Spaghetti with Crab, Lemon, Chili Flakes, Chives and Cream

Don't let that calendar fool you. It may say April and it may technically be spring, but it's most definitely still hovering in the 30s outside. I'm so over this weather!

It's precisely this spirit of defiance that led me to a favorite pasta dish I normally enjoy during warmer months. Sweet crab meat needs no reason to get gussied up, but it plays nice here with bright lemon flavors, mild and grassy chives (my favorite) and just the faintest kick of underlying heat. A touch of heavy cream gets infused with both the juice and zest of the lemon, rounding out a nice, velvety sauce.

I'm basically willing warmer weather to arrive with this dish. Let's hope it works!

Spaghetti with Crab, Lemon, Chili Flakes, Chives and Cream
Serves 2

8 ounces dried spaghetti
Kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for serving
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes (red jalapenos also work really well here!)
8 ounces lump or flake crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/4 cup lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/4 cup chives, minced, plus additional for serving
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When the butter starts to foam, add garlic and crushed red chili flakes and stir until fragrant and garlic is light golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add the crab, lemon juice, lemon zest and heavy cream. Heat through gently, taking care not to break apart the meat too much, about 2 minutes. Season generously with salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Add cooked pasta and chives to the skillet and gently toss to coat. If sauce looks dry, add reserved pasta water, bit by bit. Plate the pasta, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, top with chive garnish and season with freshly cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

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Lemon Madeleines

Sweet, beautiful madeleines. I'm so surprised I haven't blogged about these before, considering just how much I love them so. I'm not sure there's anything more perfect than a madeleine in the pastry world - they're simple to make, satisfy both cookie and cake cravings and have charm for days! I guess the fact that you need a madeleine-specific mold might be a minor inconvenience from readily enjoying these petite treasures at home, but I'll tell you now it's worth every penny.

I prefer my madeleines to fall precisely on that fine line straddling cookie and cake: a nice, crunchy and caramelized exterior that yields to a soft, lemon-scented sponge center. I know the beautiful fluted edges are what get all the attention, but I quite like the adorable, yellow 'hump' side, too! ;)

In any lemon madeleine recipe, I cheat and add not just the zest, but a generous squeeze of juice too. Not only does it impart flavor, but I think the acid also gives the batter a nice tangy kick. This would also be delicious using Meyer lemon for a slightly more sweet result, or even orange. Enjoy with or without confectioners' sugar!

Lemon Madeleines
Adapted from Epicurious.com

Makes about 20

2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
Powdered sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter and flour pan for large madeleines (about 3 x 1 1/4 inches). Using electric mixer, beat eggs and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl just to blend. Beat in vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Add flour; beat just until blended. Gradually add cooled melted butter in steady stream, beating just until blended.

Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan. Bake until puffed and brown, about 16 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Gently remove from pan. Repeat process, buttering and flouring pan before each batch. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

Dust cookies with powdered sugar.

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Heart-Shaped Macarons

Happy Valentine's Day, dear readers! I hope your day is filled with lots of love, laughter and sweets. :) This year, I decided to make some heart-shaped macarons for my special O. I've never made a non-round macaron before and frankly, meringues in general always get me nervous; but after a couple of tries, I think I finally *got* it and I'm quite happy with the result!

I know macaron-making can be a scary-seeming task, but it is the quintessential "practice makes perfect" exercise. I mean let's be honest, I still have a long way to go before mine are "perfect," but I kind of love the mismatched shapes and wonkiness - true love, right there. ;)

One note: there's so much talk about precision and measuring out individual ingredients by weight when it comes to macaron (and baking in general), but my experience yielded satisfying results, so I'll just stick to what worked for me - for now!

Have a go and enjoy admiring your handiwork when they're finally done! xoxo

Heart-Shaped Macarons
Standard macaron recipe very loosely adapted from Martha Stewart

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar (optional, I didn't use it)
1/4 cup superfine sugar (I used regular sugar)
2-3 drops of red food coloring for this shade of pink - I think going darker would be gorgeous, too!

Sift confectioners' sugar and almond flour 2 times.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, if using, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add (superfine) sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, and gently stir in with spatula until color is fully blended. Sift flour mixture over whites in 3-4 batches, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe heart shapes 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour until a "skin" forms and they're no longer tacky to the touch (could take less or more time, depending on the humidity). Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes (mine took closer to 15! You'll know they're ready when they come off the parchment easily and without any resistance). After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 300 degrees.

Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)

Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling (see below). Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Cream Cheese Buttercream Filling
4 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
5 - 7 ounces confectioners' sugar, to your taste
Few drops of lemon juice, optional (I'm a freak and love to put lemon in my cream cheese frosting!)

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioner's sugar and mix until incorporated. Add lemon juice, if using, and taste. Pipe into a small pastry bag or quart-sized Ziploc with about 1/4" of the corner snipped off.

I used a liquid food coloring this time, but gel and powder also work

Use a bench scraper to help push the meringue down your pastry bag

Forming a 'skin': these stragglers made it onto the second baking sheet - I loved their wide shape best!

I see feet!

Ready to accept filling

Happy Valentine's Day! Share the love!

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Heavenly Semlor: Swedish Lenten Buns

Well, it's that time of the year again - Fat Tuesday! While neither O nor I observe any of the religious traditions, we are always willing to use the days leading up to Lent as an excuse to indulge in all our semlor dreams!

Semlor (semla is the singular form), or Swedish lenten cream buns, are commonly eaten throughout Scandinavia around this time of year, enjoyed either plain with whipped cream (as we prefer it) or in a bowl of warm milk known as hetvägg ("hot wall"). They are slightly sweet, cardamom-scented buns (bit similar to brioche), filled with a delicious almond paste (mandelmassa) filling and topped with freshly whipped cream. Semlor are heavenly and I can eat them non-stop!

These buns are pretty straightforward to make, but they are time consuming - mostly in inactive cooking time as you wait for the dough to rest and rise multiple times. It's a perfect way to while away a weekend day with loved ones. O really took charge in test driving a couple of different recipes from Swedish sources recently and we were quite happy with the results. Unfortunately, with fresh yeast being so difficult to find around here, I'd really like to create and perfect a version that uses your everyday dry packet version. Here is a recipe that's not too unlike ours with good reviews, for those keen on trying these out for themselves soon!

Swedish Semlor
Adapted via AllRecipes - to test and perfect this version soon!

2 eggs
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups warm milk (70 to 80 degrees F)
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (we always grind fresh pods here, makes all the difference in the world!)
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup, or as needed
5 ounces almond paste, or mandelmassa (see below)

2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Almond Paste / Mandelmassa
2 cups blanched almonds
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 TB butter
*Grind almonds to a powder in a food processor. Add confectioner's sugar and butter, and process to paste consistency.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs with butter and milk. Sprinkle yeast over top and allow to soften for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift together 5 cups flour with 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and ground cardamom. Once yeast has softened, stir flour mixture into milk mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover bowl with a towel, and allow to rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Sift together flour and baking powder. Stir into risen dough, then knead until smooth. Form into 16 balls (or 24 if you'd like smaller semlor) and place onto greased baking sheets. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, 35 to 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Bake in preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and the center has firmed. Cool buns on a wire rack to room temperature.

Once cool, cut a slice about 1/2 inch thick off of the top of the bun and set aside. Scoop or cut out the center of the buns, leaving a shell about 1/2 inch thick. Tear the removed bread into small pieces and place into a bowl. Moisten the bread with milk, then mix in almond paste until smooth. Add additional milk if needed until the almond paste filling is nearly as soft as pudding.

Whip cream with 2 tablespoons sugar to medium peaks (not too hard!). Fill each shell with a spoonful of marzipan filling. Pipe or spoon whipped cream on top of the filling to 1/2 inch over the top of the bun. Replace the tops onto the buns, and dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Enjoy them before they disappear!

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The Best Granola Ever

Put your wallet away and step away from the store granola.

When I first met this granola recipe, it stopped me dead in my tracks. Up until that point, I had been buying what I deemed pretty mediocre granola at exorbitant prices, prices that really just seemed to creep higher and higher each time I visited my local store. I don't mind paying for a superior product, but something always seemed to be lacking for my tastes: too sweet, too hard, too mushy, I could go on. My quest for the perfect granola finally ended with this recipe, tweaked from Early Bird's Farmhand's Choice version, which was shared on The Martha Stewart Show. After making this endless times, I finally found exactly what I like - crunchy (more "dry"), slightly sweet, a touch salty with tart bursts. This is it!

I love granola best in its original, snacking form; but it's delicious over Greek yogurt, sprinkled with berries and a light drizzle of unfiltered honey. Splurge vs. Steal, optional. ;) Enjoy!

The Best Granola Ever
Adapted from Early Bird Foods

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled (I'll use roasted if I can't find raw)
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips (the large, beautiful flakes!)
1 raw pecans, coarsely chopped (I think the pecans MAKE this granola!)
1/2 cup sliced or slivered blanched almonds
3/4 cup pure maple syrup (Grade B has a nice, rich flavor that's good for baking)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dried sour cherries
Coarse salt: 1 teaspoon, pre-baking + more to taste, post-baking

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans and almonds in a large bowl. Pour maple syrup and olive oil in a measuring cup, add 1 teaspoon salt and stir. Add liquid mixture to bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45-50 minutes.

Remove granola from oven and season with additional salt to taste (I use at least another teaspoon). Gently mix in dried sour cherries. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month. (It won't last that long!)

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Quinoa Fried Rice

When it comes to fried rice, my stomach simply knows no bounds. It's been a favorite take-out staple for me since my wee early days and I've grown to love all sorts of cultural iterations through the years. It's quite unlike me to veer too far from the original components (i.e.: rice), but in the spirit of trying new things, I thought, "Why NOT quinoa?" My experience with the superfood has always been positive and I've found I enjoy it best warmed through - just perfect for this application!

As with any fried rice, there's wide berth as to what goes in it; it's the perfect fridge clean-out dish. My version is particularly loaded with eggs and scallions (both cooked and raw) because those two ingredients happen to be my favorite in any good fried rice. Feel free to use what you have and let me know what combination works best for you!

PS: I would emphasize that eggs are probably the one MUST item for any good fried rice dish. Without, it's just a bit sad. ;)

Quinoa Fried Rice
Serves 2

2.5-3 cups cooked quinoa (follow package directions), cooled (it's important you start with cooled quinoa - stick in fridge for 30 minutes if necessary)
2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, etc.), divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 shallot or small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
4 scallions, divided: 3 scallions, minced for cooking + 1 scallion, minced for garnish
1 cup diced ham or cooked meat (including Spam for you Asians out there!)
2 teaspoons soy sauce (use a light hand if your meat is salty)
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Salt and (lots of) black pepper, to taste

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high with 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. When shimmering, add eggs and scramble to small pieces quickly. When almost cooked through, remove eggs from pan and set aside.

Return pan to heat with last tablespoon of oil. Add aromatics (shallot or onion, garlic, ginger, scallions), season with salt and pepper, and cook until fragrant and edges crisp up, about 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked ham or meat and toss together until everything is warmed through. (I personally like when every component has a crisped, slightly browned edge, YUM!)

Decrease heat to medium-low. Add cooked quinoa and scrambled eggs, mixing slowly and carefully until evenly tossed. Add soy sauce, fish sauce and lots of freshly cracked pepper. Taste and adjust saltiness with touch of salt or more soy, depending on your preference. Toss and plate, top with scallion garnish. Enjoy a big bowl alone or as a component of your dinner!

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Classic Banana Bread

Is there anything more inviting, more comforting, than a warm loaf of banana bread? I've expounded on my love of all things banana before, from Ina's peerless cream-cheese topped version to addictive banana cream pie (!with salted caramel sauce!), to my own blueberry banana birthday quick bread "cake." There's always room for a banana baked good in my life!

I thought I'd take a visit to the OG and test drive Flour Bakery's version of banana bread - I still haven't visited the famed Boston bakery, but Joanne Chang's reputation precedes her, so I knew I'd get something good. Plus, I had some very sad-looking bananas that couldn't possibly get any more black staring at me each time I passed the kitchen.

The result? Expectedly delicious and everything you'd want from a banana bread (would you expect anything less from a Harvard grad?). I especially loved the caramelized crust and the slight tang from the creme fraiche. It's your favorite banana bread elevated just a touch so as not to render it unrecognizable!

Try it this weekend if you want to take any languishing bananas out of their misery! I'd say they get even better in ensuing days (tightly wrapped, of course).

Flour's Famous Banana Bread
Courtesy of Chef Joanne Chang via FN

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed
2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Drizzle in oil. Add mashed bananas, creme fraiche, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

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Buttermilk Tea Cookies with Lemon Glaze

One of my absolute favorite activities is flipping through cookbooks and flagging down all the delicious, as-yet-uneaten recipes living between the covers. When I close the book and see that the profile resembles more college notebook with its rainbow of Post-It tags, I know it's a keeper and it excites me to no end. ;)

One Girl Cookies provided that same joy. I've had this beautiful book for almost a year, but it had taken me nearly that long to finally crack open the spine and get baking! It's filled with gorgeous, cozy, homey recipes that are quite easy to tackle at home and share with anyone who has even the mildest sweet tooth. These divine buttermilk cookies - almost biscuit-like in texture - are right up my alley: simple, tangy and lemony through and through. Of course, I took the liberty of upping the amount of lemon zest called for, but I couldn't help myself! These absolutely live up to their name of being perfect teatime accompaniments and are just what the doctor ordered to brighten up a cold winter's day.

I'm so excited to pop into one of their Brooklyn storefronts sometime soon!

Notes: I used Meyer lemons, which are a bit more sweet, this time around because that's what I had on hand. I'm sure they'd be even more bright and fresh with regular ol' lemons. I also had some dried lavender hanging around and sprinkled just a touch on a few cookies because I thought they'd be pretty. :) They actually lent a nice, subtle floral note, but I wouldn't add anymore than I did.

Buttermilk Tea Cookies with Lemon Glaze & Poppy Seeds
(we skipped the seeds this time, but these would make the perfect cookie version of the popular muffin!)
Courtesy of One Girl Cookies via The Daily Meal

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (I used the zest of a whole Meyer lemon)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk

Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, or more as needed
1/4 cup poppy seeds, for garnish

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, lemon zest, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, and mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture and then ½ of the buttermilk. Scrape down the bowl. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, and fold in the remaining flour mixture with a rubber spatula until it is fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, prepare the lemon glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, and confectioners’ sugar. The glaze should be as thick as glue. If the glaze is too thin, thicken it with additional confectioners’ sugar. Set it aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, place 1-tablespoon rounds of dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between cookies.

Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes, until they are golden around the edges. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet.

While the cookies are still warm, drizzle a small amount (about ½ teaspoon) of the lemon glaze over each cookie, and then sprinkle on 1⁄8 teaspoon of the poppy seeds. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Happy New Year!

Homemade Korean ddukguk, or rice cake soup, traditionally eaten on New Year's Day

And just like that, it's 2013. :)

I'm so grateful to have my little home on the web and the chance to meet all you wonderful people as a result. 2012 truly passed at the speed of light and I'm hoping I can enjoy this new year at a bit more of a leisurely pace. Thank you always for your readership and your kind comments, notes and emails (please keep 'em coming, love hearing from you!). Here's to another year of eating well, sharing joy and loving life!

Much love, xo!
Hana

PS: I also just realized I'm a day away from style fare's 2nd blogaversary, so happy early birthday to me! ;)

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Pretty Pretty Salad

My goodness, this is a pretty salad! Nothing makes me happier than colorful vegetables and when I threw this together after rummaging through my fridge, I was pleasantly surprised at what greeted me. Who knew post-Turkey Day eating could be so beautiful? ;)

I'm a bit embarrassed by the lack of 'recipe,' but for anyone interested in re-creating this at home, here it is. I bet some toasted nuts would be a super delicious addition here!

My Pretty Pretty Salad
Serves 1

2 tiny candy striped Chioggia beets (or 1 very small one), raw, scrubbed and peeled - mine were the size of small radishes!
Small handful of berries (blueberries and blackberries here)
2 handfuls of arugula
Few shavings of a hard cheese, like Parmiggiano
Leftover vinaigrette (If you don't have any, here's a simple one: 1tsp Dijon mustard + 1TB vinegar of choice. Whisk in 2TB-3TB olive oil. Season with S+P.)

Using a very sharp knife or mandoline, cut super thin slices of raw beets. Put them in a small bowl and add a bit of vinaigrette to macerate (soften) slices a bit, even just 5-10 minutes helps. Lightly dress greens, add shaved beets and berries. Top with shaved cheese and freshly cracked pepper.

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