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cookbook chronicles: Lemonade

I can be a picky brat about eating out, especially at casual chain restaurants, but Lemonade is one you won’t find me fussing about. I swear, we grab food there at least once a week. The Gemini in me adores all the quality options, and I love delicious and varied ways of enjoying my veggies with minimal fuss. A six-portion salad and a lemonade to share is perfectly sized for a lunch date!

When I saw the Lemonade cookbook at checkout one day, I knew it would be coming home with me. Having tested it in the kitchen, I wanted to share some thoughts on a few recipes I tried in this installment of Cookbook Chronicles.

Going for the namesake, I had to make a lemonade. The key to the tart richness of their lemonades is a freshly made thick fruit purée. With so many flavor options, I chose pear basil lemonade (page 231), which I’ve never seen onsite. Pears are incredible this time of year, and I love the herbaceous flavor of basil in sweets, so this was a major hit for me.

Unfotunately, the corn chowder (page 171) was not nearly as good. I went for the Malibu clambake variation, which included seafood stock and clams, but the soup was bland and watery and just kindof boring. We tried topping it with smoked paprika, pickled red onions, jalepenos, and each helped, but nothing could fully save this soup.

Black bottom cheesecake brownies (page 201) are my favorite treat from the dessert case at Lemonade, and I’m a big fan of the chocolate-cheesecake flavor combo in general. But I found this recipe really disappointing- the batter wanted to be clumpy, despite the tedious method, and the finished products were tougher than I’d like. For a chocolate cheesecake craving, I’d rather point you to Smitten Kitchen’s cheesecake marbled brownies for fat superior deliciousness for much less time and effort anyway.

I tend to skip over cookies for more elaborate sweets, but I made these Oatmeal-Golden Raisin Cookies (page 189) over the holidays and they were really yummy. I love golden raisins, and they were lovely bursts of sweetness in these tender, chewy cookies.

When I first saw the coconut cake (page 206) in the desert case, I was all heart-eyed over the coconut-milk-soaked layers, but they somehow managed to be both dry and sticky… I thought they might have been serving it a day past its prime. I felt certain I could do better at home, and I did. The barely sweetened frosting balanced the sweeter cake and filling nicely, though I did substitute half the sugared coconut shreds in the topping with unsweetened coconut flakes.

So it’s been a little hit-or-miss as far as experimenting, but I’m certainly liking having the recipes on hand to some of my favorite salads and homemade dressings. I’m pretty sure more than a few Lemonade recipes will be making it in to the regular mealtime rotation.

loveRavayna

January 12, 2016

2 In festivities/ recipes

vanilla squared marshmallows

I’d always been intimidated by homemade marshmallows, until I discovered that they’re astonishingly easy with the help of a candy thermometer and stand mixer. I first made these marshmallows last holiday season, and they may have ruined me for commercially-made ones forever. They’re irresistible by the handful, super soft and flavorful, and they quickly go molten and so delicious when roasted or topping a hot drink.

The name’s a bit punny. For serious flavor, I use homemade bourbon vanilla, along with scraping in a whole vanilla bean and adding a touch of almond for the NOLA nectar homage. I cut them into cubes mostly for speed and ease, and I find being generous with the starch-and-sugar mixture super helpful- I even fill a shaker with it.

I’m all about the edible treats as holiday gifts… I make and share small batches of goodies all season long. So I filled sweet little holly-print boxes with marshmallows and curled shiny red ribbon for festive treats to be given to friends.

These marshmallows melt so incredibly, they elevate simple hot cocoa to a fantastical treat. I behave like a five year old and just keep piling marshmallows into my cup. Despite sticky-fingered snacking and the distraction of Elf, we even managed to get a few presents wrapped, so I’ll call it a winter evening success.

Vanilla Squared Marshmallows

(adapted from Alton Brown’s homemade marshmallows)

Ingredients

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, about 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 whole vanilla bean
1 1/2 tablespoon bourbon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
nonstick cooking spray

Preparation

Empty gelatin and 1/2 cup of the water into bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and powdered sugar. Spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Add some of the sugar-cornstarch mixture and shake about to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return excess to the bowl, set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, attach candy thermometer to the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, about 7 minutes. Watch carefully and immediately remove from heat.
Start the mixer on low. While running, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture- be careful! Once all of the syrup is added, increase speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes- it will be steamy at first. Add the vanilla and almond extracts during the last minute of whipping.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using an oiled spatula if needed to spread evenly. Dust the top with enough of the sugar-starch mixture to lightly cover, saving the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Once set, turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board or counter dusted with sugar-starch. Cut into strips and then squares using a pizza wheel. Lightly dust all sides of each cut marshmallow with the remaining mixture. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

