Go Blue!

I'm still feeling March Madness even though it's April. You may be surprised to find out that I will be glued to the TV today, watching the last four teams in the NCAA tournament play this afternoon and evening, paying particular attention to the Wolverines. CBS Sports is predicting Michigan and Louisville in the finals. That would be spectacular. But whatever way the ball bounces, I have enjoyed the tournament and getting to know Coach Beilein a little better through this great read.

I haven't thought specifically about sporty snacks for your game day watching (particularly with the Season 6 Mad Men premiere looming!) so I tried to come up with some inspiration from my existing maize and blue highlight reel below, though I was hard pressed to come up with any blue food! No, not gold and navy or yellow and royal. Maize and blue. Hail!

Fresh Corn Salad

Smoked Garlic Aioli

Blueberry Crumb Pie

Lemon Bars

Lemon Tart

Buttermilk Biscuits

Mixed Berry Crumble

Rustic Berry Tart

Limoncello

Blueberry Blues

The sun is shining and the birds are chirping (yes, even in midtown!) so why not pretend it's July and you've just gone blueberry picking? Frozen blueberries work perfectly well here (kind of like spring thus far) so just pretend for a little while longer. Soon enough we'll all be complaining about how hot it is...

Blueberry Bread with Lemon Glaze

Adapted from The New Best Recipe

Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups frozen (or fresh) blueberries

Glaze

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1. Muffins: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three small bread tins (about 6" x 3" x 2") and set aside. 

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk the egg in a second medium bowl until light in color. Add the sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and pale yellow, about 30 seconds. Add the butter in 2 or 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add the sour cream in 2 additions, whisking to combine. 

3. Add the blueberries to the dry ingredient and gently toss to combine. Add the sour cream mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until the batter just comes together. Be careful not to over mix. Divide the batter among the three tins and bake until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Invert on to a wire rack, stand upright, and cool.

4. Glaze: Bring the lemon juice and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium het. Stir to dissolve the sugar and simmer until the mixture is thick and syrupy and reduce to 1/4 cup. After the bread has cooled for 5 minutes, brush the tops with the glaze.

Note: Alternatively, make muffins by greasing a 12-cup muffin tin, dividing the batter evenly, and baking for 25 - 30 minutes.

Countdown to Spring

The first day of spring is just three days away and I am ready! Don't get me wrong. I love snow and skiing and all that jazz, but when it's just cold and wet, spitting and not actually snowing, it's just a drag. On this St. Patrick's Day, I'm not guzzling green beer or eating green bagels, and I'm not dying my hair green. (I know. So lame.) Instead I am eating my greens in the form of artichokes. For some reason preparing artichokes has intimidated me in the past, but if you work with these little guys, you don't have to worry about getting stabbed by extra pointy leaves or forgetting to remove the fuzzy center choke since there isn't one. Just peal off the outer leaves until you get down to the pale interior, trim, slice in half, cook and eat. They are way better than anything from a can or jar and quite impressive at a dinner party. Especially at one somewhere outside.

Braised Baby Artichokes

1 lemon, halved
24 baby artichokes
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1. Fill a large bowl with water, and squeeze the lemon juice into the water. Reserve the lemon halves. Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichokes. Trim the pointy tops and stems and cut in half lengthwise, rubbing the artichokes with the lemon halves and then transferring them to the lemon water as you work, to prevent discoloration. (See above photo.)

2. Drain the artichokes, and transfer to a large skillet along with the wine and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set over medium-high heat, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the artichokes are tender and the liquid has completely evaporated, about 15 minutes.

3. Uncover, lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the artichokes are tender and browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Serves 4.

I'll Have Another

Have you ever noticed that you can tell the style of a bar and price of the drinks just by the nuts that they serve? Peanuts in the shell that you crack yourself and throw on the floor?  Chain or dive bar. Salted mixed nuts in little silver bowls? Hotel lounge. The artisanal variety? Upscale restaurant or hotel bar that uses only organic fresh juices as mixers. These tasty snacks may be prepared with a variety of herbs and/or a sweet and salty spice mixture. All the better to to encourage multiple drink orders. If they get stingy on the free refills, make them yourself.

Rosemary Walnuts

Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 1/2 cups walnuts
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the rosemary and chipotle powder. Cook, stirring, 15 seconds. Add walnuts, salt, sugar, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring, until glossy and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

I'm Guilty!

