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.

lemon almond biscotti.

What better way to brighten up a rainy Sunday morning than with an enormous mug of tea and a few homemade biscotti?


My mom brought me a batch of these recently and I devoured them with shameless speed. Made with whole wheat flour and not too sweet, they're a satisfying (and satisfyingly crunchy!) treat. The original recipe is from Martha Stewart; I flipped the proportions of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, scaled back on the sugar, increased the lemon zest, and brushed them with egg whites and sugar before baking. YUM. Thanks for the recipe suggestion, Mom!


Lemon Almond Biscotti
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living (December 2009)

2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar + 1 tbsp. (optional: for sprinkling)
1/3 c. honey
zest of 3 lemons
3/4 tsp. sea salt
3 eggs + 1 egg white (optional: for brushing)
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. almond extract
1 c. whole almonds (*I like the chewiness of raw almonds, but roasted would work just as well)

1. Combine flours and baking powder; set aside. Beat butter, sugar, honey, lemon zest, and salt on med. speed until light and fluffy (about 2 mins.). Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each one. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in flour mixture in 3-4 batches, scraping down bowl after each one. Fold in almonds with rubber spatula. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (*Note: this dough never got completely firm, like certain cookie doughs might. Not to worry.)

2. Flour a work surface. Divide dough in half and gently pat/press each one into a rectangle about 3x13". (*Martha suggests 2x15"; it seems like variation doesn't matter too much here.) Transfer these to one parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced about 4" apart, and refrigerate for 30 mins.

3. Preheat oven to 325F. [Optional: brush the top of each rectangle with egg white and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Makes them shiny!] Bake for 35 mins., until golden and slightly firm. Remove from oven and let cool slightly; reduce oven to 300F. When rectangles are cool enough, transfer to cutting board. Cut into slices 1/2" to 3/4" thick - I found it easier to cut slightly thicker slices because of the almonds. Return to baking sheet on their sides (I added another baking sheet at this point and used one for each batch of slices) and bake about 30 mins. more. Flip them over halfway through the baking so that they brown evenly on both sides. Let cool on sheets.

halloween treats.

I tend to get a lot more excited about holidays like Christmas than I do for Halloween. I didn't dress up this year; after last year's Joan Holloway, nothing seemed quite as fun. However, a handful of us did band together to brave a 70s-scary-movies night, featuring Carrie and The Omen. Good friends, good beer, good snarky commentary on the movies. Plus, a good excuse to try a few new recipes: applesauce cupcakes and molasses cookies with lemon glaze. And though these treats weren't spooky, they were autumnally yummy.

Applesauce Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
from SmittenKitchen, adapted slightly


This recipe is actually for a 9" square cake; because I a) don't own a square cake pan and b) thought cupcakes would be fun, that's what I did. The recipe makes about 14 cupcakes, and there's plenty of frosting for all of them.

I'm a little bit addicted to making applesauce at the moment, so this was the perfect use for a jar. Plus, this cake is quite delicious.

For the cake:
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar (*the original calls for 1 c.; I found 3/4 sufficient)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
zest of 1/2 lemon

For the frosting:
5 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F; line cupcake pan with paper liners. (*This cake is quite moist, so I used paper inside foil liners to avoid sogginess.)

Make cake:
2. In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

3. With an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla at high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 mins. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add applesauce and zest and beat until combined.

4. At low speed, add flour mixture until just combined. The batter will look curdled, but that's ok.

5. Distribute batter into cupcake tins, filling about 3/4 full. (You'll have some left over; bake the rest after the first batch is done.) Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 mins. Cool on wire rack.

Make frosting:
6. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla mixture at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners' sugar and cinnamon on top, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes.



Chewy Molasses Cookies with Lemon Glaze
from TheKitchn


Yum. I really liked the combination of the dark molasses cookies with the tart lemon glaze. The recipe makes about 3-4 dozen (sometimes I get overly enthusiastic and end up with larger cookies) and they last fairly well for a handful of days, which is nice.

For the cookies:
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. dark molasses
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed (*the original calls for 1 c.)
1 egg
2-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
granulated sugar, for rolling

For the glaze:
2 lemons, juiced (about 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice)
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 c. confectioners' sugar

Make the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. With a stand mixer, beat butter, oil, molasses, and brown sugar until lightened and fluffy. Then beat in egg until smooth, then add the grated ginger.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices; add to butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined. The dough will be quite soft; turn it out onto plastic wrap and wrap it tightly, then refrigerate for at least an hour. (*The original recipe says to refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. I had the dough in the freezer for 45 mins. and it was still quite soft in the middle, almost unmanageable.)

4. Pour about 1/2 c. granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. When the dough is firm enough to handle, divide it into four parts. Divide the first part into 12 walnut-sized chunks and roll each into a ball, rolling the balls in sugar before placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for the second quarter of dough.

5. Bake for 12 mins., rotating the sheets halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool 5 mins., then transfer cookies to wire rack and repeat rolling and baking process for the rest of the dough.

Make the glaze:
6. When the cookies are cool, whisk together the lemon juice and sugars. Dribble over the cookies with a fork or a pastry brush; let glaze cool and dry until hard.

ginger cookies.

I adore Ina Garten - her show, her kitchen, her explanation of techniques, her recipes, her general love of food. She is my favorite stop for cookbook pleasure-reading as well as the one I turn to for recipes that will inevitably turn out well. So when a fabulous foodie friend made her own gingersnap recipe for my birthday celebration last month, I was inspired to try the recipe below. These are different from gingersnaps because they're chewy, and they're also full of crystallized ginger for an intense flavor. As Ina herself loves to say, how bad could that be?

Ultimate Ginger Cookie
from Barefoot Contessa at Home

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves (*I used 3/4 tsp., which was sufficiently clove-y)
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. unsulfured molasses
1 egg, room temp.
1 1/4 c. chopped crystallized ginger (6 oz.) (*Coarse or fine pieces both work; your choice)
Small bowl of granulated sugar (for coating the cookies)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt; combine well.

3. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. (*You could probably make this with a handheld mixer, but it's a very wet, heavy dough that even makes my beloved KitchenAid mixer work hard.) Turn mixer to low speed, add egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl, beat 1 more minute.

4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients, then mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. (*It might seem like the dough will be too dry - not to worry. Once the dry ingredients are mixed in thoroughly, the dough will hold together beautifully.) Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined. (*As you can see here, the dough isn't all that pretty. But it will be delicious.)


5. Scoop out the dough and roll with your hands into a ball. (*Ina says a 1 3/4-in. ball. Mine looked about the size of overgrown golf balls, if that helps.) Flatten lightly into a disc with your fingers, then press both sides of the cookie in the bowl of granulated sugar before placing it on the sheet pan. (*These cookies don't spread very much, but because they don't make that many, you don't need to crowd them. I fit between 9 and 12 per sheet.)

6. Bake exactly 13 minutes. (*I rotate the pans halfway through for even browning.) They'll be just a bit crackled on top and browned on the bottom; they might feel too soft, but they'll harden as they cool. Cool on the sheets for a minute or two, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.


[Makes 16 cookies according to Ina, though I've managed 22 with 1 batch and 18 with another. 18 seems to work well; many more and I think you lose the wonderful chewiness of the larger cookie.]