Food Fortunes

I recently stumbled across Food Fortunes, a site which combines astrology with cooking. Each month it provides a fortune based on your star sign, as well as recipes to go with your current emotional, financial, and romantic states. As a Pisces, I may be bypassing my December food fortunes of roasted yams and seaweed soup (not my favorites), and am instead going to turn to the recipe recommended for my rising sign, Taurus:

Oaxacan Black Mole with Braised Chicken

11 medium (about 5 1/2 ounces) dried mulato chiles

6 medium (about 2 ounces) dried chihualces chiles (see note in Variations and Improvisations below)

6 medium (about 2 ounces) dried pasilla chiles

1 dried chipotle chile (preferably the tan-brown chipotle meco)

1 corn tortilla, torn into small pieces

2 1/4-inch-thick slices of white onion

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

About 2 cups rich-tasting lard or vegetable oil (for frying the chiles)

1/2 cup sesame seeds, plus a few extra for garnish

1/4 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup unskinned or Spanish peanuts

1/4 cup unskinned almonds

About 10 cups chicken broth (canned or homemade)

1 pound (2 medium-large or 6 to 8 plum) green tomatoes, roughly chopped

4 ounces (2 to 3 medium) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 slices stale bread, toasted until very dark

1/4 teaspoon cloves, preferably freshly ground

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably freshly ground Mexican canela

A scant teaspoon oregano, preferably Mexican

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 ripe banana

1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) finely chopped Mexican chocolate

2 or 3 avocado leaves (if you have them)

Salt, about 1 tablespoon depending on the saltiness of the broth

Sugar, about 1/4 cup (or a little more)

2 large (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chickens, cut into quarters

1. Getting started. Pull out the stems (and attached seed pods) from the chiles, tear them open and shake or scrape out the seeds, collecting them as you go. Now, do something that will seem very odd: scoop the seeds into an ungreased medium-size (8- to 9-inch) skillet along with the torn-up tortilla, set over medium heat, turn on an exhaust fan, open a window and toast your seeds and tortilla, shaking the pan regularly, until thoroughly burned to charcoal black, about 15 minutes. (This is very important to the flavor and color of the mole.) Now, scrape them into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse for 30 seconds or so, then transfer to a blender.

Set an ungreased skillet or griddle over medium heat, lay on a piece of aluminum foil, and lay the onion slices and garlic cloves on that. Roast until soft and very dark (about 5 minutes on each side of the onion slices – peel it off the foil to turn it; about 15 minutes for the garlic – turn it frequently as it roasts). Cool the garlic a bit, peel it and combine with the onion in a large bowl. While the onion and garlic are roasting, turn on the oven to 350 degrees (for toasting nuts), return the skillet to medium heat, measure in a scant 2 cups of the lard or oil (you’ll need about 1/2-inch depth), and, when hot, begin frying the chiles a couple at a time: They’ll unfurl quickly, then release their aroma and piquancy (keep that exhaust on and window open) and, after about 30 seconds, have lightened in color and be well toasted (they should be crisp when cool, but not burnt smelling). Drain them well, gather them into a large bowl, cover with hot tap water, and let rehydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure even soaking. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid.

While the chiles are soaking, toast the seeds and nuts. Spread the sesame seeds onto a baking sheet or ovenproof skillet, spread the pecans, peanuts and almonds onto another baking sheet or skillet, then set both into the oven. In about 12 minutes the sesame seeds will have toasted to a dark brown; the nuts will take slightly longer. Add all of them to the blender (reserving a few sesame seeds for garnish), along with 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and blend to as smooth a puree as you can. Transfer to a small bowl.

Without rinsing the blender, combine the green tomatoes and tomatillos with another 1/2 cup of the broth and puree. Pour into another bowl. Again, without rinsing the blender, combine the roasted onion and garlic with the toasted bread, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, banana and 3/4 cup broth. Blend to a smooth puree and pour into a small bowl. Finally, without rinsing the blender, scoop in half of the chiles, measure in 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, blend to a smooth puree, then pour into another bowl. Repeat with the remaining chiles and another 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.

2. From four purees to mole. In a very large (8- to 9-quart) pot (preferably a Dutch oven or Mexican cazuela), heat 3 tablespoons of the lard or oil (some of what you used for the chiles is fine) and set over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the tomato puree and stir and scrape (a flat-sided wooden spatula works well here) for 15 to 20 minutes until reduced, thick as tomato paste, and very dark (it’ll be the color of cinnamon stick and may be sticking to the pot in places). Add the nut puree and continue the stirring and scraping until reduced, thick and dark again (this time it’ll be the color of black olive paste), about 8 minutes. Then, as you guessed it, add the banana-spice puree and stir and scrape for another 7 or 8 minutes as the whole thing simmers back down to a thick mass about the same color it was before you added this one.

Add the chile puree, stir well and let reduce over medium-low heat until very thick and almost black, about 30 minutes, stirring regularly (but, thankfully, not constantly). Stir in the remaining 7 cups of broth, the chocolate and avocado leaves (if you have them), partially cover and simmer gently for about an hour, for all the flavors to come together. Season with salt and sugar (remembering that this is quite a sweet mole and that sugar helps balance the dark, toasty flavors). Remove the avocado leaves.

In batches in a loosely covered blender, puree the sauce until as smooth as possible, then pass through a medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl.

3. Finishing the dish. Return the mole to the same pot and heat it to a simmer. Nestle the leg-and-thigh quarters of the chicken into the bubbling black liquid, partially cover and time 15 minutes, then nestle in the breast quarters, partially cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

With a slotted spoon, fish out the chicken pieces and transfer them to a large warm platter. Spoon a generous amount of the mole over and around them, sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds and set triumphantly before your lucky guests.

See the recipes and your own fortune here: http://foodfortunes.com/

Mexican Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love a good chocolate chip cookie, a little on the crispy side, and not too sweet. I am also not a big fan of nuts in my cookies (although sometimes pecans or peanut butter are just right), so I like to find a little extra flavor in other ingredients. Mexican chocolate, with its addition of cinnamon and a little pepper or chile, is perfect to me. These cookies, adapted from an old Bon Appétit recipe I found on Epicurious, came out wonderfully, with a nice bit of cinnamon spice and a subtle black pepper finish. They also benefited from the unsweetened chocolate to cut the sugar a bit, and the chocolate chips have a softness that juxtaposes the crisp cookies.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably of high quality such as Scharffen Berger
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper to taste
  
• 10 ounces of bittersweet chocolate chips, Ghirardelli makes great ones

Cream the butter and sugar in large bowl, beat in the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.

Sift the dry ingredients directly into the bowl, combine until blended, and add chocolate chips and black pepper to taste.

The dough is very fudgey, so it should be refrigerated for about an hour before baking.

Bake on buttered baking sheets (about 9 cookies per standard sheet) for 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Let stand 3-5 minutes before removing the cookies to cool on a rack.

The recipe should make about 50 2 inch cookies.

Bon Appétit's recipe on Epicurious can be found here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mexican-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-4808#ixzz1f7JggtD2

Tomato Eggplant Sauce

As summer turns into fall, I love to take my ripe tomatoes and eggplants and turn them into this sauce... I first started having a lot of similar sauces at restaurants, and then decided to make my own. This version, based on a Lidia Bastianich recipe, is a beautiful balance of flavors, with just the right amount of sweetness. I balance the vegetables out with a bit of fresh ricotta cheese when I serve it over penne or a similar pasta.

Ingredients

One 16 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, or 2 cups of fresh peeled tomatoes
One medium eggplant, chopped into half inch cubes
Three tablespoons of olive oil
One medium yellow onion, finely chopped
One garlic clove, finely chopped
Two sprigs of fresh basil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over low heat in a medium or larger cast iron pot, then add the onions with a pinch of salt and allow them to soften before adding the garlic as well. Next, add the eggplant and mix it with the other ingredients, then continue to cook it on a low-medium heat for about fifteen minutes, adding water at any time to prevent it from burning. Once the eggplant has softened, you can crush the tomatoes by hand and drop them into the pot - you should also add about two cups of water using the tomato can or bowl to get the extra juices and prevent the eggplant from drying out. You can add the basil, plus another pinch of salt and some pepper at this point, along with the pan's lid, and allow everything to cook covered for about 45 minutes on low-medium heat. Be sure to check on it and lower the heat if the sauce begins to boil, it should be at a steady simmer. Once the vegetables seem to be mingling together, you can remove the lid and cook uncovered for another hour. Be sure to check on the sauce and stir it regularly to make sure the eggplant doesn't stick to the pan. Once it is finished, toss it with a bit of pasta finished with butter, and add a dollop of fresh ricotta right before it's served.

Makes abut 4 servings.

Recipe - Banana Bread

Banana Bread has always been one of my very favorite things to bake, ever since I was very little. One of my earliest memories of baking it was with our babysitter when I was probably four or five, and she added too much baking powder, giving it a really terrible taste. I learned from that error, and many other subsequent versions I have made since. I'm constantly trying to improve my baking, to make it as delicious and healthy as possible. I've gotten pretty good at the banana bread, my latest recipe goes as follows:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Mix the following ingredients in a large bowl until very well blended. You can combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl first, but I don't think that's necessary for this bread. It's easiest to start with the wet ingredients and then add the dry, following the order in which they're listed.

-2 eggs
-2 bananas
-1 cup applesauce
-1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
-4 tablespoons butter, melted
-1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3 tbs ground flaxseed

Bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until your knife tests clean.

Enjoy!

An Afternoon in Naples at Pulino's

I'm starting to become a regular at the latest Bowery hot spot restaurant: Pulino's. So far I have been for brunch, dinner, and cocktails. I've picked a couple of favorite items, and I can't wait to end my next big night out by heading over there for burgers (they're only available after midnight). Two of my top things there so far are the sweet breakfast pizza topped with only a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, and served with a side of apple butter for dipping, and the Afternoon in Naples cocktail, which I enjoyed this afternoon here in NYC. It's a Campari cocktail (I am a huge fan of the apéritif and Pulino's devotes an entire section of its cocktail menu to it) and perfect for daytime - refreshing, not too strong, and completely delicious with a nice, tart finish. The recipe is:

Afternoon in Naples:

1 ½ oz Campari
3 ½ oz fresh pink grapefruit juice
½ oz simple syrup (ginger infused)
½ oz lime juice

Garnish: Lime peel
Glassware: White wine glass

Salute!

Healthy Wrap Ideas

Memorial Day is fast approaching and I am looking for simple, healthy breakfast and lunch wrap ideas to help keep me from feeling deprived as I try to slim down a bit in preparation of swimsuit season. I always love a curried chicken wrap, but many of the other wrap combinations available to buy are disappointingly bland. I've been doing a bit of research and some thinking and have come up with the following ideas:

Sweet:

-peanut butter, banana and raisins
-peanut butter and apple slices
-apple butter, raisins and slivered almonds
-almond butter and chopped dates


Savory:

-pesto, sundried tomatoes, ricotta, arugula and pinenuts
-goat cheese and roasted vegetables
-hummus, cucumber, tomato and feta
-a fried egg, salsa, jack cheese and plain yogurt
-avocado, black beans, jack cheese, plain yogurt and salsa
-avocado, lettuce, tomato and crumbled bacon
-tofu, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage and sweet chili sauce
-chicken, chipotle mayonnaise, grated parmesan and lettuce
-chicken, artichoke tapenade and grated parmesan

There are so many other possibilities too... They can be rolled right up in a whole wheat tortilla as a to go breakfast or packaged in a lavash bread and cut on the bias for lunch.

Recipe - Truffled Macaroni and Cheese

This is a lighter, healthier version of the classic macaroni and cheese, but still indulgent because of the addition of the truffle flavor. It can be made without the breadcrumbs to make it gluten-free if you so desire or require.

Ingredients:

8 ounces of brown rice pasta shells
4 ounces of preferred white cheddar cheese
4 ounces of fontina cheese
1/2 cup of skim milk
parmesan cheese for garnish
whole wheat breadcrumbs for garnish (optional)
truffle salt & black pepper to taste

Instructions:

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Prepare the pasta as directed on the package
- While the pasta is boiling, grate the cheese and combine it in a small saucepan with the milk. Stir frequently until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is blended. Add salt and pepper
- Pour the finished pasta into a 9 x 9" baking dish and pour the sauce over it. Sprinkle the parmesan and breadcrumbs if you're using them over the top
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the parmesan and breadcrumbs have browned and created a light crust
- Serve hot

Serves 3-4

Easy Pizza

Trader Joe's makes a great pizza dough, which they sell refrigerated and is an easy weeknight dinner staple. I prefer the whole wheat dough, and roll it very thin like a flatbread. There are many wonderful combinations that can be tried, but one I really loved was a combination of asparagus, burrata, shrimp, and parmesan, all baked for five minutes at 350 degrees. It's best when the asparagus are grilled a bit first, but everything can be piled on raw.

Recipe - Caramel Croissant Bread Pudding

This is an amazing dish that is basically dinner - there is no need to eat a full meal ahead of it, even though it is really a dessert. It's very simple to make and unbelievably good. Adapted very slightly from Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express.

INGREDIENTS 2 stale croissants (can be plain, but also excellent to use almond, chocolate or jam filled) 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 1/2 cup cream 1/2 cup skim milk 2 tablespoons dark rum 2 eggs, beaten Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small gratin dish that holds about 2 cups Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the stove over a medium to high heat. Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away, without stirring, until it all turns a deep amber color, about 5 minutes. Keep looking but don’t be too timid. Turn heat down to low and add the cream – ignoring all spluttering – and, whisking away, the milk and rum. Any solid toffee that forms in the pan will dissolve easily if you keep whisking over low heat. Take off the heat and, still whisking, add the beaten eggs. Pour the caramel custard over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, allow to cool slightly and serve hot. Serves 1 as a meal, 2 after a light dinner, or 3-4 after a larger meal.

