Three-Bean & Corn Chili

It's getting downright cold here.  Sadly, I know this is nothing compared to the next few months.  Feeling my face hurt in 8-degree cold and shoveling in knee-deep snow are among my least-favorite things.  To warm up, I've been baking up a storm and making lots of soups and stews.  This Three-Bean & Corn Chili from Flour bakery's second cookbook will be making lots of appearances over the next few months.  It's full of cannellini beans, black beans, chickpeas, corn, sweet potato, and carrots.  Pimenton, or smoked Spanish paprika, gives it an unexpected smokiness and depth.  And to mix it up, I used ancho chile powder when the recipe called for chili powder.

I didn't think Joe would like this, expecting his reaction to be along the lines of: "Where's the beef?"  But we loved it.  I'll be making beef chili at some point also, because we love our red meat.  But this bean chili is hearty without weighing you down, and has got loads of flavor.  It's also super-healthy and low in the calorie department, both good things as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach.  If you're vegetarian or vegan, this will be a welcome addition to your repertoire (minus the cheese if you're the latter, of course).  Stay warm, friends!

Spinach and Ricotta Challah

I think this is the prettiest bread I've ever baked.  Honestly, though, I stood in my kitchen beaming like I'd sculpted some masterpiece.  This is a challah filled with spinach and ricotta and pine nuts, shaped into a mock braid, and sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds.  When I realized the method for braiding was the same I had used for my Braided Lemon Bread, I dove right in.  Here's a how-to guide.

Before you assemble: Make sure your dough is on a parchment sheet or silicone mat.  Otherwise, it will be almost impossible after to move to the baking pan while keeping it intact.
1. Cut the rectangle of dough so there are tabs on the top and bottom, and evenly spaced strips on either side.  Spread the filling down the middle.  Try to avoid snacking on too many of the toasted pine nuts and depleting them, which is easier said than done.
2. Fold down the top tab, then fold over one side strip, followed by the one on the opposite side, repeating all the way down.  Easy!  So you're either folding left-right-left-right, or right-left-right-left.
3. Before you finish folding all the strips, fold the bottom tab up, then braid the remaining strips over it.  You might have noticed I don't have an even number of strips on each side -- don't repeat my mistake.  If you do, no big deal.  I just tucked the last extra strip under.  Brush on an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, and you're ready to bake!

Joe loved the bread and devoured it.  I froze the second loaf, because he vetoed my idea of giving it away.  I have to confess, however, that I didn't love the bread as much as I thought I would.  I felt like the filling could benefit from a stronger flavor like goat cheese or feta.  Also, the dough was just too wet and I had to add nearly an extra cup of flour to make the dough come together, even though I weighed the ingredients so measurements should have been precise.  And as nice as the bread was, I found myself thinking the flaky phyllo layers of spanakopita were superior.  Still, all the while, I never got tired of marveling at how pretty my loaves were.

Moosewood's Cheesy Potato Soup

My friend Jill made this soup for my birthday last year, and I had to ask for the recipe. It's hearty and just what you want as the weather gets chilly. I like to puree a little over half of the soup, so you get that creamy texture but still have some good chunks. It's easy to make, and can come together in under half an hour.

Moosewood's Cheesy Potato Soup
3 tbs butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large potatoes, peeled in large dice
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into chunks
3 cups vegetable stock or water
2 tbs fresh dill
4 oz. cream cheese
1½ cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar (3 oz.)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the garlic and onions in the butter until translucent. Add potatoes and carrots and saute 5 minutes longer. Add the stock and dill and simmer until vegetables are tender (expect 15 to 20 minutes). Stir in the cream cheese and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheddar and cook until just melted.

I throw chunks of cheddar in the food processor to shred, and then ladle about half of the soup in to puree.

Then return the velvety mixture to the pot, stir to combine, and add the cream cheese and milk.

Cheese Ravioli from Scratch

Joe's the pasta-maker in our house (and pizza, and bread most of the time). But I'm good at filling and cutting the ravioli. We make a great team! These are tasty on a bed of sauce with more Parmesan grated on top while the ravioli are still hot so the cheese melts just slightly.

What we used for the filling:
1/3 cup ricotta
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 tbs. dried oregano (fresh, if you have it)
2 tbs. dried basil (ditto)
1 tbs. salt
1 tbs. black pepper
Stir together and set aside. Play with the filling, adding other cheeses, herbs, or seasonings.

Joe's pasta ingredient list is simple:
3/4 cup semolina
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs water (more, if needed)

He whizzes them all together in a food processor (knead by hand if you don't have one) just until the dough comes together in a ball. The dough shouldn't be sticky, and if the sides are frayed when you're cranking it out, your dough is probably too dry. He then divides the dough in half and flattens each half into a rectangle.

Then he folds the dough in thirds like a letter, as pictured, and runs it through the pasta machine. (Why he prefers a hand crank instead of a stand mixer attachment, I don't know.) Run the dough through the crank starting on setting 1, and each time gradually work your way up to setting 7.

The dough will be thin like this.

My rolling mat is great because it has a grid and measurements in inches and centimeters. Cut your dough (my pastry cutter makes these pretty scalloped edges) into long strips. Throw some flour under the strips to keep them from sticking to your mat.

Scoop 1/2 tsp of filling in the center of each square (mine were about 2 square inches each), taking care not to overfill them. Lay another strip on top.

Using a wooden bamoo skewer, go between the lumps of filling, and press down and roll around to push out the air and seal the pasta.

Do the same at the top and bottom, pressing down and rolling in toward the filling and back out to the edge.

Cut up your squares. You can also use a round cookie cutter to make circular ravioli instead.

Boil them for 3 to 4 minutes, and fish them out with a strainer. They'll float to the top. Happy eatins'!

Don't be intimidated: Risotto

That's what I recently told a friend who loved the dish. All it needs is near-constant attention, and I even included a pictorial guide below. And don't use regular long-grained rice like I did on my first try.

Butternut Squash Risotto, adapted from Ina Garten's recipe

1 butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
6 cups chicken stock or broth
4 tbs unsalted butter
2 large minced shallots
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1/4 cup chicken stock if someone doesn't drink alcohol)
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Place the squash in a roasting 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 pot. Leave it on low heat to simmer.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the shallots on medium-low heat for a few minutes. Add the rice and wine (or broth, if using) and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.






Add 2 ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.



Stir and simmer. When it looks like the liquid has cooked like this, add more stock.





Stir and let it cook until it is almost dry again, 5 to 10 minutes, and repeat the process by adding another 2 ladles of stock. Continue repeating the steps (adding the broth and letting the liquid absorb) until the rice is cooked through but not mushy, about 30 minutes total. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat, and add the squash and Parmesan.









Stir it all together and serve!