Pumpkin Spice Latte

I'll admit, I've never tried one of those now all too famous pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks...  Why, you ask.  Well, a few years ago I bought one of their gingerbread lattes, and I've never forgiven them for it.  It was excessively sweet, without a trace of discernible coffee.  There was nothing latte-like about it.  Yet... there's been so much talk about pumpkin spice (see also) that I thought maybe it might be different... maybe I'd give it a try.  Then I came across a recipe on the kitchn.com that claimed it was even better than Starbucks.  Part experiment, part culinary adventure... with the added bonus that, unlike the Starbucks version, this pumpkin spice latte contained actual pumpkin.  I was in! 

 
Serves 3

Cooking the pumpkin first helps to remove the canned, tinny flavor; it also helps to deepen and enhance the pumkin's flavor.

Adapted from the kitchn.com

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin 
• 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (you can substitute this with a mix of a healthy 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, a healthy 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg)
• a pinch of ground cardamom
• 2 tablespoons sugar  
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 cups 1% milk 
• 3 shots espresso, about 1/3 cup (if you don't have espresso try a very strong coffee)
• sweetened whipped cream (almost optional; try this one in a can)
• cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for garnish 

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat cook the pumpkin with the spice mix for 2 minutes or until it's hot and smells cooked.  Stir it a bit as it cooks. 
2. Add the sugar and stir until the mixture looks smooth.  Careful not to overcook the sugar, it will caramelize and begin to stick.
3. Add the milk and vanilla.  Mix well using a spatula to scrape up any stuck bits if necessary.  Warm gently over medium heat, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't boil over.
4. Blend the mixture with an egg beater (or whisk) until well mixed and a little frothy.
5. Add one shot of espresso each to three mugs and add about 1/2 cup of the pumpkin-milk mixture to each mug.  Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or nutmeg if desired. 

Heat the pumpkin and spices.

Melt the sugar.

Add vanilla and milk.

This is a decadently delicious latte, but one that you can feel comfortable enjoying any day of the week.  It's not too sweet, and it has a wonderful hint of pumpkin (while managing not to taste at all like a candle).  In fact, the flavors are really well balanced, with all of the ingredients complementing rather than overwhelming the espresso -- essential for any latte. 

The original posting recommends that you whip up a batch of the pumpkin-milk mixture ahead of time, store it in the fridge, and use it throughout the week.  I imagine microwaving the mixture a bit just before making your latte would speed things along nicely.  Just don't forget the whipped cream!

And now for the PSA portion of this PSL post.  These lattes are slightly addictive.  If you're at all sensitive to caffeine (or a tad bit lactose intolerant...) this may not be the drink for you.  Because you will want a second cup, maybe even a third, and by that time you will have forgotten right from wrong, left from right, day from night... and nothing else will matter... nothing but the latte.  So please keep your wits about you, and drink responsibly. 

Steak Frites

Steak and potatoes.  So simple and rudimentary, it's almost boring.  But trust me, this is no stodgy meal.  The key to turning an average, everyday dinner into something extraordinary is to add a few delicious accompaniments that might just knock your socks off they are so good.  Start with high-quality ingredients and you will end up with a fantastic dinner  -- proof that alchemy is possible (at least perhaps in the kitchen).  This meal is a take on America's Test Kitchen's Steak Frites, which truly is as they claim, "the steak frites recipe of our Parisian dreams."

Over the years, America's Test Kitchen has reinvented their method of cooking steaks many times over, but none has rivaled the simple process of cooking steaks in a skillet.  They've told us to coat the steaks with 1 part cornstarch, 2 parts salt, freeze them, and then cook them on the grill.  They've recommended that we cook our steaks in a skillet and finish them in the oven.  More recently they say that it's better to reverse this process and start the steaks in the oven (to reach 95 degrees) and then finish them in the skillet (a reprise from previous years).  All of this nonsense in the name of obtaining perfectly cooked steaks risks ruining their credibility.  Which is ridiculous when they were right on the mark with their steak frites recipe in Season 11.... and that recipe couldn't be easier.  Simply cook the steaks in a skillet until they reach ~120 degrees F.  No fuss necessary.  (Of course, recreating the wheel is one of the better ways to produce 14+ seasons of ATK... but clearly, not all reinventions can be winners.)  I'm telling you, America's Test Kitchen's Steak Frites episode is near perfection.  My rendition is simpler but just as good as the original -- I swap out the fries for (ATK-approved) oven roasted potatoes that are crisp and delicious.

America's Test Kitchen recommends that, "Successful steak frites requires careful timing... Once you start cooking the steaks, you need to work quickly to get the steak and [everything else] on the table."  So take note -- you can make the herb butter and vinaigrette the day before or while the potatoes are roasting.  This way everything will be ready once the steaks are done to perfection.

Serves 2

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen's Steak Frites episode.

Side Salad with ATK's Foolproof Vinaigrette
I prepare this vinaigrette in a small jar, which makes quick work of the recipe by eliminating the need to whisk things together.  Also, see this entry from Serious Eats if you are ever curious about how to properly dress your salad. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar (red wine, white wine, or champagne vinegar will work)
• ~3 teaspoons finely minced shallots (onion will also work)
• 1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ~2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1/8 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of sugar (if needed)
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (if needed)
• lettuce greens, washed and spun dry

Directions

1. Combine vinegar, shallots, mayonnaise, mustard and salt in a small jar with a non-reactive lid or in a non-reactive bowl.  (If using a bowl -- whisk together until mixture is milky an no lumps of mayonnaise remain.) 
2. If using a jar to prepare the vinaigrette, add the oil, close tightly with the lid, and shake well until combined.  (If using a bowl -- place olive oil in a small measuring cup so that it is easy to pour.  Whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle oil into the vinegar mixture.  If pools of oil gather on the surface, stop addition of oil and whisk mixture until well combined, then resume whisking in oil in a slow stream.)  Once mixed, the vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened, with no pools of oil on the surface.  
3. Adjust the seasoning to your liking, with a little extra vinegar, sugar, mustard, or salt as needed.  Set dressing aside for immediate use, or store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
4. Place salad greens in a large bowl and toss with dressing.  Finish the salad with a fresh sprinkle of salt (and pepper if you like).  

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes (~1 lb)
• olive oil
• salt

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes into ~3/4 inch cubes.
2. Toss potatoes with olive oil in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt.
3. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees F for about 35-40 minutes.  The bottoms should be beautifully browned when done.

Herb Butter

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 medium shallot, minced (~2 tablespoons)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (~1 teaspoon)
• ~2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• ~1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl.  Set aside. 
2. The herb butter can be stored for up to 1 week, sealed and in the fridge.  Bring to room temperature before use.

Steaks 

Ingredients

• 2 boneless NY strip or rib-eye steaks (~.55 lbs each), steaks should be ~1.5 inches thick
• vegetable oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until smoking.
2. Meanwhile, season steaks with salt and pepper.  
3. Lay steaks in pan, leaving at least 1/4 inch between them.  Cook, not moving steaks, until well browned, about 3 minutes.  
4. Using tongs, flip steaks and continue to cook about 3 minutes more until instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the steaks reads 120 degrees F for rare to medium-rare.
5. Transfer steaks to warmed plates and top with herb butter.  Let rest a few minutes before serving.

This might sound like a lot of work, but if you time things properly, you can have dinner on the table in under 90 minutes (even less if you prepare the butter and vinaigrette in advance).  And boy is it time well spent!

Serve this meal with a wonderfully rich Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux.  Then... sit down, take a breath, and prepare to eat like a king/queen.  And at night, I can almost promise, you will dream of Paris.