What you hear

One of the things I really love about my neighborhood is the rich soundscape.  Tonight, I can't sleep. As I walk the floor, I'm really aware of how quiet it is.  There's whir and wine of the occasional car, helicopter buzzing by, once in awhile a plane.  In the background, the sound of a river flowing, that is actually the BQE.

In a couple of hours, the Staten Island Ferry will resume its horn blasts to announce it's leaving the dock, and the MTA work trains will start rumbling through, blowing their horns.  The "flowing river" will turn to "rushing river" as morning breaks.

Sometimes there's the pop and explosion of FIREWORKS as yet another cruise ship makes its way out of the harbor.  Sometimes there's music, thumping of bass from cars, kids playing or the ice cream truck sing-songing.  There's the sound of people, walking talking, arguing, walking their dogs, just doing their thing.

And languages: I think I'll try counting those instead of sheep.

Cornbread

For 52 Weeks of Baking Week #7, I made Cornbread in a cast iron "wedge" pan.  The recipe is from the Lodge Cast Iron Cookware website. 

1 1/4 C cornmeal
1/2 t salt
1T baking powder
2/3 C flour
1/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 C milk
1/4 oil
3 T mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 425.  Spoon a dollop of shortening into a skillet and place in oven while preheating.  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in a large liquid measuring cup.  Pour wet ingredients into dry, mix well.  Remove skillet from oven.  Pour batter into skillet and bake 20-25 minutes.

What I Learned
1.  This recipe makes enough batter for a larger pan, most likely an 8" square or a 10" skillet.  I overfilled the cups and still had about 1/2 C of batter left.  Next time I will fill the cups less and pour the remaining batter in a cornstick pan.  I like the circus tent/ flower/ wheel of the year effect that resulted from the over filled cups. 

2. Surprisingly, it was fairly easy to remove using a pancake turner type spatula. Just cut along the score lines with the spatula, then gently wiggle it between the straight edge of the pan and lift up the cornbread.  I did follow the directions to heat the pan in the oven.  I did not have shortening, so I greased the pan with sunflower oil prior to heating.  I took care to get into the corners of the pan, and greased the top of the spokes.

3. I used stoneground white cornmeal.  This gave the bread texture, but it was a bit gritty.  Next time I will try a finer grind.

4.  I think the recipe could be improved with a bit more sugar.  I think 1 T would do the trick, either added to the batter or sprinkled on top of the batter before baking.

5.  Mayonnaise.  Weird.  You could taste a hint of it.  I think an extra tablespoon of sugar will counteract the slight flavor.

Artichoke Frittata

Barnacle Bill and I LOVE artichokes.  It is one of the very few vegetables that we will buy, regardless of origins.  Seriously, we are artichoke addicts.  One year, just after Thanksgiving, we bought a case of artichokes.  The price was right, around $10 for 30 artichokes. We cleaned, steamed, marinated and froze them.  It was a satisfying project that kept us happily feasting on 'chokes through the winter.

A couple of years ago we went to California in November. We ate artichokes to our hearts content: in soup, in bread, in salads. For breakfast the day we left the Central Coast, we had artichoke omelets at Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero, CA. They were amazing: a tender crepelike omelets folded around a pile of sliced al dente artichoke hearts and mozzarella cheese.

This week we went a little crazy.  On Wednesday, we bought 4 normal artichokes.  On Thursday, during a rare stop at Whole Foods, we were tempted by 2 lovely long stemmed King artichokes.  I will ask Bill to take a photo: my photography skills will not do them justice.

Anyway, inspired by the memory of a great vacation, Swapbot Baking and a fridge full of beautiful 'chokes, I made frittata for breakfast.

Arichoke Frittata

4 large artichokes
1 lemon
salt

4 eggs
2 oz cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoonful chopped garlic
salt and pepper

Up to five days in advance:
Trim the tops of the artichokes, and peel the stems with a vegetable peeler.  Place them upside down in a in a pressure cooker on and squeeze lemon juice over all.  Sprinkle with salt, and add water to cover the tops of the 'chokes.  Bring pressure cooker up to full pressure, and cook 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool naturally.  Place in a container and store for up to 5 days.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Clean the artichokes by pulling off the outer leaves, and removing the choke.  Slice the hearts and stems. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove.  Whisk eggs, salt and garlic in a bowl, gently fold in 'chokes and cheddar.  When the skillet is hot, add oil, then add egg mixture to the skillet in the oven.  Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until the frittata is puffed and brown.

What I Learned
The pressure cooker is an excellent way to cook artichokes.  It is energy efficient and much quicker than boiling or steaming.  Using a crockpot is also a timesaver.  Prep as you would for the pressure cooker, but put in your crockpot on high for 4 hours.   The outer leaves will retain a little bit of artichoke heart: save them to serve with dip.

Tarocco Orange Salad with Avocado, Chicken and Tortilla Chips

It's been really hot for the past three days.  I made this salad tonight to avoid heating up the apartment.  It was surprisingly good: creamy, crunchy and chickeny. The blood oranges are a beautiful color, and their juice colors everything in this salad a deep red.  Next time I will add the avocado just prior to serving, in order to keep the beautiful creamy green color intact.

The hardest part of this recipe is supreming the oranges.  It's one of those tricks that really makes a dish special.   Please click for instructions for supreming an orange from Coconut and Lime Blog. 

4 Tarocco oranges, supremed, juice reserved
2 avocados, large dice
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 stalks of celery, diced
juice and zest of one lemon
Breast meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, large dice
black pepper to taste
broken tortilla chips
blue cheese with bacon salad dressing for garnish

Toss first 7 ingredients together in a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours.  For each serving, place two handfuls of broken tortilla chips in a bowl, and top with the chicken salad.  Garnish with a small dollop of salad dressing.

Dish Bitch: :)
knife
cutting board
bowl with lid

Braided Loaf with Muhammara

This week I'm a bit short on time, so I decided to make a loaf of bread using the dough I stashed in the freezer a couple of weeks ago. 

Braided Loaf

1/2 recipe of challah bread dough, frozen (link to recipe here)

olive oil

salt

herbs (optional)

If the dough is frozen, let thaw in the fridge overnight.  Let the thawed dough rest on the counter for 1/2 hour.  Divide dough into three portions, and roll each into a long snake.  Braid the snakes into a loaf, starting at the center and braiding to the end, then turning the loaf around to braid the other half.  Brush with olive oil on both sides, and place on baking sheet.  Cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until the dough looks ripe and nearly doubled.  Sprinkle with salt  and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40, or until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.   

What I Learned:

Despite the mummified appearance, the loaf had a good crust and even crumb.  Next time I will take a picture of the cut loaf.  Frozen dough didn't seem to rise as quickly as freshly made dough.

UPDATED 5/8

I did take a picture of the sliced bread: here it is topped with Mahammara (recipe below)

Muhammara (Pomegranate and Walnut Spread)

1 1/2 C walnuts, toasted and chopped

2 1/2 T Turkish seedless red pepper paste (used Mamoun's)

1 1/2 T pomegranate molasses

1 t crushed garlic

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cumin

1/3 C olive oil

Blend 1/2 C walnuts, molasses, garlic, salt, and cumin in blender or food processor, gradually adding oil.  Combine with remaining walnuts in a bowl.  Serve with toasted pita bread, crackers or as a condiment.

Asparagus Bake

For Swapbot Baking Week #4 I made Asparagus with Couscous and Blue Cheese.  I was inspired by a recipe for Slow Cooked Asparagus in the New York Times.  It's an interesting recipe, wrapping the aspargus in parchment paper, baking in a 200 degree oven and making the couscous separately.  I'm tired and didn't feel like fussing, so I made up my own version using parsley, scallions and asparagus from the farmer's market.

Asparagus with Couscous and Blue Cheese

1 C couscous
4 scallions, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, in 1" pieces
1 t salt
pepper
1/2 C water
juice of 1 lemon
2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
olive oil

Combine couscous through pepper in an 8" square pan. Pour water and lemon juice over all.  Top with blue cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.  Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes.

What I Learned
This was pretty tasty, although the blue cheese was a bit overpowering and the couscous needed a bit more flavor.  I would make it with feta, parmesan or romano and use chicken broth instead of water next time.  A few sundried tomatoes would be nice.  Visually, the dish could be improved by laying whole asparagus on top of the couscous instead of slicing into pieces.

The Dish Bitch: Low
1 8" square pan
knife
cutting board
wooden spoon

Six Minute Chocolate Cake

As you may recall, I've been participating in 52 Weeks of Baking Swap on Swapbot.  I'm really enjoying this swap!  It's a great opportunity to sort through the pile of 'to try' recipes.  I've been intrigued by this recipe for chocolate cake.   It's vegan, thrifty, and made with ingredients that most people have in their pantry.  For those of you who share my dislike of dirty dishes: YOU MIX IT RIGHT IN THE PAN!  The recipe and my evaluation are below.

The recipe is included in Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home by Mollie Katzen, who credits a 1976 "House and Garden" magazine as the source.

Six Minute Chocolate Cake
CAKE
1 1/2 C unbleached white flour
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C sugar
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 C cold water or coffee
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 T vinegar

GLAZE (optional)
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate
3/4 C hot water, milk, or half and half
1/2 t pure vanilla extract    

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

    Sift together the dry ingredients directly into an ungreased 8" square or 9" round baking pan.  In a 2 C measuring cup, measure and mix together the oil, water or coffee and vanilla.  Pour the liquid ingredients into the baking pan and mix the batter with a fork or a small whisk.  When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly.  There will be pale swirls in the batter where the baking soda and the vinegar are reacting.  Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Set the cake aside to cool, and if you choose to make the glaze, reset the oven to 300 degrees.

    For the glaze, melt the chocolate in a small ovenproof bowl or heavy skillet in the oven for about 15 minutes.  Stir the hot liquid and the vanilla into the chocolate until smooth.  Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake.  Refrigerate the cooled cake for 30 minutes before serving.

What I learned:

Instead of sifting, I whisked the dry ingredients together in the pan. It worked well. Just be gentle or you will have a cloud of flour. The batter came together easily. The weirdest thing was the yellowish streaks from the vinegar and baking soda reacting. It looked strange but posed no difficulties. The cake rose evenly in the oven, and kept it's nice high crown even though I accidentally slammed the oven door.

I did not make the glaze, although recipe is included below. The recipe suggests dusting with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or your favorite frosting and to serve with whipped cream, ice cream, fresh fruit, or orange compote.

I am totally pleased with this recipe. It's a simple and elegant chocolate cake with a firm yet tender texture. It was delicious plain. Glazed or served with any of the above suggestions will make a fine choice for company. I plan to stock the pantry with bittersweet chocolate for the next time.

DISH Bitch: LOW
8" cake pan
2 C liquid measuring cup
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
whisk
thin bladed spatula to help release the cake from the pan