Head Over Rain Boots

I don’t know how it is where you are, but around here, things are still feeling pretty wintery. Sure, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom and daffodils are popping up all over the city, in fact, new spring growth appears to be everywhere. Everywhere, that is, except this weekend’s Farmer’s Market.

On Sunday, as I stood in the cold pouring rain and stared out at the sea of winter produce, pretty as it was flowing across the baskets and tables, lining the stalls of the market with its dark winy reds, deep emerald greens, and cool earthy beiges, I realized then and there that winter and I: we are through. I also realized that the Rhubarb crisp I wanted to bake this week would have to wait, and well, that’s just sad.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Seattle. I’ve fallen, quite literally, head over rain boots for this drizzly city I call home. But sometimes it can be downright hard to find a nice thing to say about these long soggy winters. I guess when it comes down to it we all have to make our own peace with grey damp days and extended winter vegetables. Me? I give thanks that we have good friends to share them with, a warm kitchen to come home to, and pound cakelets to bake, preferably ones with vanilla bean, cardamom, and lots of butter.

I guess I should also give thanks for back issues of Gourmet, because that’s where I found this recipe. I’m not sure how I skipped over it the first time, maybe it was the lack of photographs, or the minimal half-page spread. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I found it now. Also, I’m glad I ran out of lemons and had to make due with oranges instead. That was a very good thing, indeed.

It's hard not to be grateful with these cakelets around, which won’t be much longer at the rate we’re going. The vanilla bean, orange zest, and cardamom melt softly into each other creating a timeless, almost romantic flavor, which makes up ten fold for their plain speckly appearance. Pleasantly pungent with just a whiff of spice, these rustic little cakes satisfy a handful of cravings all at once, which in turn makes them damn near impossible to stop eating. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Vanilla Bean Cardamom Pound Cakelets with Orange Zest

Adapted from Gourmet, March 2009

The original recipe calls for the batter to be baked up in either a 12 cup Bundt pan or traditional pound cake pan. I tried the traditional route on my first go-round but ended up liking the crust so much that I decided to throw the rest of the batter into muffin tins to increase the crust-to-cake ratio. The result was perfect. These cakelets are delicious eaten plain, but we also enjoyed them with a little ice cream. I imagine whipped cream would be good as well. Stored in an airtight container, they somehow manage to get even better with age.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 ¼ sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (this makes all the difference, seriously, wait for it to soften)

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

2 vanilla beans, halved lengthwise

½ tablespoon orange zest

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place racks on upper and lower thirds of the oven so that they are centered. Generously butter two 12 cup muffin tins and set aside.

Whisk together flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar at medium speed, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl, until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla beans into the butter mixture, and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Add orange zest and continue to beat for about 1 more minute.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in orange juice until combined well. At low speed, add the flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Spoon batter into muffin pans and gently tap pans on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of cakelets comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remember, oven times will vary so check frequently to see if cakelets are done.  Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then place cakelets on a rack to cool completely. Makes around 24 cakelets.

**A big thanks to Dee of Deelicious Sweets for thinking of Pearl and Pine! Check out her lovely blog here!

Good and Ready

This is hardly newsworthy, I know, but returning from vacation, or lets say a brief weekend in Chicago, is downright difficult.

Maybe you know the feeling? For me, the problem is not so much the travelling but the lack of preparedness I feel being thrown into Monday with a suitcase full of dirty clothes, very little sleep, and an empty fridge. I’m the kind of girl who needs a solid Sunday. I like to roam the markets, go to the gym, clean the house-you know, the kind of stuff that gets you good and ready for the week. Without this, I am useless. Also, I am boring. At the start of the week I could hardly muster the motivation to pry myself off the couch, much less head to the grocery store or make anything that resembles dinner. Jimmy and I have eaten at Than Brothers more than I would like to mention, and trust me, when you go to the same Pho restaurant every night, you are not the picture of excitement. 

But then, lo and behold, the sun came out, and Carrie and Jeff called, and then  there were margaritas and tacos, and while I did get a little less boring, I did not, however, get to the grocery store. 

As fate would have it, this led to something good. Something really good, in fact, which is why I've been yammering on and on, because tonight when I found myself 1) severely lacking groceries, and 2) standing in the middle of my kitchen waiting for a few ingredients to, oh, I don’t know, jump out, throw themselves together, and create a meal, they did. Of course it was less jumping and throwing, and more searching and whisking, but really, that's beside the point.

In all honesty, I’ve cobbled some of my favorite meals together this way. I like the notion of a simple recipe. I like that you can take a few well chosen ingredients, especially those that are already on hand, whisk them together, and create a meal that is worthy of loud sighing, plate scraping, and a full round of seconds, which happens to be exactly what went on around here.

This pasta is so simple, in fact, that it hardly warrants a recipe. It has six ingredients and it comes together in a snap. But the simplicity ends there. The lemon, when paired with the fiery garlic and snappy parsley, provides a quiet bitterness. It’s seductive, curvy, and surprisingly subtle. And I believe that I could, quite possibly, live out the rest of my earthly days without ever feeling blasé about it. 

Easy-Peasy Lemon Linguine

Consider what follows to be more of a loose guideline, rather than a recipe. Play with it a little, figure out the flavors that work best for you, then stash it away. You’ll need it if you ever go on vacation.

8-10 oz dried linguine pasta

Juice of 1-2 lemons

5-7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Salt and Pepper to taste

1-2 handfuls finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Cook linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until it reaches desired tenderness. Drain thoroughly and return to pot.

Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil in a small mixing bowl. Add the Parmesan and continue whisking until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then add more lemon juice if desired (this can be done while pasta is cooking).

Give the sauce one good final whisking and pour over the pasta then stir to coat. Mix in the chopped parsley and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Serve immediately. 

Propeller

This weekend I met up with Jimmy in Chicago.

It was the kind of weekend that both exhausts and rejuvenates you all at the same time. We soaked up our friends and family, we visited Jimmy's favorite record stores, bookstores, and vintage shops, and we went out dancing every night. Frankly, it was quite a feat for a self-proclaimed homebody. You should be proud of me, really.

We even got to enjoy a little sun.

And we ate, a lot.

On Saturday, Jimmy and I spent a majority of the day simply walking around the city. This was, in part, because we had just consumed twice our weight in Dim Sum, but also because it was lovely out. Really, I can't remember the last time I saw the sun.

We roamed downtown and slowly made our way back up to Wicker Park stopping for cocktails, food, and shopping along the way. I love walking with Jimmy in this city. I love hearing him talk about his past life here, and I love piecing together all of the people and places that I have heard so much about since we first met. I love how we somehow manage to run into friends just about everywhere we go, and most of all, I love how happy he is just being here.

The weekend was perfect. It was exactly what we needed to propel us through the rest of March and into April. Chicago, I am smitten.

Foodie Directory:

Oh my goodness, maybe it was all the walking, but the food around here just about blew me away. Local. Seasonal. Delicious. If you find yourself in Chicago, do yourself a giant favor, and visit these restaurants:

Avec
615 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60661-2239
(312) 377-2002


The Bristol
2152 North Damen
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 862-5555

Lula
2537 N Kedzie Blvd
Chicago, IL 60647-2655
(773) 489-9554

Nightwood
2119 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 526-3385 

Superdawg

Ok this one might seem a little silly, but I had my first Chicago style "dawg" this trip, and well, lets just say it won't be my last.

6363 N Milwaukee Ave

Chicago, IL 60646

(773)-763-0660

***Oh and a big thanks to Sarah and Levee for letting us crash your beautiful home for the weekend. We miss you both already!

And so we carry on

I've never really been one to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Sure, growing up we had class parties involving cookies, cupcakes, and an alarming amount of green dye. And yes, I might have been seen drinking a green beer or two in college, and maybe, just maybe, that might have led to a crowd pleasing version of The Gambler a la table top, but that's a story for a different day. To be honest, in the years since college, I've had a tendency to forget about the holiday entirely. Thats is, until I show up at work, not wearing green, of course, and have to ask, very nicely, not to be pinched. 

This year, however, it's been hard to miss all the blogs and recipes calling for cabbage, corned beef, and Guinness inspired desserts. So last night, while I didn't celebrate with green beer and song (I know, I know, getting old is such a bore) I did celebrate with ice cream. Don't worry, it doesn't have any cabbage, or corned beef in it.

I have to admit: I was a little wary of posting this recipe since 1) I just posted a recipe for ice cream 2) the previous ice cream contained booze and 3) the previous booze containing ice cream was adapted from the same cookbook. But the truth is, if you tried the last recipe, which I know some of you did, you good people, then you are probably looking to get a little more use out of your ice cream maker before it goes back into the deep, dark, depths of your pantry. Plus I'll bet a lot of you have some left over St. Patty's day liquor that is looking for a good home. So there you have it: two ice cream recipes in the same week,  eh, well, it's just the way I am. 

Irish Cream Ice Cream
Adapted loosely from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz


Custardy and rich, this boozy baby goes down without a hitch. Served with coffee, chocolate sauce, or simply on its own, this recipe is one to firmly lodge in your repertoire from this St. Patty's Day forth, or anytime, frankly. 

1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
6 large egg yolks
3-4 tablespoons Irish Cream Liquor such as Baileys, or make your own.


Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Set up an ice bath by placing a medium bowl into a large bowl filled with ice and water. Pour the cream into the medium bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. 


In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then pour the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. 


Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens to a custard and coats the spatula. 


Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream to cool. Mix in the Irish Cream liquor and stir until cool over the ice bath. 


Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

there isn't an answer

In reading many posts over the last few days it seems that we are all struggling to find our own peace with writing about food in light of what is happening in Japan. 

We're all trying to get our heads around what is going on in the world and searching to find some way to make it right. Writing about anything else seems strange, trivial even. There isn't an answer. We live on a planet of shifting tectonic plates. A place where heartbreak is unavoidable and can, at times, seem to be be never ending. But cooking is comfortable. It represents normality and that life goes on. 

My hope is that you and your loved ones are safe, wherever you are in the world. I hope that you can sit back with a cocktail and give thanks for all the good in your life. And I hope that, those of us who have the opportunity to do so, help in any way possible. In the meantime, we'll carry on, and write about food and life as best we can. 

Blood Orange Aperol Spritzer

Adapted from Mix, Shake, Stir

Juice of 1 medium blood orange

1 oz Aperol

Chilled Sparkling white wine, such as Prosecco

Combine juice of blood orange and Aperol in a glass. Top with sparkling white wine. Serves ones. 

Homebody

Lately I've been feeling rather homey. 

It's warm in here, and cozy, and it smells like vanilla, and citrus. Seattle, as to be expected in March, has remained snugly tucked under a thick blanket of clouds, so I am taking a hint from bossy Mother Nature and following suit. Only I’ll be tucked under a blanket on my couch, preferably with a glass of wine at hand and a stack of cookbooks on the side table.

Feeling homey yet? I sure hope so. I don't want you to be out there having fun without me. It's nice, I promise. Give it a try. Throw on this album, pour a glass of wine, roast some pears, and head to the couch. That's where I'll be if you need me.

Roasted Pears

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

These pears, placed in the oven with a sprinkling of vanilla laced sugar, a pad of butter, and a whiff of lemon burble their way to brown and will have you licking your lips in anticipation. An hour later they emerge, jewel-toned, juicy, and freckled with vanilla beans. Paired with boozy bourbon vanilla ice cream, this dish has the potential to make a homebody out of anyone.

2 tablespoons vanilla bean infused sugar (see note/recipe below)

2 fragrant but slightly under-ripe medium pears, peeled if desired, halved through the stem and cored (I used Bosc pears but I think any pear would work well, adjust cooking time if you are using a smaller pear).

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2-3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into four squares

For the vanilla bean infused sugar: Place 1-2 cups of sugar into a medium mixing bowl. Split 1 vanilla bean in half with a paring knife and scrape the beans into the sugar. Stir to combine. Add vanilla bean pods and store in an air tight container. The recipe for the pears only calls for 2 tablespoons of this vanilla infused sugar but I like to keep some on hand to spice up cookies and add to ice cream. If you would prefer to only use this sugar for the pears, combine ½ vanilla bean with ¼ cup sugar. For more information on creating vanilla bean sugar click here.

For the pears:

Heat the oven to 375°F. Combine 1 tablespoon of the sugar with one tablespoon of the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add the pears and stir to coat.

Arrange the pears in a baking dish with the cut side up. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice evenly over the pears and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Place the squeezed lemon wedges in the baking dish with the pears. Pour the water into the dish and place a square of butter on each pear.

Roast the pears for 30 minutes, basting or brushing them occasionally with the juices from the bottom of the pan. Turn the pears over and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, again brushing them occasionally with the juices from the pan. If you are using a smaller pear, adjust cooking times accordingly. Pears are done when they look golden brown and are fork tender. Don’t worry if the juices begin to look very brown in the bottom of the pan. If you feel the pan is getting too dry, add another tablespoon of water.

Serve warm with Vanilla Bean Bourbon Ice Cream.

Bourbon Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Adapted from David Lebovitz

1 cup whole milk

A pinch of salt

¾ cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 cups heavy cream

6 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2-4 tablespoons Bourbon

Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife then add the pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat, and let mixture infuse for at least one hour.

Set up an ice bath by placing a 2 quart bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl.

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Re-warm the milk then gradually pour the milk into the yolks, whisking as your pour. Scrape the yolk-milk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan with a heat resistant spatula. The custard should thicken enough to coat the spatula.

Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir over the ice until cold. Add the vanilla extract and bourbon (I used 3 tablespoons, use less or more depending on how much booziness you like). Refrigerate until fully chilled, preferably overnight.

Once chilled, remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.



The Comfort Month

March is sort of a strange month. It's a little misleading, really. On one hand, the days are longer, the birds are louder, and the trees are beginning their slow bloom into spring. On the other hand, it’s cold, and a little rainy, and well, we still have sort of a long stretch into summer. The way I see it, March is a month for comfort, a place to ride out those last remaining days of winter. It's a month that I like to spend in the kitchen and I think we both can agree that right about now, the kitchen sounds like a very good place to be.

 

When I think of comfort foods I think of thick soups, gooey cookies, and baked pasta. Luckily, Bon Appétit and I seem to agree. In their latest issue they posted an entire spread of comfort dishes.

 

It's not a particularly pretty dish, nor is it fancy. But March isn't frilly. March is for slurping and shoveling and this pasta will make you want to do just that. It's smooth and soothing in all the right places and definitely one for the keeper pile. The parsnip based bechamel sauce unfolds itself amidst coils of of cheese and mushrooms. Topped with Gorgonzola dolce cheese, a milder and softer version of regular Gorgonzola, this dish makes a compelling argument for lifting plate to face and shoveling. 

Baked Penne with Mushrooms and Parsnip Bechamel

12 ounces Parsnips (about 2 large),

peeled, cut into 1/2 thick rounds

2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

4 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 1/4 pounds cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

10 oz penne pasta

6 ounces creamy Gorgonzola dolce cheese, cut into small pieces

Cook parsnips in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender. Drain; reserve saucepan. Transfer parsnips to processor. Add 1 1/2 cups milk. Blend until smooth. With machine running, gradually add remaining 1 cup milk. Add 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and nutmeg; blend well. Return sauce to reserved pan. Simmer over low heat until reduced to 3 cups, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Melt 2 1/2 tablespoons butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary. Saute until mushrooms are brown and tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 12 cup capacity baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until just tender but still a bit firm. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to pasta and stir to coat. 

Transfer pasta to prepared baking dish. Spread bechamel sauce evenly over; sprinkle with Gorgonzola, then remaining Parmesan. Bake pasta until heated through and sauce is bubbling, 18-20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve. 

Adapted from Bon Appétit, March 2011

One Word

Sometimes it just takes one word to sum up an experience. Dinner at Sitka and Spruce was this: lovely.

It’s the kind of place that makes you want to drop anchor and call home: small-paned windows, high beam wood ceilings, exposed brick, and a big open kitchen. It's hipster meets chic; sophisticated but approachable; lovely.

Armed with a generous gift certificate (thanks mom, thanks dad) we got right down to the nitty gritty, and people, we pulled out all the stops. No skimping here. Not even a little.

There was chickpea puree with fried mussels and green coriander and buttery steamed mushrooms with fino sherry and marjoram. We devoured line caught cod with saffron braised artichokes, carrots, and arugula. And finished with spiced ice cream and candied citrus topped blintzes.

Lovely. So very lovely.