Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle

I was looking for something special to bring as dessert our annual Christmas Party and found this recipe for Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle on Epicurious which got great reader reviews. I am not usually a huge fan of tiramisu generally, as I think it's mushy. Despite my best efforts to keep this one from being mushy (didn't soak the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture but a second), it was but it was still pretty good and was a great option for a group that isn't big fans of chocolate - I know, shameful!

The best part of this dessert is the visual presentation with the chocolate leaves. I was hesitant to tackle them, but all the reader comments said it was easy and it was. I used the bay plant leaves I had in my backyard with white chocolate (see above!) with a few redhots to make it look like a poinsettia. My only advice is to make twice the amount of leaves you think you'll need as some will break as you peel the leaves off.

Almond Macarons

Yes macaron, not to be confused with macaroon - my friend Kate set me straight on this hotly debated topic. While I like both types, Kate decidedly sits in the french almond macron camp so I invited her over for an afternoon of macaron making (and checked two more recipes off the Martha Stewart Baking list).

The cookie recipe was incredibly easy. Martha recommended a Swiss Meringue Buttercream filling - both Kate and I thought this wasn't the right filling compared to the ones we've had from various bakeries (more research is clearly required). Anyway, right filling or not, they were pretty tasty and turned out pretty well for our first try.

A couple of tips:

- Almond flour is surprisingly easy to find - my local grocery store had it. I bought Bob's Red Mill brand

- Leave plenty of space in between the cookies as they spread quite a bit and aren't nearly as cute when they aren't round.

Want to learn more about French macarons? Links courtesy of Kate!

The controversy:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/351660

General background:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron

Good photos:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/10/introduction-to-french-macarons.html

Good site with recipes:
http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2005/9/27/the-mighty-macaron.html

Kate's sister's favorite recipe:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2005/10/french_chocolat.html

Apple and Machego Salad with Marcona Almonds

It's feeling very fall in Seattle at the moment and my menus are reflective of the change in season. Fall is my favorite season with warm sweaters, apple cider, pumpkins, soup, and apples - this easy and tasty salad will put you right in the fall mood. It's a great balance of tartness, saltiness and tanginess. My only critique is it really only makes enough for 2-3 servings, so consider doubling it if needed.

This recipe is from Jose Andres' recipe in Bon Appetit Oct. 06:

- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced

- 4-6 oz Manchego cheese, roughly cubed
- 1/2 cup+ Marcona almonds

- lightly toasted chopped chives

- 1/4 Ct olive oil

- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Combine the apples, Manchego and almonds in a bowl. Add the olive oil and vinegar and stir well to coat. Stir in snipped chives and serve.

Panzanella - Bread Salad

In August when tomatoes are at the peak of flavor, I love to make bread salad. This recipe from Cook's Illustrated is quick and easy. This salad is best made with day old bread - I tried to stale it up a bit by grilling it, but it really wasn't dry enough and the dressing made it a bit soggy.

Despite its most humble origins, this salad is delicious. The bread must be coarse peasant bread or any sturdy Italian-style bread. Other breads will not hold up to being dressed with oil and vinegar and combined with tomatoes, which are full of water. Also, don't use sweetened breads. If the tomatoes are ripe and the olive oil is particularly flavorful, you can omit the vinegar, moistening the bread with a tablespoon or two of water instead.

INGREDIENTS

1	pound Italian peasant bread , day-old, crusts removed, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1/2	cup extra-virgin olive oil
3	tablespoons red wine vinegar
2	large vine-ripened tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into medium dice
1/2	red onion , sliced paper-thin
2	tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves , or mint leaves
2	teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
1	tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1/4	teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place bread cubes in shallow bowl. Mix oil, vinegar, tomatoes, onion, and half of herbs in medium bowl. Let stand for flavors to develop, about 10 minutes, then add to bread, along with remaining herbs, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper or to taste. If bread still seems dry, sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons water to rehydrate it a bit. Serve. (If sturdy bread is used, salad can be covered and set aside up to 2 hours.)

Frittata with Asparagus, Tomato and Fontina

I've made Giada De Laurentiis's frittata with asparagus, tomato and fontina at least a dozen times. It's perfect for brunch or pair it with a fun salad and bread and you have an easy dinner. It's quick which makes it perfect for week night entertaining, high protein and delicious. The green asparagus, red tomatoes and yellow egg make this dish really colorful.

If you've never made a frittata before, they are really easy so don't be intimidated. Just be sure you don't over cook the asparagus the first time since it cooks twice and keep an eye on it while it's in the broiler! You can see I let this one go just a tad too far.

Bastille Cafe & Bar, Ballard

Date - July 16, 2009
Background - Bastille opened about a month ago in the heart of Ballard by the owners of Cafe Fiori. A few days after Bastille Day we decided to check it out. It was a hot night and their large outdoor patio was calling our name.

Atmosphere - It doesn't get any more French bistro than this. It on the verge of too much for me, but the white tiles and lots of black and white details they've given in a lot of thought. It a large space with two bars, one for the hipsters and one a bit more mellow, and a nice communal table that looks like it will have a fireplace in the winter and an outside patio.

Service - We sat at the bar first while waiting for a table and both our bar waiter and our patio waitress had attitude. While the bar waiter was at least good at his job, our main waitress was all around disappointing.

Drink - Great selection of cocktails, wine and beer.

Food - All the French classics are on the menu - no escargot yet, but the waiter thought they would once they get a bit more settled. They serve lunch, dinner and brunch. We started with grilled octopus and baguette and butter ($3 for bread but worth every penny in my mind for the Pugla butter). The Count had steak frite and I had a spring pasta dish. The steak was delicious in flavor but came out medium when he asked for rare. My homemade pasta was cooked perfectly but a bit oily.

Verdict - The jury is still out. I hope they are still working out the kinks as Seattle doesn't really have a classic French Bistro. I will definitely give this spot a few more tries as I really want it to be great.3 stars for now...

Thick and Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies

If you happen to live in Seattle or Chicago you are lucky enough to have access to Starbucks latest new product, VIA. VIA is basically Starbucks version of instant coffee and it blows the competition out of the water. I am not just saying that because I work for Starbucks - in taste test after taste test, VIA wins hands down as a superior product. While I am not much of an instant coffee drinker, VIA can come in handy when you don't have access to a Starbucks (traveling, camping, etc.) and it is versatile enough that you can use it to make all sorts of interesting cocktails and work well in recipes.

I had a big day at work where I wanted to impress a few folks so I decided to try out this recipe by Cook's Illustrated for Double Chocolate Cookies. I replaced the instant espresso powder with two packets of VIA (next time I'll use three to dial up the coffee flavor even more). They turned out pretty good.

Thick and Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies

To melt the chocolate in a microwave, heat at 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stir, then continue heating at 50 percent power for 1 more minute. If not completely melted, heat an additional 30 to 45 seconds at 50 percent power. Semisweet chocolate chips may be added for a bigger chocolate punch; if used, they will slightly increase the yield on the cookies. We recommend using a spring-loaded ice cream scoop to scoop the dough. Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear underbaked at first but will firm up as they cool.

INGREDIENTS

2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2	cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2	teaspoons baking powder
1	teaspoon table salt
16	ounces semisweet chocolate , chopped
4	large eggs
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
2	teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
10	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), softened but still firm
1 1/2	cups light brown sugar
1/2	cup granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in medium heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth; remove from heat. Beat eggs and vanilla lightly with fork, sprinkle coffee powder over to dissolve, and set aside.

2. 2. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or with hand mixer), beat butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds (15 seconds with hand mixer). Beat in sugars until combined, about 45 seconds (1 1/2 minutes with hand mixer); mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds (1 1/2 minutes with hand mixer). Add chocolate in steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds (1 minute with hand mixer). Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until combined, about 40 seconds (1 minute with hand mixer). Do not overbeat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until consistency is scoopable and fudgelike, about 30 minutes.

3. 3. Meanwhile, adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Leaving about 1 1/2-inches between each ball, scoop dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets with 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop.

4. 4. Bake cookies until edges have just begun to set but centers are still very soft, about 10 minutes, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.

5. 5. Cool cookies on sheets about 10 minutes, slide parchment with cookies onto wire rack and cool to room temperature; remove with wide metal spatula.
   

Poppy

Poppy, Capitol Hill

Date - Mid-April, 2009

Background - I was getting together with a few work people and when one of them sent out some restaurant idea, I immediately jumped on Poppy as I heard good things.

Atmosphere - Modern decor and bright colors make this a lively spot.

Service - Good. Our waitress was very patient with us as we asked her to explain all the different ingredients to us. We also had a few fussy eaters in the group (me included) and all requests were happily accommodated.

Drink- They have a great cocktail menu with unique, Indian inspired libations.

Food - The food concept came off a bit fussy for my taste which probably has something to do with the chef being from Herb Farm. Each night they serve two different "thalis" which is a platter with a variety of small dishes. Each dish has 5-6 ingredients so you get a lot of different flavors on your plate, but not very much of any one thing which collectively left me feeling unsatisfied.

Verdict - 3 stars. I'd go again with someone, but probably won't be a spot I am pushing to go.

Easter Pie

We were invited to our friends Amy and Jesse's house for Easter brunch.  Amy let me contribute to her fantastic spread, so I pulled out my Martha Stewart Baking cookbook which I've had for three years and hadn't tackled even one recipe yet, and started searching.  She has a recipe for Easter Pie which seemed appropriate so I gave it a whirl.

It took longer to bake than the recipe called for and rolling out the dough wasn't easy, but made for a nice presentation and it received a lot of compliments.  Honestly, I doubt I will make it again, but it I am glad I tried it. I give it 2.5 stars - it tasted good but wasn't worth the effort in the end.

Penne with Asparagus Sage and Peas

It's asparagus season and I have a host of asparagus pasta recipes I am dying to try.  First up, the April issue of Food and Wine magazine's cover recipe, Penne with Asparagus, Sage and Peas. It was nice and light and tasted like spring - a solid 3 stars

I like my asparagus a bit crisp, so I'd cut the cook times in half.

Brown Sugar Cookies

We spent a rainy weekend at the coast and my sister and I cooked up a storm.  In fact it was so rainy one night, we couldn't be bothered to head to the store for dessert making so we threw together these tasty cookies out of the Spring Entertaining edition of Cook's Illustrated.  They make a nice twist on a standard sugar cookie - 3 stars.

Makes 2 Dozen Cookies.   Published March 1, 2007.  

The most efficient way to bake these cookies is to portion and bake half of the dough. While the first batch is in the oven, the remaining dough can be prepared for baking. Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter. The dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is sufficiently browned. Use fresh brown sugar, as older (read: harder and drier) brown sugar will make the cookies too dry.

INGREDIENTS

14	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/4	cup granulated sugar (about 1 3/4 ounces)
2	cups packed dark brown sugar (14 ounces)
2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/4	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1	large egg
1	large egg yolk
1	tablespoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. 2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. 3. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. 4. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but it will take 3 batches.)

5. 5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone; see photo below), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

6. 6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.