Ribs for Your Pleasure!

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ribs

I love RIBS! These baby backs are slow-steamed in the oven, brushed with an Asian BBQ sauce, and caramelized until they’re irresistible. We had to put straws in our water glasses because we couldn’t put the ribs down long enough to take a drink. Stella practically did back flips to get her paws on a morsel. What I’m trying to say is: make these for your next BBQ.

ribs

I learned to cook ribs by steaming them in the oven, a method that produces a fabulously tender result. I don’t have an oven steamer, so I made one. Buy 2 disposable baking trays. Rip one piece of tin foil that is 3 times the length of the tray, and center it in the tray length-wise. Rip a second piece of tin foil that is 3 times the width of the tray, and center it in the tray width-wise. Then, fill the tray with 3/4 inch of water. In the center of the tray, set a small ramekin or another oven-proof, flat object that is taller than the water but shorter than the tray.

ribs

Take your second disposable tray, and punch a bunch of holes in its bottom. The holes will let the steam through. Set the second tray on top of the ramekin.

ribs

Prepare your ribs by rubbing them on both sides with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Set the ribs inside of the second tray.

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Wrap the rib tray tightly with the tin foil.

ribs

Cook your ribs in the oven for 3 hours at 325º F. After that time, the ribs should be very tender. At this point, you can either move forward with finishing the ribs or refrigerate them to serve later.

ribs

When you’re ready to finish the ribs, prepare your BBQ sauce. To make an Asian-flavored sauce that covers 1 rack of ribs, mix together 1/2 cup of ketchup, 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of grated ginger, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and a dash of fish sauce. Taste the BBQ sauce and add any other ingredients you think it needs. Brush the BBQ sauce onto the ribs.

ribs

If you have a grill, I definitely recommend throwing the ribs on there to get a nice sear. Sadly, I am grill-less. So, I set my ribs on a roasting rack and put them back into the oven at 400º F for about 10 minutes. Then, I turned on the broiler to get some extra browning. When the ribs are done, slice them between the bones, and brush over any extra BBQ sauce.

ribs

These ribs smell and taste amazing. If you think I’m enthusiastic about them, you really should have seen Stella. She went through her whole rotation of tricks hoping we would reward her with a taste. We did. And now- go make these ribs and reward yourself too!

Shopping list:

  • Baby back ribs- 1/2 rack per person
  • Garlic- 3 cloves
  • Salt and pepper
  • Ketchup- 1/2 cup
  • Hoisin sauce- 1/4 cup
  • Soy sauce- 1 tablespoon
  • Rice vinegar- 1 teaspoon
  • Ginger- 1 teaspoon, grated
  • Red pepper flakes- 1 teaspoon
  • Fish sauce- 1 dash
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Homemade Pasta in a Tomato Pancetta Sauce

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pasta

Homemade pasta is a revelation! This fettuccine has the most delicate tenderness but maintains a hearty chew. It is perfect for soaking up delicious sauces like this beautiful and simple tomato pancetta sauce. I have also tossed batches of homemade fettucine in a mushroom cream sauce and in chicken cacciatore for extra oomph. However you eat it, this pasta is heaven. And if you have the right equipment (i.e., an electric pasta roller), it is surprisingly easy and fun to make.

pasta

To make enough pasta for two main courses, add 1/2 cup of flour to a bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour, and crack in 1 egg. Drizzle in about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, and throw in a pinch of salt.

pasta

Using a fork, scramble the egg in the center of the bowl. When the egg is scrambled, begin incorporating the flour. The flour should begin to form a craggy dough. Use your hands to ball the dough up, but don’t worry if you can’t pick up all of the crumbs. Those can be left behind.

pasta

Transfer the dough to a floured surface, and knead it. Smash it with the heel of your hand, fold it over, and repeat. Add flour until the dough is just barely tacky and easy to handle. The dough should take on a uniform consistency. Pat it down into a disc.

pasta

If you’re using a KitchenAid pasta roller, set it to number 1. Otherwise, use your pasta roller’s widest setting. Run the pasta through the roller. Flour the pasta lightly if it is too tacky. Then, fold it into thirds, and slap down on it to remove any air bubbles. Continue passing the pasta through the roller at setting 1, flouring if necessary, and folding it into thirds until it becomes elastic. When you pull down on the pasta, it should bounce back to its original shape.

pasta

Once the pasta is elastic, turn the roller to setting number 2, or the next thickest setting. Pass the pasta through once. Do not fold it. Continue decreasing the roller settings, passing the pasta through once, until you reach setting number 8, or the thinnest setting. If the pasta gets too long to manage during this process, you can use a sharp knife to cut it into sections. Just remember which setting the pasta was on when you cut it so you can continue rolling where you left off.

pasta

Once the pasta is rolled out, swap the pasta roller for the pasta cutter, preferably the fettucine cutter. Pass each sheet of pasta through the cutter, collecting the pasta strands. Use one hand to drop a few pasta strands at a time onto a baking sheet while using your other hand to shake on corn meal. The corn meal will keep the pasta from sticking to itself. Because the pasta has raw egg in it, do not let it sit at room temperature for longer than 1 hour. You should have your pasta sauce fully prepared before you boil the pasta.

pasta

This tomato pancetta sauce is very simple and delicious. To start, heat a pan and add 4 ounces of cubed pancetta. Let the pancetta fully render its fat and brown. If it needs more oil, drizzle in some olive oil. Turn the heat to medium-low, and drop in 2 minced garlic cloves. The garlic should soften but not brown. Then, add in 16 ounces of halved grape tomatoes. You can quickly halve grape tomatoes by placing them in a single layer between two plastic container lids- the kind that comes with wonton soup takeout. Press the lids together horizontally against a flat surface with one hand, and use a knife to cut between them. Once in the pan, the grapes will burst and melt into a sauce. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and 3 tablespoons of sliced basil.

pasta

When the sauce is ready, cook the pasta in at least 2.5 quarts of salted, boiling water for 2-3 minutes. The pasta will swell and turn paler, but you should not let it get mushy. Immediately transfer the pasta into the tomato sauce. Stir in small amounts of the pasta water if you need to thicken the sauce. Dish the pasta into bowls. Top it with grated parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, and more sliced basil. I really hope you try this recipe and get to experience the pure joy fresh pasta can bring!

Shopping list:

For the pasta

  • Flour- 1/2 cup
  • Egg- 1
  • Olive oil- 1/2 tablespoon
  • Salt- a pinch

For the sauce

  • Pancetta- 4 ounces
  • Garlic- 2 cloves
  • Grape tomatoes- 16 ounces
  • Basil
  • Olive oil
  • Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
  • Parmesan cheese (for topping)
  • Pine nuts (for topping)
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Macaron Success!

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macaron

Witty in the City is two years old, and to mark this happy occasion, let’s celebrate with French macarons! In a striking coincidence, the first post on Witty in the City is also about a macaron odyssey. Fortunately, both tales have sweet endings. This properly-executed macaron recipe satisfies my cravings to the point that I have trouble believing they came from my own kitchen. Although they are labor of love, I am looking forward to experimenting with other flavor combinations (chocolate passion fruit, please!). These macarons have chocolate shells with chocolate blackberry filling, but the blackberry flavor is mostly overpowered. I give the recipe for a regular chocolate filling here because I don’t think my labor on the blackberries paid off.

macaron

This recipe will make about 20 small macarons. Not to be a stickler, but a food scale is a must to successfully execute them. Using the scale, weigh out 200 grams of powdered sugar.

macaron

Add the powdered sugar to the bowl of a food processor, along with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 100 grams of ground almonds (if you don’t want to buy ground almonds, just put 100 grams of whole almonds into the food processor first and grind them up until they are relatively fine). Use the food processor to combine these ingredients, and then set them aside.

macaron

Then, weigh out 120-125 grams of egg whites (save your yolks for making ice cream!). After my first and second attempt at this recipe failed, I was serious about weighing everything. It turns out that, in addition to using too much powdered sugar, I wasn’t using enough egg whites. I needed 3.5 large eggs to get the right amount of whites. Add a dash of salt to the egg whites, and use an electric mixer to beat them until they just start to hold stiff peaks. With the mixer running, slowly add 40 grams of superfine sugar to the egg whites (I used a mortar and pestle to grind my regular sugar into superfine… oh the labor!). Whip the eggs until they are thick, glossy, and hold a very stiff peak.

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Then, add the sugar and almond mixture into the bowl and fold it in well. The mixture should still hold its shape somewhat when you drop a dollop of it back into the bowl- it shouldn’t turn into a puddle.

macaron

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper (I tested parchment and a baking mat, and the parchment won out). Fill a piping bag (or a large zip lock bag) with the egg mixture. Cut off the corner so there is a dime-sized opening, and then pipe equal sized rounds. I recommend making mini macarons that are about 1.5 inches across. After the macarons are piped out, slam the baking sheet down on a flat surface once to get any bubbles out. If any of your macarons have pointy tops, you can smooth them down with you finger tip. Let the macarons sit out for up to 1 hour until a skin forms around them and they are dry to the touch.

macaron

Once the macaron shells are dry, bake them on the middle rack of your oven at 325ºF for 10 minutes, rotating the trays around half way through. Bake one sheet at a time so all of the macarons cook evenly. Let them cool completely on the trays (they will not come off easily until they have fully cooled).

While the macarons are drying and baking, get started on the chocolate ganache filling. Break 5 ounces of dark chocolate into pieces, and add them to a bowl. Put a dash of salt in the bowl as well. To a pot, add 2/3 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Heat the cream, stirring frequently, until it begins to steam. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let it sit for a few seconds, and then stir it together so the chocolate melts. Put the ganache into the fridge to firm up. If the ganache gets too hard, you can microwave it on low for a few seconds until it softens.

macaron

Once the macaron shells are completely cool and the chocolate ganache is the right consistency for spreading, you can begin filling your macarons. Add a dollop of the chocolate to the center of one macaron shell, and spread it to the edges. The filling should be about 1/2 centimeter thick. Sandwich the filling with a second macaron shell, and continue.

macaron

Macarons are REALLY BEST eaten chilled, so put all of your filled macarons in the fridge to set before serving, and store any uneaten ones in there too. Biting into a macaron is a wonderful sensation- the outer crispy shell gives way to the shell’s soft inside, and then your teeth hit the firm, cold filling. Once the flavors come on, there is nothing to do but enjoy.

flower

I hope these macarons are a rewarding and delicious success for you! I will keep you updated with any new, fabulous flavors I come up with. Let me know your favorite combinations!

Shopping list:

  • Powdered sugar- 200 grams
  • Ground almonds- 100 grams
  • Cocoa powder- 2 tablespoons
  • Egg whites- 120-125 grams
  • Superfine sugar- 40 grams
  • Dark chocolate- 5 ounces
  • Heavy cream- 2/3 cup
  • Brown sugar- 1 tablespoon
  • Salt

This recipe is based on the book “macarons” by Annie Rigg.

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