Need something quick and easy for this weekend?  This twist on applesauce never fails to go over well will children and adults alike.  The addition of pears results in a somewhat different final product.  And because you are driving the final consistency is just what you want it to be.  

Ingredients

• 4 apples, McIntosh preferred
• 6 pears, Anjou preferred
• 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Procedure

1. When choosing your apples, avoid tart backing apples like Granny Smith. Because you are using no sugar, they have to be sweet.
2. Wash the fruit well.  Peel and quarter, removing the cores.
3. Throw the chunks into a pot, filled about one-fourth the way with water. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until fruit is soft.
5. If you prefer a fine texture, run the fruit through a food mill or sieve.  If you like it chunky, just use a whisk or potato masher to break up the fruit.
6. Add cinnamon to taste (more than a tablespoon is very fine), and a teaspoon of vanilla for an extra kick.
7. Eat on the spot, or enjoy for later by storing in sterile mason jars.

The Goods

Real pizza is of course all about the dough.  Then comes cooking technique.  Ingredients are last in the order of importance. 

Jeff Varasano, an engineer by trade, was born and raised in the Bronx, ground zero for New York pizza.  Whenever one is raised with extraordinary being the norm, you don’t know how good you have it until you don’t have it anymore.  This very problem faced Jeff when he relocated to Atlanta in 1998, reason unknown (to me anyway). That situation resulted in his quest to replicate or exceed the product he was used to in his native New York. Along the way, he determined that good dough is as much art as science and needs the regular care of a craftsman.  And the pizza oven must be around 800F.  Pizza stone completely optional. 

To get these temperatures at home, Jeff modified his home oven to disable the interlock for the oven cleaning cycle.  (The “cleaning cycle” is really just the “really high temperature cycle.”).  You can get these temperatures - and results at home - without destroying the Maytag - but that is for another day.

Watching the crew in action was interesting.  Everyone had a single job.  One guy crafted the dough.  Guy 2 tossed the dough into the base for the pizza.  Number 3 built the pie.  Four runs the oven, regularly “shooting” the oven with an infrared thermometer to ensure they oven was at the desired temperature - not relying on the 385C at the digital readout of the oven. Finally, the fifth guy dresses the pizza with a bit of oil and herbs, if you asked for it.

Does it work?  Generally yes.  The pizza was in fact extraordinary.  The char on the crust was essentially flawless.  The sauce and hunks of mozzarella just as they should be. Everyone should experience such a pizza.  It is nothing at all like any mass produced delivery you’ll ever have.  Maybe only ten joints in North America are on par with Varasano’s

A Quick Lesson in Dough

Still, there are kinks.  Customer service is ok, not great.  Timing off drinks and such totally off.  Worse, the accuracy of the orders was poor.  I ate there twice this week. Go what I ordered once.  Simply put, the focus on the attention to the kitchen has not carried forward into the training of the wait staff. 

Worst part was, Jeff stopped the whole operation for 20 minutes on my first visit to give the kitchen a lesson/critique on dough-making during service.  Because the kitchen is open to the dining room, this was all in plain sight for all to see.  While I encourage the training of the staff, it should not be in view of the patrons.  And the way he was talking to the staff, I wouldn’t expect them all to stay.

Of course, the pizza was extraordinary.  If you visit Atlanta, you must put Varasano’s on your itinerary.

One challenge with dishes like this is finding the authentic true-to-form of the original, free from the variety of reverse-engineering errors and omissions.  The version presented below is as close as I can come to the match what I consider to be fairly authentic tres leche. The result is better than that being produced in most places these days. A great recipe to get your kids involved.

Ingredients:

For the cake: 

• Vegetable oil
• 6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for the pan
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature (overnight is best; this takes much longer than you think and temperature is crucial to proper results).
• 8 ounces sugar
• 5 whole eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 

For the glaze: 

• 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup half-and-half 

For the topping: 

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Procedure: 

For the cake: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9-inch metal pan and set aside. 
3. Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. 
4. Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running; gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. 
5. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. 
6. Restart the mixer and add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. 
7. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. 
8. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter but fear not. 
9. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F. 
10. Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow cooling for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. 
11. Allow the cake to cool completely, about an hour.

For the glaze: 

1. Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half and-half in a 4-cup measuring cup. 
2. After the cake has cooled for about an hour, pour the glaze over the cake. 
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cake overnight. 

Topping: 

1. Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. 
2. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. 
3. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and serve.

