A foolish mess...

Let me say that I think we should appreciate our Mom's on more than just one day a year...  It is an incredibly important job that is sometimes thankless.
Through terrible two's and rebellious teenage years, through laughter and tears, joy and fear... you are there for it all.
So, to every Mom out there:  Happy Mother's Day today and everyday for all that you do!
Now that I've earned my birthday and Christmas presents for next year, let's get to it.  

This weekend is Mother's Day and the Internet, food magazines, morning shows, cooking shows, even the evening news is filling the space between our ears with recipes to make for Mom...
Most of them even look really good!  But here's the problem:  MOM isn't the one making them!
(I hope!)  

More than a few of the recipes featured have ingredient lists long enough to make even the average home cook sweat under the collar, much less someone who rarely ventures into that mystical space from where food magically appears.

Let's Do Brunch

Brunch.  This word can illicit sheer dread if you work in a restaurant. 
It is by far the least favorite service to work.  For the average person who has no idea of what it entails to work a brunch service, it conjures up an image of a leisurely, relaxing meal with a few bloody marys.

Meanwhile... behind the scenes, bleary-eyed line cooks are getting food out of the kitchen as fast as their exhausted bodies will let them.

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't miss it once in awhile,  but I'll also tell you I don't miss it enough to do it again.  
I would much rather be the one eating brunch instead of the one making it at this point in life.

That being said, I very much enjoy making brunch at home.  It happens so infrequently that it is almost like a treat.  Yes, I did just say making brunch is a treat...  Some of you are questioning whether or not I've already had a few bloody marys I'm sure.

The thing about doing brunch at home is that it IS relaxing and slower paced than trying to get food on the table for dinner after a long day at work.  The whole feel of Sunday morning just inherently has a different vibe to it.  

Granted, it isn't exactly like it is in the movies: reading the newspaper and trading sections with your husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend, sipping coffee on the balcony overlooking Central Park, but a lovely, relaxing brunch can still be had by all even if we don't own million dollar apartments.

When I make these, I have started to make a double batch to put some away for dinner later in the week for those days when I long for that lazy Sunday morning. 

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• zest of 2 lemons
• juice of 1 lemon
• Black & Blue jam

1. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients:  Flours, sugar, salt, baking powder.

2. Zest the lemons & add the dry ingredients.

3. Stir to combine and coat the lemon zest with the flour.
4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add milk and vanilla.  Whisk to combine.
5. Fold in the ricotta cheese.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk to thoroughly combine.
7. Heat pan over medium heat and pour batter in using a 1/4 cup measure.

8. Cook pancakes until they begin to dry on top before flipping.
9. Warm the jam in a small saucepan & thin with a few tablespoons of water.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Black & Blue Jam

A dessert that won't end up on your "coulis"...

It is that time of year again when we all resolve to do better, eat better & live better.   Life is about balance and although we may be a bit more stringent about our eating habits, every now and then one needs dessert. 

Giving in to something a little less detrimental can keep us from going through a midnight fridge raid, faces smeared with chocolate sauce as if it were war paint...  and in that crazed state it would be a war in which we had clearly been defeated.

We are all familiar with the pangs of deprivation and quite honestly, I'm not a fan.  In lieu of depriving myself from culinary pleasures, I'll temper them with a better choice.

Pavlovas are the lighter side of sweet.  They are a meringue, made from egg whites and a bit of sugar.   Granted, there is a billowy layer of whipped cream (and fruit!) piled on top,  but if you are being extra good, you can omit the whipped cream... although that will change the dessert entirely.

 

While pavlovas are not cloyingly sweet, they pair well with fruit that is slightly tart.  If you happen to live in a region where fresh passion fruit is available, that is a delicious option.  I like pairing this with raspberries as well because they are not overly sweet and their crimson hue looks strikingly beautiful against the stark white of the cream.

This recipe yields a very tender bellied pavlova.  It is melt in your mouth, soft marshmallow in the middle, while the top and sides stay slightly crisp. 
This plays nicely against the airy whipped cream, giving the dessert a touch of crunchy texture.

 

 

 

Pavlova with Raspberry Coulis

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• pinch of fine salt
• 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 vanilla bean, split

  

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and trace a 8-9 inch circle on the paper.  Then turn the paper over so the ink is underneath.
2. Beat the egg whites with the salt until shiny and stiff peaks form.
3. Beat in the sugar, about a third or so at a time, until meringue is stiff and glossy.
4. Add in vanilla, seeds from 1 vanilla bean, vinegar and cornstarch.  Fold in gently so you do not lose any air from the meringue.
5. Use a dot of the meringue under all 4 corners of the parchment paper to secure it to the baking sheet.  This will prevent the paper from flying up and touching the sides of the pavlova once it is in the oven.
6. Mound the meringue in the outline of your circle and smooth the sides and top.
7. Place in oven and immediately turn down to 300F.  Bake for 1 hour.  The pavlova will turn slightly off white and will more than likely crack a bit on the surface.
8. Turn off the oven and allow it to cool completely in the oven.
9. Turn the pavlova upside down and cover with whipped cream and fruit.

 

Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients and beat on highest speed until soft peaks form



Raspberry Coulis

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon

 

1. Combine sugar and water in a small pot and bring to a simmer.
2. Add raspberries and cook for 5 - 8 minutes until raspberries are cooked down by 3/4.
3. Remove from heat and add lemon zest and juice.
4. Transfer to a blender and puree.
5. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds, pressing down with a rubber spatula to get as much juice as possible.
6. Chill.  Coulis will keep for 2 - 3 days in refrigerator.

Tiers of Joy

It's been awhile since I've had dessert and with the holidays right around the corner, that streak will be coming to a screeching halt.
Making a dessert like this is generally not too time-consuming which is a game-changer during the holidays when we are all pressed for time and running on empty.

This particular trifle comes together fairly quickly since there is no cooking to speak of, just a bit of manual labor and even that is minimal.
Trifles are a bit like window shopping... because they are usually served in a clear vessel, you can take a look at what you are getting before you decide to plunge in.

They are lovely with all of their layers and I like doing these individually so everyone gets a beautiful dessert all to themselves. (and the fact that I don't own a proper trifle dish has something to do with that decision as well...)

Amaretti Trifle

• half of one store-bought pound cake, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup black currant or seedless blackberry jam
• 8 oz mascarpone
• juice of one lemon
• 2 tbsp milk
• 4 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 4 oz. amaretti cookies
• 6 tbsp Kahlua
• 2 tbsp. toasted, sliced almonds

1. Make little sandwiches out of the pound cake and the jam.  Cut them into 1 inch cubes and set aside.
2. In a food processor,  reduce the amaretti cookies to crumbs. (or if you are having a bad day, put in resealable plastic bag and whack with a rolling pin)
3. Combine the lemon juice and the powdered sugar.  Mix well so the powdered sugar dissolves.  Add milk and 2 tbsp Kahlua, then add to the mascarpone.
4. Using an electric mixer, whip mascarpone mixture until it is light and billowy.
5. Brush the little sandwiches generously with the Kahlua.
6. Place your tipsy pound cake into the glass and press them down into the bottom.  Cover with some of the amaretti cookie crumbs. Dribble a little more Kahlua over the cookies.
7. Spoon in the mascarpone to cover the soused cookies.
8. Add another layer of amaretti crumbs and finish with a layer mascarpone.
9. Sprinkle with amaretti crumbs and toasted, sliced almonds.

serves 4

Sweet Relief

With a majority of the country suffering from a blistering heat wave,  the thought of turning on the stove is honestly nauseating.   I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but when it is this hot I can barely stand the thought of eating anything warm so I decided to raid the freezer to see what I could make that did not involve cooking.

Luckily for me, I had stored a few pints of summer berries at their peak and I had some left-over simple syrup from the Summer Sangria so I was in business.

When I was younger, a slurpie was one of my favorite summer treats.  However, knowing what I know now I realize that perhaps all that sugar isn't the best thing for me so I've started making my own version of a "slurpie".  (I still get a frozen coke when I'm visiting home, it's just a food memory that I can't go without, but more on that another time)

When berries are at their peak in the summer months, it is a great thing to store in the freezer and take out in the winter when you are craving a little taste of sunshine.   The easist way to do this is to put them on a sheet pan in a single layer and freeze for 2 or 3 hours, then they can be transferred to a freezer safe container.  It is important to only use pristine berries when doing this. If the berries are bruised or mushy, it really isn't worth the effort in the end.

Berry Slushy

• 2 and 1/4 cups frozen berries (Use what you have... I had blueberries and raspberries)
• 1/4 cup simple syrup
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1 1/2 cups seltzer (I used orange-flavored seltzer)

1. Put the ice, seltzer, syrup and 2 cups of berries in the blender and puree.
2. Pour into glasses and top each with a few frozen berries. (frozen berries help keep it cold)

*makes 4 cups

Happy Eating.