Cassoulet & Company

Little did I know that fateful day when I chose to try my hand at cassoulet that I was stepping into the middle of a centuries-old French controversy about it's origin. (Controversies in France are passed on like old linens and armoires from generation to generation a La Cousine Bette)  Three cities in southwestern France- Toulouse (lard, mutton, Toulouse sausage, duck or goose), Castelnaudary (pork, pork rind, sausage, occasional goose), and Carcassonne (mutton and the occasional partridge) -  all claim to be the originators of the dish. Though truth be told, it was probably a thrifty housewife or innkeeper who cobbled together a hearty white bean-based dish with odds and ends of meats left over in the larder.

Canal du Midi

Funnily enough, prior to the advent of the Picky Eater, old Dr. Hal and I once toured through the Languedoc, stopped over in these very villes, and spent several days following the course of the Canal du Midi by car from vineyard to vineyard. Those dim recollections from the distant past must have spurred my interest, as I do vaguely recall eating cassoulet for lunch in one of those quirky only in Europe restaurants run by a cooperative of housewives. Though this time, quelle horreur! I was, proposing to make a vegetarian version.

Dan's cassoulet- lusciously earthy!

With surprising synchronicity, across the continent my compatriot in cooking and dear college friend, Danial Elliott, was developing his own (non-vegetarian) cassoulet adaptation, based on recipes from Saveur & Julia Child. I love Dan's recipe because you get all the delicious richness of a meaty cassoulet without laboring for the proverbial three days, as is expected for an authentic traditional style dish. In fact, by soaking the beans a day ahead, I managed to make both recipes simultaneously in an afternoon. To further gild the lily, Dr. Hal insisted on roasting some duck legs for an extra soupcon of gluttony in our meat version. Drink a hearty peasant wine from southwestern France with your cassoulet similar to the Clos La Coutale 2010 from Cahors that Dan and I both enjoyed at our geographically distant tables.

And what would my personal ideal cassoulet be? I would propose a hybrid of the two recipes- use the vegetarian but add about 2 lbs. of sauteed pork shoulder cubes and a pound of my favorite Aidell's chicken sausage with basil & roasted garlic, also sauteed.

For dessert, try a thin slice of David Lebovotz's rich but not heavy Chocolate Pain d'Epices, accompanied by a dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream, or vanilla ice cream. It's spicy flavors hold up after the cassoulet without making you feel bilious.

Meat (left) & Veg (right)

Les Grandes Cassoulets

Prepare the white beans, which work the same way for either version-                                                   1 lb. pound Rancho Gordo cassoulet beans, or other dry white beans, such as Great Northern
1 medium onion sliced
1 large herb bouquet made up of
8 parsley sprigs, 4 garlic cloves,
1/2 teaspoon thyme and 2 imported bay leaves,
all tied in washed cheesecloth (recommended- otherwise you have to handpick the herbs out of the beans after they're cooked)
1 Tb salt, or to taste

Pick over the beans to remove any debris, wash and drain them, place in a large pot, cover with water and soak overnight. Or, if thinking far enough ahead to soak the beans overnight just isn't on your bandwidth, use the Julia Child approved quick soak method:
After you have washed & drained the beans, put them in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the beans to a boil and let them boil for exactly 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the beans sit for exactly one hour.

Wrapped bouquet garni containing parsley, thyme, garlic, bay leaves

When the beans have finished soaking, drain and cover them with water by two inches. Bring them to a simmer and add the onion and herb bouquet. Simmer slowly, partially covered, until the beans are just tender, about 1 1/2 hours, adding boiling water if needed to keep the beans covered at all times, and about 1 tablespoon of salt to taste near the end of the cooking. (Beans may be cooked up to 3 days in advance then refrigerated. Reheat them just to a simmer before proceeding with the cassoulet or reheat the whole casserole together in a low oven, as described below.)

Assembling the meat cassoulet- note the crispy duck legs & thighs.

for Traditional Meat Cassoulet
Prepare the meats:
Olive oil
Salt
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 lb. pork butt, cut into 1" pieces
1⁄2 lb. pancetta, cut into 1/2" cubes (caution: pancetta may be salty! If in doubt, simmer it in water for 10 minutes.)
1 large herb bouquet made up of 8 parsley sprigs, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 2 imported bay leaves, all tied in washed cheesecloth
1 14 oz. can whole peeled canned tomatoes
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb. pork sausages
2 cups bread crumbs
1 Tb finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Optional: 2 - 2 1/2 lbs. whole duck legs

