thai melon salad

last week, larry and i had a really

lovely day. it was the day after my

birthday and we both took off from

work. i drank coffee in bed and, later,

we ate lunch outside, very close

to the ocean. we bought fig vinegar

from an olive oil shop and sat on the

boardwalk with our legs dangling over

the sand. we went to see the help,

which i've been hoping to see in the theatre,

since finishing the book last november.

in between the beach and the movies,

we stopped at the book store, where i was

given a really great gift: unlimited time

to look through as many cookbooks as i

wanted. and, truthfully, that's quite a gift.

as much as i love cookbooks, i rarely buy

them. and when, i do, it's a specific book

that i've had my eye on for a while. rarely,

do i just plant myself in front

of the shelves and read.

ultimately, i left with three - two baking

books that, it turns out, i actually had wanted,

but had forgotten about,

and a third, cooking in the moment

by andrea reusing.

to be honest, i keep picking up and putting down

the last one. i would decide that i was not

going to keep it and then i'd turn one last page

and see a recipe, like the one for

black sesame sauce.

in that case, i read the recipe twice

and thought, ok, i know

how to make this. as i shut the book,

i noticed a page reading

garlic and crab fried rice.

this happened several times.

ultimately, it was the kale panini and

salt preserved chilies that cinched

my decision.

that night, i got back in bed and read

cooking in the moment from cover to cover.

and, in spite of my curiosity about the

recipes above, i knew that the first dish i

would be making was the

spicy melon salad with peanuts and mint.

it uses fish sauce. and a lot of it.

need i say more?

and, then, you should have seen me the next

day, standing at the grocery store, staring at

the melons, trying to channel my melon

knowledge. is it the santa claus melon that's

really sweet or is it the canary? are any melons

really dark orange? or yellow? what will happen

if i add watermelon? will the color run?

ultimately, i was lucky.

a melon expert - or at least he seemed

that way to me - helped me pick three

small, sweet flavorful globes. he was spot

on. (except when the next day i realized

that i somehow had two green-fleshed melons,

but i'm very over it.)

after a search for my melon baller -

a tool i'm pretty sure i haven't used since

culinary school - i cracked open the melons

on sunday, prepared to make a cooling

summer salad for a hot summer night.

except it was sunday.

when there was lightening.

and thunder.

and rainstorms that made me fear

for our basement.

so, i scooped melons for a cool evening.

and, that's ok, too.

the melons were incredibly sweet,

floral and juicy. i pulled small

and large balls from

all three:

the honeydew,

the crenshaw and

the galia.

(as for the remaining melon in

each half, i used a spoon to separate

them from their skins, put all three

into the same container and have

been adding the pieces and sweet

juice to my smoothies in the morning.

it's been a nice change.)

i whisked together the juice of two limes,

a few glugs from a new bottle of fish sauce -

i forgot how powerful a brand new bottle

could be - a squeeze of agave and an

unfortunately, mild, chopped

red fresno chile pepper.

the dressing was powerful.

slightly spicy, slightly sweet,

tangy and salty. i tossed it over

the melons, took a premature bite

and knew that i would love this dish.

simplified, it reminded me of a

sweet green papaya salad.

the recipe said to let it the mixture

sit for at least 45 minutes or up to

several hours. we went for three.

before serving, i topped it with

shreds of mint and salted peanuts

and we dug in.

the marinating liquid is

unbelievably bold.

but, the melons, when picked up with

a fork, instead of scooped,

gave a significantly more subtle delivery.

i don't know how many fruit salads are eaten

with a spoon,

but it would be a shame to leave all that

limey-fish sauciness on the bottom

of the bowl.

team spoon. all the way.

regardless.

this salad slash side dish slash

potential dessert is everything i look

for in a recipe.

it's different, so it won't see itself

coming and going. but, more importantly,

it's sweet and salty and soft and crunchy.

it's slightly spicy and kind of tangy

and would be perfect on

a hot night spent outside.

it was a recipe that gave me

reassurance. it made me feel justified

about buying the cookbook. and, about

making larry amuse himself in the bookstore

while i dealt with my indecisiveness.

and, it made me find my melon baller.

worth it all around.

thai melon salad

adapted from cooking in the moment

i followed this recipe pretty closely. the only real changes were using agave instead of sugar and using a serrano chile pepper and a red fresno chile pepper, because neither were very spicy. with a spicy pepper, i would have stuck to one. i also chose not to measure the peanuts - just grabbed a handful and chopped.

i agree that this salad should only sit for a couple hours. by the next day, the melons had expelled a lot of their own liquid and mellowed the flavor of the dish significantly.

2-3 assorted melons

2 large, juicy limes, juiced

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 tablespoon agave

1 spicy chile pepper, chopped

10 mint leaves

1 small handful roasted and salted peanuts

halve melons. using melon baller, scoop melon into balls, transferring to a measuring cup as you scoop. measure 4 cups melon. transfer melons to mixing bowl.

in liquid measuring cup, measure 1/4 cup lime juice. whisk in fish sauce, agave and chile pepper. pour lime juice mixture over melons; toss to combine. cover; chill 45 minutes, or up to several hours.

when ready to serve, rip mint leaves into smaller pieces. chop peanuts.

using a slotted spoon, transfer melon to serving platter or bowls. top with spoonfuls of marinade. garnish with mint and chopped peanuts.

chocolate peanut butter terrine

i don't usually attempt

pretty desserts.

not because i'm anti-

pretty, but because,

usually, they end up looking

like this:

but i have moments of delusion

or moments of thinking that

i'm more qualified for something

than i really am.

and i go for it anyway.

that's what happened here.

last sunday morning i woke

up, fully planning to make

a dacquoise layer cake

filled with ganache.

the trick is - it was going to

be an unfrosted cake.

just crisp layers filled

with chocolate,

that may or may not,

ooze out of the sides.

if you were new,

and the chocolate bulged a little,

you would think that's what

i intended to do.

it was the perfect brooke-proof plan.

but the forecast predicted rain

and i knew better than to try

to toss a nutty meringue into the

oven and think it will dry out

while a storm pelted the windows.

so i shifted gears and at around

4pm, set up a double boiler,

found the whisk attachment

to my stand mixer

and decided

that the too-large loaf pan

in my cabinet

would have to work.

goodbye dacquoise.

hello chocolate-peanut butter terrine.

technique-wise,

i knew i could handle it.

i'm always fine until the end

when it has to look like it came

out of a bakery. because i am the

worst kind of not-able-to-cut-a-straight-line-

or-pipe-a-real-circle kind-of-person:

i'm kind of a perfectionist.

or, i'm the type of person

who knows her limits,

dares to defy them and then,

fails miserably and freaks out anyway.

i drive myself,

and everyone around me,

crazy.

so, larry and i worked together

to line the loaf pan with plastic wrap,

trying to prevent

wrinkles in the mousse center.

(i knew that it would be covered

by a glaze, but i figured that the

closer i started to a smooth surface,

when it came time to coat with chocolate,

the better. you'll see how well that

turned out in a minute.)

and, then, i set to work

to make a filling that couldn't be

easier, but still uses a million

bowls and pots to make.

while the

chocolate,

peanut butter

and butter

melted together,

i separated

eggs,

placing the yolks in

the mixer bowl

and adding sugar.

i carefully combined

the warm chocolate

with the thickened egg yolk concoction,

making sure not to scramble

them, and watched as the two

satiny mixtures

came together to turn into a paste.

i reread the part in the directions

that promised this was ok.

i set the chocolate cement aside

and poured cream

into a separate bowl.

usually, i'm a wimp and when

cream or eggs need to be whipped,

i bring out the mixer.

but the stand mixer was already

dirty, the hand mixer in a closet

in another room and the recipe

said, just until the cream

starts to thicken.

so i did it, i whisked it just until

the cream started to thicken,

and then just a little more because

i did not want to risk pouring liquid cream

into melted chocolate. we did not reach

peaks, but we did have ripples.

once the cream was folded

into the chocolate,

i transferred the lightened mess

into a loaf pan, smoothed the top,

and sent it to the fridge for chilling.

up next:

candied peanuts,

which were a breeze.

peanuts, i opted for salted,

are folded into frothy egg whites

and granulated sugar.

they're then spread out on a baking

sheet and baked for about 25 minutes.

for some reason, i remember that the

first time i made this recipe,

i was unimpressed by the nuts.

this time, however, they tasted much

more special and larry said,

you made your own honey-roasted peanuts?

obviously not, but that

was all the affirmation i needed that

these were keepers.

yes, i had made this recipe

from classic stars desserts

once before, almost three

years ago. it was during a

marathon baking session and

this terrine was one of six desserts

made in just three days. it

was the only no-bake option

and i prepared the terrine part

two days ahead, opting to

glaze it, in the location i planned

to serve it, the day of.

it is for that reason,

that i think i remembered

this dessert to be a breeze.

don't get me wrong -

it is not a challenge, nor

is it anywhere near impossible.

but, i absolutely think

there is something to be said for

making it,

chilling it,

forgetting about it and

then glazing the day of,

in the place you plan to serve it.

because for me the biggest challenge -

if you overlook the fact that it

appears like it was glazed by

a third grader -

was transporting the persnickety thing.

i forgot how long four hours

can be - or rather how short.

the terrine went in the fridge

around 5pm. after the peanuts

were made, i set to work making

ravioli for dinner that night.

by the time dinner was

made,

eaten,

and cleaned up,

it was 10 pm. the last thing

i wanted to do was glaze anything,

but i knew i would want to do it

even less at 6 in the morning.

so i set up the double boiler again,

started to melt down chocolate

and then i unmolded the terrine.

hmmm...not exactly what i was hoping

for. but it would be fine. fine!

i swore.

i quickly set to work,

using the offset spatula to

evenly spread the hot glaze

across the delicate mousse,

feeling at first like i had this in the bag.

and then i looked at it closely -

it didn't look good.

(i don't have to tell you -

you've seen the picture.)

but, what's done was done.

and then i realized:

i'd have to cover it overnight.

in a rare moment of clarity,

i pulled out my largest mixing

bowl and turned it over,

on top of the terrine.

it was perfect and i was going to sleep.

...until i realized that i had not mapped

out a serving plan.

i own a lot of platters

and bowls, but none of them

are an appropriate

size

or

shape for a 9" rectangle.

after hunting - i found my

heavy glass cheese board.

it would have to do.

the next day after work,

i rushed home in the rain.

(it rained - i had made the

right call.) after using two

spatulas, to carefully transfer

the terrine to the glass,

i realized that i really didn't

know what my next step would be.

foil on top would just

mar the surface - even more -

but i knew i had to cover it

with something.

10 minutes later,

when i told larry i was ready

to leave, he walked into the kitchen

and saw me holding a

ridiculous contraption:

i wrapped up the sides

of the platter with foil

and topped the whole thing

with a very large

tupperware that sat on

the edges of the glass,

not touching the confection.

it was precarious -

a speed bump could have

foiled the whole operation,

especially following the moment

i sat in the car and realized that

i couldn't sit it on my lap -

surely it would melt.

instead, i held the edges

by my fingertips for the 25-minute ride.

it was, it turns out,

rather heavy.

i know this sounds crazy,

especially after telling you

the story of what it took to get

this terrine from fruition to the

table for passover,

but i promise you,

this dessert is great for a crowd.

even if you're not the most polished

of pastry chefs, it still looks impressive

(maybe in some cases "from a distance"

would help) and cuts beautifully.

it also doesn't hurt that it's

a show stopper in the flavor department.

what could be bad about

peanut butter-laced

deep chocolate?

but i promise you it's even

better with a sprinkling of candied peanuts.

all three come together in a dessert

that is decidedly rich,

but still boasts a feather lightness,

thanks to the hand-whipped cream.

just give yourself a break:

buy a rectangular cake carrier

or plan to serve this one

at your house.

chocolate-peanut butter terrine

adapted from classic stars desserts

to be fair, the peanut butter is not especially pronounced in this dessert. to my peanut butter-loving palate, it's a faint background note, which is why those sugared peanuts come in so handy. when serving, i sprinkled each slice with a bunch. the recipe calls for an 8 x 4 1/2 loaf pan, which i think would be much prettier than the 9 x 5 1/2 one that i used. regardless - either will work and promises to still taste good.

oh, and yes, i'll admit it. i flaked and used good quality chocolate chips instead of chopping chocolate. i don't usually go that route - but i will be honest: i love every quick second of it.

mousse

11 ounces bittersweet chocolate (between 58 and 62%), finely chopped or good quality chocolate chips

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

coat 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" (or 9" x 5 1/2") loaf pan with cooking spray. line with plastic wrap, leaving 1 1/2" overhang on all sides.

in top of double boiler or stainless steel bowl, combine chocolate, butter and peanut butter. place bowl over small saucepot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. warm mixture until chocolate and butter melt, stirring occasionally. remove from heat; stir until completely smooth.

in bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine egg yolks and sugar. beat on high speed 1 minute, or until the mixture is thick. remove bowl from mixer. using wooden spoon, stir in small amount of the chocolate mixture, mixing quickly to incorporate. once combined, add remainder of the chocolate mixture in three separate additions, stirring well each time until completely combined. (again, don't worry if the mixture is very thick.)

in separate bowl, using whisk (or hand mixer), whisk cream until it starts to thicken. for me, this meant, when the cream started to hold slight shape, but was not yet forming peaks. working quickly, stir a small amount of cream mixture into chocolate mixture until combined. using spatula, fold remainder of thickened cream into chocolate mixture in four separate additions, making sure that the mixtures have fully incorporated each time.

transfer chocolate mixture to prepared pan; smooth down top. cover with plastic overhang. chill at least four hours or up to two days.

to unmold and glaze terrine: line baking sheet with parchment paper. unwrap terrine and top with metal rack. flip rack and terrine and place on top of parchment lined baking sheet. remove loaf pan. remove plastic wrap. (yes, if you look at the picture, i skipped the rack part - this was out of sleepiness and poor reading skills, not intentional insubordination. it makes much more sense than what i did.)

slowly pour glaze over terrine, smoothing with an offset spatula. chill 30 minutes, or until set. if the terrine will be in the fridge longer than that, feel free to steal my inverted bowl method for protecting.

top with sugared peanuts. as the terrine is sliced; top each piece with additional sugared peanuts.

glaze

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

in top of double boiler or stainless steel bowl, combine all ingredients. set over small saucepot of simmering water, making sure that the bottom does not touch the water. heat until the chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally. if the glaze seems too thin, give it 20 minutes to set up before pouring over the terrine.

sugared peanuts

yes, it's true - if you make these peanuts, it is no longer a no-bake dessert...but i think that's ok. they're hardly stressful. the original recipe called for unsalted, but i opted to use nuts with salt. i'm glad. this is a dessert in every sense of the word and the occasional salty fleck is a great foil for the sugar. these can be made 1 week ahead of time.

1 large egg white

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups salted peanuts

heat oven to 350˚f. in small bowl, whisk egg white until frothy. whisk in sugar. add peanuts and toss to coat. spread peanuts into a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. bake 10 minutes; stir well and place back into a single layer. bake 10-15 minutes more, stirring every five minutes, or until peanuts are golden brown.