briciole

Novel Food #15: tortine al cocco e mango

coconut and mango friands

"Oh, mamma, that shows you never saw Mr. Thornton. He looks like a person who would enjoy battling with every adverse thing he could meet with — enemies, winds, or circumstances. The more it rains and blows, the more certain we are to have him. But I'll go and help Dixon. I'm getting to be a famous clear-starcher. And he won't want any amusement beyond talking to papa. [...] You know I never saw him but once, and then we were so puzzled to know what to say to each other that we did not get on particularly well."

"I don't know that you would ever like him, or think him agreeable, Margaret. He is not a lady's man."

Margaret wreathed her throat in a scornful curve.

"I don't particularly admire ladies' men, papa. But Mr. Thornton comes here as your friend — as one who has appreciated you" —

"The only person in Milton," said Mrs. Hale.

"So we will give him a welcome, and some cocoa-nut cakes. Dixon will be flattered if we ask her to make some; and I will undertake to iron your caps, mamma."

By the time I read this passage in Chapter 9 (Dressing for Tea) of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South, I had already seen the BBC movie and so I knew how the story would progress.

Since we don't watch TV and don't really follow TV-related news, I choose DVDs based on interest. My husband and I like period drama and the BBC productions are usually very good. We had already seen Wives and Daughters and Cranford adapted from Gaskell's novels, so North and South was a natural choice. Little I knew how much I would like the movie and then enjoy the book as well. I also didn't know that the movie was such a great success.

In this novel, Gaskell takes a close look at labor tensions in Milton, a (fictional) industrial city in the north of England. John Thornton, the male protagonist, is the owner of a mill. Margaret Hale is the daughter of a clergyman who leaves the Church of England and moves the family from rural Helstone, in the south of England, to Milton. Every time John and Margaret meet, they collide. The way their relationship evolves is quite interesting.

Two other characters that are important in the book and got amazing performances in the movie are Mrs. Thornton, John's mother, and Higgins, the mill worker whose daughter is befriended by Margaret.The scene where John proposes to Margaret reminded me a bit of that of Mr. Darcy proposing to Elizabeth Bennett. North and South is very different from Pride and Prejudice and yet there are some subtle links, as pride and prejudice play a role in both novels.

There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing scenes from the movie, but if you have not seen it, I would recommend you watch it from the beginning and enjoy each of the episodes. And yes, there are differences between the book and the movie, because they are different media. For example, while the book can follow Margaret analysis of her feelings and of her tormented conscience (she has lied to a constable and Mr. Thornton knows, but she cannot reveal to him the reason why she did it) the movie has to show this. This is a story in which people change due to events and also other people's influence. For example, Higgins ends up establishing a relationship with Mr. Thornton, who becomes his employer after being the enemy during the workers' strike. In the movie this relationship is nicely portrayed.

The final scene in both the novel and the movie is heart melting. They two scenes are different in setting but they show the same event: both Margaret and John come to acknowledge their feelings for each other. All right, I will go so far as to admit that North and South has turned me into a great fan of Richard Armitage. (Watch the movie and you'll agree with me.)

Going back to the excerpt which opens the post: As Margaret explains, she and Mr. Thornton have met once before and the meeting was not particularly successful. Right after the scene in the Hale's house, in the same chapter, we see Mr. Thornton getting ready for the visit. Her mother warns him against Miss Hale: she casts her as the poor girl looking for a rich husband.

"Mother" (with a short scornful laugh), "you will make me confess. The only time I saw Miss Hale, she treated me with a haughty civility which had a strong flavour of contempt in it. She held herself aloof from me as if she had been a queen, and I her humble, unwashed vassal. Be easy, mother."

"No! I am not easy, nor content either. What business had she, a renegade clergyman's daughter, to turn up her nose at you! I would dress for none of them — a saucy set! if I were you."

Mrs. Thornton is an important character and in fact the book ends with a reference to her, no less.

What kind of coconut cakes did Dixon, Mrs. Hale's faithful maid, prepare for Mr. Thornton? I am not sure and decided not to worry too much, and focus rather on what I would make for Mr. Thornton. I imagined small, dainty cakes, something light and appropriate to eat with tea. I then remembered seeing something interesting in Haalo's blog Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once: an Australian sweet treat called friand. Haalo says:

The history of Friands is a little sketchy as they almost appear to have come from nowhere but they have won our hearts. They seem to be based on a French cake called Financier.

Haalo's recipe for Mango friands was a favorite among the ones she has presented. In it, coconut is included as flour. I also liked a slightly different version, where the friands are baked in mini-pans. I have those molds and rarely use them. In the end, I took element from both recipes, added a personal touch and came out with my version of friands for Mr. Thornton. I have never tasted a friand, so I am not sure how mine compares to what is served in Australia. Maybe I should visit again and find out. (We were there many years ago and I have fond memories of our trip, especially of our stay in Tasmania.)

coconut and mango friand

The full batch would make six cakes, but for our small household, I halved the quantities and this "reduced" recipe is what I give below. 

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons [36 g] ultra-fine sugar
• 1/4 cup [33 g]  all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup [22 g] (desiccated) shredded coconut [I actually used a mix of coconut flour and shredded coconut and weighed the ingredients]
• 2 tablespoons [15 g] almond meal
• 2 egg whites at room temperature
  
• 2 oz [56 g] butter, melted and cooled a bit
• 1 cheek of fresh mango, finely diced
• 2 dried apricots (albicocche), finely diced

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Grease three mini loaf tins (4 x 2 1/4 inch) and set aside. Alternatively, line the bottom and short sides using a strip of parchment paper and grease the long sides of each tin. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy/soft peak. Pour melted butter into dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add half the mango pieces and stir to combine. Add a portion of the egg whites and fold gently, then add the rest and fold as well.

Spoon the batter into the tins. Distribute mango and apricot pieces on the surface. Put in the oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until the tops are light golden. Apply the toothpick test to make sure the friands are cooked. Remove from the oven and cool in tins for a few minutes. Gently take the cakes out of the tins and cool on a wire rack.

nice texture

As usual, my efforts did not produce something elegant, but the friands were nice and they were much appreciated by Mr. Thornton my husband.

This is my contribution to the 15th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I have started some time ago.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

tortine al cocco e mango

or launch the tortine al cocco e mango audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

coconut, mango, dessert

regalo di Natale e crostata delle Feste

Christmas gift and a Holiday tart

Che cosa ti ha portato Babbo Natale? (what did Santa bring you?) is the question often asked this time of the year. In the past, I had expressed the wish to have a magic wand. This year, Santa brought me one: Babbo Natale mi ha portato una bacchetta magica.

Here it is, resting next to some of the cards (biglietti) I received as part of the North Redwoods Book Arts Guild Holiday card exchange (this photo album shows them all). They are all beautiful and they make up this year Holiday decor at our house.

On Christmas Eve (vigilia di Natale) I made a crostata with apple, rhubarb and strawberry preserves (conserva di mele, rabarbaro e fragole) and decorated the surface with Babbo Natale shapes (instead of the traditional lattice).

briciole's recipe for crostata di marmellata

Speaking of Babbo Natale, don't you think he could live in this pretty house?

I know, those are not reindeer (renne), but elk (wapiti), there is no snow (neve), and the house is actually the Little Red Schoolhouse in Stone Lagoon, CA. But still, I like to think that Santa would enjoy living here. (The Roosevelt Elk are free to roam and they do, often crossing Hwy 101, which runs nearby.)

In case you are wondering, I am still getting acquainted with my magic wand.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

regalo di Natale e crostata delle Feste

or launch the regalo di Natale e crostata delle Feste audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

tart, dessert

pistacchi ricoperti di cioccolato

chocolate-covered pistachios

I cannot honestly say that the package arrived unexpectedly, but its content was unknown until I opened the box and removed the packing material to reveal a beautiful long bar of chocolate 64% cacao content, made by SOMA using cacao beans from Peru (as an aside, the cacao nibs I featured in my most recent post were also from Peruvian beans). I don't know whether Jerry of Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants! read something on my blog that suggested the gift or simply divined it: I was certainly happy to get a food that is an integral part of my daily diet (in moderation, of course).

In the package I also found a glass jar with an elegant label describing an intriguing content: Bacon Marmalade, whose ingredients include, besides bacon, sautéed onions (cipolle), balsamic vinegar from Modena (aceto balsamico di Modena) and spices. In the note accompanying the gifts, Jerry tells me that the marmalade is fabulous as an accompaniment to cheese. If you are curious to hear me describe how the pairing with some of my cheese works, I need to ask you to be patient, since I have decided to postpone opening the jar until a dinner with a friend of ours with whom I would like to share the experience. So, more on this at a later date.

Back to the chocolate, serendipity worked to suggest a pairing with pistachios. A few days before the chocolate arrived, we had received as a gift a bag of pistachios roasted (tostati) and lightly salted (salati). Having previously tasted and appreciated the pairing of chocolate and pistachios, and of chocolate and salt, I thought that putting together chocolate, pistachios and a bit of salt would be an interesting test. I recently made delicious chocolate-covered pecans, so it was easy to apply to pistachios the same technique. Preparation of the nuts involved only shelling and rubbing off the skin. Preparation of the chocolate consisted in finely chopping 3 ounces or so and then melting it according to the directions in this post. (In case you are wondering, a few pieces of chocolate found their way to my mouth while I was chopping it, as a sweet reward for my labor. All right, all right, chopping chocolate probably does not count as "labor.")

I used a teaspoon to make small clusters and deposit them on a tray lined with wax paper (carta oleata). Once the chocolate was completely set, we tasted the clusters and were delighted by the combination of crunch, sweetness and light saltiness of the ensemble.

The special delivery was not unexpected, because last month I signed up to participate to Season's Eatings, an edible gift exchange event engineered by Katie of Thyme for Cooking, the Blog. Many thanks to Jerry for the thoughtful gifts and to Katie for organizing the fun event.

Katie will have a roundup of the exchange some time after Christmas.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

pistacchi ricoperti di cioccolato

or launch the pistacchi ricoperti di cioccolato audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

pistachio, chocolate

Novel Food #14: frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto & crostatine

roasted Asian pear frittata & tartlets

Recently, my husband and I watched on DVD the Maigret movies from the early '90s starring Michael Gambon and enjoyed them a lot. Chief Inspector Maigret is the protagonist of many novels and stories by Belgian-French writer Georges Simenon. When I was a kid, il commissario Maigret was popular in Italy thanks to the TV movies starring Gino Cervi.

I had read only one of the Maigret novels, so during a recent visit to a bookstore, I decided to correct that, but got attracted by one of Simenon's novels without Maigret: La chambre bleue, from 1964 (in Italian La camera azzurra and in English The Blue Room).

Tony and Andrée have had a relation for 11 months, during which they have met eight times in the blue room of the hotel owned by Tony's brother. Tony is married to Gisèle and they have a daughter, Marianne. Andrée is married to Nicolas. The novel opens in the blue room, at the end of what will turn out to be the last meeting of the two lovers. The novel then moves to some time after that event and we understand that Tony is in jail. However, it is not immediately clear of what crime he is accused. As Tony answers questions and remembers past events, the story of the intervening months is revealed.

Tony's story brings the reader into a quiet corner of France, where life goes on fairly steadily, but where nothing goes on unremarked (as Tony will find out). It's difficult for me to say more without spoiling the pleasure of reading the novel. I found every element of it interesting: the story itself, the way it is told, the characters and how they are portrayed, the ending.

One important element of the story is the contrast between Gisèle and Andrée. Tony's life with his wife is quiet and follows a certain routine, partly dictated by their daughter's needs and partly by his work schedule. Here's the sentence that inspired the first dish:

They had sat down to dinner as usual: soup, a ham omelette, salad, a camembert, and, for dessert, apricots.

I wish I could tell you about making camembert at home. I have actually done it earlier this year, and the result was positive, but I have no photographic proof, and for various reasons I have not repeated the experience. Aging requirements would not allow me to have a homemade camembert ready in time, so I focused on the ham omelette: in the Italian version of the book, which is the one I read, it is frittata col prosciutto. This is a dish that would be quite easy to make in Italy, but where I am, it is a different story. Still, I was set on making a frittata, and if this were apricot season I would have tried to make a roasted apricot frttata on the same line of my roasted peach frittata. Alas, summer is over, so there are no fresh apricots (albicocche) around, but there are beautiful local Asian pears and so my inspiration produced a roasted Asian pear frittata.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto ¹

Another passage of the book inspired me to prepare something else. In the story, fruit preserves play an important role. The first mention is not particularly remarkable:

Marianne only liked strawberry jam, whereas her mother, who was allergic to strawberries — even in jam they gave her a rash — preferred plum jelly. In the early days of their marriage, he had teased Gisele about her taste in food, which often made him smile.

But later, Gisèle's preference becomes a pivotal element of the story.

A few days ago, I made a crostata (tart) with a layer of strawberry and rhubarb preserves and over it a layer of fresh apples. Gisèle could not have eaten it, due to her allergy. I did not make any plum preserves last summer, but I still could not let go of the idea of making something related to that sentence, something with fruit preserves.

I had never made tartlets before, so I decided to do that: the filling for the one on the left is my apple and mango preserves and for the one on the right is my Asian pear butter (burro di pere asiatiche) flavored with some fresh ginger (zenzero). After making a somewhat traditional lattice for one crostatina, I decided to hint more directly at the story that had inspired me and reached for the small heart-shaped cookie cutter. I did not glaze the pasta frolla, so the two hearts (cuori) are a bit pale.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for crostatine ¹

Gisèle is the character that interested me the most. Did she know or suspect what was going on between Tony and Andrée? Was she ever worried or afraid? 

Because of her golden hair, her pale skin and oval face, people frequently remarked that she had an angelic look. But she only liked pungent foods: pickled herrings, salads flavored with garlic and liberally dressed with vinegar, and strong cheeses. Often she would be chewing at a large raw onion as she worked in the vegetable garden. On the other hand, she never touched sweets or pastries. He was the one with the sweet tooth. This was not the only anomaly in their domestic life...

Given her preferences, it's unlikely that Gisèle would have tasted my tartlets, though maybe the ginger-flavored pear butter would have convinced her to try. On the other hand, I think that Tony and Andrée would have liked them.

Between the photo at the bottom and the one at the top, my husband's tasting occurred. He liked the crostatina with Asian pear butter better. When I saw the two half crostatine on the plate, I thought they were an apt metaphor for the lonely halves in the story, whose leitmotif is the inability to communicate. This inability, which we see in every character, not just the main ones, has tragic consequences.

¹ To keep the post within a reasonable length, I am making an exception to my usual blog format and give the recipes on a separate page.

This is my second contribution to the 14th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I have started some time ago (this time I am hosting solo as Lisa is taking a break from blogging).

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto & crostatine

 

or launch the frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto & crostatine audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

frittata, pear, dessert

una fetta di panettone

a slice of panettone

It is rather early to talk about panettone, but I have had the opportunity to taste one now and so I'll write a short Holiday preview.

I have always loved panettone: more than any other food, it means Christmas to me. As I wrote in an older post:

Panettone and pandoro have attained national status as dolci delle feste. I spent my childhood and adolescence alternating between the two as my favorite. However, for several years now, I have been solidly in the panettone camp (though I understand people who think differently). The final choice may have something to do with the fact that I lived for 10 years in Milan, panettone's birth place. In December, pasticcerie (pastry shops) in Milan show their freshly-baked panettoni and oh my! it is difficult to resist.

Both panettone and pandoro are of soft, delicate texture. Panettone is studded with uvetta (raisins) and canditi (candied orange and citron peel), while pandoro is plain inside... The names panettone and pandoro contain the word pane (bread), suggesting that they are special breads, made for particular occasions.

Bauducco Foods is a company based in Brazil that was founded in 1952 by an Italian. I totally understand Carlo Bauducco's desire to bring to his adopted country one of the best traditional products of his country of origin. I actually made panettone at home two years ago. It is a rather lengthy process and not having a stand-up mixer made it even more laborious. Bauducco's website states that their panettone "takes 52 hours to produce due to the natural fermentation and cooling process." Panettone production cannot be rushed.

The result of my efforts was good... to make French toast. However, my heart skipped a bit when at some point my kitchen smelled unmistakably of panettone, a heavenly mix of sweetness, vanilla and citrus notes. When you unwrap a panettone, the fragrance that envelops you is the prolog of a complex gustatory experience. A slice of the tall, soft-as-a-cloud cake is a perfect combination of flavors and textures.

I was pleased by the softness of Bauducco panettone. My husband and I enjoyed a slice after dinner, by itself. My father used to cut the first panettone of the season after the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, and then we had slices of it and of pandoro pretty much every day during the Holidays. Come to think about it, this year, other things have been happening earlier than usual, including the first storm (which has been dumping rain since yesterday) and the first cold spell.

Many thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Bauducco for offering me the opportunity to taste the panettone.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

una fetta di panettone

or launch the una fetta di panettone audio file [mp3].

 Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

FTC discosure: as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Bauducco, I received a 26 oz. sample of Panettone with raisins and a 26 oz. sample of Panettone with chocolate chips at no charge. I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for mentioning the product on my blog.

gelato di pesche arrosto

roasted peach ice cream

After roasting strawberries (and using them to make gelato and frittata), I turned my attention to peaches, which is easy since I get them in my weekly CSA box. The peaches from Neukom Family Farm are justly famous. Having a steady supply of them throughout the season means that I can carry out experiments like the following one.

I started with the idea that I would roast peaches and use them to make ice cream. The inspiration for the custard part came from the recipe for Peach or Nectarine Ice Cream in my beloved (and recommended) ice cream book: Frozen Dessert by Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir. I didn't want the peaches to be utterly soft: I wanted the resulting ice cream to have a bit of fruit texture. After a few tries, I settled on this version (which of course may be further changed in the future).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450 g) ripe and flavorful peaches (indifferent peaches make an indifferent gelato, so please look for tasty fruit)
• 1/2 cup (100 g) [ultra-fine] sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup (240 ml) non-fat milk (latte scremato)
• 1 large or extra-large pastured egg
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) vanilla extract of good quality
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream (panna da montare)

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat that is wider and longer than the sheet, so no juice can escape from any side. Wash and cut in half the peaches — you'll most probably use two — then remove the stone (nocciolo). Place the peaches in the baking sheet cut side up. Take a tablespoon (15 ml) of the sugar and distribute it among the hollows left by the stones. Do the same with the lemon juice. Put the peaches in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Let peaches cool.

As you can see in the photo, the hollow fills with juice while baking. Empty the juice in the food processor. Remove the skin, put peaches in the food processor and pulse a few times: you want small pieces of peach (pesca) to remain detectable. Pour in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat the milk in a saucepan until quite hot (but not boiling). In a bowl, whisk together egg and remaining sugar. Temper the egg with a bit of the hot milk, then slowly add the rest, while whisking. Put the saucepan on gentle heat, and stir the ice cream base almost constantly. You will notice a thickening. When a film forms over the back side of the stirring spoon (I use a wooden one), draw your finger across. If the line stays clear, the custard is ready. (If it overheats, it will curdle.) Remove the pan from the heat and place in a cold water bath, while stirring the custard. Once cool, cover and place in the fridge until thoroughly chilled.

When ready to churn, add vanilla extract and cream to the custard and stir well to incorporate, then add the peaches and stir some more. Churn in your ice cream maker until it reaches the consistency of gelato. Spoon into serving bowls, serve immediately and enjoy. After plating the ice cream, do not leave what is left over in the machine, but transfer it into a plastic container, cover the surface with wax paper, then put on the lid. Place in the freezer. Take out of the freezer half an hour or so before eating, so the gelato has time to soften.

This gelato has a delicate pastel color and a nice peach flavor. The first time I made it, I served it to six very obliging guests and the deep silence that fell around the table after I had finished passing the last bowl was a welcome signal of success. Are you wondering whether there is going to be also a roasted peach frittata? You bet!

This is my contribution to the event Veggie/Fruit a Month, the vegetarian event created by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes and hosted this month by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, who chose peaches as theme. 

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

gelato di pesche arrosto

or launch the gelato di pesche arrosto audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

gelato, ice cream, peach

torta di segale e mela

rye apple cake

As member of a grain CSA, I receive a monthly share that includes various stone-ground, whole-grain flours, like wheat, barley and rye flour.

Rye is a cereal grain that looks like wheat but is longer and more slender and varies in color from yellowish brown to grayish green. It is generally available in its whole or cracked grain form or as flour or flakes that look similar to old-fashioned oats. Because it is difficult to separate the germ and bran from the endosperm of rye, rye flour usually retains a large quantity of nutrients, in contrast to refined wheat flour. (source: the world's healthiest foods)

I have been admittedly slow at taking up rye flour (farina di segale), but recently I have found two recipes that are fantastic. This is the first one, and it comes from Dan Lepard, whose book The Handmade Loaf is one of my most used bread baking books. You can tell by the amount of flour that hits your face when you open it on certain pages.

When I read his recipe for rye apple cake, I knew immediately that it would be great. I have made it three times and three times I managed to take so-so photos of what is really a nice, moist, deep-flavored cake. On the other hand, I like the photo of the rye flour.

I made a few adjustments to the original list of ingredients, mostly to reduce the amount of sweetener, and the end result is as follows:

• 1 apple (about 175-180 g) [I have used Gala apples, since this is the best quality I am finding now: I will switch to using locally grown apples as soon as the new crop arrives]
• ground cinnamon (cannella), for dusting the apple pieces
• 50 g / 1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon almond meal
• 25 g / 3 tablespoons sliced [flaked] almonds (mandorle)
  
• 150 g / 1 1/2 cup minus 2 tablespoons whole-grain rye flour [see note 1 below]
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 70 g / 2.5 oz. unsalted butter
• 25 g / 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 25 g / 1 tablespoon honey (miele) [see note 2 below]
• 25 g / 2 tablespoons sugar (zucchero)
  
• 75 ml / 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon milk (latte)
  
• 1 egg (uovo)
  

Note 1: the original recipe does not specify the type of rye flour. The flour I get is stone ground and some of the bran is in large flakes. I sift them out, toast them and add them to yogurt.

Note 2: I weighed the ingredients and made the conversion to volume for the post. One tablespoon of agave nectar or of honey is less than 25 g, so I added 1 teaspoon of agave nectar to balance out the weight.

