return to regularly scheduled programming?

It's been a lonnng time. So sorry. I plan to make up for it with this picture-laden post.

Can I be honest with you though? (yes? thanks!) The weirdest thing has been going on with me. Lately I've felt sort of indifferent about food. There, I said it. SO weird.
I usually fall asleep thinking and planning what food to make next (sad? maybe), now I just fall asleep trying to plan Christmas presents.
I usually live to eat, but lately it's more like eat to live. Does that ever happen to you?

pumpkin streusel pancakes

 Actually, this is probably the first time it's happened to me. I still like food, and good food at that, but I haven't been making very much of it at home.  I'm also trying to eat well/not eat a lot of meat, so that narrows options when trying to select a restaurant to get takeout from, but I can't really place a finger on what I want to eat even then. I just shrug and let my husband decide and then eat what he gives me. That may be a very slight exxageration, but just a slight one.

smoky spinach and mushroom breakfast hash

I think it's a combination of previous overeating (think Thanksgiving, etc.), being very busy, and being uninspired. Sure, I've made things here and there, mostly sweets, but that's no surprise. We've had black bean burgers and butternut squash fries, lemon/parsley/olive quinoa cakes, and husb's favorite breakfast hash. I've made these amazing pumpkin streusel pancakes, some yeast-free cinnamon rolls, and rather failed at an eggnog breakfast cakes attempt. They weren't bad, just not eggnog-y enough. And a little dry. They looked good though! (see picture)

eggnog breakfast cakes

However, yesterday when I was making cookies for someone (these, one of my favorites), I got a twinge of that old excitement/sense of peace that I usually get when I bake. I actually started thinking about what I wanted to bake next. So maybe it's back.
 

 

In the meantime, Pinterest has been doing it's part in providing exciting/dangerous food pictures.

Let me try to entice us with a couple of them:
 

cookies and cream oreo fudge brownies...

And just so you don't go into sugar shock from all these sweets pictures, here's a picture of a savory (but still unhealthy) thing.
 

fontina mac and cheese with spinach and bacon!!!

Happy carbing!

pear and chocolate cake-tart

In May, my husband took me to Paris. But let's back up.

Last Christmas, my husband gave me a blender. 

I'm proud to say that it didn't cause a Father-of-the-Bride-esque breakdown, but I should note that the second I opened it, husband quickly injected, "That's not your main present. I just knew you wanted an immersion blender." I'm not proud to say that this may have been the reason that it didn't cause a Father-of-the-Bride-esque breakdown.

He knows the rule about how you're not supposed to get a woman something she needs. He's smart.

He then offered me a smaller present.

It was a CD of French music. Cute. I'm obsessed with all things French. This he knows. Told you he was smart.

He then offered me a slightly larger present.

Two French books. One of them was called Edible Adventures in Paris. He suggested I open it to page 105. There lay two plane tickets. To Paris.

I burst into tears.

I tell you this telling anecdote not just because my husband deserves some credit for being so sensational, but also because the aforementioned book is a wonderful one that guided us well on our dreamy trip. And because in it I saw a recipe/picture of a chocolate and pear tart that I have not forgotten about. Since last Christmas. 

My parents have a pear tree and I have been anxiously awaiting its sweet fruit for some time, with this very recipe in mind. I don't know why I didn't ever just do the sensible thing and buy some pears from the store to make this tart. I don't know why. Don't ask.

But this thing was worth the wait. Rich, dark chocolate is accented by sweet rum-poached pears and a buttery crust. The chocolate was gooey and may have been slightly underdone and we rather liked it that way.

It was awesome with an afternoon cup of chai yesterday, it was awesome for dessert after dinner, and husband said it was awesome for breakfast this morning. 

Pear and Chocolate Cake-Tart 

Serves 12 (maybe)

Recipe from Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris

Clotilde is the author of Chocolate and Zucchini

For the Crust (Pâte Brisée)

1 large egg yolk (save the white for the filling)

3 T. plus 1 tsp. ice cold water

a pinch of fine sea salt

2 T. sugar*

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus extra for sprinkling

8 T. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced, plus a pat for greasing

*I wouldn't have minded a slightly sweeter crust and may increase the sugar to 3 T. next time.

For the Pears

2 T. sugar

3 T. dark rum (optional)

2 pears, ripe but still firm

For the Chocolate Filling

3 T. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

a pinch fine sea salt

4 1/2 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate

7 T. unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg white (saved from crust recipe)

Prepare the crust: In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk, water, salt, and sugar, and set aside. Combine the flour and butter in the bowl of food processor, and process at low speed for 10 seconds, until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Pour in the egg yolk mixture all at once and process for a few more seconds, just until the dough comes together. If it is too dry, add a little more ice-cold water, 1 tsp. at a time, until it reaches the right consistency. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball without kneading. Flatten the ball slightly, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a day (if you refrigerate it for more than an hour, let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before using).

While the dough chills, poach the pears. Combine 1 cup water, the sugar and the rum in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Peel and core the pears. Cut each of them lengthwise into sixths, rather than quarters, in order to get twelve pieces total. Add the pears to the saucepan, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 4 minutes, until tender and slightly translucent. Lift the pears from the syrup cautiously with a slotted spoon and and set aside in a colander to drain.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Grease an 11-to-12-inch tart pan with a pat of butter (see Note). Working on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 13 to 14 inch circle and line the pan with it, trimming off the excess dough. (All I had was a 9-inch pie pan, so I rolled the dough to about 11-12 inches and just had a thicker crust.) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 30 minutes; this will prevent the dough from shrinking as it bakes. Preheat the oven to 350 and put the tart pan in the oven for 10 minutes.

While the crust bakes, prepare the chocolate filling. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl, and set aside. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring regularly to combine. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the sugar, and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the egg and egg white, stirring well between each addition. Add the flour mixture and stir again until just combined.

Remove the crust from the oven but leave the heat on. Pour the chocolate filling into the tart shell and even out the surface with a spatula. Arrange the pear pieces over the filling in a sun-ray pattern, the small ends pointing towards the center of the tart. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the filling is just set at the center (it will continue to cook as it cools) and the crust is golden. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely before serving.

Note: The recipe can be made in eight 4-inch tartlet molds, rather than one large tart. You should then cut each pear into fourths rather than sixths, and reduce the baking time of the chocolate filling to 15 minutes.

 

You can serve it plain with a glass of milk or tea, or you can serve it with some gelato or whipped cream or ice cream. Just eat it, whatever you do.

whoopie pies

It's a rainy day.

The kind where the rain just falls silently outside and the whole world is dim and sleepy and quiet.

The kind where you want to curl up with a cup of steaming tea (or perhaps a brownie...same same) and read a book on your impossibly quaint window seat.

The kind where you stare aimlessly out the window for periods of time.

The kind that makes you sleep the day away.

The Norah Jones kind.

This kind:
 

What all this has to do with whoopie pies, I couldn't tell you.

...But here's something: Days like today are rather comforting. And so are whoopie pies. See? Very similar.

The other day I walked into Penzey's Spices for their some of their insanely great Madagascar vanilla beans (the smell of those alone is enough to put me in a tizzy). As I made my way to the back of the store where they're kept (Just know that I'm onto you, Penzeys...making me walk through your whole store like that), I passed by a table of chocolate. Wait...what? A TABLE OF CHOCOLATE?! 

There lay bags and jars of cocoa in all their glory, looking all tempting and probably displayed in a very attractive manner. I can't really remember, because once I saw this recipe card for whoopie pies, I grabbed it and a bag of High Fat Dutch Process Cocoa before you could say Madagascar Vanilla Bean. Then the voice in my head said Madagascar Vanilla Bean and I picked those up too and left the store before that table of all different kinds of honey could jump in my way. (I paid first)

 I added the vanilla bean to the filling and I must say I think it made it absolutely irresistible. (Though I've never had it the other way.) First of all, the texture of the filling is exactly what I want in a whoopie pie-sturdy yet creamy, if that makes any sense at all-and once the vanilla bean specks sat in there for awhile and permeated everything, mmmmboy. Squish that in between two fluffy yet perfectly chocolate-y pillows and you're in for it.

Whoopie Pies

Recipe slightly adapted from Candy Johnson

1 egg

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1/2  cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt (I used kosher)

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease them). 

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a measuring cup, combine buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the egg and butter. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until pale yellow in color. 

While mixing, alternate adding the dry ingredient mixture and the buttermilk/vanilla to the egg and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Drop the batter by tablespoons onto the baking sheets.  (About 6 per sheet)

Bake 8-10 minutes, until top springs back when lightly touched. Remove to wire racks to cool. Repeat until all batter is used (I only used one pan at a time so it took a few batches).

Filling:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup marshmallow fluff

1 tsp. vanilla extract

One 2-inch section of vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped out

In a medium bowl, beat the butter. Add the sugar, marshmallow fluff, and extract and mix. Add the vanilla seeds/specks to the bowl and beat until light and fluffy. 

When cookies are all cool, make sandwiches using add a generous dollop of filling for each one.

Hello, gorgeous...

a week in food

Brunch: Blueberry-Banana Pancakes with a Kale/Bacon/Egg white/Tomato/I-can't-remember-what-else-was-in-there scramble

Dinner: Grilled Zucchini cheesy pasta (recipe to come)

Dessert/Breakfast/Snack: Coconut rice pudding topped with brown sugar, cinnamon, apricots and peaches

Dessert: The Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dinner: Pasta Primavera (recipe to come)

chocolate-espresso 'faux soufflés'

Real mail is so underrated.

Well, maybe not underrated, just under-used. There's nothing so exciting as seeing a handwritten envelope peek out amidst countless credit card offers and ever-present bills. The useless mail is carelessly tossed aside (or dropped on the floor, who really knows) to free up both hands for envelope-ripping.
 

espresso shots are blurry, they just are.

What I'm trying to say is, I have this penpal. She is sensational. I met her through her blog and we've since embarked on a long journey of letter-exchanging, present-exchanging, music-exchanging and recipe-exchanging. It has really been wonderful.

I think everyone should have a penpal. Or at least write letters to people, just because. I can bet that it would brighten anyone's day.

What was I saying? What's the point of all this?
 

Oh right.

My penpal and I exchange recipes along with our letters. She sent me this one that is out of the book she is reading, called French Women Don't get Fat. 

I'm hoping that means I can eat three of these and not get fat.

They melt in your mouth and are sinfully rich. Delightful on their own or with a little ice cream.

Chocolate-Espresso 'Faux Soufflés'

4 Servings

8 oz. Dark chocolate

4 egg whites

Salt

4 egg yolks

2 T. Espresso

1. Melt chocolate over a double boiler.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.

3. Whisk yolks into chocolate. Stir in the espresso.

4. Gently fold in 1/3 of the whites, then gradually fold in the rest.

5. Pour equally into four ramekins, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. 

individual blueberry crumbles

Summer is in full swing, which means:

1. Farmers markets.

2.Watermelon.

3. Burned faces. Then tanned faces!

4. Perpetually dirty feet.

5. No makeup.

6. Perpetually sweating. Smelling bad. Losing friends.

7. Fresh Berries.

8. Beach. Little sandy surprises for 3 days thereafter.

9. Barbecues. Hot dogs.

10. Outdoor concerts. 

11. Hooray!

Ah, what's not to love? 

(Possibly me, cause I may or may not be one of those sweaty smelly people. Please hang out with me anyway though, I promise to at least roll around in deodorant.)

Two things from that list came together to create this perfectly lovely summer dessert. I think it's probably self explanatory which two things they were (Hint: it wasn't #4).

These crumbles are amazing. Sweet and a little tart (I did throw in a few raspberries in there cause I had them), with just the perfect amount of crunch. You need to eat them with vanilla ice cream. Need.

 Individual Blueberry Crumbles

2 Servings

Berries

1 cup fresh blueberries (or other berries of your choice)

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 heaping Tablespoon of sugar

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. water

Topping:

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup quick oats

5 T. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 T. butter, melted

Vanilla ice cream, for serving.

Preheat oven to 350. 

Combine berry mixture ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. 

Combine all topping ingredients except butter in a separate bowl. Drizzle melted butter over mixture and combine with your hands until all the dry ingredients are moistened and the mixture is crumbly and homogenous.

Divide berries equally into two ramekins. Sprinkle topping equally on both. 

Bake for about 20 minutes or until topping has begun to turn golden brown.

Serve warm with ice cream.