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I’ve been participating in, and hosting, snail mail exchanges online since 2001. Last December, we had the Secret Santa Foodie, where everybody got together to spread some holiday cheer. I ‘met’ a lot of new people, including Adrienne Mitra, who owns a travel agency with her husband. What’s so interesting is that they offer fully-customized culinary travel tours. Food and travel — what’s not to love? It’s impossible to have someone you know at every travel destination, who can point you to to the good eats or the best classes where you can learn to cook the regional fare. Guidebooks can only take you so far and it’s rare to have an unlimited vacation time to figure everything out. That’s where they come in. Travel runs through Adrienne’s veins and she loves good food. She is passionate about helping people plan their vacation according to how they want it, and not according to set “packages” (that term makes her cringe). And if there’s one thing I can attest to about Adrienne, she gets things done and she is on top of things — okay, that’s two! After talking and emailing with her, teaming up with them just seemed like an organic thing to do. So I’m very happy to introduce Celebrations International Travel, as our sponsor and partner in travel and food. Please join us in welcoming them! Check out their site and their blog. You will learn more about them in the coming weeks and months. I’ll be inviting Adrienne to do a guest post about their culinary tours. ^[Disclaimer]

This is right up our alley, don’t you think? As the busy travel and vacation season begins, and as some of us scramble to make plans for the rest of the year (ahem, Me!), I can’t wait to find out what they have in store!

———

Now onto the recipe!

MMM…pizza! Whether it be for any meal (yes, even breakfast — admit it!), a casual get-together or game night, the beloved pizza is welcome in our homes and in our bellies. Of course, there’s the debate about which is better: deep-dish or thin crust pizza, but we’ll leave that alone. For now, I’ll talk about my kind fo pizza: thin, light, and beautifully blistered pizzas. You heard me: blistered. I get excited over the perfect thin crust!

We’ve been to the much-talked about Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, and my love for that pizza is right up there with Itzhak Perlman — that’s a high pedestal. The long line to get into the main restaurant is something I’d rather forget, though.

The following crust is no Pizzeria Bianco, and I can’t say it tastes the same as the A16 restaurant’s pizza (I haven’t eaten there), but one thing is for sure, this dough has earned top place among the pizza dough recipes I’ve tried.

Being at the top means there are also no compromises, especially when it comes to time. The A16 Neapolitan pizza dough takes the most number of days to make: three, realistically. But you can definitely make it in two if you plan ahead after reading the recipe. Raise your hand if you sometimes don’t carefully read the recipe before deciding to make it. Who does that? Hah.

I don’t have more “after” photos because I was busy stretching the pizza, filling it, transferring it to to oven, and preparing the next pie while that cooks for 7 minutes. Whew. I ran a tight ship and by the time I finished rolling out 4 pizzas, I just had enough to eat and hunger beat food porn. Plus, it’s something that can wait to be eaten. It was incredibly satisfying and even with all the work and wait involved, this is worth making again and again!

NEAPOLITAN-STYLE PIZZA DOUGH
adapted from the book, “A16: Food + Wine” by Nate Appleman, Shelley Lindgren, and Kate Leahy (2008, Ten Speed Press

Ingredients – makes 4 10-12” pizzas

• 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (100°F to 105°F)
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for bowl
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups “00” flour or all-purpose flour**, plus extra for work surface
• cornmeal for pizza peel (optional)

Special Equipment

• Pizza stone
• Pizza peel or rimless baking sheet

Preparation

Day 1

1. Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil. Set aside.
2. Proof yeast by sprinkling over warm water and letting it stand for 10 minutes in a small bowl. If yeast did not dissolve and become frothy, start again with a fresh batch of yeast. Stir in olive oil and salt.
3. Combine flour and yeast mixture in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes, or until dough is “shaggy” (i.e. The yeast mixture and the dough are just incorporated together. The dough is rough, and almost clumps together in a ball.)  Knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Knead for another 10 minutes on medium-low speed to achieve a smooth and soft dough. It will become warm to the touch.
4. Transfer dough into the prepared large bowl with oil. Turn the dough once to coat both sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2

