Homemade Rocks! Sizzling Hot Tortillas

Posted on February 24, 2011

Sometimes it’s not the seductive photos of the food, but rather the way an author describes the cooking method  that lures me into the kitchen. When I was paging through a back-issue of Fine Cooking from 2006, an article titled, “Making flour tortillas is easier than you think,” caught my attention. (Yes, the magazine is five years old. I’m a packrat when it comes to food magazines…I drag them around the globe and flip through them when I need inspiration.)  This is the line that sold me: “And you know what? They really are easy to make….Once you taste these and see for yourself how uncomplicated it is to make them, store-bought tortillas may not taste the same ever again.”

Living in KL,  good tortillas, that are not rubbery or freezer burned, are hard to come by. But now, I look no further than my own kitchen for light, soft, flaky tortillas. Last night, I served babies with chicken fajitas from Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be (recipe will appear in a future post). My vegetarian daughter eagerly filled her tortilla with grilled zuchinni, red bell peppers, onions, cheese, avocado, salsa and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Thank you Fine Cooking for continuous inspiration and great recipes over the years!

Makes ten 8-inch tortillas

9 ounces (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
1 teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup cold vegetable shortening (I use unsalted butter), cut into small pieces

In a medium bowl, stir the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the shortening and cut it into the flour with a pastry blender or two table knives until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Stir in 2/3 cup warm water with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and soft, 3 to 4 minutes, reflouring the surface as necessary. After kneading, the dough should not be very sticky. Portion the dough into 10 (the original recipe calls for 8, but I find them too big) equal pieces, about 2 ounces each (I use a scale to weigh the dough).

Cover the dough balls loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

When ready to cook the tortillas, heat a large skillet (recipe calls for cast iron, but I use a heavy, non-stick skillet) or griddle over medium heat until hot. Working with one ball of dough at a time (keep the others covered) and using just enough flour to prevent sticking, roll the dough into 9 to 10-inch rounds. The dough should be so thin that you can vaguely see the pattern of your countertop through it (great description, though not quite true), and it should be more or less circular, though an amoeba shape it fine, too.

Peel the dough off the counter and lay it in the skillet or on the griddle. Cook until the tortilla bubbles and puffs and the bottom browns in spots, 45 to 60 seconds. If any gigantic bubbles form (call your kids to witness this magic) pierce them so the tortilla cooks evenly (I just gently flatten them with a spatula). Flip with a spatula and cook until the second side gets brown in spots, and any translucent, raw-looking areas become opaque, another 45 to 60 seconds. (If the tortillas brown too quickly or start burning in spots, reduce the heat to medium low.)

Transfer to a clean dishtowel and cover to keep warm (I place the cooked tortillas on a cake rack and then cover them). Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking and covering each tortilla as it is cooked. Because they are not loaded with preservatives, these tortillas taste  best when freshly made. They can be frozen. Thaw frozen ones in their wrapping, then heat them in a dry frying pan (the same way you cooked them), or wrap them in foil and heat them in a 350 degree F oven until warm, about 10 minutes.

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Homemade Rocks! The Best Thin-Crust Pizza Dough

Posted on February 2, 2011

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After years of searching, I have FINALLY found the best recipe for a crisp, flavorful thin pizza crust (beer is the secret!). Add your favorite toppings…my kids go for simple mozzarella and fresh tomatoes… like the one above we had for lunch. I like a mix of cheeses, fresh tomatoes, olives, and fresh basil. Sometimes I put a handful of zesty baby arugula on top and a very light drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. My mouth is watering at the thought. This recipe is adapted from Saveur Magazine.

The Best Thin-Crust Pizza Dough

Makes four 12-inch pizzas

Dough
¼ ounce package dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon honey
¼ cup water, heated to 115 degrees F
¾ cup warm beer
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups  all-purpose flour
Toppings
Olive oil for brushing the dough
Italian or pizza seasoning for sprinkling on top of the dough
About 1-1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese per pizza
About 2 to 3 vine-ripened tomatoes per pizza, sliced
Any other toppings you like

To make the pizza dough:

  1. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, combine the yeast, honey and water. Let sit for about 10 minutes, or until foamy.
  2. Add the beer, olive oil, salt, and flour to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.
  3. Using a dough hook, begin mixing the dough on low speed for about 1 minute, then increase the speed slightly and mix until supple and smooth, about 8 minutes.
  4. Form the dough into a ball and knead it a few times. Smear a drop or two of olive oil on the dough and return it to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours.
  5. Remove the dough, form it into a ball, and then cut the ball into quarters. Place the quarters in a floured 9 by 13-inch baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours.

Cook’s Note: After the second rising the dough can refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for up to one month.

To bake the pizza:

  1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. If you are using a pizza stone, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If not, position an oven rack on the lowest rung.
  2. Lightly flour a work surface, then working with one ball of dough at a time (keep the other ones covered), roll out the dough to a thin 12-inch round.
  3. Transfer the round to a round pizza pan, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of seasoning, then top with the grated mozzarella cheese, followed by the tomato slices and any other toppings.
  4. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes.

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Homemade Rocks! Rich and Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream

Posted on January 31, 2011
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Homemade vanilla ice cream being churned.

Homemade ice cream really rocks! If you’ve ever tried it, you know what I mean. Expensive boutique ice creams are all good, but homemade is great. I first learned how to make ice cream when I attended La Varenne Cooking School in Paris in the late 1980s. My ice cream repertoire has since expanded after working in a string of restaurants, the most memorable by far being a stint at Restaurant L’Arpege in Paris (then 2 Michelin stars, now 3!).  During my two-week internship in the kitchen I was blown away by chef Alain Passard’s curry ice cream, made with an Indian-spice-infused caramel. Sweet, spicy, and cold all at the same time, it was magical.

Here’s my basic recipe for rich vanilla bean ice cream.

Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean
6 egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  1. Combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a heavy-based nonreactive saucepan. Using a paring knife, cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, then scrape out the black seeds and add them directly to the milk mixture. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring just to boiling point. Remove from heat and allow the vanilla bean to infuse the milk mixture for least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours. If longer than 15 minutes, reheat the milk again just to boiling point before proceeding.
  2. Prepare a heatproof bowl with a fine-mesh sieve placed over it; set aside. Place a quart-size metal bowl in the freezer for the freshly churned ice cream.
  3. Whisk the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Slowly pour 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the bowl, whisking constantly. Transfer  the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to leave a clean streak (sometimes called a ribbon) across the back of the spoon. This usually takes about 7 to 9 minutes.
  4. Strain the custard into the prepared bowl, and return the vanilla bean to the custard. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
  5. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to the chilled metal bowl and freeze until set: this can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours.


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A Delicious Vegetarian Indian Dinner

Posted on January 13, 2011

dal2 Here’s the menu from my family’s  vegetarian dinner last night: dal, raita (cucumber-yogurt salad…I used my super easy, no-fail homemade yogurt recipe from this blog), sauteed okra with garlic and chilies, Indian rice (I’ll share that recipe when I find a good one…this yummy one had whole cloves, cardamom pods, cinannom sticks, and onions in it), curried vegetables (I picked up from a food stall next to my kids’s school) and freshly-baked garlic naan.

Indian cuisine is one of my favorites, and lucky me, I’m going to take a few Indian cooking classes starting this weekend. I look forward to learning about different types of Indian food, and how Malaysian-Indian dishes differ from other types of Indian food. I’ve sampled some wonderful food since arriving in Malaysia, but I’m always look for ideas on where to eat. If anyone in Malaysia is reading this, please send along your favorite eating spots in Kuala Lumpur.

This dal recipe, given to me by an Indian friend, comes from Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be. It calls for red lentils, but I used yellow. I plan to try other lentils in the coming weeks, and will  post my results. Malaysian food is big on fried shallots, and I must admit, they do have a wonderfully sweet oniony flavor (sometimes I eat them out of the jar, not good for the breath).

Kshama Vyas’a Traditional Indian Dal
1-1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablsepoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teapoon garam masala or curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon tumeric
1-1/2 cups diced vine-ripened tomatoes (from about 3 large tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

  1. Combine the lentils and 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer strongly for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. (It should be the consisitency of a very thick pea soup.) Cover and set aside.
  2. Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, chili, garam masala or curry powder, cumin, tumeric, and saute, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Remove fom heat and stir this onion-spice mixuture into the reserved lentils.
  3. Adjust seanoning, garnish with the cilantro, if using, and serve. The dal will kepp refrigerated for 5 days, and it can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Approximate Nutritional Information: Serving size: 1-1/4 cups dal: Calories: 221 cals; Protein: 14 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Fat: 5 g; Fiber: 15 g; Sodium: 11 mg; Vitamin C: 17 mg; Folic Acid: 218 mcg; Iron: 5 mg; Diabetic Exchange: Bread/Starch 2, Meat (Lean) 1

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The Secret Recipe to Longer Lasting Blooms

Posted on January 12, 2011

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I LOVE  flowers, especially on my desk. When I need inspiration, I look at them, marveling at their brilliant colors, shapes, and forms, true gift from Mother Nature. Brimming with positive energy, they make people happy.

These gorgeous blooms have been sitting on my desk for more than a week, and I can’t believe that they are still as perky, beautiful, and alive as ever. But, there is a secret here, that I will share.

Over the years, I have found that different flowers seem to like different water levels in the vase. For tulips, daffodils, and other spring flowers that drink a lot, I fill the vase about three-quarters full. For roses and lillies, I remove all the leaves below the water line and fill the vase about half way. For orchids and mums, I drop the water level to about one-third. I haven’t seen these formulas written anywhere else; they are my simple observations.

Now, for the Flower Power Secret Recipe. First, make a batch of homemade plant food (remember my “Homemade Rocks” theme for 2011) by mixing one part Sprite or 7-Up with three parts water. Add 1 teaspoon bleach for every 4 cups water. Second, cut the stems under water before arranging them. And third, when finding the perfect spot for your blooms, avoid direct sunlight and fans or vents. Also, remove any dead flowers or greens immediately as they tend to cause other blooms to wilt prematurely.

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Caramel Dream Cake Inspired by Kathryn Stockett’s Novel, The Help

Posted on December 28, 2010

caramel-cake1Last night, I was snug in bed, lost in Kathryn Stockett’s fabulous book, The Help, until I came across a confection on page 38 called caramel cake: “I was fourteen years old to the day. I sat at the little wooden table in my mama’s kitchen eyeing that caramel cake on the cooling rack, waiting to be iced. Birthdays were the only day of the year I was allowed to eat as much as I wanted.”

Just the sound of this cake roused me from my calm and got my mind and taste buds racing. I got out of bed, and thumbed through my recipe file. Lo and behold, years ago, I had clipped  a recipe for this scrumptious sounding cake from Gourmet Magazine. The recipe’s headnotes read: “While this little square cake may appear modest, its caramel flavor drew everyone in our test kitchens back for seconds and even thirds. Buttermilk lends a subtle tang and tenderizes the yellow cake, but it’s the sweet glaze that really makes this dessert special.”

It’s truly simple and delicious…and if you’re snowed in somewhere it might just warm your heart, and those around you, too. No special ingredients: you probably have them all in your pantry. Here’s the recipe, which I will make into cupcakes next week for a friend’s birthday.

Caramel Cake
Serves 9
For Cake
2 cups plus 2 tabelspoons sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
For Caramel Glaze
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Equipment: A Candy thermometer

  1. Make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in the middle. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and line with a square of parchment paper, then butter parchment.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.
  4. Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several time to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan. Invert onto a rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.
  5. Make Glaze: Bring cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 1-1/2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Boil until glaze registers 210 to 212 degrees F on thermometer, 12 to 14 minutes, then stir in vanilla.
  6. Put a rack with cake in a shallow baking pan and pour hot glaze over top of cake, allowing it to run down sides. Cool until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.

Cook’s Note: Cake (before glazing) can be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Holiday Sugar Cookies from the Tropics

Posted on December 16, 2010

img_2258It smells like the holidays here in my kitchen in Malaysia. My cook, Luann, and I have decided to frost our sugar cookies in hot pink (don’t you love it the photo!), and various other tropical colors, including lime green, lemon yellow, and soft orange. We’ve  made five dozen cookies, which we will be distributing to teachers, embassy employees, fellow diplomats, and friends.

It’s a joyful time of year, and I can’t think of any place I’d rather be than in my kitchen decorating cookies to the sounds of a “Jazzy Christmas” playing in the background. This year I used a fabulous cookie recipe (perhaps the best one ever) that I found in a Cook’s Illustrated magazine, Holiday Baking (Holiday 2009).

Butter Cookies

Makes 3 Dozen 2-1/2-inch cookies
2-1/2 cups (12-1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (5-1/2 ounces) superfine sugar (see Cooking Note below)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, cool to room temperatue (about 65 degrees F)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, cool to room temperature

  1. In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
  2. Remove bowl from mixer; knead dough by hand in bowl for 2 to 3 turns to form large cohesive mass. Turn out dough onto countertop; divide in half, pat into two 4-inch disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until they begin to firm up, 20 to 30 minutes. (Dough can be refigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 weeks; defrost in refrigerator before using.)
  3. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out 1 dough disk to even 1/8-inch thickness between 2 large sheets of parchment paper; slide the rolled dough on parchment onto baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat with second disk.
  4. Working with first portion of rolled dough, cut into desired shapes using cookie cutter(s), and place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1-1/2 inches apart. Bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through the  baking time. Repeat with second portion of rolled dough. (Dough scraps can be patted together, chilled, and re-rolled once.) Cool cookies on a wire rack to room temperature.

Cooking Note: If you cannot find superfine sugar, you can obtain a close approximation by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for about 20 seconds.

For the glaze, I use a standard recipe from my files.

Cookie Glaze

Makes about 3/4 cup glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 to 6 tablespoons milk or water
Sprinkles or other decorations

Place the sugar in a small bowl. Add the liquid gradually until you reach the desired consistency.  If you are adding food coloring, read the Cooking Note below. Use the glaze immediately, or cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the glaze to prevent it from hardening.

Cooking Note: If you plan to add food coloring, use a bit less water. So start with 4 tablespoons, add the coloring, then continue to add water slowly until desired consistency. I find a slightly thicker frosting easier to work with, especially if  kids are frosting.

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Homemade Rocks! Traditional Hummus on the Light Side

Posted on September 30, 2009

Serve with toasted whole wheat pita bread, crackers, or sliced fresh vegetables for the perfect protein and vitamin-packed snack. It’s a staple in my kid’s lunch boxes, and I eat it for lunch, with soup or  salad. Feel free to expand on this recipe: add your favorite fresh herbs and spices, or crank up the heat with hot oil or tabasco.

Traditional Hummus on the Light Side

Makes about 2 cups
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 small garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
About ¼ cup water (add more or less for the desired consistency)
Salt, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Adjust the seasoning and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.

Cooking Tip: If serving this hummus as an appetizer, garnish it with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, a dash of cayenne pepper, or toasted pine nuts.


Approximate Nutritional Information: Serving size: ½ cup traditional hummus: Calories: 231 cals, 12%; Protein: 10 g, 20%; Total fat: 8.1 g, 13%; Saturated fat: .8 g, 4%; Cholesterol: 0 mg, 0%; Carbohydrates: 31 g, 10%; Fiber: 8 g, 34%; Sodium: 155 mg, 6%; Folic acid: 188 mcg, 47%; Vitamin K: 8 mcg, 11%; Diabetic Exchange: 2 Starch, 2 Fat
Source: Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love

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Homemade Rocks! Save Money with Homemade Yogurt

Posted on June 18, 2009

Why would you want to make your own yogurt when it’s readily available in grocery stores? Here are three good reasons: 1) You control what goes into it: no gelatin, artificial coloring, or preservatives; 2) it’s remarkably easy; and 3) it will save you some money in the long run, especially if your family eats a lot of yogurt (like mine does).

My advice is to invest in a good yogurt machine. I am pleased with my Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker. Once a week, I make the following recipe. Before I begin, I preheat my yogurt machine (preheating is not called for in the directions, but I find it speeds up the setting time) for about 20 minutes while I’m warming the milk.

To fill seven 6-ounce yogurt jars, place 4 cups (1 liter) whole milk or 2% milk, in a saucepan and heat it to the point just before it boils, about 6 or 7 minutes (watch it closely). Remove the milk from the stove and let it sit at room temperature for 3 minutes. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of plain, unsweetened store-bought yogurt, then evenly distribute the milk mixture among the jars. Place the jars in the yogurt machine and heat for 6 hours, or until set. Once the yogurt has set, seal the jars (while they are still warm), and refrigerate. Note: Follow the directions on your yogurt maker as all models vary.

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Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash

Posted on April 30, 2009

No need to pay for commercial products to clean your fresh produce when you can make your own. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of cider or white distilled vinegar with 1 pint of water. Let your fruits and vegetables soak for 10 minutes, then rinse and dry. While the exact effectiveness of any solution (store-bought or homemade) is difficult to measure, most experts agree that vinegar, bleach, or iodine (I prefer vinegar because it does not leave a chemical taste) is a useful agent in killing certain bacteria and removing some pesticides. If the drinking water in your vicinity has been deemed unsafe, if you live in a developing nation, or you are in the aftermath of a natural disaster, it is highly advisable to wash all fresh produce with some form of anti-bacterial solution.

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