J is for Jello

J is for Jello!

Jello is gross, and kinda good. My mom had a Betty Crocker cookbook from 1958 which had a mess of very strange recipes for dessert and savory (ugh!) gelatins. Here is a link to a Buzzfeed list of horrifyingly disgusting gelatin recipes. mmmmm..

The Jell-o website has a bunch of recipes which are sweet, not savory. Savory gelatins are definitely out of fashion, it's for the best...

I don't have any recommendations on what you should do if you want to eat Jell-o, we used to dye our hair with it back in the tween punk-rock years, except maybe you should reconsider...

I is for Ice-cream cake

I is for Ice Cream Cake

Ice cream cake is one of those lovely things which is so easy, once you have made one you are going to kick yourself that you haven't done this before. They are especially great for kids birthdays but can also be a very sophisticated dessert for a dinner party.

Here's an old post with my favorite recipes and the steps to make your kiddos love you forever :)

Ice Cream Cake 3/6/2012

Ice Cream Cake is one of those things that seems like it would be difficult to make, but is actually incredibly simple and incredibly versatile.

This recipe is for a 9" X 4" pan with a push bottom. Springforms work fine here too. The recipe can be adjusted up for a larger pan, just add on one layer at a time.

Grease your pan very lightly with a non-stick spray. I generally prefer the ones that are just vegetable oil, cocoanut oil is probably best for ice cream cake as the slight flavor wont clash with the cake.

The basic method is to line the bottom of the pan with a crumb crust (1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups crushed cookie crumbs). Microwave 1 quart of ice cream on defrost for 1 minute. Spread it into the pan. Top it with whatever fillings you think would be fun, then freeze and repeat until the pan is full. If I am going to write on the cake, I frost it with regular cake icing in two layers.

Flavor combos:

Chocolate and vanilla with plain and cocoa crispies in between layers is our family birthday party standard.

Vanilla with mixed drunken berries in the layers and a ginger cookie crust; completely appropos for a swanky dinner party.

Chocolate and cocoanut layers with flaked toasted cocanut and shaved chocolate layers = icy .

 

Here is a link to the Martha Stewart website with recipes for some lovely and sophisticated ice cream cakes as well as some old-fashioned classics.

H is for Hazelnut sandwich cookies.

H is for Hazelnut sandwich cookies.

How can you not love a sandwich cookie? These are easy and sweet and lovely for holiday baking.

2 cups fine whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick of COLD butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup of chopped hazelnuts
1 small jar of nutella

Toast the hazelnuts in a frying pan until fragrant and just browning.
In a small bowl fork sift dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar, add egg. Add the dry ingredients and mix quickly so the butter doesn't get warm. Fold in the hazelnuts. Drop by the rounded teaspoon full onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 6-8 minutes. Cool. When cool to the touch, spoon one scant teaspoon of nutella and top with another cookie.
 

G is for Grunt

 G is for Grunt

What is a Grunt, you ask? It's a Massachusetts thing, my people call them slumps. But what ARE THEY??? Fruit and pastry.

For the filling you will need about:
4 cups of berries
2 cups of peeled and cut up apples, pears or other thicker-fleshed fruit.
2 or 3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup of lemon-water.

For the biscuit topping:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick of best quality butter (room temp.)
1/4 cup buttermilk or labneh
1tsp cinnamon
1tbsp demerara or other brown, crystal sugar

Mix the biscuit topping ingredients together without letting the butter or buttermilk get warm, you want a barely mixed, almost crumbly, NOT smooth dough. If it seems very dry, you can gradually add a tablespoon of extra buttermilk at a time until the dough comes together. The less you handle the dough, the lighter your biscuits will taste.
 
In a 10" x 3" skillet, cook the berries, water and sugar until the fruit is soft and the color is very bright. Drop biscuit dough by the spoonful on top of the berries, sprinkle with demerara sugar and cinnamon. Cover with a lid and let cook on low heat for about 15 minutes. Biscuits will look and feel 'set' when fully cooked.

Serve warm with ice or whipped cream topping.

F is for French Silk Pie

F is for French Silk Pie

French means its fancy, no?? No, actually, not today. French silk pie is about as homey as it gets.

A good French Silk pie reminds me of going to my grandmother's for dinner on a Sunday when I was a very small child and what could be better than that???

For the crust:

Crush 1 package graham crackers, blend with 1tbsp sugar and 1/3 cup butter. Press into the bottom of a 9" pie tin.

For the filling (dairy):

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup gram or whole wheat cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups 'light cream' or all natural 1/2 & 1/2

2/3 Cup best quality chocolate, chopped

Into a saucepan, sift together sugar, cocoa, flour and salt. Gradually whisk in cream. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until a thick custard forms, about 3 to 5 minutes. Keep whisking the whole time it is on the heat, or it will burn. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until melted and smooth.

