March 6, 2010

Beyond the Box Best Brownies

Posted by annie happel under Sweet Somethings
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I never had an Easy-Bake oven but my friend Mackenzie did. We were friends in kindergarten. I would go over to her house to play and we’d bake little cupcakes and brownies, adding water to the Betty Crocker powder mix. I remember being underwhelmed with the oven because it didn’t get very hot – I was skeptical of the little light bulb that was supposed to do all the baking. I also remember the oven being smack in the middle of Mackenzie’s living room, which never felt quite right. I might have been 6-years old, but I wanted to bake a real brownies in a real oven. Thankyouverymuch.

Flash forward and a couple of decades have passed since I was Easy-Baking with Mackenzie and I have long since graduated to baking in real ovens that get (sometimes too) hot. I went through a rather intense cookie baking phase in middle school when I was making chocolate chip cookies a few times a week. I would give most of the cookies to friends, sometimes forgoing the baking step altogether and presenting them with a paper plate full of raw cookie dough. In those days, raw often took precedence over cooked. Then freshman year of high school rolled around, and I discovered that homemade brownies were equivalent to attendance points in gym class. Seriously. Mr. Metzger told me that if I baked him brownies, I didn’t have to come to class. So, what did I do? I baked Mr. Metzger brownies every week and I never went to gym class. I still can’t believe I got away with that.

I first read about these brownies on one of my very favorite food blogs called The Wednesday Chef. Luisa’s post does these brownies justice. She claims that “a small child could master” these brownies, and it’s probably true. I’m convinced that they are the grown-up version of the Easy-Bake brownie. Please don’t take this the wrong way. I promise you, they are richchewygooey and delicious. They just taste like box brownies only much much better because the ingredients are far superior to anything you could find in a box. And they are ridiculously simple.

The rich chocolate flavor is composed entirely from cocoa powder, so there is no chocolate to melt. The only wet ingredients are eggs, a dash of vanilla and butter. Heck, there are only seven ingredients total, eight if you add nuts or chocolate chips like I did. Might I also add that they are wonderful for breakfast? They truly are. On more than one occasion as of late, I’ve been lying in bed after the alarm has gone off, lacking the motivation to rise and face the day. Then, as if by decadentdivine intervention, I remember the brownies and my day suddenly can’t start one second later. These brownies and a cup of coffee are a match made in sinfullysweetheaven.

I made these brownies twice in less than a 24-hour period. I whipped up the first batch as a very belated birthday treat for my two friends who both celebrated their actual birthdays weeks ago. Better late than never! It’s safe to say that none of us were actually hungry for brownies after dinner, but we ate and enjoyed them anyway. I sprinkled them with powdered sugar at the last-minute for purely aesthetic purposes. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this because they’re sweet enough as is. Anyway, after my friends had gone home, I did the dishes and went to bed, then woke up the next morning, ate brownies for breakfast and proceeded to make another batch (this time with a few chocolate chips mixed in for good measure) to bring to a little party that night. Yes, I had myself a good old-fashioned brownie blowout bonanza. Now it’s your turn…

Best Cocoa Brownies
Makes 16 larger or 25 smaller brownies

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened, high-quality cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, cold

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup walnut pieces or chocolate chips (optional)

  • Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
  • Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heat proof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks like gritty sludge at this point, but it will smooth out once the eggs and flour are added.

  • Stir in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
  • Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. (The cooler the brownies, the easier to cut!)
  • Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares. Yum!

 

February 27, 2010

Happy Birthday, Happelsauce!

Posted by annie happel under Happelsauce
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Dear Happelsauce,

You were born Happeltizer on February 27, 2009 in Park Slope, Brooklyn at 7:14pm, all lowercase letters and love. Now, exactly one year later, you continue to light up my life.

From Brooklyn to Barcelona to Belmont to the Bay. From fond farewells to good luck charms. And, of course, from “tizer” to “sauce.” You’ve come a long way, baby. Honestly, I can’t imagine my life without you.

So, Happy Birthday!! May this next year be even better than the last…

Love always,

ANH

P.S.  In typical Saturday morning style, I paid a visit to the Noe Valley Farmers Market. This time I brought my camera to capture a few birthday memories before making off with my goods. When I got home, I whipped up a salad (fresh greens, pear, blackberries*, toasted pumpkin seeds and crumbled Blue Valdeon cheese), took more photos and toasted to you! After all, every post deserves a photo. And a birthday post deserves the best.

*The blackberries were a splurge. I know it’s not berry season, but they sounded so delish and Whole Foods had samples and I couldn’t resist.  The blackberries came from Mexico. Not exactly local, but better than the blueberries from New Zealand – that’s one giant carbon footprint for a littleittybitty berry.

 

February 21, 2010

Salud! An Avocado Toast.

Posted by annie happel under Bread, Little Bites
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I walk from my apartment in Noe Valley into the Mission almost every day. It is on the streets, ValenciaFolsomMissionTreatCapp, where I inevitably overhear conversations in Spanish – on cell phones, between friends, greetings yelled across the street. I get a tiny rush when I understand what’s being said, as if a miniature trapdoor in my brain swings wide open, surging with memory flow. I love listening – pressing pause on my iPod if need be. The word “ahorita,” which means “right now at this very second,” makes me smile. So do the panaderias with their glass display windows piled high with sweet rolls and breads, the rows upon rows of colorful sidewalk produce, the regal trees that line 24th Street, and La Raza radio beats pouring out of car stereos.

If a fruit or vegetable were selected to represent the Mission, I’d have to argue that it should be the avocado. (Lime coming in a close second.) Avocados are always cheap, abundant and ohhhsotasty. I think the Mission needs representation. A mascot or a symbol, perhaps a flag. Not an avocado flag. Something even better, so neighbors can clearly express love for their unique hood. Display it in shop windows, on t-shirts, bags, hats, car antennae and back alley brick walls. Unir el Amor.

I hadn’t taken a good look of the Mexican flag until recently. If you ask me, it’s quite badass. The coat of arms features a fierce-looking eagle with a snake in its talon and mouth, perched atop a flowering cactus. Really. If someone more artistically inclined than me were to combine the Mexican bandera with elements of the California flag (maybe the Mexican eagle perched atop the California bear in a friendly, symbiotic way) and tossed in colors from other Mission communities – GuatemalanChineseBolivian, it could represent the Mission quite well. Swap the cactus out for an avocado tree and we’re really in business. Yes yes. I like the sound of this.

The avocado. Symbol of the Mission. Beacon of deliciousness. Amazing on toast.

And good toast comes from good bread. I am of the firm belief that there is almost nothing better than fresh-baked bread. There just isn’t. The other day I baked a loaf of Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread. It’s the only bread in my repertoire. I keep meaning to branch out and try new recipes but this one is just too simple and good. A 6 year-old could make this loaf. Truly. There is no excuse not to give it a try.

And once you’ve baked your homemade bread, you should celebrate with an avocado toast. It is the most satisfying snack I can think of. Creamy avocado, tart lemon juice, hot pepper flakes and salt on warmheartyhomemadebread. Go ahead! No really, you first. Por favor.

No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread

From The Minimalist – The New York Times

Makes one loaf

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup whole rye flour

1/2 cup coarse cornmeal

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more if you’re using kosher or sea salt)

1 1/2 cups warm, filtered water

Oil as needed

  • Combine flours, cornmeal, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
  • Oil a standard loaf pan (8 or 9 inches by 4 inches; nonstick works well). Lightly oil your hands and shape dough into a rough rectangle. Put it in pan, pressing it out to the edges. Brush top with a little more oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hour more.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread about 45 minutes. Remove bread from pan and cool on a rack. (It’s important to free the bread from the pan almost immediately, otherwise you’re dealing with a very soggy loaf.)

