Please! I never enter (and therefore never win) anything! And it's not that hard to do. (Well, it kind of is...mostly because it takes 2 - 3 minutes to do vs. the 30 seconds I've generally spent voting for bloggers in other contests.)
The Dirt: I've entered Bon Appétit'sBlog Envy Bake Off. Since I only found out about it 3 days ago and voting ends on Sunday, I had to go with a holiday recipe already posted on my blog, the Meyer Lemon Curd Tart pictured below. (Trust me. It's exceptional.) Although it's not my original recipe it doesn't happen to matter for this particular contest. (I did provide credit to the book and author.) And I unfortunately don't have the time to bake, photograph, blog about, and submit my favorite holiday cookie recipe (that I could call my own) before the deadline this weekend. The deadline! You need to vote now!
Voting With Ease: Once you click on this link to the contest, click on "vote here" or "cast your vote" (you will have to register first). The next page will provide an opportunity to vote for cake recipes. Feel free to place a vote, but if you're strapped for time, skip it and scroll to the bottom and click "vote on the next batch." Do this 3 more times until you reach the pie/tart/pastry page where my lemon tart photo resides and then click on it. A green check mark will appear. WAIT! YOU'RE NOT DONE! Click on "vote on the next batch" at the bottom of the page and then, on the following page (miscellaneous) you will not be finished until you click, "Finished? Submit your survey." Do that and I will be forever grateful. I will be even more grateful if you tell your friends to do the same!
If it's made with bacon. And creme fraiche if you're my friend, Chad.
Since quiche is so easy to make, it's a great option for holiday breakfasts (or lunches) for unexpected (or expected) guests and, no, you don't have to make your own crust. If you do purchase a pie shell, do look for one that isn't made with hydrogenated oils. Then, just use my recipe as a guide and freestyle with your favorite ingredients which, if you're my friend, I assume includes bacon. But you can make vegetarian versions too. I guess. But I'm not sure if real men eat vegetarian quiche. You'll have to figure that out for yourself.
Bacon and Leek Quiche
8 ounces (about 8 slices) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 large leek, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 2 large whole eggs 2 large egg yolks 1 cup whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 cup) 1 (9-inch) pie shell (store bought or homemade dough that has been blind baked)
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain the bacon, leaving 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan, and transfer the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Add the leek, thyme, salt, and white pepper to the skillet, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cream, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Spread the cheese, cooked bacon and leeks evenly over the bottom of the pie shell. Pour the egg mixture into the pie shell and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through for even baking, until light golden brown. Transfer the quiche to a rack to cool. Serves 6 - 8.
If you are looking for a refreshing dessert recipe to make over the holiday season, look no further than this Meyer Lemon Tart recipe. Not every dessert made from November - January has to be a gingerbready-appley-cinnamony confection.
Meyer lemons, a slightly sweet, thin-skinned citrus that taste like a cross between a lemon and a tangerine, are in season from November to March. Check them out! Try them in drinks or in sweet or savory recipes.
I love lemon tarts and this recipe from The Sweet Life doesn't disappoint. It's like a little taste of the Mediterranean in the middle of the winter. I might have accidentally made the wrong dough, and might have had to start all over again with the correct recipe, but that just means that I'll have some tart crust dough waiting for me in the freezer for the next time I need to make a last minute tart.Because that happens all the time.
Meyer Lemon Curd Tart (from The Sweet Life by Kate Zuckerman)
One 8-inch prepared sweet tart shell (see recipe below)* 6 egg yolks 1 whole egg 1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup strained Meyer Lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons) Zest of 1 Meyer Lemon Pinch of salt 2 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Make the Lemon Curd 1. In the top bowl of a double boiler (or bain-marie), whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk briskly until the mixture has thickened, doubled in volume and holds the lines of a whisk, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Remove the curd from the heat and pass through a fine mesh strained into ta bowl. Discard the zest. Place the bowl in an ice bath and let cool until just warm to the touch. Thoroughly whisk in the butter. At this point you can chill or bake the lemon curd.
Bake the Lemon Tart 1. Preheat the oven the 325˚F. Pour the lemon curd into the prepared tart shell*. Place the tart on a cookie sheet and bake until the custard sets, 10 - 15 minutes. Test by gently tapping the tart ring. If the center does not jiggle, the tart is set. If the lemon curd has been refrigerated, the tart will need a few extra minutes to set.
Sweet Tart Shell* Recipe makes 2 (8 to 9-inch) blind baked tart shells
16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar Zest of 1 lemon or tangerine (optional) 2 egg yolks, at room temperature 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour 1/4 teaspoon salt
Make the Sweet Tart Shell 1. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest (if using) and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy and almost white in color, about 6 - 8 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks one at a time, and continue to beat until they are fully incorporated and the batter looks smooth and glossy, 1 -2 minutes.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the dry ingredients and add them all at once to the butter mixture. Use a rubber spatula and fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture with a few turns before turning on the mixer. Mix the dough at slow speed until thoroughly combined, 1 - 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix on slow speed for another 30 seconds.
3. Separate the dough into two mounds. Wrap each mound in plastic wrap and press down to form 2 (1-inch) disks. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
4. On a cool dry counter surface, roll one mound of dough into a 1/8-inch thick circle. Line the tart pan with the dough and freeze the tart shell for 1/2 hour. Reserve the remaining dough for another use. (The dough, well wrapped, can be frozen for up to one month.) 5. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Remove the shell from the freezer, line it with parchment paper, aluminum foil and fill it with the pie weights or dried beans. Transfer the shell to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Take out the liner and weights and place the shell back in the oven. Bake until golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
I apologize for my recent blogging lameness, but I'm finally off the couch! Yippee! I can actually breathe. Oh, and before I forget, now that I've actually been walking outside in the rain...golf umbrellas should be outlawed in NYC!!! How is it OK to walk down a sidewalk with a gigantic (potential) guillotine?!? It's so rude. We should all have to wear rain hats alla Paddington Bear. This chick looks pretty chic, no?
Whatever. It will never happen so I'll just have to accept being stabbed by people lacking in self awareness. And since I've been living off of soup and tea for the last week, I'll need some protein in order to refrain from grabbing those umbrellas and beating the owners over the head with them. (Golf umbrellas belong ON THE GOLF COURSE!) Fortunately my freezer is teaming with forgotten items like the two thick cut pork chops I found hidden beneath a whole bundt cake.
Saltimbocca (which when translated literally means "jumps in the mouth") is traditionally made with veal. But these days, because veal is so un-PC, it will often be made with chicken or pork. Typically the main protein would be wrapped in the prosciutto (and occasionally cheese) and topped with the sage, but I found a recipe for a stuffed version while combing through my files that would be great with these thick chops. What's better than pork wrapped (or stuffed) with pork?And if it's still raining later, maybe I'll throw the leftover pork rib bones at the giant umbrella toting morons.
Pork Chops Saltimbocca with Sauteed Spinach (Adapted from Gourmet)
2 (1-inch-thick) center-cut rib pork chops 2 sage leaves, chopped 2 thin slices Fontina 2 thin slices prosciutto (1 ounce) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut a deep, wide pocket in each pork chop. Sprinkle half of sage into each pocket and then stuff with the cheese and prosciutto. Season the chops all over with 1/4 teaspoon of each salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook the chops until the undersides are golden, about 2 minutes, then turn the chops over and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. While the chops cook, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer the spinach and the chops to a platter.
4. Add the butter and lemon juice to the hot skillet that held the chops, stirring and scraping up the brown bits, then pour the sauce over the pork. Serve immediately. Serves 2.
Dude. This cold WILL NOT go away. First it's a sore throat. Then it's congestion. Then it's sinus pain. Then it's coughing. Then I lose my voice. Well, most of it. I'm screeching. Go away already, cold! You already ruined my mini-break, now don't ruin my wine class too! How will I smell or taste anything?
Since I've been under the weather but not entirely bedridden, I've managed to see three movies (Precious, An Education, Broken Embraces - I recommend them all!) in addition to loads of bad TV. I've also consumed more tea in the last week than I have all year. Why is it that cold drinks just don't cut it when you have a cold? Anyway, I decided that I had to make homemade chicken soup in my last ditch effort to feel better for my fabulous Monday back at work after a week off.
Since I was still missing actual chicken for my chicken soup, I roasted up another bird. (Had I posted this sooner it might have proved a useful way to use up your turkey leftovers.) Part of it was dinner, the rest...my soup. And I didn't really care for the pasta shapes that were lurking in my cupboard, so I went with some wild rice that I had kicking around. This is a very basic chicken soup, which is all I want when I'm not feeling well. Feel free to add a little of this or that according to your taste. I haven't sneezed in about 4 hours so I think I'm on the mend.
Chicken Soup with Wild Rice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 large carrot, diced 1 celery stalk, diced 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup wild rice 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken 8 cups homemade chicken stock 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat the butter and oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and chicken, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and simmer until the rice is fully cooked, 15 - 20 minutes.
2. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the parsley and serve. Makes about 6 servings.
Or is it starve a cold? I can never remember. In any event I went to bed last night with a sore throat that only got worse through the night, feeling super achy just to top it all off. Oh, and my annoying upstairs neighbor decided that midnight was the time to break out his nonexistent karaoke skills. I think the correct term is caterwauling. It did NOT make me feel any better. I have to work on enacting my perfect revenge...
This morning I still felt like crap so started downing cup after cup of hot tea and honey. It's amazing how much better that works than just drinking water. Hydration + sedation = tea. It helped, but was it going to be enough to keep whatever it was at bay? (H1N1? Maybe? But I've been using hand sanitizer after the gym and the subway!)
I thought about what I should try to eat and soup seemed the perfect choice. I almost had everything I needed to make a homemade chicken soup but soon realized that the only chicken I had was over a week old and I didn't need to add food poisoning to my list of illnesses. I did have everything to make a spicy curry soup (which first appeared in The Ski House Cookbook) so I got off the couch and went to work.
This soup cooks up really fast which is a benefit to using lentils over other beans. And since I was needing extra relief from whatever was ailing me, I added extra spices in hopes that it would somehow knock my so-called illness out of my head. I have to say, it really helped. I actually managed to shower to meet some friends at the movies and I'm feeling quite a bit better. Although I'm still drinking tea and taking vitamin C and zinc, I'm hopeful that, unlike after midterms in college, I will not be home bound and unable to get out of bed. I've got pies to bake. And eat!
1. Rinse the lentils and place them in a large pot with the broth and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. While the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the onion and cayenne. Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, garlic, cumin, curry powder, and salt and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vegetable mixture to the simmering lentils and cook for 25 - 30 minutes.
3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately. Serves about 6.
Since I still had some pumpkin puree leftover from my pumpkin pasta sauce, I decided that a quick and easy way to use it up would be to make some pumpkin pancakes. They would also make a great breakfast to have the day after Thanksgiving when you wake up starving because you went to bed so full (just me?). And it's at least a little more interesting than screaming, "Breakfast!" and then handing a box of cereal to your house guests. Plus, you'll need the extra energy for Black Friday (and your relatives). I sprinkled a few walnuts on top but I think that chopped pecans would be a great addition to the batter, if you're a nut person. Sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't.
Pumpkin Pancakes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Pinch of ground cloves 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree 3 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for cooking 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Pure maple syrup, for serving
1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, pumpkin, butter, egg, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. (The batter will be thick.)
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook about 3 minutes per side. Add more butter to the pan as needed to cook the remaining pancakes. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup. Makes 8 to 10 medium pancakes.
I'm a food & drink enthusiast, photography director and a recent cookbook author. In other words, I like to eat, drink and take pictures. Questions? Contact me at theoccasionalcook at gmail dot com.
I don't cook unless there is an occasion, and by occasion I don't mean Christmas. I mean: A co-worker might bring in a bunch of basil from their garden so I'll make pesto. Or my friends might beg me to invite them over so that I'll make them a vat of Macaroni & Cheese topped off with some Sticky Toffee Pudding. Or another friend might be hosting a baby shower and will suggest that I create a special cocktail. Or I'll just go out for dinner five nights in a row. And...sometimes I'll come home from work and have popcorn for dinner. To me, these are all occasions. This is how I cook. And here is where I share these experiences, occasionally cooking.
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