Just recently, I finally got to go to McCrady's in Charleston for dinner. For years now, I have yearned to visit this restaurant, even after all of the fabulous restaurants around the world that I have been to, and the great food that my mother and I cook at home. With a James Beard Award, executive chef that has appeared on Iron Chef, molecular gastronomy laced, and nods from folks like Giada De Laurentis, I figured what could go wrong. Well, it was more like what didn't go wrong. With reservations at 7:30, we arrived promptly at the reserved time, to a restaurant half full, with a sleepy atmosphere. This aspect, and being greeted by a positively snotty waitress (Most likely a college student with absolutely no right to have such an attitude), did not make the evening look promising, but we forged on, with the hopes that redemption was on the horizon of this supposed epicurean gem. With sitting down, both my mother and I felt as though our table could have been of better quality, due to the amount of diners in the large room, but we decided not to make a fuss. Next, we were approached by our waiter, who I have no better word to describe him except for bored and personality-less. I knew I wasn't a fan of his from the minute he said "Hello" (If he was even present enough to say "hello"), but my opinions of him and the restaurant plummeted even more so, when he rushed my mother into a wine choice, without even allowing a glimpse at the list or discussing her palette. After receiving our beverages, I felt as though I was rushed through choosing a dinner option by our "lovely waiter", and not even given a chance to warm my seat yet. My mother order a Cocoa Encrusted Magret Duck Breast, with Duck Sausage, Brussels Sprouts, Fois Gras, and some sort of sauce I cannot remember. I ordered a Duo of Beef, that consisted of Beef Belly (a surprising change from pork belly), and a Beef Tenderloin, with Broccoli and Farro. The waiter informed me that the broccoli and farro were a taken on the quintessential broccoli and rice Chinese takeout meal. Okay...
Between the meal and ordering, we were addressed by a very solemn-looking girl with a large bread basket. She mumbled to us the bread selection, which even after repeating herself twice, we still were not sure as to what type of bread were were receiving. My mother and I both ended up with a dry, day old slab of multi-grain, accompanied with ice cold butter (major restaurant pet peeve), and a pleasantly fruity olive oil. I was verging on bored and perhaps losing my appetite as well. I waited for my meal with bated breath.
Our meal finally arrived after sitting there for thirty minutes anticipating whether or not this was going to be a full 360 degree disaster. My Duo of Beef arrived beautifully presented, on a large white plate. My mother's duck, also arrived stunningly presented. Both dishes were awfully petite and at any other half sane restaurant, another course would have been advised. We completed the dishes in about ten or so minutes, and were still hungry. My mother's duck didn't have the slightest hint of cocoa in it, nor did she find any fois gras under the scattering of "decorative" and raw brussels sprout leaves. Mine on the other hand, was the better of the two but still nowhere near the quality it should have been. The Beef Belly, was undoubtedly amazing, but my steak which I clearly specified to be cooked medium-rare, was WAY overcooked, and clearly medium-well. The farro had amazing flavor, albeit part of it being a little TOO al dente even for my taste. When I asked our "charming" waiter what was in it, he informed me that all it was flavored with was some broccoli puree and fried. I sensed no trace of broccoli in the farro, but what do I know?
With this final bit of disappointment, my mother ordered for the check, and we blew the joint, making ourselves clear just by demeanor, that we would not be returning. To possibly try to liven up the abysmal evening, we walked to Slightly North of Broad (Always great) for dessert and cappucchino. There was a wait at 8:30, so we went across the street to High Cotton (Also great), where we squeezed in at the bar. As we sat sipping our cappucchinos, my mother and I both came to the realization that S.N.O.B. and High Cotton were both packed, while McCrady's was half empty, for a reason. This providing further reasoning to the saying "The proof is in the pudding."
After this disappointing evening, it really made both my mother and I realize how much we absolutely adore eating at home. This depressing experience only gave me more of an urge to bake, and create something fabulous, which I did. This is by far one of my best creations yet!
Vanilla Squared, Biscoff Cheesecake
Topping
2 cups ground Biscoff cookies*
6 tbs (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grind the Biscoff cookies in a food processor until they resemble sand. In a bowl, stir the crumbs into the melted butter. Press into a 8-inch spring form pan. Bake about 10 minutes, or until the crust is crisp looking and golden brown. Let cool. Keep oven temperature.
Filling
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, room tempy
1 cup sugar
2 vanilla beans
1 tsp good vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
With a stand or handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla beans, and vanilla extract, and beat again until incorporated and smooth. Add your eggs one at a time, making sure they get fully immersed and not stuck on the side of the bowl. Then, once the eggs are fully incorporated, add the sour cream. Pour this mixture over the topping, and bake for about 1 hour. The cook time will most likely be a tad longer, but this is a good time to give the cake a gentle jiggle. You want to cook it until the edges are firm, and the center still moves a little when shaken. Listen to your judgement. Just make sure that you don't cook it too long, because it will dry out.
Take the cake out when ready, and let it cool for 30 minutes to an hour. Chill overnight, uncovered.
Biscoff Caramel Topping
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Biscoff spread**
Combine the first three ingredients in a metal saucepan. Stir (I use a metal spoon) over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Next, turn up the heat until the mixture simmers. Simmer for about 10 minutes, swirling occasionally. The mixture resembles a dark amber and has that caramel-like smell. If necessary, brush the sides down with a brush throughout the process, to prevent the sugar from burning on the side of the pot. BE CAREFUL OF BURNING! It is always better to under cook rather than overcook it.
Take your caramel off the heat and add the cream. Be careful, because the mixture will bubble up viciously. Return to low heat and stir until the mass of sugar dissolves into the cream. Add the Biscoff spread, and stir until it is incorporated over low heat.
Release the side of the spring form pan. Cut, and serve with caramel topping. Fall in love!
* Biscoff cookies can be found in most supermarkets in the cookie aisle. They are the cookies that you receive on airlines.
** Biscoff spread is an international item, sometimes referred to as Speculaas Spread. This can be found in some grocery stores, international food stores, and online.
Believe me, this cheesecake is probably the most amazing dessert I have ever tasted, and I made it my own home! A good lesson I learned through this experience, but it all ended well.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Newest New Beginning
So, after a few months worth of training for a ballet exam, I am now free from dance(and leotards, he he) for a while and I am geared to bake.
Friday night, as planned, was a celebration. To commemorate the work put toward a ballet exam, my mother, father and I had a little dinner get together, just the three of us. As always, when a hiatus from ballet begins, I make it a point to throw a small gathering devoted to extra naughty food. This time, the menu consisted of pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, sweet potato fries, and lovely lemon pudding cakes. I just happened to be in charge of the dessert, which turned out lovely...to my surprise. Read, and see.
Chosen from my encyclopedia size "Bon Appetit: Desserts" book, these Lemon Pudding Cakes with Marbled Raspberry Cream were a divine contrast to the sloppy, dinner choice. I had chosen this dessert because I thought that I would contrast nicely with the pulled pork. Aside from that though, I wasn't terribly excited for these. I admit, I settled on the recipe, for convenience and theme, but I wasn't convinced until my spoon broke the cake.
The mise en place. Sorry for the bad i-phone quality...
For not having that many ingredients, these were not simple. They had quite a few steps, and required a good amount of mise en place. The mixture came together somewhat like a souffle, with me having to fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture, which consisted of lemon juice, rind, flour, butter, sugar, egg yolks, and my special addition of butter. Once assembled, the batter was just okay, which worried me more about these innocent little cakes, that I had yet to even try.
I poured the mixture into buttered ramekins, and pooped them in the oven for 25 minutes. While I waited for them to bake, I put together the raspberry cream. The cream, which incorporated pureed raspberry drizzled into a classic whipped cream, was undoubtedly fabulous. After whipping the cream, I simply poured the puree into the cream, and cut the cream with a knife. Hence, marbled cream.
Puffed and firm, my cakes came out of the oven approximately 25 minutes later. Seeing that this recipe was supposed to be the lemon version of the classic molten chocolate lava, I was a little unconvinced by the "firm" word. I placed the cakes, which looked as pretty as could be, on their plate and served them warm. The whipped cream was applied over top, of course.
Upon digging in, the first layer of cake was light and spongy, with a clear taste of sweet lemon. I was impressed, but it wasn't what I expected...or was it?
