LINGUINE WITH PEA PESTO

It has gotten quite warm here in Brooklyn (a nice way of saying sweat soaked clothing hot!) A few days ago as I was out walking my two jack russell terriers- who were creeping along behind from the heat and Nigel decided to bolt after a "figment of his imagination" and down I went. Hence I will not be doing any heavy cooking for awhile while my arm heals (not broken but wrenched).

A few weeks back I did make a great dish-with peas I got at the greenmarket and my home grown fire escape basil.

I like pesto but I sometimes find it is too garlicky-or too oily-this recipe is much lighter and has a more delicate taste.

I followed the recipe with a few changes.

I used Whole wheat Linguine, and did not use all of the olive oil (just a preference).

I went with the basil for garnish-I think it would be great with the mint, but my mint plant did not survive the direct sun on my fire escape. I can grow Rosemary, my plant is three years old (I bring it in in the winter) thyme oregano and basil. They all do fine, but dill, mint and cilantro bite the dust year after year.

I used fresh peas- I loved the whole shelling process mindless and calming.

I did the ice bath for the peas but I think next time I will just make the time and let the peas cool on their own to see if there is a difference.

The pasta water to thin the sauce was brilliant you can make the sauce as thick or thin as you like.

It is a great hot weather meal the only heat is from the cooking of the linguine and thinning the sauce at the end.

Linguine with Pea Pesto

1 1/2 cups (from approximately 1 1/2 pounds peas in pods) fresh pea or a 10-ounce package frozen peas, defrosted
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup (1 1/8 ounces) finely grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon table salt, plus more for pasta water
1/3 cup olive oil
12 ounces dried linguine
Garnish (optional): thinly slivered basil or mint leaves

If you’re completely maniacal about your peas getting overcooked (I am!), prepare an ice bath, a large bowl filled with ice water. Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add peas and cook for 2 minutes (this leaves them with a bit of structure). Drain peas then add them to the ice bath (if using) and drain again. If you haven’t used an ice bath, let your peas cool to lukewarm before making the pesto.

Set aside 1/2 cup of your cooked peas. Whirl the remaining cup of peas in the work bowl of a food processor with garlic, pine nuts, 1/3 cup parmesan and salt until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil. You can stop right here, toast some baguette slices and make some fine, fine crostini. Or, you can continue…

Cook your linguine until al dente. Reserve about two cups pasta cooking water (yes, this is a lot, the pea pesto will be surprisingly thick) then drain linguine and return it to pot. Over moderate heat, toss pasta with pesto, reserved peas and as much reserved pasta water as needed to smooth and distribute pesto; let cook for one minute so that the pesto adheres. Adjust salt to taste, add freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh herbs, if using, and remaining parmesan for passing.

Recipe from the Smitten Kitchen

WHAT'S AT THE GREENMARKET

THERE WERE SOME BEAUTIFUL LOOKING STRAWBERRIES, ASPARAGUS AND RHUBARB AT THE GREENMARKETS THE LAST FEW WEEKS. I HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN UP ONE RECIPE WITH FREGOLA BUT HERE ARE TWO OTHERS.

SO I AGAIN DECIDED JUST TO BUY THEM ALL AND FIGURE OUT WHAT TO PREPARE LATER ON.

I MANAGED TO AMASS QUITE A LARGE QUANTITY OF STRAWBERRIES-SO THE SWEETEST ONES WE JUST ATE ALONE LIKE CANDY-I ADDED SOME TO OUR EVER EVOLVING FRUIT SALAD (MADE WITH WHATEVER IS FRESH AND IN SEASON) THE REST WENT INTO TWO JARS OF STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PRESERVES.

WITH THE ASPARAGUS I FOUND TWO NEW RECIPES 'ASPARAGUS AND DILL FRITTATA' AND A REALLY DELICIOUS 'LEMONY ASPARAGUS PASTA" I GOT BOTH RECIPES FROM http://www.food52.com/, A TERRIFIC BLOG.

I MADE QUITE A FEW CHANGES SO I HAVE WRITTEN OUT THE RECIPES AS I PREPARED THEM.

ASPARAGUS AND DILL FRITTATA

Serves 2

4 large eggs

1/2 cup either half and half I used soy milk

1/2 shallot (chopped)

5 mushrooms chopped I used baby bella (sliced)

six or seven cherry tomatoes sliced

5 sticks Asparagus sliced

1-2 tablespoons dill roughly chopped

1/2 cup gouda I used a aged gouda

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

butter for the pan

Whisk together the eggs and milk(or half and half)in a bowl.

Add all other ingredients to the bowl

Heat a medium non-stick fry pan and add the butter making it sure it cover the whole bottom of the pan

Add the egg mixture cover and DO NOT TOUCH.

Let the frittata cook over low heat for 20 minutes

Check every once in awhile on the progress-Once the egg has puffed up to about 1/2 inch it should be done.Slide onto a plate and eat!

LEMONY ASPARAGUS PASTA

SERVES 2

SEA SALT

1 POUND ASPARAGUS

3 TAB OLIVE OIL

1 GARLIC CLOVE PEELED AND SMASHED

GRATED ZEST OF ONE LEMON "MEYER" SEE NOTE

1/2 POUND OF SPAGHETTI (I USED WHOLE WHEAT)

2 TAB UNSALTED BUTTER

JUICE OF ONE LEMON "MEYER"

FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER

FRESHLY GRATED PARMESAN FOR SERVING

4 TAB FRESH RICOTTA

BRING A SALTED POT OF WATER TO BOIL

CUT THE ASPARAGUS AT THE TIP AND STEM THEN CUT THE STEM INTO 1/2 INCH PIECES

WARM THE OLIVE OIL IN A SAUTE PAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT. ADD GARLIC AND COOK FOR 1 MINUTE, ADD THE ASPARAGUS AND SEASON WITH SALT, COOK STIRRING UNTIL CRISP TENDER ABOUT 6-8 MINUTES. STIR IN LEMON ZEST AND REMOVE FROM THE BURNER.

WHEN THE WATER BOILS ADD THE SPAGHETTI AND COOK UNTIL AL DENTE. DRAIN THE SPAGHETTI BUT FIRST RESERVE 1/3 CUP OF THE PASTA WATER. ADD SPAGHETTI BACK INTO THE POT ALONE WITH THE ASPARAGUS AND THE BUTTER USE TONGS TO TOSS-ADD SOME OF THE LEMON JUICE AND TOSS AGAIN. TASTE AND ADJUST THE SEASONING ADDING MORE LEMON JUICE AND SALT-IF THE SPAGHETTI IS A BIT DRY ADD SOME OF THE RESERVED PASTA WATER.

DIVIDE INTO TWO PLATES ADD THE GRATED PARMESAN AND TWO TAB OF THE FRESH RICOTTA.

NOTE: I could not find a Meyer Lemon so I went online and Mr Google helped me find a substitute which is

3 parts lemon juice to one part orange juice. I of course used fresh squeezed we just bought a very attractive bright orange Bodum juicer.

TRY BOTH OR ONE THEY WERE BOTH GREAT MEALS WITH A SIDE OF FRESH BREAD OR A GREEN SALAD.

PS: My niece has a new food blog please check it out sophiesayskissmyglass.wordpress.com.

FREGOLA WITH ASPARAGUS AND GORGONZOLA

A trip to the greenmarket here in Brooklyn helped in the decision of what to eat for dinner. I choose local New Jersey Asparagus. Next I went though my tons of recipes torn from magazines or stored on the computer and found this one.I already had the Fregola and most of the other ingredients in the house except for the cheese. So I paid a visit to the new "Stinky Brooklyn" on Smith Street. It is much larger than the old store and offers a bigger variety they sell a lot more than cheese. First impression was that they were also very pricey. I picked up a Gorgonzola Piccante-pasteurized cow cheese that is aged for 300 days-it was $18.oo a pound thank goodness I only needed 3 ounces. It is a bit strong but excellent.

I followed the recipe almost exclusively but did make some changes-I did not add the olive oil at the end I did not think it was needed, and when I make this again, because I will, I may cut down on the chicken broth-I actually had to strain the dish before I added the cheese because it was too soupy.

We had it as a main dish-it was really tasty, had a nice variety of texture, and was creamy like a risotto. I think it would also make a terrific side dish with a simple roasted chicken or fish.

Fregola With Asparagus and Gorgonzola
The Washington Post, March 5, 2008
Dinner in 30 Minutes

Course: Main Course
Features: Fast, Kid-Friendly
Summary:

Think of this dish as an unfussy, roly-poly risotto, achieved with less stirring and packed with some of the young, tender asparagus that has just cropped up in produce departments. Fregola, a small, round toasted pasta, hails from Sardinia.



4 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used fat free broth and cut down on the salt later)
1 medium shallot
1 pound asparagus, preferably with thin stalks
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces fregola (may substitute toasted Israeli couscous)
1/2 cup dry, full-bodied white wine
3 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Bring the chicken broth almost to a boil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan.

Meanwhile, chop the shallot. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus and cut the stalks crosswise into 2-inch pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a separate large saucepan over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden (watch carefully to avoid burning). Add the asparagus and cook for 30 seconds, stirring to coat evenly.

Add the fregola to the asparagus and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to toast the pasta. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes or until it is absorbed, then add all of the hot broth. Cover partially and cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until the mixture is creamy and the fregola has gotten fatter.

Remove from the heat and add the Gorgonzola, stirring to combine. Then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the pasta rest for 2 minutes before serving.

THE BROOKLYN FARMACY

Last Saturday was a partly sunny day, so when the sun came out we took out the bikes and after some fiddling (pumping up our tires and attaching a new LOUDER bell to my bike to ward off crazy drivers) we were off. We took in some stoop sales but most important was a trip to "The Brooklyn Farmacy" We had heard great things and decided to sample the eggs creams, root beer floats and their grilled cheese sandwich-plus Saturday is "Peter Pan Donut" Day.

I have linked their menu http://brooklynfarmacy.blogspot.com/p/our-menu.html so you can see what they have to offer, which is plenty-I had a vanilla egg cream I know most people will opt for the Chocolate but Vanilla is still my favorite. Lars got the Roor Beer Float both were fantastic. We shared a grilled cheese which they make with White Cheddar it was good but not as good as the beverages, it may just be that I have a childhood memory for grilled cheese made with yellow cheese plebian I know but still.... Lars thought it was great. The choice of Peter Pan Bakery Donuts was vast-they are a donut shop located in Greenpoint at 727 Manhattan Avenue.

We chose a sour cream cake donut-( the red velvet looked great) and it was good, but I think we are a bit jaded when it comes to donuts a few weeks back we paid a visit to the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene and got some donuts from "Dough" in Bed-Stuy (at 305 Franklin Avenue) and man o man they were phenomenal, they were-huge, they were doughy, they were covered in exotic glazes- they are going to be hard to beat!

Getting back to the Farmacy which is I believe is really an "old pharmacy" with beautiful old oak draws and moulding-I watched them make the biggest sundae I have seen in years-all the new fancy ice cream places that have opened seem to charge by the scoop or size of the scoop etc. These scoops were humongeous with lots of whipped cream and chocolate syrup-I will be returning to try one.

Paulie Gees

Here is one of best pizza's I have ever eaten!!

Lars and I took a trip out to Greenpoint to visit Paulie Gee's-and the one hour wait was worth every moment.

The place from the outside looks like any other aluminum sided building in the area. But once inside it may have been an old carriage house or barn it is cavernous with the huge wood burning white tiled oven in the back-a oven so hot 1000 degrees, 900 on the bottom. The pizza's are in the oven for 90 seconds or less.

We sat at the bar and had drinks-and Paulie comes around with pizza on trays so you can sample, which makes the wait fun and also just a nice thing to do.

There are quite a few pizzas' to choose from we decided on the "In Ricotta Da Vita", http://www.pauliegee.com/home.php. I have noted the website so you can see for yourself.

I think going with a crowd and then ordering and sampling 4 or five different pizzas, would be the way to go.

The crust is thin and crispy it has scorch marks from the oven heat, the dough is made with Caputo flour from Italy, the sausage was perfect the fennel did not overpower. The sauce was simply done with San Marzano tomatoes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marzano_tomato. The Ricotta and arugula put on just before serving. The taste was balanced you could taste it all and nothing out shone the rest.

It leaves all the other pizza places in the dust frankly. For friends who come visit and love pizza It is a must-for those who are seeing NYC for the first time Grimaldi's will have to do for location and views. But Paulie Gee's is our new #1.

Next on our list is Totonnos in Coney Island! http://www.coneyislandfunguide.com/EatAndShop/Totonnos.htm

WHERE I HAVE BEEN EATING LATELY

FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS
BROKEN ENGLISH
282 ATLANTIC
BUTTERMILK CHANNEL

I have been eating out a bit lately and am here to report on what I ate and what I liked.

First I will start off with EATALY the mega Italian Food Hall on 5th Avenue-very crowded, probably a tourist trap by now but fun and great food so who cares.

I have been twice and both times ate at Le Verdure the vegetarian restaurant for two reasons, one the wait was a good 30 minutes less than any of the other restaurants and two I had heard that they take a more adventurous approach to cooking. Well both times it was delicious.I was accompanied by great cooks first my best friend Andrea and the second time by my sister-in-law Anneli visiting from Sweden. I had the Farro salad with warm vegetables in nebbiolo vinaigtette.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebbiolo.

Anneli had the frito misto, both were excellent, the frito was so light and grease free and a great selection of vegetables and my warm veggies in the salad were perfect. I know the first visit I had a wild mushroom bruschetta that was amazing. The food was so good you don't even notice you are in the middle of a little bit of chaos.

Next up is BUTTERMILK CHANNEL here in Brooklyn-Lars and I went for a birthday brunch and it was so worth the small wait and the best brunch we have had in a very long time- it was a 10 and our new basis for all brunches to come.

Lars had the house cured salmon with fried capers, green onions, cream cheese, pumpernickel and organic green salad. I had Eggs Huntington which was poached eggs,,buttermilk biscuits country ham and hollandaise (which I always ask for on the side since I don't always trust the whole hollandaise thing). We had a side of cheddar waffles, homemade breakfast sausage and for desert we shared the warm sour cream donut. It all tasted even better than it sounds.

I can not wait to go back for dinner. The restaurant had a great atmosphere very laid back and everyone was friendly. There is a wait but they originally said 45 minutes so we went for a walk after giving them our cell phone numbers but a mere 20 minutes later they called.

282 Atlantic is a brand new burger restaurant two block from my house. We went last Saturday night and both ordered the 282 burger which came with poblano chillies and 282 sauce. It was a very good burger not at all too spicy (the peppers did not overpower the meat) their sweet potato fries were very crispy and not greasy at all. In fact it was a great meal, but they have to add something green on the menu(a vegetable other than potato and a salad of some sort) and desert would be good idea as well, but they literally opened last Wednesday so they are in a incubation period. I am looking forward to trying the turkey and veggie burgers.

We are getting two new burger places on Court Street one of them a Five Guys Burger, and I hear a Shake Shack is due to open in the Fulton Mall I hope all this burger frenzy doesn't ruin a good thing. Wait(I just saw this on the way to Fort Greene Park with the dogs) there seems that yet another burger place is popping up called Smash Burger in the DKLB building on DeKalb Avenue.

Next onto BROKEN ENGLISH on Bergen Street in Cobble Hill.The first thing that struck me is that it is large open space which is rare for the Smith Street area -it has a very garage feeling with many mismatched chairs etc. and a really long bar. They have a raw bar which made Lars happy he ordered oysters that came with a slice of lime and two different sauces a very nice cocktail sauce and a vinaigrette.

I had baked eggs with speck and wild mushrooms on a bed of polenta.Which in theory should have been fantastic but it was a tad dry-I am not an expert on baked eggs something I am going to start experimenting with at home but the yolks were not runny which after a bit of research they should be,not as runny as a fried egg but not hard boiled either. They may have just spent too much time in the oven. Lars ordered Bresaola and Pecorino Salad that was delicious so I have to say he made better choices but I was able to sample so that was fine.

On my morning doggie walks I often pass the IRIS CAFE it looks very cosy and also quite popular-so last week Lars and I decided to stop in for lunch we were down shooting at the Brooklyn Bridge Park so it was just a few blocks away on Columbia Place near State Street,this particular block is one of my most favorites in Brooklyn there are small houses with front porches that I simply covet. The cafe fits in perfectly with the street. We both had smoked salmon and hard boiled eggs sandwiches on baguette-Lars had his with ramps which are in season I went without because of my aversion to onions unless they are well cooked and not "oniony" tasting. Ramps are a early spring wild onion/leek like veggie that are in season from late march until May.
We both enjoyed the sandwich but think that the baguette was a bit too much bread but could not seem to come up with what bread would have gone better with the ingredients?

THE PLAZA HOTEL FOOD HALL BY TODD ENGLISH. It is downstairs from the lobby and is great to look at, We both had sushi which was very good but the Red Velvet Cake that we shared for desert was a stand out.-Andrea and I both have made red velvet cake so we know what goes into it but they have added a bit of something to the frosting Andrea thinks it may be white chocolate and she is probably right it was delicious.

One last mention is FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS in Gowanus on Third Avenue at 8th Street. Thank goodness this place is a long walk from my house because if it were any nearer I would probably live there. I had the salted caramel apple pie-it was everything a apple pie should be and most importantly it reminds me of my grandmothers apple pie one of the reasons her recipe was so good is she sliced the apples thinly no chunks-it just makes a large difference-now her recipe has been lost and never to be found-but this is close. The place is very casual it is just drinks and pies pies pies! (I think they have a breakfast)-My friend Debora had a savory farmer cheese slice it had thyme in it, I did not get to taste it I was too busy wolfing down my own slice. and Jannese had I think it was called Salted ???(I can not remember the name but it tasted amazing). Am I fooling myself into thinking the bike ride or walk there and back will make up for the calories, who cares they are worth it.

WHAT I HAVE BEEN COOKING LATELY!

INGREDIENTS FOR CURRY
STRAWBERRY CINNAMON FROZEN YOGURT

LAMB BURGERS

I have not been cooking as much as I should-but am slowly returning and feeling energized about trying new things.

Recently I made these really good lamb burgers. Now I do not often cook with lamb except to grill loin chops about once a season I always go to the butcher and it is a bit costly. Ground lamb is not at all expensive.

First I went to PAISANOS on Smith Street( my favorite butcher shop) and asked the guys for lean ground lamb which they ground while I waited.

I got this recipe from Self Magazine-they have a lot of good recipes and this is just an example.

I followed the recipe but left out the raw red onion that you add to the pita at the end.

I will make this again since I am growing both mint and oregano so will have plenty and next time I will grill the burgers outside. I think it will make a perfect summer dinner.

Greek Burger With Arugula, Tomatoes and Feta
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 whole-wheat pitas (6 1/2 inches each)
1/4 cup skim milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
4 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 pound lean ground lamb
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups arugula
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/3 cup crumbled feta
Dressing
2/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and finely diced cucumber
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 350˚. Cut 1/4 off each pita (a half-moon shape from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock). Chop half-moons, transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with milk. Let soak 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess milk. Puree soaked bread, onion, garlic, herbs and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Transfer puree to a bowl. Add lamb, season with salt and pepper and combine. Form into 4 patties. Wrap pitas in foil and heat until warm, about 8 minutes. (Or place pitas between sheets of paper towel and microwave until warm, about 30 seconds.) Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook burgers to medium, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Whisk yogurt, mint, garlic, mustard and honey in a bowl. Stir in cucumber and season with salt and pepper. Open each pita, stuff with arugula and drizzle with some of the dressing. Add burger, tomato and red onion to pita. Sprinkle with feta. Serve leftover dressing on the side.
THE SKINNY
377 calories per serving, 11 g fat (4 g saturated), 43 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 32 g protein

The next recipe is a healthy, one pot dinner tastes great served with basmati rice and some chutneys on the side..I used non-fat chicken broth. The rest I followed the recipe as written.

SOUTH INDIAN-STYLE VEGETABLE CURRY

Serves 6

2 Tbs. Canola Oil

1 Large Yellow Onion finely diced

4 medium cloves garlic minced

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger,finely grated (1 Tbs)

1 Tbs. ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp.ground tumeric

1/2 tsp.cayenne

1 Tbs.tomato paste

2 cups lower-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 cup light coconut milk

1 3-inch cinnamon stick

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small cauliflower broken into florets (4 cups)

1 lb sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes(about 3 cups)

2 medium tomatoes cored, seeded and coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds

1 15 1/2 oz. can chickpeas drained and rinsed

4 oz. baby spinach (about 4 cups)

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. finely grated lime zest

2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

In a 5-6 quart dutch oven heat the oil over medium-high heat.Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onion is richly browned, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne; stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices. Add the tomato paste and stir until well blended with the aromatics about 1 minute.

Add the broth, coconut milk, cinnamon stick. 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots.Raise the heat to medium high and return to boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.

Stir in the chickpeas, spinach, lime juice, and zest; cook until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt.

Garnish with cilantro.

Last but not least is Strawberry Cinnamon Frozen Yogurt.

I put a ice cream maker on my Christmas Wish list and was lucky enough to receive one.

This is my second attempt at frozen yogurt

It was a little sweet to my taste so next time I am going to use less sugar.

STRAWBERRY CINNAMON FROZEN YOGURT

Makes About 1 Quart

3 c Greek-style yogurt

1 1/2 c sugar

1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 t vanilla

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t dried lemon zest

1/8 t salt

1 c fresh strawberries quartered and thinly sliced

1. Combine the yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.

2 Freeze the mixture in a ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.Add strawberries during the last minute of mixing in the ice cream maker. Transfer to a airtight container and freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

BIRTHDAY TREAT

2011 Devil Food

2009 Red Velvet Cupcakes

2010 Raspberry Chocolate Ganache

Every year on Lars' birthday I bake something special-well not every year truthfully it only began three years ago. First up was the red velvet cupcakes, than the next year was the Raspberry Ganache Cake-followed by this year with the Chocolate Devils Food Cake with Chocolate Ganache Icing.

This years recipe was from David Lebovitz and it tasted fantastic, but I still have a way to go with my icing techiques and I used these silicone baking pans that have a lot of advantages especially with the ease of removing the finished product out of the pan but with the squiggy movement of the silicon pans my cake layers were a bit slanted.(Ok one layer was more than a bit).

The recipe said to wait for about an hour for the icing to thicken I waited longer and it was still a bit thin but about three hours later it was perfect for spreading but for me that was too late-the birthday boy needed his cake and I am a bit too impatient.

I went to this amazing bakery supply store:

New York Cake & Baking Distributors

56 West 22nd St Between 5th and 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10010
(212) 675-2253

They have tons of cake pan molds and candy molds of every imaginable shape and cake add ons-like the ones I put on to this cake I decided on silver balls filled with chocolate and white fondant flowers-somehow I knew my cake would need help presentation wise. I can recommend a trip to this special store, everyone is helpful and nice and it is so much fun just browsing. I also bought my chocolate there they have a great selection.

Here is the recipe:

Devil’s Food Cake one 9-inch cake

I make the frosting with water, since I think the cake is plenty rich as it is. But if you want a creamier frosting, using cream in place of the water.

For the cake:

9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup strong coffee (or water)

½ cup whole or low-fat milk

For the ganache frosting:

10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ cup water (or cream)

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter two 9″ x 2″ cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

3. To make the cake layers, sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)

5. Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

6. Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

7. To make the frosting, melt the chopped chocolate with the water (or cream) in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

8. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk them into the chocolate until completely melted and the ganache is smooth. Cool until spreadable, which may take about 1 hour at room temperature.

To frost the cake:

Run a knife around the inside of each of the cakes which will help release them from the pans. Tilt one cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper from the bottom and invert it back onto a cake plate. Spread a good-sized layer of icing over the top. Top with the second cake layer and spread the top and sides with the remaining icing as decoratively as you want.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/

I had originally gone to his site for his ice cream recipes and to read about his "Perfect Scoop" Book and I found all these great recipes.He lives in Paris and writes a great blog.