no-knead bread

i love homemade bread, and i love it even more when i can cut corners and be lazy about it. you may remember my last bread adventure.

this “no knead” technique comes from macheesmo.

no-knead might sound great, but i should warn you now – before you run out to buy flour and yeast – that it takes 20 hours before you even put the bread in the oven. no so, you’re not having homemade bread for dinner tonight. maybe tomorrow. if you time it right.

the recipe calls for 4 cups of flour to make one  large loaf or two small. i used 3 cups of that nasty “white whole wheat” flour  from tj’s that has been screwing up my recipes recently (i was dying to use it up!) and one cup of unbleached all purpose white.

there it is. the good stuff.

to the flour, add 1/3 teaspoon dry yeast and 1 2/3 teaspoons salt. i also added  1/2 teaspoon sugar to feed the yeastie beasties and help them grow. this is pretty standard in recipes calling for yeast, so i felt comfortable making that change. mix well.

next, add 2 1/6 cups water and mix with your hands.

i wish i could have taken pics to show you what it looked like while i was mixing, but i was home alone and as you can imagine, the hands were a mess.

mix only until all the flour is wet. overmixing is always bad.

then cover with a clean towel and place the dough somewhere it can sit for 18 hours.

i chose the oven because it seemed safe.

but just to make sure, i left a nasty note taped over the knob.

that was 3pm on saturday.

at 9-something on sunday morning, i took the dough out of the oven. look how big it got!

it is very sticky, so turn it out on to a well-floured surface and add as much flour as you need to work it into a manageable ball. then i cut it in half, because this recipe makes two loaves.

i decided to get creative and make a sweet loaf and a savory loaf. rifting off my stollen recipe, i shaped the first chunk of dough into a rectangle, then sprinkled it with a couple tablespoons of a cinnamon-sugar mixture and a small handful of raisins.

then i rolled/folded it into a ball.

for the rosemary loaf, i worked in about two tablespoons of dried rosemary as i shaped it into the same sort of ball.

back into the oven to rise for another 2 hours.

not quite doubled in size… but definitely bigger.

at this point, the original recipe says that if you have a pizza stone, you should use it. well, i don’t, but i did preheat both pans to approximate the pizza stone. the super hot heat right away helps make a great crust.

other tips for great bread:

1. flip the loaves over when you put them on their baking sheet so the steam can escape (according to  macheesmo).
2. when you put the bread in the oven, also include an oven safe dish (like a cast-iron pan) with some water in it to make a nice steamy atmosphere for the bread – helps with crust (according to my mom).
3. sprinkle the baking sheet with a little cornmeal and brush the savory loaf with olive oil to also help create the best crust.
4. bread is done when it’s nice and browned on the top and has a satisfying hollow sound when you flip it over and thump the bottom.

i was totally impressed with the results of this recipe. what a perfect loaf!

and look at that cinnamon-raisin swirl!

vace’s-style pizza

his favorite pizza in the whole city (and maybe the whole world…?) is vace’s.

it’s not fancy, and it’s not gourmet, but it really is delicious and he can’t get enough. so, i decided to try to duplicate it at home with vace’s-bought tomato sauce and trader joe’s crust.

besides just being all around tasty, the defining characteristic of vace’s pizza is that the cheese is under the sauce. crazy, right? well don’t knock it ’til you try it.

so, we started by rolling out a whole wheat crust and covering it with a thick layer of cheese – thicker than you’d usually use.

bake at 450 degrees (to better approximate a brick oven) for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts into one layer.

take out and cover with a layer of sauce

(and anchovies and garlic if you’re us)

then turn the temperature down to 425 and replace the pizza in the oven until the crust is done baking, about 20-25 minutes. (if the outside crust is getting too brown before the bottom crust cooks, tent the pizza with some foil.)

cons: the cheese doesn’t get brown and crispy.

pros: the sauce dehydrates and intensifies in flavor. the cheese stays extra gooey.

gnocchi

what a happy coincidence that the day after i got a butternut squash in the box (much like an acorn squash, i have no idea what to do with a butternut squash), i came across this butternut squash gnocchi and white wine butter sauce recipe. with a few changes and adaptations, the end result was a truly decadent and delicious dinner.

(seen here with a mushroom sauce and side salad with balsamic vinaigrette)

you start the recipe by roasting your peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash. the recipe called for “one squash,” and i decided that mine was an extra small,

so i added a chopped potato, too, (if you’re making this recipe, you need about four cups of cubed vegetable total) and about five cloves of garlic because… well, why the heck not?

salt and a drizzle of olive oil before throwing into the oven for about 35 minutes or until very tender. the recipe called for 1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg, too, but i used 1/2 a teaspoon of dried rosemary instead.

when the squash comes out of the oven, toss it in a food processor (or mini-chopper!) and blend until very smooth.

while i generally like chunky textures, in the case of gnocchi, smoother is better!

to your mash, add two cups of flour (i used one of white and one of whole wheat), grated parmesan (recipe called for one cup, but it was so salty and the mash was already salty… i used 1/2 a cup) and two egg yolks (yolks only! separate them over another bowl in case you make a mistake, and beat them a little, too, before adding).

it doesn’t look like much yet, but as you mix, you’ll see the dough come together.

turn it out on a floured surface, and with floured hands, kneed the dough a little, adding more flour if it gets too sticky. try not to over-work the dough (or handle it more than necessary) because i assume that would make your gnocchi tough.

now you want to break off chunks and roll them into one-inch logs.

with a floured knife, cut the log in about half-inch pieces. then with lightly floured hands, i shaped the gnocchi a little more. traditionally this is rustic dish, though, so don’t worry about being perfect.

the ones i didn’t gobble up for dinner immediately, i froze on a baking sheet, then packed in a freezer bag. the recipe promised they’d keep frozen for three months. i don’t think i’ll wait that long!

to cook gnocchi, toss them into boiling water. they’re done when they float to the surface, about 2 minutes depending on size and number in the pot.

because of the very deep, complex flavor of these gnocchi, i liked the suggestion of a simple butter and wine sauce.

i melted about a tablespoon of butter in a pan and added a splash of white wine.

when the gnocchi were done, i added them to the sauce and made sure they were well coated!

although it is a little time-consuming, this is a simple recipe that i will definitely try again. now that i know the proportions, i can make all different kinds of flavors – pumpkin, spinach, carrot? and what about a sweet gnocchi…

seeding tomatoes

okay, this is going to sound really obvious and simplistic, but seeding your tomatoes before using them eliminates some common tomato side effects.

as you probably know, tomato seeds can be a little bitter. plus, they make for an odd texture in blended tomato soups.

also, if you’ve ever added tomato to a salad or salsa and it’s added a level of gooeyness and liquid that you didn’t appreciate, seeding is your answer.

begin by cutting your tomato in quarters or eighths, depending on how big it is.

then, over a bowl or the sink, stick your thumb into the slice to slide out all the seeds and their mucus. (mucus! eew!)

what you’re left with is just the dry, tasty flesh. cube, if necessary for your recipe.

red cabbage slaw (in a pillow case)

in a small kitchen, i don’t have enough room for tons of gadgets. (i’ve also not had a bridal shower or a wedding, so i’m at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to kitchen gadgets. although i do have a kitchen aid mixer. so there.) without tons of gadgets, though, sometimes you have to be resourceful.

for example, i don’t have a salad spinner. (you know – to get your leafy vegetables dry after you wash them. there’s nothing worse than a wet salad, am i right?)

besides drying lettuce, a salad spinner would be helpful when making cabbage slaw. for the best slaw, slice your cabbage, put it in a strainer, salt it HEAVILY and let it sit for about an hour to drain. i know this sounds annoying and goes against one of our main principles here at icf (quick), but believe me, it’s an important step for crispy, flavorful slaw.

then you want to rinse the salt off and make sure your cabbage is very dry before dressing it. this is where a salad spinner would definitely come in handy, but you can always substitute a clean cotton pillow case.

yes, that’s right. a clean cotton pillow case.

fill it with your cabbage (or lettuce, etc), go out on your balcony, or your back porch, or… your bathroom, i guess? and whip that pillow case around and around until all the liquid flies out or gets absorbed by the cotton.

now you’re ready to dress the slaw. i used black and white sesame seeds (don’t forget to ALWAYS toast your sesame seeds before you use them for best flavor. put in a dry frying pan and watch them closely!)

plus salt, pepper and seasoned rice wine vinegar.

or you can use a classic mayo dressing. but at least you started with dry, crispy cabbage!

serve with the best steaks ever.

no-cook pasta sauce

this technique was born from a tip i read in my favorite cooking magazine. (for those of you not down with the twitter, it’s called cook’s country and it’s the bomb. why? because it is so incredibly informative in so many ways.)

every month they share reader tips. one woman wrote in that she liked onions with her pasta, but wanted to eliminate their bite and sharpness (her words). so, she put chopped onions in the bottom of a pasta strainer and when she poured the hot pasta/water through the strainer, it “cooked” the onions just enough.

eureka! i thought, why not use that same technique with all the ingredients of your sauce?

first, i seeded and finely chopped my tomatoes (i was using very small pasta and i like to keep things proportionate) and let them drain a little to get out excess water. you don’t want soupy pasta sauce, now do you?

to a larger pasta strainer, i added finely chopped red onion…

…the tomatoes and some baby spinach.

in my serving bowl, i put in a healthy handful of feta.

all this got done in the time it took me to boil water and cook pasta (and take pictures), so rachael ray, eat your heart out!

when the pasta was done, i poured it over the to-be sauce in the strainer. (steamy!)

make sure to shake out the water VERY well. some might get stuck in the veggies. but don’t wait too long because you want everything still very hot when you pour it over your feta and mix well.

doesn’t that look bright and colorful and amazing??

i’m sure you could use other ingredients than what i used, but make sure they’re very fresh and don’t use anything you wouldn’t eat raw anyway because the cooking is so minimal. (off the top of my head, i’d say yes to finely chopped bell peppers, but probably no to mushrooms, for example.)

but, i think, this technique is well worth the minor effort it takes to enhance both the texture and flavor of your “sauce.”

blanching green beans

today we are blanching here at icf. get your mind out of the gutter. blanched, as far as i’m concerned, is the only and best way to eat green beans. and since they are everywhere at this time of year, what better to do than blanch up a pound or two?

blanching keeps green beans crisp, bright green and flavorful and makes them perfect for salads or just plain munching.

so let’s get down to business. you’ll need a pile of green beans, trimmed. (this means cutting off the icky dry ends. some people trim off both ends, but if it’s fresh and pretty-looking, i usually leave on the end with the skinny little tail. that’s opposite from the end that was attached to the plant. don’t ask, i get it from my mother.)

(isn’t our cutting board pretty?!) and you’ll need a bowl of ice water (with ice cubes floating in it, please) and a pot of boiling salted water.

throw the beans in for literally 2 minutes. or 1 and a half. too long and they get mushy. ew. then immediately plunge them into the ice water. this step is what seals in the crisp, the green and the yum.

today i’m serving my blanched green beans with a sliced tomato, some canned tuna, broccoli and a couple of new potatoes on a bed of spinach with feta for a salade pseudo-coise. if only i had a hard boiled egg around the joint.

why would you ever buy your lunch?!

garlic paste

i don’t know if its her new favorite technique or if i’ve just caught a lot of garlicky recipes recently, but it seems like i can’t turn on the FN these days without rachael ray making garlic paste.

since i am (and he-for-whom-i-often-cook is) a glutton for garlic, making paste struck me as the perfect way to get more deliciousness into our food.

ms ray suggests you paste your garlic anytime you want to add raw garlic to a recipe, but eliminate the possibility of someone biting down on a piece, supposedly ruining their meal. (i’m not sure biting down on a piece of garlic qualifies as a “meal ruiner” in my house, but that’s beside the point.)

so let’s see. first, as directed, i minced three rather large cloves of garlic.

then ms ray wanted me to add about a teaspoon of coarse salt – i used kosher – although at this moment i realized i didn’t know how much garlic i was supposed to start with, so maybe my proportions were off…

then i was supposed to use the side of my knife to grind the salt and garlic together, making a paste. (“side of my knife”? what?)

i tried. but can report it did not work.

so then i tried the back of a spoon.

it still didn’t work. (see? still chunky! not paste-y!) maybe i didn’t mash long enough? but seriously, i don’t have whole commercial breaks to work on my garlic. i’m hungry!

needless to say, i’m not one to let anything – never mind garlic – go to waste, so i gave up and mixed my non-paste with a little extra oil and pepper, spread it on top of a raw pizza crust and tossed it into the oven. (oh man, the smell!)

borrowing a recipe from one of my favorite places, 2Amys, i topped the cooked crust with raw spinach and parm and enjoyed my dinner, paste or no paste.

sorry, rachael.