Sweet & Savory

Welcome Home Surprise

Sunday went something like this:

12:30 am - J lets A know she's flying home the next day. She was feeling worn out from her business trip, and demanded a surprise to cheer her up.

12:34 am - A scratches his head and wonders what would instill an sufficient amount of warmth and fuzziness, in the form of a dessert (which if you haven't noticed, is about all he makes).

1:07 am - Still brainstorming, A opens the fridge to the sight of six zucchini sitting on a shelf (there had been a big sale at the market this week, and A loves to stock up, almost more than he loves dessert).

1:11 am - A's lightbulb goes off, and he looks no further than Clotilde's pairing of chocolate with his secret ingredient of choice.

1:16 am - A sleeps (he does sleep).

11:00 am - A wakes (it would have been earlier, but he likes sleep too.. so, it goes dessert, then stocking up, then sleep).

12:00 pm - Voila!

A in the Kitchen!

With J on a business trip in Japan, I had the kitchen all to myself! This is not to say that J doesn't usually share, but more that it seemed to be fitting to make something special. I decided to make a variety of snacks for my sweet-toothed coworkers. On the menu were (left to right, top to bottom) russian tea cakes, chocolate covered brown butter blondies, chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese and chocolate filling, and mendiants.

Russian Tea Cakes, aka Mexican Wedding Cookies, aka Snowballs, aka ..., were a common request amongst my coworkers. I made a batch for them about a year or so ago, and they have been asking for another batch ever since. So, I finally decided to oblige them. There are as many recipes for these little treats as there are aliases, but I used the one from Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Baking.

Next up were the chocolate-covered brown butter blondies, which I adapted from a recipe I picked up while visiting the Scharffen Berger chocolate factory last April (adapted recipe included below). Not being a great fan of milk chocolate, I did not have the six ounces that the recipe asked for. Instead, I improvised by mixing some bittersweet Michel Cluizel with some Toblerone milk chocolate candy. This substitution complemented both texture and taste, as the bits of almond nougat in the Toblerone were chewy and agreed well with the buttery caramel flavors in the blondie layer.

Next, I made a recipe that I had previously found on someone's blog when I was searching for a cupcake idea for Nancy's birthday last Februray. The blog owner Chris proclaimed it to be the "World's Best Cupcakes". I wanted to see if the cupcakes could live up to their name. I made the cake and filling batters by hand, since I was cautious of overworking them. The assembled cupcakes went into the oven, where the cream cheese and chocolate chip filling melted and melded into the ooey gooey centers of the final product.

The cupcakes were definitely different from others I've had so far, mainly in the fact that it has a filled center instead of a homogeneous batter, both with and without chunky ingredients mixed in. I haven't gotten any word back on my coworkers' tastings, so the verdict is still out on whether these are really the world's best cupcakes. In any case, I've linked the recipe above, so you can try them out for yourselves. And if you know of a recipe for tastier cupcakes, please do share it with me!

Finally, mendiants! Mendiants are essentially tempered chocolate disks embedded with various nuts and dried fruits. For the chocolate, I once again used bittersweet Michel Cluizel. For the nuts, I toasted hazelnuts, slivered almonds, pecan halves, and pine nuts, to really bring out the nutty aromas. For the dried fruits, I used apricots, black cherries, figs, and cranberries. Arranged together, the ingredients made quite an impressive array!

Chocolate-Covered Brown Butter Blondies
adapted from a recipe by Scharffen Berger

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• pinch salt
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3.5 oz bar Toblerone milk chocolate candy, broken into chunks
• 25 pecan halves, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center. Butter a 9" x 9" baking pan and set aside. Place the brown sugar in a large heat-proof bowl and set aside.

In a small pot over low heat, melt the butter. Tilt the pan every now and then and watch the butter carefully — it will first sizzle, then the solids will separate from the fat, before finally turning a light nutty brown color while developing a nutty, toasty aroma. Right when the browning begins (after about five minutes), remove the pan from heat and pour the butter over the brown sugar. Add the salt and stir (the mixture may appear greasy, but this is normal).

Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour and gently mix until just combined.

Turn the batter and spread it (it will be sticky) into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is shiny and a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean, about ten to twelve minutes.

Immediately distribute the chocolate pieces on top of the warm blondie layer. Return the pan to the oven for one to two minutes, just enough time to allow the chocolate to soften. With a small offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate in an even layer. Arrange the pecan halves in five rows of five. Let cool completely.

Cut into 25 pieces, one pecan half per piece. Store in a tightly covered container for up to one week.

Cure for the Insanity

What I used to help finish preparing for Thanksgiving dinner! I needed TWO of these things.

Mojito for One

• 12 fresh mint leaves
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 oz. Bacardi Limon rum
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• club soda
• crushed ice

Place the mint leaves in a tall glass and crush the leaves with the sugar to release their oil. Add the Bacardi Limon and lime juice and mix. Top off with club soda and ice. Smile and savor. :)

SHF 13 - Valrhona "Mi-Cuit", Cacao Nib Tuile, Strawberry Sauce, and Yogurt Sorbet

The Valrhona "Mi-Cuit", Cacao Nib Tuile, Strawberry Sauce, and Yogurt Sorbet is our contribution to Lovescool's SHF 13, whose theme is dark chocolate!

The inspiration came from a lovely chocolate mi-cuit we had at Marinus a couple months ago. Not having been so bold as to ask their pastry chef for their guarded recipe, we instead made these molten chocolate cakes, from Jean-George Vongerichten. Despite being accustomed to the darker Scharffen Berger baking chocolates (70% bittersweet and 80% extra dark varieties), we decided to stay true to the recipe and use 61% Valrhona chocolate.

After sitting for a mere minute out of the oven, each molten chocolate cake is inverted and topped with a chocolate cacao nib tuile. As a finishing touch, we added a few drops of strawberry sauce and a scoop of yogurt sorbet, made from Straus' whole milk vanilla yogurt (recipe courtesy of Claudia Fleming's The Last Course).

We could hardly wait for the photos to be taken to dig into this delicious looking and smelling dessert. The molten cakes were cooked slightly more than intended, probably because we didn't have 6 ounce ramekins but had instead used 4 ounce ramekins, but yet forgot to reduce the baking time to account for this change. So, some of the centers were set like the mi-cuit we had hoped to duplicate, much to our delight. We had been a little afraid that the tuiles would turn out to be too thick or inconsistent buttery messes, but were relieved in the end. They were delicate yet crisp, adding a little texture to the otherwise smooth combination of cake and sorbet.

Two things we might do differently when we make this again — to use raspberries instead of strawberries for a more intense and contrasting flavor; and to use our 80% Scharffen Berger chocolate for an extra dark decadence!

SHF 5 - Mille-feuilles de Chocolat à la Banane & Puff Pastry with Whipped Ganache

Clement from À la Cuisine! came up with the most brilliant topic of puff pastry for the 5th installment of Sugar High Friday. Yay for Clement! J and I have never made puff pastry before. We've certainly eaten our share of it but have never been courageous enough to face this seemingly herculean task. This seemed like a good time to try it out and see what different creations fellow bloggers from around the world would come up with.

We hmmmed and hawed over our collection of cookbooks. After much meditation, debate, and drooling, we reached a consensus. We would create an adaptation of Pierre Hermé's Mille-feuilles de Chocolat à l' Orange. This beauty had a 2-page photo spread all to itself in the book, designed to show off its perfection in minute detail. To make things a little more interesting for us, it would be banana flavored instead of orange - sort of a different take on the all-American banana cream pie or the boston cream pie.

Our resulting Mille-feuilles de Chocolat à la Banane were not complete successes but they were far from failures. The banana crème mousseline came out lovely - light and airy with an appropriate amount of banana flavor. The mille-feuilles, however, did not come out quite as lovely as we had hoped. The initial bite is a buttery flaky goodness, but then a strange salty aftertaste lingers. We know that salt is sometimes used to bring out sweet flavors but this was too salty. It ruined the taste of the puff pastry. Was the strange salty aftertaste because of the salt? The unsweetened cocoa powder? Was it supposed to taste like this? (Hope not!) We were fairly certain we had measured out 30 grams of salt as specified in the recipe. Was French salt different from American kosher salt? Or were we not suppose to use kosher salt? So many questions ran through our mind.

Unsatisfied with our first attempt at puff pastry, we decided that we were going to try our hands at making it again but this time with the puff pastry ingredients and ratios from Thomas Keller's French Laundry cookbook. The filling would be whipped chocolate ganache instead of banana pastry cream to try out a different combination of flavors.

There was significant improvement on the flavor, no weird aftertaste, just a hint of salt to complement the sweet chocolate ganache. This second puff pastry showed great improvement in flavor over our first attempt. However, the center sections of the puff pastry were dense and thick, not at all flaky like what we expected. Maybe we should have baked it a little longer?

However imperfect the puff pastry was, it was still a lovely dessert to eat!

Of course we will continue on our quest for the ultimate puff pastry... But maybe after a short break as we have been eating an awful lot of puff pastry lately. SHF this time turned out to stand for Sugar High February for us. :)

Banana Crème Pâtisseière
adapted from La Pâtisserie de Pierre Hermé by Pierre Hermé and The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller

• 6 large bananas, peeled
• 1 liter whole milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 250 g caster sugar
• 100 g cornstarch
• 240 g egg yolks
• 100 g unsalted butter

Place the bananas, milk and vanilla in a large saucepan over low heat. Cover the bananas with a sheet of paper towel to keep them submerged. Continue to heat on low for 10 to 15 minutes, keeping it just under the point of simmering, so that the bananas poach in the hot liquid. Remove the saucepan from heat when the bananas become soft but not mushy. Remove the paper towel and the bananas and discard. Strain the remaining contents of the saucepan several times to remove any bits of banana from the poaching liquid. Place this banana-infused milk back into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar, constarch and egg yolks, until smooth and pale in color. Pour about 1 cup of the simmering milk over the egg mixture and beat vigorously before stirring it into the rest of the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring consistently with the whisk. Allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then pour at once into a bowl placed in an ice water bath. Continue to beat from time to time. When the temperature of the "crème" reaches approximately 140°F (60°C), add the butter and stir until fully combined. Let chill until ready to use.

Caramelized Chocolate Puff Pastry
adapted from La Pâtisserie de Pierre Hermé by Pierre Hermé, Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé written by Dorie Greenspan and The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller

Détrempe

• 1 kg fine wheat flour
• 30 g kosher salt
• 10 g white vinegar
• 420 g water
• 260 g melted butter

Beurrage

• 800 g butter
• 180 g powdered cocoa

For the détrempe, mix together the wheat flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and vinegar and stir to combine. Then add the melted butter and beat with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. Turn out the dough onto your work surface and knead for 1 to 2 minutes before gathering it into a flat ball. Wrap in a plastic film and refrigerate it while you start the beurrage.

For the beurrage, place the butter on a cold surface, such as a marble slab, and pound it with a rolling pin to make it malleable. Fold it over itself once or twice and pound it out again. The butter should now be soft but still cold and not oily. Sprinkle the cocoa over the butter and use a plastic dough scraper to cut the cocoa into the butter until the butter has a fairly consistent cocoa color. Form the beurrage into a 9-inch square and set aside. If it is no longer chilled, place it in the refrigerator while doing the next step.

Clean the work surface and dust it with flour. Lay the détrempe on the work surface and roll it out to a 12-inch square. Mark a diamond shape in it, connecting the center of each side. Dust the dough lightly with flour. Roll out the corners of the square (the triangles formed by the diamond) so that the points extend for about 6 inches, leaving the center mound thicker than the edges.

Lay the beurrage on the diamond, adjusting its size to fit the dough as necessary. Fold the rolled out dough flaps over the beurrage, stretching them and overlapping them as necessary to totally encase the butter and form a square package. Seal the edges by pressing lightly with the rolling pin. Dust with flour. Gently press the package into a rectangle approximately 10 inches by 20 inches. Place on a tray and clean the work surface. If it is warm and the butter seems soft, refrigerate it for 30 minutes before continuing.

For the first double turns, place the dough on the work surface with a short side facing you. Roll out the dough from top to bottom or bottom to top, using even pressure, into a rectangle approximately 12 inches by 24 inches. It is important to keep the edges of the pastry as straight as possible during rolling, or else you may not get even folds and the pastry may not rise as it should. This may be facilitated by flipping over the dough, vertically, once in a while to roll on the other side. As you roll, sprinkle the work surface with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Also, be careful that the butter does not start to leak out from the sides (as will occur with more rolling). If it does, seal the hole with some flour and refrigerate the dough for several minutes before continuing.

