Marzipan Loaf Cake

  

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
There is something about certain food words that make them extra special. I have gone on for years about how much sexier tangerine is than orange. Drizzle is way more upscale than drip. There is nothing I can do with foam, but put a a savory marmalade on my plate and I am in. I feel this way about marzipan, much cooler than almond paste.

Which brings me to the cake I just pulled from the oven. I was wandering about LIDL, my local weird supermarket which I have a love/hate relationship with. They are a European chain and often have unusual products littered randomly throughout the store. Things I don't really think anyone on Long Island wants or needs, like pickled Greek Octopus salad (rubbery and inedible) to the bar of marzipan I found today which was 40% off, a leftover from Christmas. Fortunately this stuff is almost indestructible.

Recently I had read a Nigella recipe for a marzipan loaf which sounded like it needed trying. Here it is, unchanged from original, though now I'm thinking adding chocolate chips would be divine!

Note: this is a British recipe so it's in grams, get out those scales!

Ingredients
150 grams marzipan
125 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50 grams granulated sugar
75 grams all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
3 large eggs, room temperature

Procedure
Heat oven to 325. Spray and line a loaf pan with parchment and spray parchment.

Tear up the marzipan into small pieces and put in food processor, then add everything else and run till batter is smooth. Stop twice to scape down sides of the bowl. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden, it springs back, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Freezes well.

Mandarin Orange (or Clementine) Cake

 

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Last weekend, we were at the Jersey Shore hanging out with my husband's college buddies. What did we do there? A little beach time, some boardwalk-ing. Lots of eating, drinking, and discussing the end of America as we know it — which led to more drinking and eating. Everyone brought food and beverages and our lovely hosts made it all work together seamlessly into a splendid holiday.

One of the things I tried for the first time, was an orange-flavored cake with only 5 ingredients, by Nigella Lawson. But of course I ended up putting my own spin on it. The recipe calls for almond flour — it's naturally gluten-free! — but I didn't have any almond flour, so instead I used a combo of half Bob's Red Mill hazelnut flour and half grain-free paleo flour. The recipe is also dairy-free. And, lastly, I switched out the sugar for Erythritol (alternative sweetener sold under the brand name Swerve) so I could eat it.

You can do an optional glaze using lemon or orange juice and confectioners sugar, but I think it's intense enough as it is. Perhaps a chocolate drizzle is in order? Other changes I made to original recipe were the inclusion of ground coriander, cinnamon, and mace. The original recipe said to use a springform pan, but I opted for a parchment-lined square pyrex dish and it cooked perfectly. I left the edges of the parchment paper tall so I could use it to lift the cake out of the pan. Here is my recipe, but please note this can be experimented with and certainly improved. Say ... with the always sexy tangerine, or lemon or lime or grapefruit. Note: the amount of sugar you use will need to be adjusted depending on the citrus.

Ingredients
5 whole mandarin or clementine oranges (total 375 grams)
220 grams Swerve granular sugar substitute
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
125 grams hazelnut flour
125 grams Paleo grain free flour
1/4 teaspoon mace (you can substitute nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coriander

Procedure
Put the oranges in a pot, cover with water, partially cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for two hours. Keep an eye on it, as the water has a tendency to boil off. Drain and let cool. Cut the oranges in half and remove any seeds. Spray a glass pan with baking spray, line with parchment, spray again, and set aside. Preheat oven to 375.

Place the oranges into a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and pulse till you have a purée, then add everything else. Scrape batter into pan and bake 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes in pan before lifting out. It's better the next day — but who can wait? I'm thinking a little salted caramel ice cream on top might be fabulous.

Almond Breakfast Bread (for folks with severe dietary limitations)

Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
I have a fantastic job cooking for a wonderful family and the Mom has quite a few restrictions on what she can eat, but loves food and trying new things. This keeps me on my toes and constantly experimenting. I am now working with a new palette of ingredients which include alternative sugars, dairy substitutes, no legumes, and gluten-free options. Learning how they interact and trying to make things taste good while staying within my new framework is a fun problem. Breads and baked sweets are particularly challenging. We have all had plenty of heavy, gummy or super dry and gritty desserts! This breakfast bread is a winner and I am currently working on variations which I will list at the bottom of the recipe.

Ingredients
3 eggs
3/4 cup almond butter
6 tablespoons agave syrup
1/2 cup non-dairy sour cream
3 drops Boyajian's orange oil
3 Tablespoons Earth first butter (non-soy)
1 Tablespoon Yuzu or lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup arrowroot
2 teaspoons baking powder

Procedure
Put everything but the arrowroot and baking powder in blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend 30 seconds. Then add dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula to make sure everything mixes. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes in a spray-greased loaf pan. Test with a toothpick to see if it's done.

Notes
I use the Vitamix because I don't have a stand mixer at work, but a mixer would be great. I am now experimenting with other nut butters like hazelnut chocolate butter (Nutella basically, but with more body) tahini, peanut butter, and cashew butter. Extracts like coffee, maple, and mint are also a great way to alter the flavor. Boyajian oils are fun to play with because they add an intense pure shot of citrus without thinning the batter. You can also fold in nuts or fresh berries or dried fruit.

Fussy French Macarons

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I have always heard that making French macarons is very difficult. Four simple ingredients, how complex can it be? Well it turns out to be true! I assumed the reason people failed was that they did not follow the instructions carefully enough. Being a pretty experienced baker who is very good at reading and following a recipe, I decided to give it a go last night. I prepared myself by watching 6 different videos on the "fool proof methods" people use to achieve the proper texture, surface, feet, and flavor we all know and love. Six recipes, six different methods, six times I was annoyed and confused. I decided to try 2 different recipes, one from the Tasty website and one from the ex-con herself, Martha Stewart. One took 2 hours to make (including the resting and drying time) one took 15 minutes to make, same ingredients, different results. In the end I have combined methods from all the recipes I read and created my own method using basically Martha's recipe but not her technique. One of the most important thing is to weigh out the ingredients in grams as it is much more accurate. I had just okay results (as you can see by the photos) but I learned so much each time I failed. I always say to master a new recipe you need to make it at least 3 times so I am going to do it again today and will post an update if it is noticeably better. One factor I need to mention is humidity, which greatly impacts the cooking of meringue which is what these cookies essentially are. Today it is 97% humidity and pouring, so I am factoring that into my potentially crappy results. All the recipe instructions agreed on one thing, after you fill them you have to refrigerate them for at least 24 hours before serving so it's too soon to say if all this fuss was worth it. I will keep you posted.


Ingredients
71 grams Almond flour (I used Trader Joe's)
117 grams confectioners sugar
1 pinch salt
2 large egg whites, room temperature (I used organic)
53 grams granulated sugar

Optional
2 drops gel food coloring of your choice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or other extract or flavoring

Procedure
Preheat oven to 300 degrees with rack in lower third of oven. Take a piece of parchment the same size as your sheet pan and draw 3/4-inch circles in sharpie 1 inch apart. Turn it over so ink is on bottom and place on sheet pan.

Place almond flour and confectioners sugar in a food processor and pulse around 14 times to make a super fine texture. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to get out any big pieces. Whisk egg whites in electric mixer with a pinch of salt. Once foamy slowly sprinkle in the granulated sugar and whip till glossy and stiff peaks form. Add flavoring (extracts or flavored oils) and food coloring, if desired, and beat on highest for speed 30 seconds.

Add dry ingredients in three additions carefully folding from bottom over the top then turning the bowl. This will probably take about 40-45 folds. Then you need to press some of the air out of the batter by pushing it against the side of the bowl and turning. You know the batter is correctly mixed when you can let it fall off the spatula and it ribbons enough so you can make a figure eight with the batter which dissapears after 30 seconds. The batter should look like shiny flowing lava.

Transfer batter to pastry bag, remember it's pretty runny so it might come out of the bottom of the bag. My new trick is I fold up the bottom of the bag up and hold it with a bag clip until I am ready to start. Dab some batter (remaining in bowl) onto bottom corners of parchment so it does not lift when piping cookies.

Pipe batter onto rounds from the side so you don't end up with a nipple on the top (one of my mistakes). Tap sheets firmly against counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles. Then let sit for 60 minutes till a dull film forms over macaroons and when you touch them your finger does not stick.

Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set, 13 minutes. Let cool on rack. Pipe or spread filling on flat sides of half of cookies; sandwich with remaining half. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. I don't know why but will know tomorrow! Below are some photos of my mistakes!

 
Left to right: rookie mistake, they are too close together; macarons are much too tall and they were piped incorrectly.

Some closing notes: It's very confusing figuring out which recipe and which techniques to trust. I always look for a recipe which comes from a well-known source and one which has been tested and the notes are added to the recipe. Remember weather will always be a factor, if it's crazy hot or crazy dry that affects time of cooking and possibly temperature. And finally I always give myself at least 3 tries to get it right. After that I just go to the movies!

Holiday Projects

As 2015 comes to an end, I thought I would take a few moments to highlight some of my recent holiday projects. Usually I celebrate Christmas with a classic Chinese take-out dinner, but this year I was lucky enough to be invited to a traditional Italian feast. It was amazing — there must have been 12 courses, each better than the next. In addition to the fish courses, there was an assortment of meats, pasta, and veggies. Italian sautéed broccoli rabe with garlic and lemon, how can that be bad?


