Momofuku Milk Bar - Cookbook!

So, I was scouring Amazon.com this evening for some cookbooks, and I discovered that Christina Tosi at Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC is releasing a cookbook this month with recipes from Milk Bar!!  I'm pretty ecstatic right now.  If you've read earlier posts, you'll know I'm a huge fan of this place.  I'm obsessed with their cookies, and I'm dying to make the Corn Cookie that I tried when I was there in New York.  (I ordered the book).  I will try and post an update with some recipes once I get it.  It's been way too long since I've updated the blog.  I need to add some unfinished posts from the summer!

Book link:  http://www.amazon.com/Momofuku-Milk-Bar-Christina-Tosi/dp/0307720497/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317704033&sr=8-1

Oatmeal + Poached Egg?!!

I usually work early mornings on Saturdays.  This means taking breakfast to work.  Today, I decided to combine two of my favorite breakfast items in a not-so-traditional fashion: oatmeal + poached egg.  I love eggs.  I think they are amazing for any meal.  I usually scramble them, fry them, or occasionally bake them (shirred eggs), however these methods are difficult to do when the only thing I have access to is a microwave.  I've done eggs in the microwave before, but they've come out rubbery over-cooked.

I found this "perfectly poached egg" on bon appetite's website, and their method of choice?  The microwave!!  One minute in 1/2 cup of water in the microwave, and you have a perfectly poached egg.

I threw this on top of a bowl of the best quick oatmeal I've found, Trader Joe's brand.  Apple-cinnamon today.  I actually added a bit of salt and pepper.  It was very brunchy, combining the sweet flavors of the oatmeal and savory, creamy goodness of the egg topped with salt and pepper.  This will certainly be a repeat breakfast for me.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Do you ever get the urge to skip dinner completely and go straight for the sweets?  I know I do.  I've got a major sweet tooth.  A few weeks back, my wonderful friend, Judson Aikens (Judson Knows Best), decided to host a movie and dessert night and invited Brandon Jenkins and I to bring some tasty treats.  The movie was Celine: Through The Eyes of the World, a documentary of Celine Dion's latest world tour.  It was incredible.


As for the desserts, Brandon and I chose two desserts that were very different, but both over the top.  The first was one of the eye-popping features from Bon Appetit's February issue: Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars.  We followed the recipe as written. 


PART 1:  The Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam
2/3 cup coarsely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving 2-inch overhang around edges and pressing firmly into corners and up sides of pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, sugar, and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; beat on low speed until smooth. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend. Transfer half of dough to prepared pan (about scant 1 1/2 cups). Place remaining dough in freezer for 10 minutes. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan. Spread jelly over in even layer. Remove dough from freezer; using fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over jelly layer. Sprinkle chopped nuts over.
• Bake bars until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan on rack.
• Using foil overhang as aid, lift bars from pan. Gently peel foil from edges. Cut into 16 squares. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Here's how ours turned out:

I do have to say that there are two flavor components that could really change he outcome of the bars drastically: the peanut butter and the jelly (pretty important for this dish, ha!).  We used Jif Natural peanut butter, and Smucker's Blackberry Jelly.  It's really important to use ingredients that taste wonderfully by themselves.  I can't really stand the taste of most "regular" peanut butters filled with all of their hydrogenated oils (trans fats!!!).  I do like and appreciate more organic and plain peanut butters made from only peanuts, peanut oil, and salt, however, when it comes to a jar I can't put down, it's Jif Natural.  It still has qualities of the origianl Jif, however, they use palm oil (naturally solid at room temperature), and a bit of sugar is added for sweetness, which I like.  The texture and flavor is right on.  I love it right out of the jar, and it's wonderful in smoothies, in sauces, or on a piece of dry toast. 


The jam we bought tasted great.  It was simple.  We both agreed, though, that next time we're going for a local jar of fruit preserves (containing the full fruit).  Quick side note on jams, jellies, preserves, compotes, etc. [from Wikipedia]:


Jam contains both fruit juice and pieces of the fruit's (or vegetable's) flesh,^[12] although some cookbooks define jam as cooked and gelled fruit (or vegetable) purees.^[13]
A conserve, or whole fruit jam,^[5] is a jam made of fruit stewed in sugar.

Jelly is a clear or translucent fruit spread made from sweetened fruit (or vegetable) juice and set using naturally occurring pectin. Additional pectin may be added where the original fruit does not supply enough, for example with grapes.^[12] Jelly can be made from sweet, savory or hot ingredients. It is made by a process similar to that used for making jam, with the additional step of filtering out the fruit pulp after the initial heating. A muslin or stockinette "jelly bag" is traditionally used as a filter, suspended by string over a bowl to allow the straining to occur gently under gravity. It is important not to attempt to force the straining process, for example by squeezing the mass of fruit in the muslin, or the clarity of the resulting jelly will be compromised.

British-style marmalade is a sweet preserve with a bitter tang made from fruit, sugar, water, and (in some commercial brands) a gelling agent. American-style marmalade is sweet, not bitter. In English-speaking usage, "marmalade" almost always refers to a preserve derived from a citrus fruit, most commonly oranges, although onion marmalade is also used as an accompaniment to savoury dishes.

The recipe includes sliced or chopped fruit peel, which is simmered in fruit juice and water until soft; indeed marmalade is sometimes described as jam with fruit peel (although many companies now also manufacture peel-free marmalade). Such marmalade is most often consumed on toasted bread for breakfast. The favoured citrus fruit for marmalade production in the UK is the "Seville orange," Citrus aurantium var. aurantium, thus called because it was originally imported from Seville in Spain; it is higher in pectin than sweet oranges, and therefore gives a good set. Marmalade can also be made from lemons, limes, grapefruit, strawberries or a combination.

The term preserves is usually interchangeable with jam. Some cookbooks define preserves as cooked and gelled whole fruit (or vegetable), which includes a significant portion of the fruit.^[13]


Compote (French for "mixture") is a dessert originating from 17th century France made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are immersed in water and with sugar and spices added to the dish, over gentle heat. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemon or orange peel, cinnamon sticks or powder, cloves, ground almonds, grated coconut, candied fruit, or raisins. The compote is then served either warm or chilled arranged in a large fruit bowl or single-serve bowl for individual presentation. The dessert may be topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, or vanilla sugar. Other preparations consist of using dried fruits which have been soaked in water in which alcohol can be added, for example kirsch, rum, orFrontignan.^[1] Dried fruit compote is a common passover food.




PART 2:  The Blueberry and Cream Cookies

Now for the second dessert.  This recipe has been an ALL STAR secret of mine for the past year.  These are the Blueberry and Cream Cookies from Christina Tosi's Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City.  They're the best cookies I've ever had.  


This recipe was featured (also) in Bon Appetit last September, along with a few other creations from Christina Tosi.  She is one of the most creative chefs in the country, and she's in charge of the Bakery under David Chang's Momofuku series of restaurants.  She also happens to be nominated for this year's James Beard Award.  Some of her creations include Crack Pie, Cereal Milk, and Chocolate-Malt Cake.  I HAD to make the cookies.  The recipe looked too good to be true.  The secret ingredient: Milk Crumbs - a streusel- like topping that has dry milk powder and butter in it.


Over the past 6 months, I've tried these cookies with different ingredients (dried cherries, cranberries and pecans, etc.), and they are always amazing, however the Blueberry and Cream version is still the best. 


Shortly after making my first batch, I had the chance to visit Milk Bar in Midtown NYC.  

I certainly tried every cookie they had.  This recipe is almost exactly like the cookies in the bakery.  Now, I only wish they had a recipe for their Corn Cookie!  [You can order most of their baked goods online at the link above.]   

Ingredients

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 large eggs
5 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 cups Milk Crumbs (click for recipe)
1 1/2 cups dried blueberries

Special Equipment

Stand mixer with paddle attachment.

Preparation

• Combine butter, both sugars, and corn syrup in large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and pale, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Add eggs; beat on medium-high speed until mixture is very pale and sugar is completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat on low speed just until blended, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Add Milk Crumbs; mix on low speed just until incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer. Stir in blueberries just until evenly distributed (dough will be very sticky).
• Using 1/4-cup ice cream scoop for each cookie, drop dough onto 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 24 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled until baking time.
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 2 large (18x12-inch) rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Transfer 6 chilled dough scoops to each sheet, spacing at least 4 inches apart (cookies will spread). Bake cookies, 2 sheets at a time, until golden, reversing sheets halfway through baking, 20 to 22 minutes total. Repeat with remaining chilled dough, cooling and relining sheets between batches. Transfer cookies to racks; cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

The key to crispy edges and soft, chewy centers is refrigerating the cookies over night after scooping them onto sheet pans.  I also might suggest freezing a few cookies (before baking them).  They're great to pull out of the freezer and bake, or simply microwave for about 15 seconds and eat warm, gooey, cookie dough!  YUM!

So which is it?! Grits or Polenta?

I've been on a Polenta kick this year.  It pairs well with so many dishes, and it's just about as comforting as can be - creamy, buttery, cheesy (if you like it that way);  it can be a savory dinner side or the star of the show for breakfast and brunch with a bit of maple syrup or brown sugar mixed in.  In my fascination with this porridge-y goodness, I've found there is much debate over the differences in grits and polenta.  Most will stand their ground and argue they are not the same thing, however it's time to shed a bit of light on this issue.

Alton Brown did an entire show on this debate a few years back: TRUE GRITS (watch it if you can!).  I've done some digging online and also noted Alton's key points.  Here's the deal.  Grits and Polenta are the same thing.  The cornmeal used for both is most commonly made from flint or dent corn.  HERE is an interesting read from about.com on corn.

Some argue that polenta is made from medium ground cornmeal and that true southern grits are made from coarse ground white cornmeal, however, there is no set standard.

Alton did note that hominy grits, the standard grits of the deep south, are definitely different than regular corn meal grits.  Hominy is dried corn which has been treated with an alkali such as lye.  This changes the chemical structure of the corn and makes it blow up several times its original size.  Hominy grits are [obviously] made from hominy, and the end result is a coarser meal - "grittier" grits that "never get truly creamy".

Many people are also familiar with the firm version of polenta, which is poured into a pan once cooked, and chilled in the fridge.  The polenta hardens and can be cut into slices, circles, squares, or "polenta fries" and then grilled, sauteed, or deep fried.

Basically, the way I see it is grits and polenta are different based on context.  I do feel like white coarse grits seem more "country" or southern", adding more to the visualization of eating than anything, but I'd be completely fine with using the yellow variation any day of the week.  I would serve polenta with a nice ribeye and grits with biscuits and gravy.  I'd probably throw some Parmesan-Reggiano in the polenta and some sharp Cheddar in my grits.

So, what do you call your mush?  How do you like it?  

Pantry raid, asian style

I was craving something Asian today.  I may have to do with the fact that I did get a Thai massage (best massages ever!).  I grabbed some salmon, bok choy, ginger, green onions, and Shiitake mushrooms from Whole Foods.  When I got home, I basically pulled out every Asian ingredient I could think of, and came up with this:

PANTRY RAID ASIAN SALMON


I didn't measure any of this out, so it's all rough estimates...


SAUCE


1 T freshly minced ginger
1 T freshly minced garlic
1 T finely diced jalapeno (I left the seeds in)
2 T chopped green onion
3 T sesame oil
3 T honey
2 T hoisin sauce
1 T dark red miso paste
2 tsp or more Sriracha (Asian hot sauce... makes everything taste better)
1 tsp corn starch
1/3 cup soy sauce

Blend in a blender until combined into a liquid

BOK CHOY


1 head bok choy, bottom trimmed, soaked and dirt rinsed
1 cup Shiitake or other type of mushrooms
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup sliced green onion
half of sauce recipe from above
sesame seeds

Add ingredients to a dutch oven or large lidded pot and bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes or until nok choy and mushrooms are very tender.


SALMON


2 salmon filets (about 6 ounces each)
salt
pepper
peanuts

Season salmon generously with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 T butter and 1 or 2 T sesame oil in a heavy bottomed fry pan on med to med-high.  When the pan is hot, add salmon, skin side up, to the pan.  Cook for 4 minutes and flip.  Once turned over, pour remaining sauce over the salmon and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.  Plate salmon on top of bok choy and garnish with peanuts.

This cook time was for a medium-rare to medium salmon.

Flat is beautiful

Okay, so I stole my title from Alton Brown and his pizza episodes for Good Eats (my favorite show, ever!).  I probably learned more about cooking from him than anyone else, so I had to give him a shout-out.  There seems to be nothing quite comparable to a night of home-made pizza making with friends.  This was on the agenda for last night.  A few recent visits to Nashville's City House inspired my friend Brandon Jenkins (designed the killer logo for Dry Toast) and myself to plan a pizza night of home-made, gourmet pies.

I believe most great things in life are simple.  The same applies to pizza.  It should have a few top quality ingredients (too many, and flavors start covering each other up), and the crust should be stellar.

Where to begin?  The two more important ingredients are the crust and the sauce.  As I said, SIMPLE!  

FOUNDATION

THE CRUST

I have used a few pizza recipes in the past, including one from Alton Brown and one from Wolfgang Puck.  This time, however, I decided to make a dough derived from a simple Country Loaf bread recipe from the the book I've been journeying my way through this year, Tartine Bread. 

The author and owner of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, Chad Robertson, takes his readers step by step through the process of making incredible hand made, naturally leavened (no yeast!!) bread that looks and tastes as if it came from the best bakery in town.  I'd tried two of the bread recipes from the book so far, which both turned out wonderfully, and figured the pizza dough had to be great.  It's the same bread dough simply shaped into pizza rounds.  

In the morning, as I was preparing my leavening, it was not developed to the extent I had wanted it to be (wasn't fully floating in water), however I was running out of time, and if I had not started the bread dough, we wouldn't had pizza.  To my surprise, the pizza crust turned out great.  Everyone enjoyed it.  Had I allowed the leavening to develop a tad longer, the outer edge of the crust would probably have risen and puffed up more (next time I will do this), but the flavor was incredible, and it did not seem lacking in any way.  Ingredients in the dough: flour, water, salt.  

THE SAUCE

You may recall my post on Spaghetti & Meatballs from last month.  The sauce from "The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual" was so great, I decided to make it again for this.  So simple too: canned whole San Marzano Tomatoes, whole garlic cloves, good olive oil, salt, and crushed red chili flakes.  Key ingredient: time.  It simmered for about 5 hours yesterday.  I think I could've eaten a bowl of this and called it a night!  Here's the recipe adapted from the book.  This is only 1/4 of the original recipe.  It was plenty for 2 or 3 pizzas.

1 28-ounce can of whole peeled Italian Style San Marzano Tomatoes

1/4 cup good olive oil

4 whole cloves of garlic

kosher or sea salt

crushed red chili flakes

Add oil and garlic to a dutch oven or large pot and let them simmer for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour the tomatoes in a large bowl, discard the basil leaves and tough ends of the tomatoes (they will squirt everywhere if you're not careful!).  After 10 minutes, add the crushed red chili flakes to the oil for about 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes and salt.  Let everything simmer for at least 4 hours.  Your patience will be greatly rewarded!

THE SECRET INGREDIENT

So, I said Brandon and I were inspired at City House.  What sparked such inspiration?  Chili oil drizzled on top of the pizza we had ordered!  It was amazing, with a subtle background of heat, amplifying all of the other flavors on the pizza, and leaving a lingering spice in your mouth.  Only one thing left to do: eat another piece!

THE PIES

Now that the foundation was ready go, here were the pizzas we ended up making:

CLASSIC MARGHERITA

Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh Basil

Sunday Sauce

Chili Oil

Crushed red chili flakes and cracked black pepper for garnish

Brushed olive oil on crust

POTATO

This was also adapted from a few of this pizzas on City House's menu.  The potatoes really make the pizza rich and filling.

Scalloped Yukon Golden Potato

Olive Oil for base

Ricotta Cheese (I really only use Polly-O brand.  It's unlike anything else.)

Cooked Wellshire Farms bacon 

Frozen Peas

Brushed olive oil on crust

CHORIZO AND CHEESE

Thinly sliced rounds of Chorizo sausage

Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Goats Cheese

Chile Oil

Brushed olive oil on crust

BBQ CHICKEN

This has been one of my favorite pizza flavors since I was really young.  It was a must.

Honey BBQ sauce

Roasted Chicken Breast, shredded and tossed in chili oil

Goats Cheese

Sliced purple onion

Brushed olive oil on crust

ICING ON THE CAKE

My foodie friend, Jeff, joined our pizza dinner, and he had inquired earlier in the day if I had anything planned for dessert.  He brought and incredible home made Macadamia Nut Ice Cream (molded in a Le Creuset terrine), sliced into beautiful squares and garnished with a sweet, salty, and crunchy Macadamia Nut Brittle.  Over the top!

"This is the song that never ends..."

Do you remember that song?  That's right... Lamb Chop!  Ah, the memories of growing up.  Well I'm afraid to say that last night the song finally ended.  I ate Lamb Chop.  At least the Spiced Lamb Chops from last month's issue of Bon Appetit.  I'd been wanting to try my hand at cooking lamb for quite sometime, and this seemed like the perfect recipe to use.

I bought an 8 rib rack of New Zealand Lamb Chops at Whole Foods and sliced the ribs into indivdual cuts.





Spiced Lamb Chops

Ingredients

8 whole cloves
1 small dried chile (I think I used a dried Serano)
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 6 ounce container of Fage or Chobani Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
8 lamb rib chops (each about 1 inch thick), excess fat trimmed



Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in small skillet. Stir over medium heat until spices are aromatic and slightly darker in color, about 3 minutes. Transfer spices to bowl and cool. Grind spices to coarse powder in spice mill. Combine spices, yogurt, and ginger in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Add lamb chops and turn to coat with mixture. Let marinate 30 minutes.
Preheat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange chops on baking sheet. Broil lamb to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer 2 lamb chops to each of 4 plates.


To round out this meal, I decided to use my go-to Creamy Polenta recipe, adapted from an old Bon Appetit recipe as well...

 
Creamy Corn-Studded Polenta


Ingredients

3 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1 can of corn
1 tablespoon butter
Shredded cheese of your choice


Preparation


Bring broth, cream, and salt to boil in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Add corn; increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until polenta is soft, thick, and creamy, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter and cheese (I used parmesan and goats cheese), and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
 
Italian Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients

25 spears of fresh asparagus (buy thick, bright green spears if you can find them).
4 slices of Prosciutto
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper


Preparation

Cut the ends off the asparagus.  Toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Divide into 4 bundles of spears, and wrap each bundle with a slice of prosciutto.  Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.