Thursday, August 26, 2010

Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary



It's not like people are ever looking for a way to get rid of potatoes, because pretty much everyone loves them. But if you happen to have a fair amount on hand, along with a good handful of rosemary, this is a good recipe for you.


Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, red or Yukon Gold variety
3 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Wash and cube the potatoes, not so large that they will take forever to roast and not so small that they will soak up too much oil. About a 1-inch cube is best.

2. Place the potatoes and rosemary in a glass baking dish, about 9 X 13, and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Bake at 375 F for about 40 minutes, or until potatoes are slightly browned, crispy on the outside, and fork-tender.


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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

(The Best) Chocolate Chip Cookies


Would I lie to you? No, I certainly would not. So when I say these are the best chocolate chip cookies on the planet, you had better believe it. Better yet, make a batch for yourself and after that first bite you will know...it's the absolute truth. I baked a huge batch of these for an art opening I was in recently, and they were eaten in less than an hour.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:


2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds coarsely chopped milk or dark chocolate, or a mix of the two

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.



Hummus


I know that hummus is not particularly advanced as far as culinary ventures go, but it's so good and easy that everyone should make it if they haven't already. This is a basic recipe, but you can always add more ingredients to make it more exciting, such as a roasted red pepper that's been diced or maybe some chiles for added heat. It's great for a dip, a spread, or even to toss with pasta (which I think is so tasty, but not everyone agrees with me there). Anyways, give it a try and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Hummus
Ingredients:

1 15oz can of chickpeas (Garbanzo beans), drained

¼ cup Tahini (sesame seed paste)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon finely minced garlic (optional)

Sea salt and black or red pepper to taste

1. Combine chickpeas, Tahini, and garlic in a blender.

2. Add the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice to loosen it up.

3. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with pita, crackers, or crudités.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Gnocchi With Caponata


Gnocchi (NYOH-KEY) is one of my favorite foods, but I have always been afraid to try making it myself, because I had this idea it would be really hard and not at all rewarding. On the contrary, it was very easy to make and tasted even better than the kind I usually buy from Trader Joe's. To accompany it, I made some Caponata, a Sicilian eggplant stew, and served it with Parmesan. Easy, and delicious.

Gnocchi

Adapted from Eating Well Magazine
Ingredients:
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

1. Steam the potatoes until tender in one inch of water in a pressure cooker, about 20 minutes.
2. Peel and mash the potatoes finely.
3. Add the flour and as much of the water as you need to make a basic dough.
4. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll into a disc shape. 
6. Cut the disc into four sections and roll each one out into a skinny log.
7. Cut pieces of gnocchi that are about 3/4-inch long each and repeat until all the dough is formed.
8. Bring a pot of water to boil and salt it well. Cook the gnocchi for 2-4 minutes; they are ready when they float to the top.

Caponata

From Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver




Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Ciabbata Rolls



Since I like to do things the old-fashioned way a lot of the time, this recipe is slightly adapted because I don't have a dough hook attachment for my mixer (which is about 700 years old) and mixed and kneaded the dough by hand. Like any recipe written by Daniel Leader (author of Bread Alone) these may take a bit of effort, but are so worth it.


Ciabatta Rolls



From Panini Express by Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman


Ingredients:

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon tepid water (70-78 degrees)

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan and brushing the rolls



1. Pour the water into a large bowl and then add the yeast, flour, salt, sugar, and olive oil and stir with a spatula to blend into a dough.

2. Turn the dough onto a well floured surface and knead for about 12-15 minutes (which will seem like quite long time to do by hand, so I recommend putting on some music you like so you don't get bored). You may need to dust the dough with more flour so it doesn't stick to your hands, so have a bowl of it nearby.

3. Oil a 7 X 11 baking dish and scrape the dough into the dish. Pat it with oiled fingertips to flatten it.

4. Let the dough rest 5 minutes, then use lightly oiled fingertips to push and stretch it across the bottom of the dish.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm, draft free place until it has doubled in volume and reaches the top of the pan, about 2 hours.

6. Lightly oil a large baking sheet and invert the dough onto the baking sheet, then use a sharp chef's knife to cut the dough into six squares, then use the knife to push the squares three inches apart from each other.

7. Drape a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough pieces and leave them to expand by about 50%, around 40 minutes.

8. Preheat the oven to 475 F.

9. Remove the plastic and bake the rolls until dark golden brown, about 20 minutes.

10. Brush the hot rolls with olive oil and let cool completely on the baking sheet before slicing.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Chocolate Cookies With White Chocolate Chunks


I understand that the name of this recipe is none too original, but I hardly think it will matter to you when you have a delicious, dense chocolate cookie in your mouth. These cookies have a texture that is almost like a brownie, but they are still pretty light, and all the chocolate in them is balanced by the bits of white chocolate throughout the cookie.

You can make these using any combination of extras; dried cherries, nuts, and bits of candy (like M&Ms) are all good additions.

Chocolate Cookies With White Chocolate Chunks

3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour


1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder (regular is fine, too, but this is the kind that I used)

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 large bar of baker's white chocolate, cut into small chunks

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet, and make sure there is an inch or two of space in between them. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until firm on the bottom but softer on the top, 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies may look like they are not done baking, but as they cool they will become firmer. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 5 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.