Panko Crusted Salmon

Last night I learned how to prepare salmon, courtesy of one of the three chefs in our family...my dad. I came home and saw that he had two salmon fillets out and asked if I could prepare one and he prepare the other. I had a particular recipe in mind that I had read on one of my favorite blogs online, Annie's Eats. With his help, I tweaked the recipe a little and came out with a delicious product.

I think that the recipe was quite successful and everyone in the family seemed to enjoy, my dad included. The panko breading on the salmon gave it a nice crunch while the lemon drizzled over top provided a nice acidic and flavorful note. I was pleased with myself at the end of the evening not just because I cooked a nice meal, but also because I got to learn new things from someone I greatly admire. I felt that we had a great bonding time in the kitchen, each of us working on our separate fillets, and I enjoyed every minute of the experience.

Panko Crusted Salmon
Note: I used a sockeye salmon fillet that was freshly caught and then frozen. As a result, I don't actually know how big it was, in terms of weight, but it was roughly the length of my arm from my fingertips to my elbow. I was able to cut it into seven individual fillets.

• 6-7 individual salmon fillets, skin on (6-8 oz each)
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2-3 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 large onion, roughly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix the panko, lemon zest, cilantro, and about 3 tbsp of olive oil together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and make sure all of the crumbs are evenly coated with oil.
2. Place the fillets, skin side down, on a cutting board and rub the Dijon mustard over them. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper as well.
3. In the bottom of a large baking dish, drizzle the remaining olive oil and sprinkle the sliced onion all over. The bottom of the pan should be almost invisible. 
4. Place the fillets, again skin side down, on top of the sprinkled onion slices. Press a thick layer of the panko mixture firmly on top of the mustard on each fillet. 
5. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. Uncover the salmon after 15 minutes. It will be ready once the salmon turns light pink in color and the panko crumbs a golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for drizzling over top.

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Despite the fact that I can now bake and cook a variety of items, I still consider my specialty to be cheesecakes. I have made cheesecake in so many different forms and flavors that I feel quite comfortable experimenting and look for new ways to present this classic dessert. For her birthday, my cousin requested that I create a cheesecake that had both chocolate and raspberry in the base flavor, not just a chocolate cheesecake with a raspberry topping. I welcomed her challenge and tried to come up with a chocolate to raspberry ratio that would allow both flavors to come out.

As I mixed the batter and tasted it I was concerned that the chocolate overwhelmed the raspberry, even though I used a whole jar of raspberry preserves. Unfortunately, my concerns were correct because the finished product, although delicious, was not very raspberry tasting. My aunt claimed that she could taste a little bit of frutiness in the cake but she admitted that she would not be able to identify what type of fruit it was. Next time, I will add less chocolate but keep the raspberry content the same and hopefully its flavor will be more pronounced.

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Note: This recipe is for an 11'' cheesecake. I have modified the recipe from my original version with half of the chocolate but the same amount of raspberry.
 
For the crust:

• 2 cups Oreo crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter and transfer to an 11" springform pan, pressing down gently along the bottom and sides. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes then set aside to cool.

For the filling:

• 2 lbs (4 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups sour cream
• 100 grams chocolate, melted 
• 1 250 ml jar seedless raspberry preserves

1. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the bowl occasionally.
3. Beat in the sour cream, followed by the melted chocolate and then the raspberry preserves.
4. Bake the cheesecake in a water bath at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes. Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and allow the cake to cool inside for 1 1/2 hours. Cool completely to room temperature before transferring the cake to the refrigerator and chilling for at least four hours, though preferably overnight.

Thai Curry Mussels

People can be full of contradictions, and my family is no exception. I say this because there are certain foods that members of my family claim to dislike but will still eat in a particular form. This applies to my mother who doesn't like coconut yet is a big lover of Thai food, a cuisine which uses a lot of coconut infusion in many dishes. When ordering mussels in restaurants I tend to enjoy Thai style mussels and always find the broth to be quite tasty, as does my mother. So when my family asked me to prepare mussels for lunch one day I decided to try making it two different ways; one a repeat of my mussels in white wine and tomato broth and the other in a Thai broth.

I was a little concerned with how to use the coconut milk, a product I had never worked with in the past. In fact, as I opened the can I discovered that it wasn't at all liquidy like milk, but instead it was more like a paste. I did the best I could to create a flavorful broth and was reassured by the smell of it....my kitchen smelled just like a Thai restaurant.

Once the mussels were ready we all sat down and tried both versions. Everyone liked the mussels in the classic French broth, but to my surprise both my parents went crazy over the Thai style mussels. Both lovers of Asian flavors, they claimed it tasted authentic and they loved it even more than the other version. At the end of the meal my mom asked if I could start preparing more Thai dishes, such as soups, using coconut milk. I was so pleased that the mussels were a success and I managed to recreate such a powerful flavor combination.

Thai Curry Mussels
Note: If mussels are not already clean, please see previous post on how to properly clean them.

• 2 lbs cultivated mussels
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large shallots, diced
• 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 400 ml can coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken, vegetable, or fish stock
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp fish or oyster sauce
• 1 tsp chopped lemongrass
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped

1. In a large pot combine the butter and olive oil over medium heat until melted. Add the shallots and saute for about 5 minutes until they are soft.
2. Add the red curry paste and half of the stock. Mix it around and use a spoon to break up the paste into the stock.
3. In a small bowl combine the lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, fish/oyster sauce, and lemongrass.
4. Once the curry paste is dissolved, add the rest of the stock, coconut milk, sauce mixture, coriander, and half the cilantro. Bring the broth to a boil and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the mussels to the pot. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for 8-10 minutes, or until all of the mussels have opened up. 
6. Pour the mussels out onto a large dish with the broth overtop and discard any unopened ones. Top the mussels with the remainder of the cilantro and serve alongside some crusty bread.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This past week has been especially difficult for my family and me as we suffered the loss of my grandfather. I know I speak for my family when I write that we truly appreciate all of the heartfelt support and compassion from everyone around us as go through this time. Despite this sadness, I know my grandpa would have wanted us to continue to enjoy our lives and live them to the fullest. Personally, these sentiments encourage me because I saw how much my grandfather liked and appreciated my food and upheld my passion for cooking and baking.

I had been wanting to make chicken tortilla soup for months but for several reasons I hadn't been able to find the time. Finally I researched some recipes and gauged a basic understanding of the ingredients I needed. Unfortunately, most of the recipes called for specialty Mexican ingredients and I had no idea where to get them. Instead I went to the Mexican aisle of my local grocery store and stared at all of the items until I found something I thought to be suitable, canned chipotle peppers.

Once I started to make the soup, I decided to combine the canned peppers with a can of plum tomatoes in the food processor and then add it as part of the liquid component of the soup. Although the peppers were spicy, I thought that the large can of plum tomatoes would "outweigh" the spiciness of the peppers....I was wrong, really, really wrong. I tried a little bit and my mouth was on fire. Apparently I had inadvertently created a spicy salsa rather than a nice, tomato based sauce. Luckily I had another can of tomatoes and added those to the soup with a couple of spoonfuls of my salsa mixture.

In the end, I was extremely pleased with the result. My soup actually tasted like an authentic Mexican-style soup and everyone in the family loved it. I served it alongside some avocado slices, corn tortilla chips, and sour cream. I also served the salsa which allowed each person the option of making their portion a little spicier if they wanted. My brother especially liked the salsa and saved the rest in a container now sitting in our fridge.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Note: I left the chipotle peppers out of this recipe because of the spice factor. Instead, I think one or two small diced jalapeno peppers would provide enough spice and authentic Mexican flavor without going overboard.

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped (I used one green and one yellow)
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
• 1 28 oz. can plum or diced tomatoes
• 1 12 oz. can corn kernels
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
• Corn tortilla chips
• 6 cups (2 L) chicken stock
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, heat some olive oil over high heat then add the onion, garlic, and bell peppers. Reduce the heat to medium and saute the vegetables for 5-7 minutes or until they become soft.
2. Stir in the cumin and chili powder to the vegetables and continue to cook for another minute.
3. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes, with all their juices, along with the diced jalapeno peppers and mix thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the shredded chicken and a handful of tortilla chips and stir well to incorporate. Continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes. stirring occasionally to help breakdown the tortilla chips. 
5. In the last 5 minutes, add the canned corn kernels to the soup and season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside garnishes such as avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Almond Meringues

There are certain food memories that stand out from my childhood, and meringues are definitely one of them. I remember my mom making these "beze" as we call them in Russian either on their own or to top off a delicious apple cake. Although I had watched her make them many times, I knew that they were quite a challenging dessert because of the timing when whipping the egg whites. The whites had to be beaten to stiff peaks but not overbeaten otherwise the meringues wouldn't puff up properly in the oven.

After using only yolks in my fruit tart with vanilla pastry cream I had a bunch of egg whites left over and I decided to try and make these meringues on my own. Unfortunately my mom was out of town and she could only offer me advice over the phone, and not visually. The challenge was even greater because I wanted to use my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer to make the meringues. Although the Kitchen Aid itself was easy to handle, and definitely less labor intensive, I have only used it a couple of times so far and am still getting used to it. This made me extra nervous because I didn't want to risk overbeating the eggs.

I made sure to follow all of my mom's directions precisely and carefully watched over the mixer like a hawk. The moment I thought the sugar was fully incorporated and I saw the telltale signs of glossy, white, stiff peaks I immediately turned off the mixer. The problem with meringues is that you can't know if you have overbeaten the eggs until its too late; luckily for me, my meringues puffed up very nicely in the oven.

Despite their pretty appearance, I knew I couldn't consider the meringues a success until my mom saw and tasted them. When she came home on Sunday I happily presented her with my creation and watched her bite in. She gave my meringues her seal of approval, claiming that they had the perfect crunchy outside yet soft and airy inside. I was so glad that she enjoyed them and was proud to have finally gotten over my fear of meringues.

Almond Meringues
Note: It is very important that the egg whites are at room temperature. Many sources recommend leaving the egg whites out on the counter for a few hours or even overnight so that they may age and whip as best as possible.

• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups blanched slivered almonds

1. In a small skillet, toast the almonds in a little bit of olive oil over low heat until they are fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside to cool.
2. Start to beat the egg whites on low speed until they become frothy, about 1 minute.
3. Increase the speed to medium and then gradually to high. Continue to beat until peaks start to form, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Once you see peaks, gradually add the sugar and continue to beat for another 2-3 minutes until the egg whites are white and glossy and form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted.
5. Gently fold the almonds into the egg whites, handling the mixture as little as possible.
6. Scoop out spoonfuls of the meringue onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper and sprinkled with a little bit of cornstarch.
7. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, or just until the tops of the meringues become slightly golden. Keep a close eye out because the color can drastically change in a minute. If using multiple baking trays make sure to rotate them halfway through. 
8. Once slightly golden, turn off the oven and and keep the meringues inside the closed oven for an additional hour. Afterward, remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a plate to serve.

French Pear Tart with Almond Cream

While searching for recipes to make the fruit tart with vanilla pastry cream for my friend's birthday, I mistakenly came across a recipe for an almond cream tart instead. When I described the tart to my friend she seemed quite enthused by the idea and so, even though I did eventually find the correct recipe, I decided to make her mini pear tarts to go along with the bigger fruit tart.

Although I had not originally intended to bake so much I'm glad that I did because this tart turned out fabulously! In fact, my friend and I both agreed that we actually preferred the taste of the mini pear tarts to that of the fruit tart. Due to the fact that the tart shell was first partially baked on its own and then filled with the almond cream and baked again it gave the crust a great crunch. The center, however, remained soft with the creamy filling and was topped with the sweetness of the poached pears. Since I only made four mini tarts but had enough filling and dough for six, I used the extras the next day to bake some for my family and I'm glad to report that it was well received.

French Pear Tart with Almond Cream
Note: This recipe is enough for one 9'' or 10'' tart or six 4.5'' tarts.

For the tart shell:

The recipe is the same as the tart shell of the fruit tart with vanilla pastry cream. If baking mini tarts, alter the baking times to 10 minutes with weight and 8-10 minutes uncovered.

For the cream:

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup ground blanched almonds
• 2 tsp flour
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in the ground almonds and then add the flour, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
3. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is homogenous. Add the vanilla and beat just until incorporated.
4. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap so that the plastic is directly touching the surface of the cream and refrigerate until completely chilled.

For the poached pears:

• 1 medium firm pear
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

1. Combine the water, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and heat until boiling.
2. Peel the pear and then lower into the boiling liquid. Reduce the heat to low and allow the pear to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until it is easily poked through with a fork.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the pear cool down in the poaching liquid.

To assemble and bake:

1. Spread the almond cream into the tart shell.
2. Remove the pear from the poaching liquid and pat dry. Slice and core the pear and arrange the slices on the surface of the cream.
3. Place the tart on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes, or until the almond cream puffs up and browns. For the mini tarts, reduce the baking time to 20-25 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with some icing sugar.

Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Birthday season has officially begun! From now until the end of the summer I have various friends and family members who will be celebrating their birthdays and I will be baking many a cake for the occasion. This year birthday season kicked off with the request of one of my closest friends for a cream filled tart topped with an array of fruit. I was lucky enough to have made this once before in one of the pastry classes that I attended last year. However this time I made the entire thing on my own with no guidance from an experienced pastry chef.

Based on my previous experience, I approached this tart with a little bit of caution because I remembered the cream being difficult to make. Luckily, I have much more experience in the kitchen now than I did a year ago and the cream came together exactly as I had imagined it. Putting together the finished product was definetly time consuming, what with the pre-baking of the tart shell, creating and refrigerating the cream, and finally slicing all the fruit and arranging them. I managed to split my task over two days, baking the tart shell and making the cream on day one, and then filling the shell and arranging the fruit on day two.

Everyone who saw the tart commented on how gorgeous it looked and claimed it was restaurant/cafe worthy. I thanked them all, of course, but insisted that the only thing that mattered to me was that my friend love it...and she did. I think it's safe to say that the birthday season has started off successfully and hopefully all of the future cakes will be met with just as much enthusiasm.

Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

For the tart shell:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3-4 tbsp water

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together a couple of times.
2. Add the butter chunks and pulse about 10 times, or until the butter is cut into walnut size pieces.
3. Gradually pour the water into the spout of the food processor and continue to pulse until the dough starts to come together.
4. Transfer the mixture to a separate bowl or the counter and work it into a uniform dough, adding more water if necessary. Try to handle the dough as little as possible so as not to melt the butter.
5. Chill for 30 minutes before proceeding to roll out the dough.

To bake:

1. Roll out the dough to about 1/8" thickness, making sure it is large enough to place over the tart pan without stretching it.
2. Press the dough into the pan and up along the sides. Remove any excess dough from the sides and prick the bottom of the tart with a fork all over.
   
3. Cover the surface of the tart with plastic wrap and fill with rice or beans. Make sure the level of the rice/beans is even or slightly higher than the sides of the pan so that the dough does not shrink during baking.
4. Place the tart pan on a baking tray and into the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Remove the plastic wrapped weights and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the shell is lightly golden. Cool completely before assembling.

For the pastry cream:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp butter

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until just under boiling and a thin film forms on top.
2. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar together on medium speed for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture becomes very thick.
3. Switch to low speed and add the cornstarch and flour. Then slowly add the hot milk to the mixture.
4. Once the mixture is combined return it to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5-7 minutes. As the mixture starts to thicken stir it constantly for another minute or two until it is completely thick.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.
6. Pour the mixture into a small bowl through a fine mesh sieve and cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic is directly touching the surface of the cream. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

To assemble and glaze:

• Fresh fruit, peeled and sliced
• 2-3 spoonfuls apricot jam
• 1-2 tbsp water

1. Fill the tart shell with the pastry cream and arrange the sliced fruit on top.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the apricot jam with a little water and heat to thin it out.
3. Brush the apricot glaze over the fruit and serve.