07.09.08
Posted in American, Cuisines, Dinner, Eggs, French, Lunch, Salads at 9:53 am by julie
We had a good 4th of July weekend. For me, that constitutes getting to leave the house a glorious three times, including trips to the grocery store and farmer’s market. Nolan had never been to either place, and he was quite a champ, looking around quietly from his sling while we shopped. At the grocery store, we picked up fixings for an all-American sort of dinner: New York strip steaks, baby spinach for a classic salad with hot bacon vinaigrette, and (at Jeremy’s request) Boston baked beans. The steaks were coated in a mixture of oil and clarified butter and seasoned aggressively with salt and pepper, then cooked to a perfect medium on our cast iron grill. The salad was a tasty complement, with crisp bacon, sweet shallot, and hard-boiled egg.
At the farmer’s market the next day, our score included white asparagus, three kinds of wild mushrooms, dinosaur kale, and a big head of frisee lettuce. I would have liked to get more, but I couldn’t carry much with the baby, and Jeremy had his hands full with Freyja, who was in rare form trying to keep our little herd together. (Every time I went into a booth to buy something, she whined something fierce. Everyone stared at her, and several people commented on how protective she was being of me. She just wouldn’t let me out of her sight.) Anyway, I decided to use the frisee to make us another classic salad with eggs and bacon for lunch that day: a bistro salad with poached eggs and a sherry vinaigrette. Its similarity to the spinach salad was not lost on me, but the overall effect was quite different, mostly due to the extreme bitterness of the frisee. Tasty as it was, I think I prefer this salad in its fried egg sandwich incarnation, which cuts down on the volume of frisee.
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12.10.07
Posted in American, Bread, Cuisines, French, Lunch, Nuts, Grains & Legumes at 11:56 am by julie
(Some days a creative title is just too much to ask…)
This weekend continued to be all about the breads here at the Persnickety Palate (or quasi-breads, as you may prefer to categorize my holiday quick breads and the biscuits I’m about to rave about below). Once again, we found ourselves sans milk and bread and perilously low on eggs, so I had to get creative with our meal options on Saturday. We ended up having lentil salad with bacon, and thanks to the half-full carton of buttermilk staring back at me from the fridge, a batch of hot buttermilk biscuits to go along with it.
I’ve now tried a few different recipes for biscuits, but when I have buttermilk to use up, this recipe is the clear winner. It is very easy to make, if a bit messy; I’m thinking a quarter-cup cookie scoop
would be the perfect tool to streamline this recipe…I’ve been wanting one for doling out muffin batter and big wads of cookie dough anyway. 
Back to the subject at hand, these biscuits are super-fluffy and light inside, with a perfectly crisp golden-brown exterior. I adapted them slightly, as has been my wont lately with most baked goods, to use 50% white whole wheat flour instead of just AP. This results in a minor difference in color and absolutely no change in taste, while making me feel slightly less guilty about the melted butter you slather all over the dough before it goes in the oven. No wonder these taste so good!
Buttermilk Biscuits
1 C unbleached AP flour
1 C white whole wheat flour
1 T double-acting baking powder
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 C cold buttermilk
1 C unbleached all-purpose flour, distributed in rimmed baking sheet
2 T unsalted butter, melted
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500F. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Generously spray inside and outside of 1/4 cup dry measure with nonstick cooking spray (or get out a large cookie scoop).
In a food processor, pulse the flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda to combine, about six 1-second pulses. Scatter butter cubes evenly over dry ingredients; pulse until mixture resembles pebbly, coarse cornmeal, eight to ten more pulses. Add buttermilk to dry ingredients; pulse a few more times just until incorporated (dough will be very wet and slightly lumpy).
Using 1/4 cup measure and working quickly, scoop level amount of dough; drop dough from measuring cup into flour on baking sheet (if dough sticks to cup, use small spoon to pull it free). Repeat with remaining dough, forming 12 evenly sized mounds.
Dust tops of each piece of dough with flour from baking sheet. With floured hands, gently pick up piece of dough and coat with flour; gently shape dough into rough ball, shake off excess flour, and place in prepared cake pan. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging 9 rounds around perimeter of cake pan and 3 in center. Brush rounds with hot melted butter, taking care not to flatten them.
Bake 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 450F; continue to bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert biscuits from pan onto a rack or towel; turn biscuits right side up and break apart. Cool 5 minutes longer and serve.
Source: Cooks Illustrated, via The Amateur Gourmet.
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07.17.07
Posted in Aussie, Breakfast, Cuisines, Eggs, French, Sides at 8:50 am by julie
We really need to hit the grocery store for supplies. Guess that means it’s time for another eggy post, eh?
But what could I possibly write about scrambled eggs? You take some eggs, beat them with a fork, and stir them about in a hot skillet with some butter. Nothing to it. Well, there is a pretty wide range of things done with scrambled eggs all over the world, and they’re some of our favorite easy meals.
French: Low and Slow
One of our go-to recipes for eggs is a simple slow-cooked scramble on toast. I don’t do my slow scramble quite as low and slow as French-style eggs would dictate, but they still take a good 10-15 minutes, and end up with a soft, creamy texture. If I’m in a hurry, I bump the heat up to medium at the beginning to get the eggs heating up, and as soon as they start to cook, turn it down to low or medium low again, adjusting it to keep things moving forward but not too quickly. The touch that puts them over the top is a drizzle of white truffle oil and a pinch of fleur de sel at the very end. Although there is very little butter in these eggs, the manner of cooking makes them seem far richer and more decadent than the usual scrambled eggs.
Slow-Scrambled Eggs on Toast
1 T unsalted butter
5 eggs
2 T water
Pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
4 pieces of bread or English muffins
White truffle oil
Fleur de sel or another high quality sea salt
In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium low heat. Meanwhile, break the eggs into a small bowl, add the water, and whisk thoroughly. When the butter is melted, add the eggs and salt/pepper, and stir continually over low/med-low heat until eggs become creamy, with a consistency akin to loose oatmeal.
Meanwhile, toast the bread or English muffins (or English muffin bread, as we used in this case) and spread with butter or margarine if desired. When the eggs are ready, spoon them evenly over the prepared toast. Drizzle a few drops of truffle oil over each piece of eggy toast, followed by a pinch of fleur de sel. The fleur de sel adds an intermittent salty crunch to the creamy eggs, and the truffle oil makes everything fantastically fragrant and decadent.
If desired, you can combine this open-faced egg sandwich with cooked vegetables of some variety. Molly suggests leeks cooked slowly with butter and swirled with a dab of creme fraiche, a lovely combination that felt so rich I couldn’t even finish eating it. Another excellent option, and one we’ve employed many times, is the long-cooked broccoli from Nancy Silverton’s Sandwich Book, but any tender vegetable that you could imagine pairing with eggs could stand in.
Australian: bills breakfast
For dinner the other night, I decided to make an Australian breakfast. Time-wise, it probably wasn’t too far off, come to think of it. I’ve been wanting to try Bill Granger’s corn fritters for quite a while, so I made up a batch of those and a skillet full of Bill’s scrambled eggs to go with them. The main element that sets these eggs apart from your run-of-the-mill scrambled eggs is the addition of heavy cream, which makes them incredibly fluffy and tender.
bills Scrambled Eggs
2 eggs
1/4 C cream
Pinch of salt
1/2 T butter
Whisk together eggs, cream and salt. Do not put more than two servings of eggs in one pan, or the eggs will get over-cooked.
Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in egg mixture and after about 20 seconds, using a spatula or wooden spoon, push the egg mixture on the outside of the pan to the center in a folding motion. Let eggs set for an additional 20 seconds, then repeat. When all the eggs are just set in the center of the pan, looking soft and somewhat wet, turn them out onto a plate. Serves 1.
Source: Slightly adapted from Baking Bites and Bill Granger
My Way: Lazy Eggs
Just for good measure, when I just don’t feel like fussing over my scrambled eggs, this is how I do it: Tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet, melted over medium heat. Turn the heat down to low and crack the eggs (usually 4-5 for the two of us) into the skillet, add a splash of milk, and as quickly as possible, stir it all around vigorously with a wooden spoon until moderately mixed up. Return the heat to medium and continue stirring, giving it a few seconds to set between stirs. Cook just until all the egg is barely set but still moist. This method means no extra mess in a bowl, and produces your standard fluffy scrambled eggs.
I sometimes mix it up by cooking some veggies or whatnot in the butter before adding in the eggs. A favorite is kielbasa: We sometimes pick up sandwiches from a barbecue place on the walk home for lunch, but they’re too big for me to eat all at once. I save my leftovers with their accompanying sauteed onions and peppers, dice it all up, and scramble it with some eggs and cheddar cheese for another day’s lunch.
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03.28.07
Posted in Breakfast, Cuisines, Dessert, Dinner, French, Lunch at 3:24 pm by julie
Crepes have never been my favorite. Perhaps it’s because they are too much like pancakes, which are not my first preference; perhaps it’s their skin-like flabbiness or the speed with which they cool; or perhaps it’s their intimidating orneriness and delicacy when cooking.
At any rate, since Jeremy is gone at a workshop in California, I decided to give crepes a chance. I figured that if I messed them up horribly, I should still be able to get enough edible crepes to feed one. As it turned out, they were incredibly easy to make, even if the first few were seriously pale. I used my 8″ fry pan because that is my only non-stick skillet, and it made small crepes, but they were easier to handle because of it. I had absolutely no problems with sticking or tearing, but then, I wasn’t going for the world’s thinnest crepes.
I ate several crepes smeared with the chocolate-pear jam that I made last year from Mes Confitures, and it had thickened up nicely into a perfect filling. (It is also delectible dolloped onto vanilla yogurt, which may be my new favorite “healthy” dessert.) I also had a few crepes with cashew butter, banana slices and honey, which sounded good but was not my favorite; and one with Nutella, because I just couldn’t resist. The rest of the crepes went in the fridge layered with plastic wrap, and I’ll see how they taste tonight.
So, the verdict on crepes? Not so bad after all, and definitely not scary to make. I’m still leery of the idea of savory crepes, which seems fussily strange and French to me, but maybe I’ll call them crespelle and try some Italian recipes at some point. 
Oh, and might have to try this one as well.
Crepes a la Alton Brown
2 large eggs
¾ cup milk
½ cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
More melted butter, for coating the pan
*Savory Variation: Add ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach, green onion, or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.
*Sweet Variation: Add 2 ½ tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours. You can thin it out with more water for a thinner, more delicate crêpe, or use cornstarch, or a different type of flour (rice, buckwheat, quinoa, etc.)
Heat a small (8-10″) non-stick pan over medium heat until a drop of water tossed in sizzles; using a silicone brush, brush sparingly with melted butter to coat. Pour a small of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly; you should put in just enough batter to thinly coat the bottom of the pan; immediately pour any excess batter back in the blender. Cook for 2-3 minutes (until golden brown underneath—the top will appear matte with lacy browning edges that pull away from the pan) and flip. Cook for another 15 seconds and lay them out flat to cool, or let hungry diners start assembling personalized crepes. Continue until all batter is gone.
After the crepes have cooled, you can stack them between layers of plastic wrap or parchment paper and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.
Source: Adapted from Good Eats with Alton Brown.
Update 3/30/07: They worked just fine straight from the fridge, and it was nice to have some in there for snacking. Lasted at least two days, and the edges have only dried out a bit. I wouldn’t leave them much longer than that, but since I ate them all, that experiment will have to wait for another time.
Update 4/16/07: I made another batch of these for breakfast last weekend. Jeremy was happy to taste test, but he didn’t like them as well as he expected. Crepes seem to be one of those things he doesn’t really care for, but keeps thinking he does (like Cream of Wheat). I made half of them at once, and he ate them fresh off the skillet, but seemed to like them a bit better when I rolled up a batch after turning the burner off. We had them with strawberry jam, quince jelly, pear-chocolate spread, and Nutella. I cooked up the rest of the crepes the next afternoon for a snack, and the batter held well, though it needed some stirring because of the liquid gathering on top. They make an easy utensil-free meal or snack, so I think they’ll find an occasional place in my repertoire.
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02.26.07
Posted in Cuisines, French, Lunch, Salads, Sides at 10:46 am by julie
I made this for lunch yesterday, and it came out beautifully. My adaptations are reflected in the recipe; I only had frozen shallot, so I left it out of the vinaigrette, and we didn’t miss it. The bacon was a perfect foil for the lentils, and was cut into small enough pieces (sliced lengthwise once, then across) that it didn’t overpower the lentils themselves. I also used frozen onion, and it worked fine. I added a bit of extra salt and vinegar just before serving, and Jeremy commented that it was perfectly seasoned. Definitely a recipe to make again (and again).
Salad of Lentilles de Puy
This lentil salad best when the sautéed carrots and onions are just-tender, then mixed into the warm lentils along with the vinaigrette.
3/4 C French green lentilles de Puy
1 bay leaf
a few springs of fresh thyme
salt and freshly-ground pepper
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1/2 a onion, peeled and finely diced
1 slice thick applewood-smoked bacon, finely diced
1 T red wine or sherry vinegar
3 T high quality extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
Rinse the lentils and remove any foreign matter. Transfer the lentils to a large saucepan, about 6 quarts, then cover with a copious amount of water, which should cover the lentils by at least 3-4 inches. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, add a bit of salt, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are just tender, adding more water if necessary. Be sure not to overcook them. While the lentils are cooking, mix together the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a bowl large enough to hold everything. When the lentils are done, drain them well, then toss them in the vinaigrette with the cooked vegetables; remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Stir a few times to release the steam, and add some fresh thyme leaves, if desired.
Now cook the bacon in a skillet; when crisp, add it to the lentils along with a bit of bacon fat. Remove remaining excess fat, leaving a teaspoon or so, and add the carrots and onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently until tender. Add to the lentils and bacon, taste, and season with more vinegar, salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. About 3 servings. Cooked lentils will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. They can be reheated in a pan on the stovetop or in a microwave. Some other ideas:
*Dress the lentils with less vinaigrette and omit the mustard. When the lentils are cool, dress them right before serving with a very good-quality walnut or hazelnut oil and a handful of toasted nuts.
*Once cool, add a big handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley and more fresh thyme or savory.
*Add other root vegetables, like celery root or parsnips. Oven roast cubes of them in olive oil with salt and pepper until browned, then add them with the vinaigrette.
*Stir a spoonful of duck fat into the warm lentils.
*Crumble coarse chunks of fresh goat cheese into the room temperature lightly-dressed lentils. This is particularly good drizzled with walnut or hazelnut oil.
Source: Adapted from David Lebovitz.
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