MITCH IN THE KITCHEN

plum and jasmine tea granita

Check out my new favorite summer dessert. Granita is basically shaved ice, and you can make it with fruit, booze, and even coffee. I used squishy-ripe, beautifully colored plums this time around, but any kind of pureed fruit will do. And you can of course use plain water or some other liquid instead of tea. My David Lebovitz ice cream book also says that in Sicily, they scoop coffee granita into brioche buns for breakfast, which sounds heavenly for warm, groggy mornings.

(makes 2 servings)

3/4 cup hot water (I turn the kettle off right before it starts actually boiling)
1 heaping teaspoon jasmine tea (or one teabag)
2 tablespoons sugar
8 small (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) plums

Steep tea in hot water for 3 minutes. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves. Let cool.

Meanwhile, puree pitted, unpeeled plums in a blender or food processor. Add tea.

Pour mixture into a small dish that is about 2 inches deep (I used a plastic tupperware type container that is about 8 by 5 inches). Place in the freezer for about 45 minutes, then check on it. The top and edges should be starting to freeze. Scrape with a fork and make it all slushy. Put it back in the freezer and repeat the scraping-with-fork part every 30 minutes or so, until the whole thing is mostly frozen. I got impatient (and it was getting late), so mine looks a little softer/more watery than the way this sort of thing usually goes.

red currant and vanilla ice cream

I’ve only had Van Leeuwen Ice Cream’s red currant flavor once: the first time I stumbled upon one of their pale yellow trucks in SoHo a few years ago. The ice cream was rich but not too sweet, with tart red currants that popped against a smooth vanilla background. It was the type of revelatory moment that you’d talk up around friends who like to talk about superlative experiences with food. Subsequent visits began with a longing to relive that first taste, but each ended with a scoop of some other (also good) flavor. The trucks, and now stores, seem to be permanently sold out of currants and cream. They told me their currant supplier is small and can only provide limited quantities of the fruit each season.

The workaround? Wait patiently for these pretty pearly berries to arrive in my CSA share, as they do every summer, then make a batch of ice cream that will scream to be eaten in one sitting.

(makes about 1 quart)

1 cup red currants, stems removed
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
dash of salt
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine currants and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small pan. Heat over a low flame, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and currants have released some of their juice. The currants should be softened but still hold their shape. Set aside and refrigerate. (Tip: you could simply spoon this currant sauce over store-bought vanilla ice cream for more immediate gratification.)

Heat milk, cream, sugar, and salt over medium-low heat in another saucepan til steamy.

Temper egg yolks and pour back into the saucepan. Cook custard over low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (or until it reaches 160 degrees). Stir and scrape frequently to prevent the mixture from coagulating around the edge and bottom of the pan.

Strain custard through a mesh strainer into a cover-able bowl. Stir in vanilla. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight (it should be as cold as possible). Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the machine’s instructions. Fold in cold currant sauce and enjoy it like soft-serve or pack it in the freezer to let it harden (they call this “ripening”).

rhubarb-almond bars with ginger

Before making this, I tossed around several ideas for what to do with several stalks of rhubarb I had collected several weeks ago from the farmers’ market and my CSA share. I thought about making a rustic galette or braised chicken, but ended up making little dessert bars late one humid, sticky weekend evening to bring to a July 4th picnic in the park. I used a pastry blender and cold butter instead of the grater and frozen butter called for by the recipe, and added a bit of minced ginger to the rhubarb mixture.

strawberries

I usually eat fresh fruit with nothing more than a good rinse under cold water. Good for my reputation as a Healthy Person (stop snickering, those of you who have ever watched me exercise) and nutritionist, but if that was all I ever did it would make for a pretty boring food blog. So sometimes I combine very photogenic seasonal fruit with things like alcohol, fat, and sugar.

Strawberry Ginger Fizzy Drink
If you’re not the most super-careful person (like me), a few strawberries are bound to tumble out of the basket (ok fine, or maybe the whole basket will turn upside down because you couldn’t tell where the bottom of the reusable bag was) in transit. Simple fix: when you get home, take these and other smooshed berries, slice them, lightly muddle them in a glass, then pour vodka and ginger ale over them. You’ll feel better about the red stains on everything in no time. Another excellent option: pour beer over the muddled strawberries.

Strawberry Shortcake
For breakfast, not dessert. I mean, it’s biscuits with fruit… why not? All you have to do is whip out your favorite biscuit recipe and spoon macerated strawberries (cut-up berries that have been softened by a sprinkling of sugar) and whipped cream, crème fraiche, or Greek yogurt (like I did for breakfast) on top. If you’re going the dessert route, you can also top it off with ice cream or make a dessert sandwich.

Sfoglia’s Strawberry Spaghetti
Strawberry pasta sauce sounds strange, I know, but there’s a reason this thing has become a signature dish at a reputable New York City Italian restaurant. The recipe is here. I can see little kids liking it too. Good ingredients go a long way in this simple dish, so use the best stuff you can get your hands on. I busted out the expensive olive oil to finish it.

black sesame ice cream

My friend Scott finally came to visit a few weeks ago. Those of you who were at my wedding may remember him from the live entertainment portion of the evening featuring two shirtless guys wrestling. Scott and I have known each other for 20 years, and he once lied to an entire fraternity house by introducing me as his sister (I continue to assume this was in my best interest). For a friend like this, I would do almost anything. Like make black sesame ice cream that he has been telling me about for the past two years or so.

Combine in a medium sauce pan and heat over medium-low heat til steamy:

• 1 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup light cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• dash of salt

Temper and pour back into the saucepan:

• 3 egg yolks

Cook custard over low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (or until it reaches 160 degrees). Stir and scrape frequently to prevent the mixture from coagulating around the edge and bottom of the pan.

Strain through a mesh strainer to make things extra-smooth. Whisk in:

• 6 tablespoons black sesame paste
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• tiny drizzle of toasted sesame oil (optional)

Chill overnight, then freeze in an ice cream machine according to the machine’s instructions. By the way, a cheap and reliable one costs around $50. Not a big deal! Once you’ve had homemade ice cream, it’s hard to go back.

homemade oreo cookies

I’ve had this recipe for homemade Oreo cookies bookmarked for a long, long time. Superbowl Sunday (whose traditional feasts of beer, cheese, and guacamole I look forward to more than the game itself) finally gave me an excuse to make them. I adjusted the recipe a tiny bit to dial down the sugar and amp up the salt (3/4 cup of sugar and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the cookies). The best part is total control over how much cream (or is it “creme”? there is no actual cream in the stuff) filling gets sandwiched in those cookies. If you like only a thin layer of filling (ahem, me), you don’t need to scrape half of it out while people frown at you. And if you’ve ever had drooling fantasies about Triple- or Quadruple-Stuf cookies (ahem, Pavla and Jake, cutest snack-sharers I’ve ever seen), you can go home happy in a DIY sugar-filled haze.

rugelach

I learned at a very young age (thank you, Kindergarten Multicultural Day) that Hanukkah has some really popular food traditions. Latkes? Jelly doughnuts? Yes. I learned at an older age, after tearing through a gifted box of rugelach, that I really like these rolled up pastry-like cookies. And what do you know, rugelach may be a traditional Hanukkah food too. I did plain chocolate, chocolate raspberry, and apricot raisin walnut (the best of the three, in my opinion) for Nicole’s Hanukkah potluck this past weekend.

Future plans now include savory rugelach. With things like leeks and fresh herbs and olives and cheese. Perfect for dipping in pan sauce from the Blumenfeld family brisket recipe.

spiced apple-pear sauce cake with cream cheese frosting

This one’s for Nancy :)

A few weeks ago, I found myself with way, way, way too many Bosc pears. Several of them were starting to get brown and mushy and spoiled in spots. I ended up turning maybe 10 of them into a pear puree (like applesauce but with pears), carefully peeling them and cutting around the gross brown spots. I added a couple of tart (cameo, I think) apples to the sauce, because the pears’ flavor was a little too subtle, and I felt like the sauce needed a little more… pop to it. I had enough apple-pear sauce to make two of these cakes, one for a previously mentioned pre-Thanksgiving potluck with friends, and another for a post-Thanksgiving potluck at Mike’s place (yes, there was overlap in friends who attended… best 2 weeks of Thanksgiving ever). This cake is fantastically moist and simple to make, as far as cakes go. Next time, I may have to make one all for myself.

Adapted from Gourmet (I mostly cut down on the sugar a little bit, because I like my sweets not-too-sweet)

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or use only 2 cups all purpose flour, total)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce, pear sauce, or apple-pear sauce
1 small crisp apple or pear, peeled and grated using a large-holed grater (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan (I like to line the bottom with parchment paper and then butter it).

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.

Beat butter with brown sugar and vanilla at high speed using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add applesauce. Add flour mixture at low speed, just until combined. Fold in grated apple.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool completely before frosting.

For frosting:

5 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together at high speed using an electric mixer, until fluffy. Sift powdered sugar and cinnamon into the mixing bowl, then beat at medium speed until combined. Spread over cooled cake.

gingerbread pear cake

I was going to bring this to a class session/potluck at my professor’s house* but didn’t because I could not get over the shame of accidentally omitting one of the ingredients (buttermilk). The result wasn’t at all inedible, but I ended up being the jackass who showed up empty handed. Luckily nutrition students are reliably excellent, considerate, and forgiving potluck participants, so the absence of this cake was no big deal and all the food was delicious.

*I am still in awe of said professor, her home, her garden, and the fact that she and other instructors let a bunch of grubby grad students into their living rooms every year.

(adapted from Epicurious)

1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 Bosc pears

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, white pepper, and salt.

Beat together brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in molasses. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Beat in flour mixture at low speed until just combined. Add buttermilk and ginger, beating just until smooth. Pour into cake pan.

Peel and core pears and cut each into 8 slices. Arrange in batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. I like mine with a little dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

(white) chocolate chip cherry oatmeal cookies

If you’ve hung out with John (yes, he is coming up in all of these posts now) in the past few months, you’ve probably heard about how we’re planning to install wood laminate flooring in our apartment, as a couple of hapless, decorating-challenged newlyweds would. After a solid day of moving furniture around, Asian-squatting over and over, and sawing and pounding on many many planks of stuff that looks like wood but is much cheaper, we were dead tired and wanted only greasy Thai takeout and cold beer for dinner.

Luckily I planned ahead for dessert by making some cookie dough the night before. I will be baking small batches at a time throughout the week (unless I end up just freezing it for later). I meant to use brown chocolate chips but found only white chocolate chunks in the kitchen. These were a huge improvement from the failed apricot cookies I made a few weeks back. Chewy and moist and maybe a little bit sweeter than I usually like stuff, but perfect with a glass of cold milk in the late evening. Ok fine, or for breakfast.

Sift together and set aside:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream together for 3 minutes using an electric mixer:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, left out at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix into butter and sugar mixture:
1 large egg

Then add the flour mixture while the mixer is still going on low speed.

Fold in:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted in a dry pan (more is ok)
1/2 cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (this is also a pretty conservative amount)

Chill dough for several hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop tablespoon-size balls of cold dough on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Bottoms of the cookies should be barely golden and the centers should still be gooey. Let cool for 5 minutes, then dig in. Makes about 60 1 1/2-inch cookies.