Recipe - Pear and Chocolate Cake Tart

This is a really beautiful and impressive tart, and it is also very delicious. The dessert is both decadent, with the dark chocolate and dense pastry crust, and light, with the poached pears. The chocolate has the consistency of a cake, hence the name. This recipe is adapted from Clotilde Dusoulier's book Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris.

For the pastry shell:

1 large yolk, saving the white for later
3 tbsp and 1 tsp ice water
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 stick (8 tbsp) + 1 tbsp of salted butter (softened to room temperature)

For the pears:

2 tbsp sugar
1 cup water
3 tbsp dark rum
2 ripe pears (a sweeter, fragrant variety will add to the tart best - try to find juicy pears)

For the chocolate filling:

3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
5 ounces of quality, bitter chocolate (should be about 70% cocoa)
7 tbsp salted butter, diced
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white

Crust:

-Beat the egg yolk, water and sugar in a small bowl
-Using a food processor, or by hand, combine the flour and butter until they are combined into crumbs
-Add the yolk mixture and further combine, adding more ice water a teaspoon at a time, if needed
-Place dough on a floured surface, push into a ball without rolling
-Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 24 hours
-Remove dough, letting sit for 10 minutes if it has been in fridge over an hour
-Grease a 9" tart pan with butter
-Roll out the dough on a floured surface into an 11" circle
-Line the tart pan with the dough, crimping and trimming edges
-Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Remove dough, prick in several places on the bottom with a fork and bake for 10 minutes

Pears:

-Peel the pears and cut them in sixths, being sure to discard the cores
-Combine the other ingredients in a saucepan and let simmer on medium heat
-Add the pears and keep simmering until the pears have softened, about 10 minutes
-Remove the pears and set them aside to cool

Chocolate filling:

-Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside
-In a double broiler, melt the butter and chocolate over medium heat
-Remove from heat and add sugar, stirring constantly, then the eggs, and finally the dry ingredients, stirring until everything is combined
-Pour the chocolate mixture into the baked tart shell, making sure it's level
-Add the pears on top of the chocolate in a circular pattern, with the narrower tips toward the middle
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until the center is just firm
-Let cool before serving, with a dollop of creme fraiche or whipped cream, or on its own

Recipe - Vanilla Soufflé with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

Le Violon d'Ingres in Paris has many delicious dishes, but one of their most standout is their incredible dessert soufflé, a hot vanilla infused cloud that is smothered in salted butter caramel sauce. It is perfection in their seventh arrondisement location, but it can also be made at home now that the restaurant has posted the recipe on their site:

Soufflé chaud à la vanille, sauce caramel au beurre salé
Hot vanilla soufflé and caramel sauce with salted butter

Ingredients for 4 servings:
For the caramel sauce:
100 g (3 ½ oz) cream
80 g (2 ¾ oz) salted butter
125 g (3 3/8 oz) granulated sugar
20 g (3/4 oz) fine sea salt, preferably Guérande

For the soufflé:
25 cl (1 cup) whole milk
20 g (¾ oz) butter
1 vanilla bean
60 g (2 1/8 oz) flour
15 g (1/2 oz) flan powder or cornstarch
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites
60 g (2 1/8 oz) granulated sugar
Pinch salt

For the soufflé molds:
20 g (3/4 oz) softened butter
30 g (1 oz) granulated sugar

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

For the caramel sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with 2 tablespoons water, and cook over medium heat until a light caramel forms; (do not stir during this process to avoid re-crystallization of the sugar.) Meanwhile, warm the cream over low heat. Remove the caramel from the heat and gradually stir in the warm cream. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the butter and fine sea salt, stirring.

Prepare the soufflé: Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with the tip of a paring knife and add seeds and pod to a saucepan with the milk and butter. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover and let infuse for 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with 40 g (1 ½ oz) of the sugar and the flan powder. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and gradually add the milk to the flour mixture, whisking constantly. When thoroughly combined and smooth, pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Pour into a clean mixing bowl and let cool. Incorporate the egg yolks, whisking rapidly.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).
Butter the bottom and sides of 4 individual soufflé molds, and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they begin to thicken. When they have doubled in volume, add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a whisk, stir about a third of the whites into the soufflé batter. Using a spatula, gently fold the remaining whites into the batter. Divide the batter equally among the buttered soufflé molds, place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Serve the soufflés immediately, accompanied by the caramel sauce, passed separately in a small pitcher.