French Potato Salad with Dijon Mustard and Fines Herbes

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Published July 1, 2002.   Cooks illustrated

If any of the fresh herbs aren't available, just add additional amounts of those that aren't. For best flavor, serve the salad warm, but to make ahead, follow the recipe through step 2, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Before serving, bring the salad to room temperature, then add the shallots and herbs.

• 2 pounds small red potatoes (about 2-inch diameter), unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 1 medium clove garlic , peeled and threaded on skewer
• 1 1/2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2  teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chervil leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon leaves

Instructions

1. Place potatoes, 6 cups cold tap water, and salt in large saucepan; bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Lower skewered garlic into simmering water and partially blanch, about 45 seconds. Immediately run garlic under cold tap water to stop cooking; remove garlic from skewer and set aside. Continue to simmer potatoes, uncovered, until tender but still firm (thin-bladed paring knife can be slipped into and out of center of potato slice with no resistance), about 5 minutes. Drain potatoes, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Arrange hot potatoes close together in single layer on rimmed baking sheet.

2. Press garlic through garlic press or mince by hand. Whisk garlic, reserved potato cooking water, vinegar, mustard, oil, and pepper in small bowl until combined. Drizzle dressing evenly over warm potatoes; let stand 10 minutes.

3. Toss shallot and herbs in small bowl. Transfer potatoes to large serving bowl; add shallot/herb mixture and mix gently with rubber spatula to combine. Serve immediately.

Tlacoyo Masa Pockets

If you've ever made your own tortillas, you know how easy it is to work with masa, the meal made from ground, dried corn treated with lime. You can find it in any Mexican market, and some grocery stores (Maseca brand, which is also the name of the dried form, is a standard brand). With simply water and a pinch of salt, you have the makings of the freshest tortilla you've ever tasted.

  

That's not all masa is good for, though. You can also leave it a little thicker and use it as a dough for Tlacoyos, a Mexican cornmeal dough pocket similar to Salvadorian pupusas. (Doesn't every culture in the world have some kind of edible pocket stuffed with filling? Calzones? Pork buns?)
 
Working with masa is quick, and so is the filling: a can of beans mashed up with sauteed onion and garlic, and Oaxaca cheese, which is basically a Mexican version of string cheese. Monterey Jack also makes a fine substitute.

  

Ingredients
serves 4

  

• 1 cup masa flour
• 3/4 cup water, more if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lard, bacon fat, or oil
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can black beans
• 2 oz shredded Oaxaca cheese (or substitute Monterey Jack)
• Salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons neutral oil for frying
• Salsa for serving
• Chopped onion and/or cilantro for garnish

 

Procedures

 In a bowl, combine the masa, water, and salt. Form into a ball so that all the flour is incorporated. Add more water if needed to make a moist dough. Set aside.

 

In a skillet, heat the lard, bacon fat, or oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until starting to color. Add the beans, undrained, and raise the heat to high. Cook for a couple minutes, then mash roughly with a spatula and remove from the heat.

 

Divide the masa dough into 4 pieces and flatten them between two pieces of plastic wrap using a heavy skillet or tortilla press. Lay them on a cutting board and divide the beans and cheese among them, then carefully fold over and pinch to create a half-moon shaped pocket.

 

Heat the frying oil in a large skillet over high heat and add the pockets (cook them in two batches to avoid crowding). cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden, then drain on paper towels. Serve with the salsa and garnishes.

  

Printed from http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/08/tlacoyo-masa-pockets-recipe.html
by Blake Royer, August 6, 2010
© Serious Eats

 

Black Bean and Rice Burritos (or tacos)

Tomato sauce is sold in 8 oz cans in the same aisle that carries canned whole tomatoes. Do not use jarred pasta sauce in its place. There’s no need to prepare all of the toppings listed below, but cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes are, in my opinion, essential.

