Okay,
I know this is technically a food blog, and what I have to say is only slightly food-related, but I'm going for it anyway. Mainly because I think a grand total 3 people read this thing and I am highly amused by the current goings on in my fair city. It is snowing. As I write this, teeny tiny flakes are swirling about the big tree outside of my window. I am watching them somewhat nostalgically, remembering my window seat in my last apartment in Montreal, gazing at very a very similar scene while nibbling on a chocolate-almond croissant from La Gascogne and sipping a cappuccino...see? There's your food reference.
The funny thing is, when Boston is supposed to get a foot of snow, people freak out! The newscasters talk about it for days, predicting the exact time that the first snowflake will touch down. People talk about it for days, too, wondering if they will have to go to work, how much longer it will take to get there, and whether or not it will actually happen. Well, I'll be darned, it's happening. Now, the funny thing is, Boston is a mere five hours from Montreal, where a foot of snow is never newsworthy and believe you me, a snow day just means a day with snow. Restaurants and grocery stores don't bat an eye, the streets are plowed and the sidewalks are vacuumed while the city sleeps, and school (at least McGill) is never, ever canceled. Besides the school part, I really liked that about Montreal. It fully accepts the elements as part of daily life and refuses to be affected by a little (or a lot) of snow.
The scene in Boston is a wee bit different, as I have discovered firsthand:
1) My job interview was postponed. Even though the weathermen had come to the conclusion that the snow would not start until around 1:00, which I am impressed, was rather accurate, and even though my interview was at 9:00 this morning, much worry and frantic emailing ensued resulting in what will most likely be one of the longest and least enjoyable weekends of my life.
2) Apparently a foot of snow = the apocalypse for the Whole Foods clientele. I attempted to pop in during work hours to avoid the usual evening crowd only to be met by empty shelves, hoards of stressed out yuppies, and an overall tenseness in the air that lead to a rather unpleasant shopping experience dotted by old ladies devouring hot meals in the middle of the cereal aisle (I hate public eaters), a severe lack of shopping carts and baskets, and check-out lines through all the way to the back of the store only to be met by lines spanning the entire butcher/cheese counter vicinity. Feeling overwhelmed and somewhat superior, I grabbed what I needed and hightailed it to the express counter and somehow managed to get in and out of the store in under 20 minutes. The sympathetic check-out guy told me to make a daring escape through the entrance as I wished him luck as I'm sure it would only get worse once the masses realized how low they were running on 365 Organic Bottled Water.
What have I to conclude from all of this? Montreal has made me strong. I found the snow to be downright enjoyable as I walked home with my snow storm essentials (tonic water for my gin, potato chips, some ingredients for easy rice and bean patties, and hot chocolate mix) in hand. I know this is all a part of adjusting to a new place and new mannerisms among its residents. I feel lucky to have been able to see how the snow-accustomed live and to learn from those experiences in preparation for hours of enjoyment watching frantic Bostonians fight over that last wedge of brie as outside, the snow begins to fall.
- Rachel B.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Eating Boston.
So I know this is probably long overdue, but the truth is, when you move, it takes a while to figure out the gastronomic standouts of a city. I have been here only three months and in some ways it's gone fast and in some ways it's been infinitely slow. I currently work a crappy part-time retail job, which leaves little money to spend on food and even less to spend on booze. What kind of a life away from Long Island is that? Anyway, I'm doing the best I can and to prove it, here's a little epicurean rundown of life in Boston so far...
Good Eats -
1) Orinoco, Brookline Village.
They call it "Latin Kitchen," but I was told the food is more Venezuelan than anything else; and it is fabulous. They don't take reservations, so I would recommend getting there at least an hour earlier than you'd actually like to sit down and eat. Get real cozy with the other hoards in the tiny alcove, because it's cold out and the waiting area is small. Chances are, you will end up like me, handing menus out to your hungry neighbors. However, the service is fantastic, the hosts are sympathetic, and the food and drink are well worth the wait. My roommate had a delicious mojito-esque concoction of golden rum, muddled mint and cranberries, and ginger syrup. I had an equally tasty gin drink though the ingredients escape me, as this was a month or so ago. Of all the antojitos (little cravings), empanadas, and arepas (little grilled corn pocket sandwiches), the datiles were definitely standouts. "Bacon-wrapped, almond-filled dates" barely does the dish justice. The bacon was perfectly cooked, delightfully smoky and a great compliment the sweet dates. The almonds were yet another perfect layer of flaver and texture making for an appetizer that I almost wished was my main course. To continue, I had Polvorosa de Pollo, a shredded chicken stew nestled inside a flaky muffin-shaped dough. The stew was dotted with corn and red peppers and though a little on the sweet side, was still very good. We skipped dessert as it was flan and I don't care for wiggly things. However, I highly recommend Orinoco, especially if you don't mind a wait.
2) Green Street, Cambridge
I just happened to find out that Green Street lays claim to Boston's longest standing liquor license! So if you go drink at Green Street, you are in effect, doing something historical. It was basically a local bar until it was reopened in 2006 as one of many emerging "gastro-pub" type places. They do the seasonal, locally produced food thing, which is fine by me. There's something fulfilling about knowing that the food your eating came from neighboring states. It's like learning the lay of the land by eating it. Kind of cool, kind of grotesque; me likey.
They do take reservations there, and I definitely recommend them. It is pretty small. As we waiting for the last member of our party to arrive, we had some drinks at the bar, made skillfully by a couple of very friendly bartenders. I had a Bohemian: gin, st. germain elderflower liquor, grapefruit juice, and peychaud's bitters. Yummy. The cocktail menu is definitely a throwback to the Green Street's early days, with ingredients like rye, Applejack, and chartreuse. Boston does cocktails well. When we were seated, there was a definitely decline in the speed and quality of service. Our waitress was pretty brusque and seemed to forget about us a few times. Good luck getting the bill without a fight. However, the food was very, very good. Standouts included the "fry of the day" on the snacks menu, which was melt-in-your-mouth oysters. Those more daring can try the Offal special, but we were not quite in the mood for brains that evening. We also had a salt cod and sweet potato croquette appetizer served with chive aioli, which was spectacular. Moving on to the main course, braised pork shoulder flavored with rosemary and red wine served atop a nearly unnaturally creamy mascarpone polenta was a hit. The diver scallops with roasted brussels sprouts in a bacon lemon brown butter and chestnut puree were also delightfully sweet and smoky. The hanger steak was a little on the chewy side. For dessert, one of my favorites: tres leches cake, was very well executed and when split amongst the table, was consumed with vigor. It did take a while to arrive, though. All in all, delicious food, good bartending, and service that needs a little improvement. That would not stop me from going back, though.
3) Tremont 647, South End/Theatre District.
There is definitely a reason why chef Andy Husbands' restaurant has been in business for over 10 years. It is pretty damn good. The website's animated welcome screen describes Tremont 647 as "Adventurous American cuisine," whatever that means. What I found were modern, unpretentious interpretations of soul food, texmex, and general comfort foods. I admit, these are currently my favorite kinds of restaurants to frequent. It may be the ungodly craving I've been having for fried chicken, which was delicously gratified here. Service was out of this world. Everyone was friendly, polite, and even though a member of our party was late, we were seated without protest and allowed to mull over the menu for as long as we wanted.
We began with one of the appetizer specials, skirt steak atop a spicy salad concoction. The steak was cooked perfectly, and was very tender. I had buttermilk fried chicken, which was served with spectacular collards (not a hint of bitterness!), gravy, and a grilled biscuit. I know, I really need to go south to try the best of the best, but in the mean time, this did the trick. The chicken, though boneless white meat, was not dry or overcooked and the gravy was rich and chickeny. The biscuit was kind of dry, as biscuits can be, but that could have been allevieated had it been served with butter. We ordered rosemary-scented, fontina-stuffed tater tots for the table, which appeared to be under salted, but anything filled with melted cheese is okay in my book. Pastry chef Anne Taylor really impressed us with her "almost famous donuts." Brought to the table in a paper bag presumably filled with cinnamon-sugar, the bag is vigorously shaken by our server before poured atop a plate decorated with ramekins of fresh pumpkin marshmallow and cranberry compote. Oh they are good, they are great, they are hot, sweet bits of fried dough that you dip into fluff-textured pumpkin marshmallow and tart cranberry compote. I'd go back just for them.
4) Yoma, Allston.
Mmm. Burmese food. Here is a perfect example of more of a local haunt. Tiny and filled with panoramas of Burma, Yoma is family owned as far as I can tell and corners the Burmese market in Boston. “The food of Burma (now Myanmar) is an amalgam of Indian, Chinese, and Southeast Asian cuisines and reminds me most of Thai, Vietnamese, and Cambodian cooking," says the website. What you can go in expecting then, is lemongrass, chili, dried shrimp, etc...The service is welcoming, friendly, and efficient. It helped that one of my fellow diners is so much a regular, that they know her name and order both in the front of house and in the kitchen. Start with the Tofu Jaw, a concoction of chickpea flour dough surrounding the lightest, fluffiest tofu I have ever tasted. It's served with a spicy/sweet dipping sauce. If you can, do wait a few minutes when it arrives or your taste buds will be treated with hot, molten tofu, numbing them for the remainder of the meal. It is a tough wait, though. I continued on with the roasted chicken salad. Delicious "roasted chicken mixed with lemon grass, lime, shredded cabbage, cucumber, tomato, fresh shallot, roasted chili flake, garlic, cilantro, and crispy grounded sweet rice." At $6.95, it is a poor gal's dream. Make sure you ask for some cane sugar to finish the meal. Little brown chunks of sugary goodness that apparently help with digestion but taste darn good either way.
Yoma is also conveniently located next door to my favorite bar in town, Deep Ellum. So I will definitely be going back. Perhaps tonight as writing this little summary has really got me craving some Tofu Jaw.
Good Drinks -
1) Deep Ellum, Allston.