Make homemade limoncello because it is fun but also know that it is generally much better than what you can buy at the store; certainly better than the contract brand Danny DeVito recently rolled out. In Italy, nearly all cafes and restaurants have their own stock of the limoncello made on premises. Factory versions are often frowned upon.

Patience is a key to this recipe. You will be tempted to taste the fruits of your labors long before it is ready. Don’t. There is a real aging process going on, not simple infusion, and time essential. In the early days, the product will be harsh and unpalatable.

The second key to this recipe is attention to detail. For example, lemons are generally waxed and this is absolutely not good for the end result. So wash and rinse thoroughly and repeat before starting.

Do not shortcut the filtering steps. Vodka and even grain alcohol have flavor. All we want is the alcohol; our flavor comes from the fruit and the sugar. You’re paying for the flavor in vodka and the lack of impurities. So buy grain alcohol if at all possible. My state, Virginia, no longer carries it, but I’m close enough to the state line to fix that. Filter the alcohol before using a Brita-type filter. Two times is really all you need. This will take a while so filter a day in advance. If you must use vodka, use a high proof (100+) mid grade. And then filter three times Brita-like to get rid of all that vodka taste you paid for.

The results will certainly be worth it. I have been amazed at the number of people bottle this up and give it to friends as gifts. It was just such as gift that set me down the path to learn to make it myself. Dozens of recipes exist on the net. This is based on the only one I found to work reliably.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 20 large lemons, washed and rinsed twice
• 2 750 milliliter bottles grain alcohol, twice or thrice filtered using a Brita-like filter
• 5 ½ cups water (three if you are using vodka)
• 6 cups white ordinary sugar (raw sugars are not good for this)

Procedure:

1. Using a MicroPlane zester, remove the yellow zest (do not zest the white pith). Juice the lemons and save for something else.
2. Place the lemon zest in a 4-quart Mason jar with a sealed lid. Add the grain alcohol, making sure the lemon zest peel is completely covered. Apply the lid high tightly.
3. Store in a cool, dark place, shaking the jar once each day or two to agitate the lemon zest.
4. On day thirty, make the simple syrup. Bring the water to a heavy boil in a large saucepan. Add the sugar, stir, and remove from the heat. Continue to stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cover and let cool all the way to room temperature.
5. Add the simple syrup to the lemon/grain alcohol mixture. Stir. Replace the lid. Back into the dark, cool spot. For another thirty days. Shake every day or two.
6. In a colander, place a disposable coffee filter. Place the colander into a larger bowl. Filter the limoncello through the filter to remove all the solids. This will take some doing. If the filter clogs beyond the point of flowing, replace it and continue.
7. Using a fresh filter, re-filter the limoncello mixture.
8. Transfer the limoncello to smaller bottles that can be sealed with rubber stoppers or equivalent. Store in freezer.

Our first big summer weekend is upon us in just a few short days.  Okay, so it is not technically summer, but who will not be thinking big summer thoughts while standing around the BBQ this Memorial Day? 

If you’ve not had limoncello, consider keeping a bottle in your freezer just because.  In a later post, I’ll show you how to make your own lemoncello.  While it’s generally consumed straight up, it also forms the base for many cocktails.

The summer bar is all about drinks that refresh.  As you think about what to serve at your party consider the limoncello lush.  All the efforvescent  lemony goodness will refresh - and your troubles will certainly fade away as this thing is nearly all alcohol.  Simple to make, perhaps too simple to consume. Mix and serve with care.

 Ingredients:

• 2 oz. limoncello
• 1 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• Presecco

 Procedure:

1. Combine limoncello, vodka, lemon juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake well.
2. Strain over ice into an old-fashioned glass. Top with Prosecco, stir gently, and garnish with a lemon slice.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of  chicken (drumsticks, thighs, or (my favorite cut-up chicken pieces in 1 ½ inch cubes)
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
• ½ Tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
• 4 Tablespoons fish sauce
• Oil for deep-frying, preferable peanut oil

For the dredging mixture:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup corn starch
• ½ cup rice flour

Procedure:

1. Clean the chicken and dry with paper towels.
2. Use a mini food processor or a mortar and pestle to blend the garlic and salt until they become a fine paste.
3. Add the paste, fish sauce, oyster sauce to the chicken and coat well. Transfer the chicken into a big Ziploc bag and marinate for four to six hours in the fridge. Overnight wouldn’t hurt either.
4. Fill your Dutch oven or fryer halfway with peanut oil. Set the temperature to 375 degrees.
5. As the oil begins to heat up, mix the three flours together in a bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture.
6. Use a spider or fry basket to lower groups of chicken into the oil and fry until crispy and golden brown - the inside should be cooked but juicy.
7. As batches of chicken come out of the fryer, drain them on paper towels.
8. Plate the chicken and serve with sweet chili sauce.

 Ingredients:

• 2 large lemons
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - about 1 ½ pounds, trimmed of fat
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons small capers, drained
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

 Procedure:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof plate on rack, and heat oven to 200F.

Halve one lemon length-wise.  Trims the ends from one half and then slice crosswise into 1/8 inch slices.

Juice the remaining 1 ½ lemon and measure out ¼ cup juice - retain for now.

Slice each breast across the flat so as to reduce the thickness in half.  In other words, hold your knife parallel to the cutting board with the cutting edge down. Rotate your wrist 90 degrees clockwise if you’re right handed (counterclockwise if left handed). Use your non-cutting hand to hold the breast down using your palm and cut the breast in half parallel to the board.

Sprinkle both sides of cutlets with salt and pepper.

Measure flour into pie tin or shallow baking dish. Working one cutlet at a time, coat with flour, and shake to remove excess.

Heat your 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes

Add 2 Tablespoons oil and swirl pan to coat.

Lay half of chicken pieces in skillet and sauté cutlets, without moving until lightly browned on first side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

Turn cutlets and cook until second side is lightly browned, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and transfer cutlets to plate in oven.

Add remaining 2 Tablespoons oil to skillet and heat until shimmering. Add remaining chicken pieces and repeat the sauté process.

Add shallot to now-empty skillet and return skillet to medium heat. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add stock and lemon slices, increase heat to high, and scrape skillet bottom with wooden spoon or spatula to loosen browned bits.

Simmer until liquid reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes.

Add lemon juice and capers and simmer until sauce reduces again to 1/3 cup, about 1 minute.

Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter until butter melts; stir in parsley.

Plate chicken and spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Years ago, I used to travel to Jamaica, the Bahamas, and many other islands in the West Indies and Caribbean every month.  Being business travel related to heavy industry, all of my travels were in the more “authentic” parts of the islands.

I probably spent more time in Kingston than anywhere else (without going into details, it’s nothing like the tourist spots on the north shore). Being the type that seeks out the local food and people with a proclivity for exploring, my good friend Don and I ate street food throughout the city and drove all over the island in search of a new meal.

Stereotypical dishes such as jerk chicken certainly figured into the equation and so did a myriad of other meals I’ll post later.  At the end of the day though, peas and rice were ubiquitous, served with nearly every meal.  Typically similar to red beans and rice, but much more rich.

I’ve run across many recipes but this one I received from the wife of friend on the island suits me best.  Healthy and done in 30 minutes, you really should give it a try.

Why peas and rice instead of beans and rice?  No one ever seemed to know.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

·         2 cups vegetable broth

·         1 can (15-ounce) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

·         1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

·         1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced

·         1 teaspoon dried thyme

·         ½ teaspoon ground allspice

·         ¾ cup medium-grain white rice

·         1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Procedure:

1.    In a large saucepan, combine everything but the rice and green onion and raise the heat to a boil.

2.    Add the rice and mix, then reduce the reduce heat to a simmer.

3.    Cook until the rice is almost tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

4.    Stir in most of the green onions, reserving some for garnish.

5.    Continue cooking until the rice is completely tender, about four minutes.

6.    Plate the peas and rice and garnish with green onions.

Want to learn to make them yourself and impress your friends and dramatically improve your drinking experience? The key is maraschino liqueur - which is made from the pits of marasca cherries (which develops the almond flavor) and the juice of the cherries themselves.  All that results in maraschino liqueur.  You want to go out and find yourself a bottle of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur.  Then we can begin.

Buy about a pound of fresh cherries, stems attached and pit them using a tool you can get off Amazon. 

Fill one or more standard canning jars with the cherries.  Then fill the voids by pouring the maraschino liqueur into the jars until they are completely full.  Pour the cherries and liqueur out of the jars and into a saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer.  Remove the saucepan from the stove and allow it all to cool to room temperature.

Evenly divide the cherries and the remaining liqueur between the original jars. Add one Tablespoon of vanilla to each jar for each pint of volume.  Top off with additional liqueur until completely full.  Lid the jars and set aside for at least two weeks.

Most people have a really hard time holding off tasting but you won’t, because I said so. After at least two weeks, test a few cherries.  Tell me what you find.

Audio Post

Just having a little fun and getting technical issues in order for next week.

Christian