Happy Pi Day

My darling daughter, Maddie, informed me that today is 'Pi Day'. I didn't know. How could I have missed it? So happy 3.14159265359......

It also happens to be Albert Einstein's birthday. It is a banner day and I'm late to the party, so let's celebrate with this pie or perhaps a free-form tart.  It isn't a pie and it doesn't go on forever, but it is round (well sort of) and quite delicious.

Apple-Frangipane Tart

Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz 

Tart dough

1 1/2 cups (210 g) flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup (4 ounces/115 g) cold unsalted butter

6 tablespoons (90 ml) ice water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor or standing mixer with paddle attachment. Cut butter into pieces and add to the flour mixture. Mix until the size of peas. Add water and mix just until dough comes together. Gather into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Refrigerate until chilled.

While the dough is chilling make the frangipane.

Frangipane

4 ounces (115 g) almond paste

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons flour

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

6 tablespoons (3 ounces/90 g) softened salted or unsalted butter

1 egg, room temperature

Crumble almond paste and mix with sugar, flour, and almond extract in a food processor or standing mixer with a paddle attachment until almond paste is like corn meal. Add butter, then egg and mix well.

Tart

6 medium apples

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) unsalted butter

4 tablespoons (60 g) sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface until approximately a 14-inch (36 cm) circle. Don't worry if it isn't perfectly round. It is a free-form tart. Using an small off-set spatula spread the frangipane over the dough leaving a small edge that can be folded over the fruit.  

Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Arrange apples on top of frangipane. Fold the edges over the fruit. Lightly brush the crust and apples with melted butter then sprinkle with sugar. Bake about an hour until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Cool on a rack.

Taking Stock

Where I live we are on the backside of winter. Nonetheless Old Man Winter has graced us with another, and hopefully last dare I say for fear of jinxing it, snowstorm. The peaceful blanket of white makes everything still and quiet allowing me a moment to take stock of the past few months and dream of spring, the garden, and warm weather ahead. But until it arrives I long for soup to warm my body and soul.

One of the first things I learned to make as a young bride was soup stock. I watched Julia Child roast bones for her version and read my husband's The Campus Survival Cookbook written by Jacqueline Wood & Joelyn Scott Gilchrist given to him by his grandmother. It seemed an easy and satisfying task.

I used to joke that I could get several meals out of one chicken. I would roast the chicken with vegetables to feed us a few meals. When the chicken was gone I would boil the bones with left-over vegetables, if any, and add a few additional vegetables to make a nice, rich stock. Then I would make soup with the stock. One chicken went a long way.

Over the years I have made soup for a lot of people usually to rave reviews. When asked what the secret is I tell them it is the homemade stock. I know you can buy ready-made stock and some are pretty good, but nothing beats homemade. It really does make a difference in what you are cooking whether it be soup or sauce. Homemade stock just adds so much more flavor.

As I learned from my first try it isn't hard to make stock. It only takes some time most of which is unsupervised, except for occasionally checking the simmering pot on the stove. You don't need to measure anything or be precise. Just roast some bones and vegetables, simmer gently for a few hours, strain, and voila.

You can make stock without bones and use just vegetables, but for a thick, rich stock that turns gelatinous when cold you need bones. There is no need to peel the vegetables. The nutrients are closest to the skin. Just make sure they are clean. Once you chill the stock in the refrigerator it is easy to remove the fat as it will rise to the top. I rewarm the stock to make it liquid and then store in smaller containers for easy use. Freeze some in ice cube trays, then store in freezer bags to keep handy when making a sauce or stir fry or you just need a little. Store in larger containers for soups and stews.

While the stock is gently simmering you will have time to peruse the garden catalogs that arrive this time of year. I am eager to spend time with the new White Flower Farm catalog. Making stock just takes patience while it comes to fruition. Just like the garden patiently waits for the frozen earth to thaw under a late winter snow. The two little snow-covered mounds in the photo above are snowdrops, appropriately named. They are blooming or were before the snowfall.

Once you get in the habit of making your own stock you won't be satisfied with any other kind. I often leave family gatherings with whatever bones are left from our meal. My favorite is the grilled turkey carcass my brother-in-law sends home with me after Thanksgiving dinner at their home. It makes the absolute best stock. It is liquid gold. You can take stock in that.

Soup Stock

bones, chicken, turkey, or beef depending upon what kind of stock you want to make
2 large carrots
1 large onion or some leeks
1 celery stalk
a few cloves of garlic
a few whole peppercorns
a big splash of vinegar

Don't be concerned about the vinegar. It draws the calcium out of the bones which is what makes it like gelatin. The smell and taste will cook out. You will never know it is there.

I don't salt my stock. I prefer to add salt later to whatever I am cooking. Feel free to add it if you desire.

Roast bones in a 350℉ (175℃) oven for 30-40 minutes until brown. You can also roast the vegetables for a more intensive flavored stock. If roasting both, use one pan for the bones and one pan for the vegetables. Put the bones on the top rack in the oven and the vegetables on the bottom rack. Put roasted bones and vegetables in a stock pot large enough to hold everything or add the raw vegetables if you did not roast them. Add water to cover contents. Add garlic, peppercorns, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover with a lid. Allow stock to simmer gently at least 2 hours and preferably 4-5 hours. Let cool for a while then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Cover and refrigerate. The fat will rise to the top. Once cold it is easy to remove and discard. Store stock in the refrigerator for short-term use. To store longer than a week, store in the freezer.

Surprise Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

I was in a nice chocolate shop early in February in need of a little afternoon pick-me-up. While the salesperson put my tiny chocolate in a pretty little bag she tried to entice me to order chocolate-dipped strawberries for Valentine's Day. Out of curiosity I inquired about the price. I imagine my raised eyebrows were not the reaction she was seeking.

Now I'm no stranger to paying a pretty price for food items. The bakery I worked for in California had a very nice product line that was not inexpensive. We made everything by hand in the shop. You expect to pay a premium for high quality, well-executed, goods. Still, the price for one chocolate-dipped berry was rather shocking.

As I drove home I started thinking about a chocolate-dipped strawberry I once had in a little food gourmet shop in Los Altos, California. I don't remember the name of the shop, as I only went there once, but the strawberry was filled with a sweetened cream cheese mixture then dipped in chocolate. It was heavenly.  The surprise filling elevated it to a special treat.

You can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate, but I prefer bittersweet chocolate because it contrasts nicely with the slightly sweet filling. The addition of chopped pistachios add a little salt and crunch. Or forget the nuts if you like. Use the largest strawberries you can find, so there is more room for filling. A star or french tip makes a pretty presentations, but a plain tip would work as well.

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Stir until creamy.

Dry the berries thoroughly before filling and dipping.

Gently fill the strawberries with the cream cheese mixture.

Dip strawberries in chocolate. Sprinkle with pistachios. Let set-up on a parchment or wax paper lined tray.







Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

16 ounces (454 g) strawberries
4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons (27 g) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 ounces (173 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup (35 g) shelled pistachios, chopped, optional

Gently wash and dry strawberries. Remove stems. If small you may need to remove some of the flesh to make a larger cavity. Line a tray with parchment or waxed paper and set aside. Stir softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Fill pastry bag fitted with a star or french tip with cream cheese mixture. Fill strawberries until cavity feels full. Dip the opposite end in melted chocolate and sprinkle with nuts, if using.

The strawberries are best eaten the day they are made. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.

One More Time

I am still obsessed with the citrus salad I wrote about in January. Perhaps it is because winter still has an icy grip on my shivering shoulders. Or, maybe I'm addicted to grapefruit not only for its bright, juicy, flavor, but because pamplemousse is my favorite French word. It just makes me happy to utter it while dissecting a grapefruit.

So, when I was in the grocery store recently and noticed lobster tails on sale I thought, "Why not?" Adding a little seafood to this salad elevates it from salad to meal - a sublime meal at that. Crab meat or shrimp would be suitable substitutes, but lobster brings it to a whole new level. You can play with the ingredients, but the real key is the pamplemousse, avocado, and lobster.  The rich lobster, tart grapefruit, and creamy avocado make a perfect combination. It seems so indulgent and it is. Oh, but it is so good.

Gently boil the tail a few minutes to cook the meat.  This tail took about five minutes.

Allow it to cool a few minutes.

Remove the meat from the tail. Cut into pieces.

Section oranges, grapefruit, and avocado and voila.

Bon Appetit!

Sand or Sail?

Amber 

When Chris and I lived in Palo Alto, we had the good fortune to have a small sailboat moored at Gashouse Cove Marina in San Francisco. She was a Danish Folkboat named Amber because she first sailed in the Baltic Sea. Every inch of Amber was wood. Our free time was precious, so we often faced the dilemma - sand or sail? Work or play? When we were sailing, we felt guilty we weren’t sanding. When we were sanding, we wished we were sailing. Finding the right balance was often the challenge. 

Water, especially salt water, is very hard on a boat, without continual maintenance there would be nothing left to sail. However, if you only work on the boat and never get to enjoy sailing her there is no point in having her. In the word's of my mother - everything in moderation.

I created this blog because I love to bake, cook, write, and take photos, and I wanted to share the story of our kitchen remodel. For me the creative part is play, however blog maintenance is work. It is no secret I am technologically impaired. I have been on a steep learning curve from the beginning. 

A month or so went by before I realized the comment section didn’t work. I have been trying to fix it ever since. After a lot of trial and error and much frustration, I think it now works correctly. You do have to enter a name and a valid email address, however, only the name will appear. The email address will not and it will not be shared or used in any way. So, even though I’m late to the party, if you want to comment on a previous post, please feel free. I promise to read all comments - even if they go back to the beginning. I do apologize that the comment section wasn’t working all along. 

I don't know what became of Amber. The man who bought her did so for the berth. He planned to replace Amber with his own boat and put her in dry-dock. I do hope he eventually found a new owner for her and that she is still lovingly cared for and enjoyed. Although she would be nearing 70 years old, I would imagine she still has many good years of sailing left, if she is both sanded and sailed. After all moderation is the key.

Chris and his father on Amber

Oven-Baked Apple Pancake

Over the years I have subscribed to just about every food magazine ever published. What I have to show for it is two large binders full of torn out recipes, plus a couple of over-flowing file folders. I haven't begun to make each and every recipe, but I have made a lot of them. Especially this recipe for an oven-baked apple pancake.

I couldn't tell you which magazine it came from, but if I had to guess I would say either Gourmet or Food & Wine, probably from the mid-1990s. It may be a recipe that has been around the block a few times, but it combines two foods that are favorites in our household: apples and pancakes. My children often request it for breakfast, but any left-overs make a lovely afternoon snack.

In the summer I substitute peaches or nectarines and pears are a nice change in autumn. I have made the pancake with many different kinds of apples including: Golden Delicious, Fuji, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, and Macintosh. All with good results. For this post I used Fuji. Use whatever fruit you enjoy.

Generously butter a well-seasoned iron skillet.

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. Toss with cinnamon and sugar. Arrange in a circular pattern on top of batter.

Oven Apple Pancake

3/4 cup (110 g) all -purpose flour
3 tablespoons (45 g) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (250 ml) milk
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces/45 g) butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 apples

Preheat oven to 425℉ (218℃). Generously butter a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Sift flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in another bowl. Add to dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

Mix1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon in a bowl large enough to hold the apple slices. Peel, core, and thinly slice apples and toss with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour batter in skillet and arrange apple slices on top. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350℉ (175℃) and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until center is set and the edges are puffed. Sprinkle with final tablespoon of sugar and serve.

Dessert Harmony

Chocolate or vanilla? Which flavor are we in the mood for is often the question in our household. Personally, I'm always in the mood for chocolate, but my children often opt for vanilla. So what to do to keep us happy. Maddie solved the dilemma by choosing a black and white cheesecake for her birthday cake. It satisfied our chocolate craving and our need for vanilla, keeping the dessert harmony in perfect balance.

Harmony is a good thing. It keeps everything in balance. My parents recently celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary. Yes, that is correct, 56 years. They are a beautiful example of wedded bliss. An amazing accomplishment. When asked the secret to a harmonious marriage their response was - love and forgive. Stellar advice.

This cheesecake is a nice balance between chocolate and vanilla.  The texture is ultra-creamy and the chocolate pastry adds just the right amount of crunch to accomplish perfect dessert harmony. Whether you are a chocolate addict or a vanilla lover, are celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, or nothing at all this cheesecake is sure to please everyone.

Process butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a food processor until blended. Add cocoa powder and process until smooth.

Only pulse the processor a few times once the flour is added to make a dough that is crumbly.

Bake crust in a springform pan until set.

Allow cream cheese to soften before using. Don't over-beat cream cheese and sugar or it will become too thin and the cheesecake won't have a creamy texture.

Leave defined areas of chocolate and vanilla batter.








Black & White Cheesecake
Adapted from Cocolat Extraordinary Chocolate Desserts by Alice Medrich

Chocolate pastry
3 ounces (86 g) unsalted butter
1/2 (100 g) cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces/40 g) cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 cup (110 g) all-purpose flour

Cheesecake filling
5 ounces (150 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (62.5 ml) water
24 ounces (680 g) cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 (250 g) cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃).

Combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a food processor and process until creamy. Add cocoa powder and process until mixture is a smooth paste. Add flour and pulse just until crumbly. Press 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch (20-cm) springform pan with a removable bottom. Toss the rest of the crumbs loosely on a baking sheet. Bake bottom crust and loose crumbs for 10 minutes. Remove the baked crumbs, but continue baking the bottom crust another 5 minutes. Cool both on a rake. When the loose crumbs are cool pulverize in a food processor until fine crumbs. Cover and set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 325℉ (160℃).

Butter the sides of the springform pan above the cooled crumb base. Put chocolate and water in small bowl. Melt over simmering water or in microwave on 50% power until smooth. Keep warm.

Beat cream cheese in mixer with a paddle attachment. Gradually add sugar, beat just until smooth.  Scrap down bowl and paddle a few times. Add eggs and vanilla just until well mixed. Remove 1 cup (250 ml) of batter and set aside. Pour remaining batter over cooled crust.

Stir warm chocolate into reserved batter. Drop by large spoonfuls onto the vanilla batter. Using a clean spoon scoop down and up to slightly blend the two batters in a marbled pattern. Be careful not to over blend.

Bake until slightly puffed around the edges, but still very soft in the center, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully run a thin knife around the edges to release the cake from the sides of the pan.  Cool on a rake covered by a large inverted bowl to prevent cracking. Once completely cooled cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve remove cheesecake from pan and carefully press reserved pastry crumbs around the sides of the cake.