This is my favorite bar, as mentioned above. It has a fabulous cocktail menu filled with depression-era treats like sloe gin fizzes, mint juleps, and of course, the traditional absinthe cocktail. The rotating draft list is always exciting. They play good music, they aren't sporty though as this is Boston, if there is a game, it is on TV. The bartenders are nice, helpful, and full of their favorite recommendations.
What I also love about Deep Ellum is their accompanying bar menu. Parmesan crusted fries with truffled mayo are a standout and remind me of my Montreal days. It's so hard to find a place that serves mayo with fries! The truffled Gorgonzola fries are also a standout. Hot pretzels with hot beer cheese accompany just about any drink perfectly. The menu ranges from a plain old hot dog to a fancy cheese plate. There are daily sausage specials available in appetizer and entree size, called "the best wurst plate." They even have a twist on the New Orleans classic muffaletta. Someday I will get around to trying it all. Also, their brunch is apparently to die for, so I will be dragging myself down there if I ever wake up early enough to do so.
In looking at this sampling of the places I've been since I moved here, I haven't done too badly and I have an explanation as to where all of my money is going. What I have deduced about eating in Boston is that there is plenty of good food here, but it does require a little more looking than in a place like Montreal or New York. When you do find it though, it is totally worth the effort.
- Rachel B.
PS - Thank you to Jacqueline for making me write this.
Good Eats -
1) Orinoco, Brookline Village.
They call it "Latin Kitchen," but I was told the food is more Venezuelan than anything else; and it is fabulous. They don't take reservations, so I would recommend getting there at least an hour earlier than you'd actually like to sit down and eat. Get real cozy with the other hoards in the tiny alcove, because it's cold out and the waiting area is small. Chances are, you will end up like me, handing menus out to your hungry neighbors. However, the service is fantastic, the hosts are sympathetic, and the food and drink are well worth the wait. My roommate had a delicious mojito-esque concoction of golden rum, muddled mint and cranberries, and ginger syrup. I had an equally tasty gin drink though the ingredients escape me, as this was a month or so ago. Of all the antojitos (little cravings), empanadas, and arepas (little grilled corn pocket sandwiches), the datiles were definitely standouts. "Bacon-wrapped, almond-filled dates" barely does the dish justice. The bacon was perfectly cooked, delightfully smoky and a great compliment the sweet dates. The almonds were yet another perfect layer of flaver and texture making for an appetizer that I almost wished was my main course. To continue, I had Polvorosa de Pollo, a shredded chicken stew nestled inside a flaky muffin-shaped dough. The stew was dotted with corn and red peppers and though a little on the sweet side, was still very good. We skipped dessert as it was flan and I don't care for wiggly things. However, I highly recommend Orinoco, especially if you don't mind a wait.
2) Green Street, Cambridge
I just happened to find out that Green Street lays claim to Boston's longest standing liquor license! So if you go drink at Green Street, you are in effect, doing something historical. It was basically a local bar until it was reopened in 2006 as one of many emerging "gastro-pub" type places. They do the seasonal, locally produced food thing, which is fine by me. There's something fulfilling about knowing that the food your eating came from neighboring states. It's like learning the lay of the land by eating it. Kind of cool, kind of grotesque; me likey.
They do take reservations there, and I definitely recommend them. It is pretty small. As we waiting for the last member of our party to arrive, we had some drinks at the bar, made skillfully by a couple of very friendly bartenders. I had a Bohemian: gin, st. germain elderflower liquor, grapefruit juice, and peychaud's bitters. Yummy. The cocktail menu is definitely a throwback to the Green Street's early days, with ingredients like rye, Applejack, and chartreuse. Boston does cocktails well. When we were seated, there was a definitely decline in the speed and quality of service. Our waitress was pretty brusque and seemed to forget about us a few times. Good luck getting the bill without a fight. However, the food was very, very good. Standouts included the "fry of the day" on the snacks menu, which was melt-in-your-mouth oysters. Those more daring can try the Offal special, but we were not quite in the mood for brains that evening. We also had a salt cod and sweet potato croquette appetizer served with chive aioli, which was spectacular. Moving on to the main course, braised pork shoulder flavored with rosemary and red wine served atop a nearly unnaturally creamy mascarpone polenta was a hit. The diver scallops with roasted brussels sprouts in a bacon lemon brown butter and chestnut puree were also delightfully sweet and smoky. The hanger steak was a little on the chewy side. For dessert, one of my favorites: tres leches cake, was very well executed and when split amongst the table, was consumed with vigor. It did take a while to arrive, though. All in all, delicious food, good bartending, and service that needs a little improvement. That would not stop me from going back, though.
3) Tremont 647, South End/Theatre District.
There is definitely a reason why chef Andy Husbands' restaurant has been in business for over 10 years. It is pretty damn good. The website's animated welcome screen describes Tremont 647 as "Adventurous American cuisine," whatever that means. What I found were modern, unpretentious interpretations of soul food, texmex, and general comfort foods. I admit, these are currently my favorite kinds of restaurants to frequent. It may be the ungodly craving I've been having for fried chicken, which was delicously gratified here. Service was out of this world. Everyone was friendly, polite, and even though a member of our party was late, we were seated without protest and allowed to mull over the menu for as long as we wanted.
We began with one of the appetizer specials, skirt steak atop a spicy salad concoction. The steak was cooked perfectly, and was very tender. I had buttermilk fried chicken, which was served with spectacular collards (not a hint of bitterness!), gravy, and a grilled biscuit. I know, I really need to go south to try the best of the best, but in the mean time, this did the trick. The chicken, though boneless white meat, was not dry or overcooked and the gravy was rich and chickeny. The biscuit was kind of dry, as biscuits can be, but that could have been allevieated had it been served with butter. We ordered rosemary-scented, fontina-stuffed tater tots for the table, which appeared to be under salted, but anything filled with melted cheese is okay in my book. Pastry chef Anne Taylor really impressed us with her "almost famous donuts." Brought to the table in a paper bag presumably filled with cinnamon-sugar, the bag is vigorously shaken by our server before poured atop a plate decorated with ramekins of fresh pumpkin marshmallow and cranberry compote. Oh they are good, they are great, they are hot, sweet bits of fried dough that you dip into fluff-textured pumpkin marshmallow and tart cranberry compote. I'd go back just for them.
4) Yoma, Allston.
Mmm. Burmese food. Here is a perfect example of more of a local haunt. Tiny and filled with panoramas of Burma, Yoma is family owned as far as I can tell and corners the Burmese market in Boston. “The food of Burma (now Myanmar) is an amalgam of Indian, Chinese, and Southeast Asian cuisines and reminds me most of Thai, Vietnamese, and Cambodian cooking," says the website. What you can go in expecting then, is lemongrass, chili, dried shrimp, etc...The service is welcoming, friendly, and efficient. It helped that one of my fellow diners is so much a regular, that they know her name and order both in the front of house and in the kitchen. Start with the Tofu Jaw, a concoction of chickpea flour dough surrounding the lightest, fluffiest tofu I have ever tasted. It's served with a spicy/sweet dipping sauce. If you can, do wait a few minutes when it arrives or your taste buds will be treated with hot, molten tofu, numbing them for the remainder of the meal. It is a tough wait, though. I continued on with the roasted chicken salad. Delicious "roasted chicken mixed with lemon grass, lime, shredded cabbage, cucumber, tomato, fresh shallot, roasted chili flake, garlic, cilantro, and crispy grounded sweet rice." At $6.95, it is a poor gal's dream. Make sure you ask for some cane sugar to finish the meal. Little brown chunks of sugary goodness that apparently help with digestion but taste darn good either way.
Yoma is also conveniently located next door to my favorite bar in town, Deep Ellum. So I will definitely be going back. Perhaps tonight as writing this little summary has really got me craving some Tofu Jaw.
Good Drinks -
1) Deep Ellum, Allston.
This is my favorite bar, as mentioned above. It has a fabulous cocktail menu filled with depression-era treats like sloe gin fizzes, mint juleps, and of course, the traditional absinthe cocktail. The rotating draft list is always exciting. They play good music, they aren't sporty though as this is Boston, if there is a game, it is on TV. The bartenders are nice, helpful, and full of their favorite recommendations.
What I also love about Deep Ellum is their accompanying bar menu. Parmesan crusted fries with truffled mayo are a standout and remind me of my Montreal days. It's so hard to find a place that serves mayo with fries! The truffled Gorgonzola fries are also a standout. Hot pretzels with hot beer cheese accompany just about any drink perfectly. The menu ranges from a plain old hot dog to a fancy cheese plate. There are daily sausage specials available in appetizer and entree size, called "the best wurst plate." They even have a twist on the New Orleans classic muffaletta. Someday I will get around to trying it all. Also, their brunch is apparently to die for, so I will be dragging myself down there if I ever wake up early enough to do so.
In looking at this sampling of the places I've been since I moved here, I haven't done too badly and I have an explanation as to where all of my money is going. What I have deduced about eating in Boston is that there is plenty of good food here, but it does require a little more looking than in a place like Montreal or New York. When you do find it though, it is totally worth the effort.
- Rachel B.
PS - Thank you to Jacqueline for making me write this.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
it's what's for breakfast...
i was just about to begin writing about the wonders of apricot almond danish when an ad for the new season of "the next food network star," appeared during the commercial break of "a cook's tour," on in the background as i write this. the binaries are uncountable, and i'm sure tony is twitching in his seat as he sees that the new season features bobby flay, doing something that is not what he should be doing, which is cooking. come on bobby, "the next food network star?" it makes me sad and nostalgic for the food network good old days. does anyone besides rachel and myself remember "taste" with david rosengarten? or the delightfully awkward "chef du jour," or "molto mario," for that matter? i don't blame bobby, i'd much rather blame rachael ray (did i mention she spells her name wrong?) anyway, before this entry actually turns into a bourdain-inspired rant, i will return the original topic of discussion: danish.
rachel and i love making danish. flaky and delicious, reminiscent of puff pastry but slightly less puffy, the long rise is worth the wait. the recipe we used was inspired by the one that appears in baking with julia, by the queen, herself. and oh, is it good. the mixture of tangy sweet apricot with cool, nutty almond paste all nestled between beneath a pinwheel of danish is mouth-watering even in times new roman. we highly recommend you try your hand at them. here's the photographic evidence of our latest culinary conquest:
i know i said it's what's for breakfast, but you know what? make that lunch, dinner, dessert or midnight snack. i seriously cannot get enough of these.
