Vanilla Souffle & Orange and Nut Biscotti

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here are some words of culinary wisdom courtesy of my friend Ruby Taylor:

Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French.
Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce
makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good. - Alice May Brock (of Alice's Restaurant fame)

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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All recipes this week are adapted from "The Best Recipes in
the World" by Mark Bittman, available from Amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767906721/worldwiderecipes

Souffles have the reputation of being difficult to make, a myth
I accuse French chefs of creating in order to charge exorbitant
prices for these light and airy creations in fancy restaurants.

Vanilla Souffle

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar plus additional for preparing the baking dish
1 vanilla bean, or 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
1/3 cup (80 ml) all-purpose flour
4 eggs, separates
A pinch of salt
Powdered (confectioner's) sugar for garnish

Combine the milk and sugar in a small saucepan. Split the vanilla
bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add the seeds and
pod to the milk mixture. Bring to a simmer - do not boil - over
moderate heat, remove from the heat and let steep for about 15
minutes. Remove and discard the vanilla pod. (The above steps
can be eliminated if you are using vanilla extract and the ingredients
added when the recipe calls for the milk mixture below.) Heat the
butter in a separate saucepan over moderate heat and stir in the
flour. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk
mixture, stirring until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat,
let cool for a few minutes, and stir in the egg yolks. Beat the egg
whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Stir about 1/3 of the egg
whites into the milk mixture to lighten it, the fold in the remaining
egg whites. Transfer to a souffle or deep baking dish that has
been coated on the inside with butter and sugar. Bake on the
center rack of a preheated 375F (190C) until the top is brown,
the sides are firm, and the center is still moist, about 30 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6.

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Mark Bittman points out that biscotti aren't nearly as popular
in Italy, their place of origin, as they are here in the USA. That's
okay - the Italians just don't know what they're missing.

Orange and Nut Biscotti

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) almonds or hazelnuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup (180 ml) sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
The grated zest of 1 orange
3 eggs
1-2 Tbs (15-30 ml) milk if necessary

Combine the flour, nuts, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, orange
zest, and eggs in a mixing bowl and stir until the dough forms a ball,
adding a little milk if necessary. Divide in half, shape into logs 2
inches (5 cm) wide, and place on two lightly greased and floured baking
sheets. Bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven until golden brown and
beginning to crack on top. Remove from the oven, reduce the oven
temperature to 250F (120C), and cool enough to handle. Cut on the
diagonal with a serrated knife into 1-inch (2.5 cm) slices. Place cut
side down on the baking sheets and return to the oven. Cook until dried
and crisp, about 20 minutes, turning them over after 10 minutes. Cool on
wire racks and store in an airtight container.
Makes about 3 dozen.
Received on Fri Jun 15 07:03:55 2007