back to the books.

I started reading food blogs about two years ago, prompted in large part by other food-blogging friends. I'm grateful for my regular round-up of these blogs; they give me a great deal of relaxation and inspiration. However, I've realized recently that - as my growing "To Try" bookmark folder suggests - I've been doing a lot of cooking from the internet. Nothing wrong with that. However, to pull up a recipe while simultaneously keeping an eye on my email, perhaps popping into a different tab to check on the weather, The Sartorialist, or miscellaneous cute furry creatures, then continually reference the laptop screen (still checking my email periodically) while cooking is not a wholly focused experience, at least for me.

So yesterday morning, looking forward to cooking dinner for friends in the evening, I decided that I would restrict myself to my cookbooks. I made a pot of tea, grabbed a stack of my neglected favorites from the cookbook shelf, and settled down to page through them.


Here's what I ended up with:

Asparagus Tart {an experiment of my very own, using Breakfast, Lunch, Tea and How to Be a Domestic Goddess for reference}

Pasta all'Amatriciana (aka Pasta with Onion and Bacon) {How to Cook Everything}
Garlic Bread {Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics}

Deluxe Double-Chocolate Cookies {Tartine}

So fun! So relaxed! And so tasty.


Asparagus Tart
{Cobbled together as an excuse to use asparagus + the beautiful rectangular tart pan I received for Christmas. This worked wonderfully as an appetizer because it's relatively light; the minimal filling highlights the asparagus nicely, too. Success!}


Crust:
Use ever-reliable Orangette savory crust and prepare as detailed previously.

Filling:
1 bunch of asparagus
1/2 c. light cream
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Ground pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling)

Prep and bake tart shell (a 9" round tart pan would also work here); let cool while you make the filling. Adjust oven to 350F.

Whisk together egg, egg yolk, and cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Trim asparagus to preferred length; I measured them to fit horizontally in the shell, but they could easily have been arranged lengthwise or, for a round tart, in a spoke pattern.


Sprinkle grated Parmesan (about 2 tbsp.) onto bottom of baked tart shell. Arrange asparagus on top, then gently pour in enough filling to cover the asparagus nearly all the way. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan.


Bake at 350F for 25 mins. (probably more for a larger tart). Let cool 5 mins. in pan, then remove base. Serve warm or at room temp.



Pasta all'Amatriciana
from How to Cook Everything


2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped pancetta (or bacon)
1 small onion, minced
1 can (28 oz.) whole plum tomatoes, drained
1 lb. long pasta (*I used bucatini - the hole in the middle of each strand soaked up the sauce quite nicely)
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan
Fresh parsley, minced (for garnish)

In large skillet, cook pancetta in olive oil over med. heat for about 10 mins., stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.

Add onion to pan and cook, stirring frequently, until browned - about 5 mins. Turn off heat.

Crush tomatoes by hand (fun!) or with a fork (less fun) and add them to the pan. Return the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens - about 15 mins.

Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta. Toss it with finished sauce; top with reserved pancetta, Parmesan, and parsley.



Garlic Bread
adapted very slightly from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics


6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c. fresh parsley
2 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
scant 1/3 c. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter, room temp.
1 large loaf of ciabatta or similar bread (*I used a "pain rustique" - large, flat, holey, perfect)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper in food processor bowl; process until finely minced.


Heat olive oil in med. skillet over low heat; add garlic mixture and cook for 3 mins., until garlic is tender but not browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cut bread in half horizontally. Spoon garlic mixture evenly onto bottom half; spread butter on top half; sandwich together. Wrap the loaf in foil and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 5 mins., then unwrap foil and bake for another 5 mins. Slice crosswise, serve warm.



Deluxe Double-Chocolate Cookies
from Tartine


8 oz. bittersweet, chopped roughly
1 c. + 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
scant 1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. whole milk (*I initially typed "mink," which might produce a rather different result!)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Melt chocolate in double-boiler or (carefully) in microwave. Remove from heat and let cool.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in small bowl. Set aside.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter on med-high speed until creamy. Slowly add sugar and mix until completely smooth and soft. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Beat in salt and vanilla, then add melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Add milk and beat until combined. Then add flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. (*The dough will look like dense chocolate mousse - YUM.)

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1" apart. Bake until just barely firm on top, about 7 mins. (They'll get firmer as they cool.) Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

Makes 3-4 dozen.