a letter...

A letter from a reader...

Hi!
I just wanted to say thanks for mentioning us in your blog, we truly appreciate that you had such a pleasant experience at Bouchon with our Seastack cheese last week. We are new to the California market and are pleased with the reception so far!
We're sending you a gift pack just to say thanks!

Thanks again,

Wendy
Mt Townsend Creamery

338 Sherman Street

Port Townsend, WA 98368

A few days after this email, I received this package on my doorstep!

After a long, gruesome day at the office, such a treat can really cheer a girl up! Inside were the three kinds of cheeses crafted by Mt. Townsend Creamery.

My dad wanted to crack into them as soon as he saw them, but I stubbornly objected, "We need to find the right wines first!" So, the cheeses have been sitting in my fridge for a few days now, under lock and key, just waiting for the right time to be devoured by my over-eager family. I've been looking for the right wines and pairings to go with each cheese, and as soon as I have those, I'm planning a grand tasting for everyone.

The creaminess that is Sea Stack

savory cheese scones

The lovely hostesses Julie of Kitchenography and Meg of Pigtown Pigout held a brunch last weekend for some local bloggers, many of whom are designers and foodies. In my opinion, the two groups of peoples with the best taste. It was potluck style, and we cozied up in Julie's amazing kitchen, gathered around the large island, laid out with food. I have to admit, I did not want to leave that breathtaking open kitchen, with the antique stove and fireplace, and farmhouse dining table. Mr.S diagnosed me with a serious case of kitchen envy.


Julie put together an endive salad, but alas, the yolk-based dressing broke. She also had delious little pots of red pepper pesto. Meg made two versions of a breakfast strata, one with sausage, the other vegetarian, and a buttery fresh cranberry bread.

John of The Baltimore Snacker brought a creamy, sweet lemon buttermilk pie.

Jamaila of Ancestral Pile whipped together a fruit salad, beautifully flavored with mint, lime, and honey.

Ann, aka Prêt à Voyager, who also writes for Design Sponge, was in attendance, but for the life of me, I can't remember which dish she brought!

Janet, of ~JCB~, who is a curator at the National Gallery, was also there, with champagne.

Rachel, a colourist, writes Hue Consulting, made a vegetarian quiche of spinach, pinenuts, and potato from the Whole Foods Cookbook.

Xani and Erin, of Black Coffee and a Donut, brought some Mediterranean treats: pita chips and hummus, and tabbouleh salad.

And me, a lover of scones, baked up a batch of mini ones that morning, flavored with Gruyère, crispy lardons, rosemary and black pepper. This is a very versatile savory scone base, so many and any addition can be mixed in, just use your imagination. Any sort of grated or crumbled cheese, fresh chopped herbs, toasted nuts, and spices would be lovely. My next batch will feature aged cheddar cheese and diced apples, sprinkled with fleur de sel.


Savory Cheese Scones
yields 32-36 mini scones

3 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled
1 cup grated cheese
1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk
mix-ins of your choice (diced bacon, herbs, spices)
whole milk, for brushing

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter piece by piece and toss in the grated cheese. With a pastry cutter, work everything together, until the butter becomes the size of small peas, and is well incorporated. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the flour mixture and gently mix in the buttermilk, making sure to not overmix. You will have a sticky dough. You can turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape the scones into circles or triangles. Alternately, I am lazy, so I work straight from the mixing bowl. I use a medium ice cream scoop to make "drop" scones onto my prepared pans.

3. Brush the tops of the scones with milk. You may sprinkle with extra cheese, if you'd like. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the tops turn golden. Remove and cool on the pan or on a rack. Serve immediately.

taro cheesecake

It's really been way too long since I've posted. Which doesn't mean I have not been cooking. Exactly the opposite, indeed. Prepping for turkey week, cooking two gargantuan meals, and hostessing a dinner party, all while battling a deathly cold, really took the wind out of my sails. So I'm more than pleased to be back in a semi-normal routine again, if at least for the next two weeks or so before I leave the country, again.


These little tubers may not be much to look at, but they are a staple in many indigenous peoples' diets all over the world. What makes them so good for cheesecake? Well, not only their creamy flavor, when cooked, but also their high levels of starch that partners with the tangy cream cheese to form a dense, cohesive, and rich texture. Some varieties of taro even exude a beautiful pale purple hue, that adds a lovely tint to the foods they enrich.

I have always loved eating sweet taro filling in steamed and baked buns, a popular snack in China and Taiwan. Taro chips and fries are other types of snack variants. It tastes like an earthier potato, with the textural sensation of a piece of play putty. The longer you break it down, the starchier and looser it becomes, and when you add enough sugar to the mash, it will become obvious why this plant has been a native food of so many tribal cultures for thousands of years.


Taro Cheesecake
makes one 9" cake

Crust:
1 heaping cup vanilla wafers
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp roasted unsalted cashews
pinch salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
3 8-0z. blocks of cream cheese
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups mashed cooked taro
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. For the Crust: Preheat oven to 325F. In a food processor, pulse until well mixed the wafers, sugar, cashews and salt. Pour out into a mixing bowl, drizzle the melted butter over top and mix together until a wet, sandy texture forms. Press this evenly into the bottom of a 9" springform pan, and bake to set, about 12-15 minutes. Remove and cool. Cover the outside of the pan in 2 layers of aluminum foil.

2. To Prepare the Taro: Wash 4-5 medium size taro root. Steam for 30 minutes and let cool to room temperature. With a paring knife, peel away the skins, and cut the root into 1/2" cubes. In a food processor, puree the taro until smooth, in pulses, each time adding 1 Tbsp of water. You will have a sticky paste at the end.

3. For the Filling: Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. With a mixer, beat the cream cheese smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar, beat for another 30 seconds to incorporate. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, while continuously mixing. Add in the rest of the ingredients, and blend well so that no visible clumps remain. Pour the batter into your prepared springform pan.

4. Prepare a bain-marie (water bath): Place your springform in the middle of a roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the pan so that the level comes to halfway up the side of the springform.

5. Bake at 325F for 1 hour 20 min, or until the top of the cheesecake looks set, slightly wobbly, but not dried and cracked. Turn off the oven, and crack open the oven door. Cool for 30-45 minutes, remove pan from oven and let the cake come to room temperature, out of the water bath. Remove the springform, cover and chill to set for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. To serve, cut into wedges.

zucchini cheddar madeleines

Madeleines, for me, epitomize everything that is good and right about the biscuit. It is 1) highly dunkable, preferably in a steaming cup of coffee or tea, 2) the most perfect texture, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, 3) so delicious and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness, and 4) elegantly shaped with scalloped ridges to soak up the aforementioned coffee or tea.

But what about a savory madeleine? Can it be done?

Why, yes! These madeleines are soft and porous on the inside, with the same crisp exterior, made even better with the addition of cheddar cheese. I added grated zucchini for flavor and texture. Have these as a dipping agent for soups, a side to salads, or just to munch on, warm straight from the oven. Of course, you can use any type of cheese you like, gruyere, parmesan, roquefort...along with any type of grated vegetable- try butternut squash or shredded carrot. Savory madeleines are the newest thing, I'm telling you first...


Zucchini Cheddar Madeleines
makes 24

3 zucchini, medium, shredded
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 small onion, diced
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
4-5 large eggs (more for a fluffier biscuit)
2 Tbsp milk
1 heaping cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease and flour 2 madeleine pans (standard, not mini size).

2. In a large bowl, toss zucchini with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse the salt off with water, and in batches, use your hands to squeeze out any moisture.

3. In a skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and saute the onion until lightly browned. Let cool.

4. In a bowl, mix together flour and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, remaining olive oil, cheddar, garlic, basil and pepper together until blended. Gently fold in zucchini and onion, then the flour mixture. Be careful not to overmix, as you are aiming for a tender batter.


5. Spoon the batter into the madeleine pans, to the rim of each. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden and puffy. Cool for 10 mintues, and invert pans to loosen. Serve warm.

Give me more!

study-time brain food

coffee & espresso
sugar free Red Bull
bananas
granola
coffeehouse muffins
buckwheat pancakes, maple syrup, butter
Greek style yogurt, strawberries

Does this sound like brain-food to you? It's a list of what I've been eating (top 6 things) in the past two weeks as I've been studying for my LSATs, which are this Saturday. I've barely had any time, or been in the mood, to cook elaborate, well-balanced meals. When I'm in full-on study mode, I hone in on pretty much a full carb diet. As most of us know, carbs increases the blood sugar levels, leading to increased serotonin levels in our brain, which makes us happy (!!), especially me in my time of stress and utter boredom.

Today I decided to break out of my monotonous food relationship and looked around my 'fridge for other possible lunch candidates. There was frozen paneer, and a bag of frozen peas in the freezer, and canned tomatoes and spices in my pantry. Half an hour later, I had myself a delicious healthy meal of mattar paneer and rice.


This is a dish that's quite common at all Indian restaurants. It's vegetarian and so so good with naan; but the version that I get at restaurants always comes with a heavy creamy sauce that is laden with calories. The traditional version, on the other hand, is just a basic spiced tomato base, in which fried cubes of paneer and peas stew.


Mattar Paneer
adapted from Saveur Magazine (along with my own recommendations)

2 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 heaping tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp fresh ginger paste
1 cup diced tomato, with juices
1 cup frozen peas
6-8 oz. paneer cheese, cubed and fried on all sides

1. Heat ghee in a skillet over low heat until melted. Add cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon. Stir until the fragrances are released, about 1 minute. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric and salt, and cook until the onion starts to become translucent.

2. Add the tomatoes, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes to let the tomatoes break down.

3. Add 1 cup of water and stew 5-10 more minutes to let it reduce. Add the garam masala, peas and paneer. Season with more salt or spices, if necessary. Cook until peas are well heated through.

4. Serve over rice.

how to: paneer

Most Americans have tasted this Indian staple cheese due to its prevalence now in Indian restaurants, commonly appearing in familiar dishes like palak paneer (spinach with paneer) and matar paneer (peas with cheese). Chewy and incredibly mild, it easily takes on the flavors of the surrounding spices in which it stews. Since much of the population of India are vegetarian, paneer has become a great source of protein because it's not made using rennet, an animal enzyme used to make most cheeses of the world. Paneer, instead, is acid-coagulated using lemon or lime juice, or vinegar. The curds are pressed to release any moisture and cut for immediate use in cooking.

It's believed that paneer was originally introduced to India by invaders from the west, Persia and Afghanistan. Paneer means cheese in Persian. To this day, paneer production is most common in the northwest outlying regions of India. It wasn't until about 40 years ago that paneer started to spread and gain popularity throughout the rest of the country.

You can find paneer sold in blocks at Indian and international markets. I've also seen it at Whole Foods ($6-$7). In Baltimore specifically, it's available at several Halal markets in the city and in Catonsville. But then again, you can simply make your own at home...

Paneer
yields 10-12 ounces

1 quart whole milk
juice of 2 lemons or limes

1. In a large stockpot, heat the milk to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 10 minutes, constantly stirring.

2. With heat on low, stir in the lemon juice. Keep stirring for 30 seconds. The curds will seperate from the whey.

3. Line a colander with 2 layers of cheesecloth. Pour the curds and whey into the colander. Rinse the curds with cold water to wash off excess lemon juice and foam.


4. Gather the edges of cloth and wring out any liquid from the cheese. Tie a knot to secure the cheese in a tight ball. Slip a chopstick through the knot and balance in a deep bowl to facilitate draining. Let hang for 1 1/2 hours.


5. Untie knot and squeeze out any more liquid. Twist the cloth again to reform a tight ball. Set on a plate and weigh down the cheese with anything heavy (casserole dish, bricks, etc) for 2 hours.

6. Remove weights and place pressed cheese in refrigerator for about 1/2 hour to firm up. Cut the cheese into strips, then cubes.


7. Fry on all sides in a pan with butter, ghee (clarified butter), or vegetable oil.