Neen's Notes

Childhood Candy Becomes a Grown-Up Tart

When I was growing up, I spent nearly every day of the summer at our community pool. In part, this was because I was on the swimming and synchronized swimming teams, but it was mostly because I just loved being there. My friends and I would swim for hours and then play long card games while we ate snacks in the warm sun. It was a pretty sweet life.

One of the best treats at the pool snack bar was the frozen candy. Especially frozen Twix bars. There was a treat worth digging through your bag for 50 cents. I didn’t get them very often since weekly allowance was a precious thing, but when I did I savored every last crunchy bite (well, as much as one could before the chocolate started getting all melt-y).

I was asked to make a dessert for a recent dinner party and thought fondly of that summer treat, so I decided to play with those flavors. I came up with a decadent tart that most certainly tasted like that childhood favorite got all dressed up. Get out your tart pans people, this one’s most definitely worth the effort.

Chocolate-Caramel Tart

Super-duper no-fail tart crust:

No shrinking, no cracking, no problem!

6 oz. unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks)
2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of ½ lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Chocolate filling:

3/4 cup whipping cream
6 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used 70% dark and the sweetness was spot on.)

Caramel filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup whipping cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F.

Melt the butter for the crust over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt, stirring until smooth.

Blend the butter mixture into the flour with a rubber spatula and then press the dough into a 10 in. tart pan with a removable bottom.

Freeze the crust for 15 minutes and then bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Bring the cream for the chocolate filling to a boil and then remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Spread one cup of filling into the prepared crust, reserving the rest. I put the remaining chocolate in a piping bag and stored it in the refrigerator.

Refrigerate the tart until the chocolate is firm, about 45 minutes.

Stir the sugar and water for the caramel in a heavy saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then increase the heat and boil until the syrup turns amber, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir!) and brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush as needed. This will take about 10 minutes, and the syrup will register at about 300 degrees when it is ready.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream, butter, vanilla and salt. The mixture will bubble up. Return the pan to very low heat and stir until the caramel is smooth and the color deepens (see the finished picture) to a rich brown. This will take no more than 5 minutes.

Refrigerate the caramel until cold, but not firm, about 20 minutes.

Spoon the caramel over the chocolate layer in the tart and smooth with an offset spatula. Pipe the reserved chocolate over the caramel to decorate and return the tart to the refrigerator until the caramel is firm. It should firm up within an hour or two, and can be made up to two days in advance (cover once the caramel has firmed up). Serve chilled.

The crust has a nice crunchy bite, the chocolate is firm but melts in your mouth, and the caramel is creamy and rich. That little bit of lemon in the crust adds a little zing to offset all of the richness. Share with friends and be merry.

Ciao for now,

Neen

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Categories Candy, Intermediate, Pie and Pastry, Washington,DC

Lost Bread: Found!

19 Aug

I don’t like pre-sliced bread. There, I said it. Back in the days of dieting, I used to buy this super low-calorie sliced wheat bread product that I thought could act as a base for sandwiches. It was very sad bread, mostly made of chemicals and air (as Alton Brown shows at 6:00 in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlb9gHVeBR0z).

But real bread, you might say, goes stale so fast.

And you’re right. It does. Most real bread goes stale quickly because it isn’t full of flour conditioners and preservatives. But stale doesn’t mean bad or unusable. Fresh bread is pretty awesome, but stale bread is better for a variety of things: Panzanella (in salad or soup form), bread crumbs (seasoned or plain), croutons, bread pudding, egg stratas, toast, and pain perdu, or “lost bread.”

Pain perdu/French toast, one of the most delicious Sunday brunch foods, is best made with stale bread. Since bread that has gone stale loses a lot of moisture, it soaks up more of the custard and makes a much richer and more satisfying end product.

So grab your lost bread and get to reviving it!

Pain Perdu

Eight ½ in. slices of day-old or stale bread. Country, French, challah and brioche loaves are all good options.
½ cup milk
½ cup cream
2 tbsp. maple syrup
3 eggs
1tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Dash of cinnamon
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp. butter

Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon together until thoroughly blended. You may do this a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. When ready to dip the slices, pour the custard into a pie pan.

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet. Dip the slices of bread, two at a time, into the custard and allow them to soak for 30 seconds on each side. Move the dipped slices to the wire rack and allow them to sit while you prepare the others.

