Hide the cheese

Perfectly Soft-Boiled Eggs, Take 2

Remember that post I did about making perfecly soft-boiled eggs?

Ignore it.

Something wonderful happened, you see, and now I have a new favorite, fool-proof way of making soft-boiled eggs.

One of you, kind readers, left me a comment, explaining your mother's way of making soft-boiled eggs. It is super simple and it works every time. And, best of all, it doesn't require much attention at all. Just plunk those eggs in a pot full of water, turn a timer and that's it. I just had to share.

So, thank you, Livy, for reading and for sharing this tip. And thanks to your mom, too!

Perfectly Soft-Boiled Eggs, Take 2

In Livy's comments, she notes that gas stoves seem to cook more quickly than electric and she removes the egg 30 seconds sooner when cooking with gas. I have gas and 10 minutes has worked on my stove. The edge of the yolk is firm but the center is still soft. Given the variety in stoves and personal preferences, though, it may take a bit of fiddling with the exact timing to get the perfect egg.

Fill a pot with cold water.

Add the egg(s)s and place the pot, uncovered, on a burner over high heat. Start a timer for 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, remove the pot from the heat, drain the water, and fill the pot again with cold water. Let the eggs sit for 30 seconds or so until they are cool enough to handle. Put in the egg in an egg cup and serve.

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The Flu, Good Books, and Ginger-Baked Apples

We have been felled by the flu. I woke up Wednesday morning, went for my early morning walk, showered, and crawled back into bed. And that is where I stayed for the next three days. Olivia followed a day after me, and Chloe the day after that. Somehow the boys have stayed healthy, and as their reward they have gotten to take care of the rest of us.

I'll spare you the details of the down side; I'm sure you have had the opportunity to experience those for yourselves. Surprisingly, though, there have been some up sides. Usually I'm just sick enough to feel miserable and go to bed early, but I'm still shuffling around trying to work and get things done. Having everything grind to a halt has its benefits.

I have enjoyed my times snuggling in bed with Chloe and Olivia and, even though we haven't been healthy, we have had time to talk and giggle.

Gabe and Oscar have been very sweet, preparing and bringing us food and drink, running errands, keeping the day-to-day chores like dishes and laundry under control, and continually checking on us to see how we are doing.

There has also been a certain snow day-like quality to our sick days, too. Our activity has slowed down considerably and we aren't rushing to go anywhere or to do anything. We're staying close to home, focusing on our basic needs, very much in the present, just being, rather than doing.

Finally, I have done more reading in the last 5 days than I have done in a long time. It has been such a pleasure to get lost again and again in the pull of a good book. I'd love to tell you that it was all very highbrow, but sick bed reading should have its own section in the book store. Here's the recap:

- City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - Continuing my indulgence in teen fiction, er, I mean, my efforts to keep on top of what my 11-year old daughter is reading, this is first of the Mortal Instruments series. There were so many werewolves, fairies, vampires, etc., mixed in among the Shadowhunters that I had a bit of difficulty keeping track, but it was definitely a page turner. Maybe I'll do better when I'm reading without a fever. I'd recommend it to others who enjoyed The Hunger Games, Twilight, or Divergent.

- Two Kinsey Millhone Mysteries by Sue Grafton, "A" is for Alibi and V is for Vengeance. I have read some of the other books in this series, but not nearly all of them. It was fun to read the first and most recent books back to back, written nearly 30 years apart. There were some obvious differences (author's picture, loss of quotes in the title, increasing plot complexity) but both were thoroughly enjoyable and fast moving.

- One Year Off by David Elliot Cohen - The subtitle gives a good summary, "Leaving It All Behind for a Round-the-World Journey with Our Children." I would love to take a year off and travel around the world as a family, but the practical side of preparation and financing are a bit daunting. This book definitely has me thinking.

- The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner - Oscar has been recommending this Newberry winner to me for some time. I'm only about halfway through it, but I'm loving the tale of a smart-alec thief who is pulled out of jail by the king's men to steal a precious stone for him.

- The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick - We read this to the children when the book first came out and, with its compelling story about a boy who winds the clocks in a Paris train station and its beautiful illustrations, it ranks as one of my all-time favorites. The children didn't remember it very well, so I wanted to read it again before we see the movie (and to get a sense of whether the movie will be too sad or scary for our sensitive Chloe).

What have you been reading?

Now we are slowly crawling out from under that flu. Our only excursions over the weekend were to see productions by Lumina Studio Theater (the first Act was an adaptation of Trolius and Cressida; the second, an adaptation of Measure for Measure) and the Washington Revels (the music was from Andalusia and the production was my favorite of the shows we have seen).

And we are tentatively making our way back into the world of food again. So far, it's been mostly soups and bland fare, toast, rice, but I'm almost ready to venture beyond that a bit.

If I had an oven, I'd bake some apples as a perfect little treat, or even as an antidote to the riches of the one-two punch of Halloween and Thanksgiving. The technique for baking these apples came from Gourmet, and the result is a baked apple that is still firm and holds its shape, rather than one that melts after being cooked. There is certainly room in this world for both types, but right now I am loving this firmer, chewier texture.

The first time I made these, I used too much ginger (a tablespoon) and the flavor was too strong, especially for the kiddies. I cut the amount back, and this achieves a better balance. Together, the lemon and ginger add a punch of freshness.

They'd be the perfect to serve alongside a good book.

Second Helping: Airy Apple Cake
Thirds: Caldo Verde (Portugese Potato and Kale Soup)

Ginger-Baked Apples

These apples are a simple, delicious dessert as they are, but if you'd like to fancy them up, a dollop of creme frâiche or ice cream on top would do the trick.

Adapted from Gourmet
Serves 6
30 minutes preparation time
45 minutes cooking time

6 medium-sized medium tart apples, such as Ida Reds, Fuji, or Honeycrisp
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Peel the apples and, leaving the apple intact, remove the core with a sharp knife or apple corer. This is a bit tricky without a corer. I found it easiest to slice the core out from one end, then flip the apple over and do the other end. Any little bits of core that remain in the center can be filed away afterwards with the knife, too.

Cut the apples across (latitudinally) into 1/4-inch slices and reform them into whole apples. Brush them with lemon juice.

In a small bowl, whisk together any remaining lemon juice with the lemon zest, ginger, sugar, and vanilla. Divide the mixture evenly among the apples, pouring a bit into the cavity of each apple.

Bake for 25 minutes, removing the apples to baste them with the pan juices two or three times during the cooking process. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake, continuing to baste frequently, until the apples are tender and the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes more.

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Soft Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Sour Cream

Over time, we've developed a yen for soft scrambled eggs, eggs that are cooked just until the yolks and whites are fully cooked, but no longer. Perfectly done, they are tender and moist and not the least bit dry. Our trip to Paris, during which we had the most excellent scrambled eggs, sealed the deal for us.

Even though eggs are the most basic of foods, I find cooking them perfectly to be a challenge. When Olivia and ate brunch at Prune on our trip to New York, the eggs were perfect. My omelet was cooked completely and the outside was firm but not at all dry while the inside was still a bit runny. And Olivia's scrambled eggs were perfectly soft. I was impressed and renewed my determination to master the art of the perfect egg. First up, the soft scramble.

The key, Gabe read in Julia Child's My Life in France, is not to heat the pan too hot. Also, keep stirring them while they cook and remove them from the heat before they are completely cooked because they will continue to cook even after the pan is off the heat.

We often eat our scrambled eggs plain, but from time to time we also throw in extras like a bit of cheese, scallions, pesto, whatever is on hand. One of my favorite combinations is herbs and sour cream. A perfect little breakfast, right at home.

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Sour Cream

Serves 6
15-20 minutes preparation and cooking time

2 tablespoons butter
1 dozen eggs
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, basil, tarragon, and/or thyme, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream

Heat a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and swirl it around until it melts and completely coats the sides and bottom of the pan.

Add the eggs all at once. If the pan is the right temperature, there won't be any sizzle when the eggs hit the pan. Stir immediately with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook the eggs over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until they are almost completely cooked but are still shiny and moist. Remove them from the heat before they are completely cooked, because they will continue to cook in the hot pan. Add the herbs and tomatoes and stir again.

Serve immediately onto warmed plates and top each serving with a dollop of sour cream.

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Cooking with Mother Goose: Classic Apple Pie

Cooking with Mother Goose: A series of occasional posts inspired by children's stories and rhymes.


Simple Simon   

Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair;
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
Let me taste your ware.

Said the pieman to Simple Simon,
Show me first your penny;
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
Indeed I have not any.

Simple Simon went a-fishing,
For to catch a whale;
All the water he had got,
Was in his mother's pail.

Simple Simon went to look
If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle

I only remember the first verse of Simple Simon, but I think of it whenever I make a pie. It also reminds me of our friend Simon, although it is not the most favorable portrayal of a Simon, is it? Maybe someday we can write a new version in which Simon has a bit more fun. (Here's the Three Stooges' riff on it).

When I realized that I had never posted an apple pie recipe on this site, I knew I had to remedy that immediately. I use this site myself as an electronic database of our favorite recipes, and now that it's apple season, I know I will need an apple pie recipe again and again.

This recipe is just a simple pie recipe, but I tried to achieve the right balance of flavors, adding a bit of lemon and cardamom to go along with the more traditional spices. The lemony twist in the filling brightens up the apple flavor. The cardamom adds a bit of tang, too, although it also has an earthiness that complements the cinnamon and nutmeg. The filling was so good that I had to stop myself from eating it before I baked it into the pie.

So here's a simple apple pie recipe for Simple Simon, or anyone else who loves apple pie.

Second Helping: Triple Ginger Zucchini Bread
Thirds: Chunky Apple Muffins

Classic Apple Pie

Serves 8-10
Appriximately 60 minutes preparation time
60 minutes baking time

1 recipe basic pie crust
6 large apples (about 3 1/2 pounds), preferably a mix of varieties such as Honeycrisp, Granny
    Smith, and Jonagold, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Make the dough according to the recipe and put it in the refrigerator to chill.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss the apples in a bowl with the cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, 1/2 cup sugar, and flour. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix thoroughly.

After the dough has chilled, roll out the larger piece of dough and transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Scoop the apples into the crust, leaving behind any liquid.

Roll out the second piece of dough until it is about 10 inches in diameter and transfer it onto the top of the apple filling. Trim the edge of the crust to even it out, if necessary.  Fold the edges under and crimp the top and bottom crust together. Cut a few slits into the top crust. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the top of the pie. 

Bake the pie on the bottom rack of the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for about 50 minutes longer, until the crust is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling.  If the crust begins to brown too quickly, tent a piece of foil over the top.

Let the pie cool for at least an hour to let it set.

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Cooking with Mother Goose: Homemade Apple Sauce

Cooking with Mother Goose: A series of occasional posts inspired by children's stories and rhymes -  just one more way for me to hook the children into the kitchen.

For Baby
You shall have an apple
You shall have a plum
You shall have a rattle
When papa comes home.

Okay, this isn't as much a recipe as a plea. And I've thrown in a technique for good measure. If you have never made your own applesauce at home, you have to try it. It tastes so much better than the commercial variety, and it is incredibly easy. There are lots of different approaches. Some people peel the apples in advance, others use a food mill at the end to separate out the peel once it is cooked.

But my method is the easiest of all. You don't even need to peel the apples. Just quarter and seed them and cook them. When they are soft but while they are still hot, run them through a food processor. That's it! The sauce will become a lovely, smooth purée. You will see a few flecks of peel, but they will be so tiny and soft that they will not impair the consistency at all. And leaving the peels on during cooking gives the applesauce a lovely color. For these pictures, I used Empire apples, grown by my uncle in upstate New York. I love the rosy tint the apple sauce gets from their skins.

And this time of year, when some of those farmers' market apples are beginning to look a bit tired, apple sauce is a delicious way to get some fruit into the diet, while still eating seasonally and locally. Our children are pretty tired of apples at this point in the year, but they still see apple sauce as a treat. So please, please, please, head to the closest farmers' market, buy yourself a bunch of apples (seconds will do if they have any) and make some applesauce. Baby -- and the rest of you -- can lap it up, even before Papa gets home.

Homemade Apple Sauce

There really are no precise proportions needed here. If I am canning the apple sauce and want to make sure they have enough acid, I usually add about a teaspoon of lemon juice per quart. More detailed instructions  for canning are here (although they do not add lemon juice). I don't add sugar because I find that the apple sauce is sweet enough as is, but a pear or two thrown into the mix is delicious.

a mix of varieties of sweet apples, washed, cut into quarters, and cored (peels still on)
1 or more cinnamon sticks

Put the apples and cinnamon stick(s) in a large heavy stock pot. Add a splash of water to keep the apples from burning before they release their own liquid. Cover the pot and bring the apples to a simmer over medium-low heat.

