Cherry tomato schiacciata | Emiko Davies Cherry tomato schiacciata Posted by Emiko on Monday, August 22, 2011 · 10 Comments In a couple of week’s time I am going to feed myself exclusively on one thing, schiacciata all’uva. It begins appearing in Florentine bakery windows in September (some even earlier) and only lasts a month at the most, which is why I’m going to make the most of it while I can. I’ve often wondered why the Florentines don’t get creative with this gorgeous schiacciata and make it with other fruit or make it savoury (I also love making this with blueberries when I can’t wait until September for the grapes to be out in the markets). As I’m impatiently waiting for September to roll around and I’m surrounded by the most amazingly, plump and sweet cherry tomatoes of the season, I thought I’d use them to make a savoury version of Schiacciata all’uva. I have made this schiacciata with farro flour, which has a really tasty, nutty flavour. Essentially, the options for alternatives in this recipe are endless.
Butter Sauteed Mushrooms and Swiss Grilled Cheese with Arugula April is National Grilled Cheese Month, so we’re celebrating by posting a grilled cheese sandwich every day. This is No. 6. See all of our grilled cheese sandwiches >> here << . Because it’s Friday afternoon right before a big cooking holiday weekend, we’re taking it easy in the TSHQ kitchen with a simple Mushroom Swiss Grilled Cheese on a gorgeous, whole grain and seed bread. This sandwich we had to do a little differently because butter sauteed mushrooms are slippery and tend to fall out the sides of the sandwich when flipping. (We forgot to take the picture during assembly, so we opened up the sandwich again after we cut it into halves to show you the inside.) If you don’t have arugula, or find it too bitter, spinach is actually a naturally awesome alternative. Butter Sauteed Mushrooms and Swiss Grilled Cheese with Arugula makes 1 sandwich Ingredients Directions Make a sandwich of the 2 slices of bread and 2 slices of cheese. Butter both sides of the bread.
Magical Roasted Persimmon Slices: 5 New Flavors! Back in 2008, I posted about a magical, mysterious way to eat persimmons. The recipe was simple: Thinly slice a Fuyu persimmon, dust lightly with cinnamon, and bake in a toaster oven until the edges curl, about 10 minutes. The result is alchemy: the heat brings forth the persimmon's natural sugars to a delicious sweetness and the cinnamon adds just a hint of spice. It's still my favorite way to eat a persimmon. I decided to test my magical persimmon recipe using the following new spices: crystalized ginger, 5-spice, fresh nutmeg, cardamon and, for a savory taste, smoked paprika. First I took two just-ripe Fuyu persimmons and sliced them horizontally into slices. The results were spectacular. The chili flakes were good, too, but requires further investigation. For the original persimmon post, go here. Related: Persimmon Tart (Images: Dana Velden)
French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese We’re cooking, eating, and posting a grilled cheese sandwich every day for 30 days. This is No. 19. See all of our grilled cheese sandwiches >> here << . We’re always late to the flavor game… We thought we were geniuses (genii?) It’s been done before, so we’re not that inventive (not that we are trying to be in the first place), but we made it anyway because we knew it would be delicious. And it was. When caramelizing and braising the onions, ho ahead and just make 4 or 5 pounds of them. French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese makes 1 sandwich Ingredients 1 tablespoon each grapeseed (or olive) oil and butter, for frying 2 slices of french baguette or french bread 1 tablespoon softened butter enough shredded gruyere cheese to generously cover both slices of bread about ½ cup wine-braised onions (see recipe below) fresh thyme leaves salt and pepper to taste Directions Heat grapeseed oil in frying pan over medium low heat. Spread each slice of French bread with softened butter. Wine-braised Onions
Italian Cheese Cookies I’m not afraid of using butter! Not at all, I just prefer using lots of butter on special occasions, or when I’m having female issues, you know? Italian cheese cookies. Italians sometimes really do it better! These are so fantastic you would never believe they have so very few ingredients. I always try to keep the ingredients I use simple – things most people have stored in their kitchen cabinets or can easily buy at their local supermarket. Ingredients: 1 cup flour 1 cup Parmesan, grated (100 gr) 1 stick salted, cold butter, diced (roughly 120 grams) Rosemary, minced or dried 2 or 3 sun-dried tomatoes (on oil), minced finely Dash cayenne 1/2 tsp salt Directions: This all there is to it. Now I always use my food processor for things like these, but you can use a hand mixer, or your hands, as well. If only I could afford a Kitchenaid! Pulsate a few times until the dough forms a ball, take it out of the food processor and place it on your kitchen counter or cutting board.
Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sandwich (aka The Mushroom Melt) Mushrooms are one of my absolute favourite foods and it was long past time that I gave them the grilled cheese treatment! My mild obsession with grilled cheese sandwiches has had me dreaming about a mushroom grilled cheese for a long time and it was finally time to realize it. I wanted to keep things relatively simple without compromising in flavour so I stared out by sauteing some onions and mushrooms slowly until they turned golden brown and caramelized bringing out all of their tastiness. Next I deglazed the pan with a splash of white wine to make sure that none of the flavour that had built up in those brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan went to waste. If you are a fan of truffles then this is where you can indulge a bit and add some truffle oil to the mushrooms to make this sandwich even more decadent! The net result was one of the messiest grilled cheese sandwiches that I have ever made but it was also so unbelievably good! Servings: makes 2 sandwiches Printable Recipe
Campfire Orange Cakes I have been looking forward to camping so I could try out this campfire recipe. First you cut the tops off of oranges and scoop the guts out with a spoon. Mix up instant cake mix in your coffee pot. Hah hah. Fill each orange up a little past halfway with the cake mix. Put the tops back on and wrap the oranges with aluminum foil. Set the oranges in the campfire coals for about 20 minutes. The cake bakes right in the oranges and is very moist with a tinge of orange flavor. I can't imagine cake without frosting so I brought some along to top each cake.
Craving > Turkey and White Cheddar with Caramelized Onion & Grape Grilled Cheese Hallelujah and haul out the tambourines. It’s National Grilled Cheese Month! Grilled cheese. A brilliant choice by whoever is the event-of-the-month designator. Wouldn’t that be an awesome assignment? Deciding what is worthy of a whole month of celebrating? A whole month to say its okay and perfectly reasonable to eat grilled cheese every day. I first discovered Grilled Cheese Month thanks to Clementine Bakery in West Los Angeles. From the Philly Cheespaocalypse to the Cuban Sandwich Crisis, these sandwich makers know how to put a spin on the traditional grilled cheese. For the month of April I’ll be sharing my ode to the grand grilled cheese. 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 small onion, sliced 12-15 red seedless grapes 1 tablespoon sage, slivered 1 pound turkey deli meat, shaved 2 cups white cheddar cheese, grated 1 cup arugula leaves 8 slices sourdough bread salt and pepper 1. 2. Tagged as: arugula , craving , grilled cheese , recipe , sandwich , turkey , white cheddar
Fresh Fig Tart with Cardamom Pastry Cream & Almond Crust Friends, my obsession with fresh figs continues. I think David Tanis says it best in this excerpt from A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes: "The platter of figs perfectly illustrates the idea of eating with the seasons. Fresh figs are available for only a few weeks in the summer. Fresh ripe figs are voluptuous and generous, luxurious and fleeting. This week, I was able to get my hands on some of those "sweet figs to swoon for" from the late-summer crop. My second priority was coming up with some sort of fresh fig tart to really showcase these beauties. The crowning glory is the fig slices strategically placed in pretty circles on the top of the tart. It's almost too pretty to eat...I'm not letting this creation go to waste, though! Bon Appetit! Fresh Fig Tart with Cardamom Pastry Cream Tart Shell: 1 3/4 sticks (200 g) unsalted butter, softened 2/3 cup (90 g) confectioners sugar 1 large egg beaten 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour Pastry cream:
Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich Earlier on in the week, when I made the spinach, or spanakopita pesto pasta I made sure to keep some of the pesto left over for something new. I had come across the idea of using a pesto in a grilled cheese sandwich and it was the perfect time to try one. I have been experimenting with grilled cheese sandwiches for a while now. Get ALL 8 Closet Cooking eCookbooks in a bundle for 40% off! Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 1 A tasty spinach pesto smothered in ooey gooey melted cheese and wrapped in buttery golden brown grilled bread. ingredients 1 tablespoon butter2 slices bread1/2 cup graviera or gruyere, grated1-3 tablespoons spinach (aka spanakopita) pesto directions
Pretty as a Picture Pavlova - Global Dish I love desserts that are unabashedly beautiful. Dishes that just beg to be looked at, admired, and praised… …they’re gorgeous on their own, and little effort is put into their appearance, but when compared to other, more structured desserts, they stand apart. Case in point: this Raspberry Pavlova, with its cloud-like base and seemingly sinful sauce. The whipped cream topping of course takes away a bit of its innocence (nobody’s perfect…), but the fresh raspberries that dot the top quickly help the dessert redeem itself, and the cream immediately gets set aside as a dirty little secret. Each layer has something different to offer: the meringue’s crust, while crunchy, immediately melts in your mouth, and the rest of the ingredients quickly follow suit. Beautiful, isn’t it? Raspberry PavlovaServes 8 Ingredients: PAVLOVA 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar 1 ½ teaspoons corn starch Pinch of sea salt 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 4 egg whites, at room temperature* ¾ cup granulated sugar 2. 3. 4. 5.
Grilled Cheese with Avocado and Heirloom Tomato This opening photo…was it the most put-together shot I had? …no. But I think it captures the glory that is this sandwich. Gooey gruyere cheese smashed between thick slices of buttery avocado and heirloom tomato, and “grilled” between two slices of sourdough toast. Okay, before I go any further, let’s talk about this “grilled cheese” thing for a minute. *gasp* I know. The key to not feeling guilty about eating a grilled cheese sandwich is to put healthy things in it! Heirloom tomato? Slice that up, put it in there. Bam! Want to take it up a notch? Add some avocado. Bam! Now we get to the grilled cheese part. Take some slices of your favorite cheese (gruyere for me) and lay it on your toast. Add your slices of heirloom tomato. Add the sliced avocado and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then put your top slice on and “grill” (fry) it on both sides until the cheese is melted and gooey. Confession: The real reason I put avocado and tomato in my grilled cheese is because I think it tastes better.