In terms of house decorations, I limit that to our front door. Each year I make a wreath. I try to use recycled junk I find around the house. In previous years, I have used brass nails, police caution tape, and stainless steel scrub pads. Last year I collected (with the help of my commuting friends) over 100 used Metro cards which made quite a festive display. This year, my decorating took a slightly more political turn as I felt the need to express my horror over the abundance of guns in American culture. I thought it would be so easy to buy plastic guns. But ironically, it would have been easier for me to purchase real guns than kid’s toys (which seem to be heavily regulated in wealthy white neighborhoods). Fortunately a co-worker who lives in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn had no trouble getting the guns.


For holiday foods, I basically limited my production to desserts. I find you can’t go wrong with a fruit tart. Easy to start ahead of time, filling variations are endless, and winter fruits work perfectly. Here's the basic recipe:

Fruit tart

This is a great recipe because it’s done in an electric mixer. If rolling the dough freaks you out, you can simply push it into the bottom and sides of a tart pan with your hands. This recipe makes enough for 2 tart crusts and you can keep the extra dough in the refrigerator for a week, or you can freeze it.

Almond pastry crust ingredients
12 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, minus 3 tablespoons
(used for rolling out dough)

Almond pastry crust procedure
Cream the butter, sugar, and extract until light and fluffy in the bowl of your electric mixer. Slowly add the flour until the dough holds together. Turn out on floured board and give a few turns. Refrigerate for 1 hour before using. This dough can either be rolled out or pushed into a tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake fully in a 350 oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. I line the shell with plastic wrap and then use pie weights to make sure the crust bakes flat. Let cool before filling.

Cream filling ingredients
2 cups cream cheese (regular or low fat)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one lemon, orange, or lime

Cream filling procedure
Whip up everything till smooth. If you want to get creative, you can add a bit of booze (Cassis, Rum, Brandy, Triple Sec) or you can experiment with different extracts. You can also fold some melted chocolate into the cream cheese.

Preparing the fruit and assembly
If using apples and pears, I like to slice thinly and gently sauté in a little butter and brown sugar. If using berries, all you have to do pop them in place. I usually brush the inside of the baked tart shell with white chocolate to keep it from getting soggy. Then the evenly spread the cream filling, and carefully lay out the fruit slices in a fan pattern. If you like a shiny finish, melt some jelly with a little water and brush it on the fruit. I like to use apricot glaze but any kind works.


These cookiee were a simple variation on a chocolate chip cookie, with the addition of fresh pomegranate seeds, orange zest, and rosemary.


Another easy, festive addition to the holiday is a seasonal beverage. Now that fresh berries are available year round, I see no reason not to serve this yummy drink.

blackberry gin cocktail

Ingredients
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
6 large blackberries
1/2 ounce crème de cassis
1/2 ounce simple syrup (heat equal amounts sugar and water until sugar is melted; cool before using)
1 1/2 ounces Gin
Blackberries for garnish

Procedure
Combine the lemon juice and blackberries in a rocks glass and muddle until the berries are broken up. Fill the glass with ice. Combine Crème de Cassis, simple syrup, and gin in a cocktail shaker and stir to combine. Add to the berry/lemon mixture, stir and garnish with additional blackberries.

 
And finally, I made a small croquembouche. Not my best effort, but in my defense I did not have the right pastry bag or tips (much of my kitchen is packed in anticipation of our next move). It tasted good but looked a bit wonky.

That's all till New Year's Eve, when I am planning to make and document a great meal! Pace yourself till then.

Ask Rula!

Hello, my people! It seems I have been AWOL for a while, so sorry! The city keeps me so busy with random hipster club nights, mysterious rendezvous-es, exclusive out-of-the-way pop-up dinners, and spa treatments galore. I enjoy mingling with all sorts of folks and it seems wherever I go, people have questions. So let's get to a few of them right now, shall we?

Our first question is from Dough Girl, and she says:
I love dumplings in soup. But I have never been able to get them to reliably puff up and cook through inside. Some will have a nice bready inside, some (most) will be like solid dough. I've tried different recipes, but this always happens. So it must be me, right? Do you have any tricks or techniques to help, oh wise Rula? FYI, here's the recipe I currently use (I like the buttermilk/chive flavor):

Ingredients:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
0.5 tsp baking powder
2 tb minced chives
0.5 tsp salt
3 Tb butter, melted
0.5 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Procedure:
Dry stuff in one bowl, wet in another.
Pour wet over dry and stir until you get a shaggy dough.
Drop tablespoon-sized blobs into simmering soup
Cover and cook until puffed, about 15 minutes.

