Archive for June, 2010

Jun 24

Crab Cakes, Lobster, Bruschetta

Digging for lobster meat

My BFF Betsy is in town on respite from finishing medical boards, and in the celebratory way, we made a delicious summer feast. As a Midwesterner, lobster = celebration. And, if you’ve seen Julie & Julia, there is the memorable Lobster Killer scene in which Julie buys live lobster to make, but is racked with guilt and then horrified when the lobster once in the boiling pot of water knocks the lid off. This scene is after Julia kills a lobster without hesitation and declares herself “fearless.” While I don’t think I would be horrified to make live lobster, there is something to just doing it. To my disappointment, the lobster at Coastal Seafood was already cooked, so perhaps another time. And, they only had one lobster (one lobster does not equal three hungry adults), so purchased their pre-made crab cakes. A quick run to the co-op inspired a tomato something on grilled bread that Frank later pointed out, could make great bruschetta. Bruschetta it is!

Making Bruschetta

This was by far one of the easiest meals I have ever made:
Crab Cakes – sear in pan of melted butter, medium-high heat, 6 minutes per side.
Lobster – already cooked, so put him in the oven at 400 degrees to warm up
Bruschetta – cut Ciabatta bread in slices, coated with oil and placed in low broiler for ten minutes; meanwhile, cut up heirloom tomatoes with some scallion and basil, drizzled a little bit of olive oil and a tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette.

Jun 22

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Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Late last week, as Father’s Day was approaching, I tried to figure out what great grilling tool the Dads in my life would want, but opted for a different strategy when I came across a recipe for Dulce de Leche Cheesecake. Yes, they would far prefer that. And I would far prefer making them something, as opposed to shopping for another grilling tool they may or may not already have. And I have to admit, making something centering around a can of dulce de leche that sits open and ready for some small bites, was heaven.

These bars are really, really good.
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
Bon Appetit, June
Ingredients
Crust
* Nonstick vegetable oil spray
* 2 1/4 cups finely ground graham crackers (from about 17 whole graham crackers)
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
* 3 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 cup purchased dulce de leche*
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze
* 2/3 cup purchased dulce de leche
* 3 tablespoons (or more) heavy whipping cream
* Fleur de sel

Preparation
Crust
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

Filling
Blend cream cheese and sugar in processor until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended, about 10 seconds. Spread batter evenly over cooled crust. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

Glaze
Heat dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if too thick to pour (amount of cream needed will depend on brand of dulce de leche). Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (glaze will not be firm). DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.

Cut cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 6 strips, forming 24 bars. Sprinkle bars with fleur de sel.

Update: Thanks for the shout out Bon Appetit!

Jun 17

In the Details: Coasters

We are nearing the end of our two year Major Project List, with only a few DIY home renovations left (like sanding the front porch floor…more to come on that later). I am (finally) getting the point where little things are on my radar. And by little things, I mean really, really little things. Like coasters. For whatever reason, when I think of coasters, I conjure up vintage imagery. Naturally, something to find at an antique store. Well, a run-in with too crowded and overfilled trinket-haven on Sunday sent me back to the internet where an organized search can let me look in peace. While there is color in the house, there aren’t patterns. I try to keep the big things a solid color (so I don’t hate it in two years), and use pattern in the details. So here’s what I’m thinking would work well:
Sea Grass Coasters from Anthropologie:

Olive Wood Coasters from Ten Thousand Villages:

Green Ceramic Coasters from GinaDeSantis on Etsy:

Type Coasters from Veer:

Coasters from The Broken Plate, which I think is the winner because they make me think vintage, but I didn’t have to antique shop for them!

Jun 8

Homemade Granola

Inspired by Molly Wizenberg’s piece “Breakfast Outside the Box” in this month’s Bon Appetit, I made granola last night while listening to the new The New Pornographers album (it is so fun, so good, so lovely). I grew up eating my aunt’s homemade granola (with ice cold milk, not yogurt…I have the same preference to this day), which she would drop off in a mason jar every couple of months. So I snapped up the chance not only to make granola, but Molly’s granola (see here, here and here for more on my adoration for all things M.W. from Orangette). Anyway, while I may have burnt my granola just a bit, I added a little pinch of sugar and craisins which sweetened the whole thing up again. Here’s the recipe:

Everyday Granola
Serve this with yogurt or milk—or eat it plain as a snack.
Makes about 5 cups

Recipe by Molly Wizenberg

Ingredients
* 3 cups old-fashioned oats
* 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
* 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
* 3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
* 1/3 cup honey
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 cup assorted dried fruit

Preparation
Preheat oven to 300°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss. Spread on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, about 40 minutes. Place sheet on rack. Stir granola; cool. Mix in fruit. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight.