WCC#18: Nanaimo Bars
July 5, 2007 at 6:48 pm | Posted in cookies & bars, events, sweet things | 27 Comments
“This looks good. What is it?” R asked.
“It’s a Nanaimo bar,” I replied.
I may be from south of the border, but when I saw that the theme of this month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge is “red and white,” I immediately thought of the Canadian flag. Perhaps this was because Canada Day had just passed, or perhaps because Sara from i like to cook (creator and host of WCC) lives in Canada…I don’t know. I did know that I wanted to make Nanaimo bars, a British Columbian treat named after a city on Vancouver Island, for my entry. I love these simple bar cookies, with melt-in-your-mouth ganache and filling layers and a chocolaty graham cracker crust (a little goes a long way, though, as they are really sweet). So I opened a book with a red and white spine, The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, and found the recipe I was looking for.
I have to admit that I thought this would be a pretty easy recipe to whip up. I didn’t know that the “challenge” part of the equation would be finding graham crackers here in Sydney. I went to four different grocery stores, one 7-11 and one import shop, but no luck. I thought about replacing them with plain chocolate wafers, but couldn’t find those either. Worn out from my search, I went home and made my own graham crackers from a recipe in the same book. (While they were quite good on their own, I don’t think making graham crackers from scratch is necessary for these bars. Therefore, I’m not including those steps below. If like me, you cannot find them at the store, let me know, and I’ll be happy to add the recipe.)
I don’t remember when I first had a Nanaimo bar, but it could have been on any number of trips up north. My first time in Canada was with Grandma W, who took me to Vancouver for the 1986 World’s Fair. Since then, I have traveled extensively through the country. Two weeks spent on Grand Manan Island with high school classmates sealed my love of the Maritime Provinces. The cute, smart, funny boy from Dundas, Ontario that I went out with for three years was reason enough to make the trip to the Toronto area several times. I have probably been to more national parks in Canada than in the US, and I think there is no place more beautiful than the Canadian Rockies in early spring. Where do I hope to go next? Maybe PEI or Quebec City. Although now that I really think about it, while I have been to Victoria, I have never been to Nanaimo…
Nanaimo Bars– makes 48 small bars
adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion
for the crust:
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) sugar
1/3 cup (1 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg
1 cup (3 oz) sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup (2 oz) chopped walnuts
1 t vanilla extract
2 cups (10 oz) graham cracker crumbs
for the filling:
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 T instant vanilla pudding mix
2 T milkfor the frosting:
1 cup (6 oz) chopped dark chocolate
2 T (1 oz) unsalted butter
-for the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease a 9×9-inch or 11×7-inch pan and line the bottom with parchment. Combine melted butter, sugar and cocoa in a bowl, then mix in the egg. Stir in the coconut, chopped nuts, vanilla and graham cracker crumbs. Press into the botton of the prepared pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Cool crust completely before filling and frosting.
-for the filling: Cream the butter by hand in a medium bowl and add in 1 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla. In a separate small bowl, stir the milk and pudding mix together, then add to the butter mixture. Add in the remaining powdered sugar and beat vigorously until free of lumps. Spread over the cooled crust and refrigerate until cold (half an hour is good).
-for the frosting: Melt the chocolate and butter together using a double boiler or the microwave, stirring until smooth. Spread and smooth over the chilled bars and refrigerate until set (another half hour or so). Cut with a sharp knife (heat your knife if you have trouble with the chocolate cracking).
SHF#32: German Chocolate Cake, my sweetest thing
June 25, 2007 at 6:40 pm | Posted in cakes & tortes, events, layer cakes, sweet things | 21 Comments
Hmmm….two cake products in one week. I am good to myself, aren’t I? Of course I will have to be punished with an extra trip to the gym. I couldn’t help it though. I’ve had German chocolate cake on the brain ever since I read the theme of this month’s Sugar High Friday, hosted by its founder Jennifer, The Domestic Goddess. Since childhood it has been my dream dessert. I just love the combination of chocolate, pecans and coconut. I would always ask my mum to make me a German chocolate cake for my birthday (and she always would).
