Bye-Bye Philly

It’s May - the month of innumerable graduations.  As old as I am, one would think I’d be done with that sort of thing by now.  In fact, I thought I was … at least until my younger son Eric decided to start law school at the ripe old age of 26!

So last week we headed to Philadelphia to attend his graduation from Penn Law.  Way to go, Eric! 

Of course, if you are me, you will use an occasion like this to book a table at the best restaurant in Philly.  In my humble opinion, that would be Vetri, which is probably one of my favorite restaurants on the planet.

http://vetriristorante.com/

I’ll spare you my description of the place, since their website does a far better job than I could.  Take a look at it and put it on your radar screen if you find yourself in Philadelphia.  It's like no other dining experience I've ever had .  Because it’s situated in a lovely brownstone, you might think it’s stuffy and formal, but it’s not.  Instead, it’s warm, personable and fun!  Menus are presented to everyone, but you don’t really order – you just tell them if there is anything you don’t like, then they create a beautiful meal especially for you.  Every course is a surprise and of course, it goes without saying that the food is phenomenal. Particularly if you pair it with their recommended wines or beers (yes, a beer pairing – Andy and Eric were happy campers).

One of our favorite dishes was the Sweet Onion Crepe with White Truffle Fondue.  Our wait person casually mentioned that the recipe was in Marc Vetri’s first book, il viaggio di vetri.  Need I tell you what transpired the next day?  Suffice it to say that both Andy and I now have copies of the book!

Now I have not yet found time to tackle the aforementioned recipe, but I did manage to make Jenny’s Ricotta Cheesecake from the book.  Jenny was Marc Vetri's grandmother.  This is another one of those recipes where the sum is greater than the whole of its parts.  It is also unlike your usual cheesecake (of which I am the queen, as you may remember).

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/11/wheres-my-tiara.html

No, this one is light, ethereal and addictive in its simplicity.  It’s not particularly gorgeous, but make it anyway.  Trust me!

Jenny’s Ricotta Cheesecake     (adapted from Mark Vetri's il viaggio di vetri)

2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese (see below for recipe)

5 extra-large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

About 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Butter a 2- to 2 ½ quart glass baking dish (preferably round).  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, sugar and lemon juice until well combined and free of lumps.  Pour into the prepared baking dish and dust with enough cinnamon to lightly cover the entire surface.

Bake the cake for about an hour, or until just set.  It will puff up like a soufflé and when you remove it, it will fall and form a delicious top crust.  Let cool completely, cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 10 – 12

See?  I told you it wasn't pretty!

Homemade Ricotta     (adapted from Ina Garten's  How Easy is That?)

2 quarts whole milk

1 quart heavy cream

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/3 cup good white wine vinegar

Place a large strainer over a large bowl.  Line strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth.  Set aside.

Combine the milk and cream in a large stainless-steel or enameled pot.  Stir in the salt and bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.  Let mixture stand for 10 minutes until it curdles and separates.

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined strainer and allow it to drain for about 30 minutes.  Pour off the liquid and allow it to stand for 30 minutes more.  Pour off liquid again, then cover with a piece of waxed paper or plastic and place in refrigerator to drain overnight.  This will result in a thick ricotta.

When ready to use, transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey.  Ricotta will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Yield:  2 pounds

OK, Liz - bring on the comments!  Here they are ....

*  Take the time to make your own ricotta for this recipe.  It makes all the difference.  Besides, since the cake recipe is so easy, you can devote a small amount of time to make the ricotta!

*  As I said before, this is not a pretty cake.  In fact, it looks downright awful.  While in the oven, mine rose on the sides and stayed sunken in the middle.  Uh-oh.  I thought about trashing it, but persevered.  Glad I did, as the sides deflated as the cake cooled and then it didn't look quite so bad.  And the taste quite made up for it's lack of "gorgeousness."

*  I was dubious about the lemon juice in the cake and the ground cinnamon on top of it.  Cinnamon and lemon juice?  Not necessarily a combo I would embrace.  Nonetheless, the lemon juice gives the cake its brightness and the cinnamon helps create a lovely "crust" on top of the cake when it cools.  Trust me, it works.

*  I tasted this cake both after it had cooled to room temperature and after it had been refrigerated overnight.  Both were delicious, but I prefer the unrefrigerated version as it was lighter and just sort of melted on the tongue.  Nonetheless, I would happily consume this at either temp!

*  Unlike most cheesecakes, this one does not need to be baked in a bain-marie (water bath) and is a snap to put together.  To quote Ina Garten, how easy is that?

*  Lastly, I made a blueberry and raspberry compote to serve with the cake.  Don't waste your time on such adornments.  This thing is best standing on its own.  No fruit or embellishments required.  So what if it isn't pretty?

Now let's talk about that homemade ricotta.  It's absolutely delicious and it has a ton of uses.  Mix it with fresh herbs and Parmesan and use it as a topping for crostini.  Use it in your lasagna.  Mix it with a little pesto and toss it into warm pasta.  My favorite is to dollop some on a round of toasted baguette and top with a drizzle of truffle lavender honey.  Heaven!  Here's where you can buy the honey:

http://garcesgroup.com/goods/Truffle-Lavender-Honey.html 

I'm going to miss Philadelphia and its restaurants.  Now it's on to DC, since that's where Eric will be moving over the summer.  Recommendations, anyone?

Passover Postscript

Okay, just a few final words.  I don't mean to belabor the Passover point, but there is just a bit more I want to share with you about Passover food.  Well, sort of, Passover food.

If you are Jewish, you know about the roasted  hard-boiled eggs we eat during the our seders.  If you're not familiar with this ritual, I'll spare you the explanation since there are several and none of us of can ever agree upon them anyway.  Haha, it just gives us one more thing to debate argue about - a common occurrence around the Jewish dinner table!

Since Henry, Sue, Ross and I are gluttons for punishment, we hold two seders - one on the first night of Passover and one on the second.  In the interest of full disclosure, we dial it down somewhat on the second night.  Let me tell you, two nights of Passover food and you're ready for a BLT!

So this year we decided to change up those boiled eggs on the first night to Truffled Eggs for the second.  These were so good that we ate the leftovers for breakfast the following morning.  They may not be traditional Passover fare, but they are flat out delicious!  You may not want them for Passover but they would be a fabulous addition to your next barbecue or even as an appetizer with pre-dinner champagne!

TRUFFLED EGGS

12 eggs (I used extra-large)

1 cup mayonnaise, additional if needed

1 – 2 tablespoons black truffle oil

Large sea salt crystals

Place eggs in a heavy saucepan large enough to hold them in one layer.  Cover completely with cool water and place over high heat.  Bring to a boil, then immediately turn off heat.  Cover the pan and let stand for exactly 13 minutes.  Drain water and place eggs into a bowl of cold water.  Lightly crack each egg as you drop it in the cold water to release any residual heat, so as to prevent a green ring around the yolks.

Peel the eggs under cool water and pat dry.  Slice each egg in half lengthwise and remove the yolks to a small bowl.  Place the cooked whites on a serving tray.

Mash the egg yolks with a fork and blend in the mayonnaise  until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Add a bit more additional mayonnaise, if needed.  Fold in 1 tablespoon of the truffle oil and taste.  Depending upon your preferences, you may want to add up to another tablespoon.  Your call.

Spoon or pipe the egg/truffle mixture into the reserved, cooked egg whites.  Top each one with a few sea salt crystals and serve immediately.

Yield:  24 pieces

*  This is a great method for cooking eggs because it will eliminate that green ring around the yolks.  Older eggs are also better than farm fresh ones (am I really saying that?) because older eggs develop an air pocket at one end, which makes them much easier to peel.

*  If you want to make your own mayonnaise, by all means have at it.  If you are feeling lazy, then just use a good mayonnaise like Hellman's (or Duke's, if you live in the South).  In a perfect world, I would advise you to make your own, but in truth, it doesn't matter so much for this recipe.

*  Because I work at Watershed and have made WAY  too much truffled chicken salad during my years there, I am not normally a fan of truffle oil.  I make an exception for this recipe because the mouth feel and taste of those creamy yolks scented with truffles is both unctuous and irresistible.  Even for breakfast!

*  BTW, I used 1-1/2 tablespoons of the stuff when I made these.  Again, it's personal preference.

*  This recipe is practically foolproof, since there is no seasoning involved in the yolk/mayonnaise/truffle mixture.  As long as you cook the eggs properly and add the correct amount of mayo, you are golden.  Then all you have to do is top the eggs with a few large grains of crunchy sea salt and you're done!

*  Speaking of salt, you want nice, big sea salt crystals.  I used Hawaiian pink sea salt, but any good, fat salt crystals will do.

Salt and fat.  Sigh.  I'm still not a skinny cook!

Beach Blanket Passover

Oy.  It's that time of year again when we have to forgo bread, anything with leavening and pretty much everything else one can think of.  If you're really observant, you will also eschew beer, most hard liquor and anything not labeled "kosher for Passover."   You will also drink kosher wine, but I say you have to draw the line somewhere.  Have you ever tasted that stuff?

This year we escaped to the beach with our dear friends Ross and Sue.  Passover is far less proper and structured in their beach house than at our Seders together in years past.  Instead of a formal setting, we eat on their screened porch, on a big plank table.  Instead of dressing up, we dress down. In our sweats, because even though we were in Florida, it was way too cold.  (Since when is it chiller in Florida and Georgia than in New York City?)  Oh, and we drank a lot of good red wine, too.  Not kosher for Passover either, except for that obligatory sip or two of Manischewitz which reminds you of the worst cough medicine you ever choked down when you were a kid.

Sue and Andy are smiling now, but bet they won't be after the first sip!

Now I thought that I had pretty much said my piece about Passover desserts in postings past, so I didn't think it necessary to bring it up again.  But that was before I rediscovered my recipe for FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE.

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/03/matzoh-rant.html

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/04/passover-desserts-not-so-much-chocolate.html

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/04/more-passover-sorry-jelly-roll.html


Remember that?  It was all the rage in the late seventies/early eighties, until it was knocked out of grace by those ubiquitous molten chocolate cakes.  I had forgotten about this recipe until recently, when I needed to make a birthday cake for a gluten-free friend.  I revisited my old tried-and-true recipe and it got rave reviews.  Then it hit me.  This would make the perfect Passover dessert.  No matzoh meal required!

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE GLAZE

1 cup unsalted butter, diced
8 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (unsweetened) cocoa powder
6 eggs (I used extra-large)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Butter a 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper.  Set aside.

Place butter and chocolate in a heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until melted.  Let cool briefly.

Mix sugar and cocoa in a large bowl.  Add eggs to this mixture and whisk until well-blended.  Stir in salt and vanilla.  Whisk in chocolate-butter mixture.  Pour batter into the  prepared pan.  Bake until just done, but not overcooked in center, about 40 - 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely in pan.  Run a knife around pan sides to loosen and release pan.  Place the cake on a baking rack set over a sheet pan and pour ganache over top, letting it drip down the sides of the cake.

Serves 12 - 14

Ganache Glaze:

2 cups heavy cream
11 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup light corn syrup

Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.  Cook and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.  Let cool slightly, then spoon over cake.

*  You can make this cake a day or two ahead and store in the fridge.  The glaze may set up and harden, so I recommend letting it sit at room temperature to warm up slightly before serving.

*  Another way I like to serve this is to omit the ganache, then top each slice with a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce and a dollop of softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.  Yum!

*  Now again, if you are observant, you will make this with kosher for Passover chocolate and butter.  You might also omit the ganache because there may be no such thing as kosher for Passover cream (or maybe there is, but what do I know?)  At the end of the day, do what you will.  But don't confine this dessert to just Passover - it's pretty wonderful any time of the year!

Don't Make This for Your Kids

Ouch, I did it again.

Some of my friends are addicted to handbags (actually, I could go there, but I don’t).  Still others of them are addicted to clothes (not me, I dress like a lesbian, no disrespect intended).  Then there are those who just can’t pass up the next pair of shoes (I’ll pass on that one, too).  My personal addiction (other than food, of course) revolves around cake pans.  Yes, cake pans.

You already know about my collection of “regular” bundt pans.  

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2011/09/let-them-eat-

You also know about that “Krispy Kreme” Bavaria cake pan I acquired a while ago.

cake.html/http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2012/01/krispy-kreme-cake.html

In truth, I have enough cake pans in my arsenal to bake enough cake to feed everyone who attended that ill-fated Falcons game the other day (c’mon – I live in Atlanta).  One would think I should stop already.

But, no!  Internet shopping is the curse of mankind, and in my case it means perusing for more cake pans.  The Nordic Ware website is my new best friend, so when I saw their Heritage bundt pan, all bets were off.  One click and I was done.

http://www.nordicware.com/store/products/detail/heritage-bundt/35B8A95A-F5A9-11E0-B8E4-005056A42C5A

 Of course, once I got the damn thing, I had to bake a cake in it.  IN JANUARY, when we are all watching what we eat and carbs and sugar are big no-no’s.   Guess I could have had better timing.

Since I decided that I will never be a skinny cook (despite my good intentions which commence every January), I turned to that new cookbook of mine, Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson, and harkened upon her recipe for Kentucky Bourbon Cake.  Done and done.  There’s enough booze in it that you will forget your scruples and forgo any regrets about eating it. 

Yeah, it’s that good.  It's rich and boozy and trust me, you do not want to serve this to your underage kids.  That said, you do want to make it for the adults in your life.  Even in January.

BOOZY BOURBON CAKE   (adapted from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson)

For the cake:

3 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

½ cup good quality bourbon

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

For the glaze:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup good quality bourbon

Heavily grease a 10-cup metal tube pan (preferably fluted).  I used cooking spray for this, but you could also brush it well with melted butter.  Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Use a whisk to blend well.  Set aside.

Cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes, scraping bowl down often.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine bourbon and buttermilk (I used a 2-cup liquid measure for this).  With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the bourbon/buttermilk.  Mix only until barely blended, then use a rubber spatula to finish by hand.

Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.  Rap pan once sharply on counter to remove any air bubbles.  Bake until cake is done and a tester comes out clean, 40 – 50 minutes.

Meanwhile make the glaze by combining the butter, sugar and bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.  Stir until smooth and blended.

Remove cake from oven.  Use a wooden skewer to poke lots of holes all over the top of the cake.  Pour three-quarters of the glaze slowly over the cake, allowing it to absorb.  Let cake cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.  Brush the top with remaining glaze (if it has thickened, rewarm it over low heat).

Yield:  12 servings

*  Now I don't expect you to jump all over this and buy that cake pan, but I will tell you its great benefit is that it yields lots of crispy edges on your cake.  Just sayin'....

*  Sorry to give you another cake recipe.  I'll try to make the next post a little healthier.  Well, maybe.  Then again ... maybe not!