Baked Eggs with Salsa Verde

There are a few things that I miss from my old neighborhood:  the super close proximity to Prospect Park, the central library, the Botanic Gardens and the Brooklyn Museum.  I also miss a handful of ice cream shops and fantastic restaurants.  But what I really miss is my Wednesday night dinner from Chavellas.  Though I cook most of my meals at home, on Wednesday night I made an exception.  I religiously ordered-in the weekly special:  chilaquiles tortillas simmering in tomatillo salsa with two fried eggs, queso, crema and refried beans.  I became obsessed with tomatillo salsa (or salsa verde/green sauce) and was on the hunt to find one that was as good as the one served at Chavella's but in my new neighborhood.  Lucky for me, we are only a few stops away from Brooklyn's best Mexican food and I found my new "go-to" place.  Their salsa verde is amazing and I was thinking about buying a gallon of the stuff, you know, just to have around the house 'in case.'  But then I got thinking: "Why, if I am obsessed with salsa verde, have I never tried to make it at home?"  Well, now I can say that I tried and I was successful!
Salsa verde is a puree of cooked tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, onion, salt, cilantro and an optional dash of lime.  This recipe is extremely easy to make and comes from the Food Network Kitchens.  I got a pound of tomatillos from Rossman's on 3rd Avenue and they were delicious.  I cooked them in boiling water until they changed color, about 7 minutes.  Then I pureed them with jalapeno chile, garlic, onion, salt and cilantro.  The eggs go perfectly with the salsa.  You bake the whole dish for 15 minutes (be very mindful of the time or they will overcook and not be runny), then add cheese and cook for one more minute.  I made a side of breakfast potatoes to top off this fantastic brunch.  Buen provecho!
Baked Eggs with Salsa Verde (Courtesy of the Food Network Kitchens)
Serves 2
Ingredients
Vegetable oil, as needed
1/3 cup Salsa Verde, recipe follows (I used double)
4 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese (about 1/2 ounce)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Lightly oil a medium nonstick skillet with an ovenproof handle. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cup of salsa into the pan. Lightly press down the salsa to make 4 evenly spaced shallow nests and break an egg into each. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs and continue baking until just melted, about 1 minute more. Top with the cilantro. Serve immediately.


Salsa Verde:
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 clove garlic
1/4 medium onion
1/4 jalapeno chile, with seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 sprigs fresh cilantro


Put the tomatillos in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.


Puree the garlic, onion, jalapeno, and salt in a blender until smooth. Add the tomatillos and cilantro sprigs and puree until smooth.
Yield: About 3 cups

Gaufres de Liege (Belgian Sugar Waffles)

The day after a massive storm hit NYC, I found myself feeling a bit stir crazy and determined to take Otis outside for some fresh air. That was a mistake. It was extremely cold, ferociously windy and the scene from the street was straight out of 28 Days Later, or some other post-apocalyptic movie. Buses were stalled in the middle of main thoroughfares, almost every store was closed, cars were stranded in the streets and everyone was wandering around looking hungry and/or confused.
But there was a light in the distance. I almost couldn't believe my eyes. For some reason, this tiny little Belgian bakery on 9th Street in Park Slope,Colson Patisserie, was open for business. I ran in the snow, stepped inside the warm room and ordered a hot cocoa and waffles.
It was on that day, the one after the terrible blizzard of '10 (one of the worst in NYC history), that I ate the best waffle I had ever eaten. Ever.
This wasn't your standard waffle topped with tons of whipped cream and a cherry. This was a Belgian sugar waffle, or a Gaufres de Liege. Unlike the Gaufres de Brussels (which is what most people think of when they hear Belgian waffles), the Gaufres de Liege is oblong, more or less oval-shaped, and thinner and smaller than the Brussels waffle.

"It's also more substantial. It has a significant crunch due to the small nuggets ofparelsuiker or "pearl sugar" that are added to the batter just before baking. These bits of sugar melt when    being baked on the waffle iron and caramelize, producing a sugary crust like what's found on top of a creme brulée." 

-Europeancuisine.com

I did a google search for a recipe and this one came up. It's from Chichi of My Chalkboard Fridge, by way of Doc Doughtery, by way of The Kitchn, presented here by way of notmartha.org. It's a terrific recipe and really authentic. It hits the spot. And the next time I find myself stuck indoors due to a winter storm (or really any other time), I'm totally making these.
Enjoy. Eet smakelijk! Bon Appetit!