I followed the instructions as stated in the original recipe except that I did not need to grind the almonds, since I had almond meal and did not dust the cake with sugar before putting it in the oven.

A great cake for a sweet breakfast or to go with a cup of tea (una tazza di tè).

This is my contribution to the July edition of Healing Foods, the event created and organized by Siri of Cooking with Siri and hosted this month by Simona of briciole (that would be me). I chose the theme of the month to be whole grains and whole-grain flours.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

torta di segale e mela

or launch the torta di segale e mela audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

rye flour, apple, cake

gelato di fragole arrosto all'aceto balsamico

roasted strawberry ice cream flavored with balsamic vinegar

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

a lovely summer dessert

Strawberry season is in full swing and one of the recipes in which the beloved berries shine is Strawberry ice cream flavored with balsamic vinegar from my one and only ice cream book Frozen Dessert by Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir. My version, which I have been making for a while, includes a few small adjustments to the original recipe.

However, when I read a recent post by Val of More Than Burnt Toast about using roasted strawberry to make ice cream, I knew the time had come to push the tried-and-true recipe in a new direction. Val was inspired by Jerry of Jerry's Thoughts, Music and Rants!, who got the idea of roasting strawberries from Zoë of Zoe Bakes. That's what I love about blogging: the flow of information, the suggestion that one day finds the right situation for realization.

My first attempt showed that I had not planned properly for the consequences of roasting juicy fruit. I spread the strawberries on a large baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and some juice ended up under the mat. Still, the ice cream I made with the roasted strawberries was good, so I made it again.

For my second try, I used a smaller baking sheet: the silicone mat came up on the sides and kept the juice contained. I also shortened the baking time to 30 minutes. I really liked the result, so for now this is going to be the main gelato di fragole at our house.

Ingredients:

• 18 oz. strawberries
• 1/2 cup ultra-fine sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar of good quality
• 1/2 cup whipping/heavy cream (panna da montare), possibly organic

Wash strawberries and carve out stem. Place in a bowl, add 1/4 cup sugar and balsamic vinegar and toss gently but thoroughly. Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat that is wider and longer than the sheet, so no juice can escape from any side. Place strawberries on the sheet on a single layer. Use a spatula to clean the bowl so all the sugar and vinegar gets into the oven with the strawberries. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let strawberries cool.

Spoon strawberries in the food processor and add the rest of the sugar (1/4 cup). Again here, use a spatula to made sure all the juice produced during the baking period is transferred into the food processor. Purée until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

When ready, add the cream to the strawberry purée and stir well. Pour into the ice cream maker and churn until it has the consistency of gelato. Spoon into serving bowls and serve immediately.

After plating the ice cream, do not leave what is left over in the machine, but transfer it into a plastic container, cover the surface with wax paper, then put on the lid. Place in the freezer. Take out of the freezer half an hour or so before eating, so the gelato has time to soften.

Last minute update. The photo above is of early this morning and is not as good as the one at the top, but I decided to add it just before publishing the post to show how the color of this batch of the gelato is darker than of the previous due to the deeper red of the strawberries I used. When I churned this batch last night, it was too late to take a photo with natural light. This morning I let the frozen leftover gelato soften before photographing it, so you can also see a difference in the texture.

This is my contribution to edition #292 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Rachel, The Crispy Cook.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

gelato di fragole arrosto all'aceto balsamico

or launch the gelato di fragole arrosto all'aceto balsamico audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

[jump to Comments]

gelato, ice cream, strawberry

Per i lettori italiani

È stagione di fragole e una delle ricette nelle quali esse splendono è quella del gelato di fragole all'aceto balsamico dal mio amato libro Frozen Dessert di Caroline Liddell e Robin Weir. La mia versione, che uso da un po' di tempo, comprende alcuni cambiamenti apportati alla ricetta originale.

 Ma quando ho letto che Val di More Than Burnt Toast ha usato fragole arrosto per fare un gelato, mi sono decisa a spingere la ricetta verso una nuova direzione. Ad ispirare Val è stato Jerry di Jerry's Thoughts, Music and Rants!, il quale ha preso l'idea di mettere le fragole in forno da Zoë di Zoe Bakes.

Il mio primo tentativo ha dimostrato una certa mancanza di pianificazione accurata. Ho disposto le fragole su una una lastra da forno foderata con tappetino di silicone e un po' di succo di fragole è finito sotto il tappetino. Ma il gelato che ho fatto con le fragole arrosto è venuto buono, percio l'ho fatto di nuovo.