Heat 2 Tb. olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork cubes and brown on all sides, for about 8 minutes. Add the pancetta, and cook until it has rendered its fat and is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 2-3 tbsp. of the cooking fat and reserve it for later. Add the onions and carrots, and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the herb bouquet to the pan with the tomatoes, and cook until liquid thickens, 8–10 minutes. Add the wine, and cook, simmering quickly, until it is reduced by half. Add the broth, salt if needed, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, until the liquid has thickened, about 1 hour. Discard the herbs, and set the dutch oven aside.
Brown the sausages in 1 Tb of the reserved fat until nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Cut the sausages into 1" pieces.
If you choose to add the duck legs, brown them skin side down in a saute pan, turn and continue cooking 4-5 minutes more, then roast them in a 300 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until fully cooked.
To assemble the cassoulet:
Warm a 4-quart casserole by immersing/filling it with hot water for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans from their liquid, but reserve the liquid. Arrange a third of the beans in the bottom of the casserole. Cover them with half of the pork and pancetta mixture and half the sausages. Repeat with another layer of beans, then the remaining meats. End with a layer of beans, coming to within about 1 inch of the rim of the casserole. Ladle the pork cooking liquid plus as much bean cooking liquid as needed to just cover the beans. Mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley together and spread the mixture over the top of the beans, pressing it down lightly. Drizzle the reserved cooking fat over the breadcrumbs.
Cooking the cassoulet:**
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Set the casserole on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the  breadcrumb topping has crusted and browned lightly.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 15-30 minutes or more until the bread crumbs are nicely browned and the cassoulet is heated through.
** If you have prepared the cassoulet ingredients ahead, and are reheating from the refrigerator, Julia Child suggests in Julia Child & More Company that it is best to slowly reheat the casserole in a 325 degree oven for an hour and then proceed with the "official" final baking. This technique works for both versions.

The beans are the stars of the veggie version.

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Deb Perlman of Smitten Kitchen adapted this recipe from the March 2008 issue of Gourmet. I used a New Orleans-style brown roux to give this cassoulet additional richness and depth of flavor. In contrast to the traditional method of making roux, which requires mega-minutes of constant stirring, preparing the roux in the oven is a no-brainer that needs minimal supervision. The tablespoon of Dijon mustard stirred in at the end nicely neutralizes any too "tomato-ey" taste and adds a bit of tanginess.

Oven Brown Roux (from Alton Brown)

4 oz vegetable oil

4 oz flour

Cassoulet vegetables
1 lb. white beans, soaked and cooked as described above
3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tb olive oil
6 Tb brown roux (preparation instructions below)
1 large herb bouquet made up of 8 parsley sprigs, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 2 imported bay leaves, all tied in washed cheesecloth
1 19-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 quart stock (vegetable or chicken if you're not rigidly vegetarian)
1 Tb (or to taste) Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste

Garlic crumbs
4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup olive oil

For the roux:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put the vegetable oil and flour into a small oven proof casserole and whisk together to combine. Place the casserole on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.

Make the cassoulet:
Prepare the white beans as described above.
Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry.

Heat the 2 Tb of olive oil and 6 Tb of roux in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the leeks, carrots, garlic, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and the herb bouquet. Then add the stock, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes. Remove the herb bouquet and add the mustard and salt & pepper to taste.

Finish the cassoulet:**
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mash some of beans in pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken the broth. Reheat the cassoulet and transfer it to a warmed oven proof casserole. Mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley together and spread the mixture over the top of the beans, pressing it down lightly. Drizzle the 1/4 cup olive oil over the breadcrumbs. Set the casserole on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the  breadcrumb topping has crusted and browned lightly.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 15-30 minutes or more until the bread crumbs are nicely browned and the cassoulet is heated through.
** If reheating cold ingredients, see note under baking the casserole for the meat version.

Pain d'Epices au Chocolat
from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
Note: I made 1 1/2 recipes which baked up quite prettily in just 25 minutes in two of my tres chic 5-cup capacity French loaf pans. Melt the chocolate & butter together before you do anything else, and it will be sufficiently cooled by the time that you need it.
Makes one 9" round cake

7 Tb butter, cut in chunks plus more to grease the pan
7 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 c. flour
3 Tb unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp whole anise seeds (I was skeptical, but they added a flavorful but subtle touch)
2 large eggs (room temp)
2 large egg yolks (room temp)
1/4 c honey
2/3 c sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9" round cake pan, line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the bottom and sides of the pan with flour or cocoa powder and shake out the excess.

In a double boiler or large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and ground spices. Stir in the anise seed.

In the bowl of a standing mixer (OK to use portable, but tedious) whip the eggs, yolks, honey, and sugar until thick like a mousse, about 5 minutes on high speed. (This is the secret process that keeps the cake from baking up to a brick-like consistency. Fold by hand with a rubber spatula a third of the whipped egg mixture into the chocolate and butter, then fold the chocolate back into the remaining egg batter until just throughly mixed.

Add the dry ingredients one-third at a time, sprinkling them on top of the chocolate batter and folding them in until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels barely set in the center, but still moist.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and cool completely on a rack. When cool, wrap the cake in plastic and let it stand at room temperature for 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

New York, New York: Three Perfect P.E. Days- Day One

If you hate Paris, can you love New York? Apparently, if you have the sensibilities of a Picky Eater you can. After a year or two in Pittsburgh she is a veteran of urban life, and quite enjoys the many amenities of the Big Apple, especially the museums, amazing shopping and upscale restaurants with vegetable options. So, here for your visual pleasure, is the first of three perfect days in New York, as endorsed by the Picky Eater.

Day One: Downtown (on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday)

Emerge from the Union Square subway station on the northwest corner of the park in the midst of the famed Union Square Greenmarket and rub shoulders with chefs and schoolchildren as you explore the bounty brought to the heart of Manhattan from as far afield as Vermont, the Hudson River Valley, Pennsylvania, and  New Jersey.

Tasting late harvest apples.

This heavenly visual feast includes homegrown lavender, maple syrup, heritage apples, hard cider, honey, focaccia, pretzels, flowers, fresh & aged cheeses, etc. etc etc. Pick up a little something for an alfresco lunch- a huge apple perhaps. Enjoy the gentle irony of a decidedly down home greenmarket in the shadows of one of the ultimate urban environments.

Lush interior of abc Carpet & Home

Saunter north along Broadway a few blocks until you reach the circa 1882 W&J Sloane Building at the corner of 19th Street, now home to what we consider one of the quintessential New York shopping experiences- abc Carpet & Home. As you enter, this contemporary take on a bazaar style marketplace entices you deeper & deeper to explore its oh-so exquisite (& pricey) treasures. Here's what the Picky Eater has to say, and I quote-
"PRETTY. Beautiful clothing, jewelry, be sure to check out the eco-friendly stuff on the mezzanine.  Minaret-esque umbrellas handstitched in Brooklyn for $400."
We don't know how many people actually end up buying anything at abc Carpet, but the pleasure of  looking is worth well more than the price of admission. The salespeople are unfailingly polite, even to browsers, the bathrooms are clean (on the 2nd & 4th floors), and if you aren't going anywhere else for lunch, we highly recommend the abc Kitchen, a satellite restaurant from the eponymous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The menu includes a nice selection of vegetarian choices at relatively (by NYC standards) moderate prices that satisfy even the Picky Eater:
roasted beets with housemade yogurt        10
roasted kabocha squash toast, fresh ricotta and apple cider vinegar 11
lentil soup, celery root, parmesan and herbs 14

If you are feeling touristy, continue north on Broadway four blocks to Madison Square Park, tilt your head back, and take in an amazing view of the Empire State Building. Then turn around and try to see at least two sides of that fanciful triangular NYC original and early (1902) skyscraper, the Flatiron Building. If you can stand the chaos (not much to the Picky Eater's taste) cross the street to the mecca of everything foodie Italian - Eataly - brainchild of Mario Batali, and Joe & Lydia, with multiple restaurants and cafes, including a rooftop beer garden (don't look for the Picky Eater there, either), and acres of ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat alimenti Italiani.

But, the Picky Eater grows impatient, it's time to head south to Soho for a little (or maybe a lot!) shopping. Take the Fifth Avenue side of the Flatiron Building and make your way through the heart of Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park. Once you've crossed the park while admiring the Greek Revival row houses, continue four blocks in the same direction on any of the southerly arteries- McDougal, Sullivan, or Thompson until you reach the nexus of Soho shopping- Prince Street - and watch the Picky Eater's eyes light up and a massive smile plaster her face.

For an excellent Soho shopping experience, it is best to schedule your visit early in the week,  when the visiting hoards seem less in evidence, and avoid Broadway, where the most egregious chain stores have installed themselves.

Prince St, Soho, as rendered in gingerbread by the Picky Eater. Note the wrought iron ornamentation.

While part of the pleasure of Soho shopping is your own unexpected discoveries, these are the Picky Eater's personal Soho shopping favorites:
1. Dusica Dusica 67 Prince St @ Crosby St (212) 966-9099
The Picky Eater's favorite for elegant taupe, blush, and black knit tops. Mores the pity, the amazing original coat and shoes designs are prohibitively expensive but oh so fun to browse.

So many boots, so little time ...

2. Frye Boot Company (Soho "Flagship" store) 113 Spring St (212) 226-3793                                The place for a new pair of boots, especially if the mater is paying. Appears to stock everything in all categories- even children's shoes & boots. Also has the best non-restaurant bathroom in lavatory impaired Soho, and you don't need to spring for a pair of boots to use it, just ask!

3. INA Designer Consignment 101 Thompson St (212) 941-4757                                                         Still way, way out of our price range, but fun to look at the vintage Chanel, Alexander McQueen, etc.

4. Purl Soho 459 Broome St (212) 420-8796                                                                                       Not your auntie's yarn store- sleek interior, cool yarns & fabrics, even cooler employees. Purl's website, the Purl Bee is also totally trendy (in a good way), and incredibly generous with their project instructions, which do always seem to look best made with Purl Soho goods.

5. Vosges Haut-Chocolat — SoHo 132 Spring St between Green & Webster (212) 625-2929        You seem to see a chocolate boutique on almost every other block in Soho, but the Picky Eater's pick is Vosges. While she eschews the famous bacon chocolate bars she does likes the "Smoke & Stout" and "Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt Caramel" flavors. We have found Vosges to always be quite generous with their samples as well.
6. Dean & Deluca 560 Broadway @ Prince St (212) 226-6800  Mon-Fri 7 am-8 pm; Sat-Sun 8 am-8 pm   Like any great cultural innovation that spawned legions of imitators, it has hard to imagine today how unique Dean & Deluca was when it opened in 1977- offering foodstuffs that were unfamiliar even to sophisticated New Yorkers- virgin olive oil radicchio, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. And how many scenes in romantic comedies from the 1980's and beyond were set in D&DeL's aisles? Will & Grace, The Devil Wears Prada, and Julie & Julia, to name a few.                                                                                                                                                       

7. Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (aka LAFCO New York)  285 Lafayette St (212) 925-0001
Admittedly not as spectacular as the mothership pharmacy in Florence, we still love being able to purchase the Santa Maria Novella soaps and lotions here in the U.S., which are still more or less formulated the way they have been since the middle ages.

Isabel Marant vitrine

We also love to gaze longingly at the display windows of Isabel Marant, but are too intimidated to go inside. Some other too hip for us boutiques are the famous Rem Koolhas designed Prada store on  Broadway and Alexander Wang.

They say that Gudrun Sjoden is the most cheerful shop in Soho.

Last shopping stop is at Gudrun Sjoden, the only stateside outlet of the eponymous Swedish clothing manufacturer of funky cheerful mommy-type clothes.

Most Soho shops are open Mon-Sat 11 am-7 pm ; Sun12 pm-6 pm for your browsing pleasure.

Yes, it's all cast-iron!

How are your feet holding up at this point? If you can still stagger upright, it's worth a five minute walk down Greene Street to Canal ogling the incredible versions of Renaissance and neoclassical ornaments in cast-iron that adorn most of the buildings. Feel free to rap your knuckles on one of the pillars, just to prove to yourself that it's metal and not masonry!

By this point the Picky Eater is most likely ready to grab a bus and head back to her Airbnb apartment on the Upper West Side, but making a pit stop at her favorite skin and hair care emporium- Malin & Goetz. Its cool clinical interior and clean scented beauty products must appeal to her chemist's sensibilities.

"Chard in a box" at Dovetail

After a brief rest, it's off to a vegetable-focused dinner at Dovetail, a chic but affordable Michelin one-* UWS restaurant. The Picky Eater loved her chard in a box and "awesome" Salted Caramel Mousse with Popcorn Ice Cream. A perfect end to a perfect day.
Addresses
Downtown:

abc Carpet & Home 888 Broadway @ East 19th St  Open Mon-Sat 10 am-7 pm; Sun 12 pm-6 pm
abc kitchen 35 East 18th St Brunch: Sat-Sun 11 am-3:30 pm; Lunch: Mon-Fri noon-3 pm; Dinner Mon-Sun 5:30 pm-10:00 pm
Alexander Wang 103 Grand St @ Mercer (212) 977-9683
EATALY NYC 200 5th Ave (212) 229-2560 Open daily @ 10 am; Caffe Lavazza opens @ 8 am
Flatiron Building 172 5th Ave (bet 22nd & 23rd)
Gudrun Sjoden  50 Greene St (212) 219-2510
Isabel Marant 469 Broome St (212) 219-2284                                                                                   Prada 575 Broadway near Prince St (212) 334-8888                                                                                                                                                                                                          
Union Square Greenmarket Union Square & East 17th St  Mon, Weds, Fri, Sat 8 am-6 pm    
Westside:
Dovetail  103 West 77th St  (212) 362-3800 Serving dinner daily and brunch on Sunday
Malin & Goetz 455 Amsterdam Ave @ 82nd St Mon-Fri 11 am-8 pm; Sat noon-8 pm; Sun noon-6 pm

               

                                                                                                                                                           

Basta Pasta! Cooking Pasta for a Crowd

Lacking a magical pasta pot like Strega Nona (grandmother witch), a favorite character from the pen of legendary children's book author and illustrator, Tomie DePaola, I recently faced the challenge of serving 4 pounds of pasta to a crowd in some sort of condition that was relatively fresh and tasty (vs. limp and gummy) and could be reheated on demand as needed. A quick perusal you-know-where led me to a quite detailed explanation on Yahoo Voices,  "How To Hold Pasta for Later Service." Armed with this sage advice from Ron James, a denizen of the blogosphere, and a freezer bin of ice cubes, I set to work.

I cooked one pound of pasta at a time, in a huge pot of boiling salted water. My first "truc" (French for little kitchen trick) was meant to make it easy to quickly extract the pasta from the boiling water without having to empty and repeatedly start a new pot of water. I nested a metal kitchen colander that caught on the edges of the pot and stayed immersed deeply enough in the pot to hold the pasta as it cooked. The pasta was dropped into the colander in the boiling pot of water, making it easy to stir it (about every 3 minutes) until it was just short of my desired state of al dente, which was about 1-2 minutes less than the published cooking time.

When the time came to remove the pasta, I grabbed the colander and immediately dumped the pasta into a large bowl of ice cubes and chilled water that I had already prepared in the sink. This dunking stopped the cooking and chilled the pasta in one go. The next step was to spread it out in a layer on a lint-free dishtowel, rollup the dishtowel and let the pasta dry a bit while I started the next batch cooking. (See how smart I am- still had my boiling pasta water at the ready!)

After the pasta had dried a bit- maybe five minutes - I tossed it in a plastic storage container with a drizzle of olive oil, covered and refrigerated it. Voila! Only 3 more pounds to go.

Reheating the pasta meant following the process in reverse. I again set up the boiling pot of water with the colander. This time I used tongs to put a portion or more of cold pasta in the colander, let it reheat and finish cooking to perfection (just two - three minutes), removed it with the tongs to drain briefly in a second colander or strainer set in a large bowl, and then served it forth. (Did I mention that the reheating operation was taking place outside the confines of a kitchen on a hot plate? Aren't you impressed with my improvisational cooking skills?!)

To sauce the pasta I used multiple recipes of Mario Batali's Essential Tomato Sauce from Food & Wine. My recommendation is to make one more recipe than you think should be enough, just trust me on this- you don't want to run short. Because my crowd included numerous potential picky eaters (young children), I offered grated cheese and sliced olives as condiments.

Batali's Essential Tomato Sauce
The simple additions of shredded carrot and fresh thyme add a deeper dimension to this sauce's flavor. Another example of why Mario makes the big bucks!
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Makes about 5 cups (If it were me, I would make one recipe per pound of pasta)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
1 TB finely chopped thyme
Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juices, crushed
Salt (to taste)

In a saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and just starting to brown, 10 minutes. Add the carrot and thyme and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened and reduced to 5 cups, 30 minutes. Season with salt.
The tomato sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

So, there you have it- the sum total of my knowledge of mass pasta cooking. Have I told you about the time I made 1000 crepes for a wedding party of 500?

The Picky Eater's Awards for Best Dessert, 2014

The awards season is rolling around, and we here at The Picky Eater decided to throw our winners for best desserts of 2013 into the ring. Trust me, you will be green as creme de menthe with envy when you peruse the delicious sweets that we enjoyed whether out on the town(s) or made at home this year.

Best New Cookie
Commercial: "Corn Cookies" from Momofuko Milk Bar in New York City
We haven't tried to recreate them at home, but you can find a version of the recipe at The Kitchn

Homemade: 
"Chewy Expresso Cookies"
(Broadly adapted from Smitten Kitchen's "Crispy, Chewy" Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe)
This cookie dough must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before baking to prevent spreading. Also under bake the cookies to maintain their chewiness- they will finish baking on their cookie sheets as they cool.

Chewy Expresso Cookies
Makes about 32 cookies.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2  cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tb finely ground (to a powder) coffee beans - preferably decaf beans. If you have ground coffee, pulverize it in a blender or food processor.
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 TB vanilla extract
1 cup nuts, toasted & chopped (Heat on a cookie sheet in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes, until they just start to taste toasty.)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave and set aside to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, and ground coffee.

Using a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and both sugars on medium speed for two minutes.

Whisk together the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla in a measuring cup with a spout. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the egg mixture and beat until it is thoroughly combined.

Remove the mixer bowl from the machine and hand stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, in three portions. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out walnut size balls of dough and place them about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake about 12-15 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets from the top to bottom racks and front to back. The cookies should still be slightly squishy in the middle when you remove them from the oven.

Allow them to cool about 5 minutes on the cookie sheets and then transfer them with a spatula to a cooling rack.

Best New Cake 
Homemade:
"Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze"
from Baking for All Occasions by dessert maven Flo Braker
Be still my heart- this is the most scrumptious new cake to grace my oven in recent memory- moist, without being heavy and hits just the right note of sweetness. We had the luxury of substituting an old E&J Gallo brandy for the rum, which may have accounted for this cake's extra smooth deliciousness. The lesson there- use a quality liqueur for best results, and spring for a nutmeg grater and fresh nutmegs! You can make your own non-alcoholic eggnog out of season (recipe below, adapted from Dumbies.com)

Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze
Makes a 10" bundt cake- about 16-20 servings
(have all the ingredients at room temperature)
1/2 cup dried currants
2 Tb dark rum, brandy or water
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature (plus more for buttering the pan)
2 cups white sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten (Don't ask me why, but if a baker asks you to beat something, I listen.)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup store-bought refrigerated (not canned) eggnog

Crystal (Rum) Glaze
3/4 cup white sugar
2 Tb rum (or freshly squeezed orange juice for a non-alcoholic version)
2 Tb water

Prior to starting the cake, combine the currants and liqueur or water in a small bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Place your rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees (325 degrees if your pan has a dark finish). Thickly butter and flour a 10"bundt or springform tube pan.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium size bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light colored and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop several times during beating to scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on medium low, and the eggs a tablespoon or two at a time, continuing to stop and scrape down the bowl, until all the egg is incorporated. Briefly mix in the vanilla.

Remove the mixer bowl and hand stir in the flour mixture, alternating with the eggnog- 3 additions of flour & 2 of eggnog, making sure that each addition is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Gently fold in the prepared currants and soaking liquid.

Use a rubber spatula to spoon and evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly touched and the sides are starting to come away from the pan, about 45-60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes while you make the glaze . Stir the sugar and liquids together in a small bowl with a rubber spatula until just blended.

Turn the cake out onto a rack and leave the decorative side up. Place the rack over a large plate or tray to catch the excess glaze. Use a pastry brush to generously coat the top and sides of the warm cake with all of the glaze. Let it cool completely before serving. To transfer the cake to a serving plate, use a large offset spatula to loosen the cake from the rack and slide it onto the plate.

Kid-Friendly Eggnog
Yield: about 2 cups (2 servings)

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
f1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Beat or blend together in a blender the milk, cream, sugar, and eggs until smoothly mixed. Add the vanilla and nutmeg.
This eggnog is uncooked, which works just fine for baking in a cake. If you decide to make a recipe to consume, drink it asap or cook the milk, egg & sugar mixture on low heat, whisking constantly, until it just thickens. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and nutmeg and chill before drinking, adding a jigger of rum, whiskey, or brandy for the adults in the audience.

Best Cold Dessert
Restaurant: "Geranium Ice Cream with White Chocolate Mousse and Huckleberries" (Sons & Daughters, San Francisco)

Homemade:
The Picky Eater's adaptation of David Lebovitz's "Salted Caramel Ice Cream" She makes hers with a "wet" caramel, no praline, and less sugar and salt.
Picky Eater Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Makes about 3 cups

2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (60 gr) unsalted butter
1 tsp Fleur du Sel
6 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract


Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they’re floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts) over the ice, pour 1 cup of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

Spread the cup of sugar in a small, heavy saucepan in an even layer. Add 1/2 cup of milk and gently stir together as briefly as possible. Cook over moderate heat, without stirring, until the mixture is caramelized. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until the butter is melted. The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup of the milk.

Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160-170 F (71-77 C).

Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Best Chocolate Confection
Commercial: Dude, Sweet's FDA Chocolate Salami - whole meedjoul dates and dried figs ground and added to California marzipan with Valrohna cocoa nibs and 72% South American rolled in powdered sugar - a vegan delight!

Homemade:
"Pistachio, Almond, Dried Cherry and Cranberry Bark" from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz.
We made a good thing even better by doubling the amounts of fruits and nuts and adding dried cranberries to the mix. This chocolate bark is a cinch to make, and also vegan to boot.

Pistachio, Almond, Dried Cherry and Cranberry Bark
Makes about 1 1/2 pounds

1 1/4 pounds (20 oz) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup almonds, toasted (see the toasting instructions in the Chewy Expresso Cookie recipe, above)
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Flaky sea salt (optional, but recommended)

Stretch a sheet of plastic wrap tautly across a flat cookie sheet.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until it is almost melted. Remove the top double boiler pan from over the hot water and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted. Mix in the nuts and dried fruits.

Scrape the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and use a spatula to spread it out, trying to evenly distribute the fruits and nuts. Flick bits of salt across the top of the bark. Refrigerate the cookie sheet until the chocolate is solid. When the bark is firm, break it into rough pieces. Store in the refrigerator for from one to two weeks.

Best Jam or Jelly
Commercial: "Blood Orange Marmalade" from June Taylor
Homemade: Robert Sabbatini & Bonnie Loyd's "Pear Vanilla Jam."
Smooth and succulent on the palate; essence of vanilla predominates at the start, but there are strong notes of pear in the finish.

Best Plating
Restaurant: Tie between
"The Fire Split" (Fire Food & Drink, Cleveland) - a fudge brownie, salted caramel ice cream and brûléed banana

and "variations of dark chocolate and pumpkin" (SPQR, San Francisco) - Pumpkin cake, chocolate sauce, pumpkin gelato, and pumpkin mousse enrobed in chocolate ganache.

Couldn't resist- took a bite before the photo was shot!

Maida Heatter Lifetime Achievement Award
Since the 1970's Maida Heatter, a.k.a. "the Queen of Desserts," has been making the world a sweeter and more chocolaty place. She is the author of nine classic dessert cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts.  Ms. Heatter is a member of the James Beard Foundation Hall of Fame, has been named to Cook's Magazine's Who's Who in Cooking, and was one of the first people inducted into the Chocolatier Hall of Fame. An octogenarian, she continues to bake joyfully from her home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Commercial: Macarons from Laduree

Homemade:
"Fudge Crackle Cookies" based on a recipe, with a few additions, from The Village Baker's Wife by Gayle Ortiz.
Often imitated but never duplicated. Our standard household cookie since 1997. I estimate that I have baked more than 2500 of these babies in my time, and, unlike many things in life, they are still as good today as they were the first time.

Here  is an ode that the Picky Eater wrote to these extraordinary cookies at age 10:
"She was a wonderful dark chocolate cookie. Many cracks mar the surface, and strewn about, half buried in the airy earth cookie itself, are boulders of chocolate and nut. I took a bite, and the delectable deep rich chocolaty flavor bordered by the sweet crunch of the sugar coating filled my taste buds with delight. I swallowed, and the chunk of cookie slid down my throat like an ecstatic kid skiing down a mountain. I couldn’t resist. I took another bite, and another and another, each better than the last. When I was done I licked the last crumbs off my lips, and ran off to play."

Fudge Crackle Cookies
Makes three dozen cookies
For proper baking this dough must chill at least 5 hours before baking.

1/2 c. butter
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate- quality chocolate only!! No Trader Joe's concoctions.
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. pecans, finely chopped
1 c. chocolate chips

Sugar for coating

Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water. Set aside to cool. Beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth, Blend in the chocolate mixture.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Hand stir the flour into the batter until just incorporated. Add the nuts and choc. chips. Refrigerate the  dough at least 5 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°. Place coating sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 1/3 of the dough at a time (leave remainder in refrigerator), take 1 Tb of dough, roll into a ball, and roll in sugar. Place balls 2” apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.

Bake 12-20 minutes, until cookies have a slight crust, but are soft to the touch. Cool on wire racks.

The Murder at Gingerbread Grange: a Miss Necco Mystery Pastiche

For those who were unaware of it, a mysterious homicide recently occurred at Gingerbread Grange, our  seasonal fantasy country house. While the Picky Eater and her parents were briefly detained as persons of interest, Inspector Raisinet of the local constabulary was unable to satisfactorily weave the myriad of confusing clues and red herrings into a coherent case against them.

The facts of the case are these:

In the wee hours of a day in late December, while all the residents of Gingerbread Grange were absent - the Chemist out dancing the night away, the Cook on an emergency run to a 24-hour grocery for powdered sugar, and the Maker ensconced in the bowels of the house employing his extensive collection of mechanical snakes in an attempt to clear the cookie frosting from the sewer line.

When the Maker emerged after several hours of futile efforts, he found a stranger lying in the yard, dead as a doornail - impaled by a candy corn through the heart!

The man's name was Mr. Biscotto, and for several reasons he had become anathema to the family. They believed that he was more than likely the culprit in several unfortunate tragedies which had rocked the family in recent weeks-

the loss of a precious recipe, a secret formula, and a dispute concerning a laser patent.

While the police were able to identify a number of clues- A puddle of melted butter on the candy stone path, short-circuited headlights on the rented vintage VW bug parked next to the Grange, the purloined Nancy Drew recipe in Mr. Biscotto’s pocket, Mr. Biscotto’s nefarious activities as a patent thief – there were many unanswered questions – For instance, was the moose a laser gingerbread cutout decoy? 

Further research into his background by an informant to the constabulary revealed these shocking details concerning Mr. Biscotto:

"I  contacted one of the world's greatest drummers and amateur private detective, one Ginger Baker. He ran a background check on your Mr. Biscotto...real name, Anthony Biscotti, aka Naughty Tony Biscotti. As it turns out, Naughty Biscotti had quite a way with the ladies. Late night cupboard rendezvous with everyone from Betty Crocker to Dolly Madison. He made one mistake during his final tryst with...Mrs. Butterworth. Mr. Butterworth found out. You really never see the old boy around the kitchen. He maintains a very low profile and, unfortunately, is insanely jealous. The butter puddle tells all, as he was wounded during his fatal scuffle with Naughty Biscotti. If Inspector Raisenet aspires to any grapeness at all, he should bring in Mr. Butterworth for questioning and check his cholesterol type against that found in the puddle. He just might find something that will stick to Butterworth."

