Charlotte Malakoff

This past Wednesday would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday. I had been thinking about making tiramisu for my last post of the summer (and sadly, probably for the next school year), but when I heard about Julia’s birthday I knew I had to make one of her recipes that day. I searched my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking for a similar dessert and came across the recipe for Charlotte Malakoff. It still requires ladyfingers (which incidentally are French, not Italian) and is made mostly of delicious cream, like tiramisu. But it also uses almonds, orange liquor, and strawberries. I was sold.

It was a bonus to find a recipe similar to the dish I had originally planned, and I was excited to try something new. But really I was most happy to cook one of Julia’s recipes and write about her. Obviously this is nothing new in the blogosphere, but I think the fact that people continue writing and talking about her is a testament to what an inspirational woman she was. More than anything, I am struck by how much love she put into what she did. Whether or not you like cooking, we should all aspire to find so much joy in life. It just so happens that I find it in cooking, just like Julia. I will miss posting on here during school, but rest assured I will still be in the kitchen. And I’m sure I will be back next summer. Thank you for reading and happy cooking!

Charlotte Malakoff Aux Fraises, Almond Cream with Fresh Strawberries

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
• 2/3 cup and 1/2 cup orange liquor
• 1 1/3 cup water
• 48 single ladyfingers*
• 1/2 lb. softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (plus 1/2 cup for sauce)
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/3 cups pulverized almonds**
• 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
• Juice of one lemon

*Julia’s original recipe calls for “24 single ladyfingers, 4 inches long and about 2 inches wide” for a 2-quart cylindrical mold (4 in. high and 7 in. diameter). I think the ladyfingers I had were about the same size but I used double that amount with a 2-quart mold. I would buy some extra ladyfingers just in case.

**Pulverized almonds: in a food processor, combine 1 1/2 cups of almonds and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Process until the almonds are a fine grain.

Line the bottom of the mold with a round of wax or parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix 2/3 cup of orange liquor and 1 1/3 cups of water. Place the ladyfingers, one by one, on a cake rack. Using a basting brush, lightly coat each ladyfinger with the orange liquor/water mix. The key is to not get them too soggy. For the bottom of the mold, arrange the ladyfingers like a f lower (see illustration above). You will have to cut the ladyfingers to create the fan shape. Next, line the sides of the mold. Reserve remaining ladyfingers for an inside layer and topping.

In a large bowl, mix the butter and 1 cup sugar until creamy and f luffy. Add 1/2 cup orange liquor and almond extract. Continue mixing and stir in the pulverized almonds. In a food processor (or a large bowl with a whisk) whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the almond butter mixture. Spoon 1/3 of the almond cream into the mold. Arrange a layer of strawberries on top of the cream, followed by a layer of ladyfingers. Repeat with another layer of almond cream and strawberries. You will probably have extra almond cream. Arrange the remaining ladyfingers like a f lower again to top the mold. Cover the mold with another round of wax or parchment paper. Set a small saucer on top of the paper and place weight on top of it (see picture above: cookbook and box of vegetable broth). Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Finally, remove the paper on top of the mold. Run a knife around the inside of the mold and reverse the dessert on a large plate. Remove the remaining paper. Refrigerate the dessert until ready to serve. Meanwhile, I made a strawberry sauce by blending together the remaining strawberries (approximately 1/2 quart), 1/2 cup of sugar, and juice from one lemon. Decorate the dessert with sauce, whipped cream, or sliced strawberries. Bon appetit!

Zucchini Blossom Bruschetta

I have been intrigued by zucchini blossoms since the first time I tried one stuffed with goat cheese and lightly fried. For one thing, they are very delicate and pretty. But they also have subtle squash flavor that is really nice. And what isn’t good with cheese? About a year ago I tried to make my own stuffed, fried zucchini blossoms … I failed. I found it was hard to stuff the flowers without ripping them, and I’m not very good at frying things in the first place. So last week when I came across an article on The New York Times Diner’s Journal blog about eating the blossoms raw, I decided it was time to give them another try.

I was even more excited to try this recipe because I actually have zucchini blossoms growing in my yard (thanks to my awesome neighbors who planted an incredible garden!) But here’s the thing about gardens: there are bugs. This may seem obvious, but last Saturday, Daisy and I unexpectedly found ourselves in an epic bug battle over zucchini blossoms. We picked a few blossoms and went back inside to wash them. A few fruit flies were buzzing around, nothing too alarming … until a big bug crept out from within the depths of the flower. Obviously I screamed, Daisy screamed, and we both ran away. Gathering my courage, I returned to finish washing the blossoms and as I was, I saw a bee on my finger. <more screaming/running> Instinctively I grabbed a boot, but Daisy had a better idea – the vacuum cleaner. Tentatively we inched towards the sink to suck up the bee, only to find there were 2 bees. <even more screaming/running>

In the end we discovered there were THREE bees hiding in ONE flower. We were so horrified by this incident that Daisy threw them back into the garden. Afterwards we realized we were not going to find zucchini blossoms at any nearby grocery store (and of course, we had seen them that morning at the farmers market). So we re-collected the tossed blossoms. This time we stayed outside, cut open the backs of the flowers so any potential critters could escape, and hosed them down. Miraculously there were no more bugs. Moral of the story: buy blossoms at the market or be prepared with a vacuum.

Zucchini Blossom Bruschetta, adapted from The New York Times*

• 6 zucchini blossoms
• 1 cup pitted mixed black olives, chopped
• 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 piece burrata or buffalo mozzarella
• 1 loaf of french bread, cut into thick slices

Wash/de-bug zucchini blossoms and remove stamens. In a food processor, combine olives, anchovy, garlic, rosemary and lemon zest. Pulse until coarsely chopped, while slowly adding the olive oil. This will make more tapenade than needed, but it will stay good for half a week. Meanwhile, toast the french bread slices. I used a panini press, but an oven/broiler works just as well. Spread a thin layer of the tapenade on each slice (it is really salty so use your best judgment). Add a slice or two of mozzarella to each piece of toast and top with a zucchini blossom. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.

*If you want to make stuffed zucchini blossoms, the NY Times recipe skips the bread and uses the tapenade and mozzarella as the filling.

Infused Olive Oils

Do you ever find a recipe that looks so delicious and then look at the page-long ingredient list, only to decide maybe it’s not worth trying? I am definitely guilty of this. Although sometimes I feel brave enough to conquer the trickiest of recipes, I usually seek out easy-to-make meals. And what I am coming to realize is, often times you don’t even need a recipe, just an ingredient that you are excited about to bring the dish together. My newest solution: infused olive oils.

Infused olive oils automatically add one or more subtle, yet amazing flavors to all the other ingredients. Want to add a little heat to your pasta? Use some rosemary and crushed red pepper olive oil. Want to brighten up your salad? Use some lemon and basil olive oil. Want to make a killer veggie stir-fry? Use some roasted garlic olive oil. And, even better yet, you can easily make enough to last for multiple meals. So if you’re like me and want to simplify your meals without sacrificing flavor, start infusing!

Infused Olive Oils

***An important note about infusing olive oils: be sure that any ingredient you use with the oil is completely dry. Otherwise, water may cause bacteria to grow in the oil, which can result in food poisoning. The first two types of oil listed are very easy to make. However, garlic takes a little more work if you want to store the oil for a longer period of time. So if you are in a rush, go for the first two options. But trust me, the roasted garlic is worth it!

Another note: I bought a large bottle of olive oil and allotted the amount of oil for each version depending on the size of the container I used for storage.

Rosemary and Crushed Red Pepper Olive Oil

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 or 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Big pinch of crushed red pepper

Place the rosemary and crushed red pepper in an air-tight, glass container. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, until small bubbles form. If the oil starts to smoke, let it cool for a few minutes. Carefully pour the oil over the rosemary and crushed red pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Lemon and Basil Olive Oil

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Rind of 2 lemons
• Handful of fresh basil, chiffonade

Use a vegetable peeler or small, sharp knife to peel the rind off the lemons. You can peel short strips vertically or long curls by going from top to bottom horizontally. To chiffonade the basil, stack the leaves (biggest to smallest), roll them together like a cigar, and hold the roll down to cut thin strips with a sharp knife. Then place the lemon rind and basil in a container and follow the same instructions as above.

Roasted Garlic Olive Oil, adapted from MJ’s Kitchen

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 head of garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Peel the garlic cloves and place them in a small bowl with the lemon juice. Let the cloves sit for 15 minutes. Remove the cloves with a slotted spoon, reserving the juice. Transfer the cloves to a small casserole dish and spread them out in a single layer. Pour enough olive oil over the cloves so that they are immersed. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and place in an air-tight, glass container. Add the reserved lemon juice and enough of the infused olive oil to fill the container. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Artichokes with Cheese

Everyone should have a favorite food that they indulge in every once in a while. Mine is the artichoke. You’ve got to wonder who the first man or woman was to pick up an artichoke and think, “This looks like it would be good to eat.” But whoever that person was, thank you. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved steamed artichokes with lemon butter. So when I came across this recipe and saw the words “artichoke” and “cheese” (arguably my other favorite food), I knew I had to try this.

