Several days ago, I was trying to decide what to do with a basket of fresh Black Mission Figs that I had purchased a day earlier.
I was just so happy to see fresh figs, that I bought them without a specific recipe on how I was going to prepare them. Then I remembered a conversation with my Foodie Friend, Dorothy. She told me how a friend of hers (who is an award winning chef) made a superb fig jam. She guessed that it had orange juice, port wine and finely chopped almonds in it.
So, I decided to see what I could create, without a recipe. I simply cut each fig in half and scooped out the pulp. The container (12-15 figs...I didn't count them) yielded roughly a cup of the fig pulp (or is it meat?) In a sauce pan I put about 1/2 cup of sugar, the zest and juice of one orange and-- on impulse- a splash of balsamic vinegar. I brought it to a boil, on medium high. I tasted it, and I decided it was missing something. I had some Ruby Red Port Wine (I love cooking with it), so I added about 1/4 cup. While that reduced (about 15 minutes), I quickly toasted a handful of almonds until fragrant (2 minutes in a dry skillet) and then chopped them very fine, in a mini chopper. I added the almonds to the jam, at the end. I tasted it and I was did a happy dance! I didn't photograph how I made this, because I was totally winging it. I quickly wrote down the recipe (which is at the bottom of this page).
What did I do with most of this fig jam? I'll post that in the next few days. It has something to do with this ingredient:
Italian Prunes (also called Italian Plums or Stanley Plums)
I had about 1/2 cup of this delicious jam left, so I decided to make a Panini sandwich, with brie and fig jam. I don't own a panini press, but I have improvised my own-- it works great!
I have a square cast iron grilling skillet and a bacon press! I brush on some olive oil and bring it to a medium high heat. Maybe this isn't authentic, but I put a very thin schmear of unsalted butter (trying not to think of fat grams)on some sliced french bread (this happened to be sour dough, from my freezer).
Into the preheated skillet the sandwiches went for just a couple of minutes, and I gave the sandwiches a flip. The bacon press does a pretty decent job of pressing the bread together, I think.
Two minutes later, these are ready. I present to you...
...a melted brie and fig jam panini!
This is why I wouldn't make a professional food stylist-- this shot is a bit out of focus, I know. I was in too much of a hurry to eat this, while it was hot, that I didn't get the focus just right. Still, look at that cheese and jam...yummy!
One more shot, from the backside...
Heaven, I tell you. My husband gave this five stars. I caught him rooting in the fridge for more fig jam. It's gone. I'm crossing my fingers that, tomorrow, I can buy more fresh figs. I want to make a lot more of this jam! Figs and Brie are meant for one another. Next time, I'd be very tempted to add caramelized, sweet onion to this sandwich... or maybe I'd add prosciutto! That's why I enjoyed the grilled figs, brie and prosciutto so much, that I made during the summer. That might kick this one up, one more notch. We shall see...
I'm posting this recipe to be included with Deb at Kahakai's Kitchen for Souper Sundays-- a weekly roundup of soup, salad and sandwich recipes. Come check it out!
This is a very true story. Many years (maybe decades) ago, I was a full-fledged chocoholic. A friend of mine, who is a hypnotherapist, said that she could help me to control of my insatiable appetite for any kind of chocolate. I won't get into the details of my session, nor the suggestion she gave my subconscious mind that would create an aversion to chocolate (you don't want to know...). All I can tell you is that, since then, I only have an occasional craving for chocolate! Even then, a bag of chocolate can last for months and months, untouched, in my cupboard. Crazier, still, is that I'd rather eat a Cadbury Fruit & Nuts bar or See's chocolates, in lieu of Godiva Belgian chocolate-- it's just too rich for me!
So, here I was faced with a Barefoot Bloggers challenge of baking another Ina Garten cake recipe as the second of this month's chosen recipes! Mary of Passionate Perseverance chose "Beatty's Cake" (found in Barefoot Contessa at Home) --a rich chocolate cake with chocolate frosting... a combination that I'm not particularly wild about (I like chocolate and white frosting). However, my husband likes it and I was sure that I could find some takers once I had finished this cake. I just enjoy baking, so I was up for trying Mary's choice.