- Rachel B.
rachel and i love making danish. flaky and delicious, reminiscent of puff pastry but slightly less puffy, the long rise is worth the wait. the recipe we used was inspired by the one that appears in baking with julia, by the queen, herself. and oh, is it good. the mixture of tangy sweet apricot with cool, nutty almond paste all nestled between beneath a pinwheel of danish is mouth-watering even in times new roman. we highly recommend you try your hand at them. here's the photographic evidence of our latest culinary conquest:
i know i said it's what's for breakfast, but you know what? make that lunch, dinner, dessert or midnight snack. i seriously cannot get enough of these.
- Rachel B.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Alton Brown and New York
Last Thursday, Rachel and I went into Manhattan with the main purpose of meeting Alton Brown at the book signing for Feasting on Asphalt - The River Run, which we very happily accomplished. Not that I had any doubt in my mind at the cordiality of our favorite foodie, but in the few seconds we were allotted to talk with him, he was very, very nice. He also seemed to thoroughly enjoy meeting best friends named Rachel and signed our books accordingly. (See photo). Frankly, it just made me wish we had enough food blog cred. (or food cred. of any kind) to actually sit down and talk to him about how on earth to break into what has become one of the must lucrative of emergent industries in the past twenty years. Oh well, I am personally more inspired than ever to persevere and press on through the trail to professional foodie-dom.
After our swift jaunt in midtown, Rachel and I made our usual pilgrimage to Chelsea Market, this time eating at the Thai restaurant there, which was particularly tasty having the slightest tinge of post-meeting AB euphoria. After that, we went on to Rocco's bakery on Bleecker, and had some of the best desserts this side of the Hudson, baba au rhum and sfogliatelle. The baba was light and fluffy on the inside, soaked thoroughly with a delightful rum syrup, sliced right down the center and filled to the brim with smooth, cool French custard. The sfogilatelle had an outer crust - layer upon layer of thinly rolled dough, so delicate in appearance, yet a substantially sturdy and crunchy contrast to the orange-flavored ricotta it was filled with. Since you cannot feast, feast your eyes:
In the immortal words of Ina Garten, "how bad can that be?"
Many people living in the tristate area go to New York City to catch a matinee, then they eat at any of several loathsome restaurants in Times Square, stop at Bloomingdale's, and finally call it a day. I go to New York to eat. It's a tradition my mom and I began years ago. Bypass midtown and head directly to Bleecker. Pop into Murray's cheese shop and behold the wonders. Rocco's and Amy's for baked goods that I haven't dared to conquer quite yet, dinner can be anything from pizza in little Italy to dim sum in Chinatown. Then there's the Polish owned Peter Pan Bakery in Greepoint, Brooklyn with the best donuts I've ever tasted. Try a crumb creme - your taste buds will never be the same. I could go on, but suffice it to say, you haven't really eaten until you've eaten New York. Oh and don't forget to go to Gus's on the lower east side for the finest pickles money can buy.
- Rachel B.
After our swift jaunt in midtown, Rachel and I made our usual pilgrimage to Chelsea Market, this time eating at the Thai restaurant there, which was particularly tasty having the slightest tinge of post-meeting AB euphoria. After that, we went on to Rocco's bakery on Bleecker, and had some of the best desserts this side of the Hudson, baba au rhum and sfogliatelle. The baba was light and fluffy on the inside, soaked thoroughly with a delightful rum syrup, sliced right down the center and filled to the brim with smooth, cool French custard. The sfogilatelle had an outer crust - layer upon layer of thinly rolled dough, so delicate in appearance, yet a substantially sturdy and crunchy contrast to the orange-flavored ricotta it was filled with. Since you cannot feast, feast your eyes:
In the immortal words of Ina Garten, "how bad can that be?"
Many people living in the tristate area go to New York City to catch a matinee, then they eat at any of several loathsome restaurants in Times Square, stop at Bloomingdale's, and finally call it a day. I go to New York to eat. It's a tradition my mom and I began years ago. Bypass midtown and head directly to Bleecker. Pop into Murray's cheese shop and behold the wonders. Rocco's and Amy's for baked goods that I haven't dared to conquer quite yet, dinner can be anything from pizza in little Italy to dim sum in Chinatown. Then there's the Polish owned Peter Pan Bakery in Greepoint, Brooklyn with the best donuts I've ever tasted. Try a crumb creme - your taste buds will never be the same. I could go on, but suffice it to say, you haven't really eaten until you've eaten New York. Oh and don't forget to go to Gus's on the lower east side for the finest pickles money can buy.
