Homemade Gyros

Gyros from a cart, with meat carved off of the meat log roasting in the back of the truck, are greasy awesomeness wrapped in tin foil. Probably the best I've had is from Rafiqi's truck around midtown, but I won't always be able to make the trek for some midtown street grub. Enter Alton Brown and all that is his geniusness, and we can attempt to make gyros in our very own home!

I've made this now twice, once using all ground lamb, and once using 1/2 lamb and 1/2 turkey or veal or some white meat I forget. Beef would also work well, but use whatever meat you like; less lamb if you don't like that gamey taste (although it doesn't taste that gamey at all even using all lamb).

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 hr 15 min
Rest time: 15-20 min
Servings: 5 gyros

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground lamb or other ground meat of choice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp dried marjoram
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 flatbread pitas
1 tomato, chopped
Thinly sliced onions

Tzatziki sauce:
1 7-oz container Greek yogurt
1/2 medium cucumber
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp dill
1 Tbsp lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment:
Food processor
Tea towel or cheese cloth
1 loaf pan
Larger oven-safe pan big enough to hold loaf pan
Brick or second loaf pan

If you don't have Greek yogurt, strain plain yogurt in a tea towel, gathering up the edges of the towel and suspending over a bowl for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Dice cucumbers and add to food processor along with garlic, dill, and lemon. Process to desired consistency and mix into yogurt. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. Salt and pepper to taste.



Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice. Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 1/2-2 minutes. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl. You will need to do this in ~1/2 pound batches, and be careful not to overheat your motor! Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. [Optional: Place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to let flavors meld].


Process the meat/onion/spices until they reach a pate-like consistency


raw goodness!

Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Alternatively, place a second loaf pan over the meat and weight down with heavy weights. This will squeeze out extra fat and reduce the voids in the meat 'loaf' to resemble more of a pate. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce and other condiments of choice, such as tomatoes, sliced onions, hot sauce, and/or feta cheese.


ghetto weights uncovered to reveal a slightly shrunken product


grilling up for some extra tastiness



one spicy, one mild

Cheese Fondue

After my lasagna-making episode, I had about 2 cups of white wine leftover, waiting to be used or wasted. Keeping in mind to make some dishes incorporating wine, and whilst comfort-shopping in the tableware and cookware section of Century 21, I came across these incredibly cute mini cassoulet pots that would be perfect for cooking such things as fondue! My favorite type of fondue has to be cheese fondue. Chocolate fondue is great, as is dipping meats and veggies into well-seasoned oils or broths, but you really just can't beat cheese.

This recipe is adapted from one I found off of the food network site:

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp dried thyme (more if using fresh thyme)
Dash of nutmeg
Assorted fruits, vegetables, and crusty bread, cut for dipping

Equipment:
1 mini cassoulet or small sauce pot
Shredder
Small spatula/spoon
Mixing bowl
Skewers

Rub the inside, bottom and sides of a medium saucepan with the clove of garlic. Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Pour in the white wine and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to simmer the wine.


frozen wine cubes

In a bowl, shred the cheese and toss with the cornstarch until the cheese is completely coated. Coating the grated cheese with a starch such as flour or corn starch will help stabilize the sauce. Slowly add in the cheese and stir with a wooden spoon until the cheese is melted thoroughly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Take care not to over stir the cheese, as doing so will encourage stringiness. Add thyme and nutmeg into the melted cheese and stir. Serve immediately with the fruit, vegetables and bread.

Slowly add the cheese and mix until smooth

Gruyere is a mildly stinky cheese, so if you prefer less stink, use a half and half mixture of the Gruyere, and a Swiss-style cheese like Jarlsberg or Emmenthaler. If you really like the stink, upgrade to a Fontina cheese.

