Brutti ma Buoni

In Italian, Brutti ma Buoni means "ugly but good."  They're not only good, but they're easy and they keep well.

1 1/2 cups (about 8 oz.) toasted slivered almonds

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

pinch salt

1 egg white

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

In a food processor, pulse nuts with sugar and salt until nuts are finely chopped. Pulse in egg white and lemon zest.

Preheat oven to 400F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Form tablespoon-size balls of dough and place one inch apart. Bake until browned--about 13 minutes.

Bob Chambers' Pear and Red Wine Custard Tart with Hazlenut Crust

After I met him at La Varenne in Paris, Bob Chambers brought the caviar to my wedding and then we worked together on a  Time-Life cooking series. He created this beauty while catering for hot-air balloon picnics in Burgundy. The pastry dough can be pressed into the pan rather than being rolled out, and almonds or walnuts can be substituted for hazelnuts. The pears, red wine reduction and tart shell can be prepared in advance. The following version, published in Food & Wine magazine, is for a one-inch-deep pan. My 1/2-inch-deep pan only needed 4-5 pears, and I had enough pastry and syrup leftover to make a few tartlettes.

PEAR & RED WINE CUSTARD TART IN A HAZELNUT CRUST

Serves 6–8

1 cup granulated sugar

1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 cinnamon sticks or big pinch of cinnamon

8 pears

1 cup hazelnuts

1 cup flour

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into six pieces

1 egg yolk

3 whole eggs, lightly beaten

In a large nonreactive saucepan, combine 2/3 cup of the granulated sugar with the wine, orange juice, lemon juice and cinnamon sticks and bring to the boil over a high heat. Boil until reduced to about 3 ½ cups--about 12 minutes.

Peel, quarter and core the pears. Cut a round of parchment the size of the saucepan. Add pears to the wine and lightly press the parchment paper on top of the liquid. Bring to the boil over a moderate heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let the pears cool in the poaching liquid.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the hazelnuts in a pie pan and bake for about 15 minutes until their skin cracks. Transfer the hot nuts to a kitchen towel and rub them together to loosen their skins. Let them cool completely.

In a food processor, combine the cooled hazelnuts with the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and process to a fine powder. Add the flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until only a few large pieces remain. Add the egg yolk and process just until a dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball.

Roll out the dough to cover the base of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable base.
Pierce the bottom all over with a fork. Cover the tart shell and freeze for 1 hour.

Line the cold tart shell with parchment paper and fill with dried beans. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is set and golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool, then carefully remove beans.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Strain the wine syrup through a fine sieve and return it to the saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer until the syrup has reduced to ¾ of a cup, for about 15 minutes. Pour syrup into a bowl and let cool until just warm.

Arrange pears in quarters in the baked tart shell on their sides in two concentric circles, overlapping them slightly if necessary. Beat the whole eggs into the warm wine syrup until blended. Pour the mixture evenly over the pears and bake for 40-50 minutes. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool and serve at room temperature.

Chicken Under a Brick

This works great with thighs, maybe better than with a whole bird.

New York Times

April 11, 2008, 10:30 AM

Recipe of the Day: Chicken Under a Brick

By MARK BITTMAN

The dish is well known in Italy, where it is called chicken al mattone (a mattone is a heavy tile), but as a knowledgeable friend points out, it has roots in Russia as well. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

PRINT RECIPE

Chicken Under a Brick

Yield 4 servings

Time 45 minutes

Here, a split chicken is seared in one skillet and weighted with another skillet -- or with a couple of rocks or bricks -- before being transferred to an oven. Moving the hot, heavy pan from range to oven takes two hands, but the effort is well worth it.

Ingredients

• 1 whole 3- to 4-pound chicken, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed, dried and split, backbone removed
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon peeled and coarsely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, optional
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters

Method

• 1. Place the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down, and using your hands, press down hard to make it as flat as possible. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and rub this all over the chicken. Tuck some of the mixture under the skin as well. If time permits, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to a day (even 20 minutes of marinating boosts the flavor).
• 2. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Preheat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Press rosemary sprigs, if using, into the skin side of the chicken. Put remaining olive oil in the pan and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up.
• 3. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, along with any remaining pieces of rosemary and garlic; weight it with another skillet or with one or two bricks or rocks, wrapped in aluminum foil. The idea is to flatten the chicken by applying weight evenly over its surface.
• 4. Cook over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and remove the weights; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast 10 minutes more, or until done (large chickens may take an additional 5 minutes or so). Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.
• Variations:
• -- Use different herbs; sage, savory and tarragon are all great. Russians use paprika.
• -- Try a light dusting of cinnamon, ginger and/or other \'\'sweet\'\' spice.
• -- Use minced shallots instead of garlic.
• -- Vary the acidic ingredient: balsamic or Sherry vinegar, or lime can all pinch-hit for the lemon, depending upon the other flavors.
• -- Use clarified butter or a neutral oil, like canola or corn, in place of the olive oil.
• -- Leave European flavors behind entirely and make the dish Asian, using peanut oil and a mixture of minced garlic, ginger and scallions. Finish the dish with lime and cilantro, or soy sauce and sesame oil.

Jacques Pepin's Quick-Roasted Chicken with Mustard & Garlic

Another good one from Food & Wine magazine, September 2008, via Bev Pederson, with a few of my adaptations.

If you like, prepare the chicken with mustard mixture in advance and refrigerate overnight or longer. Bring chicken to room temperature before roasting.

one 4-lb. chicken

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. dry white wine or vermouth

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. Tabasco (or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper)

1 tsp. herbes de Provence (or thyme)

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat over to 450F. Remove chicken backbone. Cut part way through both sides of thigh/drumstick joints and place chicken breast side up in an oven-proof skillet.

Mix remaining ingredients and spread mixture over both sides of chicken. Set skillet over high heat and cook until chicken starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast chicken for 30 minutes or until skin is browned and chicken is cooked through. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Mashed potatoes mixed with celery root puree. Red Loire wine.

Chocolate Stout Cake

Chocolate Stout Cake
Bon Appétit (September 2002)
You always want to go to book club when Bev Pederson hosts, because she makes things like this. The Bitten Word guys note that two layers would be enough, but who can resist the silliness of three?

Servings: Makes 12 servings.

2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream

Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

for the icing:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.

Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.

Walnut Pear Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cold butter
• FILLING:
• 2 medium ripe pears, peeled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Place flour in a small bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup of nut mixture; set aside for topping. Set aside remaining nut mixture for filling.
2. Toss pears with lemon juice; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.
3. Spread two-thirds of the batter into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Top with the reserved nut mixture, pears and remaining batter. Sprinkle with walnuts and reserved topping mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Cool for 1 hour before cutting.

Spinach, Mushroom & Cheese Strata

Adapted from Gourmet February 2003.  Variations abound:  replace spinach-mushroom mixture with fresh asparagus (peel & slice into thin diagonals, infuse milk with asparagus trimmings). Grilled onion & red pepper with cheddar for Suzapalooza (Suzy's 70th).

2 Tbsp. butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

2 cups cooked fresh spinach

1 cup cooked sliced mushrooms

salt, pepper, nutmeg

2 1/2 cups skim milk

1 cup half and half

9 eggs

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

8 cups cubed (1 inch) Italian or French bread

Gruyere, 2 cups grated

Parmesan, 1 cup grated

Use 1 Tbsp. of the butter to grease a 9x13-inch glass pan. Cook onion and garlic in remaining 1 Tbsp. butter until soft. Add the spinach and mushrooms along with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/4 tsp nutmeg.

Whisk together milk, cream, eggs & mustard with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Spread half of bread in pan. Scatter half of vegetable mixture on top. Top with half of cheeses. Repeat with remaining bread, vegetables, cheeses. Pour egg mixture evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours.

Let strata stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat over to 350F. Bake strata uncovered until puffed, golden brown & cooked through--about 50 minutes

Butternut & Pear Soup with Gorgonzola

We got this recipe from Suzy, who got it from her sister, I think. Variations: add white wine, cognac, ginger (maybe not with Gorgonzola?)...next time I'll roast the butternut for deeper flavor.

4 tbsp. butter
3 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, minced
7-8 cups butternut squash (~5 lbs.), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
6 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
1 1/4 cup light cream
Garnish:
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 oz. Gorgonzola

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook leeks and garlic until soft and fragrant--about 5 minutes. Do not brown. Add squash and pears, combine well. Cook 5 minutes. Add stock, thyme & rosemary. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently 40-50 minutes until squash is tender.

Puree soup in a blender. Return to heat, stir in cream and taste for seasoning.

To prepare garnish, heat cream over medium heat. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring constantly until smooth.

Serve in shallow bowls with a swirl of Gorgonzola cream.