Before we push ourselves back from the metaphorical table of 2011, we’ve got to have one more taste of our favorite recipes. If you missed them the first time around, now’s the time to download and save them.
Chocolate pudding with pretzel crunch
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Chill: 2 hours
Makes: 6 servings
For a story on using pretzels in desserts, Chicago-based freelance food writer Lisa Futterman created a pretzel brittle to bring salty sweet crunch to homemade chocolate pudding.
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
Pinch salt
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 tablespoon cognac, brandy or dark rum
1 cup whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks, chilled
Pretzel crunch, see recipe below
1. Heat 1 3/4 cups milk, brown sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Off heat, stir in the chocolate and butter until chocolate is melted and the mixture looks smooth.
2. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup milk and the cornstarch in a small bowl; stir to blend. Gradually stir into chocolate mixture; return mixture to medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and boiling, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Add a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture to the yolks while stirring vigorously. Repeat three times. This will temper the egg yolks. Stir yolk mixture into chocolate mixture; add vanilla, whisking until smooth. Place in a bowl, with plastic wrap directly on the surface; chill in refrigerator, 2-3 hours or overnight.
4. To serve, spoon the pudding into six dessert bowls, layering in the crunch . Top with whipped cream and more crunch.
Pretzel crunch
Combine 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan. Heat to a boil over high heat; cook, without stirring, until mixture begins to caramelize. Swirl the pan carefully until the syrup looks amber, like maple syrup, about 15 minutes. Carefully add 2 cups salted pretzels (sticks, rings or twists), lightly broken, off the heat; pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading as thin as possible. Allow to cool at room temperature, then break into pieces.
Charlotte J. Crocker angel no-fool cake
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Makes: 10 servings
The Tribune’s Renee Enna shared her tortuous odyssey to master angel food cake, a classic dessert she describes as a “devil in disguise.” Her hilarious tale of failure upon failure finally leads to this fool-proof recipe. Her result combines the best of versions from Betty Crocker and a woman named Charlotte J., who posted her recipe and tips online, with more guidelines from Enna.
1 cup cake flour
7/8 cup sugar plus 3/4 cup sugar
12 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Measure the cake flour and 7/8 cup sugar into a bowl (for 7/8 cup, measure a cup, then remove 2 tablespoons); sift together. Set aside.
2. Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and almond extract into the bowl of an electric mixer; beat on medium speed with electric mixer until soft peaks form. (Do not beat until stiff, no matter what any recipe says!) Slowly add the 3/4 cup sugar, beating on medium-high speed until combined. (Do not overbeat!)
3. Reduce speed to low; slowly mix in the flour-sugar mixture just until incorporated.
4. Gently spoon batter into a 10-inch aluminum tube pan. Gently cut through batter with a butter knife. This breaks up any air bubbles in the batter. (One time around is sufficient. And don’t bang the pan on the counter! It’s a cake, not a slab of meat.)
5. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and crusty, and top springs back when lightly touched, 30 to 40 minutes. (Do not ever “turn cake around halfway through baking,” no matter how trusted the source. Leave it alone, opening the door only when checking for doneness near end of baking.) Remove cake from oven; turn pan upside down. Let stand until completely cool, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. To remove cake from pan, carefully loosen all pan edges including the tube’s with a butter knife. Invert onto your serving platter. To frost and fill, halve cake horizontally with a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion. Fill center and frost cake with whipped cream frosting.
Olive all’Ascolana
Prep: 25 minutes
Chill: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 minute per batch
Makes: 2 dozen
Freelance food writer Jennifer Day wrote about the first cookbook crowdsourced online with recipes gathered from home cooks across the country. “The Food52 Cookbook,” by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, has 140 recipes, including these addictive olives from Arielle Arizpe of Austin, Texas.
1/2 cup soft goat cheese
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
24 large green olives, pitted
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs (fresh or panko)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
Zest and juice from one lemon
1. Mix the cheese, mustard seed, rosemary, pepper flakes and garlic together in a small bowl. Stuff the olives with the mixture, using your fingers or a piping bag. Refrigerate to let the cheese firm up, 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan to 375 degrees. Put the flour on one plate, the egg on another and mix the bread crumbs and 1/3 cup Parmesan on a third.
3. Working in batches, roll the olives in the flour, then in the egg, then in the bread crumbs; carefully lower them into the oil. Fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Shower with Parmesan and lemon zest; spritz with lemon.
Lentils like baked beans
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Makes: 4-6 servings
Coming fittingly from one of our favorite cookbooks of the year, “The Art of Living According to Joe Beef,” by Frederic Morin, David McMillan and Meredith Erickson, this recipe subs red lentils for navy beans for a twist on a classic dish. The result? Baked bean flavor with a smoother texture.
4 slices bacon, finely diced
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups red lentils, picked over, rinsed
4 cups water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons each: maple syrup, vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Add onion; cook, stirring, until softened, 4 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add lentils, water, ketchup, syrup, oil, vinegar, mustard, pepper and bay leaf. Stir well; season with the salt. Heat to a boil. Cover. Place in oven. Bake until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. (For softer lentils, cook 10 minutes longer.) Taste; correct seasoning with salt, pepper, syrup and vinegar.
Macadamia and coconut crusted fish
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
“Crispy-crunchy gets our vote every time,” wrote JeanMarie Brownson in her column Dinner at Home. Her memorable pan-fried fish dish won our vote, and stomachs, handily.
6 pieces (about 6 ounces each) skinless fish fillets, such as mahi mahi, each about 3/4-inch thick
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry roasted macadamia nuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup flaked or shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, chive or parsley (or a combination)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Lime wedges
Crunchy pineapple relish, see recipe below
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat fish dry. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Mix chopped nuts, breadcrumbs, coconut, herbs, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a shallow dish. Put egg whites and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt into another shallow dish; beat lightly with a fork until frothy.
2. Dip fish into egg whites; let excess drip off. Coat fish on all sides in breadcrumb mixture. Put onto a wire rack set over a pan. If desired, refrigerate an hour or so.
3. Heat oil in large, well-seasoned cast-iron (or nonstick) ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add fish in a single uncrowded layer (use two skillets if necessary). Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Gently flip fish; put into oven. Cook until crisped and fish is nearly firm, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Transfer to heated serving plates. Serve with lime wedges and topped with pineapple relish.
Crunchy pineapple relish
Mix 1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple chunks, 1/4 of a seedless cucumber, finely diced (peeled if desired); 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion, rinsed; 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, chive or parsley (or a combination); 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice; drizzle of sesame oil; 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste in a small bowl. Let stand, stirring once or twice, about 20 minutes.
Roasted turkey with red chilies
Prep: 1 hour
Rest: Overnight
Cook: 3 hours
Makes: 8-10 servings
Food writer Judy Hevrdejs offered three ways to prepare Thanksgiving turkey: traditional, with a glaze and with this chile rub from “Simple Food, Big Flavor,” by chef Aaron Sanchez.
1 turkey, 14 pounds
Salt
1 1/2 cups chili colorado sauce, see recipe below
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 quart chicken stock
1/3 cup flour
1. The day before roasting, pat skin of turkey dry. Sprinkle with salt; rub 1 teaspoon salt in cavity. Rub 1/2 cup chili sauce over turkey; reach under skin to rub into breast meat. Rub some in cavity. Wrap neck skin over cavity; tuck under body; tuck wing tips under breast. Set turkey on rack in roasting pan; cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
2. An hour before roasting, remove turkey from refrigerator; let stand uncovered. Set oven rack in lower third of oven; heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub 2 tablespoons butter over turkey skin. Add 1 cup water to roasting pan; roast 1 hour. Remove turkey from oven; brush surface with 1/2 cup sauce. Add another cup water to pan. Tent turkey loosely with foil; return to oven. Roast until breast meat registers 165 degrees on a meat thermometer, 2 to 3 hours. Check occasionally after 2 hours; add a little more water to pan as needed.
3. Transfer turkey to platter; tent loosely with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. Make gravy, using remaining 1/2 cup chili sauce.
Chili colorado sauce
Put 3 medium onions, quartered; 8 fresh tomatillos, husked, washed; 4 plum tomatoes, cored, quartered; and 8 cloves garlic, peeled, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Cook under broiler without turning until they begin to char, about 7 minutes. Remove; cool. Stem, seed and devein 1 ancho and 2 guajillo chilies. Toast chilies in dry skillet over medium-low heat, turning once, just until aromatic, 1 minute. Put chilies in a bowl. Cover with hot water; soak 30 minutes. Drain; discard water. Working in batches, puree vegetables and chilies in blender with 4 cups chicken stock until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce makes more than you will need; use leftovers to marinade chicken, pork or beef.)
Shrimp in pumpkin-seed sauce
Prep: 25 minutesCook: 29 minutes
Makes: 4-6 servings
For Cinco de Mayo, food writer Bill Daley reported on sauces to accent the celebration. This recipe, published in “Recipes From the Regional Cooks of Mexico” and “Nothing Fancy,” is cookbook author Diana Kennedy’s version of a sauce from Tampico in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, along the Gulf of Mexico.
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, shells reserved
2 1/2 cups water
Salt
1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds, unroasted, unsalted
3 serrano chilies
1/4 medium white onion, chopped
8 sprigs cilantro or more to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1. Put shrimp shells, water and salt to taste in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, 15 minutes. Strain, reserving broth; discard shells. Heat shrimp in broth to a simmer; cook, 2 minutes. Strain, reserving the broth. Set shrimp aside.
2. Lightly toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet. The seeds should puff up a little but not brown. Puree the broth, pumpkin seeds, chilies, onion and cilantro in a blender until smooth.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir in the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. If the sauce becomes lumpy, return to blender; blend until smooth. Stir in the creme fraiche and shrimp; heat through.
Cuban grilled pork
Prep: 30 minutes
Marinate: 1 hour
Cook: 60 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
Some cuts of meat do best on the grill with a long, slow cooking time. In his story exploring the method, Bill Daley included this deeply flavored pork dish from Lourdes Castro’s book “Latin Grilling.”
1 1/3 cups lime juice, about 14 limes
2/3 cup orange juice, about 2 oranges
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried oregano
1 head garlic, cloves divided, peeled, left whole
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 pork loin, about 3 pound
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, sliced into rings
1. Mix all the ingredients except the pork, onion and salt in a bowl. Let sit 10 minutes. Use a long thin knife to create deep gashes all over the flesh.
2. Place pork in a deep bowl or container. Generously season the outside of the pork with salt; pour marinade all over the meat. Spread the onion rings over the top. Cover well with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
3. Remove the pork from the marinade; place meat on a platter. Transfer the marinade to a saucepan; add the onions. Heat to a boil; cook, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; allow to cool. Puree in a blender until smooth. The marinade is ready to be used as a basting liquid.
4. Allow pork to come to room temperature. Heat gas grill to high (550 degrees); close the lid. Wait at least 15 minutes before lowering the heat to 400 degrees. Oil the grill grates. Grill the pork, 60 minutes; turn the meat over after 15 minutes, again at 30 minutes and at 45 minutes. Baste each time you turn the meat. The pork is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Remove from grill; allow to rest before carving, 15 minutes. (The meat temperature will rise another 10 degrees while it rests.)
Pot roast
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: about 2 1/2 hours
Makes: 6 servings
Leah Eskin tinkered with her mother’s pot roast (which itself was adapted from the 1961 edition of “The New York Times Cookbook,” by Craig Claiborne) for her Home on the Range column in the Sunday section. This new version generated a passionate response from readers who tried it and loved it.
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 1/2 pound chuck roast
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 each, chopped: carrot, onion, rib celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine
6 ounces tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
8 ounces pappardelle egg noodles
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Soak mushrooms in a small bowl of warm water until soft, 15 minutes. Drain, rinse and chop. Season meat generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown meat, about 2 minutes per side. Lift out; set aside. Add carrot, onion, celery and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add broth, wine, tomato paste, reserved mushrooms, bay leaves and thyme. Heat to a boil. Return meat to the pot. Liquid should come about two thirds the way up the sides of the roast. Cover.
3. Place in oven; cook, turning roast once and basting occasionally, until very tender when prodded with a fork, 2-2 1/2 hours.
4. Set pot on stovetop. Remove meat from pot. Shred. Discard any fat. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig. Stir shredded meat into sauce; keep warm over low heat.
5. Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles until tender but firm. Drain. Add noodles to meat and sauce. Toss gently.
Cauliflower caponata
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Home cooks all too often forget about the power of capers to change a dish, Bill Daley wrote in an ode to the salty, tangy tiny orbs. In this dish, they elevate cauliflower so much that you’ll think you never really knew the cruciferous vegetable.
1 medium head cauliflower, separated into small florets and pieces about 1/2-inch thick, and 1 1/2 inches wide
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons brined or salted capers, soaked in water
1 tablespoon caper brine, if using brined capers, optional
2 tablespoons golden raisins, soaked in hot water 10 minutes to plump
Pinch salt, optional
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted almonds
1. Cook the cauliflower in the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet until it lightly browns and turns golden; sprinkle with half the garlic and with the turmeric and cumin as it cooks.
2.When the cauliflower is still crunchy but cooked through, sprinkle in the sugar, remaining garlic, vinegar and thyme. Lower the heat; cook, stirring once or twice, until the sharpness of the vinegar lifts and mellows, about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; add the capers, caper brine if using, raisins, and a pinch of salt if needed. Leave to cool; the flavors will meld together. Serve sprinkled with toasted almonds.
