tortellini in brodo cremoso

Another of my wife's favorites. The combination of cream, parmesan, and nutmeg is reminiscent of northern Italy. It's simple but satisfying. Serves 4-6.

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (homemade or swanson organic)
2 cup heavy cream
2 bay leaves
2 cups dried tortellini (barilla brand - any variety)
1/4 tsp of freshly ground nutmeg
fresh black pepper and grated parmesan cheese to taste

1. In a 3-4 quart saucepan, bring the broth, cream, and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce heat so that the broth is just simmering.

2. Add the dried tortellini. Boil for 10 minutes (according to package directions).

3. Off the heat, add the nutmeg. Stir.

4. Serve in soup bowls with pepper and cheese to taste.

If you want a creamier soup, you can either increase the ratio of cream to broth (up to 1/2 and 1/2) or add a slurry of 1 TB cornstarch in a bit of water about one minute before the pasta is done.

mulled wine cranberry sauce

Tried changing some things up for Thanksgiving. This struck me as a good idea. The end result was spectacular!

3 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup red wine (chianti, merlot, or pinot noir -- nothing oak-aged)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes (make sure all alcohol is cooked off). Remove the cinnamon stick, pour into a heat-proof bowl, and let cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools.

Serve with turkey (what else?), duck, or roast beef.

no-knead bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

spiced pumpkin bread

I live in Florida, where we only have two seasons: hot and not-quite-as-hot. While my friends and family who live north of the Mason-Dixon line are enjoying fall foliage and beautiful autumnal colors, I am sweating in 85 degree heat. To remind myself that fall is actually here, I make this quick bread. It does the trick.

This recipe can easily be turned into muffins (approx. 24) -- just reduce the baking time to about 35 minutes.

1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling -- that has sugar/spices already in it)
2/3 c water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a large bowl. Whisk the ingredients together to ensure that they are evenly distributed. Set aside.

In a blender, mix the pumpkin, sugars, water, vanilla, and eggs. While the blender is running, drizzle in the oil. Pour this on top of the dry ingredients, making sure to scrape out as much of the pumpkin mixture as possible.

Gently fold the wet into the dry until no more streaks of flour are present. Be careful not to overmix, as this will toughen your final product. Split the batter into two greased 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans (9x5 will work in pinch, but your loafs will be shorter). Bake for one hour. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes on a rack. Remove the loaves from their pans and allow to cool for another 45 minutes.

If desired, drizzle the loaves with an icing made of 1 cup of confectioner's sugar and 3 tablespoons of real maple syrup. Alternatively, you could leave out all of the spices but the nutmeg and add one cup of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) and 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter for a chocolate-studded pumpkin nut bread.

Enjoy!

dark chocolate cupcakes

After making several chocolate cupcake recipes and reading conflicting information from some of my trusted sources, I decided to try making a recipe on my own. Some decisions I made while I was formulating the recipe include:

• no "strange" ingredients like mayonnaise, etc.
• use a modified creaming method to assemble (for improved texture)
• use cocoa powder instead of bar chocolate (more chocolatey and 1 less bowl to clean!)
• use dutch cocoa (for the most intense chocolate taste)
• cook only 12 cupcakes at a time (for even baking)
  

I'm confident that these cupcakes will be your new favorites (at least your favorite chocolate ones). If you want, the recipe will make one 9-inch round cake. Doubled, it will make two 9-inch rounds, three 8-inch rounds, or a 9 x 13-inch sheet cake.

6 TB butter, at room temperature (3 ounces by weight)
1 scant cup of granulated sugar (6 ounces)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda (not powder!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (4.25 ounces)
1/2 cup sifted dutch-process cocoa powder (sift then measure -- 1 ounce by weight)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup plain lowfat yogurt (6 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, cream together the first 5 ingredients until it is fluffy and noticeably lighter in color than when you began. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa powder.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, mixing for approximately 20 seconds after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add all of the flour mixture to the butter and mix on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides again, add the yogurt, and mix on medium for one minute.

Prepare the pan you will use to bake with (muffin liners for the cupcake pan or butter/flour for the others). Distribute the batter among your prepared pans. Bake according to the following chart (give or take a couple of minutes due to differences among ovens):

• cupcakes - 23 minutes
• 8-inch pans - 30 minutes
• 9-inch pans - 33 minutes
• 9 x 13-inch sheet pan - 35 minutes

Begin checking about 3 minutes before the time is up. Remove from the oven when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over-bake, as this will destroy the taste and texture of the final product. Frost with a home-made buttercream or simply dust with powdered sugar.

alton brown's protein bars

These are easy to make and good for you. I will warn you that they do not "taste great" the way, say, a brownie tastes great. They are, however, much tastier than store-bought protein bars. That is reason enough to make them. There is another reason, too -- they work out to be much more cost-effective as well. Your initial investment may be high (purchasing some of these ingredients is pricey) but you'll be able to make several batches and each batch makes 24 bars. I eat 2 in the morning for breakfast and find that they tide me over until lunch quite nicely.

Also -- you can make some substitutions if you like. Swap out some of the dried fruits mentioned for ones that you prefer (apples, dates, golden raisins, etc.). Use almond butter instead of peanut butter. Use unsweetened apple sauce instead of juice. Add some spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom) or chopped nuts.

Any way you do it, these are sure to be "healthy eats" -- and for some of us, that makes them "good."

4 ounces soy protein powder (approximately 1 cup)
2 1/4 ounces oat bran (approximately 1/2 cup)
2 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour (approximately 1/2 cup)
3/4-ounce wheat germ (approximately 1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 ounces raisins (approximately 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 ounces dried cherries (approximately 1/2 cup)
3 ounces dried blueberries (approximately 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 ounces dried apricots (approximately 1/2 cup)
1 (12.3-ounce) package soft silken tofu
1/2 cup unfiltered apple juice
4 ounces dark brown sugar (approximately 1/2 cup packed)
2 large whole eggs, beaten
2/3 cup natural peanut butter
Canola oil, for pan

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with parchment paper and lightly coat with canola oil. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the protein powder, oat bran, wheat flour, wheat germ, and salt. Set aside.

Coarsely chop the raisins, dried cherries, blueberries and apricots and place in a small bowl and set aside.

In a third mixing bowl, whisk the tofu until smooth. Add the apple juice, brown sugar, eggs, and peanut butter, 1 at a time, and whisk to combine after each addition. Add this to the protein powder mixture and stir well to combine. Fold in the dried fruit. Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees F. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze individually and allow to thaw before eating.

five things to eat before you die

Melissa at The Traveler's Lunchbox asked food bloggers to post a "top five" list of foods to eat before you die. Frankly, I always hate being asked "what's your favorite ______?" I can't pin down a favorite anything. It's highly dependant upon my mood, the weather, or what I had for breakfast. That being said, I attempted to construct a list that captured my gustatory values.

I have already eaten these things. If you haven't tried them, run to wherever you can so that you, too, can partake in these most wonderful foods.

Here the list:

1. ceviche (the real stuff -- from Ecuador or Peru)
2. freshly made sweetened fried dough (doughnuts, beignets, zeppole, etc.)
3. any fruit that you can pick yourself and eat on the spot
4. Edo-style sushi
5. homemade tagliatelle

greek brown rice salad

I've been eating a lot of brown rice lately. This came to me as a way to jazz it up a bit.

2 c. cooked short grain brown rice (follow the directions on the package)
1 cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 TB chopped fresh oregano
1 lemon, juiced
2 TB red wine vinegar
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and black pepper to taste

Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, and garlic.

Toss the brown rice with the cucumber and oregano. Add the vinaigrette from above. Fold to combine.

