Two sweet but not too sweet macarons have graced our house this week as it is almost MacTweet time. We I have been on a macaron baking spree, as I want to perfect the baking of the macaron for Valentine’s Day gifts. When I get the idea to perfect something, I do it until it is right. You cannot tell from this batch but they were near perfect. Near perfect until I decided to photograph them on a slightly humid day last week …. they barely withstood the photo shoot. No worries, though, they were delicious and both sets of our test tasters said they loved them.
The first recipe was inspired by our love of bittersweet chocolate and this wonderful Portuguese cherry liquor called Ginja or Ginjinha, I got to sample over the holidays. Ginginha is a sweet liquor made from the sour cherry-like ginja berry, sugar, and schnapps. As soon as I had my first sip I thought of bittersweet chocolate and macarons. I smuggled a small water size bottle home on the plane. Need I say more, chocolate and cherry just go hand in hand.
The second recipe was inspired one of the best gifts I received over the holidays. Our good friend as well as Lenny’s cousin, Christian, gave us three precious bottles of pure essence oil to use in our cooking. These oils are hand made by his father over in France and are used in some of the finest cooking at two of Boston’s top restaurants, the Clio and Uni. You see, up until a couple weeks ago, Christian was the GM at both restaurants and has been since the beginning. It is always a treat when we stop by as we are completely spoiled by the wonderful meals there but this time the spoiling was even better, when he gave us three bottles of this very fine oil. I have been dreaming about all the things to make, but which flavor to use first ….. cardamon, citron or bergamot? After stumbling upon some fresh bergamot at the market it was an easy decision, I would use the essence oil and some zest from the fresh fruit to flavor this recipe.
Don’t forget about all the other macarons that will be out there in the MacTweets virtual pastry shop, be sure to hop over and indulge!
Recipe: Chocolate Macarons with Bergamot Buttercream
8 ounces whole raw almonds
8 ounces whole hazelnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
100 grams egg whites
25 grams sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon creme of tarter
200 grams powdered sugar
125 grams mixed nut flour, I used half hazelnuts and half almonds
15 grams scharffen berger (or really good) cocoa powder
pinch of salt
Prepare the nut flour by grinding the nuts with 1 cup of powdered sugar, in a food processor until the consistency of flour. You will need to pulse the food processor and run it, then pulse and then run. *I did toast my nuts beforehand and let cool completely before grinding.
Separate the egg whites and let them sit at room temperature for 24 hours before starting to make the macarons.
Preheat oven to 300. Whip the egg whites and creme of tarter until they are foamy. Sprinkle in the sugar while still mixing. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Sift the powdered sugar, salt, nut flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add to the meringue and fold until a shiny mass comes together. ill a pastry bag with a number 806 tip. Pipe the macarons onto parchment paper. Let the macarons dry at room temperature for 30 minutes (Aran suggests 20, I lost track of time). Bake them for 8 minutes, rotate the baking pan and bake for another 8 minutes. Cool. Remover from parchment and fill with your favorite filling.
Recipe: Bergamot Buttercream
60 grams egg whites at room temperature
35 grams & 15 grams Castor Sugar
30 grams water
1/2 teaspoon bergamont essence oil
zest from half of a fresh bergamont
1 stick unsalted butter
pinch salt
1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
Mix 35 grams of sugar with the water and zest and bring to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Stir sugar until it boils. Using a candy thermometer, continue to boil until 121°C / 249°F. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer in a clean bowl on medium high speed until frothy. Add in the cream of tartar, and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until stiff, and glossy peaks form. When the sugar reaches 121°C / 249°F, remove it from heat. Reduce the mixer to medium low and slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream between the whisk and the side of the bowl. Be careful not to splash the hot syrup or your buttercream may form small sugar crystals in it. Return the mixer to medium high, and continue beating until the mixture is fully cooled. About 15 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium and gradually add small amounts of the butter, but only as much as it can be absorbed into the mixture before adding the next amount. Continue to beat until the buttercream is smooth. About 15 minutes. As the buttercream solidifies, add 1/2 teaspoon essence oil and beat into the mixture for an additional minute.
Recipe: Vanilla Bean Macarons with Bittersweet Chocolate Cherry Ganache
Use the above recipe for the cookie part of the macaron. Leave out the chocolate. I added a small amount of paste food coloring as I wanted a pink tint as well I added the seeds from 1/2 of a vanilla bean.
