Russian Plum & Almond Tart

This week marks another one of our (what seems to be monthly now) ethnic dinner parties. So far we've tackled everything from German, to Indian, to African food. This week is Slavic week. I was in charge of making dessert. I came across a simple recipe for a Russian Plum and Almond Tart. It's quick to make, looks pretty, and tastes good. How bad can that be?! Below is the recipe. Enjoy!

Plum and Almond Tart

Ingredients:

Crust
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3.5oz chilled butter
4 tbsp sour cream

Topping
2oz softened butter
1/4 cup sugar plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling on top
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup ground almonds
6 plums
1/2 cup plum jam
4 tbsp flaked almonds


To make the crust:
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and mush flour and butter together with your fingers until everything is fully incorporated and looks like breadcrumbs.

Add in the sour cream, one tablespoon at a time, and mix to form a soft dough. Wrap the dough in serane wrap and chill for 30 minutes. (The dough is a dryer pastry dough than normal.)

To make the topping:
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Alternate adding in the eggs and ground almonds

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Roll out the pastry dough so it fits in a 12" round tart dish. Pour the almond mixture into the tart dish. Cut down the pastry dough so there is just enough to fold down a bit to create an edge (about 2cm). Cut each plum into quarters (make sure to remove the pit) and arrange on top of the tart in a nice design, skin side up.

Bake the tart for 30-40 minutes or until browned.

Warm the plum jam (15-20 seconds in the microwave) and put through a sieve to remove any large chunks of fruit. Brush over the top of the tart. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top and glaze again.

Serves about 8 people

French Bread

Last night at 6:30pm, I decided to try out Julia Child's French bread. Ignoring the fact that it would take me at least 8 hours from start to finish (there are three rising stages) I began making my way through her very long recipe. First I mixed, then slapped, kneaded, slapped, tossed (got everywhere) and kneaded the dough which took a lot longer than I thought it would. After all that dramatic flair, I let the dough rise, then deflate, then slapped, kneaded, slapped, tossed (this time it wasn't so messy) and kneaded the dough some more. Again, after some dramatics I let the dough rise again, then shapped it into baguettes (it's more than just rolling it out, lots of folding and creasing is involved). Finally, I let the dough rise again and then transferred to a baking sheet and tossed in the oven. Julia's true master recipe calls for placing a really really hot brick in the oven with a tray of water and tiles (this all simulates a true french baker's oven) but since I had none of that, I followed her more simple recipe which uses a water bottle to spritz the dough at 4 different times in the first 12 minutes. This water is supposed to help the dough rise more and create a brown crust on the bread.

I was finished with everything around 2:30am. The bread looked pretty but it was definitely more of a pain-rustique look than a french-baguette look. Julia says this is okay, it takes lots of practice to get the shape right. The top didn't brown much at all but again, to get that look, you need to use that darn brick/tile method. However, the inside of the bread was excellent for a beginner (at least I think so) and resembled most baguettes I have eaten so I was super excited about that. I think the next time I make the recipe I'll either make it more of a boule shape or go out and get bricks/tiles that are required for the baguette look. Overall, it was a fun experience and one I'd be happy to try again.

The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty

The House of Mondavi, written by Julia Flynn Siler, is an excellent book that retells the rise and fall of Napa Valley's most famous wine family. You might known Robert Mondavi Wines for their iconic label of a spanish adobe-style winery with grand arch but do you know the drama and scandals that unfolded behind this serene setting?

Beginning with Robert Mondavi's father Cesare and his dream to create a wine empire for his family, Siler recounts how Cesare Mondavi purchased the Charles Krug winery and turned it into a family business. After his death, his two boys Robert and Peter threaten to tear apart the family company with their constant fighting. Rosa, the mother of the boys is faced with a choice, let the business crumble or cast-off one of her sons. After a truly explosive fight, she sends Robert, the eldest son, packing. Faced with no other alternative and already in his 50's, Robert sets out to buy his own vineyard and create his own family run winery for his sons Michael and Timothy to inherit. With fierce determination and an unwillingness to compromise, Robert soon creates one of the most famous and iconic wineries in all of America. However, the family troubles of his past still haunt him and his family, from lawsuits and affairs to sibling rivalry and corporate take-overs, Robert Mondavi is plagued throughout his career with trouble that overshadows his fame.

Siler does a splendid job weaving multiple accounts of the events that transpired and gives a balanced point of view of the family squabbles that seemed all-too common for the Mondavi family. The House of Mondavi is not only an excellent history lesson about Mondavi wines, but also of the Napa Valley and it's rise to prominence. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in wine or the trials and tribulations of running a family business.

NYC 2009 or High Life on the High Line

This past weekend, P and I went to New York City for a wedding. It'd been a while since we were in the City, and we had an excellent time. Being busy with wedding activities, we did not go crazy and eat ourselves through the five boroughs; but, we did have a few culinary adventures.

The most exciting for me was my first visit to Zabar's, a gourmet delicatessen and food emporium in the Upper West Side (Broadway and 80th). I think P was very excited, too, since he has fond memories of going there as a child with his mother.

 

When you walk in, you are immediately struck by the wonderful scent and sight of olives and other briny things waiting to be plucked from their large buckets to become some lucky person's hors d'œuvre. 

  

But then, your attention is quickly drawn to WALLS of cheese. It made me cry a little. The prices seemed very reasonable and the selection unending. We tasted an excellent domestic smoked blue, but sadly, we did not take down its name in our hurry to see what was waiting for us around the next corner.

It was meat! And lots of it. Whether it's cold cuts, hot and cold entrees, and sides; salads; or fish, Zabar's has a lot to choose from. We decided to get some lunch from here and chose servings of chicken parm, chicken cacciatore, and pesto pasta. For me, the chicken parm was different than any I'd ever had in that the coating was quite eggy—as opposed to the crunchy breading I'm more used to. They also had a Chicken Milanese, which, I'm sure was crunchier.

Through to the next room, we found a small produce section and the bakery. Again, they had a large number of breads and baked goods to choose from (produce: not so much). They all looked very nice—the challah seemed to be going very quickly—but we were most excited to try their rye bread. Theirs is a nice seeded rye, and P & I were very happy to make a sandwich out of it. In fact, we snacked on the remainder of the loaf all weekend.

Zabar's also has a quite extensive array of fruit preserves, jellies, and jams. Some of my favorites—including ginger preserves and three citrus marmalade—were right there! (Coincidentally, we had gone to the Titanic exhibit the previous evening and seen actual Dundee preserves jars that had been on the Titanic and served to its guests during that fateful voyage. Zabar's preserves selection included today's Dundee preserves jars for contemporary New Yorkers to enjoy.)

As if that weren't enough, Zabar's also roasts their own coffee, and it smelled wonderful in the coffee section as customers' beans were freshly ground for them. Oh yeah, behind and around the coffee were spices, and we found there to be a nice selection there, too.

That's just the ground floor, folks! The 2nd floor at Zabar's is a large kitchen supply store. Their trendency to have a large selection of items (as I found myself repeating above) was certainly continued upstairs.

So, we purchased our items and headed to their café just next door to eat our lunch—opting out of a lovely lunch in Central Park due to P's extremely unfortunate abhorrance of picnics. (One can buy foods in the deli and take them next door to eat at a proper table or counter.) The café also offers panini and cold beverages—as well as tart frozen yoghurt they call ZA-Berry. I had to have some of the latter; so, of course, I did (my justification: "It's for the blog!").  It was actually fantastic. We've had this tart frozen yoghurt at other establishments (cf., Jeff's post) and have enjoyed it very much but could see why some people might disagree. ZA-Berry was just the right balance of sweetness and tartness that I believe should make it popular even with ice-cream-only folks. I got the Za-Berry Special ("It's for the blog!") and chose blueberries, pineapple, and strawberries as my toppings. Man, I want another...

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We went to a wedding later that evening at the NY Botanical Gardens. It was gorgeous, and the food was amazing. We have an unfortunate lack of photos (probably due to our overzealous enjoyment of the drinks and inspired hors d'œuvres); so, you'll have to take our word for it: the food really was very good. At cocktail hour, there were carving stations! There were also other hot and cold offerings at the stations as well as beautiful passed bites. Filet mignon for dinner was followed by a delicious dessert dubbed "Espressomisu" (pictured below). Some photos follow.

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One day, we took a stroll on the High Line, a new park in NYC which was built on an old elevated train track structure. Section one opened recently, and it is a must-see; it was beautifully conceptualized, designed, and excecuted. (Check out http://thehighline.org/ for info.) Many fun restaurants have sprung up in the vacinity—perhaps most notably in the meatpacking district in which the High Line ends (@ Gansevoort St.). You really should see this for yourself. Until then, here are some photos.

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On our way back from the High Line, I wanted pizza, so we stopped at Ray's—ahem—"Famous Original Ray's Pizza" in Chelsea. I love eggplant pizza, and I knew Ray's had it. Luckily, I got the last slice as well as a slice of Margherita. P got a slice of bacon and a slice of sausage & pepperoni. (We also splurged and got a few garlic knots: "It's for the blog!") My pizza was exactly what I wanted. They were nice and crusty, and the eggplant was tasty. It was not the best pizza I've ever had, but I was satiated and satisfied. Peter was less happy with his choices:

"I hardly thought Ray's was memorable pizza.  I felt it was too heavy on the cheese, not enough sauce, and the crust was just okay.  Maybe my expectations were too high but I've had much better at chains like Papa Gino's.  Growing up in the area, I know NY/NJ has much better to offer."

The Billionaire's Vinegar

I just finished reading Benjamin Wallace's in-depth look into the "Jefferson wine bottle scandal" back in the 1980's. His book, "The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine" dives into the mystery surrounding the Forbes family's purchase (from Christie's) of a bottle of 1787 Lafite claimed to have been owned by Thomas Jefferson. With thrilling detail, Wallace works as a detective to uncover the wealthy world of vintage-wine collecting and the famous, wealthy, and sometimes shady people who are involved in the business. It's a fascinating read, not only for the mystery of the Jefferson bottles (were they ever really owned by Jefferson? Are they as old as they claim to be?) but also for the amount of knowledge you gain from Wallace's research into old wines. If you're looking for a great story about wine and the wine culture of the rich and famous, this book is definitely for you.

Teranga - a taste of Senegal in the South End!

A month or so ago I was reading 'Stuff' magazine and came across an article about 'Teranga', Boston's new and only Senegalese restaurant. The word Teranga, itself, translates to something like 'hospitality' and having gone there yesterday I can certainly attest to the place's hospitable nature!

The restaurant itself is small and decorated with what I might call "modern African" decor. There are perhaps 7 tables for two along the window, another set of 7 or 8 along the side wall, and finally a bar that seats - you guessed it! - perhaps 7 or 8. On a Wednesday night around 7:30 I was pleased to see it was doing well, with two-thirds of the restaurant full. The menu itself is fairly simple, with half a dozen appetizers and a decent number of entrees. To drink they have a number of domestic and international beers, including options from Haiti and New Zealand, wines by both glass and bottle, and several wonderful-sounding fruit juice concoctions with ingredients like hibiscus and orange flower water.

We started with a round of beers - the 'Prestige' American-style lager from Haiti and New Zealand lager 'Steinlager'. Both were nice and light and went well with the Shrimp Brochette we chose as an appetizer. The shrimp came skewered with a number of vegetables including eggplant and onion and were drizzled with a delicious orange sauce. It was reminiscent of Thousand Island dressing looks-wise but less abrasive in its flavor - nice and creamy and not overpowering. The shrimp and vegetables were outstanding and had this incredible smokiness to them.

For my entree I chose the 'Thieboudienne', Senegal's national dish consisting of a white fish, rice, and a smattering of vegetables - carrot, cauliflower, cabbage, and cassava - all in a delicious tomato-based sauce. The fish was very meaty and had an almost salt-cured flavor to it which I enjoyed. I enjoyed the variety of textures and flavors with the vegetables, from the very starchy cassava (in the yucca family) to the soft cooked cabbage.

Chris chose the beef version of our shrimp appetizer - skewers of marinated beef and vegetables with a side of mixed greens and yucca fries. Again the skewers were drizzled with the tasty orange sauce. The beef was perfectly cooked - tender and flavorful with that outstanding smokey flavor. We both had a glass of wine to accompany our main dishes, but the names of them escape me.

We were a bit too full for dessert, instead asking who we presume to be the owner to recommend one of the fruit juices for us. She suggested her favorite, the Bouye juice, whose primary ingredient is I believe juice from the Baobab fruit. The juice was surprisingly white - very rich and creamy and surprisingly reminiscent of melted rainbow sherbet.

Having finished our meal we were thoroughly satisfied. For around $35 I had half an appetizer, a sizeable and delicious main dish, a glass of both beer and wine, plus a wonderful juice to end my experience there. I would highly recommend this new South End establishment to anyone looking for someplace fun and relatively inexpensive to have a meal!

Lala Rokh

I must admit, I hardly ever go to Beacon Hill in the summer....the amount of tourists on Charles Street usually is enough to deter me and drive me nutso but the rainy weather has seemed to keep some of the masses at bay, so I was more than happy to join my friend Julie for some good food and great company at Lala Rokh.

Lala Rokh is tucked away on Mt. Vernon street, right off of Charles St. The food is Persian and has won accolades from around the country. Seemingly small from the exterior, Lala Rokh is quite a large restaurant for the area with butter yellow walls, white table clothes, and warm lighting. Julie and I started off with some wine. The wine list was a good size with about 10 different types of wine by the glass (ranging from 7-12 dollars) and more half/full bottles that you could choose from. I got a delightful Riesling that paired perfectly with my main course.

We started off with appetizers.
(Now, before I begin, I have to tell you in advance: for some reason Lala Rokh does not publish their menu online or have take-home menus available (we thought that maybe the menu changes frequently?) so, being the consummate American, I found it very difficult to remember the names of the dishes we ordered, so you will have to pardon the lack of terms and just play along.)
We ordered two sets of appetizers. One appetizer was a beef croquet and was absolutely delicious. The croquet was a bit lemony and tangy and left our taste buds watering and wanting more. It was served with an awesome fig sauce that we happily slathered on. Our second appetizer was an eggplant tomato medley that was served chopped up—another good dish. It tasted a bit like tomato sauce (no complaints from me!). We ended up using our bread that we were given to scoop it up since it felt more like a dipping dish than something you'd eat with a fork.

For our main courses, I ordered the Loubia which is braised beef with green beans and cinnamon and pollo (pollo is not chicken, it's a type of flavored rice). The entrees were around $17-$22, but the portions were sufficient; and, by the end of my meal, I was full. My beef was excellent. It was slow-cooked, tender, and marinated with a mild sauce that reminded me of Indian food. Actually, to me, most of the food was similar in flavor to Indian food except less spicy (in my book, that's a big plus). Julie ordered another type of beef that had tomato in the sauce and it was excellent as well.

We opted out of dessert. Neither of us found anything that tickled our fancy too much. The desserts did look interesting though, most had some sort of rose water combination to them.

Overall, we had a fantastic dinner at Lala Rokh (in case you were wondering, it means Tulip Cheeks...don't worry, they explain on the back of the menu). The restaurant has a good atmosphere, great food, good portions, competitive prices, and the wait staff is friendly. If you love Indian food you will really like the food here as well. Definitely worth a trip to Beacon Hill....even in tourist season.

Frozen Yogurt at Berry Line!

Over the past year or so I've noticed a number of new frozen yogurt places opening up, reflecting the new trend of "tart", healthy, natural frozen yogurts as an ice cream alternative. While in Cambridge the other day I had the opportunity to try what Berryline, which opened in 2007, had to offer. Since then they have opened up 2 additional locations - one in Fenway and the other in Porter Square.

The choices are simple - they have the "original" flavor, plus two additional flavors each day. After choosing your yogurt type and size, you choose up to 3 toppings of fresh fruit, chocolate, graham crackers, and much more. Since it was a nice warm sunny day I kept it light with passionfruit frozen yogurt and fresh kiwi on top. It was very light and refreshing, and I could feel good about it considering it was fat free and made with skim milk and cane sugar. Check it out for yourselves!

