• Use a heavy-gauge Pullman measuring 4 by 4 by 9 inches, but without the lid, to encourage height. I like the USA Pan brand made of aluminized steel, coated with Americoat.
• Use only about 2 pounds of the dough for the Pullman loaf. The rest I freeze for 1 pizza. I do this subdivision after the overnight rising, so that the Pullman can get that final rise of about 2 to 3 hours.
• Bake at 400ºF degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating midway. The internal temperature should be 200º to 210ºF degrees when done.

As for a more rustic, I-don’t-need-a-pan loaf, I just plop a recipe’s worth of the multigrain dough onto a pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner, then bake at 400ºF degrees for 40ish minutes, turning the pan midway. Again, the internal temperature should read 200º to 210ºF degrees when done.

For pizza, I subdivide the multigrain recipe into 3 or 4 pieces after the overnight rising, depending on how thick I want it. Each pizza is roughly 12 inches in diameter. The uncooked dough freezes nicely, too.

In addition, you could make a multigrain focaccia by prodding the dough into jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Sometimes I feel round and make two loaves in two non-stick 8 inch (or 9 inch) circular cake pans, without liners.

I’ve been intimidated at the supposed labor and tricky technique involved with making crusty bread. But Jenifer’s recipe makes the process approachable, as it involves a heavy cast iron pot and lots of patient (but easy!) oven preheating. Don’t need a special oven or well-timed water spritzing, either.

I call this recipe “Miranda’s bread,” named after Morrisa and nj’s daughter who enjoyed some I recently baked. That loaf didn’t contain buckwheat flour, so I’ve denoted it as optional.

The key ingredient for this bread is stone ground, California grown Sonoran whole wheat distributed by Sustainable Grains. It’s one of the flour strains used in the original California sourdough breads from the 1800s. They offer that flour, amongst other grains farmed in California, at various Bay Area farmers’ markets.

Note #1: Because this uses a starter instead of dried packaged yeast, this recipe takes a couple days to complete. If you can take the time, it is oh so worth it.

Note #2: If you have a non-sourdough starter, this recipe still works!

This yields a 2 1/2ish pound loaf. To save for later, wait until the bread is completely cool, slice if desired, then either (1) wrap in foil, pop into a zippy bag and store in the freezer, or (2) place in cloth or paper bag, pop into a zippy bag and store in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 ounces sourdough starter
• 8 ounces Sonoran whole wheat flour
• 3 ounces dark (whole grain) rye flour
• 1 ounce barley flour
• (optional) 1 ounce buckwheat flour
• 1 ounce vital wheat gluten powder
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups warm water, at about 105º to 120ºF degrees
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
• 2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing the proofing bowl
• 11 to 13 ounces unbleached bread flour

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the starter, Sonoran wheat flour, rye and barley flours, buckwheat flour (if using), and the gluten powder.
2. Add to the water the molasses, salt and sugar, and stir until dissolved. Stir this into the flour mixture. Cover and let sit for about an hour, so that the whole grains can absorb some of the water.
3. Stir in the olive oil, and plop in the bread flour. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, stir until combined, then knead on low speed for about 5 minutes. You’ll want a moist enough dough that will not stick to the sides of the bowl while kneading.
4. Oil another bowl, and place the dough in it. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in volume — at least 8 to 12 hours, such as overnight.
5. Place a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven, or covered cast iron pot of similar size in the oven. Preheat oven to 450ºF degrees; I use the “convection baking” setting.
6. In the meantime, punch down the dough and shape it into a nice loaf ball. Get a length of parchment paper, and line the bowl with it. This will act as a sling for the dough when it bakes. Plop the dough back in the bowl, and cover. Again, let it rise until doubled; this time it should take about 2 to 4 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
7. After the oven has reached 450ºF, keep the pot in there covered and empty for at least another 30 minutes, since you want it as hot as possible for the dough.
8. After the dough has finished its second and final rise, slash its top a few times with a sharp knife.
9. Carry the dough in its sling and place them both in the pot. Cover, lower the temperature to 400ºF degrees, and bake for about 25 minutes.
10. Remove the Dutch oven’s top, rotate the pot about 180º degrees, and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes.
11. Remove pot from oven, then remove the loaf using its handy sling. The bread is done if its internal temperature is around 200º to 210ºF.
12. Cool at least a couple hours before serving. I actually prefer the bread the following day, as its texture is more even after a time.