The cocoa I serve is adapted from this one– I add cinnamon and a sprinkle each of cardamom and cayenne. It makes a rich semisweet cocoa that is perfect with the melting marshmallows. Feel free to thin with more milk or sweeten further, but homemade cocoa is so easy and delicious the packets simply don’t compare.

loveRavayna

December 14, 2015

0 In festivities/ home/ recipes

home for the holidays

As much as I love latkes, I can’t eat them for 8 nights straight if I want to fit into my clothes. So I make a point of experimenting with and serving other foods with Jewish and Israeli foods as we celebrate Hannukah.

Having made several variations of chocolate babka in the past, Smitten Kitchen’s simplification of Yotam Ottolenghi’s krantz cakes are hands down the best. I decided to up the ante a notch by raiding/catching up on my Valrhona x Trader Joe’s chocolate calendar and including several different dark varieties, and it was a scrumptious life choice.

The cutting and twisting stage can be a little iffy, but refrigerating the dough to stiffen the butter makes all the difference. And as long as you get it into the pan in some fashion, it will rise up just dandy. And yes, I have to use a mug of water to humidify my microwave as a rising drawer- even in sunny SoCal, our house is an icebox.

I lose all self-control around this yumminess- that little pan of ends was history before I’d even finished glazing the loaves. With Hanukkah falling early this year, we’re celebrating the miracle of light as we prepare and decorate for our annual holiday open house, which we’re hosting this weekend.

The babka made for some scrumptious Hanukkah bush decorating fuel. The moist and tender brioche was swirled generously with melted chocolate, and warm slices paired perfectly with glasses of icy cold milk.

decktheh-tulaneorniment

We don’t go too overboard with holiday decor. As much as I love the way it looks, I have limited patience for the untangling and wrangling, putting up and taking down, organizing and storing, and David even less so. My mom is a holiday superdecorator and I’m nowhere near her level, so I’m just grateful that she gifted us the majority of those gorgeous vintage glass ornaments.

But I loooooooveee the smell of a live tree in the house, so every year we wind up at the tree lot. It’s the same story, different year- I try and talk David into a 9 footer or the like, he laughs in my face. Then we inspect no less than a dozen (more reasonably sized) trees until I find the perfect one. And once we get it home, I’m hanging onto the mantle or teetering on the arm of the couch to perch the sparkly fleur de lis on the top.

There’s a lot of love on this little table. The chanukiah was a wedding present, and my mother in law crocheted the tablecloth as a gift for me. We collected the pinecones hiking in Big Bear during our 2nd wedding anniversary getaway, then cleaned and glittered them. I can’t help but smile when I see it all- it’s simple but special.

David got me a new MacBook Air last month, and his new camera body arrived a few weeks ago. Since we’re already using and loving our big gifts this year, we’re exchanging smaller treats each night. Some are useful, like the previous night’s Restoration Hardware foot duvets (graphite for David, grey for me), some are indulgent, like these gorgeous rose gold and brown abalone Kendra Scott earrings, and some are silly, like the box of practical jokes and disguises David proceeded to open.

With all the travel I’ve clocked this year (24 round trips in 2015) it’s been really amazing to have put up the suitcases for the year. To just spend some time around the house, making it fun and festive, just gives me all the warm and fuzzy feelings.

loveRavayna

December 9, 2015

0 In recipes

cookbook chronicles: the perfect scoop

Introducing a new series today! I love working my way through cookbooks, so after I do, I’ll be sharing a few favorite tried-and-true recipes with my modifications here as the Cookbook Chronicles. Let me know if there are any cookbooks you’d like me to feature. Good eats and good times!

This summer’s ridiculously sweltering heat was the perfect time for me to forsake my oven and reacquaint myself with the ice cream maker I’ve had since college, and David Lebovitz‘s The Perfect Scoop was the perfect cookbook to have close at hand. Our freezers have been frequently and enthusiastically visited lately- every recipe we’ve tried has been on point.

Fresh Fig

I made this ice cream (page 80) with gorgeous black mission figs from the farmers market. Somehow, the recipe yielded plenty to churn as well as fill half a dozen popsicles, and we weren’t complaining.

Golden plum with blackberry swirl

I used super fragrant Golden Nectar plums in this ice cream (page 77) and it was the perfect balance of sweet and bright yet creamy. I subbed blackberries for raspberries in a lovely tart swirl (page 92) and it was scrumptious.

Basil stracciatella

One of my favorite local creameries, Quenelle, does a yummy basil chocolate chip that inspired this. Creamy fresh basil ice cream (page 100) was streaked with semisweet Valrhona stracciatella (page 210). It made for incredible brownie sundaes, and I could barely keep from stealing bites of that not-too-sweet herbal-floral goodness when walking past the fridge.

Date, rum, and pecan

This ice cream (page 45) was probably David’s favorite batch. Trader Joe’s spiced pecans were the perfect choice here. Trini to the bone, I used generous lashings of Angostura 7 Year, and it was beautifully boozy with a creamy gelato-like texture.

Despite the calendar, we still have a good bit of SoCal summer ahead of us, and I have a pretty good feeling it will include toasted almond and candied cherry (page 60) and malted milk (page 51) ice creams.

Cheers to amazing ice cream and indian summer!

loveRavayna

September 8, 2015

0 In recipes

rainbow cookie cake

For as long as I can remember, I have been really into rainbow cookies. As a child, I was notorious for raiding cookie platters at parties to have all the rainbows for myself, and for going straight-up Cookie Monster if lucky enough to find myself unattended with a plateful or bakery box. Some things never change- I’m still obsessed and David is now, too. The kosher bakery in my mom’s neighborhood makes my absolute favorite ones, (White Plains Bake Shoppe if you happen to be in NYC suburbs), and I always scarf them when I’m visiting… And fly back to LA with a box too. But I can’t exactly fly cross country for cookies, and I have never, not once, found these on the west coast, which is a travesty.

So when faced with a craving one day, I went on a recipe hunt. I came across one for a rainbow cookie cake from Adam Roberts, and the game was on, y’all.

I’ve bumped up the almondy goodness a bit, and frankly, it’s freaking delicious. It’s dense (in the best possible way), but super tender. It’s certainly rich, but semisweet chocolate and quality preserves keep it from being overly sweet. It’s a regular on the celebration rotation, for birthdays and holidays, and the leftovers, if any survive, keep beautifully in the fridge- the ganache gets even more decadent.

I always need to level my cakes to stack them evenly. Here, I layered the cake tops with homemade preserves, just as I did the proper cakes, then used a biscuit cutter for some darling little mini cakes. We had some happy neighbors this night.

Rainbow Cookie Cake

(adapted from the Amateur Gourmet)

Ingredients

3 sticks butter, softened, plus more for greasing pans
1 1/2 cups sugar
14 ounces almond paste (two packages)
6 large eggs
1 1/4 tablespoons real almond extract
2 generous tablespoons Amaretto
1 cup milk
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
gel food coloring- red, yellow, green
1/4 cup red fruit jam (I used cherry, raspberry works too.)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
chocolate sprinkles, optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350′. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans, lining the bottoms with circles of parchment.
In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Begin adding almond paste slowly into the running mixer- it’s easiest just to pinch off little bits by hand. Once you’ve added both tubes, mix for at least five minutes, until the mixture is smooth and appears lump free.
Add eggs one at a time, then extract and amaretto, then milk, continuing to mix through and fully incorporating each addition. Don’t fret if the consistency goes a little haywire- it’ll smooth out.
Add dry ingredients- flour, salt, baking powder- and mix just until incorporated. Divide batter evenly into three bowls, adding gel food coloring for bright pink, green and yellow batters. Pour each into a prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Let cool completely, then level if necessary.
Peel parchment off pink cake first, and place it on cake stand or platter. If appearances matter, go ahead and line the platter by slipping pieces of parchment under the edge of the cake- it will make the ganache frosting process much neater.
Spread red fruit preserves to edges of pink cake layer, top with yellow layer. Repeat with apricot preserves and green layer.
In a saucepan, warm cream on medium heat just till bubbles form. Add chocolate chips, then turn off heat. Whisk until the chocolate is all melted and the ganache is smooth.
Pour and spread an even layer of ganache all over the stacked cake- an offset spatula is the best tool for the job. If desired, press chocolate sprinkles into ganache. Pull away the parchment around the bottom and take drips and excess along with it. Let set for an hour or two before serving.

