Hungering to Share

With a shaky hand, I wrote my first blog post three years ago. We were celebrating a friend’s birthday with an impromptu dinner party. I supplied the idea and the venue, and the celebrant’s friends came from near and far, bearing most of the ingredients of a great time. We were less focused on the menu and more excited about the memories. At the time, I didn’t dream the dialog would endure. I am grateful for this platform.

My pen is shaky three years later as I struggle to feel festive in this time of extreme hardship across southern Louisiana, yet a gathering of friends, old and new, can be restorative for all. As some of our communities go without water or electricity, as precious time is spent digging out and wiping up from this nightmare, as we reach out to our own who have lost everything, those of us who escaped unscathed can offer the table for gathering. We hunger to share. Food is our foundation, it connects us, especially in crisis when we need it most. 

If the no-holds-barred barbecue is no longer part of your weekend plan, you can still fire up something delicious and feed the hungry masses. Dishes that can be easily multiplied to feed a crowd, meals that don’t require hours over a hot stove or grill, or that don’t rely on precise refrigeration are perfect in this situation. 

I turn to pantry staples for simplicity, comfort, and sustenance. A hearty pasta dish with beans for protein and loads of colorful vegetables, farm-fresh or from the pantry, makes a delicious centerpiece of a communal table. A double recipe will feed a dozen or more, and leftovers make a tasty baked pasta. I’ll add a salad if fresh greens are available, or delegate this to a friend whose garden is flourishing. For a sweet ending, I’ll get the kids to make cookies. One of our favorites are Three Cookies in One, and they say I Love You in every bite. In times like these, the classic Beatles tune is a great reminder. “Oh I get by with a little help from my friends.” I wish you all a safe holiday!

Whole Wheat Penne with Black Beans and Vegetables

Adapted from the forthcoming collaborative cookbook from the American Heart Association and the West Virginia Farmer’s Market Association West Virginia Foods and Flavors, this recipe can be cooked on a campstove. It doubles or triples easily to feed a crowd, and is flexible -- substitute vegetables you have on hand or use canned if that’s what's handy. Leftovers, tossed with grated mozzarella and baked in a casserole, become a delicious vegetarian ‘baked ziti.’

Makes 6 servings

• 12 ounces 100% whole grain penne rigate
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium ears corn, cut off cob
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans,  rinsed and drained well

Prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking just until ‘al dente.’ Drain well and return to the pasta pot. While the pasta is cooking, combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, corn, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil and cook until the bell peppers, onions, and corn are cooked, but still firm. Remove from the heat. Add the cooked penne and the black beans. Serve immediately.

Three Cookies in One

From Counter Intelligence The Best of April’s Kitchen, these cookies are 1-- peanut butter 2 -- oatmeal 3 -- chocolate chip and always a hit. Deliver a plate of cookies to a friend for an instant pick-me-up.

Makes about 4 dozen

• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), slightly softened
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup PB powder*
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or peanuts

Heat the oven to 350. Cream the butter and peanut butter together and mix in the sugars and salt.   Mix well and add the eggs, vanilla, PB powder, cinnamon and baking soda, mixing to incorporate. Add the oats, chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts and stir to blend.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes until golden (for a chewier cookie) or 12 minutes for crunchy cookies. Cool on the sheets for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool. Store in airtight containers.

98 Days to chez Julia: Pralines and Brass Bands

“If music be the food of love, play on.”-- William Shakespeare

The MOST exciting thing happened while I was cooking outdoors at Capitol Market, Charleston, West Virginia’s year-round farm market (think San Francisco’s Ferry Building scaled down in a small town train depot). I got to practice my French, saying "Laissez les bon temps rouler," as the sugar, butter, and pecans bubbling on my cooktop perfumed the air. In the distance, a brass band was trumpeting a medley of classic horn tunes, concluding with what felt like a serenade of When the Saints Go Marching In. Was I dreaming? A full house for the cooking demo on this bluebird day, perfected by a subtle breeze and the festive parade passing through. Let the good times roll!

Pralines 

A classic French sweet with an American twist. Recipe adapted from The New Orleans School of Cooking

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk (whole or 2%)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and pecans in a 4-quart saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, stir constantly and cook until syrup registers 240- on a candy thermometer* about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and add the salt. Continue stirring until the mixture turns from dark caramel to creamy to cloudy (use a wooden spoon as metal will get untouchably hot)

Drop spoonfuls of the praline syrup onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, working quickly before the mixture sets up in the saucepan. Let the pralines cool and harden for 10 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container layered between sheets of wax paper.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen, depending on the size

Countdown to chez Julia: 99 Days to Go--let them eat cake!

“The way to entice people into cooking is to cook delicious things.”--Yotam Ottolenghi

Here is a condensed version of an actual conversation between a couple of savvy preschoolers, as told to me by a friend:  One child announces “My family is counting calories and carbs,” and her pint-sized playmate answers, “my family doesn’t count calories OR carbs.  We count chemicals.”

I gasped when I heard this.  It’s so exciting to know that kids are talking about what’s in their food.  The lightbulb is on and these dialogs are happening in preschool circles and hopefully around the kitchen table. Mindfulness of caloric intake is a necessity of life, but the quality and source of those calories is what really matters.  In this age of speed eating and ‘get thin quick’ shakes and such, we have lost sight of cooking real food with fresh ingredients.

Everywhere we turn, packaged food is available touting claims of ‘light’ or ‘low carb’ yet their labels reveal tons of unpronounceable ingredients, or in other words, chemicals. You can grab something off the grocery shelf or spend some quality time in the kitchen baking something really satisfying. If you don’t fancy yourself a baker, or absolutely run in fear of cooking from scratch, you MUST make this fabulous cake.

I discovered this recipe a few years back while thumbing through a Bon Appetit magazine.  In the description it is reported to be ‘the first dessert French children learn to make.”  I suggested that my daughter make it and she whipped it together effortlessly.  It has been a staple ever since.

You start with basic baking pantry ingredients and add yogurt which gives the cake a delicate richness.  Lemon zest makes it tangy, and the technique of first blending granulated sugar with the lemon zest helps extract the flavorful oils, giving a pronounced lemon note.  The mixing is totally uncomplicated--all you need is a whisk.

Let them eat cake! Have a baking party -- the kids can take their creations home in a festive paper 

Before you know it, the silky batter is ready for the oven and suddenly the whole house is filled with the delicious aroma of homemade cake.  No unpronounceable ingredients, just enticing goodness. Invite the neighborhood kids over for a little baking session, they will be hooked.

FRENCH YOGURT CAKE

It has been reported that this is the first recipe that children in France learn to make.  It’s that easy and equally delicious! Cardboard loaf pans from the cake decorating section work well and make this a perfect cooking party activity.

• butter for the pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a standard (8 1/2x4 1/4") loaf pan with with a smear of soft butter. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 

Using your fingers, rub the sugar with the lemon zest in a large bowl to release the flavorful lemon oil. Add the Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Stir in the flour mixture just to blend. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack; let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature

Double the recipe to make a bundt cake for a crowd!  I like to use half butter in the double recipe--barely melt the butter and add with the oil

Wedding Shortbread

The butter’s perfume still envelopes me even though my bake-a-thon was months ago. Seven pounds of butter, proportionally blended with flour, rice flour, superfine sugar and a hefty pinch of coarse salt, transformed into 400 shortbread cookies. 

Looking at the photos transports me back to the kitchen and the aroma from the dough clinging to my hands, then wafting its sweet scent from the oven. I can hear the laughter and chatter and the playlist provided by my baking partner.

My niece Lauren was getting married and I hesitantly offered to make the cake. Thank goodness she already had that covered! Smart girl knew to leave the cake decorating to the experts. Instead, we decided on cookies. Two per person, wrapped and ribboned, as party favors. 

I commandeered my sister’s Florida kitchen and convinced my daughter Sara to skip the beach and join me in the baking fun. Six hours later, every surface of the kitchen was decorated with delicate cookies.

It took us a while to hit our stride, but before long, we developed a method to our madness. I made the dough, slicing four sticks of cool butter, tossing it with the dry ingredients, then mixing in the KitchenAid mixer on low. It turned from butter and flour into an elegant dough in minutes.

I scraped the dough onto a big sheet of parchment, passed it to Sara, then mixed another batch. Then another, and so on. Sara rolled the dough into balls and dipped them in sugar, then pressed with a custom stamp with a three-letter monogram that the bride had ordered. Then into the oven, set the timer and press ahead. Periodically, Sara would stretch her arms to relieve her burning deltoids. 

We managed numerous math problems, hoping that we had the right equation to get our cookie count finished so we could clock out of the kitchen in time for an airport run. “Don’t forget to account for a burned pan,” Sara taunted. It’s inevitable, the pan of burnt cookies. Miraculously, not a single cookie burned. Our choreography finally measured up.

While we focused on our baking project, we wove in stories and wondered who would be the next to get married. Sara helped with some out-loud editing of my book (so nice having an editor in the family!), and we raised our lemonade glasses to my sister Lisa who is the Shortbread Queen.

Love and laughter in the kitchen, plus a little slapstick comedy made for the perfect way to start the celebration of the big family wedding. Every little flashback to this bake-a-thon puts a smile on my face and I’m surrounded with the sweet fragrance of butter.

Scotch Shortbread

My sister Lisa started the tradition of making shortbread for weddings and she reluctantly shared her secret recipe with me. It originated from Lisa’s friend’s Scottish aunt. This is my interpretation of Aunt Agnes’s classic recipe. This recipe can easily be halved for a quick baking project when the shortbread craving strikes.

Makes about 5 dozen

• 4 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup superfine sugar*
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (I love JQ Dickinson Salt)
• 1 pound cold unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
• Additional sugar for baking the cookies

Combine the flour, rice flour, superfine sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl (preferably for an electric stand mixer) and toss in the butter slices. Mix on low speed until a dough forms, scraping bowl as needed.

Heat oven to 325. Shape the dough into balls the size of walnuts and dip in sugar. Place the balls about one inch apart on parchment lined baking sheets (do not use dark sheets which will cause the cookies to burn). Press each sugared dough ball with a cookie stamp.

Bake each sheet until cookies are light golden, about 18-20 minutes, rotating the sheets after 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Cool the cookies on a rack before packaging.

*if superfine sugar is not available, you can make your own. Blend 3/4cup granulated sugar in a blender on high speed for a minute or so, until the sugar is very fine. This will make 1 cup of superfine sugar.

Custom cookie stamps can be ordered from cookiestamp.com

Pastel de Tres Leches

Dreaming of jack-o-lanterns and sugar skulls, my mind is on holiday baking. Life’s pace of late has been unsustainable, so I’m off to the kitchen for some slow-down therapy. I’ve always been intrigued by the traditional fiesta cake “pastel de tres leches” and decided to give it a whirl for my daughter’s Spanish class Day of the Dead party. After poring over page after page of recipes, I settled on one from Pati Jinich of Pati’s Mexican Table. I’ve heard Pati on The Splendid Table radio show and each time I want to stop what I’m doing and dive into the kitchen with her. Here goes!

The cake is a magical blend of fluffy egg whites and creamy whipped yolks, sweetened with sugar and a good glug of vanilla, then folded with flour and baked.

The true alchemy occurs when the cake comes out of the oven. You pierce the cake all over with a fork and infuse it with a mixture of 3 milks--whole, evaporated, and sweetened condensed. I took a chance on caramelizing my sweetened condensed milk, a fascinating conversion that happens when you gently boil the unopened can in a pot of water.

The tasters responded with cheers of the highest praise: “It tastes like flan-cake!” Whether you’re celebrating The Day of the Dead or just need some down time in the kitchen, you’ll wow your tasting panel with this festive cake, perfect for any occasion.

Pastel de Tres Leches

adapted from Pati’s Mexican Table

For the cake:

• 9 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached flour

For the leche syrup:

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, preferably caramelized (see recipe below)
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 11/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

HEAT the oven to 350. Buttera 13 x 9-inch baking pan and line the bottom with a piece of buttered parchment paper.

WHIP the egg whites on medium speed with a stand mixer until they are foamy. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip in the sugar one tablespoon at a time while the mixer is running. Continue beating until the whites hold stiff peaks, about 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer the whipped whites to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

POUR the egg yolks into the bowl for the stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until thick and pale gold in color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla to combine. Fold the beaten yolks into the egg whites.

SPRINKLE the flour over the egg mixture and fold gently to combine, scraping with a spatula so that the flour is well mixed. Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden-tan and puffy, and a toothpick comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges of the cake with a blunt knife.

TURN the cake out onto the cooling rack, remove the parchment, then invert the cake onto a large serving platter. Place strips of parchment paper around the perimeter of the cake, tucking them just beneath the cake’s edges. Poke the cake all over with a fork (I used a wide-tonged serving fork to make large-ish holes)--the top of the cake will look like a sponge.

MIX the leche syrup ingredients together in a large bowl or quart-sized Pyrex pitcher (you can do this while the cake is baking. If using caramelized sweetened condensed milk, you will need to whisk it well to get a smooth sauce). Drizzle the leche syrup evenly over the cake.

WHIP the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy and spread over the top of the cake and chill for one hour. Cut into squares and serve.

Muchas gracias to Pati for this recipe!

If you want to caramelize your can of sweetened condensed milk, remove the label from the can and place the unopened can on its side in a pot of water, covering the can with an additional inch or so of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to keep the water at a low boil. Cover the pot and cook for 3 hours, making sure the water level stays above the can.

Using tongs, remove the can from the water and let cool before opening carefully. You will have a thick, golden caramel.

I got hooked on this when my aunt came for a visit when I was tiny. She made this, and we watched in amazement as she opened up the can of milk to reveal caramel sauce. She spooned it over vanilla ice cream topped with fresh pineapple and a sprinkle of dried currants. Such a fun food flashback!

Chocolate Mousse in Minutes

“Five!!” my daughter Reilly exclaimed as she set our patio table for dinner on a recent late-summer evening. Five! I shared her glee. Since early January, we had dined without our fifth family member, Sara, and at last she was home. Five. Tink the glasses, give thanks and dig in. Family dinner. For two short weeks, the table was set for five. We all embraced our tradition of dining together, savoring the bounty of the season and catching up. Two short weeks and off she went, back to her beckoning college, to the land of infinite knowledge and new best friends. But mostly a kitchen-less place.  

While Sara was home she delighted in every cooking project possible, planned menus and did the shopping. She even invited friends into the mix for late night kitchen sessions. I can still hear their laughter. During her last seemingly endless semester away, she worked as an intern for Food52, the amazing recipe and happy cook website. She had mastered her way around the site and had curated a page of her favorite recipes. “Mom! Have you ever made 2-ingredient chocolate mousse?! We have to make it!” And off she went melting dark chocolate–first ingredient–with water–second ingredient, then whisking the luscious liquid into a velvety mousse. Tada! We tasted the ethereal creation and tapped our spoons together. Sublime comfort. She piped it into 6 small ramekins which we all enjoyed at her until-next-time dinner. The last ‘five’ until Thanksgiving. A week later, after moving Reilly into her freshman dorm, my heart ached. Two gone. Wiping away tears, I was poking around the fridge and way at the back, I discovered a tiny treasure. The last dish of mousse. I plunged my spoon into it, closed my eyes, and quietly savored each soothing spoonful. Suddenly we were five again and my sadness lifted. Chocolate therapy.

