Cannoli Cheesecake

This was my first time making an actual cheesecake - I've made cheesecake cupcakes and brownies before, but never the real deal 'if you don't do this right you're going to crack it' cheesecake. I referenced a number of recipes for cannoli/ricotta cheesecake variations, and none of them mentioned using a water bath/bain marie setup. Maybe I'll give that a try the next time around and report my results. Adapted from: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/cannoli-cheesecake.aspx

Crust:

1/3 cup (1 oz.) sliced almonds

7 oz. vanilla wafers

7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 16 oz container plus 1 cup (7 ounces, for a total of 23 oz.) ricotta

10 oz cream cheese, room temperature

2 tbsp flour

Pinch salt

1 ¼ cup sugar (~9 oz.)

2 tbsp orange zest

1 tbsp vanilla extract

½ cup mini chocolate chips (plus more for garnish)

4 large eggs, at room temperature

For the crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F, and position the oven racks so your cheesecake will cook in the middle of the oven. Add almonds and wafers to a food processor, and pulse several times to crush into small pieces. The original recipe calls for adding 3 tbsp granulated sugar here- The “Nilla” brand wafers I used had plenty of sugar in them already, so I chose to omit any additional sugar. Add the melted butter to the crumb mixture, and pulse once or twice to incorporate.

Prepare a 9” springform pan by rubbing butter all along the inside and tossing flour on top of the butter layer. Transfer the crust mixture to the pan, pressing down and up the sides. Place a layer of plastic wrap overtop the crust while you do this to make life easier. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Remove and let cool on a rack.

For the filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, add the ricotta, cream cheese, flour and salt. Beat on medium until very smooth and the cheese is devoid of lumps, about 5 minutes. Stop once or twice to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the sugar, zest, and vanilla, and continue to beat on medium for another minute until completely blended and smooth.

Add the chocolate chips and mix on low until the chips are incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, with the mixer on low, until each is just incorporated. Don’t overmix.

Pour the mixture on top of the crust, and place the springform pan on a baking sheet (you can also place tinfoil over the bottom of the pan, if you’d like). Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. The cheesecake should be puffy around the edges, and jiggle like jello when you tap the side of the pan. Remove and set on a rack, allowing to cool completely. Transfer to the fridge, and chill it overnight. Garnish with mini chocolate chips to serve.

Yep, I cracked it

Tacos de Pabellon Criollo with Jicama Slaw

Pabellon is the national dish of Venezuela, so putting it on a taco is probably sacrilege to many, but I like to live dangerously. This version comes from Gran Cocina Latina, and is a bit different than what I’ve had before. The Venezuelan food truck down the street from my office was where I first had this dish, with long stringy strands of tangy braised beef. I don’t know their recipe, but I assume they do a typical braise; this recipe uses flank steak, which is boiled and then shredded before being “quick-braised” (if that’s a word). Since that thing about pabellon that really struck me was the tangy flavor imparted with the beef, I decided to double down on that characteristic and serve it with a Jicama slaw, which is adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/jicama-slaw-recipe/index.html

A note on oil: This recipe calls for achiote-infused corn oil. This can be made by adding annatto seeds (they look like little red rocks and can be found at Mexican groceries) to corn oil in a small saucepan and heating for a few minutes until infused. Strain out the solid seeds and discard. The book calls for ¾ cup to be added to the pan before frying the beef, and doesn’t mention discarding excess oil after this step. This seemed off to me, so I reduced the oil by a good bit, but still added more than I normally would (I guess on the off chance that there was some reason I was missing for using this much oil). The result ended up on the greasy side, so in the future I’ll just be adding a bit of oil and sautéing the beef.

Jicama Slaw:

1 Jicama, Grated

½ head of napa cabbage, grated

2 carrots, grated

¼ lemon juice

¼ cup lime juice

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1.5 tbsp ancho chili powder

1 tsp cumin

Pinch cayenne

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup canola oil

Salt and pepper

Grate the jicama, napa cabbage and carrots and add to a bowl. I used a food processor to save time. In a separate bowl/pyrex measuring cup, add the lemon juice, lime juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, ancho chili powder, cumin and cayenne (phew). Slowly pour in the olive and canola oil, whisking to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper, and pour over veggies. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Pabellon Criollo

2 lbs flank steak

1 large yellow onion

1 red bell pepper, deseeded

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt

Cut the flank steak into sections approx. 2 inches wide. Add 2 quarts of water to a dutch oven, along with steak, onion, pepper, black peppercorns, cumin, oregano and red wine vinegar. Season with salt as needed. Bring to simmer and cook for 2 hours. Remove meat, strain broth and reserve. Shred the meat with 2 forks into thin pieces.

Achiote infused corn oil (see note in introduction)

1.5 teaspoons salt, or to taste

8 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1.5 cups)

1 red bell pepper cut into ¼” strips

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Heat a 12” pan and add about a 1tbsp of oil until whisps of smoke appear. Add the shredded beef and cook until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to plate. Add garlic to the pan, and cook for about 40 seconds until golden. Add onion and bell pepper along with black pepper, cumin and oregano, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add meat back in the pan, and cook 2 minutes more. Add 1 cup of reserved broth (save the rest for another use) and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Heat corn tortillas on a cast iron skillet. Top with pabellon and jicama slaw.

Tofu Mushroom and Corn Stuffed Poblanos with Chipotle Tomato Sauce

This was my first time working with tofu, and it was an experiment that turned out okay. Typically tofu is marinated before cooking, but I didn't read up on that fact when I made these. From what I can tell, tofu is found exactly nowhere in Mexican cuisine, so i guess you can consider this dish a mashup.