For the filling (non-dairy):

In a blender or food processor, combine 1 16oz block of silken tofu, 1/2 cup sesame tahini, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1/2 cup melted chocolate, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup soy milk.

Pour your filling into the pie shell. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. Top with whipped cream and some chocolate shavings. Fancy.

E is for Eclairs

E is for Eclairs

Eclairs are easy! Did you know this? They are so easy that I made them for my dad on his birthday just one month after my first child was born. And possibly he was just being gracious, though he tended to tell you the truth about such things, but he and my mom ate at least two each so I think they were pretty tasty...



Make one recipe of Martha Stewart's Pate Sucree
It's fool proof and delicious...

Pipe and bake your eclairs according to directions.
Whip together:
1 pint whipping cream
1 tbsp tia maria liquer
2 tbsp granulated sugar
refridgerate

Melt 8oz best dark chocolate into 1/2 cup heavy cream. Blend the mixture well until it is smooth and glossy.

Fill your eclairs with the cream mixture from a pastry bag and pour the chocolate over them. Fancy easy posh pastry.

D is for Donuts

D is for Donuts

Donuts are sort of a very ambitious cook's project. BUT, there are a mess of recipes out there for healthi-er and, in my opinion, actually much tastier versions from what you can get in donut shops. I really do not like the standard Pink and Orange or Green and White donuts. They have a strange aftertaste that I don't remember them having when I was a kid. This might be increasing sensitivity of old age or they may have changed the recipe somehow... either way, if I'm going to eat these things, I'll be making my own.

A survey of good online dounut recipes:

101 Cookbooks: Baked Donuts- These are yummy and actually comparatively pretty easy to make.

A Small Snippet: Whole Wheat Donuts with Honey Glaze- Not pretty to look at but quite tasty.

Ina Garten's: Cinnamon Baked Donuts- Ina nails it as usual, delicious, cake-y perfect for a special occasion.

C is for Cheesecake!!!

C is for Cheesecake

Those of your who have been reading this blog for a while know I loves me some cheesecake!
I experiment, I tinker, I modify, but when all is said and done, I feel like an occasional regular American-style cake is the way to go..

 Crush a packet of graham crackers (or whole wheat digestive biscuits) with 1/2 stick of buttter and 1 tbsp sugar. Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with this mixture.

In your blender combine 2 (8 oz) packets cream cheese (or Labneh Chtoora if you happen to have access to it) with 3 eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, 1tbsp lemon juice (tsp zest is optional). Blend until smooth and pour into your pan. Bake in a water-bath at 350 (180) for 45 - 55 minutes, watch it closely after 30 min. You want the center set, but not browning...

Top with any (or all) fruits. Bliss.

B is for Brookie

B is for Brookie. 

What is a brookie, you ask? My nieces all their friends are deeply into this combination of a brownie with a toll-house cookie.

Make 1/2 recipe of toll house cookie dough.

Make this recipe of brownie batter:





1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (white ww flour or chapatti flour works well here)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder 

In a 9 x 13" non-stick pan, swirl or layer together the cookie and brownie batter. Bake at 350 degrees (180) for about 25 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Endear yourself to pre-teenage girls.

 

A to Z Challenge 2014: A is for Almond Toffee

A is for Almond Toffee:

It's Lent and I'm avoiding all alcohol and most sugars and hanging in there pretty well, but in a brainstorm with my culinary BFF today on WHAT am I going to write about for the 2014 A to Z challenge she practically begged me to do desserts and sweets. So while you were going to get a city by city guide to typical foods kicking off in Ankara, now you get candy, cake and pastry. Win/win??

Toffees are about the easiest thing in the universe to make.
Prepare a large (11" X 14") jelly roll pan by either spraying it with non-stick cooking spray or lining it with buttered parchment paper.

Melt together  4 sticks of butter and 2 cups of sugar (I know, REALLY??). Cook on low, stirring often but gently, until a candy thermometer reads 240 degrees F. Add 3 cups of Almonds to this mixture and continue to stir gently until it reaches 290. Pour the candy into the pan and spread with an offset non-stick spatula.

While this is cooling, chop up 12oz of the best chocolate you can find. I'm liking the Perugina Luisa bar for this. Its 51% cacao so its not too dark and has a lovely smooth consistency. Cover the toffee with the chocolate bits and let them melt a little. Spread the chocolate evenly over the toffee and sprinkle with about 1 cup of chopped almonds.

Let cool an hour or two in the fridge. Remove from the pan. Break into edible-size pieces. You can play around with this as much as you like. Add cocoanut, pretzels, dried cherry etc.

A to Z Challenge- X,Y, Z

 X,Y and Z are just not for things I come across very often.

So I fell apart on X,Y, and Z. I took the kids to Rome for a few days, that's a decent excuse, don't you think?

X
The Chinese use lots of X's so watermelon transliterates to Xigua, but I dont think this precisely counts.

Xylocarp is the scientific name for a coconut or any other woody-exterior fruit that grows on a tree.

Evidently, there's a fruit called the Ximenia which produces and essential oil that can be used for preventing parasitic infections, so that's nice. It tastes like a plum.

Y
Y is for Yam. I've always wondered about the difference between a true Yam and a Sweet Potato. From the Library of Congress- More than you ever wanted to know about the difference between Yams and Sweet Potatoes.

This extremely groovy website of Nigerian Recipes can tell you what to do if you get your hands on a true yam!

Z
The jujube is technically called the Zizyphus jujuba. No sh(%!

Zucchini is a vegetable I actually dont really find worth eating. To my taste, it has no flavor whatsoever. My husband likes to sautee zucchini in about 45 cloves of garlic and a liter of olive oil with some tomatoes. Which will pretty much make anything taste good. I like to mix the leftovers of this concoction with eggs and scramble it. Tasty!

A to Z Challenge- W

W is for Watermelon and Watercress

Yeah! Comprehensible foodstuffs...Sorry, U was horrible and I know X is virtually impossible... plus I'm supposed to be on Y by now....

Watermelon cooler

In a blender, combine 1tbsp agave or sugar syrup, about three cups of de-seeded watermelon chunks and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Give it a quick whirr, just to mix it and get the watermelon to release its juices. You can pour it through a strainer if you don't like the texture or just drink it as is. This is delicious with a splash of white rum.



Watercress sandwich

So, you've got a watermelon cooler, you might as well eat something with it. Cut the crusts off some good home (or bakery)-made white bread. Generously spread with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add watercress. Cut into triangles. Serve with watermelon cooler, preferably on a porch located below the Mason-Dixon line...

A to Z Challenge - V

V is for Vanilla and Vidalia Onions

Vanilla Panna Cotta 

In a heavy bottom sauce pan, slowly cook 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup light cream, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 vanilla beans (split) until just beginning to simmer. Pour the mixture through a strainer and whisk in 1 oz gelatin until fully dissolved. Set aside until cool to touch (1/2 hour). When cool, fold in 2 cups of strained yogurt.
Pour mixture into lightly buttered, 10" tart pan (removable bottom is easier) or about 1 dozen jelly glasses.
Lovely served by itself or with fresh fruits.



Vidalia Onion Dip
 

Martha Stewart likes Vidalia Onions, I mean a LOT. A search for 'Martha Stewart Vidalia Onions' will give you 300,000 hits without dupulicates.
Her dip is a massive improvement over dried onion soup based dips (which I love, BTW). The onion flavor is richer and stands out so well against the creaminess... Now I have to go buy some potato chips, sigh!
Martha Stewart's Vidalia Onion Dip

A to Z Challenge- U

U is for Ugli Fruit and Ulluco

I've never eaten or cooked either of these foods and cant really find much by way of recipes. Which is kinda good, this corresponds with my general falling apart in the A to Z Challenge... sigh!

Ugli Fruit
Ugli fruit is actually a brand name under which the Jamaican  Tangelo is sold.






Ulluco
Here's some info about a S. American vegetable called Ulluco, it looks suspiciously like a potato.

A to Z Challenge - T

T is for Tomatoes and Turnips

Tomatoes are fruits. This is good for me because I cant find any other 'T' fruits- know any??

 Roasted Tomato Sauce

Cut your tomatoes into chunks, toss with garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil and roast on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven until good and cooked through (maybe 40 min.). When beginning to bubble,  add some fresh basil, kalamata olives and capers to the pan. Roast for 5 minutes more.
Now you can spoon this mixture over fish or chicken, excellent.
Toss it with pasta of course, or serve it as an appetizer on some crusty bread.



Turnip Mash

Once someone from California moved to Putnam and asked a bunch of ladies outside of school "I just dont understand why there isn't more local, organic produce here???" That would have been because it was February. Local and organic in Putnam in February means only one thing- Turnips.

When in doubt- Ina Garten's mashed yellow turnips with crispy shallots save a somewhat scary vegetable.

A to Z Challenge- S

S is for Spinach and Strawberries

Spinach and egg pie

1 brick frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
5 eggs
1/2 cup 1/2 and 1/2
1 cup gruyere cheese- grated
2tbsp whole wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste

Grease and flour a 10" tart pan. Put the cheese and spinach in the pan. Mix everything else in the blender and pour it over the spinach/ cheese mixture. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes or until just set in center. Serve cooled in slices.

