Category Archives: photography

Arctic Amaretti

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amaretti_nA perfect little cookie – crispy on the outside, chewy and sweet on the inside and accented with the wonderful flavor of almond.

I love to read blogs and look at food photos in order to hone my baking and photography  skills. Time and again, I find myself on David Lebovitz’s blog admiring  his well-staged photographs and interesting recipes. A few days ago, he posted a recipe for Italian almond cookies. I’ve never made these, but have fond memories of snacking on these delicious, crunchy treats straight out of the red tin from Cost Plus. The commercially sold cookies had a bit of a chewiness inside and a nice crunch on the outside and I  loved the almond flavor.

When I saw David’s post, I put it at the top of my “must bake” list, in spite of the fact I had neither the almond flour nor apricot jam his recipe called for. Nonetheless, the credit for the basic recipe goes to David. His idea of using jam to enhance the cookie’s chewiness and moisture is terrific.  But I did adapt the recipe to my pantry, which included swapping regular old apricot jam for fantastic Arctic cloudberry (aqpik) jam. Too good to keep for ourselves, we gave most of the batch to our  hard-working office staff who had them finished before lunch.

Arctic Amaretti

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sliced almonds, ground as fine as you can in a food processor (reserve a few slices to decorate cookies)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tbsp cloudberry jam (any smooth jam would work)
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together ground almonds and sugar. A whisk makes this job easy.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk egg whites and salt until they form soft peaks.
  4. Fold beaten eggs into almond mixture.
  5. Fold jam and almond extract into mixture. It’s OK if mixture loses volume.
  6. Mix dough until it forms a smooth ball. You may need to knead it a little with your hands.
  7. With a cookie scoop, scoop out dough balls and set them on parchment-lined baking sheets.
  8. Top cookies with reserved almond slices.
  9. Bake for 25 minutes. Cookies will be a light golden brown when done.
  10. Let cool in pans and transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.
  11. Store at room temperature.

Pecan Persimmon Upside Down Cakes

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pecan persimmon upside down_nCrunchy on the outside, moist in the middle, and topped with a mixture of caramel and persimmon, this small batch of individual-sized cakes will warm up a chilly fall afternoon.

Hachiya persimmons can be tannic and astringent, according to Full Circle Farms. After eating two raw with breakfast, Jack and I were not excited about the lingering mouthfeel, a term we’ve adopted from our culinary professors. They were beautiful and tasty on the first encounter, but left an acidic dryness. I thought the process of baking the fruit would retain the delicious flavor and eye appeal, and that by releasing sugars, the acidity might be reduced.  Since we only had one persimmon remaining, I opted for mini-cakes baked in a muffin tin. The result was six perfectly-sized individual cakes with a crunchy texture on the outside, a moist and flavorful inside, and caramel-glazedl baked persimmons on the top.

Pecan Persimmon Upside Down Cakes

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 6 whole half pecans
  • 1 persimmon, sliced and then quartered
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • pinch salt
  • generous 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Grease a six muffin tin (regular sized).
  2. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a pan over medium heat.
  3. Add brown sugar. Stir until sugar is melted and begins to bubble.
  4. Divide sugar mixture into bottom of muffin tin.
  5. Place a half of a pecan into center of sugar mixture, upside down.
  6. Place sliced persimmon quarters in a circular fashion on top of the sugar and pecan. Set aside.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  8. Beat 4 tbsp butter and granulated sugar until fluffy.
  9. Add in vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
  10. Mix in egg.
  11. Mix in milk. Continue mixing until fully blended.
  12. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
  13. Pour sifted mixture into wet ingredients.
  14. Mix until just blended, do not overmix.
  15. Fold in chopped pecans by hand.
  16. Scoop 1/6 of batter on top of each persimmon layer.
  17. Bake for 25 minutes. Cakes are done when they pull away from sides and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  18. Let cool for 5 minutes in baking pan.
  19. Invert cakes to present. Enjoy with mugs of steaming hot tea.

