365:9

Lunch for a "cold day". We only have three free snow days after this. Cue ominous music. 

Note a few things here that make me happy: 

1. Grilled cheese on marble. See how some of the cheeses melt out and create a cheesy crisp. I love that part. 

2. Tomato soup: two things about this. First I made it with half of a jar or Rao's marinara sauce which I had in the fridge already open. Why waste it and open a jar of tomatoes? I added one quart of stock to the one pint of sauce, salt, hot sauce, black pepper.  Gave it a little whiz with the immersion blender. Second we topped it with a homemade everything spice mix I recently created. Imagine your favorite part of a bagel sprinkled on the soup, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, toasted onion, toasted garlic, black pepper and salt.

3. A salad for the fridge: Lately I've been spending a few extra minutes on a Sunday afternoon or evening prepping a grain salad for the fridge. Sometimes they are idyllically healthy, like quinoa citrus kale, or chili black bean & brown rice. Sometimes it's just an old fashioned potato salad. It's nice to have something with a sandwich when you're home on the weekend, or also great to throw a deli container of it in the high schooler's lunch box with an apple. This week it was blackened bow ties, with celery and soy protein, kind of a spicy creole twist on macaroni salad. When I ate it as my only lunch yesterday, I threw some blue cheese crumbles and pickled red onion slices on it, onto a bed of baby arugula. It was delicious!

(From our picnic at matthaei botanical gardens yesterday)

Isn't it cool how a vanilla plant grows up the side of another tree? 

Or how a bromeliad saves water for thirsty days? 

365:8

It looks like this outside. All of my windows are frosted. Marginal snow but frigid temps. It was -2 when I took my high schooler to school. But my little ones don't have school because it's s "cold day". So we started a fire and made this. Simple. Comfort. 

What's better than two "perfectly" (according to my son) poached eggs and wheat toast for a cold day breakfast? Nothing.

365:7

Ms. Greenspan's book Baking is one that I often come back to when i want something simple and easy to please. I once even participated for several months in Baking with Dorie where every other week food bloggers would choose two recipes and post them. 

Tonight's quick dessert was Swedish visiting cake. Named so because it goes together quickly enough to start it when you see someone coming down the driveway for a visit. 

It tastes like warm marzipan, in the best way, and went perfect after a dinner of mushroom bisque and pretzel grilled cheese. 

Swedish visiting cake

Thanks to Dorie Greenspan 

Mix one cup sugar and the zest of a lemon until zest is thoroughly combined. Whisk in 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp almond extract. Fold in one cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add one 1/2 cup melted cooled butter. 

Pour into buttered pie dish or 9" cast iron skillet. (Cast iron is more traditional and will create a better bottom crust, but mine was too big.) Sprinkle with 1/3 cup sliced almonds and 1/4 cup sugar. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 deg, until edges are golden brown and slightly crispy. Center should still be soft. 

365:6

Setting up dinner for M pop in the oven when he gets home

Chicken stuffed with lemons and herbs on a bed of baby reds and leeks 

365:5

Sometimes we eat at Culver's. It's true. Today I got a fish sandwich and mooched the kid's fries.

No matter what we order someone always saved up their scoopie tokens for free ice cream. Wait is that it? Or is it Scoopie tokens for gear? I forget. ;) 

365:4

Roasting Hubbard squash for dinner prep

365:3

Wright and Co:

Ring the doorbell to get let in and up the stairs. So mysterious! 

You'll find

With cocktails 

And small plates satisfying enough to fill, like 

The Best pork belly slider ever.  Perfect brioche texture. Perfectly spicy aioli. Perfectly crunchy and unctous meat. Delish!

Chili shrimp

And let's not forget about dessert 

Banana cream, chocolate panna cotta, and butterscotch pudding in adorable mason jars. 

Co-Owned by sugar house entrepreneurs ,  it's a sure win next time you're downtown Detroit. 

Like if you're at the DIA like my new friend, Iris. 

http://youtu.be/oMrR25fguak

365:2

Hummus lunch with feta, parsley salad and pita chips

365:1

The 365: one picture and/or entry per day. Some will be with recipes, some from restaurants, some from my home kitchen.  This way I can share with you and record for myself a year of food, eating & nourishment. I'll also link to it from my Instagram account @zegliano. 

A fitting way to start this new project:

Breakfast popovers, a New Year's Day tradition

Seen here Stuffed with Comte, French ham and soft scrambled eggs.

Popovers: (16)

Preheat oven to 425deg. Put popover tins in oven to heat up as well. 

Blend 16 ounces milk, 4 eggs, two teaspoons salt, and 2 cups flour. Let batter sit for 30 min.

After 25 min of resting, put one half teaspoon of butter or bacon fat in tins. Shut door again for far to melt. After 2-3 min open oven, pour batter in wells. Work very quickly. Bake for 10 min without opening at 425 degrees, then lower to 375 for 20-25 minutes. Take out of tins immediately. 

 

You're In the mood for strawberries now?!

But you thought local strawberries won't be ripe until June? Well, you're in luck! The Sunset company has now started growing strawberries in Michigan in December (in a greenhouse).  Not only that, they tasted sweet and actually like strawberries. Sometimes the ones picked in Mexico while green and gassed with ethylene, look like strawberries, smell like strawberries, but taste like slimy cardboard.  These, however, went wonderfully with my arugula salad, with pinenuts, gorgonzola and a balsamic drizzle.

Check out the website sunsetgrown.com for more information. 

FYI: I found these in Ann Arbor's Plum Market.

scones to get you through a Board meeting, or for holiday guests :)

Successful scones (and biscuits) start with very cold ingredients, even the flour. Sometimes I scale all the components at night, put them in the fridge and make them first thing in the morning. These all really taste best warm anyway.  Also careful not to over mix, which will develop gluten in the flour and not create the best texture. 

Maple Oat Scones  

yields 12 large scones or 24 babies
recipe adapted from Ina Garten @  Barefoot Contessa

For the Scones:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup 

1 tsp maple extract (find at Plum market or King arthur flour.com)
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water, for egg wash

For the Glaze:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Position a rack at the center of oven and preheat oven to 400 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Blend the cold butter in at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs and add quickly to the flour-and-butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough may be sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 to 1 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into 3-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes and drizzle each scone with 1 tablespoon of the glaze. I like to sprinkle some uncooked oats on the top, for garnish. The warmer the scones are when you glaze them, the thinner the glaze will be.



Apple Cheddar Scones
Makes 6 generous scones or 12 baby scones
recipe adapted from Deb Perlman @ smitten kitchen

2 firm tart apples
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt  plus additional for egg wash
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
 
Position a rack at the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel and core apples, then cut them into one-sixteenths. Placed them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them until they take on a little color and feel dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. They will be about half-baked. Let them cool completely. (You can speed this up in the fridge, as I did.) Leave oven on.

Sift or whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, along with cooled apple chunks, cheese, cream and one egg. Sprinkle flour mixture over the top and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.

Generously flour your counter top and place the scone dough on top of it. Sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll (or use your hands to pat) the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick, 6-inch circle. Cut circle into 6 wedges. Transfer them to a baking sheet that has either been buttered or lined with a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Leave at least 2 inches between each scone.

Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle them with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. With a spatula, lift them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Winter?

Some days you want a pumpkin. Some days you want a savory Comte baguette bread pudding.

Pastries has my mind spinning

I thought I would always characterize myself as a hot foods chef. I like to eat pastries, sure, but I generally don't crave them. 

This class has me reconsidering. There's something about the combination of mathematical formulas and the delicate artistry of it that excites me.  It soothes my OCD. 

A quickly taken, blurry shot of the captain, Chef Joseph Decker, and his station. Check out his website at www.foundationsofpastry.com

Panorama of the freezer which is so cold it only takes 10 seconds for your nostrils to freeze from the inside out! According to Chef, the freezer is a baker's best friend. Second is very hot water for cleaning fat off of cooking utensils and surfaces.

Friuit strips, baked pear frangipane and fresh fruit, both with a base of classic puff pastry 

Jake's tart tatin. Rocked it. Straight up.

Unfilled pate a choux. Eclairs, profiteroles, and the Paris Brest.

Key lime tart with Chantilly, a close second to the previous post's macaron topped tarts.

Jaconde sponge: for the edge of our Bavarian cream tart. The red lines are made of a thick batter called stencil paste, and frozen before jaconde batter is poured and spread on top. Will post final product tomorrow. 

Pastries: week 2

Today In Pastries class with master pastry Chef Joseph Decker, we gilded the Lily, quite literally.

Our master chef is always searching on the World Wide Web for inspiration.  He recently found a muse on the History of Sugar Facebook page. 

Instead of one one dessert--why not combine two? And this creation followed a dynamic lecture about the importance of being able to prepare nutritional desserts. We soon diverted from the discussion of dietetic specialties to create a whopper.

We began by creating a base:

Yellow short dough crust (in this case we used a gluten free dough), brushed with a Meyer lemon marmalade (not visible), lemon curd and a citrus vanilla glaze.

Chef Decker's  demonstration of piping macaron:

Beautiful-with feet and all!

Filled with passion fruit ganache 

Finally we towered Macarons on top of the tart resting on a pyramid of chantilly cream, decorated with gold leaf. Gilded. 

Pastries: week 1. Caramel & apple pie

If ever you make an apple pie and it's, well, not the prettiest pie on the block, try this trick. 

Make a caramel sauce. Start with wet caramel method. When light brown, add butter, cream, & chocolate. Let cool briefly. Add whole mixed nuts and while still pourable, flip pie over on a platter and pour on this luscious sauce.  Cool before serving.