beignets

When I had the privilege of ending my high school years as a resident of New Orleans, my very first boyfriend, Donald, and I would spend lazy weekend days in the French Quarter. We'd take the ferry across the Mississippi River from our homes on the West Bank, we'd drink sickly-sweet Hand Grenades out of plastic cups, and we'd occasionally head to Cafe Du Monde for steaming cups of coffee and chicory and plates of warm beignets.



Beignets are a New Orleans staple and just about as yummy as you can get: fried, pillowy, yeast-based doughnuts just covered in powdered sugar. The tables and chairs outside Cafe Du Monde are also covered in the sugar and after eating a plate of 'em, so are you.

During my trip back to New Orleans to help with Katrina relief, I made sharing a plate of beignets with my fellow volunteers a priority.

You can buy packages of Cafe Du Monde's beignet mix -- or you can make 'em from scratch.

BEIGNETS
Recipe courtesy of: Southern Living

Makes 2 1/2 dozen

1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
3 tablespoons warm water (100° to 110°)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 to 3 quarts vegetable oil
Powdered sugar, for serving

Combine yeast and 3 tablespoons warm water in a large bowl; let mixture stand 5 minutes.

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat (do not boil). Stir in sugar, shortening, and salt. Cool to lukewarm (100° to 110°).

Add milk mixture, egg, and 2 cups flour to yeast mixture, stirring well. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead 8 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down, and turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll dough into a 12- x 10-inch rectangle; cut into 2-inch squares. Place on a floured surface; cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 375°. Fry beignets, in batches, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with powdered sugar while still hot.

Note: To make ahead, turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Punch dough down and follow directions above.

red peppers

Though roasting your own peppers is lovely (and quite easy, especially if you have a gas range), sometimes you just want to dump out a bunch of cans and jars into a food processor and have a yummy snack.



I've made this hummus recipe for potlucks a few times. I've never roasted the peppers myself, but rather used the jarred ones, as the recipe calls for. Maybe I'll give it a try in the future.

I believe I've added a bit of olive oil to the ingredients while the food processor was running, just to thin it out a bit, but usually the oil from the red peppers is enough.

You can substitute peanut butter for the tahini in a pinch, but if you're planning on making hummus on a regular basis, it's best to just suck it up and buy the tahini. It'll last forever.

I'd serve it with toasted pita points and/or crudites.

SPICED SWEET ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS
Recipe courtesy of: All Recipes

Serves eight

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (4 ounce) jar roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In an electric blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas, red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Process, using long pulses, until the mixture is fairly smooth, and slightly fluffy. Make sure to scrape the mixture off the sides of the food processor or blender in between pulses.

Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

The hummus can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before serving.

Sprinkle the hummus with the chopped parsley before serving.

celeriac

I can think of nothing I'd like more right now than to pair this Greenmarket celeriac with apples and Gruyere and horseradish and serve the slaw on everything!



(...except, maybe, to make that Apple and Sweet Onion Marmalade in my Recipe Box. I must be really craving autumn -- or just Granny Smiths and mustard.)

CELERY ROOT, GRUYERE, AND APPLE SLAW WITH HORSERADISH
Recipe courtesy of: Gourmet, October 1994

Serves six

1/2 pound Gruyère cheese
1 medium celery root
1 1/2 Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
about 3 tablespoons bottled horseradish, drained, or grated fresh horseradish to taste

Cut cheese into matchsticks and put in a large bowl. Peel celery root and apples and cut into matchsticks. Add celery root, apples, and lemon juice to cheese, tossing gently.

In a small bowl stir together remaining ingredients and add to slaw, tossing gently. Slaw may be made one day ahead and chilled, covered. Add additional horseradish to taste before serving if necessary. Season slaw with salt and pepper.

strawberry jam

Mom and I attempted to can strawberry jam this weekend.

We only had two things going against us: we've never made jam before and we've never canned anything in our lives.

It was quite an experience!

We started, naturally, with strawberries.



We grabbed a couple big pots...



and we washed some jars.



Mom hulled the strawberries...



and I squished 'em up.



We added pectin, and threw 'em in the pot to cook 'til bubbly.



Meanwhile, we sterilized the jars and lids...



and i made myself some lunch.



We then poured the hot jam into the jars...



and put 'em in the canner.



While they bubbled away, I went outside to spend some time in the garden...









and to hang out with Maggie.



We then removed the jars to let them sit for 24 hours to firm up...



and the next day, we had jam.



Maggie was excited!



Unfortunately, it was foamy...



and though sorta pretty...



...it didn't taste all that great.

egg cream

I'm heading down the shore this weekend and I'm thinking back fondly upon one of my first (and only) restaurant gigs: the summer I spent slinging pancakes at La Maison Internationale des Pancakes. Located on Route 37 in Toms River, rumor has it that it was the busiest IHOP in the country at the time!

(Yes, I am a rock star.)

The job offered me the opportunity to make a few bona fide New Jersey friends (fellow servers, not cooks -- as many who have worked in the restaurant industry can attest, the kitchen doesn't always want to pal around with those in the front of the house). I made enough cash to often hop a bus up to The Big City and pretend I was a local. Though I missed my boyfriend terribly (sniffle, sob), who was himself working a kitchen job at a Yellowstone National Park resort, it was a good time. This particular gig was also where I took a lesson in egg creams.

A customer ordered (off the menu, i might add) an egg cream to drink one afternoon. I was puzzled.

Egg cream?

And it's a drink?

Like, you drink it?

Like, um, (gag) eggs and cream?

Nope. Apparently, it's a piece of New York's culinary history with no eggs required. Instead, it's made only with chocolate syrup, milk, and seltzer, and the debate over the name's origin continues.

I did make a few more egg creams in my time down the shore, but never actually tried one myself -- and even though I now permanently reside in The Big City, I still haven't had one. Can you believe that?

Damn if one doesn't sound good right now.

(I mean, you have heard about the 115 degree heat index up here, right?)

lychees

Apparently, I cannot get enough heat in my life.

I'm reading this, had two spicy Bloodys at yesterday's brunch, was pouring this on my tofu last night, am marinating some tempeh right now in a green curry concoction, and ate one of these from the dumpling house today -- and now cannot stop thinking about how I need to get my hands on a big jar of kimchi!

(That kimchi sandwich, by the way, was unreal: so delicious, and so ridiculously cheap. Highly recommended.)

Today's outing was to, among other destinations, the South Street Seaport, where A., N., and I did our best pirate wench impressions. We also picked up some candy and wasabi snacks in Chinatown on our way.

Now, off to dream of Sriracha -- and those beautiful lychees sold on the street near Confuscious Plaza.