mix, mix… stir, stir

Sweet
Lenxox Almond Biscotti is what the Tuesdays with Dorie group is cooking up this week. Biscotti are my favorite cookie to eat while enjoying a hot cup of coffee or tea. They are crunchy and satisftying and usually big, making it possible to enjoy the cookie accompaniment with the entire cup of hot beverage. I still remember experiencing great excitement the first time I made biscotti; having sliced the logs of baked dough as directed, there before my eyes were biscotti shaped just like the ones at the fancy coffee shop! It was thrilling.  It is a simple shape to achieve, but I had never thought through how to make a cookie shaped that way. To this day I love the moment of transformation from single log of dough to beautiful bias-cut shaped cookies, all with the simple slice of a knife.

photo by David Peterman

Dorie Greenspan’s recipe in Baking: From My Home to Yours, is good, but I added a few twists to suit my preferences. I like really crispy biscotti so I cut the butter back to 4 Tbsp from 8 which did the trick. I also prefer whole nuts in biscotti for both aesthetics and taste, so I used whole balanced almonds rather than slivered. I buy a magnificent spice blend called Kashmiri Garam Masala, from World Spice and it works so beautifully in baked goods that I tossed in a teaspoon in addition to bumping up the salt by an 1/8 teaspoon. For a shiny finish, I gave the logs a brush with an egg wash before the first baking.

At first glance Kashmiri Garam Masala might seem like a strange choice for baking, after all it has black peppercorn, black cumin, and coriander in it. It is the cardamom, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon along with the fact that all the spices are toasted to a nice warm nutty flavor that maks this blend so delicious in sweet applications. One whiff and you will know what I mean. I have used it to spice up butter cookies, pancakes, madeleines, chocolate ganache, and the list goes on.

I did have an issue with the baking instructions for this recipe. Dorie instructs the first baking to be “15 minutes, or until the logs are lightly golden and springy to the touch.” I found that to be not nearly long enough to sufficiently set the interior of the dough. I ended up baking mine for 30 minutes before pulling them out and slicing them. The first batch I baked about 20 minutes and when I removed the logs from the oven they proceeded to collapse because they were still quite raw in the center. After slicing them, I returned them to the oven for the second baking and they puffed up again, but lost the nice sharp cut edges that say “biscotti” to me. I made these a second time and baked them for 30 minutes, let the logs cool just 10 minutes, enough so I wouldn’t burn myself when slicing the cookies, and then returned them to bake for an additional 20 minutes. I also reduced the oven temperature from 350 degrees F to 300 degrees F for the second baking. The result was much more to my liking. Crispy dry with clean cut edges and not overly browned.

Thank you to Gretchen of Canela & Comino for selecting the biscotti recipe. These are easy to make, and though they require a fair amount of baking time, you can set a timer and wonder off to do other things. Because the dough is not individually portioned into cookies, biscotti are quick to make.

Savory
In addition to being a great sweet treat, biscotti are wonderful in a savory application. I have served these as an hors d’oeuvre nibble at parties, as part of a bread basket at dinner, and as a nice alternative to bread along side soup or salad. I like to make savory biscotti a little less crisp than dessert biscotti, so there is the addition of olive oil and milk. The flavoring can really go in any direction, so play around to suit your needs. I am thinking of working on a sundried tomato and parmesan version next.

photo by David Peterman

Toasting Spices
Toasting spices is not about bringing out flavor; it is about changing the flavor. A toasted spice is like anything toasted, think of toasted verses raw almonds or bread. Sometimes toasted is what you want and other times not, it is the same with spices. Try toasting a spice and taste it compared the untoasted spice and you will immediately understand what a toasted or non-toasted spice will bring to a dish

For small quantities I prefer to toast spices in a dry skillet on the stove top over a medium heat. It is important to shake the pan and keep them moving around so they don’t burn.  The level of toasting depends on how much toasty flavor you desire. Experimentation is the best way to determine preferences for different dishes. Some foods will benefit from a nice dark roast on the spice and other lighter flavored dishes may be best complimented with just a golden hue added to the spice. 

Rosemary Orange Almond Biscotti
2 cups flour
1/2 cup corn meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
zest of one orange
2 tsp. whole coriander, toasted then crushed
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup whole blanched almonds
Additional egg for egg wash, if desired
Kosher or flake salt for garnishing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

If eggs are cold, place them in a bowl of warm tap water to take the chill off. The milk can be warmed in the microwave on low for about 15 seconds to take the chill off.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, pepper, rosemary, orange zest, and coriander. Stir with fingers to combine ingredients and break up any clumps of the orange zest so they are well disitributed throughout the mixture. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter then add the olive oil and beat to combine. Add the eggs one at a time giving the mixture time to combine before adding the milk. The butter may appear clumpy, but it will come together once the dry ingredients are added. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and stop the mixer just before the flour is fully incorperated into the dough. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the almonds, stirring by hand to incorperate should integrate the flour mixture without risking over mixing.

Divide the dough into two portions on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Using your hands, form each portion of dough into a long log shape. This is a wet, sticky dough that generally behaves without the need for additional flour if just patted and pushed into shape. If making party nibbles, it is best to make the logs rather long and only 2-21/2 inches wide and not to thick, so the biscotti will be bite-sized once cut into pieces. For nice long biscotti, shape the logs 3-31/2 inches wide.  

Wisk an egg with a little bit of water to create an egg wash. Using a pastry brush paint the logs with the egg wash then sprinkle with a light dusting of kosher salt, or preferably a delicate flake salt if you have it. Bake for 30 minutes. The dough should just be taking on a golden brown color and be cooked through enough to hold its structure. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, or until you can comfortably slice the logs.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Using a serrated knife, slice the logs at about a 45 degree angle creating slices about 3/4 to 1 inch thick.  Conduct a quality control study by snacking on the end piece trimmings. Place the biscotti slices back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for about 20 more minutes. The second baking is designed to dry out the biscotti and make them crisp. Transfer to cooling rack and serve at room temperature, or store in an airtight container for about a week.

What better way to welcome fall than to cook a whole pumpkin? I felt so seasonal arriving at a party this weekend offering up a cooked pumpkin filled with tasty stuffing; and what a great presentation for a buffet table.

photo by David Peterman

This is the first filled pumpkin I have ever baked and I learned a few things in the process. I was inspired after reading Doire Greenspan’s post on her filled pumpkin, so off to the farmer’s market I went. I chose a 9 pound Cinderella Pumpkin from the abundant selection. The round squat structure looked well suited for my plans and the lovely orange skin with a yellow blush was cheerful and festive. There is something exciting and fun about hauling a large pumpkin home.

Cinderella pumpkins have a much more solid network of flesh and seeds in the middle compared to the stringy mess that hides inside carving pumpkins. It scoops out just as easily and I did have to remind myself to leave the flesh in place; thin walls are great for carving, not such good eating.

The filling was inspired by what I had in the kitchen, which is why this recipe is so great. You can take the filling in all kinds of directions and not worry too much about following a recipe. Just keep building and tasting until it seems like enough volume to fill the cavity. I used cubes of bread, onion, garlic, apple, hazelnuts, gruyère cheese, sage, allspice, salt, pepper and a bit of cream. The filling was moist, but not wet. I filled the pumpkin and baked it in a pre-heated cast iron dutch oven that I lined with a layer of foil and parchment paper to act as a sling for easy removal after baking.

After 1 1/2 hours in a 350 degree F oven, it wasn’t making enough progress so I boosted the oven temp to 400 and removed the lid to the dutch oven.  Thirty minutes later I was beginning to smell the pumpkin aroma and I peeked under the pumpkin lid. Much to my surprise it was filled with bubbly, watery liquid. My delicious filling was swimming in pumpkin juices. The pumpkin was cooked; I was running out of time before needing to head to a party with the pumpkin, so I thought I would just roll with it. The untested foil and parchment sling was quite effective and I was able to lift the pumpkin out of the dutch oven, but spilled hot pumpkin juice on myself, then as I set the pumpkin on the counter the juices promptly began running out and onto the floor. Well, at least the filling is no longer swimming in liquid so one problem was solved. After giving the filling a stir and a taste, I was pleasantly surprised that the bread cubes were holding together and it tasted pretty darn good. By the time it was served at the party it had set up even more, no doubt due to the additional juices that drained out onto the floor mat of the car during transit, and everyone really liked it. The pumpkin meat was scooped off the walls and mixed in with the filling as people served themselves.

photo by David Peterman

I suspect cinderella pumpkins are just juicy pumpkins and not the best choice for this type of filling. A rice filling could have taken advantage of all the additional liquid. With a dryer style of squash this would be an outstanding dish. Though I seasoned the filling well, it wasn’t quite enough once the pumpkin was mixed in, so next time I will salt and pepper the inside of the pumpkin before adding the filling. With this one experience I am already hooked on cooking in a pumpkin pot and will continue to refine the process. By January everyone I know will be groaning when I show up  with another pumpkin pot.

A Pumpkin Pot

Much like a soup pot, you can base this dish on what you have on hand. Just build enough filling for the volume of your squash or pumpkin. Here is what I used for a 9 pound pumpkin.

4 cups stale bread cubes from a rustic, hearty loaf of bread*
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed
3/4 tsp. allspice, ground
1/2 tsp. salt, more to taste
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and rough chopped
3 ounces gruyere cheese, cubed
3/4 cup cream

Cut a lid in the pumpkin by carving around the top. Position the knife blade to create an inward angle so the lid won’t fall right through the hole. Scoop out the seeds and connective matter, but unlike preparing a jack-o-lantern, don’t scrape the meat off the side walls, that part is dinner!

Measure out a piece of foil long enough to lay across the bottom of the dutch oven and come up beyond the height of the side walls by three to four inches on each side. Cut a piece of parchment the same size. Set both aside.

Preheat oven and dutch oven pan (without the foil and parchment liner) to 375 degrees F.

Over medium-low heat, sweat the onions until translucent. Add the apples, garlic, cumin, allspice, salt and sage and sauté another minute or two. Remove from heat and add the bread cubes and hazelnuts and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed. Mix in the cheese cubes and cream.

Sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin with salt and pepper and then stuff the cavity with the filling. Place the lid on the pumpkin. Lay out the piece of pre-measured foil, lay the piece of pre-measured parchment paper on top of the foil, then place the pumpkin in the center on top of the parchment paper. Give the foil/parchment sling a test by grabbing the excess material on either side of the pumpkin and lifting up. If the pumpkin feels stable enough use this sling to lift the pumpkin into the hot dutch oven. If you don’t have confidence that the sling will hold, reinforce it with another layer of foil.

Carefully remove the hot dutch oven from the oven. Lift the pumpkin sling and place it in the hot dutch oven. The pan is hot - be very careful not to touch it! Fold the excess foil and parchment across the top of the pumpkin and place the lid on the dutch oven. Place the pot in the oven to bake for 2-2 1/2 hours. During the last 30 minutes of baking you can remove the dutch oven lid and the pumpkin lid to brown the tip layer of stuffing. Once the pumpkin flesh is tender when pricked with the tip of a knife and the filling is bubbly and hot, it is ready to be removed from the oven.

Ready a serving platter. Carefully lift the cooked, very hot, pumpkin out of the dutch oven using the foil/parchment sling and set it on the serving platter. Using a sturdy spatula lift up one side of the pumpkin and slide the foil and parchment out from underneath then do the same on the other side. To serve, scoop some of the pumpkin meat from the walls up with the filling.

*If you have a fresh loaf of bread, you can “stale” the bread by laying the cubes on a sheet pan and baking them in a 250 degree F oven for 20-30 minutes until they feel dried out. They should develop a dry crust, but not become brown.

A perfect nibble for summer entertaining. The creamy avocado plays so perfectly against the bright tart flavor of grapefruit and rhubarb. Grapes chime in with a sweet note and a toasty crunch from almonds adds a little contrast. The bite-sized salad is brought together with the peppery bite of watercress and the cool crunch of the cucumber round. It looks and tastes like summer!

photo by David Peterman

The cucumber round as a delivery vehicle was a revelation inspired by the pressure of a ticking clock. The first time I made a salad hors d’oeuvre similar to this one, I rolled the salad in long thin strips of cucumber “noodles” and speared each one with a toothpick to keep them closed.  What a slow process that was. As I was madly preparing this salad to take to a friend’s party, I had to accept the fact that I would miss the entire event if I tried to roll the salad in strips of cucumber. I really hate to settle for a less-than option, and was quite pleased when “cucumber rounds” popped into my head. Initially I thought it was a reasonable substitute to the cucumber roll, but I am now of the opinion it is a superior presentation and I will forever save myself the effort of rolling spoon-fulls of salad in cucumber strips. 

The cucumber round allows the beautiful salad ingredients to dazzle your eyes before it even hits your palate. It can also be quickly assembled on-site when taking the canapes to a party, which is always better than trying to transport an assembled tray of hors d’oeuvres.

Deborah Madison, in her book Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating From America’s Farmer’s Markets, has a lovely avocado grapefruit salad with pomegranates and pistachios that is part of the inspiration behind my salad canapes. Additionally, earlier this year I had the good fortune to eat at Charlie Trotter’s new restaurant in Las Vegas, Restaurant Charlie, and enjoyed a wonderful asparagus, rhubarb, and nasturtium salad. The rhubarb was cut into long thin ribbons and pickled. It was delicious and made me realize I had never had rhubarb in a savory application, so I decided I needed to start playing around with rhubarb in applications beyond desserts. My Avocado Grapefruit Salad Canapes are the result of these two experiences. I hope you make them for a party this summer.

Avocado Grapefruit Salad Canapes
2 thin ribs of rhubarb
1 small red onion
2 grapefruit
1 avocado
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 bunch watercress
2 medium to large cucumbers
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the red onion and rhubarb very thinly and place in a small bowl with the white wine vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar, and water. Mix the ingredients together, then place in the refrigerator for about an hour to marinate.

Cut the peel and pith off of the grapefruits. Carefully cut between the membrane sections to remove the wedges of grapefruit pulp leaving behind the membrane. Cut the grapefruit sections into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Peel and cut the avocado into small pieces (about 1/4″-1/3″ cubes) and add them to the bowl with the grapefruit. Slice the grapes into quarters and add them to the bowl along with the toasted almonds.

To make the dressing, place the orange juice in a small bowl and whisk in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Wash and dry the watercress and remove any thick stems. Cut the bulk of the stems off, but don’t worry about using some of the stems. Rough chop the leaves and remaining stems by cutting through the watercress just two or three times. The watercress should be in larger pieces than the other ingredients that have been chopped. Add it to the bowl of chopped ingredients.

Slice the cucumbers into rounds thick enough to be stable when picked up, about 1/8″ thick. Set aside for assembly.

Drain the onion and rhubarb then add it to the bowl of chopped ingredients. Add the dressing and toss everything together. Taste salad and add additional salt and pepper if desired.

Place a spoon-full of salad on each cucumber round just before serving.