New Blog

The times have changed, and so has my bloggity blog.

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New Days, Old ways
www.newdaysoldways.blogspot.com

A New Year, A New Theme

Once again, we begin another new year equally as full of hopes, excitements, and resolutions as the last. Like many other people my age, my resolution last year was to finish high school strong in order to be prepared to start college in the fall. As you can imagine, this was quite a loaded resolution. Unfortunately, as my schedule filled up and time ticked down, the food blog was reluctantly put on hold. All went well with school, and all continues to go well in college at Boston University- and I've found myself happily returning to my blog. Living in a freshman dorm with hardly any access to a kitchen makes cooking- and tasty food, for that matter- a rare luxury. The long afternoons I once spent learning about and creating new types of food have been replaced with long nights of studying and the occasional wink of sleep. Determined to sustain the blog in this hopefully brief but undeniable period of kitchen separation, I've decided to take advantage of my location: Boston, Massachusetts.

The birthplace of the nation, Boston is home to a multitude of restaurants- whose cuisines couldn't be more varied. A walk down one street can take you to all the way from Panera to a sushi bar, from a quaint Thai restaurant to a vegan pizza shop. How do you know what to get, and where to go to get the best? I'll tell you what you need to know to decide.

Although assessing the restaurant world is quite an undertaking, restaurants are only part of the picture. Just as the world of food extends far beyond fine dining, as will I. Cookbooks, grocery stores, tea and coffee shops- food is a cultural compound that whispers- or, in some cases, shouts- its presence in almost every aspect of our lives. Why not embrace it?

So here it is. With my lack of cooking resources, I will dedicate this blog to everything good- I mean, everything food. While the experience of creating food is irreplaceable, lack of a kitchen can't take me away from sharing my experiences of food.

Vegetable Melts on Garlic Toast

Vegetable melts can be served as a scrumptious appetizer, as a two-part meal with a soup, or as a vegetarian entree all by themselves. As you can see from the picture, when I made these for my family, I omitted the eggplant and olives, and used heirloom tomatoes rather than Roma tomatoes. I will include the directions if you would like to use the eggplant and olives, and the recipe is the same for whatever kind of tomatoes you use. Either way, these veggie melts will appeal to vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike.

1 eggplant (aubergine), about ¾ lb
salt
4 large, firm ripe Roma (or heirloom) tomatoes, about 1 lb
4 tbsp olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion, such as Maui or Vidalia
5 oz spinach leaves, stems removed, about 4 cups loosely packed
1 tsp minced garlic, plus 1 clove halved
1 tbsp finely chopped pitted Kalamata olives
freshly ground pepper
4-6 slices sturdy whole grain bread
Basil leaves, thinly sliced
shredded mozzarella cheese

Peel the eggplant and cut crosswise into about ½ inch thick slices. Sprinkle both sides with salt and lay them in a colander set over a plate. Pay a second plate on tip to weigh them down and let stand for 1 hour. Rinse slices and pat dry with paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and remove the seeds. Arrange them, cut side up, in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Arrange the eggplant on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Place both pans in the oven. Roast the eggplant for 15 minutes, flip the slices, and then roast until lightly browned and soft, about 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven. Meanwhile, roast the tomatoes, flipping them and rotating the pan so they cook evenly, until the skins are shriveled and caramelized, 35-45 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let the tomatoes cool. Uncover and peel off any skins that have loosened. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Place a large frying pan over medium heat and heat the olive oil, then add the onions and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp water, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the onion is wilted and tender, about 8 minutes. Then uncover the pan, stir in the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach leaves and toss to distribute evenly. Re-cover and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add olives, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix.
Rub 1 side of each bread slice with the cut side of a garlic half. Place the slices on a baking sheet, brush evenly with olive oil, and bake until toasted, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and preheat a broiler, or the oven to 500 if you don't have a broiler.
Make a layer of the spinach on each of the toasts, dividing it evenly. Top with 1 or 2 slices of eggplant, slightly overlapping them if need be. Then add 2 roasted tomato halves, sprinkle evenly with basil. Arrange a layer of cheese on top of each toast. Put the pan into the broiler or oven for 4 minutes or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Recipe from: Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Healthful Cooking

Roasted Tomato Bisque

We have now reached fall, and are well on our way to the cold, cold winter. We begin to seek warm and hearty dishes, rather than the fresh, crisp dishes of summer. This tomato soup is the perfect soup for winter. The tomatoes are roasted in the oven for 30 minutes, concentrating their flavor and giving the bisque a full-bodied taste without the cream.

2½ lb Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
salt and pepper
about 1 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove
1 tsp sweet paprika
sour cream
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cover 1 or 2 medium sized baking sheets with aluminum foil. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on the prepared sheets. Sprinkle evenly with about 1 tsp salt and several grinds of pepper. Roast until the tomatoes are soft, but still hold their shape. About 30 minutes.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, careful not to heat it too much. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the onion releases its juices, about 8 minutes. Stir in the paprika. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes and any juices collected from the pans. Pour in 1 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the heat and, working in batches, pass the soup through a food mill fitted with the medium disk placed over a bowl. Alternatively, pass through a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl, pressing it with the back of a wooden spoon. If you don't have either of these, you can also blend it in batches in either a blender or food processor.
Return the soup to the pan. Stir in salt and pepper to taste and reheat over medium heat. Once you are ready to serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with fresh parsley.

Recipe from: Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Healthful Cooking

Back In Business!

Hello Everyone!
Due to some major technical computer issues, I have not been able to post for a LONG time! However, the problem has been solved, and now I am looking forward to many, many more posts to come. In the mean time, I have not slowed down on cooking and baking. I have made countless dinners and desserts that there is almost no hope for catching up on posts for, including cupcakes, biscotti, salads, ciabatta bread, and many healthy dinners incorporating quinoa, a hearty, vegetarian protein. I will make them again, and I will post them when I do. In the meantime, eat well, have fun, and I look forward to the next post!

Carrie.

Black and White Cookies

Black and White cookies are decadent and festive, and a New York specialty. They are super soft and cakey with the perfect slight crisp of icing on the top. Making bite-size versions of black and white cookies are perfect for parties- and for those who have trouble deciding between chocolate and vanilla. These cookies have both!

cookies:
1¼ cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup low fat buttermilk

icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp light corn syrup
2½ tsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp vanilla
1 tbsp water, plus more if needed
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil and whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until it is pale colored and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla until thoroughly combined and fluffy. Mix in the flour in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk.
Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the lined sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, rotating halfway through for about 10 minutes. Let cool completely before icing.
Whisk powdered sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and the water in a small bowl until smooth. Add more water if needed to achieve a consistency slightly thicker than honey. Put half of the icing in a separate bowl and add the cocoa powder to one of the halves. Add more water if needed. Spread white icing on one half of the cooled cookies and chocolate icing on the other half and let stand until the icing has set.

Recipe from: Cookies by Martha Stewart

Bamboo Rice

I was wandering around the grocery store yesterday when I found myself in the bulk food section. I was looking over the various fruit and nut mixes when something caught my eye- something jade colored and translucent, like little green pearls. I approached these gems and looked at the label, which read: Bamboo Rice. Out of sheer curiosity, I grabbed a bag and filled it to the top.
I had actually never heard of bamboo rice before yesterday. It looks a lot like sushi rice in that it has a very short, round shape. In the picture, the color of the rice is somewhat washed out- so you can't really see how beautifully green it is. It is slightly sticky and chewy, again like sushi rice.
I read in an article I found about bamboo rice that some sushi chefs do use bamboo rice in the place of regular sushi rice to play off the colors of the fish. Imagine a sushi roll with a dark seaweed border, vibrant green rice, and bright pink tuna in the middle. Beautiful.
Bamboo rice is cooked by boiling 1.5 cups of water per 8 oz bamboo rice. Add a pinch or two of salt depending on your taste. Once the water is boiling, add the bamboo rice and return to a boil. Stir the rice to keep it from lumping together and bring it down to a simmer. Cook, covered or with the lid cracked, for 10-12 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Tiramisu

Most people would agree with me that there's nothing better than a 3 or 4 day weekend. It hardly ever happens, but thats what makes it so special. To me, three day weekends mean sleeping in and cooking (what else?). This time I decided that I wanted to cook something not just difficult and time consuming, but something that was a trophy in and of itself. This recipe for tiramisu by Wolfgang Puck was exactly what I was looking for. There is no store-bought sponge cake or pre-made mascarpone cream. Every part of this recipe is homemade, which makes it feel and taste that much more comforting.

Ladyfingers:
6 eggs, separated
½ cup sugar, separated into ¼ cups
1 cup sifted cake flour
melted butter, for brushing
flour, for dusting pan

Mascarpone Cream:
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
¼ cup Marsala Wine
¼ cup brandy
2 pounds mascarpone cheese

Espresso Syrup:
1 cup espresso, hot
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup grated bittersweet chocolate

Directions:
Ladyfingers:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 12 by 16 inch baking tray and sprinkle with flour.
In a mixing bowl, whip the egg yolks with ¼ cup sugar until ribbony and light in color. Reserve. In another mixing bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks- when you lift the beaters out of the whipped whites, they stand and droop. Slowly add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and whip until they develop medium peaks- the whites stand and droop a little, but are not sharp. Sift the flour again and, with a rubber spatula, fold half of the flour into the yolk mixture. Fold in ½ of the of white mixture then fold in the remaining ½ four mixture. Lastly, fold in the remaining ½ egg white mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and, with an offset spatula, carefully spread the batter to evenly fill the tray. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the ladyfingers are golden brown and start to pull away from the edges of the pan. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Mascarpone Cream:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, then add the Marsala and brandy. Place over a double boiler and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees, stirring often. Continue to cook mixture for about 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture becomes a thick paste, called a sabayon. Remove from the double boiler and cool mixture over an ice bath, until room temperature. Whip the mascarpone cheese to soft peaks. Fold in the cooled sabayon until well incorporated. Keep cooled.
Espresso syrup:
Brew fresh espresso. To 1 cup of hot espresso, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir until dissolved.
To assemble the tiramisu:
Divide the sheet of ladyfingers into 2 (8 by 10-inch) sheets. Divide espresso syrup into 2 portions. Divide the mascarpone cream into 3 portions. Spread the first portion of the mascarpone cream at the bottom of a deep (preferably glass) mold topped with the first sheet of ladyfingers. Pour 1 portion of espresso syrup on to the layer of ladyfingers until soaked. Repeat process. Lastly, top with the remaining mascarpone cream and cover with grated chocolate. Cover mold and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
*You can assemble and portion out the tiramisu according to however big or small your mold is*

Explanations of the Previous Recipe: Anadama Bread

As I mentioned in the previous post, I recently purchased and read through The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. Having and reading a cookbook with so much valuable information makes it necessary to include a post dedicated to further explaining bread, the recipe below, what some steps are, why we do them, and the reasoning behind them. First off, there are conflicting stories behind the name of this bread, but I am going to tell my favorite. Secondly, I will explain the importance of being specific about the type and amount of flour and yeast. My third explanation will be about the "windowpane test", its importance, and what to look for. Lastly, I will explain how to correctly shape your dough into loaves.

There are many different stories of the origin of the name, Anadama. My favorite is told by Judith and Evan Jones in their bread book, The Book of Bread. There was a man from Rockport, Massachusetts who was upset with his wife, Anna, for not only leaving him for another man, but leaving him with nothing more than a pot of cornmeal mush and some molasses. The angry husband tossed the mush and molasses together with some yeast and flour while muttering to himself "Anna, damn 'er!" Voila! The creation of Anadama bread.
While baking, many people pay far less attention to the type of flour they are using than they should be. This is a huge mistake because, if you are using a different type of flour than your recipe calls for, your dough will probably come out far too dry or far too sticky- unless you can correctly adjust the amounts. This is because some grains are much more dense and potent than others. Also, the amount of times wheat is sifted at the mill from its original state also changes the amount of water it absorbs. There are whole wheat, clear (once sifted), and patent bleached or unbleached flours (twice sifted) and, like all other grains, each of absorbs more or less water than the others. For instance, 1 cup of cornmeal, 1 cup of semolina flour, 1 cup of pastry flour, 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour all absorb different amounts of water.
Similar to flour, the type of yeast you use also makes a noticeable difference in the bread you are baking. The recipe below calls for instant yeast because it is more concentrated than fresh or active dry yeast, it has a longer shelf life, and it can be added directly to the flour instead of having to hydrate it first. Basically, this means buying less, using less, and fewer steps during baking. I am all for simplifying the baking process so instant yeast is my type of yeast! However, if you have to use active dry or fresh yeast, they can be easily substituted using the following formula:
1 part fresh yeast = 1/2 part active dry yeast = 1/3 part instant yeast=1 part fresh yeast
With this formula, you shouldn't need to weigh your yeast. Measuring should be enough. Flour, however, needs to be weighed on a kitchen scale. If you enjoy baking and do not have a kitchen scale, please pick one up at Target. They are fairly inexpensive and well worth it. My scale is by Michael Graves, and it measures to the 1/8 oz. It is also battery powered which is extremely convenient because I like to spread everything out and move about my kitchen- and now I can take my scale with me!
You measure flour different than anyone else. One cup of flour will weigh slightly different than another persons'. If you strictly go by this way of measuring, you may have dough that is much too dry or much too wet and in desperate need of sometimes a whole cup of flour more or less. This can be sidestepped by weighing your flour to guarantee accuracy of the amount you are using. Another, and the best and most reliable way to know, is by feeling your dough. By the texture of your dough, you can get a feel (pun intended) for how much more flour you need to incorporate, regardless of how much you have already used. I usually like to add less flour than a recipe calls for, and then add more as needed. It is always easier to add more than have to deal with the opposite problem- too much flour. Believe it or not, the weather and where you live also make a difference on the amount of flour you need. If it is a humid day or you are at low altitude, for example, you will probably need more flour than if you were up in the mountains somewhere with no humidity. The moral: a recipe is nothing more than a guideline. Follow the fundamental instructions, but in the end, it always comes down to your intuition.
The "windowpane test" is the most reliable method to determine when gluten development is sufficient or, in other words, when you can stop kneading the dough. This method is performed by cutting off a small piece of dough from the larger batch and gently stretching it, pulling it out to see if it will hold a paper-thin membrane that will let light through. If the dough falls apart before it makes the "windowpane", that means the gluten has not yet fully bonded to one another, and you need to continue kneading the dough for a couple minutes and retest.
Finally, after all the work you have put into mixing, fermenting, and kneading your beautiful dough, you need to know how to mold this block of clay into a work of art. To shape your dough into a sandwich loaf, like the recipe below, start by dividing it according to your recipe, if necessary. Flatten the first piece of dough with your hands into a rectangle about 5 inches wide and 6-8 inches long. From the short side, roll up the dough, one turn at a time, and pinch the crease with each rotation to strengthen the surface tension. As you continue rolling and creasing, the loaf will spread out to about 8 or 9 inches long. Pinch the final seam closed with the back of your hand or thumbs. Then, place your loaf, seam down, into the lightly oiled loaf pan.

There you have it. Unless you are as crazy about baking as I am, you have just read more information than you ever wanted to know about dough. Happy Baking!

Anadama Bread

Like any cook, I am a recipe fanatic. I have subscriptions to way too many cooking magazines but always end up buying just one more that I don't have whenever I go grocery shopping. Not surprisingly, one of my favorite afternoon activities is taking a trip over to Barnes and Noble and spending hours looking at all the cookbooks, only wishing I had the money to purchase all of them. However, the last time I ventured to the cooking section, I decided that I had gone long enough without buying a new cookbook. I walked out of the store, fully satisfied, with an ice cream recipe book and, my new bible, The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. I have never seen a cookbook that teaches its readers quite like this one does. The first 101 pages are packed with priceless information about everything from shaping and proofing equipment to the chemistry behind different types of yeast and flours. If you are interested in learning not only how to bake great bread, but also the science behind it, I would more than recommend The Bread Baker's Apprentice.

Soaker:
1 cup (6 oz) cornmeal
1 cup (8 oz) room temperature water

Dough:
4½ (20.25 oz) unbleached bread flour
2 tsp (.22 oz) instant yeast
1 cup (8 oz) lukewarm water- 90 to 100 degrees F
1½ tsp (.38 oz) salt
6 tbsp (4 oz) molasses
2 tbsp (1 oz) shortening or unsalted butter, room temperature

The day before making the bread, make the soaker by combining the cornmeal and water in a small bowl. Let sit overnight at room temperature. This step helps to activate the enzymes in the cornmeal to release the sugars trapped in the starch. It also softens the cornmeal.
The next day, combine 2 cups (about 10 oz) of the flour, the yeast, the soaker, and water in a mixing bowl or a bowl of an stand mixer. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it ferment for about 1 hour, or until the sponge begins to bubble- whichever comes last. This is an important step in developing the flavor of the bread: the longer it ferments, the richer and deeper the flavor. Add the remaining 2½ cups of flour, salt, molasses, and shortening and stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the dough forms a ball. Add water or flour to make a soft and slightly sticky dough.
Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter and begin to knead the dough. Alternatively, you could mix the dough on medium speed in your standing mixer with the dough hook. Sprinkle more flour as needed to make a tacky, but not sticky, dough. The dough should be firm but supple and pliable. It will make about 10 minutes of kneading to accomplish this. You know you are done when your dough passes the windowpane test (check the next post for an explanation). When in doubt, mix a little longer. It is almost impossible to over-knead dough.
Lightly spray a bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment and rise for about 90 minutes, or until it at least doubles in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Shape the dough into loaves (also check the next post for an explanation) and place in oiled 8.5x4.5 bread pans. Lightly mist the tops with oil and cover the tops with plastic wrap.
Proof at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the loaves crest fully above the tops of the pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with the oven rack in the middle. Remove the plastic wrap and place the pans in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, and then bake for 10-30 more minutes until the top, sides, and bottoms of the loaves are golden brown, depending on the oven temperature. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
Remove the loaves immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing or serving.