January 2009—Julia & Nanci

Warm and Comfy Gourmet
January 2009—Julia & Nanci


Iceberg Wedge with Bleu Cheese Dressing
Cream of Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese “Croutons”
Mac & Cheese
Chicken Pot Pie

Ding Dongs
Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Iceberg Wedge with Bleu Cheese Dressing

2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tbsp onion, finely minced
1 tsp garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely minced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 cup crumbled bleu cheese

Mix all ingredients together and serve over wedges of iceberg lettuce.


Cream of Tomato Soup
The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition
Serves 4

Make sure to use canned whole tomatoes that are not packed in puree; you will need some of the juice to make the soup.

2 (28)-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained, 3 cups juice reserved
1 1/2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 large shallots, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Pinch ground allspice
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp brandy or dry sherry (I did not use)
Salt and cayenne pepper

Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 450°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Seed the tomatoes and spread in a single layer on the foil. (Seed tomatoes over a strainer set in a bowl and push out the seeds, allowing the juices to fall through the strainer. Set the juice aside.) Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar. Bake until all the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes begin to color, about 30 minutes. Let the tomatoes cool slightly, then peel them off the foil; transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the shallots, tomato paste, and allspice. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Whisking constantly, gradually add the chicken broth; stir in the reserved tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes. Cover, increase the heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend the flavors, about 10 minutes.

Strain the mixture into a medium bowl; rinse out the saucepan. Transfer the tomatoes and solids in the strainer to a blender; add 1 cup of the strained liquid and puree until smooth. Combine the pureed mixture and remaining strained liquid in the saucepan. Add the cream and warm over low heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the brandy and season with salt and cayenne to taste. Serve immediately. (The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days. Warm over low heat until hot; do not boil.)


Grilled Cheese

We know you all know how to make grilled cheese—but here goes…

Slices of bread, we used sheepherders
Cheese, thinly sliced, we used white cheddar
Butter

Preheat a skillet on medium heat. Evenly distribute a layer of sliced cheese between two slices of bread. With the sandwich together, spread a thin layer of butter on the outside of the top piece of bread. When the skillet is hot, place the sandwich in the skillet, butter side down. Then spread a thin layer of butter on outside of the top piece of bread. Cover with a piece of foil and place a heavy pan on top of the sandwich. This will compress the sandwich like a panini. When the bottom of the sandwich is brown, flip and replace the foil and pan on top of the sandwich. Remove when the second side is browned.


Mac & Cheese

16 oz pasta (I use penne but you can use whatever)
2 cups fontina cheese (grated and packed in measuring cup)
3/4 cup mozzarella (grated and packed in measuring cup)
1 1/4 cup parmesan (finely grated and packed in measuring cup)
2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups milk
4 tsp flour
1/2 tsp salt (plus extra for boiling water)
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 450°. Butter a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Cook pasta in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. Pasta will still have a bite to it.

Whisk together the cream, milk, salt, and pepper until blended. Then stir in 1 cup fontina, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and 3/4 cup parmesan. Add the pasta and stir to coat the pasta. Pour into the buttered baking dish.

In a small bowl, add the remaining cheese and sprinkle over the pasta in the baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes and then let set for another 10 minutes.

(I add more cheese to the top because you get a better “crust” when baked.)


Chicken Pot Pie (Chicken Stew with Biscuits)
Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Serves 8

“I’m a big believer in recipes that can be served in lots of ways. It takes the stress out of cooking when I know how to make a dish. This is essentially the filling for a chicken pot pie topped with homemade biscuits; you can substitute any pot pie filling, such as the one for lobster pot pie (The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook) or vegetable pot pie (Barefoot Contessa Parties!).”

For the Stew

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
3 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes
1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

For the Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10x13x2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley.

Dump the dough out on a well-flowered board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.


Ding Dongs

The Crow Bar and Restaurant in Corona del Mar has a Ding Dong on their menu. This dessert is based on that idea but pieced together with recipes we found: chocolate cake, chocolate glaze and mascarpone mousse. The chocolate cake is from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home. We’ve included Ina’s chocolate frosting that goes with this cake, but we didn’t use it. The chocolate glaze is from a dessert at Michael’s in Santa Monica. Instructions for making the ding dongs are at the end.

Chocolate Cake
Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa at Home

Butter for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
Chocolate Frosting
Barefoot Contessa at Home

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup dark com syrup
9 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.

Mascarpone Mousse
4 ounces mascarpone
2 Tbsp sugar
2 cup (450 ml) heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar

With electric mixer, blend the mascarpone and 2 Tbsp sugar in bowl until smooth and creamy.

Whip the heavy cream with the 1/4 cup sugar to stiff peaks.

Stir a small amount of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it. Add the remaining whipped cream and gently fold together until well combined.

Ding Dong Assembly:

Line an 11x 17-inch jelly roll pan with parchment and butter parchment paper. Prepare cake batter as directed. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool in pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Using a round biscuit cutter (ours was 3-inches), cut out cake rounds. On the top of each small cake, remove a “divot” with a paring knife or spoon. Place two cake rounds together, one on top of the other, divot sides together, creating a cavity in the middle of the cake. Place cakes on a wire rack over baking sheet.

Make chocolate glaze according to directions. Using a portion of the glaze, spread glaze over top and sides of cake. Freeze until almost set, about 3 minutes. Pour remaining glaze over cakes; smooth sides and top. Chill until glaze is firm, about 1 hour.

Immediately before serving, use a pastry bag and tip to inject the cavity created by the divots with the mascarpone mousse.


Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
Suzanne LeFevre

Last summer one of my sisters sent my other sisters and me a recipe she found in the New York Times for Jaques Torres’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. Among other things, that recipe called for two types of flour, Valrhona fèves containing at least 60% cacao and required that you make the dough 24-36 hours prior to baking. She wanted one of us to make up this recipe and let her know if it was better than the Toll House recipe on the Nestles bag. In response, I sent her this “Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie” recipe. My biggest problem with the recipe she sent is the ‘at least 24 hours chilling’ requirement. That does not lend itself to spontaneous cookie baking. And since cacao, bittersweet or otherwise, has not passed my lips in over 20 years, I am not able to give personal recommendations as to the deliciousness of any recipe for chocolate chip cookies. But, this “Best-Ever” recipe is from my neighbor, Suzanne LeFevre. She’s brought these cookies over to us on several occasions that happened to have been at different times when Allen’s sister, Tamera, and my sister, Shauna, were visiting. Both Shauna and Tamera raved about how they were the best chocolate chip cookies they’ve eaten. I recently gave the recipe to Allen’s sister, Anna, and she called back to say that they were the best she’s had. There you go…three independent opinions. My sister then proceeded to conduct a very scientific study—a bake off of the two recipes. The judges were selected from a renowned group from a range ages, all of whom pride themselves at being expert cookie tasters, eaters and chocolate enjoyers, namely her husband, mother-in-law, and kids. Hands down, Suzanne’s recipe was the winner. Here it is for you.

(Suzanne got this recipe from a cookbook from Utah, so it works great for high altitude. For those of us in the low lands, make adjustments to the flour as noted below.)

This cookie recipe will become your all-time favorite.

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour (less 3 Tbsp for those in lower altitudes)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 (12-oz) bag chocolate chips (Nestles)

Cream together butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto greased cookie sheet by heaping tablespoons. Bake at 350° F. for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Makes about 3 dozen.