- Rachel B.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Meringue is a Beautiful Thing
There are many wonderful cookies in this world. I should know; I've baked and eaten a good majority of them. Cookies are perhaps the most perfect expression of baked good-ness. They're more often than not the simplest things to bake, they go from mere epicurean thought to finished product in next to no time and they have so many possibilities for experimentation. Needless to say, I truly love cookies.
Also, I love meringue. Equally pliable, fast (well, except for the baking time, sometimes) and delicious, meringue in all its glorious permutations is a favorite in my household. Now given my professed love for cookies and sweetened and beaten egg whites, it makes sense that I would occasionally combine the two and make meringue cookies. I like to flavor meringue cookies with almond extract, but that's just me. You can use anything you like: vanilla, lemon, chocolate chips...whatever. My favorite characteristic of these cookies, however, is the fact that they can be piped into any shape you desire. I, in fact, recently made bone shaped cookies. That's right...bone shaped. I assure you there was a reason for this decidedly odd shape. It was a present for a friend who had recently undergone surgery. Slightly, bizarre, I know but what can I say...it was a longstanding joke. The point is meringue cookies are pretty much culinary clay...they can be shaped into anything you'd like, even something as strange as a bone.
Also, I love meringue. Equally pliable, fast (well, except for the baking time, sometimes) and delicious, meringue in all its glorious permutations is a favorite in my household. Now given my professed love for cookies and sweetened and beaten egg whites, it makes sense that I would occasionally combine the two and make meringue cookies. I like to flavor meringue cookies with almond extract, but that's just me. You can use anything you like: vanilla, lemon, chocolate chips...whatever. My favorite characteristic of these cookies, however, is the fact that they can be piped into any shape you desire. I, in fact, recently made bone shaped cookies. That's right...bone shaped. I assure you there was a reason for this decidedly odd shape. It was a present for a friend who had recently undergone surgery. Slightly, bizarre, I know but what can I say...it was a longstanding joke. The point is meringue cookies are pretty much culinary clay...they can be shaped into anything you'd like, even something as strange as a bone.
-Rachel L.
Friday, February 8, 2008
I have a confession to make
I hate cream cheese! OK, that's not entirely true. What I mean to say is that I hate cream cheese when it has been erroneously sweetened. I hate cheesecake, I hate cream cheese frosting, I hate cheese danish. I think the combination of sugar and cream cheese is just awful. Now I know this puts me in an absurdly small minority and I may just incur the wrath of all sweet cheese devotes out there, but I don't care. It has to be said.
Now normally, I am not so adamant about my culinary dislikes (however few of them there may be) as it is simply a personal preference that doesn't need to be imposed on other people. However, I find that there is a tendency amongst the general epicurean public to falsely assume that everyone loves cream cheese. I can not tell you how many times I have found myself drooling over a recently discovered recipe only to find that some sadistic gourmet has included sweet cheese. I am then forced to discard the oh so promising recipe or fiddle with it until it suits my taste, which is not something I’m always in the mood to do. Don't even get me started on carrot cake, which I absolutely love but which all too often is a chokingly dry vegetal mess, somehow thought to be "saved" by gobs of the offensive cream cheese frosting. Furthermore, I find cream cheese butting its way into recipes where it simply doesn't belong. Cinnamon buns with cream cheese frosting? No, no thank you.
Now I started this overly passionate rant by saying that I hate cream cheese, which is not true. I like it, quite a bit actually. But only, and I can not emphasize this enough, when it is kept savory. I can not even begin to explain my devotion to the little Chinese-American delight, the cheese wanton or its equally delicious sister the crab
-Rachel L.
Monday, January 28, 2008
You'll Know it When You See It
Rachel B. - Admit it, when perusing those racks and racks of grocery store cookies, you are often drawn to the grown-up sandwich cookie of all grown-up sandwich cookies. You know, Milan with an "o" at the end. That one. Well, we are happy to announce that we've made (yes made!) a rather convincing alternative. Not only do they lack unpronounceable ingredients, they're downright easy to make. We adapted our recipe from everyone's favorite domestic goddess, Martha Stewart. Great with coffee, tea, or milk, these petite sandwich cookies are sure to please. Delish.
Rachel L. - Using the langues de chat recipe as a jumping off point, we decided to make these sandwich cookies for obvious reasons, and also made them decidedly larger than the original recipe intended; we like big cookies. Plus, we left out lemon zest which I feel is always a little too aggressive a flavor to play well with others. I've never really enjoyed lemon and chocolate together, but that's just me. Feel free to reincorporate the aforementioned citrus offender. You could also fool around with the chocolate filling, adding extracts and what not to suit your individual taste. We left ours plain, for now.
Italian Sandwich Cookies
(adapted from Martha Stewart's Langues-de-Chat cookie recipe)
Ingredients:
1 stick of unsalted, softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon corn syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter two heavy cookie sheets. Cream the butter in an electric mixer and add the sugar. Beat until creamy - about 2-3 minutes. Sift the flour and salt three times. Beat egg whites into the butter one at a time. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour mixture.
Transfer batter to a large pastry bag fitted with a #10 round tip. Pipe cookies in a tight back-and-forth motion so they resemble rectangular shaped cookies about 3 inches long and 1.5 inches wide (any embellishment is unnecessary as the cookies end up looking uniform after baking).
Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. The cookies become crisp as they cool.
Combine the chocolate and corn syrup in a double boiler over simmering water; stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until smooth. Using a small offset spatula or a butter knife, spread cookie with chocolate and top with another to form a sandwich. Let dry (if you can stand it), and then enjoy!
Some Photos:
Rachel L. - Using the langues de chat recipe as a jumping off point, we decided to make these sandwich cookies for obvious reasons, and also made them decidedly larger than the original recipe intended; we like big cookies. Plus, we left out lemon zest which I feel is always a little too aggressive a flavor to play well with others. I've never really enjoyed lemon and chocolate together, but that's just me. Feel free to reincorporate the aforementioned citrus offender. You could also fool around with the chocolate filling, adding extracts and what not to suit your individual taste. We left ours plain, for now.
Italian Sandwich Cookies
(adapted from Martha Stewart's Langues-de-Chat cookie recipe)
Ingredients:
1 stick of unsalted, softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon corn syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter two heavy cookie sheets. Cream the butter in an electric mixer and add the sugar. Beat until creamy - about 2-3 minutes. Sift the flour and salt three times. Beat egg whites into the butter one at a time. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour mixture.
Transfer batter to a large pastry bag fitted with a #10 round tip. Pipe cookies in a tight back-and-forth motion so they resemble rectangular shaped cookies about 3 inches long and 1.5 inches wide (any embellishment is unnecessary as the cookies end up looking uniform after baking).
Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. The cookies become crisp as they cool.
Combine the chocolate and corn syrup in a double boiler over simmering water; stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until smooth. Using a small offset spatula or a butter knife, spread cookie with chocolate and top with another to form a sandwich. Let dry (if you can stand it), and then enjoy!
Some Photos:
Note the Shape of the Piped Cookies (Rachel B. Demonstrates)
Spreading the Finished Cookies with Chocolate
The Finished Product
Sunday, January 20, 2008
A Different Kind of Bun
Never having been as enamored with sticky buns as my culinary collaborator, I decided to take on the long neglected task of perfecting the similar and yet decidedly unique cinnamon bun. First, however I feel it necessary to clarify some terms here; forgive me, I’m an academic. I tend to think that the true difference between a sticky bun and a cinnamon bun is that the former is baked in a caramel-like sauce often containing nuts and always making the bun appropriately sticky. The cinnamon bun, on the other hand, is baked plain and then topped with a royal icing type glaze post-oven. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good sticky bun every once in a while (and the ones Rachel mentioned previously are truly delicious), but I’ve always been partial to the simplicity and spicy goodness of the plain cinnamon bun.
Having said all this, I’m about to contradict myself as the cinnamon bun recipe I’ve been creating contains no cinnamon whatsoever. Madness, I know. My version takes advantage of the deeply aromatic, enticingly spicy, citrus-like flavor of cardamom. This little burst of gastronomic creativity actually stems from a very traditional recipe for a Finnish bread called pulla. Being of Finnish ancestry myself and therefore having an affinity for the oft-neglected Nordic cuisines, I’ve been making pulla and other Scandinavian baked goods for a while. Beatrice Ojakangas, a wonderful Finnish cook who has published many lovely cookbooks on the subject, has an absolutely delicious pulla recipe that I make often. It was only recently, however, that it occurred to me that the pulla dough would make a great base for a revamped cinnamon bun. This is because pulla is a rich, buttery and eggy dough, similar to brioche. The genius of the bread lies in the fact that it contains crushed cardamom seeds, a very popular spice in Scandinavia, giving the dough a lightly perfumed scent that subtly detracts from its richness. Hence, filling these newly minted Cardamom Buns with a mixture of brown sugar, cardamom and a hint of allspice (just to give the filling a slightly headier spiciness that the cardamom alone could not do) makes the resulting baked good at once light and rich. Unlike its heavy cinnamon bun counterpart, these buns are undeniably decadent and yet they don’t require the diner to take a nap after consumption. They are so good you may need to have two, and now you can.
Cardamom Buns
Adapted from Beatrice Ojakangas's Pulla in Baking with Julia
I’ve left the original recipe for the bread generally the same with only a few small tweaks. The main deviation comes in the forming of the dough and, obviously, the spicy sugar filling which the original bread does not have. The quantities given are enough to make eight buns, which requires half of the dough. You could easily double the filling and icing amounts in order to make sixteen buns, using the entire dough recipe. However, I suggest you use the other dough half to make the Pulla as originally intended, simply glazed with egg wash and sprinkled with pearl sugar. Its truly not to be missed.
It really is best to use freshly ground cardamom for this recipe as the pre-ground stuff found in supermarkets simply does not have the same flavor or aroma. I crack open the pods and then use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds to a fairly fine powder. If you have a spice grinder, however, feel free to use that.
This dough can be made in a standing mixer using the dough hook but I prefer to work by hand. I find it much more fulfilling.
I like to let my yeast dough rise right on top of a warm oven but if your kitchen is particularly dry, drafty or cold you could also rise right in the oven. Just make sure that its off, lest the dough bake before it should. You can also place a pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven, making it an appropriately humid environment. The dough will rise in no time.
the dough
1 cup milk
1 TBSP active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit)
1/2 cup sugar
1 TSP crushed cardamom seeds
1 TSP salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten at room temp
4 1/2 to 5 cups AP Flour
1 stick butter, melted
the filling
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 TSP crushed cardamom seeds
1/8 TSP ground allspice
4 TBSP butter, melted
the glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 TSP milk
1 1/2 TSP melted butter
1/2 TSP pure vanilla extract
pinch ground cardamom
Put the milk in a small saucepan and scald it (heat until a small ring of bubbles forms along the edge of the pan). Remove the pan from the heat and let cool until it is 105 to 115 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix the yeast into the warm water and let stand until the yeast is dissolved and the mixtures looks creamy. Whisk in the milk, sugar, cardamom, salt and eggs. Using a wooden spoon, mix in 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Beat in the butter and add the additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is stiff but not dry. Depending on the day, you may not need all the flour. Let the dough rest 15 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes. The dough will be smooth and lose most of its stickiness. Do not add too much bench flour or the dough will become to dry.
Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning the dough to ensure the dough's top is oiled as well. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a warm, damp kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the day and the dough.
Combine brown sugar, cardamom, and allspice in a small bowl. Brush an 8 inch cake pan with a little of the melted butter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper if you plan on baking the pulla dough braid.*
Turn the dough onto a clean surface and lightly knead it to redistributes the air bubbles. If the dough sticks you can either lightly oil or flour the work surface. Divide the dough in half. Place one half of dough back in the oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rest while you form the buns.
Roll out dough half to an approximately 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Brush with the remaining melted butter leaving a small (about 1/2 inch) section at the top of the dough unbuttered. Sprinkle buttered area with sugar spice mixture and lightly pat down to ensure the coat is even and does not fall out during rolling. Starting at the bottom (this is the long end) tightly roll the dough and pinch the unbuttered end closed, making a fairly tight seal. Place the roll seam side down and using a long serrated knife, cut the roll into 8 equal pieces. Place buns in buttered pan; they won't touch. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and touching, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until nicely browned and puffed. If the tops brown too quickly decrease the heat to 350. Let cool several minutes on a cooling rack before unmolding.
Combine icing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Liberally pour over the warm buns. Serve immediately.
* To make the Pulla braid take the other half of the dough and divide into three equal portions. Using you hands, roll each third into a rope approximately 18 inches long. Braid the three strands, pinching the ends and tucking them under to ensure the braid does not come apart when rising. Place braid on the parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a dry kitchen towel. Let rise at room temp until it is puffy but not doubled, about 45 minutes.
Glaze the braid with egg wash made from one egg beaten with 1 TBSP of milk. Sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Cool on a cooling rack. Serve at room temperature.
The Buns
The Pulla
-Rachel L.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
the perfect sticky bun.
I am on a quest. I'm not sure why I decided to start off my endeavors in recipe creating with the sticky bun, but I am. My dad's always been partial to them so maybe that has something to do with it. At any rate, batch one has come and gone before i even had a chance to photograph it. It wasn't my recipe, anyway; it was Bobby Flay's. The man knows what he's doing and I've been a fan for about 10 years so I decided his recipe would be a good jumping-off point. Basic dough recipe with an orange glaze, topped off with almonds. The recipe is here and definitely worth checking out. I do have some ideas for improvement, namely the filling is a bit too dry and once you roll the dough, it has trouble holding together in the oven. Also, I let it rise through the night instead of for four hours which obviously made it a bit poofier but was mostly done for convenience's sake. Batch number two will have what will most likely end up being a meyer lemon and amaretto glaze/goo on top. I don't know if it will be an "improvement" per se, but it wont upset the Great Mr. Flay if I happen to end up selling them in my own non-existent bakery someday...
I will take pictures of the next batch before my family devours them all.
- Rachel B.
I will take pictures of the next batch before my family devours them all.
- Rachel B.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
about us.
Rachel and Rachel.
Two foodies intent on ridding the world of its penchant for just adding water.
We believe that good food takes time, and the effort is always worthwhile. Too many people these days treat food as a passing thought, replacing the leisurely meal with fast food consumed greedily between traffic lights. This leads to cold cookies and unhappy people. We want to rediscover the joy of biting into a gooey chocolate chip cookie, just plucked from the oven, and we want you to come along for the ride.
Bon appetite!
Two foodies intent on ridding the world of its penchant for just adding water.
We believe that good food takes time, and the effort is always worthwhile. Too many people these days treat food as a passing thought, replacing the leisurely meal with fast food consumed greedily between traffic lights. This leads to cold cookies and unhappy people. We want to rediscover the joy of biting into a gooey chocolate chip cookie, just plucked from the oven, and we want you to come along for the ride.
Bon appetite!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)