KITCHY TV

Holiday Desserts Edition!

On today's episode of Kitchy TV, I make Pumpkin Honey Ginger Ice Cream and Chocolate Pecan Port Pie. Both are great make-ahead desserts and surprisingly easy to put together despite their intimidating recipes. Enjoy!

Holiday Desserts from Claire Thomas on Vimeo.




Pumpkin Honey Ginger Ice Cream, Affogato Style

So many good flavors going on, and all balancing like a tightrope walker on a string. Sweet, bitter, spicy, hot, cold, crunch, it's all in there. The best part is once you make it it's in your freezer, waiting to be unleashed on unsuspecting guests. Affogato is my favorite dessert cheat because it can elevate a scoop of ice cream beyond the slightly crinkled, partially melted and refrozen pint.

Ingredients:

2-3 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup sliced fresh ginger

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup honey

Pinch of sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Heat the heavy cream and ginger in a sauce pan until simmering. Add the sugar to melt, pumpkin, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Add a little of the hot cream and whisk to combine. Add a little more, then pour the contents of the bowl into the pan and stir until thickened (or 165 F). Strain the mixture into a bowl, add the honey and vanilla, stirring to combine. Whisk in the milk, thoroughly chill, then stir in your ice cream machine as recommended.

For the affogato, pour half an espresso shot over a scoop of the ice cream, and top off with a tablespoon of chopped dark chocolate.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Pecan Port Pie

This decadent dessert is absolutely sinful what with its fudgey center and praline crust! The port adds an extra depth of flavor that is subtle, so booze it up if you prefer a more pronounced flavor.

Crust

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

For crust:
Combine first 4 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Process just until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball. Flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch; fold under and crimp decoratively. Set aside.

Filling

1 1/2 cups pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1/4-1/2 cup tawny port (depending on how strong you like the flavor)
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

For filling:
Stir chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted. Cool slightly.

Whisk brown sugar, eggs and salt in large bowl to blend. Whisk in corn syrup and chocolate mixture. Sprinkle pecans over unbaked crust. Pour filling over pecans. Bake until crust is golden and filling is puffed, about 55 minutes.

Cool pie completely on rack.

ON MY PHONE WITH THE NEELY'S

This past weekend the lovely people at Sam's Club reached out to me and some fellow bloggers (Mandy of Gourmet Mom on the Go and Tina of Mommy's Kitchen) and let us sit down and pick the brains of the dean and doyenne of Southern cooking: Pat and Gina Neely! They had some excellent ideas for being prepared for holiday guests, pleasing the kids, and working as a couple in the kitchen.

Tina from Mommy's Kitchen asked for some examples of kid friendly holiday dishes that she could use to please her pickiest little one. Gina Neely listed off her favorites: pigs in a blanket, mini corn dogs, and anything wrapped in bacon. She explained, "You have to find the ingredients that your kids love, and then be creative." Pat chimed in that, "Kids will eat whatever they get to help make," and shared stories of how they get their two daughters in the kitchen. By giving them each a night to cook, the girls have a chance to get creative and share their tastes with the family. They're also guaranteed to eat and enjoy it!

Mandy from Gourmet Mom on the Go asked about what's quick on hand in the Neely's fridge when guests come over. Gina listed off her basic go to's: Cold cuts, crackers, and dips. She added that Sam’s club is a great place for freezer and ready made items that just need to be fried or tossed in the oven for a few minutes. At their home people start arriving on Thanksgiving at noon, so it’s great to have lots of appetizers to keep the grazers at bay. Pat suggested his meatballs with bbq sauce, which sounded divine, adding that, "If they're dipping it, they're eating it." So the lesson learned here is the old boy scout truism, "Always be prepared," and "hummus is awesome."

I asked about the dynamic of having two personalities in the kitchen, and Pat described how they each bring something to the table. Gina's "the spice fairy! " while Pat likes to rub the meat. Collaboration is their game and two halves are better than one. Gina explains, "If I think is something is too hot, I can pull him back a bit." I brought up that my boyfriend's nickname is the "sous" because he does all the chopping, mise en place, and the dishes, God love him. The Neely's jumped in that for young couples, it’s a great way to socialize and entertain. Pat suggested, "Open a bottle of wine, and relax! Talk about the day and what’s going on in your life. What else does a young couple do together? Don’t answer that!"

I think most of us snorted our coffee all over our laps at that comment. Gina brought us back to the point: "The kitchen is not intimidating, it’s a place to hang out. If you’re working side by side, no one’s intimidated by the conversation, it’s a common ground. Cooking, talking, getting it all out. It’s a great place to get to know somebody." So true! My entire relationship was founded on the fact that I like cooking and he likes eating. We both inevitably flocked to the kitchen and focused on the food rather than the awkward crushing taking place. Two years and change later it's still one of our favorite places to hang out and connect. The kitchen also works it's magic on family and friends who might be apathetic to food or conversation. Give them a task and awkwardness is gone! Maybe don't give knives to the real misanthropes (they can shuck peas or something), but otherwise it's a great idea for getting the mood to lighten and good times rolling. Pop open a bottle of wine and play some music and you have yourself a cooking party!

Thank you to the Neely's for their wonderful tips and stories. They were beyond charming! And thank you to Sam's Club for linking us all up. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

PENULTIMATE LEFTOVER SANDWICH

There is nothing second to last about this sandwich, I just paused when I was typing "ultimate sandwich" and thought to myself, "I do not think that word means what I think it means." My version of "ultimate" is definitely a tertiary definition, meaning the peak or the best, so I wanted to leave some room for improvement and left it at penultimate. Plus I so rarely get to use that word. It is awesome. Penultimate.

The left over sandwich is a delight of the holiday season, sometimes more looked forward to than the meal itself. A perfect symphony of wintry gluttony! The trick is balancing out the savory and sweet, and the mushy with the crunch. Nothing worse than a mouth full of baby food! So in the theme of my Holiday Left Over Challenge, I bring you my favorite left over sandwich. I included my two favorite sides that make the most of this bread punctuated joy: Maple Bacon Yam Budino and Cranberry Chutney with Garam Marsala. Both are twists on the old favorites. Enjoy!

The Left-Over Sandwich

Here's my favorite combination:

• Turkey, obviously.
• Yams for some sweetness and moisture
• Gravy for the salt
• Cranberry Chutney, for heat and a smack of sour
• Arugula for the crunch and pepper

Ingredients:

2 slices brioche, toasted

3 oz roasted turkey meat

2 tablespoons yam budino (or any yam/sweet potato dish)

2 tablespoons cranberry chutney (or cranberry sauce)

2 tablespoons gravy, reheated

Handful of arugula, lightly dressed in olive oil

Assemble and destroy!

Cranberry Chutney with Garam Marsala

2 cups fresh cranberries (frozen cranberries are ok too)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 serrano of two thai chiles, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon garam marsala powder

1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

Combine the sugar and vinegar in a medium sized saucepan, gently simmering to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cranberries and continue to simmer until the cranberries burst and soften, about 15 minutes. Add the chiles, ginger, garam marsala, and orange zest and continue simmering until thick and syrupy in texture. Allow to cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Bacon Maple Yam Budino

For Four

Ingredients

3/4 pound yams

1/2 pound celery root

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the baking pan

1/3 cup chopped bacon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 scant cup milk

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup freshly grated gruyere

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Peel, quarter, and rub the celery root with olive oil, and puncture the yams with a fork, rubbing them with olive oil as well. Sprinkle with salt and roast until soft in the middle, about 30-45 minutes.

Peel the skin off of the yams and celery root (the celery root will develop a a crunchy skin) and force through a ricer or food mill. Place them in a small pot over low heat. Separately, brown the butter and add it to the pureed mixture. Render the fat off of the bacon and add it to the mix, as well as the maple syrup and nutmeg. Using a wooden spoon, stir blend. Salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring until slightly dry. Add the flour to the milk and stir to dissolve some of the flour. Add the milk mixture to the pot and continue mixing until thick. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Add the egg yolks and the cheese, stirring to combine. Spoon into lightly buttered dishes (I use personal souffle dishes). Bake until lightly browned, about 40 minutes. If you want a little crunch on top, add some buttered bread crumbs and broil for one minute, or until browned. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

HOLIDAY LEFTOVER CHALLENGE

Oh man, this is some exciting news. It all started when the lovely people at Sam's Club approached me about hosting a recipe contest on my blog for the upcoming holiday season. Loving a good competition, though usually monumentally losing whenever I throw my hat in the ring, I sprung at the chance to wield a little power. Yes, I would be the decider. Prizes? There's prizes you say? Being new to this hosting thing, I figured the prize would be a Kitchy Kitchen Mug or me fulfilling a dare, like dressing as a turkey for the next Kitchy TV episode. Oh no, Sam's Club is hooking you up.  Look below at the glory:

That's right.  A commercial 5 series KitchenAid Mixer in lovely white enamel. How awesome is this?  High five Sam's Club.  Thank you!

So, regarding the rules of the competition, here is how it goes:

1. It's the Holiday Leftover Challenge! You may submit one recipe that utilizes holiday leftovers in a creative and delicious way. It's open ended so please have fun with it!

2. Competition entries are open on Friday, November 27th and close on Wednesday, December 9th.  Send your recipes with a brief explanation of the dish, and photos too if you like, to thekitchykitchen@gmail.com.

3. Using just cranberry sauce isn't going to garner you many points, but something unexpected and exciting will.  You can make any kind of dish: dessert, amuse bouche, entree, go crazy!

4. The winner will be announced on December 20th. The top three recipes will be featured on The Kitchy Kitchen and runners up will each be given a prize furnished by me.  Not a KitchenAid, but a little something to put under the tree.  

So drivers start your engines! I can't wait to see the creativity you guys are just waiting to unleash.  Good luck!

TO TOFU, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING JULIE NEWMAR

Bland, rubbery, soylent greenish...these were my protestations against the supremely vague entity known as tofu. Extra-firm, soft and chewy, smooth and creamy, beige and beige, I didn't trust it or know what to make of it. Why wouldn't I just have chicken instead?

Recently I've had a bit of an epiphany, and in an effort to eat less meat my mother and I have shanghaied our family, boys included, to have a vegetarian family dinner once a week. Schadenfreude best describes the feeling of watching my brother Henry swallow a non-bacon, non-beef, non-oreo bite. As I've mentioned before, I love all of those things dearly, especially double stuffed, but not with the rapacious hunger of a marooned sailor, or as it seems, a teenage boy. The trick in getting him and my dad to not only try a bite but to clean their plates was to explain that tofu is not a meat substitute, it's its own thing. Once you let go of the "this should taste like meat" mentality the rest is easy. Subtle, tender, and endlessly malleable are the thoughts that eclipsed my preconceived notions of this humble bean curd. It can transform from a firm, savory dish to a delicate garnish to a luxurious dessert. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. So for dinner last week, I served up grilled tofu with a brown sugar soy glaze and paired it with chipotle roasted cannellini beans and this week I'm offering up sauteed tofu with caramelized onions, sauteed spinach, and toasted pine nuts. Maybe after Thanksgiving I'll try my hand at some seitan. Enjoy!

Sauteed Tofu with Caramelized Onions, Sauteed Spinach, and Toasted Pine Nuts

7 - 8 ounces savory baked extra-firm tofu cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 medium brown onion

1 pound fresh spinach

1/4 cup pine nuts

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

In a large saucepan over medium low heat, cook the onion with a little olive oil and salt until it has caramelized, meaning, it has leached out liquid, turned translucent, and has then turned a shade of golden brown. In the last 2 minutes, add the garlic and stir around, careful not to burn it. Set aside and turn the heat up to medium. Cook the tofu strips in the saucepan with a bit of salt and an additional splash of oil. Saute until slightly golden, about 4 minutes, and set aside. Meanwhile, lightly toast the pine nuts in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the spinach with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and stir to wilt. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine. Once the spinach has fully wilted and is lightly coated in oil add the tofu and pine nuts and combine. Plate and enjoy!

Grilled Tofu with a Brown Sugar Soy Glaze

7-8 ounces extra firm tofu

1/2 cup soy sauce

Juice of two limes (about a 1/4 cup or more)

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon finely chopped basil, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Slice the tofu into 1 inch slices and set aside in a dish (not overlapping, but touching is fine). In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over the tofu. Let the tofu marinate for at least one hour (up to 4 hours) and heat up the grill or grill pan over a medium-high flame. Pour the marinade out of the dish and into a saucepan. Reduce over medium heat. Grease the grill (I paint mine with oil) and set the tofu on. Let the tofu cook for 3 minutes, or until darkly marked. Glaze the tofu with reduced marinade and flip, glazing the other side while it grills. When finished, drizzle with reduced marinade and sprinkle with remaining basil. Enjoy!

CAKE AND ICE CREAM ICE CREAM

My brother is extremely suspicious of me. Whenever I offer him a dinner suggestion he worries that salad might be involved, and when I drive him home from school and suggest we get coffee he frets that a trip to the market might follow. I am a food manipulator, and after watching the limp pizza boxes pile up outside of his room, watching him smirk and preen about the benefits of American cheese, watching him crush five double stuffed oreos into the bottom of a glass, covering it with chocolate milk, and gulping it down so quickly he gets a black moustache likening him to Gomez from the Addams Family, I had to intervene. While none of these actions are a crime, it should not be the limit of someone's culinary scope. So, I stepped in with my sisterly wiles and started bullying and guilt tripping into him trying new food. When I say "new" I'm not referring to esoteric fare, I'm referring to Chipotle, and Niman Ranch meat. And luckily for me, he went for the bait and loved it! He stopped shooting jaundiced looks at me when I suggest a new place for lunch, or I explain that something is organic. He's open to it, in fact, he's into it. So when I failed to convince him that the local gelato shop is superior to Cold Stone, I submitted to him a challenge: that we have our cake and ice cream and eat it too.

Henry and I set out to create the perfect balance of our ice cream needs: a luxurious texture for me, and big cake-y flavor for him. Success, and just in time for his birthday too! This recipe marks the beginning of a lovely partnership between my brother and I, him challenging me and I him. He'll also be popping in from time to time to guest blog about his experiences, so take it away, Henry!

I love food that just tastes great; I’m kind of a reverse picky eater. My friend from elementary school was an actual picky eater. At the age of 8 he would eat nothing but sushi and salad (he refused to eat birthday cake on his birthday). I used to just eat stuff that “tastes good”, but isn’t necessarily the finest of quality. But now Claire has taken me on a culinary journey to, hopefully, mature my taste buds. An old obsession of mine (it still is, but I appreciate other ice cream too now) is Cold Stone's Birthday Cake ice cream - a creamy (or gluey, as my sister Claire likes to say) amalgamation of cake batter, vanilla, milk, and loads and loads of sugar. Although it’s a favorite of mine, Claire doesn’t feel the same way about it. So, she and I decided to improve upon this Cold Stones classic. Using yellow cake mix and a lot of vanilla, we concocted an ice cream that certainly rivals it. Instead of a gluey consistency, the ice cream we made is much more smooth and creamy, and it doesn’t taste as overwhelmingly sugary.

For Ice Cream:

1/2 cup yellow cake mix
½ cup sugar

Pinch of salt
3 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk

Over medium heat, bring 1 cup of heavy cream, sugar, salt, and cake mix to a simmer. Separately, beat the egg yolks lightly in a medium sized bowl. Add a 1/4 cup of the simmered cream mixture to the egg yolks and mix. This is to temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling when added to the whole mixture. Add a bit more and mix, then add the entire egg mixture to the simmered cream. Stir with a whisk until the mixture forms a thin custard, about 5 to 10 minutes (or it reaches about 175 on a thermometer). Take off heat and add the remaining milk and heavy cream. Stir, then chill in the fridge.

Once the mixture is completely chilled, add the milk and stir in. Add the mixture to your ice cream machine and chill accordingly.

KITCHY ENDORSEMENTS

Broguiere's Chocolate Milk

Ding ding ding! Last stop nostalgia! Please exit now. The crew will be providing you with blankies upon request, as well as graham crackers with apple juice. Napping is encouraged.

I cannot think of a more efficient time machine than a glass of ice cold chocolate milk. It lingers on your lips, and goes down cool and smooth. It's creamy, but not too rich, and the perfect way to unwind after 8 hours pushing pencils and remembering your multiplication tables. Adding to its whimsical effect, my favorite chocolate milk comes in a tall glass bottle with a cow smiling at me. Broguiere's dairy is located east of LA in Montebello, and from what I've heard puts out an equally fantastic Egg Nog, which I'll definitely be looking into come Christmas time. But in the meanwhile, this chocolate milk is a fast way to hot cocoa bliss. Just heat it up, melt in an extra 1/4 cup of semi sweet chocolate and add your favorite flavorings: vanilla, coffee extract, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, whatever. So whether you want it cold or hot, indulge your screaming inner child with a cup of the good stuff. Enjoy!