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plum pie

July 1, 2011 //
0

i love pie…which is actually a gross understatement. i have always preferred pie to other desserts, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that i decided to make my first pie with a homemade crust. it all began while working in griffith park, where there was a quaint little place across the street from where we were shooting called the trails, and it served pie. i collected some money from interested individuals, and bought one of their apple pies. the filling was good, but they chose not to peel their apples, which i personally don’t care for. what was unbelievable was the crust. it was flaky, thick, buttery and ultimately so much better than the filling, that it made me realize…it’s all about the crust. i began my mission to make a pie with the best crust…ever. i have tried a few different recipes, but the one i settled on is pretty much based on the cook’s illustrated version of basic pie dough.

shortly after making my first pie i entered the  kcrw 1st annual good food pie contest. i made a sweet potato pecan pie with jack daniels whipped cream. i didn’t even make it to the 2nd round, but it sure was a lot of fun.

photo courtesy of dennis barth jr.

since then, pies have been my contribution to many a cookout, holiday gathering, and birthday celebration. in fact, i have made several different pies over the past few years, but this is my first plum pie, and it might just be in the running for the 3rd annual good food pie contest.

ingredients

pie dough/crust:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cold and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into tablespoon sized chunks
  • 3-4 tbsp ice water
  • 3-4 tbsp cold vodka
  • 2 tbsp whole milk, or and an egg beaten
  • 1 tbsp raw sugar (turbinado)

filling:

  • 5 cups pitted plums, sliced and drained
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

instructions

make your dough first, so while it chills in the fridge you can make the filling. cut up your butter and shortening, and put it in the freezer, so it is extra cold when making the dough.

while they are in the chillin’ with your frozen goods pull out your food processor. put 1 1/2 cups of the flour, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp salt and pulse to mix.

by this time your butter and shortening will have chilled enough.  add the shortening.

i use the crisco sticks so it is easier to cut them up into tablespoon sized chunks, but if you use the tub kind, just dollop in equal amounts, and process for about 10 seconds. it will look like coarse sand.

then add the butter pieces, scattering them over the flour mixture.

process again, about 10 1-second pulses. the butter bits should be no larger than the size of a pea. add the remaining 1 cup of flour and process about 4-6 quick pulses.

turn the mixture into medium bowl.

sprinkle in 3 tbsp of the cold water, and 3 tbsp of the cold vodka.

with a rubber spatula using a folding mixing motion, pressing down with the broad side of the spatula as you turn the dough letting it stick together. you will more than likely have to add an additional tbsp each of water and vodka if it isn’t coming together.

divide the dough into 2 flattened circular discs about 4 inches in diameter, and wrap in plastic.

refrigerate for an hour, or up to 2 days, before rolling out.

in the meantime, make your filling. pit and slice up the plums. my plums were especially ripe, so many of them didn’t need to be sliced because they basically became pulp in my hands. let them drain.

whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cloves and allspice together in a large bowl. add the plums, lemon juice and vanilla and mix to combine.

adjust a rack to the middle position and pre-heat oven to 450º.

once you take the dough out of the refrigerator, let it sit for a few minutes, or even more if it has been in longer than an hour. flour your work space and roll out the bottom. christopher kimball, from america’s test kitchen, has an excellent video on his blog as to how to roll out dough.

pour in the filling.

re-flour your work space and roll out the top. cover the filling. trim the edges leaving about 1 1/2 inches hanging over the edge of the pie pan.

fold both layers of dough under.

using your thumb and pointer finger on one hand and your thumb on the other, crimp the edges. (i had to hold the camera, so imagine using all three digits at the same time.)

with a brush wash the top of the dough with milk or egg. cut 6 1-inch slits on the top to vent, and sprinkle with raw sugar.

place on a baking sheet and put it in the oven. reduce the temperature to 375º.

start checking on it at 45 minutes, but mine took just over an hour. the crust should be golden brown.

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Categories pie, recipes

blt: a craving

June 30, 2011 //
2

when summer comes around i start craving blt’s. a lot. this is mostly because the tomatoes are so damn delicious! today the urge hit hard. unfortunately, i didn’t have any of the ingredients that i needed in my kitchen (with the exception of mayonnaise), so i headed out on my trusty steed to the farmers market at city hall a few blocks from where i live. it’s a pretty small market, so i wasn’t sure i was going to find everything i needed, but i was certain i would at least get tomatoes and lettuce. my preferred green on a blt is arugula, and was lucky enough to find a vendor that was selling it. right next to the arugula guy was a stand with beautiful red tomatoes on the vine. he also had ripe avocados, which aren’t essential to the classic blt, but a nice addition. since there are no meat vendors at this market, and i refuse to go to ralph’s for bacon, i thought i’d check out two bits market a few blocks down spring street. sure enough they had bacon from zoe’s meats, and thankfully, since i forgot to pick up bread at the farmers market, they had fresh loaves as well. with my shopping done, i headed home.

i don’t think anyone needs a recipe for a blt, but this is what i used to make mine:

fresh bread, sliced and slightly toasted.

arugula.

ripe red tomatoes.

avocado.

bacon, fried crisp.

slather some mayo on the toasted bread. pile on the arugula, layer the tomato slices, and avocado. top with bacon and the other piece of bread.

craving very satisfied. hello summer!

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Categories recipes

kale + beet salad

June 29, 2011 //
0

kale is one of the healthiest foods around, so i am continually looking for new ways to eat it. i first made this simple and delicious salad with raw kale, but i found that uncooked was just a bit too tough, and then i read that it actually has better cholesterol lowering benefits if it has been steamed. it is a great option for a meatless monday salad for lunch or a side dish for dinner.

for one serving:

  • 5-8 kale leaves, chopped 1-2 inch chunks
  • 1/2 small beet, cooked and sliced long into 1/8 inch wide pieces (see photo below)
  • 1 oz crumbled chevre goat cheese
  • 1 tbsp flax seeds (or sesame seeds)
  • olive oil
  • balsamic vinegar
  • black pepper, to taste

blanch the kale leaves buy putting them in boiling water for 1 minute and then transferring them to ice cold water and submerge for 3-5 minutes.
drain really well to get excess water off the leaves. i’d even recommend to put them in a salad spinner or toss them in a towel in order to dry them as much as possible. chop kale leaves into small pieces.

put the kale in a bowl. add beets, crumbled chevre, and toss in flax seeds. drizzle some olive oil and balsamic, and add black pepper to taste.

toss to combine.

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Categories meatless monday, recipes

fried chicken

June 29, 2011 //
1

what’s more american than apple pie, baseball, and fried chicken?

as the 4th of july weekend approaches, it dawned on me that i have made many an apple pie, i have seen plenty of baseball games, but i have never made fried chicken.

when i made my first apple pie, i thought it would be difficult, and although daunting, it wasn’t hard at all.

my apple pie

baseball didn’t appeal to me at one point in my life, mostly because i thought it was uninteresting. growing up in minnesota the twins played in the metrodome, which was frankly a really depressing way to watch a baseball game. there was nothing special about it. when i moved out to los angeles and was introduced to the angels, who play in an outdoor stadium, i was taught about the game, the players, and fell in love with the whole experience.

jeff mathis

my experience with fried chicken has been minimal. growing up it was a bucket from kentucky fried chicken, and even though i liked the crunchy bits on the outside of the skin, i found the actual skin rubbery, and the meat dry with no flavor. it turned me off. over the years i have eaten fried chicken, but none of it ever surprised me. most of it was so greasy it gave me a stomach ache almost instantly. also, i had never really been a fan of chicken until i started eating organic, pasture raised, free-range birds, and especially now that i have been buying whole chickens from the hollywood and santa monica farmers markets, i am a bit spoiled.

so, i thought maybe if i had a good chicken, quality ingredients, and a simple recipe, why wouldn’t i like fried chicken?

you will need a large dutch oven (at least 7 1/4 quart) and an oil/candy thermometer to make this recipe easier.

this is based on a recipe from america’s test kitchen:

ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 lbs), preferably organic, pasture raised, free range, and air chilled
  • 1 quart buttermilk, set aside 1/2 cup
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
  • 1 tsp hungarian sweet paprika
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 cups peanut oil

you will need to cut up your chicken into 8 pieces, and then half the chicken breasts to make 10 pieces total. this will make them all roughly the same size. place them skin side down in a baking pan that is deep enough to submerge the chicken pieces.

use 1/2 tbsp salt and sprinkle over the chicken, then flip and sprinkle another 1/2 tbsp over the skin.

pour the buttermilk (minus the 1/2 cup that you set aside) over the chicken. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

whisk flour, baking powder, 1 tsp salt, thyme, paprika, pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder together in a large bowl.

add the 1/2 cup of buttermilk that was set aside, tbsp by tbsp, and mix together with your fingers until it resembles coarse sand. toss each piece of chicken in the flour mixture to coat, gently pressing in order to get as much to stick as possible. don’t worry if it seems clumpy.

transfer to a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack skin side up.

heat the peanut oil in a large dutch oven until it reaches 375º using a oil/candy thermometer. you will most likely have to do 2 batches, so start with the bigger pieces first like the thicker breast halves and thighs. the 2nd batch would be the legs, wings and the thinner breast halves. the 2nd batch seems to cook quicker, so keep an eye on them, as they will be done earlier.

place pieces skin side down in the oil with tongs and cover. if using a thermometer that clips on the side, the lid will be slightly cracked, which is fine. at about 4 minutes (the oil should register about 300º, adjust heat/burner as needed to keep that temperature) uncover and check if the skin side is golden brown, letting them cook up to 3-4 minutes longer if not, keeping them uncovered. turn them over and cook an additional 6-8 minutes until also golden brown. once all sides are golden i let them get to an even deeper brown by flipping them back and forth a couple more minutes on each side, continually watching.

place paper towels on the wire rack on the rimmed baking sheet you used before. using tongs transfer to drain and let stand for 5 minutes.

in the mean time cook the 2nd batch. heat the same oil back up to 375º and place the remaining pieces in the oil. cover, check and uncover after about 4 minutes, flipping and keeping the oil at about 300º until all sides are equally brown. since these are smaller pieces and not as thick they will cook quicker, so keep an eye on them. transfer to the paper towels and let stand 5 minutes. you can keep the first batch warming in the oven at 200º if need be.

not only were the crunchy bits on the outside perfect, the skin itself was was crisp, and clung to the bits. the meat was extremely moist and not greasy. even the wing, which tends to be the greasiest and most over cooked, had delicious juicy meat. to be honest, for the first time making fried chicken, i was thrilled.

i guess like apple pie and baseball, fried chicken is not only an american tradition, it is easy and wonderful if done right.

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potato pancakes

June 24, 2011 //
0

what to do with leftover mashed potatoes? want potatoes with your morning eggs, but don’t want to go through the process of making hashbrowns? looking for a breakfast option for meatless monday? this is extremely easy, and adjustable to how much and what you have on hand.

this is what i had in my kitchen this morning:

  • mashed potatoes (about 2 cups)
  • 1/2 small shallot, minced (onion or garlic would be good substitutes)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • splash of whole milk
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped fine
  • olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of your pan
  • sour cream (for garnish)
  • fresh parsley (for garnish)

if you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, simply peel and boil potatoes until soft, and mash. stir in shallot, milk, and thyme.

mix in egg until combined.

heat oil over medium high heat. add large dollops to the pan, careful not to splash oil, and flatten out a bit.

fry for about 4 minutes, but keep an eye on them, because just like regular pancakes, they can go from golden brown to burnt quickly. flip them over and fry a few minutes longer until the other side is brown as well.

i served them with scrambled eggs and garnished them with sour cream and parsley. salsa, hot sauce, or even apple sauce are good options too.

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Categories meatless monday, recipes

french lentils cooked with red wine + tarragon

June 20, 2011 //
4

ingredients:

  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 1 cup onions, diced
  • 1 ¼ cup celery, diced
  • ½ cup broccoli, chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 oz pancetta
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 10-12 grinds of black pepper mill
  • 1 cup french green lentils
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

heat oil over medium heat. sauté the mirepoix of veggies, broccoli and 1 tsp salt for about 15 minutes.

stir in pancetta, tarragon, cumin, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and black pepper and sauté about 5 minutes. stir in lentils to combine.

add about 1/3 of the red wine and turn up the heat to medium-high, stirring occasionally. once the wine has been absorbed add another 1/3 of the wine, and let it absorb, about 5 more minutes. then add the last 1/3 of the wine, and let it absorb.

i prefer lentils al dente, not mushy, but you may need to add some water at the end if the lentils haven’t softened enough. remove from the heat and stir in butter.

discard bay leaf and toss in parsley.

4 servings

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creamy carrot + tarragon soup

June 20, 2011 //
0

makes 4 cups

  • 8-10 medium-large carrots, or about 3 cups, diced small
  • 2 celery ribs, or about ¾ cup, diced small
  • ½ large onion, or about ¾ cup, diced small
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 2 tbsp fresh tarragon
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cups chicken stock (can be made with vegetable stock)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • black pepper, several cranks on a grinder
  • dash of cayenne pepper, optional
  • crème fraîche (or sour cream), for garnish
  • fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. add the carrots, celery, onions and salt and sauté until the celery has softened and the onions are clear, about 5-10 minutes. stir in the garlic, tarragon and black pepper and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes.

pour in the chicken stock, stir and bring to a boil.

reduce the heat to a simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the carrots are very soft. turn off the heat and use a hand blender to purée the mixture. you can use a regular blender, but it is just more of a process.

gradually pour in the milk, mix well, and season with more salt and pepper to taste. add cayenne if you want some kick.

garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche (or sour cream) and sprinkle with parsley. you could easily make this with a vegetable stock, and would be a great option for a meatless monday meal. i just always have homemade chicken stock on hand. also, this is a great chilled soup.

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pesto

June 6, 2011 //
0

this is stupid easy.

you will need:

  • 5 cloves of garlic, about 1/4 cup
  • 4 cups fresh basil, loosely packed
  • 2/3 cup parmesan, medium to coarsely grated
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2/3 cup good olive oil
  • juice of a fresh lemon
  • a food processor

with the food processor running, add the garlic until finely chopped. stop the motor and add the basil, parmesan, nuts, lemon juice and s+p. process until very finely chopped and looks like this:

then while motor running, slowly pour the olive oil in until smooth and completely incorporated.

yield: about 1 1/3 cups.

toss with your favorite pasta, mix with hummus for a dip for pita or chips, or use as an alternative or additional sauce on pizza.

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mattar paneer

June 6, 2011 //
1

perhaps you have been hearing about meatless mondays lately? well for those who haven’t, it is a movement to try to reduce the amount of meat we are eating by at least 15% in order to improve our health and ultimately the health of this planet. i am by no means becoming a vegetarian, and will remain an ominvore, mostly because i love all kinds of meat, but here are a few things to think about:

“going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. it can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.” – from the meatless monday website

also, as mark bittman states in a recent article meat: why bother? for his blog in the nytimes:

“in limited quantities, meat is just fine, especially sustainably raised meat (and wild game), locally and ethically produced dairy and eggs, the remaining wild or decently cultivated fish.”

lastly, michael pollan states in his book in defense of food: an eater’s manifesto even more simply,

“eat food. not too much. mostly plants.”

now being that all of those diseases mentioned above run in my family, and the fact that i love vegetables, taking meat out of my diet once a week seems completely doable. this will be the first of many (hopefully weekly) meatless monday recipes.

mattar paneer (serves 2)

  • 3 tbsp oil (i’ve been on a coconut oil kick, but you can sub canola or olive)
  • 1 cup paneer, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 cup peas
  • 1 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tsp water, set aside
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 tsp corriander
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp tumeric
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp cream

heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium heat. fry paneer cubes for a few minutes until light golden brown. remove from the pan and place on some paper towels to remove any excess oil. set aside.

blend the tomatoes and ginger together. heat remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. add in the cumin, cinnamon and bay leaf for a few seconds. then add the tomato ginger purée and remaining spices and stir for a few minutes allowing it to reduce a bit.

add the peas and 1/4 cup of water and let cook covered over medium heat for a few minutes letting the peas soften a bit.

add the cornstarch water mixture and let it thicken up. gently stir in the fried paneer.

turn the heat off. discard the bay leaf, and mix in the cream.

i suggest serving over jasmine rice, or as i did today, quinoa. sopping it up with warm naan would be delicious too.

happy mondays!

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paneer + caprese salad

June 4, 2011 //
2

who knew you could make cheese in just over an hour? well, besides many of the 1.2 billion people in india, several other peoples of middle eastern and southeast asian countries, most cheese makers, savvy chefs and a few other food nerds, not many. other than those scant few, i have just become aware of this recently. i was reading omnivorous, a food blog, by a local private chef spencer h. gray, and came across a beautiful picture of a capresesque salad: deep red tomatoes, bright green basil, and what looked to be some sort of cubed mozzarella. to my surprise it was paneer, a cheese that i had only had in the past at indian restaurants. being that one of my favorite ways to use tomatoes in the summer is a caprese salad, i had to try this out.

you will need:

  • 8 cups (64 oz) whole milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, strained of seeds and pulp
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • cheesecloth
  • an accurate thermometer, or a keen sense as to when milk is at the boiling point
  • a strainer or colander

mix the lemon juice and warm water together, and set aside. bring the milk slowly to a boil over medium heat in a stainless steel, non-reactive pot (not aluminum). when it reaches 212ºF (use a thermometer), pour the lemon juice water mixture in a slow steady stream while stirring continually and carefully.

the curd will then start separating from the whey. this is probably about the time you start reciting the old nursery rhyme ‘little miss muffet.’ turn the heat off.

line a strainer or colander with a few layers of cheesecloth. use a ladle and remove the curd from the whey and strain it through the cheesecloth.

gather the cheesecloth together and squeeze as much of the residual whey out.

rinse the bundle under cold running water, alternating with squeezing the whey and water out, a few times. when you have gotten as much water and whey out as possible, put the bundle back in the strainer, and put a saucer and something heavy (i used my sugar container) on top for about an hour.

the longer and more you are able to press out the water and whey, the firmer the cheese. unwrap the cheese, discard the cloth, and it is ready to eat.

i prefer to refrigerate the cheese in plastic wrap first before cutting into it.

for my paneer caprese salad you will need:

  • fresh tomato
  • fresh basil leaves
  • thin slices of paneer
  • good olive oil
  • balsamic vinegar
  • s+p

slice the tomatoes thin. chiffonade the basil. layer the tomato and paneer as you wish, and sprinkle the basil over. drizzle a little bit of the balsamic and olive oil over the tomatoes and basil. add s+p to taste.

it is delicious! the only thing i might try next time is to get some salt into the paneer, but really, it’s not that important.

enjoy!

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