Wednesday
Jan252012

chocolate cake (gluten free) and best friend

Our best friend flew into town yesterday for less then twenty four hours.  She wanted to meet the smallest short person for the first time.  Nirinjan works on movies.  I could say everyday because I know she does not take any time for herself but it is the way she likes to tell stories.  These may not be her stories to tell yet but someday they will be.  She likes the learning process.  

But this does mean that she had to make the time to come see the Smallest Short Person.  And she did.  We had a lovely time of conversation, laughter, food, and sleep.  I actually thought I would be posting today about more beans because I was going to continue the thoughts from yesterday.  But this is really the same thing.  Sharing home cooked food with those you love.  Feeding the soul as well as the tummy.  There was a lot of feeding the soul in less the twenty four hours.  We miss her already.

Today, we had a simple dinner of leftover risotto, chai, and chocolate cake.  I guess I have a lot of recipes here to share but today I am going to share the chocolate cake.  To die for.  I picked up the cookbook Home Cooking with Jean-Georges from the library.  It was recommended in the nytimes.com.  I liked a lot of the ideas but there was only one I wished to try.  It was this chocolate cake.  I did make it gluten free.  Oh, by the way, I made this cake before dinner and two hours afterwards, it was all gone.  Really!

Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges.  I realized I adapted it more then I thought!

4 tablespoons butter

3 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup almond flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 8 or 9 inch springform pan.

Whisk the egg whites with the granulated sugar until medium-stiff peaks form.

Melt the chocolate and butter together.  Beat in one egg yolk.  Beat in the remaining yolks.  Then beat in the confectioners sugar and almond flour.

Add a third of the whipped egg whites and beat well to loosen the chocolate mixture.  Gently fold in the remaining whites until just combined.  Pour int othe prepared pand and gently spread evenly.

Bake until puffed and knife comes out clean, 17 minutes.

Gently remove from pan after ten minutes of cooling.

Yes, this is a very thin cake but it is lovely.  It has a bit of a brownie texture but it is a wonderful cake.  We started plotting how we could use it in a layer cake or a groom's cake (no one is getting married).  

My Beloved used to think my vanilla cake was the best.  He is really not a chocolate person unless it is VERY good chocolate.  He says I need to make the vanilla cake again.  Then the chocolate.  Then the spice.  Again and again until he can decide which is his favorite.  

I think I see a trend here..... giggle

Tuesday
Jan242012

beans

I was reading a new cookbook for me.  It was on a Christmas book list.  An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler.  I really enjoyed it but I would call it more a philosophy of cooking book rather then a recipe book.  But it truly the way I cook and bake.  There are many times I hear or say "it is time to start beans" or "it is time to start sourdough."  I cook most of what we eat.  Cooking most of what we eat started with allergies, then it was just I was cooking better then anything we could buy, and now it is a combination of frugal (we tip REALLY well and we buy really nice food) and I cook and bake better then anything we can get out.  We still go out for Japanese because I do not really make that yet.  Part of being able to eat this way is a bit of planning, cooking in large portions so there is something in the freezer to reheat, and just taking the time because it is important.  It is really what Tamar Adler speaks too.  None of the recipes inspired me but the philosphy felt like coming home.

So I needed to start some beans.

I picked a couple of handfuls of kale and chard from the garden.  Sauted them with some garlic and onion in a cast iron skillet.  Added a couple teaspoons of salt, a teaspoon of pepper, and pinches of paprkrika, chipolte, and ancho to the greens.  The beans went into the crockpot with vegetable broth.  The greens were added.  The lid was put on.  It was time to walk away and let them bubble.

Hours later (about eight), we had soup.  Many things were done in between, including skating and a fall.  I made toast from the bread ends and we had a lovely meal.  There were many beans leftover so I used them the next night in a different dish (which of course I will blog about tomorrow).  

See how a bit of beans just keeps going.  I could imply it is everlasting but not around here.  We eat beans so the pot always needs to be started again.  Just like we eat bread and the starter needs to be started again.

I would make the suggestion to read Tamar Adler's book.  Then cook some vegetables.  Or a few beans.  She does not really do much bread yet but if you do chose to bake bread, feel free to ask.

Bean Soup

1 pound Hutterite Soup Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

a handful of kale, cleaned and chopped fine

a handful of chard, cleaned and chopped fine

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 pinches paprika (1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon or to taste)

2 pinches ground chipolte (1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon or to taste)

2 pinches ground ancho (1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon or to taste)

6 to 8 cups vegetable broth.

In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil.  Add the onion and the hard parts of the kale and chard.  Let the start to brown.  Add the garlic and the leafy greens.  You want some brown bits and the greens to lose their bulk.  Add the salt, pepper, and spices. 

In a large pot or crockpot, put the beans.  Cover with broth.  Add the onion and greens mixture.  Turn on the crockpot or bring the beans in the pot to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer.  Let both cook until the beans are very soft (when blown on the skins will split).

Serve in bowls with crusty buttered toast and salad.  

Just a lovely, homey meal.  One of those that fills the soul as well as the tummy.  Especially when eaten with loved ones.

Monday
Jan232012

spice cake (gluten free)

I picked the cookbook food52 cookbook by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs from the library.  It had been somebody Christmas suggestion list and now I cannot find whose.  I thought it was Tara of Tea and Cookies but I was wrong.  But whoever led me to this cookbook, thank you.  I like it because there may be only two authors on the cover but the recipes are from man different people.  I have been having a good time with it.  There is a spice cake in it that looks pretty divine.  That is until I saw the shortening and the three cups of sugar.  I knew that would be much too sweet for our family.  We like flavor but not overwhelming sweet.  And I am really picky about cake.  

I took my favorite vanilla cake recipe and tweaked it with spices.  This cake is lovely.  We eat it unfrosted but you could frost it if you wished.  Cream cheese frosting would be good.  Or the caramel frosting the original recipe called for.  It would also be lovely toasted.  

My Beloved always gets the chance to taste the batter.  His comment was that this was as good as cookie dough.  Gives you an idea of how yummy it is.

Spice cake     

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

135 grams almond flour

135 grams millet flour

135 grams sorghum flour

135 grams arrowroot flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 9 inch springform pan.

In a bowl, cream the butter and the sugar together.  Mix in the eggs and vanilla.  Mix in the almond flour.  Then 1/4 cup of cream.  Mix in the millet flour.  Mix in 1/4 cup of cream.  Mix in the arrowroot flour.  Mix in 1/4 cup of cream.  Mix in the sorghum flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and spices.

 Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

The cake will be golden and pull away from the sides of the pan.

If this is anything like the vanilla version of this cake, it will actually be better tomorrow.  

Now, if there will be any when I get home from work.....

Friday
Jan202012

dinner with friends 

Last night we had a lovely dinner with Miss P.  She made the best meatloaf I can remember.  I was trying to give it a time frame but cannot remember meatloaf that good.  The conversation was lovely.  The laughter was grand.  I brought crescent rolls,  Step Away From The Cookies cookies (cinnamon chocolate pine nut cookies), and vanilla ice cream.  

I actually played with the crescent roll recipe.  Half the dough I made into plain rolls.  I did a quarter with cinnamon sugar.  A quarter of the dough I rolled dark chocolate chips in it.  My newest version of chocolate "croissants."

 

These are better then most chocolate croissants I have come across.  Pretty lovely.  So how did I make them?  I tweaked my own recipe with chocolate and heavy whipping cream.  I also used about half whole wheat flour.  It makes them that much better.

Chocolate Filled Crescent Rolls

Note:  If you substitute cinnamon sugar instead of chocolate, you have cinnamon crescents.

Sourdough starter

1 cup flour

3/4 cup water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole wheat flour, as freshly ground as possible (get out the grinder!)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips.

Eight hours or the night before, refresh you starter with the 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl.  Let it sit until very bubbly.

Once bubbly, remove about two tablespoons of the starter and put it in the refrigerator for next time.  To the starter left in the bowl, add the heavy whipping cream, sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and egg.  Mix well.  Mix in the salt.  Mix in enough flour to make a very stiff dough.  Turn out on a floured surface and knead until smooth.  Cover and let rise until double.

When double, divide into halves, thirds, or fourths.  This will control the size of your rolls.  The more divisions, the smaller the roll size.  Take one of the portions and roll out into a circle.  Spread with softened butter.   Sprinkle with the chocolate chips.  Cut into 8 triangles.  Roll up from the long end to the point.

Put on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat.  Do this with the rest of the dough.   Let rise for about an hour, covered.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

These are delightful.  But at this rate, I am only going to get the two I had with my tea for breakfast.  The Tall Short Person really loves them.  My Beloved says the cinnamon ones are his.  I have not even gotten a chance to taste those!  

Wednesday
Jan182012

a dress for our best friend

I finished a dress for my best friend this morning.  It is a lovely green linen.  A very spring color.  She lives in Colorado so linen may not be something that she can wear currently but it will be nice for around her home or this coming summer.  That is if she ever gets off a movie set.  She is coming to town for less then 24 hours next week so this will be part of her Christmas box.  I am slow but I also wish to be there when she opens her presents.  Most of the time she is in a different state.

I do have to admit that it is nice to get back into a sewing routine, even if it is only ten minutes a day.