Well, that was fast! 1L is officially over and I'm not sure I could have spent the past few days in a more celebratory way. There has been good eating, some shopping, a day at the spa, and now a great blueberry dessert. I know, I know ... I shouldn't get too carried away!
You may remember my Nantucket blueberry pie, which is the easiest and one of the tastiest desserts, and is always guaranteed to disappear at a party. But these crumb bars are almost as easy to make and just as tasty, so I made them for a memorial day bbq at Tom's cousin's house today. I think after they get a taste of these bars, they won't even miss the fact that I didn't also bring the Nantucket pie.
Let's face it. When you have to take a train, the fewer awkward dessert carriers you have to schlep, the better. So blueberry crumb bars it is! Also, if you're like me just can't seem to get enough lemon and blueberry flavors this time of year, this dessert will help stave off your cravings.
The recipe is verbatim from Smitten Kitchen, so click on the link to check it out. I promise, you won't regret it!
I had my first final exam yesterday (property) and I think it went pretty well. Unlike last semester though, I am feeling a little less like cooking and a little more like sitting in the park and eating fresh fruit. The 30 degree difference in temperature and many more hours of light probably have something to do with this. So I don't have any new recipes to post.
But here is a little law school humor to hold you over until my semester is complete May 25th. Good luck to all those similarly situated in finals-mode!!
Cassoulet makes a wonderful dinner and honestly the leftovers are even better. I made this one night last week and it was flavorful, hearty, and all of the different meats are delightful.
As an anniversary gift we were sent this lovely cookbook from Daniel Boulud, so I decided to give his recipe a try. It is reproduced in its entirety below for you to give it a shot. But I made a few modifications. First, Trader Joe's didn't have duck, so sadly I used chicken. But if you can get your hands on a nice one, I recommend it wholeheartedly. 
Second, I forewent the topping, which I realize is nothing like me (breadcrumbs and butter ... what's not to love?!), but this meal does take a little while to put together and I am in the throws of finals studying. So the extra 25 minutes required really did make a difference to me. But again, the recipe is reproduced below if you have a little more time than I.
And you should definitely check out the cookbook Daniel's Dish, the photos are beautiful and there is a good mix of aspirational recipes (Saffron-Infused Mussel Veloute) and really approachable ones (Grilled Tuna). Enjoy!
Daniel's Casual Cassoulet (from Daniel's Dish)Makes 8 ServingsFor the Cassoulet2 tbsp unsalted butter2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil4 lb Pekin duck, legs and breasts removed and split1 1/2 lb lamb shoulder, cut into 8 pieces8 sweet Italian link sausagesSalt and freshly ground pepper1 lb slab bacon, diced into 8 large cubes2 large onions, diced into 1/2 inch cubes4 large carrots, diced into 1/2 inch cubes2 large celery stalks, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes1 head garlic, separated into cloves, peeled & slicedBouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, and 3 springs of thyme)2 tbsp tomato paste1 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1/2 in cubes2 1/2 lbs cannellini beans (about 6 cups), pre-soaked in cold water for 8 to 12 hrsSweet paprika and cayenneFor the topping and finishing2 cups fresh bread crumbs3 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley6 cloves garlic, finely choppedSalt and freshly ground pepper6 tbsp melted unsalted butter1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 F. Melt the butter with the oil in a shallow 12-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.2. Season the duck, lamb, and sausage with salt and pepper. Add to the pot, along with the bacon, and brown the meats evenly on all sides.3. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and bouquet garni, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.4. Add the tomato paste and mix will. Add the tomatoes, beans, and 16 cups of water; slowly bring to a boil. Cover the pot and bake until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Do not overcook the beans or they will split).5. After 45 minutes check the cassoulet and if needed, add more water. Remove from the oven. Season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne.6. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.7. Sprinkle half the bread-crumb topping over the cassoulet and drizzle with half the melted butter. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes and remove from the oven.8. Using the back of a spoon, push the crust down into the liquid to moisten. Cover with the remaining bread-crumb topping and drizzle on the rest of the butter. 9. Preheat the broiler. Broil the cassoulet, watching it closely, until golden brown. About 5 to 7 minutes.
Is there anything more comforting than an intensely chewy oatmeal cookie? I mean, maybe, but I can't think of anything right now. And the key to a chewy cookie is simple (but not necessarily easy) ... be patient enough to chill the dough before baking. That's it. But once that batter comes together, it is admittedly a challenge to delay cookie-eating for an additional 20 minutes.
This cookie is not very sweet at all and if you made larger cookies, you could slice it and pan fry it like a muffin for a decadent breakfast treat. (note to self: do this sooner rather than later.) One could very easily use raisins in lieu of walnuts or use both, but I'm not a huge fan of raisins in cookies, so I just used walnuts to add some texture to each bite.
Chewy Oatmeal Cookie Bites
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and egg. Mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat on medium.
3. Turn the mixer down to low. Add the oats and walnuts. Mix until just incorporated.
4. Chill the dough for 20 minutes.
5. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, place scant teaspoon-sized ball of dough about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
When most people hear "spring break" they probably think of warm beachy places and questionable decision making, but my spring break (which started yesterday!) will mainly consist of studying for finals. Since Passover happens so late this year, our break is about 3 weeks before our first final, which means it really should be called something like spring not-so-much break.
But I'm not really complaining, because I've blocked out a good hour each day to just wander around the park, enjoy the warmer weather, take some pictures, (and think about property law).
So in honor of the fact that I don't have to set foot in the law library until April 27th, I baked a coffeecake. A "spring break coffeecake" if you will. There wasn't really anything springy about it. In fact, I accidentally put a dash of nutmeg in it (which I mistook as cinnamon), so if it belonged to any season, it was probably autumn. 
But nobody at school complained. And you can always just not accidentally put nutmeg in yours, for a more "season-neutral" version. The cake is a snap to make. And it isn't too sweet, which is why the vein of brown sugar & pecan running through it is so nice. 
I baked mine in a bundt pan, because I think the slices seem more like coffeecake that way, but you could also throw it in a loaf pan if you are so inclined.
You could also make more of the "filling" and use 1/2 as a topping ... but I didn't want mine to be overly sweet. For the sole reason that it was easier to justify eating it for breakfast. Which is a pretty silly justification for someone who is perfectly content to eat birthday cake for breakfast. But I digress. Happy spring everyone!
Sour Cream Pecan Coffeecake
1/2 cup butter, softened1/2 cup granulated sugar1/2 cup dark brown sugar2 eggs1 tsp vanilla extract2 cups all purpose flour1 tsp baking soda1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt1 tsp cinnamon1 cup sour creamFilling1/2 cup dark brown sugar1/2 cup chopped pecans1 tsp vanilla2 tsp cinnamon1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Add vanilla extract. 2. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. 3. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Add half of the sour cream, the rest of the flour mixture, and the rest of the sour cream. Mix until fully combined.4. In a separate bowl mix the brown sugar, pecans, vanilla, and cinnamon. Grease a bundt pan and pour in half of the batter. Sprinkle the filling mixture evenly and top with the rest of the batter.5. Bake for 25 minutes and check with a cake tester (it may need up to 10 more minutes). The tester should come out clean. Let the cake set for 10 minutes and then flip onto a plate.
I have a great chewy oatmeal cookie recipe to post. But it will have to wait, because in honor of our 1st wedding anniversary (!!), I simply have to share the marvelous dinner Tom and I had at Restaurant Daniel this past Friday.
For those who don't know, Tom and I were married at Daniel last April, surrounded by about 35 of our closest family and friends. It was the perfect day. And perfectly us. And one of the awesome perks of getting married at a phenomenal restaurant, is that it is an excuse to go back each year and have another to-die-for meal.
So without further ado; the food:
The amuse bouche was a trio of eggplant, featuring a smoked salmon, eggplant, snap pea combo; an eggplant mousse; and baby shrimp with eggplant.
Knowing it was our anniversary (and because the service at Daniel is beyond compare) we were also treated to champagne, a razor clam ceviche, and a spinach and ricotta raviolini - with compliments!
For our starters I got Florida frog leg and Jerusalem artichoke soup (which had insanely good tiny scallops, Honshimeji mushrooms, and what I can only describe as 3 deep-fried frog leg pops) and Tom got Maine sea scallop rosette with tandoori, Hawaiian hearts of palm, and shiso-mango gremolata.
For the main course, I got what we served at the wedding: beef duo (black Angus short ribs with beet marmalade and seared Wagyu tenderloin with braised savoy cabbage, crispy chickpea panisse) and Tom tried something new: trio of milk fed pig (roasted chop with glazed turnips, braised shoulder with cucumber, and smoked ribs with fennel-avocado coleslaw).
And then, dessert. I will admit that it is very hard (impossible) for me to order a fruit dessert, when chocolate is available. So even though I was tempted, I got the Manjari chocolate mousse, with nougat, pistachio cream, and toasted almond ice cream. And Tom got the Jivara chocolate mousse with espresso biscuit and Kenyan coffee ice cream.
But here's the amazing thing. As though reading my mind, they brought out a third dessert (with "Happy Anniversary" in beautiful blackberry syrup script), so that I didn't have to miss out on a fruit dessert after all! This was Blackberry and fromage blanc vacherin with Swiss meringue, and creme Chantilly.
Rounding out the evening (and our midsections) were freshly baked madeleines and three of the tiniest chocolate squares flavored with basil, praline, and cinnamon respectively.
After an incredible meal and a lot of fun reminiscing over how wonderful the past year truly has been, our bellies were full and our hearts content.
Sometimes you need something crazy and a little scary to remind you what is really important in life. A reality check. So you can assess priorities with a little more perspective. 
All of that is my way of saying that a big Sunday breakfast is one of our re-discovered priorities. With potatoes sliced thin and pan-fried with scallions. And uncured bacon. And good eggs.
So to make things a little more special to herald the return of our big Sunday breakfast, I made crepes. We filled ours with those good eggs, scallions, and uncured bacon mentioned above. And to mine I added Jarlsberg cheese. But you could fill yours with anything you like. Anything that would make Sunday special. Like swiss, egg, and spinach. Or cheddar, bacon, & cherry tomatoes.
Oh, and if it seems like our breakfast couldn't get any better ... maybe the best thing about crepes for breakfast, is the extra batter that becomes crepes filled with butter and sugar for dessert. Because why should dessert be reserved for after dinner? Happy Sunday!
Simple Crepe Recipe
Be sure to cook your filling ingredients ahead of time. For dessert crepes (see above), on step three coat with a little butter and a palm-full of sugar.
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp melted butter
1. Whisk together flour and eggs. Slowly whisk in milk and water. Add salt. Slowly add butter. Whisk until fully incorporated.
2. Heat a pan over a medium-high flame. Butter the pan. Pour in 1/3 cup of batter and move the pan in a circular motion to coat the entire bottom with a thin layer of batter. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Flip with a spatula. Cover with fillings of your choice. Cook for 2 minutes and fold over.