Although I didn't go away for the long weekend I did go out more than I should have (just ask my accountant), leaving me with little reason to cook or shop for food. I had a free night and still wanted to eat dinner after going to the gym yesterday, so fortunately found this basic recipe. Pasta, yogurt and zucchini? Not exactly a "You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!" combination, but surprisingly tasty (and cheap). I thought it might need some lemon zest, but the yogurt provided all the zest required. I also used 2% yogurt and less butter, cutting out some of the extra fat for a more guilt free meal. I was already up to my eyeballs in guilt after a lunch of a fried chicken BLT topped with fried green tomatoes. And bacon. I have to go back to the gym, stat!

Pasta with Yogurt and Zucchini

Adapted from Food & Wine

1 pound cut pasta
4 medium zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds), coarsely shredded
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. One minute before the pasta is done, add the shredded zucchini to the pot. Drain the pasta and zucchini, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, melt the butter. Remove from the heat. Stir in the yogurt and the 1 cup of grated cheese and season the yogurt sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.

3. Add the pasta, zucchini and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and cook over low heat, tossing, until the sauce coats the pasta; transfer to warmed bowls and serve with the extra cheese.

Snow What?

You might have noticed a build up of this white, bulky winter precipitation that you have to shovel. Snow, I think it's called? (See photo above. Poor bastards. Good thing it rained yesterday.) Some of us got more than others (am I right, Boston and much of CT??) and boredom can start to set in when schools, activities and roads (even the L.I.E.??) are closed down. What to do...

I trekked 40 blocks to a friend's apartment to do a little baking and cooking (and by "trekked" I mean "took the subway" and by "cooking" I mean "drank wine") and ended up making two vastly different desserts as the tween trio on site could not decide on only one. "I want chocolate! I want raspberry!" I tried a compromise but it was met with a resounding, "I hate that. Gross." Whatevs. Hand me a cocktail and I can get three kids to make 2 desserts at the same time.

Somehow we decided on molten chocolate cakes circa 1987 and berry cobbler. Did I neglect to mention that "cookies are boring" and that we had to work from existing ingredients in the kitchen? Totally. (Take that Iron Chef!) In the end it all worked out. I even caught the berry tween eating the molten chocolate cake even though she "hates chocolate cake." And of course it wouldn't be 2013 if we didn't Instagram (@tinanders - holla!) the whole damn thing. (By the way, I made another version of the chocolate cakes here but this is the original recipe.) A real camera is just so 2011.

Molten Chocolate Cakes
Adapted from Food & Wine/Jean-Georges Vongerichten

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter and lightly flour four 6-ounce ramekins. Tap out the excess flour. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet.

2. In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the butter with the chocolate. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the egg yolks, sugar and salt at high speed until thickened and pale.

3. Whisk the chocolate until smooth. Quickly fold it into the egg mixture along with the flour. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake for 12 minutes, or until the sides of the cakes are firm but the centers are soft. Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then cover each with an inverted dessert plate. Carefully turn each one over, let stand for 10 seconds and then unmold. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead: The batter can be refrigerated for several hours; bring to room temperature before baking.

Mixed Berry Cobbler
Adapted from the Joy of Cooking and Martha Stewart

For the Filling:
2 pints raspberries and/or blackberries (red, black, or a combination of the two)
1/2 cup granulated sugar

For the Biscuit Topping:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
3/4 heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

1. Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Mix together the berries and sugar. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish.

2. Make the biscuit topping: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until the largest pieces are the size of small peas. Add the cream, and use a fork to incorporate, stirring just until cream is absorbed (there should be lots of loose pieces).

3. Turn out the dough onto a clean surface, and knead once or twice, gathering loose bits into ball. Pat dough to a 1 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into rounds or squares, or leave whole, and place on top of the filling. Brush with cream, and sprinkle with sugar.

4. Bake the cobbler until bubbling in center and biscuit topping is golden brown and cooked through, about 50 minutes (loosely tent with foil if biscuit topping gets too dark). Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving.

A Super Bowl of Dip

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I hate mayonnaise. It is the main reason why I can't stand those disgusting spinach dips that appear on crudités platters a plenty. Fortunately I have found a version that is made with both ricotta and feta cheese and is much tastier and way less slimy than the deli case variety. And since an entire bag of spinach is used, you can tell yourself (and believe it) that on this major day of dips, you are getting a full serving of vegetables along side your chicken wings and nachos. Eat up!

Fresh Spinach Dip
Adapted from Great Party Dips

6 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach (about 5 ounces)
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Cayenne pepper
Pita chips, crostini, and fresh vegetables for serving

1. Rinse the spinach in cold water and drain, but do not spin dry. Add to a large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is bright green and just wilted, 2 - 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain. When cool, squeeze dry with your hands.

2. In a food processor, combine the garlic and salt. Process until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the ricotta, feta, oil, lemon juice, dill, cayenne (to taste) and spinach and puree until smooth.

3. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 6 hours before serving. Makes about 2 cups.