I have often pondered over Blondies, wondering why anyone would bother to make them when you could just as easily make a Brownie. Brownies always won out over their pale cousins because of one simple element: CHOCOLATE! How can you beat chocolate? You can't, really, but here is one good reason to walk away from the dark side towards seduction of a different colour: BUTTERSCOTCH!
The beauty of kitchen alchemy is that you can start with basic ingredients like brown sugar and butter and combine them to create butterscotch, an entity infinitely greater than the sum of its parts. A Blondie is a house for butterscotch and my Almond Toffee Bars are Blondies that house even more: chopped Skor bars, little morsels of toasted nuts and chocolate chips. So, no need to suffer chocolate withdrawal with this Blondie. While I am not annulling my allegiance to Brownies, I am conceding here that Blondies have won me over with a charm of their own.
Almond Toffee Bars
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour; 1/4 tsp. baking soda; 1/8 tsp. salt; 1/4 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled to tepid; 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract; 4 packages (1.4 ounces each) Skor bars, chopped into 1/4-inch chunks; 3/4 cup coarsely chopped skinned almonds, lightly toasted and cooled; 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter the inside of a 9" square baking pan. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Blend in the egg and vanilla and almond extracts, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix just until absorbed. Stir in chopped toffee, almonds and chocolate chips. The batter will be dense and thick.
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread evenly and smooth the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until just set. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool. Cut into bars.
These bars, adapted from a recipe in Baking by Flavor, are a well packed delivery system for a deep butterscotch base, a canvas flecked with abundant nuggets of chopped toffee, chocolate and nuts. Baking the bars until just set keeps them chewy and moist, the best way to enjoy them.
Blondies vs. Brownies - I refuse to choose. I now love them both.
Find lots of new squares in all flavours with these titles:
1500 best bars, cookies, muffins, cakes & more by Brody, Esther.
The 250 best brownies, bars & squares by Brody, Esther.
You are viewing my favourite meal, one that nourishes without being heavy and packs in big flavour without lots of fat. North American sushi trends lean toward the creative and these rolls can be anything you want them to be. Mine favour smoked salmon or tuna, avocado, spring onions, cucumber and pepper strips and the essential sticky sushi rice that binds them into a compact cylander. The key to successful sushi rolls is the proper preparation of the rice and for guidance I go to a master recipe from rice experts Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford from their award-winning book Seductions of Rice:
Sushi Rice
3+1/2 cups sushi rice such as Nashiki brand; 3+1/2 cups cold water.
Wash rice in a sieve until water runs clear and not cloudy. In a medium pot, combine rice and cold water. Bring to a boil. Stir, cover tightly and lower heat to medium low. Cook for 5 minutes. Lower heat to very low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Do not uncover the pot the whole time the rice is cooking.
Prepare seasoning mixture while the rice cooks: 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar; 2 tbsp. sugar; 1+1/2 tsp. salt. Heat the vinegar gently in a microwave and add the sugar and salt. Stir to dissolve.
Sprinkle seasoned vinegar over cooked rice and toss well with a wooden spoon, breaking up clumps of rice into individual strands. Fan rice with a folded newspaper while tossing to cool quickly. Rice should develop a glossy sheen. Cover rice with a kitchen towel for up to 6 hours and leave it at room temperature until you use it for your sushi rolls. Do not use plastic wrap and do not refrigerate rice.
The preparation of sushi rolls is part of the fun for me, watching a flat sheet of nori transform into a solid little chewey log that you then slice into pretty parts. You will need a bamboo mat for rolling and a package of nori as well as 1 large ripe avocado sliced into thin fingers, half a cucumber (deseeded) and half a red pepper, each sliced into thin strips, about 6 green onions, trimmed to 6-inches in length, and sliced lengthwise, about 16 pieces of smoked salmon, 1 tbsp. of wasabi powder combined with 1 tbsp. cold water to form a paste and about 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds. (To easily deseed a cucumber, cut it lengthwise into 4 and then cut down through the pointed part of each segment to remove seeds.)
Lay your bamboo mat on a work surface with the slats running horizontally, parallel to your counter edge. Place a piece of nori on the mat, shiny side down. The short sides should be parallel to your counter edge. Lightly dampen your hands with water and spread 1/2 cup of seasoned sushi rice evenly and thinly onto the sheet of nori, leaving a 1-inch border along the top edge. Dab a small strip of wasabi paste horizontally across the centre of the rice. Place 2 pieces of smoked salmon across the bottom edge of the rice to cover the whole width of the roll. You may have to trim your smoked salmon slices into strips if they are large. Continue arranging 2 slices each of avocado, cucumber, spring onion and red pepper next to the avocado, filling the width of the nori. Spoon a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds over the vegetables. Grasp the edge of the nori and mat closest to you and lift slightly, starting to tightly roll and tuck the filling. Using the mat as a guide and a press, roll the nori evenly and tightly away from you, pressing down slightly with each quarter turn. Seal the roll with a drop of water along the far edge of the nori and press the seam closed. Keep these rolls coming until you run out of ingredients! You should have enough rice and filling for about 10 rolls, enough for 4 people.
Cut each roll into 8 equal pieces. Serve with pickled ginger, extra wasabi paste and soy sauce for dipping. Nice with jasmine tea and fresh fruit for dessert.
Coming soon, on this blog, homemade pickled ginger! Must test the recipe first, but it looks promising.
Keep things rolling with these titles:
Sushi : the beginner's guide by Imatani, Aya
Basic Japanese cooking : [including sushi, sashimi and yakitori] by Vassallo, Jody.
The sushi lover's cookbook : easy-to-prepare sushi for every occasion by Umemura, Yumi
Sometimes a new food creeps into our conciousness and takes hold, seemingly appearing everywhere almost instantaneously. For me that is what happened with Dulce de Leche. In Latin America Dulce de Leche has been making appearances for a long time, but only recently has it gone mainstream in North America. By mainstream I mean Haagen-Dazs ice cream and Oreos have Dulce de Leche flavours. It doesn't get more mainstream than Oreos! 
Dulce de Leche is suddenly everywhere! Let's take a look at it.
