Lightly adapted from Kenji Lopez-Alt on Serious Eats.

Preheat oven to 400F on convection setting.

• 2 quarts water (our usual pasta pot mostly full)
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 pounds potatoes (I like Yukon Gold; can also use Russet or a mix) cut into pretty big chunks, bigger than I normally do for roasted potatoes. Kenji says to peel them but I usually don’t.
• 5 Tablespoons olive oil, duck fat, beef fat, or a mix
• Salt and pepper

Fill a pot (our usual pasta pot mostly full) with 2 quarts water, 2 T kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Bring to a boil and add potatoes. Return to a boil and boil for 10 minutes or until knife-tender. Drain, then let sit for about 30 seconds for some evaporation. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.

Return to a bowl with oil/fat and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir and shake thoroughly to allow a coating of potato goo to develop. Spread on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes without disturbing. Using metal spatula, loosen and flip the potatoes. Roast for another 30-40 minutes or until very brown and crispy.

Hoisin Garlic Noodles (NYT):

Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
• Salt and pepper
• 14 ounces dried wheat or egg noodles
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
• Vegetable oil
• 6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds

Preparation
1. Boil noodles as per package instructions. Drain and rinse until the noodles are cool.
2. Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and maple syrup; set aside.
3. Heat a large 12-inch skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil along with the garlic and white parts of the green onions. Cook about 30 seconds (but don’t let the garlic burn). Immediately add the sauce and then the noodles, and toss well until the noodles are evenly coated.
4. Leave the noodles to cook, undisturbed, until they start sticking to the pan and the bottom looks crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste
5. Top with the sesame seeds and the green parts of the scallions.

Callum’s favorite french fries, cold oil method.

2 pounds (1 kg/about 4 large) russet potatoes

6 cups vegetable oil, such as canola oil, at room temperature

Fine sea salt

Rinse and peel the potatoes; cut into 3/8 inch fries (medium-skinny). Soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then dump and change the water. Repeat one or two more times.

Drain the potatoes and dry thoroughly on kitchen towels. Transfer to a stainless steel or cast iron pot and cover with oil. Do not cover the pot. Set heat to high and stir gently to separate and coat with oil. When the oil starts to boil (7-9 minutes), set a timer for 17 minutes. Stir gently every 3-4 minutes.

When the timer dings, let them go for another several minutes or until browned and crispy. Remove with a spider and set on a paper towel-lined baking tray. Season immediately with salt.

We’re celebrating Denny’s birthday early this year due to some upcoming conflicts. I’m blogging his favorite cake recipe because I always end up looking it up and trying to remember my personal adjustments.

Denny’s Favorite Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F.

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce (1 little single-serving container)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups shredded carrots
• 2 cups AP flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• chopped pecans as desired

Lightly spray a large rimmed baking sheet (I use a half sheet pan). Line with parchment and spray again. Pour in the batter and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Turn the cake out onto a large parchment-lined cutting board. Cut the cake into four quarters. These are your layers, no splitting required! You can cut right through the parchment to help keep things intact.

Cream cheese frosting

Note: This is a 1.5 recipe, suitable for a layer cake. If I’m making pumpkin bars or something else smaller, use 2 bricks of cream cheese, 1 stick of butter, and 3 cups confectioner’s sugar.

• 3 bricks (8 oz each) of cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, room temperature. Optional: brown the butter, cool, and bring to room temperature. I don’t usually do this for a layer cake but often do for pumpkin bars.
• 4.5 cups confectioner’s sugar
• a splash of vanilla
• 3/4 tsp salt (only if using unsalted butter; omit if using salted butter)

Frost and fill the cake, rotating the layers as necessary to make it mostly flat. Remember to peel off the parchment. Trim the edges for the same reason. Decorate with chopped pecans to your preference.

Rinse 2 cans (15 oz each) of garbanzo beans. Dry them well on paper towels, removing as many of the skins as possible. Spread on a parchment-linked rimmed baking tray and let dry, uncovered, for 2+ hours.

