Asian Grocery Markets in Dallas

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Both of these markets are in North Dallas.

Super H Mart
2625 Old Denton Rd
Carrollton, Texas
 (972) 323-9700
http://www.hmart.com/company_new/shop_main.asp

Hong Kong Market Place
9780 Walnut Street
Dallas, TX
(972) 437-9888
http://www.hkmkt.com/

Crack!

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I decided to make this pie after learning that it is called "crack" because it is so good that you once you taste it, you cannot stop. They are right!

Crack Pie from Momofuku

Cookie for crust
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour
Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar
1 egg
Scant 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.
5. With the mixer running, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated.
6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch- by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.
Crust
Crumbled cookie for crust
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.
Filling
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon (3/4 ounce) milk powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 egg yolks
2 prepared crusts
Powdered sugar, garnish

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.
3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.
4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.
5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown (similar to a pecan pie), about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.
6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. 

The pies are meant to be served cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Chinese New Year

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Menu

Firecracker Shrimp
Wonton wrapped fried shrimp with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Shrimp for Happiness and Joy

 Steamed Pork Dumpling
Handmade dumplings stuffed with Pork and Shrimp
Dumpling Purses Symbolize Wealth

Thai Beef Salad
Spicy beef and Asian vegetables
Lettuce for Rising Fortune

Fried Whole Fish
Deep fried whole fish with chili sauce and steamed rice
Having More Than Enough for the Coming Year

Matcha Ice Cream
Green Tea and White Chocolate Ice Cream with fortune cookie
Happiness and Good Health

Tsingtao Beer

Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewürztraminer

 

Firecracker Shrimp /w Sweet Chili Sauce

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Firecracker Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce

based on a recipe from Jaden Hair

25 large tail-on shrimp, deveined and nicked on their inside curve so that they lay straight
25 wonton wrappers
Oil for frying
Marinade1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp grated ginger (using rasp grater)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
Cornstarch “paste” (mix well to form paste)
1 Tb cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Combine marinade ingredients in bowl, marinate shrimp for 20 minutes.

Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Wrap each shrimp in a wonton wrapper half. Seal with cornstarch paste.

Fry in hot oil (375) until golden brown and shrimp is cooked through. Serve with sweet chili sauce for dipping.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

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Steamed Pork Dumpling

1 package of dumpling skins (Mondu)
3/4 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined and chopped (we used frozen minature salad shrimp)
3 stalks green onions, minced
1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, minced
1/2 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine (or dry sherry)
for the slurry: 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl
water
cooking oil

Combine all ingredients except dumpling skins and cooking oil in a large bowl.  Mix well.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of the filling onto dumpling skin.

Brush a bit of the cornstarch slurry all around the edge of the dumpling skin. Fold over and press to secure edges. Make sure edges are sealed tightly.

Heat a large nonstick pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the dumplings, not touching, to the pan. Let fry for 1 minute until the bottoms are light golden brown. Pour 1/4 cup of water into the pan and immediately cover with a tight fitting lid. Turn heat to medium and let the dumplings steam for 3 minutes. Open lid and let the remaining liquid cook off about 1 minute. Cut into a dumpling to make sure that the filling is cooked through. If necessary turn the dumplings over and fry until cooked.

Remove to plate and serve with soy sauce.

Thai Beef Salad

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Thai Beef Salad

1 1/2 pounds of Flank Steak
Marinade
5 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon of ginger
4 jalapeno peppers minced
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons of Sesame Oil
Salad
1/2 of the marinade
1 head of Boston Lettuce torn into managable pieces
1 cucumber sliced thinly
1 small onion or sliced green onion
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Mix the marinade together and spoon only HALF of it over the steak-keep the rest for the salad.

Grill the marinated steak until about 145 F to medium-rare. Let the steak cool to room temperature. Meanwhile assemble the salad.

Toss the salad together with the reserved marinade. Slice the steak into bite-size pieces and place atop the salad.

Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry

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Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry

1 lb baby bok choy
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sliced green onion
3 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. turmeric, shredded
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
1/8 C. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Cut the bottoms off the baby bok choy so that the leaves  separate. Rinse well and pat dry.  Heat a wok (or large fry pan) over high heat. Pour in peanut oil and then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat bottom.  Add garlic and ginger and saute for 2 minutes. Add in turmeric and saute for 2 minutes. Add chopped green onion. Add half of baby bok choy and stir-fry until leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes, then add remaining baby bok choy and stir-fry until all leaves are bright green and limp, 3 to 4 minutes total. Stir in soy sauce, then saute for 1 minute. Cover with lid and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Note:  You can add other ingredients if you wish.  We happened to have King Trumpet Mushrooms and put them in the wok first since they needed to cook longer than the bok choy.

Crispy Fried Whole Fish with Chili Sauce

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Crisy Fried Whole Fish with Chili Sauce

1 whole red grouper (or any white fish) we used Red Snapper- 4.5 lbs

Peanut oil for deep frying - enough to cover the fish
Corn Starch
Chili Saucesalt
garlic cloves
red pepper flakes
soy sauce
fish sauce
coriander

Directions(make the sauce)

Clean the guts out of the fish and remove the scales. Wash and pat dry. Rub the fish with the salt, then make 3-4 deep slices into both sides of the fish. Rub the fish with corn starch including into the slices.

Deep fry on medium heat until crispy and golden brown. Set the fish aside on a rack or plate.

Place the fish on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with a few sprigs of coriander.

Note:You can use any white meat (non-fishy) fish for this recipe.
You can use fish fillets instead of a whole fish. Just make sure they're thick enough as to be soft & meaty inside after frying.

Matcha White Chocolate Ice Cream

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Matcha White Chocolate Ice Cream

Matcha is finely milled green tea that is available in Asian specialty markets

1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
4 large egg yolks
8 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons matcha powder, sifted
Equipment: Ice cream maker, fine meshed strainer (chinoise), cheesecloth

In a medium heavy saucepan, bring the cream, milk, sugar and salt to a simmer over low heat, stirring constantly.

While whisking eggs, pour about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture in a thin, steady stream in the bowl of eggs. This should temper the eggs. Now pour the tempered eggs in the rest of the saucepan with the hot cream mixture, in a thin, steady stream while whisking the hot cream.

Cook over low heat, constantly stirring, just until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Do not let this mixture boil. Pour this mixture through a strainer lined with cheesecloth.

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring at 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Add the matcha powder to the chocolate and stir vigorously with whisk to mix well. Add this to the strained hot cream and stir to blend. Cool this mixture and refrigerate until chilled.

Freeze according to the instructions for your ice cream machine.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve with a crisp almond cookie and Dragon fruit.  A banana flower petal can be used as a serving bowl.

Crème Anglais

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1 ½  cups milk
 4 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract


Beat egg yolks and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes, until pale yellow and slightly thickened.
Bring milk to simmer.
Pour milk into egg/sugar mixture, slowly, while whipping or mixing.
Return to stove and cook, stirring constantly, until 165 degrees.
Set pan in ice water to cool slightly.
Stir in butter and vanilla.

Singing for his supper

Chocolate Soufflé

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Adapted from a Jacques Torres recipe
Ingredients
1/3 cup half-and-half
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup water
8 large egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting
Creme anglaise (optional- recipe follows)
Directions
Makes 8  ¾ cup ramekins
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Soufflés are baked at a high temperature to ensure a good rise.
Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the inside of 8 (3/4 cup or 3 1/2” wide by 1 ¾” tall) soufflé ramekins with softened butter. Completely coat the insides of each ramekin with granulated sugar.   If you have properly buttered the ramekin, the sugar will stick to the side and bottom of it. The butter and sugar keep the soufflé from sticking to the side of the mold and allow it to rise evenly. The sugar also gives the soufflé a crunchy crust.
Prepare the soufflé base: Pour the half-and-half into a 1 quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium high heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat and make a ganache by adding the chopped chocolate. Stir well until combined and all of the chocolate has melted.
Place a 1-quart saucepan half-filled with boiling water over high heat and bring to a boil. Make a double-boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over the boiling water. Place the ganache in the mixing bowl, add the cocoa powder and water, and whisk until very hot. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To finish the soufflé: Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and make a French meringue by adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and whipping the whites to stiff but not dry peaks. Do not overwhip the egg whites or they will not incorporate evenly into the ganache, and when baked, the soufflé will have chewy pieces of egg white in it. You can tell the egg whites are overwhipped if they start to separate and resemble scrambled eggs.
Use a rubber spatula to gently fold about half the meringue into the warm chocolate mixture. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining meringue, being careful not to deflate the batter. The soufflé mixture should be homogeneous in color, but if you still see streaks of meringue in the batter, that’s okay.
Use a rubber spatula to gently place the soufflé mixture in the buttered and sugared mold. Fill to about one inch above the rim of the mold. Place the soufflé in the center of the oven and remove the top oven rack if necessary to allow enough room for it to rise. If the soufflé is too close to the bottom of the oven, the bottom of the soufflé will burn before the inside is properly baked.
Bake until the soufflé has risen to about one and a half times its original height and starts to brown on top, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust the top with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with creme anglaise, if desired.

