A few weeks back, nudged and prodded by John, I bought a bag of key limes and turned them into pie.

I admit, I felt a tinge of irony serving up a whipped cream fluffed, graham cracker cradled dessert straight from the refrigerator (or “ice box” as it should be known in reference to today’s pie.)

…Kind of like those few times I’ve tried to pull off wearing my mom’s pearls and wound up looking more urban hipster than Jackie-O.

Definitely a Brady Bunch style dessert, key lime pie always seemed like the kind of thing that requires a frilly apron, a picket fence, and a dog that retrieves your paper in the morning, and hence the kind of thing I should avoid with vengeance.

This, along with that distinctive been in the fridge too long taste that seemed to linger over those key lime pies that did cross my lips.

Turns out though, I might have been a wee bit too quick to judge.  Picket fence irony aside, this was one terrific pie.  Zesty and not too sweet, with a heavy dose of fresh key lime juice [be warned, they are a royal pain to juice], the custard here is feather light.  Best of all, besides the crust, there’s no precooking needed – the custard is whipped together and then baked right in the crust.

Yields one 9 inch pie and serves 8-10, frilly apron optional.

{{ Quick aside: Simmer was recently featured on Eat Boutique as part of a What We’re Loving for Mom article.  Check it out HERE, and happy Mother’s Day! }}

One Year Ago: Alice Medrich’s Torta Cioccolata.

Two Years Ago: Lemon, Lime & Lemongrass Roast Chicken.

Classic Key Lime Pie

Adapted from Joy of Baking

For the Crust

• ¼ cups, 125g graham crackers, well crushed
• 2 tbsp, 30g granulated sugar
• 5 tbsp, 70g unsalted butter, melted

For the Lime Filling

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 14 ounce, 390g can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup, 120g freshly squeezed key lime juice (from about 12-15 key limes)
• 2 tsp finely grated key lime zest

For the Whipped Cream Topping

• 1 cup, 240g chilled heavy cream
• 2 tbsp, 30g granulated sugar
• Key lime zest or slices for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the crushed graham crackers, 2 tbsp sugar, and melted butter.  Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie tin.  Bake 10 minutes until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or handheld electric beaters, whip the egg yolks until light and fluffy – 3 to 4 minutes.  Depending on the size of your mixer, you may have to carefully hold the bowl up so the whisk is in contact with the yolks.  Slowly add the condensed milk, and whip until fluffy – another 2-3 minutes.  Whisk in the lime juice and zest.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake 10-15 minutes until set – when you shake the pie slightly, the filling should appear fairly solid; it may jiggle slightly, but shouldn’t slosh around.  Remove and cool on a wire rack 30 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Just before serving, whip the heavy cream until slightly thickened.  Add the sugar and continue whipping until soft peaks form.  Spread the cream over the pie and garnish with lime slices or zest.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I have a gift for you today.  Meet Cava Sangria. 

It’s sunshine.  And flowers.  Pourable, and even portable.  And trust me; you want it in your glass ASAP.

Besides being obviously extremely delicious, refreshing, and totally sassy, I’m also thinking it has magical powers.  An excellent prescription for problems such as:

• The inability to stop fixating the terrifying proximity of one’s 30^th birthday.
• Extreme cases of career related indecision.
• The unhealthy need to clean your already clean apartment.
• The inability to find the perfect Pandora station.

Okay, now that we’ve firmly established how lame most of my problems are, let’s get down to business.

Here’s what we need: A big bottle of cold dry Cava (yes, you can totally use Prosecco, but that would be less Spanish), two tablespoons Grand Marnier (or another tasty orange liquor), one teaspoon rose water (have no fear, I swear it’s awesome), and lastly, one single orange (go ahead and get funky – try a cara cara, a blood orange, or one of those weird looking wrinkly tangerines.)

Here’s what we do:

Start with your orange.  Chop it up into small pieces.  Dump the pieces in your prettiest pitcher along with the Grand Marnier and rose water.

Now, and here’s the fun part, grab a wooden spoon and mash the heck out of the orange.  Really crush it.  Dig deep.  Get it all out.  This is what civilized people call “muddling.”

Next, pop open your Cava.        BANG!       Wasn’t that satisfying?

Pour it in the pitcher with the mashed orange.  Give the whole thing a very gentle stir.  DO NOT kill the bubbles, people.  I implore you: stir with caution.

Now we’re ready to drink.  Grab a glass.  If you’re feeling fancy, you could reach for a wine glass or something tall and thin and pretty.  Or you could be feeling rustic like me, and you could reach for a mason jar.  Whatever the vessel, fill it with ice cubes, and let the sunshine pour.

Garnish with orange slices and pretty purple flowers from you garden, if you’re into that kind of thing.

One Year Ago: Spring Orzo Soup with Favas and Lemon-Mint Pesto.

Two Years Ago: Cherry Clafoutis with Thick Yogurt for Pouring.

Cava Sangria

Adapted from Bon Appétit, May 2012

Makes ¾ liter sangria and serves 2-4.

• 1 orange, cut up
• 2 tbsp grand marnier
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1 bottle cava

Mash the first 3 ingredients together in a pitcher.  Pour over the cava and stir gently.  Serve over ice.

Another dumpling recipe to share today, albeit this one from the opposite side of the world.  Today’s recipe is a dim sum favorite, I’ve never before attempted to make from scratch at home.  Tender-moist, translucent, and dripping with sweet-salty flavor, we scarffed these dumplings along side a meal of steamed sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves and mugs of steaming jasmine green tea. 

Like so many Asian recipes, the vegetable here (lanky green Chinese chives) takes center stage, and the shrimp play a more supporting roll.  If Chinese chives are hard to find in your area, I can imagine a version done with fresh ramps or even green garlic would be fantastic.

As a side note, I’ve tried a few times now to make my own chili sauce by whizzing hot red chilis, garlic, salt, and rice vinegar in the food processor.  Vibrant red (see above), homemade chili sauce reminds me Vietnamese street markets.  I used bird chilies this time, which yielded an *extremely* spicy condiment, not for the faint-of-pallet.  If you go this route, I warn you: inhale with caution while you’re blending – airborne chilies are rather unpleasant in the sinuses. 

One Year Ago: Hot Cross Buns & The Rabbit of Easter.

Two Years Ago: Vietnamese Grilled Chicken & Chocolate Pots de Creme with Nutella Chantilly.

Makes 18 dumplings & serves 4-6.

Shrimp & Chinese Chive Dumpling

Adapted from Andrea Nguyen’s Asian Dumplings

For the Filling

• ½ tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sherry or rice wine
• 3 tsp cornstarch, divided
• 4 ½ oz peeled & deveined shrimp, cut into pea sized pieces
• ½ tsp sugar
• 2 pinches white pepper
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 6 oz Chinese chives (also called garlic chives), trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces (about 1 medium bunch)

Combine the soy sauce, sherry or rice wine, 1 tsp cornstarch, and shrimp in a small bowl.  Set aside to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tsp cornstarch, sugar, white pepper, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and water.  Set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat and add the canola oil.  Add the chives – stir and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.  Add the shrimp and cook about 1 minute more until they have just turned pink.  Transfer to a bowl and chill.

For the Wheat Starch Dough

• 4 ½ oz, 1 cup wheat starch (available in Asian supermarkets)
• 2 ¼ oz, ½ cup tapioca starch (available in Asian supermarkets)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup just boiled water
• 4 tsp vegetable oil

While the filling is chilling, prepare the dough.  Whisk together the wheat starch, tapioca starch, and salt in a medium bowl.  Make a well in the center and pour in almost all the water.  Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gradually incorporate the water into the starches – it should be white, mottled looking, but coherent.  If it looks dry, add the remaining water (I added the full cup.)  At this point, add the oil, and using your hands, form into a rough, slightly bouncy, ball.

Transfer to an unfloured work surface and kneed 1-2 minutes.  The dough should not crack when squeezed – if it does, lightly oil one hand and kneed into the dough.  Divide the dough in thirds and set aside to rest in a plastic bag.

Forming and Steaming the Dumplings

To shape the dumplings, you’ll need two 6-7 inch sheets of plastic lightly oiled on one side and a heavy plate or skillet for pressing.  I cut a zip top bag to use as the plastic sheets. 

For cooking, you’ll need an Asian-style bamboo steamer set over a large pot or wok of simmering water.  Line the steamer trays with parchment paper circles cut just slightly smaller than the trays and lightly oiled.

