blueberry mini muffins

My mom requested "breakfast" late last week, since we ran out of bread, her usual staple. I still had buttermilk left over from the cupcakes order and decided to make muffins. She picked up some blueberries on the way home for me. I originally wanted to make apricot blueberry muffins, a Starbucks creation that they removed from their array of baked goods quite a while ago. They were my favorite, but unfortunately, apricots were not available at the market. So, just plain blueberry these became.

I've learned that using fresh blueberries is really important. I made something similar last year with frozen ones, and they turned a bit green, according to my friend A. The fresh blueberries stayed perfectly blue this time around, something I definitely want. The recipe was something that I melded from two recipes from my Williams Sonoma Baking Book. The sugary, nutty, crumbly top was for A., who got a tasting sample. It totally added a nice dimension to the spongy and moist muffin.

Probably my favorite blueberry muffin attempt so far. They were packaged and went on a plane with my mom for her vacation. Please note: don't seal the packaging cover, because the topping will get soggy and lose its crumbly texture.

Blueberry Mini Muffins adapted
please excuse the weird measurements, I halved the original recipe

makes about 16 mini muffins

For the topping:
1/6 cup sugar
1/6 cup golden brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp AP flour
1 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

For the muffins:
1 cup AP flour
3/8 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 large egg, beaten
2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375. Line mini muffin pan.

Topping: in small bowl, stir together sugars and flour. Cut the butter into the mixture, forming course crumbs. Add walnuts and stir to combine.

Muffins: in a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the egg, melted butter, and buttermilk. Stir until just evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy, don't over mix. Fold in blueberries until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes.

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling just to the brim. Sprinkle each muffin with some of the topping, dividing evenly.

Bake until golden and springy to the touch, about 12 minutes. Toothpick inserted should come out clean. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

eggplant crisps

Eggplant is not a vegetable I typically enjoy. The texture is usually more on the mushy side, especially when cooked as part of a popular Cantonese dish. These are completely different! Light, thin, and crispy.

Panko was the secret to achieving an extra airy and crunchy crust. I had my workstation right next to the stove with oil ready for frying. I have this great plastic tray with three sections, each for flour, eggs, and panko; perfect for these situations. Make sure to tap off any excess flour to ensure a thin crust. I worked in batches of 6 to 8 slices when frying, making sure not to overcrowd the pot and to avoid lowering the temperature of the oil.

These were great little bites. Crunchy from the panko, soft centers from the eggplant, slight creaminess from the mozzarella, and a bit of acid from the tomato.

Eggplant Crisps adapted

makes about 2 dozen

2 oz fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup AP flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko
1 eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
6 small tomatoes, cut into quarters
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Toss tomatoes in a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange cut-side up on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for about an hour, until the tomatoes begin to shrivel and shrink in size. This can be made ahead.

Preheat oven to 375 with rack at center. Heat olive oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pot until thermometer registers 360. Dredge eggplant slice in flour, then dip in beaten egg wash and finally into panko. Fry until golden brown, a couple of minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towel to drain.

Cut the mozzarella into small pieces, place on paper towel to drain if necessary. Arrange fried eggplant on parchment lined baking sheet. Top each slice with a piece of mozzarella and tomato. Bake until cheese melts, about 6 minutes.

fondant cupcakes

A couple weekends ago, my aunt ordered mini cupcakes from me for her dinner party. She wasn't very specific in terms of flavor or design, so I decided to make two flavors: orange-cardamom and chocolate-orange. The recipes were from Epicurious and Williams-Sonoma, respectively.

Since I had to make these in advance and send them on a plane with my mom, I made an orange simple syrup and cocoa simple syrup to brush onto the cupcakes. This helps keep them moist, especially if you need to refrigerate cakes.

The mini cupcakes were for adults, so I made simple fondant flowers/bows/leaves . There were going to be three kids at the dinner, so I made regular sized cupcakes for them and topped each one with a different fondant animal: a dinosaur for the boy, and a blue bird and bumble bee for the two girls.

Please excuse my orange paper and blue tape, they were part of my homemade packaging to prevent movement during the flight.

I think they over well, my aunt sent me a red envelope in return :)

pommes annette

I got these fingerling potatoes a week ago, and needed to find a new way to use them. I've roasted a medley of small potatoes before, and they've always been a big hit, but I wanted something different. I have a  new mandoline slicer, which I've wanted for a while now, and this was a great recipe to test it out on. Thank you E. for picking it up for me!

 
This recipe actually takes quite a bit of prep time, so make it only if you have time to spare. I sliced each potato as I was ready to use it, that way it would prevent browning. Instead of using goat cheese, as the recipe originally called for, I substituted ricotta, another soft cheese. I'm still not that adventurous when it comes to cheeses.

My layers actually consisted more than one slice at a time, since my fingerlings were a bit on the skinny side. I think they turned out just fine, and looked more like the traditional French pommes anna. The shingling of layers looked great. Since I used ricotta instead of goat cheese, they were definitely more subtle in flavor, so I was more generous when seasoning. The outside was a bit crispy and the center was softer and creamier with the ricotta. I also only have one mini muffin pan, so wasn't able to weigh down the potatoes as the recipe called for, but I just make sure to press the layers down well.

Pommes Annette adapted

makes 2 dozen

1 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
15-20 fingerling potatoes, skin on
5 oz fresh ricotta cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 with the rack in the center. Butter the mini muffin pan and place a few thyme leaves in the bottom of each cup.

Cut the potatoes into 1/16 inch thick slices. Butter both sides of enough slices to make the first layer. Place them on top of the thyme leaves. Cover with a bit of ricotta and season generously with salt and pepper. Make nine more layers, alternating unbuttered potato slices with the ricotta; only top and bottom slices are buttered. Sprinkle a few thyme leaves on the last layer of ricotta. Finish with one last layer of buttered potatoes on top. Season with salt and pepper again. Press down to ensure compact layers.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about another 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let cool slightly for a few minutes and remove by running a knife around the sides. Turn over onto a platter and serve warm. Can be made in advance and reheated at 350 for 5 minutes or until warm.

pizza with wild mushrooms and fontina cheese

I made pizza for the first time earlier this year. Something simple with sun dried tomatoes and arugula. Reminded me of one of my favorites from my go to pizza parlor back in college. This one is a white pizza, which I've never tried before since the sauce is one of the best parts.

A Chinese market nearby always sells these beautiful organic wild mushrooms. A perfect choice for this pizza, I thought. So I picked up some maitake, bunashimeji, and oyster mushrooms along with ready to use whole wheat pizza dough. Had to buy some fontina cheese, but at least it was reasonably priced and easily found.

I actually washed the mushrooms. I know, I know. You're not supposed to wash mushrooms because they are like sponges and will soak up all the water. But really, I don't think a damp cloth will clean the dirt completely. So, I just washed them a day ahead, dried them really well, and placed them flat on a paper towel lined baking sheet for a few hours. The next day, I sauteed them off, making sure not to shake the pan to ensure a nice sear.

I like my pizza with a super thin crust, so these were no different. As I said before, I really like mushrooms, so this pizza was a no brainer. Sauteing the mushrooms is a must, since the pizzas aren't in the oven very long. I served them with a bit of crushed red pepper for those who prefer their pizza with a bit of heat. Packed some for my friend for lunch and she said it was good. Even the boys at her office liked it, surprising since it is completely meatless. A good sign though, I think.

Pizza with Wild Mushrooms and Fontina Cheese

makes 4 small pizzas

1 3/4 pounds assorted fresh wild mushrooms
1 package fresh pizza dough, divided into four sections
1 small package fontina cheese
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
all purpose flour, for dusting

Prepare the mushrooms. Wash as I've mentioned above, or if you don't mind, wipe with a damp cloth to remove dirt. Slice the larger mushrooms into 1/8 inch pieces, leave the smaller mushrooms as is. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil to cover the pan. Working in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan, sear the mushrooms for a few minutes, turning only once, until just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Continue with the rest of the mushrooms, adding more oil as needed.

Preheat the oven to 500. Place one piece of the pizza dough on a clean, floured work surface. Work the dough into desired thickness or thinness as I did. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with desired amount of cheese, shaved as I did or shredded as the original recipe called for. Top with a quarter of the mushrooms. Season with a bit more salt and pepper to taste.

Bake until crust is golden brown, about 8-12 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Serve warm. Crushed red pepper optional.

chorizo and manchego cheese quesadilla

The last time I was at the market, herbs were on sale (and they're the organic ones too!), so I got some chives and thyme. After a couple of days in my fridge, the chives started to wilt, even though I put then in a cup of water. So I had to find a recipe from the book to use it up. Decided to go for these quesadillas.

Chives were simple enough to find, but the chorizo and manchego cheese were whole different stories.
The recipe called for cured chorizo which could be sliced like a sausage, but the only chorizo I found was the raw kind. I ended up removing the casing (which wasn't edible anyways) and browning the meat in a frying pan like ground pork. As for the manchego cheese, I had to go to another market to find it. There was a very limited selection, basically one brand, and to make it worse, it was $8. $8 for cheese? This better be awesome!

These were simple enough to make: just layered shaved manchego, browned chorizo, sauteed red onions, and chives over a small circle tortilla cut with a cookie cutter, then topped it with a bit more shaved manchego and another tortilla. These were toasted on a clean frying pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side until warmed through.

I served these plain and also with a chipotle salsa which added a nice kick. If you don't have a cookie cutter, or pressed for time, you could just quarter the toasted quesadilla. I thought they looked perfectly great fanned out.

So that $8 cheese...was it worth it? I didn't think so, at least not for this purpose. It melted very nicely, as it should for its price. However, in terms of flavor, it just tasted a bit gamy, which made sense since it is a sheep's milk cheese. I'm not a big fan of gaminess. Growing up in a Chinese household, you learn that gaminess is something you try to remove from the dish. The Chinese in me made me pile on more chipotle salsa to cover the odor, making the manchego completely irrelevant. Could've used any other firm cheese in its place. Well, now I know.

Besides the disappointment in the manchego, these were quite delicious. The onions and chives added a great textural contrast to the soft chorizo and cheese. Tasted the best right off the pan when the tortilla was still hot and slightly crispy to the bite.

dinner and dessert

About a month before a few coworkers and I got laid off, we would have a weekly dinner date. I would look up recipes for an entree (protein chosen by the others) and a vegetable side. Another ex-coworker, audgbodge (who just so happened to be a close friend of mine for many many years) would join us and was in charge of dessert. It was always great to see the girls after work hours over food, drinks, chit chat, and many laughs.

Since we all got laid off, we haven't been able to meet up weekly. But now that most of them found work, it's gotten even harder. This past Friday, a few of us got together for food again. Since we usually have chicken, we decided to go for beef instead. I made steak au poivre with a roasted tomato and arugula salad.

Originally I wanted to make a roasted peppered beef tenderloin, but apparently beef tenderloin is a rare commodity. Who knew? I sure didn't. I went to three different supermarkets looking for it, only to be disappointed and forced to adjust my plans to steak. I simply crushed whole peppercorns and covered the steaks with it and some salt before I pan seared the steak with some butter. This isn't a true steak au poivre, because I didn't make the sauce that called for Cognac. So, I made sure to rest the meat by tenting it with foil. I paired it with an arugula salad, which I chose for C. (she claimed not to have eaten arugula ever before). The red and yellow cherry tomatoes were roasted for about an hour with garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The arugula was tossed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette and then topped with the warm tomatoes.

I finally brought my bottle of vodka to make the lychee martinis I told them about. One of the girls, E., was very disappointed when she saw my sad little half-filled bottle. I guess I should have clarified that it was a leftover bottle enough to make one drink for each of us. I'll remember to specify next time, E.

And of course there needed to be dessert. I made this in advance and brought it over.

A chocolate cake layered with coffee mousse and covered in a salted caramel ganache. The chocolate was for C. When asked for a request, you can always be sure she'll say, "chocolate." The coffee was for me and E. (we love our coffee, especially Vietnamese coffee). I adapted recipes from Cannelle et Vanille and formed my own combination of flavors. I was going for a caramel/mocha coffee drink accented with a bit of sea salt.

I adapted Cannelle et Vanille's chocolate genoise, and used a cookie cutter to cut out rings. The coffee mousse was made with whipped cream steeped with coffee beans until infused, strained, chilled, and then whipped to soft peaks and folded with some bloomed gelatin and pâte à bombe (I froze leftovers from my previous recipe and thawed it before use). As you can see, I don't have any real rings for forming the individual cakes. I actually went to Michaels to look for some, but left empty handed. I used my cookie cutter and some parchment paper in its place. Pretty easy to assemble by layering a circle of chocolate cake, then piping the mousse on top and alternating until your desired height. I froze this overnight to prepare for the salted caramel ganache.

The next day, I made the salted caramel ganache, but changing the chocolate to about 75 grams of bittersweet and 75 grams of dark. Thank goodness I covered my work area with paper towels. Look at that mess! I topped each cake with a sprinkle of pink sea salt for decoration and to add that extra little savory oomph to enhance the salted caramel ganache. They went back into the freezer until about 15 minutes before ready to serve, that way the ganache and mousse can have a chance to come back to room temperature.

To be honest, I was a bit worried that the flavors would get lost and a bit muddled. To my happy surprise, you could really taste the complexities, starting with coffee, then the salted caramel, and finished by the sweetness of the chocolate.

Dinner was great, as usual; would've been better if everyone could have made it. I'm going to miss these dinners. Hopefully we can still meet at least once a month with everyone.

crispy asparagus straws

I was able to stop by Trader Joe's over the weekend after dropping off my dog for a bath. I miss Trader Joe's, which I used to be able to shop at whenever I wanted. In fact, my apartment back in college used to be within a few miles from five supermarkets; everything you could ever want, from high end (Whole Foods)to low (Trader Joe's). Now, I'm lucky even if I happen to be in an area with a market other than Albertsons. It's hard to find more specialty items for things I want to make, but that's a whole other discussion.

Back to asparagus. I followed the ingredients in this recipe pretty much to the t, which made sense since everything it called for was relatively common. Started with steamed asparagus, just a few minutes to keep its crunch. FYI: when prepping asparagus, you want to hold the ends of the spear and bend to a snap; where it breaks is the natural spot to remove the fibrous woody ends. If your lucky with really fresh asparagus, the amount of ends removed will be short (I had a few where it took off almost half of the spear).

With the asparagus prepped, all that was needed was to roll it up in phyllo dough. Reminder: keep the delicate phyllo from drying out by placing a slightly damp towel over the unused portion. I didn't have quite enough prosciutto, since I used it in the prosciutto tea sandwiches, so I cut the pieces a bit smaller than the recipe called for.

The phyllo ended up crisping very nicely, and the prosciutto added a much needed saltiness, since the asparagus was unseasoned. I barely made a dent in the box of phyllo dough with this recipe. I must find more applications, but thank goodness they keep in the freezer in the mean time.