Biscotti (Attempt #2)

So after tasting the almond biscotti from Mike's Pastry, I decided to alter the recipe I used before. This biscotti tastes sort of like gingerbread (Mike's Pastry biscotti tastes of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other holiday spices) to me. One thing that is a major difference this time is that I mixed everything by hand. A few websites I read on the subject said to never use a mixer when making biscotti (if you are attempting my first recipe on here, then by all means, use the mixer since those biscotti are more like anisette toast anyway). Another thing I learned is how to shape the dough into rolls better. Before, I was making the dough into small "loaf" shapes. This time, I shaped the dough into a neat,wide and low-profile rectangle, patting down the top and making the sides straight. This produced wonderfully traditional shaped biscotti. I think this is as far as I can take my own recipe. I really want to see if Mike's will sell their biscotti recipe...there's just something about the texture and taste that you can't replicate at home. Below is my very own recipe

Peter's Biscotti

Dry Ingredients:

2 2/3 cup flour
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1 T ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1 T ginger
Almonds

Wet Ingredients:

3 eggs beaten well
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 T vanilla extract
2 t almond extract
2 T dark molasses
1 stick melted butter


Directions:

Sift together dry ingredients except the almonds in a bowl, set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring with a wooden spoon.

After batter is mixed, add the almonds (about 2 handfuls)

On an ungreased cookie sheet (I use a silpat), scoop batter out and form into wide-rectangles (recipe will make about 2), make sure to flatten the top and not make them too high (you should put flour on your hands so the batter doesn't stick to them too much).

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes and baste with an egg wash. After egg wash appears dry, cut the now-puffed up rectangle into slices and lay the slices cut side down on the cookie sheet (if you are using a silpat, remove the silpat for this second baking).

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Enjoy!

Dunkin' Runs on iPhone

If you haven't already heard, Dunkin' Donuts has released a new website and iPhone app, allowing someone going on a coffee-run to easily collect his friends'/co-workers' orders.

I haven't used it yet but know some caffeinated friends who—I can imagine—will be very happy to see this. You must say, this is pretty cool...

Click here for Boston Herald the article.

Café Fixe

About a month ago, before moving back to Brookline, I noticed a cute-looking café that struck me as a new fixture to the hustle and bustle of Washington Square while driving by - Café Fixe. After a friend gave a great review of their coffee, I was quite excited to see for myself what they had to offer.


Walking in to the café the atmosphere is very modern and ikea-like. There are a number of high tables for two, a table for four, some seats along the front window, and then a couple of stools at the bar. The equipment all looked quite shiny and new. Unlike the quick-paced and sometimes careless drink preparation found at coffee chains, each drink is made with care - that being said this place may not be the place for a super quick coffee on-the-go.
The menu is simple and to the point - french press, pour-over, latés, cappuccinos, etc. A number of teas are also available - I recommend a hot chai - it's full of delicious spice! Most drinks are available iced as well. The coffee is truly delicious - very smooth but certainly packing a punch.

As to other tasty treats, Café Fixe has a number of offerings from muffins to Macaroons. I particularly enjoy the crispy tortas de aceite imported from Spain - they have a delicious anise-flavor and have the perfect amount of caramelized sugar on top.

Prices are very reasonable for the quality of product, and cash is preferred if possible. All in all, if you find yourself in Brookline or are a resident looking for a chill atmosphere to enjoy a book or get some work done, definitely give this place a try!

Super Shawarma in the South End | شاورما في سوث إند

We were greeted warmly by our gracious hostess for the evening. She quickly sat us at a table for four and brought us menus. She was very excited to tell us that they’d just gotten their license and that beer and wine were now available. She went away, and we sat looking at our menus, very excited that we’d taken the short walk in the rain to Pita.

The atmosphere was clean and warm, and we especially liked the mural of a Moroccan desert village they had painted above the counter.

I asked a few questions, and we gathered that, in fact, Pita is a new establishment as we had thought. It is a family business which opened about a month ago. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and have a nice (reasonably priced) catering menu. As mentioned, they also have a beer and wine available.

