Tag Archives: dessert

Soaking up the Northeastern Summer

23 Tuesday Jul 2013

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Gorgeous berries at the Fort Greene Park Greenmarket

Gorgeous berries at the Fort Greene Park Greenmarket in Brooklyn

We’re baaaack!

It’s been a couple of months since our return to the convenience that is life in the US of A. It’s been a whirlwind of apartment- and job-hunting, moving and returning to the corporate routine. Bittersweet.

Arriving just in time for the summer has helped ease the transition. From the array of gorgeous summer berries to enjoying refreshing fruity water ice, we’re taking advantage of all that lazy summer days in New York have to offer.

Mango gelati deliciousness

Mango gelati deliciousness from Rita’s

“And just what is this water ice you speak of?” ask the non-Northeasterns. Well that, my friends, is difficult to articulate. Water ice is smooth and frozen, with a consistency that’s firmer than a slushie, softer than a sorbet, and nothing like a snow cone so don’t even go there. I’m not sure that’s very helpful, so Philly/Jersey readers, please feel free to chime in here. Anyhow, water ice shops are usually only open during the spring and summer, and offer their treats in flavors that range from delicious to…bubblegum (ew). My personal favorite is Rita’s mango water ice, topped with thick vanilla custard.

Another seasonal bonus has been the bounty of rhubarb coming from my parents. I grew up on this stuff, and it wasn’t until I moved to Philly that I realized not everyone knew the joy of rhubarb pie, rhubarb bread, and warm rhubarb crisp with vanilla ice cream. Oh, how I pity your rhubarb-less souls. The tart fruit slash vegetable was nowhere to be found in Argentina, but now I’ve got a steady supply to satisfy my cravings.

Rhubarb

Another indulgence we’ve been enjoying, and part of the reason for my silence over the past couple of months, is the convenience that is Seamless. Imagine for a moment, my friends in Argentina, having every imaginable food available for prompt delivery at the touch of a button, without the need for human interaction or the exchange of cash money, let alone exact change. ‘merica!

While – let’s be honest – Seamless will now be a regular part of my life, I’ve finally restocked my kitchen and am ready to do this thang from Brooklyn. So stay tuned!

Brooklyn Bridge

Learning to Cook Andean Delicacies at Sky Kitchen

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by in lima, peru, travel

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Sky Kitchen in Lima, Peru

After falling in love with the flavors in Perú, I knew the only way my taste buds would forgive my return to the USA would be the promise home-cooked recreations. So I signed up for the Andean Delicacies cooking class at Sky Kitchen in Lima (and a gym membership to counteract my love of Peruvian food).

Sky Kitchen cooking classes are held in a modern penthouse space overlooking Lima’s gorgeous Miraflores neighborhood. They’re led by Peruvian native Chef Yurac, who began cooking at eight years old when his mother punished him for some form of misbehavior he claims not to remember by depriving him of the family meal she’d prepared. He decided he didn’t need her cooking anyhow, he could do better himself. This launched a lifelong passion which he now shares with visitors to Lima.

On the left is huacatay, a Peruvian black mint. On the right, ahí panca, a spicy Peruvian pepper.

On the left is huacatay, a Peruvian black mint. On the right, ahí panca, a spicy Peruvian pepper.

Over the course of a leisurely afternoon, we learned about a variety of native Peruvian fruits, vegetables and grains, the history of many Peruvian dishes, and the techniques used in their preparation. We chopped, sliced, stirred and fried our way to an incredible meal.

The first course we prepared was ocopa, a native potato drenched in a sauce made from a fascinating mix of yellow pepper, cheese, onion, garlic, huacatay leaves (black mint), toasted peanuts and vanilla crackers. Yep, vanilla crackers. Who knew? I’d seen this served at restaurants and thought it didn’t look all that appealing, but I was surprised to find it was one of my favorite dishes.

Ocopa

Next up was the chupe, a savory soup featuring prawns and fried fish, along with corn, peas, carrots, pumpkin, more huacatay, and a healthy dose of cheese and rice.

Chupe

The main course was seco de alpaca a la norteña, a mixture of cilantro, onions, garlic, ají panca (a spicy Peruvian pepper), white wine, and chicha do jora (Peruvian maize beer). The sauce and meat slowly simmer for hours resulting in a flavorful alpaca that’s so tender it falls apart. This was my first time trying alpaca, and I am a fan. It’s super lean, but tender and versatile. The dish was served with asparagus and a guiso de quinoa featuring my favorite grain doused in cheese, milk, garlic and yellow pepper. Quinoa’s only recently become popular in the USA, but it’s been a protein-rich staple in countries like Perú, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia for thousands of years.

Lean cuts of alpaca meat.

Nice and lean cuts of alpaca.

