Chocolate Pots de Crème

November 3, 2013    |    Print Print

pot de creme v1

Making pot de crème is surprisingly easy and when the best ingredients are used, it never fails to be delicious.  Also, if kept wrapped and refrigerated, it can be made up to 3 days in advance, thus making it the perfect end to a dinner party.

The finished dessert can be served in a variety of containers, but beware, it is very rich.  Therefore, a relatively small container would be my preference.   The recipe makes about 30 fluid ounces  Pour water into the container of your choice and measure the amount of ounces.  Divide that amount by 30 to get the number of vessels that will be needed.  I used 2-ounce containers and made 15 servings.

Also, instead of spending time finely chopping chocolate with a chef’s knife, I put the larger pieces in a food processor.  Using the metal “S” blade, give it a few pulses and it makes short work to render it all finely chopped.

Makes about 30 fluid ounces

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Valrhona 65%)
5 large egg yolks, organic if possible
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup half-and-half
½ vanilla bean, split
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Garnishes (optional)
Whipped cream
A dusting of cocoa powder
Sprinkle on a few chocolate shavings

After the chocolate is finely chopped, place it in medium heatproof bowl.  Set a fine-mesh strainer over bowl and set them aside.  In another medium bowl, whisk together yolks, sugar, and salt until combined; whisk in heavy cream and half-and-half.

Transfer mixture, along with the vanilla bean to a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of pot with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula until thickened.

The custard should register between 175° to 180° F on an instant-read thermometer and should take about 8 to 12 minutes.  Do not let the custard simmer or it will become grainy due to the egg yolks curdling.

Immediately pour the hot custard through the strainer and over the chocolate.  Let the mixture stand to melt the chocolate, about 5 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth, then stir in the espresso.  Divide mixture evenly among individual ramekins/vessels. Gently tap each one to remove air bubbles.

Cool pots de crème to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.  Before serving, let pots de crème stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve with your favorite garnish.

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Vanilla Pastry Cream and Fresh Berry Tart

August 18, 2013    |    Print Print

_MG_7707 Bret August Fruit Tart 2

Before all the berries are gone and we’ve all moved on to apples and pears, I thought I’d better get this recipe posted.  There are many variations for tart dough and all work quite well with a few caveats.  Keep your ingredients cold (even putting the flour in the freezer) and working the dough just enough for it to come together.  If making dough is not your forte, feel free to use a high quality puff pastry.

One recipe of pastry cream (recipe below)
Fresh berries (about 4 pints)
Pre-baked tart shell (recipe below)
½ cup apricot jam, heated and strained (if desired)

Tart Dough
For about 1 pound pastry (enough for two 8 to 9-inch tart shells)
from Semone Beck’s cookbook, “Simca’s Cuisine”.  Method learned by Kathie Alex

2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 tablespoons cold heavy cream, beaten with 1 large egg yolk

Place dry ingredients in a bowl of a food processor and process 2 to 3 seconds.  Evenly divide the butter around the bowl of the processor, carefully coating the pieces with the flour.  (Just don’t cut your finger on the blade.)  Pulse for 8 to 10 seconds, until butter is pea-sized.  Add the beaten egg and cream mixture through the pour-spout with the processor running, just until the mixture starts to stick together.  If the dough seems dry add additional cream, one teaspoon at a time.

Turn out onto a cold surface.  Using the palm of your hand smear a little of the dough at a time across the counter to evenly blend together.  Using a bench scrapper, bring dough together.  Divide it evenly into two pieces.  Form each into flat discs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least a 1/2 hour before rolling out.  Wrapped tightly, dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for a month.<

When ready to make tart, roll out one of the disks about 1 ½ inches larger than tart.  Line tart pan with dough, folding over any excess and pressing against the sides of the pan.  It’s okay if the dough extends about 1/4-inch above the tart pan.  Return dough filled tart pan to the freezer for about ½ hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F conventional or 350°F convection.  Remove tart from freezer and line with parchment paper and then pie weights.  Place on a sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes.  Remove pie weights and parchment paper and continue baking until golden.  Let cool completely.

When ready to assemble tart, spread the pastry cream over bottom of tart shell.  Fill with seasonal berries.  Brush with melted and strained apricot jam if desired and serve.  Place any of the tart that happens to be remaining in the refrigerator.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

1 plump vanilla bean
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch kosher or sea salt
3 tablespoons (0.9 oz / 25 g) cornstarch
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1 ½ pints fresh strawberries or other fresh fruit

Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out with the back of a paring knife.  Add the vanilla (seeds and pod) to a medium saucepan along with the milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, butter, and salt.  Bring to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan.  Remove from heat.

Whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.  Add the egg and yolks to the cornstarch and mix into a smooth paste.

Slowly, and in small amounts, whisk a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture.

This is called tempering the eggs, which you need to do to get them to the same temperature of the hot milk in the pan, so they won’t curdle.

Once the egg mixture is warm to the touch, pour it back into the milk in the pan.

Return the custard to the stove and bring to a boil, whisking continuously for 2 to 3 minutes.

The pastry cream will thicken almost immediately but it is important to cook out the starch (2 -3 minutes) so that it isn’t grainy and so your pastry cream won’t separate.   When the pastry cream is done it will be smooth and glossy.

Strain the pastry cream into a shallow container and refrigerate until ready to use.

IMG_0008

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Strawberry and Rhubarb Tart with Brown Butter Streusel

June 1, 2013    |    Print Print
David Schmit, Photographer

Photography by David Schmit

It is the height of rhubarb season in Minnesota.  I’ve already harvested the stalks (the leaves are poisonous) of this delectable vegetable four times from the six plants (yes – six) that Jon planted a couple of years ago and it’s only June 1st.

Unless you live in an apartment or have zero friends or neighbors, why would anyone need to purchase rhubarb?  It grows like a weed and should be harvested practically daily or it will flower and bolt (and I don’t mean run away, though some would like for it to do just that).  Nonetheless, I saw folks at the farmer’s market purchasing the stalks all morning.  You know that it is a must good if one must purchase something that is so prolific in these parts.

Regardless, of how you get your hands on a few stalks, grab a pint of strawberries as well and make this delicious early summer treat.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
3 to 4 tablespoons chilled cream

Streusel
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup all purpose flour

Filling
2 1/2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, washed, dried and quartered
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon zested lemon peel

For crust:
Blend flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor for about 5 seconds. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until it is about the size of peas.  Add egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of cream.

Blend just until moist clumps form, adding a titch more cream if dough seems too dry, but don’t be fooled and add too much.

After mixing the dough, turn it out onto a work surface.  Using the heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute the fat.   This is called, “to fraisage” in French.  Gather the dough and shape the dough into a flat disk, then double wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before using.

Note:  Chilling tart or pie dough is very important, because it helps relax the gluten (protein) in the dough, making it less elastic when it is rolled out.  It also firms up the fat so less flour is necessary when rolling out the dough—too much flour can make the dough tough. The longer the dough is chilled, the easier it is to roll out.

Pie dough can be stored in the refrigerator up to four days or frozen up to three months. Frozen dough should to be defrosted in the refrigerator for several hours or even overnight.  If it’s still too hard to roll out, let the dough sit at room temperature until it becomes pliable.

When ready to make the tart shell, roll out the disk of dough to a 12-inch diameter.  Form it into a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom to make the crust.  Freeze for an hour or two.  When ready to bake, pull the dough (still in the pan) out of the freezer and line the tart shell with parchment paper, add pie weights and bake for 2o minutes at 375°F.  Remove weights and paper and continue baking until tart shell is golden brown.

For streusel:
Cook the butter in in a large skillet over medium heat until golden, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Mix in almonds, sugar, and cinnamon. Add flour and stir until moist clumps form. Cool completely.  (Crust and streusel can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

For filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Toss the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, and zested lemon peel in a bowl and gently mix together.  Let stand until filling looks moist, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.  Spoon filling into crust.  Crumble streusel evenly over the filling.

Bake until filling is bubbling and streusel is crisp and brown, about 1 hour.  Cool tart on rack 30 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  If you want to gild the lily, add a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

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Sour Cream Pound Cake

May 26, 2013    |    Print Print

_MG_6458 Poundcake 2

There’s still enough time to make this cake for tomorrow’s Memorial Day cook-out.  It’s a variation of one that my grandmother would often bake when she knew we would be visiting.  She would make it in a bundt pan.  I can still remember the aroma as we scampered into their home in Jacksonville, Florida.There is plenty of batter that I generally bake it in two loaf pans.  This time, however, I baked one of them in a loaf pan and another in one these paper baking molds.  I’ll be serving it with the Cake Diva’s homemade rhubarb sauce.

3 cups (13 ½ oz / 385 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for dusting pans
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, I used Kalona SuperNatural
3 cups (21 oz / 600 g)granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
Zest of one medium orange
6 lg or 8 med eggs, room temperature
1 cup (8 oz/ 230 g) sour cream, room temperature, I used Kalona SuperNatural

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Cakes can be made in one 16-cup tube pan or two 5-cup loaf pans.  Dust pan(s) with flour, tapping out excess or line with parchment paper, then set aside.

In a medium bowl, using a whisk, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.  Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy.  Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition and scrape down bowl after addition. Stir in extracts and zest.

Mix ½ the sour cream into the batter and stir until combined.  Then add ½ the flour and stir just until combined.  Repeat with the remaining sour cream and end with the remaining flour, mixing each again separately just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan(s).

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes.  Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan and carefully turn out onto cooling rack and cool completely.

(Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)  Cake is better if made a day before serving.

One loaf serves 10-12, or more or less depending on the thickness of the serving.

_MG_6464 Poundcake Cutting

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Grape and Cucumber Raita

April 25, 2013    |    Print Print

Photograph by Steve Young-Burns

Having cooked alongside my friends from India including Raghaven Iyer, Suvir Saran and Suneeta Vaswani, I am inspired daily by what each has taught me about the foods of their homeland.

They are masters at combining spices, now so readily available, in unique and flavorful ways.  Is this recipe exactly traditional?  That I’m not sure, but I’m guessing that it is not as I have not been able to find a recipe that combines both grapes and cucumbers.  That’s the beauty though of cooking, you get to adapt and change to suit your own tastes.

Indian cuisine oftentimes has a kick of heat, but enjoying it with this raita, cools the palate, for the enjoyment your next bite.  You can always kick up the heat of the raita too by adding more chilies and/or cayenne pepper to you liking.
About 8 – 1/3 cup servings (2 points)

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 – 2 dried hot chilies (depending on amount of heat desired)
2 1/2 cups plain 5% yogurt, such as Kalona SuperNatural
1 cup red or green seedless grapes, cut in half
3/4 cup peeled, seeded and diced  English cucumber
2 scallions, diced (white and tender green leaves)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Combine the cumin, coriander, peppercorns and dried chilies in a small frying pan and toast over medium heat until the seeds begin to brown and become fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.  Grind to a powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and set aside.

Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until smooth and lightened.  Add the grapes, cucumber, onion, and mint and stir to mix well.  Stir in the ground spices and cayenne.  Chill well.  Stir in the salt just before serving and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro if desired.

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Pouring wines from Domaine Rouge – Bleu

April 3, 2013    |    Print Print

Memory fails me on how we ended up at Solo-Vino one particular evening about four years ago.  Was it happenstance or an email blast that brought us to a tasting of wines from Domaine Rouge-Bleu and to meet the wine maker M. Jean-Marc Espinasse?  Regardless, of how we ended up there, we have been blessed knowing Jean-Marc and enjoying the wines that his family produces about 25 minutes north of Avignon.

Every March Jean-Marc returns to Minnesota to introduce us to his new vintages and for the third year 128 Café has hosted a Wine Maker’s Dinner featuring the wines of Rouge-Bleu.  The moment the email came from Jean-Marc announcing his arrival and another dinner, I was on the phone to the 128 to make reservations.  The evening did not disappoint.

We arrived at our table to find a platter of the Cafe’s famous apple chutney, goat cheese croquettes and grilled crostini.  Glasses of Dentelle Rosé 2011 were set before each of us to enjoy with our amuse bouche.  This rosé is smooth and light being pressed from the grapes of Grenache and Carignan.  The name in English means lace, which is a perfect name for this beautiful wine.  The same wine remained flowing as we enjoyed our next course which was a lemon-caper risotto with spicy grilled calamari, basil oil and pickled carrot.  As they say, what grows together goes together and this pairing could not have been more perfect with citrus, capers and the fruits of the sea.

A panzanella salad with spinach, arugula, radish, fennel, cucumber and white beans was enjoyed for Act 3  along with a cream of artichoke and asparagus soup.   Thank goodness the chef did not add tomatoes which are traditional for such a salad.  We’ll wait until summer for that addition.  What we did enjoy were some of the abundance that is now in season both in the salad and soup.  A Chateau de l’Aiguillette Muscadet 2011 was poured and enjoyed.

Our plat choices were either an artichoke and spinach stuffed chicken breast with polenta and vegetable salicon; a beef tenderloin stroganoff with crimini mushrooms, fresh herbs, spaetzle and grilled asparagus or a mahi mahi on saffron-caper basmati rice with grilled zucchini and a tomato-leek purée.  The majority of the table went with the  stroganoff, which seemed perfect on a chilly (okay cold) early spring evening.

I guess Jean-Marc couldn’t decide as both his Dentelle Rouge 2010 and his Mistral Rouge 2010 (a blend of grenache, syrah, mourvedre, and rousssan) were poured.  On the nose the Dentelle Rouge was full of red fruits like currants with a hint of smokiness.   The Mistral, named after the strong winds that blow through the Rhone valley,  had the intensity of dark red fruit with spice.  The intensity however was not heavy and it had an enjoyable long finish.

Brock and Natalie Obee would be proud that the Café continues to thrive in the basement of an apartment complex across from the campus of the University of Saint Thomas.  We took a peek at their regular menu and the famous 128 Café ribs are still on the menu.  They are the best!  Luckily, the Obee’s shared the recipe once at a cooking class and I was fortunate to be in attendance.  They are magic on your tongue.  128 Café, Cleveland Avenue North, Saint Paul MN. 651.645.4128.  For more information on the wines that Jean-Marc produces and where they can be purchased, check out his check out his website at Domaine Rouge Bleu.

 

 

 

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Ricotta Cheesecake

March 19, 2013    |    Print Print

This recipe is inspired by one from Martha Stewart.  What I enjoy about it is the fact that is not your typical cheesecake.  It’s a breeze to make,  not cloyingly sweet nor does it require the making of a crust.  Best of all if you are going to make a batch of ricotta or have already made some recently, this is a great recipe to use what you have left in the fridge.  Serve with a few orange supremes or gild the lily and add a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

One 9 or 10-inch cake

Unsalted butter at room temperature, for pan
Granulated sugar for pan
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 pounds fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese, preferably home-made 
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 orange, preferably organic
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs, separated
5 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a 9 or 10-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Generously butter bottom and sides, sprinkle with sugar, pour out excess, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment beat the egg yolks, and ¾ cup of sugar until light and creamy. Add ricotta  and salt and beat until smooth. Add lemon zest and flour. Beat until just combined.

In a clean bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on low speed until foamy.

Raise speed to high, and gradually add 5 tablespoons sugar, whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form. This should take 3 to 4 minutes.

Using a large rubber spatula gently fold a third of the whites into the ricotta mixture until just combined. Gently fold in remaining whites until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until center is firm and top is deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Note that the cake rises above the pan while it cooks so don’t have the oven rack too close to the top of the pan.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; release sides to remove from pan, and let cool completely and serve.

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The pleasures of Eat Street Social

March 13, 2013    |    Print Print

Late winter finds the hearty folks in Minnesota climbing over mounds of packed snow or dodging large puddles of melting ice.  You must really want to go out when it’s not a necessity.  Cabin fever was exactly what drew Jon and me out on a recent school night, arriving at Eat Street Social for their first ever Bittercube Cocktail Dinner.  You know it’s going to be a good evening when you are handed an aperitif of sparkling wine with a Demerara cube, bark vanilla, and orange bitters even before you peel off your Michelin-man looking overcoat.

Two handsome chaps Nick and Ira, greeted us.  Come to find out they are not only part owners of Eat Street Social but are also the masterminds behind Bittercube.  As we made our way to our table, we knew we’d be dining with The Cake Diva and her husband (Mr. Cake Diva).  However, to our pleasant surprise we’d also be sharing it with Tracy and Molly, the co-owners of Kitchen in the Market.  From the get-go, it was clear we were going to have some fun!

Nick and Ira gave us the lay of the land for the evening.  All five flavor senses would be hitting our tongues:  salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami, each focusing on one flavor per course.  In the middle of our table was a large platter of delectable spices, herbs, dried flowers, and several kinds of citrus zests surrounding a mason jar of eau-de-vie.

It would be the job of the table to come up with our own version of “bitters” that we would enjoy with our dessert cocktail later in the evening.  Let’s put a few of each of the zests in the jar.  Oh what the heck, we all piped in, put in all the zest as well as some tarragon and thyme.

I voted for the addition of a few jasmine flowers and a sprig of rosemary – so Provençal.  After adding a half dozen other spices, some of which we crushed in a napkin and the bottom of a glass, we closed the lid and shook it periodically to “brew” it to perfection.

For our first course we enjoyed a beautiful presentation of Tuna Tartare with a beet vermouth foam and the cherry bark vanilla bitters.  I was leery when I saw the word “foam” as it can look like something narely.   What was presented wasn’t necessarily “foamy”, but creamy and light in texture and crimson in color.  It was beautiful and tasted sublime.  It was paired with a Cocchi Vermouth Rosa & Americano, with a Reposado Tequila, Meyer lemon, cherry bark vanilla bitters, and seltzer.

Our “salty” flavor was a Breseola Spring Roll with a “Cocktail Sauce”.  The breseola was house cured and each thin slice rolled with shreds of Diakon radish, carrots, and cilantro.  The “cocktail sauce” was a thickened version of the cocktail that was paired with this course: a Johnny Drum Private Stock, with lemon, simple Aperol, fish sauce, and grapefruit oil.  The salty component was indeed present in both the spring roll and cocktail, but it was so disappointing that only one spring roll was served.  And, whoever heard of adding fish sauce to a cocktail?  I wonder how it would taste in a Bloody Mary?

I don’t recall whether it Nick or Ira that explained how the brandy was “sous vided” with hazelnuts and almonds.  Regardless, it was used as part of our next cocktail that also included Benzinger Chardonnay, prune extract, honey syrup, lemon zest, and Bolivar Bitters.  This cocktail was served with my favorite course: a seared scallop nuzzled up to a hunk of braised bacon atop a swath of jalapeno fig jam.  Imagine on your tongue the sweetness of the scallop, then the saltiness of the bacon, throwing in a little heat and the jam’s fruit for good measure.

The winter evening was perfect for our next course of a duck breast and foie gras roulade with perfectly sautéed Hedgehog mushrooms, accompanied by  cauliflower purée, and black brandy gel.  Mushrooms are a classic example if one is going for the taste of umami.  We enjoyed them not only with the duck, but also in our cocktail of Armagnac, Gamle Ode Dill Aquavit, lemon, porcini Infused Carpano Antica, and a porcini tincture.

Our dessert was a lovely Cara Cara Tart made with cara cara navel oranges, grapefruit, pink peppercorns, and barrel-aged blood orange bitters.  Presented with it was a cocktail of Barrel-aged Rehorst Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Lillet, Averna Amara, and the bitters we had created.  The gents instructed us to first taste the cocktail and then enjoy a bite of dessert.

Afterwards we took an eyedropper of the “brewed” tincture, squirted it around the inside of the cocktail glass with any remaining going into the cocktail itself.  What an amazing transformation a squirt of the tincture gave to our “naked” drink.

The best lesson learned of the evening is that anyone can make his or her own bitters.  If you can’t find eau-de-vie use any high quality neutral vodka as your base then add the herbs and spices you have on hand.

While at dinner we all begged the boys to schedule their next Bittercube Cocktail Dinner.  It appears they have for Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 pm.

Eat Street Social, 18 West 28th Street, Minneapolis MN – 612.877.8111.  We can’t be there this time around, but we’re sure hoping that they will have a Cocktail Dinner III.

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