Food

I made these chocolate chip cookies again last night (on special request from E). Last time I made them, they came out thick and wrong, unaccountably. This time they were perfect. I did use the baking soda and salt this time. I also only let the butter cool for 20 minutes or so (in the past, I've been unsure how long to wait). And finally, I space them out better on the cookie sheet, which made it easier. And it definitely helps to let them sit for a few minutes after coming out before moving them to a cooling rack.

One realization: no eggs means you can eat as much of the dough as you want! it would be great for cookie dough ice cream.

Posted by Mike Perkowitz at 04:05 PM | Permalink

This is another recipe that isn't mine -- it comes from Rachel, many years ago. They're pretty much like the title says.

Ingredients
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
8 oz semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2 oz pieces
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, broken into 1/2 oz pieces
1 1/2 c light brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
(optionally) 3 c semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 325. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together. Melt the chocolate (not the chips) over a double boiler. Beat butter and sugar; beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in chocolate. Add flour and chips and mix. Drop on cookie sheet and bake. Cool on sheet 5-6 min before removing to a wire rack.

Posted by Mike Perkowitz at 05:08 PM | Permalink

I haven't made this recipe yet myself, only tasted of its sweet sweet fruit. Well, not sweet; chocolatey. This is one I want to try.

Ingredients
6oz bittersweet chocolate
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 c flour

Directions
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat; set aside to cool. In another bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks until blended. Whisk in sugar and chocolate to egg mixture. Add flour. Butter six custard cups and pour in batter. Bake at 450 for 12-14 minutes. Loosen by running knife around edges and turn upside-down to get out of cups. Garnish with ice cream!

Posted by Mike Perkowitz at 05:03 PM | Permalink

The strip of University Way between 50th and Ravenna has a surprising number of interesting-looking little restaurants along it. E and I tried one of the more amusing ones last night, Jack's Tapas Cafe. The sign helpfully adds "mainly Chinese", and in fact it's entirely Chinese. The tapas in question are basically appetizers. The menu, plus the extensive specials board, contains a lot of interesting-sounding things (with scant descriptions). We ended up with a dish of chives, fried tofu, and shredded pork, which was unusual and pretty good. We also had ginger and onion beef, which was good, though not a standout. Fair pot stickers. The place gets good reviews, and I'm willing to believe there are some gems on the menu, but we weren't too overwhelmed.

Posted by Mike Perkowitz at 09:21 PM | Permalink

I like chicken, since it's healthy and is a good blank canvas for flavors. But, as much as I like to grill beef and pork, I usually don't get much interesting out of grilling chicken. The best I've found is to grill bone-in breasts, since the bone keeps them moist and the skin can get charred and smoky, but I haven't had much luck adding much additional flavor, except just sort of on the surface. I decided to do a sort of asian hoisin-soy-sugar thing, because I figured the thick sauce would form sort of a glaze, and the sugar would caramel a bit. Add some garlic and ginger.. should be great! And I had the idea that stuffing it under the skin, as well as using it as a glaze, might help the flavor absorb more. Plus, of course, chicken always likes to be brined.

Ingredients
2 bone-in chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium slices ginger, minced
4 c warm water
1/4 c kosher salt
1/4 c sugar (+ a bit extra)
Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, molasses

Directions
Dissolve the salt, 1/4 c sugar, and molasses in the water. Add the chicken breasts, cover, and brine for about thirty minutes. Meanwhile, mix some hoisin, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and ginger to make a medium-thick paste. Heat up the grill to medium-high, top closed (should be around 375 degrees). When the chicken's brined, rub some of the hoisin mixture under the skin as much as possible and brush on the outside of the chicken. Lay on the grill, skin side up, and close grill again. Brush the tops with additional sauce after 10-15 minutes, but don't turn over. Finish the chicken with the lid down (about 25 minutes total, depending; the meat should be at about 165 degrees). Serve and enjoy! It's good with fresh corn on the cob and tomato-mozzarella salad.

Verdict
Surprisingly good! I've grilled a lot of chicken and usually find it very hard to get it to take on any flavor in any significant way. But the combination of the smoky grill effect and the flavors of the sauce managed to pervade the meat pretty well, and the result was really good. And it comes out a beautiful golden brown, with a touch of charred skin.

Posted by Mike Perkowitz at 08:56 PM | Permalink