Gaufres de Liege

makes 12 waffles

Ingredients

6 tablespoons warm milk (no hotter than 110°F) 

1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons instant yeast 

1 1/2 cups (230 grams) bread flour, sifted 

1 teaspoons cinnamon 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoons salt 

1 medium egg 

1 egg yolk 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at slightly cooler than room temperature (I adapted this an used 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, or 4 ounces.)

140 grams turbinado sugar, or pearl sugar if you choose (I went with 3/4 cup. It's worth seeking out Lars Belgian Pearl Sugar if you can find it. For those of you who live near a Fairway, they have organic turbinado sugar for $3.99.) 

Cooking spray 

1. Dissolve the sugar in the warm milk; then add the yeast. Make sure that the milk is not too hot, lest it kill the yeast instead of promoting its growth. Place a plate or some kind of cover on top of the bowl with the milk, sugar and yeast.  Set aside for about five minutes. When you check on it, the yeast should have bubbled up, looking light brown and spongy. 
2. Meanwhile, mix the sifted bread flour with the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Pour in the yeast mixture; then add the whole egg and egg yolk.  Mix on medium speed until it is fully combined.  The dough will be yellow and stiff, yielding only slightly to a poke.  Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for about thirty minutes. 
3. Beat in the butter piece by piece; you do not have to wait for the prior piece to be fully incorporated before adding the next.  When the dough has incorporated about half of the butter, the mixture will be like a very thick, somewhat broken-up paste.  If you keep engaging the mixer on medium-high speed, the dough will eventually become a cohesive whole, looking smoother and more feeling more elastic.  Scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
4. Kneading very gently, incorporate the sugar crystals just enough to get them evenly distributed.  Work quickly so as not to soften the buttery dough too much. 
5. Divide the dough into a dozen equal pieces, gently forming them into balls.
6. Place the balls of dough on a cutting board in a warmish place for fifteen minutes or so.  During the last two minutes of this resting time, preheat your waffle iron until it is very warm, but not hot.
7. Spray the griddles with cooking oil.  Place each ball of dough in a whole square or section of the waffle iron.  Like regular waffle batter, the dough will start to puff up.  Cook the waffles until the surface is golden to dark brown.  Be sure that the waffle iron you are using is appropriately deep, or else the interior of the waffle will not be cooked through.  If you are using a vintage stovetop waffle iron, flip the iron every thirty to forty seconds, lifting the iron to check the rate of browning.  The browning should be gradual to allow the interior to fully develop.
8. Set the waffles on a cooling rack as they come out of the iron to promote a crispy exterior. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Any leftover waffles, if they are not dark brown, can be carefully re-cooked in a toaster for approximately thirty to sixty seconds. (Again, beware hot molten sugar.) Leftover waffles may also be kept in an airtight container between sheets of parchment paper, for up to three days.

Spinach and Sheep's-Milk Ricotta Gnocchi with Asiago

When we moved back to New York, after living in New Orleans for 6 years, we lived in a small apartment on Carroll Street in Park Slope.  I liked the close proximity to Prospect Park and was excited about the neighborhood restaurants.  In addition to Al di La and Rose Water, Convivium Osteria was high on my "go-to" list.  I eventually went and it did not disappoint.  
Convivium is part Italian, part Spanish and part Portuguese and it's all parts delicious.  As a vegetarian I was happy to see an entrée on the menu that wasn't pasta.  These spinach and sheep's-milk ricotta gnocchi with Asiago cheese are rich little dumplings that hit the spot.  You only need about 7 or 8 per portion.  Also, since there aren't a lot of ingredients in this dish, it really is important to buy the highest quality of cheese and produce you can find.  As they say in Lisboa, Bom apetite!

Spinach and Sheep's Milk Ricotta Gnocchi with Asiago (Convivium Osteria, by way of The New Brooklyn Cookbook)
Makes 32 Gnocchi
For the gnocchi:
1 1/2 pounds of organic spinach, stems removed, coarsley chopped (I used small leaf)
1 cup (1/2 pound) sheep's-milk ricotta or well-drained whole-milk ricotta*
2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
1/4 cup unseasoned fresh bread crumbs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided (1/4 for the gnocchi and 1/2 for dredging) 
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon coarse salt
For the sauce:
3 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese, plus (quite a bit) more for garnish
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
* If using whole-milk ricotta, wrap the ricotta in a cheesecloth, gather into a ball, tie and drain over a bowl in the refrigerator overnight.


Directions:
1. To prepare the gnocchi: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the spinach and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until tender but not mushy.  Drain in a colander and use the back of a wooden spoon to force out any excess water.  Wrap the spinach in a clean dish towel and wring out any remaining water.  Spread the spinach on a dry surface.  When it is no longer steaming, transfer it to a large bowl.  Add the ricotta and mix with a fork until well combined.  Add the eggs, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup flour, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt.  Mix until smooth.
2. Place 1/2 cup flour in a shallow dish, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment (I used wax paper) and lightly flour the parchment.  Using two tablespoons, shape the mixture into ovals.  Dredge the gnocchi in flour to coat, then tap off any excess.  Place the gnocchi on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3.  When you are ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the sauce.  Combine the Asiago, milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
4.  Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the saucepan with the sauce.  Gently toss to coat, cooking for 30 seconds.  Divide the gnocchi and sauce among the bowls and garnish with additional Asiago. 

Winter Warmth: Mushroom Barley Soup

Mushroom Barley Soup with Parsley and Grated Pecorino Romano

Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011. Hope you are all having a happy new year. I am excited about some of my new resolutions-- nothing too ambitious and all very manageable. Other than the regular self-improvement stuff (no need to post), this year I want to:

* work on my technical photography skills (take a class) and learn photoshop
* expand my culinary horizons- work on Vietnamese, Indian, Mexican, Thai and Sichuan
* lead at least two historic walking tours
* read one book every three weeks
* learn how to grill in our new outdoor space

Now for those of you wondering why there haven't been any new posts recently, well, we moved...the day of the massive blizzard. It was a mess. There was little time for homemade apps, soups or sauces. And I wasn't sure where our camera was anyway. I am happy to report that we have been reunited with all of our things that were stranded for more than a week in Prospect Heights. Hooray.

Though many of our belongings have been unpacked, we still haven't dug out our car and I haven't made my weekly Fairway run. You can imagine, then, how excited I was when Yana invited us over for dinner (we are neighbors). We had some fantastic eats, including spicy samosas and lentil donuts. But the best part of the meal was her mushroom barley soup topped with fresh parsley and grated pecorino. It's the perfect winter-weather-stuck-indoors sort of meal. With Yana's permission I am posting her recipe today. This is a real treat because Yana is my first 'guest blogger.'

So without further delay, here is Yana in her own words... 

Mushroom-Barley Soup Topped with Parsley and Grated Pecorino Romano
Ingredients
2-3 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms
A few tablespoons of olive oil
3 medium onions
3 ribs of celery
4 medium carrots
6 cloves of garlic
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Handful of fresh parsley
2-3 tablespoons of tomato puree
8 cups of water or vegetable stock, or a combination
1 1/2 cups of barley
Fresh parsley and grated pecorino for garnish

We'll be moving soon, so I want to cook all the little bits and pieces that are in my fridge and cupboard so I don't need to move them! I was digging around in the bottom shelf of my pantry today and found a bag of dried porcini mushrooms from one of E's favorite places, the Atlantic Spice Company. I also had some barley and soup veggies in the fridge, so I was set.

The last time I cooked barley, I made a red wine and mushroom risotto and it was a bit of a disgrace! Basically, I wasted a lot of food and no one wanted to eat it. So I decided to do a bit of research and check out a few different recipes to find something truly lovely. I wasn't disappointed!

First, I used about 2-3 ounces of dried porchini mushrooms. This looked like about 1 cup of fried mushrooms, loosely packed. I soaked them in 2 cups of boiling water. We will use this water later, so don't pour it away!

In a large stock pot, I heated a bit of olive oil and lightly sauteed 3 medium onions, 3 ribs of celery, 4 medium carrots, 6 cloves of garlic with a hefty pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. I cooked it over a medium heat with the lid on till the veggies were slightly caramelized. I added a handful of parsley, chopped and stirred, then moved the veggies to the sides of the pot and dumped about 2-3 T of tomato puree in, and let it cook a bit. Brought the heat up to medium high, and mixed all together and let it cook a few minutes.

After the mushrooms have soaked for about 30 minutes, pour off the liquid through a sieve. Maybe use a cheesecloth or paper towel, as gritty bits tend to come off. Chop the mushrooms finely.

As the veggie and tomato paste mixture has been cooking a few minutes and getting super delicious, add the mushroom liquid. Bring it to a boil and mix well. Use an immersion blender to puree all the bits and make it thick and delicious, then add the chopped mushrooms. Add about 8 cups of water or stock. I used water and a bit of stock concentrate, better than beef bullion, veggie style. Add 1.5 cups of barley, bring to boil and cook at a low boil for 60-90 minutes, depending on how you like your barley. Add salt to taste.

Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and I grated a bit of pecorino romano cheese on top.

Nothing "Beets" This Salad: Five Leaves Beets with Blood Oranges, Arugula and Macadamia Nuts

On Saturday night I went to Saul for a close friend's "surprise" birthday party. (I put the word surprise in quotations because it was blown the day of the event.) The conversation was great, we dined for over 3 1/2 hours and the food was delicious. I had an incredibly flavorful beet salad for my first course. The salad contained heirloom beets, honey crisp apple, fennel, toasted hazelnuts and was dressed with a golden apple vinegar vinaigrette. It was great. I got inspired to try a unique beet salad of my own and this recipe (below) immediately came to mind. 
Five Leaves in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, puts a unique spin on the ubiquitous beet-and-goat-cheese salad.  This recipe substitutes goat's milk yogurt dressing for goat cheese and adds arugula, toasted macadamia nuts and sliced blood oranges. Delish! This recipe was featured in The New Brooklyn Cookbook- my new cookbook which contains recipes from Brooklyn's brightest culinary stars. (Mentioned in this post.) It has more steps than your typical salad, but it has more flavor too. The beet vinaigrette is so wonderful I might make it on it's own if I am crunched for time (and happen to have half a roasted beet lying around).   I make this salad when my entree is simple to assemble/cook or only needs to be reheated (i.e. Martha's Macaroni and Cheese). 

In addition to being delicious, this recipe also helps me with one of my most recent resolutions. Namely, eating very colorful foods that are rich with antioxidants. Of course this was much easier to do when it was CSA-season. Now that we are entering the duldrums of winter I need to remind myself to go with bright, high-impact fruits and vegetables. Check.

Goat's milk yogurt dressing with honey, orange zest, honey and a pinch of cayenne. 

Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad with Arugula, Macadamia Nuts, and Goat's Milk Yogurt Dressing (From Five Leaves Restaurant)
Serves 4 to 6

For the beets
3 medium red beets, about 4 ounces each, stems and root ends removed
2 medium golden beets, about 4 ounces each, stems and root ends removed
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 garlic heads, broken into cloves, skins on, lightly crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups coarse salt, plus more to taste
For the yogurt dressing
6 ounces goats milk yogurt
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch of cayenne pepper
For the vinaigrette

2 shallots, peeled
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad
1/2 cup whole macadamia nuts
6 ounces baby arugula, about 4 cups
3 blood oranges (about 1 pound), peeled and sliced into rounds
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the beets and pat them dry. In a large bowl, toss the beets with the herbs, garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Cover the bottom of a square baking pan with the two cups salt. Set the beets, herbs and garlic on top of the salt, cover the dish with foil, and bake until the beets are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 75 minutes.
Set the pan aside to allow the beets to cool, then peel the beets and cut them into wedges, reserving half of 1 red beet for the vinaigrette.  Keep the red beets and golden beets separate or their colors will bleed together.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

To make the yogurt dressing: Combine the yogurt, zest, honey, and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.
To make the vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, puree the shallots and the roasted red beet half with the vinegar and mustard. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream, blending until emulsified.

Place the macadamia nuts in a shallow baking dish in a single layer. Bake for three to five minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through to evenly brown.  Allow to cool slightly, then roughly chop.

Combine the red and yellow beets with half the yogurt mixture in a medium bowl and toss to coat. In another bowl, toss the arugula with the beet vinaigrette to coat.


To serve, divide the beets and blood orange slices among the four to six plates, top with the arugula, and garnish with the macadamias and a drizzle of the remaining yogurt dressing.

Ina's French Toast Bread Pudding

Two weeks ago I got a text from my good friend Kathryn of Cooking Inside the Box. She wanted to know if I had any plans for Monday, December 6th. I texted back that as long as Matt (my husband) could watch Otis (my son), I was free as a bird. She wrote back, "Great. I have a surprise for you. Casual dress, no need for the heels." I tried to figure out what the surprise was and begged Matt to tell me. No go, he's really good at keeping confidences.

Fast forward to the end of the week. I was walking back from the Brooklyn Children's Museum with my friend Charlotta (Swedish Chokladbollar/ Chocolate Balls). We were talking about single ingredients that make dishes pop. I referred to a Barefoot Contessa episode where Ina was talking about the relationship between chicken and tarragon, chocolate and espresso, and how just a pinch of certain ingredient make others pop. Kinda like the espresso in Charlotta's Swedish chocolate ball recipe.  Anyway, Charlotta said, "You know, Ina is going to be signing books in the city on Monday." And I was like, "Aw man, I wish I could go, but I have plans...it's a surprise...wait a minute..."  I put it together. Well, it was still a great surprise!  

The lines at the Crate & Barrel on 59th and Madison were very, very long. Lucky for me, Kat was able to hold down a spot (after purchase of Ina's new book How Easy Is That?). And then we met Ina. In person! I told her that she was a huge inspiration, that I started a food blog because of her and that she has totally transformed my life in the kitchen. I told her that I grew up in a non-cooking household (though now my mom cooks a lot).  She asked me, "What do people eat for dinner in a non-cooking household?"  I replied, "frozen blintzes, of course!"  Laughter filled the room.  It was a spectacular moment. 

This is a recipe from How Easy Is That?  

FRENCH TOAST BREAD PUDDING (Courtesy of Ina Garten)
Serves 8

1 challah loaf, sliced 3/4 inch thick.  I made 10 slices.
(Note:If challah is fresh, not stale, slice and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees)

8 extra-large eggs

5 cups half-and-half or milk (I used 1 cup half-and-half  and 4 cups milk)

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Confectioners' sugar and pure maple syrup for serving

* Next time I may add some cinnamon!



Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange to bread into two layers in a 9x13x2-inch baking dish, cutting the bread to fit the dish.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, honey, orange zest, vanilla and salt.  Pour the mixture over the bread and press the bread down.  Allow to soak for 10 minutes.

Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough very hot tap water to the roasting pan to come an inch up the side of the baking dish.  Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting so the foil doesn't touch the pudding.  Make two slashes in the foil to allow steam to escape.  Bake for 45 minutes, remove the aluminum foil, and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set.  Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

With a small sieve, dust lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve hot in squares with maple syrup on the side.

How easy is that?

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Espresso and chocolate go so well together. Add bananas to the mix and you are talking about the most wonderful triumvirate of flavor.  
This recipe for Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins is from the Baked Cookbook (which I've mentioned quite a bit recently).  These little treats are an excellent way to start your day and a great way to turn those over-ripe bananas into something more delicious than compost mush.
Note:  Instant espresso powder is not the same as ground espresso - it dissolves instantly in hot water.

BANANA ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS (Courtesy of Baked)
1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I usually go with Ghiradelli.)
Yield: 12 muffins (Halving the recipe is simple, except for the egg part...)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.  (I take a paper towel and use the remaining melted butter from the saucepan to grease the muffin pan.)
In a medium bowl, stir together bananas, sugar, butter, milk and egg.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda and salt.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.
Fill each cup about three-quarters full.  Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Move the muffin pan to the cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack.
Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Enjoy!

Curried Sweet Potato Latkes with a side of Dreidel!

The holiday season is in full swing.  Some of you will put up a Christmas tree or dust off your Kwanza kinara.  Others will lament the holiday season and put their head in the sand until January. But for me, I get out my dreidel and start rolling gimmels. I'm not a religious person (not at all), but I do like cultural celebrations that revolve around light and food.  
And I'm really excited about Chanukah this year because: 1. I like lighting the menorah 2. I just received the gift I sent myself (the Baked cookbook) 3. I really like to eat latkes and 4. *and most importantly* I like having people over to our teeny-tiny living space (only a few at a time) and celebrating the holidays with close friends.
This recipe for Curried Sweet Potato Latkes came to me by way of Jane, the mother of our very close friend.  We got to taste these last year and they are a wonderful alternative to your standard potato latke.  And they have a little kick due to the curry powder and cayenne.  Bring these to your next Hanukkah party and you'll be a real hit!  
(In case you aren't familiar with latkes, they are a shallow-fried pancake, usually potato, that are traditionally eaten on Chanukah.)
Happy holidays.

CURRIED SWEET POTATO LATKES (Adapted from The New Prospect Cafe by Jewish Cooking in America)
Serves 16 2-inch pancakes
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
peanut oil for frying
Directions
Grate the sweet potato coarsely.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking power, cayenne pepper, curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
Add the eggs and just enough milk to dry ingredients and make a stiff batter.  (I used less than the 1/2 cup of milk.) Add the potatoes and mix.  The batter should be moist but not runny; if too stiff, add more milk. 
Heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil (I used a bit less) in a saute pan until it is barely smoking.  Drop in the batter by tablespoons and flatten.  Cook several minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve.
Note: I think next time I make these I will cook the sweet potatoes and mash them, then follow the rest of the directions as written.  I guess it comes down to this: do you like your latkes smooth or stringy?  I think I'm a smooth type of gal.  
Also, I made another batch of these latkes tonight.  They were so good.  I left the batter and sweet potatoes in the fridge overnight, and the potato was really soft and all the spices were absorbed beautifully.  But either way, the make a nice holiday treat.
So eat those latkes, light that menorah and spin that dreidel.  

Calendar, Cookbooks and Poached Egg on Parsnip Puree

To me the holidays mean celebrating with good food, wonderful friends and close family. It also means that 2011 is just around the corner and I need to get a new calendar, lickity-split. Well, I did. I went onto Etsy and did a search for handmade calendars. A nice bunch of options came up, but one in particular caught my eye. Heidi from Redcruiser made a seasonal garden/market calendar that I just had to have. As many of you know, I am completely obsessed with my local CSA, and some of my favorite dishes have come from our weekly farm-share bounty:Panzanella, Pasta with Swiss Chard and Leek Sauce, Polenta with Corn and Thyme, Scalloped Tomatoes, Zucchini and Basil Soup and Tagliatelle with Fresh Pesto (just to name a few). Sadly, the CSA ended for the season and I'm really missing it. This is where my new calendar comes in...

Each calendar month contains a beautiful illustration that corresponds with what is grown at that particular time of year. It matched-up perfectly with what we picked up every week. I'm looking forward to using my new calendar and counting down the months till our CSA starts up again...

Since it was the holidays and all, I also decided to pick up  two new cookbooks that I'm absolutely thrilled to have in my growing collection:

                                                The New Brooklyn Cookbook 

                                           Baked: New Frontiers in Baking 

If you live in Brooklyn (or anywhere on the eastern seaboard), a trip to this bakery in Red Hook is well worth it.  It's absolutely fantastic. This weekend I'm making their Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie. and, maybe, the Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins.  Of course Pumpkin Whoopie Pie will get made post-haste as well.  

The New Brooklyn Cookbook features many of the borough's best restaurants. Al Di La, Applewood, Buttermilk Channel,  Convivium, DuMont, Dressler, Franny's, The Good Fork, Marlow & Sons and Rose Water are just a few examples featured in the cookbook.  Rose Water is one of my favorite spots. And if you are lucky enough to get a table, you will probably agree. 
Around the same time as these new cookbooks came into my life, I stumbled upon this recipe for Poached Egg on Parsnip Puree with Mushrooms in edibleBrooklyn. It's an adaptation of a recipe that originally came from Rose Water's then-chef Marcellus Coleman. I adapted it only slightly by adding stock, minimizing the heavy cream (just a bit) and using porcini mushrooms instead of the more costly Black Trumpets, Maitakes, Trumpet Royale and Honshimejis. Serve the puree in a small, shallow bowl. It's very rich, so you don't need much to fill you up...
Enjoy it and happy holidays!

Poached Egg on Parsnip Puree with Porcini Mushrooms

Parsnip Puree

2 large parsnips, peeled and diced

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable stock (more if you want to thin out the puree)

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

pinch of salt, more to taste

Preparation

Simmer all ingredients in a saucepan until parsnips are completely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, transfer to a food processor and blend puree until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender, which is much easier.

Mushrooms

2 lbs. porcini mushrooms

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

pinch of salt

2 cups of vegetable stock

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

fine herbs to garnish such as parsley, chives, chervil or tarragon

Preparation

Saute mushrooms in oil and salt over medium-high heat until mushrooms start to brown and soften, about 4 minutes. Add stock, butter and thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces to a glossy, stew-like consistency, about 4 more minutes.  Remove thyme sprigs. Add herbs.

Egg

1 egg per serving (this puree makes 4-6 servings)

capful of vinegar

Bring a pot of water to a simmer and add vinegar. Carefully crack egg into water and cook for 3 minutes.

Serve in a small, shallow bowl. Place one large dollop of warm parsnip puree in the bowl, with a divot in the middle to hold the egg. Gently lift the egg out of the water and place atop puree.  Spoon mushrooms around the puree and season with sea salt and optional garnishes.