Note: These soufflés can be frozen for a few hours.  Freeze them immediately after putting the mixture into the baking dishes.  When ready to bake, remove from the freeze and immediately place in a hot oven.  Allow approximately 15 minutes to bake the frozen soufflés.

Steak au Poivre

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A classic filet mignon, crusted in crushed black pepper, with cognac cream sauce.
Recipe is for 4.

4 Tenderloin filets, 1 1/2 inches thick
4 Tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup cognac
1 cup of heavy cream

If cutting steaks from a whole tenderloin, trim tenderloin of all fascia and fat. Cut steaks 1.5 to 1.75 inches thick.

Tie filets with twine to prevent them flattening out during cooking.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Sprinkle with salt.
Coarsely crush the peppercorns with  the bottom of a cast iron skillet. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside.

In a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. Cook until brown, 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook the other side. If you want the rare, they are done.

 For medium, put them on a cookie sheet  in 375 degree oven for a few minutes, start checking them at 5 minutes, remove before they are medium as they will continue to cook after they come out of the oven.  Remove the skillet from the heat, add cognac and cream, and stir. Reduce until sauce has thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.

Parsnip Purée

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2 parsnips per person
Milk for poaching
2 Tablespoons butter per person
Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel and trim the parsnips.  Cut into small chunks.  Poach the parsnips in milk on the cooktop until very tender. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup milk.  Place the parsnips and butter a food processor bowl with steel blade. Process until very smooth.  Add a small amount of reserved milk if too thick.  Adjust seasonings.

Roast Dove Breasts with Chicken Liver Canapés

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Dove breasts bones can be removed by slipping your thumb in between the meat and bone at the back end of the bird.  Keep your thumb pressed to the bones and work back and forth forcing the meat off the bone while slowing moving forward.

12 slices French bread ¼ inch thick

½(or more) cup clarified butter        

Toast the bread lightly on both sides in the clarified butter.

6 chicken livers

2 strips bacon chopped

¼ tsp salt

Pepper

¼ cup white wine

1 bay leaf

1T Madeira, port or cognac

8 T butter

Trim the livers.  Sauté the bacon in a medium size skillet with lid.  Add the chicken livers, seasonings, bay leaf and wine.  Cover and cook over low heat until the chicken livers are tender and done with no pink remaining. Use a slotted spoon and transfer to the bowl of a food processor with steel blade.  Process until smooth while adding butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Adjust seasoning. Spread the mixture on one side of each piece of bread and place on cookie sheet.  Set aside.

12 boneless dove breast halves

Salt/pepper

Tarragon

Butter

6 strips of bacon (use thin sliced bacon)

¾ cup Cognac 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rub the dove breasts with butter. Season the breasts with salt, pepper and tarragon.  Wrap each breast in ½ slice of bacon and place in shallow roasting pan.  Cook the wrapped breast on the stovetop until warm and partially cooked. Pour cognac over the breast and carefully Flambé them.

Place the pan in the over. Baste and turn the birds every 7 minutes until done. (When juice is no longer red tinted)  Remove from oven and place on warm dish. Cover with foil. Change the oven to broil.

1T minced shallots

½ smashed garlic clove

2 T fat/juice from roasting pan and any solids

1 ½ cups beef stock

¼ cup cognac

1 T butter       

Place the fat/juice in a pot large enough to hold 2 cups of liquid. Stir the shallots and garlic into the fat/juice and cook slowly for 2 minutes. Add the stock and cognac and boil rapidly until reduced to about ½ cup. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.

           

To Serve:
Place the dove breasts on top of the chicken liver spread. Return to the oven and broil the canapés for 2 minutes or until sizzling.  Drizzle with sauce.

Classic Dijon Vinaigrette

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1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 med garlic cloves, minced
3 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
Dash Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
3/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, mustard, and sugar.  With a fork, stir into a paste.  Add the lemon juice, Worchestershire sauce, and thyme.  Stir.  Whisk in the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Classic Dijon Vinaigrette keeps refrigerated for 1 month.
Makes 1 cup.

L'Opera Cake

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A Dorie Greenspan recipe.

