1 Tbsp ghee
Pinch of asfoetida
Whole Masala
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 tspn cumin seeds
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
Powder Masala
• Coriander powder
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Red chilly powder
• Dried Mango powder
• Dried Pomegranate seeds
1. Take some ghee in a pan. Add the asfoetida and whole maslala. Wait till it splutters.
2. Mix the powder in some water. Add to the mixture. Roast for a while.
3. Add the chana, ginger, and green chilies.
4. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, adjusting some water to prevent burning.
5. When done garnish with chopped coriander and 1 tbsp ghee.
I like to garnish it with fresh mint leaves as well. You could substitute the dried mango powder with tamarind if you like; this will also give the dish a sweet edge.You can also add boiled potatoes to the mix.
Bengal Gram Curry
And India won today at cricket on 24the March. We beat the Australians, ending their world cup hegemony. I was so pleased that I told my partner to try me as nothing would upset me, although, he was also reminded not to push his luck. I am looking forward to the semi-final, the India Pakistan game, or the third world war. I was in high spirits and I decided to end the day with some nice spicy lentil curry. My pantry always has dried beans, and as long as you have tomatoes and spices, you can always whip up something hearty. Chickpeas are very versatile legumes. You have the Bengal gram which I refer to as “Kala Channa,” garbanzo beans which I refer to as “Kabuli Chana,” and the yellow split legume known as “Chana dal,” It is easy to find garbanzo beans in a tinned or dry form; however, the other two are only available at Indian grocery stores. Garbanzo beans can be made in various ways; the two most popular versions being “Cholay”or “Chana Masala,” with gravy, and “Pindi Chana,” which is dry and does not include the ubiquitous combination of onions and tomatoes. Bengal Gram or Kala Chana can also be made dry and goes well with “Puris.” However, this recipe is spicy and has gravy, and works well with rice and yoghurt. I personally like the beans with heavy spices; the beans are quite robust on their own the meatiness of the beans contrasts very well with a spicy gravy or dry spices. I made this curry yesterday, and I quite liked the balance of flavors as compared to my previous efforts.
! ½ cup of Bengal Gram soaked over night
2 cloves garlic
1” piece ginger
2 green chilies
2 tspn Chana masala
1 tspn coriander
½ tspn turmeric
1 large onion
Cumin seeds
Two tomatoes
salt
1.
2. Blend the following - tomatoes, green chilies, ginger, and garlic.
3. Chop the onions finely. Heat the oil, add the cumin seeds, when they splutter add the onions. Fry the onions till they are brown. This is important for the color and depth of the dish.
4. Add the tomato blend. Keep sautéing. When the mixture is almost a paste add the spices.
5. Now add some water and the Bengal Gram.
6. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust water and salt.
! ½ cup of Bengal Gram soaked over night
2 cloves garlic
1” piece ginger
2 green chilies
2 tspn Chana masala
1 tspn coriander
½ tspn turmeric
1 large onion
Cumin seeds
Two tomatoes
salt
1.
2. Blend the following - tomatoes, green chilies, ginger, and garlic.
3. Chop the onions finely. Heat the oil, add the cumin seeds, when they splutter add the onions. Fry the onions till they are brown. This is important for the color and depth of the dish.
4. Add the tomato blend. Keep sautéing. When the mixture is almost a paste add the spices.
5. Now add some water and the Bengal Gram.
6. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust water and salt.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
My partner got back from Thailand, pretty sick. Cooking anything almost seemed like a waste. I can eat anything and he could eat nothing. I felt sad for him and just wanted to make something he could eat irrespective of nutritional content. After the fondue party, there was so much stuff in my refrigerator and pantry – blanched broccoli, chicken sausage, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, pineapple, strawberries, marshmallow, wafers, croutons, loaves of bread, opened white wine. I had tons of pasta in my pantry and some pre grated cheese (gasp, horrors of horrors). This was looking like mac and cheese, albeit a version closer to the blue box than Martha Stewart’s version. I knew I could definitely use the cherry tomatoes; I was iffy about the broccoli. At this stage it was like – Just eat anything so you don’t get sicker, greens be damned! I couldn’t argue with a sick fussy eater about broccoli.
I think you could populate a whole book with various versions of mac and cheese. My earlier version is a baked version, which s therefore a little drier, with a panko bread topping. This version is a quick easy version, no cheese to grate, no ovens to pre heat, no bread topping. This is simpler, quicker, and creamier. I had some sausages leftover from the fondue party, so I just threw them in the mix. And I am proud to say that it gives great competition to the blue box.
1 onion finely chopped
1 tspn Dijon mustard
Less than ¼ cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups pre grated Italian cheese blend
¼ cup grated parmesan (optional)
½ pound macaroni
½ tspn cayenne pepper
Black pepper
10 cherry tomatoes – halved
2 tbspn butter
Olive oil
Nutmeg
1. Heat the milk.
2. Boil pasta water with salt. I like to salt the water till it is “as salty as the sea” as the Italians say. The pasta should be boiled for 7 minutes.
3. Heat the butter. I add some olive oil so that the butter does not melt.
4. Sauté the onions till they are translucent.
5. Add the flour and sauté till it turns blonde.
6. Add mustard and cayenne pepper.
7. Add milk, little at a time, till it is fully incorporated.
8. When the sauce looks and smells perfect, add the cheese.
9. Turn off the flame. Add the pasta and cherry tomatoes. Add black pepper and nutmeg.
10. I added sausages.
I think you could populate a whole book with various versions of mac and cheese. My earlier version is a baked version, which s therefore a little drier, with a panko bread topping. This version is a quick easy version, no cheese to grate, no ovens to pre heat, no bread topping. This is simpler, quicker, and creamier. I had some sausages leftover from the fondue party, so I just threw them in the mix. And I am proud to say that it gives great competition to the blue box.
1 onion finely chopped
1 tspn Dijon mustard
Less than ¼ cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups pre grated Italian cheese blend
¼ cup grated parmesan (optional)
½ pound macaroni
½ tspn cayenne pepper
Black pepper
10 cherry tomatoes – halved
2 tbspn butter
Olive oil
Nutmeg
1. Heat the milk.
2. Boil pasta water with salt. I like to salt the water till it is “as salty as the sea” as the Italians say. The pasta should be boiled for 7 minutes.
3. Heat the butter. I add some olive oil so that the butter does not melt.
4. Sauté the onions till they are translucent.
5. Add the flour and sauté till it turns blonde.
6. Add mustard and cayenne pepper.
7. Add milk, little at a time, till it is fully incorporated.
8. When the sauce looks and smells perfect, add the cheese.
9. Turn off the flame. Add the pasta and cherry tomatoes. Add black pepper and nutmeg.
10. I added sausages.
Swiss Fondue
I love communal meals. The idea of just sitting around a table, feasting and laughing, is absolute perfection to me. Wrapping spicy Ethiopian vegetables with chunks of shared injera bread or dipping croutons in a warm gooey fondue, are perfect examples of a blissful evening. Many people are squeamish and may not enjoy sharing food from a plate, so this is definitely not for everyone. I had some divine fondue in Switzerland last Thanksgiving. I think I ordered a moitié-moitié (or half 'n half): Gruyère and Fribourg Vacherin which is a soft fatty cheese. There were places in Switzerland which had over a hundred varieties of fondue but I was over cheese by that time. I came back home and did not touch cheese for a whole month. However, after a while I find fondue bland and boring, which explains the absolute love I had for this version of Masala Fondue, I found in a great restaurant in Pali hill, Mumbai. So, I had a fondue party a few days ago. My friend brought over his fondue pot. My partner wasn’t feeling great but he pulled it off.
We started off with a cheese hunt at the local grocery. The idea was to mix emmenthal, gruyere, and brie together. Emmental is a Swiss yellow, medium-hard cheese with large holes. It is fruity, sweet, creamy, and nutty with almost no acidity and melts exceedingly well. We could not find any Emmental at the local grocer so we substituted it with Jarlsberg. Jarlsberg is a mild Norwegian cheese with similar holes. Jarlsberg has the consistency texture and hole-formation of Swiss Emmental but its flavor is more nut-like and sweeter. We also easily found the Gruyère medium-hard, sweet but slightly salty, with a flavor that varies widely with age. I use Gruyere for mac and cheese; it has a saltiness to it which balances the sweetness of the Jarlsberg. Gruyere has some close imitations - Beaufort and Comte from France, and Appenzell from Switzerland, and there are versions made in the US. We also added some Brie, which is a soft cheese. I don’t think we would add Brie again; it does not melt well and interferes with the smooth consistency of the fondue. We used half a pound of each cheese which was more than enough for four hungry people.
And as for the dippings, we included croutons made from Italian bread, chicken sausages, blanched broccoli, boiled potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and granny smith apples. We also did a chocolate fondue, which frankly I don’t care for – I ate my dippings, which included pineapple, marshmallow, strawberries, and wafers, without the chocolate. But I digress, coming back to the cheese fondue dinner, we definitely had to do a lot of cutting and chopping so it is always great to have company over whenever you plan one. My friend had an electric fondue pot and you want a temperature of around 200 Fahrenheit; the idea is to get the perfect temperature since cheese gets stringy at a higher temperature. You may allow the fondue to bubble, but never boil.
You also need cornstarch, around 2-3 tbspns. The best way to do this is to coat the grated cheese with the cornstarch. The cornstarch will thicken the sauce and keep it from separating. You also need a cup of white wine. The addition of alcohol to fondues lowers the boiling point so that cheese proteins will not curdle, but take care not to boil it. The idea is to cook it slowly, and whisk the cheese to avoid lumps. For fondue that is too thick, increase the heat, add a little wine, and stir vigorously. For fondue that is too thin, combine 1/2 teaspoon of flour or cornstarch with an equal amount of wine. Stir into fondue until thickened. We added 1 tbspn of lemon juice to the fondue as well which serves the same purpose as the wine. We also added cayenne pepper for taste, ad rubbed a clove of garlic on the pot.
Fondue
½ pound gruyere
½ pound jarlsberg
½ tspn cayenne pepper
1 cup wine
2 tbspn cornstarch
1 tbspn lemon juice
1 clove garlic
a pinch of nutmeg
1. Rub the fondue pan with a clove of garlic. Set the temperature at 200 degrees.
2. Cut the cheeses into small cubes or grate them. Coat with cornstarch.
3. Heat the wine and lemon juice in the pot on low heat. When it starts to simmer, start adding the cheese.
4. Keep adding the cheese, handful at a time till it melts. Let it simmer. Never boil.
5. Keep whisking the pot with either a whisk or a wooden spoon.
6. Add cayenne pepper and nutmeg.
Dippings
1. Make croutons with the crusts for a loaf of French or Italian country bread. Cut the bread in pieces and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
2. Heat the sausages and cut into bite size pieces.
3. Slice a granny smith apple.
4. Either boil some potatoes, or cut them in bite sized pieces and cook them with some olive oil, salt and black pepper.
5. Blanch broccoli or asparagus for a minute in boiling water and then shock with cold water.
6. You can also use pearl onions which have been pickled in vinegar.
7. Cherry tomatoes and carrots work too.
We started off with a cheese hunt at the local grocery. The idea was to mix emmenthal, gruyere, and brie together. Emmental is a Swiss yellow, medium-hard cheese with large holes. It is fruity, sweet, creamy, and nutty with almost no acidity and melts exceedingly well. We could not find any Emmental at the local grocer so we substituted it with Jarlsberg. Jarlsberg is a mild Norwegian cheese with similar holes. Jarlsberg has the consistency texture and hole-formation of Swiss Emmental but its flavor is more nut-like and sweeter. We also easily found the Gruyère medium-hard, sweet but slightly salty, with a flavor that varies widely with age. I use Gruyere for mac and cheese; it has a saltiness to it which balances the sweetness of the Jarlsberg. Gruyere has some close imitations - Beaufort and Comte from France, and Appenzell from Switzerland, and there are versions made in the US. We also added some Brie, which is a soft cheese. I don’t think we would add Brie again; it does not melt well and interferes with the smooth consistency of the fondue. We used half a pound of each cheese which was more than enough for four hungry people.
And as for the dippings, we included croutons made from Italian bread, chicken sausages, blanched broccoli, boiled potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and granny smith apples. We also did a chocolate fondue, which frankly I don’t care for – I ate my dippings, which included pineapple, marshmallow, strawberries, and wafers, without the chocolate. But I digress, coming back to the cheese fondue dinner, we definitely had to do a lot of cutting and chopping so it is always great to have company over whenever you plan one. My friend had an electric fondue pot and you want a temperature of around 200 Fahrenheit; the idea is to get the perfect temperature since cheese gets stringy at a higher temperature. You may allow the fondue to bubble, but never boil.
You also need cornstarch, around 2-3 tbspns. The best way to do this is to coat the grated cheese with the cornstarch. The cornstarch will thicken the sauce and keep it from separating. You also need a cup of white wine. The addition of alcohol to fondues lowers the boiling point so that cheese proteins will not curdle, but take care not to boil it. The idea is to cook it slowly, and whisk the cheese to avoid lumps. For fondue that is too thick, increase the heat, add a little wine, and stir vigorously. For fondue that is too thin, combine 1/2 teaspoon of flour or cornstarch with an equal amount of wine. Stir into fondue until thickened. We added 1 tbspn of lemon juice to the fondue as well which serves the same purpose as the wine. We also added cayenne pepper for taste, ad rubbed a clove of garlic on the pot.
Fondue
½ pound gruyere
½ pound jarlsberg
½ tspn cayenne pepper
1 cup wine
2 tbspn cornstarch
1 tbspn lemon juice
1 clove garlic
a pinch of nutmeg
1. Rub the fondue pan with a clove of garlic. Set the temperature at 200 degrees.
2. Cut the cheeses into small cubes or grate them. Coat with cornstarch.
3. Heat the wine and lemon juice in the pot on low heat. When it starts to simmer, start adding the cheese.
4. Keep adding the cheese, handful at a time till it melts. Let it simmer. Never boil.
5. Keep whisking the pot with either a whisk or a wooden spoon.
6. Add cayenne pepper and nutmeg.
Dippings
1. Make croutons with the crusts for a loaf of French or Italian country bread. Cut the bread in pieces and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
2. Heat the sausages and cut into bite size pieces.
3. Slice a granny smith apple.
4. Either boil some potatoes, or cut them in bite sized pieces and cook them with some olive oil, salt and black pepper.
5. Blanch broccoli or asparagus for a minute in boiling water and then shock with cold water.
6. You can also use pearl onions which have been pickled in vinegar.
7. Cherry tomatoes and carrots work too.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Molten Chocolate cakes – how to get it wrong and right
I followed the recipe to a tee and I got it wrong. I was alone with my partner away in Asia and I was missing him, staring at the wilted Valentines Day roses which I couldn't bring myself to throw away. Maybe that had something to do with this culinary disaster.
