Chai spice biscotti

As a half-Indian girl, my knowledge of Indian cooking is limited. A few prized gems from various aunties, a few more from cookbooks purchased in India, and a solid but modest collection from my father (boys didn't spend much time in the kitchen) gives me a passable repertoire among non-Indian friends. And fortunately the internet has made many more accessible. But one thing my family has always known about is tea.

I was an impressionable high-schooler when Chai tea hit the chain coffee shops. You couldn't swing a Starbucks Venti without encountering an ad for a Chai Spice Latte. My own beloved Seattle's Best Coffee offered their own version, a combination of steamed milk and Oregon Chai mix  (still sold at Trader Joe's). But my dad knew how to make it from scratch. And that was cool.

The mixture of anise, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and whatever else you like to throw in may seem like overkill at first. But the combination of flavors elevates them each to another level, and in the end it's hard to tell where one begins and another ends.

It was only a matter of time before I decided that such amazing flavors shouldn't be confined to a beverage. I started with the sweets, which seemed an easier translation. Early failures included my dairy-free chai spice ice cream, which I blame not on the flavors but on the consistency of ground cashews taking the place of silky milk and cream.

But these biscotti.

I didn't want to ruin the delicate combination of spices with chocolate, but these tart cherries provided the perfect contrast of taste and texture to an otherwise crispy, aromatic cookie. I suppose cranberries could work as well but if you know where to look dried cherries are both accessible and inexpensive. And so much fancier. 

Biscotti, for those of you who don't parla Italiano, literally means twice-cooked. And that's exactly what you do: first the dough is shaped into a log, and baked until cooked through. Then the log is sliced into the familiar crescent shape and they're toasted until that wonderfully hard, crisp texture is achieved. If you're one of those that likes a soft cookie, toast a little less. If you're like my mother and partial to "jawbreakers," cook until golden, then turn the oven off and let them sit and dry out completely.

The basic ingredients are the usual: butter, sugar, eggs, a little baking powder, and much more flour than you'd think. I used Mark Bittman's basic biscotti recipe for the base, then added spices and cherries. I did half the batch with chocolate chips and vanilla instead of chai spice, for my husband, who doesn't see the point of a chocolate-less dessert.

But the chai spice ones were so much better. 

Chai spice biscotti with cherries

Basic recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything 

1/4 c (1/2 stick) butter

3/4 c sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 c flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1/4-1/2 tsp each: ground cardamom, anise, and cloves, cinnamon; use less if using fresh ground spices, more to taste

1/2 c chopped dried cherries

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and vanilla. 

3. Combine flour, baking powder, and spices in a measuring cup. Add mixture a little at a time, mixing until incorporated. 

4. Fold in cherries by hand.

5. Form two logs on a cookie sheet. The height of the log will be the width of your cookie. See picture above.

6. Bake about 30 minutes, until logs are golden on top and mostly cooked through. 

7. Let cool for a few minutes, then slice into 1/2 inch crescents. I find it's best to used a short, serrated knife for optimal control of cookie width and to preserve the nice crescent shape (too much pressure from a knife can flatten them).

8. Place slices back on cookie sheet(s) and bake at 250 for about 15 minutes or until toasted and golden. Cool on cookie racks, or turn off oven and let them get even crispier in there. 

Penne alla vodka

You know that question people who aren't obsessed with food sometimes ask, where they expect you to choose your favorite food, the one you couldn't live without?

I recently had to answer that at an ice breaker. I thought about saying pasta, describing how much I love the feeling of biting into a perfectly al dente cut of papardelle or rigatoni, the satisfaction only flour can bring...

but then I realized what I really love is pasta sauce. I think I'd eat a good sauce over anything, including sometimes just my fork. With parmigiano sprinkled on top, of course.

I learned how to make this sauce from an old coworker, who owns an Italian restaurant with her husband. Blending the fresh, sweet tones of onions, tomato and basil with the richness of butter and vodka (and traditionally cream) it's the perfect balance, leaving you wanting nothing. Except more pasta to soak it up.

Penne alla vodka

(measurements are imprecise, adjust to taste)
olive oil
1 onion, finely minced
2 tbsp butter
1/3 c. vodka
1 28-oz can crushed or whole tomatoes (San Marzano are best)
handfuls of chopped basil, plus more for garnish

1/4-1/2 c. whipping cream (optional)

Saute onions in olive oil. Add butter once onions are translucent, melt. Add vodka, simmer until scant thin liquid remains. Add tomatoes, crushing with hands into pot, and chopped basil to taste. 

Let simmer for at least an hour. If desired add cream to taste and warm through. Toss with pasta*, garnish with basil and serve with extra sauce and Parmesan cheese. 

Penne is of course my favorite, but this sauce is so good it works on practically anything. Even the brown rice fusilli pictured again. See, sometimes I make things without gluten. 

As an alternative, top pizza crust with vodka sauce, basil leaves, and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Bake on a pizza pan, stone, or grill pan (as pictured here) at 450 degrees until crispy. 

Pumpkin season once again

Working nights is hard. Even with a few days off, I still find myself wide awake the middle of the night, then unable to drag myself out of bed the next day.

My slothful tendencies of late are only amplified by my husband's annoying love - no, need - for running. He's training for another race right now, so when I rolled over and hit snooze yet again he jumped out of bed and headed off for a little 16-mile trot.

Finally I decided enough was enough. But I didn't want to actually do anything with the day, like go for a run myself or write the research protocol I've been avoiding for a week. So naturally, I decided to cook something.

If you've read this blog before you know that pumpkin and pumpkin spice are flavors I'll never tire of. This good old pancake recipe from Martha Stewart turned out to be perfect for the waffle iron. And with whole wheat substituted for white, eating them feels pretty virtuous. Almost as if I'd run for two hours myself.

Pumpkin spice waffles

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 tbsp oil or melted butter

3-4 tbsp sugar (or more, depending on how sweet you like your waffles)

6 tbsp pumpkin purée

1 egg

1 cup skim milk 

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour 

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Pumpkin pie spice: 1 tsp cinnamon, dashes of ginger, nutmeg, and allspice or ground cloves, to taste

Turn on waffle iron to preheat. Whisk first four ingredients. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a mixing cup. Alternate pours of milk and flour, whisking as you go, until all ingredients combined.

Spoon 1/3-1/2 cup of batter onto waffle iron (amount pictured made a thick fluffy waffle, also pictured) and cook until browned. 

Can be frozen and reheated in the toaster for another lazy day.