Recipe 8: Honeyed Cheesecake

The recipe for cheesecake has been advancing since 200 AD, but the concept remains the same: a mix of cheese, honey (sugar) and dough. The recipe below is for one of the best cheesecakes I've ever made. It was perfectly creamy, fluffy and sweet. I love that it has honey instead of sugar.

The danger of making a dessert this good is that you and your loved ones may eat an entire cheesecake in 4 days...

Honey Cheesecake

• 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup of butter, melted
• 4 8oz packages of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• zest from one lemon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. I put a piece of parchment on the bottom of the pan to stop the crust from sticking.

Preheat oven to 350°F

In an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, honey and flour. Beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in milk, lemon and vanilla. 

Pour cream cheese mixture over crust and bake for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 200°F and bake for 1 1/2 hours. 

Let the cheesecake cool in the oven with the door ajar for an hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or more before serving.

Recipe 7: Another Sauce for Fowl

I have been meaning to make this recipe since a friend gave me Radically Simple by Rozanne Gold for Christmas a few years ago. The photo in the cookbook shows a golden brown chicken breast in a bright purple sauce. My sauce doesn't have the same purple color but the sweet grape flavor is powerful and delicious.

Sauteed Chicken with roasted Grapes & Grape Demi-Glace
Radically Simple by Rozanne Gold

• 3/4 pound small seedless red or black grapes
• 3/4 pound small seedless green grapes
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, 8 ounces each
• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Remove the grapes from their stems. Put half of the graphes on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes. Puree the uncooked grapes in a blender until very smooth. Strain through a sieve, pressing down hard on the skins.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook 4 minutes on each side. Add the grape juice and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the juice become syrupy, 5 minutes. 

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Add the remaining butter to the pan and cook, stirring over high heat, 1 minute. Add the roasted grapes and cook 2 minute longer. Pout the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with chives.

Recipe 6: Roasted Goat

"So where roasting - or burning - food distinguished us from animals, boiling was proof of civilization" - William Sitwell


 My inspiration for this meal was this recipe for  Goat in Chile Marinade on Epicurious. I loved the story and detailed directions on how to make an authentic Barbacoa de Cabrito. I made a simplified version and chose to use dried California peppers, mostly because that was all I could find. They were not very spicy but added a nice toasty flavor to the dish.  Honestly, I don't know anything about peppers. My mother is Scandinavian, growing up the norm was boiled potatoes and fish sticks.  Depending on the level of spice you are looking to achieve, you can substitute different kinds of peppers.

 

Goat with a Chili Marinade

• 2 dried California chilies
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon oregano 
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2.5 lbs bone-in goat or lamb
• 1 bayleaf 
• 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes

 

Remove tops and seeds from chilies. Soak in boiling water for at least 20 minutes.

In a blender or food processor combine chilies, cumin, allspice, fennel, oregano, thyme, garlic, onion, vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend until it becomes a smooth puree. If the mixture isn't blending add a few tablespoons of water.

In a non-reactive air tight container, add goat, marinade and bay leaf. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Remove meat from refrigerator two hours before cooking. 

 Preheat oven to 325°F

Roast for 5 to 6 hours in an airtight container. If you don't have a lid, use tightly wrapped tin foil.

Remove meat from the oven and shred. Place the roasting pan on the stove on low heat. Deglaze the pan by adding a can of chopped tomatoes. Scrape down the sides to incorporate the brown bits and simmer until the tomatoes melt into a sauce.

Serve shredded meat with tomato sauce and potatoes.

Recipe 5: To Salt Ham

I live in an apartment and don't think my neighbors would appreciate a ham hock hanging from the ceiling in the basement, which is why I made a different salt-cured food - Gravlax. It is one of my favorite foods. I love it on bagels with cream cheese or rye bread with dill sauce. Making Gravlax involves covering salmon with salt to draw out the moisture - preserving and allowing for extended storage without spoiling. Although the purpose of curing Salmon is to extend its shelf life, I wouldn't recommend keeping it for more than a week. The curing process takes just a few days with very little effort.

Ingredients: 

• 2 -1lb pieces of skin on Salmon which are approximately the same size
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• A large handful of dill

Combine the salt and sugar. Roughly chop the dill.

Place the salmon skin side down. Rub the salt mixture on the flesh side of both pieces.

Make a salmon and dill sandwich with the skin of the fish on the outside.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a dish that has at least 1inch sides. As the Salmon cures the moisture will seep out, you do not want fishy water all over your fridge.

Refrigerate immediately. Flip the fish every 12 hours for 3-5 days.   

Unwrap the salmon, rinse off the dill and salt. Slice thinly.

 

Serve with Mustard Dill Sauce.

Mustard Dill Sauce

• 1/4 cup dijion mustard
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoon chopped dill

Mix mustard, sugar and vinegar. Whisk in oil until incorporated, stir in dill.

Recipe 4: Baked Fish in Fig Leaves

Chapter 4 is dedicated to Archestratus, who tasted his way around the world, poetically recording his findings. He preferred simply prepared dishes made with the freshest ingredients and had strong opinions, preferring seafood over meat and despising rich sauces. He poured his knowledge and passion into one of the earliest cookbooks created, Life of Luxury.

Baked Fish in Fig Leaves is a recipe out of his cookbook. Having no idea where to get fig leaves, I decided to wrap the fish in parchment paper (also referred to as en papillote). The key to successfully steaming the fish is to tightly seal the edges so the paper puffs while cooking. The bonus of cooking this way is that you can add vegetables and herbs to flavor the fish. I chose leeks and mushrooms, but you can use any flavor combination you want. Another great option would be peppers, onions, cliantro and lime or tomatoes, basil, lemon and white wine. 

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of firm white fish
• 1 leek, sliced
• 8 oz mixed mushrooms
• herbs de provence 
• 1/2 cup white wine

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Saute the sliced leeks and mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes They don't need to be completely cooked since they are going in the oven. Add the wine and herbs de provence, cook for 1 minute.

Rip off a large piece of parchment paper, you want to be able to fold the paper enough times to tightly seal in the fish. Lay down the sauteed vegetables (including cooking liquid) and place the fish on top. 

Wrap as tightly as you can, crimping and rolling the edges.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Recipe 3: Tiger Nut Sweets

When I first read the words Tiger Nut I immediately thought of the worst case scenario - Oh no, I really hope this recipe isn't similar to Rocky Mountain Oysters - which are deep fried bull testicles. Luckily, it's not even close. Tiger Nut Sweets refers to a mix of fruits, nuts, honey and spices. It's appearance is similar to a tuber root with the same name. Tiger Nut Sweets are one of the earliest desserts and were given as a gift to show appreciation similar to the modern day hostess gift. 

This vegan, gluten free, no added sugar recipe is almost more of a snack than a dessert. I've actually seen a few energy bars with the same ingredients. To really satisfy my sweet tooth and make the original recipe more of a dessert, I opted to coat them with chocolate instead of honey.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup whole pitted dates
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/3 cup shelled walnuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 oz of chocolate
• 2 tablespoons of whole milk or cream
• 1/3 cup ground almonds

 Finely chop the dates. In a medium bowl add dates and stir in 1 tablespoon of water until mushy.

Finely chop walnuts. Mix cinnamon and walnuts with dates.

 Shape the (very sticky) date mixture into balls.

Add the milk and chocolate to a double boiler and melt. You can also use a microwave, stirring the mixture every 30 seconds until melted. Set aside to cool.

Roll the date and walnut balls in the chocolate until completely covered in a thin layer. Roll the chocolate covered balls in ground almonds until coated. 

Recipe 2: Lamb Stew with Pearled Barley

Stews have always been an integral part of cooking. Braising tough, inexpensive pieces of meat breaks down the connective tissue, while also tenderizing and adding flavor. The oldest recipe for meat and vegetable stew was found on clay tablets from Yale University's Babylonian Collection. The recipe contains an immense variety of ingredients - some of which can't be deciphered. Having written documentation of ingredients and cooking techniques gives insight into what life was like during that time.

Lamb stew with Pearled Barley is the perfect meal to coax fall into returning, although now that I live in Atlanta, there's no telling how long that will take!

Ingredients:

• 2lbs bone-in lamb stew meat
• 1 large onion
• 4 carrots
• 4 celery stalks
• 1 leek
• 1 tablespoon of Herbs de Provance
• 1 bay leag
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 1/2 cups of red wine
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• pearled barley

Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of a dutch oven - I used my Le Creuset. On high heat, sear the lamb in two batches. Set lamb aside. 

Saute chopped onions, carrots, leek and celery in remaining oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add Herbs de Provence, thyme, bay leaf and red wine. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the wine has reduced by half.  

Add chicken broth and lamb. Simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

While the lamb is simmering, cook the pearled barley. For two cups of barley, use 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Let the barley sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Remove lamb from the dutch oven, shred the meat and discard bones. Add the lamb back to the simmering liquid. Serve with pearled barley.