Patricia Wells' Potato Gratin

Dear Michelle-

This is going to be short; it's almost time for dinner. I don't need to say much about this dish, which I made when I was at my parent's house. If you like potatoes, cream, and cheese, you will like this.

Patricia Wells has long been a favorite cookbook author of mine. I have three of her books, all of which I would recommend highly and in which I have found many of my favorite recipes. I've only been let down once, by the "onion family soup", but I'm pretty sure I measured wrong. That is one of those things that neither Jeff nor I mentions. It was really that bad, but like I said, I'm sure it was my mistake. Patricia lives a blessed existence in Provence, and cooks and writes about it for a living. She has several recipes for potato gratin, and this looked like the richest and most luxurious. It sure was. You start by cooking sliced potatoes in herbed milk, then layer them with cream and Gruyere. The dish is creamy and rich, but not greasy, and delicately scented with the herbs from the milk and nutmeg.

My father took them out of the fridge and dug in cold one day for lunch. Granted, he's not much of one to heat things up, but I had a few bites and they are pretty good cold as well. Really, you can't go wrong with this unless you are serving the lactose-intolerant. And that would just be cruel.

Madame Laracine's Gratin Dauphinios from Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells, pg. 99

3lbs baking potatoes, such as russets, peeled and thinly sliced. I think I used Yukon Golds, my favorite potatoes, and they worked very well.
2 c whole milk
3 cloves garlic, minced (my father is garlic averse, so I substituted 3 T shallot to no ill effect)
3/4 t salt
3 bay leaves
freshly grated nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper
1 c creme fraiche or heavy cream ( I used the latter, not having any of the former)
2 c grated good-quality Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with milk and 2 c water ( I think I forgot the water? but it was fine. As long as the potatoes are covered.) Add garlic, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally so that potatoes do not stick. Cook till potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes.
Transfer half of potatoes to large baking dish (9x13" works) with slotted spoon. Sprinkle liberally with nutmeg, half of cream, half of cheese, and pepper. Add remaining potatoes and cover with all of the above again, cheese on top.
Bake until crisp and golden on top, about an hour. Serve as a side, or with salad as a complete meal. Dig in!

Fatty Goose Liver Mousse

Dear Michelle,

Home for the holidays for two and a half weeks and snowed in for much of that time, I did quite a bit of cooking when I was home. I love visiting my parents, not least (but not most!) because of my mother's kitchen. It is large, with so much counter space, an incredible view, and appliances I recall with longing when I get back to New York. Even better, I am indulged in the ingredients available to me. When in Whole Foods once with Jeff and my mother, Jeff said that he'd never seen me so greedy before than when grocery shopping with her. I must admit that he's right, but luckily my mother puts up with it in good humor.

I'd been working on my father for a while to order some foie gras for the holiday. I spent some time researching, found an ethical alternative, and harassed him until he ordered it in time for Christmas. I guess ethical foie gras itself technically doesn't exist, though I've heard that Hudson Valley Foie Gras is supposed to be about as close as one can get. However, I found a company that raises geese that naturally gorge as the days shorten. The resulting livers are not as large, nor as rich, as a foie gras, but they are larger, and richer, than normal goose livers.

My favorite foie gras preparation is the simplest; I like it sliced and sauteed, served with some sort of compote and sliced bread. That's how we first tried the livers. They weren't bad, exactly, but nobody was clamoring for more. I think my father finished my mother's.

For the next few days, I searched my mother's extensive cookbook collection for a terrine, a mousse, or a pate that looked like a good destination for the rest of the livers. Finally I settled on Julia Child's chicken liver mousse from The Art of French Cooking V. 1. I love about foie gras that eating it feels like such an indulgence. It's not the price or the rarity, but the way it melts in your mouth, the overwhelming richness of it. This is what was lacking in the livers; sure, they were richer than a normal goose liver, but they were nothing to the tender creaminess of a true foie gras. A mousse, however, adds butter and cream, along with some flavorings, to the meat.

With hope in my heart, I dutifully chopped, sauteed, and food processed, tasted and strained. It was underwhelming, a little bitter and gritty in texture, so with a resigned sigh I packed it into a loaf pan and put it in the refrigerator. We were saving it for when I particular friend of the family came over for dinner, so it sat in the fridge for a couple of days before I tasted it. I was shocked when I finally did; beyond being just acceptable, it was good. Really, really good. We ate the whole thing in about 3 days, for lunch, for dinner, even for breakfast (on toast topped with a fried egg, yum). Even my mother liked it. Which is to say, she actively liked it. My father and I dove in with a remarkable lack of restraint. Overindulgence, at last!

The finished product is rich, but not too rich; flavorful but creamy; light enough for an appetizer, but substantial enough to be part of a meal (say, with salad). It's not cheap, about $60 including shipping for 2 lbs of livers, but I think we worked out that we got 15-20 servings out of it, which is not a bad price per serving.



Fatty Goose Liver Mousse
adapted from The Art of French Cooking V. 1, pg 559

1.5 Lbs Late Harvest Fatty Goose livers
3T minced shallot
3T unsalted butter

1/3 c madeira, or another sweet wine (or cognac)

1/4 c whipping cream
3/4t salt
generous 1/8t ground allspice
generous 1/8t ground pepper
pinch of thyme or herbes do provence

1/2 - 3/4 c butter



Clean livers, removing any greenish or blackish spots. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Saute shallots with butter in hot skillet until just soft. Add livers and saute until just barely contracting, but still pink inside.


Scrape into a food processor or blender.
Pour alcohol into skillet and boil down rapidly until reduced to about 5T, then add to food processor/blender.
Add cream and seasonings to said blending device, then blend until liver is a smooth paste. Add butter and process till melted and creamy. (Julia calls for melted butter, but I used room temperature. ) Taste and add more butter if not creamy enough.
Force mixture through fine sieve, and taste for seasoning. (Mine did not taste all that great at this point; it was a little bitter.


Pack into one or more serving vessels, or a loaf pan. If you want to get fancy, make an aspic and line a loaf pan or mold with it, the whole thing to be turned out. If you are likely to do this, I bet you probably have the cookbooks necessary to tell you how. Refrigerate. This one sat for three days before we ate it; should probably be eaten in about three days, too.

Serve with toast, jam or preserves (we used fig), and salad. Spread on toast and top with an egg for breakfast. Also good with a vegetable puree soup.

Goat Cheese Souffles

Dear Michelle,

These are not to be lightly dismissed. Like most souffles, they are not without effort to produce, but believe me when I tell you that it is so worth it. They are light, rich, tangy with goat cheese, and crunchy with nuts; both indulgent in flavor and relatively healthy, they are perfect for when you want more than a salad but less than a gratin. Cooked in a water bath, unlike most souffles, they don't rise as high but are more stable, and so can be reheated for lunch or dinner the next day.

I first made these several years ago for a dinner party. I often willfully forget that you're never supposed to make something for the first time when people are coming over, but I've not had a serious mishap yet, and most of my friends are happy enough to have someone else cooking for them that I don't worry about it too much. Nor did I need to, when I made these the first time. Or the next, or the time after that. I wouldn't say they are foolproof, but if you closely follow the directions you will be rewarded. This recipe is out of the 1997 Joy of Cooking, a book which has rarely failed me (the exception that comes to mind is butter cream frosting; Julia Child's poached egg butter cream is the way to go).

My mother is usually happy to let me cook dinner when I offer; this way she doesn't have to worry about it, and usually my parents are pleased with the results. There was that time with the brussels sprouts, but overall they seem to like what I make for them. I knew they would love the goat's cheese souffles, and we've had them several times since the first. My father (a gastronomically indulged man) is always asking why we don't make souffles for him more often (telling him he could make souffles would inevitably lead to disaster), so the promise of these for dinner, and leftovers, will always make him happy.

Goat Cheese Souffles, pg 139 1997 edition Joy of Cooking

This is one of those recipes you'll want to read through more than once before starting, and assemble all ingredients and kitchen equipment you'll need. Trust me, you'll be happy you did. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.

3/4 c walnuts or pecans
1/4-1/2 c softened unsalted butter
1/4 c cornmeal
3 T unsalted butter
1/4 c flour
2/3 c milk
10 oz fresh unripened goat's cheese
5 lg eggs
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced (or 2-3 T shallot)
1/4 t dried thyme (in the summer, I'd use fresh, finely chopped; here, I used herbes de Provence)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t white pepper (I used black, because that's what we had)
1/4 t cream of tartar

Toast nuts. While keeping an eye on these, generously butter 8 6-oz ramekins. I used a pastry brush with the softened butter. Finely chop nuts when cooled, then combine with cornmeal. Roll this mixture around the ramekins until thoroughly coated. Allow some extra to remain on the bottom. The JOC recommends dividing the remaining mixture among the ramekins, but I think that is too much. It is crucial to have the ramekins properly buttered and coated, as this will help the souffle slide up, so don't skimp. Start a kettle of water boiling for the water bath, and make sure you have a baking pan that fits all the ramekins.

If you haven't already chopped the garlic/ shallot, do this now. Divide the eggs; you'll want 5 whites and 4 yolks. Be very careful to avoid contaminating the whites with yolk or oil. I thoroughly clean two smallish bowls with soap and hot water, then wipe them with a paper towel and vinegar to degrease. Get another small bowl, for the yolks. Break and separate an egg (I use my hands to separate, I think it's easiest), putting the yolk into its bowl, then adding the white from the first to the second "whites bowl". This ensures that if the yolk does break, you only loose one white and not all of them. I know this sounds incredibly OCD, but if your whites are contaminated, they will not whip properly, and you'll have to start over again. It's worth washing and preparing the whisk/beaters and mixing bowl that you will be using at this time as well.

Warm milk. Melt 3T butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, continuing to cook, stirring, for 1 minute additionally. Remove from heat and stir in milk (slowly, or it will clump; I use a whisk, but if you do this, stir, do not aerate with it). Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring briskly, until very thick (see below photo).

Scrape into bowl, then add goat cheese and mash till cheese is melted. Add in: 4 egg yolks, garlic or shallot, herbs, salt and pepper.

Beat whites until stiff but not dry, adding cream of tartar once they begin to foam.

Stir 1/4 of whites into souffle base to lighten it, then fold in the rest. It should not be combined all the way; there will be some small bits of just white visible.

Spoon into ramekins and place them into pan; add hot water till about 3/4 of the way up the sides. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. The tops will be slightly golden. Do not open the oven door to look until at least half the cooking time has passed. Let stand in water bath for 15 minutes, then invert onto salad or plate. Can also be served flipped the other way around.

We ate them with pear and green salad, and slices of baguette brushed with the leftover ramekin butter and crisped in the oven.

Good eaten after reheating in the oven the next couple of days.

Almond Chocolate Biscotti

Dear Devon,

Settling back into routine after a long and restful vacation has been my biggest challenge these first few weeks of January 2010. It's awful to realize that *gasp* you work five days a week! Notwithstanding, I've started to hate the alarm clock, cruel, insensitive machine! Stop your infernal ringing at 8:15 AM. It's just horrible to be so violently awoken. To ease the pain of waking, I made some biscotti for my morning coffee. It helps and thus far I have not succumbed to the temptation to turn back the alarm another hour.

The simple fact about my existence is, I need to have cookies in the house. I am not a big snack food person, but somehow I feel a day cannot be complete without one or maybe two cookies. The sun rises and sets, and I have my cookies. Upon returning to New York, I discovered my apartment to be cookie-free. (I guess I decided that air travel couldn't be tolerated without cookies, either.) I pulled out my books and started dreaming up some wonderful delights. Biscotti caught my eye. It has been awhile since I made biscotti. They have always been well-received and now that I am an occasional drinker I am enjoying them even more.


Making biscotti is one of those things that seems more impressive than it really is. The directions are slightly more difficult than your basic cookie. After making the batter, divide the dough in half and shape into two long loaves on a single parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Leave about two inches between the loaves. In the past, I underestimated that distance. The result was an interconnected log of baked cookie. Slicing the loaves is the part I look forward to the most, something about using a bread knife. Place the slices on the baking sheet and continue baking, flipping once for even baking. I hate flipping the hot slices. I just don't have the patience to flip forty biscotti. My solution is to call someone over while I mull over the stresses in the kitchen. Baking is never without drama.

Dorie Greenspan, my great friend, again provided the basic recipe. With this recipe, she lists a number of variations. I opened my pantry to see what was available. Hazelnuts and chocolate would have made a great combination, but I was too lazy to roast my hazelnuts. Dried fruit is nice but I only had dried apples, not for this recipe, and somehow cranberries seemed too sweet. I found a stash of pumpkin seeds stored in a glass jar with a brown gingham top. I had purchased a huge lot of them for a yummy granola I made before the holidays. Dorie called for sliced almonds, so why not flat, green pumpkin seeds? I tossed in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips for fun and threw the whole thing in the oven.




I first made these biscotti using cornmeal and vanilla, opting against almond flavoring. The cornmeal makes the cookie a bit lighter but the texture can be slightly gritty. For my second batch, I used ground almonds and almond extract. Intensely fragrant, almond extract is not a flavoring I often use. I was a bit surprised by the result. It was a bit sweeter than I like. I toyed with the idea of reducing the amount of almond extract, but upon discussion with my testers was convinced against tampering with the recipe. The chocolate and almond flavors pair beautifully, but the pumpkin seeds are a bit too subtle. Their biggest contribution is the delightful green specks scattered throughout the cookie.

Soon the kitchen and living room were filled with a heady aroma from the oven. Perfectly lined up on the sheets, the sliced cookies were a welcome sight for this cookie monster. And someone stole a bite while they were cooling on the window sill (no, it wasn't me)!




Almond Chocolate Biscotti
adapted from Dorie Greenspan Baking: From My Home To Yours
makes a week's worth or 28 to 32 biscotti

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup + couple of handfuls pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. In a second large bowl, beat the softened butter with sugar, using a hand mixer or the beater attachment. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in almond extract. Gradually add flour mixture and blend just until mixed. I like to finish the mixing by hand to avoid overmixing. Using a flexible rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chips and 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment or silpat. Divide the dough roughly in half. Form the dough into two even logs, roughly 2 inches wide by 12 inches long. Use a knife to assist in making the logs more rectangular. Sprinkle the tops with a few handfuls of pumpkin seeds. Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes. The logs should be a light golden brown and spring back when gently touched. Cool for 30 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Leave the oven on.

When the logs are cool, carefully remove them from the baking sheet and place on a large cutting board. Use a sharp bread knife, cut the logs into 1 inch slices. Place the slices on the pan, cut side up. Return to the oven and continue baking for 10 minutes. Flip the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes. I like to arrange the slices so that they all face the same direction: That way I can tell which slices have been flipped. The biscotti are done when they are lightly golden and slighly crispy. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Don't be alarmed if the biscotti feel a bit fragile, they will harden as they cool. Store in an air tight container. In my experience, they are best eaten within the week.

For a slight variation, substitute ground almonds for the 1/2 cup cornmeal and switch almond extract for vanilla in the same proportion.

Stuffed Meatballs and Polenta

Dear Devon,

By nature, I am not a meatball eating person. Spaghetti in my house was always served sans meatballs: tomato sauce, pasta, and cheese. I never understood the allure of the meatball. To me, they were indigestible: Too dense and too chewy. Meatballs were something that sat in your stomach, like pancakes, weighing you down until you finally succumbed to the only thing you can do to alleviate your discomfort, sleep. So, I was a bit hesitant when I started out.

There are a number of challenges that need to be addressed when making the perfect meatball. How to avoid the dreaded cannonball in the stomach? Arteries, you need to respect them. How do I produce a meatball that is low in fat content, yet still succulent and rich in flavor? Frying them in a pan with oil seemed completely unappealing, for both the mess and again the arteries.

About a year ago, I perfected my recipe for pasta bolognese. The sauce was rich and supple, earthy with a bit of tang and a slight sweetness. The meat had an amazingly light texture, almost silken, yet still with a vibrant richness. I achieved this by mixing the meat before cooking with a paste made of breadcrumbs and milk, which I then incorporated into the ground meat. The bolognese recipe also calls for a finely diced mix of carrots, onions, and celery. This processed combo of veggies served as the base for the tomato sauce, giving it a hearty texture and bit of fragrance. From my experiments with the bolognese sauce, these two aspects impressed me most. I began wondering how else could I use these techniques.

