PDX Quarantine Kitchen

A new baby means there isn't much cooking in our house. Since we won't be eating in a restaurant anytime soon, we splurged with some diner food done right. Here is our take on a BLT: arugula, avocado, heirloom tomatoes, and thick cut Sunday bacon on New Seasons sourdough.

A trip to the Tigard farmers market this morning paid off with a half flat of super sweet strawberries.  Their sweetness sealed their fate to be married to tart rhubarb in a pie.  In a few hours they will be joined by the best man, a butter crust, and the maid of honor, vanilla ice cream, and Tom and I will hold the wedding party of their (short) lives for the lot of them in our mouths and stomachs.

Three things come to mind when I think of Germans. Punctual. No nonsense. Bread snobs. I have the pleasure of being married to one who is none of the first, some of the second and all of the last. Oh, how I would dismiss his lamentations of this country's destruction of the hallowed loaf, my ophthalmic tendons straining under the tension of several robust and persistent eye rolls. Then I went to Germany for the first time and experienced their breads. After tasting everything from rustic loafs with rich-flavored crusts that crunch in the mouth without the assistance of a toaster to my favorite r osinenbrötchen, a slightly sweet triumph of a bun bursting with a nearly mathematical balance of raisins-- I was forced to admit: Germans know their way around a boule. So, when I was in need of an edible scaffold with which to build up butter and jam and decided to make English  muffins, I was nervous about my husband's critique. See the "no-nonsense" reference above. The tri

I am a fashionista. There probably isn't a bag I don't know or a style of shoe I haven't owned. Though maybe a bit of an exaggeration, Carrie Bradshaw's declaration that hanging in her closet where she can see it is where she likes her money, I have been known to sit in my closet and play dress up for no justifiable reason. Given the fact that we aren't going much of anywhere or doing much of anything in these times, I decided to move the closet to the kitchen and put a skirt on a dumpling. Have you had the pleasure? A slurry comprised of water, corn starch, flour, and seasonings (I like salt and onion powder) cooks down while steaming the dumplings to eventually form a delicate, crispy lattice onto which the dipping sauce clings before shattering in the mouth. A well crafted dumpling is delicious in its own right, but who wants to be a minimalist when you can be the belle of the ball?

The basic pastry cream tart recipe from Memorial Day weekend, but with cocoa powder added to the crust and pastry cream filling for a double hit of chocolate. The cherries were simmered in a combination of Port and Sherry with freshly grated nutmeg. 

Tell me what is more comforting than a tall cold glass of bovine or nut milk of your choice and a cookie. I'll wait. Maybe two cookies? Fair point. Today I made some cookies for a gluten free friend of mine who doesn't bake much anymore because of how finicky this style of baking is. Sugar cookies are a win. Sugar cookies dipped in a dark chocolate glaze are a triumph. Soft and chewy with the satisfying crunch that outer shell of sugar gives, I definitely have not been giving these the real estate they deserve in my kitchen. I won't be making that mistake again, according to my friend. 

Joe saw these and requested them a couple weeks ago. I just got around to making them last night and OMG worth it!!! Super simple and I think they will freeze well as a sweet treat later. I chose crushed graham crackers for the peanut butter layer and topped it with finishing salt and crushed pretzels. Next time I wanna try making them in cupcake tins so they are single serve and cuter. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/dining/peanut-butter-bars-recipe-coronavirus.html

I've had this recipe for several years and finally got around to making these Memorial Day weekend. Vanilla pastry cream in a sweet pastry crust. Then topped with apricots lightly sauteed in butter and apricot preserves with blueberries added. Next up is chocolate pastry cream in a chocolate pastry crust with fresh raspberries. Then when local peaches are here it'll be time to try the peach thyme tart variation.  This time of year is perfect for do many foods!

This recipe graces the cover of April's Bon Appetit. It's made in a food processor which makes it a snap and really fun to put together. The dough does an over-night slow rise in the frig, perfect for a weekend brunch. I made it a second time using the dough base and substituting pesto, parmesan and prosciutto for a savory filling. 

C and I took an incredible trip to Italy last year, making our way through much of beautiful Tuscany. We were stunned by the rich history and the art but also, of course, the food! Rome left an indelible mark in our hearts' memory with what is arguably the king (or cween) of all pastas: pasta carbonara. The dichotomy of the dish lies in its simple ingredients (pasta, cheese, bacon and black pepper, if you're a rebel) plus the crucial combination of timing and chemistry to avoid an unappealing egg scramble and divine a sauce so silky and smooth you could cry. After much research, my first attempt was a success. I have since repeated it 3 times just to be sure it wasn't a fluke. Because, you know... science.                                                         Before                                                         After