When they are very soft, but while they are still hot, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and run them through a food processor. It is important to do this while the apples are still very hot because it will give them a smoother consistency. Purée until smooth.

If you have apple juice left over, you can add it to the sauce for a thinner consistency, or drink it. Serve the apple sauce warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Warm apple sauce is especially tasty over vanilla ice cream or with gingersnaps.

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Homemade Butter

If you have not made homemade butter before, it's a treat.  Our children enjoy the shaking but even more they enjoy watching the transformation from liquid to solid.  While we shake we chant this song that we learned at Acorn Hill, inserting the name of the next person that will receive the jar:

Come, butter, come
Come, butter, come
[Name] is at the garden gate
Waiting for a butter cake
Come, butter, come
Come, butter, come.

It has the perfect rhythm for the shaking process. 

 
This recipe makes a basic salted butter.  You can modify it in many ways, including adding honey, fresh herbs, or cinnamon and sugar.  When you make this, save the buttermilk.  I have a great recipe using buttermilk that I will post soon.

Second Helping: Kale Chips

Homemade Butter

Makes about 1 cup of butter and 3/4 cup buttermilk
about 15 minutes shaking time

1 pint heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 clean marbles

Put all the ingredients in a jar and shake.  Pass the jar around to anyone who is willing to help, preferably while singing or chanting the rhyme above.  If children are involved, it is likely that they will lose interest before the butter is done and you will get a bit of a workout. 

At some point the butter will become the texture of whipped cream and seem difficult to shake, but persevere.  The butter is done when it has become solid and separated completely from the buttermilk.  Pour the buttermilk into a jar and save it for future use.  Remove the marbles and scoop the butter into your vessel of choice.

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Chocolate Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

I love making homemade cake, but it is so disappointing to make a cake and then realize that a cake mix would have been better.  I have made cakes that are too dry, too wet, too crumbly, not sweet enough, you name it.  And those box mix cakes have gotten better over the years, so it's not that easy to stay a step ahead.

But when we made this chocolate sheet cake from America's Test Kitchen, we knew we had a winner.  Everyone needs a perfect, chocolate cake recipe in their repertoire, and this is ours.  It has a nice crumb and a deep chocolatey flavor.  We have used it for numerous birthday cakes, and it is dense enough to hold up to a bit of rearranging if you have a request for, say, a wizard's hat cake.

 
If you do cut and reshape it, I highly recommend that you first pop it into the freezer for about half an hour.  This firms the edges up just enough to make the cutting and frosting easier and fewer crumbs end up working their way into the final product. 

The frosting that I have made to accompany this cake is Gourmet's Brown Sugar Buttercream frosting.  Yes, yes, it involves a candy thermometer, a stream of hot sugar syrup, and an obscene amount of butter, but it is worth it.  Every bite.  And for me one of the thrills of cooking is that there is always a new challenge to conquer.  Consider it extreme cooking. 

As you might imagine, the frosting is rich and buttery as a good buttercream should be, and the brown sugar gives it a caramel flavor.  I have used the frosting on chocolate and vanilla cakes and it pairs well with either.  Despite the dark brown sugar, the frosting is also light enough in color that it can be tinted to suit your child's whim.

Second Helping (from the archives):  Vanilla Bean Pudding

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

The cake can be  wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.  The frosting will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for 1 month.  Before using it, bring it to room temperature and beat it with a mixer until it is smooth again (the butter may separate a bit over time).

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen and Gourmet
Serves 10 to 12
30 minutes preparation time for cake
40 minutes baking time for cake
1 hour preparation time for frosting

For the cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
3/4 cup cocoa, preferably Dutch processed
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

for the frosting:
3 large egg whites, left at room temperature for 30 minutes
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 10 or so pieces and softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

First, make the cake.  Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Generously butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.

In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate.  Set aside to cool slightly.  In a small bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a separate, larger bowl.  Whisk the buttermilk into the egg-sugar mixture and mix until smooth. 

Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg-sugar bowl, stirring until it is well incorporated.  Mix in the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth and glossy.  Pour the batter into the pan and smooth it evenly across the top of the pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.  (If you want to make this cake as a layer cake, it takes about 35 minutes for 2 9-inch round layers to cook).  Cool the cake in the pan for about an hour, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool it completely before spreading on the frosting. 

While the cake is cooling, make the frosting.  Mix the egg whites and salt together in the bowl of a mixer.

Combine the brown sugar and water in a small pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.  As the syrup bubbles onto the sides of the pot, occasionally brush it down with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. 

When the syrup begins to boil, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed.  When the whites begin to get frothy, add the lemon juice.  Turn the mixer down to medium and beat the egg whites until they just form soft peaks.  Let the whites rest until the syrup is ready.

While the whites are mixing, the sugar syrup should be bubbling away.  Boil it until it reaches 238 to 242 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Immediately pour the syrup into a heat-proof measuring cup. 

Begin beating the egg whites again, this time on high speed.  Slowly add the sugar syrup by pouring it down the side of the bowl.  Continue beating the mixture, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until it is cool to the touch, 6 to 8 minutes.  As tempted as you may be, it is important not to skimp on this step or the butter will not mix into the meringue properly. 

Turn the mixture down to medium and add the butter one piece at a time, mixing until the butter incorporates completely after each addition.  If the mixture looks soupy after adding a few pieces of butter, the meringue is likely not cool enough.  Place the mixing bowl into a larger bowl of ice water for about a minute to cool it, then begin mixing and adding the butter again. 

At some point while adding the butter, the mixture will begin to look curdled and you will think you have made a terrible mistake.  But forge ahead.  By the time all of the butter has been added the mixture will become cohesive again.  Add the vanilla and mix for another minute or two.  Add coloring, if desired, and spread onto the cake.

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Semolina Pizza Crust

 
Friday night has become homemade pizza night at our house.  Maybe it has something to do with the weather turning colder, but on Fridays after a long week, we all burrow in, crank up the oven, and eat to our hearts' content.  It has become a very relaxing, enjoyable family night. 

