Baklava stresses me out.

As soon as I open the plastic packaging and roll out the cold sheets of phyllo dough, I feel like I’m in a race against time.  I can picture the sand streaming down the hour glass, announcing the moment that the phyllo dough will become parched and unworkable, as if your potter’s wheel could only spin for so long.  Time is of the essence, but working quickly is not necessarily the solution.  Move too carelessly and too quickly, and the thin sheets will tear and break into equally unworkable pieces.

I’ve tried covering the sheets with cold towels, or keeping half the sheets in the refrigerator, but have not noticed any real difference.  If I am going to work with phyllo dough, I am going to have to work quickly and carefully.  And that stresses me out.  I just don’t like feeling rushed; feeling like I’m in some metaphysical battle with the hands of time.  The thought of timed exercises brings me back to high school and number two pencils, of filling in bubbles at break-neck speed.  We probably all have the SAT or the ACT – or whatever three-letter acronym was used to gauge our intelligence – to thank for introducing us to the cruel pressures of time, and the threat of running out of it.

Like taking a standardized test, when making baklava,  it’s best to be prepared.  Before you break open the test booklet or that wrapped phyllo dough, make sure you’re well-prepped.  Have the oven heated, the pan greased, the syrup ready, the butter melted, and the nuts chopped.  You want your station ready, just as you want your pencils sharpened.  I have not timed it precisely, but I would guess that you have about twenty minutes before phyllo dough becomes dry and brittle.  Fortunately, after thirty minutes in the oven, and a few minutes for cooling, you have homemade baklava to ease your stress.  Which isn’t so bad after all.

Come to think of it, the SAT might not have been so bad if there was baklava waiting at the end of it.

Baklava

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
DOWN TIME: 1 hour for thawing
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
YIELD: Makes 12 triangles

WHAT TO GRAB:
SYRUP
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

FILLING
1 cup roasted, salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup blanched, unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
20 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon water

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Thaw the phyllo dough for one hour at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator.

PREPARING THE SYRUP

2.  Combine the honey, water, lemon juice, lemon zest, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Stir until the honey is completely dissolved – about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 230 degrees – about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Remove any solids with a slotted spoon, and discard them.

PREPARING THE PHYLLO DOUGH

3.  Before you open the phyllo dough package, have the melted butter and your filling ready to go.  Also be sure to generously butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

4.  Working quickly, place one sheet of phyllo dough, lengthwise, in the bottom of the pan.  Lightly brush the entire sheet with the melted butter.  Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first sheet, and again, lightly butter that sheet.  Repeat this procedure until you have seven sheets of buttered phyllo dough.

5.  Sprinkle the phyllo sheets with half of the nut mixture (about 1 cup).  Make sure the sugar, spices, and nuts are evenly distributed across the phyllo.  Lightly drizzle the honey syrup over the nuts.

6.  Top the nut mixture with another phyllo sheet.  Butter this sheet.  Once again, repeat this procedure until you have six phyllo sheets.  Top this second layer with the remaining nut mixture.  Lightly drizzle the honey syrup over the nuts.

7.  Top this last layer of nuts with the remaining seven sheets of phyllo, each one lightly buttered.  Gently press the baklava into the pan.  Sprinkle the baklava surface with one tablespoon water.

8.  Gently score the baklava by making two lengthwise cuts and three crosswise cuts in the top layer of the baklava.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden brown. Remove from oven, and cool in the pan, on a wire rack.  Cut each square into two triangles if you desire.  Enjoy cool!  Store any leftovers at room temperature.

Relationships are like cooking.  Just as recipes often require staple ingredients, so too are relationships built on certain foundational elements.  But, beyond the basics, the thrill of cooking resides for me in the unexpected combination of ingredients.  The way a sprinkling of cayenne pepper intensifies chocolate with its smoky spice.

Charles and I share many ingredients between us: a love of writing and cooking (and a sometimes bossy attitude in the kitchen!), a creative eye, an interest in obscure documentaries, the desire to wander new cities by foot, and the legal profession.  And while I cherish our similarities, my life has been enriched by our unique ingredients.  Charles was raised Jewish in New Orleans and with several siblings, whereas I grew up in Washington, D.C. as an only child from an Irish Catholic family.  Together, we’ve incorporated these traditions, yielding a flavor that is complex, new, and wonderful.

Last March, we tried our hand at hamantaschen in honor of Purim.  In December, amidst law school final exams, I enjoyed the warm, cider-infused doughnuts and nutella-filled sufganiyot that Charles shared with me.  From me, Charles received a hand-felted stocking to hold his holiday goodies.  And this week, we’ve attended a Seder and hand-dyed eggs to celebrate both Passover and Easter.

Passover has also given me an opportunity to experiment with ingredients and recipes.  Knowing how much Charles enjoys his morning oatmeal, I sought a suitable substitute, and found one in quinoa.  Though often described as a grain, quinoa is a species of goosefoot and is a close relative of beets and spinach.  Unlike true grains, which are derived from grasses, it’s properly considered a pseudo-grain.  But, with a slightly nutty taste and a texture reminiscent of cous cous, quinoa is a wonderful grain substitute in sweet and savory dishes.  With these properties in mind, “quinoa-meal” was born.

Quinoa Meal

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
YIELD: Serves 2 to 3

WHAT TO GRAB:
1 cup quinoa
1 medium, very ripe banana
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 tablespoon light coconut milk
1 Pinch of Kosher salt
1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Sweetened, shredded coconut (to taste)
Slivered almonds (to taste)

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  In a medium pot on medium-high heat, combine quinoa, water, coconut milk, milk, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.  I used 1% milk, but any variety (including soymilk or almond milk) would work.  Stir ingredients to incorporate.

2. Chop banana into thin slices and add to the pot, stirring to combine.  As the mixture heats, the banana will break down and blend entirely into the quinoa, infusing it with a subtle sweetness without added sugar.  Continue to stir occasionally to prevent quinoa from sticking.

3. Bring quinoa mixture to a full, rolling boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cover pot.  Simmer quinoa until the liquid is mostly absorbed (approx. 12-15 minutes).  Remove from heat, and discard the cinnamon stick.  Before discarding the vanilla bean halves, carefully run the tip of a small knife down the length of the beans to remove any remaining vanilla caviar.

4.  Add toppings of your choice to quinoa-meal.  To accompany the tropical banana and coconut flavors, I toasted coconut and slivered almonds in a pan until golden and sprinkled them on top. Enjoy your quinoa-meal warm!

Note: If you prepare quinoa-meal in advance and wish to reheat it, add a few tbsp of milk as you reheat to prevent the quinoa from drying out.

Gazpacho requires a descriptor.  As I’ve noted previously, asking for plain, old “gazpacho” just won’t cut it.

There can be tomato gazpacho, watermelon gazpacho, or mango gazpacho, the cold soup characterized by its underlying fruit.  But there can also be green gazpacho and white gazpacho, the latter often referred to as ajo blanco.  Ajo blanco is made from ground almonds, combined with what makes gazpacho, gazpacho: bread, garlic, and vinegar.  Once prepared, ajo blanco is traditionally served with green grapes.

While ajo blanco remains incredibly popular in southern Spain, its tangy flavor may reflect more of an acquired taste here in the States.  But for those with a sense of adventure, it may well be worth a try!

Ajo Blanco – White Gazpacho

PREP TIME: 15 minutes, but chilling recommended
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
YIELD: 6 Servings

WHAT TO GRAB:
1 cup blanched almonds
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
3 slices bread, crusts removed
1/4 cup water
2 to 3 cups cold water or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved

FOR THE CROUTONS:
4 slices of brioche or crusty bread
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

HOW YOU DO IT:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a cookie sheet, and bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Cool.

2. In a food processor or blender, blend almonds and garlic into a uniform, gritty paste.

3. In a small bowl, moisten the bread in 1/4 cup water and squeeze dry. Add to the almond-garlic mix, and blend. Add 2 cups of the stock or water, olive oil, vinegar, and salt.  Blend until smooth.  If you want a thinner consistency, add one more cup of water or stock.  If you want a finer texture, strain the mixture through a medium-fine sieve. Cover and chill for at least four hours, but preferably overnight.

4.  Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium-low heat.  Dice the bread into half-inch cubes and fry them until browned.

5. To serve, taste for salt, and stir in grapes. Ladle into small bowls or ramekins, and scatter croutons on top!

When I made my Chinese Chicken Salad, I had to find a substitute for the peanut butter – the result of a peanut allergy.  The substitution was hardly a problem; Whole Foods carried freshly ground cashew butter and almond butter in its bulk section.  After sampling each, I decided to go with the almond butter.  The rest of the recipe went according to plan.

After sampling the chicken salad, Caitlin suggested that I should make my own almond butter.  I was skeptical.  Just a few weeks earlier, I had made Almond-Stuffed Baked Apples, and after several seconds of grinding almonds, no such butter had appeared.

But sure enough, you can make almond butter with nothing more than a few almonds and a food processor.  You just have to be sufficiently patient.  It takes takes minutes, not seconds for the almonds to become smooth.  Believe me though: the wait is well deserved!  Add a few extras, and you have a spread that is unbelievably good!

Almond Butter

Recipe from Caitlin

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
YIELD: 1 cup Almond Butter

WHAT TO GRAB:
1 cup almonds
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet.  Cook the almonds for 10 to 15 minutes, or until well toasted.

2.  Allow the almonds to cool slightly.  Grind the almonds in a food processor for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the almonds have reached a smooth butter consistency.  It takes 5 continuous minutes of grinding for the almonds to become smooth, so be patient!  (The ground almonds may ball up after a few minutes – you can ignore this and just keep grinding).

3.  Add the salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Serve on toast, with sliced apples, or as part of an ABB&M Sandwich.

On January 24, 1984, Apple Computer introduced audiences to its new computer, the Macintosh.  The introduction, by way of a landmark 60-second Superbowl commercial, promised users that they would “see why 1984 won’t be like [George Orwell's] 1984.”

The commercial owed its creation to the director Ridley Scott, who had recently filmed Blade Runner.  The Macintosh computer owed its creation to Jef Raskin, one of Apple’s legendary computer makers.  As does the computer’s trade name; McIntosh apples, legend has it, were Jef Raskin’s favorite type of apple.

And it’s easy to see why.  McIntosh apples have a distinctive taste that is at once sweet and tart, a product of their New England roots and the region’s distinctive weather and soil.  This duality makes the McIntosh perfect for cooking and eating out of hand.

The McIntosh takes its name from, John McIntosh, who found seedlings for the tree while clearing land on his Ontario farm in 1811.  We have Mr. McIntosh’s serendipitous discovery to thank for these

Almond-Stuffed Baked Apples

Recipe from Cooking Light Dessert.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 40 minutes
YIELD: 8 apple halves

WHAT TO GRAB:
FILLING:
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg white, beaten

APPLES:
4 apples, halved (I like McIntosh, but Fuji and Braeburn add color)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

HOW YOU DO IT:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground.  Combine the ground almonds, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and egg white, and stir until well combined.

3. Core the apples very carefully, being sure that the core is not too large. You don’t want the filling to leak out of the apples. Cut a thin slice off the rounded side of each apple so it will sit flat. Combine 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and generously sprinkle the combination over the apples. Finally, spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling into the center of each apple.

4. Bake for 30 minutes if using McIntosh and bake for 40 minutes if using Fuji or Braeburn.  The McIntosh are prone to explode if cooked for too long.  Serve warm!

Not every couscous recipe has to be served with dinner.  Seffa, a couscous sweetened with cinnamon, sugar, and rosewater, is one of the more common couscous-based desserts.  This recipe draws its inspiration from Seffa, and makes a wonderful dessert.

Sweet Almond Milk Couscous

Recipe from Mark Bittman

WHAT TO GRAB:
2 1/2 cups of almond milk
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup couscous
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon rosewater
1 cup chopped almonds, plus extra for garnish
1 cup chopped dried apricots, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup chopped pistachios

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the almond milk, sugar, and salt to a boil.  Add the couscous, lemon zest, and cardamom, and stir for 1 minute.  Cover and remove from the heat, and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

2.  Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the rosewater.  (Because rosewater is potent stuff, start with a 1/4 teaspoon, and add more if necessary).  Gently stir in the nuts and apricots.  Spoon the mixture into a serving dish, and garnish with the apricots and almonds.

3.  Serve warm or at room temperature.