Meatless Most Days

  

I like to do what everybody else is doing. These days, vegetables are all the rage. Veganism is the new Atkins. Since I don't usually reach for the skies, vegetarianism will do for me, part-time, that is.

Much to Rosalind's chagrin, we have jumped on the bandwagon of Meatless Mondays. Actually, Meatless Most Days is more like it. This is not because of some virtuous concern for the environment or the animals involved. I'm not going to take credit where credit is not due. It hasn't even been a conscious decision. All of a sudden, we just find ourselves consuming less and less meat.

The bottom line is that I don't like to touch raw meat; I abhor it actually. In this household, I cook most of the meals, so somehow or other, I need to be in contact with the animal flesh if I want to have it for dinner. So there I said it. I'm a meat-eating hypocrite. I don't mind eating meat as long as somebody else prepares it. That is a very depressing thought so let's not talk about that anymore. Instead, let's focus on the wonderful world of vegetables.

Vegetables are so much fun! And beans! And legumes! You can cook them in myriad of ways. With mixing and matching, the possibilities are endless. Vegetables brighten up a plate like no other so wouldn't you say that they deserve to be the main attraction instead of being pigeonholed in their usual supporting role? Vitamins and fiber are good too, if you're into that kind of thing.

What has brought this renewed interest in plant life, you ask.  Two compound words: Moosewood Cookbooks. Last summer, my sister Rachel has been so good as to reintroduce me to Molly Katzen and the world of Moosewood and boy, am I a changed cook. It has been more than a decade ago but I still remember watching Molly Katzen's cooking shows on PBS and admiring how much she gets a kick out of her fruits and vegetables. It has almost made me a herbivore. "Almost" is the operative word because at that time, I have been very foolish and thought meself invincible. So much so that brownie for breakfast, Snickers bar for lunch, and nachos for dinner have been the norm. I'm not foolish anymore, being no longer a spring chicken and all that. Nowadays, I turn to Molly Katzen and the Moosewood Collective as my guides in giving my leafy greens the attention they deserve.

So without much ado, I present the first installment of our Meatless Days series: Tamale Pie.  This recipe is adapted from none other than Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. Being my first tamale pie ever, I have no point of comparison. But I must say, this is a pretty darn good casserole.



Tamale Pie

1 cup polenta
4 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt

15 oz can pinto beans with the liquid
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup tomato salsa
1 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese, or Jack or Colby Jack



Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add salt. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in the cornmeal a little at a time. Turn the heat to low. Whisk continuously for the first few minutes to avoid any lumps. Cook for about 10 more minutes, whisking often, until all the water is absorbed and the mixture has thickened.

Pour the soft polenta on an oiled 9" by 13" baking dish. Let cool while you mix the toppings.

Pour all the beans along with the liquid in the now empty saucepan. Put back on the stove (medium heat) and mash with a potato masher or a whisk while heating. Bring just to a boil then add the corn, tomato salsa, herbs, salt and pepper. Mix and spoon over the somewhat cooled polenta.

Top with cheese.  Bake for about half an hour, until bubbly.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Are Those Gastropods On That Cake?

Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Frosting

Yes siree!

I have gotten a request for a cake decorated with foliage and garden snails. So I ask you, my dear imaginary readers, how do you make such slimy repulsive creatures look cute, sweet, and palatable?

I have chosen to answer this question with my usual reply: Chocolate! Chocolate! And more Chocolate!

Chocolate leaves. Chocolate shells. Chocolate antennae.

Besides the chocolate decorations, this cake is an all white confection: vanilla chiffon cake with vanilla bean cream frosting.

Snowballs and A Summer Wedding Cake

A few of days ago, Rosalind played outside in the snow all day, thinking it might be her last chance this winter. She built snow people and challenged her Aunt Rachel to three snowball fights. When she went inside for meals, she kept peeking out the window watching for any signs of the impending rain that would turn her snow creatures to mush.

Her contagious fervor got me to go outside (in the cold!) and play. As I was gathering up ammunition for my snowball fight with Rosalind, I thought about the cake I made for a friend's wedding two summers ago. I piped lots of dots in groups of three and thought that they looked like stacks of snowballs. And I did worry about losing those dots in the Sacramento heat.

