Tiramisu

I am proud of this one. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good, and my best effort so far. I made it for Shannon's birthday, as it's her favorite dessert. And it's made from scratch. That's right, I made my own ladyfingers, or savoiardi. Although this gives me a little smugness, I would only recommend it for die-hard from-scratch cooks. Not that they are that difficult to make (they are not), just that store-bought will save you time and probably hold their texture better. My ladyfingers came out a little soft.

Start by either brewing or obtaining some strong hot espresso - you will need about 1 cup (8 fluid ounces). Add to this 1 tbsp sugar and 1 miniature (50ml) of Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur. Stir to mix and set aside in a wide bowl - you want a shallow pool of espresso.

You will need to make a double boiler for the next step (or, if you have a double boiler pan, you can use it instead - just put the yolks, sugar and wine in the top insert). This is simple - you find a metal bowl that will fit over a small-medium saucepan. Put a little (1/2 inch) water in the saucepan. The bowl must be the right size to fit over the pan without touching the water. Set the bowl aside and bring the water to a gentle simmer (be careful - if the yolks get too hot, they will scramble, and you will have to start again). In the metal bowl go 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup (3.5 oz) sugar and 1/3 cup Marsala wine. Set the bowl on the double boiler and whisk the yolks. You will need to do this for about 10 minutes, until the yolks expand in volume and get hot to the touch (when you dip in a finger). At this point, remove the bowl from the heat, and whip the mixture until it cools down. If you have a stand mixer, use it (with the whisk attachment). A hand-held electric whisk would also be useful here.

Meanwhile, beat 1 lb mascarpone cheese with a fork or spoon until soft. Set aside. Whip 1 cup heavy cream just until it gets to stiff peaks (if you are using a stand mixer, pour the yolks into a new bowl, wash mixer bowl and whisk, and use it for the cream).

Now fold the cooled yolk mixture and cheese into the cream until mostly combined. Take a 11 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish and set it aside. You will need some ladyfingers. How many you will need depends on their size. I used about 16 of mine. Now you are ready to assemble the tiramisu. Take the ladyfingers and dip them quickly, one by one in the espresso bowl. The goal is to get them a little wet but not soaked. After dipping, use them to line the bottom of the baking dish in one layer. Next, spread half of your cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and make it nice and flat and even. On top goes another layer of dipped ladyfingers, and then on top of them goes the rest of the cheese mixture. Flatten and smooth the top, then dust it with cocoa powder and sprinkle with chocolate curls (I used dark chocolate and a vegetable peeler). Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for several hours.

Pull the tiramisu out of the refrigerator half an hour before you serve it. Dust the top with cocoa again, if desired (it will look better if you do this), slice and enjoy!

Metric Info: 1 cup = 240ml; 1/2 inch = 1cm; 3.5 oz = 100g; 1/3 cup = 80ml; 1 lb = 450g; 11 x 8 x 2 inches = 28 x 20 x 5cm.

Corn Chowder

Yep, it's summer. Local corn is now in season here in Vermont, and we just got our first ears from our Full Moon Farm CSA share. We also got some beautiful red skin potatoes, so my first thought was Corn Chowder!

This recipe is based on one from The Professional Chef, a CIA textbook (that's the Culinary Institute of America, not the other CIA...).

Start by rendering 4 oz diced pancetta (or bacon, if you prefer) in a large saucepan or small stockpot. This means to cook it under medium-low heat so that the fat 'melts' out without the meat getting too crispy. Once there is plenty of fat in the bottom of the pan, add 1 onion, diced, 1/2 red pepper, diced and 2 ribs celery, diced, and sweat them (keep the heat low and allow them to soften without browning. Once your vegetables are soft, add 4 oz flour. Stir to coat everything with the flour and allow it to begin to color gently. You do not want the flour to brown. Once you can see a very pale golden color, start gradually whisking in 2 quarts stock (see Note 1 below). Bring the stock to a simmer; simmer for 25 minutes to cook out the floury flavor.

Next, shuck and remove the kernels from 8 ears of corn (see note 4). The easiest way to do this is stand the cob up in a shallow bowl, and cut down the sides with a knife, separating the kernels from the cob. Puree half of the kernels in  a blender or food processor. Add the whole kernels and the puree to the soup, along with about 2 lb potatoes, peeled and diced. Taste, and add salt and pepper if necessary. Simmer 25 minutes to cook the potatoes through.

Lastly, add 1 pint milk and 1 pint cream (or 1 quart of half-and-half). Bring back to a simmer, taste, check seasoning and adjust, and serve, with Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces on the table. Enjoy!

Note 1 - You can decide what kind of stock to use. You could use purchased vegetable or chicken broth, or make your own. I made a vegetable stock using 1/2 onion, some celery scraps, a little fennel (not required), the corn cobs (after removing the kernels) and some water. Simmered it while I started the soup, and measured out 2 qts.

Note 2 - To make this soup vegetarian, use a vegetarian stock, and 4 tbsp (2 oz) butter in place of the pancetta. Once it is melted, you can sweat your vegetables in it.