Strawberry Shortcake

For the absolutely most delicious shortcake on the planet use the recipe here
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001481.html
The only change I make is using only a 1/4 tsp of salt.

Follow the recipe for honey-champagne syrup as well. Make the syrup and pour it over your berries (you'll need a couple of pints).

For the whipped cream- 1 pint whipping cream, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp almond extract.

Assemble, die from how good this is!

A to Z Challenge - R

R is for Radishes and Raspberries

 Radishes

Ways to serve radishes-
sliced in a salad
cut off the tops, use a pastry bag to squirt some butter, sprinkle with salt, put top back- pop in mouth
with olive oil, coarse salt and pepper
cooked in butter over pasta with spinach or chard
chop finely and add to tuna salad or potato salad


Raspberry mousse

All rasberry mousse recipes involve cooking the berries with sugar and gelatine to make a thick syrup and then blending it with a dairy product (either cream or yogurt). For something a little lighter:

3 cups rasberries
1/2 cup honey
1 block silken tofu
1/4 cup sesame tahini
2 tsp. vanilla

Blend the honey, tofu, tahini and vanilla in the blender. Fold in the rasberries. Chill and serve. So decadent but really pretty healthy. (Serves 4)

A to Z Challenge - Q

Q is for Quince and There are no vegetables that begin with Q!

Quince Paste
There is something so nice about fruit pastes with cheese. The Quince, a hard, tart apple-like fruit makes the most lovely jam or a thicker gelatin the Spanish call Membrillo. Peel & chop 2 or 3 quinces. Put them in a small pan with the juice of a lemon and about 1/4 cup of sugar. Quince is full of pectin so you don't have to worry too much about adding it. Cook on low until the quince pieces have turned pinkish and fully broken down. Pour into a jar and refrigerate until cold. Serve with sharp cheese, I like with the sharp Venetian cheese 'Bastardo Del Grappa'.

If you know a 'Q' veg, leave me a comment~!

A to Z Challenge- P

P is for Pineapple, Papaya, Passionfruit plus Potatoes.

There are a wealth of P vegetables and fruits out there!


Pineapple, Papaya and Passionfruit Custard Pie.

Cover the bottom of a well-greased & floured 10" tart pan with alternating thin slices of papaya and pineapple. In a blender, combine 3 eggs, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2tbsp whole wheat flour. When well blended, scoop out the fruit of two passion fruits and mix this in by hand.
Pour the mixture over the pineapple and papaya. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or until set. Go nuts, sprinkle it with pomegranate seeds. Serve cold.


Potatoes.
Ok, I admit it, I don't really like potatoes au gratin, possibly the most obvious dish for this post. I like baked potatoes. I like mashed potatoes (especially with garlic & truffle oil). I like roasted potatoes and I adore homemade french fries.

I've just never really gotten the hang of au gratin potatoes. In my au gratin, the potatoes often come out sorta rubbery or not cooked enough and the sauce is never really flavorful enough.

Two ideas that have me re-thinking this problem:

The Smitten Kitchen has this simpler and possibly more tasty version. This recipe is really pared down, I can see where the flavors would be clean and nice here. Everything she does is more tasty than everything I do...

There's Ina Garten's Potato Fennel Gratin which sounds impossibly rich. Since its Ina, you know its delicious and appropriate for the fanciest party you ever threw.

A to Z Challenge - O

O is for Oranges and Olives

 Orange cake
This is a lowbrow cake, but it is super easy and delicious.
One Duncan Heinz yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter melted & cooled
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup white rum
2 tsp orange essence- undyed
2 oranges, sliced through the width, so that each slice is made of sections of the natural wedges.
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup orange marmalade + tsp white rum
2 8oz. bricks of cream cheese
powdered sugar
Orange zest.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour (thickly) two 9" cake pans. In a large bowl combine mix, butter, eggs, milk, rum & orange essence. Follow package directions for blending. Line the bottom of the pans with the orange slices. Split the batter into the two pans. Bake for 35 - 40 min. Turn out the pans with the oranges up onto a wire rack. Let cool.
In a mixer combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange essence to taste. Toast walnuts - chop. Mix walnuts and orange marmalade with rum. Spread this mixture on top of one layer. Place 2nd layer and frost. Garnish with zest.


Warm Marinated Olives.
Take a cup of basic mixed olives in brine. Add these to a small frying pan with 1/2 cup best-quality extra-virgin olive oil. 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, sliced, a red chili, some fresh rosemary and/or thyme plus salt & pepper to taste. Toast this mixture until the oil just begins to bubble. DO NOT ALLOW THE GARLIC TO BROWN. Pour into a jar, refrigerate, and re-heat to serve after 2 or 3 days.