tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11830565839256187302024-03-13T20:48:11.535-07:00The Tipsy CrumpetYet another baking blog—only this time, without fancy cameras or a working knowledge of how to paint a bowtie on a cupcake. If you like down-to-earth yet scrumptious desserts dreamt up by someone who did NOT leave a job as a high-powered lawyer to sell truffles, you've got a friend.The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-73544751259194522122015-11-27T22:34:00.001-08:002015-11-27T22:35:52.140-08:00Smoky Kale Dip<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My boyfriend thinks kale is gross. However, he not only tolerates it but clamors for it once a year, on Thanksgiving. This is when I make my signature kale dip, piquant with lemon, mustard, and garlic and smoky with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pimenton-Vera-Dulce-2-47-ounce/dp/B0000TU9D4" target="_blank">piment</a></i></span><span style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191919; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pimenton-Vera-Dulce-2-47-ounce/dp/B0000TU9D4" target="_blank">ó</a></i></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pimenton-Vera-Dulce-2-47-ounce/dp/B0000TU9D4" target="_blank">n</a></i>, an underused culinary star that transforms everything it touches into an umami taste sensation. Studded with crunchy and colorful bell peppers and topped with fresh tomato and scallions, this dip quells hunger as the house fills with the smell of roasting entrees. Even though it's mostly healthy and filled with roughage, it somehow tastes like bacon. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iww7VM_QViI/Vlk_4Z2TdyI/AAAAAAAABLA/d-v49iYiWU0/s1600/IMG_0391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iww7VM_QViI/Vlk_4Z2TdyI/AAAAAAAABLA/d-v49iYiWU0/s320/IMG_0391.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">serves 6-8 as an appetizer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 17-oz container plain Greek yogurt (I use 0%)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 6.5-oz bottle artichoke paste (I use <a href="http://www.vitacost.com/mantova-artichoke-paste-6-5-oz?csrc=GPF-PA-Food%20%26%20Beverages-048176840808&ci_gpa=pla_with_promotion&ci_kw=&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=048176840808&gclid=Cj0KEQiAm-CyBRDx65nBhcmVtbIBEiQA7zm8lfspz_9TyXG5K34G-uh-rzHnZuahzdnljI4Gne0_7lsaAjxm8P8HAQ" target="_blank">this brand</a>, which you may be able to find in the Italian section of your grocery store)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 cloves garlic, crushed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dash Dijon mustard</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 package Knorr vegetable soup mix (dry ingredients)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7 or 8 mini sweet bell peppers, assorted colors, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">salt and pepper to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>piment</i></span><span style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191919; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>ó</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>n </i>(smoked paprika) to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 cups kale, finely chopped (about half a head, unless you have a kale Medusa)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">juice of one lemon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 roma tomatoes, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 scallions, sliced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">toasted bread rounds (I slice an assortment of rolls [whole grain, rosemary, olive], brush with olive oil, top with za'atar, paprika, garlic powder, or other spices, and broil like garlic bread)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5 or 6 mini sweet bell peppers, assorted colors, sliced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Process</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Combine the yogurt, artichoke paste, garlic, mustard, soup mix, water chestnuts, bell peppers, spices, kale, and lemon juice in a bowl. Mix well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mound onto a plate or serving dish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sprinkle with more <i>piment</i><span style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191919; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>ó</i></span><i>n</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top with tomatoes and scallions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Serve with toasted bread rounds and pepper slices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Notes</span></h2>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This recipe has a lot of ingredients, but is easy to put together. I experimented with a bare-bones version of this and added more over the years. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you hate the idea of adding a processed soup mix, try a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've used different kinds of kale over the years. Most recently, I used a head of red Russian kale that was quite good. The kale is mostly overshadowed by the other ingredients, but it adds a serious vegetal note that craves expression in this party dip.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What you see in each photo is about half the dip. The two photos together give you a good idea of how much dip this recipe makes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I use the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pimenton-Vera-Dulce-2-47-ounce/dp/B0000TU9D4" target="_blank">hardcore <span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>piment</i></span><span style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191919; font-family: "times"; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>ó</i></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>n</i></span> that comes in a tin</a>. I find that the tin keeps the smoked pepper fresh longer than a glass bottle with a screw-on lid. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can use regular bell peppers instead of mini, which are a pain to de-seed, but I love the sweet flavor of the mini peppers, and the stores are bursting with them this time of year.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Verdict</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a time-honored holiday favorite for two individuals, at least. Maybe you'll help us form a troika!</span></div>
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-83939023531464638472015-11-27T21:37:00.000-08:002015-12-01T10:19:29.074-08:00Boozy Pear Slab Pie<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While we're still contemplating fall desserts, let me share this recipe: heaps of juicy pear chunks baked with pear brandy and vanilla bean in a flaky butter crust. The <a href="http://www.ambrosiabaking.com/2013/11/pear-brandy-vanilla-bean-brown-butter.html" target="_blank">original recipe</a> called for a sheet pan, but I used a 9 by 13 Pyrex dish for a fatter pastry that could envelop even more fruity goodness. I added some lemon zest to tart up the filling, and the result was a late-fall delight.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idxwnC7OKM8/VlkejFFddJI/AAAAAAAABIg/bXs8AOV0zPU/s1600/pie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idxwnC7OKM8/VlkejFFddJI/AAAAAAAABIg/bXs8AOV0zPU/s320/pie2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pie Crust</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3 3/4 cups pastry flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 Tbsp sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3 sticks cubed cold butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3/4 cups ice water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">splash vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Filling</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.48px;">6 tablespoons butter</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.48px;">1 vanilla bean</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">8 diced pears (I like green pears such as comice and bartlett)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.48px;">4 Tbsp cornstarch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">2 Tbsp pear brandy (a nice, cheapish brand is Mathilde)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">1/4 cup granulated sugar</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">juice of one lemon</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">zest of one lemon</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">1/4 tsp almond extract</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">1/2 tsp vanilla extract</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your pie will end up looking like this, after hungry guests have gobbled most of it.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Whisk together the dry ingredients, then dredge the butter cubes in the flour and crumble with your fingers until small, pebble-sized bits are uniformly distributed. Add vinegar and then ice water 1/4 cup at a time. Combine with the dough using either a rubber spatula (for weaklings) or your hands (for true chefs, who don't mind scraping clumps of batter off their digits).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">When the dough is just able to form a ball, divide it into two pieces, one slightly bigger than the other. Place each on a sheet of plastic wrap (for your own sake, lay out the plastic wrap BEFORE making the dough, or else risk touching everything in your kitchen with buttery flour-encrusted hands). Flatten each dough piece into a flat, rectangular shape. Wrap with plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Filling and Assembly</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Place the butter in a small saucepan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Carefully split your vanilla bean down the middle with a knife. Scrape out the seeds using either that knife or your finger (messy! Go for the knife). Add the seeds and the whole pod to the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. The butter will begin to darken.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I'm not fond of the flavor of truly browned butter, so I let the mixture darken for a minute or so until it turned a muddy gold color and then took the pan off the heat. You may heat the butter until it's a nut-brown color if you wish.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Procure a large bowl and fill it with the diced pears, the cornstarch, the brandy, the lemon juice and zest, the sugars, and the extracts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remove the vanilla pod from the butter and pour the butter mixture in as well. The pod at this point must be abandoned. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mix the filling. I like to use my hands to make sure everything is well-integrated and to have as much tactile contact with the pie as possible. I like to think that I'm adding good vibes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's time for assembly!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Roll out the larger rectangle of pie dough on a floured surface. I used to cover the dough with plastic wrap before rolling, but that turned out to be too messy and difficult. A little flour does the job just as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The moment of truth: see if that rectangle fits in your 9 by 13 pie pan, creating a nice ledge around the edge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If it does, fantastic! Carefully pour in the pie filling.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You're nearly done!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stick this lovely, juicy mess into the refrigerator while you roll out the other dough rectangle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lay the top over the filling and crimp the edges or otherwise seal and style them. Prick holes in the top with a fork or do something artsy such as slash lines in it with a knife. I slashed crossed diagonal lines into my crust, which produces a lattice-type effect without the labor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you feel like adding even more fat to this monster, brush the top with the heavy cream. Some people at this point would sprinkle sugar on top. I'm of the opinion that a good pie needs as little sweetener as possible; hence, you will find no sugar dotting a Tipsy Crumpet creation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Line the upper rack of your oven with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While the oven is preheating, set the pie in the refrigerator. Let it sit there for 20 to 30 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, place the pie in the oven, on top of the foil. If your pie is as bubbly as mine, you'll be glad you did. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let the pie bake at 425 for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 350.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bake another 30 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown and the filling is simmering away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remove and place on a wire rack. Let cool for at least an hour before serving. Because of all the butter, I would avoid serving this with ice cream. It doesn't need it, and the flavors will come out better without it.</span></div>
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Notes</span></h2>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This recipe has heaps of butter. I tried omitting some the second time I made it, but the results were not as sensual and the filling not as velvety.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For me, the more lemon, the better. I'd be inclined to tempt fate next time by zesting two lemons into the pears rather than one.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Along those lines, I'd be tempted to see what two vanilla beans would do to this recipe. I adore the black specks created by the bean, but find the flavor to be milder than I would like.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first time I made this, the pie crust was as crunchy as a cracker. The second time, it was nearly perfect. I can't explain why this was, but I've found again and again that pie crust has its own mind. In the second case, the vinegar appeared to have helped. I added it out of fear that I had overworked the dough, and the crust baked up nicely.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would go for a tart green pear rather than a soft and sweet bosc. You need all the tartness you can get to counter the mellowing effects of the brandy and the heat.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Verdict</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A tasty pie and a crowd-pleaser.</span></div>
The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-76945663793167001002015-11-17T06:25:00.000-08:002015-11-17T06:25:45.362-08:00Triple-Pepper Sicilian PizzaI hadn't made a pizza in a long time and was hankering to bake a round. It was then that I espied Mark Bittman's recipe for a rustic Sicilian-style pie in the New York Times. The dough required 24 hours of refrigeration and multiple origami folds, all but ensuring failure in the hands of the clumsy Crumpet. A challenge! I accepted. The recipe, with some variations a la Crumpet, yielded a pie bursting with the colors of fall foliage and supported by a crisp yet billowy crust studded with air pockets. I don't know if I'll ever go back to rise-and-punch pizza dough.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0e5O688qT_Y/Vkq3VQbDRTI/AAAAAAAABHg/i_3imdDh-ro/s1600/IMG_3555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0e5O688qT_Y/Vkq3VQbDRTI/AAAAAAAABHg/i_3imdDh-ro/s400/IMG_3555.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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yields a large rectangular pie cut into 12 slices<br />
<br />
<h2>
Dough</h2>
<br />
You will want to start the dough about 24 hours before baking time.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<br />
3/4 tsp, or 2 grams, yeast (less than half a packet)<br />
1 7/8 cups water<br />
2 1/2 cups bread flour<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
4 Tbsp olive oil<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<br />
Heat the water to wrist temperature.<br />
<br />
Obtain a large, rectangular Tupperware container. In it, mix the yeast and 1 3/4 cups of the water (save the remaining 1/8). Mix in the flours with your hand. (I love to use my hands while cooking! If there isn't a little bit of hand in there, or, in one memorable case, part of a finger, it's not a Tipsy Crumpet production.) The flour will be rough, moist, and shaggy. Let it rest for 20 minutes, covered in plastic wrap.<br />
<br />
Dissolve the salt in the remaining 1/8 cup of water. Mix the salt water into the dough. It's okay if it doesn't fully combine. Let the dough sit for another 20 minutes, covered in plastic wrap.<br />
<br />
Moisten your hands, then spread 1 Tbsp olive oil on top of the dough. One-third of the way down the length of the dough, lift that end as best you can and fold it under so that the third of dough is underneath the rest of the dough. Do this on the other side. Basically, imagine folding a piece of paper one-third of the way down on both ends so that the ends meet and form a seam underneath the paper. Does this sound hopelessly confusing? I wish I could draw a diagram. It's not that complicated once you do it.<br />
<br />
Put the lid on the Tupperware and slide the container into the refrigerator.<br />
<br />
An hour later, repeat the process.<br />
<br />
An hour later, repeat again. You have now folded over the ends of the dough three times.<br />
<br />
Go and do something else for the rest of the day.<br />
<br />
The next morning, perform your folds yet again with the remaining Tbsp of olive oil.<br />
<br />
