Everyday Food - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [79]
Working with one artichoke at a time, use a serrated knife to cut off the stem (so artichoke sits upright) and trim 2 inches off the top. With kitchen shears, cut off leaf tips. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove purple inner leaves and the choke. Immediately place artichoke in lemon water to prevent discoloration as you work.
For even cooking, cut the florets into similar sizes, leaving the small ones whole and halving or quartering the large ones.
Cut off the top quarter from each onion, and core with a melon baller, leaving ¼ inch (1 to 2 layers) of onion intact on the sides and bottom. Reserve insides to chop for the stuffing.
The key to the dish’s fluffy consistency is to beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks: They should appear thickened but droop slightly when the whisk is lifted and turned right side up. To avoid deflating beaten whites when folding into the cornmeal mixture, work quickly, turning the bowl and running a spatula down through the center and then up at the sides, as if forming the letter J.
Preheat oven to 250°F. Place raw (shelled) hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until skins crack, about 20 minutes. Immediately transfer nuts to a clean kitchen towel and roll up. Let steam 5 minutes. Rub the nuts with the towel until most skins have come off (it’s okay if some remain).
Break each egg into a cup; dip cup in water 20 seconds, then release egg.
Cook until whites are just firm, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Drain on paper towels; trim edges with a paring knife, if desired.
1½ cups warm water (115°F)
2 packets (¼ ounce each) active dry yeast
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 Place the warm water in a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush another large bowl with oil.
2 Whisk sugar, oil, and salt into yeast mixture, then stir in flour with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to oiled bowl; brush top of dough with oil. Cover bowl with oiled plastic wrap; let stand in a warm spot until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
3 Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface. With floured hands, knead until smooth, about 15 seconds; divide into two equal balls. To freeze dough, set balls on a plate (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Then freeze in a labeled resealable plastic bag up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. MAKES TWO 1-POUND BALLS
VARIATION
To make whole-wheat dough, replace 2 cups all-purpose flour with 2 cups whole-wheat flour.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
In a saucepan, heat oil over medium. Cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until translucent, 2 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and the oregano. Simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with the spoon, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sauce can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months; let cool completely before storing in airtight containers.
MAKES 6 CUPS
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
1 In a food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt, and sugar to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Add 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons more water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.
2 Turn out dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough; press to shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until