cooking

Cake for Dinner?!

Nibbles

While it’s true one of the perks of being a grown-up (notice I didn’t say adult) is the option to have brownies and ice cream for supper now and then, that’s not what I’m talking about, here.

No, while reading through the Weddings folder on my Google Reader I came across this article on Offbeat Bride about SmörgÃ¥stÃ¥rta, Swedish “sandwich cake,” and I was intrigued.

Originally I was going to make this for when friends were coming over for a game day, but plans shifted and I ended up making it for supper this weekend for just Todd and I. Of course, I didn’t even think about scaling the thing down so now we’re testing out how well it freezes! (Will report back should we ever defrost it.

Smorgastarta "sandwich cake" decorated with vegetables

I used a recipe from About.com’s Scandinavian Food selection with very few adjustments for our own preferences. The verdict? Tasty, well-suited for a brunch or baby/wedding shower or pot-luck, and kind of hard to pair up with other foods.

Considering it was “sandwich cake” (a concept that brings to mind towers of triangular sandwiches at a church mixer), I approached it like you would a sandwich supper. Since it had so many components I considered it a one-dish meal, though it looked kinda lonely on the plate. Of course, the usual sandwich accompaniments felt redundant or just wrong:

  • Chips? While they would provide a texture change, they just didn’t seem right.
  • Veggies? This SmörgÃ¥stÃ¥rta was loaded with veggies and topped with extra ones, it would have been redundant.
  • Potato Salad? Again, redundant, but this time from a texture standpoint.

There’s a lot going on with this dish but, after mulling it over, decided that the perfect accompaniment (when served as a main course) would be a fruit salad. The bight acid of the fruit would cut through the rich creaminess of the SmörgÃ¥stÃ¥rta without fighting for position with the vegetables in and on top of the dish.

Because man do the Scaninavians/Sweedes love their dairy products!

There’s butter and cream cheese and mayonnaise and sour cream positively everywhere in this dish. I’m all for rich and creamy but it was a little too much for Todd–he ended up scraping off some of the side frosting in order to finish his (or should that be Finnish?! okay, I’ll quit while I’m ahead).

Slice of vegetarian Smorgastarta

Like I said, I followed the recipe for the Vegetarian SmörgÃ¥stÃ¥rta pretty closely, so there’s no sense in repeating it here. The few changes I made were pretty minor:

  • For the artichoke spread, I used a 12 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained, for the 14 oz can of the regular artichokes, mainly because we already had it at home.
  • For the Hungarian liptauer spread I took the option of using cottage cheese and subbed onion powder for the minced onion–the amount of work it would take for 2 Tbsp of minced onion just wasn’t worth it when I was already 2/3 of the way into the 3 separate fillings; I also just stirred everything together rather than using a blender or food processor.
  • I used country white bread and did trim off the crusts, but then turned around and used the trimmings to fill the gaps between the slices. Since I wanted the round look and not a square, I assembled everything within a large springform pan, making my edges nice and neat (which came in handy during the frosting step!), and tore my bread layers to fit.
  • And as much as I love butter, I drew the line at how much it was going to take to butter all interior sides of all pieces of bread for the entire project. I used olive oil spray and it served the same purpose (adding a fat “barrier” to keep the fillings from making the bread soggy).

For decoration I raided my end-of-the-week crisper drawers and found half a cucumber, half a red onion, radishes, and grapes. A quickie radish “rose” placed in the center of the frosted sandwich cake, ringed by black grape halves, and then alternating fans of red onion wedges (my favorite effect) and cucumber “scales” to finish it off. Apparently the brightly decorated outside of the SmörgÃ¥stÃ¥rta is just as important as the variety of fillings within!

Collage of the steps involved in making vegetarian smorgastarta

I had fun making this dish, even though it was a fair amount of work and messed up the kitchen but good (lots of bowls used over the course of the day). I’d only make it again for a large group as part of a buffet, I think, but each of the spreads are worth making on their own the next time you have a reason to make tea sandwiches and don’t fancy the usual egg salad.

Here’s to multiculuralism!

A Craving Worth Giving In To

Nibbles

Saturday evening, after a day of running errands and a late lunch/early dinner at our favorite Chinese buffet, Todd and I were both craving something sweet. I had been thinkjng about a batch of chocolate chip cookies, but really didn’t have the energy ever for that, when Todd mentioned, “Cake would be real good right now.”

Now, sometimes, this sort of thinking (cake, pie, ice cream, etc.) has us putting on shoes and heading to the nearest grocery store just because. But it was after 9pm, we were both in pajamas, and really didn’t want cake enough to go out and forage for it. I revisited the cookie idea, half-heartedly, when I remembered all those mug cakes that are floating around the Internet.

A quick search later and I was looking at the One Minute Chocolate Cake from Chocolate-Covered Katie.

