July 26th, 2011 § § permalink
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
2 egg yolks
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon citrus champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a blender or food processor, place egg and garlic. Whirl until garlic is smooth. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow stream, until the sauce is thick and emulsified. Add the vinegar, lemon zest and juice. Add the corn kernels and blend until the kernels are chopped but not totally smooth. The sauce should be creamy with bits of corn.
July 7th, 2011 § § permalink
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks, beaten
3 large ripe peaches pitted and peeled and pureed or mashed (¼ cup reserved for nectar)
1 cup tarragon peach nectar (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
Directions
In a heavy saucepan on medium heat, heat the cream until just about to boil but do not let it boil. Whisk in egg yolks and continue to whisk while heating through and cook about 5 minutes on medium low heat, making sure the egg mixture does not boil. Remove it from the heat. Mix the nectar and peach puree in with the cream mixture until well mixed, set aside in refrigerator for about an hour. Add chopped fresh tarragon and follow ice cream maker instructions.
Tarragon Peach Nectar
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup peach puree
3 sprigs of fresh tarragon
Directions
In a saucepan, place sugar, water, peach puree and fresh tarragon sprigs and bring to a boil until the sugar is all dissolved. Let simmer for 5 more minutes to steep, take off heat, set aside for 5 more minutes, discard tarragon sprigs, stir well and set nectar aside to cool.
July 4th, 2011 § § permalink

4-6 Servings
Ingredients
For the filling
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced (about ¾ cup)
3 ears sweet yellow corn, kernels removed from their cobs
1 cup jumbo lump crab meat, pickled over very well for shells
¾ cup mascarpone
Zest of 1 lemon, freshly grated
Pinch of pimento d’espelette pepper
Salt
For the pasta dough
2 large eggs plus 6 yolks
14 ounces all-purpose or Italian OO flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Pinch salt
For the Sauce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 zucchini, diced (green parts only)
Pinch espelette pepper
¾ cup spicy soppressata, cut into small cubes
2 red bell peppers, charred on a grill or gas burner, skins and seeds/ribs removed, and cut into strips
Reserved cooked corn kernels
1 cup fresh Italian basil leaves, gently torn
Zucchini blossoms, cut in half, stems and pistils removed
Directions
For the filling
In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the onions in olive oil, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add all but a few tablespoons of the corn and continue cooking until it is tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.
In a food processor, purée the corn and onion mixture. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in the mascarpone, crab, lemon zest and espelette. Adjust seasoning. Place the mixture in a pining bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the pasta dough
Lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl. Add the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Add in the flour little by little, mixing together with a fork until the dough is not too sticky to handle. The dough should still be a rough, shaggy mass.
Turn the dough out onto the work surface and knead by hand, adding more of the flour, as necessary until the dough is smooth, elastic and not sticky. Wrap in plastic or store in a Ziploc bag to rest for 20 minutes.
Cut the dough from the ball into pieces and flatten into disks. Work with one disk at a time and keep the rest covered with plastic or under a kitchen towel so they do not dry out. Run the disk through the rollers of the pasta machine, starting at the widest setting. Fold the dough in half or in thirds and press down to seal. If the dough feels sticky sprinkle it with flour, but brush off the excess. Feed the open side of the pasta through the rollers and repeat a few times. Continue to dust the dough with flour and brush it off if the dough feels tacky.
Advance the pasta machine to the next thinnest setting. Without folding anymore, put the pasta sheet through the next setting. Continue advancing the rollers to the next thinnest setting, rolling the pasta sheet one time through each setting without folding, until the dough is thin enough so that you can see your hand through it.
Place the sheet of pasta on a lightly floured work surface. Cut out circles of dough from the sheet using a fluted biscuit cutter or a juice glass, approximately 3 inches in diameter. Pipe a blob for the filling in the center of each circle and then fold over the dough to form a half-moon shape. Press the dough together to seal. Bring the ends of the half moons together and press to seal them. Place the finished cappelletti on a well-floured sheet tray covered with a clean towel until ready to cook. Repeat the process with all the disks of dough.
For the sauce
In a large wide skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the diced zucchini, season with salt and espelette, and cook over medium heat until just tender. Add the reserved corn kernels, diced soppressata and red peppers and warm through.
Cook the cappellacci in abundant boiling salted water until they float to the surface. Strain from the water and add to the pan with the soppressata and peppers. Add some of the pasta cooking water and toss together to make a creamy sauce. Gently tear the basil leaves and add to the skillet along with the zucchini blossoms. Adjust the seasoning. Spoon the pasta onto warmed bowls or plates.
June 23rd, 2011 § § permalink

Makes 6-9 popsicles
Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries, stems removed and chopped
1⁄3 cup honey
1⁄3 cup water
4 egg yolks
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon orange zest
1⁄3 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
In a medium sauce pan place the strawberries, honey and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Take off heat and allow to cool, once cool, blend into a smooth puree. Whisk together egg yolks, cream, and milk and place it in a sauce pan to heat on low medium heat whisking for about 5 minutes or until a custard-like texture begins to form, remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a bowl combine the strawberry puree, the custard mix and the orange juice, zest and vanilla until well mixed. Place into popsicle molds and freeze for 6-9 hours.
June 12th, 2011 § § permalink
Ingredients
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
Pinch cayenne
Pinch salt
Directions
Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler), the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and double in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.
Recipe from Tyler Florence
June 12th, 2011 § § permalink
Makes 1 cup of sauce
Ingredients
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne, or a few dashes Tabasco sauce
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (if using salted butter, skip the added salt)
Directions
Melt the butter slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it boil – you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne (if using) into your blender. Blend the egg yolk mixture at a medium to medium high speed until it lightens in color, about 20-30 seconds. The friction generated by the blender blades will heat the yolks a bit. The blending action will also introduce a little air into them, making your hollandaise sauce a bit lighter. Once the yolks have lightened in color, turn the blender down to its lowest setting (if you only have on speed on your blender it will still work), and drizzle in the melted butter slowly, while the blender is going. Continue to buzz for another couple seconds after the butter is incorporated. Turn off the blender and taste the sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and just slightly salty. If it is not salty or lemony enough, you can add a little lemon juice or salt to taste. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. Pulse briefly to incorporate the ingredients one more time. Store until needed in a warm spot, like on or next to the stovetop. Use within an hour or so.
Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com
June 12th, 2011 § § permalink
Makes 15-20 empanadas
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into pieces
2 egg yolks
¾ cup water (ice cold)
Guava Jam (recipe follows)
Powdered sugar (optional)
Directions
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly with crumbles about the size of peas. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and water. Add the liquid a little bit at a time to the flour-butter mixture; mix it up with your hands or a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms, a few more tablespoons of ice cold water may be needed. Form the dough into a flat disc shape about the size of a small salad plate. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Divide the dough in two and on a lightly floured surface roll out each piece of dough to a rectangular shape. Cut the dough in about 8-10 three inch squares. Place a tablespoon of the jam on the center of each square. Fold over the dough around the filling, and moisten borders with wet finger tips. Roll the edges of the border from one side of the empanada to the other in a crescent, making sure just to roll the very outer edge of the border. Place each empanada on a greased baking sheet. Poke one or two holes, using the tip of a knife, in each empanada to aerate them. Bake empanadas for about 15 minutes, take out of the oven, and brush with a little butter. Bake again for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat, allow to cool a few minutes and dust with powdered sugar.
Guava Jam
Ingredients
2 cups guavas, chopped fine (skins, seeds and all) (about 10 guavas)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 pinch of salt
Directions
Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan on low heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until all ingredients are cooked down. Turn up heat to medium and boil for another 10 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or flour sifter making sure the seeds are caught, push as much as you can through the mesh. Place the mixture in a metal bowl and place in the refrigerator to solidity; Guavas natural pectin will create a more dense and thick jam.
April 28th, 2011 § § permalink
Makes 5 cups
INGREDIENTS
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh mint, chopped
10 egg yolks
1 medium red beet, cooked and peeled and cubed
½ cup orange juice
½ cup sugar
DIRECTIONS
In a heavy bottomed saucepan bring the milk, half and half, sugar and mint to a boil and reduce heat immediately, and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring gently, allowing mint to steep into liquid. Discard mint. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk egg yolk well. Ladle a big spoon full of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking well, to avoid the eggs from cooking. Add the remainder of the egg mixture into the milk on the stove and the heat gently whisking constantly until a thick custard forms or until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon well; about 5-6 minutes. Take off heat and allow to cool.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight to get very cold. Place in the freezer 10 minutes before making the ice cream. Process the ice cream in an ice cream maker, following instructions of the machine.
Thaw the ice cream so it is just starting to get soft. Place the beet, sugar and the orange juice in a medium saucepan and heat until the sugar is melted. Blend in a blender until a smooth sauce. Drizzle the mixture into the soft ice cream using a spoon and swirling it, being careful not to mix the ice cream too much. Freeze.
April 23rd, 2011 § § permalink
Makes 4 cups
INGREDIENTS
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh mint, chopped
10 egg yolks
DIRECTIONS
In a heavy bottomed saucepan bring the milk, half and half, sugar, and mint to a boil and reduce heat immediately, and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring gently, allowing mint to steep into liquid. Discard mint. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk egg yolk well. Ladle a big spoon full of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking well, to avoid the eggs from cooking. Add the remainder of the egg mixture into the milk on the stove and heat gently whisking constantly until a thick custard forms or until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon well; about 5-6 minutes. Take off heat and allow to cool.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight to get very cold. Place in the freezer 10 minutes before making the ice cream. Process the ice cream in an ice cream maker, following instructions of the machine.
April 20th, 2011 § § permalink
Makes ½ gallon of ice cream
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
10 egg yolks
1 cup sugar plus ¼ cup sugar
1/4 cup water
8 cups strawberries (chopped, with tops removed)
1 cup chopped mint
Strawberries and mint for garnish
Chocolate, melted
Fresh strawberries, stems in tact
Directions
Make simple syrup by placing ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in heavy sauce pan with 1 cup chopped mint. Bring to boil until sugar is totally dissolved. Let steep on simmer for five minutes, then strain and set syrup aside. Combine milk and cream in a heavy saucepan. Bring to just about boil but do not let it boil. Remove from heat and set aside for about an hour. Bring milk mixture back to simmer. Whisk egg yolks and ½ cup sugar in a mixing bowl and then mix eggs into saucepan. A double boiler helps to ensure that the milk product does not boil. Stir over medium low heat until the mixture thickens into a custard. Usually about 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until very cold. In the meantime, mix strawberries and mint simple syrup in a food processor until smooth. Mix pureed strawberries in with the custard mix, add chopped fresh mint if desired and use ice cream maker according to instructions.
Dip strawberries in melted chocolate and set in refrigerator to harden, serve with mint ice cream.
February 2nd, 2011 § § permalink
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
½ cup butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (baking squares are best)
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 8 6-ounce ramekins with a generous amount of butter, and sprinkle with sugar.
Over a double boiler, combine butter, chocolate, and cream. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and thick. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and flour until smooth. Set aside. Mix on high speed, egg, egg yolks, and sugar until thick and lemon colored, about 10 minutes. Fold egg mixture, one third at a time into chocolate mixture. Be careful not to deflate the eggs. Divide batter into prepared cups evenly.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes until edges of cake are set and center still jiggles. Cool for 3 minutes. White knife, loosen cakes from side of each cup, and turn each out onto dessert plates. Serve immediately.
© Recipe Property of Shawona Jones
Cardamom Cream
Makes ½ cup
INGREDIENTS
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cardamom seeds, taken out of pods and lightly crushed
1 vanilla bean, scraped
DIRECTIONS
In a medium-sized chilled bowl, add cream and begin to whisk. Once cream starts to thicken, add rest of ingredients and beat until medium-stiff peaks form.
© Recipe Property of Ger-Nis
January 14th, 2011 § § permalink
Makes 15 Ice Cream Sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 vanilla bean split
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 habañero pepper, deseeded, pith removed, and cut in half
9 egg yolks
1 cup buttermilk, cold
Pinch of salt
30 medium dark chocolate cookies
DIRECTIONS
In a medium sauce pan, whisk together cream, sugar, vanilla, mint leaves, and habañero pepper. Bring to a pre-boil, and reduce to simmer, about 10 to 15 minutes. Strain out habañero, vanilla, and mint leaves. Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean before discarding, and add to cream mixture. Place the mixture back on low heat, and, in the meantime, beat the egg yolks in a separate mixing bowl. Whisk the beaten eggs and buttermilk into the cream mixture, making sure the mixture does not cook the eggs, keep on very low, and keep whisking. Continue to whisk until mixture turns into a thick custard. Add a pinch of salt and take off of burner, and allow to cool. Then refrigerate. When cold, process ice cream in an ice cream maker, following directions of the ice cream maker.
To assemble cookies, place a scoop of ice cream on the flat part of the cookie, and place the other flat part of the cookie on the other side. Press down gently until a disc forms. Place on a cookie sheet or plate, and place in the freezer until frozen again.
January 2nd, 2011 § § permalink
Serves 10
INGREDIENTS
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh mint, chopped
10 egg yolks
1 dark mint chocolate bar, chopped into pieces
10 fresh mint leaves, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
For mint ice cream
In a heavy bottomed saucepan bring the milk, half and half, sugar, and mint to a boil and reduce heat immediately, and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring gently, allowing mint to steep into liquid. Discard mint. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks well. Ladle a big spoon full of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking well, to avoid the eggs from cooking. Add the remainder of the egg mixture into the milk on the stove and heat gently whisking constantly until a thick custard forms or until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon well, about 5-6 minutes. Take off heat and allow to cool.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight to get very cold. Place in the freezer 10 minutes before making the ice cream. Process the ice cream in an ice cream maker, following instructions of the machine.
For chocolate mint leaves and chocolate drizzle
In a double boiler, add chocolate and warm until melted. Place mint leaves on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Drizzle some chocolate over the leaves and let harden (reserving some for drizzle on ice cream). Serve ice cream with chocolate drizzled over it and garnished with the chocolate mint leaves.
January 2nd, 2011 § § permalink
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon butter, softened
¾ cup sugar, plus one tablespoon
4 tablespoons flour
¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped super fine, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into little pieces
1 cup milk
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped fine
2 egg yolks
5 egg whites
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 4 (8 ounce) ramekins well and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine sugar, flour, rosemary, cocoa powder, and a pinch of sea salt and mix well.
Using a fork or pastry blender, add the butter to the flour until a fine crumbly meal forms. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan bring milk to a boil, and reduce. Slowly add the flour mixture and chocolate to the milk and whisk, making sure the milk mixture does not boil and whisking continuously until the mixture is thick. Once the chocolate mixture is cooled, add egg yolks and combine. Set aside. In a separate metal bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form, adding a little bit of the reserved tablespoon of sugar at a time. The beaten egg whites should be glossy, shiny and stiff. Stir in about ¼ of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture, folding gently until just incorporated. Add the remaining egg white mixture, mixing gently until just combined. Divide mixture between the greased ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the soufflés are puffed up. Mix the remaining rosemary with the powdered sugar and sprinkle on top.
January 2nd, 2011 § § permalink
Ingredients
1½ cups flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons ice water
Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Cut in butter with two forks or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolks and ice water (don’t add all at once, add 1 tablespoon at a time), mix until dough just comes together. If dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Turn out dough from bowl onto work surface, and knead once or twice to combine. Divide dough in four equal parts. Shape into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Recipe Property of Martha Stewart
November 22nd, 2010 § § permalink
Makes 10-12 Empanadas
In Spain, canned and jarred octopus is a luxury. To use it in empanadas is a delicious way to enjoy the delicacies of the Valencian waters, even from afar. Empanada dough is slightly sweet and thick in texture and does a brilliant job of absorbing the sauces form the inside without becoming soaked.
INGREDIENTS
For the empanada dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into pieces
2 egg yolks
¾ cup water (ice cold)
For the empanada filling
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans of pulpo (in oil), chopped
3 medium plum or Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
Butter or oil
Flake sea salt
PREPARATION
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly with crumbles about the size of peas. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and water. Add the liquid a little bit at a time to the flour-butter mixture, mix it up with your hands or a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms, a few more tablespoons of ice cold water may be needed. Form the dough into a flat disc shape about the size of a small salad plate. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
In the meantime, mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and set aside. Divide the dough in half, and roll out on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Roll into a large rectangular shape. Cut the dough into 4 5-inch squares. Place a dollop of the filling in the center of each square. Fold over the dough around the filling, and moisten borders with wet inger tips. Roll the edges of the border from one side of the empanada to the other in a crescent, making sure just to roll the very outer edge of the border. Place each empanada on a greased baking sheet. Poke one or two holes, using the tip of a knife, in each empanada to aerate them. Sprinkle with flake sea salt.
Bake empanadas for about 15 minutes, take out of the oven, and brush with a little olive oil or butter. Bake again for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.