Porcini Mushroom Bisque

 

Last time I dined at Geronimos in Santa Fe, we were served a delicious Amuse Bouche of Porcini Mushroom Bisque.  Once back home, I came up with this recipe which I think is quite delicious with a lot of depth.  Enjoy!

Porcini Mushroom Bisque 

Steep Porcini:
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3/4 cup dry sherry

Bisque:
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
6 shallots, minced (3/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup crème fraîche
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice


Mushrooms: Rinse the porcinis under running water. Bring sherry to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add porcinis. Let sit for 10 minutes until soft. Drain the mushrooms and reserve liquid. Pass the sherry through a fine strainer to remove any bits of dirt. Reserve.

Mix Ingredients: Melt butter in large stock pot over medium-low heat. When foaming subsides, stir in the flour; cook 2 minutes. Add shallots and sauté, stirring for about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme and nutmeg; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Increase heat to medium. Add sliced mushrooms and soaked porcini mushrooms. Stir. Add the stock, strained sherry and salt; cover and bring to a boil; simmer, covered until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.

Puree Soup: Fill a blender half full with the soup mixture. Working in batches, purée until smooth, 2 minutes a batch.  Whisk in the lemon juice and crème fraîche.

Garnish the top of the soup with a small dollop of crème fraîche.

How to make crème fraîche:
In a bowl, whisk together one part sour cream and one part heavy cream.
Let sit on the counter overnight.  Refrigerate the next day.

 

 

 

 FYI - I order my "Funghi Porcini Secchi" from

           www.gustiamo.com  

           A great suppler of many Italian products.

 

                     Bon Appetit! 

The Best Focaccia!

I have been neglectful on writing on my Blog so I thought I would share my Focaccia recipe which I am so addicted to.  

I love using this substantial Focaccia Pan that I purchased at the King Arthur Baking Company.  It is made out of aluminum and measures 9" x 9" x 2".  I actually went back to the store and bought another one. 

 

RECIPE:

 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

1/4 plus cup extra-virgin olive oil 

2 teaspoons flaky sea salt (like Maldon) 

 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar

 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon)

Using a Kitchen Aid Mixer with the dough hook, stir together the flour and yeast.   Add the water and 1 tablespoon of the oil to the flour.  Mix for a few minutes until a dough forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or until risen nicely.  

Sprinkle dough with the 2 teaspoons of sea salt.  With the dough hook, mix for a few minutes.  Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. 

Generously oil the focaccia pan and place a 3" to 4" x 16" strip of parchment paper across the center of the pan, leaving a few inches of overhang on the two sides.

Carefully lift the dough out of the bowl and place in the pan, using your fingers to spread the dough out to the edges.   Generously drizzle the olive oil over the foccacia and use a brush to evenly distribute it.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or two.   

 

Drizzle more oil if desired.  Using your finger, evenly pock indentations into the dough.  Evenly sprinkle with the rosemary, turbinado sugar and sea salt.  

 

Bake at 475 for 18 to 20 minutes until lightly brown in the highest spots.  Remove the focaccia from the oven.  Using the parchment paper tabs, lift the focaccia out of the pan.  Turn off the oven.  Place the focaccia directly on the oven's lower rack for 5 to 7 minutes so the sides will crisp up.

 

I like to cut 3/4" strips, toast them and spread with a little bit of butter.  So, so good. 

My favorite variation of this focaccia is to add slices of peaches or plums when in season.  Unpeeled and cut into 1/2" wedges.  It is delicious served with a creamy Cambozola cheese.

Next time, I am thinking about topping the focaccia with caramelized onions, strips of jalapenos and a little Manchego or Chihuahua cheese.

 

I know it is time consuming with all the different risings, but it is well worth it. 

 

* The Turbinado sugar just adds another dimension to all the flavors.

* If you do not have a 9" square pan, a 10" cast-iron skillet will work. 

* Your rising environment will impact how long it takes for your dough to rise. 

* Many recipes call for kneading the dough by hand, I find using my Kitchen Aid easier and more efficient.   

 

BON APPETIT! 

 

 

 

 

Robin's Coffee-Toffee Crunch Torte

Robin’s Coffee-Toffee Crunch Torte

A decadent dessert that is time consuming to make but can be made days in advance.  This is one I first made for my mom when I had a ladies birthday party for her when she turned 80 and I recently made this for Suzy for when I hosted her 80th birthday party.  It's a big hit!

Serves: 12 - 16 / depending on size of the slices

CRUST:
1 cup almonds, toasted
1 package of Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies,
2 Heath Bars, coursely chopped
6 Tablespoons butter, melted

GANACHE:
½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

MOUSSE:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 ½ cups chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons Kahlua
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 Heath bars, coarsely chopped

FOR CRUST: Preheat oven to 350.  Grind nuts, cookies and heath bars in a food processor.  Add
the butter.  Using a plastic glove or plastic wrap as an aid, press mixture onto bottom and up sides of
9-inch diameter spring form pan with 2 3/4" sides.  Freeze for 15 minutes.
Bake crust until golden, about 12 minutes.  Freeze crust.

FOR GANACHE: Bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a saucepan.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in chocolate until melted and smooth.  Pour into a squeeze bottle.

FOR MOUSSE: Whisk sugar, yolks, water and espresso powder in a large bowl.  Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch the water).  Whisk until candy thermometer reaches 160F.  Remove from over the water.  Add nutmeg.  Using electric mixer, beat egg mixture until cool and thick, about 5 minutes.  
Beat the cream, Kahlua and vanilla in another large bowl until stiff peaks form.  Fold cream mixture and heath bar pieces into egg mixture.  Spoon half of the mousse into the crust.  Squirt in a zig-zag pattern half of the ganache.  Carefully spoon remaining mousse into the pan.  In a zig-zag pattern, squirt the ganache in one direction and then the other direction, creating a free form grid pattern.
Cover and freeze torte overnight.  Can be made days in advance.

Note: Squeeze bottles available on Amazon.  I cut a tiny bit of the tip off to make the opening a bit bigger.

Cranberry Sherbet

 

This Thanksgiving I had a much smaller crowd, only four of us so I decided to make some changes to my regular Thanksgiving menu.  One was the dessert, Cranberry Sherbet along with Shortbread Bars.  And it was a big hit.   Easy and so refreshing.

CRANBERRY SHERBET

3 cups unsweetened cranberry juice

 1 cup sugar

3 T fresh lemon juice

dash of salt

1/4 cup cold water

1 (.25 oz) envelope unflavored gelatin

1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl, stir the cranberry juice, sugar, lemon juice and salt together.  Chill for an hour.  Put the cold water in a small sauce pan and add the gelatin.  Over low heat, stir the gelatin until dissolved.  Stir into the cranberry mixture.  Add the cream and beat until the mixture is foamy, about 2 minutes.

Put in a container with a lid and place in the freezer. About every 30 minutes, stir with a spatula, scraping the sides.  Do this until the mixture starts to set up.  Freeze overnight before serving.

A variation on the recipe would be to substitute cranberry juice for pomegranate juice and garnish the sherbet with pomegranate seeds. 

 

Tomato Galette with a Buttermilk Biscuit Crust

This galette is a bit different from the standard galette made with a pastry crust.  What sets this apart from the others is the crust is made from a buttermilk biscuit dough!  With the sudden abundance of ripe tomatoes in the garden, this was the perfect recipe.

Buttermilk Biscuit Dough:

1 3/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting/rolling

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small slices

 3/4 cup cold buttermilk (make sure to shake the carton well)

 Semolino flour

Combine all the ingredients except for the buttermilk.  Using the whisk attachment on your mixer or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a course meal with pea size lumps of butter.  Place bowl into the refrigerator.  While chilling, prep the filling for the gallette.  Then stir in the buttermilk using a spatula.  Do not over mix.  The dough will be slightly sticky.  Knead a few times on a floured surface and roll out to around a 15" round.  Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper that has been dusted with semolino flour.  Place on a large baking sheet.  Sprinkle the center area of the dough with more semolino.

Filling: 

6 - 8 medium size tomatoes, cut into 1/2" slices and placed on paper towels and        lightly salted.

4 oz. Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup of finely chopped herbs (combination of basil, parsley and chives) 

Ground pepper to taste

Mix together 2 oz. Gruyere cheese, the mayonnaise and herbs along with the ground pepper.

Arrange the tomatoes, slightly overlapping on the dough, leaving a 1 1/2" border.  Sprinkle with 2 oz. Gruyere cheese.  Arrange another layer of tomatoes.  Dollop generous portions of the cheese, mayo and herb mixture over the tomatoes.  Fold the dough border over the edges of the tomatoes, pleating the dough as you go.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown.  Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into wedges.

 

 

Robin's Crawfish Cakes make for an excellent summer meal

We all have made crab cakes or shrimp cakes but I put together a recipe for Crawfish Cakes that will become one of your favorites.  Served with a shiracha  mayo sauce, it makes for a great lunch or dinner.

I have found the crawfish in the freezer at Whole Foods is really good!  

ROBIN'S CRAWFISH CAKES

 5 tablespoon butter

1 cup onion, chopped

3/4 cup red pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.  Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add the red pepper and cook until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Remove from the heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter.

In a bowl, gently mix the below:

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoon parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon mayonaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 

1 teaspoon salt (I prefer Maldon)

dash of cayenne

2 large eggs

1 lb. crawfish tails, rinsed, and chopped (squeeze the water out of it)

1 - 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

 Olive Oil

Add the mixture from the skillet to the bowl.  Fill a 1/3 measuring cup with the mixture and put on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  (I tap the back side of the measuring cup to release the crawfish mixture).  Press down with the palm of your hand to flatten them just a tad.

Over medium heat, saute the cakes in olive oil until golden brown on each side.

Drain on paper towels before plating.

Makes 11 cakes.

Serve with a sauce made of mayonaise,  lemon jusice, cayenne and shiracha.

Two are usually adequate per person.  I have had the leftover cakes straight from the fridge for lunch the next day that were quite good.

And without saying, a chilled Cava is the perfect accompaniment with this meal.
 

Buen Provesho!

 

Cemitas, Puebla City tortas

Soon I will be meeting my group in Puebla, Mexico for my "Travel the ages... From the colonial town of Puebla to the lavish culture of Mexico City" tour.   It will be an exciting nine days.

In Puebla, we will have a tour of one of the oldest markets in town, the Cinco de Mayo, right in the historic center of town.  One day we will have comida (lunch) here and enjoy some of the local cuisine specialties.  

One of the specialties is the Cemita.   The Cemita is Puebla's local take on the typical Mexican sandwich, the torta.   It refers to the torta as well as the bread roll that is covered in sesame seeds and made without any eggs.  

This tremendous colossal torta is usually filled with sliced avocados, onions, meat (beef, pork or chicken), cheese (Oaxacan or queso fresco), chipoltes and papalo.  

Papalo is a pungent herb with a distinct flavor.  The taste is often likened to the spiciness of nasturtiums, the bitterness of arugula, and the zesty, green flavor of cilantro mixed with citrus, mint, and cucumber.  If making a Cemita at home and you can not find Papalo, a combination of cilantro and watercress drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lime will do.

The name Papalo was derived from the Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs) word for butterfly. Experts believe the plant was given this name in honor of the way the leaves flutter in the wind and its ability to attract  pollinators, including butterflies, when flowering. 

More photos and another post to follow after my trip on the markets in Puebla!

 

Molten Chocolate Souffles with Coffee Ice Cream

As I promised, I am posting a recipe on one of my favorite desserts to make when entertaining, Molten Chocolate Souffles served with a dollop of coffee ice cream.  It is always a huge hit! 

The beauty of this recipe, you can prep the souffles a day in advance.  Cover and store in the fridge.  Uncover and let come to room temperature before baking.

 MOLTEN CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES

6 servings 

 

5      tablespoons of sugar 

        plus about 5 tablespoons to dust the inside of the ramekins

8     ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

3/4 cup (1  1/2 sticks) unsalted butter 

        plus extra butter to grease the inside of the ramekins

3      large eggs

3      large egg yolks

1      tablespoon flour

 

1    quart coffee ice cream

Generously grease six 1-cup (3 1/2" x 2 1/8") ramekins with butter.  Starting with one ramekin, add some sugar to the ramekin, rotating to coat the bottom and sides.   Pour into the next ramekin and repeat.  Add more sugar as needed.

 

Add the chocolate and butter (cut into pieces) into a microwave proof dish and melt in the microwave.  Remove and stir to blend.

With your mixer, beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until thick and a pale yellow.  Fold in half of the chocolate/butter mixture, then the remaining.  Then fold in the flour.

 

Divide the batter among the ramekins. 

 

Put the ramekins on a baking sheet.  In a 425 oven, bake for about 14 minutes or until edges are slightly puffed and the center has a slight crack.  

Top with a generous sliver of coffee ice cream and serve immediately.

* In the winter, I put a bit of butter into the ramekins and 

   set them under my heating lamp above my stove.  It melts 

   the butter and makes it easier to grease.

**  To get 8 servings, use eight 3/4-cup ramekins.

Bon Appetit!

 

 

 

Buttermilk Crumpets

During this semi-hibernation from the rest of the world, I have been cutting out recipes from my current cooking magazines.  This is something I have done ever since I have been subscribing to cooking magazines, starting in the the mid 1970's.  Many of these magazines, such as Gourmet magazine, unfortunately have gone by the way side.  It seems in the last few years, the cooking magazines have really slipped:  poor layouts, photos of the recipes in the front of the magazine with the recipes all  jammed together way in the back section, recipes that are totally unappealing to me, pairing of dishes that are very bizarre, and cuisine and flavors from some parts of the world that I have little interest in.  It's a totally different generation producing these magazines and I wonder if they really have spent much time in the kitchen, planned a menu and or even entertained, at least not to the extent that I like to.  It takes time, creativity and planning plus a deep passion.

But the other day, I was pleasantly pleased to find a recipe for Buttermilk Crumpets that I have made several times.  I have tweaked the recipe some and they are a big hit at home. 

The crumpets are a combination of an English muffin and a buttermilk biscuit, crisp on the outside and creamy and light in the center.

BUTTERMILK CRUMPETS

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

1 tsp. sugar 

2 packages instant yeast  (1/2 oz. total)

2 1/3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

2/3 cup of warm water (plus more)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Cooking spray and vegetable or canola oil

Cast Iron Skillet, 12" to 14" diameter

4 non-stick rings / 3 1/8" in diameter & high (I had originally bought these ring for poaching   eggs and I could not believe how perfect they were for making crumpets)

In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk, sugar and yeast;  let sit for about 10 minutes until frothy.  In the mixing bowl, add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix.   With the whisk attachment, slowly add the buttermilk mixture at medium speed until the batter is smooth.  Add the baking soda to the warm water and slowly add to the mixer.  Blend until smooth.  You will want the consistency of a thick buttermilk.  If too thick, gradually add a tablespoon of warm water until the desired consistency is achieved.   Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.  You will be amazed how the batter thickens and puffs up with a lot of bubbles on the surface.

Heat the cast-iron skillet over a low heat.  I am so fortunate to have a variety of my grandmother's, Ida Mullen, cast iron skillets.  This is the biggest one I have and I have nick-named it the "Big Ida".  She certainly would get such a kick out of it that I use them so often and that I have nicknamed them after her.  Heat the skillet to medium/low.  Generously brush with the vegetable oil.  Spray the interior of the rings with the cooking spray and set in the skillet.  Let the rings heat up for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour in about 1/3 cup of the buttermilk mixture, or half way up the ring.   Cook about 8 minutes until the bubbles appear on the surface and the edges are slightly set.  Using tongs, lift the rings off the crumpets and then flip with a spatula.  Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. 

Let cool on a wire rack.  Repeat two mores times with the remaining batter.  It is very important that the skillet is hot, well oiled, and the interior of each ring has been sprayed again with the oil and heated up again before adding the batter.  

Makes 12 crumpets.  Once cooled, they can be stored in an air-tight container up to two weeks in the refrigerator. 

Serving suggestions:  If not serving immediately, I like to cut them in half with a serrated knife and pop them in the toaster until slightly browned.

The crumpet is a great vessel for poached eggs, eggs Benedict, creme fraiche and cured salmon, butter and jam, just about anything...  They are pretty darn yummy.

Bon Appetit!

 

 

 

 

 

Tomato, Basil and Cheese Tart

As I promised, here is the recipe for my Tomato, Basil and Cheese Tart.  

It's a perfect summer dish made in advance and served at room temperature. 

 For the Crust:

    2 scant cups flour

    9 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

    3 tablespoon vegetable shortening 

1/2 teaspoon salt

       raw beans or rice to weight the crust down

 

For the Filling:

 

    2 lbs. medium tomatoes, sliced 1/3" - 1/2" thick  

              (use the end slices for a salsa or salad)

       sea salt

    1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta

    2 large eggs

1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella, chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

       Extra virgin olive oil

To make the crust:

 

In a large bowl, using a pastry cutter, blend the flour, butter, shortening and salt until it resembles a course meal.  Add 5 to 6 tablespoons ice water, or enough to form a dough.  

Mix/knead with your hands to distribute the fat evenly.  Form into a ball and flatten slightly.  Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and chill for an hour or more.   Roll the dough out to fit into a 11" - 12" quiche pan (one with a removable fluted edge).  Prick the crust with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.  Line the crust with tin foil and fill with rice or beans.  Bake in a 425 oven for 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and rice/beans and cook for another 5 minutes or until a pale golden brown.

Many times I make the crust the day before.

To make the Filling:

 

Place the tomato slices on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.   In a food processor, puree the basil and ricotta, add the eggs and mix.  Add the mozzarella and Parmesan and blend until well mixed.

Pat the tomatoes slices dry with paper towels.  Spoon the cheese mixture into the crust and smooth out.  Arrange the tomato slices on the cheese mixture in one layer, slightly overlapping.  Brush the tomato slices with olive oil.

Bake the tart in a 350 oven for 50 plus minutes or until the cheese mixture is set.  

Serve the tart hot or at room temperature.  (I prefer room temperature)

Serves 6 to 8.

Bon Appetite!

 

 

Flap steak with Shishito Peppers

Next time you are grilling a Flank or Flap steak, top the sliced meat with my Shishito Pepper blend.  It really completes the dish.

BLISTERED SHISHITO PEPPERS  

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Shishito peppers  
  (I prefer Padron peppers if you can find them)
1 teaspoon rock salt (I prefer Maldon Sea Salt)

3 tablespoon butter, softened

2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon cider vinegar

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced


While your steak is resting (before you slice it), heat a cast iron skillet on the grill.  When hot, add the olive oil.   Add the peppers and salt.  Stir occasionally until the peppers are blistered and brown.  Add the butter and stir.  Then add the thyme, honey, vinegar and garlic.  Stir for one minute.  Then pour the peppers over the steak slices.

Such a great flavor!

Bon Appetit. 

Shrimp Scampi Quiche

Tired of cooking the same old dish over and over again?  Here is a recipe I know you will want to add to your collection.  A Shrimp Scampi Quiche.  I made it for a birthday lunch for some lady friends and it was a big hit.

SHRIMP SCAMPI QUICHE

CRUST:

Use your favorite pie dough recipe.  Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar to your recipe. The vinegar being an acid tenderizes things made with wheat flour.
If you don't feel like making your own crust, I recommend Maria Callender's frozen pie crust, two in a package and around $4.00.  It is actually very flavorful and flaky.   

FILLING:

    3 tablespoon unsalted butter 
    1 lb. shrimp, peeled and cut in half (the length of the shrimp)
    1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
    3 large garlic cloves, minced
    4 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (see note below)
3/4 cup heavy cream
    3 large eggs
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
     1 tablespoon flour
     1 teaspoon Dijon mustard  

Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the shrimp over medium heat until slightly cooked, stirring often.  Add the tomatoes, garlic and parsley, continue stirring and cook until the shrimp is almost cooked through.  Do not over cook it.   Add this to your pastry shell and spread out evenly.

Whisk together the cream, eggs, cheese, flour and Dijon.  Pour over the filling.  

Bake in a 375 oven for 60 minutes, or until puffy in the middle and slightly browned.  Let cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

A great entree along with a green salad tossed in an olive oil and vinegar dressing makes for a perfect summer meal along with a chilled bottle of Spanish Cava. 

Bon Appetit! 


Note:  I prefer to take my red pepper flakes and grind them even further in my Bullet.   I like the smaller consistency.


 
 

Having Tasajo in the 20 de Noviembre market in Oaxaca City, Mexico and at home!!

One of my favorite markets in Mexico is the 20 de Noviembre in Oaxaca City, right in the heart of the historic center and only a block from the main square.

And the part that intrigues me the most is the "Sala de Fume" (Hall of Smoke). And believe me, when it is in full swing, it is extremely smokey. 

Rick Bayless refers to it as the "Taco Corridor".

The hall is lined with independent vendors selling over a dozen types of meats and chorizos.  Along with vegetables to be grilled, tortillas, soft drinks, salsas and other condiments.

Once you select your meat, the vendor will grill it along with your choice of vegetables.  It is then delivered to table along with a variety salsas and condiments.  Talk about delicious.  
So the other night, I made Tesajo, salted air-dried beef, tortas (sandwiches) for dinner.  It was over the top.

TASAJO

I had purchased a beautiful, plump 2 pound piece of Flap steak, a low-end beef cut.  I prefer this to Flank steak, I find it has more marbling and is more flavorful.  I cut 1/4" strips, against the grain.   Then I put each strip between parchment paper and pounded it very thin, but not to the point that it would fall apart.  (FYI - your one arm gets a pretty good work out from pounding the strips of meat)

I put cooling racks over two large baking sheets.  Placed the pounded thin pieces of meat onto the racks and generously salted them.  My preferred salt is Maldon.  I let the meat air dry for at least 3 hours.

Light your grill to high.  Brush the meat with olive oil and grill, about one minute or less per side.  My condiments were some freshly made Salsa Cruda and a mashed avocado.  Along with some tasty tortas (sandwich rolls) that I had brushed with olive oil to toast after the meat was done.

My mouth is watering just looking at this plate of grilled meat.  Air-drying the meat certainly gives it an unique "aged" flavor.

Spread the mashed avocado on the bottom bun, top with the salsa and then the meat.  It was an excellent dinner and I certainly had plenty of meat left over for a few more lunches!

Buen Provecho.

Spaghetti with Fennel and Anchovies, a wonderful combination

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been trying a few new recipes.  I made this pasta dish last week and really thought it had some incredible flavors.  I served it as a main dish but going forth, I would serve it as a side dish.  This pasta would be perfect paired with some grilled lamb chops!

Spaghetti with Fennel and Anchovies

    2 large fennel bulbs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  12 oil-packed anchovy fillets
    6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped and a bit more for garnish
    1 tablespoon orange zest, using a microplane grater
    1 tablespoon lemon zest, using a microplane grater

   1 lb. spaghetti   
 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan 

Trim and cut off fronds of the fennel bulbs.  Cut the bulbs into quarters and remove the core.  Cut the quarters into 1/2" slices.  Heat oil in a large dutch oven (I use my Le Creuset) until shimmering.  Add the fennel slices to the pot, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat with oil.  Cook until the fennel starts to caramelize,  turning a golden brown.  Turn fennel slices over.  Approximately 6 minutes per side.

Reduce heat to low and add the anchovies, garlic slices, red pepper flakes and mint.  Stirring often, cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the anchovies have disintegrated and the garlic is slightly golden.  Remove pot from heat and add the orange and lemon zest.  Cover pot to keep warm and let sit until the pasta is ready.

Return the pot to the stove and heat over medium-low heat.  Add the cooked spaghetti along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.  Add the Parmesan and cook, tossing vigorously, adding more pasta cooking water if needed, until the sauce is emulsified and the spaghetti is nicely coated, about 2 minutes.  

Plate the spaghetti and garnish with a few pieces of torn mint.

Bon Appetit!

Streusel Banana Bread

With plenty of time on my hands, I have gone thru a stack of recipes that I had torn out of all my cooking magazines over the past few months.  I organized them and finally put them in the appropriate notebooks that I have ranging from appetizers, desserts, pastas, vegetables, etc..  And I bet like many of you, I have been trying a few new recipes.  This Streusel Banana Bread is a real winner!

STREUSEL BANANA BREAD

Streusel:
    6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 
       (plus extra to grease the loaf pan)
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/2 salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cake:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
       1 teaspoon baking soda
   1/2 teaspoon salt
        1 stick unsalted butter, melted
        1 cup sugar
       2 large eggs, room temperature
       1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup mashed, ripe bananas (approximately 3 bananas)

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 9" x 5" loaf pan.  With one piece of parchment paper (approximately 5" x 22"), line the bottom of the pan along with the ends, allowing at least 1" to extend the pan.

Streusel: 
In a bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar and salt together.  Stir in the butter and pecans until evenly moistened. 

Cake:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour,  baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk, then stir in the bananas.  Mix this in with the flour mixture.  Do not over mix.

Spoon half of this mixture into the loaf pan.  Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture evenly over the batter.  Add the remaining batter and top with the rest of the streusel.

Bake for around 1 hour and 10 to 2o minutes.  The top will be golden brown.  If it browns to quickly, tent with tin foil.

Let cool for 30 minutes, then lift the bread out of the pan by grasping the parchment ends.  Let cool completely before slicing.

Bon Appetit!

PS:  Soon I will be posting another recipe, a new pasta dish!

Cream of Roasted Asparagus and Garlic Soup

I have been making a lot of soups lately and one of my favorites is my Cream of Roasted Asparagus and Garlic Soup.  Roasting the asparagus with the garlic gives the soup an extra dimension and depth. 

Ingredients:
4 lbs. fresh asparagus, break woody ends off and discard
5 garlic cloves, minced
   olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups celery, sliced
1 leek, sliced
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
salt to taste

Toss the asparagus and garlic in olive oil to coat.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 350 for about 15 minutes or until tender.
Melt butter and saute the celery, onion and leek until tender.
Once the asparagus has cooled, cut into 1" pieces.
Add to the vegetables.  
In batches, puree some of the vegetables along with some chicken stock in a blender.
Return to the pot and add the cream.  Salt to taste.

Makes around 14 cups and freezes well.
Bon Appetit!