Cheese Danish

A friend asked me if I could make him cheese danish and I told him that I'd give it a whirl.  I wasn't particularly keen on the idea of making a croissant-like dough. Too time consuming.  

I found the original recipe in the NY Times' archives, from December, 2006. I was attracted by its ease and more, that it was adapted from a baker named "Mindel Appel".

It requires no kneading, pounding, turning, counting or any of those pagan dough rituals. You mix it and it rests overnight in the fridge.  Period. 

As I put together the dough last night, the intoxicating aroma of the yeast made me realize how special an ingredient yeast is in the kitchen. 

Trader Joe's doesn't agree.  

When I asked for yeast at their store, there wasn't any. The eager to help and kind man in his Hawaiian shirt reported that yeast is a seasonal item - fourth quarter. I guess they do well with their own confections - especially those cat cookies. There were plenty of cat cookies.

Fairway carries Red Star yeast all year round.

Cheese Danish (Delkelekh)

adapted from The New York Times' adaptation of Mindel Appel's recipe

For the dough:

1 Tbsp. yeast

1/3 cup whole milk

2 large eggs, room temperature

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 cups all purpose flour, measured and then sifted

For the filling:

1 1/2 c. (12oz.) farmer's cheese 

1/3 c. sour cream

1/3 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. vanilla 

1 large egg yolk

finely grated zest of 1 small lemon (use your Microplane!)

For assembly:

Color guard in the back of auditorium, school stands and is ready, play introduction to Grand Old Flag ...segue to recipe...

Flour for dusting work surface

Pastry brush

1 large egg mixed with 1 Tbsp. water (egg wash)

Confectioner's sugar (10X) for dusting (optional, but nice)

Procedure:

(The night before)

1. In microwave, (or stovetop if you're one of those) warm milk to just like warm ... not too hot, or you'll kill the yeast. 

2. Proof the yeast for a few minutes ... make sure it's active and bubbly - by sprinkling it over the warm milk.  Mix it up and add a little sugar if you're in the mood for some action.  In a few minutes, it'll begin to resemble the trailer for The Blob.

3. In bowl of an electric mixer, mix together:  milk/yeast, eggs, butter, sour cream, sugar, salt and flour. Use paddle attachment, scraping down a couple of times. Continue to mix until dough becomes uniform and can be formed into a ball (in the neighborhood of 5 minutes). Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes. Then, put it in the refrigerator overnight.

4. For the filling: In bowl of electric mixer, combine all the 'filling' ingredients and mix well. Transfer to a covered container. (If you make this ahead of time, refrigerate until needed, up to 24 hours. Or, you can make it the next morning, when you're ready to assemble the pastries.)

5. The morning after assembly: Preheat oven to 350º and line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpat. 

Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll dough to 1/8" thickness.  

Cut into approximately 4" squares.  A pizza cutter works well for this. 

Spoon about one Tbsp. of filling into center of each square, spreading just a little, but not to the corners.  

Lift opposite corners of square and press together and then the other two.  Make sure all seams are well sealed. 

(NB:  At this point, you can put the pastries on a tray, and freeze them solid and then wrap them well. When you want to bake them, you have to remove them from the freezer and proof them, on the parchment lined baking sheet, with a piece of waxed paper (I love waxed paper) over them, at room temperature until they are defrosted and look 'ready' to bake again. Then, egg wash them and bake them.) 

6.  Arrange on pastry sheets, about 1 1/2" apart.  

"Seal" them with egg wash, pressing slightly with the pastry brush to cover and further seal the seams.  

(Most will open somewhere, but as long as they don't open everywhere, they'll be fine.) 

7. Bake until golden, 20-30 minutes. Cool and dust with 10X* 

Yield: approx. 24  cheese danish 

These are best eaten the day they are made, but you can wrap them well and freeze them. Defrost and warm them in the oven before serving.  

*10X is confectioner's sugar .. you should know this.

  

My Microplane Zester

The person who introduced me to his Microplane Zester was prissy and a snob, so I sniffed and said, "wow, that thing looks evil".  What I should have said, I didn't, but I did take a closer look at his tool.  

Today, my Microplane Zester arrived in the mail (You can buy it at fancy places like Sur La Table, but it's cheaper online - a friend pointed this out to me and I think I saved a couple of dollars... but if you look at this site below that I link you to, they have SALE items - like 'spring' colored handles who cares? for even less!)

I used it to grate parmesan on the spinach salad (see the recipe below) I was enjoying for the third time this week for dinner.  

The end product is....  Fluffy.  Elongated.  Fine.  Airy. Ethereal.  Fabulous. The texture is so different from the 'same old' grated cheese, that the texture literally has an impact on the dish ... really.  So buy one.  

Here's a link.

I purchased a 'classic' (nuch), but you can choose from a variety of these terminators. Some will grate cheese and some will grate rock salt. And if you hate to cook, buy one to eliminate your calluses.

And they have a pretty nice looking red apron too.

Spinach Salad with Mustard and Anchovy Vinaigrette

Wash and spin dry about a pound of fresh spinach. Keep cold and moist in the fridge until ready to dress and serve.

Dressing:

1/4 cup excellent quality extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. Moutarde à L'Ancienne (or better, Moutarde d'Orléans - which you can order online here. It's pricey, but it's entirely worth it (read about it first and then just trust me - it's a fraction of what Eli charges for it at The Vinegar Factory - you could choke on his prices.)  My friend, Geraldine Dutroncy, a fantastic pianist who lives in a stone house on the Loire taught me about this mustard.  She also taught me about Anik Goutal's perfume, Eau D'Hadrien.  

3 plump Anchovy Fillets (the flat ones in oil - I used jarred)

1 Tbsp. White Balsamic Vinegar

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Parmigiano Reggiano (the really good, aged one)

Mash the anchovies in a mortar and pestle and whisk together with ingredients. Alternatively, use a food processor (a little one), or work very hard with the back of a fork.  I originally tried using an immersion blender and I ruined one of my favorite sweatshirts. Really, the best thing to do is to buy a mortar and pestle.  They're great looking and they won't ruin your clothes.  Here's a set of three porcelain mortar and pestles for $12.00. One reviewer says she used the smallest one to grind dog pills.  If nobody thanks me for this lead, I'll be astonished. 

Chill overnight for the best taste.

Spoon over chilled, washed spinach leaves and toss.  Microplane a generous quantity of Parmigiano over the dressed spinach and toss.  Grind some fresh pepper.

Some additions:

homemade croutons

shaved hard boiled egg

toss in some toasted pignolis 

mushrooms

paper-thin red onions and some orange zest

combinations of these

Eggplant and Mushroom Stew

Eggplant and Mushroom Stew

MASTER RECIPE

This evening, my apartment has a heady aroma of Sicilian olive oil, garlic, eggplant, mushrooms, thyme, bay leaf and San Marzano tomatoes.  

I'll post this recipe officially, when the farmer's market is in full swing, and the vendors are selling mushrooms, fresh herbs, and later in the summer, tomatoes. 

But here's this evening's primal scream version (using canned San Marzanos). Ingredient amounts are accurate, but not to the digital degree.  

This (like lots of other stuff) gets better the next day.

Serving Suggestions:

Chop lots of fresh parsley for good taste and beautiful color.

It's great hot or cold.  

It makes a fabulous filling for an omelet.

Great as a 'small plate' or a side dish. 

Something to lay a nice piece of fish upon.

Please email me or post a comment if you make it.  I'm already thinking about throwing fresh corn in when it peaks in the late summer.

Master Recipe

Eggplant and Mushroom (Aubershroom) Stew

Ingredients:

1 lb. baby eggplant (or 1 lb. eggplant), cut into 1" cubes (with skin on)

10 oz. baby bella mushrooms, stems removed, whole if they're small or halved if large

8 oz. shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced into 1/2" slices

2 med. cloves garlic, smashed (left whole)

1 large imported bay leaf

1 tsp fresh thyme

1/2 cup coarsely chopped, San Marzano plum tomatoes - add juice as needed

1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley 

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional:  2 dozen pearl onions (blanched/peeled) or a small red or 'sweet' onion cut into chunks (n.b. - I can't eat onions even though I adore them - so, add them if you can or wish to. But, this tastes very delicious without them...sour grapes)

Procedure:

Heat good quality olive oil in heavy saucepan (I used enameled cast iron), large enough to just hold these ingredients - 1 1/2-2 qts. - with the crushed garlic in the olive oil.

Let the garlic cook in the oil, releasing its own oil, but don't let it get brown.   (If you're using onions, now is the time to add them and cook them until they're translucent).

Add the eggplant and brown (really 'tan') it over medium heat.

Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to lose some water. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring and cooking over medium heat until the stew begins to reduce.  If it seems too dry, add some juice from the tomatoes - or add more tomatoes.

Turn flame very low and cook, covered, until desired consistency, an hour or more.

peace and love,

jane

Glazed Lemon Cookies

For those of you who love glazed lemon cookies (Palline di Limone), the ultimate Italian comfort cookie, here's my recipe.  I've dedicated it to my son, Jonah, who adores these cookies and when he's in New York, he travels to DeLillo's, his favorite Italian pastry shop in the Bronx, to buy a bag of their lemon cookies (if there aren't any in my cookie jar.)

Glazed Lemon Cookies

Dedicated to Jonah Rosenberg

Yield approx. 5 dozen

Ingredients:

4 c. all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. bp

½ tsp. kosher salt

4 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ c. sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp. lemon extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

¼ c. whole milk, room temperature 

For the icing:

1 1/2 c. 10X (confectioner's) sugar

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (more or less to desired consistency)

Procedure:

Combine flour, bp and salt  and set aside.

In large bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed until light, fluffy and well incorporated.  Towards the end of this process, add the extracts and the zest.

Lower the speed and stir in half the flour mixture until just incorporated, then the milk, then the remainder of the flour mixture.  Stir until thoroughly incorporated , but do not overmix.

Press a piece of plastic wrap down to cover the batter and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350º

Scoop 1” balls of dough and place them on parchment or silpat lined cookie sheets.  Don’t handle them too much or ‘pack’ them too tightly, or they’ll become dense and leaden.  Less is more (again and again.)  Place 2” apart on sheets and bake for 12-13 minutes, until puffed but not browned.  The bottoms will be slightly browned.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Make the icing:  Whisk the lemon juice into the confectioner’s sugar.

While cookies are still slightly warm, dip the domes into the icing and return to the racks to dry and cool.  

These keep quite well (if they stick around long enough.)  They freeze well too.

 

EGG

Try Egg on North 5th, between Berry and Bedford in W'burg for perfectly cooked eggs (Grafton cheddar omelet), grits cooked with butter and cream, biscuits and gravy (the biscuits are perfectly crafted), hash browns that are what tater tots ought to be and if you stick around until noon, you can try their fried chicken - which is what I'm going to do next.  I was supposed to share my biscuits and gravy with my son half way, but I refused. Cash only.  VERY reasonable! (Entrees are about $8.00) Coffee arrives in a Bodum coffee press, but the waiter doesn't tell you if it's ready to plunge, if you have to wait 4 minutes or one minute.  When I asked her, she smiled and said to wait about a minute.  My kids got angry at me for asking.  My kids get angry at me for asking waiters questions like this.  They feel it is inappropriate and I feel it is not inappropriate for a server to give you information such as this. Au contraire, mes petits choux, it is precisely what they're supposed to do.

s'all

Lobster Meatballs at Ed's Lobster Bar

Just found this in my mailbox from Urban Daddy.  Anyone for lobster meatballs Wednesday night?

Lobster Meatballs at Ed's Lobster Bar

You love lobsters. You love meatballs. But never in your wildest dreams did you think of co-mingling the two delicacies. Luckily, the folks at Ed's Lobster Bar are of more imaginative stock, swapping out the usual beef for the crustacean, stewing it in marinara and serving it all over linguini—which happens to be your third favorite thing.

411:	Every Wednesday, Ed's, 222 Lafayette St (S. of Spring), 212-343-3236

Opening Day at the Rhubarb Patch

Rhubarb Art

Tomorrow is opening day for baseball, and I'm batting some more out of the park from my own rhubarb patch. Here are a couple of savory rhubarb recipes. Both are adapted from Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America, winner of both the James Beard award and the IACP Julia Child Cookbook of the Year Award in 1994. Joan is alive and well, thanks to the brilliant chef and Heimlich maneuverer, Tom Colicchio, who saved her life at a foodie star-studded fund raiser thrown by Nathan. Colicchio happened to be nearby when Alice Waters shouted, "Does anyone know the Heimlich maneuver?" Colicchio dislodged the chunk of chicken with a good zetz.

Joan autographed my copy of Jewish Cooking in America:

"To Jane, Eat Well and Be Happy! Joan Nathan"

At her book signings, Joan now inscribes:

"Eat Well, Be Happy and Be Careful!"

Fish in Rhubarb Sauce

Pescado con Ruibarbo (Turkish recipe)

Adapted from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America

Ingredients that are available at the Long Beach Farmer's Market (open every Wednesday on Kennedy Plaza, all day, from 10-6) have an asterisk "*" placed after them.

Ingredients:

1# rhubarb* (choose firm, thin - if available - stalks)

3 c. water

½ c. tomato sauce

2 Tbsp. sugar (more or less to taste)

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ c. olive oil

2 # fish fillets or steaks*

see traif note below

Procedure:

Wash the rhubarb and cut into 1” cubes.

Place in large saucepan or sauté pan that is large enough to accommodate the fish. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and cook, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft. (It will

become mushy.)

Add the tomato sauce (I use Del Monte), sugar, salt, pepper and olive oil. Cook over low heat for five minutes. Adjust seasoning.

Add fish and cook gently until fish is no longer raw looking. Don’t over cook the fish, or it will become tough, chewy and the reason why everyone hates fish.

Taste and adjust seasoning again, if necessary. Add water if the sauce is too thick.

Serve hot or cold!

(Traif note: Scallops, squid, shrimp and lobster would be fantastic, but Joan couldn’t have written that … traif.)

Spinach-Rhubarb Soup

(Cold ... and that ain't borscht)

adapted from Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America

This is a vegetarian soup that, according to Joan Nathan, dates to early twentieth Jewish cookbooks throughout the United States. Why doesn’t that sound like it’s that long ago? Its origins are Poland, and it was adapted from the borscht that began as sorrel or sorrel-rhubarb soup. It’s refreshing. The nutrional value has to be fabulous.

You can omit the egg, if the texture seems 'wrong' ... you have to be of sound mind and body to accept the egg. It's great without it too. But be sure to serve this with the yogurt (Greek only) or sour cream. a boiled potato wouldn't hurt.

Look for the asterisked ingredients at the Long Beach Farmer's Market, open every Wednesday from 10-6 on Kennedy Plaza. The rhubarb won't be around long, so make this during the spring .. in May.

Ingredients:

¾ pound rhubarb*, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces

11 oz. spinach* or sorrel*, well rinsed,10 oz. + 1 oz. reserved for final cooking stage)

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

4 cups water

1 large egg* at room temperature

For garnish (one, any combination or all):

½ c. sour cream or Greek yogurt

2 chopped scallions*

1 peeled, seeded and diced cucumber* or 2 diced Kirby cucumbers*

4 sliced radishes*

Procedure:

Simmer the rhubarb, covered, with water, until tender. Drain.

Place 10 oz. of the spinach or sorrel, the cooked and drained rhubarb, salt and the water in a pot (not aluminum.)

Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 oz. of spinach or sorrel and cook until just wilted and the color of this new addition remains bright green.

Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cool for a few minutes.

Beat the egg, and fold it in.

Refrigerate several hours and serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and any of the vegetables.

A good accompaniment would be Bread Alone’s* Organic Sourdough Rye with Caraway Seeds available at the Kennedy Plaza Farmer’s Market.

The Rhubarb Patch

Ebbets Field

"THE RHUBARB PATCH"

(When Schaefer was the "one beer to have" and baseball uniforms had style)

Rhubarb Muffins

April is rhubarb season. Buy it now because it won't be around very long. Select thin and firm stalks. And beware: rhubarb leaves are POISONOUS. So use stalks ONLY.

Jane's Trucs - you may know these things, but writing these things makes me feel like I'm sharing good information and it keeps me off jdate where I also share good information, but with the wrong people.

At the bottom of this post, after the recipe, are some fun trivial facts about rhubarb.

Liquids should be at room temperature. Cold can 'shock' the rise, and heat can prematurely begin the chemical process.

Make sure your baking powder is fresh - even if the expiration date hasn't been met, change it if it's been open for a few months. It matters. Rumford has no aluminum. And it has cool packaging.

The best (really the best) vanilla can be purchased online or on the telephone or if you want to go to West Stockbridge at Baldwin's (I won't use any other brand.) It has cool packaging too, but that's not why I use it. Did I say it's really the best? And here's a funny flashback... if you go to their site and click on 'here's what our customers say', the first comment is from Jane Rosenberg, Rego Park, NY. That's OLD!!! That was my married name in 1982, 26 years ago.

Flour. There are several very good brands. For white flour, Heckers or Gold Medal, unbleached, are fine choices. Fresh is always the operative word. King Arthur makes great whole wheat flour and great bread flour. You can buy it online. Local supermarkets are carrying King Arthur now and Whole Foods and Fairway, both, carry King Arthur. A fantastic resource for flours, grains, gluten-free products, pancake and waffle mixes, cake and muffin mixes and more is Bob's Red Mill. Here's a movie to watch: Bob and Charlie Moore spill their beans. Their online pricing is competitive. Fairway has a ginormous selection of their products.

Rhubarb Muffins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 14 regular muffin cups or 48 mini muffin cups, or use paper liners

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. finely diced fresh rhubarb- approx. 6 oz.

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 large egg

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. red currant jelly

1 c. whole milk

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Sugar for tops of muffins (optional)

Procedure:

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, b.p., salt, cinnamon and ginger and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar and currant jelly until smooth (jelly won't completely dissolve.) Whisk in milk, and vanilla and then butter. Stir in diced rhubarb.

Pour over dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix, just until dry ingredients are moistened. (This is ALWAYS the case .. otherwise your finished product will be like a Spalding making a mess 'o GLUTEN and you didn't even know you were trying.) Less is more. Same for jewelry, makeup and dress size.

Scoop into prepared muffin cups (A commercial ice cream scoop works well. Mine is size 'yellow.')

Sprinkle generously with sugar (you don't have to, but doesn't it look great?) before baking

for approximately 25 minutes, or until muffins spring back to the touch, a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean, and the tops are nicely browned.

Cool before serving. If you don't eat these the day they're made, freeze them and then take them directly from the oven and heat them at 325 degrees.

Try them with strawberry butter!

******************************************************************************************************************

CLAP for rhubarb!!!!

The Guangzong emperor (1620-1621) is miraculously cured from some severe illness he got after having had a joyful time with four "beautiful women" sent to him by a high official, cured with rhubarb, naturally.

Red Barber wrote a book, The Rhubarb Patch: The Story of the Modern Brooklyn Dodgers There are two copies available and they begin at $82.50. Ebbets Field was referred to as "the rhubarb patch." I wonder if my Grandpa Julie loved rhubarb as much as he loved the Dodgers.

It is or was common for a crowd of extras in acting to shout the word "rhubarb" repeatedly and in an unsynchronised manner, to cause the effect of general hubbub. As a result, the word "rhubarb" sometimes is used to mean "length of superfluous text in speaking or writing", or a general term to refer to irrelevant chatter by chorus or extra actors.

As Louis Armstrong wrote:

S'all.....

Look for Rhubarb and Spinach/Sorrel Soup in the next few days

peace and love,

Jane