Prune Cookbook: Sesame Biscuits

Have you ever been to Prune in NYC's East Village? Gabrielle Hamilton is the chef/owner. I had read her book Blood, Bones and Butter quite a while back and truly enjoyed the story of her career...and her blunt honesty in telling it. It's a fun read. 
Prune is a smallish restaurant and Hamilton's food is a surprising mixture of innovation and simplicity. Put it on your restaurant list if you're going to visit NYC.

My daughter is a big fan, knows Gabrielle, eats there often and received a signed Prune cookbook for Christmas. I read it through, took some bad photos with my phone and decided to make a couple recipes for the blog. 

But first, I want to show you what the cookbook looks like, as it's quite unique and unexpected. The pages have punch holes in them looking as though they've been photographed directly from Gabrielle's personal loose leaf binder..they're splattered with food stains and handwritten notes are scattered throughout, with amounts for doubling and tripling the recipes in bold yellow strips. Take a look:

And look at this simple sandwich recipe...Bacon and Marmalade on Pumpernickel. To quote Ina: how easy is that? 

You'll find Gabrielle's book is filled with unusual offerings, some so simple you wonder why it was even included in the book (like the above recipe) and others so off the wall you'd never attempt them. But there are a lot of gems in there too. Altogether, an eccentric cookbook, much like the author herself.

I chose the Sesame Biscuits as I'd never seen a recipe quite like it. When I mixed the flour into the red wine mixture, it looked more like a mud pack for your face than dough. I nearly dumped it right then (how could this turn out well?) but persevered. And another puzzle: the amount of sugar in the recipe...is this an appetizer? A cookie?

After baking, I found they did taste slightly sweet, but interestingly, all those toasted sesame seeds are the predominate flavor. The cinnamon and wine are only slightly noticeable and I thought they were quite good. However, I think I would serve them with wine rather than tea. Especially since Gabrielle introduced this recipe alongside a milk punch recipe.

Sesame Biscuits
From Prune by Gabrielle Hamilton

Ingredients:
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 cups flour
1 cup sesame seed, toasted

Method:
Set oven to 350.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and olive oil until dissolved and creamy.
Add the baking powder, baking soda, pinch of salt, cinnamon and red wine. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Stir in the flour and beat vigorously until the dough comes together, then knead by hand a moment to a smooth consistency.
Scoop 1 inch balls of dough and roll into perfect spheres between the palms of your hands, then press each cookie between thumb and forefinger to make a thick puck shape.
Dip in toasted sesame seeds to fully coat and lay on a parchment-lined sheet pan. If you have difficulty getting the sesame seeds to stick, mist them super gently with the water before tossing in the sesame seeds.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Hot Farro Porridge with Blueberries and Toasted Walnuts

My daughter sent me a copy of  the Huckleberry cookbook. What a sweetie...she knows exactly what I like! 

FYI: Huckleberry Bakery & Café in Santa Monica is owned and operated by Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan. Zoe learned to bake at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, and also worked in the kitchen at Lupa in New York City and Joe’s in Venice. She took what she had learned and created the menu, both sweet and savory. Josh, who learned operations from working in local restaurants like Capo and Broadway Deli, used his knowledge to help create the space for Zoe to showcase her talent and creativity.

This gem of a cookbook has over 115 recipes and even more color photographs, including how-to sequences for basics such as flaky dough and lining a cake pan. The recipes range from sweet (rustic cakes, muffins, and scones) to savory (hot cereals, biscuits, and quiche). Most of the recipes feature whole-grain flours, sesame and flax seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables, natural sugars, and gluten-free and vegan options. Such a pleasure to read and I've tagged several recipes to post for you.
Today I'm going to present a porridge made with farro. I do love farro...but sure never thought to make porridge with it! I think you'll love this combo for warming you up on a cold morning.

Hot Farro Porridge with Blueberries and Toasted Walnuts
From Huckleberry by Zoe Nathan

Ingredients:
1 cup farro
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups water plus 1 tablespoon
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Method:
In a small saucepan over high heat, toast the farro with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons of the butter, until slightly fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups water and reduce heat to low. Simmer, with top off, until water is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
In the meantime, melt 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon of water, 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the blueberries and saute quickly until tender, but not bursting. Set aside.
Add the milk and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to the farro, increase heat to medium and and simmer until liquid is absorbed, 5-10 minutes.
Serve the farro with the blueberries in two bowls and top with walnuts.


Note: This keeps well, refrigerated for up to three days. Add a little milk when reheating.

A Cookbook Meme

Recently, I read a fun post written by Dana for her blog The Kitchn. The post was entitled Which Cookbooks Defined the Past Decades of Cooking. Dana had read an article in the Financial Times by food writer Tim Hayward called Cookbook Colossi, listing the popular British cookbooks. The article prompted her to make her own list of cookbooks through the decades she feels defines American cooks. 

Danas list is as follows:

The 60s: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
The 70s: The New York Times' International Cookbook by Craig Claiborne
The 80s: The Silver Palate Cookbooks by Sheila Lukins and Julee Russo
The 90s: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
The 00s: The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judi Rodgers
The 10s (so far): Plenty or Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi 

Because I was cooking in the 50's, I'm adding that decade, and hands down, it was the BH&G cookbook. 
Joy of Cooking, while not on Dana's list, is a cookbook everyone received at bridal showers in the 50's. I'd say that one spans all decades.
In addition, another bible for me back then was this set of Gourmet Cookbooks my mother gave me.

And because the end of the 00's and into the 10's is the era of food blogging and network food shows, do you think any resulting cookbooks are worth a mention? What about Ina? Or Maida Heatter? (Maida is probably too specialized, as she's all desserts, but I have all her books.) Or, as Dana gave mention to, Martha Stewart. What about Alice Waters? Difficult, isn't it?

So what do you think of Dana's choices? I'm on board with her first three, but I'm kind of iffy with her choices for the 90's and the 00's. What are your favorite cookbooks from each decade? What would you add, or substitute? How does one determine? Best sellers? Or what you personally used?



(The image at the top of this post I found at Dana's blog and it was by Jane Mount/Ideal Bookshelf for Food52)

Peanut Butter Coconut Curry Ice Cream

My introduction to Hedy Goldsmith came with my first visit to Michael's Genuine in Miami. It's one of our favorite restaurants and Hedy is the pastry chef there. She's an amazingly talented chef; her desserts are imaginative, unusual and every plate an adventure in flavor combinations. They are each compositions with several elements, but the portions are not so large as to be overwhelming. Trust me, you won't want to share. Share tastes, yes, so if you are fortunate enough to visit Michael's, have everyone order something different. 

Once I enjoyed a dessert described as Basil Panna Cotta with Strawberry Consomme, Pine Nut Madeleines and Pickled Peaches. The mini-madeleines were quite delightful and certainly the simplest element on the plate, so when I noticed Hedy working in the kitchen, I asked the waitress to ask if she would share the recipe. I watched the waitress approach Hedy and I was refused by a head shake....absolutely not. Well, I understand. Why would a chef give away her secrets? So I did what all of you would do: went home and made them for myself! 

But now, Hedy has a cookbook out. (No pine nut madeleine recipe though.) It's called Baking Out Loud. Not only is this cookbook fun to read, but the recipes are single elements and not the intricately-designed dessert plates Hedy creates at Michael's. The recipes all have marvelous and unusual flavors, with a Hedy Goldsmith twist like Red Velvet Twinks (Twinkies) and Mochaccino Whoopie Pies. But it doesn't stop there. There are some exotic ice cream flavors...licorice ice cream for one, or how about a ricotta gelato? And then there is a tangerine creamsicle pot de crème and the most divine looking lemon meringue tart. 

So what did I decide to make? Brace yourselves as it's so unlike me: her Peanut Butter Coconut Curry Ice Cream. Hedy describes this as not for the faint of heart, with one foot in sweet and the other in savory. And, she suggests if you don't like it, pour it over tandoori chicken. Hah! Really, how could I resist making an ice cream described thus?

Peanut Butter Coconut Curry Ice Cream
From Baking Out Loud by Hedy Goldsmith

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon natural coconut extract
2 vanilla beans, split (I used 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (preferable organic) at room temperature
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 to 1 teaspoon curry powder (Hedy uses a curry powder called vadouvan)  
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:
Combine the cream and milk. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds out and add, along with the beans. Add all the remaining ingredients and heat, whisking, until nearly boiling. Remove from heat and taste. They curry flavor should be prounounced as it will mellow mellow slightly. Add another 1/4 teaspoon if desired. Cool and then refrigerate until cold. You can chill up to 2 days before churning.
Fish out the vanilla beans and churn according to manufacturers directions.

                                                                                                                                       MY Pine Nut Madeleines
                                                                                                                                       

Cappuccino Muffins, a Cookbook and a Giveaway

When I was approached to review an Amish cookbook, I was pleased to do it. We've talked about it before and all agree: the best recipes come from these kinds of cookbooks.......community, club or church driven, where everyone tends to send in their old family favorites. I have quite a collection of them, but not one from the Amish community.

You'll learn something of the history of the Amish as well. The introduction contains a narrative about their background and scattered throughout the book are marvelous vignettes and photographs along with the homey recipes. Yes, it's a comfortable cookbook...not cutting edge, but chock full of the kind of recipes you'd serve your friends and family. Some you've made or have similar recipes for and some, hopefully, are new to you.

Did you know there was a large Amish and Mennonite community in Sarasota, Florida, in an area called Pinecraft? We all think of Pennsylvania or Ohio, but not Florida. As it turns out, there are far more Amish communities than I had imagined. I DID know about one in Western Michigan because my sister, who lives in Michigan, took me to a lovely store that carried their work. This cookbook originates from Pinecraft and the recipes from those who reside or winter there.

The book is available where books are sold and at Amazon. The nicest part of this post is the author, Sherry Gore, is making one copy available to my readers. If you leave a comment, you're in the running. Not going to get into that "follow me for an extra chance" stuff. Just plain and simple....leave a comment. I'll announce the winner on May 13th. Make certain I have your email address so I can contact you.

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It was really difficult to choose a recipe. I loved the idea of making the overnight French toast and the chicken and biscuits made my mouth water. But the cappuccino muffins were too tempting to pass up. No doubt the old "is it a muffin or a cupcake" question comes up, which as I recall, frosting was the determining factor. But these are muffins, definitely breakfast food, and they DO have a frosting, although it's not terribly sweet, which balanced the cupcakes perfectly. Be sure to use the mini chocolate chips so they will melt into the cupcake as well as the frosting.

Cappuccino Muffins
Recipe by Sherry Gore, Pinecraft Fl.

Ingredients:
For the muffins:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons instant espresso

1/2 cup butter, very soft

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

For the Topping:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon instant espresso

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, stir milk and espresso until dissolved. Add softened butter, beaten egg and vanilla. (the butter will not mix in completely. That's OK)

Stir in dry ingredients 1/3 at a time until combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips.

Fill paper muffin liners 3/4 full and bake 17-20 minutes.

While they are baking, mix the ingredients for the topping and set aside.

Remove muffins from oven and frost immediately so the mini chocolate chips will melt slightly.

Makes 12 of the deeper paper liners that I used.

Kurt's Chestnut Soup

OK, I know. I cheated. But I have a great excuse: unpacking from the move. Still, I wanted to share this with you before Christmas. A brief respite, if you will, from my cookie recipes.

When my daughter gave me Kurt Gutenbrunner's cookbook last year, I immediately wanted to make his apple strudel.

She said oh no, make his chestnut soup first, it's ambrosial. I meant to make it for you this December, I really did, but while I was in NYC recently, we went to Wallsé for dinner and I ordered it. And took a (not very good) photo with my cell phone. It was the easy way out when I'm so busy.  
Of course, Tracy was right, the soup was divine. She and Kurt have been friends for quite a while and Tracy's held several gallery opening night dinners at his restaurant.

Kurt has several restaurants, one right across the street from where she lives, Blaue Gans, on Duane Street in TriBeCa. She eats there regularly and I've been there too, but this trip, she treated me to a meal at Wallsé. Double yum. As I have the cookbook, I'll share the recipe and the photo I took of the soup and hope you'll forgive me for bending the foodie rules by not actually making it myself. Next year, I swear I'll make it at home and let you know if mine turned out as well. (I very much doubt it.)

Chestnut-Soup Viennese Melange With Black Truffles
Courtesy of Kurt Gutenbrunner

Ingredients:
3/4 cup armagnac or cognac
8 whole pitted prunes

12 ounces button mushrooms, washed
2 dried porcini mushrooms or other flavorful dried mushrooms
1 pound fresh peeled chestnuts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium-size celery root, peeled, dark spots removed, and diced
Salt and white pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups skim milk, hot
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Garnish
1 fresh black truffle (optional) 
8 parsley leaves

Method:

Early in the day or the night before, put the armagnac, prunes, and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover the pan, and allow the prunes to steep for 6 hours or overnight. (The prunes can be refrigerated in an airtight jar for a week.)
Put the button mushrooms in a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove and discard the mushrooms (there should be at least 1 cup of juice). Pulverize the dried porcini mushrooms in a coffee grinder.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a sharp paring knife, cut an X into the flat side of each chestnut. Place the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roast in the middle of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the shell curls. Remove from oven, and allow to cool. Peel and discard the shells, reserving the chestnuts.
Melt the butter over low heat in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the celery root, and cook gently for 5 minutes without browning. Add the peeled chestnuts, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sugar, increase the heat, and cook for a few minutes, until the mixture caramelizes. Add the remaining armagnac and cook for a minute. Pour in the reserved mushroom juice and the chicken stock, reduce the heat, and cook slowly for 15 minutes. Add the cream, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender in batches, and purée thoroughly for several minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain purée through a fine sieve, and reheat. (Can be made up to this point a day in advance and refrigerated.)Place 1 room-temperature drained prune in each of 8 soup bowls. Put the milk in a tall, slender container, and add ı teaspoon of the porcini powder and the nutmeg. Using a nozzle on an espresso machine or a separate foaming device, foam the hot milk. Divide the soup among the soup bowls, and top with a scoop of the foam, a shaving of black truffle, if desired, and a parsley leaf. Serve immediately.

Faith's Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts (ROZ MLOW’WAN)

You're going to have fun here today! So many super links for you to check out, each containing a fabulous recipe. Why? Well, sweet blogging friend Faith Gorsky from An Edible Mosaic just had her first cookbook released: An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair. I’m excited to be participating in her virtual book launch party and sharing a recipe from her wonderful book. Congratulations, Faith! 
Be sure to visit her blog....she's got some amazing giveaways!

A little background on the book along with Faith's story: The book has over 100 Middle Eastern recipes, with a focus mainly on dishes from the Levant, but also a few recipes from other areas of the Middle East. Faith has a pretty unique story…after getting married Faith spent six months living in the Middle East, where she fell in love with the culture and cuisine. Subsequently, she returned four more times for visits, each time delving deeper into the cuisine and deepening her passion for and appreciation of the region. Recipes in her book are authentic Middle Eastern (taught to Faith mostly by her mother-in-law, Sahar), but streamlined just a bit for the way we cook today, with unique ingredients demystified and cooking techniques anyone can follow. If you didn’t grow up eating Middle Eastern food, it can be a difficult art to master; Faith understands that, and explains complicated dishes in an approachable, easy-to-follow way. The book is available to order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
After you check out the recipe below, please head over to Faith’s blog to check out her virtual book launch party to see the other bloggers who are participating. Also, as part of her virtual book launch, Faith is hosting a giveaway of a fabulous set of prizes. Be sure to head over and enter!

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Faith asked me to make her Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts and below that you'll find her variation for Mixed White and Yellow Rice. The recipe is actually vegan so you won’t have any trouble incorporating it into a vegan or vegetarian meal, but it is just as delicious served with chicken, beef, lamb, or seafood, and it would be really fantastic with just about any curry dish. (In the cookbook, Faith recommends pairing Shrimp in Aromatic Tomato Sauce with this rice dish.  I served it with Sophie Dahl's easy Curried Chicken, which I make often. Both recipes take about 20 minutes, so the timing was perfect. (For Sophie's curry recipe, click HERE.)
My rice did not turn out as yellow as Faith's, probably because I used saffron threads and didn't have enough, but the flavor was there. I may try tumeric next time just to see the difference. But I did use the cinnamon stick and cloves as Faith suggested. I'll be making this often. Delicious!

Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts

(ROZ MLOW’WAN)

Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic:  Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission

Serves 4 to 6 
Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking

1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
3 tablespoons pine nuts 
1 onion, finely diced 
4 tablespoons sultanas (golden raisins) 
1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water 
¾ teaspoon salt 
½ teaspoon saffron threads (or ½ teaspoon turmeric)

1. Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
2. Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil.
4. Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
5.Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve.

OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice. 