The classic Opera Cake is a work in six acts. There are three thin layers of almond cake, each soaked in a potent coffee syrup; a layer of espresso-flavored buttercream; one layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache; and a topping of chocolate glaze. Traditionally, the cake is decorated with its name written in glaze across the top and finished with a piece of shimmering gold leaf. It is obviously a rich cake, but it is surprisingly not a filling cake. To add a little crunch and give it an Italian flare toasted almonds were pressed into the buttercream and the ganache.

A note on size: This recipe makes a square Opera Cake that is a festive - and impressive - 10 inches on a side. If this is more cake than you need, don't cut down the recipe - you won't be successful with some of the cake's components, particularly the buttercream, if you reduce the quantities. Instead, make the full cake, cut it into smaller size cakes and stock them in your freezer.

Makes about 20 servings

The cake:

6 large egg whites, at room temperature

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cups ground blanched almonds

2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

6 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled briefly

The coffee syrup:

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee

The coffee buttercream:

2 tablespoons instant coffee

2 tablespoons boiling water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Pulp of 1/4 vanilla bean

1 large whole egg

1 large egg yolk

1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

The chocolate ganache:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream

The chocolate glaze:

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 stick unsalted butter

To make the cake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line two 12 1/2-xl8 1/2-inch jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter. (This is in addition to the quantity in the ingredient list.)

Working in a clean dry mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until

they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the whites into another bowl.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almonds, confectioners' sugar and whole eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and beat on low speed only until it disappears. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture, then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.

Bake the cakes for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. Put the pans on a heatproof counter, cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the cakes over and unmold. Carefully peel away the parchment, turn the parchment over and use it to cover the exposed sides of the cakes. Let the cakes come to room temperature between the parchment or wax paper sheets. (The cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead, wrapped and kept at room temperature.)

To make the syrup: Stir everything together in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cool.

(The syrup can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

To make the buttercream: Make a coffee extract by dissolving the instant coffee in the

boiling water; set aside.

Bring the sugar, water and vanilla bean pulp to a boil in a small saucepan; stir just until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook without stirring until the syrup reaches 255 degrees, as measured on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Pull the pan from the heat.

While the sugar is heating, put the egg and the yolk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until the eggs are pale and foamy. When the sugar is at temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly pour in the syrup. Inevitably, some syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl - don't try to stir the spatters into the eggs. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the eggs are thick, satiny and room temperature, about 5 minutes.

 Working with a rubber spatula, beat the butter until it is soft and creamy but not oily. With the mixer on medium speed, steadily add the butter in 2-tablespoon chunks. When all the

butter has been added, raise the speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thickened and

satiny. Beat in the coffee extract. Chill the buttercream, stirring frequently, until it is firm enough to be spread and stay where it is spread when topped with a layer of cake, about 20 minutes. (The buttercream can be packed airtight and refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 1 month; before using, bring it to room temperature, then beat to smooth it.)

To make the ganache: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl and keep it close at hand. Bring the milk and cream to a full boil, pour it over the chocolate, wait 1 minute, then stir gently until the ganache is smooth and glossy.

Beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy, then stir it into the ganache in 2 to 3 additions.

Refrigerate the ganache, stirring every 5 minutes, until it thickens and is spreadable, about 20

minutes. (The ganache can be packed airtight and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 1

month; bring to room temperature before using.)

To assemble the cake: Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Working with one sheet of cake at a time, trim the cake so that you have two pieces: one 10-x-lO-inches square and one 10-x-5-inches (25-x-12.5-cm) rectangle. Place one square of cake on the parchment and moisten the layer with coffee syrup. Spread about three-quarters of the coffee buttercream evenly over the cake. (If the buttercream is soft, put the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes before proceeding.) Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square; moisten with syrup. Spread the ganache over the surface, top with the last cake layer, moisten, then chill the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with a thin layer of coffee buttercream. (This is to smooth the top and ready it for the glaze - so go easy.) Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or for up to 6 hours; it should be cold when you pour over the glaze. If you're in a hurry, pop the cake into the freezer for about 20 minutes, then continue.

           

To glaze the cake: Bring the butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and clarify the butter by spooning off the top foam and pouring the clear yellow butter into a small bowl; discard the milky residue. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over—not touching—simmering water, then stir in the clarified butter. Lift the chilled cake off the parchment-lined pan and place it on a rack. Put the rack over the parchment-lined pan and pour over the glaze, using a long offset spatula to help smooth it evenly across the top. Slide the cake into the refrigerator to set the glaze and chill the cake, which should be served slightly chilled. At serving time, use a long thin knife, dipped in hot water and wiped dry, to carefully trim the sides of the cake so that the drips of glaze are removed and the layers revealed.

Keeping: Each element of the cake can be made ahead, as can the assembled cake. The cake can be kept in the refrigerator, away from foods with strong odors, for 1 day, or you can freeze the cake, wrap it airtight once it is frozen, and keep it frozen for 1 month; defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

Tomato Gravy

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This recipe should only be made when you have the freshest ripest tomatoes from a summer garden.  It can be made in large batches, divided and frozen.  When freezing use a freezer zip lock bag and remove as much air as possible.

5 lbs. fresh ripe tomatoes roughly cut in quarters

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

Olive oil

Handful of coarse chopped fresh basil

Kosher salt and fresh grated black pepper

Heat a heavy enamel coated cast iron pot over low heat. Toss in tomatoes and garlic.  Let the tomatoes liquefy and cook slowly for several hours.  The water will come out of the tomatoes and cook down as the tomatoes soften. When reduced by approximately half add the basil, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Cook another 15-30 minutes and taste.  Adjust seasonings to suit. 

Remove from the fire and let cool enough to handle.  Ladle the tomato mixture into a food mill (I use my grandma’s old hand crank food mill) and press out the tomato sauce.  Discard solids.

Serve warm or freeze.

Buon appetito!

Classic Caesar Salad

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Dressing

¾ cup olive oil3 cloves garlic, smashed¼ cup vinegar (can use a mixture, like ½ balsamic and ½ red wine)Juice from ½ a lemon½ can of anchove filets (3 or 4 filets)1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard½ teaspoon of saltA couple grinds of pepper

The Lettuce

2 Heads of Romaine, outer leaves discarded, inner leaves washed and chopped or torn into large pieces.

The Cheese

Reggiano Parmesano……shaved over the salad

Croutons

Your choice….best with homemade croutons made from thinly sliced bread, brushed with garlic butter and toasted in a 400 degree oven

The Salad

Microwave the garlic and the oil for one minute on high.

Put the lemon juice, vinegar, anchovies and mustard in a food processor. With the processor running, slowly pour in the oil. Add salt and pepper. If the taste is too strong for your liking, add a little water, and then more oil. Toss romaine with dressing, then add shaved parmesan and croutons……Bon appétit.

Gargantuan Meatballs

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Ingredients

1 lb ground beef sirloin (85/15)1 lb ground lamb1lb ground pork or turkey1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs, soaked in milk½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley1 cup freshly grated Romano or Reggiano Parmesan cheese2 eggs1 ½ teaspoons saltFresh ground black pepper to taste

The MeatballsMix the three meats together. Add the bread crumbs and mix. Add the eggs and mix. Add the parsley, cheese , salt and pepper, and mix.

Form the meatballs into 2 inch diameter balls. Saute a few at a time in a cast iron skillet with olive oil until brown on all sides. Don’t crowd the skillet. Place browned meatballs on a cookie sheet and cook in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. This will finish cooking them all the way through. Serve with sauce of choice……Marinara or Pomodoro maybe…..

Matt's Pappardelle Pasta

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Pappardelle is a very broad noodle suited for rich meaty sauces like ragu. It’s fun to make, and tastes way better than any you can buy.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 eggs
2 teaspoons olive oil

Stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt in a medium bowl, or on a clean board. Make a hollow in the center, and pour in the olive oil. Break eggs into it while mixing quickly with a fork until the dough is wet enough to come together. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is stiff and elastic.
   

Cover, and let stand for 30 minutes to relax. Roll out dough using a pasta machine to thickness of six on the machine.

 

Cut into noodles 3/4 to 1 inch in width. Allow the pasta to air dry for at least 15 minutes to avoid having it clump together.

Fresh pasta cooks VERY quickly. One minute in a large pot of salted boiling water and it’s done. Cook a third of the noodles at a time, dip them out and add more.

Add a little sauce to the noodles when they come out of the pot to keep them from sticking together.

Delicate Handmade Pasta

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*use this recipe when you want soft thin pasta such
as noodles for Ricotta Parmesan Cannelloni *

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 egg

Pinch salt

1 tsp olive oil

Place the flour on a work surface in a mound and make a well in the center. Put the egg, salt and olive oil in the well.

Mix the egg, salt and oil together with a fork without disturbing the flour.

Little by little use the fork to gently incorporate the flour into the egg mixture.

