Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD): Chocolate Pudding

This is my first week doing TWD and I am very excited.  I’ve had Dorie Greenspan’s Baking cookbook up on my shelf for over a year now and have baked some out of it, but as with many of my cookbooks in the last year, it has not been put through the paces as much as I would have liked.  I have found two great birthday cake batters in there (Devil’s Food White-out Cake [pg 247]- a chocolate chip cake- and Perfect Party Cake [pf 250]- a lightly lemon flavored white cake with a stupendous crumb) but beyond that ventured very little.  When I stumbled upon TWD one night last week while blog surfing– jumping from one baking blog to another through links– I was delighted.  Accountability- that’s what I needed to explore her book more; so I signed myself up.

At least 2 weeks out of every four I must make the chosen recipe from her cookbook and then post my experience, reaction, etc here.  So here is week one for me.  My next posting will be not be for one or two weeks as I will be out of town.

So lets get down to the pudding…..(you can find the recipe here)

I’ve made chocolate pudding from scratch before from Barefoot Contessa’s cookbook, Parties! (I’ve found a recipe link here for that version) and with success.  I am always delighted with the result, and with anything chocolate, the better quality chocolate you use the better your result.  So this time I pulled out the bittersweet Valrohna bars which I tuck up in my baking cabinet for just such times.

After weighing out my five ounces I thought I should do this recipe right and prep all my ingredients (measured and all) before I got started.  This is not my usual method, but I was multitasking with cobbler in the oven, and one child still awake making periodic visits to the kitchen for one more tuck in.  

A few characteristic flubs (broken yolk while separating eggs [dump, start again], too much sugar in the milk [dump start again], too much milk in the milk [scoop out with a measuring cup because I was tired of dumping out]) and I got down to business.  Of course that wasn’t the end of my mishaps– while taking my bubbling cobblers out of the oven the milk boiled and overflowed the pan, flooding my burner.  Milk was fine but I was a 1/4 cup short now– that would be the 1/4 cup that was now filling my burner plates.  No problem, pour off finished milk, boil 1/4 cup more with a sprinkle of sugar– Good as New!

Over all I found the back and forth between pan and food processor a bit tiring, but I think that is because where I plug my cuisinart in is not very handy to the stove, so I couldn’t, say, pulse AND watch the milk (of course we all know this isn’t why the milk overflowed, but it could have been).  But I understand the reasoning– my arm was not exhausted after whipping up this pudding.  When I’ve made some puddings and pastry creams (which are similar to pudding, and which this same cookbook has a great recipe for (Dark Chocolate Cream page 25 the amount of whisking needed is downright frightening and I end up with flared up tendonitis in my forearms.  Ina Garten’s recipe uses a similar technique but she utilizes the kitchenaid mixer instead of a cuisinart– perhaps that could be used here as well– but in either case I appreciate the modern shortcut.

Yes.  I licked that Cuisinart bowl clean while my finished little puddings were chilling.  And just for the record– I prefer the film on my pudding so I did not cover it.  I love breaking through that film to the smooth depths.

The end product?  Superb.  Very Chocolately. Ultra Chocolately.  I might almost substitute a wee bit of semi-sweet for some of the bittersweet chocolate (I used Valrohna 70% bittersweet).  The richness is a nice way to savour it slowly.  The six little cups (by the way I have to give credit to La Tartine Gourmande for the inspiration to use these little yogurt glasses that had been kicking around my kitchen for a while– too cute to recycle) that it made have lasted a few days as 1/2 of each is enough for each sitting.  

I will be tabbing this recipe for future revisiting, but hopefully won’t flood my stovetop next time with sticky sweetened milk.

“I really shouldn’t have one more!” (my husband)

But he did!    In fact he had about 10 more  Fried Potatoes.  They were terribly addictive but the taste wasn’t the only thing to be celebrated.  We used the oregano from our CSA box (!) and tried a new recipe from a new addition to my cookbook library.

We joined a CSA late last summer, but have noted that some ingredients (ones we don’t typically buy) tend to not get used up before they go bad.  I decided since I have a bit more time this summer to make an effort to try some new recipes and use up our CSA goodies.  Although I’ve given up on recipes for turnips (I’ve decided to admit I don’t like them) for other ingredients we get in our box I hit my cookbook indexes, especially trying out some of my newer additions, such as Mediterranean Harvest by Martha Rose Shulman that joined the shelf sometime during last semester only to collect dust until now.  

I wasn’t doing much (ok…. ANY) cooking last semester as my schedule had me gone 3 nights a week, and doing homework the other nights, but I’ve had grand plans for this summer.  I have in fact done quite well, making a blackberry-apple crisp and chocolate cookies from Nigella’s latest, and searching out this recipe for today to use our oregano.  But did I make this one?  No.  I have been busy reorganizing closets and my sewing area.  While I created a royal mess throughout the house emptying closets and making givaway piles, my husband did the cooking tonight.  But I should get some credit for planning the meal, right?

Here is the recipe, slightly amended from Shulman’s cookbook.  We had it with greens (I spritzed mine with balsamic and sprinkled feta on top), and tri-tip.  But these were the star tonight.

FRIED POTATOES WITH TOMATOES AND OREGANO

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 medium potatoes, preferably Yukon golds, scurbbed, peeled if desired, and cut into thin wedges or 1/4 x 1/2 x 2-inch sticks

Salt and freshly ground peper

1 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano 

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (14 oz) chopped tomatoes, with juice

1. Heat oil in a wide nonstick skillet (we used our large cast iron) over med-high heat and add half the potatoes.  Cook, turning, until nicey browned and cooked through, about 10 min.  Season with salt, pepper, and 1/2 tsp of the oregano.  Transfer with a slotted spoon to a serving dish or platter, leaving the oil in the pan.  Cook the remaining potatoes, season them, and transfer to the serving dish.

2.  Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. of the oil and add the garlic to the skillet.  Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, and remaining oregano, and cook until the tomatoes thicken and smell fragrant, 5 to 10 min.  Taste and adjust seasonings.   Either pour the tomato sauce directly over potates, or use as a dip.

Note: You can make ahead of time and reheat potatoes in oven (350 for 15 min) or microwave if you desire.  Sauce would be equally good hot or cold.

The Great Cape Caper

Each year my daughter’s school puts on a Nutcracker preformance by the kindergarten classes. Last year Thea participated in this charming event and even got to have a line!

I helped to make some costumes including the nightgown she wore in it (that we donated for future use) and the tin soldiers hats. I asked at the time if there was any other costume needs and the teacher’s mentioned that the Nutcracker’s cape was only a loan and they could use one for future years. I promised one by the end of the year.

Fast forward 8 months. Having promised this cape I have been plagued by guilt at not having delivered it. Holiday crazies led to the birthday months, then the flu and cold-ridden months, then Easter, spring break and end of the year crazies followed by summer vacation travels. So here I found myself in August still not having sewn the cape. Not even having bought the fabric for it. (But not having forgotten it for which I shall give myself a few gold stars.) So in this flurry of sewing I’ve been doing- newly inspried all around– I made the trip to JoAnn’s and bought the material. And sewed the cape. And folded it and set it near the door to deliver to the Kindergarten teachers next week when school starts.

But what to my wondering eyes should appear? But a miniature prince with no fear. He stole past me with a smirk and a giggle and dawned that cape in one little wriggle! It was love at first sight, and who am I to put up a fight!

Ian has truly been enjoying the cape. I had no idea he would like one so much. I had made him a Robin Hood one last year which got some play time but I think it is the gold lining that has really got him enamored with this one. So I guess it is back to the fabric store for me- quick before I lose my steam!

If only he were as quick to clean his room as he is to find new treasures!