Archive for February, 2009

The Sound of Plantains

Friday, February 27th, 2009

Latin culture has a pulse that I like. I was two years old when my grandma and papa lived in Venezuela for a year on business. My parents and I went for a visit. The memories of the trip are not mine to claim, but I was there and my mom has shared some good ones. My grandmother, Olga, took Spanish classes prior to their move. She was a diligent student. But as the story goes, my parents overheard her talking to the valet attendant at the restaurant, and she said “we are waiting for thrrrree frrrriends.” I suppose beautifully rolled Rs were the highlight of the class.

My friend, Lindsay, traveled to Buenos Aires in college—she came back a changed lady. She was crazy about the salsa dance. Lindsay returned ready to wind. We hit the Indianapolis salsa scene, which was expectedly sub par, but play that quick cadence anywhere and it is hard not to sway and wiggle.

One of my all time favorite restaurants is Las Tablas on the north side of Chicago. It is quaint, traditional, comfortable, and Columbian. This place is the real deal—no skewers of meat no endless salads, just a tasty plate of food. You sit on benches close to friends and family, you bring your own wine and you share your dish.

The continuous tempo of the Latin way of life keeps me interested and hungry. There is passion in the attractively rolled R, the shake of the hip, the tight dinners and the passing of the plates; I want more. I decide to make my own rhythmic preparation at home—tostones, twice fried plantains.

Tostones

canola oil
ripe (but not too ripe) plantains
s and p

Heat oil in a large heavy pan (oil should be at least one inch thick) over moderate/high heat. **The pan should be deep enough so that there is no chance the oil will not spill over. Peel and cut the plantains into 1 inch cylinders. Fry the plantains until just golden. Remove and smash the plantains to a thin layer. Refry the plantains over moderate heat until crispy (if the oil starts to smoke, it is too hot.) Please note that the plantains will only need a brief time in the oil for the second round of frying. Remove the plantains; lay flat on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Posted in Plantains, Tostones | 1 Comment »

Recipe of the Week – Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Friday, February 20th, 2009

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies | I use this recipe from Ina Garten’s: Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Makes 36 to 40 Cookies
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup good smooth peanut butter
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound good semisweet chocolate chunks*
*I use a block of semi sweet chocolate and cut it into rustic generous chunks.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and peanut butter, and mix. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the batter, mixing only until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using either a 1 ¾ – inch ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands, flatten the dough lightly, then press the tines of a wet fork in both directions. Bake for exactly 17 minutes (the cookies will seem undone). Do not over-bake. Remove from from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.*

*or eat when warm, because they are irresistible.

Posted in Cookie, Peanut Butter | 5 Comments »

Getting Back With The Ex

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Hey Egg:

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and it got me thinking that we were together at this time last year. I miss ya! 10 years of quiche, pasta carbonara, omelets, sandwiches, and then my parents freaked out and were all, “he’s bringing cholesterol into your life.” Man, were they wrong. At first they did not care that they were controlling how many times we could see each other, which ultimately destroyed us, but lately they have been super understanding. My mom actually overheard another mom gabbing, that the college where you just got accepted requires a score of 13 on the essential nutrient exam and a 75 on the calorie count—she was stoked. I told her that you were up for “Best Protein” at school. She smirked and said, “well, he always was the perfect protein.” So, no more shenanigans. I got the approval nod if we want to rekindle the “courtship.” So what do you say? I say, let’s go get fried and boiled!

Love ya,
Fresh Ground Pepper

P.S. I heard your sandwich party was wicked! My friend snapped this picture of you—NICE! ;)

Best Egg Sandwich

crusty French bread – toasted
butter
egg – cooked over easy
Spinach – sauteed
chihuahua cheese
cherry tomatoes – halved
cheddar cheese
Louisiana Hot Sauce
s and p

Prepare ingredients, then heat the sandwich in the oven until cheese begins to melt.

Egg Stats
type of preparation/cook time in boiling water

Coddled/ 1-3 minutes
Soft Boiled/ 3-5 minutes
Medium Boiled/5-7 minutes
Hard Boiled/12-15 minutes **I start the eggs in cold water and cook for 20 minutes total.

Posted in Egg Sandwich | 1 Comment »

A Lovely Day for a Cupcake

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

I have made it a practice to keep up with other food blogs. This week, I was totally and utterly captivated by the blog, Smitten Kitchen. An email1317 popped up in my inbox that stated: (Irish) car bomb cupcakes. In the words of Liz Lemon, my response was, “I want to go to there.” The Irish car bomb is a drink I know well enough to know that it is delicious—it is a mixed shot of Baileys and Jameson dropped into a half pint of Guinness stout. The thought of these sacred ingredients combined with a cupcake made me fall hard for Smitten Kitchen’s culinary creation.

I called my mom and told her we had our work cut out for us on Sunday. These cupcakes are truly a labor of love. My favorite step was melting down the butter and Guinness together while folding in layers of rich cocoa. It only got better eating the removed “shots” of brownie. But nothing beat presenting friends and family with the cupcake and revealing the identity of the intoxicating torte.

Car Bomb Cupcakes | from Smitten Kitchen, visit: www.smittenkitchen.com

Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon Irish whiskey (updated to add this, optional)

Baileys Frosting
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperatue
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)
**I added Milk with the Bailey’s

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

Posted in Cupcake, Ganache, Guinness | 4 Comments »