Great with lasagna or hot soup!
Author: Chef M
Puff pastry is an ingenious dough composed of alternating layers of pastry and butter, hundreds and hundreds of ultrathin layers—it’s what’s referred to in the profession as a laminated dough. When it’s baked, the water in the butter turns to steam, forcing the dough to puff, and the pastry layers become shatteringly delicate and light, with a delicious buttery crunch. The concept is simple: a dough is wrapped around a block of butter to encase it, then the dough is rolled out into a long, thin sheet, with a thin layer of butter sandwiched between the two layers of dough.…
Cranberry Upside-Down Cake is a visually stunning, gemlike dessert — or breakfast — that can be made any time of the year. The basic upside-down cake works just as well with fresh or frozen cranberries. If you use frozen, don’t even bother defrosting; they can just be poured right into the pan.
Maduros are made from very ripe plantains that are a blend of yellow and black (not yet mostly black) and are a staple side dish throughout Latin America. They are one of my favorite starchy sides to go with just about anything. I love the way the natural sugars caramelize during cooking to provide a lovely sweet contrast to any savory main dish.
Pecan turtles are so good because they pack multiple flavors and textures into every bite: Crunchy, buttery pecans are held together by chewy, sweet caramel, and the whole thing is coated with rich chocolate. We wanted to translate this into a cookie that would be as satisfying as the candy. A thumbprint cookie was the perfect vehicle for these ingredients; the hollowed-out center could conveniently hold a pour of gooey caramel. The rich chocolate dough gets its flavor from a generous amount of cocoa powder; using cocoa powder kept our cookies from being too sweet when paired with the caramel.…
As far as roasts go, a bone-in turkey breast is a relatively inexpensive, versatile cut. For a nutritious change of pace from standard gravy and potatoes, we rubbed our turkey with a potent spice paste that provided mellow heat and deep flavor. To crisp skin without drying out meat, we browned the turkey in a Dutch oven before transferring it to roast in a low oven. Instead of building a sauce from drippings, we simmered a bright, sweet-sour sauce using fruit juice, vinegar, and tarragon. Many supermarkets are now selling “hotel-cut” turkey breasts, which still have the wings and rib…
I remember the first time I ever served goat’s curd for a lunch. It was a long long time ago after a trip to France where I’d bought a bottle of amazing walnut oil. Gabrielle Kervella from Western Australia was a pioneer in making fresh goat’s curd of such quality and it was available for the first time in Adelaide. I simply made a mound of it, drizzled it with the aforementioned walnut oil and toasted walnuts and served it with some roasted beetroot and leaves from the garden. I have to say it was the equal of anything I…