Good Reads

Who doesn't love looking through a new cookbook? Here are a few I recommend:

Home Baking The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World
by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugiud
Bryant gave this book to me for our first Christmas and after 4 years the pages are stained and the spine is broken, the marks of a well-used cookbook. You will love the photography and stories collected from bakers around the world, and may find yourself inspired to try a recipe that takes 3 days to finish! Some of my favorites are: Free-form Fruit Galette (pg 21), Dom's Large-Batch Italian Boules (pg 179), and Pugliese Sponge Breads (pg 188).

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
This is a vegetarian cookbook written by a person who is not a vegetarian. A great resource for all vegetables and grains. Don't be put off by the Vegetarian premise, Deborah Madison indicates in the introduction that this is a book for everyone, you can even add meat to the recipes if you like. Some of my favorites are: Butterflies with Chickpeas (pg 449), Basic Buttermilk Muffins with Streusel Topping (pg 642), and Stuffed Peppers with Corn and Mozzarella (pg 406). Check out this book if you routinely steam vegetables and serve them on the side.

Jamie at Home Cook Your Way to the Good Life by Jamie Oliver
I mentioned to Bryant one day that if I couldn't be married to him, and I had to marry someone from the Food Network, that I would marry Jamie Oliver. Bryant gave me a very strange look and asked why on earth I had felt the need to share this information with him, and I explained that it was because he not only cooked, but gardened. Bryant again reiterated that this was information he didn't need. I like Jamie Oliver's basic approach to food, both veg and meat, and the way he utilizes fresh ingredients. Catch his show on the Food Network on Saturday mornings or check out this book. Better yet, do both. This book is new to my collection so I will keep you posted on what is good, but I think all the recipes will fall into this category. Bryant is a fan of Jamie Oliver because he advocates hunting, one more person on his team.

Tartine By Elisabeth M Prueitt and Chad Rovertson
I love sweets and have a lot of cookbooks dedicated entirely to dessert. This book is the newest addition to my collection (thanks mom and dad) and so far my favorite. It encompasses both basic technique and incredible flavor. I now need to make a voyage to San Francisco specifically to eat at this place. Another cookbook that I haven't actually used yet, but have read cover to cover. I'll keep you posted. (No pun intended.)

I'll end this post with two basics that should grace every home collection. The Joy of Cooking is the ultimate no-fail standby with recipes and techniques for every imaginable topic. The molten chocolate cakes are incredible and the fudge recipe out of this world. Everyone should also have a cope of The New American Heart Association Cookbook. This is a very handy, very easy to use, resource with lots of delicious and healthy recipes. Make Southern Raised Biscuits (pg 509) for your next dinner and prepare to be inundated with compliments. Recipes that are delicious and healthy? Perfect.

I've had to force myself to keep my list short, because I own a lot of cookbooks, but right now these are my favorites.

Parsnip, Yam, and Watercress Chowder

Why on earth don't we eat parsnips on a regular basis? They are delicious simply braised and served with butter, but I absolutely love them in this soup.

2 Tbs butter
4 c 1/2 inch cubes peeled parsnips (about 4 large)
1 1/2 c chopped onion (about 1 large)
3 c low-sodium chicken broth1 c chopped and peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 medium)
1 1/2 c peeled yam (red skin, orange flesh) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 c whipping cream
1 bunch watercress sprigs (tops of bunch of watercress)

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add parsnips and onion. Saute until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add 3 c broth and apple. Cover and simmer until parsnips are tender, about 12 minutes. Puree 2 c parsnip mixture in a blender until very smooth. Return puree to pot. Add yam cubes and nutmeg. Cover and simmer until tender, about 12 minutes. Mix in cream and then watercress. Stir until watercress wilts, about 2 minutes. Thin chowder with more broth if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pasta and Two Ravioli Fillings

I really want to be Italian. My desires to be Italian seem rather nonsensical since I love French and almost all things French, but I love Italian food. I love the way Italians prepare food, eat food, and talk about food. I have wanted to go on an eating vacation of Italy for quite some time, and Bryant surprised me this Christmas with 3 Italian vacation brochures in my Christmas stocking so that we could plan a trip to Italy in 2009. Neither of us knew that my desires to go to Italy would be so drastically reduced by making ravioli. It is not because I love Italy any less, but rather because making my own ravioli let me be, in a ridiculously small and pitiful way, Italian. I know it sounds strange, but after reading The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken and dreaming of tender pockets of pasta stuffed with delectable fillings, so much of my ideas of Italy became intertwined with pasta. Bryant feels like he can never win, but I remind him that is a woman's prerogative to change her mind. I'm not saying I don't want to go to Italy (because I still do) but I don't need to anymore, and that is a good feeling.