A note about the yogurt: I use lowfat yogurt that’s smooth in the Australian/European style, e.g., Wallaby Yogurt. It doesn’t contain any thickeners like pectin or gelatin.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar

Method

1. Put all the ingredients in a jar or jug.
2. Stir, but do not whip, until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Serve, or refrigerate until needed.

What follows below isn’t so much a recipe as Rather Vague Guidelines, mind you. My first and current batch are curing, so I’ll need to update this post as to how the preserved satsumas actually turned out. But it’s a start.

Update, 8 January 2012: These go nicely stuffed inside a roasted chicken, as well minced and cooked with roasted vegetables. Also provides nice seasoning in stews like vegetable tagine.

I used jars that were previously used for 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of peanut butter and honey. WARNING: I don’t process these, I just keep them in the refrigerator. My preserved lemons that are over a year and half old are still fine, but y’know, YMWV.

Got any favorite uses for preserved citrus? Please do share! I tend to use preserved lemons in savory applications, like stews and inside poultry cavities. It’d be great to expand their cooking horizons.

Ingredients

• A bunch of green (underripe) satsumas, or similar mandarins
• Lots of fine-grained salt
• ginger, sliced
• green & black peppercorns
• cinnamon stick, broken into 1-inch pieces
• star anise, broken into single “arms”

Method

1. Wash the satsumas and discard any attached leaves or stems. Make sure your jars and caps are clean, too.
2. Make four longitudinal cuts in each fruit, without completely cutting through. That is, the four “slices” should remain attached at the center “spindle” of the fruit.
3. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of salt in a jar.
4. Stuff in as many fruit into a single layer — two to four, or more, depending on the jar and fruit size.
5. Toss in one or two slices of ginger, one or two cinnamon pieces, one or two star anise arms, and/or three to five peppercorns. How much (or little) spice you add is completely up to you! (Although I’d imagine you might wish to add a bit less for satsumas than for lemons, as their flavor is more delicate.) Add another tablespoon or two of salt.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you reach the top of the jar. Cap off and store in the fridge overnight.
7. The following day, you might be able to cram in some more fruit. If yes, do so and top off with another tablespoon or two of salt. Cap off again, store in the fridge, and wait (mostly).
8. Turn the jars, right-side up, upside-down and vice versa, about once or twice a week for the first three weeks. The satsumas should be cured enough to use after about three to six weeks, but the flavors improve upon further aging.

To use

1. Remove any seeds.
2. Rinse as much of the salt away as possible, without losing any (where possible) rind, pith or pulp.
3. Chop or mince, according to your use needs.

This particular batch yielded eight 12-ounce jars from just under eight pounds of plums, with very tart fruit. YMMV.

Ingredients

• 8 pounds plums, washed
• 2 inches ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 1/4 pounds sugar
• 1 pound brown sugar

Method

1. Slice plums into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces. Remove the pits if you can, but if they cling fiercely to the flesh, don’t worry about it: just toss them all into a large stock pot. Same goes with the skins: both they and the seeds will be removed when run through the mill later.
2. Toss in the ginger slices and cinnamon stick. Over medium heat, bring the plums to an energetic simmer. Once the fruit has become pulpy (30 minutes or more, depending on the fruit and its ripeness), remove from the heat.
3. Run the pulp through a food mill to remove any pits, large bits of skin, and the spice chunks. We used the mill screen with the largest holes. Pour pulp back into the stock pot.
4. Pour in sugars, bring to a simmer, again, and reduce until desired thickness is achieved. For us it took about 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Make sure you have clean jars and caps (i.e., rings and dome/lids) handy. Ladle the hot jam into the jars, quickly cap them off, then process appropriately. E.g., the jars simmered in the canner for 20 minutes.
6. Store in a cool location like a larder or closet. Refrigerate after opening.

Adapted from two recipes, Orange Cornmeal Cake at Simply Recipes, and le Gâteau Piège at Chocolate & Zucchini.

Ingredients

• 7 ounces whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) quick hominy grits
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• grated zest of 1 large or 2 medium oranges (about 1 to 2 tablespoons)
• 2 eggs
• 7/8 cup sugar, containing 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees; I used the convection baking setting.
2. Butter and coat with sugar a 9-inch round springform pan, or a 7-inch square pan with parchment sling.
3. Sift the flour, grits, salt, and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
4. Melt the butter, and mix with the olive oil and orange zest; also set aside.
5. Using the whisk attachment for the mixer, whip the eggs and 7/8 cup plus 3 tablespoons of sugars until foamy and pale, about 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Fold into the egg mixture the flour followed by the yogurt, orange juice, then butter mixture.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan, then sprinkle with pine nuts and the 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar.
8. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes; done when sides pull away and a knife comes out clean.

