Sardines Revisited

When I first started this blog, I posted a quick write up on how I love Sardines (Saltines and Omega 3) and the fact that I think they get a bad rep. I also posted a link to an Alton Brown, Good Eats recipe “Sherried Sardine Toast” that I had not tried out at the time, however recommended to folks who are willing to eat these lovely little fishes.

Well, I took the plunge and tested out this recipe and OH MY TASTE BUDS! The Alton Brown episode was extremely mouth watering, especially if you are a person who loves to eat sardines like me, but at the same time it does not do the justice it really deserves until you taste this wonderful snack/lunch and even more.

I personally had this tasty delight for what I call “Lupper”, the time between a late lunch and supper, which is generally when I eat, as I am not a big breakfast or for that matter a big lunch eater. I mainly see myself as a dinner hound and the occasional over the sink/counter eater.

Not to get off subject, but did you know that there is a difference between Supper and Dinner? Well, there was in my family according to my Nana on my father’s side. Supper was the feast between 4pm and 7pm on holidays and Dinner was any meals eaten a few hours later-between 7-9pm. Now…Don’t have a frenzy, I know this is backwards as the dictionary is Dinner first, then Supper. But hey, I loved my Nana (even though not that educated) and that’s how it was in my family.

So, back to the Sherried Sardine Toast…Again, WOW! I really think, if you are a person who may be a bit squeamish about sardines, to try this recipe out. The toast and the smooth buttery taste of the Avocado; with the initial splash of the sherry vinegar on the tongue really tones down the Sardine fishiness. I even believe that if the canned Brisling Sardines are still not something you want to be adventurous with, try just canned tuna in oil as a starting point. I might even try this with anchovies and add some small capers (not caper berries-but hey this could work too)!

So the pictures I have posted are not exactly the "Toast" the recipe calls for exactly, but at the time, I only had what I had.  So that should tell everyone that you don't necessarily have to have a boule to make this treat.  I used an italian long loaf of bread and cut it in long wedges, which is actually perfect for the snack/appetizer form which will yield 8 smaller slices instead of the bigger 4 the original recipe recommends.  For a more substantial meal, then use a thicker loaf of crusty bread as stated.

So, be adventurous for the rest of this month! This recipe is perfect for a Snack, Appetizer and if you are like me, perfect for “lupper” and a late night snack!  Just keep in mind, this is a recipe that does not store for more than the day you prepare it. Yes, you can make half (the toast should be prepared as you serve it)  for the early part of the day, but best make and eat the next half before the day ends.

Click for Original Recipe Link

Beet the Blood Orange for Luv! It’s OK, It’s Earth Day!

I can’t remember when I didn’t love beets, but I am sure my parents would tell me otherwise. Beets are such an amazing vegetable, but I think they should call it a fruit as it is so full of sugar!

Did you all know that some commercial sugar products are primarily made of Beets? Almost half of the sugar we buy is made from beets. Yes, regular white sugar is not just from Cane Sugar, it’s from special sugar beets! Beets are an integral part of our food industry we would have never, ever thought about. This is why we should watch and read what the food industry puts forward, so we can change the overall process of foods we eat. I found out about the process of sugar from Modern Marvels, a truly great show about so many things!

No matter, red, yellow or tri color beets are a favorite of mine and I love them in very simple and flavorful meals. My first and foremost favorite is the classic borscht, cold of course, with a dollop of sour cream and the occasional boiled potato. I’m lucky that I live in NYC, as it would be harder to find classic Russian and Jewish foods without the best Deli’s in the world!

Back in the day, I found this grilled salad vegetable recipe, which I hope to post during the summer, included roasted beets from the grill, with many other exciting vegetable flavors that continually runs in the back of my mind. This grilled salad was the best I ever made and again, as time passes, I lost the original recipe, but this one is not so hard to forget. I do hope to make this soon, but as an Indoor Grill process.

So, we are in early spring and its Earth Day today! I have a great beet and blood orange salad that will satisfy everyone’s fanciful taste buds until the summer grill comes out. This is my concoction, but it can and should be modified to your taste. Realistically, this is all about the vinaigrette which can be used as a marinade or on other salad mixes.

Beet and Blood Orange Gremolata Vinaigrette

6 Servings

For Vinaigrette:

• 2 Blood Oranges (Zested, and Juiced. Slice each in halves…Saving one half for Salad)
• 3-4 Cloves Garlic (Smashed)
• 1 Bunch Italian Flat leaf Parsley (Take Leafs Only)
• 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp/Small Splash of White Wine or White Balsamic Vinegar
• S & P to Taste 

Salad Ingredients:

• 16 oz Baby Beets-Steamed and Peeled, Then Sliced
• 1 Sm Pkg Pea Sprouts, 1 Pkg Mache-aka Lambs Lettuce (if not available…2 Pkgs Micro Greens )
• Approx 10 small Artichoke Hearts (Not Marinated, can be canned or jarred or frozen)
• 1 Sm Pkg Grape or Heirloom cherry Tomatoes (sliced in Halves)
• 1 Can Hearts of Psalm (3/4 of Psalm cut in slices)
• ½ Blood Orange Pulp/Sections (Left over from Dressing)
• 2 oz Plain Goat Cheese (or Goat Cheese of your choice) Crumbled 

Blood Orange Gremolata Vinaigrette Prep:

1. Grate/Zest Both Blood Oranges and set Zest aside. Juice 1 1/2 of the Oranges.
2. Take Garlic and Smash, then chop roughly
3. Take Parsley Leaves and chop roughly
4. Add Blood Orange Zest, Garlic and Parsley and chop all ingredients together, finely. This becomes the Gremolata.

BTW-You can do Steps 2-4 in a food processor or blender. Just remember, ‘pulse’ until fine.

1. Add Gremolata to a Bowl or Jar.
2. For Jar, add Blood Orange Juice, Olive Oil, White Vinegar, S & P, close cap and shake vigorously.
3. For Bowl, add Blood Orange Juice, Olive Oil, White Vinegar, S & P and with a whisk, mix vigorously and place in Fridge for approximately 2 hours. 

For Salad Prep…This is the easy part. There really is no order to placing the ingredients.
Just place the following in a large salad bowl:

• Beets
• Mache or Micro Greens
• Artichoke Hearts
• Tomatoes
• Hearts of Psalm
• Blood Orange Pulp/Sections
• Crumbled Goat Cheese 

Finally, when ready to serve, add Blood Orange Gremolata Vinaigrette to desired taste, but only add minutes prior to serving or salad will wilt. Tip: The dressing goes along way and you don’t need as much as you think. When adding Vinaigrette, use a little at first and mix with clean hands. You definitely want to be delicate when dressing all the salad.

HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERYONE!!!!

The wait is over!

For those who have been anticipating and waiting a long, long time for me to make my cheesecake again, the wait is over!  My run for Olympic Gold will never happen, but my run to make the best cheesecake ever has been completed.

I spent most of the week, mentally preparing for this long awaited treat, because honestly, it has been more than several years since I baked my last cake. Why so long? Well, I had put my career first and gave up cooking and baking for at least 7 years or more. There was just no time for me to spend in the kitchen and I subjected myself to microwave meals, take out and dining out.

So when my friend Sweetpeasurry (K) blogged about my new blog site and mentioned my cheesecake a few weeks back, the door had been opened for the challenge and I happily accepted.

I must say, it was like riding a bicycle, you never forget. I pulled out my dusty spring form pan from the back of the cupboard and I was good to go.

So, here is my recipe-Modified-as I will not divulge my secret ingredient, but this one is just as tasty as mine. One secret I will give away is that my recipe uses less sugar than other classic recipes. I do make other flavorful cheesecakes, which eventually down the road I will make the more complicated ones for all to see and try out.

Classic Cheesecake

By Have a Seat

Special Equipment: 8" Round Spring Form Pan; Electric Beaters or a Stand Mixer; Parchment Paper; Heavy Duty Tin Foil; Rubber Spatula; Roasting Pan*Roasting pan must be large enough to hold the Spring form pan and must be 2 1/2" deep.

 
Ingredients:

• 24 oz. Cream Cheese 
• 3/4 c Sugar + 2 Tbls* (2 Tbls is for Crust) 
• 1 Teaspoon Real Vanilla Extract 
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice 
• 1 c Sour Cream 
• 4 Tbls Butter* (1 Tbls if no Crust )
• 1 ¾ - 2 c of Shortbread Cookies-Crust 
• Fruit Topping (any kind you like) 
• 6 small amaretto cookies 

Equipment Preparation:

Prepare the 8" Spring form pan by taking a sheet of Parchment paper and placing it on top of the Spring form plate (disc.) Take the "form" and fit it around the "plate" and tighten. There will be some overlapping parchment paper if done correctly. Turn the pan upside down and cut the paper so that there is about an inch of paper fanning out of the bottom of the spring form pan. Carefully, butter the paper and the inside rim making sure the butter covers every inch of the pan. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Take the roasting pan and fill with warm water to 1". Place tin foil over water. Do not secure tin foil around edges. This is what is called the "water bath." Since water can only reach 220 Degrees, it creates even cooking temperature for the inside of the cake, while the oven temperature cooks the outside of the cake. The "water bath" technique, also works well with other recipes, such as; soufflés, custards and even regular cake mix.

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.

Cake Preparation:

For bottom Crust (Optional):

Take shortbread cookies and crush into a sandy texture. A food processor will help with this. If you do not have a food processor, place cooking in a plastic Ziploc bag and crush cookies with your hands or use a rolling pin. Again, the crumbs should have a consistency of sand. Place crumbs in small to medium bowl, add 2Tbls of sugar and the 3 Tbls of melted Butter, then mix. Get your Spring form pan from the fridge and add shortbread mixture and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Take the back of a measuring cup and pack the mixture in the pan so that surface is smooth. Place pan back in the refrigerator for about an hour.

For Cake:

In a large bowl place cream cheese and beat until soft. Once the cheese has softened, add sugar and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Continue to mix and add one egg at a time. Do not add all 3 eggs at once. Again, continue to mix while adding the sour cream and lemon juice (I also like to add Lemon zest). Scrape the bowl with the rubber spatula and continue to mix until all ingredients are well incorporated or until the batter is smooth and looks like it’s almost doubled in volume. I fiddle with the speed settings during the initial mixing process and after my last spatula check let it mix untouched on med high for about 5 minutes. This allows for an airy consistency vs. a dense one.

Remove the spring form pan from the refrigerator and pour the cheesecake batter in the pan. Carefully, place the pan on top of the tin foil in the roasting pan. Lightly secure the tin foil around the roasting pan, leaving a small gap open, allowing the steam to escape.

Carefully, transfer cake to oven. Let cook about 1 hour or until middle of cake jiggles firmly. Allow cake to cool in oven, with the door slightly open to allow the heat to escape (about an hour or 2). Take cake & roasting pan out of oven and let cool for another 2 hours (Do not disassemble cake and roasting pan). Once cake has cooled, remove from roasting pan and refrigerate cake overnight, still in the spring form pan.

Remove cake from the fridge, and then remove the spring form carefully. Add your favorite fruit topping…Crush Amaretto cookies sprinkle on top and enjoy heaven!

Pounding the Pavement and Getting Lemons

My job search goes on, still with no real success. I seem to attract lots of recruiters, but the jobs I'm either not qualified for or nothing seems to pan out. It's all been lemons!

Don't get me wrong though, I love lemons. So I thought in honor of me still "pounding the pavement", I thought why not take all the lemons from my job hunt and make Lemon Pound Cake (It's too cold for Lemonade)!

I am a "pound cake" newbie, so there are no alterations to the recipe I chose. I picked this one from a Bon Appétit Mag-July 1993 by Darren DiPietro: State College, Pennsylvania. The instructions are very well done, but I do have a bit more advice.

Now, I have a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer (These last forever!) and I would not recommend using a general electric mixer, but if that's all you have then make sure you use a very large bowl. Also, make sure your Mise en place is within your reach, it will make your life so much easier. Plan this recipe to ensure your eggs and butter are at room temperature.

So all went well, but I would have liked a heavier lemon flavor and I think the pan that I had was a tad too small or I just needed to add a bit less batter than what was yielded. I also think for my oven, I will need to drop the temp to 300 degrees vs. 325 degrees as recommended. The end result was that the cake baked with a slight overflow on the edges of the pan and got a little darker than I would have liked. But that can all be fixed anyway. Note that this recipe makes 12 Servings, I do know that Pound Cake does freeze well. So if you can’t use all of it, freeze the rest-Just cut in slices beforehand.

 

Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake

Bon Appétit: July 1993; by Darren DiPietro: State College, Pennsylvania. Yield: Serves 12

• 3 cups cake flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3 cups sugar

• 6 eggs, room temperature

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

• 1 cup sour cream

Cooking Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 16-cup tube pan. Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.
• Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel. -Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients slowly. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.
• Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature).

Cucumber Cravings

I was watching the food network-Iron Chef (repeat) with Bobby Flay and Morimoto the other day. Flay created some dish, can’t remember the main ingredient, but he did something with Cucumber that got me thinking...

Flay’s soux chef had cut the cucumber into a noodle style and mixed it with sherry vinaigrette. Sounded so yummy, so I came up with my own version.

 

Cucumber Noodle Salad

Approx 2 Servings

Special Equipment: Mandoline with a thin Julienne blade.

• 1 Large Cucumber
• Half Pint Cherry Tomatoes quartered
• Few Sprigs of Tarragon roughly chopped
• About 10 Leaves of Mint roughly chopped
• 1/4 lbs or less of Feta Cheese
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2-3 Tbls of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• S&P to Taste

Preparation Instructions:

• Use your Mandoline with a the Julienne blade to cut the cucumber into long noodles.
• Add Cucumber to a bowl with chopped herbs and tomatoes, mix gently with your hands.
• Place mixture on plate or in a Bowl. Sprinkle Feta Cheese over salad mixture, then add S & P. For each serving, drizzle extra virgin olive oil and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the salad.