Links

This is mostly for me so I don't keep creating lists in my iPhone of random things I want to keep track of. But follow me on my journey if you like!

I saw this in the National Portrait Museum in DC. Love Mickalene Thomas!

Real live mermaids! Never thought I'd be planning a trip to Tampa!

Reading "Americanah" by Nigerian author Adichie. Curious about a Nigerian snack she mentions called chin-chin.

Since I don't live in Paris, Dave Leibovitz makes me want to try making these.

Be still my heart. Fresh fig cake with buttermilk glaze!!!!!!!!!

More on figs.

Fig Preserves

I love figs and I love living in a region where they grow abundantly. My husband gave me a fig tree when we bought our house and while it's growing rapidly, it's still a baby. There are however, several mature trees around the city. Now, lest you think I am a common thief, I make sure I case the trees for some time to ensure that no one is paying attention to these beauties. It is just rude to let good fruit rot on the tree, no? Anyway, we raided a few trees on the 4th of July and I had about three pounds of figs to contend with. There's a fig cake I love and there's always fig ice cream but yesterday I decided just to make some preserves. I looked at several recipes online and here's an approximation of what I did.

Fig preserves:

6 cups figs, washed, stemmed and halved
2 cups sugar
1 lemon, sliced thinly
juice of one more lemon
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. clove
1/2 t. cardamom
1 t. ground ginger

In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring all ingredients to a boil and then turn down and let simmer for an hour. Stir frequently. Process in a water bath.

My thoughts:

Every recipe I looked at called for far more sugar. For example, one recipe called for half as many figs (3 cups) but the same amount of sugar (2 cups) that I used. One recipe called for 1 cup of sugar per pound of figs. since I had about 3 pounds of fruit, that would mean 3 cups of sugar. Well, I used only 2 cups and I thought it was on the sweet side. Delicious, for sure, but next time I'd dial down to 1.5
cups. Also, I added the juice of one additional lemon since I thought the one sliced thinly did not give enough acidity to the batch. I added only juice because I had already zested it for something else but I'm sure you could just do 2 thinly sliced lemons. I have a tendency to go overboard with spices so I restrained myself and perhaps too much. Definitely will dial up the spices, at least the ginger, in my future batches. But still, it's wonderful and I had it on my oatmeal for breakfast with some pepitas. Fantastic! Finally, lots of recipes I saw called for booze of some sort. I'm sure this would be good but I don't think it's necessary.

Chocolate-Beet Cake with Raspberry Curd and Mascarpone Frosting

Yes, that is correct, I made a beet cake and it was delicious! Apparently the original red velvet cakes utilized beet puree to lend moisture and tint back in the dye before being unceremoniously replaced with red food coloring.

I don't even remember how I found this recipe but once I hit on the idea, I perused several variations. That got me all confused because some called for as few as 2 eggs and other s as many as five with all other proportions being relatively the same. I only had three eggs so I decided to go with it. Nigel Slater's recipe, which I came upon first, was adorned with creme fraiche and poppy seeds but I decided to up the ante and fill it with something, plus sub creme fraiche for mascarpone because, well, I love it.

I also found Slater's directions a bit fussy so if you'r the type that likes super-detailed instructions, see his version. If you find the overwhelming like I do, see my simplified version below. Note: I didn't measure my beets in ounces. I boiled three beets, peeled them and pureed them and used a scant cup for the cake, which left me with a scanter cup for another use. Honestly, next time I'd probably use canned beets, which I never would normally eat but in this preparation, I don't think anyone would notice. Plus, you save yourself some time and pink hands.

8 ounces fresh beets
7 ounces fine dark chocolate (70%)
1/4 cup hot espresso
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
3 eggs

1. Lightly butter an 8-inch springform cake pan and line the base with a round of baking parchment. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cook the beets, whole and unpeeled, in boiling unsalted water. Depending on their size, they will be tender within 30 to 40 minutes. Young ones may take slightly less. Drain them, let them cool under running water, then peel them, slice off their stem and root, and process in a blender or food processor until a coarse purée.

3. Melt the chocolate and espresso (or strong leftover coffee!) broken into small pieces, in a small bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Cut the butter into small pieces -- the smaller the better -- and add to the melted chocolate. Let melt over very low heat.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a large mixing bowl. Stir the yolks together.

5. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and stir until the butter has melted into the chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir in the egg yolks.

6. Fold in the beets.

7. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold in the sugar. Fold the beaten egg whites and sugar into the chocolate mixture.

8. Lastly, fold in the flour and cocoa. Transfer to the prepared cake pan and put in the oven, decreasing the heat immediately to 325 degrees F. Bake for 40 minutes. Do NOT OVERBAKE! The rim of the cake will feel spongy, the inner part should still wobble a little when gently shaken. Test with a cake tester or toothpick too -- if it is still gooey in the center, continue baking just until moist crumbs cling to the tester. Set the cake aside to cool (it will sink a tad in the center), loosening it around the edges with a thin icing spatula after half an hour or so. It is not a good idea to remove the cake from its pan until it is completely cold.

This is where Nigel's recipe ends and mine takes over. I let the cake cool overnight and when I tried to remove it from the pan (which I neglected to line with parchment), it stuck to the bottom. Luckily, my amazing husband taught me a trick to heat the underside of the cake pan with a creme brulee torch and then, voila, it popped out beautifully! Using a long, serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into to equally-sized rounds. I used a small 4 ounce jar of raspberry curd I made some months back (and kick myself for not noting how I made it!) and spread that on the bottom layer and then topped it with the other layer. I wouldn't skip this, it was a very thin layer but it seeped into the whole cake and permeated it with tart, fruity, elegant moistness. Then I iced the whole thing with mascarpone frosting, see recipe below.

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces mascarpone
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
pinch salt
1 t. vanilla

Thanksgiving stream of consciousness

Wednesday

3:30pm Grate 2 sticks of butter and put in the freezer for later.

4pm Head to sushi happy hour to charge up for a long evening of cooking.

5pm Raid friend's Meyer lemon tree.

6pm Intrigued by Dave Leibowitz's recipe for whole lemons bars.

6:15pm Learn that when browning butter and it starts to foam, have a large container on hand to pour it into immediately, not all over the stove and counter like I did.

6:30pm Lemon bars in the oven, remove butter from the freezer and work in flour for the all-butter pie crust.

7pm Resist urge to mess with lemon bars before they have cooled. Make a cocktail with dry rhubarb soda and gin.

8pm Hmm, not sure this grated butter in my pie crust thing is going to work. In the oven it goes, we'll see!

8:01pm Damn, these lemon bars are freaking awesome. Make another batch.

8:32pm I still have 20 eight ounce lemons. Research recipes for preserved lemons online.

9pm Sterilizing jars, cutting lemons, sprinkling salt.

10pm Sushi was a long time ago. Hungry. Not another lemon bar. Popcorn.

10:30pm Foolishly suggest watching a movie to husband.

10:31pm Asleep.

Thursday

6am Goddamnit, why am I awake at 6 on my day off?

6:15am Coffee, catching up on the internets.

7:45am Off to City Park for a run, it's a beautiful day!

8:30am Wait for the husband to wake up so I can get in the kitchen and make some noise.

8:31am Family phone calls. Missing people.

8:45am Food prep begins. Wash every dish, utensil and pot in the house.

9:15am Jesus, that's a lot of butter.

10am Peel, chop, slice, saute. Butter. Dishes.

10:30 Make stock with turkey neck.

10:45am Butter.

11am Dishes.

11:30 Dishes. Butter.

12pm People on the internets posting pictures of their mimosas. Does that mean I can open the champagne? Will do as soon as I'm done with these dishes.

12:30pm How did it get to be 12:30 already? Should probably consider putting some of this stuff in the oven. Top with butter first.

12:45 Set table. Wash wine glasses. Wash decanter. Wash champagne flutes. Where is the gravy boat? Why don't I have a cocktail yet?

1pm Ravenous. Devour the turkey neck standing over the kitchen sink.

1:15pm Change into clothes not covered in butter and flour. Comb hair and generally make self presentable.

1:20 Sweep kitchen floor. Front room too. OK, every room. Don't forget the front porch! Finish up those last dishes.