Into the breech steps Miss Necco, a cookie doppelganger of Agatha Christie's wonderful Miss Marple. A favorite author with the female members of our household, we are much indebted to Dame Christie for inspiring this set piece.

Despite the informant's Mrs. Butterworth allegations, Miss Necco's remains confident in her analysis and solution to the mystery:

“I was reminded of a terrible accident that occurred sometime back to a knitting acquaintance of mine in my village, Prune-on-Hudson. The poor woman tripped on her front step and impaled herself on her knitting needle. Fortunately, she had the good sense not to try to pull it out, and they got her to the infirmary in good time and the doctors were able to repair her injury.

The culprits in this crime wanted us to believe that that was what happened here. The man “stabbed through the heart” with a candy corn. But, here and there, the clues began to evince a pattern to me, and, yes, I do believe that I am correct.

I was first struck by the detail that all members of the household were absent or indisposed when the murder took place. With so many valuable secrets floating around the Gingerbread Grange it seemed most unsuitable that no one was left on guard. I had to conclude that Mr. Biscotto was meant to think that he could enter the house and pilfer it. What he didn’t know was that a most devious ambush was in store for him.

As he snuck up to the house, intending to use the candy corn to break and enter the Grange, he tripped a hidden alarm secreted in the path and was blinded by a laser beamed from the headlights of the old car which was, of course, why they appeared to be burnt out. Sightless and befuddled, he stumbled in the puddle of butter, slipped, and fell onto his sword, as it were.

So, it was a combination of the hidden security apparatus at the Gingerbread Grange and Mr. Biscotto’s own wicked intentions that brought about his demise.

As to the overly ingenious residents of the Gingerbread Grange, I do hope that they decide that their home would be better suited to more mundane purposes, and that they remove themselves from the premises at their earliest convenience, before dear doltish Inspector Raisinet manages to put more than two and two together and notices the many instances of triangulation in this case.

With that, I do think that it is time for me to get back to my cottage and make sure that that my silly housemaid Elsie hasn’t run off with the butcher’s assistant. You have no idea what intrigue and illicit romance can go on in a small village beneath the nose of even the most observant old spinster!”

The All-Purpose Multi-Flavored Icebox Cookie

Cranberry Orange Pecan cookies

It's not too late to make those holiday cookies you've been fantasizing about- not with Gourmet's circa 2003 handy dandy all purpose Basic Butter Cookie recipe, which can be modified to suit your heart's desire. You can even divide one recipe in half and make two flavors. Throw together some extra rolls of dough, cover the plastic wrap with holiday paper, tie up the ends with ribbon, and you've got the perfect hostess gift. Throw a few extra rolls (well wrapped) into the freezer for emergencies. Just don't over bake them! The dough even tastes great unbaked if you can overcome your fear of uncooked egg poisoning.

Without further ado, the all-purpose icebox cookie -

Basic Butter Cookie
(adapted from Gourmet Magazine, December 2003)
Makes three dozen 2"cookies.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Garnish: coarse or sanding sugar

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low, and add flour mixture, mixing until it is just combined.

Stir or knead in your chosen additions & flavorings (see below) until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Form dough into a 12-inch log about 2 inches in diameter on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up the dough in the plastic wrap. Chill the dough until firm, at least 4 hours.

Put the  oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

With a heavy knife, cut 1/4-inch-thick slices from the log and arrange the slices about 1 inch apart on two parchment lined cookie sheets. (Keep the remainder of the log chilled, still wrapped in plastic wrap).

Cookie roll in process

If you are garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it before placing them on the cookie sheets.

Bake the cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until the edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Do not over bake. Cool 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough.

The dough log can be chilled for up to five days in the refrigerator or frozen, double wrapped in plastic for one month. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator just until it can be sliced.

Mexican Chopped Chocolate

Additions:

Picky Eater choices -

Cranberry Orange cookies: Add 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup chopped pecans, and 2 Tb orange zest. Sprinkle the cookies before baking with coarse sugar.

Mexican Chocolate cookies: Stir 2 tsp. ground cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper into 100 grams of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate, then add to the butter cookie dough. Sprinkle the cookies slices with cinnamon sugar before baking.

Other possible additions are one cup of any of the following: currants, poppy or sesame seeds, cocoa nibs, mini chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans or pistachios. Lemon or orange zest would be welcome with either of the first three, and cocoa nibs and chocolate chips would enjoy the company of a little cinnamon or 2 Tb of finely ground coffee. Mix and match whatever suits your fancy, it all tastes good!

Gourmet Magazine's suggestions -
Lemon cookies: Stir 2 Tb fresh lemon juice and 1 Tb lemon zest into the basic cookie dough.
Almond Spice cookies: Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp ground ginger with the flour mixture, then stir in 1 cup slivered almonds.