Dulce de Leche means sweet milk in Spanish and usually refers to carmelized sweetened condensed milk. It is also known by the Spanish name Cajeta. Typically, a can of sweetened condensed milk is submerged in a pot of water and boiled for 3 hours. Does it explode? Occasionally! Not acceptable! Here is an alternate technique, from dessert maestro David Lebovitz, for making your own Dulce de Leche.
Dulce de Leche
Preheat oven to 425 F. Pour one can (400 grams/14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish. Stir in a few flecks of kosher salt. Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the pie plate. Cover the pie plate snugly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 - 1+1/4 hours. Check a few times during baking and add more water to the roasting pan as needed. Once the Dulce de Leche is browned and carmelized, remove from the oven and let it cool. Once cool, whisk it until smooth. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
So, you have jumped on the bandwagon and made a batch of Dulce de Leche. Nothing has exploded. Now what? Dulce de Leche Brownies, of course!!
Photo courtesy of www.davidlebovitz.com
Dulce de Leche Brownies courtesy of David Lebovitz
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped; 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 3 large eggs; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, finely choppped; 1 cup Dulce de Leche.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch baking pan with a long sheet of aluminum foil that extends over all four sides of the pan. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with butter.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing, then stir in vanilla and then the flour. Mix in the nuts. Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter. Drag a knife through it once or twice to swirl it lightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over this and then drop spoonfulls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife again, in one or two long strokes, to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly. Do not over-swirl or you will lose the effect of the cute little blobs dotting your delectable dessert.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The brownies are done when the centre feels just slightly set. A toothpick inserted in the centre of the brownies should still have a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares. These brownies are actually better the second day and will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge if they last that long.
Have you noticed my adoration of David Lebovitz? In another life I would like to live with him (or even near him) in Paris and have him ply me with his homemade ice creams and chocolate treats. It would be a sweet life, though there is nothing in it for him.
Become a David Lebovitz groupie along with me:
The sweet life in Paris : delicious adventures in the world's most glorious--and perplexing--city by Lebovitz, David.
Ripe for dessert : 100 outstanding desserts with fruit-- inside, outside, alongside by Lebovitz, David.
I make my own pizzas. Always. Because it is better. My kids think so too. You can mix up a batch of dough and freeze it. Or you can make and bake the pizzas the same day. Really flexible. Toppings can be whatever you desire: roasted vegetables, olives, sauteed mushrooms, cooked spinach, garlic. I use low-fat mozzarella to avoid oily puddles, mixed in with some grated Asiago for sharpness. You can buy canned pizza tomato sauce or you can add seasoning to crushed tomatoes for a customized sauce.
If the project of pizza making becomes a habit, it is a good idea to buy a set of pizza pans. I have 3 14-inch pans and the recipe I am about to give you yields enough dough for 3 thin-crusted pizzas. Alternately, you could use baking sheets with a lip, rolling the dough into rectangles and then cutting the pizza into squares to serve. If you want to make deep-dish pizzas, the dough would also be adequate for 2 9-inch deep-dish versions. You would need deep pizza pans for this option.
Let's get started. Keep in mind that measurements are not exact. Dough will need different proportions of flour and water depending on humidity in the air and flour. Use 1 cup of water as a starting point and gradually add enough flour until dough holds together and forms a ball that does not stick to the sides of the bowl. In a pinch, you could leave the dough to rise just briefly as you prepare the toppings. I like to give the dough a full rise, which takes about 1.5 hours, but the brief rise is a workable option. The dough just turns out a bit crisper and less lofty and breadlike this way. It's up to you. Both ways are fine.
Pizza Dough - enough for 3 14-inch pizzas (or 2 deep-dish 9-inch pizzas)
2+1/4 tsp. dry yeast (1 package); 1/4 cup tepid water (105 degrees F); 3 cups all purpose flour or 2 cups all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour; 1 tbsp. sugar; 1 tsp. salt; 1 tbsp. olive oil; 1 cup tepid water (105 degrees F).
Sprinkle the yeast over the 1/4 cup warm water and let stand until frothy, about 15 minutes. Place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix. Add proofed yeast, oil and remaining water and mix until dough forms a ball around the hook and does not stick to the side of the bowl. You may need to add more flour gradually if the dough is tacky or loose. Mix until the dough is smooth and firm. Dough can be wrapped well and frozen in a zip-lock freezer bag at this point. If you want to make the pizzas right away, cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap while the dough rises until doubled in size.
Pizza Sauce - makes more than enough for 3 14-inch pizzas
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes; 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed; large pinch of hot pepper flakes; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1/2 tsp. sugar; 1 tsp. crumbled dried oregano; 1/2 tsp. dried thyme; freshly ground black pepper to taste. Combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like. Feel free to omit or add spices to suit your own tastes.
Pizza ingredients - for 3 14-inch pizzas
3 cups grated skim milk mozzarella cheese; 1/2 cup of grated asiago cheese; about 3 cups of assorted toppings to mix and match as you wish: roasted pepper strips, pitted sliced black olives, sauteed mushrooms, cooked spinach, squeezed well to remove excess water, thinly sliced marinated artichoke hearts, carmelized onions, pepperoni or any other cooked sausage, sliced thinly, sauteed zucchini coins, roasted vegetables, cut into small pieces, grilled eggplant slices, cut into small pieces, anchovies, and on and on. I like to toss some freshly chopped herbs like Italian parsley, fresh oregano or basil, over the tops of the pies. It is also nice to sprinkle on some grated Parmesan cheese over the herbs before baking the pies.
Oil your pans with a brushing of olive oil. Punch down dough and divide into 3 equal parts. Work with 1 part at a time and keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap. Roll each piece of dough out into a 15-inch circle. Place dough onto a pan. Roll up the edges to form a little rim of dough that fits neatly inside your pans. Repeat with other 2 pieces of dough. Spread pizza sauce onto the dough, using about 3/4 cup per pizza, or to taste. Sprinkle grated cheeses over sauce (mozzarella and asiago - not the Parmesan). Scatter toppings over cheeses. Season with salt and pepper if you think the toppings need it. Sprinkle fresh herbs over toppings. Add some grated Parmesan cheese if you like. Bake pizzas at 450 F for about 17 minutes or until crust and cheese are golden. I usually bake 2 pizzas at a time, one on a lower rack and one on a higher rack. I rotate the pizzas, from top to bottom, halfway through the baking time, at around 9 minutes, for even baking.
A slice of perfection from Naples, Italy
The best pizza on earth comes from Naples Italy. Why? Mostly because they have the earth's best tomatoes, the San Marzano beauties that colour the luscious pie pictured above. Also, they have incredibly hot pizza ovens that turn dough into crisp yet chewy deliciousness, slightly charred, pocked with air holes. I was fortunate enough to spend a day in Naples a couple of years ago and ate pizza for both my Neopolitan meals, pizza for lunch and pizza for dinner. The pizza in the photo above was my first pie of the day, very simple and incredibly memorable. It's all about great ingredients, no fuss and nothing new or creative. Succulent dough, perfect, bright tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, a sprig of basil, and some earthy mushrooms, all the flavours baked into a homogenous mass of sloppy, juicy, hot, dripping perfection. Two pizzas in a day meant I could sample product from two famous pizzerias, and thereby double my pleasure. It was the right thing to do. No pizza before or after can touch the pizzas of Naples. I took away a lesson from this experience: use the best ingredients you can find, don't mess with a perfectly balanced tradition, and bake pizzas at high temperature. Simple is good. Tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella are a fantastic pairing, though the fat content of the cheese is higher than the skim-milk version and could render your dough a tad soft as opposed to crisp, cracker-like dough. Pizza slices in Naples do flop about a bit too, so don't worry about it.
The Pizzaiolo - master pizza maker in Naples, Italy
Pizza is a great idea in Naples or wherever you find yourself in need of good, basic food. Make it and bake it for a taste of soothing, savoury comfort, a connection to a tradition that should be respected and honoured. Let these books help you out:
Pizza : grill it, bake it, love it! by Weinstein, Bruce, 1960-
Pizza : 50 traditional and alternative recipes for the oven and grill by Ridgaway, Dwayne.
Pizza & wine : authentic Italian recipes and wine pairings by Curti, Leonardo.
Almond Crumble Layer Bars, here is what I love about you: You are a combination of gooeyness and crispness, nuts and chocolate, dark and light. You have a moist, fudge-like almond filling encased in bittersweet brackets of crumbly dark chocolate and chopped almonds. You cut well and smell nice. You get along well with all age groups. You are easy to put together and even easier to eat!
What is fun about you is that I can play around with you by changing up the nut filling. I love the almond butter/almond version but would bet that a peanut butter/peanut or hazelnut butter/hazelnut rendition would be equally fabulous. Just keep the nut butter and the nut from the same family and you can't go wrong.
This recipe is adapted from The Brownie Lover's Bible, a book I am very devoted to. Like other bibles, you can spend large chunks of your life studying this one and practicing what it preaches.
Almond Crumble Layer Bars
Cookie Dough Layer:
1 cup unsalted butter; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 cup whole wheat flour; 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/2 tsp. cinnamon; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules; a heaping cup of whole unbleached almonds.
Filling:
1 300-ml can sweetened condensed milk; 1+1/2 cups almond butter; 1/2 tsp. almond extract;
Extra indulgence:
1+1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with 1 sheet of overhanging parchment paper. Place butter, sugars, flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt and instant coffee in the bowl of food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until they are uniformly mixed into a fine, moist crumbly dough. It will look sandy and textured. Add almonds and pulse about 5 times until almonds are broken up but are still bright islands amidst the dark sand! Set aside.
In a separate bowl mix the sweetened condensed milk, almond butter and almond extract. It will stiffen up as you mix it.
Press 2/3 of the cookie dough mixture into the bottom of the pan. Spread the almond butter mixture evenly over the crumbs. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the filling. With your hands take small handfuls of dough, clump them up and sprinkle or lay them over the chocolate chips. Take a spoon and tamp down gently on the clumps to flatten them slightly. Don't worry if spots of filling and chocolate show through the dough.
Place pan in the oven and bake 20 - 25 minutes or until the top crumbs are aromatic and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool in the pan. Lift out using parchment paper and slice.
Almond Crumble Layer Bars - I think other people may start to love you too. Find more sweets to love in these books:
The ultimate brownie book : thousands of ways to make America's favorite treat, including blondies, frostings, and doctored brownie mixes by Weinstein, Bruce, 1960-
Easy baking : simple recipes for cakes, cookies, pies, and breads by Collister, Linda.
Deep dark chocolate : decadent recipes for the serious chocolate lover by Perry, Sara.
Today I borrow material from the New York Times to entertain you with. The New York Times website has a notification service which you can customize with keywords so that you receive e-mail alerts of articles that match your criteria. My alerts are set up for Cooking and Cookbooks, amongst a few other things, so that I regularly receive food-related articles from the temple of journalism. Last week's offerings included a sumptuously appealing chicken stew, shown above, which will work wonders in the winter months.
Chicken Bouillabaisse for a Crowd
By Martha Rose Shulman
This is a wonderful do-ahead chicken dish. Look for free-range, humanely raised chicken. Marinate the chicken the day before you make this dish, and make it at least one day ahead through step 3 so that you can easily skim off the chicken fat. And if you want to make it for a smaller group, just halve the quantities.
4 1/4 pounds cut up chicken (drumsticks, thighs, breasts - 16 pieces), skinned; 1/2 cup Pernod or Pastis (anise flavored aperitif); Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 2 generous pinches saffron threads; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 medium onions, sliced; 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced; 2 stalks celery, diced; 6 large garlic cloves, minced; 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle; A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each thyme and rosemary; 1 litre chicken or turkey stock; 1+1/2 pounds Yukon gold or new potatoes, scrubbed and sliced; 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and broken in half; A handful of chopped fresh parsley.
1. Cut chicken breasts in half for smaller pieces. Season all of the chicken with salt and pepper, and toss in a very large bowl with one pinch of the saffron and the Pernod or Pastis. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large resealable bag, pour in the liquid from the bowl and seal the bag. Place the bag in a bowl, and refrigerate overnight. If possible, move the chicken around in the bag from time to time.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil is hot, working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides, about five minutes per batch. Remove to a baking sheet or bowl.