Fold over both short ends of the dough to meet in the center, then fold one side over the other to form four layers. Turn the dough 90 degrees to the left, so that the fold is on your left, and repeat the rolling and folding a second time to finish the first set of double turns. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours. Repeat the double turns a second time and refrigerate again for 2 hours. Repeat the double turns one last time for a total of 6 single turns.

At this point, the puff pastry can be frozen if desired. If using right away, use a pastry cutter to cut the puff pastry into thirds. Each third will be rolled out to fit in one half sheet baking pan. Prepare the baking pan by lining it with parchment paper and then brushing the parchment paper lightly with water. Reserve another half sheet baking pan and parchment paper of the same size for later in the baking process. Roll out the puff pastry until it is 4 millimeters thick. Place the rolled out dough onto the moistened parchment paper, prick it with a fork, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. This will allow the flour's gluten to relax so the pastry will rise evenly and maintain its size and shape under heat.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, lift off and discard the plastic wrap, and dust the top of the puff pastry evenly with caster sugar. Slide the baking sheet into the oven, close the oven door, and immediately lower the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Bake the pastry for 15 minutes, during which time it will rise and begin to brown. Pull the baking sheet from the oven and cover the pastry with the reserved parchment sheet. Lightly place the second baking sheet on top. Carefully turn the whole setup over and place it on a work surface. Pull away the first baking sheet and parchment sheet so that the uncaramelized side of the puff pastry is now the side you see. Sift confectioners' sugar evenly over this side and return to the oven for another 5 minutes to allow the sugar to melt.

At this time, remove the baking sheet from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 475°F (245°C). Once the oven is done preheating, return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the sugar is caramelized and the pastry is starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Be sure to watch closely so you don't end up burning the pastry. Pull the baking sheet from the oven, place the pastry on a cooling rack, and allow it to cool completely before assembling the mille-feuilles.

Mille-feuilles de Chocolat à la Banane
adapted from La Pâtisserie de Pierre Hermé by Pierre Hermé

• 1 kg Banana Crème Pâtissière
• 200 g single pouring cream
• Caramelized Chocolate Puff Pastry

Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold this gently into the banana crème pâtissière until fully combined, to form banana crème mousseline.

Cut the puff pastry to the desired size. You will need three layers of the same size for each mille-feuille assembly. Spread or pipe the banane crème mousseline over the first layer and cover it with a second layer of chocolate puff pastry. Repeat this process once more and decorate with confectioners' sugar. Serve as soon as possible.

Happy Birthday, Nancy!

It was our good friend Nancy's birthday, and all birthday girls should get a birthday cake on their birthday, especially ones that survived through all those Chem-E classes with you and drove you down to SJ during traffic hour to your job interview! Nancy, being the sweetheart that she is, gave us free reign on the birthday cake. It could be any color, any size, and any flavor. (Well actually, we may have had so much artistic freedom simply because she didn't know she was getting a birthday cake. That helps too!) And this is what she got! Different sized cupcakes topped with white buttercream icing. Each cupcake has written on top one letter from the message, "Happy Birthday Nancy" in alternating pink and purple colored icing.

With the remaining cupcakes, we had a Martha-esque moment and dug out our March 2005 issue of Martha Stewart Living to get the instructions for piping buttercream chrysanthemums. For a couple of first-time pipers, I thought we did fairly well.

Despite some problems with food dyes and false alarms regarding "breaking" buttercreams, we finished the cupcakes with all its delicate buttery glory at 11:45pm. We rushed over, repeatedly rang the doorbell, waking up all of her roommates in the process, and made it through the front door at 11:52pm, a full 8 minutes before her birthday was officially over. So... Nancy, we wish you a wonderful birthday. May all your birthday wishes come true! :)

Vanilla Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart Living, March 2005

Makes 26 cupcakes

• 8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350ºC. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until pale yellow, about 2~3 minuntes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addititon. Add vanilla and mix. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of milk. Stir until evenly blended.

Pour batter into each cupcake liner until about 2/3 full. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the cupcake comes out completely clean. Let cool in the muffin pan for 20min. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the wire rack. Wrap in Saran wrap, put in air-tight container, and refrigerate until ready to decorate.

Meringue Buttercream Icing
adapted from Martha Stewart Living, March 2005

Makes 10 cups

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 12 large egg whites
• 2 pounds (8 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into tablespoon size
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Whisk sugar and egg whites in large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until mixture reaches 140ºF on a candy thermometer, about 2~3 minutes. Beat the egg white mixture on medium speed with the whisk attachment until it holds stiff peaks. The mixture should be fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in butter, several tablespoons at a time. Add vanilla. Continue beating on low speed until everything comes together and all the air bubbles are gone. Stir with rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.

IMBB 11 - Mung Bean Mochi

Our internet connection at home is still in the process of being repaired, but we were not about to let that get in the way of participating in Is My Blog Burning 11. Cathy of my little kitchen hosts this month's theme of beans.

A couple weeks ago, J had roused me in the middle of the night by making lots of commotion while stomping around in the bedroom. Apparently, she'd been looking forward to participating in the next IMBB, but was stumped when she found out about the theme. She just could not think of anything she could make for this upcoming weblogging event, since she does not particularly like beans in general (with some rare exceptions). As recounted to me later, I then sat up in a dream-like state, turned to her, and said "My dear.. make mochi.." and then promptly fell back asleep.

And so it was decided.

Japanese mochi, filled with sweet bean paste, has been a weakness for J and I for quite some time now. Every time we are in Japantown for lunch, we'd inevitably stop by the manju shop on Jackson Street. When we first found this treasure trove of confectionary treats, we tried one of every shape, color, and texture. Nowadays, we just get one each of our favorite - smooth mochi with smooth white bean paste filling.

This would be our first attempt at making mochi ourselves, so we wanted quality recipes from which to start. The mung bean paste filling is adapted from a Chinese cookbook recipe, which J's mom graciously translated for us. The mochi itself is adapted from a recipe that a friend's mom has used in the past to make her own mochi famous among family circles.

Mung Bean Paste

• 1 cup dried mung beans, without peels
• 1½ to 2 cups water
• 100 g (or 1 medium) yellow yam, baked and peeled
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• a pinch of salt

The filling starts from dried mung beans, which I found in a conveniently peeled form in my local Asian grocery store. Wash them thoroughly to remove any residual peels. Combine the washed beans with 1½ cups of water in a medium saucepan, and simmer over medium heat, uncovered, stirring constantly. The beans should be cooked until they are soft enough to be mashed with a spoon. Add more water as necessary, but do not exceed 2 cups total or else the end result will be too wet.

Once the beans are soft, remove from heat, smash with a spoon until smooth. Mash the yellow yam and mix it with the bean paste. Incorporate the sugar into the bean paste, stirring to mix uniformly. You may have a different preference to the level of sweetness, so add additional sugar to taste. Finally, stir in the butter and salt.

At this point, the paste can be stored, refrigerated, in an airtight container, until ready to use.

Mochi

• 1 cup sweet rice flour
• 2/3 cup water
• ¼ cup sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe plastic container and mix vigorously until smooth. Microwave, with the lid on, but not totally sealed, for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture until it is smooth. Return the container to the microwave and heat for another 30 seconds. Again, stir until smooth. Repeat this heating, followed by stirring, for a total of 2½ minutes. The mochi should now feel smooth and sticky, yet springy and resilient. (If you didn't stir enough between heatings, you may end up instead having a lumpy mess!)

Liberally sprinkle your work surface and dust your hands with corn starch, to prevent sticking. While the mochi is still hot, scoop out a chunk with a spoon. Cover the remaining mochi, to keep it warm, while you do these next steps. Roll the mochi chunk between your hands to form a ¾-inch diameter ball. Flatten the ball like a pancake until it's about 1/8-inch thick. Spoon your reserved mung bean paste in the middle of the mochi "pancake". Bring the edges of the mochi to the center, wrapping the filling, and pinch to seal. Repeat with the remaining mochi in the container, reheating 10 seconds in the microwave if it becomes less malleable.

The finished product - mung bean mochi - is a bite-sized confectionary with an unassuming outer appearance wrapped around a sweet secret center.

Mahi Teriyaki

Is diet and exercise a part of your new year's resolutions this year? Are you tempted to try a low-carb diet but are afraid to commit yourself to eating chicken breasts forever?! If you said "yes", have I got news for you! Low-carb dieting doesn't have to be about bland chicken breasts day in and day out!!

I've been there. Throughout college, I ate with poor regularity, and when I ate, I ate the wrong foods - pizza, junk food, mac 'n cheese. If only I'd increased my exercise levels with my consumption levels.. maybe I could have kept my lean high school figure (who am I really kidding?).

I exercised on and off and tried various diets for a couple years afterwards, but I really got serious about slimming down when I got J's permission to walk the aisle together with her. The diet that made the most difference turned out to be a low-carb (but not no-carb) diet. The pros were obvious - healthier weight and lifestyle, and better self-esteem. The cons.. well, there really was only one - the boring and bland chicken breasts that I had to eat in place of all the carbs I used to eat.

I began to experiment with different sources of protein and different ways to cook each one, in search of a dozen or so recipes that I could rotate and eat without getting bored or sick of them. One of my favorites ended up being this dish inspired by Asian flavors.

Mahi Teriyaki

Serves 4

• 4 6- to 8- ounce mahi mahi fillets, about 3/4-inch thick
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet sake)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 scallions, including green parts, finely chopped

Trim any strips of dark muscle off the mahi mahi fillets with a sharp paring knife. Combine the sake, mirin, and soy sauce in a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over high heat until it barely begins to smoke. Slide in the mahi mahi while moving the pan gently back and forth so the fish doesn't have a chance to stick. Don't worry if the mahi mahi is producing a lot of smoke - keep the heat on high. After 2 minutes (if you like mahi mahi raw in the center), turn the fish over and sauté on the other side for 2 minutes. Add a minute more on each side if you want the fish cooked all the way through.

When the mahi mahi is lightly browned on each side, transfer it to a plate and pat off any excess oil with a paper towel.

Pour out the burned oil and wipe the still-hot pan with a paper towel.

Let the pan cool for about 2 minutes - so that the liquids won't spatter - and pour in the sake mixture. Boil the mixture down over high heat until it's reduced by about half. Slide the mahi mahi back into the pan over high heat and let it sit in the boiling glaze for about 30 seconds. Turn the fish over and repeat for 30 seconds on the second side.

Slice the mahi mahi into strips and arrange them on plates (Japanese pottery looks great). Brush or spoon the remaining glaze left in the pan over each strip of tuna. Sprinkle on the scallions.

Nutrition Facts (per 6- to 8- oz fillet)

270 calories
8 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
2 g carbohydrate (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar)
40 g protein

Chocolate & Confiture Tart

It turned out that the quantity of Hazelnut Sweet Shortcrust Pastry I had made was a bit more than was needed for the 9" square fluted pan. So, I did what any person would do, I made a few extra tartlets. This allowed me to use some new fluted tartlet tins that I recently purchased. Although these did not have the convenience of lift-out bottoms, they did claim to be nonstick, so I gave them a try. As soon as I slid the crusts into the oven, I started making the filling.

The smell of chocolate wafted up to me as I stirred to melt it in heated heavy cream, forming a chocolatey lake. I used heavy cream in place of the single or pouring cream called for by the recipe only because that was what I had on hand. When I later combined the chocolate-cream with the seven whipped egg yolks, I realized just how rich this filling was going to be. Thick ropes of batter clung to my whisk as I pushed it through the now chocolatey swamp. The guilt began to build again, just as sure as the drool began to form in my mouth.

My conscience got the better of me and left me with no choice but to come up with a way to feel better about consuming this sinful dessert! By the time the crusts were done baking to a golden color, I had my plan formulated. Rummaging through the fridge, I found what I was looking for - a jar of black currant jam, still two-thirds full, leftover from some other culinary adventure. I spread a thin layer of this chunky confiture in the bottom of the square hazelnut shortcrust. I did the same with some adriatic fig spread and some strawberry jam to the two extra tartlet shortcrusts I had baked. Then, I ladled the chocolate filling into each crust, making sure to fill it up as high as possible, for I wouldn't want to any of the chocolate to go to waste!

Try as I might, I simply could not get all of the chocolate soup to fit in the crusts. Once again, I was not going to just throw it out. Grabbing a few ramekins, I filled them with the remaining filling and decided to make some impromptu pots de crèmes.

Finally, into the oven everything went. I kept testing the surface for firmness - a sign to indicate the filling had set properly, and found that my baking times were much longer than the original recipe - I think that it might be due to steam from the layer of confiture at beneath the chocolate. This also caused small craters to form in the surface of the chocolate as the bubbles of steam rose to the top and popped. This resulted in a slightly-less-than-perfect-looking chocolate tart, but it tasted great all the same! The one with the adriatic fig spread was the favorite for both J and myself. Its texture was just right - not as runny as the black currant jam and not as stiff as the strawberry. Next time, we'll be sure to make a larger tart with the fig.

The impromptu pots de crèmes also turned out well. I had to leave them in the oven, turned off, overnight to dry them out. The end result - a few spoonfuls of heaven in each ramekin. This, alongside a healthy slice of the tart, was more than satisfactory for any chocolate craving.

Chocolate & Confiture Tart
adapted from Modern Classics 2
by Donna Hay

Serves 10-12

• 1 quantity hazelnut sweet shortcrust pastry, rolled and baked
• 7 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
• 2-1/3 cups (18½ fl oz) heavy whipping cream
• 200 g (7 oz) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup confiture of choice

Set the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F). Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat, bring just to the boil and remove from the heat. Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate-cream over the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine.

Spread the confiture in a thin layer on the baked shortcrust shell. Pour the chocolate filling over the confiture and bake for 30-35 minutes or until just set. Cool completely before serving with thick (double) cream and berries if desired.

My First Tart Dough

My first forays into baking were with cookies, when I was still in junior high. Since then, I have not only improved on my cookie-baking skill, but I've also added biscotti, muffins, cakes, tortes, and even breads to my baking repertoire. One thing which I had yet to experiment with, was tarts. J has done many tarts already, both sweet and savory. But, this will have been my first.

I was in one of those gotta-have-chocolate moods, but I felt guilty for having just chocolate. Fortunately, when one's favorite ingredient is chocolate, one often finds certain combinations of chocolate with other ingredients to be irresistable as well (and not quite so guilt-laden). Take for example, hazelnuts. Those aromatic round filberts have always been such a perfect match for chocolate that I've sometimes wondered if the hazelnut and the cacao trees (if hazelnuts did indeed grow on trees) were maybe somehow related.

Feeling adventurous, I thumbed through some cookbooks to get an idea for the solution to my craving. I finally stopped on page one hundred and sixty-nine of Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2 and feasted my eyes on the perfect-looking chocolate tart displayed in the upper-right quarter of that page. The recipe called for "1 quantity hazelnut sweet shortcrust pastry (page 157)". Perfect!

I turned to said page and promptly began my preparations for the tart dough, despite my previously stated lack of experience with tarts and the resulting anxiety. The recipe called for the addition of half a cup of hazelnut meal to a standard recipe of sweet shortcrust pastry, so I set to grinding some roasted hazelnuts in the food processor. In my enthusiasm, I overestimated half a cup and made about double that quantity of ground hazelnuts. As such, I ended up modifying Donna's original recipe due to my overzealousness (I didn't think it should be considered a mistake, since there is never such a thing as too much hazelnut, in my opinion). Plus, the end result turned out just fine.

So, here is my version of Hazelnut Sweet Shortcrust Pastry. I decided to include less flour to compensate for the addition of extra ground hazelnuts, which really made the whole crust that much more a hazelnut crust than a regular shortcrust with hazelnuts.

Hazelnut Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
adapted from Modern Classics 2
by Donna Hay

• 1 cup roasted, peeled, and ground hazelnuts
• 1½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• 3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
• 150 g (5 oz) cold butter, chopped
• 3 tablespoons iced water

Process the ground hazelnuts, flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add the iced water in a slow trickle to form a smooth dough and process until just combined. Knead the dough lightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

If chilled overnight, be sure to give the dough about 20 minutes to warm up before trying to use the dough the next day (speaking from personal experience).

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until ¼ inch thick. Place in a 9" square fluted tart tin with a removable bottom. Line the tart dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights and/or uncooked rice. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the weights/rice and bake for another 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

Fill as desired and bake as directed.

