EAT IT TO THE ROOTS (the bleak February edition)
so it was hot hot hot the last time this blog was updated.
it is now far far far from hot. and even the thought of pitchers of fizzy mint limeade seems a little ridiculous.
cold is serious.
cold is demanding.
And as pointed out on a recent very cold morning "The time has come to set aside childish things.”
So fizzy limeade it out. Lemon raspberry meltdown cake is out too. For now.
Their time will come again. But for now food is for comfort. Something to take the bite out of the wind. Something like a warm pair of socks fresh out of the dryer. Flannel sheets. Quilts.
a few foods that have been keeping us comforted around here:
Ultimate Comfort Chocolate* Risotto
This is a simple recipe, but it does take a little patience (lots of stirring). Worth the effort though. Think rice pudding meets hot cocoa.
2 cups Arborio rice
2 vanilla beans split lengthwise (if you can get 'em, using real vanilla beans is worth it!)
6 cups milk (soy milk works too)
1 cup sugar (I did it with 1 cup, but it was pretty sweet - you could probably cut the sugar in half)
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts (I used chopped toasted almonds)
bring the milk, sugar and vanilla beans to a bare simmer over low heat for 10 minutes to infuse vanilla flavor. Remove the bean pods and keep the milk hot.
Heat 2 Tbsp of the butter in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring until the rice is hot, about 2 minutes. Begin adding the hot milk one cup at a time, stirring often and adding more milk when the previous addition has been absorbed. Adjust heat to maintain a nice simmer. It will take about 40 minutes for the rice to become creamy and al dente, it is possible you may not need all of the milk. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, and chopped chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and serve warm.
*The recipe listed here is just straight up chocolate, but there are lots of possible variations you could try - chocolate cinammon, espresso, orange zest...
Deep Dark Secrets Chocolate Cheesecake
Made this cheesecake twice so far. And it was ridiculously delicious both times. I mean ridiculous. Not exactly a traditional winter comfort food. But it's got enough chocolate to sink a ship, so I think it still counts.
crust
24 chocolate wafer cookies (from one 9-ounce package) (chocolate graham crackers work)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
if you want to be extra decadent you can add some ground espresso to the crust too
filling
1 9.7-ounce bar 70% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature (yes 4!!)
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs
ganache topping
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 ounces 70% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
(to accent the chocolate in the cheesecake, you can add a flavor to the ganache - I tried cinammon once and ground espresso the other time, both were good - chile could be interesting, or orange zest, or mint, or??)
crust
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Blend cookies in processor until finely ground; blend in sugar. Add melted butter and process until well blended. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake just until set, about 5 minutes. Cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.
filling
Stir chopped chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool chocolate until lukewarm but still pourable. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder in processor until smooth. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in lukewarm chocolate. Pour filling over crust; smooth top. Bake until center is just set and just appears dry, about 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around sides of cake to loosen. Chill overnight.
ganache topping
Stir cream, 6 ounces chocolate, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over center of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge and filling any cracks. Chill until topping is set, about 1 hour. Do ahead: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with foil and keep refrigerated.
Release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Top with chocolate curls. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before serving.
Best Mashed Potatoes EVER*
we didn't use a recipe for these potatoes, or do too much measuring while we were cooking, so i can't guarantee i have completely accurately represented these potatoes in print, but i think you should be able to get the idea:
a bunch of yukon gold potatoes (cubed - and i think the yukon golds are important)
a ton of fresh garlic (chopped)
butter
half and half
dubliner cheese (grated)
fresh spinach
salt
pepper
boil potatoes until soft. in separate pan melt a bunch of butter, add the garlic, take off the heat and let the garlic infuse in the warm butter. add garlic butter to cooked potatoes. mash. mix in half and half until creamy. add lots of dubliner cheese. at the last minute flash boil some fresh spinach (dunk it in boiling water for approx 30 secs - should be just barely wilted and turn bright green). mix the spinach gently into the potatoes. sprinkle additional cheese on top, and salt and pepper. eat. eat. eat.
*made in honor of sarah's visit! so we had some serious inspiration for these
Stovetop popcorn
not a recipe really, mostly just a reminder about the wonders of homemade popcorn. there is really nothing like it on a cold night.
popcorn
oil
salt
(or garlic salt)
(or parmesan cheese)
pour enough oil to coat entire bottom of pan. add a few kernels. put on the lid. turn on the heat. once you hear the first kernels pop add the rest of the corn. let it pop until most the kernels have popped or your container is full.
kettle corn
we usually just make the recipe for kettle corn up, but i found this version online and it sounds pretty close to our version:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the sugar and popcorn. Cover, and shake the pot constantly to keep the sugar from burning. Once the popping has slowed to once every 2 to 3 seconds, remove the pot from the heat and continue to shake for a few minutes until the popping has stopped. Pour into a large bowl, and allow to cool, stirring occasionally to break up large clumps.
that's what i've got for now.
eat up and stay warm.
