How To Cook Like Monks and Nuns – Heaven Gourmet Recipe Blog

Monastery Recipe Cookbook

A Taste of Heaven is a recipe cookbook and budget travel guide that talks about Belgian beers, desserts, fruitcake and other food and drink made by monasteries.

Taste of Heaven author Madeline Scherb also launched Heaven Gourmet on Facebook, where you can shop for food & drink made by monks and nuns; a percent of profits helps support the monasteries. And stay tuned for the launch of the Compassionate Consumer Guild, a group of volunteers who help monasteries with repairs, planting and painting.

Now available in paperback, Kindle and at Heaven Gourmet on Facebook, A Taste of Heaven is the only recipe cook book and budget travel guide of its kind that talks about Belgian beers, desserts, fruitcake and other food and drink made by monasteries.

New Recipes Coming Soon

Heaven Gourmet has been woefully absent from blogging due to a perfect storm that included the airline losing HG’s favorite camera and a broken electric mixer.

Rather than admit defeat, HG has chosen to make recipes that only require a bowl and a fork. Yes, that means we even beat egg whites by hand.

The results? HG will start posting our favorite bowl-and-fork recipes on our blog.

Also starting this week, HG will write a Food-Find Fridays roundup of our favorite food products and kitchen gadgets.

Cheers!

 

Buy Brandy Soaked Monastery Fruitcake – Heaven Gourmet Recipe Blog

Heaven Gourmet will soon be carrying brandy-soaked fruitcake from Our Lady of Guadalupe monastery in Oregon. Shop Heaven Gourmet on Facebook for more food and drink made by monasteries.

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 4,500 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 8 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Carrot Cake Recipe – Heaven Gourmet Recipe Blog

This carrot cake recipe is a classic that perfectly balances moistness and flavor. It is lightly spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, allowing the flavors of dried fruits and nuts to shine through. Best of all, it’s super easy to make and lasts for days when properly stored. This recipe is adapted from First Crack Your Egg!, a cookbook inspired by the BBC2 series Kitchen Criminals. You can thank Angela Hartnett, owner of the delightful Nonna’s in London, for the carrot cake recipe.    

Carrot Cake

¾ cup sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour plus ½ cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 ¼ cup mixed raisins and nuts (walnuts or pine nuts work well)
2 cups grated carrot
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder or baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 ½ teasoons cinnamon

Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake tin. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and oil together. Mix in the flour, spices and baking soda (or baking powder) to create a batter. Fold in carrot, raisins and nuts until evenly distributed; the batter will be thick. Pour the batter into the cake tin, being careful not to fill it more than two-thirds full since the cake will rise as it bakes.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F or until well risen. Insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the cake and remove it; if it’s clean the cake is done, if not continue baking another five or ten minutes and repeat the toothpick test.

Chef Hartnett suggests keeping the cake in an airtight tin for three or four days before eating it. I wasn’t able to wait that long and the cake tasted delicious the day it was baked! To serve, dust lightly with confectioners sugar. You can also serve it with whipped cream on the side, but my favorite accompaniment is mascarpone whipped with a touch of sugar and vanilla.

Provence Salad Recipe – Heaven Gourmet Recipe Blog

This salad is best served after a main course as a transition to dessert.

In France it is often accompanied by a cheese plate.

This recipe was adapted from “Twelve Months of Monastery Salads” by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette.

 

MIXED GREEN SALAD PROVENÇAL

Makes 6 servings

Salad

1 head baby chicory (frisée), torn into bite-size pieces
1 bunch arugula, stems trimmed off
1 small bunch watercress, stems trimmed off and cut into bite-size pieces
1 Belgian endive, leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces

Vinaigrette

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil from Ganagobie Abbey (see Note) or other young fresh fruity olive oil
3 tablespoons raspberry-scented vinegar (recipe follows) or store-bought raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon, Meaux, or other French mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup minced fresh chervil for garnish

Combine the salad greens in a good-size salad bowl. Toss until well mixed.
Just before serving, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a measuring cup or a smallbowl until thickened. Pour ¼ cup of the dressing over the salad and toss lightly until the greens are evenly coated. Add more as needed. Sprinkle with the chervil and serve immediately.

Note:Extra-virgin olive oil from Ganagobie Abbey is not currently available in the United States. You can substitute your favorite extra-virgin olive oil.

RASPBERRY-SCENTED VINEGAR
Makes 3 cups
3 cups white wine vinegar (see Note)
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon rum

In a large pot, bring the vinegar to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for about
3 minutes. Add the raspberries and rum, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat. With the help of a masher, carefully crush the raspberries, then cover the pan and allow the vinegar to cool for at least 1 hour.
Pour the entire mixture into a clean, sterilized glass jar. A large canning jar is perfect for this.

Refrigerate for 1 week.

After a week, pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bottle, discarding the fruit. Store the bottle in a cool, dark place or the refrigerator.

Note:Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette from Our Lady of the Resurrection Monastery near Millbrook, N.Y., makes white wine vinegars. They can be purchased in the abbey gift shop.

How to Caramelize Bananas with Beer – Heaven Gourmet Recipe Blog

According to beer expert and author Jef van den Steen, Westmalle’s Tripel is a complex
beer with competing flavors: the fruity aroma of ripe banana, the delicate bitterness of hops,and the sweetness of malt. The creamy, mellow character is balanced by a fruity, acidic touch reminiscent of orange. He says a beer like this one calls for a bold, daring dessert. This recipe has been adapted from “Westmalle Trappist: Met Een-voudige en Lekkere Eenpansgerechten” (Delicious One Dish Meals Made Easy) by Stefaan Couttenye and Jef van den Steen.

CARAMELIZED BANANAS WITH WESTMALLE TRIPEL AND RUM

Serves 4

1 cup sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons dark rum
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Westmalle Tripel (see Note)
Zest of half a lemon, peeled in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
Zest of half an orange, peeled in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
4 ripe but still firm bananas
4 small slices of fruitcake (optional)
4 scoops chocolate ice cream or vanilla ice cream
Toasted sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

Combine the sugar, rum, beer, and zests in a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until a thick syrup forms, about 15 minutes.
Remove the zests and add the peeled bananas. Cook, spooning the sauce over the bananas often and shaking pan to gently the roll bananas for a few minutes, until they are well glazed.

Carefully remove the bananas from the skillet and arrange on four plates. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Briefly dip both sides of the cake slices in the syrup so it soaks up a little bit. Place the cake onthe plates with the bananas. Drizzle the remaining syrup on top.

Serve with a scoop of chocolate ice cream (or vanilla ice cream) and sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds, if using. This dessert can be served hot or cold.

Note:State regulations for beer commerce vary, so monasteries rely on a network of local beer distributors. Visit www.merchantduvin.com to find a distributor near you.

How to Cook Shrimp with Chartreuse Liqueur – Heaven Gourmet Recipe Blog

This is one of my favorite recipes from my book, A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns. What makes this shrimp dish different is the addition of Chartreuse, a liqueur made by the monks of La Grande Chartreuse monastery in France. I visited the Chartreuse tasting room and cellars in Voiron and while this liqueur is delightful, don’t be tempted to drink and drive. It will knock your socks off. This dish goes great with a side of simple white rice.

SHRIMP WITH CHARTREUSE

Serves two to four

1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo tiger shrimp, tail on (optional), patted dry
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 scallions, greens only, finely chopped, plus some sliced scallions for garnish
2 tablespoons green Chartreuse liqueur, slightly warmed

Generously season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large skillet over
medium-high heat. When the butter is bubbling, add the shrimp and sauté until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (You can also start with cooked shrimp, in which case just heat them for 1 to 2 minutes.)

Add the orange juice and reduce the heat to low. Cook another minute, then stir in the scallion greens. Remove the pan from the heat, add the Chartreuse, then light by either tipping the pan slightly toward the flame of the burner or using a long match. Let the flame go out on its own.

Transfer the shrimp to a platter, garnish with some sliced scallions, and serve immediately.

How to Make Red Wine Sorbet – Heaven Gourmet Recipe Blog

When I was writing A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns, I visited the abbey of St. Hildegard in Germany. The abbey is perched above the Rhine and is surrounded by vineyards. The nuns make amazing Rieslings, fire-breathing liqueurs and Spatburgunder, and at least one nun is studying to be a Master Vintner. This recipe was created by the gelato chef at Ciao Bella Gelato.

Red Wine Sorbet

1 lb. fresh blackberries, rinsed (or frozen blackberries, thawed)
2 c. red wine (a light French burgundy works well)
3/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
mint leaves (optional)

If using fresh berries, set aside 4 berries for garnish. Puree remaining blackberries in a blender. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on solids with the back of a spoon; discard seeds. Set aside.

Boil the wine in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it reduces to 1 cup. Add 1 cup water and sugar to reduced wine and stir until dissolved. Stir in blackberry puree and lemon juice and simmer 2-3 minutes.

Transfer sorbet base to large metal bowl and set over an ice water bath until cool. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 hour, until completely chilled. Freeze in an ice cream maker. Garnish with mint leaves.

Tips For Making Red Wine Sorbet
*Try using Spatburgunder wine from St. Hildegard Abbey in Germany (see A Taste of Heaven for US distributors).

How to Make Pizza Dough From Scratch – Heaven Gourmet Recipe Blog

I lived in Italy for a couple of years and have eaten my share of amazing Italian pizza, from a rectangular slice topped with potatoes that I sampled in Florence to an unforgettable ricotta pizza I had in Verona. However, it took a French chef trained at the Cordon Bleu to introduce me to this amazing, silky pizza dough recipe that is as delicious as it is simple. This pizza crust is thicker and sweeter than a traditional Neapolitan-style thin crust pizza. The baked pizzas are best eaten fresh, but the dough can be refrigerated overnight in an air-tight container and used the next day. Recipe adapted from Modern French Culinary Art by Henri-Paul Pellaprat. 

PIZZA DOUGH (Rich Pastry)

1 envelope yeast
1/2 c. lukewarm water
1 tsp. sugar

3/4 c. hot water
1/3 c. shortening
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 large egg
about 5 c. sifted all-purpose flour

Combine yeast, lukewarm water and sugar and let stand 5 minutes. Mix hot water, shortening, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir to melt shortening and dissolve sugar. Cool to lukewarm. Blend in yeast and egg. Gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead until dough is smooth and satiny. Place in a greased bowl, turning dough over to bring greased side to the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until dough doubles in size. Divide dough in 2 equal parts. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Place each ball of dough on a greased cooky sheet and roll into a 15-by-12 inch rectangle. (Alternatively, you can make individual pizzas by rolling the dough into 4-inch circles 1/4-inch thick.) Chill until ready to spread with filling. Add toppings and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until edges are brown and crisp.

Tips For Making Pizza
*Top your pizza with pesto cheese from Gethsemani Abbey, available at http://www.gethsemanifarms.org/cheese.aspx
*Add sauce (see below) and your favorite toppings such as chorizo, pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced Mozarella, anchovy fillets and grated Parmesan, or skip the sauce and add mozarella, parmesan and black olives.

PIZZA SAUCE

1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 c. finely chopped green pepper
1/2 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 c. well-drained canned tomatoes (Italian plum tomoatoes work well)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano (optional)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar

Cook onion, green pepper and garlic in 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat until onion is transparent. Add remaining oil, tomatoes and seasonings. Stir and cook slowly 15 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Cool. Spread over pizza dough, add desired toppings and continue following instructions for baking pizza dough.

How to Make Crepes – Heaven Gourmet Recipe Blog

My Mom, who is Russian, often made crepes for breakfast when I was growing up, although she called them “blini.” I never once saw her use a recipe, so it took quite a few experiments–and a lot of eggs–before I could reliably recreate my Mom’s crepes. This recipe is culled from several different cookbooks including two of my favorites, ”Modern French Culinary Art” and “First, Crack Your Egg.”

CLASSIC CREPES

3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Serving suggestion:
Nutella
Sliced almonds

If using butter, melt it in a saucepan over low heat until butter begins to brown. Set aside.

Beat eggs and milk in a large bowl. Slowly add flour, mixing well after each addition. Add butter and beat batter for one to two minutes. Cover the batter with a clean towel or lid and let rest for 30 minutes (if you plan on making the crepes right away you can leave the batter on the counter, otherwise place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it).

Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat and brush lightly with vegetable oil. Pour about ¼ cup batter into center of pan and quickly tilt the pan in a clockwise direction to spread the batter evenly across the pan, shaking the pan to help spread the batter. Let crepe cook until a spatula can easily slip underneath (you can check if a crepe is ready to flip by giving the handle of the pan a firm shake; if the bottom of the crepe comes loose from the pan, it’s ready to flip). Flip crepe over with a spatula and cook another minute or two. Cook crepe until nicely browned on both sides, flipping as necessary. Serve immediately.

Tips For Serving Crepes
*You can also keep crepes warm until you are ready to serve them by piling them on a plate in an oven that has been preheated to 200 degrees F and has been turned off.
*Serve with Trappist jams from St. Joseph’s Abbey in Massachusetts, available at http://www.monksbread.com.