Signed,
Dough Girl

Dear Dough Girl,
Nice recipe, you must be one sassy chef! I think the proportions of the recipe sound fine but I would try removing a little of flour which might lighten them up a bit. I think the inconsistent cooking is from overcrowding. Try this method: Form them all first and drop them on a lined sheet pan then drop them in the broth at the same time and make sure they have room to move around. You might have to cook them in 2 batches, but the results should be better. If not make some buttermilk biscuits and just dip!



This next question is from Stumped Stewy, and he asks:
What is the difference between a thick soup and a stew? My wife, who thinks she knows everything — just because she makes dinner every night — says it's obvious! But I say it's up for debate. What do you think?
Signed,
Stumped Stewy

Dear Stumped Stewy,
Let me get this straight, your lovely wife cooks you dinner every night and this is the lack of respect you show her? I think you are lucky you are not wearing that thick soup or stew, depending on what you call it. In terms of a definition, there are a few important factors to consider:

• any liquid food with a broth base would be considered a soup;
  
• soups, unlike stews, can be served hot or cold; and
  
• stews are slow-cooked due to the type of meat or vegetable used.

By slow simmering, you can achieve a tender meat or chicken — as well as a blending and mellowing of flavors. As things cook slowly they tend to concentrate flavors and become rich and delicious. Soups on the other hand, can be prepared and finished in a much shorter time. You, on the third hand, will need a lot more time.

The final question is from Nutty Nelly and she writes: Can you please tell me what a Marcona almond is? They seem to be everywhere and are very spendy. Are they worth it? And what is the best way to serve them?

Signed, Nutty Nelly

Dear Nutty Nelly, Marcona almonds are really delicious, you should treat yourself to some, they are great as a nibble with cocktails. They are from Spain and they have a lovely slightly sweet flavor. They are moister and softer then regular almonds and the fragrance will remind you of the perfume of almond extract. They are very high in oil, like most nuts, which makes them very nutritious, and should be stored in a cool, dry place to keep them from going rancid. Try using them in salads, in baked goods, or salted to garnish a cheese platter. Remember, trying new things will keep you young! Why do you think I date college boys?

If you have any questions for me, feel free to send me an email or leave a comment!

Well, that's all for now — I have to get ready for my closeup. Ciao!

Fortune Cookies and Chinese Almond Cookies

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Fortune cookies are something I grew up with. Every Sunday my family would go out to dinner and often we chose Chinese food. At the end of each meal, the waiter would always bring out pineapple slices and fortune cookies. Before I was old enough to read them, I would pass them to my mother or father to read to me and they would always tell me "It says be good to your mommy and daddy." Somehow that is still funny to me. Anyway they are actually quite delicious when made right and its a great opportunity to pass on your wisdom on little strips of paper to unsuspecting strangers. Here is the recipe from Susan Purdy.

Fortune cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large room temp egg whites
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Paper fortunes printed on strips of white paper 1/4 inch by 3 inches

Procedure
Preheat oven to 400. Spray 2 flat cookie sheets with spray oil or butter, Take a 3 inch diameter glass and mark 3 circles on the cookie sheet by turning it in the butter. In a large bowl or your electric mixer combine all the ingredients and mix till smooth and creamy. Drop 1 teaspoon of the batter in each circle and using the back of a teaspoon dipped in cold water to spread the batter into a thin even circle. Each time you do this the pan must be cool and greased. Bake each cookie 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes till the edges begin to turn golden brown. Over baked cookies will not bend so keep a good watch. Once you take the cookie sheet out of the oven place it on a cooling rack and work quickly. With a large spatula pick up the cookie and turn upside down,place a parer fortune in the center and fold the cookie in 1/2. Grasp both end of the cookie and place the middle of the folded cookie on the rim of a measuring cup and pull the ends together,hold it there for a second or two and then place in a little muffin tin to help it keep its shape while it cools. And then just keep going.

Almond cookies

The other great cookie found in Chinese restaurants.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup lard
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole almonds
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon water

Procedure
In a large bowl, cream butter, lard, and sugar. Beat in egg and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a fork. Push 1 almond into the center of each cookie. In a small bowl, beat egg white and water. Brush over cookies. Bake at 325° for 14-16 minutes or until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Makes about 30 small cookies.

Almond Crust Blueberry Tart with Cardamom-Cream Filling

The Altitude Adjustment Section
This crust is great, easy to assemble, keeps its crunch, but is a little tricky to make. So follow the instructions carefully.

Ingredients for crust
Matzo cake meal
5 ounces sliced almonds toasted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Ingredients for filling
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups of blueberries

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with heavy-duty foil, pressing foil into scalloped sides of pan. Grease foil and dust with matzo cake meal. Finely grind almonds, sugar, cinnamon and salt in food processor. Dump into a bowl and with a fork mix in egg a tiny bit at a time. Just use enough egg to stick the crumbs together. Too much egg will give you a mucky crust which will not set and get crunchy. Next add the extract and mix in. Using moistened fingertips, press dough over bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Wrap fingertips with paper towels and gently, but quickly, press puffed crust to original shape. Continue to bake crust until pale golden, about 3 minutes longer. Again, gently press crust to original shape. Cool crust completely (crust will crisp as it cools). Turn crust out of pan and carefully peel off foil. Place on flat plate. Tart shell can be prepared 3 days ahead.

For the filling, whip the cream cheese with the lime juice and zest, cardamom, and confectioners sugar. To assemble, brush top of crust with white chocolate to keep it crispy. Tube cream cheese on top and then pile on the blueberries (toss with a little melted jam first to help them stick together). Refrigerate uncovered until ready to serve.

Great Bar Snack Ideas

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Bar snacks, those little tidbits you get for free in bars, are put there to make you drink more. Usually salty or spicy, it’s a simple trick — and it works! At home you can get more creative, and I think it's time for some new (and borrowed) ideas.

Wasabi Almonds

Ingredients
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 lb natural almonds (brown skin on)
2 tablespoons wasabi powder
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Procedure
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with Release Foil or lightly greased foil or lightly greased parchment paper. Whisk the egg white and water together until foamy. Add almonds and toss to coat. Place almonds in a sieve to allow excess egg white to drain off and toss lightly as you are draining them. Stir together the wasabi, cornstarch & salt in large bowl or Ziploc plastic bag. Add almonds and toss to coat. Spread the almonds on the baking sheet single layer and bake for 30 minutes. Stir gently lower heat to 200°F and continue baking for a further 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Tamari and Maple Roasted Almonds

Ingredients
10 ounces natural almonds (brown skin on)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium tamari
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Nonstick cooking spray

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, 7 to 8 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine tamari and maple syrup. Add almonds, and toss until thoroughly coated. Lightly cover the baking sheet with cooking spray, and spread almonds evenly on sheet. Roast in oven until deep brown, stirring once, 15 to 17 minutes. Immediately transfer to a clean baking sheet, and spread out almonds, separating so nuts don't touch. Let cool before serving.

Potato Chips with Nori Salt

Ingredients for nori salt
3 7 by 8-inch sheets of nori seaweed
3 Tablespoons kosher salt

Ingredients for Potato Chips
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 large baking potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/16-inch thick

Procedure
For the Nori Salt: Preheat oven to 325° F. On a baking sheet, toast the nori in the oven until brittle, approximately 10 minutes, and then grind in a mini food processor. Mix the nori powder with the salt.

For the Chips: In a large pot, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350° F over moderately high heat. Rinse the potatoes until water runs clear, and then pat them dry. Working in small batches, fry the potato slices, stirring occasionally, until golden, approximately 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potato chips to paper towels to drain. Generously sprinkle the chips with the nori salt and serve.

Truffle popcorn

Ingredients for popcorn
about 1/3 cup pop corn kernels
about 3 tablespoons corn oil (or other high-smoke-point oil)

Ingredients for topping
truffle oil, to taste
chives, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure
Heat the corn oil in a large heavy-bottom pot. Add the popcorn kernels, cover and cook over moderate heat until they start popping. Cook, shaking the pot continuously, until the popping has almost stopped. Carefully pour the popcorn into a very large bowl. Add the truffle oil and toss well. Season with chives, salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Bollywood Popcorn

Ingredients for popcorn
about 1/3 cup pop corn kernels
about 3 tablespoons corn oil (or other high-smoke-point oil)

Ingredients for coconut curry seasoning
1 3/4 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
7 tablespoons madras curry powder
3 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Procedure
Mix all the seasoning spices together. Heat the corn oil in a large heavy-bottom pot. Add the popcorn kernels, cover and cook over moderate heat until they start popping. Cook, shaking the pot continuously, until the popping has almost stopped. Carefully pour the popcorn into a very large bowl. Shake on coconut curry mix and serve immediately. Where's my big musical number?

Citrus-Almond Poundcake - the altitude corrected version

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Okay I fixed this recipe and now it works perfectly for Santa Fe's altitude. It's really easy and quite yummy so give it a go!
Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
Flour for pan
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 cups granulated sugar
7 ounce tube of almond paste
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Procedure
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and flour an 8-cup Bundt pan. Put lemon juice, orange juice and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over low heat; cook until the sugar dissolves and remove from heat. Set aside, this will be your glaze when cake comes out of the oven. Next, put almond paste and remaining 2 cups sugar in food processor and process until well combined; add butter and continue processing until light and fluffy. With the machine running, add eggs one at a time along with zest and vanilla, and continue to process until smooth. Stop the machine, add the flour, baking powder and salt, and pulse a few times just until the dry ingredients are integrated (be careful not to over process, or the cake will become tough). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let cool slightly. Pour the citrus soak over the cake and let it sit for about 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the cake releases from the pan easily onto a flat plate. I helped it loosen by going around the pan with a thin knife. Let cool. Cut into slices and serve with almost anything!

Amaretti Stuffed Peach Halves

The Altitude Adjustment Section
In keeping with our easy and Italian theme, I have a recipe for stuffed peach halves. Fresh peaches are still available, but I have used good quality canned peaches (Trader Joe's has great ones in jars... but only sometimes). The stuffing is made with amaretto cookies, you can make your own, or buy the great Italian ones that come in the red tin. I think Kaune's sells them.

Ingredients
3/4 cups ground almonds
3/4 ground Amaretto cookies
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks lightly beaten
6 peaches
1/2 cup Marsala wine

Procedure
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine the Almonds, amaretto cookies, and sugar. Stir in the egg yolks a bit at a time. Add just enough egg yolk to hold the sticky mixture together. Form the mixture into 12 walnut sized balls. Butter a shallow baking dish. Cut the peaches in half or use halves to begin with. Place the peaches in the buttered baking dish tight together. Press a ball of almond mixture into the center of each peach. Dot the top with little bits of butter and pour the Marsala wine all over the top. Now bake for 30 minutes until the almond mixture is crusty and golden. Serve warm with some ice cream or gelato. This recipe serves 6 people.

Semolina Halva

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I thought it would be fun to do another Indian recipe from the cooking class. This is an unusual dessert (which I modified a bit the second time I made it) and it was delicious. I don’t know if the style of serving it is authentic, but the flavor certainly is. Semolina Halva is like a warm crumbly pudding.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups water
5 Tbsp. ghee
1 oz. almonds, blanched and slivered
11 oz. semolina, fine-grained
5 1/2 oz. sugar
4 Tbsp. golden raisins
1/2 tsp. Ground cardamom seeds

Procedure
Boil the water in a saucepan. Once it comes to a rolling boil, turn the heat down to very low and let the pan sit on the back of the stove. Put the ghee in a large, preferably nonstick, frying pan and set it over medium heat. When hot, put in the almonds. Stir and fry them until they turn golden. Take them out with a slotted spoon and leave them to drain on paper towels.

Put the semolina into the same oil. Turn the heat to medium low. Stir and sauté the semolina for 8 to 10 minutes or until it turns a warm, golden color. Do not let it brown. Add the sugar and stir it in. Very slowly, begin to pour the boiling water into the pan. Keep stirring as you do so. Take a good 2 minutes to do this. When all the water has been added, turn the heat to low. Stir and cook the halva for 5 minutes. Add the golden raisins, almonds, and crushed cardamom seeds. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Scrape out into a small casserole dish or bowl. Serve hot, and how about a small pitcher of lemon quince syrup to pour on top? (Available at Ziggy's, which is where, I did all my shopping for this meal. They have a fantastic assortment of Indian and international ingredients.)

Anna's Butter Cake Cupcakes

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Susan Purdy taught me this recipe for Anna’s butter cake, which is a traditional Swedish butter cake, and I've found it's really the only cupcake recipe I need.

Ingredients
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted, room temperature butter
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large room temp eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 and set rack in the middle of the oven. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, powder, and salt. Set aside. In the large bowl of your electric mixer, cream butter and sugar till well blended, Scrape down bowl and beaters. Add extracts, beating well to blend. Don’t worry if the batter looks curdled, it will be okay. With the mixer on its lowest speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Beat till batter is creamy and smooth. Scoop batter into paper lined muffin tins — I use a small ice cream scoop. Bake for about 20 minutes or till top is springy, rounded and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and frost with something yummy like lemon butter cream, or chocolate ganache or dust with powdered sugar.

Linzer Tart Cookies

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I love Linzer tarts and Linzer tart cookies, and am also totally in awe of Nancy Silverton's cookbooks. So when I came across her recipe for Linzer tart cookies that use hard-boiled egg yolk in the dough, I knew I had to try it.

Ingredients
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup whole, unblanched almonds
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups, plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs, hard-boiled
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon almond extract
confectioners sugar for dusting
1 cup good raspberry jam

Procedure
Preheat oven to 325 and place rack in center of oven. Toast almonds and hazelnuts separately in oven, about 10-12 minutes each. Put hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub together to remove skins. Next, process almonds, hazelnuts, 1/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon in food processor, until the consistency of fine meal. Add flour and pulse a few times to mix. Separate the hard-boiled egg yolks from the whites, and discard the whites (or eat them). Push the yolks through a fine mesh sieve. Add to the nut/flour mixture in the food processor, and pulse a few times to mix.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and lemon zest on low speed for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the remaining sugar and mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add almond extract. Turn mixer off, and add nut mixture. Mix on low until incorporated. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and form into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to make cookies, divide dough in half and keep half in the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out rounds and place 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheets. Repeat with other half of the dough. Chill cut-out cookies again until firm, about 30-45 minutes before baking. I like to make the bottom cookies solid rounds, and the top ones with holes, so you can see the filling. You can also make heart shapes. Once all the cookies are cut out and well-chilled, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until firm to the touch and browned around the edges. If you made ones with holes, they will bake faster, so keep a close watch. Let cool, then dust the "holey" ones with powdered sugar. Spread jam on the solid bottom cookies, then top with the sugar-dusted ones. Voila! This recipe makes about four dozen 2-inch cookies.

Turkish Lamb Kefta with Almond Tahini Sauce

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I love lamb, especially New Mexican Lamb, so when I found this recipe for Turkish Lamb Kefta I knew I had a winner. Note: you need to make the meat mixture a day in advance.

Ingredients for meatballs
1 teaspoon Caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
14 ounces ground lamb
1 onion grated
1 garlic clove crushed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint leaves
6 black olives pitted and finely chopped

Ingredients for sauce
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1 slice white bread cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch Saffron threads
1 tablespoon Tahini
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Procedure
Start by toasting Caraway and Cumin seeds in a hot, dry frying pan for about 15 seconds, shaking the pan constantly to keep them from burning. Next, place seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and crush to a fine powder. Then combine spices with all meatball ingredients and mix well. Using wet hands, form meat mixture into meat balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

To make the sauce, fry and almonds and bread cubes in the olive oil till golden in color. Transfer to a blender and add the saffron, Tahini, and 3/4 cup chicken stock and blend till smooth.

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and add the meatballs, frying on all sides to seal in the flavor. Add the saffron sauce and remaining stock, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes till meatballs are cooked all the way through. Thin sauce with a little water if necessary. Transfer meatballs to a platter and pour sauce over the top.

Pastilla

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Moroccan Pastilla is a dish I learned about 35 years ago when I started cooking in a kitchen in the East Village called “Montana Palace.” This place was a catering kitchen and production bakery doing really innovative foods from around the world, in 1975 no less. This dish is quite simply a show stopper and no one ever makes, it because it is a bit of work but I say, aren’t your friends worth it? Traditionally this dish is made with Pigeon but I use turkey leg meat, which is all dark and rich and delicious and cheap. It is also traditionally made in a round pan and dusted with powdered sugar on the top in festive patterns. This recipe is done in a rectangular pan. It's up to you!

Ingredients
2 pounds chicken thighs (or 4 turkey legs)
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
12 parsley sprigs
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tumeric
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 eggs
2 cups almonds, blanched, browned on the stove
1 pound Phyllo pastry dough
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1 pound of clarified butter

Procedure
In a large pot, cook chicken with salt, pepper, tumeric, cumin, and ginger along with enough water to cover. Cook on medium low heat covered until chicken is soft and falling from the bones. Remove from liquid, skin and debone the chicken, and cut meat into small pieces, chop in the parsley and set aside.

In same large pot, (drain the liquid) and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil then add the six eggs one by one, beating as you go. When all are beaten in and almost set, remove mixture and let cool, dividing into two parts. Chop the browned almonds and divide into two. Lightly butter your 9 by 12 baking dish and then start the assembly process.

Begin the assembly by placing four sheets of the phyllo dough, brushing butter over each sheet before placing the next on top. Next, place in 1/2 the egg mixture and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top. Place two more phyllo sheets (with butter between), and place 1/2 the chicken. Sprinkle this with sugar and cinnamon too. Next Place 2 more phyllo sheets (with butter between), and place 1/2 the almond mixture in, sprinkling with sugar and cinnamon on top. Cover this with 2 more phiyllo sheets, and start this assembly process again. Two sheets phyllo, almonds, two sheets phyllo, chicken, two sheets phyllo, eggs, two sheets phyllo. Brush the top of the last sheets of phyllo with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees until golden, 25-35 minutes.

If you make this in a round pan, you can turn it out onto beautiful festive platter and dust the top with powdered sugar. I get a doily and dust the sugar over that to create a beautiful pattern. Or you can serve it in the pan. With a beautiful salad and a side of couscous you have it made. This will easily serve 8 people.

Rustic Almond Truffles

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I love truffles, but there is more to this category known as “truffles” than just the ganache filling dipped in dark chocolate. Now granted those are pretty good, but if you want a healthier alternative, how about trying Debra Madison’s Rustic Almond truffles with fruit centers. Debra notes ”these truffles get better with time, but make sure they’re well wrapped so they don’t dry out.”

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds
1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops orange oil or 1 tablespoon rum
30 dried cherries or 30 small pieces candied citrus peel

Procedure
Pulse the almonds and the sugar and cocoa in the food processor till almonds are finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and knead briefly adding the almond extract and the orange oil or rum. Add water by the teaspoon to make a stiff dough. Scatter sugar over your counter and roll and shape the dough into a disk, then coat it with sugar on both sides. It's best to chill the dough for an hour at this point. Roll the dough into 1-inch thick coils and slice into 1-inch pieces. Now roll those pieces into balls and insert a dried cherry (which I soak in brandy or Port) into the center, or use a piece of candied citrus peel. Roll the balls in sugar and serve in paper candy cups.

Almond Gazpacho

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I love cold soups and I think many people think cold soup means either gazpacho or cucumber yogurt soup, which are both excellent choices, but the possibilities really are endless. So here is a great old recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook (the red one) for a Middle Eastern-flavored cold almond Gazpacho. It's best done at least a few hours ahead of time, so the flavors have time to blend.

Ingredients
1 cup blanched almonds
2 cups water
3 slices firm white bread with the crusts removed
1/2 cup milk
2 cups Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
Juice of 2 lemons
Grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cucumber, peeled seeded and diced
1/2 honeydew melon, peeled seeded and finely diced
1 1/2 cups halved seedless grapes
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh mint to garnish

Procedure
Process the almonds and 1 cup water in the food processor with the steel blade till almost smooth. Soak the bread in the milk and squeeze dry. Stir the bread into the almonds. Stir in the yogurt, remaining 1 cup of water, the vinegar, and lemon juice. Add the zests and cardamom and stir to blend. Now stir in the cucumber, honeydew, and grapes. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate covered for several hours or overnight. Serve in chilled soup bowls garnished with mint.

Anna's Butter Cake Cupcakes

The Altitude Adjustment Section
For ArtFeast last week we made over 600 cupcakes. Half were applesauce, and the other half were vanilla. I think a cupcake should be kind of dense, so we used Susan Purdy’s butter cake recipe from Pie in the Sky and they came out perfect. It’s a classic Swedish cake with a fine crumb and a hint of almond. Try it, you’ll like it! This recipe also makes a lovely tube cake sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar.

Ingredients
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) room temp unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 room temp large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners or spray and flour pans, including top surface. In a medium bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the large bowl of your electric mixer, cream butter and sugar till well blended. Scrape down bowl. Add eggs and extracts, beat well to blend. Don’t worry if batter looks curdled, the flour will bring it together. With the mixer on the lowest speed, alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat batter till it is thick and smooth. Scrape down sides. Using an ice cream scoop, fill muffin pans two-thirds to three-quarters full. Remember not to overfill. Bake about 20 minutes, depending on the size of your pans. Test for readiness by using an inserted toothpick and by the springiness of the top — you want them moist, so don’t overbake. Frost when cool.

Simple chocolate ganache

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
16 ounces semi sweet chocolate pieces

Procedure
In a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk all the time, melt chocolate and cream. Pour into shallow pan and chill till thick. Use an offset spatula to frost top of cupcakes. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

Anna's Swedish Butter Cake

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Sometimes you need to revisit the classics, and today we are going to make a rich Swedish butter cake with a hint of almond from my favorite high altitude cookbook Pie in the Sky by Susan Purdy, my pal and baking mentor.

Ingredients
2 cups sifted A.P. flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons room temp. unsalted butter = 1 1/2 sticks
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 room temp eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350. Spray one 9-inch tube pan with non-stick spray, line with parchment paper and re-spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and the sugar till well blended. Add the extracts and the eggs. Beat well to blend. Don’t worry if batter looks curdled — it will smooth out later. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Scrape down bowl and beat till smooth. Scoop batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 40-43 minutes till top is golden brown and springy to the touch. You can also do the toothpick test. Don’t overcook or it will be dry! Cool cake for 15 minutes in pan and then turn out onto flat plate. Dust top with powdered sugar and eat it all up. Yum!