Bottega - Michael Chiarello [83]
Using an 8-inch round cake pan as a template, cut a slightly smaller round of cake to fit inside the pan. Cut the round in half horizontally with a long serrated knife so you have two even, round layers of cake. Center a long sheet of plastic wrap inside the cake pan and smooth it along the bottom; it should be long enough to drape over the cake pan’s sides and eventually fold over the cake, covering it. Place one of the cake rounds in the pan, cut-side up. Cut the cake that remains in the baking sheet into strips about 12 inches long and 21/2 inches wide. Place three strips around the circumference of the pan. If you need to patch it so cake surrounds the entire edge of the pan, cut what you need from the cake still in the cake pan.
When the bottom and sides are lined with cake, heavily soak the cake with the cake-soaking syrup. Don’t be fainthearted—give it a true soak, either using a squeeze bottle or just spooning on the liquid. Fill the center with the strawberry-mascarpone mixture. (If you have leftover filling, just cover, refrigerate, and serve it later, topped with fruit.) Add the remaining round of cake, cut-side down. Generously douse again with the remaining cake-soaking syrup. Pull up the sides of the plastic wrap to cover the cake. Freeze over-night, or for up to 1 week.
Toss the fresh berries in the strawberry sauce. Spoon the berries and some of the liquid on the cake and scatter the chopped pistachios on top. Have a bowl of hot water nearby for dipping your knife. Cut the cake into 10 or 12 wedges to serve.
CHEF’S NOTE: To toast pistachio nuts, spread the pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in a preheated 375°F oven for 7 or 8 minutes or until fragrant.
The Sweetest Thing: A Hot Meal and a Friendly Face
My dearest mother, Antoinette, before she passed, asked me to continue her work for Meals on Wheels. It pained my mom to think of someone not having a warm meal at least a few times a week, and if you were lucky enough to have her deliver your food, then you got the benefit of some great conversation while you ate.
This is another thing that pastry chef Michael Glissman and I have in common. Michael’s grandmother, Marion Redding, and his mom, Linda Schwanebeck, delivered hot meals from their diner to Meals on Wheels every single day. I love the idea of the women in Michael’s family having the same strong feelings as my mom: the need to make sure that those who most needed a hot meal got one.
I don’t deliver meals every single week to shut-ins the way my mom did, but I have kept my promise to her by doing at least two fund-raising events for Meals on Wheels every year, including their gala in San Francisco. The Meals on Wheels near you could always use a helping hand; the benefits of this worthy cause far outweigh the efforts, so please contact them if you have a little time to spare: www.mealsonwheels.org
Biscotti with Pistachios, Dark Chocolate, and Fennel Seeds
MAKES 2 DOZEN BISCOTTI
Biscotti literally means “twice-cooked.” To me, biscotti means the perfect end to a lovely supper, whether they’re dunked in wine or coffee. During December, we often have biscotti baking parties at our house. Packed in airtight containers, the cookies last through the holidays. When wrapped in colorful cellophane, they make perfect homemade gifts.
Dark chocolate makes these biscotti doubly delicious. Not only is the dark richness of bittersweet chocolate the perfect foil for the nuts and fennel seeds in this biscotti, it also holds up well during baking.
When chopping the pistachio nuts, aim for middle ground. You don’t want pistachio dust, but neither do you want pistachios to be so big that they break the biscotti when you’re slicing. I use a knife to chop the nuts for this recipe, because it’s too easy to overgrind them in a food processor.
Wine Pairing: Vin Santo
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs plus 1 yolk at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract