Almond Meringues

Every time I make Challah bread I lament the fact that I am throwing 6 egg whites away.  I hate to waste, but egg whites?  What am I going to do with egg whites?  The go to is anything meringue.  The thing is, I just don't love meringue.  As a child my mom would make gorgeous lemon meringue pies and my sister and I would split it.  She'd take the meringue, I'd take the lemony goodness.  But, I really shouldn't waste these egg whites.  And, I should probably have something to show after a day of solitude... OK.  Meringues it is.  Meringues they are?  Hmn.

I found a recipe for more pavlova style meringues and decided to omit the toppings and add some almond extract.  This is from a British recipe, so I am using grams.  It always turns out better than trying to use a conversion.  If you don't have a scale that can do grams and ounces?  Get one.  It's really handy.

Almond Meringues

makes 24 large meringues

Ingredients 

6 Egg Whites, room temperature
1 scant teaspoon almond extract
350 grams Sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Place egg whites into a large clean bowl.  Add almond extract and beat until they form soft peaks.  Add approximately 1/2 of the sugar and continue to beat. 
4. Add the remaining sugar one spoonful at a time until all is combined and the mixture forms stiff peaks.
5. Spoon the meringue onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 225 degrees and cook for a further 2-3 hours until crisp and dry.
7. When they are cooled they can be stored in an air tight container.

Gingerbread Cake

This delightful cake recipe is from the February 2000 issue of gourmet magazine.  This winter I was inspired by this amazing photo (left side, middle) and knew I had to make a ginger cake that would stand up to the beautiful topping.  When Jill brought the cake to a party, I knew I had found my cake.  I should have consulted the picture a little more, because the final result wasn't nearly as pretty.  We can try again next year.  I've made a slight modification of the recipe because, as I discovered, beer and molasses can boil over quickly - got to keep a tight eye on them.  Otherwise this recipe is as posted.

I used a generous portion of Wilton's Cake Release and had no trouble with the bundt pan or the springform (yes, I made two).  I made them 12/23, so that the flavors could meld for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  The cake is very tender, yet hearty and rich and it does improve with age.

Ingredients

1 C. Oatmeal Stout or Guinness Stout
1 C. Dark Molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 C. All-purpose Flour
1.5 tsp. Baking Powder
2 Tbsp. Ground Ginger
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp. Grated Nutmeg
Pinch of Ground Cardamom
3 lg. Eggs
1 C. Packed Dark Brown Sugar
1 C. Granulated Sugar
3/4 C Grapeseed Oil
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Accompaniment: Unsweetened whipped cream

Instructions: 

Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan watching carefully as it can boil over quickly. Once boiling remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter bundt pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and sugars. Whisk in oil, then molasses mixture. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

Pour batter into bundt pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Serve cake, dusted with confectioners sugar, with whipped cream. Do ahead: This gingerbread is better if made a day ahead. It will keep 3 days, covered, at room temperature.

Baked Cod with Crunchy Lemon-Herb Topping

No. I didn't take this picture. Truth be told, pictures are the main reason I haven't been posting. I just can't be bothered to stop and take pictures while I'm cooking or even less-so when dinner is ready and I'm trying to get everything on the table. I don't know how those other bloggers do it! So, this picture is courtesy of Cook's Country, a more down-home version of Cook's Illustrated. I've made this a couple times and both times we really liked it. Ok. It has mayonnaise in it, but sometimes you just have to overlook those bits of country and get something quick and tasty on the table. At Trader Joe's I didn't see Cod Filets, but they did have Cod pieces, which actually worked fine...just be sure to keep and eye on them because they won't take as long to cook.

Baked Cod with Crunchy Lemon-Herb Topping

1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
24 Ritz Crackers, crushed into coarse crumbs (I used Whole Wheat Ritz)
2 Tbsp. Minced Parsley, divided
3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
2 sm. Garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Lemon Zest
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
4 skinless Cod Filets (about 2 lbs)
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat over to 450 degrees. Grease baking sheet with butter. Toss cracker crubs and 1 Tbsp. parsley together in medium bowl. Mix remaining parsley, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice together in a small bowl.

Pat fish dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Place on buttered baking sheet, spacing pieces about 1/2 inch apart. Brush tops and sides of fish with mayonnaise mixture, the press cracker crumbs into mayonnaise.

Bake until crumbs are golden brown and fish flakes apart with fork, about 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Hummus with Mushrooms

In Israel they don't eat Hummus like a dip as Americans do. Hummus is sometimes an appetizer, but may also be a main course - probably not for dinner, but definitely for lunch. This is my adaptation of a recipe we have found in several restaurants. It's makes a great weekend lunch or a nice vegetarian dinner. Serves 2-3

Olive oil
12 oz. Small Button Mushrooms
1 Onion, sliced
2 cl Garlic, chopped finely
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Tumeric
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hummus
Tahini (Add lemon juice, water, garlic, and parsley to taste. Whisk until the sauce thins)
Pita

Wash the mushrooms and trim the ends off. Place oil in pan and turn to med-high heat. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms and spices (I'm guessing about how much I use because I just eyeball it - feel free to experiment with the amount that you like). Saute until the vegetables are soft and have released their moisture, so the pan is no longer dry.

Prepare a plate by spreading the hummus on the bottom creating a sort of crater. Place a moderate amount of the tahini sauce in the crater, so that there is a thin layer filling it. Top it with the mushroom mixture.

Serve with warm pita. As a tip, most people in Israel buy pita fresh and place it in the freezer. When they need it they heat it on the stove or in the oven. This keeps it fresh.