Hay, Hay, Let's Play (with pizza)

Okay, so this probably isn't the most attractive edible to emerge from my oven. But DAMN did it taste good! And it's my humble contribution to January's Hay Hay, it's Donna Day, where we're celebrating pizza.

I started with the basic Donna Hay Pizza Dough, straying only slightly from the recipe as Joey posted it. I substituted whole wheat for one of the two cups of all purpose flour, hoping to increase the final product's nutritional value at least incrementally. I figured if I was going to pile it with pork fat, I'd better add nutrition somewhere. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

The pizza dough came together quickly and easily, and the twenty minute rise gave me the time to hone my knife skills prepping the toppings. I'd selected primarily locally-sourced toppings: a rapidly ripening pear from my CSA, some pancetta piana (dry-cured, skin-on pork belly that is seasoned with black pepper and rosemary most commonly found in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna) from the Boccalone box, and a hunk of Point Reyes Blue I found blooming in the back of the cheese drawer. Over the toppings I drizzled a couple of tablespoons of a lemon and ginger infused cream honey I found at one of the farmers' markets last summer.

Fifteen minutes at 425 and... oh. my. gaaawd. Just the right combination of sweet and salty, tart and tangy. Leftovers are going to make *great* lunches for the next several days. Thank you Joey, for allowing me to play a bit with pizza toppings, and reminding me how often all of the ingredients for a fresh satisfying dinner are hiding in my pantry and refrigerator, waiting me to drop the takeout menu and unleash my creativity on them. I encourage you to go and check out the roundup at 80 Breakfasts later this month... you're bound to find additional inspiration (and far better photography) there.

Technorati Tags: Food | Food Blog Events | Hay Hay, it's Donna Day (HHDD) | Pizza

Recaculating route...

Every once in a while, it occurs to me how much I've grown in the year and a half since I set up camp in my little corner of the Internets. I've joined a formidable group of men and women from around the world drawn together by our obsession with passion for goodies constructed of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. I've made some wonderful friends near and far in the process. I've honed existing skills and developed new ones, sometimes formally and others more casually. And I've had a blast along the way.

One of the surprise benefits are the various monthly events, and their ability to stretch my creativity and widen my comfort zone. Because by nature I tend to be a recipe follower. In the kitchen (as on the road) I have the confidence to create anything your heart desires (or take you anywhere you want to go)... as long as you provide a detailed, end-to-end, step-by-step set of instructions. Which before blog I would adhere to with almost a religious vigilance.

Put me behind the wheel of a car in unfamiliar territory and I still lean on "Vera" my trusty Verizon-provided GPS virtual goddess to get me there, patiently 'recalculating route' if I make a wrong turn. But in the kitchen the Sugar High Fridays, the Donna Days, the Presto Pasta Nights and even the whole Daring Baker experience have pushed my limits, helping me to spread my wings and look at a recipe as a set of guidelines rather than a rigid rule book, resulting in some creations that -- while they might not have been the vision of the recipe author -- are an interesting combination of the best of both of us.

Take this Cooking Light recipe for Fresh Corn Tart with Chipotle Cream for example. Pre-blog I would have followed the recipe literally, and probably come out with something pretty good. But a carbon copy of the magazine version. Instead, I evaluated the published ingredient list and improvised a bit:

For the Cream:
1-8 oz. container sour cream
juice of half a lime
3 chipotle chiles, minced, plus a tablespoon of adobo sauce (we like our food a little spicier than Cooking Light generally instructs)


Yes, there's more cream than we'll need for the tart. But it will taste great with a bit of cheddar atop a baked potato...

For the Tart I decided not to dirty a dozen measuring cups:
1 whole medium onion, chopped
2 whole seeded poblano chiles, chopped
half a package of leftover pork chiorizo
6 ears of corn
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of water (give or take)
salt (eyeballed at about 1/2 teaspoon)
3/4 cup dry polenta (this I DID measure)
a chunk of leftover chipotle cheddar cheese, grated
Liberal amounts of Penzeys Salsa Salad Seasoning and Ground Chipotle Pepper

I added the ingredients for the cream directly into the sour cream container, stirred well with a fork, tasted, mixed a little Salsa Salad seasoning in, tasted again, declared victory and stashed the cream in the fridge while I tackled the tart.

The biggest chore there was preparing the corn; it took about 20 minutes to clean the cobs to my satisfaction. I'm not sure how much waste the Cooking Light version would have generated; my cobs were clean and the result was probably twice "3 1/2 cups". Good think my cast iron skillet's industrial size...

From there I chopped onion and peppers, again producing a greater volume than strict adherence to the recipe would have allowed.

I spread a couple of drops of olive oil across the bottom of my heated skillet and got to work cooking the onions to a nice golden color. Added the chiles and continued to saute until they browned a bit and released a soul-satisfying fragrance.

I had pre-cooked my sausage while I was shucking corn, and I added it at this point. Added the garlic and the corn and because of the volume, I probably cooked it another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure a nice, even light-brownage. After transferring the mix to a big bowl, I mixed in the Penzeys seasonings, tasting occasionally until I was happy with the balance.

I followed the polenta instructions as published (without realizing it) -- I've been making polenta since I was about 6 years old so there's no lack of confidence there. I tossed a handful of the grated chipotle cheddar and sprinkled some of the Penzeys seasonings into the polenta before lining the skillet with it to create the tart "shell". Layered on the cheese and the corn mixture and baked at 450 for 35 minutes (cheese melted, edges crispy but not blackened).

I served this over a bed of lettuce dressed lightly with a chipotle vinaigrette. Yum.

Because this creation was loosely inspired by "Donna Day" and her sister events, I've chosen it as my contribution to Hay Hay, it's Donna Day - Equal Opportunity Tarts, hosted this month by the dynamic Sarina Nicole of TriniGourmet.

Resources used:
Organic corn and poblanos, chipotles and cheese from Whole Foods
Garlic & onion from my CSA
Clover-Stornetta organic sour cream
Penzeys Salsa Seasoning and Ground Chipotles

Technorati Tags: Food Blog Event | Hay Hay, it's Donna Day | Key Ingredient: Corn

And now, for something completely different...

We bring out the WABAK machine Kitchen Aid and whip up some Moose! mousse. Chocolate mousse. With a twist. And an apology to my friend Peabody -- although I hope she's not the only one to get the reference!

Earlier this month Helene of Tartlette announced that the theme of this month's installment of Hay Hay it's Donna Day would be mousse -- and your heroine started some intensive internet research -- into obscure chocolate mousse recipes, and Rocky & Bullwinkle references...

I'll spare you all any more moose quotes (for now) and get straight to the recipe.

I knew I wanted chocolate. And that I wanted to play with spice. But a Google search for 'chocolate + chipotle' didn't provide inspiration. So I turned to a gem I recently uncovered at the local library: Robert Wolke's "What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained". A retired chemistry professor and syndicated columnist, Wolke provides the science behind the art of cooking in layman's terms -- and a fair amount of entertainment sprinkled in his education.


Hey Rocky... watch me pull a rabbit out of a hat...

And there it was, on page 30 -- the mousse recipe I wanted to try. Rich, intense chocolate flavor. With not an ounce of butterfat. No... Basque Chef Teresa Barrenechea of Manhattan's Marichu -- who Wolke credits as the brain behind the recipe -- uses olive oil to provide a subtle smoothness.

Hmmm... top quality chocolate, top quality olive oil, with a hint of chipotle to make it my own... Yes dear reader, I've found my contribution to HHDD 11.

Chipotle-Chocolate Velvet Mousse (adapted from What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained)

6 ounces high-quality semisweet dark chocolate, chopped. I used Guitard Callebaut.
3 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup powdered/confectioner's sugar, sifted after measuring
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (or 1/4 cup double-strength coffee at room temperature)
2 tablespoons creme de cacao
1 generous teaspoon chipotle powder
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in a microwave oven. Be careful what kind of bowl you use. My bowl -said- it was microwave-safe, but apparently the molten chocolate provided a bit too much thermal shock. Fortunately, chocolate is a staple in my kitchen... Short on disposable bowls? You can also use a double boiler to melt chocolate. Allow chocolate to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and confectioner's sugar with and electric mixer at medium speed. Add coffee, chipotle powder and creme de cacao; beat to combine. Reduce speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate. Add the olive oil and mix well to ensure it is thoroughly incorporated.

3. Here the instructions suggest washing and drying the beaters thoroughly, ensuring they are completely free of oil before beating the egg whites. I tossed the stand mixer beater in a sink full of soapy water and pulled out the hand mixer. In another medium bowl, beat egg whites until nearly stiff. Using a whisk, fold the egg whites into the chocolate, 1/3 at a time, until all patches of white disappear. Do not over-mix.

4. Transfer mousse to a pretty bowl or individual dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

As I'm performing step 4 and eyeballing a sink full of dishes, I think perhaps this recipe's a lot of work for 6 somewhat small servings.

A couple of hours later -- after the dishes are done and Leeza Gibbons has made her graceful exit from the dance floor, I'm ready to grab a spoon and dig in. And I instantly reevaluate my assessment of the serving size. It's not heavy, but this is a very rich mouse. A cross between mousse and ganache. The chocolate hits you first. Followed by the chipotle warmth. It's sweet, with a savory tease that keeps it interesting. I decide immediately I'm going to make this again -- next time replacing the chipotle with a wasabi-ginger blend that's been languishing in my spice drawer waiting for the appropriate application.

Boris: How many u’s are in Moose?
Natasha: Let’s see M-U-S-E, two.

Update 24 April 2007 - check out 53 more creative applications of the mousse concept at Helene's Round Up of Hay Hay Donna Day 11 Entries. There's some fantastic stuff here!

Technorati Tags: Hay, Hay, it's Donna Day | Food Blog Events | Recipes | Dessert

Hay, Hay... Doing a Mango Tango for Cheesecake Day

When Peabody announced the theme for Hay Hay it's Donna Day #10 would be cheesecake, the question in my mind wasn't *whether* I'd participate, but what I would choose to contribute. Cheesecake, after all, is a beautifully blank canvas, upon which many a masterpiece can be constructed. It can also be temperamental -- as eager in its punishment as it is in reward -- as all of us who've pulled a soupy cake out of the oven or cut into a dry cracked over-baked one can attest.

And with *Peabody* hosting no ordinary cheesecake would suffice; it *had* to be something special. We sort of have a shared cheesecake history. That is, her sinful concoction was one of the best desserts that's ever emerged from my oven, and the hit of our holiday party.

I digress, but you get the point. The pressure was on, even if it was only self-inflicted pressure.

So what would it be?

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake feels more than a bit like plagiarism...

I eyeballed the box of Thin Mints in my pantry and briefly considered a Girl Scout inspired creation. And then she posted this. Damn. Back to the drawing board.

A hectic weekend had me pondering an alcohol-infused confection. Margarita? Amaretto? Frangelico? Probably not a good idea for a cake destined for an office celebration.

In the end, I used the bounty from my CSA box as my inspiration. A Mango Tango it would be.

Now that I had the what, the next step was to determine the how. The key was a good solid cheesecake 'architecture' upon which I'd be comfortable improvising a bit without fear of crashing completely. So I reached for Alton Brown. Or more accurately, his treatise on baking: I'm Just Here for More Food. There, on pages 313-317, he explains the how's and why's of a simple sweet cheesecake in painstaking detail.

I started with the crust. Pulsed a sleeve of Girl Scout Trefoil cookies (I'm out of graham crackers and didn't want to make another trip to the store) in the food processor until I had crumbs. Added about half a cube of chilled butter, cut into squares and pulsed until I had a course meal. Added a handful of shredded coconut for that tropical feel and pulsed a bit more. Turned the mixture out into a prepared spring form pan and patted the crust along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Blind baked at 300 for about 10 minutes.

Next, my ad-hoc, quick variation on a chunky mango chutney. I peeled and sliced three of the freshest, juiciest, sweetest organic mangoes I've ever worked with. Melted butter in the bottom of a medium sized saucepan. Tossed in the mangoes and 1/8 cup of sugar I actually measured this -- I wanted the sauce the sugar would provide, but the mangoes were sweet and I didn't want to overdo it. Added the zest and juice of a lime, a teaspoon or so of grated ginger, the contents of a vanilla bean and three or four grates of nutmeg. I sauteed this for about 15 minutes while I started unwrapping packets of cream cheese.

I followed Mr. Brown's basic cheesecake recipe pretty closely. Beat 24 ounces of cream cheese and a half cup of sugar within an inch of it's life with the trusty Kitchen Aid. In a separate bowl with the hand mixer, I mixed 2 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon coconut extract, 5 oz sweetened condensed milk (AB insists that weighing this is the only way to ensure the correct amount) and 1 cup of sour cream. I then slowly integrated this mixture into the cream cheese. The result of which is a VERY soupy batter.

I left the cream cheese mixture momentarily to spread half of my cooled mango chutney across the prepared crust. I pulled out the blender and whipped the second half of the mango mixture into a baby food-like consistency. (part of baking is creating at least three sinks full of dishes). Mixed the mango puree with about a third of the cheesecake batter in the bowl I'd used for the egg/milk combination. Poured the batters into the cake pan in thirds: 1/3 plain, 1/3 mango, 1/3 plain, swirling the batters together to create what I hope will be a pretty pattern.

Finally, I employed the Alton Brown "slow and steady" method of baking a cheesecake: 1 hour in a water bath at 250 F. Without opening, touching, or even *looking* at the oven door. Followed by 1 minute with the oven off, oven door open. Followed by another hour in the oven with whatever residual heat remains. Again, without even breathing in the proximity of the oven door. Followed by one hour cooling on the counter. Followed by 3 to 6 hours in the refrigerator.

Forty-eight hours later... Wow. It's out of the pan, and it's... wow. I understand why AB remands cheesecake to the custard section of his book, and I'm a convert to his method of baking it. The result is not the raw cream cheese & mango soup I was afraid it would be, but rather a delicious burst of spring: a rich, luscious mouth-feel that's indulgent without being overwhelming followed by the warm tropical sweetness only mango provides. I'm generally pretty humble about the products of my kitchen, but I'd be honored to serve this to Peabody, Mr. Brown or Ms Hay.

If you're a mango fan, I urge you to try this one. Run, don't walk to the grocery store for whatever ingredients aren't already in your pantry. Pick up an extra sponge (you'll be washing lots of dishes) and paperback for the "inactive" time. You won't be disappointed...


Technorati Tags: Hay Hay, it's Donna Day | Food Blog Events | Dessert | Cheesecake