I’m an NPR junkie.

I listen in the car.  I read stories on my iPhone when I’m waiting somewhere.  I reference tidbits from these stories with reckless abandon.

It’s probably very annoying, but I do it anyway.

NPR makes me feel happy and smart, and since we’ve been TV free since 2008, it connects me to world events so I don’t live in so much of a bubble.

It also brings me interviews of Julia Child, which I listened to last week just before making this tart.  I had already planned to make this recipe for a dinner party, but hearing her talk (an old interview from 1989) made me feel inspired.

What is it about that woman that makes you want to make pie dough from scratch?  And then drop it on the floor?  And then serve it anyway?

I changed the original recipe around a touch, but it still turned out tasty.  The crust is fantastic (all that butter), and the pears are quite nice.

My main complaint is that there is no perfect way to serve this dessert – somehow you have to cut slices of tart without leaving someone with an entire pear on their slice, or with just a sliver of fruit.  Very challenging.

Nothing ended up on the floor (don’t worry, dinner guests, I promise it was all on the up and up.)  But we did chat about Julia Child at dinner.  And yes, I quoted the NPR interview I heard earlier in the day.

Hey, I contributed during the pledge drive this year.  I’m entitled.

Ingredients

For the crust
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups cold butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
5-6 tablespoons cold water

For the pears
juice and zest from one lemon
2 cups simmering water
2 cups Riesling (or other sweet wine)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
6 pears, peeled and the bottoms trimmed so they will stand up

 

For the custard
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup of the pear poaching liquid
2 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream or sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

To make the crust:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture is the texture of course sand.

In a small bowl, combine the egg, vinegar and cold water.  Mix together the egg mixture and the flour mixture, knead to combine.

Roll the dough out on parchment, sprinkled with a little flour so that it will fit in a 9″ springform pan.  Once rolled out, place in the springform pan and trim the top so it is even with the top of the pan and prick the bottom of the crust several time with a fork, place parchment paper inside the crust and then put in a layer of baking beads or beans.

Bake until set, about 20 minutes.

To make the poached pears:

Strain the lemon juice and place it and the zest in a large saucepan. Add two cups of simmering water and stir in the sugar.  Once the sugar is dissolved, add the wine, cinnamon sticks and the vanilla.

Bring the liquid to a boil and then add the pears so they are standing upright.  Cover loosely and barely simmer for about 8-10 minutes, just until tender.

Uncover and let stand 20 minutes in the syrup, or longer, before draining. Reserve some of the poaching liquid for the custard.

For the custard:

Whisk together the flour and sugar.  Gradually whisk in the 1/2 cup of the poaching liquid.  Beat in the eggs, heavy cream, and the vanilla.

For the topping:

Remove the cinnamon sticks from the remaining poaching liquid.  On medium-high heat, continue to cook the liquid until it reduces down to a caramel sauce, stirring frequently.  (Be patient – this could take 30-45 minutes.)

To assemble and bake the dessert:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Stand the poached pears inside the shell, evenly spaced.  Pour the custard around them.

Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, just until the custard is set.

Once the custard is cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool 20 minutes.  Once slightly cool, drizzle the caramel syrup over the pears and custard.

Serve warm or cold.

Source:  Adapted from Julia Child as seen here, and inspired by Roost.

Year of the Noodle:  Week 49

I should have known it would be a rough day when I fell out of headstand first thing in the morning.

Not a gentle “Oops, now my feet are on the ground” kind of fall.  One where you tip over backwards until your butt hits the ground and your heels slam into the wall on the other side of the room.

Not entirely graceful.

The rest of the day was a blur of mix ups and tardiness, leaving me a bit frazzled and incredibly hungry when I finally came home to make this dish.

I was thrilled that it only took 20 minutes to prepare.

Delighted when it photographed so easily.

Revolted when I took my first bite.

John and I both pushed our plates away after one taste.  With such simple ingredients, how could it go so wrong?  How did this become so unappetizing?

I didn’t care to investigate further.  It went into the trash, and we went to Bombay Bowl.  Dinner solved.

Don’t make this.  And maybe don’t try to cook something new if you fell dramatically out of an inversion that morning.  Probably not a good omen.

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserving ⅓ cup of the water, drain the pasta, then return it to the pot.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, ricotta, and reserved pasta water until a rich, creamy sauce forms.
Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Add the herbs, zest, salt, and pepper and toss.

Source:  Real Simple

I teach a 6am hot yoga class on Monday mornings.  Only a few brave souls are dedicated enough to come to a class that early at the start of their week.

Particularly this last Monday, when the temperature was a whopping 3 degrees at 5:30am.  It was not a large class.

When I came home from teaching, all I could dream about was hot coffee and a scone.  And maybe going back to bed.  But mostly the scone.

Not a fruity, healthy-ish scone.  A warm chocolate chip scone – the kind that makes you feel like you are eating cookies for breakfast.

Truthfully, this recipe doesn’t make the best scones I’ve ever had.  Or made.  But they are the easiest by far.  You can come home freezing your butt off and have a hot scone out of the oven in about 25 minutes.

Eat it with a cup of coffee, take a nice hot shower, and get warm from the inside- out.  Even if you didn’t get up at 5:15am.

Ingredients

1½ cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup (6 oz.) chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, melted
Additional sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; stir to combine.  Toss in the chocolate chips and stir to blend.  Add the heavy cream to the flour mixture, stirring just until a dough forms and the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Knead the dough very briefly with well floured hands to ensure even mixing.

Using a large dough scoop (or a large spoon), drop rounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  Brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with additional sugar (if using).  Bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Source:  Annie’s Eats

John claims he’s only taken his wedding ring off once.

He remembers removing his ring for the first, and only, time when we took a pottery class with his sister.  To avoid gunking it up with clay, he slipped the ring into his pocket.  Other than that 3 hour period, it has been steadily on his left ring finger.

He is oddly proud of this fact.

I, on the other hand, take my wedding ring off constantly.  Mostly when I’m cooking.  Whenever I knead pasta, bread, or pizza dough, that ring comes off.

(I learned my lesson on our honeymoon when I got sunscreen clogged in the underpart of the setting and my pretty light blue stones looked black because light couldn’t pass through.  Ugly.  And gross.  It now comes off before sunscreen applications as well.)

To be sure it doesn’t slip down the drain by accident, I keep my ring pressed between my lips, with the stones hanging out of my mouth.

I’m classy like that.

I don’t make it mean anything that I take my ring off all the time, or that John never does.  It’s not like I’m slipping it off to go clubbing with the girls.  I take it off to make delicious pizza for my loved one.

A loved one who thinks its funny when he finds me in the kitchen, kneading dough, with my ring hanging out of my mouth.

That’s right, you married this.  Now eat your delicious pizza.

Ingredients

Your favorite pizza dough
1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced, about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, for seasoning potato slices and onion
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped spinach (original recipe calls for kale)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon, freshly chopped rosemary

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potato slices and red onion slices in a bowl and toss with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender. Make sure you turn them once during the 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the pizza dough.

Preheat oven to 475. If you have a pizza stone, place the pizza stone in the oven to get hot. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough, using a rolling pin. Roll it out to about 3/8 of an inch. Place the pizza dough on a pizza peel or pan that has been generously coated with corn meal. Lightly brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with balsamic vinegar. Top the pizza dough with mozzarella cheese, sweet potato slices, spinach, red onion slices, and fresh rosemary.

Place the pizza in the oven-directly on the pizza stone, if using one, or on the oven rack. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until pizza crust is golden and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing. Slice and serve warm.

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

Year of the Noodle:  Week 48

Having been vegetarian for over 11 years, I don’t understand the obsession with bacon.  I’ve actually heard people say “I could be a vegetarian, too, as long as I could still eat bacon.”

Hmm.  It doesn’t quite work like that.

Why is bacon the only thing you couldn’t give up?  If anything, I’d think chicken would be harder because it’s in everything.  No?

The bacon in this recipe is a vegetarian substitute, and as I’ve heard many times, apparently tastes nothing like the real thing.  John claims it is like eating the paper towel that you put cooked bacon on – salty, paper-like, and totally unsatisfying.  To me it tastes just fine (probably because I have 11 plus years of not eating bacon on my side.)

I think the vegetarian bacon adds just what it is supposed to in this dish – salty, smoky flavor.  If you are horrified by the idea of not eating the real thing, I’m sure this dish would be just as good with pork bacon.

Just don’t claim you are a vegetarian while you’re eating it.  I might have to smack you.

Ingredients

1 medium butternut or kabocha squash, cut into bite-sized chunks
8 oz pasta
4 slices tempeh bacon, cut into small pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb baby spinach
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp almond milk or regular milk or heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.  Roast squash on a foil-lined pan for 30-40 minutes or until tender.

Set up a pot of salted water to boil.  Begin to cook the pasta.  While the water is heating, spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook the bacon.  Add the garlic and some black pepper.  Add the cooked squash to the pan.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks, almond milk, and parmesan cheese.

Place the spinach in the bottom of a colander.  Reserve some of the water from the pasta and then strain over the spinach so that the hot water cooks the spinach as you’re draining.  Add the pasta and spinach to the pan and toss.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Use the pasta water to temper the egg mixture, pouring in a 3 tbsp, one at a time, and stirring vigorously while adding so the eggs don’t cook.  Pour the tempered egg mixture into the pan and toss to coat.  Add a bit of the pasta water until sauce has the desired consistency.

Serve with parmesan cheese.

Source: Eats Well With Others