King Cake

Last evening we went to a Super Bowl party at a friends house and I decided to make a traditional New Orleans sweet treat in honor of the Saints. A colleague of mine gets one of these sent to her every year from her brother who lives in New Orleans and I tried it for the first time last February and it was delicious so I am hopeful that mine lives up to those expectations.

King Cake

* 2 envelopes active dry yeast
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1-1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
* 1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
* 5 large egg yolks, at room temperature
* 4 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
* 4 cups confectioner's sugar
* 1 plastic king cake baby or a pecan half
* 5 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* Purple-, green-, and gold-tinted sugar sprinkles

Combine the yeast and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the melted butter and warm milk. Beat at low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer running, add the egg yolks, then beat for 1 minute at medium-low speed. Add the flour, salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest and beat until everything is incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forms a ball, and starts to climb up the dough hook. (If the dough is uncooperative in coming together, add a bit of warm water (110 degrees), a tablespoon at a time, until it does.)

Remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a bowl with the vegetable oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar. Blend by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your fingers, pat it out into a rectangle about 30 inches long and 6 inches wide.

Spread the filling lengthwise over the bottom half of the dough, then flip the top half of the dough over the filling. Seal the edges, pinching the dough together. Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Shape the dough into a ring and pinch the ends together so there isn't a seam. Insert the king cake baby or pecan half into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough.

Cover the ring with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush the top of the risen cake with 2 tablespoons of the milk. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the icing. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons milk, the lemon juice, and the remaining 3 cups confectioner's sugar in medium-size mixing bowl. Stir to blend well. With a rubber spatula, spread the icing evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals, alternating colors around the cake.

The cake is traditionally cut into 2-inch-thick slices with all the guests in attendance.

Emeril Lagasse

Pad Thai

For our weekly dinner exchange I wanted to try to make something less time consuming than previous dinners as I am also making a King Cake for a Super Bowl party we are attending this evening and the more time this pregnant lady stands in the kitchen, the more my body aches later in the day. Sigh. This delicious pad thai ended up taking the same amount of time as any other recipe but once I sampled, I decided it was definitely worth the time!

Sidenote--this recipe only called for tofu but since some of the men would prefer chicken, I added sliced chicken and cut the tofu into tiny slices so it would go unnoticed. If you like your tofu extra firm as we do--put it in the freezer overnight, let it defrost and squeeze the liquid out. You will end up with super firm tofu.


Vegetarian Pad Thai (doubled to serve our group of ten)

Ingredients
12 ounces dried flat rice noodles (1/4 inch wide; sometimes called pad Thai or banh pho)
3 tablespoons tamarind (from a pliable block) or substitute 3 T Worcestshire sauce and 1 T line juice)
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Sriracha (Southeast Asian chile sauce)
1 bunch scallions
4 large shallots or 1/2 large yellow onion
1 (14- to 16-ounce) package firm tofu
6 T peanut or vegetable oil
6 large eggs
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups bean sprouts (1/4 pound)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Cook noodles according to the instructions on the package.

Meanwhile, make sauce by soaking tamarind pulp in boiling-hot water in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Force mixture through a sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds and fibers OR mix the worcestshire and lime juice. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and Sriracha, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Cut scallions into 2-inch pieces. Halve pale green and white parts lengthwise.

Cut shallots crosswise into very thin slices with slicer.

Rinse tofu, then cut into 1-inch cubes and pat very dry.

Heat 1 T oil in wok over medium heat until hot, then fry half of shallots or onion over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Carefully strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Reserve shallot oil and spread fried shallots on paper towels. (Shallots will crisp as they cool.) Wipe wok clean.

Add 1-2 T oil to wok over high heat until hot. Fry tofu in 1 layer, gently turning occasionally, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer tofu to paper towels using a slotted spoon.

Lightly beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok over high heat until it shimmers. Add eggs and swirl to coat side of wok, then cook, stirring gently with a spatula, until cooked through. Break into chunks with spatula and transfer to a plate.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour in 2 tablespoons oil, then swirl to coat side of wok. Stir-fry scallions, garlic, and remaining uncooked shallots until softened, about 1 minute.

Add noodles and stir-fry over medium heat (use 2 spatulas if necessary) 3 minutes. Add tofu, chicken bean sprouts, and 1 1/2 cups sauce and simmer, turning noodles over to absorb sauce evenly, until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes.

Stir in additional sauce if desired, then stir in eggs and transfer to a large shallow serving dish.

Sprinkle pad Thai with peanuts and fried shallots and serve with lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, and Sriracha.

www.epicurious.com
Altered by Molly

Pumpkin Hummus--attempt #2

While the last batch of pumpkin hummus was good, it was not quite the same hummus I had enjoyed at Buckley's Tavern back in December. This weekend I gave it another try and while it came closer to the taste of what I am calling "the original" it was not quite exactly what I was looking for. Perhaps they cheated and added some heavy cream or half and half as their version tasted creamier than mine... My mission will continue!

Oh, and I used canned garbanzo beans which allowed me to skip the time consuming steps 1 and 2!


Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups dry garbanzo beans
* 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
* 5 fluid ounces lemon juice
* 1/6 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 cup tahini paste
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
* salt to taste

Directions

1. Place the garbanzo beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Or, bring the beans and water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse before using.
2. Place the soaked garbanzo beans into a large saucepan and cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the garbanzo beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Once cooked, refrigerate the beans and liquid until cold.
3. Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the beans and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid into a blender, and puree until a smooth paste forms. Add the pumpkin puree, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Cover and puree again until smooth. Use additional cooking liquid as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt.

Provencal Vegetable Soup

The weather has gotten colder here in the midwest and so we are still fortifying ourselves with my soups! Unfortunately our grocery did not have haricot verts (green beans) so I substituted 1/4 head of chopped green cabbage. This soup was chock full of vegetables and Mr. E. thoroughly devoured his first bowl so I think this may be my new "go-to" vegetable soup!

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
* 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
* 3 cups 1/2-inch-diced unpeeled boiling potatoes (1 pound)
* 3 cups 1/2-inch-diced carrots (1 pound)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3 quarts homemade chicken stock or canned broth
* 1 teaspoon saffron threads
* 1/2 pound haricots verts, ends removed and cut in 1/2
* 4 ounces spaghetti, broken in pieces
* 1 cup Pistou, recipe follows
* Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot, add the onions, and saute over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper and saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and saffron, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the haricots verts and spaghetti, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 more minutes.

To serve, whisk 1/4 cup of the pistou into the hot soup, then season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of your chicken stock, you may need to add up to another tablespoon of salt. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and more pistou.

Pistou:

4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
24 large basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup good olive oil

Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and puree. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube to make a paste. Pack into a container, pour a film of olive oil on top, and close the lid.

Yield: 1 cup


Garten, Ina. Barefoot Contessa in Paris, 2005

Golden Globes Party!

I LOVE the Golden Globes.... the only awards show that even compares is the Oscars and so we decided to have a small group of friends over for a Golden Globes Viewing Party. While the apparel for the evening tends more towards pajamas, we decided to create a menu mostly reminiscent of the Mad Men era... our favorite series of the year. So besides vodka tonics and dirty martinis, I decided to make a very Betty Draperesque coconut cake!

Coconut Cake

Ingredients
* 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
* 2 cups sugar
* 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
* 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 cup milk
* 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Frosting:


* 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
* 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
* 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa at Home, 2006.

Mixed Berry Pavlova

My favorite new cook is Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa courtesy of my mom who got me two of her cookbooks for Christmas. For bridge night last night I wanted to make something for dessert that was light in all definitions and sweet. These mixed berry pavlova was perfect! It did take quite a long time to actually bake in the oven but the prep time was about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 extra large egg whites at room temperature
pinch of kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Homemade sweetened whipped cream (recipe below)
1/2 pint strawberries
1/2 pint blueberries
1/2 pint raspberries
Triple Raspberry Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9 inch circle on the paper using a 9 inch plate as your guide.

Place the egg whites and salt in the Kitchenaid mixer bowl and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup of raspberry sauce, or enough to coat the berries lightly. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. Serve immediately in large scoops with extra raspberry sauce.

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat!

Triple Raspberry Sauce:

1 half-pint fresh raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup seedless raspberry jam (12-ounce jar) OR Darlene's homemade jam with seeds!
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur (we did not have this liquer so I skipped this step)

Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Garten, Ina. (2006) Barefoot Contessa at Home.

Stecca or small baquette in Italian

The pictures in the bread making book were too pretty to pass up.... I had to attempt these baquettes--our favorite was the olive baquette!

Ingredients:

3 c. bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp sugar
/14 dry active yeast
1.5 c water (55-65 degrees F)
1/4 c. EVOO
3/4 tsp coarse sea salt
Extra Flour for dusting
whole pitted olives (about 8-10)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, table salt, sugar and yeast. Add the water and using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, stick dough, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temp. until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, about 12-18 hours.
2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Fold the dough over itself two or three times and gently shape it into a somewhat flattened ball. Brush the surface of the dough with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the coarse salt.
3. Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust with wheat bran, cornmeal (my choice!) or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, duct the top lightlt with cormeal. Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1-2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it sit for about 15 minutes.
4. Half and hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the own to 500 degrees with a rack in the center Oil a 13x18x1 inch baking sheet.
5. Cut the dough into quarters and gently stretch each piece evenly into a stick shape appr. the length of the pan. Place on the pan, leaving at least 1 inch between the loaves. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining coarse salt.
5. Bake for 15-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes then use a spatula to transfer the stecca to rack to cool thoroughly.

NOTE: The stecca may become a bit soggy in just a few hours because of the salt on the surface--if that happens, reheat the loaves in the oven until crisp.

VARIATIONS:
Push 10 large pitted olies or 10 cherry tomator halves or 10 lightly crushed garlic cloves into each formed stecca. Brush each stecca with enough olive oil to create a thin coat on the surface of the dough. For the tomato stecca, top each tomato half with a very thin slice of garlic and a couple of fresh thyme leaves (it is winter here so anything fresh is nonexistent so I skipped this variation) and sprinkle with salt. SPrinkle the garlic stecca with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Do not salt the olive stecca--it is already salty from the olives. I also think another interesting addition would be sundried tomatoes only you would have to watch that they do not burn in the oven. Enjoy!

Lahey, Jim. My bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. 2009.