Heat oven to 425F with convection. Bake beans, stirring every 10 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp (about 25-30 minutes total). Stir, then turn off oven and let them sit in the oven for 15 minutes.

Mix:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp MSG
• a healthy shake powdered chipotle

Toss the dry-roasted beans in the spice/oil mixture. Let cool completely before storing, loosely covered.

• 2 1/4 cups AP flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsps granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups milk

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. In a mixer, mix egg whites to stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks, oil, vanilla, and milk. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Fold egg whites gently into mixture.

Cook in preheated and cooking-sprayed waffle iron. Ours uses a generous 3/4 cup batter per waffle. This recipe makes about 6 waffles.

These are similar to the ones from New Pioneer Co-Op.

Crust:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1.5 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2.5 cups AP flour
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp table salt

Fudge layer:

• 1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 T butter
• 1 pinch table salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. With a mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mixed until well-combined. In a separate bowl, mix flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture in two or three additions and mix on low until uniform.

Prepare a 10″x15″ baking pan with nonstick spray and parchment paper. Press about 2/3 of the dough into the pan, using another sheet of parchment paper to help prevent it from sticking to your hands. Melt the fudge ingredients together in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth and uniform. Pour the fudge layer onto the bottom crust, then crumble the remaining dough on top.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until lightly brown and set. Do not overbake.

Here’s that wings recipe we like (the one with butter).

Summary:

Preheat oven 425 F. Dry the wings very well (air-dry overnight in the fridge if you have time). Season with S&P or any dry seasoning. Arrange on baking racks and brush with melted butter (1/2 stick for a family pack).

Bake for 25 minutes, then brush with bbq sauce if that’s what’s happening. Bake for another 20 minutes or until crispy and done (165F). Rest for a few minutes before serving.

3 Tricks To Cooking the Perfect Chicken Wings

Chile colorado, lightly adapted from Rick Martinez via Bon Appetit.

• 5 ancho chiles
• 2 pasilla chiles
• 2 guajillo chiles
• 3 cups chicken broth (can be partially water)

Remove stems and seeds from chiles. Place them in a heatproof bowl (e.g., heavy glass or ceramic). Boil the chicken broth and pour the hot broth over the chiles. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. Once softened, puree the whole mixture in the food processor or blender (may need multiple batches for the food processor). Strain and set aside. This part may be done in advance.

• 2 pounds chuck roast or pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• about 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 5 cups chicken broth (can be partially water or beef stock)
• S&P

Salt and pepper the meat. Brown in a big Dutch oven in a little vegetable oil. Add garlic, herbs, and spices and saute for a minute or two until very fragrant. Add chicken stock and simmer, uncovered, for about an hour. Add chile puree and simmer for another 45 minutes until the sauce is a deep red-brown. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Salted Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan (bigger than you think). Cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until the water has boiled out and the sugar is a nice amber color. Add butter and whisk vigorously until well-combined. Remove from heat and add cream and salt. Whisk to combine. Return to heat and let cook without stirring for about 45 seconds. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes; add vanilla. Store in a heat-safe container and tightly-covered container for up to a month.

Pork with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Lightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

• 4 tsp minced fresh thyme, divided
• 1 T minced fresh rosemary
• 1 T kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground fennel (I ground fennel seed in the food processor)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• .5 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 (3-lb) boneless pork loin roast, fat cap intact
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 40 garlic cloves (3-4 heads), peeled
• 1.25 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

1. Combine 2 tsp thyme, rosemary, salt, fennel, pepper, and pepper flakes. Coat pork in spice mixture. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

2. Heat oven to 300F. Heat oil in oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Unwrap pork and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Note to future Aprille: your big yellow nonstick skillet is oven-safe to 350F.

3. Scatter garlic around pork and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until pork registers 130 degrees, 40-50 minutes (mine was a bit over 3 lbs, so it took longer; go by temperature). Transfer pork to carving board, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

4. While pork rests, place skillet with garlic over medium-high heat and cook until garlic is sizzling and light golden brown all over,about 3 minutes. Add broth, wine, cream, and remaining 2 tsp thyme. Cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup and is thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 10 minutes.

5. Slice pork thinly. Serve with sauce.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350F. Crush 1 sleeve graham crackers (9 whole crackers) with 2 T granulated sugar. Melt 4 T butter and mix with crumbs. Press into tart pan and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Ganache:

4.5 oz heavy cream, hot but not boiling
9 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chips or a chopped up bar)
(NOTE: next time I will probably use a higher cream:chocolate ratio, as I wanted the chocolate layer a little softer)

Pour hot cream over chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk to combine. Spread a thin layer of ganache over graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until firm.

Peanut butter filling:

Combine 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/2 cup cold whipping cream. Mix with an electric  hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth. Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp salt. Add about 1.5 cups powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. Spread over cooled ganache layer. Refrigerate until slightly firmer.

Rewarm remaining ganache briefly (15 seconds in the microwave was plenty) and pipe or drizzle over peanut butter layer. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, up to 7 days in advance:

2 1/4 cups (530 ml) warm water (110-115F)
1 tbsp sugar (12g) sugar
1 tbsp (9g) active dry yeast
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (18 g) kosher salt
5 cups (600g) bread flour, plus more for working the dough
additional oil for greasing the dough cornmeal, semolina flour, or coarse-ground whole wheat flour for dusting

Sauce, Pastene version:

1 28 oz (828 ml) can Pastene Kitchen ready crushed tomatoes
2-4 tbsp (30-60 ml) olive oil
1 tsp (4g) sugar
2 tsp dried oregano

Sauce, San Marzano version:

1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes (we used Cento brand)
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon sugar, or more to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Remove tomatoes from their canning liquid and discard the liquid (only for San Marzano version). Squish or blend the tomatoes until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Makes enough for four pizzas.

Cheese:

24-32 oz (680-910 g) whole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella (check the Co-op)
freshly grated (6-8 oz / 170-225 g per pizza) grated parmesan for dusting (maybe 10 g per pizza?)

Toppings of choice

Method:

Start the dough by combining the water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for a few minutes. If the yeast goes foamy, it’s alive and you’re good to proceed (if it doesn’t, it’s dead and you need new yeast). Add the olive oil and salt and 5 cups (600g) of bread flour. Knead in stand mixer with dough hook. Add just enough additional flour to keep the dough workable (i.e. not too sticky) and kneed until you can stretch some of the dough into a thin sheet without it tearing. This took about 10 minutes on medium speed.

Divide the dough into four equal balls and put them in four containers (ideally glass) and lightly coat the balls and the interior of their containers with olive oil. Cover, and either rise at room temperature for two hours, or put them in the refrigerator and let them rise for 1-7 days.

When ready to bake, preheat oven on convection roast setting to 550F and let the pizza stone or steel heat for at least 1 hour.

Liberally dust a pizza peel with cornmeal (or something similar). Take the cold dough out of the fridge and dust it in flour. Stretch to the widest size and shape that will fit on your peel and stone/steel. Top with just enough sauce to lightly coat the surface. Dust the sauce layer with parmesan, then cover with the mozzarella. Transfer the pizza to the stone/steel and bake until the crust is well-browned and the cheese has browned a bit (but, ideally, has not started oozing out an orange grease layer), 6-7 minutes.

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk (original recipe says whole, but I use the 2% we keep around and it’s fine)
• As much mint as the plant will give you (~3/4 cup leaves, loosely packed)
• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar (slightly more than the recipe suggests because this is for children)
• Kosher salt
• 4 oz good dark chocolate
• 2 tsp neutral oil

Bring milk and cream to a simmer. Remove from heat, add mint leaves (washed), cover and let sit for 2 hours. Muddle the mint with the back of a spoon to release as much mintiness as you can.

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in another pot. Strain the cream/mint mixture in. It will be cool enough by now that it won’t cook the eggs. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until it reaches 170F. Add a pinch of salt.

Strain the mixture and chill thoroughly (minimum 4 hours; overnight is better) before freezing according to ice cream making directions.

Melt the chocolate in a glass measuring cup in the microwave and stir in the oil. When the ice cream is almost done, slowly drizzle in the chocolate.

