Audrey's Raspberry Chocolate Torte

I received so many emails when I posted the photo of Audrey's luscious Raspberry Chocolate Torte, that I decided to ask her if she would allow me to post the recipe.  We are in luck, thanks Audrey!

Audrey's Raspberry Chocolate Torte

For the Torte:

Ingredients

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 lb unsalted butter
1 C dark brown sugar
.5 C seedless raspberry preserves
.5 C raspberry liquid (made from cooking down unsweetened frozen raspberries)
8 eggs, slightly beaten

Method

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl.
Heat until the butter, sugar, preserves and raspberry liquid until boiling.  Keep stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Pour the mixture over the chocolate.
Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Keep whisking as you very slowly pour eggs into chocolate mixture.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

Trace and cut out parchment to fit  bottom of a  9 inch springform pan and wrap pan with heavy duty aluminum foil all the way up the sides, using one big sheet. 
Heat oven to 350F.

Place pan into roasting pan.  Add boiling water into roasting pan until water comes halfway up sides of pan.

Bake 45 minutes to one hour.  Place on cooling rack.  Rub thin blade knife around inside of pan to loosen torte.  Cool, then chill over night.

For the Chocolate Glaze:

Ingredients

8 oz semisweet chocolate
12 Tbl unsalted butter
5 tsp chambord or raspberry liquor
1 Tbl cornstarch

Method

Heat all in small saucepan over low heat.  Stir and make sure it does not boil or burn.  Heat until smooth.

To assemble:

Remove sides from  pan.  Cut a piece of cardboard to fit torte.  Set on top, then invert torte.  Place on pedestal.

Slide knife between pan bottom and paper to release.  Press lightly on cake to smooth out any uneven spots.

Pour warm glaze over torte, letting it coat sides.  Pour fast as it sets up quickly.

If you want to decorate, let glaze set in fridge and then decorate. I melted Ghirardelli white chocolate and then drizzled it over the top and sides.  Keep refrigerated!

*Note she also included some of the reduced raspberry liquid and some fresh mint for a beautiful garnish.

The Petrie Family Applesauce Cake

My grandmother, Mary Lou, always brings a delicious applesauce cake to family birthdays.  The cake is hearty and wholesome and it is dressed with a decadent penuche frosting -- and often a small bouquet of wildflowers.

I recently asked her to share the recipe with me and she sent along some family history as well.

"It is an old family recipe from your grandfather Landon's mother, Lillian Yarrington. She likely learned to make it from her mother. Lillian was a southern girl from the state of Virginia. Merton Petrie met her there as he accompanied a load of cattle by rail from Wisconsin to Virginia. He brought her back as a bride to Lake Geneva.

There was no recipe of the applesauce cake to follow. Mom would put in a little of this and that by guess and practice, so the cake was never exactly the same each time . I used to watch her do this. One day we asked her daughter, Mary, to try to determine what her measurements were as she was making another cake so we could duplicate it. That resulted in the cake we make today."

Applesauce cake

Ingredients

2 C sugar
.5 C shortening
1 square baking chocolate
2 C applesauce
3 tsp baking soda (dissolved in 1 tbl hot water)
2.5 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
.5 tsp nutmeg
1 C raisins

Method

Preheat oven to 350F, grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking dish

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and spices.

Heat the applesauce and add the baking chocolate, allowing it to melt.  Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and add to the heated applesauce. 

In a separate bowl, combine the shortening and sugar -- beat until light and fluffy.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the applesauce mixture to the shortening and sugar.  Combine but do not over mix.  Add the raisins.

Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 50 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool while you make the frosting.

Penuche Frosting

Ingredients

.5 C butter
1 C brown sugar
.25 C milk
2.25 C confectioners' sugar

Method

Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook until the it pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pan.

Boil for two minutes. Stir in milk; heat to boiling, remove from heat, stir in confectioners' sugar. Beat smooth with electric beaters.

Spread onto the cake immediately.  It will set as soon as it is spread.

Thank you for preserving this delicious piece of family history grandmother!

Hot Doug's Dogs Breakfast

One of our favorite restaurants in Chicago, Hot Doug's, is hosting a contest to create a new menu offering -- and Nick is one of the four finalists selected by Doug himself!

Nick submitted the following:

Hot Doug’s Dog’s Breakfast
Breakfast sausage, candied bacon, black pepper goat cheese, blackberry reduction, maple syrup. Toasted bun.

Mmm...

Please vote for him here!

(Image from Time Out Chicago)

Roasted Red Peppers and Peas

When it is really hot out, I find that I enjoy small snacks in place of large meals. Grazing on nuts, fruits and cheeses with a cool drink in hand is a relaxing way to spend a humid evening. Hummus is a delicious (and quick) addition to any lazy dinner or appetizer spread, and these easy embellishments on the standard chickpea fare will add flavor and and a splash of color.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

.75 C roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
2 Tbl tahini
1 Tbl olive oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
.5 tsp salt

Method

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Serve on pita or crostini and garnish with a basil leaf for color.

Pea and Ricotta "Hummus"

(Adapted from 101Cookbooks)

Ingredients

1 C fresh peas (or frozen, thawed)
.3 C ricotta cheese
1 Tbl olive oil
.25 tsp salt
.5 small shallot, minced
.25 C freshly grated Parmesan
zest of half a lemon

Method

Add the peas, ricotta, olive oil, and salt to a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve on pita or crostini and garnish with a shallot sliver for color.

Almond and Pear Tart

Last weekend I attended my friend Carrie's bridal shower in Woodstock.  Carrie lives in Costa Rica where she teaches third grade. My mother helped plan the shower and asked if I would be willing to make a dessert.

Perhaps my favorite go-to dessert is this Almond and Pear Tart.  It is relatively easy, looks impressive and and tastes delicious without being overwhelming.

It also paired beautiful with the other dessert -- this gorgeous and decadent Raspberry Chocolate Torte that our neighbor Audrey prepared.

The shower was nice and relaxed, and I was able to catch up with a few old friends. Carrie and Yishai will be married this weekend. Wishing all the best to this handsome couple!

Almond and Pear Tart

(Adapted from Gourmet 2001)

Ingredients

1 C almonds, skinless and lightly toasted
.5 C sugar
.25 C AP flour
6 Tbl unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
.5 tsp almond extract
1 tart shell
3 firm-ripe pears (Bosc or Anjou)*
.25 C apricot preserves, heated and strained
2 Tbl sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

(*Canned pears, halved and packed in pear juice (not heavy syrup) will work.  Just be sure to drain the halves well and let them sit between paper towels for a bit.)

Method

Preheat oven to 350F

In a food processor, pulse the nuts with .25 C of the sugar until finely ground.  Add the flour and pulse to combine.

In a medium bowl beat the butter and .25 C sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in extracts. Gently incorporate the nut mixture until just combined.

Spread the filling evenly into the prepared tart shell.  Peel, halve and core the pears.  Cut them crosswise into .25 inch slices, holding the slices together to retain the pear shape.  Gently transfer the slices of each pear-half to the tart, arranging decoratively and fanning the slices slightly apart.

Bake until the tarts shell, pears and filling are golden brown -- about 30 - 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and brush the pears (not the filling) with the preserves to keep them from drying out.  Cool the tart completely on a wire rack.  Remove the sides of the tart pan just before serving.

Nick met me at the train when I returned to Chicago and we were greeted with this unusual double rainbow!

In other news, Eileen and I spent a truly memorable night at the Vic Theatre watching Liz Phair play Exile in Guyville in its entirety on Tuesday night. This album made a huge impression on me growing up, and you could tell from the crowd that I wasn't alone.

I'm also getting close to my AIDS Marathon funding goal.  As of this morning, I only need $375 more!  You can read about my training and learn how to donate at my Chicago Half Marathon website.

Pea Dumplings

When Heidi posted her Plump Pea Dumpling recipe on 101 Cookbooks a few weeks ago, I was mesmerized by her photos.  I tried my hand at this quick and easy dish this evening with great success.  I opted to fry the dumplings rather than steam them.  They quickly turned a deep golden brown and were delicious served with tamari.

The filling was bright and flavorful, with a nice zestiness from the lemon and shallot.  If you are looking for a quick summer dinner, this is great recipe to keep handy.

(The filling is delicious on its own and would make a great dip for raw vegetables or pita bread.)

Recent Events

A variety of events have kept me busy over the last few weeks.  I thought I would give you a quick rundown as I plot my next post.

ZAP Zinfandel Tasting: I was recently invited to the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers annual tasting. My fellow Gaper's Block staffer, Andie, was also in attendance and posted a thorough write-up of the event. My favorite wine of the evening was definitely the anomaly in the group; Meeker Winery's FroZin, a Zinfandel ice wine so delicious, I almost want to take it upon myself to find them a Midwestern distributor so that I can taste it again.*

Brunch at Roy's: The folks over at Roy's Chicago recently added a brunch menu.  Nick and I were invited to sample the decadent three-course meal. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much out of a "Hawaiian fusion" menu, but I was proven wrong.  The standout dishes for us were the appetizers.  Nick ordered the "House Cured Salmon with cucumber ribbons, granny smith apple, watercress and caraway lemon dressing" and I ordered the "Wild Mushroom, Brie & Ricotta Ravioli with crispy leeks and asiago tomato cream" (pictured above).  Additionally, the Lilikoi cream on the fruit they served was superb.  The brunch is pricey ($26.95 for the regular prix fixe menu and $38.95 for the same menu plus "bottomless" mimosas), but I think Roy's would be a nice choice for a special event.*

World Pastry Cup 2009 Reception: The 11th Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie will take place in Lyon, France on January 25-26, 2009.  I was invited to a cocktail reception for the chefs that will be competing on the U.S. team this year.  The chefs had been working diligently on impressive pieces for each of the competition categories: ice sculpting, chocolate and sugar.  We had our fill of hor d'oeuvres and sweets, but the highlight of the evening was the chocolate cake.  A take on a black forest cake, this dessert boasts layers of hazelnut flour and passion fruit cake, dark chocolate cream, and gold leaf (photo: bottom left).  The cake won the U.S. team first prize in the chocolate category during the 2007 competition. The event was sponsored by Valrhona Chocolate and we were happy to be sent home with ten delicious chocolate bars. (Terry of Blue Kitchen was also in attendance, see his write-up here.)*

Urban Golf: My friends and I hosted the 3rd annual Memorial Day weekend urban golf event (CUDGEL).  We had a huge turnout and a few minor catastrophes, but all in all it was the event we have all grown to love. You can find more photos here.

Running: Most of you have probably noticed my marathon link on this page.  I will be up to six miles this Saturday.  The running is going well, save for some shin splints that I am nursing, but the fundraising is not.  I have a few more weeks to decide if I can run with the AIDS Marathon group, or if I should just sign up for general entry.

*Please note that these invitations were complimentary, but that I chose to write about them on my own volition.

Picnic

On Sunday I met Chicago food bloggers Joanna and Karin at Montrose Harbor for an early summer picnic.  I made 101 Cookbooks' Citrus Parmesan Farro Salad.  It turned out nicely and kept fairly well for lunch the next day.

   

Karin brought a rice salad with shrimp, tuna and smoked salmon from the Splendid Table cookbook and her partner, Carl, brought these beautiful tandoori chicken kabobs.

Joanna brought quite a spread including tarragon butter and radish sandwiches:

Goat cheese stuffed peppadew peppers. (These peppers were new to me. I really loved their sweet and tangy flavor.)

