Palmiers

As an early Christmas gift last week I was given the latest cookbook by a certain Hamptons Contessa. It came in handy this weekend when I threw a little holiday dinner bash and found myself in desperate need of an easy and all-impressive appetizer. Behold the Palmier! The French word for palm tree, Palmiers are also known as palm leaves or elephant ears. In a traditional French patisserie these little treats would be flaky and sugary, occasionally with the helping hand of cinnamon. However, much to the delight of small plates the world over these pastries do enormously well with savory toppings.

What is mostly involved in preparing Palmiers is purchased puff pastry dough (unless you want to go out balls blazing with Julia Child.) After setting the frozen sheets out to thaw you want to roll them out and spread with your filling of choice. In the recipe I prepared I chose sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and fresh basil– which I had the luxury of plucking out of my pots in the kitchen window. I was recommended to use pesto which I didn’t have time for (hence the fresh basil) and chopped pine nuts which I was clean out of– didn’t even miss them. Were you in need of a simple dessert you could make like the French and use butter and sugar, or spread it with a thin layer of Nutella and call yourself Italian. The best part is, the more ways you experiment the more ways to enjoy!

To whet the appetite of six or so use half the dough–one sheet, or go for both and do one savory, one sweet.

• half or whole package frozen puff pastry, defrosted (look for Peppridge Farm near the ice cream aisle)
• half a log of goat cheese, seasoned or plain
• sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
• fresh basil
• big pinch of salt (avoid kosher or rock you’ll get chunks of it)

Lightly flour your work surface (cutting board or clean counter) and rolling pin–cylindrical jar if you’re getting creative. Roll the dough out so it gains a few inches on all sides. Arrange pinches of goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes (don’t go overkill because you’re going to roll this up, and welcome any oil that spills out of the tomatoes), torn fresh basil and a light sprinkling of salt. Roll each width or short end to the center so you’ve got two rolls next to each other like a compacted sleigh bed and give ‘em a smoosh. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 40 to an hour.
After you’ve told the dough to go chill out, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and unwrap the dough. Slice about 1/4 inch thick and lay out on a baking sheet that you’ve laid with parchment (wax) paper. Bake 14 minutes until golden and revel when your friends tell you how brilliant you are!

Snow as the Comeback Kid

We lucky inhabitants of the arctic North saw a somewhat early snowfall at the start of the week. As most Chicagoans began their seasonal griping while digging out their cars and enjoying double-time commutes, my only cynical retaliation was a knowing roll-of-the-eyes that I employed to mask my inner 8 year old. But with 18 snowflake-free years under my belt how can I help but turn into a giddy bright-eyed girl when I see the the grimy urbanity with which I otherwise live embraced by a blanket of soft white?

Nothing is more magical than snow, especially at the start of the season when the novelty of it is not yet lost. Finally a tangible reason to light those fireplaces! to plant that holly and ivy! to hum Bing Crosby as you trek up the street to the train!

For those who no longer awake to the sight of a winter-white window, or who have never resided outside of Southern California, I give you a few snapshots to whet your winter palate.

Winter Kitchen Garden

While all of the cottage/home-decor magazines told me months ago to say goodbye to my garden and prepare my perennials for that which my annuals could not withstand, I somehow convinced myself to give the tomato a go in the kitchen.

Though logic informs me a cherry tomato plant does not produce in the winter, I maintain my belief that an enthusiastic mixture of miracle-gro and crazy can produce horticulture wonderment. After all, I still can't keep up with the production of two basil plants born from clippings that sprouted roots in a glass of water in the summer of '07 and have since withstood a record Chicago winter, moving uptown, and about a thousand bouts of re-potting.

But here is my boastful Winter garden. At right is the wee tomato in March, at left he rings in at pushing 8 feet.

Hiatus in New York

For those dedicated readers who have missed me (thanks you two!), a recent long-winded business trip to New York where my point-and-shoot digital camera broke has set me far back in the posting department. Please look forward to: "Dining Experiences in the Big Apple," "Why I heart the Spotted Pig," and "Thoughts on the NYTimes Foodie Book Wish List."

(Pictured is Central Park on the day of the NY Marathon.)

Autumn Arrives!

Happy first day of Fall!

(All root vegetables beware.)

Farewell Gladiolas

A Gladiola Haiku

Gone is your season
Flamboyant blooms for summer
See you in April.

Rainy Day Eggs

Last weekend Chicago was hit with four days amounting to record rainfall as the tail of Hurricane Ike washed over us. For me, the perfect antidote to a soaking city is Gosford Park and a plateful of eggs. But having recently dropped and broken my VHS copy of Altman's masterpiece I was forced to focus all my efforts on the eggs, and settle for a Dirty Jobs marathon (not such a travesty thanks to the always-charming Mike Rowe.)

I came across this lovely combination of poached eggs on Parmesan toast with Basil Pistou. It was simple and delightful. I have a forest of Basil growing in two terra cotta pots in my kitchen, which inspires me to find new ways of harvesting the leaves before Winter renders my perennials dull and fruitless. Pistou shares roots with its Italian counterpart derived from a line by Virgil, but the real difference between the two is that pine nuts make no appearance.

This meal requires no exact recipe. I simply processed a handful of basil with a few glugs of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and several cloves of garlic (though I believe only one is advisable.) I cut the remnants of last night’s baguette in half lengthwise, (though brioche or challah would be amazing) threw on some Parm Reg, and toasted the two. Bring a few inches of salted water to a simmer (with a splash of vinegar) and gently break the eggs into the water, poaching for about 3 minutes. Top your toast with the eggs, drizzle with Pistou, season, and be glad to enjoy the hurricane and Kelly MacDonald from the comfort of your couch.

Envirosax

Find yourself burning through plastic bags all the time? I certainly do. Many of us remember to bring canvas bags when we hit the grocery store or farmer's market, but for myself I find the plastic that accompanies an unplanned retail adventure can send me into an ebb of guilt, and add to the mound of non-recyclable, barely reusable plastic bags nesting under my sink. It's usually an unexpected detour to the pharmacy, or a stop at Target on the way home that contributes to this shameful pile.

Luckily there are gifted people out there devising easy short-cuts for making our lives a little more green. My sister received a pack of these Envriosax for a birthday gift this summer, and gave in when I nagged her for one. They come in numerous patterns, and are capable of packing a surpisingly large volume load. The best part is that they fold up into tiny rolls that fit in your purse, car door, or messenger bag with ease. Keep one on you at all times, and that nasty nest of plastic under your sink that you feel guilty about throwing away will begin to shrink (or at least keep from multiplying.)


Buy them individually at Whole Foods or in packs on the web:

http://www.envirosax.com/
The original ones are poly but they've just come out with lines of bamboo, linen and hemp.

Brilliant Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake is a dessert favorite for me. As I tend to take after my German ancestors and bear the burden of an underdeveloped sweet tooth, falling in love with dessert is a rare experience. Most days I'd happily take a crispy dill pickle or briny black olive in lieu of a cookie or cupcake. But this Carrot Cake that I recently tried stands so far above its dry, over-spiced competitors that I'm prepared to never look back.

I've come across a few recipes that employ an embarrassing single cup of carrot or use vegetable oil instead of butter. Jamie Oliver's recipe (from Cook with Jamie, currently my favorite and never out of arm's reach) uses a laudable 10 ounces of carrot and incorporates orange and ground almond in the batter. The lime mascarpone icing is a major contribution to the brilliance of this cake with the lightness of the mascarpone and the freshness of the lime zest complimenting the sweet and delicate spice of the cake.

CARROT CAKE WITH LIME MASCARPONE ICING

• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 2 cups light-brown sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated (retain yolk and white)
  
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 slightly heaped teaspoon baking powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup ground almonds (almond meal in some stores)
  
• 4 ounces shelled walnuts, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour, sifted
• 10 ounces carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
• Sea salt
• 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 scant cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• Zest and juice of two lime

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x9x2 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. (Questionable at first, but definitely makes life easier). Set aside.
2. Process butter and brown sugar (use your kitchen aid or Cuisinart), then add egg yolks one at a time allowing each to incorporate. Add orange zest and juice, then baking powder and all your spices, combine well.
3. In a separate bowl whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in almonds, walnuts, flour, and carrots; fold cake mixture into egg white mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cake cool in the pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together mascarpone, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and lime zest and juice. Place cake on your favorite dish, spread icing over top of cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Limoncello Cheesecake Squares with Rosemary Sugar

I recently came into the ownership of a very fine Limited-Edition Cuisinart. It delightfully came well equipped with grating, slicing, breadkneading and whipping attachments and quite serendipitously matches all the large appliances in my kitchen with its streamlined stainless-steel exterior. In search of recipes that would allow for me to crumble, grind, and pulverize (à la Mme. Cuisinart) my way to a tasty summer dessert, I found this one for Limoncello Cheesecake Squares, which I outfitted to my own needs and desires.

As I foolishly decided to finish the 3rd hour of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, before beginning the cheesecake, my memory of the process is a bit blurred both by the approaching 1 o’clock hour and that third glass of Pinot Grigio. But after a day of refrigeration the recipe turned out to be quite successful.

I started with Trader Joe’s almond biscotti, and begrudgingly substituted the Limoncello with a simple syrup of lemon juice, zest and sugar as my neighborhood liquor store had nothing resembling a citrus liqueur. I also wanted to top the squares with something unusual that would compliment the brightness of the lemon. As my lavender plant refuses to produce any flowers I was left to choose between rosemary and basil, but went with the former for its piney aroma and savory contribution. Simply process a scant ½ cup of sugar with a handful of rosemary leaves.

((Be advised the baking time for me went at least 15 minutes over in order to produce that golden center which, if your eyelids aren’t sagging while you reprimand yourself for not beginning at a reasonable hour, shouldn’t be a problem.))

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/limoncello-cheesecake-squares-recipe2/index.html

Beginning

Since its inauguration into the World Wide Web I have found myself questioning what this thing called a “blog” is all about. Some sort of internet diary or bulletin board in the era of any-and-everyone-can-be-published, it seemed self-indulgent and brimming on narcissistic to relay the events of one’s life to the general public under the assumption that someone out there was just dying to hear that you just purchased your very own garlic press or finally made the switch over to reusable grocery bags.

But as my usually lovely and rarely fast-paced job affords me ample time for my own disposal, I more often than not find myself doing this very thing—browsing through "published" journals of political satire, celebrity gossip, country living, and recipe experimentation. I have no intention of dedicating my bloggage to one thing specifically, but hope to investigate a handful of activities including but not limited to cookery, art, urbanity, and the more interesting or ridiculous aspects of the human condition.