Tis the Season

It's that time of the year. The music is playing, lights are going up on houses, trees are being decorated, and the kitchen smells like delicious baked goods. Yes, it's Christmas. This should come as no surprise, but my favorite part of the holiday are the baked goods. There are so many festive treats to make and plenty of reason to package them up and share with loved ones. This weekend, I have a holiday party to go to, giving me a reason to bake some treats. Today, I tried out a recipe for walnut snowball cookies. They remind me a lot of my favorite cookies at King's Hawaiian Bakery in Torrance, CA--except theirs have macadamia nuts which is much more fitting. I found this recipe in a Food & Wine magazine and it looked so simple. A traditional shortbread recipe with walnuts, baked and rolled in powdered sugar. The results were amazing. Light, buttery cookies that have just the perfect amount of sweet with some crunch from the nuts. As the recipe suggests, you can easily change this recipe to add a different type of nut, some cardamom, or any other flavors. It's a great basic cookie. And how much more festive can you get than eating a snowball?

Walnut Snowball Cookies
from Food & Wine Magazine

• 1 1/2 cups walnuts (6 ounces)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (OR 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the vanilla bean seeds at high speed until pale, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through. At low speed, mix in the salt, then gradually add the flour and walnuts and beat just until the cookie dough comes together, scraping down the side of the bowl halfway through.
3. Roll level tablespoons of the dough into balls and arrange them on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake the cookies in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 17 minutes, until they are lightly browned on the bottom; switch the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let the cookies firm up on the sheets, about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool slightly.
4. Put the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Roll the warm cookies in the sugar to coat and return to the rack to cool completely. Roll again in the sugar.

MAKE AHEAD The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

These are Corn Cookies

I have kind of been on a Momofuku Milk Bar high recently. After discovering The Mind of a Chef, there has been a lot of influence from David Chang in our cooking. JC attempted to make his top ramen gnocchi, and today I made Milk Bar's Christina Tosi's Corn Cookies. What are corn cookies you ask? Basically, a cookie with lots of corn that tastes absolutely wonderful. Lots of butter, sugar, and corn (does that count as a vegetable serving?). It reminds me a lot of Captain Crunch, but better. The hardest part of this recipe is finding freeze dried corn. I went to Whole Foods and called Sprouts with no luck. After doing some internet searching, I found that local grocer Basha's carries the Just Corn product, so I stopped by and stocked up. Even if you don't use all of the corn for baking, it makes a great snack and you can use it for plenty of other things like soups, stews, anywhere you would normally use corn. For the cookies, use the Just Corn product and zap it in your food processor to get a powder. The recipe also called for corn flour. I didn't know exactly what that was, so I just substituted finely ground corn meal and it worked great.

Tosi also says you can squish a few cookies into a pie crust and fill it with strawberry ice cream. I thought it would be easier to scoop out some strawberry ice cream and sandwich it between two cookies. Yum.

**You can watch Tosi make the cookies in this episode of The Mind of a Chef: Sweet Spot (it expires on 12/21/12)

Corn Cookies

by Christina Tosi from Momofuku Milk Bar

Makes 13 to 15 cookies

225 g butter (2 sticks), at room temperature 

300 g (1 1/2 cups) sugar 

1 egg
225 g (1 1/3 cups) flour 

45 g (1/4 cup) corn flour 

65 g (2/3 cup) freeze-dried corn powder 

3 g (3/4 teaspoon) baking powder 

1.5 g (1/4 teaspoon) baking soda 

6 g (1 1/2 teaspoons) kosher salt 

1. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.

2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, corn flour, corn powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature--they will not bake properly.

4. Heat the oven to 350°F.

5. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center; give them an extra minute if not.

6. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

New Goals

Recently, I made a few goals for myself. The first is to do yoga more often. This is not only for fitness, but also for stress management. As a medical student, there is a lot of stress in my life. I think yoga will really help with all of these aspects. Not to mention, I really enjoy it. I started a subscription on YogaGlo which has tons of yoga videos online targeted to exactly what you want. So far I am really liking it and love how convenient it is. Hopefully this habit will stick.