August 19, 2015

0 In recipes

toasted fruit and nut muesli

This toasted cereal is a favorite around here. Chock full of nuts, seeds, and fruit, it’s gently spiced, not-too-sweet, and totally crave worthy. I love including jars in care packages and gift baskets, and I generally double, if not triple, the recipe when I’m making a batch.

I have a tendency to snack on this muesli by the handful- I can’t help myself! I also keep it simple- bowl, milk, spoon. It makes a scrumptious topping for hot cereal, the perfect textural contrast. And most mornings, a bowl of greek yogurt, homemade preserves, and this muesli is David’s first breakfast.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s infinitely adaptable to mood, taste and pantry contents. Use whichever nuts and fruits you’d like. I’m sharing my current favorite mix, but every blend I’ve tried has quickly vanished from the pantry. Let me know your favorite variations!

Toasted Fruit and Nut Muesli

adapted from The Garden of Eden (via Whole Living October 2012)

Ingredients

1/3 cup boiling water
1/4 cup whole millet
2 1/2 cups oats (not instant)
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes or chips
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
Scant 1 cup raw mixed nuts (I use slivered almonds and whole pepitas)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
A few dashes of each allspice and cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
1 heaping cup dried fruit (always golden raisins and tart cherries, blueberries also this batch)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325ºf. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, pour boiling water over millet, cover, and let sit for 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix the drained millet, oats, coconut, seeds and nuts with the maple syrup, agave nectar, olive oil, salt, and spices. Stir to coat.
Spread the muesli mixture out onto the baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the mixture is golden, about 30 minutes.
Let the muesli cool and then add dried fruit. Stir to mix. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

August 4, 2015

0 In recipes

our daily bread

Number four on my #15in15 list was to conquer homemade bread- mischief managed! After trying and tweaking a handful of recipes, I’ve landed on a no-knead bread that is easy enough to make consistently, tasty enough to enjoy, and healthy enough to justify. It’s not fancy in the least- it bakes in Pyrex bowls for crying out loud- but I’ve been making a batch every couple of days for the last few months, and it’s a slam dunk for our family.

We eat an unreasonable amount hot from the oven, use it for toasts and tartines (salted butter-homemade preserves, avocado-lemon-Aleppo, Elvis toast, and goat cheese-honey-fleur de sel are our favorites). It makes delish grilled cheeses and other sandwiches, and leftover bits and ends become croutons, bread salad, or and bread puddings.

Some recipe notes:

I bake this bread in the second-largest size of this Pyrex set, a 4 cup volume. Any oven-safe bowl of similar size will work.
Seriously, butter your bowls generously. It’s crucial for getting the loaves to release easily- we’ve eaten more than one loaf squashed from being pryed loose. If using a glass bowl, you want the butter to be thick enough to be opaque.
I buy my yeast in bulk on Amazon, and keep it in the freezer- way thriftier and lasts forever.
Speaking of yeast, I’m including directions for proofing the yeast, which isn’t necessary if you’re certain your yeast is fresh or you are using instant yeast- I skip that step for speed and ease most days.

Everyday Bread (adapted from Alexandra Cooks)

Ingredients

365 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour (do not use bleached)
120 grams (1 cup) whole wheat flour
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups warm water
2 to 3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
room temperature butter, about 3 tablespoons

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours and salt. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over top, and let stand 10 minutes or so, till it’s a bit foamy. Stir yeast-water-sugar, then add to the flour bowl, and mix until all flour is absorbed.
Cover bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour, until doubled. In our house, the sweet spot of timing is about 80 minutes, and since our kitchen is drafty, I use the microwave as a rising cupboard.
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Grease two oven-safe bowls (such as the pyrex bowls I mentioned above) with at least a tablespoon of butter each. Use two forks to punch down your dough, turning it over and into itself, and scraping it from the sides of the bowl.
Then, use your forks to divide the dough into halves, and place a portion in each greased bowl. This can get a little messy, since the dough is slippery. It works well to imagine a divider line and use the forks there to pull apart the dough, and then quickly scoop one half out. I sometimes weigh and even out the bowls if they look unbalanced.
Set the dough in a warm spot to rise for 20 to 30 minutes, until it has risen to just above the top of the bowls.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375º and bake for 15 to 17 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and turn the loaves onto cooling racks. If you’ve properly prepped the bowls, they should slip right out. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

July 18, 2015

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