Caesar's Clams

In the 1970's, my mom attended a classic French cooking school called Dumas Pere. During these classes, several of the students joined together to form a gourmet dinner party group. As an infant, I was allowed to attend these parties; I have a little chuckle each time I see the picture of my dad holding a bulbous Bordeaux glass up to my tiny newborn nose so that I might appreciate the aromas of what I am sure must have been a very elegant wine. As I got older -- read more annoying -- I usually watched T.V. upstairs and came down only to sample desserts. Desserts were always my favorite part -- occasionally, I would wait until the next day to wolf down the leftover cake or tart as my breakfast before anyone else was awake. Eventually, I began to take more interest in their soirées. I even tried to replicate a fancy dinner for my parents as a surprise when they had left me home to babysit my brother. Oh, I do pity them for having to smile and choke down whatever atrocity my 10 year old self managed to throw together. By the time I could really participate in these dinners, the group had shrunk to only four. Luckily, it was my favorite four: my parents plus Jerry and Madelyn.

In their most recent dining adventures, there has been one consistently present dish; Caesar's clams. Caesar, Madelyn's father, created a recipe for baked clams that is at once both simple and exquisite. They served them on Christmas Eve -- just before a big bowl of cioppino. It's classic -- nothing fancy here. Classics endure for a reason. You'll know why if you try it. I made them for our holiday party this week, and they were a hit. So, thank you, Maddy, for years of inspiration and support. And, many, many thanks for sharing your dad's recipe.

If I were to make this recipe, I might change a few things. For example, I like to make and season my own bread crumbs. However, the recipe is just right, just as it is.

2 dozen little neck clams
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup Progresso Italian bread crumbs
olive oil, to taste
lemon wedges and parsley sprigs, for garnish
hot sauce, to taste

1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Have on hand a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
2. In a microwave on medium power, heat the clams for 30 seconds or until they begin to open. (You may also do this on the stove in a heavy bottomed sauce pot.) Either way, you don't want to cook the clams, merely open them.
3. Carefully shuck each clam, discarding the top shell and loosening the clam from the bottom shell. Place on the baking sheet.
4. Top each clam with oregano, garlic powder, and bread crumbs.
5. Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
6. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
7. Garnish with lemon and parsley. Season with hot sauce, if you like.

These photos are courtesy of my mom. She's pictured on the right; Maddy is on the left.

Waste Not, Want Not Curry

Even though we have yet to determine the final guidelines for 2010, we are moving forward with the project. In an effort to rid our pantry of "processed foods" -- however you may define them -- we wanted to use up ingredients that we knew would not fit into the plan. For this recipe, we used commercially produced coconut milk, pre-blended curry powder, chili paste, and fish sauce. While we wouldn't categorize these items as inherently unhealthy, we will attempt to make or substitute our own homemade versions in the new year. The result was far tastier than take-out and almost as easy.

The pork in this dish was left from a Sunday roast. Feel free to use other leftovers or a raw cut like pork steak. To make this recipe vegan, simply omit the meat and the fish sauce. We used Szechuan chili paste (to ban jan), but you may use Sriracha, Sambal Olek, or even fresh chilis. This recipe is best served with rice; we like brown basmati rice for its low glycemic index value. You may garnish with scallions, chilis, lemon juice, cilantro, or peanuts.

1 teaspoon canola oil
5 ounces pork, finely chopped
1 white onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece (1-inch) ginger, minced
1 piece (1/2-inch) fresh tumeric, minced or 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon chili paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine or dry sherry
1-12 ounce package firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large wok or saute pan, heat the oil over high heat.
2. Add the pork, and saute for 5 minutes or until crispy.
3. Add onion, garlic, ginger, tumeric, and lemon zest. Saute for 3 minutes, or until the vegetables release their aromas.
4. Stir in broccoli, mushrooms, curry powder, and chili paste. Toss to coat.
5. Add fish sauce, rice wine, tofu, and coconut milk.
6. Bring liquids to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
7. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper.
8. Serve warm with rice. Garnish with any of the following: lemon juice, peanuts, cilantro, scallions, and chilis.

Christmas Cookies on Girls Guide to the Galaxy

As posted by Carlie on Girls Guide to the Galaxy -- she is much too kind!

http://girlsguidetothegalaxy.com/2009/12/08/christmas-cookie-classics/

The holidays are a great excuse to stuff ourselves silly and not feel guilty about it because as the oft-used justification goes, “It’s a special occasion.” It is the time of year when people young and old take to their kitchens to produce baked goods with wild abandon. Probably the most beloved of all holiday treats is the one and only thing Santa himself demands in exchange for his lavish and physically demanding gift-giving efforts: the Christmas cookie.

Since I’ve proven myself to be pretty useless in the kitchen on most accounts, I decided to ask Karoline Boehm-Goodnick, a San Francisco pastry chef (and in the interest of full disclosure, my husband’s cousin’s wife), for some of her favorite Christmas cookie recipes. Below is what she sent, and in my personal opinion, they all sound delicious! For more of her recipes and chronicles of her attempt to eat only unprocessed food in the year 2010 (ambitious!), check out her excellent blog, Sweet Karoline: Adventures in Food and resist the urge to lick your computer screen – she’s also a food stylist, and the photos are amazing!

Grandma Esther’s Spritz Cookies

No Christmas table is complete without these miniature trees, candy canes, and rosettes. A classic recipe, my favorite are the Christmas trees, tinted green and covered with shimmering red and green sprinkles. If you want to tint the dough, it is easiest to add the food coloring with the butter. Use more drops than you think necessary; there is a lot of flour to be added later. Use ungreased baking sheets so that the cookie sticks to the pan as you are piping them—don’t worry, they won’t stick during baking. If you don’t have a cookie press, you can use a piping bag fitted with a star tip – it is a little more difficult, and the cookies won’t be so uniform, but the results will be just as delicious.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 pound (4 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 cups flour
Pinch of salt
Sprinkles for decorating

Directions

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Have on hand a cookie press and several baking sheets.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes on medium high.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix in egg yolks and vanilla.
4. Sift baking powder, flour, and salt. Mix in dry ingredients, on low speed, until flour is incorporated.
5. Using a cookie press, press onto an ungreased cookie sheet approximately one inch apart. If you would like to decorate the cookies with sprinkles, do so at this time.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to brown very slightly.
7. Using a spatula, carefully remove cookies from the pan to cool on a rack.
8. Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

Christmas Crescents

In my family, these treats always came in the shape of a crescent moon, but many friends have told me that their families make the same recipes in ball shape. Feel free to try either one.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

½ pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans
Butter for greasing the pan
Powdered sugar for rolling

Directions

1. Set the oven at 325 degrees. Have on hand several baking sheets.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes on medium high.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix in water and vanilla.
4. Sift flour and salt. Add flour, salt, and pecans to bowl. Mix until just combined.
5. Take 1 teaspoon of dough into your hand, and shape it into a crescent. Place onto a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the bottoms begin to brown.
7. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
8. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar to coat the outsides. Be careful, as the cookies are extremely delicate. Cool completely on a rack.
9. Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

Mom’s Gingerbread Cookies

This recipe for gingerbread cookies is the same one that my mom used every year when I was a kid. We had 6-inch cutters to make giant gingerbread men and women, but you can use any size. The dough rolls out far easier than any I have ever worked with – no need to chill it or wait for it to relax. Decorate as you like. A piping bag, a spatula, and several colors of icing will keep the kids occupied for hours.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

COOKIES

½ cup sugar
½ cup molasses
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1 egg, beaten
3 ½ cups flour
Flour for the board and cutters

Directions

1. Set the oven at 325 degrees. Have on hand several baking sheets and cookie cutters.
2. In a 3-quart saucepan, bring sugar, molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove saucepan from heat, and stir in baking soda. Mixture will foam up and become frothy.
4. Stir in butter until fully melted. Stir in egg.
5. With a rubber spatula, stir in flour. When the dough has mostly come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until all is incorporated.
6. Divide dough in half. Wrap half in plastic, and set aside.
7. Using a rolling pin, roll out unwrapped dough to ¼ inch thick.
8. Using a floured cookie cutter, cut out each cookie, placing them on a greased baking sheet, approximately 1 inch apart.
9. Bake cookies for 12 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Remove cookies from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

ICING

Ingredients

2 egg whites
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Food coloring (optional)

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a whisk, beat egg whites, lemon juice, and powdered sugar until stiff, about 5 minutes on high speed.
2. Tint icing with a few drops of food coloring, if you like. Immediately transfer to an air-tight container or a piping bag, as icing will harden very quickly.
3. Cover the unused icing with plastic wrap, pressing it to the surface to keep the icing from forming a skin.
4. Decorate cookies. Allow them to dry for several hours before stacking or placing in a container.
5. Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

Carlie is the Food and Drink Editor for Girls Guide. By day she is an educational textbook editor, and she moonlights as a foodie and barfly. You can email her at carlie [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @carbirwin.

Bittersweet Chocolate Flats

I styled this photo over two years ago. Imagine my surprise when it showed up in today's Boston Globe! (photo shot by Wendy Maeda)

Bittersweet chocolate flats
December 2, 2009

Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen

Bliss is when a generous bar of bittersweet chocolate is chopped and mixed into a buttery dough with just enough flour, salt, and eggs to form a mixture that bakes into golden, crunchy flats. The secret ingredient, one that makes an ordinary cookie into a great one, is a small amount of apple cider vinegar. You won’t notice it. The vinegar accentuates gentle caramel overtones in the brown sugar. The dough is loaded with shards of bittersweet chocolate, which will leave messy, deep brown prints on your fingers. This is part of their freshly baked, ooze-with-chocolate charm.

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt, preferably fine sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate (between 60 and 65 percent cocoa)

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt just to blend them.

3. In an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium-low speed for 3 minutes. Add the light brown sugar in 2 additions, beating well after each one. Add the granulated sugar in 2 additions, beating well after each one. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated. Blend in the vanilla and vinegar.

3. With the mixer set on low speed, mix in the flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Stir in the chocolate.

4. With a large spoon, make rounded 2 tablespoon mounds of batter and set them on the baking sheets, arranging them 3 inches apart (6 to 8 per sheet; the cookies spread).

5. Bake the cookies for 13 minutes or until set and golden. Let them stand on the sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to racks to cool. Store in an airtight tin. Lisa Yockelson

**For more holiday baking ideas, check out my cookie recipes in Carlie Irwin's post next week at www.girlsguidetothegalaxy.com

Brandied Raisin-Nut Cake

In today's Boston Globe is a cherished recipe that I learned from my mom. I can sense your skepticism, but trust me, it's amazing and totally worth the effort.

JOY OF BAKING
Brandied raisin-nut cake
December 2, 2009

Makes one 10-inch cake

At the holidays when I was a child, a large tin in the dining room held a fruit-laden cake that fascinated me. I really wanted to try some right after my family made it at the beginning of December, but the cake was soaking in brandy. This isn’t one of those red-and-green-studded cakes everyone has strong (mostly negative) opinions about. Our family’s is made with select dried fruits (I prefer figs, dates, apricots, currants, and raisins), soaked overnight with walnuts in brandy. (Tip: When you chop the fruits, coat your knife with pan spray to prevent them from sticking.) Make the batter in an electric mixer or in an oversize bowl with a hand-held mixer. Wrap the outside and inside of a 10-inch tube pan with foil so the batter does not leak. After baking, wrap the cake in brandy-soaked cheesecloth and several layers of foil. Aging for at least two weeks mellows the flavors and softens the fruit, but keep the cheesecloth moist to prevent the cake from drying out. On Christmas morning, I always ripped open Santa’s packages and made a beeline to the kitchen to devour a piece of fruit cake. Brandy and all. Maybe that’s why I have such fond memories.

8 cups chopped dried fruit (such as figs, dates, apricots, currants, apples, peaches)
1 cup raisins
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups brandy
Butter (for the pan)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
Extra brandy (for soaking)

1. In a large bowl, mix the dried fruits, raisins, walnuts, and brandy. Cover with plastic wrap; soak overnight.

2. Set the oven at 275 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube pan. Wrap the outside in heavy duty foil. Line the inside walls with a large strip of foil. Butter the foil.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom to blend them.

4. In an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Beat in the brown sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

5. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With a large metal spoon, fold in the flour mixture. Then stir in the soaked fruits, nuts, and brandy. Spoon the batter into the pan, and smooth the top with the spatula. Cover the pan with foil, crimping the edges to seal them.

6. Bake the cake for 4 hours, rotating the pan from front to back after 2 hours. Raise the oven temperature to 325 degrees, remove the foil, and continue baking for 30 minutes. (Total baking time is 4 1/2 hours.) The cake will be very dark.

7. Cool the cake in the pan. Turn it out onto a large deep plate. Peel off the foil. Soak several layers of cheesecloth large enough to cover the top of the cake in brandy. Place the cheesecloth on top of the cake. Re-wrap the entire cake in foil. Set in an airtight tin or cover with plastic wrap. Set on a large plate.

8. Store in a cool, dry place for at least 2 weeks, resoaking the cheesecloth after 1 week.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Until recently, I was a skeptic about vegan pastries. Really, how could a cake made without eggs, butter, cream, etc actually taste good? This recipe convinced me that some vegan goods are not only edible, but they are better than full fat carnivorous versions! Moist and light, this cake works well for breakfast as well as dessert. Either way, it's great with a cup of coffee. Look for ingredients like date sugar and barley flour at a health foods store. If you can't find date sugar, substitute maple syrup. You may use canned pumpkin (just choose the unseasoned, plain variety), but I prefer to roast my own. I recommend a combination of squash and sweet potato. Roast them in a 325 degree oven for about an hour, or until they are very soft. Set them aside to cool, remove the skins, and puree in a food processor. Don't worry if you have more than the recipe calls for -- use the leftovers for dinner!

Makes 1 - 10 inch Bundt Cake

Oil for greasing the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 1/2 cups pecans
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 cups pumpkin or sweet potato puree
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups soymilk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup date sugar
3 1/2 cups barley flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Oil the bundt pan and dust lightly with flour.
2. Place pecans on a baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes. Cool completely, and chop roughly.
3. Cover raisins with boiling water. Let soak for 25 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. In a bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, syrup, soymilk, vinegar, and vanilla.
5. In a large bowl, use a clean whisk to mix date sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. (If you whisk well, you do not have to sift the dry items.)
6. Using a rubber spatula, fold the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients. When the dry ingredients are halfway incorporated, add the raisins and the chopped pecans. Continue folding just until the mixture comes together. Do not overmix.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
8. Bake for 45 minutes, rotating the cake from front to back after 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
10. Invert the cake onto a wire rack. Continue cooling. Transfer to a plate, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Turkey Salad with Mayfair Dressing

I had forgotten about this recipe until a link showed up on this year's Thanksgiving issue of the Boston Globe online. The recipe for the dressing came from my mother-in-law. It's a great way to use up leftovers!

Turkey salad with Mayfair dressing
By Karoline Boehm Goodnick, Globe Correspondent | November 24, 2008

Serves 4

Turkey sandwiches with cranberry chutney are delectable later that evening or for lunch the next day, and a pot of soup is a fine way to recycle the carcass. Here's another use for the rest of the meat. Make a light curried mayonnaise-style dressing - a similar one was originally served at the Roberts Mayfair Hotel, a historic property in St. Louis. Add the dressing to your cooked bird with red grapes and shelled pistachios, or stir in leftover green beans, chunks of roasted squash, or Brussels sprouts. Hold the pie. That's for later.


1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic
1/2 tin (2 ounces) anchovies, drained
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 egg plus 1 extra yolk
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 bunch parsley
8 cups (2 pounds) chopped cooked turkey
1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes, cut in half
1 cup shelled pistachios

1. In a blender, combine the celery, onion, garlic, anchovies, and lemon juice. Blend into a puree.

2. Add the curry powder, salt, pepper, mustard, and sugar; blend well.

3. Remove the cap in the blender lid and with the motor running on medium speed add the egg and extra yolk, then slowly drizzle in the olive and vegetable oils.

4. Add the parsley and blend until it is coarsely chopped. Chill the dressing for 30 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, grapes, and pistachios. Add enough dressing to moisten the mixture well. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

I styled the photo above, and it was shot by Wendy Maeda.