Posted by Kristen Swensson, June 22, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
It’s hard out there for a pimp healthy cooking enthusiast. Everyday, we’re faced with the Paula Deens and Mario Batalis of the world, tempting us with rich sauces, heavy starches, and sticks upon sticks of glorious butter. Everyday, we attempt to resist them, substituting fruit for flan and carrots for spaghetti carbonara. And everyday, our resolve crumbles a bit more.
Of course, reading a bajillion cooking blogs doesn’t help. Especially when one of them is The Pioneer Woman Cooks.
I’ve been following Ree Drummond’s recipe site for about a year and a half now, and it’s been an exercise in envy. See, while every recipe is undeniably enticing, none have been low-calorie enough for my nefarious blogging purposes. So usually, I just sit, scroll, and attempt not to short out my keyboard with incessant drooling.
Then, a few weeks ago, she posted her Quick & Easy Apple Tart. And all was right in the world.
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Posted by Grace Kang, April 15, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Puff pastry is one of those indispensable pantry staples. It keeps forever in the freezer, thaws in a snap, and can be used in both savory and sweet applications. It's perfect for throwing an elegant appetizer like an asparagus and mushroom tart together at the last minute.
This tart from the April issue of Bon Appétit looks and tastes great. Airy puff pastry is topped with a mixture of spring vegetables, crème fraîche, and gruyere, with a hint of lemon peeking through. The recipe originally called for shiitake mushrooms, but white button mushrooms were all I had on hand and the tarts still tasted great. Also, if crème fraîche is expensive at your local store, then feel free to make your own. There are a ton of recipes on the interwebs that you can use, but I found the one combining equal amounts of sour cream and heavy cream the easiest to do and the only one that fit within my short time frame.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, April 9, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Editor's note: On Thursdays, Babbo pastry chef Gina DePalma checks in with Seriously Italian. After a stint in Rome, she's back in the States, channeling her inner Italian spirit via recipes and intel on delicious Italian eats. Take it away, Gina!
"Pastiera is a dessert to grow into, after which it reveals itself as a marvel of balanced flavors and contrasting textures. I’m so glad my mom plugged away with this one because now I cannot imagine Easter without it."
Easter Sunday is rapidly approaching, so this past weekend was devoted to my annual hunt for a can of grano cotto, or cooked grain. Dubious as it sounds, this goopy, congealed mass of soft wheat is the essential ingredient in pastiera, and it simply wouldn’t be Easter at my house without this very special and traditional dessert. Pastiera originated in the Italian region of Campania, where father’s side of the family is from, and making it has always been a way to honor that part of my heritage.
I'll admit here and now that I wasn't the biggest fan of pastiera when I was a little kid, and the idea of a wheat-and-ricotta pie didn’t exactly sound appealing. Why couldn't my mom just make one of those bunny cakes that always appeared on the cover of the ladies magazines, with tinted green coconut grass and a red cherry nose? It seemed that my juvenile palate was always being asked to embrace yet another bizarre combination of Italian ingredients at holiday time, and quite frankly, I just wanted Peeps and chocolate bunny. But pastiera is a dessert to grow into, after which it reveals itself as a marvel of balanced flavors and contrasting textures. I’m so glad my mom plugged away with this one because now I cannot imagine Easter without it.
Like most things Italian, there are variations on the ingredients that make it differ from household to household (and please note, your house makes the best), but grano cotto is truly the soul of the dish. Wheat is most common grain used, although sometimes corn or barley is substituted. Cans of ready-to-use wheat grano cotto are a staple in the baking section of Southern Italian supermarkets, sometimes even labeled "per pastiera."
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Posted by Michele Humes, February 27, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Today’s Cook the Book recipe comes to us from Michael Laiskonis, Le Bernardin’s dashing pastry chef. His dark chocolate, peanut, and caramel tart is perfect for anyone who likes a bit of salty with their sweet; it’s almost like a very large salted caramel, rounded out with the bitterness of dark chocolate.
At Le Bernardin, they serve the tart with chopped peanuts, candied lemon peel, a peanut butter “powder” made from peanut butter and tapioca maltodextrin, and a scoop of malted milk chocolate rum ice cream. A home cook could probably get away with using a good-quality chocolate ice cream.
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In addition to excerpting a recipe each day this week, we're giving away five (5) copies of On the Line. Enter to win here »
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Posted by Linnea Covington, November 20, 2008 at 10:00 AM
- serves 4-5 -
From Dreena Burton. This recipe was featured in a Vegan Thanksgiving Menu.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced celery
5 medium–large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 14-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (reserve 1/4 cup)
3/4 cup walnuts
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon tamari
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups frozen chopped spinach
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 9-inch prepared whole-wheat pie shell thawed
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon tamari
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (for topping)
2 tablespoons lightly crushed walnuts (for topping)
Procedure
1. Add oil, onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper in a skillet over medium heat. Cook for 7-9 minutes until onions soften.
2. In a food processor, add chickpeas (except reserved 1/4 cup), walnuts, lemon juice, tamari, and salt, and pulse to lightly chop (not puree). Remove about 1/2 of the mixture from food processor and set aside.
3. Add sautéed mixture, lemon juice, tamari, and sea salt to processor with other half of chickpea/walnut mixture and puree until smooth.
4. Transfer puree to a large bowl and stir in spinach, cranberries, thyme, reserved chopped chickpea/walnut mixture, and reserved whole ¼ cup of chickpeas.
5. Transfer mixture to pie shell, smoothing to evenly distribute. Combine oil and tamari, and brush or spread over top of filling. Sprinkle on fresh thyme and walnuts.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 33-38 minutes, until tart is lightly browned on edges and top.
7. Serve with cranberry sauce, a spoon drizzling of oil/balsamic vinegar slurry, or other sauce of choice.
More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
Lemon Broiled Green Beans
Roast Sweet Potatoes
Traditional Cranberry Sauce
Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
Posted by Kerry Saretsky, October 6, 2008 at 9:00 AM
Editor's Note: Each week in October, we'll have an apple-focused recipe for you. Because as the doctor always said, an apple a week is, well, delicious. We start with a French-inspired pastry that's still as American as apple pie.
Photograph by static-photo on Flickr.
As a city girl who recently picked apples in upstate New York, I quickly gave up on trying to figure out which tree yielded which "breed" of apple. I simply tossed the apples willy-nilly into my half-peck bag, and went along my merry way.
I offer this recipe as something to do with your picked apples this fall because it presents a minor contradiction, which I find always makes food more interesting and appetizing. It is a "tarte fine," a French apple tart that showcases meticulously arranged slivers of apple; but unlike most elegant French pastries, this one is best with skin on the apples. Use all different kinds and let the rustic, rainbow effect play out. Also, unlike most elegant French pastries, this one really is a cinch. I added a touch of apple pie spice instead of plain cinnamon, to make this French tart as American as apple pie. The crust is buttery and crisp (and pre-purchased); the filling sweet and tart, depending on your bite. It looks like the model from a patisserie window, but it tastes homemade.
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Posted by Lucy Baker, September 24, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Everyone needs a chocolate tart recipe in their back pocket—one they can whip up for a last-minute dinner party, a hectic holiday meal, or for a special treat on a chilly Sunday night.
Nick Malgieri's Bittersweet Chocolate Tart, excerpted from The Modern Baker, couldn't be simpler. A press-in cookie crust is filled with a bittersweet ganache, topped with chocolate shavings, and sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Since flavor of the filling depends entirely on the chocolate, use the best available. For the more adventurous crowd, he includes a variation for a Chocolate Raspberry Tart.
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Posted by Amanda Clarke, September 18, 2008 at 8:30 AM
As much as I’m loath to admit it, dessert was never meant as sustenance. Rather, it is the non-essential flourish, a luxury that one allows—perhaps occasionally, perhaps daily—once the primal necessity of nourishment has taken place with the rest of the meal. Dessert extends the experience of a meal into the realm of the purely sensual and enjoyable.
In devising new dishes, my primary focus is, of course, to make something delicious, but I also believe it is important to make dishes that are multi-faceted, thus triggering a variety of sensations and making the indulgence that is dessert as interesting, satisfying, and worthwhile as possible. For the opening dessert menu at No. 7, where the savory menu runs to classic favorites with thoughtful twists, I wanted to tow that line by creating dishes that would be fairly familiar, but also satisfy in unexpected and varied ways.
Having already settled on a chocolate cake and a vanilla pudding, an apple pie seemed like the next logical addition, especially with apples coming into full swing. But individual pie pans were not an option, as our prep kitchen was literally 100°F at the time—rendering a flakey pie crust all but impossible—our ovens were (and are) a bit idiosyncratic, and we had to work with a fairly tight remaining budget for opening. An apple tart, though, just a shade or two removed from pie, seemed doable.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, August 29, 2008 at 2:45 PM
After getting an email about this recipe from Mark H. (aka Famdoc in the comments), I took the liberty of translating it from the French. If you're fluent in française, do click to the original, as my translation may be a bit shaky. ;)
In place of the oregano, Mark recommends using a handful of various fresh herbs from the garden (or market): basil, thyme, oregano and rosemary.
For the dough:
30 g yeast
300 g flour
15 cl milk
10 cl olive oil
A pinch of salt
For the toppings:
1 kg cherry tomatoes
10 g dried oregano
5 cl olive oil
Basil, to taste
100 g Niçoise olives
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Dissolve yeast in a little warmed milk. In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the flour, 15 cl milk, the olive oil, and the salt. When the dough becomes flexible, spread it out it in an oiled pan about 30 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter.
2. Let rise 2 hours at room temperature. Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F). Wash, équeutez???, wipe, and cut tomatoes in half.
3. Lay out tomatoes in a rosette on the dough. Salt and pepper the tomatoes, and sprinkle the oregano over. Then give it a nice pour of olive oil. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool a bit, and serve after adding the olives and basil.
Posted by Amanda Clarke, August 14, 2008 at 7:30 PM
While visiting Milan in the spring, I tried something I had never tried before: a carrot-yogurt tart. With its tender, nutty crust and tangy, cheesecake-like yogurt filling, topped with toothsome, barely cooked shredded carrots, the tart was a study in textures. Plus the subtle, complementary flavors tread the line between sweet and savory. I filed the idea away, vowing to play with it once I returned to my own kitchen.
In the midst of catching up and getting settled back into life after the trip, the tart quickly fell out of my thoughts. Then, while taste-testing a buttermilk tart recipe intended to accompany spiced plums, the carrot-yogurt tart came rushing back to me. This one had the light, creamy, mildly tart filling and fragrant, nutty, cereal-based crust—all that was missing were the carrots.
Plums aside, it was full speed ahead with the carrots from then on, and I’m quite pleased with the results. With all the textural interest of the original, this carrot-buttermilk tart is more assertively flavored than its mild, bordering-on-bland inspiration, falling more definitively into the dessert realm. That said, I wouldn’t think twice about having a nice wedge for breakfast.
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Posted by Lucy Baker, July 30, 2008 at 12:00 PM
The following recipe is from the July 30th edition of our weekly recipe newsletter. To receive this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here!
Susan Howell's banana coconut tarts are great for a crowd. The recipe yields twelve tarts, and can be prepared in a mini tart or muffin tin. Plus, the rich, tropical flavors are perfect for late summer celebrations.
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Posted by Lucy Baker, July 25, 2008 at 2:30 PM
I couldn't agree more with Anna Pump, author of this week's Cook the Book selection, Summer on a Plate, who believes that "sweets are an essential part of the day...if you serve a fabulous, knockout dessert, chances are your guests may not remember what they had for dinner. Desserts always bring smiles to the table, and no matter how full people claim they are, there always seems to be just a little bit of special space left over."
Today’s recipe is for a classic fresh peach tart. A simple, butter cookie crust is par-baked and then spread with apricot preserves; filled with juicy, sliced peaches; and scattered with crunchy almonds. Anna suggests serving the tart with ice cream or whipped cream. I think it would also be divine with strawberry sorbet.
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Posted by Lucy Baker, June 6, 2008 at 1:30 PM
I recently invested in a tart pan, and have been having all kinds of fun baking delicious desserts with fresh berries, ground almonds, and—of course—lots of butter. It's amazing how the crust's fluted edges really up the impressive factor. The tarts I've been making couldn't be more simple, yet they look bakery-professional.
In The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper, authors Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift include a recipe for a Rustic Jam Shortbread Tart that is incredibly versatile. While the recipe calls for wild blueberry or tart cherry, you could also mix together bits of jam from the bottoms of the jars in your refrigerator. For a tangier version, substitute chutneys, conserves, or marmalades. Add whatever spices or zests inspire you.
When it comes to making the shortbread crust, Lynne and Sally offer this tip: pulse the ingredients in the food processor just until they begin to form small clumps. It's better to stop processing a bit too early than too late.
Win 'The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper'
This week we're giving away copies of The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper. Click here for a chance to add it to your collection.
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Posted by Dorie Greenspan, April 3, 2008 at 11:00 AM
While I have been known to exaggerate now and then, I've never gone overboard in my praise for this lemon cream (think curd); I just call it extraordinary and rest assured that I haven't gone overboard.
