Manda Cooks

Dear Loyal Saucy Readers,

You may have caught on to the fact that Christina and I haven’t been cooking together lately. Don’t worry—our friendship doesn’t flip flop as often as Blair and Serena’s (despite other striking similarities)…it’s just that…deepbreath….just say it……wedon’tliveinthesamecityanymore. Phew. Now it’s out there in the open. Saucy currently lives 116 miles apart, but it could be worse, right?

Anyway, the point is that I, Amanda, have decided to launch my own little food forum, MANDA COOKS.

Norman Rene’s Pumpkin Bread

A few weeks ago, fellow cooking-enthusiast Julian Joslin placed a folded piece of lined paper in my hand and whispered “this is the best thing you’ve ever tasted” while maintaining I’m-really-not-messing-around eye contact. I unfolded the paper to find Norman Rene’s (the legend himself…take my word for it) recipe for pumpkin bread. I carried the little gem in my wallet, was reminded of its presence throughout the past few weeks, but was juggling a busy schedule and could not find time to bake. Rough, I know.

But then yesterday rolled around. My dysfunctional morning turned into a dysfunctional day and by 6pm I was anxious and stressed and exhausted and just…blah. After a rough day at work there is nothing I want more than to rush home, slip into my Wicked Goods, and bake. This is most likely an attempt to prove that I can indeed produce something of worth, despite a series of events that tried to prove otherwise. And so, I hopped off the bus, hurried up the three flights to my apartment, changed into pjs and slippers, and made myself comfortable in the kitchen. I opened a bottle of red wine, took a big sip, let out a big sigh, and began to measure out my sugar. I had a stroke of genius halfway through cracking the eggs and popped Look Who’s Talking into my laptop so I could occasionally gaze at John Travolta for another reminder that life is actually worth living. While the mini muffins and mini loaves (because everything is better when its miniature…ponies are another great example, see fall-themed Saucy post below) were cooling, I popped a goat cheese, caramelized onion, and asparagus (gently placed on the surface in a star-ish shape) quiche in the oven that would be ready just in time for…drum roll….CHRISTINA’S ARRIVAL. Could my night get any better? Yes! It did!! A roomie reunion at Gin Mill commenced at 9pm. Needless to say, I have learned a valuable lesson: all I need to lift my spirits is pumpkin bread, red wine, John Travolta, quiche, Christina, Cuddlegan, and a few Jack and ginger ales…nbd, right?

Now it’s Friday night and I am celebrating the end of the week by fluffing my pillows, getting under covers, playing Cuddlegan’s “Power Women” playlist and beginning my two new books with a slice of pumpkin bread and a cup of mint tea in hand. Finally, some time to breathe.

Recent Happenings

homemade brownie topped with homemade mint ice cream

brunch at Spring Mill – perfect brioche

Tuesday dinner – baked eggs with tomato, spinach, and herbed goat cheese

fresh asparagus…staying fresh

Wednesday dinner – orecchiette with sauteed shallots, asparagus, green beans, spinach and topped with shaved parmesean

Chez Michele

The Spring Mill Cafe in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania is one of my favorite restaurants. I always try to go there with my mom and a bottle of champagne for brunch when I’m home for the weekend. The old house-turned-restaurant on the side of the road oozes french countryside dining. When I was there for brunch back in September with my mom and Dana, I read about the Julia Child Series Cooking Demonstration that was going to be happening over the course of the next few weeks. Though Christina’s birthday was rapidly approaching, I had yet to find the perfect Saucy gift…until then. I immediately reserved a spot for two on the evening of November 11th. On the menu? A vegetable tart, sole meuniere, and chocolate mousse.

It seemed like a long time, but November 11th definitely crept up on me and before I knew it I was on an Ardmore-bound Amtrak. Christina picked me up with a bottle of wine in tow and we headed for the Cafe. We grabbed two seats up front and popped the wine open as the small dining room quickly filled up. Michele soon emerged from the kitchen and after a brief introduction she began her demonstration on quiche dough. After running through the steps, she asked for a volunteer…she got two. Saucy threw butter and flour into the food processor like such pros, adding just enough water and oil, but not too much, and we soon had a perfectly formed ball of dough that was passed around and ooh-ed and ahh-ed at. Michele then briefly explained the recipe for her “winter-touille” tart that was being brought out from the kitchen to soothe our grumbling tummies. It was the simple quiche dough we had just made, with a thin later of parsley and almond pesto along the bottom topped with some favorite winter vegetables.

Once our plates were cleared and the Winter-touille murmur died down, Michele began the demonstration of Sole Meuniere. She lightly floured the fish fillet while butter heated up on a hot plate. The fish was placed on the pan just as the butter began to brown and cooked for a quick 2-3 minutes on each side. After the fish was removed, lemon juice was added to the pan, combining with the excess butter to form a steaming sauce that was poured over the fish. A sprinkle of parsley topped the dish and a few sauteed green beans added color to the plates. According to her writings, sole meuniere is the first dish that Julia Child had upon her arrival in France, causing her to fall in love with food and France simultaneously. After our first bite it isn’t hard to believe!

Despite the fact that the departure time for my New York-bound train was rapidly approaching, Saucy was not about to leave without our fair share of chocolate mousse. It was brought out in wine glasses and topped with fresh whipped cream just in time. We scooped our glasses clean, gave bisous to Michele and rushed out the door. Four days later, still on a natural high from our Wednesday night meal, we returned to Spring Mill for brunch with Kimmy and momma V. Chez Michele did it again.

Settling In

I recently moved into a new apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. My bedroom is small, missing some key furniture items, and currently in a state of disarray. Unlike my bedroom, the kitchen is enormous, houses my new (old) KitchenAid standing mixer (!), and is generally pretty spick and span. So naturally, that’s where I’ve been liking to spend my time. And what better reason to spend time in the kitchen than having to a) play with your new KitchenAid, b) bake sweet treats for new friends and old friends and housewarmings, and c) eat baked goodies for dessert (and breakfast…)

The first recipe I wanted to introduce to Mr. KitchenAid was my standard chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, since he and they will likely be spending lots of time together. I am happy to announce that they got along perfectly and my arms were more than happy to not have to cream butter and sugar and incorporate oats into the sticky dough, which can end up being quite a work out. Mr. KitchenAid simply sat there, mixing away, humming a bit and within minutes I had perfectly mixed and consistent cookie dough. LIfe changing, really.

A few days later I made my first autumn 2009 batch of pumpkin bread. Mr. KA impressed me yet again. The pumpkin bread was moist and filled with spices, and oh-so fally. Wrapped in a plastic bag and paired with a stack of cookies, it made a perfect housewarming gift for Cuddleganners Emily and Jona.

And yesterday another important addition was brought into my new home: Baking Illustrated, the baking cookbook of all baking cookbooks, written by the authors of Cooks’ Illustrated magazine. I paged through the book when I got home and was soon whipping up a batch of brownies that ended up being as perfect as the book claimed: dense and gooey with a flaky top layer, requiring a glass of milk to finish them off. I had two for breakfast this morning.

My Oh My, Mimi’s Hummus

I had read a New York Magazine article in early august about a small restaurant that had recently opened in Ditmas Park. The authors claimed that “you couldn’t go wrong” with Mimi’s ever-changing menu of Israeli and Moroccan-inspired dishes. Not long after reading the article, I found out that Natalie (of red velvet birthday cake fame) not only lived in Mimi’s neighborhood but knew Mimi — WOW! Visiting Nat’s hood, meeting Pita (her pup, and what an appropriate name), and dining at Mimi’s was immediately pushed towards the top of my to-do list and things finally fell into place last Saturday around brunch time. I made the trek to Ditmas Park on the Q train and was greeted by a bicycle-riding Natalie. Pita was living it up in the bike’s basket, letting the wind blow through her wispy ear hair. We were soon sitting in the front window seat at Mimi’s, with Pita looking longing at us from the other side of the glass, menus and wine in hand (it’s BYO for free!)

The specials were read to us and literally everything was over-the-top mouth watering. We ended up ordering two entrees off of the brunch specials, the names of which I unfortunately can’t remember. The first dish was a flat, pancake-like omelette with potatoes and onions, topped with a spreadable spoonful of labneh and served with small dish of Tabouleh. The second dish consisted of a small, cast-iron skillet filled with sauteed swiss chard and onions, topped with two sunny-side-up eggs, a generous sprinkling of parsley, sheep’s cheese (I think it they were Austrian sheep? Or Hungarian?) and served with a little cucumber salad. Add two warm whole wheat pitas to the situation and you’ve got yourself a feast, not to mention a food coma.

Ron met us at Mimi’s, helped us finish up some last bites, and Natalie ordered a plate of three paczkis (pronounced punch-keys, they are apparently Polish?): chilled chocolate cake batter-esque balls rolled in coconut. Words cannot begin to describe how delicious these were; they were unreal.

The incredible meal was followed up by Oktoberfest beers at Sycamore, a bar with a backyard a few blocks away, where the three of us caught up on work and life gossip (specifically men with beards gossip) and hung with Pita, an adorably sassy little girl named Vivian, and two of Nat’s friends. All in all, a perfect fall day in Brooklyn, and one that made me realize good food and good company is always worth the trek.

