Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake: Webisode #22

What's Going on Today: After all the packing... we are finally unpacking. 

Naptime Goals: Unpack the kitchen (my top priority, obviously!)

Tonight's Menu: Take-out from the mexican place up the street we can't wait to try.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Sometime change is good, even for kids.

So, we've moved. It was a stressful, chaotic event, just like all moves are, but we've done it. Needless to say we are beyond thrilled that everything worked out and are very grateful to our pals at Moishe's for taking good care of us. 

Since I am busy unpacking boxes today I am posting a Webisode I shot last week for my favorite seasonal Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake. As you know, I freeze rhubarb at the end of each summer so that I can enjoy it year round. Last week I was busy cleaning out the freezer and making sure no good food went to waste. This meant thawing and using up my last bag of rhubarb from summer 2009. This was actually good timing since we have just begun rhubarb season in the Northeast. My mother has reported that the plants in Cooperstown have started budding. We should have our first stalks in a couple of weeks.

As you'll see, I made this delicious cake while my daughter napped in the afternoon then we ate it the next morning for breakfast. It lasted us for a few days which was perfect since I let everything else in our pantry run out, including our usual selection of cereal and oatmeal. It's longevity on the counter also makes it great for entertaining. It can easily be made 1-2 days ahead of time for a brunch or breakfast.

I've baked a lot of coffee cakes in my life and this one, I think, is the absolute best. The cake is moist and creamy but doesn't overshadow the sweet flavor of the rhubarb. I also love the large sugar crumbs on top, they add just the right amount of crunch on top of the vegetable layer. I hope you all get a chance to make it this season and love it as much as we do.

I'll be back next week with reports from the new kitchen. And, yes, my daughter loves her new - much larger - bedroom and is taking nice, long afternoon naps as always.

Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake

adapted from the New York Times, June 2007

Filling:

1/2 lb rhubarb, washed and cut into 1" squares

1/4 c. sugar

2 t. cornstartch

1/2 t. ground ginger

Crumb:

1/3 c. dark brown sugar

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground ginger

Pinch Kosher salt

1/2 c. melted butter

1 3/4 c. cake flour (like Swan's Down or similar)

Cake:

1/3 c. sour cream

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 t. vanilla extract

1 c. cake flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. Kosher salt

6 T. butter, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Butter and flour an 8" square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

3. Make the crumbs by placing sugar, spices, salt, butter and flour in a bowl. Using clean hands, pinch the ingredients together until they form a solid dough but is still a bit crumbly. Set aside.

4. To make the cake, in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix the sour cream, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and butter. Then, in a separate bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture bit by bit until it is totally incorporated, but not overbeaten. The mixture should be totally smooth and slightly sticky.

5. Pour 3/4 of the batter into the greased 8" baking pan and pat it down evenly. Distribute the rhubarb over the top in one single layer. Dollop the remaining cake batter over the rhubarb in a few spoonfuls and make sure it is somewhat even.

6. Using clean hands, crumble the large crumb dough over the top of the dough. The chunks should be anywhere from 1/2" to 3/4" in size. The whole cake should be completely covered. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and serve.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variations and Ideas: I've never tried this with any other berry but I bet it would be great with blueberries or blackberries. This cake is fantastic for entertaining and would be perfect to serve on a buffet table for brunch.

Naptime Stopwatch: Making this cake takes about 45 minutes, plus baking time.

Naptime Reviews: My daughter is slowly becoming a rhubarb fan and loves this cake as much as we do.

Springtime Asparagus Pizza for Moving

What's Going on Today: Boxes, packing, general mayhem. Picked up new shower curtain for upstairs bathroom in new place. 

Naptime Goals: Finish packing clothes, confirm movers.

Tonight's Menu: Springtime Asparagus Pizza from Food52. Wine. Lots of wine.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Kids are more resilient then we give them credit for.

Despite the growing pile of boxes my daughter seems remarkably accepting of our home being packed up bit by bit. She awoke after her nap today to find the contents of my closet in suitcases. This wouldn't normally alarm a child except that mine loves to dive into my shoe rack and clatter around the house in high heels any chance she gets. (I am not-so-secretly proud that she is already this obsessed with shoes.) She peered into the suitcase and pointed at the shoes while I explained that they are making a trip to the new house on a big truck. She asked if she could go on the truck, too, not wanting to miss out on any potentially exciting event. Gotta love her adventurous spirit.

In a few short hours we will be residents of CT and, truth be told, though I am sad to close the NYC chapter of my life, I am excited to return to my country roots. I am, at heart, a country girl and love the slightly slower pace that comes with life outside of the city. The best thing about this move really is that I'll be a mere 30 minutes from the heart of the Big Apple, so I am really not giving up much at all. I also look forward to country cooking. Of course I'll be cooking the same food I do in New York, except my new farmer's market will be thrice as big as anything in the city, plus I'll have a deck for herb pots and tomato plants. I can finally grow my own food, just like my parents did for us growing up! Don't worry, the minute all of this starts you'll be the first to know.

In the mean time, with half the kitchen in boxes and no time to Naptime Chef today, I am making pizza. It just so happened that this recipe was up for grabs on Food52 for recipe testing and I jumped at the chance to try it out. I love pizza of almost any flavor and still have an unpacked jelly roll pan in which to bake it. This is what's known as food serendipity. 

I've made all sorts of pizzas in the oven but this is my new favorite. It was a snap to make at dinnertime since I started with fresh pizza dough from Whole Foods. I even put my daughter in charge of sprinkling on the cheese which she loved. The baking time for the pizza is brief and, I'll admit, I was nervous that the asparagus wouldn't tenderize enough in the oven, but it did. After 10 minutes of roasting it was tender to the bite, but not overly wilted. It's flavor was balanced beautifully by the salty mozzarella and tangy goat cheese and rounded out with a smattering of lemon and anchovies. We couldn't enough of the symphony of flavors that created a near perfect springtime pizza and devoured the whole thing.

I know this pizza will work well with other spring and summer vegetables and I intend to try them in the future. In fact, given my increased storage capacity in the new place, I might be able to invest in a pizza stone or even attempt pizza on the new grill. The sky's the limit! In the mean time, I am looking forward to returning to my regular routine of cooking during naptime next week and can't wait to share it all with you.

Springtime Asparagus Pizza

adapted from Food52 and deensiebat

1 12oz. ball fresh pizza dough (can be store-bought fresh or frozen)

3/4 lb. pencil thin asparagus, halved and tossed with olive oil and pinch of salt

1 c. shredded mozzarella, loosely packed

4 oz. goat cheese

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 t. chili flakes

4 oil-packed anchovies, drained and finely chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 500ºF for 1 hour. If using a pizza stone, pre-heat it in the oven as well. Or, if using a jelly roll pan, rub it with a thin sheen of olive oil and sprinkle it evenly with a tiny bit of cornstarch.

2. Place pizza dough on a lightly floured surface and press outward until it is about 14" in diameter. If using a 10x15 jelly roll pan, press the dough until it fits the pan completely.

3. Distribute mozzarella over the top of the pizza, leaving 1" on all sides for the crust. Then, add the asparagus in any desired pattern and clumps of goat cheese.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crust browns and the cheese melts. Then, remove the pizza from the oven and scatter the lemon zest, chili flakes and chopped anchovies evenly on top. Slice and serve.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variations and Ideas: If you are not in the mood for asparagus other vegetables like peppers, artichoke hearts or eggplants would work well with this pizza. If you don't have goat cheese on hand, ricotta would be a nice substitute. Make this thin and serve it in small triangles for a nice appetizer!

Naptime Stopwatch: Preparing the pizza takes 10 minutes and baking it takes another 10. A great meal to make days before a big move!

Naptime Reviews: My daughter is not the biggest fan of asparagus, but I am working on it. I think this pizza might help her come around.

Cheddar and Chive Polenta: Webisode #20

What Going on Today: Up waaaaayy too early this morning! Have to start packing boxes. We officially move in 2 weeks. Sad.

Naptime Goals: Make Polenta steaks using my new favorite recipe. Work on address changes, squeeze in a little R&R for me, too.

Tonight's Menu: Chive Polenta Steaks, green salad.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: It's easy to sell kids on a move with the promise of summer on the beach.

I only have a few more webisodes left in this kitchen before I move to a bigger, more gracious space. Unfortunately, in order to get to this space, it means moving out of Manhattan and up to the Connecticut coast. We are only moving a few miles really, but it feels like much longer than that. I'll be sad to leave NYC, though I know it is time for open skies and grassy lawns. My daughter will love it and I'm sure we'll come around, too. But, never fear New Yorkers, I'll be back a lot. This will always be my daughter's hometown and will always be especially close to my heart, as well.

Anyway, in the mean time I'm going to make the best of my current kitchen. I find it spacious and lovely, but it is pretty small and dark compared to what I'll be moving into. I will always be able to say this is where The Naptime Chef all started. Maybe someday the management company will hang a plaque on the wall or even disassemble the whole thing and move it to the Smithsonian. Or not. Either way, this place perfect for making polenta steaks.

It's only recently that I've gotten into making polenta steaks. Until a few months ago I liked to make polenta creamy and loose, like a dense porridge. Then, I stumbled across Ina Garten's Polenta Steak recipe and gave it a shot. I was intrigued by the idea of polenta being a thick bar and cooked like a breast of chicken. Not surprisingly - like everything Ina makes - the flavors were delicious and the texture was perfect. Once I realized the brilliance of polenta steaks my wheels started turning. Why not, I thought, use this method and make new polenta steak flavors we all will enjoy. Since then I've been tinkering with it a bit, adding new flavors and adapting it so that it is perfect for making during naptime.

As you'll see here, the great news is that I've succeeded in doing so. To prepare these steaks I add a little bit of extra cheese and some freshly snipped chives. I love the way this gives them a savory, almost oniony taste. Even better, all the stirring and adding things can be done while my daughter naps. Then the steaks only need to be cut and cooked - steps that take a few minutes - once dinner hour comes around. Enjoy!

Cheddar and Chive Polenta Steaks

loosely adapted from Ina Garten

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 c. olive oil

1 T. freshly chopped chives

1 clove garlic, minced

3 c. chicken stock

2 c. half-n-half

2 c. milk (2% preferred)

2 c. Polenta

1/2 c. freshly grated cheddar cheese

1. Place butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow butter to melt fully and stir in the olive oil. Add the garlic and chives and stir for 2 minutes.

2. Add chicken stock, milk and half-n-half. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Once mixture is boiling sprinkle in 2 c. of polenta, whisking constantly to make sure no clumps form. Then, switch to a wooden spoon and stir until mixture is thickened like the dense porridge. About 8-10 minutes.

3. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the cheese. Then, pour it into a 13x9x2 baking dish, spreading it smoothly with the back of a wooden spoon. 

4. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to cool and harden. It can be stored this way for up to 48 hours.

5. To prepare for dinner, melt a dash of butter and olive oil in a skillet. Meanwhile, cut the polenta into squares and dust lightly with flour. Then, add it to the hot pan and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until each side is light brown and crispy. Serve hot.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Ideas and Variations: If you want to add a different herb I recommend substituting rosemary or fresh basil for the chives. Don't like cheddar? No problem, just leave it out and add Parmesan instead.

Naptime Stopwatch: Stirring the polenta and pouring it into the pan takes about 35 minutes. Allow it to cool in the pan for at least 2 hours. Cooking them takes about 10 minutes and, voila, dinner is served!

Naptime Reviews: My daughter is slowly coming around to polenta, although she prefers the creamier version. These steaks are great when cut into shapes with cookie cutters, too.