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Feb 3

Game Day – Something Sweet

It wouldn’t be a super bowl party without the something sweet, at least in my opinion. I don’t want to be chained to the kitchen and miss the game so I am planning a do it yourself Ice Cream Sundae buffet, with 3 different flavors of ice cream, some hot fudge, brownies, a pot of espresso (for affogato) and an array of different toppings. Everyone can tailor their sundae however they want it. I made some home made caramel popcorn today, if you have never had popcorn on or in ice cream you definitely should. It’s amazing, I first tasted it last summer when a local pastry chef/business owner introduced me to popcorn ice cream. I was blown away!

You can judge how much ice cream to buy or make depending on how many guests you will have. For the brownies, I discovered this recipe from “The Solitary Cook” and it can be found on Food52, its called Brownies to the Power of Four and they are hands down the best brownie I have ever had. Set up a dessert buffet with whatever you plan on serving, bowls and utensils and let your guests serve themselves whenever they want. My dessert buffet will consist of:

Ice Cream (vanilla bean, chocolate and dulce de leche)

Brownies

Pot of hot espresso

caramel popcorn, hot fudge, roasted chopped hazelnuts and almonds.

Fruit platter for those watching the waistline

Everything but the ice cream can be set up on the table, I put the hot espresso in a thermal carafe.

The Brownies recipe courtesy The Solitary Cook http://thesolitarycook.wordpress.com/author/thesolitarycook/

Makes 12 , 16, or more, depending on how large you cut them

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I like ghirardhelli or guittard)

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/4 cup cocoa powder, not dutched

6 ounces butter, 1″ chunks

5 large eggs

1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour

3/4 teaspoons sea or kosher salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

1 cup toasted nuts (optional) or peanut butter swirled in after panning mixture (also optional, but damn good)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9″ x 9″ baking pan with parchment and grease or spray the sides.
Measure chopped semi-sweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa powder, and butter into a large heatproof bowl and set over simmering water. By melting the cocoa powder into the other chocolates and butter, you get a much better mix with it, and its flavor is deeper. Stir occasionally until all ingredients have melted. Remove from heat and stir to thoroughly blend.
While chocolates are melting, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. When chocolate mixture is ready, whisk in the egg mixture. Set or hold a sieve over the bowl and measure the flour and salt right into it. Sift into the bowl, pressing any lumps through with your fingertips. Use a good stiff spatula to stir everything together just until blended.
Now gild the lily. Add the chocolate chips of your choice and your nuts if using them. Once everything is nicely blended, scrape the batter into your pan. Spoon in peanut butter if using, and use the tip of the spoon to swirl it in. Bake for 30-35 minutes. When done, the surface should be shiny and the brownies still tender to the touch. A toothpick test is useless; if you bake them until one comes out clean, they’ll be dreadfully overbaked, and that would be so sad.

When done, cool on a rack until completely cool. Wrap securely with plastic and leave at room temperature overnight. To depan, run a small spatula around the edge and invert the pan onto a sheet of parchment. Place a cutting board larger than the brownies on top of the bottom. Carefully turn right-side-up. Cut into 12 equal pieces, or more. They’re fantastic served slightly warmed with your favorite ice cream.

Brownies photo by The Solitary Cook

Caramel popcorn is really easy to make, I used microwave plain (unflavored) popcorn and made the caramel which didn’t take more than 20 minutes. Popcorn is always a great game day treat, I will always put several bowls out for my guests to enjoy, the caramel popcorn I am putting on the dessert buffet. To make it you will need:

1 bag microwave popcorn (follow package directions) dump it into a bowl, sort out any un-popped kernels and place in a 200 degree oven to keep warm

The caramel:

2 tbs salted butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup Lyles Golden Syrup 0r Karo clear syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp sea salt to sprinkle on popcorn before it goes in the oven.