Recipe: Bittersweet Chocolate Cherry Ganache
200 ml heavy cream
200 g scharffen berger bittersweet chocolate broken into small pieces
1 tablespoon Ginja/Ginjinha
Bring cream to a boil. Put chocolate into a mixing bowl and pour the cream over the top. Let sit for a couple minutes. Stir until melted. Add the liquor, stir well. Let sit in the refridgerator for at least an hour before using.
Jacqueline and I have been talking about hosting a virtual food event, for the past couple months; okay, really it has been since August. She was twittering and writing about a Spiced Mexican Chicken dish that she served with Tabasco Watermelon Margaritas and we got to thinking that it would be fun to have an event where we provide you with the main entree recipe and ask you, our readers to come up with the ultimate cocktail to pair with this meal.
In the same breath, David Leite’s newest book, The New Portuguese Table had come out and we decided to toss around the idea with David. We were really excited to use one of his pork tenderloin recipes as we thought it would be a nice transition into the holidays, something festive for a cocktail pairing. David was so kind as to let us publish his Pork Tenderloin in a Port-Prune Sauce recipe for this particular event. Just a quick review of David’s book, it is fantastic. Lenny is Portuguese and he loves the take on traditional recipes, the same flavors that mom makes but with a fresh and new taste. We have made a few of the items and all have been outstanding!
Lenny and I made this dish last night and it was amazing. I could not find any pork tenderloins at either of my butchers, so I did end up using a Pork Loin Roast, which worked out perfectly. The pork came out with a crispy outside and very moist inside. I loved that use of prunes and port in the sauce, it was not overly sweet and slightly smokey (thank you port). We tried two different plates, one with cilantro and one without, the cilantro really added a nice freshness to the sauce and we recommend using it. The only other thing that we did differently was to add slices of yellow potatoes and turnips, to the roasting pan, about an hour before the roasting was finished. One can never go wrong with potatoes roasted in pork fat!
We decided to serve a Sazerac with this particular dish as we both thought the boldness of the Rye would be a nice addition to the slightly sweet sauce. Normally, I am not a Sazerac fan, but I have to say, Lenny out did himself with this round; they were smooth, icy cold and perfectly balanced with the Herbsaint Liquer and Rye.
The rules for this dinner party are as is:
Make the same Pork Tenderloin Recipe, if you can’t find tenderloins, use a roast or chops, but let’s keep it a pork dish in honor of Pig Tales
Create a cocktail that you think will pair nicely with the dish
Blog about the two being served together and be sure to include a photo
Email both of us the link to your post along with a photo of the two. Jacqueline – ldgourmet [at] gmail [dot] com & Denise – denise [at] chezus [dot] com
Please have your submissions in before the 15th of December. A round-up will be posted shortly after the 15th.
Recipe: Pork Tenderloin in a Port-Prune Sauce
2/3 cup pitted prunes (about 15)
1 cup ruby port
½ cup beef stock
1 inch thumb of ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1 pound pork tenderloins, fat and silver skin removed
1 garlic glove, minced
1 tablespoons, sherry vinegar
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and crank up the heat to 450.
Dump the prunes into a small saucepan, add the port, beef stock, ginger, and honey, and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let steep for 20 minutes.
Pour the prunes and liquid into a blender or food processor and buzz until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Season both tenderloins well with salt and pepper and sear one at a time, turning occasionally, until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and set the skillet aside.
Roast the pork until an instant red thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers just under 150, 15 – 18 minutes. Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board, tend with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Pour off all but a thin film of fat from the skillet. Lower the heat to medium, toss in the garlic and cook until lightly colored, about 2 minutes. Add the port-prune sauce and stir to pick up the browned bits stuck to the skillet. Pour in the vinegar, and any accumulated juices from the pork, and cook to meld the flavors, 2 to 3 minutes. If the sauce seems thick, add more beef stock. For an elegant take, strain the sauce through a sieve.
Cut the tenderloins on the diagonal into ½ inch slices. Divide the slices among six plates, drizzle with the warm sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro.
Recipe: Sazerac
1 teaspoon Herbsaint liqueur Ice cubes
1 teaspoon simple syrup
1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
3 dashes peychaud’s Bitters – we used a blood orange bitters
1 lemon peel twist
Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling with crushed ice or refrigerate or freeze for at least 30 minutes. Add the Herbsaint to the glass; swirl it around to coat the entire sides and bottom of the glass. Discard the excess. In a cocktail shaker, add 4 or 5 small ice cubes, sugar, rye whiskey, and bitters. Shake gently for about 30 seconds; strain into the prepared glass. Twist lemon peel over the drink and then place in the drink. Makes 1 serving.
ROUND UP FOR DINNER & DRINKS
Here is the round up from our Dinner and Drinks event. Unfortunately (well kind of), we planned this event during the holiday season and everyone seemed busy or maybe peeps don’t like cocktails with dinner. We did have one great entry in our reindeer games and that was David over at David Dadekian Photography. David created a martini, that we cannot wait to make when we get home. It is made with Port and Domaine de Canton (a fantastic ginger liquer), which I think would be an outstanding combination with this particular pork tenderloin recipe. As well David had a special dinner guest that evening!
Jacqueline decided to pair her tenderloin with a favorite of Lennys, the sazerac. She thought the herbsaint or Absinthe that is in the the Sazerac gives a licorice note to the drink that would be fantastic with pork.
A big thank you to David for playing along in our reindeer games and to Jacqueline for being a great co-hostess!
Each month Foodbuzz sponsors an event called Foodbuzz 24,24,24 (24 meals, 24 blogs, 24 hours). Food bloggers who are part of the Foodbuzz network get a chance to submit a proposal for a unique meal and/or food related experience that will be featured by Foodbuzz. For November, we were one of the 24 that were selected!
Holidays are always a difficult time for us me. Not because of “family drama” but rather because we have to separate the holidays between families and coasts; but, what makes it even more difficult is that my family is divorced, so we have an additional separation to make. I have to separate the time between my mother and father, which basically means that I will make one person unhappy along the lines. This year we were suppose to be at my mother’s for Thanksgiving and then we found out a month ago that all of that would change as my mother had other obligations and my sister and her family would be gone over Thanksgiving. This would only mean one thing for us; no, not a trip to Boston but rather Thanksgiving with friends in Palm Springs. We were all set to drive a couple days before the holiday and then last minute decided to declare it our holiday since we had not had a chance to go on a “real” vacation this year. So we planned a week long road trip, which would involve, looking for good food along the way. We love road trips but have not taken a week long one, ever. Our hopes and dreams for this trip are to make a stop in Northern Nevada to see my family and then head down a desolate highway in the middle of Nevada towards Death Valley, finally making our way over to Palm Springs.
November 21, 2009. We are on our way to Winnemucca to see my family. No road trip is complete r us unless it involves a stop at IN-N-OUT Burger and it is always the same order, a double cheese burger for L and a single cheese burger for me, grilled onions on both. We have made this stop many times but we both agreed this time, that this was the best burger we have ever had there. The meat was grilled perfectly, crispy edges with just enough grease dripping off of it, to really give it some flavor. The meat was so hot that the cheese was melted and still gooey under the bun – it was perfect! Now our bellies are full and we are ready to tackle whatever may be ahead of us …. i.e. lots of snow!
November 22, 2009. We have had a good time with the family, eating a lot, catching up with my mother and siblings and playing with the kids. Now it is time to say good bye and hit the road. We are heading to Death Valley today. We have wanted to go there for a couple years but every time we think about it, it is the dead of summer. We are really looking forward to the drive through the middle of no where and are anticipating a lot of small country towns, which I am hoping means, good food (thinking chicken fried steak for some strange reason). WOW … there is not much out here, we are talking, just sagebrush and tumbleweeds. There is a town, called Austin, coming up …. we hope there is food, we are starving!
Austin, Nevada, is literally located in the middle of Nevada and is a living ghost town. It is a small community of about 300 people. It was named after Austin, Texas and was founded in 1862 during the silver rush that was triggered by the pony express. It was quite on a Sunday afternoon and lucky for us The International Hotel was open for service. The International Hotel, was first built in Virginia City in 1859 and parts of it were moved to Austin in 1863, they still serve meals and drinks, but do not rent out rooms. When we swung open the door the smell of fresh baked peach pie engulfed us, it was perfect with a couple cups of piping hot coffee. Not only was the pie fresh and the coffee hot but a couple of the locals were, well, let’s say “colorful”. After they were done chatting up us city folk we hit the road, again, and it was probably good timing as I am not sure how funny it was when Lenny told them, they reminded us of Cheech & Chong.
Well, we are back in the car and the scenery has not change much more. We have counted 6 cars and 1 fake donkey in the last 4 hours, there really is nothing on this highway. We just came up to another living ghost town, Goldfield, Nevada, with a population of about 400. Goldfield was a boom-town in the first decade of the 20th century with the discovery of gold between 1903 – 1940. Much of the town was destroyed by a fire in 1934, although several buildings survived and remain today, notably the Goldfield Hotel, the Consolidated Mines Building and the schoolhouse. Gold exploration still continues in and around the town today. We had wished we could have found a place to stay as it was quaint and it would have been fun to hang out for the night; unfortunately, the couple places we saw with either the name hotel or motel, were now boarded up.
Hitting the road again …. finally, a small sign, that says Death Valley is in 26 miles. We can’t wait as the sun is starting to settle and it soon will be dark. The road into Death Valley is twisted through tight canyons, with small wispy trees, not what we imagined at all. Then out of no where like an oasis in the desert is a castle, better known as Scotty’s Castle. A man, Walter Scott, also known as “Death Valley Scotty”, convinced a Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson to invest in his (fraudulent) gold mine in the Death Valley area. Johnson made many trips to the area, eventually bringing his wife, Bessie Johnson. Over the course of his visits Johnson came to terms with a disability that lingered from an 1894 accident and Bessie convinced him that Death Valley was good for his health. Construction began on Scotty’s Castle in 1922, at a cost of $1.4 million dollars. After looking around a bit, and watching the sun, turn the sky a burnt pink, we decide that we have to find a place to call home for the night or we will be stuck in Death Valley!
We decide on the first area that has accommodations to call our home away from home for the night, Stovepipe Wells. Stovepipe is a small community nestled by the Dunes of Death Valley. Unfortunately, for both of us and for you, we have come down with nasty colds and about all we can manage to do is have a glass of wine, hot showers and climb into a warm bed. Hoping for the better tomorrow morning.
November 23, 2009. After a good nights sleep, we are ready to take on Death Valley. First things first, coffee and food. We are going to blow out of Stovepipe and head down towards Furnace Creek. It seems that most of the things we want to check out on this trip to Death Valley are centered there. Time to find food …. Even though Death Valley is spread out, everything is pretty close. After stopping near the Borax mines to check out the scene we are in Furnace Creek, home to $4.12 a gallon for gas and the $12.95 burrito. We found a little diner, the Forty Niner Cafe. We decide to fill up on a breakfast burritos. The burrito is filled with chorizo, red peppers and lots of scrambled eggs, the perfect thing to energize one’s tired body.
Time to check out what Death Valley is all about. We plan on doing the “tourist” musts today: this morning: Artist’s Drive, the Natural Bridge and Badwater.
November 24, 2009. What a great day we had yesterday. Death Valley proved to be so much more than the Salton Sea – YEAH – for this we were really excited! After a long day of checking out the sites, taking pictures (not as many as hoped due to the swarm of tourists that appeared everywhere), and mini hikes, we are ready to head out of Death Valley. The highlights for us were the Artist’s Drive, which was a one way winding road through cut-out canyons of deeply colored mineral based walls. I wish we would have had the energy to go back at sunset as I imagine it would have been really beautiful. Badwater was also very interesting. Badwater is a dried up lake, that is located at the bottom of Death Valley at 300 feet below sea level. It is 4 times saltier than the ocean and yes, we did dip our fingers into the crusty salt to taste it. I had visions of taking all sorts of creative photos at Badwater and was all geared up with tripods, unfortunately, there was a swarm of European tourists who would not leave and we had colds that were starting to slam us. After wrapping up another evening with a glass of wine and a hot shower we are ready to hit the road; but, first things first, lots of coffee and some hot homemade date bread with prickly pear butter. The date bread and the prickly pear butter is out of this world, worth the stop at the Forty Niner Cafe, again. Every time I eat dates, I remember how much I really love them and I wonder why I don’t buy them. ‘Mental note to self, buy dates’.
We just consulted a map and Lenny sees a town he wants to check out, Baker, California. We are Baker bound and I have no idea what to expect but he promises me it will be like the Left Bank in Paris, hmmm, good espresso?
The drive has been scenic, we made friends (kind of) with a little fox, who we thought was adorable. We opted for the paved route out of the valley as the dried up dirt road may not be a good idea on our brand new tires, as well, we could end up as a one of those “missing peeps” of Death Valley. The drive put us past small living ghost towns and well as more sand dunes, this time, they were just as big as the mountains nestled near them. We are finally arriving into Baker.
Drum Roll …. the Left Bank of Paris (Baker) is the Mad Greek restaurant. Who knew, a Greek haven in the middle of nowhere. We are starving after another long night of no food and a long morning drive, we decide to have an order of lamb souvlaki, greek yogurt with cranberries and pistachio baklava. Surprisingly, the food is pretty decent or we are just really hungry. Regardless, what a good option over the standard burger joint.
Time to head to Palm Springs!
We love arriving at Andy and Jeff’s Casa in Palm Springs …. good friends and the cocktails are flowing, yeah, to the Rob Roy.
Recipe: Rob Roy
1 1/2 oz scotch
1/4 oz sweet vermouth
bitters to taste
maraschino cherry for garnish
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with cherry.
November 26, 2009. Andy is making a feast today and knowing the cook he is, it will be outstanding. I have offered to make a dessert as my Daring Baker’s challenge is due. Otherwise, I will be at his beckon call as sous chef. The menu will be southwestern inspired and includes: a roasted turkey, chiptole mashed potatoes, homemade herbed rolls, roasted sweet potatoes with apples, mashed butternut squash, traditional bread dressing, two different cranberry sauces (jalenpeno w/Meyer lemon and Cointreau infused cranberry), brownies with homemade vanilla bean ice cream, apple ginger cranberry pie and pumpkin cannolis.
Orange Jalapeno glazed turkey – moist and out of this world
Roasted Corn and Chipotle Pepper Mashed Potatoes
Herb scented fresh baked bread with homemade butter
November 29, 2009. We have been blessed with a fantastic road trip that not only included spending time with our family but also with good friends and three Thanksgiving meals – that is right three. Last night we were invited to new friend’s home in Palm Springs and we had an outstanding deep fried turkey, the moistest I have ever had. As well we had that fantastic pineapple cake I was twittering about – recipe to come! Today we are making the journey back home and we are excited to sleep in our own bed and to see MEM.
Be sure to check out all the photos that would not fit on this post – more food as well as highlights from the trip.
The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.
We were both on the same page that I was crazy for taking on this project for Thanksgiving, especially since I have never made cannoli, we knew it would be a big risk. Working as a team, made it so much easier. One person was in charge of rolling and cutting circles, while the other gently fried them to perfection. Keeping with the Thanksgiving theme we made a pumpkin filling, which was light and not overly sweet. Move over Mike’s, there is a new cannoli in town! An amazingly easy recipe.
* we had leftover filling which froze nicely into a creamy ice cream
Recipe: Pumpkin Cannoli
Equipment:
Cannoli forms/tubes – optional, but recommended if making traditional shaped cannoli. Dried cannelloni pasta tubes work just as well!
Deep, heavy saucepan, enough to hold at least 2-3-inches of oil or deep fryer
Deep fat frying thermometer. although the bread cube or bit of dough test will work fine.
Metal tongs
Brass or wire skimmer OR large slotted spoon
Pastry bag with large star or plain tip, but a snipped ziplock bag, butter knife or teaspoon will work fine.
Cooling rack
Paper bags or paper towels
Pastry Brush
Cheesecloth
Sieve or fine wire mesh strainer
Electric Mixer, stand or hand, optional, as mixing the filling with a spoon is fine.
Food Processor or Stand Mixer – also optional, since you can make the dough by hand, although it takes more time.
Rolling pin and/or Pasta roller/machine
Pastry or cutting board
Round cutters – The dough can also be cut into squares and rolled around the cannoli tube prior to frying. If making a stacked cannoli, any shaped cutter is fine, as well as a sharp knife.
Mixing bowl and wooden spoon if mixing filling by hand
Plastic Wrap/Clingfilm
Tea towels or just cloth towels
Lidisano’s Cannoli
Makes 22-24 4-inch cannoli
Prep time:
Dough – 2 hours and 10-20 minutes, including resting time, and depending on whether you do it by hand or machine.
Filling – 5-10 minutes plus chilling time (about 2 hours or more)
Frying – 1-2 minutes per cannoli
Assemble – 20–30 minutes
CANNOLI SHELLS
2 cups (250 grams/16 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons(28 grams/1 ounce) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.06 ounces) unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 3 grams/0.11 ounces) salt
3 tablespoons (42 grams/1.5 ounces) vegetable or olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.18 ounces) white wine vinegar
Approximately 1/2 cup (approx. 59 grams/approx. 4 fluid ounces/approx. 125 ml) sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand
1 large egg, separated (you will need the egg white but not the yolk)
Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying – about 2 quarts (8 cups/approx. 2 litres)
1/2 cup (approx. 62 grams/2 ounces) toasted, chopped pistachio nuts, mini chocolate chips/grated chocolate and/or candied or plain zests, fruits etc.. for garnish
Confectioners’ sugar
Note – If you want a chocolate cannoli dough, substitute a few tablespoons of the flour (about 25%) with a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process) and a little more wine until you have a workable dough.
DIRECTIONS FOR SHELLS:
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.
2 Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.
3 Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them well, uhh, oiled..lol). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little.
4. In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer’s directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.
5. Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.
8. Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill.
9. Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.
Pasta Machine method:
1. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine. Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Pass the dough through the machine repeatedly, until you reach the highest or second highest setting. The dough should be about 4 inches wide and thin enough to see your hand through
2. Continue rolling out the remaining dough. If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them.
3, Roll, cut out and fry the cannoli shells as according to the directions above.
For stacked cannoli:
1. Heat 2-inches of oil in a saucepan or deep sauté pan, to 350-375°F (176 – 190 °C).
2. Cut out desired shapes with cutters or a sharp knife. Deep fry until golden brown and blistered on each side, about 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from oil with wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, then place on paper towels or bags until dry and grease free. If they balloon up in the hot oil, dock them lightly prior to frying. Place on cooling rack until ready to stack with filling.
ASSEMBLE THE CANNOLI:
1. When ready to serve..fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip, or a ziplock bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a ziplock bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side. You can also use a teaspoon to do this, although it’s messier and will take longer.
2. Press or dip cannoli in chopped pistachios, grated chocolate/mini chocolate chips, candied fruit or zest into the cream at each end. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and/or drizzles of melted chocolate if desired.
1. Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Place the ricotta in the strainer over a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Weight it down with a heavy can, and let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight. Do the same with the pumpkin.
2. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta and mascarpone until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, pumpkin, spice and vanilla bean seeds and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl. Chill until firm, several hours or overnight.
Charcoal. How much thought have you put into charcoal? Or better yet, the charcoal you use? If you are anything like us, none! In fact, this is how it usually is at our house: 1) I buy a bag of unnamed lump charcoal and bring it home; 2) Lenny is standing at the grill, with the charcoal, newspaper, a chimney and is cursing me; 3) I start to rant about how I want to use charcoal that is good for the environment, blah blah blah; 4) Lenny starts saying how he &^%* sure this charcoal is not any good, and he is now ready to switch to gas; 5) I take over and start the grill and vow next time to pick up a bag of Kingsford. Let me say this, I normally do not buy Kingsford as I was under the assumption, they use chemicals in their processing, and I want our grilling experience to be as pure as possible; hence, why we don’t use gas.
Last week Current Lifestyles, and Clorox invited us to be part of a press trip at Kingsford University. We were very intrigued about Kingford University. As well it was thrilling to be included with an outstanding group of writers, publishers and food bloggers who all shared a common interest, the love of great barbecue and wine. We hope you will enjoy the following write up which includes videos, to give you that “feel like you are there” experience as well as lots of great grilling tips from World BBQ Champion, Chris Lilly.
The event kicked off with a meet and greet dinner at Pican, in Oakland, CA, where Chef Dean Dupuis wowed us with his southern cooking. It was the perfect way to begin our university training, mingling with our fellow students, who where someamazingwriters, chefs, bloggers, and BBQenthusiasts. One of the highlights for us that evening was Chef Dupuis’ amazing fried chicken with truffle honey; we have never thought to drizzle the sweet, earthy honey over chicken, what an outstanding combination.
The following morning was spent at Kingsford University learning everything there is to know about charcoal. We started with a history lesson on Kingsford. Did you know Henry Ford started making charcoal in the 1920′s? Mr. Ford learned the process of turning scraps that were left over from making the Model T, into charcoal briquettes. Kingsford was built when a relative of Fords, E.G Kingsford started the site for making Mr. Ford’s charcoal – the rest is history. After our history lesson, the staff at Kingsford University gave us an in-depth discussion of how charcoal is produced as well as a sneak peek at their new product that will launch in 2010. Kingsford charcoal is produced by using more than 1 million tons of wood scraps. That is right, no trees are cut down for the production, and the only chemicals used are natural. Using the waste wood a char is produced in a controlled environment and then mixed with coal and small amounts of borax, sodium nitrate, cornstarch and limestone. After an educational morning, we moved out to the patio to fire up some grills, where we were wowed by Chris Lilly.
After lunch, we headed up to Healdsburg for the next part of our Kingsford University education. Healdsburg in our opinion is what the wine country is really all about, and there is no better time to be there then in the fall. Warm days, crispy evenings and beautiful fall colors add to the intoxicating smell of wine being made all around you. After checking into the lovely Healdsburg Hotel, we headed to Seghesio Vineyard for dinner. Our hosts Peter and Cathy Seghesio made us feel like we were finally home. They completely opened up their lives by sharing their passion of wine with us. Seghesio has been in the Healdsburg area since the beginning. Edoardo Seghesio planted his first zinfandel vineyard in 1895 and since then four generations of the family have been making Zinfandels and Italian varietal wines.
(this is part one of the series of videos on how to make Chris Lilly’s famed 12 hours pork butt – check out Chez Us Eats for the rest of the series)
After a wonderful meal that was served in the winery’s Redwood Room and was prepared by Chef Jon Helquis, formerly of Chez Panisse, we were formally introduced to BBQ Master, Chris Lilly. Chris is a legend among BBQ fans and has won numerous awards. Chris is Vice President of the acclaimed Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q and is the head of their competition team. Chris took the stage and gave us an in-depth demonstration on how to make his famed 12 hour pulled pork, which he injects with water and apple cider. I had a blast being able to get in there and do some actual hands on injecting; great way to get rid of some frustration! And yes, these pork butts cooked for 12 hours; Chris was a champ and woke up at 3 am to man the grill!
The next day Chris continued to WOW us on the fine art of grilling. We learned about grilling, making BBQ rubs, and finally the moment we had all been waiting for the unveiling of the 12 hour pork butt. This our friend was well worth the wait, by far the best pulled pork we have ever had, and we are not just saying that. After a filling lunch, we spent the afternoon with the stellar team at Seghesio who gave us a brief course on wine blending, and everyone was able to blend their own bottle of wine.
With a free afternoon to ourselves, there was only one thing to do, and that was to take advantage of the fruits of the Healdsburg bounty and head out to do some wine tasting. We decided to head to Michel-Schlumberger, they are considered the Healdsburg’s Bordeaux house in a valley of zin. Not only are they making Bordeaux style wines, but they are also doing so organically. Now when one sees a bunch of hungry thirsty food bloggers coming through their door, one probably wants to run; instead we were greeted by staff with open arms. Not only were they eager to have us taste their wines, which were really luscious and sexy; but, they took us on a mini tour of the vineyard. November at the Michel-Schlumberger is the perfect time – the colors of the vines, the coolness of the earth under your feet and the warm sun on your back – the perfect way to spend the afternoon.
After a few hours of down time at the hotel, we returned to Seghesio for our fare well dinner. Chris continued to educate us on grilling with Kingsford, with a hands on demo on how to make perfect grilled pizzas. These were not your ordinary pepperoni pizzas. These pizzas were gourmet, such as Asian-influenced spicy shrimp pizzza; yum. Chris got everyone to don an apron, and to get there to create their own pizzas. The group really enjoyed being hands-on. The evening was not only fun but also very informative. Come along by checking out these informative videos.
(this is part one of the series of videos on how to grill pizza – check out Chez Us Eats for the rest of the series)
We spent the rest of the evening eating, listening to music, talking to new friends and old, and cherishing the past three days that were not only educational but very fun.
We would like to give a special thanks to Chris Lilly, Kingsford Charcoal and Current Lifestyles. We had no idea that learning about charcoal would be so delicious. As well a big thank you to the Seghesio family for opening their home to us!
The big question asked of us after the event: Would we make the switch from Brand X lump charcoal over to Kingsford? We already have!!
Following you will find one of Chris Lilly’s recipes from his new cookbook, Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book. It is for a beef tenderloin, which would be the perfect for your next dinner party.
Please sure to check out more photos over here and rest of the educational videos from the Kingsford University Event over at Chez Us Eats.
3 ½ cups minced mushrooms such as baby bella or shitake
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 whole beef tenderloin (approximately 6 pounds)
1 ½ tablespoon kosher salt
Melt the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the minced mushrooms, garlic, balsamic vinegar, oregano, and salt. Simmer for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to soften. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Remove any silver membrane from the tenderloin with a sharp knife. Fold the tail of the tenderloin back onto itself and tie it with cooking twine (this creates a roast with a uniform thickness to ensure even doneness). Season the tenderloin with kosher salt. Drain any excess liquid from the mushrooms. Pat the mushroom mixture evenly over all sides of the entire beef tenderloin, making a thin crust.
Build a fire (wood or combination of charcoal and wood) for indirect cooking by situating the coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side void. When the cooker reaches 225˚F, place the tenderloin on the void side of the grill and close the lid. Cook for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the tenderloin reaches 120-125˚F for rare, 130-135˚F for medium rare, or 140-145˚F for medium. Let the tenderloin rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
*photo was taken by our good friend & dinner guest, photographer extraordinaire Bryan Alberstat
I was excited when Jo picked this Donna Hay recipe for this month’s HHDD event. I have been eyeing it on and off ever since I saw the recipe. I love garlic so the fact that the recipe called for a whole head of roasted garlic did not scare me away. In fact I decided to roast the garlic in the frying pan that I intended to use while making the dish as I wanted every last drop.
The sauce is very easy as well; you cook some pancetta until golden and then stir in the roasted garlic, some heavy cream, chili flakes and fresh parsley. Despite the rich ingredients the dish was very light and very flavorful. This recipe is very easy to make and you can have dinner on the table fairly quickly once the garlic is roasted.
Warning don’t plan on a lot of kissing afterwards and no worries as the vampires will stay away for at least a full day.
Recipe: Creamy pancetta and roasted garlic pasta
- donna hay magazine issue 38
roasted garlic 2 heads of garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C/355F. Cut off the tops of the garlic heads so the cloves are just showing. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and wrap in aluminium foil. Place on a baking tray and cook for 45 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool slightly before peeling off the skins*. Place cloves in a bowl and mash with the back of a fork.
*The garlic will be so soft and jammy that you’ll be able to press the flesh out by gently squeezing the cloves between your fingers, or gently lift each clove out with a skewer.
Donna assures us we can make a batch of roasted garlic and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. My experience of roasted garlic is the aromatic pungency that lingers, as lovely as it is I don’t really want it to pervade my breakfast, so make sure your pre-roasted garlic is tightly sealed – unless of course you do have a problem with vampires!
400g dried or fresh pappardelle pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
300g piece mild pancetta, chopped
1 head roasted garlic, mashed
½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
125ml pouring cream
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
finely grated parmesan, to serve
Cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted, boiling water until al dente (10-12 minutes for dried or 3-5 minutes for fresh pasta). Drain and keep warm. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Remove from the heat and add garlic, chili, cream, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the warm pasta* with the parsley and parmesan and toss to coat. Serve 4
If you are not familiar with Foodbuzz and you are a food blogger, you really need to become familiar with them. Foodbuzz is an online community of foodies from around the world. The company provides a platform where one can grow their community and make money while doing so. The staff over at Foodbuzz is young, vibrant, complex foodies and very fun to spend time with. Even though we have only participated in a coupleevents, every time we do, we leave the experience elated. You can read more about the company here.
Last night we were invited to our first community dinner. We have heard about these dinners but have not had the pleasure of experiencing one. It was so nice to finally be able to attend one and to network with foodies from our immediate area. This particular event was at the lovely restaurant Spruce. Spruce serves contemporary American cuisine using only the finest local and organic ingredients – right up our alley! Chef and Partner Mark Sullivan was brilliant in the kitchen and every dish was amazing, after all how can one go wrong with duck fat potatoes! I love when I come across a chef who is not “classically” trained and who is a creator of his domain, this is Chef Sullivan!
The host for this event Steve Hosmer from Black Box Wines as well as Constellation Wines U.S. and Current Lifestyle Marketing. I have to admit we have not tried box wine at our home and I was definitely interested that “box wines” were being brought into Spruce. Back in 2003 the founder of Black Box wines, brought the concept over to the US, after traveling through Europe, where he discovered premium quality box wines. Today they produce high end box wines using grapes from some of the finest vineyards around the world. One interesting fact for us was that the quality is assured by the bag in the box packaging, which keeps the wines fresh for at least four weeks after opening; no more finishing the entire bottle because you don’t want it to go bad! We were pleasantly surprised by the high caliber of each wine, in particular we really enjoyed the 2008 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 California Cabernet Sauvignon. For more information on Steve and the Academy of Wine please click here.
The menu and parings for the evening were as follows (as well as photos, see below):
Beet and Pear Salad with Aged Goat’s Milk Cheese, Walnut Vinaigrette
2008 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
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Roasted Halibut with Fennel, Chanterelles, Fennel Fumet
2008 Monterey County Chardonnay
2008 Napa Valley Reserve Chardonnay
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Grilled Bavette Steak with Duck Fat Potatoes, Bordelaise
Hay Hay it’s Donna Day and Jo of Have Fork Will Travel was the winner of last month’s HHDD Challenge. Jo will be our hostess for this month’s challenge and she has picked the perfect dish to help keep those Halloween Vampires away, a creamy pasta recipe. To read more about this dish and to get the recipe please visit Have Fork Will Travel.
To read learn about this Donna Hay event (HHDD) as well as a list of the rules for this challenge, please click here. The deadline for getting your entry in for this challenge is October 31st.