Working with one section of dough at a time, roll into a cylinder and cut into 6 even pieces.  Form each into a disk.  One at a time, place a disc between the sheets of oiled plastic – oiled side in contact with the dough.  Using the skillet or plate, firmly press the dough into a thin circle, 1/8-1/4 inch in thickness.  Repeat with the remaining discs. 

Place about 1 tbsp chilled filling on each piece of pressed dough.  Fold into a half-moon, pinch the edges closed and crimp or flute decoratively.  Set the formed dumplings on the prepared steamer trays. 

Steam about 7 minutes until puffed and somewhat translucent.

To Serve

• 2 tbsp soy sauce mixed with 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• bought chili garlic sauce
• vegetable oil for pan frying (optional)

Serve the dumplings steamed with soy & vinegar + chili garlic sauce for dipping.  Or, cool the dumplings and pan fry in a small skillet of hot vegetable oil.  (Hot dumplings spatter horribly – don’t try to pan fry them!) 

These dumplings don’t freeze well but can be kept refrigerated up to 3 days – reheat by pan frying or lightly steaming. 

Happy April, Everyone.  I thought I would squeeze in one last winter recipe today before spring.

I grew up eating pierogies (“per-o-gies” for those of you unfamiliar.) Not much Eastern European heritage in my family, but Alberta is famously home to generations of immigrants from the Ukraine & Poland, who brought to Canada not only their farming abilities, but also their food.  Pierogies are a generally a potato and cheese dumpling wrapped in soft pasta-like dough.  They come in many iterations – plain potato, sauerkraut, onion-laced, cheddar, I’ve even seen blueberry – and are generally served either boiled, or lightly pan fried.

I was struck with a horrible pierogi itch a few weeks back, which I scratched with a visit to a local Polish restaurant.   We shared a plate of pierogies, kielbasa, and a mushroom dish at a fire-side table no less.  Charming as the restaurant  was, the pierogies themselves left soemthing to be desired.  Namely: flavor and seasoning.

Of course, I set about a pierogi redemption at home.  The recipe here is flavor-rich with deeply caramelized shallots and scallions plus a little smokey paprika.  Served with crispy fried bacon and a sour cream, they are the ultimate dinner time treat.

Makes about 45 small pierogi which freeze very well.

Two Years Ago: Lemon Brown Butter Cake & Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Girl Scout Style.

Homemade Pierogi with Cottage Cheese, Scallions, & Shallots

Pierogi Dough

• 3 cups, 675g all purpose flour
• 1 cup, 205g cold water
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt

For the Filling & Topping

• 1 lb, 454g Russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
• 4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup, 75g cottage cheese
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika or more to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings

• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Leftover caramelized shallots & scallions (above)
• Crispy fried bacon (optional)
• Grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Make the dough by placing the flour in a medium mixing bowl and forming a well in the center.  Add the water, egg, oil, and salt to the well and, beating with a fork, gradually incorporated the flour into the liquid ingredients until a dough begins to form.  At this point, dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed 10 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough.  Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl.  Cover and let rest 1 hour, while you prepare the filling.

While the dough is resting, boil the potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water until soft.  Melt the butter and oil in a large skillet.  Once hot, add the scallions, shallots, and garlic.  Cook on medium-high heat until soft and aromatic, then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until caramelized – this should take about 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat and cool.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.  Add about 1/3 of the scallion-shallot mixture, the cottage cheese, nutmeg, paprika, and salt and pepper.  Mash everything together until you have a uniform mixture – I like a filling with a little texture, not completely smooth.  Save the remaining scallion-shallot mixture for topping the pierogi.

To form the pierogies, divide the dough in two pieces.  Working with one at a time, roll to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut circles out of the dough using a 4 inch cookie cutter.  Place a rounded tablespoon of filling on each circle and fold into a half-moon shape.  Pinch closed, making sure no air pocket is left inside.  If needed, wet the dough slightly with cold water to seal it.  Repeat with the remaining dough and re-roll the scraps.  Set the finished pierogies on a lightly floured sheet tray and refrigerate until ready to cook or freeze.  Once frozen, the pierogies can be transfered to a zip-top bag.

You’ll likely have leftover filling.  This can be mixed with an egg, formed into patties, and pan fried to make delicious potato pancakes.

