About this Blog

Flourless Chocolate Torte

Tue, 17 May 2011 13:32:42 -0400

For some reason I thought I had posted this.... sorry, girls!!

This is gluten free and tastes great warm and cold. Remember, it is basically a souffle, so it will rise beautifully. Then it will fall. That’s what souffles do. It’s ok.

Heat oven to 350°F.
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
7 large eggs, separated
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Pinch salt
Beat butter and sugar until light, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add yolks one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Beat in chocolate.
In a clean, dry bowl, whip egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Stir about a third of whites into batter, then, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining whites.
Pour batter into spring form pan that has been buttered and floured; smooth to make the top even. Bake about 40 minutes, until well risen and center is firm and a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan for 5 minutes; open sides of pan to release and leave on a rack to cool completely.
Serving: Cut into 10 or 12 wedges. Serve with fresh fruit or berries on the side, if desired.

True Grit

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:14:07 -0400

True Grit

By Outer Banks Epicurean
for Outer Banks Voice
September 19, 2010

Outer Banks Epicurean was honored to share the stage with local chefs, celebrities and seafood authorities at the 5th annual Day at the Docks. This day long festival celebrates the heritage of local watermen and families on the Outer Banks and particularly on Hatteras Island.

Made possible by many, the celebration is the brainchild of local author, seafood expert and passionate foodie Lynne Foster. When Lynne married 3rd generation charter boat captain Ernie Foster, the fate of her involvement with the local seafood industry was sealed. Her sensitive passion for food has become entwined with the burning understanding that the way of life that she and her neighbors and their families before them have enjoyed for centuries is being threatened.

Longtime (meaning you made it through more than a few consecutive winters) Hatteras Island residents, whether by birth or by choice, carry a certain entrepreneurial gene. Finding a job has usually meant creating one. Folks wear many hats and they do many jobs. Whatever-it-takes is an unspoken mantra. It’s what they do.

Today the Village of Hatteras is anything but sleepy as the residents struggle to continue to create jobs in an ever-changing environment of rules, regulations, restrictions and rejection.

While the entire country is having a hard time finding a job, the restraints plaguing this barrier island paradise are amplified. A bridge gone bad, bird data disputes, waterway dredging neglect and multi-agency posturing are not just the concerns of our local politicians, they are everyday realities to each and every local who is trying to just get by, either solo or running a small business in a fishing village.

Today, the Fishing Village is a quaint, though somewhat challenging and romantic concept. Fishing has gone big business and the single man-single boat model that once provided a good income and food for the family is under attack.

Our nation now imports over 80% of the seafood consumed in the United States. The seafood that is caught locally lacks a clear and easy distribution system to get the local catch to market.

Big business fisheries do business with big business distributors. That is their model. There is room, though, for local entrepreneurs with true grit to step up to the plate (pun totally intended) and help local watermen get their products to the backdoors of the local restaurants and retailers who want it.

If you can help make things happen, or just want to try, start a dialogue and see where it leads. Talk to the restaurant owners and chefs and talk to the fishermen. Connect the dots so the business can make a profit and everyone wins.

If your grit lies elsewhere, like in your pantry, you may be more comfortable trying a new recipe. Either way supports local watermen, heritage fishing and a way of life.

Grits

3 cups water
I cup milk
1 cup stone ground grits – NOT instant grits
SeaSalt

Place water and grits in a heavy saucepan with a dash of SeaSalt and heat to simmer. Stir, stir, stir. Grits will start to thicken and large bubbles will rise to surface. When this happens, cover and reduce the heat to very low, and continue to simmer until the grits are very tender, stirring often, about 30-40 minutes. At this point you could add a bit of cheese or just a touch more SeaSalt and Cracked Pepper to preference.

Shrimp and Red-Eye Gravy

¼ pound country ham, cut into half-inch pieces
2 pounds peeled and deveined Outer Banks Catch shrimp
¼ stick + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
¼ cup heavy cream
2 cups fresh, strong coffee
Outer Banks SeaSalt
Cracked black pepper

In a large cast iron skillet, cook the country ham for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat. You will not need to add anything to the pan before you add the ham if you have a well seasoned pan. Some of the ham will stick to the bottom of the pan. These yummy bits are called fond and will be the base of your gravy. Next, add your shrimp. Move them around in the pan as they cook. The water content of the shrimp will help them not stick to the pan. The shrimp will start to brown and caramelize and the flavors of the shrimp and ham will have a chance to marry before the rest of the ingredients arrive.