1:30 My appetizer! Not even started yet! Chop herbs! Chop garlic! Sauté with more butter!

1:55pm Cinnamon-infused cognac. Brandied cherries. Bubbly. Ahhh. Guests in 5 minutes. Let the day begin!

Let's Start With the Plane

I don't know how I got so lucky and I don't think I am likely to ever be lucky in this way again. But I sure did appreciate it. I flew to Berlin on frequent flier miles and for some reason, they put me in business class all the way to Paris. The reclining seat/bed alone was enough to make my trans-Atlantic journey pretty special but the MENU! Wow. The flight boarded at 11pm so I wasn't expecting much of anything but how wrong I was! First up, serrano ham and a terrine of poisson. I was already pretty pleased with that when the sommelier came by and poured me a glass of Henriot Brut Souverain. A sommelier on board! For my entree I had scallops in a green curry sauce with snap peas with a glass of Graves Chateau Villa Bel Air 2007. I don't really know what any of that means but it was lovely with the scallops. I finished with a dessert trio of a citron bouchee, triple chocolate cake and raspberry macarons. And a glass of tawny Port. Why not, right? After that, I knocked out and woke up refreshed and in Paris. Best flight ever.

Rhubarb Bonanza

Yikes. It's been a long time. But I got married and went to Europe for two weeks so I've had my hands quite full! Whilst in Europe, I was lucky to find myself encountering rhubarb kuchen, rhubarb cocktails and even rhubarb yogurt. I love rhubarb but it's not really a Louisiana crop, you know? Recently however, I spied some rhubarb at Rouse's. I'm embarrassed to say how expensive it was but I bought about five pounds and made rhubarb simple syrup, rhubarb crumble cake and three kinds of rhubarb compote. The rhubarb simple syrup was for a drink recipe I saw in the NY Times a while back. I have to say, I don't think the syrup really screamed rhubarb at me in this drink but I still liked it, not enough to swoon over though. It's when I made a rye whiskey-rhubarb Manhattan that I thought I really hit on something. Anyway, here's the original drink recipe, known by the intriguing name, Emperor's Garden. Ingredients 1 cup thinly sliced rhubarb 1 cup sugar 5 Thai basil leaves; more for garnish 1 teaspoon seasoned rice wine vinegar 1 1/2 ounces gin 3/4 ounce lemon juice. Preparation 1. Make rhubarb simple syrup: Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rhubarb and sugar, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Reserve a selection of rhubarb slices as cocktail garnishes, then strain syrup and store chilled for up to 7 days. 2. In a mixing glass, muddle the Thai basil leaves with the seasoned rice wine vinegar. Add gin, 1 ounce rhubarb simple syrup and lemon juice. Fill mixing glass 2/3 full of ice and shake vigorously. Using a fine mesh strainer, pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a Thai basil leaf and a slice of reserved rhubarb. YIELD 1 serving On the 4th, I made dessert for a cookout we were invited to. It was fine, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't make it again. Too cake-y, not enough lush, tart, jammy rhubarb for my taste. I thought this recipe was better when I made it last summer, albeit with peaches but why not rhubarb? Finally, I made various compotes but the one I liked the best was the one with wine (I used white since I didn't have any red) and some citrus. I really loved the one with balsamic but in a way, I felt like it didn't let the rhubarb really shine. But the best part is with all this stewing and canning, I will have rhubarb to last me until next spring!

Product Review: Arctic Zone Cookies and Cream

Arctic Zone's line of "guilt-free" ice cream is a fat free, low calorie and sugar way to pretend you are indulging in ice cream when you're really not. Please don't be fooled by anyone who tells you that it tastes just like the real thing. No, it doesn't. Not at all. But, if you're trying to watch your sweets intake, it's not the most terrible thing in the world. The Chocolate and Mint Chocolate Chip are okay, once you get past the first, crushing taste that makes you realize that this is NOT ice cream. However, the Cookies and Cream variety has got to be the most horrible thing I've tasted thus far; it has a weird, fake flavor profile and is a sickly shade of greyish-brown. I almost threw it away, which says a lot since I hate wasting food and money. I would avoid this at all costs.