The recipe comes from Pierre Hermé, my pastry hero, and I think it's fascinating. It has all of the ingredients you find in a traditional lemon curd, but the way you make it changes the cream's texture—Pierre's lemon cream is tangier, lemonier and, I think, lighter on the tongue, than traditional lemon curd. The secret is in the way the butter is added. In a curd, all the ingredients, including the butter, go into a pot and you cook, cook, cook and stir, stir and stir and then, when the mixture cools, it's curd. With Pierre Herme's lemon cream, you cook and stir everything—except the butter—then, when the ingredients have thickened, you put them into a food processor or blender, let them cool a bit, then whir in the butter and keep whirring. Essentially, you make an emulsion. And, because the butter doesn't melt and re-firm, as it does with curd, the lemon cream is silky, luxurious and yes, extraordinary.
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Posted by Dorie Greenspan, February 21, 2008 at 1:45 PM
While those of us in the northern part of the world are sitting around waiting for spring to come, it's nice to know that lemons are within easy reach. Not only do they perk up any salad, bring out the best in seafood and look cheery on the counter, they're a blessing when you've had your fill with apples and pears. (I love both apples and pears, but it's nice to give them a little time off in the winter, don't you think?)
I've got a bunch of lemon desserts that I turn to this time of year, but one of my favorites is a lemon tart I learned to make when I was working with Daniel Boulud on Cafe Boulud Cookbook
It's an elegant tart with a filling made with whole lemons—zest, juice and pulp—so that it's tart, tart, tart, as in really puckery.
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Posted by Jenn Sit, December 31, 2007 at 6:00 PM
Watching the animated food critic Anton Ego take his transcendent bite of ratatouille in the movie by the same name, only makes you wonder what about this classic French peasant dish warrants such fuss. If you're as curious as I am, try out Ellie Krieger's recipe for a cornmeal-crusted roasted ratatouille tart from The Food You Crave.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, December 11, 2007 at 2:30 PM
You might also know this Alsatian Bacon and Onion Tart as tarte flambée or flammekueche. James Villas—author of this week's Cook the Book, The Bacon Cookbook
—recommends trying to find fresh pot cheese in a specialty grocer, but if you can't, he says low-fat ricotta will work almost as well. He also recommends French ventrèche bacon or German Black Forest bacon, both of which may be found in finer butcher shops or online.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, November 13, 2007 at 1:15 PM
Ruth Reichl's favorite part of Thanksgiving is baking the pies—why else would she wake up at 4 AM to do so? One of the pies she'll be baking this year is this cranberry almond crostata, an Italian tart made of an almond-scented crust filled with fresh, cranberries that have been cooked down. Read our interview with Gourmet magazine's editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl about the magazine's approach to Thanksgiving this year for more of her recipe recommendations.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, November 13, 2007 at 12:20 PM
This ricotta tart with dried-fruit compote (made of figs, apricots and sour cherries) is just one of the many desserts that Ruth Reichl will be baking after waking up at 4 AM on Thanksgiving morning. Read our interview with Gourmet magazine's editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl about the magazine's approach to Thanksgiving this year for more of her recipe recommendations.
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Posted by Dorie Greenspan, August 9, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Before we dive into the sweet, crisp, creamy goodness of this post, we'd like to take a moment to introduce its author, Dorie Greenspan. You might already know her from her many cookbooks or her popular blog. She'll be joining us weekly with a baking recipe for you to dig into. And now, over to you, Dorie. —The Serious Eats Team
I'm just back from Paris (that's my third most favorite line—number-one fave is: "I'm in Paris"; number two: "I'm leaving for Paris") and, because I started missing the city the instant the plane took off, the first thing I baked on re-entry was this tart inspired by one I had a few years ago at La Palette, a café smack-dab in the center of Saint-Germain des Pres' gallery row.
The tart has only four components—a fully-baked crust, some strawberry jam, a bunch of sugared berries, and crème fraîche or whipped cream—and they're only united a minute before they're served. Order a slice and a wedge of crust will be cut, slicked with jam, covered with berries, and offered up with a little pot of cream. It's a very efficient way for a café to keep a crust crisp and berries fresh, but it's also a fun way to serve a great dessert at home.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, July 17, 2007 at 1:30 PM
I love peaches, but they're so fragile that after buying a bucket's worth I end up having to quickly devour most of them before they turn into sad, brown, bacteria-infested versions of their former delicious selves. While I have no problem eating lots and lots (and lots) of peaches, maybe it's better to preserve the essence of those fresh peaches by making them into a dessert. Dorie Greenspan's crunchy and custardy peach tart from Baking: From My Home to Yours nearly made me weep for combining three of my most favorite things: peaches, tart crust, and custard. A streusel topping gives the tart an extra layer of sweet buttery pastry goodness. Try out the recipe after the jump.
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