Filling

1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

4 oz. oyster mushrooms, chopped

1 cup frozen corn kernels

10 oz. firm tofu

¾ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp lime juice

Over medium heat, add olive oil to a large skillet, then cook the onion and mushrooms for about  2 minutes. Add the tofu, corn, paprika, coriander and cumin, and cook until the mushrooms and onion are softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat to a bowl, and add in lime juice.

Chipotle Tomato Sauce

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes (I used San Marzanos)

2 chipotle chilis in adobo

½ large white onion, kept whole (skin removed)

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp sugar

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon ancho chili powder

Salt

Puree the tomatoes and chipotle chilis. Add to a medium sauce pan along with the onion and bay leaf. Heat to a simmer. Add in the seasonings, tasting to adjust. The flavors will concentrate as the sauce cooks down, so go easy on the spices at the beginning. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered. Adjust the seasonings, and remove the onion and bay leaf.

Assembly and baking:

4 to 6 poblano chilis (depending on size)

Cotija Cheese

Sour Cream

Wash off the poblano chilis and place under a low broiler for a few minutes per side, until the skin starts to blacken and blister. Once the skin is blistered on both sides, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Remove the skin under running water – it should peel right off. You don’t have to remove every last bit. Cut a slit down the center of the chili, being careful not to bisect the chili in half. Remove the seeds and stem – wash them in the sink again to remove remnants of seeds.

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Fill each chili and reassemble the best you can, placing them in a 13x9 baking dish. Top each chili with cotija cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, with the rack in the middle of the oven until the cheese melts. Turn the broiler on high for about 1 minute if you want to get some color on the tops.

Spoon some tomato sauce on a plate, place a chili on top, and add a dollop of sour cream on top.

Chicken in Riesling with Sauce Supreme

This week’s theme was mother sauces, which I really only make when I’m cooking mac & cheese. My strategy was basically to cook something I wanted to anyway, and add a sauce on top. It sort of ended up being unnecessary when all was said and done; the chicken dish is really good without any additional bells and whistles. The chicken recipe is modified from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-in-Riesling-241725. They call for a dry Alsatian Riesling. I ended up using an off-dry, sweet Riesling with some honey notes to it. I was afraid this might throw off the dish, but it ended up working really well. Next time though, I'd nix the potatoes and serve the whole thing over risce. 

The sauce supreme recipe is modified from:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/sauce-supreme-recipe/index.html

Chicken in Riesling

1 chicken cut into 8 pieces (2 thighs, 2 legs, both breasts cut in half across their width)

2 tablespoons butter

2 large leeks

1 shallot, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 carrots, chopped into pieces

8 oz. Mushrooms, cut into chunks

8 leaves of cabbage, chopped into pieces

4 large red potatoes, chopped into quarters

1 cup Riesling (I used Dunham Cellars Riesling)

1 Cup Chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 35o°F. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Melt a pat of butter in the dutch oven. Pat the chicken pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown over medium heat in two batches, about or 7 minutes total. Set aside on a plate. Add the carrots to the pot, and give them about 2 minutes before adding the mushrooms, leeks and shallots. Cook until everything is softened, about 7 minutes, lightly seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Place the cabbage on top of the veggies in the pot, and nestle the chicken pieces over top. Pour the wine and chicken stock over everything, put a lid on the pot, and place in the oven to cook for 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

While that’s going on, quarter and peel some red potatoes. Place in a cold pot of well-salted water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes depending on how big your chunks are. Drain in a colander and serve with the braised chicken.

Sauce Supreme

5 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1.5 cups chicken stock

½ cup Riesling

1 /2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, until your roux is blonde, whisking constantly. Meanwhile, add the stock and wine to a microwave safe dish and heat until very warm/hot. Add the liquid ½ cup at a time, whisking until smooth. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let it cook down for 15 minutes. Whisk in the cream, and cook for 2 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Remove from heat, whisk in remaining butter and lemon juice.

Ancho Devil's Food Cupcakes with Spicy Chocolate Buttercream

Ancho chili powder really does make everything better, and cupcakes are no exception. The combination of chili peppers and chocolate is a classic – see Mexico’s famous mole poblano. And really, doesn’t devil’s food cake just sound like the type of dish that should have some kick to it? The cupcake recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart’s, and will yield 12 cupcakes. The frosting is this recipe just with the addition of cayenne. It ended up yielding enough for about 16 cupcakes. Making too much frosting isn’t ideal, but it’s a good problem to have.

Cupcakes:

1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 cup hot water

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder

12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Melt the butter along with the sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat at medium-low speed for 5 minutes, until mixture is cooled. If you find that the butter/sugar mixture is still rather warm, do what I did and stick it outside on a freezing cold balcony for a few minutes.  

Meanwhile, add the cocoa powder to the hot water and stir to combine.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ancho chili powder and salt.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated (still medium low speed). Add the vanilla, then the hot cocoa water mixture, beating until combined. Reduce the speed to low, and add the flour mixture and the sour cream, alternating in two batches (i.e. half the flour, half the sour cream, repeat).

Divide the batter into the muffin tins, using a little under a quarter cup each. The batter should fill the tins ¾ of the way. Bake for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.

Spicy Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup (8 ounces/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2½ cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao), melted and cooled

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a stand mixer, whip the butter using your whisk attachment on medium high for 5 minutes. You’ll want to scrape the bowl/dislodge stuck butter from the whisk once or twice during this time.

Reduce the speed to low, and slowly pour in the powdered sugar. Once the sugar and butter are combined, add the vanilla extract and cayenne, beating until combined. Slowly pour in the melted chocolate, beating to combine. You’ll need to scrape down the bowl to incorporate all the chocolate. Increase the speed to medium-high, and whip for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a ½” star tip before dispensing on top of the cupcakes.