Blueberry Pudding Cake

April 18th, 2009


I haven’t done much grocery shopping since we returned to Lake Lure. Our meals have been very simple; grilled meat, baked sweet potatoes and frozen vegies. Breakfast has been cereal and english muffins. Lunch has been sandwiches or leftovers. The reason I have not filled the larder is because the larder looks like this.


David is working hard to get the pantry finished and the shelves will go in this weekend. I can hardly wait. I picture rows of canned goods, baskets with condiments sorted by cuisines, a large bread tin, and glass containers with various flours, rices and pastas, all labeled and neat. The reality is that I am much more organized in my mind than I am in accomplishment. But I will try to keep it in order.

I was in the mood for something sweet for breakfast the other day and had the baking basics on hand and an old Gourmet magazine in hand when I found a recipe for this blueberry pudding cake. I had some blueberries that I brought from Florida in the freezer so it was a fait accompli. This recipe was in the July 2005 issue of Gourmet and was featured in their Gourmet Every Day Quick Kitchen. It is indeed quick and the resulting cake is moist and crumbly and oh so good with freshly brewed coffee.

BLUEBERRY PUDDING CAKE

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water ( use less for frozen berries)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice ( I left it out )
1 teaspoon cornstarch
10 oz. blueberries ( 2 cups )
1 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 inch square baking pan.

Stir together 1/3 cup sugar with water, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan, then stir in blueberries. Bring to a simmer, then simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk together egg, milk, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl, then add flour mixture whisking until just combined.

Spoon batter into baking pan, spreading evenly, then pour blueberry mixture evenly over batter (berries will sink). Bake until a knife inserted into center of cake portion comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.

Printable recipe

You say Manhattan. . .I say Minorcan

March 10th, 2009

There has been a long standing debate over Manhattan and New England clam chowders. Some love the creaminess of New England chowder and others are convinced that the tomato based chowder is the only way to go. There is another kind of chowder known only to a small segment of the population – known only to St. Augustine Florida in fact. The key to this version of chowder is the datil pepper which is grown exclusively in St. Augustine.

A group of Minorcans were brought to Florida in 1768 from their native Island of Minorca, off the coast of Spain to work the indigo plantation in New Smyrna Beach. They suffered great hardship for nine long years under the cruelty of the plantation owner and finally escaped to St. Augustine in 1777. They had brought their own spices, seeds, and cooking traditions with them and when they were free to plant their own gardens with the datil peppers, and fish the ocean waters, Minorcan clam chowder was born.
The datil pepper is a little bigger than a jalapeno pepper and is hotter, but not as hot as a habenero pepper. You can substitute any pepper you want in the recipe but you can also order datil products here . The jar of pickled datil peppers that I used was from a local market that is not set up for delivery out of state.

I served my Minorcan Chowder with the most remarkable rosemary flatbread I have ever eaten. It was easy to put together and bake and tasted like a homemade cracker – crisp and herby. If you make nothing else from this post you have to try this recipe. It came originally from Gourmet, but I saw it on the Smitten Kitchen website. Thank you, Deb. It was easy to handle, which was a surprise to me because the directions have you rolling it thinly on parchment paper and then transferring it to a hot baking pan. Yeah, sure. Well it worked!
Added note here. I just re-read the recipe on Deb’s blog and you are supposed to leave the dough on the parchment paper when you put it on the baking sheet. I didn’t do that because parchment paper is good only to 400 degrees, or so I thought, and this bakes at 450. It lifts easily from the parchment paper if you want to place it directly on the baking sheet.

There are many recipes for Minorcan Clam Chowder and I combined ideas from several of them. Hope you agree that Minorcan Clam Chowder is a contender in the ongoing debate over the best chowder in the world. What is your favorite chowder?
MINORCAN CLAM CHOWDER

1 Qt. chopped clams with juice (or 3 cans chopped clams with juice)
4 slices bacon, diced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 potatoes, chopped
3 datil peppers, seeded and chopped ( This was enough for a medium heat)
1 28 0z can of diced tomatoes
1 14 0z can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 pound shrimp, cut in halves

Fry bacon until crisp in dutch oven. Remove to drain. Saute vegetables in bacon drippings until tender. Add datil peppers, both cans of tomatoes, chicken broth and clams with juices to pot and simmer until potatoes are tender. You may have to add a little water to thin chowder. Stir in shrimp near end of cooking time. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a sprinkling of bacon.

