deliciousness

chocolate pots

via Jamie Oliver’s The Naked Chef Takes Off
serves 4 (or 2 if you’re greedy)

1 cup light cream
7 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
2 large egg yolks
3 tbsp brandy (or any alcohol that you think goes well with chocolate)
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp butter 

Optional: 1 tsp of espresso powder and/or vanilla extract

Heat the cream until nearly boiling. Remove from heat and add brandy (book says to add at the very end but it turned out way too strong). Pour over chocolate, let it sit for a minute, and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Beat in egg yolks and stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly before stirring in the butter. Pour into individual serving pots.

Book notes: if you don’t allow the chocolate mixture to cool a little before adding the butter, it will look like chocolate has split. Rectify by letting it cool more and adding some cold milk until consistency is smooth again. Also, if texture is too rich, whip the egg whites (leftover from the 2 yolks) until they are stiff and fold into chocolate mixture before pouring into pots.

halibut baked in a bag

via Jamie Oliver’s The Naked Chef Takes Off
serves 4-6 

1 1.5-lb. filet of halibut (the book used whole sea bass instead of a filet)
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 bulb of fennel, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
sea salt, and ground black pepper
1 tbsp of fennel seeds
2 handfuls of fresh herbs (I used rosemary and (too much) dill)
2 lemons
olive oil 

Preheat the oven to 425. Tear off a piece of aluminum foil at least 3 times as long as the fish. (Note: book advises foil be 5 times as long and folding it in half to double thickness but I somehow had extra strength foil). In the middle of the foil, mix red onion, fennel, and garlic. Place fish on veg and season with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds, then top with herbs. (If using whole fish, stuff herbs in the fish.) Make sure there’s enough salt for the veg too! Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the fish, slice the second and distribute the slices over the filet, and pour over with olive oil.

Fold the foil over the fish and seal the three edges tightly, without piercing the foil. Tip: align the foil lengthwise first and fold the edges create a seal. Before rolling down the long edge, pat the veg from the bottom-up and outside-in to make the shape more cylindrical than rectangular (think burrito-makers when you order too much salsa/guacamole/sides/everything delicious). Then fold the three edges in, creating a tight fish-foil burrito. 

Set on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 10 minutes per lb. Please keep note if your filet is thicker in some areas than others - my 1.5 lb fish needed an extra 10 minutes in the oven and I removed the thinner tail end of the filet after 20 minute to prevent overcooking. Once removed from the oven, let the fish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

polenta

via andrew carmellini’s urban italian
serves 12

2 cups dried polenta (not the quick-cooking stuff)
6 cups whole milk (or water)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grarted parmigiano-reggiano

optional:
2 bay leaves
1 whole branch thyme
1 whole branch rosemary

Take the polenta out of the package and dump it into a pourable mixing cup or similar vessel. (It’s important to do this so that the polenta can be added to the mixture evenly.)

Pour the milk (or water) into a large pot. Add the salt and pepper. (If you’d like to flavor the polenta, add the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary, leaving the herbs on the branch.)

Bring the milk to a rolling boil on high heat. (If you’ve added the herbs, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes to infuse the flavors. Remove the herrbs with a slotted spoon, then bring the milk back up to a boil.)

Pour the polenta into the boiling milk in a steady stream, whisking as you go. there should be a lot of liquid, since the polenta will expand and soak evrything up as it cooks; if the  mixture is at all thick or sludgy at this point, add some hot water.

Scrape down the sides of the pot with a wet spatula, so that any bits that splashed up on the sides don’t burn and flavor the polenta.

Reduce the heat to low and cook the mixture at a very low simmer (bubbling like a tar pit - slowly, popping up every once in a while, instead of bubling all over). Stir it vigorously once in a while with a whisk, and keep wiping the sides down with the wet spatula as you go - but don’t worry about it too much if the polenta starts to stick on the bottom. Just be sure to leave the burnt bits as they are: don’t scrape them up into the polenta so they flavor everything.

Let the polenta cook until it’s soft but slightly grainy on the tongue and the mixture has achieved your preferrerd level of thickness, about 2 hourrs. Add water - about 2 cups total over the course of the cooking time, added at intervals as it cooks. If you like it thicker, don’t add liquid, or add less.

Remove the pot from the head and add the butter, olive oil, and parmigiano-reggiano. Whisk the mixture well so that the internal heat of the polenta melds everything together.

Taste, season with more salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

picture via

is how my baci di cioccolato turned out. this is what they were supposed to look like:

i’m pretty sure i know what went wrong…

spiced apple chutney

via Nigella’s How to be a Domestic Goddess
makes 1 quart

1 pound of cooking apples (I used golden delicious)
1 medium onion
2 small red chilies such as serrano or thai (I used 1 habanero)
1 1/4 c of demerara or turbinado sugar
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
black pepper
1 tbsp. chopped or grated ginger
1 tsp. tumeric
1 1/2 c cider vinegar

4 8-oz jars

Peel and roughly chop the apples, and finely chop the onion. Seed the chilies and chop them finely (I’d advise you to put on rubber gloves for this, especially if you wear contact lenses).

Put all the ingredients in a pan, and bring to the boil. Cook over a medium heat for 30-40 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Spoon into the cleaned jars and, when cool, place them, with great and warm satisfaction, in your cupboard.

Sterilization: Nigella recommends filling them a quarter full with water and microwaving them on high for ten minutes, draining and using while still warm. I did the pain in the ass way of boiling in a pot for ten minutes , drying, keeping warm in a oven… will definitely try Nigella’s method next time.

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belated birthday brownies

via Nigella’s How to be a Domestic Goddess
yield: 48 maximum

1 2/3 c. soft unsalted butter
13 oz bittersweet chocolate
6 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. chopped hazelnuts

13x9x2.5 inch pan

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line your brownie pan with foil or parchment.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large heavy-based pan. In a bowl or large wide-mouthed measuring cup, beat the eggs with the vanilla and sugar. Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt.

When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar, and then the nuts and flour. Beat to combine smoothly and then scrape out of the saucepan into the lined pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes. When it’s ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dark and dense and gooey. And even with such a big batch you do need to keep alert, keep checking: the difference between gungy brownies and dry brownies is only a few minutes; remember that they will continue to cook as they cool.

Notes:
- have baked without lining, definitely worth the miniscule effort in both removal and cleaning.
- butter should either be softened or cut into small cubes if taken straight from the refrigerator. otherwise chocolate completely melts before butter and there’s a good chance of seizing. or just ues a double boiler.
- batter is pretty thick already, but to make sure that the nuts don’t just sink to the bottom, add the nuts to the flour and coat before combining with the chocolate and eggs.
- next time will add a little espresso and toast the hazelnuts.

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baci di cioccolato - chocolate kisses

I am so excited to try out this recipe! I’ve had Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano for more than a year now, but I became dependent on foodblog recipes shortly thereafter, never getting a chance to open up my books. But while looking through this book, I wish that I had more excuses to bake so I could try out all the different desserts and deliciousness.

Usually there is no special occasion when I bake; I like to surprise my friends (or use them as test subjects depending on who you ask) randomly and find out their opinions on which recipes I’ll keep for future use. However, this time I’m making these cookies as a friend’s belated birthday present. Hopefully he likes them!

Baci di Cioccolato - Chocolate Kisses
via Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano

1/2 cup whole blanched almonds
1 tbsp. granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks/8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. dark rum

8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. dark rum or your favorite liqueur (optional)

To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them until they are light golden brown and fragrant, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove the almonds from the oven and turn off the oven until you are ready to form the cookies. Allow the almonds to cool completely, then grind them in a food processor with the 1 tablespoon sugar until they are finely chopped.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 minutes, then beat in the vanilla extract and rum and scrap down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients, followed by the ground almonds. Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and chill for about 1 hour, until it is firm enough to handle.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Lightly grease two baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or butter or line them with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 3 pieces. Work with 1 piece at a time, keeping the others wrapped and refrigerated. Roll 1 portion of dough into a small log about 3/4 inch in diameter. Cut each log into 1/2-inch lengths and roll each piece into a ball, then roll the balls in granulated sugar to coat them completely. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.

Bake the cookies, rotating the sheets 180 degrees to ensure even browning, until they are puffed and cracking slightly on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 1 or 2 minutes, then use a spatula to remove them gently to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, make the ganache filling: Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it comes to a boil and pour it over the chocolate and butter. Allow the mixture to sit for a few moments, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk in the rum, if you like. Allow the ganache to cool, whisking it occasionally, until it is firm enough to pipe.

To assemble the kisses: Pair up the cookies according to size. Turn one cookie upside down and, using a pastry bag fitted with a plain or star tip, pipe a small amount of ganache onto the flat side, then place the bottom of the second cookie on the ganache to form a sandwich; the two round tops of the cookies should be facing outward. Repeat until all the cookies have been used. Allow the ganache to firm up, at room temperature or in the refrigerator if necessary, then transfer the kisses to a serving plate.

The cookies can be stored, layer between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container kept in a cool place for up to 3 days.

orange poppyseed cake

via Nick Malgieri’s Perfect Cakes

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (1/2 pound or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
One 8-ounce container of sour cream (I used 8 ounces of buttermilk)
1/2 cup poppy seeds
9-inch springform pan (I used a 9 by 5 loaf and a mini loaf pan)
2 tablespoons orange zest
3/4 cup orange juice
¾ cup granulated sugar

Grease a 9″ springform pan. Line the bottom with greased wax paper cut to size. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine and mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until the mixture is very light, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. One at a time, add the eggs, making sure to beat the batter until it is smooth after each addition.

Decrease mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides with a spatula. Beat in the sour cream followed by the rest of the flour mixture. Fold in the poppy seeds to give the batter a final mix.

Scrape the batter into prepared pan and bake for about an hour or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To prepare the syrup, combine orange juice, zest and 3/4 c sugar in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Strain the zest (I didn’t) and pour into a measuring cup.

After the cake is baked, place it on a jelly-roll pan. Poke about 20 holes into the cake with a skewer. Gradually pour or spoon the syrup over the top of the cake until it is absorbed. Collect the leaking syrup (if any) and spoon back over the cake. Transfer the cake to a rack and let it cool it. Remove the sides of the springform pan, transfer the cake to a serving plate and remove the wax paper underneath.