Homemade Greek-style yogurt

I just made yogurt for the first time! It was very easy -- I followed the directions I found on line from this nice biology professor.

And viola! I actually let it sit in the water bath for a little longer, but it was fine. After it was done I chilled it for an hour and then dumped it into a paper coffee filter in a sieve over a small bowl and let it strain for 2 hours in the fridge, to get thicker, which is how they make Greek-style yogurt. Probably drained a cup of liquid out of it altogether. I emptied the strained yogurt back into the jar I made it in. wow! It's so tasty when it's fresh! Definitely worth the trouble. Serve it the way the Greeks do, with a little drizzle of honey on it.

Flaxseed meal bran rolls

Ok I know that "flaxseed meal" and "bran" make this sound like a heavy, tasteless, good-for-you bread. But trust me -- this is a moist, aromatic, chewy, and just completely yummy bread recipe.

1 pkg yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/8 cup honey
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 grated apple
1 cup flaxseed meal
1 cup bran
3+ cups white all-purpose or bread flour
1 tsp cooking oil

Mix yeast and warm water in a large bowl and let sit until creamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, warm milk, take off heat and add honey, butter, egg, and salt and whisk. When luke warm, add to yeast mixture. Add apple, flaxseed, bran, and flour and mix. Turn out onto a board and knead, adding more white flour sparingly as needed to keep it from sticking. Knead 5-10 minutes. Oil a large bowl and turn dough into it. Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm location. When it's doubled in size, turn oven on to 350 and oil a 9-inch springform pan. Divide dough into 8 equal balls and put in springform pan. Let rise another 30 minutes, then bake in oven 30-40 minutes.

Pastafarian Cocktail

1/2 cup good dark rum
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup clementine juice
2 oz simple syrup
1 cup tonic

stir and serve over ice

Posole Verde a la Wallski

This is dedicated to my cousin Anthony Reynoso, who inspired me to get off my duff and finally make posole. This is probably completely different from his version, but what the heck, it was good. Makes about 4 big bowls full. Reheats well.

1 1/2 pounds pork butt
1 15 oz can of whole hominy, drained
6 large whole cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
6 cups of water
1 cup toasted pepitas
1/2 pound tomatillos (about 1-2 cups)
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded
salt to taste
tortillas

Possible garnishes to serve with the posole (the more the better):
avocado slices
sliced radishes
minced cilantro
wedges of lime
minced scallions or red onion


Put cumin, water, pork, hominy and garlic in a pot and simmer on low heat for and hour and a half to two hours. Put pepitas, tomatillos, jalapeno, and some of the simmering broth in a blender and blend until smooth. Add to the pork broth. Continue to simmer for 30-60 minutes. Serve with warm tortillas and garnishes.

Nigella Lawson's Clementine Cake

This is a specTACular cake! Moist, packed with fragrance and flavor. Plus, ultra-easy to make, and even better the day after you bake it. It is a humble-looking cake, and not good for fancy dinners, but excellent for the end to a small intimate dinner party or instead of a coffee cake for a brunch or tea. The original recipe half-heartedly suggests a glaze, but I think it would be a mistake - the cake stands on its own. Maybe a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, or a dollop of mascarpone....

4-5 clementines (approximately 1 pound total weight)
6 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 1/3 cup finely ground almonds*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Butter a 8-inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 375.

Place whole, unpeeled clementines into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and let cook 2 hours. Drain, let cool, then cut each Clementine in half, remove seeds, and place in food processor- skins and all. Chop the Clementines finely in the processor.

In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder to the eggs, mixing well. Add the chopped Clementines by hand and mix to combine.

Pour batter into pan. Bake in a 375 F oven for 40 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and cook about another 10 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack overnight.

*Note: You can buy very good ground almonds these days (Bob's Red Mill is one brand), but it's easy to grind them yourself -- buy slivered almonds and run them through your coffee mill.

Fresh Cranberry Relish

This makes about a quart of sauce. I've also substituted several peeled clementines in place of a juice orange -- I love the flavor of their juice. Satsumas would also be great if you can get them.

1 pound cranberries
2 juice oranges, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks (Don't use navel -- too much skin)
1/2 cup sugar
1 shot (1.5 oz) Grand Marnier
1/8 tsp ground allspice

Wash all the fruit thoroughly, and remove stems, etc. Put cranberries and oranges in bowl of food processor and pulse until thoroughly chopped. Move chopped mixture to a bowl and mix in all other ingredients. Let sit 15 minutes to macerate a little. Add more sugar or Grand Marnier to taste. Refrigerate until served.

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing

Adapted from Orangette, who adapted it from Casa Moro
Yield: 4 servings

For salad:
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoons ground allspice (I skip this)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

For tahini dressing:
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.
Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning. The sauce should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a little kick of lemon. You will probably need to add more water to thin it out.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro or parsley in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully, or you could serve the salad with the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.

Do ahead: Molly says this salad, lightly dressed, keeps beautifully in the fridge, that you should hold a little of the dressing on the side and that it can be reheated in the microwave. I, for one, have never had any leftovers.

Smitten Kitchen's Red Wine Chocolate Cake

This is lifted wholesale from the Smitten Kitchen web site -- she is a wondrous developer of fresh new recipes. This cake manages to be moist, tangy, fudgy, and sophisticated, all at the same time.

Adapted loosely from this Everyday Chocolate Cake, and you

This, as far as I’m concerned, is the real red velvet cake — chocolate, naturally reddened and intensely flavored. For reasons I cannot put my finger on, this feels quintessentially September, fudgy rich chocolate, faintly spiced red wine, diminutive in size and so very quick to make. We are completely obsessed with it already.

Now, the essentials: The wine does not, I repeat, does not, fully bake out. It will taste like there’s wine in there though not in the way that it would leave you tipsy, nevertheless, I will not be using this cake for, say, my toddler’s birthday party, if you get my drift. If you’re familiar with the Everyday Chocolate Cake, you might notice that I’ve changed a bunch of things. It’s flat and round, not a thick loaf. I use only 3/4 of the volume of some ingredients and 2/3 volume of others, you’ll see, the red wine gives it an intensity that’s best served thin — the final cake is only 3/4- to 1-inch tall, and bakes quickly. I add a yolk which just… makes it better and cinnamon, which plays off the red wine and chocolate fantastically, but not so much that it competes with either. Oh, and it’s still a one-bowl cake, and bakes in no time. You know you wanna.

Cake
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (179 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) white granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 cup (177 ml) red wine, any kind you like*
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (133 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (41 grams) Dutch cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (this is a great place for that fancy Vietnamese stuff you stashed away)

Topping
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup (118 grams) chilled heavy or whipping cream
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment, and either butter and lightly flour the parchment and exposed sides of the pan, or spray the interior with a nonstick spray. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and yolk and beat well, then the red wine and vanilla. Don’t worry if the batter looks a little uneven. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together, right over your wet ingredients. Mix until 3/4 combined, then fold the rest together with a rubber spatula. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The top of the cake should be shiny and smooth, like a puddle of chocolate. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 minutes, then flip out of pan and cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack. This cake keeps well at room temperature or in the fridge. It looks pretty dusted with powdered sugar.

Make the topping: Whip mascarpone, cream, sugar and vanilla together until soft peaks form — don’t overwhip. Dollop generously on each slice of cake. It can also be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.

* I used Bedell First Crush Red, one of our North Fork favorites.

Quick Tuna Caper Pasta

Just made this for a quick summer lunch -- very tasty and you can put it together from things in your pantry while the pasta is boiling. Serves 2.

1/4 lb of pasta -- I used ziti

1/4 cup of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tblsp lemon juice
1 can tuna, drained
2 tblsp capers
1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes
1/4 c fresh Italian parsley, chopped
parmesan cheese to taste
salt and pepper to taste

While pasta is cooking, mix other ingredients except salt pepper and cheese in a bowl. when pasta is done, mix with tuna mixture. add salt, pepper, and cheese to taste. that's it!

Tahira's keema

This recipe is from Tahira Sami, a gifted chef who makes mouth-watering Pakistani food every Friday night at The Pelican in downtown Lake Worth, FL (or breakfast any day). It can be made with ground chicken or lamb - she says she adds a bit of water and more chilis when she makes it with lamb. At The Pelican, she serves it in an omelette with a little crumbled feta, served with naan. It's even better the second day.

4-5 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tblsp ginger
1 tblsp garlic
2 tblsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
2 tblsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
8-10 whole dried red chilis
2 lb ground chicken breast (or lamb)

Purée tomato,garlic, and ginger together in a blender and reserve. Sauté onion in the oil gently until golden. Add all the spices and cook gently for a minute or two. Add the tomato purée and the chilis and sauté gently for about 5 minutes, until the juices come up on top a little. Add the ground chicken and sauté until cooked.

Note: Tahira's recipe calls for adding the meat raw -- I'm sure this is fine with chicken breast, which is quite lean, but I tried this with the lamb and it was a little greasy. I would try browning the lamb first and pouring off some of the fat before adding it to the puree-spice mixture. Or add it raw and wait until the next day to eat it, skimming first) I served with sauteed zucchini -- eggplant would also be good.

ATK Blueberry Scones

I know there's a lot of technique in this recipe from Cooks Illustrated, but it's not as onerous as it might look and it produces a perfect blueberry scone -- rich and light and tangy and aromatic. Personally I find that a little lemon zest goes a long way -- easy for it to overwhelm the other flavors.

It is important to work the dough as little as possible—work quickly and knead and fold the dough only the number of times called for. The butter should be frozen solid before grating. In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture and workbowls before use. While the recipe calls for 2 whole sticks of butter, only 10 tablespoons are actually used (see step 1). If fresh berries are unavailable, an equal amount of frozen berries (do not defrost) can be substituted. An equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries can be used in place of the blueberries. Cut larger berries into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before incorporating. Refrigerate or freeze leftover scones, wrapped in foil, in an airtight container. To serve, remove foil and place scones on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven. Heat until warmed through and recrisped, 8 to 10 minutes if refrigerated, 16 to 20 minutes if frozen. See final step for information on making the scone dough in advance.

Makes 8
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (see note above)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 7 1/2 ounces), picked over (see note)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for work surface
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Score and remove half of wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Following photo at left, grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place blueberries in freezer until needed.

2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

4. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Following illustrations, fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.

5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

To Make Ahead:
After placing the scones on the baking sheet, either refrigerate them overnight or freeze. When ready to bake, for refrigerated scones, heat oven to 425 degrees and follow directions in step 6. For frozen scones, heat oven to 375 degrees, follow directions in step 6, and extend cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Chicken on the Grill

It's April! Time to start grilling!

This chicken is very quick to put together -- you start it in the oven (and can do this the day ahead if you like) and then finish on the grill.

Paste for slathering chicken:

1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tblspn jerk powder

2 tblspn soy sauce

2 tblspn cider vinegar

1/4 c olive oil

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

Put all of the above in a blender and blend until it's a chunky paste. Cut a chicken into pieces and put in a baking dish big enough to hold the pieces packed closely together. Slather the pieces with the paste. (Note: you can put it like this in the fridge to marinate for up to a day if you want to) Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour. (At this point you can also refrigerate if you are not ready to grill it. ) Grill for about 10 minutes, basting with the juices in the pan.