mk

Banana Bread

January 19, 2014 by mk

How many times have you bought bananas and ended up with a few overripe ones by the end of the week? This is exactly what you need for the perfect banana bread.

Banana Bread recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F

Directions:
1). Lightly grease 9×5″ loaf pan or 4 small loaf pans
2). Sift the dry ingredients together : flour, baking soda, salt in a med size bowl
3). In a separate bowl, beat with electric mixer the wet ingredients : bananas, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla. The wet ingredients should be incorporated and slightly fluffy. This takes about 5 minutes on med speed.
4). Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and incorporate everything by hand using a large hand whisk or rubber spatula until just incorporated. Don’t overmix.
5). Fold in nuts with rubber spatula.
6). Bake in center of the oven for 30 – 45 minutes, rotating halfway. Done when cake tester / wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7). Cool on wire rack. Serve with powdered sugar or butter.

A health tip for the new year!

January 12, 2014 by mk

January is the time of year to start fresh, get healthy, and stop with the over indulgence. Here’s a health tip that is simple, economical, and 100% effective. Moderation.

Rather than guzzling down an entire bottle of bubbly during dinner, drink half, and save the rest for the next day! It’s the perfect exercise of will power and restraint. The way to preserve the effervescence is to stick a metal spoon in the top, and then put it in the fridge. An old wives’ tale this may be, but it really works! This healthy tip will keep the champagne fresh for about 24 hours. Just in time for you to enjoy after a productive day at work, and a quick set of push ups at the gym.

Harmony on the plate…. English Roast Part II.

December 22, 2013 by mk

A roast dinner would not be complete without the perfect accompaniment. For a traditional English Roast, this means a big fluffy crusty Yorkshire Pudding. Although the true origins are unclear, the first recipe for Yorkshire Pudding (or “Dripping Pudding”) was published in 1737’s The Whole Duty of A Woman. The book not only touches upon topics such as a wife’s behavior towards a drunkard, but includes all the cookery recipes and life tips a housewife would need in that era. Unclear is what to do if the wife is the drunkard, but I’m sure those rules appeared in subsequent publications.

In 2008, the Royal Society of Chemistry got involved when it declared that “A Yorkshire pudding isn’t a Yorkshire pudding if it is less than four inches tall”. So feel free to get the ruler out if you feel so inclined.

Here’s a modern recipe for the perfect Yorkshire Pudding.
This recipe makes approx 6 large Yorkshire Puddings, or Popovers as they are known in the States.

Ingredients:
(make sure all of the ingredients are at room temp – leave out for atleast 30 mins.)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk, plus 1/4 cup whole milk (added right before baking)
pinch of salt, cracked black pepper
Vegetable oil or pan drippings (oil with a hot smoking point)
optional: fresh herbs (rosemary / thyme), handful of parmesan or gruyère cheese (1/4 cup finely grated).

Equipment: Yorkshire pudding/ popover pan

Directions:
preheat oven to 425 degrees F
1). In a large bowl, add flour. Make a well in the center – add the eggs, salt, 1 cup milk. Whisk together until just blended, and do not over mix. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside on the countertop in a warm area for at least 1 hour. There will be little bubbles and texture will be similar to heavy cream or pancake batter.
2). About 10 minutes before you’re ready to bake, heat the popover pans in the oven until screaming hot.

3). While pans are heating, add remaining 1/4 cup milk and whisk together. Add herbs or cheese at this point (optional).
4). Using oven mitts, carefully take popover pans out and pour about 1 tspn oil in each tin.
5). Immediately pour the batter into each tin until 3/4 of the way to the top. The batter will sizzle.
6). Bake in center of the oven for 25-35 minutes until very crisp and puffed up very high. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN AT ANY POINT DURING BAKING !!!!
7). Immediately turn Yorkshire Puddings out onto a plate or large bowl lined with a tea towel, and make a small pierce in each one on the side or top to let the steam escape. This will keep them from deflating.

Serve hot alongside the carved roast with gravy and sides. This is the truth from DineGirl’s own experience : your guests will rave about your English Roast for months and probably even years to come. Enjoy!!

The Ultimate Showstopper… English Roast Part I.

December 20, 2013 by mk

Roast Beef is synonymous with tradition and special occasion. For a holiday dinner, one of the most favorite main dishes is the classic Standing Rib Roast. Luxurious and festive, it’s literally poetry on a plate. When sufficiently seasoned, roasted and rested correctly, it can actually be the easiest and most fuss-free main course to prepare!

We like this classic recipe for a Standing Rib Roast. The key to a successful roast is letting the meat come to room temperature before roasting, and using a meat thermometer.

Classic Standing Rib Roast (serves 12)
adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
One 5 rib standing rib roast (10-12 lbs), sliced off the bone and tied back on at intervals between the rib bones (by the butcher)
2 tblspn coarse salt (kosher salt works best)
1 1/2 tblspn chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
1 tsp dry mustard
coarsely ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Equipment:
Roasting pan just bigger than the roast. (smaller than what you’d use for a turkey). Oven thermometer, meat thermometer.

Directions:
1). Mix the salt, pepper, herbs, dry mustard, olive oil together in a small bowl.
2). Rub the salt and herb mixture all over the meat. Sprinkle some extra salt and pepper on top to make it really crusty. This stage can be done ahead of time – you can either cover loosely with plastic wrap and put in the fridge, or set aside while you wait for the meat to come to room temp.
3). Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with rack set at bottom third.
4). When the meat is room temperature, place the roast rib-side down in roasting pan. Transfer roast to oven and position pan so that the bone ends are facing the oven door. Roast until outside begins to brown and sizzle, about 15-20 minutes.
5). Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees F. Cook until meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reaches 110 to 115 for rare, 120 for med-rare, and 125 for med. About 1 1/2 hours. If meat has not reached desired doneness, cook 10 minutes more and keep checking.
6). Transfer roast to carving board, and loosely cover with foil to rest. Let meat rest at least 30 to 40 minutes before carving.
7). While the roast is resting you can turn the oven back up and make the Yorkshire Puddings. (see part two post).
8). When you’re ready to carve the roast, cut the strings, and carefully slice the meat into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices, and transfer to a warm serving platter. Garnish the platter with large bunches of herbs, and serve with the fluffy Yorkshire pudding, pan gravy or horseradish cream sauce.

Horseradish Cream Sauce

Mix together a jar of drained fresh horseradish, sour cream, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and a tspn of dry mustard powder. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust flavors. You can also add chives, scallions or shallots for more flavor.

Classic sides to serve along with the roast:
Minty Peas – cook peas for 5 mins with about a teaspoon of water. (slightly longer if using fresh peas). Add salt, lots of pepper, torn mint leaves and a knob of butter.
Ginger Glazed Carrots – cook carrots in boiling water until tender. Drain and finish with a tablespoon of grated ginger, brown sugar, butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roast potatoes – peel, chop and boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 25 mins. Drain in a colander and shake the potatoes to roughen up the edges. Heat about 3-4 tablespoon oil in a roasting pan, and carefully put the potatoes into the hot oil and roast for about 30-40 min until crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

and of course, we cannot forget the Yorkshire Puddings… which is worth it’s own special story. Stay tuned for Part II !

The Prickly Table Guest

December 10, 2013 by mk

Several years ago, I was invited to be a guest at a very chic wine dinner at the St. Regis Hotel in New York. Hosted by our wine friend JC, the invite was a thank you for sending him some new wine clients over the years. The dinner was a vertical tasting of Château Ausone – a beautiful St.Emillion Bordeaux, and arguably one of the most special producers. Expensive wines, expensive venue, and expensive entry fee. So you can imagine the other guests of the evening – prickly, snobby wine folk who aren’t mixing and mingling with the likes of me (a wine newbie and happy-go-lucky gal, also about 20 years younger) on a regular basis.

Anyway, I made my way up the gilded staircase to the private dining room, which was decorated impeccably, and simply breathtaking. One long candle lit table set for 50, fit for royalty. After a quick 20 minutes of champagne, I was seated next to my friend and giddy with excitement when the frumpy, yellow toothed, woolly sweater wearing gentleman to my right leaned in.

(smelly breath) “…. you know, this is a v—-ery expensive dinner. I’m curious, HOW exactly are you here?” he says, in that condescending old man tone that I hadn’t heard in a few decades.

My eyeballs fired up, fighting stance ready, I was just about to show no mercy and get disqualified like Bobby and go all Cobra Kai when JC quickly interjected. “oh, she’s my guest and also sent me several new clients over the years and this is just my way to say thank you.” Mr. Miyagi style ‘take the high road’ prevailed, and Mr. Frumpy quickly changed his tone and was neutral for the rest of the evening. But I still gave him the obligatory dirty look, and may or may not have muttered a few unsavory things under my breath.

In that moment, I learned a valuable lesson. No matter how amazing the venue, food, wine may be, sometimes you just can’t predict people’s behavior. Especially in a mixed crowd. While it’s easy to want to add fuel to the fire, the only thing it’s going to do is ruin your own evening. Tempting as it may be to sweep the leg, hurl some verbal assaults or even throw some real punches, kicks and elbows out there, (something I can do now thanks to years of muay thai work outs), what martial arts is supposed to also teach you is Zen like restraint. In dealing with dinner party landmines, it’s always better to take the high road. Smile and laugh for no reason, talk about neutral subjects, and just don’t get sucked into the tension – it’s a trap.

Some words to live by. The rest of the dinner went by tension free, and was one of the most incredible experiences in my early days of fine dining. I can still remember the seared foie gras with roasted apple, and the unbelievably special silver service. There’s something magical when all the dishes arrive at the same time via white glove servers. The wines were sublime – and the legendary 1949 Château Ausone continues to be one of the most special memories in my own wine history. This is a much better keepsake than a meaningless brawl with no prizes.

mk

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