Next experiment: Chinese New Year Cake / Mochi Cake

http://www.tinyurbankitchen.com/2010/02/red-bean-mochi-loaf.html

New year, new pizza?

I decided on a whim to try a new pizza dough recipe...I know, crazy considering I've used the other one what seems like ever now...

This is the Smitten Kitchen recipe for pizza dough...we'll see how it goes...
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/pizza-and-the-limits-of-diy/

Cornbread

Background: I've tried many cornbread recipes and hadn't come across a favorite.  My office friend swears by the following recipe:

Combine in bowl:

1 c. flour

1 c. yellow corn meal

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

In another bowl, cream:

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. butter

2 eggs

1 c. sour cream

Add dry ingredients to wet, mix lightly but completely

Pour into 8x8 well-greased pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Can be easily doubled.


I followed the recipe, with the exception that I used plain greek yogurt in lieu of the sour cream.


Results: Absolutely delicious--this one is definitely a keeper!  I may tweak it a bit in the future and lower the sugar content, but this is definitely my fave recipe to date...

Sesame Lace Cookies

Background:
In case you were wondering what was being stuck into the Pumpkin Flan, it's a Black Sesame Lace Cookie from the Flour cookbook (Joanne Chang) that was baked in a pan and broken into pieces..
I made baked the rest of my dough tonight.  Here's the cookie on it's own.  When she says they spread like crazy, they really do spread like crazy.  Don't skimp on giving each cookie it's 3 inches of personal space to expand and grow.  My mother said the taste reminds her of one of the sesame candies they had during Chinese New Year back in the day, and they fried the sesames.  Different delivery and presentation...same crunch.

Recipe based on what I did...since as always, the Flour recipe is based on using a stand mixer and it's shocking enough that I no longer use chopsticks or a fork to mix my ingredients. [Many thanks again to Ginny and Ann-Marie for their gift of a whisk during grad school].

Methods: 

7 tablespoons butter at room temp

1/2 cup granulated sugar (I like Florida's)

7 tablespoons packed light brown sugar [Side note: there really is a difference between light and dark brown sugar... I made my fail-proof Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies with light instead of dark, and they just didn't taste the same.  Trader Joes, as much as I love TJ, doesn't specify if its brown sugar is dark or light, and seems to be a hybrid...not a fan)

1/3 c grapefruit juice not from concentrate (Original recipe calls for freshly squeezed orange juice from 1.5 oranges)

3 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Cream butter on its own until it's fluffy.

Add both sugars until combined.  

Slowly drizzle in grapefruit juice--per book recipe, even with a mixer, the mixture will look broken.

Mix in seame seeds.

Transfer batter to airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to a week.  

When ready to bake, heat oven to 350. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Per Joanne Chang "This batter spreads like crazy, so you have to use an extremely flat baking sheet in order for the cookies to bake in circles and not amoeba-like shapes."  

Per me: DON'T SKIMP ON PARCHMENT PAPER.  The batter will stick to your pan, dry on, then you have to reheat/melt the mixture to scrape it off.  Disaster.  What works a lot better is if you have small sheets of parchment paper that are lined side by side.  (When it's time to take the cookies off, you can pick up the smaller piece of parchment, turn it upside down onto the cooling rack, and gently lift the paper off the cookie...much lower risk for breakage).

Pinch off rounded tablespoon-size balls of dough and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.

Bake for 16-18 minutes or until cookies are completely golden brown.

Cool completely

Gently remove the cookies from parchment. (See note above)

Cookies can be stored in layers separated by wax or parchment paper in airtight container at room temp for 3 days.

More from Sabrina's the next morning http://sabrinascafe.com/ ...farmacia wasn't open on Fridays and my visitors were here only briefly...

Thanksgiving

Background: It's nice to have lots and lots of folks around for a large Thanksgiving feast. But sometimes, when there's a fractured toe involved that makes grocery procurement difficult, it's nice to do a more intimate and small scale dinner.    The items that finally made the cut this year:

Apps:

Shrimp cocktail with cilantro chutney aioli

Cranberry pecan sourdough bread with rosemary butter 

Cornbread with chipotle apricot preserves

(Had tried making an artichoke soup but was a failure so I didn't serve it...)

Sides:

Garlic and scallion roasted asparagus

Modern Esquites--chili lime corn with queso fresco (which of course, I forgot to put out...)

Chestnut and leek cornbread stuffing (used Trader Joe's cornbread stuffing mix for this part...would use it again, but not use the season packet...and/or would cut it down)

Mashed potatoes (http://theoceanwaves.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-method-of-mashed-potatoesintrigued.html)

Truffled mashed potatoes

Main:

Slow roasted salmon with tarragon, thyme, and cumin grapefruit sauce

Dessert:

Pumpkin flan (would make again)  http://theoceanwaves.blogspot.com/2011/11/next-up-pumpkin-caramel-flan.html

French apple tart (would not make filling again) http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Apple-Tart-363307

Pie crust from Moosewood (would make again)

other potential Thanksgiving items to try some other time

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/steamed-red-snapper-with-mushrooms-and-ginger
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/asparagus-and-grilled-shiitake-with-soy-vinaigrette
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/molten-chocolate-cakes-vongerichten
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/tangy-tomato-and-mango-salad