I have a theory about cooking for a loved one(s) on Valentine's Day. If you're making a special dinner, keep it simple and sensual and if you do select something complicated be organized. There's nothing worse than a romantic dinner spoiled by last minute disorganization. If you are baking, it can be wonderfully simple or challenging, but give yourself time to do it right. By all means, make it romantic. Here are a number of fine recipes from new cookbooks that will help make the day memorable. .jpg)
risotto, corn, lobster, red pepper, zucchini
While I was on Nantucket, I began to think about what other ingredients I could add to corn and lobster in order to make a chowder. Nantucket is fortunate to have two very good truck farms that provide islanders and food businesses with as much fresh produce as we need. There are especially tasty vegetables available throughout the summer and into the fall—when lobster is at its best. I chose zucchini and red pepper for my chowder, then decided that what I really wanted was a corn and lobster risotto.
SERVES 4–6
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 cups carnaroli rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 1 ear)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 by 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound lobster cut into 1/2 by 1/2-inch pieces
6 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
1. Add the grape seed oil and onions to a 3-quart saucepan. Turn on the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. (It’s important that the onions don’t take on color.)
2. Add the rice to the pan and stir into the onions. Let the rice “toast,” or dry out— you will see the kernels become opaque—about 1 to 2 minutes. Agitate the pan from time to time to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom. Add the white wine and cook until evaporated. Begin to add the water, 2 cups at a time. Keep stirring in order to release the starch. Continue to agitate the pan. When a wooden spoon dragged through the rice reveals a pathway, add the next 2 cups water. Add ½ teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper.
3. During the addition of the remaining 2 cups of water, add 3 tablespoons of the butter and the Parmesan cheese. Begin to make the topping: Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, the corn, zucchini, and red peppers to a medium skillet over high heat. When the butter begins to melt, add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Lower the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, about 8 minutes. Add the lobster and cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and add the basil. The risotto is cooked when a creamy consistency is achieved and the rice kernels are tender but firm.
4. Add the risotto to a warm shallow bowl. Place the topping in the center and let it sink into the risotto. Alternatively, make individual plates for each person to be served.
5. Serve immediately.
HANGAR STEAK WITH CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS
Hanger steak is very flavorful and tender, so be sure not to overcook (medium at most), and slice against the grain for the best texture.
Serves 4
½ cup extra--virgin olive oil
¼ cup sherry vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed with the side of a large knife
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1½ pounds hanger steak (about 10 inches long and 1¼ inches thick)
5 shallots, peeled and halved or quartered
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup water
Whisk together ¼ cup oil, the vinegar, garlic, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a large glass dish. Place steak in dish, and turn to coat with marinade. Let marinate at room temperature 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium--high. Cook shallots, stirring often, until just golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium--low. Season shallots with salt and continue cooking, adding the water 2 tablespoons at a time as needed to keep shallots from sticking, until tender and caramelized, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer shallots to a plate.
Wipe skillet with paper towels. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium--high. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip back into dish (discard marinade). Pat dry steaks with paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Cook steak, turning once, until an instant--read thermometer registers 135°F for medium--rare, 8 to 9 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter. Let rest 10 minutes, tenting with parchment paper, then foil, to keep warm. Season with pepper.
Wipe skillet again; return shallots to pan and quickly toss over medium heat. Thinly slice steak across the grain. Serve with shallots and mustard.
Reprinted from the book Martha Stewart’s Dinner at Home by Martha Stewart. Copyright © 2009 by Martha Stewart. Photograph copyright © 2009 by Beatriz Da Costa. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc.
MOLTEN CHOCOLATE-ESPRESSO CAKES
Makes 6
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tin
1∕3 cup sugar, plus more for tin
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1∕3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush 6 cups of a standard muffin tin with butter, and dust with sugar; tap out excess. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Let chocolate cool.
Whisk together flour, espresso powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated after each. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla and chocolate.
Spoon batter into prepared cups, dividing evenly. Bake until cakes no longer jiggle when tin is shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool at least 10 minutes before turning out cakes
Reprinted from the book Martha Stewart’s Dinner at Home by Martha Stewart. Copyright © 2009 by Martha Stewart. Photograph copyright © 2009 by Sang An. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc.
ROSE RED VELVET CAKE
SERVES: 8 to 10
BAKING TIME: 25 to 35 minutes
I long resisted the charms of this cake, believing it to be merely a layer cake tinted red with a bottle of food coloring. But when several people on my blog sang its praises, I decided to investigate it more thoroughly. It turns out that there is more to this cake than its shocking color. This beloved southern cake is traditionally prepared with oil, a mere suspicion of cocoa, and a teaspoon of white vinegar, which raises the acidity of the batter and intensifies its color. The liquid component is usually buttermilk, which is thought to raise the acidity as well, although the baking soda normally used neutralizes most of the acidity and makes the crumb more coarse and the color darker.
So, when I created my version of this classic, I used only baking powder to employ the full acidity of the buttermilk, making vinegar unnecessary. I also used half oil and half butter for the flavor-enhancing qualities of butter and the moist, softening quality of the oil. The resulting cake is as flavorful and tender as you can hope for and stays soft enough to eat even straight from the fridge. A heart-shape pan is perfect for Valentine’s Day. And the contrast of the white chocolate cream cheese buttercream against the red cake is alluring.
| BATTER | VOLUME | WEIGHT | |
| 3 large egg whites, at room temperature | ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3 fluid ounces) | 3.2 ounces | 90 grams |
| red food color (1 bottle); see NOTES below | 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) | 1 ounce | 30 grams |
| pure vanilla extract | 1½ teaspoons | | |
| cake flour (or bleached all-purpose flour) | 2 cups (or 1¾ cups), sifted into the cup and leveled off | 7 ounces | 200 grams |
| superfine sugar | 1 cup | 7 ounces | 200 grams |
| baking powder | 3 teaspoons | | |
| unsweetened cocoa powder; see NOTES below | 1 teaspoon | | |
| salt | ½ teaspoon | | |
| canola or safflower oil, at room temperature | ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) | 2 ounces | 58 grams |
| unsalted butter (65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C) | 4 tablespoons (½ stick) | 2 ounces | 57 grams |
| low-fat buttermilk | ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) | 4.2 ounces | 121 grams |
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT One 9 by 2-inch heart-shape or round cake pan (8 to 8 2⁄3 cups), encircled with a cake strip, bottom coated with shortening, topped with parchment cut to shape, then coated with baking spray with flour
PREHEAT THE OVEN Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
MIX THE LIQUID INGREDIENTS In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites, red food color, and vanilla just until lightly combined. (Caution: Be careful with the red food color: it stains effectively, but also unmercifully.)
MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa, and salt.
MAKE THE BATTER In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the oil and butter on medium speed for 1 minute. It will not be completely smooth. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the batter in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small off set spatula.
BAKE THE CAKE Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.
COOL AND UNMOLD THE CAKE Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. To prevent splitting, reinvert the cake so that the top side is up. Cool completely.
Dreamy Creamy White Chocolate Frosting
MAKES: almost 1 cup/7.6 ounces/216 grams
| | VOLUME | WEIGHT | |
| white chocolate containing cocoa butter, chopped | | 3 ounces | 85 grams |
| cream cheese, softened but still cool | | 4 ounces | 113 grams |
| unsalted butter, softened but still cool (65°F/19°C) | 2 tablespoons | 1 ounce | 28 grams |
| crème fraîche or sour cream | ½ tablespoon | 0.2 ounce | 7 grams |
| almond extract | ¹⁄8 teaspoon | | |
MELT THE WHITE CHOCOLATE Heat the chocolate until almost completely melted. Use a small microwavable bowl, stirring with a silicone spatula every 15 seconds (or use the top of a double boiler set over hot, not simmering, water, stirring often—do not let the bottom of the container touch the water).
Remove the white chocolate from the heat and, with the silicone spatula, stir until fully melted. Allow it to cool until it is no longer warm to the touch but is still fluid.
MAKE THE FROSTING In a food processor, process the cream cheese, butter, and creme fraiche for a few seconds until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides. Add the cooled melted white chocolate and pulse it in a few times until it is smoothly incorporated. Add the almond extract and pulse it in.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR SUCCESS Use white chocolate containing cocoa butter, such as Green & Black’s with vanilla seeds or Valrhona. The frosting becomes more firm in the refrigerator.
For a whiter frosting without the subtle flavor of the white chocolate, you can replace the white chocolate with 1 cup (lightly spooned into the cup)/4 ounces/115 grams powdered sugar and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract.
COMPOSE THE CAKE When the cake is completely cool, set it on a serving plate. Frost the top with swirls of buttercream.
NOTES Some people have a problem with the idea of using red food color and use beet juice in its place. In recipes using baking soda, the beet juice would turn brown, but with this highly acidic batter, the crumb will stay red, though not as pretty a red as offered by the food color. The best way to harvest beet juice is to roast the well-washed beets in their skins, leaving an inch of root and stems, in an aluminum foil package at 350º/175ºC for about 45 minutes for medium beets, up to about 1 hour and 15 minutes for large ones. Remove the beets and use the foil to pour the beet juice into a small container.
For a distinct chocolate flavor, you can use up to ¼ cup cocoa/0.7 ounce/21 grams, sifted before measuring, but decrease the flour by the same amount. The color will be a much darker red.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE VALENTINE
SERVES: 8 to 10
BAKING TIME: 30 to 40 minutes
This cake is really the final word in chocolate cake, and it is based on my purest chocolate fantasy. It features a cocoa layer cake that uses the best cocoa, all egg yolks to give it its fullest flavor, and, to finish, a sweet injection of melted chocolate and cream. Astonishingly easy to make, it is at once fudgy moist and soft within, and becomes encased in a thin glaze of chocolate that forms by itself after brushing in the ganache. For Valentine’s Day, I like to bake the cake in a heart-shape pan, then I top it with fresh red raspberries gilded with currant jelly and pipe whipped cream around the base.
| Batter | VOLUME | WEIGHT | |
| unsweetened (alkalized) cocoa powder | ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (sifted before measuring) | 1.5 ounces | 42 grams |
| boiling water | ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) | 4.2 ounces | 118 grams |
| about 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature | ¼ cup plus ½ tablespoon (2.2 fluid ounces) | 2.6 ounces | 74 grams |
| water | 3 tablespoons (1.5 fluid ounces) | 1.5 ounces | 44 grams |
| pure vanilla extract | ¾ teaspoon | | |
| cake flour (or bleached all-purpose flour) | 1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon (or 1¹⁄³ cups), sifted into the cup and leveled off | 5.5 ounces | 156 grams |
| superfine sugar | 1 cup | 7 ounces | 200 grams |
| baking powder | 2½ teaspoons | | |
| salt | ½ teaspoon | | |
| unsalted butter (65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C) | 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) | 4.5 ounces | 128 grams |
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT One 9 by 2-inch heart-shape or round cake pan (8 to 8 2⁄3 cups), encircled with a cake strip, bottom coated with shortening, topped with parchment cut to shape, then coated with baking spray with flour.
PREHEAT THE OVEN Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
MIX THE COCOA AND WATER In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. To speed cooling, place it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before proceeding.
MIX THE REMAINING LIQUID INGREDIENTS In another bowl, whisk the yolks, the 3 tablespoons water, and the vanilla just until lightly combined.
MAKE THE BATTER In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small off set spatula.
BAKE THE CAKE Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.
While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze.
Ganache Glaze
MAKES: 1 cup/8 fluid ounces/8.6 ounces/244 grams
| | VOLUME | WEIGHT | |
| dark chocolate, 60% to 62% cacao, chopped | | 3 ounces | 85 grams |
| heavy cream | ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) | 6 ounces | 174 grams |
MAKE THE GANACHE GLAZE In a food processor, process the chocolate until very fine. In a 1-cup or larger microwavable cup with a spout (or in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often), scald the cream (heat it to the boiling point; small bubbles will form around the periphery).
With the motor of the food processor running, pour the cream through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process for a few seconds until smooth. Scrape the ganache into a small bowl and set it in a warm spot.
APPLY THE GLAZE AND COOL AND UNMOLD THE CAKE As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, place the pan on a wire rack, poke holes all over the top with a wooden skewer, and use a brush to dabble half of the ganache glaze onto the cake. It will take about 10 minutes. Run a small metal spatula around the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and invert the cake onto a flat surface, such as a cardboard round or plate that has been covered with plastic wrap. Peel off and discard the parchment and poke holes all over. Dabble with the remaining glaze, brushing a little onto the sides of the cake as well. Cool completely, for 1 or more hours, or until the chocolate is firm to the touch. Invert the cake onto a 10-inch cardboard round or 10-inch perfectly flat plate covered with plastic wrap. It is now top side up with plastic wrap sticking to it. Peel off the plastic wrap, then reinvert the cake onto a serving plate so that it is bottom side up; remove the remaining plastic wrap.
Raspberry Topping
| | VOLUME | WEIGHT | |
| fresh raspberries | 2 pints | 1 pound | 454 grams |
| red currant jelly | ¼ cup | 2.6 ounces | 77 grams |
MAKE THE RASPBERRY TOPPING Starting at the outside border and working in toward the center, place the raspberries closely together to cover the surface of the cake.
In a microwave, or small heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the currant jelly. Use a small clean brush to paint the currant glaze onto the raspberries.
If making the cake without the raspberry topping, for a more attractive appearance use a pastry brush to stipple the chocolate glaze after is almost set. You may also dust the top lightly with cocoa or powdered sugar by placing the powder in a strainer held over the cake and tapping the edge of the strainer with a spoon.
Whipped Cream
MAKES: 2 cups/8.6 ounces/244 grams
| | VOLUME | WEIGHT | |
| heavy cream, cold | 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) | 8.2 ounces | 232 grams |
| superfine sugar | 1 tablespoon | 0.5 ounce | 12 grams |
| pure vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon | | |
MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. (Chill the mixer’s whisk beater alongside the bowl.)
Whip the mixture, starting on low speed, gradually raising the speed to medium-high as it thickens, just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.
If desired, use a pastry bag fitted with a large open star pastry tube (⅜ inch) to pipe a shell border around the base of the cake. Alternatively, serve with a dollop of whipped cream on the side.
Grand Central Bakery Jammers
Like any good pastry, jammers are irresistible warm from the oven, and remember, the higher the quality of jam, the better the jammer. I recommend preparing the ingredients the night before. When you bite into a warm biscuit first thing the next morning, you’ll consider the time well spent.
Makes 10 to 12 jammers
4 cups (1 pound, 4 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
11/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (8 ounces, or 2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
11/4 to 11/2 cups (10 to 12 fluid ounces) buttermilk
About 3/4 cup good quality preserves or jam
Prepare to bake.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
Combine the dry ingredients.
Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a bowl with high sides or the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
Cut in the butter.
Dice the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Use your hands or the paddle attachment of the stand mixer on low speed to blend the butter into the dry ingredients until the texture of the flour changes from silky to mealy. There should still be dime- to quarter-size pieces of butter remaining. If you’re preparing the dough the night before, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill overnight; otherwise proceed with the recipe.
Add the buttermilk.
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in 1 cup of the buttermilk in one addition. Gently mix the dough just until it comes together; it will look rough. Scrape the dough from the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add another 1/4 cup buttermilk and mix again to incorporate any floury scraps. The majority of the dough will come together, on the paddle if you are using a stand mixer. Stop mixing while there are still visible chunks of butter and floury patches. The dough should come out of the bowl in 2 to 3 large, messy clumps, leaving only some small scraps and flour around the sides of the bowl. If the dough is visibly dry and crumbly, add up to 1/4 cup more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing no more than one rotation after each addition.
Form and cut the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use the heels and sides of your palms to gather the dough and gently pat it into an oblong shape 11/2 to 2 inches thick. It won’t look smooth or particularly cohesive; that’s okay. Use a biscuit cutter to cut the jammers into circles at least 21/2 inches in diameter. Layer the leftover scraps on top of one another and gently pat them out to a thickness of 11/2 to 2 inches and again cut into circles.
Fill the jammers.
Use your thumb to make an indentation the size of a fifty-cent piece in the middle of each biscuit. While gently supporting the outside edge of the biscuit with your fingers, use your thumb to create a bulb-shaped hole that’s a bit wider at the bottom and that goes almost to the bottom of the biscuit (think pinch pot). Try to apply as little pressure as possible to the outside of the biscuit, to avoid smashing the layers, which are the key to flaky jammers. Fill each indentation with 1 tablespoon of jam and put the jammers on the prepared baking sheet with 11/2 inches between them.
Bake.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. The jammers should be a deep golden brown.
Reprinted with permission from The Grand Central Baking Book: Breakfast Pastries, Cookies, Pies, and Satisfying Savories from the Pacific Northwest ’s Celebrated Bakery by Piper Davis with Ellen Jackson, copyright © 2009. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.
Photo credit: John Valls © 2009
