Friday, December 30, 2011

Restaurant (Re)creation: Rose's Breakfast Pizza

 


~From top- Rose's breakfast pizza,  my (re)creation,
close-up of (re)creation topped with arugula~

Rose's is pretty famous for this pizza.  It has the perfect combo of eggs, canadian bacon, cheese, and crispy crust.  The good news it- you don't have to wait in line outside of Rose's for an hour to fill your belly with this scrumptious pizza.  You can easily make it at home!  Its perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner.  Maybe it could become your new Christmas morning or New Years brunch tradition?

Ingredients:
  • 365 whole foods or boboli pre baked crust
  • Shredded fontina cheese (or asiago, mozzarella, etc
  • 5-6 slices Canadian bacon (or chicken apple sausage)
  • 2 eggs
  • Arugula, to garnish
  • Olive oil
Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. 
Brush olive oil on pizza crust. 
Sauté or grill the canadian bacon. 
Put cheese and bacon on pizza and cook in the oven for 6-8 mins.
Crack 2 eggs and put them on the middle of the pizza.
Return to oven for an additional 5-6 minutes until whites of egg are cooked. 
Top with a handful of arugula. 
Bon appetite!

Rose's Cafe
2298 Union Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 775-2200

Friday, December 23, 2011

Recipe (Re)creation: Vanilla Bean & Salted Caramel Marshmallows






~ From top: marshmallow mixture, melting caramels, caramel drizzled marshmallows,
salted caramel marshmallow squares, close-up ~

Note: This might not be the easiest recipe, but it is well worth the effort.  I promise.

Specialized Tools: 
  • Stand mixer
  • Candy thermometer (option, but helpful)

Ingredients:
For the marshmallows:
  • 3 packets unflavored gelatin
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light agave syrup (or corn syrup)
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 vanilla bean, inside seeds scraped out
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting
For the salted caramel sauce:
  • 25 Kraft caramels
  • 1 tbsp water
  • A pinch or two of sea salt or fleur de sel

    Directions:

    Mix the gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl and set aside.

    Meanwhile, combine the sugar, salt, agave, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan until the sugar dissolves.  

    Then turn up the heat and cook the mixture until it starts to bubble up and turn a light brown color.  

    Remove from heat once the mixture starts rising and bubbling in the pan (if you have a candy thermometer, it should reach 240 degrees).  

    Put the gelatin mixture and scraped vanilla bean paste into the bowl of your mixer.

    Slowly pour the sugar mixture into the bowl and set the mixer on high.  

    Whip the mixture until it is thick and fluffy, about 16-18 minutes.  Then add the vanilla bean extract.

    Generously dust the bottom of a large glass baking dish with powdered sugar.  

    Carefully pour the fluffy marshmallow mixture into the pan and smooth with a spatula.  

    Dust the top with a layer of powdered sugar and set aside.

    Meanwhile, unwrap the caramels and place the caramels and water in a small saucepan on medium-low heat.  

    Cook until the caramels are fully melted, stirring occasionally.  

    With a spoon, drizzle the hot caramel mixture on the marshmallows and top the caramel sparingly with sea salt (try to do this before the caramel has set and hardened).

    Allow to set uncovered for at least 8 hours or until the marshmallows are dry.  

    Then cut the marshmallows in squares (or any other shape) and dust with more powdered sugar to prevent them from sticking.

    If you do not eat them all in one sitting, then you can store the rest in an air-tight container for later consumption.

    Don't be afraid to enjoy them on their own.  No hot chocolate necessary ; )

    Monday, December 19, 2011

    Recipe (Re)creation: Rosemary Glazed Pecans & Almonds

    ~ Rosemary Glazed Pecans & Almonds before baking~
    ~ Rosemary Glazed Pecan & Almond (Re)creation ~
    ~ Close-up of the finished product ~
    This recipe was inspired by my mom's recipe for glazed pecans.  She always made glazed pecans during the holidays and my sister and I would devour them within an hour and beg for more.  They always remind me of the holidays and they are the perfect comfort snack as the weather gets colder.  Plus, they will make your whole house/apartment//alternative dwelling smell amazing as they bake. I made a few changes to her version and added almonds and rosemary. A word of caution- I totally burned my first batch so watch them carefully.  Pecans are almost as easy to burn as pine nuts and once they are burnt they taste bitter and yucky so watch them like a hawk.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup raw almonds
    • 2 cups raw pecans
    • 3 tbsp honey
    • 2-3 tbsp butter
    • 1/4 tsp pepper
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 4 springs of rosemary

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 350 F.

    In a small skillet, melt butter and stir in salt and pepper.

    In a medium bowl, mix together the pecans, almonds & honey.

    Next, pour in the butter mixture and stir well.

    Scoop the mixture onto a baking tray or dish and top with the rosemary sprigs.

    Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then stir.  Bake for 2-3 more minutes until crispy (but not burnt).

    Transfer the nuts onto parchment paper and separate them carefully with a fork.

    Let cool for 30 minutes and enjoy!

    Wednesday, December 14, 2011

    Restaurant (Re)creation: SPQR's Burrata Crostini

    ~SPQR's Burrata Crostini~
    ~Close-up of my Burrata Crostini (Re)creation~
    ~My Burrata Crostini (Re)creation~

    SPQR does many things well, but my favorite dishes are their starters and antipasti.  I had this crostini at SPQR for brunch one day and it was love at first bite.  Its the perfect dish to whet your appetite and its very much a crowd pleaser.  It looks sophisticated but its surprisingly easy and wonderfully scrumptious.  The crostini at SPQR is topped with burrata, fried sage, hazelnuts, chili, and honey.  To add a twist to their version, I used truffle honey instead and omitted the chili.  I also used a bit of fried rosemary in addition to the sage.  You can do plenty of variations depending on your mood, your taste buds, and what's leftover in your fridge.

    Ingredients:

    • Rustic baguette, cut into 1/2 slices
    • 1 container of resh burrata
    • 20 sage leaves
    • 1 sprig of rosemary
    • Truffle honey (or regular honey)
    • 1/2 cup raw (or roasted) hazelnuts
    • 2-3 tbsp olive oil

    Directions:

    For the hazelnuts:

    Preheat oven to 400.  Place hazelnuts in a baking dish and bake for 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat.

    Cover hazelnuts with a towel to steam and let them cool (5 minutes).

    With your fingers, rub the skins off the hazelnuts to the best of your ability and set aside.

    For the sage & rosemary:

    Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a small skillet.  Remove rosemary leaves from stem.  Add sage and rosemary leaves and fry until crispy (5 minutes).

    Remove leaves with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to dry.

    For the crostini:

    Brush olive oil on both sides of each slice of bread.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, turning over once so they are crispy on both sides.

    Assembly:

    Generously spread burrata on each crostini, then top with sage, rosemary and hazelnuts.   Drizzle with truffle honey and enjoy.

    Bón Appetit

    SPQR
    spqrsf.com
    1911 Filmore St
    San Francisco, CA
    (415) 771-7779