Chocolate Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust

A couple of weeks ago, when I went to the Brooklyn Flea to work the Bakesale for Japan, I happened across a tiny little stand where a girl named Rachel was selling pies. She had a classic apple pie and a chocolate cream pie, and considering the unseasonably warm day, I couldn't resist a slice of the cold, silky chocolate cream. It was possibly one of the best pies I'd ever tasted. Something about the salty pretzel crust coated with a thin layer of dulce de leche with the sweet chocolate pudding and fresh whipped cream culminated into some seriously dangerous pie perfection. And so, unwilling to trek out to Brooklyn every time I needed a pie fix, I Googled away until I found the recipe. It's not difficult to make, but it's certainly time-consuming (the dulce de leche alone takes 2 hours of simmer time to complete), so save this for a lazy Sunday morning when you don't have much else to do. xo

Rachel's Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients:
For the pretzel crust:
1 can condensed sweetened milk
2 cups freshly broken pretzels
1 1/2 sticks melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar

For the chocolate creme filling:
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 oz milk chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

For the whipped cream topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
Small handful of chopped almonds (optional)

Directions:
Pour the can of condensed sweetened milk into top of a double boiler and keep the water in the bottom constantly at a low boil. Add a pinch of salt, if you like the salty sweet combo.  Stir every 15 minutes for 2 hours, or until sweetened condensed milk turns brown and caramel colored.

In the meantime, bake your pie crust. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and press into pie plate. Refrigerate until set, about half an hour. Bake for 15-25 min, dependent on how thick your crust is, until lightly golden brown. Set aside to cool. Once your dulce de leche is ready, brush it on the pie crust. It will cool onto the crust and set.

While your crust is cooling, start assembling the filling. First, have an ice bath ready for cooling the creme. Have one large bowl with water and ice, with a smaller bowl set inside.  Have a strainer ready as well. Set off to the side.

Whisk sugar, corn starch, and cocoa in a pot, adding egg yolks and whisking until blended. Over medium heat, add milk and cream, whisking constantly. Keep over medium heat until bubbles start to form and mixture gets thick. Once thick, turn heat down to low and keep cooking for about 3-5 minutes, continuing to stir.

Remove from heat and add chocolate and vanilla, stir until melted. Force the pudding through the fine mesh strainer into the chilled dry bowl. Once strained, stir to cool. Cover with plastic wrap (press plastic wrap directly onto the chocolate creme surface- this will prevent a skin from forming) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, mound milk chocolate filling into the cooled pretzel crust. Whip up some fresh cream (1 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon sugar, all whipped together in a large bowl with an electric handheld mixer until peaks form) and pile it on top of the chocolate filling. Sprinkle some chopped almonds on top if you like.

Find Us a Trapdoor Find Us a Plane

It's finally looking like spring around here, and I've made a firm executive decision to lose the tights for good, no matter how debatable the warmth of 55 to 60 degrees may be. With tulips blooming everywhere and people tentatively starting to shed some layers, I think I've somehow convinced myself that it's beach weather. Really, there's not much I love more than being able to leave the house in shorts and open-toed shoes.

Speaking of, isn't it awesome how a silk button-down shirt can make almost anything look pulled together and borderline professional? Even a slouchy little pair of Chloe-spring-2011-inspired leather shorts? I'm wearing an Equipment shirt, Maje shorts, Chanel bags, All Saints shoes. All pictures by Mark Iantosca. xo

Crispy Potato and Garlic Cake

With most of my friends off to the desert for Coachella this weekend, I had a pretty legit excuse to stay in, get organized, watch movies, go for a lot of long runs, and try some new recipes. Saturday's dark clouds and nighttime lightning storms made for an especially cozy night perfect for huddling under blankets and watching Harry Potter on iTunes (which, incidentally, is a terrifying movie--kids must be braver these days).

The rain and thunder put me in the mood to eat something simple and homey and a bit decadent for dinner, so I put together this potato cake from Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook. It was inspired by the potatoes they serve at one of my favorite restaurants in the world, L'Ami Louis, in Paris (if you haven't been, it's more than worth making a pilgrimage for the next time you're in the City of Lights--their roast chicken is on another level). As soon as my potatoes were out of the oven, I piled them up in a big bowl and took them straight to bed, where Harry Potter and a pile of pillows was awaiting me. Pretty perfect. xo

Crispy Potato & Garlic Cake
Adapted from My Father's Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow
Ingredients:
2 large baking potatoes (each about 2/3 pound), peeled
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon duck fat (the tablespoon is for the pan, or you can use butter)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves peeled garlic, 2 crushed, 1 very finely minced
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Preheat the broiler.

Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes and let them cool before slicing them into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Heat a spoonful each of the duck fat and the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 of the crushed garlic cloves and as many potato slices as can fit in one layer. Cook for about 3 minutes a side, or until lightly browned. Remove to a paper-towel-lined pate and repeat with the remaining fat and potatoes, switching out the garlic cloves when they get too brown.

Coat a small (6-8-inch) cast-iron skillet with the tablespoon of duck fat. Line the bottom with a single layer of potato slices, sprinkle with salt, and add another layer. Repeat this process, pressing each layer down hard with the back of a wooden spoon and lightly salting as you go until you've layered all your potatoes. Pressing them down is what will keep the cake together, so don't be too gentle. Stick the cake under the broiler until really browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Invert it onto a plate and scatter with the 1 clove of finely minced garlic, parsley, and bit more salt if you like. Cut into wedges and serve.


