Eggnog Cookies with Rum-Eggnog Glaze

After my eggnog evening a few nights earlier - I decided to continue the flavor profile in my own creative outlet - cookie making! (Note: after yet another night of homemade eggnog that I had at my parents' place in SC - I'm done for the year - that 1 1/3 cup of rum divided by two people doesn't feel so good the next day...especially when you combine it with 3-4 glasses of wine...oh man)

However, while I was still on my eggnog kick - capturing the essence into a cookie seemed to be a good idea. My taste testers: my co-workers, of course!! The result? I was told by two non-eggnog lovers that they just might give eggnog another chance after having my cookies. I would say that's probably a success.


Eggnog Cookies with Rum-Eggnog Glaze

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup + 1 T. eggnog
1.5 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
rum-eggnog glaze (recipe below) and nutmeg for topping

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets, 1″ apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg or skip this step and sprinkle on the nutmeg after you ice the cookies. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.

Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.

Eggnog Glaze
1 C. confectioners’ sugar
2 T. commercial eggnog
1 T. rum

In small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, eggnog and rum until smooth. Makes about 1/2 cup.


Even though I got the thumbs up from the office - I still have to be my own critic. They were a little bit on the sweet side. 1 1/4 cups of sugar should have been a little bit of a red flag for that...if I were to make them again, I'd cut down on the sugar....maybe somewhere between 3/4 and 1 cup. It's not that the sweetness was overwhelming, but to taste buds that are not accustomed to generous levels of sugar, it may be a bit much.

Another change would be the cooking time. They took me about 35+ minutes per batch. I got a little frustrated with the second batch so I upped the cooking temperature to about 325 degrees to move them along.

Otherwise, I was pretty happy with the results. While I can't think of eggnog for at least 11 more months, I would certainly consider making these again.

Roast Chicken and Root Vegetables with Braised Artichokes

With the holidays - I have severely fallen behind on my blogger duties. I was spoiled by some incredible meals before Derek left for South Carolina - pork, steak, roast chicken (below). And then the food frenzy continued over the holidays. While I'd like to think I'm "fooded out" from the over abundance that characterizes the holidays...I still find myself intrigued by new recipes to try - just hopefully they stay on the lighter side (for the most part).

This Roast Chicken recipe would probably fall in the OK category for the health-focused start to the New Year. It also follows the common trend for my recent posts having come from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home. I cannot say more positive things about what this cookbook can do for a home-cook - taking basic recipes and instructing them to perfection. Once again, his recipe was a success.

Below is the original recipe from the book. Derek modified it a bit to fit the vegetables that we had - I think that portion of the recipe can lend way to some interpretation. However, the basics with preparing the chicken were followed to a T.

Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables
from Ad Hoc at Home

One 4 to 4 1/2 lb chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
6 thyme sprigs
2 large leeks (did not use)
3 tennis-ball-sized rutabagas (did not use - used parsnips instead)
2 tennis-ball-sized turnips (used)
4 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut in half (used)
1 small yellow onion, trimed, leaving root end intact, and cut into quarters (did not use)
8 small (golf-ball-sized) red-skinned potatoes (did not use)
1/3 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 475 F.

Remove the neck and innards if they are still in the cavity of the chicken. Using a paring knife, cut out the wishbone from the chicken. (This will make it easier to carve the chicken.) Generously season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper, add 3 of the garlic cloves and 5 sprigs of thyme, and massage the inside of the bird to infuse it with the flavors. Truss the chicken.

Cut off the dark green leaves from the top of the leeks. Trim off and discard the darkened outer layers. Trim the root ends, cutting around them on a 45-degree angle. Slit the leeks lengthwise almost in half, starting 1/2 inch above the root ends. Rinse the leeks well under warm water.

Cut off both ends of the rutabagas. Stand the rutabagas on end and cut away the skin, working from top to bottom and removing any tough outer layers. Cut into 3/4-inch wedges. Repeat with the turnips, cutting the wedges to match the size of the rutabagas.

Combine all the vegetables and remaining garlic cloves and thyme sprig in a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables in a large cast-iron skillet or a roasting pan.

Rub the remaining oil over the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Make a nest in the center of the vegetables and nestle the chicken in it.

Cut the butter into 4 or 5 pieces and place over the chicken breast.

Put the chicken in the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400 F and roast for an additional 45 minutes, or until the temperature registers 160 F in the meatiest portions of the bird--the thighs, and under the breast where the thigh meets the breast--and the juices run clear. If necessary, return the bird to the oven for more roasting; check it every 5 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 20 minutes.