We decided upon our food—and a glass of wine each. The wine came; it was a Mirassou Sauvingnon Blanc. We received a generous pour of this nice, fruity, not-too-dry wine; and, at $6 a glass, we were very happy.

For food, Jeffrey and I chose Pita Roll-ups, Chicken Shawarma and Kafta, respectively. (Pita Roll-ups are on special for $5 on Mondays!) They come with diced tomatoes, cucmbers, and tahini sauce. Peter chose the Chicken Shish Kabob combo plate, which comes with Moroccan rice and “Mediterranean salad.”

When the food came, there was a slight mix-up with the order (Peter ended up with Kafta—pictured below—instead of the Chicken Kabobs). This was quickly rectified, and P was told to enjoy the Kafta while he (briefly) waited. 

My Kafta shawarma, was really delicious. The katfa were very nicely seasoned and char-grilled. The accoutrements went very nicely, and there was just the right amount of tahini sauce to give that nice flavor yet not be soggy. Jeff also enjoyed his very much: "I really liked the sauce and thought the bread was super good." Before bringing the roll-ups to the table, they were placed on a panini press to warm the bread and give it a subtle brown.

Peter enjoyed his chicken shish kabobs and the combo plate very much. The chicken was extremly tender and moist and seasoned well. (He was not as huge a fan of the kafta as I was, though. While he very much enjoyed the seasoning and flavor, he thought they were a bit dry.) The rice and fresh Mediterranean salad that came with the combo plate were delicious; the star was the salad dressing itself, though. It was like a French vinaigrette, yet it had a wonderful Maghreb herbs-and-spices twist.

I will definitely go back for the friendly service, tasty food, and reasonable prices to boot.

Lookout Farm

This weekend, Marco wanted to go strawberry picking for his birthday so we made out way to Natick, MA and stopped off at Lookout Farm owned by the Belkin Family. Established in 1651, Outlook farm is one of the oldest working farms in the country. The farm has apple, peach, pear trees as well as strawberries to pick! For strawberry picking, it'll cost you 8 bucks per person plus $5.99 for a pint or $10.99 for a quart basket. To get to the strawberry fields (forever...ha ha) you have to hop on a "train" and ride for about 5 minutes, you'll get a tour along the way and get to see a lot of fruit trees too.

The strawberry fields are decently sized but not too much to look at at first glance. Once you get off the train and start to actually inspect the plants though, you'll find a ton of ready-to-eat, ripe strawberries that are so juicy they explode in your mouth. Store-bought berries don't compare.

After we went picking, we came home and made the Barefoot Contessa's Strawberry Country Cake which everyone seemed to really enjoy. You can get the recipe here.

Pita in the South End

I just came across a (new?) restaurant as I was taking a walk in a part of the South End I rarely go to--until now.

I was headed to Zapatos on Albany street (an awesome shop for amazing deals on shoes and various articles of clothing), when I passed this place called simply "Pita." Well, I was both intrigued and excited since I love Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. So, I walked in and got a menu.

It was, unfortunately completely void of customers at 10:00-ish when I walked in, but the restaurant was nice and clean and seemed fairly new or newly remodeled.

The menu looked great, and the prices were very reasonable. They serve typical breakfast fare from 6am on weekdays, and the lunch and dinner offerings made my mouth water: salads, shawarma, falafel, stuffed grape leaves, baklava, etc.

I can't wait to try them out. (I didn't yesterday since I already had lunch plans.) I'm so glad to have found it, and I plan to become a regular (assuming it's good!).

Does anyone know anything about this restaurant? Know how long has it been there?

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Les Gourmands finally made it there. Here's what we thought. 

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473 Albany St at Union Park St.

Awesome Easy Cheesy Bread

Jeffrey recently shared his family's summertime cheese bread recipe with us and it's as delicious as it is easy to make! This bread goes great with steak or serve it up at your next brunch! It'll be gone in seconds!

Cheese Bread

2 twin loaves of french bread (or one long one)
1 brick sharp cheddar cheese sliced thinly
1 brick monterey jack cheese sliced thinly
1 softened stick of butter
2 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP chopped fresh chives
garlic salt to taste.