Printable recipe – Crispy Rosemary Flatbreads
Printable recipe – Minorcan Clam Chowder

It’s a Mystery to Me

February 21st, 2009

I love a good mystery and I love reading about food. One of the best authors who combines the two brilliantly is Rex Stout. Nero Wolfe is a detective who weighs 1/7 of a ton because of his passion for food. His other passion is orchids, which he raises in a greenhouse at the top of his brownstone house in New York City. He rarely leaves his home and has two employees who are indispensible to him. Archie Goodwin is his assistant who ventures forth from the brownstone to help solve the cases that Wolfe undertakes and Fritz Brenner is his Swiss born, European trained chef who collaborates with Wolfe in creating inspired meals. These books make me happy and I have been collecting them. They were originally published from 1934 to 1975. Many of them may appear dated, but it is like watching an old black and white movie from the 40’s. Some truths are universal and eternal. Dining well is one of them.

Breakfast in the brownstone was taken by Wolfe in bed. Now that is a custom that I could get used to. Fritz Brenner refused to fry eggs so his egg dishes were omelets, coddled eggs or this recipe for shirred eggs. Rex Stout even talks about a shirred egg dish for single servings. It would be interesting to find one in an antique store. I’m assuming he is talking about a kind of ramekin. For my serving I used a 6″x 8″ casserole and it was perfect. By the way I found 6 of these at The Dollar Store a few years ago. The recipe for shirred eggs and many more of the dishes discussed in the Nero Wolfe Series can be found in The Nero Wolfe Cook Book published in 1973 by Rex Stout and the editors of Viking Press.

SHIRRED EGGS

4 breakfast sausages ( I used diced ham )
1 Tbls. butter
4 Tbls. light cream
4 large eggs

1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 dashes paprika
chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Brown the sausages in a skillet and set them aside to drain on a paper towel. Butter 2 shirred-egg dishes generously, add 2 tablespoons of cream to each, and slip in the eggs, 2 to a dish, being careful not to break the yolks. Arrange the sausages in each dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika, and chives. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the eggs are done to the desired firmness. Serves 2.

Savory Leek and Ham Tart

February 8th, 2009

Pie crust has always been easy for me. I know many cooks claim to be intimidated by the prospect of making homemade pastry, but for some reason, I enjoy the mixing, rolling, trimming and crimping. It probably has alot to do with my Mother and Grandmother. I grew up in a small town in Michigan in the house where my Mother was born. My Grandmother lived with us and the two of them were always in the kitchen fixing comforting meals. When my brother and I were small, Grandma did a lot of the cooking, but over the years Mom took over most of it, with Grandma in the background offering encouraging comments like ” You aren’t going to have any potatoes left with the way you are peeling them”, or ” That pot roast is going to be dry if you don’t add more water.” But one thing they always agreed on was how to make pie crust. I have even inherited the measuring device they used for their Crisco. They never used butter in their pie crusts and I am sure that in her younger days my Grandmother probably used lard. So here is their recipe for pie crust if you would like to give it a try. For a 1 crust pie, use 1 cup of flour (with 1/4 tsp. salt), 1/2 cup Crisco cut into flour with a sharp knife until the shortening is the size of small peas, and then 1/4 cup milk stirred in. The ratio of 1, 1/2, 1/4 is easy to remember. A two crust pie would be 2,1,1/2. The dough is then rolled out on a heavily floured board. It is a very forgiving dough and can be rerolled without toughening it if you don’t get it right the first time. I have used this recipe for years, but have also discovered the flaky texture of pate brisee, the all butter alternative. And I have used some recipes that call for a mixture of both shortening and butter. But what I am sharing with you today is a pastry dough that I had never heard of before. It is made with olive oil.

In her book Bistro Cooking, Patricia Wells talks of a version of tart that is made in Provence with the local olive oil. The dish she describes is made with Swiss Chard, but having made it before, I found it to be too heavy and unappealing. I did like the crust though, so I came up with my own filling and tweaked the ingredients slightly for the crust. The advantage of this crust is that, when mixed together, it has the consistency of a cookie dough and all you have to do is is pat it into the tart pan. It does not have the buttery flakiness of most pie crusts, but it is crisp and thin and best of all, simple.

SAVORY LEEK AND HAM TART
Pastry:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbls water
1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil
Filling:
4 leeks, green stems removed, washed well and chopped
2 Tbls. olive oil
1/2 cup diced ham

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
3 eggs, beaten

1 cup half and half or heavy cream
Dash of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. For the pastry, combine the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium size bowl. Stir in the water and then the oil, mixing until thoroughly blended. Knead briefly. The dough will be very moist, much like a cookie dough. Press the dough into a 10″ loose-bottomed metal tart tin.

Saute the leeks in the heated oil over medium low heat until limp. Add the ham and brown slightly. In a bowl combine the beaten eggs, cream and nutmeg. Place the leek mixture into the prepared tart tin. Top with grated cheese. Pour the egg mixture over all and place in oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Printable recipe

Strawberry Inspiration

January 21st, 2009


There is an unassuming small restaurant in a former corner grocery store in Durham, NC that holds a treasure of talent and flavor. The name of this restaurant is Magnolia Grill and the chef-owners are Ben and Karen Barker, winners of James Beard Awards, Bon Appetit Recognitions and mentions in Gourmet, Food & Wine, The New York Times, and Southern Living Magazine since his business was promoted by North Dakota SEO professionals. My husband and I have had several memorable meals there and I was fortunate to participate in a cooking class that they held at Roosters Gourmet Market in Greensboro, NC and you will find more info about their franchise opportunities through this post. Their innovative Southern cooking is complex in flavor and brilliant in food pairings. Ben is the chef and Karen is the pastry chef and both have come up with recipes that are unique and thought provoking. Ben’s recipe for Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Grits Cake, Country Ham and Redeye Vinaigrette combines so many Southern cliches – shrimp and grits, country ham and redeye gravy -and turns the whole into something sublime and different. One of Karen’s recipes really caught my eye. It is a recipe for Double Chocolate Waffles with Strawberries and White Chocolate Ice Cream drizzled with bittersweet Chocolate Sauce. It is described as “a cross between strawberry shortcake and an ice cream sandwich.” These recipes and many more like them can be found in the Barker’s wonderful cookbook, Not Afraid of Flavor.

I made an adaptation of Karen Barker’s Double Chocolate Waffles with Strawberries and White Chocolate Ice Cream. For one thing I do not have a waffle iron here in Florida, nor do I have an ice cream maker. It is characteristic of many of the Barker’s recipes that many separate preparations are required for one final presentation. To simplify, I made a batch of chocolate pancakes instead of waffles and did them ahead of time as you would crepes, and right before serving time all I had to do was crisp them on a cookie sheet in the oven. They are supposed to be crisper than a pancake just off the griddle anyway. Also the recipe makes at least 24 4″ pancakes which is enough for 12 servings so the extras can be frozen or the recipe can be halved. Instead of ice cream, I whipped heavy cream with a little sugar and vanilla and piped onto the plate. I have included the recipe for the Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce, but you could also use a purchased chocolate sauce. The Strawberries were fresh from Plant City, Florida and required only a little sugar to bring out the juices.

STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE PANCAKES

For the Pancakes:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 1/2 T. unsalted butter
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 t. vanilla
1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda,salt and sugar into a large bowl.
2.Combine the butter and semisweet chocolate chips in a double boiler. Place over low heat until melted. Cool for a few minutes and then add beaten eggs, milk and vanilla and whisk to combine.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and combine until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
4. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over moderate heat, add a small amount of oil. When pan is hot drop pancakes in by scant 1/4 cups each and cook until bubbles form. Turn gently and cook on other side a few minutes. Do not crowd pan. I cooked 3 at a time. Remove pancakes when they are done to large platter and continue until all batter is used. Add more oil as needed for each batch. When cool you can place in plastic bags and refrigerate until ready to assemble or place the ones you will need on a cookie sheet and crisp in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

For Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped into very small pieces
3/4 cup sugar
a few grains of salt
1. In a saucepan, bring the cream to just under a boil
2. Combine the chopped chocolate, sugar and salt in a stainless bowl. While whisking, very gradually pour the hot cream over the chocolate. By the time you whisk in all the cream, the chocolate should be melted and the sugar dissolved. If necessary, you can put the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk until the sauce is smooth.

Whip heavy cream with a little sugar and vanilla until stiff. Put in pastry bag.

Wash and halve strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar and allow to sit until juices form

For Assembly:
Place a few strawberries and chocolate sauce on plate. Top with one pancake. Add more strawberries and piped whipped cream. Place second pancake on top. Add more strawberries and whipped cream and drizzle plate with chocolate sauce.

This one is for Rachel – All of her favorite foods. Wish she were here to eat it.

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