To cook the pierogies, boil a large pot of salted water.  Add the pierogies without overcrowding the pan.  For fresh, cook 2-3 minutes until floating.  For frozen, cook 4-5 minutes until floating.  Drain and serve with desired toppings – sour cream or greek yogurt and leftover caramelized shallots & scallions are a must!

Alternatively, boiled pierogies can be lightly pan fried in butter before serving.

I’ve been on a pancake tear lately.  I made pancakes on a Friday this week.  The ability to pull together (and enjoy) a weekend breakfast on a weekday morning, should be some sort of relaxation barometer.  Pancake breakfast enjoyed outside in the mid-March summer sunshine is evidently all I need to skip gleefully off to the office.  I ask so little, really. 

The impetus for these orange beauties came with a pint of leftover sweet potato puree from a kindergarten baking class I taught last week at the Mission Hill School in Roxbury.  The class is planning to open a bakery, and I was invited in as a “consultant” to help with their research and development.  A heavy responsibility no doubt, the class of 5 and 6 year olds peppered me with questions.  Many were dismayed to learn that at Canto 6 we really didn’t make much in the way of birthday cakes or cupcakes, focusing instead on mysterious and strange baked items like croissants and brioche.  Perhaps the best moment of the day came after the class learned I had sold the bakery a few years back.  One small precocious hand shot up, cocked her head, looked me dead in the eyes, and asked: “So, were you just ready to move on?”  Amazing.

Speaking of moving on, back to the pancakes.  The recipe here is adapted from a recipe for pumpkin pancakes from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain.  Any leftover pureed squash or even unsweetened canned pumpkin would work perfectly here.  Tender, lacy-caramelized, and with just a hint of warm spice, we ate these warmly poured with buttered honey instead of maple syrup.  Butter and honey are one of those cinnamon and apple type combinations: ingredients that were clearly destined for one another.  Poured over pancakes, bread pudding, or biscuits (a la Sweet Cheeks BBQ), it’s hard to go wrong here. 

In other pancake related news, I tried this recipe from Not Without Salt last weekend (told you: pancake tear), leavened with yeast instead of baking powder and darkly fragrant with buckwheat.  They require a bit more forethought (yeast), but the results are well worth the work.

Two Years Ago: Spiced Carrot Spread with Ginger & Sesame.

Makes about 18 pancakes and serves 4. 

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice

Sift everything together in a lager bowl.

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2/3 cup pureed sweet potatoes
• Butter for the pan

Whisk together all wet ingredients in a medium bowl, then slowly add to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

To Cook the Pancakes:  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tsp butter and melt to coat.  Using a ¼ cup measure, pour 3-4 pancakes in the skillet – as many as will fit comfortably.  Cook 1-2 minutes or until bubbling, then flip, and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until golden brown.  Repeat with the remaining batter, or cook just as many as you need.  Batter keeps refrigerated up to 2 days.  Serve hot with the warm buttered honey below.

Warm Buttered Honey

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp mild honey
• A good pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a small skillet or pot.  Heat over medium heat until melted and combined.  Serve warm.

This is not the recipe I had in mind to share today.  Instead, I had planned a recipe for homemade pierogies, doctored up with caramelized shallots and scallions.  But, given the sudden burst of summer warmth, blooming trees, and meals eaten outdoors, the idea of frying up a batch of potato dumplings sounds sadly unappealing.  I know folks out West are shaking their snow-dappled heads about now, but here we’re all ready to kick winter out the back door. 

Without further ado, today’s recipe: carrot, ginger, & miso dressing from the latest Bon Appétit.  One of those rare times where I follow a recipe to the T, this little dressing is pretty perfect just as it is.  Salty-rich miso anchors sweet carrots, spicy ginger, and the zip of rice vinegar, with a dash of toasted sesame oil to round things out.  Probably the best salad dressing I’ve made in years, we ate this drizzled over simple barbequed chicken and a salad of lettuce, avocado, snap peas, and cucumber.  Jasmine rice on the side, it’s the kind of meal I could eat over and over. 

Serve over any crunchy greens; avocado of course; lightly roasted broccoli or cauliflower; or on top of grilled salmon, chicken, or tofu. 

Makes about 1 ½ cups dressing. 

One Year Ago: Rhubarb Strawberry Triffle & Milk Jam.

Two Years Ago: Strawberry Galettes with Flakey Pastry & Jam.

Carrot, Ginger & Miso Dressing

From Bon Appétit, April 2012

• ½ cup white miso
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil
• ¼ cup finely grated carrot, packed (I used a large-ish micro plane to grate)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 4 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp honey
• ¼ cup water

Combine all ingredients in large jar and shake, shake, shake.  Alternatively, whisk together in a medium bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to use – dressing keeps well up to 1 week. 

Wish I could say I’ve been otherwise occupied in the kitchen since my last Simmer post, nearly 1 month ago.  But instead of hauling around my measuring spoons, I’ve spent the last month hauling around a plethora of boring paperwork.  In a manic effort to check items off my to-do list, I filed my 2011 tax returns yesterday only to turn around and file an amendment today.  Whoops is the operative word here.  Bureaucracy.  How sweet it is.

Tax dilemmas aside, I also bit the bullet recently, filling out a very long application and writing a very large check, all in the interest of finally becoming a US Citizen.  You’ll be relieved to know I passed my civics and English test this week, and will be officially sworn in April 12.  This means many things for me, not least that I’ll be able to vote (!!!) for the first time in the upcoming November elections.

Those few hours not spent working or climbing the mountain of tax & citizenship paper strewn across my dining room table, have been spent recently reading up on the fascinating and disturbing world of pet food ingredients and politics.  Clearly, after a long day at the office, this is just the type of bedtime reading to lull yourself to dreamland. 

I’ve contemplated making my own dog food for years now, but always abandoned the idea after being terrified and confused by the scads of conflicting information and advice on this subject.  Recently though, my confidence has been buoyed, thanks largely to Marion Nestle’s Feed Your Pet Right.  A complicated subject indeed, I’m curious how many of you out there, those who regularly cook from scratch for yourselves and your families, also cook from scratch for your pets?

Today’s recipe is my first foray into the world of home-cooked dog food.  Treats, I figured, are the easiest place to start – no need to count calories, supplement vitamins, or ration out Omega 3s.  I wanted something with wholesome ingredients, easy to prepare in bulk, and above all without the suspect ingredients or “natural” flavors that seem to be present in all commercially prepared treats these days. 

And the results?  Mom and doggie approved! 

Side Note:  March 1^st marks my two year aniversay on Simmer.  Which means, we’ve crossed into year 3!

One Year Ago: Lemon Sponge Cups; Sweet Potato and Spinach Tart with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese.

Two Years Ago: Raspberry Ricotta Pancakes; Apples Streusel with a Shortbread Crust.

Homemade Dog Treats

Makes about 100 small dog treats. 

• 4 oz chicken livers
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups rolled oats
• ½ cup coarsely grated carrot, peel on (about 2 small-medium carrots)
• ½ cup coarsely grated apple, peel on (about one apple)
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp vegetable shortening (or substitute with lard or leftover bacon fat)
• 1 egg
• 2 – 4 tbsp cold water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper.  Combine the chicken livers, flour, oats, carrot, apple, peanut butter, and shortening in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until crumbly.  Add the egg and 2 tbsp water and pulse until the dough comes together.  Pinch a small piece of dough together with your fingers to see if it holds – if it still seems too dry or crumbly, add another 2 tbsp water and pulse again. 

Dump the dough out on the counter and form into two balls.  Working on a well floured surface, roll each ball out to approximately ¼ inch thickness.  At this point, you can either use a sharp knife to cut the dough into rectangles, or cut out any shape you like using a cookie cutter. 

Arrange the cut treats on the prepared baking sheets – they won’t spread much, so can be placed fairly close together.  Bake in batches, 15 minutes total, rotating the sheets halfway through baking.  Once cooled, pack the treats in an air tight container and refrigerate up to 1 week.  Treats can also be frozen up to 2 months – thaw before serving!  (I froze most, and kept only what I need for the week in the refrigerator.)

Have you all seen this commercial for “Lurpak Lightest,” an incredible eat your veggies mantra, masquerading as a commercial for reduced-fat Danish butter? My colleague Kim is rolling out a “Give the Healthy Choice a Voice” competition for BPS students this spring, and in that context, I’ve been humming the healthy doesn’t have to taste hum-drum tune the past couple weeks at work.  The commercial which, like all internet-based discoveries, came to me via John, is the work of Dougal Wilson, who also directed this charming little Christmas number.

In the spirit of peel-peel-peel-peel peeling! and roast-roast-roast-roast roasting!, I set about cooking up a warming pot of soup this past weekend.  The recipe is inspired by this contest winner from Food 52, albeit with parsnips sneaked in alongside the carrots.  Sadly though, the Lurpak commercial left me not only with a hankering for some colorful vegetables, but also for some butter.  Here, it’s in the form of a browned butter drizzle spiced with intense crimson red chili powder Kim carried back from a recent trip to India.  [Pictured above: so fresh, you can see the oils & moisture in a chili that's worlds apart {cough, cough} from supermarket chili powder.] This, along with a scattering of toasted pepitas left over from a recent batch of granola, made for a fragrant and creamy pot of still relatively healthy winter soup.

I realize, for me, this is a somewhat ironic recipe choice for Ash Wednesday, aka the first day of Lent.  Be that as it may, it’s a perfect choice for any of you who celebrated Mardi Gras or as we Canadians like to call it, Pancake Tuesday, yesterday.  Happy eating and/or fasting to all!

One Year Ago: Poha with Yogurt & Honey Fried Bananas + Savoy Cabbage Dolmas with Eggplant.

Makes about 1 quart of soup and serves 4-6.  

Roasted Carrot & Parsnip Soup (adapted from Food 52)

• 5 cups good tasting chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 10 oz each carrots and parsnips (I used about 6 small carrots and 3 medium parsnips), peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
• Spicy brown butter (recipe below) & toasted pepitas for topping

Preheat the broiler.  Combine the stock, thyme, and ginger in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes to infuse the stock with flavor.  Meanwhile, toss the carrots and parsnips with 2 tbsp olive oil and a little salt.  Place on a sheet tray about 2 inches from the flame and broil, stirring every 5 minutes, until browned and somewhat softened – about 15 minutes total.  Browning the vegetables here is key to the deep flavor of the soup. 

While the carrots and parsnips are roasting, place the onions and the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium soup pot and cook over medium-low heat until slightly caramelized – about 10-12 minutes total.

Once the carrots and parsnips are roasted add them, along with the garlic to the cooked onions.  Remove the ginger and the thyme from the stock and add this also.  Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes until the vegetables are quite tender.  Puree with an immersion blender or transfer to the food processor and process in small batches.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.  Serve topped with a drizzle of the spicy brown butter and a few toasted pepitas.

Spicy Brown Butter

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¼ tsp fresh ground chili (use chili flakes  or very finely chopped fresh chili if you can’t find a good ground chili)
• Dash of salt
• Dash of smoked paprika

Place the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Watch the butter closely – it will first melt, then sizzle, and then, as it becomes quiet, it will take on a brown color and begin smelling like toasted nuts.  Once the butter reaches this point, transfer to a small dish and stir in the remaining ingredients.  The butter can be made several days ahead and kept refrigerated.  Before serving, microwave a few seconds to warm.

Hugo woke up with a bit of a puppy hangover on Wednesday  morning.  In a Marley & Me-esque moment, he consumed an entire box of Valentine’s Day chocolates, box, ribbon, and all on Tuesday.  I arrived at my desk to find a phone message, an email, and a text from John, all somewhere along the lines of “HELP! DOG ATE ENTIRE BOX OF CHOCOLATE.  What should I do????”  Vets were called, work was missed, and many rolls of paper towels were used.  Hugo shook it off just fine; a little worse for the ware from a sleepless night and an empty stomach, but my little angel will live to see another day.

Needless to say, we are all very much relieved. 

In need of some near-death experience consolation, I embarked on a little baking project this weekend:  a plump pan of pull apart rolls twisted with poppy seeds, butter, sugar, and lemon zest, which were inspired by this pull-apart lemon loaf on Leite’s Culinaria.  A little patience (hello, yeast dough) is rewarded with tender and melting rolls perfect for a breakfast or a just a sweet treat.  Not to worry, I’m keeping these well out of paw’s reach.     

One Year Ago: Chicken and Spatzel with White Wine & Creme Fraiche, Roasted Mushroom Soup with Barley and Kale. 

Makes 12 rolls & serves 4-6. 

Pull Apart Lemon Poppy Seed Sweet Rolls

For the Sweet Roll Dough

• 2 ½ cups + 2 tbsp / 355g all purpose flour  (+ more for rolling)
• ¼ cup / 50g granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ tsp / 1 package dry active yeast
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup / 70g whole milk
• 4 tbsp / 56g unsalted butter
• ¼ cup / 56g water
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the Lemon Poppy Seed Filling

• ½ cup / 100g granulated sugar
• finely grated zest of 3 small lemons (about 3 tbsp)
• finely grated zest of 1 medium orange (about 1 tbsp)
• 3 tbsp poppy seeds
• 3 tbsp / 42 g unsalted butter, melted

For the Lemon Glaze

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Begin by making the dough.  Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment.  Mix to combine.  Combine the milk and butter in a small sauce pan over low heat and heat just until the butter is melted.  Alternatively, melt together in the microwave.  Allow to cool slightly, then whisk in the water, eggs, and vanilla extract. 

Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until a dough forms.  Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and kneed until no longer sticky – 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size – approximately one hour.  Punch down the dough and set in the refrigerator overnight. 

The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 inch spring form cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.  Make the filling by combining the sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, and poppy seeds in a small bowl.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, working on a lightly floured surface, pat into a rectangle.  Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 20 inches long and 10 inches wide; keep the longer side facing you.  Brush the dough with melted butter and evenly sprinkle over the lemon-poppy mixture. 

Roll the dough over itself beginning at the side closest to you, forming a spiral.  Cut the spiral into 12 even pieces.  Transfer the rolls to the prepared pan, spiral side up, tucking any loose ends under each roll.  Be sure to evenly space the rolls as they will expand – I did 9 around the edge and 3 inside the circle. 

Cover the rolls with a clean dish towel and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size about 1 to 1 ½ hours.  Bake the rolls 30-35 minutes until golden brown. 

While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl.  Once cooked, transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool 5 to 10 minutes, then drizzle over the glaze while still warm.  Serve warm or room temperature – the rolls are best eaten the day they are made. 

I finally packed away the Christmas decorations yesterday.  Figured V-Day roses and a plate full of holiday cards couldn’t sit next to each other on the dining room table.  Cheesy as it is, I kind of like Valentine’s Day.  It’s an excuse to buy treats for the dog, cut our paper hearts, and make something delicious. 

This year, I tried Nigel Slater’s recipe for hot chocolate puddings.  The dark horse ingredient here is two heaped tablespoons of nutella, which adds some nutty depth to these warm and oozy chocolate cups.  For anyone who likes chocolate, this is a weak in the knees kind of dessert.

Speaking of weak knees & love.

This little mop-head is in desperate need of a trim.  Happy V-Day from me & my fuzzy valentine.  xx

Not the treat you were looking for?  Here’s a few more V-Day options from the achives:

chocoalte:

1. alice medrich’s torta cioccolata
2. chocolate sables
3. chocolate divine {flourless chocolate cake bliss}
4. chocolate pots de creme with nutella {!} chantilly
5. drunken fig truffles

non-chocolate:

1. cream puffs
2. plum frangipane tart {sub the plums with pears or frozen rasperries}
3. easiest fresh strawberry tart with a gingersnap crust {if you find good looking berries, go for it; if they’re not looking too hot, cook briefly with a pinch of sugar to soften and sweeten}
4. cherry clafoutis {use any frozen red berry this time of year}
5. lemon sponge cups {dress them up with a few berries + some whipped cream}

One Year Ago: Drunken Fig Truffles.

Hot Chocolate Puddings

• 7 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (Nigel Slater calls for 1/2 cup – add more if you like sweeter desserts.)
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 heaping tbsp nutella, or another chocolate hazelnut paste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter 4 6oz ramekins. 

Place the chocolate and the butter in a metal bowl set over just simmering water (or use a double boiler if you have one.)  Stirring occasionally, leave it to melt.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar and the egg yolks in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until creamy, frothy, and pale yellow – this will take a minute or two.  You can also use a handheld electric mixer to do this.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peak form.

Once the chocolate is melted, add the nutella and stir to incorporate.  Remove from the heat and fold the chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolks.  Gently fold in the beaten whites – make sure there are no visible streaks of whites left. 

Divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins and bake 12 to 15 minutes until risen.  The tops should be cracked, but the centers still melty.  Serve warm, topped with a little cocoa or powdered sugar.  Leftovers are delicious cold with a small pour of cream.