a recipe so good, you just may have to laminate it...

I've always been a pretty big fan of puff pastry (well-made, all-butter puff pastry).  It's a very versatile dough to have around, it freezes exceptionally well, and there is no proofing involved, so you can pretty much just prepare it however you like, and when you are ready to bake, it is also.  However, the problem(s) with puff pastry, are finding one that actually tastes what puff pastry is meant to taste like (hard to find here in the midwest), and if you actually manage to accomplish that, not spending a ridiculous amount on it.  the mainstream brand you will probably come across most often is pepperidge farm, and I'm sorry to say that it not only sucks, but uses a lot of margarine, not butter.

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching PBS, and stumbled across an episode of julia (please, please, please, click here and watch this!), where Michel Richard and she were making puff pastry. the old school way. all butter. all the time. it was a revelation. it seemed so easy, it was exactly what I had been looking for. so, in true latestDish fashion, here we go (I could jut assume you all watched that video link, but just in case...)

After you have combined your flour and salt with the water (in your food processor) and made a rough dough (the dough ball will clean the sides of your processor), knead it a few times (on a floured surface), and slash the top like this so the dough will be easier to roll out and work with.

cover it with a damp kitchen towel and move on to making your butter block. lay a large piece of plastic wrap down on your work surface and line up the sticks of butter(straight out of the fridge, very cold) so they are close together.  make sure that your plastic piece is big enough, the butter is going to spread out quite a bit. And please, people, use real butter.  don't even try to use margarine or anything of the sort. butter is real. real is good for you, in moderation.

Had a rough day? Stressed out? well, lucky you! this is the part where you get to smash the butter together with a blunt object (hooray!). all joking aside, you really have to lay in to this stuff.  don't be afraid to commit and connect here. picture your arch nemesis, or the DMV, or the cable company. Whatever foe you choose, just remember to follow through, don't want any damaged countertops here. you want to end up with a uniform rectangle here, like below. you shouldn't be able to see any gaps in the lineup where the butter was touching.

now, roll out your dough into a sort of rounded square shape.  this dough is great because it has fairly low gluten formation, and rolls out like a champ.  really fun stuff to work with.  you can see that I left it thicker in the middle, because that is where my butter will rest, and the edges of the dough will be folded over the butter, making it thicker on the edges. It also sort of acts as a little insurance so that the dough won't rip in that area.

lay your butter in the middle of the dough and then fold the edges over the butter completely sealing the butter square and leaving you with a uniform rectangle.

flour your work surface and the dough again, and roll out into a long, vertical rectangle, like below.  I don't have an exact measurement for you guys here, but I would say that it is prob close to 24 inches or so ( basically the width of my counter top). once that is done, use a pastry brush to brush off excess flour, and fold like a business letter. (this process is known as lamination.  it is used in several doughs and that is what gives us all the buttery, flaky, layers of goodness.  We do this at work with the croissant doughs also).  We are going to do this a total of 6 times.

bring the bottom third up to the middle

and then fold the top down to meet the edge of the bottom third

you should have a nice square at this point.  even if it is a bit wonky, you can use a pastry knife or your hand or whatever to kind of square it back up (it just makes for easier rolling as you go). Rotate the dough so that the seam is running vertically, and repeat this process one more time, and then wrap in a damp towel, and set in the fridge for 30 min to harden the butter. (this step is crucial! do not skip it, or your dough will not turn out.) After the 30 minutes are up, roll out and fold again two more times and then back in the fridge for another 30 minutes. then, after those 30 minutes have passed, repeat the two turns one more time.  It sounds like a lot of work but trust me, it's not.  it takes maybe 4 minutes to do each two turn process.  do some house work during the fridge rests or exercise, or whatever.  It's basically like making a soup or stew or something that you occasionally have to check on and should be no reason to deter you from trying this excellent recipe.

this is just a pic of me brushing off the extra flour, to enable maximum rollage.

this is my dough after the second rest and fold process.  I still have one more fridge rest to go and two more turns (or folds, if you prefer) to make but I made indentions to show how many times I had rolled out and folded it up to this point.

this is a just a shot to show how much this dough puffs up after baking.  It was probably rolled out a little thicker than a pie crust would be.

this is a shot of the inside of that same trial piece.  I can only tell you that it is the most flaky, buttery, piece of goodness that you will ever eat.

  

                                      

I wanted to make a sweet treat with some of the dough, so I decided to try my hand at making palmiers.  I wasn't sure how to make them so I just did a quick search and this is the first thing that came up. Might not be the best video, but I did like the technique of brushing the pastry with water and then dipping it in sugar. made a nice caramel crunch.

this is another pic of an apple tart that I made at thanksgiving with the same dough. ridiculously easy.  It was from a martha stewart recipe.  

Basically, the whole point of this post is to encourage you guys to make this dough. Yeah, it seems like it is a little daunting at first, but just break it down step by step and it is not bad at all.  really easy actually.  It's really nice to have something in your kitchen repertoire that can be used for everything from a crust for a tart to a flaky little dessert. Being a good cook is all about versatility, and I can't think of many things that could be more versatile than this. give this process a try and I promise that you will never go back to the mass produced versions.

Puff pastry dough (ala Michel Richard) (once again, it would be in your best interest to watch the video link above!)

1 pound pastry flour (however, I took julia's advice and used 4 oz. cake flour, 12 oz. All Purpose Flour, because that is what I had on hand)

1.5 tsps salt

1.25 cups water.

combine all this in food processor and pulse to make a rough, dough ball.

you will also need 1 pound butter.

for steps and process, follow the pics and directions above.

Good Luck! and happy holidays, hope you make this dough and enjoy it as much as I have:)

DISH recommends: Video.pbs.org.  I love pbs.  I recently got the pbs app for ipad and it is so cool.  it downloads all the shows from the week and you can sort through and pick whatever you want to watch. i don't have cable so its a really cool way for mames and I to get our pbs on. however, this website is pretty cool too. I wasn't sure I'd be able to locate that video of Michel and Julia, but a quick search led me to this site.  looks like the same deal (lots of julia vids here).  check it.

Eating Haman's Hat

Get out your groggers {noise makers} this is a wifeshow blogjacking! This blog in disguise is in honor of the holiday of Purim. Similar to Mardi Gras with costumes, carnivals and libations, Purim is the celebration of Queen Esther's defeat of Haman.

Here's the story in a nutshell...The King of Persia got ticked at Queen Vashti for refusing to greet his guests {must have been a bad hair day} so he decided to have a beauty contest to find a new wife. Hadassah aka Esther, was chosen {her heritage hidden from the king} and became the new queen of the Persian Empire. Meanwhile Haman, a prominent Persian prince, offered the king 10,000 clams to annihilate the Jewish people because Esther's uncle Morty {Mordecai} refused to bow down to him. The king refused. Esther discovered Haman's plan and told the King what a rotten dude he was and that she was Jewish. The King stood by his lady, hanged Haman, and allowed the Jews to defend themselves against any would-be attackers. {read the full story here or in the book of Esther}

To celebrate, Steve and I made hamantaschen, triangular shaped cookies modeled after the shape of the main villain's hat. Usually filled with jam or poppy seed paste, we decided we wanted to make ours a little more rustic and not so sweet. {we're not huge jam session fans}

For the dough I mostly followed this recipe from Epicurious with modifications taken from my friend Molly's version. For the filling, we substituted jams for our own mixture of apples, cranberries, raisins, cherries and dates. Our version is similar to a fig newton crossed with a sugar cookie. They're pretty tasty but next time we'll tweak it a bit and add more salt and maybe a little jam to add some sweet, glossy, gooie, goodness.

Recipe below :)

Dough Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt - I would double this next time

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

3 tablespoons fresh oj (Gourmet only calls for 1, but the dough was too dry so I added more liquid)

1 tsp. vanilla

For the how to, follow the link above except add an egg wash before you bake. This will make them glossy and help the corners stick together.