The Oscars were on and I was bored as I am during any award season. I was hoping it was Monday so I could watch the “Bachelor.” I was looking at Food and Wine Magazine till I stumbled on this recipe.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/molten-chocolate-cake
I am always looking for ways to make quick desserts when I have company. I also will not try a new recipe if that is the case so I thought this was the perfect time to make something quick and fast, like a practice run, and distract myself from the blues. So, molten cakes are supposed to be soft with a gooey filling. Mine had no filling, they were spongy throughout. The shape was…., wait, there was no shape. The flavor was actually nice, but hey, this was no molten cake.
The recipe was for four cakes, but since I was testing, halved it.
½ stick of butter
1/8 cup of flour or 2 Tbspn
3 ounces dark Ghirardelli chocolate
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 ½ large eggs
¼ cup white sugar
Some butter and cocoa powder to dust the ramekins
1. I preheated the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a mixer, I beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla till I get a light airy batter.
3. I melted the chocolate in the microwave for around 40 seconds.
4. I cooled the chocolate and add a little bit of batter so the batter would not scramble. I gradually added the chocolate to the batter and ran it in the mixer.
5. I added the flour.
6. Poured the cake batter in the ramekins and baked it for 16 minutes according to the recipe.
I think 16 minutes' baking time was too much. Also, the batter was thick, so less flour would have been better. I should have used deeper ramekins with lesser surface area on the top. Let’s see, it could turn out right next time.
Looking at this recipe confirms my doubts.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/molten-chocolate-cake%20comments_page=1&#conversation-container%0A
or
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/molten-chocolate-magic/
Martha Stewart’s recipe requires a six muffin-tin, a temperature of 400 degrees, and only 8 minutes' baking time. I need two slabs of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate and three eggs to make six cakes. This recipe uses less butter. The New York Times features Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s individual warm, soft chocolate cakes. This recipe requires 1 tspn flour, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbspn sugar, 4 tbspn butter, and 2 ounces, or half a slab, of bittersweet chocolate for each cake. It would be easy to test one cake. The oven should be at 450 degrees and the cakes should be baked for 6-7 minutes. So here is the correct way, tried and tested.
The other good thing about molten cakes is that you can make the batter in advance and refrigerate it. The batter does not have baking powder so you are not worried about air escaping the batter. Just before you bake the cakes, you need to bring the batter to room temperature. If the batter is cold, the baking time will increase and I am not sure by how much. The best thing to do is to pour the batter in ready ramekins and pop in the oven around 15 minutes before you want to serve.
Makes 2
½ cup unsalted butter or 1 stick butter
4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate or 1 bar of Ghirardelli semi sweet
2 teaspoons of flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tspn vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
Cocoa powder for dusting the ramekins
Butter for coating the ramekins
1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat the butter and chocolate in a double broiler. Or just heat the butter and add the chocolate after breaking it into small pieces. You do not want to burn chocolate so be very careful. The mixture should be warm and not hot.
3. Beat the sugar and the eggs and egg yolk in a blender.
4. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate slowly. Add a little and whisk as you do not want the egg to curdle. Keep repeating till you mix the two together.
5. Now add the flour.
6. Rub the ramekins with cold butter and dust the ramekins with cocoa powder.
7. Add the cake mixture to the ramekins and bake for 7 minutes. The sides will be soft but the cake will have a molten center.
8. To unmold, take the ramekin out of the oven and invert on a plate and tap very lightly. You should run a knife on the side of the dish to separate the cake out a little before you do so. Let the cake rest for 5 minutes before you serve.
The Oscars were on and I was bored as I am during any award season. I was hoping it was Monday so I could watch the “Bachelor.” I was looking at Food and Wine Magazine till I stumbled on this recipe.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/molten-chocolate-cake
I am always looking for ways to make quick desserts when I have company. I also will not try a new recipe if that is the case so I thought this was the perfect time to make something quick and fast, like a practice run, and distract myself from the blues. So, molten cakes are supposed to be soft with a gooey filling. Mine had no filling, they were spongy throughout. The shape was…., wait, there was no shape. The flavor was actually nice, but hey, this was no molten cake.
The recipe was for four cakes, but since I was testing, halved it.
½ stick of butter
1/8 cup of flour or 2 Tbspn
3 ounces dark Ghirardelli chocolate
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 ½ large eggs
¼ cup white sugar
Some butter and cocoa powder to dust the ramekins
1. I preheated the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a mixer, I beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla till I get a light airy batter.
3. I melted the chocolate in the microwave for around 40 seconds.
4. I cooled the chocolate and add a little bit of batter so the batter would not scramble. I gradually added the chocolate to the batter and ran it in the mixer.
5. I added the flour.
6. Poured the cake batter in the ramekins and baked it for 16 minutes according to the recipe.
I think 16 minutes' baking time was too much. Also, the batter was thick, so less flour would have been better. I should have used deeper ramekins with lesser surface area on the top. Let’s see, it could turn out right next time.
Looking at this recipe confirms my doubts.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/molten-chocolate-cake%20comments_page=1&#conversation-container%0A
or
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/molten-chocolate-magic/
Martha Stewart’s recipe requires a six muffin-tin, a temperature of 400 degrees, and only 8 minutes' baking time. I need two slabs of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate and three eggs to make six cakes. This recipe uses less butter. The New York Times features Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s individual warm, soft chocolate cakes. This recipe requires 1 tspn flour, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbspn sugar, 4 tbspn butter, and 2 ounces, or half a slab, of bittersweet chocolate for each cake. It would be easy to test one cake. The oven should be at 450 degrees and the cakes should be baked for 6-7 minutes. So here is the correct way, tried and tested.
The other good thing about molten cakes is that you can make the batter in advance and refrigerate it. The batter does not have baking powder so you are not worried about air escaping the batter. Just before you bake the cakes, you need to bring the batter to room temperature. If the batter is cold, the baking time will increase and I am not sure by how much. The best thing to do is to pour the batter in ready ramekins and pop in the oven around 15 minutes before you want to serve.
Makes 2
½ cup unsalted butter or 1 stick butter
4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate or 1 bar of Ghirardelli semi sweet
2 teaspoons of flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tspn vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
Cocoa powder for dusting the ramekins
Butter for coating the ramekins
1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat the butter and chocolate in a double broiler. Or just heat the butter and add the chocolate after breaking it into small pieces. You do not want to burn chocolate so be very careful. The mixture should be warm and not hot.
3. Beat the sugar and the eggs and egg yolk in a blender.
4. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate slowly. Add a little and whisk as you do not want the egg to curdle. Keep repeating till you mix the two together.
5. Now add the flour.
6. Rub the ramekins with cold butter and dust the ramekins with cocoa powder.
7. Add the cake mixture to the ramekins and bake for 7 minutes. The sides will be soft but the cake will have a molten center.
8. To unmold, take the ramekin out of the oven and invert on a plate and tap very lightly. You should run a knife on the side of the dish to separate the cake out a little before you do so. Let the cake rest for 5 minutes before you serve.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Lemon Cheesecake Pancakes
I love making breakfast on Saturday mornings. Unfortunately, and this has nothing to do with me, the day starts at 1pm. So it becomes more of a brunch, or lunch.
I wouldn’t say I have a very extensive repertoire. I am constrained, seriously constrained, by the peculiarities of fussy eaters.
"Eggs should be mixed – the yellow part and the white part should not stand out separately. That rules out poached eggs, baked eggs, fried eggs, and boiled eggs."
"Onions, mushrooms, spinach and greens are “groddy.” Oatmeal is out of question. "
"Indian breakfast food is not “real breakfast food.” "
And occasionally , my preferences kick in too, I don’t like bagels or sweet baked pastries in the morning.
It basically boils down to acceptable variations of omelets, scrambles, and frittatas. Or variations of French toast and pancake. So, I am always looking for ways to make pancakes witha twist. I personally hate blueberries in pancake; they taste too jam-like to me. I made these pancakes yesterday and served them with plain maple syrup. They seriously tasted like lemon cheesecake and elicited the rare growl of approval.
2 cups of bisquick pancake mix
½ pack of cream cheese- add to the batter in the form of thick crumbles
Juice of ½ lemon
Lemon zest – one small lemon
2 eggs
1 ½ to 2 cups of milk
Stir the above to get rid of lumps.
In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tspn butter or vegetable oil. Add less than ¼ cup of batter or more if you want thicker pancakes. I made four thick fluffy pancakes. Remember, that you want to add pieces of cream cheese, and not mix the cream cheese, in your batter.
I wouldn’t say I have a very extensive repertoire. I am constrained, seriously constrained, by the peculiarities of fussy eaters.
"Eggs should be mixed – the yellow part and the white part should not stand out separately. That rules out poached eggs, baked eggs, fried eggs, and boiled eggs."
"Onions, mushrooms, spinach and greens are “groddy.” Oatmeal is out of question. "
"Indian breakfast food is not “real breakfast food.” "
And occasionally , my preferences kick in too, I don’t like bagels or sweet baked pastries in the morning.
It basically boils down to acceptable variations of omelets, scrambles, and frittatas. Or variations of French toast and pancake. So, I am always looking for ways to make pancakes witha twist. I personally hate blueberries in pancake; they taste too jam-like to me. I made these pancakes yesterday and served them with plain maple syrup. They seriously tasted like lemon cheesecake and elicited the rare growl of approval.
2 cups of bisquick pancake mix
½ pack of cream cheese- add to the batter in the form of thick crumbles
Juice of ½ lemon
Lemon zest – one small lemon
2 eggs
1 ½ to 2 cups of milk
Stir the above to get rid of lumps.
In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tspn butter or vegetable oil. Add less than ¼ cup of batter or more if you want thicker pancakes. I made four thick fluffy pancakes. Remember, that you want to add pieces of cream cheese, and not mix the cream cheese, in your batter.
Eggplant, Swiss chard and tomatoes
I love Japanese eggplants for the very meaty flavor and a lack of seeds. They go very well with tomatoes. I had a bunch of Swiss chard and just threw everything into the pot. Basically, this is a very easy recipe and does not require many fancy spices. All that is needed is some coriander powder and garam masala, which is added with the tomatoes and not later. And it is just for me. Cooking is a very unselfish act for me, I cook to please. But basically in the world I currently live in, that would entail divorcing mushrooms, eggplants, greens, onions, cauliflower etc. Basically, subsisting on potatoes, beans, carrots, tomatoes, and corn.
Actually, this is close to the recipe I posted before.
http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/10/eggplant-sabzi.html
This version has Swiss chard. I was just trying to use all the vegetables in my fridge. I had this rainbow Swiss chard from the farmer’s market, it kind of adds to the redness of tomatoes.
2 Japanese eggplants cut in semi circles
2 large tomatoes finely chopped
1 large onion chopped finely
½ “piece of ginger chopped finely
Salt
Coriander powder
Garam masala
2 green chills finely chopped
1 bunch of Swiss chard chopped finely
Cumin seeds
1. To some oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, and after they splutter add the onions. Add a little sugar and caramelize the onions till they are brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and ginger. Cook till pulpy. Add green chilies.
3. Add the spices. Sauté for a minute.
4. Add the eggplant and Swiss chard.
5. Cover and cook. Keep adding a little water till you get a pulpy consistency. The vegetables should be kind of mashed.
Actually, this is close to the recipe I posted before.
http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/10/eggplant-sabzi.html
This version has Swiss chard. I was just trying to use all the vegetables in my fridge. I had this rainbow Swiss chard from the farmer’s market, it kind of adds to the redness of tomatoes.
2 Japanese eggplants cut in semi circles
2 large tomatoes finely chopped
1 large onion chopped finely
½ “piece of ginger chopped finely
Salt
Coriander powder
Garam masala
2 green chills finely chopped
1 bunch of Swiss chard chopped finely
Cumin seeds
1. To some oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, and after they splutter add the onions. Add a little sugar and caramelize the onions till they are brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and ginger. Cook till pulpy. Add green chilies.
3. Add the spices. Sauté for a minute.
4. Add the eggplant and Swiss chard.
5. Cover and cook. Keep adding a little water till you get a pulpy consistency. The vegetables should be kind of mashed.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Individual apple chestnut cakes with a walnut crumb
I have been making desserts with apples lately. There was the apple bread pudding, followed by the apple crumble pie, and the latest being, the individual apple chestnut cakes with a walnut crumb on the top. Again, just reiterating and repeating, I am one of the worst bakers in the world. Cakes and cookies are definitely not my forte, no scratch that, I am incapable of baking edible cookies and cakes. But I had one granny smith apple left over when I made the apple crumb pie. Again, browsing through the apple based desserts in food and wine magazine, I thought of making these individual cakes.
The recipe in question can be found at the following link.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-crumble-cakes-with-chestnuts
This recipe was for eight, and I narrowed it down to 4. I am using most of the text of the original recipe with my changes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease 4 8-ounce ramekins and place on a baking tray.
Crumb
Toss the following together
• ¾ cups coarsely chopped walnuts which I pounded in the mortar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
Cake
Blend the following wet ingredients
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ stick of butter
• 1 tspn vanilla extract
Chop the following
• 1 large Granny Smith apple—peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3/4 cup roasted chestnuts, quartered
Whisk the following dry ingredients
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a large bowl, blend the butter with the sugar, brown sugar and eggs. Gently stir in the flour mixture and milk until blended, then fold in the apples and chestnuts.
2. Spoon the batter into the ramekins and sprinkle the walnut mixture on top. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the topping is browned and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then serve with a scoop of ice cream.
The recipe in question can be found at the following link.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-crumble-cakes-with-chestnuts
This recipe was for eight, and I narrowed it down to 4. I am using most of the text of the original recipe with my changes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease 4 8-ounce ramekins and place on a baking tray.
Crumb
Toss the following together
• ¾ cups coarsely chopped walnuts which I pounded in the mortar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
Cake
Blend the following wet ingredients
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ stick of butter
• 1 tspn vanilla extract
Chop the following
• 1 large Granny Smith apple—peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3/4 cup roasted chestnuts, quartered
Whisk the following dry ingredients
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a large bowl, blend the butter with the sugar, brown sugar and eggs. Gently stir in the flour mixture and milk until blended, then fold in the apples and chestnuts.
2. Spoon the batter into the ramekins and sprinkle the walnut mixture on top. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the topping is browned and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then serve with a scoop of ice cream.
Non Bengali Ghonto
I am totally in love with panch phoron; to the extent that I am going on to hail it as the perfect spice blend. I use it for breakfast potatoes. The flavor of panch phoron allows vegetables to be cooked in a simple fashion, just a little mustard oil, dry red chilies, turmeric, and salt are enough to enhance the flavor of the vegetables. Compare this to the tedium of North Indian cooking, where we sauté the onions, tomatoes, coriander powder, garam masala till we get a rich spice base. Don’t get me wrong, I am a proud North Indian girl and love my food; however, the simplicity of making vegetables the Bengali way has charmed me lately. Apparently, my web research reflects that “ghonto” means a mixture where the ingredients are mixed/mashed together completely. Most popularly, the web is abounded with recipes of “Muri Ghonto” where fish head is cooked with rice and potatoes, “Mocha Ghonto” where banana blossom is cooked with spices, and “Mulor Ghonto” where radish is cooked with potatoes. Some “Ghontos” have lentils in them. . I have no idea what this dish is called. It has potatoes, spinach, and squash. I guess the commonality to all the Ghontos are the red chilies, panch phoron, mustard oil, and turmeric. So I will just call it “Ghonto by a non Bengali.”
I bought a little squash from the Chinese market the other day. The band aid on my finger will remind me to stick to pre peeled and pre cut squash from henceforth. I used vegetable oil, so any true Bengali will have nothing but scorn for my version of Ghonto.
2 potatoes finely cubed
½ bag of baby spinach
½ tspn turmeric
4 dry red chilies
½ small squash cubed ( nearly a cup)
½ tspn sugar
Salt
1 tspn panch phoron
Cumin powder
1. Take some oil in a pan and add the panch phoron. When it splutters, add the chilies.
2. Throw in the potatoes and spinach. Add salt and some water.
3. Cover and cook till potatoes are done. Add some water.
4. Add the squash,
5. Add cumin powder and sugar.
6. Cook till done. Keep adding water if you need to. I don’t like this very dry. At the end , my vegetables resembled a thick paste, and tasted delicious.
I bought a little squash from the Chinese market the other day. The band aid on my finger will remind me to stick to pre peeled and pre cut squash from henceforth. I used vegetable oil, so any true Bengali will have nothing but scorn for my version of Ghonto.
2 potatoes finely cubed
½ bag of baby spinach
½ tspn turmeric
4 dry red chilies
½ small squash cubed ( nearly a cup)
½ tspn sugar
Salt
1 tspn panch phoron
Cumin powder
1. Take some oil in a pan and add the panch phoron. When it splutters, add the chilies.
2. Throw in the potatoes and spinach. Add salt and some water.
3. Cover and cook till potatoes are done. Add some water.
4. Add the squash,
5. Add cumin powder and sugar.
6. Cook till done. Keep adding water if you need to. I don’t like this very dry. At the end , my vegetables resembled a thick paste, and tasted delicious.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Apple Pie with crumb topping
The world abounds with recipes of apple pie. There are so many versions of the perfect “grandma’s apple pie” out there, and it’s not hard to find many apple pie recipes in the blogworld which are coated in saccharine sentimentality of nostalgia, real or not. Not many people admit that grandma or mum actually sucked in the kitchen, hell, I don’t either.
But having sampled a few apple pies, and acknowledging that neither am I a connoisseur, nor do I have the handed down know- how of a family recipe handed down for generations, I still figured down a few things on my own. For example, I prefer the crumb top to a lattice top, pre made crust to freshly made pie dough strictly on the disproportionate rewards to effort outcome, combination of apples like golden delicious and granny smith to just granny smith.
So here it is- my virgin attempt at making an apple pie. I was debating whether to make the crust myself, having done that years ago when I used to make quiches. However, I succumbed to laziness and bought a store bought crust. When I first tasted the pie, hot from the oven, I thought it was too tart. But as it cooled down, I realized that the sweetness of the crumb top was a good contrast to the tartness, however, I might reduce the quantity of lemon juice next time. The best part was when my partner gulped down four slices on the first night, he never eats that much of my dessert ever.
For the filling, I mixed the following.
7 med granny smith apples ( it might be a better idea to mix some sweet apples with these tart ones) which I cubed
juice of half a lemon ( I might use half of this quantitiy next time)
handful of raisins ( will use at least a cup of raisins in the future )
1 cup of sugar
2 tbspn flour
nutmeg
cinnamon
vanilla extract
I spread the dough over a nine inch crust, and added the filling. I baked it for 45 minutes in a pre heated 375 degrees oven.
For the crumb top I mixed the following till I got little lumps and I froze it.
I cup of flour,
2/3 cups of brown sugar
half a stick of cold butter
I then toppped the pie with the crumbs, which had been baked for 45 minutes, and baked it for another 45 minutes.
But having sampled a few apple pies, and acknowledging that neither am I a connoisseur, nor do I have the handed down know- how of a family recipe handed down for generations, I still figured down a few things on my own. For example, I prefer the crumb top to a lattice top, pre made crust to freshly made pie dough strictly on the disproportionate rewards to effort outcome, combination of apples like golden delicious and granny smith to just granny smith.
So here it is- my virgin attempt at making an apple pie. I was debating whether to make the crust myself, having done that years ago when I used to make quiches. However, I succumbed to laziness and bought a store bought crust. When I first tasted the pie, hot from the oven, I thought it was too tart. But as it cooled down, I realized that the sweetness of the crumb top was a good contrast to the tartness, however, I might reduce the quantity of lemon juice next time. The best part was when my partner gulped down four slices on the first night, he never eats that much of my dessert ever.
For the filling, I mixed the following.
7 med granny smith apples ( it might be a better idea to mix some sweet apples with these tart ones) which I cubed
juice of half a lemon ( I might use half of this quantitiy next time)
handful of raisins ( will use at least a cup of raisins in the future )
1 cup of sugar
2 tbspn flour
nutmeg
cinnamon
vanilla extract
I spread the dough over a nine inch crust, and added the filling. I baked it for 45 minutes in a pre heated 375 degrees oven.
For the crumb top I mixed the following till I got little lumps and I froze it.
I cup of flour,
2/3 cups of brown sugar
half a stick of cold butter
I then toppped the pie with the crumbs, which had been baked for 45 minutes, and baked it for another 45 minutes.
Walnut Chicken (Akhrot Murg)
Yeah, yeah, this was supposed to be a blog about vegetarian food. But, I went to the dark side only to please the man. I never even taste this stuff. I just look at websites to read chicken recipes. I made chicken tikka masala a few weeks ago. This was my second foray into cooking an Indian meat dish. I did make pasta with fennel, swiss chard, and sausages last week. I just rely on smell, looks, and my partner's taste buds to make sure everything is all right. This recipe was quite easy and quick. I found it on Sanjeev Kapoor's website and didn't even change it much. It is a creamy festive way to cook chicken, low on spices, so you get a better flavor of the walnuts.
http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/akhrot-murgh.aspx
I will admit, when he tasted this dish, he said the texture was “interesting.” Like the meat was the softest he had. I guess he likes his meat with a sear on it. But who are we talking about, this is a person whose idea of great food is box mac-n-cheese. He prefers it over my panko bread encrusted macaroni and cheese, adorned with copious amounts of three cheeses painfully grated from cheese slabs, flavored with paparika and mustard, endorsed by Martha Stewart, baked in individual gratin pans. :)
http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/08/mac-and-cheese-serves-4.html
Oh well, you can't win them all. Sometimes you just have to concede defeat to the familiarity of the blue box. The conclusion is that I will make this walnut chicken dish again when i have people over!
Blanch 1/2 cup of walnuts overnight.
Marinate the following over night
1. Finely chop an onion, puree one tomato, and chop 4 green chillies. Blend the walnuts with some water to make a paste.
2. Take some oil in a pan and brown the onions.
3. Add the chillies and saute for a minute.
4. Add the tomato and roast.
5. Add 1 tspn coriander powder. Roast for a while till the oil separates.
6. Add the chicken. Add more salt and 1/4 cup of water. Cook till done. Should take 12-15 minutes.
7. Add the walnut paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add 2 tbspn of cream or more. Add a sprinkle of garam masala.
He said the chicken was soft and juicy. I guess marinating the meat all night tenderizes it. This recipe was quick and easy. I guess cooking meat shouldn't be as daunting as it seemed.
http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/akhrot-murgh.aspx
I will admit, when he tasted this dish, he said the texture was “interesting.” Like the meat was the softest he had. I guess he likes his meat with a sear on it. But who are we talking about, this is a person whose idea of great food is box mac-n-cheese. He prefers it over my panko bread encrusted macaroni and cheese, adorned with copious amounts of three cheeses painfully grated from cheese slabs, flavored with paparika and mustard, endorsed by Martha Stewart, baked in individual gratin pans. :)
http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/08/mac-and-cheese-serves-4.html
Oh well, you can't win them all. Sometimes you just have to concede defeat to the familiarity of the blue box. The conclusion is that I will make this walnut chicken dish again when i have people over!
Blanch 1/2 cup of walnuts overnight.
Marinate the following over night
- 1 pound of chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
- 2 coves of garlic finely chopped
- 1 piece of ginger finely chopped
- salt
- 1 tspn cumin powder
- 1/4 cup of thick yogurt
1. Finely chop an onion, puree one tomato, and chop 4 green chillies. Blend the walnuts with some water to make a paste.
2. Take some oil in a pan and brown the onions.
3. Add the chillies and saute for a minute.
4. Add the tomato and roast.
5. Add 1 tspn coriander powder. Roast for a while till the oil separates.
6. Add the chicken. Add more salt and 1/4 cup of water. Cook till done. Should take 12-15 minutes.
7. Add the walnut paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add 2 tbspn of cream or more. Add a sprinkle of garam masala.
He said the chicken was soft and juicy. I guess marinating the meat all night tenderizes it. This recipe was quick and easy. I guess cooking meat shouldn't be as daunting as it seemed.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Soft scrambled eggs with croutons
I am always looking for ways to make eggs more delectable. I usually make breakfast every Saturday morning for my partner, and he claims he never cared for eggs till he tasted mine. Now it’s a ritual.
The first trick to great scrambles is to use farm fresh eggs. I buy organic cage free eggs from my Farmer’s market every Saturday morning. The difference is pronounced, when compared to using super market eggs. Fresh organic eggs are creamier, brighter, and very flavorful and do not turn grey like supermarket eggs.
The second trick to soft scrambled eggs is to use a thick bottomed pan, keep the stove temperature low, and stir consistently. I add butter to an omelet pan, allowing it to melt, and add the eggs to the pan which is not too hot. I keep stirring the eggs for 10 minutes or so till I get soft scrambled eggs. I also add some cream to the eggs when I start the stirring.
Now for a little twist to traditional scrambled eggs.
I found the following recipe on Food and Wine magazine. The chef adds bread croutons to the eggs at the end.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/scrambled-eggs-with-herbed-croutons
I made these eggs for my partner this weekend, and served them with honey-butter-paprika toasts, to provide a sweet contrast to these savory eggs which already have toasts in them.
5 eggs
2 tbspn cream
1 tbspn butter
Salt
Pepper
2 cloves of garlic (smashed)
Olive oil
Brioche croutons (I make extra croutons and freeze them, so I had these on hand. If you don’t have these, just take 3-4 slices of whatever bread you have, preferably brioche, and dice it into cubes)
1. Heat the oil, and add the garlic for flavor. Now add the cubed pieces of bread till they are brown and crispy. Discard the garlic.
2. Heat the butter in a thick pan. When it starts to melt, add the eggs and cream.
3. Add salt/pepper.
4. Keep whisking and stirring.
5. When the eggs are almost set, throw in the croutons.
6. Garnish with chives.
The first trick to great scrambles is to use farm fresh eggs. I buy organic cage free eggs from my Farmer’s market every Saturday morning. The difference is pronounced, when compared to using super market eggs. Fresh organic eggs are creamier, brighter, and very flavorful and do not turn grey like supermarket eggs.
The second trick to soft scrambled eggs is to use a thick bottomed pan, keep the stove temperature low, and stir consistently. I add butter to an omelet pan, allowing it to melt, and add the eggs to the pan which is not too hot. I keep stirring the eggs for 10 minutes or so till I get soft scrambled eggs. I also add some cream to the eggs when I start the stirring.
Now for a little twist to traditional scrambled eggs.
I found the following recipe on Food and Wine magazine. The chef adds bread croutons to the eggs at the end.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/scrambled-eggs-with-herbed-croutons
I made these eggs for my partner this weekend, and served them with honey-butter-paprika toasts, to provide a sweet contrast to these savory eggs which already have toasts in them.
5 eggs
2 tbspn cream
1 tbspn butter
Salt
Pepper
2 cloves of garlic (smashed)
Olive oil
Brioche croutons (I make extra croutons and freeze them, so I had these on hand. If you don’t have these, just take 3-4 slices of whatever bread you have, preferably brioche, and dice it into cubes)
1. Heat the oil, and add the garlic for flavor. Now add the cubed pieces of bread till they are brown and crispy. Discard the garlic.
2. Heat the butter in a thick pan. When it starts to melt, add the eggs and cream.
3. Add salt/pepper.
4. Keep whisking and stirring.
5. When the eggs are almost set, throw in the croutons.
6. Garnish with chives.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Pasta with fennel and Swiss chard in a tomato sauce
This recipe is from my Italian friend. I just wanted to make a nice dish, especially for my partner, and having been an ardent admirer of her culinary skills, I knew I could expect something delectable. She had been to the farmer’s market the day before, and picked up some fennel, nettles, and Swiss chard. She suggested I used sweet Italian sausage for my partner, and I could easily add it later
1 - 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes (use Italian organic brand)
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Red pepper flakes
½ bulb of fennel chopped into half inch pieces
I bunch of Swiss chard chopped
I onion finely chopped
2 sweet Italian sausage links (optional)
½ box of penne noodles
Salt
Black pepper
Parmesan
1. Heat some olive oil. Add the onions and sauté till translucent.
2. Add garlic. Now add the fennel and cook till tender.
3. Make the pasta in salty water. I like it al dente.
4. Sauté the sausages, which are diced into quarter inch pieces, on low heat till they turn brown.
5. Add the tomatoes to the sauce. Add Swiss chard, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Cover and cook till sauce is done, around 10-15 minutes. Do not add any salt. Once you add the pasta, which is salty, adjust for salt.
6. Add pasta to sauce.
7. Add the sausages, if you need to.
8. Grate some parmesan on the top.
1 - 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes (use Italian organic brand)
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Red pepper flakes
½ bulb of fennel chopped into half inch pieces
I bunch of Swiss chard chopped
I onion finely chopped
2 sweet Italian sausage links (optional)
½ box of penne noodles
Salt
Black pepper
Parmesan
1. Heat some olive oil. Add the onions and sauté till translucent.
2. Add garlic. Now add the fennel and cook till tender.
3. Make the pasta in salty water. I like it al dente.
4. Sauté the sausages, which are diced into quarter inch pieces, on low heat till they turn brown.
5. Add the tomatoes to the sauce. Add Swiss chard, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Cover and cook till sauce is done, around 10-15 minutes. Do not add any salt. Once you add the pasta, which is salty, adjust for salt.
6. Add pasta to sauce.
7. Add the sausages, if you need to.
8. Grate some parmesan on the top.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Vada Pav – My version
I just call these Indian sliders.
Makes 9 mini sliders
3 russet potatoes – boil
Heeng
Curry leaves
Rai
Cumin Seeds
Tamarind ( I used lemon juice which I regret)
Fresh Coriander
Salt
Ginger garlic paste
Haldi
To some oil in a pan, add the zeera, rai, ginger garlic, curry leaves, haldi, and add it all to the potatoes. Add fresh coriander. Make 9 spheres out of the mixture.
Mix the following
Ajwain, besan, water, red chilli powder, salt till you get a thick batter.
Coat the balls with the blatter and deep fry on medium heat.
Assembling
Pav
Patak’s eggplant relish
Tamarind date chutney
Coriander chutney
Heat the Pav at 350 degrees and slice in half. Make a sandwich using the pav, with the chutneys and vada.
The original vada pav is served with garlic chutney, which is made of red chilies, coconut, garlic and tamarind.
Makes 9 mini sliders
3 russet potatoes – boil
Heeng
Curry leaves
Rai
Cumin Seeds
Tamarind ( I used lemon juice which I regret)
Fresh Coriander
Salt
Ginger garlic paste
Haldi
To some oil in a pan, add the zeera, rai, ginger garlic, curry leaves, haldi, and add it all to the potatoes. Add fresh coriander. Make 9 spheres out of the mixture.
Mix the following
Ajwain, besan, water, red chilli powder, salt till you get a thick batter.
Coat the balls with the blatter and deep fry on medium heat.
Assembling
Pav
Patak’s eggplant relish
Tamarind date chutney
Coriander chutney
Heat the Pav at 350 degrees and slice in half. Make a sandwich using the pav, with the chutneys and vada.
The original vada pav is served with garlic chutney, which is made of red chilies, coconut, garlic and tamarind.
Methi Paneer
This is a quick light dish and ridiculously easy to make. It is also a one pot dish and for once, you do not have to sear the paneer.
You need
1 pack of paneer cubed
Yogurt- enough to marinate the paneer
I onion finely diced
3 green cardamoms
1 clove
1 piece of cinnamon
Few pieces of black peppercorn
1 black cardamom
3 cloves of minced garlic
Minced ginger
Salt
2 tbspn kasoori methi
2 green chilies
Turmeric
Coriander powder
1. Marinate the paneer in the yogurt.
2. Heat some oil in a pan. Add the green cardamom, clove, black cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorn, and wait till you hear the cardamom splutter. Add the onion and cook till you get a translucent hue.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute.
4. Now add the powdered spices , the turmeric and the coriander powder, and sauté
5. Add the paneer and yogurt.
6. Add salt and kasoori methi with some water. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
7. Add loads of chopped green coriander and serve.
You need
1 pack of paneer cubed
Yogurt- enough to marinate the paneer
I onion finely diced
3 green cardamoms
1 clove
1 piece of cinnamon
Few pieces of black peppercorn
1 black cardamom
3 cloves of minced garlic
Minced ginger
Salt
2 tbspn kasoori methi
2 green chilies
Turmeric
Coriander powder
1. Marinate the paneer in the yogurt.
2. Heat some oil in a pan. Add the green cardamom, clove, black cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorn, and wait till you hear the cardamom splutter. Add the onion and cook till you get a translucent hue.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute.
4. Now add the powdered spices , the turmeric and the coriander powder, and sauté
5. Add the paneer and yogurt.
6. Add salt and kasoori methi with some water. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
7. Add loads of chopped green coriander and serve.
Chocolate Pots de Crème
I invited friends over for dinner on Sunday. My menu included my virgin attempt at cooking meat, I ended up making a "chicken tikka masala," I just substituted chicken for the paneer in my tried and tested " paneer tikka masala" recipe. (http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/07/paneer-tikka-masala.html )
It worked fine.
Now coming to the problem that always baffles me - dessert. My original idea was to make a "khubani ka meetha" with mascarpone. I found the recipe on the Masterchef web site-
http://starplus.startv.in/masterchef/mcrecipe.aspx?cname=KandlaNijhowne&id=119&sid=40
I thought the concept of using mascarpone with the apricot and adding pomegranate seeds was genius. The sweetness of the apricots, balanced with mascarpone rather than whipped cream, and the pomegranate seeds bursting in your mouth while adding freshness and pizzaz to the recipe. However, I couldn't find dried apricots at the store. Again as usual, I started to surf food and wine magazine. At this point, it was the afternoon of the dinner day, and I was desperate, till I stumbled on this recipe. Pot de crème ("pot of cream") is a traditional French custard typically served in a pot-shaped cup. It is pronounced as "poe de krehm', with a soft 'd' like we have in Hindi. This milk-chocolate version from pastry chef Frank Urso is easy and I got it right the first time I made it. I was looking for a dessert recipe for a dinner party, and foiund this recipe on food and wine magazine. I have copied the original recipe here, with my comments in bold.
I followed the following link to make this recipe.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/milk-chocolate-pots-de-creme
The dessert turned out to be dense rich decadent chocolate custard, topped with whipped cream. It also looks very pretty in a martini glass. I modified the above recipe, using semi sweet chocolate, and halving the amounts. It made four servings.
1. 10 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped ( I used 4 ounces of semi sweet Ghirardelli chocolate and 2 ounces bitter sweet)
2. 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped ( mentioned above)
3. 1 cup milk ( used ½ cup)
4. 1 cup heavy cream ( used ½ cup)
5. 1/4 cup sugar ( used 2 tbspn)
6. 5 large egg yolks ( used 3)
7. Crème fraîche and chocolate shavings, for garnish ( I used whipped heavy cream with vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar)
8. Vanilla Extract ( My touch)
• In a large heatproof bowl, combine the milk and bittersweet chocolates. (Tempering chocolate. I just took the chocolate in a glass bowl and micro waved it for 2 minutes. You need to keep doing this and checking the chocolate, till it melts)
• In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, heavy cream and sugar to a boil, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
• In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in half of the hot cream. (Be careful here and keep whisking. You do not want the egg to scramble. Make sure you add the cream, little at a time)
• Whisk the egg-and-cream mixture into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard coats the back of the spoon, about 4 minutes. Pour the custard over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes, and then stir until smooth. ( At this stage, add some vanilla extract)
• Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into four 4-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours.
• Let the pots de crème stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Garnish with crème fraîche and chocolate shavings; serve. ( I served with whipped cream. I also kept the dessert out for longer, you want the custard to be softer, it turns hard in the fridge. )
It worked fine.
Now coming to the problem that always baffles me - dessert. My original idea was to make a "khubani ka meetha" with mascarpone. I found the recipe on the Masterchef web site-
http://starplus.startv.in/masterchef/mcrecipe.aspx?cname=KandlaNijhowne&id=119&sid=40
I thought the concept of using mascarpone with the apricot and adding pomegranate seeds was genius. The sweetness of the apricots, balanced with mascarpone rather than whipped cream, and the pomegranate seeds bursting in your mouth while adding freshness and pizzaz to the recipe. However, I couldn't find dried apricots at the store. Again as usual, I started to surf food and wine magazine. At this point, it was the afternoon of the dinner day, and I was desperate, till I stumbled on this recipe. Pot de crème ("pot of cream") is a traditional French custard typically served in a pot-shaped cup. It is pronounced as "poe de krehm', with a soft 'd' like we have in Hindi. This milk-chocolate version from pastry chef Frank Urso is easy and I got it right the first time I made it. I was looking for a dessert recipe for a dinner party, and foiund this recipe on food and wine magazine. I have copied the original recipe here, with my comments in bold.
I followed the following link to make this recipe.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/milk-chocolate-pots-de-creme
The dessert turned out to be dense rich decadent chocolate custard, topped with whipped cream. It also looks very pretty in a martini glass. I modified the above recipe, using semi sweet chocolate, and halving the amounts. It made four servings.
1. 10 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped ( I used 4 ounces of semi sweet Ghirardelli chocolate and 2 ounces bitter sweet)
2. 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped ( mentioned above)
3. 1 cup milk ( used ½ cup)
4. 1 cup heavy cream ( used ½ cup)
5. 1/4 cup sugar ( used 2 tbspn)
6. 5 large egg yolks ( used 3)
7. Crème fraîche and chocolate shavings, for garnish ( I used whipped heavy cream with vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar)
8. Vanilla Extract ( My touch)
• In a large heatproof bowl, combine the milk and bittersweet chocolates. (Tempering chocolate. I just took the chocolate in a glass bowl and micro waved it for 2 minutes. You need to keep doing this and checking the chocolate, till it melts)
• In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, heavy cream and sugar to a boil, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
• In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in half of the hot cream. (Be careful here and keep whisking. You do not want the egg to scramble. Make sure you add the cream, little at a time)
• Whisk the egg-and-cream mixture into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard coats the back of the spoon, about 4 minutes. Pour the custard over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes, and then stir until smooth. ( At this stage, add some vanilla extract)
• Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into four 4-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours.
• Let the pots de crème stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Garnish with crème fraîche and chocolate shavings; serve. ( I served with whipped cream. I also kept the dessert out for longer, you want the custard to be softer, it turns hard in the fridge. )
Monday, January 10, 2011
Apple Bread Pudding
We were invited to a friend's house for dinner and I was struggling to figure out a dessert we could take with us, rather than just the obligatory bottle of wine. Historical evidence over the years does let me know what I am not capable of - baking. Baking is a little too precise for me. I am more of the ,"throw a little bit of this" and "a little bit of that" kind of a girl. So, I tried baking cookies two months ago. What a disaster that was. Some of the cookies were burnt, some underbaked. The cookies definitely needed more sugar and everything ended up in the trash can. Also, dessert is definitely not my forte. I actually avoid making dessert, because I am the only one who ends up finishing it in my house. Who needs the extra calories?
And so I ended up browsing "food and wine" for something I could make. My partner likes apple pie, and I definitely wanted to make something he would appreciate. I have made bread pudding in the past. But this one was different. It turned out light and fluffy, with a flavor that reminded me of apple pie. So I found this recipe, which Tre Wilcox from "Top Chef" had made in one of the seasons. Here is a link to the recipe
http://www.bravotv.com/foodies/recipes/apple-and-brioche-bread-pudding
He just toasted brioche and cored the apples, which he then baked in vanilla anglais. Vanilla anglais is heavy on egg yolk. The pudding was deemed as heavy and I can understand why. Vanilla anglais is great on it's own, and works well with cakes and fruit. However, further baking it would make it denser.
However, Gail Simmons modified the recipe. She cooked the apples in calvados, she also lightened the custard. I love the idea of using brioche as the bread base for the pudding. Brioche is a light, slightly sweet, eggy bread and also makes as an excellent bread for french toast. The difference between using plain white bread and brioche is huge. This is the Gail Simmons recipe I followed ,
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-bread-pudding
I used a lesser amount of bread. I had a loaf of brioche; I used only three fourths of the loaf; I think the custard needed more sugar; I cooked the apples for more than one and a half minutes after adding the calvados. Here is the original recipe with my modifications in bold .
1 pound brioche, cut into 1-inch pieces – (12 cups of bread) I used 8 cups of bread.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup sugar for the custard and ¼ cup brown sugar for the apples. In the future I will add an extra 2 tbspn sugar to the custard)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup Calvados or other brandy ( I used Calvados)
4 large eggs, beaten ( I make sure that these are at room temperature)
3 cups milk ( I used 2 ½ cups milk and ½ cup cream)
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped ( I used pure vanilla extract)
Whipped cream or crème fraîche, for serving (I made this by whipping 1 ½ cup oh heavy whipping cream, with 4 Tbspn confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. I made the cream a little sweeter, because my bread pudding was a little less sweet than what I aimed for)
Nutmeg, 1/2 cup raisins , 1/2 cup walnuts ( my additions)
1 Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the brioche on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until lightly golden and dry.
2 Similarly toast the walnuts.
3 Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter; reserve 3 tablespoons of the melted butter in a small bowl. Add the apples and 1/4 cup of the sugar (use brown sugar here ) to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are golden and softened, about 15 minutes. ( I did so for 12 minutes) Stir in the cinnamon. ( I also added nutmeg) Remove from the heat and add the Calvados. Return the skillet to the heat and cook until the sauce is syrupy, about 1 minute. I cooked for an addition 3-4 minutes, till the smell of alcohol was not as pronounced.
4 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar. ( I think an extra 2 tbspn sugar will be better) Add the vanilla essence, raisins and walnuts. Add the brioche and apples and toss until evenly coated. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the brioche to absorb the custard.
5 Brush an 8-by-11-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the reserved melted butter. Add the bread pudding and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter on top. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is golden. Let the bread pudding cool slightly, and then serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.
And so I ended up browsing "food and wine" for something I could make. My partner likes apple pie, and I definitely wanted to make something he would appreciate. I have made bread pudding in the past. But this one was different. It turned out light and fluffy, with a flavor that reminded me of apple pie. So I found this recipe, which Tre Wilcox from "Top Chef" had made in one of the seasons. Here is a link to the recipe
http://www.bravotv.com/foodies/recipes/apple-and-brioche-bread-pudding
He just toasted brioche and cored the apples, which he then baked in vanilla anglais. Vanilla anglais is heavy on egg yolk. The pudding was deemed as heavy and I can understand why. Vanilla anglais is great on it's own, and works well with cakes and fruit. However, further baking it would make it denser.
However, Gail Simmons modified the recipe. She cooked the apples in calvados, she also lightened the custard. I love the idea of using brioche as the bread base for the pudding. Brioche is a light, slightly sweet, eggy bread and also makes as an excellent bread for french toast. The difference between using plain white bread and brioche is huge. This is the Gail Simmons recipe I followed ,
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-bread-pudding
I used a lesser amount of bread. I had a loaf of brioche; I used only three fourths of the loaf; I think the custard needed more sugar; I cooked the apples for more than one and a half minutes after adding the calvados. Here is the original recipe with my modifications in bold .
1 pound brioche, cut into 1-inch pieces – (12 cups of bread) I used 8 cups of bread.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup sugar for the custard and ¼ cup brown sugar for the apples. In the future I will add an extra 2 tbspn sugar to the custard)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup Calvados or other brandy ( I used Calvados)
4 large eggs, beaten ( I make sure that these are at room temperature)
3 cups milk ( I used 2 ½ cups milk and ½ cup cream)
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped ( I used pure vanilla extract)
Whipped cream or crème fraîche, for serving (I made this by whipping 1 ½ cup oh heavy whipping cream, with 4 Tbspn confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. I made the cream a little sweeter, because my bread pudding was a little less sweet than what I aimed for)
Nutmeg, 1/2 cup raisins , 1/2 cup walnuts ( my additions)
1 Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the brioche on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until lightly golden and dry.
2 Similarly toast the walnuts.
3 Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter; reserve 3 tablespoons of the melted butter in a small bowl. Add the apples and 1/4 cup of the sugar (use brown sugar here ) to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are golden and softened, about 15 minutes. ( I did so for 12 minutes) Stir in the cinnamon. ( I also added nutmeg) Remove from the heat and add the Calvados. Return the skillet to the heat and cook until the sauce is syrupy, about 1 minute. I cooked for an addition 3-4 minutes, till the smell of alcohol was not as pronounced.
4 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar. ( I think an extra 2 tbspn sugar will be better) Add the vanilla essence, raisins and walnuts. Add the brioche and apples and toss until evenly coated. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the brioche to absorb the custard.
5 Brush an 8-by-11-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the reserved melted butter. Add the bread pudding and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter on top. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is golden. Let the bread pudding cool slightly, and then serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.
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