And sweet white wine coolers.  She soaked green grapes in sugar and white wine for about three hours.  The wine was then combined with lemon zest and served with lemon slices and seltzer water.  It was a perfect and refreshing picnic beverage. (The boozy grapes were delicious too.)

It was a lovely few hours.  We hope to plan a similar, larger event later in the summer.  If you live in Chicago and would like to join us, send me an email and I will put you on the invite list.

Vegetable Chili and Cornbread

We began our long weekend by making a big pot of vegetable chili and a loaf of cornbread to accompany it. The house smelled delicious and the food was hearty and satisfying.  (It also makes for a great lunch on the following days.) I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend.  The Memorial Day Urban Golf event was a great success.  You can view some pictures of the event here.

Vegetable Chili
Serves 6

Ingredients

3 Tbl olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
3 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 4-ounce can diced mild green chilies
3 Tbl chili powder
1 Tbl ground cumin
1 Tbl dried oregano
2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 10-ounce package frozen corn kernels
salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Cheddar cheese to serve
Sour cream to serve

Method

In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and carrots and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes (with juice), chilies, and spices. Cook 10 minutes.  Add the beans, peppers and corn. Reduce heat and simmer for about 35 minutes, until thickened. Stir occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Cornbread
Adapted from Bread by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter

Ingredients

.75 C AP flour
1.5 C yellow cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1.5 Tbl baking powder
1 Tbl sugar
4 Tbl butter, melted
1 C milk
3 eggs
7-ounces canned sweetcorn, drained

Method

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease an 8.5 in cake tin.
Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center.  In a separate bowl combine the butter, milk, and eggs. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the sweetcorn and pour into the prepared tin.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Invert bread onto a wire rack and cool slightly.  Serve warm with honey or butter.

3rd Annual Urban Golf Event

This post is bit off-topic, but those of you that live in Chicago are cordially invited to a little event that my friends and I put on each year:

The third annual Chicago Urban Devils Golf Enthusiasts' League (CUDGEL) Memorial Day weekend event will take place this Sunday, May 25th. Participation is limited to 50 people and costs $5 a person.  You must pre-register your team of two to brandishyourclub@gmail.com before the day of the event.  Meet at Tuman's (2159 W. Chicago Ave.) at 1 pm.  Participants must be over 21 years of age and should bring a golf club and money for drinks/food/tips.  Costumes, bribery and creative cheating are always encouraged.

For more information:

Argo Georgian Bakery - Revisited

After reading about the Republic of Georgia in the "cooking vacations" portion of the May Gourmet Magazine, I couldn't stop thinking about Argo Georgian Bakery.  I posted about my love of Argo over at Gapers Block on Friday and was lucky enough to make a trip up to Devon with Nick this afternoon. 

I haven't made khachapuri in a long time, but I plan to soon.  The Georgian Feast by Darra Goldstein is the best Georgian cookbook available, in my opinion, and provides the recipe that I typically use.  However, you could also try Nigella Lawson's recipe that The Traveler's Lunchbox provides (along with some stunning photos) or the recipe published in the aforementioned issue of Gourmet.

Warm Wild Rice Salad

I had quite a whirlwind weekend.  I was up at 6 am for marathon training on Saturday, met my mother at an Alzheimer's convention near the airport, and then drove with her to attend the Visakha day festival in Woodstock. Sunday morning I had an appointment with my dentist, followed by brunch with my father's side of the family, followed by a short visit with my maternal grandmother, a long drive back to Chicago, and a short run with a friend. 

The point of the entire visit was to retrieve my parent's van in order to retrieve Nick from school later this week.  It will be nice to have him back and a relief to never take the Chicago to Champaign leg of the Amtrak line ever again.  I'm looking forward to slower weekends, evening walks, and dinner parties.

I've recently found that when I'm feeling rundown and overwhelmed, a warm bowl of wild rice, bright vegetables and pillows of goat cheese can make for a soothing evening.  Here is simple recipe that yields impressive results.

Warm Wild Rice Salad
Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients

1 C wild rice (I use Lundberg rice)
Water
Vegetable bullion
.5 C slivered almonds
1 Tbl olive oil
10 cherry tomatoes
15 stalks of asparagus
3 garlic cloves
1 Tbl chopped basil from a jar (or 2 Tbl fresh)
2 oz goat cheese
salt and pepper

Method

Cook the rice according to package instructions.  (Add the amount of water called for and enough bouillon for the water volume.)  It will take about 50 minutes for the rice to cook.

Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes in half.  Trim the asparagus and cut into one inch pieces.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Using a garlic press, press the garlic directly into the pan (if you do not have a garlic press, mincing the garlic works fine).  Add the vegetables and toss frequently.  Season with salt and pepper.  Near the end of cooking (when the asparagus is bright and tender, and the tomato skins are blistering), add the basil and toss to coat.

When the wild rice is done, combine the rice and the vegetables in a large serving bowl, add small pieces of goat cheese, the slivered almonds, and toss. Season to taste.

Dark Lord Day

I have a post up over at Gapers Block about Dark Lord Day 2008. You can read about Dark Lord Day 2007 in my post from last year.  We opened up our first bottle last night and it was delicious.  While similar to the batch from 2007, this year it wasn't as thick and had a bit of sourness to it. 

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Recipe from the archives.

I am not a runner.  I have been an enthusiastic swimmer and anoccasional biker in the past, but running always seemed out of my reach.  Amazingly, I just signed up to run the Chicago Half Marathon on September 14.  I will be running with the National AIDS Foundation and working towards a $1,500 fundraising goal.

I'm runner number 0440 and I start training this Saturday at 7 a.m.  I started a new blog to track my progress. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to my funding goal, you can do so by visiting my AIDS Marathon page.

It was 38 degrees in Chicago today.  Time to (briefly) turn on the heat again, fire up the oven and enjoy a warm twice-baked potato.

Twice-Baked Potato with Vegetables

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 baking potato
.5 Tbl olive oil
.25 Tbl Balsamic vinegar
.5 C broccoli rabe
.5 C sweet corn kernels
.25 cherry tomatoes, sliced
.5 mushrooms, sliced
.5 to 1 C buttermilk, shaken
1 Tbl fresh dill
1 Tbl Cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper

Method

Clean the potato and poke holes all over with a fork.  Wrap in tin foil and bake for about an hour at 375F.

When the potato is nearly finished baking, heat the olive oil and Balsamic vinegar over medium heat. Add all the vegetables and saute for about 5 minutes. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Slice the potato in half longways and gently remove all but a small amount of potato from the skins. Put the insides in a bowl and mix in the buttermilk to taste (judge the desired texture before adding too much). Mix in the dill and add the vegetables. Combine well. Spoon heaping amounts of the mixture into the potato skins. Transfer the filled potato skins to a tin foil lined baking sheet. Top with Cheddar cheese and bake for 10 minutes more at 375F.

Colcannon

The carbohydrate-phobia that swept the country a few years ago really took a toll on the lowly potato. While it is often thought to lack any kind of nutritional content, it is actually a great source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and fiber.  Colcannon is a comforting Irish dish made of mashed potatoes and either kale or cabbage.  Many variations of this dish exist, but I like to add shallots, garlic, and sometimes a bit of grated Parmesan to flavor it.

Colcannon
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

4 baking potatoes, chopped into 1" cubes
2 C kale, chopped
2 Tbl olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 C warm milk or cream (or more to taste)
4 Tbl butter, plus extra
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.  (I always leave the skins on, but feel free to modify.)  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the shallot, garlic and kale. Cook until the kale is tender and reduced in volume.

Drain the potatoes and return to the pot.  Mix in milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Add the kale mixture and combine well.  Serve warm with a pat of butter or a drizzle of olive oil.

Radish and Buttermilk Soup

I primarily find myself using buttermilk in baking recipes, where it's tangy flavor adds unmatched depth to biscuits or pancakes.  However, I always enjoy using the leftover portion from the quart in simple recipes that play-up buttermilk's unique taste.  This soup takes minutes to make and is wonderfully refreshing.

Radish and Buttermilk Soup
Adapted from Gourmet
Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients

1.25 C radishes, quartered
2 C seedless cucumber, sliced (and peeled if you would like)
2 C chilled buttermilk, well-shaken
1 tsp salt
1 tsp rice vinegar
.5 tsp sugar

Method

Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Serve chilled.

Simple Broccoli Salad

 
This past Easter, my Uncles Jack and Dave hosted us for a laid-back afternoon of food and drinks.  The light in their house is gorgeous and I couldn't keep myself from taking pictures of all the beautiful food (and their Burmese cats).  One dish that I really enjoyed was a simple, sweet and savory broccoli salad that Dave made. I recently asked him for the recipe. Be sure to take the time to cut the broccoli into small, bite-sized florets.

Dave's Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

6 C of fresh broccoli florets (blanched if you prefer)
1/4 of a red onion (or to taste), thinly sliced in half inch pieces
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1/2 C mayonnaise
sugar
1 Tbl cider vinegar

Method

Toss the first four ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.  To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise and vinegar with sugar to taste (the dressing should be slightly sweet).  Make enough dressing to thinly coat all of the broccoli.  Toss the dressing with the other ingredients.  Cover the salad and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.   Before serving, toss the salad to re-distribute the dressing.

As requested, a photo of one of their cats.

Pear and Pepper Relish

After a weekend snowstorm, we are (hopefully) watching the last of the snow melt here in Chicago. The few blissful weeks before the scorching summer sun arrives will usher in outdoor seating at restaurants, community gardens, margaritas on our back porch, and long hikes through neighborhoods coming back to life.

The changing seasons also mean that cookout weather will soon arrive. Nick recently came across The Great American Hot Dog Book by Becky Mercuri and her recipe for Blackie's Deep-Fried Dogs and Pear-Pepper Relish caught his eye.  Blackie's is a famous hot dog stand in Cheshire, Connecticut and is just one of the well-known stands featured in Mercuri's  book.  We made the relish recently and were very pleased with the results.  Without straying too far from a true sweet relish, the addition of pears and hot peppers gives this recipe a unique and dynamic flavor.

Blackie's Pear-Pepper Relish

Adapted from The Great American Hot Dog Book

This makes about four cups of relish.  The relish will keep in a tightly sealed container, refrigerated, for several weeks.

Ingredients

4 Bartlett pears

2 large onions

2 green bell peppers

1 red bell pepper

1 jalapeño (feel free to use a spicier pepper)

Boiling water, a few cups

1.5 C sugar

2.25 tsp mustard seeds

.75 tsp ground allspice

.25 tsp ground cinnamon

.75 tsp turmeric

1 Tbl salt

1.5 C white vinegar

.5 C water

Method

Chop the first 5 ingredients and put in a large colander.  Over the sink, pour the boiling water over the chopped ingredients.  Drain thoroughly and add to a large stock-pot.

In a medium bowl combine the sugar, seeds, spices and salt.  Add the dry mixture to the stock-pot and mix thoroughly with the chopped ingredients. 

Add the vinegar and water and bring everything to a boil.  Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.  Your house will smell delicious. When the relish is cooked to your liking, remove from the heat and allow to cool before refrigerating.

Tsoureki

From the archives.

Tsoureki (also called Lambropsomo) is an egg-rich Greek Easter bread that is traditionally served at the Resurrection Meal.  This meal marks the end of fasting for the Greek Orthodox Church and is often also comprised of an offal-based soup and a salad.  The dough is braided, sprinkled with sesame seeds and baked with partially boiled, red-dyed eggs to represent the blood of Christ.

