Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies Part I

So while I was in Chicago I tried Mindy Segal's bacon chocolate chip cookies. I was impressed. However I didn't like the style of chocolate chip cookie- hers were thin and crispy, and I like my chocolate chip cookie thicker and chewier. I wanted to send something to my brother for his birthday anyway, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to experiment.

I used Carole Walter's recipe in Great Cookies for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as a starting point. I made candied bacon in the oven by just crumbling brown sugar over strips of bacon. I followed the recipe exactly, only instead of adding walnuts at the end, I added the cut up bacon.

All in all, they tasted delicious. The bacon was not overpowering, and really complimented the brown sugar-chocolate flavor. However there are some things I need to improve upon- I need to at least halve the salt in the recipe because the bacon adds a lot of saltiness, and I am going to lose the oats. I thought they would be good with it, but it didn't really add anything. You're already eating a fucking bacon chocolate chip cookie, I don't think you need to worry about making it healthier.

There will be a next time, oh yes, there will be a next time.... I am not through with you, beautiful thing.

There is something fishy going on here

I bought this Scud, which was the cheapest whole fish at the farmer's market. The fish dude told me it was the "poor man's sea bass". SOLD! The little guy set me back $2.50. I pan fried it with some garlic and olive oil, and finished it in the oven. It was delicious! It's a pain in the ass to eat because there are so many small bones, but worth the effort. Even Adam, who has worked as a professional fisherman, was impressed by my fishy prowess.

Cornmeal-Buckwheat Scones with Walnuts

I made these forever ago but forgot to add them. The recipe can be found in Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich, my new favorite cookbook! Whenever I make breakfast breads and pastries, I always have some weird guilt thing that happens and I try to put as many healthy things in them (fruit, whole grains, nuts) because I generally eat healthy breakfasts. So these fit the bill, and they were delicious with jam, butter and Earl Grey tea in the morning. I shock myself at how fucking awesome I am sometimes.

Tapioca Pudding with Coconut Cream and Palm-Sugar Syrup

I have finally found a tapioca pudding recipe that both Adam and I like! Adam's favorite desserts are anything with tapioca, rice krispy treats, popsicles, and dessert pizzas. He doesn't like desserts that he deems "healthy"- anything with too much fruit, or whole grains or nuts. He claims I am trying to trick him by adding any of those things. This provides a challenge for me when I want to make something that is interesting and both of us would like.

One of his favorite things to eat is the tapioca pudding from a local restaurant Thai Market. It is light, just sweet enough, and has coconut milk and little bits of coconut in it. Using this as a starting point, I found a recipe on Epicurious that I thought he would like. This is after a couple of tapioca fails, where the pudding was too gooey, too creamy, or too fruity for his developed palate.

So here goes:

Tapioca Pudding with Coconut Cream and Palm-Sugar Syrup

I didn't have pandan leaf, so I added a little molasses and vanilla for extra flavor. The pictures aren't that great, but the recipe is for 6 servings, and Adam and I ate it all together in one sitting. It was creamy, light, and delicious!

Dried Fruit and Nut Cake

Mindy gave me the book Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich as a parting gift, and I have found it truly inspirational. There are some delicious looking recipes, that encourage improvisation and are based on purity and true taste- using fruits and whole grains as inspiration to develop flavor rather than for health reasons. And her desserts are not particularly healthy, just to clarify. This book is totally in my line of thinking and so I immediately started baking from it, starting with what I had in my kitchen.

Adam hordes raisins like a fiend, and encourages me to buy multiple kinds while I am at the store. So for this Fruit and Nut Bread, most of the dried fruit I used were raisins- I also threw in dried cranberries, apricots, and figs. For the nuts, the recipe says walnuts but you can use any- I used walnuts, hazelnuts, and some leftover almond slivers I had in my freezer.

Here is the recipe typed in from the book, along with some pictures.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT CAKE

3/4 C. AP flour

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3/4 C. natural sugar

3 C. dried fruits

3 C. nuts

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300, spray a loaf pan.

In a large bowl thoroughly combine all dry ingredients, including sugar, nuts and fruit.

In a small bowl beat eggs with vanilla until light.

Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated.

Pour and spread evenly in prepared pan, and bake until the top is a deep golden brown, about 75 minutes.

This is a truly delicious cake that is relatively healthy (for cake). I have been toasting it in the morning and eating it with my yogurt. Its a great source of energy. It also keeps forever, wrapped in plastic on the counter. A TOTAL WIN!