Add the butter and melt on medium/high heat now add brown sugar and lyles syrup, stir to combine and when it comes to a boil add the sweetened condensed milk, stir and place candy thermometer in pot you need the temperature to reach 238 degrees. When it reaches the proper temperature remove from heat and add the vanilla. Take the popcorn out of the oven and immediately pour caramel onto the popcorn, mix well and quickly. Dump it onto a silpat lined baking sheet, spread it out and sprinkle with sea salt. Place back in the 200 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. You should stir occasionally breaking up big chunks. Remove from oven and let cool, break up any large chunks and place in air tight container until you are ready to use.

Salted Caramel Popcorn

Feb 2

6 Comments

Game Day-What To Eat? Beef Kebob on Grilled Flat Bread

Beef Kebobs on Flat Bread

Every day until the big game day on Sunday I am going to post a easy to make, tasty recipe that will satisfy. This is a beef Kebob, I used organic, grass fed beef, some grated onion then formed it onto sticks and grilled on the stove top sprinkled with some sumac for a little Middle Eastern Flair and topped with a simple chopped cucumber and tomato salad dressed only with fresh lemon. Simple, portable and delicious and easily made in advance. You can make these and just keep them wrapped in foil in a warm oven. The flat bread I grill on the stove top, directly on the burner on a medium flame (You cannot do that on an electric stove) turning to heat and slightly char the bread, it takes less than a minute so you can do this to order or make a batch wrap in foil and keep warm in the oven. You can also top this with yogurt or crumbled feta along with the salad.

Serves a crowd at least a dozen kebobs

2 lbs ground beef (preferably organic grass fed)

1 onion grated on the largest grate and drained of juices

2 egg yolks

salt and pepper to taste

sumac (optional) to sprinkle on meat after cooking)

2 small cucumbers diced

2 tomatoes diced

1 cup chopped parsley (optional)

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Grate the onion and drain, I squeezed it in a double paper towel. Put the onion in a mixing bowl, add the beef, egg yolks and some salt and pepper, Mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour

If you are using bamboo skewers submerge in water while the meat is resting in the refrigerator. Dice the cucumbers,optional parsley and tomatoes, add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Form meat onto skewers whatever size you want, heat your grill and place meat skewers onto grill. You want the meat cooked medium done. Let grill 3-4 minutes on each side turning over once. Test for doneness, just poke with your finger it should feel firm but not dry.

Remove from heat and tent with foil while you prepare your bread. Grill the bread either on the burner or in a pan, brush with olive oil and lay kebob onto bread, sprinkle with a little sumac (optional) and spoon some of the cucumber and tomato on top.

Feb 1

6 Comments

Featured Recipe – Caramelized Apple Jam

Delicious Caramelized Apple Jam-photo by Bevi

Apples are the harbingers of fall and winter and this jam packs on the flavor of my favorite fall and winter fruit. I first tasted this jam at the food52 cookbook party in September, actually it was not this jam exactly. This is Bevi’s recipe, the jam I had was made by her daughter who produces delectable jam and preserves under the name “Maiden Preserves”right here in Brooklyn. She tweaked her daughters recipe just a bit, and made this delightfully delicious apple jam. Bevi is a food consultant and very active cook on food52, you can see her 55 other recipes by following this link: http://www.food52.com/users/8894_bevi

I made this jam, and believe me its easy to make, I cut the recipe in half and it worked perfectly. I didn’t process the jam, but if you are able to do so, I highly recommend making this entire recipe so that you have plenty on hand. It makes a wonderful homemade gift if you can bear to part with a single jar, its that good!

Makes 6 half pint jars of jam

12 nice sized apples – a firm variety such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and chopped into I” pieces

6 to 7 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups sugar

2 cups fresh apple cider

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

seeds from 1 vanilla bean

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Calvados (Optional)