Here’s the original recipe:

https://www.seriouseats.com/best-mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream-recipe

This was a big hit at dessert tonight. Lightly adapted from the New York Times recipe.

•  2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar (generous), plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 325 F. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean (including caviar), and salt, and heat until just hot. Cover off the heat and let sit for a few minutes.

Beat yolks and sugar together until light (don’t overdo it–not too foamy). Stir about a quarter of the hot cream into the mixture, then add the warmed egg mixture into the rest of the cream. Strain to remove vanilla bean pod and any solid bits.

Divide among small ramekins (it perfectly fits 5 of our smallest ones). Bake in a bain marie (use boiling water to about halfway up the ramekins) for 40-ish minutes. The centers will be very jiggly. Chill thoroughly. Sprinkle about 1 tsp of sugar on top of each and torch or broil to melt and brown the sugar. If using the broiler, return to the refrigerator for a couple of hours to re-chill before serving (no more than 2 hours).

This is my family’s favorite sauce for stir-fry. I saw Kenji Lopez-Alt make his stir-fry sauce, and it was a lot like this one, which made me feel vindicated. I usually make this in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. All measurements are approximate.

Into the bottom of the measuring cup, mix until dissolved:

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cold water

Add:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• a couple of glugs of oyster sauce (maybe 2-3 tsp)
• a generous squirt of Sriracha or other Asian chili sauce of your choice (optional; adjust to your audience’s spiciness preferences)
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Stir to combine. The oyster sauce usually makes gross little chunks on the bottom, but they dissolve if you let it sit for a while, so it’s cuter if you have time to leave it alone for half an hour or so. That’s optional.

Add:

• Dry white wine (unseasoned rice wine is good, but don’t use cooking wine, as it is too salty. If it’s all you have, cut back on the soy sauce. I usually just use whatever white wine I have around.) Fill the measuring cup up to the 1.5 cup mark.

Stir it all together. Use this as a final step in your stir fry, stirring immediately before adding it to reincorporate ingredients. It should thicken within one minute of cooking. It’s good with lots of different things. It makes a pretty big quantity, because my family is divided on the question of beef and snow peas vs. cashew chicken, so I make both, and this is enough for a batch of each.

Chimichurri sauce

This sauce from Argentina is great on beef, chicken, fish, or even grilled vegetables.  I got some on my corn-on-the-cob tonight and it was delicious.  It gives you pretty strong breath, though.

• 1/2 cup Italian flatleaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
• 1/2 of a medium shallot
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• a shake of crushed red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• about 1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all except oil in a food processor and process until well-chopped but not a paste.  Drizzle in olive oil until it’s about the consistency of pesto sauce.  Enjoy.

I made this yesterday and it was a hit.  I hope to make it again next year with the early summer berry bounty.

Adapted from this recipe.

• 1 pie crust (I used a half recipe of my favorite crust)
• About 5 cups assorted berries—I used about 3 cups blueberries and 1 cup each of blackberries and raspberries
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• About 3/4 cup sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• splash of vanilla extract
• 1 (7-ounce) container almond paste
• 1 cup AP flour
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
• a generous pinch of kosher salt

Gently wash berries and set aside, reserving 1 cup blueberries.

In a large, heavy saucepan, whisk together cornstarch and sugar.  Add berries (except reserved blueberries) and cook over medium heat until thick and saucy, about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and stir in reserved blueberries, lemon juice, and vanilla.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

To make topping, break almond paste into smallish (1/2 inch) pieces.  Add to the bowl of a food processor, along with flour, butter, and salt.  Process until clumps begin to form.  Refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Preheat oven to 400F.  While the oven is preheating, put a rimmed metal baking sheet in the oven.  Roll out pie crust and line an 8- or 9-inch glass pie dish with the crust.  Pour cooled berry mixture into crust and sprinkle crumb topping on top.  Put pie dish directly on rimmed baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes, until topping is nicely browned.  You may need to cover the outer rim of the pie to keep it from over-browning.

Cool thoroughly unless you want to eat it like a gooey crumble, which wouldn’t be the worst thing.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.