For Avocado Toast:

  • I repeat, let the loaf cool a bit before you attempt to cut a slice. If you are at all like me, this will be extremely difficult. Maybe walk around the block a few times so you don’t rip the crust apart with your bare hands.
  • When the loaf has cooled a bit but is still warm, slice off the heel, spread with butter and eat!

  • Cut another slice and pop it in the toaster.
  • Slice a ripe avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh from one half onto toast and spread with a knife.
  • Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over the avocado toast, sprinkle with sea salt and red pepper flakes. Buen provecho!
 

February 14, 2010

Valentine’s Day Is…

Posted by annie happel under Happelsauce
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Late night love ballads and beer with friends in the happiest little karaoke nest in all of Japantown.

Cherry trees blooming before my eyes in the February sunshine.

Belly full of Tartine and heart full of love in Dolores Park.

There’s a song called “Edge of Desire” on John Mayer’s latest album, Battle Studies. I cannot get enough of it. This happens to me sometimes, when a particular song sounds like a sample from my soul – tiny droplets from my heart in the shape of microscopic music notes that, when gently transferred to a small glass slide and deciphereddecodeddetermined, are discovered to be simply…a song.

I leave you with the first two stanzas from my latest soul sample. I realize in doing this and not posting the obligatory Valentine’s Day chocolate recipe, I risk seeming a bit dark. The lyrics aren’t exactly rosy. Please understand, dearest Happelsauce reader, that I’ve got nothing but love for you.

Edge of Desire

Young and full of running
Tell me where has that taken me?
Just a great figure eight or a tiny infinity?

Love is really nothing
But a dream that keeps waking me,
For all of my trying
We still end up dying, how can it be?


 

February 8, 2010

Haitian Taste Sensation

Posted by annie happel under Haiti
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Last Friday night I sat with friends in the window booth at the Latin American Club. The rain was falling outside and collecting in tiny droplets on the windows, foggy from the warmth of stickysweetpulsing life inside. While we indulged in a couple rounds of the most potent margaritas this side of the border, I hatched my Haitian dinner idea.

Geographically, we’re far away from the island of Hispaniola. Port-au-Prince is 3,290ish miles from that cozy nook on 22nd Street and Valencia in San Francisco. I hoped we could feel closer and a bit more connected to the devastateddetermined country, at least with two of our five senses, if I whipped up some Haitian hotness in the kitchen.

Ellie played the role of my Haitian taste sensation advisor, emailing me her favorite Haitian recipes and enthusiastically answering all of my culinary questions.

“What is pikliz? Is it some sort of salad in a jar? How is it served?” It’s a “so damn delicious” spicy pickled cabbage hot sauce condiment. Haitians eat it with everything. “How do you say it? Is it peek-leez? Or pik-liz?” It’s the former. “Crap. Can I bake the chicken in the toaster oven because our big oven has gone cold and kaput?” Sure! Innovation is the key to Haitian cooking.

Okay, I was learning.

It was a simple meal – chicken, sos pwa (pureed black beans with coconut milk), cornmeal (simple boiled cornmeal seasoned with salt and pepper) and pikliz. I made the pikliz a few days ahead of time so the cabbage, carrots, onion and hot peppers got a good soak in their vinegar bath. The toaster oven chicken that I feared might take twice as long to cook turned out to bake in half the time the recipe called for.  It could have been a drycardboardairplanedinner disaster, but I happened to probe a breast (did I just write that?!) while flipping them over and discovered that the chicken was completely cooked. Done and done early!

I recommend quenching your thirst with a rum inspired cocktail to keep a Caribbean vein running throughout. Before dinner, Katie mixed rum, ginger beer and fresh lime for a round of mean Dark ‘n Stormies. Later, I used the same rum and a little brown sugar to caramelize bananas to go with our ice cream and cookies. Overall a satisfying meal, in both tummy and heart.

So, without further ado, here are the chicken, sos pwa and pikliz recipes for you. Go ahead. Get cookin’! Maybe this Haitian taste sensation will sweep the nation…

Haitian Chicken

Serves 4 – 6

6 chicken breasts (2 1/2 pounds of chicken)

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

2 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 tbsp. chili powder

2 tablespoons basil

Pinch of red pepper

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

* Arrange chicken in a shallow baking dish.

* Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour evenly over chicken.

* Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

* Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. *This is when, upon probing, I discovered to my great surprise that the breasts were cooked! Be sure to check your chicken.

* Turn and baste with the juices. Bake until tender, up to 30 more minutes.

* Serve with sos pwa, pikliz and rice or cornmeal.

Sos Pwa

Serves 6 as a side dish

1 pound of dried black beans, soaked

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 can coconut milk

2 cubes of chicken bullion

salt and pepper to taste

* Boil a 1 pound bag of dried black beans for 1 1/2 hours or until tender

* Once the beans are soft, separate them from the water, but do not toss it. Place the beans into a food processor or a blender along with chicken bullion and garlic cloves. If the mixture seems too thick, add some of the cooking water to make it thinner.

* Heat beans on medium. Add the can of coconut milk while stirring. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pikliz

Makes 2 quarts of salsa

1/2 head purple (because it’s pretty, green works too) cabbage, shredded in the food processor

2 carrots, peeled and shredded in the food processor

1 onion, thinly sliced

6 hot peppers, halved lengthwise with seeds (Check out the Scoville scale and proceed with caution! Scotch Bonnet, Habanero, Serrano or Jalapeno will work.)

6 whole garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons salt

8 to 10 peppercorns

3 cups white vinegar

* Add all the ingredients except vinegar to a large bowl and toss well to mix. (Use caution handing the peppers! They will burnbabyburn.)

* Place all the vegetables into 2 clean quart-sized glass jars. Pour in enough vinegar to cover the vegetables, tamping them down to remove any air bubbles.

* Store the pikliz in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving. It will keep in the refrigerator for a month or two.

 

February 1, 2010

Cardamom Coffee Concerto

Posted by annie happel under Breakfast
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There’s a coffee shop in San Francisco called Philz. Their motto is: “One Cup at a Time.” The coffee counter person individually brews your cup, adding cream and sugar if requested (I get a dash of cream, no sugar) and a sprig of fresh mint.  Nattie, my friend and coffee connoiseur, turned me on to their Philharmonic blend. Phil claims, “The Philharmonic’s delightfully orchestrated warm and balanced tones with harmonious layers of cardamom perform symphonies on the tongues of devoted coffee followers and the adventurous.” Wow Phil, that sounds mind-blowing! And, indeed, it is. It is a hotstrongboldnotbitter cup of joy.

I’m convinced that the secret weapon to this cup of goodness lies in the cardamom.  I’ve been a fan of adding a dash of ground cinnamon to my coffee for a while now, but cardamom is something new. It’s a subtleslightlyspicyfloral addition that elevates a basic cup of coffee to the ethereal.

I would go to Philz everyday if it weren’t for the cost issue. A cup of drip (granted, custom blended and served with a smile) costs at least three dollars. Far from a bargain. So, a few days ago I decided to invest in the necessary coffee supplies and brew my own Philharmonic. I’m tempted to call it my special Happelharmonic blend, but it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

Beans from Blue Bottle Coffee, the very best in the Bay. Half and half from Straus Family Creamery. Ground cardamom from the organic spice section at Whole Foods. And a pretty mug to savor my buzzybrew down to the last drop. It all came together so nicely. I’m not sure if it “performed a symphony on my tongue,” I guess I’d call it more of a “cardamom concerto.” Delicious, nonetheless.

Cardamom Coffee Concerto

Makes 1 mug of strong coffee

1/3 cup of your favorite coffee beans, freshly ground

1/2 – 1 teaspoon good quality ground cardamom

Splash of half and half

Sugar, to taste (optional)

Fresh mint sprig (optional)

  • Combine coffee grounds and cardamom and brew coffee however you prefer. I use the filter ($2.99 at Sur La Table) drip method.
  • Add a dash of half and half, sugar if you like it sweet, and mint.
  • Sip and enjoy!
 

January 26, 2010

Moroccan Winter Salad

Posted by annie happel under Salads
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I made this cinchy little salad last night on a whim. Chunks of avocado and grapefruit, dressed with mustardlemonlime and seasoned ever-so-lightly with cumin – easy on the eyes and super healthy with a unique, bold citrus bite. Yum. It was missing just one thing – a name. Something that pays homage to its slightly exotic taste. Hmmm. As I spooned the avocado grapefruit mixture onto a bed of arugula, I paused…Moroccan Winter Salad. Yes! I’ve never been to Morocco, but the name has an alluring, flavor enhancing ring to it. Don’t you think? I promptly took a photo and then inhaled my Moroccan Wintery goodness in less than two minutes.

To wash it down, I popped myself a colossal bowl of popcorn seasoned with copious amounts of salt and pepper and curled up to watch The Hurt Locker on my laptop. I had to remind myself to breathe at various times during the film – disarming bombs in Iraq is rather intense business. I loved the scene in the grocery store at the end of the film. Of course I did. Because I love grocery stores. But, also because I loved that the vast amount of cereal boxes symbolized the overwhelming number of choices we’re faced with everyday. So many choices. Not just in the aisles of our grocery stores, but everywhere. All the time. Maybe that’s why I find grocery shopping so comforting? I can make an educated choice based on ingredients, price and appearance. If I’m disappointed in my choice, I can take it back for a refund. Ohhh, if only life were that simple.

I fell asleep to the sound of the rain that just won’t quit. Evidently, the sun has gone missing this past week. I know I’m of Seattle roots and I shouldn’t let the gloom get me down. But alas, the gloom has got me down…pinned to the ground…in a headlock. Brutal. So, this afternoon, upon returning from my daily caffeinefixjobhuntingsession at Bernie’s, my friendly neighborhood coffee shop, I pulled the leftover salad from the fridge. I was feeling uninspired, cursing my dark mood and chalking it up to SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder. It’s a real thing. I swear. I found a box of couscous in the cupboard, whipped up a small bowl with a dash of red pepper flakes for a little kick and added it to my salad for heartier meal. Turns out it was just what the doctor ordered. It cured my SAD right on up. And the elusive sun poked out from beneath the clouds just as I took my last bite.

Moroccan Winter Salad

Serves 2 as a first course

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into small chunks (If you want a sweeter salad, swap out the grapefruit and replace it with two oranges.)

Juice from half a lemon

Juice from half a lime

1 or 2 tablespoons mustard (I like Plochman’s or another brand of stone ground)

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Dash of ground cumin

Couple handfuls of arugula

  • Place the avocado and grapefruit chunks in a medium bowl.
  • Combine the fresh lemon and lime juice, mustard, salt, pepper and cumin in a cup or jar and gently toss with avocado and grapefruit.
  • Place a handful of arugula on a plate and top with avocado grapefruit mixture, spooning dressing over the fruit.
  • Add cooked couscous, farro or wheat berries for a toothsome, more filling, SAD obliterating meal. And, if you have ‘em, I think a handful of pomegranate seeds would be a lovely complement.

 

January 19, 2010

From Haiti, With Love

Posted by annie happel under Happelsauce
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I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. I was sad. The world and my place in it – both seemed so heavy. There’s Haiti. I want to help and I feel useless. There’s my life. I feel unsettled and it’s wearing on me. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I still don’t have a job. So, today I did what I often times do when I’m having a bad day. I went to the grocery store…twice. Walking the aisles – piles of applesorangespotatoes, jars of jamsjellieschutneys, bars of milkdarkfruitynutty chocolate – is my therapy. I always feel better at the grocery store. Always.

I bought a bottle of Chardonnay, a can of garbanzo beans, a can of fire roasted tomatoes, fresh spinach, Gruyère cheese, a bar of dark chocolate and a honeycrisp apple. On my way to checkout I managed to stuff half of the espresso brownie samples from the bakery counter into my mouth, thereby dulling my hunger pangs. When I got home, I realized that it’s been exactly one week since my last Happelsauce entry. I have no intention of blowing my New Year’s resolution, at least not yet. So, I ditched dinner, opened the bottle of wine, poured myself and my roomie each a glass, and here I am.

I don’t have a recipe today. Instead, I want to share an email from my sister. Ellie wrote from Port au Prince early this morning, while I was still fast asleep. She had returned to New York from Haiti last Sunday, a couple of days before the earthquake hit. She had been there visiting friends whom she’d met in earlier years while working for SOIL and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. I swear that so much of life is about timing. And Ellie’s was good. Unfortunately, there’s never a good time for a massive earthquake. Particularly in the poorest country in the western hemisphere where as Ellie said pre-quake, “Nothing works and nothing is easy.”

Ellie had an incredible time visiting friends and exploring more of the country that has always had a hold on her heart. Her photos are beautiful and lend perspective to the devastation that took place last Tuesday. There’s one shot in particular that Ellie took of  a neighborhood in Port au Prince upon her arrival. The New York Times posted a similar shot on their homepage taken after the earthquake. It looks like all the homes were squished by a giant bulldozer. It’s entirely surreal.

Ellie returned to Haiti on Saturday, where she has been assisting in the relief efforts. I think I wrote in my senior yearbook that she was “my inspiration.” Almost twelve years later and that’s still the case. So, I figure the very least I can do is spread her message. I would hop on the next flight down there if I believed I could be of help, but I don’t speak Kreyol and I’m not medically trained, so I will be patient. Maybe in a month or so? I would love to do more.

Here’s Ellie’s email. Edited only a teenytiny bit.

January 19, 2010

I am well, but I am not SUPER useful.  I definitely think the best thing for people in the states to do is 1) Study Haiti–read The Uses of Haiti by Paul Farmer, read other books, learn about why relief is so hard here; 2) Organize folks in the US to give money; 3) Pressure companies/corporations who can help.  Gas is a HUGE problem. Hospitals and hundreds of US docs are no good without gas to transport patients.

Today was a crazy, inspiring day.  Tonight at the House a team of doctors from Colorado amputated a man’s leg.  Sasha, Beto and I buried it in the backyard.  We also brought a few new patients to the house–a woman with a fractured femur, another with a severe kidney infection.  I have only felt safe and hopeful around the people.  While the leg left this man’s body, out back a truck came with hundreds of bags of food.  We distributed it peacefully.  Sash and I talked about how when the people who distribute have guns (the UN, for example), people are more likely to riot.  I think that so much of the problem we see now reflects centuries of mistrust.  I think the only people who should come here should speak Kreyol.  For now.  There are plenty of capable Haitians who are ready to help.  Work gives a sense of purpose.

Incredible days.  Really sad.  I have not seen one dead body.  I have not seen one fight.  I have seen lots of people cleaning and cooking and cutting hair and striving for normalcy.

Earlier on today, the doctors saved a man who came in with a spurting aorta.  They do all the serious cases in the kitchen.  There is blood on the wall.  I eat soup and look around and feel incapable of taking it all in.

To reiterate – for now, just work state side!!  We will find things to do and maybe come down in a few months when things have organized/calmed.  People who don’t speak any Kreyol are not so useful.  We should all begin to practice!  I really don’t speak great but tonight I translated for two docs while they checked out new patients.  Humbling.

It’s 11:52pm. I’m posting this just in the nick of time. Goodnight friends. Goodnight Haiti. Goodnight world. Sweet dreams.


 

January 12, 2010

Wicker Park Pumpkin Risotto

Posted by annie happel under Risotto
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Happy New Decade, dearest Happelsauce readers!! It’s twelve days in and I’m finally getting around to writing. Jeeez. Sorry about that. Aside from Pom, I’m pretty sure none of you were holding your breath for my next posting but please accept my apology anyway.

How’s this? New Year’s Resolution #2: I will get Happelsaucey at least once a week. (New Year’s Resolution #1 is to not indulge in eating seconds, because I need to face the truth, food doesn’t taste nearly as good the second time around. I don’t need seconds. Might be my toughest resolution to date. Seriously. My love for food runs deep.)

Speaking of food and rules, Michael Pollan recently came out with a new book titled Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. Last Friday, The New York Times’ Well blog posted an interview with Pollan about his new book. The last question posed was, “Did you learn anything new yourself from the rules?” Pollan addressed the psychology of food . “You can have intense food experience with less food. Europeans have intense food experiences but eat less food.” I like that quote. So true. It sums up my New Year’s Resolution #1 perfectly. And come to think of it, my most treasured food memories from 2009 come from my time spent in Spain and France. Because the food was freshsimpleclean and the flavors indelible - Spanish tapas (olives, jamon and queso), farm fresh chevre with bread and salad, avocado toast drizzled with olive oil and salt. Mmm. Mmm. Mmmmm.

So, seconds schmeconds! I’ll take good company around the dinner table any day over an extra helping of pasta. After all, good food brings people together. It’s a beautiful thing. On that note, I’d like to share a recipe with you. I first attempted risotto a few months ago on a chilly Halloween night in Chicago. So yes, it’s true that this recipe isn’t exactly new, but it’s really good. And ever since I conquered this pumpkin risotto a few months ago, I’ve been cooking a variety of risotto recipes ever since. I hope you will too.

It’s only fair to set the opening scene from my weekend in Chicago. Picture Wicker Park, Chicago in late October. Brownstones, mushy leaves, gray skies and torrential rain.  I was visiting my dear friends Rebekah and Katie. I had flown in the day before Halloween and taken the train from O’Hare into the city. I was wheeling my bag down the sidewalk, soaked to the bone, attempting to avoid puddles the size of kiddie pools. Rebekah met me a block from the train, soaked, and pushing her stroller with brand new baby Charlie bundled inside. It was a wet and wonderful welcome I won’t soon forget. It’s simultaneously remarkable and utterly mind-boggling to see my friends with their babies. My friends are having babies. And the babies look like miniature versions of my friends.  I guess they are miniature versions of my friends.

Anyway, I digress. I had read an Op-Ed article titled “Pumpkin Eaters” a few days before my visit and was charmed by Peter Mayle’s Pumpkin Risotto recipe at the bottom of the page. Actually, it’s less a recipe than an explanation of how to prepare the pumpkin. I was intrigued. Rebekah, Pat, Katie and I drank Dark ‘n Stormies while cutting the flesh of fresh sugar pumpkins into chunks, stirring the rice and holding Baby Charlie (soo chic and appropriately dressed in her pumpkin snuggly). The entire risotto experience which I feared might turn daunting and disasterly, was refreshingly breezy and enjoyable. As long as you’re diligent about stirring the rice and allowing time for the hot broth to soak in before adding another cup, risotto is pretty simple. It’s a hearty dish without being heavy and tastes creamy without containing a drop of cream. Risotto sticks to your ribs in the best way possible. It’s the perfect winter dish. Pair it with mixed greens or fennel and apple salad. I promise you’ll leave the table sat-is-fied.

Pumpkin Risotto

Serves 6

Basic Risotto

1 quart chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 cups arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Plus Pumpkin

2 small fresh sugar pumpkins (Or try substituting butternut squash or another winter squash like hubbard, red kuri or kabocha.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
  • For the pumpkin: After removing seeds and fiber, cut the flesh into chunks, leaving the skin still attached. With your hands, mix the chunks in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh marjoram and dried oregano. Lay the chunks on a baking tray, skin side down, and put them in the oven. When the chunks of pumpkin are soft and the edges are tinged with brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool, scrape the flesh from the skin and shred with a fork into a bowl.

