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Cookies and Milk Bar

Posted by on 4 January 2012, 8:52 pm

Looking for a cookie that will fit into your New Year’s resolution to eat healthy and lose weight?

This is not that cookie.

I’ve never been to Momofuku Milk Bar, but after receiving the cookbook for Christmas, I know it’s my cup of (highly sugared) tea. The recipes in this book have names like Liquid Cheesecake, Apple Pie Layer Cake and Cereal Milk. They use copious amounts of butter and yield cookies as large as Corey’s face. They’re funky and trendy and I want to cook my way through the entire book because just reading it makes me feel cooler than I actually am.

Admittedly, most of the recipes are a bit labor intensive and have lengthy ingredient lists. Each begins with a “mother recipe” – a base from which the rest of the flavors develop. In these Chocolate Chocolate Cookies, the mother recipe is a chocolate “crumb” that adds wonderful texture and flavor to the rich dough.

Sure, it’s a little time consuming – as is the 10-minute process to properly cream your butter, sugar and eggs to author Christina Tosi’s standards. I doubted this would make a difference in the finished product, but I’ve never seen butter, sugar and eggs get so airy and light. Tosi says this step is imperative to achieving that perfect cookie texture (crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside,  nearly underbaked and yet perfectly baked in the center). And by God, she’s right.

These are dangerously good. They contain an insane amount of butter, a double dose of cocoa powder and a healthy pinch of salt to balance the sweetness. If Tosi’s other recipes are even half as delicious as this one, it’ll be an indulgent year in my kitchen!

Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

Adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar

Makes about 12 cookies

Chocolate Crumb*:

2/3 c flour

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 c sugar

2/3 c cocoa powder (she suggests Valrhona; personally, I love the High Fat Cocoa Powder from Penzeys)

1 tsp kosher salt

6 tbsp butter, melted

Heat your oven to 300. Combine all ingredients except butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. Add the butter and mix again on low speed until the mixture comes together in small clusters. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat and bake for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the clusters. The crumbs should still be moist when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool completely before using in the Chocolate Chocolate cookie dough.

*The Chocolate Chocolate Cookie recipe uses only half a recipe of Chocolate Crumb. You can freeze the other half for up to one month, or keep at room temperature for one week. I don’t see why you couldn’t cut this recipe in half if you don’t want to deal with leftovers.

Cookie Dough:

16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 c sugar

2 tbsp corn syrup

1 egg, room temperature

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 oz semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1 1/4 c flour

3/4 c cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 recipe Chocolate Crumb (see above)

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment or silicon mats.

Combine the butter, sugar and corn syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Note: For best results, Tosi says it is imperative to use a stand mixer rather than a hand mixer, and for all implements and ingredients to be at room temperature.) Mix on medium high for 2 – 3 minutes, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla and melted chocolate and mix for 7 – 8 minutes more. The mixture will get quite voluminous and may form soft peaks.

Drop the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Mix until the dough just comes together, one minute or less – do not overmix. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the Chocolate Crumb and mix on low for about 30 seconds or until just incorporated. The resulting dough will resemble a stiff brownie batter.

Use a large cookie scoop or 1/3 c measuring cup to scoop out portions of dough onto your prepared sheet pans. The dough will be quite sticky and loose, and yes, these cookies will be large – you’ll likely yield a dozen or so. Pat the tops of the cookies flat (you may wish to grease your fingers first) and cover the pans tightly with plastic wrap. Because the dough is fairly wet, they may not look too pretty at this point, but don’t worry – they spread quite a bit in the oven and look more cookie-like. Chill for at least one hour or up to one week – do NOT bake from room temperature.

When the dough has chilled, heat the oven to 375. Space the cookies a minimum of 4 inches apart before baking (you may have to rearrange them on your pans once they’ve chilled) – they will puff and spread  in the oven. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool completely on the pan before transferring to a wire rack or plate. Store in a tightly-covered container for 5 days, or in the freezer for one month.

 

 

Filed under Baking, Dessert. Tagged ,
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Waste Not

Posted by on 31 December 2011, 10:36 am

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I have a few goals for 2012 – and one of my biggest aspirations is to stop wasting food. I have three terrible habits I’d like to change:

1) Overbuying fresh food and watching it go bad because either I forget it’s in my fridge, or I don’t stick to our weekly meal plan and use ingredients purchased for specific recipes. I’ve gotten better about this since becoming more diligent about meal planning, but there’s still room for improvement.

2) Buying pantry staples or frozen foods and losing them in the abyss of our cupboards and freezer. Right now, I have roughly 4 pounds of dried beans, numerous cans of diced tomatoes, five unopened bags of frozen fruits and veggies, a large assortment of half-full boxes of pasta…the list goes on. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Again, meal planning helps me use what’s in my pantry and freezer, but I can do better.

3) Letting leftovers wither and die in our fridge. I hate leftovers, particularly leftover meat. Corey eats them more willingly, but if he can’t finish every bit of leftover chicken, pork, pasta, etc., we find ourselves transferring food from storage containers to the compost bin. I’m also notoriously bad for storing various recipe scraps – half a can of pumpkin, or the dregs of a container of pasta sauce – and never using them in future recipes.

I invest a lot of time and money into the food we eat, and it’s sad to see it end up in the trash. I got a jump start on my goal this weekend when I found myself with a few ounces of leftover pork tenderloin and some frozen edamame and pineapple that had to be used before they succumbed to freezer burn.

Everything came together in a variation of a fried rice recipe I’ve been making for years. It’s not quite the same as the fried rice you’d order in your favorite Chinese restaurant, but it tastes great, is fairly healthy and is easy to whip up with just about anything you can find in your own freezer and fridge. Here’s hoping we all waste less food in the new year!

Pineapple, Pork and Edamame Fried Rice

inspired by Cooking Light

serves 3 – 4

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 oz cooked pork tenderloin (or any leftover meat), cubed

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

3 tsp canola oil, divided

3/4 c frozen edamame, thawed and drained of excess moisture

3/4 c frozen pineapple, thawed and drained of excess moisture

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I used brown rice, but white is fine too)

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

Whisk the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the ginger, garlic and 1 tsp canola oil in another small bowl and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tsp oil and, when shimmering, add the egg and cook like an omelet, swirling around the pan and lifting the edges to allow additional uncooked egg to reach the bottom of the pan. When the egg is mostly set, use a spatula to gently flip it and cook lightly on the other side. Remove the egg from the pan and set aside. (Note: you can also quickly scramble the egg, if you prefer.)

Heat an additional 1 tsp oil in the skillet and add the chopped onion and carrot. Stir fry until the vegetables are softened and starting to brown, about three minutes. Add the pork, edamame and pinapple and cook for one minute. Add the ginger/garlic/oil mixture and cook one minute more.

Add the rice, breaking up any clumps, and cook for 2  minutes. (If you’d like more of a “fried” texture, add the rice to the pan and do not stir.) Chop the egg into small pieces and add to the pan, followed by the sauce. Cook about 30 seconds more until the sauce is heated through.

 

Filed under Asian, Dinner, Pork. Tagged 
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Baby + Food

Posted by on 16 October 2011, 10:07 am

Almost a year ago, I was lying on my couch, half listening to an episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. I started having mild back pain…which quickly progressed into not-so-minor back pain….which eventually prompted me to pull out a stopwatch and wonder if this was it.

Ten hours and two calls to labor & delivery later, we made our way to the hospital in the hope that they’d confirm I was in labor.

Twelve hours, an epidural and too much apple juice after that, we had a baby.

I’ll always remember a few things about that night. It was raining. San Francisco was celebrating the fact that the Giants were headed to the World Series. My post-labor hospital meal (chicken breast, noodles in peanut sauce, salad, a roll and milk) was simultaneously weird and satisfying. And this little person was wide eyed, alert, and cool as a cucumber.

It took Lucy and I a few weeks to get in sync – she was barely 6 pounds and had some trouble breastfeeding. But once she got the idea, she went from this:

to this:

in a relatively short amount of time. Strangers commented on her kissable, squeezable cheeks, and I marveled over each and every fold and roll on those beautiful baby legs. I did that. Me. 

Eventually, we added solids into the mix…

And my girl just kept on growing, changing and loving life.

Parenting while working full time is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I knew my life would change after I had a child, but one thing I didn’t expect was a radical change in the way I cook, eat and look at food. In the early months with Lucy, eating was both a luxury (due to the fact that she was a terrible napper and hated hanging out in the swing and bouncy seat) and a primal necessity (due to my insatiable breastfeeding hunger). I ate what I could, when I could, and felt as if I’d never get back to my old routine.

Many months later, that routine has not been restored. I still eat what I can, when I can, though Lucy’s on a more regular schedule that allows us to have proper meals as a family (or quiet adult meals after she goes to sleep!). I don’t cook dinner every night; instead, I cook several big meals on Saturday or Sunday, and we reheat them during the week. It’s not the way I love to cook – I  hate leftovers, and reheating meals cooked in advance feels a lot like leftovers – but it works. I don’t want to slave over the stove at the end of a busy workday; I want to spend time with my family. My palate may suffer, but my heart reaps the rewards with moments like this:

 

Filed under Baby, Family. Tagged 
18 Comments

Distinctly Southern

Posted by on 30 August 2011, 8:00 am

Some foods and beverages are strictly southern. Grits, red velvet cake and sweetened iced tea are gaining prevalence in mainstream cuisine, but livermush? Cheerwine? Pimiento cheese? I’m willing to bet those delights aren’t on the average foodie’s radar. In fact, the last of those treats wasn’t even on my radar when I lived in North Carolina. I would see pimiento cheese (in its neon-orange glory) in supermarket deli cases alongside commercially prepared potato salad and cole slaw. It looked slimy, weird and gross, and I couldn’t imagine why people would willingly consume it.

So when my friend Shelley started raving about a pimiento cheese she picked up at her local grocery store, I had my doubts. Was it neon orange? Was it filled with processed cheese? Was it slimy, weird and gross? She patiently answered my questions (no on all counts) and offered a proper introduction to pimiento cheese when we visited her last spring. Her favorite version is fresh, creamy and filled with pepper jack for a spicy kick. She served it with an assortment of crunchy, carby things, and after a few bites I reaffirmed why she is a trusted friend.

I’ve thought about that pepper jack pimiento cheese more times than I care to admit. I finally got around to making a similar version, and it is dangerously delicious. I chose to serve it with homemade crostini, but pimiento cheese is also fantastic on hamburgers or as a sinful filling for grilled cheese sandwiches. After all, the only way to possibly improve cheese is to mix it with mayonnaise.

Pepper Jack Pimiento Cheese with Crostini

inspired by Paula Deen

For the pimiento cheese:

1 c shredded pepper jack cheese

1 c shredded medium cheddar cheese

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 c mayonnaise

1 tsp grated onion

dash of Worcestershire sauce

dash of garlic powder

salt and black pepper, to taste

3 – 4 tbsp pimientos, drained and lightly smashed with a fork

Beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium high. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low speed until incorporated. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

For the crostini:

1 large baguette

1/4 to 1/3 c olive oil

Slice the baguette into 1/4″ thick rounds. Brush each side with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Flip slices halfway through cooking time to ensure evening browning.

 

 

Filed under Appetizers. Tagged 
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Take It Outside

Posted by on 11 August 2011, 8:42 pm

Are any of my Bay Area friends headed to Outside Lands this weekend? If so, you may spot a giddy, early 30s dad excited about

a) seeing several of his favorite bands live

b) eating delicious food and drinking awesome wine without a wife trying to steal from his plate

and

c) having several hours of free time that are greatly deserved, considering how hard he works for his family.

I’m talking about my dear husband, Corey, who’s here with a guest post about his adventure. He’s attending Outside Lands (and representing Pretty By The Bay) as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program…so he better behave himself.

* * * * *

Outside Lands is perfect for a guy like me.

I’m a planner (both literally and figuratively), so I love that I can use this great online scheduler to ensure that I don’t miss a single band. I’m a budding cyclist, so I’ll use the festival’s handy-dandy bike valet and avoid any traffic snarls leading in to Golden Gate Park. And, like my wife, I’m a big foodie, so  I’m happy to learn that I’ll have access to some great eats while listening to some of my favorite bands.

On my must-eat list? I’m going to kick things off with tacos from Tacolicious. Beth raved about their tacos in this post, but didn’t bring home her leftovers. No matter – I’ll have carnitas tacos as a light dinner before the MGMT show Friday afternoon. Fatherly duties mean I have to go easy on the booze, but I’ll definitely be stopping by the Wine Lands tent before heading home.

Saturday is a big day for me, as several of my favorite bands will be hitting the stage. I’ll fuel up for The Roots with a hot dog from 4505 Meats.  The white man’s overbite will be in full effect as I jam out to The Roots, so I need as much energy as 4505 can give me. I’m hoping they offer something like this beauty topped with housemade pork rinds, because they only way to improve pork is to top it with more pork.

And finally, I’m going to hunt down Charles Chocolates and consume a s’more larger than my head. Beth’s friend Jenna posted this photo of herself at last year’s Outside Lands Festival, prompting my then-pregnant wife to obsess over the perceived deliciousness of that s’more. In fact, my wife still has not fulfilled that s’more craving and still talks about it. One of us has to see if this concoction lives up to the hype…it may as well be me. A giant s’more-fueled sugar rush  is just what I need for the Muse set on Saturday night. They’re one of my favorite bands and they’re great to see live, but an old man like me needs all the help I can get to rock out after 8 p.m.

(thanks for the photo, Jenna)

I’m thankful to Foodbuzz for sending me to Outside Lands. I’m even more thankful to my wife for pulling overtime duty with Lucy so I can pretend I’m a college student hippie rock star and crowd surf for three days straight!

 

 

 

 

Filed under Dining Out. Tagged 
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