Wishing a very blessed and joyous Easter to all who celebrate it!

Nope, I don’t have any Chocablock Cookies for you today. And, I don’t have any steamed puddings either. I’m really sorry about that, but life has kind of smacked me in the head this past week and I just never found the time to make them.  My work schedule has been kind of crazy and Mr. SGCC has been out of town A LOT, so I’ve been pulling double duty both at home and at the office.  Plus, I’ve got a brand new project over here that is taking up a ton of my time and attention!  Allow me to introduce you all to our new little addition.

Meet Bella:

Okay, all together now:  AWWW!!!

Isn’t she a little cutie pie? I took this shot right after we got her home. She looks pretty pooped, doesn’t she. After a three hour car ride, I wasn’t surprised.  We picked Bella up last weekend from a wonderful breeder near Mt. Dora.  This is the same breeder that we got our dear, departed Sophie from.  I had to wait for more than a year for a puppy from her, but it was worth it.  Sophie was such a special member of our family and I wanted our new baby to come from the same nurturing place.  I’m so thrilled to have Bella in our family, but taking care of an eight week old puppy is a lot of work!  It’s almost like having a new baby, except that the puppy can already run around on her own!  And no, that is not a splotch of blood or poop on her flank. Lol!  It’s nail polish. The breeder uses it to identify all of the puppies in her litters.  It will eventually wear off.

So, back to the food, or lack thereof.  I had all the best intentions to make both this week’s TWD recipe and this month’s Daring Bakers challenge.  It just wasn’t in the cards.  However, I’d never let you leave here empty-handed.  This Lemon Linguine with Basil Pesto Shrimp was on the menu of my cooking class last week.  It’s a lovely, springtime pasta dish that highlights the bright, fresh flavors of lemon and basil.  Plus, it’s super simple to make.  My students loved it!  You can even make this recipe ahead and serve it chilled as a pasta salad.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

So, enjoy!  I’ve got to run and take Bella out for another potty break before she notices my Oriental rugs!

Though I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting any of his restaurants, Thomas Keller certainly needs no introduction to me.  I’ve been hearing about and reading about his genius in the kitchen for years.  His multi-award winning, three Michelin star rated flagship restaurant, The French Laundry, is legendary. The rest of his fleet, Bouchon, Per Se and ad hoc are no slouches either.

A few weeks ago, I was watching Tony Bourdain’s No Reservations on TV. This particular episode was all about cooking techniques, and had several famous chefs demonstrating how to make various basic dishes, such as omelets, pasta and burgers.   Thomas Keller was on board to show his method for making the perfect roast chicken.  As soon as I saw him on the screen, I sat up and paid close attention.  I just knew that there were going to be some fancy bells and whistles involved.  Except, there weren’t.  Thomas Keller roasts a chicken pretty much the same way most of us do – very, very simply.  In fact, the only thing that I usually do that Keller doesn’t is rub a little fat on the bird before roasting.  He explains that while it is perfectly acceptable to do so, he doesn’t because he feels it adds extra steam to the oven, making the chicken’s skin less crispy.  Okay.  That makes sense.  Besides, who the heck am I to argue with Thomas Keller?

Keller also explains that the key to perfectly roasted chicken with an impossibly crispy skin is to make sure that the chicken is completely and indisputably dry before putting it in the oven.  Oh, and you also need to use lots of salt – way more than I ever use.

To recap:

1. No added fat on the bird;

2. Thoroughly dry the bird before roasting; and

3. Don’t be stingy with the salt.

When Keller’s chicken came out of the oven, I think my heart skipped a little beat.  It looked fabulous!  An unequivocal poultry masterpiece!  As he cut into that chicken, its impeccably burnished skin gave way to some of the juiciest, most succulent meat I’d ever laid eyes on.  For days, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  I had to try his chicken roasting technique for myself.

I was also planning to roast some potatoes to go along with my chicken dinner, when I remembered the way I’d seen it done at a market in Paris.  There, the chickens were roasted on spits in a big glass oven.  Huge pans filled with potatoes were placed to cook underneath the chickens. As the chickens roasted all of their luscious drippings and juices would rain down onto the potatoes, infusing them with the most amazing salty, chicken-y flavor.  Oh, yeah!  I decided to try to get the same effect by layering some thinly sliced potatoes and onions on the bottom of my pan and roasting my chicken on top of it.

So, let’s roast a chicken (and some potatoes) a la Thomas Keller!

First, get yourself a nice, free-range, organic chicken. Keller says to look for one weighing between 2 and 3 pounds, but unless you’re planning a dinner for one, I’d recommend a 3 to 3 1/2 pound bird. This guy below was a 3 1/2 pounder, and three of us picked it clean.

Melt some butter in your roasting pan.  I used an unsalted cultured butter.

Arrange a layer of thinly sliced potatoes all around the bottom of the pan.  I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes.

Scatter some thinly sliced onions on top of the potatoes.

Then, place your well-seasoned bird on top of the bed of potatoes and onions.  Don’t make fun of my crappy trussing job.  I can never get it right!

Put it all in a 450 F. oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through.

Hmmm. Let’s get a closer look at that crispy, roasted skin…..

Mmmm!

I’m a bad blogger buddy!  Jaden Hair’s lovely new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, has been on the shelves for three weeks and I’ve yet to post about it.  Jaden was the first food blogger I ever met way back before SGCC was even a thought in my head.  She lives about 15 miles away from me, so when I stumbled upon her blog a few years ago, I immediately emailed her to introduce myself.  Jaden was kind enough to invite me to attend one of her cooking classes that just happened to also be a taping for a television feature on her.  I didn’t think twice before accepting!  I had a blast!  Plus, I got to be on TV!  That was when the blogging bug really bit me.  A few months later, with Jaden as a major inspiration, I decided to try blogging for myself – and SGCC was born.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Jaden’s recipes – and I’ve tried a whole lot of them.  When she announced that she was writing a cookbook, I was thrilled for her!  I was even more thrilled to be among her many recipe testers for the book.  During that time, I tried out some awesome recipes and it drove me crazy that I couldn’t share any of them with you, because…well, you know…because they were top secret, hush-hush recipes for the cookbook!  I wish now that I had taken photographs of some of those wonderful dishes I made.  

A few weeks ago, Mini SGCC was feeling under the weather, so I whipped out the cookbook and made some Quick Vietnamese Chicken Pho for her.  The next day, I tried Jaden’s recipe for Banh Mi.  Both were excellent.  I’d planned to post about them both in depth, but then my United Airlines fiasco happened and I was too preoccupied with that to take pictures.  By the time I got around to it, all I found were the empty Tupperware containers in the garage fridge!

One of my favorite “Steamy Kitchen” recipes is Jaden’s slow-cooked salmon. In the book it’s been transformed into Tea Smoked Salmon, but the original method is explained there as well.  I’ve made this dish about a dozen times so far, and it is one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon.  The fish is baked on a bed of onions and sliced oranges in a very low oven for about 30 minutes. I also like to add sliced fennel and fresh tarragon sprigs too.   The result is a soft, lush, melt-in-your-mouth salmon that retains its gorgeous color and texture.

I decided to try the recipe again the other night and played around with the presentation a little.  Since our temperatures around here are still hovering up in the high 80’s, I dressed some of my salmon up for a day at the beach.  The rest got dolled up for a swanky cocktail party coiffed with some crème fraiche and fresh dill.  Either way, they were both delicious!  I always try to find fresh, wild salmon, which is healthier and tastier than the farm-raised kind. But, this recipe works well with that too.

I’ve got lots more of my Steamy Kitchen faves still to share, but all in good time!

And, if you haven’t already bought your copy of The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, what the heck are you waiting for?  It’s a beautiful book for the pictures alone!  And it’s chock full of terrific recipes too.  You can find it at all of the major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders. And, please don’t forget your local independent book stores.  Remember, they are often your friends and neighbors who are struggling to compete with the big guys.  To find indie booksellers in your area, you can go to Indie Bound.

Slow Cooked Salmon
adapted from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook

4 (8 ounce) salmon fillets
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 navel oranges, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 large or 2 small fresh fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
3-4 sprigs fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
Assorted garnishes such as crème fraiche, sliced oranges or fresh herbs

Directions:

Preheat to 250F.  Lightly brush salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Grab a baking pan big enough to hold all fillets in single layer. Make a bed on the pan by layering the onions, fennel and two of the sliced oranges. Place the salmon fillets on the bed and tuck in the tarragon sprigs.

Bake for 30 minutes. (If you’re cooking more than 4 fillets, just add another 2 minutes per additional filet.) To test for doneness, stick a sharp paring knife in, if it goes in and out, its done.

Top with whatever finishing herbs, spices or ingredients you’ve chosen. After cooking, the salmon is going to look almost exactly the same as when you first put it in. Don’t worry, after 30 minutes in the oven it is cooked.

Dress up your salmon however you like.

Serves 4.

Yesterday, the temperature topped out around here at 86 degrees, F.  The humidity was so high that when I stepped outside from my air conditioned digs, my sunglasses promptly fogged right up, forcing me to stumble my way to my car.  That’s muggy, people! Now I ask you – is that any way for Autumn to behave?  It’s almost November, for crying out loud!

One of the few clues that that it is indeed Fall exists in the produce aisle of my local supermarket.  The presence of orange-fleshed squash, crisp, juicy apples and those cheesy, fake “Autumn” leaves are my telltale signs that the season has changed.  Even then, it’s hard to shift seasonal gears when the store is flooded with tourists in swimsuits, Bermuda shorts and guayabera shirts.

I compensate by turning my a/c down really low and padding around the house in sweaters and big, wooly socks.  Pathetic, isn’t it?   Another way I console myself about this situation is to cook and bake warm, spicy things, using many of the aforementioned Fall fruits and vegetables.  This lovely apple cake is one of them. 

I first saw this cake on the Smitten Kitchen web site last year.  I was immediately drawn to Deb’s photo of her chunky, cinnamony, appley creation and I knew I had to make it.  Afterward, as my cake sat on the counter cooling, I marveled at its burnished, rustic beauty and reveled in its heady aroma which reminded me of hot spiced apple cider.  Being the impatient person that I am, I couldn’t wait to take a bite and tried to separate the cake from its pan before its time.   I ended up with this:

Yes, people, there really is a reason why they tell you to wait until a cake is completely cooled before attempting to remove it from the pan.

Even though it fell apart, it was still a damn delicious cake, so yesterday I decided it deserved another try.

I used a combination of Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious and Fuji apples…..

…..and lots of cinnamon!

After the cake was baked, I forced myself to wait until it was completely cooled before unmolding it.  That was the hardest part!

My patience was rewarded.  This time, I had a gorgeous cake – all in one piece.

Look at all those lovely, gooey, caramelized apple chunks and specks of cinnamon!

Aren’t you jealous?  Don’t you want to run into your kitchen right now and make this cake?  It is sooooo good!

So, what are you waiting for?  Here’s the recipe.  Go forth and bake!

Deb’s Mom’s Apple Cake
from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

6 apples (Deb’s mom uses McIntosh apples. I used a combination of Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious and Fuji)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar

2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of the apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top.

Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

Enjoy!

It’s been absolute ages since I’ve been able to participate in Tuesdays with Dorie!  Between work responsibilities, my new gigs, family obligations and my travel adventures, I’ve been playing a perpetual game of catch-up.  Last weekend, I found myself with a little time to breathe and snuck in some baking time to make this week’s TWD recipe, Allspice Muffins.  Boy, am I glad I did! 

The recipe, selected by Kayte of Grandma’s Kitchen Table, was ridiculously easy to make and the resulting muffins were fluffy, light and permeated with the heady fragrance of allspice.  The muffins themselves were were very simply flavored with the allspice, lemon zest and a touch of vanilla.  What really made them special was the buttery streusel crumb topping that finished them off.  Prepared with butter, brown sugar and yet more allspice, it was oh, so delicious!

I have to say that I wasn’t expecting these muffins to be a good as they were.  I’ve said many times that I’m more of a cupcake girl than a muffin maven.  But, when I bit into one of these sassy little beauties, I was smitten!

If you’d like to try making these Allspice Muffins for yourself, the recipe can be found in Dorie’s book, Baking: From My Home To Yours, or on Kayte’s site.  Also, if you have a few minutes, make sure to check out the TWD blogroll to see lots and lots more Allspice Muffins!

This week’s TWD comes right on the heels of the July Daring Bakers challenge and right on the toes of my July Dinner and a Movie roundup.  So, I’m going to make it very short (and very sweet).

I mean, it’s Vanilla Ice Cream, for crissake!

What more needs to be said about vanilla ice cream that hasn’t already been said a million times before?  Well, maybe nothing, except that this vanilla ice cream is impossibly rich, creamy and luxurious, containing a whopping six egg yolks in a mere one quart batch. 

Or, that the heady infusion of plump, lush vanilla beans makes it absolutely intoxicating.

Or, that when you drizzle in a puddle of melted decadent Valrhona chocolate while it’s churning, it turns into the most heavenly stracciatella ice cream, with wispy, little chocolate flakes that pop and explode in your mouth.

Or, that it makes a damn fabulous chocolate sundae!

Other than that, what else can you possibly say about plain old vanilla ice cream?  Really.

Thanks, from the bottom of my heart to this week’s host, Lynne from Cafe Lynnylu, for choosing the quickest, simplest and most delicious Dorie recipe ever!  You can find the recipe for this ice cream there.  And as always, be sure to check out the rest of the TWD offerings at the Tuesdays with Dorie site.