Donal Skehan's Lemon Marshmallow Cake

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Lemon Marshmallow Cake

Serves 8

For the cake and filling:
1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons)
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (6 ounces) superfine sugar
27 jumbo marshmallows (about 7 ounces)
Lemon curd for filling, store-bought or The Pleasures of the Table: Rediscovering Theodora Fitzgibbon.

The Perfect Guacamole

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Guacamole

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer

3 medium ripe avocados
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced (more or less, to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and upper stems
Pinch or two of coarse salt
Juice of one lime

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. Spoon the flesh of the avocados into a molcajete, mortar and pestle, or mixing bowl. Add the onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and salt, and combine. Add the lime juice and stir gently, so as not to crush the ingredients too aggressively.

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Panko-Crusted Salmon with Dill & Lemon

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Panko-Crusted Salmon with Dill and Lemon

Serves 6 to 10

2 to 3 pounds salmon fillets
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Heat the oven to 425°F. Grease a baking dish (or 2, if necessary) and lay the salmon fillets skin-side down inside. Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, minced dill, lemon zest, and salt. Spoon the mayonnaise mixture over the salmon, using the back of the spoon to spread it evenly and coat the surface of the salmon. Sprinkle the panko crumbs generously over top.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or about 4 minutes for every 1/2-inch of thickness, until the salmon is just under done. Run the salmon under the broiler to toast the panko and finish cooking. The dish is ready when the panko is golden, the crust is bubbling, and the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Serve hot or room temperature. Do not refrigerate since the panko will lose its crispness.

Recipe Notes

• If serving this as a weeknight dinner, you can cook individual portions of salmon instead of the large fillets and scale down the recipe proportionately.

Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice

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Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice

Serves 6 to 8

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup neutral cooking oil, such as canola or safflower (or rendered lard)
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 to 2 chile peppers, such as jalapeño or serrano, seeded and minced
4 to 5 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Juice from 2 limes, plus additional wedges for serving

Place the tomatoes and onion in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer 2 cups of the tomato mixture to a medium saucepan. Stir in the chicken stock, salt, and cumin and bring liquid to a boil over medium heat. (Reserve excess for another use, like Tomato Sauce.)

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling, add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently until lightly toasted and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the jalapeños and cook until they have softened, about 2 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Pour the boiling tomato mixture over the rice and stir to combine. Turn heat to low and cook, covered, until liquid has evaporated and rice is done, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir the rice. Re-cover the pot and allow to rest undisturbed for an additional 10 minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice; fluff gently with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Serve with additional lime wedges.

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How To Make Buffalo Chicken Wings in the Oven

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How To Make Buffalo Wings in the Oven

Makes 6 to 8 servings

What You Need

Ingredients
3 pounds chicken wings
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing, to serve
Celery sticks, to serve

Equipment
Chef's knife or kitchen shears
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowl
Baking sheets
Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken wings, if necessary: If the wings are whole and not yet separated, use a chef's knife or kitchen shears to cut through the first joint of the wing and remove the wing tip. Discard or keep for stock. If you'd like smaller pieces, you can also cut through the second joint to separate the wing into the forearm and upper arm portions.
2. Take the chill off the wings: Leave the wings on the counter while you prepare the sauce to take the chill off. Otherwise, the butter sauce will congeal when you toss them. If this happens, though, it's fine! Just continue with the recipe.
3. Make the buffalo sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and whisk in the hot sauce and salt.
4. Coat the wings with the sauce: Transfer the wings to a mixing bowl. Pour half the buffalo sauce over them and toss to coat.
5. Marinate the wings: Cover the bowl and marinate on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Reserve the remaining buffalo sauce. (If you refrigerate the wings, the butter sauce will congeal; that's fine.)
6. Heat the broiler: When ready to cook the wings, position an oven rack 6 to 8 inches below the broiling element and turn on the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
7. Transfer the wings to the baking sheet: Remove the wings from the marinade and shake off any excess. Arrange the wings on the foil-lined baking sheet, spaced a little apart. Discard the marinade.
8. Broil for 10 to 12 minutes, then flip.
9. Broil for another 10 to 12 minutes. The wings are done when the skin is crispy and the meat pulls easily from the bones.
10. Toss with remaining buffalo sauce: Pour the remaining hot sauce over the wings and toss to coat.
11. Serve immediately: Transfer the wings to a serving tray and serve while still piping hot with the blue cheese dressing and celery sticks alongside.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Streusel Bars

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Strawberry-Rhubarb Streusel Bars

Makes 16 (2-inch square) bars

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
8 ounces (2 cups) rhubarb, cut into roughly 1/3-inch-thick pieces
1 cup turbinado sugar, divided (plus a little extra for sprinkling)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 3/4 cups (12 1/3 ounces) all-purpose flour, divided
6 ounces (12 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter
2 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray. Line it with parchment paper (so you'll be able to lift the bars out later for cutting) and spray again.

Combine the sliced strawberries, sliced rhubarb, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Set this aside to macerate while you make the crust and streusel.

Place 2 1/2 cups of the flour into the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into 5 large chunks and add to the flour along with the cream cheese, salt, and remaining 3/4 cup of cane sugar. Pulse to combine the mixture until moist and crumbly, with no chunks of butter remaining.

Remove 1 2/3 cups of this crumbly mixture from the food processor and set it aside for the streusel topping.

To the rest of the mixture still in the food processor, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, egg, baking powder, and vanilla. Blend until it just starts to come together to form a dough.

Press the dough evenly into the lined pan (it's easier to do this if your hands are slightly damp). Bake for 10 minutes until slightly risen.

Strain the macerated fruit to remove the excess liquid. Spread the fruit in an even layer over the surface of the partially baked crust. Sprinkle the reserved streusel topping over the surface of the fruit and then sprinkle on a little more turbinado sugar. Bake again for 40 to 50 minutes until the topping is golden-brown.

Let cool for 20 minutes before lifting the pie bars out of the pan using the parchment paper. Slice into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

• Blueberries or raspberries (fresh or frozen) can be swapped in for the strawberries. Or the strawberries can be omitted and the total amount of rhubarb increased to 14 ounces (3 1/2 cups).

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How To Make Kombucha Tea at Home

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How to Make Kombucha Tea at Home

Makes about 1 gallon

What You Need

Ingredients
3 1/2 quarts water
1 cup sugar (regular granulated sugar works best)
8 bags black tea, green tea, or a mix (or 2 tablespoons loose tea)
2 cups starter tea from last batch of kombucha or store-bought kombucha (unpasteurized, neutral-flavored)
1 scoby per fermentation jar, homemade or purchased online

Optional flavoring extras for bottling: 1 to 2 cups chopped fruit, 2 to 3 cups fruit juice, 1 to 2 tablespoons flavored tea (like hibiscus or Earl Grey), 1/4 cup honey, 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh herbs or spices

Equipment
Stock pot
1-gallon glass jar or two 2-quart glass jars
Tightly woven cloth (like clean napkins or tea towels), coffee filters, or paper towels, to cover the jar
Bottles: Six 16-oz glass bottles with plastic lids, 6 swing-top bottles, or clean soda bottles
Small funnel

Instructions

Note: Avoid prolonged contact between the kombucha and metal both during and after brewing. This can affect the flavor of your kombucha and weaken the scoby over time.

1. Make the tea base: Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar to dissolve. Drop in the tea and allow it to steep until the water has cooled. Depending on the size of your pot, this will take a few hours. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the pot in an ice bath.
2. Add the starter tea: Once the tea is cool, remove the tea bags or strain out the loose tea. Stir in the starter tea. (The starter tea makes the liquid acidic, which prevents unfriendly bacteria from taking up residence in the first few days of fermentation.)
3. Transfer to jars and add the scoby: Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon glass jar (or divide between two 2-quart jars, in which case you'll need 2 scobys) and gently slide the scoby into the jar with clean hands. Cover the mouth of the jar with a few layers tightly-woven cloth, coffee filters, or paper towels secured with a rubber band. (If you develop problems with gnats or fruit flies, use a tightly woven cloth or paper towels, which will do a better job keeping the insects out of your brew.)
4. Ferment for 7 to 10 days: Keep the jar at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, and where it won't get jostled. Ferment for 7 to 10 days, checking the kombucha and the scoby periodically.
5. It's not unusual for the scoby to float at the top, bottom, or even sideways during fermentation. A new cream-colored layer of scoby should start forming on the surface of the kombucha within a few days. It usually attaches to the old scoby, but it's ok if they separate. You may also see brown stringy bits floating beneath the scoby, sediment collecting at the bottom, and bubbles collecting around the scoby. This is all normal and signs of healthy fermentation.
6. After 7 days, begin tasting the kombucha daily by pouring a little out of the jar and into a cup. When it reaches a balance of sweetness and tartness that is pleasant to you, the kombucha is ready to bottle.
7. Remove the scoby: Before proceeding, prepare and cool another pot of strong tea for your next batch of kombucha, as outlined above. With clean hands, gently lift the scoby out of the kombucha and set it on a clean plate. As you do, check it over and remove the bottom layer if the scoby is getting very thick.
8. Bottle the finished kombucha: Measure out your starter tea from this batch of kombucha and set it aside for the next batch. Pour the fermented kombucha (straining, if desired) into bottles using the small funnel, along with any juice, herbs, or fruit you may want to use as flavoring. Leave about a half inch of head room in each bottle. (Alternatively, infuse the kombucha with flavorings for a day or two in another covered jar, strain, and then bottle. This makes a cleaner kombucha without "stuff" in it.)
9. Carbonate and refrigerate the finished kombucha: Store the bottled kombucha at room temperature out of direct sunlight and allow 1 to 3 days for the kombucha to carbonate. Until you get a feel for how quickly your kombucha carbonates, it's helpful to keep it in plastic bottles; the kombucha is carbonated when the bottles feel rock solid. Refrigerate to stop fermentation and carbonation, and then consume your kombucha within a month.
10. Make a fresh batch of kombucha: Clean the jar being used for kombucha fermentation. Combine the starter tea from your last batch of kombucha with the fresh batch of sugary tea, and pour it into the fermentation jar. Slide the scoby on top, cover, and ferment for 7 to 10 days.

Recipe Notes

• Covering for the jar: Cheesecloth is not ideal because it's easy for small insects, like fruit flies, to wiggle through the layers. Use a few layers of tightly woven cloth (like clean napkins or tea towels), coffee filters, or paper towels, to cover the jar, and secure it tightly with rubber bands or twine.
• Batch Size: To increase or decrease the amount of kombucha you make, maintain the basic ratio of 1 cup of sugar, 8 bags of tea, and 2 cups starter tea per gallon batch. One scoby will ferment any size batch, though larger batches may take longer.
• Putting Kombucha on Pause: If you'll be away for 3 weeks or less, just make a fresh batch and leave it on your counter. It will likely be too vinegary to drink by the time you get back, but the scoby will be fine. For longer breaks, store the scoby in a fresh batch of the tea base with starter tea in the fridge. Change out the tea for a fresh batch every 4 to 6 weeks.
• Other Tea Options: Black tea tends to be the easiest and most reliable for the scoby to ferment into kombucha, but once your scoby is going strong, you can try branching out into other kinds. Green tea, white tea, oolong tea, or a even mix of these make especially good kombucha. Herbal teas are okay, but be sure to use at least a few bags of black tea in the mix to make sure the scoby is getting all the nutrients it needs. Avoid any teas that contain oils, like earl grey or flavored teas.
• Avoid Prolonged Contact with Metal: Using metal utensils is generally fine, but avoid fermenting or bottling the kombucha in anything that brings them into contact with metal. Metals, especially reactive metals like aluminum, can give the kombucha a metallic flavor and weaken the scoby over time.

Troubleshooting Kombucha

• It is normal for the scoby to float on the top, bottom, or sideways in the jar. It is also normal for brown strings to form below the scoby or to collect on the bottom. If your scoby develops a hole, bumps, dried patches, darker brown patches, or clear jelly-like patches, it is still fine to use. Usually these are all indicative of changes in the environment of your kitchen and not a problem with the scoby itself.
• Kombucha will start off with a neutral aroma and then smell progressively more vinegary as brewing progresses. If it starts to smell cheesy, rotten, or otherwise unpleasant, this is a sign that something has gone wrong. If you see no signs of mold on the scoby, discard the liquid and begin again with fresh tea. If you do see signs of mold, discard both the scoby and the liquid and begin again with new ingredients.
• A scoby will last a very long time, but it's not indestructible. If the scoby becomes black, that is a sign that it has passed its lifespan. If it develops green or black mold, it is has become infected. In both of these cases, throw away the scoby and begin again.
• To prolong the life and maintain the health of your scoby, stick to the ratio of sugar, tea, starter tea, and water outlined in the recipe. You should also peel off the bottom (oldest) layer every few batches. This can be discarded, composted, used to start a new batch of kombucha, or given to a friend to start their own.
• If you're ever in doubt about whether there is a problem with your scoby, just continue brewing batches but discard the kombucha they make. If there's a problem, it will get worse over time and become very apparent. If it's just a natural aspect of the scoby, then it will stay consistent from batch to batch and the kombucha is fine for drinking.

This post was originally published July 2012.

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