redacted recipes

Daring Bakers: Opéra Cake!

Yes, it's that time of the month again! Aren't you impressed that I managed to complete and post about this month's challenge while on the road? Okay, okay, it's true, I'm not a super-road-warrior-daring baker, merely an organized planner. I made the cake ahead of time and then set dear old typepad to auto-publish.

This month's challenge is hosted by our marvelous Daring Baker founders, Lis of La  Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, and co-hosted by Fran of Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie and Shea of Whiskful. The four of them put their heads together to come up with an uber-challenge, the famous Opéra Cake, adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets, who in turn adapted it from the Dalloyau.

Opéra Cake is traditionally made up of layers of almond cake soaked in coffee syrup and filled with layers of coffee buttercream and bittersweet chocolate ganache and then finally topped with chocolate glaze,  but this version is to be light in color and flavor. That means NO use of chocolate, coffee or cocoa. The theme of light colors is is in keeping with the dedication of this month's challenge to Barbara of winosandfoodies.com. Barbara is the force behind the food blog event A Taste of Yellow which supports the LiveSTRONG foundation.

I'm afraid I met my nemesis with this recipe. I started with La Traviata and ended with La Travesty. I had decided to go with raspberry as my flavor variation, and it all went well until I got to the ganache/mousse portion of the recipe. I made a raspberry syrup, using raspberry cordial, to brush on the cake layers. Then  for the  buttercream I reduced a bag of frozen organic berries down to syrup, strained out all of the seeds, and added a couple of tablespoons along with some of the raspberry cordial. Everything was looking and tasting perfect!

But then it all went sideways when I got to the white chocolate ganache/mousse. The first time I tried to make it and failed was entirely my own fault, as I was working from the book Paris Sweets, having completely forgotten that this component was based on an entirely different recipe. Okay, fine.  My bad and easy enough to try again (and send Jack out to buy more white chocolate). But the second time I followed the instructions to the letter and... it curdled. I assembled the cake and used it anyway, as it tasted nice, even if it looked like a dog regurgitated it. Sadly, there was no spreading the "mousse" and I had to pat it on with my fingers.

By the time I got the white chocolate glaze over the top I'd used two pounds of white chocolate! I had white chocolate on my clothes and in my hair (don't ask). I loved the cake and the buttercream, but really felt that the amount of white chocolate was a bit much for my tastse, and in fact, Jack and I pulled the "mousse" and glaze off when we ate a piece.

Click the link for the entire recipe.

Road Trip Snapshots II

Arizona: view from the Meteor Crater Visitor Center

Oatman, a former gold mining town was part cowboy kitsch and part authentic western. It was certainly aware of its appeal to tourists but was also clearly a real community, and the grizzled, grey-haired, grubby stetson-wearing Willie Nelson lookalike in the hotel cafe was definitely not faking.

The place was bizarre; almost every square inch of every wall (and some of the ceiling) was covered with old dollar bills bearing personalized messages and scribblings from their previous owners. We had a fine, no-frills fried breakfast there.

East of Oatman is a particularly awe-inspiring stretch of old 66 which climbs out of desolate desert to zigzag wildly through the craggy Black Mountains.

Soon after we rejoined I 40 we stopped for a shake and a root beer float at the Snow Cap in Seligman. Another wonderful piece of faded Route 66 tat. Great old-school shakes, too.

East of Flagstaff we stopped at Walnut Canyon to see the 1,000-year old cliff dwellings of the Sinagua people. We were disappointed to discover that the main cliff trail was closed because of a major rock fall but we still had a great view of these amazing old 'houses'.

Although it was quite a way off our planned route we realised we were too close to the famous Arizona meteor crater to pass up a visit. We were very glad we did because it's every bit as impressive as photos suggest. We took the one-hour rim walk in scorching 93-degrees-in-the-shade heat (what shade?) and it was definitely worth the dehydration and sunburn because not only did we get great views into the crater but the information provided by our guide was genuinely fascinating, and included plenty of historical facts we'd never heard before.