Yam, Goat Cheese and Shallot Tart

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yam goat cheese tart_n

The sweetness of yams and sautéed shallots, the creamy tartness of goat cheese, the zip of parmesan, and a sprinkle of thyme make this savory, aromatic tart perfect served as an appetizer, as a light meal, or as a side dish.

Our CSA (Full Circle Farm) sends a regular delivery of fruits and vegetables to our remote home in Arctic Alaska. In addition to the fresh, organic produce, they insert a recipe flyer into each box. Every recipe we’ve tried has been fantastic. And just in time for Thanksgiving, their test kitchen absolutely nailed a savory vegetable tart. Although we used yams, a number of substitutes came to mine as we were enjoying this tart with falling-off-the-bone tender pork ribs that Jack had slow cooked in the oven. Carrots, turnips, and especially parsnips would all work well. We love parsnips!

Yam, Goat Cheese and Shallot Tart

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 1/4 lb yams, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp thyme
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Grease a springform pan.
  4. Place yam slices in overlapping layers, starting at outer edge and spiraling inwards to make one layer.
  5. Sprinkle some of the thyme, shallots, cheeses, salt and pepper.
  6. Repeat process 3 times to create 3 layers.
  7. Cover top of tart with cheese.
  8. Bake until top is golden brown and tart is easily pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes.
  9. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
  10. Remove from pan and cut into wedges to serve.

Anniversary Crème Brûlée with a Surprise!

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two tone creme brulee_n

Crème brûlée – you expect delectable vanilla bean custard topped with the crunch of caramelized sugar. The fun and tasty element to this version is the surprise at the bottom.

For our anniversary, Jack and I dined at the best restaurant in Point Hope. To begin the meal, the sous chef prepared a simple salad while the head chef created individual plates of Alaska sashimi appetizers: thinly sliced Kodiak scallops along with perfect crescents of Alaska Gulf sweet shrimp presented beautifully with a small mound of wasabi and a side dish of soy sauce. The next course was a pair of tender USDA prime filet mignons pan-seared to perfection and served with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and sweet onions. The main dish was accompanied by baked Yukon gold potatoes and a dollop of dill sour cream.

The pastry chef thought we should enjoy something creamy at the end of this meal, but she wanted to provide a pleasant surprise. As we cracked the caramelized tops and dipped through the vanilla bean infused custard, our spoons hit a layer of chocolate ganache that made the dessert truly special. Marital bliss and a perfect meal – another day in paradise.

Two-Tone Crème Brûlée for Two

Ingredients

  • chocolate ganache (see below)
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • tiny pinch salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar for topping

Directions

  1. Fill bottoms of two 4-ounce ramekins with chocolate ganache. Ganache should be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Set ramekins aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the slightly lower than center position.
  3. Whisk milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla paste in a medium pot over medium heat. Whisk until mixture steams and almost boils. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
  4. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Stir cream mixture into the eggs one tablespoon at a time until the egg mixture is warmed. Once mixture is warmed, increase addition of cream mixture to 1/4 cup at a time. This will prevent eggs from cooking and scrambling.
  5. Gently pour mixture into two 4-ounce ramekins.
  6. Set ramekins in a baking dish. Pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the ramekins.
  7. Bake uncovered in preheated oven until desserts are softly set, about 45 minutes. The centers will jiggle.
  8. Remove baking dish with ramekins from oven and let desserts come to room temperature while in water bath on counter.
  9. Chill ramekins in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
  10. Right before serving, sprinkle 1 teaspoon granulated sugar evenly on each dessert.
  11. Use a kitchen torch to slightly brown and caramelize the granulated sugar. Let cool for ten minutes and serve.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

  1. Place chocolate chips into a small glass bowl.
  2. Pour cream into a small heavy bottomed pan.
  3. Heat cream until it comes to a boil.
  4. Pour cream over chocolate chips, ensuring all chips are immersed.
  5. Let bowl sit for about 4 minutes.
  6. Whisk mixture just in the center of bowl in order to emulsify the chocolate and the cream. Once emulsion occurs, begin to mix the rest of the melted chips.
  7. Continue whisking until mixture is silky smooth and shiny.

