Oops, I did it again…

Remember the cognac/whiskey-soaked chocolate cake?
Well, my mother-in-law baked that cake and sent me photos. And then, I just had to make it again. I had to!



However… since Valentine’s Day was approaching, I thought I’ll try to make it CUTE. Hmmm…

About a week ago, when I was looking all over the place for mini cupcakes pans for my little girl’s birthday party (that’s her cake here), I found this pan.

Doesn’t it look cute?
So I really really wanted to use it for something and soon. Valentines’ sounded like an appropriate opportunity.

So take the original cognac -soaked chocolate cake + a cute pan with small indentations, and try it.
The result – wonderful!

Mini Cognac-Soaked Chocolate Cakes
Adaptation to the new variation:

1. It looked like the cognac bottle had 1 cup in it, but after measuring it, it turned out to be only ½ a cup, so I added ¼ cup cherry kirsch and ¼ cup water.
The flavor turned out to be great. Less alcoholic and intoxicating than when using all cognac, with a milder flavor, and the texture was great.

2. I used the pan with 12 mini cakes and the rest of the batter was baked in a long loaf cake (12 by 4.5 inch, measured at the top).

3. Baking times:
For the mini cakes it took 25 minutes.*
For the loaf cake it took 50 minutes.*
* Baking times may vary as I opened the door a couple of times to check if the cakes were done, so of course, heat escaped from the oven. It might take less time when you don’t open the oven


Now. If I was not dieting, I would have topped each little cutie with some Nutella or a chocolate ganache, filled the cute little hole with whipped cream, AND garnished it with a little berry.
But I won’t. Should I?
Maybe next year?

Related posts:

The Original Cognac-Soaked Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Roulade Birthday Cake

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Flaky and Creamy

No, I am not going to give you another decadent chocolate dessert recipe for Valentine’s Day. They seem to be all over the place as it is. You don’t really need another one. Do you? On the other hand, what are you going to have for dinner before the dessert? Or is it going to be just dessert on your Valentine’s dinner? Have you thought about that? Do you have anything planned yet? If not, I got a lovely butternut squash galette for you.

Flaky, buttery, delicate crust and a savory-sweet and creamy filling. Do I need to say more? It’s so light and satisfying that you will have room for that decadent chocolaty dessert. Although I think vanilla might work better…

Now, a word about the dough. Ohhhh, and what a dough it is! So flavorful. I have already mentioned flaky, right?!
I always thought that the bottom of the pie/galette/crostata doesn’t get as much attention as it should have. See for example your typical cardboard tasting graham cracker crust for cheesecake. Don’t you think that cheesecakes deserve a better crust than that boring thing?! I really should do something about it. The dough’s potential is not stretched to the maximum. In this recipe, however, the dough gets an extra oomph from sage. I’m sure that thyme, oregano, and/or parsley, or any other herby friend will work excellent too in this recipe. You really really should try this.


Butternut Squash Galette
Slightly adapted (in *) from a recipe in Gourmet magazine, February 2009

For pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ice-cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten

For filling:
1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2- by 1/4-inch slices (4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced crosswise
6 ounces soft mild goat cheese, crumbled
A few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked*
Pine nuts, partially toasted*

Make dough:
Pulse flour, butter, sage, and sea salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle ice water evenly over mixture and pulse until it just forms a ball. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.) Gently press dough into a 5-inch disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make filling while dough chills:
Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle. (I roasted it in a 425 F*).
Toss squash with sea salt and 1 Tbsp oil and arrange in 1 layer in a 17-by 12-inch shallow baking pan. Roast until golden brown on edges and undersides, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove squash from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375°F.

Meanwhile, wash leeks, then cook in remaining 2 tablespoons oil with a pinch of sea salt in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Add squash, goat cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss gently.

Make galette:
Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Transfer to a baking sheet. Arrange filling in an even layer in center of dough, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border. Fold dough in on itself to cover outer rim of filling, pleating dough as necessary. Brush pastry with beaten egg and bake galette until crust is cooked through and golden on edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes before serving.

Cooks' note: Pastry dough can be chilled up to 1 day. Filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day!
Nurit

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I Made a Mess, but It Tastes Good

… and I fixed it.
Let me tell you what happened.

When I have 14 egg whites in the freezer (leftover from recipes that use egg yolks), it means only one thing – it is time to bake a chocolate roulade.
Last time I made this cake, I tried a new variation on a recipe I had and I turned it into a Black Forest Chocolate Roulade. Today I made another variation and turned it into a birthday cake because today is my little girl’s birthday. She is 1 years old! Yay! Time sure flies fast. And we’re going to have a party. Yippie!

I was baking all morning; 2 batches of cupcakes, a butternut squash galette for dinner – that I didn’t have time to assemble and bake yesterday because I spent 1 ½ hours at the grocery store with the kiddies having an afternoon snack there and shopping for the party (recipe will be posted soon) – and, of course, I made the birthday cake.

It’s a chocolate roulade with whipped cream filling. I also wanted to use strawberries. I see them at the store and they look so perfect and gloriously red and so tempting. But I know that since they are not in season they look good, but taste only 'ehh', and they are a bit expensive. So I thought of a solution. I used strawberry jam. This is why they make jams, so we can eat the fruit when it is out of season.
But first, I have to send you to see the original recipe – click here – so you’ll know what I’m talking about.

And now to the birthday cake…

Chocolate Roulade – Birthday Cake Variation

* Mix ½ cup strawberry jam with 1 tablespoon of raspberry liquor. If you want, blend it with a hand blender for a smoother texture. Then, spread it on the baked and cooled cake.
* Next, spread the whipped cream.

Messing up & fixing it:

Problem #1

I was so busy this morning and I have so much on my mind lately so, just like last time, I overbeat the egg white. AGAIN.

The solution – instead of folding the whipped egg whites with the melted chocolate using a spatula, I used a whisk and gently combined them. It worked and the cake baked nicely and evenly. As I said before, I think it’s a very forgiving recipe. So don’t be afraid if you don’t have much experience with whipping eggs, OK?
Also, the best thing is that you can hide the parts you have messed up.

Problem #2

Maybe it has to do with over whipping the eggs because the cake did break a bit when I rolled it, and a bit more when I moved it to a serving platter.
Usually I roll it from the long side so I get a longer cake which yields more, but smaller in size, servings. Today I rolled it from the short side, which made the cake shorter, with less servings, but each slice is bigger.

The solution – I messed up pretty good this time, so to cover the mess, I made more cream for the topping by whipping 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon sugar and 3 tablespoons vanilla pudding. Well, it is a birthday cake after all, isn’t it?
And on top, of course, colorful sprinkles.

You see how pretty it looks? And my baby was very happy.

I only hope that our guests for the party tomorrow are not reading this post and this will be our little secret. Can you keep a secret?

Tomorrow we party, but coming up next… cupcakes with pesto frosting and butternut squash galette.

Have a wonderful wonderful weekend,

Nurit

More cakes:

Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
Cocoa-Marzipan Pound Cake
Rose-orange cheesecake
Babbo Modenese Crumbly Cake
Sour Cream Coffee Cake

UPDATE:
With the second cake that I made – I had 14 egg whites, remember? – I watched the mixer closely and whipped the egg whites perfectly as the recipe says. The texture was perfect and the cake did not “break” when I rolled it.
I chilled it in the fridge, covered with the parchment paper, for a few hours before I transferred it to a serving platter. It was firm and I could lift it to the platter with my hands, without using my large spatula for help, and nothing happened to it.
The guests LOVED the cake. There were no leftovers.

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Home Made Chai “Latte”

The sun is shining this morning. What a perfect light to take a photo. However, my throat feels a little like I swallowed a frog, so I really really wanted tea this morning and not my usual coffee. But I don’t have an espresso machine at home. My husband did buy me one for my birthday, but I had something else in mind that I wanted which I gave him big hints about, which he ignored. Can you guess what it was? Well, I’ll give you a hint. I had to buy it myself. And the espresso machine went back to the store. So anyway, back to the chai. I got a recipe for you.

I love chai latte. It’s my new addiction. Thanks to my friend L. who has introduced me to it a long time ago. But hers was from a coffee shop that starts with an “S” (no need to name names), so I wasn’t that impressed with the flavors. But I did get curious because she likes that drink so much. So I have tried it in other, better coffee shops, Seattle has many of those, and I got hooked.


Home Made Chai “Latte”
Makes 1 serving

1 big mug
One chai tea bag (I use Tazo decaf chai)
½ teaspoon (raw) sugar
½ teaspoon honey
Pinch (1/16 teaspoon) cinnamon
Pinch cardamom
½ cup boiling water
½ cup hot/warm milk

Put all the ingredients in the mug. Let tea bag swim in the mug for 5 minutes.
Take a sip.
Enjoy.

More tea please, Warm Winter Herbal Tea

Home-Made Cinnamon Ice Cream

I love that when I bake a cake at home the aroma of the cake can be smelled from the garage when someone comes home. It can be smelled even from the street. Imagine this – an aroma of freshly baked cakes coming out of each house on your street. Wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful?

But I have to travel out of town, so no time to bake a cake for the weekend this weekend.
My little guy expressed his concern for the lack of cake. He asked me if he can bake a cake with his dad. I said: “sure”. Mind you, this is the same boy who always chooses gummy bears over freshly baked cake!

There’s something about a homemade cake that, for me, turns a “place to live” into a “home”. My aunt always baked on Fridays, 2 cakes! And her home always seemed to me to be so… a place of family.

If I can’t, for any reason, bake a cake on Friday, it makes me go bananas. It’s like an addiction. I gotta to have cake. I don’t always eat it, but I’ve got to make it.
So I made a fresh batch of cinnamon ice cream instead.

You might have missed the recipe in my long post - 5 stars dinner at home, so I give it to you here, in a separate post, to make sure you have it.
So what if it snowed again when we have totally not expected it (‘cause we thought we have already had enough snow for this year)? It’s nice and warm in the house. The fireplace is on. It's ice cream time!

Cinnamon Ice Cream
Make this at least 1 day ahead just to be of the safe side that the ice cream has the right consistency.
Slightly adapted from Suzanne Goin, “Sunday Suppers at Lucques”
Makes 1 quart

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 cinnamon sticks
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 extra-large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
My additions:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon hazelnuts extract
Pinch of ground cinnamon for serving

Place the milk, cream, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the flavors infuse about 30 minutes.
Bring mixture back to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk a ¼ cup of warm cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another ¼ cup of the warm cream, whisking to incorporate. At this point, you can add the rest of the cream mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot and return to the stove.

Cook the custard over medium heat 6 to 8 minute, stirring with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. The custard will thicken, and when it’s done will coat the back of the spatula. Off the heat, add the vanilla and hazelnut extracts.

Strain in a fine mesh sieve and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. The base should be very cold before you churn it. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Serve with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

If you want to bake a cake, click Cake for the weekend
This one seems to be a great hit - Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Leftovers: Creamy Orecchiette with Roasted Vegetables, Chicken, and Leafy Greens

Whenever I manage to create a beautiful dish out of leftovers, I think about my grandmothers. Strong, hard working, stubborn and resourceful women (I got those genes), they can cook something great out of anything (and those genes too). Back in the old days there was no such thing as throwing food away, right?!

I think my cooking style is a bit old-fashioned in that way. As much as I enjoy a gourmet this or that, mid-high end food and restaurants, and following top chefs’ cookbooks and magazines, my way of cooking is a “no-nonsense cooking” – as I like to call it – using the resources of ingredients and time wisely and carefully. And the most important thing above and all is, of course, having a family meal at the end of the day with my husband and my kids.

I felt very proud of myself with the result of this pasta dish. Orecchiette is my favorite shape of pasta because it has a fun & funny shape and a soft but chewy texture, it is like having plenty of little cups on your plate, each one has a bit of the filling and sauce that surrounds it. It works so well with a mish-mash or mix and match kind of dish just like this one.

I had so many different leftovers at home and I didn’t feel like reheating any of them and eating them again as is, and then I thought: “of course, Orecchiette!”

You can really do whatever you want with it and throw in any kind of leftovers you have and it’ll work. I think. I hope. Because I really don’t know what kind of leftovers you got at home. I added some crème fraiche to it which I hesitated about, not being sure if it will match with all the different flavors. But it worked like magic, binding and bringing everything together. So this is how it went:



Leftover:
½ onion, small chopped
1/3 roasted whole chicken, pulled/cut to large bite-size pieces
3 breakfast sausages, diced
3-4 cups roasted vegetables (potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, rutabagas), diced if not already
Blanched kale and chard, chopped to large pieces
½ cup crème fraiche from the lovely onion tart in this post (substitute with heavy cream. Sour cream might work too)
1/3 cup grated cheese

Pantry items:
Olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ box of orecchiette or other kind of short pasta



Bring water and salt to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
Meanwhile, in a big big skillet sauté onion in olive oil until it softens. Add the garlic clove. Move to the side of the skillet and add the leftovers. Warm it all up good.
When pasta is ready, drain and add to the leftovers, add salt, ground black pepper, and crème fraiche. Mix and toss it all together. Serve with grated cheese.
That’s it!

Makes 6 servings



Tell me about your winner leftover & pasta recipes and I will post them here. E mail me at nurit AT familyfriendlyfood DOT com, or in a comment below.

More leftovers, please:

Leftover bread turned into Bread pudding with spiced rum sauce for dessert
Mashed Potatoes with Cheesy Crunchy Topping
Mashed potatoes turned into Light-as-a-feather potato pancakes
Black Forest Chocolate Roulade, using Leftovers Egg whites
Roasted Chicken

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: 5 Stars Dinner at Home… But Will the Kids Eat It?

Are you a foodie? Are you a foodie and a parent? Do your kids share your passion for food? Or do they give you a hard time?

I am a foodie and a picky eater in a choosy finicky, or conscious eating way. Since we got married, I got my husband all excited about food too. Our kids, however, are a different story. We have a one-year-old girl who is willing to try anything, almost, but changes her mind about what she likes and dislikes quite often. And we have a kindergartener who challenges us more.

I always try to cook family friendly food (hence the name and essence of my blog) that we will all like. I compromise a lot between what I really love to cook and eat and what kids usually prefer (we all know what THAT is). I really go a long way to make them happy but I draw the line when it comes to junk food. We have never ordered pizza or any other take-out and we never set foot, (or car), at any of the junk fast food places (Well, not willingly. Oh, how I hate those kiddies birthday parties at Chuck E Cheese). Once a month I might prepare an upgraded pizza (see recipe here) or a Mac and Cheese but then I use real wonderful artisanal cheeses.

My son can be a picky eater even when it comes to dessert. He always prefers a candy (from Halloween and birthday parties… ) over a fresh home-baked cake. Can you believe it?! (Click here to see the cakes). On one hand, this kid can tell the difference between goat cheese, feta, parmesan, Gouda, Swiss, Brousin, mozzarella, cheddar… and of course, a cheese stick. On the other hand, he is a typical 5 years-old. After a few years of trying different strategies with the kid, I have decided – enough. This is not really working anyway and I’m getting bored with the food that we eat. We’re going back to what mommy likes to cook and eat. So OK, no chilies and no Bobby Flay food yet, but a few weeks ago I cooked dinner and the menu was:

Young onion tart with cantal, applewood-smoked bacon, and Herb salad
From “Sunday Suppers at Lacques” cookbook


Butternut squash, butter lettuce, arugula and apple salad
Inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe from her new cookbook “Back to Basics”

It was heavenly.

Why this menu?

The choice of the menu was affected by our decision to eat less meat and chicken following a few posts I wrote about the cruel conditions under which animals are raised. (No, we’re not becoming vegetarians, just eating a smaller amount of animals and less frequently. If you care about conscious eating, see my second blog “Good Food and Bad Food”)

I knew the menu will be a tricky one with the kids. However, I decided to make it anyway because I was very curious about the recipes and I fell in love with “Sunday Suppers at Lacques” cookbook (there’s a short review at the end of the post). The food was so amazingly delicious. And this is an understatement. Really. It was like a 5 stars restaurant dinner but only at home. (And by “5 stars” I mean in flavor, not in labor-intensive preparations). The baby devoured the tart. She had crumbs all over her face and in her beautiful and funny hair. The kindergartener? He, surprisingly, ate the onions on the tart. The onions! He never eats onions. He declares a ban on onions, and onions, you know, are the base for many many dishes. He ate it and said that it was good! Then I told him: “you know, those are onions”. His answer: “no, this is a new kind of chicken”.

Since we loved the tart and salad so much, I wanted to make them again. Tonight I have recreated this dinner to show you: 1) the challenges foodie parents face with young kids at home, 2) how amazingly delicious these dishes are, 3) how fantastically simple and easy it can be to cook a 5 stars dinner at home, and, of course, 4) the funny comments and reactions from the kids’ point of view.

The menu:
* Onion tart with gruyere, applewood-smoked bacon, and Herb salad
* Butternut squash, butter lettuce, arugula and apple salad
* Good wine (not for the kids) – Meadow 2007, Ross Andrew winery, Oregon (Something local that the guy at the grocery store recommended with my menu. Thanks, Bruce! It is a lovely wine.)
* Home-made cinnamon ice cream (you have been so good to read this long post up to this point, so I give you a bonus – dessert. Actually, we always have dessert on the weekend, remember the cakes?)


The Recipes:

Young Onion Tart with Cantal, Applewood-Smoked Bacon, and Herb Salad
Don’t skip making the herb salad. It will be a huge huge mistake. It is so unique and to die for.
Slightly adapted from Suzanne Goin, “Sunday Suppers at Lucques”
Serves 6-8

1 sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry (I used two 8*9-inch sheets)
1 extra-large egg yolk
½-pound sliced applewood-smoked bacon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced onions, red and white
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
½ cup whole milk ricotta, drained if wet
¼ cup crème fraiche
1/3 pound Cantal, Gruyère, or Comté cheese, thinly sliced

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
¼ cup tarragon leaves
¼ cup chervil sprigs
¼ cup 1/2-inch-snipped chives
A drizzle super-good extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, for juicing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Defrost the puff pastry slightly and unroll it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a paring knife to score a 1/4-inch border around the edge of the pastry.

Stack the bacon slices in two piles, then cut crosswise into 3/8-inch rectangles or lardons.

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and allow to heat another minute. Add the bacon, and sauté over medium high heat 4 to 5 minutes, until slightly crisp but still tender. Reduce the heat to low, and toss in the young onions, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir together a minute or two, until the onions are just wilted. Toss in the onion tops, and remove to a baking sheet or platter lined with paper towels to soak the fat, and to cool a bit.

Place the ricotta, egg yolk, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in abowl and whisk until smooth. Gently fold in the crème fraîche and season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Spread the ricotta mixture on the puff pastry within the scored border. Lay the Cantal over the ricotta, and arrange the bacon-onion mixture on top.

Bake the tart 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Lift up the edge of the tart and peek underneath to make sure the crust is cooked through. (If you underbake the tart, it will be soggy.)

Toss the herbs in a small bowl with salt, pepper, a drizzle of super-good olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Cut tart to wedges and serve with herb salad.

Butternut squash, butter lettuce, arugula and apple salad
Inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe from her new cookbook “Back to Basics”
Serves 4-6

1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and cut in 3/4-inch dice
Good olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sliced shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces baby arugula
½ head butter lettuce, torn into 2 bite-size pieces
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
3 tablespoons dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender.

To make the vinaigrette, mix the cider vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Place the arugula and butter lettuce in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash and apple. Add the cranberries and walnuts. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten, and toss well.

Cinnamon Ice Cream
Make this at least 1 day ahead just to be on the safe side that the ice cream has the right consistency.
Slightly adapted from Suzanne Goin, “Sunday Suppers at Lucques”
Makes 1 quart

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 cinnamon sticks
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 extra-large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
1 teaspoon hazelnuts extract*
Pinch ground cinnamon for serving*

Place the milk, cream, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the flavors infuse about 30 minutes.

Bring mixture back to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk a few tablespoons of warm cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another ¼ cup or so of the warm cream, whisking to incorporate. At this point, you can add the rest of the cream mixture in a slow steady steam, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot and return to the stove.

Cook the custard over medium heat 6 to 8 minute, stirring with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. The custard will thicken, and when it’s done will coat the back of the spatula. Off the heat, add the vanilla and hazelnut extracts and mix. Strain (in a fine mesh sieve) and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. The base should be very cold before you churn it. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Serve with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

*My additions.

Kiddies comments and reactions:

Herb salad
I put some salad on my son’s plate. He immediately burst into tears. E.: “I don’t like salad. Take it out of my plate. I want a new plate”. Me: “OK, I’ll take it out”. E. :”no, I want a new plate”. Me: “I’ll wipe it clean”. E.: “you can’t wipe out the flavor”. Me: “relax already. Here, see? It’s all gone”.

R., that’s the baby, on the other hand, didn’t try it at all. The minute she saw it, she threw it away from her tray and onto the floor. E. finds it very amusing and laughs loudly. She was however, very interested in a long stem of chives.

Butternut squash salad
Me: “how about this salad? This lettuce taste very nice”. E.: “no, I don’t like salad”. Me: “OK, what about eating the ingredients separately but not the lettuce?” E.: “OK”.

R. tried to eat the lettuce but had a hard time chewing on it since she has only 2 tiny teeth. She made a funny face and spitted it out. Well, at least she tried. She ate the squash but can’t eat the berries and nuts (choking hazards).

Onion tart
E. eats the bacon on top of the tart, and then stops. Me: “why don’t you eat all the “pizza””? E.: “it has onions. I don’t like onions”. My husband: “you ate the onions last time and liked it”. E.: “No I didn’t. I don’t like onions”. Me: “OK, just take them out and put it on the side of your plate and finish eating it”. Then he takes a bite and me and my husband see the onion hanging from the side. There’s a moment of silence… he ate it! Didn’t say a word.

R. loves this tart. No complains on her part.

Ice cream
Me: “today we have home-made ice cream!” E. – “I want a candy on the ice cream because ice cream alone doesn’t taste good to me.” Me: “you need to choose – ice cream or candy”. E: “then candy”. At the end he chose a Scooby Doo push up Popsicle, leftover from his birthday party last spring. Me: “how can you choose a Scooby Doo over home-made ice cream?” E.: “I’ll eat ice cream another time”. Me: “so why don’t you eat the Scooby Doo another time and tonight you’ll eat ice cream?” E.: “because that is what I chose”.

R. – this is the first ice cream she had in her life! She loved it. She even managed to feed herself with a teaspoon for the first time.

Some photos taken by E. who likes to take pictures and do some food styling

Conclusions:
For this kind of dinner, send the kids to someone else’s home, like grandma and grandpa, if you can. Open a bottle of good wine, dim the lights, and have a nice, quiet dinner at home with good adult conversation, because this is the best food. I tell ya. And young kids are just too… too young to appreciate it. One day I’m sure they will.

Good night... Bye bye...

The Cookbooks:

“Sunday Suppers at Lacques” by Suzanne Goin
I have heard about Lacques cookbook here and there, don’t remember exactly where… so I borrowed it from the library (that’s what I do before deciding if I am going to buy a book or not). There is something about that book that makes you fall in love with it immediately. I can’t quite tell what it is. I really love that it is arranged by seasons. (Already an excellent reason to love a cookbook). But there’s something beyond that. Could it be the simplicity of its sophistication or the sophistication of its simplicity? There’s something very earthy, rustic, yet terribly smart and chic about it. The recipes I have read seem to be pretty easy to make, the photos are gorgeous. Everyone should own a copy of this book.

“Back to Basics” by Ina Garten
The Barefoot Contessa… no need to elaborate what I love about her, like so many millions of people around the world. I thought that owning 4 of her cookbooks is enough but I just couldn’t resist buying the fifth one. It is just as good and beautiful as the previous ones.

Wow! You have made it this far! It is a loooong post. I admire you! I do.
Would you like to subscribe to my blog? Click here.

Thank you for reading! Nurit.

Thank you Foodbuzz!

Some links and related posts:

Good Food & Bad Food blog
Sometimes it’s Pizza for Dinner
A cake for the weekendHome-Made Food is the Best!
Cooking with Kids: “Feast Lesson”
Baking with kids: Chocolate-banana cookies, recreating the magic

Magical Lentil Soup

This is a soup for people with either big or small food budget. But no matter how deep are your pockets, it will make your heart big and your stomach full and satisfied. I got the recipe for this lentil soup from my dear and favorite aunt Eti. She cooks like they used to in the old-days, with common sense and common ingredients. Straightforward food of hard-working people. The secret ingredient – lots and lots of love. And why is it magical? Because when I made it, I felt like I’m making soup out of nothing. Well, almost.

I always have lentils in the pantry, but, as it sometimes happens, even with basic ingredients, I did not have all of them the night I made the soup. So I improvised a little here and there and now you get two versions for the recipe! Here they are side by side.

For more magical recipes, check out the new recipe page!

Magical Lentil Soup
Makes 4-6 servings

10 oz. red lentils, rinsed until the water is clean and clear
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, small chopped
1 celery stalk, small chopped/ ½ red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste/ (tomato pesto that I made 2 weeks ago)
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt
Black pepper freshly ground
½ tablespoon hawaij*/1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon cumin
1 large tomato, grated, or use canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup cilantro and /or parsley, on the stem or chopped
Optional: serve with sour cream, avocado, grated cheese, croutons… if you have it

Put lentils in a medium size pot with 10-12 cups of water. Bring to a boil and skim the foam that floats to the top. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook until lentils melt/break and soften. (I didn’t measure the time but I’d say about 20-30 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a separate pot or medium size skillet, sauté the onion, carrot, and celery over medium-low heat until they soften. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook for 10 minutes.

When lentils are ready, add the spice-tomato mixture to the lentils, add the parsley/cilantro and cook for 15-20 minutes for the flavors to combine. (add water if needed, to the desired consistency).
Serve with cream, avocado, grated cheese, croutons… if you have it.

UPDATE:
The original recipe I got from my aunt uses 1 tablespoon hawaij. I cut it to 1/2 Tbs. because it was a bit spicy for me.
I got some comments on this recipe in another forum. One person wrote: “ I found the spices overpowering… I made it again with 2 teaspoons of paprika, ½ teaspoon of hawaij, ½ teaspoon of curry. It turned out much more to my liking.”
Someone else suggested using Spanish smoked paprika.

* Hawaij is a spice blend, sort of like garam masala, from the cuisine of Yemen. There are many variations and recipes, of course. One recipe to make your own hawaij can be found here.

To see this soup from different perspective, check out my post about Portion Control (how can we NOT eat more than we really need ) on my other blog “Good Food & Bad Food”. Click here to see it.

Cookie #4: Rugelach

I am a cake person. I have already confessed that (see when I posted about Cookie #1: Cowboy Cookies). I will always choose cake over a cookie. BUT when it comes to Rugelach… everything changes. I love lovve looooovvvvvvvvvve Rugelach. The flaky dough with cream cheese, which I don’t like to eat as is, but in this dough it is making miracles, wonderful texture, and zillion variations for the fillings: chocolate, jam, nuts, raising, whatever you want. The sky is the limit!

I have a collection of recipes for this amazing cookie. I use them all but I find they have little variations. For example, I have a recipe from:

Ina Garten which has the basic dough with raisins, walnuts, and apricot preserves filling. For the recipe, click here.

Or Martha Stewart’s recipe from her Baking Handbook cookbook that adds an egg and egg yolks to the dough and make it richer and even delicious-er. I found the recipe online on Baking Delights blog, click here for recipe.

Or this one from the Jewish Cooking For Dummies cookbook. I love this book.

Or this one from Gourmet magazine which rolls the dough into a log and then you slice it (versus the “pizza technique” – I made up this name), which saves you some prep time and shortens the time you have to wait until you can EAT THE COOKIE. Click here for the recipe.

My favorite fillings are, 1) the classic apricot jam, raisins, nuts, cinnamon-sugar, and 2) chocolate spread, chocolate chips, and nuts. Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaa.

Today I found a recipe for savory Rugelach made with hazelnuts and olives! Doesn’t this sound just like an “I’ve gotta make it” recipe?

Tip: I always have cream cheese in the refrigerator because it’s expiration day is always in the next 2-3 months, and you just never know when you’re gonna get a Rugelach crave, right?!

So, lots of recipes out there. Choose the one that will make your life easier and use your favorite ingredients.

And have a wonderful weekend!

Oh, and I have a surprise for you on Monday so check back again next week, OK?

Nurit

More cookies:
White and dark chocolate chunk cookies
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cowboy Cookies

Arugula, Bacon, and Gruyère Bread Pudding

What can I say? I love bread puddings, sweet or savory. It’s like old-world food. Basic ingredients. Using leftover bread. A warm and rustic dish. Golden crust. The best of comfort food.

Here’s a lovely recipe from Gourmet magazine that I made a few days ago. Eating more leafy greens is, ahemm ahemm, one of my New Year’s resolutions. I love arugula and am always looking for new ways to use it. This bread pudding was quick and easy to make, and made a very nice dinner together with a salad (more leafy greens). If you have any leftovers take them for lunch at work the following day. It can be easily reheated in the microwave.
(For more bread puddings recipes, click here).

Oh, another good thing about bread puddings – they reheat very well (in the microwave, or in the oven covered with foil) or you can assemble them ahead. Assemble the whole thing (with or without the bread, depending on how many hours it is going to sit) but don’t bake. When you return home from work, pop it in the oven, bake, and voila – dinner!

Arugula, Bacon, and Gruyère Bread Pudding

Slightly adapted from Gourmet, December 2008
Makes 4-6 main course or 6-8 side dish servings

Active Time: 20 min

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 large eggs
6 bacon slices, sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
5 ounces baby arugula
6 cups cubed (1-inch) country-style bread (1 pound)
5 1/2 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-qt (8*8 or 9*9-inch) baking dish.

Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Preheat 10-12 -inch heavy skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook bacon in a, turning occasionally, until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Cook shallot and garlic, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Gradually add arugula and cook, stirring, until it wilts. Let cool a bit.
Stir arugula mixture, bacon, bread, and cheese into custard. Transfer to baking dish and cover with foil.*

Bake 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake until golden in spots, about 10 minutes more.

* Next time I’ll make it, I will let it sit for at least 30 minutes (or longer) in the refrigerator so the bread soaks the liquids more.

More bread pudding recipes:

Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce & Savory Bread Pudding with Cheese

A Cake For the Weekend: This One Is Not For the Kids (or young at heart)

I’m in love with this cake. Can you tell? I think I already had 3 pieces today. And it’s only 8:26 pm… The night is young.
Pphhh, forget about new-year’s-dieting- resolution.

The first time I saw the recipe for this cake was a few weeks ago on Orangette blog, and then a few days ago I found it on Over the hill and on a roll blog. Every now and then there’s this thing with food bloggers when somehow many of us are making the exact same recipe, like back when many bloggers baked the NY times chocolate chip cookies. It’s like a plague. What I like about it though is to see the different approach each blogger brings to the recipe – the story, the adaptations, the photos. This is the awesomest part about blogging. I think.

Anyway, this cake is a good one. Trust me. You know I bake a cake every weekend, so I’m getting bored with the usual stuff because I probably have baked it before, and am always looking for something special, or different, unfamiliar, or terribly creative, but not too rich, and I like to keep it casual and simple, and, of course, easy and quick to make, so I can recommend it to you. Right?! Right?!
And you may ask yourself – is she drunk or what?
Well, eye jast mite bea. This ees mye thirddd peace after oll.
‘cos this cake is soaked with cognac!

So don’t share it with your kids. Enjoy it by yourself or with another grown up.

Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
Originally By Melissa Clark from The New York Times
My adaptation in (bold)

2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
5 oz. unsweetened chocolate
¼ cup instant espresso powder
1 cup bourbon, rye, or other whiskey, plus more for sprinkling (I used cognac)
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan*
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish (optional)

1. Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan (or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In microwave oven or double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate. Let cool.

2. Put espresso and cocoa powders in a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Add whiskey and salt; let cool.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

4. On low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester/toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes for Bundt pan (loaf pans will take less time, start checking them after 55 minutes).

5. Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey (I skipped this part). Let cool before serving, garnished with confectioners’ sugar if you like.

My Tip: to soften butter quickly, place in microwave on a plate for 1 minute on a 10% power level per stick of butter.

More cakes:

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Babbo Modenese Crumbly Cake
Apple, Cinnamon and Walnuts Cake

Update:

1) My friend reported she feels a little drunk after 1 piece. So be careful, don't EAT and DRIVE.

2) I made cinnamon ice cream to serve with this cake. Oh, it was so wonderful. Recipe will be posted soon.

Home-Made Food is the Best!

We’re back from vacation in sunny California. San Diego and Los Angeles, to be more precise. They are blessed with warm sunny weather in the winter, but you just wait until spring and summer come back to Microsoft-land and you’ll see that it is the most beautiful place to be when a lot of people are sweating somewhere else on the planet.

When we returned we have found that our street no longer looks like this



Or this – my feet in our driveway



Or this – sliding at the elementary school backyard




But some of my herbs didn’t make through the 2 weeks and 15-20 inches of snow this year. This is what my rosemary looked like a few weeks ago (see Backyard Vegetable Garden)


And this is how it looks now. It is 9 am and still pretty dark outside. Looks like I will need to buy a new plant.

So, we’re back home and I was planning to use some fresh herbs in the chicken I was about to roast. Plans have changed. I should have taken a pick at the backyard before I went grocery shopping. But good things can come out of bad ones, right?! The chicken I ended up making turned out so tasty, minimalistic, homey, simple, and just yumyummy.

After eating out a few times each day (see my post on 11 Tips for Eating Out (with Kids) While on Vacation. I need to write an “after” post on how we did…), I can tell you for sure – Home-Made Food is the Best! The things you eat while on vacation: theme park/amusement park junk food; eggs, bacon, and hash every morning? – I don’t think so; pizza in the car while driving to a remote destination…

We did have an excellent dinner at Roy’s restaurant where we ordered and shared (well, not the picky kindergartener, but mom, dad, and baby):

Lakanilau Roll – Seared Kobe Beef Wrapped Around Dynamite Crab, Tempura Asparagus & Avocado
Roy’s Canoe Appetizer for Two – Chilled Tropical Shrimp Cocktail, Szechwan Spiced Baby Back Ribs, Lobster Potstickers, Ahi Sushi Roll
Roasted Corn & Sweet Potato Chowder
Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé and Upside Down Pineapple Cake

I’ll tell ya, it was hard to choose from the magnificent menu.

But, there’s no place like home,and – I say – there’s nothing better than good home-made food. This is the kind of dish that makes you want to lick the bottom of the pan and/or grab a loaf of fresh bread and use it to “clean” the pan.


Roasted Delicately-Lemony Chicken

Serves 6

A few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil
1 big juicy lemon, zested and juiced
Salt
Black pepper, ground
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4-6 whole chicken legs
* 1 lemon, cut to thin slices

Place all the ingredients, besides the sliced lemon, in an oven safe dish. Shmootz/rub/massage everything together. Marinate for at least an hour (and I think you can do this up to overnight as well).
* Before roasting, place sliced lemon on top of each leg.
Roast in a 375 F degrees oven for 60 minutes. (If chicken browns too quickly and there’s still plenty of cooking time left, lower the temperature to 350 F.)
Don’t forget to eat the crispy roasted lemon slices! They taste so good.

Cranberry Cake to Celebrate the Beginning of a New Year

I want to dedicate a cake to you. To celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. You deserve it. It has been tough lately. But it will get better, right?! It has to.

I usually don’t fuss over a change of digit when a year ends, but this year it feels a bit different. I’ve been blogging since July and I Love it. The blog grew nicely thanks to you, so here is another reason to give you a cake! (As if I need an excuse to bake a cake). It is simple to make, inexpensive but festive, and makes a perfect cake for the holiday served with whipped cream, or for an after holiday or weekend brunch, served with whipped cream!

Speaking of whipped cream… We have beautiful snow outside. It’s been out there in the past week and our street looks like this.

Our backyard looks like this.

We’ve been kind of stuck at home in the past few days. It’s snowing here like never before. The snow is about 15 inches deep. Some roads are closed, some businesses are closed, schools are closed which means that the kids are at home and need to be entertained and fed 24/7, as well as Mr. Husband. We’ve been doing all kinds of cooking projects here to keep ourselves busy and happy. (All the recipes will be posted next year.)

Onion Quiche

Lamb shanks with Whole Wheat Couscous, Beans, and Garbanzo Beans

We made so many desserts and treats (Marshmallows, nut cookies, doughnuts, cheesecake) that my son suggested that I start a dessert blog.

Very cool idea, but, no, I’m not going to do that. I already have too many blogs on my hands (this one which is also published at the Seattle P-I, this one: Good Food & Bad Food, also published on the Seattle P-I, and at some point I thought of starting a salad blog, but I have to think about it. Would you be interested in a salad blog?)
So no, no dessert blog, but I do plan on buying a new camera and taking some photography classes, and I hope I can show you better photos. I’m so excited about that!!!

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake*
From Martha Stewart

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
(I also added orange zest - N.)

1 3/4 cups cranberries
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice (and orange zest, if using - N). Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.

With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.

Spoon batter over cranberries in pan, and smooth top. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes (I added an extra 20 minutes to the baking time - N.). Let cool on a wire rack for 20minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a rimmed platter.

For the whipped cream, click strawberry shortcake.

*A warning: Your baked cake is not going to look that bright red! I expected it to look that bright red, like the photo in the book/link, so I was a bit disappointed when I saw that it is actually a bit brownish-red in real life. That’s just the color of cooked cranberries. But, it is a very good cake, easy to make, and festive enough. Don’t forget the whipped cream!

I wish you ALL a very wonderfully happy New Year!!!!!

I am going to spend some time with my family and will be back in January.

Nurit

Previous December posts:

11 Tips for Eating Out (with Kids) While on Vacation
More than a Weekly Meal Plan – December
Holiday (or Birthday) Party Food – Appetizers
Time to Tell You What It Is

Gingerbread houses at the Sheraton, Downtown Seattle