Blog - Flying Fourchette

Breakfast / Brunch Dessert Recipes Vegetarian

Chocolate Raspberry Turnovers

February 29, 2012

From the moment I took my first bite as a little girl into a warm and flaky chocolatine (chocolate croissant) I was hooked. Chocolate would be part of my breakfast rituals from then on and include everything from pastries and cookies to praline spreads. I’ve eaten my way literally through the commercial versions available to me though none would quite satisfy my palate as much as the real thing – fresh pastry dough slowly leaking its high buttery content into a rich and dark chocolate…

It remains to this day a special treat I’ll allow myself on the weekends when I can get to a proper bakery, but there are times when I crave a bigger quantity or have guests over and I just want to smell the chocolaty goodness all over my house – that’s when those addictive Chocolate and Raspberry Turnovers come in!

These mini pastries are quick to put together and with only 4 ingredients are as simple as can be. Even though you can make your own puff pastry, the frozen kind works really well here and in the end it’s all about getting them as fresh and hot as possible, when the chocolate is still melting. The raspberry jam is a wonderful addition, perfect pairing with the dark chocolate. As a bonus, you can even freeze unbaked turnovers until you’re ready to pop them into the oven. You now have the perfect excuse to have chocolate for breakfast every day.

Chocolate Raspberry Turnovers

Adapted from Gourmet

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Makes 32 small pastries

1 (17 1/4-oz) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 large egg
1/3 cup raspberry jam
3 1/2 oz fine-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped

*parchment paper

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet into a 12-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, then brush off excess flour from both sides. Cut into 16 squares.

Whisk together egg and a pinch of salt. Place 1/2 teaspoon jam and 1 teaspoon chocolate in center of each square, then brush edges of squares with some of beaten egg.

Fold each square in half to form a triangle, pressing edges to seal (while you can press using your fingers, it’s much better here to use a fork to seal them really tight as the raspberry filling tend to ooze out when cooking).

Brush tops of pastries with some of remaining egg and transfer to a lined baking sheet. Chill on sheet while making 16 more pastries in same manner, transferring to second baking sheet.

Bake pastries, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Cool on sheets on racks 5 minutes. Serve warm.

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New York Restaurants

Morimoto, New York

February 26, 2012

Sushi amateurs like myself are spoilt for choice in NYC where the number of pint-size authentic Japanese eateries increases year on year as does the behemoth celebrity-endorsed establishments. Morimoto stands firmly among the latter and remains a ‘must-see’ on many people’s checklist when visiting the city. Very few have yet to hear about celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto who is known the world over for his creativity and awe-inspiring skills in the kitchen. I’ve seen the man work its magic on Iron Chef and that alone is reason enough to pay a visit to his eponymous, flashy and very sexy restaurant in the Meatpacking District.

Morimoto is a great place to bring out-of-towners, plan an expensive business dinner, impress a special date, or treat yourself to some fine Japanese cuisine with a twist. While I’m still very much a lover of those small hole-in-the-walls, bamboo-lined, truly traditional sushi joints where ordering off the poorly translated menu is a joy, I must say the behemoth experience wasn’t bad at all, thanks to top quality food and presentation.

Besides the extensive sushi list, in which you’ll find your usual suspects as well as more exotic specimen, the main menu plays up Morimoto’s creativity by reinterpreting Asian dishes with a worldwide spin (raw tuna on pizza, lobster with garam masala, pork gyoza with tomatoes and cream, etc.). Some dishes are excellent, others are a little bit more forgettable, but in this huge modern and sexy space somehow the whole theatrical production totally fits and guarantees a very pleasant evening.

Oyster Foie Gras: Market oysters are topped with foie gras, uni, and teriyaki sauce.

Crispy Rock Shrimp Tempura in a spicy sauce, served with wasabi aioli on the side.

Pork Gyoza (hidden), served with chives, tomatoes and crème fraîche.

Ishi Yaki Buri Bop: Morimoto’s favorite dish is yellowtail on rice cooked at your table in a hot stone bowl – scrumptious!

Sushi roll with a side of bok choy.

Chirashi Sushi – That was my dish and I would order it again and again. Some of the freshest sushi I’ve had, about a dozen different melt-in-your-mouth fish, all perfectly chopped up and served over a deep bowl of rice with some vegetables. It’s one fancy sushi bowl and it was huge.

Roasted Ocean Trout with turnip, miso, truffle, and crispy prosciutto and Sea Bass with sweet sake kasu, Japanese eggplant, and miso.

Warm Chocolate Cake: caramel popcorn and rice crispies, sesame-caramel sauce,
white chocolate foam, green tea-pear sorbet.

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bar: amaretto cream, hawaiian kona coffee ice cream,
cardamom caramel sauce.

Tofu ‘Hot and Cold’: soy milk soufflé, tofu cheesecake, maple ice cream.

Morimoto

88 10th Avenue

New York, NY

T: (212) 989-8883

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Main course Recipes Vegetarian

Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Pesto

February 24, 2012

A simple sandwich can sometimes be the greatest of creation. While every new hip takeout place is throwing in funky toppings these days, I still rely on little bakeries for fresh and tasty sandwiches. I can’t recall the number of mozzarella-tomato-basil combo I’ve had in my life, but it’s definitely sky high.

I particularly remember the one I had from Once Upon a Tart, a cute little cafe/bakery in the West Village. Very simple in its form, it has everything a great mozzarella sandwich should have: extremely fresh cheese, lots of basil, super sweet roasted tomatoes, and a soft, fresh bread to bring it all together. I recreated it at home with the best mozzarella I could find and it was divine.

Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Pesto

Adapted from Once upon a Tart

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Makes 4 sandwiches

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

1 lb plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 4 rounds

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

A few turns of freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Sandwich

4 4-inch squares focaccia

1 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced into ¼-inch rounds

A sprinkling of salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 recipe oven-roasted tomatoes

½ cup fresh basil (24 whole leaves)

½ basil pesto

Prepare the oven-roasted tomatoes:

Preheat oven to 475°F. Toss the tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, on a sheet pan.

Place the sheet pan in the oven, and roast the tomatoes until they begin to blacken around the edges, 25-30 minutes. Check the tomatoes occasionally to make sure they’re not charring. If they are, lower the oven temperature to 400.

Assemble the sandwiches:

Cut the focaccia in half like a hamburger bun and lay it on your work surface with the bottoms closer to you and the matching tops directly behind them. Lay the mozzarella slices so they cover the bottom halves of the focaccia, and sprinkle the mozzarella with salt and pepper. Place a layer of roasted tomatoes over the cheese, and lay the basil leaves over the tomatoes.

Using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the pesto on the inside of the top half of the bread, making sure to coat the edges.

Place the top halves on the respective bottoms. Rest one hand firmly on each sandwich. Use a serrated knife to gently saw the sandwich in half.

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Dessert Recipes Vegetarian

Avocado Ice Cream

February 22, 2012

Ice cream in the middle of winter is perfectly acceptable and I’ve never let anyone tell me otherwise! Sure, it’s best to wait for the fresh bounty of berries and melons in a few months to make your fruity flavors but there’s still plenty of ingredients to go by during the colder months. Feeling pretty adventurous lately and having noticed the nice Hass avocados on sale at the grocery store, I thought it was about time I try that Avocado Ice Cream recipe I’ve been so intrigued with. It’s been popping out here and there on fancy restaurant menus and in gourmet ice cream shop so surely it was worth a try…

The taste is definitely anything but traditional, and incredibly fresh as surprising as it sounds. The first thing that hit you is the intense creaminess and fattiness followed by just a hint of avocado. In a blind tasting I honestly doubt anyone could guess what it is – something tropical they’ve had on a distant holiday is probably what will come to mind… For its refreshing and generally mild flavor this is a great ice cream to follow up a heavy meal. And let’s face it, it’s so fun just to try something that unusual I bet you won’t be able to resist either!

You’ll need an ice cream maker for this and believe me when I say it is a worthwhile investment – making homemade ice cream has truly changed the way I consume this creamy dessert and the taste simply can’t compare to store-bought pints when it’s coming out of your own freezer (or better yet straight out of the machine!). This one gets really firm in the freezer though, so you’ll need to soften it a good 20 minutes prior to serving.

Avocado Ice Cream

Adapted from William Sonoma’s Ice Cream

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: At least 8 hours

1½ cups (375ml) whole milk

1½ cups (375ml) heavy (double) cream

5 large egg yolks

¾ cup (185 g) sugar

2 very ripe Hass avocados, about 1lb (500 g) total weight

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

In a heavy 2-qt (2-l) saucepan, combine the milk and 1 cup (250ml) of the cream. Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and remaining ½ cup (125ml) cream in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Remove the milk mixture from the heat. Gradually whisk about ½ cup (125ml) of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture until smooth.

Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leave a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 4-6 minutes. Do not let the custard boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Place the bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice cubes and water. Stir occasionally until cool.

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Pit the avocados and scrape the avocado flesh into a food processor. Add the custard and pulse 4 or 5 times to mix. Add the lime juice and pulse 1 or 2 times to blend.

Scrape the avocado mixture into a non aluminum bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Pour the avocado mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days, before serving.

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London Restaurants

Yalla Yalla, London

February 19, 2012

Yalla! which means “Hurry!” in Arabic is definitely not something you’ll want to do once you step into this little street food gem. Yalla Yalla is one of those authentically charming restaurant you wish you could keep all to yourself and visit whenever the mood for good Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine strikes.

Secretively nestled down a hidden alleyway in what remains of the sleazy heart of Soho, among sex shops and strip joints, the very tiny place is bursting with joyous patrons every night, filling in the handful of seats available inside as much as the narrow alley outside, waiting patiently for a table.

You can pick from a selection of Lebanese beer and wine, but the chill in the air on that cold night made us go for the Arak Mint Tea made with fresh mint, rose water, sugar, and Arak (an anise-flavoured alcohol) – perfect warm-up while we sat and waited at one of their cute bright yellow sidewalk tables.

The menu contains all the greatest hits such as babah ghannouj, labné, fattoush, and tabboulé and they’re exactly as they should be; fresh, pungent, coated with excellent oil. It is also the perfect place to get initiated to new flavours by trying some of their specialties like sawda djej (sautéed chicken liver with garlic and pomegranate molasses), kibbé nayyé (lamb tartar), samboussek lamhé (pastry filled with spiced lamb, onion comfit and roasted pine nuts), etc. We went for a selection of mezze to share and one main dish…as you’ll see, an incredible quantity of food for only two!

Halloum Meshoue – Grilled Halloumi cheese, always a personal favourite, was well charred and served with tomatoes, black olives, fresh mint and olive oil.

Baba Ghannouj – Super smokey charcoal grilled aubergine dip with tahini, fresh lemon juice, crunchy juicy pomegranate seeds, and fresh mint was simply delicious.

Kibbé Nayyé – Lamb tartar with spiced cracked wheat, spring onions, fresh mint and basil. The portion was huge, you could easily make a meal out of it. Heavily seasoned and spiced, the tartar was an excellent pita spread, topped with the vegetable garnish.

Chicken Shawarma– Moist grilled pieces of marinated chicken, grilled tomato, sumac, parsley and red pepper salad and buttery vermicelli basmati rice: indulgent dish after so much food, but the tender pieces of chicken were hard to resist! Would definitely try their shawarma wrap after having a taste of this wonderful meat…

Blackboards on the back wall outline the day’s specials and the counter is piled up high with an enticing display of kebabs, wraps, pastries and other sweets. Yalla Yalla’s dessert menu is mouth watering and if I hadn’t been so gluttonous with our meal I would have certainly tried one of their Lebanese specialties like baklava, mohalabiya (fragrant milk pudding) and knéfé, a warm Lebanese cheese and semolina cake flavored with orange blossom and served with rose petal ice cream.

After such an amazing feast you’re in for a nice surprise when the bill comes, about £15 each! The starters were enormous for their price and looking at their selection of takeaway wraps and dips which is even cheaper, that’s what I call exceptionally good value for money. If you work in the area, this is one of the best lunch spots around.

Yalla Yalla has already been open for a few years and its popularity (along with its tininess) has now produced two more branches (12 Winsley Street, just north of Oxford street, and soon to open within Kings Cross station). As one would suspect, the charming and authentic character didn’t really follow (modern design, communal tables, etc.) so my advice is to stick to the original one in Soho, well worth the wait!

Yalla Yalla

1 Green’s Court
London W1F 0HA

T: 020 7287 7663

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