2008 Resolutions - Late!

I'm sorry that I haven't posted lately. I do intend to post more and get through more of my mom's recipes in the new year. Run more and read more. Learn to play at least one song on the mandolin.

Since Mardi Gras is so early this year (Feb. 5th), it will be difficult to get started on any resolutions before Fat Tuesday.

More posts following Mardi Gras. I might even work in a king cake!

Lemony Bliss!

I love lemon meringue pie! What's not to love - lemon curd, pie crust and fluffy clouds of meringue. Lemon meringue pie is one of my favorite desserts, but I've never made one on my own. I was delighted to see it listed as the January Daring Bakers challenge.

I was a little apprehensive about this challenge, though. I've never made a successful pie crust. They are either too crumbly to form anything resembling a crust or so sticky that I can't get it from the counter to the pie pan. I was pleasantly surprised about this pie crust. It was easy. Not just easy - simple! I used the food processor method and had no problems at all.

So far, it looks great! I'm saving it for tomorrow when my dear husband returns home. I did sneak a taste of the lemon curd bowl and it was wonderful! I'll update the post tomorrow with the DHR (Dear Husband Rating).

Recipe:
Lemon Meringue Pie

Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:

¾ cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces

2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar

¼ tsp (1.2 mL) salt

⅓ cup (80 mL) ice water


For the Filling:

2 cups (475 mL) water

1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar

½ cup (120 mL) cornstarch

5 egg yolks, beaten

¼ cup (60 mL) butter

¾ cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract


For the Meringue:

5 egg whites, room temperature

½ tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar

¼ tsp (1.2 mL) salt

½ tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract

¾ cup (180 mL) granulated sugar


For the Crust: Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt. Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of ⅛ inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about ½ inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.


For the Filling: Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated.

Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.


For the Meringue: Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

I made one pie and 4 little tartlets! I wish that I would have had time to make them this weekend while my in-laws were here. I think that they would have enjoyed it, too.

Thank you, Daring Bakers!

DHR: Very tasty!
He loved the pie! It almost made him forget that he is sick with bronchitis.

Note: I had problems with weeping meringue. My mom says it is because I did not let the sugar dissolve. More tips for weeping meringues here.

Yule Stump

To be a Daring Baker! I have been so excited about being brought into the fold of daring baker bloggers all over the world. I planned and plotted my first challenge. Before it was over, I would call my challenge disastrous, delightful, dangerous and delicious. Daring, it is, to be a blogging baker!

I gathered the ingredients and started early. We were planning to go to a special Christmas supper club and I had told everyone that I would bring a yule log. I didn't tell them it was a blogger challenge. I just committed to bringing the dessert.

So, the day came. I thought "genoise, schmenoise -- it's nothing more than a jelly roll cake". I guess that I stopped thinking there because I doubled the recipe due to the evite guest list for supper club increasing rapidly. When I got to the part of the recipe that says, "Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.", somehow I interpreted this to say "smooth TO THE TOP" of the cookie sheet. My double batch wouldn't fill 2 cookie sheets (or jelly roll pans as my Mom likes to call them - {more from Mom later}). So, I thought that maybe I didn't beat the genoise long enough. Maybe I needed to put the double batch in 1 pan to bake. It baked beautifully. I turned the cake out onto another pan.

Now, the buttercream. I wasn't too worried about it. I've made buttercream before. Mom has several cake mixes that have different flavored buttercreams as frosting. Egg whites, sugar and butter - the mixer was doing beautifully. Fluffy buttercream - yum. Then, I added the espresso powder, which had been dissolved in rum. I had doubts. Alcohol in my fluffy buttercream, won't it separate? I added it anyway. I set the mixer to beat it in. It still looked funny. Taste - very yummy. Oh well, on to the filling.

I had plans to use this caramel frosting (store-bought) to fill the cake. I pulled it out and the plastic container cracked while in the pantry. It was as hard as a brickbat. Microwave for 30 sec - still hard. What else could I use? Coffee buttercream and raspberry preserves didn't sound good to me at all. Lemon curd - no. fig preserves - no way. Ok, just use the buttercream. So, I filled it with buttercream, being sure to leave enough to frost the yule log.

On to the rolling! I helped my granny roll jelly rolls many times. This would be a cinch. I remembered that granny used to use a clean dish towel sprinkled with sugar for rolling. I started to roll. Something is not right. The genoise is too thick and already cracked with the first turn of the roll. More cracks - crack, crack for a splintered yule log and buttercream mess! Maybe I could cover it up with the rest of the buttercream.

And then, a knock at the door! Mom & Dad arrived to pick up a picture that my husband took at Thanksgiving for their Christmas card. I answered the door with a mixture of embarrassment and relief. My mom can fix any kitchen disaster. She has been known to burn the bottom off a pan and still get dinner for 12 on the table. I say, "I'm making a yule log!". Mom says, "I've always wanted to make a yule log!". Great, today is your lucky day, I think to myself.

I explain how I've ended up with a great big yule mess in my refrigerator and how I am just going to cover it with buttercream frosting to mask my great mistakes.

Of course, she wouldn't hear of it.
Mom: Where is your recipe?
Me: Daring Bakers blog.
Mom: What's that?
Me: Never mind, Mom. It's on the computer.
Mom: Why didn't you cut the double-batch genoise in half lengthwise when I realized it was too thick?
Me: I don't know. Too late now.
Mom: We'll make another genoise.
Me: Do we have to?
Mom: Of course! I've always wanted to make a yule log!

I made a single batch genoise. Mom starts juicing satsumas (seedless oranges of Japanese origin, also called mikan) for her favorite son-in-law. Satsumimosa recipe post to follow. Glass breaks all over the kitchen floor. My crystal stirrer for the martini pitcher has gotten loose, fallen to the floor and broken in a million pieces. This really makes me want to give up on the whole yule log. Mom insists that we carry on. All yule log ingredients remain safe and without glass bits.

Mom says that I didn't beat the buttercream long enough, which is why the frosting appeared to separate. Mom scraped the filling from yule mess in the frig to use as filling in the new genoise cake. Beat the buttercream more. We filled and rolled the genoise with coffee buttercream. It reminds me of granny and helping her get ready for her pokeno games.

The yule log looks pretty good. We arrange it with a piece jutting out from the main branch and it looks almost real. One problem: not enough frosting to cover the log. I explain to Mom that it would be a violation of Daring Blogger rules to vary from the recipe to frost the log. She doesn't understand any of that. I don't have another 3 sticks of butter to dedicate to another batch of buttercream, so we improvise.

I think that the frosting that we used consisted of:
powdered sugar
cocoa
butter (only one stick)

I made the marzipan while Mom put together the improvised frosting. We shaped the mushrooms and I put together holly to garnish the top of the log. We dusted the mushrooms with cocoa powder as they all fell over on their sides. We covered it with toasted almonds to look like wood chips. Off to the party!

Everyone seemed to like the yule log. It is certainly festive-looking. The next day I had a cookie swap and used my leftover log - the yule stump - as a dessert.

This is the yummy yule log that I ordered at Todd English's restaurant, Riche, a week later. I bet that they didn't have nearly as much danger and delight making their log as I did with mine.

Looking back, I'm glad that it was a disaster at first. Making my second yule log and Mom's first yule log together will be a holiday memory that I will remember for years to come.

The yule log recipe, taken from Nick Malgieri’s Perfect Cakes. Since this post is so long, I'll just link to Cream Puffs in Venice for anyone interested in getting the recipe. Please visit the blogroll, to see other blogger's attempts (hopefully, less disastrous) at this holiday treat!

Mirliton Stuffed with Shrimp (page 18)

I was so excited to see fresh mirliton at the Farmer's Market a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I they ran out before I could get any for this recipe. Luckily, it was the weekend of the Mirliton Festival, so I was able to get some there and enjoy a lively show by Morning 40 Federation. I saw them in Hattiesburg a few years ago. I don't remember enjoying the Hattiesburg show. It was in a tiny bar and was too loud. This show was great! What a fun band!

This dish was one of my favorites as a child. My granny made it with shrimp and crabmeat. It was often served as a side dish. I've heard of other versions with beef and seafood.

I didn't have any fresh parsley or shallots. I just used dried parsley. I also used some stale sourdough bread that I had around. I served it with creamed spinach (also pictured). The resultant dish got rave reviews from my husband and my sister!

Stuffing:

6 medium sized mirliton

3 Tbsp. butter

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

2 cups medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

1/4 cup shallots

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

3 slices bread, soaked in water & squeezed

Topping:

3 Tbsp. melted butter

1/4 cup plain or Italian bread crumbs

Cut mirlitons in half lengthwise. Place in pot of boiling water. Cover and boil for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove seeds. Scoop out. Reserve pulp & shells. Saute onions in butter for 5 minutes. Add shrimp. Continue cooking for approximately 8 minutes. Add mirliton pulp, bread, shallots, parsley, salt & pepper. Mix well. Cook for 10 minutes stirring constantly. Pile into shells. Top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serves 6 to 8.

Sundried Tomato & Pesto Torta

This is a great appetizer that doesn't require any real cooking. The three colorful layers make the presentation of this dip really impressive. It is really easy and it tastes good, too! You can also use store-bought pesto to make it even easier.

Pesto Layer:

1/2 cup basil leaves

2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. EVOO

3 Tbsp. cream cheese

salt & pepper to taste

(OR 1/2 cup store-bought pesto + 3 Tbsp. cream cheese)

Boursin Layer:

1 (5.2 oz.) package Boursin cheese (I used the pepper flavor)

1/4 cup heavy cream

Sundried Tomato Layer:

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, pack in oil, drained

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 clove minced garlic

1 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper

Crackers or bread

1) Pesto layer: With a food processor, combine the fresh basil, cheese, pine nuts, garlic and salt. Process until finely chopped. Drizzle the olive oil in using the feed tube. Add cream cheese and pulse to combine. Add salt & pepper and refrigerate.

2) Cheese layer: Mix together the Boursin cheese and cream until smooth. Refrigerate.

3) Tomato layer: Remove oil from sundried tomatoes by squeezing. Use the food processor to chop these to a very fine texture. Add tomato paste, garlic, parsley and cheese. Puree. Taste and add salt & pepper, as needed. Refrigerate.

4) Line the springform pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Spread 1/2 cup of sundried tomato mixture in the pan. Layer 1/2 cup cheese mixture on top. Finish with 1/2 cup of refrigerated pesto/cream cheese layer. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate.

5) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Plate torta by turning springform pan over onto serving plate. Release the pan and remove the paper covering the tomato layer. Serve with bread or crackers.

Grits and Grillades: Part 1 (page 11)

I have had grits and grillades on the brain lately. They seem to be popping up everywhere that I look. I even had a request for the recipe on the blog! So, it seemed like a good time to do some research! We had some friends in town last weekend, so I thought we'd go to breakfast at Luke, a local restaurant owned by John Besh. This wasn't our first time at Luke. In fact, we went there for brunch on our wedding anniversary a couple months ago and have been fans ever since. I couldn't resist the blackberry-cane syrup pancakes there the first time and have been pleased with everything that we have ordered. Unfortunately, my order for grits and grillades wasn't as pleasing as the other dishes that I have ordered there. The gravy for the grillades was thick and dark like my mom's but terribly salty. They seemed to be trying to cut the saltiness of the sauce by putting fresh herbs on top but that didn't help. I didn't complain. Everyone has off-days. I'm sure that is all it was. Luke's grits are wonderful - creamy and delicious! I'd had shrimp and grits there several weeks before. I love the grits and the bacon is yummy there, too!

Ok, so how did it compare with mom's grits and grillades? Mom's gravy is dark and flavorful. The thin strips of pork are so tender you barely have to cut them with a fork. So, I set out to make grits and grillades following mom's recipe.

The pork browned fine. My grits were looking good. I tasted them to make sure that they weren't too gritty and flavorless. Added butter and salt. Now, for the gravy. Mom says add water and reduce to make pan gravy. What? Water and pork bits will cook down to make the thick gravy that I have grown accustom to every Easter? I have my doubts. I wait 10 minutes like the recipe says. I wait 20 minutes. It looks like pork-flavored water. The husband circles the kitchen, hungrily asking about the ETB (Estimated Time of Breakfast). I have to think quickly. The mom is in France. She won't be home until the evening, so I can't call her. Must make gravy.

I may not have mentioned this before now, but my husband is not from New Orleans or Louisiana. He is from Mississippi and his definition of gravy sometimes differs from mine. His favorite breakfast is buttermilk biscuits with country gravy (white gravy) and Jimmy Dean sage sausage. I had to think quickly. I threw 3 tbsp. of flour in the pan with my pork-water and added 3 tbsp. butter. In no time, I had gravy. Not rich, dark gravy but it would due, for the husband, for now.

Breakfast was on the table. The husband was happy. He said it was delicious and I shouldn't change a thing! What am I going to tell Mom?

I polled my friends on the light versus dark gravy in grillades issue. It is definitely supposed to be dark. I made a desperate call to Mom when she arrived from France. How was the trip? Great. By the way, I need some help with the grits and grillades. No problem. The recipe is how Granny Tregre made it, but Mom has a trick and she'll share it with me. Whew!

To be continued....

Pecan Gralee (page 30)

This is one of my favorite recipes. My mom usually makes it around Christmas. It is pronounced "gra-lay". A friend recently told me that she knew someone whose family made it all the time and even named their dog Gralee, although they spelled it gralet.

This was the first time that I made gralee by myself. Ok, I DID have to call mom once while making it. Mine came out more like praline pieces, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Mom is right about this one - once you start eating these, you can't stop!

Recipe:

2 cups white sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 Tbsp. dark cane or corn syrup (I used corn syrup)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

4 cups pecan halves (roast these first - I didn't and had to cook them longer)

3 Tbsp. butter

pinch of salt

Cook sugar, milk, corn syrup, and salt to the soft ball stage (235 degree F) . Add butter, vanilla, and pecans. Continue cooking and stirring until pecans have a slightly roasted flavor. Remove from heat and stir until pecan halves separate. Place in a single layer on waxed paper to cool. Makes approximately 6 cups.

Note: I love this candy thermometer from The Pampered Chef. It is digital and works for meat and candy. There is an alert when it reaches the temperature for the chosen meat or candy stage.