running with tweezers

tropical tiramisu

I am so not a chocolate eater. I think we've been over this before. I am a total sucker for fruity and cakey desserts. Creme brulee, too. Key Lime Pie...and...oh goodness...pineapple upside down cake. Drool.

The upcoming RootSource Challenge - hosted by CookThink - was to use pineapple in your recipe. Rather than try to use it in some sort of rice dish - or in the typical upside down dessert - I wanted to do something a little different. This just so happened to coincide with a shoot that I was working on for a client. There were some recipes that they were developing to post on their website lying around - I never talk about clients on this blog...but when you're there, you're family, ok?

The recipe for Pineapple Tiramisu caught my eye. Talk about a dream dessert - all of the creamy, custardy, Mascarpone-y goodness of tiramisu with a blast of fruit flavor! I was sold.  It is everything I had hoped it would be - creamy and sweet but not overly so...and punctuated by juicy pineapple taste and texture.

I changed the recipe up my making them in individual spring-form pans - 4 small pans will be filled by this recipe. This also helped in keeping its shape. If you don't care about that, make it in a trifle bowl or individual dishes. I also soaked the ladyfingers in an equal mixture of Malibu Pineapple Rum and pineapple juice. Instead of covering the top of my forms with the berries, I wanted to show off the ring on the top. So, instead, I garnished with a few blackberries and powdered sugar. Any mixture of fruit to garnish - as well as mint or basil - would be tasty and beautiful. When making this recipe, beat the crap out of the eggs. Seriously. Until clear, at least. You will regret it if you don't. I also recommend refrigerating this for longer than an hour - several hours to overnight would be best.

Pineapple Tiramisu - recipe originally found here - serves 4

• ½ cup pasteurized egg yolks
• 1 lb Mascarpone cheese
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 pineapple
• 1 box of lady fingers
• 4 strawberries, cut half
• ¼ pint wild berries

-  WHISK egg yolks and 4 tbsp sugar together in a mixing bowl. When the color turns clear, add mascarpone cheese and stir until consistency is smooth.

   -  REMOVE skin from pineapple with a large knife. Cut in half and remove core. Cut a 1 inch slice from the bottom. Place in a food processor with 2 tbsp sugar. Pulse until fruit is finely chopped and has released juice.
   -  DRAIN contents into a strainer and preserve juice. Discard chopped pineapple in strainer.
   -  CUT remaining pineapple into 1 inch slices.

LAYERING THE TIRAMISU:

   - SOAK 10 lady fingers in pineapple juice until liquid is absorbed. Do not allow them to sit too long.
   -  PLACE a layer of lady fingers in a round mold. Cover lady fingers with slices of pineapple.
   - ADD a thick layer of mascarpone cream. Repeat process.
   - GARNISH by alternating lady finders, remaining pineapple slices, sliced strawberries and wild berries.
   - REFRIGERATE for a minimum of 1 hour before serving.

tomato soup with a twist

I think there are very few who would disagree that tomato soup is one of the all-time cozy comfort foods. While I think lots of things can be soothing and comforting, tomato soup takes people back to their childhood - memories of their mom or dad making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I still love that combo. Shamefully, though, I rarely make tomato soup from scratch. More often than not, when I'm in need of that severe level of comfort, it's usually all I can muster to open a can and turn on the stove.

This time, I used an excuse of a different sort to make a grown up version of tomato soup. A new blog event called Taste and Create pairs food bloggers up to create a recipe from their partner's blog. I was happily paired with Nicole, the creator of the event.

While perusing her blog, I came across this recipe for tomato soup. Fairly straightforward, it seemed...until I scrolled to the bottom of the ingredient list. There it was: GIN. You can't be serious, right? There is a very short list of ingredients I can't imagine cooking with...and gin is one of them. I don't have an aversion to it - I've just never thought about putting it in food. That sealed the deal for me - this was the recipe for me.

Let me tell you, the soup is delicious. The gin adds a little...something. She's right when she says it won't taste right without it. I can't place my finger on the taste but to say it adds a hint of herbal, licorice-y undertone that is so subtle. I didn't add as much creme fraiche to my version, preferring a thinner and lighter soup. I also used vegetable broth instead of beef stock. To give my mine a little more oomph since I was eating it as lunch, I made some quick ciabatta croutons tossed with fresh herbs and olive oil***

*** Editor's Note: Those who know me will be quite taken aback by the site of croutons in my soup. I have a massive phobia of soggy bread. The thought of bread or crackers in soup takes me to my dark place. It haunts me at night. I'll have you know that the ciabatta was toasted well enough that it didn't get soggy too fast...and those that did go South while I was taking photos...were immediately removed and disposed of. Fear not.

Grown Up Tomato Soup - serves 4 - recipe originally found here at For The Love of Food

• 1 kg (2 Lbs)Tomatoes, diced
• 1 small Onions, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Basil, dried
• 1 Tablespoon Oregano, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon Marjoram, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon Rosemary, dried and ground
• 750ml (3 Cups) of Beef Stock
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Gin*
• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 Tablespoons Crème Fraiche

- In a large pot sauté the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil until the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes and all the dried spices and cook in the pot for 15 minutes with the lid on. Then pour in the beef stock and let cook for another 5 minutes. Then take off the heat and put entire soup into a food processor or blender and purée. Then return to pot and to medium heat and add the tomato paste and the gin. Stir until completely mixed in.

- Once the soup is in individual serving bowls add 1 Tablespoon of Crème Fraiche to each bowl and stir in. This will make the soup much thicker.

*Gin is an absolutely necessary ingredient for this recipe. You can leave it out, but it will just not taste right. I heard you can also use Sherry, but I have never tried it.

Please go over to Nicole's blog at For The Love of Food. She is hosting Taste & Create regularly. Take a peek at this round's posts and get involved in the next one! Thanks to her for hosting such a cool event.

cook & think - flat leaf parsley

In one of my fleeting 15 minutes-of-fame moments (sic), I was on the radio and was asked a question that flustered me: Is there something about food, styling-wise, that you really dislike? I thought for a minute...and my answer was...parsley. I have a great disdain for unnecessary use of parsley. Now that I look back on that statement, I feel the need to clarify.

The truth is...I love parsley. A lot. I think it has such great character and flavor. It's vibrant and it actually does taste like something, contrary to popular belief. Parsley just gets a bad rap because of the blatant and rampant use of chopped curly parsley that really adds little to the dish besides a smattering of color. I am not a fan of superfluous garnishes. If the dish that you're eating needs a sprinkle of parsley to look healthy or colorful, you're in trouble.

One of my absolute favorite uses of flat-leaf (or Italian) parsley is a simple parsley salad. When I am in the mood for comfort food, there is very little that speaks to me like a herby, flavorful roast chicken and parsley salad. The two pair beautifully together - the zing that parsley has dressed with some simple lemon and olive oil adds layers of depth to the chicken.

I have made a spruced-up version of this for CookThink's first Root Source Challenge, which this week is...flat leaf parsley. I made this at the holidays a year or two ago and it was spectacular. Coarsely ripped parsley paired with thinly sliced red onion and fennel is topped with a quick shaving of Parmesan cheese. The flavors really sing and the textures are out of this world. A mandoline is very helpful here - both in speed of preparation and maintaining uniformity of the onion and fennel.

Parsley, Red Onion, and Fennel Salad - serves 4 as a side dish

• 1 large bunch flat leaf parsley - washed, dried, and hard stems removed
• 1 medium fennel bulb, sliced to desired thinness
• 1 medium red onion, sliced to desired thinness
• 1 large lemon
• 1 tbsp. good quality extra virgin olive oil
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese - optional*

- Combine parsley, fennel, and red onion in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze the lemon juice over the ingredients. Top with a couple turns of cracked black pepper. Toss all to combine. Before serving, roughly grate Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

*If you're omitting the cheese, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a quick re-toss would be a suitable substitution.

 

my darling clementine

See this? It very well may be my dream dessert. While molten chocolate is nice and all, I am a fruit dessert kind of person. It has its drawbacks, which are that a lot of fruit-centric desserts come in the form of tarts and ice cream. I haven't run across many desserts that have it all for me: lush cakey-ness, bright fruit taste, and rich without being overly heavy.

Until now.

Leave it to Nigella Lawson to create this dreamy dessert. I ran across this recipe some time ago and stuck it in the bookmarked recipes to be made later tab. This month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge (hosted by Ani at Foodie Chickie), which was to make a Nigella recipe, was the perfect excuse to give it a whirl.  Little did I know that this cake has been made about 234,445,977 times on the Internet - and for good reason.

Outside of boiling the clementines, it's terribly simple to put together - a plus for someone like me with mild baking anxiety. The smell that wafts through your house while the clementines are cooking is dreamy, making this the ideal dessert around the holidays or for parties. Your guests will be a little wowed by the smell as they walk in the door. The results are a pudding-y, rich, flavorful cake that wasn't all that heavy. Plus, with no flour in the recipe, it's perfect for those with dietary restrictions.

One note about the recipe, I noticed: All of the reviews of this cake scream about how much it sticks to the pan. I did a test of it...and yes...it does. For my cakes, I used small Wilton fluted shaped pans with a healthy dose of Baker's Joy. They popped right out. Without the non-stick baking spray, they stuck to the inside and fell apart. If you're using the spring-form pan, I would recommend using the parchment or the baking spray, as well.

Clementine Cake - makes one 8" cake - originally published in How To Eat by Nigella Lawson

• 4 to 5 unpeeled clementines (about 1 pound total weight)
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/3 cups ground almonds
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

- Put the unpeeled clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours.

- Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds.

- Then chop everything finely — skins, pits, fruit — in the food processor (or by hand, of course). Preheat the oven to 375ƒF. Butter and line an 8-inch spring form pan.

- Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. I don't like using the processor for this, and frankly, you can't balk at a little light stirring.

- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top burning.

- Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the pan. When the cake's cold, you can take it out of the pan. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it any time.

kitchen of love: arugula salad with parmesan, pine nuts, and grilled peaches

Food is sexy, don't you think? Well...most food is sexy. I'm not a believer in the chocolate and strawberries and champagne recipe for getting in the mood for love. Sure, I mean...that works, too. The truth is...I find lots of different foods sensuous for different reasons. Some make you feel warm and cozy. Some spicy foods really stimulate the senses and wake you up. Others, like truffle oil, awaken something very earthy and primitive in my brain.

I also think healthy food can be a big turn-on, too. You can eat something colorful, vibrant, filling, and delicious...and not feel like you need to lay around in your Juicy sweat-suit for the rest of the night. When I saw that Chris at MeleCotte was hosting a blog event around savory aphrodisiacs, I was really excited. As someone who isn't really a chocolate eater, it's nice to see a group of savory recipes that get people going.

Arugula has long been thought of as an aphrodisiac - as far back as the first century. Pine nuts are also considered one, due to their high Zinc content. I wanted to make a light, visually beautiful salad highlighting these two ingredients. I added shaving of salty Parmesan and quickly grilled peaches. I am adding peaches to my own aphrodisiac list - who doesn't swoon a bit thinking of biting into a juicy, fleshy peach. All of the elements of this salad just work and it comes together in a flash. The pine nuts toast while the peaches are grilling. You make a quick dressing and plate it all together in a flurry of wonderful colors and textures, leaving you plenty of time for...other things.

Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Grilled Peaches - serves 4 as a starter or side salad

• 1 bag of prewashed arugula or one heaping handful per person
• 2 medium peaches, pitted and cut into 3/4 inch wide slices
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
• Vinaigrette: juice of one lemon, 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

- Make your vinaigrette to taste and set aside.
- Heat two pans - one grill pan and one small saute pan - to medium heat.
- On the grill pan, lay peach slices and grill for about 3-4 minutes. Turn over and repeat on other side.
- In the small dry saute pan, toast pine nuts lightly. When golden brown, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Arrange arugula on plates. Place 1/4 of warm peach slices on each plate. Scatter pine nuts and shave Parmesan cheese loosely on top. Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

Go check out Chris's blog MeleCotte. It's a great blog from a fellow Atlantan. The round-up for her event - Kitchen of Love - should be up any day now.

i'm convinced i suffer from seasonal appetite disorder

Maybe it's an issue of wanting what I can't have. It could be that I'm working on a retail schedule here in my kitchen. I'm a veritable Fashion Week over here: always working a season ahead. I am the one making soups with kale and sausage when its 90 degrees outside. By the time a food season comes around, I'm over it and on to the next thing. I wonder why?

Whatever the reason, I have been on a serious spring and summer flavor kick. I'm thrilled with my lighter eating that I've been doing this year...and with that naturally comes some of the craving for brighter, more flavorful foods. Almost everything I've wanted to cook has plenty of produce in it...and most of it is not "seasonally correct".

Tomatoes are the big one for me. I could eat them every day. This time of year, tomatoes are usually pretty dismal. I have been able to find some on-the-vine versions that have pretty good tomato taste, all things considered.  I came across this recipe in a cheap little cookbook that I found at TJ Maxx...and this recipe was the sole reason I purchased it (I've come to find other great recipes in it since then). The combination of goat cheese and tomatoes is a favorite of mine and the souffle action inside intrigued me.

This recipe is as delicious as it looks. It would be a great main dish for vegetarians or any lighter meal, accompanied by some couscous and crisp greens.  The goat cheese mixture is light and fluffy. It's easily adaptable to any fresh herbs you have on hand. One side note though: I went a little egg crazy with mixture so it took longer for the filling to set. A lot longer. 20 minutes longer. So...don't just assume that 10 minutes is gonna cut it. Check on them and be prepared to extend the time a bit.

Tomatoes with Goat Cheese - serves 6 - originally published in Just 4 Things by Parragon Books

• 12 tomatoes
• 6 round goat cheeses, about 1 1/2 oz. each
• 3 fresh basil springs, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

- Slice the tops of the tomatoes at the stem end and set aside. Scoop out the flesh and seeds with a teaspoon, taking care not to pierce the tomato shells. Discard the tomato seeds and put the flesh into a bowl. Sprinkle the inside of each tomato shell with a pinch of salt, turn upside down on paper towels, and drain for 45 minutes.
- Add the cheese and the basil to the tomato flesh in the bowl and mash well until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper and beat in the egg until the mixture is thick and sticky.
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Spoon the cheese mixture into the tomato shells and replace the lids. Put the tomatoes in an oven-proof dish that will hold them securely and bake for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven but do not remove the tomatoes for 5 minutes then serve.