Check back tomorrow - when I finish baking my chocolate tart!

In Which The Incredibly Shy Vegetable Makes An Appearance

Snake beans are so named because they are green, like string beans. But where their more popular relative has smooth skin, they themselves are covered with a wrinkled and leathery semblance similar to the skin of the namesake reptile. They are also sometimes called yard-long beans because they can grow to the length of a yard (that's a meter for the rest of the world out there). This vegetable, despite its mild taste much like string beans, rarely makes an appearance in any cuisine. In fact, I've only seen it ever used in Asian cooking, and in only one particular dish at that. So, when I picked up a gorgeous bunch of snake beans from my local farmers' market, I knew exactly what I was going to make.

The Food of China, by Deh-Ta Hsiung and Nina Simonds, contained an exemplary version of the dish in question, but I adapted it to fit what I had on hand. I substituted minced chicken breast where the recipe called for ground pork and finely chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms where the traditional dish had preserved mustard cabbage. Also, since I avoid deep fried foods unless absolutely necessary (as in the case of tempura), I opted to pan-fry the snake beans in a scant layer of oil as opposed to the quarter-wok-full dictated by the recipe.

The end result seemed authentic enough. The beans were tender and filled with flavor. The minced chicken gave a good balance to the saltiness of the sesame-soy sauce, where I think the pork would have caused an overwhelming saltiness. The unmistakable aroma of shiitake mushrooms rounded out the dish by helping bring all the flavors together.

Double-Cooked Yard-Long Beans
adapted from The Food of China
by Deh-Ta Hsiung and Nina Simonds

Serves 6

• 2 lbs yard-long (snake) beans
• 6 oz chicken breast, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1½ tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
• ½ teaspoon roasted sesame oil
• oil for pan-frying
• 5 tablespoons finely chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 1½ teaspoons sugar

Diagonally cut the beans into 2 inch pieces. Lightly chop the minced chicken until it becomes slightly fluffy. Put the chicken in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the rice wine and the sesame oil and stir vigorously to combine.

Fill a wok with a scant layer of oil. Heat the oil until very hot. Add about a third of the beans, covering the wok with the lid as they are placed in the oil to prevent the oil from splashing. Cook for 3½ to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until they are tender and golden brown at the edges. Remove with a wire strainer or slotted spoon and drain. Replace and reheat the oil and repeat with the remaining beans. Pour the oil from the wok, leaving 1 tablespoon.

Reheat the reserved oil over high heat until very hot, add the ground chicken and stir-fry until the color changes, mashing and chopping to seperate the pieces of chicken. Push the chicken to the side and add the shiitake mushrooms and scallions. Stir-fry over high heat for 15 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the beans with the remaining soy sauce and rice wine, sugar and 1 tablespoon water, and return the chicken to the center of the pan. Toss lightly to coat the beans with the sauce.

Everyday Comfort Food

In early November of last year, J went on a business trip to Minnesota and left me to fend for myself in the kitchen. Cooking for one, I feel, is a lonely business, and so I found myself searching for some comfort food. Comfort food, by my definition, has to be thick, hearty, and soulful. What could fit the bill better than beans?

I could have gone with a beany minestrone soup (even J, who claims to detest beans with a vengeance, cannot resist a hearty minestrone) but instead I opted for a purer celebration of this succulent legume. The recipe, from Annie Somerville's cookbook Everyday Greens, was titled, simply,

Warm White Beans

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 cup cannellini beans, about 6 oz, sorted and soaked overnight
• 7 cups cold water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano
• 5 sprigs parsley
• 3 or 4 fresh sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ large yellow onion, diced, about 1 cup
• Salt and pepper
• ½ tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 celery rib, diced, about ½ cup
• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced, about ½ cup
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Drain and rinse the beans. Place them in a large saucepan with the water, bay leaf and herbs. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, until they're tender but still hold their shape, at least 1 hour.

While the beans are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small skillet. Add the onions, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper and cook over medium heat until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, and carrots and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the pan is nearly dry, about 3 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and herbs and add the vegetables, the remaining olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until the beans begin to break apart and the broth is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Add the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper just before serving.