A Love Letter to the Berwick Street Brownie

Gabriella Simonian's Berwick Street Brownie is my go-to brownie recipe. I found it in 2013 or 2014 and have made it at least several times a year since. Thank goodness the Wayback Machine saved a copy before the author's blog disappeared! It appears she has moved on to a career as a professional photographer. I wish her well and thank her for all of the effort that went into this delicious recipe.

Changes (few and small)

• 180°C ≈ 355°F; 350°F is fine if your oven doesn't get that precise with the temperature setting.
• I add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract along with the coffee. Clear imitation vanilla extract makes them taste more like box brownies, if that's something you like.
• I mix the cocoa powder into the dry ingredients instead of the stovetop mixture because I feel it gets mixed in more evenly this way.
• Sometimes I put in the walnuts, sometimes I don't. Tastes great either way.
• I cut mine into 24; cutting into 16 makes them pretty huge for my liking.

Variation:

• For the winter holidays last year, a couple of friends sent us a batch of brownies (not this recipe) that contained caramel chips and black walnuts they'd harvested and toasted themselves, and they were really, really good.
• I tried it with the batch pictured and the caramel chips unfortunately melted into the batter. They are much softer than chocolate chips, or at least Hershey's salted caramel chips are. I want little pockets of caramel chip in my brownies!
• Edit 6/24/19: This time I froze the caramel chips first and they stayed intact in the final product. Freeze your caramel chips before adding them to the batter and you'll get little pockets, though I think the caramel flavor is less pronounced this way than melting them into the batter. 
• I think this would also work great with peanut butter chips, if that's more your thing.
• Black walnuts have a unique earthy flavor that I really like with chocolate. If you can find them and you like nuts in your brownies, give them a try! My local Hyvee sells them, but you might have even better luck (and get better quality) if you go to a farmers' market. Toasting them before adding to the batter will deepen their flavor.

Some opinions on brownies
I have strong opinions on brownies.

• The best brownies are dense and fudgy. Brownies with cake-like texture are basically chocolate cake. If you want cake, make chocolate cake.
• Interior piece life. I was confused when I saw this brownie pan that ensures you have edges on every piece. Why would anyone want that? Clearly it is not for me. I'd rather have an edge brownie than no brownie, though. I'm not a monster. ;)
• Brownies from boxed mix these days are a joke. When I was a kid they gave you enough mix in the box to fill a 9x13 pan with brownies almost an inch thick. They've kept reducing the amount of the mix in the box so that now they barely bake up to half an inch thick. BOO. They also don't taste very much like chocolate, but they never did so this is less disappointing. Given how they've kept taking things away from it I don't expect them to start now.
• They make clear imitation vanilla extract now, which I have discovered is the one thing about boxed brownie mix that kept me crawling back. Yes, I know real vanilla extract is superior in basically every way but there's something nostalgic and still very much appealing about the aroma of clear imitation vanilla in baked goods to me. (Is it different from the brown imitation vanilla besides the color? It just smells and tastes better somehow.)

RECIPE: The Berwick Street Brownie

Gyoza (Japanese Style Potstickers)

For those unfamiliar with pot stickers, they are a type of Asian pan-fried dumpling filled with ground meat (usually pork) and vegetables. I first tried them during my year studying abroad in Japan. My host mother would occasionally buy dinner at the department store on days she didn't have time to cook, and sometimes she would get these.

You can usually buy pot stickers frozen at Asian markets and they are tasty and reasonably healthy for a quick meal, but homemade ones taste significantly better and are absolutely worth making yourself if you're up to the task. Filling and shaping them is admittedly a lot of work, and if you can recruit people to help you, you should make a lot of them and freeze them for later.

I think my favorite part about these is the meaty flavor of the pork mixed with the salty, tangy dipping sauce.

Notes:

• You will likely use a lot more than 1 teaspoon of filling in each one. I tend to fill them quite a bit more than that and I still end up with a few extra wrappers.
• I have used square wrappers when I couldn't find round ones. Fold them diagonally to form a triangle when you close them.
• I usually freeze them after assembling but before cooking. Freeze them on a pan for ~30 minutes before placing them in a freezer bag. If you throw them all in the bag at once and then freeze them, they will freeze into a giant ball and they are near impossible to cook properly from frozen that way. Yes, I have done this before and don't recommend it
• I like to serve these with freshly cooked Japanese rice (white or brown) and a steamed or boiled green vegetable like pea pods, edamame, green beans, or broccoli.

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RECIPE:

Gyoza (Japanese Style Potstickers)
very slightly adapted from the recipe in Let's Make Japanese Food! by Amy Kaneko
Makes about 48

Filling
1/2 lb napa cabbage or green cabbage, shredded and then finely chopped into lengths no longer than 1/2 inch and squeezed between paper towels to remove excess moisture
3/4 lb ground pork or chicken
2 green onions (white and green parts), minced
3 fresh (or dried and rehydrated) shiitake mushroom caps, minced finely
1/2 bunch fresh chives, minced (if you can't find these, use 2 more green onions)
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger, or 1/4 tsp dried powdered ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 large cloves)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sake (I recommend Gekkeikan or Ozeki)
1 tsp soy sauce

About 50 round gyoza or other Asian dumpling wrappers, each about 3 inches in diameter (the thinnest ones you can find)
2 tbsp canola or other neutral oil, for cooking each batch
2-4 tbsp water, for cooking each batch (depends on the size of your pan)

Dipping sauce (per person, adjust to taste)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Japanese rice vinegar (unseasoned)
A few drops sesame oil
A few drops chili oil or small amount of chili paste (optional, if you like your dipping sauce spicy)


Prepare the filling: Place the cabbage, ground meat, green onions, shiitakes, chives (if using), ginger, garlic, sesame oil, sake, and soy sauce in a large bowl. Mix together with your hands until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the filling.

Shape the gyoza: Fill a small dish with about 1/4 cup water and place it near you. Keep a clean, dry baking sheet lined with parchment paper nearby (this will hold the shaped dumplings). Remove the wrappers from their package and wrap the stack loosely in a clean, damp towel or paper towel so that they do not dry out while you work. Place a single wrapper in the palm of your hand. Spoon about 2-3 tbsp of the filling into the middle. Using your other hand, dip your fingertip into the dish of water, then gently wet half of the edge of the wrapper with this finger. Fold the wrapper, matching the wet edge with the dry, closing the filling inside. Pinch the edges firmly to seal. Pleat the edge about 3-4 times, pinching the pleats closed to keep them in place. Place the dumpling on the baking sheet with the pleated edge pointed up. Repeat until you have used up either all the wrappers or all the filling (I usually end up with extra filling.

If you are planning to freeze any dumplings, do so at this point. Make sure none of them are touching each other. Place the pan in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes, then remove them from the pan and put them in a freezer bag for up to 6 months.

Cook the gyoza: Place a frying pan on the stove over high heat. Make sure you have a lid handy that is big enough to cover the whole pan. Add the canola oil to the pan after about 5 minutes. When the oil is hot enough (you can check by flicking a drop of water into the pan; if it immediately begins sizzling the oil is ready), place your desired number of gyoza in the pan in a single layer, making sure they can all sit flat on the bottom of the pan and the pleated edges are pointing up. When the bottoms have browned slightly (after about 3 minutes), add about 2-4 tbsp of water, enough to just cover the bottom of the pan. It should sizzle and generate a lot of steam. Cover the pan immediately with the lid to trap the steam inside. Reduce the heat slightly and cook covered for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for several more minutes. They are ready when the water has completely evaporated from the pan (it will sound different when the water is gone) and the dumplings are a deep golden brown on the bottom. Remove the pan from the heat.

If cooking the dumplings from frozen, you can cook them directly from the freezer. When at the steaming stage of cooking, let cook for a few minutes longer than you would if they were fresh.

Gently slide a spatula under the cooked dumplings to remove from the pan so as not to tear the wrappers. Place on a plate, flipping them so that the browned side faces up. If you're really skillful, they will come out all stuck together in one big piece with the crust intact! Serve with dipping sauce.

Make dipping sauce: Place all ingredients in a small dish and stir to combine.

Nutmeg-Lemon Cutout Cookies

This is my mother's family's Christmas cookie recipe. My mother and I attribute this recipe to my grandma, though I am not sure if she came up with it, it was passed down to her from relatives or friends I never met, or found it somewhere, tried it out and loved it so much she just kept making it.

What distinguishes this recipe and what makes it so much more tasty and interesting than a simple sugar cookie is the sour cream, nutmeg, and lemon extract. The dough is soft but just firm enough after chilling to be rolled. They are initially somewhat crisp when they come out of the oven but soften after being frosted. They are not very sweet on their own, so they can take a bit of frosting and sprinkles without being overwhelmingly sweet.

The nostalgia I have for these cookies cannot be understated. This is what Christmas smells like to me. I have many happy memories of decorating these with my mom and siblings, and we even have home videos of this process from many different years. My favorite is the one where my 2-year-old sister was still up at midnight by herself with my mom, in a cycle of shaking the sprinkles onto the frosted cookies, shaking it too close and getting frosting on the sprinkle shaker top, and licking it off every time before continuing to sprinkle (lol ew). In another year, I wanted purple frosting (which was every year, let's be honest) and my mom mixed red and blue coloring but it turned a very gray purple instead, and we frosted circle shaped cookies with it, and my brothers called them "dirty snowballs" much to my dismay. The year I studied abroad in Japan, I couldn't go home for the holidays so my mom mailed me sprinkles (which are not widely available there) and I made these cookies for my host family.

You likely have your own family traditions, but if you decide to give these a try I really hope you like them. It's also worth mentioning that you don't have to wait for Christmas to make these! They're good anytime you want a frosted cutout cookie. My mom has been known to make these for Halloween too.

Notes:

• Be sure the dough is well chilled before you roll it and be generous with the flour when rolling because it tends to be pretty sticky.
• We had a set of Mirro cookie cutters in my house growing up (and I have some now too, because nostalgia). My mom went for simpler shapes without lots of skinny bits or points because she wanted to not have to worry about these bits warping or breaking, and wanted the cookies to bake evenly. This dough is able to handle being cut into more complicated shapes but you may have to be extra careful not to stretch or break them.
• If cutting more than one shape, try to bake shapes of similar sizes together.

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RECIPE:

Nutmeg-Lemon Cutout Cookies
from my grandma
makes about 4 dozen

Cookies:
1/2 cup Crisco or other shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Milk to thin to desired consistency (usually about 2-3 tsp)
Food coloring (optional)

Sprinkles, for decoration (optional)

Cream Crisco and sugar together in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Mix in egg, sour cream and lemon extract. Sift dry ingredients together and stir into Crisco mixture until well blended and a soft dough has formed. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to chill.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F. Roll chilled dough to ¼ inch thick on a well floured surface with a rolling pin, and cut into shapes with cookie cutters dipped in flour. Bake until edges just start to brown (about 7-8 minutes). Move cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. They may be frosted and decorated when completely cool.

To make frosting, beat all ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Tint with food coloring if desired, then spread about 1 tbsp of frosting on each cookie. Scatter sprinkles over the top for decoration before the frosting sets, if desired. Let stand on the cookie for about 30-45 minutes until frosting sets. Store at room temperature in an airtight container with parchment or wax paper between layers of cookies.

Red Chicken Chili

A number of years ago I decided to get a side of chili with my hamburger instead of fries at one of my favorite pubs, and it completely surprised me. It was easily the best chili I'd ever had up to that point in my life. It was smoky but not incredibly spicy, and had chicken (even though it was a tomato based chili!) and dark red kidney beans and green peppers in it.

I quickly set to work looking for a recipe like it, and tried one from Everyday Annie. With a few tweaks, I was able to get it reasonably close to the restaurant version I so desperately wanted. After making this a bunch and re-trying the restaurant version, I am fairly sure the meat in the restaurant's version is smoked or there are smoked peppers that are less spicy than chipotles/jalapeños in the base, because I have not been able to get the same level of smokiness without it becoming too spicy for me to eat. However, the version below is close enough for me to be happy. It is my go-to chili and has warmed me up on many a cold day. It is less heavy than a beef chili, which I also like.

Notes:

• I have prepared the chicken shredded as well as diced, and I prefer the texture of shredded because it holds onto the soup a little better.
• I cook the onions and peppers until they're really soft because that is how I like them, but feel free to cook them less if you like them a little more crisp.
• If you want your chili to be less spicy, use less of the red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and chipotle. Add more if you want it more spicy. Add more chipotle for more smoky flavor with your spicy heat.
• My favorite chili powder to use is Penzey's Chili con Carne spice blend since it adds lots of flavor with minimal spicy heat. Your preference may vary based on your level of spicy tolerance.
• If you can't find tomatoes packed in puree, get some that are packed in juice instead. You might also like to add some tomato paste in that case.
• Better Than Bouillon makes a really great tasting chicken soup base.
• If you don't like dark red kidney beans, you can substitute another color of kidney beans, or black or pinto beans.
• This freezes pretty well, though you might need to add a little more water after thawing.
• You can serve it with Greek yogurt, sour cream, crackers, corn chips, and/or grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese but it is also tasty on its own.
• *When I buy a can of chipotles in adobo sauce, because I eat so little of it at a time, I blend the entire can in the blender to make a paste, and keep it in a jar in the refrigerator. I generally use about 1 tbsp of this in a batch. Its spiciness diminishes over time but it will keep for a long time (it does not spoil because of the capsaicin).

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RECIPE:

Red Chicken Chili
Adapted from Everyday Annie
Makes about 12-14 cups; serves about 8

1 to 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onion (2-3 medium onions)
3 sweet bell peppers, seeds removed and chopped (any color you like)
2 cloves garlic, minced
56 oz (2 large cans) diced tomatoes, packed in puree
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp puree* see above note)
1 tsp chicken soup base
30 oz (2 small cans) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub the chicken with 1 tsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until chicken has cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Combine chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, Mexican oregano, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Put 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot and set burner to medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add onions and peppers and saute for 10-15 minutes until translucent and very soft. Add garlic and continue to cook another 30-60 seconds, until fragrant. Add dry spices and chopped chipotle, and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes. Pour in the entire contents of the cans of tomatoes (do not drain), turn the heat up to high, and bring the pot to a boil. Add the chicken soup base and stir until dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, uncovered, to let the flavors blend. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, shred cooled chicken with a fork or dice into bite size pieces.

When the 30 minutes are up, add the chicken and beans to the pot and stir gently to combine. If you prefer more liquid, add 1-2 cups water and 1-2 tsp soup base if desired. Allow to simmer for another several minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve warm.

Holiday Bakeathon 2018

Holiday Bakeathon, the 5th anniversary! While it's still a long day, I think we've got the process mostly figured out. This year's cookies featured extra fancy decorating with edible glitter and more piping tips. I think I even have a new favorite Christmas cookie (gasp).

RECIPES

• Spicy Gingerbread Cookies (Smitten Kitchen) -- our old standby. I never get tired of how they taste with cream cheese frosting, and we keep coming up with new and/or funny ways to decorate them.
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Cinnamon-Sugar Rugelach
• Decadent Hot Chocolate Mix (Smitten Kitchen)
• Homemade Marshmallows (Alton Brown) -- we cut these into bigger marshmallows for the hot chocolate instead of mini marshmallows to save time. Use the best quality vanilla you can get your hands on, and don't bother with corn starch, use all powdered sugar. They were really good and I was sad when they were gone, so I made another batch and shared them with my work colleagues, who were surprised that you could make marshmallows at home. They taste so much better than store bought. They're also really kid friendly! My colleague's 7 year old daughter absolutely loved them.
• Linzer Torte (Maida Heatter via Smitten Kitchen) -- absolutely amazing, so good I wanted to cry. This is permanently going on my list of must-make holiday treats, whether I make it with my friends or not.
• Hazelnut-Orange Biscotti (Paul Hollywood via BBC)
• Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies (Dorie Greenspan via Smitten Kitchen) -- for the chocolate part, we opted for milk chocolate with toffee bits, and I think that was a good choice because they were kind of bitter otherwise.

BAKEATHONS PAST

• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014

Hunter's Pie with Brown Ale Gravy

A couple of friends recently gave us some ground venison that they hunted, and told us to make sure to cook it thoroughly. Normally with good meat I make simple burgers so as to let the meat's flavor shine but that was out of the question with wild game, especially deer. I got the idea to use it in shepherd's pie instead of lamb, and decided to call it hunter's pie instead. They call it cottage pie when you put beef in it, so why not change the name again for venison?

I very loosely based the filling on this shepherd's pie one by Sprig and Flours because I liked the idea of putting beer in it. I say loosely because as with much of my cooking, today I was cooking with the ingredients I already had rather than running to get the exact ones the recipe calls for. Different meat, slightly different vegetables, slightly different ratios of vegetables (I had lots of carrot), different beer (Newcastle brown ale instead of stout), no tomato paste, and I just winged the mashed potatoes.

This was my first taste of venison, and it was a bit different from what I expected! I was expecting it to be kind of like beef. It's more like ground pork in terms of color and flavor, but leaner. I'd use it again in something like this.

RECIPE: Shepherd's Pie with Brown Ale Gravy

Hachapuri (Georgian Cheese Stuffed Bread)

This recipe is originally from Nigella Lawson's cookbook Feast, and is a go-to recipe for my friend Sarah. I have never made it myself, though I have helped her make it a couple of times. She usually makes it for large groups that I happen to be part of, and I'm never mad about that.

This particular day I was helping her cook dinner after a day of promotion tests for the university's  tae kwon do club, where she and my husband met and befriended each other many years ago. This bread was on the menu because people keep asking for it. Nigella describes its appeal quite nicely but I'll also add my own opinions: I love it because it's warm, comforting, and incredibly filling. The fact that it is usually made for me by people I love only adds an extra layer to those feelings.

RECIPE: Nana's Hachapuri