Going Dutched

If you start off using the best ingredients, the proof is in the pudding; as is the case with my Chocolate Torta recipe; I use the Droste brand of cocoa which is dutched cocoa.

Dutched cocoa means the cocoa underwent a process that results in milder chocolate flavor notes by reducing acidity. The dutching process can also change the color from light red to brown to black. Dutched cocoa works well in chocolate desserts such as devil’s food cake or brownies.

My Torta Recipe requires just a simple whisk, spoon or spatula to do the job. Mix by hand + bake. Forty-five minutes later you’ll be savoring this delightful Italian Pastry!

George's Chocolate Torta

Recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes 12 servings 

chefgeorgehirsch.com 

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup sweet butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 egg white, beaten into whole egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan; set aside.

In small bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, combine cocoa and granulated sugar until blended. With wire whisk, beat in water, then melted butter, egg, egg white and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. On wire rack, cool for ten minutes in pan. With small spatula, loosen cake from sides of pan. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Place on plate and sprinkle with confectioners sugar. To serve, cut into small wedges. 

Founded 1867 St. Petersburg

Saint Petersburg, Russia is where the roots of today's Paris based Kusmi Tea company began. The creator, Pavel Michailovitch Kousmichoff started working at the age of 14 for a tea merchant who saw his talent and taught him the art of blending. You could say Pavel stepped into the right place at the right time. He married well, his boss gave him his first tea house, and prosperity followed. His peasant upbringing brewed into a life of great wealth and success; with a large family to carry on the tea business and make it flourish for generations to come.

Kusmi 25, rue Danielle Casanova Paris 01

The company became one of the three largest tea houses in Russia and was a supplier to the Court of Tsars. It would be the keen insight of Pavel's son, Viatcheslav, to open a workshop in Paris; escaping the pending Revolution in 1917. It would be known as the Maison Kusmi-Thé, a shortened version of the family's surname.

The company is no longer owned by the Kousmichoff family. The Orebi Family took over Kusmi in 2003, harnessing this 140 year old company to be the international Kusmi Tea brand. Kusmi expanded into North America this year, opening a location in Motreal, Quebec and there's word of a NYC expansion soon.

A Few Health Benefits Drinking Tea

Tea contains antioxidants. Antioxidants can help slow down the aging process, and help cells regenerate.  

Tea aids your body in digestion. Tea has been used for thousands of years as a digestive aid after meals.

Tea keeps you hydrated. Every cup of tea you drink, especially low or no caffeine varieties, counts as a cup of water with the added bonus of providing antioxidants as well.

George's Cake Recipes that go well with tea.

Orange and Honey Cake

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

images: Kusmi Tea 

KYFF, Grilling Italy

What to grill this weekend? How about some bread? Bruschetta is one of my most popular recipes and is so simple to prepare. It is an ideal snack to enjoy while you are waiting for the main dish on the grill to be finished. 

Ideally, use day old or very dense thickly-sliced bread. The addition of the smoke from the grill adds magical flavor to the crust and it’s toppings. There is no limit in toppings for your bruschetta, just let your imagination run free. Think of your bread crusts as an artist’s canvas. 

Join me for a bruschetta tour through Italy. Which, BTW, the variety in bruschetta toppings vary from region to region. 

When canal-side in Venice, I must have my bruschetta with Baccala' Mantecato, that is topped with whipped salted cod. This cod is making me thirsty! Vino prego!

While in Siena, I’ve enjoyed grilled toasts di fegato, that's made with garlicky chopped liver.

The southern part of Italy is the region to feast on the superior quality of fruits from Italy's fertile soil, particularly Naples. Ahh, delicioso pomodoro. This is the bruschetta most people envision - crowns of sweet ripened tomatoes, basil and olive oil.   

Before you take your first bite, let me transport you to my favorite place in Positano; Trattoria La Tagliata where Bartolo is the family's grill chef. He will take really good care of you - while you nibble on his bruschetta, enjoying the priceless view of the Amalfi Coast and await his grilled specialties.

Something wonderful happens to country-style bread when it’s brushed with olive oil and grilled. It’s smoky flavor adds another layer to olive oil, fresh tomatoes with lots of caramelized garlic, parmesan cheese, and capers. Dry day-old bread makes the best bruschetta, so this is a good way to use up yesterday’s loaf of Italian, French, or sourdough bread. Serve bruschetta with salad or soup, or as a snack with a chunk of sopressatta.

This recipe is from my first book, and to pass along just how much everyone enjoys bruschetta from the grill it’s my very first recipe in the book, page 14.

Bruschetta

From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch | The cookbook By George Hirsch with Marie Bianco © 1994

Makes 6 

3 cups seeded and diced plum tomatoes

24 cloves caramelized garlic

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed

Salt and pepper, to taste

12 slices round country- style bread, sliced 3/4 inch thick

1/4 cup olive oil

6 basil leaves, chopped

Grated parmesan cheese 

To make the topping, combine the tomtoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, capers, salt and pepper.

Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Press down on the bread with a spatula so that the bread picks up grill marks.

When the bread is grilled, top off the slices evenly with the tomato mixture and place them in a foil pan on the grill. Close the hood and heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan and sprinkle each bruschetta with basil and parmesan cheese.

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Savory and Sweet Brunch

In French it’s know as le grand petit déjeuner or big breakfast, literally "the big little lunch". Against the wishes of the Académie—the typical French person refers to the phrase "American's brunch". Whether you call it le grand petit déjeuner or just brunch, it's an ideal time of day to serve a mixture of savory & sweet dishes, like my baked ham & biscuits + muffins.

Start with sweet Blueberry Nut Muffins. Today is the savory portion; a Spring Easter time favorite, Ham with a Honey Glaze served with my Warm Biscuits.  

CLICK HERE for more ham glazes and sauces.

Antica Cuvée

This is a superb grappa I discovered while toasting with new my Venetian friends. As holidays such as Easter arrive I will be toasting with this same grappa but with prayers and wishes of health, peace and prosperity.

Nonino's hand blown bottle may have a bit to do with catching your attention, but the quality content inside the bottle speaks volumes for the grappa industry in Italy. The Friuli based Nonino Family changed the way the world views grappa. This fine grappa is made from a blend of 3 grappas from the varietals: Ribolla Gialla, Moscato, and Verduzzo. Antica Cuvee is aged for 12 months in limousin oak barriques and bottled with no additives. It is described as a rich, round and warm on the palate with a long and warm finish. The aromatics are spices, brioche vanilla and almond. 

Serve at room temperature in wide balloon-type glasses, sip as a digestive. Perfect with foie gras, dark chocolate or hot chocolate dessert.