I made my dad waffles this morning - whole wheat Belgian waffles with dried blueberries in the batter with fresh farmer’s market organic strawberries and peach, cinnamon sugar and warm maple syrup.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dad’s out there!
Biscuits - another way to use poppy seeds! Fresh from the oven the warm buttermilk biscuit was fluffy, buttery and now also pleasantly crunchy from the black seeds. I paired it with duck confit (also begging to be used up) for a little appetizer. I topped a biscuit half with shredded duck confit and savory cherry compote made with fresh cherries, red wine, orange juice, sugar and spices. The lovely duck confit and cherry compote pairing is straight out of Sunday Suppers at Lucques cookbook. I finished the dish with a quenelle of tangy creme fraiche to contrast with the earthy spices of the duck and compote. A few sprigs of microgreens later and the cute appetizer was ready to be consumed.
I saved the skin from the duck leg and made a cracklin out of it. Delicious!
*I forgot to mention that the original inspiration for this dish was the Thanksgiving-themed sandwiches of deli turkey, cranberry sauce and cream cheese that I used get at a sandwich shop all the time during the college days. Duck confit for turkey, cherry compote for cranberry sauce, and creme fraiche for cream cheese. And of course , the touch of poppy seeds.
I wasn’t going to skip out on making lemon poppy seed bread in my poppy seed endeavors. It’s old-fashioned and downright delicious. This is because I absolutely love lemony baked goods. Lemon bars would be my downfall if I ever made them. Ooh, how about lemon bars with a poppyseed shortbread base? If I don’t show up at the end of this week it would be safe to assume I’ve overdosed on lemon bars.
But let’s get back to the task at hand - lemon poppy seed bread. Who doesn’t like pound cake? Add the zesty flavor of lemon and the crunch of poppy seeds and you’ve got one edible quick bread. The only thing I would change next time is to increase the amount of lemon zest. Otherwise the bread was quite delicious!
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Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
from JoyofBaking.com
adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin of the lemon)
3 tablespoons (30 grams) poppy seeds
13 tablespoons (184 grams) unsalted butter, softened
Lemon Syrup:
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (8 x 4 x 2 1/2 inch) (20 x 10 x 7 cm). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until combined. Add the softened butter and half the egg mixture and mix on low speed until moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about one minute. This aerates and develops the cake’s structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating about 30 seconds after each addition. This will strengthen the structure of the batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may have to cover the bread with buttered foil after about 30 minutes if you find the bread over browning.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the sugar and lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with about half the hot lemon syrup. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 10 minutes then invert onto a greased wire rack. Brush the remaining syrup onto the bottom and the sides of the loaf. Reinvert the bread so it is right side up and then cool the bread completely before wrapping. Store at least overnight before serving to allow the lemon syrup to distribute throughout the loaf.
Makes 1 loaf.
A few weeks ago when a friend was talking about kolachies I had no idea what they were. I got on the net of course and thought “oh those!”. Although I didn’t know the name of those tasty treats I definitely remember eating these many times. The more research I did the more I learned about the various kolachy, kolach, kolacky and kolache recipes out in the world. It was confusing at first since the spellings were only slightly different from each other but basically it came down to Czech yeast-based breads or Polish cream cheese dough pastries. The reason I was doing my little research was because my Polish friend Kasha’s birthday was coming up and I wanted to make something nice for her. Good thing I figured out which pastry was right for her.
I made two varieties - one with apricot jam and the other with a homemade poppy seed filling. Yay another reason (and a very legitimate reason at that) to use my poppy seeds. I adapted a recipe I found on the web substituting black currants for dates since that is what I had around. The filling never thickened though probably because I use the currants which are quite unstickier than dates. I loved the crunch of the seeds but the filling was not sweet enough. For next time I was thinking of combining poppy seeds and fruit preserves into a single filling. The jam would hold everything together and make an actual filling, not scattering seeds. Is that totally against kolachy rules though? I made a few hybrid ones today with the leftover dough scraps and they were pretty good. Fruity, sweet, jammy and with the unmistakable crunch (and look) of little poppy seeds.
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Kolachy - Polish Cream Cheese Pastries
recipe from Epicurious
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water for egg wash
Make dough:
Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl until combined.
Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with a paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a handheld. Reduce mixer speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
Assemble and bake cookies:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining pieces chilled) between 2 (12-inch) sheets of well-floured wax paper with a rolling pin into a roughly 11-inch square. (If dough gets too soft, transfer dough in wax paper to a baking sheet and chill until firm.) Discard top sheet of wax paper and trim dough with a pastry wheel or sharp knife into a 10-inch square. Cut square into 4 equal strips, then cut crosswise in fourths again to form a total of 16 (2 1/2-inch) squares.