Once incorporated use your hands to blend the mixture together well. Form into a ball.

If the dough seems to dry, add a little more egg mixture. If the mixture is too wet and sticks to your fingers, rub your hands with flour and form the dough into a ball.

Knead the pasta dough by pushing down and away from you with the palm of your hand. Turn the dough 90 degrees, fold the dough over on itself and push down and away again. Continue this until the dough is smooth but not too dry.

Use a pasta machine or rolling pin to roll out and cut the dough:
Flatten the dough ball with your hand until it's about 1/2 an inch thick and about 2 ½ inches wide (to fit into the pasta machine. Set the pasta machine on its widest setting (1). Crank the handle while feeding the dough into the slot. Gently hold the flattened dough as it comes out of the pasta machine, but don't pull on it. If the dough feels sticky dust a both sides with flour.

If the side edges are jagged fold the dough in half, press out air pockets with your finger tips and pass through the machine again at the same setting.  Continue doing this until the side edges have smoothed out.

Turn the knob down one setting (2) to make the rollers closer together.  Crank the handle and feed the dough through the slot. Continue to turn down the knob and make the rollers closer each time the pasta is fed through the machine.

The dough will get longer and longer. Carefully hold the dough as it exits the pasta machine so it doesn't tear.  Continue passing the dough through the machine until desired thickness.  Very thin for cannelloni and angel hair- thick for fettuccini or spaghetti noodles.

Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the dough to desired lengths (about 6 inches for cannelloni).   Or use the cutting blades on the pasta machine to make thin or wide noodles.

Lay the pasta flat on a towel dusted with flour.

Heat a large pot of water and add a generous pinch of salt.  Fill a large bowl with ice, water and 1 T olive oil.  When the water is boiling add a small amount of pasta.  The pasta is cooked when it comes to surface of the boiling water (just a few seconds). Use a slotted spoon to remove the pasta and immediately place it in the ice water bath to stop the cooking.  Repeat this process until all pasta is cooked.

Cannelloni con Ricotta

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Pasta

One 2-egg recipe of "delicate" pasta, cut into large squares (5” by 5”) and cooked

Filling

15 oz. Ricotta cheese
12 or 14 sprigs Italian parsley
1 cup freshly grated Parmigianino cheese
2 egg plus 2 egg yolks

½ tsp nutmeg

Salt and white pepper to taste

Balsamella

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup all-purpose unbleached flour

1 ½ cups milk

Salt

Prepare the filling:

Remove parsley stems and chop fine.  In a bowl combine ricotta, Parmigianino, eggs, egg yolks salt pepper and nutmeg. Mix together and set aside.

Prepare the balsamella:

Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat.  When foaming, add flour.  Mix well and let the flour slowly cook until golden brown.  Remove from heat and let the flour butter mixture rest for 10 minutes.

Heat the milk until almost boiling.  Put the pan with butter/flour mixture back on the fire and pour in the hot milk while whisking (If you pour the milk in to slowly it will become lumpy).  Change to a wooden spoon and stir until the sauce thickens like gravy.

Assemble:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.   Spray a baking dish (your choice-individual or single large) with Pam.  Place a cooked pasta square on a board. Spread 3 tablespoons of the stuffing along one side and then roll up the pasta, starting at the edge with the stuffing to create a cannelloni.  Repeat this process until all stuffing and pasta has been used.

Spoon the balsamella over the completed cannelloni dish or dishes. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until well heated and bubbly.

Serve with a large spatula and a side bowl of marina or tomato gravy.

Lesson One

Tonight you learned how to make fresh pasta by hand using a hand crank pasta machine and the original Caesar Salad.

Pasta is an unleavened dough formed from a liquid (eggs and/or water) mixed with a flour (wheat, buckwheat, rice or other grains or a combination of grains) and cut or extruded into tubes, ribbons and other shapes; flavorings such as herbs, spices and vegetables (ex. tomatoes and spinach) can be added to the dough; pasta is usually boiled and served with a sauce.

The Classic Caesar Salad  is generally attributed to restaurateur Caesar Cardini (an Italian-born Mexican).Cardini was living in San Diego but also working in Tijuana where he avoided the restrictions of Prohibition. Cardini invented the dish when a Fourth of July 1924 rush on the restaurant depleted the kitchen's supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, adding the dramatic flair of the table-side tossing "by the chef".  In the original recipe, lettuce leaves are served whole on the plate, because they are meant to be lifted by the stem and eaten with the fingers.  The croutons are made fresh using whole slices of baguette.