Note 3 - Corn = sweetcorn for those across the Pond.

Note 4 - How many ears of corn you need really depends on how large they are. If you have big fat ears, use 8. If your ears are smaller, use more (up to 12).

Note 5 - Metric Info: 4 oz = 115 g; 2 qts = 1.9 litres; 2 lb = 900 g; 1 pint = 470 ml; 1 qt = 950 ml; 2 oz = 55 g.

Coffee Ice Cream

I'm back! No, I didn't stop cooking; I just stopped blogging. So, now I have some catching up to do...

This is one I made a while back, around the beginning of the month. I was intending to incorporate cardamom into it, a kind of 'Turkish coffee' ice cream, but forgot (I was going to toast the cardamom lightly and add it with the beans), so here's how it went (recipe from 'Second Helpings of Roast Chicken' by Simon Hopkinson):

Take 3.5 oz whole coffee beans (use any kind you like - I used Starbucks Italian Roast), and put in a saucepan with 9 floz milk and 1.5 oz brown sugar. Stir to help dissolve the sugar and bring the milk to a boil, then switch off the heat, cover the pan and allow to sit somewhere warm for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr.

Strain the beans out of the milk and scald it (bring to just below a boil). Meanwhile, whisk 5 egg yolks with 2 oz brown sugar vigorously until pale yellow. Once the milk is ready, set up a metal bowl over ice (or in ice water) and pour a little hot milk into the yolks. Stir with a wooden spoon and quickly pour the egg mixture into the hot milk in the saucepan. Keep the heat on and stir constantly until the mixture coats the back of the wooden spoon (you should be able to draw a line in it with your finger). At this point, remove immediately from the heat and pour into the cold metal bowl, stirring in 7 floz heavy cream. Once cooled a little, chill in the refrigerator, then churn in an ice cream maker.

Enjoy!

Note 1 - This was not the first time I made this ice cream. The first time, I used different beans and the milk curdled as it came to a boil. I had to wash the beans and use fresh milk. This time, it worked fine though.

Note 2 - Metric info: Use 275ml milk, 100g beans, 50g sugar with the milk, 65g sugar with the yolks, and 200ml cream.

Strawberries and whipped cream

I picked up some fresh local strawberries from Adams Berry Farm, and decided to serve them for dessert with some homemade whipped cream. This whipped cream is called Creme Chantilly, but is a lot simpler to make than it sounds.

Take 1/2 cup cold heavy cream and pour into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or you can do it by hand, which takes a little longer and requires more effort). Add a splash of vanilla extract and 2 tbsp powdered sugar and whip on high speed until the cream thickens noticeably. Careful though - if you whip for too long, it will turn to butter (if whipping by hand, do not worry - this is unlikely). Serve the cold cream with the strawberries. Enjoy!

Note 1 - If you find that 1/2 cup of cream sits too low in the bowl for the mixer's whisk to reach. just add a little more.

Note 2 - Metric info: 1/2 cup = 120 ml.

Potato Leek Soup

OK, so I know it's almost summer (at least where I am), and I'm still making soups. However, there are two cool things about this soup. First, with some small adjustments, it can be served cold, as Vichyssoise. Second, it uses up leftover mashed potatoes in your fridge (it can also be made with raw potatoes).

Start by slicing half a leek crosswise into half moons. Transfer the pieces into a bowl of cold water. Swish them around a few times and remove with your hands to a strainer (this leaves any dirt in the bowl). Allow to drain for a minute, then put into a pan with 1 tbsp butter and half an onion, diced, and sweat until soft. At this point, add 1 clove of garlic, minced and sweat for a few more minutes until softened.

Next, add about 3 cups of mashed potatoes (the amount does not have to be exact), and water to cover the potatoes generously. Throw in a bay leaf and a pinch of thyme, if you have them. Simmer for a while (at least 20 minutes) to allow the flavors to meld. Remove the bay leaf. Blend the soup (take care, especially if using a stand blender, to avoid spraying hot food everywhere - small batches are best). Add up to 1/2 cup cream (you decide how creamy you want it), and some more water if it seems too thick (depending on your preference). Bring back to a simmer, season (and taste and adjust) and serve. You could garnish the soup with chives and/or any kind of salty pork product - bacon, prosciutto, pancetta etc. Enjoy!

Note 1 - To make vichyssoise (cold potato leek soup), you will need to thin the soup more (with cream and/or water), strain through a fine strainer and chill it in the refrigerator. Once cold, check the consistency (it should be like whipping (single) cream) and the seasoning, and adjust as necessary.

Note 2 - If you have no mashed potatoes, substitute peeled, cubed raw potatoes. About 2 cups would probably work, but again, quantities are not that important. Simmer a little longer - at least 30 minutes, and make sure that the potatoes are fully cooked before blending. You will need more water too.

Note 3 - Metric info: 3 cups = about 700 ml; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 2 cups = 480 ml.