Melt 1 tbsp. of butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Place two slices of bread in the pan and allow them to cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes on each side).

Remove from the pan and place directly on a rack in the oven for 5 minutes. Repeat this process with the remaining butter and slices of bread. Serve immediately with maple syrup and fruit, whipped cream and berries, or powdered sugar and cinnamon.

The best thing about this dish is the texture contrast. You get the wonderful crisp outside from pan-frying and a custardy, but not mushy inside from a short bake in the oven. We had ours with the classic maple syrup, but also some of my prize-winning (!) blueberry-peach syrup with lemon basil and orange zest:

It’s been busy in the Neen’s Notes kitchen. After I made that wheel of gouda a few weeks ago, I realized that aging cheese in my refrigerator was getting pretty impractical. Since I’d already turned the downstairs closet into a curing cabinet for meat, it seemed only logical to take over the rest of the little room. Allow me to introduce my little kitchen extension:

On one side of the table, I have the meat grinder and on the other is a homemade cheese press (thanks again, Dad!). To the left of the table is a small refrigerator that I’ve made into a cheese cave. Kept on its lowest setting, the temperature hovers at around 50 degrees. With a bowl of water inside and the occasional spray of water along the walls, the humidity is around 75%. Ideally, I’d like to get it up to 80%. Right now inside you’ll find the aforementioned wheel of gouda and a wheel of montasio quietly aging. The curing closet is directly across from the refrigerator, out of view in this picture. To the right of the table is a small reference shelf. A second bookcase is at the other end of the room and it holds mason jars and other canning materials. The shelf above the table holds supplies (cheese mats, wax, curing salts…etc.), and the calendar is being used to mark dates and weights for cheeses and curing meats. It wasn’t an expensive project; mostly just a reorganization to use space more efficiently. The only new purchases I made were the refrigerator and a few hooks for the curing closet. It could use a few decorations, but all in all, it’s just a great little room that I’m looking forward to use for creating all sorts of fun, tasty things.

Ciao for now,

Neen

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Beginner, Breads, Breakfast, Recipes

Gouda Memories

3 Aug

I’ve written before about the way that certain foods bring back palpable memories. Fresh pasta makes me think of warm nights and long meals with my mom and dad when we visited Italy seven years ago. Wedding soup reminds me of my paternal grandmother’s kitchen, and stracciatella reminds me of my maternal grandmother’s kitchen. I can’t make stew without being transported to our old house in Forest Hills, feeling so warm and comforted by my dad’s version after swim team practice in mid-winter. Sirloin tips with thyme and mozzarella bring me back to Davenport (my college dormitory), and the first meal I ever cooked for Joe. And funnel cake, a food which most people associate with fairs, surrounds me with memories of my best friends from Northeastern, and one infamous powdered sugar fight.

Gouda has somehow woven its way into several nostalgic spots in my brain. When Joe and I went to the Netherlands five years ago, I had the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Fresh, bias-sliced baguette bread paired with a young, sweet gouda. Crisp and toasty on the outside with a warm, creamy inside. I paid no more than two euro for the delight, and ate it while we watched boats float effortlessly down the narrow canals.

And then, Hamlet. When I lived in Cambridge, my friends and I went to see a performance of Hamlet in the garden of one of the colleges. It was the night of the Storm Bird sauvignon-riesling (an oddly cheap, but delicious wine), strawberries, a seriously good-looking Danish prince, and a rich gouda that tip-toed the line between sweet & soft and sharp & crumbly. It was just firm enough to cut slices without breaking apart.

Last, but definitely and wholeheartedly not least was the gouda we tried just recently at the Green Goddess in New Orleans, LA. It was the day Joe and I announced our engagement to my family, and the cheese was eaten it in the midst of what I can only describe as pure, giddy joy. Green Goddess’ menu illustrates the flavor and texture of it more aptly than I ever could:

“Known as the Beemster, this walks a fine balance between creamy & salty with those crunchy crystals that aged cheeses can acquire. Rich, mellow toffee notes make the Beemster perfect with many after dinner liqueurs.”

When my dad recently procured a gallon of farm-fresh raw milk for me on my most recent trip to Pittsburgh, it seemed only appropriate to try and make a cheese to remember: My very own gouda.

