Ruth Reichls Tapenade Super Easy And Elegant Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two large rectangular baking pans (13 by 9 by 2 inches) and line them with waxed or parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust the pans with cocoa (you could use flour, but cocoa adds color and flavor).
• Measure the cocoa powder into a bowl, and whisk in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water until it is smooth, dark and so glossy it reminds you of chocolate pudding. Whisk in the milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• Put the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat in the sugars until it is light, fluffy and the color of coffee with cream (about 5 minutes). One at a time, add the eggs, beating for about 20 seconds after each before adding the next. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches and the cocoa mixture in 2, alternating flour-cocoa-flour-cocoa-flour.
• Pour half of the batter into each pan and smooth the tops. Bake in the middle of the oven until a tester comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Let the pans rest on cooling racks for 2 minutes, then turn the cakes onto racks to cool completely before frosting.
• Make the frosting: Chop the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler. Let it cool so that you can comfortably put your finger in it. While it's cooling, mix the butter with the whipped cream cheese. Add the chocolate, the vanilla and a dash of salt, and mix in the confectioners' sugar until it looks like frosting, at least 5 minutes. Assemble the cake, spreading about a third of the frosting on one of the cooled layers, then putting the second layer on top and frosting the assembled cake.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine the water, butter and a teaspoon of the salt into a sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts.
• Remove from heat, let cool slightly, stir in flour, and mix well.
• Return the pan to the heat and stir with a wooden spoon over high heat until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan and remove from heat.
• Stir in eggs, one at a time until well combined.
• Add the diced cheese, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, stirring well.
• Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto a well buttered baking pan. Smooth the top and sides of each gougere with a knife and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
• Bake in batches for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Steps:

• Combine black and green olives, anchovy fillets, garlic, capers, tuna, lemon juice and basil in bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade. Process until smooth.
• With motor running, dribble in the oil to make a thick, fluffy sauce. For a lighter sauce, blend in the mayonnaise.
• Taste, and correct seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Will keep, refrigerated, for 1 week.

Steps:

• Press the garlic into the lemon juice or if you don't have a garlic press, mince and put it into the lemon juice, while you prepare the other items.
• Put the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and process into a finely chopped paste.
• Put in a bowl and mix in the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil well.
• Serve with bread slices.

Steps:

• Put rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°F Oil a small baking sheet with olive oil. Put the eggplant cut-side down on baking sheet and bake until very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool slightly. When eggplant is cool enough to handle, scrape flesh into a food processor; discard skin.
• Puree until smooth. Add egg-yolk, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper and pulse until blended. Transfer to a bowl.
• Pour melted butter into a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish or 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate and tilt to coat bottom.
• Beat egg white with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold stiff peaks.
• Fold one-third of whites into the eggplant mixture to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon mixture into gratin dish.
• Bake until golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle gratin with mint, then scoop into servings and dollop with yogurt.

Steps:

• Squash the olives to remove the seeds.
• Put the olive flesh and the capers in a blender or food processor.
• (Note: if the capers are salted, rinse them first.) Pour boiling water over the anchovy fillets and leave for about 10 minutes, to remove some of the oil and salt.
• Add the drained anchovy fillets, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and black pepper to the blender.
• Blend until chunky, then add olive oil and blend further until the desired consistency is reached.
• Put the tapenade into a bowl and serve.
• Try it with sourdough bread, bruschetta, focaccia, or anything char-grilled.