Food Swoon

Recipes and Musings Inspired By Daily Life and Entertaining

[ashleybrouwer-blog]

New Blog

Dear Tumblr Followers,

Food Swoon got a facelift. Recipes are now printable, and you can browse by category (breakfast, bread, dessert, etc). However, in order to do this I had to make the move from Tumblr to WordPress.

Going forward you can follow me here: www.foodswoon.com

Cheers, Ashley

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Southern Biscuits

One might assume since I live in Alabama that I have a precious and holy heirloom recipe for Southern biscuits. Alas, I do not. My family isn't originally from the South. Both of my parents are from Maryland, and my parents, two brothers and I moved from state-to-state every five years growing up. I did not have a Southern grandmother to show me the way of the sacred Southern biscuit. In fact, homemade biscuits were endearingly called "hockey pucks" at family get-togethers.

I did, however, have a pint-sized Ukrainian grandmother on my mother’s side who made the best potato candy in the world and whose red and pink rose bushes were the envy of the neighborhood.

And I had a fun, feisty grandmother on my father’s side who took care of my handicapped grandfather for years after his stroke and who wasn’t afraid to say anything to anyone.  (An elderly woman once approached her at my parents' church and said, “Ms. Michael, I’m not sure I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you,” to which my then 70-year-old grandmother responded, “I don’t know. All of you old ladies in this church look alike.” And to a woman sitting next to her at the beauty salon she quipped, "Your hair looked better when you walked in here.")

Not only do I lack a Southern lineage, but my great, great grandfather James (below) fought for the North during the Civil War. He was captured by the South and, according to family history, escaped with three other men the night before his scheduled hanging.

A Southern curse?

All I know is that my biscuit-making attempts over the years have proved disastrous. Hockey pucks, indeed. Too dry. Too crumbly. No flavor.

Then a few months ago I had a breakthrough. Not only did I make a decent biscuit, I made the best one I’d ever tasted in a home kitchen.  The process began with an Alton Brown recipe that boasted nearly 500 reviews and five stars.  His recipe called for equal parts shortening and butter, but with no shortening in my pantry, I used all butter. The results were outstanding, a Southern biscuit in all of its intended glory: flaky, buttery layers, a crispy bottom and a golden-brown top.

I know some biscuit purists swear by shortening, but I tested the shortening-butter biscuits and found they lacked the full flavor of the all-butter biscuits.

And call this a near-cheat – a Paula Deen, if you will – but I also increased the butter in Brown’s recipe from four tablespoons to six. I’ve gone as high as eight tablespoons of butter, but I think six does the job. Unless I’m making them for special guests, in which case I unapologetically up the butter. I give both options below. Sin as you wish. 

Thus far this year, this biscuit recipe is my most requested recipe.

SOUTHERN BISCUITS Adapted from Alton Brown via The Food Network

I use store-bought buttermilk about half the time I make these biscuits. The other half, I make my own buttermilk (it's easy; instructions are below). In a pinch, I've also used half-and-half and was pleased with the results.

Prep time is minimal and baking time is 20 minutes or less. Even on busy mornings, I can crank these out for the kids in less than 30 minutes.

Recipe makes approximately a half dozen medium-sized biscuits.

A few helpful tips to consider from my Southern friends in the know:

* Use White Lily brand all-purpose flour for a lighter biscuit. (Not to be confused with White Lily self-rising flour -- you don't want self-rising for this recipe.)

* Instead of a standard baking pan, use a cast-iron skillet or a cast-iron skillet griddle for even baking.

INGREDIENTS 2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons cold butter (or 8, if you want to go there) + more butter for brushing 1 cup buttermilk + 1-3 tablespoons more if needed, chilled or make your own (see note below)*

* If you don’t have store-bought buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk or “sour milk” by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice to a scant 1 cup of milk. Stir and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before using. It should look curdled.

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Cut the butter into small cubes and place them in the refrigerator. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the cold butter cubes. With a pastry blender (my preference) or a fork or your fingers, work fast to blend the butter into the flour until it looks crumbly. Add one cup of buttermilk and stir until the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems too dry, add more buttermilk (a tablespoon at a time) until the dough is moist but not overly sticky.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and pat it down until it’s approximately 1 1/2 inches high. Fold the dough in half. Gently pat it down and fold over again. Repeat five more times. (This process gives you those buttery layers.) Gently pat the dough into a circle and cut your biscuits with a biscuit cutter or other round mold (I use a wine glass -- see picture below). Push any remaining dough scraps together, pat them down, fold them over 2-3 times and cut into biscuits.

Transfer the biscuits to a baking pan, positioning them side by side so they are touching. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top. Brush with melted butter.

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Wild Mushroom-Brie Soup

One of my favorite haunts in Birmingham is Crestwood Coffee Company, our much beloved neighborhood coffee shop. It's my respite when I'm on a work deadline and need to flee the chaos at home. It's where I take the kids to enjoy an afternoon snack and play a game of Connect Four or Candy Land. It's a laid-back evening spot to share a bottle of wine with friends. I rarely walk in without receiving a nod or a smile from someone I know.

The coffee shop is, in many ways, the heartbeat of our eccentric, little neighborhood. It has a regular rotation of friendly, smart, quirky characters: nerds like me who burrow into the corner tables with their laptops, folks who sit outside at the café tables for a morning coffee and a smoke, the lively afternoon crew who gathers to watch jeopardy and shout out the answers (they're not bad), and those who drift in and out frequently -- professors, artists and other locals.

Owners Danny and Alexis, both Louisiana natives, took over the coffee shop in 2010 and revamped the menu. Alexis is the resident baker extraordinaire. My kids adore her chocolate chip cookies; I'm partial to her pralines. Her cinnamon rolls are decadent, and I recently learned the secret ingredient in the glaze (espresso!). The coffee shop's display case is overflowing with savory and sweet temptations, from quiche and breakfast sandwiches to scones, cakes and pies.

Crestwood Coffee also offers three soups a day, mostly Danny's creations. Danny is the kind of cook who instinctively knows his way around the kitchen without much mind for measuring. He's an outstanding cook, as evidenced by several recent awards. No one can compete with his gumbo. No one.

(A younger Esmé at Crestwood Coffee. When she was a baby, Danny was the only person she'd let hold her besides immediate family.)

Danny's soups are seasonal and creative. A few recent offerings: black bean and sweet potato, roasted cauliflower, Brunswick stew, turtle gumbo (to die for), and oyster and artichoke bisque. My personal favorite, though, is his wild mushroom-brie soup. Danny knows this and will give me a heads-up when he's making a batch. Last year, a magazine asked me to name the most underrated dish in the city and I said, hands down, THIS SOUP. 

I loved the mushroom-brie soup from the first taste. It's rich and creamy with a base of puréed vegetables, cream and sherry. The mushrooms provide an earthy balance to the buttery brie, which gently perfumes the soup.

A cup is the perfect starter for an evening meal or a warming accompaniment to a lunchtime salad. Danny has kindly passed along his recipe so you, too, can enjoy this dreamy soup at home.