We begin…

Ingredients

Two gallons of raw, whole milk*
One package of direct-set mesophilic starter
¼ tsp. liquid rennet dissolved in ¼ cup cold, filtered water
Cheesecloth

Brine solution

1 gallon cold, filtered water
2 lbs. salt

*Can’t get raw milk? You can use pasteurized, but add ¼ tsp. of calcium chloride to improve the curd’s firmness

Pour the milk into a large pot and set it in a water bath warm enough to heat it to 90 degrees F. Once you have achieved this temperature, add the mesophilic starter and mix thoroughly. Cover the pot and allow the milk to ripen for 10 minutes, adding warm water to the bath as needed to maintain a temperature of 90 degrees.

Add the rennet and stir in a slow up-and-down movement for 1 minute. If you have used raw milk, stir for an additional minute. Cover the pot and allow the curd to set, maintaining 90 degrees F., for one hour or until the curd breaks cleanly when cut.

Heat a small pot of water to 175 degrees F.

Cut the curd into a checkerboard pattern and then crosswise into cubes, and let them sit for 10 minutes.

Ladle or pour off 1/3^rd of the whey and, stirring consistently, add just enough of the hot water to bring the temperature up to 92 degrees F. Cover the pot and maintain this temperature for 10 minutes while the curd sets.

Ladle or pour off enough of the whey to bring it down to the level of the curd, and then again add hot water as needed to bring the temperature up to 100 degrees. Keep the curd at this temperature and stir on and off for 15 minutes.

Pour off the remaining whey and gently pack the curd into a cheesecloth lined mold, breaking it as little as possible. You can see how I prepare my cheese press in the demo for Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese.

Press the cheese at 20 lbs. of pressure for 20 minutes.

Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth, flip it over, re-dress, and press at 40 lbs. of pressure for 20 minutes. (No, my press is not lopsided…I just took this picture at a terrible angle. Photography fail.)

Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth, flip it over, re-dress, and press at 50 lbs. of pressure for 12-18 hours.

After 18 hours, my cheese looked like this:

Prepare the brine solution by mixing together the cold water and salt in a nonreactive container. Put the wheel of cheese into the solution and brine for 6 hours.

Remove from the brine, gently dry the cheese with a towel and move to the refrigerator.

Air dry in the refrigerator for 3 weeks, turning every 2-3 days to ensure even drying. You may then wax it or allow it to develop a natural rind. If you notice any mold forming on the surface, simply wipe it off with a cloth dampened with white vinegar.

Age the cheese in a 56-64 degree environment with 80-85% humidity for 3-4 months. The cheese will get darker and firmer with age. Honestly, I’m not really sure how long I’ll let this one go. I guess we’ll see what it looks like a little further down the road. I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop.

Who knows? Maybe this one will be a Christmas memory.

Ciao for now,

Neen

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Cheese / Dairy, Farmer's Market, Local Food, Recipes, Vegetarian

Toffee, and Tree Nuts, and Bacon (Oh my!)

21 Jul

News flash: It’s hot. And humid. In fact, if you’re reading this from just about anywhere in the US of A right now, you’re probably wishing that I hadn’t reminded you. For that, I apologize.

But this little heat/humidity wave brought along a confectionery conundrum for me. I love toffee. And ever since I bought Chocolates and Confections last winter I’ve been unable to find a store-bought version that matches up to homemade. (Now pralines, those are another story. I’ll have those shipped from New Orleans, because damn they know what they’re doing).

When it’s 100 degrees with 75% humidity, making candy can be a little bit tricky. But why not rise to the challenge? You have only deliciousness to gain! Fortunately, I’ve done the testing for you and this method should, nay, will work. Just take your time and remember: Enjoy cooking. It’s supposed to be fun.

Salted Pecan Toffee

adapted from Chocolates and Confections, by Peter F. Greweling

8 oz. granulated sugar
8 oz. (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter
2 oz. (1/4 cup) water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
8 oz. pecans, toasted for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, and chopped
Additional kosher or sea salt for finishing

Thoroughly butter a 9 x 13 in. pan.

In a 2-3 qt. saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the sugar, water, salt, and vanilla. Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula.

Insert a candy thermometer and continue cooking while stirring until the buttercrunch reaches 300 degrees and turns a light golden brown.

Pour into the prepared pan and spread quickly to the edges with a palette knife or offset spatula. Let cool until firm. It won’t take long—maybe 30-45 minutes.

