Crab Cakes with Green Mango Salsa

Does anyone make crab cakes at home anymore? I don't think I've ever ordered one in a restaurant, but I know they are usually one of the most popular things on the menu. When I worked at Legal Seafoods, they were a perennial bestseller, appearing in, I believe, three different guises on the menu--appetizer, salad and main course. Everyone loved the crab cake.

I never order them, because there are so many things that can (and do) go wrong--too much bread, soggy crust, not enough flavor. And just because someone claims to use 1/2 pound of jumbo lump crab meat in every ginormous cake, that is no guarantee of flavor. So, since I have to admit that a good crab cake can be awfully tasty, we make them ourselves every once in awhile. Crab cakes are also an excellent excuse to make mango salsa--the luscious fruit has a natural affinity to the sweet crab meat, and a little lime makes everything sing.

I adapted the crab cake recipe from one I learned in a cooking class I took several years ago. It was all about fish, and I learned a lot, including some great ethnic recipes and a killer smoked trout dip. The mango salsa has no special secrets, but I will say that green mangoes or mango that aren't yet soft and ready for eating make the best salsa. You still get a little tartness to go along with the fruit's disarming sweetness, and the cubes of mango hold their shape better. I've suggested ingredient amounts for the salsa, but exact quantities aren't important as long as your proportions give you the flavor, heat level and texture you want.

Crab Cakes
Best quality canned crab meat is great in this recipe, but never buy the imitation stuff. I'd like to tell you what it's actually made of, but I'm a little afraid to find out. Old Bay is a seafood seasoning blend often sold by the fish counter in supermarkets, or with the spices; it contains salt among other spices, so none is added to the recipe. If you want to check your seasoning (which I'll often take the time to do with these kind of recipes), fry up one miniature crab cake first and add extra salt or spices if you like.

Makes about 6

2 tsp canola oil, plus about 2 tbs
1/2 onion, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pound crab meat
4 tbs breadcrumbs (like Progresso)
1 tbs mayonnaise (light is fine; I use canola mayo)
1 tbs Old Bay seasoning
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For serving: Green Mango Salsa, sour cream

Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook the onion until soft. In a large bowl, combine the egg, crab, breadcrumbs, mayo, Old Bay, cilantro and onions; mix gently with your hands or a large spoon, leaving large chunks of crab intact. Try to form a patty, and if the mixture does not hold together, add a small amount of additional breadcrumbs.

Form 6 crab cakes, cover and chill for at least thirty minutes or up to several hours (the purpose is to help the cakes stay together, but I have skipped this step before with no problems). When you're ready to fry, place the flour in a shallow bowl and dip each cake in flour, shaking off excess. Heat about one tablespoon of oil in a skillet over high heat and add half the cakes. Cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Repeating with remaining cakes and serve immediately with salsa and sour cream.

Green Mango Salsa
In Thailand, a common street snack is unripe mango slices dipped in a mixture of sugar, salt and hot ground chile, and that combination partly inspired this salsa. Use a chile powder with flavor you like, whether it's mild or hot and smoky, such as ground chipotle. If you don't like heat at all, try smoky paprika.

1 green or underripe mango, diced
1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, diced (seeds optional)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground red chile powder
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Drizzle of olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lime, or to taste

Combine all ingredients. Serve right away or let salsa sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes so flavors can blend.

Thai Fried Hardboiled Eggs

If you still have hardboiled eggs leftover from Easter, here’s the perfect way to save them from neglect. It’s not complicated, but it’s so different that you’ve got to try it!

This is a recipe from a Thai cookbook I bought when we were over there. It's one of those things where we looked at the picture and said, “Hmm, deep fried eggs…how can that be bad?” We made them as a snack on Easter, and if we had fried more than just 4 eggs, we would have eaten them all.

They taste just like regular hardboiled eggs - no oil gets inside - except with a warm, crispy outer layer. The cookbook called for a sauce made with tamarind pulp. All I had was tamarind concentrate, which I use in my pad Thai, so I improvised a dip with that, sugar and a splash of fish sauce. I really think any Asian dipping sauce you like would work with these – there are so many ready made sauces you can buy, or whipping one up yourself is just as easy. Tamarind has a very sharp, sour, and citrusy flavor, so try aiming for something sweet and tangy. In this picture, you can see the fried crust better...

Our whole Easter (except dessert, but I'll get to that later) had a Asian theme. While we had the pot full of hot oil going, we decided to make some coconut shrimp (actually, those were all Mike)...

There may have also been some shrimp and pork wontons, but there is no photographic evidence of alleged wontons.

And for breakfast, we had kimchi and rice bowls with eggs. This is our new favorite thing. The Asian grocery store we've been frequenting lately seems to be Korean-owned because they sell huge jars of this fantastic, fresh (as fresh as a condiment made of fermented cabbage could be) kimchi. It's got a good heat level, but not too much for me, and the cabbage is just a little crisp. I love it, and I think Mike could eat it by the pound.

Anyway, I put some in a bowl with brown sushi rice (any rice would be great) and top it with fried eggs - a perfect meal! It was my dinner tonight, actually. So, if you're feeling adventurous, try frying some hardboiled eggs. We did it because we've never seen it before, but it's really good!

Thai Fried Hardboiled Eggs with Tamarind Sauce
Adapted from Authentic Recipes from Thailand by Sven Krauss, Laurent Ganguillet and Vira Sanguanwong

For 4 eggs; make as many as you want.

Canola oil for deep frying
2 large shallots, sliced
4 hardboiled eggs, peeled
chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

For dipping sauce:
3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Thoroughly combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust flavors to your liking - this is not an exact science. Alternatively, use any sweet/tangy dipping sauce.

Using a deep fry thermometer, heat oil about 3 inches deep in a medium saucepan to 350-360 degrees. Try to maintain this temperature as closely as possible the whole time. Fry the shallots until golden; drain on paper towel.

Fry two eggs, turning once or twice, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining eggs. Slice eggs in half lengthwise and serve with dipping sauce, shallots and cilantro.

A quick note: Mike and I are going to Boston this weekend to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary (it was actually March 19th). So, you probably won't be hearing from me until Tuesday, since I'm crazy with trying to finish up a work project before I go.

Super Bowl Snacks: Bacon Brittle and Spiced Nuts

I'm really looking forward to the Superbowl because it's a great excuse to make really fun food. And because I'll get to see Tom Brady crush Eli Manning...yippee!

If you serve even one of these recipes to people on Superbowl Sunday (or any day), they will remember you for throwing the best Superbowl party ever. Serve both and people may not be able to handle all the tastiness--these snacks are unbelievably addictive.

I made them both over the holidays, and the bacon brittle was a surprise stocking stuffer for Mike. I had never made any kind of brittle by myself, but the process went smoothly, and it turned out perfectly. It's pretty well established that a little salt makes sweet things a million times more delicious. When that salt comes in the form of bacon, you've really hit the ultimate expression of the idea. Whatever doubts you might have about this recipe, just banish them and go for it. At the very least, you'll have fun breaking the brittle up with a hammer (in the photo above, the brittle is set, but not yet cracked into shards).

I followed this simple recipe, which was adapted from Obsession with Food. I did however use slightly more bacon, about seven slices. Needless to say, use the best bacon you can find for this recipe. Overly salty, watery stuff will reduce the deliciousness considerably. For planning purposes, note that this brittle stays hard for about 48 hours after you make it, then gets progressively softer.

The spiced nuts are another take on sweet and salty, this time with some fresh rosemary thrown in. I've been making these for years, since I saw the recipe in Nigella Bites. Nigella adapted it from the Union Square Cafe, a great restaurant in New York. When I was there on business a few years ago, that's where I went for dinner the first night because I remembered Sara Moulton talking about it on her old cooking show, and I loved Sara. I think they had bar nuts when I went, but they weren't quite like these.

I love these nuts. Anytime you're having people over, you won't go wrong if you put these out. They are incredible warm, and not really any less incredible after they've cooled. You can make them a day ahead if you want. I tweak the recipe a bit every time I make them, and I always start with different quantities of nuts. You can't really go wrong here if you use fresh rosemary, good salt and a chile seasoning you like. I use standard cayenne pepper, but you can use any ground chile.

If the Superbowl isn't your thing, wouldn't your Valentine love one of these treats? If he's a man who likes meat, you cannot fail with the Bacon Brittle.

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts
Adapted from Nigella Bites
The nuts must be raw because you’re going to do the roasting and salting. My grocery store sells mixed bags of Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, cashews and hazelnuts in the produce section. Another good idea is to hit the bulk bins at a natural foods store and make your own mix. If you want more nuts to feed a crowd, scale the quantities up as needed.

Approximately 1 1/2 cups raw mixed nuts
1 tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary (do not substitute dried)
pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 tbs. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 1/2 tbs. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and roast until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Give the tray a shake and turn the larger nuts once or twice during roasting, watching closely so they don’t burn.

Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and butter in a bowl. Add the hot roasted nuts and toss well to coat. Serve warm or cool and store in an airtight container.

Need more snack ideas? Here are a few picks from my archives:

1) Oktoberfest Crostini - great party bites with bratwurst and sauerkraut
2) Catalan Flatbread with Piquillo Peppers, Caramelized Onions and Anchovies - the title is a mouthful, but these appetizer pizzas are really easy to make!
3) Mini Corn Cakes with Guacamole - a great munchie if you're serving chili too.
4) Phyllo Triangles with Lamb, Onions and Pine Nuts - perfect if you want to go a little bit exotic.

Two Appetizers for New Year's Eve: Apple-Thyme Chicken Liver Mousse and Pistachio-Chicken Liver Pâté

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate (or not). I had a fun, relaxing Christmas full of great presents and amazing food. I know I'm incredibly lucky, and now there's even more to look forward to with New Year's coming up. My school's football team, the Boston College Eagles, plays their bowl game tonight, and we're celebrating by trying out a recipe from one of the new cookbooks I got for Christmas. I'm trying to get some work done before another weekend starts, and I have so many recipes I want to post on this blog! I will start with two you may want to make this weekend.

If you are looking for elegant New Year’s Eve appetizers, I’m sending chicken livers to your rescue. If you are already gung-ho over nose-to-tail eating, this is child’s play. If you’re not so sure about chicken livers, consider this: they are so cheap and easy to prepare that you won’t be taking a big risk if you don’t like them. If you’re worried about squeamish friends and family, just call these dishes “country pâtés” and hope they are too embarrassed to ask you to explain exactly what’s in it. After the first bite, they won’t care anymore.

I may have tried pâté a couple times over the years, but I never had any interest in it until Mike and I had the chicken liver toasts at Michael’s Genuine, a restaurant in Miami that has become our new favorite place. If you’ve had foie gras, that’s the closest reference point I can think of for chicken liver. Unlike the geese raised for foie gras however, the chickens don’t get any special treatment, which explains why you can buy a pound of all-natural, hormone-free chicken livers at Whole Foods for about $2.37.

When cooked until just a bit pink inside and whizzed up into a pâté or mousse, the flavor of the livers is densely meaty, like an ultra-concentrated stock. If you make the mousse, you’ll get an airy, spreadable texture, not unlike chocolate mousse. The cold, creamy quality of the whipping cream that is usually associated with sweetness is equally complimentary to the savory flavor of the livers. The thick pâté is better suited to slicing, and you can enjoy the color of the pistachios that way.

We scaled down these recipes and made them at the same time, Mike standing over a skillet of steaming apple chunks, and me sautéing shallots on another burner. Since we never made either a chicken liver mousse or pâté before, it was fun to compare the methods (very similar until the end) and the finished products (totally different, yet complementary). I’m not sure which one I like better, but these recipes have a permanent home with us. Another fancy (and vegetarian) New Year’s Eve favorite is my gruyère gougères, the best cheese puffs ever, especially if you’re drinking Champagne!

Mike's chicken livers cooking with apples and onions for the mousse.

My chicken livers cooking with caramelized shallots and sherry for the pâté.

Chicken Liver-Pistachio Pâté
Adapted from this recipe in Food and Wine magazine, December 2007
This will keep in refrigerator for two weeks. Serve on toasted baguette or ciabatta bread. F & W also suggested stuffing a bit of pâté into brandy-poached prunes--yum!

Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Recipe may be doubled.

4 tbs. unsalted butter, softened (divided use)
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 lb. chicken livers, rinsed and trimmed of any fat (there won't be much)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry sherry or marsala
2 tbs. chicken broth
1/3 cup plus 1 tbs. salted roasted pistachios, chopped (divided use)
1 tbs. chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tbs. unsalted butter, melted

Add 1 tbs. of the softened butter to a large skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Raise heat to medium, add chicken livers, season with salt and pepper, and cook, turning once or twice until firm, about 4 minutes. Add the sherry and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and continue cooking, turning livers a few times, until they are light pink in the center, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer 2 chicken livers to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, chop the 2 livers into tiny pieces, about the size of the chopped pistachios. Set aside.

Transfer the contents of the skillet to a blender or food processor and puree. With the machine running, add the remaining 3 tbs. of softened butter, one tablespoon at a time and blend until completely incorporated. Transfer the puree to a bowl and fold in the reserved chopped livers, 1/3 cup chopped pistachios, the parsley and the thyme. Season with salt and pepper, tasting as you go. Transfer the pâté to a ramekin, mason jar or other serving vessel, smoothing the surface as much as possible. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Pour the melted butter evenly over the surface of the pâté , then sprinkle with the remaining tbs. of chopped pistachios. Cover and refrigerate until butter is firm, or for up to 2 weeks. Served chilled or at room temperature.


Apple-Thyme Chicken Liver Mousse
Adapted from this recipe on Foodtv.com, courtesy of Alton Brown

Makes about 2 cups. Recipe may be doubled.

1 tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped tart apple
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 pound chicken livers, rinsed and trimmed of fat (there won't be much)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbs. brandy
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a large skillet over low heat, melt the butter and cook the onion and apple, covered, until apples soften. Remove lid, increase heat to medium, add the livers, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until firm and still pink inside, turning several times, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, about 10 minutes.

Add the contents of the skillet to a food processor along with the brandy and thyme, and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream to medium peaks. Adding about a quarter of the whipped cream at a time to the liver puree, gently fold the cream into the liver. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. Serve chilled.

Oktoberfest Crostini: Brats and Sauerkraut get Classy

Two Saturdays ago, Mike and I spent the afternoon at the Oakland Park Oktoberfest. It was very small scale, but that meant it was easy to find parking, the beer line wasn't long, and there weren't too many people blocking our view of the dachsund races. All those little weiner dogs running around were so cute, and it made for a really fun day.

One of our favorite beers for any time of year--Tucher--was on tap. We drank both the special Oktoberfest brew and the regular style. This is an excellent food beer--think slow-roasted pork with tangy barbecue sauce, lentil stew, and of course brats and sauerkraut.

The official Oktoberfest celebration in Munich is over now (it runs from late Sept. through early October), but why should we pay attention to technicalities. This is the perfect time of year for some hearty German fare, so we picked up a 6-pack of Tucher at our Whole Foods market, along with their all-natural pork brats and got to work. I wanted finger food--not a big sloppy sandwich that you have to polish off in 5 minutes because it's too messy to set it back down on your plate. So I came up with bratwurst and sauerkraut crostini. It was my idea of Oktoberfest with style, but it worked even better than I expected! It was the perfect balance of flavors, and there wasn't an excess of soggy bread taking over.

Mike cooked the brats with onion by browning them and then simmering in beer for a while. We eat chicken and turkey sausage fairly frequently, but these were a whole new taste--and so juicy! You can do everything as directed and serve it as a baguette sandwich if that works better for you, but don't let October end before cooking some brats. For us, I think it's going to be a year-round dish.

Oktoberfest Crostini
I never had a bratwurst I really liked until we tried Whole Foods Market “Whole Ranch” brand (find near the meat counter). They are extremely lean, but really juicy and of course, don’t contain any scary ingredients. For lager, we used Red Stripe ('hooray beer!') from Jamaica. It worked very well, as should any traditional lager-style beer. Do not use ale - especially not an IPA (India Pale Ale). The bitter flavor will dominate the dish.

Makes 20

1/2 tbs. oil
4 pre-cooked bratwurst sausages
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thickly sliced
1-12 oz. bottle lager (or enough to cover sausage about halfway in skillet)
1 cup prepared sauerkraut
1/4 cup water
20 slices from a whole grain baguette, cut on the diagonal, about 1/2-inch thick
spicy mustard
chopped parsley

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil to medium-high. Add the brats and cook until browned on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip and brown on the second side. Add the onion to the skillet right after flipping the sausage and cook until soft and lightly browned. If you want, use tongs to brown the brats on a third side. Season onion with salt and pepper. Add lager to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cook for 12 minutes, turning the sausage once halfway through. Remove skillet from heat.

Meanwhile, combine the sauerkraut and water in a small saucepan over low heat for a few minutes to warm it. Spread the baguette slices generously with mustard.

Remove sausages from skillet and slice on the diagonal into about 10 slices per sausage. Remove onions from skillet and discard the liquid. Layer each baguette slice with a couple sausage slices, onion, and a spoonful of sauerkraut. Sprinkle with parsley. Arrange on a serving platter and serve warm or at room temperature.



Technorati Tags: recipes, pork, bratwurst, appetizers, oktoberfest

Catalan Flatbread with Piquillo Peppers, Caramelized Onions & Anchovies

Spanish food...the love affair continues. I, like many cookbook junkies I'm sure, snapped up Jose Andres' book, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America, soon after it came out. I was familiar with Andres from eating in one of his Washington, D.C. restaurants, and I love tapas. I have to shamefully admit that I haven't used the book much at all. It has a lot of motivating photography, and the recipes are not difficult for the most part. The best explanation I can come up with is that, realistically, an array of whimsical tapas dishes is not the simplest thing for the home cook to pull off.

If you enjoy tapas as much as I do, there are times when you find a way. Many of the recipes in this book could be entrees or sides as easily as they could be lunch or a mid-afternoon snack on the weekend. Tapas is not just about lots of small dishes, but a cooking philosophy of bringing together bold, high-quality ingredients in simple but interesting ways.

These flatbreads involve a homemade yeast dough, but wait--the recipe is formulated with a lot of yeast so it requires just one 30-minute rise. Flatbread recipes, like my beloved pizza dough, are simple as can be, but they do require waiting time. Not this one. It is ready so fast, you'll want to use it for other recipes.

Piquillo peppers are Spanish wood-roasted sweet peppers that pack a nice bit of heat. The come in jars like roasted red peppers (but they're not at all similar in taste), and you can find them in lots of grocery stores and gourmet shops.

For me and Mike, this would be great football watching food, but try it anytime you want something savory, salty and out of the ordinary.

Catalan Flatbread with Anchovies & Piquillo Peppers
Adapted from Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres.

Makes 8

For dough:
2 packets (1/2 oz.) active dry yeast
1/2 c. whole or lowfat milk, gently warmed in the microwave (not scalding)
1 c. plus 3 tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

For Flatbreads:
2 tbs. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
20 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 c. piquillo peppers (a little less than a 13 oz. jar), cut into small pieces
16 oil-packed anchovy fillets, halved crosswise
6 oz. Manchego cheese, grated (about 1 c.)

Stir the yeast into the warmed milk and let it rest for 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. Pour the yeast mixture into the food processor and process for 1 minute, or until the dough is well-mixed. Remove the lid and cover the bowl of the food process with plastic wrap. Leave it in a non-drafty place to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the olive oil to a large skillet, preferably cast iron or nonstick, and heat to medium-low. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasional for 15 to 20 minutes, or until caramelized--very soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper once they start to soften. If the skillet gets too dry before onions are done, add 1/2 tablespoon of water to prevent them from burning. Remove from heat and set aside.

Coast two baking sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. When the dough is finished rising, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Flatten them into an oval with your hand, then use a floured rolling pin to roll them out into long thin strips, about 10 x 2 inches. Place them on the baking sheets as you go.

Prick each flatbread two or three times with a fork. Divide the onions and olives among the flatbreads. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked in the center and lightly browned around the edges. Top with the piquillo peppers, anchovies and Manchego. Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on top and return to the oven for 2 minutes. Serve hot.

And a few more intriguing flatbread recipes from food blogs I heart:

1) Parmesan Skillet Flatbread from Je Mange La Ville.
2) Arabic Flatbread Pizza--a cheesy cultural hybrid from Morsels & Musings.
3) Ana Sortun's Flatbread with Spiced Chicken and Pistachios--No wonder I love The Wednesday Chef--she constantly writes about the kind of food I love, and she's into Ana Sortun!
4) Rosemary Pears on Flatbread with Mozzarella from Acme Instant Food lucks divine.

Technorati Tags: recipes, baking, Spanish, appetizers, piquillo peppers

Sage Ravioli with Brown Butter and Hazelnuts

Looking back through the recipes on this blog, I see so many firsts. From the first time I fried chicken, to my light, buttery gougeres (my first simple marvel of french patisserie), to the first go at ice cream (fig gelato, actually), I've loved expanding my horizons in the kitchen. Today's post is another first for me, but it's so easy, many of you have probably already done it.

Ravioli are simple to make yourself, thanks to fresh wonton wrappers, now available in many grocery stores. I just never got around to taking advantage of this incredibly convenient product. Mike recently discovered them when he made some amazing fried shrimp wonton appetizers. Then we made the amazing Tunisian appetizer, Brik, and once we did that, we knew ravioli had to be the next thing on our list.

If you like making homemade pasta, by all means do it. But for me, that's just one more time-consuming, fussy step that isn't particulary challenging or fun. With wonton wrappers (or eggroll wrappers cut down to size), you can focus on the creative possibilities of homemade ravioli--dreaming up your filling, sauce and special extras that can take this from simple entree to impressive starter, or even surprising dessert (mascarpone ravioli with nutella dipping sauce, perhaps?)

Sage Ravioli with Brown Butter and Hazelnuts
I have always liked the idea of a brown butter sauce for fresh pasta, with frizzled strands of cheese just barely melting into it. I have often seen brown butter paired with sage, and adding the crunch of toasted hazelnuts seemed like a natural addition to me. I like this as an appetizer or small plate, and at least that keeps you from going overboard on the nutty butter sauce. If you've never made brown butter, know that it is temperamental. If it gets darker than a very light brown, it could be burnt--taste it to find out. Once you practice a couple times, you'll know when to whisk it off the heat. There's a useful photo of brown butter here. You will probably have extra filling and extra sauce with this recipe, so make a few extra in case any ravioli get mangled.

Serves 4 (3 raviolis per person)

1/4 cup raw hazelnuts, roughly chopped (or use dry roasted, unsalted nuts)
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tbs. chopped fresh sage
coarse salt and black pepper
1 egg white
24 wonton wrappers
6 tbs. unsalted butter
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

Put the hazelnuts in a large skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat, and toast, shaking the pan often, until light brown and fragrant. Remove from skillet and set aside. (You can also toast nuts on a baking sheet in a 300 degree oven until browned, about 10 minutes. Dry roasted nuts do not need to be toasted).

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and sage. Season with salt and pepper. On a lightly floured work surface (like a baking sheet), lay out 4 wonton wrappers horizontally in the space furthest away from you. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each square. Use your finger to coat the edges of the squares with egg white and press another wonton wrapper over the filling, pressing the edges tightly to seal. Cover this row of four ravioli with a kitchen towel so the dough doesn't dry out. Repeat, doing two more batches of ravioli, covering them with the towel as you go.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. While you are waiting for the water to boil, make the brown butter. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it within reach of the cooktop. Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to melt the butter. Once it has melted completely, don't step away. Let the butter cook until it turns a light brown color and there are a few tiny brown specks at the bottom of the pan. It is crucial to stop the cooking as soon as the butter is light brown and smells slightly nutty. Remove the saucepan from the heat and submerge the base in the ice water for about 30 seconds to stop the cooking. Season the butter with salt to taste and set aside.

When the water is boiling, add the raviolis. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the dough is al dente. You might want to make an extra ravioli or two to test the cooking time if you're unsure. Using a slotted spoon, shake off any water and remove the ravioli to 4 appetizer plates. Immediately drizzle with the brown butter and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Sprinkle hazelnuts on top and serve.

Technorati Tags: recipes, hazelnuts, sage, appetizers, ravioli

Brik, or the greatest fried egg ever!

I think I went through most of the past decade avoiding fried foods, with the exception of the occasional french fry. Then I discovered New England fried clams and things went downhill from there. But, wait, fried food, done right, isn’t that big of a deal. It’s just another way to cook things, and when Mike and I do it on occasion, it is usually a lot of fun. On top of that, the results can be a revelation.

We’ve fried donuts and egg rolls; even squash blossoms. When I saw the recipe for Brik, a wonton-like Tunisian turnover, in the May issue of Gourmet, I knew I had met the fried food of my dreams. It seemed to defy logic: a raw egg cracked into a little nest of tuna and parsley, wrapped in egg roll dough and fried to a golden crisp, yet keeping the yolk soft and silky within to create a rich, yellow dipping sauce that would ooze out when the brik was cracked with a fork. Too wonderful to be possible, right? Of course, we had to give it a shot.

Gourmet came through with this one, people. The recipe worked perfectly, and the promise of a soft, runny yolk was fulfilled. I have never eaten anything, much less fried anything, quite like this. As exotic as it sounds, it employs everyday ingredients, and requires a simple skillet for the quick shallow fry. We did watch our oil temperature carefully using a deep-fat thermometer, but this was really easy to do, especially with two cooks.



Just a couple slight changes to the recipe: The egg roll wrappers they sell in our grocery store are 6 x 6, not 8 inches, as the recipe calls for. The 6-inch wrappers were too small to fold over to form a triangle, so we just used 2 wrappers, one on top of the other to form a “pillow” with the egg and tuna nest in the middle. We did not brush the wrappers with oil because we forgot and then it didn’t seem necessary. We fried one brik at a time and pretty much ate as we went. They do keep beautifully for a few minutes in a low oven, however, if you need to fry a bunch and then serve.

These were so much fun, especially if you love a great, runny egg. Here is the link to the recipe, and if you have the magazine, there’s a lot of pictures in there too.

Just a quick note: Mike and I are leaving on Saturday to travel to Seattle to see his family, then on to Tokyo, Singapore where his aunt and uncle live, then Thailand and Vietnam. We'll be gone for over three weeks, but I'm going to blog as we go...I don't know what to expect, but it should be an amazing time; and I absolutely cannot wait for the food!

Technorati Tags: recipes, appetizers, eggs, fried food, Main Course

Phyllo Triangles with Lamb, Onions and Pine Nuts and a Request for Travel Info

This post may be about Middle Eastern food, but right now I've got bangers & mash, crumpets and pints of Caffrey's on my mind because tomorrow Mike and I are going on a much-anticipated trip to London, followed by a few days in Amsterdam. I went to school in London for a year during college, and I love the city. Mike has never been, so I'll get to show him all my favorite places. We have both been to Europe separately, but this is our first time together. I can't wait, and I'm about to go start packing! If anyone has any good restaurant suggestions for us, or anything else for that matter, please leave a comment! I won't be able to post next week, but come back on April 30th and I'll post pictures from the trip. Now on to the tasty...

For a long time, I was scared of working with phyllo dough. Then, determined to develop my own recipe for spanakopita, I channeled a Greek goddess or two, and took the plunge. By the time I finished, I had a very good spinach pie, and I was laughing at my own hesitation to cook with phyllo.

There’s nothing to it whatsoever! I had made pizza dough and yeast breads, but I was afraid of a cooking with dough that was already done for me? It didn’t make any sense, but was rather a case of fearing the new. Now that I’m over it, I can’t get enough of phyllo dough. If you love appetizers and small plates, phyllo can be your best friend.

These simple little lamb triangles are one of my favorite phyllo creations so far. You just cook up the ground lamb with a chopped onion, add spices and pine nuts, and fold the filling into a piece of phyllo, brushing with melted butter as you go. I find that I never need as much butter as most phyllo recipes call for. You don’t need to cover the dough with pools of it, just enough to lightly coat. You will still get golden, crispy, buttery phyllo.

According to Claudia Roden, this simple filling is a classic Arab preparation. The combination of lamb and Middle Eastern spices is a favorite of mine. The recipe sounds good on paper, but the real thing is so beautifully spiced and flaky that you will want to make them again and again.

Update: Not 10 minutes after posting, it has been brought to my attention that I failed to give due credit to the person who performed the horrible, mind-numbing, tedious task of making all the phyllo triangles himself. My wonderful, culinarily gifted husband did a top-notch job...how one man can have so many talents, I'll never know.

Don't worry if the dough gets a little raggedy; you won't notice once it's baked.

Seal up the edge with a little dab of butter.

Phyllo Triangles with Lamb, Onions and Pine Nuts
Adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden

If you do not like lamb or can’t find it, this will work just as well with beef or even ground turkey; although for me, the unique flavor of lamb is one of the best things about this dish. Defrost the phyllo dough in its wrapper and always keep it covered with a kitchen towel once it is unwrapped to prevent it from drying out.

Makes about 20

3-4 tbs. melted butter
8 oz. ground lamb
½ tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 ¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
2 tbs. pine nuts, lightly toasted
10 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two baking sheets with melted butter using a pastry brush. Heat a skillet to medium-high and add the ground lamb. Cook, breaking meat up with a spoon as you go, until lamb is no longer pink. If your lamb is on the fatty side, turn the meat out onto a plate layered with paper towels to drain and pour any fat out of the skillet. Add the oil to the skillet and lower heat to medium. Add the onions and cook until soft and lightly browned. Return the lamb to the skillet and season with salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice. Stir in the toasted pine nuts and remove from heat.

Place the phyllo sheets on a work surface and cut them in half lengthwise. Keep all the phyllo covered with a kitchen towel so it doesn’t dry out while you make the triangles. Take one strip of phyllo and lightly coat it with melted butter using a pastry brush. Place about one tablespoon of the lamb filling on one end of the strip, about 1 inch from the edge. Fold the end of the dough over the filling, then continue folding the dough over itself in triangle shapes. Seal up the end with a dab of butter, brush a little butter over the top of the triangle and place on one of the baking sheets. Repeat to use up the rest of the filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Technorati Tags: recipes, lamb, phyllo, appetizers, Middle Eastern

Mini Corn Cakes with Guacamole

We often find ourselves cooking up tapas or nibbles or afternoon snacks on the weekend. In fact, it is one of my favorite ways to relax. The routine is usually as follows: Go to the gym; eat a late breakfast (for me) or early lunch (for Mike); run errands; hang out with a cocktail and a bite to eat; then go on to whatever we’re doing for the night.

This past weekend took on a similar pattern, except it was even better because we were celebrating our first wedding anniversary on Saturday (the real date is today, but Saturday is a better time for celebrations than Monday). To tide us over until dinner at a romantic Italian restaurant by the water, we made these easy corn cakes. To me, they are an all-American version of blinis, and you can do just about anything with them to create a light appetizer.

If you want to top them with crème fraiche and salmon roe, I think it would be just as appropriate as my southwestern guacamole version. I would also try them with chutney or any variety of fresh or prepared salsa. They would even make a nice crostini for grilled shrimp.

Here are some other variations on corn cakes that I found in the food blogosphere:

Corn Cakes from The Domestic Goddess
Mini Corn Cakes with Avocado and Lime Salsa from The Passionate Cook
Unfried Corn Fritters from Something in Season
Bill Granger's Corn Fritters from The Wednesday Chef
Corn Fritters (made with polenta!) from Fresh Approach Cooking

Mini Corn Cakes with Guacamole
Adapted from this recipe from Foodandwine.com
These corn cakes can be made with either finely ground corn meal or medium ground, if you like a little more crunch. The very coarsely ground corn meal (the kind you might sprinkle on pizza crust) will not have enough time to soften during the quick cooking process. If you are using fresh corn, taste to make sure it is good to eat straight off the cob. If not, you can remove the kernels and cook in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to soften them up and bring out some sweetness.

Makes 24-28 corn cakes

½ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. fine or medium ground corn meal
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
couple of dashes cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 eggs, beaten
1 tbs. water
3 scallions, white and light green parts, minced
1/3 c. fresh corn kernels or frozen, defrosted and patted dry
3 tbs. melted butter
canola oil, for skillet

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. In another bowl, combine the eggs, water, scallions and corn. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.

Coat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet with a thin film of canola oil and heat to medium-high. Place spoonfuls of batter in the skillet to make pancakes about two to three inches in diameter. Cook until lightly browned on the first side, then flip and finish cooking. As you cook more batches, your skillet will get very hot, so lower the heat slightly as you go if the pancakes are browning too much. You can keep them warm in a low oven on a baking sheet covered with foil while you cook all the batter. They will stay warm for awhile on a serving tray covered with foil as well; or, you can make them a couple hours ahead and reheat wrapped in foil in the oven, or in the microwave.

Serve topped with prepared or homemade guacamole, fresh tomatoes and sour cream.


Technorati Tags: recipes, appetizers, vegetarian

My 100th Post! Skewered Shrimp Egg Rolls and Culinary Inspiration

Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis, my husband Mike utterly impressed me last week. We were hanging out at home, and the Food Network was on in the background. The episode of Giada’s show, Behind the Bash, was on where she covers a cocktail party put on by an exclusive Miami caterer at the former Versace mansion in South Beach. This was vaguely interesting to us since we don’t live too far from that neck of woods here in Fort Lauderdale.

Anyway, the extravagant caterer was having his staff fulfill his every aesthetic fantasy, but they still managed to turn out some really spiffy finger foods along the way. While I was puttering around doing something else, Mike saw them make these cool fried shrimp and crab rolls and decided he was going to whip some up too. Despite the fact that we’ve deep fried maybe two things in our kitchen, ever, I was encouraging. Mike is a really good cook, but it’s not everyday he goes all haute-asian, so I was excited to see how it would turn out.

I know I already gave away the ending, but let me say again that I was super-impressed. Mike pulled off the chic South Beach finger food thing with complete confidence, and I didn’t even have to lift one. He would be the first to tell you that these deliciously crunchy skewered shrimp rolls were a piece of cake. Still, how often do people see something on TV, gather the ingredients and go for it, no recipe in sight. You have to be a pretty confident cook to pull that off. It also goes to show that if you know your way around a kitchen and you know your ingredients, you can use your instincts and cook anything you want. And that's the moral of this story for my 100th post!

After we ate these fabulous shrimp rolls, we started thinking of other fillings and variations. The egg roll wrappers are a great item that you can use for all sorts of things -ravioli and samosas came to mind.

Here’s how Mike made these shrimp rolls:

1) Thread large shrimp (peeled and deveined) onto long skewers so that the shrimp are straightened out.

2) Lay a piece of egg roll dough (cut to about 3 x 6 inches) out in front of you horizontally. Lay one skewered shrimp on the end of the dough. Place about a tablespoon each of crab meat and seaweed salad next to the shrimp. Starting with the end that the shrimp is on, roll up the dough around the filling and press it together.


3) Quickly dip the skewered egg roll in beaten egg, then roll it in a combination of panko (we used whole wheat), shredded coconut, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture firmly onto the dough so it sticks.


4) Heat canola oil in a heavy deep pot, using a thermometer to maintain the correct temperature. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until the panko is crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels and serve right away with spicy cocktail sauce (add fresh horseradish) for dipping. You can do this in a skillet, but if the oil is very hot, it will splatter all over your kitchen. If you enjoy these shrimp rolls as much as we did, you won’t be too upset, but cleaning up is no fun.



Technorati Tags: recipes, shrimp, appetizers

Gruyère Gougères- Nothing Says "Celebration" Like a Cheese Puff

No doubt that a tall pint of Guinness would be the perfect accompaniment for the Guinness Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream in my previous post. Now I want to switch gears just a bit and give you a recipe that is a match made in heaven for champagne. While a good beer (and a cupcake!) can be a frequent indulgence, champagne is a bit more special. And because that bubbly can go to your head awfully quickly, you need an equally special snack to nibble on while you sip.

I made these gougères (pronounced goo-ZHAIR) with Gruyère cheese for the Oscars last weekend. Just because I’m not a movie star doesn’t mean I can’t pop open some sparkling wine and have an Oscar soirée in my living room. That’s the beautiful thing about food…it is an equal opportunity luxury.

Gougères are made with pâte à choux (paht-ah-SHOO), a simple French pastry dough that is also used to make cream puffs. Gougères, however, are a savory hors d’oeuvre that I would describe as the most fabulous cheese balls you’ll ever eat. They get very crisp on the outside, but stay moist, soft and airy on the inside thanks to the steam produced by their high water content and the buttery, eggy dough. They are the ultimate match, in my opinion, for a dry Champagne (brut) with toasty, yeasty flavors or—as I’ve heard wine reviewers describe it—with notes of brioche.

My philosophy is that we need to make as many celebrations in life as we can, from an overrated awards show to an intimate Sunday brunch, to Friday night (ANY Friday night). I was celebrating before we even opened the bubbly because making these gougères made me feel like a sophisticated French pastry chef. They are really easy to put together, but that’s no reason not to feel triumphant. And because I did not have to squeeze into a sample size Versace gown to walk the red carpet, I ate a rather celebratory number of these addictive little tasties!

Gruyère Gougères
Adapted from this recipe at Epicurious.com
You can serve these golden little puffs as they are or cut them horizontally and use as crudite. I sautéed a pint of sliced mushrooms in olive oil and butter, added a couple splashes of sherry and stirred in sour cream, and used it as a topper for my gougères. I saw Sam something similar on her blog, Becks and Posh, and I think it is a brilliant idea. If you don’t have gruyère, another firm, slightly salty cheese will work fine. I think good cheddar, Parmigiano or Pecorino-Romano would be delicious.

Makes 40 1 1/2 inch gougères

1 c. water
½ c. butter
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2/3 c. grated gruyère cheese, lightly packed
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
cayenne pepper, a couple dashes or to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Add the water to a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the water is hot (steaming, but not boiling), add the butter, salt and sugar. Stir occasionally until the butter is completely melted. Lower the heat and stir the butter mixture with a wooden spoon vigorously as you gradually add the flour. Keep stirring vigorously until the mixture comes to together and starts forming a tacky ball in the pan.

Turn the dough out into a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, beat in the eggs, one at a time on medium speed. You want the dough to be smooth, firm and waxy. I have always used two large eggs, but the original recipe on epicurious.com says you may need an additional egg. If your dough is not smooth after beating in two eggs, you may want to add an extra egg, or half an egg. It is important that the dough is firm enough to stand up in round balls when you spoon it onto a cookie sheet without spreading. It should be as firm as cookie dough, but it is much softer and lighter. The sticky, waxy quality is unique and you will know it when you see it. Just go with your instincts, and the dough will come out fine.

After you are done adding the eggs, use a wooden spoon to stir in the cheese, mustard and cayenne. Spoon small one inch balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The gougeres are done when they are lightly browned on top and brown on the bottom. As soon as you take them out of the oven, use a sharp, thin knife (like a paring knife) to poke a small slit in the side of each puff. This will release some of the hot air inside and prevent the puffs from "sweating" and losing their crispness. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Technorati Tags:recipes, appetizers