Pasta Dough
makes 1 lb pasta
1 c 00 flour (even I could find this in Boise, but if you can't you can use all-purpose)
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c semolina or all-purpose flour for dusting
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp olive oil
2 eggs
tepid water, beginning with 4 to 6 tablespoons, adding a little more at a time (I sometimes need up to 1/4 c depending on the amount of moisture in the air.)

You can do this in a food processor or by hand. I could write out the directions but take it from me, it is so much easier to watch someone else do it because certain motions are hard to describe verbally. Go to http://www.lauraschenone.com/ and watch her demonstration on rolling pasta by hand. It is on YouTube and I think you can just do a search for THE LOST RAVIOLI RECIPES OF HOBOKEN.

Spread the filling mixture onto the pasta about an 1/8 of an inch thick leaving a 1/2 inch empty boarder. Remember, only spread the filling on half of the dough. Fold the other half of the dough on top of the filling and imprint a grid of squares. I do not have any fancy tools, so I use the wooden handle of my spatula to press a grid pattern into my ravioli (I prefer this method) and then after I have pressed very hard I cut out the individual squares with a sharp knife.

Let the ravioli dry at least a half hour before cooking. (You can freeze them at this point in a singly layer and then once frozen store in ziploc bags.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and stir. Add ravioli and cook until floating, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately!

Ricotta Cheese Filling
1 1/2 c whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 c plus 2 Tbs Parmigiano-Reggiano
salt and pepper to taste
a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg, lightly scrambled.

Combine first 5 ingredients and taste for seasoning. Add egg and stir to combine. You can also add 1 c loosely packed fresh spinach, washed, stems removed, and minced very fine. Serve the ravioli with a marinara sauce.

Butternut Squash Filling
I have had far to many bad butternut squash ravioli. I think these are the best, and amazingly this is a recipe I created! I am more of a copycat cook than an original cook so this is quite the accomplishment for me.
1 can butternut squash puree (I buy the Farmer's Market organic brand that you can easily find on amazon.com or in Whole Foods) you can also make fresh butternut squash puree by roasting cubes of butternut squash until tender and pureeing them in a blender until smooth.
1 Tbs fresh sage, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c diced shallot or onion
1/8 lb imported proscuitto
1 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat olive oil in a large skillet until hot, add onion and saute until tender. Add garlic, sage, and prosciutto and saute for 1 minute. Add butternut squash puree, stir to combine and heat through. Remove from heat and add grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and season to taste. Cool completely before using. ***My favorite way to serve this ravioli is with a reduction of homemade chicken stock and a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano. To reduce chicken stock simply bring it to a boil in a small saucepan and let it reduce down to half of its original volume. Spoon over ravioli and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano. You can also serve this with a small bit of butter and the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

My Homemade Ravioli

Pear Souffles with Chocolate Sauce

I found this recipe in the January 2009 issue of Bon Appetit and made a few changes. Bryant loved this because the souffle retains the texture of a pear. I even used unripe pears (lack of foresight) and had fantastic results. Soufflés are actually really easy. I have another recipe for an orange soufflé that is served with créme anglaise that is also fantastic.

*I cut this recipe in half when I made it for the two of us and it worked great. If you've never eaten a soufflé before simply remember to poke a hole in the middle with your spoon when you are ready to eat it and then pour in the chocolate sauce. The soufflé will expand with chocolaty goodness. Prepare yourself for a truly decadent treat.

Sauce
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tbs vanilla

Soufflés
Unsalted butter for soufflé dishes plus 2 tablespoons, divided
Sugar for soufflé dishes plus 8 tablespoons, divided
5 ripe Anjou pears (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (6 to 7 cups)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
Pinch of salt

Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and let stand until chocolate softens slightly, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth. DO AHEAD Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Generously butter six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups, then coat with sugar, tilting ramekins to coat bottoms and sides evenly. Gently tap out any excess sugar. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of pears and sauté until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and sauté until pears are caramelized and juices are thick, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Scrape pear mixture into bowl. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon butter, remaining pears, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Stir lemon juice into pears. Let cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to processor; add pear juices to chocolate sauce. Puree pears until smooth. Transfer pear puree (about 2 cups) to medium saucepan. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill puree.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk egg yolks into pear puree in saucepan to blend. Stir pear mixture constantly over medium-low heat until steam rises and mixture is hot (do not boil). Carefully transfer pear mixture to large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites with pinch of salt in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 5 tablespoons sugar to egg whites and beat until stiff but not dry. Gently fold 1/3 of egg whites into pear mixture to lighten. Gently fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide soufflé batter equally among prepared ramekins (ramekins will be full).

Bake soufflés until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Rewarm chocolate sauce over low heat. Serve soufflés immediately with warm chocolate sauce alongside.

Eggs, Proscuitto, and Asparagus

This is also easy and delicious and surprisingly satisfying. What makes this dish even simpler is the use of frozen asparagus. I buy Woodstock Farms Whole Baby Asparagus. Bryant commented that it was the best asparagus he'd ever had - not bad for a frozen vegetable. You can either poach or fry your eggs depending on your preference, and you can also roast or grill your asparagus.

For two servings you will need:

8 to 10 spears asparagus
2 thin slices prosciutto
2 eggs
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
2 slices crusty bread

Preheat grill pan and spray with Pam. When hot place asparagus and slices of bread brushed with olive oil on pan and grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip over and grill both sides. Remove from heat. Add prosciutto to grill pan for 30 seconds or so just to heat. Wrap asparagus in prosciutto.

Bring a frying pan full of water to a simmer. Add vinegar and stir. Crack eggs one at a time into a small bowl. Dip the edge of the bowl into the simmering water and allow the water to displace the egg. Poach the egg until whites are cooked, spooning whites over egg as needed to keep together. Remove from water with a slotted spoon.

To plate place the prosciutto-wrapped asparagus on the plate and top with poached egg. Serve immediately with grilled bread.

Easy Recipes First

I am going to ease myself back into blogging by starting with the simple recipes. The premise behind bacon-wrapped shrimp dates back to our very first Shaffer Christmas Eve parties. This is a creation of my Grandma Shaffer and I think one of the top 3 favorite foods that routinely show up at this gathering. This is both easy and delicious. Plan on 3 shrimp per person if you are using large shrimp.

You Need:

3 large uncooked shrimp per person - shelled and deveined (is that a word?)
*You can use precooked shrimp in a pinch, just be aware that they will be more rubbery*
1/2 piece of thick good bacon per shrimp, so if you are making 24 shrimp you will need 12 slices of bacon
Soy Sauce
Salt
Brown Sugar

Begin by adding enough soy sauce to marinate the shrimp into a pan large enough to hold all of the shrimp. Add brown sugar and salt to taste. Coat shrimp in mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. You have two options for cooking: slow roast or broil. The key here is to make sure your bacon cooks all the way through because the shrimp will cook in no time at all. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees or broil. Coat a roasting pan (or a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet) with cooking spray. Wrap each shrimp in 1/2 slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick that has been soaked in water. (You don't have to use toothpicks, just make sure the loose edge of the bacon is underneath the shrimp when placed on the pan.) Bake or broil until bacon is cooked through, turning once to brown both sides. These are seriously easy and delicious.

Resolve

New year, same resolution. I am going to update my blog weekly! The question I have for the five people who read my blog is whether I should continue to post recipes or simply post what I am cooking and then post the recipe if requested? Let me know. Here's what I've been cooking:

Roasted Pineapple Hot Buttered Rum - minus the rum
Crispy Polenta with Mushroom Ragu
Chestnut Soup
Bacon-wrapped Shrimp
Pear Souffles with Chocolate Sauce
Mexican-Spiced Chocolate Eggnog
Homemade ravioli with 2 fillings: ricotta or butternut squash
Chocolate Ganache-filled Figs with Vanilla Ice Cream
Cranberry Glazed Pork Ribs
Garlic Roasted Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
Parsnip, Yam, and Watercress Soup
Old Fashioned Fudge
Eggs, Asparagus, and Prosciutto