Things I Learned in Cooking Class

1. How to learn which produce is in season in your area. To find out which fruits and vegetables are in season, check the website of a local farmer's market. Often you can find a seasonality chart online. The Upper Merion Farmer's Market has a Harvest Calendar, for example, and seasonal recipes. We'd all love to be the kind of people who shop exclusively at farmer's markets, but in reality we're getting produce at Wegman's 98% of the time. This will at least provide an idea of what foods are probably growing naturally at this time of year, or don't poussent artificiellement as my French house mother once ranted.

2. How to hold a knife. Most people grip the knife by the handle with a fist, or with their forefinger laid flat along the spine, but for more control here is the proper technique: Hold the metal spine of the knife between your thumb and forefinger just where the metal meets the handle; grip the handle with the rest of your hand.

3. The key to perfect pie crust. Pie crust has four ingredients: butter, flour, salt, and water. The key? Very cold butter, very cold water (even put ice in it), and minimum manipulation. Use only just as much water as you need, because the water must evaporate in the oven: too much water = shrunken crust because, put simply, it prevents the butter from doing its job (Angie, I hope I got this right!). Refrigerate, refrigerate, refrigerate - if the dough sticks to the rolling pin, the butter is melting, and that's just no good.

4. Reserve some of the water after cooking pasta. To keep pasta from becoming dry and sticky, reserve half a cup of the cooking water to add as necessary during preparation. In class we made linguini with arugula-parmesan pesto (pesto means paste) and the topping was already somewhat dry. By adding the cooking water to the linguini we got an even coat of pesto and moist pasta. This is generally a good idea when making pasta, because the water with starch still in it will moisten the pasta without watering down the sauce or making the pasta too soggy/watery. 

Our supplies for bacon-wrapped chicken marinated in lemon, olive oil and rosemary and spinach with pine nuts. The name of our class was Essence of Tuscany.

I wish I had photos of the finished product, a blackberry and aged balsamic crostada worthy of a cookbook cover, but my will power and my self control disappeared as soon as I smelled it.

*****

Our head chef, Angie Lee at Sur La Table, is a career changer: she worked at NASA before training as a professional chef. Her insights into the chemical reasons for culinary phenomenons was exciting to learn. For example, here is what she taught the class about gluten. 

Gluten is like the metal framework when you pour concrete: it provides structure. As dough is manipulated the gluten, which is more like a coil than a square frame, is wound tighter and tighter. The tighter the gluten, the denser the result. Bread is kneaded and so it is very structured, whereas cake is more delicate and crumbly. With a pastry crust, you want to avoid over-handling the dough so that it can become flaky and wonderful in the oven (see tip #3).

So thank you ANGIE, for teaching a girl who will be living and cooking on her own how to make simple meals of a higher caliber!

Gioia's Tiramisu

If you're searching for an incredible Italian dessert to make this summer, look no further. Today I came across a tiramisu recipe acquired during a family vacation in Chianti and I can't wait to share it with you! It's rich, refreshing and contains espresso. I urge you find these six ingredients and try it tonight - no oven required. 

I only made 1/2 the recipe, so my tiramisu has only one layer; my brothers and I were more than satisfied after devouring a few pieces!

Back in June of 2008 my family and I spent a week at Le Bonatte farm in Radda in Chianti. It is a lovely property about sixty kilometers south of Florence. That one hour drive along sickeningly windy roads is made even more dangerous by the breathtaking expanse of rolling hills and valleys draped in vineyards that beg you to drag your eyes away from the gray road. Che bella vista!

One afternoon our hostess Gioia came to the main house to offer us a cooking lesson, and by evening we had prepared a superb four course meal. That divine combination of fresh ingredients, simple recipes and tasty results... my memories are so vivid, even four years later. Fried zucchini blossoms and sardines for our appetizers, pasta made from scratch on the gorgeous marble kitchen table, and, of course, tiramisu. Buon appetito.

Gioia's Tiramisu Recipe (serves 8)

Ingredients

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups mascarpone 

300-400g ladyfingers (depending on the desired proportion of cream to ladyfingers)

Coffee (strong coffee, Italian style - or espresso)

Cocoa powder (to be sifted on top)

Directions

1. Soak the ladyfingers in hot coffee (or put the ladyfingers in a container and pour the coffee over). Make sure the coffee is distributed evenly among the ladyfingers. [I placed each finger in one at a time, submerging them for 5 seconds apiece; any longer than that and they began to crumble and fall apart.]

2. Separate the egg yolks and beat them with the sugar. When ready fold in the mascarpone. 

3. Beat the egg whites until stiff. (You should be able to turn the bowl almost upside down and the whites should stay in the bowl. For best results the egg whites must be very cold. Adding a pinch of salt before beating might also help.) 

4. Fold slowly the egg yolk mixture into the stiff egg whites. 

5. In a round or rectangular pan put one layer of ladyfingers, one layer of creamy mixture, etc. Keep in the refrigerator for a few hours. Before serving sprinkle a very fine dust of cocoa powder on top. 

See Le Bonatte's website to have your own cooking lesson with Gioia Milani Landi, owner of Le Bonatte farm in Chianti. 

Berthillon on Île Saint-Louis

This is a flashback to a sunny afternoon in Paris and the refreshingness of lime sorbet, cold and tart.

Strawberry and lime sorbet from Berthillon

This photo is from a wonderful warm trip to Paris in May of 2010 with my close friend Marc. The City of Lights in late spring cast its spell, and by the end of our first full day we were carefree and happy. In the evening we had desert for dinner - a nutella banane crêpe for Marc and sorbet from Berthillon on the Île Saint-Louis for me. 

With Marc in Montmartre

I wish it were warm enough for sorbet, but after that heat spell where it was 75 degrees every day in March, the temperature has cooled down quite a bit in the 'Burgh. High today of only 48! I'm also longing for those carefree days - according to the Pitt News, which counts bomb threats by building (even when they come in sets of 3 or 4, which I have been counting as one threat), the total is 57. 

All of these numbers are making my head hurt, it's off to Political Philosophy class for me. Yes, I prefer Thomas Hobbes and John Locke to counting to fifty-seven. Just between you and me. 

Happy Birthday, Amanda

Instagram by Alexa

This Week I'm Loving

Food: Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Events: Campus Superstar at the Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh
Campus Superstar is an annual event that's like our own mini-American Idol singing competition. The finalists this year are students from Pitt, CMU, and Point Park. I love going and it's always entertaining!

Something I love about going to school in Pittsburgh is that although we live in a city, it has the feeling of a college campus. There are so many students living and working here. Besides the University of Pittsburgh, there are private universities, colleges, and technical schools. There's Carnegie Mellon University, Robert Morris University, Point Park College, La Roche College, Chatham University, Duquesne University, and Carlow University - not to mention smaller institutions like the Art Institute or Pittsburgh Filmmakers School, and other technical institutes. Campus Superstar is one of the few ways that the universities can compete :)

Book: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Film: Lords of Dogtown

Monday was a special day for two reasons: chicken parmesan and chocolate chip cookies. Just kidding, we'll count the food as one reason and I'll admit that the other was the chef - a young man in our program named Kevin. Some of the students on this program live a bit further out, all the way in zone 3 (gasp!). Yesterday was the first time I made the journey out, away from the familiarity of the inner zones 1 and 2, and the reason was that Kevin had offered to cook for my roommates and I. 

Now, I have not been so unlucky in life as to have never been cooked for - I won't forget the hand made ravioli and summer salad my close friend prepared last August, and I'll be appreciative for even a sandwich or a bowl of ice cream if you make it especially for me - but this was special because I was able to relax on the sofa with music, a glass of wine, and my girl friends while this handsome young man cooked us comfort food. The bar has been raised. If you were planning on becoming my friend, I just hope you have a solid Italian meal in your repertoire (and at least one dessert). 

And speaking of dessert, we were all surprised when another handsome young man living on the floor below popped in with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies!! One day you can't convince a guy to share his french fries and the next you can't even finish all the delicious food being laid out in front of you. I hope it never ends... because let's be honest - there's something sexy about a man who can cook a meal with no supervision. 

Sadly, I have no evidence like photographs to prove that this really happened. However I did get the chocolate chip cookie recipe to share with you, though sharing is the last thing you'll want to do after tasting one...


Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated, then beat in vanilla. 

Add half the flour mix and mix for 15 seconds, then add the rest of it and beat until incorporated. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 6 hours (or, if you're impatient, you can skip this part without ruining the cookies). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. 

LFW (and Carrot Cake)

girl waitin’ for the train

she’s got a shirt that says ‘addict’

wanna-be struggler

baby, I will show you a habit

["They Will Fall," Hype City Kings]

September is a fabulous month for fashion addicts. It is the month when the most creative and innovative designers from all over the world, having spent months trying to crystallize and actualize their ideas, finally share the product of their hard work.

September is like a season, and fashion week a migrating holiday generating excitement and inciting furious preparation as it approaches. It moves through New York and then London before decamping to head for Milan and finally ending in Paris. The shows during fashion week are exclusively for industry insiders and celebrities.

Which is why I was instantly curious when I came across an advertisement for London Fashion Weekend. I quickly discovered that after the final show, Somerset House converts the Fashion Week venue into a trade show for the public – and just anyone can snag an invitation to the catwalk! 

If you hadn’t already seen my Fashion Night Out post, or my post on contemporary British fashion icons, and therefore aren’t aware of my enthusiasm for fashion, let me tell you: I am a “nutter” (popular British term) about fashion. When I see a beautiful ensemble, I feel drum beats in my heart. It feels like believing in fairy tales - drum beats in my heart and magic in my eyes. I wish I could describe it better.


Jill, Anna, Amy, and I booked tickets for Sunday, September 25th - the final day. By Sunday morning I had developed a nasty head cold, but I was still determined to go. I threw together a decent outfit and marched across Waterloo Bridge (in heels) with my flatmates. It was worth it.

my gorgeous flatmates

There were five shows lined up that afternoon. Three were collections by individual designers and fashion houses: Jaeger London, Bryce Aime, and Osman. The other two were trend shows, compiled from pieces from several collections, and were titled the Great British Autumn and Rive Gauche. It gave us a little bit of everything, from established fashion house Jaeger London to the avant-garde Bryce Aime; from the impeccably chosen Great British Autumn to the in-demand Osman. The showspace was very hot due to all of the lights trained on the runway. It wasn’t long before I felt feverish, but the Jaeger London show gave me chills.

I am so happy that I went to the show. I didn’t buy anything from the boutique or vintage stands, but I didn't leave empty handed either! I had pre-ordered a show bag designed by David Koma, which contained baby oil, tissues, facial towelettes, an Elizabeth Arden face cream sample, flapjack sweets, Lavazza instant coffee, false eyelashes, a copy of Elle UK, and one diet coke in a limited edition bottle designed by Karl Lagerfeld.

The girls and I headed home that evening anxious to take off our heels and unload our show bags. After a bit of rest I went into the kitchen, where Charlotte was baking carrot cake. One by one the roommates filtered in. We spent the rest of the night dancing in the kitchen, taking turns trying on Charlotte’s new high heels, sharing stories and eating warm carrot cake. Laughter really is the best medicine. 

Here is the recipe for the cake, supplied by Charlotte. Obviously, we didn't make it as prescribed - we mixed everything by hand, forgot the cloves and nutmeg, used a 9x13 inch pan, didn't make frosting, and struggled with conversions and degrees celsius - but the cake was still delicious!!  I'm not sure whose recipe this was originally, but I'm a huge fan, and I'll be making it again soon.

For the Cake:

  2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

  1 1/4 tsp baking powder

  1 tsp baking soda

  1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

  1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

  1/8 tsp ground cloves

  1/2 tsp salt

  1 pound carrots (6 to 7 medium), peeled and grated

  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

  1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

  4 large eggs

  1 1/2 cups safflower, canola, or vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and adjust your oven rack to the middle position. Spray two 8″ round cake pans with cooking spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper.

Whisk together the dry ingredients from the flour to the salt in a bowl and set aside. Using a food processor, process the sugars with the eggs until they’re well combined and frothy, about 20 seconds. Keep the machine running then drizzle the oil through the feed tube. Process the mixture until it’s well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer after all the oil has been added. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the grated carrots and dry ingredients. Make sure the mixture is incorporated well and no streaks of flour remain.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pans and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Rotate your pans halfway through the baking period. Cool the cakes on a wire rack (in the pan) to room temperature.

For the Frosting:

  8 ounces cold cream cheese

  5 tbsp softened butter

  2 tbsp vanilla extract

  (Scant) 2 cups powdered sugar

Using a hand mixer, beat the top three ingredients together until well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar as you continue beating the mixture. This will be enough to frost a two-layer cake.