Chocolate Souffle
Recipe from chef John Ash

4 large eggs
8oz. finely chopped, good quality bittersweet chocolate
(NOT dark chocolate, we prefer Valrhona or Green & Blacks. Use a milk or bittersweet 60% or less)
1Tb unsalted butter
1Tb flour
1/2c warmed milk
1tsp vanilla extract
2tsp finely grated orange zest
1/8tsp cream of tarter
1/4c sugar
Garnish such as powdered sugar or raspberry puree

Preheat oven to 375.

Lightly butter eight 1/2 cup souffle dishes or ramekins. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, rotating and shaking the dishes to coat every surface, then pour out the extra.

Separate the eggs, leaving the whites in a large bowl and the yolks in a small one. Lightly beat the yolks and set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, and set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour, and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce is very thick. Remove from heat and whisk a little of the warm base mixture into the egg yolks to temper them. Then whisk this mixture into the remaining base. Stir in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and zest, and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form (they should still be drooping over, not standing up stiffly, when you lift up the beaters.) Sprinkle in the 1/4 cup sugar gradually and continue to beat until the whites are stiff but not dry.

Stir a quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then carefully fold in the remaining whites. Pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dishes and place on a baking sheet (I find it helpful to line the sheet with parchment paper or foil). Fill the dishes a little bit more than half way so you get the overflow of souffle for a more dramatic presentation.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the souffle comes out moist but not gooey. Souffles will puff and crack when done, so don't worry. One large souffle will take 35-40 minutes.

Remove from oven and garnish with the powdered sugar or fruit puree. I like mine with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream or better yet--lavender ice cream. Eat immediately.

Chicken Piccata & Angel Hair Pasta

This Italian chicken dish is fresh and simple with lemon juice and parsley.

2 Chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1/2 c. Flour
Salt & Pepper
6 Tb. butter
5 Tb. Olive oil
1/3 c. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 c. dry white wine (you can sub chicken stock)
1/4 c. capers
1/3 c. Italian parsley, freshly chopped

In a medium skillet, heat the butter and oil until sizzling. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and place into heated pan. Cook both sides until cooked through.
Remove from pan and put into warmed oven or cover with foil to keep warm until sauce is made.

Keep the skillet on the heat while you remove the chicken. Place the lemon juice, wine and capers into the pan. Scrape down the chicken drippings, deglazing the pan. (You can optionally saute some chopped shallot to add to the sauce) Simmer until reduced. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add 1/4 c. heavy cream or you can add a roux (butter mixed with flour until it forms a paste). Add fresh parsley, retaining some for garnish.

Once the sauce is complete, take the chicken and place it back into the sauce. Turn until both sides are coated. Remove and serve over angel hair pasta with a vegetable side. Drizzle some sauce over the chicken and top with the remaining parsley. Bon apetit!

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Lime Juice Slaw

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lime juice

2 cups green and purple cabbage, cut into strips or shredded

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 tortillas (Trader Joe's has some hand-thrown ones that are amazing)

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 small yellow onion

1 package firm tofu or boneless chicken breast

1 package Toby's Tofu Taco Seasoning (you can find it at Whole Foods near the tofu)

1 Tb. Tamari Soy sauce

Place beans and cumin in small saucepan and heat to simmer. Mix 2 teaspoons sesame oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add cabbage and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper. Top with chopped cilantro.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and saute until clear. Add crumbled tofu or cubed chicken and cook until browned. Add Toby's Seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Drizzle Tamari over the top and let reduce until water is absorbed.

Toast tortilla in a dry salted pan or in a toaster oven. Fold in half and fill with tofu or chicken. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla, sprinkle with feta. Top with the slaw.
You can also serve with the beans with feta and the slaw on the side. I used smaller tortillas and did this because all of my ingredients would not fit without a bust out at the seams! And the beans with the feta crumbled on top is a match made in heaven.

For leftovers, you can saute the proteins, beans and slaw all together in a wok and it is wonderful all mixed together. The cabbage takes on a much different flavor and it goes beautifully with the tofu!

Add hot sauce to your palate's delight!

Moosewood Muffin Madness

Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home's Muffin Madness

This is probably one of the easiest muffin recipes I've ever made. It was very little mess in the kitchen and would be a perfect quick home made treat for someone with kids or very little time.

-- Basic Wet Ingredients --
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar (I accidentally omitted this ingredient & the muffins were great)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I usually double the vanilla just because its so good)

-- Basic Dry Ingredients --
2 cup unbleached flour (I use half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Choose one of the following combos to add to basic ingredients (the above is NOT a plain muffin recipe, but the base for the following)

Apple muffins: Add 2 cups of grated apple and 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel to wet ingredients and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to dry ingredients.

Banana muffins: Add 1 1/2 cups of mashed banana to wet ingredients and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to batter. Sprinkle more chips on the muffin tops before baking. (You can also add 1/2 tsp. of orange zest to batter for an extra little something)

Blueberry - lemon muffins: Add 1 1/2 cups of blueberries and 1 tablespoon of grated lemon peel to wet ingredients.

Zucchini muffins: Add 2 cups of grated zucchini to wet ingredients and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom to the dry ingredients. Fold in 1/2 cup of raisins or currants and 3/4 cup of chopped nuts to batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wet ingredients, combine dry ingredients. Add two mixtures together and take care not to overmix. Spoon batter into oiled standard muffins tins and bake for 15-22 min. for regular size muffins, 8-10 min. for mini-muffins.

Leite’s Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from David Leite via The New York Times

Takes: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling
Makes: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and try to incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. [Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.]

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

* I found Valrhona’s fèves or oval-shaped chocolate pieces, at Whole Foods in half pounds. Baking discs can be found from a number of brands, from Jacques Torres to E. Guittard (Fresh Direct used to sell these by the quarter pound, but now just in one pound boxes, but still at a very reasonable price) to Ghiradelli. Can’t find them? Use the largest chocolate chips you can find. Ghiradelli sells some slighly larger ones in the brown bag (as opposed to the standard-sized chips in the gold bag).

Irresistible Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a very good basic chocolate chip cookie recipe from Real Simple Magazine.


2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

With an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla for 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the baking soda. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into tablespoon-size mounds and place on the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.

Panzanella

Italian Bread Salad

Why throw away the rest of that good, dense loaf you picked up at the bakery the other day? This is what the Italians do with day-old (or older) bread. Simply delicious!!!

Ingredients

* 2 tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
* 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 1 clove garlic, very finely minced
* 1 cup fresh basil leaf, torn into small pieces
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
* 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
* salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* 6-8 slices thick country bread, torn into bite-size pieces (sourdough is good - dense, bakery bread)

Directions
In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic and basil. Drizzle with the 1/2 cup olive oil and the 3 tblsps vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Place half of the bread in a wide, shallow bowl.
Spoon half of the tomato mixture over the bread.
Layer the remaining bread on top and then the remaining tomato mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Just before serving, toss the salad and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
If the bread seems dry, add a little oil or vinegar Serve immediately.