Weekly Random Bites

Some eating and cooking from the past week..............

My friend Noel made a great appetizer for a dinner party of smoked salmon canapes, but instead of the usual cream cheese mixture, he made a smoked trout mousse to top them off.
They were mighty good.


A little nostalgia. I have been eating at my mother in law's kitchen table for 22 years and have always noticed she grates her own fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and stores it in this little old Buitoni glass jar with holes at the top for shaking out the cheese. It's always been there and is a great conversation piece! She protects the holes with a small piece of wax paper.


We tried a new bakery in Peapack, NJ called Cocoluxe, which was really special. Thank God it's not close to my house, or I would be there everyday for their soup specials, croissant muffins and chocolate mice!


In search of lost pounds, I made a healthy lunch of tuna with fresh dill on Boston lettuce leaves with garlic and dill pickled carrots.

Jacques Torres' Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

Delicious, Yummy, Excellent, Wonderful, Different.

Good adjectives to describe Jacques Torres' famous chocolate chip cookies.

Jacques is a well known pastry chef from France, who owns his own chocolate shop in NYC on Hudson Street.

You can find his cookie recipe on many blogs and the original recipe on Martha Stewart's website, but good luck finding pastry flour!



This blog cut the recipe in half and it still made 36 large cookies!

I used rounded tablespoons to measure the cookies and only baked them 13-15 minutes.



Follow the recipe exactly. They were excellent and worth the extra effort. I loved the little bit of salt in the batter. I actually took out my hand mixer (I always stir by hand) for this recipe!

Jacques Torres’s Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon pastry flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound good quality dark chocolate, chopped coarsely

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside. Don’t grease the baking sheets because this might cause extra spreading.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla, then add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate; mix until well combined.

Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, (I used a very generously rounded tablespoon) scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. If you use a rounded tablespoon, check your cookies at 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you use a very generously rounded tablespoon or a 1 scoop, you’ll get about 4 dozen cookies.



These stayed crisp and fresh for days in a Rubbermaid plastic container.

Baked Eggs in Bacon Baskets

This is such a nice idea for breakfast/brunch for a crowd.
It is so simple, makes 12 at a time and the baskets stays warm, unlike scrambled eggs which always seem to get cold when left on the plate.

There are many variations of this recipe on the blogosphere. I've tried it 2 weekends in a row, and I find that this method worked best. I made them 2 ways, some scrambled with cheese, and others just baked with a soft center.
We couldn't decide which way we liked them best.

Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with PAM spray.

Lightly cook 12 strips of bacon (or how ever many baskets you are making).
Do NOT cook the bacon till crisp, but just enough to get rid of some of the grease. A few seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels.

Coil your bacon slices around the wells of the muffin tin.



Crack an egg and pour into the well.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

You can also whisk your eggs together and add some cheese, like a quiche, and pour this mixture into the bacon baskets.

I baked them 375 for 10 minutes for a runny center (to soak up with toast), or 12 minutes for the scrambled & cheese version.



Use a spoon to remove the baskets and serve! They are so pretty and better than the usual bacon and eggs.

Orechiette with Sausage & Broccoli

My friend Theresa from Foodhunter's Guide to Cuisine is hosting Presto Pasta Nights and here is my entry.

Orechiette w/ Sausage & Broccoli.

Orechiette means "little ears" in Italian. Served with broccoli rabe and sausage, this is one of MY favorite pasta dishes of all time.

However, there are many broccoli rabe haters out there. They say it is too bitter (like the other eater in this house)......so I make it with regular broccoli florets instead.

On another note, this is the only time that I like my broccoli OVERCOOKED, not al dente. It should be light green and on the soft side, so it will blend in with the other ingredients, however it is personal choice.



There are no rules when making this dish.
I make it different every time. Sometimes I add anchovies depending on the sausage I am using.

Here is the best Orrechiette w/ Sausage and Broccoli. I promise.

1 lb. of orechiette (little ears) pasta, cooked as per directions
1 lb. of the best Italian sausage (hot or sweet), casings removed
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
pinch or 2 of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup of pasta water
olive oil to coat the pan

In a large heavy skillet, coat the pan with olive oil on medium heat.
Add sausage and garlic. Break up sausage w/ wooden spoon while cooking.

I blanch my broccoli for 2 minutes in boiling water to get it started and set it aside.

When the sausage is cooked, add your broccoli florets, hot pepper flakes and chicken stock and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes until the broccoli is nice and soft and you can break it into tiny pieces with the back of a wooden spoon and most of the liquid is absorbed.



Cook your pasta according to directions. Add your cooked orechiette to the sausage and broccoli mixture and mix in the 1 cup of pasta water.
*Don't forget to save 1 cup of your pasta water (that has happened to me many times, I drain my pasta and forget about that good starchy water!).
This will thicken up the sauce.

Now you are done.

You can add freshly grated parmesan cheese if you like, but it doesn't need another thing.

Pissaladiere My Way

I have been wanting to make pissaladiere forever. But since I am a bread virgin (I have never made bread at home before), I hate the thought of making the yeast bread for the base of this gorgeous tart from the South of France.

Well, I made it tonight, my way, with puff pastry, and it was better than any I have ever eaten in Paris!

I used Trader Joe's frozen puff pastry, which was much nicer than the usual Pepperidge Farm stuff, and much cheaper than Dufor Puff Pastry. It was less greasy than the other brands.

I started by rolling out the dough on a floured board to fit my long rectangle tart pan that I have been saving for years, in hopes to make this beautiful recipe from Nice, France.

If you don't have a square tart pan with a removable bottom, then just use a 9 x 11 cookie sheet, that would work too.

Pissaladiere My Way:
Here is what you will need along with the puff pastry:

4 yellow onions
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar

Slice your onions nice and thin and caramelize them by cooking on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until golden (not brown), then add your sugar and vinegar and cook for another few minutes. Take off the heat and set onions aside.



Next set of ingredients that you will need:

1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
about 6 kalamata or other black brine cured olives, cut in half
a can of anchovies, drained from oil
4 capers to dot the middle of the X design
a few sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)

After you have fitted your puff pastry dough in your pan, sprinkle the 1/4 cup of grated cheese on the bottom of the crust.

Now spoon your yummy onions over the cheese and spread out evenly.




Lay anchovies in an X design across the entire length of the tart.

Decoratively arrange your olive halves in the centers of the X designs, and dot with capers.



Throw some sprigs of fresh thyme over the tart.



Bake in a 400 preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
Remove tart pan and bottom after cool enough to handle and you are ready to serve!



I served the pissaladiere with a simple salad with a mustard vinaigrette.

Pasta e Fagioli

Sing along with me:

"Beans, Beans, Good for the Heart,
The More you EAT, the more you Fart,
The More you FART, the better you Feel,
So EAT your beans at Every Meal!
CLAM CHOWDER MAKES THEM LOUDER!"

I have been resisting the Rancho Gordo heirloom bean order for some months now, but since every other blog talks about how fantastic these beans are, it was time to take the plunge! I think bloggers keep these guys in big bean business! (and you know who you are!).

Well, my Rancho Gordo sampler pack came the other day, and what to make, but a classic Pasta e Fagioli. A hearty Italian, pasta, bean and bacon soup.

Where I grew up, they called it "Pasta FAZOOL". Hey, remember, it's New Jersey.

This is a winter soup and the best one I have made so far.

I have been known to add garbanzo beans, lentils, or any other bean I can find to this recipe. Today, instead of my usual canned beans I made the extra effort and used the dried beans, and the effort paid off. The dried beans were so much firmer in texture than the canned beans and you can actually taste each bean, instead of a bowl of mush.

I also used the smoked bacon that I purchased at the Union Square Farmers' Market in NYC last weekend from Flying Pigs Farms in Battenkill, N.Y. and that also made the soup special.

You don't need to measure ingredients when making this soup. Make it to your liking. You add the small shaped pasta at the very end of cooking and now you have a pasta e fagioli!



Basic Recipe for Today's Pasta e Fagioli:
I find that Giada DeLaurentis' recipe is very good if using canned beans.

~ 4 cans of mixed canned beans (such as kidney, garbanzo, cannellini, NOT black beans) or dried beans of your choice (Rancho Gordo makes a great sampler which is what I used for this soup).

~ 8 carrots, peeled and chopped
~ 4 ribs of celery, chopped
~ 3 large yellow onions, chopped
~ 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
~ 1 can of diced tomatoes w/ juice
~ 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary & 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
~ 3 oz. of pancetta bacon, chopped
~ a dash of hot red pepper flakes
~ salt to taste

~ 8 cups of chicken stock. I used homemade stock that I had in the freezer (that's the end of my supply after this soup!), but the boxed stuff is fine too (I like Swanson's reduced sodium stock).
~ 1/2 cup of dried small shaped pasta to throw in at the end

Saute your vegetables, garlic and pancetta until soft in a VERY LARGE stockpot.
This is going to make a lot of soup!



Now add your liquids, herbs and beans.
*If you are using dried beans that have not been soaked overnight, then you will need to simmer this soup covered for 3 hours until the beans are soft.
However, if you are using canned beans, then you only need to simmer this soup for an hour.

This soup may be too thick, and you might need to add some extra water or stock to thin it, which I did. The consistency will be like a chili.




The last 8 minutes of cooking, add your dried pasta and cook until pasta is al dente.
Just before serving, remove the herb sprigs and serve in bowls. Swirl a little GOOD extra virgin olive oil on the top and garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Though this took half of my Sunday to make, it was worth it.
It makes enough soup for about 8 people.

Random Weekly Bites

Here are some outtakes of good stuff cooked and eaten this week.

I had a great tartine (a small open face French style sandwich) at a nyc lunch chain called Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread). There are 18 locations in NYC and I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious food and great pastries.
I had an amazing egg salad tartine made w/ olive oil, instead of mayo with anchovies and capers on delicious whole grain bread. Nice presentation too.



I made a delicious homemade pizza with skinny slices of roasted eggplant on top and some prosciutto torn and haphazardly tossed with mozzarella cheese. REALLY good.



I made my favorite nicoise salad with good canned tuna, green beans, nicoise olives and hard boiled eggs. We had enough leftover for 2 lunches too.



I bought a nice big package of smoked bacon at the Union Square Farmers' Market in NYC from Flying Pig Farms, no nitrates added. I plan on using it in recipes calling for pancetta or regular bacon.

Cupcakes on Steroids

I never understood America's obsession with cupcakes.
I remember them being strictly for birthday parties as a kid.
But is seems on every corner in Manhattan a new cupcake store opens up!

My girlfriend had a wedding in nyc and to save some money on a fancy, $$$$ wedding cake, she opted for pretty cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery with silver dragee. They were lovely and festive (& affordable!).

I saw Martha Stewart's show a few weeks ago and she featured another rat race survivor, Marlo Scott, who decided to find some happiness away from Wall Street & open up her own cupcake bakery and lounge that serves wine and beer pairings to go with the cupcakes.

The place is called Sweet Revenge and is located in the chic West Village neighborhood on Carmine St.
I love that she bakes her cupcakes in cut squares made from parchment paper, instead of cupcake tins. They look special and very artistic in these brown paper packages.

So, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
I don't have any kids' birthday parties or any festive occasion to bake cupcakes for, but figured everyday is a happy occasion, so why not go for it!

I decided to bake a vanilla cupcake and on half of them I sprinkled flaked coconut, and on the other 3 cupcakes, I swirled melted Hershey bars inside the batter.




I cut the parchment paper into 4" squares, as per Marlo, and used a drinking glass to wedge the paper into the muffin tins. Didn't work as well as the demonstration on Martha's show, but I made do.

They really puffed up and were HUGE!!!! As if we injected them with sugar steroids!


Some of the batter spilled over the sides, I probably should've used an oversized muffin or popover tin.

Here is what Marlo's cupcakes look like in the paper wrappers, mine were close. These cupcakes were TERRIFIC!


Here is the recipe for basic vanilla cupcakes with coconut topping:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup whole milk

sweetened flaked coconut

Mix all ingredients and fill muffin liners in muffin tin. Sprinkle with flaked, sweetened coconut. Bake for about 15 minutes in a 350 oven.




I guess these are really MUFFINS, not CUPCAKES, because they have no icing!