I still request it every April 3, but R has yet to deliver the goods. It’s not for lack of trying though. You just don’t see it sold very often. This past birthday, he did call every German bakery in Sydney looking for it (how sweet!). No one had any idea what he was talking about, because it isn’t German at all. An Englishman man named Sam German developed a type of sweetened chocolate used in the traditional recipe, which likely originated in the American south.
I don’t make this very often, and that’s quite on purpose. Maybe it’s a bit masochistic, but I want it to remain something desired and special. Looking for a recipe, I decided to go with one from Baking Illustrated by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine. Although I hadn’t made this version before, Chris Kimball and the gang never let me down. Their version uses cocoa powder rather than German chocolate, so it was easier for me to find all the ingredients here in Sydney. In the recipe, the coconut/pecan goo goes in between the layers and on top of the cake, leaving the outside of the cake exposed. Since R and I would have this cake around for a couple of days, though, I decided it would probably stay fresher if I sealed up the sides. Luckily I had some leftover cream cheese frosting from my coconut cupcakes to use up. I just added some melted dark chocolate to the frosting and iced the cake with it, using up all of the filling between the layers. Then I decorated the cake with some toasted coconut chips. Yum! I can’t wait to have another slice tonight!
German Chocolate Layer Cake with Coconut Pecan Filling – makes 12 servings
adapted from Cook’s Illustrated’s Baking Illustrated
for the cake (two 8-inch rounds):
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz) unbleached AP flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup non-alkalized cocoa, such as Hershey’s
2 t instant coffee or espresso powder
1/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
2 t vanilla extract
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperaturefor the filling:
4 large egg yolks
1 cup (7 oz) granulated sugar
1/4 t salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup heavy cream
1 t vanilla extract
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
–For the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease and flour two 8″ round pans lined with parchment rounds. Combine cocoa and instant espresso powder in a small bowl. Add boiling water and mix until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the buttermilk and vanilla.
Using a mixer, beat butter until smooth (about 30 seconds). Gradually add the sugar and beat until light & fluffy (about 5 minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time, combining well after each. Scrape down the mixing bowl.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the cocoa mixture to the batter. Repeat twice more, scraping as needed, until ingredients are just combined.
Divide batter evenly between the pans. Bake 23-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes on wire rack. Turn out of pans and cool completely before assembling.
–For the filling: Whisk yolks, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Beat in the butter, and then gradually add cream and vanilla. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 180°F. This will take about 15-20 minutes, and the mixture will be puffy and slightly thickened. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Stir in the coconut and pecans before assembling cake.
–To assemble: Cut both cakes in half horizontally so you have four layers total. Spread 1/4 of the filling on top of each layer, stacking as you go.
WCC#17: Lemon Polenta Cake
June 7, 2007 at 4:58 pm | Posted in cakes & tortes, events, simple cakes, sweet things | 50 Comments
For me, Foodie Chickie Ani couldn’t have come up with a more timely theme for the latest Weekend Cookbook Challenge. After taking that cooking class with Rachel Grisewood a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been sampling more of Manna From Heaven’s products when I see them about town. One of Manna’s most popular little treats is a little, iced lemon polenta cake. Manna’s website has a great picture and describes them as “gluten free cakes made with polenta, coconut and ground almonds.” When I saw that Ani had chosen “cornmeal” for the throwdown, I knew instantly that I wanted to try to make these little guys at home.
I scoured some of my baking books for a recipe I could adapt, but had no luck on my bookshelf. So I decided to use the internet as my cookbook (hopefully this is within the Challenge rules!), and found something that sounded pretty spot on. Using almond meal and cornmeal instead of flour, this recipe also has lots of coconut, lemon zest and juice in the batter.
Rather than bake one large cake, as instructed in the recipe, I made individual ones using my friand tin (with a shorter cooking time, of course). I made half a recipe and got nine friands. Also, I heated up the lemon glaze, which is really a syrup that gets poured over the warm cakes before icing, in order to disolve the sugar in the juice.
My cakes came out great– a very good knock-off! They were moist and tasty, and the shreds of coconut gave them a little chew. Suggestions for next time…maybe I’d add in just a drop of almond extract.
Lemon Polenta Cake– makes eight servings
modified from a recipe by Roger Bayley
For the cake:
130 g ground almonds (or almond flour)
130 g shredded coconut
130 g fine polenta (or yellow cornmeal)
1 t baking powder
grated rind of 3 lemons
270 g soft butter
270 g caster sugar
4 eggs (55 g each)
juice of 2 lemons
For the lemon glaze:
juice of 2 lemons
sugar to taste
For the lemon icing:
250 g icing sugar
juice of ½ lemon, approximately
-Combine ground almonds, coconut, polenta, baking powder and lemon rind, and set aside. Using electric mixer beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
-Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Fold in dry ingredients and lemon juice until just combined. Pour mix into greased and lined 9-inch/24-centimeter round cake tin (not springform) and bake at 325°F/160°C for one hour or until golden and just coming away from the side of the tin.
-Meanwhile, make the lemon glaze by heating the lemon juice and sugar gently, until the sugar is just dissolved.
-Remove from the oven and cool in the tin. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen. Pour on lemon glaze while cake is still warm.
-Allow to cool completely in tin before turning on to a plate, as the cake falls apart easily while warm.
-Spread the lemon icing over the cake when cooled completely. (You can make the icing more like a loose glaze by slightly reducing the amount of icing sugar.)
browniebabe #2: Brownie Sundae
June 4, 2007 at 7:16 pm | Posted in cookies & bars, events, sweet things | 7 Comments
I’ve been known to like some flashy things: fancy shoes, handbags, caviar. When it comes to brownies, though, I am decidedly plain-jane. No swirls of cheesecake, peanut butter or raspberry jam….a few walnuts on top are the only bling I like baked into my brownies. Now I know that, as much as I love it, my humble little square of chocolatey goodness probably won’t win me any awards on its own. Myriam at Once Upon a Tart has the cutest apron ever reserved for the winner of browniebabe of the month, and I at least want a shot at it! After wondering how I could jazz it up for my entry into the second event, I decided to turn it into a brownie sundae. Ice cream and chocolate sauce really do make everything better, don’t they?
This is my mother’s brownie recipe, and it’s the fudgy kind of course. My puddle of sauce is David Lebovitz’s “Lean Chocolate Sauce” from page 165 of his newest book, The Perfect Scoop, but he has a similar recipe here on his site. Any ice cream flavor you love with chocolate would be great on a brownie sundae. I used a caramel ice cream from Paddington-based Nice Cream (altough if KitchenAid Australia will ever finally sell me a part allowing me to use the ice cream maker attachment I brought from the US on my new machine here, I’d sure like to make Monsieur Lebovitz’s Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream).
Julie’s Brownies – makes 6 servings (or one loaf pan)
3 oz unsalted butter
2 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 t instant coffee or espresso powder
pinch salt scant
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
handful of broken walnut pieces
– Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C. Butter a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment.
– In a heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat, paying close attention so as not to burn. Add instant coffee or espresso powder and stir to dissolve. Stir in the sugar and salt. Let mixture cool until just warm.
– Once cooled, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then fold in the flour until just combined.
– Spread batter into prepared pan, top with nuts and bake. Start checking them after 35 minutes, but they will probably take closer to 45. A tester will probably still come out sticky, so look for a thin slightly crackled layer on top.
– Let brownies cool completely before cutting them. (I think they are even better the second day.)
WCC#16: Rhubarb Brûlée Tartlettes with Ginger
May 9, 2007 at 3:26 pm | Posted in events, pies & tarts, sweet things | 6 Comments
Towards the end of winter I begin to get very antsy. This is not so much for the arrival of warm weather as it is for the arrival of rhubarb at the Borough Hall Greenmarket in Brooklyn. But wait– I’m not in New York anymore, I’m in Sydney. And it’s not spring here, it’s fall. So imagine my excitement when I saw rhubarb at the Good Living Growers’ Market in Pyrmont this past Saturday! Yes, of course I bought some. I wish my camera could have captured how beautiful the raw, iridescent red stalks were, but I make do with a point and shoot, so it didn’t.
I’ve baked so many rhubarb pies, I *maybe* could make one with my eyes closed…although the lattice work would be tough. If I’m too lazy to make a pie, then the rhubarb always gets folded into a really easy cake batter. I felt like making something different. And I was looking for something to do with my Sunday afternoon while R was glued to the tube watching slasher movies. As I was poking through my cookbook collection, I found a recipe in Regan Daley’s 2001 book In the Sweet Kitchen, which I recently purchased, for rhubarb brûlée tartlettes with ginger. Hmm…that sounded good (as does every other recipe in Chef Daley’s book). Not only would I get to use a new cookbook, it would also give me the chance to use a new gadget, my little kitchen blow torch.
The recipe is broken up into four parts: preparing the tartlette shells, making the brûlée base, cooking the fruit and assembling the final product. In and of themselves, these steps are quite simple, and the first three can be done a day ahead if need be. The finished tarts though should be eaten on the day of final assembly and baking. In detailing the recipe, I’m going to skip the method for the tart shells. I didn’t actually make Chef Daley’s pâte brisée recipe, as I had some pie dough in the freezer from something else and thought this was a good way to use it up. Just use your favorite brisée recipe for the tartlette shells and blind bake them.
For the sake of presentation, I did two things differently than in the original recipe. The liquid from the cooked rhubarb was a beautiful pink, so I didn’t discard it. I added a bit more sugar and reduced it to make a syrup. I also cut the rhubarb a bit longer than instructed. When putting the compote into the tarts, I put the pieces that had fallen apart the most during cooking on the the bottoms, filled the shells with custard, then lined up a few pieces that had retained their shape on top.
The finished dessert was delicious. The tart rhubarb went nicely with the creamy, vanilla-scented custard and it had just a bit of a kick from the ginger. The shell stayed crisp, and of course there was the brûléed top. I may as well also mention that while my little torch is certainly no match for the hardware store type I’ve used in restaurants, it’s not bad.
The theme for the sixteenth Weekend Cookbook Challenge, hosted by Sara (the founder of WCC) at I Like to Cook, is “Something New.” Since I’ve used two new things to make this recipe, I thought I’d submit it as an entry.
Rhubarb Brûlée Tartlettes with Ginger – makes 6 servings
adapted from Regan Daley’s In the Sweet Kitchen
6 (4 1/2 -inch) pâte brisée tartlette shells, pre-baked, cooled and left in their forms
1 1/2 T redcurrant or plum jelly
2 scant T finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup turbinado sugar for brûléefor the rhubarb:
3/4 pound rhubarb stalks, washed, trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
1/4 cup plus 1 T packed light brown sugarfor the custard:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup plus 1 T granulated sugar
1 T unsalted butter, cut into bits
pinch of salt
– For the rhubarb: Place the cut rhubarb and light brown sugar into a pot over low heat. Cover and cook (gently stirring a few times) for 5 to 10 minutes until the rhubarb is tender, but still holds shape. Drain and cool the rhubarb to room temperature before using, or refrigerate if making ahead. Either discard the juice from the drained rhubarb, or reduce it to syrup consistency if desired for plating.
– For the custard: Set up a water bath by bringing about two inches of water to a simmer in a large pot and setting a heatproof bowl on top. Pour cream into a separate small saucepan and add the pinch of salt and the seeds and pod from the vanilla bean. Pot the pot on medium heat to scald the cream. Put the yolks and sugar in the bowl set over the gently simmering water bath. While cream is heating, constantly whisk the yolk mixture over the water bath. When cream is scalded and the yolk mixture is thick and pale, temper the cream into the yolks. Leave the mixture over the water bath, stirring constantly with a spoon until it thickly coats the back. This will take 5 to 7 minutes. Strain the custard through a fine sieve and stir in the butter until melted and incorporated. Press plastic onto the surface to avoid a skin and refrigerate until cool.
– Assembling the tartlettes: Preheat the oven to 325°F/170°C. Place the tartlette shells on a flat baking sheet. Gently melt the jelly and brush the bottoms of the shells with a thin layer. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of cooked rhubarb into the shells and smooth out. Divide the chopped ginger among the shells and spoon custard on top. If desired, place a few nicely shaped pieces of rhubarb across the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The filling should be a little jiggly in the center, but slightly set around the edges. Cool the tarts on a rack (the custard will further set). Place in the refrigerator if not eating within two hours (although you should not prepare them more than five hours in advance, according to Daley).
– To serve: Remove the tartlettes from their shells and sprinkle on the turbinado sugar. Using a kitchen torch, melt and caramelize the sugar. If you have placed some rhubarb on top of the tarts like I did, sprinkle sugar and brûlée AROUND the exposed pieces. They will burn if you torch them. Serve immediately with the rhubarb syrup, if using.
Food Fight #2: Crêpes for Mum
May 4, 2007 at 10:28 pm | Posted in events, savory things | 2 Comments
My mother is a Dutch girl, born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In her heart though, I think she is Parisian. She spent time in studying in Paris during university and returned after graduation for a few more years. She still speaks French fluently, attends Francophile events in Seattle and keeps up with the country’s politics and trends.
My mother is a very good home cook. Although she may sometimes regard cooking as a bit of a chore, you’d never know by her food. French, of course, and easy to make, crêpes are a favorite of hers, not to mention mine. Both sweet andsavory, crêpes are certainly delicious. Thus, I am submitting a crêpe dish as my entry for the second installment of Food Fight (Your Mother’s Favorite Dish), hosted by Allen at Eating Out Loud.
Here, I’ve made them for dinner. I used a filling of smoked turkey, Swiss cheese and roasted asparagus. I already had these ingredients in the fridge just waiting to be used up, but really you could use almost any tasty filling combination. A nice melting cheese is always a good inclusion.
Knowing that a whole batch of crêpes would be too much for just two of us to eat in one sitting, I made a very basic recipe that can accommodate either sweet or savory fillings (i.e., no sugar and not too much salt). That way I could save the extras, wrapped and refrigerated of course, and turn them into dessert or breakfast crêpes (a little apricot jam in the center– oh my gosh!) within a couple of days. The recipe I used is attributed to Gourmet Magazine, but can be found here on Food Network’s website.
The batter comes together in a snap– let your blender or food processor do all the work. It needs a little time to rest before it’s used, and it can even be made the day before. It is true that the first crêpes out of the pan is often not too pretty, but hey, that’s the “cook’s treat,” right? Now that I think about it, a little triangular stuffed crêpe is almost like a wrapped present. Happy Mother’s Day, or Fête des Mères!
WCC#15: Lemon Yogurt Cake
April 10, 2007 at 2:09 pm | Posted in cakes & tortes, events, simple cakes, sweet things | 7 Comments
We’re in the middle of autumn here in the Southern Hemisphere, but a fall day in Sydney feels a lot like a typical spring day in New York to me. The weather is cool and comfortable, and it’s perfect for baking. I’m hoping to just sneak in under deadline for the Weekend Cookbook Challenge (Easter/springtime food is the theme), hosted this month by Marta from An Italian in the US, with the dessert I whipped up for Easter.
Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home is a book that I bought shortly before moving to Sydney. And in the chaos that accompanies a move, I didn’t have any time to make anything from it. Flipping through it recently, I saw a recipe for lemon yogurt loaf cake– no mixer required! Lemon, to me, is a flavor that matches the snappy, sunny weather outside.
