Cooking for Two (42 page)

S
oufflés are romantic desserts: light, airy—and they seem as if they should be a lot of trouble. They’re not, of course. Prepare these soufflés before dinner, pop them in the oven, and they’re done by the time you’re ready for dessert. Serve these individual chocolate and coffee soufflés the moment they’re done—they deflate once out of the oven.

1.
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter and sugar two 1½-cup soufflé dishes or high-sided ramekins. Cut two strips of aluminum foil to wrap around the dishes—each strip should be at least 6 inches longer than the circumference of the baking dish, and each should stand up 2 inches above the dish’s rim. Butter the shiny sides of the foil pieces. Fold them, butter side in, around the dishes so that the two foil ends meet about 3 inches away from one side of each dish, creating a teardrop shape so that each dish fills out the largest portion of each of the teardrops. Roll and crimp the ends of the aluminum foil together to seal, pressing the crimped ends against the dishes’ sides to hold the collar in place. Place the prepared dishes on a baking sheet and set aside.

2.
Mix the chocolate, boiling water, and espresso powder in a medium bowl; stir until the chocolate has melted and the espresso powder is dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.

3.
Meanwhile, whisk the 1 tablespoon melted butter and milk in a large bowl until well combined; then whisk in the flour until incorporated. Whisk in the two egg yolks, the vanilla, and salt, until uniform. Then whisk in the chocolate mixture until smooth. Set aside.

4.
Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Beat in the 2½ tablespoons sugar in a slow, steady stream. Continue beating for about 2 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and soft peaks form.

5.
Fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Take care not to deflate the whites; simply fold them lightly into the chocolate mixture—there will be streaks of egg white visible. Divide this mixture equally between the two prepared soufflé dishes, taking care to spoon it delicately into the dishes without getting it on the foil collars.

6.
Bake for 30 minutes, until puffed high. Serve immediately.

I
CE
C
REAM
B
URRITOS
makes
2 dessert burritos

A
sundae wrapped in a flour tortilla? Call it a southwestern twist on the banana split with flavors reminiscent of chocolate pecan turtles.

1.
Place the two tortillas on your work surface. Divide the melted chocolate equally between them, spreading it out with the back of a metal spoon; leave a 1½-inch border all the way around the tortillas. Sprinkle each with
teaspoon cinnamon.

2.
Place two scoops of ice cream in the middle of each tortilla. Divide the caramel topping between the tortillas, drizzling 2 teaspoons over each. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon chopped pecans.

3.
Fold the burrito closed by bringing the edge nearest you up halfway, then partially cover the ice cream. Fold the sides over to meet in the middle. If they don’t meet, just fold them as far as they can go. Fold the “top” down to encase the filling. Turn over so the seams are down, place one ice cream burrito on each of two dessert plates, and serve immediately, garnishing with additional caramel topping, if desired.

“The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use the search feature of your e-book reader.”

almond (s), 216

and celery root soup with roasted shallots, 24–25

–raspberry cheesecake, 256–57

wafers, chewy chocolate, 219–20

Anaheim peppers, 71–72

apple (s):

–cranberry cobbler, 238–39

and sage, mussels steamed in brandy with, 130–31

smoked pork chops with, 175–76

tart, rustic, 240–41

arroz con pollo, 80–81

artichokes, crawfish stuffed, 132–33

bacon dressing, warm, salad with poached egg and, 46–47

bananas with rum, baked, 247

barbecue tofu burritos, 108

barley-mushroom soup, 20–21

basil, Thai-inspired squash and mushroom stew with, 28–29

beans:

chile, spice-rubbed pork tenderloin with, 179–80

cowboy baked, 68–69

white, and roasted garlic soup with escarole, 22–23

beef, 187–203

chutney-glazed meatloaf, 190–91

inside-out cheeseburgers, 188–89

kabobs, Korean, 194–95

and mac casserole, 66–67

rib roast for two, 202–3

Swedish meatballs, 192–93

Yankee pot roast stew, 38–39

see also
steaks

biscotti, lemon hazelnut, 217–18

biscuit topping for chicken pot pie, 77

Black Forest cakes, 258–59

Bolivian green chile stew, 34–35

brandy, mussels steamed in, with apples and sage, 130

brownies, 254–55

burritos:

barbecue tofu, 108

ice cream, 268

cakes and other treats, 253–68

Black Forest, 258–59

brownies, 254–55

carrot, with cream cheese icing, 262–63

chocolate almond cheesecakes, 257

ice cream burritos, 268

lemon, with lemon icing, 260–61

mocha soufflés, 266–67

nut, 264–65

raspberry almond cheesecake, 256–57

caponata garnish, 23

caraway noodles, sautéed veal cutlets with, 204–5

carrot(s):

cake with cream cheese icing, 262–63

-curry cream sauce, ziti with, 103

casseroles, 61–92

arroz con ¼, 80–81

beef and mac, 66–67

cheese shop mac and cheese, 63

chicken pot pie, 75–77

coq au vin, 82–83

cowboy baked beans, 68–69

macaroni and cheese, 62–63

no-fry eggplant Parmesan, 86–87

potato and spinach, 84–85

stovetop chicken and rice, 78–79

stuffed baked potatoes three ways, 88–92

tamale pie, 70–72

tuna noodle, 64–65

turkey Tetrazzini, 73–74

vegetable tagine, 117–18

celery root and almond soup with roasted shallots, 24–25

cheese, 87

cheese shop mac and, 63

macaroni and, 62–63

see also specific cheeses
cheeseburgers, inside-out, 188–89

cheesecake, raspberry almond, 256–57

cheese shop burgers, 189

chicken:

arroz con pollo, 80–81

baked, with squash and chard, 152–53

breasts, stuffed, 154–55

coq au vin, 82–83

and dumplings with parsnips and leeks, 158–59

oven-fried, 160

pot pie, 75–77

and rice casserole, stovetop, 78–79

salad, soba noodle, 53–54

sauté, lemon, 150–51

sautéed, with radishes, 148–49

Southwestern salad with grapefruit, cumin vinaigrette and, 50–52

tikka, 161–62

wraps, Southwestern moo shu, 156–57

chili, mole, 40–41

Chinese minced pork and sour beans, 181

chocolate, 17

–almond cheesecakes, 257

–almond wafers, chewy, 219–20

Black Forest cakes, 258–59

brownies, 254–55

–chile icebox cookies, 225–26

–chip espresso cookies, 208–9

–chip walnut meringue cookies, 221–22

pudding, cinnamon almond, 230–31

–strawberry tartlets, 245–46

chorizo, 81

chowder, fish and potato, 30–31

chutney-glazed meatloaf, 190–91

cinnamon almond chocolate pudding, 230–31

cobbler, apple cranberry, 238–39

coconut milk, 8

crepes with tropical fruit sauce, 251–52

curry, mussels steamed in, 128–29

cod roasted over Swiss chard and garlic, 135–36

compote, spiced fruit, 250

cookies, 207–26

chewy chocolate almond wafers, 219–20

chocolate chile icebox, 225–26

chocolate chip espresso, 208–9

gingerbread, 213–14

lemon hazelnut biscotti, 217–18

Linzer, 215–16

peanut butter oatmeal, 210

sugar, 211–12

vanilla orange icebox, 223–24

walnut chocolate chip meringue, 221–22

coq au vin, 82–83

cornbread stuffing, for stuffed turkey breast, 165–66

Cornish game hens, lemon garlic, 163–64

cowboy baked beans, 68–69

crabmeat, in seafood salad, 56–57

cranberry(ies):

–apple cobbler, 238–39

buying and storing, 239

crawfish stuffed artichokes, 132–33

cream cheese:

frittata with dill sauce, smoked trout and, 144–45

icing, carrot cake with, 262–63

crème br1ûlée, maple, 234–35

crepes, coconut, with tropical fruit sauce, 251–52

cucumber, quinoa salad with red onion, walnuts and, 59–60

cumin:

mayonnaise dressing, 52

vinaigrette, Southwestern salad with chicken, grapefruit and, 50–52

dill:

sauce, smoked trout cream cheese frittata with, 144–45

stuffed baked potatoes with shrimp, feta and, 88–89

tabbouleh with shrimp, feta and, 58

duck breasts, pan-seared, with honey and figs, 169–70

dumplings, chicken with parsnips, leeks and, 158–59

eggplant:

Parmesan, no-fry, 86–87

spaghetti with bell pepper, goat cheese and, 100–101

eggs, 9, 12

escarole, white bean and roasted garlic soup with, 23

poached, salad with warm bacon dressing and, 46–47

enchiladas, Swiss chard, 119–21