Almonds are the secret ingredient in classic and modern baked goods. Think French macarons, financiers and frangipane. And almonds croissants too. And almonds are my go-to ingredient for making good-for-you treats. Healthy baking with almonds means adding almond flavor and a healthy halo to anything you bake, whether a cake or cookie, a quick bread or tart. Here is my outline of the ways to use almonds—in all their forms — as a stand in for less healthful ingredients in baking
Monday, October 05
Barley Pilaf, Mushrooms and Aged Gouda
Marketers use the term “ancient grains” to describe grains and seeds that are untouched by plant breeding. Grains such as faro and spelt or such seeds as quinoa and teff for example. Preparing a webinar for culinary educators on how to introduce such unfamiliar grains into their kitchen classrooms, I came up with this recipe for Barley Pilaf, Mushrooms and Aged Gouda that can be used to prepare many healthful whole grains. The average American diet lacks fiber and nutritious carbohydrates. This
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Ginger Whole Meal Biscuits
Neither a cookie nor a cracker, these Ginger Whole Meal Biscuits are the kind of not-too-sweet cracker that goes well with cheese or a cup of tea. The type of flour you choose impacts the flavor of the biscuits. I always use stone ground whole wheat for its nutty taste and either buckwheat or rye equally as the accent flour. Powdered ginger enhances the biscuits’ mild sweetness. With the ginger, I think they are perfect accompaniment
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Pumpkin French Toast
Big Food feels our love for pumpkin pie; Trader Joe’s is stocking more than 35 products with those flavors this season. Here’s the real thing in the form of French toast. The soaking custard for the pumpkin French toast, made with canned pumpkin, is rather thick. Give the bread enough time to absorb the mixture. I prefer to pan fry French toast but it can be baked instead. Either way, serve it with maple syrup and
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Mouclade, Mussels Cooked with Cream and Curry
This is one of the first recipes from our original Restaurant du Village repertoire that we most enjoy where there’s a nip in the air. Mouclade, Mussels Cooked with Cream and Curry means briny mussels, sweet curried cream and a few pieces of crusty bread. It makes the perfect meat or first course with a few friends. Don’t be tempted to try light cream or milk instead of heavy cream. The mixture will curdle. Instead
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Sunday, October 04
Pork Schnitzel, Apple Balsamic Red Cabbage
Schnitzel is Old School but it’s a dish we come back to time and again. Although veal is the classic ingredient, we use pork for these Pork Schnitzel served with Apple Balsamic Red Cabbage. You could try making the dish with boneless chicken breast or even portobello mushroom caps, which should be delicious and vegetarian. But lean pork works well because schnitzel cooks in minutes without toughening the meat. Fine bread crumbs and even heat make a
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Wednesday, September 09
New York Chewy Bagels Food Processor Mixing Method
Bagels became my specialty when we were working on Charlie’s book, The Best Bread Ever. When I lived in New York city for a few years, a warm “everything” bagel was a breakfast staple alternating with an Eli’s Raisin Pecan Roll. Naturally I was the one to adopt making this iconic roll. For the book, we received tips from true bagel mavens and the result is this recipe, New York Chewy Bagels Food Processor Mixing
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Thursday, July 09
Salad Season – Mustard Vinaigrette
All the Jean’s I know make the best salad dressing. Chef Jean Pierre Vuillermet at Union League Café and Chef Jean-Claude Szurdak, Jacques Pepin’s childhood friend, among them. They get the salt just right, a generous amount but not too much. The same thing is true with how much dressing to use. Not too much. Toss well. For me, Salad Season = Mustard Vinaigrette. Here’s my entry into the salad dressing collection. This mustard vinaigrette has
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Monday, June 22
Chinese Almond Cookies
Although they are a Lunar New Year specialty, Chinese American style almond cookies pair well with ice cream and summer berries. So I thought this would be a welcome recipe with the abundance of truly tasty local strawberries right now. And I am looking to catch some luck. Almond cookies were once a staple at Chinese restaurants in the US. But you rarely spot them now that fortune cookies have taken over. Growing up, I
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Friday, May 29
Rye Crown Loaf with Olives and Rosemary
Recently I’ve been testing some bread baking products from Emile Henry. I developed this fragrant Rye Crown Loaf with Olives and Rosemary to bake in their Bread Baking Cloche. It’s the kind of bread that appealing to me right now because the dough has a good percentage of fiber-rich, whole grain rye for flavor. And it is perfumed with fresh rosemary and salty olives. There is little skill required to shape the dough into a
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"Let no man fancy he knows how to dine Till he has learnt how taste and taste combine."
-Horace, Satires, 2.4They're here!
