Ali's Kitchen: Anniversary Special: Baking

The past several days, I've been big on the baking. On Friday I snagged a Cioppino recipe from Cooking Light and set to making my own bread to go with it. I used a very basic recipe from How to Cook Everything:

3 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp yeast

Scant 1 1/2 c. water

The recipe calls for, when making by hand instead of a food processor since some of us do not have room in our kitchens for food processors, mixing half the flour with all the salt and yeast, then stirring in all the water. Add the rest of the flour until completely mixed and just cohesive enough to knead. Knead, using minimal flour for surface and dough, for 20 minutes, until much firmer and more elastic, but still quite sticky. Set in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap for 2-3 hours (or for a longer time, if you're going for sourdough). When the dough has approximately doubled, cut into 3 or 4 sections, roll into balls, and let sit under a towel for about 20 minutes. Flatten each dough ball into a disc, then fold the disc over on itself twice, sealing the seam each time. Roll (again, on a lightly floured surface) into ropes and place, seam side up, on a sturdy piece of cotton (such as a clean tablecloth). Fold part of the cloth over the dough and allow to rise for another 1-2 hours. 30 minutes prior to baking, preheat the oven to 450. Just before baking, slice the tops of the dough several times, and spray the inside of the oven to create steam. Bake for five minutes in the center of the oven, and spray again at 5 minutes to create more steam. Bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.

See that? That's too damn skinny for a baguette. The flavor was good (I added herbs and garlic into the fold-and-roll step), but they were too dense, and very chewy. If you Google this problem, you'll find suggestions from "too much kneading" to "not enough kneading" to "too much extra flour during kneading" to "not enough flour during kneading." So I had no idea what I really did wrong, though I suspect it had something to do with too much extra flour and not enough kneading time. BUT APPARENTLY YOU NEVER KNOW. You know what I noticed when I went to make the bread again tonight (Tuesday)? The How to Cook Everything recipe calls for rapid-rising yeast. I have plain old traditional yeast. That maaaay have had something to do with it. So guess what I did today when baking this same baguette again to go with anniversary lobster? I used the whole packet of yeast (about 1 Tb). Guess what? That worked juuuust fiiiine. They were still a little chewy, and the crust is so crusty it would make a Frenchman wince, so I've clearly still got some figuring to do. But, on the whole, don't these look basically like baguettes?

Since tonight was our second anniversary, I made a special dessert. Whereas last year I did a cake that attempted to recall our wedding cake, this year I've been baking muffins and cupcakes so often that I wanted to do something a little different. Enter Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food and her lemon curd made with pâte sucré tartelettes. They didn't come out particularly prettily, but that's my own fault for not shilling out the bucks for tartelette pans and using muffin tins instead. (Yeah, I really did. lulz.)

The raspberry was my idea, thankyouverymuch. ^_^

Pâte Sucré

from Alice Waters' "The Art of Simple Food"

Beat together until creamy:

8 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup sugar

Add and mix until completely combined:

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

Add:

1 1/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour (*I used whole grain pastry flour instead*)

Mix well, stirring and folding, until there are no dry patches. Chill for at least 4 hours, until firm. Roll out between two sheets of floured waxed paper. Roll out to about 1/8 in. thick, popping it into the freezer briefly if it becomes too stick to work with while rolling. Cut out the dough according to the size of tarte, tartelette, etc. I ended up using an old cocktail glass dipped in flour, which was about the right size for muffin tins. Press the dough gently into your baking container, sealing any cracks with extra dough. Trim excess dough at the top by gently pressing with thumb and index finer. Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes before baking. Bake the chilled shells in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until an even light gold in color. Halfway through the baking, remove the tart shells from the oven and lightly pat down any bubbles that may have formed.

Lemon Curd

Wash and dry:

4 lemons

Grate the zest of one of the lemons on the small holes of a grater. Juice the lemons; there should be about 1/2 c. juice.

Beat until just mixed:

2 eggs

3 egg yolks

2 Tb milk

1/3 c. sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Stir in the lemon juice and zest and add:

6 Tb butter, cut into small pieces

Cook the mixture in a small nonreactive heavy pan (*I used a Paul Revere stainless steel saucepan - which are relatively light and copper bottomed on the outside. This is apparently a nonreactive pan, which I discovered when I actually made the stuff, because I'm daring like that.*), stirring constantly, over medium heat until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Do not boil or the eggs will curdle.

This is where I deviated: I believe Waters would have you pour the curd into the pre-baked pastry shells and cook at 375 only until the curd is set - before it has thickened completely in the pot. I let it thicken completely then cook to an almost cheesecake-meets-lemon-bar consistency, about 20 minutes. THERE. WERE. SO. GOOD.

Because of my funky tartelette sizes, I ended up with a bit of extra lemon curd, so I poured that into some pretty teacups (which Courtney gave me for my bridal shower), topped with some extra lemon zest, and a couple of blackberries.

However you're enjoying lemon curd, make sure you chill it for at least 2 hours before serving. Paradoxically, you need to take it out of the fridge at least an hour before serving. Now figure *that* one out if you have to cook-then-serve. I made them about 24 hours before eating, and they were fantastic. Definitely great for a celebration!

Le yum yum!

Ali's Kitchen: Oui, oui, Ratatouille!

You know why ratatouille is the perfect food and wants you to eat it all the time? Look at it:

RATATOUILLE

It has the word "oui" in it. It's a culinary extravaganza of positive reinforcement, and it loves you. Love it back! I adore ratatouille, especially MY way that doesn't involve any stupid bell peppers. Honestly, bell peppers? You have eggplant, zucchini, onions, garlic, and fresh tomatoes... and you want to ruin it with bell peppers? Why would anyone do that?

Anywho, it may be all the Julie & Julia ads I've been seeing around, but I decided that I HAD TO cook ratatouille, and I HAD TO come up with a "new" way to make it. New here meaning "one Ali has not done before, because Ali doesn't feel like looking up the real recipe, and would rather just wing it." Herewith, My New Ratatouille.

Slice into 1/2 inch rounds:

1 eggplant (then halve these rounds into semicircles)

4 large zucchini

2 medium yellow onions

Slice very thinly:

4 large garlic cloves

Dice:

6 medium vine-ripe tomatoes

Set aside:

Extra virgin olive oil

Cooking spray

Herbes de Provence or similar mix*, to taste

Fresh basil, to taste

Sauté the eggplant and zucchini slices in single layers, over medium heat, setting aside when lightly browned on both sides, perhaps 2 minutes per side. Use just enough oil to coat the pan each time. Over medium-high heat, sauté the onion and garlic together, stirring often, just until the transluscent, about 3-4 minutes.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking oil and place the sautéed eggplant in gratin-like rows.

Sprinkle with Herbes de Provence. Next, spoon onions and garlic over the eggplant; add more herbs, approximately the same amount, again, varying for your taste. Add zucchini in neat rows, like the eggplant, and follow with a final dash of herbs.

Top everything with the diced tomatoes.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil. You can make the recipe ahead of time to this point.

Heat the oven to 375º F.

Let the casserole cook with aluminum foil covering it for approximately 20 minutes, longer if you've had it in the refrigerator. You're looking to cook until heated through, though the magical thing about ratatouille is that, in my opinion, you can't really overcook it. It's one of those dishes that can sit around and be reheated over and over, and just get better with each serving. Top with fresh basil! If you've made the amounts above, enjoy for days! Le yum yum!

* I use a pre-made Fresh Direct Provence Classic mix, which includes sea salt and black pepper, so I've not added any salt to the recipe. If you're using fresh Herbes de Provence or a mix without salt, add it with the Herbes de Provence, again, to taste.

Ali's Kitchen: Poule Au Pot

Bienvenue, mes choux! It's time for a foray into the French countryside with the classic poule au pot. Literally "chicken in a pot," this dish is parfait for Fall, and easy to make ahead for all-week eats. Allons-y! Here are the basics that will make at least 4-6 servings:

INGREDIENTS
4 pints of chicken stock (possibly more: enough to submerge the ingredients in a large, heavy pot)
2 leeks, just the whites and light-greens, halved crosswise and lengthwise (remember: leeks are dirtier than a teenage boy's imagination, so wash, wash, wash in all those little layers)
1 medium white onion, quartered
1 large turnip, peeled and quartered
2 parsnips, peeled and halved crosswise
2 carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt & pepper to taste (start with no salt if you're using canned stock/broth)
Bouquet Garni: 3 parsley springs, 1 large bay leaf, 3 springs of thyme (1-2 tsp dried), 1 celery stalk cut in half. Tie all this together with kitchen twine (or the parsley, if it's a little old and not so crisp), or just throw it in there, and strain the broth when you're serving later, so you don't end up munching on the parsley or bay leaf.
Approx. 8 chicken pieces, or 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch chunks

PREPARATION
1. In your large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boil your vegetables and Bouquet Garni for about 20 minutes, or until just slightly tender.





2. Add the chicken breasts, bring back to a boil, then reduce to a SIMMER (not boil, or the chicken will get tough), partially covered until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-10 minutes (this is obviously contingent on whether your chicken has bones, and/or how small the breast chunks are which you've cut; check doneness often so as not to overcook).

Serve in a shallow bowl with your favorite moisture-absorbing carbohydrate (for instance, a parbaked ciabatta loaf that needs to get out of your freezer before it's completely useless). Make sure everyone gets a little of everything in his or her bowl.

Le yum yum!

THIS RECIPE'S VERSATILITY MAKES IT GREAT!
* If you can't find "stock," just use broth.
* You can use whichever chicken parts you prefer. If using thighs, or parts from a whole chicken, boil these for about 10-20 minutes first, depending on their size, before you start cooking the veggies.
* The beauty of these particulary root vegetables is that they don't turn mushy like potatoes if you need to cook the chicken a little longer than you thought.
* If you don't have one big pot, you can cook your veggies in one pot and chicken in another, with a Bouquet Garni for each.



Steal a little of the vegetables' cooking liquid to add to the chicken's broth, for the parsnip, turnip and carrot flavor.
* You can prep the veggies ahead of time and cover, immersed in water:

This is particularly helpful if, say, your husband and his Playstation buddy are monopolizing the living room all afternoon and you are bored. Any excess water the veggies soak up during this time won't matter so much, since they're going to cook in liquid anyway.

* All ingredients and amounts are totally subjective. Need protein? Use more chicken. Veggie freak? Go hog wild. Don't like some of the root veggies listed below? Substitute others (just make sure to add them earlier or later in the cooking process, so they're not under or overcooked).

* You can use 1/2 to 1 chicken breast, and one of each vegetable type, and make this an easy dish for one. If you have to buy some of the veggies, like the leeks, carrots and celery, in bunches, you can refrigerate them and roast later in the week with sausage and mashed potatoes! Unfortunately, since you'll probably get way too much parsley to use before it goes bad, well...

Gives a whole new meaning to "Bouquet," doesn't it?

Post script: It is with much thanks that we bid adieu to our beloved Sony point-and-click and welcome to blogland our brand new Canon, hereafter christened Carlita Canon.

Hola.

Welcome, Carlita, and thanks to Tarot for being such a willing test subject for figuring out what the hell "aperture value" is.

Le meow meow.