Biscotti with Lemon & Anise Seeds

This recipe comes from my days at Northwest Culinary Academy….. week 10, to be precise. ‘Italian Week‘ was definitely one of my favourites. The recipes we prepared during that week were delicious and, for the most part, really quite simple. The biscotti was outstanding and , though I’ve never considered myself to be much of a baker, I remember thinking that this was an item that was definitely worth a repeat effort.

The word ‘biscotti’ comes from bis and cotti, the Italian terms for twice-cooked or twice-baked. Biscotti is also the generic term for cookie in Italian. Historically, these treats were perfect food for sailors who were at sea for months at a time. As the biscuits were thoroughly baked to draw out moisture, they were resistant to mold (their shelf life is about three to four months, without any preservatives or additives). Even Christopher Columbus enjoyed them on his long sea voyage. Though the traditional variety was flavoured with anise and almonds, today’s modern versions offer an endless variety of unique ingredients (think chocolate, pistachios, vanilla, orange rind, dried cherries…..)

If you like to have a sweet on hand, to dunk in your coffee or to share with a friend, I highly recommend giving this recipe a try. Hint: doubling the recipe would mean having extra to give away as gifts. Make someone’s day – make them some homemade biscotti!

Biscotti with Lemon & Anise Seeds

100 grams butter (1/2 c plus 1 T), softened
2/3 c sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 t anise seeds, toasted and ground (in a mortar and pestle)
2 eggs
2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1/4 t salt
2 t baking powder
2/3 c chopped almonds or whole hazelnuts, toasted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350*. Cream the butter, sugar, zest and seeds in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder. Add the nuts to the wet ingredients and combine. Next, stir in the dry ingredients, a bit at a time, until all flour has been incorporated and a dough is formed. Place the dough in the fridge for 5-10 minutes. Remove the dough from the fridge and put onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Form dough into a loaf and bake for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through. Allow to cool on a rack. Using a good bread knife, cut loaf into 1/2″ slices, being sure to cut on the bias (diagonal). This time, preheat oven to 250*. Place cookie slices back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for about another 10 minutes, until fully dry. Cool once more. Store in an airtight container, at room temperature.

Gosh, I’m not quite sure how to even begin to describe the mayhem that was Week 15. We had been assigned to teams of 4 during the Thursday of Week 14. Dan, Derek, Jonathan and I had already begun (collaboratively) sketching out the recipes and menus for what would become our practical exam. For 3 consecutive days we would be executing our menus and serving them to the public during seatings that were staggered every 20 minutes. Each seating was peppered with smatterings of restaurant professionals. Because each team’s menus were placed randomly at each seating, one never knew if their food was being served to a high profile chef, or to a classmate’s kid brother. Our 3-4 course menu (plus fresh breads, amuse bouches and intermezzos) had to change daily, while meeting a lengthy list of ingredient, budget, skill and technique requirements. There were lots of other complexities thrown at us; last minute ‘wild card’ requests for vegetarian menu items, cakes with icing, the killing and cooking of live lobsters, etc. Each team sent one member out onto the floor to serve during the day’s meal. My turn came during the dinner service on day 3, when I was assigned the judges’ “table” (a cloth-covered pastry making station with 5 plastic bar stools). The layout was cramped and the traffic flow awkward, making it difficult – no, impossible for me to serve some of the distinguished guests without brushing my bottom up against the backs of some of the other distinguished guests….

I did make myself a necklace in honour of the evening’s activities. I’ve since decided that it is my graduation gift to myself- surely I deserved something, having missed honours marks by a piddly 2.75%.

Somehow, we all survived (and didn’t make anyone sick). Wednesday night ended with most of the class crowding into a bar, drinking many libations and blowing off a lot of steam.

Sunday:
Final Practical Prep

Monday:
Final Practical 1 (First Lunch)

Tuesday:
Final Practical 2 (Second Lunch)

Wednesday:
Final Practical 3 (Dinner)

Thursday:
Massive Cleanup + Food Prep for Graduation

Friday:
Graduation Ceramony

Monday:
Asian Menu Development Day

Tuesday:
India Buffet

Wednesday:
Black Box Exam (Think ‘Iron Chef’ in 2 hours, and by yourself)

Thursday: (Food Costing Project-1)
Herbed Quail with a Balsamic- Demi Reduction + Roasted Squash Caponata & Basil Apple Salad
Trout Cakes with Fennel Slaw + Minted Salsa, Asian Tartar Sauce & Fried Ginger Threads

Friday: (Food Costing Project-2)
Grilled Quail & Rillettes + Fennel & Carrot Slaw
Ballontine of Cornish Game Hen with Date Stuffing + Braised Leeks & Basil-Lemon Basmati Pilaf
Poached Apple Tart with Crème Patissiere, Toasted Almonds & Blueberry Coulis

Grilled Tofu & Mushroom Skewers

Trout Cakes w. Fennel Slaw & Minted Salsa

Herbed Quail w. Balsamic-Demi Reduction + Roasted Squash Caponata

Ballontine of Cornish Game Hen with Date & Cashew Stuffing

Poached Apple Tart with Crème Patissiere & Blueberry Coulis

Monday:
Pastry 3

Tuesday:
Industry Day (Guest Speakers)

Wednesday:
Final Theory Review

Thursday:
Final Theory Exam (3 hours in morning)
Final Practical Exam Prep (afternoon)

Friday:
Day off (coming in on Sunday, instead)

One of our assignments for Pastry 3 was to make a ‘Genoise Cake with a German Butter Cream Icing’. An additional component to this excercise was to construct ‘coronets’ (parchment paper piping bags which we filled with melted chocolate) in order that we could practice decorating our cakes with text and drawings. Chef Ian was clear in his instructions: no licking of spoons or fingers, and no inappropriate language on our cakes.

My classmate Jowen, though never one for profanity, definitely errs on the side of mischievous. The parameters of Chef Ian’s assignment evidently inspired him, as illustrated by his birthday cake (below).

We are in the home stretch….finals and assignments….yikes! I’ll try and post tomorrow. Oh, we didn’t get the Viagra ad. Something about deciding to shoot at a house that has a swimming pool, which we don’t have. To heck with those indecisive, limp willied, t.v. commercial people.

For those of you keeping track- I was a no-show for week 11. But I have a good reason; sick as a dog with that ass-kicking flu which is doing the rounds. Without getting into too much detail….let’s just say that there were a few days there where standing upright was not an option and everything hurt, even my eyelashes and my finger nails. Anyhoo, I am on the mend and have decided to focus my energy more towards recovery and less towards the pity party I hosted for myself over the last week and a half. Besides, it wasn’t all bad. I lost 3 lbs.

So, what did I miss at school? More than I am comfortable with. We move so quickly and cover so much material, even missing one day is a big deal. I shivered on my sofa through 2 days of French classics, plus 3 days of Asia week.

Oh, and on a side note….a location scout came knocking on our door last Thursday. He informed me that he would like to use our house to shoot a Viagra commercial. Providing the director likes the house as much as he does, we could actually make some cash!! Though I can’t help but wonder….what makes our house ‘Viagra worthy’? Does the site of it conjure up feelings of endurance and virility? Or does it remind one of erectile disfunction? I guess it doesn’t really matter, just so long as it pays well.

I’d been looking forward to this week’s curriculum for quite some time now….Italy Week!!! Despite the fact that I chose to attend culinary school with the intention of elevating and ‘fancifying’ my cooking skills; deep down (and sometimes closer to the surface), I’m just a simple gal. Ingredients that have been painstakingly manipulated, flavours that have been complexly combined and presentations that artfully impress are all wonderful techniques to master. I am very fortunate to be learning all that the program has taught me so far….but what really moves me, now more than ever, is rustic simplicity. This is the cooking that, by far, excites, inspires, moves and satiates me the most. Such cuisine honours the integrity of the ingredients while keeping the labour lighter. As someone who has always been most interested in home cooking, I truly believe it is paramount that our culture is able prepare and enjoy simple, delicious and healthy food.

Like any of the cuisines we have touched on so far, we don’t get a lot of time to delve too deeply. Italy week taught me to make pasta by hand, as well as with a pasta machine. I enjoyed it so much, I ran out yesterday and bought one for home. My brand new, shiny silver Atlas sparkles in my kitchen, feeling sturdy and durable enough to last me a lifetime; ready to crank out literally miles of sheet pasta which will then be transformed into lasagna, linguine, fettucine, cannelloni, tortolloni etc. We made one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had….and that includes those consumed during a decent smattering of pizza field studies in Europe; even a few specimens from wood-burning brick ovens. The Roasted Squash Cannelloni and the Lemon Anise Biscotti also place as some of the finest I’ve ever had. The Roasted Tomato Soup was soothingly memorable, and also dead simple to make; you can even reduce it and use it as a sauce for pasta or mussels. I’ve never been a fan of gnocchi in the past, having found it too heavy and starchy for my taste….but the Potato Gnocchi we made on Wednesday has converted me. Simply delicious.

Lobster-Tortolloni

Fettucine Ailio e Olio

Here is a short list of all items we made during Week 10:

Monday:
Hand-Shaped Pasta (Trilli, Orrecchiette, and Trilluzzi)
Sheet Pasta
Tomato Sauce, Pesto Sauce and Cream Sauce
Savoy Cabbage Wrapped Salmon w. Sheet Pasta
Black Pepper Panna Cotta

Tuesday:
Roasted Tomato Soup
Fettucine Ailio and Olio
Lobster Tortolloni
Lemon and Anise Seed Biscotti

Wednesday:
Chard Wrapped Bocconcini w. Blueberry Vinaigrette
Veal Piccatta w. Potato Gnocchi
Open Lasagna w. Crab & Bolognese
Focaccia Bread

Thursday:
Pizettes
Pork Shoulder w. Spinach-Ricotta Gnocchi and Grilled Asparagus
Torta Rustica w. Potato and Chard

Friday:
Saffron Sheet Pasta (for Cannelloni)
Stuffed Rabbit Sous Vide w. Bean Puree and Chocolate-Marsala Reduction
Roasted Squash Cannelloni w. Porcini & Walnut-Cream Sauces
Lemon Souffle

….And it’s not over yet. I can’t wait for tomorrow (Monday of Week 11), when Chef Tony is going to teach us how to make cheese….

I’d been wanting to make preserved lemons for a while now, yet couldn’t quite seem to actually get to it….so Thursday’s demo was perfect. They are so quick and easy to make, and they look beautiful steeping in a glass mason jar. One month later you have yourself a vibrant, exotic condiment to toss into salads, cous cous, rice, stews and tagines….or a unique gift to pass on to someone else.

Preserved Lemons

5 lemons, quartered
¼ c salt
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
5-6 coriander seeds
3-4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
freshly squeezed lemon juice

Toss the lemon with the salt and place in a ½ pint jar with a glass or plastic lid. Cover the lemons with the lemon juice and spices, screw the lid on and leave the jar at room temperature for a week, shaking it occasionally. After a week, pour in olive oil to cover and use the lemons for up to 1 year, storing them in the fridge.

As for week 9, we all needed a breather after the intensity of our midterms during week 8. We made a lot of beautiful food this week; at a relaxed and enjoyable pace. I even replicated Friday’s Middle Eastern menu for a dinner party on Saturday night, adding two more (Moroccan) salads to the list, plus blood oranges, dark chocolate and mint tea for dessert. Oh, and I was very pleased with both my written and practical midterm results.

Lahmahjoon w. Meat Filling & Sumac Red Onions

Monday:
Midterm Review

Tuesday:
Brunch….
Gratinee of Artichoke Benny
Pannetone
Tiramisu
Ricotta Stuffed Pannetone- French Toast w. Berry Sauce
English Muffins w. Scrambled Eggs

Wednesday:
Latin American….
Enchiladas de Mole ‘Coloradito’
Ceviche de Corvina
Tres Leche Cake
Salt Cod & Potato Croquette
Coconut Pudding
Moros y Cristianos

Thursday:
Middle East….
Chicken Bestilla
Persian Date-Almond Pilaf
Zaatar Bread
Manti
Preserved Lemons

Friday:
Middle East….
Lahmahjoon w. Meat Filling & Sumac Red Onions
Lentil Kibbeh
Tamarind Bulgar Salad
Lamb Kofte w. Spicy Tomato Sauce, Spicy Yogurt-Garlic Sauce & Cumin Butter

Sumac Spice

Well, there sure wasn’t much standing around this week….what with all the midterm madness. There was lots of studying and preparation for Thursday’s written exam, followed by Friday’s practical and then this morning I woke up with the flu….think I’ll go back to bed now. Catch you later.

Monday was the first of 2 seafood days. We began by killing and processing a live crab (done by plunging the tip of a cleaver down into the centre of its head, then swiftly chopping through its body, severing it in half lengthwise). Next came the demo showing us how we were to kill a lobster (these are smart, social creatures who know what ‘up; not to mention that they can keep twitching for up to 20 minutes after they are killed, even if they have been cut up into pieces). As the tip of the instructor’s* chef knife sliced into its skull and he skillfully twisted its head in reverse to its body…. without warning, out of nowhere; I lost it. I was crying for about half an hour- had to sit out of class and the whole lobster slaughter. I suspect it was an accumulative response not only to all of the animals we have been working with so far this term….cows, pigs, fish, poultry and game, but also a deep sorrow for all animals that have ever suffered and lost their lives in order to be our food, our scientific research, our shoes & handbags, our livelihood, and our sport- so very often without the respect, awareness and gratitude that they deserve.

*It is important to note that our instructor, Chef Ian, was teaching us the quickest and most humane way to kill these creatures. Both crabs and lobsters are often killed by plunging them into boiling water, and crabs often have the shells ripped from their backs when they are still alive. We were shown how to kill as swiftly and efficiently as possible, in order to minimize their suffering.

I finally composed myself and returned to class. The (lobster) bisque was delicious. I don’t at all mind being a cry baby, but am rather uncomfortable realizing what a hypocrite I am.

Mid terms are coming up for 2 days of next week….so I’m off to study. Here is a list of what we made in week 7:

Monday:
Seafood.…
Killed & Processed Crab and Lobster
Crab & Corn Chowder
Lobster Bisque
Seared Tuna Carpaccio

Tuesday:
Restaurant Day (Seafood….)
Lobster Salad
Prawn Seviche
Seared Scallop w. Tamarind-Orange Sauce
Crab Cake w. Salsa & Chili Sauce
Crab Salad ‘Sandwich’ (w. Salmon Gravlax)

Wednesday:
Stuffed Quail w. Cherry Red Wine Sauce & Yam Puree
Baguette
Fried Escalopes of Sweetbreads w. Potato Anna & Bernaise
Crepes Forestiere (w. Duxelles & Morney Sauce)

Thursday:
Mussels & Venison….
Venison Steak w. Garlic Flan, Blueberry Sauce & Parsnip Garnish
Mussels & Frites (w. Garlic Mayonnaise)
Cheese & Pepper Biscuits

Friday:
Pastry….
Lemon & Basil Scones
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies
Orange Almond Lace Cookies
Morning Glory Muffins
Poached Pear Tart w. Crème Patissiere & Red Wine Glaze

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