Michelle's Kitchen in Toronto - Road Trip to Niagara

A few weekends ago I was lucky enough to take a trip to Niagara with fellow blogger Sasha, her mother, her mother's friend and our dear friends Shannon, Lisa and Lisa's husband Jeff. Lisa, Shannon, Jeff and I drove down on the Friday night and stayed at the lovely Hilton Doubletree in Niagara Falls. The next morning we drove to meet Sasha and her party at Inniskillin. You can read about Sasha's impressions of Inniskillin in her article.

After Inniskillin, we headed to Lailey where the wonderful Derek Barnett guided us through his beloved winery. Derek's passion for winemaking was clear to us from the very beginning. His enthusiasm and verve were evident the whole afternoon!

Derek and I really bonded over our mutual passion for local, sustainable eating and drinking; as well as our passion for Ontario wines and pairing them with food. For those of you unfamiliar with Canadian wine, there is a reason why; most of it never sees its way out of the country or into a Canadian liquor store! Lailey is a small winery that sells most of its wine out the door; only a few varieties (such as the VQA Pinot Noir) ever see the inside of an LCBO liquor store, and the bottles that do can only be found in the Vintages section as production at these boutique vineyards is so small, the price can become high for retail. Lailey specifically trains their vines to curtail and control growth, which also makes it expensive for them to grow the grapes.

After our tour, we got down to some serious tasting. Derek first brought out two Chardonnays for us to try; the 2008 Brickyard and the 2008 Canadian Oak. I absolutely did not realize how different the soil can make in the taste of wine, but it was clearly demonstrated to us at Lailey! Though grown in the same year, the Brickyard grapes were grown in red clay soil and the Canadian Oak grown just a few dozen metres away in looser, more aerated soil. Most of our party preferred the citrus notes of the Canadian Oak, however I and a few others preferred the smoothness and textures to the Brickyard. Derek is determined not to sacrifice flavour for alcohol or sugar content; either of which can overwhelm delicate flavours; especially in whites.

Our next tasting was a revelation to me. Derek brought out two Pinot Noirs for us to compare; again from the same year but different soil. The 2008 Pinot (which is usually the Lailey wine most likely to be found at the liquor store) was ruby red in colour and quite lovely and jammy; a wonderful wine all around thoroughly enjoyed by our party.
My revelation came with the 2008 Brickyard Pinot Noir. Right away, the colour was more of an earthen red and I could see the difference the red clay soil made. Honestly, I could have sat at that table all day without drinking - simply smelling that wine. I just looked at Derek and smiled. It was like vanilla and violets in a glass; it tasted like I would imagine the colour purple would taste in food form. I told Derek that the wine reminded me of the African Violets my Granny used to keep when I was a child. All of a sudden, Derek got the biggest smile on his face, lighting up like a child on Christmas morning who knows he got a bike under the tree.

He asked if I wanted to try other reds and I readily agreed. All of a sudden, wine was coming at us with the enthusiasm of a man who knows he's found an appreciative audience; people who appreciate his art.
So began my journey; and the journey of our table. Next came the revelatory 2007 Meritage, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. This was my favorite Lailey red by far; the notes of violets and vanilla were a bit stronger here and I ended up buying a bottle. To me, this was joy in a glass! This wine begs for lamb or a steak to go with it, or just to be sipped before a fire or on a sunny patio.

Before this trip, I had never tried an aged wine (I know, I'm a bad foodie!) and had told Derek that as we were discussing the Pinots and how the flavours change with aging. The dear man brought in a 2002 Merlot with gorgeous jamminess and vanilla hints, a 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon which was redolent of potatoes, grass, earth and ocean. It sounds odd, but it was absolutely delicious!

Next came what we were actually meant to be tasting that day; the icewines. Another revelation to us all. Along with the other vintage red wines he brought out, Derek was generous enough to bring out the very last bottle of Lailey's 2001 Riesling Icewine. It had a tropical aroma with dried fruit flavours like fig and dates. It had this beautiful amber colour with a thicker consistency from the aging. Lisa rightly described it as drinking liquid gold.

From there, we went from an aged icewine to a relatively young one; the 2007 Vidal icewine. It was a deep yellow gold colour and had an amazing aroma and flavour of lychee and peaches. I also picked up a couple of bottles of this one. I still haven't decided if I should drink it or age it!

I had no idea before this trip that aging icewine was an option, but Derek explained that the fruity tropical elements give way over time to more dried fruit flavours, and the colour goes from gold to amber.

Last, but certainly not least came something special I had never tried; a red icewine. We tasted the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon icewine which had a lovely cheese aroma with jammy and berry-like tones to it; strawberries, blueberries, cherries. An amazing new experience and I know many of our party loved this one as well.

We were so lucky to have this unique experience at Lailey; this was certainly not an ordinary wine-tasting. Derek's knowledge and infectious enthusiasm for his product and region were such a joy to behold. Thank you so very much to Derek and all those at Lailey who gave us such a special afternoon. I will never, ever forget it and will hopefully be back at Lailey with my family later this year to stock up!

Michelle's Kitchen in Toronto - Road Trip to Niagara

Sasha's Kitchen: Salmon, Asparagus & Basil Pesto Sushi Rolls

I love making homemade sushi rolls.  The first time my husband, Brad, and I made our own sushi, it turned out so well that he proposed to me after the meal.  Thus, homemade sushi is near and dear to our hearts.  I can't help but remember that wonderful night every time Brad and I prepare sushi.  Last night,  I tried a couple of offbeat rolls that vary from the typical rolls you might find in sushi restaurants.  The salmon, asparagus and homemade basil pesto rolls was especially savory and delicious.  It was fairly easy to make and was one of our favorite new rolls.  We plan to do another night of sushi tonight, using some different fish and combinations, so stay tuned for another sushi post in the next day or two.


Sasha's Salmon, Avocado & Pesto Sushi Rolls
6 oz sushi grade salmon (I always get a bit extra, as this is enough for 4 people, for about 8 rolls); ask for the salmon to be skinned
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
several stalks of asparagus
1 1/2 cups of sushi rice  (this will be enough to make 4-5 sushi rolls)
3 T seasoned rice vinegar
sushi nori (seaweed)

First, prepare the rice.  You will need to spend about 15 minutes rinsing and re-rinsing the sushi rice until the water runs clean before using it.  This is important to allow the rice to have the right color and flavor so you should not skip this step.  Then, add the one and a half cups of rice to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Simmer, covered, the same way you would cook regular rice.  Once the rice is done, mix in the seasoned rice vinegar and allow the rice to cool.

Prepare the pesto by combining the basil, pine nuts, olive oil and cheese in a food processor.  You can also add some red pepper flakes if you want some heat.

To prepare the sushi rolls, place the sushi nori on your sushi rolling mat.  Here are some generic instructions on how to roll the sushi.  Press the rice into the nori, leaving the top inch and a half without rice.  Line up the pesto, salmon (cut into a long strip) and a stalk of asparagus lengthwise on the side of the rice/nori closest to you and roll away from you.  You can dip your fingers in some water and use the water to seal the roll.  Cut into six or seven pieces and enjoy with some wasabi, ginger and soy sauce.

For dessert, try my green tea ice cream.  Click here to read about my cupcakes frosted to look like sushi.

Sasha's Kitchen: Salmon, Asparagus & Basil Pesto Sushi Rolls

Eric's Kitchen in Jersey City: Shepherd's Pie

This was my first time making Shepherd's Pie. I don't even know if I've ever really had good or traditional Shepherd's Pie before but Jenn has gotten me hooked on Hell's Kitchen which in turn got us watching Kitchen Nightmares and Gordan Ramsey has saved a couple of restaurants with his Shepherd's Pie so I figured I needed to try and make some. I even flipped through his cookbooks at the bookstore and didn't see his recipe anywhere so I turned to the internet. I started with Alton Brown's Shepherd's Pie recipe and made a few minor modifications. Mainly because I forgot to get a few of the ingredients while at the grocery store and had to use what I had at home.
What I used which would probably serve 4-6:
1.5 lbs. (actually a little less) ground beef (although I think Lamb is traditional)
3 large baking potatoes
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 12 oz. can of peas and carrots
1/2 a can of campbell's tomato soup
8 oz of water mixed with better than bouillon chicken broth mixture
1.5-2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp flour
1-1.5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Parmesan Cheese
1/3 cp of milk
Rosemary, oregano, basil, black pepper, salt, ground cayenne pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil

When it comes down to it, Shepherd' Pie is an all-in-one meal that is inexpensive and hearty. It's basically your meat and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes and baked. To start you peel your potatoes as you need smooth mashed potatoes to cover the meat mixture. Then cut them into pieces to boil more quickly and boil them until soft and set aside and keep warm. Then, heat your vegetable oil and throw in your onion until it's soft and starting to brown. Then add your ground meat and some garlic and spices and start to cook the meat. After it started to cook nicely I added the chicken broth, flour, tomato soup, and Worcestershire sauce to create the meat mixture. At first it was pretty watery but I cooked it until some of the water boiled off and the sauce thickened. I figured it shouldn't be too watery. Once it was thickened I added the vegetables.

You should preheat your oven to about 400 degrees and make your mashed potatoes. Mine were just milk, minced garlic, salt and pepper stirred together until smooth. Then you layer your pan with the meat and vegetable mixture on the bottom and seal it in with a layer of mashed potatoes. I spread the potatoes over the meat and then topped it with a little Parmesan cheese and ground cayenne pepper to help it get a nice browned top when baking.

Alton's recipe called for around 25 minutes in the oven and I figured I'd put it in for around 20 or so and finish it off under the broiler... Unfortunately our broiler decided not to turn on last night so I just set the oven up to 500 degrees towards the end and turned on the oven light and played darts (yes my dartboard is in my kitchen) until it started to brown.

In the end I was very happy with the outcome. The meat mixture was juicy but not watery and very tasty and the mashed potatoes had a nice crunch to them at the top with a little bite from the cayenne pepper and it didn't fall apart when I tried to plate it. If I do this again, I will try to do it with lamb instead and hope my broiler is working!

Eric's Kitchen in Jersey City: Shepherd's Pie

Matt's Kitchen in D.C. - Rogan Josh

Rogan Josh is Kashmiri in origin although it seems to be considered one of the "classic" Indian dishes - basically, it is a type of lamb curry with flavors of cinnamon, paprika, cloves and cardamom, among other things. "Rogan" means "oil," and "josh" means heat or boiling, so the name means something like "cooked in oil at intense heat." That being said, the dish does not require a lot of oil, at least the version I made, and if you use lean lamb it does not contain a lot of fat. Another benefit is that it will make your kitchen smell delicious. Finally, and most importantly, it tastes great and it is nearly foolproof if you have the right ingredients.

This version will serve around 6-8 people, depending on the size of their appetites. The ingredients list may look a little daunting but if you have stocked up on the spices ahead of time, like I suggest, the rest of the ingredients are pretty standard.

4 lbs. of lean lamb from the leg or shoulder (*see note)
1/2 tsp. chili or cayenne powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
6 green cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup plain yogurt or 5 tbsp. yogurt and 3 tbsp. tamarind water
5 cups hot water (homemade chicken or lamb stock would be excellent here)
1/2 tsp. garam masala

For the paste:
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
3-6 large red chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
10 black peppercorns, crushed (**see note)
1/2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
2 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed
2 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed
3 tsp. paprika
3 cloves, crushed (or healthy pinch of ground cloves)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water

*Note #1: when you buy the lamb, getting it boneless will make your life much easier. You want to cut it into roughly 1 inch chunks, not too small because they shrink when they cook. Also, be sure to clean the fat and silverskin off them if there is any, this will make the pieces chewy.

**Note #2: Don't leave out any spices here! - the best thing to do is stock up on whole spices, then when you need a certain amount, toast them in a pan until brown and grind them with a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. If you stock up on various common spices, you can basically throw together Indian dishes at will with some meat and veggies

Anyway, on to the recipe. After cutting the meat into cubes, put it in a bowl and rub the chili powder and salt all over it and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions. Cook until slightly browned, then add the cardomom and bay leaves and stir. Add the meat, turn up the heat a bit and cook for two minutes, then lower it and simmer for 3-4 minutes, covered.

To make the paste, toast all the spices and grind them with a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder. Add the other ingredients to a food processor along with the spice mixture and blend until smooth. I would, however, keep out the cinnamon and just add it whole to the onion mixture when you put in the paste.

Unover the pan and stir in the paste, so it is coating the meat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the yogurt and add the hot water. Cover the pan and simmer for around 1 hour.

Uncover the pan and turn up the heat so the sauce is reduced and thick and creamy, with not much additional liquid. This may take a little while, and when you are near done you should try a piece of lamb to make sure it is tender enough - at this point it should be, but if not, then add a little more water. Stir and add the garam masala and also salt and pepper to taste. Serve with basmati rice.

As with many stews, this becomes even better the next day, so don't hesitate to cook it the night before and put it in the fridge overnight.

Matt's Kitchen in D.C. - Rogan Josh

Sasha's Kitchen: Green Tea Ice Cream

Over the weekend, my husband and I prepared green tea ice cream.  It was quite simple to make actually, since the only real flavoring required was Matcha tea powder, a green tea powder in a lovely olive green hue.  I am planning on making a green tea tiramisu next weekend, and I had bought a couple of ounces of Matcha powder.  I had a little bit of extra powder, and decided that I could either make green tea macarons or green tea ice cream.  I decided to leave the macarons for another day and prepared the green tea ice cream instead.  The end result was a rich, creamy and delicious ice cream with the green tea flavoring of the Matcha powder.  This is always a wonderful end to a sushi meal for me at any Japanese restaurant, yet it was so easy to make ourselves in our old, but trusty ice cream machine.  We are making sushi rolls this week, so the timing was perfect.

I bought the green tea powder at a wonderful local tea and spice store that I just discovered last week a couple blocks from my home called PS Coffee Tea N Spices.  This store is a fantastic place to buy just about any tea or spice you could possibly imagine at reasonable places, by the ounce.  So instead of overpaying for a lifetime supply of Matcha Powder at Whole Foods, I simply bought an ounce for a mere three dollars.  Perfect for both of my planned recipes.  I also bought an ounce of two other lovely teas - a dark tea infused with lychee and a fragrant apricot tea.

Green Tea Ice Cream  (recipe from Epicurious)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 T Matcha Powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar

Bring the cream, milk and salt to a boil in a large pot and take off heat.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, Matcha tea powder and sugar.  Add a cup of the cream mixture to the egg mixture.  Add this mixture back to the pot and put on medium heat and stir until the mixture thickens  to coat the back of a spoon and an instant read thermometer registers at 170 F.    Avoid turning up the heat too high, as the mixture should not boil.  Next, strain using a strainer and refrigerate the custard for about an hour. Freeze using an ice cream maker (I used an old Doniver that still works just fine) following the manufacturer's instructions.

Sasha's Kitchen: Green Tea Ice Cream

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Raspberry Whoopie Pie

A Whoopie Pie is a baked good made out of two round pieces of chocolate cake or cookie with a whipped, sweet frosting in between.  Its origins come from the Amish (the 'Pennsylvania Dutch') community, where it is said that the farmers' wives would put them in their husbands' lunches, at which point, the farmer would shout "Whoopie" upon discovering the pie in his lunch pail.  This dessert, however, according to a fairly recent New York Times article has finally hit the mainstream.  Now, this Amish dessert can be found right here in New York, and perhaps in your kitchen too, as they are not too difficult to make at home.  In fact, even Oreo has started marketing its own version of the Whoopie Pie, the Oreo Cakester. 

To make this Pennsylvania Amish classic, I adapted a recipe that accompanied the New York Times article into a Chocolate Raspberry Whoopie Pie.  I followed the original recipe for the cakes, but adapted the whipped frosting into a raspberry flavored buttercream that complemented the rich chocolate cookie-cake nicely.  The cakes are good, but quite decadent and best split between two people.  

Chocolate Raspberry Whoopie Pie (adapted from the New York Times)

Cakes:

1 stick of butter at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa (I used Droste)

1/2 cup buttermilk

Buttercream:

3 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

2 sticks butter at room temperature

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 T seedless raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  To prepare the cakes, beat the butter and the brown sugar in a stand mixer until creamy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and creamy.  Then alternate adding the dry ingredients (mixed together in a bowl) and the buttermilk.  Using an ice cream scoop, spoon or 1/4 cup measuring tool, scoop the batter into round circles on parchment paper lined baking sheets.  The recipe should make 10 to 12.  Bake at 350 for approximately 14 minutes (mine took about 16 minutes) until the cakes spring to the touch and are toothpick clean on the inside. 

To make the raspberry buttercream, use a double boiler, or a pot of water and a metal bowl.  Bring the water to a boil and combine the egg whites sugar in the top half of the double boiler.  Whisk until a baking thermometer reads 180 degrees and the sugar is dissolved.

Transfer the egg mixture to a mixer, and beat on high for a couple minutes until the mixture doubles in volume (as if you were making an Italian Meringue).  Use the whisk attachment on your mixer.  Beat in the butter on high one half Tablespoon at a time.  Add the vanilla, and beat in the salt and raspberry jam.  Whisk in the mixer for another minute on high, and continue to whisk if the mixture curdles at all, until smooth.  Scoop with a large spoon between two of the cakes for your decadent Chocolate Raspberry Whoopie Pie.

Whoopie Pies

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Raspberry Whoopie Pie

Matt's Kitchen In D.C.: Cooking With Kids - Banana Bread

Banana bread needs no introduction, it is a quick and easy bread that is good to eat just about anytime. Zachary eats at least a banana a day, if not more, so this recipe was not a tough sell. The only difficult part was saving three bananas so they could reach the requisite level of ripeness (i.e., over-ripeness). As with many of the "cooking with kids" recipes I have posted, it follows the familiar formula of combining dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, and then stirring them all together.


This recipe is a version of one found in The Best Recipe Cookbook, an essential standard cookbook, published by the good folks at Cook's Illustrated magazine - also essential, in my opinion.

3 very ripe, browning bananas - browner is better, within reason
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten gently
6 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. You can bake this in a bread pan, if you have one, or in an 8x8 cake pan. I opted for the cake pan, the only difference is baking time. So go ahead and grease whichever pan you are using.

The most fun part of the recipe, is, of course, mashing the bananas - mash them good! Then add the yogurt, eggs, butter and vanilla and stir to combine.


Whisk together all dry ingredients, including walnuts (we omitted the nuts in our recipe because Zachary generally objects to finding crunchy bits in his food).

Finally, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. The trick is here is to fold them in gently with a spatula, and just to the point at which they are combined (i.e. there is no "raw" flour apparent in the mixture). The reason is, the more you stir, the more gluten develops and too much gluten will result in your bread being small and tough. That being said, this may be a good task for the parent to handle, if the child is a potentially vigorous stirrer.

Finally, scrape the batter into the greased pan and put it in the oven. If using a breadpan, the cooking time is about 55 minutes but I would suggest testing it at 40-45 minutes just to be sure. The cake pan time is a lot less, try testing at 30 minutes. For the baking impaired, testing means removing the bread and sticking a cake tester into the middle - if it comes out clean, your bread is done. If it comes out with batter on it, put the bread back in for several more minutes and then test again until you get it right.

Once you are satisfied, let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. As the picture illustrates, this bread was extremely popular with Zachary. After spending some time in the fridge, a slice will benefit from a few brief seconds in the microwave to warm it up - or alternatively, you can toast it. Once you have a made it a few times, you could try modifying the recipe - add a 4th banana, for example, or add some chocolate or cocoa powder to the batter.

Matt's Kitchen In D.C.: Cooking With Kids - Banana Bread

Sasha's Kitchen: Matzo Ball Soup

We're having a little Matzo Ball Soup-Off here on A Kitchen In Brooklyn.  I love my mother's Matzo (also Spelled Matzoh) Ball Soup.  In my opinion, her soup is a panacea for healing everything from colds to grumpy moods.  I like my Matzo Ball Soup and chicken stock prepared a very specific way, but it seems like everyone like's their mom's version the best.   We have not one, but three Matzo Ball Soup recipes that we will share with you here on A Kitchen In Brooklyn.  Eric's Matzo Ball Soup Recipe can be found here on this site.  In addition, another contributor to this site in Seattle, Emily, will be sharing her Matzo Ball Soup Recipe in a future post.  So, with Passover (and Spring!) around the corner, it's time for a friendly "Soup Off."

My Matzo Ball Soup is prepared just the way my mother makes it, with plenty of Jewish momma's love and a homemade chicken stock prepared from a whole Kosher chicken.  I like a hearty Matzo Ball Soup all winter long, rather than appetizer style.  To prepare the soup as an appetizer, you would want to discard the chicken after preparing the chicken stock.  However, I never do that.  I always prepare the soup as a main course and shred quite a bit of the chicken and put it back into the soup.  I just can't let a good chicken go to waste, and in my opinion, the chicken pieces help complete the soup.

Sasha's Matzo Ball Chicken Soup (with thanks to my mom)
Water (enough to cover the chicken in the pot)
One 3-4 lb whole chicken
1 parsnip
small handful of parsley
1 onion, quartered
a couple of large handfuls of baby carrots
3 stalks of celery
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup matzo meal
4 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water (for the Matzo Balls)

The first step is to prepare the chicken stock.  Break up the chicken into a couple of pieces.  I used a whole Empire Chicken,  In my opinion, to make the perfect chicken stock, it's best to use a Kosher chicken for this recipe.  My mom actually lives around the block from a Kosher butcher in Rochester, New York that sells perfect small chickens just for making soup.

Cover the chicken with water in a large pot with the water an inch or two higher than the chicken.  Bring it to a boil.  Then simmer for 30 minutes, while skimming off the top every couple of minutes.  After a half an hour, add the parsley, parsnip, onion (does't have to be diced because it will be discarded from the stock later), carrots, celery and bay leaves to the pot.  Add a couple of pinches of salt.  Simmer (on low) for about two hours with the lid of the pot half on.  After about two hours, the stock should be yellowish in color and have the flavor of the chicken stock, plus all those vegetables and bay leaves that you added.  The salt is important here too, so make sure to add a couple good size pinches.

Use a strainer to strain the broth into another large pot.  Then, add the celery and carrots back in, but discard the onion, parsnip, bay leaves and parsley.  At this point, you can also remove the chicken when you strain, and discard the skin, and shred some of the chicken off the bones.  Add this shredded chicken back into the soup.

To prepare the Matzo Balls, combine one cup Matzo Meal with four eggs, 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of Canola Oil.  Mix well and refrigerate covered for about half an hour.  Form into 11 or 12 Matzo Balls, just a bit larger than golf balls.  Don't make them too small, or they will be hard.  However, don't make them too large, because they will expand when added to the pot.  Bring the chicken soup to a boil and add the Matzo Balls.  Then reduce to a simmer for about 20 -30 minutes.  Serve, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

This soup makes enough to serve 4 to 5 people as main courses, which means plenty of leftovers!

