Dayrecipe Food Community

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 10 hr (includes chilling)

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• for mousse
• 2/3cup chilled heavy cream
• 1/4cup sugar
• 3(2- by 1 1/4-inch) fresh or frozen kaffir limeleaves
• 1 1/2teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest
• 3/4teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-oz envelope)
• 1tablespoon water
• 1/2teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1cup plain whole-milk yogurtfor honeydew water
• 3cups (1-inch) pieces honeydew flesh (2 lb)
• 2tablespoons midori(melon liqueur)
• 1tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1tablespoon water
• 2tablespoons sugargarnish:4 fresh green shisoleaves
• accompaniment: chile lime tuiles
• special equipment:cheesecloth

DIRECTIONS Make mousse:
Stir together 1/3 cup cream, sugar, lime leaves, zest, and a pinch of saltin a small heavy saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over moderately low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 25 minutes.

Sprinkle gelatin over water and lime juice in a bowl and let soften 1 minute. Return cream mixture to a simmer, then pour through a very fine sieve into gelatin, pressing on and discarding solids. Stir until gelatin is dissolved, about 1 minute. Gradually add yogurt, whisking, and chill, covered, 30 minutes. (Mixture will not be gelled.)

Beat remaining 1/3 cup cream in a chilled bowl with whisk until it just holds soft peaks. Fold into yogurt mixture and chill, covered, at least 8 hours. (Mousse will be softly set.)

Make honeydew water:
Blend honeydew, Midori, lime juice, and a pinch of salt in a blender at high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour through a fine sieve lined with dampened cheesecloth into a bowl. Let drain, undisturbed, 30 minutes, then discard foam remaining in cheesecloth.

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let soften 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons melon juice and sugar, then cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin and sugar are dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in 1 1/8 cups melon juice (reserve remainder for another use if desired), then transfer to a bowl and chill, covered, at least 8 hours. (Honeydew water will be barely set.)

Assemble dessert:
Spoon honeydew water onto 4 dessert plates and top with shiso leaves. Spoon mousse onto leaves.

Cooks’ note:
• Mousse and honeydew water can be made 3 days ahead and chilled separately, covered.

This cheesecake is very light and fluffy, unlike more traditional cheesecakes, which are creamy and dense.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 12 hr (includes chilling)

Makes 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2(8-oz) packages cream cheese (1 1/4 lb), softened
• 1 1/4sticks (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for pan
• 1 1/2cups sugar
• 8large eggs, separated
• 2teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2teaspoon orange-flower water*
• 1/2teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4cup cornstarchspecial equipment:parchment paper cut into a 10-inch round and a 32- by 5-inch strip; a 10-inch (26-cm) springform pan

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter bottom and side of springform pan. Line bottom with round of parchment and butter round. Butter 1 side of parchment strip and fit unbuttered side of strip against buttered side of pan. (Strip will extend 2 inches above rim of pan.)

Beat together cream cheese, butter, 3/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, zest, juice, vanilla, orange-flower water, and almond extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes in a standing mixer or 3 minutes with a handheld. Add cornstarch and mix at low speed until just combined.

Beat egg whites in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium speed until whites just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue beating until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks, about 2 minutes in standing mixer or 3 minutes with handheld.

Fold one fourth of whites into cream cheese mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Line outside of springform pan with foil (covering bottom and about 1 inch up side) to waterproof. Pour batter into pan and gently smooth top. Bake in a hot water bath in middle of oven until top is golden but cake trembles slightly when pan is shaken gently, 55 to 65 minutes. (Cheesecake will rise in oven, but then will fall slightly and set as it cools.) Transfer springform pan to a rack to cool completely, then chill, loosely covered, at least 8 hours.

Cooks’ notes:
• Cheesecake can be chilled, covered, up to 3 days.
• Cut cake with dental floss or a long, thin sharp knife dipped into a tall glass of hot water.

* Available at some supermarkets and Kalustyan’s (800-352-3451).

Brining the chops makes them moist.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2cups water
• 2cups dark lager beer
• 1/4cup coarse salt
• 3tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 3tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 1cup ice cubes
• 61- to 1 1/4-inch-thick center-cut bone-in pork chops7large garlic cloves, minced
• 3teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 2teaspoons salt
• 2teaspoons dried sage leaves

DIRECTIONS Combine 2 cups water, beer, 1/4 cup coarse salt, sugar, and molasses in large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in ice. Place pork chops in large resealable plastic bag. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove pork chops from beer brine; pat dry. Mix garlic, pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and sage in small bowl. Rub garlic mixture over both sides of pork chops. Grill pork chops until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 145°F to 150°F, about 10 minutes per side, occasionally moving chops to cooler part of rack if burning. Transfer chops to platter; cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Serve.

Sandra Hersh of Groton, Massachusetts, writes: “A wonderful dinner with out-of-town friends at Mamma Maria, in the North End of Boston, was topped off with an outstanding chocolate hazelnut tart. It was a perfect finish to a great evening. I know the pastry chef would be happy to share the recipe.”

This impressive-looking tart is easy because the crust is pressed into the pan rather than rolled out. The pastry chef at Mamma Maria serves it with candied hazelnuts and a chocolate sauce.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 4 hr

Makes 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• for tart shell
• 1/2cup hazelnuts, toastedand any loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel, then cooled completely
• 1cup all-purpose flour
• 3tablespoons sugar
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1/2stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1large egg
• 1teaspoon vanillafor chocolate filling
• 7oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2cup whole milk
• 1/4cup sugar
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 2large egg yolks
• 1teaspoon vanilla
• 1cup crème fraîchespecial equipment:a 9- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with removable bottom; pie weights or raw rice

DIRECTIONS Make tart shell:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pulse hazelnuts with flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until finely ground (be careful not to grind to a paste), then add butter and pulse until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Add egg and vanilla and pulse just until mixture begins to clump.

Press dough evenly over bottom and up side of tart pan and chill 10 minutes. Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven until pale golden along rim, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Make filling while shell cools:
Put chopped chocolate in a bowl. Bring milk, sugar, and salt to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, then pour milk over chocolate in bowl and let stand until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in yolks and vanilla. Whisk in crème fraîche and pour into crust.

Bake tart in middle of oven until just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour, then bring to room temperature before serving.

Sautéeing duck foie gras is not hard to do, but be careful; otherwise, you’ll end up with a puddle of very expensive melted fat.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb piece rawgrade a duck foie gras at room temperature, cleaned and deveined
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegarspecial equipment: a 10-inch heavy skillet

DIRECTIONS After deveining, cut the foie gras crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces, then season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the canola oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.

Sauté half the foie gras until golden, 45 to 60 seconds on each side (it will be pink inside). Quickly transfer to a paper towel to drain and discard fat in skillet.

Sauté the rest of the foie gras the same way, then discard all all but 1 tablespoon of remaining fat in skillet. Add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Serve foie gras with sauce.