Temper your chocolate. Don’t panic. It’s really easy as long as you take it slow. Place a bowl over a pot of simmering water and add 6 oz. of the dark chocolate. Stir often and allow it to melt completely, but do not exceed 120 degrees F. Remove the pot from the heat and add the remaining 2 oz. of chocolate. (This technique is called “seeding” and goes a long way in making the final, set chocolate shiny and non-greasy). Stir until melted, and then continue stirring until the chocolate cools to about 85-90 degrees F.

Wipe the top of the cooled toffee to remove any oil and then spread on the melted chocolate in an even layer with palette knife.

Sprinkle on the chopped nuts and some kosher salt and allow to cool completely to room temperature. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container. Normally this can be stored at room temperature, but during the summer months I keep it in the refrigerator in a tin lined with parchment paper. And no, you aren’t going crazy, the batch in this picture has toasted almonds on it. I didn’t get a pecan picture, sadly.

Can’t eat tree nuts? Try replacing the pecans with toasted sesame seeds or coconut. As the Kool-Aid man might say, “Oh yeah!” (Am I showing my age here? Oh dear…)

“But Neen,” I hear you saying, “I like toffee too, but how about something a little more…unique? Weren’t we promised bacon?”

I thought you’d never ask.

This is sweet-and-salty at its most glorious. All good things are in this toffee. Add a chocolate layer on top if you like your sweets sweet. Honestly? I think it’s perfect just the way it is.

Bacon-Walnut-Maple Toffee

6 oz. granulated sugar
2 oz. maple sugar (can be found in your grocery’s baking aisle or online via Amazon.)
8 oz. (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter
2 oz. (1/4 cup) water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
8 oz. walnuts
3 slices thick cut bacon

Thoroughly butter a 9 x 13 in. pan.

In a wide pan, cook the bacon over medium heat, allowing the fat to render out slowly (this is important because you need it). When the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Place the walnuts in the pan with the rendered bacon fat and stir to coat. Fry the walnuts until they are slightly golden and then set aside on paper towels to drain. Pat them dry once they have cooled completely, and then chop into small pieces.

Remove and discard any large pieces of rubbery white fat that remain on the bacon and finely chop the meat.

In a 2-3 qt. saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the sugar, maple sugar, water, salt, and vanilla. Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula.

Insert a candy thermometer and continue cooking while stirring until the buttercrunch reaches 300 degrees and turns a light golden brown. Stir in the bacon pieces and walnuts and then pour into the prepared 9×13 pan. Quickly spread the buttercrunch into an even layer with a palette knife. Cool completely to room temperature and then break into pieces. Again, normally this can be stored at room temperature, but you may want to refrigerate it in an airtight tin if it is particularly humid in your kitchen.

Well, that’s all she wrote for today, folks. Remember to share your candy, because half the fun of confectionery is making other people smile.

Ciao for now,

Neen

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

Busy June, Happy News, and Brand New Recipes!

6 Jul

Boy, have we been busy. First we ran off to Chincoteague for a weekend of fun in what I think may be the most peaceful place in the world.

Two weeks later, we hopped on a plane for a whirlwind four days in New Orleans. The days were sweltering, but the beignets were sweet and the coffee was strong. There is nothing so joy-filled and rejuvenating as a few days with the family.

As if all of that wasn’t enough excitement, somewhere in between (June 18^th for precision’s sake) Joe got the wild idea to ask me to marry him. I bet you can’t guess what my answer was…

Of course, I said yes.

And so after a June full of excitement, we crashed over the 4^th of July weekend. I spent most of it languishing in the joy of having nothing to do but enjoy the sun, play with the dog, and read.

But what would a summer holiday weekend be without a little outdoor cooking? Some smoky, savory chicken breasts and a bright summer salad of avocado, yellow squash and tomatoes made for a perfect Saturday picnic.

Pecanwood Smoked Chicken Breasts

3.5 lbs. of bone-in split chicken breasts
6 cups water, divided
6 tbsp. kosher salt
The zest of one lemon (large strips)
1/2 tsp. allspice berries
1 tbsp. telicherry peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, smashed
5 sprigs thyme
6-7 chives
4-5 parsley leaves, chopped
1.5 lbs. wood chips (I used pecanwood)

Combine 2 cups of the water with the salt, lemon zest, herbs, and spices and bring to a boil. Set aside to cool for at least one hour. Add the brine to the remaining 4 cups of cool water in a large plastic tub. Put the chicken breasts into the brine and refrigerate for 4 hours, turning once.