Three hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Rick Easton, who helped develop the recipe, says that refrigerating the dough until baking is fine, but the Tipsy Crumpet took a more cowardly approach.<br />
<br />
Now that the dough is relaxing at room temperature and forming bubbles, let's think about topping the pie.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slice with sauce and toppings</td></tr>
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<br />
<h2>
Sauce</h2>
<br />
The original recipe called for no sauce, but I wanted a richer, more tomatoey pie and adapted a garlicky red pepper and sundried tomato spread I found on the <a href="http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/08/roasted-red-pepper-and-sun-dried-tomato.html" target="_blank">One Perfect Bite</a> blog. It should be thick but spreadable.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<br />
1 cup drained and coarsely chopped roasted red peppers from a jar<br />
3 Tbsp water<br />
1 large clove garlic, chopped<br />
1/2 tsp dried basil<br />
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes<br />
1 cup sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil and herbs, mostly drained (a teaspoon or two of oil drippings is okay)<br />
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<h3>
Process</h3>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add water as needed to thin the sauce for spreading.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h2>
Topping</h2>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Before beginning the topping, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Slide a heavy, nonstick jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (at least 13 by 18 inches) into the oven to preheat.<br />
<br />
You can top with anything you like. Here's what I chose for a bright fall pizza.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1 small bag of mini multicolored bell peppers (contains about 10-12 little peppers)<br />
1 Tbsp olive oil</div>
<div>
8 oz fresh mozzarella<br />
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (preferably the tiny, multicolored ones you can get at the farmers market)<br />
1 Tbsp chopped rosemary<br />
1 bunch fresh oregano leaves<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<br />
Remove the tops, seeds, and cores from the peppers (decapitate them and scoop out the innards as best you can). Slice them into thin rounds.<br />
<br />
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the peppers for 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, tear the mozzarella into small pieces.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Putting it All Together</h2>
<br />
<br />
When you have your peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and herbs assembled, return to your dough. Turn it onto a floured surface and gently prod until it's a rectangle roughly 1/2 inch thick.<br />
<br />
Carefully take the pan out of the oven. Spread a tiny bit of olive oil on the bottom and sides of the pan and even more carefully daub the oil with a paper towel to blot.<br />
<br />
Flip the dough onto your arm. Lift the other end with your hand so as to retain the shape of the rectangle as you carry it to the pan. Set it down flour side up.<br />
<br />
Spread the sauce on the dough. Top with mozzarella, then peppers, then cherry tomato halves. Sprinkle the rosemary on top, with a little salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Retain the oregano: you'll add that once the pie has been baked.<br />
<br />
With oven mitts, slide the pan onto the lowest rack of the oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Slide the pan to the middle rack and bake 15-20 minutes more.<br />
<br />
When the pie is golden-brown and seems done, remove it from the oven.<br />
<br />
Sprinkle on the fresh oregano leaves.<br />
<br />
Slide the pie onto a cutting board and slice into 12 squares.<br />
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Mangia!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those air pockets!</td></tr>
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<h2>
Notes</h2>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Bittman's recipe calls for the oven to be preheated to 500. Most baking pans warn you against going above 450, so I turned down the heat and upped the baking time.</li>
<li>You could possibly get away with 1 cup more whole wheat flour and 1 cup less white bread flour in the dough.</li>
<li>I would love to try different topping combos including, but not limited to, sliced white mushrooms, red onions, kalamata olives, basil, tomato chunks, homemade tomato sauce, garlic, veggie sausage, whole sundried tomatoes, etc. The key thing is to not have a soggy, heavy topping: a thin layer of sauce or tomatoes, a reasonable amount of cheese, and a smattering of flavorful, well-chosen toppings is all you need.</li>
<li>Bittman specifically calls for a metal baking pan rather than a pizza stone. After two hours of dithering at Le Creuset, Strosnider's, and Williams & Sonoma (I was in Bethesda), I bought the Williams & Sonoma Goldtouch 15 by 21-inch baking pan, which worked like a champ. It has little ridges all along the bottom that caused the pie to glide off the pan with no scraping at all (Bittman describes a mixture of blind faith and elbow grease to release the pie, which terrified me). I could hear a slight amount of metallic settling in the oven, but the pan worked wonderfully to produce a crispy, airy crust and is well worth the $40 you'll spend to be fancy.</li>
<li>Bittman calls for putting the pan atop a baking stone that has been heating for at least half an hour. I would have done this, but my baking stone started releasing funny scents a few years ago and had to be put out of its misery. Hence, my decision to preheat the pan itself.</li>
<li>It was easy to cut this pie, even straight out of the oven. It's all about the crust.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<h2>
Verdict</h2>
<br />
5 stars: great leftovers; bliss on a cool autumn night</div>
The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-4511733869221486392015-11-16T20:17:00.000-08:002015-11-16T20:19:20.717-08:00Chardonnay Winter Fruit PieI have been on a pie kick lately and wanted to make this creation from <a href="http://thepieacademy.com/about/" target="_blank">Ken Haedrich's</a> superlative tome on all things pastry-encased, <i>Pie</i>. I tweaked the recipe just a bit, but it is a sophisticated and drunkenly delicious dessert no matter what you do. Imagine immersing winesaps, bartletts, and braeburns in white wine and sugar for an hour, simmering the wine to reduce it to a heady syrup, and then baking both wine and fruit in a tender crust, resulting in woozy spoonfuls of flaky dough, winter fruit, and buttery white wine reduction. Try it for yourself and wait for your neighbors to come knocking on the door clamoring for whatever you've got in the oven.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That layer of soup at the bottom is a puddle of Chardonnay goodness.</td></tr>
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for one 9.5-inch deep dish pie pan<br />
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
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<h2>
<br /></h2>
<h2>
Flaky Mostly Butter Crust</h2>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I've been experimenting with crusts and decided to go with a 3/4 butter, 1/4 shortening crust for flavor, flakiness, and ease of rolling. The results were tasty and produced a delicate crumb. </div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3 cups flour</div>
<div>
1 Tbsp sugar</div>
<div>
1 tsp salt</div>
<div>
1 1/2 sticks cold butter (12 Tbsp)</div>
<div>
1/2 stick cold shortening (4 Tbsp)</div>
<div>
1/2 cup ice-cold water </div>
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<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Process</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sift flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Slice the butter and shortening along the tablespoon markings on the wax paper and crumble them into the dough with your hands until the pieces are as the size of small peas. No wait, I'm sick of that comparison! The size of those pebbles that get into your shoe and annoy you, but not enough for you to take the shoe off and do something about it. The size of the camera window on your iPhone. The size of those Cheez-It bits you get at the bottom of the box that are too small to eat one by one but too big to ignore, so you pour them into your palm and stuff them into your mouth as quickly as possible. Much better!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is where I take my little bowl of water that I put in the freezer five minutes ago out of the freezer and sprinkle it on the flour. There is some ice lining that bowl. Scrape it in as well. Mix everything together with your hands until you get a shaggy lump, adding a tiny bit more water as needed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Divide the dough into two rounds, one slightly bigger than the other. Wrap in plastic and slide those frisbees into the refrigerator. Now break out the bottle opener or, if you're like me, ready your hand for the screw-top, because the wine is coming out!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
Filling</h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4 large apples: a mix of varieties delicious for pies, such as winesap, jonagold, braeburn, etc.</div>
<div>
3 large pears, preferably comice, bartlett, and/or bosc</div>
<div>
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar</div>
<div>
1 cup Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio (I used Concha y Toro Xplorador: $10 cheap!)</div>
<div>
3 Tbsp cornstarch</div>
<div>
zest of one lemon</div>
<div>
1/4 tsp vanilla extract</div>
<div>
pinch of salt</div>
<div>
2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Process</h3>
<div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Slice the apples and pears. No, don't peel them! The skin is good for you, it doesn't mar the flavor at all, it doesn't taste obnoxiously granola once baked for an hour, and who doesn't want those red color accents making the pie look as if it really is full of apples? Keep that crispy, yummy skin on and slice that fruit up as thinly as you can. Toss it all in a bowl.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Stir in the 1/3 cup of sugar, mix, then pour that cupful of wine into the bowl. Your fruit will gurgle happily.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Leave the fruit to luxuriate in its Chardonnay bath for an hour, stirring occasionally. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Strain the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer at medium-high heat until you have about 2/3 a cup. (I kept measuring in my glass measuring cup, which seems to handle heat pretty well.) Be careful: if the liquid gets too hot and stays that way, you'll start to smell burning sugar. You want your wine happily toasty, not snapping at you.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Pour the reduced syrup over the fruit and mix well. Ohhhhhhh, that smells good.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">In a small bowl, combine the remaining two Tbsp of sugar and the cornstarch. Stir the mixture into the apples and pears, then stir in the lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Preheat the oven to 400.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">It's time to pour your beautiful mess into a pie shell. But wait, where's the shell? Take the larger of the two dough disks out of the refrigerator. On a floured surface (I use a silicon mat), roll it into an even circle that looks to your spatially challenged eye as if it could cover the interior of your 9.5-inch pie pan.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">This is the first time I tried this, but it worked like a charm. Place your silicon mat on a surface where it doesn't matter if it gets rained on by a little flour (not my tablecloth, alas). Place your pie pan top-down on the pie crust. With a confidence you may not really feel, flip pan and mat over. Gently prise the edges of the dough from the mat: voila! Your pan is filled. Nudge any overhang to the top edges of the pan to create a fancy edge for your crust. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Pour the fruit mixture into the shell. Top with the two Tbsp of butter and place in the fridge.</span></div>
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<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Now, roll out the top crust. Once your spatially challenged eye has hazarded that it may cover the pie, take the pan out of the fridge and use the same technique as above to top the pie with the dough.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Does the dough cover the pie? Why yes, it does! Form a rustic edge with your fingers. You can crimp if you want; I used a fork to tame my voluptuous hillocks.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Slash the top of the pie with a knife a few times to create steam vents, or prick with a fork.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I then like to put the pie back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Colder is always better when it comes to pre-baked pie crust.</span></div>
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<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Line the bottom of your oven with foil, especially if you went overboard with the Chardonnay like I did.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Place the pie on the center rack and bake for 30 minutes.</span></div>
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<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Lower the heat to 375, rotate the pie, and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes. The filling should be bubbling through the golden-brown crust.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Pull the pie from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before trying a slice. The book says to cool the pie for two hours, but you are not likely to do that: if you had that kind of willpower, you'd be baking broccoli! The pie will be runny when you cut into it, but slurping up the hot, winey filling will more than make up for any aesthetic discomfort, and anyway, more Chardonnay means a brighter post-baking glow.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E1EYyNeKigA/VkkEaaWw98I/AAAAAAAABGc/jtcQhHIwhaQ/s1600/IMG_3525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E1EYyNeKigA/VkkEaaWw98I/AAAAAAAABGc/jtcQhHIwhaQ/s320/IMG_3525.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span class="s1">Notes</span></h2>
<div>
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p2">
</div>
<ul>
<li>I used bosc pears, but found them to be slightly watery and insipid. I'd go with a firmer, tarter green variety next time.</li>
<li>Next time, I think I would use 14 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp shortening for the crust, just to experiment. You could also try 8 Tbsp butter and 8 Tbsp shortening: you won't regret anything so long as you make your crust from scratch.</li>
<li>This pie needs no ice cream or whipped topping! The flavors are so good, you won't want to obscure them. This is a complex pie that needs to be savored on its own to be fully appreciated.</li>
</ul>
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<h2>
<span class="s1">Verdict</span></h2>
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<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">5 stars.</span></div>
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-78912244302446775472015-03-05T15:19:00.000-08:002015-03-05T15:19:20.960-08:00Golden Squash Chocolate-Chip Muffins<span style="font-size: small;">It was a snow day! And I had a glowering squash, face penciled in by a</span> gourd-averse boyfriend, whose time was come. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VEFcNsLmgMQ/VPjY4ln0I2I/AAAAAAAABDQ/uoMSiTknDDs/s1600/IMG_0836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VEFcNsLmgMQ/VPjY4ln0I2I/AAAAAAAABDQ/uoMSiTknDDs/s1600/IMG_0836.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Why was the gourd so pensive? Did he/she know he/she would one day be muffins?</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
<br />
I discovered a recipe a year or so ago for muffins so tender and moist, they taste more like shaped oatmeal than something that could go stale (to make them breakfast-worthy, I use half oats and throw in a hefty amount of flax). To do the squash justice and sweeten its ovenbound fate, I decided to forego butter and buttermilk for coconut oil and coconut milk, throw in some island spices, add a splash of bourbon, and shower the batter with chocolate chips. The results were golden treats that stick to the ribs and warm you on the chilliest of mornings.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C2ao1_5lBaw/VPjb7TdrOMI/AAAAAAAABEE/xPsHfTNQelw/s1600/IMG_1542.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C2ao1_5lBaw/VPjb7TdrOMI/AAAAAAAABEE/xPsHfTNQelw/s1600/IMG_1542.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">makes 6 large muffins and two medium ones or 12-14 medium muffins</td></tr>
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<br />
1 butternut squash<br />
1/3 cup coconut oil<br />
2/3 cup white sugar<br />
1/3 cup light brown sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
splash bourbon or rum<br />
<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp ginger<br />
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg<br />
1/8 tsp cayenne<br />
dash salt<br />
<br />
1 cup white flour<br />
1 cup oats<br />
1/3 cup flax (optional)<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
<br />
5 oz dark chocolate chips (half a bag) <br />
1 cup coconut milk (I used lite)<br />
1 tsp vinegar<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<br />
Preheat the oven to 400. Halve your squash with a large knife, scrape out the seeds, and scrape out most of the stringy bits with a spoon.<br />
<br />
Rub the cut sides of the squash down with coconut oil. Place the squash on a baking sheet cut-side down and bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife easily pierces a squash half. Take the squash out of the oven.<br />
<br />
Lower the heat to 350.<br />
<br />
Allow the squash halves to cool. Scrape the squash into a bowl, leaving the rind forlorn and in tatters in your sink. Puree the squash so as to meld the stringy bits into one golden mush (I did this using an electric beater and ended up with squash streaks all over my walls. Kitchen decoration is a bonus!)<br />
<br />
Add the coconut oil, sugars, eggs, and bourbon or rum. Puree or otherwise mix until wet ingredients are uniform. Inhale.<br />
<br />
Add spices and salt, then sift in flour. Add oats, flax, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix gingerly (ha ha!) until mostly combined.<br />
<br />
Set out your coconut milk. Add the vinegar, stir, and let sit so that the mixture turns into coconut buttermilk.<br />
<br />
Shake chocolate chips into the batter and combine until the batter is as full of chocolate promise as you want.<br />
<br />
Pour the coconut milk into the batter and stir gently until you get a moist, uniform mixture.<br />
<br />
Grease 2 medium muffin tins or 1 large muffin tin. You will probably have some extra batter, so you may want to have another tin handy.<br />
<br />
For medium muffins, bake for 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out mostly clean.<br />
<br />
For large muffins, bake for 35 minutes.<br />
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Let cool on a rack.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zVbyn5FlOOU/VPjb8dOQ7PI/AAAAAAAABEM/nzSjfL3jwbk/s1600/IMG_1543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zVbyn5FlOOU/VPjb8dOQ7PI/AAAAAAAABEM/nzSjfL3jwbk/s1600/IMG_1543.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Notes</h3>
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<ul>
<li>Should you decide to go with more conventional ingredients, use 1 stick of butter, softened, in place of the coconut oil, and 1 cup of milk or buttermilk in place of the coconut milk (no need for vinegar if you're using buttermilk).</li>
<li>I used bourbon because I didn't have any rum, but I REALLY wanted to use rum. </li>
<li>Do not eat more than one of these if you're not in a position to take a long nap.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
4 stars. These make for a pleasing and nutritious breakfast that will give you the caloric boost you need to get through an unseasonably cold March day. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l1MST8wL3xM/VPjcAscH3TI/AAAAAAAABEk/BxNBVepogTw/s1600/IMG_1559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l1MST8wL3xM/VPjcAscH3TI/AAAAAAAABEk/BxNBVepogTw/s1600/IMG_1559.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-40198847728886138802015-02-28T17:40:00.000-08:002015-02-28T17:41:08.733-08:00Spiced Cranberry-Oat BarsIt was a cold day in February. I had a hankering for Smitten Kitchen's Cranberry Crumb Bars with Mulling Spices, but I wanted them to be more wholesome and breakfast-y so that I could eat them at any time with at least a modicum of respectability. I increased the cranberry content and added oats, flax, walnuts, and a splash of Grand Marnier. The results made for a toothsome snack that delights the tongue and sticks to the ribs. Tender oat cookie dough encases a tart, fruity filling that adds color to the wintriest of days.<br />
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for a 9 x 13 baking pan </div>
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Ingredients</h3>
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Crumb</h4>
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2 sticks cold butter</div>
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1 1/2 cups flour</div>
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1 1/2 cups oats</div>
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a few healthy shakes of flax (about 1/2 cup)</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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dash salt</div>
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1 tsp baking powder</div>
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1/2 tsp cinnamon or ginger (depending on whether you want your bars sweet or snappish)</div>
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1/4 tsp nutmeg</div>
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1/8 tsp allspice</div>
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1 egg</div>
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Filling</h4>
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1/2 cup walnuts</div>
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zest from one orange</div>
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juice from half an orange</div>
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splash Grand Marnier (optional; if you don't use this, use the juice of the remaining orange half)</div>
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4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries</div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1 Tbsp cornstarch </div>
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Process</h3>
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Line your 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment and the sides of the pan.</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350.</div>
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Filling first. Toast the walnuts in a pan until golden-brown and fragrant. Grind them or finely chop them in a food processor. Combine all the other filling ingredients, then add them to the food processor. Pulse until the cranberries are coarsely chopped. Put aside.</div>
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Now for the crumb. Combine the flour, oats, flax, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices. Work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand with deliciously fattening pebbles. I cut the butter into tablespoon-sized squares and crumble them with my fingers. Yes, the Tipsy Crumpet's fingers work their way into all her culinary creations. Sometimes, they even stay there, as in the unfortunate case of a bowl of pickles into which the tip of my index finger was hacked. . . and never found again. It was almost worth it! But no finger tips will make it into your final product, because now, all you need to do is crack the egg and massage it into the batter. Yes, it's a little awkward.</div>
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Now, pat half, or slightly more than half, of the batter into the pan. It will be a bit crumbly, but trust that it will coalesce into a shortbread-like crust during its incubation in the oven. Spoon the filling onto the batter and spread it so that it's even. Pat the rest of the batter on top.</div>
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Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool on a rack, then cut into bars.</div>
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-12778175646395442072015-02-15T08:33:00.003-08:002015-02-28T07:23:18.297-08:00Curried Veggie Pie with Buttermilk CrustSomeone gave me a bag full of parsnips. "What will I make with these?" I asked myself. My love of all foods encased in dough caused me to Google "parsnip pie"; a recipe popped up that I tweaked to my liking. The result was a deep, creamy pie full of veggies, cashews, and raisins encased in a tender crust washed in egg and sprinkled with black sesame seeds. Perfect comfort food for a cold winter's night.<br />
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for a 9.5-inch pie dish<br />
<br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
Crust</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
1 1/4 cup white flour<br />
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour<br />
salt and pepper<br />
2 tsp dried oregano<br />
2 sticks cold butter, sliced<br />
splash or two cold buttermilk<br />
egg (for the wash)<br />
black sesame seeds (for sprinkling on top; optional)<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Filling</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
4 parsnips, sliced thinly<br />
4 carrots, sliced thinly<br />
8 shallots, chopped<br />
1 cup frozen peas<br />
4 small golden potatoes, diced <br />
1/3 cup cashews<br />
1/3 cup raisins <br />
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped<br />
2 Tbsp butter<br />
2 Tbsp flour<br />
1 Tbsp curry powder<br />
1 1/4 cups whole milk<br />
4 oz grated sharp cheddar<br />
salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
Crust</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Sift flours and add salt, pepper, and oregano. Cut in the sliced butter (I usually crumble it in my hands until the flour is uniformly coarse, with some pieces as big as peas). Add the buttermilk a splash at a time, mixing with your hands until the dough comes together in a ball. Divide the ball into two, flatten into discs, and wrap each disc in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or freeze for later use). <br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Filling</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Place parsnips, carrots, potatoes, and shallots into a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with water and heat until the water comes to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes then drain the veggies, saving 1 1/4 cups of the stock.<br />
<br />
While the veggies are simmering toast the nuts on a pan over high heat until they are golden-brown (a little burnt is okay).<br />
<br />
In your pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and curry powder and stir for two minutes. Add the veggie stock and the milk. Simmer for two minutes, stirring until the roux becomes uniformly thick. Remove from heat and add the cheese (it's okay to keep the pan on the heat for a minute or so if the cheese doesn't melt; I use Grafton cheddar, which is particularly resistant to the charms of fire). Stir until the cheese dissolves to make a thick, creamy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the veggies, peas, cashews, raisins, and cilantro. Mix well. Your kitchen will be the envy of all your neighbors as they inhale the warm Spice Islands aroma. <br />
<br />
Let the mixture sit as you roll out the pie crust.<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 400. <br />
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Place one of your discs on a large piece of parchment paper. Place another large piece of parchment paper on top. Roll out the disc until it fits in your pie pan as the bottom crust. Poke a few holes in the crust with a fork, place some pie weights on top, and bake the crust for 10-15 minutes, until it begins to turn brown.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, roll out the remaining disc in the same way.<br />
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Allow the crust to cool (20 minutes is okay). Pour in the filling. Place the top crust on top and pinch along the edges. Hopefully, everything fits like a dream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the top crust.<br />
<br />
With a large knife, slice from the center of the top crust to the middle of the crust. Do this in a circle all around the crust. You'll have 6-8 slices radiating from the center of the crust to its middle. It will look fancy and delicious, like a pie in a stock photo. Beat the egg and brush it on top of the crust (I use my hands; the Tipsy Crumpet has no pastry brush). Sprinkle liberally with black sesame seeds. Your pie looks stunning!<br />
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Place the pie in the oven, but wait! Be sure there's a layer of aluminum foil on the bottom rack so that you don't have any burning pools of curry smoking up your kitchen as the pie begins to bubble. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the curry simmering beneath it. If you've refrigerated the pie longer than 30 minutes (you can leave it in the refrigerator overnight), bake for 40 minutes.<br />
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Remove and dig in!<br />
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<h3>
Notes</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>You can use any combination of veggies you like for this recipe. Next time, I'm going to sub 1 cup each of chopped cabbage, small broccoli florets, and small cauliflower florets for the parsnips. The parsnips tasted better to me over time (this pie ages well and will taste just as good, if not better, five days after baking), but at first, their sweetness seemed to clash with the savoriness of the other veggies. Green beans sliced into manageable pieces would also be killer in this pie.</li>
<li>I used to enjoy a similar pie at Sally Lunn's, an English tea shop in Princeton, NJ that has since closed. I added the raisins in homage to Lunn's. </li>
<li>You could easily make this pie vegan by subbing coconut milk for the regular milk; in fact, this might work even better with the curry. I didn't taste the cheese at all after baking, so you could probably use another Tbsp of flour as a substitute. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
5 stars. This is wholesome and winsome, with flavors to die for. The crust perfectly complements the spiced veggies in their curry cream, and a small slice goes a long way. This is a winter dinner to last all week. The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-73614982458442597842015-02-12T16:19:00.003-08:002015-02-28T07:22:41.059-08:00Bittersweet Nutella Cake with FrangelicoA party for a European friend. . . what to make? Europeans love chocolate. Europeans love hazelnuts. Europeans love boozing it up in style. One of my favorite candy bars is Ritter-Sport's whole hazelnuts in dark chocolate. And so this cake I'd been dying to make for months sashayed to the top of my recipe pile, and I'm very glad it did. The cake has no sugar and no flour, but you'll never miss those ingredients because it engulfs an entire tub of Nutella, has one delicious cup of ground hazelnuts and one fragrant cup of toasted whole nuts, and uses an obscene amount of high-quality chocolate. It is sprinkled liberally with Frangelico when still warm so that the liqueur infuses the body of the cake and renders it lusciously moist. All of a sudden, Americans don't look so classless after all!<br />
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<br />
lightly adapted from <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/nutella-cake-158" target="_blank">Nigella Lawson's Nutella cake</a><br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
Cake</h4>
<br />
6 eggs, separated<br />
1 pinch salt<br />
9 Tbsp butter, softened<br />
13-oz jar of Nutella<br />
1 Tbsp Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)<br />
1 cup hazelnuts, finely ground into meal <br />
4 oz bittersweet chocolate (dark is good--70 percent isn't too bitter for this recipe)<br />
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<h4>
Ganache and Topping</h4>
<br />
1 cup whole hazelnuts<br />
1/2 cup heavy cream<br />
1 Tbsp Frangelico<br />
5 oz bittersweet chocolate<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350.<br />
<br />
In a double boiler or rude approximation (pan within a larger pan in which water boils), melt the chocolate. Remove from heat when almost melted, stir until melted, and allow to cool. <br />
<br />
Beat the egg whites and salt until the whites are stiff but still wet. <br />
<br />
In a separate bowl, combine the yolks, butter, Nutella, Frangelico, and ground hazelnuts. Whisk until velvety smooth. Add a spoonful of the egg whites, and then add the rest of the egg whites gently, one-third at a time.<br />
<br />
Liberally butter a 9-inch springform pan. Pour in the batter and bake for 30-40 minutes. The center of the cake will still be wobbly, but the cake will smell done (and heavenly), and the sides will have begun to pull away. Place the cake, still in pan, on a rack to cool. Poke holes in the cake with a toothpick or skewer. Sprinkle Frangelico on top (or pour some into your cupped hand and pat it onto the cake, as I awkwardly do). You may want to do this a few times to really infuse the cake.<br />
<br />
A few hours later. . . <br />
<br />
Toast the whole hazelnuts in a pan over high heat. Remove from heat when the nuts smell fragrant and have begun to brown. Peel the skins if you like by rubbing the nuts in a towel. I don't mind the skins, but I remove some for a varied appearance.<br />
<br />
Chop the chocolate, then heat the chocolate, cream, and Frangelico gently in a saucepan. Once the chocolate is melted, whisk until the consistency is uniform and the ganache shiny.<br />
<br />
Unmold the cake, but leave the bottom of the cake pan be, as cake and bottom are codependent at this point and need one another for structural integrity. Spread the ganache over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Once the hazelnuts are fully cool, top the cake with the nuts.<br />
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Cut and serve.<br />
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Notes</h3>
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</h3>
<ul>
<li>I pulled the cake out of the oven after 35 minutes, and I think it would have been fine after 30. The cake will settle in on itself and turn into a delightfully moist solid once removed from the heat.</li>
<li>I had ganache troubles that may have stemmed from my unorthodox mixing methods: I heated a large lump of chocolate using my double-boiler method and then added the cold heavy cream and Frangelico. The ganache did not mix well and was drippy and lumpy; an unsightly yellowish oily substance trickled into the springform pan gutter once I spread the ganache on the cake. I refrigerated the cake and then wiped out the gutter. The taste was fantastic, the cake looked great, and no one noticed anything amiss, but I wonder if omitting the cream and Frangelico and simply using the melted chocolate wouldn't be just as good. If you've already Frangelicoed the cake, it will be boozy enough. I think you could go this route without harming your dessert.</li>
<li>I used El Rey chocolate, one of my favorite brands. El Rey is so fancy, it's sold in a special section at Whole Foods devoted to REALLY snooty shoppers. El Rey chocolate is single-sourced and superior to most other brands--just press it to your nose and inhale, like I always do, to the disgust of my fellow shoppers, and you'll smell the difference. I used 71 percent for the cake and a blend of 71 percent and 58 percent for the ganache. I think I could have gone with all-71 percent without making the cake unpalatable. My cake had a slight bitter tang that worked to render it a sophisticated, adult dessert rather than a saccharine confection.</li>
<li>If you are having a Frangelico crisis and are facing an empty bottle, you have my permission to use rum.</li>
<li>At the party, a chocolate hater tried the cake and ate an entire piece. That is the kind of cake it is.</li>
<li>My photography skills are substandard, so my cake slice photos turned out wretchedly, but here's a close-up of the crumb of this cake. Moist, moist, moist! </li>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
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5 stars. The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-41431600732880386932015-02-07T15:17:00.000-08:002015-02-07T15:18:11.886-08:00Smoky Vegetarian Pepperoni RollsIt was the Super Bowl! Time for some snacks. These rolls are based on the pepperoni rolls native to West Virginia, but they have a twist: instead of meat pepperoni, they have the veggie kind, and instead of regular cheese, they have smoked. This year, I added herbs and spices for a flavorful bite. You'll want to dip these in pasta sauce--I like fra diavolo or puttanesca; something with an edge. This recipe makes enough for a party, but if you're making rolls for one or two, you may want to halve the recipe.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">makes about 24 rolls</span><br />
<h3>
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<h3>
Ingredients </h3>
<h3>
</h3>
3 cups water<br />
1 Tbsp sugar <br />
2 packets yeast<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp salt<br />
6 1/2 cups white flour<br />
olive oil <br />
cornmeal<br />
2 packages veggie pepperoni (I prefer Yves)<br />
4 cups shredded smoked provolone<br />
ground black pepper<br />
red pepper flakes<br />
dried basil<br />
dried oregano<br />
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Process</h3>
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<h4>
Dough</h4>
<br />
Heat the water in a saucepan until it is wrist temperature. Add the sugar and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Mix with yeast water. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. I like to coat my hands with olive oil as I'm kneading. When the dough is pliable and smooth and responds when poked, with that living quality yeast dough takes on, coat it with olive oil, pat some around the inside of the bowl, and let rise. I like to put a damp cloth over the bowl and set it in a barely-warmed oven. The rising should take 1-1/2 hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk.<br />
<br />
Once the dough has risen into a puffy mass, punch it down and roll it up again. Divide into four rounds. At this point, you can save the dough for later by coating each round in olive oil, sliding it into a one-gallon plastic bag, sealing the bag TIGHTLY, and putting the bag in the refrigerator. You want to make sure to seal the bags oh-so-tightly because, any gap, and you'll open your refrigerator to an oozing dough monster that has snaked out and expanded to engulf other food items. You may want to open the fridge and punch down the dough in each bag every so often until the dough has chilled into submission.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Pepperoni Rolls </h4>
<br />
40 minutes before you want to bake your rolls, set your oven to 500. Put your pizza stone, pizza pan, or other pizza-baking device in the oven so that it heats up and gets all ready to produce a crispy crust for you.<br />
<br />
Get out your grated cheese, your pepperoni, and your spices. If you wish, divide pepperoni into four piles. <br />
<br />
Obtain a large sheet of parchment paper and lay it on a flat surface. Sprinkle plenty of cornmeal on the parchment paper. Take your first round of dough, lay it on the cornmeal, and turn it to coat it on both sides. Smush it horizontally into a long, flat shape. Lay another sheet of parchment paper on top and then roll out the dough with a rolling pin until the dough is flat and vaguely rectangular. This is not an exact science, and the dough doesn't need to be paper-thin (maybe 1/8-inch thick). You want about a four-inch width. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and cover with a layer of grated cheese. Sprinkle with pepper, red pepper flakes, basil, and oregano. Then, layer with pepperoni. A single line of continuous, slightly overlapping pepperoni is fine. Again, not an exact science.<br />
<br />
When you have the right balance of pepperoni, cheese, and spices, roll the dough lengthwise into a long, thin cylinder. Pinch the ends closed. Cut the cylinder into segments with a knife: maybe five or six. If you want, you can create dimpling in each segment by pressing the blade of the knife down a few times without breaking the dough. <br />
<br />
Place the pizza rolls on a third sheet of parchment paper and repeat the process with the other three rounds of dough.<br />
<br />
Pull out your pizza stone or baking sheet and--very carefully--place your pizza rolls on top. Put the stone back in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly brown.<br />
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Remove from oven and serve with dipping sauce. Your kitchen will smell like Sicily. <br />
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Notes</h3>
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<ul>
<li>This seems like a lot of effort, but it's really quite easy.</li>
<li>I usually like to add whole grain flour to anything I bake. Not this time, though. Whole-wheat pepperoni rolls sounds downright un-American.</li>
<li>In the past, I used smoked mozzarella instead of provolone. Smoked provolone has more flavor and a meatier texture, in my opinion, but mozz will do if that's what you have. </li>
<li>I estimated four cups of cheese, but I grated mine right on top of the dough, so I'm not sure. You may want to go the Tipsy Crumpet route and improvise until it feels right. Tip: you can't really overdo it, but you can underdo it. </li>
<li>The recipe I used said to boil some water and put it in a baking pan underneath the pepperoni rolls to create a steamy atmosphere. The oven sauna seemed to create a tender, airy texture, but the bottoms of the rolls weren't as crusty as I wanted. You can try this or not; the rolls will be scrumptious either way.</li>
<li>You will end up sweeping up a lot of cornmeal. But those golden crunchy bits add the perfect bit of texture the final product. Viva Quaker! </li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
4 stars. A great snack, and leftovers will keep for about a week in your fridge in an airtight container. Don't microwave, though; this is one snack best reheated to toasty perfection in the oven. <br />
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-40696639656849756782014-12-22T20:06:00.000-08:002014-12-22T20:09:21.232-08:00Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Rosemary Biscuit ToppingI wanted to make a main dish for a party, and a pot pie topped with biscuits--a savory cobbler--seemed irresistible. I used a recipe, but I adapted it so much, I might as well have created it from scratch. This pie takes a long time, but it's worth it. The double roasting of the vegetables produces maximum flavor and sweetness, and the dried mushrooms balance out the pie with an earthy note. The biscuits are fluffy and tender due to the use of buttermilk. You can use any mix of fresh and frozen veggies for this pie; it's extremely versatile. Sadly, I did not get a good photo of it, but you can see it on my holiday table being upstaged by a cake and a loaf of bread.<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
6 carrots, preferably of different colors, sliced<br />
2 large parsnips, sliced<br />
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks<br />
1 Tbsp olive oil<br />
salt<br />
pepper <br />
6 cups water<br />
2 Tbsp vegetable bouillon base<br />
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms <br />
1 small package microwavable fresh green beans, trimmed<br />
3 Tbsp butter <br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
6 shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup) <br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
3 stalks celery, sliced<br />
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen<br />
1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary<br />
1/2 cup flour<br />
1/4 whipping cream or sour cream<br />
2 Tbsp dry sherry<br />
dried sage<br />
dried thyme<br />
dried savory<br />
celery seeds <br />
1 small package chives, chopped (about 1/3 cup)<br />
<br />
5 cups flour<br />
2 Tbsp baking powder<br />
1/4 cup fresh rosemary, minced<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
1 1/2 sticks chilled butter, cubed<br />
2 1/2-3 cups buttermilk<br />
paprika (optional) <br />
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<h3>
Process</h3>
<br />
Got three hours? Roll up your sleeves!<br />
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then cover it with the carrot, parsnip, and sweet potato chunks. Massage the veggies with the olive oil and grind in some salt and pepper. Roast until tender, checking with a knife in 20 minutes and every 5 minutes after that. When you take out the veggies, reduce the oven temperature to 400.<br />
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While the veggies are roasting, microwave your green beans according to the package directions (a lazy step, I know, but the rest of this is so labor-intensive, you'll thank me).<br />
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In a saucepan, heat the water and bouillon. When these reach the boiling point, add the dried porcinis. Remove from heat. <br />
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In a Dutch oven, heat the butter. Add the onions and shallots and cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat until transclucent.<br />
<br />
Chop the cooled green beans into 1/2-inch pieces. <br />
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Add the green beans, garlic, celery, peas, and rosemary to the Dutch oven. Cook for another 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the flour and coat the veggies evenly. Stir and let cook for one minute.<br />
<br />
Add the cream or sour cream, sherry, and broth with the mushrooms. Cook until sauce has thickened and reduced somewhat, about 8 minutes. Stir in more flour as needed to thicken the sauce.<br />
<br />
Add dried sage, thyme, savory, and celery seeds as seems appropriate to season the broth (around 1 tsp each). Grind in more salt and pepper as needed.<br />
<br />
Add the roasted veggies (they should be done by now) and the chives. Stir until veggies are evenly coated with sauce and sauce seems sufficiently thick and well-integrated with the veggies.<br />
<br />
NOW, get a 9 x 13 glass baking pan. Will the veggies and sauce fit in the pan? You can always do like the Awkward Chef and line the bottom oven rack with aluminum foil to catch drippings. Pour the veggie mixture into the baking pan. Hopefully, it's enough to fill the pan, but without the danger of leaping overboard in simmering zeal. This was miraculously the case with my filling, which, although dangerously close to sloshing out, never did (at least, not until I topped it with giant clumps of biscuit dough).<br />
<br />
Bake the filling for 40-50 minutes. The roux will brown and the veggies will meld, the onions and shallots transforming into a sweet, slow-roasted glue.<br />
<br />
While your pie is deepening into itself, make the biscuit dough. (Okay, first clean up a bit. I bet your kitchen is messy and splotched. No roux spatters!)<br />
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Stir the flour, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a large bowl.<br />
<br />
Cut in the butter until the flour becomes a coarse sand.<br />
<br />
Add the buttermilk slowly, mixing all the while, until you have moist clumps of dough.<br />
<br />
Pull your baking pan from the oven. Blanket that filling with biscuit-sized rounds of dough. Nice, big ones. When you're finished, sprinkle the biscuits with paprika.<br />
<br />
Now you're really going to want to make sure your oven is lined with aluminum foil. Put some beneath the baking pan for good measure. At this point, you may wish that you and your kitchen were aluminum-lined.<br />
<br />
Bake for about 45 minutes, until a knife inserted into the runniest biscuit terrain comes out clean.<br />
<br />
Cool for 15 minutes before serving.<br />
<br />
This tastes even better in a day or two, heated up in the oven.<br />
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<h3>
Notes</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>This pie was originally all root vegetables, but my boyfriend doesn't like turnips or rutabagas, and celeriac seemed a dubious option. As I noted above, you can be extremely versatile with ingredients. Some blue potatoes, for example, would be nice in place of the yams. Roasted red cabbage would add an interesting note. I wouldn't go with fresh mushrooms, though, because you want the chewy texture of the dried.</li>
<li>You can also be versatile with the seasonings and herbs used. No need to go with any of the any of the above if you'd prefer something else.</li>
<li>While we're at it, I doubt that the dried mushrooms HAVE to be porcini. </li>
<li>I used vegan sour cream in the roux because I have a lactose-intolerant friend and accidentally bought the French vanilla soy creamer. A frantic ransack of my fridge brought to light a still-good container of Tofutti. To my relief, it turned out great! Anything creamy will do.</li>
<li>The original recipe called for half the amount of biscuit dough. It obviously didn't know with whom it was dealing.</li>
<li>You don't HAVE to roast the veggies the first time around. It will not kill anyone if you saute them along with the other veggies. </li>
<li>One small package of rosemary will do for the rosemary. One small package of chives will do for the chives. No need to kill yourself with precise measurements.</li>
<li>If all your oven-dripping prevention activity is for naught and you end up with quickly burning patches of roux on your oven walls, know that the appetizing smells of the roasting veggies will overpower the acrid scent of burning flour and bouillon. I would not have dreamed that this was true, but it is!</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
5 stars. If you get past my finicky notes and messy kitchen-shaming and make this, you'll be glad you did. The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-45970449434661465742014-11-25T12:19:00.000-08:002014-12-22T20:16:54.745-08:00Za'atar Pretzels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What is za'atar? It's a savory Middle Eastern blend of thyme, garlic, sesame seeds, sumac, and other herbs and spices. The sumac gives it a bright, lemony flavor and the garlic and sesame seeds lend it an earthy gristle. Za'atar is delicious, and you won't be able to live without it once you sprinkle it on some garlic toast or a slice of pizza. As far as za'atar conveyances go, you can't get much better than a hot-out-of-the-oven homemade pretzel. Perfect for wintry days and stormy nights, and ideal for dipping in whole-grain mustard.<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<br />
1 cup water slightly warmer than room temperature<br />
1 package active dry yeast<br />
3 Tbsp olive oil<br />
2 1/2 cups flour<br />
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast<br />
1 Tbsp za'atar <br />
1 Tbsp sugar<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/4 cup baking soda<br />
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar<br />
1 egg, whisked<br />
coarse kosher salt<br />
za'atar for topping<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<br />
<h4>
Make the dough.</h4>
<br />
To prepare the water, I usually pour cold, filtered water in a small saucepan and heat it until it's just slightly warmer than my finger. Yes, my breads all have finger juice in them!<br />
<br />
Once the water is finger-perfect, pour in the yeast and sugar and let stand for 10 minutes.<br />
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In a bowl, combine the flour, yeast, za'atar, sugar, and salt. Stir in the yeasty sugar water and the olive oil. Knead for five minutes, or allow your hand mixer to do the work, with dough attachment. I choose the latter option because my carpal tunnelly wrists would wilt like lilies if I had to knead for any length of time.<br />
<br />
Wash out the bowl, coat it with oil, then nestle your now-elastic and pliable dough ball into its clean new home. Throw a damp towel over the bowl and let the dough rise for an hour. <br />
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<h4>
Shape the dough. </h4>
<br />
Take two baking sheets and cover them in parchment paper.<br />
<br />
Gently punch down the dough and divide it into 8-10 pieces (more if you want smaller pretzels). On a floured surface, roll out one piece until it's long and skinny.<br />
<br />
Create a circle by bringing both ends toward you.<br />
<br />
Twist the two strands around each other.<br />
<br />
Lift each end back to the round part of the circle and fold it around the dough such that the pretzel stays in position.<br />
<br />
I promise you that you'll pick this up quickly and that it will be easier than it sounds.<br />
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Lay the pretzel on one of the baking sheets and start again until all the dough has been shaped.<br />
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Cover the dough with the towel.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Prepare the bath.</h4>
<br />
These lucky pretzels are now going to luxuriate in a baking soda bath!<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 450.<br />
<br />
Fill a large pot or Dutch oven 3/4 of the way full with water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then add the baking soda and brown sugar. The water will froth up. Reduce heat and maintain the simmer.<br />
<br />
When the half hour is up, lower 3-4 pretzels into the water. Let them relax for 30 seconds, then flip them over with a slotted spoon or metal spatula so that the other side can enjoy 30 seconds of spa time. Remove and return to the baking sheet.<br />
<br />
Repeat this process with the other pretzels.<br />
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After all the pretzels have delighted in their bath, brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse salt and plenty of za'atar. They'll puff a lot, so lay it on thick.<br />
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<h4>
Bake.</h4>
<br />
Bake 12-15 minutes, until the pretzels have turned golden-brown.<br />
<br />
Place them on a wire rack.<br />
<br />
Make a mustard dip: combine some whole-grain mustard, some smooth Dijon, and a dash of IPA or pale ale. Mix and spoon into a small serving dish.<br />
<br />
Serve the pretzels with the dip and eat steaming hot.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Variation</h4>
<br />
Now that you've mastered pretzels, you're just a hop, skip, and jump away from making pretzel dogs, or, in my case, pretzel veggie dogs, otherwise known as HALLOWEEN MUMMIES.<br />
<br />
To make these, blister 8-10 dogs on a hot pan for 10-15 minutes. The last thing you want is for your pretzel dough to encase pale, uncooked fake meat.<br />
<br />
Wrap the dough around the dogs, covering the ends entirely.<br />
<br />
Immerse the dogs in the bath and repeat as before, sprinkling with black sesame seeds and paprika instead of za'atar if you want to try another variation.<br />
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<br />
<h3>
Notes</h3>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>These aren't as hard to make as you think. Try out the recipe on a snow day! The pretzels will disappear instantly and you'll be primed for a nap.</li>
<li>These are also fine the next day if you heat them up in the oven first.</li>
<li>I tried adding other seasonings to the dough before baking, but you can't really taste them in the end. The seasonings you put on top will be much more prominent. </li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
A definite five stars. <br />
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<br />The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-4209054628174578212014-11-20T21:42:00.000-08:002014-12-22T20:17:24.750-08:00Blistered Green Beans with Harissa and Toasted AlmondsDo you like green beans? Like them skillet-blackened and served with a vibrant Middle-Eastern chili paste? Then you will love this recipe. I adapted it from <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/charred-green-beans-with-harissa-and-almonds" target="_blank"><i>Bon App</i></a><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/charred-green-beans-with-harissa-and-almonds" target="_blank"><i>é</i></a><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/charred-green-beans-with-harissa-and-almonds" target="_blank"><i>tit</i>'s version</a>, which calls for chilis you can't find in the northeast in winter. I used my cast-iron Lodge, and it's never been put to better use than in creating this tantalizing side dish.<br />
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serves 4-6<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1</span>
<span class="unit"></span> <span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">red bell pepper </span></span><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity"></span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">3</span> dried red chilis (I used </span><span class="st">chiles de árbol, or bird's beak chilis) </span><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity"></span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">3</span>
<span class="unit"></span>
<span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">garlic cloves, minced</span></span><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity"> </span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1</span>
<span class="unit">tsp</span>
<span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">kosher salt, plus more for seasoning</span></span><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity"> </span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">3</span> Tbsp
<span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">olive oil, divided</span></span><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity"> </span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">juice from one lemon</span><span class="name" itemprop="ingredients"></span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1/4</span>
<span class="unit">tsp</span>
<span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">ground coriander</span></span><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity"> </span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1/4</span>
<span class="unit">tsp</span>
<span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">ground cumin</span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">fr</span></span><span class="ingredient"><span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">eshly ground black pepper</span></span><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity"> </span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">2</span>
<span class="unit">pounds</span>
<span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">green beans, ends trimmed</span></span><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity"> </span></span><br />
<span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity">1/4</span>
<span class="unit">cup</span>
<span class="name" itemprop="ingredients">unsalted almonds</span>
</span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
Preheat your oven to 425.<br />
<br />
Stem and de-seed your red bell pepper. Chop into big pieces, lightly oil the pieces, then put them on a baking tray and into the oven. They will need about 20 minutes to char and soften. Flip once or twice.<br />
<br />
Stem and seed your dried chilis (retain seeds of one or more if you want extra heat, but be careful--bird's beak chili seeds will not exactly glide soothingly down your esophagus).<br />
<br />
Set a small pot of water to boil. Set your skillet on high heat and toast the chilis. Remove when they are browned on both sides--about 3-4 minutes.<br />
<br />
Immerse the chilis in the boiling water. Let them soak for 15 minutes, then put them on the tray with the bell pepper pieces.<br />
<br />
Place your almonds on the hot skillet. Toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, let cool, and chop.<br />
<br />
This is a good time to trim those beans.<br />
<br />
When the bell pepper pieces look soft and are beginning to wrinkle, with beautiful char marks on both sides, remove pan from oven.<br />
<br />
While the peppers are cooling, throw together the garlic, salt, 1 Tbsp olive oil, lemon, cumin, and coriander. You can use a small blender or a mortar and pestle to mush the ingredients together. I used the latter implement.<br />
<br />
Chop the bird's beak chilis and the bell pepper finely. Add them to the rest of the mixture and pulverize until you have a chunky sauce (or frantically pound with a potato masher, as I did when our blender proved useless and the mortar and pestle did not seem up to the task). You can add a little water if it helps. Add the almonds at this point.<br />
<br />
Set your skillet on high heat again. Place your trimmed beans in a bowl and toss with 2 Tbsp oil, salt, and pepper.<br />
<br />
Throw half the beans onto the skillet. It will take about 10 minutes for them to soften to a succulent yet firm state. Stir occasionally, letting the beans char all around. When they appear done, throw them on the baking sheet and into the still-warm oven.<br />
<br />
Pour your next batch onto the skillet.<br />
<br />
When beans are finished, put them back in the bowl and toss with the harissa. Serve hot.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Notes</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>I tried this dish both hot and cold and it was better hot. </li>
<li>The heat level is mild to moderate without the seeds. Next time, I think I would keep the seeds of one chili for more fire.</li>
<li>All recipes tell you to remove the skin from roasted bell peppers. I reject this. It's healthy, delicious, and in no way a threat to the sauciness of the harissa. Leave the skin on, says I.</li>
<li>I love the beans al dente, putting up resistance like a prize fighter who doesn't want to go down. If you prefer a more tractable bean, blanch the beans in boiling water for 3-4 minutes and then plunge into ice water before putting them in the skillet. </li>
<li>The effect of the burning-hot, heavy cast iron is key to the success of this dish. If you lack a skillet, go buy one! But while you're waiting, you can make this on a grill or broil the beans for a similar effect.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
Side dish win! I would definitely make this again.<br />
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<br />The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-60286171016703249812014-10-06T18:09:00.001-07:002014-12-22T20:17:51.899-08:00Blackberry PieI usually don't post recipes that I've taken from other sources without having modified them at all. But I adore Isa Chandra Moskowitz and and Terry Hope Romero and their <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Pie-Sky-Out-This-World/dp/0738212741" target="_blank">vegan baking wizardry</a>, and I want to share the recipe for this pie, which tastes like a tart mouthful of summer. Two lemons plus blackberry liqueur plus a pailful of berries make for an outstanding rustic dessert. Bring on a scoop of organic vanilla ice cream and you'll be flying off the porch swing.<br />
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serves 8<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
Crust</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">2 1/2 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">pinch salt</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span>3 Tbsp sugar<br />
8 Tbsp cold Earth Balance<br />
8 Tbsp cold shortening<br />
6 Tbsp ice water<br />
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Filling</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
6 heaping cups blackberries<br />
zest of 2 lemons<br />
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about two lemons' worth)<br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
3 Tbsp blackberry brandy or Chambord<br />
3 Tbsp cornstarch<br />
pinch cinnamon<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Process</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Crust</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Sift flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.<br />
<br />
Mix in sugar.<br />
<br />
Add 4 Tbsp each of Earth Balance and shortening, crumbling them into the flour with your hands until the flour gets pebbly.<br />
<br />
Add the rest of the Earth Balance and shortening. Your flour should be VERY pebbly.<br />
<br />
Mix the ice water and vinegar and drizzle it into the flour, massaging it in as you go. Add more water if you need to, but do so slowly so as to avoid the dreaded soggy crust.<br />
<br />
Divide the dough into two equal rounds. Press the rounds into disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate them until you're ready to use them, or freeze them if you're going to take a day or so to make your pie.<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Filling </h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Preheat oven to 425.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, toss together berries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, brandy or Chambord, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Easy!<br />
<br />
Roll out pie crust to fit a 9-inch pie plate. I do this by placing the dough between two large sheets of parchment paper and rolling it out in all directions until it's flat and thin. I then take a leap of faith that it will be large enough for the pie plate and feverishly mush it flatter if it isn't.<br />
<br />
Heap filling into bottom crust.<br />
<br />
Roll out the top crust and place on top, pinching sides into place and poking top with a fork. <br />
<br />
Note that this is vegan dough, and so extremely soft, with no gluten whatsoever. The recipe calls for cutting it into strips so as to create a lattice filling: yeah right! This is for braver souls than I. My crust was a ragged heap of disparate scraps, but they bonded in the baking process, making for an almost-normal-looking crust (see above). <br />
<br />
Bake for 20 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bake for another 30-35 minutes, until golden-brown and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack for at least half an hour before digging in.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Notes</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>The filling can't be beat. I'm a huge fan of citrus in desserts, and the blend of tart and sweet, with a hint of liqueur, somehow makes for the archetypal blackberry experience.</li>
<li>The crust is not bad for a vegan crust. It's sandy and flavorful; however, it gets soggy relatively quickly. If you're planning to keep the pie around for a few days and don't care whether or not it's vegan, use these ingredients, as found in this <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/09/spiced-bourbon-apple-pie.html" target="_blank">whiskey apple pie recipe</a>: 2 cups flour, pinch salt, 15 tablespoons cold butter (almost 2
sticks) and 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp cold water. I've had great success with this yummy, flaky crust. </li>
<li>I highly recommend all of the dessert books put out by Isa Chandra and Terry Hope. Their cookie and cupcake books produce to-die-for desserts every time. I've only just started using their pie book, but this recipe seems a harbinger of good things to come.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
4 stars; would be 5 with a butter crust (but at least use pasture-raised butter).The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-65779953624521854402014-10-06T17:02:00.001-07:002014-12-22T20:18:32.190-08:00Madagascar Hot Chocolate CookiesI had purchased a <a href="http://www.madecasse.com/cinnamon-chili-pepper/" target="_blank">cinnamon-chili pepper chocolate bar</a> from Madécasse, my favorite Brooklyn-based Madagascar chocolate purveyor, and wanted to make some cookies for a party. What I craved were brownie-rich cookies with a velvety texture and spicy chocolate chunks. I made what seemed like a lot, yet they disappeared with a quickness. Every so often, I bake cookies and proclaim them the "best I've ever made." This was one such time.<br />
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<br />
makes around 28 cookies<br />
<br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
1 stick butter<br />
1 bar <a href="http://shop.equalexchange.coop/organic-chocolate-bar-extra-dark-panama.html" target="_blank">80% chocolate </a><br />
1 bar <a href="http://shop.equalexchange.coop/organic-chocolate-bar-very-dark.html" target="_blank">71% chocolate</a> <br />
1 bar Madécasse cinnamon & chili pepper chocolate<br />
2 eggs, room temperature<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract <br />
1 1/2 cups white sugar <br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda <br />
pinch salt<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<br />
Preheat oven to 325. Line some baking sheets with parchment paper.<br />
<br />
In a double boiler or pan-within-a-pan-of-boiling-water, melt the butter and the broken-up bar of 80% chocolate. Toss in two squares of the 71% chocolate. When you see only a few lumps, remove the pan from the heat. Allow the lumps to gently become one with the chocolate-butter broth, stirring occasionally.<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chop the Madécasse and four to six squares of the 71% chocolate, depending on how chocolatey you want to go. I like to chop fine rows in the chocolate, and then turn them 90 degrees and chop again so as to produce small chunks.<br />
<br />
In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add sugar and vanilla extract and mix until uniform.<br />
<br />
Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and combine.<br />
<br />
In a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix these together, then gently fold into the wet ingredients.<br />
<br />
Add chocolate chunks and fold them into the batter.<br />
<br />
Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Using your fingers, scoop the batter onto your baking sheets in 1 1/2-inch rounds. You can also use a scoop, but where's the fun in that?<br />
<br />
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies will be very soft and gooey, yet will "bounce back" when poked.<br />
<br />
Cool on a wire rack.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Notes</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>This finicky combo of chocolates produces a deep, bittersweet taste. Of course, you can go with a different blend of chocolates, as long as they equal 9 to 10 ounces. </li>
<li>If you lack spicy chocolate, simply add cinnamon, ginger, and a dash of cayenne to the batter. </li>
<li>I used bourbon barrel-aged Madagascar vanilla from Kentucky. So yummy!</li>
<li>Refrigerating the batter causes it to spread more slowly in the oven, resulting in a thicker, gooier cookie. But these cookies taste just as good spread thin. You'll just have to bake them for less time.</li>
<li>I needed three baking sheets' worth of cookies, but I put them in the oven in two installments. I've found that more than two baking sheets' worth of cookies lengthens the baking time and negatively affects the results.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
These might have to take 5.5 stars.<br />
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<br />The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-81336837803961037132014-09-13T16:32:00.002-07:002014-10-06T16:15:38.969-07:00Not-So-Scrumptious Strawberry Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
These cupcakes look delicious, don't they?</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">overly sweet cupcakes of dismay</span></div>
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I used a recipe I'd been wanting to try for a year and a half--something about adapting Grandma's strawberry jello cupcakes to the healthy(er) modern age. I made the cupcakes, made the frosting, and even spread a layer of chocolate ganache between cake and frosting. What could be more delectable than a strawberry cupcake topped with chocolate and more strawberry? A whole lot of things! The topping was much too sweet, the ganache was lumpy, and the cake was a flavorless, dense calorie bomb. Even the Crumpet falls sometimes.The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-14385551464375174062014-09-13T16:19:00.000-07:002014-12-22T20:19:01.756-08:00Smoky Poblano Mac and CheeseA potluck was coming up. What to do? I like providing a veggie-filled option, but not too healthy. There's nothing worse than lugging home a barely touched vat of tofu surprise. At Whole Foods, I spied a gleaming heap of poblano peppers grown at my favorite pick-your-own orchard, <a href="http://www.homestead-farm.net/" target="_blank">Homestead Farm</a>. "Oooooh!" I thought. I then poked around online and found <a href="http://www.nutmegnanny.com/2011/09/10/poblano-macaroni-and-cheese/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>. For more flavor magic, I upped the poblano content and added smoked pepper jack. The end result smelled like bacon on a skillet, with a garlic-infused roux and crunchy topping. I doubled the recipe and it was nearly gone, but with just enough leftovers for lunch the next day. Huzzah!<br />
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serves 6-8 <br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
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3 poblano chiles<br />
8 oz whole wheat elbow pasta<br />
2 Tbsp butter<br />
4 cloves garlic <br />
2 Tbsp flour<br />
1 1/2 cups whole milk<br />
1 tsp mustard powder<br />
1/2 tsp cayenne powder<br />
1/2 tsp ground cumin<br />
zest of one lime<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 cups grated sharp cheddar<br />
2 cups grated smoked pepper jack (or a smoked cheddar/pepper jack blend) <br />
1 cup panko or breadcrumbs<br />
cilantro for garnish (optional)<br />
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<h3>
Process</h3>
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Set a pot of salted water to boiling and cook your pasta until it's al dente. Drain and set aside.<br />
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Set the oven to 425.<br />
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Lightly oil a baking sheet. Core the poblanos and place them on the sheet.<br />
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Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until peppers start to blister and soften. Flip them halfway through the process.<br />
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Remove peppers from oven. Most recipes advise you to peel the skin, but why? It's healthy, it does no harm, and you won't even know it's there. Allow your peppers to cool with dignity!<br />
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Lower the oven to 375. <br />
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As peppers are roasting, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Use a garlic press to drizzle in the garlic. All of a sudden, your kitchen smells like hot garlic bread. Give the butter and garlic a minute to develop amity, then whisk in the flour. A golden-brown roux will form, at which point you whisk in the milk. Allow another two minutes for the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken, whisking now and then.<br />
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Chop the cooled poblanos. <br />
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Remove pan from heat. Add mustard, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, salt, and ample ground pepper. Scoop in the poblanos. Stir.<br />
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Add 1 cup sharp cheddar and 1 cup pepper jack to the sauce, stirring so that the cheese melts. If cheese refuses to melt, heat the pan on low heat until it submits.<br />
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In a bowl, combine pasta and sauce. Pour into a baking pan or skillet.<br />
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Cover with the remainder of the cheese. Shake the panko evenly on top.<br />
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Bake for 25 minutes, then broil for 5. Remove from oven when sauce is bubbling and top is golden-brown.<br />
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Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.<br />
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Let cool 5 minutes, then serve.<br />
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<h3>
Notes</h3>
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<ul>
<li>When I made this, I scraped two ears of fresh corn into the sauce in a misguided bid to up the veggie content. Don't do this! The corn added a sweet note that has no place in this dish. </li>
<li>The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of cilantro in the sauce. I forgot to add this, and so it became the garnish. I tried leftovers with cilantro mixed in, and actually prefer the mac without it. The peppers stand out more, and the flavor seems deeper and less Tex-Mex.</li>
<li>I used a block of white cheddar for the sauce, and block of sharp orange Tillamook for the topping, giving the crust that lusted-after cheddary appearance. </li>
<li>Spice level: if you were eating the poblanos raw, they would be moderately spicy. The roasting gives this dish a gentle heat, but not the kick in the pants you might imagine. If you want a hotter mac, slice a fresh jalapeno into the sauce and up the cayenne content. I love smoked paprika (<i>pimentón</i>), but was afraid to add any for fear that it would throw the flavors out of whack. If you want to try some, I suggest sprinkling it on top after pulling the pan from the oven.</li>
<li>Don't forget the lime zest! This ingredient is what gives this mac its <i>je ne sais quoi </i>and was the reason I tried this recipe. </li>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
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Who doesn't love mac and cheese? Who doesn't love a smoky, mysterious potluck dish? 5 stars!The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-45679228389702842952014-09-09T21:02:00.003-07:002014-12-22T20:19:24.360-08:00Oatmeal-Raisin ShortbreadI saw a <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/RaisinShortbreads.html" target="_blank">recipe for raisin shortbread</a> and couldn't resist packing in some oats. With an egg wash, this is a nutritious source of protein and fiber as well as a delicious breakfast cookie. If you use fancy, pasture-raised butter and a certified humane egg, you'll feel GREAT as you dig into these bars.<br />
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makes 18 biscotti-length or 36 short bars<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
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2 sticks butter, softened<br />
1 cup confectioner's sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 1/4 cups flour<br />
1 1/4 cups quick oats<br />
pinch salt<br />
1 to 1 1/2 cups raisins<br />
egg, beaten<br />
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<h3>
Process</h3>
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Preheat oven to 350.<br />
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I like to do this kind of thing by hand, but you can use a mixer.<br />
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Blend butter, sugar, and vanilla. If you do this with your hands, you'll get a bonus: smooth, buffed hands! It's like a pre-cookie spa treatment. The recipients of your cookies will get some extra protein in the form of dead skin cells. <br />
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In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, and salt. You may sift the flour, but I'm skeptical that this accomplishes much. Add the raisins. Fluff with your hands until raisins are coated with flour.<br />
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Combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed, with no streaks.<br />
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Obtain a 9 x 13 pan. <br />
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Pat the batter into the pan until even. Run a fork along the top of the batter for crackly texture.<br />
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I refrigerated the pan for 30 minutes, then used a spatula to cut bars into the dough. You can do this at this point or after the shortbread is baked. I was afraid the oats would make the bars too crumbly after the shortbread was in its final form.<br />
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Using a pastry brush, apply the egg wash. If you hate waste as much as I do and use the whole egg, you'll end up with puddles of albumen on your shortbread. Do this at your peril!<br />
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Bake the shortbread for about 30 minutes. I baked it until it started to brown on top, but I would have preferred a gooier texture and a more pallid surface.<br />
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Let the pan cool on a rack. Cut into bars if you haven't already done so, and remove these from the pan.<br />
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<h3>
Notes</h3>
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<ul>
<li>These would be great with rum or rum extract instead of vanilla.</li>
<li>If you want to go for a strong rum flavor, soak the raisins in half a cup of rum for a day or so. The oats won't know what hit them!</li>
<li>I would like to experiment with a thicker bar and might use a 9 x 9 baking pan next time.</li>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
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These snacks are the perfect blend of virtue and luxury. <br />
<br />The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-54456978245231516412014-09-09T20:18:00.000-07:002014-12-22T20:20:07.856-08:00Mexican Hot Chocolate PieThis pie offers a spicy chocolate filling in a gingersnap crust with a cinnamon whipped-cream topping. I tweaked <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/05/spicy-hot-chocolate-pie-recipe.html" target="_blank">the recipe from Serious Eats</a> to create a dessert that warms the palate, making you feel as if you're gliding down the Silk Road on a magic carpet.<br />
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one 9.5-inch pie<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
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<h4>
Crust</h4>
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2 1/2 to 3 cups gingersnaps (I used Trader Joe's triple gingersnaps)<br />
6 Tbsp melted butter<br />
dash ground ginger<br />
dash cinnamon<br />
dash cayenne pepper<br />
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<h4>
Filling</h4>
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12 oz dark chocolate chips<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
1 egg <br />
1 tsp vanilla <br />
dash ground ginger<br />
dash cinnamon<br />
dash cayenne pepper<br />
pinch salt<br />
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<h4>
Topping</h4>
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1 1/2 cups heavy cream<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
pinch red pepper flakes<br />
dark chocolate bar for shaving<br />
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<h3>
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<h3>
Process</h3>
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<h4>
Crust</h4>
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</h4>
Preheat the oven to 350.<br />
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Obtain a 9.5-inch pie pan. If you're going for a 10-inch, you may want to increase the quantity of gingersnaps to 3.5 cups. If you're going smaller, this is your lucky day! <br />
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Pulverize the gingersnaps in a food processor. You should have about 2 cups' worth of crumbs (2.5 for a 10-inch pan).<br />
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Pour the crumbs into a bowl, then add the melted butter and spices. Toss with your hands until you have a delightful and uniform mound of cookie fluff. Try not to accidentally tip the bowl into your mouth.<br />
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Pat the mixture into your pie pan, forming a crust around the bottom and edges. If it seems too thick, you may remove some of the crumbs and spoon them into your maw. Just like cereal!<br />
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Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Set it aside to cool. It should achieve room temperature before you pour in the filling, but no one will suffer if you can't wait that long. It helps to pop it in the refrigerator after a minute or so.<br />
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<h4>
Filling</h4>
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Pour the chocolate chips into a large heatproof bowl. <br />
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Warm the heavy cream in a saucepan until it is just boiling. Pour over the chocolate and let stand for about one minute. You may stir. The chocolate chips will ribbon out into gooey strands that embrace one another before chocolate and cream become one.<br />
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To help unify the ingredients, gently whisk them until the mixture is smooth and glossy. If it's a little grainy, no one will suffer.<br />
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Add the egg. I like to crack the egg into a separate container first to make sure there are no bits of shell. If you do this, muddle the egg with a fork a bit and add to the chocolate.<br />
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Pour in the vanilla.<br />
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Add spices and salt.<br />
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Pour into pie crust and bake for 25 minutes. The filling should be slightly wobbly in the center.<br />
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Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.<br />
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<h4>
Topping</h4>
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Pour cream into a mixer. Add the sugar and cinnamon.<br />
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Whip until soft peaks form. I'm not sure what this means, so I usually over-whip and get tough hillocks of cream. No one will suffer.<br />
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Mound the topping over the cooled filling. What will happen if your filling isn't that cool? Not much. Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top and decorate your pie with chocolate shavings. I use a Swiss peeler that some guy sold me at the Eastern Market, but the large blades on your grater will do in a pinch.<br />
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<h3>
Notes</h3>
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<ul>
<li>Serious Eats' recipe called for a little more than half the chocolate used here. Try a slice and imagine it with half the chocolate missing! Too sad to contemplate.</li>
<li>I would love to try a chipotle version of this. <a href="http://www.thehotchocolatier.com/products.html" target="_blank">The Hot Chocolatier</a>, a gourmet chocolate shop in Chattanooga, sells a chipotle truffle (The Hottie) that I'd love to re-create in pie form. </li>
<li>This pie is wonderfully smooth. The cream and egg make it softer than a ganache, but firmer than a pudding. It's hard to beat when edged with a crunchy layer of snaps.</li>
<li>I served this after a meal comprising strawberry-spinach salad with smoky bleu cheese, chili, and cornbread. It stands up to assertive courses and would dominate skimpy ones.</li>
<li>As you savor the first bite, take a moment to thank the conquistadors, mercenaries, and shady characters who plundered exotic lands to make the ingredients accessible to all. </li>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
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5 stars. This one is hard to beat.<br />
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-33435109798911606282014-08-12T11:01:00.000-07:002014-12-22T20:20:31.550-08:00Slow-Roasted Garlicky Green Tomatoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had some leftover green tomatoes from the <a href="http://tipsycrumpet.blogspot.com/2014/08/green-tomato-pie-with-buttermilk.html" target="_blank">green tomato pie with buttermilk-cornmeal crust</a> and did not know what to do. Batter them up and fry them? Too greasy and reminiscent of Donne. Then I stumbled on this <a href="http://gardeninginthemitten.com/how-to-make-roasted-green-tomatoes/" target="_blank">Gardening in the Mitten site</a>. Yeow! I added some garlic to the tomatoes and then took some extra steps, as you'll see below. The slow-roasting gentles the puckery taste, giving the unripe fruits a deep, earthy flavor and a buttery mouthfeel. Red pepper adds some heat, and the garlic provides an Old World aroma, your kitchen transforming into a garden tended by Botticelli's goddesses.<br />
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Ingredients</h3>
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a few green tomatoes (the unripe variety, not the heirloom kind)</div>
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a few cloves of garlic, peeled (two or three for every tomato)</div>
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splash or two of olive oil </div>
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salt</div>
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pepper</div>
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red pepper flakes</div>
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Process</h3>
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Preheat your oven to 250. </div>
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Line a baking pan with foil. Chop the tomatoes and lay on the foil. Add the garlic.</div>
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Drizzle olive oil on top. Grind salt and pepper, then add a dash or two of red pepper flakes.<br />
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Curve the foil so that it surrounds the tomatoes and prevents leakage. </div>
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Roast for two hours.</div>
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For a delicious lunch, try the following:</h4>
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Toast a sesame bagel. Lay both halves on a plate. </div>
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Layer the bagel halves with sharp cheddar.</div>
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Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.</div>
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Top with roasted green tomatoes.</div>
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Chop some radicchio as a side salad.</div>
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Notes</h3>
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<ul>
<li>I used only two tomatoes, but you can use any number. Adjust proportions of other ingredients accordingly. </li>
<li>This really does take two hours for optimal effect, so start at 10:00 if you want your lunch by noon!</li>
<li>This would be a great pasta topping with more red pepper flakes and parmesan. </li>
<li>It might not hurt to zest a lemon on the tomatoes before roasting.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
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Until now, I was scared of green tomatoes. Now, I'll look for them every August.<br />
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-57866744959008112692014-08-02T23:27:00.000-07:002014-12-22T20:21:26.983-08:00Green Tomato Pie with Buttermilk-Cornmeal CrustInspired by Nothing in the House's <a href="http://www.nothinginthehouse.com/2014/07/green-tomato-pie.html" target="_blank">green tomato pie</a>, I decided to bake a pie featuring the unripe fruit, but savory instead of sweet. Being from the Bronx, I know next to nothing about green tomatoes and their properties, but I threw together a heap of my favorite ingredients, and the end result was smashing. A flaky, tender crust with a hint of grit gives way to a forkful of the season's bounty. I bought most of my ingredients at the Silver Spring farmer's market, and it was worth the airiness in my wallet to put this on the table.<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
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</h3>
<h4>
Crust</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
2 1/2 cups flour<br />
1/2 cup cornmeal<br />
pinch salt<br />
2 sticks butter<br />
3/4-1 cup buttermilk<br />
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<h4>
Filling </h4>
<h3>
</h3>
4-5 medium green tomatoes (the unripe kind, not the heirloom kind--they should be as hard and sour as a third-grade teacher coming back from vacation)<br />
1 package veggie bacon<br />
4 ears corn (or half a bag frozen, preferably Trader Joe's blackened kernels)<br />
1/2 red pepper, diced<br />
1/2 green pepper, diced<br />
1/2 onion, diced<br />
1 garlic clove <br />
3 scallions, sliced<br />
handful basil leaves, chopped fine<br />
2 Tbsp cornstarch<br />
pinch or two salt<br />
generous amount ground pepper<br />
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes<br />
squeeze lemon<br />
1/2 tsp honey <br />
1 cup sharp cheddar, grated<br />
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<h3>
Process</h3>
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</h3>
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You'll probably want to alternate between the crust part of the instructions and the filling part. You can also make the dough ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate it. If you freeze, let it thaw for a few hours in the refrigerator before attempting to roll. You can also make the filling ahead of time and refrigerate.<br />
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<h4>
Crust</h4>
<br />
Obtain a 10-inch pie pan. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Cut the butter into cubes. Put in a bowl and place in the freezer until frozen--about 20 to 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Pour flour, cornmeal, and salt into a food processor. Pulse to aerate. (The lazy chef's way of sifting.)<br />
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When butter is frozen, pulse with the flours until the butter is in pea-sized chunks. It won't take a lot of pulsing. Even if you overdo it and the mixture turns into a sandy powder, let's face it, it will still be pie crust.<br />
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Pour everything into a bowl. Add buttermilk a little at a time and work it in with your hands until the dough just sticks together in a ragged clump. (I estimated the amount above, but use your best judgment.)<br />
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Form dough into two balls, wrap tightly in plastic, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. Now you can start the filling!<br />
<br />
Filling halfway there? It's time to roll the crust. Here is my no-fail, easy-if-you-have-all-the-components method.<br />
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Tear off two large sheets of parchment paper or wax paper. <br />
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Lay the first sheet on a silicon pie mat or your countertop.<br />
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Place one of the rounds of dough on the sheet. Place the other sheet on top.<br />
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Using a rolling pin (I prefer the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ateco-20-Inch-Length-French-Rolling/dp/B000KESQ1G" target="_blank">French kind</a>), roll out the dough, turning the mat or the sheet of paper as you go so that it flattens into an even circle (who are we kidding--a geometrically unclassifiable surface that looks vaguely round if you take off your glasses). <br />
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When the dough seems roughly the size and flatness needed to serve as a bottom crust, peel from the paper and place in the pie pan, trimming, adding, and crimping as needed. Prick some holes on the bottom and sides with a fork.<br />
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Place the pan in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. <br />
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You have the filling all ready to go?<br />
<br />
Don't reach for your iPhone just yet! You still have the other round of dough.<br />
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Repeat the steps above, chortling gleefully this time, as the dough won't have to labor like its more industrious twin to line a baking dish. It need only be dropped from above to form the perfect covering for your filling.<br />
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When the dough seems flat enough and the circumference long enough to form a top crust, take the bottom crust out of the freezer. Heap with filling, then top with top crust. Prick holes in the top crust with a fork.<br />
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Follow the instructions below for baking.<br />
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</h4>
<h4>
Filling </h4>
<br />
Preheat the oven to 425.<br />
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Put a little oil in a pan. Sear the veggie bacon. Remove from heat.<br />
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Thinly slice tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Add salt and toss.<br />
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Tear veggie bacon into pieces and toss with tomatoes.<br />
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Scrape the kernels off the ears of corn (or pour in frozen corn) and add to the tomato mixture.<br />
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Mix in red pepper, green pepper, and onions.<br />
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Crush in garlic.<br />
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Add scallions and basil.<br />
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Add cornstarch and toss until consistency is uniform. <br />
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Add ground pepper and red pepper flakes. Squeeze in lemon and massage in the bit of honey.<br />
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Grate in the cheese (I did this right into the bowl--the measurement above is an approximation).<br />
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Toss everything together with your hands. Add more of anything that seems underrepresented.<br />
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Once you've assembled your pie as described above, place it in the oven.<br />
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Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bake another 40-50 minutes, until crust is golden-brown and edges are fizzing.<br />
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You may want to cover the crust with aluminum foil after the first 5 minutes, taking the foil off 10 minutes from the end.<br />
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Set pie on a rack to cool. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.<br />
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I bet this pie tastes good cold.<br />
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<h3>
Notes</h3>
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</h3>
<ul>
<li>I completely winged this recipe, and suggest that you do the same. For the filling, use whatever you like, in whatever quantities. The green tomatoes provide a backdrop for anything pungent, spicy, savory, crunchy, or herbal.</li>
<li>I actually used green olives instead of green pepper and onions, but tasting the pie a few times convinced me that green pepper and onions would have been the better call. This pie is so glorious, though, that olives won't exactly leave you crying in your beer.</li>
<li>If you want, you can chop up some rosemary and add it to the pie dough. You can also use dried herbs.</li>
<li>Gruyere would be good in lieu of cheddar.</li>
<li>I used veggie bacon because I'm a vegetarian. Salty protein from a vegetable: modern life is delicious.</li>
<li>I did not add a lot of basil for fear of overpowering the pie. You can experiment with more, or try other herbs such as marjoram or oregano.</li>
<li>This recipe is for a 10-inch pie. For a 9-inch pie, your crust could have 2 heaping cups flour, 1/3 cup cornmeal, 15 Tbsp butter, and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Maybe subtract a tomato.</li>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
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5 stars. One of my favorite recipes yet and a summer keeper. The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-36727239628657486932014-07-27T06:51:00.000-07:002014-12-22T20:21:54.085-08:00Rosy Blackberry Cobbler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Packed with summer-fresh berries, sliced peach, and rhubarb, this cobbler features a silky buttermilk topping. Two lemons' worth of zest marries happily with the fruits, transporting you to a sun-dappled orchard in which you romp through brambles, mouth stained with purple. I made this cobbler after a berry-picking expedition at Homestead Farm in Poolesville, Maryland.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJgxr2nN8hM/U9TyrQF4SwI/AAAAAAAAAn0/3WV6hJNoJ8g/s1600/IMG_4670.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJgxr2nN8hM/U9TyrQF4SwI/AAAAAAAAAn0/3WV6hJNoJ8g/s1600/IMG_4670.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
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</h4>
1 stick butter<br />
2 lemons <br />
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4 cups blackberries<br />
2 peaches, thinly sliced<br />
2-3 stalks rhubarb, sliced<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
dusting of grated nutmeg<br />
dash or two of cinnamon<br />
dash of ground ginger <br />
3 Tbsp cornstarch<br />
<br />
2 1/2 cups flour <br />
3/4 cups sugar<br />
dash or two of cinnamon <br />
1 Tbsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
2 cups buttermilk<br />
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<h3>
Process</h3>
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Preheat the oven at 350.<br />
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Get out a 9 x 13 baking pan. No need to grease!<br />
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Melt the stick of butter in a small saucepan. When mostly melted, with one thin rectangle bobbing in its golden bath, remove from heat. The rectangle will vanish into its hot tub.<br />
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zest both lemons, producing a tinselly heap. Cut one of the lemons in half.<br />
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Toss fruit into a large bowl. Add the sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cornstarch. Toss with hands to combine. It's going to be glorious! Add half the lemon zest and half the melted butter. Toss some more. Oh yes!<br />
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Pour the fruit into the baking pan, spreading it so that it's even. <br />
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In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Add the other half of the lemon zest. Pour in the butter and buttermilk and fold into the flour. Batter will be slightly lumpy. No overmixing!<br />
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Spread the batter over the fruit. In typical Toppled Chef style, I scooped and spread it with my bare hands. It worked out pretty well.<br />
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Bake for 45-55 minutes, until fruit is bubbling and top is golden brown.<br />
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Pull out and let cool on a wire rack. I'd eat this the next day for breakfast, but you can always serve hot with a scoop of ice cream.<br />
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Notes</h3>
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<ul>
<li>For the flour, I used 1 cup white and 1 1/2 cups white wheat, with a healthy shaking of flax, which is why you see speckles in the photo. You don't have to be this granola. However, any combination of flours should work. The butter and the buttermilk will ensure a tender crust.</li>
<li>Likewise, you can use any combination of fruits. I happen to love the earthy blackberries jazzed with rubescent stalk fruit and mellowed with peach, but blueberry-strawberry-nectarine would be just as good.</li>
<li>What kind of cobbler is this? It isn't a cakey cobbler, where the dough rises through the fruit, but the topping isn't quite a biscuit topping, as it's too runny to form mounds. It's more of a lazy fruit pie with a biscuity slump on top. This works for the Tipsy Crumpet!</li>
<li>Note that the knife test doesn't work to test doneness. I pulled the cobbler out of the oven after 30 minutes because the knife came out clean. The next morning, my heart sank as I spooned out a wad of fruit clumped with undercooked batter. It was edible, but I had to put the cobbler back into the oven for another HOUR to get it to an acceptable level of non-rawness. This did the trick, in case the same kitchen pratfall occurs to you.</li>
<li>Some people like a sugary cobbler. Not I! The 1 1/2 cups of sugar in this recipe go toe-to-toe with the double whammy of lemon zest and a heap of rhubarb. If you like your dessert to feel more like a slap on the face, this is the one for you.</li>
<li>This makes a delightful Sunday breakfast.</li>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
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</h3>
<br />
4 stars. Quite good, if you like your cobbler topped with a tender crust and filled with the textures, scents, and colors of summer.<br />
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-6089089759401111862014-07-26T16:53:00.001-07:002014-12-22T20:22:47.682-08:00Tangy Lemon-Herb Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This herbaceous salad dances on your tongue with a combination of summer greens, lemon, artichoke brine, and salt. You'll swoon, you'll eat more, you'll want only salad for dinner, you'll forget about dessert. If the Tipsy Crumpet would rather eat salad than anything else, you KNOW it's a good salad.<br />
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serves 4 as a dinner salad and 8 as a side salad<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
1 bag prewashed arugula<br />
1 head radicchio <br />
2 cups quartered artichoke hearts in brine (from the deli section is optimal)<br />
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives<br />
any other veggie you want to add--cherry tomatoes, chopped red bell pepper, etc.<br />
bundle fresh mint<br />
bundle fresh chives<br />
bundle fresh dill<br />
1 lemon<br />
pinch salt<br />
few grinds pepper <br />
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<h3>
Process</h3>
<br />
