1080: Cauliflower Pie. Oh yeah.

I like funky savory pies -- crawfish pie, tomato pie, shepherd's pie, and the like -- so when I found a recipe for Cauliflower Pie in 1080 I knew what had to happen. When I first saw the recipe I pictured a deep, crusted pie full of whole cauliflower flowerets, a rich creamy sauce, and a few bites of chunky carrots. I suppose I pulled my idea from a chicken pot pie minus the bird, but the actuality is much more satisfying than my imagined dish. It's light, creamy, and full of air. Imagine a savory flan than melts into buttery polenta and you're getting close.

Before we get into the recipe, a little information regarding how to choose fresh cauliflower is in order. When selecting cauliflower, for this dish or any other, look for a head with green leaves still attached. The leaves are not eaten but their presence is a good indicator of the vegetable's freshness. Look for cauliflower that is crisp, very white, and has tightly clustered florets.

Cauliflower Pie

ingredients:

1 cauliflower, about 1 1/2 lbs, separated into florets

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 1/4 cups milk, plus a little to cook the cauliflower

2 1/2 Tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing

2 Tbsp sunflower oil

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

4 eggs

scant 1 cup grated gruyere

salt

*NOTE: When cooked, cauliflower releases magnesium and potassium, causing an unpleasant smell. To counteract this add a couple of bay leaves to the water. A tablespoon of milk will also lessen the smell.

Rinse the cauliflower florets in cold water mixed with the juice of 1/2 lemon. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the florets and a little milk and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until tender.

Drain well, then refresh under cold running water. Pour onto a clean dishtowel to drain once more. Transfer to a bowl and mash with a fork.

(At this point you could just add a little butter, salt, and pepper and serve the mashed cauliflower as a side dish. It has a similar taste to mashed potatoes without all the starchiness. I'm a big fan.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a tart pan with butter. Melt the remaining butter with the oil in a pan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, a little at a time. Add the nutmeg, season with salt, and cook, stirring constantly, for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Beat two of the eggs, then beat them into the bechamel sauce. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Stir in the gruyere and when thoroughly incorporated, add the cauliflower.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and place the tin in a roasting pan. (I didn't have a roasting pan that was large enough so I used a cookie sheet with a high lip. Don't skip this step. The water bath ensures even cooking throughout the pie.)

Pour in boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the roasting pan and bake for about 1 hour, until set. The pie should be firm and golden on top.

To serve, run a round-bladed knife around the edge of the tart pan and turn the pie out onto a round serving dish.

Serve immediately.  (I plopped a little parsley on top just for kicks.)

My pie turned out beautifully. It easily slid out of the pan and held its form with no trouble. It's simplicity and the pale color reminded me of a goat cheese tart that I made earlier in the year. The goat cheese tart held its shape perfectly when sliced and looked lovely on a plate, though it did lack in flavor. I suppose I expected this pie to behave in the same ladylike manner so imagine my surprise when it collapsed upon slicing! I found it impossible to cut a pretty piece from the pie.

By the time a piece made it to a plate it had lost its shape completely and resembled a serving of grits or polenta. The texture followed suit. It's very creamy and rich because of the milk and gruyere, but the texture isn't quite as smooth as I expected, and I'm glad. It's much more interesting with a little grit.

I could not stop eating it. Seriously. I devoured this pie with very little help from anyone else. How can I possibly explain how luxurious this pie was? I had a couple servings the night I made it and enjoyed it tremendously then stuck in the fridge. Over the next few days I somehow managed to forget how sumptuous it truly is. Lucky me! I was blown over again when I reheated a little in a bowl with a sprinkling of sea salt, and after that it was all over. I consumed the remaining pie in ten minutes flat. I know this baby looks plain jane, but it packs a mean, buttery punch.

The recipe suggests pouring homemade tomato sauce on top of the cauliflower pie, but I think that would be overkill. This pie shines on its own. If I poured anything on top I think it would be pesto or something equally fresh, but it's probably best to just leave it as is. I'm still a little surprised by how much I loved this recipe. It spoke to my love of all things salty, starchy, and creamy. If you like cauliflower at all (or butter, or gruyere, or deliciousness...) try this.

Tomato Pie and a Tiger

Last night my book club gathered for a discussion of our most recent book pick, Life of Pi by Yaan Martel. Our book club meetings are potluck, and we usually have a food theme. This time it was easy: pie (or something else relating to the book).

I decided to make a tomato pie. My Mom used to make these, and I've always loved them! I was a bit surprised when I began looking up recipes online and found that most of them included a cup or more of mayonnaise. I know that's what adds all the great flavor to the tomato pies I'm accustomed to, but I wanted to go for the same richness without the mayo. Thus, Kasie's Tomato Pie was born. For the record, I did not achieve the flavor-packed creamy goodness of my Mom's tomato pie. Just the same, I was pleased with what I turned out. My tomato pie was fresh and light. It's probably closer to a tart than a pie, but I'm not changing the name.

This is a great way to use up delicious summer tomatoes from your garden. My tomato plants haven't produced a tomato yet, but I'm sure they're coming! :)

Kasie's Tomato Pie

ingredients:

1 pie crust (store bought or homemade)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

2 medium ugly tomatoes, thinly sliced

4 oz crumbled goat cheese

3 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll out the pie crust and fit into a pie plate so there is a one inch overhang.  Place a sheet of parchment paper over the crust and weigh down with pie weights or dry beans.  Blind bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

Don't be like me!  I got in a hurry and didn't thaw my pie crust.  What a mess!  I had to throw it away and start over.

While crust bakes, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Gently saute the sliced onions until caramelized and sweet.  Remove the crust from the oven.  Put onions in the pie crust.  Top with 2 layers of sliced tomatoes.  

Sprinkle goat cheese, mozzarella, whole grain mustard, and basil on top.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning.  Bake an additional 15 minutes and serve warm.

The tomato pie really is summery and fresh.  I think I'll make it again, perhaps tinkering around with other cheeses.  A salty feta would be delicious.

And finally, my friend Hannah is a fabulous baker.  She must have tremendous reserves of patience  with piping and the like because her cupcakes are always perfect!  For our book club meeting she prepared Richard Parker Cupcakes.  (Richard Parker is the tiger's name in the book.)  They were too cute not to share.

Aren't they cute?!  Delicious too.  

Rye Bread: Part Two (Pastoli)

Pastoli!  Do you know what that means?  I didn't either because Charlie made up the word.  :)  I needed a name for the filled rye sandwiches I made with leftover rye dough, and he came up with pastoli.   I decided to keep the name when it passed the google test (it doesn't mean anything terrible and it isn't any sort of brand name as far as I can tell). 

This is a loose recipe for pastoli with salami, provolone, pickles, and spicy mustard. The ingredient quantities aren't exact because of the playful nature of this dish, and a zillion variations are possible. I think rosemary bread with brie, sliced turkey, and granny smith apples would be tasty. Maybe something with pesto? If anyone tries these at home please let me know what fillings you used and your level of success.

Rye Pastoli

ingredients:

1/2 recipe rye dough

8 slices provolone cheese

12 thin slices salami

spicy mustard

sliced pickles

1 egg

kosher salt

Make the rye dough and allow to rise for approximately one hour (first rise).

Take a large handful of rye dough and stretch it into a small square. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a rectangle approximately 8 x 10 inches in size. (It doesn't have to be a perfect rectangle so don't stress over that.)

Place a small spoonful of spicy mustard in the center of the rectangle and spread around the center.

Top with pickle slices, 2 -3 slices of provolone cheese and 3 -4 slices salami.

Fold the short ends toward the center, leaving about 1/3 of the filling uncovered. Fold one of the long ends toward the center. Take care not to tear the dough.

Put a little water on your fingertips and wet the edge of the last side a little. Fold it over and press against the opposite edge to seal. You should have a neat little packet of dough.

Make four packets and place them seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to rise a second time for approximately one hour.

I think they look pretty great at this stage!  Also, this is the point at which you can refrigerate them.  Keep reading for more info on that.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat an egg with 1 Tbsp water and lightly brush over each packet. Cut three slits in each bundle and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until bread is baked through and tops are golden.

Take a deep breath while the pastoli bakes because your house is going to smell amazing!  Cut each pastoli in half and serve while still warm.

I love how unfussy, yet somewhat impressive, these are.  Also, they can be assembled up to one day ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake.  Just let them come back to room temperature and rise for about thirty minutes.

 I think they would be perfect for taking on picnics because they're so self-contained.  I happen to know they're great around the pool, and everyone I've made them for (only four people so far, but they'll make an appearance at a larger gathering I'm sure) really likes them.  

I think rye bread is perfect for these, but I made another batch a few days ago using different dough and they were good too.  Still, as far as I'm concerned rye is the way to go.  

Rye Bread: Part One (Loaf and Rolls)

A couple weekends ago I assisted a wonderful class on baking bread at The Cook's Warehouse. Chef Doris Koplin, an amazing baker and a delightful person, instructed the class and over the course five hours produced an abundance of flavorful yeast breads. Everything she baked was melt-in-your-mouth good, but I was particularly taken with her rye. It had all the complexity that rye demands while still being light on the tongue.
Flash forward a week -- I decided to bake some rye at home so I could try out a few new techniques and the wonderful new recipe I have. I love this dough. It's so easy to work with, it smells great, and it makes really terrific bread. Also, it's quite versatile (as you will see). Here's the basic recipe.

Rye Bread
adapted from a recipe by Doris Koplin

ingredients:
6 cups bread flour
2 cups rye flour
3 Tablespoons caraway seed
1/4 cup sugar
2 packages (approximately 5 Tbsp) yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups milk, heated to room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil

Measure dry ingredients (flours, caraway seeds, and sugar) into a bowl. Place the yeast in the warm water and allow to sit for approximately five minutes or until mixture becomes foamy. This is called proofing the yeast. Combine the oil and milk and add to the dry ingredients. Add the proofed yeast (including the water) and mix well with a large wooden spoon. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. This should take approximately five minutes.



Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour.



Punch dough down and shape as desired (more to come on that). Place breads on baking pan which has been covered with parchment paper and cover again with the damp towel. Allow to rise again until doubled in bulk, about one hour. Brush breads with a beaten egg to glaze, sprinkle with caraway seeds and a little coarse salt. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, 25 to 30 minutes for loaves, 15 to 20 minutes for rolls.

You might have noticed that this is going to produce a tremendous amount of dough. Eight cups of flour! What could you possibly do with that much rye bread? Plenty. Here are some suggestions.

The most obvious thing to do is bake rye loaves. This is certainly a worthwhile thing to do with the dough, and you'll have plenty to freeze for later. The recipe above will yield three loaves of rye. To make a loaf, divide the dough into thirds (after the first rise). Using one piece of the newly-divided dough roll out an 11 by 9 inch rectangle. Fold the 9-inch ends toward the center, about one third of the way. Now move to one of the 11-inch sides and carefully roll it toward the center until you have a nice tight loaf. Gently place the dough into a greased bread pan, seam-side down. You may need to gently press the ends of the dough toward the center in order to ensure a comfortable fit. It should look like this:



I have no idea why I didn't photograph the other steps, as it would really help to have a few visual aids here. The next time I bake bread (probably this weekend) I'll try to remember to take photos and update this post.

Cover the loaf with a dish towel and allow to rise approximately one hour or until doubled in size. Brush with an egg wash (one beaten egg with a splash of water) and sprinkle with your choice of caraway seeds or coarse salt (or both!). Bake the loaf in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown on top and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom. That's it! Now you have a yummy loaf of rye bread.

If you're feeling a little more adventurous you can make rolls. I think rolls are so much fun to make. There are a zillion ways to shape rolls, my favorite being fancy tucked knots. The entire dough recipe given above will make approximately 3 dozen rolls small rolls or 18 large rolls.

To make one fancy tucked knot roll, pull off a handfull of dough. Using your palms, roll it into a long, thin rope. (This is kind of like making snakes with playdough when you're little.) Don't worry if it isn't perfect.



Now, take the rope and tie it into a knot. Don't make this too complicated! It's just a knot. :) Also, try not to break the dough or stretch it too much in the process. Just go with the flow.



Now take the ends of the rope (sticking out on either side) and tuck them. Go in the direction they're already tending toward. Don't worry if it doesn't look perfect when you finish. They'll rise a little more and that will cover a number of flaws. You can see that mine isn't perfect in the photo below.



Now you have a roll. Place the formed rolls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, then cover them with a damp dish towel. Allow to rise for approximately one hour or until doubled in size. Glaze with an egg wash and sprinkle with caraway seeds and/or coarse salt. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. You can use a toothpick to test doneness just as you might do with a cake. If the toothpick comes out clean they're done. If has dough stuck to the sides they should bake a little longer. Pictures of the rolls before the go into the oven:






And after baking:





Yum, yum, yum!

There's one other thing I did with my rye dough, but it will have to wait until later. It's quite wonderful. And we call it...a pastoli! Stay tuned!

Green Meanies

 Today I was in serious need of green vegetables.  I had a few vodka tonics last night and there was a horrible smell in the common area of our apartment building this morning.  (It's been building since Saturday.  I think something must have died in a utility closet.  Yuck.)  Those two things in combination with a long commute and not enough sleep last night left me craving something fresh and bright -- something very green.  

The dish I concocted is very simple, but it packs a powerful punch.  I chose brussel sprouts, broccoli, and summer squash as the main components of my lunch.  As the vegetables cooked and the colors brightened in the pan I felt my mood becoming lighter.  A few dashes of cumin brought the earthiness I was looking for, and crunchy pecans gave me a pleasing contrast in texture.  I felt the need for nutmeg so I sprinkled a little on top and sat down to a plate full of happy-looking vegetables.  Three bites into it and any queasiness left over from the morning had vanished.  

Green Meanies (to fight the queasies)

ingredients:

1 small head broccoli

6 brussel sprouts

1 medium yellow squash

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

a sprinkling of cayenne pepper

3 Tablespoons chopped pecans

a sprinkling of ground nutmeg

Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets, quarter the brussel sprouts, and slice the squash into long thin strips.  Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot add the broccoli, brussel sprouts, and yellow squash.  Saute approximately two minutes.  


Add the ground cumin and cayenne pepper then saute an additional two minutes.  Remove from heat and top with chopped pecans.  Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve immediately.  

Pizza and North Indian Butter Chicken -- what a lunch!

Charlie and I just made such a fantastic lunch, and I'm still buzzing from it.  We made a quick run to the Dekalb Farmer's Market this morning to pick up groceries for the weekend, and while we were there we decided to grab a pizza crust and some tomato sauce.  Now, I (we) usually try to make most everything that we eat.  BUT, the pizza crust and the tomato sauce were so beautiful and fresh (made today at the farmers market with all whole foods -- no preservatives) that I just thought oh, what the hell, and we threw them in the cart.  

We had three raw chicken thighs in the refrigerator so Charlie heated up a cast-iron pan (on the stove), sprinkled the chicken with kosher salt and cracked pepper, and seared the thighs for about 5 minutes on each side.  Then the pan went into the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 more minutes.  As the chicken cooked I topped the pizza crust with the spicy tomato sauce (full of basil, rosemary, onions, and the like), tossed on some mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and minced garlic.  We then tore some of the chicken into bite-sized pieces and placed that on top.  We shredded the remaining chicken and tossed it into a small baking dish with some leftover Indian Butter Sauce that I made a few days ago.  Everything went into the oven for ten minutes, which is just long enough to split a cold beer, and lunch was ready.  Delicious!

What a quick, easy, and thoroughly satisfying lunch.  As we enjoyed the pizza and the chicken we discussed keeping homemade pizza dough on hand.  It's so simple to make, but you do have to plan ahead as it takes some time.  The New York Times recently ran a fabulous article on making your own pizza, and now it's all I want to eat!   I'm going to get to work on that, and we're having a pizza party soon. 

This North Indian Butter Sauce is so flavorful and keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.  It takes a bit of time to make, but it's definitely worth it.  Charlie says it tastes like something from a good restaurant, and I agree.  It also smells terrific as it simmers on the stove.  Try it on chicken, fish, or eggplant.  It's super great on tandoori chicken.

North Indian Butter Sauce 

ingredients:

1/4 lb butter (1 stick) plus 2 Tbsp

5 Tbsp canola oil

1 bay leaf

2 Tbsp ginger and garlic paste

10 oz tomato puree

2 tsp ground cardamom powder 

4 Tbsp ground cashew nuts made to a fine paste

1 cup chicken broth

salt 

2 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper plus 1/2 tsp

2 - 3 tsp salt (to taste)

1 cup whole milk

2 cups heavy cream or half and half 

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

pinch of tandoori masala

2 Tbsp fenugreek leaves

Heat butter and oil together in a wok, add a bay leaf, stir for a few seconds, and add the ginger and garlic paste.  Cook until most of the liquid evaporates.

Add the tomato puree and the cardamom.  Let it cook until the puree dries and the fat separates.  Add the cashew paste and stir for a few seconds.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Salt to taste.  Cover and cook for 10 to 15 uminutes or until the masala turns a bright red color.  Add milk and cream, continuing to stir, then add the garam masala and a pinch of tandoori masala.

In a separate pan make a tempering by heating 2 Tbsp butter then adding the fenugreek leaves and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.  Cook for 30 seconds then add to the sauce.  Pour the sauce over chicken, fish, or eggplant, and serve warm with naan.