Passover charoset cupcakes

Making a decent Passover dessert (where flour is forbidden) is hard enough. Making a Passover dessert for someone who is also allergic to milk products (as was one of our guests) is nearly impossible. These cupcakes fit both bills, and aren't half bad! My coworkers loved them and didn't even notice the lack of flour, milk or butter.

The recipe starts with charoset, the traditional Passover mixture of apples, dried fruits, nuts, ginger, cinnamon and grape juice or wine. Since it's only made once a year we mix up a huge batch and eat it as a snack for weeks.

The cupcake batter is quick and simple, until the addition of the beaten egg whites. These are folded in slowly and carefully, making sure not to deflate the batter.

The batter is dosed out and topped with a spoonful (or two) of the charoset.

Here's what they look like just before popping them into the oven.

And here they are fresh out of the oven! The charoset on top cooks slightly, intensifying the fruit flavors.

The smell of these cupcakes in the oven had our cat, Cinderella, ready for the Passover seder!

Passover Charoset Cupcakes
From cupcakeproject.com
Makes about 16 cupcakes

5 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup safflower oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 1/4 cup matzo cake meal (not matzo meal)
About 2 cup charoset (I'll post our recipe soon)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix egg yolks and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine oil, lemon juice and zest. Add matzo cake meal and oil mixture to yolk and sugar in alternating doses (we added about 1/3 at a time). Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the batter until well blended. Carefully fold in remaining beaten egg whites. Fill cupcake liners about halfway with batter and top with a spoonful of charoset. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Momofuku crack pie

Do you ever eat an apple pie and think, hey, this would be great without all those pesky apples? Well, that's pretty much the idea behind Momofuku crack pie - an oatmeal cookie crust filled with, well, filling. Take a look at the central ingredients - sugar, brown sugar, salt, milk powder, butter, heavy cream, vanilla extract and egg yolks. That's it. No redeemable healthy fruits or nuts. No crumb or pastry topping. Just tons of the most deliciously unhealthy stuff imaginable.

Not surprisingly, this pie is awesome. It has a buttery, caramely, slightly salty taste. Despite having no binder, it manages to somewhat hold together, as long as its served chilled or at room temperature. Topping with some powdered sugar matches nicely and helps to cut through the sweetness (UPDATE - Ok, this doesn't seem to make much sense, but there is something about the powdered sugar that really makes the pie that much better!). I know it sounds weird and time consuming, but it's totally worth it (not to mention much cheaper than the selling price of $44 at Momofuku Milk Bar). On to the recipe!

First, a giant oatmeal cookie is made - this will be crushed to form the pie crust.

The cookie crust is composed of rolled oats, brown sugar, sugar, butter and an egg.

The final step in the cookie-making process is the addition of the rolled oats. The cookie dough is then spread on a large baking pan and cooked for about 20 minutes.

The edges of my giant cookie were a bit burnt, but the rest was perfect. This is the half remaining after I made the crust - it tastes pretty good on its own as well.

After the cookie has cooled, it is broken up and mixed with butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor. Then the crust is pressed into a pie tin (or in my case, a Pyrex dish) and set aside while the filling is made.

Making the filling is extremely simple - just whisk together sugar, milk powder, butter, heavy cream . . . oh, and a crapload of egg yolks. Hey, I didn't say this was healthy.

The filling is poured into the crust and baked, first at 350, then 325. After the final cooking stage, my pie was still very jiggly, so I left it in there for another few minutes. From all the blog posts I've read about this pie, the actual cooking time is variable. If I made this again I would probably add at least another five minutes (even after a long cooling period the filling was still a bit too gooey).

Here is what the pie looks like when "set."


Momofuku Crack Pie
From Momofuku for 2

Cookie ingredients (enough for 2 crusts):
2/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 cup rolled oats

Heat the oven to 375. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture, then stir in the flour mixture until fully combined, and then stir in the oats. Spread the mixture onto a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet (it might not fill the entire pan) and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust ingredients (for 2 crusts):
Crumbled cookie for crust
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus a scant 3 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp milk powder (non-fat dry milk)
1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup plus a scant 2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 egg yolks

Heat the oven to 350. Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla. Finally, gently whisk in the egg yolks. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown, about 12 minutes (it really won't look done, but the pie will set after some time in the fridge). Remove the pies and cool on a rack. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. Serve cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Lime and honey glazed salmon with basmati and broccolini

Any hardcore fan of Top Chef knows that broccolini is to be avoided at all costs, especially if you happen to be cooking on an airplane. However, my experience would indicate that it seems relatively safe at sea level. Broccolini looks pretty much like what it sounds like - small broccoli. It has a stalk about the width of asparagus and a small broccoli-shaped floret. The flavor is, not surprisingly, broccoli-like, but maybe a bit more mild, especially when raw. Introduced to the US in 1998 from Japan, broccolini is actually a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, or Chinese broccoli (thanks, Wikipedia!).

This recipe is a great one (or two) pot meal, coherently combining fish, rice and vegetables. The lime sauce pairs well with all three components and even works as a dip for snacking on the raw broccolini while you wait for the rice to cook. On to the recipe . . .

First, trim the ends off the broccolini and saute some shallots in olive oil until starting to brown.

Add the rice and broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. At this point, transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish. Cover and cook until the rice is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper and cut into portions.

Once the rice is almost cooked through, nestle in the salmon and broccolini, topping with a bit of the lime sauce. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your liking.

Top everything with more of the lime sauce and enjoy!


Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccolini
Slightly modified from Bon Appetit
Serves 2

1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp lime peel
2 Tbsp honey
4 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
3/4 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 5-6 ounce salmon fillets
1 bunch broccolini, bottom inch trimmed

Preheat oven to 450. Whisk lime juice, lime peel, honey and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Heat oil in ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. (We use a non-stick skillet for this step, then transfer the ingredients to a Pyrex dish before placing it in the oven.) Add shallots to skillet and saute until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, then broth and bring to a boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid (or the Pyrex with tin foil) and bake about 15 minutes. Rice should be almost cooked through and most of the broth should be absorbed. If not, keep cooking until you reach this stage.

Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and place on rice. Tuck broccolini in around rice, with stems anchored in rice. Add 1 tablespoon lime mixture over each piece of salmon. Bake about 12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. Drizzle remaining lime mixture over fish and rice.

Cornell corn nuggets

What better way to celebrate Cornell's victory over Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA basketball tournament than with corn nuggets? Ok, that might not make much sense, but corn nuggets from The Chariot, in Collegetown (since closed), were second only to Hot Truck among our guilty pleasures. (For more about Hot Truck, see one of my previous posts.) These corn nuggets turned out more doughy (less corny?) than we remembered, but they were good all the same. After a few batches we tried adding more corn, but the batter fell apart while attempting to drop them into the deep fryer. If you haven't tried the original, these taste great, but if you happen to be in Ithaca, find the real thing in Collegetown at The Nines.

To make them, mix the dry ingredients and froth the eggs. Once I was able to assemble the mixer, the eggs took about 30 seconds on medium speed to look bubbly.

Mix the eggs, dry ingredients, corn and milk until a thick batter forms.

Use two spoons to drop small doses of the batter into a deep fryer. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Be careful not to make the nuggets too large or the outside will cook before the inside is cooked through.

Sweet Corn Nuggets

From iFood.tv

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

4 tsp sugar

2 eggs

6 to 8 Tbsp milk

1/2 cup whole kernel corn

1/2 cup creamed corn creamed corn

Sufficient oil for deep fryingdeep frying

Mix together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar. Place eggs in a medium-sized bowl and beat with electric mixer 30 seconds or so until frothy. Add 6 tablespoons milk and all dry ingredients. Stir and add whole kernel corn and creamed corn. Batter should resemble thick pancake batter. If batter is too thick, beat in 1 or 2 tablespoons more milk, until desired consistency is reached.