There are dozens of Tsoureki recipes.  Some are flavored with orange peel and anise, others with sweet and sour mahlepi cherry spice, or with savory ingredients like the onion that I used in this recipe.

In order to avoid the color from the eggs running into your bread (like mine did), check Greek grocery stores around Easter time to find extra strong red dye.  Alternatively, soak or boil the eggs with onion skins to produce a lighter red, all-natural dyed egg.

Tsoureki
adapted from Alberto at Il Forno

Ingredients

3.75 C unbleached all-purpose flour

1.25 C milk, at room temperature or a bit warmer

1 package active yeast

.5 C onion, finely chopped

6 Tbl butter, (soften 5 Tbl)

3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs honey

1.5 Tbl sesame seeds

Method

To make the starter: In a medium sized bowl combine 1.5 C of the flour,  4/5 C of the milk and the package of yeast.  Mix well and allow to sit in a warm location until bubbly and doubled in size (about 45 minutes).

Cook the onion with 1 Tbl butter over medium heat, until the onion is translucent.  Set aside.

Boil 2 of the eggs for about 5 minutes (they will cook more in the oven) and dye red.  Set aside.

Knead the starter with the remaining 2.5 C of flour, salt, honey, 1 egg and enough milk for the dough to just come together (about 3 Tbl).  The dough should be quite firm.

Add the the onion and the remaining butter 1 Tbl and at a time. Work the butter into the dough until it becomes shiny and elastic, (about 10 minutes). Cover the dough and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).

Once doubled, divide the dough into 4 equal piece.  Roll three of the pieces into ropes about 24 inches long. Roll the fourth piece into a rope about 48 inches long.  Due to the elasticity of the dough, it is easiest to roll each piece a bit at a time, allowing it to rest as you roll the other pieces.

With slightly wet hands, braid the three 24 inch pieces together (the moisture will help the pieces stick together).  Move the braid to a greased cookie sheet or a Sil-Pat mat and tuck the ends under.  Place the boiled, dyed eggs on top of the braid and wrap the longest piece of dough around the eggs to secure them (see the picture above). Gently cover the dough and allow to rise for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400F

Glaze with the egg yolks and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes.

Matcha Pancakes

From the archives.

There's nothing like a warm pancake on a cold morning.  My father, while he doesn't cook much, has a curious natural talent for breakfast foods.  His pancakes were a common feature on weekend mornings when I was growing up and they always included fresh sliced strawberries and real maple syrup.

I find myself craving warm, butter-fried dough in the winter months. I recently shared my recipe for savory Chive & Sour Cream Waffles with you.  In keeping with this theme, here is my recipe for fluffy Matcha Pancakes.

Matcha Pancakes

Ingredients

1.5 C flour
2.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 Tbl sugar
1 Tbl matcha powder
.25 tsp ground ginger
.25 tsp ground cinnamon
1 C milk
3 eggs
4 Tbl unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus more for greasing the pan)

Method

Whisk or sift together all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
Whisk wet ingredients in another medium sized bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix until the batter just comes together. Do not over mix or your pancakes will be flat and dense.
Let batter sit for at least 15 minutes.

Heat a pan on low-medium heat.  Melt some butter in the pan.  I used my crumpet rings to give these pancakes their uniform shape and height.  If you are doing so, be sure to grease the insides of the crumpet rings as well. (Crumpet rings are also great for cooking uniformly shaped eggs.)
Fill the crumpet rings halfway with batter.
When bubbles begin to form on the tops of the pancakes and the bottoms have nicely browned, flip them.
Cook about one more minute or until golden brown.

I mixed together some vanilla yogurt and a few pinches of matcha powder to make a complimentary topping. A small dusting of matcha powder over the pancake stack makes for a pleasing presentation. Real maple syrup or fresh fruit would also work well.