Discovering the next layer was like unearthing a treasure. The once spongy, yet soft, cake above, had transformed into creamy, pudding-like texture that had a slight whisper of cake still running through. As I got closer to the bottom, the mixture got increasingly wetter, and also surprisingly tarter as well. An enjoyment through and through. The raspberry cream was a fabulous accompaniment.
In the end, I was wrong. This dessert was delicious, and decadent. Also, it is really fantastic for those with short attention spans, seeing that it kept changing the closer you got to the bottom. I would surely make these again, and possibly even with different flavors. Best yet, they got A++ reviews. Not just because they are my parents, but I do feel as though they were genuinely enjoyed, seeing they were still being talked about long after their departure.
I was glad that I made them, not only because I was proved wrong, but also because they were delicious. A two-for!!!
Friday night, as planned, was a celebration. To commemorate the work put toward a ballet exam, my mother, father and I had a little dinner get together, just the three of us. As always, when a hiatus from ballet begins, I make it a point to throw a small gathering devoted to extra naughty food. This time, the menu consisted of pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, sweet potato fries, and lovely lemon pudding cakes. I just happened to be in charge of the dessert, which turned out lovely...to my surprise. Read, and see.
Chosen from my encyclopedia size "Bon Appetit: Desserts" book, these Lemon Pudding Cakes with Marbled Raspberry Cream were a divine contrast to the sloppy, dinner choice. I had chosen this dessert because I thought that I would contrast nicely with the pulled pork. Aside from that though, I wasn't terribly excited for these. I admit, I settled on the recipe, for convenience and theme, but I wasn't convinced until my spoon broke the cake.
The mise en place. Sorry for the bad i-phone quality...
For not having that many ingredients, these were not simple. They had quite a few steps, and required a good amount of mise en place. The mixture came together somewhat like a souffle, with me having to fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture, which consisted of lemon juice, rind, flour, butter, sugar, egg yolks, and my special addition of butter. Once assembled, the batter was just okay, which worried me more about these innocent little cakes, that I had yet to even try.
I poured the mixture into buttered ramekins, and pooped them in the oven for 25 minutes. While I waited for them to bake, I put together the raspberry cream. The cream, which incorporated pureed raspberry drizzled into a classic whipped cream, was undoubtedly fabulous. After whipping the cream, I simply poured the puree into the cream, and cut the cream with a knife. Hence, marbled cream.
Puffed and firm, my cakes came out of the oven approximately 25 minutes later. Seeing that this recipe was supposed to be the lemon version of the classic molten chocolate lava, I was a little unconvinced by the "firm" word. I placed the cakes, which looked as pretty as could be, on their plate and served them warm. The whipped cream was applied over top, of course.
Upon digging in, the first layer of cake was light and spongy, with a clear taste of sweet lemon. I was impressed, but it wasn't what I expected...or was it?
Discovering the next layer was like unearthing a treasure. The once spongy, yet soft, cake above, had transformed into creamy, pudding-like texture that had a slight whisper of cake still running through. As I got closer to the bottom, the mixture got increasingly wetter, and also surprisingly tarter as well. An enjoyment through and through. The raspberry cream was a fabulous accompaniment.
In the end, I was wrong. This dessert was delicious, and decadent. Also, it is really fantastic for those with short attention spans, seeing that it kept changing the closer you got to the bottom. I would surely make these again, and possibly even with different flavors. Best yet, they got A++ reviews. Not just because they are my parents, but I do feel as though they were genuinely enjoyed, seeing they were still being talked about long after their departure.
I was glad that I made them, not only because I was proved wrong, but also because they were delicious. A two-for!!!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A Dinner Party and Dessert
Last week, my parents and I had over two very good friends. So, when given any chance to make a fabulous dessert, I always jump. So after a few days of intense pondering, and some severe indecisiveness, I found the winner. The chosen dessert was a Cranberry-Lime Tart from a December 2003 issue of Bon Appetit. I recently purchased the "Bon Appetit Desserts" book, and I am slowly but surely trying to conquer a good portion of it. I decided to choose this tart because I often find that anything to do with curd, in any form is always good, and the addition of the tart cranberry compote wasn't a bad thing either.
So, my process began two days before the dinner party. I needed to make the lime curd first, so it could sit overnight. All I can say, is that the recipe called for the use of an 11-inch tart, and I was only using an 8-inch, so there was plenty left over...THANK GOD! After a few very naughty tastes of the curd, I controlled myself and popped it in the fridge for the night.
The next day, I made the crust. The crust was a combination of the usual ingredients-butter, sugar, flour-but the addition of toasted almonds made it into something very special. Like the curd, there were some leftovers, which made me seriously contemplate the outcome of a possible cookie made the same way. I chilled the crust as instructed before baking, and then popped it in the oven until golden brown.
Once the crust came out, I allowed it to cool. Whilst the crust cooled, I decided to put together the cranberry topping and the white chocolate cream. Both components needed to cool, so this was as good a time as ever. The cranberry topping had suggested an optional addition of Chinese Five Spice Powder, which I completely intended to do, but I didn't have any luck finding it in the local markets. I have since gotten some, and I will be certain to use it next time. It all worked out in the end though, because I wouldn't have changed a thing about the cranberries. To replace the omitted Five Spice Powder, I added some cinnamon, nutmeg, and lime zest which worked just perfectly. Moving onto the white chocolate, I had worries that this element would not be able to stand up to the severity of flavor in the lime curd and cranberries, but I would just have to wait and find out.
About and hour later, all of the components of the tart are cooled and it is ready to be assembled. First to go in, is the white chocolate cream. I used it all, and then chilled it until firm in the fridge. Next, I layered the lime curd over top of the white chocolate cream, followed by the cranberries. With that last touch to the pie, it was ready to be enclosed in foil and put in the fridge to chill overnight, before its big unveiling the next evening.
The time finally arrived. I couldn't contain myself, as I slid the pie cutter into the crisp crust.
As for taste, I was quite impressed. The crust was better than I thought, and the white chocolate did in fact stand up to everything and did not get lost. The lime curd but of course, sublime, and the cranberries were equally as delicious too. By the first bite, everyone at the table was extremely pleased with the dessert, and loved the taste, just as I did.
It didn't hurt either, that the tart was so very pretty.
So, my process began two days before the dinner party. I needed to make the lime curd first, so it could sit overnight. All I can say, is that the recipe called for the use of an 11-inch tart, and I was only using an 8-inch, so there was plenty left over...THANK GOD! After a few very naughty tastes of the curd, I controlled myself and popped it in the fridge for the night.
The next day, I made the crust. The crust was a combination of the usual ingredients-butter, sugar, flour-but the addition of toasted almonds made it into something very special. Like the curd, there were some leftovers, which made me seriously contemplate the outcome of a possible cookie made the same way. I chilled the crust as instructed before baking, and then popped it in the oven until golden brown.
Once the crust came out, I allowed it to cool. Whilst the crust cooled, I decided to put together the cranberry topping and the white chocolate cream. Both components needed to cool, so this was as good a time as ever. The cranberry topping had suggested an optional addition of Chinese Five Spice Powder, which I completely intended to do, but I didn't have any luck finding it in the local markets. I have since gotten some, and I will be certain to use it next time. It all worked out in the end though, because I wouldn't have changed a thing about the cranberries. To replace the omitted Five Spice Powder, I added some cinnamon, nutmeg, and lime zest which worked just perfectly. Moving onto the white chocolate, I had worries that this element would not be able to stand up to the severity of flavor in the lime curd and cranberries, but I would just have to wait and find out.
About and hour later, all of the components of the tart are cooled and it is ready to be assembled. First to go in, is the white chocolate cream. I used it all, and then chilled it until firm in the fridge. Next, I layered the lime curd over top of the white chocolate cream, followed by the cranberries. With that last touch to the pie, it was ready to be enclosed in foil and put in the fridge to chill overnight, before its big unveiling the next evening.
The time finally arrived. I couldn't contain myself, as I slid the pie cutter into the crisp crust.
As for taste, I was quite impressed. The crust was better than I thought, and the white chocolate did in fact stand up to everything and did not get lost. The lime curd but of course, sublime, and the cranberries were equally as delicious too. By the first bite, everyone at the table was extremely pleased with the dessert, and loved the taste, just as I did.
It didn't hurt either, that the tart was so very pretty.
I served it on Spring green plates with a few white chocolate shaving over top.
Très délicieux! Plus tôt...
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