3. Heat a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring often until they soften, about five minutes. Add the carrots and celery and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until tender and fragrant, five to eight minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute until fragrant, and then add the tomatoes, thyme and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the dark meat pieces to the pot, along with any juice that has accumulated in the bowl or sheet pan. Add the crushed fennel seeds, the stock, bouquet garni and potatoes, and bring to a simmer. Season to taste. Add the remaining pinch of saffron, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add the white meat pieces, and simmer another 30 minutes. Check to see that the potatoes are tender. If they are not, simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. If serving the next day (recommended), use tongs to transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl, and cover tightly. Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Refrigerate the chicken and the broth with the vegetables overnight, and skim off the fat from the surface of the broth the next day. Return the chicken to the pot to reheat.
4. While the chicken is simmering, or while reheating, blanch the beans for five minutes in a medium pot of boiling salted water. Transfer to the chicken stew. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the parsley and serve in wide soup bowls.
Yield: Serves 8 to 10.
Advance preparation: This benefits from being made at least one day ahead and will keep for three or four days. It is best to cook the beans shortly before reheating.
I don't know about you, but just reading this recipe makes me happy, the instructions so easy and assured, the word "fragrant" repeated a few times, the simmer, the juice, the saffron, the garlic. And enough food for 8 to 10 people which translates to at least a couple of great family meals plus leftovers at my house. Or a party!
Best wishes to you for a healthy and happy New Year filled with love and delicious, fragrant food.
Comfor food : warm and homey, rich and hearty
Roast figs, sugar snow : winter food to warm the soul by Henry, Diana
How are you doing without Gourmet Magazine in your life? This month, December 2009, is the first month of my entire existence (half a century!) with no publication of the magazine that for so many years nourished my soul and imagination. It's a significant loss and many of us are mourning. Here is our obituary for Gourmet, thanks to guest columnist Lindsay:
There have been systemic shifts in the world of magazine publishing of late. Many publications can no longer afford to publish hard copy and many titles have simply gone out of business. So far there has only been one that I have mourned. In October 2009 Gourmet announced that it would cease publishing after 68 years.
I learned about cooking and fine dining from a subscription to Gourmet that was given to my parents in the 80’s. Back then I’d spend hours eating toast and marmalade while reading about hot spots like Le Cirque in New York or Spago in L.A. The magazine opened my eyes to new cultures and tastes. I read about dishes like congee years before I ever had the opportunity to taste it.
Many of the recipes can still be found at www.epicurious.com and the library has several collections of Gourmet recipes including the latest Gourmet Today, but there will only be the back issues for the magazine from here on out. The original tag line - "The magazine of good living" - remained in place to the end. Gourmet has never billed itself as "the magazine of good cooking". Good cooking, after all, isn't about wealth; it's about tasty ingredients and the skill of the person at the stove. But good living - that's another matter and the phrase nicely conjures up visions of luxury.
Here is one of my favourite Gourmet recipes from December 1991. The recipe calls for walnuts but I always use pecans.
Turtle Bars (Caramel, Walnut, Fudge Bars)
Makes 30 2-by-1+1/2-inch bar cookies
For the base : 5 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar; 1 large egg, beaten lightly; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
For the topping : 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter; 1+1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar; 4 tablespoons dark corn syrup; 1/3 cup heavy cream; 3 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted lightly; 1 tablespoon dark rum.
Make the base - Line the bottom of a greased 13- by 9-inch baking pan with wax paper and grease the paper. In a heavy saucepan melt the butter with the cocoa, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat, beat in the brown sugar and the egg, and stir in the flour, the salt and the vanilla. Spread the mixture in the baking pan and bake it in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 minutes, or until it is just firm to the touch and pulls away slightly from the sides, and let it cool in the pan on a rack.
Make the topping - In a heavy saucepan melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and the corn syrup and bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Boil the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the hard-ball stage (260°F. on a candy thermometer), remove the pan from the heat and add the cream and the walnuts carefully, stirring gently. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil it until it reaches the soft-ball stage (240°F. on a candy thermometer). Remove the pan from the heat, let the caramel mixture cool for 1 minute, and stir in the rum.
Pour the topping over the base, spreading it evenly with the wooden spoon. Let it cool, cover it with foil and let it chill until it is firm. Run a thin knife around the edges of the pan, turn onto a cutting board, and cut it evenly into bars. The bars keep, separated by sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container, chilled, for 1 week.
Here is another favourite oldie recipe from September 1999 I make every year when the corn harvest comes in. Maque Choux (pronounced approx. "mock shoe") is a traditional dish of southern Louisana. The name is likely to derive from the French interpretation of the Native American name.
Chicken and Sausage Maque Choux
6 ears corn; 3 pounds chicken thighs with skin, excess fat trimmed; 1 tablespoon oil; 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch slices; 3 medium onions, chopped; 1 orange or red bell pepper, chopped; 1 green bell pepper, chopped; 1 large celery rib, sliced; 2 fresh thyme sprigs; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste; 3/4 pound cherry tomatoes (1 1/2 pints), halved; 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil.
Cut kernels off cobs and, working over a large bowl, scrape cobs with knife to extract all juices. Discard cobs. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy 8-qt. pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown sausage, transferring to a plate. Brown chicken in batches, transferring to another plate.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot and then sauté onions, bell peppers, celery, thyme, cayenne and salt to taste over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add corn with juices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and sausage.
Nestle chicken into mixture and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. If the maque choux is soupier than you like, simmer uncovered until juices are reduced. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread.
The library has several volumes of Gourmet publications to sustain you during its unfortunate absence:
Gourmet today : more than 1000 all-new recipes for the contemporary kitchen by Reichl, Ruth.
The best of Gourmet
The best of Gourmet, 2004 : [featuring the flavors of Rome]
A sensual and aromatic package arrived for me this week, enfolded many times in plastic wrap, yet still I could catch whiffs of spice through the layers. My parents recently travelled through Morocco and promised me samples of the fragrant spice blend Ras Al Hanout from the souks (markets) of Marakkesh and here it was, as if by magic. Ras Al Hanout means "top of the shop" and includes the best spices merchants have, sometimes over a hundred different spices blended together. There is something faintly curry-like in my blend, as many of the spices included are also part of the Indian palate, spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and paprika.
Now I have a very enjoyable challenge: what to do with Ras Al Hanout? In looking for ways to use this lovely mixture I am finding it very user-friendly. Added to lentil soup and to stewed beans, rubbed into grilled lamb chops, mashed with sweet potatoes, cooked with couscous, sauteed with scallops, it has not disappointed me yet. I am enjoying the duality of earthy pungency and floral perfume of the spice blend and find it adds a mysterious exotic essence to my food. In the event that you will not be taking delivery of a package of Ras Al Hanout from the souks of Morocco, here is how you can make a simple version of the spice blend at home.
Ras Al Hanout: from www.epicurious.com
1 tsp. ground cumin; 1 tsp. ground ginger; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 3/4 tsp. ground black pepper; 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. ground coriander seeds; 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper; 1/2 tsp. ground allspice; 1/4 tsp. ground cloves.
In a small bowl whisk all ingredients together until well blended. Store in a sealed jar at room temperature.
With this new spice mix now available to you, I recommend a lovely, simple roasted chicken that is infused with the complex fragrance of Ras Al Hanout in addition to zesty lemon and bright fresh mint leaves. I found this wonderful recipe at www.epicurious.com.
Moroccan Roast Chicken
3 tbsp. olive oil; 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice; 2 tbsp. Hungarian sweet paprika; 1 tbsp. Ras Al Hanout; 1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves; 1 tbsp. kosher salt; 2 tsp. grated lemon zest; 1 tsp. ground black pepper; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 5-pound chicken; 2 small whole lemons, pricked all over with a fork; 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Blend the first 9 ingredients, from the olive oil to the 2 garlic cloves. Rinse chicken inside out and pat dry with paper towels. Rub 1/3 of spice paste into main cavity then rub remaining spice paste all over the outside of the chicken. Place 2 lemons and 6 garlic cloves in main cavity of chicken. Tie legs together. Place chicken in roasting pan and place roasting pan in the centre of the oven. Roast for 45 minutes and turn chicken over to continue roasting about 45 minutes longer or until the thickest part of the thigh is done. (A good test is to pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a sharp knife and see if the juices run clear and not bloody). Tent chicken with tin foil during final phase of roasting if the meat is overbrowning.
Transfer chicken to platter. Let stand 10 minutes. Carve and serve. Delicious with couscous.
I am currently Ras Al Hanouting lots of different foods and am loving the effect. The best way to describe the result is "warm", with cosy aromas and comforting, nuanced flavour. What to do with Ras Al Hanout? Now you know. Here are even more ideas to take you on your own trip somewhere warm and wonderful:
Couscous : fresh and flavorful contemporary recipes by Morse, Kitty.
Morocco recipes and stories from East Africa by Benady, Ghislaine
The food of Morocco : a journey for food lovers by Mallos, Tess.
How soft is "soft" butter? When is a cake "done"? How do I make "chewy" cookies? Plagued by problems? Here are some tips to help you handle the baking you want to do, thanks to the October 2003 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine. They have made all the mistakes in the kitchen so that you don't have to.
Measuring Dry Ingredients - Dip and sweep - Dip the measuring cup into the container and scoop up the ingredient in a heaped mound. Use a straight edge, such as the flat side of a knife blade, to level off the excess, letting it fall back into the container.
Measuring Wet Ingredients - Use a liquid measuring cup (Pyrex) set on the counter and lean down to read the measurement at eye level.
When Is Butter "Softened"? - A stick of butter should bend with little resistance and without cracking or breaking. Or, the butter should give slightly when pressed but still hold its shape. Your finger should leave a little dent.
Parchment paper vs. wax paper - Parchment paper can be used to line round, loaf or rectangular baking pans and to line baking sheets and jelly-roll pans. Do not use waxed paper where it will be exposed to the direct heat of the oven. Waxed paper is fine to line the bottom of a cake pan, but if used on a cookie sheet, the wax coating will melt.
Greasing and flouring pans - If a recipe says grease the pan, do it first, before you prepare the batter, as batters can lose some leavening if left to stand. Grease non-stick pans as well as regular pans. Butter, margarine and nonstick cooking spray all work well, though butter imparts the best flavour. After greasing the pan, give it a liberal sprinkling of flour, then hold it up and tap and rotate so that the flour coats all the surfaces. Flour provides extra protection against sticking. To get rid of excess flour, rap the pan upside down over a sink.
Testing for doneness - Bake pie pastry until a deep nut-brown. Paler crusts have a floury taste. Browner pastry is also flakier. A cake tester or skewer inserted into the center of cakes, muffins or loaves should come out clean. If batter or crumbs cling to the tester, the item needs more time in the oven. Fully baked cakes, muffins and loaves feel springy when the center is gently pressed with fingers. There should be no imprint of your finger in the baked item. For chewy cookies, remove them from the oven when they look a bit underbaked and are still slightly soft in the center. Cookies will continue to bake and set as they cool.
Warming Butter and Eggs Quickly - To quickly bring butter and eggs to room temperature from the fridge, cut butter into 1-tbsp. pieces and place in a bowl wrapped in a warm, damp kitchen towel. Put whole eggs in a small bowl of warm water (about 110 degrees F) for about 5 minutes.
Glass baking dishes - Some recipes say reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees F when baking in a glass baking dish. Do not do this. Yes, baked items will brown more in a glass baking dish but not in a way that aversely effects the results. The editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine prefer the browner results and do not alter the oven temperature for glass baking dishes.
Rolling dough - Sandwich your disk of dough between two large sheets of parchment paper, wax paper or plastic wrap. Starting at the center of the disk, roll away from you in long, even strokes. Spin the dough a quarter turn and, again, roll away from you, starting at the center. Apply even pressure to the rolling pin and chill the dough if it becomes too soft and sticky.
Want to bake something now?! Try your well-educated hand at these aromatic and almond-centric cookies adapted from a traditional European recipe by Anne Willan:
Italian Almond Cookies
Zest of 2 lemons; 1+1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour; 2 large eggs; 2 cups ground blanched almonds (see Note below); 1+1/3 cups granulated sugar; 2 tbsp. Amaretto liquour (or Frangelico); 2 tbsp. unsalted butter; approx 30 whole blanched almonds.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grate the zest from 2 lemons and set aside. In a food processor grind the almonds with the granulated sugar until fine and almost floury. Add eggs, zest, butter and Amaretto and blend well. Add flour and combine just until the dough holds together. With a spoon, scoop out small balls of dough and roll them into 1-inch balls with damp hands. Plalce balls 1-inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place a whole blanched almond on the top of each cookie and press very gently so that the almond sticks to the dough. Bake in middle of oven for 15-20 minutes until the cookies look set and are just barely brown. Overbaked cookies will be dry and hard. Perfect cookies will be dense and chewy, midway on the spectrum between marzipan and a cookie.
