a Professor at the table

I like to listen to people, especially people senior to myself (and I am only 23, so that includes just about everyone). They always seem to surprise you with their stories, the little vignettes of their life that make them the person sitting in front of you, or at your table in my case. We had one of Ben’s professors, Merle, over for dinner a few nights ago and such an opportunity for listening unfolded. This pint-size, quietly brilliant woman told us of her adventures in Alaska—wade fishing for trout in freezing cold water simply for sport—while she daintily ate the meal we prepared and sipped The Scribbler (dorky wine? it was actually excellent, even though we initially just picked it because it had a notebook paper-like logo and Merle was Ben’s research and writing professor). Lesson of the evening: listen to others; they are often far more entertaining than you.

Menu:

Crab cakes with mango chutney

Tuna tartare with flash fried wonton chips

Tempura asparagus

Chocolate peanut butter tartlets with candied caramel

Tempura asparagus

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup club soda

1 tablespoon sesame oil

20 medium stalks of asparagus, trimmed

pinch of salt

soy sauce, for serving

Prepare asparagus by washing and trimming off woody ends. In a large saucepan, pour enough vegetable oil to be about 4 inches deep. Heat oil to 375 °F. While oil is heating, whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and salt in a shallow dish. Add the club soda and sesame oil and whisk together again until combined. Dip the asparagus in the batter and fry, 3 or 4 at a time, until the batter is golden and crispy (watch it! Only takes about 40-60 seconds). Drain on paper towels and serve hot with soy sauce on the side for dipping.

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Note: This tempura batter can be used to fry anything. Ben bought some Kobe beef hot dogs at the grocery store (I think the check out lady judged us) so I popped those in the batter and quickly fried a few up (Ben ate these after his professor left, along with a little help from our neighbor Caitlin and Quimby the dog).

Tempura Kobe Dogs- crispy, salty shell on a sinfully rich hot dog. Tasty…if you like hotdogs.

Chocolate peanut butter tartlets with candied caramel

Crust:

Heaping ½ cup of graham cracker crumbs

2 ½ tablespoons melted butter

1 heaping tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Mix above ingredients and press into 3 miniature tart pans. Bake at 350° F for about 5-7 minutes.

Filling:

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

¼ cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons softened (not melted) butter

pinch of salt

Whip above ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth.

Ganache:

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 tablespoon butter

Finely chop the chocolate and melt with butter (I put butter and chocolate in a glass measuring cup and microwaved until smooth- watch it so it does not burn!)

Candied Caramel:

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons water

pinch of salt

Put above ingredients in a small heavy pan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Then increase the heat and bring the syrup to a boil. Slightly lower the heat and swirl the pan (not stir) as the syrup caramelizes- it should become a deep golden amber. Have a piece of parchment paper nearby. Dip a spoon in your caramel then drizzle it in a circular pattern on the parchment paper. Allow to cool completely and it will harden into shape.

Assembly: Bake crumb crusts and allow to cool. Use a spatula to fill with peanut butter filling. Spoon the hot ganache on top of the peanut butter filling and allow to cool. Top with a round of candied caramel.

apple pie

Why? Because we are American! At least this was Ben’s response when he let one of his law school friend’s know that we would be bringing an apple pie over when we grilled out at his house Sunday.

I grew up making this pie with my mom and still find it fun for two reasons:

1) the apple-peeler contraption: as cool to me now as when I was 8

2) the pie bakes in a big brown paper bag: seems kind of dangerous, therefore exciting

APPLE PIE

6 medium granny smith apples, peeled and diced

1 unbaked pie shell

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon nutmeg

good dash of cinnamon

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1 stick of butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup flour

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Place diced apples in a large bowl. Combine sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon then sprinkle over apples, turning everything gently to coat. Pour lemon juice and vanilla over apple mixture and again toss gently to coat. Pour apple mixture into pastry shell (after you have formed it/crimped the edges in your greased pie dish).

Combine topping ingredients together (you can use a pastry cutter or a knife and a fork) until mixture is crumbly. Pour over the top of your pie.

Place the whole pie in a big brown paper bag and seal the edges. Bake for 1 hour. Allow pie to cool before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

I made this miniature pie in a ramekin with the leftover apple filling and pastry dough... because miniature things are always cute.

Pizza Dough

You know when you work hard at something then it turns out just right? You know that simple sigh of gratitude for the task at hand and the pride you feel at your mere participation in such a feat? That is how you might feel when this pizza comes out of the oven, your oven, in all its crispy, beautiful glory.

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, chilled

1 teaspoons salt


¾ teaspoon instant yeast


1 ounce olive oil

7 ounces ice cold water


Cornmeal for dusting

Stir together flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment until well mixed. Switch to a dough hook. Pour in olive oil and water and mix on medium speed for 6 minutes. The dough should only be sticking to the bottom (add more flour if dough is also sticking to the sides of your mixer). Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer dough. Make sure dough is coated in flour so it does not stick to your hands (also make sure your hands are coated in flour…it is only fair). Cut dough in half and form each half into a ball. Make sure each ball (henceforth, dough baby) is covered in flour. Spray each dough baby with olive oil (or sprinkle with oil and gently rub to coat). Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper and stick in a huge Ziplock bag. Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.

2 hours before you are ready to make your pizza, remove one dough baby (or two if you want to make two pizzas) and place it on a floured countertop. Flatten the dough just a bit with your fist until it is about ½ an inch thick. Spray (or gently rub) dough again with olive oil, loosely wrap with plastic wrap, then allow dough baby to rest for 2 hours.

About 45 minutes before making the pizza, put a baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven and preheat oven to 550° F (actually, just crank it up to as hot as it will possibly go, 550° F was just as hot as mine gets).

Generously sprinkle a pizza peel (I used the back of a cookie sheet) with cornmeal. Dip your whole hands, including the backs, into flour. Lay the dough across your fists and stretch it as you bounce it around in a circle. This part gets fun. If your pizza does not end up in a perfect circle, do not fret, I am sure you have other good skills in life (mine looked like a rectangle). If the dough starts sticking to your hands, re-flour them. Once the dough is stretched out to your liking, lay the pizza on the peel/pan coated in cornmeal.

Time to add pizza toppings. Stick to the philosophy that lighter is better (I am not sure where else in life this philosophy actually applies….except here…definitely lighter is better). Once your pizza is topped, slip the pizza from the peel/pan onto the preheated pizza stone in your oven. The pizza only needs about 6-9 minutes to cook. Remove the pizza stone from the oven (warning: this part of the process may sear your eyelashes). Allow pizza to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

One dough baby serves two hungry people.

I topped this particular pizza with homemade pesto, fresh garlic, spinach, cherry tomatoes, prosciutto, mozzarella, and fresh grated Parmesan.

Garlic Hummus

1 15-16 ounce can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained

4 cloves garlic, peeled (roasted if you want*)

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon garlic salt (or just regular salt)

½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon Tahini

Puree all the ingredients in a food processor. Add more olive oil if you need to adjust the consistency of the hummus. Season with salt if necessary. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika on top. Sliced red bell peppers, carrots, and sliced cucumbers are good vehicles to get the hummus into your mouth.

*Note: you can roast your garlic for a more mellow garlic flavor (drizzle cloves with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or so before you add them to the hummus.

Donuts

These are really just semi-homemade but tasty, so tasty.

1 can refrigerated biscuits, buttermilk or butter flavor (not the flaky ones)

Vegetable oil

Sugar

Cinnamon

Mix sugar and a dash of cinnamon in a shallow dish and set aside. Unwrap biscuits and punch a hole in each one- this is where you get creative and have to look for things in your pantry that can cut the size hole you want (I used the cap of a vinegar bottle). Pour enough oil in a pot to make it one inch deep and heat up over medium high heat. Drop biscuit into oil and fry, about 1 or 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Remove donut from oil and immediately toss with the sugar mixture until well coated. Repeat with remaining biscuits until they, too, transform into donuts before your very eyes.

Dinner with the Family

Despite my pride in my new last name***, Starkey still very much characterizes me. I know this is probably an age-old dilemma amongst newly weds, but a maiden name is very difficult to shed. You live and accomplish much in this organic moniker then so quickly must relinquish it in a similar manner that you would peel off a ‘Hello, my name is’ sticker. But it is not that easy.

We had some visitors from the Starkey clan up in Houston this week (grandparents and two aunts) and it called me to remember my subtle (hmm, strong) appreciation for my origins. The women folk are confident, frank, and lively. I so enjoy spending time with them and of course wanted to love on them while they were here. We shared a little dinner, a little wine, and most importantly, just a little time together.

***I still acknowledge that being Mrs. Smith is actually my biggest blessing thus far in my little life. I will graduate medical school as a Smith, have kids as a Smith, and most importantly just get to be a happily married gal as a Smith.

Asparagus Tart

1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sheet store bought puff pastry (the package comes with 2)

¼ cup Mascarpone

¼ cup heavy cream

2 large cloves garlic, minced

½ cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Parmesan

salt and pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 420° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (and spray with cooking spray just to be safe).

Sprinkle some flour on your counter and roll the puff pastry to a rough 8×12 inch rectangle with a rolling pin. Place rectangle onto the baking sheet and stick in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes (while you prepare the rest of the ingredients).

In a small bowl combine the Mascarpone, cream, garlic, and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper.Remove the woody ends of the asparagus (cut them so that they are all the same length too). Toss the asparagus with the tablespoon of olive oil.

Remove your puff from the fridge and spread the Mascarpone mixture all over the top, leaving a 1” border around the entire tart. Lay the asparagus on top of the Mascarpone, single file, one right next to the other. Sprinkle the top with a fine sea salt and put in the oven.

After the first 20 minutes of baking, reduce the heat to 350° F then continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes, until cooked through.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Just before serving top with toasted walnuts and shaved Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from notwithoutsalt.com. Serves 6.

Baked Spinach Gratin

3 pounds fresh spinach


3 tablespoons unsalted butter


Salt and pepper


1 tablespoon flour


½ cup beef stock

½ cup heavy cream

¾ cup grated Swiss cheese


2 tablespoons Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

3 pieces bacon, chopped

Wilt spinach in a large pot over high heat (I had to do this in several batches) about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and allow to drain well. Squeeze a small amount of the spinach at a time in your hands to extract as much water as possible. Chop the spinach coarsely. You should have about 3 cups of chopped spinach.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over moderately high heat in the same big pot you were using for the spinach. Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the rest of the moisture from the spinach has boiled off.

Lower the heat and sprinkle with flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook the flour. Add your stock and cream, a tiny bit at a time, scraping up any stuck spinach as you do. Once the liquid is added, simmer for another minute or two, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. You can also stir in one more tablespoon of butter (I was feeling indulgent at this point). Season with salt (maybe about ½ teaspoon) and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly butter a shallow 1-quart baking dish. Stir ½ cup cheese into the spinach and pour it into the baking dish. Mix the remaining cheese with breadcrumbs, chopped bacon, and 1 tablespoon melted butter then sprinkle on top of spinach. Bake until heated through and slightly brown on the top, about 30 minutes.

Adapted from smittenkitchen’s version of Julia’s Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Serves 6.

Ben’s Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Brine:

1 really good pork tenderloin, 3 to 4 pounds (I used two smaller ones)

4 cups Dr. Pepper (do NOT use Diet)

½ cup Kosher salt

Glaze:

1 cup Dr. Pepper

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Raspberry Chipotle sauce

Place pork tenderloin, Dr. Pepper and salt (be careful, my mixture foams up!) in a giant Ziplock and refrigerate for 2 hours.

When ready to grill, preheat grill to high heat. Mix glaze ingredients and pour into a disposable foil pan large enough to fit your loins. Sear loin, about 5 minutes per side over the high heat on the grill. Then turn off the middle burners and place foil pan with glaze in the center of the grill. Put pork tenderloins in the foil pan and turn to coat with the glaze. Flip the loins occasionally (about every 5-10 minutes) so that they get really coated in the glaze. Grill for about 20 minutes total or until center of loin registers 155° F on a meat thermometer. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or so before slicing. Serve with Raspberry Chipotle sauce.

Grilled Haddock with Mango Salsa

Marinade:

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger root

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon cumin

dash of cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients, then put fish flesh side down (so skin side up) into bowl with marinade. Refrigerate for one hour. Preheat grill to medium high and grill fish until flesh flakes apart, about 5 minutes per side (I grilled mine on foil).

Salsa:

1 mango, diced

¼ cup loosely chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup red onion, diced

1 avocado, diced

½ cup cherry tomatoes, split lengthwise

juice of half a lime

Toss ingredients together and spoon over fish to serve.

monday

Sometimes the only decision we are allowed to make is the way we will choose to react to something. Certain moments in life may cause us to feel so trapped in error or oppressed the gods-of-wrong-doing that we want to just curl up in fetal position and cry a little. Today was my first day of research…and today I was afforded such a moment on the edge*. Thankfully I did not end up on the floor (hospital carpet, eww) but instead decided to pause, take a deep breath, and tell myself: “despite all the hours of inputting the data that just poofed away on my computer, I still gained facility and efficiency with this program that had at first overwhelmed me. I learned a lot and built up some confidence. At least I have that (even though I do not have any physical proof of my efforts since that dang Save button did NOT in fact save any of the information I spent the entire day inputting, geez).

Stress relief? My mamma trained me in the thought that generosity begets joy, so I am employing that in the most immediate way possible right now…through feeding others. It genuinely lifts my spirits to bake/cook something for a friend or even a random neighbor. Here are some super easy brownies to whip up and distribute to soothe even the slightest disturbance of your day.

*in hindsight, I realize the limited perspective of my momentary angst- I know my life is overall a blessed piece of cake compared to the rest of the world

Best Cocoa Brownies

10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups sugar

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cold large eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup walnut or pecans, or mix of both

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a double broiler. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Closely adapted from Epicurious, November 2003

All time favorite

Giant Chocolate Toffee Cookies

½ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 pound bittersweet, chopped (I used Baker’s)

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 ¾ cups (packed) brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 ¼ tablespoons vanilla extract

1 bag Heath toffee bits (8 oz)

1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped (I like big chunks though)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from over water and cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.***good luck with this step

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop batter by ¼ cupfuls (yes, that big!) onto sheets, spacing 2 ½ inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets.

***Allowing the batter to chill in the fridge is the hardest part of this whole recipe. I mean, the self-control it takes to not pop back into the fridge about 7 times for a spoonful of the beautiful chocolaty toffee studded cookie dough before the 45 minutes is up is near impossible. Try to limit it to 4 times. Just use a big spoon.

Closely adapted from Bon Appétit March 2000