Per il mio secondo tentativo, ho usato una lastra da forno più piccola: in questo modo il tappetino di silicone copriva anche i lati e il succo non poteva scappare. Ho anche diminuito il tempo di soggiorno in forno da 40 a 30 minuti. Il risultato mi è piaciuto molto e quindi per ora questo è il gelato di fragole che si mangia a casa nostra.

Ingredienti:

• mezzo chilo di fragole
• 100 g di zucchero finissimo, divisi
• 5 ml (1 cucchiaino) di aceto balsamico
• 120 ml di panna da montare, possibilmente bio

Lavare le fragole e privarle del picciolo. Mettere le fragole in una ciotola e aggiungere 50 g dello zucchero finissimo e l'aceto balsamico. Mescolare bene con delicatezza. Scaldare il forno a 175 C. Foderare una lastra da forno con un tappetino di silicone che sia più lungo e più largo, in modo che il succo prodotto durante la cottura in forno non finisca sotto il tappetino. Disporre le fragole sulla lastra. Con una spatolina pulire bene la ciotola in modo che tutto lo zucchero e l'aceto vengano trasferiti insieme alle fragole.

Mettere in forno e cuocere per 30 minuti. (La temperatura in gradi Fahrenheit che uso io, 350, è un po' al di sopra di 175 C e un po' al di sotto di 180 C. Ho deciso di specificare la temperatura più bassa poiché preferisco essere cauta. Potete lasciare le fragole in forno qualche minuto in più, ma fate attenzione che il succo non bruci.) Lasciar raffreddare le fragole.

Trasferire le fragole nel robot e aggiungere il resto dello zucchero finissimo (50 g). Di nuovo, usare una spatolina per pulire la ciotola in modo che nemmeno una goccia del succo prodotto durante la cottura vada persa. Frullare fino a ridurre le fragole ad una crema omogenea. Versare in una ciotola, coprire e mettere in frigorifero fino a quando non sia completamente freddo.

Quando siete pronti, aggiungere la panna alle fragole e mescolare bene, poi versare la miscela nella vaschetta della gelatiera. Fate andare la gelatiera fino a quando vedrete che la consistenza del contenuto sia quella del gelato. Preparare le porzioni e servire immediatamente.

Se avanza del gelato, non lasciarlo nella gelatiera: metterlo subito in un contenitore di plastica, stendere un pezzo di carta oleata sulla superficie, coprire e mettere nel congelatore. Togliere dal congelatore mezz'ora prima di mangiarlo in modo che si ammorbidisca.

Ho scattato la foto qui sopra stamattina presto e non è molto buona, ma ho deciso di aggiungerla al post prima di pubblicarlo per far vedere la differenza di colore con quello in alto dovuta al colore più scuro delle fragole che ho usato. Quando ho tolto il gelato quì sopra dalla gelatiera era troppo tardi per fare una foto con la luce naturale, cosi potete vedere anche una differenza in consistenza.

Questo è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 292 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once e la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di Briggis recept och ideer, che questa settimana funge anche da ospite.

Questo post contiene il riepilogo dell'evento.

torta al cioccolato con mandorle e mela

chocolate apple nut torte

If you are not familiar with the term, a torte is a cake made with eggs, ground nuts, sugar and little or no flour. The English word torte comes from the German Torte, which comes from the late Latin torta. The Italian torta means cake, so it is more generic than the English torte.

I have been meaning to write about this torte for a long time: what has prevented me was that I could never get a decent photo. I was not looking for a great shot, but simply one good enough to show what the dessert looks like. I have finally decided that the photo above will have to do: the beauty of this torta is in its flavor and texture, not its outward look.

The original recipe for Chocolate-Apple-Nut Torte is in Mollie Katzen's The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, which, besides being a great cookbook, gets my vote for best cookbook title ever. I made the torte the first time for a party at our house and it has become a favorite. In fact, a slice of it, like the one in the photo, is my usual afternoon snack. From the beginning, I started making changes to the original recipe, both to the ingredients and the procedure. (This post shows a more faithful rendition.)

You can see the original list of ingredients on this page, while this is what I use:

• 8 egg whites and 4 egg yolks from pastured eggs (the remaining 4 yolks usually go into the making of Peter Reinhart's challah, from Artisan Breads Every Day)
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
• 1 cup almonds (mandorle), blanched, skin removed and lightly toasted in a 350 F oven (for 12 minutes or so)
• 4.5 oz. chocolate (70% cacao), coarsely chopped or broken up into smallish pieces
• 1 medium organic apple (mela)
  
• a dash of ground cinnamon (cannella)
  
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole-grain barley flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

As you can see, the torte has no added fat. I first cut down the amount of sugar to 1/4 cup then substituted it with agave nectar or honey (miele). Instead of chocolate chips, I use chocolate of good quality with a high cacao content. Then, instead of white flour, I use whole-grain barley flour that I get as part of my grain CSA share. Finally, I choose an apple with a soft skin, leave it unpeeled (this way, I avoid food waste) grate it and use it all.

You can prepare the almonds in advance. If you do not, make sure they cool down before proceeding with the recipe. Separate the eggs, place them in two bowls and let them come to room temperature. In choosing the bowls for the egg yolks, keep in mind that it will end up containing all the batter.

Put almonds and chocolate in the food processor and first pulse a few times, then let it run for a while until chopped rather finely. I don't pulverize the almonds, so the cake has some texture from small pieces of both almonds and chocolate. Quarter the apple and grate it using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater or the coarse shredding disc of a food processor (this is to minimize the release of juice).

Heat the oven to 350 F (select the convenction baking option, if available; I do so, and since my oven does the temperature adjustment, I still set it to 350 F). Line the bottom of an 8.5-9" springform pan with parchment paper and spray some oil around the side. (If you use a pan that is slightly smaller or bigger, you may need to adjust the baking time.)

Beat the egg whites (albumi) until stiff peaks form and set aside. Beat the egg yolks (tuorli) with the agave nectar or honey until thick and bubbly. Add the following ingredients in sequence, each time folding them in with a spatula:

• almonds and chocolate
• grated apple, cinnamon, vanilla and salt
• sifted flour and baking powder

Add 1/3 of the egg whites and fold in gently, then fold in the rest. It is fine if the batter is not homogeneous. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly and put the pan in the oven.

Check the torte after 40 minutes. The torte is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center  of it comes out clean. If you use a convection oven, 40 minutes may be enough as baking time. If you use a regular oven, you will need a few more minutes. Let the torte cool completely, then run a knife all around before opening the pan. Slice the torte and enjoy it. A cup of chocolate cream tea goes very well with it.

This is my submission for the third edition of Creative Concoctions, an event created by Ivy of Kopiaste..to Greek Hospitality that has two editions per month. The theme of Creative Concoctions #3 is desserts.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

torta al cioccolato con mandorle e mela

or launch the torta al cioccolato con mandorle e mela audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

 

coffee cake con cioccolato e nocciole

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

On this page, you will find the details of the recipe, including various suggestions for the filling.

I really like the description of the recipe source: "Jamie found this recipe on a piece of yellowed paper in her dad’s collection of clipped out and hand-written recipes from the 1970’s, no source, no date, and she tried the recipe and it was brilliant!"

I struggled a bit to come up with the title for the post. A cake made to be served with caffè is alien to the Italian tradition of drinking coffee by itself, either at the end of a meal or first thing in the morning, or during a coffee break. In the end, I decided to leave the English name. Also, the original recipe name mentions that the cake is leavened with yeast (lievito secco) and that it includes a meringue (meringa). I decided to omit those from the post title and highlight instead the two main ingredients of the filling.

When I saw the photo of the coffee cake we were challenged to make, I noticed that it resembled Stollen, the German Christmas cake that we made last December. I enjoyed making Stollen a lot, so I had high hopes for the yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake. I was not disappointed. Here are the adjustments I applied to the given recipe:

• I halved the quantities and made a single cake
  
• I used 1 teaspoon of instant yeast instead of active dry yeast
• I added saffron (zafferano) to the dough, even though I didn't make Ria's version of the cake
  
• I opted for a filling of 70% cocoa chocolate (cioccolato) and hazelnuts (nocciole)
• I omitted cinnamon and sugar from the filling
• I baked the cake using the convection bake option of my oven (forno) [which does the temperature adjustment automatically]
  

Everything went smoothly and the cake that came out of the oven looked quite nice. As usual, the minimalist in me made me stay away from special decorations. The egg wash gave to the cake a nice surface color, which, unfortunately, I was not able to capture properly with the camera. Of the many photos I took, only the one above was good enough for sharing. The coffee cake received an enthusiastic endorsement from my husband.

In a recent post, I showed the variation on the theme of French toast below, where I used some of my homemade English-style Coulommiers as topping. I mentioned that something else made the dish special and now I can reveal the secret: I made it using slices of the last piece of coffee cake.

A special thank you goes to our hosts for their choice and efforts. It was a very nice challenge. I hope you will take the time to go around and look at the creative output of my talented fellow Daring Bakers.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

coffee cake con cioccolato e nocciole

or launch the coffee cake con cioccolato e nocciole audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]