Blahhh, that's enough of that. My mother was here for a week and now she's gone. I am a little surprised at how uncomfortable I am with people in my personal space, and I live in a 700-square-foot condo. All of my space is personal.
I like a good muffin from time to time--chocolate chip, blueberry, cherry pecan, lemon poppyseed. Have you seen those new "muffin top" pans? They just make the muffin "tops" which are of course arguably the best part of the muffin anyway.
This thing sounds irresistable. I get about eleven email newsletters about food and cooking and that sort of thing, and this came in one of those. It sounds like dessert, not anything I'd eat for breakfast, but muffins are really too sticky-sweet for breakfast for me anyway. This thing sounds like cheesecake made portable. I'm all over it.
Raspberry-Cream Cheese Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 of an 8-ounce container cream cheese with strawberries
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Powdered sugar (optional)
Lightly grease eighteen 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper baking cups; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in cream cheese till the mixture resembles crumbs about the size of a pea. In a small mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, melted butter or margarine, and vanilla. Add all at once to flour mixture. Stir just till moistened. (The batter will be lumpy.)
Fold in fresh or frozen raspberries. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated 400° oven about 20 minutes, or till golden brown. Remove from pans; cool slightly on racks. If desired, sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.
Showing posts with label Bread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bread. Show all posts
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
May 23: Savory Bread Pudding With Parmesan and Mushrooms
Remember Tiffani, that awful egomaniac from the first season of "Top Chef?" One of my favorite moments in TV history was watching Dave tell her to shut up, the "I'm not your bitch, bitch" line. I've never in my life seen anyone who needed to be told that so desperately.
As much as I disliked Tiffani, I loved her food. She made a Krispy-Kream bread pudding during one challenge that just looked fabulous.
I love the textures and flavors of bread pudding, the custardy sweetness. Even more, though, I love a savory bread pudding. It's so unexpected, like Thanksgiving stuffing, but stepped up. It could be a rich, filling side dish, it could be a vegetarian main dish. I can't wait to try this.
Savory Bread Pudding With Parmesan and Mushrooms
1 (1-pound) loaf crusty country-style white bread
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as crimini, button, portobello, and stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cut bottom crust and short ends off bread and discard. Cut remaining bread with crust into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups loosely packed). Place cubes in very large bowl. Add oil, thyme, and garlic; toss to coat. Spread cubes out on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to same very large bowl.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, and bell pepper. sauté until soft and juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add sautéed vegetables and parsley to bread cubes.Whisk heavy cream, eggs, salt, and ground pepper in large bowl. Mix custard into bread and vegetables. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Sprinkle cheese over.
Cover and refrigerate.Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake stuffing uncovered until set and top is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes.
As much as I disliked Tiffani, I loved her food. She made a Krispy-Kream bread pudding during one challenge that just looked fabulous.
I love the textures and flavors of bread pudding, the custardy sweetness. Even more, though, I love a savory bread pudding. It's so unexpected, like Thanksgiving stuffing, but stepped up. It could be a rich, filling side dish, it could be a vegetarian main dish. I can't wait to try this.
Savory Bread Pudding With Parmesan and Mushrooms
1 (1-pound) loaf crusty country-style white bread
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as crimini, button, portobello, and stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cut bottom crust and short ends off bread and discard. Cut remaining bread with crust into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups loosely packed). Place cubes in very large bowl. Add oil, thyme, and garlic; toss to coat. Spread cubes out on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to same very large bowl.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, and bell pepper. sauté until soft and juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add sautéed vegetables and parsley to bread cubes.Whisk heavy cream, eggs, salt, and ground pepper in large bowl. Mix custard into bread and vegetables. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Sprinkle cheese over.
Cover and refrigerate.Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake stuffing uncovered until set and top is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes.
Monday, May 12, 2008
May 12: BLT Salad
If I had any sense at all, it might embarass me how much I like bacon. Bacon should be a guilty pleasure, eaten in secret, and not talked about.
But I am not someone who feels guilty about pleasure. I never have been. Guilt is not in my nature. If I'm likely to feel bad about it later, I probably won't do it. And I seldom eat anything I feel bad about later. I am an unabashed carnivore. I have gained weight over the years, mostly due to my intensely lazy nature and my feeling that, because everything else in my life is going so well, I just don't feel that need for the element of control that comes from depriving myself of things just to deprive myself. I still practice moderation almost all the time, because if I didn't, I would practice bingeing instead.