Just before serving, set the pan of vegetables over medium heat and reheat the vegetables, turning them and glaazing them with the pan juices.

Cut the chicken into serving pieces, arrange over the vegetables and serve.

Derek served this with another addition from the Ad Hoc "Bible" - probably an OK term to use at this point...Braised Artichokes. Artichokes may be expensive and a good bit of work to prepare (peeling away the outer layers to expose the softer artichoke heart) but it all seems worth it when you bite into a perfectly tenderized artichoke sprinkled with some fleur de sel.
artichokes during the braising process:

...and the completed meal...

Given that we paid $25 dollars for a single chicken - a surprise that just about gave us a heart attack...I'm really glad this was good. I was then left to eat the leftovers for the next few days as Derek jetted off to the East Coast - which I gladly did so. Moist, tender - potentially in need of a squeeze of lemon on the chicken breast for a tad bit more flavor - but overall, a perfectly cooked chicken. And the root vegetables were delectable, cooking in the fat and juices of the chicken - perhaps not he best description in the world but if anyone has had the potato wedges sold from Roli Roti, the rotisserie chicken truck, that are cooked in the drippings of the ever rotating chickens - well then you know what I'm talking about. A meld of flavors that comforting and hearty - and perhaps, not too scale tipping at the end of the day.

"Light-er" Homemade Eggnog

“Eggnog – YUCK, no thanks!” This had been my natural response to any previous eggnog offer. Who wants that nasty thick liquid that plops out of a carton and coats your stomach for the next four hours. And don’t even get me started on that nutrition label….and that’s for the drink WITHOUT alcohol! Yikes! No wonder people pack on the pounds over the holidays. Yet here I am writing up a review for an eggnog that was made willingly at my apartment…and that I was sad when we licked the bowl clean. What happened to my aversion to this guilt-packed holiday beverage? That’s the magic of homemade cuisine. You have control over the ingredients, the preparation, the taste, the texture….the final outcome! And when all of those features align, you’ve got yourself one heck of an eggnog. I’ll equate the difference to the disparity between a cheap frozen store-bought pizza and a pizza fresh out of the 800 degree wood burning oven with top notch ingredients. Yep, it’s about like that.

Now for lovers of the store-bought product, this may not be for you. It’s a completely different product…in my opinion, that’s a very good thing…but to “store-bought purists” it may not be. This serves as my disclosure. Also to those who love a thick heavy-cream laden drink…you are warned as well. The base recipe that we used for the eggnog calls for a liberal amount of heavy cream…a standard for eggnog recipes. Though I am sure that the final product of the original recipe is divine, I don’t think I could coax myself into having more than one glass…and I’d be a little afraid that my body would punish me for the amount of lactose that I was putting in it. So Derek and I agreed to slim down the eggnog recipe in order for us to fully enjoy our holiday eggnog evening.

“Light-er” Homemade Eggnog
Makes about 3-4 drinks

3 egg yolks
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup dark rum (we used Appleton Estate)
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup 2% milk
2-3 egg whites (2 is probably best…3 for a more frothy product)
fresh nutmeg

Note: Derek “pasteurized” the eggs before using them by heating room temperature eggs to 140-150 degrees for about 3 minutes …and made sure to get cage-free, organic eggs…there is less of a chance of salmonella when the eggs don’t come from a source where the chickens are cooped up along with all of their waste…

Beat the egg yolks until they are light in color. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Add 2 cups of liquor (or combination of liquors) very slowly, beating constantly. (Note: Any of these liquors can form the basic ingredient of the nog or may be combined to taste.)

Let the mixture stand covered for 1 hour to dispel the "eggy" taste. Add, beating constantly, 2 or more cups of liquor and the whipping cream. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold them lightly into the other ingredients. Serve the eggnog sprinkled with fresh nutmeg.

I cannot emphasis the importance of using fresh nutmeg. It makes a world of difference. The beverage itself is not super thick…which is a good and bad thing. Good because I’d rather not keep downing alcoholic milkshakes…and bad because I can easily down a glass of alcoholic holiday cheer. These are deceptively strong so it was probably a good thing that Derek and I only made a small amount…otherwise we may have kept on sipping…and Derek may have repeated his infamous missed-flight-after-a-night-of-eggnog mistake (yes, that did happen in New York…the first time we made homemade eggnog…missing a flight just before Christmas? Not a good idea). We joked that this would happen again as we decided to make eggnog once again on the night before his departure for South Carolina – however…this time his flight was later in the morning and the eggnog was probably a bit more reasonable in portion size.

We used three egg whites which made the final product pretty frothy on top – given that I love cocktails with egg whites…this was a nice feature for me. For not being a fan of eggnog – I’m certainly glad I gave this one a try…and we are going on about 2 or 3 years of making this now…so I san probably say that I’m starting a bit of an eggnog tradition in my household – who would have thought!?



For your reference…here’s the original recipe that came from our good friend Phil

Homemade Eggnog
Makes about 12 drinks

12 egg yolks
1 lb. confectioners' sugar
4 or more cups dark rum, brandy, bourbon or rye (Phil uses 6)
2 quarts whipping cream
8 to 12 egg whites
fresh nutmeg

Beat the egg yolks until they are light in color. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Add 2 cups of liquor (or combination of liquors) very slowly, beating constantly. (Note: Any of these liquors can form the basic ingredient of the nog or may be combined to taste.)

Let the mixture stand covered for 1 hour to dispel the "eggy" taste. Add, beating constantly, 2 or more cups of liquor and the whipping cream. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold them lightly into the other ingredients. Serve the eggnog sprinkled with fresh nutmeg.

Ad Hoc Peppercorn Filet Mignon with Broccolini and Bufala Mozzarella Salad

In just one week I had the best pork tenderloin of my life (see Ad Hoc Brined Pork Tenderloin) and also one of the best steaks of my life. Thank you Thomas Keller for creating such a fabulous, technically perfect cookbook with your Ad Hoc at Home. And thank you Derek for being able to follow directions. Yes, the steak recipe came from Ad Hoc at Home as well. As did the broccolini salad that accompanied it – just brilliant.

Derek’s newfound love interest in the kitchen…this cookbook…has been making posting about the meals quite simple in that he actually follows the recipe rather than creating a beautiful meld of several recipes and techniques found online. I think that the style of the recipes also fits in nicely with my preferred style of cuisine – taking quality ingredients and treating them with respect, bringing out the naturally exquisite flavors. Of course my other style of cuisine is a mishmash of vegetables and whatever is in my refrigerator…so that seems slightly contradictory – but then again it could just be the difference in wanting to take time and create a masterpiece and wanting to use up ingredients and create something easy and comforting – for my tastebuds at least.

This meal – one prepared by Derek certainly falls in the simple and perfect category. After all, the steak was a simple filet prepared with three ingredients – salt, pepper, canola oil. That’s it!! Seems like anyone could make it perfect, right? The key, though, is in the preparation. Simple, perfect, preparation.

Ad Hoc Peppercorn Filet Mignon

1/2 cup black peppercorns
Canola oil
6 8oz beef tenderloin steaks 1 and 1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt

Put peppercorns in a small saucepan and cover with 2 cups of canola oil. Bring oil to a simmer over medium high heat. Remove from heat and let peppercorns steep for 1 hour.

Drain peppercorns and crush with a mortar and pestle. Spread crushed peppers on work surface. Coat both sides of steaks and let sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat oil in cast iron pan over medium high heat. Season steaks with kosher salt. Add steaks to pan and sear for 4 minutes. Turn steaks and sear other side for 4 more minutes.

Transfer steaks to oven and cook for about 18 minutes for medium rare and 24 minutes for medium well. Remove from oven and let rest before serving.

Not wanting a ton of steak – I picked out the smallest one that the meat guy had – probably about 5 oz…maybe even 4.5 oz. It wasn’t large. But let me tell you…the flavor that came out of that little guy…wow. It was so much more satisfying than a 12 oz ribeye that you order at a restaurant. It was rich and tender and so evenly cooked – that was what surprised me the most. Oftentimes when you have a steak, you cut into the middle to see how it is done…because obviously the ends are more well done than you care. I wish I had taken a picture of the inside of my steak (would have been much better than the blurry image above…that was Derek’s steak). The end was as perfectly medium to medium rare as the middle was. And you could cut it with a butter knife (or so I assume…I didn’t try). The amount of pepper that Derek put on seemed very generous prior to cooking…we both expected a good hit of spicy black pepper when we took a bite. Instead the black pepper flavor was infuse into the steak but the spice and “kick” was gone! It was miraculous. And heavenly…and with a Frank Family Cabernet, for a moment in time I was elevated to a level of divinity.

And though I would have been thoroughly happy and satisfied with just my little steak in the middle of a big plate…savoring each morsel for dinner – I was even more fortunate to have an incredible side dish/salad – also coming from Ad Hoc – and actually the initial inspiration for the meal. While flipping through Ad Hoc contemplating what we should have for dinner, a picture of broccolini and mushrooms with some fresh burrata cheese caught my eye. I’m a sucker for burrata. I figured that the vegetables were boiled and/or sautéed…as were the mushrooms…so when I bit into what Derek delivered as the side dish, I was surprised – it really was a broccolini salad! Served cold! How fantastic!!! The mushrooms – not even cooked! The broccolini, briefly blanched to bring out the beautiful natural green – but still crisp to the tooth. Wow.

Broccolini and Bufala Mozzarella Salad

1 pound broccolini, thick ends removed and remaining stems peeled slightly, as in photo above
3 large cremini mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned
1/2 cup black Cerignola olives (it’s pretty important to get this particular kind because they are milder than most other olives. Whole Foods carries them on the olive bar.)
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Burrata cheese (the smallest round you can find, but you will definitely have leftovers)
Extra virgin olive oil
Sherry vinaigrette (see recipe below)
instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously before adding broccolini. While water is coming to a boil, prepare a large bowl of ice water. When water boils, add the broccolini and blanch until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Submerge broccolini in bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Cut the mushroom caps into paper-thin slices. I used a sharp paring knife, but the book suggests that a Japanese mandoline also works well. Place in a small bowl.

3. Cut all 4 sides of each olive away from the pit in flat slices. Lay the slices flat-side-down and cut into thin slices, as seen in photo above.

4. Lay the broccolini in a single layer on a plate and drizzle with about 2 Tbsp. vinaigrette (see recipe below). Toss with your hands to coat. Sprinkle with additional salt or pepper if desired. Add 1 Tbsp. vinaigrette to the bowl with the mushrooms, and toss to coat, adding a bit more if needed. Move broccolini to serving platter and top with marinated mushrooms, then sliced olives.

5. Place the burrata in a small serving bowl. Using kitchen shears, cut a small X in the top of the burrata to expose the creamy center. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Add the bowl of burrata to the serving platter. Serve salad with tongs and a spoon for the burrata. Each person can top their own serving with the burrata.

Sherry vinaigrette

Whisk together 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar and 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar in a small bowl. Stream in about 1/2 cup olive oil (the dressing will still look slightly broken – do not emulsify completely), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in more olive oil if dressing is too tart.

Unfortunately the cheese shop did not have burrata. Sure, I was a little bit sad, but we substituted it with Bufala Mozzarella which we were told is essentially the same as Burrata but without the creamy center. It was still fantastic. The key to the salad is making the mushrooms and red onion so thin that they blend into the salad rather than stand out in their raw state. I could have had this alone for dinner…with a piece of good bread…but clearly I was happy with my steak and would have fought someone if they tried to take it away from me after I had taken my first bite.

What I loved about the broccolini was that it brought the thought of salad to a different light. Cooked a little bit longer it would be considered more of a side dish, but as the broccolini was barely cooked…and the rest of the ingredients were raw…it truly was a salad!

You know sometimes when you have a really good meal you just get kind of giddy (or am I alone here…)? This was one of those meals…and I cannot wait to try out some more delicious discoveries from Chef Derek-Thomas Keller.

Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

After successfully making gingerbread biscotti two days earlier, I decided to try my hand at another biscotti variation. This time another set of holiday flavors were on my mind – chocolate and peppermint. Not being thrilled with the chocolate peppermint recipes that I was coming across, I decided to use a chocolate almond recipe as my base and tweak it to make it peppermint. The difference between this recipe and the other ones that I found floating around the internet was the lack of butter used. Every single recipe that I was coming across had butter! Having just read that a true Italian biscotti is made without butter, I wanted to maintain some level of authenticity – though I’m sure chocolate and candy canes are probably not the most authentic Italian mix out there. Perhaps for my next biscotti batch I’ll try a butter-based recipe, but so far I’ve been extremely pleased with the way the non-butter recipes have turned out.

You’ll note that in this recipe I used 1 Tbsp. of shortening. This was to compensate for the fact that I was using cocoa powder rather than semisweet chocolate.

Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

1 cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. shortening
1 cup (210 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (4 grams) instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
3/4 cup peppermint candy canes, crushed

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, melted with a little shortening
1/3 cup mint chips, melted with a little shortening

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, espresso powder, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and vanilla and peppermint extracts until combined (about 30 seconds). Add the dry ingredients mixture and beat until a stiff dough forms, adding the peppermint candy about half way through mixing.