In another whirl of inspiration, I decided to up the ante a bit, adding a bit more decadence. I had originally purchased a box of perlini mozzarella for a tomato and arugula salad. The sight of the uneaten mozzarella sitting in a tub of murky water was a bit unappetizing, so I decided to use them in my meatballs. Later, I filled the meatballs with soft

I cooked them on the stove in a cast iron skillet with lots of oil. But in the end, decided to use the oven instead. I like the oven method better because the clean up is easier. With the stovetop method, oil splattered everywhere. The meatballs had to be patted down because they were covered in grease, plus I had to stand there while they cooked. When using the oven, I placed a wire cooling rack, oven-proof, on a baking sheet lined with foil. Turned the oven up to 400 degrees, and placed each spherical meatball on the rack. The baking sheet collects the dripped fat and a wonderful dark, crunchy crust forms. Delicious. The same effect with a quarter of the mess!! That's my type of cooking!!

These meatballs are wonderful on their own, with a light cucumber yogurt sauce or mint jelly. For a new twist, I whipped up a quick tomato sauce. Throwing a few meatballs into the sauce for the last five minutes of cooking. I whipped up some quick no-fail polenta, poured on my sauce, and topped it with the lamb and goat cheese meatballs.


Lamb Meatballs with Goat Cheese
3/4 lb ground lamb
1/3 c breadcrumbs
2 tbsp cream
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c grated pecorino cheese
1 tsp dried thyme
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2-3 oz soft goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Comfortably nest a cooling rack on the making sheet. This works best if the sides of the baking sheet can fully enclose the cooling rack.

In a small bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in the cream. Be sure the breadcrumbs absorb all the cream to form a dense paste, about 10 minutes.

Drain the perlini mozzarella in a strainer. Set aside.

Using a food processor, combine celery, carrot, onion and garlic. Process until the mix is finely grated. Measure out 2/3 cup of the grated veggie mix into a large mixing bowl. Grate in pecorino cheese. Add in nutmeg, thyme, fennel seed, salt and pepper. Beat in the egg, thoroughly mixing the ingredients together. Add in the ground lamb and the breadcrumb paste. Thoroughly mix.

Using your hands, form the meat into spheres roughly the size of a ping pong ball. Flatten the ball into a disc and place a single ball of mozzarella in the center. Close the meat around the cheese. Place the finished meatball on the cooling rack. Continue forming about 20-24 meatballs.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until cooked through the center.


Rustic Tomato Sauce.
3 large ripe tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup of the diced veggie mix (from above)
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup red wine
salt and red pepper flakes

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Gently cook the diced veggie mix and garlic in the hot oil. When the veggies begin to exude their wonderful fragrance (5-7 minutes), add the tomato paste. Gently fry the tomato paste in the oil and stir vigorously to thoroughly coat the cooking veggies. Add in all the diced tomatoes. Liberally salt. Add in a pinch of red pepper flakes and sugar. Cook over medium flame covered, allowing the tomatoes to release their juices (10-15 minutes). Stir in water and red wine. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. For additional flavor, drop in a few meatballs and cover, cooking gently for 5 minutes longer.

Polenta
Mark Bittman's no fail recipe

1 cup milk
2 cups water
1 cup coarse cornmeal
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated cheese, pecorino or parmesan
generous pinch of salt
1/4 cup chopped dill (optional)

In a large pot, bring 1 cup milk and 2 cups water to a boil. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of cornmeal. Add a large pinch of salt. Turn the heat down. Allow the mixture to simmer and stir occasionally. Cook on a simmer for about 20 minutes. When the polenta gets nice and thick, add the grated cheese. Mix in dill.

Back and Ready to Cook

Dearest Michelle,

I'm back! I know it's been far too long since I've written. Part of it was being busy, part of it was being gone, and part of it was a block- I made, and started to write up, brussels sprouts a la Motorino, but I just was not excited about it. They were good, sure, but they weren't great. Jeff told me that not everything I made to post would be perfect, but that these were certainly good enough. So I started writing. And then I got busy. And then I kept NOT posting it, and now I realize that sometimes, you just have to throw it out. Whether or not being a perfectionist is good for my mental health is debatable; but, aren't YOU happier knowing that I will not compromise when it comes to your taste buds? I do, however, still like the photos. Here they are, below.

The product of a much larger budget than usual and time at my parent's house will be coming up shortly: goat cheese souffles, Aunt Lynaire's Scottish scones, fatty goose liver mouse, a can't-stop-eating-it potato gratin, and cream cheese-walnut cookies. Time to get to writing. Also, that frittata looks seriously good.

Happy New Year!

Four Onion Frittata

Dear Devon,

Did you know that within the Allium genus, there are over 600 types of onions? Not all of them are edible or easily found. In fact, only a handful are cultivated (chives, scallions, garlic, shallots, onions, and leeks). The tasty five onion pizza at Porchetta inspired me to think about onions. The pizza isn't exactly made with five onions, but rather five types of onions. I loved this idea and borrowed it for my frittata.


Saturdays are my days for eggy breakfasts. I love soft scrambled eggs with whole grain toast. But with the taste of five onion pizza still on my mind, I tested my own multiple onion variation. My big concern was too much onion flavor, so I chose softer, sweeter onions: sweet yellow onion, leeks, shallots and scallions. This is breakfast after all. Goat cheese seemed an obvious choice. It pairs nicely with leeks and eggs- plus what is brunch without goat cheese?

I used a cast iron pan because I wanted that lovely brown, crisp edge. The size of the pan was perfect. The pan was deep enough to hold all the yummy onions and eggs but also allowed the frittata to puff slightly. The pan needed to be oven proof. I love the feeling of cooking with cast iron. It evokes a rustic, pioneer-like feeling. I felt this was fitting for this dish.


Fresh from the oven, the frittata was beautifully puffed and speckled with varying shades of green and hints of purple. It had formed a wonderful golden crust and the goat cheese was slightly burned. It looked amazing. The recipe called for eight eggs. I worried that with this many eggs, the frittata would turn out rubbery if over-cooked or too dense. Luckily, eight was the perfect number. The texture was fluffy and light, yet without losing that hearty quality of eggs and onions. I ate it piping hot with a piece of toast and some jam. Later, in the afternoon, it made a wonderful cold snack. In Italy, they make sandwiches out of fritattas and two pieces of sliced bread. It might be time for a picnic!


Four Onion Frittata

1 leek (A. ampeloprasum), chopped
1 1/2 shallots (A. oschaninii), sliced
1/2 yellow onion (A. cepa), diced
2 scallions (A. ascalonicum), sliced
8 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
3 oz goat cheese
2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare leeks by removing the root and trimming the leaves along the stalk where they turn a darker shade of green. Halve the leek along the stalk. Rotate 45 degrees and halve again. Run under some cold water to wash out all the sand. Leeks are grown in sand and can carry a lot of dirt in their leaves. Roughly chop, along with scallions, shallots and white onion.

Over medium flame, melt butter and gently saute onions in a large cast iron pan. It will seem like a lot of onion, but it cooks down. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in salt. When the onions are translucent, add the beaten eggs. Cook gently over medium low flame. The mixture will gradually firm up and the edges will get a bit crusty. Dot with lumps of goat cheese. Place the frittata in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are set. Set frittata under the broiler to get some nice brown color and some crunchiness. I won't give an estimate for broiler time. I've noticed that broilers vary vastly. Some broilers will absolutely char your food in 30 seconds (my mother's super high powered oven does that) while in others, the broiler can be on for five minutes with no effect.

I Call It Brownie Cake

Dear Devon,

A lukewarm response to my much praised and loved brownies encouraged me to rethink this American dessert. Some people can't get excited about brownies. I won't name names, but they exist, and I know such a person. They feel that there are so many wonderful desserts out there, why make brownies? I suppose, some of us are too spoiled by on-demand sweet potato pies and regular batches of biscotti to take much notice of a freshly baked, chocolate laden brownie.