Admittedly, that is how it is with me. Pretty much anything conjures the thought of food. It's sad, really. But I take consolation in knowing that it works vice versa: food also triggers memories. For example, homemade truffles remind me of the birth of my first nephew. I remember my older brother, looking tired yet elated, sharing the chocolate confections with the nurses in the maternity ward and proudly saying that his sister made them. Pesto takes me back to a pizzeria in Davis where Steve and I ate one of our first meals together. A bite of Kraft macaroni and cheese reminds me of freshmen year in college and Babybel cheese of a trip to London. Some people will say that I'm just a glutton. But what I truly wonder is how a psychiatrist would interpret results if I take one of those word association test.

Cosmo and Snickers Cheesecake

Cosmo

Meet Cosmo: a portrait of a conflicted psyche. He is a geriatric cat who loves the warmth, comfort and quiet of domesticated life and at the same time longs for the wild hair-raising life of an alley cat. Like most indoor cats, he lives to be petted and cuddled. We might find him contentedly napping on a blanket or a warm lap but the next moment, when the front door opens and opportunity presents itself, he darts out the door for an adventure. A few years back, he took off for a whole week and when he came back, he was dirty, scraggy, thirsty and very very hungry. Tufts of fur were missing and he was laden with fleas. One would think that such an experience might have given him a scare. But not him. Something snaps and he bolts out the door again. That torn right ear you see is a product of another escapade. When we still lived in Sacramento, he purposely sought out a notoriously mean neighborhood cat to start a brawl. Good thing his limbs and other body parts have stayed intact. One thing we can count on though is that he always comes back. Like a boomerang. You see, he wants to have his cake and eat it too.

Cosmo also possesses a strong instinct to scavenge. For the record, his food bowl is seldom empty and he does eat and like his own food. Still, he craves human food. When he was a kitten, he would tip over the kitchen garbage pail every night and scatter its contents throughout the house. Steve was forced to put a brick in the pail so that it would be too heavy for Cosmo to push or pull down. Also as a kitten, he was known to snatch a slice of pizza right out of one's hand. He chewed through paper or plastic bags to get to a donut or a loaf of bread. One time I caught him lapping a pan of grease that was left on the counter. (I hate it when he goes on the counter!) When I cook, I'm always tripping over him because he walks around me waiting for any crumbs or bits of food to drop on the floor. His latest and biggest offense happened a couple of months ago.

Rosalind decided to make a cheesecake for her aunt's birthday. She didn't start mixing the batter until after dinner so as soon as we popped the cake in oven, I told her to get ready for bed and I would pull the cake out of the oven when it was done. And I did. But as I was waiting for the cake to completely cool so I can wrap it up and store it in the refrigerator, I fell asleep.

I admit that it was also my fault that in the morning, Rosalind found three good-size craters carved on her beautiful cheesecake. It appeared that Cosmo helped himself to about a quarter of the cake! I wasn't there to witness her initial reaction to this little tragedy. Steve was and he told me how upset she was about it. Rosalind calmly related the incident to me and declared that we just had to make another one. And we did.

Cosmo, of course was scarcely to be seen that day. I do believe that he has nine lives (and maybe more). In addition to his preferred high calorie/fat diet, he had frequently incurred the wrath of a many fellow creatures and successful averted its impact. If there is ever a nuclear war, I can see him surviving that too, among all the cockroaches of the world.

Now I'm afraid I won't be able to entice you to try out this extraordinarily scrumptious out-of-this-word confection after going on about feline scavengers, nuclear war and cockroaches. But just look at this picture! Underneath all that rich caramel, salty peanuts, chocolate chips, and Snickers candy chunks, there is a creamy vanilla bean cheesecake with chocolate wafer crust. It really more than satisfies.

Snickers Cheesecake

Cheesecake is my go-to dessert because it's versatile. It's an easy make-ahead dessert and it freezes well. To get the creamy texture, I treat it like a custard; I bake it in a water bath in low heat.


Snickers Cheesecake

Chocolate Crust:
4 Tablespoons butter (2 oz)
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour


Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper.

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the cocoa powder and mix on low speed until well-combined. Mix in the milk then add the flour. Mix on low speed just until the dough holds together. Press the dough on the bottom of the springform pan. Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Batter:
24 oz cream cheese room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 vanilla bean (split the bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds)
(or 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract)

The batter will be mixed in low speed the whole time to avoid incorporating too much air, which will make the cake crack or souffle up then crash. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the (room temperature) cream cheese with the vanilla bean seeds until smooth and there are no more lumps. Scrape the bottom and side of the bowl every now and then.

Slowly add the sugar and mix thoroughly. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Mix until combined. (If you are using vanilla extract, add it with the eggs).

Toppings:
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup caramel (store bought or homemade)
1 Snickers candybar, chopped

Assembly:

Butter the sides of the cooled springform pan. Scatter 1/2 cup salted peanuts, 1/2 cup chocolate chips and dollops of caramel (approximately 1/2 cup worth) on the baked chocolate crust.

Next, pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake the cheesecake in a water bath. To avoid water seeping in, wrap the outside of the springform pan in foil or place it in a slightly larger cake pan (10 or 12 inch), as shown in the picture. Put the whole contraption on a sheet pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Bake the cheesecake at 300F for about an hour.

The cheesecake is done when the outside of the cake is slightly puffed and the center still jiggles a little bit like firm Jello. Let the cake completely cool in its pan.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours; overnight is best. Unmold the cheesecake. Spread the rest of the caramel on top.

Garnish with the rest of the topping.

Why I'm Blogging Again... and A Recipe For Caramel Sauce

After many months hiatus, I am blogging again because:

• Things are piling up. Clutter surrounds me. There are piles of recipes I want to keep, recipes I want to try, and recipes I want to tweak. Pictures abound: of my family, friends, food, vacations, and old haunts. These pictures are crawling with memories. I won't even bother elaborating on the jumble that is in my head. Instead of dumping everything in a time capsule that I can bury in the backyard, I stake a claim in a little corner of the Internet (as I no longer have a backyard to speak of). In my little blog, which is buried under millions of other food blogs, where nobody can find it but me, I have a receptacle. I dump my clutter in this virtual space, in my "One Bowl" and I stir and season and pop everything in the oven and hit "Publish" and voila: my clutter comes out sorted and labeled. Here, I can pretend that my life is organized and well thought-out. 
• In my blog, I can talk to myself without actually talking to myself. I can indulge in narcissistic dialogues or rave endlessly about my children without extracting an obligation from other people to pretend to listen to me.
• It's a wonderful life and I like to remember it that way. Bad stuff happens and it has a way of clouding good memories, doesn't it? Here, good times are immortalized. Even if I jot down events that are not so very pleasant, it's easier for me to see the silver lining when things are written down and sorted out.
• I want one more reason to cook with Rosalind. That is why I started the blog in the first place.
• A few of days ago, we've discovered Hugh's first tooth! To date, he has two teeth peeking out. Soon, he will be eating what we cook and not too long after that, he will be cooking with us. 

You see, my presence here is out of pure selfishness. I'm not here to share recipes or baking techniques or cooking ideas.  There are millions of other food bloggers out there who do a better job at those things and most likely have more altruistic motives than I do. I am simply keeping a log of what interests me and what is important to me.

But if you happen to get lost in the interweb and happen to stumble upon our humble abode, you are very welcome to come visit and to skim or peruse. If you see a recipe that looks interesting, please try it. If there's a picture of a dessert that you want to try but it looks like I have been too lazy to post a recipe with it, please leave me a comment and I will gladly jot down the recipe for you. Then I'll have a copy for myself too! (See how self-serving I am?) And of course, if any questions arise, ask and I shall try my best to answer.

During my short stint blogging last year, I have come to the conclusion that a personal blog has the capacity to evolve and fulfill multiple functions. Just like my favorite caramel sauce. I've initially made this recipe to top apple pie a la mode and brownie sundaes. Then I've used it to complement various desserts. At some point, I've started flavoring cakes, custards and cheesecakes by directly mixing the caramel in the batter. Recently, Rosalind and I ate my caramel sauce right out of the refrigerator with spoons as we watched a Miss Marple movie marathon. Burnt sugar and butter never tasted so good! Try it. I highly recommend it (the caramel or any Miss Marple movies with Geraldine McEwan).


All Purpose Caramel Sauce

1 stick butter (4 oz or 8 Tablespoons)
1 cups sugar
1 cup cream

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium high heat. Stir frequently with a whisk to keep butter from separating.

As soon as the butter is melted, slowly pour in the sugar while whisking continuously until the butter and sugar are nicely blended.

Brush the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals.

Let it cook, whisking occasionally. Make sure your whisk is also free of sugar crystals; wash the whisk with warm water if you have to.


Be very careful with this next step because really really hot steam will rise out of the pan and can burn you. As soon as the sugar/butter turns a medium brown color, turn down the heat to low and slowly, little by little, whisk in the cream.

Whisk until smooth and the desired color is reached. Take off the heat. Let it cool. Refrigerate for longer shelf-life. It will thicken in the fridge but it can be quickly warmed up in the microwave or stove top to thin it out. The caramel gets hot pretty fast, just to warn you.

And there you have it. Spoonfuls of heaven.


P.S.
Caramel sauce is a very touchy subject. There are lots of schools out there. Some advocate stirring, some don't. There's a question of when to add the butter: with the sugar or after caramelization or if at all.  Cream or no cream. Dry or wet caramelization. Brushing the sides with water or putting the lid on to steam down the crystals.

This is the sauce I've been using for years. It works for me.

Gaps

In the past 10 months, Rosalind and I baked together just a handful of times. The lull started around Saint Patrick's Day last year when my morning sickness kicked in. The mere thought of chocolate, coffee, beer, or garlic made me ill. How much I dreaded the smell of the restaurant! It didn't help that I would always be the first one to arrive at work. As I opened the kitchen door, I would get a nice big whiff of the compounded stench of garlic, onions, fried food and liquor (that had all been cooped up in an unventilated building for hours). Then the janitors would do their thing and cleaning fumes would eventually smother the smell of stale food and alcohol. What can one do but to put on a brave face and do one's job? I kept it up too, even when my days involved mass producing those Guinness chocolate cakes which involved pounds after pounds of chocolate and pints after pints of beer.

But when I got home, it was a different story. I was on the couch a lot, snoozing or cursing the injustice of the world. I didn't cook or bake. We lived on quesadillas, salads and Subway sandwiches. Rosalind was very understanding. According to her, she had been waiting for a sibling for almost a decade. She would always remind me to take my vitamins and drinks lots of water. She would even bring me Skittles and Mentos from who knows where to combat the nausea.

In a way, the pregnancy distracted her from a looming event that she dreaded: our move to Seattle. Steve was to start a PhD program at the University of Washington. Rosalind was born and bred in Sacramento. She was very attached to her home, her school, her friends and not to mention her cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles in California. She also didn't like change. So even with the promise of beaches, museums, plays, and fish and chips or the prospect of two doting aunts and a pretty awesome uncle who live in the Seattle area, she still approached our relocation with foreboding. To top it off, the girl also delighted in melodrama. Her eyes welled up every time "the move" was mentioned. And once or twice, when her "sorrows" overwhelmed her, she would run to her room and lock the door to seek solitude.

One day, after a serious meltdown, she asked me if we could bake something, anything. So I got my butt off the couch and we made these cookies.

They probably were peanut butter sandwich cookies filled with ganache. I don't exactly remember. But I do remember Rosalind letting out a big sigh as I pulled the pan of cookies out of the oven and exclaiming: "Well, that felt good!"

Sometimes we forget the therapeutic effect of routine. With all the uproar, the poor child was craving something normal and familiar and probably some peanut butter chocolate cookies as well. Not too long after that, we made Puffles cupcakes with her friends from school

and mutated Puffles cupcakes with her cousins. (They are too creative to be restricted by directions).

Later in the summer, when we were pretty much settled in our new home in Seattle, Rosalind and I went blackberrying and made a blackberry pie.

And we made lots of peanut butter cookies. Some were cyclops with mega-size peanut butter cups.

Some were filled with ganache.

And then this little guy came along.

Now, who can think of cookies, cakes or pies when you have just fallen head over heels in love?

Well, if one of your favorite people in the world has a birthday celebration, a Snickers cheesecake becomes obligatory. We'll have the recipe for you in an upcoming post.

Happy Valentine's Day

Rosalind made these sparkly heart cookies for her class. She mixed a basic shortbread dough, rolled, cut, brushed the tops with egg white wash then sprinkled red decorating sugar all over. The cookies were baked at 350F for 10 minutes.