Category Archives: Foodie Friday

Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen & Farm-Stand Peach Ice Cream

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Years ago when I first started cooking, I came across a book called The Foster’s Market Cookbook by Sara Foster a book filled with enticing and heartwarming recipes, that quickly became a favorite of mine, and still is today.

Prior to opening The Foster’s Market in Durham, North Carolina with her husband Peter, she worked with many notable restaurants and caterers in New York, as well as with Martha Stewart as a chef at her catering company. Her food reflects a simple elegance and style. It didn’t take too long for the Market/Cafe to become a favorite spot for diners.

Her latest book Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen is a tribute to her southern heritage and the food she grew up with. The book is filled with nearly 200 recipes, Sara’s take on traditional southern food with a contemporary touch. With her focus on using fresh seasonal ingredients, Sara guides you through traditional recipes such as her Granny Foster’s Southern Fried Chicken, and Jambalaya. Sara also includes many tips, and suggested swapouts for many of her recipes.

Time to dust off your ice cream makers! With Spring in full bloom, and the heat of Summer not too far off, and Memorial Day just around the corner, I thought I would try the farm-stand peach ice cream. It is creamy, fruity, and oh so delicious. Now I know peaches aren’t in season yet, so I made do with the last of the white peaches that I froze at the end of last season, from a farm in Stratford, OK (hence it’s almost vanilla color). I hope you get the chance to make this because it is wonderful :-)

Farm-Stand Peach Ice Cream

 

Ingredients:

3 cups half-and-half

1 cup heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

6 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar

6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

6 ripe peaches (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced

Pinch of kosher salt

 

Directions:

Heat the half-and-half, cream, and vanilla bean, with the reserved seeds, in a large heavy -bottomed saucepan over medium heat, just until scalded (just before the boiling point). Remove from heat, and discard the vanilla bean.

Place the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a large bowl and beat with and electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Slowly whisk about 2 cups of the half-and-half mixture into the yolks to temper the eggs. Whisk the yolk mixture back into the pan with the half-and-half mixture and cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, for 5 – 7 minutes, until thick. The custard should coat the back of a spoon and hold a line drawn with your finger.

Whisk in the butter until melted, then remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer the custard into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Place the peaches in a large bowl and coat with the remaing 1/2 cup of sugar and the salt. Let them sit for about 30 minutes, until the fruit releases it’s juices, and the sugar is no longer grainy. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Pulse the peaches in a blender or food processor 5 or 6 times, until smooth but still slightly chunky. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the peaches at the the last 5 minutes of churning. Scoop and serve.

Good Fish – Grilled Sockeye Salmon with Fennel two ways

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It didn’t dawn on me until I started writing this post, that you would be reading this on a day celebrating both Good Friday and    Earth Day. It is just one of those happy coincidences. 

Good Fish, written by Chef Becky Selengut, an advocate of seafood sustainability, and seasonal, regional cuisine,  is a cookbook filled with recipes for sustainable seafood. What I love about this book is that it focuses on what you can eat. Becky addresses the dilemnas over farmed vs. wild fish, and fresh vs. frozen, and how to determine which you should get, and she does this in a very down to earth manner.

This book is more than just about fish though. It hits a vast array of seafood, and is filled with wonderful recipes, tips, and techniques, to help you prepare them in the best possible way.

Oh and it’s a pretty enjoyable read too :-)

I first met Becky via twitter, about 2 years ago, and got to visit with her for a little while on a recent trip to Seattle. She is full of wit and wisdom, and her humorous nature rears it’s head through parts of this book. For example, the recipe for mussels with bacon and israeli couscous (she originally wanted to call it “Bad Jew Stew”), is preceded by a “Dear Grandma” letter, with the statement “Isn’t it funny how I combined bacon and israeli couscous with shellfish? Love Becky.”

All of the above, makes for a really great cookbook.  If you are a conscientious cook, who wants to learn how to properly prepare seafood, then this is the perfect book for you.

I have about a dozen or so recipes marked thoughout this book, but I really have been craving salmon, and I thought you would enjoy this recipe. With the salad and fennel, it makes a deliciously light meal for four. So in honor of Earth Day and Good Friday, I thought I would give you this one Good Fish.

GRILLED SOCKEYE SALMON WITH FENNEL TWO WAYS

 

 

Ingredients

For the fennel salt:

Dried fennel seeds – 1 Tablespoon

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Black pepercorns – 1/2 teaspoon

 

For the vegetables:

Fennel bulb – 1 large, with stems removed, cut into thin wedges. Reserve small frond pieces for garnish

Red onion – 1 medium, cut into thick slices

Extra-virgin olive oil – 1 Tablespoon

 

For the salad:

Greek-style yogurt – plain 1/4 cup

Dijon mustard – 1 teaspoon

Cayenne pepper – a pinch

Honey – 1/2 teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Salad greens (mixture of arugula, frisee, mizuna, etc.) – 4 cups

 

For the salmon:

Sockeye salmon filet – 1 pound, skin on, cut into 4 equal portions

 

Vegetable oil for the grill, or grill pan.

 

Directions:

To prepare the fennel salt, grind the fennel seeds, salt, and pepper together in a spice grinder (a coffee grinder works well though you shouldn’t use it for coffee after this, or  you can use a mortar and pestle as I do).  Set aside.

To prepare the vegetables, in a medium bowl, toss the fennel and onion with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the fennel salt. Set aside.

To prepare the salad, in a small bowl combine the yogurt, mustard, cayenne, and honey. Season to taste with salt. Right before serving, lightly coat the greens with 2 Tablespoons of the dressing. Reserve the rest to use as a sauce for the salmon.

To prepape the salmon, remove any pin bones that may still be present. Coat the salmon on all sides with the remaining fennel salt,  and set them aside on a plate in the refrigerator.

Pre-heat and outdoor gas grill, or indoor grill pan to high heat. Oil the grill rack with vegetable oil.

Grill the fennel wedges and onion slices 6 – 8 minutes until they are tender but still crisp. Grill the salmon, skin side up until the grill marks are clearly visible and turn. Sockeye is usually pretty thin, so a 1/2  inch thick piece should cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat.

Place some of the salad greens on a dinner plate, scatter with the fennel and onions, place the salmon on top, and garnish with bits of the fennel fronds.

Enjoy!

Spring Cookbooks & Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken

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New releases in cookbooks are as seasonal as the food and recipes within them. Most cookbooks slated for a spring release come out in the months of April and May, and share the foods that celebrate spring, or the newest trends in food. There are several books headed my way that I can’t wait to share with you as well as one mammoth one that has been added to my personal wish list.

As I think about a few of the books that I have coming, I am reminded that food can be as trendy as fashion. Not a bad thing really, it keeps ideas in food fresh and moving.

The last couple of years we’ve seen cupcakes lead the way, but macarons and pie have stepped in to fill that spot. I have already written about  macarons here and more and more people are taking it upon themselves to either make them, or find a pastry shop that carries them. 

Old fashioned comfort food is now again fashionable, and people are once again embracing that pastry we all love called pie. I recently traveled to Seattle specifically to take the lovely Kate McDermott’s  Art of the Pie class, where I learned to bake the best the pies I have ever made. Martha Stewart is coming out with a new book called Martha Stewart’s New Pies and Tarts (which I will review in a future post on this site) , and pie shops are popping up all across the country.

Many have picked up the practice of doing one meatless day a week. I usually do a Meatless Monday. Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks came out with a new book I just received called called Supernatural Everyday and I will be reviewing that here soon as well.

The book that ended up on my personal wish list is one that I personnaly can’t afford at this time. Nathan Myhrvold a former Microsoft Executive personally took it upon himself and a team of chefs, photographers, to create a 6 volume set of books called Modernist Cuisine. At 2437 pages this incredible set of books weighs in at a whopping 47 pounds. It is full of cooking techniques, tips, incredible food photography, and almost every chef and foodie I know would love to get there hands on this incredible series.  The retail price for this set? $625 this foodie will have to wait until it is sold volume by volume.

I do have a really great recipe to share with you today. A very simple Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken. I make this at least once a week. It is so simple to prepare and delicious.

LEMON & HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

 

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken - 3 1/2 pounds (preferably free range)

For the marinade

Garlic – 4 cloves minced

Rosemary – 1 tsp fresh (1/2 tsp if using dried)

Thyme – 1/2 tsp fresh (1/4 tsp if using dried)

Olive oil – 1/4 cup

The juice of 1 lemon

Salt – 1/2 teaspoon

Freshly ground black pepper – 1/2 teaspoon

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spatchcock the chicken by removing the backbone with poultry shears or heavy duty kitchen scissors. Trim any excess fat from the around the backside, legs and neck. This will allow you to roast your chicken with the cavity open and cut your roasting time down.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a small bowl and set aside. Place the chicken in a ziplock bag, or food safe vacuum sealable pouch. Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal. Rub the marinade into the chicken and set aside. Allow to marinade for 15-30 minutes. 

 

Place the chicken in a roasting pan lined with foil with the cavity of the chicken facing down. The wings under and pul the legs out so the thighs are comfortably resting against the breast and the tips of the legs are pointing out. Cover lightly with foil and roast at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the heat up to 400 degrees F roast uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes until the chicken has browned and reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Sarabeth’s Bakery – Banana Streusel Muffins

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Sarabeth’s Bakery, owned by Baker and author Sarabeth Levine is located in New York City’s Chelsea Market, and is great place for contemporary food,  pastries, or preserves. I have been a fan of her Jams and Jellies, since I first purchased her Apricot Preserves years ago, so I was really excited when I received this book from my friend Nichole Moissant, as a gift this past Christmas.

It was a joy to read about her grandmother’s legacy to her, a recipe for a marmalade, which she eventually turned into a business. She definitely has more to offer than preserves. Though she started with making and selling preserves from her home, she quickly grew out of that and expanded her business into the successful bakery, shop, and online store that it is today.

This book is filled with great techniques and recipes for pastries, breads, muffins, cakes, pies and tarts, and array of desserts for everyday or special occasions. There is even a really great section on those preserves that first drew her to my attention.

I love muffins, especially the ones that have that wonderful streusel topping on them. These Banana Streusel Muffins  are delicious and moist thanks to the addition of sour cream, and the lemon zest really adds a nice bright flavor to them. I hope you take the time to make and enjoy them.

BANANA STREUSEL MUFFINS

 

 

Ingredients:

For the streusel topping:

Unbleached All-Purpose Flour - 6 Tablespoons

Superfine Sugar – 1 Tablespoon

Brown Sugar – 1 Tablespoon

Ground Cinnamon – 1/8 teaspoon

Unsalted Butter – 2 1/2 Tablespoons

Pure Vanilla Extract – 1/2 teaspoon

For the muffins:

Softened butter enough to brush the insides of your pan(s)

Unbleached All-Purpose Flour – 3 cups

Baking Powder – 1 Tablespoon

Fine Sea Salt – 1/2 teaspoon

Unsalted Butter – 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Superfine Sugar – 1 cup

Grated Lemon Zest – 1/2 lemon

Vanilla Extract – 1/2 teaspoon

Eggs – 2 large at room temperature, beaten

Whole Milk – 1/2 cup

Sour Cream – 1 cup

Small Ripe Bananas – 4 peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

Directions:

Note: This recipe is designed for 12 large muffin cups and makes a large amount of batter. I used 2 regular muffin pans to make 24 muffins. If you make that change adjust the temp during the temperature reduction to 350 degrees and decrease the amount of baking time at the end by 3-5 minutes.

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 400 degrees F. Brush the sides of 12  muffin cups with the softened butter, then brush the top of the pan.

2. To make the streusel, mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and vanilla with your fingers in a small bowl until combined and crumbly. Set aside.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating, scraping the sides of the bowl often with a spatula, until the mixture is very light in color and texture, about 5 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla. Gradually beat in the eggs, then the milk. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour in thirds, alternating with 2 additions of the sour cream, scraping the sides of the bowl and beating briefly after each addition. Do not overbeat. Fold in the bananas.

4. Using a 2 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, portion the batter, rounded side up, into the prepared muffin cups (if using the smaller muffin pans, fill the cups 2/3′s of the way full). Generously sprinkle the tops with the prepared streusel.

5. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees (350 degrees for the smaller muffin pans) and bake until the muffin tops are golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, about 15 minutes more (10 for the smaller muffin pans).

6. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and allow them to cool completely.

Enjoy!

MACARONS

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Parisian Style Macarons. They are dainty little meringue cookies that are light, crisp, and filled with a variety of custards, ganache, or jam. When I first started making them, not many books were available  on macarons. I learned with the help of many friends online, and from various websites. Things are changing however, and there are several books coming out with recipes for a variety of macarons

The first one that I purchased is I Love Macarons, by Hisako Ogita. This is a great book for someone who is wanting to learn the techniques involved in producing a great macaron. Hisako goes into great detail with every step of the process, and shows you how to add colors and flavors to make wonderful treats. At the time I purchased this book in late 2009, it was pretty much the only book available on macarons. Things have changed as macarons are becoming a popular and more familiar treat across the country. Both Mad About Macarons  by Jill Colonna, and Macarons by Cecile Cannone, were just released in December 2010, and there are four more books on the topic of macarons on the horizon for this year.  

 

This recipe and technique are from Hisako Ogita’s I Love Macarons. I chose to top them with cocoa nibs, and fill them with a very simple chocolate ganache. I hope you enjoy them.

Chocolate Macarons 

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons (1 ounce/25 grams) Cocoa Powder (My preference is All Natural Cocoa Powder. I use Askinosie)

1/2 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) Almond Powder 

1 cup (1.75 ounces/ 50 grams) Powdered Sugar

3 Large egg whites at room temperature

5 Tablespoons/65 grams Granulated Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup of cocoa nibs to garnish the tops

Cut a piece of parchment to fit your baking sheet. Draw 1 inch (2.5  centimeter) circles on the paper, spacing them at least a 1/2  inch (1.5 centimeters) apart. This pattern will be your guide for squeezing out the macaron batter.

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In a food processor, grind cocoa powder, almond powder and powdered sugar. Set aside. 

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In a stainless steel mixing bowl, beat egg whites on high until they are foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites. Add vanilla and stir lightly. When the meringue is stiff, firm, and has a glossy texture it is done.

Add 1/2 of the sifted flour mixture and fold it in. Add remaining flour and mix it lightly in a circular motion. When you have run out of flour, press and spread out the batter against the bowl’s sides. Scoop the batter from the bottom and turn it upside down. Repeat this process about 15 times.

 

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When the batter becomes nicely firm and drips slowly as you scoop it with a spatula, the mixture is done. Attach a .4 (1.01 centimeter) tip to a pastry bag. Twist the bag to hold the tip tightly. This prevents the batter from leaking out. Place the pastry bag, tip down,  in a measuring cup and pour the batter made into it. Clip the bag top, to prevent batter from coming out. You can use a string or rubber band as well.

Line a cookie sheet with the parchment prepared in step 1 and squeeze batter onto the center of the circles. Make small circles since the batter tends to spread out. Rap the baking sheet firmly against counter. This helps the macarons retain their rounded shape and helps the pied, or little “foot” to form. Top each round with 3 cocoa nibs.

Dry the batter at room temperature for 15 minutes. A slight crust should form on top of the macarons. On rainy days it helps to dehumidify the room.  If the batter doesn’t stick to your fingers when you touch them, the drying process is complete. On a dry sunny day, the drying process takes approximately 3o minutes.

Baking the Macarons 

Place racks in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 375°. 

Stack the baking sheet with the prepared circles into an empty baking sheet and slide both into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, if the macarons are still soft lower oven temp to 300° cover the tray with foil and bake for 2-3 minutes.

The macarons are done! Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

For the Ganache

Ingredients:

Dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao) – 8 oz chopped

Heavy cream – 8oz

Directions:

Place the chopped chocolate into a heat resistant bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, scald the cream. Let it come to a simmer with bubbles just forming around the edge of the pan (do not let it come to a full boil).  Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute to allow the chocolate to melt. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and allow it to cool to room temperature. It should be thick and easy to spread.

Assembly:

Spread a teaspoonful of ganache on the flat side of one macaron shell, and place the flat side of another shell against it. Gently press together to allow the filling to bind them. Your macarons are now ready to enjoy.