Rustic Reuben with Righteous Rye and Robust Russian Dressing

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reuban from scratch b nBursting with flavor, this satisfying from-scratch version of an East Coast classic was delicious to the last caraway seed!

Jack suggested we make reuben sandwiches with the gorgeous purple kraut I’d just created. For this menu request, I would need my freshly baked righteous rye bread, corned beef, Russian dressing (see below), Swiss cheese, and butter. I already had all these items on hand except for the corned beef, and since this year the majority of the protein in our freezers is fish, that was going to be a challenge.

I wrinkled up my nose at Jack’s suggestion that we walk to the Native Store to see if they had any canned corned beef. Lo and behold, they did. “Premium” canned corned beef – it even had a little key on the side with which to open the can. This was new to me. I have had canned tuna and chicken, but neither of those items came with a key. I stared at this can turning it over and over to try and figure out how to open the darn thing. Thanks to YouTube, I now know how to open a can of corned beef!

Fortunately the homemade elements of this reuben added enough to the premium canned corned beef to make it a terrific, bush-style sandwich. Had this sandwich been made with homemade corned beef, or corned caribou, it would have been fit for Food and Wine magazine! Sounds like I have a new goal as soon as I can trade for caribou (or wild mountain goat, Bixlers, if you’re reading this)!

For this phenomenal reuben sandwich you need:

  • 2 thick slices of rye bread
  • Russian dressing
  • corned beef
  • sauerkraut
  • swiss cheese
  • butter or olive oil

Instructions

  1. Generously spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.
  2. On the opposite side of bread, generously spread Russian dressing.
  3. Place enough corned beef to cover one piece of bread.
  4. Add a layer of Swiss cheese.
  5. Add a layer of sauerkraut.
  6. Cover sandwich with second piece of bread.
  7. Place sandwich in heavy skillet on stovetop over medium heat.
  8. Press sandwich down while cooking, about 5 minutes on one side.
  9. Flip sandwich.
  10. Press sandwich down on second side, and cook for another 5 minutes. Cheese should be melting out of the sandwich.
  11. Slice sandwich diagonally and serve with a dill pickle.

The Russian dressing is taken directly from Zingerman’s deli recipe which was posted on Food Network’s website. The only adaptations I made were to use my own homemade mayonnaise and to omit parsley.

Russian Dressing

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • generous 1/4 cup chili sauce
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1 1/2 tbsp minced shallots
  • 1 1/2 tbsp minced dill pickle
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp grated horseradish
  • 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

DIY Small Batch Purple Sauerkraut

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sauerkraut diy_n

To make this beautiful purple kraut, you need only a few days of fermenting time and items you already have in your kitchen.

Every year I pick one thing I want to learn to make and force the issue by removing it from our annual shopping list. Last summer, a friend had us taste her homemade kraut infused with locally picked highbush cranberries, which grow in Alaska. It was delicious. Her quick directions gave me confidence that I could easily make sauerkraut, too.

The purpose of lacto-fermenting vegetables is to store the summer harvest so that vegetables can be enjoyed throughout the year. Since I had only one head of cabbage which weighed a pound-and-a-half,  I turned to small batch food preservation methods. Credit for the following directions goes to a blog called The Kitchn where the author posts all sorts of information about lacto-fermentation, photos, and step-by-step directions.

Our first menu with the finished kraut was a knock-your-socks-off reuben. We’ll post that  recipe in an upcoming article.

DIY Small Batch Purple Sauerkraut

Ingredients

  • 1 small head purple cabbage (about 1.5 lbs.)
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp caraway seeds
  • 1 tbsp dried juniper berries

Directions

  1. Gather materials you will need to process kraut: 2 quart container, cutting board, chef’s knife, gallon Ziploc bag, large mixing bowl, and lidded quart container for final product.
  2. Slice cabbage into ribbons. Discard core.
  3. Place cabbage ribbons into large mixing bowl. Sprinkle salt all over cabbage.
  4. Knead, massage, and squeeze salt into cabbage, until cabbage begins to become shiny and loses liquid. This will take about 10 minutes.
  5. Mix in caraway seeds and juniper berries.
  6. Pack mixture into 2 quart container. Pour any liquid from mixing bowl into container, too.
  7. Fill Ziploc bag with water and set inside 2 quart container to weigh down and cover cabbage.
  8. Press down cabbage every few hours. This will cause air to come to the surface.
  9. If there is not enough liquid to cover the cabbage in 24 hours, add 1 cup water mixed with 1 tsp salt.
  10. Keep the container out of light and at a temperature of 65 – 75 degrees F.
  11. Allow to ferment from 3 – 10 days. Begin tasting at 3 days. Mine tasted just right at 3 days. The longer you leave it, the more sour it will be.
  12. Put finished sauerkraut in a 1 quart container and store in the refrigerator. It should keep for several months.

Vanilla Flan with Traditional Caramel Sauce

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flan_n

Enjoy this vanilla custard, caramel-topped dish with a freshly brewed cup of coffee or tea to complete a memorable dinner with friends.

Crème caramel (flan) and crème brûlée are classic oven-baked custards. We’ve both loved flan from the first taste. The soft, custardy texture is very satisfying and the way the caramel sauce  drizzles down the side of this dessert when you invert it is just plain fun. When I was in my twenties, I made flan the instant way – squeeze the packet of caramel on the bottom of a dish and pour in the custard. Jack discovered flan in Japan, where it is commonly sold in convenience stores as a complete, packaged snack and less frequently in coffee shops.

After learning to make flan authentically – preparing stovetop caramel from scratch and baking the dessert in a water bath – there is no turning back. The vanilla flavor in this recipe is intense, thanks to the addition of vanilla paste, and the caramel was sweet with just a hint of bitterness just as my Culinary Institute of America teacher said it should. Many flavors could be substituted for the vanilla; try orange, chocolate, cinnamon, or chai for an equally excellent dessert.

Vanilla Flan with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 cup and 1/3 cup granulated sugar, separated
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp vanilla paste, or 1 vanilla bean, split
  • 3 eggs

Instructions

  1. Place 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in a pot. Gently stir to blend.
  2. Bring mixture to a boil without stirring, putting a lid on pan so that moisture from boiling syrup will wash down sides.
  3. Let mixture continue to boil until it starts to turn a light brown color.
  4. Take pan off heat and allow mixture to cool until it has a honey-like consistency.
  5. Pour caramel into 4 small ramekins. Swirl caramel around so it covers the bottoms of the ramekins. Set aside.
  6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  7. Warm milk, 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla on stovetop.
  8. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Pour warm milk mixture into eggs, whisking continuously. Add cream and continue to whisk until thoroughly mixed.
  9. Pour milk mixture into prepared ramekins.
  10. Place ramekins in a larger pan, for example a roasting pan, and fill the roasting pan until water reaches halfway up the ramekins.
  11. Bake custards in oven for 30 – 40 minutes.
  12. Custards will be done when there is a small wiggle in the custard. Allow ramekins to cool off and wipe them dry. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, or overnight.
  13. To present the dessert, run a small knife around the edges of the ramekins. Place a serving plate on top of the ramekin. Flip the dish and give it a quick jerk in order to remove the flan from the ramekin. The caramel should now be on top and will drizzle over sides to plate.

Lighter than Air: Cream Puffs and Eclairs

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cream puffs_n

Friends who share a love of baking and cream-filled pastries dipped in chocolate ganache warmed up a rainy afternoon in our kitchen north of the Arctic Circle.

Perfectly turned out pastry puffs filled with delectable cream and dipped in chocolate ganache are the the stuff of home bakers’ dreams. Cream puffs and eclairs require a special dough called pâte à choux. Worked to exactly the right consistency, this dough bakes up light and flaky and leaves a hollow space in the center of the confection. Although we used traditional vanilla-flavored pastry cream, we also imagined filling these airy profiteroles with fresh whipped cream, homemade ice cream and even savories such as smoked salmon cream.