Working quickly, place 1 heaping teaspoon filling in center of each square. Brush 2 opposite corners with egg wash, then bring corners together and pinch firmly to adhere. (If dough becomes too soft, freeze it on a baking sheet for a few minutes.)
Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake until golden, 17 to 20 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough and filling on a lined cooled baking sheet.
*I used Trader Joe’s Organic Apricot Preserve for one of the fillings which was delicious! and easy. 
Another thing I wanted to try with the poppy seeds was to make a lemon meringue tart but with a poppy seed crust. Since I have more savory tendencies though I ended up making a savory tart. First I made the tart dough using a pate brisee recipe substituting some of the flour with poppy seeds and unsalted butter with goat butter. For the filling I sauteed pancetta, leeks and peas, seasoned simply with salt and black pepper. I filled the blind baked tart dough with the filling once it had cooled a bit and poured over the custard mixture which consisted of a eggs, cream, crumbled goat cheese and chives. I sprinkled a bit of grated parmesan on top and baked it off. This was pretty easy to whip up and I got to use up about 1/2 cup of the poppy seeds! That’s good news. I’ve got another ball of poppy seed-goat butter dough in the freezer for another day when I want to whip up another easy tart.
Coming clean and being public about just what I need to use up just may help to motivate a speediness that’s been absent in my kitchen. You already know about the poppy seeds that’s been hanging out in the fridge for two years. I still have about more than about cup and a half to use up after the lemony cupcakes. In the freezer I have a variety of grated cheese leftover from the grilled cheese days, six confited duck legs from way back, and frozen vegetables. In the pantry I have nuts and nut oils I should definitely step to using up before they go rancid. It’s very dark and packed in the pantry. I’ll have to assess as I move along.
For today though I concentrated on using up the grated cheeses (consisting of cheddar, truffled Italian cheese and gruyere) and just two of the duck confit legs. I have a few more ideas I want to try with the duck so I’m saving the others. Well I never really freeze my cheeses but since I had such an abundance left after the whole grilled cheese invitational thing I threw them into the big chill to worry later. It was either that or bags of moldy cheese and me left feeling very guilty.
I thought I would give the duck confit a southern twist this time around by pairing it with creamy mac & cheese and collard greens. The mac & cheese was super easy. I cooked up the ridged elbow macaroni in a big pot of salted water and when they were cooked, drained them and added them to a bowl with all the grated cheeses. I added some buttermilk until everything looked well moistened and seasoned it with salt and black pepper. I had to buy more cheddar to support the cheese part of this dish but at least out with the old and in with the new. I let the pasta soak up the liquid for a few minutes then poured the whole mixture into a well buttered baking dish and crumbled over Trader Joe’s delicious cornbread over the top along with grated parmigiano reggiano. I drizzled the top with olive oil and popped the dish into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes finishing it with a quick broil for extra browning on top. This is the easiest mac & cheese recipe ever. I guess because it’s not really a recipe at all. Just eyeball everything. I should have put in more cheddar though!
The collard greens likewise were super easy. I rendered pancetta in olive oil then added a smashed garlic to the pot along with a good pinch of red pepper flakes. I added sliced collard greens to the pot with a small cup of water and covered and cooked it over low heat until the mac n cheese was done. I finished it with a light squeeze of lemon juice. Since the duck was all ready to go this was a super easy meal. All I had to do was heat it up in a super hot oven to crisp up the skin. Feeling pressured to use up duck confit sitting around the freezer is not such a bad thing after all.
My friend Erika was celebrating her birthday today and I wanted to make her something delicious and pretty. Cupcakes always seem to bring a smile to people’s faces and are fairly easy enough to make that even I can do them. My next pantry project is to use up the huge container of poppy seeds I bought two years ago when I needed just a pinch to garnish scallop carpaccio. I love lemon poppy seed cake so I decided to do a cupcake version of it. Meringue frosting would add a unique twist to it and look beautiful. Then I thought why not stuff it with lemon curd? In the end this cupcake became a perfect smashup of lemon poppy seed cake and lemon meringue tart.
I used Joy of Baking’s vanilla cupcake recipe as the foundation and added the bright lemon flavor to it. The lemon curd was store bought to save some sanity on my part. I had a little taster of the cupcake and it was delicious! I loved the lemon flavor of course and the crunchy poppy seeds added a great texture and also a nice visual effect once the cupcake liner was peeled off prior to devouring. But he toasted meringue frosting was the cherry on top though. Aerated, glossy, and nicely browned just on the edges.
