Mixed Berry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Put those summer berries to good use! These scones are chock full of plump fresh berries and coated with a sweet lemon glaze. I love taking one of these scones and a tall glass of iced tea outside with me and just basking in the afternoon sunshine.

Ingredients 

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 cup whipping cream + 1 tablespoon, plus more for brushing on scones
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¾ cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in bowl. Use a fork or pastry blender to fold in the butter chunks. The mixture should resemble coarse crumble. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour 1 cup and 1 tablespoon of cream. In a small bowl, coat the blueberries and strawberries with 1 tablespoon flour. Very carefully fold the berries into the scone batter, you don’t want too many berries to burst and discolor the batter. Place batter onto a lightly floured surface and form into a circle about 1 inch thick. Alternatively, you can cut out small circles from the dough. Place on baking sheet and brush with some more cream. Bake for about 20 minutes, until it has cooked through and the top is golden brown. To make the glaze, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice until the mixture has come together. Let cool for just a few minutes and then brush with glaze.

Day 154! San Marino - Piadina with Ricotta, Prosciutto and Arugula - Up Next,Sao Tome and Principe,

So here's another tiny country with a hugely impressive history that I'm sure I never learned about in school. How can it be that the American educational system can short change generations of school children by not teaching them about countries like San Marino? I know for sure that the way history and geography are taught today is vastly different (and better) than the way I learned it: memorize, drill and forget. And I know I could have paid more attention - but still, as awesome a country as the USA is, we have a lot of work to do when it comes to understanding the world outside our borders.

San Marino is a landlocked microstate that is completely surrounded by Italy. The country's land area is a mere 24 square miles (smaller than Martha's Vineyard), and is the third smallest, yet oldest country in Europe. With a population of roughly 30,000 (about twice the size of the small town I live in), San Marino is the oldest surviving sovereign state in the world and has the oldest constitution, which dates back to 1600. The country is said to have been founded in 301 AD by a Christian stonemason named Marinus the Dalmation who fled from anti-Christian sentiment and the Roman Emporer Dioceetian on the island of Albe. Finding refuge on San Marino, Marinus hid atop the peek of Mount Titano, an so founded an enclave for others who shared his Christian beliefs. According to the World Atlas, evidence of life in prehistoric times is likely, yet archiological proof on Mount Titano only dates back to the Middle Ages. Originally named the "Land of San Marino", then "The Community of San Marino", the country is now officially referred to as The Republic of San Marino.

Cuisine in San Marino is quite similar to Italy's and its neighboring Emilia-Romagna and March regions. Mediterranean style cooking is not unusual to find, but the country also claims its own rich and unique dishes. White beans, bacon, chickpeas, garlic, rosemary, pasta, smoked ham, beef, a wide variety of cheese and tomato sauce, rabbit and fennel are but a few regional ingredients. Pastry, sweets, tortes and biscuits often use hazelnuts, chocolate, honey, dried fruits and nuts, but to name a few.

Piadina (also called Pieda or Piedina) has its roots in both San Marino and Emilia-Romagna and is typically sold by street vendors at small food stands, where the flat bread is grilled to order. This simple fare is described as a cross between Greek Spanikopita and Middle Eastern Pita bread, except that it uses ricotta and/or mozzarella and escarole instead of spinach. This is a slightly up-dated version that uses arugula, the lovely peppery green which just happens to be plentiful at farmer's markets this time of year. Finally, my brother gave me some arugula salt from Sofra Bakery - crazy, right? - which I used to season the Narragansett Creamery fresh ricotta (available at Whole Foods) - This ricotta is so good that I ate a few spoon fulls straight out of the container.

Prepare the Piadina Filling

Arugula Salt from Sofra Bakery in Cambridge, MA (Insanely crazy-good stuff)

Fresh Renaissance Ricotta from Narragansett Creamery in Rhode Island (North of awesome!)

Prosciutto and Genoa Salami - mmm....."I could never say 'no' to you, fat" - Homer Simpson

Make the Piadina Dough

Grill the Piadina on a VERY hot griddle (if you think it's hot enough, make it hotter)

Piadina with Ricotta, Prosciutto and Arugula (Adapted from a recipe by Paul Bartolotta in Food & Wine)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Kosher salt (I used Arugula salt)
4 ounces lard or vegetable shortening, at room temperature
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups fresh baby arugula
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 pound thinly sliced proscuitto, mortadella or salami
Fresh basil for garnish

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, baking soda and 2 tsp. of salt. Add the lard and mix at medium-low speed until evenly combinged. Slowly add the water, mixing until the dough forms a mass around the hook. Increase the speed to medium and knead until smooth, 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Wrap the balls in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 225 F. Heat a cast iron griddle until very hot. On an unfloured work surface, roll out each ball to a 10-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Brush both sides of each round very lightly with oil and grill over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Wrap in foil and keep the breads warm in the oven while you cook the rest.
3. In a small bowl, season the ricotta lightly with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the 1 Tbsp. of oil and the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Arrange 3 breads on a work surface and spred with ricotta. Top with prosciutto (or mortadella or salami), followed by the arugula salad. Cover with the remaining breads, cut into quarters and serve warm.

Final Assessment: Have I mentioned how much I love Italian/Mediterranean cooking? This meal was easy to make and assemble and even easier to eat. The filling possibilities are endless. I made one with prosciutto, one with Genoa salami and one with both. They would be just as good without meat as well...a few slices of ripe tomato, thin slices of fresh or smoked mozzarella a few basil leaves and presto, a delicious lunch, dinner or snack. This recipe is a make-againer.

(C) 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World?/ Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved 

Day 153.5! The Shake Shack Burger Experiment

On Sunday morning I picked up the New York Times Magazine and experienced a life changing event. Simple as that - an article featuring Danny Meyers, proprietor of Shake Shack, a wildly successful burger joint that originated in NYC. The photograph alone was enough to capture my attention (even at 8:30 a.m.): a simple cardboard box, stacked full with mouth-watering cheeseburgers, tucked into wax paper bags. So I read on, knowing full well that I would have to make these to test them out on the cheeseburger-lovin' crew of dudes who live in my house. Now, I'm a Boston born-and-raised girl, and around here, the best burgers come from Mr.Bartley's Burgers in Harvard Square - in fact, I had never even heard of Shake Shack, but my sweet sister-in law who lived in NYC for years, testified that Shake Shack burgers are hands down, the best. Game on - It's a Boston-New York thing!

According to all the research I did (and who doesn't love researching a burger?), this iconic patty's properties are all about the meat and technique. Forget about packaged ground beef - if you have a food processor or meat grinder attachment on your stand mixer, sirloin steak tips and boneless short ribs are the way to go. As for handling the meat, the idea is to touch the meat as little as possible, keeping the texture intact to avoid a tough, dense patty. Interestingly, these burgers are meant to be cooked on a flat griddle or in a frying pan - not grilled. Lastly, you gotta have American cheese, special sauce and a soft bun - the finial touches that give these burgers their flavorful, juicy, chewy, tangy all-American tastiness.  Many thanks to blogs, momofukufor2.com and kimanddon.com for providing the recipes that helped me make these. Addendum: * I have just been made aware, after the fact, that Shake Shack uses YELLOW American cheese (not white as I used) and Martin's Potato Buns...and, that same reader tells me that Shake Shack also makes their burgers like hockey pucks, then smashes them down*  I don't know...I think a road trip might be in order.

Burger Sauce and Condiments

Shake Shack Cheeseburgers (Recipe Courtesy of kimanddon.com)

(Makes 4 burgers - but I doubled it)

10 ounces sirloin steak tips, cut into 1-inch chunks

6 ounces boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1-inch chunks

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

4 soft hamburger buns (don't use bulky rolls)

1/2 tsp. vegetable oil

4 slices American cheese

Thinly sliced onion

1. Place beef chunks on  baking sheet in a single layer, leaving 1/2 inch of space around each chunk. Freeze meat until very firm and starting to harden around the edges but still pliable, 15-25 minutes.
2. Place 1/2 meat in food processor and pulse until meat is coarsely ground, 10-15 pulses, stopping and redistributing meat around bowl as necessary to ensure beef is evenly ground. Transfer meat to baking sheet, overturning bowl and without directly touching meat. Repeat grinding with remaining meat. Spread meat over sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle or large chunks of hard meat or fat.
3. Gently separate ground meat into 4 equal mounds. Without picking meat up, with your fingers gently shape each mound into loose patty 1/2-inch thick and 4-inches in diameter, leaving edges and surface ragged. Season top of each patty with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, flip patties and season other side. Refrigerate  while toasting buns.
4. Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter on flat griddle (or heavy-bottomed skillet) over medium heat until foaming. Add bun tops, cut-side down, and toast until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining butter and bun bottoms. Side buns aside and while off griddle with paper towels.
5. Return griddle to high heat; add oil and heat until just smoking. Using spatula, transfer burgers to griddle and cook without moving for 3 minutes. Using spatula, flip burgers over and cook 1 minute. Top each patty with slice of cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute longer.
6. Transfer patties to bun bottoms and top with onion. Spread 2 teaspoons of burger sauce on each bun top. Cover burgers and serve immediately.

Burger Sauce (Recipe Courtesy of momofukufor2.com)

(Makes 3/4 cup sauce)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. ketchup

1 Tbsp. yellow mustard

4 slices kosher dill pickle (I used relish)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

pinch cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in blender (or bowl if using relish). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Final Assessment: Whoa! These were insanely good. I especially loved the texture of the patty. The flavor was quite different from the usual ground chuck I use to make burgers and I really like knowing exactly what's in the ground meat I'm cooking up. The technique yielded an unusually juicy, tender patty, with lots of flavor due to the double sided (liberal) seasoning of salt and pepper. I topped mine with onion and sauce, which gave the burger a tangy, full flavor. My husband added a slice of tomato and lettuce to his, for added crunch.  Although I'm not a fan of American cheese, I can't imagine having these burgers with anything else. And yes, the squishy, soft bun is an absolute must - do not even attempt to substitute a bulky roll. While I can't say that these were definitively better than Bartley's burgers,  they're crazy-good and I'd eat one - or two - any day.

(C) 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World?/ Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved 

Homemade Popcorn

We have lived many years without tasting the amazingness that is homemade popcorn.  Jenn was actually convinced she didn’t like popcorn.  Eventually, we got around to making some old fashioned popcorn, cooked on the stove and popped in a big ol pot.  Now even Jenn is hooked on it.  It’s all about having total control of the spices, herbs, and melty stuff you mix in.  When making it on the stove is so easy, economical, and delicious, we can’t understand why anyone would buy special gadgets or microwave bags.  Here is one of our favorite versions.  Popcorn, oh yea!  

Ingredients                                                                                                   

1/8 cup corn oil – or enough to coat the bottom of the pot you are using

¼ cup popcorn kernels

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt – we like using Johnny’s seasoning salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add three kernels of popcorn and cover pot with lid.  Once those have popped, add the ¼ cup of kernels.  Shake the pot frequently.  Once the popping has stopped, turn off heat, add the butter, cheese, and seasonings, and stir well to mix.  That's it.

Strawberry Kiwi Salad

Summer heat calls for something light and refreshing. This salad fits the bill with its simple blend of sweet and sour flavors. Juicy slices of strawberry and kiwifruit are dressed with tangy lime juice and fresh basil. The perfect treat for a hot summer day!

Ingredients 

1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced

3 kiwifruits, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons chopped basil

zest and juice from 1 lime

Instructions

Mix strawberries and kiwi slices in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, lime zest, and basil. Pour lime and basil mixture over fruit and toss.

Day 153! Samoa - Masi Samoa - Coconut Cookies - Up Next, San Marino

The credit for today's Samoan confection goes entirely to a wonderful blog I discovered while looking for recipes to represent the island country of Samoa. As so often happens, the foodie Goddess must have been hovering over my keyboard when I clicked on Panipopos' Kitchen, a blog devoted to Samoan cooking, recipes and culture. After spending an hour scrolling through a whole range incredible recipes and videos, I settled on Masi Samoa, Coconut Cookies -- partly because I love coconut, but also because they were described as simple street fare that would make my kitchen smell like Willy Wonka's cookie factory  while baking - so how could I resist!?

Located in the South Pacific Ocean, the Independent State of Samoa is made up of two main islands, Upolu and Savai'i, plus nine smaller ones. Long before European whalers and explorers discovered the islands, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji were considered Pacific Ocean superpowers. But starting in the 1700's, an influx of explorers and traders, as well as missionaries flooded the island, exploiting Samoa's cocoa reserves as well as imposing their religious beliefs on a people who worshiped Gods of the sun, earth, heaven and the sea. Despite the indigenous peoples' best efforts to fight to keep control of their land, the islands spent centuries being ruled by Germans until New Zealand took control  in 1918.  Not until 1962 did Samoa finally gain independence when a Friendship Treaty was signed with New Zealand, making Samoa the first country in the Pacific to become independent.

Owing to it's temperate tropical climate, Samoa has large plantations of bananas, taro, coconut and tropical fruits. Fresh seafood such as crayfish, snapper, mahi-mahi, octopus and tuna are abundant. Food is not generally spicy, but great attention to detail and enjoying meals together is part of the Samoan culture. For the best possible overview of Samoan cooking traditions as well as outstanding recipes, I highly recommend visiting Panipopos's Kitchen to further explore this beautiful country's bounty.

Masi Samoa - Samoan Coconut Cookies (Recipe Courtesy of Panipopos' Kitchen)
(Makes 24 cookies)

 butter, softened
 sugar
 eggs
 can coconut milk
 vanilla
 flour
 baking powder
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well.
Add coconut milk and vanilla and beat until well blended.
Add flour and baking powder until it forms a dough.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly, then roll dough out thinly (less than 1/4-inch thick)
Cut into 3x3-inch squares.

Transfer to the cookie sheet and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Cool on a rack.

Optional: spread with jam

Final Assessment: I love these cookies! They're easy to make, as rich as shortbread, and have a heavenly, delicate coconut flavor and scent. My kids had them for breakfast right out of the oven. I think I should have let them brown a little more, so next time I make these (and there will be a next time), I'll leave them in the oven a tad longer. And, yes, my house definitely smelled like Willy Wonka's Cookie Factory!

(C) 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World?/ Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved 

Day 152! Saint Vincent and The Grenadines - Guinness Bottle Chicken Stew - Up Next, Samoa

This was one of those weeks where life got in the way of cooking much of anything. Between spending a full day in the emergency room with my son, following up with an ear, nose and throat doc who informed my happy 16 year old that he'll probably have to get his tonsils out, our elderly cat disappearing, as well as various other commitments, this flavorful and spicy Guinness Chicken Stew from Saint Vincent and The Grenadines had to go on the way back burner. But now it's Sunday and I'm not letting another thing get between me and my kitchen. Peace at last.

An Island country in the Lesser Antilles, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines is a Windward Island that sits on the southern end of the eastern border for the Caribbean Sea. The main island is Saint Vincent, the northern portion of the smaller chain of islands stretches from Saint Vincent to Grenada. To Saint Vincent's north is Saint Lucia and to the east, Barbados. This beautiful tropical tisland was originally inhabited by the native Caribs, who fought mightily against European colonization, until 1719 when the French over powered their resistance efforts. Once established, the French developed coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton and plantations that were largely worked by African slaves.  From 1763 until 1979, the island changed hands many times from French to British rule and back again, ultimately gaining independence to become its own parliamentary democracy. The country's mountainous terrain and tropical climate create ideal conditions for volcanoes, and hurricanes which have caused many deaths as well as environmental and agricultural devastation over the years. Despite unforeseen natural disasters, however, the island is offers visitors gorgeous beaches, exotic plants and wildlife, wonderful food and warm hospitality and a strong and vibrant culture. 

Cuisine in Saint Vincent and The Grenadines is generally hot and spicy. Meat stews, curries, shellfish, pickled and salted fish fish are typical to island cooking. Cassava, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, onions and bread fruit are staples as well. One of the island's specialties is Callaloo, a dish that is cooked with spinach or dasheen leaves and coconut milk. Arrow root, a thickening agent used in soups, stews and gravies is grown on the island, as well as a wide variety of tropical fruits such as bananas, citrus, mangoes, papayas and one of my favorites, passion fruit.

Guinness Bottle Chicken Stew (Recipe Adapted from Caribbean Choice)

2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 10 oz. can or bottle of Guinness Stout beer
1 cup chicken broth
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp. chilli powder

Combine flour, salt and pepper on a plate or paper bag. Toss cubed chicken to coat.
In a large pot, heat oil, then add chicken and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Pour off oil until about 2 Tbsp. remains, then add onion and garlic and saute for 4 mintutes.
Add Guinness, then reduce by half, then return chicken.
Add broth, tomato paste, peppers, parsley and chilli powder.
Let simmer covered for about 15 minutes.
Serve over rice.

Final Assessment: This was a wonderfully satisfying and easy to make dish. The addition of Guinness gave the stew a rich, full-bodied flavor with a great kick from the chilli powder. Served over a bed of rice with a nice cold beer, this a perfect lunch.


(C) 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World?/ Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved