Spork or Foon?

Top Chef Season 1, Episode 4: Mirin Glazed Mahi-Mahi

This week was super simple and for that, I thank Top Chef and the episode winner, Tiffani Faison.  I have had a hard time doing this Top Chef challenge on a weekly basis, as I have been traveling to NY from DC every weekend since the beginning of June (and I have 2 more weeks of traveling), so it has been hard for me to cook on the weekends.  But I am not traveling anymore after the weekend of the 10th until I move back home to NY on August 13 (I'm not counting down the days or anything).

For this week's challenge, the cheftestants were assigned the task of creating a gourmet meal that could be reheated in the microwave.  Now, if I am not mistaken, this was before the blatent GE/Glad Bag/Dr. Pepper/Etc/Etc/Etc product placement, so this may have been a geniune challenge idea by the producers.  But I could be wrong.

The cheftestants were given a budge of $50 and then had 90 minutes to cook, package, and refrigerate their dishes.  The next day, they have 10 minutes to prepare and plate their dishes to serve to the Oakland East Bay Junior League.  Tiffani's simple dish of Mirin Glazed Escobar (Seabass) won the ladies and the judges over.

It won me over, too.

I cannot believe how simple this dish is.  It called for some exotic ingredients such as Shaoxing Wine (huh?) and purple shisho sprigs (oh, I'm fresh out of my batch of purple shisho sprigs...), so I improvised. None of the fishmongers (favorite. word. ever.) were selling sea bass or any fish remotely like it, so I just got mahi mahi.  

10 minutes people.  A delicious dish in ten. minutes.  And suprisingly, even though I'm sure the sea bass was fantastic in the microwave as well, this fish held up very well to being reheated.  Tasty, tasty, tasty. 

Top Chef, I love you.  And next week's dish scares me. I don't think it will take 10 minutes. It has about 30 ingredients, 1 of which is date syrup. Where do I get date syrup???  

Next Week:  Moroccan Cubano Pork Sandwich

Mirin Glazed Escobar adapted from Top Chef

6 tbsp mirin

1/4 cup white miso paste

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup sherry 

Two 6 oz pieces mahi mahi

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 fresh parsley

In a cointainer large enough to hold the fish, combine the mirin, miso paste, teriyaki sauce, and shaxing. Put the fish in the marinade and refrigerate, covered, overnight.

In a medium saute` pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Remove the fish from the marinade, scraping off the excess, and pat dry. Put the fish in the pan and cook, without turning, for three minutes until well browned on the bottom.  Turn and cook the other side for about 3 minutes until well browned and just cooked through (the fish will flake easily when prodded with a knife).  Turn the heat down to medium if the fish is browning too quickly.

Place the fish on serving plates and garnish with purpole shiso and salad burnet sprigs.  Serve immediately.

Calling All Food Bloggers...

This morning, I have been completely entranced with the story about the ongoing battle of New York City Chef Joe Dobias vs. the food blogging world.

Chef Dobias (or Joe Doe, as he is called) owns a restaurant in the East Village called, well, JoeDoe. Recently, there have been some mediocre reviews of his establishment.  And Chef Joe has taken it upon himself to attack anyone who has something negative to say.

Recently, a Yelp commenter wrote: 

For entrees, two of us ordered the pork belly (mill valley belly on the menu i think), while one of us ordered the duck. incidentally, although our server was really friendly and good about suggesting dishes, he said he'd never tried the duck. i guess that's good he was honest about it, but on a menu of 10 items, how could you not have tried everything at least once? anyway the pork belly was good but VERY VERY fatty. delicious but FAT. the spinach it came with was disappointing though, lacking in flavor and dry.

Well, watch out Yelpers, here comes Chef JoeDoe:

"Yelp sucks for this reason.  Uneducated people can post stupid things on here.  Pork belly is exactly that, a belly of a pig.....fatty....that is like saying bacon is fatty??  Just silly commentary.  Kale was the accompanying vegetable not sure what country kale is condsidered to be spinach.  Further the server did not taste the dish bc we change the menu daily...it is impossible and extremely costly to tastee every new dish every day.  If you liked only the sandwich and the sundae you lack the depth of understanding to appreciate a restaurant like JoeDoe.  I think it is unfortunate that people like you offer up sucj harsh critiques....posing like you have a pallete.  Please visit another restaurant, preferably one that gives a choice of sald dressing, that is what you need.
Chef JoeDoe"

Not the best response to paying customers. Isn't the key to having a successful restaurant is by having repeat customers? 

Later, Food Blogger Marc Dobias reviewed the restaurant on his site, New York Journal.  He wrote that:

 "...the staff pointed out a rule prohibiting photography, which purportedly annoys the other guests—notwithstanding that there weren’t any, aside from a loving couple at the opposite end of the room who, we are sure, did not notice our non-flash camera. So we are unable to show you the photos of what we ate, which looked a lot better than it tasted.... A Veev Cured Scallop ($12) made a dull impression. Veev (a brand of vodka) contributed little, other than its fancy name. A schmear of jalapeno mayo was more than the scallop needed, but not enough to spread on the accompanying crisp bread. A salad of cured pork on lukewarm cooked green vegetables also misfired...."

Well, Chef JoeDoe was not going to take this lying down.  He came out, spatulas a-blazin':

"Marc this is a malicious post based on the fact that you were upset b/c the server told you not to take pictures.  You are too arrogant for rules I guess. I think your bitter, and I feel sorry for you. Blogging is a silly science with no rules and the players often times have zero concept of working in a restaurant, running one and most shockingly eating at one. I would like you to extend me the offer to sit next to you at your job (let me guess something to do with computers?) and then "blog" about how bad you are after you offend my sensibilities. JoeDoe is polarizing, but doesn't deserve or warrant blog posts by angry little men. Lastly, my resto is in the EV the only people who eat at 6:30 on a friday are the dinosaurs they serve at Prune." 

Oh. No. He. Didnt!!!

Well, Marc just had to respond:

"Thanks for the comments, Joe. Despite the argumentative tone, I shall try to respond to them in a serious fashion...

...The “no photo” rule appears on the menu in fairly small print, which I did not notice until the server pointed it out. Once the server made the request, I of course complied... 

...I do not claim any expertise at running a restaurant. I also require none. Chefs don’t just cook for experts. No “expert” is entitled to tell me that I am supposed to have loved the food I was served... 

...Thanks for the offer to sit next to me at my job, and “blog” about what I do, but it is not relevant. I do not have a job that directly serves the public...

...Lastly, I’ve eaten plenty of early Friday dinners in the East Village, and I’ve never seen a restaurant as empty as yours was."

OH, SNAP! YO MAMA!

Chef JoeDoe came back:

Marc I dont need your opinion nor do other chefs. The reason they dont respond is bc you are a blogger and should not matter. But when you kill yourself for a living like I do, it is very tough to stomach an angry little mans opinion. Who honestly care what you think and further how dare you and the other sh*thead bloggers. You made your snap judgement on one visit and further as I said you have zero credibility for writing reviews. That was the only reason i responded here. You are wrong about my food and the restaurant, you simply have no taste judging on your paste "reviews"......stop your malicious bullsh*t and stop this site! YOU ARE NOT A FOOD WRITER AND WILL NEVER BE YOU NASTY LITTLE MAN!! It is 9:30am time to cook brunch hopefully not for some nasty little bald men like you. I will make sure I call my friends to look at for you George Constanza.

And then Wilfred (WHO???) chimes in:

Joe,

I dined at your restaurant a while back and wrote a review. I don't know if you had a rule against taking pictures then, but I took plenty and nobody stopped me. And I still had considerable reservations about what you were serving.

I certainly don't always agree with Marc, but he's giving his honest opinion; for myself, I have found that chefs love blogs when they get great reviews. If other "bloggers" love your cooking, then why worry about Marc - or me? If you are finding similar criticisms repeated by different writers at different times, perhaps you should consider what they're saying.

All the best.

WHO IS THIS GUY??? Chef JoeDoe has answers:

dont get me started on you wilfred.....i remember you and your snooty blog. Since when do English guys get to comment on food. Just sit down let marc finish what he started. Little does he see that if he didn't like it he could simply not go back. But to post opinions and mask them as facts as all you bloggers do is wrong. period.

I'm telling you, this is better than Real Housewives of New Jersey!  Seriously! Who at Bravo TV do I need to call to make this show happen!?

Eater, which once reviewed the restaurant and pointed out that it was "disappointing and somewhat bafflingly presented" but that they "seemed like they genuinely want to be liked by the neighbors, and they serve huge portions at modest prices", picked up on all of the internet hubub and wrote:

Joe Dobias talks to Grub Street. He likens himself to The Chang, calls the attention being paid to DBGB unfair, and says that Prune chef Gabrielle Hamilton doesn't respect him. It's worth a read.

...To close, a quote from one Mr. Josh Ozersky: "Anybody who eats at a restaurant has a right to broadcast their opinion. Welcome to America. You don’t need to go to cooking school; you don’t need to have worked in a restaurant; and you don’t need a James Beard Award to do it."

Joe took it upon himself to write a little note to Eater in the comments section:

you guys are true to form at eater. Read nymag before you glance material for your bloodbath. Thanks for all the comments. I assure you you will make me famous and for that I love you little bloggers sticking together. "thick as thieves right!?" Just an FYI I cleary said I was not of the level of dainel nor chef hamilton.....still only see what you want to see. I am proud of my nonconformist style and mt "silly names" are obviously offending the grand culinary palletes at eater! THanks for the coverage. Funny how we couldn't ever get you guys to pay attention and now you love us, well some hate us, but HEY THANKS GUYS! F Eater

I am actually stunned by all of this. "Does. Not. Compute" is flashing through my head.  And I actually find myself angry over all of this!  I understand that chefs have a new challenge that they never had to face before with the emergence of food blogging and review sites like Yelp or MenuPages, but that does not give the chef, or anyone else for that matter, license to insult paying customers.  Mark hit it right on the head:  No “expert” is entitled to tell me that I am supposed to have loved the food I was served. 

I struggle with restaurant reviews.  I actually tend to avoid them here on my blog because I do understand the methodology in which a review should only be written after 3, 4, or even 5 trips to the same restaurant. I have written reviews on Yelp and Menu Pages, and they were lukewarm reviews only because my experience was so offensively bad that I thought it useful to share with the community and they were not restaurants, but quick, in-and-out places whose business would not be drastically affected by one review.

But I do get offended at the insults that are often hurdled at bloggers.  Why is it that when a blogger gives a good food review, there is no problem, but when the review is less than favorable, bloggers are considered the scum of the internet earth?

I am curious to see how the rest of the blogging community feels about this one.

Oh, and Chef JoeDoe?  It is spelled "Palate" not "Pallete".  And in the words of Ross Gellar, "Y-O-U-apostrophe-R-E means ‘you are,’ Y-O-U-R means ‘your!’"

But I guess that the comments section can be a bit like Yelp, eh?  In your words, "Uneducated people can post stupid things on here."

TWD: Perfect Party Cake + 8

Actually, it is Perfect Party Cake + 9, but this was just too easy.

And really, it should have been Perfect Party Cake + 12, but I didn't have enough batter (and I made a double batch of batter).

And after that failed, it was supposed to be Perfect Party Cake + 10, but I ate half a layer because I couldn't wait to see how this tasted.

Nevertheless, this may very well be my top, and I do mean TOP, Dorie recipe of all time.  Soft cake is layered with a sweet/tart lemon buttercream frosting and a ripe blackberry preserve, finished off with more buttercream and then blanketed in snowy white shredded coconut.

This is the stuff dreams are made of.

To make the cake, I buttered six 8" cake pans, lined them with parchment paper, and buttered them again.  I divided up the batter into 6 and 1/8 oz. per pan and baked for 15 minutes.  I then used Sprinkles Cupcakes Lemon Buttercream frosting recipe because of the mixed reactions on the recipe in the book. And really, no one does a better frosting than Sprinkles (even if it is cheating. I am not proud of it. But I am also too lazy to make it the real way sometimes).

Best. Best. Best. EVER. Git. In. Mah. BELLEH.  I want this to be my trampoline of goodness.

I loved it so much, that I am going to make it again this weekend for the 4th of July. My family (aunts, uncles, and cousins included) is having a joint birthday party for all of the July birthdays (there are 5) and I can't think of a better way to celebrate. 

This cake is worth hours of extra work at the gym.

Check out Carol of Mix, Mix...Stir, Stir for the recipe and stay for the amazing food photography!  

And check out the rest of TWD for more of this amazing cake!

Mussels in White Wine and Garlic and Living the Life

This past weekend, Jack and I enjoyed an extended weekend at his family's beach house in Long Beach Island, NJ, or LBI for short.  LBI is a fantastic island off of the southern coast of NJ and is part of the famed (or infamous, depending on which reputation you are familiar with) Jersey Shore.  However, this is not the Jersey Shore that you may know of from such programs as "True Life: I Have a Summer Share" (Parts 1 and 2) with orange twenty-somethings who have invested stock in hair gel and wifebeater t-shirts partying at clubs and cursing each other out.  LBI is a family place filled with mini-golf, amusement parks, ice cream shoppes (with an "e"), breakfast places such as Uncle Will's and The Chicken and The Egg, and plenty of fried fish.  When I am in LBI, I have a daily ritual of going running at 8 am sharp while listening to Bob Marley and smiling at every person who passes by (and they smile back! which is an odd experience for a New Yorker). 

We invited two friends to join us and spent a lot of time just relaxing at the house, which is on a pier and has the most spectacular views of the ocean and the boats.  We all joked that the house makes us "old" because we all needed to take naps in the middle of the day to stay up past 11 pm, but the truth of the matter is that this may be the most relaxing place I know.

I can sit in these chairs and stare out at the views for hours.  Tell me they are not calling your name right now.

Views from the balconies.

I was so excited to put the kitchen to good use. The house has the most glorious kitchen that only lives in my dreams, so I am always excited to cook when I get to LBI.

Can't you just picture yourself with your own cooking show in this kitchen? I always do. It is a little weird because I talk to a camera that isn't there.  

Jack, helping me prep.

It's nice to just relax, take in the scenery, and take a dip in the pool every now and then.

Remy jumping in the pool.

Remy desperately trying to get out of the pool.

Remy trying to get back into the pool.

Remy aggressively trying to dry herself off.

And, finally, enjoy a nice, relaxing dinner filled with food, friends, and laughs.

It is always nice to get some really fresh seafood, and these mussels were no exception.  The best part about mussels is that they are a snap to make, which is great when all you want to do is head back outside and enjoy the good life.

Mussels in White Wine and Garlic

2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded

2 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup parsley, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup dry white wine

2 1/4" slices lemon

Discard any mussels that are open and/or broken.  

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add wine, lemon, salt, and parsley and bring to a boil.  Add mussels and cover, cooking for 6 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove mussels from broth and place in a separate bowl. Discard any unopened shells. Adjust sauce for seasoning and pour over mussels. Serve immediately.

This is definitely a place where, once you are here, you never want to leave.  Jack, for example, decided to stay the entire week with Remy to relax a bit (he has been a bit stressed in his post-MBA grad life) while I returned to Washington, DC to work.

Booooooo to Jack.

But I guess I can't blame him.

Could you?

Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan

UPDATED:  I know I just posted about this recently, but I have made some changes and want to spread the love.

This was a very interesting and impressive recipe, if I do say so myself.  Each layer of this meal had its own unique quality, yet paired very well with its counterparts.  The egg patties were light and fluffy, the sauce sweet and flavorful, the eggplants rich and smooth, and nothing beats a big, honking slice of melted fresh mozzarella. 

A short post for a tall stack of deliciousness.  

Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan Adapted from Gourmet Magazine 

For Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped basil

For Eggplant Stacks:

• 2 (1-pound) eggplants
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
• 3/4 cup fresh plain dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
• 1/2 pound arugula, coarse stems discarded, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound cold fresh mozzarella, ends trimmed and remainder cut into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices

Make tomato sauce: 
Heat oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend tomatoes with juice in a blender until almost smooth. Add to onion mixture in saucepan with water, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and keep warm, covered.

Bake eggplant: 
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.

Cut 12 (1/3-inch-thick) rounds from widest portion of eggplants. Brush both sides with  oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt (total). Bake on an oiled baking sheet, turning once, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered. Leave oven on.

Make egg patties and sauté arugula: 
Stir together bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, half of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then stir in eggs and water.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Drop 4 rounded 1/3 cups of egg mixture into skillet and cook, turning once, until patties are golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and cook remaining garlic with red-pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add arugula and basil and stir until just wilted, then stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Assemble stacks: 
Arrange 4 egg patties about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet. Top each with 2 Tbsp tomato sauce, 1 slice mozzarella, 1 eggplant slice, 2 more tablespoons tomato sauce, another eggplant slice, arugula mixture, and remaining eggplant. Bake until cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with additional oil and serve remaining sauce on the side.

Cassoulet de Poissons - Fish and White Bean Stew

"Your boyfriend is a great cook, DiMicco."

Those words came straight from the mouth of my boyfriend, Jack.  This dish was so good, it allowed him to speak in third person.  

Jack is still cooking through the Le Cordon Bleu at Home cookbook, and I will say, he is kicking culinary a** and taking names.

I just wish he wouldn't speak in third person while doing it.  

I will say, though, that it was a great, great dinner.  Healthy and fresh.  There is something to be said about the beautiful simplicity in French food.  The flavors of the ingredients truly stand out and are not bogged down with spices or seasonings.  With french cooking, if you want a fish, you are going to taste a fish.  

The cassoulet is filled with white beans, onions, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, scallops, and my favorite and yours, monkfish.  It is topped with bread crumbs that results in a deliciously crisp surface that lends a nice contrast to the creamy beans and succulent fish.  

For those who fear the monk (fish, that is), any firm white fish can be substituted.  But don't fear the fish. 

Cassoulet de Poissons adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

 3/4 lb Dried white beans (such as Great northern)
 1 Medium onion
 1 Clove
 1 Bouquet garni
 Salt
 2 Carrots, sliced thin
 6 tb Vegetable oil
 6 tb Unsalted butter
 2 Medium onions, chopped fine
 2 Cloves garlic, chopped fine
 3/4 lb Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
 Freshly ground pepper
 2 Trout (about 1 lb each) or
 1 1/2 lb Monkfish fillets
 6 Sea scallops
 3/4 c Dried bread crumbs
 

Soak the beans overnight in cold water to cover. Drain and rinse. Transfer to a large saucepan and cover with 4 to 5
inches of fresh cold water. Peel the whole onion and stud with the clove and add to the pan along with the bouquet garni. Bring to a
boil and skim the froth that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Season to taste with salt. Add the carrots
and continue simmering until the carrots and beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain; discard the bouquet garni and the onion.

While the beans are cooking, heat 3 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan over low heat. Add the
chopped onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until tender but not colored. Add garlic and cook one minute. Add tomatoes, season
with salt and pepper, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Cut the monkfish fillets into 1 inch thick slices. Cut the scallops in half cross-wise. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil
and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Saute the monkfish and sliced scallops until golden brown
on both sides; set aside.  

Preheat the oven to 450F. Combine the tomato mixture and drained beans in a
saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Spread one-half of the mixture over the bottom of a 10x15″ gratin dish. Arrange the fish and scallops on top and cover with the remaining
bean mixture. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake until the bread
crumbs are golden brown, 10-15 minutes.

Crepes au Saumon Fume` - Smoked Salmon Crepes

"Baby!" Jack shouted.  "I made my very first batter!"

And oh, how he did.

His batter was extremely successful, but he was getting frustrated on the "thickness" of the crepes.  As the batter lover that I am, I tried to give him tips on how to spread the batter properly by tilting the pan to swirl the batter in order to coat the bottom to get the right thickness (or thin-ness) of crepe, but Jack got mad at me. 

"Stop it!" he'd shout.  "I am teaching myself!"

There was a lot of shouting going on. 

Jack has kept up on his quest to cook through the Le Cordon Bleu at Home, and this dish of Smoked Salmon Crepes may be the best thing he has made yet.  Smoked salmon is wrapped in a blanket of light crepes and topped with creme fraiche (Jack's favorite thing to make/eat) and baked to perfection. 

Jack struggled a bit with flipping the crepe over in the saute pan, so, remembering his reaction to my previous attempt to help him, I nervously grabbed the pan and flicked my wrist to flip the crepe in the air. The crepe glided through the air like a professional olympic diver and slowly flipped onto its backside as it landed perfectly in the pan.  I paused, expecting him to be upset for trying to steal his thunder.

Instead, he ran around the kitchen like a 10 year old, shouting, "I can't believe you know how to do that! That is amazing!"  

Back to the good shouting.  

According to the book, these crepes are a "French variation on a Baltic theme:  blini with caviar and sour cream."  What we both love about this book, and French cooking in general, is that the food actually tastes like what it is.  This dish is elegant yet comforting and will surely be something that we make again and again. It was, in a word, outstanding.  

Just like my Jack.  I definitely have got a winner on my hands - in this dish and my boyfriend.  

Click here for the recipe or check page 22 in Le Cordon Bleu at Home for more specific directions, and definitely make this one.  Or call me and I'll send Jack over to whip them up.  He'd appreciate it, I'm sure.

TWD: Toasted Coconut and Pineapple Dacquiose with a Coconut Creme Mousseline and Caramelized White Chocolate

I think many TWDers sat this one out this week.  I was pretty crunched for time (as I often and am finding ways to add more hours into my day - AKA - not sleep) and kept teetering back and forth as to whether or not I would make this.  

Let me whip out my violin for you as I play you my sob story.  My day usually consists of this:  work, come home around 6 pm work out for 90 minutes, then start cooking or baking something while I constantly taste it and undo all of the hard work that I do at the gym.  Then I curse myself and swear that I'll never taste my food again. It never works.  I usually don't sit down to relax until 10 or 10:30.  Then, on the weekends, I travel to NY because I live in DC but my life is in NY.  I head down on Thursday, go to a wedding or two (no joke), see a bunch of friends and family, and drive back.  In yesterday's case, I woke up at 5:00 am in NY and was at work at 11 am... in DC. And I totally forgot about the dacquiose.

But I decided to make this recipe - at 10 pm on Monday night, no less - because I love self-inflicted torture.   As many of you know, the meringue alone takes 3 hours to cook.

I was trying to think of creative ways to serve this one, so I decided to make meringue "bowls" and fill them with a coconut mousselin.  Around 1 am, the meringue finished baking, and I called it a night.  The bowls turned into plates, but they still had a little well to fill. I then woke up at 5:30 am to finish making the dish.  I cursed myself some more. 

I need a vacation.  

This was pretty tasty.  I probably wouldn't make it again, but I really liked the Coconut Creme Mousseline.  The meringue was pretty tasty as well.   I am not a big fan of pineapple, though.  Woe is me. But then I used some more of my caramelized white chocolate.  Because it is mighty tasty. 

Check out Andrea's blog, Andrea in the Kitchen for the recipe. And check out the rest of the TWD baker's creations!

Coconut Creme Mousseline adapted from Martha Stewart

½ cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup coconut milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         2 large egg yolks

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         3 tablespoons corn starch

·         1 ½ cups milk

·         ½ cup coconut milk

·         1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, the egg yolks, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in cornstarch, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Bring milk, coconut milk, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk a little milk mixture into egg yolk mixture; whisking constantly, gradually add remaining milk mixture. Return mixture to pan, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Refrigerate pastry cream until cold, at least 1 hour (up to 3 days); beat until smooth before using.

Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Whisk half the whipped cream into pastry cream, then fold in remaining heavy cream. 

BBA # 2 - Greek Celebration Bread - Christophomos

NOTE:  I am getting a lot of comments and seeing this photo popping up on other blogs about the suggestive shape of this bread. I SWEAR I didn't even realize it.  My pure little mind didn't think that far when I was taking this picture. Or serving this bread to coworkers and wondering why they didn't comment on the awesome design of the bread.  I'm surprised I didn't get fired.  Needless to say, get your minds out of the gutter!  Ok, Ok, you are right.  It totally does.  This bread is slightly NSFW.  I need to put a censored sticker on it. Sigh.  

I think I take the prize for the slowest bread baker out of all of Bread Baking Apprentice Bakers.

I'll just say that it is because I like to savor my bread baking experience thankyouverymuch.

So about two weeks ago, I savored this bread. And savored it some more.  Because this bread is unreal. It deserves a CHALLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH times twelve.  Light, yet rich, with delicious spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, honey, orange zest and cloves.

Now that is a bread that packs a punch.  

This bread will definitely be making an appearance at my family's Christmas celebration this year.  It reminds me of a panettone, but it is 1,000 times easier to make.  

On a side note, I'd like to start taking all of those gorgeous photos of the process of making the bread, but I get too impatient. How do food bloggers do it? You see photos of the blogger kneading the bread, but who is taking the picture? Or, if the blogger is taking the picture, where are those extra hands coming from?  

Get this book. Make some bread. Savor it. Take your time.  Take pictures with multiple hands. Enjoy. Experience. Carbo-load. Do it. 

Click here for a great walk-through of the bread making experience!

Recipe Inbox

That picture is starting to freak me out.  Let's get to the goodies - all sweet things this time, my friends. The heart wants what it wants.

If you've never been to Lemonpi, please check it out.  If you've never made Mini Banana Streudels with Chocolate Sauce and Peanuts, please make me some and send them FedEx.

Wait, I'm sorry, I lost track of thought.  I was too busy salivating over Eat Me Delicious's Roast Banana Breakfast Pumpkin Bread. Carry on.

Along the lines of breakfast breads that will make me fat and happy, The Wednesday Chef has posted Donna Dean's Pecan Brown Butter Bread.  Pecans. Browned Butter.  Loads of calories. Loads of fat. Loads of smiles.

Can someone please help me find a Mary Ann Pan to make Baking Obsession's Lemon Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Dressing and Summer Berries? Please? With summer berries on top?

Let's segue into more brown butter goodness (like what I did there? I took you from Bananas to Browned Butter, all in a few simple key strokes), lets take a lick - I mean look - at Travelers Lunch Box Browned Butter Ice Cream, shall well, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

Joy the Baker brings a little joy to my life with Peanut Butter Fudge treats.  Mention the combination of peanut butter and chocolate to me, and I go weak in the knees and loosen a notch in my belt.

How about these Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Truffled Chocolate Filling from Lisa is Cooking?  I'll give you a minute to wipe the drool off of your chin.

9 layers of almond and citrus and jam and vanilla. This Neopolitan Cake from Smitten Kitchen doesn't have a Napoleon complex, that's for sure.  Sigh.  Bad joke. I'm all out of steam.