A Brew to a Kill (51 page)

For best results pre-chill your mixing bowl and beaters. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until frothy and thick. Slow the mixer and beat in the
cooled
coffee and sugar. Increase speed and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Keep chilled in refrigerator. Dollop over slices of the cake before serving.

Clare’s Cappuccino Chiffon Cake for Mike

Clare’s “household for three” had its challenges, and on the night Mike Quinn finally grew weary of Matteo’s
carnitas
burritos, Clare whispered sweet foodie promises in his ear, namely a special roasted chicken dinner that would end in this “light-as-air” Cappuccino Chiffon Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting.

“A forkful of this cake,” she cooed, “should fill your mouth with the most delicate flavors, then dissolve on your tongue as if you’ve bitten into a cloud from heaven.”

Clare shares two variations for frosting this chiffon cake
—
vanilla or mocha
—
and she suggests finishing it with a generous sprinkling of dark and white chocolate curls.

Makes two 8-inch round layer cakes

4 extra-large egg yolks, room temperature (keep egg whites for next step)
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
¹⁄³ cup brewed coffee
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
¹⁄³ cup + 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1¼ cups cake flour, sift before measuring
1½ teaspoons baking powder
4 extra-large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Whipped Cream Frosting (vanilla or mocha)
Chocolate curls (dark and white)

Step 1—Prep oven and pans:
First, preheat oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of two nonstick cake pans with parchment paper, and coat the paper lightly with nonstick spray. Separate the eggs. You will need both the yolks and whites in this recipe.

Step 2—One-bowl mixing method:
In a large bowl, dissolve the instant espresso powder into the brewed coffee (if the coffee is very hot, wait until it cools before proceeding). Add the oil, egg yolks, vanilla, salt, and sugar. Beat well with an electric mixer, at least 3 minutes. Stop mixer and add flour. Sprinkle baking powder evenly over the flour. On a lower speed of your mixer, blend until a smooth batter forms, but do not overmix at this stage.

Step 3—Lighten batter with whipped egg whites:
Choose a very clean glass, ceramic, or metal bowl for this next step. (For best results do not use plastic. Grease clings to plastic and this will prevent you from properly whipping the whites.) Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until frothy. Gradually add in the 6 tablespoons of sugar and beat until you see stiff, glossy peaks. Very gently, fold these glossy, sweetened egg whites into the batter mixture from Step 1. Divide your final chiffon batter between your two cake pans.

Step 4—Bake:
In your well-preheated oven, bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove cake pans from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow cakes to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pans. To remove cake layers from pans, wait until
completely cool
, then carefully run a knife around the sides of each pan and invert cakes onto plates. Peel away the parchment paper on the bottoms.

Step 5—Big finish:
Frost with Clare’s Whipped Cream Frosting (see next recipe). Decorate this frosted cake liberally with dark and white chocolate curls to finish. For instructions on how to create chocolate curls, turn to
page 349
.

Clare Cosi’s Whipped Cream Frosting

2½ cups heavy whipping cream, well chilled
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
2
³
⁄
₄
teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use clear vanilla for whiter results)

Note:
For a Mocha Whipped Cream variation, replace the vanilla with ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder and 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder.

Step 1—Create the stabilizer:
First place mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator. Chilling will give you better results in the next step. In a small saucepan combine the sugar and cornstarch. Pour in ½ cup of the cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking continually until the mixture thickens (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Transfer mixture to a bowl and allow to come to room temperature—to accelerate the cooling, place the bowl in the fridge or freezer.

Step 2—Whip up frosting:
In a large pre-chilled mixing bowl, whip the remaining (well chilled) 2
¹
⁄
₄
cups of cream with an electric mixer until frothy and slightly thickened. Slow the mixer and beat in the stabilizing cream from Step 1 then increase the speed to high and whip until firm peaks form.

Warning:
Before frosting any cake, be sure it is completely cooled or else you’ll melt this frosting. Store any unused frosting or uneaten cake in the refrigerator.

Clare’s Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Lime for Mike

Rosemary and lemon may be a classic flavor combo for chicken, but Clare saw a beautiful green mountain of plump, juicy limes at her local market and decided to bring their refreshing summer flavor to a gently roasted bird. Mike Quinn flipped for it, and she made good on her promise, roasting this chicken for him the Sunday before he hopped the Acela Express down to Washington. With a side of her Fully-Loaded Colcannon and a slice of Chiffon Cappuccino Cake for dessert, Mike swore he’d be back for a visit the very next weekend—and he was.

4–6 pound whole chicken
5–6 fresh limes (medium size)
1 tablespoon sea salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

Step 1—Prep meat:
First preheat your oven to 350º F. Allow the chicken to reach room temperature (20 to 30 minutes outside the refrigerator). Rinse the chicken and pat dry. If your limes were in the refrigerator, warm them to room temperature, as well.

Step 2—Stuff the bird:
Quarter one lime and place the sections inside the chicken cavity, along with a dash of sea salt and white pepper. Close the cavity. (Use a simple wooden skewer for this.)

Step 3—Create the rosemary-lime slurry:
Place the sea salt into a small bowl and smash the garlic on it. Mix in the freshly squeezed juice of 2 to 3 limes (enough to measure about
¹
⁄
₄
cup). Add the chopped rosemary, poultry seasoning, white pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Now rub this slurry all over the bird and place breast side up on the greased rack.

Step 4—Roast:
Lightly coat the top of your broiler pan or roasting rack with the final tablespoon of olive oil. (For easier cleanup, I also like to cover the bottom portion of my pan with aluminum foil.) Place your pan in the center of your oven for about 25 minutes per pound, giving a bird of 6 pounds about 2½ hours of cooking time; a bird of 4 pounds about an hour and forty minutes. You’re watching for the thickest part of the thigh to reach an internal temperature of 165º F.

Step 5—Finish:
Once cooked, allow the chicken to stand for 15 minutes before carving. To keep it warm, tent foil over the bird. This resting period is important. If you cut into the bird right out of the oven, the juices will run out and your chicken will be dry instead of succulent, which is almost as bad, in Clare’s opinion, as missing a clue.

Clare’s Fully-Loaded Colcannon for Mike

Growing up in a big, Irish-American family, Mike Quinn ate colcannon on a regular basis. The dish takes its name from the Gaelic word
cál ceannann,
meaning “white-headed cabbage”—and kale or cabbage is in the traditional recipe, along with potatoes, onions (or scallions, chives, or leeks), and cream and/or butter.

Clare often made the traditional version for Mike, but for this recipe, she decided to give it an Italian kiss of olive oil; a warm, sweet hug of garlic; and a big old American-style finish of gooey melted cheddar and smoky crumbled bacon. Like a “fully-loaded” baked potato, she’s loaded Mike’s colcannon with comfort-food flavor.

Makes about 6 cups

1 pound red potatoes, cut into uniform pieces
2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped (or four regular bacon slices)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
½ head cabbage, sliced thin (approximately 6 cups)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
²⁄³ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Step 1—Cook the potatoes:
Steam the sliced up red potatoes until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Clare uses a simple collapsible steamer basket in a deep pot. Remove the pot from heat, drain any extra water, and cover to keep the potatoes warm.

Step 2—Render bacon and sauté veggies:
While potatoes are steaming, chop bacon into ½-inch pieces and cook over a very low heat to render the fat. When bacon is brown, remove from pan and set aside. Turn the heat to medium, and add the olive oil to the drippings in the pan. Then add the garlic and onions and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add cabbage and continue cooking another 5 minutes, stirring often.

Step 3—Simmer:
Reduce heat to low. Stir in milk, butter, salt, and white pepper; cover and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 8 minutes.

Step 4—Finish:
Add the hot cabbage mixture in with the potatoes. Mash with a metal potato masher or large fork until the ingredients are blended. Fold in the cheese and cover the pot until the cheese is melted. Serve topped with crumbled bacon bits.

Dominic Chin’s “Chitalian” Chicken (or Shrimp) Lo Mein

Clare Cosi snagged this recipe from City Councilman Dominic Chin. With an Italian mom and a Chinese dad, Dom famously grew up on one grandmother’s biscotti and the other’s moon cakes. As for this recipe, according to Dom,
mein
means noodles in Cantonese, and
lo mein
means “stirred noodles,” which refers to the method of stirring them into the pan at the end of the cooking process.

Because Chinese lo mein noodles are flat and wheat-based, Italian linguine, spaghetti, or “thick spaghetti” (Dom’s favorite for this recipe) are good substitutes, which is the Italian part of this Chinese-inspired dish. Cooking time is under 30 minutes, and to make life easier, Clare suggests using a frozen veggie mix so you don’t have to spend time cleaning and cutting.

Both Clare and Dom have a final word of advice for cooks in a hurry: Do not skip the prep step! Marinating the chicken (or shrimp) boosts the flavor enormously in this dish, and it’s very easy. The “Chinglish” marinade recipe follows this one, and you can use it in plenty of other recipes, too. May you cook it with love, and eat it with joy!

Makes 4 servings

1 pound marinated chicken, chopped (or whole shrimp, marinade directions follow)
1 cup of dried spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccini (about
¹
⁄
³
of a 16-ounce package)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger (dried powder from the spice aisle)
½ teaspoon dried/powdered chicken bouillon
Dash of ground white pepper
2 tablespoons hot tap water (or scoop out water from noodle pot)
1 tablespoon oil, either sesame or peanut oil (if you can’t find, use canola)
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 green onion (scallion), finely chopped
3 cups (about ¾ of a 1-lb bag) frozen peas and carrots (or “Asian-style” frozen veggie mix)*

Note:
1 large chicken breast or 4 chicken thighs will equal about 1 pound of meat, which is the amount needed for this recipe.

The frozen vegetables can be increased to 4 cups or reduced to 2, depending on your taste.

Step 1—Marinate the chicken (or shrimp):
See Dom’s easy “Chinglish” marinade recipe for chicken or shrimp, following this one. When ready to use, remove the chicken pieces (or shrimp) from the marinade liquid and
drain well
. If using shrimp, be sure to peel them and
drain well
.

Warning:
Do not add sopping wet chicken or shrimp to hot oil or you’ll create dangerous hissing and spitting of hot oil! (Also, be sure to discard the marinade liquid; do not reuse.)

Step 2—Cook the noodles:
Follow the package directions; do not overcook. Rinse in cold water to prevent sticking, drain well, and set aside.

Step 3—Prepare finishing spices:
Mix together soy sauce, ginger, chicken bouillon, and white pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons hot tap water—or do what Dom does: scoop the hot water right out of the pot of cooking noodles. Set aside for end of cooking process.

Step 4—Sauté onion, garlic, and chicken:
Heat the oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat until good and hot. Add the chopped yellow onion and garlic. After about five minutes, when the chopped onions appear translucent, stir in the green onion and chicken pieces. Stir often until chicken is no longer pink. Create a well by pushing chicken pieces to outer rim of pan.