Pressed-Crust Pear Tart Recipe

I always wanted to make a tart dough from scratch, but it seemed so complicated and I never did until this pressed-crust pear tart. This is a great recipe for someone like me. You don't have to worry about the dough and the filling making at same time. No need to refrigerate the dough like all other basic tart dough. I don't even have a tart pan..., but it still works! The crust came out taste like sweet cookie. It's easy and very simple.

(8 servings)
Recommended pan: 14-inch rectangular tart pan　or 10-inch round tart pan

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for your fingers
1/2 cup sugar, plus 11/2 tablespoons
1 large egg
2 to 3 Bosc pears, peeled, halved, and cored
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Whipped cream (optional)

METHOD:

Heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 14-inch rectangular tart pan and set aside.

Cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar at high speed in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Lower speed to medium, add the egg, and beat until incorporated. Gradually add the shifted flour until fully incorporated. The dough will be very soft. Push the dough into the pan with floured fingers to form an even crust. Arrange the pear halves, top to bottom, cut-side down. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and the remaining sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes; let cool.

Heat the apricot jam and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mixing until combined. Remove from heat and brush gently over the entire tart. Serve with the whipped cream, if desired.

Recipe adapted from RealSimple

VARIATION:
Substitute pears to apples

Orange Bavarois Recipe

I love bavarois, I have 2 bavarois recipes：strawberry and banana. Orange bavarois was something new for me. When I came across this recipe, I fell in love with an idea to use whole orange peel as a cup. I was so happy that I had three oranges left in my kithcen to try it right away.

It came out so pretty and tasty, would be a great dessert for entertaining.

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 oranges
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 2/3 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 teaspoons liquor
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

METHOD:

Cut the oranges horizontally 1" from the top and set aside, the top part used as a lid later. Slice a very thin disk from the bottom so they rest flat.

With a pairing knife, cut around the inside rim of the orange removing the orange sections then squeeze the juice.

Place in a small pan with the orange juice, lemon juice and sugar. Bring to boil and remove the heat. Add powdered gelatin and liquor and mix well. Let it cool over the ice bath until the mixture thickens.

In the bowel, whisk the whipping cream as thick as the mixture is. (Don't make it too thick! The mixture and the whipped cream should be the same thickness.) Then pour the gelatin mixture into the whipped cream bowel and gently mix them.

Spoon the mixture into the orange peel cups and place the lids. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm it.


Recipe adapted from Michiko Matsuda's Chic & Swift Recipes

Stuffed Rainbow Chard Rolls

I had never seen this vegetanble, rainbow chard. When I found it in the box from Urban Organic, I was shocked... What is it? The pink stalks are beautiful, but I didn't know if it's edible.

I opened the encyclopedia to check on this vegetable. What I found was that is also known as Swiss chard which has white stalks, is related to the beet and is grown for its edible stalks and leaves. Leaves are prepared much like spinach, and stalks are prepared like celery. When tender and fresh, the raw leaves are delicious in salads. Cooked chard is good warm or cold.

This is good enough to start cooking. Leaves are much bigger than spinach, so I decided to use it substitute of cabbage of cabbage rolls. For stuffing, I used ground beef, chopped pork sausage, chopped onion and boiled brown rice. Flavored it with little bit of cumin powder. Added salt and pepper for taste.

The pretty stalks were sliced and sauteed with garlic olive oil and served with balsamic vinegar.


It was nice dinner and I liked it. Next time, I'd like to try it as a salad.

Takoyaki Lunch Party

"Takoyaki (literally fried or baked octopus) is a popular Japanese dumpling made of batter, diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, green laver (aonori), mayonnaise, and katsuobushi (fish shavings), originating from Osaka. A takoyaki pan is typically made of cast iron with half-spherical molds. The heavy iron evenly heats the takoyaki. Commercial gas-fueled takoyaki cookers are used at Japanese festivals or by street vendors. For home use, electric versions resembling a hotplate; stovetop versions are also available." by Wikipedia

As Takoyaki is from west party of Japan, I believe western people love Takoyaki much more than eastern people. Because I met many people in New York who own a Takoyaki Pan, they are all from west! I am from east, and so my family is. When I told my girl friend that I never made Takoyaki at home, she came up with Takoyaki lunch party plan.

She brought an electric Takoyaki pan and invite one more girl from western part of Japan. This is my first time making Takoyaki at home, however I was just waching what gilrs were doing it. It was so quick! One person pours the butter and the other places the diced octopus and other ingredients, my friends' favorite ingredient boiled quail's egg as well. Then flip them one by one with sharp-pointed stick to make it round shape. The process was less than 10 minutes. Topping were special sauce for Takoyaki, mayonnaise and katusobushi. Beer was the perfect muching drink.

The fun part is not only eating but also making it! Hope I can more prticipate making part next time.

"Beard on Bread" Project

When I started baking bread in Japan, about 9 years ago, my best friend gave me a book, Japanese edition of "Beard on Bread" by James Beard. At that time, I didn't know about James Beard. I didn't know that the book is the bible for home bakery.　All I needed was step by step instructions with pictures, this book was too advanced to me. I never tried any breads from the book and forgot about it for long long time until I found it in the closet last week. Actually I was surprised that I brought it from Japan.

It was kind of exciting that I found this book. Now I know who's James Beard. I didn't know I have one of his book. I see so many interesting bread recipes in the book, I started feeling that I would like to check the original English edition. So I borrowed it from library.

I love this book! It's an original edition printed in 70s. To own one, I have options to buy paperback one(new) or hard cover one(used). After the feeling of special connection to this book, I definitely go for the hard cover.

Now I'm thinking to make all the breads from the book!
I call it "Beard on Bread" Project.

From Introduction, the part I'm very attracted.
"... I have not attempted to write a comprehensive history of bread and its religious significance, or to give a complete roundup of international baking... What I am presenting here is what I consider the besot of breads I have sampled from all over -- and I have worked out the recipes so that they can be made in the average American kitchen....."

My Favorite Utensil

A bamboo sieve is one of my favorite utensils. I just got three of them from my friend who came back to New York from Japan. I haven't had them long time. Since I started cooking every day, I missed it so much! I think vegetables are quickly dried out after rinsed on the bamboo sieve. Tofu or other delicate ingredients are safe to drain with this no to brake the shape. Actually, It is difficult to keep it dry in high humidity place such as Japan. I remember that when I was using it in Japan, sometimes I found mold spots on it. But not here in New York -I hope!

Meal Diary: January Review

Vegetable Stock Recipe

This is very my way to make vegetable stock, I've discovered it since I started cooking 3 meals a day at home. I realized that there are so much waste from vegetables such as peels of carrot, potato and celery, fresh herbs stem, onion skin, mushroom stalk, unusable tiny garlic, and so on. I thought they should make one more stop before going to a trash can. Is it too cheap? I just don't want to waste food that still eatable or flavorful.

Collecting ingredients is every day's routine. When you are working with vegetables, keep the waste on the side. I usually keep everything together in the big Ziploc bag in the freezer. Once the bag is full, it's time to make your own vegetable stock!

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag (about 11"x10" Ziploc bag) of vegetable waste, such as onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, celery, carrots, potaots, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli stems, and so on.
4 bay leaves
8-10 whole black peppers
8-10 cups of water

METHOD:

Place all the ingredients in a large pot and bring it to boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Strain the broth through a sieve.

Keep it in refrigerator, I usually finish it in a week.