temporary downtime

Sorry I've been absent lately, but I've been holing up in my emotional pillow fort.

I'll return shortly, promise!

xoxo

Adj

Paris Je t'aime! Day 3 & 4 Highlights (Or, my attempt at Ginger Pumpkin Macarons)

*With Mere away at work, I hang out at the flat waiting for our friend Christa to arrive. I find myself caught up watching (1) the Fiji v. Samoa Rugby World Cup game and (2) Le Destin de Lisa, which is like Ugly Betty, except it's German and I'm engrossed in French-dubbed version for close to 2 hours. (Seriously, it's riveting stuff.)

*The apartment manager arrives to fix the washing machine and mentions passing a blonde girl with a suitcase on the stairs. Turns out Christa's here!

(Christa's shoes, which she insists smell like puppies. I think the jetlag got to her.)

*Christa and I engage in lunch eating and people-watching. She teaches me how to ask for the check in French. Which it seems I have been doing really, really, really wrong.

*My goal for the day is to check out one of the big flea markets in the City, Les Puces in Clignancourt. Thanks to extensive directions courtesy of Jordan at Oh Happy Day, we manage to make it past the UBER-sketch vendor vans and find ourselves exploring one of the largest open-air markets I've ever seen. This place is MASSIVE. It takes several hours to explore all of it, and I'm still not convinced that we did. Both Christa and I manage to score some unique buys for home, friends, and family.

*We head back to the apartment to wait for Mere. No dice. Homegirl texts to say she's been kidnapped by her co-workers for dinner and drinks after work. (She's eventually able to escape around 2:30am.)

*Since Christa and I are on our own we decide to walk around Montmarte for dinner and drinks. Thank God Parisians like to eat late, because it's after 10pm before we manage to sit down.

*The next day we all wake up to the sound of screaming teenagers and rolling garbage bins. What the hell?

*It's apparently some kind of protest taking place at a nearby school, the Lycée Turgo. Despite Christa's investigations, we never do figure out what was going on that morning, except that the bins were stacked up against the protesters' target building. (We later discover that it has something to do with pension reform.) Christa does, however, return with a pain au chocolate for me, earning my most sincere admiration for all eternity.

*Mere is back at work with a hangover, so Christa and I are once again the Dynamic Duo for the day. Armed with the book Parisian Chic (recommended by fellow blogger Shannon over at The Simply Luxurious Life), we decide to do some shopping. Unfortunately, there's a typo in the book and as a result we walk for friggin MILES with no luck.

*We eventually stumble upon the Hôtel de Ville...

*More importantly, we stumble upon one of the shops mentioned in my book: BHV or Bazaar de l'Hôtel de Ville, one of Paris' most iconic department stores. What is it with the French and their super-sized shopping centers? This place is at least 7 floors of merchandise. By the time we make it through 3 floors' worth of shopping, we're about to crash from low blood sugar. Time to eat!

*Lunch is followed by the one museum I'm actually geeked to check out: the Musée Rodin. It turns out that the musée costs 10€ to check out, but the jardin costs 0€. No brainer there. Besides, the jardin is home to some of Rodin's most famous pieces: 

*Part of our view of the jardin is blocked by a massive white tent. Christa and I ponder just how much you have to shell out to have your wedding amongst Rodin's artwork. We check out the museum giftshop, where I buy a pen that comes with a moving figure of  the Thinker on one end. Classy.

*The kids are still protesting, albeit more silently, in front of the Turgot.

*We, of course, couldn't care less, as Christa has a sudden hankering for macarons. We find some at a local boulangerie - a 6-pack of mini-rainbow-colored delights. Christa is semi-elated, since she's not convinced these were made in-house. Not that this stops her from generously sharing.

*It's a bust. Christa explains how a proper macaron will melt in your mouth, both crispy and creamy at the same time. The search will have to continue. But first: a nap! Followed by dinner at a lovely vegetarian bistro called Soya. I mistakenly order a carafe of rosé instead of a glass. Or did I?

And now, for your recipe......

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This fuss over macarons piqued my interest. I mean, how good could they really be?

Pretty f'ing amazing, as it turns out. (But more about that later.) After returning home, I decided to give making macarons a try.

Unfortunately, an online search for macarons will turn up cooking instructions that put baking these crispy treats on par with neurosurgery. Turns out macarons are temperamental little f*ckers: one misstep and you end up with cracked shells, hollow meringues and broken dreams.

Tasty broken dreams, of course, but fractured nonetheless.

I scoped out a few different bloggers and came up with an amended recipe for Pumpkin Ginger Macarons.

How did they turn out?

Meh.

They were DELICIOUS, granted, but I think I fudged the macronage stage (when you mix the dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites). There's a test you can use to see if you've under-mixed the batter, which I've included in the recipe.

Godspeed to you, fellow bakers. And as per usual, enjoy!

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Ginger-Pumpkin Macarons

(Adapted from Bravetart.com)

(NOTE: I STRONGLY suggest you check out Bravetart.com's macaron Myths and Commandments postings. They'll make you a stronger baker, promise.)

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz (115g) almond flour (Red Mill makes a decent one)

8 oz (230g) powdered sugar

5 oz egg whites (144g)

2 1/2 oz (72g) granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp (2g) salt

1/4 tsp (2g) pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp (2g) ground ginger (powdered form, please!)

a few drops of orange food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper (or with a silicone baking mat). Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 300°F/148°C. Sift the flour with the powdered sugar and set that mess aside. (You can go ahead and toss any clump or lumps that wouldn't sift.)

Place the egg whites into the bowl of your standing mixer (you can use a hand mixer here, but be prepared to do some work). Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes, until the egg whites start to look frothy. Add the granulated sugar, the scraped vanilla bean or vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on medium-high speed for another 3-4 minutes. Your egg whites should begin to form soft peaks. Add the pumpkin pie spice and the powdered ginger. Mix at high speed for another 3-4 minutes. Add the food coloring (if using) and whip for another minute. Your egg whites should form nice, shiny white peaks. Go ahead and pick up the bowl. Turn it upside down. If the egg whites stay in place, well done! If not, shower and try again.

Now here's the part where I miffed up a bit. You need to incorporate the dry ingredients into your egg whites. Sounds easy right?

Not so much. This stage, the macronage as it's been called, is where you can make or break your macarons. (Kitchen Musings has some great explanations for this.) Using a rubber spatula, fold in your dry ingredients into the egg whites (break the contents of the bowl into 2 halves to make mixing the dry ingredients a bit easier). Your goal here is to completely incorporate the flour/sugar combo. That means you need to SCRAPE THE SIDES while you're working the batter.

There's no need to sweat with panic, as there's an easy test to check if your batter is done. Every 5 - 10 stirs, spoon a little bit of the mixture onto a plate, making a small puddle of batter. If the puddle has a peak that won't dissolve, you need to keep stirring. If the peak does dissolve quickly (i.e., your batter flows like lava) then you're good to go! Check out Dulce Delight's clip on YouTube for a visual reference.

Spoon your batter into a piping bag. (No bag? No biggie! Just clip the corner off of a quart-sized ziplock bag and be sure to watch your pressure.) Pipe the batter into 1 1/2in discs on the baking sheets, keeping them approx 1-in apart. (Seriously, the batter spreads while cooking, and no one wants a double-macaron. Or DO they???) Rap the pans against the counter a few times to work out any air bubbles and them let them rest for 15 minutes or so (feel free to go longer if you like).

Place the baking sheet in the oven for 12 - 18 minutes. Why the huge time range? Well, basically ovens are like finger prints - no two are the same. (That is to say, some have hot spots while others can maintain a consistent temperature.) To accommodate for this , you'll want to check in on your macarons at the 12 minute mark. Try to pop off a meringue. It should stick a bit to the pan without separating entirely. You can also go ahead and tap one sucker in the middle. If it's super gooey, you need to cook them a bit longer. Close the oven door and check on them every 2 minutes until done. Completely cools the cookies in the pan.

The filling is considerably easier to assemble: Simply blend together 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (aka, canned pumpkin), 4 oz (or half a box) of cream cheese, 2 tbsp powdered sugar (or more to taste), and 1/4 tsp ground cloves.

Pipe or spoon a quarter-sized dollop onto a cooled macaron shell and sandwich together with an unfrosted half.

Now for the hard part: HANDS OFF. No, seriously - macarons need time to "ripen." So stick those suckers in an air-tight container and sit on your hands for a night before snacking.

Even if your first attempt is a bit of a fiasco, I promise that they'll be the best tasting mistake you've ever made. Paula Deen suggested turning failed macarons into a trifle, and that sounds like a better plan than crying over cracked cookies anyday.

Let me know if you need a tissue. Good luck!

Risotto Mexicana (Or, What to Do When MarxFoods Sends Mystery Samples)

Sometimes I'm lucky enough to enjoy little perks of being a blogger who likes food. I've had a chance to review grass-raised beef from Hearst Ranch and to try out Palm Leaf Plates on a picnic date with BHE.

So you can imagine how big my eyes grew when MarxFoods announced that it would send a box of mystery ingredients to a set of volunteer bloggers, with the challenge of coming up with a recipe based on the contents of mystery package.

Gauntlet thrown, MarxFoods!

My mystery box arrived while I was on my girl-cation. Thankfully, BHE kept it out of Donald's reach. I opened it as soon as I came home and here's what I found:
*Dried Pasilla Negro Chilies
*Dried Lobster Mushrooms
*Diced New Mexico Chilies
*Smoke Sea Salt
*Whole Wheat Couscous

My original idea was to make a dish that consisted of a couscous crust with sauteed lobster mushrooms seasoned with the sea salt and maybe a hint of the diced chilies. But, I decided I wanted something a little heartier.

Soup?
Nah.

Pasta?
Nope.

And then it hit me: Rice! Or, risotto, rather. It's quickly becoming that time of year when my racing needs (i.e., carbs and lots of them) converge with cooler temperatures. I start craving things both warm AND filling.

So risotto it was! But then I began to wonder: what kind of risotto? Most of the dishes I've had tend to be cheesy/creamy with spring veggies in them (think parmesean and asparagus). This dish would clearly need a spicier finish. Maybe something with mushrooms?

I began thumbing through past recipes looking for inspiration. How could I incorporate the pasilla chile without overwhelming the dish? Spice is one thing - but mind-numbing heat is quite another.

Help came in the form of a soup recipe from Rick Bayless, who likes to blend chilies with tomatoes in some of his recipes.

Eur-friggin-reeka!

And so combining this little trick with some risotto-making basics, I came up with my Risotto Mexicana. Hearty and smokey, with a little heat to help you through the increasingly cooler nights.

Now, I am aware that the peeps over at Serious Eats just did a big piece on making the perfect risotto. It involves rinsing the rise with the stock and then preserving the stock for later use...all of which I did not do here. (In my defense, the article came out like 2 days after I had finalized my dish.)

That said, if you want to take the longer route, I'll provide directions for that, too. As for me, well, my evenings can get a little hectic, so I use the quick n' easy routine when necessary.

The dish was a hit and BHE went back for thirds, which is always a good review in our house. Let me know how it works out for you!

And, as always, ENJOY!

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Risotto Mexicana

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium to large dried pasilla negro chile (stem and seeds removed)
1 15oz can diced tomatoes with juice
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2oz dried lobster mushrooms
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups arborio rice
1 medium onion (or 3 shallots), diced
1/4 tsp Diced New Mexico chilies
1/4 tsp smoked sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup mild cheddar cheese or queso fresco (optional)
fresh cilantro to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Reconstitute the mushrooms by placing them in a bowl (preferably glass) and covering them with boiling water. Set aside for 20 minutes or so, until the mushrooms are tender. Strain and dice the mushrooms, but reserve 1 cup of the water for the risotto.

**EASY RISOTTO COOKING METHOD PRESTEP** Preheat the oven to 400F

Pour the tomatoes and its juice into a blender. Break up the pasilla chile into small pieces and then add it to tomatoes.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over med-high heat in a large pan or skillet. Add the garlic, diced chilies and HALF of the diced onion. Stir frequently, sauteing for about 5 -7 minutes or until the onion is translucent and the garlic golden. (Do NOT burn the garlic.) Add this mixture to the tomato blend and process until smooth.

Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and remaining tbsp of olive oil. Once the foam has subsided, add the diced mushrooms and saute them for 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms (keeping the butter and olive oil in the pan) and set aside. Add the remaining dice onion and continue sauteing for another 3-4 minutes. (Add an extra tsp of olive oil if the pan is a little dry after removing the mushrooms.)

**ADVANCED RISOTTO PREP 101 (via Serious Eats)* "Place the rice into a bowl and pouring the chicken or veggie broth directly on top. Agitated the rice to release all of the starch, then poured it through a fine mesh strainer, reserving the starchy, cloudy broth on the side."**
Add the rice to the onion mixture and cook for 1 more minute, stirring frequently until the grains are a nice golden brown.

**EASY RISOTTO COOKING METHOD** Add the blended tomato mixture to the pan with the rice. Add the sea salt, reserved liquid (from the mushrooms) and broth. Stir to combine. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Take out the dish, add the mushrooms and (if you're using it) the cheese. Stir to combine. Recover and bake the dish another 10 - 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Season with additional New Mexico chilies if desired. Serve with a cilantro garnish.

**NOT-SO-EASY RISOTTO COOKING METHOD (again, via Serious Eats)* Add the blended tomato mixture to the pan with the rice. Add the sea salt, reserved liquid, and 2 cups of the reserved broth (mix the broth before adding to distribute the starch). Increase the heat to high and cook until simmering. Stir the rice once, cover, and reduce the heat to low.

Cook rice for 10 minutes. Stir once, shake pan gently to redistribute rice, cover, and continue cooking until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender with just a faint bite, about 10 minutes longer.

Remove lid and add final cup of broth and the mushrooms. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring and shaking rice constantly until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and add the cheese (if using) and season with additional New Mexico chilies (if desired) and a cilantro garnish.**

It's a damn tasty dish, if I do say so myself! Enjoy!