world's best blueberry scones

Like, seriously, the world's best. Biscuit doughs tend to be tricky. Thusly, if you follow these golden rules of biscuit making, you will be revered:

1.Butter must be cold, ice cold. Actually, all ingredients, dry and wet, and even mixing bowls should be kept chilled.
2.Butter must be evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients before the wet ones are added.
3.Dough should be worked as little as possible.

It's not as easy as it sounds if you do not have the proper equipment. You'll need:

plenty of countertop space
pastry board
rolling pin
dough cutter/bench scraper
box grater
pastry brush
HANDS!

Be like a true Brit and slather scones with clotted cream and blackberry jam.

Blueberry Scones
adapted from Cooks Illustrated
makes 8 scones

8 Tbsp unsalted butter, frozen solid, plus additional 2 Tbsp, melted for brushing
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. With the large holes on a box grater, grate the 8 tablespoons of frozen butter. Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Place blueberries in freezer until needed.

2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in chilled medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

4. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.

5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

basil pesto

From the Baltimore Famer's Market last sunday, I brought home a pint of blueberries, a bagful of zucchini and squash, apple bran muffins, and a bundle of fragrant Italian basil. For a quick dinner last night, I made basil pesto, and tossed this with whole wheat penne, cherry tomatoes, caramelized onion, and sweet peas. The warmth of the pasta gently melts the parmigiano in the sauce, making it cling to all the beautiful ridges of the penne.



Basil Pesto

1/4 cup pinenuts, toasted until golden
1 cup fresh basil, packed
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

In a food processor, combine the pinenuts, basil, Parmigiano, and garlic. Mix until evenly chopped. While still running, drizzle in the oil, and add the salt. Mix until blended.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
-use real Parmigiano: the protein and flavor crystals from the aging process will be absolutely delicious in your sauce
-keep an eye on the pinenuts as they are toasting- the high oil content accelerates the cooking
-instead of hand grating the cheese, you can chop a block of it into smaller pieces, throw it into the food processor and let it do the work for you

a story of a craving

Well, I surely didn't whip butter for nothing (see previous post). Mr.S had a hankering for homemade chocolate chip cookies. I gladly belted my apron and turned up the heat. (It gave me a chance to test out a new recipe I have from a book I received as a Christmas present, Sherry Yard's Secrets of Baking.)

They were, eh..just ok. I prefer my cookies to spread out more when baking, producing a thinner chewier cookie with crisp round edges. These stayed mounded. The flavor was good; I'd give it a 7. The dough was on the dry side, which explains why the cookie did not fan out while baking. I would probably not make these again, as I'm picky about my choc chip cookies.

On another note, we had dumplings for dinner, which is another craving we commonly are afflicted with. Chicken with vegetable. Not as good as my mom and dad's. But still delicious.

whipped butter

pure decadence

retro recipe: lime fluff

With a population of less than 400, Smith Island, Maryland, lies in the Chesapeake Bay, accessible only by boat. It remains isolated from the rest of the world, yet preserved. Crabbers and fishermen still carry on the 300 year old tradition of harvesting from the water to support their families and their small community. Generations of fishermen's wives toil away in their kitchens, making the most of the abundance of the bay, passing on family recipes and traditions.
Ms. Frances Kitching, an island native, owned one of the most loved inns and restaurants on the island. Her recipes are passed down from her grandmother. Her fame began when in the 1950's she volunteered to cook for workers installing electric lines on the island. She later published a compilation of her recipes in 1981 simply titled Mrs. Kitching's Smith Island Cookbook. Some of these time-honored dishes include stewed crabmeat and dumplings, pan-browned wild duck, cracker pudding, Smith Island ten layer cake, and pickled watermelon rind.

For the Food Maven's Retro recipe challenge, finding a "wobbly" recipe (gelatins, aspics, molds, etc) from before 1985 was in order. I decided to make Mrs. Kitching's Lemon Fluff. It's ethereally light; it melts on your tongue! More so than ever, I found myself enthralled by the wonders of Jello.

When I recreated this recipe, I used lime Jello instead of lemon for a bit more tartness. The color reminded me of seafoam. The texture was that of mousse, but even lighter, and just as creamy. Best yet, the recipe is incredibly simple, my pet monkey could make it! This challenge definitely forced me to park myself in front of the Jello shelf (for the first time ever) in the baking aisle at the store. (When did there get to be so many flavors?? Anyway I'm certain I'll be making more frequent stops here.) Most importantly, retro recipes are really just snapshots of a moment in time, the mood and the trends of the people of that era. It teaches us the origins of many of the dishes we eat today, and recipes like Mrs. Kitching's teach us about good honest American food.


Lemon Fluff
From Mrs. Kitching's Smith Island Cookbook

1 3-oz. package lemon jello (I used lime)
1 cup water
1 13-oz. can evaporated milk
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
vanilla wafers

Chill evaporated milk. Dissolve jello in one cup water. (my recommendation: use hot water) Let gel slightly. Whip evaporated milk (after chilling) until stiff. To milk, add sugar, lemon juice, and jello. Line shallow baking dish with vanilla wafers. Pour jello mixture over top. Crumble wafers on top and refrigerate until firm.

atomic pop, city cafe, bluhouse

Our friends came to visit us on Saturday, and we hopped around the city all afternoon. Atomic Pop in Hamden serves up a new breed of baked goods, the totally inedible kind, but soft and plushy to engulf in a hug. I would totally take a bite out of one, were it not for the fact that they have faces, and such angelic ones at that!

For a late lunch, and a very unremarkable one, we dined at City Cafe in Mt. Vernon. There are no pictures, since there were well, basically none worth taking. I had caesar salad with shrimp, which was served as only chopped romaine and plain grilled shrimp and 3 grape tomatoes. Mr.S ordered an entree chicken salad, which turned out to be a measly paltry pitiful portion. The only satisfied customer at the table was our friend who ordered the turkey club, a very generous plateful with a heaping mound of fries. We all gazed longingly at his gluttinous portion while nibbling on our greens.


Then it was off to Bluhouse by Harbor East, an eco-friendly home furnishings store that's more zen than granola, and more apothecary than furniture store. The adjacent cafe is one of the most silent cafes I have ever been to. They serve organic and fair-trade coffees and teas, and an assortment of sandwiches and wraps from the superhealty Zia's in Towson. The pastries were again, unremarkable, as they looked like they were from Costco (and there's nothing wrong with that), just surprising when taking into account the higher end quality of their other products. The iced coffee was good, not acidic nor anything to that effect. They had no iced decaf on hand, so our friend resorted to ordering a decaf americano over ice, which as any coffee purist know, ruins a good shot of espresso. I would most definitely go back, but for the ambience only. And maybe also to test out a few hand cremes.

mango ginger chutney

Sweet, sour, spicy...I can eat chutney by the spoonful. It is by far one of my favorite condiments. Chutney's roots are in South Asia, predominantly India, where it is served with heavier meat dishes and curries.

I eat mine spread onto turkey and bacon sandwiches or with crusty bread and blue cheese.


Mango Ginger Chutney

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
scant 1/3 cup vinegar
1 heaping Tbsp onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup mango, peeled and chopped

In a saucepan, combine sugar, raisins, vinegar, onion, ginger and chili powder. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the mango and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Let cool. May be refrigerated for up to 4 weeks.

five guys burgers and fries

In the lobby of my apartment, there is a Five Guys. This could be a really bad thing or a really really good thing. They do burgers and fries, and they do it well. Burgers are made to order, and you can add up to 15 toppings for free. Prices are affordable, as a plain hamburger starts at $3.99 (which includes 2, count them 2 patties) and a "little hamburger" at $2.69 (1 patty). A regular (as opposed to large) order of fries is more than enough for one, well maybe one extremely starved individual, but definitely sufficient for 2. The meat is always cooked to well-done, which may not be to the liking of many who prefer their burgers pink and juicy. My only peeve is that since the burgers are wrapped in foil while still warm, the buns tend to get limp and soggy. Otherwise, the flavors are straightforward, and the portions quite generous.

Mostly, it's convenient! And while you wait for your order, you can snack on all the peanuts you can eat and even toss the shells on the floor. There's unlimited drink refills, ketchup, and malt vinegar for your fries too. Overall, the food is clean, pure, and pretty much all natural, so it's probably better eating here over BK or McDonalds, but nonetheless, just as bad for your arteries.

candied tomatoes

It's the height of tomato season, and nothing beats the sweet explosion in your mouth after biting into a ripe cherry tomato, still warm from the vine. I found these lovely black cherry heirlooms at the market, all purplish-red with with a hue of green. They have a sweet complex flavor that lingers on the palate.

One of the best things about summer cooking is the abundance of salads you can make. Just about anything tastes wonderful together, given that its fresh, and thus true to its flavors. A salad doesn't necessarily have to have greens; it can be a simple julienne of root vegetables such as jicama and carrot. A sweet corn and pepper chow chow can also make a refreshing meal.

I candied these cherry tomatoes in a cinnamon-chile syrup. They pop in your mouth like delicious Red Hots.


Fennel and Apple Slaw with Salted Anchovy
Candied Black Cherry Tomatoes
serves 4

CANDIED TOMATOES
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
3 dried Thai red chilies
1 cinnamon stick

SALAD
2 fennel bulbs, sliced thin lengthwise
1 apple, thin julienned
1 shallot, thin sliced
3 Tbsp fennel fronds, rough chopped
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
12 filets anchovies in olive oil
olive oil for drizzling

1. Candy the tomatoes: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cut a slit in the base of each tomato. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and blanch until the skins begin to split, about 20 seconds. Drain the tomatoes and place them in an ice bath. Peel the tomatoes and gently put them into a shallow bowl.
2. In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, salt, chiles, and cinnamon; simmer over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Pour the syrup over the tomatoes and let stand for 30-45 minutes to infuse the flavors.
3. The salad: Lightly toss the fennel, apples, fronds, and shallot with the vinegar, sugar, and salt.
4. Plate: Mound the fennel slaw in the middle of the plate. Arrange 3 anchovy filets so that they drape down one side of the mound. Arrange tomatoes around the slaw and anchovies. Drizzle with olive oil.