Herbed Pork Roast, Apricot-Cranberry Sauce, Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I made this up tonight and mmmmmmmm delicioso!

Vegetable Ratatouille with Cornmeal Biscuits

I was in Chicago for a week, but since I've been back I've been cooking and baking as usual. But before I left for Chicago I made this dish, inspired by a recipe in an article recently in the NY Times. I used whatever vegetables I had around (onion, eggplant, zucchini, half a can of tomatoes) and cooked it up in my cast iron skillet. I then whipped up the biscuit batter, dropped it on top, stuck it in the oven, and viola! a meal appeared before my eyes... out of... vegetables!

Eleven Madison Park

Adam took me out on a hot date last night, to Eleven Madison Park.

This is what we ate:

T A S T E O F A U T U M N

Hors d’oeuvres

Hawaiian Prawns

Roulade with Avocado, Lime and Yogurt

Dover Sole

Slow Cooked with Matsutake Sabayon and Nasturtium

Four Story Hill Farm Suckling Pig

Confit with Crabapple Chutney, Cipollini Onions and Cider Jus

Millbrook Farms Venison

Herb Roasted with Gingerbread Purée, Porcinis and Black Mission Figs

Araguani Chocolate

Ganache with Sweet Potato Dauphine and Chestnut Honey

Mignardises

______

Weekly Lesson

What I learned from one week working with Mindy Segal, of Hot Chocolate in Chicago:

1. I don't know shit about shit- which is a great place to start.

2. I am going to go to pastry school.

3. It is OK to not talk back- sometimes it's better.

4. Secret tattoos are great.

5. Never add sugar to eggs without mixing the eggs first.

6. Sandwich cookies are an art form that need to be respected.

7. I still love food, and working in a kitchen.

8. Working hard pays off if you know what you want first.

9. Pig is good in most things.

10. How to properly peel an apple.

A New Breakfast

I am trying out a couple of different food magazines, in order to prepare for the death of Gourmet Magazine (R.I.P).  Anyway, I picked up an issue of Food & Wine (not bad, but I think I'm going with Saveur) and found an interesting recipe for Risotto for Breakfast by Joe Bastianich.  I always thought of Joe as the whipped fat befuddled son of Lidia on her PBS show, but I guess he's got a couple of things going for him - being a sommelier, teaming up with Mario Batali, writing about cereal in Food & Wine... pretty impressive.

So he used soymilk and figs, neither of which I had, so I used regular milk and apples. I really liked it! So much that I might add it to my usual weekday breakfast repertoire.  And it got me thinking about expanding my hot cereal horizons, so I picked up grits at the grocery store too.   

"Cheese sandwich"

I am an improv genius!  I love ricotta in desserts. I had some rhubarb compote in the fridge. So I decided to make something that would go with it, and because I had been experimenting with improvisations on shortbread recipes, I made a quick and easy shortbread with black pepper. The crunch and spicy went really well with the creamy ricotta and sloppy sweet rhubarb.

Black pepper shortbread + rhubarb compote + ricotta cheese + pistachios = well balanced, tasty, somewhat nutritious dessert

Meat & Ricotta LasagnASS

This past weekend I made a lasagna with what I had lying around. It turned out pretty good. Not the best but tasty anyway.

Meat sauce: ground sausage, tomatoes, spinach, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes

Ricotta mixture: ricotta, egg, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper

Layer alternately between cooked pasta noodles, in hot oven covered, take cover off to get crispy! MAMMMAAAAA MMMIAAA!

Need to Make

From the NYTimes:
Ripe for Autumn's Hearth

Recipes I really want to try from article:

Ratatouille and Sausage Potpie With Cornmeal Biscuits

Tomato Éclairs With Creamy Ricotta and Basil Filling

Fig Tart With Caramelized Onions, Rosemary and Stilton

Ice Cream Accompaniment

Wanna hear about something awesome I did the other day? Yeah! Oooooo! OK I cut up some rhubarb I had lying around, and put it in a saucepan with some blueberry jam I also had. I cooked it for a while and got some compote-like substance that goes great on vanilla ice cream. AWESOME!

"Deconstructed Butternut Squash Risotto"

Butternut squash is one of my favorite things to eat when it starts to get cold, so I've been making it a lot lately. I made a butternut squash risotto the other day that didn't turn out as well as when I had made it last year, but we all can't be winners all the time.

