This Just Sounded Delicious

Maple Huckleberry Coffee Cake Recipe

I used a 1-pound loaf pan here, but you could likely get away with a 8 or 9-inch cake or pie pan. Just check in more frequently as the coffee cake is baking because the cooking time will be different. If you have trouble locating whole wheat pastry flour, I suspect spelt flour would make a good substitution - unbleached all-purpose flour is an option as well. I used maple sugar as the granulated sweetener in the crumble top - but I recognize that it can be expensive and sometimes hard to find - feel free to substitute raw cane sugar or brown sugar.

Serves 12 - 16 modest slices.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or spelt flour)
• 3 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup maple syrup, room temperature
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• zest of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/3 cups fresh wild huckleberries (or other berries), well picked over

Topping:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

special equipment: a 1-pound loaf pan

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, rack in the middle. Butter a 1-pound loaf pan, and line with parchment paper. Alternately, you could just butter and flour the pan, but I've found that lining the pan with parchment makes removing the cake from the pan after baking no problem.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, thyme, and rosemary. Set aside. In a separate large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer or by hand - until light and fluffy. Drizzle in the maple syrup and beat until well incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times along the way. Beat in the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, scraping the sides again. Add half of the flour, stir just a bit, now add a splash of the buttermilk, stir again, but not too much. Add the rest of the flour and stir a bit, and now the rest of the buttermilk. Stir until everything barely comes together and then very gently fold in one cup of the huckleberries. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pan and set aside.

To make the streusel topping, place the flour, butter, maple sugar, thyme and pecans in a food processor and pulse 20-30 times or until the topping is a bit beyond sandy/crumbly. It should be moist-looking - on its way to being slightly doughy. Crumble 2/3 of it over the cake batter, sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup huckleberries on top of that, and then add the last of the crumble. Barely pat in place with your fingertips.

Place the coffee cake in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for five minutes and then remove it from the pan to cool on a rack (this way the cake won't steam in the pan as it's cooling.

Silent letters in other languages are just as weird

Peach Gnocchi

Just know what you are getting into here before you start. Have plenty of time, and plenty of counter space at your disposal if at all possible. This recipe makes enough for a crowd, but I'd recommend a test run before inviting a crowd over for a gnocchi feast. It can take a bit of time to get the swing of things the first time you try this. If you have a ricer on hand by all means use it to get your potatoes mashed, but using a fork works well too. For those of you wanting to do some of the preparation in advance, you can mash the potatoes a day ahead of time, put them in a covered bowl overnight, and incorporated the peaches, egg and flour the next day if you like.

Ingredients:

• Scant 2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 large russets, or 3-4 smaller ones)
• 1/4 cup egg, lightly beaten
• 4 peaches, extra ripe, cut in half, pitted and peeled and pureed with the juice of half a lemon (you should end up with about 1 cup of puree)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour OR unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup shallots, minced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cups Champagne
• cream
• salt
• a bit of fresh thyme

Directions:

Bake the potatoes in a preheated 350F degree oven for about an hour or until well-cooked through. When fully cooked you can pick them up using an oven mitt and give a gentle squeeze - they will give generously in your hand. If in doubt, cut into one to be sure the middle of the potato is cooked through. Try to peel each potato as soon as possible after removing from the oven (without burning yourself) - I've found a paring knife comes in handy here. Peel all the potatoes first, and then move on to the "mashing". You want to work relatively quickly so you can mash the potatoes when they are hot, it's critical that they don't sit around steaming in their jackets. To mash the potatoes you can either push the potatoes through a ricer, or do what I do, deconstruct them one at a time on the cutting board using the tines of a fork - mash isn't quite the right term here. I run the fork down the sides of the peeled potato creating a nice, fluffy potato base to work with (see photo). Don't over-mash - you are simply after an even consistency with no noticeable lumps. Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board - ten or fifteen minutes, long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes.

When you are ready, pull the potatoes into a soft mound - drizzle with the egg, 1/3 cup of the peach puree (reserve the rest for your sauce), salt and about 3/4 cup of the flour. I've found that a metal spatula or large pastry scraper are both great utensils to use to incorporate the flour and eggs and peaches into the potatoes. Scrape underneath and fold, scrape and fold until the mixture is a light crumble. Very gently, with a feathery touch knead the dough. This is also the point you can add more flour (a sprinkle at a time) if the dough is too tacky. I usually end up using most of the remaining 1/4 cup flour (and in this case a touch more), but it all depends on the potatoes, the flour, the time of year, the weather, and whether the gnocchi gods are smiling on you. The dough should be moist but not sticky. It should feel almost billowy. Cut the dough into eight pieces. Now gently roll each 1/8th of dough into a snake-shaped log, roughly the thickness of your thumb. Use a knife to cut pieces every 3/4-inch (see photo). Dust with a bit more flour.

You can skip this step if you are having trouble. To shape the gnocchi hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the tines of the fork - the cut ends should be facing out. With confidence and an assertive (but very light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight "C" shape, their backs will capture the impression of the tines as tiny ridges (good for catching sauce later). Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them. This step takes some practice, don't get discouraged, once you get the hang of it it's easy. And like I said, if you are having too much trouble - skip it.

Before you cook the gnocchi, get your sauce ready. Saute the shallots along with the butter and a pinch of salt in a big skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the shallots are deeply golden and nicely caramelized. Stand back a bit and (carefully) deglaze the pan by adding about 1/2 the champagne to the skillet. After the initial hissing subsides pour in the rest. Stir and get all the bits off the bottom of the pan and let the mixture reduce way down until just about 1/3 is left. Remove from heat and stir in the peach puree, a generous splash of cream, a big pinch of fresh thyme leaves, and you'll likely need a bit more salt as well. Set aside.

Now that you are on the final stretch, bring a big pot of (salted) water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches by dropping them into the boiling water roughly twenty at a time. You will know when they are cooked because they will pop back up to the top. Fish them out of the water a few at a time with a slotted spoon ten seconds or so after they've surfaced. Have a large platter (or individual plates) ready with a layer of the champagne sauce. Place the gnocchi on plates/platter. Continue cooking and plating in batches until all the gnocchi are done. Serve immediately with a few sprigs of fresh thyme.

Serves six to eight.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
• 1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
   
   
2. In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.
   
   
3. Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates.
   
   
4. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot.
   
   
5. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned.
   
   
6. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle.
   
   
7. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
   
   
8. Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute.
   
   
9. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce.
   
   
10. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in.
    
    
11. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.

Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like.

Serves 4.

Sacré bleu! Une crêpe!

Is there a simple explanation for why the crêpe has never taken off as a breakfast food in the common household? It is a simple, fun, experimental and vastly customizable meal. If breakfast were a painting, a crêpe would be the canvas. Sweet or savory, plain or exotic, a crêpe offers the option to please even the pickiest of eaters. From the crêpe Suzette to the Cherry Kijafa Crêpe, all you need is accoutrement and you have a delicious meal for anytime of day.

The basic thing to remember about a crêpe is that once the crêpe itself is made, everything else is your chance to play culinary god.

The Basic Crêpe Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

1. Wisk the egg and flour together.
   
   
2. Gradually add milk and water, stirring until combined thoroughly.
   
   
3. Add the salt and butter and beat until smooth. The batter should look like a very runny pancake batter.
   That wasn't hard, was it?
   
   
4. Now in a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan (i actually have a 6" flying pan perfect for making crêpes) spoon in a thin layer of batter, tilt the pan around to get an even coverage, cook til the bottom is lightly brown and flip.

Now the fun part. I prefer to add the extras at this point while the other side is cooking, fold it over like a wrap or burrito and serve.

"I don't know what to put in my crêpes?"

Here are a few suggestions:

• Banana and Nutella
• Caramelized Apples and Brie
• Vanilla and Strawberries
• Chicken and Mushroom
• Ham and Swiss with Artichoke Hearts
• Cheddar and Sausage

be creative
have fun
and enjoy crêpes the next time you want a different breakfast

Not your Father's Cheeseburger

With every fast food joint advertising their new bacon something or the other I've actually become sick of the idea of another bacon cheeseburger, no matter what you put on it. So I set to the kitchen to figure out how to make a simple burger, with a not so simple taste.

Behold: the Gorgonzola Garlic Burger

I have no clue how much of what I used, but I will do my best to give measurements.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup BBQ Sauce, I used a Stubs BBQ sauce
1 onion chopped
1 minced glove of garlic
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
6 oz. gorgonzola cheese (one small package)
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until it all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Grab about a fist sized portion of the mixture. Roll into a ball in your hand, and than flatten. On a cooking sheet with wax paper or freezer paper on it, evenly space out your burgers.

At this point you can throw them right on the grill. I like to chill or freeze the burgers at this point just so they're easier to put on the grill. Sometimes after you've blended all the ingredients, the burger has a tendency to fall apart. Chilling the burger holds it firmer together.

On the grill, use a medium heat, this isn't going to be like your premade beef patties, you won't always see the juices ontop and know its time to flip. The easiest method, 10 minutes on one side, 10 minutes on the other. Keep an eye on them incase the grease builds the fire up too high. Unless you like your burgers well done you could end up burning them before the 10 minutes

For added flair, take potato bread hambuger buns and toast them on the grill and put your burger on that. Serve with any side you want and enjoy.

Cook for the Cure

More details to come but so far:

October 9th, 2008
On or around the NJIT Campus
In Newark, NJ

Cook for the Cure

a Homecooked meal where all proceeds will go to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Wine Pairing Made Easy

Searching for the right wine to go with the right meal is always a task better left for the experts, in this case, the expert is E&J Gallo Winery at winewebcentral.com or gallo.com.

One quick stop before stopping by your wine boutique and you can find a pairing for any meal. Tonight, I'm thinking a pasta in a creamy sauce, E&J Gallo Winery's Pairing Guide says: Pinot Noir would be best, or a Chardonnay. I have always enjoyed the taste of the pinot grapes, so pinot noir it will be.

Give it a try the next time you have difficulty picking the right wines for your dinner party.

E&J Gallo Winery's Pairing Guide

The Romans Called it Sultus

I believe when it comes to grilling chicken, if its not going to be BBQ, its gotta be pure. The taste of a moist piece of chicken breast when it hits your lips, the savory juiciness that makes you want to put aside all etiquette and tear into the chicken with bare hands, can only further prove there is a God.

Even atheist will agree with me after they try this simple preparation method that a naked chicken is the best.

The brine is the most basic and pure way to bring out the flavor of a meat while preparing it to go from in the fridge to on the grill/in the oven, to on the plate.

Brining, as wikipedia puts it, is: "Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation. The brine surrounding the cells has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells, but the cell fluid has a higher concentration of other solutes. This leads salt ions to enter the cell via diffusion. The increased salinity of the cell fluid causes the cell to absorb water from the brine via osmosis. The salt introduced into the cell also denatures its proteins. The proteins coagulate, forming a matrix which traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This prevents the meat from drying out, or dehydrating."

So what does that mean to us?

By simply soaking your food in salt water, you can keep it from drying out.

Do not be shy on the salt in the brine. Grab a bowl bigger then the meat you're brining, put in luke warm water. Add a fair amount of salt, I prefer Kosher Salt. And add your meat. I find it works amazingly for chickens, cornish hens, pork and turkey.

Cover your brined meat, and throw back in the fridge a few hours. I prefer to leave it for a few days.

What other tips do I have for keeping meet moist?
When I cook a whole chicken or turkey, I first rub it down in kosher salt. Not too heavy, we don't need to cause a coronary blockage, but covering the total fowl. I then put it on for about 15 minutes on a high heat, 475 degrees or more, to make the skin turn into a seal for the juices. Turn the heat down after the fifteen minutes and let the bird cook. I also put foil on the extremities to keep them from burning. And the added bonus, halfway through cooking whatever it is I am, I turn it over. Not always easy, especially with that turkey big enough to feed the whole fraternity house, but it gives a more even cook in my opinion.

To sum it all up, sometimes the best flavors for a meat is just the flavor the meat comes with. And one of the best ways to truly bring out those flavors is by soaking your meat in a simple salt solution called a brine.

French Onion Soup

My quest for a perfect french onion soup has brought me through many restaurants, and many renditions, with the ever classic question that I always am embattled with raised again and again. Do I go for better flavor, or a classic recipe.
This time, the better flavor has won.

I ran across a recipe for French Red Onion Soup. It boasted the ability to give a new arrangement of flavors while keeping to the idea of what french onion soup is. But as the poor recent college graduate, I am missing the ability to instantly come up with certain ingredients. In my case, star anise.

Like my grandmother, cooking is not always based on measurements, but rather on guestimations and taste testing.

BE FOREWARNED. This recipe served 4, and we thought it would only be a first dish and bought sandwiches for after. The soup was filling enough.

First up!
Two large red onions, i cut them thick with one quick cut down the middle so they're not full rings.
saute with olive oil and kosher salt.

In a separate pan, bring to boil a can of beef brother, a little sugar (about two teaspoons), some more kosher salt, ground black pepper, hint of nutmeg and about a 1/4 teaspoon of chopped rosemary. Add any other flavorings you may have to dance around that star anise slightly sweet flavor.

When you get the onions caramelized, through in about a cup and a half of red wine, i used a Yellow Tail Shiraz, but Bordeaux or Burgundy might work better. add the broth mixture and let sit on a low heat for about 5-10 minutes, mixing frequently.

As for the bread, I went to ShopRite and could not find a french baguette, so I found a olive oil and rosemary loaf that i thought would add an interesting mix to the pot. I cut the loaf in about 1 inch thick pieces and like the onions halved those, put two pieces in each of the four ovenproof bowls.

Now the fun part. The debate over cheese. manchego versus gruyere... I bought gruyere again because ShopRite didn't have manchego so next time around i'll try it, but i went with gruyere, with a thin slice of mozzarella under it.

So in your bowl, the bread, then add the onions and broth, then the cheese ontop. Pop that in under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and serve.

Not a classic French Onion, but with flavor and meatiness like this, you might not want to be so conservative with your French Onion soup again.