Some good ombre.

Week 29! Time is flying by. I'm happy to report that our list of pre-Bun to-dos is quickly shrinking, seemingly directly proportionally to the speed of my growing belly (I can't see my feet anymore when I look down). Making up for lost time in the first few months, I've been cooking and baking up a storm. Most recently, Nick's whole family visited a few weeks ago -- the Bev and Breakfast was at full occupancy -- and we celebrated not one, not two, but three June birthdays. With ambition I'll only ever be able to achieve fueled by pregnancy hormones, I made three birthday cakes...well, two cakes and a batch of cupcakes. Two recipes I have down pretty well by now:

• For Nick -- upon request -- the London Fog chocolate cake with Earl Grey-vanilla buttercream and salted caramel made another appearance:

• For one sister-in-law, I made a batch of lemon cupcakes with fresh blackberry buttercream:

For my other sister-in-law, I tried something new. She 1) tends not to love super-sweet/thick frosting (happy to play clean-up crew anytime), 2) loves coffee, 3) was about to head off for a fabulous Eurotrip and 4) for a few years has had balayage highlights which create an awesome ombre effect in her long, brown hair. Add the inspiration together, and I give you ombre tiramisu cake:

  

I've had this amazing cake book (as delicious to look at as to eat from) for a while now, and often what I find makes her cakes so stunning is that the author actually makes small-diameter, sky-high stacked cakes. The easiest way to achieve that is using a bunch of smaller pans, so this was the perfect opportunity to buy four, six-inch rounds (what's a house in the suburbs for, if not to have storage for a growing collection of cake pans?). I ultimately used a different recipe than one in the book to achieve a more "pure" tiramisu and ombre effect, and for my first time making it, I was quite pleased with how it came out.

These little cuties made four tiny layers: one vanilla, two coffee and one chocolate:

The secret weapon of this recipe is espresso powder (available in many grocery stores), which is used in every element of the cake:

It dissolves easily into whatever you've stirred it into, making it ideal for batters, liquids and even frosting -- all the flavor, zero graininess.

• How do you make three different types of cake with one recipe? By making one big batch of vanilla batter, then stirring in some espresso powder and cocoa into the corresponding layers.
• Then tiramisu (can I use that as a verb?) it all by painting the layers of cake with generous swipes of espresso syrup during assembly.
• The frosting is a not-too-sweet, also-layered mascarpone that ombres (taking another verb liberty) from vanilla to espresso to chocolate, swirling and blending sections together along the height of the cake sides.
• For an authentic finish, pipe remaining frosting into little dollops on top and sprinkle with cocoa, that handy espresso powder and a touch of powdered sugar.

...all creating an ombre homage for a Very Special birthday girl.

Duck foie de deux.

When Nick and I set the date for our wedding, he solemnly vowed to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday (less than a week later) independently every year. Exceptions should certainly be made, however, in the event of edibles which can be enjoyed very differently across both occasions.

This year my parents sent a delightful package of treats from D'Artagnan, purveyor of many things decadent and delicious. We've squirreled most of them away for enjoyment over the winter...but not without trying a bit of everything first. The theme:

Image from reddit.com

Duck can be a little daunting to cook - it's bigger and tougher than chicken, and quite the workout to break down a whole one ("Can you even conceive of boning a duck???" - Julie & Julia). Having made my own confit before, I know how much work it can be. Fortunately our friends at D'Artagnan make it easy to celebrate the season - flavorful confit, rich sausage, and even a medallion of truffled foie gras. We ate like kings for a week, savoring and highlighting the ingredients in two ways:

#1: Fancy picnic (after a long week at work, didn't really feel like firing up the stove on a Friday night):

L plate: the last of the summer peaches with creamy Brillat-Savarin and challah; R plate: duck foie medallion spread on toast and served with balsamic-roasted figs

As the photographer said, "Hmm, foie gras is best admired from afar."

Our local wine store team's recommendation: a dessert wine alternative to the classic Sauternes (somewhere between a Port and an ice wine)

#2: Dumplings and noodles in soup (a weekend experiment with our favorite newlyweds, my sister and her husband):

Chopping duck confit for Confit-Foie-Morel ravioli filling...

...Mixed up with the remaining foie medallion and some chopped morels:

A little assistance from Whole Foods pasta sheets (no shame!):

Brushed with egg wash to seal the edges:

The biscuit cutter returns!

Waste not - trimmed pasta sheet remnants make rustic noodles in the mushroom broth:

We reconstituted the dried morels in vegetable stock; the Chemex proved useful in filtering out mushroom sand:

Mini morels for garnish, so you know what's inside:

Because a flavorful broth makes everything better:

Surprise! a dusting of porcini powder for an extra flavor punch:

Between the two preparations, it's hard to say which I liked better - picnic-style was all about highlighting flavors, while the dumplings were more about texture (and an excuse to make and eat dumplings).

(W-L) Pats 3-1, (Sunday Home Game Braises) Bev 2-0

Dinner part(y)ing.

Leaves are changing, jobs are changing (wish me luck on my first day of the new gig Tuesday!), times are changing...last month we said "see you soon" (because I refused to say "farewell") to two dear friends both moving west. Janet and Michael have been a huge part of our lives since moving to Boston, so a proper send-off was in order. The theme of our little gathering was fairly simple: "things we like to eat together." Those who have been following Food and Bev for a while know that family and friendship are at the core of my food exploits - so it was easy come up with a meaningful menu.

Rules for any dinner party (more comprehensive tips here):

1. Make it scale (don't attempt anything with precise timing/requiring individual attention, especially if you have a larger group)
2. Make it personal (remember your guests' preferences; bonus points for nostalgia)
3. Make it tasty (a given)

Here's what we ate:

Pork bulgogi dumplings in bacon broth with baby bok choy: (in honor of many bulgogi cookouts at Mehul's place, shared Chinese New Year feast dumplings, and the time we had stocked up on one pack of bacon per person at a lake house in New Hampshire)

My new favorite fried chicken with biscuits, bourbon caramel drizzle, mustard greens salad with pickled peaches: (commemorating many a Bev's brunch biscuit, peach picking and comfort food in general)

S'mores cake (graham cracker layer cake with marshmallow and dark chocolate buttercream - I got to use my hand torch!): (as an homage to our group's tradition of toasting marshmallows whenever getting near/sometimes creating our own open flame)

We look forward to their early/often returns!

Fondue (please...really).

As you may know, most of Boston is under several feet of snow:

While it seems impossible it could all eventually melt away, we can do the culinary equivalent of a rain dance by melting tasty goodness indoors. This weekend I had my first home experience with fondue (which means "melted" in French) at a friend's house. Fondue is basically a melted base into which you dunk chunks of food in order to maximize surface area smothered in molten deliciousness. Much like hot pot, it's one of those wonderful communal activities where you and some buddies get cozy around a hot little table stove to make something soul-satisfying and delicious. You dip one bite at a time and savor the deliciousness of the building flavors, and you can adapt the basic method for many different ingredients and flavor profiles.

Until the snow melts, cheese and chocolate will have to do.

Fondue how-to:

1. In a small pot (we used a electric fondue set, which helps closely control the temperature), bring liquid to a boil
2. Chop/grate your sauce base (e.g., cheese, chocolate) into small pieces and add to hot liquid
3. Stir until small pieces have melted down into an ooey gooey dipping sauce
4. Prepare dipping ingredients (if using vegetables for the savory fondue, cook them first as you'll just be dipping)

Savory:
The base: White wine + garlic + grated Gruyere + grated Jarlsberg (add cheese gradually and stir constantly so it melts together)
The dipping goods: Roasted mushrooms, steamed cauliflower, toasted baguette, green apple chunks

Sweet:
The base: Heavy cream + chopped 45% dark chocolate + chopped 85% dark chocolate (add all chocolate shavings at once so they melt evenly)
The dipping goods: Blackberries, strawberries, bananas, home baked cream puffs (amazing)

(Photos courtesy of Mehul, thanks!)

In food company.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week!

I don't know anyone who doesn't love eating...but it's always a special treat to get friends together who all love to cook too (as you may recall, my dearest friends in DC were dubbed "Potluck People"). A few weeks ago, five of us brought a favorite dish for a fall dinner party:

Jason's roast carrot salad: (I can't say I've ever featured carrots quite as magnificently as Jason's duo; the oven-roasted spices were a delightful, rich contrast to the tangy crème fraîche in both recipes)

Followed by roast carrot soup: (Officially my favorite take on a velvety classic)

Lilly's Boeuf Bourguignon à la Julia Child: (Cozy and splendid for a cold fall evening - with that all-day chef's love-taste)

My mini chocolate mousse cakes: (Suzy McMullen meets mousse, ganâche, toasted hazelnuts, and raspberries)

I think the logistical key to any dinner party is being aware of how much time dishes need in the oven and/or on the stove top, as everything needs to be timed out (as opposed to a larger potluck-style gathering where dishes can come and go as their chef-owners). We each prepared components of the dishes at home and then assembled and plated at our gracious host and hostess's home.

I love large events such as Friendsgiving (more on that to come), but intimate dinner parties give us all a chance to sit down at a table and enjoy...and a good time was surely had by all.

P.S. - Food52 is a fabulous website-exchange-community-resource-center-marketplace that everyone should get to know.

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Roasted Carrot Soup
(from Food52)

Serves 4

6 to 8 large carrots (about 1 3/4 lb.)
1/4 c olive oil
Salt
6 c low-sodium vegetable stock
1 inch-long piece ginger, peeled
1 sprig thyme, plus more for garnish
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Peel and cut the carrots into 1/2" pieces. Toss carrots on a foil-lined baking sheet with 2 T of olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Set an oven rack 6-8" from the heat source and turn on the broiler. Broil carrots until they brown and soften, turning them with a spatula every 5 minutes or so; this should take 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil and infuse with ginger and thyme by simmering gently for 15 minutes. Brown the onion over medium heat in a medium stock pot with the remaining olive oil, stirring frequently. Toast the garlic with the onion and oil, then add carrots. Remove the ginger and thyme from the stock and add the stock to the pot with the onions and carrots. Bring to boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the carrots are soft enough to puree.

Use an immersion or a standard blender to puree the mixture until smooth. Adjust consistency if desired by adding more stock or water. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Carrot Avocado Salad
(from Food52)

2 lb. large carrots quartered and cut into 3" segments, peeled (about 4 c)
Kosher salt
1 orange
1 lemon
1 t cumin seeds
2 medium garlic cloves
1 T fresh thyme leaves
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 t red wine vinegar
1 t red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 T sugar
1 avocado, cut into 12 wedges
2 c mixed baby sprouts, herbs, and microgreens
1/4 c crème fraîche
2 T toasted sunflower seeds
2 t toasted sesame seeds

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 450*F. Place carrots in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Season with salt, set over high heat, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the carrots and transfer them to a medium bowl.

Cut the orange and lemon in half and juice half of each one, reserving the juice and the remaining halves. Combine cumin, garlic, thyme, 2 T olive oil, the red wine vinegar, red pepper, 1 t orange juice, and 1 t lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Season the marinade to taste with salt and pepper. Add the marinade and the unjuiced citrus halves to the carrots and toss to combine. Spread the carrots and citrus halves on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the carrots are slightly shriveled with a few brown spots, about 20 minutes. Allow the carrots to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile squeeze the juice from the roasted citrus halves into a small bowl. Add the remaining fresh orange juice, lemon juice, remaining 6 T olive oil, and sugar. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Divide the carrots and avocado slices onto four plates. Divide the greens among the plates on top of the carrots and avocado. Add a tablespoon of crème fraiche to each salad. Sprinkle sunflower seeds and sesame seeds over each plate. Drizzle dressing over and around each salad (reserve any remaining dressing for another use), and serve immediately.