I liked the idea of using oil and buttermilk, instead of butter, which I presumed would give the cake a lot of moisture. Besides, the frosting consisted of two sticks of butter! I also like the idea of using coffee to enhance the taste of chocolate. I was going to be a good sport, despite my lukewarm love of chocolate cake and chocolate frosting-- so I decided to make Ina's recipe exactly as is,since this recipe has stellar reviews. Like Ina, I try my best to buy the best quality ingredients:
One of my golden rules in baking is to measure and prepare all of my ingredients. Baking is science, so it can ruin the whole recipe if you discover you're missing a vital ingredient. I make a point of bringing my eggs and butter to room temp. Depending on the weather, that can take 30 minutes, to an hour.
Sometimes, I'm lazy and I don't sift my dry ingredients. This time, I made a point of it...
...because Dutch Cocoa can clump up. I was also reminded that kosher salt doesn't sift well...duh!
One of my blogger buddies, Muneeba, just got a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer for her birthday. She's in for a treat! Mixing the batter, for this recipe, didn't even make me break a sweat. I simply mixed in the wet with the dry and the batter was ready in no time at all.
I make a point of checking my cake about 5 minutes sooner than the recipe calls for, to reduce the risk of it being over-baked and dry. Ina's instructions say to bake this recipe between 30-40 minutes. I used 2 9-inch pans and these were ready in 25 minutes! Heed my warning, because my oven is calibrated to be pretty accurate! I allowed the cakes to cool for 30 minutes, per the instructions, and then put them on a cooling rack.
It's time to make the frosting-- I can finally use the espresso powder that I order from King Arthur. It's pretty cool stuff. I like how fine the powder is, compared to instant coffee. I've never made a buttercream frosting with an egg yolk, so I bravely went ahead--wondering if a raw egg would freak out anyone. I decided not to say anything.
The butter is whipped for about 3 minutes-- there's lots of air going in this!
Ina calls for 6 ounces of "good semi-sweet chocolate". Well, Ina, Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips is as good as it's gonna get! I started to do the double boiler thing...then I thought, heck-- what are microwaves for? 90 seconds later... perfectly melted chocolate. Easy, eh?
The only reason I'm publishing the photo of the egg yolk that is being added to the frosting is that I love the color. You cannot compare farm fresh free-range egg yolks with the commercial variety. I just love these eggs!
In goes the powdered sugar and then the melted and cooled chocolate. I took a taste. Not bad! I do like chocolate chip cookies, so I do like semi-sweet chocolate.
So, what happened here? The unspeakable-- some of the cake did not release. I plead the fifth.
The beauty of icing is that it's like putty-- you can fill in mistakes and nobody will be the wiser. Except for you, but it's our little secret. I have to say, this frosting is very silky and very easy to work with.
So, here's the big "TA DA". Nothing exciting to look at, its it? I pondered how to jazz it up... more chocolate fru-fru candies? No! Roses from my garden? Nah.... It's a cake and I made it from scratch! That's good enough for me.
Craig eagerly waited for a slice of this cake, by eating a smaller portion of dinner. He prompty set aside a slice to take to work, and one for his co-worker who also has a sweet tooth for chocolate.
Does this make you chocoholics quiver with longing?
You can tell me to stop anytime...look away! I admit, tthis is an excellent chocolate cake. You cannot taste the coffee-- in fact, the coffee really brings out the chocolate flavor loud and clear. The frosting is very creamy, and delicious. I ate one small slice with vanilla ice cream-- to me, that softens the chocolate for my taste buds.I would definitely make this cake for someone who adores chocolate. It's very easy to make.
HOWEVER... my Chocolate Bliss Cake with a lighter chocolate filling and Fluffy White Frosting is still my favorite cake-- and it's pretty close to Ina's recipe. . I adore a white frosting anytime of the day. I doubt hypnosis will ever cure me of my love of white cake and white frosting. I can't resist it-- and I've had a hankering to make Ina's Coconut Cake.
If you'd like to join the Barefoot Bloggers in making Ina Garten's recipes, twice a month, please visit their website. Psssssssssssst.... the next person to choose a recipe.... would you choose something that is chocolate free? No more cakes? Well, maybe Ina's Coconut cake? Then again, I'm ready for something with vegetables. My bathroom scale will thank you.
Mary, thanks for choosing this recipe. I love your blog-- what a touching story you have!
NOTE; If you are subscribing to my blog, via Feedburner, please JUMP to my blog to view or print the recipe(s) below.
The other day, I noticed some green tomatoes at my local farm stand. They were so pretty, that I had brainstorm that I would try to make Fried Green Tomatoes. There was only one hurdle I needed to cross-- I had never eaten fried green tomatoes, and I've never made them...
Tyler Florence to the rescue! Tyler has roots in the south, so I chose his recipe. I did see that the queen of Butter and Fried Foods, "Paula Deen" had a recipe that used a lot more oil that I'm willing to cook with. Food Networks irritating stars "The Neely's" (love their recipes, but Gina... calm down!) used panko crumbs, but I envisioned using corn meal. I love the crunch of corn meal, and I felt it would be more authentic as a Southern dish. For the record, I think Paula Deen is a lot of fun to watch-- her cackle and her recipes look scrumptious. I love Southern Food! However, I struggle to limit how much fried food I eat, so I don't make it often. I would, if I could!
The recipe looked easy enough...
Tyler says to slice them about 1/2" thick..
I set up a dish with 3 cups of flour, seasoned with garlic powder and cayene... the second shot is me realizing I forgot the cornmeal. In another dish, I poured buttermilk. Tyler recipe has a typo. It calls for 1/2 cup of oil and some butter, but there are no instructions on how to use the butter. I have a cast iron griddle, so I heated the oil and flavored it with the butter. Is this right?
I grilled these for 3-4 minutes per side and blotted them on a paper towel.
I rarely nosh on food while I'm cooking. I broke my own rule, because I could not wait to try this. Tyler says to finish these with a squeeze fresh lemon juice and hot sauce. I'm a wimp, so I don't particularly like hot sauce and I was too impatient to bother with lemon juice...
Mercy! Oh my! I love this! It's hot, and I was fanning my tongue...but the sweet and slight tanginess of the green tomato-- the crunch of the cornmeal and the cayenne paper was just right. My husband loved them, too. I know this is a Southern Dish, but it's going to be a regular dish in my repertoire. Oh, these are good. I served these with a wonderful dinner that I will share later on in the week. I just have to tell you my little secret!
Now, I've been holding on to something a little too long and I have to say it. There is going to be a very special Food & Wine Event in Carmel Valley, California this weekend. The event is called "Food & Wine Harvest to Table" at the beautiful Quail Lodge Resort. I have such a strong connection to the luxury resort, because this was my first job-- working the front desk and reservations. I also got married here (um, in a previous life...before Craig). But the most exciting thing for me...
I get to meet see the guest celebrity chef-- Tyler Florence!!!
Yes, my dear foodie friend/food writer/cookbook author and all-around Food & Wine Guru, Dorothy (who knows Tyler Florence) is involved in this event and I offered to be her personal slave volunteer to have a chance to see him up close and personal. If I'm a really good girl, I will be able to attend the evening private party. I'm already trembling with the thought of stammering asking Tyler for a photograph... though I suspect I will be one of many folks wanting to do the same thing. I'm going to hang on to Dorothy's coat tails, hoping to get one personal "Hello" from Mr. Tyler Florence, himself. I'd probably drop I.Q. points and be at a loss for words, while my finger twitches on my camera button. Yes, I am bringing my camera and 100 extra batteries. I will be blogging about this.
On one of my earlier dates with my husband, he took me to his favorite Thai Restaurant. Other than Chicken Satay, I wasn't familiar with Thai food. I also have an aversion to yellow curry, so I carefully scanned the menu for something I wasn't afraid to try. I ordered Tom Ka (coconut milk) soup and I fell in-love with that dish-- and my husband! I also learned that there is more to curry than just yellow. I love red curry, and recently green curry! I have, since, found a local restaurant that makes excellent Pad Thai, Green Curry dishes -- and I am now a huge fan of Thai Food. I am fond of common ingredients in Thai food-- lemon grass, coconut milk, lime, basil, cilantro and peanuts. Yummy!
I found this particular recipe in Cook's Illustrated in 2007, and I have made this several times-- always with great results. What I like about this version is that you don't need to find an exotic market to find the ingredients.
Here's what Cook's Illustrated had to say about the development of this simple version of Thai Chicken Soup:
So, are you ready?
You need 3 stalks of lemongrass. If you've never worked with this, it's very easy to find in a grocery store nowadays. It looks like scallions on steroids-- only they can be tricky to cut. You need a really sharp knife, or you might want to grab an ax (well, not really). I, once bought, lemongrass in a tube (located in the produce section). It's just not the same-- please buy real lemongrass. I remove the outside leaves, wash them and then...
I cut them into chunks, with a very sharp and sturdy knife.. I also chopped three shallots. Shallots are always in my fridge. I love them, because they are milder than red onion so they don't overpower my sauces, or salad dressings. If you haven't used shallots, much, try them. You'll always want them on hand.
The rest of the ingredients are easy to find-- fresh cilantro, coconut milk (I use the Lite version), chicken broth, red curry paste and fish sauce. Some of you might be crinkling your nose at the thought of fish sauce. I did, too. However, give it a chance. Don't sniff it! It'll scare you. Honestly, the sauce is important and you cannot taste any fish. I wouldn't lie to you!
You want to slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts into really thin strips. The trick is to freeze the chicken for about 15 minutes-- this makes slicing it, on the bias (against the grain), so much easier. Don't cut chunks! You want it nice and thin...you'll see why in a few more steps.
You begin by tenderizing the lemongrass and shallots in a little vegetable oil. Season with 1 Tbsp of fish sauce and the chopped cilantro (which I forgot to do...d'oh!)
Add the chicken broth...
...one can of coconut milk, bring to simmer and cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Once the flavors have infused (don't forget the cilantro, like I did), strain the soup and discard the veggies.
Add one more can of coconut milk, 1 Tablespoon of sugar and bring to a simmer. (This is where I added the cilantro I forgot to before, and it worked out fine.)
Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now, add the thinly sliced chicken and cook until the pink is gone-- stirring often-- 2-3 minutes. This is why you don't want big chunks of chicken!
Remove the chicken from the heat (as in turn off the stove!) and add 3 Tablespoons of fresh squeezed lime juice, the red curry paste. and 2 Tablespoons of fish sauce. You can serve the soup as an appetizer..
But I like to make rice....
...and to ladle soup over the rice, for a heartier meal. This soup comes really close to the authentic Tom Ga Ka Thai soup from my favorite restaurant. We love it! It's very simple to make, and the red curry paste gives a nice little kick to the soup.
Yes, you can easily substitute shrimp instead of chicken. I would even think you could use tofu as well, though I'm not sure if a vegetable stock would taste as authentic. This is a pretty economical dish to make. The Thai ingredients aren't very costly and they last me for a while. I'm still working on perfecting a good Pad Thai dish. I really love that dish, too. If you're wondering what the differences in curries are, a friend of mine gave me this link:
Here's the recipe, below. If you're receiving my feeds on Feed Burner, you'll need to click on my blog link to view this. This one is one of our top favorite soups/dinners. We just love it!
This soup is my week's contribution to Soup Sundays-- Deb at Kahaka Kitchen's weekly blog group where you can submit your posting for a soup, soup-like meal, salad and sandwiches. For details, click here:
