Lemon Meringue Tartlets

We finally figured out the gas problem with the oven(too many damn pilot lights) so that means back to cooking! Though I must say it's been hard to find inspiration to cook since I'm all about trying the hundreds of restaurants in our new hood. We've found our new favorite Thai and Indian restaurants, sandwich shop, and hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint already. Next on the list to find are Vietnamese(our first try didn't meet my Sunset-high standards), Italian, and a decent coffee shop(there are too many to choose from!). 

Although we had some awesome breakfasts this past weekend, the Kiwi found his cravings for Vegemite too strong for him to handle. So we set out to World Market in hopes of finding some there. He ended up settling for Marmite since they were fresh out of the good stuff and I picked up a few mini tart pans for $1.50 each. Score. Here's one of many soon to come tartlet recipes coming from my kitchen.

The crust is more of a shortbread type rather than pie crust. It's crispy on the outside yet dense and chewy(almost like a cookie) on the inside. I didn't have any cream of tartar for the meringue(because who uses this stuff regularly?) so I opted for a little lemon juice to help with the acid balance. They turned out better than expected so I hope you enjoy them too!

Lemon Meringue Tartlets (makes 2-3 mini tarts)
For the crust:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar(confectioners)
1/4 cup(1/2 stick) cold butter, cubed
pinch of salt
cold water by the teaspoon

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the pieces of butter are about the size of half a pea. If it's not coming together add cold water by the teaspoon until it forms a loose dough(All of this can be done by hand...some of us don't have the luxury of a food processor ahem, like me). Pour out onto a clean counter and pull the dough together into a disk. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
Once the dough is chilled, divide it into 3 equal parts among your mini tart pans. Press the dough up the sides forming a thin even layer less than a quarter inch thick(you can roll it if you want then place it in your pans). Put them back in the freezer for another 5-10 minutes then onto a cookie sheet. Prick the bottom a few times so the steam can escape. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

If your crust bubbles a little(mine did, the little buggers) just use the bottom of a cup to flatten the bottom when they're still warm. Allow to cool completely before putting the lemon curd in them.

For the lemon curd:
I decided to go with a different recipe than before. I liked the taste and texture a bit more with this one. It's definitely lighter than David Lebovitz's recipe too. Here's the link.

For the meringue:
1 large egg white
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:
With a hand mixer in a medium bowl, beat your egg yolk until frothy. Throw in your lemon juice and slowly sprinkle in your sugar. Beat on high until the mixture becomes stiff and shiny. Taste to see if you want more sugar.

Assembly:
Once both your tart shell and lemon curd are cooled, pop out your shells from their pans and fill with curd until nearly to the top. Place your meringue into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe your meringue in any pretty design you want. I liked the individual star approach because you get more burnt crispy tips after broiling...but anything works. Turn on your broiler and pop your tarts in for just a minute, I suggest watching them because they'll burn VERY quickly. Once browned, they're ready to serve.

Where I've Been the Past Two Weeks

 The first cooked meal in our new place. Sourdough with chevre, tomato, fried eggs, and greens. 

Celebrations...with Humboldt Fog. 

Boys at play.  

Tamale & Tequila Fest. I'm done eating tamales for the rest of my life...or until next week. 

Settling in nicely.

Meyer Lemon Curd

The past couple weeks have been hectic looking for apartments(we found a beauty!), preparing for a move, opening day just around the corner(I work at a restaurant just 1 block from the stadium), and other tough decisions that popped out of nowhere(more on that later). I've been surviving on coffee and have officially tried everything on the menu at work ha. I did have a day off to stroll through my corner market and found myself smitten with some beautiful meyer lemons last week. I brought home about two pounds and googled my way through recipes until deciding on this one. Lemon curd is way easier to make than you may think. Just sugar, eggs, lemon and butter combine to make a silky-smooth-lemony custard ready for spreading on flaky scones within 20 minutes.
If you can't find meyer lemons(they're a bit less tart than regular ones) go ahead and use whatever you can find at the store. Feel free to add a bit more sugar if you feel it needs it. I now have a big jar of this dreamy stuff and can't wait to glob it on some crepes, layer it in cakes, and lick it from a spoon after a long night at work.
You can find the recipe here: Meyer Lemon Curd by David Lebovitz

I hope to be back in the swing of things once life has settled down. Check back soon for more recipes!

Garbanzo Bean Soup

Garbanzo Bean Soup (serves 3)
Ingredients: 
1 cup dried garbanzo beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
hot water as needed
for garnish:
lemon wedges, extra virgin olive oil, fresh cilantro, and paprika(optional)

 Directions:
1 day before preparing, soak your garbanzo beans in water(about an inch of water over the bean level). Cover and leave to soften over night. When ready to prepare your soup heat the olive oil and add the onion garlic, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the bay leaf, coriander, and cumin then cook to release their aromas, about a minute. Drain your garbanzo beans and add them to the pot. Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat and let simmer 20 minutes. Let the soup cool for about 15 minutes then puree in a blender with the lemon juice. If the soup seems thick, add hot water until it's to your desired consistency. Garnish with lemon wedges, olive oil, a sprinkling of paprika, and fresh cilantro.
*Note: the soup will thicken as it sits, just keep adding more liquid to return it to it's soupy state.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes(revisited)

I thought I'd repost this recipe with some new pictures since the last time I made these, all the shots were with my point and shoot. Again, they didn't disappoint. Even people who claim they don't like sweets love these cupcakes. Since they're super rich, I made about half in mini-form using this mini muffin pan. A perfect two(or one really large) bite size. 

 Yes-- I am well aware of the non-PC name and these really only refer to the commonly known drink so try not to be too offended just this once. 

The first component of the drink consists of a glass three quarters full of Guinness. A shot glass is then filled with half whiskey and half Bailey's and subsequently gets dropped into the beer. The drinker is to 'chug' the concoction before the Bailey's coagulates. This might sound disgusting, but the flavors really work! The end result is a sweet, rich taste—kind of like a chocolate cake shot but less overwhelming (ps. you should try that sometime as well…just equal amounts of hazelnut liqueur and vanilla vodka-YUM!).

These cupcakes are a bit time-consuming but a lot of fun to make. I use a cream cheese based frosting rather than buttercream frosting because who can resist cream cheese frosting, really? ;)

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes adapted from smittenkitchen

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda(make sure it's fresh or they won't rise properly)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling
8 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half & half)
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2-4 teaspoons Irish whiskey (Not optional)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer beat the eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners(I use a large measuring cup with a pouring spout to make it easier/cleaner), filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, cut the centers out of your cupcakes using a small paring knife. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your "tasters". Put the ganache into a piping bag(or large zip-top bag with a cut to the corner) with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 ounce bar of cream cheese, softened
3 ounces of unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2-4 Tablespoons of Bailey's Irish Cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, add the cream cheese and butter. Beat until combined. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Drizzle in the Bailey's, more or less depending on how boozy you want the frosting, and beat until completely incorporated into the frosting.

Guinness and Onion Soup with Irish Cheddar Crouton

Ever since I can remember, I've had an affinity for onions. Even as a kid I would ask for onion rings to go with my "happy meals" instead of french fries. The trick was biting through them without pulling out the entire onion from its crunchy coating.

As much as I love onions, it's a challenge convincing the Kiwi to eat them. In preparation for his permanent return, I thought I'd give this a try. Soft and sweet caramelized onions in a beef broth covered in gooey messy cheese? I think he'll go for it. This recipe would also be great for St. Patrick's Day. A welcome change from the traditional corned beef since I'm only feeding one here and I certainly don't need 3 pounds of leftovers. 

Guinness and Onion Soup with Irish Cheddar Crouton adapted from Michael Chiarello

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups thinly sliced onions

salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 bay leaf

1/4 sherry or balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups Guinness beer

6 cups beef stock

6 slices country bread, cut 1/2 inch thick, toasted

1/2 pound Irish cheddar, sliced thin

Directions:

Measure out your beer(I halved the recipe) and let sit until you need it. 

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add sliced onions, garlic, and salt then caramelize until golden brown over medium-high heat. Add a spoonful of broth if you find the bottom of the pan getting dark and the onions staying white. Caramelization will take 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Add the sugar, thyme, bay leaf, and balsamic or sherry vinegar. Let the vinegar cook down about a minute then add the Guinness. Reduce liquid by half by simmering for 5-6 minutes. Add the beef stock and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. 

When ready to serve, turn on your oven's broiler. Divide soup into bowls and top with a slice of toast and as much cheese as you can handle.

*Note if you fill your bowls all the way to the top, first place them on a baking sheet just in case they bubble over.

 Broil until the cheese melts and begins to turn golden brown. Watch those bowls carefully, that broiler is HOT. Let cool for a few minutes then dive in!

Serves 6.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Carbonara is one of the most simple pasta dishes within Italian cuisine. No chopping or simmering for hours, and definitely no Italian mother needed. Just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes gets you a hearty and uber delicious meal. This has been my go-to when I get home from work at 1am  and need sustenance FAST! You really can't go wrong with crispy cured pork and cheese.   

This recipe was written for one serving but can easily be doubled for a quick date-night. All you need to know is one yolk and one ounce of milk(that's one shot glass) per person. The amount of cheese and pancetta is really up to you. Lastly, the taste depends on the cheese you buy. I've had some foul-tasting pecorino before so make sure you buy the good stuff, from Italy preferably. You can use parmesan in a cinch but I prefer Pecorino Romano for its more developed flavor. 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Ingredients:
3 to 4 ounces dried spaghetti
1/4 cup pancetta(or bacon), diced
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
1 ounce(2 tablespoons) milk
freshly cracked black pepper
salt

Directions:

Boil your pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes. 

While the pasta is boiling, heat a large non-stick skillet to medium and begin to brown your pancetta.  

Crack the egg open and separate the yolk from the white by gently tossing the yolk back and forth between the shell. 

Grab your delicious pecorino and try to refrain from eating all of it. 

Combine the yolk, cheese, milk, and a good crack of black pepper in a small bowl. 

Stir to combine..it should look something like this. 

When the pancetta is browned and the pasta is cooked, transfer the pasta into your skillet. SAVE your pasta water for later!

Now here's the important part...turn off the heat and pour in your egg/cheese mixture while vigorously shaking the pan. By keeping the pan constantly moving you'll prevent the egg from scrambling and turn it into a luscious sauce. Keep tossing until all of the cheese is melted. Feel free to add a spoonful or two of the hot pasta water if the sauce gets a bit too thick and starts to stick together. Add a pinch of salt if you need it(although the pancetta and cheese will both be pretty salty). 

Breakfast of Champions

It's no secret, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. If When I open my own place someday, breakfast will be served at all hours of the day. 

If I want to be even slightly enjoyable to be around before 2pm(not a morning person is a severe understatement), I've got to start with some caffeine. Now, I'm all for quality espresso drinks but nothing beats a simple cup of brewed coffee. Cue stupid side story: On more than one occasion in Australia I went into a cafe and ordered a coffee. Server asks, "What kind?" 

J: "Uh, just a coffee thanks." 

Server looks at me like I'm disabled and starts reading off the menu. 

"Flat white, short black, long black, latte?" 

Apparently Australians have their own coffee language. Which I learned soon after since I went to barista school there. But anyway, they don't serve plain-old brewed coffee. Only fancy pants(all delicious) espresso drinks. Moral of the story, always stick to the universal latte. Or if you find yourself in Australia and wanting black coffee, order a long black-a shot of espresso with hot water poured in. 

 Here's Natalia's hung-over brunch of champions. Clam chowder, a side salad, and a big ol' plate of BACON. She's inspired me to have 90% of my future restaurant menu feature bacon in ridiculous forms.

Mmmm...bacon chowder.