When the shrimp are almost cooked remove the duo from the pan. Return the pan to the stovetop and add 2 teaspoons of butter and melt on medium heat. Sprinkle in your flour and immediately whisk the butter and flour and watch it closely. You will want to stir often and cook just until the raw taste of flour becomes nutty and sweet. At that point add your coffee and continue to whisk. Keep whisking and you may not have a lumpy gravy. While still moving the sauce around in the pan, add the heavy cream. If your heat is too high, you may absorb the liquid too fast. If that happens, you can always add more coffee, so make sure you have a bit extra on hand.

At this point you can add SeaSalt and pepper to taste and the rest of the butter. Remove from heat when you add the butter and stir continuously until butter is incorporated and you have a smooth, elegant sauce.

If you have a few lumps and they are not bits of country ham you may want to strain the gravy. All you need to do is pass the gravy through a fine strainer over a bowl then return the gravy to a clean saucepan.

Add the shrimp and ham to the pan gravy and warm until the shrimp finish cooking. Try not to overcook the shrimp. They like to curl into themselves loosely to let you know they are ready.

Serve immediately over stone ground grits.

A Yummy Condiment

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:46:08 -0400

Bruce’s Sofrito

1 medium sweet onion
½ red onion
4 scallions
1 jalapeno
1 green bell pepper
½ red bell pepper
½ yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon garlic
Remove all seeds and finely dice above ingredients
2 large tomatoes, medium dice
3 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons fresh, finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dries thyme
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

SeaSalt
Black pepper

In a sauté pan that is big enough to hold all the ingredients, warm the oil to medium heat. Add all ingredients except vinegar and sweat about 3-5 minutes until veggies start to soften. Add vinegar and turn up heat to max and cook for one minute, watching and stirring if needed. Lower the heat to simmer and slow cook for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir and smell every 10 minutes or so. Add a little bit of SeaSalt and pepper to taste. Let cool and store in airtight container in the fridge.

Cake and The Old Factory

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 07:02:47 -0400

The mere mention of certain foods can cause a full body reaction. Certain smells, however, can truly transport us to another place and time. Smells that are as comforting as vanilla, exotic as freshly ground cardamom or barnyard-inspired as a truffle can conjure within us images of childhood, a trip abroad or a crisp fall day. Different for each of us, sensory memories are often upon us before we recognize what is even happening.

Recalling events associated with smells of our past can often be startling and memorable. Remarkable for lasting for the briefest of time, really only a second or two, these flashes originate in the olfactory system, rendezvousing with sensors, then the bulb, then on to both the cortex and the limbic system, which controls our emotions. No wonder we can get so emotional when moved by a certain smell.

While not necessary to understand exactly how odor molecules dance amongst the thousand or so smell sensors in our nose, it is kinda cool to think that our olfactory neurons retain memories only triggered by a very particular smell. That we carry a personal diary within us that can be unlocked only with unbidden stimuli offers each of us opportunity to be suddenly overjoyed without warning… Right on!

It is not surprising to Epicurean that the smell of vanilla often transports us back to a very special, warm, embracing time. The smell of vanilla, for most, anyway, is the smell of cake. Birthday Cake, Wedding Cake, Anniversary Cake. We celebrate the biggest milestones in our life with cake and cake is usually made with vanilla. Vanilla even gets invited to Chocolate Cake and Carrot Cake Parties - if we need more proof of just how popular vanilla really is.

Why not try to conjure images this week? Bake a cake. Try it. It really isn’t hard at all. Try to refrain from box mixes; you need only measure 6 more ingredients and you have a homemade cake. If you are not sure if there really is a difference, try both and compare. Pick up one from the local grocery store, too, while you are experimenting and have taste tests. Invite your friends. There really is a difference in flavor and texture. Perhaps one might just transport you back to a very special place as well…

A VeryVery Simple Yellow Cake
Inspired by Rose Levy Berenbaum, Queen of Cakes

The Ingredients:
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon Outer Banks SeaSalt
12 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

The Pan:
A 9 inch spring form pan buttered and floured (or use Baker’s Joy)

Making the Cake:
In a medium bowl, mix together egg yolks, 1/4 of the sour cream and the vanilla and set aside. This is a great recipe to make using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one. If not, a hand mixer is fine. In the mixer bowl, combine the cake flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. Mix on low speed for about a minute. Add all the butter and rest of the sour cream and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moist.

Says Berenbaum about cake structure in her book, The Cake Bible, “increase to medium speed, or high speed if using a hand held mixer, and beat for 1 minute to aerate and develop the structure. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides.”

These words inspired Epicurean to create this cake that is heavy on the vanilla and uses local Outer Banks SeaSalt.

Pour the batter into the spring form pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake in a 350°F oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until the cake starts to pull away from the side of the pan. You can also use a cake tester. Insert the tester into the cake and remove. If the tester is clean, the cake is done. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack so air can move freely around the pan. After about 10 minutes, remove the sides of the pan, invert the cake and remove the rest of the pan. Flip the cake again, so the top is not against the rack. Cool completely before icing.

This is yummy all by itself, but even better with fresh fruit… with macerated dry fruit and maybe a little whipped cream… or perhaps a creamy vanilla frosting…

Creamy Vanilla Frosting

The Ingredients:
4 cups Confectioner’s Sugar (sift if lumpy)
I cup Butter, unsalted
¼ Teaspoon Outer Banks SeaSalt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Making the Frosting:
In your mixer bowl, using the whisk attachment this time, combine butter, half of sugar and SeaSalt. Turn off mixer and add milk and vanilla. Resume mixing. Turn off mixer again (or you will have a powdered sugar mess!) add remaining sugar and mix until blended. Turn speed to high and whip about a minute until frosting is light, creamy and smooth.

Variations:
Add a teaspoon of fresh lemon or orange zest; replace milk with coffee; add your favorite crushed candy bar to half and use to fill your cake… use your imagination and look and see what’s in the pantry or fridge that you have saved for a special recipe.

On Fruits and Goats

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:21:43 -0400

On the Table
By Outer Banks Epicurean for Outer Banks Voice

In the heat of the summer we often wait to eat until we feel just a bit faint. We declare that it is just ‘too hot to eat’ as we fan the air, squint to focus and only half-jokingly tell anyone in listening range that we have ‘the vay-puhs.’

Outer Banks Epicurean suggests a refreshingly easy cure to this distinctly southern malady: cool, naturally sweet summer fruit.

The key to this recommendation is to have your remedy available when you need it and where you will most likely be when you begin to feel like swooning. Of course, the best way to avoid that ‘gone-too-far’ kind of hunger is to eat before you get to that point.

Being prepared helps, too. How to get started? First, don’t think about it too much. Don’t make an eating plan or get out the scale. The general idea is that twice a week (or so) cut up as much fruit as you can reasonably eat in 3-4 days. Remember, all you have to do when that is almost gone is head to the market, clean and prepare more.

Keep your treasures stored in the fridge for an easy grab-and-eat moment. Delicious August fruits for this area include Rocky Hock cantelopes, organic Sugar Baby Melons and juicy figs. Check your own yard for figs - you might be surprised!

Quick, restorative treats like frozen local blueberries can be stored in easily re-sealable containers and kept for months right in the freezer. Now is the time to harvest. Put away more than you think you need. These are great in March.

There are some great South Carolina peaches in the market too, but locating them has been hit or miss. When you get one you like, look on the side of the box for the name of the varietal, or type, of peach, as well as the vendor. One orchard may harvest many types of peaches and not all are the same. Ask the market manager if you do not see the box.

If you get a peach that is just right, rinse it off, stand outside, bend over and let the sweet nectar flow. No flow? No problem. In the cooler part of the day, bake them into a crisp, cobbler or quick pound cake.

Speaking of pound cake… did we mention how much we love a whip of fresh goat cheese with a bit of Outer Banks Honey on top? Mmmmm…. how the culinary mind wanders… in just 2 degrees of Bacon separation we can have Summer Figs stuffed with Goat Cheese topped with Crispy Pancetta…

Sweet Goat Cheese

8 oz fresh, creamy locally made goat cheese
2 tablespoons Outer Banks Honey

Put cheese in a bowl big enough to cradle in your arm. When the cheese is room temperature, add Honey. Whip by hand with whisk until blended, then whip it a little more. When your arm is tired, stop. Taste immediately. Put on top of anything you can find…. all that fruit in your fridge, pound cake, toast… Rumor has it that this keeps for a week or two. I cannot imagine. It never lasts that long around here.

Summer Figs Stuffed with Goat Cheese

8 oz fresh, creamy locally made goat cheese
1 quart fresh figs, gently washed, de-stemmed and sliced in half
¼ pound diced pancetta, crispy fried and drained (reserve that fat to cook something in!)

Gently scoop out a tiny bit of the center of the fig and reserve to eat later when no one is looking. Whip cheese with a bit of salt and pepper and a savory herb or two. Fresh oregano is delightful as is a bit of minced garlic. Scrape the mixture into a pastry bag. Use a tip with a generous opening and fill the opening in the center of each fig with a decorative dollop. Sprinkle the pancetta on top of each fig half. These are lovely as a snack, a keep in the fridge and graze treat or a side for the evening meal.