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Cream’s Cursed Eggs: A little redemption

cream — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:34:01 +0000

There it is. My first poached egg.
Oozing its deliciously rich yolk all over my warm, buttered toast.

With your encouragement, I decided to get back on the horse and try my hand at eggs again.
They are one of those things that everyone should be able to make. My inner perfectionist cannot let a task like eggs get beyond me.
How can I ever entertain at brunchtime if I don’t know how to cook eggs?

With some credible scrambled eggs prepared earlier this week, I decided to go full throttle on the last little egg in my fridge. Poaching.
One egg equals one try equals just go for it.
Following the excellent step-by-step instructions of the Smitten Kitchen, I successfully poached that little egg.
And then I ate it.
And it was delicious.

Before I return to the omelette, I think I may try poaching TWO eggs at once. That’s a much bigger horse.
New boots may be required.

Cream’s Cursed Eggs

cream — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:14:26 +0000

I don’t remember liking eggs as a little girl, but I’m told that I did.
Since that moment of forgetting, I’ve spent much of the time not liking them. You don’t like broccoli? I don’t like eggs. Just one of those things. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-20s that I decided to give them a heartfelt go and try to like what so many others took pleasure in. Slowly, slowly I developed a taste for the unhatched. I still prefer them mixed with other things, cheese preferably, but I’ve had many memorable meals where I’ve actually chosen to eat eggs. You can now often find one hard boiled in my lunch. I can’t imagine eating bi bim bap without the characteristic swirl of the soft yolk.

But making them delicious at home? Man alive, I couldn’t do so to save my life.

Here are two recent failures.
I did successfully make some slow-cooked scrambled eggs over the Christmas holidays. When I tried to make them again one night for dinner? Fail. Mind you, I did get distracted by a naughty storyline on Coronation Street. No excuse. Second fail was trying to make an omelette using Mark Bittman’s help. It tasted fine, but I was not satisfied. It was not fluffy enough.

I think I’m done trying — don’t give me any advice. Like a good cappuccino, a good ice cream cone and a good pupusa, some things should be left to experts outside of my home.
I know where to get a good poached egg, Sugar makes some mean scrambled eggs and fluffy omelettes are up the sleeve of any good diner cook. I’ve got my bases covered.

My best eggs are the ones in my baking. Let’s go with that.

Coriander, Mango, and Sunny Days

sugar — Thu, 27 May 2010 06:17:35 +0000

When the weather turns warm, my palate shifts from rich cold weather offerings to fresh light goodness. This year we happily rounded out the cold season with a comfort food potluck for one last hoorah…savory meatballs with pine nuts and raisins in a red wine tomato sauce, perfectly baked mac and cheese, spinach salad with a warm bacon vinaigrette and blue cheese, freshly made minestrone with garlic crisps, soft sauteed zucchini with mozzarella, and of course, chocolate bread pudding for dessert. Of course this event ended up being perfectly timed for the first properly hot day of the year and the nine of us, cozily squeezed around my small dining room table, were reminded why we don’t eat these delicious riches when the season turns to hot. The post dinner food coma was inevitable and the heat accelerated its effect. Totally worth it…

With a proper farewell to the days of cold weather eating, we christened the grill shortly thereafter with a new recipe from Bill’s Open Kitchen, by Australian superstar chef Bill Granger. I’ve waxed on before about my love for all things Bill, and his recipes continue to find their way into my regular kitchen rotation. Simple. Fresh. Delicious.

The warm weather menu: Bill’s Marinated Coriander Chicken with Cucumber Relish served with my own Mango and Herb Salad. This simple grilled chicken scented with fresh cilantro, peppercorns, citrus, and the sweetness of the grill, pairs perfectly with his Asian inspired cucumber, shallot, and chili relish that is tangy with a hint of sweetness. The fresh addition of my ripe mango salad with herbs and a light acidic dressing made for a lovely combination that I will certainly visit again and again.

Bill’s Marinated Coriander Chicken with Cucumber Relish

Mango Herb Salad

For the salad:
2 ripe mangoes cut into bite size pieces (the organic ones from Planet Organic are amazing!)
1 head of fresh butter lettuce washed and torn
2 green onions sliced
handful of chopped fresh cilantro
tbsp of chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup of sliced cucumber
1 avocado sliced

For the vinaigrette whisk together:
4 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 finely diced shallot
freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a big pretty bowl and toss lightly with vinaigrette just before serving. Happy sunshine days!

Tres leches? Très bien!

cream — Wed, 12 May 2010 05:26:50 +0000

I do not question the three. It could be two. Even one. But, whatever.
I also do not question its origins. Just like Southern banana pudding was not created by Jell-O, I won’t believe completely that tres leches (three milk) cake was developed by the likes of Nestlé… even when considering the number of cans used in this recipe.

Post-baking, post-poking, pre-milk

My first taste of the mysterious three milk (WHY THREE?!) cake was at El Rancho in Edmonton. In their early days, the dessert menu usually only consisted of flan and tres leches. Both coming dressed with a small swirl of canned whipped cream and a maraschino. Having had one burnt syrup flans too many in my Central American restaurant journeys had me lean to tres leches one night. Like, but not love. I’m not a cake girl, so my attachment was very tentative. But the bread pudding/custard-like texture made me return to it now and again.

Post-milk, pre-soak

For a casual dinner party chez moi, I needed to think of a casual Mexican dessert to accompany my quesadillas and tortilla soup. Nothing says casual like cans, right?
My aversion to cake made me nervous as I started baking. The toothpick test is sound, but I still always get thrown off by the browning. What came out of the oven was a lovely sponge. Extra golden from those crazy eggs. As I soaked the sponge with the milks, I anticipated some magic. The eggy aroma of the cake surely meant custard action would ensue overnight as it married with the milks. Please, oh please. That would move like to love.

Now I know that seems like an extraordinarily large dollop, but they don’t call me Cream for nothing. As you can see, the cake indeed is a sponge. With every depression of your fork tines, there is some weeping that reminds you of its namesake, but no giant pool. My soup was pretty tasty, but this was the star of the meal. As a dessert in the style of other soaked cakes like trifle or tiramisu, you often go back digging with a spoon for just one more bite.

Or piece. Which I did shortly after my guests left.
If I hadn’t given them some to take home, it definitely would have been a tres tres leches night. Wuh-wuh.

Tres Leches Cake
adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food

Serves 6

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for baking dish
3 large eggs, separated
0.5 cup sugar
0.5 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
0.5 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
0.5 can(12 ounces) evaporated milk
0.5 cup whole milk
0.75 cup heavy cream
0.5 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
0.5 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold whites into yolks until almost combined. Gently fold in flour (do not overmix).
Spread batter in prepared dish. Bake until golden and pulling away from sides of dish, 20 to 25 minutes. Poke many, many holes in cake with a toothpick. Cool cake 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the three milks; pour evenly over cake. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
To serve, prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. Chill cake and cut into squares; serve topped with whipped cream.

Solo Suppers Beyond Cereal: Drunken pasta

cream — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:49:48 +0000

If there is one thing in my repertoire that I do as often as cereal, it’s pasta. It’s easy cooking, satisfies carb cravings and is an excellent vehicle for cheese of pretty much any variety. I like red sauce, but I rarely have any in my fridge or pantry. I almost always have aglio e olio ingredients, however. On this occasion, I also had an open bottle of red wine that was past its drink-by date (I know, how could I? Believe me, I do know.) and some green veggies. I took a nod from my David Rocco cookbook and made this drunken pasta.

Dining companion: No Reservations: New York’s Outer Burroughs

Cook pasta of your choice in boiling salted water until about 2-3 minutes shy of al dente, which is usually at least 2 minutes less than what the package tells you.
During the last minute or so of cooking, drop in your chopped asparagus and broccoli.
Meanwhile, saute a chopped clove of garlic and some chili flakes (to your heat preference, I do at least a teaspoon) in a few teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat in a pan, until fragrant and garlic is golden.
Add about two-thirds of a cup of wine and then raise the heat slightly. Be careful of splatters. Add the par-cooked pasta and veg to pan. Stir pasta with sauce until wine has been absorbed by pasta/reduced to almost nil.
Salt, pepper, cheese.

A Tale of Two Loaves: Part II

cream — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 05:25:31 +0000

If February’s project was yeast breads, then March’s turned out to be quick breads.

Having just told you that I wanted to avoid oil in my banana bread, I made an about face turn and made a loaf cake whose star player is olive oil. From the famous olive oil gelato at Otto to an increased association with cakes, I’ve been wanting to try making a sweet with this traditional savoury. I’ve said before that I like baking with Dorie Greenspan. So when I came across her olive oil recipe, I was definitely intrigued and had a feeling that she wouldn’t let me down.

It’s definitely a cake and could be nicely accompanied by a citrus sorbet or quick glaze like Sugar’s Tartine loaf. What’s nice is that the flavour of the olive oil balances out the sugar, so you don’t get a too-sweet cake. And the lightness of the lime offsets the cake’s more dense texture. It went over well in the office as a belated St. Paddy’s Day treat, so I heartily encourage you to try it this spring. The colour (from the oil and my omega 3 eggs) clearly evokes a warm sunny day.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Yogurt Loaf Cake
c/o Dorie Greenspan

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
0.5 cup plain whole milk yogurt
3 large eggs
0.25 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil

Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a loaf pan, place the pan on a lined baking sheet and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and keep near by.

Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and rub the ingredients together until the sugar is fragrant. Whisk in the yogurt, eggs and vanilla. When the mixture is well blended, gently whisk in the dry ingredients. Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil. The batter will be thick and shiny. Scrape it into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is golden and starts to come away from the sides of the pan; a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.

Dorie says you can keep the cake at room temperature for at least 4 days or freeze it for up to 2 months.

P.S. It’s not oily.

The best way to compost…

cream — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:20:32 +0000

… is to follow the real recipe!

Remember when I tried to make the Momofuku compost cookie?

Well, I just found out that the actual recipe has been posted. On Regis and Kelly’s website of all places. And there’s quite an interesting secret step involving the eggs.

Happy baking if you try them.

Momofuku Compost Cookie
c/o Live with Regis and Kelly

Corn-fed and Happy

cream — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:52:13 +0000

My most coveted cookbook right now is Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.
When The Minimalist comes up in my news feed, I know I’m in for an informative treat.
A few months ago I tried his fear-less polenta, and it immediately became a happily recycled recipe. It’s served as a base for chicken cacciatore, eggplant parmesan, and a chickpea stew. It’s also become a savoury substitute on my frequent oatmeal-for-dinner nights.

As polenta was brought up again this week in Bittman’s column and a good friend recently shared a tasty recipe on her new blog, I thought I would mention my success with this recipe. I prefer a higher ratio of milk than he calls for and I’ve tended to add more liquid during the cooking process. And even when finishing with truffle oil… lots of butter to finish as suggested.

Polenta Without Fear
By Mark Bittman

4 servings

For creamy, soft, mouth-filling polenta, stir in butter and Parmesan — the more the better. If you want something more flavorful but still a little austere, add herbs, like marjoram or thyme, along with a handful of parsley or basil, and a couple of tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil. For polenta firm enough to grill, broil or sauté, cook it until the creaminess is gone and it starts to pull away from the sides of the pot, then turn it out onto a plate or a board and let it cool until firm.

1 cup milk (preferably whole milk)
Salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup or more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste, optional
1. Bring milk to a boil with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and add a large pinch of salt. Adjust heat so liquid simmers. Add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking as you do to prevent lumps. When it has all been added, let mixture return to a boil, then turn heat to low. Polenta should be just barely simmering.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally and being sure to scrape sides and bottom of pan, for 15 to 20 minutes, until mixture is creamy and cornmeal tastes cooked. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in some water, about 1/2 cup at a time.
3. Taste and season polenta as necessary with salt and pepper. Take pan off stove, stir in the butter or oil and the cheese if you are using it, and serve, passing more cheese at the table if you like.

I smell Saigon in my salad.

cream — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:18:03 +0000

It’s been just about a year since my trip to Vietnam. With friends there, I think of it often. And fondly. I haven’t tried any more Vietnamese recipes since moving to Vancouver, but I haven’t much tried any recipes, really. Vancouver’s dining options make it so easy for me not to cook. Especially when so many of the options are so good.

But anyway, back to my story. The grey of Vancouver is like the cold of Edmonton. It gets to you in January and you long for something else. Like Vietnam in February. I’ve had some bare bones Vietnamese here—dodgy pho et al—like I got at home. But, what I’ve been craving to wash away the Vancouver grey is the colour and perfume of the fresh food that embraced you every day on the streets of Vietnam.

I caught a little whiff of that tonight when at Chau Kitchen and Bar. Although not really “authentic” Vietnamese, I could taste Vietnam. I liked what I tasted. A lot.

Two of us shared four dishes: papaya salad, pork and mint salad rolls, jungle vegetable curry, and caramel pork.

I will order all again and have a number of other dishes I would like to try. The pork was almost the same as the version I had when in the Mekong Delta.

Thanks to Chau, I can happily say ciao to January.
(I’m sorry, I had to.)

Along the Mekong.

Chau Kitchen and Bar
1500 Robson St
Vancouver

A dip into the sweet and simple

cream — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:44:33 +0000

I was fourteen when I went to Italy. At the time, I could appreciate little more than gelato, cobblestone streets and glimpses of David’s naughty bits. My true romance with Italy did not fully hit until I started learning the language in university. So since then, I have longed to go back. As this longing has grown and my palate developed, I can now understand why I favour Italian cuisine so much: simplicity. And not in the sense that it’s not worth going out for because you can make the dishes at home. Good Italian food is not based around tasteless tomatoes, wilted basil, and mushy pasta… crimes often committed by both the professional and home cook. Good Italian food is the best ingredients combined simply to taste amazing.

Flipping through the pages of a Christmas present reminded me of this. The recipes in David Rocco’s Dolce Vita are all based on only a handful of ingredients. The sweet life is such because it’s not fussy. It’s bread dipped in olive oil, biscotti in vin santo. That’s amore.

When tasked with a dip for New Year’s Eve, I looked to David for inspiration. I tinkered a bit and was proud of the results. Creamy, cheesy, SIMPLE. Quite cozy on the snack table with the other treats and the midnight bubbly.

Happy New Year!

Ricotta Dip
1 454-g tub of ricotta cheese
Small log of goat cheese
3 cloves of garlic, minced (roasted is preferable)
Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients well and smooth into serving dish or bowl. [Can be chilled in advance at this stage.]
Before serving, drizzle with more olive oil and top with more s&p.