You can find elderflower cordial online, or at stores specializing in British or European foods; Belvoir is a good brand. If you want some alcoholic zing to the syrup, feel free to substitute part of the cordial with St.-Germain liqueur.

Adapted from The Kitchn.

Sponge ingredients

• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons consisting of vanilla sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• zest of 2 limes or lemons

Syrup ingredients

• 1/2 cup elderflower cordial, or a bit more, depending on your sweetness preference.
• 3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

Garnishes

• Powdered sugar
• Whipped cream, sweetened with sugar, cordial, liqueur (e.g., St-Germain), or a mix thereof.

Method

1. Line the base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then coat the pan’s base and sides with butter and sugar. Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees; I used the “convection bake” setting on mine.
2. Using a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and salt until pale yellow, tripled in volume and very soft peaks form.
3. Mix butter and lemon zest in a medium jug or bowl.
4. Fold in the flour+baking powder. Scoop out a cup or so of the batter and plop into the butter mixture; whisk that until smooth. Fold the butter mixture into the main batter.
5. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 25 to 35 to minutes.
6. While the cake bakes, mix the elderflower cordial and lemon juice.
7. After taking the cake out of the oven, poke holes throughout it with a thin skewer while it’s still warm in the pan. Evenly pour elderflower+lemon syrup over the cake.
8. Allow the cake to cool and thoroughly absorb syrup before removing it from the pan.
9. To serve, dust with a bit of powdered sugar, along with a dollop of flavored cream, if desired.

Adapted from Epicurious, but more fruity. Yields a scant quart of ice cream.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar; my version includes 1/3 cup vanilla sugar.
• a pinch of salt
• 2 egg yolks, whisked
• 1 cup unsweetened puréed passion fruit pulp; I used Goya‘s frozen purée, mostly defrosted.

Method

1. Bring the heavy cream, sugar (and vanilla sugar, if using) and salt to a simmer in a medium sauce pan.
2. Temper the egg yolks with 1/2 to 1 cups of the hot cream, the latter added to eggs a couple tablespoons at a time while whisking.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the sauce pan. With the heat on medium low, whisk until it becomes thick, reaching 170º to 175ºF degrees.
4. Remove custard from the heat, and stir in the passion fruit pulp. Pour the custard through a fine strainer (to remove any fibers or curdled bits) into a glass bowl or jug. Chill at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
5. Prepare following the instructions for your ice cream maker. Scoop into another container for freezer storage. Consume at your leisure.

My version is somewhere between the classic and cream scone recipes from The Joy of Cooking, wherein I use cream, eggs and butter. This yields a very tender and very rich scone, as one could imagine.

This recipe can be halved.

Note that these are more like British scones, which have the barest hint of sweetness, unlike many American ones which are often sweet, nearly cake-like or muffin-like. No frosting on these puppies. However, the fun is in the spreads that can be applied: lashings of clotted cream, or even butter, (try marscapone, anyone?), jams, jellies, lemon curd, etc.! All to be washed down with a good drink, especially tea (chai, perhaps?) or coffee.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pastry flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 tablespoon chunks
• zest of 1 lemon or orange
• (optional) 1/2 cup raisins
• (optional) 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or a good brandy
• 2 cold eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream

Glaze

• 1/4 cup cream, half & half, or whole milk
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Method

1. If using raisins, prepare them at least an hour beforehand. Put them in a microwave-proof bowl, add the Grand Marnier, and heat until the liquid is hot. Cover and set aside so they can plump up.
2. Mix the eggs and cream in a jug and keep in the fridge until step 5.
3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.
4. Working in two batches (not necessary if recipe is halved), process the dry ingredients with the butter, until the mixture has butter lumps ranging from cornmeal to pea-sized. Place in a large bowl and stir in the zest. If using raisins, drain them, and add to the dough.
5. Quickly and using as few movements as possible, fold in the egg-cream mixture into the dough until the dry bits just stick together. Try to avoid warming the dough, or making it too wet. If the dough does get a bit squishy, toss in some flour.
6. Form the dough into two thick, flatten discs or squares (one if halved) and wrap them in plastic film. Place in the fridge for at least an hour to rest and firm up, or 30 minutes in the freezer.
7. In the meantime, prepare the glaze. Warm the cream until near scalding, and stir in the sugar to dissolve. Set aside to cool.
8. Preheat oven to 400ºF degrees; I used the convection baking setting.
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner.
10. Pat out the circle or square directly on the sheet until it’s about 1/2 inch high. Then use a butter knife or scraper to divide the dough into 8 sections. Brush each scone with the glaze.
11. Bake until risen twice in height —a poker should come out clean— and lightly golden on top, about 13 to 17 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
12. Serve warm or at room temperature. With cream, jams, curds, and tea…

A couple things helped me along. First, I found a couple encouraging recipes that — THANK THE ALMIGHTY FSM — included weight measurements for flour. Second, I discovered the balloon whisk.

Oh, I still need practice using the balloon whisk, like learning to judge when to stop with the folding motions and not deflate all of those lovely egg and sugar bubbles (i.e., do the bare minimum, don’t obsess over batter appearance thoroughness). And I still cheat (with not much guilt) a bit by adding some baking powder. Yet I still love the realization that I can make a nearly meringue-like structure with whole eggs and sugar.

As influenced by Michael Ruhlman’s sponge cake from Ratio, and Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Gold Passion Génoise (minus the passionfruit and frostings) from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes.

Ingredients

• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 6 ounces sugar (just over 3/4 cup), total; 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar comprised part of this. If you don’t have vanilla sugar, use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, at room temp or slightly warmer
• 3 ounces pastry flour; I used unbleached white.
• 1 1/2 ounces rice flour; I used white medium grain, not mochi..
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF degrees; I use the “convection baking” setting on the oven. Cover the base of a 9-inch non-stick circular pan — a springform pan would be ideal &mdash with a circle of parchment paper. Butter and flour the base and sides of the pan.
2. Sift the pastry flour, rice flour and baking powder in a bowl; set aside.
3. Combine eggs, sugars, vanilla if using, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, and whisk until the temperature is about 90 to 100ºF degrees. The idea is not to sterilize or even gently cook the eggs like a custard; it’s to warm and dissolve the ingredients so that they’ll maximize in volume during the next step.
4. Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, beat the egg-sugar mixture until it has tripled, or even quadrupled in volume. It’ll become pale yellow, and its texture in between a ribbon and very soft, droopy-drippy peaks. It’s this foamy mixture that will aid in leavening the cake.
5. Sift (again) the flour mix into the egg-sugar mixture. Using a balloon whisk, fold the flour in as few movements as possible. If flour gets on the side, tip the bowl to gloop it with the egg-sugar batter. If flour congregates near the bottom, make a large spinning motion with the whisk to remove and disperse it. Keep in mind, though, that some small pockets of flour is okay, since you still to need to mix in the butter.
6. Add about a cup of the batter — I shake a glop from the balloon whisk — into the melted butter. Using a piano whisk (a narrower whisk good for blending, rather than folding), mix this up well. Pour back into the main batter bowl, and fold with the balloon whisk. Again, it doesn’t have to be perfectly, smoothly incorporated.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Pop it into the oven.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes; the cake should be done when it pulls away from the sides of the pan. Immediately remove it from pan and place on a rack to cool.
9. After cooling, apply your favorite filling, garnishing and flavoring techniques. Génoise lends itself well to being soaked, er, coated with sweetened alcoholic liquids, such as a simple syrup flavored with Grand Marnier. Buttercream, ganache, jams, whipped cream, or even simply powdered sugar work nicely, too.

On the left is the failed first attempt: too little rise, too dense. On the right is the more successful second attempt. Here are the likely culprits:

• Oven too hot; I had it at 350ºF degrees the first time.
• Not greasing and flouring both the base and sides of the pan.
• Too much flour: too heavy.
• Neglecting to mix in some of the batter into the melted butter. Pouring the butter straight needed more folding and movement.
• Over-baking! As soon as the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, remove it from the oven.
• …And, of course, over-beating the batter…

In this recipe I ended up braising the cauliflower: first lightly frying it in olive oil, then cooking it in wine. I didn’t need to add more salt because the anchovies (packed in salt and oil) were already quite salty.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 head of cauliflower, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, cut into 3/4 to 1 inch florets
• 4 cloves of black garlic, minced or smushed
• 2 to 4 filets of anchovies, minced or smushed
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons water
• (optional) pepper, to taste

Method

1. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Stir in the cauliflower until the florets are coated in the oil.
2. Cover and cook on medium high for about 9 to 11 minutes. Stir the cauliflower every 2 to 3 minutes, so that the vegetable doesn’t burn, but still allows a nice fond to develop.
3. Add the black garlic and anchovies, and stir for about 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the wine and water, bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and cook until tender, about 7 to 9 minutes. There shouldn’t be much liquid left by the end; if the cauliflower cook more quickly than expected, remove the lid to boil off any excess to avoid mushiness.
5. Add some freshly ground pepper, if you want. Serve as a side, which I did with some broiled fish and rice. Alternatively, serve over pasta — in which case if there’s excess liquid, don’t boil it off, just add it to the pasta, or add pasta water and/or a bit of cream if the water boiled off already.

I got the hankering for such a pudding when I saw the recipe for American Masala’s Sticky Toffee Cake at Zoë Bakes. The adding of Indian spices to this comforting pud, not to mention the easy blending of ingredients, caught my heart (er, stomach) and mind. But I needed a recipe that gave weight measurements for flour (yes, obsessed I am, Young Skywalker), and found David Lebovitz’s Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding — in which the sticky goodness bubbles along with the baking pudding.

Ingredients

• 1 cup caramel or toffee sauce, plus MORE for garnish
• 3 1/4 ounces pitted and quartered dates
• 3 1/4 ounces pitted and quartered prunes
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 ounces (1/2 cube, 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 rounded teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1/4 rounded teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 rounded teaspoon ginger powder
• 3/4 cup sugar; 3 tablespoons of this was vanilla sugar — otherwise, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• 6 1/2 ounces whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• (optional) whipped cream for additional, extra special garnish

Method

1. Grease a 9 inch square casserole dish. Pour in 1 cup of the caramel (or toffee) sauce so that it evenly coats the bottom of the dish. Pop dish in refrigerator for at least an hour or two, so that the sauce becomes firm.
2. Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees.
3. Combine the dates, prunes and water in a sauce pan, cover, and bring to a boil.
4. Take sauce pan off the heat, stir in the baking soda, butter, salt, five-spice, cardamom and ginger powders, and if using, vanilla extract. Set aside to cool so the fruit-spice mixture isn’t too hot, about 100Fº to 120Fº degrees.
5. In the meantime, sift the sugar (and vanilla sugar, if using instead of extract), flour and baking powder into a bowl using a fine strainer.
6. When cool enough, use a hand blender to purée the fruit-spice mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Then fold in the sugar-flour mixture; a balloon whisk is great for this latter task, as it reduces the likelihood of overbeating the batter.
7. Pour the batter on top of the chilled sauce, and pop unconvered into the oven for 35 to 50 minutes. It should be done when the batter pulls away from the casserole sides, and when a knife stuck in the middle of the sponge portion comes out clean.
8. You now have pudding complete with its own sauce. But don’t hesitate to add barely sweetened whipped cream, for an additional taste sensation. Or, for that matter, more caramel sauce.

I’m still trying to find the Best Spice Proportions, so if you have a favorite recipe for this dish, I’d love to hear about it. But I think this one is a good start.

Before I had the nitr qibe, I used ghee. You could instead use canola oil, too, but the dish —at least when I used ghee; I haven’t tried oil— will lack depth. I was also unsure what particular lentil I needed: Turns out it’s masoor dal, which are the reddish-orange split lentils that’ve also been hulled (skins removed).

This can be easily doubled, tripled, etc., but make sure you have a large enough pot.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion (nearly 1 pound), chopped finely
• 2 to 3 tablespoons nitr qibe
• 5 to 7 cloves of garlic (nearly 1/2 cup), minced
• 1 inch of ginger root, grated
• 1 tablespoon berbere; increase or decrease according to your chili-heat tolerance.
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
• 1 whole black cardamom pod
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup split red lentils (masoor dal), rinsed
• 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Method

1. In a large pot, melt the nitr qibe and sauté the onions over medium-high heat until soft and golden, about 20 to 30 minutes. You’ll need to stir this frequently, and it may seem tedious, but you really want the onions to caramelize for this dish.
2. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir for a minute or two. Don’t let the garlic go brown; pale golden is okay, though.
3. Add the spices (berbere, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, non-black cardamom, and black cardamom), and stir until fragrant, another minute or two.
4. Stir in the water, lentils, tomato paste and salt, and bring to a simmer. Set the heat to low, cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. During the last 30 minutes or so you should stir every 5 to 10 minutes, so that the stew doesn’t stick and burn. When done, some but not all of the lentils will have dissolved.
5. Serve with basmati rice, injera, or other flatbreads.

So many spices! Photo by Simon F.

