invite me over

Have you ever had banh mi? It's a delicious Vietnamese sandwich made with some combination of ground pork, grilled pork, pate, pickled vegetables, cilantro, chili peppers, sriracha hot sauce and mayonnaise on a baguette, and it's officially my favorite food that doesn't come out of my mother's kitchen.


I used to think banh mi was something you could only get at a restaurant, like chocolate lava cake and risotto (now two of my favorite things to cook). That all changed with the January issue of Bon Appetit. All I can say is...make this now. And then invite me over for dinner.



Pork Meatball Banh Mi
adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2010

Chili mayo:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 Tbs. hot chili sauce, like sriracha

Pickled vegetables:
3 carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 Tbs. fish sauce
1 Tbs. hot chili sauce, like sriracha
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt

Sandwiches:
4 10-inch individual baguettes or 4 10-inch-long pieces of baguette
Cilantro

Chili mayo: Stir all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt. Cover and chill.

Pickled vegetables: Toss all ingredients in medium bowl; set aside.

Meatballs: Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs, about 1 scant Tbs. each. Saute meatballs in oil until brown and cooked through, turning often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 min.

Sandwiches: In medium bowl, toss carrots, cucumbers, rice vinegar, sugar and salt; set aside. Cut each baguette or baguette pieces horizontally in half. Pull out excess squishy bread. Spread with chili mayo. Arrange cilantro, meatballs and pickled vegetables on bread. Devour.

body and soul

Friends, how are you feeling? Frankly, I've been a little blue. Winter just isn't my season. And after years of being the kind of person who could sleep through just about anything (including thunderstorms, construction sites and Batman Begins--in the theater), I've somehow become someone who wakes up multiple times in the middle of the night, grinding her teeth all the while. I'm tired. If ever there were a time for comfort food, it's now.


This beef stew is just a simplified Beef Bourguignon, that delicious but labor-intensive classic French dish. Start with a hunk of beef chuck (I know it's kind of horrifying how fatty it is, but it's so tender. And you can strain off the fat later), add some vegetables and wine and stick it in the oven for a couple hours, and you'll have the perfect dinner to warm body and soul.


Beef stew

1 beef chuck roast, about 2-1/2 lbs., cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
1 large or 2 small onions, chopped
4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1- to 2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 sprigs rosemary
about 3/4 bottle dry red wine
1 can chicken or beef broth

1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
about 12 cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

chopped flat-leaf parsley
good baguette

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Pour 2 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil in a Dutch oven. Brown the beef over medium-high heat in 2 or 3 batches, about 5 min. per batch (beef will not be cooked through). Remove the beef to a plate; set aside.

Add onions and carrots to the Dutch oven; add a little more oil if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 min. Add the garlic and tomato paste; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 sec.

Add the rosemary and beef (with any juices that may have collected on the plate). Pour in the broth and enough wine to barely cover the beef. Bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot (this is called fond and carries lots of flavor). Cover and place in the oven for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, saute the large-diced onion and quartered mushrooms in 2 Tbs. olive oil until browned and tender, about 8 min. Stir in 2 Tbs. flour. Remove stew from oven, place on a stovetop burner over medium-low heat and stir in the mushroom mixture. Let simmer 30 min. If you'd like a thicker broth, mix 2 Tbs. softened butter with 2 Tbs. flour and stir into the stew; let simmer uncovered 15 min. more.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with a nice baguette to soak up all the wine-y juices.

happy new year!

In the spirit of looking forward to new and wonderful things, here are a couple of items we've got kicking around our kitchen:

Preserved lemons, a recipe adapted from Preserved by Nick Sandler and Johnny Acton. Lemon wedges are packed in kosher salt and lemon juice, along with some black peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves.


Limoncello, adapted from Giada De Laurentiis. It's just lemon peel soaking in a bottle of vodka, and we'll add a sugar syrup later.


Both were made from these Meyer lemons, and both should be ready in about a month.

Here's to a peaceful, fulfilling and delicious new year.

a ray of sunlight

Tonight, after my 90-minute commute, a mildly traumatic trip to CVS and a trek through the rapidly graying snow, i came home to a package from my aunt Julie.


Meyer lemons from her tree in sunny Cali-foh-ni-ah! They just look like Christmas, don't they? What a ray of sunlight on this cold and gloomy day. Meyer lemons are uncommon and expensive on the East Coast, so I've never bought them before. Can't wait to use them all up!

love, and lava cake

Tell me about your family. I don't just mean mom-dad-2 kids-and-a-dog family (which I do have, and how lovely it is). I mean extended family, modern family. The people you choose. The people who choose you.

This is mine.


It was born over six (six!) years ago in a third-floor dorm room in the little town of Amherst, MA.
It's the kind of family where weirdness is accepted. Actually, it's encouraged. (See picture above.)
It's the kind of family that's withstood 3,000-plus-mile distances, boyfriends, breakups, travel, illness, countless job changes...and come out no worse for wear.

If you've got family like this, make them these cakes. Because that's what family's about: love, and lava cake.


Chocolate lava cakes
adapted from Unilever

6 Tbs. butter
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Grease 4 (4-oz.) ramekins.

In medium bowl, microwave butter with chocolate until melted, about 45 seconds. Beat in sugar, flour and salt with wire whisk until blended. Beat in eggs, egg yolks and vanilla. Evenly spoon into prepared ramekins. Refrigerate 1 hour (up to 1 day, covered).

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange ramekins on baking sheet. Bake 13 minutes or until edges are firm but centers are still slightly soft. (DO NOT OVERBAKE or you will ruin everything!) Cool 5 minutes on wire rack.

To serve, carefully run sharp knife around cake edges. Unmold onto serving plates. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Makes 4.

*To bake in a muffin pan, spoon batter into 8 muffin cups and refrigerate as above. When ready to bake, heat oven to 425 degrees F and fill empty muffin cups halfway with water. Bake about 9 minutes. Makes 8.



(Thanks to Heatro for the pics.)

close to magic

Whew! Is it just me, or does time go by faster and faster every year? (Maybe i'm getting old.) It seems we were just vacationing in Cape Cod and eating tomato salad, but judging by the endless stream of Christmas tunes on the radio and the sparkle of twinkle lights all over the city, the holiday season--with its familiar sights and smells and sounds--is fully upon us.


This time of year always makes me think about God, or the absence of God. I haven't yet decided, and maybe never will. One thing i do believe in, and think about a lot during the holidays, is nature--the changing of seasons, the perfect balance of the universe. In these hard times, it can be challenging to stay faithful to anything, whether it's God, nature or whatever higher power you may believe in. I find cooking keeps me sane, or happy, in any case. And nothing restores my faith in nature more than making yeast bread.


Have you tried baking with yeast? A lot of people are intimidated by it, because it seems finicky and demanding (after all, yeast is a living organism). But once you get started, it's really simple to work with, and the results are truly worth it. And it's as close to magic you'll ever get in the kitchen.


These caramelized onion rolls (from the Pioneer Woman again) are easy, delicious and make your home smell like a bakery. You start with a simple, almost-no-knead yeast dough, fold in some chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano) and caramelized onions and garlic, shape into rounds and bake. Delicious!



Caramelized Onion and Oregano Rolls
adapted from the Pioneer Woman

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups warm water
3 tsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. olive oil

3 cups bread flour (I used all-purpose and it turned out fine)
2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly chopped herbs to taste (I used oregano; PW uses rosemary)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Saute sliced onions and minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat until brown and caramelized, about 10 min. Cool.

Pour warm water in a bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top. Add sugar and olive oil, then stir gently with a fork until combined. Set aside.

Combine flour and salt in a separate bowl.

Alternately add flour mixture, onions and herbs to yeast mixture, stirring gently until dough is combined. (It'll be sticky.)

Generously flour a flat surface. Knead dough 15 to 20 times, adding flour generously to make it easier to handle. (Keep it sticky, though!) Drizzle olive oil in a separate bowl and add the ball of dough, turning to coat. Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm spot to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Divide dough into eight portions and form a round from each piece. Place on baking sheet and allow to rise for 20 min. Bake for 20 min. or until brown. About 5 min. before the bread is done, brush with butter and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

c-c-c-cinnamon lips

i have a bad case of nesting syndrome lately. oh, people, is it ever bad. all i want to do is sip peppermint tea, curl up on the couch with a stack of cookbooks and bake complicated, delicious treats. maybe it's the weather.


as anyone who's ever lived with me can attest, i read cookbooks like novels, and one of the newest additions to my ever-growing collection is the pioneer woman cooks by ree drummond. have you read it yet? it's funny, beautifully photographed and filled with the most indulgent recipes you can imagine. (seriously, i've never seen more butter in my life. it's amazing.) anyway, i'll forever be indebted to ms. drummond for this cinnamon bun recipe, which i made on halloween and carried around the city like some pastry-wielding trick-or-treater.

disclaimer: if you're frightened by high-calorie treats...look away.


cinnamon buns
adapted from the pioneer woman cooks

dough:
1 quart whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp. (2 pkgs.) active dry yeast
9 cups all-purpose flour
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 scant tsp. baking soda
1 Tbs. salt

filling:
3 sticks very soft butter
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
a pinch of salt, if using unsalted butter

icing:
1 lb. powdered sugar
3 Tbs. whole milk
4 Tbs. melted butter
3 Tbs. brewed coffee

For the dough, scald the milk, oil and sugar in a large saucepot over medium heat (do not boil). Set aside and cool to lukewarm, about 1 hour.

Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute. Add 8 cups of the flour; stir. (If the dough looks very liquidy, add another cup of flour.) Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a relatively warm place to rise for 1 hour.

Remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining cup of flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. (If not using the dough right away, you can refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the pot.)

To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30x10 inches. To make the filling, pour half the softened butter over the surface of the dough, using your fingers or the back of a spoon to spread the butter evenly. Sprinkle half the cinnamon, sugar and salt (if using) over the butter.

Beginning at the long end farthest from you, roll the rectangle of dough tightly toward you into a log. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together. With a sharp knife, make 1-inch slices. One log will produce about 25 rolls. Arrange the slices in greased 9-inch cake or pie pans. Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough. (I ended up with 8 pans of about 7 rolls each.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Allow the rolls to rise for about 30 minutes before baking. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the icing: In a bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, butter and coffee until smooth. Drizzle generously over the warm rolls. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing, becoming gooier and sweeter.


Yum! This makes a LOT of cinnamon buns, so bring them to all your friends. it's the nice thing to do. and, let's face it, the only way to fit into your jeans tomorrow.