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.