The second is to cook a new recipe once a week. I have a growing collection of cookbooks and I would like to try more recipes from. So I'm going to try to make a new dish every week. Today, I had some chicken and french beans in the fridge and was inspired by a recipe by Harumi. I wanted to do something simple with a lot of vegetables. She has a simple sauce served with chicken and then adds some french beans. I altered the sauce just bit, added a dash of sriracha, and JC quickly pan-fried the beans to give them some crunch. Served on a bit of rice, this makes the perfect weeknight dinner.

Chicken and French Beans
inspired by Harumi's Japanese Cooking

• 1 bag french beans
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb chicken, chopped into bite size pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. rice vinegar
• 1/4 c. rice wine or sake
• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Sriracha

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and quickly pan fry the french beans until lightly browned and crispy. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sriracha

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the sauce mixture. Simmer for about 5 minutes. 

4. Add the chicken mixture to the french beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice. 

Cooking for One

JC is currently in Wickenburg doing the whole rural medicine thing. That leaves me home alone to attempt to cook for one. To make things even more difficult, I'm without a car, so I'm on house arrest. Solution: make one big dish that I can eat over and over again.

I had pick up a spaghetti squash last week and figured it would be perfect. This is another copycat dish from True Food Kitchen. One of my favorite dishes is the Spaghetti Squash Casserole. It's a simple mix of spaghetti squash, zucchini, marinara, and cheese. Of course I could make this at home. This is super easy and also very healthy (depending on how much cheese you put in). Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to pasta with less calories.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole
inspired by True Food Kitchen

• One spaghetti squash
• One jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• 1 lb mozzarella, grated
• 3/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds/stringy stuff. Place spaghetti squash, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Add a few tablespoons of water to the baking sheet. Bake the squash for 30-40 mins or unti the strands come out easily with a fork. 

2. Remove the insides of the spaghetti squash with a fork. Mix with the jar of marinara sauce. I also added some red pepper flakes to give it a little kick.

3. In a large casserole dish, lay half of the spaghetti squash to cover the bottom. Sprinkle half the mozzarella and parmesan on top. Then layer the rest of the spaghetti squash with another layer of the cheeses. 

4. Decrease the oven to 350. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 30-40 mins, or until the cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Happy Turkey Day

It's the day after Thanksgiving, so obviously I had a bowl of turkey, stuffing, and gravy for breakfast. At our house, the Thanksgiving spread is pretty similar every year--Alton Brown's brined turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, cranberries, rolls, plus/minus one new test dish. I'm usually in charge of dessert (this should not come as a surprise to anyone).

This year I decided to try a couple new dishes. I have never tried to make a pecan pie, though it is one of my favorite holiday desserts. I found a recipe online for a pecan pie with a little twist--a splash of bourbon and a sprinkle of chocolate chips really round out this dish. To be honest, there is only 1/4 c bourbon in this dish, but that may have been a little too much. The alcohol did not completely bake out of the pie creating a lingering burning taste in the sugar layer. If I were to make this again, I would definitely decrease the amount of alcohol or use an imitation flavoring.

Many people know, my sister is deathly allergic to nuts (including pecans), so I had to create another non-IgE activating dessert. I found a recipe for Jacque's Pepin's apple tart. It seemed simple enough and absolutely delicious. It has a really easy crust and the apples are placed to make the tart look really fancy. I think I liked this dessert better than the pecan pie. The crust is really buttery, like a shortbread, and it isn't too sweet (a total of 3 Tbsp of sugar in the entire recipe). The pan was completely empty by the end of the night.

These dishes are really simple to make and they look and taste fantastic.

Black Bottom Pecan Pie
from Saveur

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. fine salt
7 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup light corn syrup, such as Karo
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1. Combine flour and 1 tsp. salt on a work surface. Using your fingers, rub butter into flour until there are no remaining pieces larger than peas. Make a well in the center and pour in 1/4 cup cold water. With your fingertips, mix water into flour. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Roll dough out to a circle 12" in diameter. Fold dough over rolling pin and unfold over a 9" pie pan. Ease dough over bottom and into sides of pan. Trim off overhanging dough with a small knife and refrigerate pie dough for 30 minutes.

3. Heat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, whisk together the bourbon and cornstarch until dissolved. Whisk in eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, and pecans. Spread chocolate chips evenly over bottom of pie dough and pour filling on top. Bake until browned and bubbly, 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and let pie cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

Maman's Apple Tart

from Saveur, by Jacques Pepin

1 1⁄4 cups flour

3 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt

5 tbsp. unsalted butter,

 
   cut into 1⁄2" cubes and chilled

3 tbsp. vegetable shortening

2 tbsp. milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 large Golden Delicious, Empire,

 
   or Cortland apples, peeled, cored,

 
   and cut into 8–12 wedges

2 tbsp. apricot preserves or jam

1. Heat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 tbsp. sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 3 tbsp. butter and the shortening and, using your fingers, rub into flour mixture to form coarse pea-size pieces. Add milk and egg and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Bring dough together with your hands. Transfer dough to a 9" glass pie plate and, using lightly floured fingers, press dough into bottom and sides; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Arrange apple wedges side by side on bottom of pie plate like the spokes of a wheel, pushing gently into the dough as you go. Halve remaining apples and put in middle of tart. Sprinkle apples with remaining sugar and dot with the remaining chilled butter. Bake until the crust is golden, about 45 minutes. Using a pastry brush, brush apricot preserves over the tart and bake for 10 minutes more. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

The Most Dangerous Cake Recipe in the World

I recently stumbled upon the television show The Mind of a Chef on PBS. It features Chef David Chang (Momofuku) exploring the history, culture, and science of food. It is a great show, full of humor and education, with Chang's unique spin on classic recipes and his travel adventures. I definitely recommend it--you can watch most of the episodes online too!

I posted the show on facebook, and and old friend mentioned David Chang's food journal Lucky Peach. I had heard of the magazine, and have been wanting to get a subscription, but just never got around to it. I finally went online and ordered Issues #2-5 (no Issue #1 because it is $140!!) and they just arrived in the mail today. Yahoo!

I was just skimming through Issue #3 and reading an article on the history of cake with a runny center. I was always under the impression Jean-Georges Vongerichten invented the original molten lava cake after he accidentally undercooked a chocolate sponge cake. Apparently, over 20 years before that discovery, a housewife entering a Pillsbury bake-off created a Bundt cake filled with a pudding-like tunnel center. Who knew? Yay for knowledge!

At the end of the article, there is a recipe for a Two-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake. I've heard of baking a cake in a mug popped in the microwave, but I never believed they would be any good. But this recipe is published in Lucky Peach! It must be delicious! It looked simple enough and I had all the ingredients on hand, so I figured I'd give it a try. Wow! I am so surprised. This cake turned out light and fluffy with a slightly undercooked bottom that was like a gooey fudge--probably from the chocolate chips settling on the bottom. From start to finish, this took about 3.5 minutes, you can't beat that. I also dusted a bit of powdered sugar on top, just to make it fancy. Make this cake, now!

"Why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are only 2 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night."

Two-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
from Lucky Peach Issue #3

1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp neutral oil
3 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
small splash vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 small or medium coffee mug

Add wet ingredients (including the egg) to a small or medium coffee mug and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug into a 1000-watt microwave for 2 minutes. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed. Allow to cook and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

Japanese Inspired Fish

Everyone knows I really enjoy True Food Kitchen. They have some great dishes that I don't feel too guilty eating. JC and I make their Tuscan Kale Salad on a regular basis, and now we have another dish to add to our recipe book.

One of my favorite entrees is their Miso Glazed Black Cod. It is slightly sweet with a definite Japanese influence. The cod stays nice and juicy, and it is served on a bed of bok choy with mushrooms. I was thumbing through Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking which is a great cookbook for anyone that wants to try simple Japanese cooking at home. Her recipe for Poached Red Sea Bream caught my attention because it reminded me a lot of the dish at True Food Kitchen, sans the miso. I decided to give it a try since it calls for a very short list of ingredients, and it blew me out of the water. This dish tastes exactly like the Miso Glazed Black Cod. The fish retains its moisture in the sauce and is just a tad sweet. I also threw in some oyster mushrooms and served it with a side of wakame seaweed as Harumi suggests. I also substituted black cod since they did not carry red sea bream at the store. We served it over a bed of stir-fried bok choy.