Saucy Embraces Fall

Last weekend in the country was a Cuddlegan Kick-Off to Fall and Saucy kept the momentum going this weekend with a trip to way-out-there-Pennsylvania for some autumnal activities. Momma D acted as both chauffeur (we both sat in the back and paged through a vintage Martha Weddings book…) and soup connoisseur (three types of soup in tow — mushroom, onion, and butternut squash!) We arrived at Christina’s aunt and uncle’s house and sat down to a lunch of warm soup and chilled apple cider before heading out for a walk around the farm to gather some hydrangeas.

With a full basket of flowers in hand, we piled back into the car to drive around town. First stop was a small antique shop. Although very cute, the miniature ponies down the road caught our attention and we opted for befriending the little guys rather than browsing.

We stopped for ice cream (mint chocolate chip of course) and then hit up a few farmer’s markets in search of a slew of white pumpkins and gourds for sister Dittmann’s engagement (!!) party. So while Mrs. Dittmann hunted, we posed for photo opps with pumpkins and gourd necklaces. We browsed the final farmer’s market for some goodies for ourselves–I ended up with the most perfect mini pumpkin I’ve ever seen, intertwined gourds, a small bouquet of dried flowers, and an acorn squash that was lucky enough to be eaten for dinner that night…

I had seen a recipe on 101 Cookbooks last week for roasted corn pudding baked inside an acorn squash — genius! Corn was one of Saucy’s summer loves and squash is our go-to fall and winter veggie so what better way to transition from summer to fall than with a combination of our favorites? And since a meal is not a meal without a carb (aka we just love carbs) we put together a quick onion and parmesan flatbread. The pudding had a great light texture and the excess (which we baked in a large ceramic dish) was a good addition to Monday night’s dinner in the Veraldi house.

Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

1 acorn squash, halved and seeded (*there will be excess corn pudding, so use another squash if desired*)
1 1/2 cup corn kernels (4 ears of corn)
2 eggs plus 2 egg whites
1 cup milk
a pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese
6 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375F. Rub the inside of the squash with butter or olive oil, place on a baking sheet and cover with foil. The squash needs to sit flat on the baking sheet so that the pudding does not spill out, this may require you to shave off some of the squash’s underside to make a flat surface. Roast squash for about 40-50 minutes, or until slightly tender. Meanwhile, combine corn, eggs, milk, nutmeg, half of the scallions, and salt and pepper. Pour mixture into cared out squash and fill about 3/4 of the way. The excess can be poured into buttered ramekins or a larger baking dish. Carefully slide the baking sheet back into the oven and bake for another 40-50 minutes, or until pudding is set. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese and remaining scallions. Place back in the oven just until the cheese has melted and begun to brown.

Twilight Again

This past weekend, Saucy was lucky enough to make another trip up to the Catskills to celebrate Christina’s birthday and have an end-of-the-summer roomie snuggle fest. It was another great weekend spent sitting by the fire wrapped in blankets, exploring nearby towns, and cooking (duh!) Without much else to occupy ourselves with (which was a good thing!) we decided to take a risk and attempt homemade gnocchi. To loosen up and gain some confidence, we opened up a double bottle of wine and settled our rumbling tummies with fresh bread, brie, and apple slices.

As the potatoes boiled, we conquered the beginning steps of an epic chocolate birthday cake and prepared some veggies for the usual roasting. After about thirty minutes, we drained the potatoes and peeled the skin off. We quickly pushed them through a potato ricer and formed them into a riced-potato volcano, with a nice little crater for the incoming egg yolks. We incorporated egg yolks and flour into the potatoes and then began rolling out gnocchi ropes and slicing away! Our first tester gnocchi came out a little too watery potato-y. Slightly discouraged, but with eyes on the prize, we incorporated more flour into the mixture and set up an assembly line to cook the little guys: Jona dropped them into boiling water, Kim scooped them out as the bobbed to the surface and placed them in a sauce pan, I sauteed them for about a minute, and Linnae uncovered and covered the serving bowl so we could retain the heat! Christina….watched?

Gnocchi

8-10 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes
3 egg yolks
3/4-1 cup of flour

Seems simple, right? HA! Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil then decrease heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and skin is beginning to free itself. Drain water from the pot and let potatoes cool, until they are just cool enough to handle. Peel away the skin (this should be fairly easy) and put the potatoes through a potato ricer. Form a potato volcano and put the three egg yolks in the crater, along with some flour. Integrate the eggs and flour into the potatoes until it forms a consistent, sticky dough. Separate the dough into eights and roll into ropes, each about 15 inches long. Use a knife to cut the rope into one inch segments — these are your gnocchi! If you want to be fancy, use a fork to make ridges on them. If you’re hungry, skip that. Place gnocchi into a pot of boiling water about 10-15 at a time. Once they bob to the surface, scoop out and transfer to a frying pan with a bit of hot oil and butter and saute until cooked through a bit more, about 1-2 minutes. Toss with (homemade<–duh) sauce and top with fresh basil.