So I decided to do something to the risotto effect (but not really) by making something like creamy polenta with pan-roasted butternut squash and goat cheese. I used a little something in my spice cabinet I like to call IMPROVISATION! I followed the recipe for polenta on the back of the cornmeal bag (1 C cornmeal, 3 C. water) but I added cream and butter and parmesan at the end because why the fuck not. And I don't like when it gets gelatinous. So they were more like grits I guess.

In the theme of the Top Chef episode this week, I would like to call it "deconstructed butternut squash risotto", and like most of the contestants on Top Chef, lose sight of the challenge completely and not make what the challenge called for, but something tasty nonetheless.

All in all, it was really tasty, and just the kind of warm comfort food that I need when the weather begins to change. Too bad Adam had to work late that night- SUCCCKKAAAAAAA!

Sushi cupcakes

A couple of weeks ago Mia and I collaborated on some sushi cupcakes at Magnolia for a special order. Below is the result- I created the fondant parts, she did the final assembly.  I'd say those are some fishy looking cupcakes! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

Curry Shortbread w/ Lemongrass Buttercream Sandwich Cookies!

I came across this recipe for curry shortbread while parusing Epicurious the other day.  So instead of cleaning the apartment I decided to experiment with it. 

I decided to throw some jazz in the mix by making a lemongrass buttercream meringue to make little sandwich cookies. I used the recipe we use for meringue buttercreams @ Magnolia (1/4ed) and boiled the sugar syrup with cut lemongrass. It didn't taste very lemongrassy so I have to try something else to impart flavor next time (grinding it and adding it in?). Otherwise, tasty sandwich cookie.  The curry made it taste different, but you couldn't quite pinpoint what it was right away. I'm going to try different spices too- I have made rosemary shortbread before- maybe lavender, cayanne, black pepper, oooooo salt and pepper, hmmmm.

Spotted Dick!

Adam and I, when shopping at Fairway, always snicker when we see in the weird British food section Spotted Dick in a can. Its always reassuring to hear that our immaturity is something shared by many.

Council turns 'offensive' Spotted Dick into Spotted Richard to spare blushes of diners

PROJECT$

Things I would like to make

Pickled green almonds

Butter

Bacon fat in desserts (spice?)

Blueberry + corn

Tomato relish

Bread schedule

Brioche + laminated breads

Books I need to get

Bonnie Slotniks(?)

Carole Walter- Great cookies

Classic Stars Desserts

Fannie Farmer Baking Book

Bakewise

Claudia Flemming

Donna Ho

Dinner!

Smoked pork chops, creamy corny polenta, tomato & onion relish

I totally winged this dinner, and it was one of the best I've ever made.  I was in a good mood that night and made beautiful magic in the kitchen! SHABAAAAAMMM!

To make:

Bring 1C chix stock to a boil, add about 1/2C cornmeal, simmer. Add some cream. Add a whole can of corn. Simmer on low, stirring constantly until creamy.

Cook in skillet smoked pork chops- seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Take off after a couple minutes on each side and tent with foil.

In same pan, I threw in some sliced onions, and whole cherry tomatoes until they popped.

popsicles!

Blackberry cream popsicles + blackberry-mint sauce

They came out a little too icey, have to figure out why that happens. Its hard to fuck up popsicles too much, I guess I just have to figure out the texture.

I will make this next....

I was looking around things and found this recipe, published in 1965 by James Beard:

Indian Pudding

1/2 C. cornmeal

5 C. milk, scalded

1/2 C. molasses

1/2 t. salt

1 t. ginger

Put cornmeal in top of a double boiler and pour scalded milk over it. Blend well and cook over hot water for 20 minutes. Add molasses, salt and ginger. Pour into buttered casserole and bake in a 300°F. oven for 2-2 1/2 hours. Serve warm with ice cream or heavy cream.

Will make this the next chance I get.

The best meal of my life: Schwa

Adam and I were just in Chicago and had the most amazing meal EVER at Schwa.  Signed menu is posted below, but for my memory's sake, I'm writing out everything I ate.

Before that happens, though, I want to bring up a couple of points not food related that made this place so fucking great. There were a total of 4 people working there the night we ate there.  The front of house is back of house, and they don't treat you in any way different than if you were just walking into their kitchen. And you practically are. The place is small: it's about half kitchen, half living room. I believe Michael Carlson's mom decorated the dining room. They're heavily tattooed, and were listening to hip-hop in the kitchen, which drifted into the dining room.  Its also BYOB.

Being served and interacting with the people who made my food is something that matters so much to me.  Being served fucking amazing food by dudes who care passionately about what they're making tops the list. Adam and I were smitten, and when expressing it, were met with complete modesty. It's like they have no idea how good they are. Towards the end of the meal, Chef Carlson goes over who is sitting at the tables around us, most of them were people in the food industry.  He then referred to "the dude from Alinea" coming in later. That "dude" was Grant Achatz, chef from Alinea, who runs the best restaurant in the country (according to Gourmet Magazine).  Adam and I proceeded to crap our pants. 

Menu:

Amuse- Hendrick's gin bubble tea with rosemary tapioca. I also think they had some cucumber in there

Crab- piles of crab over an overripe plantain puree. There were also plantain chips on each pile, which offered a welcomed change of texture. Like sophisticated and sweet baby food.

Pea soup- A cup of soup that tasted like it was just blanched peas that had been pureed and strained, with lemon salt and pepper. So tasty!  Also had menthol foam and a myer lemon sauce of sorts. 

Tortelloni- Had cauliflower inside of it. Had a coco nib and curry broth with little brittles of coco nibs floating in it. The broth was so unique tasting- it tasted like beef and chocolate water. The curry was really subtle, the pasta perfectly cooked.

Maki- One of the most fucked up dished I've ever had.  It was green curry rice rapped in a leaf that tasted like rootbeer. With a rootbeer dipping sauce, and shaved pickled carrots.  One thing were they just adopted a familiar form but created something totally different and mind-blowing in taste

Quail-egg ravioli- (not on the menu) The best bite of food I have ever had.  A perfectly poached quail egg just encased in perfectly cooked ravioli, with a buttery and truffley sauce. Adam and I licked our bowls. Life goal: learn how to make this.

Lobster- A couple pieces of lobster that seemed to have just been pached in butter. With a chip made out of pancetta. And pickled ramps and fava beans. There was a toasted grain of some kind sprinkled on top of the whole dish. So well balanced, with intriguing textures and every single bite was good on its own and with everything else. 

Chicken liver- Rutabega, tumeric, beer. Chicken liver pate with a peanutty brittle thing. Reminded me of grandma. I don't like the taste of liver but I enjoyed all the flavor combinations nonetheless.

Pork- Little pieces of the tastiest pig I eva had. Have no idea where the fuck they came from but I vow that I will eat every part of the pig until I find it again. Served with little pieces of zucchini. 

Cheese- a little pot of cheese with powdered honey. Not incredibly notable.

Dessert- Strawberries with a black pepper ice cream.

The only thing I like to smoke is SALMON!

Adam and I made a trip to Russ & Daughters on the LES for our fill of fishy Jewishy things. Let's just say we had our fill, and were wholly satisfied. While there, I picked up a "super heeb": an everything bagel with whitefish salad, horseradish cream cheese, and wasabi infused flying fish roe.  It was fucking awesome! We also got some pastrami salmon, smoked mackerel, sable, and lemon-pepper yellowfin tuna. And blintzes.

While R & D has survived the changing LES (they own the building) I can't help but feel sad that I missed an era when we didn't have to cherish places like it.  I guess New York will always change, I just hope that the standard of quality food does not. Oh wait, I forgot how much shitty food is in NY.

Oh and that top loin of salmon in the "salmon porn" picture was so pristine it looked like it was made out of wax. The picture in no way reflects what it is like to be in the presence of such beauty. 

Presto pestoooooooooo!

I LOVE PESTO! I LOVE SAYING "PRESTO PESTO" WHEN IT'S DONE!

I freeze my pesto in ice-cube trays for safe keeping. I learned that from my mother, who is usually over-zealous when it comes to freezing, but this is one she got right.

What I did today

My diet today:

Rice krispies with blueberries

Slice of Domino's pizza donated to me by Momie

3 devils food cake tops

1/4 lb. pickled herring in cream sauce

Why have I been eating like this? Because I have been working. Hard. I was on my feet for 12 hrs. today, and thats pretty normal lately. 

Here are some fruits of my labor. I iced the cakes, cupcakes, and banana cream pie seen in this TV segment.  I am, however not responsible for the Fox lady smoking crack.

Some rustic Balkan fare

I made a Mamaliga last night. What is that you might ask? Why, its a rustic Balkan dish. Recipe:

grate a couple of zucchini- salt and let drain for a couple of minutes

add to that: fresh herbs if you have any, 2 eggs, some onion, 1/3 C. olive oil, 1/2 C. cornmeal, feta cheese, salt + pepper

coat skillet with olive oil, put stuff in it

top with tomato slices and bread crumbs

bake @ 375 for about a half hour until firm and gets a little crusty