Another Day, Another Latte VIII

-- from Equal Exchange at the Ballard Market. You can see older posts on the theme of latte by clicking here.

A Lovely Green January Soup: Cream of Broccoli

This simple soup is my way of diving back into this cooking journal. It is quick, light, and restorative, especially on a snowy day. Here's to a new year full of cooking and tasting!


CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP
serves 2

ingredients
3 cups broccoli, chopped coarse (about 1 lb)
2 handfuls chopped shallots (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp unsalted butter
2 c chicken broth (you may prefer veggie broth instead)
1 c water
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
dollop of sour cream OR about 1/4 cup cream (optional, actually)
salt and pepper

equipment
immersion blender -- the blender for people who don't have room for a full-size blender.


preparation
1. Melt the butter in your soup pot; add the shallots, salt and pepper, and mustard seeds.
2. When the shallots become soft and translucent, add the broccoli, broth, and water. Let the soup simmer, covered, approximately 20 - 30 minutes, until the broccoli is nice and tender.
3. Remove soup pot from the burner. Blend to your preferred consistency using your preferred blending tool.
4. Return the pot to the burner, on very low heat. Stir in the cream or sour cream, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste.

strawberry tart with basil-infused whipped cream

strawberry tart, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

Let the strawberry season begin! This picture shows the second strawberry tart of the year, made with the extra ingredients from the first. The first was for Mother's Day brunch, and it was much neater and prettier, with concentric circles of heart-shaped berries. It did not survive long enough to be photographed any closer than this:

For the second one I just heaped the berries into the tart pan, and I think they tasted better for the lack of organization. Especially since we ate both batches of berries with the most incredible confection in the universe: basil-infused whipped cream. Yes! It's real! A thousand thank yous to the cooks at Martha Stewart, who published this minor miracle in the May issue of Living alongside their strawberry galette. Here is my adaptation:

BASIL-INFUSED WHIPPED CREAM
Serves 6 as an accompaniment to a pie or tart.

ingredients

1 c. heavy cream
1/3 - 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 c. mascarpone

equipment

hand or stand mixer or whisk
sieve or fine-hole colander

preparation

1. In a small Pyrex or stainless steel bowl, combine first three ingredients over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved, which will only take a minute or two. Remove bowl from heat and allow it to cool slightly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours. The basil flavor with strenghten over time. Yum! While the cream chills, find your mixer whisk attachment and stick it in the freezer along with a stainless steel bowl. My grandma always told me that this was the crucial step to perfecting whipped cream, and I believe her.

2. When the cream is ready (you'll probably need to taste test this once or twice), remove the larger leaves, then pour the cream through a sieve into the frozen mixing bowl. Add the mascarpone before whipping the whole thing until peaks form. The mascarpone will keep the cream from becoming too stiff.

At this point you can either serve it immediately or refrigerate it until dessert time, up to 2 hours or so. After that, someone is going to eat it right out of the fridge. If you can save some till morning, I've heard it tastes great on an omelette full of fresh herbs. If!

nick's springtime risotto

nick's spring risotto, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

Risotto is for all seasons. Nick demonstrated this recently with a tasty dinner of lemon zest risotto featuring his patented peppery spice mix. Tender asparagus, oyster mushrooms, and bacon were the stars that night, but we make this dish often with whatever looks best.

NICK'S RISOTTO

Serves 4.

ingredients

1 1/2 c. arborio rice
5 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium onion or 3 shallots, finely chopped
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
chunk of parmigiano
handful of fresh rosemary and sage leaves

1 bunch of young asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 2-3 inch bites
oyster mushrooms, as many as you like, wiped clean and separated
4 strips of all-natural bacon

1/2 tsp black peppercorns, or to taste
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, or to taste
dash of red pepper flakes

preparation

1. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a heavy, deep-sided pan, then add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the stock in a covered saucepan. When the onions are translucent, add the rice and stir continuously for another minute until the rice is glossy.

2. Stir approximately 1 cup of the stock into the rice and onion mixture and continue stirring -- stir your heart out! When the rice has absorbed most of the stock, add another 1/2 cup or so. Repeat this step until the rice is tender, usually about 30 minutes. As the risotto cooks, chop the herbs and zest the lemon. Add the zest and half of the herbs to the risotto about 15 minutes into the process.

3. Heat a second pan and cook the bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on a paper towel and wipe most of the fat out of the pan. For a vegetarian alternative, we sometimes omit the bacon and simply heat another tbsp of olive oil in the pan. Turn up the heat to medium high and sautee the asparagus and mushrooms. Break the bacon into pieces and stir these and the vegetables into the risotto about 25 minutes into cooking.

4. Quickly whisk together the egg yolk and lemon juice in a small bowl. Grate as much cheese into it as you like, but remember that parmigiano is salty, so you won't need to add a lot of extra salt at the table. As soon as the risotto is done, move the pan to a cool burner and stir in the egg and lemon mixture. With a mortar and pestle, grind together the salt, pepper, and remaining herbs. Add to the risotto just before serving.

mexican chocolate cake

mexican chocolate cake, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

I am not a chocolate eating maniac, but I can appreciate the need for a special cake now and then. I made this little extravagance as a present for Chad and Emily when we had dinner at their house recently.

The amazing recipe comes from chef Rebecca Rather, courtesy of Epicurious. I did little to change it, except adding a bit more cinnamon and a dash of cayenne to the batter; and substituting coffee for water. The outcome of these three adjustments is simply to turn up the volume on an already good flavor: cocoa. I also took other reviewers' advice and dusted the inside of my buttered cake pan with cocoa powder rather than flour, which just makes you feel decadent.

Same goes for the pecan-laden glaze. By the time I got to glazing, I felt like this recipe may cause riots, fits, hysteria, and fainting. I did not bother to spread the glaze gracefully over the Bundt pan; I let gravity do the work.

By the end of the evening, I was surprise at how easily and quickly it all came together, how the outrageous ingredients mellowed, and how satisfying a slim slice with one or two pecans tasted as we talked and laughed and sipped wine in the kitchen of Chad and Emily's cozy new home.

shopping on arthur ave, the bronx, easter morning

shopping on arthur ave, the bronx, easter morning, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

Food shopping in New York is a marvelous thing. One of my favorite places to go is the famous old stretch of Italian bakeries, butchershops, cheeseshops, and cafes in the Bronx known simply by its street name, Arthur Avenue. And I only go there guided by one of my favorite cooks, my Uncle Jorge, preferably early in the morning on Easter. This year, Mom, Delia, Nick, and I followed him on an dawn excursion in search of fresh mozzarella (or mozz -- pronounced mottz -- as we call it when time is of the essence), tender lamb, pungent olives, chocolate easter eggs, and a cappuccino or two.

Here is Uncle Jorge, bundled up in a warm coat, waiting as the George Clooney of butchers weighs the lamb.

Delia looks over the towers of olive oil, canned tomatoes, and flour sacks. The line was already out the door and down the block at this small corner store, where the shelves are packed up to the ceiling with tins and cans and vats and jars and trussed up salted goods. So we moved on after a quick survey of the window and sidewalk displays.

beginning with bread: focaccia

focaccia, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

Learning to bake bread is one part science class, one part yoga. You do the science part, measuring and timing your experiment; and the bread does the stretching, flexing, and breathing. Then you stick it in the sauna. On an olfactory note, baking bread is much more pleasant than bunson burners and sulfur, or yoga mats and their owners.

Since I am still a beginner, I sought out an elementary recipe that seemed flexible enough for improvisation. This focaccia recipe, which I've adapted from one on epicurious, proved to be the perfect starting place. The flavor is simple, just a bit of olive oil and salt. The crust is light and the interior is medium density, not too heavy.

FOCACCIA UNO

Easily adaptable to different last minute ingredients, like nuts, olives, herbs, or even roast veggies on top added in the last 10 minutes before it goes in the oven.

ingredients

2 tsp. dry yeast
2 c. warm water

4 c. all purpose flour, plus a handful for kneading
2 tsp. salt

2 - 3 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. fresh rosemary (if you like)

preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine water and yeast. Let it stand - and don't mix it - until yeast dissolves, 6 - 10 minutes.

2. Gently add flour and salt to yeast mixture. Stir together until a sticky dough is formed.

3. Generously flour your work surface and your hands. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on the floured surface, or until it is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as you go if dough is too sticky. Gather the dough into a ball. Coat your mixing bowl with olive oil, then add the dough. Roll it around in the bowl to evenly coat it with oil. Cover with a clean tea towel and let it rise in warm, draft-free room for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

4. Punch down the dough. Lightly knead it on the floured surface again, then roll it back into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover with the cloth and let it rise a second time, 30 - 45 minutes.

5. Oil a large, flat baking sheet or pan. Punch down the dough again, then gingerly transfer it to the baking sheet. Using your fingertips, press the dough out evenly in the pan. If you want to adorn the top of the bread with herbs, more olive oil, sea salt, or anything else, add it now. Let dough rise uncovered for 20 - 30 minutes (if you can stand it) while the oven heats to 475º. Just before you put it in the oven, gently press your fingertips all over the surface to enhance the peaks and valleys of the crust. Bake the focaccia until the top is golden, about 20 minutes.