Madeleines

Soft, little sponge cakes with their telltale toasty scalloped top. These are madeleines, a French bakery treat from the Lorraine region bordering Germany. The first references to the cake (but what we consider a cookie) appear in the 18th century. It came into popularity in the finest Parisian homes by the mid to late 19th century. By the early 20th century, Marcel Proust made use of these little darlings in his Á La Recherche du Temps Perdu, or In Search of Lost Time, in which he refers to involuntary memories that instantly emerge from a taste or smell. His experience remembering his aunt arrived from the sweet bite of a madeleine.

Right out of the oven...

Or, so the story goes. A recent article in The Guardian suggests that in earlier drafts, Proust exemplified his memory through toast with honey and a biscotto, madeleines being his third choice.

But no matter. These delicate little things are show stoppers. They are often sweet with a slight dusting of powdered sugar. They are also frequently dipped in chocolate. But you can often find recipes that are savory as well. Add rosemary and Parmesan or yogurt and chives. You can get creative with the basic batter and incorporate just about anything. How about bacon? Because everything’s better with bacon.

For this kind of a frou-frou recipe, I turned to Martha Stewart and Ina Garten and chose the parts of their basic recipes I liked best. Ina added cornstarch while Martha didn’t. Martha had lemon zest while Ina added coconut. One asked for three eggs, the other four.

madeleine pan

The big issue is to have the proper molded pan on hand. You can’t make true madeleines without it. And, make sure when you spoon the batter into each crevice that you don’t overfill it. You want the mixture to puff up and pop out (with the help of a little brushed on melted butter so the cake won’t stick). Otherwise, you get this brown-edged oaf instead of a delicate puff.

Here’s the recipe:

1/2 c. melted butter (1 stick), plus more for pan

1 c. sifted flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 lemon, juice and grated zest

4 large eggs

2/3 c. sugar

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt a little bit of butter to coat your madeleine pan. Then, melt the rest of the butter and let cool.

Sift flour into a mixing bowl with baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla with lemon juice and zest until pale yellow and fluffy. Fold in the butter and then add the flour mixture a little at a time. Once incorporated, let it sit covered in the refrigerator for a half hour.

When ready, spoon mixture into pan. Bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Cool on racks and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

As American As Apple Pie…

Pie. The word usually summons culinary visions of yummy goodness, sweet or savory. Unless that word is preceded by the word “cow.” Then, it’s a far less than enticing meal. Hand pies are also a different story. Often called empanadas or turnovers depending on their ingredients, it’s still a folded piece of dough over a filling. It’s just hand-sized, obviously.

The recipe has had many iterations over the years. Some pies are open with a solid filling like pumpkin or pecan. Some have another topping like meringue or whipped cream. And, some are topped with another layer of dough like peach, blueberry, or chicken for the savory portion of our pie story.

But, let’s not forget about the tart equation. Tarts are often lumped together with the pies in the dessert section. As open pies, their crusts tend to be different—cornmeal or graham cracker, for instance. Tarts are often baked in a fluted pan to give it that scalloped edge. Fancy little things, aren’t they?

The galette is the French solution to having a pie a little quicker. According to some food historians, the galette was probably the earliest attempt at pie. Over the years, baking pans were added as was the top layer. But a galette is still dough rolled out with filling, a little bit of sugar and butter, and tossed together at the edges. The folded edges rather than a top layer mean one less extra step (and less dough to make). Bake it and you’re done, my friend!

Unlike other fruit pies, apple is one of those recipes that if you say you don’t really like it, you’re just flat-out un-American. Like, what’s wrong with you, man? Everybody likes apple pie. There are some who drool over pie the moment you mention it. Others, like former Slate writer Nathan Heller, believe pie is nothing more than a “fragile dough” on your plate that “literally leaks fruit.”

Courtesy of The New York Times

While I’ve never been forced to eat pie at a backyard barbecue, I can’t say that I eat it all that often. Frankly as a home cook, it has eluded me. I’ve always seen baking a pie as this arduous task that only people with a lot of time on their hands can produce. Today, I finally carved out the time to make an apple pie. Gotta say, it wasn’t all that bad. A little time-consuming, yes. But honestly, I’ve had worse. A certain Thomas Keller recipe for salmon cornets comes to mind…

Here’s the recipe:

Dough:

2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour

½ lb. butter (2 sticks)

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 TB crème fraiche

ice water

Filling:

4 lb. apples (Golden, Granny, Cortland, Macoun)

½ lemon, squeezed for juice

½ c. sugar (plus more for sprinkling)

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp ground ginger

pinch of salt

5-6 knobs of butter

1 egg, plus water for wash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the dry ingredients for the dough in a food processor. Pulse a few times to incorporate. Add the butter until granular and then add the egg. Stream in the ice water a little bit at a time until the dough is soft and pliable. Roll out onto a floured surface. Knead for 5-10 minutes, adding extra flour if need be. Wrap in plastic and let rest for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, peel, cut, and core the apples into chunks, wedges or slices (your preference) into cold water with lemon juice. Let sit while you roll out the bottom layer of the pie. Place in a greased 9” round baking dish and push the sides down so that it takes the shape of the pan. Drain the apples and mix with the spices, sugar, and salt. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish. Roll out the top layer and place it on the baking dish. Use your rolling pin to pinch down the sides to separate excess dough. Crimp the edges, brush on egg wash, dust with a little more sugar. Cut vents in the top for steam. Put in a baking sheet to catch any extra drippings. Should be good in about 45-60 minutes.

Enjoy a la mode or just by itself. Actually, I may eat it over the counter standing up…

Ravioli

Ravioli is a favorite dish at my house. My girls always squeal with delight whenever I serve them. It doesn’t matter what kind—spinach, mushroom, cheese, or even lobster. Serve it with a fresh tomato sauce or butter and sage. It is as much a comforting dish in winter as it is a light dish served with fresh ingredients in the summer. It all depends on what you like.

Ravioli have been around for centuries in one iteration or another. Chinese dumplings? Essentially ravioli. Pierogis? Yup, that too. The first known mention of the ravioli we’ve come to know and love was found in 14^th century Italian texts. The Maltese “ravjul” with “irkotta” stuffing is the only older mention. Other versions of ravioli appear in southern France, Turkey, and India. Ravioli are typically square but can often be found round or half-moon shaped.

Your best bet is to make the pasta dough and let it rest. Make sure you roll it out thin enough, but not so thin that it breaks. This is the tricky part of working with ravioli. You’ll be doubling up the pasta because you’re filling the middle. So, it can’t be so thick that the filling almost gets lost in a barge load of dough. But too thin, it could break once it hits the boiling water. And, don’t forget the egg wash. It’s an oft-forgotten step. We’re so eager to get them into the pot that we neglect to stick the ingredients together. Makes a nice mess.

Here’s the recipe:

Special equipment:

Ravioli mold and rolling pin

Dough:

2 c. all-purpose flour

5 eggs

¼ olive oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

cold water, if necessary

Filling:

4 oz. fresh mushrooms (Portobello, cremini, shitake, oyster, etc.)

1 TB olive oil

½ tsp parsley, minced

½ tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Fill the food processor with the flour, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times to mix thoroughly and sift the flour. Add the eggs and oil. You may need to add a bit of cold water if the mixture is a little dry. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface. Knead for about 5-10 minutes, adding more flour if needed. Wrap in plastic and let it sit for at least an hour before working with it.

Then, after rinsing out the food processor, fill it with the mushrooms. Keep it going until the mushrooms essentially form a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse a few times for good mixture. Set aside.

Unwrap the dough and roll it onto a floured surface. Have more flour on hand, if needed. I use a pasta machine to flatten the dough out, but you can just use a rolling pin if you desire. When ready, place the dough on the mold and press down to make divots. Fill the depressions with the mushroom paste. Egg wash the edges. Place the next piece of dough on top. Roll out, pressing down to make sure the edges fit together and the ravioli have separated. Place the individual ravioli on to a baking sheet with a little extra flour so they don’t stick together.

Cook them in salted, boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Serve with your favorite sauce immediately. 

Kung Pao…Anything

There are certain sauces that can top almost anything. Tomato. Béarnaise. Cheese. But there’s one dressing that kicks up just about any food group: Kung Pao. It’s got a little heat and a little sweet with a touch of umami. It’s a fun mixture of chili sauce, honey, and soy. 

Sure, you can put it with chicken. But why not try it as a marinade for flank steak or even shrimp skewers? Any kind of protein will take nicely to the sauce. But I think the best use is for vegetables. Try it sautéed with broccoli rabe or bok choy. How about cauliflower steaks or Brussels sprouts? I did the sprouts in Kung Pao last Thanksgiving and it was a real hit.

It’s a versatile sauce that you can add cornstarch to or not. I actually prefer it without. Sometimes, I stir in a little more sambal oelek or Sriracha if I want to turn up the heat, add more soy to calm it down, or more honey to sweeten it up. Play with the percentages to see which taste you like better. If you don’t have honey, dark brown sugar will suffice. Adding peanuts gives it a crunch element, although you can just add a tablespoon of peanut butter if you like the nut taste but not the texture. Neither one is necessary, however.

Either way, it’s a great base to start with and certainly takes the doldrums out of cooking dinner.

Here’s the recipe:

½ c. soy sauce

3 TB honey

2 TB sambal oelek

1 TB oil (canola or peanut)

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 TB ginger, minced

1 TB scallions, chopped