Seco de Alpaca

And to top it all off, perhaps my favorite of the day, was a delicious mousse made with lúcuma fruit. Lúcuma looks something like an avocado when you cut into it, except bright yellow, with a slightly drier texture similar to that of a hard-boiled egg yolk. The flavor is impossible to describe, like nothing I’ve tasted before, but it’s addicting. Lucky for me it’s served throughout Perú in milkshakes and ice cream. (Yeah, that gym membership was a must). We topped the mousse with a maracuyá (passion fruit) reduction. I can’t wait to try my hand at making mousse back home!

Lúcuma Mousse

Sky Kitchen offers classes Mondays through Saturdays for lunch or dinner, and classes are available in English, Spanish and German. Come hungry, because it’s a TON of food! For more information or to book a class, visit the Sky Kitchen website.

Giving Thanks for Pumpkin Rolls

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by in desserts, recipes

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Gaspar and I once again hosted a Thanksgiving feast to share the best of our culture with our friends here in Buenos Aires. This time around, planning was a breeze. Amazing what a difference language skills and a bit of experience can make. Having nailed the acrobatics involved in cooking for 15 people with one tiny stove last year, I had all the “make-ahead” recipes lined up. And after frantically scouring the city last year for Thanksgiving staples like pumpkin, turkey and pecans that don’t seem to be embraced in Argentine cuisine, I knew where to find what I needed. A quick rundown for any newcomers: small frozen turkeys (pavitos) can be found at Jumbo, pecans (nueces – yes, I know that just translates to “nuts” but I don’t make the rules) at Mercado de San Telmo or Barrio Chino, sweet potatoes (batatas) are everywhere, the best brown sugar substitute is azucar negra, and things like cranberries, marshmallows and canned pumpkin do not exist here so “import” them if you can.

I’d had big plans for featuring all the various dishes and recipes I used, but as I should have known, by the time everything was ready and guests were arriving, the last thing on my mind was taking photos. But trust me, if you’re ever looking for a super tasty mashed potato recipe that can be made ahead, this is the one. And this sweet potato casserole got non-stop rave reviews from everyone. I use evaporated milk instead of regular, double the vanilla, and triple the amount of the pecan topping. I love me some crispy pecan topping, what can I say?

At least I got some good pics of the pumpkin roll. I use the recipe from Libby’s without much modification. Pumpkin rolls can take some practice, and are rarely “perfect” but the taste is what counts, right? My advice would be: 1.)  do not overmix when adding the flour. 2.) Make sure you spread the batter as evenly as possible in the pan. 3.) Thoroughly cover your tea towel with powdered sugar (there’s no such thing as too much, really) and 4.) When spreading the cream cheese filling onto the cake, go heaviest on the end that will be the center of the roll and make sure you’re not skimping on the edges.

If you live in Buenos Aires, good news! Pumpkin rolls are now available for special order. Just contact me here.

LIBBY’S PUMPKIN ROLL

For the cake:

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

For the filling:

  • 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar (for decoration)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

For filling, beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. You can also freeze the pumpkin roll if making in advance. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Photo credit for this one goes to one of my favorite dinner guests, Marina Coser

Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake

17 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in desserts, recipes

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I’d long heard great things about flourless chocolate cake but somehow had never tasted one, let alone attempted to create one, until recently. Something about it just sounded intimidating…rich, decadent, made in a springform pan. (Springform pan = high level of difficulty, duh.)

Yeah, I don’t know.

But one day, on the hunt for something to bake for my friend Lisa’s gluten-free family that wouldn’t require obscure flours, I stumbled across this recipe and decided to give it a try. Sidenote: Whole Foods website has some great recipes. Who knew?

Wow. Yes, it’s rich, decadent, made in a springform pan…and actually pretty simple. Best of all, my friend’s family enjoyed it thoroughly, as you can read about on her blog. If gluten free’s your thing, she’s got some recipes you should check out as well.

Because it’s so indulgent and just plain beautiful, it’s perfect for a special occasion. Or if you’re just in the mood to eat half of a fudgy chocolate cake with a spoon. No judgement.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped 

1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks 

1 1/4 cups sugar 

6 eggs 

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 tablespoon milk 

1 tablespoon honey 

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberries, strawberries, or whatever you may like to garnish the cake with

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray, too, then set the pan aside.

Place two-thirds (8 ounces) of the chocolate and 1 cup (2 sticks) of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. (If this sounds like too much trouble, you can use your microwave to melt the butter with the chocolate). Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake has risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate, removing sides of springform pan. Remove and discard parchment paper and set cake aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Melt remaining 4 ounces chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, then stir in milk, honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.

When cake has cooled, pour glaze onto the center. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, very gently smooth glaze along the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make the cake easier to slice.