Fesenjan

Fesenjan was introduced to me at an Afghani restaurant on St. Marks, Khyber Pass. Although my favorite Afghani restaurant still has to be the Helmand in Cambridge, the former features a really interesting dish: Fesenjan, which is a pomegranate and walnut based stew, is actually a Persian dish with a thick texture and sweet, tangy, yet full taste. Chicken or duck is usually used, and while Khyber Pass makes their version with chicken, I decided to experiment with duck, which I find to be more flavorful. The pomegranate used in the dish gives it a subtle red coloring, which is really cool - in fact, Khyber Pass's version is somewhat purple, although I suspect they use some beet juice coloring to enhance the color...

I'll first get into the secret ingredient of the dish, pomegranate molasses (synonomous with pomegranate syrup). This can be found at kosher or Middle Eastern grocery stores, although if you don't have one nearby, POM pomegranate juice will work fine too (but will probably be overpriced ever since pomegranate has become such a superfruit). Oddly enough, a whole bottle of pomegranate syrup costs less than $4. Make sure you don't buy a brand that uses sour pomegranates - it will probably be made in Iran and say 'sour' somewhere on the label. The brands made in Lebanon are sweeter, and I think better suited for this dish. I used Cortas, which supposedly won in a taste off for the LA Times, but more importantly was all I could find at the Middle Eastern store next door. When I leave NYC, I will definitely miss being a 2 minute walk from so many ethnic grocery stores.


Still quite tangy

Here we go:

Active prep time: 30 min
Inactive prep time: 1-4 hrs (optional)
Cook time: 1 1/2 hr+
Servings: 3

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, thin sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup walnuts, finely ground
1/3 cup pomegranate syrup (or 1-1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice)
1 1/4 cup stock or water (omit if using pomegranate juice)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 lime (optional)
2-2 1/2 lb bone-in poultry (equates to 3-4 duck legs)

Equipment:
Kitchen shears and/or good knife
Food processor
Medium sauce pot
Tongs


Ground walnuts and tiny carton of stock! Why am I attracted to mini versions of things...

Blend whole or chopped walnuts in a food processor until finely ground (5-10 seconds). Using kitchen scissors, remove the skin from the duck (or chicken) legs. The breast may be used, but will tend to give a drier final product. Sprinkle the meat with lime and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours. This step is optional, but the acid in the lime should help to tenderize the meat.


Oh my god that's a lot of skin on a duck leg... 2 lb duck leg ~ 1 lb duck meat

Heat oil over medium heat in the sauce pot, and add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg and sauté, stirring, for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in walnuts, pomegranate syrup, stock, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 30 minutes to develop the flavor. Adjust salt and sugar to taste (I added an extra teaspoon of sugar because I like my fesenjan a little less tart). Add poultry, taking care to cover most or all of the meat with the stew liquid. Simmer for at least an hour, long enough for the walnut oil to separate. [If you choose to, take the stew off the heat for a few minutes at the end, and skim off the separated oil that rises to the top]. Serve with flatbread or over rice.



Remember, the longer you simmer, the more tender your meat will be. If the stew gets too thick, you can add stock or water to thin it out. It's definitely different from anything you've ever tasted before, but very good. I served my fesenjan with cinnamon and bay leaf infused jasmine rice. MmMMmmm. I think this ranks up there as one of my favorite creations.

Shaved Carrot and Pear Salad

This is a really fun take on your traditional salad or even coleslaw. Inconveniently enough, I'm actually mildly allergic to both raw carrots and raw pears. Mouth, neck, and ears get all tingly... but I couldn't pass up such a cool looking dish for minor details like that. I used a curry vinaigrette recommended by Giada to dress the salad.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:
2 carrots, trimmed and peeled
1 D'Anjou (or other firm) pear
1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Dressing:
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Equipment:
Vegetable peeler
Medium-large bowl
Hand blender or small blender

Using a vegetable peeler cut the carrots lengthwise into thin ribbons or slices. Quarter, core, and stem the pears. Using a knife, slice into very thin strips. Place the carrot and pear slices in a large bowl with the chopped parsley.

Blend together vinegar, curry powder, honey, salt, and pepper. With the blender running add the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the carrots and pears. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

I have to say, the dressing was only OK in my opinion. The salad, however, is great, and looks pretty impressive. I bet it would taste great with any number of vinaigrettes, like balsamic or a sherry or maybe a lime cilantro yogurt dressing. Ok, time for me to wash down the itchiness with some lasagna...

Classic Lasagna Bolognese with Bechamel Sauce

I first made this recipe, adapted from Gourmet Magazine, about a year ago for my sister's bridal shower, and it got pretty solid feedback, so I figured that a lazy, cloudy Sunday would be perfect for take two of this dish.

Just a little history about this dish. You are probably much more used to seeing lasagna made with layers of pasta, bolognese, and ricotta cheese, and perhaps some mozzarella as well. This is typically made in Southern Italian cooking. Northern Italian lasagna, on the other hand, uses a bechamel sauce (basically a cream sauce) in place of the ricotta. This makes for a smoother lasagna; not that one is necessarily better than the other, so definitely try this northern recipe if you are intrigued!

As a forewarning, this meal takes awhile to make. Like, 6 or 7 hours awhile. But the active parts really only take up ~2 hours, so it's a fairly relaxing 6-7 hours. In particular, the meat sauce will take 4-5 hours to cook properly, and I might even suggest letting the sauce sit in the fridge overnight so that all the flavors can marry together into pure deliciousness. But if you don't have the patience or foresight to prepare the night before, it's ok.

Active prep/cook time: 1 1/2 hr
Cook time: 5 hrs
Servings: 1 9x13 pan, about 6 servings

Ingredients
1 box lasagna sheets
1 cup grated Parmesan

Bolognese sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup chopped celery (2 celery stalks)
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots (1 1/2 carrots)
3/4 lb lean ground beef
3/4 pound sweet italian sausage
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup dry white wine (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay; I used an Orvieto Classico, which is a light-bodied, dry, crisp, pale gold wine)
1 28 oz can of crushed plum tomatos
1 1/2 cups water

Bechamel sauce:
4 cups hot milk
1/2 cup flour
8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
(Optional) Dash of nutmeg


Equipment:
1 large pot
1 medium sauce pot
Wooden spatula
Whisk
Good knife
Cutting board
9x13 pan

While I was shopping for ingredients, I came across a product by Barilla featuring flat lasagna sheets:

You're probably used to making lasagna with pasta sheets that are curled at the edges. The problem I have with this type of lasagna sheet is that I find the sheets to be too thick when cooked. Since I like my food meaty and sauce-y, I tend to prefer a greater meat/sauce-to-pasta ratio than the common lasagna sheets provide. These sheets are thinner and less slimy/slithery than their thicker counterpart. This is good also because you don't have to boil the sheets prior to baking: they absorb enough liquid from the sauce to "cook" them completely without parboiling. If you prefer the curled sheets, or can't find the flat sheet variety, just use the curled sheets, but you'll have to cook them briefly before using.

Heat the oil and butter together, over low heat, in a heavy bottomed pot. Butter provides great flavor, but has a generally low smoke point (in which the fat/oil breaks down and gives food an unpleasant taste) so mixing in oil can remedy this. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook till wilted. This is known as an italian sofrito, used as a basis in many sauces. Add the meat and, breaking up the meat with a wooden spatula, cook gently and stirring frequently. Season the meat with salt and pepper, add the wine and allow the wine to cook completely down to almost dry before adding the tomatoes and water. Adjust the heat to a slow simmer and, being careful not to cook too rapidly, cook the meat and tomato sauce for between 3 to 4 hours. Stir every 15-20 minutes or so to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot and keep an eye on this simmering pot. When the sauce has cooked for several hours and the excess water has cooked off, remove from the heat and allow to cool before assembling the lasagna.


mm sofrito


The meat sauce thickens up nicely after 3 1/2 hours of simmering and a quick whir of a hand blender. Soooo tasty!

I'll segue for a moment into a quick lesson on an efficient, non-finger-bleed-inducing, minimal-tears method to cutting onions. I've seen people cut onions many ways, and it usually looks incredibly messy and uneven. But hopefully this way will appeal to you.
First, take an unpeeled onion. There are two ends, the top being the side where the onion skin tapers together, and the bottom being the root end. Lay the onion on its side and chop off the top end of the onion. Place the onion on its newly-flat end, and slice in half (thus splitting the root end in two). Now take an onion half and peel back the papery skin and first layer, which is often thin/leathery/bruised - do not rip these layers from the onion; instead, these attached layers will provide you with an anchor point to rest your fingers on as you chop the onion.
Rest half the onion on its largest flat surface, root end pointing away from you. Working from the far edge of the onion toward your body, slice down through the onion, leaving about 1/2 inch between each cut. Do not try to slice all the way through the root end - this way, the intact root end will keep the onion from falling apart. Rotate the onion so the end cut faces your knife blade. Then make 1/2-inch cuts perpendicular to the first set of cuts. The onion will fall apart into neat, 1/2-inch dice. Voila!



Ok, back to the recipe directions. Gently heat the milk over a low flame but do not boil. While the milk is heating put the butter into a sauce pot and slowly melt over low heat. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour gradually to avoid lumps and gently cook this roux. Using a wire whisk, very slowly begin to pour the hot milk into the roux, a little at a time to avoid creating lumps. When all the milk has been added, add the seasoning, turn the heat very low and cook for 20 minutes. When finished allow to cool somewhat before using in the lasagna recipe.


This is the consistency of the roux prior to whisking in the hot milk

Assembling your lasagna: Spread some Bichamel on the bottom of the baking pan. Top with a layer of pasta sheets. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on top of the pasta, top with a layer of Bichamel, evenly sprinkle on some grated Parmesan cheese and top with another single layer of pasta. Do this layering process until all of the ingredients have been used and making sure that the final and top layer is Bichamel sauce with Parmesan sprinkled on. When the baking dish is completely filled the lasagna is ready to be baked. Place into the oven and bake for 45 minutes until the top has begun to brown and the edges are crispy.


prior to baking.

Getting over your fear of fat: Apple Coffee Cake

Food Network has been featuring Emeril's Apple Coffee Cake all week for Mother's Day, and it looked so good that I finally decided to bake some for Sunday for my mom and aunties (and roommates). The recipe has gotten such rave reviews and doesn't require any outlandish ingredients, so it's perfect. I'm not going to post the recipe since I followed the directions practically to a T, with the exception of using 3 apples (4 cups, twice what is used in the recipe). You can find it here if you like.

Cooking really requires you to conquer any aversions to fat. Savory foods, including healthy vegetables, almost always require you to start off with a tablespoon or two of olive oil in the pan. Cookies and cakes require lots of butter and sugar and more butter, followed by more sugar. Vinaigrettes for your salad? Half vinegar, half oil. Butter poaching? Pretty self explanatory. But foods with fat taste good. I bet in any cooking competition where chefs go head to head, the one who delivers the winning dish uses more fat than his or her competitors. OK for me, I can suck it up and add that butter.


All you guys are going in. Is that an entire box of brown sugar? Why yes, yes it is.

I used 3 types of apples which are good for baking: 1 Granny Smith, a green, firm, and tart apple; 1 Golden Delicious, a yellow, sweet variety; and 1 Braeburn, a red-orange-greenish apple that's sweet and very juicy. A good mix of sweet and tart. For reference, the following apples are good for baking, ie able to hold up to increased temperatures instead of breaking down and getting mushy and gross:
Jonagold, Granny Smith, Pippin, Gala, Braeburn, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Rhode Island Greening, York Imperial, Cortland, Winesap, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady
Good rule of thumb, the red apples are usually meant for eating fresh, like your McIntosh or Gala apple - so if in doubt, stick towards the green/yellow varieties like the Granny Smith and Golden Delicious.


From left to right: Granny, Braeburn, Golden Delicious. Unfortunately I cut the Granny before thinking to take this picture.

I cut the apples into relatively small pieces, but big enough that the person eating can get some good chunks of apple in there. To keep the apples from browning, I put them in a bowl of ice water with a squeezed lemon wedge (~1tsp worth).



Pour the batter into the pan, sprinkle on the struesel topping, bake, and then drizzle with brown sugar glaze.



These are incredibly moist. If you like a lot of apple in your bite, do as I did and use 3 apples. If you want a little more cake, just use 2 apples and it should still be plenty.




Happy Mother's Day!

Almond Raison Challah to warm your spirits

The problem with comfort baking/eating is that it's often in the form of a pint of ice cream or a really fudgy brownie, or both. And once you've done that, well honestly, that's one more thing you need comforting for. If you have the time for it, like a Saturday or Sunday afternoon or night, making homemade bread not only takes your mind off your problems, but also gives you a warm and fresh product as reward for your time and efforts. And you'll have the benefit of knowing that you didn't just put a cup of cream or butter into your body...

Today I'm making an almond raisin challah bread. I made some plain challah for the first time a few days ago, and I think the addition of almond extract and raisins will add an extra depth and texture to an already yummy bread. Kinda reminds me of the raisin bread pastries that they have in Chinese bakeries. So delicious.

Basing off a challah recipe from allrecipes.com as well as one found on google, and reading up on bread making tips, I took some liberties in crafting my own recipe:

Active prep time: 1 hr
Inactive prep time: 2 1/2 hrs
Cook time: 30-40 min

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
Pinch sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp almond extract
3/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 cup bread flour, plus extra for dusting
2/3 cup plumped raisins

Egg wash:
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tbsp honey

Equipment:
1 small saucepan
2 large mixing bowls
Slotted spoon
Thermometer
Whisk/fork
Measuring cups
Loaf pan
Aluminum foil

Place raisins in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the raisins stand for 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to drain and remove the raisins, and set aside.

Pour 1 cup of the raisin water into a mixing bowl. If you do not have enough raisin water, just add plain water until the total volume reaches 1 cup. Use a thermometer to check that the temperature is between 100-110 degrees F. If you do not have a thermometer, the water should be warm/slightly hot but not scalding. Add a pinch of sugar and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir to dissolve, and let rest for ~10 minutes, until the mixture is foamy. The sugar is used to "proof" the yeast, which basically serves as a way to check that the yeast is active: sugar provides a source of food for the yeast, which will foam as they consume the sugar. If your mixture does not foam, either the yeast is dead/expired, or your liquid was not at the correct temperature range.

Mix in egg, yolk, butter, honey, and almond extract. Stir in flour, one cup at a time. After the 2nd cup, add the salt and continue to mix. Once all the flour has been incorporated, turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. The dough should be tacky to the touch (like the back of a post-it) but not sticky. Place dough in a greased glass or ceramic bowl, turning to grease dough all over. Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap or a warm damp kitchen towel; place a bowl with boiling water onto the lower rack of your oven. Place the bowl with the dough on the rack above, and close the oven door, letting the dough rise until doubled in size, ~1 1/2 hours.





Punch down dough, transfer dough to work surface, let rest for 10 minutes, then knead in raisins. Divide dough into quarters; roll each quarter into 18-inch long ropes. Make a four-strand braid, pinching the ends together and tucking underneath. Place braid in greased loaf pan, cover with greased plastic wrap, and place back in oven to let rise another hour.


feel like some kind of girl scout

Remove dough from the oven and preheat to 375 degrees (350 if using a metal pan). Whisk egg and honey together to make the egg wash, and brush this over the loaf. Bake for 30-40 minutes; about halfway through, cover challah with foil to prevent over-browning. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Remy no!

Whew, finally done! Mmm I love challah. Quick note though, if you can't finish off the bread within 2-3 days, I would suggest slicing the bread (wait until it's fully cooled), placing in an airtight bag, and placing in the freezer for future use. Unfortunately for non-preservative filled foods, they go moldy/stale pretty fast. I like to use a little ghetto trick to make my 'airtight' bag: place contents in the bag, and ziplock almost all the way. Suck out all the excess air from the opening, and then seal shut. I know, real sanitary right? Probably shouldn't use that technique of raw meats with their blood juices and all...



Not sure what happened to the raisins in that cut. Still delish.