summer lovin’.
i just have to say that the weather has been how-can-i-be-expected-to-go-to-work glorious. so when i came across this recipe in the latest issue of bon appetit, it sounded like the perfect thing to round out a warm-weather meal of steak & simple arugula with olive oil, salt & lemon. it would also be great over fish or pasta or with a mixed greens salad with creamy avocado & crunchy cucumber. the parsley is my addition & i love how it adds a texture & brightness to the vinaigrette. next time i am going to add cilantro in place of the chives because i am daring like that.
cherry tomato vinaigrette (makes 1 ½ cups)
(adapted from bon appétit)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 T olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 T red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
2 T chopped fresh chives
fistful coarsely chopped parsley
cut half of the cherry tomatoes in half. heat 1 T oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. add shallot & cook, stirring until softened but not browned. add tomatoes and stir until they begin to release their juice, mashing some of them with a spoon. remove from heat & add vinegar, remaining oil, salt & pepper. stir in chives & parsley just before serving.
good morning sunshine.
weekend mornings call for a little indulgence – not showering until noon, a leisurely second cup of tea & a more-decadent-than-green-juice breakfast. this recipe was inspired by my way-back-when benedict post here. i decided to lighten things up a bit by swapping out the bread for a bed of spicy sautèed kale & leaving out the bacon. never you mind that the bacon showed up on the side of my plate – it’s saturday.
poached eggs with kale & hollandaise (serves 2)
hollandaise (recipe follows)
4 eggs, poached (method below)
1 T olive oil
8 oz lacinato kale (also called tuscan or dinosaur)
½ C chicken broth
salt & red chili flakes to taste
hollandaise:
3 egg yolks
½ lemon, juiced
1T water
salt
½ lb. hot, melted butter
combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, water & salt in a blender and blend until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. with the blender running, slowly pour in the melted butter. add more salt / lemon juice to taste.
to poach eggs: bring 2″ water in a saucepan to a low simmer. crack each egg into a cup & gently drop eggs into the simmering water and cook until just set, 4 to 5 minutes. remove with a slotted spoon to a clean, dry dishtowel.
add oil to sauté pan. when oil is hot & over high heat, add kale. after a few minutes, as kale begins to brown in spots, add broth, salt & chili flakes. cover pan & let cook until kale is tender but not soft. remove lid & continue to cook until barely any liquid remains.
place half of the kale on each plate, top with two poached eggs & spoon hollandaise over eggs.
greased lightning.
headed to the academy of art spring fashion show…
pants, american apparel / shoes, jessica simpson / vintage fur, print vintage on etsy
breaking bread.
i came across this recipe last fall and had every intention of baking these bacony-oniony loaves to give as homemade hostess presents during the holidays. the problem was that they tended to disappear before i could get them wrapped up and given away. today i made the recipe with no intention of sharing / wrapping / giving & am enjoying every savory bite.
bacon & gruyère quick bread (makes 1 large loaf or 3 small loaves)
from christina tosi of momofuku milk bar
3 T butter, plus more for greasing
2 medium onions, chopped
½ lb bacon
2 C all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 C whole milk
1/3 C olive oil
1 egg
½ lb gruyere, coarsely grated
preheat oven to 350. grease loaf pan (or 3 small pans) with butter. set aside.
in a large skillet, melt butter. add onions & cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until deeply golden & caramelized, about 30 minutes. set aside to cool. in same pan cook bacon over high heat until crisp. drain & chop. set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt & pepper. in a medium bowl whisk together milk, oil & egg. slowly pour milk mixture into flour mixture & stir until just combined. gently fold in cheese, onions & bacon then transfer to prepared pan(s). bake until golden brown & a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes (or 25 for small loaves). set aside to cool for 15 minutes, remove from pan(s) & cool completely.
comfort & joy.
i had not made risotto before tonight. strange, yes? i am not sure why – maybe the emphasis on & demand for constant stirring and the threat of it being ruined if you stop stirring for even a second. turns out that the stirring was, for me, meditative & just what i needed after a long day. it also turns out that risotto is much more forgiving than i realized (in case you have to wrestle your kid from a rope swing stop stirring) & can easily be resurrected with another ladle-full of stock. i built this recipe around the green garlic given to me by a friend but really, there are so many seasonal options once you get the technique – mushrooms & truffle oil in the fall, squash & prosciutto in the winter, summertime risotto with green herbs & lemon… don’t wait as long as i did – make this sooner than later.
risotto with green garlic, pancetta & egg (serves 4)
4 large eggs
5 – 6 C chicken broth
1 T olive oil
4 oz. pancetta
4 stalks green garlic, trimmed & chopped
2 leeks, thinly sliced (small, white and pale green parts only)
1 C arborio rice
½ C dry white wine
fistful italian parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 T butter
¼ C parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus more for garnish
salt & pepper to taste
to poach eggs: bring 2″ water in a saucepan to a low simmer. crack each egg into a cup & gently drop eggs into the simmering water and cook until just set, 4 to 5 minutes. remove with a slotted spoon to a clean, dry dishtowel.
bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan & keep warm.
heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. add pancetta & cook until most of the fat is rendered. using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. do not clean pan. add green garlic & leeks to drippings in pan & cook until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. add rice to pan & stir about 3 minutes until coated & faintly toasted. add wine, stirring until absorbed. add one ladle-full warm broth to saucepan & stir until broth is absorbed. repeat adding broth and stirring until absorbed until rice is tender & looks creamy, stirring almost constantly, about 25 – 30 minutes total. (risotto should spread, not mound, when spooned into a serving bowl. add more stock if it needs to loosen up.*) add pancetta, parsley, butter, and parmesan. season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
divide risotto among 4 bowls & top each with a poached egg, parsley, parmesan & a coarse grind of pepper.
*my risotto was loose but tightened up a bit as i shot the photos.
happy birthday to you.
it was my dear friend’s birthday over the weekend so i baked her this decadent & not-too sweet, very, very tall coconut cake.
6-layer coconut cake (serves 12 – 16)
4 ½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
3 C sugar
8 large eggs, at room temperature
2 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 ½ tsp. pure almond extract
4 ½ C all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 ½ C milk
6 oz. sweetened shredded coconut
for the frosting:
1 ½ lbs cream cheese, at room temperature
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. pure almond extract
1 ½ lbs confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6 oz. sweetened shredded coconut
preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans & dust lightly with flour.
in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter & sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow & fluffy. with the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl during mixing. add the vanilla & almond extracts & mix well.
in a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. with the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts. mix until just combined & then fold in the 6 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.
pour the batter evenly into the 3 pans and smooth the tops. bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes until the tops are browned & a knife comes out clean. cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling. slice each cake in half horizontally so that you have 6 cakes.
for the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla & almond extract on low speed. add the confectioners’ sugar & mix until just smooth.
to assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, bottom side down & spread with frosting. place the second layer on top, top side down & repeat with remaining layers but for the top layer, place it top side up. Spread a light layer of frosting on the sides of the cake. finish by sprinkling the top with coconut and lightly pressing more coconut onto the sides.
orange you glad.*
the boy & i bought beautiful blood oranges at the farmer’s market this morning. one thought was to add zest to the scones we planned to bake. another thought was about a late-afternoon cocktail involving tequila. now that the afternoon is here, the boy is enjoying a warm scone just out of the oven – tender, flaky & scented with blood orange. and i am enjoying that cocktail…
cream scones with currants & blood orange(makes 12)
2 c. all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T butter, cold
½ C currants
2 tsp. blood orange zest
1 C + 2 T heavy cream, divided
sanding sugar (granulated will work fine)
preheat oven to 425
in a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. with two knives, cut in the butter, taking care that it remains in pieces & does not soften into the flour, until the mixture resembles peas & coarse bread crumbs. add the currants, zest & cream, stirring (i use my hand) until flour is moistened & dough is well-combined.
gather the dough into a disk approximately 8” round & slice into 12 wedges. brush wedges with cream & sprinkle with sanding sugar. bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. serve warm.
*this post’s title brought to you by the boy.
i love a pavlova.
i am feeling festive! it’s warm outside, the neighbors are firing up the grill & i am having a good hair day. the buzzy weather makes me think about berries & berries make me think of a pavlova, a simple, springtime-y dessert, so that is what i will be taking to my friend’s house tonight. making a pavlova is not difficult & is actually a great recipe to make with the littles – the egg whites transform into peaks & clouds & once you add the sugar & vanilla you basically have marshmallow which, when baked, turns into a perfect meringue – crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. so exciting!! sometimes i add lemon curd into the whipped cream for a little pucker but this version is with a simple whipped cream.
pavlova with sweet cream & berries (serves 6 – 8)
from ina garten
4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
pinch kosher salt
1 C sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
sweetened whipped cream, recipe follows
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh raspberries
preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (this way you won’t get a pencil mark on the meringue.)
place the egg whites & salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. with the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar & beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.
remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar & vanilla & fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. bake for 1 ½ hours. turn off the oven, keep the door closed & allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. it will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss gently. spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. serve immediately in large scoops.
sweetened whipped cream
2 C cold heavy cream
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). when it starts to thicken, add the sugar & vanilla & continue to beat until firm. don’t overbeat!
crochet sashay.
dress, thrifted / jeans, dittos / shoes, luichiny
tangerine dream.
orange makes me happy.
tank, target / pants, jacknboots vintage on etsy / boots, guess
arrowhead necklace, tooth-n-nail on etsy / anatomical heart necklace, lost apostle on etsy
whaticookedwhatiwore 