Cat Food

There's A New Bakery In Town!

After spending the past 9 months searching for local space (and not being successful I'm sorry to say), former pastry chef and current local cooking instructor Cat Morris (yep - it's me!) is on the verge of opening her first "virtually" local bakery - Basic Kneads.

The bakery will focus on local ingredients baked up like gran'ma used to do it. Everything from low fat muffins like apricot ginger and cranberry orange to all sorts of cookies, double fudge chunk brownies, cakes, pies, tarts and much more. All using wholesome and locally available ingredients. There'll also be freshly baked crackers, breads and even granola packaged to go! And let's not forget about those birthday - wedding and any ole' custom cakes you can think of!

Check Basic Kneads over the next couple of weeks as we roll out our new menu and local delivery schedule.

Baking on Sundays

Spending that week in Tuscany last month really made an impression on me in so many ways. We were there mainly to experience the way these folks approach food and the thing that I really took away is that it seems they eat much less "processed food" and much more variety including lots of vegetables. I decided to try and cut all processed food out of my diet and have been making my weekly bread and pasta on Sundays. At first it took a bunch of hours to do this but now after having it down to a bit of a science it only really takes an hour, maybe an hour and a half on sunday mornings.

This past Sunday I made an olive bread. I haven't made this bread since I lived and worked as a pastry chef on Nantucket 10 years ago. Wow! I can't even believe it was that long ago - feels like yesterday. Anyway I thought I'd share the recipe here because it's a really easy bread and it packs so much flavor.

Ingredients:
yeast 1 pack (dry)
water 1 ¼ cups
flour 4 cups **
salt ¾ tsp.
olive oil 2 Tbs.
olives 1 cup

Yield: 1 loaf
**amount of flour depends on moisture
in olives

Method:
preheat oven to 400 degrees**

1. Pit & chop olives till medium chunky. Or buy pitted olives and coursely chop.
2. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.
3. Mix for @ 10 min. with the dough hook until satiny texture and no longer sticky. You may have to scrape
down the bowl once or twice.
4. Place in oiled bowl and cover with a cloth and let double in size at room temp. Approximately 30 minutes
5. Shape dough into a boule or baguette shape and let rise on baking sheet till almost doubled.
6. At this point you can brush the loaf with a little egg wash (egg mixed with a bit of water) or just brush
lightly with water. Make a couple of slashes across the top of the loaf and place in oven.
7. Pour a couple cups of water in the preheated pan on the bottom of the oven and shut the door. Don’t
open the door until the bread has good color. The steam created by the water will help create a nice
crispy crust.
6. Bake till golden brown and has a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom – about 30 minutes depending
on your oven.

**place shallow pan on bottom of oven. When putting bread in oven add water to pan to create steam for baking.

Print Recipe

What a day!

I have not abandoned my site. I promise. I had no idea how nerve wracking buying a house would be. I've been obsessed with getting everything together and that has left me exhausted and feeling none to creative in the recipe department. I'm now starting to pack up my house for the big move and that means my kitchen too! Yikes! If you could see all the gadgets I have ... oy!

Last weekend I took a break from all this house stuff and we celebrated fall in all its glory at the Montclair Farmer's Market Harvest Festival. There was all kinds of great stuff for kids, cooking demos by myself and a local caterer named Nicky Mesiah, even a petting zoo. Here are the recipes I shared with the folks who stopped by.

Curried Harvest Fruit & Nut Salad
4 – 6 servings

Salad
1cup barley
2 red skinned apples
2 pears
1 cup dried apricots, diced
2 stalks celery
2 cups or 1 small bunch red or green grapes
½ cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts

Dressing
¾ cup low fat yogurt
1 Tbs. Honey
1 tsp. Curry powder
Pinch of salt
Water or apple juice to thin if necessary

1) Rinse barley and pick out any foreign material.
2) Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add barley and cook till al dente – approx. 20 minutes.
3) Drain barley and rinse with cold water – set aside to drain.
4) Chop apples, pears, apricots & celery to ¼ inch dice. Slice grapes in half and combine with the diced fruit. Sprinkle with lemon juice to retain color.
5) Combine fruit, veggies and barley in large bowl.
6) Combine yogurt, honey, curry powder & salt in separate bowl and wisk till smooth. Thin with water or juice if too thick.
7) Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

** Serve as a side dish or add chunks of grilled chicken or firm tofu for a complete main course salad

Roasted Veggie Pizzas

1 Red Pepper
1 Eggplant
1 Zucchini
10 Mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 recipe pizza dough

Roasted Veggies
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

1) Dice all the veggies to about a ¼ inch size cube except the garlic. You can leave the garlic whole if you only want a light garlic flavor, otherwise mince it up and toss with the other vegetables.
2) Toss all the veggies in a bowl with the olive oil and pepper. You will add the salt after the vegetables have been roasted.
3) Place veggies on a sheet pan and roast for about 30-40 minutes until they are fragrant and turning a nice golden brown.
4) Remove them from the oven and set aside.

Pizza Dough
Raise oven heat to 400 degrees
Makes 2 - 12 inch pizzas

¼ cup warm water
1 package of dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup warm water

1) Mix the yeast and the ¼ cup warm water and let sit
2) Measure most of the flour into the bowl along with the salt
3) Add the yeast mixture, oil and 1 cup of warm water and stir till it starts to hold together.
4) Knead until the dough comes together into a soft ball, adding flour to keep it from being sticky. You may not use all the remaining flour.
5) Plop the dough into a bowl and spray with a little oil to keep it from sticking as it rises to double its size
6) Once it's risen, divide the dough into two balls. If you're only making one pizza then put one ball into a freezer bag & into the freezer to use later. To use the frozen dough, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator before rolling it out.
7) Press dough into any shape you want and place on a baking sheet.
8) Top with the sauce, veggies & cheeses and bake till the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

This is a great recipe to make with kids. There's a science, math and reading lesson all in one. Plus I've never met a kid who didn't like pizza. If your kids like different toppings on their pizzas let them each roll out a smaller portion of dough and make their own signature pizza.

White Bean Soup with Garlic & Rosemary
please see "Batten Down The Hatches"

All photos this post by Eric Seftel

Tryin' to save the weekend!

So - after that awesome turnout at the farmer's market last Saturday I woke up Sunday morning full of vim and vigor and as I was putting away all the sparkling clean equipment I had used for the previous day's festivities I promptly threw my back out and have been laid up ever since! I didn't really walk much Sunday but I didn't want to miss the Monday holiday so, braced with many Advil liquigels my boyfriend and I headed into the city to enjoy a street festival. All that walking wasn't a good idea and I've paid the price since BUT I did find this fantastic Indian Market on east 28th street right off Lexington Ave.

Little India Stores had great housewares and spices and breads and produce and a salesman named Arun helped me sort through the different sized woks and tavas till I found just the ones I wanted. A tava is the cast iron griddle that is used to cook roti, chapati and paratha. He also pulled out all these great roti rolling pins! I had to have everything but I settled on two small Indian woks, a cast iron tava and a honey colored rolling pin. He also gave me quick instructions as to how to make authentic roti which I'll try to approximate here.


Arun's Roti
1 cup whole wheat or all purpose flour (labeled maida in the grocery store)
1 tsp oil
water

1) Put the flour into a bowl, add the oil and then add enough water to create a pliable dough. It shouldn't be sticky and should be easily rolled
2) Portion the dough out into 6 or 8 small balls and roll each into a 4-5 inch circle
3) Pre heat the tava on your burner till it's medium hot and flip the roti onto it
4) When the roti has puffed and you start to see bubbles flip it over and toast the other side
5) When done - remove to a plater and brush with a little ghee (clarified butter) and cover with a cloth

Also check out this site for more Indian bread recipes: RecipeDelights.com

Little India Stores 128 East 28th Street, New York, NY 10016
phone 212-683-1691 Hours: Mon - Sat 10:00 - 7:30. Sun 11:00 - 6:00

What a Blast!

Thanks everyone for coming out and supporting Cat Food and Barista of Bloomfield Ave. at yesterday's farmer's market. I had such a great time - I hope you all did too!

Over the next couple of weeks Cat Food will be expanding with more cooking classes - ingredient resource information - nutrition information and lots more recipes! The new segment Cat in the Kitchen that is launching at Barista will be expanded here to include NYC restaurants and tours of all kinds of food related businesses in and around the New York metro area. Check back often to get the latest scoop!

As promised - here's a recap of the recipes from yesterday's healthy breakfast demonstration. Try them with your kids and let me know what you come up with!

Mixed Fruit Granola
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Ginger
½ cup brown sugar
½-¾ cup orange or apple juice
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
½ cup coconut
Pinch of salt

1) In a saucepan warm the juice with the brown sugar and spices till the sugar melts
2) In a large bowl toss the oatmeal flakes, almonds & coconut with the sugar/juice mixture till it's all coated
3) Spread out on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes till it starts to get a golden color
4) Remove from the oven and stir in the chopped fruit and let it all cool together
5) The granola will be a little sticky at first but will crisp up as it cools
6) Store in an airtight container for up to a month

Gingerbread Waffles with Warm Fruit Compote

Waffles
Makes about 5 waffles

2 cups Flour
3 tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Cloves
½ tsp. Nutmeg
'4 Tbs. Brown sugar
1 Tbs. molasses
1 egg
¼ cup canola oil
1½ cups milk

1) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine
2) In a separate bowl whisk the egg till it's frothy then add the brown sugar, molasses, oil & milk and mix to combine
3) Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until it's smooth
4) Pour about a half a cup of batter onto a well heated non-stick waffle iron and lightly spread it out. Bake until it's a deep golden brown for about 5 minutes. Waffle should not stick if it is completely cooked.

Fruit Compote

Use whatever is in season at the farmer's market. Chop fruit to equal about 4 or 5 cups and place in a bowl. Sprinkle 2-3 Tbs. of lemon juice over the fruit to brighten the natural flavor and add a couple of Tbs. of honey or maple syrup and a couple Tbs. of water. Toss everything together and then warm in a sauté pan till the fruit breaks down and has a sauce-like consistency. You can add additional flavoring like spices or citrus zests or vanilla extract. Be creative!

Oven Baked Veggie Frittatas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

This is a super easy way to make quick frittatas. Take whatever veggies you have in the frig - tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, etc. Dice them up to equal about 2 Tbs. per cup of a 6 cup muffin tin - give or take.

Spray or brush each cup in the tin with olive oil put about 2 Tbs. of the veggies in the bottom of each cup and pop it into the oven while you get the eggs ready. The veggies will roast quickly.

Take 6 eggs, which equals about 1 egg per cup and break them into a small bowl. Whisk them as you would when making scrambled eggs and add any flavoring you'd like. I've used fresh herbs and a little parmesan cheese here. I've also added a little milk.

Take the muffin pan out of the oven and fill each cup about half full with the egg mixture. Top with a sprinkling of cheese and pop back in the oven. Now don't open the oven door for at least 15 minutes.

The eggs are done when they're all puffed up and are golden brown on top. Take the pan out of the oven and let them cool slightly. They will fall back down - don't be alarmed!

Remove the eggs with a spatula to a plate. Now, you can either eat them plain with a garnish of more fresh herbs, salsa & a dab of sour cream or you can make a McMuffin by putting one on a toasted English muffin - add a slice of cheese and top with the other half of the English muffin.

You can make these frittatas ahead of time on the weekend and keep them in the frig for during the week. They reheat really well in the microwave on high for one minute. This is a much healthier alternative to a McDonalds Egg McMuffin and you're getting one whole serving of protein, vegetables & dairy without all of the fat.

Fruit & Yogurt Smoothies
Serves 1 person

1 banana
1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, i.e. berries, peaches, pears, apples etc.
1-2 Tbs. honey
2-3 Tbs. low fat yogurt
1 cup Milk or juice
Ice

1) Place banana, fruit, honey, juice or milk & yogurt in a blender with about 1 cup of ice and blend on high till thick and creamy
2) You can add protein powder if you'd like or any number of other flavorings - ½ tsp. of cinnamon or ginger or good vanilla extract - even a couple of Tbs. of peanut butter! Garnish with a little fresh fruit and enjoy.

**To enjoy the scrumptious fruit available from the farmer's market all winter long. Wash the fruit well, chop and then spread out on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the fruit is frozen transfer it to a zip lock freezer bag and pop back in the freezer. Now you can use it all winter long!

Baker's Bounty - New at the Bloomfield Farmer's Market

Pssssstttt ..... I know a little secret - wanna hear?

Every Thursday there's a farmer's market open in Bloomfield center. It's smaller than Montclair's market but the produce from Valley View Farms is gorgeous and this week Baker's Bounty was there with the most fantastic artisan baked breads and pastries I've seen in these parts! It doesn't seem that many people know about the market because it was pretty quiet and they have everything you need to whip up a great seasonal dinner.

I found purple basil that I plonked into a vase in the kitchen because it's so beautiful and a semolina olive bread from Baker's Bounty that I can barely bring myself to eat it's so pretty.

Check back later today for some new recipes for bruschetta and then some ...

California Dreamin'

Pizza Reconfigured

Anthony Vacchiano’s Greenwood farm is a “one stop shop” at the Montclair Farmer’s market. Not only do they have beautiful locally grown fruits and vegetables but they also have naturally raised, free range poultry including quail and pheasant, grass fed Black Angus beef and spring lamb. They make their own fresh & smoked mozzarella the night before each market and Anthony’s mom does the baking. Check out her fantastic peach or blueberry pies. They’re jam packed with the ripest fruit imaginable!

It was hard to decide what this week’s recipe should be, but being inspired by my recent trip to California and the healthy fresh twist they put on everything, I thought I’d put a spin on one of our local favorites …pizza! California pizza is a tad more adventurous then what we’re used to. Nontraditional pizza toppings and sometimes no tomato sauce … e-gads! Here’s a recipe with a nod to our west coast brethren. You can get all the fresh ingredients at the farmer’s market and with a quick run by any local grocery store you can pick up the crust ingredients.

Pizza:

Crust
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Rosemary Garlic Flat Bread

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. Finely minced fresh rosemary
3 cloves finely minced garlic
Big pinch of salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
¾ cup warm water

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the olive oil
Slowly add some of the warm water
With your hands mix the water into the dry ingredients till the dough comes together
Add additional water until the dough forms a soft ball. You don’t want the dough to be either too dry or too wet so add the water slowly. You may not use all of the water.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and gently flatten into a disc shape
Refrigerate for a half hour
Dough can be cut into up to 8 pieces depending on how you will use it
Roll dough out very thinly and bake on a pizza stone or pizza pan until lightly golden brown and crispy

Serves up to 8 people
Serving suggestions: crackers, larger flat bread torn into shards, pizza crust

Topping

Caramelized Onion, Mozzarella & Proscuitto

Peel then slice two yellow onions into thin rings
Sauté till they have a caramelized color, season with salt & pepper and set aside
Roll out crust thinly and top with chunks of mozzarella,
onions & shreds of proscuitto
Bake till crust is golden brown and crispy

Rosemary Garlic Flat Bread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. finely minced fresh rosemary
3 cloves finely minced garlic
big pinch of salt
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 cup warm water

Method:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the olive oil
Slowly add some of the warm water
With your hands mix the water into the dry ingredients till the dough comes together
Add additional water until the dough forms a soft ball. You don’t want the dough to be either too dry or too wet so add the water slowly.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and gently flatten into a disc shape
Refrigerate for a half hour
Dough can be cut in up to 8 pieces depending on how you will use it
Roll dough out very thinly and bake on a pizza stone or pizza pan until lightly golden brown and crispy

Serves up to 8 people
Serving suggestions: crackers, larger flat bread torn into shards, pizza crust