Tag Archive for ina garten

FFF | October 30, 2009
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Buttery & Golden Pastry Dough

Dough, it’s buttery, crusty, golden, and delicious.  I think I actually eat pies and other pastries most of the time just to eat the dough itself.  You would think that I would have known how to make my own golden pastry dough, but up until last weekend I had never really tried it.  Ever since I got my food processor (which seems to be a common sentence intro) I have been wanting to take advantage of its magical powers, cue the pastry dough!

One of my very dear friend’s Caitlin came to visit me last weekend and I wanted to prepare something special for her for dinner.  I had been watching an episode of Giada at Home on the Food Network and really enjoyed her episode on making cheese the main star in your dish.  So, I set out to prepare what I thought was a savory Crostata as an accompaniment to our meal.  The dish included apples (in season), gorgonzola cheese (yum) and walnuts (in my pantry) so it sounded like a great idea.  Plus, it gave me the long awaited opportunity to make pastry dough.

Tart & Tangy Granny's

Quick aside: Does anyone else ever do what I do, make a dish for the first time for a guest as opposed to making a classic you know how to make??  I never mean to do this, but it always seems to work out that way.  Thankfully I have wonderful friends who like to try my experiments :)

So back to the dough…I could have gone with Giada’s recipe, but it called for mascarpone cheese, and quite honestly, I didn’t feel like going out to buy it.  So, I researched my no-fail foodie goddess Ina Garten and tried my hand at the Barefoot Contessa’s pastry dough. The best thing about making pastry dough is that 1) it requires minimal ingredients you should always have one hand, and 2) it takes almost no time to prepare.

Ingredients as follows:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar or superfine sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 lb very cold unsalted butter, diced

2 tablespoons ice water

It's a pastry party!

Using the steel mixing blade in your food processor, pour in the flour, sugar, and salt, and pulse 2-3 times until all the ingredients are nice and incorporated. Next, add the diced butter and pulse again 12-15 times until the butter is mixed in with the flour mixture and is the size of peas, and looks like course sand. NOTE: Make sure your butter is VERY cold for the best results.  Helpful trick is to place the stick in the freezer 5-10 minutes before you are ready to use it.  Try using it with room temperature butter and you will not be very happy with your finished product.

Next, with the feed tube removed from the lid of your food processor, pour in the ice water while pulsing to combine, about 4-5 times, or until just before the dough turns into a solid mass.

Dough Disc

Lastly, flour a cutting board or other firm surface and scoop out your dough mixture. Using your hands, mold the mixture together into a disk, about 2-3 inches thick (see photo). Place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or, if you want to freeze for later, straight into the freezer where it will last for up to 3 months. If you are planning on freezing it, I suggest wrapping it in an additional layer of wax paper.

Guess what? You just made homemade pastry dough! Now all that’s left to do is decide what to make with it.  This dough is great for pies, crostatas, tortes, or anything else you want to wrap in a buttery shell of deliciousness. Which brings me back to my story about the Apple Gorgonzola Crostata…

Thinking this would be a savory dish because of the gorgonzola cheese, I went ahead and prepared it well before dinner leaving me enough time to try it and make sure it wasn’t awful.  As soon as I got the apples in the pan with the butter and sugar, I quickly realized this wasn’t going to be anywhere near savory.  I thought once I add the gorgonzola it will smooth it out, but unfortunately, while the mixture tasted delicious, it tasted like dessert.  Not that this stopped me from continuing on with my dish, but I went to plan b for the side dish.

Apple & Gorgonzola Crostata

When all was said and done, this made a great dessert.  The goronzola cheese brought an interesting flavor combination to the sweetness of the apples, but in a good way.  Perhaps next time around I would use slightly less gorgonzola than the recipe calls for, but thats all a matter of personal preference, after all it is a strong cheese.

Storage tip: Do NOT leave this sitting on your counter for longer than an hour or so after it’s done baking, place right into the refrigerator.  I made this mistake and wound up with a mushy smelly mess the next morning that I wasn’t able to finish eating :( Lesson learned!

Moral of the story: Give pastry dough a try!  If you haven’t already, use this recipe to make some yummy pies and treats for the upcoming holiday season.  It is fresher and cheaper than a store bought dough and you will have a wonderful sense of satisfaction when you tell your friends that you made the crust yourself!

Click here for the recipe for the Apple & Gorgonzola Crostata

Category: Recipes, Seasonal | Tags: , , , , ,
FFF | October 18, 2009
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In Season: Butternut Squash

This weekend finally felt like fall in Florida, it was sunny and 70 degrees all day.  For those of you who don’t live here, I recognize this not cold, and not really fall weather in most everywhere else, but for us Floridian’s it’s amazing!

The fall weather inspired me to pick up one of fall’s best seasonal vegetables, butternut squash.  The odd, bowling ball shaped veggie is sweet and delicious roasted or steamed. And because it’s in season right now, you can pick them up very inexpensively.  In fact, the one I bought at Publix today was only $o.79 a pound.  One 2lb squash will produce nearly 8-9 cups when cubed.

Here are some facts about one of fall’s best treats, courtesy Bon Appetit magazine: (http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/10/butternut_squash)

Butternut Squash

How to buy

Butternut squash is available year-round, but it is best from early fall through winter. Look for a squash that feels heavy for its size; one with a fat neck and small bulb will have the smallest seed cavity, yielding the most meat. Butternut squash should have a hard skin without bruises or mold. (A darker-colored spot indicating where the squash has been resting is fine).

How to use

Even though butternut squash is one of the tenderest winter squashes, getting to its sweet inner meat can be difficult. If you prefer not to attempt to prepare it yourself, many supermarkets now sell peeled and diced butternut squash. To prep butternut squash yourself, use a sturdy, sharp chef’s knife. First, cut off the top (with the hard stem) and then cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and stringy interior with a spoon. For sautéing, you will need to peel the squash first, which you can do with either a sharp vegetable peeler or a paring knife.

How to store

Do not refrigerate whole butternut squash; it will keep for a month or more in a cool, dark place. Peeled butternut squash should be stored tightly covered and refrigerated for up to five days.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Courtesy Ina Garten

Butternut Squash RisottoThis is one of my all time favorite recipes that incorporates butternut squash.  Roasting the squash produces the best consistency and the pancetta adds a salty and rich flavor.  Ina is known for adding homemade chicken stock to her recipes and after making this with and without it, she is absolutely 100% right on, it makes a difference. Of course it will still be good, but if you have it on hand, use homemade (click here for recipe).

When looking for pancetta (italian bacon) the most economical way to purchase it is to get a slice from the deli counter.  They sell it pre-packaged but it’s likely going to be expensive and more than you need.  Publix carries Boar’s Head pancetta at $10.98 a pound, but for this recipe you only need 2 ounces so ask them to cut a 1/4 pound thick slice.  This only cost me $2.10!

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces pancetta, diced
  • 1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

Have more butternut squash than you need? Add pieces into a green salad and mix with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts and toss in a vinaigrette. Viola, warm butternut squash salad!

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Category: Recipes, Seasonal | Tags: , , ,