Leek Tart

While the weather may not show it, it is spring time.  Yes, it snowed this week, but I refuse to acknowledge it.  Instead, I just pretend were are moving to warmer weather by cooking with spring foods.

My undisputed favorite vegetable in the onion category is the leek. (Wow, what a superlative.)  It is not always easy to find quality leeks.  Quality meaning long white parts.  This week I spotted some good ones.  Sure sign of spring.

One of my favorite ways to eat leeks is in a leek tart.  It is all about the leeks.  This just might be my favorite classic french dish from culinary school.

Disclaimer - this is not healthy (it's French in all it's glory).  By the end of it, it honestly barely counts as eating veggies anymore.

Ingredients

- 4 leeks with long (10in) white/light green parts

- pad of butter

- light cream (2 cups or so)

- 4 oz (+) brie cheese

- one pie crust

How to

Make the filling:  Slice leeks super thin and sautee in a pad of butter with a pinch of salt.  Take it slow, you don't want these to brown.  Stir often over medium heat maximum.  Once softened (10-15 minutes)  Cover with cream.  Bring to simmer and allow to reduce.  Takes about 10 minutes.  This mixture should be thick and close the consistency of pie filling.

Prebake crust:  I like to prebake the pie crust for a few minutes (10 or so on 375).  Be sure to prick with a fork so it doesn't bubble up.  See Pie Day Post for my crust recipe.

Assemble Pie:  Fill the crust with all that creamy leek filling.  Slice brie into small triangles.  Cover the top of the pie.  Add as much as you like.

Bake Pie:  Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, until brie is brown and bubbly.

No, this pie is not the healthiest.  Yes, it is the best way to enjoy leeks.  I like to serve it with something crunchy and tart like granny smith apples.  Helps balance out the rich, creamy tart and also the health content ;)

Enjoy!

Edible Book Contest 2015 - Pretzel

The Brookline Public Library held the 1st annual Edible Book Contest.  The minute I heard about it, I immediately called and signed up.  I love reading and I love food. Perfect.

I starting browsing Munchkin's bookshelves in hopes for some inspiration. And then I found the perfect book...

Pretzel.

It's cute story about a really long dog and his girlfriend.  And I love pretzel crust.

Yup, I said pretzel crust.  Think graham cracker crust, but with pretzels instead.

I was first introduced to pretzel crust at Mexican restaurant in my hometown as part of their margarita pie.  To say it changed my life is an understatement.  Since then I have made/ate it many times. Examples include with a caramel pie, my mother-in-law made it for a key lime pie, and for the book contest I used it as a base for lemon pie.

To make the actual display, I sketched Pretzel on a cake board and then piped in some white frosting.  Then I layers in the pretzels.  The bow is made from lemon rind.

I won Best Literal Interpretation!

Asparagus Season

It's spring!

Kind of.

Yes, it's still a little cold, but it's still light out after work which gives me hope.  It also makes me crave green veggies.  I love spring vegetables - asparagus, leeks, spring onions, etc.

Just my luck, the asparagus is finally starting to look good in the grocery store.  (I prefer it super thin.)

I love to let it simply roast and shine in it's own asparagusy splendor.

Asparagus "Pizza"

To make it a bit special, I roasted it on pizza dough. Other than that, there isn't really anything pizza about it.

Side Note: When making pizza dough, I always make more than I need, and freeze extra in small balls.  I took it out to defrost before I left for a cooking session, so when I got home all I need to do was roll it out and top it.

How to Make it: 

• I rolled it out the dough really thin, so it breaks almost like a cracker.
• Laid the asparagus on top.
• Drizzled with olive oil.
• Add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
• Roast at 375 until golden.
• Serve with red pepper flakes and extra cheese. Oh, and maybe a side of seared steak medallions (We happened to have some venison in the freezer calling our name.)

Super easy right?  Definitely makes work nights more enjoyable when you can just pull out pre-prepped dinner!

This recipe would be delicious with any vegetable that you typically roast.... Red onions? Leeks? Broccoli? Red Peppers? Zucchini?

Tuna and Avocado Salad - Paleo, and I wasn't even trying...

Today I whipped up this salad for lunch.  As Mr. Man and I were enjoying it, I realized, hey, this is Paleo.

Paleo diets are all the rage and I have had quite a few people ask if I can prepare meals following the paleo diet (aka eating like a caveman).  (p.s. the answer is yes, I can cook according to any diet you like.)

The kicker to this tuna salad is to replace the mayo with avocado.  Simple, easy and super delicious.

Tuna Avocado Salad

serves 2 for lunch

1 can of tuna (splurge on the good stuff, it's worth it)
1 avocado
1 roasted red pepper, diced
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of salt
dash of pepper

1. Mash the avocado.
2. Gently fold in remaining ingredients.

Told you it was easy.

I served it over some dressed greens (spinach, with a bit of good olive oil, salt and pepper) and sliced cucumbers.  Also a few crackers (even though they aren't "paleo").

You could put lots of goodies in this tuna, maybe a dash of lemon juice, some celery for crunch,  red pepper flake to spice it up... so many possibilities.

What do you think of the Paleo diet?

Pi Day 2015

Today is the most epic Pi Day of the century!

3.1415926 = 3/14/15 9:26am

And yes, I am celebrating.  I love food and I love math, so this is awesome. And yes, I scheduled this post for 9:26 am, because I am a nerd.

When contemplating what type of pie to make for Pi Day, I decided I would simply use whatever I already had on hand.  No special trips, no special recipes.

(Just because it's not special, doesn't mean it isn't delicious.)

I had some pears and apples in the fridge that I was planning on pureeing for Munchkin. Since I had more pears than apples, I decided I could spare a few for a pie with plenty left for her. So I landed on Pear Pie (similar to apple, but different).

For me, Pie is all about the crust. But you really should make the filling first so it can sit for a bit and all the flavors can merry. I mixed:

• 3 pears, sliced thin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbs flour

(No nutmeg. I don't like it, if you do - go for it.)

Now back to the important part.  The crust.  If the crust is bad, it's over. The crust needs to be flaky.  The secret to flaky crust is cold butter (or lard) (or crisco). I used butter, my grandmother swears by crisco.  Either is good, I promise.

I repeat:

The secret to flaky crust is cold butter.

Emphasis on cold.

To make sure the butter is cold, don't remove from the fridge until you are about to use it and limit how much you touch the dough (body heat is bad in this case).  Therefore, to mix the flour with the butter use one of these handy tools.  The plastic one is what we used in culinary school and the metal one is a necessity according to my grandmother.  I personally think either will do, but often choose the metal for pies. It seems to be a bit more efficient.  And the faster the better, you don't want the butter to warm up. Because....

The secret to flaky crust is cold butter.

Now that you've got your tool.  Here's the ratio:

1 cup flour : 1/3 cup of fat (butter, crisco, lard) : 1 pie crust

So for my pie I doubled it.

Cut the butter into small cubes then using your handy tool cut into the flour until it is the texture of sand. (The french call this "sabler") (Yes, we had to know that for culinary school).  Our beach can be a bit rocky - aka the butter doesn't have to be totally broken down.  Add a pinch of salt (1/4 tsp) and some sugar (2 Tbs).

Now you will add a bit of ice cold water to bring it all together.  Yes, it needs to be ice cold because...

The secret to flaky crust is cold butter.

Seriously, put a cube of ice in some water.  Start with 4 tablespoons and see where you are at.  Depending on the humidity in your house, it is always a bit different.  Since we have a wood stove, my flour is often really dry.  I ended up with six tablespoons. You are looking for the dough to start to stick together.  Knead for a minute max, just enough to form two balls.

Recap crust ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup cold butter
• 4-6 Tbs ice cold water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs sugar

Roll into a circle. Gently. Slowly.  Take your time. Remember this is a flaky crust. It's not pretty, but it's delicious.

Assemble your pie.  Since it's Pi Day and my ingredients were simple, I decided to make the crust a bit fancier.  I cut out little flowers and arranged them on top.  I also folded the edges from the bottom crust to make a nice little package.  Either way be sure you egg wash the top of your dough.  If you are sticking dough together (aka making decorations), do both sides - it acts like glue. You could also use milk like my grandmother does. If you just do a solid dough top be sure to poke some holes for steam escape.  Finish with a sprinkle of sugar, if you want.

Bake at 375 until golden brown.  Mine took about 55 minutes.  Yes, you must be patient.

It is best to allow your pie to rest.  I know it's tough.  You will be rewarded.

This crust is also great for savory pie, simply omit the sugar.  Feel free to add herbs for say a chicken pot pie. Ooo, maybe that's what we'll have before eating this pear pie...

What is your favorite type of pie?

 Happy Pi Day!

More Quotes from the Legendary Escoffier

I kept reading through Escoffier's book about French Technique.  I thought I would share with you a few highlights....

“Indeed it is safe to say that one lb. of meat coming from an animal of eight years will yield much better consommé than two lbs. would, coming from a fattened animal of about three or four years.  The consommé will be stronger, mellower, and certainly more tasty, as the flesh of young animals has absolutely no richness in flavor.” (page 5)

Who knew the age of the animal mattered?  This may not surprise you hunters out there.  My husband hunts and the younger animals are almost always more tender and less "gamey."

“Furthermore, sauces must, through the perfection of their preparation, obey the general laws of a rational hygiene, wherefore they should be served and combined in such a way as to allow for easy digestion be the frequently disordered stomachs of their consumers.” (page 15)

Obviously, we always strive for easy digestion... haha.

“It too often happens that the insipidness of a badly-made sauce is corrected be excessive seasoning; this is an absolutely deplorable practice.” (page 16)

Aka hiding your mistakes with extra seasoning, isn't fooling anyone!


So much knowledge, which exceptional language and writing.  I love reading cookbooks, especially old cookbooks.

What's your favorite cookbook?

Local Eats - Compost Heap

I love this breakfast.

I don't like to eat the same thing twice.  I like variety.  But for this, I make an exception.

We have been to The Riverhouse Cafe in Milford twice for breakfast.  I have ordered the Compost Heap with over easy eggs and toast twice.

It was perfect both times.

What is it?

According to the menu:

Roasted veggies, Monterey jack cheese and sliced tomato between two cheesy hash browns, topped off with, two eggs your way, organic pea shoots, avocado and salsa verde

Top Three Reasons Why I Love It

1. Crunchy Fresh Pea Shoots.
2. Spicy Salsa Verde.
3. Creamy Jack Cheese.


I love having lots of veggies in my eggs and this doesn't disappoint.  There is essentially a beautiful salad on top of those cheesy browns.  And the yolk of the eggs just brings it all together.

AMAZING.

I honestly can not think of a single thing to add/change/remove that would make this dish better. And as self-proclaimed food critic, this doesn't happen often.

I could eat this everyday and never get bored.  Maybe I should go get it today....

Have you tried Riverhouse Cafe? What do you love about it?

p.s. Mr. Man ordered the "Riverhouse Bennie", aka Eggs Benedict with bacon and he is equally impressed.  (Munchkin ordered a single scrambled egg, no butter, no salt and loved it too.)