Makes about 30 cookies.
Note: To blanch your own almonds, boil water in a medium-sized pot. Add almonds and let boil for 30 seconds. Drain and cool. Pop skins off almonds with your fingers. Spread almonds out on a cookie sheet to dry. You can toast almonds lightly in the oven at 300 F for about 8 minutes, or just until they start to change colour.
Be a better baker with these books:
Baking basics and beyond : [learn these simple techniques and bake like a pro] / by Sinclair, Patricia.
BakeWise : the hows and whys of successful baking with over 200 magnificent recipes / by Corriher, Shirley O.
This is a date square unlike any other. We first met when I spent a summer baking at Annie's Cafe in Fish Creek Park. This sweet treat was their signature creation and I have never ever seen it or a recipe for it anywhere else. Shortly after my first bite I knew I needed the recipe and I did manage to squeeze it out of the staff, so I do have it for you.
There are a few reasons why this date square distinguishes itself from its many incarnations. The first is the fresh essence of orange that infuses it, delicately supported by orange blossom water which adds a softly nuanced hint of something unusual but wonderful. (Orange blossom water is available at Middle Eastern grocery stores). There is whole wheat flour and old-fashioned oatmeal in the sandwiching layers, sturdy, wholesome and flavourful. Only a small amount of canola oil is used in the cookie part, much less than you would find in other baked goods. The gentle touch of sweetness in the dough comes from honey and maple syrup, so there is no white sugar present here. Dried cranberries add tang to the date filling, cooking into a thick sludge of sweet goodness. All in all, this is a masterful recipe that is unique and inspired, one I am so grateful to have. I consider these squares healthful enough to eat any time of day, including for breakfast!
Cranberry Date Squares
Filling:
Rehydrage 1/2 cup sun-dried cranberries in 1/3 cup orange blossom water and 2/3 cup orange juice concentrate. Soak for 1/2 hour. Cook 1 pound dried pitted dates, broken up into pieces, in the cranberry/orange juice mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened and liquid is absorbed.
Dough:
In a medium bowl combine 1+1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1+1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and the grated zest of 2 oranges. In a small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup runny honey, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup canola oil and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract. Pour this mixture into the oat mixture and combine to form dough. Pat 2/3 of the dough firmly onto the bottom of a greased 9" square baking pan. Spread the date filling evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the top of the filling, using your fingers to crumble it up. Using the back of a spoon, gently tamp on the crumbled dough to flatten it a little bit. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 350 F or until nicely browned.
After your date with the date squares, you can get inspired again with these books:
The 250 best brownies, bars & squares by Brody, Esther.
175 natural sugar desserts by Dayan, Ari
Photo courtesy of the New York Times
There is finally some tofu on this blog. I have really not given tofu its time and for no good reason either. Today its time has come and here is a vibrant, life-sustaining dish to satisfy your soul. Butternut squash is sprinkled with sesame seeds, scented with ginger and garlic and stir-fried with soy-soaked tofu, tantalizing the tongue with many of those pleasurable Asian elements that work wonders when used together.
I subscribe to many electronic services and blogs (see sidebar) that frequently deposit recipes and other food related copy into my inbox. This recipe came to me this way, from a New York Times article whose glowing food photo inspired me to go forth and try my hand at this. Having just created a lusty risotto dotted with tiny cubes of butternut squash and nutty nuggets of roasted chestnuts, I was eager to give squash another whirl in a completely different context. (Don't worry about missing out on the risotto rendition; you can have that recipe too!)
Stir-Fried Butternut Squash with Tofu and Soba Noodles
6 ounces firm tofu, sliced about 1/2-inch thick; 2 tbsp. canola oil, divided; 1/2 sweet onion, sliced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp. minced ginger; 1 tbsp. sesame seeds; 1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced (4 cups); 1 tbsp. white wine or lime juice; 1/4 cup water; soy sauce to taste; 1/2 pound buckwheat noodles (soba); 1 tbsp. dark Chinese sesame oil.
Wrap tofu in paper towels and place under a cutting board for 10 minutes. Cut into 1-inch wide rectangles. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet or wok and stir fry the tofu until lightly coloured, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate. Add onion to the pan and stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and the squash cubes. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and sesame seeds and stir-fry for 1 minute, until fragrant. Return tofu to pan, stir in the wine and 1/4 cup water, cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer 5 minutes or until squash is totally tender. Uncover and add soy sauce to taste. Keep warm while you cook the soba noodles.
Boil soba noodles in salted water, stirring so they don't stick, until tender. Drain and toss with sesame oil. Arrange noodles on a platter and top with tofu and squash. Serves 4.
Trying to decide between Squash and Soba Noodles or Squash Risotto? Make them both!
Butternut Squash Risotto with Chestnuts from www.epicurious.com.
6 cups chicken broth; 1/4 cup white wine; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter, divided; 1 small white onion, finely chopped; 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch pieces; 1+1/2 cups arborio rice; 2 cups roasted, peeled chestnuts, or jarred chestnuts, chopped coarsely; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage; 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley.
Bring chicken broth and wine to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and keep warm. Taste and add salt if you like.
Meanwhile, heat oil and 1 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and squash; cook until onion is translucent, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add rice; stir until rice is translucent at edges but still opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup warm broth; simmer until almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next until rice is just tender, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes total. Stir in chestnuts, thyme, and marjoram. Cook for a couple of minutes to heat chestnuts through and remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cheese, and parsley. Taste and season with more salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.
Into tofu? Me too!
Tofu cookery by Hagler, Louise.
Smitten with squash? So am I.
A harvest of pumpkins and squash : seasonal recipes by Pappas, Lou Seibert.
Do you know about farro? I didn't until I found myself, quite happily, in Lucca, Italy, abutting a region where it is grown. One of the most endearing qualities of Italy is how regional the cuisine is, with every town and village eating just a little bit differently from their neighbours. In Italy you very much eat what you grow and if it grows too far down that country road, you don't eat it. In Lucca farro appears on the menus of the trattorias within the walled city, so it is farro that we ate. Good thing we ate it when we did, as we never saw it anywhere else in Italy as we travelled through other regions of the country.
In Lucca we stayed at an utterly charming historic inn called Tangohotel where the owners lovingly restored the historic building to its current state of rock-solid beauty. My husband, who is fluent in Italian, knew I was interested in the local cuisine, sourced this recipe from our inn keeper. The dish she described, that is now a staple in my kitchen, is her farro salad. It features tender, wheaty grains tossed with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, roasted peppers, corn kernals, roasted garlic and fresh herbs. It is humble in style, huge in flavour and largely endowed with satisfying homey goodness. Look for farro in Italian grocery stores.
Farro Salad from Lucca
Boil 1+1/4 cups of farro in salted water until tender but still toothsome, about 45 - 55 minutes. Drain. In a large mixing bowl combine cooked farro with a 200 gram container of bocconcini pearls (tiny fresh mozzarella balls), drained, 1 roasted pepper, peeled, deseeded and diced, 1 cup of frozen corn kernals, cooked and drained, 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped, and a handful of fresh chopped parsley or basil. Wrap a whole head of garlic in tin foil and roast it at 350 F until the cloves are soft and pastey, about 50 minutes. Cool the garlic, peel the cloves and then mash them into 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Add 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the farro mixture with this dressing and stir to combine. This salad is excellent with grilled meats or fish.
Fall in love with farro even more with these titles:
Whole grains for busy people : fast, flavor-packed meals and more for everyone by Sass, Lorna J.
The new whole grains cookbook : terrific recipes using farro, quinoa, brown rice, barley, and many other delicious and nutritious grains by Asbell, Robin.
Jasna's grandmother Hermina was born in Croatia in 1918. Like most women of her generation in that part of eastern Europe, she was an excellent cook and baker. Although skilled as a seamstress, she never worked outside the home. She raised two daughters and worked hard preparing family meals each and every day. Jasna lived with her grandparents until she was 7 and has fond memories of laying in her warm bed under a thick eiderdown quilt while her grandmother awoke at 5 am to start a fire to heat the chilly house and on which to cook breakfast.
When Jasna was a little girl living in her grandmother's home, it was customary to always finish a meal with something sweet. On special occasions like birthdays or religious holidays, this could mean a fine cake or torte for dessert. For regular consumption, including a Sunday meal, dessert often took the form of a strudel, squares or a pie. Jasna, a colleague of mine at the library, has brought with her from Europe the fine recipes of her beloved grandmother and generously shared a lovely walnut strudel with us. The strudel is a rolled up yeast-risen cake with a moist nut filling. Compact and firm and just faintly sweet, it has an honoured place as a morning cake, lunch-bag treat, or afternoon snack. Jasna swears that everybody who has eaten it, regardless of their ethnicity, regardless of the time of day, has loved it.
Jasna has graciously shared her cherished recipe with me, which I now share with you. I have modified the recipe slightly but have maintained the character and flavour of the original:
Jasna's Grandmother's Walnut Strudel
Dough: 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 2 tsp. instant yeast; 6 tbsp. tepid water; 2 very small potatoes, peeled, boiled, mashed to yield 1/2 cup and cooled to room temperature; 2 large eggs; 3 tsp. vanilla extract; 1/2 cup sour cream; 6 tbsp. sugar; 1 tsp. salt; 6 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled slightly.
Walnut Filling: 2 cups walnuts; 14 tbsp. granulated sugar; 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter; 2 -3 tbsp. dark rum or 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract;
Milk, for brushing on the strudel; Confectioners' sugar for dusting on strudel.
To make the dough, in a large mixing bowl mix 6 tbsp. of the flour with the yeast and then whisk in the water. Let the mixture sit until it has begun to puff up, about 15 minutes. Put the remaining flour in a large bowl and add the yeast mixture, potato, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Knead until it is smooth. Add the sugar and salt and melted butter and knead until the dough is soft and smooth. Remember that the amount of flour you will need can vary depending on many factors, so do not be afraid to add in more, little by little, if the dough is too tacky and soft. Place the dough in a deep bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature for about 3 hours until it has tripled in volume and is very puffy.
While the dough is rising, make the filling. Grind nuts with sugar in a food processor until finely chopped. Do not overgrind lest the nuts turn into walnut butter. Add melted butter and rum and stir to blend. The nut mixture should be a coarse, mealy paste. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Punch down the risen dough and divide into two pieces. Roll out the first ball of dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle roughly 9" x 12". Spread half of the nut filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1" border all around. Fold the short sides inwards to form a seam about 1" wide. Fold long sides firmly but gently into a log. Brush some water or milk on the last border to form a seal. Repeat with second ball of dough. Place logs carefully on a baking sheet, seam side down, at least 5" apart. Brush logs with milk and bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 - 30 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown. Remove from oven. Best served warm. Slice logs into 3/4" pieces and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar for a pretty touch. The strudel is at its best on the day it is made but is still great after a couple of days if well wrapped and refrigerated. Makes two large strudels.
Traditional recipes from grandmothers, hand-written recipes on tattered cue-cards, family recipes passed down through the generations, old-world recipes from Europe, these are recipes to cherish.
Lost recipes : meals to share with friends and family by Cunningham, Marion.
German, Austrian, Czech & Hungarian : 70 traditional dishes from the heart of European cuisine by Atkinson, Catherine, 1961-
These fabulous straws are reason alone to drink bubble tea. The straws are perfectly engineered to allow moist, tender pearls of tapioca to glide up their shafts, like little conveyer belts delivering bursts of chewiness in a bath of smoooth, frothy fruit. I know I am coming to this concept late in the game, as bubble tea has been delivering the goods here in North America for some time now. It has been fervently popular in Asia since the early 1980's. But I just got organized around making it at home, finding the straws and the giant black tapioca at an Asian supermarket called T&T, so indulge me as I explore this totally fun food.
Mango Bubble Tea
I just googled Bubble Tea and here is what I learned: anything goes! Anything went when it was created too. Tea shops in Taiwan started adding fruit flavours to their drinks as enticement to thirsty school children. The teas were shaken, hence adding "bubbles". Then, someone added cooked tapioca pearls to the mix for even more bubbles. Now, any cool, sweet drink in a clear cup with tapioca sitting at the bottom earns the label "bubble tea". Some versions have milk in them and are like milkshakes. Some have varying amounts of fruit. Some have crushed ice. Asians are fond of actually including cold tea in their bubble drinks.
Recently, when shopping at T&T, I bought a bubble tea in the very Asian shopping plaza to try to see what the real deal is. Turns out their $5.00 beverage contains mostly crushed ice infused with some mysterious sweetened liquid and a bit of fruit. Very uninspired and fake fruit tasting, though I loved the tapioca component. My brain immediately switched into gear: I will do this at home and I will do it better! I will blend up a frosty, fruity drink, a smoothie really, add tapioca pearls, and have my own, healthy, fruit-centric version of bubble tea in the comfort of my own home for a lot less than $5.00.
Black Tapioca Pearls
Let's talk briefly about tapioca pearls. Tapioca pearls are black and, when cooked, their texture is somewhere between jello and a gummy bear candy, pleasantly chewy and tender. They cook up easily in boiling water and the brand I purchased, pictured above, needed about 5 minutes on the stove. I have found other recipes that say to cook the tapioca anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes, so read the package and follow the instructions for the brand you buy. Drain and let the tapioca cool slightly but not so much that the pearls start to stick together, which happens in minutes. If your tapioca pearls do clump together, run some cool water over them to loosen them up again and drain well before adding to your drink. Tapioca pearls stay soft and pleasant for a couple of hours after being made. After that, their texture changes and they lose their charms.
Cooked Black Tapioca Pearls
While reading about bubble tea on the Internet, I notice frequent use of such questionable ingredients as bubble tea flavoured powder and bubble tea milk powder. None of that for me. My bubble tea is a simple fruit smoothie, a recipe I printed here back in April, which I will run again:
To make enough smoothies for 4 people, I use 4 heaping cups of frozen fruit, 1 banana, about 3 cups of fruit juice, 2 tbsp. of plain yogurt and 2-3 tbsp. of frozen pure orange or apple juice concentrate. Buzz all this together in a blender until thick and smooth. Put a spoonful or two of cooked tapioca pearls in a large, clear glass and add the smoothie. Drink with a thick straw.
Make your own healthy fruit drinks, or bubble teas, at home with help from these titles:
Low-carb smoothies : more than 135 recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth without guilt by Rodnitzky, Donna.
Sinful smoothies : more than 130 dessert smoothies and other indulgences by Rodnitzky, Donna.
Lucca, Italy
I am fortunate to be able to eat like an Italian and with an Italian, my husband. To me eating like an Italian means eating food prepared with love and attention to quality, enjoying homemade meals with my family that speak to me of the casual, healthful approach to food so abundant in Italy and so loved everywhere. With great pastas, bold flavours, fresh salads, savoury meats and simple cooking techniques, don't you want to eat like an Italian too?
When I want inspiration for Italian meals I often turn to the New York chef Mario Batali whose love of food and passion for cooking are contagious. His recipes are approachable, authentic and inspired, all the right ingredients for success. Let's start with a rustic, warm antipasto that will soothe your hunger pangs in a hurry.
Mario Batali's Olive Con Pomodoro (Olives in Tomato Sauce)
1 - 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 8 ounces small black brine-cured olives, rinsed and patted dry; 8 ounces small green brine-cured olives, rinsed and patted dry; 1 cup basic tomato sauce. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the olives and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomato sauce, lower the heat and simmer 15 - 20 minutes, occasionally basting the olives with the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature. Spoon onto slices of baguette or little squares of focaccia. Makes 2 cups.
In Bon Appetit's October 2009 issue, author Lori De Mori writes in praise of peasant cooking, describing how in Italy delicious meals come from the most basic ingredients, like beans. She also gives us seven rules that will help you cook (and live) like an Italian:
The 7 Rules of the Italian Kitchen (by Lori De Mori)
1/ Pay attention. Choose local foods over exotic foods, be faithful to the seasons and waste nothing.
2/ Love the leftovers. Just about anything can live happily in a frittata. Today's sauteed mushrooms are the beginning of tomorrow's mushroom risotto.
3/ Keep it simple. Almost any fresh seasonal vegetable sauteed in olive oil with a bit of garlic makes a delicious pasta sauce. Let ingredients speak for themselves.
4/ Taste and savour. Italians love to talk about food, not business, while they are eating. Enjoy what is on your plate.
5/ Cook creatively. Be resourceful with what is at hand. Turn rock hard bread into a Tuscan bread and tomato soup.
6/ Grow something edible. Give an Italian a few square feet and he or she will be more likely to plant some tomato plants than a patch of grass. You can easily grow herbs in terra cotta pots in a sunny window.
7/ Practice generosity. Now, more than ever, we need to eat together. Whatever there is to eat, share it with others.
Pesto Sauce
On that note, I will leave you with a traditional pasta from the beautiful Ligurian coast of Italy, Mario Batali's Pasta with Pesto, Beans and Potatoes:
6 new potatoes or small potatoes; 1 cup trimmed green beans; 1 pound dried pasta (linguine or trenette are traditional); 3 tbsp. pine nuts, lightly toasted (they burn easily); 2 cups fresh basil leaves; 1 clove garlic, crushed; kosher salt to taste (start with a large pinch); 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano cheese; extra grated Parmigiano cheese for serving.
Make the Pesto Sauce - Combine pine nuts, basil, garlic, oil and salt in a food processor and pulse until a paste is formed. Add in the 1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese and pulse just to mix. Set sauce aside.
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water and cook until tender. Drain and cut potatoes in half. Set them aside. Cook beans in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Have an ice bath ready. Drain the beans and plunge them into the ice bath just to cool. Drain again and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente (still firm in the centre) and drain. Pour pasta into a bowl, add the beans, potatoes and pesto and toss to coat everything evenly. Do not return pasta to the heat. Serve with extra grated cheese.
Eating like an Italian means living like an Italian - what could be better? Here is more inspiration:
Gennaro's Italian Year by Contaldo, Gennaro
Suzy Gershman's born to shop Italy (13th ed) by Gershman, Suzy
Bringing Tuscany home : sensuous style from the heart of Italy by Mayes, Frances.
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