My Unofficial Tuesday with Dorie Baking: Quick Classic Berry Tart...

Truth: My Tuesdays with Dorie should just be retitled Babette's Big Bad Adventures in Baking, because if there is a way to screw things Up? Oh, I can, dear readers. I can.

Case in point, this week's tart. Day 1. Made pastry cream and did a pheNOmenal job. If I do say so myself. Into the fridge with it.

Day 2, Mother's Day (wouldn't this tart be delightful as dessert for Mother's Day dinner, thought Babette to herself...). Make crust. I know Dorie's crust. We've met before. We've  had good times before, so I was ready-bring it. Pulsed the flour, sugar, salt. Added butter. Man, it was NOT sticking together, not even a little bit, but I was trying SO HARD to be gentle..I remember to press gently so I don't lose that very crumbly, very short quality of this crust...It was a struggle, frankly, but I persevered, pressing harder than I thought I should, musing to myself about why doesn't Dorie weigh her flour...surely I measured out too much flour, that HAD to be the reason it wasn't sticking together...I re-read the recipe, know I measured right, sighed and slid the tart crust into the freezer. Turned the oven on...and started to clean up, reaching first for the very expensive butter I'd decided to use for this recipe..

But wait. Why is this chunk of butter unwrapped? It looks SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE THE NINE TABLESPOONS OF BUTTER I SO CAREFULLY MEASURED OUT USING THE WRAPPER MARKS...I look to the crumble of wrapper on the counter, the one from the butter I'd chopped up and added...the one with only SEVEN TABLESPOONS OF BUTTER LEFT AFTER I MEASURED OUT THE NINE. The chunk of butter still on the counter? That? THAT was the nine...

So. Sigh. The crust? She's not so short...Onward.

I froze the crust for 30 minutes...baked it with foil on top, shiny side down (really? Does that really make a difference?) and then baked it some more...Like Dorie, I like a fully baked crust to be FULLY BAKED...so I was going for golden...and got it...

I filled the shell with pastry cream...you may think I was a bit generous, but that stuff is GOOD. Then I topped it with a BUNCH of the fresh berries I got from the Farmers' Market on Saturday and some big old fat blackberries...I was in too much of a rush to drizzle on the additional red currant jam.

This was a treat to eat...even without the extra two tablespoons butter, the crust is a lovely shortbread base for the tart...(it was, perhaps, a bit firmer than it should have been since I really DID have to press it hard to get it to stick together, what with it missing that extra butter and all)..

I'd love to make this in individual tart pans in the future...so pretty. I WILL remember the extra butter in the future...but if I can offer any advice? Just make this. My daughter decided it was the best berry tart she'd ever tried...high praise indeed.

Head over to Tuesdays with Dorie to check out the other versions of this tart and read the recipe (posted with Dorie's permission) over at Cooking with Cristine, who chose this week's TWD recipe

Monday's Tools To Use

I know you don't care one bit about five things I ate over the weekend, so Monday? She's no longer about that...instead, I'm making Monday an ode to things I really can't--won't--live without in the kitchen.

Here's the scoop. I could be called frugal. And I've spent a lot of money, I bet, buying stuff that was...subpar for the kitchen. Until I finally discovered some good quality pots and pans, a real mixer, etc. Now? Now if someone asks my opinion, I don't hold back: If you cook a lot--or even a little, but if you are serious about what you are doing in the kitchen, buy the best you can afford. (Of course, shop the deals--you would not believe what you can find in TJ Maxx, for example...can anyone say All-Clad??? Tune in for that post next Monday.)

I have been cooking professionally for decades now (koff koff!..Decades? Can it be? Ssshhhh)...I gamely struggled through el cheapo hand mixers...less than good stand mixers...and none of them ever made the grade...All I could think of? The great mixers I'd used when I worked in restaurants...Now I wonder why I didn't just get that from the start. It is, after all, much needed equipment with which to do my work (if you don't know by now, when I'm not blogging I am developing recipes for fabulous clients or testing recipes for fabulous clients...or writing about said development and said testing...).

So I finally succumbed about...7? 8? years ago to the lure of the Kitchenaid mixer, and I've got only two things to say about it: Why didn't I do it sooner? and Why didn't I get the bigger mixer (the one with the lift handle as opposed to the tilt head..)--because truth be told, I am overtaxing even this sweet machine.

I have made myriad cookies, batters, tart doughs (sweet and savory), mashed any number of potatoes and rutabagas in the bowls, mixed pasta dough and, with the hook, kneaded some of the best bread this side of the Atlantic (I brag, but it wasn't my recipe; it's Carol Field's from The Italian Baker...)...and and pizza dough after pizza dough after pizza dough (hmm...I think this reminds me of dinner tonight...let's have homemade pizza...)

Just this weekend I had a Costco coupon in my hot little hands...$30 off (I think) a bigger version, the "pro 450" version. Remember Tim Allen in Home Improvement? That was me in Costco, gazing at the shelves: More power!!!!!

But I put the bigger mixer back. Because even though I really want that bigger machine, the "little" one is still doing its job (if I could sell it, that money would go to my "big" machine...maybe that's the route to take...) and...well, you know... the economy and all.. Sigh.

Anyway, this post is all about the Kitchenaid stand mixer, my ode to something I would not do without. Ever. Again. Big or small version...get the best tool for the job. This is the one. (No, I am NOT paid to say anything good OR bad about Kitchenaid...)

(Bonus round: I found the BEST thing at Sur La Table--a scrapper/paddle that cleans the sides of the bowl AS YOU MIX...brilliant!) (note: my link isn't to the one I bought, but I couldn't find one...this one, called the SideSwipe, gets a lot of great online reviews...)

Ps. Late note that I remembered..oh, I dunno, around 5 a.m. when I couldn't sleep today--buy an extra bowl for yourself. Not for every recipe, but for MANY, you will be so glad of an extra bowl!

Day 9: Photo Sunday....Popovers

 I cannot help myself when it comes to popovers. They are incredibly simple to make. They are beautiful to this foodie's eye. Oh, yeah: and they taste delicious.

No matter how you slice it, the ratios are the same the world over for popovers:
MAKES 6
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 ounces grated gruyere (optional and delicious)
NOT OPTIONAL: POPOVER PAN FOR 6 POPOVERS
--place rack about 2/3 down in oven. Remove any racks above your baking rack.

1. heat oven to 350. Place popover pan in oven while you prep batter. Warm 2 cups milk in microwave for about 2 minutes. Stir salt into warm milk. In separate bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Slowly drizzle in warm milk, whisking all the time. When milk is all in, slowly stir in flour. Mix until smooth.

2. Take pan from oven and spray with nonstick spray. Pour batter into each form, dividing evenly among the 6 forms. Top each with about 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Return pan to oven and bake, never peeking, for 55 minutes until popovers are dark golden brown. (You almost have to overcook these or they deflate.) Serve piping hot with butter and sea salt or butter and jam.

Saturday Treats...Milkshakes.

One of the things I like to do in my new hometown of Charlotte is to find great spots to eat (I hear it. I hear that collective, "well, DUH." Hush now.) I recently read about Pike's, an old-fashioned diner/soda fountain--and the scoop was they serve up some mean milkshakes.

I did what any food-loving blogger would do. I decided it was time for a milkshake. NOW. Grabbed the keys, got the car, picked my DD up from school and set off for Pikes, about 10 minutes from home.

The GPS got me there no problem, and we hit the place in the middle of the very dead afternoon. Trust me, you won't find it like this very often. We sidled up to the old-time bar, hopped up and ordered a milkshake. I swear to you I ordered a chocolate malted milkshake, but the server heard only the chocolate. I'm not complaining.

It comes in one of the classic metal cups, tall and frosty, which then gets poured into a tall glass. You get to finish anything that doesn't make into the glass on that first pass. I couldn't do it justice, but I tried...
This is a simple pleasure that should definitely stay on the treats list. It's worth an extra walk (or 10..0r 20) around the block. Heck, I'll even let you make it with skim milk. Just don't skimp on the ice cream.

That was a fond memory, but today's farmer's market had gallons of strawberries for sale...I had to have a big old gallon of them...so I'm thinking a strawberry milkshake is in order for my Saturday treat. That and a 4-mile walk...

Strawberry Milkshake: Serves 1

1 cup milk
2 scoops strawberry ice cream (best quality)
1 cup fresh strawberries, rinsed and drained.

Place all ingredients into blender. Blend until thick and smooth. If you want some chunks of strawberry, blend the milk and ice cream first and add the strawberries at the end, pulsing just a few times to break up and blend a bit.

Share with your favorite person for extra special feelings of contentment.

Friday Feature: Barefoot Blogging with The Contessa

One of the other blogs I've joined (and been booted from) in the past is the Ina Garten Barefoot Bloggers...they were working their ways through the Barefoot Contessa's books (any of 'em)--Barefoot Contessa is, of course, Food Network's Ina Garten. She sure can cook, but I think I tune in for her kitchen (I am convinced it's the kitchen used for the movie Something's Gotta Give with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves. VERY funny movie in which Keaton plays a playwright who spends the summer in the Hamptons where love and chaos ensue. But I fell in love with the kitchen, too...

Want it.

I digress.

My point is about cooking along with the Barefoot Bloggers. I don't. But I did peruse the list of recipes already cooked and found Ina's Cream of Wild Mushroom soup. YUM. One of my daughter's favorites and it fits into the at least once a week vegetarian goal I have.

You can find the full recipe here, although I greatly modified it by cutting the butter down to next to nothing and only making it creamy by one glug of cream. (Serves six; one glug divided by 6 is not much cream at all...)

Here's MY version (plenty creamy--see that photo at the top). Check Ina's out, too.

Wild Mushroom Soup..
8 ounces Shiitakes
10 ounces sliced white mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, choped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
5 scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups water
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped

1. Clean the mushrooms and remove and discard the shiitake stems, which are tough. Slice the shiitakes and combine with the white mushrooms. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions, thyme, scallions, salt and pepper and cook until veg is soft. Add water. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 min.
3. In a large cast-iron skillet heat remaining olive oil and butter over medium high heat. Add mushrooms to this and cook until very soft, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle flour over all and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Deglaze pan with white wine, scraping up anything left on the bottom. Add the contents of the skillet to the stockpot. Cook another 15 minutes. Add cream and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve hot with toasted slices of baguette.

Potluck Thursday: Language of Baklava

I am unexpectedly caught on the road today, so I do what I do at home: open the fridge and see what leftovers appeal. This is one of my earliest posts. I read Diana Abu Jaber's Language of Baklava and loved it. Here's why:


From December 2007


Why didn't I hear about this book sooner? Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber is a must read for anyone who loves food or cooking and who understands how you feed the soul when you feed other people, how food helps you have roots and how food helps you wander among other cultures. (Of course now you should read all her other books, too. She has her own wonderful website here.)

I just finished reading it, and I find myself craving Middle Eastern food. She has sprinkled her favorite recipes throughout the book. Yesterday, I came home from our Publix with dried chick peas, which are soaking now (will I make hummus or falafel? I don't know yet); bulgur (cracked wheat for Subsistence Tabbouleh) and long grain rice. I think today I'll seek out ground lamb and use the wheat for kibbeh the way she describes it ("Cowboy Kibbeh" in the Bad American Girl chapter).

I would pass this book on to everyone I want to read it, which is what I normally do with books I love, but I can't. It's a cookbook, too, and I must have it in my cupboard.

Her novels include Arabian Jazz, Crescent and Original. I've got Crescent (Oooh! I just read that it is banned in Texas. I will have to make all my children read it.), which I will plunge into today, since it is New Year's Eve and I'll take the day and indulge myself, perhaps at the beach here in South Florida.

Wednesday: Meet My Blogging World Food Friends

Above: Lemon Lovers' Lemon Bar from Julie O'Hara at A Mingling of Tastes

As part of my blogathon effort, I decided to ask a few friends if they would be willing to talk about why they blog--MORE than a few answered (thank you all!!!), so this will be an ongoing, long-term part of my blog. I love reading their answers here.


And so, with no further ado, I introduce you to Julie O'hara blogs at A Mingling of Tastes, where she develops recipes, takes lovely photos and shares it all.
Here she answers the Babette Feasts burning questions:

1. What pushed you to food or wine blogging? About 4 years ago, I discovered food blogs and wanted to do my own. At the time, I really needed a creative outlet. It's led to a career as a recipe developer and freelance writer for magazines, so I'm glad I did.

2. What do you hope to share with readers through your blog? My definition of healthy food: it's GOOD food that's delicious and satisfying. But you also feel good about eating it.

3. Is there one post that stands out from others as one that generated a lot of commentary or maybe made you wish you hadn't posted it?

This recipe that I call "lemon lover's lemon bars" still gets comments and emails telling me how good it is. This is gratifying because I am always nervous about people liking my recipes. Plus, I created it to satisfy my craving for the ultimate lemon bar, and I love it! 

4. Do you cook yourself? Well?  What is your go-to dish (share the recipe in a few sentences?
Something might be my go-to dish for months and then it will change and cycle back around eventually. Right now I think it's my take on shrimp and grits: Cook Quaker 5-minute grits with plenty of salt and pepper. Meanwhile saute a bunch of sliced green onions, garlic and a pint of halved grape tomatoes in a little olive oil. Then season some shrimp with salt, pepper and chile powder; saute in olive oil and add to veggies. Serve over grits and sprinkle with Feta cheese. It's also good if you stir some herb-flavor Boursin cheese into the grits when they're done (skip the Feta; or not).

5. Forget your favorite go-to dish; what is your idea of a perfect meal? As long as it involves really great red wine, and I'm eating with my husband, it can be a perfect meal. But probably some variation on steak with a pan sauce, a vegetable and popovers with butter on the side. 

Bonus question if you feel like it: Do you have a dirty little secret in your kitchen?
 This isn't really a secret, but it may be surprising: one shelf of my refrigerator consists mostly of candy. And generally not the fancy stuff. I'm talking about mini reese's peanut butter cups (the ones with dark chocolate are ridiculous); Hershey's miniatures; peanut butter twix; Reese's "Whips." I eat a little bit of candy (like around 100 calories worth) just about every day.