With floured hands divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface roll each half of dough into a log about 10 inches (25 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Transfer the logs to the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart. Bake until almost firm to the touch, about 35 - 40 minutes (logs will spread during baking). Remove from the oven, place on wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes.

Using a long spatula transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife cut the dough into slices 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick on the diagonal. Arrange the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake until crisp and dry, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Drizzle with melted chocolate and then with the mint chip mixture.

Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 30 biscotti

The final product surprised me in two ways…

1) The candy canes were gone after baking!! I should have thought this would have happened as they are simply just sugar based candies – however, I was still slightly surprised.
2) The biscotti had the same exact flavor as the beloved Girl Scout cookie – Thin Mints. The texture was clearly different as this is a harder product, but the flavor was spot on.


Unfortunately I did not take a picture of the beautiful final product – dark biscotti base drizzled in brown and light green “frostings.”

I keep the final product in the freezer, as I do with most of my cookie products. I just can’t stand the taste of cookies that have been sitting at room temperature for a few days. They always seem to take on some new flavor that really shouldn’t be there. I kept half of the batch for myself (it’s just about gone…) and then sent the other half to Afghanistan – I will be curious to find out how they held up!

Tuna Nicoise Salad Revisited

The previous time that I made a Tuna Nicoise salad - Derek was out of town and didn't get to partake. When I decided this would be my contribution for dinner, I decided to just follow the same recipe that I had used before as it was so delicious.

Dressing
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 tsp whole grain mustard
splash caper juice
1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
pepper
sprig thyme, leaves removed
2 chives, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. EVOO


Whisk together all ingredients except for the EVOO. Slowly stream in the EVOO while constantly whisking the mixture together so that the EVOO can become emulsified. Set Aside.

Salad Components:

Mixed greens
Boiled baby red potatoes
Blanched green beans cut into 2 inch pieces
Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Capers
Calamata olives, cut in half
Hardboiled eggs cut in half
Fresh raw tuna, with EVOO, s&p, seared rare

Mix together salad components up to the hardboiled eggs and dress. Lay on a plate a top with sliced tuna and eggs.

This was good, as expected, but did bring one fact to light: WE NEED SHARP KNIVES! The tuna was butchered due to dull knives...it tasted great but the presentation was ruined. Derek ordered some adequate knives a few days later...cannot wait to play with them.

Ad Hoc Brined Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Fennel and Polenta

One of the great things about Derek's potential participation in MasterChef is the fact that he is now keen on trying out new recipes and new methods of cooking - just in case he makes it! I get to reap the benefits of this endeavor, serving as the key taste tester due to my wonderful critiquing skills and the fact that I'm typically the only other person dining with him!

His latest inspiration has stemmed from his recent purchase, Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home.

Thomas Keller is the well known chef of French Laundry, Napa Valley's Three Michelin Star restaurant. I haven't been lucky enough to eat there yet but one day...yes one day...I'll have to save up some more pennies in my piggy bank before that happens. For those of us who are not as financially secure, he opened up another restaurant up in wine country - Ad Hoc - this one focusing more on home cooking cuisine - done perfectly. The interesting thing about this restaurant is that he serves up just one menu per night at around $50 for a four course meal - appetizer, entree, cheese, dessert. I sound like a frequent guest at this establishment when I haven't even been there once either. However, I feel well acquainted with the style and focus of the restaurant having perused the hefty cookbook adorned with photos and simple explanations of techniques. For a home cook who wants to learn how to cook perfectly executed, fairly simple recipes, this is a great book.

All three components of the meal came from Ad Hoc at home and seemed relatively simple. Brined Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Fennel and Polenta.

I found the following recipe online claiming to be the Ad Hoc recipe...so I'm assuming this is just about how Derek prepared it.

Ad Hoc Brined Pork Tenderloin
Pork Brine
(from Ad Hoc at Home)

3 T honey
6 bay leaves
2 fresh rosemary springs
1/4 oz fresh thyme sprigs
1 oz fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs
6 cloves garlic, crushed with the skin left on
1 T black peppercorns
1/2 c kosher salt
4 c water
1 pork tenderloin, silverskin removed)

Bring all the ingredients to boil. Stir and  boil for 1 minute, until the salt is dissolved. Cool completely before adding the pork. (If you want to cool your brine quickly put the pot in a large bowl of ice and it'll do the trick.) Put the pork tenderloin and  brine in a bowl just big enough to hold them. Let sit in the fridge for 4 hours (apparently 4 hours is the optimal time for brining...any more time left in the brine would potentially make the pork too salty so this is certainly not a "prepare ahead of time - i.e. overnight" recipe.)

Now to cook the brined pork.

INGREDIENTS:
1 T canola oil
salt and pepper
1 T unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 fresh rosemary sprig
4 - 5 slices cured (preserved) lemon slices
sea salt

Remove the pork from the brine, rinse it and pat it dry. Let the pork sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Salt and  pepper the pork. Put the pork in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Add the butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary and lemon slices. Cook for another two minutes basting the herbs, lemon and garlic with the juices in the pan.

Move the pork to a roasting pan with a rack set in it. Lay the lemon slices across the top of the pork, overlapping them a little. Top with the thyme, rosemary and garlic. Roast for 20 minutes, until the pork registers 135-140 on an instant read thermometer.

Let the pork sit for 15 minutes before slicing to serve.

The components are simple but I can confidently say that this was the very best pork tenderloin that I have ever had. Derek made an apple compote to accompany the pork consisting of chopped and peeled green apples, currants, sugar...then adding a special kick with some apple brandy. Cooked down until the apples are not crunchy and the flavors have melded.

The pork itself was extremely flavorful and juicy and oh my goodness - just simply perfect. Long gone are the days where you have to cook your pork to 160 degrees. Please, do not do that, that will ruin any potential that the meat has. This recipe brought out every ounce of potential that the little loin had. I was trying to put my finger on how to describe the flavor and came to a cross of roasted chicken and dark meat turkey. Dark meat because it was so juicy and flavorful, roasted chicken because it picked up so much of the herb and lemon goodness. Really, quite fantastic.

Served with the pork and apple compote were polenta and caramelized fennel. Polenta is polenta, I've had it before and with some cream and butter, you can't go wrong...I certainly ate it up.

The fennel, though, was a preparation that I had never had before and will certainly make again. Derek removed the tougher outer segments of the fennel bulb and quartered the bulbs. The fennel was blanched briefly as a first step - this may have happened before or after the cutting of the fennel into segments. After letting the blanched fennel rest, Derek coated them in EVOO, salt and pepper...simple. Then with some canola oil in a pan, he (or I...I actually did this part) cooked the fennel over medium heat turning the fennel pieces every few minutes to make sure to get a nice caramelization on each side. The whole cooking time was about 12 minutes or so - until they are nice and tender but still keep their shape.

These were fantastic.

The whole meal was - and it was just a Tuesday night. Knowing that at least one of my friends probably popped a Lean Cuisine in the microwave for dinner that night...well that makes me feel extremely lucky to be a guinea pig for a potential MasterChef.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Smoked Gouda and Ham Grilled Cheese

By the lack of posts that I have produced for the month of December, it is evident that the Pasquarella-Sugermeyer camp has been ordering take-out and eating leftovers for the majority of this month. Perhaps this is due to Derek's focus on his dish for his MasterChef audition - Duck Confit Salad with Candied Kumquats, Pecans, Clementine Segments, Tangerine Vinaigrette and a Smoked Gouda Crisp. No, there will not be a post that provides insight into that dish. I had very little to do with the actual production of the finished product. Derek had to brine the duck for 24+ hours and then cook it it in tons of duck fat at a low temperature (190 degrees) for around 10+ hours...a lot of work. It was, however, incredible and receiving top scores from the MasterChef judges...good enough to move Derek through the casting rounds up until now when we wait for a phone call by mid-January to see if he will be in the top 100.

Now that we can take duck off of our mind for a while now that the tryouts are over, it is probably time to get back into the kitchen and make something. I'm still feeling slightly uninspired - preferring to bake Christmas cookies and desserts rather can come up with a savory meal - but I took the reigns and put together a fairly simple but still satisfying home-cooked meal using up the last bit of our fresh pumpkin puree that was leftover from Thanksgiving.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup
original recipe found HERE

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped ripe banana
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
2.5 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 cups canned pure pumpkin
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/8 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon sage leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrot and next 6 ingredients and sauté until vegetables are soft, about 13-15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Transfer mixture to processor and blend until smooth. Return mixture to pot. Add broth and all remaining ingredients except cilantro. Simmer soup over medium-low heat 15 minutes to blend flavors. Cool slightly. Using a hand immersion blender or a regular blender (in batches), puree soup until smooth. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

We served the soup with Smoked Gouda and Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - probably one of the best grilled cheeses I've made before. I'm a sucker for smoked cheeses, gouda in particular. And paired with the ham - it's fantastic. We just buttered two long slices of country sourdough bread, sliced from a round loaf, and placed a sprinkling of cheese and ham slices in between, "pan searing" the sandwiches over medium heat until they are browned on each side. It's just a grilled cheese - but it was really good.

Now onto the soup - I was a bit over the soup after I sliced my thumb chopping sage. That never feels good - and this case was no different. Having to then call Derek into the kitchen to help finish up the final steps of the soups - and because he helped a little bit, I couldn't make him do the dishes afterward so guess who got stuck doing those. In general, I loved the spice and flavors of the soup. It was sort of like a slightly spicy (thanks to our addition of cayenne) version of a melted pumpkin pie. I was a little weary about the mass of spices used - and adjusted portions according to my own intuition (the original recipe called for 1 teaspoon of nutmeg. I know how strong nutmeg and how hard it is to fix a recipe after there has been too much nutmeg added - so I went on the safer side and used just over a 1/4 teaspoon.

I liked the thought of using coconut milk in the soup - and was also intrigued by the thought of sweetened condensed milk. I almost omitted this ingredient as I did not feel like opening a whole can of it - but the soup was screaming for a touch of sweetness. My error was that I put in a full 1/4 cup of the sweetened condensed milk as the original recipe stated. I should have put into account that the original recipe also called for 5 cups of chicken broth and I used just half of that. Needless to say, the soup was slightly too sweet. It would have probably fit the bill for most tastebuds that prefer a little sweetness, but for soup - I'd recommend using a little less. For a savory item like soup - the sweetener should do the same thing that salt does - it should bring out the flavors in the soup rather than be a flavor in itself. Use a little less sweetened condensed milk and it will be incredible.

This really was a unique soup - comforting too in that you have pumpkin pie in a bowl - without the buttery crust and the guilt!

Gingerbread Biscotti

In preparation for Christmas - I wanted to send my sister some homemade goodies - a "luxury" that she doesn't get very often over in Afghanistan. I can only imagine how difficult it is to be subjected day-after-day to cafeteria or "mess hall" food that is mediocre at best. The trick, however, is coming up with a baked good that will still taste OK after being shipped from California to Afghanistan - about a 7-10 day process. And let's not even think about having a chocolate-based treat - unless it's made with cocoa powder...the potential for a melted mess of sweetness is just too great to risk. Same with frosting or icing - that is certainly a bit too risky.

Then add in the health aspect, the goodies shouldn't be too terrible for you - after all, I don't want to be the cause of holiday guilt, just joy. Oh and it has to taste good on top of all of those limitations.

I have to give all credit to my co-worker for coming up with the final brilliant idea: biscotti. Of course! Why hadn't I thought of that before...for so long I had a couple biscotti recipes hanging around my recipe box (virtual collection - sad to say the old days of recipe note card collections is becoming extinct). Knowing me, though, I opted to continue to neglect the biscotti hopefuls that I had had lined up months ago: Deep Dark Chocolate Biscotti (a healthy recipe with flaxseed and whole wheat flour) and Fig and Walnut Biscotti – they’ll just have to stay in the cue…I’ll get to them one of these days. As I am obsessed with fall and winter baking flavors (pumpkin, gingerbread, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) I thought of the idea for a Gingerbread Biscotti – went on my online search of an established recipe – ended up with a perfect recipe for my first biscotti experience.

Gingerbread Biscotti
original recipe found here

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup dried currants

1. In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; In another bowl, combine the egg and egg whites, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla until smooth.

2. Stir the egg mixture into dry ingredients just until moistened; fold in pecans and currants; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a ball; on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray, roll each ball into a 14-inch x 1 1/2-inch rectangle; Bake at 325 degrees for 24 to 28 minutes or until frim to touch; remove from the oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees.

4. Cool for 5 minutes, transfer to cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1/2-inch slices; place cut side down on baking sheets coated with nonstick cooking spray; bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned turning once, remove to wire racks to cool, store in an airtight container.

The dough flavor was fabulous – and there wasn’t even any butter in the mix! Upon further investigation, I learned that true Italian biscotti did not contain any butter at all. The American version is the butter laden cookie – surprise, surprise! Apparently the butter makes the cookie a bit softer so you can choose to eat it on its own and it won’t be too hard – but it would also stand up to coffee or hot chocolate dipping. This is what the sources say at least. The difference between a cookie dough and a biscotti dough is liquidity. A biscotti dough is much harder as it has less liquid – simple as that.

I did what is probably a huge no-no in the baking world in order to come up with a result that I was 100% pleased with. I followed the recipe 100% for my first go-around with biscotti – baking the sliced biscotti (second round of baking) just about 14 minutes – 7 on each side. The ending result was a delicious cookie…still slightly soft but with a definite tough exterior like a biscotti should have. I was pleased with the result…eating all of the small first slices – after all, who wants such a small biscotti anyway! ;) After cooling completely, I placed the biscotti in an air-tight container and left it out on the counter overnight. The next morning I went to grab a biscotti only to find that they had softened up a bit! Still wonderful in flavor – but where did my hard, crunchy biscotti go!? All day at work I thought about these biscotti – wondering what happened! (ok perhaps I wasn’t thinking of this ALL day…but it was on my mind for a bit). I had it set in my mind to fix this problem and decided to pop the biscotti back in the oven one last time. After baking for another 15 minutes or so, I took the biscotti out and was face-to-face with a perfect biscotti. Crunchy but not rock candy…sweet but not overly so…comforting with molasses and cinnamon.

I wouldn’t recommend the re-bake approach for most cookies – however, given that these did not have any butter, I think the third trip in the over was essentially toasting the cookies and not messing with the internal structure.

I dipped one into my chai tea this morning and it was a glorious combination.

And yes, I did send some on their way to Afghanistan…but I certainly had to save some for myself!

Spit Roasted Leg of Lamb with Preserved Lemon, Saffron, Olive, and Vinaigrette

Another fantastic Friday of coming home from a less-than-fabulous week of work and sitting down with a glass of wine while Derek prepares a gourmet meal for the two of us. I don't think this is something I will ever take for granted...I know I am so lucky to have this service provided to at no cost (though I do have to deal with his little quirks daily).

On the menu this night was lamb - a leg roast that had been picked up a few days earlier at our local meat market.

The recipe came from FoodNetwork.com - a Cat Cora recipe.

Note: Derek made at most a quarter of vinaigrette that the recipe provided calls for. I would have gone in shock if he had used up that whole expensive bottle of delicious champagne vinegar!

Spit Roasted Leg of Lamb with Preserved Lemon, Saffron, Olive, and Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
2 cups pure olive oil
1 tablespoon preserved lemon, small diced
1 cup oil cured olives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 (5 to 6 pound) leg of lamb
8 small sprigs rosemary
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dry oregano, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped fine
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
In a small saute pan, bring the champagne vinegar and saffron to a boil for 1 minute. Pour into a bowl and whisk in the olive oil slowly as to incorporate it. Add the chopped preserved lemon and black olives. Season with pepper. I do not add salt to this because of the saltiness of the olives. This recipe makes a quart and will last for at least a month.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Make sure the lamb leg is cleaned well and any hard fat is trimmed off. Make 8 slits in the leg and stuff them with the rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves. Rub the leg with the olive oil, dry and fresh oregano, lemon, salt, and pepper. Tie with kitchen twine to create a uniform shape to ensure even cooking.

Roast at 500 degrees F. for about 30 minutes. Lower heat to 375 degrees F. Add water to the pan if needed. Cook until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees.

Remove the lamb from the pan and let rest. Skim the fat from the pan juices and pour the juice onto the bottom of a platter. Slice the lamb into thin slices and serve topped with the preserved lemon sauce.

I think the picture make the piece of meat look odd - it was actually pretty lean for a piece of lamb. And it was SO tender. I really have to give Derek props for cooking this perfectly. It makes up for our overcooked lamb (though still tasty) on Easter. I'm glad he didn't follow the original recipe because it called for cooking the meat for over 3 hours. Mind you, it was probably a slightly larger piece of meat that it called for, but even if the timing had been adjusted accordingly, it still would have been far too long. This is why it is important to have a meat thermometer gauging cook time rather than a number in a recipe.

The meat actually took far less time than anticipated so we ended up eating dinner at 6:30 PM - that is completely unheard of at our place. Luckily I was hungry so I just omitted my usual post-work snack and went right on to dinner. Gave me the whole evening to work on our bottle of Syrah and go to bed fairly early...it was a Friday afterall.

The only negative critique that we both agreed on was that the rosemary was a bit too strong. While rosemary provides wonderful flavor, it slightly overpowered the meat and the tanginess of the preserved lemons.

This was served with an israeli couscous mixed with some roasted pumpkin seeds, shallots and currants.

The Syrah was a fantastic Arrowood - my favorite winery in Sonoma - and went nicely with the lamb.