We sat down to dinner feeling accomplished and ate til our tummies were full and another double bottle was empty. Though our cake had managed to be baked throughout the gnocchi process, we needed some downtime before tackling frosting and eating dessert. So to the fireplace we went!

After some digesting, we all had chocolate on our minds. We all piled back into the kitchen to melt chocolate and whip up some frosting. Linnae and Kim took charge of the decorating and we sang happy birthday and happily ate our cake by the fire. Within a few moments of finishing up the cake, Saucy was passed out — Amanda 6 inches from the fire, and Christina nearby, wrapped in a blanket like a burrito. Tired from three straight hours of cooking related activity, we called it a night, sang our own interpretation of Miley’s “The Climb” and headed to dreamland.

Chocolate Cake

Recipe coming!!

Galette and Other Goodies

I have been intrigued by the simplicity of galettes for a while now — throw what you want (really! anything!) on top of a pie crust, fold the edges over, and voila! When I was home last weekend some snacks were needed for the Notre Dame game on Saturday afternoon. I picked up some party dogs for momma from the farmer’s market and decided to dive into the world of galettes to make a veg-friendly munchie. I chopped a medium sized white onion and a clove of garlic and sauteed them in a bit of olive oil for about ten minutes. Once translucent, I piled the onions in the middle of a circular pie crust, threw on some leftover chopped tomatoes from breakfast and shredded gruyere cheese on top. I folded the sides in, popped it in the oven for about 25 minutes, sliced like a pizza, and enjoyed!

Other weekend goodies included three loaves of pumpkin bread, a quadrupled batch of granola, spicy spiked oatmeal cranberry cookies, and, my favorite, brunch at Spring Mill Cafe with mom and Dana.

Barefoot Contessas

Saucy had spent Saturday morning lounging around before convincing each other that an outing was in order. So we hopped on a downtown C train, Columbus Circle bound. Our plan? J.Crew to try on some outerwear, William & Sonoma to fantasize about our future kitchen (singular), and Whole Foods to grab something for dinner. J.Crew was pretty uneventful; we pined over the “downtown field jacket” for a bit in our shared dressing room then lazily headed down to W&S. Christina picked up the Barefoot Contessa on display and began to flip through while Amanda wandered off to the baking section. Of course Ina came through: within a few minutes, Christina came across two recipes that screamed “Saucy!” and we suddenly had plans for an Ina Garten dinner and dessert.

For dinner we made Goat Cheese and Tomato Tarts. The flaky puff pastry topped with slowly sauteed onions, shredded parmesean, crumbled goat cheese, a slice of tomato, and a sprinkle of fresh basil was simple enough but so delicious. The dish was so Saucy (how could a goat cheese and tomato combo not be Saucy?) and was basically perfection after being paired with a glass (or two…) or dry white wine.

Ina Garten’s Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

1 package frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, sliced into thin slivers
3 tablespoons dry white wine (plus more for drinking…)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
6 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
4 ounces goat cheese
2 medium tomatoes, cut into slices
3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil

Unfold the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Using a circular shaped object (we used a bowl and a wine glass), cut the pastry into circles and place the discs onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 425F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onions and sautee for 15 to 20 minutes, until almost no moisture remains in the pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine and the thyme and continue to cook for 10 minutes, until the onions have browned slightly.

Using a sharp knife, score a 1/4-inch wide border around each pastry circle. Prick inside each circle with a fork. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese inside the circle and top with the onions and garlic. Crumble goat cheese on top and then place a slice of tomato in the center. Top with more parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh basil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is slightly brown.

Despite hitting the spot, after any savory dish Saucy usually craves something sweet. And Ina delivered yet again with her Brownie Pudding. With just six ingredients, dessert was easy to throw together (especially when aided by a KitchenAid) and since its baking time was an hour our tummies had enough time to digest our tarts and make sufficient room for dessert. The end result was every batter-lover’s dream: a crisp top layer covering ooey gooey battery brownie goodness underneath. We refrigerated what we didn’t eat and in the morning found ourselves sneaking bits of what was now equally delicious creamy custardy fudge brownie goodness. Thank you Ina!!

Ina Garten’s Brownie Pudding

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend eggs and sugar for 5-10 minutes until very thick and light yellow. Reduce mixer speed to low and add vanilla extract, flour, and cocoa powder. Pour in cooled butter and mix until just combined. We also added some mini chocolate chips.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked.