The Food Scribe

Three Of Hearts And A Chocolate Cake

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 10:52:54 -0500

My boys love chocolate. Just chocolate. No nuts, no liquor, no marshmallows or Rice Krispies mixed in, thank you.

So for Valentine’s Day, I made them a deep dark chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting in a star-shaped pan. The richness of the chocolate could only be cut by a cold glass of milk.

They politely left the raspberries on the side of their plates.

What To Bake In A Blizzard

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:50:31 -0500

You know those times when you wonder why you have a dozen blackened bananas in the freezer? For banana bread, silly.

Only this time, blocked from venturing out my door, thanks to 3 feet of snow last week, I snuck in some other key “clean out the pantry” ingredients. I found some dried figs in the back of my baking cabinet, which I rehydrated with hot water. Then I poured bourbon over them and lit them on fire.

After I stirred up the batter, I toasted some pistachio nuts and put them in for crunch and good measure.

Thanks to the jacked up banana bread recipe in All Cakes Considered by NPR’s Cake Lady Melissa Gray for the inspiration.

Spice Becomes Her: Chicken Tikka Masala

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:28:00 -0500

My friends have lately asked me how I find time to cook and keep up my blog these days, and the answer is, I haven’t found as much time as I’d like.

So on those rare weekends where I can squeeze an hour of menu planning, I go nuts. Or more precisely, I go spice. The more savory kick I can get into a dish, the more fulfilling it is to make and eat. It makes up for all those times I’ve resorted to frozen pizza for dinner.

This chicken tikka masala, based on a recipe from this month’s Saveur Magazine, was tricky. It called for several of my favorite spices to be blended and roasted just so, plus marinating time for the chicken. It was also fussy about keeping the luscious sauce ingredients of tomato, cream, and coriander and cumin separate until the last minute.

I broke up the work into two days of prep to pull it off for a Monday night meal, but it was totally worth it.

The Mystique of Meringue

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 12:06:44 -0500

Before there was marshmallow fluff, there was meringue.

A scientist would speak of meringue as the chemical reaction that occurs when whipped egg whites meet sugar in the electric whirling dervish on the counter, but I prefer to think of meringue as magic.

Over the holidays, I took the opportunity to reorganize my recipe files. I came across a rumpled, 10-year-old specimen from the first cooking class I ever took -- the one that really inspired me to conquor the kitchen.

Long-time D.C.-based cooking instructor Phyllis Frucht shared with us the recipe for a classic French tart au citron. While I remember loving the tangy lemon filling and the sweet pastry crust, it was the meringue that made my mouth water.

Just thinking about tasting that triple-threat bite of crusty-chewy-pillowy sweetness this weekend made me immediately drag out the mixer and start separating eggs, wondering what took me so long.

Meringue’s origins are a bit murky. Some sources trace it’s origins back to a humble cookbook published in London in 1604, others say it originated in later years in Germany. Still others claim it was born in the mind of a Swiss pastry chef who prepared the delicacies regularly for Queen Marie Antoinette.

My memories of meringue involved watching my grandmother beat egg whites in a metal bowl by hand until they started forming stiff peaks. Then she’d speak to me in hushed tones about adding sugar at just the right rate, beating for what seemed like an eternity before declaring it done and ready to bake.

Here’s an exerpt from a recipe published in the 1979 edition of The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery, which was likely similar to the one my grandmother relied on.

“Whisk 8 egg whites until they become as stiff as possible. Rain in 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fine caster sugar mixing lightly with a spoon so that the egg whites do not lose their lightness. Note: The proportion of whites used in the making of meringues is variable and it is possible to use as many as 12 egg whites for 500 g...of sugar. It should be noted, however, that the lighter the meringue the lower the cooking temperature should be; they should be dried rather than cooked.”

A modern stand mixer will save you tons of time with equally good results.

Meringue is versatile -- you can use it not only as a topping for a tart or a pie, but as a crust under whipped cream and berries in the dessert named for the ballerina Pavlova, or mold it into mushroom shapes.

Or just spoon some dollops onto baking sheets and brown them lightly in a 325 degree oven oven.

I dare you to just eat one.

Friends, Food And A Menu To Fall For

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 21:12:05 -0400

Half the fun of making a dinner with friends is the shopping, as my friend Amy and I recently discovered at Eastern Market on Capitol Hill this past weekend.

We had a basic idea sketched out for our early fall dinner, and even made a list, but the menu took some twists as we slowly wound our way through the colorful stall. The market was brimming with the bounty of late summer and early fall. Pumpkins, apples, tomatoes, and greens of all kinds begged us to take them home.

We were equally wooed by the sounds of the city just waking up: Trucks rumbling, the Market Lunch grill sizzling, birds tweeting, and a brief but nasty dog fight near the flea market gate.

But the weather and the produce were beautiful, so we pressed on, collecting a kaleidoscope of butternut squash, lima beans, duck breasts, blue cheese, fennel, and some cheeky dahlias.

In the end, we added a few pickles here and subtracted a pound of persimmons there from our original plans, but no one noticed our performance was an improv.

The menu: Cream of Squash Soup with Sage and Toasted Pepitas, Apple and Greens Salad (thanks, Dena!), Broccoli Rabe Farro Risotto, Duck Breasts with Pomegranate Sauce, and a flourless Chocolate Rosemary Cake.

Most of our recipes came or were inspired by Jim Denevan’s Outstanding In the Field, a cookbook inspired by the dinners Denevan hosts across the country, outdoors at farms and orchards. Denevan preaches the gospel of locally grown, and we dig it.

Jay and Peter picked the wine, Dan helped with the entertainment, and everyone but the kids (we hope?!) had too much wine.

Here’s a peek at our gathering:

What Is A Locavore? Well, Me

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 16:45:21 -0400

I don’t considered myself part of an organized movement, per se, but there I was on TV last week, identified as a “locavore” and showing the D.C. affiliate for ABC News around the Silver Spring FRESHFARM Market a couple of weeks ago.

A locavore is someone who shops for food locally. They go for quality, taste, and to support the community and environment. If the shoe fits...

Was it weird, having a camera following me? Not really. I got used to it fast. I just did what I do nearly every week, which is poke around the stalls, ask questions and sample products until I find what I want. Although this particular week, I actually took a shower before leaving the house ;>

The WJLA piece aired Friday night, but in case you missed it, here’s the link and the video. Special thanks to producer Rebecca McDevitt, who braved the rain to meet me.

Greens Can Be Sweet, Too

Mon, 7 Sep 2009 21:21:19 -0400

Some people in my house just can’t warm up to the bitter greens like kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens and collards. I know they’re really healthy and all, but I’ll admit, they’re not my favorite, either.

Luckily, I just found out about a green that’s sweet and doesn’t require all the work that some of the other greens do, like de-ribbing.

At the Silver Spring Farmer’s market the other day, I was intrigued by the greens called or sweet potato tops. Apparently quite popular in Asian and African countries as part of a salad, they haven’t quite caught on here for some reason.

I broke off a bit of leaf and tasted -- nothing like the tuber, but a tender, mildly sweet and clean flavor. I thought of salad, but I was really craving a greens stir fry with garlic, so I stir fried away -- quickly, as they are delicate. Delicious.

A Mighty Appetite blogger Kim O’Donnell also found them intriguing when she came across them at a farmer’s market last year, and worked her way into a curry recipe that looks worth a try.

Veggies With Perks

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:49:39 -0400

Tossing together bite-sized bits of fresh vegetables and roasting or grilling them makes one of the easiest side dishes around. It's healthy, colorful, fairly quick, and can be made with whatever is handy.

But let's face it, sometimes roasted vegetables gets a little predictable. The other night, I decided to perk things up -- I added a little feta cheese.

I dutifully chopped up what I had: eggplant, peppers, zucchini, onions and garlic. I sprinkled them with olive oil, dashed on a little salt and pepper, squirted in a bit of lemon juice, and tossed. Then I roasted them in a 425 oven on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes until they were tender and slightly browned around the edges.

It was fine. But when I tossed the whole business with some crumbled feta, it took on a velvety texture and tangy flavor that was wholly different than the average side dish -- it became a main dish.

Other ideas to perk up your veggies? Add season salts, fresh herbs, or tofu. Consider a touch of cream.

I’ve made short work of the odd bit of green pepper in a baggie, the slightly limp Italian beans that need to be cooked NOW, or the fresh and springy eggplant you just picked up at the market, or all three at once. Olives, cauliflower, and carrots are also surprisingly good this way.

Who needs meat tonight?

Holy Basil, Batman!

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:37:21 -0400

I got my first taste of holy basil on Saturday. I'm not sure I've had a religious experience, and I'm not even sure I liked it, but I definitely feel more enlightened.

What is holy basil? It's an herb sacred to the Hindu religion. Also known as tulsi, it has been used medicinally for centuries, and is credited with everything from reducing stress to treating skin infections.

It has intriguing culinary possibilities as well, though it doesn’t seem to be widely known to Western palates.

Holy Basil doesn't taste like any basil I've ever had. It's stronger, more clove-like and assertive than the typical sunny, bright, Italian kind. The dark green leaves and light purple flowers look similar to the delicate Thai basil used commonly in Asian dishes.

But it's nothing like the other basils. Every time I open the refrigerator, I can smell it, even though it's wrapped in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer. That's powerful stuff.

So what goes with this clovey, peppermint-ish, herbaceuous stuff? Citrus and a touch of sugar to balance it out, I think. I decided to turn the holy basil into a light sauce with lemon, served over sautéed chicken thighs, to pleasant effect.

I would have grilled the chicken, but there was a lightening storm the night before that hit our tulip poplar tree and temporarily drove me away from the backyard. (All gone now. Heckofa cleanup, but a chance to start a fresh garden. I digress.)

My source for the holy basil experience? Evensong Farm at the Silver Spring Farmers Market. The vendor there always introduces me to something new, and rarely disappoints.

I’m still not sure how I feel about the exotic flavor of holy basil, but here's the recipe I created. Let me know what you think.

Chicken with Holy Basil and Lemon Sauce

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 t. olive oil
1 T. butter
1 T. chopped holy basil, or more, to taste
1/3 cup simple citron syrup (equal parts sugar and water, few squirts of lemon or lime, heated until sugar dissolves)
Squeeze or two of lemon
S&P

Sautee chicken thighs in olive oil and butter over medium heat until cooked through and slightly browned.
Remove chicken from the pan to a platter, cover and keep warm.
Turn heat up to medium high, add citron syrup, boil until it reduces a bit. Add basil leaves, stir, pour over chicken and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Arrgh, Me Hardies, Hand Me That Fish

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:06:08 -0400

It’s amazing what a little boy will eat if it’s turned into a pirate game.

Here’s Caleb, showing off the skeleton of a recent conquest from a fish fry on the beach in the Dominican Republic.

The food on the island is generally not much to write home about, but this was a memorable meal.
And with views like this, it doesn’t much matter what’s on the plate.