6 half pint jam jars, with lids and screw tops, properly sterilized

Place the lemon juice in a large bowl. Peel, core and chop 3 apples at a time and thoroughly mix them into the lemon juice until all the apples are prepared and covered with lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
In a very large jam pot or enamel Dutch oven, place 2 and 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup of the cider over a medium high flame. Stir constantly to dissolve the sugar, and continue cooking to boiling. Reduce the heat and continue to stir, producing a light caramel colored syrup. This will take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
Immediately add the apples, the rest of the cider, the apple cider vinegar, the vanilla bean seeds, and the honey to the jam pot. (If you want to add Calvados, do so now.) Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring often, for about 30 minutes. Keep the mixture simmering. The apples will retain their shape throughout the cooking process, but become soft.
In the meantime, put the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and a tablespoon of water in a 2 or 3 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Stirring constantly, make a much darker caramel syrup – quite brown in color, being careful to not burn yourself as you prepare the caramel syrup. Pour this syrup immediately into the apple mixture, and stir the mixture well. Allow to cook for another 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
Take a potato masher, and smash about 50% of the apples in the mixture – retaining some pieces for chunkiness, but allowing half of the mixture to take on a jam-like texture. At this point, almost all liquid should be evaporated.
Fill jam jars and process in a hot water bath according to your preferred instructions. I process for 15 minutes. Take out of the hot water bath, wait for the “ping” sound that indicates that the jams are sealed, and allow jams to sit for a day. Any jam that does not have a secure seal should be placed in the refrigerator.

Feb 1

2 Comments

Basmati Rice With Bayberries (Zereshk Pollo)

Served with Roasted Chicken

I learned Persian cooking years ago and am dredging up some of the recipes that I made many moons ago. Zereshk Pullow or Basmati Rice with Bayberries is one of many traditional Persian dishes. One thing you will find when learning the cuisine of Iran is that recipes vary from family to family and region to region. This is how I was taught to make it. Persians cherish their rice dishes and one thing that separates rice cooked in the Persian way from most other methods of preparation is what is called “Tahdig” its the crisp crust that forms at the bottom of the pot when you are cooking the rice. The rice is par cooked and steamed. Zereshk pullow is basmati rice laced with bayberries and layered with yogurt infused with saffron. I always served with roast or braised chicken. I was taught two ways to make this dish, one you serve the chicken separately and the other method is to layer shredded roast chicken and steam it along with the rice. I prefer it on the side so that is what I am featuring in this recipe.

THE YOGURT MIXTURE

3/4 of a 35.3 ounce container of plain yogurt. I like to use 2% or full fat yogurt

generous pinch of saffron

salt to taste

THE RICE

3 cups basmati rice

1 cup zereshk or if you cannot find them use dried unsweetened cranberries

2 tbs butter divided

Pour the rice in a bowl and run cold water on it rinsing until the water is pretty clear. Add more water to cover the rice add a tbs of salt and let rice sit for an hour.

Add the yogurt to a bowl and mix in the saffron and salt. Stir well and refrigerate for 30 minutes so that the saffron infuses the yogurt.

NOTE: I like to use a non stick pot to ensure that the tahdig comes out nicely if you don’t have a large non-stick pot just make sure that the bottom of the bottom of the pot is well oiled when you add the rice.

Add water to a large non stick pot and salt it well at least a tbs. Bring to a rolling boil. Drain rice and add to the pot stirring well. You are par cooking the rice so it only takes 10-15 minutes. Drain rice into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Let the rice sit for about 15 minutes. During that time take the yogurt out of the refrigerator. Once the rice is drained sccop out approximately 2 cups and put into a bowl, add about 1/2 cup of yogurt and mix well. Add the Zereshk to the remainder of the rice, make sure they are distributed well. Dry your pot and coat the bottom with some neutral oil, add 1 tbs of butter and when the butter has melted add the rice mixed with the yogurt, spread evenly in the bottom of the pan. Now add a third of the rice mixed with the berries, on top of that a layer of the yogurt, then another layer of rice etc… ending with a layer of rice. Place a tbs of butter on top of the rice. Lay a paper towel or thin tea towel on top of the pot and place the lid on securely. Turn heat to high and let it build up steam for 5 minutes, lower heat to medium and steam for 40-45 minutes. You will notice that you can smell the rice and the towel will be damp.

I like to serve with roasted chicken and drizzle the pan juices onto the rice for added flavor.

To dislodge the tahdig all you have to do is put some cold water in the sink, sit the pot in it for 30 seconds and then invert onto serving platter.