The Houndstooth Gourmet

Clafouti-that delightful French pancake that makes berries and stone fruit shine. Making a good one has been elusive for me. I believe I was first inspired to make clafouti several years ago when watchig Sara Moulton on Sara’s Secrets. You know-back when the Food Network was a television station that could really teach and inspire. Ah, those were the days. Anyway, I soon made my first clafouti. Cherry, I believe. I was impressed that, first, I made something French, and second, that it was easy and really delicious.

Come to think of it, I’m not sure whose recipe I used the first time I made a clafouti. I only know that the second, third and probably fourth time I made it, it didn’t turn out well. My clafoutis were either dry, or very egg-y. I’m talking like eating a sweet omelette or scrambled eggs. Not good. Blech.

Now flash forward to last week’s WaPo Food section, with as you may know, I am seeking inspiration and guidance by making at least one recipe a week, and posting it. Last week, the WaPo featured blogger and cookbook author, David Lebovitz. The “American Blogger in Paris” cooks in his small apartment by the Bastille. While the mere thought of living in Paris, writing a pithy blog and memoir, and cooking, cooking, cooking turns my complexion green with envy, Lebovitz dismisses the notion that his life is all beret-wearing, sidewalk cafe-coffee-sipping and Sartre contemplating while watching star-crossed lovers stroll the avenues. No, there’s dog poop on those streets, and you had better watch your step.

And, like the roads in Paris, you occasionally have to dodge bad recipies, and just plain bad days in the kitchen. Oh, the gritty underbelly.  Sometimes, however, you have a good day, your ingredients shine, and you can’t wait to share what you’ve made or what you’ve discovered. This is such a day. Lebovitz’s clafouti is a perfect intersection of custard and cake. It revels in the oven- getting a bit crunchy on top from caramelizing sugar, while the fruit underneath yields juice and nectar into the egg, butter and flour.While stone fruits and berries are in season, I highly recommend taking the heat while you turn on the oven to bake up this wonderful dessert. Clafouti is easy, yet elegant. You’ll be impressed-and so will your friends. Share!P.S….don’t be afraid to make this in the colder months, as frozen fruit would work just fine.

Apricot* and Raspberry ClafoutiRecipe adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris, courtesy of The Washington PostServes 8**Ingredients:

• • • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the baking dish
  • • 1 pound ripe apricots, pitted and cut into 3/4 inch wedges (may substitute small ripe plums, cut in half and pitted)
  • • 1 cup raspberries, washed
  • • 3 large eggs
  • • 1/2 cup flour
  • • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • • 1 1/3 cups whole milk***

Directions:Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees.Use butter to liberally grease the bottom and sides of a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Arrange the apricot wedges (cut sides up) and the raspberries in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until smooth, then whisk in the 4 tablespoons of melted butter and the flour until completely smooth. Add the vanilla, then whisk in 1/2 cup of the sugar and the milk to form a custard. Pour the custard over the fruit. Bake on the top rack for 30 minutes, then pull out the rack gently, so the crust that is just beginning to form on the claflouti remains intact. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the surface, then gently return the rack to its position. Bake the claflouti for 30 minutes, or until it feels slightly firm in the center and its top is a nice golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.**I used peaches from Toigo Orchards. To prepare-briefly blanch in boiling water, and peel skin. Cut in half, remove pit, and slice.** I used a 10 inch non-stick skillet, and felt the serving recommendation was more like 6 generous slices. If you use a casserole dish, simply scoop the clafouti out.*** I did not have whole/4% milk on hand, so I used half 1% milk and half heavy cream for the 1 1/3 cups milk called for in the recipe. Perhaps this contributed to the incredible creamy custard that resulted.

Tags: baking, berries, dessert, fruit, peaches, The Washington Post, WaPo Wednesdays by Ramona
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There’s a touch of fall in the air, but summer is still here. This galette recipe is fantastic to use with any of your favorite stone fruits and berries. Buy them now, for soon, they will be gone!

Not far from Alexandria is Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets. It’s not far–easily under an hour. Yet, I can’t believe it took me 4 years of living here….to get there! What with the Le Creuset and Williams Sonoma outlets, not to mention other cookerware and gadget stores that leave one mesmerized at the sight of things like margerita glasses shaped like life-size cacti, spiral hams that cost more by the pound, than oh, say..saffron, and of course, the omnipresent miniature movie popcorn makers and chocolate fountains. Tempting as they were, I had other kitchen gadgetry in mind.

Among my purchases were 2 pieces of Le Creuset: an 11 3/4 enamal cast iron skillet and grill pan. Fantastic. Better than Teflon and cast iron because cleaning is a breeze. I highly recommend you buy them. There’s nothing better than the skillets to make soft, wet eggs and the grill pan for burgers and paninis.

I was just as excited to use my new pastry cutter (for butter and shortening) and pastry scraper on the dough of my galette. The cutter made various size chunks of butter in the dough, that after refrigeration, allowed the dough to rise beautifully.

So, if you’re lucky enough to still find peaches at your markets this weekend, try out this galette and if you’d like, toss in a couple cups of your favorite berries.

To make the galette, prepare a dough according to Diana’s Desserts (derived from a Dorie Greenspan recipe) and refrigerate up to 3 days (at least 2 hours).  Instead of making 2 small galette, I made one large. After rolling the dough out to about 11-12 inches, I rolled the dough over my rolling pin, and transferred it to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

For the filling, I used 3 peeled and sliced peaches and 2 cups of raspberries and arranged them over the galette, leaving about a 2 inch border. I drizzled a tablespoon of honey and 2 teaspoons of sugar over top. I used 2 cold tablespoons of butter to dot the top of the fruit.

Next, I folded the edged of the galette over, towards and middle and glazed the edge with one beaten egg to make the crust brown and shiny. Finally, I sprinkled a pinch of sugar over the glazed crust for an extra crunch after cooking.

Bake the galette in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transfering the galette via the parchment paper to a cutting board.

Serving suggestions- serve the galette warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Tags: baking, fruit, Recipe by Ramona
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Prosciutto and melon is a classic Italian hor d’oeuvre that combines sweet, juicy melon with salty ham. Classically, thinly sliced prosciutto is wrapped around melon and speared with a toothpick. In my version, I take advantage of the availability of some of the best Virginia Ham made-Calhoun’s Country Hams, which I buy at the Old Town Alexandria farmers market. Fully cooked and thinly sliced, the ham is easy to cut into strips and wrap around a melon ball. Served on a spoon, or on a toothpick, it’s one delicious bite which fires up all of your  taste buds. Try this out for yourself, or serve it up to guests. You’ll be a superstar!

Here’s an excerpt from a piece that I wrote about Tom Calhoun and his hams:

“This week Tom Calhoun of Calhoun’s Country Hams in Culpeper, spoke about ham and history. Calhoun sells country hams, ham biscuits (skip breakfast and nibble on these), sausage and other specialty products from March until December. He has been selling his products at the market since the early 1980’s and recalls a market that was held inside City Hall.

“I’ve been in business since 1964” Calhoun said. “I sold turkeys here at the market, and before Thanksgiving, folks would stand in lines which stretched onto North Royal Street.” About five years ago Calhoun stopped selling turkeys because the Wampler plant would no longer process his birds.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are still the busiest times for selling ham. Hams are cured with a salt and brown sugar rub for eight weeks, then hung to age for 6-12 months. This process dates back hundreds of years as a way to preserve meat without refrigeration. Why is it a Virginia ham? Well, in the 1600’s, Indians, who had long been curing and smoking venison passed along their expertise to Jamestown settlers. Since pigs were plentiful and fairly easy to catch, their meat became a staple protein for the settlers.

In the hands of a master like Calhoun, this cured ham is as precious to Virginians as prosciutto di Parma is to Italians and jamón ibérico is to Spaniards. Skill and experience impart nuanced flavors that come with age and time. Fortunately for Alexandrians, Calhoun’s ham products, plus an array of gourmet specialty products such as peanuts, honey and jams are available each Saturday morning. Shoppers can visit his store in Culpeper and Calhoun ships his products via UPS.”

Calhoun’s Country Hams
219 South East Street
Culpeper, VA 22701
(540) 825-8319
(877) 825-8319

Tags: fruit, ham, Recipe by Ramona
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OK. So it’s not exactly low fat, nor does it have enough bran to clean you out like a card counter at a black jack table. But, I did make a go of trying some things that make this recipe a bit more healthy. First, instead of using all bleached AP flour, I substituted 2/3, or 2 cups whole wheat flour. Next, to cut down on dairy fat, I used 2% fage. You could also substitute light plain yogurt, or sour cream. And, instead of using 2 WHOLE STICKS OF BUTTER (ack!) I only used one. Paula Deen would not approve!

I think what really makes this cake taste delicious is the combination of juicy blueberries in the batter and the lemon glaze that is drizzled over top while the cake is still warm. If you like the taste of whole wheat pancakes, you ought to try this recipe out. The wheat flour gives it a distinctive flavor that is a bit different if you are not used to using anything but AP flour.

In our efforts to maximize our use of whole grains, I find that I am getting more acquainted with preparing and eating whole grain foods which are not stripped of their most nutritious components.

*These lovely berries are from Mount Olympus Berry Farm (Kingstowne Market). I froze them for a couple weeks prior to using them. The texture is not quite as firm, but they were still at the peak of their flavor and quite juicy.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Yogurt Cake

makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup low fat fage, plain yogurt or sour cream
• 1 cup AP flour + 2 cups whole wheat flour (reserve 2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups blueberries*, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add reserved 2 tablespoons flour mix to blueberries and stir to coat. Set aside until later.

In a stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light yellow. Add vanilla and mix for another minute.

Add eggs and egg white, one at a time. Mix on medium in between eggs.

Add fage and mix for an additional minute.

Add baking soda and salt to remaining flour. Turn mixer on medium-low speed and slowly add flour until incorporated.

Add floured berries and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix and break the berries or else you will have a purple cake.

Pour the batter into a 10 inch bundt cake mold or fluted pan which as been sprayed with a non-stick baking spray. Place cake on middle rack of oven and bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake come out dry.

Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a baking rack which is sitting on a baking sheet. Pierce the top of the cake all over to allow the glaze to seep in.

Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly pour the glaze over the cake. If some glaze winds up in the baking pan, drain it off and re-pour it over the cake.

Allow cake to cool for about 30-60 minutes. Serve or cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serving suggestions: dust cake with more powdered sugar prior to serving, accompany each slice with ice cream or whipped cream and a few fresh berries.

Tags: cake, fruit, Recipe by Ramona
3 Comments »

Sometimes I just need a hit of chocolate after a meal. Chocolate, even a small piece, leaves me feeling complete and sated. I don’t need the Mississippi Mud Pie from the ’80s-just good quality chocolate to tickle the palate. Like at Hank’s Oyster Bar. No desserts on the menu, but you get a couple chunks of bittersweet chocolate with your bill. It suits me fine most of the time, and when it doesn’t, there’s always a fried Snickers bar at Eammon’s a few blocks away on King Street! Actually, I haven’t yet talked Frank in to sharing one, but I’m working on it!

A couple years ago, Rachel Ray was on  Poprah Oprah demonstrating her recipe for Chocolate Cups. If the Oprah liked it, well, I had to give it a try.

It’s incredible and so easy. With a couple ingredients and about 5 minutes, you can whip together an impressive dessert for just you, or for entertaining guests.

Here’s a recipe for Chocolate Cups, adapted from the original recipe from Rachel Ray. I served it with reduced calorie Cool Whip, and defrosted and lightly sugared mixed berries from Costco. I highly recommend the berry pairing!

Chocolate Cups

serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups milk (I actually used 1%, and it held together)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate morsels
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• pinch salt
• whipped cream (optional)
• berries (optional)

Directions

Place milk in a pan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, place chocolate, eggs, sugar and salt in a blender and blend until mixed well. With the blender on low, slowly and carefully, pour the boiled milk through the small hole in the top of the blender cover. Increase speed to high and blend thoroughly.

Pour mixture into 6 serving cups and place the cups on a baking sheet. Refrigerate to cool and set, at least 3 hours. If making a day ahead, cover each serving with plastic wrap to preserve freshness and avoid picking up odors.

Serve with whipped cream and sweetened berries.

Tags: chocolate, dessert, fruit by Ramona
5 Comments »