Hot Chocolate and The Challenge

Although I'm pretty sure they're not kosher, I love the coffee cups I received from my uncle for Chanukah on Sunday. Last night we watched the Pierson Quiz Bowl team battle East Islip on MSG Varsity, while enjoying some rich hot chocolate in the new cups. The lobster looks like he made it out alive. Here is the recipe:

Rich Hot Chocolate
Makes 4 cups

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Pinch salt
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Combine the chocolate chips and salt in a heatproof bowl.
2. Combine the milk and cream in a heavy pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to low. Ladle 1/2 cup of the hot liquid into the bowl and whisk to melt the chocolate.
3. Return the chocolate mixture to the pot and whisk constantly until smooth.
4. Off heat, whisk in the vanilla. Pour into mugs and serve immediately.

Happy...Chanukah?

Chanukah is getting off to a slow start at my house, I'm afraid. On Sunday, my husband smoked the Fairview Farm pork bellies he had been curing for the past 10 days (instructions are in the new America's Test Kitchen D.I.Y. Cookbook). Then he made BLTs for lunch. No one complained, especially because we knew that latkes and brisket were for dinner.

I'm Back, with Wheat Berries

I've been in and out of town a lot during the past few months, working on an exciting new cookbook project that I will tell you more about in the coming weeks. But I've missed my blog! I have quite a horde of Quail Hill wheat berries in my freezer, so I combined them with some shiitake mushrooms I picked up at Citarella's yesterday for a warming dinner. Here is the recipe:

Wheat Berries with Mushrooms
Serves 4

2 cups wheat berries
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
Ground black pepper
3/4 cup low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Place the wheat berries in a medium saucepan, turn the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add water to cover and 1/2 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until soft but not mushy, 30 to 60 minutes (taste frequently to see how they are doing). Drain, return to the pot, and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the broth to the pot with the wheat berries and cook over medium-high heat until simmering. Stir in the mushroom mixture and heat through. Off heat stir in the butter, Parmesan, and parsley. Adjust the seasonings and serve.

Harborfest Temptations

At lunch time yesterday I headed into town to enjoy the weather and HarborFest. Troop 455's hot dog stand on Long Wharf beckoned, as did the Bay Burger ice cream cart, where I sampled a new flavor: Vanilla mixed with big chunks of Round Swamp Farm brownies. While everyone else was watching the whale boat races, I shopped the sidewalk sales. The dining table tennis kit at Sylvester & Company tempted me, as did the Save the Whales pillow at Country Lane.

End of Summer Souvenir

In addition to these hand-lettered stones, our crafty and considerate house swappers from Amsterdam left us a case of Wolffer Estate Rose as a thank you gift when they left Sag Harbor. As I finished the last bottle, I started to feel creative myself, so I made this key chain (I got the idea here) from the Wolffer cork. I love how the winery's phone number is printed right on it! I'll attach a house key for the Swedish family we have booked for August 2013.

Best Wedding Centerpiece Ever

My good friend, an artisan baker, invited me to his daughter's wedding on Sunday, and look what I brought home: A giant sourdough miche stenciled with the happy couple's names! Yesterday morning I enjoyed some toast with blood orange marmalade for breakfast. For dinner, I grilled the bread and spread some white bean and rosemary puree on top. Here's the recipe:

White Bean Bruschetta
Serves 2

Four 1-inch-thick slices country bread
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
One 14-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove, peeled
Ground black pepper

1. Preheat gas grill to high. Brush bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
2. COmbine beans, lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, pepper flakes, rosemary, and basil in the workbowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill bread, turning once, until golden with grill marks. Rub each slice with the garlic clove and then top with the white bean spread. Serve immediately.

Fresh Wheatberries!

On Saturday I brought home something new from the farm: Just-harvested wheat berries! It was a chore to wash them, but boy was it worth the work (especially since my husband volunteered for the job). Then I toasted them lightly before boiling them until tender. Unlike the wheat berries I buy at the supermarket, these only took 20 minutes to cook and were so plump and delicious. I didn't do much with them before we ate: Just dressed them in olive oil and lemon juice and stirred in some olives, tomatoes, feta, and thyme. Here's the recipe:

Wheat Berry Salad
 Serves 4

1 1/2 cups wheat berries
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved if large
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
Ground black pepper

1. Place the wheat berries in a medium saucepan, turn the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add water to cover and 1/2 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes for fresh berries, 40 to 60 minutes for storebought berries. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and thyme to bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or refrigerate for up to 1 day until ready to serve.