Another aspect of this soup I enjoy is that the lentils have a slightly al dente texture that goes nicely with the kale. This is why I use the French green lentils, such as the lentilles du Puy, because these particular varieties tend to maintain their shape after a long cooking period. You could still use whole brown lentils, but you’d have to watch the pot carefully so that they don’t (mostly) dissolve.

Ingredients

• 1 cup French green lentils, e.g., du Puy
• 2 medium onions (1 pound)
• 4 medium carrots (1/2 pound)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice & cloves
• 1/4 preserved lemon, rinsed, seeds removed, and minced
• 1 1/2 cups canned or fresh tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 cups water
• 3/4 pound kale, thick and tough stems removed, and chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• (optional) crumbled queso fresco

Method

1. Pick through and rinse the lentils. Drain them and set aside.
2. Sauté the onions and carrots in a large pot with the olive oil over medium high heat.
3. When the onions have become translucent, about 10 minutes, stir in the cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, allspice, cloves and preserved lemon.
4. When the spices have become fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes, stir in the tomatoes, stock, water, kale and lentils.
5. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the lentils have become tender. Depending on how old (dry) the lentils are, this could be range from 20 minutes to an hour.
6. Season with the pomegranate molasses, and serve with a crumbly cheese like queso fresco, if you wish.

Though less sweet, uncoated cookies are still yummy.

Adapted from Chowhound’s Pistachio Mexican Wedding Cakes. Makes 44 cookies, give or take.

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled and unsalted pistachios
• 2 ounces powdered sugar
• 8 ounces whole wheat or white pastry flour; it’s nuttier if you use all whole wheat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 sticks (1/2 cup, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 1 to 3 teaspoons cream or milk
• additional powdered (confectioner’s) sugar for dusting, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups; eyeballing by volume here is fine.

1. Put the pistachios and 2 ounces powdered sugar in a food processor, and pulse in 5 to 10 second increments until the nuts are finely ground, but not pasty.
2. Sift the pastry flour, salt and spices into the processor bowl, then pulse briefly to lightly mix together the dry ingredients.
3. Slice the butter into 4 to 6 chunks for easier mixing, and toss it along with the orange blossom water and 1 teaspoon cream (or milk) into the processor. Pulse in 10 to 15 second increments until all ingredients just start forming a ball. If the dough still seems dry and powdery, add another teaspoon or two of cream.
4. Scrape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate until it’s stiff, at least 2 hours; overnight would be fine.
5. Preheat to 350ºF — this is based on my using the “convection baking” setting. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
6. For each cookie, scoop out a tablespoon or so of dough and roll it into a 3/4 to 1 inch ball. Place the dough balls about 1/2 apart on the cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
8. There are two ways to coat the cookies, either way is fine. (1) Place 2 to 4 cookies in a bag with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and gently jostle them around until coated; this gives a chunkier but more thorough sugar coating. (2) Place the cookies on a cooling rack or towel, and sprinkle them with powdered sugar from a strainer; this method yields prettier looking cookies, but not as sweet as the first method.
9. Serve with tea, coffee, or by themselves. Store leftover cookies in an air-tight container.

Adapted from The Station House Café: 25 Years, 25 Recipes, Point Reyes Station (1999). The pan I used was a 11-by15 inch Pyrex dish, with a capacity of about 4 quarts.

Ingredients

• 10 ounces rich bread including crust, such as Sally Lunn, brioche, or challah
• 1 1/4 pounds tart-sweet apples (e.g., Granny Smith, Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Jonagold), peeled and chopped into 1/2 by 1 inch pieces
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups half and half; or, just half whole milk and half heavy cream.
• Garnishes: caramel sauce, cajeta, dulce de leche, crème anglais, etc.

Method

1. Butter a ceramic or glass baking dish and preheat the oven. I set the oven to 350ºF degrees on the “convection baking” setting.
2. Prepare the bread: Cut into 1-by-2 inch pieces and toast lightly so that the outside is crisp, but not completely dry throughout. The bread should still be soft on the inside, so when you squeeze a piece, it should give a bit. Set the bread aside in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and half and half.
4. Mix the chopped apples with the bread, then pour the egg mixture over them. Allow the bread to partially soak up the liquid, about 10 minutes.
5. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, and bake for about 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 325ºF degrees, and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes until the custard has set and the apples (at the top) have browned at their edges.
6. Serve with the aforementioned garnishes. Keeps well in the refrigerator, and can be reheated in the microwave.

Adapted from Epicurious’s Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Pine Nut Breadcrumb Topping.

For cooking ahead, you can stop at a couple of points. Before adding the sauce near the end of step 7, put everything in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake; add an additional 10 to 20 minutes to the first baking period at 375ºF. Or, pause at the end of step 8, which is handy for taking to another location with an oven (such as a friend’s potluck!): just carry the hot, covered casserole in a towel-layered box so you don’t spill or burn yourself. Then continue with step 9 once you’re at your final destination.

Filling ingredients

• 2 to 2 1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, quartered
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds cauliflower, cut into 3/4 to 1 inch florets and stems
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 to 3/4 pound shallots, diced small
• a pinch of dried thyme
• salt, for salting the boiling water (step 3), and to taste (step 4)
• (optional) zest of 1 lemon
• 4 to 4 1/2 ounces grated cheese; I used a mixture of Parmesan Reggiano and aged Ewephoria, a sheep’s milk Gouda.
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• olive oil
• black pepper, to taste

Topping ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup panko crumbs
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan Reggiano
• 2/3 cup pine nuts, chopped almonds or cashews
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced

Method

1. Grease a large casserole dish with olive oil; I used 11 by 15 inch Pyrex dish (4 quarts). Preheat the oven to 375ºF degrees; I used the “convection bake” setting on ours.
2. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and some water for shocking the vegetables in the next step.
3. Parboil the Brussels sprouts and cauliflower in the same pot: First, bring salted water in a large pot to boil. Add the sprouts and cook for 2 minutes, then add the cauliflower and allow both to cook for an additional 2 minutes; they should cook until firm (but no longer hard) to the bite. Drain and plonk the vegetables into the bowl of iced water. They can sit there while you prepare the cream sauce and the cheese.
4. In a medium sauce pan, mix the cream, milk, shallots, thyme and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring and keeping and eye on it so the sauce doesn’t overflow! Reduce to about half to two-thirds the original volume, about 2 1/2 to 3ish cups. Stir in the lemon zest, if using, then set aside to cool a little bit.
5. Toss the cheese with the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Set aside.
6. Drain the vegetables into a colander.
7. Time to assemble! Place half of the vegetables in the casserole dish. Evenly sprinkle half of the cheese + cornstarch. Repeat for the remaining vegetables and cheese + cornstarch. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Finally, pour the cream + shallot sauce evenly over the gratin.
8. Cover the gratin with foil. Bake for 15 minutes at 375ºF, then reduce the oven temperature to 360ºF for 25 minutes. The sauce + cheese should become bubbly and the vegetables tender but not completely mushy.
9. While the covered gratin is baking, mix together the topping ingredients in a medium bowl. The panko should become evenly coated with the oil.
10. Remove gratin from the oven and remove its foil cover. Sprinkle the panko topping evenly over the top. Bump the temperature back to 375ºF degrees and bake until the top is golden brown, about 10 to 15 more minutes.
11. Cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Okay, so maybe not quite a tarte Tatin, since we serve these tarts with the crust topside, to reduce the sogginess factor. These are more like a pandowdy topped with a flaky tart crust.

Plums being cooked on stovetop

This turned out to be a rather versatile recipe, where I could use either apples (like a tarte Tatin) or flavorful stone fruits (like plums, pluots, apriums or apricots). The key is to use apples which have a nice tart-sweet balance, but won’t turn to mush upon cooking; Granny Smith, Newton Pippin and Braeburn work awesomely; Golden Delicious or Jonagold would also do in a pinch. For stone fruits, delicately flavored fruits like peaches and persimmons have an unfortunate habit of turning bland when heat is applied. (Although Fuyu persimmons maintain a good texture afterwards, just not much flavor except whatever seasoning I’ve added, e.g., maple syrup, lemon and spices.)

When I have a chance, I’d like to try this with cherries, or fresh French prune plums.

Ingredients

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds fresh fruit, such as plums, apricots, apriums, pluots, apples, etc.
• 1/2 stick (1/8 cup, 2 ounces) butter
• 3 to 5 ounces brown sugar (light or dark), depending on the fruit’s sweetness; for apples, try 1/2 cup maple syrup instead — I’ve used Grade A medium amber.
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• (optional) 1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• (optional) 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground aniseed
• (optional) 1/8 teaspoon ground grains of paradise
• (optional) 2 to 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or other richly-flavored liqueur like Canton.
• flaky pastry, e.g., use a half recipe here.
• glaze: 3 tablespoons milk + 1 tablespoon sugar dissolved therein

Method

• Peel and remove seeds from fruit; although you don’t need to peel if the fruit’s skin is thin enough (e.g., apricot). To peel, blanch the fruit in boiling water for 10 to 30 seconds, then scrape off skin with a paring knife.
• Cut fruit into 1/8 to 1/4 inch sections. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375ºF degrees; I used either the “convection bake” or “pie” settings.
• Over medium heat on the stovetop, melt butter in a large, acid-resistant and oven-safe sauté pan (e.g., one made of stainless steel) until bubbly.
• Stir in the brown sugar, salt and your desired spices. Spread out the goop so it roughly covers the base of the pan. Note that this butter-sugar goop need not melt into a caramel!
• Arrange the fruit slices, or dump them into an even layer, on top of the butter-sugar goop. Add liqueur, if using. Simmer for about 10 to 20 minutes so that the goop, fruit juices and liqueur have thickened into a light syrup.
• Turn off the heat and set aside the semi-cooked fruit to cool a bit, about 10 to 15 minutes. In the meantime, roll out your pastry (if you haven’t already done so) so that its diameter is about the size of the pan’s opening.
• Carefully place the dough over the fruit. Tuck any excess dough upwards against the pan’s sides.
• With a paring knife, cut open about five vents in the dough. With a pastry brush, coat the dough with the milk + sugar glaze.
• Place pan uncovered in the oven, and bake until the dough has become golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes.
• Cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving; we serve it directly from the pan. Garnish with whipped cream, if you want.

Baked plum tart.

I’m still a wimp about how to roll out and shape the dough. Simon has that skill down pat. But I have figured out how to make the dough itself, thanks to Sonya and Robert, who pointed out that using chilled vodka greatly reduces the gluten development. Update (19 Dec 2010): Simon found the dough a bit too crumbly without any water added: it does help the dough stick together better while rolling out. We now incorporate a little bit of ice-cold water at the end of step 4.

This pastry is similar to a pâte brisée dough. It’s flaky and slightly sweet, perfect for rustic tarts, tart Tatin, or even pie. If using a pie dish, I’d advise pre-baking the crust, then allowing it to cool, before filling and finally baking the pie.

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. This makes enough for 2 very large (uh, oversized) crusts. I also keep the vodka in the freezer, where it remains liquid, primarily for this recipe. O:-)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces pastry flour; unbleached white or whole wheat is fine, or a mix thereof.
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 cubes) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 to 1/4 inch pieces
• 3 1/2 ounces vegetable shortening, cut into 3 to 4 large chunks
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice-cold vodka
• 1 to 3 tablespoons ice-cold water

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Place about a third of this into a food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse briefly twice to “sift” the dry ingredients.
2. Add the butter and shortening, plus half of the remaining dry ingredients. Pulse twice for 5 to 10 seconds, until the fats have broken up into more (but still large, around 1 inch) chunks.
3. Scrape down the side of the processor bowl, if needed, and add the remaining dry ingredients. Pulse in 10 second increments until the texture is like rough cornmeal, with fat particles about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in size.
4. Empty the contents into the large bowl you started with. Add in the chilled vodka, about 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, finishing with 1 to 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water, folding and pressing with a spatula, until the dough just barely clings together into a ball.
5. Split dough in half, pressing each into a 1 inch thick disc or square, then wrapping in plastic film. Store in freezer; or, if you’re going to use it, in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two.
6. Before use, Simon encourages consistent flakiness by:
   1. Roll out into a rough rectangle, about twice as long as wide, on a floured surface.
   2. Fold dough over in half so that it’s squarish again.
   3. Turn dough 90º degrees, and repeat steps 1 and 2. Do this for a total of 3 or 4 turns.
   4. If the dough gets too warm at any point, place it in the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes. Or the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes, if you’re in a hurry.
7. Roll out into final shape, and apply to your tart or pie recipe of choice.

Ingredients

• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil (7/8 cup total, if your measuring cup has that level of granularity)
• 1/3 cup lemon juice, give or take; I used Meyer lemons.

Method

1. In the bowl of a food processor, mix the egg, mustard and salt with a few pulses.
2. Combine the oils in a single jug for easier pouring. Start running the processor continuously, and slowly pour in about half of the oils. It will start to emulsify and look creamy.
3. Slowly pour in about half of the lemon juice while the processor is running followed by the rest of the oils. It will continue to emulsify and become fluffy.
4. Slowly pour in the remaining juice. Note that at this point you can stop periodically to test for your desired level of tartness, because the mayonnaise should’ve become a stable, thick-creamy emulsion. If the emulsion breaks (separates), just add a bit more lemon juice, or water.
5. Store refrigerated, preferably in a glass jar.