Tip: You definitely want to chill it overnight, and only roll out parts at a time. The dough is significantly easier to work with when cold.

For the filling we used 2 apples, and wifeshow size handfuls of the following: raisins {golden and regular}, dried cherries, dried dates, and dried cranberries. Steve cut up the apples and cooked them in brandy and water with cinnamon and sugar. Not sure what all he did, so maybe he can comment on that part. I plumped the dried fruit in brandy then we combined the two mixtures into the Cuis and pulsed until smooth. We then put the mixture into the freezer to cool it down. Finally we assembled the cookies.

I was nervous about them popping open so I folded mine a bit more than some people do. Mine aren't as pretty as Deb's, but they worked. This recipe should make 2 dozen and last in a container about 5 days, but Molly tells me they also freeze really well.

Happy Purim!

tarts, flanks, and tender flakes...

A little short on time today but wanted to share a few things soooo...

I heart flank steak. I was surprised to find, recently that a lot of people have never tried it. it has a ton of flavor. it can tend to be a little tough (like most flavorful meats), and benefits greatly from a marinade or spice paste. I marinated this one in whiskey, beef broth, salt and peps, and a little shaved garlic. give it a quick sear and slice AGAINST the grain. delicious. Also in the rotation up there are my first attempt at hot and sour soup and one of the best braised chickens (super vague recipe here, although this time I strained the broth and made a roux to thicken it with, then combined everything back together) I have ever made. but that is not what this post is about. this post is about the best pastry dough (as in pie crust) recipe you will ever make. trust me (I'm talking to you erin reitz!!--you better try this, at least once!). it's from gourmet magazine's (r.i.p.) "Best of gourmet, 2007 cook book", and it is flaky, tender, buttery, etc. the best I have ever had or made. so without further...

Pastry dough (from Gourmet magazine, best of 2007)

for a double crust pie (just halve it for singles, natch...)

2.5 cups all purp flour

1.5 sticks cold unsalted butter

1/4 veg shortening

1/2 tsp salt

5-7 tbs ice water

blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt (you can use a bowl with your fingertips, pastry blender, or a food processor. just don't put your fingertips in the food processor...) until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea size) butter lumps. Drizz 5 tbs. water over mixture and blend until incorporated.

give the dough a squeeze: if it doesn't hold together, add more water, 1/2 tbs at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. (don't overwork dough or pastry will be tough)

turn out dough onto work surface. divide dough into 8 portions. with the heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. gather all of the dough together with a pastry scraper. divide dough into 2 pieces, then form into a ball and flatten into a 5 inch disk. if dough is sticky, dust with additional flour. wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

for sweet pastry dough, add 2 tbs. sugar to flour mixture and proceed with recipe as directed.

for fancy pants savory dough (dish's addition) you can add things like rosemary leaves, parsley, thyme, etc. I would do this If I were making a quiche or a pot pie or something.

pastry dough can be chilled up to 2 days.

I froze mine directly after I made it. I like to have it on hand for a quick dessert. just thaw and you are ready to rock. on the tart pictured above I just did this:

peeled, cored and sliced 3 apples

plumped a half cup dried fruit in a sauce pan on med heat in a little brandy (I used golden and reg. raisins, and some dates, and then strained this.

combined this with the apples and a 1/4 cup dark brown sugar and about a tsp. cinnamon.

rolled out my pastry dough into a sort of circular amoeba-type shape (i have tried and tried but rolling pins are just not my strong suit, if you have any tips, let me know), and pour the filling into the middle. next, fold in the edges, overlapping one another until the whole tart is sealed. place on a parchment or silpat lined sheet, brush with eggwash (one beaten egg, a little dash milk) and bake at 350F until golden and delicious (about 30-35 minutes). serve with espresso or strong tea. yums it.

When I went to the apple jack, I had a caramel apple, but that's only because I couldn't take a dumpling.

I think that I have said before that autumn is my favorite season. I have this theory that you always prefer the time of year that you were born in. Maybe it is because we look forward to that time so much when we are little because we get to celebrate our birthdays and we get used to anticipating it all year long. Anyway, whatever the case, autumn wins out. as the weather turns colder, we find ourselves craving heartier things like soups, stews, and APPLE DUMPLINGS!!! That's right, peeled, cored and stuffed apples wrapped in buttery dough and then baked, and then getting a warm bath in a caramely, brandytastic sauce. Could it get better? only if you ate them on a plate made out of 100 dollar bills with a fork made of diamonds! Wifeshow and I made these (mostly her, except I rolled out the dough (we cheated and bought puff pastry from ideal:)). here's your do: (adapted from martha stewart)

use your favorite pastry dough recipe (or buy puff pastry dough if you spent the whole day helping friends move and then went on a laborious trek to outfit your kitchen with new cupboards and suffered a huge attack of sticker shock, launching you into a post-lowe's coma).

and then:

for syrup:

1/4 packed brown sugar

2 cups apple juice (we used some cider from arbor day farms)

1/2 c brandy

2 tbs honey

1/4 c pure maple syrup

1.5 t freshly grated ginger

2 tbs butter

2 tbs lemon juice

for filling:

2 tbs brandy

2 tbs dried cherries

2 tbs all purp flour

2 tbs almonds

2 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs butter

1/8 t ground nutmeg

1/8 t cinnamon

not filling:

4 apples, I used some jonathans, peeled and cored

4 cinnamon sticks

1 lemon, cut into quarters

dumpling assemblage:

egg white lightly beaten

egg yolk, beaten with tbs heavy cream.

ok, now:

combine all the syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan, and cook over med-high (stirring occasionally) until reduced by half (20 minuntes-ish), remove from heat, set aside.

then:

combine all the filling ingredients in a food processor, pulverize. peel and core apples, and rub them with the lemon quarters so they don't turn brown.

heat oven to 450. roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness into 6 inch squares (might need to be bigger for bigger apples). brush entire surface of dough with egg white and then set apple in middle. Fill apple with filling and then insert cinnamon stick, wrapping the dough around and then overlapping it slighty (dipping finger in egg white and pressing overlapping corners into each other), should look like a rustic tart. brush with egg/cream mixture and repeat with the other apples. transfer apples to roasting pan lined with parch or silpat. bake for 15 minutes, then reduce to 375. remove pan from oven and baste with the syrup mixture. return pan to oven and bake 10 minutes more, basting every 5 minutes (twice), continue baking dumplings until golden brown, about ten more minutes (total time 45 minutes). transfer pan to wire rack to cool slightly. heat up syrup mixture and serve with the apples. We put ours in syrup filled bowls (with more syrup over the top, naturally:).

ps, if you have scrap dough (which you will) and you want to be a fancy pants, then take a pairing knife and cut little leaves out of the dough and stick them on, using egg white for glue. then, take your knife and make little "veins" in the leaves. cute points abound. ENJOY!

gelato ticket

I'm the type of person that can't stand to have things in my possession that I don't use (just ask my gallbladder). I hate knowing that something is just lying around gathering dust, when it could be put to good use. So, naturally, I had become quite frustrated with owning an ice cream maker. Honestly, up until last week, we had used it once or twice in three years, and that's just ridiculous. I decided that it was way past time to give it another try and so on our day off together, we made some mint chocolate chip gelato. Gelato is an italian ice cream that uses infused milk and is a bit more dense than traditional ice cream. you make a custard and whisk it into the milk and then add it to your ice cream maker. I'm really glad that I tried making this because now that I have the method down, I will experiment with it a lot.

Last thursday, It was so nice outside that I decided to have some grill time. Meat treats over high heats equals tasty eats. I made an adobo spice rub out of garlic, lime zest, paprika, black pepper, cumin, kosh, and olive oil (at least I think that's all that I put in). Rubbed it on some chicken breasts and then seared them over high heat and then backed them off to finish cooking. ok, I'd like to take a moment here to talk about why spice pastes rule. well, for starters, they're a huge time saver. I have nothing against marinades, per se, it's just that they take so much time. a spice paste crams all that flavor into a concentrated form that you can basically cook with in little to no time at all. the difference in time is like comparing riding a bus in mexico (just ask wifeshow, now THAT was a fun day!) to traveling warp speed on the enterprise (sorry, I saw star trek over the weekend, good flick, recommends it.) ok, sorry, back to the chicken...I sliced them thin and served them on some grilled tortillas with red cabbage, grilled scallion, avocado, and lime squirtys. Delicious!

ok, last pic. Wife and I made pasta on sunday. If there is one recipe I post that I really want you to try, it's this one. The difference is totally ridiculous, in a good way. ok, maybe not this ridiculous (ok, seriously, well, two things. That is a frisbee hanging from her belt, I know because I had that frisbee and she is wearing a wedding ring, which means her husband probably took that picture. I'm totally speechless.) but still... It really doesn't take that much time, and it is so worth it. Having a roller will definitely help your cause, you could try it without, but it will be a lot of work.

Tuscan Pasta dough (variation from bon appetit)

1.25 cup durum semolina flour

2 eggs

1 tbs olive oil (eyeballed it)

1 tbs salt (" ")

2 methods here. You can mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients, using a fork to blend everything together top make a rough dough, or you can just whizz it into a food processor and jog the button a couple of times to get the same result (I use to do it by hand...I use to think I was being old school, now I know I was just being silly.) turn your dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. cut it in two, make balls out of it and flatten them into disks. cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. ( If you are going to be more than half an hour, knock it into the fridge until you can get to it later, just take it out about 30 minutes before you plan on rolling.

Set pasta machine to the widest setting( usually "1") and feed the dough through about 4 times (or until super smooth). now cut your dough in two. Cover one half with a towel and take the other half and feed it through the next narrowest setting about 2 times, switching to the next setting after every 2nd time. (I did this until I got to setting"5", the second to last setting.) the pasta will be about 2 feet long and pretty thin, like 1/16 inch (make sure to lay it on a lightly floured surface and lightly flour the top also, this will make cutting and unraveling way easier!). Now loosely roll your pasta strip until it looks like a scroll of dough. cut into desired width with a sharp knife. Repeat process with remaining dough (s). You can either hang your pasta to dry or let it dry on parchment for about 20-30 minutes. Now you are ready for the sauce of your choice, or veggies, or just olive oil and parmesan. make sure to only boil for about 3-4 minutes, time may vary slightly, serve al dente. enjoys!

DISH recommends:

A pasta machine/roller. This one is made by norpro. about 40 clams. they usually make good stuff. I think I have an "imperia." but don't want to go check right now. while this does have the potential to be a "dust gatherer," this pasta dough is so good, you won't want to return to the land of the inferior dried stuff. use it well.

Fixing the economy...one hyperlink at a time.

What?  huh?  speak up, I can barely hear you!  Oh, excuse me there my friendlies, My ears are still ringing from watching my pals' band, Life of a Scarecrow, last night.  It's very seldom that the dish partakes in social outings (crazy work schedule and all), but I am glad that I did not miss this one.  Luckily, I thought ahead and brought a spatula so I could "escrapa my face" off the floor and put it back on my skull, yes, that's how hard they were "kicking their jams."  Anyway, a fun time was had by all and it was good to see friends and pals...mostly pals.

ok, as noted previously, mamadish and her besty, brenda were up for the weekend.  We were able to have dinner together on saturday night and although I hadn't really planned it out, it turned out to be a pretty fabulous dinner.  I had some porkchops that I cut into small "paillards" and sauteed, deglazing the pan with apple juice to make a tasty sauce/glaze.  the chops were paired with some tomato and squash risotto. (recipe to follow)  Tasties.  For dessert,  i pieced together a cheese plate.  I really enjoy this in place of a traditional "dessert."  the cheeses I used were manchego, drunken goat, Beecher's flagship (a handmade cheese from seattle), and Gjetost ski queen, which is a brown cheese (color comes from caramelization of natural sugars in the milk and cream) that goes great with granny smith apples (tastes like a caramel apple).  The espresso mugs are filled with honey (paired to the flagship), rosemary roasted almonds (for the manchego), and mini-dice of granny smith apples (intended for the gjetost).  I really like making cheese plates and it is a great way to add another dimension to your dinner and round out your meal, followed by a coffee, of course.

The last pic I have for you is a replay of potato leek soup.  Wifeshow loves it, and she had been craving it, big-time. click here for the recipe.

DISH recommends:

for the dudes (or ladies who want their dudes' feet to have a vacation): 

Suede Macalister boots from JCREW.  I saved up my allowance (yes, we give ourselves allowances, don't knock it until you've tried it:) for these kicks and I love them.  Super comfy and versatile (unlike the snuggy, which is neither of those things). a bit pricey, but quality only hurts once.

ps. just finished the book American Gods.  good read, recommend it.

tomato and squash risotto

olive oil

1 small onion diced

1.5 cups arborio rice (you can use other short grain rice(s), but arborio is the old school way, and you know I'm old school, not so old as to be "from the old school", but still...)

two small cans of chicken broth (or about 30 oz., if you have homemade on hand:)

splash vermouth (or white wine)

healthy handful of cherry tomos, sliced in half

1 small summer squash, large dice

salt and peps

parmesan cheese

butter

flat-leaf parsley, minced

place your chicken broth in a small pot over med-low heat and let it hang out.

in a small saute pan, melt some butter and add your squash (seasoned with salt and peps), sautéing until golden on both sides, set aside. 

In a large saute pan or dutch oven over med heat, place about a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil together, until butter is completely melted.  add your onion (salt and peps, easy on the salt) and saute for about 3-4 minutes, then add your rice and saute for another 2 or so minutes, until rice is fragrant.  Add your splash of vermouth and stir until evaporated. Turn your heat to med-low, add your tomatoes and now, add a ladle or two of stock to your rice and stir until it reduces and you are left with your rice mixture. Keep doing this for the next 20 or so minutes, adding a ladle or two of stock and stirring until the stock pretty much evaporates.  at this point, your rice should be tender and creamy.  fold in your sauteed squash and grate some parmesan into the rice.  add a couple knobs of butter, the parsley and gently stir everything together.  Check for seasoning.  I like to spoon the rice into little ramekins and press down and then invert onto a plate and then it slides out.  Cool presentation, impress your peeps, they'll think you know what you are doing...or they'll think you're up to something.  Either way, they'll think...

I heart cupcakes

Amy started making these cupcakes about a month and a half ago.  They're so JEM (simply outrageous, duh!).  they are made with buttermilk, and a lot of eggs.  I usually don't get all that excited for cake but these rock my socks off.  The eggs are separated, the whites being beaten and folded in at the last minute.  I think this is what really makes them so nice and light and fluffified. The frosting is something that I threw together.  I started out making a buttercream (butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar) and where I usually add the heavy cream, I substituted dark chocolate that had been melted into heavy cream in a double boiler.  It turned out pretty well, I will probably do it again, if I can remember how, I should really write that down, along with tons of others.

Also, I made some flank steak with olive oil mash and sweet corn for dinner.  I marinated the flank steak in bourbon, balsamic vinegar, and soy.  All in all, pretty decent, would have liked the corn to be sweeter, but we won't get the good stuff until the middle of august.  

Making some shortbread as we speak, man I love shortbread.  Need to run to the hardware store to see if I can get something for bugs to stay away from my tomatoes.  I picked about 6 today that had been eaten by the little buggers (no pun intended).   Also need some charcoal, thinking about picking up some of the "hardwood" kind because it supposedly burns hotter but will still have to pick up lump for other applications.  peace