Making cream puffs and eclairs can’t be rushed. The pâte à choux dough requires time and attention in order to get it to the correct consistency as it cooks on the stove top. Next, it must be carefully piped onto a baking sheet and placed in the oven where it will finish. Creating the pastry cream is fairly easy, and making chocolate ganache is magical.

All that work, and between three bakers, three tasters and steaming mugs of of rooibos almond tea, our eclairs and puffs disappeared in short order.

Pâte à Choux

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • up to 4 eggs

Directions

  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Pour milk and water into medium pan.
  3. Stir in salt and sugar.
  4. Add butter.
  5. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.
  6. Take mixture off heat and stir in all the flour. Mixture should look like mashed potatoes.
  7. Return pan to low heat and stir continuously. This will dry out the dough a little.
  8. Dough should come together to form a ball.
  9. Starchy residue at the bottom of the pan is an indicator that the dough is dried out enough.
  10. Take dough off stove and place it in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Turn it to low to allow the dough to be cooled off by the mixer.
  11. Mix in eggs one at a time, watching that the dough does not become too thin. The dough should be soft, creamy, and shiny.
  12. Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a large tip.
  13. Pipe ball shapes onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving plenty of room for these puffs to double in size.
  14. Bake puffs for 10 minutes.
  15. Turn oven down to 325 degrees F and continue to bake for 15 minutes.
  16. Fill with chilled whipping cream or pastry cream – savory or sweet.

These will freeze nicely.

Inupiat (Eskimo) Yo-Yo with Polar Bear Fur

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eskimo yoyo n

Fashioned from polar bear fur and finished with intricate beading, this Inupiat yo-yo has transcended it’s traditional purpose to become art. Based on a bola design, in olden times tools like this were made of rocks tethered together with sinew and were used to catch birds. 

Beautifully crafted by Molly Oktollik, one of the elders here in the village of Point Hope, Alaska, this Inupiat “yo-yo” isn’t what most of us envision when we hear the word yo-yo. In former times, they were made of rocks held fast on sinew tethers and in the right hands were a formidable tool for catching birds. Ptarmigan, for one species, are often easy to get close to, and ducks and sea birds returning to their headland roosts typically fly in on a low trajectory.

These days yo-yos are crafted as pieces of art, or, when less elaborate, as toys. It takes a certain skill, but the two ends can be made to rotate in opposite directions – that is, with one end revolving around the center handle clockwise, and the other revolving counterclockwise. It’s a pretty cool trick if you can get it to work.

Lattice Top Apple Pie with Baked-On Cinnamon Sauce

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apple pie lattice top n

Cinnamon sauce baked into the lattice-top crust makes this apple pie irresistible. The only debate was whether to enjoy it with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese or a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream. 

Last week’s baking lesson was all about baking with butter: buttery cranberry scones, fluffy butter biscuits, and two kinds of pie – lemon meringue and a lattice-topped apple. After learning how to create the lattice top, which was surprisingly easy, we took a basic apple filling and poured the liquid you would normally mix into the apples over the top of the pie, allowing the flavors to bake into the lattice and surround the apples inside. This apple pie was served hot out of the oven to friends with cinnamon vanilla ice cream as fortification against a chilly day north of the Arctic Circle.

Apple Pie with Baked-on Cinnamon Sauce

Ingredients

  • 5 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pastry crust for 9-inch double crust pie

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  2. Toss apples in lemon juice. Set aside.
  3. Melt the butter in a saucepan.
  4. Stir in flour to form a paste.
  5. Add water, granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
  6. Place the bottom crust in your pan.
  7. Fill with apples, mounded slightly.
  8. Cover with a lattice work crust.
  9. Gently pour the sugar and butter mixture over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
  10. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.
  11. Let cool slightly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.