What's Cooking with Jean
Sunday, February 24, 2008 Talking with My Mouth Full


For all of you out there who have been struggling with this flu going around, I joined your company this week. The lingering sick has provided time for me to quickly plan for our trip that we leave for on Thursday, as well as finally read this book by someone from our neighborhood.

A year ago, my mother-in-law asked if this was indeed the neighborhood where we lived, after she read the book from her local library. The book is not only great press for our neighborhood ("it is very much like a village within the city"), but the recipes and words surround them are beautiful reminding me why i love this thing we called food.

From one of my favorite chapters, "An Ode to Toast"
There is an innocence and purity about toast that you turn to in times of need. You smell toast and you feel better. Let it snow. Let it get dark at 4:30. You're in a warm house, wearing fuzzy slippers and a flannel nightgown, and you're making toast. If you're really lucky, you have a shaker filled with cinnamon and sugar.

if you want her amazing recipe for "Toast," you'll have to buy the book. For now, I need to return this borrowed copy to my dear friend.

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Vinaigrettes

Why I Never Buy Vinaigrette

By Mark Bittman

Naturally fresh? I don’t think so. In fact, just by looking at the list of more than fourteen (I stopped counting at that point — my eyes aren’t that good) ingredients on the one-ounce container of vinaigrette dressing I was given on an airplane recently, I could tell there was little fresh or natural about the stuff.

And without dismissing every brand out there — as I’m sure some are well intentioned (though still not very good) — my belief is that there’s never a good reason to buy vinaigrette. It’s just too easy to make your own.

Vinaigrette in its purest state is acid and oil combined, with other added ingredients up for grabs. The acid is usually vinegar, but it can also be freshly squeezed lemon, lime, or other citrus juice.

The oil is most often olive, but can be any nut or neutral oil you like. Then of course, you have to choose the ratio of acid to oil, whether to emulsify or not, what other flavors to add, but pretty much any way you go with it, it’s going to be tough to hit ten, let alone more than a dozen — many of which I can’t pronounce let alone tell you why they’re in there.

I know some people are intimidated by vinaigrette. I think this comes from the belief — put out there by some chefs and cookbooks — that the only way to make it is to slowly add the oil so you don’t “break” the dressing as you feverishly whisk it. And of course, this works fine.

But you can also put all your ingredients in a jar and just shake it. Or use a blender, which works perfectly and even gives creamy results. Or, drizzle your oil over your salad and add a squeeze of lemon. At the end of the day, it’s still vinaigrette, and still better by a factor of zillions than anything you can buy. Cheaper, too, unless you start stealing these little packages from airplanes.

RECIPE

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Posted by Jeannie :: 3:01 PM :: 1 comments

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Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Flourless Chocolate Cake

I try not to reveal my intense love of chocolate on this blog. But just looking at this recipe again, I had to run downstairs and break off a piece of dark chocolate.

This past weekend, I made a little pre-Valentine's dinner for some couples who were visiting us. We were all craving chocolate so I made this cake and garnished with a few slices of strawberries and a chocolate sauce. Kahlua, raspberries, caramel would all be nice too. I used bittersweet, and I highly recommend. This is a staple recipe to keep around when you need a nice, but simple dessert. Here's to celebrating those we love.

12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 large eggs, separated
12 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper; butter paper. Wrap outside of pan with foil.

Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, stirring often.

Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Fold lukewarm chocolate mixture into yolk mixture, then fold in vanilla extract. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until medium-firm peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake until top is puffed and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall).

Gently press down crusty top to make evenly thick cake. Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Place 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round atop cake. Invert cake onto tart pan bottom. Peel off parchment paper.


*watch the time on this, because I think 40-50 minutes is more accurate.
*I served warm from the oven but I think this would be great made in advance.

from Bon Appétit | January 1999


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Posted by Jeannie :: 4:51 PM :: 0 comments

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Friday, February 01, 2008 gadgets

A perfect way to start February...a deep chill in the air (but not the raw cold that inhabited January), rain that rushed through the gutters along the street reminding me that spring will come, and a fire at home. My confession: I'm making the carrot soup again right now. Get ready, I might start a slight obsession with cilantro. I have no new recipes to share right now; however, after tomorrow night (I'm cashing in my Christmas present from my husband and going to a restaurant that I've been lusting for since before it opened) I'm hoping that my palate will be invigorated.

Until then, I thought a winter day would be a great time to share just a few favorite gadgets.

Zester wonderful for lemons, Parmesan, and ginger

Bowl keep batters in this if you're not ready to use immediately

pastry scrapper Yes, a random tool. Not sure where I got the one I have, but this one is similar. I love using this to cut bars and brownies, as well as slicing edges of crusts and biscuits when I roll them out.

Pastry blender can not remember life before this fork (thanks, mother)

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Posted by Jeannie :: 5:54 PM :: 1 comments

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