Sasha's Kitchen: Matzo Ball Soup

Sasha's Kitchen: Food & Wine Pairing of Cheese Fondue With Heron Hill Riesling

For last night's meal, my husband and I paired a wine that we had received from Heron Hill Winery to review with one of our favorite dishes, homemade cheese fondue.  This meal featured a wine & cheese fondue, various fruits, vegetables and bread for dipping, as well as the New Release of the 2007 Ingle Vineyard Riesling from Heron Hill Winery in the Finger Lakes Wine Region of New York State.  The combination was perfect, with the light fruit and citrus fragrance of the wine with is strong hints of lemon and melon character, alongside the gruyere and emmental hard swiss and/or french cheeses, as well as the accompanying fruits and vegetables, particularly the apples.

The flavors of the Riesling were pleasant and fruity, but also crisp with a taste of acidity and a mineral balance.  It was quite pleasing to the palette with the melted cheeses.   New York's Finger Lakes Region has become famous for its Rieslings, and this wine was a great example.  Heron Hill's Riesling was perfect with the balance of acidity and mineral characteristics.  I thought it combined nicely with the melted cheeses and vegetables.  I also loved how its citrus and melon undertones complemented the tartness of the green apple that we used for dipping in the fondue.

To prepare the accompanying fondue, here's what you will need:

Sasha's Cheese Fondue

8 oz gruyere cheese (grated)
8 oz emmental cheese (grated)
2 T cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 1/2 cup dry white cooking wine
1 T lemon juice
1 T brandy
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
pinch of pepper

For Dipping:
Broccoli
Strawberries
Green Apple
Carrots
French Bread

Follow the instructions for your electric fondue pot, which generally involves bringing all of the ingredients besides the cheese to a boil.  Boil for a minute, then reduce to a simmer and slowly add the grated cheese mixture.  The cheese in the fondue should never boil, so don't turn the electric pot temperature up too high.  Add the cheese until the fondue reaches the desired consistency.  For me, this required most of the cheese, with a little bit leftover.  Then, enjoy by dipping your favorite fruits, vegetable and breads into the fondue, along with a glass of wine.   We used strawberries, green apples, broccoli, french bread and carrots for dipping but you can substitute other fruits or vegetables.  My husband's favorite was the broccoli, while I really liked the combination of the strawberries and applies with both the fondue and the wine.

You should be sure to use Gruyere and Emmental cheeses for your fondue and not substitute.  I selected these cheeses because they are the traditional cheeses used in  Switzerland for making fondue.  Emmental is similar to swiss cheese, while Gruyere is hard yellow cheese made from cow's milk with a creamy and nutty flavor.  The fondue recipe worked very nicely, with flavors of wine, mustard and ancho chile to complement the traditional cheeses.  It pairs nicely with Heron Hill's new Riesling, and was quite an enjoyable and easy weekday meal.

Sasha's Kitchen: Food & Wine Pairing of Cheese Fondue With Heron Hill Riesling

Sasha's Kitchen: Lemony Limoncello Cupcakes

I have always loved to eat tangy and tart foods.  As a kid (and perhaps a bit more recently) my favorite candy was always sweet tarts.  I love anything with a bit of lemon flavor and a bit of tang.  Therefore, it was only a matter of time before I decided to experiment with some lemon flavored cupcake variations.  You may recall, that I made my own Italian Limoncello liqueur about a month ago.  I decided to use the limoncello today in my baking, to make lemon cupcakes with a twist, and jazz them up with a bit of limoncello.

I started by including lemon juice and limoncello (in lieu of vanilla extract) in a basic recipe for vanilla cupcakes, adjusting the proportions of the flour and eggs, to accommodate the addition of limoncello as a key ingredient in the cupcake batter.  Then, I made a lemoncello infused cream cheese frosting.  In between layers of the cupcake and the frosting, I prepared a basic lemon with limoncello to add a burst of that lemony-limoncello flavor.

These cupcakes are a cheerful, lemony treat.  They are different from your standard lemon cupcakes in that they have a bit more of a burst of flavor and impart the sweet tangyness of the limoncello.  Here is the recipe below that I settled on in the end:

Sasha's Lemony Limoncello Cupcakes (Batter) (Made 11 cupcakes)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 T homemade limoncello (or store bought)
3 egg whites
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup sugar

Lemony Limoncello Curd
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 T limoncello
3 egg yolks
zest of one lemon

Lemony Limoncello Frosting
1 stick of butter
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
2 cups of powdered confectioner's sugar
3 T limoncello
drop of yellow food coloring

To prepare the cupcakes, beat the butter and sugar in the mixer.  Continue beating on medium high, adding the egg whites (save the yolks for the curd) one by one.  Beat in the lemon zest.  Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.  Alternate (while beating on medium) the addition of the dry ingredients and the milk.  Beat in the lemon juice at the end until combined.  Fill your silicon cupcake trays (lined with cupcake liners) about 3/4 of the way full and bake until it comes clean with a toothpick, which took me 35 minutes in my oven.  Allow the cupcakes to cook completely.

To make the curd, combine all of the ingredients over medium heat. Heat, stirring constantly, until a curd forms that is slightly translucent in color.  Top each of the cupcakes with a dollop of curd.  You can also put the curd inside, if you prefer to do it that way.

To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese in the basin of your mixer, on high speed.  Beat in the powdered sugar until combined into a frosting.  Add the limoncello for the flavor, and add a drop of yellow food coloring to add a subtle boost of color.  Beat until combined into a frosting and frost the cupcakes using a fluted tip fit onto a pastry bag.

Sasha's Kitchen: Lemony Limoncello Cupcakes

Sasha's Kitchen: Miso Glazed Braised Chicken With Mushrooms

This recipe was very loosely and freely inspired by Momofuku's recipe for Miso Glazed Chicken.  However, I made so many changes, modifications, additions and adjustments that the final recipe is really a creation all in of itself.  My initial intention was to just follow the recipe, but in this case, my choice not to follow the directions and go off on my own served me well.  I'm quite pleased with my contributions.

This is a great recipe because it a very flavorful braised chicken, and i makes enough for several nights dinner all at once.  I made the Miso Glazed Braised Chicken last night for my husband and father-in-law, who was visiting after a long day at work, and we all loved how this recipe turned out.  I'm actually not a big fan of chicken - generally I consider chicken breasts to been too dry and not flavorful enough and usually prefer veal, beef or lamb.  However, this recipe used braised chicken thighs and was both juicy and flavorful by the time it got to my plate.  This might be my current favorite chicken recipe that I have experimented with.  It is definitely a winner and will be demanded again soon in my house!

Miso Glazed Braised Chicken (very loosely adapted from Momofuku)
2 packages Empire chicken thighs (with skin and bones), about 5 lbs
2 T Canola Oil
2 medium sized onions
1 pint package sliced mushrooms
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 T diced fresh ginger
2 T diced garlic
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup mirin
2 T rice wine vinegar
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 cup miso paste
2 tsp Sesame Oil
5 large leaves of collared greens or mustard greens (I used mustard greens)

To prepare the recipe, first preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the chicken thighs (I had eight in my packages) on foil lined baking sheets and bake for about 40 minutes until slightly golden but not cooked through.  While the chicken is cooking, dice the onions, mushrooms and garlic and saute in the Canola Oil for about 8 minutes.  Then add the miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken stock, vinegar and mirin to your Dutch oven and bring to a boil, stirring until the miso paste is dissolved.  Add the chicken and mushroom mix to the Dutch oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees and braise the pot with the chicken and braising solution in the oven for about two to two and a half hours (mine went for close to two and a half hours) until the chicken is tender and falls off the bone.  Add the shredded up greens about ten minutes before completion of the braising to the pot.  Serve hot and enjoy!  The final flavor is slightly sweet because of the Miso but incredibly succulent and flavorful.

Sasha's Kitchen: Miso Glazed Braised Chicken With Mushrooms

Sasha's Kitchen: Restaurant Review of The Jakewalk

I wasn't planning on writing a restaurant review when my husband went out for dinner on Valentine's Day at the Jakewalk in Cobble Hill.  Mostly, we were just looking for a romantic and relaxing night out, some good fondue and a low key, chill atmosphere without leaving Brooklyn.  We found all of those things at the Jakewalk, a local restaurant and wine bar, plus a great Brooklyn vibe, fantastic food, cocktails and wine. No doubt, my husband and I will be back very soon.

We arrived on Valentine's Day Eve around 7 PM to discover a small and cozy, yet buzzing restaurant.  Although the Jakewalk does not take reservations for a party of two, we did not have to wait for a table, even thought most of the tables were taken.  We were greeted by our friendly and helpful waitress, who presented us with an out of this world wine and cocktail list.  The Jackwalk cocktail menu featured a number of different cocktails, all expertly mixed in that prohibition era speakeasy style that I have grown to be so fond of at a number of other Brooklyn and Manhattan bars.  My husband ordered the "Diamond As Big As The Ritz", a drink that was prepared as a "flip" meaning that it contains egg whites, in addition to whiskey, lemon juice, bitters and club soda.   He was quite impressed with the quality of the drink and enjoyed every last drop immensely.

I decided to order one of the Jakewalk's "Flight's of Wine," which include three good sized (half glass) portions of three different wines.  This is such a fabulous idea, and I am not sure why more restaurants don't offer wine in flights like the Jakewalk.  It's such a great opportunity to taste and enjoy three different wines, and I love having small portions of a variety of food and wines, rather than a large portion of only one thing.  I selected the "White Aromatics" flight which offered a Riesling, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.  All three were fabulous, but I especially enjoyed the Riesling and Chardonnay.  I was impressed with the sizable portions for only $14 for all three.

For our dinner, my husband ordered the Macaroni & Cheese with the duck Rilette, while I selected a different duck dish, the duck breast special with scalloped potatoes that was on the menu for Valentine's day.  Both dishes were delicious but the duck rilette in the macaroni and cheese was an amazing combination, and my husband savored every last bite (side from giving me a small taste).  I can't  say enough about the macaroni and cheese and duck rilette.  It was probably one of the best, and certainly the most memorable, macaroni and cheese I have had out in a long time, and had was made with a wonderful spicy jack cheese.

For dessert we ordered the chocolate fondue, which was such a fun and delicious way to enjoy dessert in this wonderful, chill environment.  The fondue came with graham crackers, strawberries, bananas, marshmallows and plenty of chocolate and was a nice, romantic way to end the perfect (and budget) Valentine's Day meal.  This would have been a great meal any night of the week, and we plan on returning soon to try the cheese fondue.

Sasha's Kitchen: Restaurant Review of The Jakewalk

Sasha's Kitchen: Chicken Scarpariello

One of my husband's favorite dishes is Chicken Scarpariello.  He is especially fond of the Chicken Scarpariello at Acappella, an Italian Restaurant in Tribeca that we love to go to for special occasions.  While Acappella has some of the best Italian food in New York, I decided to try my hand at making a Chicken Scarpariello that my husband would enjoy for a lazy Sunday night dinner after the heartbreaking loss of the Gold Medal Hockey Game.  While team USA came up a bit short, this dish did not.  My husband loved it and it was both an enjoyable and easy to make meal.  I served it with spelt berries, an organic grain that I fell in love with for the first time when I had them with my duck confit brunch at the Flatbush Farm the day before.  They proved a great addition and gave a lovely and wholesome texture to this chicken entree.

Sasha's Chicken Scarpariello

1 package Empire skinless & boneless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)

zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp lemon juice

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

4 cloves garlic, diced

1 cup white cooking wine

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup Italian parsley

1 small hot cherry pepper

1 cup spelt berries ( I used Bob's Red Mill Spelt Berries)

salt and pepper to season

Olive Oil (or Canola Oil)

2 tsp of flour

First, prepare the spelt berries the same way you would with rice - 1 cup of the wheat berries to 2 cups of water.  i also seasoned with pepper, salt and the zest of half a lemon.  Bring the water to boil and simmer until the water is gone, and remove the zest.

To prepare the chicken, I cut the chicken breasts into small pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper.  I seared and browned the chicken on all sides for a couple of minutes with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Then, I put the chicken aside (it gets cooked through later).

I added some more olive oil to the pan and added the diced peppers and garlic.  The hot pepper only ads a bit of heat, so if you do not want any heat, leave it out.  Conversely, if you want a spicy dish, add another hot pepper.  I sauteed the peppers and garlic for about five minutes, before adding the white wine, lemon juice, chicken broth and flour.  I also added the zest from the other half of the lemon.  

I then returned the chicken to the pan and allowed the sauce to simmer for about 20 minutes or so until the chicken was cooked through and the sauce was thickened and significantly reduced.  A little bit of flower helps the sauce thicken a little bit (although it is really not a thick sauce at all - it is very light and lemony).   Just towards the end of the process, I added the parsley.  I served the chicken with the spelt berries.  Enjoy!

Sasha's Kitchen: Chicken Scarpariello

Eric's Kitchen in Jersey City: New England Clam Chowder

Growing up right on the Long Island Sound in CT most of my youth, I could get great fantastic New England clam chowder anytime I wanted it. In fact, working in seafood restaurants in high school we were pretty much given free access to the soups since they were always hot, we had giant pots of them and no one would really notice or care. So my friends and I would eat it all the time. The first restaurant I worked in even had 'Rhode Island' or 'Noank' chowder which was basically New England clam chowder without the heavy cream so you could eat it more often and not feel bad about it. I grew to be very fond of it but most people probably wouldn't like it as much the first time around. Regional foods are tough because these dishes are pretty great almost anywhere you go in that region and almost always wrong or not as good for some reason anywhere outside the region. I feel this way about cheesesteaks. If it is called a 'Philly Cheesesteak', it's probably not in Philly and therefore will not be as good. The same is true about New England clam chowder. I haven't found a New England clam chowder that I really enjoyed outside of New England.

I lived in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn for a year in 2007 and my girlfriend and I saw an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay where he took on 'The Chowder Surfer'. He was from Brooklyn and was supposedly working at 'The Surf Bar' in the nearby Williamsburg part of Brooklyn. I was blown away watching him make clam chowder and it gave me a hankerin' for some good New England clam chowder. So we went there and tried both the clam chowder and the lobster bisque. The lobster bisque was probably the best I had ever had but the clam chowder really didn't hit the spot. This is when I first decided I needed to learn to make New England clam chowder myself. I've made it now probably half a dozen times and it's evolved and changed almost every time I make it. This batch I was not personally proud of but I know it will be that much better the next time around.

I use hard clams for my chowder. These are clams referred to as littlenecks (smaller), cherrystones (medium), or quahogs (large). The bigger the better for chowder.

Ingredients (serves about 8-10):
5 lbs. or 2.5 dozen fresh cherrystone clams (get the biggest ones you can find and about 5 lbs)
5 large boiling or mashing potatoes, cubed
1 qt. heavy cream
3 tbsp. butter
1 package salt pork or thick cut bacon (mine was 12 oz.), chopped
2 leeks, cleaned thoroughly and chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
handful fresh parsley, minced
black pepper and tobasco to taste
3 8oz. bottles of clam juice
2 8oz. cans of clams
4-5 bay leaves
a little cornmeal & salt (to soak the clams in to clean them)

One more note! This is the first time I ever used canned clams and don't think I ever will again! I highly recommend adjusting this to use either more fresh clams or less potatoes and cream. I just had too much soup and not enough clams and wanted to fix it and I regretted it as I could clearly taste the difference between the two types.

First you need to scrub the clams under cold water to remove any debris from their shells. Then soak the clams in cold water with a little cornmeal and salt for about 30 minutes or more in the refrigerator. This makes them take in all the water and spit out all the sand and dirt. After they are sufficiently cleaned to can steam them in a large pot with a couple of inches of water. You can cover it at first to get the water hot and then check on them and as soon as they open take them out and set them aside as you don't want your clams to get overdone and rubbery.

They should start to smell delicious and as they open they release all the water they have taken in and that is your clam juice or stock and is the key to good clam chowder. You want to set aside the broth for later. Once the clams cool a little you can remove them from their shells, chop them into little bite size morsels and set them aside as well. Again, the secret to good clam chowder in my humble opinion is the fresh clams and broth. I could clearly taste the canned clams and don't think they will ever be included again.

Having worked as a prep chef for two restaurants over the course of almost two years in my youth, I take pride in chopping and preparing my ingredients properly. You'll never find anything that isn't bite sized or tough to eat in my recipes. When I cube my potatoes, I try my best to make them into small perfect cubes, but I HATE peeling potatoes and almost never peel them. The skin adds flavor and nutrients as far as I am concerned. When you are done with them set them aside.

You should prepare the leeks by thoroughly cleaning and chopping them. They can get lots of mud and dirt in between their leaves so you may have to chop a bit and then rinse as you see any dirt. Chop your leeks, garlic, shallots, parsley and onions and set them aside. Then comes the bacon or salt pork. If you try to open a package of salt pork and start cutting it you will be very frustrated. My dad taught me to put it in the freezer for a while until its hardened so as to make it easier to chop into very small pieces, roughly the size of the tip of your pinky.

Get a nice large pot and add the salt pork or bacon first, cooking until it's crispy and the fat is completely rendered. If you read my split pea soup recipe you will know how difficult it is to pick out all the fat later if you don't make it crispy. You will cook your veggies in the fat from the salt pork and if it's not enough add the butter. You can actually remove the fat later which I will do the next time I make this as there was too much this time around and it is clearly visible in the pictures, floating at the top.

Once all your veggies are nice and soft you add your potatoes and clam broth and let them boil and cook until soft, at least an hour or so, more if you can. As the potatoes get nice and soft you can mash them against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon and this will thicken the broth without adding flour. Flour makes the soup almost gelatinous and I don't personally like this approach.

Once your potatoes are nice and soft you can add in the cream and stir until it's nicely mixed. Add the clams last to avoid them getting overdone and remove any bay leaves when serving. Serve while hot with oyster crackers or a nice crusty bread. I will probably revise this recipe and re-post it in the future, but this should give a good idea of how to get started.

Enjoy!

Eric's Kitchen in Jersey City: New England Clam Chowder

Sasha's Kitchen: Pink Vanilla Macarons With Kiwi Buttercream Filling

When several friends and family members suggested that I experiment making colorful Macarons for this blog, I confused their suggestion with Macaroons, the heavy coconut cookies that I ate at Passover this year.  How silly of me.  Now, that I have just started making French Macarons (almond meringue cookies), I am amazed at how they can be made in nearly every color and flavor imaginable.  I plan on making batches and batches of Macarons, but today, I would like to introduce my readers to the Macaron, and how I made my very first (of many) batch of Macarons.  I am so excited to have entered the world of Macaron making.  Other than cupcakes, Macarons are probably considered the cutest little pastries in the world of baking.  They are sweet, crispy almond flavored cookies in a variety of colors with a domelike shape and a distinctive foot.  Two Macaron cookies form an almond meringue pastry with a buttercream, ganache, lemon curd or other colorful filling in the middle.

My introduction to the art of Macaron making involved carefully following the book I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita.  Another great resource on Macaron making, as I get more advanced in my experiments, is the blog Not So Humble Pie.  Without further ado, here is how I made my first batch of pretty pink macarons with fresh kiwi buttercream:

Pink Vanilla Macarons (derived from I Love Macaroons book recipes)

85 grams ground almonds (use Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour)
150 grams confectioners sugar / powdered sugar
3 large egg whites (at room temperature)
65 grams (5 T) granulated sugar
seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 drop gel pink food coloring

Sasha's Kiwi Buttercream Filling
1/2 stick of butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 egg
3 kiwi
1/2 package of cream cheese
1 drop gel green food coloring

You will notice that all the measurements above are in grams.  Macaron making is very precise business and you need to invest in a digital kitchen scale to make sure you get your measurements precisely.  Don't blame me for this one, if you don't, you are likely to wind up with a mixture that is a little off and a sticky mess (just like I did the first time I tried to make Macarons).

Here are the steps I followed:

1. Cover a paper with parchment paper and use an icing tip bottom end to trace 1 inch papers on the parchment paper, spacing them an inch or two apart.

2.  Measure the almond meal and the confectioner's sugar with the digital scale and blend in a food processor.

3.  Beat the egg whites (I used a stand mixer, not a hand mixer, but you could use either) until foamy and continue beating at high speed while gradually adding the granulated sugar.  Keep beating at high speed until you have a meringue.  Add the vanilla to the meringue and stir lightly.  Add a drop of gel based food coloring (I used pink).  Keep beating until you have a glossy meringue that is stiff and firm in texture.  Once you are there, stop beating!

4.  Mix in the almond flour/sugar mixture to the meringue with a spatula.

5.  The next step is called "Macaronage" and is very important to getting the Macarons to have the right texture.  In other words, don't skip this step!   To perform this step, spread the Macaron mixture along the sides of the bowl, turning it on its sides, by scooping the batter from the bottom.  Then scoop it back into the center of the bowl.  Repeat this Macaronage step 15 to 20 times, and don't be tempted to cut this step short.  This is required to properly mix the flour and the meringue to get the proper glossy texture to the Macarons.

6.  The next step is called "Macaronner" and requires dripping the batter with your spatula until it drips slowly when scooped out.

7.  Next, use a 0.4 inch pastry tip and pastry bag to drop the Macaron batter into the circles on the prepared parchment paper sheets.  Another tip from my book was to double stack your baking sheets, which helps make the heat even when you bake the Macarons.  Make small circles not much bugger than the parchment paper circles since the batter tends to spread out when it is squeezed.  I really wanted to get them even the first time, but it is a bit tricky, and I would be remiss if I didn't thank my husband for helping me out with this step!

8.  Rap the baking sheets firmly against the counter to help the Macarons form a rounded shape.  This will also help the foot form when they are baked.  Allow them to dry for about 15 minutes, while the oven preheats to 375.  This drying time may vary (15 minutes worked for me), but when the batter circles do not stick to your fingers when you touch them, then they are done drying.  However, don't let them dry out too long or the Macarons won't be able to form a foot. If you don't dry them, they will crack during baking.

9.  Bake 15 to 18 minutes until slightly crispy and a cracked foot forms.  Rotate the trays halfway through to make sure they all bake evenly.  Allow to cool and then remove carefully from the parchment paper.


10.  Beat the filling in the mixer until it has the consistency of cupcake icing.  I flavored this one with Kiwi.  I plan to do some further experimentation with different consistencies (and flavors) of buttercreams but this one was pretty and tasty for a first try.  The buttercreams in the book are a bit of a  different in consistency from mine (which looked and tasted great, too) and I may try some of those in future Macaron experiments.

Next up in Macaroon Making from me over the next few weeks: 1) Raspberry Macarons with chocolate ganache filling; 2) Matcha green tea Macarons with mango buttercream and 3) Key Lime Macarons with Key Lime Curd.  I can't wait to make more Macarons, I'm almost giddy about it.  I love making them for much the same reason I love making cupcakes - because they are little and cute, colorful and fun!

Macarons

Sasha's Kitchen: Pink Vanilla Macarons With Kiwi Buttercream Filling