Obtain a large bowl. Fill with arugula.<br />
<br />
Half the radicchio. Slice each half into ribbons, then turn 90 degrees and slice the ribbons into ribbons. It's like delicious geometry homework!<br />
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Mix the radicchio and the arugula. Add the artichoke hearts. Pour in some of the brine (when I say "some," I mean "some." Use your intuition.)<br />
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Add the olives. Give a few good tosses with your hands. Looks pretty good, doesn't it?<br />
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Chop as much mint, chives, and dill as seems appropriate. Toss with the veggies. Add any other veggies you have.<br />
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Cut the lemon in half and squeeze one half on the salad. Toss with your hands. At this point, you may nibble an arugula leaf. Does it need more lemon? Squeeze on the other half (the Tipsy Crumpet likes a LOT of lemon).<br />
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Add the salt and pepper. Toss with your hands.<br />
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Now you have a fresh, gleaming, tart, tangy, and tender dinner accompaniment.<br />
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<h3>
Notes</h3>
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<ul>
<li>You could add some feta cheese. You don't need it, but it couldn't hurt.</li>
<li>If you're not crazy about feta but still want cheese, grate in some parmesan or asiago, using the larger grater holes so the cheese doesn't dissolve into the dressing.</li>
<li>This is a flexible salad. You can use other herbs, though chives, dill, and mint play well together and taste great with lemon. Basil would overwhelm the salad and hog all the attention. Oregano might taste too bitter. But mix and match and try anything you want. As long as you have brine, lemon, and salt, you'll want to keep eating until the last leaf is gone.</li>
<li>You really don't need other veggies for this salad. But if you're serving it as a dinner salad, garlic bread would be a terrific accompaniment. Slice a whole-wheat baguette lengthwise, smear with olive oil, and top with crushed fresh garlic. A few shakes of dried basil and red pepper flakes, a brief stint in the oven at broil, and you'll have a crunchy, pungent sidekick to your meal.</li>
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<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
This is a five-star salad. The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-65108611239778391532014-07-22T11:51:00.004-07:002014-12-22T20:23:23.594-08:00Seven-Mango Layer Cake with Raspberry Filling and Mango-Rum Frosting (vegan)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I created this cake for an Earth day/birthday party. Super moist and fluffy despite the lack of eggs, the cake earned rave reviews from the non-vegan crowd. You need a LOT of mangoes to make this work, and the cake is somewhat labor-intensive, but it's worth it. It's like a vegan prima donna strutting her pulchritudinous self down a fruited runway.</div>
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serves an adventurous crowd<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
Cake</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
3 cups flour<br />
4 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
dash salt<br />
tsp cardamom<br />
2 cups mango puree (see below)<br />
3/4 cup almond milk (or other kind of non-dairy milk)<br />
1/4 cup rum <br />
2/3 cup canola oil<br />
1 1/3 cups sugar<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
<br />
<h4>
Raspberry Filling</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
12-oz package frozen raspberries<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1 Tbsp lemon juice<br />
3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water <br />
<br />
<h4>
Frosting</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
1/2 to 1 cup mango puree (see below)<br />
1/4 cup softened Earth Balance<br />
1/4 cup softened Tofutti cream cheese<br />
2 cups confectioner's sugar (more as needed)<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
dash or so rum<br />
raspberries and blueberries for garnish (optional) <br />
<br />
<h4>
Mango Puree (3 cups)</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
7 or 8 champagne mangoes<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/4 cup lemon juice<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
Let's start with the puree, as you'll need it for both the cake and the frosting. <br />
<br />
<h4>
Mango Puree</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Peel the mangoes, then slice them. This is rather tricky with champagne mangoes, but you should be able to get off most of the flesh.<br />
<br />
Put the sliced mango in a food processor. Add the sugar and lemon juice.<br />
<br />
Puree until smooth. You may have to do this in batches.<br />
<br />
You can make the puree ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator, tightly covered.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Cake</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Preheat oven to 350.<br />
<br />
Oil two round cake pans.<br />
<br />
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom into a large bowl.<br />
<br />
In another bowl, mix the mango puree, almond milk, rum, oil, sugar, and vanilla.<br />
<br />
Tip the wet ingredients into the dry. With bold strokes, mix until batter is smooth. Don't overmix, lest you want the crumb to turn from silky to rubbery.<br />
<br />
Pour equal amounts of batter into the two cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. You may find a few golden crumbs clinging to your utensil. This is fine.<br />
<br />
Let cakes cool for 10 minutes before turning them onto a wire rack.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, make the. . .<br />
<br />
<h4>
Filling</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Pour raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan.<br />
<br />
Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until raspberry globules have freed themselves from the raspberry unit and mixed with all the other globules in a communal slurry.<br />
<br />
Strain the mixture using a fine sieve. Pour the seedless communal slurry into the saucepan and return the saucepan to the stove.<br />
<br />
Pour in the dissolved cornstarch solution and mix.<br />
<br />
Bring the slurry back to a boil and simmer for 5 more minutes.<br />
<br />
Remove from the heat to let it cool completely, stirring now and then. If the slurry becomes a gob of unspreadable raspberry goo, add a little water to thin it out.<br />
<br />
When both cakes and filling are completely cool, spread the filling on one cake and place the other cake on top. We're nearly there!<br />
<br />
<h4>
Frosting</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Cream vegan cream cheese and Earth Balance.<br />
<br />
Add confectioner's sugar, whipping the two together all the while. If this takes too much coordination, alternate adding sugar and whipping.<br />
<br />
Mix in the vanilla and rum. Take a swig of rum. You deserve it!<br />
<br />
Stir in half a cup of mango puree. How's the consistency? Add more mango and/or confectioner's sugar as needed, tasting the frosting to make sure it's the tropical topping of your dreams.<br />
<br />
When all is to your liking, spread the frosting along the sides and top of the cake until cake is completely covered. Only lick the spatula when you're suuuuuuuuure you're satisfied.<br />
<br />
When the cake looks like a snowy mango bride, dot the frosting with raspberries and blueberries. Refrigerate until serving so that the frosting doesn't slump. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Notes</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>I used champagne mangoes, which are small and have a tart flavor that I like. If you go for a sweeter mango, such as Haitian or the larger, orange variety with the greenish skin, you'll probably need fewer mangoes for the puree.</li>
<li>When I made this cake, I did not believe that the frosting would be enough, and doubled the recipe (keeping the one cup of mango puree). This produced way too much. I then felt compelled to bake vegan chocolate cupcakes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's <i>Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</i>, spread them with the frosting, and top each with a strawberry slice. Not a bad way to use any leftovers.</li>
<li>You don't NEED rum. But it's a nice addition, especially if you use the tarter mangoes.</li>
<li>It will take you at least half a day to bake and assemble this cake if you complete all the steps in one day. If you want, you can make the puree, frosting, and filling ahead of time. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
It's exhausting just to write about this cake, but it truly is worth it if you have a friend or loved one who requires some vegan cake magic. Especially nice during early spring, when everyone starts craving fruit.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">"I am the mango cake monster who eats up all your time and resources. . . but everyone else will love me. Muhuhahahaha!"</span><br />
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-53825980500882705062014-07-21T21:31:00.000-07:002014-12-22T20:24:29.426-08:00Caramel BrowniesThe recipe said to use drugstore caramels. Whaaaaat? The Toppled Chef would rather not bake brownies at all than use those waxy, corn syrup-laden squares that contain artificial flavor. A caramel should taste like caramel because it IS caramel, thinks the Toppled Chef. And so she created some ooey gooey drippy brownies with a panful of blood orange-infused caramel that tasted so ambrosial, it was like eating flower-strewn earth from fairyland. Bonus: the natural ingredients don't leave your esophagus feeling as if it's lined with plastic bags and your head aching with fake candy malaise.<br />
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<br />
This could serve a gaggle of adults and children.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
Caramel</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
1 1/2 cups sugar<br />
9 Tbsps salted butter, cut up into 6 pieces<br />
3/4 cup heavy cream<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
Tbsp or so fresh juice from a blood orange (optional)<br />
<br />
<h4>
Brownie Batter</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
3 1/2 sticks butter (the other half-stick is the angel's share?) <br />
heaping cup bittersweet chocolate chips<br />
6 eggs<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 cup flour<br />
pinch salt<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Process</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
Butter (if you can stomach it) a 9 x 13 baking pan.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Caramel</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Heat sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. The sugar will clump up and turn golden-brown. Keep a close eye on it and note the moment it turns a pleasing shade of amber--the sugar will darken and calcify into a bitter mass in the blink of an eye. <br />
<br />
Add the butter right away, being careful of spatter.<br />
<br />
Stir the butter into the sugar until it is completely melted. <br />
<br />
Drizzle in the heavy cream S L O W L Y, unless you want caramelized, inedible chunks of crystalized butter.<br />
<br />
Allow the mixture to boil for one minute.<br />
<br />
Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Squeeze in a few tablespoons of blood orange if you want. Rum would also be divine.<br />
<br />
You can store the caramel in the refrigerator if you make it ahead of time. You may want to let it warm before using.<br />
<div class="instructions">
</div>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Brownies</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Preheat the oven to 350.<br />
<br />
Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or the pan-within-a-pan-of-boiling-water used by the Tipsy Crumpet. Stir until just melted and let cool.<br />
<br />
In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add the cooled chocolate mixture.<br />
<br />
Sift the flour and salt into the chocolate mixture. Mix until well-combined.<br />
<br />
Pour half the batter into the baking pan and spread until even.<br />
<br />
Refrigerate for 10 minutes (you can make the caramel during this time).<br />
<br />
Pull the brownie pan out of the refrigerator and pour the caramel on top. Depending on how gooey you want the brownies to be, you may want to use half the caramel and save the rest for later.<br />
<br />
Refrigerate the pan for 20 more minutes to allow the caramel to set.<br />
<br />
Pull the brownie pan out again and spread the rest of the brownie batter on top. Let the pan come to room temperature before putting in the oven.<br />
<br />
Bake for 35 minutes, and then check for doneness.<br />
<br />
Using the entire amount of caramel produced a fascinating oven phenomenon for me. A crackly crust emerged that was raised by a bubbling lava of caramel such that the brownie looked like a sacred tablet held aloft by a host. I baked for nearly an hour before declaring the confection done. Using less caramel may produce a more normal baking experience. When in doubt, if the caramel starts hardening and turning a darker shade of brown, it's time to pull out the pan. I promise the brownie will settle into a traditional form, although I can't promise that it will ever be tamed in spirit.<br />
<br />
Pull the beast out of the oven and let it cool on a rack for a good long while.<br />
<br />
You will want to refrigerate before attempting to cut these. Good luck!<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Notes</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<ul>
<li>You don't have to cut these. Spooning out brownie fluff will produce enticing caverns with caramel runoff.</li>
<li>You don't have to flavor the caramel, but orange, blood orange, rum, whiskey, and brandy would all add to the decadence.</li>
<li>A little of these go a long way. Best for a party or barbecue!</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<br />
5 stars--worth having to clean the crusty pan.<br />
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183056583925618730.post-69881474897604501912014-07-21T20:01:00.000-07:002014-12-22T20:25:28.400-08:00Coffee-Chocolate-Kahlua Ice Cream PieIf the swelter of midsummer has you pining for an icy treat, pine no more! This boozy pie, with its caffeine punch and candy crackle, is like Good Humor for adults. I took Guy Fieri's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/coffee-liqueur-ice-cream-pie-recipe.html" target="_blank">coffee liqueur ice cream pie recipe</a> and threw in some curveballs. The result is a tipsy mud pie you'll crave.<br />
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<br />
Serves 6-8. No one will eat just one slice.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div>
<h4>
Crust </h4>
<h4>
</h4>
</div>
<div>
1 box chocolate cookie wafers, crushed (I used <a href="http://www.midelcookies.com/products/all-natural/chocolate-snaps" target="_blank">MI-DEL's chocolate snaps</a>)<br />
5 Tbsp butter, melted</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Pie</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
2 pints coffee ice cream, softened (on counter for 15 to 20 minutes)</div>
<div>
2 pints chocolate ice cream, softened (on counter for 15 to 20 minutes)<br />
6 Tbsp Kahlua</div>
<div>
generous handful chocolate-covered coffee beans, crushed</div>
<div>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Topping</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
1 cup heavy whipping cream<br />
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar</div>
<div>
1 Tbsp Kahlua </div>
<div>
bittersweet chocolate bar for shaving</div>
<div>
handful chocolate-covered coffee beans (optional) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3>
Process</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
</div>
<div>
<div>
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</div>
<div>
<br />
Mix crushed chocolate cookie wafers
with melted butter. Press onto bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie
pan. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Let cool.<br />
<br />
Combine softened ice
cream and Kahlua using a mixer until creamy (you may have to do this in installments). Stir in crushed chocolate-covered coffee beans. Oh yes! Fill pie crust with ice cream mixture, cover
with plastic wrap, and place in freezer for 3 to 4 hours.<br />
<br />
Once the wait is over, whip cream with confectioner's sugar and Kahlua until soft peaks form (I do this with a hand mixer and inevitably end up spattering my walls, person, and nearby kitchen appliances with sugary foam). Top the pie with whipped cream. Refreeze for one hour. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Before serving, take a peeler and shave bittersweet chocolate over the pie. You may also top with chocolate-covered coffee beans.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3>
Notes</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I was afraid that freezing the whipped cream would cause it to slump into an unappetizing icy slurry. Not so! The whipped topping stayed good for days, and your pie will probably not last that long.</li>
<li>The crushed chocolate-covered coffee beans are key to elevating this pie to greatness, adding crunch and texture in concentrated bits of flavor. But you could do without in a pinch.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
Verdict</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
5 stars plus. This will be the belle of the ball at any summer potluck. If you do what I did and serve slices garnished with mint and strawberries, prepare for those dainty embellishments to be ignored as your guests plow into the tundra.<br />
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The Toppled Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15253029418885203224noreply@blogger.com0