(truffle recipe below)
What's a breakaway cook?
A breakaway cook is, above all, someone who loves great home cooking
without excessive fuss – it’s all about keeping things very simple and
accessible. Simplicity is what distinguishes breakaway cooking from
fusion food, which often muddies the waters with needless and excessive
complexity. Breakaway cooking reaches all over the globe for
inspiration and ingredients to produce easy, no-fuss food. The flavors
are bright and fresh, and the ideas are simple yet sweeping.
Sprinkle poached eggs with maccha salt (powdered green tea and
sea salt) for an all-in-one savory and salty breakfast. Braise duck
legs with pickled plums and plum wine for a sweet-and-sour flavor.
Pan-fry flank steak with an Indian-inspired spice crust and accompany
it with a simple tamarind-tomato chutney. Bake convenient frozen peas
with a pestolike mixture of tarragon, scallions, yogurt, and pistachios
for a creamy, earthy complement to any meal. Add tea to biscotti for an
Asian-Italian-inspired cookie.
But breakaway cooking is not only about food: Eric's 15 years
in Japan have given him a rich appreciation of aesthetics that he loves
to share. Using beautiful handmade ceramics and tableware you love
makes having dinner a special and truly fulfilling experience, to be
enjoyed again and again. It's about the fast and mindful preparation of
food and about the slow savoring of that food. It's a new way to
experience the multifaceted pleasures of eating well.
Photography by the amazing Annabelle Breakey, and styled by the equally inspiring George Dolese.
Matcha Truffles
- from The Breakaway Cook page 202
These little gems take only a few minutes of prep time, some cooling
down time in the fridge, then a few more minutes to shape the chocolate
into balls. Wrapped up in a pretty box, they make beautiful gifts for
friends. Makes about 50 truffles.
8 ounces heavy cream
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon maccha, plus another tablespoon for dusting
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
Pinch of Maccha Salt or kosher salt
Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over gentle heat,
add the maple syrup and brown sugar, and stir until dissolved, about 2
minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the maccha, stir until dissolved, and set
aside.
Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl and pour in the
cream mixture. Mix thoroughly, and pour into a baking sheet lined with
parchment paper. Smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Cool in the
refrigerator for about an hour.
Using a spoon, scoop out a heaping teaspoon, and make a ball
using the palms of your hands. Repeat until all the chocolate is used –
you should wind up with about 50 truffles. Line them up on a tray or
plate, and dust them with the additional maccha, using a fine sieve.
Top with a very light sprinkling of maccha salt. |
