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By CHINA MILLMAN
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The arrival of review copies of cookbooks always gives me a little thrill, but ripping open a thick envelope to find "A Homemade Life" was like opening a long-anticipated birthday present.
Many people before me have recognized Molly Wizenberg's talent for stringing together words as well as recipes. Her blog, Orangette (orangette.blogspot.com), is one of the most widely acclaimed food blogs on the Web. Since last spring she has had a monthly column in Bon Appetit, and now she has a book, "A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table" (Simon & Schuster, 2009).
In the tradition of some of our very best food writers, Wizenberg's subject is life; food is part medium, part metaphor. She tackles some extraordinarily challenging subjects: The death of her father, falling in love with her husband. But in times of sorrow and times of joy, cooking is the daily necessity that functions both as an act of consolation and as a means for celebration.
Even without the recipes, the book would be well worth reading. But the recipes themselves are also pretty special and revealing. Reading a great memoir can make you feel like you know someone, but cooking through Wizenberg's recipes allows a particular kind of access that is especially fulfilling to a reader.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH BITTERSWEET GLAZE
(Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
I used El Rey 58.5 percent dark chocolate for both the cupcakes and the glaze -- China Millman
For the cupcakes:
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup hot brewed coffee
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup well-stirred plain whole-milk yogurt (not low-fat or nonfat)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the wells of a standard-sized muffin tin with paper liners.
Put the semisweet chocolate in a medium bowl with the hot coffee. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and opaque.
In another medium bowl whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Using a standing or handheld mixer, beat the egg in a large bowl on medium speed until it is pale yellow, about one minute. Add the oil, yogurt and vanilla, beating well. Gradually pour in the melted-chocolate mixture, and beat to thoroughly combine. Add the dry ingredients all at once, and beat on low speed until the batter is just combined. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and briefly stir to make sure that all dry ingredients are absorbed.
Spoon the batter into the wells of the muffin tin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and cool for 20 minutes before -- carefully: They're tender! -- removing the cupcakes. Allow them to cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze, melt the bittersweet chocolate in a metal or glass bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. When the chocolate is completely smooth, it's ready. Working with one cupcake at a time, spoon a heaping teaspoonful of melted chocolate on top. Tilt and rotate the cupcake to coax the chocolate out to the edge. The top of the cupcake should be entirely covered with a thin layer of chocolate. Spoon on more chocolate as needed.
Set the cupcakes aside at room temperature until ready to serve, at least an hour.
Makes 12 cupcakes.
Note: Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cupcakes are even better the second day.
-- "A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table"
DORON'S MEATBALLS WITH PINE NUTS, CILANTRO AND GOLDEN RAISINS
(Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
I like to use an ice-cream scoop to form meatballs, to ensure that they're all the same size. If you freeze the meatballs, cook them by letting them defrost at room temperature for about 45 minutes to an hour, browning in a pan as instructed, then finishing them in a 350 degree oven, ideally on a wire rack set in a baking sheet. -- China Millman
For the yogurt sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt (not low-fat or nonfat)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the meatballs:
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped pine nuts
1/2 cup golden raisins, halved or coarsely chopped if large
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey (half breast meat, half thigh meat)
About 4 tablespoons olive oil
First make the yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside at room temperature to let the flavors develop while you make the meatballs.
To make the meatballs, combine onion through black pepper in a large bowl. Add the ground meat and, using your hands, break it up into small chunks. Then massage and gently knead the meat to incorporate the ingredients. Mix until combined, but do not overmix: meat gets tough easily. With damp hands, gently pinch off hunks of the mixture and roll into 1-1/2-inch balls. Set aside on a large plate. (Raw meatballs can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Or place them, not touching, on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until hard, then transfer them to a heavy-duty plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)
Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add about half of the meatballs, taking care not to crowd them. As they begin to color, turn them gently with tongs and lightly shake the pan to roll them around, so they get some color on every side. Don't worry if a few of the pine nuts fall out into the pan; that happens. The meatballs are ready when they're evenly browned and feel pleasantly firm, but not rock-hard. You can also cut one or two of them in half, if you like, to make sure they're cooked through.
Transfer the finished meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels. If the skillet looks dry, add the remaining two tablespoons oil. Cook the remaining meatballs.
Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with the yogurt sauce.
Yield: About 30 small meatballs, enough for 4 servings.
-- "A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table"
China Millman can be reached at cmillman(at)post-gazette.com
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