The Kitchen Chronicles: Birthday Parfait!

Well folks, it's been busy here as we tackle endless to-do lists to prepare for our move back to the U.S. next month.  The fact that my laptop has recently decided not get along with its power cord has also made computer/blog time especially hard to come by.  But, as last Sunday was the hubby's birthday, I couldn't miss sharing with you our favorite yummy from the week's festivities.

Yes, that's right, the WEEK's festivities.  In our house, we don't just celebrate the birthday itself, but we give the man/woman of honor a whole Birthday Week to lavish them with birthday warm and fuzzies.  Each day from one week prior to the big day, we give the birthday honoree a birthday 'treat.'  Sometimes it's edible, sometimes it's not, but it's always something sweet ;-)

Our favorite (edible) sweet treat from Nathan's birthday week turned out not to be his birthday cake, which sadly was a ho-hum recipe.  But the Birthday Parfait I threw together absolutely rocked, and as Donkey proclaimed in Shrek: "Everybody loves parfait!"  Truer words may never have been spoken...

Happy Birthday, Nathan! <3  

Birthday Parfait


This parfait was just a hodge podge of recipes that I thought would work nicely together: Ina Garten's Beatty's Chocolate Cake (hands down the moistest chocolate cake I've ever made, it stays fresh for days and is my current fave), America's Test Kitchen's Pastry Cream, and my own bittersweet chocolate ganache.  I casually threw everything together in informal layers since we were eating this in our pajamas, but if you plan to serve at a party, you may want to take some care to make distinct layers with each of the components.  If you do, piping the pastry cream from a pastry bag instead of spooning it in may make your life easier, especially if you're making individual portions as it can be hard to keep the sides of smaller glasses smudge free when you're trying to spoon and spread pastry cream in a fairly small area.  If you want a lighter, airier pastry cream filling, just fold in some whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream.  And if you can spare the extra calories, make a little extra whipped cream to put on top of the finished parfait to take it all the way home.


Beatty's Chocolate Cake
(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake-recipe/index.html)


Ingredients:

1 3/4        all-purpose flour
2 cups      sugar*
3/4 cup    cocoa powder
2 tsp        baking soda
1 tsp        baking powder
1 tsp        salt
1 cup       buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup    vegetable oil
2             eggs, room temperature
1 tsp        vanilla extract
1 cup       hot coffee


Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter two round cake pans and line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

2.  Sift dry ingredients into a medium size bowl and mix on low speed until combined.

3.  In another bowl (I just use the measuring cup the buttermilk is already in), combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

4.  With mixer on low speed, slowly add wet ingredients to the dry.

5.  Keeping mixer on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

6.  Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 min.  Cool in pans for 30 min, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.



Pastry Cream
(Adapated from America's Test Kitchen; recipe can be found at www.americastestkitchen.com)


Ingredients:

2 cups     half-and-half
1/2 cup   sugar, divided into 6 tbsp and 2 tbsp portions*
1/4          vanilla bean, seeds removed
pinch       salt
5             egg yolks
3 tbsp     corn starch
4 tbsp     unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

* I prefer to use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar, depending on the sweetness of other components

Directions:

1.  Bring half-and-half, 6 tbsp sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

2.  In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 2 tbsp sugar until smooth.

3.  Whisk 1 cup of simmering half and half mixture into the egg yolks to temper.

4.  Slowly whisk tempered egg yolks back into the simmering half-and-half mixture and reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until pastry cream has thickened and begins to bubble, about 30 seconds.

5.  Take pan off heat and remove vanilla bean.  Whisk in butter.

6.  Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and press parchment paper directly onto the surface.  Chill for 3 hours.



Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache


Ingredients:

3/4 cup     heavy cream
4 oz          bittersweet chocolate


Directions:

1.  Chop chocolate into small pieces, roughly the size of chocolate chips or chunks you'd use in cookies.  Place into a bowl.

2.  Heat cream over medium-low heat until it begins to simmer.

3.  Remove cream from heat and add to chocolate in bowl; let stand 1 min, then whisk until chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

The Kitchen Chronicles: Buttermilk Pancakes

I've always been a big fan of breakfast.  It sort of sets the tone for the kind of day you're going to have, and it's one of the few times where you can have both sweet and savory foods all in one sitting.  One of the best classics is, of course, the ubiquitous pancake. The fact that you can get them just about anywhere and anytime does not make up for the fact that a lot of the time they're not that good: soggy, overly chewy or dense, or just completely lacking in taste.  And don't get me started on Bisquick.  It's not that I'm above pre-made mixes; though I do try to make my own and minimize the use of commercial ones, some are pretty good if you can come to terms with all the stabilizers, additives, and preservatives.  It's just that Bisquick itself to me is such an impostor, and a bad one at that.  Anything that claims to make a pancake or a biscuit or a bread depending on how much liquid you add can hardly be trusted to give you the real thing on any of those (sort of like those restaurants that offer Italian, Asian, Mexican, and American food all on one menu).  And if you've ever eaten a Bisquick pancake, you know what I'm talking about: overly firm, squat, and dense 'pancakes' that you have to drench in butter and syrup to even come close to having the pancake experience.

Fortunately, I'm here to give that to you, and the best part is that it takes mere minutes to whip up this batter, all with ingredients already in your pantry.  Actually, the best part is that these pancakes are in fact the REAL DEAL: light, fluffy, cakey, chewy, and with a deep, slightly buttery flavor that when married with warm maple syrup will make you get up on the kitchen table and dance.  Hyperbolic?  Maybe a little.  But seriously, over the last two weeks, I've made these pancakes 12 times, and I always go to bed fighting the urge to have breakfast for dessert, and waiting for morning to come just so I can eat these again. :)

For all my peeps who like their syrup on the side :)

More than I need, but oh-so-GOOD...

Buttermilk Pancakes
(recipe adapted from www.marthastewart.com)


Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk*
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp unsallted butter for pan/griddle


Directions


1.  Heat oven to 175 F.

2.  Heat griddle to 375 F or frying pan over medium heat.

3.  Whisk together dry ingredients in medium bowl.

4.  Add eggs, milk, and melted butter to dry ingredients and whisk to combine.  Batter should have small to medium lumps.**

5.  Melt 1/2 tsp butter in pan and use a paper towel to evenly spread the melted butter around the pan and remove any excess.  Pour 1/2 cup batter in pools about 2 inches apart.  Cook pancakes until the tops are covered in bulbbles and the edges are slightly dry, about 2.5 min.  Flip over and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 1 min.

6.  Repeat with remaining batter and keep warm in oven until ready to serve.


*If you don't have buttermilk on hand you can make your own by adding 1-2 tbsp of vinegar, lemon, or lime juice to 1 cup of whole milk.

**The key to fluffy pancakes is not to overmix the batter; it should not be smooth.

FOODIE FEDERATION: THE UNITED STATES OF FOOD

Welcome to the newest category of E.A.T.!  


My vision for this blog has always been about making it as interactive and relevant/useful as possible, in our respective kitchens and beyond.  I am so often inspired or educated by other people, so here is where I will feature all the delicious/fun/cool/interesting things that my friends/followers of the blog are doing.


Additionally, FOODIE FEDERATION will be where I highlight all the amazing food the USA has to offer when you look beyond the horrific headlines and start looking around at who your neighbors and local producers are.  Toward this end, I'll be profiling one state each month to share with you some of the best of what that state has to offer.


FOODIE FEDERATION is also going to be my forum for spotlighting and/or launching outreach efforts for causes in which I believe.  The first of these humble efforts will be for an idea I've been cooking up the last few years called "Cooking for a Cause," which will combine food, friends, and fun to support charities doing good works in the U.S. and overseas.  More to come in the following weeks, so please stay tuned :)


I'm so peached to add this category to E.A.T.--I hope you'll come along with me and become a part of the FOODIE FEDERATION! :)

(This cute illustration owned by www.Hongkiat.com)

Word on the Street - Earth Day!

Hi everyone!


In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, Sunday, April 22nd, I wanted to share with you the cutest and most environmentally-friendly 'doggy bag' I've ever seen, as well as my (and Gwyneth Paltrow's) favorite reusable nylon bags from BAGGU (http://baggubag.com/#Shop).  Every little bit helps, and just to sweeten the deal, BAGGU is waiving shipping fees for all orders placed this weekend.  Enter code 'earthday12' at checkout and save some green, while going green :)

Thinking outside the doggy bag...

I absolutely LOVED this take on take-out in Bali.  Utter genius, and so green--literally!

Little reeds stitch the banana leaves together.  This one was done casually
 for the short walk home, but you could make a completely intact package if you wanted to.

Paper or Plastic?  Neither!

These BAGGU bags can go on the shoulder and are large enough to easily carry one grocery
paper bag's worth.  I've never formally tested its weight limit, but milk, juice, and canned goods
go into one bag with no problem (at least not for the bag; my shoulder is another story).

Close-up of the fabric and stitching.

This is not a BAGGU bag but it's the first nylon bag I ever bought.
I got it in Japan and loved the cherry blossom design.

In addition to using nylon bags, I save and re-use plastic produce bags.  If you're like me and
buy a lot of produce, using these babies once and tossing them  really adds up, in a bad way.

1/3 of my nylon bag collection, not including the ones in storage back home in the U.S.   I know
it might seem excessive but we use them ALL the time and occasionally need to use all of them at one time. 

Wanderlust - Bali

Bali.  The word immediately conjures mental images of vast expanses of green rice paddies, lush tropical flora, undisturbed beaches, and serene yoga and meditation sanctuaries that, when woven with Bali's air of the mystical and divine, elevates this Indonesian island into an earthly paradise for the mind, body, and spirit.  (It's not too shabby on the stomach either, but I'll get to that in a minute.)  Bali is exceptional for all these reasons, as well as for the fact that its populace is primarily Hindu while the majority of Indonesians are Muslim.  In addition to a strong and distinct cultural and religious identity, Balinese people speak their own dialect of Bahasa, Indonesia's official language.  

Bali has been on my bucket list for some time, and it seemed fitting that I would wrap up my year-long sabbatical with a visit to a place where rest, reflection, and renewal were practically assured.  In the week that my husband and I just spent there, we sought to see and experience the 'real' Bali to the extent possible when one is a foreigner and only a short-time visitor.  We passed up the popular luxury beach resorts and hotels on Bali's coasts and instead opted for a joglo (a traditional, open-air Indonesian dwelling) set in the rice paddies of a village called Penestenan, just outside the city of Ubud, Bali's artistic and cultural capital.  We did yoga, read books, rode bikes, walked--and walked, and even frolicked in the rain (I highly recommend this; think of it as Prozac for the soul ;-).  Many know Ubud as the setting for the film Eat, Pray, Love, but long before the book and the movie brought Bali into the consciousness of the masses, the island has been entrancing travelers seeking paradise--and for many, enlightenment--on earth.  After a mere week there, I can understand why people with such pursuits flock to Bali.

Once you've fed the spirit and the mind, the body isn't far behind.  While I'm generally not a huge fan of Indonesian cuisine, I came to love the foods that made up my Balinese diet. 

Since there's too much to share in one posting, I'll be doing two installations on Bali, with this one focusing on our Balinese home and the foods we ate when we dined in.  And now, without further ado: Let's E.A.T.! :)

Our Home

It'd be impossible to find our place if you didn't already know where it was.  Nestled amongst ride paddies and reachable only on foot through winding, narrow paths and steps, our joglo was in the cute village of Penestenan.  We arrived in the pitch dark at 1am, so it wasn't until the next morning that we could fully appreciate the charming surrounds of our home.

Ahhhh... 

Inviting, isn't it?

Our kitchen and dining table.

As you may have guessed, our home was built by an architectural designer.  A very talented
Argentinean-American of part Cuban extraction, she was featured in a New York Times article on sustainable building. 

Loved this view from the kitchen sink.

No cabinets per se, but we were pretty well equipped.

So cute that we had a full collection of stemware :)

Door to our open air bathroom; loved it so much we hope to incorporate it into our future home.

Best.  Bathroom view.  Ever. 

Great view from our joglo.

One of these on each side of our entry way.  I forgot to ask what they signified :(

Mosquito netting: quite possibly the most attractive/romantic product 'packaging' for
something that is essential when you're sleeping more or less in the open air.

Hard to tell here, but there's a few inches of clearance between
the underside of our grass roof and the wall holding up the curtains.

Family shrine near our plot of land.

These adorable ducks passed by our house every morning on their way from one rice paddy
to another, quacking loudly  the whole way.  They startled easily, but you could always tell where
they were hiding by looking for all the violently rustling rice stalks ;-)

Heading home for the night, this is a rear view of our joglo and its grass roof.

Water channeled off the roof during a big rainstorm; very impressed that the grass roof didn't leak at all.

Using our empty coconuts to collect rainwater.  I'd like to say this was for some eco-purpose, but really it was
so my  husband could douse me with cold rain water when I wasn't looking (insert disapproving evil eye here).

Another beautiful day draws to a close...

Dining In...

The queen of all fruits: mangosteen.

Perfect.

A slightly smushed specimen, due to my greedy hands trying to get to the good stuff ;-)

One of the best papaya we've ever eaten, straight from the tree of the Balinese woman who looked after us.

When healthy = delicious.

Indonesian passionfruit

Similar to its passionfruit cousins in appearance, the Indonesian variety is much milder, with only a hint of tartness.

Rambutan (aka: "the hairy fruit")

Tastes a bit like a lychee and a grape get together and have a lovechild.

Red dragon fruit; milder than the white variety, if you can imagine that!

Lanzones

Hard to describe the taste, but it's akin to a fusion of grape and lime flavors, with an overtone
that eludes further description.  Just one of those things you have to actually taste to understand.

Every day at 8am our coconut man came to deliver our 'water' for the day.  We drank almost zero bottled water all week, opting instead for what many health enthusiasts call 'the ultimate rehydrator.'  For $1.50/pitcher, it actually was cheaper than water too!

Doesn't get any fresher than this...

Tender meat from young, green coconuts.  YUM.

Very little is wasted: after the water and flesh is removed, the shells are dried in the sun and then used to fuel fires.

One version of Cap Cai, an Indonesian vegetable soup.

Balinese call this breakfast dish 'soft rice', which is very similar to congee or rice porridge.
The toppings seen here are very common throughout Balinese dishes.

This is dried fish that's been stewed with chilies.

I loved how the Balinese did tofu, and this dish was no exception.  The tofu is firm enough to hold together but softer than most tofus I've eaten.  This is a common dish with the tofu stewed in a light tomato-based broth.

One of Bali's signature dishes, mainly for breakfast but sometimes also for dessert: black rice with shredded
(natural, unsweetened) coconut topped with palm sugar syrup, an ubiquitous sweetener in Bali.

Palm sugar syrup is made by melting palm sugar in hot water.
Its taste is very reminiscent of caramel--absolutely delicious.