WHEN IN DOUBT, DESSERT. It might be my new motto. It would make a good t-shirt, wouldn’t it? Hmmm. Anyway, it certainly is a motto I’m using for John, of Teaching John to Cook, my friend, and subject of an occasional series here on TSP on how to sister a pal into the kitchen.
So many of you have come to the aid of John, as we talked about simple, basic recipes to learn first, kitchen equipment, and then, of course, cookbooks. He and I are so grateful to all of you who have showed up, digital aprons on, typing through your kitchen mitts.
There’s roadchick, whose humor has several times now made me spit my tea tight onto my computer screen, but who reeled it in just a little to lead off our recipe discussion, suggesting simple turkey meatballs, as well as the suggestion to never assume that someone knows how to cook the spaghetti to go with those meatballs.
D Wilson at Austin Agrodolce says “rice.” Yup. You bet. Maggie, at EatBoutique, reminded us of the kingly status of the simple omelet. Kelly Cline, food stylist, rolled up her sleeves and rolled out a regular menu of menus, suggesting salads, pastas, roasted vegetables, and well, go have a look, please. The bounty of her comment is its own horn of plenty.
Oh, yes, and Elyse reminded us to cook without fear. Thanks. I needed that.
When it came to cooking equipment, it was Janice who confirmed my belief that a good cast iron pan is the very best ever thing to own, though our dear friend Christine at writing by ear, prefers nonstick, and kindly provided a tidy list of only what’s really needed. And who could live without Marilyn, at simmertildone’s suggestions of what to read?
So, next?
Next is dessert, which I have always found to be something of a default position in my life, falling back on one or two basics—a good chocolate cake, or a favorite pie. That is, until I saw Mark Bittman of the Times’ Minimalist, as well as the Bitten blog, do on video which I have now done in my kitchen, oh 30 times this summer: make a frozen desert in 30 seconds. Uh huh.
Here it is.
Mark Bittman’s Miracle Dessert (is what I call it)
Serves 6
2 cups frozen fruit (I use organic cherries)
¼ cup sugar (I use none)
½ cup yogurt (or sour cream, he says)
2 Tbsp water
Into the food processor.
Pulse a few times.
Do not over pulse, or you’ll get a smoothie.
Serve in small bowls.
Cook on.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Oooooh- thanks for pointing to that one – I’d missed it. “Genius” is what I’d call it.
What a great way to use up last bits of fruit left over from other enterprises, perhaps gone just south of OK to eat as is.
My go-to dessert is bread pudding. Plain or decadently dressed out it is so easy and yet so satisfying. Plus it reheats like a champ and again, helps use up leftover this and that.
For folks cooking solo or empty nesters readjusting to cooking for two, these recipes are a godsend.
I say dessert comes first – so much to learn! M. Bittman’s frozen sweet is an easy miracle, that’s for sure. Good luck John, and keep cooking. Sister Marion’s got your back.
Wow – that one is fast and easy!
I’ve got one that is almost as easy and will be great as the weather gets cooler and no one minds the oven being on for a little while.
Gov’ment Fudge Pie
(It’s called Gov’ment Fudge because a friend swears this is the pie that they used to serve at school for dessert on special occasions. Hints of nostalgia and a big whack of cocoa.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 eggs, beaten like a naughty schoolboy
1 cup sugar
1 stick margarine, melted
4 – 5 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup or so of flour
pinch of salt
You will also need: 1 unbaked pie shell
Mix everything together until smooth and pour into pie shell. Bake for exactly 25 minutes, not one minute more. It will look like it’s not done (kind of liquidy, like a waterbed) but it IS done. Take it out and let it cool.
Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or just by itself.
This pie will make you get up in the middle of the night to sneak the last piece.
Hey, TexasDeb: “Genius” works for me, as well. It is, isn’t it? And I have merely excused myself from the table, pulsed the thing, put it in little bowls and voila!. And I do mean Voila! And all the friends who can’t eat peanuts/wheat/chocolate/whathaveyou are good with it. Thanks for the bread pudding reminder. It’s a quick snappy alternative, as well.
Hiya, Marilyn. Let’s never desert dessert, or our friends who can nurture themselves by learning to cook. Thanks so much for stopping by. We love hearing form you, and hope you’ll come back soon.
Roadchick, that’s perfect. And beating the eggs like a naughty schoolboy is only surpassed by adding a “big whack of chocolate.” You’re my kind of cooker, sister. Thanks so much. Please come back with more.
The Cake Doctor, Ann Byrn will have a follow up edition releasing later in September. I can’t wait for that book.
For desserts, I started with cookies – my favorite is snickerdoodles and the name of my newest kitten.
I have cast iron cookware and Martha’s green cookware. I can’t believe you can get grill marks on meat with the grill pan. They clean up so well.
Happy baking and cooking.
Jim
I missed the cookbook post somehow, so I am now going “Ooo!! Ooo!! I have a great one for you that no one has suggested!!”
The best book I have come across on teaching someone how to cook from first principles (how to boil and egg, scramble an egg, bake a potato, make a porkchop that turns out moist, not dry, etc., etc.) is Delia Smith’s “How to Cook” series of 3 volumes, which is now available in a single book.
http://www.amazon.com/Delias-Complete-Cook-Delia-Smith/dp/0563539070/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251921111&sr=8-4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delias-Complete-How-Cook-Collection/dp/0563539070/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251921283&sr=8-1
I am an experienced cook — I was making 6 layer tortes with daquoise and buttercream at the age of 14 — but I have learned more from this book than any other single source on how to cook. She taught me to make the best scrambled eggs ever — I actually get requests for my scrambled eggs! (and don’t miss the roast potatoes!).
I find it much better than Bittman’s book because it HAS PHOTOS — and I really like to see what stuff is supposed to look like. Plus, I think she really covers the basics well — and then shows how to use those basics to make more complex dishes.
Really, trust me on this recommendation!
Beyond that, I really like the Everyday Food mag — it helps you cook when you are uninspired on weekdays.
How To Eat by Nigella Lawson is brilliant. The recipes really aren’t more complex than in Everyday Food, but are much more sophisticated flavours and combinations. She puts together whole menus for Sunday Lunch or weekend entertaining, by season, and they are very easy and very, very good. No pictures though!
And now 3 of my favourite shockingly simple but very impressive desserts:
THE.best.chocolate.cake.EVER:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/dining/081trex.html?_r=1&sq=chocolate%20cake%20recipe&st=cse&scp=10&pagewanted=print
Sublime clafoutis, which easily adapts to other stone fruit or figs:
http://msglaze.typepad.com/paris/2006/06/cherry_clafouti.html
Lemon Olive Oil Cake — try substituting lemon olive oil for some of the oil — makes it even better!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Olive-Oil-Cake-234274
Oh, and here is one last dessert — Delia Smith’s Eton Mess:
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/meringue/eton-mess.html
Hi, Monika: Your generosity is such a blessing. Thank you so much. Yes: Delia! Yes, yes, indeed. What a great reminder of getting to the basics early (and often). I, too, am an Everyday Food person; right now, sitting where I am, I can actually see every single copy since the first, and while I keep meaning to clip and file, there is something deeply satisfying in having them all on hand. I literally use it just about every day. I am going to try all of these dessert suggestions. John and I will have to space them out just the eensiest bit, though it is awfully tempting to embark on a four nights/four desserts bender with these. Thank you, thank you. Hope to see you here at TSP again soon.
Hi, Jim. Thanks for the heads up on the September release of a much-anticipated book. We’ll be at the bookshop door, as well. Starting with cookies is a great idea, and we do a nice (though slightly mad) cookie bender here at home at least twice each year, making, oh, nine colors of royal icing, and getting out every sprinkle we have. John has come to one, but I don’t think he was here for the actual baking part, just the messy part, so I’ll get him involved earlier this time. Great suggestions. Ooh, I love Martha’s green cookware, too. Toasting you, snickerdoodle in hand! Come back soon, please.
Dessert is my favorite part of the meal to make, and I usually don’t go gentle into that good night. (I’m hard-pressed to think of something fast/easy to share.) But I WILL be trying that lovely cherry concoction — can’t think of a better way to enjoy some of those cherries I so painstakingly pitted and froze a couple months ago. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Christine. Welcome back. So interesting. I wonder who loves to make dessert versus who’s a salad sister, entree sister, etc. Yes, do try it. It will make you laugh out loud it’s so easy. Let us know what you think, please. And do come back soon. We always love hearing from you.