VARIATION 
Mixed White and Yellow Rice

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking

1½ cups (325 g) uncooked basmati rice, rinsed 
2 tablespoons oil 
1 onion, finely diced 
1 bay leaf 
2 whole cloves 
2 pods cardamom, cracked open 
2 whole peppercorns 
¾ teaspoon salt 
1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water 
1-2 pinches saffron threads or ½ teaspoon turmeric dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

1. Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
2. Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan, cover and place over moderately high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add the rice, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and salt, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the boiling water to the rice, turn heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil. Give it a stir, cover the pot, turn heat down to very low, and cook 10 minutes (don’t open the lid during this time). 
4. After the rice is cooked, let the pot sit with the lid on for 15 minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork. Transfer 1/3 of the rice to a separate bowl.
5. Stir the saffron or turmeric-colored water into 1/3 of the rice (the rice will turn yellow). Mix together the yellow rice and white rice; serve.

Cute Little Pies

My sweet DIL Angie, who shares a love of cooking, has presented me with some nifty gifts for the kitchen in the last few months. 

                                                                                             Angie and my son Perry
 
One of the books she gave me for Christmas was Cutie Pies by Dani Cone. What a little gem of a cookbook! Fun for everyone in the family and the pies can be folded (called flipsides), made in little jars (called piejars) or made into pops on a stick (called piepops). Full and mini size pies as well. Dani Cone sells these adorable little pies at stores in Seattle called High 5 Pie and Fuel Coffee. They can be sweet or savory. 

For this post, I made some flipsides. Folded like empanadas, I had some berries in the fridge so made two different recipes; one with raspberries and blackberries and the other with mango and raspberries. The crust was flaky and delicious and although I filled them way too full, they still turned out nicely. Practice makes perfect with these little hand pies.  

Then, after a spring break visit, Angie thanked me by sending a Breville Mini Pie Maker! Can you imagine? 

More fun for me. I made mini rhubarb pies and then some Almond Frangipani pies. Not being certain how an open pie would work, I was amazed how beautifully they turned out. Next came a savory bacon and potato quiche mini pie. Delicious and so fast!  If you've got kids or grandkids around, this pie maker is going to become a favorite of theirs, but you'll love it too. You can be as inventive as you want.

What's really convenient is Breville suggests you use packaged pie crust on the bottom and if you are making a two crust pie, puff pastry for the top crust. What could be easier? And how to tell if they're done? The recipes all come with times of course, but you can open the pie maker and peek all you want, just to make certain the pies are done to your taste. The pies are usually done between 8 to 11 minutes.

Of course, I had to have the mini pie book from Williams Sonoma! Two of these recipes came from that book, but now that I have the hang of it, the sky's the limit.

If you'd like the recipes, please click HERE for printable recipes. The rhubarb isn't there, because I just cooked some rhubarb with sugar and boiled it down until it was a jam-like consistancy. There are lots of recipes for mini pies made with fresh fruits, but I wanted to use up the last of my jam. Thanks, Angie! My daughter-in-law knows exactly what my interests are.....cookbooks! (She checks my Amazon Wish List!)

Update! For Mother's Day, Angie and Perry sent me THIS:

I haven't even read it yet!

Pineapple and Mint Granita

What a fun, refreshing recipe! And simple to make. All granitas are, I've always thought, which makes them perfect for summer. Yet another plus: compared to ice cream, they're so much lower in calories and the flavor of fresh fruit shines through. This recipe is from Sophie Dahl's new book.

I have about 8 post-its stuck in it already and no doubt there will be more. Most of her recipes are not complicated but loaded with flavor. With this recipe, you could use canned or bottled pineapple juice, but please don't because fresh pineapple is amazing in granita. And the one I used was so nice and sweet, I didn't need to add any sweetener at all.

Pineapple and Mint Granita
From Very Fond of Food by Sophie Dahl

Ingredients:
2 pineapples, skin removed, cut in chunks
2 sprigs mint
agave nectar or sugar to sweeten, if needed

Method:
Put the pineapple chunks in a processor and process until you have mostly juice. Strain through a fine sieve.
Pour boiling water over the mint, remove and quickly run ice cold water over them. Dice finely and add to the juice. Taste and sweeten if necessary.
Freeze in a shallow metal container for 2 hours. Check on it and run a fork tine through to break it into shards. Refreeze. Serve by running a fork through again right into glasses.
This serves 6-8.

Momofuku Milk Bar's Chocolate Chip Cookies for Valentine's Day

Quite a few of you have posted this recipe, but the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook was a Christmas gift from one of my kids and I just HAD to try the cookie I'd heard so much about. It's my Valentine's Day present to you! 

I don't need to say anything about this cookbook, do I? The Milk Bar has THE. MOST. DIVINE. DESSERTS. Unusual, too. I loved reading this cookbook....everyone wants to borrow it!

So....on to the cookies. Make the Cornflake Crunch ahead of time. This recipe can be tricky if you don't follow directions, so I'll color the important parts in the recipe just to get your attention. I know, they're kind of a pain to make, but make them ahead and freeze the dough. It needs to be refrigerated anyway and freezing the dough actually makes for a better cookie.

Momofuku Milk Bar Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
From Momofuki Milk Bar by Christina Tosi

Ingredients:
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups Cornflake Crunch (recipe follows) (3 cups is about 3/4 of the recipe below)
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows


Method:
Combine butter and sugars in a mixer with a paddle attachment and beat for 2-3 minutes.
Scrape down the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat for 7-8 minutes.
Reduce mixer speed and add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix only until dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the Cornflake Crunch and mini chocolate chips and mix on low speed for only 30 seconds. Mix in marshmallows just until incorporated.
Using a 2 3/4 ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3 cup measure) portion out the dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Press down to flatten the dough somewhat, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour up to one week. Or cover tightly and freeze the dough at this point.
Do not bake the cookies from room temperature.
Preheat oven to 375.

Arrange the dough on parchment paper or silpat, 4 inches apart. The cookies will puff, crackle and spread. The recipe says 18 minutes; the cookies should be browned on the edges and beginning to brown in the center. I found it took 15 minutes in my oven...start checking after 12 minutes. Much depends on whether the cookies are frozen or refrigerated and oven temps are not all alike to begin with. Allow to cool completely right on the parchment paper. The cookies will stay fresh up to 5 days in an airtight container or in the freezer up to a month.

 Cornflake Crunch

Ingredients:
5 cups cornflakes (1/2 box)
1/2 cup milk powder
3 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Method:
Preheat oven to 275
Pour the cornflakes in a bowl and crush them with your hands until they are one quarter of their original size. Add the milk powder, sugar and salt and mix well with your hands.
Pour the melted butter over and toss to coat.
Spread mixture out on a parchment or silpat-lined baking pan and toast 20 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan and store in an airtight container. It will keep fresh for 1 week, or in the refrigerator or freezer it will keep a month.

Hazelnut Sponge Cake

Finally, I've finished reading cover to cover the first of my Christmas cookbooks. My kids gave me lots of them and it's going to take me a while to get through them all. I began with A Platter of Figs by David Tanis, published in 2008. Tanis has worked with Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in several capacities over the last 25 years. Right now, he spends half the year in Paris, where he writes and hosts a private dining club, and half the year in San Francisco, where he continues chef duties at Chez Panisse in collaboration with long-time colleague Jean-Pierre Moullé.

There are 24 menus in A Platter of Figs, six for each season. How best to explain David's attitude towards cooking? "Simple cooking meant to illuminate nature’s perfect simplicity" was a quote I read someplace. There are no long lists of ingredients, just simple recipes and fabulous flavors. 

This hazelnut sponge cake was lovely. The hazelnuts are not ground finely, so there is a flavor-filled chewiness with each bite. I served it with a coffee-flavored sweetened whipped cream, but kept thinking I'd have loved some caramelized fruit with it. Maybe pears. But I contained myself and kept it simple.

Hazelnut Sponge Cake
From A Platter of Figs by David Tanis

Ingredients: 

1 pound shelled hazelnuts

8 large eggs, separated, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons cake flour, matzo meal or dry bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400. Roast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes until the skins blister and hazelnuts are toasted. Place them in a tea towel and rub them together to remove skins. When they are cool, coarsely chop them in a food processor.

Line a 10 inch spring form pan with a circle of parchment or butter and flour the pan. Set aside. Lower oven heat to 350.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Add the zest, lemon juice, flour, salt and hazelnuts and mix well.

Beat the whites until stiff. Add 1/3 of them to the batter to lighten, then fold in the remaining whites.

Bake the cake in the 350 oven for 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 325 and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely on a rack before unmolding.

Serve with fresh fruit and slightly sweetened whipped cream or just some lightly sweetened coffee flavored whipped cream, which is what I did.