I found the recipe in The Silver Spoon, which is the self-proclaimed “bible of authentic Italian cooking.” It is a mammoth of a cookbook, but I love how the recipes have few ingredients and the instructions are short and sweet. For people like me, who generally need extremely detailed instructions, these recipes can be intimidating. But I think that they encourage experimentation and allow you to build confidence in your cooking. Fear not though, this recipe really is simple. And for those of you who love artichokes, treat yo self.

Artichokes with Cheese, Carciofi al formaggio

• 8 globe artichokes*
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Pinch of saffron threads
• Pinch of curry powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 cups Swiss cheese, finely grated
• 1 egg, separated
• Leaves from 1 fresh thyme sprig

*I only made 4 artichokes, but I made all the cheese filling since I wasn’t sure how to split 1 egg. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with more cheese…

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an ovenproof dish with parchment paper. Steam the artichokes for 10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat the milk to a simmer, careful not to boil it, and remove from the heat. In another pan, melt the butter over low heat and gradually whisk in the flour. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is lightly browned. Then, stir in the milk and add the saffron, curry, and salt. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cheese, egg yolk, and thyme.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff. Fold the egg white into the cheese mixture. Next, fill the artichokes with cheese. This process is a bit messy and not very exact. I spooned a little bit of cheese at a time, on top of the artichoke, then pushed it between the leaves. Arrange the artichokes in the prepared dish and bake for 30 minutes. Let the artichokes cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Gnocchi with Bell Pepper Sauce

10 classes, 9 months, and 2 semesters later, I have finally finished my first year of law school. What better way to celebrate than to pick back up with the things I love, namely cooking, photography, and this blog. And now that I’m “free” I also get to enjoy America’s Finest City, so I thought I would kick off my come-back with some tid-bits about San Diego. In my opinion, the neighborhoods are the best part of San Diego. All around the city are amazing street signs boasting their community’s names, and most every neighborhood has a farmers market. Not surprisingly, my favorite is in Little Italy.

Last Saturday, my friend (and guest photographer/cook) Michelle and I went to Little Italy’s farmers market. It is held every Saturday from 9 am to 1:30 pm. I knew I wanted to make this recipe, and I thought this would be the best place to get the ingredients. Plus, you can practically eat lunch by sampling all the vendor’s fresh produce and products. First, we got a mix of shredded cheese from Taste Cheese for the pasta. Then, we split “the exquisite” panini from Seb’s Panini for lunch (with a blood orange Pellegrino, of course). Finally, we took a detour down India St. to Mona Lisa Italian Foods. The deli sells Italian products, so I bought semolina flour, passata di pomodoro, and a bottle of Chianti. It was successful trip and I almost felt like I was back at the Mercato Centrale…

This was the first recipe I learned in my Italian cooking class. While making pasta can take a while, if you have the time I highly recommend trying it. You can really taste the difference. Plus, it is highly satisfying to perfect the process. I will never forget the first time I made gnocchi with my friend Diana and her grandmother when we were in high school. After rolling about 50 dough pieces on a fork, I finally figured out how to make the ridges. But if you are in a rush, pick up some gnocchi from the store and just make the sauce – it is equally as delicious!

Gnocchi with Bell Pepper Sauce, serves 6

For the gnocchi

• 2 lbs potatoes
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour (I used semolina, but all-purpose is fine)
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt

For the bell pepper sauce

• 4 cups Passata di Pomodoro (or tomato puree)
• 3 large red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
• 3 scallions, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons salted capers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 glass white wine
• Kosher salt

For the gnocchi: Boil the potatoes until tender. When cool, remove the skins and mash the potatoes in a large bowl (I used a large grater). Add the flour, egg, a big pinch of salt and nutmeg, and the Parmesan. Mix and knead to make the dough. You can also do this with a standing mixer and a dough hook. Once the dough forms a ball, transfer to a flour-dusted counter-top. The dough will be a little sticky, so don’t worry. Divide the dough into small sections and roll it out into ropes (you will have quite a few). Each roll should be about 1/2″ thick. Slice the rolls at 1″ intervals to make the pasta pieces. Finally, roll each piece over the tongs of a fork to give them the typical groove shape. This part will take a while and I suggest finding a friend to help you out. But again, it’s worth it!

For the sauce: Saute the scallions in olive oil for a minute. Add the capers and bell pepper. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Add a big pinch of salt and the wine. Let the wine evaporate, then add the passata di pomodoro. Cook for a few more minutes and season to taste. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches* for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon when they rise to the surface. Reserve the boiling water for the next batch. When finished, garnish with the sauce and Parmesan cheese to serve.

*Since this recipe makes a lot, I saved 1/2 of the uncooked pasta in the refrigerator for one day. If you do this, go ahead a make all the sauce and reserve some for the leftover pasta.