1 hour before grilling, add the wood chips to a bowl of water to soak. Drain, and then place them in an aluminum foil basket.

Preheat a gas grill to 300 degrees F. with all burners on high. After preheating, maintain a temperature of between 275-300 degrees. On my grill, this took one burner set on high. Place the basket of wood chips directly over the heat source. Otherwise, you won’t get any of that wonderful smelling smoke.

Remove your chicken breasts from the brine, pat them dry, and then put them on the grill away from the lit burner. Indirect heat is key for slow smoking. Also, keep your grill lid closed as much as possible. Cook the breasts, turning 180 degrees every 40 minutes until the internal temperature close to the bone is about 160 degrees. It will take about 2-3 hours. Rest 10 minutes and then slice.

Lemony Summer Salad

I really loved this salad. Not just because it gave me a chance to use some of the (excessive) bounty of squash that appeared in my garden while I was in New Orleans, but because of the balance. It’s very zen. You get this bright, tart flavor from the lemon juice and tomato, a little bit of creaminess from the avocado, and a sweet crunchy bite from the summer squash. It played very well with the smoky, salty flavor of the chicken. Best part: five minute prep time.

1 ripe avocado, chopped and treated with lemon juice or citric acid to prevent browning
1 summer squash, matchstick cut
A handful of grape tomatoes, sliced
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp. olive oil
5 or 6 lemon-basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the lemon juice and olive oil and a bowl and whisk together thoroughly. Toss with the avocado, tomatoes, squash, and lemon basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a bit of lemon zest.

Happy July to all! Hope you’re enjoying the summer as much as I am. County fair season is coming up, so hopefully I’ll have some interesting recipes to share as I start experimenting with what to make for Arlington’s competition.

Ciao for now,

Neen

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Categories Beginner, Intermediate, Poultry, Recipes, Salads, Vegetarian

Friday Night Comfort Food: Chicken Pot Pie

28 May

In the infamous words of the lovely Chef Carla Hall, “I’ve been thinking about chicken pot pie all week!”

I can’t tell you the last time I had chicken pot pie, and no, I’ve never made one before yesterday. But soon after Chef Hall whipped up a might tasty looking one on Top Chef, I saw Alton Brown make his version on an episode of Good Eats. Ever since, it’s been calling to me like a siren. Juicy chicken and savory vegetables in a creamy, rich gravy tucked away beneath a buttery crispy crust. Yes, please.

There are things about traditional pot pie of which I’m not a big fan. As much as I love chicken and potatoes together, I think there’s enough starch in the crust and gravy to suffice. Secondly, I cannot stand cooked peas. Maybe lightly steamed and shocked in ice water, but otherwise, no thank you ma’am. What I needed was a different green vegetable for both color and deliciousness, some earthiness, and something special to kick up that gravy. No sad, gray gravy here.

Let’s begin! Here’s what you’ll need

Filling

1.25 lb. chicken breast, diced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup milk
1 zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
5-6 cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 medium white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
3 tbsp. dry sherry
3 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. butter, unsalted
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig parsley, chopped
Red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to taste
Olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Crust

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 oz. unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2-3 tbsp. ice water
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water)

First, prep the crust. I used a pretty basic pate brisee for this. Just combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and then slowly add in the butter and process using short pulses. The resulting texture should be sandy.

Add 2 tbsp. of ice water and process just until the dough will hold together when pinched between your fingers. Add more water only if necessary and then roll the dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. If you do this in advance, take the dough out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before rolling it out.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the diced chicken with a little bit of olive oil and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and then brown the pieces in a large pan.

In a separate pan, warm the milk and chicken stock together over low heat.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan and sautee the onions, garlic, zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms just until they release their juices. Add the sherry and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Add the butter, allow it to melt and then mix in the 3 tbsp. of flour. Slowly whisk in the milk/chicken stock mixture and then add the parsley, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the mixture reduces and thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken.

Pour the filling into a shallow baking dish. This 2 quart oval casserole dish was just the right size. A deep dish pie pan or 8 x 8 in. baking dish would probably work as well.

Roll out the pie dough to the shape of your cooking vessel, only slightly larger so that there is some overhang. Cover the filling and crimp the crust along the edges of the baking dish to secure. Cut some vents in the crust to let out steam, and then brush it with the egg wash.