Poached Red Sea Bream
from Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking by Harumi Kurihara

• 1 lb red sea bream (I substituted black cod)
• 1/4 c. sake (I substituted rice wine)
• 1/4 c. mirin
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, sliced

1. Cut each fish fillet into 3-4 pieces
2. In a large shallow pan, mix together the sake, mirin, soy sauce, water, and sugar and bring it to a boil. Add the fish pieces into the broth, taking care to arrange them so they sit side by side. Sprinkle the sliced ginger over the fish.
3. Back back to boil, cover with drop lid made from foil or wax paper (*see below) and simmer for 5-6 minutes. When the liquid has reduced to just less than half, turn off the heat and leave for a short while for the fish to absorb some of the remaining liquid. 
4. Remove the fish and ginger from the pan and place on a serving dish. Pour over any remaining sauce from the pan. 

*Drop Lid (Otoshibuta) according to Harumi: "Traditionally, drop lids were made of wood. They are placed in a pan, directly on top of food as it cooks. It is a technique frequently used in Japanese cooking to ensure even distribution of flavor. These days, most households use lids made of aluminum foil or greaseproof paper with a hole in the middle. You can fashion a disk easily, making sure it is slightly smaller than the inside of the pan. It is a different way of cooking but it is very useful and very Japanese."

Simple Chinese Dinner

This is what we had for dinner tonight and it could not have been more simple or more delicious (or more cheap!).

Have you ever noticed that every single Asian grocery store smell exactly the same. I don't know what it is. It is like a musty, herbal smell. I've been to many Asian grocery stores, all around the country, and they all have that distinct smell. 

We have an Asian grocery store down the street from us, Stone and Grant Market. Of course, it smells like your typical Asian market. It has tons of inexpensive vegetables which are displayed in a very unsanitary manner, a few aisles devoted to just sauces, and a huge meat selection of cuts you normally wouldn't find at your neighborhood grocer. And this is why I keep coming back. 

I was in the mood for a Chinese spicy shrimp dish with some Chinese vegetables. We made a quick stop at Stone and Grant Market to pick up some shrimp, oyster mushrooms, pea shoots, and gailan (chinese broccoli) to whip up a quick dinner. From start to finish, our entire meal was done in less that 30 minutes (I know because we were watching the Presidential Debate). This is a great weeknight meal that will leave you with leftovers for lunch and dinner the next day. I also decided to add some sliced oyster mushrooms to the dish, this is totally optional.

Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce
from Appetite for China

1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons chili sauce (I used Sriracha)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped

1 pinch freshly-ground black pepper

1 scallion, thinly sliced

optional: sliced oyster mushrooms

1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact. Devein the shrimp if you choose.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, and sugar and set aside.

3. In a wok or large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until both sides are pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce mixture and stir so the shrimp is fully coated. Season with black pepper. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for a few more minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice or vegetables.

Spring Lasagne in September

I made a fantastic dinner tonight. I'm currently taking a few weeks off of rotations to study for my second board exam, Step 2 CK. This means I spend most the day studying and I make sure to finish at a decent time so I actually have time in the evenings to cook dinner. This makes me so happy.

I recently picked up Art Smith's cookbook Back to the Table at Bookmans. He is definitely one of my favorite chef personalities. He's been on multiple episodes of Top Chef and seems like such a nice guy, and his food always looks great too. I love that his food isn't too fancy, just good, homestyle dishes made with love. I've thumbed through some of the recipes in the book, and they don't seem to complicated and I've already bookmarked a few I want to try.

First round was his Spring Vegetable Lasagne. The photo in the book made this look amazing. This probably would have been better to make in the spring since it isn't asparagus season right now, but this dish is perfect on a cool evening, like tonight.

This was my first attempt at a bechamel sauce. I've seen it done countless times on television, though I have never done it myself. It is actually quite simple. You basically start with simmered milk and then mix it into a roux. Continue to whisk, and ta-da, you have a thick, creamy, delicious bechamel sauce. This sauce is delicious. I ended up licking the bowl with leftover sauce. It would be perfect just to simply mix over pasta.

The end result of this dish is a definitely thumbs up. It is a little time consuming because there are quite a few steps, but it is fairly simple and the end product looks, and tastes, amazing. My photo does not do this dish justice, it looks pretty sad, but trust me, it tastes great.

Spring Vegetable Lasagne
from Back to the Table by Art Smith

Bechamel Sauce
3 c. milk
1 small onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed under a knife and peeled
3 sprigs fresh thyme
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour

Lasagne
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb asparagus, trimmed a cut in half lengthwise if thick
3 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled a cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
12 oz lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese
4 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

To make the bechamel, bring the milk, onion, garlic and thyme to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and infuse for 10 minutes. Strain, discarding the solids.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and let bubble without browning for 2 minutes. Whisk in the warm milk and bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking often, until the sauce is smooth with no taste of raw flour, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce to keep a skin from forming.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water. Drain and pat dry.

Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Cook until barely tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss the pasta with oil.

Reheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Spread a thin film of the bechamel sauce in the bottom of the dish. Arrange 3-4 pasta sheets in the pan, slightly overlapping and trimming as needed. Spread with one third of the sauce, half each of potatoes, asparagus, Fontina cheese, and prosciutto. Top with another layer of pasta, half of the remaining sauce, and the remaining potatoes, asparagus, Fontina, and prosciutto. Finish witha layer of pasta and spread with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and dot with the butter.

Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot.

Simple Salad

I have been meaning to post this recipe for a while. This is hands-down one of my favorite salads. I first tried it at True Food Kitchen in Phoenix, it is one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant. It is incredibly simple with just a few ingredients, and it packs a super antioxidant boost. During winter when kale is in abundance, we made this salad probably about once a week. You can still find lacinato/dinosaur/Tuscan kale in the store all year round, though it is a bit more expensive during the summer. You can use regular kale in this salad, but I really enjoy the taste of lacinato kale. You can also easily substitute different cheese or types of breadcrumb. I have done this salad with regular breadcrumb and also with panko. This salad will keep in the fridge for a few days, so it's great to make a big batch and have leftovers. 

Tuscan Kale Salad
from Dr. Weil's True Food Kitchen (there is also a video here)

4-6 cups kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves of Italian black (Lacinato, "dinosaur," cavolo nero) midribs removed  juice of 1 lemon  3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  2 cloves garlic, mashed  salt & pepper, to taste  hot red pepper flakes, to taste  2/3 cup grated Pecorino Toscano cheese (Rosselino variety if you can find it) or other flavorful grating cheese such as Asiago or Parmesan  1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread

Instructions

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes. Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well. Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again. Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

Independence Shortcakes

I made this dessert for the 4th of July yesterday. They are incredible. I knew I wanted to make something with strawberries since they are all over the grocery stores now. I stumbled upon this recipe on the James Beard website and it seemed simple enough. I was also very intrigued by the secret ingredient in the dough, hard boiled egg yolks. It sounded interesting and I thought I'd give it a try. This shortcake recipe turned out amazing, I could take down a few of those sweet biscuits in one sitting. They are rich, buttery, crumbly, and sweet all in a golden biscuit. They pair perfectly with the homemade whipped cream and strawberries, but I'm sure you could also pair these with other toppings or just eat them alone. The recipe said to cut the biscuits in half and fill with the strawberries and cream, but I thought it worked just fine piling the strawberries and cream then placing the biscuit on top. This recipe is so simple and will definitely be a go to dessert for me. 

James Beard's Shortcake
from James Beard Foundation


Shortcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small cubes
• 2 hard-boiled egg yolks, pushed through a small mesh sieve
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Fruit Filling:

• 3 pints fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved or quartered, depending on size
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar

1. Sift together the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the baking powder into a bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of the chilled butter pieces and, using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mix until it has the consistency of course crumbs. Add the sieved hard-boiled egg yolks and the cream; gently mix until it the dough just comes together.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and gently knead to make a smooth dough (about two or three turns). Pat down the dough to make a 1-inch-thick round. Using a lightly floured 2 1/2-inch-round cookie cutter, cut out 6 shortcakes. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the reserved tablespoon of sugar. Place the shortcakes on a plate lined with waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Transfer the chilled shortcakes to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
4. While the shortcakes cool, prepare the fruit filling and whipped cream: place the strawberries in a glass bowl and add the sugar. Gently stir and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Whip the cream and sugar together in a medium bowl until the cream just begins to thicken.
6. Using a fork or serrated knife, cut the shortcakes in half lengthwise. Place the bottom halves on 6 plates and generously spoon the macerated fruit and juices over them. Top with a heaping dollop of lightly whipped sweetened cream. Top with the top halves of the shortcakes.

Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipe

I don't really like Cheesecake Factory. I think their food is overpriced and not that good. There is only one dish I order there because it is the only thing I have found that is pretty tasty. Unfortunately, it's $17 for a small bowl of pasta. I definitely do not think it is worth that much and knew I could make the dish myself. So I searched the internet and found a copycat recipe that is pretty spot on. The ingredients are pretty cheap and a bottle of Madeira wine will run you about 10 bucks a bottle. I usually use a mix of fresh and dried shiitake mushrooms because dried ones are a little cheaper. This recipe is so easy and a great one to have on hand for a week night quick fix. 

Da Vinci Pasta
adapted from The 350 Degree Oven

• 1 lb penne pasta
• 5 chicken tenders
• 1 1/2 c. shitake mushrooms (3.5 oz)-can be dried or fresh
• 1/4 c. chopped red onions
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 c. Madeira wine
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 1 T. flour
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 T. parsley
• 3 T. grated parmesan cheese

1.  Slice 3.5 oz of shitake mushrooms (approximately 1 1/2 cups), discarding stems.

2.  Slice the chicken tenders into bite sized pieces, discarding any tendons or cartilage.

3.  Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.  Once boiling, add the penne pasta, and set timer to 9 minutes.  When done, drain the pasta and set aside.

4.  Add 1 T. olive oil to a large cast iron skillet, and heat on medium high.  Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Saute the mushrooms until golden brown, then remove from the pan and set aside.

5.  Add the remaining oil to the pan, and add the chicken.  Season chicken with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.  Saute until golden brown, then set aside with the cooked mushrooms.

6.  Add the butter to the pan, and allow to melt.  Meanwhile, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  

7.  Add the flour to the butter, cook and stir for 1 minute to create a roux.  (This will help thicken the sauce for the pasta).

8.  Turn off the heat.  Add the half and half and the Madeira.  Once the sizzling has subsided, turn the stove back on and heat to a gentle simmer.  You must cook this for several minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate and to allow the flavor of the sauce to develop.

9.  After 2-3 minutes, taste the sauce, and if it seems too strong, add 1/4 c. water.  Add a little extra salt and pepper if needed.  Add the mushrooms and chicken back into the pan, and simmer 1-2 more minutes.

10.  Add the pasta into the pan, and stir.  Allow the pasta to heat for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and parmesan.

Summer Pasta

Summer is here in full fling. The weather is hot, the A/C is blasting, and that means summer produce is in season. I've been munching on strawberry spinach salads with bleu cheese crumbles, candied walnuts, and poppy seed dressing. Another veggie in season are peas. I'm usually not a huge fan of peas, but Trader Joe's has a nice little package of fresh English Peas for sale right now. I think they have a much firmer texture and brighter flavor than your run-of-the-mill frozen peas. I stumbled upon this recipe for a nice summer pasta with fresh peas and pancetta. It would be great to pick up some peas from your local farmer's market for this dish. This has become one of JC's favorite dishes and it takes about 15 minutes to prepare. Easy, cheap, and quick--the perfect triad.

Pea and Pancetta Pasta
inspired by Mario Batali's Spaghettini with Peas and Pancetta

• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz. pancetta
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch scallion, sliced
• 2 c. fresh peas
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
• 1/2 grated parmesan cheese

Boil water and add pasta. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until most of the fat has been rendered. Add the garlic and scallions, and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the peas and 1/2 cup pasta water. Stir well and cook over high heat until the peas are tender and the liquid has reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat. When pasta is done cooking, drain pasta and save 1/4 cup of pasta water. Add pea mixture to pasta and add reserved pasta water. Grate in some cheese and stir well. Serve immediately, topped with grated cheese. 

Pre-Test Munchies

Today is the last day before I take my surgery shelf exam, yahoo! I officially finished my time on surgery on Tuesday afternoon, after completely my last 28 hour shift. Your body gets very angry at you when you force it to keep working for that long. I got to work at 7 am on Monday and was doing pretty well until around 6 am Tuesday running on no sleep. We stayed pretty busy through out the night, but as things started to slow down, that's when my body started to realize "what are you doing to me?!" Those last few hours of work I spent in a lecture, signout, and rounds were brutal. I felt like a walking zombie in a strange delirious state. I am definitely not going to miss that rotation! 

I've been trying to kick some bad eating habits out of my life. I've resisted the temptation for cafeteria french fries at 11 pm and opted for a nice hummus cup instead. One of my favorite foods is fried zucchini. I had some zucchini in the fridge and decided to try and healthy baked version. I had all of the ingredients laying around and it was a nice snack while I'm studying about fluid resuscitation, pneumothorax, and small bowel obstruction for my surgery shelf. Enjoy this easy healthy treat!

Parm Zucchini fries

adapted from Canella Vita

• 2 large zucchini
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp salt, divided
• ground black pepper, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups panko (other bread crumbs would be fine too)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. spice blend (I used Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute)

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut zucchini into thick French-fry-size sticks.
Now make the assembly line. Arrange 3 shallow, wide bowls or pie plates in a row. In the first bowl, mix flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. In the second bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. In the third bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, spices, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

First dip zucchini in flour, shaking off excess. Transfer to egg mixture and toss until coated, then coat zucchini in bread crumb mixture. 

Arrange fries, in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes and then rotate the pans. Continue to bake until panko coating is golden and crisp, 7 to 12 minutes more. 

Cinco de Mayo

I have been meaning to post this for a while, I have just been so busy. I'm doing trauma surgery right now, and I feel like every moment where I am not working, all I want to do is sleep. I made this cake for Cinco de Mayo, actually it was the day before because I was on call on the 5th. This recipe is from my good friend Randi, who has literally saved me while on this surgery rotation. She made this cake a couple of years ago and I was in love. I finally got around to getting the recipe from her and whipped it up in my kitchen. JC was supposed to share it with some friends, but that didn't happen, so we gobbled it up between the two of us. This cake is super easy to make and is absolutely delicious. It is not too soggy and just perfectly sweet.

Randi's Tres Leches Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
5 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.

3. Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.

4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.

6. Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.

7. Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy!

Save Me San Francisco

I recently spent a week in San Francisco for spring break. This is quite possibly one of my absolute favorite cities, largely due to the food scene. Every time I visit, I feel like all I do is eat, and I'm not complaining. This past trip I got to try some new dishes like the chicken porridge at Out the Door, pho ga at Turtle Tower, xiao long bao at Shanghai Dumpling King, "salad basket" at Suppenkuche, bi bim bap at Be Bop, and a dosa at  Udupi Palace. I also hit up some of the tried and true favorites like crawfish beignets at Brenda's, honey lavender ice cream at Bi-Rite, pizza at The Cheeseboard, and chai tea at Philz. I could not have stopped by all these places without my wonderful hosts Krista, Ralph, and Jennifer. Thanks all of you!!

One snack I loved and was inspired by was the sea salt lavender shortbread cookie from Batter Bakery. I actually thought I might be able to replicate it, so I did some searching and found a recipe for honey lavender shortbread cookies. These are super yummy and are not soapy tasting at all. To make things even better, they are incredibly easy to make, you just throw everything into your kitchenaid mixer :) and press it all into a pan. Definitely try these out, they are delicious.

Sea Salt and Lavender Shortbread Cookies
from Spache the Spatula

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp culinary lavender
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp honey
• Sea salt for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8″x8″baking tin with butter or non-stick spray. Line with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper as well (make sure there is enough overhang of the parchment paper so that you can easily lift the cookies out of the tin). Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all of the ingredients and mix in low speed until combined (it’s fine if the dough is crumbly).
3. Press the dough into the prepared tin. With a fork, poke the surface of the dough all over.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the cookies feel firm when lightly pressed
5. After you remove to cookies from the oven, sprinkle the tops with sea salt. Allow to fully cool in the pan before removing and slicing into 16 equal squares.

Short and Sweet

First post in a long time. I'll keep this short. These muffins are delish and I need to save this recipe. They are so good that JC is allergic to almonds, yet he still had 3 of these. They are really moist and fluffy with the perfect hint of almond flavor. Make them, you won't regret it.

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
from My Adventures in the Country

2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp evaporated milk (For the original, use a whole 13 oz. can)
2 Tbsp whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup poppy seeds


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°.  Line 19 muffin cups with paper liners.  (The original recipe said it made 30 muffins, but I cut the recipe in half and still ended up with 19, so this recipe makes quite a few muffins.)  In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking powder, salt, and flour.  Set aside.


In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, evaporated milk, milk, and vegetable oil.   Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, beating well until combined, but do not over mix.  Add the extracts and poppy seeds, stirring until well combined.  Use a large cookie scoop or  1/3 cup measuring cup to pour batter into muffin cups.  Bake for 25-30 minutes (mine were done in 25) or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Makes 19 muffins.