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Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Lemon Curd & Meringue Frosting
makes 12 regular cupcakes
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) buttermilk
2 tbsp lemon zest
juice of half lemon
3 tbsp poppy seeds
about 1/2 cup of lemon curd
Meringue
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixer cream sugar, butter and lemon zest. Add eggs one by one until incorporated.
In another bowl whisk flour, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt.
Add half of the dry mix, then buttermilk, then remaining dry mix and lemon juice. Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated.
Line cupcake pan and divide batter evenly.
Bake for 18-20 minutes and then cool on a rack.
Once cupcakes are completely cool stuff each cupcake with a generous teaspoon of lemon curd. I used the cone method from Cupcake Bakeshop by the talented Chockylit.
Now make the meringue by beating the egg whites. When it gets foamy add cream of tartar and slowly start adding the sugar. Beat until hard peaks. Use your favorite piping tip to apply the meringue to the cupcake. I used a #4 open star tip and then broiled it just enough to get the ridges nicely toasted.
My new project (which in fact is my delayed New Year’s project) is to use up things that have been sitting around my pantry. One of those items is red lentils which I initially bought for hor d’oeuvre presentation purposes a while back. I think a whiiiile back. It’s been used in a few dishes - crispy lentil and burrata salad, dal and… as pie weights. I think that’s it! Wow two dishes. Not very impressive.
I would have loved to make the crispy lentil salad again except having eaten many fatty dishes lately the deep fried treat didn’t seem so appealing, waist-wise that is. So I went with an everyday idea - soup. Seemed easy enough. I sauteed chopped turkey kielbasa in olive oil for a few minutes and when llightly browned I fished them out. A touch of olive oil more to the pot then sweated a chopped onion and shredded carrot (leftover from the preshredded bag sold in markets) and a few chopped garlic cloves. I added chicken stock and water to the pot and added rinsed lentils, paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes and brought it to a boil. I added back the turkey kielbasa and chopped escarole.
I did good by using up pantry lie-arounds, but then I was left with a huge pot of soup! The lentils really blew up. Yup, not too used to making lentils. A jar of soup went into the freezer for one of those in-a-hurry days.
Once the work week started it was time to gather the leftovers in my fridge and put together a decent work lunch. I had a few leftover items in the fridge - a cup and a half of shredded roasted chicken breast, a bag shredded carrot, about 1/4 head of shredded red cabbage, and buttermilk. My first thought was buttermilk cole slaw with the shredded chicken added in. Then I saw some old limes and decided to go on a more Vietnamese turn with a nuoc chom dressing. I combined the red cabbage, carrot, chicken and thinly sliced red onion with fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and garlic. I couldn’t find any chilies in the fridge so I added a generous dollop of chile-garlic sauce to the salad. I topped the salad with cilantro and toasted peanuts. Crunchy, refreshing and satisfying. I love citrus. A healthy lunch that uses up my a leftovers? I’m all over that.
Some of you are wondering what the hell I’ve been doing this whole time. I haven’t been completely non-cooking though. I went through a rough patch with trying to make all sorts of different types of savory brioche, a few turning out successful enough to gift to my French food loving friend Kimi. I made fried chicken last week for the first time. They came out too dark which is why I didn’t take any pictures but were quite tasty cold the next day. I even tried my hand at jelly doughnuts. Man they were adorable but the dough came out chewy! Yes things were going down in my kitchen but all the mishaps had left me sort of hopeless. But the past weekend though I got fired up about one of my favorite foods ever, bbq. Specifically bbq baby back ribs, one of the pinnacle achievements of American society.
Sure I’ve made ribs plenty of times, brined, in the oven, dry-rubbed, grilled, sauced, etc. But this time I was going to try my hand at properly made ribs. That is, low and slow, and smoked. I even bought my first chimney charcoal starter and bag of hickory chips which was exciting. I looked like a kid who had just left the candy store when I bought that. I used Steve Raichlen’s Memphis-Style Ribs recipe which calls for a dry rub and a final sprinkling of spices when the ribs are done. No sauce here which was fine by me. I basted the ribs with the cider vinegar-yellow mustard mop sauce. I raised the internal grill temperature to 50 degrees higher and cut down the cooking time considerably (to prevent diner riots) but the ribs still came out so delicious. I served this with a refreshing cole slaw of red cabbage, green cabbage, red onion, and buttermilk-mayo dressing. It was a perfect Memorial Day weekend meal. Sorry no pics of ribs though. Just imagine them! Tender, juicy and perfectly spiced.
Can’t wait to get a smoker some day. Then it’s really on!
