The Macaroon

My best friend, Mary, is getting married at the end of the month, and I'm so excited for her and her groom! In honor of the upcoming marriage, I thought I'd share a recipe that always makes me think of Mary and our trip to France. We were a couple of 18 year olds touring around the Champs Elysees when we first experienced Laduree, a tea salon and cafe in Paris. The gorgeous window displays and curious looking macaroon cookies drew us in. Laduree's macaroons aren't the lumpy coconut drop cookies, but a sandwich of two meringue cookies and a filling. The display made the macaroons look like colorful and intriguing little presents. Because we didn't speak much French, Mary and I randomly chose several cookies from the large assortment of flavors. I remember my first bite of a chocolate macaroon... A slight crunch, soft center, and a gooey filling. It was a perfection of texture! After I emerged from my moment of delight, I turned to Mary whose face had the most inexplicable expression I have ever seen. I asked if she liked the macaroon, and she said, "I don't know what to think. It tastes funny!" I was confused how these little cookies could taste funny, until I tried one for myself. My face probably made the same expression as I was confused about the flavor. We'd never tasted anything like it, pungent yet some how refined. It definitely wasn't fruity, maybe herbal? After a while it finally hit me... rose! The filling tasted just like a flower, and while I enjoyed the experience, I probably won't be making rose scented macaroons for a large crowd.

Macaroons have been known to be finicky little cookies, but practice really does makes perfect! To make it easier, take a recipe from someone who has already worked out the science of ingredient proportions. The best recipes actually weigh out ingredients which can be a hassle, but it makes a more exact cookie. I've based my meringue measurements from an article in Dessert Magazine which contains great tips! I made these macaroons for a Christmas cookie exchange at our spouse's group. Since life gets crazy around the holidays (and because I spent so much time making the meringues), I decided to do a Nutella and raspberry preserve filling. To make the macaroons more festive, I dusted the tops of the macaroons with a shimmer pearl dust. Enjoy and congratulations to Mary and Michael!

French Meringue Macaroon
3 egg whites or 100g weighed
50g granulated sugar
95g powdered sugar
115g blanched almonds
Powdered or gel food coloring (optional)
Filling (ex: Nutella, jams, chocolate ganache, buttercream)

1. Separate egg whites and refrigerate whites for 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before using. Combine the almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
2. Whip the egg whites to a foam. (If you'd like a colored meringue cookie, you can add food coloring at this point) Gradually whip in the granulated sugar. Continue beating until you have a glossy meringue.
3. Add the almond and sugar mixture to the meringue and stir with quick strokes slowing to a fold. It takes approx 50 folds to combine, and be careful not to over fold. Batter should form a thick ribbon when lifted from a spoon.
4. Prepare parchment paper on top of baking sheets. Fill a pastry bag with a round tip (1/2 inch) and pipe small circles onto the parchment. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Let macaroons sit for an hour to harden. This helps form the crisp exterior on the meringue. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool before filling.
5. Spread filling on the flat side of one cookie and top with another side.

Warm and Cozy

It was 20 degrees outside and all I wanted to do is cuddle up by a fire and eat something warm and cozy! Unfortunately I didn't have all the necessary ingredients to make my favorite stew or mashed potatoes. As I was chatting with Seth, he suggested making a chicken dumpling soup, so I set out on a search to find the best recipe. I ended up combining several ideas from some of my favorite food sites (epicurious, cookthink, cookstr) and the soup turned out delicious! Next time I'll be sure to add vegetables to the soup, since my pantry was a bit thin this go around. I prefer my soups to be very creamy with extra dumplings, so if you like minimal dumplings you may want to halve this recipe. Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large shallot or half an onion

1/2 cup white wine

8 cups chicken broth

5 cups of shredded roasted chicken

Juice and zest of one lemon

Chopped parsley

1. Heat oil in a soup pot and saute minced shallot until clear. Deglaze pan with wine. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil while making dumplings.

Dumplings

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups heavy cream

1. Combine dry ingredients together and mix in cream until just incorporated. Using a spoon drop a tablespoon amount of dumpling into the soup. Continue with the remaining batter. Boil dumplings in soup for 12 minutes and serve!

Pizza!

I have the oddest food cravings and recently one of those cravings has been Hawaiian pizza. There is something about the acidic fruity-ness of pineapple, combined with the salty ham and smooth melted cheese...mmmmm satisfying! I've always been an extra-cheese kinda pizza girl, but I think as my taste buds are growing up, I'm craving more flavor and texture (but still with extra cheese). And now that its rainy and cold outside, I really have a hankering for warm and soothing foods. I guess Hawaiian pizza is a new comfort food for me!

After a visit to California, Seth's sister gave me her honey wheat pizza dough/foccacia recipe. Its really easy and makes a lot of dough. I used half whole wheat flour and the crust had nice texture without tasting like cardboard. Give it a try next time you're making pizza and have fun trying to toss the dough around. Pizza Dough:

Makes 4 large pizzas or 12 mini-pizzas (unless you drop some while tossing like I did)

1 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp baker's yeast

10.5 cups flour

3.5 Cups water

6 Tbsp olive oil

3 tsp salt

1.Run tap water until the water is warm and comfortable to the touch. Fill a glass bowl with water, add the honey and yeast. Don't stir, just sprinkle the yeast over the water and drizzle the honey through it. Let it bloom for several minutes.

2. In a mixing bowl, toss together flour and salt. Make a well in the middle and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Knead dough by hand for 10 minutes or until its smooth. You can also use the dough hook on your mixer.

3. Let dough rise until doubled and punch down. Divide into fourths and put in four oiled gallon sized bags. Refridgerate, but bring to room temperature before using.

Hawaiian Pizza:

1/4 lb chopped proscuitto

1 can chunked pineapple, in juice

3 cups mozzarella cheese

2 cups tomato sauce

1. Spread a layer of tomato sauce on the prepared pizza dough. Sprinkle with ham, pineapple chunks and top with cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until crust is crispy and cheese has melted.

It's been awhile!

So.... I believe its been over a month since I've written. But the good news is that I've finished my Food and Drink in Western Civilization class and I'm now officially halfway thru my masters! In celebration of another finished semester I thought I would share a recipe that has gotten me through many a last minute dinner, my single days, and even my frugal college years. Rosemary potatoes have always been popular in my family and I consider them to be one of my favorite comfort foods. We Underwoods first discovered them at a Bed and Breakfast in Battle, England. The warm aromatic potatoes were absolutely delicious after a long day touring around the countryside. When returning home, my mother set out to make her own version and they became an instant family favorite. I could probably eat them 3 times a week if my husband let me!

Technically I have no recipe, so I'm sorry to those who want exact measurements. Basically I cut up red potatoes into inch squares, sprinkle with kosher salt, drizzle a little olive oil, crush a few stems of rosemary, and of course add minced garlic. Roast on 400 degrees for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The time and temperature may vary depending on taste. My sister likes them almost burnt, but I prefer a crisp outside with a soft inside. I hope that you enjoy these delicious roasted potatoes as much as my family does!

Homemade Mayo

Before I loose your attention, let me tell you that you can make homemade mayonnaise in 8 minutes! (and in even less time in a food processor) Alton Brown's Good Eats episode intrigued me with the science of emulsion and I can no longer eat store bought mayo. Another factor that makes homemade mayo so delicious... the use of fresh eggs. The yolks are dark yellow and they add a wonderful richness to the sauce. This mayo is a darker yellow than the typical brand (because of the yolks and mustard) but that's just added character! Although I can't say that I improved on Alton's recipe, I will say that I adapted the recipe to my taste. Small side note: It isn't recommended that those with compromised immune systems or pregnant women consume raw egg; use a pasteurized egg instead.

Home Mayonnaise:

1 large fresh egg yolk

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 to 1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup canola oil

-Whisk together the egg yolk, juice, vinegar, mustard, and salt until blended and bright yellow.

-In a VERY slow stream add the oil to the egg mixture while whisking vigorously for several minutes. When the mayo is combined and thick, cover and chill for a few hours.

Leftover mayo makes great garlic aioli, but my favorite thing to do is make...

Tuna Salad:

1/3 cup homemade mayo

1/4 cup sour cream

Zest and juice from 1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

1 lb chunky white tuna

1 small shallot, minced

2 ribs of celery, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

-Whisk mayo, sour cream, juice, and dill to combine. Stir in remaining ingredients and chill. (If shallots are too strong, you can soak them in ice water for an hour before adding them to the recipe)

Eating Cauliflower

Not only is this recipe super easy to make, but its one of the only ways I can get Seth to eat cauliflower! This member of the cabbage family is high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber, and folate. One cup of cauliflower contains 25 calories and 3 grams of fiber. Odd fact about cauliflower... it doesn't just come in white! Orange, purple, and bright green varieties, due to antioxidant coloration, are delicious and can usually be found in specialty markets. My CSA grew a pale purple variety, which is what I used for this dish. I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light's version, just because butter really brings out the cauliflower flavor and the citrus adds a nice kick. Enjoy!

Lemon Mustard Cauliflower

1 small head of cauliflower

1 tsp Kosher salt

4 Tbsp butter, melted

Juice and zest from one lemon

3 Tbsp whole grain mustard

3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. Cut cauliflower into 1/4 inch thick slices and arrange on a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and roast about 15 minutes.

-Whisk together remaining ingredients and spoon over cauliflower and roast until tender crisp (around 15- 20 minutes longer) Yield: 6 servings

California Eats

Well it has been a while since I’ve been able to blog. Seth and I just got back from our vacation to San Francisco and San Luis Obispo California, and we had a wonderful time visiting family, tasting wine, and generally touring around. So I thought I’d write a few of our favorite eats along the way, starting with our dinner at Café Chez Panisse...

 First off, they made their own sparkling water on site and the black crusty bread and creamy herb butter was enough to satisfy before the meal started. My salad was a delicious peppery argugula and fennel salad with a savory hand-stretched mozzarella topped with an olive tapenade. Seth LOVED the combination of the flavorful cheese paired with the salty tapenade. My main entrée consisted of veal medallions and herb roasted chanterelle mushrooms (which tasted as if they were picked from the woods that day). The preparation was so simple and the flavors of the ingredients really stood out! Seth’s buttermilk fried halibut with sweet and sour peppers was tangy and delicious. The buttermilk batter was so light it could have been tempura, yet it stayed true to the richness of buttermilk. For dessert, we shared a fig and raspberry clafoutis topped with fennel cream, and it was the perfect ending to a fabulous dinner! As you can tell, Seth really spoiled me on this trip  J 

Other delicious eats worth noting:

-Dark black-crusted peasant bread from Boulange in San Fran

-Free home-style breakfast at the Marine Memorial hotel with apple wood smoked sausage and blueberry pancakes

-Big Sky’s beignets filled with real raspberries (none of that jelly stuff)

-The four course dinner and wine pairings at the Cass House, where I tasted my first fois gras, sauternes, and veal marrow. Delicious!

-Many of the wonderful wineries and tasting rooms: Per Bacco, Tally, Turley, L’Adventure, Four Vines, and Saucilito. And for once, we bought more whites than reds. Very odd for us because we LOVED the pinots, syrah, and zins of Paso Robles, but this trip renewed our interest in chardonnay, viognier, and roussane.

-All the wonderful food Hannah (Seth’s sister) made, including focaccia,  goat cheese and bread quiches, along with bacon!