Summer Fruit and Graham Flour Crumble

This Summer Fruit Crumble is the last thing my dearly departed oven made. Sadly, it was used for the last time, this past weekend, eeking out its last bit of heat to make this crumble possible. Cause of death? Old age and I assume, the fact that it just couldn't handle being over worked to death during that stretch of 100 degree days that it just followed the popular advice: "if you can't stand the heat..." and our dear oven just decided it was time leave the kitchen. Because I'm a sentimental sap at heart, I kind of miss the old gal - we made a lot of great dishes together.

The irony isn't lost in the fact that her last dish was a dessert. Signifying the end, it was a fitting tribute to all the braising, roasting and baking that our girl did. She happily got smeared with BBQ sauce, didn't mind the curry spills and didn't even flinch when I accidentally spilled chicken stock everywhere. As far as ovens are concerned, I think she had a good life. 

So now it's time to start on a new chapter, with our brand new oven, that I am ecstatic to report that it has 5 burners and a window, so now I can watch what's going on in there - talk about excitement! But before I get to posts involving the new oven though, here's to my old one. I raise a piece of cobbler in its honor, made from a variety of fresh summer stone fruits and berries and topped with a crunchy Turbinado sugar and a crumbly graham flour crust. Graham flour, if you're unfamiliar with it, it's a whole grain flour that grinds up each whole grain wheat kernel separately before combining it as opposed to grinding all of the components together. This makes for a gritty (in a good way) flour that lends an amazing texture to baked goods. Here, the graham flour provided a ultra crunchy and slightly nutty texture which played so well with the sweet and jammy fruit. I used less butter because I was going for a extra crunchy and loose topping as apposed to a heavy, more pie dough like - a great way to lighten things up without skimping on the good stuff!

Summer Fruit and Graham Flour Crumble 
Makes enough to fill 1 standard sized pie pan

- 4 cups summer fruit (I used bing cherries, strawberries, peaches and plums, but any mix will do)
- 1 TBS corn starch
- 2 TBS white sugar
- 3/4 cup Graham flour
- 1/4 cup Turbinado sugar
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 stick of chilled butter

Preheat the oven (*sigh*) to 375 degrees. Prepare fruit (pit the cherries, hull and slice strawberries, peel peaches) and make sure all fruit is about the same size. Gently toss the white sugar and corn starch with the fruit to evenly coat the fruit. Pour into a pie pan. In a separate bowl, combine the graham flour, Turbinado, allspice and salt. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using your hands until you are left with a mixture that feels (and looks!) like wet sand. Pour on top of fruit and spread out evenly. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is slightly brown and crisped.

Cinnamon-Banana-Granola Pancakes

I like to make pancakes about once or twice a year. This isn't for any particular reason, I just don't usually crave sweet things first thing in the morning, but because we happened to have a giant jug of maple syrup just patiently sitting in our fridge, how could I resist? The stars just seemed to align.

I think my gripe with pancakes has always been that they're usually sort of boring. There are of course exceptions to the rule, plain, fluffy pancakes can be great but usually I'm left wanting more and wishing that there was something more exciting going on. Some sort of fruit mixed in with the batter is usually a respectable solution to my pancake quandary, but sometimes I find even that's not enough. After all, doesn't the pancake deserve to be elevated, even if it's just a bit?

When I'm at my best, I'm making granola on a regular basis and I like to add it to my morning yogurt or just snack on it throughout the day. But I don't think it should end there, why not put a little crunch into in my pancake batter? I started with a basic Cook's Illustrated recipe for these pancakes and added a mashed up banana, a hefty pinch of cinnamon and a drizzle of vanilla extract. When the batter is poured into a hot skillet, it gets topped by sliced bananas and sprinkled with homemade granola. When the pancake gets flipped, the granola side gets toasted and crispy so that when you bite into them, it tastes a little reminiscent of banana bread, but with a hearty crispness to it. With lots of flavor and the added texture, courtesy of the granola, and when finished off with a good quality maple syrup, this is my kind of pancake.

Cinnamon-Banana-Granola Pancakes


1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk (plus an extra tablespoon or so if batter is too thick)
2 bananas, one mashed up and one thinly sliced
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, separated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granola (my homemade version can be found here 
A drizzle of vegetable oil and a small pat of butter  (for brushing griddle)


Start by mixing the dry ingredients into a bowl. Pour buttermilk and milk into a bowl and add the egg white. Mix egg yolk and melted butter together and then combine with the buttermilk mixture. Add vanilla extract, add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk to combine. Fold in the mashed banana. 

Add the butter and vegetable oil to a large, hot skillet. Pour batter into the skillet, 1/4 cup at a time making sure not to crowd the skillet. Top each pancake with granola and a couple slices of banana. Once the surface of the pancake starts to bubble a little and the bottom starts to brown a bit, carefully flip the pancake. Heat until the other side is done and serve while warm, granola side up. 

My First Rosh Hashanah and an Orange-Almond Tart

It's not my style to make, let alone post two dessert recipes in one week but I think this week deserved a special exception - I celebrated my very first Rosh Hashanah. While I'm not Jewish, my boyfriend is and to celebrate, we made a huge dinner - eggplant dip and spiced bread, braised brisket topped with a red wine reduction, parsnip and potato puree, pomegranate salad and, true to Jewish tradition, we ended with something sweet and fruity to symbolize a sweet new year.

This recipe is from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table and it instantly became a unanimous favorite. The tart itself was very thin but I think that made it dainty and a little more elegant. The texture of it was my favorite, a sweetened, flaky crust and a creamy almond filling. The tart was topped with orange segments which added another textural component and a nice fruity finish. 

While this recipe was a little more time consuming than some others I've made, the extra effort was worth it. The only change that I made involved the almond flour. While I only could find it at Whole Foods, it would have cost almost $12 (!!) so I decided to take the cheap way out and make my own by pulverizing roasted, unsalted almonds in a coffee grinder until super fine and powdery. I can't say for sure, but I like to think that this is what made the almond cream extra nutty and flavorful. 

The recipe can be found after the jump and to all of those that celebrate - happiest of happy New Years!

Classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake

It seems that lately I can't get enough of cookbooks. I guess I've always been that way, but even more so lately. The other day I was reading Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc and I came across this recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It just so happened that I had a fresh pineapple sitting on my counter, waiting to be a part of something special. And, if that wasn't reason enough, I had never attempted to make a classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake before.

As much as I take joy in creating a new recipe, every once in a while, I like to make a classic. No twists and turns, just something that has been made for years, in exactly the way it was intended to be made. While I carefully arranged the pineapple on top of the brown sugar mixture, I couldn't help but feel like I should be sporting a 50's inspired dress, frilly apron and those dark-rimmed glasses that point up at the ends and I liked that sort of connection to a dish. 

One of the things that surprised me the most about this dessert was just how easy it was to make and also, how much I liked the end result. (Although, that heavenly aroma that filled my apartment didn't hurt its case..). I guess this might be due to the fact that I made this dessert on a whim, once I realized that I had everything needed to make it. It wasn't sparked by a craving and it wasn't planned in advance. It just sort of happened. I didn't expect the cake to be so delicately soft and the fresh pineapple to mix so well with the brown sugar and butter mixture to form such a delightfully sweet topping. What's more is the topping makes (and keeps) the vanilla cake base so moist that the whole thing just sort of melts into one delicious bite.

If you haven't made a classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake before, I encourage you to pick a random and unassuming afternoon and give it a try. I've listed the recipe from Keller's book below and the only modification that I made was the fact that I added all of the brown sugar-butter "Pan Schmear", because, well, why not?


Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Recipe from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc

• Pan Schmear
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dark rum
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Kosher salt
• 1 Gold (extra sweet) pineapple
• 
  
• Cake
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the butter, honey, rum, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth and well blended. Spread 1/3 cup of the schmear over the bottom of a 9-inch silicone baking pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt. (The remaining schmear can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month; bring to room temperature before using.)
2. Cut the top and bottom from the pineapple and cut away the peel. Cut the pineapple lengthwise into quarters, and cut off the core from each section. Cut each piece into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Beginning at the perimeter of the pan, make an overlapping ring of pineapple slices with the curved side facing out. Make a second ring inside the first one, overlapping the slices in the opposite direction, working toward the center of the pan. Reserve any extra pineapple for another use.
Sift the flour and baking powder together; set aside. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Mix in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the second and scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the milk. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan and spread over the pineapple. 
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan for even browning and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Run a knife around the edges of the cake, invert onto a serving platter, and serve warm. (Leftover cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

Lemon Blueberry Pudding Cake

If ever you find yourself in the fortunate situation of having an extra angel food cake and lots of fresh blueberries on hand, please allow me to make a suggestion on how to put them to good use. I found myself in a similar situation the other day (one of the perks of catering is mass amounts of random leftovers in your fridge) and with just a few basic ingredients (eggs, flour, sugar, etc), I threw together a simple summer dessert.

While this dish does require a little time in front of the stove and needs to be made ahead of time (so it has time to chill), I assure you the results are worth the effort. Bright blue streaks of blueberry sauce spill and splatter over a blank white angel food cake canvas, creating a stunning presentation. Hiding in the cake lies a layer of homemade blueberry-lemon pudding. With each bite, you get a bit of the cool and creamy homemade blueberry-lemon pudding, soft and subtly sweet angel food cake and, just when you think you've had enough, the blueberry sauce swoops in to reemphasize and deepen that bright blueberry flavor. Light and jam-packed with blueberry flavor, this is the dessert that summer evenings were made for.

Lemon-Blueberry Pudding Cake
- 1 Angel Food Cake (I used a store bought one)
- Blueberry-Lemon pudding (recipe below)
- Blueberry Sauce (recipe below)
- Fresh Blueberries to garnish

Cut the Angel Food cake in half lengthwise. Spread the blueberry-lemon pudding evenly over one side of the angel food cake. Top with other half of angel food cake and chill for an at least half an hour. When ready to serve, slice the the angel food cake into pieces and drizzle blueberry sauce over the cake. Garnish with fresh blueberries.

Lemon-Blueberry Pudding andSauce
- 1 quart fresh blueberries
- 1 lemon, zested and juice reserved
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk, heated until a little hotter than room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 1/2 TBS sugar + 1/4 cup
- 2 1/2 TBS Flour
- Pinch of Salt

To make the blueberry sauce: In a saucepan on medium heat, simmer the blueberries plus 1/4 cup sugar, zest and lemon juice until the juices have released and the mixture gets very sauce-like. Remove pan from heat and run blueberry lemon mixture through a mesh strainer. Set aside to let cool.

To make the blueberry-lemon pudding: In a sauce pan and on low heat, combine the egg yolks and 4 1/2 TBS sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture has incorporated and becomes thick. Add the warm milk gradually, beating the whole time so it doesn't scramble the eggs. Mix in the flour and gently stir the mixture of medium heat until it becomes very thick. Once it starts to bubble, keep stirring and remove from the heat after about a minute. Run the mixture immediately through a fine mesh strainer. Gradually pour in half of the blueberry sauce and stir to combine. Reserve the other half for topping.

Pomegranate Cranberry Qunioa Salad, Plus 13 Random Pomegranate Facts

Pomegranate Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Fair warning dear reader before I share my recipe for Pomegranate Cranberry Quinoa Salad, I'm going to get a little geeky on you.  When I sat down to write this post, I had so many different angles in mind on how I wanted to approach the subject of the pomegranate and I guess that's just a testament to how flippin' cool this winter fruit is.  Not only does it provide an amazing element of surprise to a dish, with it's deep ruby red exterior and burst of a combination of tart and tangy yet sweet juice that explodes on contact with biting down teeth, this fruit is chock full of a rich history.  Because I was personally curious, I thought I'd dig up some fun facts on the pomegranate:

1. The pomegranate is one of the oldest fruits
2. It is believed to be native to Iran
3. Pomegranates were a symbol of fertility and were planted outside temples because their leaves were green year round, symbolizing eternal life
4. Due to it's high nutrition content, the pomegranate is said to bring about emotional an physical peace
5. Pomegranates were prominently featured in early Egyptian and Greek art
6. Pomegranates play a role in Greek mythology and came to symbolize marriage in Greece, with married women wearing headdresses made of pomegranate leaves to signify their marital status
7. In Buddhism, the pomegranate is considered to be a blessed fruit and one of the greatest gifts
8. In early Japanese art, the pomegranate is often depicted as something used to ward off evil spirits
9. In early European days, the pomegranate was a symbol more than a food.  Depicted in art, literature and most prominently in medicine
10.  Henry VIII is said to have planted the first pomegranate tree in Britain
11. Pomegranates were also heavily depicted by such famous artists as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali 
12. The first Pomegranate plants in North America were planted in Mexico 
13. Thomas Jefferson planted them in Monticello and attempts were made to plant them in New England colonies but harsh winters prevented them from growing (bummer)

Source

See? Wasn't that fun? I'm a total sucker for the symbolism and unique food history.  Through in some myths and magic and superstitions and I'm hooked.  Nerd alert, right? Anyway, the real point of this post is not to go on and on with the history of Pomegranates (as fun as that was) but to provide you with my latest little creation utilizing them.  This has all the makings of a favorite recipe.  It's easy to make, doesn't include a crazy long list of ingredients, it looks impressive and most importantly, it's insanely delicious.  Oh, and it's healthy too if you're into that sort of thing.  Not to mention, this packages up perfectly for a nice little work lunch and it's delicious hot or cold.  Enjoy!

Pomegranate Cranberry Quinoa Salad
*Serves about 4

- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics the best)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- Juice of 1/2 an orange
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbs slivered almonds

To make the quinoa, you can use one of two methods: rice cooker method or on a stovetop.  (You cook quinoa the same way you cook rice: using a two parts liquid to one part quinoa.) For the stove top method, start by bringing the chicken stock to a boil.  Add the quinoa, cover and reduce head to low.  Let the quinoa simmer until the liquid has evaporated.  For the rice cooker method, add the stock and quinoa cover and hit start.

Once the quinoa is done, set it aside and let it cool slightly.  Add some olive oil to prevent clumping.  Once the quinoa has cooled slightly, add the orange juice and cranberries.  Toss to combine, salt and pepper to taste.  Gently mix in the pomegranate seeds and top with almonds.  Serve either warm, room temperature or cold.  In addition, pulled chicken would be great in here or for an entirely vegetarian option, you could sub vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

It's The Simple Things In Life..

They say that life is all about finding contentment in the simple things.  Although I'm not really sure who "they" are, "they" certainly have a good point.  Sometimes its the easiest things that we consume that bring the most pleasure.  No fancy recipe, no sophisticated tools.  Just clean, honest to goodness satisfaction from food.

Below I included the recipe for one of my favorite desserts.  It's important to follow each step carefully to enjoy the simplicity of this fantastic sweet treat.  It's also the perfect way to welcome the start of Spring.

The Perfect Spring Dessert
1. Wash strawberries and cut off the stems.
2. Stop to smell the berries.  Doesn't that smell amazing?!  Don't you just want to bottle it up and wear it as perfume?
3. Now cut the berries into bite sized pieces and arrange them in a bowl
4. Get the chocolate syrup and whip cream out of the fridge (it's important to have the kind that sprays, not the kind that comes in a tub).
5.  Pour a little bit of chocolate onto your finger and give it a taste (what? you have to try it, don't you?)
6. After you decide the chocolate is good, drizzle it over the berries.  Have fun with it.  Make it look artful.  Delicate little wisps of chocolate coating sweet berries.....
7. Take the lid off of whip cream canister and give the can a shake.
8.  Check to make sure no one is looking.
9. Open mouth, tilt head back and spray whip cream directly into mouth.  Resist the urge to laugh about how ridiculous you look with your cheeks puffed up by whip cream.  If you don't, you'll end up with whip cream all over your kitchen and people will know what happened.  Play it cool, man.  Be a grown up about it.
10.  Neatly, spray a little whipped cream over the berries.  Maybe a nice little squirt here and there or the ever classy whipped cream smiley face.  It's up to you.  It's your dessert and your work of art, enjoy it!