Madhu Knits and Cooks

Recipe, knitting, and sewing project notes

Tag: Cooking — Tips

  • Very Stressful Experience But Great Interim Result – Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

    For Christmas 2014, I decided to forgo my usual pumpkin pie and instead go for a more ambitious dessert – a pumpkin cheesecake.  I haven't made cheesecake since my day-long attempt at the Frankies Spuntino Ricotta Cheesecake in 2013, and I haven't made a pumpkin cheesecake since 2005 (and that was a joint effort with an expert baker friend).  

    But feeling confident in my baking abilities, I decided to spend Dec. 23rd making the Cook's Illustrated Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake, which with its CI recommendations of removing excess moisture from canned pumpkin, spiced graham cracker crust, and make-in-advance directions seemed like the way to go.

    Unfortunately, the initial confidence I had for making this cheesecake quickly fell apart as I was actually preparing it.  First, the new springform pan I had ordered didn't arrive by the 23rd and I was worried about using my slightly leaky and uneven pans at home.  

    Second, while starting to follow the recipe, I realized that I was supposed to bake the cheesecake in a water bath in a roasting pan – a roasting pan I did not have.  I tried to see if some of my other baking dishes would work, but none would leave room between the outside of the springform pan and the outer baking dish.  I decided I had no other choice but to improvise, so reading other approaches online, I decided to put the boiling water in a baking dish a row below the springform pan in the oven to keep the oven steamy and hopefully avoid unevenly baking the cheesecake.

    Third, I didn't have an instant read thermometer so couldn't fully tell when the cheesecake was baked and may have overbaked it – oh well.  After an hour and a half or so, I decided to turn off the oven, and leave the door slightly ajar with a wooden spatula to let the cool and drier air more gradually reach the cheesecake to avoid it collapsing.  I thought that step may take the place of cooling the cheesecake for 45 minutes in the hot water bath outside of the oven.

    Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

    And for the final act, as the actually beautiful cheesecake was cooling, enough liquid had escaped the pan and into the foil coating I had put on the outside of the pan, so the outside of the pan was quite slippery.  As such, I dropped the baked cheesecake on the floor and only about 1/2 of it stayed in the pan and survived so speak.  I smoothed out the remaining cheesecake with a knife and decided to serve cheesecake "bars" instead.  

    The cheesecake bars were wonderful, but definitely still a disappointment to have gone through all of that stress and effort for a less-than-perfect result.  

    So…next year?

  • Coffeecake Muffins – Amazing Idea, Failed Execution

    For a recent brunch gathering I decided to incorporate a sweet offering to complement the otherwise savory egg, bread, rice/lentil and salad options.  Not surprisingly, I turned to Cook's Illustrated to find a recipe, and was incredibly happy when I found their Coffeecake Muffin recipe.  

    I am a big fan of nut-free coffeecake (I am allergic to nuts), and the muffin approach seemed like a great way to ensure a not-dry cake because the smaller cakes could presumably bake more evenly.  Unfortunately though, the concept was better than reality for at least the first time I made it.

    I followed the recipe mostly as is, omitting the pecans and using low-fat sour cream instead of full-fat.  I used 13 muffin cups though because the quantity of dough was WAY more than 12 cups would allow.  In fact, I think I should have used 18 cups or so because I definitely overfilled each cup, which led to a baking disaster.  Each cup's dough eventually spilled over the sides, covering the entire outside of the cup.  So halfway through the baking, I had to scoop up the dough on the baking pan, and off of the sides of the silicon cups.  

    Coffeecake Muffins

    When I took the muffins out of the oven, some were partially baked and sunk in while cool, and others were overbaked.  The flavor was outstanding though – great spices and dark brown sugar combined with the sour cream for a rich, dense taste.  So while I definitely look forward to making them again, this was yet another reminder to never overfill muffin cups while baking!

    Coffeecake Muffins Close Up

  • Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – (Almost) Straight from the Bakery

    For New Year's Eve, which we spent in this year, I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies to fulfill a week long craving.  Determining that none of my previous cookie recipes would be sufficient for what I felt I wanted, I turned to Cook's Illustrated and found the Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.  

    (I also used the opportunity to try to ressucitate some dry light brown sugar in my cupboard, which I successfully did by placing a slice of apple in an airtight container with the sugar overnight.  This technique worked FAR better than the day-of microwaving water in a container next to the dry sugar, and is one that I will repeat again.)

    I basically followed the recipe as is, and used a combination of leftover bittersweet chocolate rounds and semisweet chocolate chunks for approximately 1 cup of chips.  I think the trick to getting these cookies to achieve the "bakery look" is to truly follow CI's suggestion for forming the dough, which involves scooping a quarter cup of dough, ripping it in half, and then shoving the two dough pieces back together with the "ripped" sides facing up.  

    Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Close Up

    The result was pretty solid – large, soft and chewy interiors, slightly crisp exterior, and perfect cookie flavor.  The cookies were slightly dry two – three days after baking them, but definitely perfect for day-of baking for a quick potluck or children's party.  

    Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 2013 Holiday Party – Our First Major Party Spread

    We held our first holiday party in late December, and putting together a menu for 10 – 15 attendees with varying taste preferences was definitely a new challenge for me.  I decided to combine mostly a set of the usual suspects with a few options that seem like they could be a) made ahead of time, or b) were relatively simple to construct within a day because I was traveling for work until the night before the gathering.  The biggest challenge was to figure out the right quantity of food to prepare, especially because we didn't know if people would be showing up for dinner, a snack, dessert, etc. given that we might have other holiday parties to compete with.

    We ultimately settled on the following menu, which ended up being perfect for this set of guests for this wintery season, albeit during a temporary winter heat wave of 60 degrees! 

    2013 Holiday Party

  • Kitchen Sink Lasagna – A Lot Better than It Sounds

    After I made the Four Cheese Lasagna, I found myself with some leftover no-cook lasagna sheets.  I also had in the fridge some leftover ricotta, gruyere and other bits of cheeses.  And in the freezer some frozen jarred marinara sauce.  So clearly, the thought of improvising a lasagna dish entered my mind.

    When the time came to actually make the lasagna, I found that I lacked a number of ingredients I thought I would put in the lasagna, including frozen spinach and other vegetables.  So I ended up just pulling random ingredients from the kitchen together to make what I thought would be aptly named "kitchen sink" lasagna.  To my surprise, the casserole ended up tasting pretty good – so maybe lasagna will be a good way to use up leftovers in the future!

    My improvised recipe follows the picture of the completed lasagna dish.

    Kitchen Sink Lasagna

    Kitchen Sink Lasagna

    Ingredients:

    • 5 no-boil lasagna noodle sheets
    • 1 cup low-fat ricotta
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1.5 cups of frozen, jarred spicy marinara sauce (thawed)
    • 3/4 cup frozen cauliflower, partially steamed
    • 1/2 cup frozen corn, partially steamed
    • 1/2 shallot, minced
    • 1 cup grated emmentaler
    • 1/4 cup grated gruyere
    • 1/4 cup grated parmesan 
    • 1 slice of pepper jack (from deli), broken up
    • 1 tbsp. (approx.) heavy cream
    • 1 tbsp. olive oil
    • Crushed red pepper
    • Salt and pepper

    Directions:

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Place the lasagna sheets in a pan with warm water for 2 – 3 minutes.  Move the sheets periodically to ensure they do not stick to each other.
    • Combine the ricotta, heavy cream, minced garlic from 1 clove, and crushed red pepper (to taste) in a small bowl.  Salt and pepper to season.
    • Heat olive oil in a small saucepan on medium heat.  Add remaining garlic and shallot and saute until fragrant.  Then add partially steamed cauliflower and corn and cook until vegetables are fully cooked — approximately 5 minutes.
    • In baking pan, spoon in some of the marinara sauce to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.  Then place first lasagna sheet, and layer with ricotta mixture, vegetable mixture, a combination of the grated emmentaler and gruyere and marinara.  Repeat as necessary (I made three layers).
    • On top of lasagna, sprinkle parm and pepper jack cheese.
    • Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through, rotating once halfway during the baking process.
    • Then place dish under broiler for 1.5 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.

  • Chewy Gingerbread Cookies – and Ruminations on Why Baking is Not Just Chemistry

    I recently made the Cook's Illustrated Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookie recipe and while assembling the ingredients, I realized that I did not have the exact measurements the recipe called for.  Unfortunately, many people I know would have told me to stop there.  I have been told time and time again that "baking is chemisty" and that to get a good baked good result, one needs to follow a recipe EXACTLY.  I really dislike having those conversations because I don't think that baking is or needs to be more precise than cooking.  I make modifications frequently to baked goods, and although the result may not be perfect (just like most of my cooking isn't perfect), nothing is actually perfect to everyone.  We all have different palates and making baking modifications, like making cooking modifications, isn't wrong to achieve the outcomes we want.  I don't mean substitute baking powder for baking soda (there is certainly chemistry in baking), but I think people should treat baking like cooking – experimenting to find something you like, and using the recipe as a guide and not a fail-safe scientific formula.

    So, in any case, modifications I made.  I only had around 1/2 a cup of molasses (probably btwn. 1/3 and 1/2 cup of molasses), so I just used that.  I added more liquid in the form of adding maybe 3.5 tbsps. of low-fat milk.  The dark sugar I used was also a bit dry and old, so I warmed it up in the microwave with some water to make it more moist.  I reduced the baking time to about 7 – 8 minutes to avoid too dry cookies and to adjust for making much smaller cookies – in the form of Star Wars cutouts.  

    The result was great – soft, chewy and thin cookies, which were rich in flavor.  I look forward to making more in the coming winter months!

    Thick and Chewy Gingerbread

  • My New Go-To Risotto Recipe — Almost No Work and Wonderfully Flavorful

    Cook's Illustrated has done it again!  Although I was skeptical of the May 2010 issue's claim that it had a tried-and-true "Almost Hands-Free Risotto with Parmasean and Herbs" recipe (particularly skeptical of the "Almost Hands-Free" claim), I tried the recipe a few weeks ago in my new dutch oven and was SHOCKED at how easy this risotto was to prepare.  Instead of stressing over the stovetop for an hour, constantly stirring in small batches of hot vegetable stock, I was able to spend just a few minutes on the dish on the front end, and then set the timer to let the risotto cook by itself for 15 minutes or so before giving it a vigorous stir at the end.  

    I was shocked that the result wasn't mushy or too dry, rather the rice was perfectly cooked — each grain retained its own form.  The flavor of the final dish was also perfect — instead of getting sick of the rice after a few bites, which has happened with both restaurant and homemade risotto alike, I kept going back for more servings to experience the subtle lemon and savory herb flavors.  

    This recipe is definitely my new go-to for risotto, especially for dinner parties because it will be easy to prepare this as a side dish while simultaneously preparing a more complicated main dish.  And with my adoption of the freezing-herbs technique which works wonderfully with both parsley and chives (wash and dry the herbs, then place in a single layer on a baking sheet, place sheet in freezer for 30 minutes, then place the herbs into a freezer-safe plastic bag or container — they will retain both their color and flavor for months!), I will almost always have the ingredients on hand!

    I'd say that this recipe alone is worth purchasing an online subscription to CooksIllustrated.com — if you have ever thought risotto would be too complicated to make at home, or had homemade risotto disasters, you won't regret trying these directions!

    Cooks Illustrated Risotto

  • New and Improved Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding!

    I recently made my first bread pudding, using a basic recipe from AllRecipes.com (http://www.madhuknitsandcooks.com/madhu_knits_and_cooks/2009/04/chocolate-chip-bread-pudding.html).   A few nights ago, I decided to use up the other half of my Trader Joe's challah bread and the rest of my carton of low-fat milk to make another bread pudding.  However, after the bread was broken into pieces and placed into the pan, and two eggs (instead of the four I used last time) had been beaten, I realized I only had a little over 1 cup of milk to use instead of the 2 called for in the original recipe.  Instead of giving up on the effort, I decided to forge ahead and finish the bread pudding with just the cup of the milk and 2 eggs (basically halving the liquid ingredients in the recipe), adding in the rest of the original recipe ingredients staying as is. 

    The rest:  a wonderful, bouncy, light and delicious chocolate chip bread pudding! 

    Using less liquid really helped bring out more textures in the bread pudding, specifically a nicely browned top and a rich, pudding-like bottom.  Using fewer eggs also helped eliminate the problem I experienced with the original recipe — a cooked, very eggy bottom layer.  So moving forward, I would definitely recommend including only the necessary liquid needed to lightly soak the bread and absolutely no more.  I would also recommend using no more than 2 eggs for a bread pudding baked in an 8-by-8 inch pan.  

    Now, time to make more!

  • Simple and Delicious Greek Salad

    So, this simple recipe that I threw together late last week was inspired by two influences from the summer:

    1)  The wonderful "Greek Country Salad" served at the Artopolis Cafe in Chicago’s Greektown.

    2) The last few minutes of a Rachel Ray "30 minute meals recipe" where she created a tasty and healthy non-dressing dressing (my words, not hers :-)).

    Simple_greek_salad_1

    I made this one-serving salad using:

    Chopped Hearts of Romaine Lettuce (maybe 1/2 of one "heart" — is that even the right terminology?  I have no idea)

    1 medium-sized tomato, chopped

    Approx. 1/8 of a red onion, chopped

    Handful of small pepperonncini peppers, coarsely chopped (and you can give just take a few extras, cut them open and squeeze the juice onto the salad for extra flavor)

    1-2 oz. of Feta cheese, cut into large chunks

    lemon juice, I used 1/5 of a fresh lemon to get a good flavor for the salad

    extra virgin olive oil

    Basically just throw these ingredients together in a large salad bowl, juice the lemon directly onto the salad, and then throw on a splash of olive oil.  You can alter the amount of ingredients you use to find the right kind of flavor that you like, and of course add extra ingredients like olives (which I personally dislike) to the salad to make more "greek" if you will. 

    A tip that I learned from this Rachel Ray-inspired non-dressing dressing is that first you should put the lemon juice (the acid) first on the salad, before you put any olive oil so that the flavors meld better and take away the bite of the acid.  I’m not quite sure on the science of this one, but I believe Rachel Ray!

    In short, this is a really great simple AND filling salad that I recommend everyone tries out!