Cookbook Review

For the first monthly review of 2012, click on the link Cookbook Review.

Green Pancakes

No, I'm not channeling Dr. Seuss. What I'm doing this sunny January morning is enjoying some lovely, savory vegetable pancakes. Colorful, delicious, and easy to prepare, these pancakes are adaptable to any time of day. You might serve them at brunch, with sausage or smoked fish, and they would make a terrific supper alongside a simple roast chicken or pork chop. They are light and full of the Mediterranean flavors that bring brightness and cheer to winter cooking. The compound butter flavored with lime, cilantro, garlic, and chile is the perfect accompaniment. And it is also a condiment in its own right; brilliant on a baked sweet potato or dabbed onto a simple sauteed chicken breast. From the book "Plenty" by Yotam Ottolenghi, here is the recipe for "Green Pancakes with Lime Butter".

Serves 3-4
Lime Butter
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
grated zest of 1 lime
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
To make the lime butter:
Put the butter in a medium bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon until it turns soft and creamy. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Tip onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a sausage shape. Twist the ends of the wrap to seal the flavored butter. Chill until firm.

For the pancakes
1/2 lb. spinach (about 8 cups), washed
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
2/3 cup milk
6 medium green onions, finely sliced
2 fresh green chiles, thinly sliced
1 egg white
olive oil for frying

Wilt the spinach in a pan with a splash of water. Drain in a sieve and, when cool, squeeze hard with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Roughly chop and put aside. Put the flour, baking powder, whole egg, melted butter, salt, cumin, and milk in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the green onions, chiles and spinach and mix with a fork. Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and gently fold it into the batter. Pour a small amount of olive oil into a heavy frying pan (I use a non-stick pan), and place on medium-high heat. For each pancake, ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan and press down gently. You should get smallish pancakes, about 3 inches in diameter and 3/8 inch thick. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until you get a good golden-green color. Transfer to paper towels and keep warm. Continue making pancakes, adding oil to the pan as needed, until the batter is used up.

To serve, pile up three warm pancakes per person and place a slice of flavored butter on top to melt.

* In my experience, savory pancakes reheat well, wrapped securely in foil and placed in a low oven (300-325F) for about 10 minutes. Compound butter can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or frozen. Mr Ottolenghi's book is based on a column he wrote for the Weekend magazine of The Guardian newspaper, called "The New Vegetarian". It is a beautiful book, full of inspired vegetarian recipes. Look for more details in an upcoming cookbook review.

Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes

Citrus fruit is the star of winter produce. With its sunny color and fresh, vibrant acidity, citrus is a delightful addition to both sweet and savory dishes. One of my favorite citrus fruits is the Meyer lemon. Meyer lemons are a hybrid species, a cross between a mandarin orange and a lemon. They have the bracing , fresh flavor of a lemon without the mouth-puckering bite. The Meyer is thin-skinned with zest that is egg-yolk yellow in color. The fruit has an almost floral quality in its scent and flavor; it is quite distinctive. Meyer lemons are in season now and I was thrilled to find them in my local supermarket. The recipe I have chosen is an old-fashioned pudding cake. Some of you may remember it from your childhood; it's the one that bakes up with a cake layer on top and a smooth lemon sauce beneath. It is simple to make and can be baked in one dish or in separate ramekins. I chose to use individual molds as I think they make a pretty presentation. You can serve the pudding warm or cool it and then chill until serving time. Either way it's good with a few tart berries on the side or a fluffy spoonful of whipped cream. Here is what you do:

Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake (adapted from "Classic Home Desserts" by Richard Sax)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1 generous tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 325F, with a rack in the center. If you are using a single baking dish, choose an 8-inch square or a 9-inch oval with a 1 to 1 1/2 quart capacity. For individual puddings, you will need 4-6 ramekins of a 6-8 ounce capacity. Butter the baking dish or ramekins and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar, as you would do for a sweet souffle. In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, milk, zest, and lemon juice; pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture and stir until blended. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they from soft peaks.

Fold a little of the egg whites into the lemon mixture; gently fold in the remainder. Pour the batter into your chosen baking dish(es). Place the baking dish or ramekins in a slightly larger pan; set on the center rack of the oven. Pour in enough hot tap water to reach about halfway up the sides of the baking dish(es). Bake until the surface of the pudding is lightly golden, about 35 minutes (20-30 for smaller ramekins).

Cool in the pan(s) on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. For a single baking dish, spoon out portions of the top cake layer with the lemon sauce beneath. The individual ramekins can be inverted onto a serving plate and garnished as you please. A light, flavorful dessert, just right for a cold January night. Enjoy.

New Year, New Look

Welcome to the new-look Devil's Food Advocate site. This is the start of what I hope will be a more user-friendly and fun site to come and learn about the pleasures of good cooking with the best ingredients. Today is the perfect day to be in the kitchen with the oven on and a pot of soup simmering on the stove. The sunny, mild weather earlier this week has turned back to the winter we all knew was lurking out there. As I write there is a steady stream of small white particles falling to the ground. So in order to stay warm and dispel the grey chill that is outdoors, I have made a bright carrot and leek soup.

Carrot and Leek Soup

For the Soup
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup leeks, cleaned and sliced thinly
1/2 small onion, cut in medium dice
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
kosher salt
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed, lightly crushed in a mortar
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable or light chicken stock

To Finish and Garnish
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 scant teaspoon Dijon mustard
1-2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Croutons made from caraway or marble rye bread

In a sturdy soup pot, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and well-washed leeks (I swish mine in a bowl of water and lift them out so that the dirt and grit stay behind).

Add a large pinch of salt and stir the vegetables to coat with the butter and oil. Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables have softened somewhat, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the white wine, increase the heat and allow the wine to bubble away for a minute or two, with the pot uncovered. Add the stock, thyme, dry mustard, caraway seed, and celery seed. (You may need to add additional salt at this time, depending on the saltiness of your stock). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are completely tender throughout. This may take 30-40 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup in a blender (in batches) or with an immersion blender. At this point I always pass the soup through a sieve for a more refined texture, but this step is optional. Return the soup to the pot and bring to serving temperature. Whisk in the heavy cream and the Dijon mustard. Taste for salt and acid and adjust with the rice wine vinegar to your liking. Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls and top with crispy rye-bread croutons and a few fresh thyme leaves.