Quiche!

January 24, 2009 // No Comments »

Alors, quiche! This savory tart, like many things French, is an unfussy mainstay of it’s homeland that has been distorted to a curious state of trendy idolatry dans les Etats-Unis. This is not to say that quiche’s merits aren’t deserving of love, for they absolutely are, but rather a comment on how les imbeciles americaines, in all the splendid glory of their gastronomic ignorance, become taken with food in puzzling ways, determining certain dishes to be in and out of favor, in and out of fashion. A quiche is the opposite of stylish, and therein lies it’s timeless success: a perfectly crumbly crust set with a simple custard of eggs and cream, and judiciously filled with a few complimentary ingredients. The stuff of fads? Je ne pense pas! No indeed, it is the humble nature of the dish that endears quiche to us so enduringly!

I don’t know anyone worth knowing in this world who isn’t enamored of tart crust, savory or sweet. In fact, I make it a point to discard people upon whom the pleasures of flaky pastry are lost, to keep my distance, for there is something fundamentally wrong with them, something reminiscent of disease, almost. Plus, if you make mini’s, you can call them quickies, as my friend does! I just received a porno call on Skype from a group sex chat, so forgive me if my mind has fallen into the gutter, but from where I stand right now, that seems a rather lurvely bonus.

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Truffled Polenta with Taleggio and Morels

January 23, 2009 // No Comments »

This is a side dish which preserves the inherent hominess of polenta while imbuing it with more refined flavors. Truffles are best showcased by blander starch carriers, such as potatoes and pasta, and by eggs. Polenta is the only unrefined starch I’ve yet tried that will carry the heady flavors of the truffle without obscuring them. This recipe came about as an exploration of polenta, and a desire to use truffles in a more healthful manner during an evening meal (eggs are fine and well, scrumptious really, but they don’t accompany steak with particular grace.) Taleggio is an Italian cow’s milk cheese aged in moldy cellars. It’s thus an especially pungent cheese, redolent of, well…fungus. However,  it’s surprisingly delicate in taste.

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Galette Dough

January 22, 2009 // No Comments »

This dough comes from Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food. She recommends the dough for tarts, and specifies another recipe for galettes in the Chez Panisse Café Cookbook. I apply her dough to open faced, free form galletes, and another formula entirely for pâte sucrée and pate brisée, the doughs I use to makes molded tarts and quiche.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 2 cups all purpose flour, unbleached
• 1/2 t salt
• 12 T or 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, very cold, and cut into small cubes

Procedure:

To make the dough:

1. Measure out the flour and salt. Sift together into a medium bowl.
2. Cut up the butter, and measure out the water.
3. Cut the butter into the flour, using either a pastry blender or your fingertips. DO NOT OVERWORK the butter. Stop a bit short of your intuitively determine to be the end; fairly large and irregular and bits of butter should be clearly visible.
4. Make a well in the middle of this mixture, and carefully drizzle in 3/4 of the water, incorporating it into the dough using a fork. If the dough asks for more moisture, provide the rest of the water. The dough ought to be drier than you imagine. If you’re a touch uncomfortable with how little water there is, you’re on the right track: it’s rather incredible how little water is needed to actually coax butter and flour into forming a dough. Flaky dough hinges on the preserving discernable lumps of butter, in maintaining their integrity through chilling (hence the ice water and period of rest in the fridge,) in binding with little water to encourage flake and tenderness, and in working the dough as little as possible. Note than higher altitudes will demand more water, but proceed with caution. It is always possible to add more liquid, but impossible to salvage a bloated, water-logged dough.
5. On a clean counter, use the palm of your hand to “fraise” the dough, one hunk at a time, a term which implies pushing the dough forward and down with the heel of your hand, causing the crumbling dough to bind together, but just barely. Repeat this motion only once or twice, remembering always that success lies in working the dough as little and as quickly as possible.
6. Once you”ve repeated this process with all of the dough, press the hunks together to form a ball. They may not stick to each other entirely, and this is okay. A crumbly dough can be bound and chilled in saran wrap, and will result in exceptionally flaky pastry.
7. Wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for a few days. After this point, the dough should be frozen, and will keep for a number of weeks. This recipe makes two 10 ounce balls of dough, enough for 2 larg galettes. I prefer to divide the dough once it has been refrigerated overnight, so that the dough has a chance to firm up and is less likely to shatter when incised.

To Roll Out the Dough:

1. The dough should be thoroughly chilled, and just maleable. Too soft and you’ve compromised the integrity of the butter, and will find yourself with a dough the sticks to itself ad your work surface. Too firm and you’ll crack the dough. It’s a fine line, and one which you will learn to judge with experience. This is the case with all aspects of tart making, so patience, my little grasshoppers.
2. Rework the dough for about 30 seconds. It should still be in a ball. Then flatten it.
3. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a bit less than 1/8 inch thickness. Accomplish this by turning the dough about 25 degrees to the left (or right, as long as you’re consistent) in between each roll, and never roll over the edge of the dough and onto your working surface. Such rotation ensures that the dough is rolled out into an actual circle, as opposed to a misshapen shape. Preserving the lip of the dough facilitates handling and avoids sticking and disfiguration.

Posted in The Recipes

Dried Fig & Goat Cheese Galettes with Toasted
Hazelnuts, Rosemary, Honey, & Black Pepper

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These beautiful galettes are emblematic of the peculiar way in which earthy ingredients such as nuts and fruit can be thoughtfully combined to produce results of unmatched culinary eloquence. They are exceptionally well balanced: the tartness of the cheese is softened by a rosette of moist and succulent dried figs, which in turn wrestle rather delightfully with the pungency of rosemary. The nuttiness of  hazelnuts accentuates both base ingredients, while the discreet presence of honey plays up the sugar of the fruit. Pepper adds unexpected warmth and spice, heightening all of the other flavors. These galettes are best served warm or at room temperature, as an appetizer at a party, or as part of brunch or light lunch when paired with a balsamic dressed mesclun salad. They’re very suited to preceding an uncomplicated duck course.

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Beet Latkes Spiced with Cumin and Coriander,
Served with Za’atar Sour Cream

January 14, 2009 // No Comments »

These deep ruby latkes were a close second to the Kabocha ones. They’re totoally delicious, delicately spiced, inventive, and light. And, they’re spectacularly gorgeous. Smudged with Za’atar Sour Cream, they’re proof that Jewish food can be mouthwatering!

Ingredients:

For the Latkes:

• 6 medium beets, for a total of about 6 cups shredded
• 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 1 medium onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• About 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

For the Za’atar Sour Cream:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 T Za’atar spice mix
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Sprinkle of salt

1. Shred the beets, onion, and garlic.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the Za’atar Sour Cream (*can be make several hours in advance. Just stir before serving.*)
3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep-lipped pan.
4. Gently fold in the beaten egg, salt, pepper, baking powder, cumin, coriander, and flower, until just combined.
5. Form the latkes into flattened pancakes, squeezing the beet mixture to eliminate as much water as possible.
6. Fry them in batches, until copper and crisp on both sides.
7. If you are making many latkes, or just need to make them ahead of time, keep the latkes warm in a 200 degree oven.

Posted in The Recipes