Cherry Clafoutis

Clafoutis aux Cerises

AGAIN with the long delays! I'm nearing the end of my interview tour-- just one more to go in Pennsylvania-- then I'm off to read the posts I so sorely miss. Just wanted to get this one out.
Books, and cookbooks in particular, can get incredibly expensive. Unless you're the type who has patience for the $5 bin where books the likes of "50 Low-Fat Desserts" written by Anonymous languish, you probably suffer through rows and rows of books that cost anywhere between $25 and $50. I suppose the higher cost is justified by the beautiful color plates (an antiquated term, heh) that pictures of food require, hardbound construction, and sturdy pages. Factor in the losses you get from the cookbook fanatic with grubby hands who rips the plastic carelessly (ha ha), and a smaller audience compared to Oprah's book club, and you have even higher costs. (Though in fairness, there are VERY good books in the $25 or less range, you just have to look hard.)

With prices like these, it would be a shame to not use the books, as that is of course where you get the value of your money. And it is finally decided if the book is ultimately worth it and has paid for itself, or if you might as well have burned your fresh $50. Which is why I'm proud of my project with Duncan-- The Gastronomer's Bookshelf-- because various people are able to share their experiences with cookbooks, and not only do readers get to determine what is gold and what is crap before spending the dough, but also, hopefully in the long term, writers and publishers will churn out better and better product.

One of the books I'm currently (mostly) cooking through is the beautifully produced Tartine cookbook, which I got for sale in Manila as it was slightly worn. And really, isn't that the measure of a truly good cookbook? Lisa invited me to bake a bunch of set recipes with her to encourage her to use the cookbook, and I wanted to maximize it as well. (We are not however cooking through it like the guys and gals from Tuesdays with Dorie or Shari's Whisk Wednesdays.) For this month, we started with Clafoutis, as Lisa is Australian and cherries are in season. I got mine imported from Hong Kong/ Australia.

The verdict? Very delicious. Must have eaten half of my cast-iron pan's worth. (By the way, Lodge Cabin, excellent product. First time I used it, the eggy goodness came right off.) Even my brother who typically shuns fruit (berries and cherries in particular) enjoyed his share. Though Tartine recommends pitting the cherries, I decided to keep them in for tradition. My only gripe with the recipe was that it didn't brown the way it looked in the book (my pervasive problem with the cookbook in general), and mine took a little longer to bake.

Now, do you have a particular cookbook you've tried and tested, respected or rejected? I would love to hear your thoughts on what you've dog-eared. (I wonder if any of you will name Tartine like Lisa or I would.) And I hope you guys will eventually share your experience with your cookbook you love (or love to hate) by writing a review on The Gastronomer's Bookshelf! (check out my review of Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics cookbook :P )

Since I'm a bit pressed for time, I'm just going to link to Lisa's beautiful version of this clafoutis for the recipe from Tartine. See you guys hopefully very soon!
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Pineapple Lime Mascarpone Tart

"My life is very monotonous," the fox said. "I hunt chickens; men hunt me. All the chickens are just alike, and all the men are just alike. And, in consequence, I am a little bored. But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life. I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow. And then look: you see the grain-fields down yonder? I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have nothing to say to me. And that is sad. But you have hair that is the colour of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat..."

The next day the little prince came back.
"It would have been better to come back at the same hour," said the fox. "If, for example, you come at four o'clock in the afternoon, then at three o'clock I shall begin to be happy. I shall feel happier and happier as the hour advances. At four o'clock, I shall already be worrying and jumping about. I shall show you how happy I am! But if you come at just any time, I shall never know at what hour my heart is to be ready to greet you... One must observe the proper rites..."
"What is a rite?" asked the little prince.
"Those also are actions too often neglected," said the fox. "They are what make one day different from other days, one hour from other hours. There is a rite, for example, among my hunters. Every Thursday they dance with the village girls. So Thursday is a wonderful day for me! I can take a walk as far as the vineyards. But if the hunters danced at just any time, every day would be like every other day, and I should never have any vacation at all."

Those are my favorite parts of the book The Little Prince, which I realize is predictably schmaltzy on my part but you can also predict that I don't care. There are some good parts after those passages but I kept it essential-- if you haven't read the book yet, I highly recommend it. Far too many people have bought into the whole reality television illusion (The Bachelor and its kin, Rock of Love, and worst of all, Paris Hilton's My New BFF) and foolishly believe that friends and relationships can be formed instantly. You put on your best Sunday frock, make a great first impression, and bam-- you're in love. What Saint-Exupery has shown in this lovely parable is that it takes commitment for trust to form. If you suddenly dropped out-- like, say, NOT POSTING IN YOUR BLOG FOR TWO WEEKS, people will get confused, some will forget who you are, and think that you can't be relied upon. Not what I wanted to happen at all. I hope you'll understand that it's been a little difficult to write (civilization will not advance one iota until blogging is possible on airplanes). I just arrived from Akron, my first interview-- and I'll be telling you about that experience soon.

I will tell you now that as I was sitting in a restaurant alone in my last night in Akron, I did start to feel a little lonely. I've been eating alone in restaurants for years now but for some reason it struck me even more that evening. Though I've become quite comfortable in my singlehood I still understand what Carol (Helen Hunt's character) is saying (yet another schmaltzy movie, and maybe a scene where the music subtracts from it). After I saw a young couple holding hands and such in the icy, deserted streets of Akron, I got a feeling that my meal would have been much more enjoyable if I had someone to share it with and agree/disagree with me, or just have a laugh about the whole experience. While I do enjoy writing about it, you guys not actually being there makes it not the same, of course. I was tempted to have Sonya (my server) sit down and have a chat but of course things like that never happen in real life. Ah, the cold! It makes you think crazy things. Doesn't help that airplane rides make me feel screwy. (Er, interpret that any way you like.)

Actually, I didn't feel any of that, I just wanted to segue smoothly into my OTHER commitment, which is the Blog Rounds, this time hosted by Meloinks of The Philippine Daily Idiot. Nothing too toxic-- just my ten favorite movies. Though they are subject to change with, uh, the release of new movies. In no particular order:

• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - sometimes, instead of dealing with our problems, we live in denial and end up isolating ourselves even more from the ones we love. Also in this movie is the crazy awesome acting of Kate Winslet.


• The Return of the King - the burdens we carry can evolve into something comfortable, something we can't let go of. Liv Tyler's acting is pretty incredible here too. KIDDING! I'm not kidding when I say Sean Astin rocked this one.


• The Joy Luck Club - a must-see for all parents and kids (over 13, I hope). The final scene between June and Suyuan (Ming-Na and Kieu Chinh) just kills me every. Single. Time.


• Spider-Man 2 - ending pretty much killed me, too. Too bad Spider-Man 3 had to erase all the goodwill of this one.


• Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me - this is pretty silly, but it's an innuendo a minute here, so how could I not love it? Takes me back to a time when Mike Myers was still funny, and Heather Graham was still relevant.


• Romy and Michele's High School Reunion - I simply can't not watch this movie when it's on. Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow are just amazing in this one (though I doubt they were acting. By much).


• The 40 Year-Old Virgin - I once thought Steve Carell could do no wrong, but obviously that's not true. Among his hits, this is my most favorite one. Just a very sweet movie, and most importantly, extremely funny.


• The Incredibles - Even though Ratatouille was a lot of fun to watch (obviously), this movie was just perfect in every way. Lots of superpower-fun too.


• X-Men 2: X-Men United - Worth the price of admission for both Alan Cummings and Rebecca Romijn kicking ass in 450 different ways. Like Spider-Man 2, was also the peak of the trilogy.


• As Good As It Gets - 3 people take a risk and get a chance at happiness. By now, quite syrupy by Hollywood standards, but still a stand-out in every way for me.

I am guessing most of you might think this list is too sweet and light-hearted, but didn't you already guess it from the content of my posts?

Pineapple Lime Mascarpone Tart adapted from The Sweet Spot
I have to admit the tart doesn't look like much. Stewing the pineapple didn't preserve their form very well and the fan-like configuration I envisioned left a lot to be desired. But I DID serve this to my mom's friends for a party, and it was gone in no time (some had two slices-- not a common occurrence) and they even asked for the recipe. So maybe you can think of ways to preserve the shape of the pineapple a little better-- like lightly roasting or grilling it. Or reverse the order of the filling (mascarpone on top).

• 64g (1/2 stick or 1/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature


• 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar


• pinch salt


• 1 large egg yolk


• 125g (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and salt together until smooth. Beat in the egg yolk until well combined. Sift the flour over the surface, and using a rubber spatula, blend it in with the butter until all the flour is moistened and the dough just comes together. Dump the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it completely. Press the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Unwrap the dough, let it rest at room temperature for 2 minutes, and place on a lightly floured surface and roll 1/8 inch thick. Lift and rotate the dough a quarter turn after every few strokes, dusting underneath with flour as needed to discourage sticking. Transfer the dough by rolling it loosely over the rolling pin and unrolling over a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. If this is too difficult, you can also press the dough onto the pan with your fingers, making sure it is only 1/8 inch thick throughout. Using the rolling pin or a sharp knife, cut off the excess dough hanging over the sides. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with the tip of a knife or a fork. Bake for 20 minutes. If during baking, part of the dough blisters up, simply deflate it with the tip of a knife. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

• 200g (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) heavy cream, chilled


• 114g (1/2 cup) mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese), at room temperature


• 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar


• 1 tablespoon grated lime zest


• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice


• 2 teaspoons rum, optional

In a chilled bowl and using chilled beaters, whip the cream until it holds medium peaks, about 4-7 minutes (when you lift the beaters, peaks will form but their tips will fall down a bit). In another bowl, beat together the mascarpone cheese, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, and rum until well-combined, about 4 minutes. Add one-third of the whipped cream and mix until combined. Add the remaining cream and fold gently with a rubber spatula until combined. Spread over the cooled tart shell.

• 2 small pineapples, core removed and cut into large spears


• 120g (2/3 cup) muscovado or turbinado sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped for seeds


• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest

In a large pot, place all the pineapple, sugar, salt, and vanilla and place over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to very low and summer gently, stirring every 10 minutes, until the mixture is almost dry, about 1 hour. The mixture should simmer gently and not burn, and the pineapple light golden brown. Remove from heat and cool. Arrange the cooled pineapple decoratively over the top of the tart. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Ideally, take the tart out of the chill for 15 minutes before serving.

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Apple, Cinnamon, and Sultana Strudel

Apfelstrudel mit zimt und sultaninen

Happy new year to everyone! I realize that it appears I dropped off the face of the Earth, and in some respects, that's true. I tunneled through the core and ended up on the opposite side, in sunny, beachy New Joisey, and man is it hot! (Mind over matter.) One of my first thoughts as I was walking away from Newark International Airport was, "OH, MY FUCKING FREEZING FACE!!" (Little do you know that the original thought was, "... my beautiful fucking freezing face.") Pardon the profanity so early on in the year but that was me, and at the time I thought that the nerve endings in my lips had all died. They sorely needed another pair to warm them, hee hee.

But to those who thought I hadn't posted-- au contraire! I have a short essay on my other blog (opens in new window) about Christmas, which you might like to read. But the other reason I've neglected my life in the internets is because I've been working on a print project, which I had to finish before my flight, which was January 1, 7:45AM. I was working with it till almost midnight, with the fireworks polluting my sky. Of course, I was also stocking up on posts for the rest of the year, or at least the next few months. Cooking might become scarce, which makes me a little sad thinking about it, but it might be a necessity in the future-- time will tell.

About two years ago, I never cooked. Okay, maybe I cooked once or twice a year. But I knew to cook in theory from cooking shows and books. In a way, I was afraid that my theory was wrong and I'd end up being a disappointment-- I thought food that remained in my head would be tastier. But something happened, and I can't figure it out, but I took the plunge and picked up the whisk. It was such a joy to find that cooking worked, and it was easy, and the more I did it, the easier it became. And I resolved to cook every dish I loved, everything I craved, so I'd always be able to eat something I wanted. And, as you can no doubt tell, that list is long. (Annnnd mostly desserts, sigh.) The secondary objective was to do all the "special" pastry/cooking techniques at least once. Just so I can put the notches on my bedpost. Or, er, my, uh, rolling pin? (Don't do that, you'll ugly up your doughs.)

Of course, it's not always easy, and sometimes deliberately taking up a challenge is fun, and necessary for growth. Which is part of the reason why I'm in the States looking for a residency-- but that is a topic for another time, dear friends. Sometimes the process of the challenge can be a bit of a bust, but the results, no less delicious, in part because it was a new experience. I'm not huge on regrets. So, to all of you who made 2008 so wonderful-- awesome friends old and new (some of whom heard my voice/met me in person-- w00t!), faithful readers, thank you so much and I hope 2009 will open even more doors for all of us, and build more bridges.

Oh, before anything else, Uncle Rob is asking you guys for your BEST crock pot recipes as Tyler is away. Enter it here and you could win a prize I really want! A pity I don't have that much experience with my crock pot, dammit!

Okay, on to my crisp apfelstrudel. I confess I could have done this using prepackaged filo pastry but 1) filo pastry is not strudel dough, 2) that's no challenge, 3) that's no fun, 4) it won't taste the same. So using Claire Clark's Indulge, I delved in, with a little more help from eGullet (here is Kate's demo) and Food Arts magazine.

The problem was, I didn't have a dough hook (... or a stand mixer), and I though my sinewy, muscular arms could really inflict some punishment on the dough. Insert wonky music here. I kneaded for 15 minutes, but strudel dough, if done by hand, needs extreme punishment: throw it down on the counter and slap it around violently to develop the proteins. I'm still just too gentle in the kitchen. So, when stretching time the next day arrived, we went from this:

To this: (Cue Nelson from The Simpsons: "Ha-ha!")

I admit my technique was destroyed by unthinking panic. I should have been working center-out but I was doing it too haphazardly, and I stressed the good, thin parts out too much before working on the rest of the dough, so in time, they ripped anyway. Also, I don't have a stand mixer!!! Anyway, make sure you've cut your fingernails short and don't have rings/jewelry on when stretching the dough. Use your knuckles, not your fingertips.

Sobbingly dump the filling:

And roll it up, using the tablecloth (uh, so whoever doing the laundry doesn't cry, I used a giant sheet of clean Manila paper). And guess what? You can't even tell there were rips. I was pretty chuffed seeing this.

Use a rimless sheet or your imagination to transfer it to a baking sheet:

And make sure you have a serving platter big enough for your baked lamprey.

And it was really, really good. Fresh flavors, a joy to eat, and gone really quickly. It wasn't as shatteringly crisp as your Hungarian grandma's, but I DON'T HAVE A STAND MIXER (oh, yeah, it's time to go on eBay, heh heh). In fairness, neither would she have, but I don't have European blood that I know of either. If you're feeling wacky and need something fun to do with your family, I highly recommend this! :P

Apple, Cinnamon, and Sultana Strudel from Indulge
The table I used was only about 2 feet by 4 feet (you average large dinner table for 6-8 people will be 3 feet by 5 feet), so I halved the filling amount, but not the dough amount to account for any mistakes in the stretching. As you can see, that turned out to be a good call. Again, consult Kate's demo for more visuals.

• 1.5kg (3lb 5oz) apples, such as Golden Delicious


• 125g (2-3/4 cups unpacked) soft breadcrumbs (I blitzed day-old bread-- use 5
• slices of white bread with crusts)


• 225g (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter


• 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar


• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


• 50g (1/3 cup unpacked) sultanas

Dough

• 300g (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) strong white flour, sifted (I used King Arthur unbleached all-purpose)


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 125-150g (1/2 cup or more by at most 2 tablespoons) warm water


• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil


• 1 medium egg yolk

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour and salt. Start the mixer on low and add the 125g warm water, oil, and egg yolk, mixing to make a smooth paste. If the dough seems dry, add a little more of the 25g warm water. Continue mixing until the dough is very smooth and elastic, about 10-12 minutes. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and knead the dough a little by hand, until it is no longer sticky. Shape it into a ball and wrap in lightly oiled cling film. Leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Core the apples but don't peel them. Slice as thinly as possible (I used my cheap mandoline). Place in a colander to drain off the liquid. Fry the breadcrumbs in a skillet with 100g (7 tablespoons) of the butter until light brown, then cool thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Cover a table with a cotton or linen cloth and secure the corners by twisting and tying the tablecloth under the table. Dust the surface lightly with flour. Lay the dough on the table, at the same time stretching it into a long strip. Roll out the dough until it is roughly 10 inches square. Place your hands palms-down under the dough and stretch it using your knuckles, starting from the center and working your way around the table and gradually to the outer edge of the dough. The dough should be thin enough to read a newspaper through and overlap the whole tablecloth by 1/2 inch. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife (being careful not to be overzealous with the cutting lest you damage your table), gently trim off the thick outermost edge of the dough.

Melt the remaining butter and use about half to brush the dough all over. Evenly sprinkle 2/3 of the dough with the fried breadcrumbs. Mix the apples with the sugar, cinnamon and sultanas, then spread this over the breadcrumbs. Untie the tablecloth's corners and starting from the end with the filling, lift the tablecloth edge and use it to roll the dough as compact as possible. Transfer the roll to a greased nonstick baking sheet and brush with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 30 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Now to visit the over 100 food posts I've accumulated on my reader!!

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