Making the perfect brownie has been something of an obsession for me. In high school, I once made the mistake of making a batch of dry and tasteless bronwies. I have never been able to live this down. In certain circles, the story still haunts me. But, taking this critique in stride, I have, ten years later, developed an amazingly fudgy, dense, and absolutely sensational brownie recipe. Unfortunately, there are some who, while admitting admiration for my brownies, feel that it can be difficult to get excited about them.

Dorie Greenspan's book Baking: From My Home to Yours has several fantastic brownie recipes. I absolutely love this cookbook and will probably make everything in the book within my lifetime, if not in the next two years. My favorite brownie is the first recipe listed. The brownies are unusual in their thickness. These are not the 2 inch behemoths you find in gourmet bakeries. But at 3/4 of an inch in thickness, my brownies pack an intense chocolate flavor. I played with the recipe adding a bit more chocolate and a tablespoon of espresso to boost the flavors. The brownies come out dark and moist with a crisp and crackled surface.

While wrestling with the challenge to make a more exciting brownie, I decided to bake my way through Dorie's brownie recipes. The result was an amazing range of brownie production. The proportions of ingredients, that is, fat to flour and chocolate, varied noticeably, as did the final brownie. In the end, I was inspired by these recipes to produce a brownie that combined the bold chocolate flavor of a brownie with the light, airy texture of a moist cake.

I liked the idea of making a flourless chocolate cake with a touch of flour. I often think of flourless chocolate cakes as brownies on steroids. To maintain the intense chocolatiness of brownies, I opted for 10 oz of chocolate, combining semi-sweet and bittersweet. I like the complexity of flavor produced by mixing the two chocolates. To ensure richness and moistness, I upped the butter by half and increased the flour two-fold. I added the zest from the clementine and half a vanilla bean. The zest did not have a huge effect. The fruit wasn't ripe, but I imagine orange zest would work very nicely. The last piece of seasoning was salt. I used big crystals of kosher salt, liberally sprinkled into the flour. It makes for an unexpected bit of savory in an otherwise sweet dessert.

What came out of the oven was lovely. My brownie cake embodied the essence and flavor of brownie: the intense chocolate, the wonderful crackly crust, and the moistness and texture of a cake. Gone was the dense and powerful fudge brownie. Instead a lovely chocolate cake emerged with the spirit of a brownie.


Brownie Cake

6 oz of butter

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 oz bitter sweet chocolate
1 tbsp espresso

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/2 vanilla bean
1 tbsp citrus zest (orange probably works best)

3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13 x 9 inch pan.

Melt butter and chocolate in the top bowl of a double boiler. Add espresso. Watch the melting chocolate and butter vigilantly, occasionally stirring the contents to promote even melting and prevent the butter and chocolate from scorching. In a large work bowl, measure out the sugar and scrape the seeds from half a vanilla bean. Add zest. Whisk together to mix. Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture directly to the sugar, whisking vigorously. Add the eggs, one at a time, thoroughly mixing in each egg. Don't be alarmed if the mixture looks curdled, just keep blending. The chocolate mixture will get thick and dense. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Pour batter into the buttered pan. Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, until the center is set. I use the toothpick test. Cool slightly before serving. Brownie cake is nice with a big scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream, a tall glass of milk, or as a midnight snack.

P.S. Happy New Year! Been spending the holiday traveling up and down the California coast. I have lots of pictures to share.

xxx

Sunday Afternoon Tomato and Mushroom Focaccia

Dear Devon,

I made this on a lazy Sunday. Lazy mainly because I was too engrossed in a book to think much about lunch. I needed something easy and self-reliant in the "throw it in the oven and forget about it until the timer rings" way. I had made a trip to the farmer's market and picked up a few luxuries like fresh tomatoes and mushrooms. In a matter of minutes, my lunch was baking away in the oven and I was back to my book.


I used a store-bought flatbread about an inch thick. I wanted a substantial enough crust to support my tasty toppings. The bread crisped up nicely in the oven and absorbed the tomato juices. A soft goat cheese acts as a binding agent, replacing tomato sauce. Roughly torn mushrooms finish off the dish. For added flavor, brush an herb and olive oil mixture over the bread before arranging your toppings. Herbacious olive oils are easy to make, chopped fresh herbs like parsley, dill, thyme or rosemary (in combination or individually) whisked with olive oil and perhaps some crushed garlic. This meal is about easy preparation and general convenience. I don't always have time or the energy to cook an elaborate dish, but I don't feel that those limitations should detract from having a healthy or yummy meal.

It was absolutely beautiful when it came out of the oven. The oozing red and green tomatoes added vibrant color. The deep brown mushrooms retained their shape nicely. I loved the pairing of the rustic torn mushrooms with the almost opaque sliced tomatoes.


Tomato and Mushroom Focaccia

large piece of flatbread
1/2 green tomato, sliced
1/2 red tomato, sliced
6 or 8 mushrooms, roughly torn or chopped
3 oz soft goat cheese
2 tbsp of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place a large piece of baked flatbread on a baking sheet. Dot with half the goat cheese. Layer the tomatoes over the cheese. Sprinkle with chopped or torn mushrooms. Top with the remaining goat cheese. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the bread is crisp and the mushrooms are cooked through. The goat cheese will brown slightly. Remove from the oven. Drizzle with a good olive oil and a pinch of black pepper. Slice into squares and serve.

Not So Classic Pear Clafoutis

Dear Devon,

Life has been very hectic since Thanksgiving and is about to go crazy all over again. First, a couple of weeks ago, my kitchen was pulled apart by my very capable super, looking for the source of water dripping into the apartment below. It took a week to complete the work. A week and half worth of lost images, thanks to a corrupted memory card, plus the hole where my kitchen sink should have been kept me from posting. Fortunately, both issues have been resolved and I am happily writing to you again.

I saw these cute Seckel pears at the farmers market and had to buy a bagful. I couldn't resist. They were destined for my oven. At first, I thought I would use them in a pear tart. But then I decided they were so special that I needed to try something a bit more adventurous. A few summers ago, I went on a big clafoutis kick. I never made them with the traditional cherries (too much work), but instead substituted blueberries, apples, and sometimes almonds. The results were always the same--delicious.


In the past, The Joy of Cooking's recipe served me well. This time, I followed Julia Child's recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her recipe is a bit more complicated. If I had read the instructions through to the end, I would've discovered that she wants you to start the cooking the dessert on the stove and finish it in the oven. Of course, I didn't notice this until I had already put the pan into the oven. I don't think it affected the outcome.


It has been a year or two since I made clafoutis. I remembered it to be more like a pancake than a custard. I won't say I was disappointed, but it's hard to overcome an expectation. The subtle flavor of the pear and sweet egg and milk custard were wonderful in combination. The almonds gave a nice bit of crunch to an otherwise smooth and delicate dessert. Unlike a custard, the clafoutis lacked the overwhelming brightness of egg yolk. While egg yolk would have enhanced its richness, I feel it also would have overpowered the soft pear flavor. It would be a shame to destroy the light and clean taste of pear, especially when flavorful pears are so hard to find. I did not have enough milk and used a combination of whole milk yogurt and whole milk.

I have no objections to the Joy of Cooking's take on claufoutis. In fact, I prefer it to Ms. Child's version. But sometimes it's good to try new things.


Pear Clafoutis
Julia Child. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vol. 1
 
1 lb small pears, Seckel pears
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
3 eggs
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup almonds, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fill a large bowl with a few ice cubes, water, and a splash of lemon juice. Peel and halve pears, submerging the pears in the water bath. This will prevent discoloration. I tried coring the first pear; but the fruit was so small and slippery that I quickly became frustrated and abandoned it. Luckily the seeds are small and hardly noticeable in the final product.

In a large mixing bowl, whip eggs with sugar until frothy. Add in milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually stir in flour and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Melt butter in a small saute pan. I used an eight inch copper bottom pan. Arrange the halved pears cut side down in the melted butter. Pour batter over pears. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30-35 minutes or until the top is nicely puffed and golden brown. Toothpick test it for doneness.

Note: It will sink as it cools.