I wanted something relatively light and bright to finish the meal. But what? A cheese plate didn’t feel right. I had a few tubs of berries in the fridge and a container of Mascarpone that needed to be used in some way or another before it’s expiration date. I decided to make a trifle of sorts, well as far as I understand a trifle. Really… I wanted to make a Fruit Tiramisu. I whipped up my Mascarpone with a bit of whipping cream. Instead of soaking my lady fingers in coffee and rum, I soaked them in orange juice to moisten them up a bit but to brighten up the flavors. I was doing this all on fly and was nervous for the result.
Category: Italy
Split Pea Soup with Prosciutto
When I was in Philadelphia last month, I bought a bit under a pound of prosciutto chunks…you know, just in case! I decided today was the day to use them. I was craving peas, and wanted to make a split pea soup. I did not have any smoked ham-hocks left, and have never liked the flavor of chunks of regular ham, so in went the prosciutto! Smoked meats give this soup a really lovely complex flavor.
Lobster and Summer Truffle Spaghetti
I was leafing through Alain Ducasse’s book and came across this combination of lobster and fresh truffle, perfect for our fish eaters. I had recently bought a little jar of fresh Summer Truffles since this cookbook required truffle for almost every recipe, and decided Thanksgiving was a great moment to serve it out. I loved a lot of Ducasse’s recipe and was inspired by his flavor profile, but have simplified this recipe to make it easier for the home cook.
Leek and Whey Risotto served with Seared Scallops in Brown Butter
Risotto is a mainstay in the fall for me. I have loved it since my friend Kikki in Brooklyn made some for me with ingredients she brought back from her second home in Bormio. Every time I make it, I think about her bringing the big hunk of Parmesan out of its packaging and grating it liberally into the dish.
Stuffed Pork Roast with Anchovies, Olives, and Tomatoes
I stuffed the pork with some red pepper flakes, oregano and anchovies and roasted the stuffed pork logs in a wine sauce with onions, tomatoes, capers, and Kalamata olives.
The pork and sauce turned out amazing! We boiled some potatoes and smashed them up a bit to serve as a bed. Serve a light, crisp salad on the side.
Seared Steak with Roast Carrots, Tomatillos, and Carrot Top Chimichurri
This weekend, I had the pleasure of gathering another half a dozen beautiful tomatoes, a little purple bell pepper, and I decided to dig up my carrots. I have been looking forward to pulling those carrots out of the ground for months. It was finally carrot time!
I grew one large carrot, and the others were kind of wonky, but still delicious. I grew heirloom rainbow carrots and was thrilled to see that I grew some orange, some white, and one really pretty purple carrot. Since the harvest was rather small, I wanted to make sure I present them honorably, and wanted to make use of the carrot tops, which were very plentiful.
Marscapone Custard Tart
Some recipes are planned, others are the result of accidents…and this was a beautiful accident. I was preparing for my book launch and kneading bread as my egg whites for my tiramisu were whipping up. I got them to that beautiful firm peak, and proceeded to mix my mascarpone egg yolk mixture in…and I figured, I would just let my KitchenAid mix them together on the lowest setting. Wrong! I always say fold egg whites in by hand, and I didn’t follow my own advice! As the two mixed, the egg whites fell and turned into a delicious but liquidy mess that would never work for tiramisu.
Tiramisu
Everyone loves Tiramisu! I have never met anyone who doesn’t. Adults love the sophisticated mixture of cream and coffee. Kids love their first opportunity to consume some booze. What can go wrong? Tiramisu is not hard to make, you don’t even need to bake. However, I strongly discourage using white sponge cake or pre-made “Tiramisu filling” that is sold in grocery stores. That is not Tiramisu, that is closer to a trifle. The one thing you should be careful with is blending the egg yolks into the mascarpone mixture. I let my KitchenAid do it as I was kneading some baguette dough the other night, and my egg whites turned back to liquid! However, I found a way to bake that into an incredibly delicious “mascarpone cheesecake”! Stay tuned for the brand new recipe soon!
Chez Nous 