Koeksisters (Two Ways)

Koeksisters: one of the sweetest, gooiest, and chilliest treats from South Africa (the Western Cape, in particular).  Essentially a small braided doughnut, this dessert is fried, soaked in a lemon-spiced simple syrup, and then stored in the fridge.  The outside is crispy and sugary sticky, and the inside is cold, soft, and oh-so-good.  I adapted my recipe from Cape Town Magazine.

And what did you hear?  Koeksisters two ways?  Yes, sir!  This dessert is typically fried and then drenched in sugar syrup, but the recipe made enough dough that I decided to bake half and then soak them in leftover rooibos syrup from my Rooibos & Honey Poached Pears.  In option #2, they're softer in texture, but equally sweet and scrumptious.

I should have saved Dave Rawlings' "Sweet Tooth" for this song since these koeksisters are sure to quell your sugar cravings.  But remember I mentioned that these treats are chilled?  Here's My Morning Jacket's "Chills" from the At Dawn & Tennessee Fire Demos.

Ingredients:
*Note: You'll need to make the syrup at least 6-8 hours ahead of time so that it chills properly.

Traditional Syrup:
--3 1/2 c. granulated sugar
--2 1/3 c. water
--1/2 tsp. salt
--2 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
--juice and zest from 1 lemon
--1 cinnamon stick

Rooibos Syrup (optional):
--2 c. granulated sugar
--1 c. water
--6 rooibos tea bags
--1/2 c. honey
--1 cinnamon stick

Dough:
--3 1/2 c. self-rising flour
--3/4 c. cornstarch
--1 tsp. salt
--3 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter
--1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
--1/4 c. granulated sugar
--3/4 c. whole milk
--1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
--2 large eggs
--canola oil for frying (you'll likely need about 3 c.)

[I know some of these numbers look a little funky--the small price we pay for a recipe originally in metric!]

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all syrup ingredients.  Whisk together.  Bring to a boil, or just until the sugar has all dissolved in the water.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until syrup has thickened.  Strain the cinnamon stick and refrigerate for 6-8 hours (you'll need this to be very cold for the koeksisters).

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, milk, cream, and eggs until light colored.  In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and sift.  Slowly add to the wet ingredients.  Add the butter and knead it in.  Refrigerate in cling wrap or wax paper for 30 minutes to 1 hour (basically, until firm enough to roll out).

On a large surface, roll out dough to about 1/2" thick.  Cut into 1/2" strips (yes--1/2" thick and 1/2" wide), and braid the dough, pinching together at the top and bottom.  Cut the braided strips into approximately 3" braids and set aside.  (Note: if you're doing the koeksisters two ways, you're only going to deep fry half of these.)

In a large saucepan, heat canola oil to approximately 360 to 375 degrees F.  If you don't have a candy thermometer, you'll keep the heat over medium-low, and you'll know the oil is ready when you drop in a small piece of "test dough" and it sizzles, floats to the surface, and begins to turn a golden color.  If the oil is too hot, the dough will begin to burn, and if it's not hot enough, the dough will stay at the bottom and become oil-logged (yuck--you don't want this).

Now here's the sort of tricky part.  Remove the cold syrup from the fridge.  You need to keep this super cold while you're frying the koeksisters.  I used a second bowl of ice water (mostly ice) and set the syrup bowl on top.  Fry the koeksisters for about 2 minutes per side (or until golden colored).  You'll need to flip them only once.  Don't overcrowd the oil--only cook 3 to 4 pieces of the braided dough at once.  Then with a slotted spoon, remove the koeksisters and drop them into the chilled syrup.  Allow them to sit in the syrup for 5 minutes apiece, then transfer them to another container for refrigeration.  Repeat until you've used up all the dough you set aside for frying.

For koeksisters two ways, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  On a parchment-lined baking sheet, bake the remaining braided dough for about 7-8 minutes per side (you'll need to flip them so both sides are a little bit crispy).  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Now, I already had a lot of extra rooibos syrup from my Rooibos & Honey Poached Pears, but you can easily make your own rooibos syrup, sans pears, for this recipe.  Combine the syrup ingredients over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil, or the sugar and honey have dissolved entirely into the water.  Reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes--you want to infuse the red tea.  Then, remove the tea bags and cinnamon stick.  Allow the syrup to cool, and transfer to a separate container.  Drop the baked koeksisters into the syrup and refrigerate overnight.  Delicious!  (And equally delicious when served with a dollop of whipped cream, hint hint.)

Rooibos & Honey Poached Pears

And served with homemade cinnamon whipped cream?  Mmmmm.  Rooibos is a red tea that's grown in South Africa.  You can certainly buy it in America, but you'll find a lot more rooibos-based treats and beverages in Cape Town and Johannesburg.  In fact, I had a creamy rooibos tea at the indie favorite Labia Theatre while catching a screening of the recent Jozi Film Festival documentary, Orania.

My love for tea, combined with the delicious wine-poached pears I continued to encounter on South African dessert menus, led to this creation.  And they're really, really good.

To accompany these rooibos pears, here's Cat Stevens's "Tea for the Tillerman."

Ingredients:
Pears:
--4 pears, cored and halved
--2 c. granulated sugar, + 1 c. to thicken the syrup later
--2 c. water
--1/2 c. honey
--1 cinnamon stick
--6 rooibos tea bags

Whipped cream:
--1 pint heavy whipping cream
--1/4 c. dark brown sugar
--2 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients for the pears (except the reserved 1 c. of sugar) and heat over medium until the sugar and honey have dissolved.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes to infuse the rooibos flavor.  You'll want to keep the pears submerged during the simmering--I place a small plate on top of them (make sure you use one that can withstand the heat).

Remove the pears and add an additional 1 c. granulated sugar.  Continue to simmer until the sugar has dissolved.  This will thicken the syrup so you can use it as a sauce.  Once the sugar has dissolved, allow the syrup to cool.  Refrigerate it with the pears, and drizzle over each pear half when serving.

The cinnamon whipped cream is optional, of course, but it's also delicious.  In a medium-sized bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Beat until you've reached your desired consistency.  Serve a scoop with each pear half.

Malva Pudding with Amarula Cream

In South Africa, I tried quite a few versions of Malva Pudding.  It's a sweet, spongy cake made with apricot jam and soaked in a caramel sauce.  Before traveling to Johannesburg and Cape Town, I'd had Malva Pudding at Charlottesville's South African restaurant, Shebeen.  But the Malva Pudding at Gramadoelas and Hussar Grill were to die for.  Although I'd always rather be eating Malva Pudding in the proximity of the Newtown Market Theatre, I knew I'd have to try my hand at this dessert when I got back to Virginia.

To make my own version, I combined elements from a New York Times recipe and a few different South African cooking blogs.  Usually, Malva Pudding is served with ice cream or a creme anglaise.  I thought I'd try something just a little bit different, and I made a whipped cream flavored with Amarula.  If you haven't tried it before, Amarula is a South African cream liqueur that tastes a little like Bailey's, but it's made with the South African Marula fruit.  It'll go fantastically with your Malva Pudding.

By now, I'm sure you've heard of the documentary Searching for Sugar Man.  It tells the (truly) unbelievable tale of a South African record store owner's search for Rodriguez, a Detroit-based musician from the late 1960s/early 1970s.  Rodriguez recorded two albums in America and never found popularity here, yet unbeknownst to him, his music had become the soundtrack for Apartheid-era resistance in South Africa.  Here's Rodriguez performing "Sugar Man."

Ingredients
For the pudding:
--1 c. granulated sugar
--2 large eggs
--2 tbsp. apricot jam
--1 tbsp. melted butter, unsalted
--2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
--1 c. half & half
--1 c. flour
--1 tsp. baking soda
--pinch of salt

For the sauce:
--1 c. granulated sugar
--1/4 c. water
--1 tbsp. butter
--1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
--1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:
--1 c. heavy whipping cream
--1/2 c. Amarula liqueur
--1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat the wet ingredients for the pudding (including the jam) until combined.  In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually beat it into the wet mixture until combined.  Pour the batter into a 9x12" buttered baking dish, and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool down until it's just warm.

For the sauce, heat the granulated sugar and water over medium heat in a saucepan until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture begins to turn a light brown (but not burned!).  Add the butter until melted, whisking constantly (the mixture will begin bubbling when you add the butter).  Standing a bit away from the pan (you don't want to get splashed!), add the heavy cream and vanilla.  Continue to whisk constantly until the cream has incorporated and you've got a delicious caramel syrup.

Pour the syrup over the cake evenly.  The cake will soak it up like a sweet sponge.  Allow it to sit for approximately 1-2 hours, or until the syrup has hardened a bit, caramelizing the edges of the Malva Pudding.

Now for the whipped cream.  In a medium-sized bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream, Amarula, and brown sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks (about 5 minutes, depending on your speed).  Serve on top of the warm Malva Pudding, and enjoy!

Granadilla Custard Tart

Passion fruit in America, or granadilla in South Africa.  Either way, what a sinfully delicious fruit.  Since returning from South Africa, I can't stop thinking about all the delicious food and the amazing restaurants in Johannesburg and Cape Town.  This tart is my own creation, with a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  It has the consistency of Gramadoelas' creme caramel in Jo'burg, and its name is more an homage to the delicious treats at the Queen of Tarts in Cape Town's Observatory.

In Virginia, it's too early in the summer to buy fresh passion fruit.  But lucky for me, Whole Foods sells granadilla juice, imported from South Africa.  For the coming months of warm weather, this is a perfect chilled treat.  (It's pretty easy to make, too.)

Let me take this opportunity to introduce you to a South African political post-punk band made famous in Jameson's, a bar in the Johannesburg CBD.  From a live album recorded at Jameson's (and available for purchase at the African Music Store), here's the Cherry-Faced Lurchers' "Do the Lurch."

Ingredients:

--1 c. crushed honey graham crackers

--2 tbsp. unsalted butter

--1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

--3 tbsp. light brown sugar

--14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

--4 large egg yolks

--1 tsp. vanilla extract

--1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. granadilla juice

--1-2 tbsp. turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, combine the graham crackers, butter, lemon juice, and brown sugar.  Pulse until the mixture starts to pull on the sides.  Place in a 9" pie dish and push along bottom and sides until you've created a graham crust.  Bake for 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees F (don't let the crust start to brown!).  Remove and allow to cool.  Leave the oven heated to 350.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, vanilla, and granadilla juice until combined.  Pour over graham crust and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.  Allow to cool, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.  

Cuban Burrito Bowl

While doing research at Indiana University's Lilly Library in Bloomington, I had a delicious lunch at Laughing Planet Cafe.  I was delighted to see a Cuban Burrito on the menu and promptly ordered it in a bowl.  When I returned to Virginia, I decided to make my own version.

The Laughing Planet Cafe uses pulled pork in their burrito bowl, but I decided to take advantage of the pork loins at Charlottesville's recently opened Trader Joe's (finally).  I glazed it with a paprika and curry powder blend.  Combined with a kiwi and mango fruit salsa, along with roasted plantains and sweet potatoes, this burrito bowl was a huge hit.

The song choice is going to be an obvious one, I'm warning you.  Here's the Flying Burrito Bros.' "Hot Burrito #1"(I know you'll love Gram Parsons).

Ingredients:
--1 boneless, center-cut pork loin
--1 tbsp. olive oil
--1 tbsp. paprika
--1 tbsp. curry powder
--1/2 tsp. salt
--1 ripe mango, chopped
--3 ripe kiwis, chopped
--1/2 a small jalapeno, chopped very finely
--1 c. cooked black beans (you can use canned)
--2 very ripe plantains, sliced
--2 sweet potatoes, skinned and chopped
--2 c. brown rice, cooked
--1/2 c. sour cream (for topping)

In a cast iron pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Rub the pork loin in the paprika and curry powder.  Over medium heat, sear each side of the pork loin until a bit browned (about 4-5 minutes each side).  Transfer to oven at 375 degrees F and roast for 35 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 145 degrees F.  Remove from oven and cover with foil.  Leave the oven on for the plantains and sweet potatoes, and allow the pork to sit for 10 minutes, covered with foil, before slicing.

After 10 minutes, slice and chop the pork for the burrito bowl.

On a parchment-line baking sheet, roast the sliced plantains and sweet potatoes at 375 degrees F for approx. 20 minutes, or until soft.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mango, kiwi, salt, and jalapeno.  Mix and set aside.

Arrange each burrito bowl individually: add rice and sliced/chopped pork loin, then top with black beans, plantains and sweet potatoes, and finally with the fruit salsa and sour cream.  After serving, mix up and eat!

Ćevapi

Last summer while traveling through Bosnia & Herzegovina, I ordered more than my fair share of ćevapi.  These delicious sausages are filled with ground beef and lamb, and they're traditionally served with chopped onions and kaymak over pita.  It has taken me almost a year to create my own version of this delicious dish, but it's finally here.    

I've never been a big fan of raw onions, so I made mine with some sweet, caramelized onions and topped them with sour cream.  Since traveling to Istanbul in 2012, I look for kaymak at all international food markets, but my success has been minimal.

This dish is a great one for grilling--perfect for summer.  We actually have a Balkan Bistro in Charlottesville, but I haven't had ćevapi quite as good as the dishes I had in Sarajevo's Baščaršija.  

For some tunes, here's the Dead Boys' "Caught with the Meat in Your Mouth." Don't worry--I know what they're actually singing about.  But what better way to introduce you to this late 1970s Cleveland punk band?

Ingredients:

--1/2 lb. ground lamb

--1/2 lb. ground beef

--1 clove garlic, finely minced

--1/2 c. freshly made breadcrumbs

--1/2 c. half & half

--2 eggs

--2 tsp. paprika

--1-2 tsp. s&p, depending on taste

--2 large yellow onions, julienned

--1 tsp. granulated sugar

--4 tbsp. unsalted butter

For the meat:

Mix together lamb, beef, garlic, breadcrumbs, half & half, eggs, paprika, and s&p.  Mix *just* enough to combine--don't overmix or the meat will be tough.  

Shape into 3-inch sausages, and grill until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.  You'll have to flip/turn them once or twice to get all sides grilled.  (These are delicious on a grill, but you can also pan-fry them with some olive oil.)

For the caramelized onions:

Heat 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat in a saute pan.  Once the butter has melted, add the onions and continue to cook over low-medium heat.  Add another tbsp. of butter, and continue to stir frequently.  Continue to add remaining butter as the onions soak it in.  After cooking for approx. 10 minutes, add 1 tsp. granulated sugar to speed the caramelization process, and reduce heat to a simmer.  Continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.  All in all, cook for approx. 20-25 minutes.  The onions will be very soft and will have turned a very lovely shade of sepia.

Serve the ćevapi with the caramelized onions, sour cream, and warm pita.

Lemon Zest Cheesecake with Strawberry Basil Sauce

Is it summer yet?  It's starting to feel that way in Virginia.  Our grass is growing at breakneck speed and bees are buzzing around the back porch, but more importantly, we have fresh basil growing again!  What better way to welcome the warm weather than with a citrus treat featuring freshly picked herbs?

This cheesecake is an adaptation from one of Giada's cheesecakes, and let me just say, a ricotta cheesecake is pretty darn delicious.  Just FYI, you've gotta make this in advance because it needs about 8 hours in the refrigerator.

I've adapted the original recipe to take advantage of one of my favorite flavor trios: strawberry-basil-lemon.  In fact, I've made this cheesecake before with a strawberry base and a lemon-basil sauce, and you might remember a strawberry basil pie from last spring.  I just can't get enough.

So what other song than Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough"?

Ingredients:

Crust:
--1 1/2 c. crushed honey graham crackers
--3 tbsp. unsalted butter
--1-2 tsp. honey

Filling:
--2 8-oz. packages cream cheese or neufchatel
--1 c. whole milk ricotta, at room temp
--1 c. freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (about 3 whole lemons)
--3 tbsp. lemon zest (zest from about 3 lemons)
--4 eggs
--3/4 c. turbinado sugar

Strawberry Basil Sauce:
--1 c. chopped fresh strawberries
--large bunch fresh basil
--1/2 c. turbinado sugar
--3/4 c. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, pulse the honey grahams, butter, and honey until the crust ingredients start to stick together.  Grease a 10" springform pan, and cover the bottom and edges in aluminum foil.  Press the crust mixture onto the bottom of the pan, pressing down to make it even.  Bake for about 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees F and remove from oven to cool.

For the filling, beat together the cream cheese, ricotta, and turbinado sugar until cream.  Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to beat.  Once those are combined, add the lemon juice and lemon zest, beating at medium speed until the mixture is creamy.  Pour onto the crust in the springform pan.

Next, take a roasting pan and fill it about 2-3 inches with warm water, or enough to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.  Place the springform pan (unbaked) in the roasting pan, and put the whole thing in the oven.  Bake for about 1 hour 30 min., or until the cheesecake is set (it won't wiggle when you shake the pan).

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Cover and place in refrigerator for approximately 8 hours.  (It will stay good for a few days in the fridge, too!).

For the sauce:

In a small saucepan, heat the turbinado sugar and water over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, forming a simple syrup.  In a food processor, combine the simple syrup, strawberries, and basil.  Pulse until you've got your desire consistency (I like the basil very finely chopped and incorporated).  Store separately, and pour over each delicious piece of cheesecake.