WILD MUSHROOM-BRIE SOUP

Danny gave me approximate measurements for the soup, and I adjusted according to my preferences. This recipe makes a substantial batch -- 8+ cups (2 quarts).

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds wild mushrooms, sliced (I use oyster, shitake, baby bella) 1/4 cup  + 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup chopped celery 3/4 cup diced onions 1/4 cup chopped garlic 1/3 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme 1/2 cup sherry 4 cups vegetable stock 2 cups half-and-half 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 cup Brie cheese, crumbled in pieces (white rind removed) Pinch of cayenne (or more to taste) Salt and pepper Optional garnish: green onions or parsley

PREPARATION

Add a tablespoon of butter to a skillet and cook the mushrooms until brown on each side, being careful not to crowd them. Remove mushrooms, set aside. Add another tablespoon of butter and cook in batches until the remaining mushrooms are browned. 

Melt ¼ cup of butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic and cook until soft, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add the thyme, flour and pinch of cayenne. Stir constantly until a light roux forms, approximately three minutes. Add the sherry, increase the heat to medium-high and let the mixture come to a boil. Add the stock and half-and-half and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.  With an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Or, let the soup cool and blend it in batches in a blender before returning to the pot. Add mushrooms and let soup come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the brie and whisk to incorporate. Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions or parsley.

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Crispy Pan-Fried Fish

If Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results then me pan-frying fish = insanity. For years, I’ve been consistently screwing it up, cooking it in such a way that the fillet sticks to the bottom of the skillet and turns into a sad, mangled mess when I try to remove it. I’ve made minor adjustments here and there hoping for a breakthrough: more oil, less oil, high heat, low heat. Every once in a blue moon I get lucky and achieve a beautifully golden, intact fillet but not often. And curiously enough, my go-to cookbooks, those penned by some of the world’s greatest chefs, don’t shed much light on a better way to cook it either. Their instructions for pan-frying fish are always some version of heat oil in pan, add fish, cook evenly on each side.

So I figured it was me. My skills. Or my equipment. I don’t own any nonstick skillets. Is everyone using nonstick skillets. Or what. What am I doing wrong.

A few weeks ago, I was pan-frying some tilapia for lunch -- and I did what I always do and got what I always get: a beat-up piece of fish with the crispy, outer crust (the best part!) glued to the bottom of the skillet. I stared at the fillet on my plate, which was now staring back at me in separate, stringy pieces. Frustrated, I rose from my chair, stomped over to my computer and Googled, “How the $#%^#$& do you cook fish so it doesn’t #$&*^#$ stick to the bottom of the#@&$^*& pan?????”

And Google gave me an answer.

The pan needs to be hot before you add the oil.

Add the oil to a hot, dry pan THEN add the fish. Voilà! No more sticking! Golden, evenly-cooked fish with a crispy exterior. Perfect every time. #@$@#$! Thank you, internets.

CRISPY PAN-FRIED FISH

I prefer my fish lightly seasoned and with a lot of lemon, although I'll occasionally dust the fillets with cajun seasoning before pan-frying.

With this method, I also prefer cooking the fish skin-side up first because I've found the crispiest outer crust forms during the initial stage of frying (and why waste that crispy goodness on the skin-side).

INGREDIENTS

Oil Fish fillet* Salt White pepper Lemon wedges

* Personal favorites of the moment: cod, flounder and red snapper

PREPARATION

Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet (I use cast-iron) on high for four minutes. (If you have an overhead oven fan/hood, you'll want to run it, as the kitchen tends to get a little smoky.) Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the fish, skin side up -- carefully, as the oil may splatter. Cook for six minutes undisturbed on high heat. With a spatula, turn the fish over and, if the pan looks dry, add a little more oil. Turn the heat down to medium-high and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes, give or take a minute depending on the thickness of your fillet. Transfer to a serving plate and squeeze a lemon over the fish. Serve with additional lemon wedges. Enjoy immediately.

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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes With Brown Butter

Mashed potatoes don’t appear on our dinner table often. Sadly, just once a year, usually on Thanksgiving or Christmas. I would make them more regularly but my children aren't fans. This, I don’t quite understand. Mashed potatoes are a universally kid-friendly food, yes?

A few weeks ago, I made mashed potatoes as part of a meal for a friend. Given that I'm mashed-potatoes-deprived, I prepared extra so I could enjoy a bowl all to myself. You would have thought I was eating a bowl of ice cream after a week-long fast. They were transcendent. 

So, today I give you my favorite mashed potatoes recipe, brimming with flavor thanks to sweet roasted garlic and nutty brown butter. (Yes, the brown butter below looks like a frothy beer. And yes, I would drink it.)

In lieu of milk, I use sour cream to smooth out the texture and add a tangy creaminess. All parts work for good here.  

ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES WITH BROWN BUTTER

I like my mashed potatoes thick and textured. If you prefer a creamier version, you can add a half cup of milk, half-and-half or heavy cream at the end.

INGREDIENTS

3 ½ pounds potatoes (your choice), peeled and evenly diced 2 tablespoons kosher salt + more for seasoning 2 heads garlic 1 cup sour cream ½ cup + 2 tablespoons butter Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Roasted Garlic: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the top off of each head of garlic. This should take care of the cloves in the middle, but you will need to individually trim the tops off the lower-lying cloves around the perimeter. You want all of the cloves exposed, so they evenly roast. Position a tablespoon of butter over each head of garlic. Transfer the garlic heads to ramekins with fitted lids or wrap each head tightly in aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until brown and caramelized on top. Let cool for 10 minutes. With a small fork or spoon, slide each clove out of its skin and into a bowl. With a fork, mash the garlic until it forms a paste. Set aside.

Make the Brown Butter:  Add ½ cup of butter to a heavy saucepan and heat on medium heat until the butter melts, the foam subsides, brown flecks appear and the butter turns medium brown. Immediately remove from heat. (It will continue to darken once you remove it from heat.) Set aside.

Make the Mashed Potatoes: In a large pot, add potatoes, salt and enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook (approximately 15) minutes until potatoes are very soft and fall apart when poked with a fork. Drain potatoes and add them to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl). Using the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer or a fork), whisk (or mash) the potatoes on medium for 2-3 minutes. Add brown butter and the roasted garlic paste.  Whisk for another minute. Add sour cream. Whisk for another minute. If you want a smoother texture, whisk for another 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. (For a thinner consistency, you can mix in a 1/2 cup of milk, half-and-half or cream at this point.)

For added texture and an attractive presentation, transfer potatoes to a large casserole dish or individual ramekins and drag a fork in a circular motion over the top of the potatoes. Place potatoes under the oven broiler for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.

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Provencal Spinach Gratin

I’ve had this spinach gratin post in the works for more than a month now, but no time to close the deal and hit publish. Life has been a whirlwind of work (I’m a grantwriter by day but more often by night), activity-juggling and child-wrangling. The good news: My days have recently become less hectic and more structured thanks to a not-so-insignificant lifestyle change. My two-year-old daughter – fan of sharp objects, matches, previously-chewed gum, cat food and toilet water – started a half-day program last week.  

She is having the time of her life.

Cue the hallelujah chorus.

Her bangs, by the way, are the result of a self-trim, her third in the past two months.

All that is to say, I’m back… and ready to talk spinach.

The fact that I wholeheartedly endorse this Provençal spinach gratin should not be taken lightly, as I’m not one to go gaga over spinach, especially not cooked spinach. The recipe, a 40-year-old gem, involves minimal ingredients and its author, the illustrious Richard Olney, offers this closing advice:

“No refinement could possibly improve it.”

I doubt you’ll find those words in most modern culinary publications. Today, it's all about giving the home cook options (i.e. vegan, paleo, gluten-free). I'm a fan of this trend in many instances, but not today. If you start gussying up this gratin with additional fillers and garnishes, it will become something else, and that something else is EVERY OTHER spinach gratin that appears when you google “spinach gratin.” While I’m certain these creations are delicious with their swirls of cream, gruyere infusions and buttery breadcrumb toppings, they are not Olney’s spinach gratin. His involves a simple cast of spinach, olive oil, flour, salt and pepper.

It’s the kind of humble, flavorful dish he prepared for the likes of Julia Child, Alice Waters and Kermit Lynch, regular dinner guests at his Provençal home. All the more reason to experience the gratin as Olney intended.

PROVENÇAL SPINACH GRATIN Adapted from "Simple French Cooking" by Richard Olney

The outcome of this gratin varies depending on the size of your dish. If you use a large casserole dish, the top and sides will crisp up while the interior will soften and wilt. If you use smaller, individual dishes, the spinach "fries" in the olive oil and becomes crispy nearly throughout (think kale chips). I’m a lover of both.

I find that two pounds of spinach (which looks like a mountain of green before it cooks down) fits into my medium-large casserole dish plus two to three small ramekins.

Serves four to six.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs. spinach, washed, drained and finely chopped into strips Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons flour 1/3 cup olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Pack the chopped spinach into an oiled casserole dish (or individual oval ramekins). Pack in the spinach as much as possible, as it will cook down considerably. Season with salt and pepper. With a sieve or sifter, evenly dust the top with flour. Drizzle the oil on top of the floured spinach in a criss-cross pattern. Bake the gratin(s) at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 375 degrees F and cook for an additional hour. (If using individual ramekins, the final cooking time at 375 F will be approximately 30 minutes.)

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Cajetas de Coco (Coconut Truffles)

In the weeks leading up to our dinner reservation at Atlanta’s underground supper club, PushStart Kitchen, I kept close and curious watch on Chef Zach Meloy’s ever-changing menu.

PushStart Kitchen’s Instagram feed is a visual treat of both wonder (see s'mores below) and torture (see s'mores below). 

Meloy's riff on s'mores, if you're wondering, is a small slab of Mexican chocolate cremeux flanked by toasted coconut ice cream, pistachio praline and ancho chili marshmallows with bananas and a garnish of cajeta (Mexican caramel).

Here's a look... Let's start with some black pepper meringues...

Beets, beef tongue, green goddess dressing, pickled daikon (radish) and cabrales cheese...

Pre-poached egg in a balloon of bacon fat...

Griddles pork belly, heirloom tomato and cucumber pico de gallo, red onion caramel and miso omelette...

Garnishes galore...

Sous vide pork loin, sour cherry and smoked salt...

Meloy's plating sketches...

On PushStart Kitchen's website, "candy + cordial" is listed as the final course. This description never changes. The other courses, meanwhile, vary  significantly week to week. This mystery candy, I would learn, is a cajeta de coco (coconut truffle), the triumphant finish to an evening at PushStart Kitchen. Ask anyone who's experienced it -- the memory lingers.

The truffles are one of the many Latin touches you’ll find on Meloy's menu, inspired by his wife and partner, Cristina, who seeks out the sweet delicacies whenever she returns to her native Costa Rica. Meloy rolls his cajetas de coco in honey cactus powder (think honey sugar), which gives them a slightly crunchy exterior. Inside, they have a meltingly soft center. While there are wisps of coconut scattered throughout, the flavor of coconut is understated – more dominant are notes of caramel, cream and honey. The truffles, to use one of my favorite Richard Olney quotes, "must be tasted to be believed."

With more than a decade of culinary experience, Meloy, originally from Georgia, and Cristina started PushStart Kitchen as a 10-person supper club in June 2011. In the beginning, they transported the food from their home kitchen to another site, where Meloy used a griddle to reheat everything. Guests raved. Word spread. PushStart Kitchen's following increased, and it began garnering local recognition.

In March 2012, the Meloys moved to a studio in Atlanta's Goat Farm Arts Center -- a 19th century complex with industrial buildings, a cotton mill and goat farm -- and were able to start hosting the supper club in their own space. Several months later, PushStart Kitchen's continued success allowed Meloy and Cristina to leave their full-time jobs to focus solely on running the supper club.

Today, they invite up to 16 guests, most of whom arrive as strangers, into their home three nights a week for a four-course meal, five if you count the appetizers and cocktails served before everyone is seated.

Jason and I, along with our friends Woody and Jen, were four of their guests on a beautiful evening last September. Meloy served a vegetarian menu (below), which he offers once a month.

The evening we visited, Meloy along with Cristina, then seven months pregnant, and her mother, Leidy, ran the show -- cooking, serving, plating, clearing the table, filling wine glasses -- for the three-plus hours we were there. The atmosphere was casual and comfortable. The food? It lived up to the hype, and I'm not even a vegetarian.

When it came time for the final course -- the much-anticipated candy + cordial -- Meloy poured everyone a generous shot of buckwheat honey moonshine, while Cristina passed around a bowl of cajetas de coco.

PushStart Kitchen will likely serve its final supper club meal sometime in 2013, as Meloy is in the active planning stages of opening a restaurant. While I'm eager to see his creativity translate in a restaurant setting, I'm not alone in expressing a twitch of sadness that the supper club will soon be no more. I'm not sure what that means for the fate of the cajeta de coco, which has been on the menu since day one. But I'm grateful to the Meloys for sharing their recipe and allowing us to experience a taste of PushStart Kitchen at home.

*For supper club reservations, visit www.pushstartkitchen.com.

CAJETAS DE COCO (COCONUT TRUFFLES) Recipe from PushStart Kitchen

Cristina will tell you these are "embarrassingly easy to make." However, I must confess to screwing up the first batch I attempted. I didn't let the mixture cook long enough, so the truffles were extremely sticky and didn't hold their shape. They were more like globs -- delicious globs that we devoured anyway. When I made subsequent batches (like the ones you see in the pictures above), I made sure the mixture thickened to a near-oatmeal consistency during the cooking process and turned caramel in color. I've since had no problems and agree with Cristina -- these are a cinch to make.

If you're not a fan of shredded coconut -- I know the texture is a turn-off to some -- I recommend processing the coconut in a food processor before adding to the truffle mixture. Although these are called "coconut truffles," I've heard coconut lovers and non-lovers alike sing their praise. The coconut flavor is quite understated.

INGREDIENTS 2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) 1 cup ground graham crackers, vanilla wafers or galleta maria cookies Pinch of salt Garnish options: coconut, honey cactus powder, ground cookies, sprinkles, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS In a small pot, melt the butter on low heat. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, coconut, salt and ground cookies. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer for approximately 5-6 minutes, continuing to stir constantly, until the mixture is very thick and has deepened in color to a light caramel. (See note below about the oil separating.) Remove from heat and transfer mixture to the refrigerator for several hours or until completely chilled. Scoop into desired-size balls and roll in the garnish of your choice (ground cookies, sprinkles, etc.). You can store the truffles in an air-tight container at room temperature for a couple days or in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

* If the oil begins to separate toward the end of the cooking process (as it has for me a few times), immediately remove the mixture from the heat. Stir a few times, place in the fridge, and when you remove the mixture after it has cooled several hours later, you will find that the oil/butter easily blends right back into the mixture with a few stirs.

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Uova al Pomodoro (Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce)

Working from home, I’m always on the hunt for a fast midday meal that doesn't involve reconstituted leftovers or a slapped-together turkey sandwich. Our microwave burned up four years ago and we never replaced it, so my definition of "fast " may be different than others. I don't like spending more than five minutes of active prep time for lunch because my daughter takes a late morning nap and that is precious work time. I am perfectly OK, though, with the meal taking 30 minutes or longer to cook. I just can't afford to be elbows deep in flour or standing over a pot for hours on end. Evenings are another story and when I welcome that kind of involvement and chaos.

Socca (chickpea pancake) is one of my favorite weekday meals because it meets my lunchtime criteria: 1-2 minutes of prep work plus 15 minutes in the oven. Done. Easy.

In a recent interview, acclaimed food writer and photographer Emiko Davies, whose food blog is endlessly inspiring, was asked to reveal one of her favorite quick meals. She answered "uova al pomodoro," describing it as a “rustic, one-pot meal of eggs poached in a quick tomato sauce.” I read somewhere that Italians don't usually eat eggs for breakfast and uova al pomodoro is often served as a second lunch course.

The variations here are endless -- mix up the herbs, toss in some mozzarella or grated parmesan. Don't forget the bread for mopping up the sauce and yolks. Keep it simple or be adventurous. Below you'll find the basic blueprint for what is currently my favorite "fast" lunchtime meal.

UOVA AL POMODORO (EGGS POACHED IN TOMATO SAUCE) Adapted from Emiko Davies

Although  this recipe gives instructions on how to make a basic, garlic-infused sauce from scratch, feel free to substitute your favorite recipe for tomato sauce for the first step (or use two cups of prepared tomato sauce in a pinch). Just proceed with the egg-poaching step as instructed.

As I mentioned already, some mozzarella thrown in at the end and cooked until golden and bubbly would be a nice addition. Freshly grated parmesan would also be a welcome finish.

INGREDIENTS One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano 2 medium garlic cloves, halved and crushed with the flat blade of a knife 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped herbs: basil, chives, parsley, etc. 4 eggs Salt and pepper Optional: A few pinches of red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

In a deep skillet, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until garlic is brown on each side. Remove the garlic. For a chunkier sauce, add the tomatoes entirely drained of the juices and purée from the can. For a saucier consistency, add the tomatoes with some or all of the purée. Cook the tomatoes on medium heat for three minutes. With the back of a fork, break up the tomatoes a bit. Reduce heat to low and add pepper flakes, if using. Add 1 tablespoon of the herbs and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened to your liking. Taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Create shallow wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into them. Immediately cover with a lid. With the heat on low, poach the eggs for 5-8 minutes until cooked through to your liking*. Alternatively, after adding the eggs, you could transfer the skillet (if it's heat-safe) to a 375-degree-Farenheit oven for this step: cook uncovered for approximately 8 minutes.

Season eggs with salt and pepper and sprinkle the remaining herbs on top. Transfer to plates, individual bowls or ramekins. Serve with crusty pieces of bread for mopping up the sauce and yolks.

* NOTE: When your eggs are done poaching, they may have a thin white veil covering the yolks. In the pictures above, I have pierced the yolks to reveal their lovely, runny centers.

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Prosciutto Ring

Last year, I prepared a magnificent feast of poached lobster and pommes maxim for our wedding anniversary. This year, I baked a prosciutto ring for old times’ sake (more on that in a minute), which I planned to serve for dinner, but due to our woefully barren fridge and pantry, I ended up eating two-thirds of the bread by mid-afternoon. Happy anniversary!

I’ve since tried my hand at making other breads — brioche, croissants, French baguette, focaccia — but the prosciutto ring remains a favorite. It’s a hearty, rustic bread and beneath its shiny, bacon-glazed crust is a chewy crumb with coarsely cracked pepper and hand-torn pieces of prosciutto scattered throughout.

The recipe comes from Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Bread Bible, and she recommends that you tear it, piece by piece, with your hands to preserve its texture. It's the kind of bread that begs to be shared with someone you love -- that is, if you have any left by the time they get home.

PROSCIUTTO RING Adapted from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

This is my go-to bread for last-minute party invites and get-togethers because it comes out of the oven two hours after you’ve started making it. Most breads require more rising time. I’ve also made individual rolls using this dough.

INGREDIENTS 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon honey or sugar 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast 1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup water, room temperature 4 ounces prosciutto, torn into bite-sized pieces 4 teaspoons rendered bacon fat or melted butter 1/2 cup ice

INSTRUCTIONS

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the flour, yeast, pepper and honey (or sugar) together. Whisk in the salt. Replace the whisk attachment with the hook attachment, and with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the water. Knead until the flour mixture is moistened, about one minute. Increase speed to medium (“4” on a kitchenaid mixer) and knead for 7 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll into a rope (Beranbaum says 18 inches long, but mine are usually shorter) and shape into a circle. You want an approximate 3-inch hole in the middle. Press the ends of the dough together lightly to seal and transfer the ring to a large square of parchment paper, a Silpain liner or (in a pinch) a square of aluminum foil. Let rise for an hour.  You can go ahead and preheat your oven to 450 degrees F at this point. Place a baking stone on the middle rack and a baking pan or cast iron skillet on the lowest rack. (You can also do this at the 30-minute mark of rising time if you don’t want to heat up your kitchen just yet.)

Before baking, brush the dough with the melted bacon fat or butter. Transfer the dough (while still on the parchment paper, liner or foil) to the baking stone. Pour the ice into the baking pan or cast-iron skillet, and quickly close the oven door. Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn the oven heat down to 400 degrees F and remove the paper/liner/foil from under the bread, slipping the bread directly onto the baking stone. (You can remove the baking pan or cast-iron skillet at this point.) Continue baking the bread for approximately 15 minutes until it’s golden brown on top. Keep close watch the last 10 minutes of baking to make sure the bread isn’t turning too dark (bordering on burned) — if so, cover in aluminum foil.

Remove bread from oven and brush again with bacon fat or butter. Let cool. To serve, Beranbaum says, “The texture of the bread is most appealing when torn rather than cut.”

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Soy-Ginger Glazed Salmon

I stole this soy-ginger glaze from a meatball recipe. Sorry, meatballs.

A few years ago, I made some glazed turkey meatballs for a New Year's Eve get-together, and they didn't stick around very long. One friend who rarely eats meat went bonkers over them. I'm telling you, it’s the glaze -- what else could elevate a humble meatball to such heights?

But in my world this glaze belongs to salmon.

(Check out the salmon my mother reeled in from the Pacific -- while rocking red lipstick, no less. I bet that guy was surprised to see her on the other end of the line.)

Cooked on high heat in a lightly oiled skillet, the salmon gets brown and crispy on each side before finishing in the oven. It’s a nearly fool-proof method for cooking fish.

The glaze can be made ahead of time, and the salmon takes 20 minutes or less to cook. Garnished with toasted sesame seeds and green onions, it’s a dish of elegant taste and presentation that requires remarkably little work.

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SOY-GINGER GLAZED SALMON Glaze adapted from Canal House Cooking, Volume 3 via Smitten Kitchen

Although the cooking instructions below are for two salmon fillets, the glaze makes enough for at least four fillets. Leftover glaze is terrific on baked chicken drumsticks or as a dipping sauce for wontons, dumplings or other appetizers that need a hit of flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)*, or 1/2 cup sake with 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon ground coriander 4 whole black peppercorns or 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 6-oz salmon fillets 2 teaspoons oil (I use grapeseed oil) 2 tablespoons green onions, green parts only, diced thinly 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

* You can find mirin in the Asian/International aisle of most grocery stores.

INSTRUCTIONS

In a saucepan, bring the brown sugar and water to a simmer. Add the soy sauce, mirin, ginger, coriander and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until glaze has reduced by a third to a half and lightly coats the back of a spoon. Cooking time varies because a low simmer means different things to different stove tops (and cooks). The glaze will continue to thicken as it cools, so keep this in mind. Strain glaze through a sieve into a heat-proof bowl. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Dry the salmon fillets with paper towels and set aside. (I don't even bother seasoning them with salt and pepper because the glaze adds so much flavor.) In a heat-proof frying pan or skillet, heat the oil on medium-high until hot. Add the salmon, skin-side down. Cook for two minutes without disturbing. With a spatula, carefully flip the fillets over and cook for another two minutes. Transfer the pan with the salmon to the oven. Cook for 10-15 minutes until salmon is cooked through to your liking.

Generously ladle the glaze on top of the salmon and drizzle along the sides of the plate. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

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Caramelized Pumpkin Cake with Maple Syrup Sour Cream and Spiced Pecans

This recipe is all about technique: make the cake, freeze it, cut the cake into rectangles, roll the rectangles in sugar and cook the cakes on all sides in a hot skillet. The last part of the process is key because it caramelizes the outside of the cake, wrapping it in a thin, crispy layer of sugar while warming the inside.

We have the creative folks at Oxheart in Houston, Texas (via Bon Appétit) to thank for this brilliant technique.

The original recipe features a chocolate-juniper cake with milk jam crème fraîche. I wasn't crazy about the juniper flavor, but the texture of the cake's brûléed four sides was so interesting that I began using the caramelization technique on my favorite chocolate cake. A friend called it a "brownie on steroids."

Some other variations I've dreamed up but have yet to try include caramelized yellow cake with fresh fruit and crème anglaise, caramelized carrot cake with cream cheese ice cream and toasted walnuts, caramelized strawberry cake with vanilla whipped cream and chocolate shavings. The list goes on.

Thanksgiving, however, demands a fall perspective, so today I bring you caramelized pumpkin cake with maple syrup sour cream and spiced pecans.

The maple syrup sour cream adds a tangy contrast to the cake (which has, for the record, been lauded all over the internet as one of the best pumpkin cake recipes around), and the spiced pecans are sweet and salty with just a smidgen of heat.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

CARAMELIZED PUMPKIN CAKE WITH MAPLE SYRUP SOUR CREAM AND SPICED PECANS Technique inspired by Oxheart via Bon Appétit; pumpkin cake adapted from Leite's Culinaria

First, I must give credit to Tim over at Lottie + Doof for introducing me to this technique. Tim knows how to pick winners. For his take on the chocolate-juniper version, click here.

A few recipe notes: Although you see my 8-inch square pan in the pictures above, I should have used my 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan. The cake rose more than I thought it would and was about a 1/3 thicker than I wanted. I had to cut each cake rectangle in half lengthwise to get the sizes I wanted for the final presentation. If you use a 9 x 13-inch pan, your rectangles shouldn't need much trimming. 

I nearly called the pecans "praline spiced pecans" but the recipe title was already bordering on over-the-top, so just know that some of the pecans will have a candy-like coating coming out of the oven. (You don't see any of the heavily coated-praline pecans in the photos above because 1) I didn't mix my pecans very evenly in the spice-butter mixture -- learn from my mistake and 2) Jason got to the good ones before I took pics. I forgive him.).

This works great for a fall-inspired dessert or a rich breakfast treat.

The recipe serves approximately 8-10 people depending on the length of your rectangles. That's what she said.

INGREDIENTS

For the Maple Syrup Sour Cream: 1/2 cup sour cream 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

For The Spiced Pecans: 1 cup pecan halves or pieces 2 tablespoons melted butter 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

For The Pumpkin Cake: 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 cups cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs 1/2 cup buttermilk (to make your own, see note*) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin Optional: 1 teaspoon ginger (Optional only because I didn't have any and the cake still turned out terrific. If you have it handy, by all means use it.)

*NOTE: You can make your own buttermilk or “sour milk” by adding ½ tablespoon of lemon juice to a scant ½ cup of milk or half-and-half. Stir and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before using. It should look thick curdled.

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Maple Syrup Sour Cream: In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup into the sour cream until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make The Spiced Pecans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, stir the cinnamon, brown sugar, cayenne and salt into the melted butter until well combined. Add the pecans and stir until they're evenly coated. Spread in one layer on a baking pan and bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Pecans can be stored at room temperature until ready to use.

Make The Pumpkin Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13x2-inch casserole dish or cake pan. Butter the pan/dish, place parchment paper in bottom of pan and butter the parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and white sugar on medium speed until well combined, scraping down the sides as necessary, approximately three minutes.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, stir the vanilla into the buttermilk and set aside.

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter-sugar mixture and mix on medium for 30 seconds after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the cake. Cover well and transfer cake to the freezer until frozen, approximately 2 hours. (Cake can be frozen up to three weeks in advance.)

Remove cake from freezer and invert onto a work surface. With a serrated knife, cut rectangles in lengths of your choosing. Trim the tops of the cake if they're overly rounded. Roll the rectangles generously in sugar. In a large pan or skillet on medium heat, heat the cakes approximately 30 seconds on each side, rotating with tongs as necessary until each side is evenly browned. Keep a close watch, as they'll burn quickly.

Transfer each cake rectangle to a plate, garnish with the maple syrup sour cream and spiced pecans. Serve immediately.

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Perfect Pan-Fried Mushrooms

When I learned to pan-fry mushrooms the Julia Child way, which I assume is the French way, I was a wee bit sad thinking back on all those soft, rubbery mushrooms I’d proudly cooked over the years.

Take it from Julia, if you want to experience a pan-seared mushroom in all of its intended glory, DON'T crowd the 'shrooms. Piling them on top of each other renders them soft and lifeless. They need space to brown evenly, which helps them reach a deep, rich, meaty flavor.

Here's how to do it...

Melt a tablespoon of butter (or oil) in a pan on medium high.

Add the mushrooms. Give the guys some room. (You can position them closer than I have here -- the main concern is that they're not overlapping.)

Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip them over one by one. Add an additional half-tablespoon of butter if the pan looks dry. Let them cook for a few more minutes. Flip over again, if needed.

The mushrooms should be deeply brown on each side and crispy along their edges. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer them to a plate. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.

I've served these as a first course nibble along with some roasted garlic aioli. They add a nice dimension of flavor to ho-hum weeknight pasta, and they're terrific piled onto a steak or a burger, like our fave the 1956 burger. I use this technique for nearly every recipe that calls for cooked mushrooms, and you can bet I'll be stirring them into my green bean casserole for Thanksgiving dinner.

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Cheddar-Jalapeno Sour Cream Biscuits

I couldn’t tell you exactly when I stopped ordering breakfast sandwiches through drive-through windows. It's been a while. Years. But it certainly wasn’t during childhood when a fast food biscuit was a rare and welcome treat. Or during my single days in Nashville when, on the way to work, I rolled into a gas station every morning for a neon-pink muffin and some beef jerky, which I chased with a Red Bull. And I’ve already discussed my epic sugar intake during college and the vending machine diet that encompassed a year of my twenties – clearly, I was no foodie then, either.

No, it was in the years that followed, I changed. I started cooking more. And reading more about health and diet. And as a family we made lifestyle changes for the better. Today, we eat very little processed food, although some days are better than others. We buy organic food as our budget allows. We cook the majority of our meals in our own kitchen. I guess you could say we've become boring responsible, healthy adults. Cheers to that! Pass the champagne! Whiskey! Anything!

Cakes, cookies and the like are for special occasions, not weekly productions, although a few generous friends in bakeries and coffee shops around Birmingham spoil my children with an occasional treat and for that, I say, always and forever, thank you.

But at home, you won’t find me serving my kids sugar bombs on a daily basis, certainly not a vanilla-buttermilk pancake tower loaded with sprinkles and milk chocolate ganache. Who does that?

What I’m trying to say is, more often than not, the recipes on this blog reflect the food we're eating around here: roast chicken, oven-baked garlicky broccoli, socca, you get the idea. We also like a few Donny Drapers in our life. We don’t, however, eat a lot of flour- or sugar-laden goodies, but when we do, I'd like to think most of them are lovingly made from scratch -- like these biscuits with their melty pockets of butter and cheese and diced jalapeño peppers scattered throughout, all parts held together by sour cream. Sour cream!

They're light and airy, bearing little resemblance to your standard, dense breakfast biscuit. We love them paired with a bowl of chili or a helping of pulled pork, but they’re also perfectly satisfying all by themselves.

CHEDDAR-JALAPENO SOUR CREAM BISCUITS Adapted from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen

These biscuits don't rise as much as their fluffier morning counterparts, but I don't hold that against them. If you want a taller biscuit, my friend Amanda swears by placing the biscuits so close together on the pan that they have no place to go but up.

Makes approximately 1 dozen two-inch biscuits.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits 1 1/2 cups sharp or extra sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated 2 jalapeño peppers, diced OR 2 tablespoons drained and chopped pickled jalapeños* 1 tablespoon oil, if using fresh jalapeños 1 cup sour cream Milk, half-and-half, cream or buttermilk, as needed Optional: 3 tablespoons butter, melted (I really shouldn't make this optional)

* If you're using canned jalapeños, I would taste them before adding. Some brands are hotter than others, so adjust measurements accordingly.

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

If using fresh jalapeños, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the jalapeños and cook until soft, approximately five minutes.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in the cheddar and jalapeños. Add the sour cream and stir until the mixture forms a sticky dough.  If needed, add milk, cream, etc. a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. (This part is messy. The dough will cling to the spoon, and you'll want to keep pushing it off the spoon and back into the bowl. Hang in there. It will come together.) Pat the mixture out on a well-floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness and use a biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits.* Bake on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheets for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter.

*At this point, you can transfer the formed, uncooked biscuits to the freezer until you're ready to bake. Just add an additional minute or two to the baking time.

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Favorite Simple Roast Chicken

A couple years ago, I was doing an internet search for a Thomas Keller recipe – you know, looking for something time-consuming and overly complicated that would require grocery store scavenger hunts and a day's worth of kitchen prep BUT in the end would be worth the effort and yield an incredible meal* – and I stumbled across Keller's “Favorite Simple Roast Chicken.” I nearly clicked away, but the recipe had more than 500 reviews and over 95% of those who commented said they’d make it again.

Intrigued, I roasted a chicken the Thomas Keller way for our next family meal. This required patting down the chicken with paper towels, showering it with a light rainfall of salt and roasting it in a hot oven. The preparation was, as its name promised, incredibly easy.

As for taste? Our family agreed with the masses. It was excellent and later became the inspiration for the roast chicken legs and thighs recipe featured on this blog.  

Roasting the whole chicken per Keller's technique gives you the same results as the legs and thighs recipe – crispy, crackly skin and tender meat with minimal kitchen effort – but in this adaptation, you get a gorgeous bird AND some fixin’s. Inspired by some of the comments on Epicurious, I place the chicken on a bed of diced carrots, potatoes and onions, which cook in the chicken fat while the bird roasts.

The vegetables directly under the chicken get the most love, rendering them meltingly soft and sweet, while the veggies scattered around the chicken turn brown and crispy along the edges.

I'm with Keller. This is my favorite simple roast chicken, too.

* Not all of Keller's recipes are overly challenging or labor intensive. I cook often from his entirely approachable Ad Hoc cookbook, which is full of straight-forward yet interesting takes on standards like blueberry cobbler and buttermilk biscuits. I'm also a fan of his leek bread pudding and glazed pork spare ribs.

FAVORITE SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN Adapted from Bouchon by Thomas Keller via Epicurious

Keller recommends trussing the chicken for even cooking.  I'm no trussing expert -- the first time I trussed a chicken was the first time I made this recipe several years ago. I learned by watching a youtube video. It's not complicated. And FYI, I found the kitchen twine at Whole Foods.

INGREDIENTS

3-4 lb chicken 8 carrots, peeled and diced into 3/4-inch pieces 2 medium-large yukon gold potatoes, diced into 3/4-inch pieces 1 large white or yellow onion, diced 2 tablespoons neutral oil (I use grapeseed oil) Salt and pepper 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, optional

Unsalted butter Dijon mustard

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring the chicken to room temperature. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, toss the carrots, potatoes and onions with the oil. Spread the vegetables in the bottom of a casserole dish or roasting pan. Season them lightly with salt and pepper.

Rinse the chicken, then dry it well with paper towels, inside and outside. As Keller says, "The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better." Season the chicken liberally with salt. Season with pepper. Truss the chicken. (Click here for a one-minute instructional video on how to do it.)

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Cook the chicken for an hour and 10 minutes. If your chicken is larger than 4 pounds, allow for more cooking time.

Remove the chicken from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board. Carve the chicken (Keller has specific instructions on this) but we just go to town however we please. And while it may not look pretty (Keller says the presentation isn't supposed to be fancy), it gets the job done.

Keller recommends slathering the chicken with unsalted butter and serving with Dijon mustard. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the chicken and vegetables immediately.

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Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream

I’ve spoken in the past about the virtues of Italian meringue buttercream: silky, a dream for decorating, sweet but not overly so. Today, I give you salted caramel buttercream, which tastes every bit as decadent as it sounds.

I used salted caramel buttercream on a four-layer cake for my sister-in-law’s baby shower, and several friends said it was their favorite flavor yet. The layers were white velvet cake, my standard for non-chocolate layer cakes.

The shower featured a hot air balloon theme. My talented friend Katie made the cookies. Guests played a guess-the-name game, as my brother and sister-in-law are keeping my nephew's name a secret until he's born (a.k.a. torturing the grandmothers).

Shower Photos by Jennifer Alsabrook-Turner

Baby boy is lucky to have such hip parents. My brother, Kent, is a professional counselor, former rock-n-roll drummer and cigar aficionado. And my sister-in-law, Carmen, is one of the most creative and stylish people I know.

Photo by K. Photography

Carmen is a photographer by trade (her newborn photography will give you baby fever), so I decided Baby Boy needed this:

We can't wait for his arrival.

SALTED CARAMEL ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM Adapted from my recipe for Basic Italian Meringue Buttercream and Food & Wine

This recipe makes 5-6 cups, which should be more than enough to fill and decorate a three- or four- layer cake or decorate two dozen cupcakes, depending on how heavy-handed you are with the buttercream. I used white velvet cake for the layers.

INGREDIENTS

For The Salted Caramel 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 3/4 cup heavy cream 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or more to taste)

For The Buttercream

1/2 cup water 2 1/4 cups sugar 1 teaspoon light corn syrup (to keep the sugar from crystallizing) 6 egg whites (pasteurized if you wish) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 1/4 lbs (5 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature 1/4 lb (1 stick) salted butter at room temperature 1 - 1 1/2 cups salted caramel

INSTRUCTIONS

Make The Caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until a deep amber caramel forms, approximately 6-8 minutes. (If you notice the syrup edges turning browner than the center, tilt the saucepan and gently swirl the caramel around. Keep close watch because the caramel can burn quickly.) Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully whisk in the cream, butter and salt. Let the caramel cool to room temperature. When the caramel has cooled, taste. Whisk in more salt if desired (1/4 teaspoon at a time). The caramel can be made up to two weeks in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before adding to the buttercream.

Make The Buttercream: Add the sugar and corn syrup to a small pot, then slowly poor water over top, making sure no sugar is above water level, stirring if necessary. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pot. Turn heat to medium-high. Bring sugar water to 240 degrees F.

While the sugar is heating, beat the eggs in the bowl of a mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Slow the mixer down if they reach this point before the sugar reaches 240 F.

When the syrup is ready, remove from heat. With the mixer on high, slowly — VERY SLOWLY — pour the sugar into the bowl, close to the edge and away from the beater, to prevent it from splattering against the sides of the bowl, where it will immediately harden. When all of the syrup has been poured in, continue beating the mixture on high until the bowl is cool to touch. This takes approximately 10 minutes, give or take a few.

With the mixer on low-medium speed, add the butter in tablespoon-size pieces until it is fully incorporated. The buttercream may break apart before starting to thicken up. Just keep mixing. When all of the butter has been incorporated and the frosting is smooth and fluffy, slowly add a cup of caramel, pouring in a thin stream. Beat on medium for another minute. Taste. If you want a stronger caramel flavor, slowly pour in the rest of the caramel. Beat for another minute.

You can decorate your cake or cupcakes immediately with the buttercream or store it in the fridge or freezer for future use, in which case it will need to be brought to room temperature and possibly whipped again lightly before using. I usually make my buttercream the day I'm serving the cake. (I always make my layers a day or two before and freeze them until I'm ready to assemble the cake.) The buttercream can sit out at room temperature for a few hours covered in saran wrap as long as your kitchen isn't too warm (in which case you may want to pop it in the fridge for a few minutes once an hour until you're ready to use).

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Maple Syrup-Roasted Tomatoes

Tomato candy. That's more or less what these caramelized beauties are.

Are you drowning in tomatoes? Or are you pouting like I am that your tomato vines are now singing their swan song? According to my friend, Amanda, who lives in Indianapolis, the Midwest is overrun by tomatoes at the moment. In an email, she writes,

I've never seen so many tomato recipes in my inbox or on facebook. Neighbors are learning to can. There are random tomatoes on my porch from neighbors who can't make another pot of roasted tomato soup. Nobody wants salsa anymore. The kids are on my case to pick the ripe ones. I can't keep up. I have decided it is good for the earth to leave overly ripe ones in the garden to rot and provide seeds for next year.

For those of you with an abundance of tomatoes, please allow me to cram a few more submissions into your already overflowing recipe box, including a lovely tomato tart – with goat cheese and honey! -- to showcase get rid of your garden surplus. 

For those of you lucky enough to be in possession of cherry or grape tomatoes, please don't let them rot on the vine or in a basket on your table like I might have done last week. Please give them some love – preferably some maple syrup love. It requires hardly any commitment on your part: simply toss 'em with maple syrup, olive oil, thyme and garlic and let your oven do the rest of the work.

Voilà!

A few weeks ago I tested this recipe using black cherry tomatoes from our garden. They were so good I ended up eating many of them straight off the baking pan. The tomatoes came out of the oven caramelized to the point of being sticky (yes to that), but they still retained a savory quality -- an earthy, tomato-y quality if you will -- in each bite after that initial burst of sweetness.

I was drawn to this recipe because the syrup-roasting technique was touted as a way of bringing out remarkable flavor in not-so-flavorful, off-season tomatoes. Tim over at Lottie + Doof featured this recipe in March 2011 when he was longing for a taste of summer. He was pleasantly surprised at how much this method dressed up store-bought tomatoes. I tested it with grocery store grape tomatoes (pictured in this post) and agree. I'll certainly be revisiting the recipe in the winter months to come.

