Fresh Tart

Fried Cheese with Almond Meal Crust (Gluten-Free)

FreshTartSteph — Sat, 19 May 2012 19:03:45 PDT

So I had fried cheese for both breakfast and dinner today.

I am ridiculously obsessed with the stuff right now, to such a degree that I kind of embarrassed myself a couple of weeks ago raving about the gluten-free fried cheese curds at Red Stag in NE Minneapolis to Ryan Petz of Fulton Beer. When we ended our conversation with plans for a group brunch, he wryly suggested that maybe we'd best head to Red Stag to assuage my fried cheese craving.

So that's exactly what we did! And the crispy, salty little treats were so good that I ordered a few more rounds while at Red Stag again this past week with a group of the girls.

Apparently my years at the University of Wisconsin taught me well that There is Never Enough Fried Cheese. And that Beer is Food, although that's a different post.

But since I can't very well go running off to Red Stag every time I have a craving for fried cheese, and because tasty cheese curds aren't completely easy to obtain, I created the version pictured with slices of fresh mozzarella coated with egg and almond flour. The trick for cheese contained within - not exploding out of - a golden crust is to freeze it for a bit before frying.

Serve the melty, golden loveliness with marinara sauce and lots of basil for an almost-summer treat.

Fried Cheese with Almond Meal Crust (Gluten-Free)
Makes 4-6 slices

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced into 4-6 slices, a bit less than 1/2-inch thick
2 c. almond meal
1 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten in a flat bowl
olive oil for frying
warm marinara sauce & fresh basil for serving

Line a large plate with parchment paper.

Combine almond meal and salt on a large plate. Dip one slice of cheese in the beaten egg, then dredge the cheese slice in the almond meal mixture. Lay the cheese slice on the parchment paper. Do the same with the remaining cheese slices.

Put the uncovered plate of cheese in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Add 1/4-inch deep olive oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the cold cheese slices a couple at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer slices to a paper towel-lined plate and fry the rest of the cheese. Serve cheese hot with warm marinara sauce & fresh basil.

Learn Eat Drink: Provisions Class at Kitchen in the Market!

FreshTartSteph — Sat, 19 May 2012 18:25:05 PDT

Friends with CSAs, gardens, or farmers market addictions...I'd love to see you at the Provisions class I'm teaching at Kitchen in the Market with chef Scott Pampuch. The focus will be on extending our too-short growing season's bounty with time-honored techniques, helpful restaurant tips, and translations to making great quality food at home.

Our first class is this coming Thursday, May 24! We're also gathering on June 14 and July 26 - sign up for all three classes for a discount, or take one or two.

We'll kick off this week by discussing the tips, tricks and tools that you'll want to consider as you move through spring and into summer. We'll talk about cooking as a lifestyle and a process, and guide you through translating your personal goals and needs into a plan of attack. With a bit of planning and structure in the spring, we can help you get your kitchen established with the equipment, ingredients, and techniques that will help you get through the seasons.

On the menu:

storing & keeping foods - tips about treating your foods right so they can last throughout the year

canning "outside of the cookbook" - basic recipes and inspired flavor combinations

making flavored salts

new twists on pesto

to eat: antipasto platter featuring make, taste + take accompaniments and flatbread

If you have yet to take a class at Kitchen in the Market (KITM), you've been missing out on a delicious blast. Owned by chef Molly Herrman (Tastebud Catering) and Tracy Morgan (Segnavia Creative) KITM exists within Midtown Global Market and it is always hopping. With classes ranging from Food Porn photography to Chef's Night Off participation cooking to our Provisions class, there is learning, eating, and drinking for everyone.

We hope to see you there! Email me if you have questions.

Potato Galette

FreshTartSteph — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:18:47 PDT

A potato galette is simply thin slices of potatoes, fat, and seasoning layered into a shallow pan and roasted until crusty and browned. It's traditional to serve alongside a roast of some sort, and definitely do that, because you can imagine crusty, buttery potatoes do a fine job of soaking up meaty juices of almost any type.

But a potato galette also makes a killer meal all on its own, particularly alongside (or underneath!) a tart arugula salad. In fact, invite people over if you make one, otherwise...you will eat the whole thing by yourself. As healthful as a tart arugula salad is, it will not offset the regret of eating an entire galette on your own; I know this from experience.

I make galettes two ways and I'll leave it to you to decide which you prefer: Just potatoes and butter, or potatoes and butter with cream. Both yield a crispy top and bottom, but the cream version is creamier vs. crispy. The boys in my house prefer the all-butter version, I prefer the cream. It was not a bad weekend enjoying both!

Buttery potatoes make me badly want a glass of wine, so I checked in with my friend Jason Kallsen, social media marketing for The Wine Company and author of The Grilling Man blog, for the perfect wine pairing. He suggests a richer wine but with acid, perhaps a fine-tuned California Chardonnay such as LIOCO Russian River Valley or Chateau Montelena.

I suggest you take his advice and enjoy together al fresco. This is Minnesota's most perfect outside dining weather, right now. Enjoy!

Recipe for Potato Galette at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

FreshTartSteph — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:39:05 PDT

My son asked me this morning, "Hey, what's that crumbly cinnamon stuff you put on top of muffins? Make that, like, all the time." Streusel! Yes! We are a family obsessed with streusel. When I was a little girl, I asked my mom if she could make a whole pan of just streusel, skipping the coffee cake part. (She said no.) When my sister was in the early days of a modeling career, her then-boyfriend baked a streusel coffee cake for her and was shocked to discover she'd eaten the entire thing while he was away at work. Two sticks of butter plus a cup of sour cream, strutting down the runway - nice!

If your family also swoons over cinnamon-brown sugar-butteriness, baking the coffee cake as individual muffins is one way to encourage sharing. We're big fans of the little Buddha coffee cakes at Lucia's, which gild the lily with a drizzle of icing, so I do the same. You could skip that step, though, and enjoy the muffins as is, preferably warm, with a cup of coffee, on a tray with a little bouquet of flowers, served to you in bed by a seriously cute kid (or two, or more).

Happy Mother's Day!

Recipe for Cinnamon Streusel Muffins at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Nettle Salt

FreshTartSteph — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:26:04 PDT

As someone who spends a lot of time in grocery stores, it's hard to deny the primal thrill of foraging for edibles in the great outdoors. It's similar to the pleasure in picking tomatoes I've grown myself, except a bit more powerful. There is, in fact, a Hierarchy of Food-Gathering SatIsfaction, which exists completely in my own mind, and goes something like this: Foraging (hunting, fishing), gardening, farm stands, farmers markets, co-ops, grocery stores. The thrill of the chase apparently persists even in the soul of a city girl.

Especially when you can forage right in the city! There are stinging nettles to be found in almost anyone's yard, which you well know if you've ever grabbed one to yank out of a flower bed (ouch). Next time you see them, put on some gloves, pull them up, then save them to make salt, an idea I'm stealing from my friends Kathy Yerich and Scott Pampuch, who both made and shared nettle salt in the last couple of weeks.

Nettle salt is easy to make and deliciously savory, with a slightly grassy flavor that is lovely with corn, eggs, butter, and bread. Kathy made hers by pulsing fresh nettle leaves with sea salt in a food processor, then spreading the mixture to dry on a baking sheet. Her salt was bright green and pungent, a gorgeous topping for the pizzas we Minnesota Food Bloggers made at our recent gathering at Kitchen in the Market with Zoe Francois. Scott made his by first drying the nettles before pulsing with coarse sea salt. His version had more texture and a softer flavor, which was amazing sprinkled on the popcorn tossed with brown butter he set out at his In Search of Food party at Fulton Beer.

Make it both ways! Recipe for Nettle Salt at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Grilled Butterflied Shrimp

FreshTartSteph — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:44:19 PDT

These butterflied shrimp are more of a technique than a recipe, a simple way to grill truly shrimpy shrimp.

Shrimp shells are where the flavor is at - even if you're preparing shelled shrimp for a salad or pasta, keep the shells! Either freeze them in an airtight plastic bag or make quick batches of stock as you go and freeze the stock. Use the stock to make risotto, soup, a simple pan sauce...wherever you add it, it's an incredible punch of flavor for very little effort.

Or especially during grilling season, just cook the shrimp in their shells. To not have to fuss with skewers, or with peeling hot shrimp (which is a bit of a pain), remove the legs from large shrimp (U15), then with a small, sharp knife, split them lengthwise down the middle without cutting all the way through the shells. Remove the vein that runs down the middle (running them under cold water makes the process go quickly) and press gently on the shrimp to flatten them. I set them on a baking sheet as I go, dry them all with paper towels when I'm done, then drizzle them with olive oil on both sides. I then sprinkle them very lightly with salt and grill over medium high heat until the shells are pink and the flesh is completely opaque, usually about 3 minutes per side.

Serving suggestions at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Lobster-and-Asparagus Salad with Miso-Mustard Vinaigrette

FreshTartSteph — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:46:51 PDT

This salad just screams "Ladies!" to me. Right? Although my husband devoured it, so certainly plenty of gents will happily down lobster and asparagus atop buttery toast as well.

Recipe for Lobster-and-Asparagus Salad with Miso-Mustard Vinaigrette at Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures/Food & Wine Magazine.

Pea-and-Parsnip Vichysoisse

FreshTartSteph — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:39:58 PDT

You can whip up a batch of this simple, gorgeous soup any time because frozen peas are quite lovely when pureed.

But as fresh peas come into the market, make it then too, and enjoy the essence of spring, garnished with fresh mint and chives, cold from the fridge.

Recie for Pea-and-Parsnip Vichysoisse at Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures/Food & Wine Magazine.

Sopes

FreshTartSteph — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:33:45 PDT

It's a little bit ridiculous that I haven't posted about sopes before - I make and devour them several times a week. In fact, I'm a maniacal cornmeal cake fan in general. Chef Thomas Boemer had an insane version on Corner Table's menu a couple of weeks ago, with a bit of lard kneaded in, fried in butter, and topped with pork confit. Oh my word it was so good that I ordered another one to go to have for breakfast the next day.

You can do some pretty serious sope damage at Midtown Global Market as well. Taqueria Los Ocampo's version is a fabulously hot mess, loaded with tender chicken, melted cheese, lettuce, radishes, and sour cream. Add one of their fantastic salsas, alongside a large stack of napkins, and dig it like a day off.

The version I eat most often is the one I make at home. Nothing more than masa harina, a pinch of salt, and water kneaded together before being shaped and fried, they're the perfect delivery vehicle for pretty much whatever you have on hand: Guacamole, eggs any style, salad, cheese, beans, chorizo, tomatoes, pickled things, fried potatoes, on and deliciously on...

Recipe for Sopes at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Fudgy Passover Brownies with Sea Salt

FreshTartSteph — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:17:35 PDT

I created these moist, chocolate-y brownies for my stepdaughter several years ago. I was new to Kosher for Passover cooking when I first met her and had a lot of fun playing with matzo meal and matzo cake flour to come up with scratch treats that were easy to make and tastier than the box mixes that crowd grocery store shelves during Passover.

The finishing sprinkle of coarse sea salt is a new addition, added by a friend who was taste-testing this batch for me. It's both pretty and delicious, adding texture and depth of flavor to already fudgy brownies. An evolving tradition...I love it.

Recipe for Fudgy Passover Brownies with Sea Salt at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.