What I like best about this cake is that not only is it glazed (and who doesn’t love glaze?!), but it’s also soaked with a lemon simple syrup. The syrup and the yogurt/vegetable oil combo keep it moist for a couple of days, which is good when you’re cooking for two. It’s perfect before bed with a cup of chamomile tea.
I see that this recipe is also on Food Network’s website. Rather than me retyping it, you can print a copy here if you don’t have the book.
Food Fight #1: Poached Egg with Spinach and Buckwheat Polenta
April 2, 2007 at 6:48 pm | Posted in events, savory things | 1 Comment
When I saw that Eating Out Loud is hosting a new monthly event called “Food Fight,” with the first theme paying homage to the egg, I thought it the perfect opportunity to try to recreate that poached egg dish I had at Auge about a month ago. I’m usually kind of creeped out by runny eggs (I even like my fried eggs well done), but this was really good! It was served as a starter at the restaurant, but was plenty enough for a dinner at home. How I managed to eat three more courses afterward that night is somewhat frightening.
I thought that maybe a couple of the ingredients would be hard to find, but that really wasn’t the case. One trip to the farmers’ market for eggs and spinach, and another to the health food store for buckwheat polenta, and I had what I needed for the main components of the dish. The garnishes on Auge’s version were truffle parmesan and chestnut butter. I found truffle pecorino at a small cheese shop in the neighborhood, and thought that a fine substitute. As for the chestnut butter, I have no idea what that is, and used browned butter instead.
Not generally being a fan of oozy eggs, I must admit that I’d never poached one myself before. On the first couple of tries, the whites where all over the place like little slips of wet tissue…not nearly the perfectly round little package I wanted for a public showing. I never did get it just right (maybe next time), but I didn’t want to go through a whole dozen on one dinner. My end result was perhaps slightly overdone, but delicious nevertheless. Anyway, I expect there are many seasoned egg poachers out there who can handle this with ease.
The hardest part about this dish was getting everything together at once, since polenta turns into a stiff gunky mess if it sits around. My solution was to have the spinach washed and waiting for me and the water for the egg heating when I started the polenta. Then when I thought the polenta was almost finished, I just ignored it for a couple minutes on low heat (I know you are supposed to stir it constantly, but it came out just fine) while I slipped the eggs into simmering water and wilted the spinach. Then I loosened up the polenta with a splash more water, finished it off with a knob of butter and some parmesan, and it was ready to go.
By the way, a better and less nerve racking solution to the issue of timing is to recruit help. My help was already busy watching The Biggest Loser, but gladly abandoned the TV for the table when dinner was ready.
Poached Egg with Spinach and Buckwheat Polenta – makes 2 servings
– For the buckwheat polenta: Heat a few tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan. Once melted, add in half of a medium yellow onion (diced) and saute until translucent. Then pour in 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk 1 cup of buckwheat polenta into the boiling water. Reduce the heat to low and stir fairly constantly for about 30-35 minutes. Add a little extra water if it starts to become too thick. When done, take the pan off the heat and stir in about 1/4 cup grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon extra butter and salt to taste. (This actually made more polenta than I needed, so I put the extra into a rectangular plastic container and refrigerated. It will be firm enough to cut into squares, lightly fry in olive oil, and pair with a sauce for another dinner.)
– For the spinach: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat, and then add in a clove of whole smashed garlic (just for flavor–remove it at the end). Add in washed spinach (preferably still a little wet), and wilt down. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm until service.
– For the eggs: Crack each egg into a separate small cup, being careful not to break the yolks. Let the eggs sit at room temperature while heating 2-3 inches of water to a bare simmer in a large shallow pan. When just starting to simmer, add in a splash of white vinegar. Carefully slip in eggs, one at a time. Simmer for about three minutes and remove with a slotted spoon.
– To serve: Spoon polenta in center of plate. Top with sauteed spinach and poached egg. Drizzle browned butter around polenta and top with black pepper and shavings of truffle pecorino.
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