Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits

Don't tell me that these don't look good. I mean, who in their right mind doesn't LOVE flaky, delicious biscuits!

I can think of a million and one uses for this. Let's brainstorm for a sec just for kicks:

• Cut down the middle and insert a fried egg
• Smother with honey
• Bon Appetit suggests Dijon, thin sliced ham and leaf lettuce for a sandwich
• Add a small spoon full of sour cream on top and serve with grilled steaks
  
• Make corn chowder and dip in the soup
  

The options are endless. Get baking!

Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits

• 6 thick-cut bacon slices
• 3 3/4 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus melted butter for brushing
• 2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk
• Honey (optional)

• Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter cubes. Blend until coarse meal forms, about 30 seconds.Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Add cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and chopped bacon; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).
• Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.
• Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired.

Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits

Test Kitchen: Rutherford Grill's Cornbread

This weekend, my step-dad bought a skillet and challenged me to recreate Rutherford Grill's popular cornbread. When I snooped around for a recipe, I quickly found out that it was a house secret. We know the flavor profile because we have had the cornbread so many times so we started there and created a recipe from scratch. After three attempts, we finally nailed it. Here is our variation of Napa Valley's Rutherford Grill Cornbread.

A couple things:
1) Don't even think about making this with out the skillet
2) Buy 2 ears of corn, grill them until charred brown and cut off the cob

• 2 ears of corn
  
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 jalapenos, fine dice with some seeds
  
• 1 1/4 cups cornmeal (preferably stone-ground; not coarse)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of bacon lard (optional)
  
• 2 tablespoons honey

• Special equipment: a 9 1/2- to 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet

Heat grill to medium high. Lightly brush corn with oil and grill turning every 3 minutes until charred and golden brown. Cut kernels off of cobs. Set aside.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Add butter, lard and oil to skillet and heat in oven until melted, about 5 minutes, then carefully pour into a medium bowl.

Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, jalapeno, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk buttermilk and eggs into melted butter, then stir into cornmeal mixture until just combined. Pour into hot skillet and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in skillet on a rack 5 minutes.

Test Kitchen: Rutherford Grill's Cornbread

Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

There are some classics that just can't be messed with and Roast Beef with Yorkshire pudding is definitely one of them. This British poster child is typically served for Sunday Roast, a traditional main meal served on Sundays in the UK and other Commonwealth countries. It's hearty, packed with flavor and somewhat easy to make.

Don't let the word 'pudding' throw you off. This pudding is not like the chocolate stuff Bill Cosby used to pound on TV commercials. Rather, the pudding is more like a popover and, if done properly, should melt in your mouth.

Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding
Saveur

1 3–4-lb. beef top sirloin roast, tied
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper,
to taste
1⁄4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1⁄4 cups milk
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour
3 large eggs
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup red wine
1 cup Beef Stock

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together oil, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Rub beef with herb mixture. Place beef in a small roasting pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

2. Remove beef from refrigerator 2 hours before you are ready to roast; allow it to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, make the yorkshire pudding batter: Whisk together milk, 1 cup flour, 1 tsp. salt, and eggs in a bowl. Cover; let batter sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

3. Heat oven to 500°. Remove plastic wrap and roast beef until browned, 18–20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 250°. Roast until a thermometer inserted into center of beef reads 120° (for medium rare), about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to a cutting board, and let rest, tented with foil, while you make the yorkshire pudding and gravy. Pour pan drippings into bowl, leaving about 3 tbsp. in pan. Set roasting pan aside.

4. Raise oven temperature to 450°. Spoon 1⁄2 tsp. reserved drippings from bowl into each cup of a nonstick muffin pan. Heat in oven for 15 minutes. Uncover batter; whisk in 1 tbsp. drippings from bowl. Remove pan from oven; pour batter evenly between cups; bake until risen and brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°; bake for 10 minutes to set puddings. Remove pan from oven; set aside.

5. Make the gravy: Heat reserved roasting pan over medium heat. Add shallots; cook until soft, 4–6 minutes. Add wine; cook, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half, 4–6 minutes. Whisk in remaining flour, followed by stock. Cook, whisking, until thick, about 5 minutes. Slice beef; serve with pudding and gravy. Garnish with chopped parsley, if you like.

SERVES 8

Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

Brodo di manzo with tortellini and greens soup

My first week of pasta making was trial and error at its finest. I thought I could just 'figure it out' but it turned out that a couple hours of studying went a long way. I know how to dry pasta, store pasta, infuse pasta, freeze pasta and make all shapes and sizes. Not bad for 1 week. Last night, I tackled a recipe I found online that was a perfect one-pot-wonder for a winter night.

Making homemade tortellini is tricky at first but once you get a rhythm down you start cranking them out. I made my filling with ricotta, Parmesan and fresh parsley mixed together with one egg yolk. That is pretty standard. There is no doubt that I will start playing with cheeses next but for now I am trying to get thee basics down. In the picture above, you can see that I made a variation of pastas. The fettucini was for my brother-in-law that can't eat cheese (poor guy) and the raviolis were made for my sister to take home with her. For this recipe we used just the tortellini.

The recipe calls for the soup to simmer for 4 hours but I let it go for an hour and a half longer. With soup and stews you can really let them go as long as you watch the broth to make sure it has not boiled off. If the broth gets low add water or a mixture of broth and water. More time means more flavor and more time for the meat to break down and tenderize. This soup really hit the spot and the kale was a perfect green to add at the end.

Brodo di manzo with tortellini and greens soup

Ingredients:
1 beef shank (about 2 inch thick)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
3 tbl tomato paste
1 quart beef broth plus 1 quart water
1 bunch kale
8 oz dried cheese tortellini
salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
parmesan cheese to garnish

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat. Add beef and sear for 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove beef and set aside. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir. Add tomato paste and mix together, 2 minute. Add broth and water. Add dried Italian seasonings and a little red pepper flakes for heat. Bring to simmer. Add beef back to Dutch oven and put lid on and simmer for 4 hours (min.)

After 4 hours, add chopped kale to pot and boil for 6 minutes. Add tortellini in soup and cook for 4 more minutes if you pasta is fresh. If not, add pasta and kale together and cook for 10-12 minutes. Serve in soup bowl and garnish with parsley and Parmesan.

Garlic Basil Bread

I served with ciabatta bread baked in a garlic basil butter. To make butter the Tyler Florence way, add 1 stick of butter, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, sea salt, pepper, 6 cloves of garlic and a half bunch of basil to a food processor. Pulse until mixed together. Slice ciabatta and smear butter between slices and on top of loaf. Cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes in foil and serve warm.

Brodo di manzo with tortellini and greens soup

Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries

Fall is here and it's time start baking. This pumpkin bread with cranberries is easy to make and great to have around the house for a snack. I like to add a little nutmeg and walnuts to the batter for more texture and flavor.

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups pumpkin pureé (15 oz can)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup fresh or dried cranberries

Combine flour, spice, baking powder, and salt in bowl; stir to blend the dry ingredients well. Combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil in a mixing bowl, beating until smooth. Stir in flour mixture, then stir in cranberries. Spoon into a greased and floured 9x5x2-inch loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries

Belgian Tart with Aged Goat Cheese

Getting any of my food magazines in the mail is like Christmas day a couple times a month. Today I took a break from my current job search to see what the folks at Bon Appetite have to say this month. I came across an article by Molly Wizenberg titled "Fixing a Leek", curled up on my sister's couch and dug in.

My Dad, who calls leeks "the poor man's asparagus", cooks with these all the time. The reason for that of course is my family's roots in French cuisine. However, Ms. Wizenberg isn't as familiar with them and was very surprised on a recent trip to Belgium of how often she saw leeks in European shoppers' baskets and how prominently displayed they were in local markets.

It's true. Americans don't know what to do with leeks and the writer is quick to point that out. In fact, 2 out of 3 times I buy them at the grocery store I have to tell the young clerk what they are so they can proceed to look up the code. So next time you go to the market don't be so afraid of that vegetable that looks like an over-sized green onion. It's creamy, delicious, pairs really well with fish and can be used in the wonderful goat cheese tart showcased below.

Belgian Tart with Aged Goat Cheese

Crust:
4 tablespoons (or more) ice water
3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter

Filling:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crumbled aged goat cheese (such as Bûcheron), rind trimmed
1 1/2 cups Leek Confit

Preparation

Crust:

Combine 4 tablespoons ice water and cider vinegar in small bowl. Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, slowly add water-vinegar mixture, processing until moist clumps form. If dough seems dry, add ice water by teaspoonfuls.

Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Allow dough to soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Roll dough out on lightly floured work surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides. Fold in overhang and press to extend dough 1/2 inch above sides of pan. Line pan with foil and dried beans or pie weights. Bake until dough looks dry and set, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and beans and continue to bake until crust is pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool while preparing filling.

Filling:
Whisk milk, cream, egg, egg yolk, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over bottom of warm crust; spread leek confit over and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Pour milk mixture over. Bake until filling has puffed, is golden in spots, and center looks set, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool slightly. Remove pan sides. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Belgian Tart with Aged Goat Cheese

The Chameleon: Boboli Crust

Boboli pizza crust is nothing special. You can find it anywhere. Actually, the brand even makes its own pasta sauces and more generic offerings these days and are available in just about every grocery store. But these crusts can really take a new meaning if you don't actually use them for making pizza.

First off, props to my Aunt Kristi who has been using this bread as everything BUT pizza crust since I can remember. Now, I see crusts like these served alongside some roasted garlic and blue cheese ( a Tra Vigne classic), next to pasta with some olive oil or other innovative ways. In fact, I used it as an 'English Muffin' for my Eggs Benedict with pesto hollandaise (had to throw the pesto in there because it was so dang good) the other day. Best part was I grilled it instead of baked it so it took a whole new dimension and gave it some presentation flare, too. So stock up on this stuff cause you never know when it will come handy.

The Chameleon: Boboli Crust

Gougères

I can't bake, and I have no food processor, so I thought these were going to turn out terribly. Turns out, they were delicious!

Gougères

Jacques Pépin, Food & Wine, June 2002

(thanks to artisanalcheeses dot com for the photo!)

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash cayenne pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese (Emmenthaler or Gruyère)

Coarse salt (fleur de sel or kosher salt) to sprinkle on top

Bring the milk, butter, salt, and cayenne to a boil in a saucepan.Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once, and mix vigorously with a wooden spatula until the mixture forms a ball. Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1minute to dry the mixture a bit. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor, let cool for 5 minutes, then process for about 5 seconds.

Add the eggs and paprika to the processor bowl, and process for 10 to 15 seconds, until well mixed. Transfer the choux paste to a mixing bowl, and let cool for 10 minutes. (Alternately, chop/mix the dough with a pastry cutter until it's smooth and your arms are about to fall off)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with a reusable nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the grated Parmesan cheese, then add the remainder and all the Swiss cheese to the choux paste. Stir just enough to incorporate. Using a tablespoon, scoop out a level tablespoon of the gougère dough, and push it off the spoon onto the cooking mat. Continue making individual gougères, spacing them about 2-inches apart on the sheet. Sprinkle a few grains of coarse salt and a little of the reserved Parmesan cheese on each gougère. Bake for about 30 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature with drinks.

Gougères

Recipe of the Week: Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

I suggest eating a slice with a fresh cup of coffee in the morning before you head off to work.

Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

Bon Appétit November 2007

Makes 1 loaf

Susan Reid

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour*

1 cup medium-grind whole grain cornmeal or regular cornmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

3/4 cup chopped pecans plus 10 pecan halves for garnish

3/4 cup dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick spray. Whisk both flours, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, melted butter, maple syrup, eggs, and extract in medium bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Stir in 3/4 cup chopped pecans and cranberries. Spoon batter into pan. Arrange pecan halves in row down center of batter.Bake bread until top is golden brown and paring knife inserted into center of bread comes out clean, tenting bread loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack; cool.

A LITTLE AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap bread in foil and store at room temperature.FURTHER AHEAD: Can be made and then frozen up to 2 weeks ahead. Wrap in foil, then place in resealable plastic bag.*White whole wheat flour is milled from 100 percent hard white wheat. It contains all of the germ and bran (and nutritional value) of regular whole wheat, but has a naturally lighter color and milder flavor. It's available at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores and from kingarthurflour.com.

Recipe of the Week: Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

Somerset Club Corn Dodgers

The Somerset Club at 42 Beacon Street on the Boston Common is an elegant private club that is a pleasure to visit. Every morning at breakfast, each table is served a basket of remarkably delicious Corn Dodgers that are an Old Boston tradition. Recently, I contacted the club manager, and he sent me the Somerset Club Corn Dodger recipe. I tried it last week, and it is like a trip to the club for breakfast only you save the airfare. This is a classic Yankee winter breakfast bread treat served warm with butter.

Yield: About one dozen

5 cups water
2 cups corn meal
1/4 pound butter (1 stick)
1/2 tablespoon salt

Combine water, butter and salt and bring to a rolling boil.
Remove from heat and add cornmeal all at once, whisking constantly.
Whisk until a thick mixture forms.
Spoon mixture onto greased cookie sheets. (A heaping tablespoon works well and results in an elliptical corn dodger about 4 to 5 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick)
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Turn each Corn Dodger and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool slightly.
Serve warm with butter.

Somerset Club Corn Dodgers