1. Punch down the dough with your fist and fold over the sides. Turn dough over in the bowl. Cover again with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or up to 24 hours).
2. Place dough on floured work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Cup each quarter in your hands and tuck the sides to the bottom until you form a smooth ball. Place balls on your floured work surface with generous room in between. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and proof for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in volume. Use water spray keep the surface of the dough moist in case skin forms on it. Skin on dough will keep it from rising, so it is best to avoid it.
3. Place pizza stone on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat oven to its maximum temperature (usually 500° to °550F) for at least 30 minutes before baking.
4. Shape each ball of dough by placing it on a generously floured work surface. Pat down the ball with your fingertips to flatten into a disk. Press down the center of the dough using the palm of one hand, and pull the dough outward with the other. Repeat while rotating clockwise to form a flat 10-12-inch circle with a slightly raised edge (“cornicione”).
   Tip: If the dough is tough to stretch, cover it with a damp kitchen towel while you work on the next ball of dough. You can also use a rolling pin to stretch out your dough.
5. Generously dust a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet with flour or cornmeal. Slide flattened pizza dough onto the peel and shake to make sure the dough does not stick.
6. Add desired toppings. Place peel over the pizza stone in the oven and quickly jerk to slide off the pizza. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, until dough is crisp and golden brown. Top should be bubbling. Remove the pizza from the oven using the pizza peel or baking sheet. Enjoy!

** “00” flour : Doppio zero flour. “00” refers to the grade of the flour. It is higher in protein than most all-purpose flours.
Where to buy: http://fornobravo.com, http://www.luccadeli.com, or http://pennmac.com.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a sponsored post and we are not paid to write about Celebrations International Travel, Inc. They are a banner advertiser on this website. Views and opinions expressed on this post are entirely my own. – Joy

“I love you more than rainbows.” – Ryan Bingham (best original song, Crazy Heart) When I heard that, I went “AWWW”. How cute was that speech at the Oscar’s?! [I'm a total sap!] I’m watching it as I type, can you tell?

This (raw) fudge cake might just be more lovable than those colorful arches.

Strawberry Ganache Fudge Cake: the indulgent-tasting cake that looks good and makes you feel good

The oh-so-decadent-looking ganache–would you believe me when I say it’s made of dates, agave syrup, avocado, and cacao powder? Grins. No, it’s not April Fool’s Day yet. This total eye candy is good for you!

In the beginning I wasn’t sure it would be as good as Elle said it would. It’s not that I don’t trust her, or Ani Phyo (the cookbook author). It’s just that the ingredient combination was a bit foreign to me. Really? Avocado?! I grew up eating avocados as dessert topped with powdered milk and sugar, so the sweet part I got. But…with chocolate? You’re kidding!

My apprehension disappeared as soon as I prepared and tasted it. Oh…my…god!

Raw ganache: the stuff of raw dessert heaven!

This chocolate frosting is UNreal in flavor. Wow. You wouldn’t think it has avocado in it. It is as good-no even better-than it looks.

Each cake layer is made of ground walnuts, cacao powder, medjool dates and salt. The major challenge for me when I made this was shaping the cake into 2 stackable layers. My smallest springform pan was 8 inches, and that produced a layer too thin to hold its shape. I ended up using a smaller-diameter fondue pot that I lined with aluminum foil tso I can easily pop out the layer once it’s compressed into a compact disc.

This is my low-tech solution to shaping the cake layers. It works.

I was eager to devour it after putting on the first layer of ganache, especially after tasting it with some leftover cake crumbs. I love eating tasting everything while making stuff.

First cake layer frosted with ganache

The original recipe called for fresh raspberries. I had strawberries at the time, so I sliced and macerated them in agave syrup for extra softness and moisture.

Mascerated sliced strawberries

After much fussing around with the frosting to make it look decent (I’m not good with icing at all), I had to wait 2 hours for the cake to firm up before cutting it.

A piece of chocolate heaven.

It was love at first bite. I know I say that about a lot of desserts, but wow, this was on its own level of chocolate goodness. If I was to make a list of 100 Things To Eat Before You Die, this will definitely make the cut. Ultra smooth and creamy ganache on two layers of nutty cakes and a soft layer of macerated strawberries in the middle – what could be better? It’s raw and it’s healthy for you, that’s what! This is pure indulgence without the guilt.

Don’t even entertain second thoughts, just make this now. This is pure indulgence without the guilt.

STRAWBERRY GANACHE FUDGE CAKE (RAW)
Adapted from “Ani’s Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats”
by Ani Phyo (2009, Da Capo Press).

Ingredients – makes about 6 servings

For the fudge cake:
•    3 cups dry walnuts
•    2/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder or carob powder
•    1/4 teaspoon sea salt
•    1 cup pitted Medjool dates

For the frosting:
•    1/3 cup semi-soft pitted Medjool dates
•    1/4 cup agave syrup
•    1/2 cup ripe avocado flesh (from about 1 medium avocado)
•    1/3 cup cacao powder

For the filling:
•    1/2 cup sliced strawberries
•    1/2 tablespoon agave syrup

Preparation
1.    For the filling: Mix the strawberries and agave syrup in a small bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for an hour. Strain the juices out before putting on the cake (Step #5).

2.    For the fudge cake: Coarsely chop walnuts, cacao powder, and salt together in a food processor. Add the dates and pulse until thoroughly mixed. You may have to scoop it from the sides of the bowl with a small spatula if the bigger chunks stick.

3.    Shape the cake into two (2) solid, stackable discs using a 6- or 7-inch springform pan. You can use other flat-bottom containers, but line them with aluminum foil for easy removal of the cakes. Note that the thinner you make the cake layers, the more fragile they will be. Placing the cake discs in the freezer while you make the frosting will help set them.

4.    For the frosting: Pulse the following in the food processor until smooth, in this order: the dates and agave syrup; avocado flesh; and lastly, cacao powder.

5.    To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand and frost the top with about one third of the ganache. Carefully place strawberry filling on the center and spread until about half an inch from the edge.

6.    Position the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let it firm up.

Storage: According to the original recipe, the cake layers will keep in the fridge for many weeks. The frosting can be kept separately in the fridge for a week. The assembled cake with fruit will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes
- The trickiest part of this recipe is shaping the cake layers so that each disc stays in one piece. You might have to redo the first layer you make just to get the hang of it.
- Slicing the cake can get crumbly and messy due to the nutty cake layers. I would highly recommend making this in individual serving-sized portions, if you have small springform pans or even ramekins.
- You won’t have any problems with storage. This cake is small and is so good it will disappear from the table before you can even think of your second helping.

There’s nothing as comforting in winter as a good soup, especially a hearty split pea soup. This one is fully vegetarian, with all the goodness of homemade vegetable stock. The original recipe called for a lot of fresh herbs, which I didn’t have because I ran out and there wasn’t time to go out and buy them. What I had instead were dried rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, and fresh mint leaves. The latter was a very nice addition to the soup and if I had to do it all over again, I’d make this soup with the same ingredients.

A few weeks ago, I asked for vegetarian cookbook recommendations on Twitter. One of the top two mentioned by my Twitter pals is Deborah Madison’s “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone“. I didn’t realize it was like The Vegetarian Cooking Tome–the massive amount of recipes overwhelmed me the minute I held it. I haven’t delved that much into vegetarian cooking (there’s always a slight meat component in most of my vegetable dishes), so I didn’t know where to start. That week, we were having an incredibly cold and rainy week, as is typical for Vancouver winter. It was starting to get really old and the only thing that could really lighten the mood up was a good bowl of soup. When I looked through the cookbook, this one jumped at me. This would be the books “first test”.

Friends, do you do that, too, when you have a new cookbook? Do you test out a few recipes to see if the cookbook will be worth its place as a standby in the kitchen? For me, if one recipe succeeds, it stays near the kitchen and I continue to cook from it. If it fails, I’ll give it 2 more tries before I ditch it. What about you? How many recipes do you test before it gets a Yay or a Nay?

This recipe definitely earned a “Yay!” in my book.

I love when everything goes together and the whole experience of making a dish somehow connects you to the author, through the methods, the flavors, and the culmination in the forms of a really good meal and a silent Thank You to the mind that created something so wonderful. A regular dinner turned into something special. Yes, I romanticize about meals, and if this was a date, I’m picking the phone to ask for a second. ;-)

SPLIT PEA SOUP
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s the book, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups slip green peas, sorted and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs of fresh mint
• 2 quarts vegetable stock or water**
• mushroom soy sauce (optional)
• Greek yogurt (optional)

Preparation

1. Soak peas in water and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add garlic, parsley, herbs, paprika, fresh ground black pepper and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Drain split peas. Add peas, 1 ½ teaspoon salt and stock (or water). Stir to keep peas from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Wait for it to boil before lowering the heat to simmer for about an hour. Partially cover until peas have broken down. If soup becomes to thick, add water according to your preference. Remove bay and mint leaves.
4. Season with soy sauce or salt as desired.

Serve hot. Highly recommended topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

** You can also use chicken or beef stock, if you do not have preference for vegetarian.

I love biscotti. For the longest time, I sat back in awe, envious of friends (on- and offline) who make it look like it’s a walk in the park to prepare. For me it was intimidating, especially the fact that it has to be baked twice. I don’t know why, but just the thought of that thwart any attempt at it! Enter Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox’s book, “The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own“. I pored through the pages, checking the ingredients and processes, and unapologetically drooled over the sweet delights. Then, like cowlick on a well-manicured lawn of a hair, 3 recipes stood out: those of the twice baked cookie variety called the Biscotti. Hello, self-imposed yoke.

It’s crazy to think that some of us have mountains to move when it comes to baking:

• Mt. Cake
• Mt. Macarons
• Mt. Pie
• Mt. Jelly Rolls…I’m still talking about baking here…
• Mt. Cinnamon Rolls
• Mt.Homemade Bread

What else? What’s your baking nemesis?

My friend is leaving to go back to her new home across the border, and I wanted to give her something for their long flight. Biscotti would make a perfect travel snack: light, TSA-friendly, and will survive the journey. And there it was, my work cut out for me and I was ready to face another fear in the kitchen. Luckily, my first try worked like a charm. DeMasco’s recipe is a winner.

Of course I had to try making the chocolate first. Priorities dears.

Chocolate Walnut Biscotti with Coffee. The coffee was just there for props. I haven't had coffee in 13 days. THIRTEEN! Days! And I'm ok. Really. Did I tell you I'm okay?

The dough was sticky and fragile to work with, but incredibly good to eat. I’m a dough/batter-eater. I cannot resist tasting it, unless it is yeasty. It pretty much goes that if the dough tastes good, the baked product will be good, too. So I do intensive testing. With my mouth. Do you? If not, you’re missing out. Well, unless you’re pregnant, then don’t do it if it has raw eggs like this one.

The trick to transferring this dough from the floured counter to the baking sheet is the speedy lift-and-support-entire-length action. It does have the risk of sagging and breaking apart.

Making biscotti and proof that I may have taken Karen DeMasco's"generously floured work surface" too far. It really didn't stick. At all. I mean, how could it?

The hardest part in making these is the baking time. Your kitchen and its surrounding open spaces will be filled with the come-hitherto aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and a hint of something that tickles your nose, trying to let you in on a little secret. You know what it is? Espresso. The book says the cookies will fall flat in taste without it, and I’ll have to agree. No, I don’t even want to try it without!

The Biscotti Council

These biscotti are not too sweet, and would make a perfect companion to coffee or plain milk. Thinking of tea? This is your mate. It’s not too overpowering, even for a light tea.

There are only a few left of this batch, and the generous bag of biscotti I gave my friend for the trip is on the verge of missing the flight, I was told. If that isn’t the best compliment for it, I don’t know what is.

If you’re looking for a biscotti recipe to start you baking, look no further. This newbie approves. And for the seasoned biscotti bakers, this is a worthy addition to consider for your repertoire of old favorites.

For me, honestly, I can’t wait to make more that will last long enough to make it past the front door without being eaten, so I can mail them to friends! I love sending care packages of food, and it almost sounds selfish because I get such sheer pleasure in doing so. :-)

The full recipe can be found online (it’s the 3rd recipe down), and that’s the exact one in the book. I thought I’d just link to it because it’s a long one, plus I didn’t change anything in the recipe.

Happy baking this weekend!

A few weeks ago, I received an email invitation from Kristen Tarnol (on behalf of the marketing team for Columbia Pictures) to participate in the Julie & Julia movie’s “Blog of the Day” program. To be honest with you, at first I did not think it was real. “As in T-H-E Julie & Julia movie with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams about Julia Child (and Julie Powell)?…!…?” was all I could say to myself. Surely this was some kind of joke or a mistake. I was in disbelief until I received another email from her. [Sorry, Kristen!]

Unlike some of the few other bloggers featured, I grew up in the Philippines without having Julia Child on TV, not seeing Julia’s cookbooks as her mother’s or grandmothers’ go-to cookbook, or even knowing who she was until later on. And I mean, later on after my mid-twenties. Here I am, a fairly new cook who avoided the kitchen for most of her life, then decided to have a food blog that is now being featured on quite arguably the most awaited foodie movie of the year. How could this be? Tickled pink doesn’t even begin to describe it.

For those who are not familiar with Julia Child, she was an American chef who introduced French cooking to the American household. She wrote what would become a classic cookbook, with all the basic cooking techniques and recipes for the home cook:

The first volume was published in 1961; no not the one above, it’s a 1973 ed. To ‘celebrate’ being Blog of the Day, I decided to bake choux pastry puffs using Julia’s recipe.

They came out perfect from a recipe older than I am. As she said in her book, “A perfect puff is firm to the touch, tender and dry to the taste.”

She continues:

“Hot puffs will seem perfectly cooked when taken from the oven, but, if left as they are, they will become soggy as they cool because there is always an uncooked center portion that gradually spreads its dampness to the outside crust. To prevent this sad effect, small puffs are punctured to release steam; large puffs are slit, and often their uncooked centeres are removed. This is actually the only secret to puff making.”

Rarely do I fall in love with a cookbook’s text, but Julia’s is right up there. It’s very accessible, clear, easy to understand without being dumbed down, and with a little bit of mischief I would say. If you have seen some of her shows (a quick YouTube search will do the trick), you can see what a fun character she is!

I can’t blame Julie Powell for attempting to cook all of her recipes. How fun is that and why the hell didn’t I think of it? Haha. That’s what her book and the movie is about — the true story of Julie cooking her way through Julia’s 1961 book. A “deranged assignment” indeed, but what an adventure!

Meryl Streep plays Julia Child and I think she makes a great Julia: a six-foot-two-inch Mrs. Child, who’s still admired, loved and honored by home cooks and chefs alike. And because of the movie, perhaps even the masses.

I cannot wait till it’s out! I’d love to see how they portrayed Julia Child, the cooking legend and cultural icon. Watch it with me on August 7.

I’ll post the recipe for the choux pastry tomorrow. You’ll have to wait. :-)

P.S. As I’m about to publish this, Martha Stewart’s Cookie of the Day email came in and guess what it is? Cream Puffs.

Thats’ right, FREE. And what’s more, each time you download the cookbook a dollar (up to $100,000) is donated to America’s Second Harvest, a national charity that secures and distributes more than two billion pounds of food products annually. What are you waiting for? Hurry, the free download is only until March 31st.

» Download the cookbook

» Preview the cookbook

I’ve seen the TV commercial for it two nights ago, but I found out about it from Katy (thanks, girl!).