NYchowcook's Profile
Baking From My Home to Yours: Cookies
I am hooked on Dorie's sugar cookies. I keep coming back to them because they are easy, delicious and reliable whenever I need cookies. I have made some of her suggestion variations/"Playing around" -- love the flexibility she encourages.
I have added:
1 c. dried coconut (untoasted,unsweetened). yum; and high praise from eaters
4 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate and 3/4 c. chopped toasted pecans
lime zest
Baking From My Home to Yours: Breakfast Sweets
I baked the Dimply Plum Cake twice recently -- with Italian prune plums. It was another winner as I work my way around and through Dorie Greenspan's excellent baking book. I used lemon zest rather than orange because that's all I had. And I simply adore cardamom in cakes. The plums bake up jammy and sweet and complement this simple -- easy and fast! -- coffee cake.
What are you baking these days? July 2011, Part 2 [old]
as for plums, you might want to check out Dorie Greenspan's plum cake (from Baking from my home to yours)
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/09/baking-with-dorie-dimply-plum-cake.html
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/dimply-plum-cake/
What are you baking these days? July 2011, Part 2 [old]
Yes, I'm still on a cherry bender! Now cherry muffins (yum!) which followed cherry almond bars which followed cherry pie.
http://www.food52.com/recipes/13055_simply_raspberry_muffins
Can frozen egg whites make a decent meringue?
any particular type of container to use for freezing? Is a plastic zip bag okay? That is, will eggs unattach from the plastic? Or what do you recommend? TIY
Need advice re almond tart recipe, please
I've started preheating a sheet pan to bake my pies on. It seems to keep the crust from getting soggy.
Ruth Levy Beranbaum advises: (1) put sheet pan (or baking stone) in oven when the oven is cold, to let it warm up w/ the oven, and (2) putting both pans on the lowest oven rack.
What are you baking these days? July 2011, Part 2 [old]
Here's a close approximation of the cherry almond bars recipe from Rustic Fruit Desserts.
http://www.girlichef.com/2010/08/cherry-almond-bars.html
Instead of WW use AP flour; instead of almond extract, use vanilla.
Hmmm, I thought the recipe calls for sour cherries, but perhaps that's 'cause I'm seeing the world through sour cherry lenses in July??
"Rustic Fruit Desserts" anyone?
I baked the lemon buttermilt bundt cake twice -- with blueberries. Yum!
It is a perfect cake, IMHO. I prefer plain cakes, so I skipped the icing. It is moist, rich and delicious. I think lemon and blueberries are a marriage made in . . . well, a place my (former) marriage was not!
What are you baking these days? July 2011, Part 2 [old]
I picked 8 pounds of sour cherries and baked a cherry pie and cherry almond bars. Two pounds of blueberries and baked a blueberry pie
AUGUST 2011 COOKBOOK OF THE MONTH NOMINATIONS.
What is the reference to "this" book?? (oh how I wish folks would repeat the book/recipe/other reference) in responses. I'm confused since "this" book is apparently not RS, which I'm assuming is Radically Simple??
What are you baking these days? July 2011, Part 2 [old]
Another winner from Rustic Fruit Desserts cookbook IMHO is the one right next to rhubarb almond bars: lemon blueberry bundt cake. That is one excellent cake! I love the combination of flavors of lemon and blueberries, and this cake came out perfectly both times I made it (w/ blueberries in season now!). It is slightly rich w/ 2 sticks of butter, but very delicious. I plan to explore more as the fruit seasons change. Let us know your adventures in this cookbook, please!
What are you baking these days? July 2011, Part 2 [old]
I just baked a lemon blueberry bundt cake -- from Rustic Fruit Desserts cookbook. It's fabulous, and the second time I've baked it in as many weeks -- since blueberry season is upon us in upstate NY The recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter so it's kinda rich, but I don't view that as a bad thing.
I am all over fruit desserts! I'm thinking rather than another pie, I'll do a almond bar type thing again. Though my lattice cherry pie was phenomenal (IMHO) from Rose Levy Beranbaum, though kinda runny.
What are you baking these days? July 2011, Part 2 [old]
I never baked with any cherries except sour cherries . . . which I adore. Hmm.
What are you baking these days? July 2011, Part 2 [old]
I baked something similar last week -- they were rhubarb almond bars from Rustic Fruit Desserts cookbook, but I used sour cherries (instead of rhubarb) which are happily in the midst of their very short season. It was fabulous. Almonds in the crust. Not too sweet.
What are you baking these days? July 2011 [old]
I've made the epicurious brown butter torte a few times with great success.
this year I made a cherry pie -- from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Pie & Pastry Bible (yum!)
A lemon/blueberry bundt cake from Rustic Fruit Desserts, and
Cherry almond bars (also from Rustic Fruit Desserts).
All delectable, and my friends love me more!!
Any sour cherries sighted yet?
I expect you should find sour cherries available around now and for the next couple weeks.
The local orchard up here in Columbia County had their first harvest at the Farmer's market up here on June 25, and expects the harvest to last 3-4 weeks. He has the darker cherries first (yum! -- made one fine pie!), then the lighter. Good luck, and don't miss out!
sour cherries
It's sour cherry season (yea!) in upstate NY.
Here's my cherry pie with the first crop of the year.
I made from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Pie & Pastry Bible.
TOP NY Capital Region-Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga, Troy
so Dale Miller, the restaurant, is no more??
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Dale Miller Restaurant
30 S Pearl At Omni Plz, Albany, NY 12202
July 2011 Cookbook of the Month VOTING: THROUGH WEDS., 6/22
RADICALLY SIMPLE
I own the book and it's high time I got back into the COTM!
Baking From My Home to Yours: Breakfast Sweets
The first time I baked these sticky buns (less than 2 months ago) instead of baking a loaf of brioche, I prepared a 2nd round of buns and froze them. I baked them this a.m., (making the pecan/honey/sugar/butter yummyness that sits underneath while baking and then on top). They were fantastic, but I must say I don't think they rose as well or tasted quite as terrific as baking them without freezing. But what a treat!
Let's talk lunch salads at work
to boil shrimp I prefer something more than plain water. I'll put into a saucepan of water: mustard seeds, couple crumbled up bay leaves, red pepper flakes, peppercorns, and a few slices of lemon. I'll let that boil to release the flavors a bit before adding shrimp. And since I rarely plan ahead, I can let the water run over some frozen shrimp while I prepare the water. Or Old Bay seasoning would work. The shrimp do not seem to absorb a lot of flavor from the flavorings in the water, but to my way of thinking, I would rather have some flavors to add to the shrimp rather than the shrimp releasing all its flavors into plain water.
And p.s. marinated artichoke hearts and/or avocado is also yummy.
Let's talk lunch salads at work
Now that lettuce is available locally, I buy lettuces and arugula and make a salad with veggies and some protein, and a little jar of Frank Stitt's buttermilk vinaigrette.
http://www.atlantamagazine.com/recipes/story.aspx?ID=1114913
If I have time in the kitchen in the evening, I'll make up a spicy broth to boil some quickly defrosted shrimp, and boil some small potatoes and eggs. Then I have everything in the refrigerator to toss together in the a.m.
lettuce
arugula
Carrots -- sliced/chunks
potatoes
egg
shrimp (or chick peas)
red peppers
Fabulous wheat berry recipes.........?
I've been making a feta wheat berry salad from Gourmet (sob, miss the mag!) for years. It calls for cumin, olives, red onions and is scrumptious!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Feta-Wheat-Berry-Salad-11141
Baking From My Home to Yours: Breakfast Sweets
I baked the pecan honey sticky buns a couple weeks ago and OMG I truly believe these were the most delectable treats I have ever eaten! Certainly the most delectable I have ever made. In my notebook rating baked goods 1-5 I gave them a 6 star rating!
I too spent the evening at home punching down the dough every half hour, and then set the alarm for 4 am to roll out the dough, form into buns and allow to rise a couple hours and got up again at 6 am to bake. (That 4 am alarm is why I am not a professional baker.)
I would make these again when I fall in love. They are a lot of work. Okay, if I don't fall in love in the next 6 months, I will probably make them again. In fact I probably half the other 1/2 dough in the freezer since I did not bake a brioche loaf, so I will have to (drat!:) make the sticky buns again.
I never imagined I could turn out such a scrumptious, oozy, yummy baked good.
Baking From My Home to Yours: Cookies
Grandma's All-occasion Sugar Cookies (p. 146)
This is a great recipe that can be played around with. Easy as pie since you roll the dough up into a log and pop into the refrigerator for a day or 3 for when you have time to bake them. I add lemon zest (mixing it by hand into sugar ahead of time) and cardamom (well, 'cause I love cardamom) and this is a fantastic cookie that gets more praise than the effort deserves! I timed 30 minutes from start to wrapped rolls sitting in the refrigerator, and I'm not a speedy baker.
Didn't bother with icing -- I just sprinkled on some large-crystal sugar. Did it after cookies came out of oven, and then realized later I should do this before, and then I added some later.
Baking From My Home to Yours: Cakes
I have made the Coconut Tea cake twice recently, and consider it a perfect cake. I simply adore the flavor and texture. It tastes like coconut but not strong flavor, that seems to improve over a couple days. I add cardamom because, well, I love cardamom.
It's not an OMG cake for most who ate it, but I think it's a delight. I use unsweetened untoasted coconut flakes and it works out fine.
I love making a bundt cake -- it's so impressive and pretty. And get this: it took me 27 minutes to prepare before popping into the oven! What's not to love?
November/December 2010 BCTM: Maida Heatter's COOKIES- Drop & Icebox
Date-Nut Wafers, Maida Heatter's Cookies (new), p. 75
I've made these a few times and they are very satisfying. Bought some medjool dates, pitted and cut up; toasted the walnuts. I added salt because there was none called for in the recipe and I always put vanilla and salt in my cookies.
The only downside of this cookie, though it's slight, is that because they spread a lot -- and are meant to -- you can only put so many on one baking sheet so it takes a fair amount of time to bake them on two sheets. But they are satisfying, and crispy on the edges.
What's for dinner? PART 71 [old]
Tonight I made a pan-seared rib eye steak for moi -- seared on stove, then into 500 degree oven. Pan sauce with chicken stock, cumin & allspice, with butter (what's that term of swirling in cubes of butter? mounting?).
Baked potato -- traditional with butter and sour cream.
Then one terrific winter salad: watercress, sliced radishes and sliced hearts of celery (?!) with a walnut oil vinaigrette. Thanks and props to David Tanis' new cookbook
All About Braising: Pork and Lamb Recipe Reviews
well this is a very late reply, but I just made the shanks again last night. David Tanis has a recipe in his new Heart of the Artichoke book that says you can cut up some boneless lamb shoulder (in 1/2 lb. pieces) in lieu of shanks.
basically, you season shanks, brown in dutch oven and remove. Saute chopped onion, then garlic, some canned tomatoes, bay leaves, lemon zest, paprika, S&P. Add wine (I omitted) and reduce. Add chicken stock and reduce.
Put shanks back in pot; put parchment paper in close to shanks, cover and braise at 325 degrees for 2-1/2 hrs. Then you can gild the lily by mixing in some lemon sections, oil cured olives and chopped parsley.
This is not my recipe; it's Molly Stevens "all about braising" and the *Queen* of braising to my reckoning.
Thanksgiving dinner in Columbia County?
I have to strongly disagree re Carolina House. Nothing is freshly made. Does not IMHO belong on the same list as Swoon Kitchenbar, which is extraordinary. Ca Mea is a second runner up in Hudson.
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Carolina House
PO Box 700, Kinderhook, NY 12106