MAPLE SYRUP-ROASTED TOMATOES Adapted from Saveur via Lottie + Doof

I liked Tim's adaptations to the original recipe, so that's what you'll mostly see here. I'm partial to using thyme sprigs in addition to the stemmed thyme because I love thyme and because I still have a lot growing in my garden. Use as little or as much as you wish.

Thoughts on serving: Arrange the tomatoes on crusty bread with goat cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Use them as a topping for homemade pizza. Skewer them on toothpicks for an hors d'œuvre. You can also, always and forever, forgo all formalities and eat them straight off the pan.

INGREDIENTS

20 cherry or grape tomatoes, whole or halved 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Pinch of red pepper flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Whisk together the maple syrup, oil, thyme, garlic and red pepper. In a bowl, combine the syrup mixture with the tomatoes, stirring gently until evenly coated. Pour the tomatoes and thyme-garlic-syrup mixture onto an aluminum foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet (with rim). Spread the tomatoes out in an even layer. If using halves, arrange the tomatoes cut-side up. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes are half-dried and concentrated, approximately 3 hours*. Taste. Season again with salt if needed.

*  NOTE: Cooking time will vary depending on your texture preference. Tim recommends 2-3 hours. The original recipe advises 3-4 hours. I found 3 hours was about right for what I was going for.

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Roasted Mushroom Salad With Pistachio Puree And Radishes Two Ways

This is not your average salad. And not just because it looks like some kind of whimsical Alice in Wonderland creation with its half-moons (baby bellas), pretty green dots and petals (pistachios and microgreens) and pink shoots (pickled radishes). 

I’ve featured only two salads on this blog in its 15 months of existence, as I figure the traditional formula is out there a thousand times over: greens + cheese + nut, maybe + fruit, maybe + dressing. I'm not knocking salad recipes -- I scour the internet for good ones all the time -- just saying I probably won't add to the discussion very often.

Today I'm breaking that rule. Because a salad with mushrooms, pistachios (two ways) and radishes (two ways) on one plate? Worth discussing.

This salad comes from Chef David Chang of Momofuku fame. The first time I made it, I bought all the ingredients before doing any internet research. This was inadvertently a good move because had I read the reviews, I may not have made it. "Fell flat" seems to be the expression of choice. Some admitted to taking a few flopped liberties with the recipe, while others complained the pistachio purée's consistency was too watery. I've never had an issue with the purée, but I use more braised pistachios than the recipe calls for, so maybe that's the trick.

After making this salad a half dozen times, my final review is that it works -- all parts play off of each other beautifully. I've never made or eaten anything like it.

In the past, I've prepared the salad exactly as Chang instructs, but have since made a few tweaks that allow you achieve the same flavor and presentation with less time and without spending as much money.

My first time making salad, I tracked down the konbu (at an offensive price at Whole Foods) for Chang's bacon dashi, which is a seaweed-bacon infused broth. I had a hunch going to the trouble of making the dashi wasn’t necessary, though, as it's used to braise the pistachios, nothing else. It's not even used to make the pistachio puree; water is. The dashi is worth making if you're planning on using it in other Momofuku dishes, but for this recipe, you want a stock that’s going to infuse some flavor -- I think chicken stock (or even vegetable stock) does the job.

The pickled radishes are my addition. Chang calls for pickled sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes), which I’ve made and enjoyed – they have a pleasant crunch -- but they were pricey and hard to find. So now I pickle radishes instead since they’re already in the recipe, raw, sliced thinly and cut in halves. I have a thing for a dish that incorporates one ingredient two ways. Plus, the pickled radishes add a pop of color to the plate. (The pickling, by the way, takes maybe 2-3 minutes of prep work and can be done the night before, so don't let that scare you off.) 

The rest of the dish is brilliance, particularly the pistachio purée, which brings everything together, and the mushrooms, which are seared in a hot skillet before further cooking down in butter, garlic and vinegar.

This salad is my current favorite first course. Plated in smaller portions, it would also work as an excellent amuse-bouche if you want to put your fancy pants on. From experience, though, I should warn you: it’s a scene-stealer. Several courses later, your dinner guests will still be talking about it.

SAUTEED MUSHROOM SALAD WITH PISTACHIO PUREE AND RADISHES TWO WAYS Adapted from Momofuku by David Chang and Peter Meehan

Confession: I made another change to the original recipe (in addition to the ones described above). Chang instructs you to save a third of the braised pistachios for the final salad presentation. However, I like the crunch of the roasted pistachios as a contrast to the mushrooms.

Also, don't let the pickling step prevent you from making this salad. If you are scared of pickling like I once was: 1) Don't be, it's easy OR, 2) make the salad without them, the world won't end and there are still plenty of tasty things going on here.

Serves six.

INGREDIENTS

For the Pickled Radishes: ¾ cup water, hot from the tap 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar 4 ½ tablespoons sugar 1 ½ teaspoons salt 6 radishes, sliced in ¼-inch sections and cut into strips

For the Salad: 2 radishes, trimmed, halved and sliced into thin wedges 1/2 tablespoon sugar Salt 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock ¼ cup mirin 1 1/3 cups shelled roasted pistachios ½ cup water Grapeseed or other neutral oil 8 ounces oyster mushrooms, trimmed – cut them into strips or leave them large 3 ½-ounce package enoki mushrooms 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms (or a wild mushroom variety of your choosing) Pepper 2 garlic cloves, smashed 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1/2 cup pickled radishes (see recipe) Handful of microgreens*

* Note on the microgreens: Chang suggests mizuna. I used mache rosettes in the pictures you see above. You want a small, tasty green -- I think even a few chives (left long, approximately three inches) would work well here.

INSTRUCTIONS

Pickle The Radishes: Combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Pour the brine over the radishes, cover and refrigerate. Pickles usually get better with time, but I liked the radishes on days 1-3... by day 7, they were unpleasantly strong. My recommendation is to make these the day before you serve the salad.

Make The Salad: Toss the fresh radish halves with the sugar and a half teaspoon of salt and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock and mirin to a boil. Add one cup of the pistachios and reduce the stock to a simmer. Cook for approximately one hour until the pistachios are tender. Drain the pistachios, discard the stock and transfer the pistachios to a food processor. Add ½ cup water and process until smooth. The purée can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Just bring back to room temperature before serving.

Add a tablespoon of oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat. (I sometimes have two skillets going for this step.) Add a batch of mushrooms to the skillet, making sure there’s enough room between them to brown. Don’t overcrowd. Cook for 2-3 minutes, turn them over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.

When all the mushrooms are cooked, return them to the skillet on medium heat. Add the garlic and butter. When the butter has melted, add the vinegar and cook on high, stirring the mushrooms occasionally until the liquid has mostly boiled away. Remove from heat and discard the garlic.

To plate the salad, spread 2-3 tablespoons of the purée on a plate. Scatter the mushrooms, fresh radishes, pickled radishes and pistachios on top. Finish with a few pinches of microgreens.