Add the feta and fold again. Season with salt (probably doesn't need a lot due to the feta) and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 as a side.

coconut date rolls

Okay folks, this is an easy one. Sometimes going for "zen" gets complicated, but I assure you that anyone can handle this recipe. Anyway, I ate one of these at Whole Foods in their bulk grains section and was hooked. Perfect amount of sweetness and lots of fiber. It's a healthy way to eat sweets. The almonds aren't in the Whole Foods version, but I loved what they did to the taste and texture.

1 lb. pitted dates
1 c. almonds, roasted (optional)
1/2 c. unsweetened dried coconut flakes


Whir the dates and almonds (if using) in a food processor until a paste is formed. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of the paste in the dried coconut and form into logs. That's it!

Makes 16-20 rolls.

beer and muenster cheese soup

I like this soup on cold days...it makes quite a bit, but you can save and reheat any leftovers.

4 1/2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
4 1/2 tablespoons flour
3 cups water
1 1/2 heaping tablespoons chicken base (I prefer Better Than Bouillon Brand)
3 cups half-and-half
3 cups milk
2 1/4 cups red beer (like Killian's Irish Red)
1 1/2 pounds high quality muenster cheese, shredded
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Chopped chives, for garnish

In a small bowl, cream the butter and flour to make a paste. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the water, chicken base, half-and-half, milk and beer to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Slowly whisk in the butter/flour paste and return to a simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently. (Watch the pot and adjust the heat so the mixture does not boil over.)

Reduce the heat to low and very slowly whisk in the shredded cheese in small additions, making sure each addition melts completely before adding the next. Add the sugar, hot sauce and salt, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Serve hot. Garnished with chopped chives. Serves 8 as a main dish.

To make a Bread Bowl: Choose firm round loaves of bread such as sour dough, French or whole grain the size in which you want to serve the soup (usually about 5 to 6 inches in diameter). With a sharp knife, cut a 3- to 4-inch diameter circle out of the top of each leaving about a 1-inch shell. Pull off the top and set aside. Scoop out the soft inside leaving about an inch of bread around the side and bottom. (Save the scooped out bread to make breadcrumbs or croutons.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil the inside of the "bowl" and place on a baking sheet in the center of the oven 10 to 12 minutes or until the bread is slightly crisp. If you serve the soup in the Bread Bowls you can eat the whole thing by scraping small bits into the soup as you go along. By the time you reach the bottom, that part will be ready to eat.

oatmeal maple scones

These scones are my wife's favorites. They're wonderful warm out of the oven or at room temperature served a bit later. Enjoy with tea for a thoroughly British experience.

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (4 1/2 ounces) or quick oats
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter , cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread oats evenly on baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes; cool on wire rack. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Line second baking sheet with parchment paper. When oats are cooled, measure out 2 tablespoons and set aside.

2. Whisk milk, cream, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and egg in large measuring cup until incorporated; remove 1 tablespoon to small bowl and reserve for glazing.

3. Pulse flour, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined, about four 1-second pulses. Scatter cold butter evenly over dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, twelve to fourteen 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; stir in cooled oats. Using rubber spatula, fold in liquid ingredients until large clumps form. Mix dough by hand in bowl until dough forms cohesive mass.

4. Dust work surface with half of reserved oats, turn dough out onto work surface, and dust top with remaining oats. Gently pat into 7-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Using bench scraper or chef’s knife, cut dough into 8 wedges and set on parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Brush surfaces with reserved egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes; cool scones on baking sheet on wire rack 5 minutes, then remove scones to cooling rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

5. When scones are cooled, whisk maple syrup and confectioners's sugar until combined; drizzle glaze over scones.

quick french onion soup for two

My wife and I love French Onion Soup, but I find that it is usually a sloppy mess at all but the nicest restaurants. Excess salt, excess cheese, or even greasy broths seem to plague this simple dish. I tried to create a recipe that would produce a balanced and flavorful broth with just the right amount of accoutrement. I like to use homemade broth when I can, but in all reality I don't always have it in my fridge. Instead, I use a product called "Better than Bouillon," which is a concentrated paste. It comes in several varieties. I always keep the chicken and beef flavors on hand. Use 1 teaspoon of concentrate for every cup of water.

1 T olive oil
1 small red onion, minced
pinch of salt
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. sweet marsala wine
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. beef broth
black pepper to taste
2 slices of french bread, toasted
2 slices of swiss cheese

Heat olive oil in a heavy 3 quart saucepan set to medium-high until it shimmers. Add the onions, salt, and bay leaf, turn the heat to medium, and saute for 8-10 minutes or until the onions begin to brown (don't let them burn).

Add the marsala wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Next, add the broths and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the black pepper and cut the heat. Set your oven to broil.

When the oven is pre-heated, place two oven-safe bowls on a cookie sheet. Ladle the soup into the bowls. Lay a slice of the toasted bread on each bowl. Place a slice of cheese on top of the bread and place in the oven until the cheese is melted and begins to brown (about two minutes).

Serve and enjoy!

rice pilaf

I used to buy rice pilaf out of a box before I realized that if I kept the ingredients on hand it would cost me about 20 times less money and be just as convenient. The recipe below is for the most basic version of rice pilaf. You can add almost anything to it to customize it for whatever you're serving as a main dish. I'll provide some of my favorite twists as well.

1 T butter
1/4 c. orzo
3/4 c. long grain rice
1/4 t salt
2 c. water (or low-sodium chicken broth)

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the orzo, stirring occasionally for five minutes or until it is lightly toasted. Add the rice and stir until it is coated with the butter as well. Add the water (or broth) and salt; bring to a boil. Stir once. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. With lid still on, remove saucepan from heat and let stand for another 10 minutes. Fluff pilaf with a fork and serve.

Some of my favorite additions include:

Tropical rice pilaf: Add 1/4 t ground cardamom and 1/2 c. chopped mixed dried fruit (apricot, raisins, craisins, etc.) with the water. Stir in 1/4 c. fresh (or canned) diced pineapple before serving.

Savory rice pilaf: Sautee a minced shallot in the butter before adding the orzo. Proceed as directed above.

Broccoli Parmesan pilaf: Add 1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli florets on top of the simmering rice about 10 miutes into cooking. Don't stir them in -- let them steam on top. Stir in 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese before serving.

The variations are limited only by your creativity!

empanada dough

I was recently in a hole-in-the-wall Argentinian restaurant and spotted an interesting bit of artwork. On one of their walls was a framed recipe for empanada dough -- it was written in Spanish and looked very old. Using my spot-on translation abilities, I determined that the recipe called for a kilogram of flour, 250 grams of lard, salt to taste, and "enough water to make it work."

Seeing that this recipe used a weight-based ratio (4 parts flour to 1 part lard), I set out to see if I could replicate the dough at home. It worked out spectacularly -- crisp and flaky, offering a perfect complement to both sweet and savory fillings (as long as the filling isn't sopping wet or warm when you assemble the empanada).

Here's what I came up with:

2 cups AP flour (10 oz. by weight)
1/3 c. lard or shortening (2.5 oz. by weight)
l tsp table salt
1/2 c. ice water

Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl. Rub the lard (or shortening) into the flour mixture with the tips of your fingers until it begins to resemble pea-sized pebbles. Next, add the ice water and mix until just combined. Press into a 6 inch disk and wrap in plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

When you are ready to prepare the empanadas, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut the disk into 4 chunks. Flour your work surface and roll one out with a floured rolling pin until it is 1/8 of an inch thick. You should be able to cut 6 four-inch rounds out of each (freehand with a sharp paring knife if you don't have a pastry cutter).

Place a small amount of cold filling in the middle of each round, brush the edges with a bit of egg wash, fold into a half-moon, and crimp as desired -- some people fold the edges decoratively while others simply crimp with the tines of a fork.

Place the prepared empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is blistered and well-browned.

key lime pie

This is the simplest pie ever created. It's perfect for anyone who loves the juxtaposition of sweet with sour. If you've only had those horribly sweet, green-tinted monstrosities available at the supermarket, make this recipe. Trust me. If fresh key limes are not available (chances are they're not), a perfectly acceptable substitute is bottled key lime juice (Nelly & Joe's brand is particularly good).

5 egg yolks
4 oz. key lime juice
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
9 inch graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the first three ingredients together and pour them into the fourth. Bake for 15 minutes. Pie will still jiggle when you take it out, but will firm up when it cools.

Allow it to cool to room temperature on the counter before chilling it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Serve unadorned or with whipped cream and grated lime zest if you're feeling adventurous and artsy.

chili mac worth eating

Here again, quality of ingredients is the key to producing a worthwhile final product.

1 lb. ground beef
3 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2-4 TB chili powder*
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth (or water if broth is not on hand)
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 cup elbow macaroni

In a 4 quart saucepan on medium-high heat, brown the ground beef in 2 TB of olive oil. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Add the diced onion and the additional TB of oil to the saucepan. Saute for approximately 5 minutes or until softened and slightly brown. Add 2 TB of chili powder to the onions and toss through, allowing the spices in the chili powder to toast and bloom.

Pour in the entire contents of the can of tomatoes along with the water. Add salt, cayenne, and up to 2 TB more chili powder to taste. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Turn the heat to medium-high and add the dried macaroni to the simmering chili. Cook for 10 minutes more or until macaroni are cooked to desired doneness.

Serve with any of the following:

• shredded cheddar cheese
• chopped onion or scallion
• sour cream
• fresh salsa
  
• hot sauce

* Be sure to use a really good chili powder -- you are making chili, aren't you? I buy mine from The Spice House, a spice retailer in Chicago. You can order all kinds of spices directly from them online. My preference is to buy the regular chili powder and add extra heat with cayenne as I am cooking. It gives me more flexibility and I don't have to have two jars of chili powder in my pantry.

By the way, cooking the chili powder in two ways (toasting with oil and then adding directly with the liquid) develops a more interesting flavor profile in this dish. The toasted chili powder is more mellow, with deeper, more complex flavors. The chili powder added to the liquid brings a fresher, brighter flavor to the dish. The combination helps to deliver maximum flavor with minimum effort.

simplicity is key

You can't define zen. It is, by definition, beyond words. Zen Master Osho has tried to help people understand by saying it is "laughter born out of silence." So how does one make his kitchen a "zen kitchen?" There isn't a real answer to that question -- but I think that it boils down to simplicity.

Simple foods, seasoned simply, prepared simply. The result is a finished product that transcends the sum of its parts. And yes, I have laughed at how such simple things can be brought together to be so mysteriously complex, spiritually fulfilling, and wholly delicious.

baked potatoes

Restaurant baked potatoes are typically horrible. They're either stale, having been cooked in advance or wrapped in foil (why?) and gummy.

These are not, however, difficult to make at home. Follow these easy steps and you'll never settle for anything less than a perfect baked potato.

1. Start with Idaho Russet potatoes and figure one medium potato per person. Try to make sure that they are all about the same size. Wash them and pat dry.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Prick the skins of each potato with a fork several times, coat with olive oil, and generously sprinkle all sides with kosher salt. Place directly on the middle rack of the pre-heated oven and bake for 1 hour. Serve immediately.

Some suggestions for success:

• DO NOT WRAP BAKED POTATOES IN FOIL. The foil will trap steam inside and will make your potatoes gummy instead of fluffy.
• Time the rest of your meal appropriately. These are best served within minutes of being removed from the oven. The longer they sit, the more the steam inside of them turns back into water and begins to gelatinize the starches in the potato -- hello again, gummy potatoes!
• Baked potatoes can be cooked in a hotter oven (if you are roasting a chicken at 450 for instance), but will develop a heartier, thicker skin if you do.
• You can also bake sweet potatoes this way. Be sure to place sweet potatoes on a sheet pan or a piece of foil as they will ooze some sugary liquid as they cook which makes a mess of your oven (trust me). The salted skins are a nice complement to the sweet flesh inside.
  

perfect coffee cake

I made 6 different recipes, trying my best to find the perfect formula for this most elusive of baked goods. Everyone has has or her own favorite way of making coffee cake -- some use sour cream, some have crunchy/nutty toppings, while some are light and fluffy. Each of these variations has its place in a kitchen, just not mine.

I usually go to the folks at Cooks Illustrated for my initial attempt at a recipe. They walk you through their thought process as they develop their master recipe. Unfortunately, I don't always agree with their opinions as to what is "best." (Their recipes are always good, mind you -- just not always my ideal.) Their coffee cake recipe left me with a hard, crunchy topping. Tasty, but not my idea of classic coffee cake.

Next I went to Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe from The Cake Bible. It was light and fluffy - not what I was looking for. I attribute this to her use of cake flour, which tends to yield such a result.

After a couple more attempts (King Arthur Flour's Baking Companion among others), I realized that I needed to work backwards in order to find a recipe I liked. My perfect coffee cake would be moist, richly spiced, and have a nutty/crumbly topping. Saving you the agony of going through my thought process in developing this recipe, I will share it with you now.

Topping

1 cup all purpose flour (4.6 oz by weight)
1 cup light brown sugar (7 oz by weight)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 oz or 1 stick)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, ground
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (8 oz or 2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar (5.3 oz)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3.5 oz)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour (9.2 oz)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine all ingredients for topping except chopped pecans in a food processor and pulse 6-10 times, until crumbly. Add chopped pecans and mix thoroughly. Alternatively, all ingredients could be worked together by hand in a large mixing bowl.

Cream butter, sugars, and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl until smooth and fluffy. If your eggs are cold, run them under hot water for a few seconds to take the chill out of them. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each.

In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add dry mixture to creamed butter in three additions, making certain to scrape down the bowl after each.

Add milk and vanilla, mixing until just combined.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 baking pan. The batter is thick and will need to be spread out evenly. Sprinkle all of the crumb topping evenly onto the batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cake tester inserted into middle of the cake comes out clean.

lemon garlic veggies

This isn't so much a recipe as it is a technique for cooking any green vegetable. It is a two-stage method that serves to set the bright green color of fresh vegetables and then infuse them with a huge punch of flavor.

Fill a 4 qt pot about 3/4 full and add 1 TB table salt and bring to a boil. Once the water is at a full, rolling boil add the vegetable of your choice (broccoli, string beans, asparagus, etc.) and set a timer for 4 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, finely chop 2 cloves of garlic and pre-heat a saute pan over medium-high with about 2 TB olive oil. If the oil begins to smoke at all, remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds.

As soon as the timer goes off, strain the vegetables in a colander. Next, add the garlic to the pre-heated pan and immediately add the strained vegetables. Toss for a minute, turn off the heat, and finish with a squeeze of half a lemon and salt/pepper to taste. Toss to coat and serve.

ginger glazed carrots

These are sweet and spicy -- perfect as a side with roast beef, chicken, or turkey.

1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced on a bias
12 oz can ginger ale (preferably a Jamaican brand -- stronger ginger flavor)
1 TB unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
3 TB brown sugar
3 TB dark rum

In a large skillet, combine the carrots, ginger ale, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid is almost fully evaporated and slightly syrupy (8-10 minutes).

Turn heat back up to medium-high and add brown sugar and rum, tossing with carrots until the sugar has melted and the rum has evaporated completely.

Enjoy!

tropical chicken

This is inspired by Pollo Tropical's grilled chicken breasts. My wife asked me to come up with something similar. The mayo in the marinade is uncommon, but it helps to emulsify/thicken the mixture and better adhere to the chicken fillets. The finished dish is good served with yellow rice and black beans or, alternatively, chopped and served over a salad.

2 chicken breasts, filleted (4 fillets total)
juice of one lemon (about 1/4 c.)
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
1 1/2 t kosher salt (substitute 3/4 t table salt if necessary)
1 t cracked black pepper
1/2 t ground cumin

Combine lemon juice, mayonnaise, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin. Whisk until incorporated. Continue whisking while drizzling in the olive oil. Marinade should be of uniform color and not separate on standing.

Marinate the fillets in this mixture for as little as thirty minutes or as long as an hour. Don't go beyond an hour or the texture of the chicken will suffer as the acid in the lemon juice begins to denature the protein in the chicken breast.

The marinated chicken breasts can be cooked in a grill pan, over a gas grill, in cast iron, or even in a George Foreman Grill. For all methods (except the GF Grill), turn the heat to high, let the cooking vessel preheat, and cook the fillets for 4 minutes per side.

For the GF Grill, preheat it and cook the chicken for about 4 minutes. I find that the GF Grill can overcook a piece of chicken if you're not careful, so keep an eye on them if you're using that method.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice on prior to service if desired.

a little about me

I'm 27 years old, hold an undergraduate degree in music and a master's degree in educational leadership/administration (both from Florida State University). I currently teach elementary music and aspire to enter the fiery cauldron we call public school administration.

I learned to cook at my parents' and grandmother's knees. My dad would smile and choke down whatever I served him for breakfast on Saturday mornings -- even the horrible egg concoction that I made with every spice in the house. It had to have been disgusting, but he ate it nonetheless.

I was also influenced by PBS's food television shows. My earliest memories are of watching Jeff Smith, Julia Child, Justin Wilson, and Martin Yan on Channel 2 in Fort Lauderdale. My love for cooking was cemented then.

When the Food Network premiered in the late 1990's, I immediately fell in love. I've spent countless hours watching Emeril, Bobby, Mario, Wolfgang, Rachel, and Alton attack food and cooking in unique and different ways. Alton's definitely my favorite, but I have to admit that Paula Deen and Ina Garten can make me stop in my tracks to take in what they are preparing.

Personally, I've been working at this craft for a while. During my undergraduate years, I cooked for a large group of friends once or twice a week. For three years, I made a pre-Thanksgiving dinner on the Sunday before Turkey Day for the guys in my fraternity. I won my wife over with my culinary skills (she admits to having none, so this wasn't particularly difficult). My family knows that when they get invited over for dinner, it's going to be good.

Recently, I have gotten into baking and have embraced the more scientific qualities associated with this aspect of cooking. Homemade breads, cakes, and pastries pop up at my house randomly but consistently. My wife and I gained 10 pounds each when I was experimenting with finding the "perfect" chocolate cake for her -- 5 cakes in 5 days will do that to you. Now, I've smartened up and give away my excess wares before I have the opportunity to indulge in them every time I pass by.

My journey through all of this has been thoroughly rewarding. If you're interested in keeping up with my newest adventures, keep checking back :-)

welcome to the zen kitchen

I don't know what this is yet -- or what it might become, but the name of the site kind of struck me one day as I was cooking. People do all sorts of things to relax, to become one with the world, to enter a state of zen-like meditation -- essentially to reach their personal form of enlightenment. For me, it is being in the kitchen.

The kitchen provides the perfect opportunity to use many facets of human potential -- creativity, experimentation, introspection, and love among others. The energy cultivated in the creation and communal consumption of a meal (or even just a loaf of bread) is distributed to both the cook and those he is feeding. So for me, practicing this art is one way that I give something back to humanity.

For someone who uses the kitchen as his refuge, the process and the product are of equal importance. Being "centered" while you cook is an essential ingredient in the final product. Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, showed in his studies how intentions, music, prayers, and words could affect the inherent crystalline structure of water. In the spirit of his work, I believe the same elemental change can occur with food.

So what does this mean for this blog? I'm still not quite sure. I'll write what my spirit moves me to write. I sincerely hope that I can give something back by this means. If you happen to read any entry and feel compelled to share something, feel free -- I welcome your comments.

My best,

- Dominic