Next we retraced some steps and headed north to Tusayan via a completely unnecessary detour over unpaved roads through a small forest (thanks a lot, Google Maps!) We stayed in a hotel just a couple of miles away from the entrance to the south rim of the Grand Canyon; obviously the main order of business for the following day.

The Grand Canyon. One could say a lot, but it's pointless. Let's just say that it's true what everyone else says: pictures and films simply do not begin to do it justice. You cannot get a full sense of the jaw-dropping scale and majesty of this colossal, nature-sculpted marvel. One's first view of it is... breathtaking, awe-inspiring and a whole mess of other cliches. Here are some pictures anyway, but trust us, they don't tell the story nearly well enough. The only way to fully appreciate the sheer vertiginous visual impact and profound sense of vast geological age is to simply stand there and gaze.

Road Trip Snapshots

Quick report from the road in the form of snapshots and minimal commentary (we'll get wordy when we get back). We changed our plans slightly, opting to fly into LA and follow Route 66 to the Grand Canyon, rather than starting in San Francisco. It meant foregoing the swoop through Sonoma for a wine raid, but we'll make up for that when we hit the Finger Lakes area of New York near the end of our trip.

Starting from LAX, we spent the first few hours of our drive hopping on and off the fragments of old Route 66 wherever we could in an attempt to experience the fading and decaying remnants of the original America's Highway.

We had lunch at the delightfully kitsch Summit Inn, and played with fortune telling "answer machine" which was part of the napkin dispenser. Very like a primitive and purely mechanical version of the Magic Eight Ball, it answered any "yes" or "no" question. Fortified with more calories and grease than any human being should consume, we headed off into the desert.

We had hoped to stay at the legendary Roy's in Amboy, which according to our guidebook was still open, but alas. Roy's closed down to the public several years ago and the rooms were broken open and as dilapidated as the old sign. So we pressed on to Needles for the night. Needles, you might be interested to know is one of the warmest cities in California and it was certainly sizzling when we arrived. Our usual need for wine with dinner shrivelled in the heat, and I don't believe cold Sam Adams has ever tasted so good.

The next day we crossed the Mojave noting these Triffid-like cacti scattered about.

We  also noticed  this sign. We took a photo, thinking it was interesting, but certainly not expecting to actually see any wild burros.

No more than a quarter of a mile further on we found this lovely little family on the outskirts of Oatman. They may be wild but they were incredibly friendly and unconcerned. As you can see, one of them quite fancied a ride in our car and had to be physically manhandled away from the door!

After this delightful interlude we pressed on to Oatman for a glimpse at the wild west and Clark Gable and Carole Lombard's nuptial chamber. More on that later!

We're off!

Tomorrow morning Jack and I will get up at an uncivilized hour to catch a flight to California, where we will  start our trip across the country. We'll be arriving in style, as the airline significantly discounts first class seats 24 hours before take-off and we were lucky enough to snag the last two. Packing has been an interesting exercise... we've got to fit laptops, cameras, cell phones, and an iPod (with all of their various chargers) into our allotted luggage and carry-ons along with guide books, maps and other road trip necessities (first aid kit, anyone?) on top of enough clothing for two weeks. Eek! And we still have a shopping list of items to buy when we get there! A cooler, snacks, water bottles, a thermos, paper towels and wet wipes...

For me this will be the longest vacation I've taken in twenty years-- two weeks all at once! We both very excited and happy to get away together, and we thank those of you who came up with ideas for places to stop! We're taking our laptops and hope to post along the way, though we may not be able to visit you all as often as we usually do.

While we're gone though I thought I'd point you to a few posts from way back when... (...when, frankly, nobody was looking!)

This is my favorite tomatilla salsa recipe, as well as a description of The Range From Hell that's always trying to kill me.

Best little fish tostadas EVER! Much thanks to a fellow member of Metafilter for the photo and the recipe.

And finally, an attempt to describe the feeling of delight and connectedness one feels when eating great food in good company. I call it "the Boating Party Effect."

Risotto Cakes

Last night I had no plans for dinner but lots of leftover risotto. I'd frozen some of it and refrigerated about 3 cups with the idea of trying out risotto cakes. There are a couple of methods for doing this. Some recipes advise adding egg yolks and beaten egg whites to room temperature risotto and then pouring the resulting batter onto griddle and cooking it just like you would pancakes. I decided to try another method:

Risotto Cakes

3 cups chilled risotto
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups coarse bread crumbs (I used store-bought, but you could make your own)
6 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F. Form the chilled risotto into 8 patties using wet hands. Put the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Coat each risotto patty with flour, tapping off the excess, then egg (letting the excess drip off), and then bread crumbs, handling them very gently. Transfer the cakes to wax paper.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot (but not smoking!), and then sauté 4 of the cakes, turning them over once, until browned (5 to 6 minutes total). Transfer the cakes to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sauté the remaining 4 cakes in the same manner.

Depending on what sort of leftover risotto you're using, garnish appropriately. We happened to have Acorn Squash, Rosemary and Blue Cheese Risotto, so I sprinkled the cakes with crumbled blue cheese and fresh chopped rosemary.

Makes 4 side-dish servings or more than enough for 2 main meal servings. Serve with a salad and a big-bodied red wine.

Caprese Bites

I'm a tomato snob. Once the last of the summer tomatoes disappear I just don't buy any until the first local beauties reappear in late June or July. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Remember the first time you tasted a real tomato? Not one of those hard red-orange things stocked in the grocery store, but  a warm bursting with juices honest to goodness tomato. It's the memory of the real thing that steels my resolve all winter and stops me from buying pretenders.

Lately though, Anna, of Produce Stories, has been nudging me to try the locally grown hydroponic tomatoes on offer at the Greenmarket and last week the temptation was just too much to resist. While they are not the juicy treasures of high summer, they're many cuts above the usual hard and tasteless offerings in the grocery stores this time of year.

Keeping it simple is always wise if you have good ingredients. For these little previews of summer we used basil from our kitchen window herb garden, some very fine mozzarella di bufala, and a loaf of sourdough from the neighborhood bakery. This recipe goes out to Abby at Eat the Right Stuff for her Vegetables, Beautiful Vegetables event.

Caprese Bites

2 real tomatoes, cut into wedges
1-2 garlic cloves, cut in half
mozzarella di bufala
basil leaves
1-2 tb olive oil
slices of good bread
salt and pepper

Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them lightly under the broiler. Then turn the slices over and rub each one with the garlic. Lightly brush them with with olive oil and put them back under the broiler until just browned.

Lay a slice of  mozzerella on each slice, and then one or two basil leaves, topping with a tomato wedge. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.

Gotta Try That! Serendipitous Taste of Spring

Don't you love it when you're browsing food blogs, see something you'd like to make, and realize you have all of the ingredients on hand? That's exactly what happened to me yesterday as I was wandering through Lydia's archives at The Perfect Pantry. There it was: a recipe for a simple asparagus tart in puff pastry. Even better, Lydia recommends a specific type of frozen puff pastry and it's the only brand I buy! Win!

This tart is a Martha Stewart Living recipe and man, is it good! So easy to make, so rich-tasting, so pretty. Thanks, Lydia!

Asparagus Gruyere Tart
from Everyday Food - Great fast Food, by Martha Stewart Living Magazine

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
2 cups (approx. 5-1/2 oz) gruyere, Emmental or swiss cheese, shredded
1-1/2 pounds medium asparagus
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. On a floured surface, roll pastry into a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife score the dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings at half-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with cheese. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over the cheese, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

This post goes out to Bookmarked Recipes, a weekly event hosted by Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.

Goat Cheese Terrine

The wonderful Susan of Food Blogga is hosting an event for the month of May called Beautiful Bones, Susan wants us to remember that all women run the risk of developing osteoporosis and encourages us to take steps to protect our bones at every age.

Creamy-style goat cheeses, such as chevre, have 20% fewer calories than cow's milk cream cheeses, while offering the same amount of protein and twice the amount of calcium. Goat cheese is also easier to digest than many other cheeses, because of the structure of its component fats, which are generally small molecules, made up of short-chain fatty acids. Their small size makes them easier to break down and digest than the larger-chain fats of cow's milk and cheese.

This calcium-rich and delicious terrine is perfect with good bread and wine. It's also pretty, easy to make ahead of time, and freezes well. You can wow guests by serving slices on a plate for a first course, or just by setting the whole terrine out with other cocktail nibbles.

Goat Cheese Terrine

1/4 cup homemade or prepared basil pesto
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons tapenade
20 oz soft mild goat cheese, softened to room temperature (2 cups)
Fresh basil leaves, for garnishing

Special equipment: a 2 1/4-cup loaf pan (5 3/4 by 3 1/2 by 2 1/4 inches)

Drain the pesto in a small fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl 15 minutes, reserve the excess oil.

Line the pan with parchment paper, by cutting two rectangles-- 1 long piece to line the bottom and the narrow ends and another piece to line the bottom and wide ends, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

Spread about one fourth of the chevre evenly over bottom of the pan and top with the pesto, spreading it gently and evenly. Drop another 1/2 cup of chevre by tablespoons over the pesto and spread gently to completely cover the pesto layer. Add the roasted peppers and  another 1/2 cup chevre, in the same manner. Then add the tapanade and the remaining chevre.

Fold the overhanging parchment paper over the top of the chevre and then wrap the pan in plastic and chill overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

When you're ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap and unfold the parchment paper. Invert the terrine onto a serving plate, and then peel off the parchment strips. Let the terrine stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and then, if you're feeling fancy, a swirl of the reserved pesto oil on the plate. Serve with good bread and crackers.

 

Fresh, Simple and Delicious

I love this time of year at the Greenmarket. Saturday we snagged tiny little potatoes, asparagus, a bunch of miniscule radishes and the freshest mesclun mix-- all locally grown.

Dinner was easy and mainly eaten with our hands. We layered sliced radishes on good bread with butter;  roasted the asparagus spears and those darling potatoes with olive oil, lots of fresh lemon thyme and a sprinkling of fleur de sel. The warm potatoes went on top of the baby greens with a little lemon juice. Simple and delicious.

Recently Deeba of Passionate About Baking nominated me for an Excellence Award. Thank you, Deeba for such an honor! here are my own nominations:

Tammy at FOOD ON THE FOOD for always making me smile and for influencing me to join a CSA this year with her wonderful narratives about The Farmer (and his produce).

Ann of A Chicken In Every Granny Cart for her urban observations, stunning photos, and mouth-watering creations.

Adele at Tales of The Basil Queen where the writing is so rich that photos are superfluous.

Jessie at Cakespy who knocks me out with her anthropomorphic pastries.

And finally, to the Heart of the Matter founders, Joanna, Ilva, and Michelle, for more than a year's worth of healthy recipes.

Linguine With Fresh Clams

Back when I was young and just starting out on my own one of the first dishes I learned to make was pasta with white clam sauce-- using canned clams. It was easy, inexpensive, and (to my unsophisticated palate) exciting and unusual. You probably know the recipe-- saute some garlic in olive oil, add fresh chopped parsley, a little  white wine, a can of clams with juice, and toss with hot pasta. To my shame, I think I plopped a can of parmesan cheese onto the table, too.

I've gotten a little pickier about seafood in the intervening years (and there have been a lot of years since then!), and now I wouldn't think of making the dish without fresh clams. It's still a ridiculously easy recipe, though.

Linguine With Fresh Clams
serves 4 - 6

1 pound linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup bottled clam stock
1½ pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Start the pasta cooking once you have prepped all of your ingredients.

Heat the oil in a medium stockpot over high heat and add garlic, cooking for about a minute. Add the crushed red pepper and cook for a few seconds. Add white wine and clam stock and cook until the mixture reduces by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the clams, cover the pot and cook until the clams open, discarding any that remain closed. Remove the clams with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Bring the liquid that the clams have cooked in to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the pasta and parsley. Return the clams to the pasta and serve.

PS/ This post is retroactively submitted to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast. Thanks for the nudge, Ruth!