With tremendous gratitude to the team at Food52 for this life-changing recipe.

2-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

makes 6 servings

• 3/4 cup water
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I love Holl's)

HEAT water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

WHISK in the chocolate until mixture looks like chocolate sauce.

PLACE the saucepan in a large bowl half-filled with ice cubes.

WHISK the mixture until cool and thickened--it will hold the shape of the whisk.

PIPE or spoon into small dishes.

SERVE immediately, or chill to enjoy later.

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Seasonal Fruit Crostata

“It’s a brayer!” Judy sang as she saw the dessert tools  on display at the crostata station. A polymer clay artist, Judy sculpted the buttery dough as if she were in her artist’s studio. Each little tart became an edible jewel, studded with black diamonds

The sweet finale, complete with a scoop of Ellen’s Homemade zabaglione gelato. Team Tamarack, thank you for crafting with us in the kitchen!

Seasonal Fruit Crostata

Make these  with apples in the Fall, or fresh cranberries or red-skin pear in the Winter. Fresh berries or stone fruits, such as peaches, plums, or nectarines make lovely Summer crostata

• 1 recipe crostata dough (recipe below, divided for 12 individual tarts)
• 1/4 cup unbleached flour, for rolling the dough
• 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided use
• 4 fresh pears, thinly sliced off the core, divided into 8 equal portions
• 1/4 cup currants, soaked in 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1 Tablespoon milk

SPRINKLE a clean work surface with flour, and gently pat each dough disk into the flour to lightly coat.

WORKING with half of the dough, roll out each dough disk into a 5-inch circle and transfer each to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

SPRINKLE each circle of dough with 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

REPEAT with remaining dough, keeping one sheet chilled while you work with the first.

WORKING with one sheet of dough circles at a time, lay one portion of pear slices in the center of each dough circle, leaving a 1-inch border.

MOUND any extra fruit just slightly in center.

FOLD plain edge of crust up to partially enclose pears, leaving fruit exposed in center.

PINCH dough edge to seal any cracks. Dough will drape gently over fruit, with creases or folds every few inches enclosing the fruit around the edges.

REPEAT until all tarts are formed. Sprinkle the top of each tart with a few currants.

CHILL tarts for up to several hours before baking, or bake immediately.

PREHEAT oven to 425-

BRUSH crust with milk and sprinkle top of fruit and dough with remaining sugar.

BAKE crostatas until crust is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, 20-25 minutes.

REMOVE from oven. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes.  

SERVE warm.

Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand on sheet at room temperature. Rewarm in 425°F oven 5 minutes before serving.

Note: Recipe can easily be halved. Freeze remaining wrapped dough disks in a freezer zip-top bag.

Crostata Dough

A food processor makes light work of this pastry. If you don’t have a food processor, the dough can be mixed by hand.  Recipe adapted from Cucina Simpatica by Johanne Kelleen and George Germon

• ½ pound cold unsalted butter, cut  into ½ inch cubes and kept cold
• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt
• ¼ cup ice cold water

PLACE the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine.

ADD the cold butter cubes to the processor, carefully tossing with a spatula to coat each butter cube with flour (This prevents the butter cubes from sticking together and helps them combine more evenly with the flour).

PULSE 12 times, or until the butter particles are the size of small peas.

REMOVE the lid and drizzle the water evenly over the flour-butter mixture.

PROCESS for about 10 seconds, stopping the machine before the dough becomes a solid mass.

If the dough seems dry and crumbly, add a few sprinkles of cold water and pulse again.

TURN the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, pressing any loose particles into the mass of dough.

DIVIDE into 12 equal pieces for individual tarts.

FORM each piece of dough into a disk and wrap in parchment or plastic wrap.

CHILL for at least one hour. The dough may be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks.