Walnut Date Bread

After being away and out of my kitchen for a week, I have been itching, just itching, to get back into the cooking.

But much to my dismay, it was a lackluster week in the Sassy kitchen, to say the least. I woke up early on Monday to prep a Pear and Autumn Vegetable Soup for dinner that night. Delicious in theory, but thin, watery and bitter in reality. The next night featured Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad. It was overall pretty good but after adding 6 cups of water to 1/4 cup of barley, the barley was still chewy. I gave up finally and just stirred it into the salad. I don't even think that NAK noticed so the meal wasn't a total disaster like the soup from the night before.

Gourmet, though, was my redemption and when I opened the (final!) November edition, I set my sights on this cake. A bread with fruit and nuts- what can go wrong? And I was right. It is delicious, with a rich buttery taste and we've been eating it for breakfast all week.

I'm hosting a dinner party this Saturday night and am hoping for better results than I had this week. But if this bread is an indication, I'm back on the right path! Keep your fingers crossed and I'll let you know how it goes.

Walnut Date Bread
Gourmet, November 2009

1 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cups (10 ounces) pitted dates, chopped
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour (I used half regular and half white whole wheat)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pour boiling water over dates and butter in a bowl and let stand until cool, about 30 minutes. Mix occasionally.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees with rack in the middle. Lightly butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. While date mixture cools, toast walnuts in oven until a shade darker, about 10 minutes. Leave oven on. Chop nuts. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together egg, vanilla and dates, then add along with nuts, to the flour mixture until just combined. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for about 90 minutes, until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.

Cool bread in pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.

*Note: you may notice a piece of wax paper inside the cake pan in the first picture. This is another trick of my mom's - she'll cut a piece of wax paper and place it inside the cake pan, letting it drape over the sides. Then, to remove the cake from the pan, pull up on the wax paper and the cake will pop right out.

French Onion Soup

If you haven't heard too much from me recently, it's because I've been busy....um...it's more accurate to say that I was in Southern California for the past week. I spent a few days at a beautiful resort in San Diego for a work conference then headed up to Irvine to spend some time with a close friend from childhood. I see why people love it there - the laid back lifestyle and beautiful weather. It almost makes me question why I'm so devoted to the East Coast. Almost.
But if you don’t live in perfect 75 degree sunny weather all year round, then it’s probably starting to get a bit chilly by you. The good kind of chilly, when you need a blanket to watch TV or a pretty scarf when out at night. I couldn’t resist breaking out a few of my cold-weather soup recipes and found this one bookmarked from when I made it two years ago.I won’t tell you that this is the easiest, quickest soup to make. It’s not. The onions require a bit of TLC at the beginning but then it more or less cooks itself. And, I promise that this soup will put your store bought soup to shame. It’s just that good.

Note: I didn’t have French bread when I made this soup so I toasted some whole grain bread cubes rubbed with garlic and made garlic croutons. It was delicious, but go for the rounds of French bread if you have it on hand and dip the bread into the soup as you eat it.

French Onion Soup
Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 1/2 pounds or about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions (I would even use a few more as 5 cups gives you a mild onion flavor)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
A heavy-bottomed 4-quart covered saucepan
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar (it helps the onions to brown)
3 tablespoons flour
2 quarts boiling brown stock, canned beef bouillon, or 1 quart of boiling water and 1 quart of stock or bouillon
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cognac
Rounds of hard-toasted French bread (see following recipe)
1 to 2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese (I used Parmesan but much less - probably about half a cup in total)

Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in the covered saucepan for about 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to moderate, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes stirring frequently, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown. (Careful, they caramelize quickly and become sticky) Sprinkle the flour and stir for a few minutes.

Off heat, blend in the boiling liquid. Add the wine and season to taste. (I found that there was plenty of salt from the broth, so season gently). Simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes of more, skimming occasionally. Correct seasoning if necessary. Set aside uncovered until ready to serve. Then reheat to a simmer.

Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Pour into a soup tureen or soup cups over the round of bread and pass the cheese separately. Or, use following instructions for a baked cheese top.

Onion Soup Gratineed with Cheese
Gratineed*- "with a browned crust of bread crumbs and grated cheese"

The preceding onion soup
A fireproof tureen or casserole or individual onion soup pots
2 ounces Swiss cheese cut into very thin slivers
1 tablespoon grated raw onion
12 to 16 rounds of toasted French bread
1/2 cups grated Swiss, or Swiss and Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bring the soup to the boil and pour into the tureen or soup pots. Stir in the slivered cheese and grated onion. Float the rounds of toast on top of the soup, and spread the grated cheese over it. Sprinkle with the oil or butter. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven, then set for a minute or two under a preheated broiler to brown the top lightly. Serve immediately.

*May be helpful if, like me, you took high school Spanish rather than French!
**Sassy Note: At this point, I was drooling over the soup and just plopped the croutons on top of the soup, sprinkled with cheese and put under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes. It was plenty cheesy, with a robust onion flavor - magnifique!

Leek Quiche

I must be feeling French (or at least wishing that I was anywhere but here...of course Paris will do!) as I made both French Onion Soup and Quiche this week. The very first thing I ever made in my first apartment in DC was quiche, so there is a certain sentimentality to the dish. Back then, I had what I call a "mini kitchen" with a "mini fridge" and a "mini sink". The sink was so tiny that a full size dinner plate wouldn't even fit in it and the fridge had a 3 inch opening covered in ice that was supposed to serve as a freezer.
In those days, there literally was not an inch of counter space to roll out a pie crust so I used those fattening, crumbly, and just overall yucky pre-packaged crusts. But no longer, only fresh pie crust for me, which is made easy by mom's **foolproof recipe. It's easy to make, easy to freeze, easy to roll out and just perfect whether you are making a savory quiche or a sweet tart.

But don't feel too badly for me as I'm now cooking in a much bigger kitchen (eat-in, in fact, and with a window). And better yet, I'm headed to Southern California for a conference and then a few days visiting a close friend. Who knows, maybe there will be a West Coast post or two but most likely I'll be taking a break from cooking and enjoying the California sun! See you soon.

Leek Quiche

**I know there is a lot of debate out there about using all butter in a pie crust verses some butter and some shortening. I find that shortening makes the crust light and flaky and since it seems to have an unlimited shelf life (I think I've had the same container of shortening for years!), invest $2.59 and buy some of your own. Even if it's just for pie crusts, you won't be sorry!

1 Pie Crust (recipe below) to fit your pan (I use a 10 inch porcelain pan)
1 large leek chopped, white part only
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups milk
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces grated cheese (I used sharp cheddar in this recipe but Swiss is great as well)

Pie Crust:
Will make 4 crusts. Recipe can easily be cut in half.

5 cups of flour (I used white whole wheat, it worked well)
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter
12 tablespoons shortening
1 cup of cold water

In a food processor, add the flour, salt, butter, and shortening and pulse until fine crumbs form. (I'm sure a pastry mixer would be fine as well). Add water a little at a time until dough is moist enough to form a ball. Divide the big ball into 4 equal balls and wrap in wax paper or plastic to freeze.

To roll, use wax paper on a damp counter top. Spread a few tablespoons of flour onto the wax paper and roll out the dough into a circle. Be sure to flour the rolling pan as well. To transfer the dough to the pan, roll half the dough over the rolling pin then lift the dough and place gently inside the pan. Crimp edges in pan and trim any extra dough.

Quiche:

Preheat oven to 375. Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small pot and add the olive oil. Add the leeks, stirring for a few minutes then cover and bring the water down to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes until the leeks are tender. Drain well.

Combine milk, eggs, and egg yolks. Beat well. Add the nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Then add the cheese and mix well. Pour the leeks into the bottom of the pie crust, then pour egg mixture on top. Bake for 45-50 minutes until quiche has puffed. Allow to cool for a few minutes (the quiche will drop while cooling).

Tip: Rather than assembling the quiche on a counter and carrying a pie pan full of liquid to the oven (thus increasing the likelihood of spilling out the filling as you place the pan on the oven rack), place the empty pie plate on the oven rack. Pull out the rack, then add in the leeks and the egg mixture. Gently push in the oven rack and bake. This is my mom's trick - and it's a good one!

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

I admit that perhaps this post is a little out of place. After going on and on earlier in the week about pumpkin this and pumpkin that, here I go with a salad that is all about summer and not so much fall.

In my defense, I was just trying to use up some pretty tasteless plum tomatoes that I bought last week for the most delicious Nicoise Salad (recipe to be posted one of these days). They were just starting to get a bit shriveled so I thought roasting them might work out well. Ina Garten confirmed my thought when I caught an episode of hers as I was cleaning out my DVR. The episode was about roasting food to bring out its flavor, which is just what these tasteless tomatoes needed!

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad
Adapted from Ina Garten

The original recipe calls for 12 tomatoes which will serve about 6. I cut the recipe in half and NAK and I ate the whole salad for a main course.

6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds (not cores) removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 small (or 1 large) garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces fresh salted mozzarella
6 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.

Cut the mozzarella into slices slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. If the slices of mozzarella are larger than the tomatoes, cut the mozzarella slices in half. Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella on a platter and scatter the basil on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Pumpkin Soup

Once October hits, it's all pumpkin, all the time in my kitchen. After all, only so much time exists between the end of summer tomatoes and the beginning of winter chocolate and peppermint that I must squeeze in some quality pumpkin recipes.

When I say pumpkin all the time, I mean it: Pumpkin Waffles, Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Cup Cakes, Pumpkin Pie (of course!), Pumpkin Cheesecake (stay tuned for the recipe in the next few weeks), and of course....Pumpkin Soup.

This is by far, NAK's favorite soup. It's healthy, filling, delicious, easy to make, freezes well, travels easily to work in a tupperware...need I go on?? It's one of my most used recipes and I'm so proud to say that I concocted it myself with the help of my mother-in-law who told me that she made a soup a few years ago with pumpkin, sweet potatoes, onion and celery. Those ingredients become a wonderful base for my fall favorite. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 15 ounce can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar (season to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (or soy milk for a non-dairy soup)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in vegetables and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin, stock, spices and salt. Mix well. Bring soup to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes.

Puree soup in a blender or use a hand blender. Once soup is pureed, add the soy milk and allow soup to rewarm. Serves 6-8.

*Note: This soup keeps in the fridge for several days and also freezes well. The soup, however, will thicken once chilled so be sure to mix in some water or milk when you re-heat it.

Apple Tarte Tatin

Let's get something straight here, right off the bat. Under normal circumstances, I do not spend 2 hours of prep time, bake time and cooling time on a weeknight making a dessert that's not even for me. That's right. TWO HOURS.

I started this Apple Tarte Tatin endeavor at 9:30pm, which was really silly given that I aim to be in bed by 10:30pm on weeknights. But regardless, I forged ahead and created just the loveliest looking caramelized apple dessert.
Then I packed it up on a platter covering it with plastic wrap and drove to Baltimore, letting the tarte tatin have the front seat and putting my (expensive leather) purse on the floor. Upon arriving in Baltimore, I gingerly tip-toed through my office garage- wearing high heels- while holding the tart high in the air in one hand and toting said purse on my shoulder all the while rolling my laptop bag in the other hand. Who was this dessert for, you might ask? Who is worthy of such time put in so late in the kitchen on a weeknight? You should have seen NAK's face when I told him this dessert was not for him...but for my boss.

Wouldn't you like an employee like me, who bakes a French apple tart for your birthday? Well, I'm staying with this boss for now but who knows, may one day a resume will fall on your desk featuring such skills as tarte tatin baking and food blogging. 'Til then, hope you enjoy this delish recipe.

Apple Tarte Tatin
Adapted from Cooking Light, October 2009

This recipe is not as complicated as it looks and I've included a few tips below that will help ensure that your tart looks and tastes magnifique! I used a food processor to blend the dough, though the recipe calls for the dough to be mixed by hand. I say if you have a food processor, use it!

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons water, divided
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
6-7 small apples (I used Pink Ladies), peeled, cored, and quartered
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F. Blend flour, salt and butter in a food processor (or mix by hand) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons of water and the egg, blend to combine until just moist. Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, knead lightly 5 times. The dough will be sticky. Pat the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Chill for 30 minutes or longer. Don't worry about the stickiness, the dough will be much easier to handle once it's chilled.

Combine remaining water and sugar in a 9 or 10 inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 10 minutes or until golden, stirring gently. Add a few more tablespoons of water if the mixture seems to get too dry, remember that you want it to be a smooth caramel sauce. Remove from heat and stir to distribute sugar evenly. Let stand 5 minutes.

Arrange apples tightly in a circular pattern over sugar in pan, beginning at the outside edge. Place the apples close together but not overlapping. Fill the center by cutting 2 apple quarters in half and arrange, points up in center of pan. Place plan over medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes pressing apples slightly to extract juices but be careful to not move the apples. Remove from heat, let stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon over apples.

Remove plastic wrap covering dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll into an 11-inch circle. Place dough over apples, fitting dough between apples and skillet. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes. Loosen around the edges of the tart with a knife and then invert tart onto a large plate.

*The process of inverting the tart onto a plate can seem daunting. A few tips:

-The cast-iron pan is heavy. Make sure that you can get a good grip on it before turning it over.

-If you can, ask someone to help you. Have someone hold the plate against the bottom of the pan as you turn it over.

-Some of the apples may stick to the pan - that's ok. They will have made an indentation in the dough so just gently place the apples back in their spots and the tart will look just fine.