  • Heat the broth in a pan and keep it warm.
  • In a separate pan heat the olive oil and butter, add the onions and garlic and cook very slowly for about 15 minutes without browning. When onions and garlic have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.
  • The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the wine and keep stirring — it will smell goooood.

  • Once the wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot broth and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of broth, stirring and allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice to see if it’s cooked. Keep adding broth until the rice is soft but with a slight bite (al dente, if you will). Don’t forget to check the seasoning carefully. If you run out of broth before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.
  • Remove from the heat and add the pumpkin, butter and Parmesan. Stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with more Parmesan. Devour immediately.

 

December 24, 2009

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas…Cookie

Posted by annie happel under Sweet Somethings
1 Comment 

It’s Christmas Eve. I’m with my family in a cozy log cabin in Mazama, Washington where the treetops glisten! Really, they do. We spent the day cross-country skiing in 18 degree sunshine.

Now Pom’s fixing dinner, Ellie’s reading the trial transcript for her Alabama death penalty case, Henny’s reading, and me? I’m Happelsaucing. Obviously.

Macaroons and Mexican Wedding Cookies. Together on a platter they are the very picture of Christmas. They look like snow. Elegant, edible morsels of snow. Please close your eyes and envision them now because I just realized that the photos I took are still in San Francisco. Dang. I promise to post them later. (Update! It’s January 26th and I’m making good on my promise. Photos, glorious photos!)



It turns out that Mexican Wedding Cookies and the Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons have more in common than one might think: Both cookies resemble snow – in the form of a powdered sugar coating and shredded coconut respectively, both contain less than eight ingredients, both are easy to make, and both taste wonderful but in completely different ways. And I think it’s their differences that make them so delicious together. After all, isn’t that what the holiday spirit is all about?

The Mexican Wedding Cookies are nuttybutterybombs – they have a shortbread-like consistency, rich and subtly sweet .

On the flip side, the Macaroons are lightsweetchewymorsels – miniature coconut islands resting in pools of dark chocolate. (They require 4 egg whites, so they’re the perfect cookie to bake after whipping up a batch of Tiger’s Swedish Pancakes or another recipe that calls for egg yolks.)

Place one of each cookie on your holiday cocktail napkin and indulge. They’re worth every bite, down to the last crumb.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

From Room for Dessert, by David Lebovitz

Makes About 30 Cookies

4 large egg whites

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I like Guittard bittersweet chocolate chips)

  • In a large pan, mix together the egg whites, sugar, salt, honey, coconut and flour.
  • Stir constantly on medium-low heat, scraping the bottom as you stir.
  • When the mixture just begins to scorch at the bottom, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
  • Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature. (At this point, the mixture can be chilled for up to one week, or frozen for up to two months.)
  • When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Form the dough into 1½-inch mounds (sticky fingers!)  and evenly space on the baking sheet.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes, until deep golden brown. Cool completely.

To dip the macaroons in chocolate:

  • Melt the chocolate in a clean, dry bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave.)
  • Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap.
  • Dip the bottoms of each cookie in the chocolate and set the cookies on the baking sheet.
  • Leave untouched for a half hour or refrigerate 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate is set.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

From The Joy of Baking, By Stephanie Jaworski

Makes About 2 Dozen Cookies

2/3 cup toasted pecans (Walnuts or hazelnuts will work too, really it’s whatever nut you prefer.)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (Use the highest quality butter possible, I used Kerrygold. Plugra is also excellent.)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

For Sugar Coating: 1 cup powdered sugar

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Toast Nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool.
  • Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons of the flour from the recipe, into your food processor and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Set aside.
  • Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
  • Beat in the vanilla extract.
  • Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined.
  • Stir in the nuts.
  • Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.
  • Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown.
  • Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.
  • While the cookies are cooling, sprinkle about one cup of powdered sugar onto a tray lined with parchment paper.
  • Place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Very gently (so the cookies don’t crumble) roll the cookies in the sugar to coat.

 

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