Ingredients

Filling

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
1 small onion, chopped small (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
table salt
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed [I prefer Goya brand]
1 8-oz can plain tomato sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth or water)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar (preferably cider vinegar)
Ground black pepper
Hot cooked rice

Shells and Toppings

flour tortillas (or taco shells)
shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
shredded iceberg
small tomatoes, chopped small
sour cream
avocado, diced medium
red onion, chopped small
minced fresh cilantro leaves
Salsa or hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco



Instructions
1. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans, tomato sauce, broth (or water), brown sugar, and vinegar; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently until liquid has reduced and thickened (mixture should not be completely dry), about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Add as much hot cooked rice as you want and stir into the bean mixture until well distributed throughout.


2. Spoon filling into warmed tortilla (or taco shell), add toppings, and enjoy!

SOUPE AU PISTOU

Recipe adapted from The Magic of Provence: Pleasures of Southern France, by Yvone Lenard

1 tbs olive oil
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
1 potato, diced (pick a potato with a thin skin, not a baking potato)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can red kidney beans (or equivalent amount of dried and cooked beans)
1 15 oz can white canelli beans (or equivalent amount of dried and cooked beans)
2 quarts chicken broth (or vegetable broth), more or less as needed
Salt, pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped spinach if frozen; 1 cup spinach if fresh
1 cup green beans cut into 1-inch pieces (fresh or frozen, not canned)
1/2 cup small elbow macaroni
1 cup basil pesto, either store-bought or homemade (see note)

Sauté the carrots, celery, leek, onion, and potato in olive oil until soft (10-15 mins). Add garlic and sauté a little more (5 mins). Add the stock and beans and stir well. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat until vegetables are softened. Add macaroni, 10 minutes before serving and bring to a boil until the pasta is cooked through. Add the spinach, and green beans, stir and let sit 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted (if fresh) and the beans are warmed through. Serve hot, dropping a spoonful of pistou (pesto) into each bowl.

Note about pesto: part of what I think makes this soup outstanding is the homemade pesto I make and freeze each summer. If you don’t happen to have homemade pesto at hand, you can use a commercial brand. My advice to you, however, is to run it through a blender or food processor first. Some commercial brands are a bit more rustic, and the larger pieces of basil will float on the surface of the soup. Breaking it down a bit helps the flavor and texture.

Grilled pizza

From SeriousEats.org

Ingredients


For the dough:
2 cups 2 tablespoons (12 ounces or 340 grams)bread flour (preferably Italian type "OO"), plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon (.2 ounces or 6 grams) instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons (.25 ounces or 7.2 grams) salt
1 cup (8 ounces or 237 grams) water

For the pizza:

1 (14.4 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, drained
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic
Kosher salt
6 ounces shredded mozzarella, fontina, or Jack cheese
2 ounces Parmiggiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
1/2 cup finely chopped basil leaves


Procedure

1. Combine flour, yeast, and salt in bowl of stand mixer and whisk until homogenous. Add water and knead with dough hook attachment for ten minutes until ball is smooth and elastic and comes cleanly off sides of bowl (ball will be stuck to bowl at bottom). Cover mixer bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. Dough should approximately double in size.

2. The next day, use floured hands to dump dough onto lightly floured work surface. Roll into a log and divide into four even pieces with a bench scraper or knife. Form each piece into a ball by gathering the dough towards the bottom. Lightly oil 4 small container (soup bowls work great) and place 1 dough ball in each one. Lightly grease the tops of the dough balls then cover each bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume.

3. Meanwhile, place olive oil and garlic in bowl of food processor and process until garlic is finely chopped. Extra garlic oil can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Place tomatoes in fine mesh strainer set over sink and squeeze them between your fingers until broken into approximate 1/4-inch chunks. Allow to drain for at least 15 minutes.

4. On a heavily floured surface, roll a dough ball into a disk about 13-inches by 9-inches and 1/4-inch thick using rolling pin. Shake off excess flour and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough balls, placing a sheet of parchment between each one.

5. Light a large chimney starter 3/4 full with charcoal and wait until fully ignited and coals are mostly covered in gray ash (about 20 minutes). Arrange coals under 1/2 of grill grate and place grate on top. Cover and allow to preheat for 10 minutes.

6. Brush top of dough round with a thin even layer of garlic oil and season with kosher salt. Place gently on hot side of grill, oiled side down. Immediately brush top side with thin layer of oil and season with salt. Cook, checking frequently and moving to encourage even browning until bottom is dark brown and charred in spots and top is bubbly 45 to 90 seconds total. Flip using tongs or large spatula and slide to cool side of grill.

7. Apply 1/4 of both cheese in a thin even layer across surface of pizza then add the tomato sauce in tablespoon-sized dollops across surface of pizza (about 1/2 cup total per pie). Return pizza to hot side of grill and cook until bottom is cooked and charred in spots, 45 to 90 seconds total. Transfer pizza to cutting board with large spatula or metal pizza peel. Sprinkle with basil, and serve immediately. Repeat with remaining four pies.

OVEN-SMOKED NUTS

From Ultimate Cheater BBQ

Makes 2 cups
2 cups raw almonds (or other nuts)
1 Tablespoon peanut or olive oil
1 Tablespoon bottled smoke
1 Teaspoon fine-grained seasoned salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper


1)  Heat the oven to 300° F
2)  Combine all of the ingredients in a 9"x13" baking pan or rimmed baking sheet.  Toss until the nuts are well-coated with the oil and seasonings.  Spread the nuts in a single layer.
3)  Bake for 25-30 minutes (stirring occasionally) until the nuts are fragrant and toasted.
4)  Cool the nuts to room temperature.   Store them in a tightly covered container.

Sweet Cherry Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie serving 8. Published July 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.

Vodka is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor—do not substitute. This dough will be moister and more supple than most standard pie dough and will require more flour to roll out (up to 1/4 cup). The tapioca should be measured first, then ground in a coffee grinder or food processor for 30 seconds. If you are using frozen fruit, measure it frozen, but let it thaw before making the filling; if you don’t, you run the risk of partially cooked fruit and undissolved tapioca.

Pie Dough
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening , cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup vodka , cold (see note)
1/4 cup cold water

Cherry Filling
2 red plums , halved and pitted
6 cups (about 2 pounds) pitted sweet cherries or 6 cups pitted frozen cherries, halved (see note)
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons bourbon (optional)
2 tablespoons instant tapioca , ground (see note)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large egg , lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Instructions
1. FOR THE PIE DOUGH: Process 1½ cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening; process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into 2 equal balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

3. Remove 1 disk dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to ¼ cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with 1 hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 40 minutes.

4. FOR THE FILLING: Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Process plums and 1 cup halved cherries in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard solids. Stir remaining halved cherries, sugar, salt, lemon juice, bourbon (if using), tapioca, and cinnamon (if using) into puree; let stand for 15 minutes.

5. Transfer cherry mixture, including all juices, to dough-lined plate. Scatter butter pieces over fruit. Roll second disk of dough on generously floured work surface (up to ¼ cup) to 11-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over pie, leaving at least ½-inch overhang. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal. Brush top and edges with egg mixture. With sharp knife, make 8 evenly spaced 1-inch-long vents in top crust. Freeze pie 20 minutes.

6. Place pie on preheated baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices bubble around the edges and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes longer.

7. Transfer pie to wire rack; let cool to room temperature so juices have time to thicken, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.


SHOPPING
When you set out to make a cherry pie, there are three main options for the cherries.

1) SOUR
Fresh sour cherries are prized in pies, but they're rarely available in supermarkets.

2) JARRED
Sour Morello cherries in a jar can be hard to find, even through mail order.

3) SWEET
Fresh Bing cherries are more readily available, but their sweet, dense flesh is challenging.


Step-by-Step
Keys to Juicy, Sweet-Tart Cherry Pie

While some fruits (like blueberries) gush excess juice when baked into a pie, sweet cherries like Bing suffer the opposite problem: Their firm, meaty flesh holds on to juice and can lead to a too-dry filling.


1. HALVE CHERRIES
Halving the cherries exposes their dense, meaty flesh and helps them release more juice than if left whole.

2. GET PLUMMY
To add tartness and juiciness, puree 1 cup cherries with 2 plums. Strain, adding the liquid to the halved cherries and discarding the solids.

3. SKIP THE LATTICE
A traditional lattice crust allows too much moisture to evaporate during baking; a closed crust helps keep juices inside.