Fill a deep heavy pan or a deep fryer with 3 or 4 inches of oil. When oil reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer, begin dropping in the batter, generous tablespoonful at a time. Fry a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp, golden brown, and cooked through. Drain briefly on paper towels.electric mixerfritterspaper towels

Pork chops with coconut rum and caramelized pineapple sauce

This recipe and I have quite a history. Back in grad school our cooking consisted of slicing up random pieces of meat, searing them in a frying pan, then adding some peppers, onions, BBQ sauce, hot sauce and whatever dried spices we had around. This was served with rice or possibly stuffed in a pita. It was the perfect meal, infinitely customizable, fast and tasty. Then one day, we found this recipe. There was pork (the greatest of the meats), alcohol (the greatest of the liquids) and pineapple (the greatest of the fruits - except mango, but that's another recipe). Oh yeah, and fire! My roommate and I had several incidents involving fire, most notably when he dropped a frozen bag of onion rings into an over-filled deep fryer. (We spent the rest of the summer attempting to cover up smoke damage on the ceiling.) Anyway, back to the recipe at hand.

First, season the pork and sear in peanut oil until golden brown on both sides.

The pineapple is quickly caramelized in brown butter, then simmered with brown sugar, shallots and garlic. After lighting up the coconut rum, chicken stock is added and the mixture is simmered and reduced to a glaze.

Caramelized pineapple extreme closeup!

Finally, the tomato, lime juice, butter and hot sauce are added, and the pork topped with the sauce.

Pork Chops with Coconut Rum and Caramelized Pineapple Sauce
From Foodnetwork.com
Serves 4

4 pork chops
1/4 cup peanut oil
4 to 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups pineapple, medium dice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp minced shallot
1/2 cup coconut rum
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 to 2 Tbsp lime juice
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
Hot sauce, to taste

Heat peanut oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Sear chops until golden brown on both sides. If not cooked through, cook at 450 until done. In same skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter and when it starts to brown add pineapple and cook until edges start to caramelize. Add brown sugar, mix thoroughly, then add shallots and garlic and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, add rum and flambe (or, if you are too scared for this, return to the heat and simmer off the alcohol for a few minutes). When the flames die down, add chicken stock, bring to a simmer and reduce liquid by one half. Add lime juice, tomato, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Add remaining butter to thicken sauce. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Steak with pomegranate glaze and roasted new potatoes

What could be better than steak and potatoes? Um, nothing! In this case, the potatoes are our main course and the steak and salad are merely there to balance out the meal. Seriously, these potatoes are awesome. They have a slightly crispy exterior and a creamy, almost mashed potato-like interior. And they're pretty easy to make - just coat with an herb/oil mixture and roast about 45 minutes. Now on to the side dishes . . .

First, coat the steak with ground peppercorn melange and sear in a skillet in some hot oil. Cook the steak to the desired doneness and transfer to a platter to rest.

Next, prepare the glaze in the same skillet. Add pomegranate juice, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and reduce until slightly thickened.

Toss some arugula with oil and vinegar and plate with the steak. Cover the steak with the glaze and eat!

Steak with Mixed Peppercorns and Pomegranate Glaze
From Bon Appetite
Serves 4

1 1/4 lb top sirloin steak
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup pomegranate juice
4 tsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar, divided
4 cups arugula

Sprinkle steak generously with coarsely ground peppercorn melange, salt and rosemary. Heat 1 1/2 tsp olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook to desired doneness (about 5 minutes per side for medium rare). Transfer steak to platter. Add pomegranate juice, brown sugar, and 2 tsp balsamic vinegar to skillet. Boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Toss arugula with 1 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt. Serve salad with steak and drizzle on glaze.


Roasted New Potatoes with Herbs
From Williams-Sonoma Potato
Serves 4

1 shallot, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 bay leaf, finely crumbled
1/2 cup olive oil
16 red new potatoes, scrubbed and patted dry

Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. In a food processor, combine shallot, thyme, sage, oregano, garlic, bay leaf, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the olive oil and blend just until the shallot is finely chopped. Transfer 1/3 cup of the herb mixture to a large bowl.

Peel a strip 1/2 wide around the center of each potato and add the potatoes to the bowl with the herb mixture. Toss the potatoes to coat. Transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet and cook, turning occasionally, about 45 minutes. Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining herb mixture and serve.

Shrimp and asparagus risotto

If you enjoy stirring things, risotto is probably the dish for you. It's pretty annoying to make, but definitely worth the effort. We used shrimp and asparagus, but it can be made a thousand ways, with your favorite ingredients or whatever is on hand. Risotto also makes a great side dish, as long as the main course is pretty hands-off (because both hands will be occupied by constantly adding broth and stirring).

Start by cutting the asparagus into bite-sized pieces, after removing the tough part at the base.

Drop the asparagus into some simmering broth to tenderize. This is the same broth that will be used to cook the risotto, so don't discard it after the asparagus are done.

Next, saute some onion until translucent but not quite brown.

Add the rice and cook another minute. This allows the rice to gain some color and therefore, some extra flavor.

Then the fun part . . . adding broth in small additions until the rice is tender. It's important to keep stirring and only add more broth when the last addition has been fully absorbed. Make sure to taste frequently so you don't over or undercook the rice.

Finally, add the shrimp until cooked through, then some butter and parmesan for added creaminess, and lemon zest and parsley to brighten things up. Not the easiest dinner, but definitely worth it when you have the time!

Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto
From Gourmet
Serves 4

3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
3/4 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Bring broth and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add asparagus and simmer, uncovered, about 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to an ice bath, then drain. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.

Cook onion in 2 Tbsp butter with 1/4 tsp salt in a large saucepan over medium heat, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and briskly simmer, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition absorb before adding the next, until rice is creamy and tender, about 18 minutes. (There might be leftover broth - keep adding and stirring until the texture is right.)

Stir in shrimp and cook until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in asparagus, lemon zest, 2 Tbsp butter, parmesan, parsley, and pepper to taste.

Fennel-rubbed pork with roasted fennel

Fennel is probably my favorite vegetable these days. The bulbs, fronds and seeds each have their own distinct flavors and textures and can be used in a million different ways. We love to roast the bulbs, as they are here, or puree them with some potatoes. Our traditional Thanksgiving turkey recipe utilizes about 2 cups worth of the fronds for a compound butter rubbed under the skin. Finally, whole fennel seeds cover the rolls at my favorite restaurant, the Iron Horse Grill in Pleasantville, NY.

Anyway, this recipe is pretty simple. Pork chops are rubbed with crushed fennel seeds, then browned in a skillet until golden. They won't be cooked through yet, but finished in the oven.

Sliced fennel and garlic are sauteed in the skillet, then the brown bits scraped up with wine, broth and butter.

The pork is then returned to the skillet, and the whole thing placed in the oven to roast. Finally, the fennel is brightened up with a last minute edition of lemon juice and chopped fennel fronds. Enjoy!

Fennel-Rubbed Pork with Roasted Fennel
Slightly modified from Gourmet
Serves 4

1 tsp fennel seeds
4 pork chops
1 fennel bulbs, trimmed, reserving fronds
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves smashed garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Crush fennel seeds. I put them in a ziplock bag and attempted to crush them with a rolling pin. I think a mortar and pestle or spice grinder would work better. Pat pork dry and sprinkle with fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Cut fennel bulbs into 1/2-inch wedges.

Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add pork and brown on all sides, then transfer to a plate. Add garlic and fennel to skillet and saute until fennel is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add wine, scraping up brown bits, then stir in broth and butter and return pork to the skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until pork is cooked through, about 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chops). Move pork chops to a plate and return the skillet to the stovetop, boiling until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in lemon juice and 1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds. Serve fennel with pork.