You would never have known it based on the weather today, when it barely got out of the 40's here, but it is almost summer. I hate being too hot, and much warmer than about 78 degrees is too hot for me. You wouldn't think summer would be my favorite thing, but I like baseball and after three seasons of heavy, long-simmered rich stews and braises, I love summer food.
Is there anything as great as a BLT? Well, yeah, lots of things, but I'm talking about a real, mid-summer's night dream of a sandwich, with great bread and thick-sliced bacon and serious juicy summer tomatoes. By the time you're down to the end of the sandwich, the juice has soaked into the bread, making a sort of bread-slush with tomatoes and mayonnaise (I seem to be talking a lot about mayonnaise today), with the pieces sliding apart and everything falling apart in your hands...wait. Hold on, that part's not so great.
Yeah, the one drawback to a BLT, the mess that you're left with. Some people (like my mother) are okay with it. Me, not so much. I like my food like I like my husband: orderly, put-together, consistent, and...wait, that's not my husband. Who is that guy?
Anyway, the BLT. There's an answer. It's a good answer and as much as celebrity chefs sort of turn me off (*cough* Rachael Ray *cough*) Alton Brown came up with this one. It's a panzanilla, a bread salad that he gave some clever name that doesn't bear repeating. I love bread salad of all varieties, including a panzanilla with oil-cured olives and spinach and feta which I will try to remember to tell you about some other day.
We were at the farmer's market at Eastern Market in D.C. this weekend, and the tomatoes are starting to taste good again--not those awful pink things with the texture and consistency of a baseball. They're not the big juicy beefsteaks that you'll find in August, the ones that are almost erotic in their ripeness, the ones that are still warm from growing on the vine in the sun when you slice into them, but they'll do. Make this salad now, and then come back to it in July or August and make it again.
If you're like me and cook by the seat of your pants, or you just forgot to set the bread out, you can dry the bread in a very low (like 150 degrees low) for 20 or 30 minutes. I have half a loaf of homemade rustic bread that I would probably use for this--just something serious and sturdy that you can cut into 1-inch cubes. Don't go and try to use Wonderbread for this, or you get what you deserve. I assure you that it's as much about the bread as it is about anything else, and you know me--for me it's always about the bacon.
And the mint? In the dressing? Ummm, no thanks. Add it if you like, but mint and bacon sounds like Doritos and ice cream to me.
BLT Salad
4 cups French bread cut into 1-inch cubes and dried overnight
6 slices bacon, cooked, chopped, drippings reserved
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons oil, for searing
2 cups halved yellow pear tomatoes or roughly chopped heirloom tomatoes
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chiffonade mint
1 tablespoon chiffonade basil
Toss bread cubes in the bacon drippings. Sear the halved grape tomatoes in 2 tablespoons of oil, cut side down, until caramelized about 5 minutes, set aside. Combine red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl, slowly whisk in olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Combine all tomatoes, bread, bacon, and lettuce and dress with vinaigrette, toss well, garnish with mint and basil and serve.
But I am not someone who feels guilty about pleasure. I never have been. Guilt is not in my nature. If I'm likely to feel bad about it later, I probably won't do it. And I seldom eat anything I feel bad about later. I am an unabashed carnivore. I have gained weight over the years, mostly due to my intensely lazy nature and my feeling that, because everything else in my life is going so well, I just don't feel that need for the element of control that comes from depriving myself of things just to deprive myself. I still practice moderation almost all the time, because if I didn't, I would practice bingeing instead.
You would never have known it based on the weather today, when it barely got out of the 40's here, but it is almost summer. I hate being too hot, and much warmer than about 78 degrees is too hot for me. You wouldn't think summer would be my favorite thing, but I like baseball and after three seasons of heavy, long-simmered rich stews and braises, I love summer food.
Is there anything as great as a BLT? Well, yeah, lots of things, but I'm talking about a real, mid-summer's night dream of a sandwich, with great bread and thick-sliced bacon and serious juicy summer tomatoes. By the time you're down to the end of the sandwich, the juice has soaked into the bread, making a sort of bread-slush with tomatoes and mayonnaise (I seem to be talking a lot about mayonnaise today), with the pieces sliding apart and everything falling apart in your hands...wait. Hold on, that part's not so great.
Yeah, the one drawback to a BLT, the mess that you're left with. Some people (like my mother) are okay with it. Me, not so much. I like my food like I like my husband: orderly, put-together, consistent, and...wait, that's not my husband. Who is that guy?
Anyway, the BLT. There's an answer. It's a good answer and as much as celebrity chefs sort of turn me off (*cough* Rachael Ray *cough*) Alton Brown came up with this one. It's a panzanilla, a bread salad that he gave some clever name that doesn't bear repeating. I love bread salad of all varieties, including a panzanilla with oil-cured olives and spinach and feta which I will try to remember to tell you about some other day.
We were at the farmer's market at Eastern Market in D.C. this weekend, and the tomatoes are starting to taste good again--not those awful pink things with the texture and consistency of a baseball. They're not the big juicy beefsteaks that you'll find in August, the ones that are almost erotic in their ripeness, the ones that are still warm from growing on the vine in the sun when you slice into them, but they'll do. Make this salad now, and then come back to it in July or August and make it again.
If you're like me and cook by the seat of your pants, or you just forgot to set the bread out, you can dry the bread in a very low (like 150 degrees low) for 20 or 30 minutes. I have half a loaf of homemade rustic bread that I would probably use for this--just something serious and sturdy that you can cut into 1-inch cubes. Don't go and try to use Wonderbread for this, or you get what you deserve. I assure you that it's as much about the bread as it is about anything else, and you know me--for me it's always about the bacon.
And the mint? In the dressing? Ummm, no thanks. Add it if you like, but mint and bacon sounds like Doritos and ice cream to me.
BLT Salad
4 cups French bread cut into 1-inch cubes and dried overnight
6 slices bacon, cooked, chopped, drippings reserved
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons oil, for searing
2 cups halved yellow pear tomatoes or roughly chopped heirloom tomatoes
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chiffonade mint
1 tablespoon chiffonade basil
Toss bread cubes in the bacon drippings. Sear the halved grape tomatoes in 2 tablespoons of oil, cut side down, until caramelized about 5 minutes, set aside. Combine red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl, slowly whisk in olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Combine all tomatoes, bread, bacon, and lettuce and dress with vinaigrette, toss well, garnish with mint and basil and serve.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
May 10: Cinnamon Honey Compound Butter
When did I become such a little old lady? One glass of wine with dinner and I'm falling asleep on the couch. What if I have to give up drinking? Oh my God!
Compound butter: if you haven't tried them yet, you're missing out. I baked bread today, something I love to do but don't do often enough. The exactitude required by baking does not suit my free spirit in the kitchen. Measuring stuff is sort of stifling to me. But I love fresh homemade bread, particularly with compound butter. All it is, is butter with stuff mixed in. Seriously--butter and stuff.
Compound butter is good for all kinds of things: popcorn, fish, pasta. I love bleu cheese butter on a freshly grilled steak; I love chicken breasts with chipotle butter; I love spaghetti with garlic-basil butter.
For the homemade bread, I made my favorite sweet compound butter. Let me just say that I think this would be amazing on pancakes, or waffles, or toast. There was a restaurant in Kalamazoo that we used to go to that served warm rolls with this butter, and it is so good, it is all I can do to not slather my three-year-old in this stuff. Believe me, based on his behaviour today, it would be an improvement.
Cinnamon Honey Butter
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Whip butter with a fork until fluffy. Mix in honey and cinnamon.
Keep cool. Will keep, tightly covered in refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.
Compound butter: if you haven't tried them yet, you're missing out. I baked bread today, something I love to do but don't do often enough. The exactitude required by baking does not suit my free spirit in the kitchen. Measuring stuff is sort of stifling to me. But I love fresh homemade bread, particularly with compound butter. All it is, is butter with stuff mixed in. Seriously--butter and stuff.
Compound butter is good for all kinds of things: popcorn, fish, pasta. I love bleu cheese butter on a freshly grilled steak; I love chicken breasts with chipotle butter; I love spaghetti with garlic-basil butter.
For the homemade bread, I made my favorite sweet compound butter. Let me just say that I think this would be amazing on pancakes, or waffles, or toast. There was a restaurant in Kalamazoo that we used to go to that served warm rolls with this butter, and it is so good, it is all I can do to not slather my three-year-old in this stuff. Believe me, based on his behaviour today, it would be an improvement.
Cinnamon Honey Butter
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Whip butter with a fork until fluffy. Mix in honey and cinnamon.
Keep cool. Will keep, tightly covered in refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
April 15: Tax Day Sandwich
It is Tax Day. I usually love Tax Day, but this year, we are rich (comparitively so) and we have to pay in. We currently have no money to pay in with (how ironic) and so I've filed an extension. The emotional trauma of suddenly being $1500 poorer (oh dear Lord) has made me unable to cook an actual meal, so I have instituted a family tradition: a tax day sandwich.
I like sandwiches. This one is a rather unfriendly one; it has a lot of nitrites and sodium. And pork. But I'm not losing any sleep over the pork. This sandwich is going to ease my pain a little tonight. And believe me, I am $1500 poorer tonight. I have a lot of pain. I'm going to eat this with chips and some really excellent guacamole, and maybe have a drink. Or two. Or seven.
Tax Day Sandwich
4 large slices crusty peasant bread
12 slices smoked deli ham
12 slices smoked turkey
8 slices thick-cut peppered bacon, fried until crispy but not dry
4 slices swiss cheese
4 slices cheddar cheese
8 thin slices tomato
8 thin slices red onion
1/4 cup honey mustard
Preheat broiler, setting rack in closest position to broiler element.
Toast the bread lightly.
Lay each slice of bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Layer each with the following:
3 slices ham
3 slices turkey
1/4 of the honey mustard
2 slices bacon
2 slices tomato
1 slice Swiss
Broil 2 minutes, or until cheese is beginning to melt.
Layer each with the following:
2 slices red onion
1 slice cheddar
Broil an additional 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melty and lightly browned.
Use a spatula to transfer each sandwich to a plate. Drizzle with additional honey mustard, if desired. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
I like sandwiches. This one is a rather unfriendly one; it has a lot of nitrites and sodium. And pork. But I'm not losing any sleep over the pork. This sandwich is going to ease my pain a little tonight. And believe me, I am $1500 poorer tonight. I have a lot of pain. I'm going to eat this with chips and some really excellent guacamole, and maybe have a drink. Or two. Or seven.
Tax Day Sandwich
4 large slices crusty peasant bread
12 slices smoked deli ham
12 slices smoked turkey
8 slices thick-cut peppered bacon, fried until crispy but not dry
4 slices swiss cheese
4 slices cheddar cheese
8 thin slices tomato
8 thin slices red onion
1/4 cup honey mustard
Preheat broiler, setting rack in closest position to broiler element.
Toast the bread lightly.
Lay each slice of bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Layer each with the following:
3 slices ham
3 slices turkey
1/4 of the honey mustard
2 slices bacon
2 slices tomato
1 slice Swiss
Broil 2 minutes, or until cheese is beginning to melt.
Layer each with the following:
2 slices red onion
1 slice cheddar
Broil an additional 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melty and lightly browned.
Use a spatula to transfer each sandwich to a plate. Drizzle with additional honey mustard, if desired. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
June 1: Extra-Light, Extra-Crisp Waffles
Waffles are one of my favorite things for breakfast. Crispier than pancakes, lighter than toast, a waffle is a great vehicle for cinnamon-honey butter and a spoonful of sauteed, diced apples. Yum.
A great waffle is a thing of beauty, but it's also pretty rare. America's Test Kitchen has an unorthodox approach to waffles: a basic batter with egg whites whipped and folded in, vegetable oil standing in for butter, swapping cornstarch for some of the flour, and the unorthodox addition of Rice Krispies, which seem to disappear into the batter, magically leaving behind their crispy texture.
I love a mystery ingredient. It does something for the recipe without changing the character of the dish. It's one of the many ways in which food becomes more than the sum of its parts. This is crazy, but honest to God, it works like a charm. I would happily eat these waffles for any meal of the day, including with fried chicken, which is apparently quite a big thing--I'd never heard of it before, but it sounds good to me.
Extra-Light, Extra-Crisp Waffles
A great waffle is a thing of beauty, but it's also pretty rare. America's Test Kitchen has an unorthodox approach to waffles: a basic batter with egg whites whipped and folded in, vegetable oil standing in for butter, swapping cornstarch for some of the flour, and the unorthodox addition of Rice Krispies, which seem to disappear into the batter, magically leaving behind their crispy texture.
I love a mystery ingredient. It does something for the recipe without changing the character of the dish. It's one of the many ways in which food becomes more than the sum of its parts. This is crazy, but honest to God, it works like a charm. I would happily eat these waffles for any meal of the day, including with fried chicken, which is apparently quite a big thing--I'd never heard of it before, but it sounds good to me.
Extra-Light, Extra-Crisp Waffles
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup Rice Crispies
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Preheat a waffle iron to medium. Stir the flour, Rice Krispies, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the egg yolks, milk, vanilla, and oil together in a medium bowl.
With an electric mixer or ballon whisk, beat the egg whites in a bowl to soft peaks. Pour the milk mixture overthe dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Whisk in the beaten whites until just combined. Do not overmix; a few streaks of whites should be visible.
Pour 2/3 cup of the batter into the center of the waffle iron and use the back of a dinner spoon to spread thebatter toward the outer edges. Close the lid and cook until deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately. Repeat with additional batter.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
February 12: Brie Souffle
One of my favorite things in the world is a cookbook called The Silver Palate Cookbook. If my house were on fire, I would probably save my wedding pictures and pictures from my son's first two years of life, but only because I have the negatives and the cookbook can be replaced.
This cookbook was first published in 1982 by proprieters of a gourmet shop in New York City. Julee Rosso, who happens to be from my hometown, was one of the two authors. In 1988, she and her partner sold The Silver Palate. She now owns and operates a country inn called The Wickwood, in Saugatuck, Michigan. Saugatuck happens to be far and away my favorite place on earth. I grew up an hour or so away from this town on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and my heart and soul is inexorably tied to this place, this little arts community and resort town full of boats and smart and creative people and quirky. I love the quirky. Over Christmas, when Dan and I were in Michigan, we dropped our son off with his parents and drove on up to Saugatuck for a day. It snowed madly all day, and we ducked into bars and restaurants all up and down the street to warm up for a drink or a glass of local wine or a snack. We had crispy fried portabello strips breaded in parmesan and fennel seeds at Phil's, and a bowl of clean-your-clock spicy chili at The Butler. It was maybe the best day I've had ever, and for no real reason except for the fact that there is something totally serendipitous and otherworldly about the place for me, for my husband. It is part of our story together, and although we're 14 hours away now, it will always feel a little like home to us.
Wow, I've wandered far afield. Julee Rosso of Saugatuck, Michigan, has this fabulous cookbook. It talks smartly and clearly and thoughtfully about really great, creative, and delicious food that has worked for them for over 30 years. One of my favorite recipes in it is this brie souffle. It isn't a "real" souffle, more like a savory bread pudding, but it is so rich and luxurious. I think it would be amazing for a special brunch, served along fresh fruit and champagne. I can't wait to have a reason to make this.
Serves 4-6.
Brie Souffle
8 Tbsp. (one stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 slices good quality white sandwich bread (I like Pepperidge Farms Hearty White), crusts removed
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of Tabasco
3 eggs
1 pound slightly underripe Brie, rind removed
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 1 1/2-quart souffle dish.
Butter one side of the bread slices and cut each slice into thirds. Whisk together the milk, salt, Tabasco, and eggs. Coarsely grate the Brie.
Arrange half of the bread, buttered side up, on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle evely with half of the brie and then repeat, using the remaining bread and Brie. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Bake until bubbling and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
This cookbook was first published in 1982 by proprieters of a gourmet shop in New York City. Julee Rosso, who happens to be from my hometown, was one of the two authors. In 1988, she and her partner sold The Silver Palate. She now owns and operates a country inn called The Wickwood, in Saugatuck, Michigan. Saugatuck happens to be far and away my favorite place on earth. I grew up an hour or so away from this town on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and my heart and soul is inexorably tied to this place, this little arts community and resort town full of boats and smart and creative people and quirky. I love the quirky. Over Christmas, when Dan and I were in Michigan, we dropped our son off with his parents and drove on up to Saugatuck for a day. It snowed madly all day, and we ducked into bars and restaurants all up and down the street to warm up for a drink or a glass of local wine or a snack. We had crispy fried portabello strips breaded in parmesan and fennel seeds at Phil's, and a bowl of clean-your-clock spicy chili at The Butler. It was maybe the best day I've had ever, and for no real reason except for the fact that there is something totally serendipitous and otherworldly about the place for me, for my husband. It is part of our story together, and although we're 14 hours away now, it will always feel a little like home to us.
Wow, I've wandered far afield. Julee Rosso of Saugatuck, Michigan, has this fabulous cookbook. It talks smartly and clearly and thoughtfully about really great, creative, and delicious food that has worked for them for over 30 years. One of my favorite recipes in it is this brie souffle. It isn't a "real" souffle, more like a savory bread pudding, but it is so rich and luxurious. I think it would be amazing for a special brunch, served along fresh fruit and champagne. I can't wait to have a reason to make this.
Serves 4-6.
Brie Souffle
8 Tbsp. (one stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 slices good quality white sandwich bread (I like Pepperidge Farms Hearty White), crusts removed
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of Tabasco
3 eggs
1 pound slightly underripe Brie, rind removed
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 1 1/2-quart souffle dish.
Butter one side of the bread slices and cut each slice into thirds. Whisk together the milk, salt, Tabasco, and eggs. Coarsely grate the Brie.
Arrange half of the bread, buttered side up, on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle evely with half of the brie and then repeat, using the remaining bread and Brie. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Bake until bubbling and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
Friday, January 25, 2008
January 25: Quick Cheese Bread
This may not be quick, but it is bread and cheese. Quick is a misleading term when it comes to this recipe; it refers to the fact that the bread contains no yeast and is instead risen with other leaveners--baking powder specifically.
I made two loaves of this for my mother's annual Christmas party this year. I was, frankly, stunned at the reception that it received. I thought it was a humble, albeit very enjoyable loaf of quick bread. I made maybe 10 copies of the recipe before the party ended and handed it out to my mother's friends. It was, surprisingly, the star of the show this year.
This is really a great loaf of bread. If you have leftovers, and I recommend doubling this recipe so that you will have leftovers, you can thick-slice it, smear it with honey mustard, pile it with shaved smoked deli ham, and top it with sliced cheese, then run it under the broiler. It is both delicious and a great cure for a hangover.
Makes one 9-inch loaf.
Quick Cheese Bread
3 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded on the large holes of a box grater (about one cup)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, or mild Asiago cheese, cumbled into 1/4-to-1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 large egg
3/4 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then sprinkle 1/2 cup of the parmesan evenly over the bottom of the pan.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and black powder to combine. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the cheddar, breaking up clumps, until it is coated with the flour mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, egg, and sour cream. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (the batter will be heavy and thick). Do not overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan; spread to the sides of the pan and level the surface with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan evenly over the surface.
Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack 5 minutes; invert the loaf onto the rack, turn right-side up, and continue to cool until warm, about 45 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.
I made two loaves of this for my mother's annual Christmas party this year. I was, frankly, stunned at the reception that it received. I thought it was a humble, albeit very enjoyable loaf of quick bread. I made maybe 10 copies of the recipe before the party ended and handed it out to my mother's friends. It was, surprisingly, the star of the show this year.
This is really a great loaf of bread. If you have leftovers, and I recommend doubling this recipe so that you will have leftovers, you can thick-slice it, smear it with honey mustard, pile it with shaved smoked deli ham, and top it with sliced cheese, then run it under the broiler. It is both delicious and a great cure for a hangover.
Makes one 9-inch loaf.
Quick Cheese Bread
3 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded on the large holes of a box grater (about one cup)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, or mild Asiago cheese, cumbled into 1/4-to-1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 large egg
3/4 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then sprinkle 1/2 cup of the parmesan evenly over the bottom of the pan.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and black powder to combine. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the cheddar, breaking up clumps, until it is coated with the flour mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, egg, and sour cream. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (the batter will be heavy and thick). Do not overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan; spread to the sides of the pan and level the surface with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan evenly over the surface.
Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack 5 minutes; invert the loaf onto the rack, turn right-side up, and continue to cool until warm, about 45 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.
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