Make a mixture of soft butter, chives, olive oil and garlic soft. It will be like a soft paste. Slice the bread down every 1 1/2 inches or so - not all the way. Into these slices insert one cheddar and one Monterey Jack cheese slice. Spread the mixture all over the top and sides of the bread.

Wrap in foil completely (Use heavy duty foil and make sure everything is sealed well.). Bake at 375ºF for 20-30 minutes.

Happy Anniversary!

We've been so busy we almost forgot! This past Monday marked the one year anniversary of Les Gourmands du South End. It's been a busy year of eating, baking and cooking! We've thoroughly enjoyed bringing you all of our restaurant reviews and delicious recipes! We've had a blast updating and hope you'll stay with us as we bring in another great year! Bon Appétit!

Peter's Favorite Ice Cream Flavor for Summer 09

For the past two summers, my favorite ice cream has been the cinnamon ice cream from Picco's in the South End.  This year however, we have a new winner!  If you haven't had it yet, you MUST run out and buy it asap.  My favorite new ice cream flavor (for summer 2009) is....(drum roll please):  Mission to Marzipan.  A new Ben & Jerry's flavor this ice cream is a must for anyone who loves Marzipan (and for those who aren't too sure, it's still delicious, I promise!). 

(image courtesy of Benandjerrys.com)

Red Velvet Cake and Pralines

It seems that I'm in a southern kind of mood.  After a successful attempt at baking a red velvet cake (I used the recipe from the cookbook, Heirloom cooking with the Brass Sisters) I decided to try my hand at pralines from a recipe in a Williams-Sonoma cookbook.  Either I cooked the sugar a bit too long (I wanted to get that nice brown color) or we stirred the mixture too long but my pralines ended up being a hardened mass of pecans.  I was so disappointed but we were still able to salvage the candy coated nuts and will use them as a topping for ice cream or another cake.  If any southerner out there knows of a fantastic praline recipe, send it our way!

Biscotti (Attempt #1)

On my quest to find the perfect biscotti recipe, I came across the following one from our North End Italian Cookbook. I tried it out (my first biscotti attempt ever) and it came out pretty well. To me, they tasted more like anisette toasts (like the ones from Stella D'oro) but they were good nonetheless. The recipe from my book was not very exact. I ended up adding a lot more flour and baking the biscotti a lot longer to dry it out but I made note of that below (in italics). Give them a try and tell me what you think.

Biscotti
(from "The North End Italian Cookbook," adapted by Les Gourmands du South End)

Yield: 2 Dozen Large or 45 Small

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (you will probably need about a cup more)
0.5 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5 tablespoons anise extract
1 cup nuts (optional) (I used pecans)
0.5 cup dried fruit (e.g, cranberries) - (optional)
0.5 cup miniature chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat together eggs, sugar, melted butter, and flavorings on medium speed.
4. Blend dry mixture into egg mixture on slow speed until smooth and firm. Add more flour if dough is too soft to handle. (You should expect this.)
5. Remove from mixer onto floured board or counter.
6. Gently knead dough, adding more flour as needed.
7. Knead in any of the optional ingredients you choose to incorporate.
8. Cut dough into three parts and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. (I used a Silpat Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat.) Form into three log shapes, each about 6" long; flatten slightly.
9. Bake in hot oven for 25 minutes with cookie sheet in the middle rack. Watch for burning bottoms. (With the silpat, I did not experience any burning.)
10. Cool loaves on rack for 5 minutes. Then, while still warm slice them into half-inch slices, using a serrated knife.
11. Place the slices cut-side-down on a baking sheet. Return to oven and bake at 350º for 10-15 minutes. (I think they will need to bake for at least 40 minutes to dry them out biscotti-style.)
12. Remove from oven once desired doneness is achieved. Let cool (they'll get crunchier as they cool). Enjoy!


If you aren't getting that nice browned crispiness typical of biscotti, I found that, after baking the biscotti in the oven, if you then put them in the toaster oven on bake at 300ºF for 5 minutes, you can get a nice light brown color and crispness to them.