And less than 2 minutes later I was serving Todd and I these beauties:

Chocolate Microwave Cake

I divided the batter into 2 small LeCreuset ramekins (I love using these, they’re so cute, and I got them on deep discount at Marshall’s a couple years ago) and topped them with a small spoonful of ice cream (Bryer’s Lactose Free Vanilla) and a maraschino cherry.

I wasn’t sure how well it’d be, microwave breads being what they are, but this was just firm enough without being rubbery, very chocolately and worth a tiny bit of effort to have just enough chocolate cake for two without a trip to the store or leftovers to haunt us.

Of course, now that I know how quickly we can have chocolate cake, this could be dangerous!

Chocolate Microwave Cake
(without the optional substitutions from Chocolate-Covered Katie)

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 2/3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 2/3 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Milk
2 tsp Canola Oil
1/2 Vanilla Extract

Mix together the dry ingredients thoroughly (should be uniformly brown, no streaks of white still visible), then stir in the liquid ingredients and mix until batter-like.

Scoop into 2 small or 1 not-so-small ramekin(s) or mugs and microwave 30-45 seconds on High. The top still looked kinda squishy on our 2 after 45 seconds, so I gave it another 10 and it was perfect. Microwave oven strengths vary, so experiment to find your microwave’s sweet spot.

Serve warm as is or with your topping of choice.

Rich is Relative

Nibbles

So is difficulty, for that matter.

Crepes are something usually reserved for special occasions, Sunday brunch, or times you want to impress. To the uninitiated, they seem terribly complex when, if anything, they’re a little tedious but not at all difficult. Want to make it even easier on yourself? Buy the crepes pre-made and just whip up this scrumptious Banana Crepe filling.

Banana Crepes

Ingredients for the banana crepe filling4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Bananas, sliced
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Brandy
6-8 Crepes (about 6-8 inches in diameter)
Optional: Creme Anglaise

1. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan until slightly foamy.

2. Add in the bananas and stir to coat with the butter.

3. Stir in the brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bananas have broken up a bit and the butter and brown sugar have thickened.

4. Stir in the brandy, reduce the heat to low and let sit until needed.

5. Make the crepes according to your favorite recipe or warm purchased crepes to make them pliable.

6. Place a line of the filling in the center of the warm crepe and fold each side over. Transfer to a plate and, if desired, drizzle with the topping of your choice.

Filling is enough for 6-8 crepes.

Row of banana crepes on a plate, drizzled with sauce

Variations: Spread a little Nutella in the middle of the crepe before adding the banana filling. No brandy at hand? Try cognac or even a spiced rum for a similarly delicious finish.

They may be rich, but they were a perfect companion to a light supper we recently shared with friends. Best served with ice-cold milk or hot coffee.

Getting Your Kitchen Act Together

Nibbles

If you watch cooking shows or read cooking magazines, you’ve probably seen the term mise en place (meece on plaz) bandied about a fair amount. Just because mise looks a lot like mess, don’t be fooled–it’s the exact opposite!

Mise en place is French for “put in place” and is your basic prep work before any recipe. At it’s highest form, you’re looking like a television chef with myriad little bowls set out all waiting to be tossed into the pot. While it might seem like a lot of extra work (both before and after the meal–look at all those extra dishes!), you’re really making the whole cooking process easier on yourself.

First things first, take a look at your recipe.

Most recipes list ingredients in the order that they are used. Frequently, for meat dishes, the meat is listed first, especially if it’s going to be browned, seared, or marinated early on in the process. Most folks will look at that and cut up the meat, first, then move on to the veggies and other aromatics.

BUT!

Since you’ve got your cutting board, knife, and whatever else you have handy coated with meat juice, you’ve got to go and get another board and knife or wash the one you’ve got out before you can safely move on to dicing your onions. Working smart in the kitchen means minimizing a lot of redundant tasks and being as efficient as possible. To that end, I encourage you to always do any veggie dicing, chopping, or mincing before you bring raw meat anywhere near the recipe, regardless of the order the ingredients fall in your recipe.

And then you’ve got to put the prepped bits somewhere until they’re needed. 

That’s why bowls are your best friend for mise en place. You can use plates, too, but bowls are best, in my not-so-humble opinion, since the sides keep things from spilling more times than not. Because of this I’m of the opinion that there can never be too many bowls in a kitchen.

picture of several sizes, colors, and materials of kitchen bowls

Having a variety of materials and sizes available makes the most of the space on your counter as well as keeps you from hand-washing the massive mixing bowl that won’t fit in the dishwasher just for a pound of diced potatoes. The smallest ones are great for pre-measuring your spices, the next size up for condiments, and so on from there.

Why would you bother taking the time to pre-measure your spices?

Think back to the last time you made a stir-fry or sauce where timing was crucial. Did you have time to search for that bottle of tarragon on your spice rack before the rest of the meal burned? I didn’t think so.

Have you ever gone to put just a dash of parsley flakes into your baked beans only to have opened the pour spout, instead, and have half the jar suddenly in the pot? (Yes, it happened once when I was a teenager, not the best dish of baked beans ever, lemme tell ya!)

Or have you ever wondered why your garlic powder shaker is suddenly clogged and not wanting to shake? That would be the steam coming up from the pot and clogging the holes, by the way.

All good reasons to measure out your spices before you even turn the stove on.

But don’t go overboard!

Thinking back to the number of bowls you need and how much ends up in your sink, combine containers where possible. If you’re onions and peppers go into the pot together, by all means use one larger bowl instead of 2 smaller ones. Sauce ingredients that need to be combined before being added can be done ahead (measuring glasses are good for that sort of thing, with their hand pour-spouts), and the same goes for spices that all go in together.

Mise en place isn’t about making more work for yourself, it’s about making your work easier by getting your prep out of the way.

(And it doesn’t hurt that you feel kinda fancy adding things from little glass bowls like they do on t.v.)

Practice Safe Eating: Use a Condiment

64 Arts

(if you get that pun right off, I love you to pieces)

Okay, so another facet of this art of cooking is the use of condiments–sauces, toppings, dressings, etc.–to enhance the flavor of the everyday vegetable. (And, if you haven’t noticed, this cooking art is vegetarian; consider the source and all that.)

Frankly, a farmer’s market-fresh vegetable prepared simply (steamed or roasted) and seasoned only with a bit of salt and olive oil is, to me, a beautiful thing. I’m all about not mucking around with natural flavor.

HOWEVER…

This practice can get a little boring over time. And if you don’t have fresh veggies available year round for whatever reason and you’re resorting to the freezer section to find you favorites, it’s nice to be able to dress them up from time to time.

Have you ever noticed how some bottles say “tomato ketchup” rather than just ketchup/catsup? Or read an old recipe that listed it like that? The reason, if you’re curious, is that tomatoes are not the only things to be made into ketchup! The name ketchup comes from a Chinese brined-fish sauce that the British colonist of the 18th century fell in love with and brought back home (that’s one theory, at least). And recipes exist for mushroom and walnut ketchups, neither of which I’ve tried but it is intriguing. There’s even banana ketchup!

While ketchup is most often found being paired with fried potatoes of some sort, if you think about its components–tomatoes, vinegar, spices and a little sugar–you might find it goes well with other vegetables, too.

And then there’s the ubiquitous mayonnaise (a popular fry-dip in parts of Europe, by the way). Folks either seem to love it or hate it (and some a little of both, truth be told). I’m on the love side mostly for it’s flavor and ability to make sandwiches not dry. I can’t stand dry bread. But there’s more to this emulsion (the combination of 2 things that usually don’t combine) than just a sandwich schmear. Not only does it form the base of many popular sauces (tartar, remoulade, thousand island, etc.), it’s close cousin, aioli, steps up the lowly salad dressing with the inclusion of garlic, first and foremost, as well as other spices. Aioli is a lovely accompaniment to grilled vegetables (both green and root), fish and meats.

Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered about that sauce they serve at most chicken strip places and wanted to make your own? Combine equal amounts of mayo and ketchup, season with Worchestershire to taste and then, the trick I’ve been told, is to cover the surface with ground black pepper, stir it in, and repeat. Seriously, it’s that simple!

On the not-so-simple front is yet another emulsion but one that’s worth the effort for the culinary dare devils. I’ve never had a problem with making Hollandaise sauce but many fear it it. If not done correctly it can break (separate from it’s emulsion) or the eggs can scramble rather than combine smoothly with the butter and lemon juice, but when done right it’s amazing on grilled fish or steamed asparagus. And it’s tough to make a proper Eggs Benedict without it!

Now those are all creamy sauces and ones I really like because, to me, creamy is right up there with carbs as heaven-sent! But I know not everyone likes cream sauces, so what are some other options?

Vinaigrette comes immediately to mind. A simple combination of oil and vinegar (3 parts oil per 1 part vinegar) flavored any which way you want. You could go simple with salt and pepper or toss in some fresh herbs and smashed garlic. You can also change up your style of vinegar to change the dressing.

Chutneys come in two main forms: the Indian/South Asian style which is highly flavored and usually pureed or pounded smooth by a mortar and pestle or the chunky sweet and tart reductions of America and Europe. The first are often thin sauces relying on herbs or finely chopped fruit and vegetables for their flavor while the latter prefers large chunks bound together by a thick, syrupy sauce. You can make them yourself or purchase them ready-made, but either way they add a lot of variety to otherwise plain dishes. Salsa isn’t exactly a chutney, but it is a lovely condiment that can either be nice and chunky or pureed nearly smooth.

Finally, there are a couple of sauces with odd names that are worth knowing. A gastrique (ga-STREEK), for instance is a sauce of carmelized sugar deglazed with vinegar, flavored with any number of things. Likewise a coulis (koo-lees) might show up on a lot of fancy restaurant menus but all it is is a pureed and strained fruit or vegetable sauce.

This, of course, is just an overview. Did I miss a favorite sauce or condiment that’s a staple in your home? Let me know in the comments!