For me, the key to a good pizza is a good crust.  I prefer a thin, crisp crust, more like an authentic pie from Naples than what you get from your typical American pizza parlor.  It's tough to recreate that without a wood-fired, 700-degree oven, but this dough makes me very happy.  The recipe is adapted from Biba Caggiano's Trattoria Cooking, which I have written about before here.  I love it because the recipes are simple but delicious.  The cookbook has become one that I trust completely and turn to again and again.

By now, we just quote the cookbook as if Caggiano were a family member, "Biba says. . . "  Well, Biba says that semolina flour can be used in place of some or all of the all-purpose flour.  I find that using half semolina flour gives the dough a fantastic texture and flavor.  Of course, if you don't have or can't find semolina flour, you can use all all-purpose flour instead.

 
If you like a thin crisp crust, too, there are a couple of things that you can try.  First, roll the dough as thin as possible.  The thinner the dough, the crisper the crust will be.  I try to roll it as big as my pizza stone, which is round and about 16 inches in diameter.  I also find that using a pizza stone or tiles helps crisp up the crust because it allows the cooking surface to hold the heat.  Preheat the pizza stone in the oven for about half an hour before you are ready to use it.  That way when you put the dough on it, it begins cooking from the bottom up immediately.  I know that some cooks advocate cooking the crust before adding the toppings, but with this recipe I haven't found that to make a difference, so I don't bother.

 
When we roll out the dough, we don't worry about getting it round.  We just let the shape form as we roll it.  This makes for some fun, irregular shapes.  We even had a heart the other night.

 
Lately we have been eating our pizza while we watch TV together.  We aren't much of a TV-watching household, but Gabe and I have gotten the kids hooked on Top Chef.  So we go from very little TV to foul-mouthed, competitive cooking.  I have a feeling that somewhere down the road the children will question my parenting judgment, but for now, we're having a blast.  We have recorded the last episode (no spoilers please!) and we'll watch it tonight as we munch our pizza.  And next week when Top Chef is over, I'm thinking family game night will be an excellent replacement.

To those of you celebrating Hanukkah, have a wonderful holiday!

Semolina Pizza Crust

Adapted from Biba Caggiano's Trattoria Cooking

Since the crust is so thin, it usually takes between two and three of these pizzas to fill all five of us up, although lately I have taken to making four of them so that we have lots leftover for weekend lunches.  The dough does not suffer with extra rising time.  It can be made the night before you want to cook it, for example.  You can pop it into the refrigerator in the morning after it has had a chance to rise or just leave it on the counter until the following evening when you are ready to cook it.

Makes 1 medium, thin crust pizza
15 minutes preparation time, plus 3 or more hours for the dough to rise
10-12 minutes cooking time, plus 30 minutes for preheating the oven and pizza stone

2 1/4 teaspoons (or 1 packet) active dry yeast
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup semolina flour or an additional 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Mix everything briefly with a wooden spoon until the wet ingredients are incorporated into the flour.  Then mix the dough by hand until everything is blended.  Turn the dough out onto a counter and knead it for 5 to 6 minutes.  The dough should be smooth and stretchy.  If it is sticky, add a bit more flour and knead it again for a minute or two.

Form the dough into a ball and put it in a large bowl.  Sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Set the dough aside to rise for three or more hours.  After three hours, the dough should have doubled and you should see small bubbles throughout.

About a half hour before you are ready to cook the pizza, put a pizza stone or baking tiles in the oven and preheat it to 500 degrees.  Let the stone heat for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the dough from the bowl and flatten it onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll it out with a rolling pin into whatever shape it takes.  Remove the pizza stone from the oven, sprinkle it with a bit of semolina flour or coarse cornmeal and transfer the dough onto the stone.  Add your favorite toppings.  Bake until the crust and cheese are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

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Pre-Baked Tart Crust

 
Everything tastes better and looks more elegant in a crust.  This recipe makes one crust for a topless tart (so to speak).  It can be used for sweet tarts or savory ones, just omit the sugar if you are making it for a savory dish. 

Stay tuned for a recipe for the filling . . .

 

Pre-Baked Tart Crust

Makes dough for one 1-crust tart
15 minutes preparation time, plus at least 15 minutes chilling time
30-35 minutes baking time

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2-4 tablespoons cold water

You can make the dough either by hand or in a food processor.  Lately, I have been doing it by hand, partly because I don't want to have to clean the food processor and partly because it's fun for me and the children to get our hands in the bowl and muck around with the flour and butter.

If you are making the dough by hand, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar, if you are using it.  Add the butter and mix it into the flour mixture quickly with your fingers until it ranges in size from tiny pebbles to cornmeal.

If you prefer to use a food processor, add all the ingredients except the butter and water into the food processor bowl and pulse a few times.  Add the butter and pulse a few more times until the butter is broken into small pieces, ranging in size from cornmeal to tiny pebbles. 

If you have been using a food processor, turn the flour mixture into a large bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix with a fork or your hands.  If the dough does not hold together after you have mixed in the water, add one additional tablespoon of water at a time until it does.  Form the dough into a ball with your hands.  Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. 

Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes and up to a couple of days. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on lightly floured plastic wrap or parchment paper.  Roll the dough until it is about 2 inches larger than the diameter of the tart pan.  Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to the tart pan.  Push the dough down into the sides of the tart pan until it fits snugly.  Roll the rolling pin over the top of the sides of the pan to cut the dough.  Remove any excess dough.

Butter a large sheet of foil and place the foil, butter side down over the dough in the tart pan.  Press the foil into the pan so that it sits tightly on top of the dough.  Fill the pie plate with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake the crust for 25 minutes.  Remove the weights and the foil and bake until the crust is lightly brown, about another 7 minutes.  Remove and complete according to the requirements of your specific recipe.

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Dilly Dally Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

 
When the children were younger, it was an effort to get anywhere.  Just when I'd think we were ready to head out the door, someone would need to go to the bathroom or would have wandered back into the playroom.  Getting out in time for school was particularly challenging.  I remember when I was home on maternity leave after Chloe was born, it took everything I had to get the kids out of the house.  Once we were out, we needed to keep moving; there was no time for dawdling.

My frequent refrain in those days was, "no dilly dallying." As one stared out the window instead of getting dressed, another stopped to pick up a stone, and another collected leaves and acorns, I would say, again and again, "no dilly dallying."   And on weekdays when the children wanted pancakes for breakfast, there simply wasn't time.  Saturday we called dilly dally day.  That was the day we could dawdle, stare into space, stop every few feet along our path, and, of course, eat pancakes.

 
I wish I could have those moments back now for the children.  In hindsight, I would rather be late for school and allow the children to hunt for treasures.  But I did figure out a way to get them pancakes during the week.  We now make our own pancake mix by mixing together the dry ingredients in advance.  When the children want pancakes on a weekday, we just add milk, eggs, and butter to the mix.  This is our basic recipe for pancakes with a touch of whole wheat and lots of flavor.  You can top them with whatever you like.  My favorite is syrup and a few toasted pecans.

Dilly Dally Whole Wheat Pancakes

If you'd like to make mix to store for another day, make several batches of the dry ingredients.  I usually quadruple the recipe.  When you are ready to make the pancakes, add the amount of milk, eggs, and butter listed below for each 1 1/3 cups of the mix. 

Makes about 15 pancakes
15 minutes preparation time
15-20 minutes cooking time

The dry ingredients:
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

To finish the pancakes:
3/4 to 1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter

Measure all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix them thoroughly with a whisk.  If you are making a multiple batch for a mix, measure out 1 1/3 cups of the dry ingredients and put the rest in an air tight storage container.  Measure 3/4 cup of the the milk into a large measuring cup and warm it briefly in the microwave so that when you add the melted butter it will not immediately congeal in the cold milk, about 30 seconds.  Mix in the egg and butter.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix just long enough to wet the flour mixture.  If the mixture is too stiff, add up to a half cup more milk.

Heat a large griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat.  To test the cooking surface to see if it is hot, sprinkle a few drops on it.  If they dance, the griddle is ready.  Add a mixture of butter and oil to the cooking surface, and swirl the pan so that it coats evenly.  Pour out a scant quarter cup to make each pancake.  When small bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes, flip them and cook on the other side.  Serve hot with your favorite pancake toppings.

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Basil Pesto

If you've been reading this site for a bit now, you know that our yard has very little sun and we have had no success growing vegetables at home.  That is what led me to embark on our far away gardening project.  One year, though, our children's babysitter, Rosalyn, gave me a few basil plants.  Given our track record, I was pessimistic, but I planted them in different sites, hoping one of them would grow.  By late August, they were enormous.   It turned out that the best spot is right along the road in front of our house, a spot now shared by a basketball pole.  We ate basil with tomatoes that summer, and we also made a lot of pesto. 

So much pesto that I froze a few batches.  It was wonderful to take some of that pesto out of the freezer in the dead of winter and have a meal that tasted of summer.  Now one of our end-of-summer traditions is to make several batches of pesto for the freezer.  We use them for pasta, of course, but it also delicious on pizza, sandwiches, or stirred into soup.  Of course, if you don't have basil in your garden, you can pick some up at the farmers' market or the grocery store.

 

This recipe makes a traditional Genovese basil pesto.  It is adapted from the recipe of one of our favorite cookbooks, Biba Caggiano's Trattoria Cooking.  Every recipe we have made from this book has been excellent, and I think this pesto has the perfect balance of garlic and basil.  Most recently, we tossed the pesto with whole wheat fettucine and slow-roasted tomatoes made with Smitten Kitchen's recipe, which added little bursts of sweetness.  Delicious!

Basil Pesto

Adapted from Biba Caggiano's Trattoria Cooking

If you are making pesto to freeze, don't add the parmigiano at this point; add it after the frozen pesto has thawed.  I freeze this pesto in individual batches in quart-size freezer bags.  To thaw it, set the bag in a bowl of hot water.  As the water cools, replace the hot water a few times.  It should take no more than 15 minutes to defrost. 

Makes approximately 3/4 cup, enough for 1 pound of pasta
20 minutes preparation time 

3 cups basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated parmigiano (omit if freezing)

Put all of the ingredients except the parmigiano in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the mixture is well-incorporated, but still a bit chunky.  Pour into a bowl and stir in the parmigiano.  Taste, and add more salt if you like (the pesto should be fairly salty, especially if you are tossing it with pasta). 

Homemade Ricotta

I came to appreciate the virtues of ricotta as more than just a cheese for lasagna on a trip to Sicily.  We had just hiked up a beautiful gorge and body surfed down it, something I'm sure that the U.S.'s safety regulations would never allow.  When it was over, we were exhilirated. . . and hungry.  

As we pulled onto the main road, we saw a small sign for an "agriturismo," a working farm that also serves food.  At the farm, we first saw a pen of ostriches, but no other cars.  We almost turned around to go, but a woman rushed out and greeted us warmly.  About 20 minutes after we sat down, she returned with a loaf of delicious bread and a bowl of fresh ricotta.  It was still warm.  At the time I wondered how they could keep such supplies on hand when their visitors seemed infrequent.  Now I realize that she probably made it in the time it took us to peek into the ostrich pen and settle into our chairs.

I had never tasted anything like it.  It was delightfully creamy and mild, and I just couldn't get enough.  It took 10 years, but I recently learned that it is very easy to make ricotta at home.  Well, technically, this recipe does not make a true ricotta, which is made with the whey by-product of cheese-making.  In this process, milk is curdled with an acid -- usually vinegar -- and the whey is drained while the solids are retained to make a very close facsimile of ricotta. 

We have tried three different variations of the acid, using cider vinegar, white vinegar, and lemon juice.  Each was good in its own way.  My favorite was the white vinegar.  It has a neutral flavor and does not alter the flavor of the cheese, resulting in a very pure, creamy taste.  The cider vinegar produced a stronger flavored cheese, with a hint of the cider flavor to it.  Gabe loved it.  The lemon ricotta also retained a hint of the lemon, which would be excellent paired with the right food, maybe spring vegetables or in a dessert.

We use ricotta as a sandwich spread, for pastas, like this or that, and, of course, it is excellent in lasagna.  One of our favorite dinners recently was bread, fresh ricotta, tomatoes, swiss chard, and chives.  We just piled the toppings onto the bread in various combinations.  You could also adapt this approach to make a lovely appetizer plate. 

I admit that this recipe doesn't quite take me to the euphoric heights of that first bowl of fresh ricotta in Italy, but it's very close.  

Homemade Ricotta

Makes about 2 cups
5 minutes preparation time
15 minutes cooking time 

Ricotta is not a salty cheese;  its flavor is quite mild.  I usually make this version and adjust the salt depending on how I serve it, but if you prefer, you could increase the amount of salt when cooking. 

1 half gallon whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white vinegar, cider vinegar, or fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Place a colander over a large bowl and line it with 4 layers of cheesecloth.

Bring the milk and salt to a simmer.  Add the vinegar or lemon juice and let the mixture simmer until solid curds appear, approximately 2 minutes.

Slowly pour the mixture through the cheesecloth and let it drain for about a minute.  Transfer the ricotta into a bowl.  Serve the ricotta warm or refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.  

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Roasted Heirloom Tomato Sauce

We have struck it rich in the tomato department.  All of those heirloom tomato plants that we planted in the garden at Black Ankle are producing like mad.  Mary has been bringing us a large basket every week filled with Brandywines, Purple Cherokees, Green Zebras, Purple Russians, and Hawaiian Pineapples.  This week we had so many that she suggested that we get together to make sauce. 

I usually prefer my heirlooms raw because they are so delicious and juicy.  I also have not had success making sauce from heirlooms.  All that juiciness translates into a very watery sauce.  Drain all that water off and there's not much pulp left.  But we have had too many to keep up with eating them raw, although believe me, I am doing my best.  Mary suggested we try roasting the tomatoes and I thought that might help dry them out.  It didn't, but the end result was still delicious.

We separated out the yellow Hawaiian Pineapples and Green Zebras to make each into a sauce of its own.  Then we mixed the remaining red and purple varieties.  The Hawaiian Pineapples were remarkably sweet and the Green Zebras quite tart.  The red and purple varieties made a more traditional tomato-y sauce, perfect for pasta, couscous, or polenta. 

Because each of the heirloom varieties has such a different flavor, when you make this recipe, taste the sauce and adjust the flavors as needed.  Roasted shallots were a great complement to the Hawaiian Pineapples and also balanced out the tartness of the Green Zebras (along with a generous amount of basil).  The sauce can be frozen or canned.  If you are canning, you may find the instructions here or here to be helpful. 

In addition to producing some delicious sauce, our sauce making evening was the perfect excuse for a few friends to get together, cook, chat, and share a bottle of wine.  Black Ankle, of course.

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Makes about 2 cups of sauce
30 minutes preparation time
40 minutes cooking time

4-5 large heirloom tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
5-6 garlic cloves
10-12 basil leaves, torn
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Core the tomatoes and cut them in half.  Lay them with the cut sides facing up in a roasting or jelly roll pan.  Leave the garlic cloves in their skins and sprinkle them over the tomatoes.  Drizzle the olive oil on top.  Roast the tomatoes until they are very soft and the edges have browned, about 40 minutes.  If you are using heirlooms, a good bit of liquid will come out of the tomatoes as they cook.  Carefully remove the pan from the oven. 

Set a colander in a large bowl.  Pour some of the liquid from the tomatoes into the colander and set the pan aside until the tomatoes are cool enough to handle.  When they have cooled, slip the skins off and discard them.  Peel the skin off the garlic, too.  Pour the tomatoes with their liquid into the colander, and let it drain for a few minutes. 

Pour the tomato mixture from the colander into a bowl, add the garlic, and blend briefly with a hand blender.  Add the basil and a few pinches of salt.

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Strawberry Preserves, Lemon Optional

One of our favorite outings is going fruit or vegetable picking.  For those of you that are local, our favorite place is Larriland Farms, a pick-your-own farm in Woodbine, Maryland.  We went last week and loaded up with strawberries.  As we were picking, we were dreaming of all of the things we were going to make.  Strawberry shortcake topped the list, of course.  Olivia suggested strawberry sorbet, Oscar wanted a strawberry pie, and I wanted to make strawberry preserves.  I love it when the children come up with these ideas and I try to make good on them.  The more we fantasized, though, the more strawberries I realized that we would need. 

It took us a while, with breaks for lemonade and the bathroom, but we managed to take in quite a haul.  By the time we got home and refreshed with a much-needed dip in the pool, it was too late to make preserves (although I had already made a shortcake biscuit, so it was very easy to assemble a strawberry shortcake with those just-picked strawberries).

A few days later, we tackled the strawberry preserves.  The most laborious part was hulling the strawberries, but I had a couple of helpers, at least for a little while.  After that, it was just a question of cooking the strawberries until they thickened, with lots of stirring so that they didn't stick and caramelize in the pan.  I made a large batch and had three pots going.  For some reason, the amount of time it took to thicken was different for each.  In the end, it seemed to me that the pan with the widest mouth worked the best, perhaps because the larger opening allowed the water to evaporate more quickly. 

Preserves require a good bit of sugar to bring out the flavor of the strawberries, but I used much less than other recipes I have seen.  I really enjoy the berries sweet with just a hint of tartness, much as you would get from eating a fresh strawberry.  Olivia had the idea to make some of the preserves with lemon, which was an excellent variation for those who would like a tarter jam.   

I had never tried real canning before-- that is, putting jam into a jar with an appropriate seal for long-term storage -- but thought I would give it a shot for these preserves.  I was inspired by Polly Horvath's My One Hundred Adventures which had kept us all entertained on a long trip (although it touched on some themes that were more appropriate for 10-plus year olds at the end).  My favorite part was the way that Jane's mother made jam to mark the passing of the summer, first strawberry, followed by blueberry, raspberry, and finally blackberry.  What a lovely idea.  I'm not promising to keep up, but this was a nice start.  

Check this very helpful site to find a pick-your-own place near you, and for basic canning instructions.  The United States Department of Agriculture also puts out very thorough canning guidelines, if you'd like more detail.  If not done properly, botulism is a risk, although people have been canning successfully for centuries.  If I just stop posting one day, you'll know it was the preserves. 

I know that I have posted lots of strawberry recipes lately, but I just can't help myself since they are so delicious this time of year.  And this is a great recipe if you picked more strawberries than you know what to do with.  Not that I know anything about that.  I promise not to post another strawberry recipe. . .  at least not for a little while.

Strawberry Preserves

To make the strawberry-lemon preserve variation, add the zest of one lemon, an extra half cup of lemon juice, and a cup less of sugar.

Makes about 6 cups
20 minutes preparation time
approximately 30 minutes cooking time

7 pints strawberries, hulled
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Put a couple of plates in the refrigerator to chill. 

Gently mash the strawberries in a pot with the sugar.  Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Add the lemon juice and let the preserves simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently and skimming off the foam as it forms.  Cook the strawberries until they thicken, at least 20 minutes.  To make the process go faster, you can divide the preserves into two pots.

To test for doneness, put a teaspoon of jam on one of the chilled plates and return it to the refrigerator for one minute.  After a minute, remove it and tilt the plate.  Most of the preserves should remain in the center of the plate, while some of it -- especially the more liquid portion -- will slowly spread out towards the edge of the plate.  When the preserves have firmed up to this extent, pour them into storage jars.

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Almond Granola

 

 

One of my favorite summertime treats is plain yogurt with fresh berries and granola.  I have it for breakfast sometimes, but more often for lunch.  I love the cool, tart, creaminess of the yogurt contrasted with the sweetness of the berries and the crunch of the granola.  It is fantastic with those local berries that are available in the markets now.

I used to buy granola mostly in bulk at Whole Foods or at the Silver Spring-Takoma Park Coop, and they offer a great selection of different flavors.  But once I made it myself, I was amazed by how much better it tasted.  It is very easy to put together and stays fresher longer when I make it at home.  I make this granola with a lot of almonds because, well, I like a lot of almonds.  I also use almond extract to intensify the almond flavor.  Because Chloe doesn't like almonds in her granola, I leave them whole so that they are easier for us to pick out.

I usually make my yogurt-granola concoction into a parfait because it's pretty and more appealing for me or the kids.  I have to confess that I am very fussy about how I make it.  I always put it in a glass, with the granola on the bottom, then the fruit, then the yogurt.  Depending on the size of the glass, I might make another layer, or just put a sprinkle of granola and a few berries on top.  Layered this way, the yogurt drips into the berries and pulls their juices into the granola.  This fully flavors the granola with the berry flavor but can't sit too long or the granola will lose its crunch. 

Am I completely insane to be so particular about how I prepare my yogurt?  Maybe I'm just getting set in my ways as I get older.  If that's the case, the next few decades are going to get really rough.   

Almond Granola

Makes about 6 cups
15 minutes preparation time
1 hour baking time

2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted, whole almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a small pot, mix together the honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, olive oil, salt, water and almond extract.  Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and set the mixture aside.

In a large bowl, mix the oats, almonds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.  Pour the honey and maple syrup mixture into the bowl and mix thoroughly so that the oats and nuts are completely coated.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Pour the granola onto the sheets and spread it out evenly into a single layer.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes,  watching to make sure that the almonds do not get too dark.  About half way through, remove each tray and gently push the granola around the tray to break up any clumps.

Remove the granola from the oven and let it come to room temperature on the baking sheets, then add the raisins. The granola will keep for several weeks in an airtight container.

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Oscar's Brownies

This post is kind of cheating because this isn't my recipe.  I haven't modified it one iota.  There was no reason to because these brownies are perfect as is.  So I'm just going to provide you the link to the original recipe and be on my way. 

The recipe originally ran two years ago in the Washington Post with the title "Man Catcher Brownies".  Although that idea seems a bit, well, dated, I have to admit that they are fabulous, and both of the men in my house -- big and little -- (as well as all the females) adore them.  They are rich, dense, and fudgy with a crisp shell on top.  Really, to me they are the perfect brownie.  The kids are a great help making these, especially licking the bowl, spatula, whisk. . .

They have been referred to by friends as Boyfriend Brownies and, my favorite, Man Killer Brownies (when you see what's in them, you'll see why that name may be the most apt).   But around here we call them Oscar's brownies.  He loves all things chocolate and for his birthday I usually make these brownies instead of cake.  Because they are so dense, they are great for constructing all sorts of shapes.  I have made them into a pirate ship, fire truck, and light saber.  

These brownies freeze well, and I have served them at numerous parties, and brought them to bake sales.  Try them and put them to whatever purpose suits you.

Everyday Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese seems to be one of those dishes that almost everyone will eat.  In our house, we would all eat it most nights if we could.  But it can be very rich and time consuming to make so it's usually not ideal as a regular meal.  Of course we use those box mixes from time to time because they are a snap to make, and our children love them.  But I prefer baked macaroni and cheese to the stovetop variety.  And really, I love my cheese way too much to be satisfied eating it in powder form. 

I wanted to create a macaroni and cheese that is easy enough to make as a weeknight meal and not too rich, but still delicious.  Moosewood's Lowfat Favorites cookbook has a recipe that is quite good and uses cottage cheese to replace some of the cheddar.  We have tinkered with that recipe over time, and developed a version that we love.  It is a basic cheddar macaroni and cheese with a full, cheesy flavor, and a bit more depth from the shallots and nutmeg. 

This recipe does not involve making a bechamel sauce or cooking the macaroni in advance so it is quick to prepare.  You can tinker with the amount of cheese depending on whether your primary concern is the flavor or healthfulness of the dish.  To me, six ounces struck the perfect balance.

The recipe makes just enough for the five of us, but we probably eat more than most families. Usually we make a double batch to be sure that we have some left over for lunch.  The macaroni and cheese freezes well.  We often make it before a long trip and freeze it, then let it thaw in the car. When we arrive at the end of the road we just pop it in the oven while we unload and unpack.

Now, when the children request macaroni and cheese for one of our weekly meals, we do not hesitate to add it to the list.

Everyday Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from Moosewood's Lowfat Favorites

Serves 5
15 minutes preparation time
45 minutes baking time

3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 pound cottage cheese
1 medium shallot, minced (1-2 tablespoons)
6 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound macaroni

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix the parmesan and bread crumbs and set aside.  Pour the milk and cottage cheese into a large bowl and blend them with a hand blender.   Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the milk mixture and mix it well to be sure that the macaroni is well integrated.  Pour the mixture into a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking pan and sprinkle the parmesan-bread crumb mixture over the top.  Cook for approximately 45 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.

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Spaghetti and V-Balls

  I have been a vegetarian for many years now, and I rarely crave meat.  I’ll admit that the occasional whiff of barbeque can make me hungry, but the smell is really better than the taste anyway, so I don’t find it hard to resist.  One major exception was when I was pregnant with our third child.  For some reason, my constant craving was for a good beef ragu or spaghetti and meatballs.  It may have had something to do with all the Sopranos episodes that we were watching (naturally, I was drawn to the food) or maybe it was a comfort food craving for the sauce that my mother used to make.  I tried a few times to make tofu “meat” balls, but didn’t come up with a recipe that made flavorful balls that held their shape.  Time passed, Chloe was born, and my cravings subsided. 

Then my friend Laura told me that her children were enjoying meatballs of the traditional meat variety. (Laura has her own fantastic website about great places to go, eat, and shop in New York  and has kindly offered to share her recipe here, so stay tuned for her guest post).  A few days later, I saw the cover of the January issue of Gourmet, which featured a mouthwatering bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.  That double whammy led me to develop this recipe for spaghetti and vegetarian non-meat balls, or as Oscar dubbed them, V-balls.  They have a robust, hearty flavor, and the cheeses help them hold their shape.  Even for meat eaters, these are a delicious treat. 

This is not a super quick dish to prepare, but if you keep several pots going at once, it is not too time consuming.  It makes a wonderful Sunday dinner.  Alternatively, you could easily prepare the meatballs in advance.  Store them without the sauce, and when you are ready to eat them, heat them in the oven for 15-20 minutes (while the pasta water boils) before adding them to the sauce.  However you do it, it is well worth it.  This recipe is generous, so depending on how many V-balls you eat with your pasta, you should have some leftover for V-ball sandwiches.  Buon appetito!

Spaghetti and V-Balls

Serves 6
30 minutes preparation time
40 minutes cooking time

For the V-balls:
1 pound silken (soft) tofu
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
2 cups chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs
3/4 cup grated mozzarella
2/3 cup parmesan
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2/3 cup chopped parsley

Canola oil for frying

For the tomato sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3-4 garlic cloves
3 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, chopped or mashed

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti

Spoon the tofu into a strainer or colander and let it drain while you prepare the other ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, mash the tofu with the breadcrumbs, add the milk, and mix.  Mix in the remaining V-ball ingredients.

Meanwhile, begin the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan, add the onion and garlic, and sauté until they are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes along with the juice from one of the cans. Put the sauce aside to simmer while you prepare the V-balls.

Pour enough canola oil in a deep skillet so that it is 1 to 2 inches deep. Heat the oil until a small bit of the V-ball mixture dropped in the oil fizzles. While the oil is heating, shape the V-ball mixture into golf ball sized balls. The mixture should be stiff and hold together well, but if they do not stick well, add a few more tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Prepare a large plate with newspapers topped with a couple of paper towels. When the oil is hot, fry the V-balls in batches, turning them frequently so that they turn a golden brown. Drain them on the paper towels.

When the V-balls have all been fried, gently place them into the sauce pot while you boil the pasta.  Don't leave them in the sauce for too long because if they absorb too much sauce, they will lose their shape. Before serving, scoop out the V-balls with a slotted spoon. Toss the remaining sauce with the pasta and top with the V-balls.

NOTE:  If you prefer a healthier recipe, bake the V-balls in a 350 degree oven until they turn lightly brown, about 20 to 25 minutes, before mixing them in with the sauce. This will save the time of frying and reduce the fat in the recipe, but you will lose some of the rich flavor that comes with the frying. 

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Homemade Ketchup

 In my ongoing quest to keep my children interested in cooking, I wanted to show them that we can make a homemade version of ketchup, one of the staples in our refrigerator.  It is fun to take a product that they are so used to buying and show them that it doesn't originate in a bottle; it can be made at home.  And if you make it yourself, you can leave out the corn syrup and preservatives that most manufactured ketchups contain.

It is also interesting to see how much sweetener is needed to make tomatoes taste like ketchup.  The first time I made the ketchup I used very little sugar, but it really needed more to make it less of a tomato sauce and more like the ketchup the kids were used to.  I'm hoping that as they get used to our homemade version, we can reduce it even further. 

Unlike manufactured ketchups which have a fairly one dimensional flavor, this ketchup has more layers of taste.  There is a nice balance between the tang of the vinegar and the sweetness of the sugar, and the cinnamon adds an unexpected accent.

Pour it into a squeeze bottle and you can have lots of fun!  

 

Homemade Ketchup

Makes approximately 1 pint
10 minutes preparation time
1 hour 10 minutes cooking time

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped (approximately 2/3 cup)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 35-ounce can whole canned tomatoes, chopped, with liquid
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cinnamon stick

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until it is quite thick, about 1 hour.  

While the ketchup is still hot, carefully blend it in a food processor until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

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Vanilla Bean Pudding

There's something about pudding.  It's not fancy or elegant, but it is cold, creamy, delicious, and comforting.  It's hard to get enough.  We have been making it a lot lately.  We made the butterscotch pudding from the February issue of Gourmet magazine and the chocolate pudding from the Gourmet Cookbook.  Both were delicious, but I was in the mood for a simple, pure flavor, something with universal appeal to children and adults.  In a word, I wanted vanilla.

But not something bland or boring.  I wanted the rich taste of vanilla beans.  I had recently gone to lunch at Jaleo and had a fantastic Basque semolina cake with a vanilla cream center.  In fact, I had it twice in one week.  I went one afternoon with a friend for a relaxing, delightful lunch.  Unfortunately -- or fortunately, as it turned out -- I left my credit card behind.  Since I had to go back to pick it up anyway, I thought I may as well stop in with Chloe.  Needless to say, the experience was not as soothing as the first time around, but it did give me another crack at that cake.  I'm still a long way from figuring out how to recreate the cake, but I thought I could at least replicate the simple, rich vanilla flavor.  

This pudding is a simple cornstarch pudding that highlights the flavor of the vanilla bean.  It is not too sweet so that the vanilla bean is really the star, and the brown sugar adds richness to the flavor.  The pudding is very easy to make and absolutely delicious.  We have had both for dessert and as a snack. In our house, the children and the adults all love it.

Vanilla Bean Pudding

Serves 6
30 minutes preparation and cooking time, plus chilling time

3 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whipped cream for serving (optional)* 

Pour the milk into a small saucepan.  Split open the vanilla bean length-wise, scrape out the seeds with a spoon and add the seeds and the pod to the saucepan.  Heat the mixture until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, turn it off, and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugars, and salt.  After the milk mixture has steeped, remove the vanilla pod and whisk the sugar mixture into the saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and, whisking constantly, boil gently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture thickens.

Empty the pudding into a heatproof bowl.  Cover it with plastic wrap, pushing the wrap onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming on the surface as the pudding cools.  Refrigerate the pudding until it is set, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. 

If you are using the whipped cream, put a dollop on top of each serving.

* I like my whipped cream to be only slightly sweetened with a hint of vanilla so that it doesn't overwhelm the dessert.  For a cup of heavy cream, I would add a teaspoon or two each of granulated sugar and vanilla.

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