WHAT IS BROCCOLI RABE

Perhaps 15 years ago, broccoli rabe began to appear in some restaurants. Also called broccoli rape, raab (pronounced rob), rapini, Chinese broccoli and Italian broccoli in the U.S., it then became available in produce markets. Now, it can be found at more and more quality supermarkets.

It is a cross between a Chinese chard and broccoli. Different versions of broccoli rabe originated in the Mediterranean and in China.

Broccoli rabe is not related to either broccoli or broccolini.

Although it bears the name “broccoli,” tastes like a bitter and pungent form of broccoli (think broccoli crossed with mustard greens with some nuttiness) and looks like a relative of broccoli—it has broccoli-like buds and florets at the top of slender stalks—broccoli rabe is not related to broccoli but turnips.
That’s why the leaves look like turnip greens and the vegetable is also called Italian turnip and turnip broccoli. Here’s more about broccoli rabe.

Broccolini is not a young growth of broccoli, but a hybrid of broccoli and kai-lan, Chinese chard (also a cruciferous vegetable). The result looks broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks.
 
ON TO THE SOUFFLÉ

Classic soufflés are light and airy, baked in tall, deep dishes. But the method can be challenging, and soufflés can fail.

An alternative type of soufflé uses a shallow baking dish, pie pan, skillet or individual ramekins. The result is more dense, but just as delicious.

This recipe is, by Julia della Croce, chef-in-residence at Andy Boy. An authority on Italian cooking, she has written more than 15 cookbooks and is a James Beard Award recipient.

Prep time is 1 hour, cook time is 40 minutes. If you coat the inside of the baking pan with butter and grated cheese before pouring in the batter, you’ll get a soufflé with a crunchy surface, in contrast to its silky center.

RECIPE: BROCCOLI RABE, CORN & CHEESE SOUFFLÉ

Ingredients For 6 Servings

Whip these ingredients into a delicious soufflé. Photo courtesy Andy Boy.

 
Preparation

1. TRIM the broccoli rabe. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the greens, add salt and bring to a rolling boil. Blanch the greens for no more than ten seconds; drain at once and plunge into ice water to arrest cooking. Drain again and squeeze out excess water. (For a mellower flavor and tender texture, cook the greens for 2-4 minutes, depending on your “kick” and “crunch” preference.) Chop and set it aside.

2. REMOVE corn from cob. If using frozen corn, pat it dry with a paper towel to remove excess liquid.

3. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack on the lower third position of the oven, removing other racks. Grease the bottom and sides of the baking dish or the individual ramekins with butter. Scatter the Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano in the pan and shake to coat the bottom and sides as much as possible. Don’t be concerned about gaps in coverage. Tap out any excess.

4. MELT half of the butter in a medium-sized, thick-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the garlic. Immediately add the chopped broccoli rabe, corn and minced hot pepper and cook over medium-low heat to marry the flavors, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes. Transfer it to a strainer to cool.

5. WARM the milk and half-and-half together in a small saucepan with a heavy bottom, until they begin to simmer; don’t allow it to break into a boil. Keep it warm. (Alternatively, measure out the milk into a glass measuring cup and heat it in a microwave.)

6. MELT the remaining butter in another, medium-sized heavy saucepan. Over low heat, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Stir constantly, about 2 minutes. Do not let the mixture brown.

7. REMOVE the pan from the heat and add the warm milk and half-and-half mix, one trickle at a time, until you have used up 1/2 cup, stirring constantly to blend. Return the pan to the burner over low heat and stir in the remaining milk, still at a trickle, slowly and gradually. If lumps start to appear, you are probably adding the milk too quickly. Should this happen, turn off the heat and stir, pressing the lumps against the side of the pan and continue to blend in the hot milk very gradually. When all the warm milk has been added, simmer the sauce over low heat for another 5 minutes or so, until it is very thick. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

8. REMOVE the sauce from the stove and transfer it to large mixing bowl. Whisk in one egg yolk at a time. It should be tepid to warm when folding in the remaining ingredients.

9. BEAT the egg whites in a bowl with a pinch of salt on medium speed until they are frothy, about 1 minute in a stand mixer, up to 2 minutes using a hand-held mixer. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk a quarter of the whites into the sauce. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rest in two batches, working carefully to combine the ingredients without deflating the whites. At last, fold in the cooled broccoli rabe, corn, and hot pepper mixture along with the Cheddar or Gruyère.

10. TRANSFER the batter into the prepared baking dish, using the rubber spatula to spread it. (At this point it can be covered with an upturned pot and set aside for up to an hour before baking.) Slide it onto the prepared oven rack. Bake until a puffy, golden brown crust is formed on the surface and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Serve at once. It must be piping hot.
  

If you’re looking for something special for a chocolate lover, check the chocolate section of Whole Foods Markets. In addition to other fine brands, they carry Madécasse chocolate bars, made in Madagascar from locally-grown cacao and vanilla beans.

The fairly traded chocolate is made with a rare native heirloom cacao, so people who really like to taste the differences in cacao by terroir will have a field day.

You’ll find flavors such as:

 
Other options include plain 70% and 80% cacao bars, Cinnamon & Chile Pepper, Citrus & Pink Pepper. There are gift sets at Madecasse.com. Each bar retails for $4.99.

ABOUT MADÉCASSE

Madécasse Chocolate is a Brooklyn-based chocolate manufacturer established in 2006 by two Peace Corps volunteers who served in Madagascar. Their mission was to improve economic opportunities for farmers and villagers in the region. The name Madécasse refers to an inhabitant of Madegascar.

Madécasse is the only company producing bean-to-bar chocolate and vanilla products that are grown, harvested and hand-wrapped entirely in Madagascar. The chocolate is made from the world’s last remaining genetically pure cacao beans.

All Madécasse products are Fair for Life certified, a certification similar to Fair trade, but which offers four times the economic impact.

Learn more at Madecasse.com.
 
  

If you’re not familiar with the art of napkin folding, here are 27 basic napkin folds and many more types of napkin folding on Pinterest.

Napkin folding may seem old fashioned, but every formal dinner table still features crisp napkins. And there’s no better time than Christmas dinner to show off.

Here’s how to make the Christmas tree napkin fold in the photo, from crafting site Handimania.com.

 
A BIT ABOUT NAPERY

Napery is another term for linens used for household purposes, including napkins and tablecloths.

In wealthy medieval households, there was an “office” responsible for the washing and storage of these items, headed by a naperer who worked closely with other offices.

Crisp napkins were folded in style at the tables of the 19th-century elite and through the early 20th century. The art has been kept alive at certain fine restaurants and catering establishments.

These days, things are more casual at our home—except for very special holiday dinners. We’ll be folding Christmas tree napkins on the 25th!

Laila Ghambari, Director of Coffee at Cherry Street Coffee House in Seattle—the home of American latte art. Here are her tips:

 
THE HISTORY OF LATTE ART

Latte art was developed in Italy, enabled by the development of microfoam, created by the steam wand of a cappuccino machine, used to foam a pitcher of milk. The combination of the crema atop the cup of espresso and velvety microfoam allows patterns to be made. (Note that other types of milk steamers/foamers do not create microfoam.)

Latte art in the United States developed in the Seattle coffee culture of the 1980s and 1990s. By 1989 the heart pattern was a signature at David Schomer’s Espresso Vivace and the rosette pattern followed, based on a photograph Schomer saw of latte art in an Italian café.
 

Here’s a cheesecake recipe developed for Christmas and New Year’s Eve: Eggnog Cheesecake! These mini cheesecakes with a gingersnap crust are from Driscolls.com.

For a clean presentation, invest in a mini cheesecake pan (with removable bottoms); or bake the cheesecakes in festive paper baking cups (also known as cupcake or muffin papers) in a standard muffin pan.

Prep time is 30 minutes, cook time is 15 to 18 minutes.

RECIPE: MINI EGGNOG GINGERBREAD CHEESECAKES

Ingredients For 12 Servings
 
Crust

 
Filling

 
Equipment

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray the wells of the mini-cheesecake pan with non-stick spray. If using a muffin pan, line the cups with the paper liners.

2. PROCESS the cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor. Combine the crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press 1 tablespoon of the cookie mixture into each cup in the pan and pat down firmly (for the muffin tin, press the cookie mixture into the paper liners).

3. MIX the cream cheese, sugar and flour in an electric mixer on low speed until blended, scraping down the sides of bowl. Add the eggnog, vanilla extract, nutmeg and salt and mix until blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, on low speed until blended.

4. DIVIDE the batter among the cups in pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or 18 to 20 minutes for the muffin pan and paper liners. The edges should be set and center slightly jiggly. The cheesecakes will puff slightly above pan.

5. COOL completely on a baking rack. Then refrigerate at least 4 hours or until chilled throughout. To serve, carefully remove cheesecakes from pan and top each with 3 raspberries.