Cook's Note: I didn't have duck fat handy, and I certainly wasn't about to venture out in the rain to procure some, so I used butter instead. It worked out fine. Also, the smallest cast-iron skillet I had was 10 inches, so my potatoes didn't come out as cake-like as I would have liked, but trust me, the flavor didn't suffer a bit.

Found: Isabel Marant Shorts

These little shorts have been impossible to find. I've stopped into the Isabel Marant store in SoHo more times than I care to admit, checking in on them, seeing if a new shipment had arrived. I've stalked Net-a-Porter for weeks on end, hoping that the shorts were a part of their spring buy and waiting for them to appear in the What's New section. I've talked to the people at Curve about them, I've stared at them on Style.com. Well, today was the day. They hit Net-a-Porter this morning, and I clicked "purchase" faster than you can say "perfect pink shorts" and they are officially on their way to me as I type. They're perfect, no? Perfect shade of bubblegum pink, perfect little laces that make them look a little like boardshorts, perfect supershort length. Also, it's a good thing that my hyperspeed online shopping skills are so finely honed--they sold out within an hour. xo

Spring Pasta

One of my most favorite birthday presents was a pasta making class at Eataly, given to me by one of my best friends (and business partner), Alex. It was quite the experience, watching experts deftly whip up the most divine fresh pastas from scratch and hearing them talk about all the prime ingredients that they use to make it all happen. The best part was that we got to eat it in the end--a whole 3-course pasta menu's worth of it, including wine pairings.

Pictured above is the fresh spinach fettucine that we made--the pasta dish that came out of it was, in my opinion, the best of the three, and perfectly easy to execute. I still don't know when I'll get up the nerve to try rolling out a batch of homemade pasta on my own, but luckily for me (and you), perfectly made fresh spinach fettucine is readily available at Italian markets everywhere. And below is the flawless recipe for what to make with it for spring. xo

Freshly made ravioli from class

The recipe they gave out to the class, covered in my hastily written notes

Spinach Fettucine with Chanterelles, Spring Peas, and Prosciutto

Recipe courtesy of Lidia Bastianich

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled fresh peas or frozen peas, defrosted and drained

Salt

1 pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 ounces Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced and chopped

Freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds ripe fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and crushed

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 pound spinach fettucine pasta

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

If using fresh peas, parboil them in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain them and set aside. Trim the tough ends and wilted spots from the mushrooms. Wipe them clean with a damp paper towel or wash them quickly and dry them well. Slice them thin and set aside.

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Whack the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and add them along with the prosciutto to the oil. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, season them lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until they are lightly browned and wilted, about 7 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, season them lightly with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir the peas and chopped parsley into the sauce and cook until the peas are tender, about 3 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, stir the fettucine into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in about three-quarters of the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, tossing to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Transfer the pasta to a warm platter, top with the remaining sauce and serve immediately.

In the Market: Rose Gold

"Turn soft and lovely anytime you have a chance." -Jenny Holzer

I loved all the soft rose shades, nudes, creams, and clean whites that floated down various spring 2011 runways. There's not a soul in this world that those particular colors don't flatter, and there's something really alluring about how delicate and ethereal they can be.

A few of my favorite pieces:

1. Proenza Schouler printed tissue tank, $275, at lagarconne.com
2. Cacharel silk jumpsuit, $845, at lagarconne.com 
3. Cacharel high platform wedge, $635, at barneys.com  
4. Alexander Wang jade stingray bag, $795, at net-a-porter.com  
5. Jennifer Meyer wishbone earrings, $225, at barneys.com 
6. Victoria Beckham 18-karat rose-gold aviators, $775, at net-a-porter.com 
7. Topshop floral dress, $95, at topshop.com 
8. Deborah Lippmann nail lacquer in Prelude to a Kiss, $16, at lippmanncollection.com
9. Michael Kors rose-gold plated stainless steel watch, $250, at net-a-porter.com

Beef and Brown Rice Chili

One of my ultimate comfort foods is beef chili. When I was growing up, my mom would make big batches of it using her special, still-secret recipe, and I would gobble it up by bowl, always hankering after more, even after the leftovers were long gone. By now, I've found and developed my own favorite recipes, but I'm always game to test drive one more. 

This particular chili is one I found on the blog of one of my favorite chefs, Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster fame. It struck me as being completely unique in that it doesn't involve a dozen different spices and hours of simmering time. Instead, it's quick, pared down, and super healthy (hello, brown rice and kale). Don't get me wrong, nothing really beats a good, old-fashioned pot of chili, but this one will do in a weeknight pinch, especially now that tank-top-weather is officially around the corner. Recipe down below. All pictures by Mark Iantosca. xo

Beef and Brown Rice Chili
From marcussamuelsson.com
Ingredients:
Salt, for seasoning beef, and to taste
1 pound ground beef, divided into ½- to 1-inch portions
3 tablespoons canola oil
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 bunch Lacinato Kale, cut into 1-inch pieces
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Optional seasonings: bay leaf, coriander, cayenne

Directions:
Heat a large saute pan or pot over medium-high heat.  Season the beef generously with salt.  Add the canola oil and heat through.  Add the beef to the pan and sear it, letting the meat brown well.  Stir to caramelize all the sides of the beef. (At this point add the optional seasonings.)

Add the tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and kale and fold into the tomato and ground beef mixture. Heat through until the kale is wilted and the rice is hot.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

Cook's Note: I added random pinches of chili powder, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper and found that the spices gave it a nice added boost of flavor.