Shorter days and chilly nights be damned, this year I’m just not feeling ready to say goodbye to summer yet. I’m still buying the last ears of corn from the market, no matter how anemic. And I’ll continue buying tomatoes too, even the ugliest, most bruised ones, if it means that I can eat fresh tomatoes for one more meal as we ease into a winter filled with those lackluster replacements we call “hot house” or “canned tomatoes”.

This works out well for me, because corn and tomatoes are two foods that  are so versatile that there’s no need for a lot of kitchen time and complex recipes, something I just don’t have a lot of these days. I’ve started the second leg of my culinary school career, and for the next nine months, I’ll be spending many of my nights at the French Culinary Institute, learning what I’ll need to become a pastry chef.

I feel like I’ve dropped off the face of the earth since I started school again, and I realized that I haven’t mentioned a thing about how its going. I hate to admit it, but it’s been difficult adjusting this time around, and it has nothing to do with the cooking school part -I’ve got that down.

Thanks to my summer spent in the bread kitchen at the FCI, I’m fully acclimated to the uniform (complete with the ridiculously impractical, hard-to-tie neckerchief), the culture of brevity (YES CHEF! YES CHEF! YES CHEF!), the hard work, the constant hustle, and demand for a focused, I’m-working-but-I’m-also-listening-to-soak-up-every-single-word-that-chef-is-saying kind of discipline.

On my first day of class, I was prepared for all of that, and it’s like I’d never left. I tucked all of my hair up under my hat and pressed my jacket so the chefs would not be able to scold me. I paid attention to demos and lectures and assembled all my mis en plas before I began a task. The first four classes have been like a dream with all of the cool new things I have learned.

The one part that’s been a little hard for me this time around is that I am the old lady in the class. My classmates look at me like I’m an alien, and I think they’re wondering who brought their mom to school. And when I look at them I try not to think about how the middle school students I taught five years ago are now older than the majority of these youths in my class.
In my spin through the bread program, where the youngest person in the class had at least graduated from college, I remember thinking how cool it was that cooking school united such a hodgepodge of people, with ages spanning from 20 to 50. Age meant nothing at all, status was determined by one’s ability hang with the work. I really enjoyed the people I worked with while I was there, because even the youngest person was really passionate about food. We’d geek out talking about food and cooking every second that we were allowed to talk. It was exactly what I expected from culinary school, a group of people as passionate, motivated, and unapologetically dorky as I am.

That’s just not the experience I’m having this time around. My eighteen-year-old partner has a great work ethic and a lot of heart and hustle, but by virtue of our difference in age, I just don’t see us bonding over long conversations about restaurants we love. It’s a small thing that I’ll definitely get over as we move from tarts and cookies to choux and more complicated techniques in the coming months, but for now it’s making me a bit nostalgic for summer.

Perhaps that is why I’m refusing to let go of summer food and embrace the bounty of fall.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa and Roasted Sweet Corn Salsa

I selected these recipes based on what I had in the fridge and they rely heavily on my personal taste. When you try them out, taste as you go to make sure that you making them to suit your palete – if you want more spice you may want to use hotter peppers, for example. The tomatillo salsa is spicy and even a little bitter, while the roasted corn salsa is very sweet – Brian called it “Italian salsa” because the roasted tomatoes, corn, and basil bring a sweetness that most people would not expect from a salsa. I added smoked pepper hot sauce to give it a little heat and I think the smoky flavor works well with all that sweetness.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Adapted from Gourmet, November 2009

Serves 4-6 people as an appetizer or snack

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos or 3 (11-ounce) cans tomatillos
• 3 fresh jalapeno peppers
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt

Preheat broiler.

If using fresh tomatillos, remove husks and rinse under warm water to remove stickiness. If using canned tomatillos, drain and measure out 2 cups. Broil chiles, garlic, and fresh tomatillos (do not broil canned) on rack of a broiler pan 1 to 2 inches from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 7 minutes.

Peel garlic and pull off tops of chiles. Purée all ingredients in a blender.

Roasted Sweet Corn Salsa

Serves 4-6 people as an appetizer or snack

3 Beefsteak tomatoes, cut into large pieces and seeded
1 large onion, cut into quarters
3 ears of corn, with the kernels removed from the cob
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
oilve oil
1 clove of garlic
Juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper, to taste
smoked pepper hot sauce, to taste

Set the oven to 350 degrees and place the tomatoes and the garlic clove in a pan and drizzle olive oil over them, then coat them with the oil using your fingers. Put the tomatoes and garlic in the oven to roast for 15 – 20 minutes. The tomatoes will have begun to caramelize and some of the water should cook off. Once the tomatoes have started to roast, remove the garlic clove and turn the oven to broil, coat the corn and onions in olive oil and add them to the pan with the tomatoes and cook a few inches from the heat under the broiler for 5-7 minutes, until the corn and onions char. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool.

Chop the tomatoes, garlic, and onions into small pieces and stir together with the roasted corn. lime juice and basil. Add salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve with tortillas.

I can stop my whining about the lackluster fare at the markets – spring has finally arrived, and at long last, the farmers are toting something fresh and new in the backs of those huge trucks. There’s lettuce and baby greens, ramps, asparagus, the first teeny-tiny strawberries, and so much more! And the best part: once the floodgates open, the produce just keeps getting better and better each week as the balmy weeks of summer unfold.

After all of the excitement of our extended weekend, Brian and I took it easy on Sunday and enjoyed a stroll in one of the smaller markets in the East Village. I have tons of love for the chaotic Union Square market, but with the construction on the park going on, it’s been a bit claustrophobic for me. Luckily, there are markets all over, happening at different times of the week, you need only chose the closest to your home or office, using this amazing map.

We ended up checking out the market at the Stuyvesant Town oval, since it’s really close to the apartment, and never seems to be crowded. I was psyched to discover that there were gorgeous bulbs of spring garlic (aka, green garlic) and even some tomatoes (hydro grown, so not the real deal, but an improvement over supermarkets).

And just like that, our dinner was born.

My favorite thing about the markets of June – November, other than the quality of the produce, is that they provide us with the opportunity to eat a menu dictated largely by nature. During these times, it becomes so freaking simple to pick up a ton of whatever is in season and work backwards from there, dreaming up (or researching) the best ways to use each week’s haul.

Sometimes, we have a lot of fun finding elaborate ways to use the fruits and vegetables, other times, a simple brush with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper is all we need to create a satisfying meal.

This bruschetta recipe falls sort of in-between. It’s very simple, and the mild, juicy spring garlic gives the prefect garlic flavor, without overwhelming you with bite. We grilled our bread, but you needn’t be as fancy, toasting under the broiler or even in the toaster oven will do. Be sure to only add salt right before you are ready to eat to avoid drawing the liquid out of the tomatoes. It’s the perfect accompaniment to other grilled veggies, or a crowd-pleasing starter at any BBQ.

Spring Garlic and Tomato Bruschetta Recipe

Serves 3-4 people

4-5 tomatoes on the vine

1 bulb spring garlic, chopped finely

1 large handful of fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt or kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

1/2 loaf baguette, cut into 3/4 inch thick rounds

Combine chopped tomatoes, spring garlic, and fresh basil in a bowl, gently mix, and refrigerate for at least two hours (no more than to allow the flavors to meld.

When you are ready to serve, remove tomatoes from the fridge and pour off some of the excess liquid, so the mixture is not too soupy but also not bone dry. Prepare your grill or turn on the broiler of your oven. If grilling, place the bread rounds on the grill and toast them on both sides, being careful not to burn them. If using the oven do the same, with the bread up close to the top of the broiler.

Arrange bread rounds on a plate. top each one with a few tablespoons of the tomato mixture, and allow a little of the juices to seep into the toasted bread. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

Summertime cooking can be so beautifully simple.

How perfect that the seasons that beckon us to stay outside and play until after dark are the same ones that give us my favorite fruits and veggies, that require almost no preparation time or effort, allowing us to run that extra mile, extend happy hour, or take the long way home.

Artichokes are my favorite of all the warm weather foods that fall in this category.

Last night I picked up these globe artichokes, and it was just a matter of trimming them and steaming in a bath of water and a little dry white wine (optional)…

…before we were face first and elbow deep in the business of pure, unadulterated artichoke enjoyment.

I personally like to scrape the tender parts loose from the underside of each leaf using my teeth, saving the meaty hearts for last. There are few other foods that you can devour with such gusto, within the bounds of decorum. 

How to Cook Artichokes
The way my Mom taught me long ago 

1. Trim the stem and top each approximately 1 inch.

2. Steam the artichokes in a pot, with the flowers facing down and the stems facing up on high heat with about 2 inches of liquid (water, water and wine solution, or broth all work) for about 30 minutes, until the stems are tender and easily pierced with a fork.

3. Eat, one petal at a time (squeezes of lemon or a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar are optional), by pulling the petal through slightly clenched teeth to scrape off the tender “meat”. When you get to the heart, scoop out the fuzz with a spoon and cut off and leftover stem and enjoy!

I can only spare a minute today, so I’ll stick to the facts:

Fact #1: The only thing better than fried anything else is fried goat cheese.

Fact #2: The only thing better than fried goat cheese is fried goat cheese with caramelized shallots and a drizzle of honey.

Fact #3: Crispy outside, creamy, oozing center

Fact #4: Sweet, savory

Fact #6: Dinner party guests think you are a god(dess)

Goat Cheese Croquettes
Inspired by tapas restaurants in the East Village

1 4 oz log of fresh goat cheese, frozen

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1 medium shallot, sliced into thin rounds

1/4 cup honey

olive or grapeseed oil

Makes 4

Warm 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Slice the shallot across the equator into thin slices, and separate out each ring. When the oil shimmers, place the shallots in the hot oil and fry until they are brown and slightly burnt, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan with thongs and allow excess oil to drain off on a paper towel.

Cover the bottom 1/8 inch of a large saute pan with oil and place over medium heat. Remove the goat cheese from the freezer and cut into four equal rounds (each weighing 1 oz). When the oil shimmers, dredge each round of goat cheese in the egg and then in the panko, ensuring that the round is covered on all sides.

Immediately place the rounds into the hot oil and allow them to fry for about 2 minutes, or until you notice the cheese in the middle of the rounds bulging out slightly. Carefully turn the rounds using a pair of thongs or a spatula (or both), do not to splash the hot oil. Allow the rounds to cook for another 2 minutes and then remove from pan. Allow excess oil to drain off on a paper towel.

Drizzle a bit of honey on the bottom of four small plates and top each with shallots and a goat cheese round. Drizzle a bit of additional honey over the top. Serve immediately.

How appropo, a green hummus posted, today of all days. And while I had not planned on posting something so strikingly green for St. Patty’s Day, the act of posting something green was calculated and completely deliberate. After madeleines and cake, let’s pause to cleanse our paletes, shall we?

 I first tried edamame hummus at Rice, my favorite lunch spot in Dumbo. Their version is less homogenous, with visible chunks of edamame and little pools of creamy tahini, and I think that their version might also have chickpeas in it. They serve it in tiny dishes with delightful puffed rice crackers.

My version is creamy, with less tahini and a more intense lemon flavor. By the way, this is probably obvious to everyone but me, but head to the peanut butter isle when you are looking for tahini. The Union Square Whole Foods had about 8 varieties, but I’ve always been happy with Joyva brand, which has a nice, toasted flavor and a thicker consistency.

One of the lemons I used was a Meyer lemon, which was accidental but turned out to be a good choice, providing lemony flavor without making the hummus overly tart. 

I’d be remiss if I did not mention that I prepared this as an appetizer for a small dinner party I threw last Saturday, for people who are some of EastVillageKitchen.com’s biggest fans. We had a lot of fun, but that’s all I’m going to say for now, because the party produced fodder for several posts and would it be any fun if I discussed it in detail all in this first one?

Edamame Hummus

1 bag frozen, shelled edamame (approximately 3 cups)

3 tablespoons tahini

1 Meyer lemon 

1 lemon (or 2 if mayer lemons are not in season)

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more more for boiling

1/2 cup water (or more, at your discretion)

1/4 cup olive oil

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large, covered pot. Add frozen edamame and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes.

Place edamame, tahini, water, and olive oil in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Quarter the lemons and squeeze them through a strainer into the food processor. Blend the ingredients in the food processor for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides, and check consistency. If you prefer a thinner hummus, add additional water and add salt to taste. Blend for another 2 minutes until hummus is very smooth and you are not able to see any chunks.

Serve immediately or refrigerate in a covered container for up to two days before serving.

You just can’t beat a satisfying hummus! With the ones that you really love it starts innocently enough – you’re picking at the bowl at a party, absent-mindedly scooping dollops with pita wedges while trying to balance your wine glass and hold a conversation all at the same time. Then your mind starts to wander… “wow, this is some creamy hummus…I love it when there’s lemon… and so light! Mmmmm I think I’ll have just a little more… crap, I finished the bowl. I hope no one noticed! I wonder if there’s more in the kitchen…”

Hummus is great because even non-cooks can easily make it themselves – it requires almost no skill at all. There is a lot of personal preference with hummus, which probably explains the dizzying array of flavor choices at the market. What makes absolutely no sense is the price that it fetches at stores. The laziest version of homemade hummus, which is the kind that involves chickpeas from a can (as opposed to soaking dry ones), costs only a couple bucks and is custom made to taste. 

I love roasted vegetables in my hummus, so my recipe starts with a pint of grape tomatoes and a couple cloves of garlic. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Smash 3-4 large garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and remove the skins. 

Arrange the garlic and tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Use your hands to ensure that the pieces are all covered completely with oil. Roast them for 12 minutes, or until the tomato skins are beginning to split.

Drain and rinse 1 can or two cups of soaked chickpeas.

Zest a lemon until you have a teaspoon of lemon zest. Be warned that this recipe is designed to appeal to those who enjoy a lot of lemon flavor in hummus. If you don’t, omit the zest completely and just add the lemon juice later in the recipe.

Take the roasted tomatoes and garlic out of the oven. With a pair of tongs, crush the tomatoes so all of their skins are broken. Flip everything over and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

Put the chickpeas, roasted tomatoes and garlic, and lemon zest (optional) in the food processor. Squeeze the juice of one lemon through a strainer (or slotted spoon if your strainer has gone missing – as I have in photo) into the food processor. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and a jigger or two of olive oil.

Turn on the food processor and let it do its thing. If you like chunkier hummus, stop after a minute. If you like super creamy hummus (as I do), don’t be afraid to leave it in there for a long time. If it’s not pureeing as you would like it to, add more olive oil.

That’s pretty much it. Taste it to see if there is enough salt and if it is the right consistency and adjust accordingly.  We ended up eating this as a meal with a fresh loaf of bread that Brian made, a bottle of wine, and some cheeses we had lying around, but shhhhh, don’t tell our parents. It’s the kind of thing that they don’t want to know about their grown children. Only balanced meals are consumed in this household.

I mean, aren’t the four food groups wine, cheese, hummus, and bread? Oh, and chocolate salted caramels?

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Hummus

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes

3-4 cloves garlic

2 cups chickpeas

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon lemon zest

olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

It’s so fun when you taste food combinations that you never really considered putting together. I had this dessert at a tapas restaurant a long time ago (so long that I’m not sure where I was when I tasted it – I think it was Dali in Cambridge, MA) and when my boyfriend made it when we first started dating, I was reminded that it’s worth bringing to the table. I made it as a backup dessert for my tapas party, just in case the cheesecake flan went horribly wrong.

This is ridiculously simple to make – it only involves slicing, crushing, and drizzling. You start with a good piece of Manchego cheese, which is a sheep’s milk cheese from Spain. Cut off the waxy edges and slice into thin strips. If you have a mandolin, I do recommend that you use it. For some dumb reason, I didn’t remember to use mine, so my strips are not as thin and even as they could have been.

Once your Manchego is sliced, wash a quart of strawberries (yes, I know these are not in season right now, but they do have organic at Whole Foods) and cut off the stems. Hold the strawberries with the point in the air and the flat top on the cutting board and slice into vertical strips. Sadly, I did not photograph this part. arrange a layer of the Manchego strips on the bottom of a round plate with the tips pointing in, like a sunburst. Cover them with a layer of strawberries, and then top that with another sunburst of Manchego.

Crush some walnuts into small, fine pieces. (I ended up using hazelnuts here, which were OK, but I recommend walnuts because they add a nice, slightly bitter contrast) You can do this by chopping them with a knife, or by putting them in the food processor. Sprinkle them all over the sunburst on the plate. Drizzle the entire thing liberally with honey. That’s it! Serve immediately. MMMMMMManchego.

Strawberry Manchego Delight

1 piece of Manchego cheese

1 Qt. fresh strawberries

3/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup honey

Here is another for tapas party that I did without using a specific recipe. File this one under spicy! Traditional Spanish Tapas is never complete without a squid dish, but it is almost always fried and served with aioli. Since I was verging on grease overkill with a bacon item and a fried cheese item already on the menu, I decided to riff on an Italian theme (think Pasta Fra Diavolo) and do a lighter, sauteed version.

If you’ve never cooked with squid before, it’s really no big deal. The fishmarket will have done most of the heavy lifting for you in terms of cleaning – all you really need to do is give them a good rinse after you cut them into 1/2 inch rings. Be sure to drain out the rinse water in a strainer. For this recipe you can opt either for just the bodies ( as I did) or a combination of bodies and tentacles. 

Heat some olive oil in a pan on medium heat and cook 3-4 chopped garlic cloves until they are translucent and beginning to brown. Add your calamari rings (and tentacles if you desire). Add 4 tablespoons of a high-quality concentrated tomato paste, two dried and crushed red peppers (you may also substitute three tablespoons of red pepper flakes), salt, and crushed black pepper to taste.

Saute on medium heat, for 10 minutes stirring occasionally to distribute contents evenly. The squid will begin to shrink slightly and the edges of the rings will being to roll up a bit. Watch for the squid to lose some of their original glossiness and brown a bit. The tomato paste and liquids in the pan should be simmering. In the final two minutes, add a handful of roughly chopped Italian parsley. Remove from heat and top with more parsley to serve. This one was light and delicious – I would serve it again as a quick main for during the week, either over pasta or on its own.

Spicy Sauteed Calamari

1 pound squid (full-bodies or a mix of bodies and tentacles)

3 dried red peppers (or substitute three tablespoons red pepper flakes)

4 tablespoons high-quality concentrated tomato paste

3 – 4 cloves of garlic

Italian parsley

Olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

My second favorite thing about serving tapas to guests is that many of the most crowd-pleasing recipes are rediculously simple, to the point that the guest “ooooh and ahhhh” to work ratio is so vastly spread it feels like you are cheating. Here there are three recipes that use as few as two ingredients and involve just a few minutes of prep time each. (Photoshop credit to Brian for the lovely composite above)

#1 – Rustic Eggplant Toasts

When I plan my tapas menu, many of my ideas come from eating out or adaptations of favorites that allow the ingredients to simply shine with almost no help from me at all. The recipe for rustic eggplant toasts was born earlier this fall, when I had come to the end of a week and found myself stuck with lots of unused tomatoes and a huge eggplant from the previous weekend’s trip to the greenmarket.

The eggplant made me think of baba ganoush. The almost over-ripe tomatoes reminded me of a Mark Bittman post in the New York Times where he talked about the deliciousness of roasted tomatoes. Then the Italian in me said, “Combine them! With Garlic!” – and thus this little gem was born. For this party, I used grape tomatoes – not from the market, but still organic, because they have more flavor and frankly – tomatoes in the off-season suck. The garlic and eggplant are from the greenmarket – I selected the eggplant for its size and asked the person at the stand it it would be ready to roast (I recommend asking if you are not sure – I often learn cool tips for checking myself this way).

I drizzle my pan of eggplant slices (cut 1/2 inch thick), grape tomatoes, and peeled garlic with olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper and roast them in an oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, then I flip them and put them back in for another 10. They should look like the picture when they are ready, with the tomato skins beginning to caramelize and the eggplant getting squishy and beginning to release liquid.

This next part is optional: because I had so little faith in the tomatoes, I decided to add a little squirt of concentrated tomato paste to ensure that there was some good sweet tomato flavor. I also grated a quarter cup parmigiano reggiano to add in, but if you would prefer to abstain from adding cheese this dish will still be very delicious – not to mention vegan!

It all goes into the food processor with a small glug of olive oil. Cover and let the food processor do its thing for approximately three minutes, until the mixture is creamy and the only particles you can see are small bits of eggplant skin. You can put this in the fridge until its time to serve – at that point toast some crusty french bread rounds on a cookie sheet and top with the mixture – as you might a crostini, which is what this ultimately becomes. It is pictured below with some quacamole crostini, because that’s how I like to roll.  

#2 – Roasted Artichokes

This one is so quick, it’s absurd. I didn’t even get to photograph the steps because it all happened so fast! Very simply – this recipe is meant to be pure, unadulterated artichoke pleasure. Take your artichokes and cut the stems off, being sure to leave the succulent base intact. strip off the rough outer layers, cut off any remaining sharp tips, and cut the artichokes in half.  Place them in boiling water with the juice of half a lemon for ten minutes. Drain the water and then place the artichokes in a small casserole dish with some olive oil. Season with sea salt and fresh black pepper, and place in a 350 oven for 20-30 minutes (check them at 20 minutes to see if they are soft, if not keep going). Remove from the oven and squeeze the remaining half of the lemon over the top. This dish is obviously great for vegans and vegetarians.

#3 -Bacon-Wrapped Dates

You’re going to have some time to kill while your veggies are roasting – it’s the perfect time to wrap some dates in delicious bacon! This is one that I’ve enjoyed at several local establishments (Sala and Euzkadi in the East Village and Salt Bar on the Lower East Side, to name a few), therefore I’m not sure who to give credit, but this is classic Spanish tapas dish. Some people like to stuff the dates with almonds or gorgonzola cheese, which is also awesome. This time I opted for the most simple version.

What you see is what you get – simply take a slice of bacon (if you can get one without nitrates that is ideal and from the greenmarket is even better) and wrap it around a date (remember: “pitted” means that the pit has been removed – be sure to pit them if they are not already!) and stick a sturdy toothpick through the middle (I discovered that I was out of toothpicks and used a skewer to hold them together, four at a time). That’s it! These can be held in the fridge until about half an hour before serving, then put in a 350 oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how well done you prefer bacon. Serve these at your next party – they are dangerously delicious!

One of my favorite types of parties to throw is a tapas party, because it allows me to experiment with new recipes without a lot of prior testing – because hey, if one thing doesn’t come out perfectly, there are twelve other foods in the queue. This weekend, in honor of my friend Sarah returning to town for the Teach For America Alumni Summit, I prepared a tapas feast for some of our friends. In the coming days I will showcase some of the recipes that I prepared for this dinner, and today I will start with one new recipe that did work – a smooth and creamy cheesecake flan. I picked this recipe because of its Spanish and New York roots – appropriate for my NYC tapas party.

Faced with the challenge of deciding the appropriate order for these tapas party posts, I’ve opted to go from nuts to soup, because the dessert took the longest to prepare and was the recipe I tackled when prepping the food for the evening. And thus, my afternoon in the kitchen began with some caramel syrup making. Resist the urge to stir – a low swirl of the pan does just fine!

After about ten minutes, the sugar and water mixture will begin to turn the color of champagne. Watch it carefully, and be ready to move the pan to a cooling bath of ice cubes and water as soon as it looks like caramel (this happens so fast, I was unable to capture it on film).

Almost immediately after removing the pan of caramel from the burner and transferring it to the cooling bath, pour enough caramel to cover the bottom waiting ramekins. These will end up baking in a water-filled pan with a towel at the bottom, which serves the dual purpose of preventing the cheesecakes from burning and preventing the ramekins from sliding around. I was very happy to be able to use Brian’s grandmother’s ramekins to prepare this recipe.

From here, the recipe gets much less technical. Lot’s of fun with a hand mixer!

Also, the opportunity to cook with both condensed and evaporated milks!

When all of the mixing is done and things are looking silky smooth, slowly pour the mixture on top on the caramel in the ramekins, stopping a quarter-inch from the edge. Then fill the pan with water so the ramekins are submerged halfway. After 30 minutes in my oven these were still not spongy to the touch, so I let them go an additional ten. I prepared these about six hours before i served them, letting them chill in the fridge. Using a knife to loosen them around the edges, they plopped perfectly onto serving plates, with the excess caramel acting as a beautiful garnish. They were deliciously creamy and received top marks. I will be sure to add them to my standard tapas repertoire. 

Ingrid Hoffman’s Cheesecake Flan

Recipe can be found on the Food Network Website

2 cups sugar 

1/4 cup water 

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (this blogger used 16 oz – I find more cream cheese yields better results)

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk 

1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Special equipment: 10 (3 1/2-inch) ramekins

Set a large bowl of ice water next to your stovetop. Place the sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Using a pastry brush, stir the sugar occasionally, being careful not to get any grains stuck against the sides of the saucepan, until it has all dissolved. Swirl the saucepan every minute until the sugar becomes a golden reddish-brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Shock the bottom of the saucepan by placing the bottom in the ice water to stop the cooking, and then equally divide the caramel into 10 to 12 (3 1/2-inch) ramekins and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese with the eggs on low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until completely incorporated. Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk and vanilla extract and continue to beat together until everything is well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Ladle the custard over the caramel into the ramekins filling them up to 1/2-inch from the rim. Place a kitchen towel in a deep baking dish or roasting pan and place the ramekins in 2 rows on top of the towel. Place the baking dish in the oven and using a pitcher, pour enough hot water into the baking dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins, taking care not to get water in the ramekins. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the flan is just set, about 30 minutes. When you tap the edge of the ramekin the flan should still wobble in the center.

Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, remove the foil and let the ramekins cool slightly. Using tongs remove the ramekins from the water and set on a towel to cool for at least 2 hours before serving. Once cooled completely, the flan can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before un-molding and serving. To serve, run a thin knife around the inside edge of the ramekin to loosen the flan, and then invert onto a plate.