Consulting Diana Kennedy’s My Mexico first, I decided to make them simply with scrambled eggs and corn tortillas. Cutting carefully around the edge then scraping off the nodes and protruding spines with a knife or peeler, I assumed that my New York cactus paddles were domesticated and skipped the gloves.  It only took few pin-pricks to remind me what I was dealing with and the gloves came on. After a few quick searches, I decided to scrub the paddles first with the rough side of a clean sponge to wipe away the needles then give them a quick scrape to remove some of the thicker nods.   Most recipes called for simmering or steaming the nopales beforehand but I wanted to them have some snap so I quickly sautéed them instead. Because I like my eggs on the runny, creamy side, I cooked them slowly and took them off the heat early. Adding the cilantro a little bit at a time, I thought it would overwhelm the scallions and nopales but it was perfect – the acidic nopales adding just the right element of something different.  With winter finally here and the leaves long gone, there couldn’t be enough green - exactly what I needed.

Huevos con Nopales y Cilantro/Eggs with Cactus Pieces and Cilantro
Adapted from recipe by Sra. Antonia Hernández de Gutiérrez in Diana Kennedy’s My Mexico. Most recipes called for simmering or steaming the nopales beforehand to cut down on the okra-like mucilage the vegetable releases. Finding some later versions where they were added raw, I decided to skip this step and after a few minutes it had largely cooked away. 

1 tablespoon sunflower or safflower oil
4 green scallions, white and green parts diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt to taste
1 heaping cup of nopales (also known as prickly pear cactus or cactus paddles), diced
½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro, stems and leaves, finely chopped

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add diced nopales and oregano.   The nopales will release a mucilagenous fluid, continue to sauté until most of liquid has evaporated, an additional  3-4 minutes.  Add the beaten eggs then immediately  take heat down to lowest setting.  Stir the eggs until the curds form to desired degree of doneness.  Stir in the cilantro and remove from heat.

Serve with warm corn tortillas and slices of queso fresco.

Their first meeting turned into an interview where Dawn was doing the hiring and Dave was burning a tray of the caramel shortbread Lucia cookies she’d named after her great grandmother.  Luckily for everyone, she hired him anyway. Many trays of perfectly executed Lucia cookies later, they’re happily partnered and married in Brooklyn with their young son Nate and a second location in DUMBO on the way.

Whether it’s family or friends visiting or just anytime brunch on Smith Street, one of my absolute favorite ways to end the weekend is to stop by One Girl for something sweet to take the edge off a Sunday. Still, their best offering has been their classes where everyone gets elbow deep in tarts, cakes, and custard.

Incredibly generous with their time and advice when I started baking and blogging, they’ve also been generous with the recipes they’ve chosen to include in their book - offering up the secrets to their pumpkin whoopie pies and winter spice cookies, what I promise you will be the best apple pie you’ll ever make, and a have-to-try chocolate cake with salty dulce de leche and hazelnut brittle. I also love that they’ve included DIY basics you’ve always wanted to try but were waiting for someone to tell you how, ie. making your own butter.

It was hard to pick one but this week I made their blueberry oat muffins.  Classic and simple, they were fall apart tender with enough oat-crumble crust and berries to make you feel virtuous for baking in first weeks of January. It was a good page to start the year on.

Blueberry Oat Muffins with Crumb Topping
Reprinted with permission from One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies from Brooklyn’s Beloved Bakery by Dawn Casale and David Crofton.

Crumb Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup rolled oats
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon table salt
10 tablespoons (1 1⁄4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Muffins
2⁄3 cup rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1⁄2 teaspoons table salt
6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1⁄4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line one 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
To prepare the crumb topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse 4 or 5 times. Set aside.

To prepare the muffins, process the oats in the clean bowl of the food processor until they are powdery. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix for 1 minute. Then add the sour cream, honey, and vanilla, and mix for 30 seconds. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Mix for 10 seconds. Take the bowl off the mixer and fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about three-fourths full. Sprinkle the muffins generously with the crumb topping.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, for 28 minutes, or until the top of a muffin springs back when lightly pressed. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan, transfer them to a wire rack, and let them cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Rarely observed in the United States, it had been years since I’d done anything to celebrate the day that was always falling mid-week, mid-flight, mid-blizzard. This past weekend, I was getting my kitchen back in order when I thought of the Mexican rosca de reyes from Fany Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico that I’d wanted to try. Made from a  sweet, brioche-like dough, the rosca is shaped into an oval crown and decorated with jewel-like candied fruits and drunk with hot chocolate. Similar to the Spanish roscón de reyes, French gâteau des rois, and Louisiana king cake, fava beans or figurines representing baby Jesus are tucked into the dough before baking so that whoever finds it gets to be king, along with the dubious honor of paying for the cake and hosting a dinner on el dia de la Candelaria or Candlemas that follows on February 2nd, though traditions vary. I almost left it for next year when Three Kings Day lands comfortably on a Sunday and there’d be plenty of time to plan a real, traditional brunch – but then I decided to do it anyway.

Running to find a store open late on New Year’s Day, I found them all closed. Unable to will them open, I ran into a nearby deli to get what I could so I could at least get it started and leave it to chill overnight. The next morning while the dough was rising a second time, I was only able to find some dried figs and candied oranges – regretting that retro sugared-up, candied fruits were so out of style and out of stores. The non-melting baby Jesus figurines were not something I kept on hand, so my choice of fava beans was as much about necessity as tradition. Of course, when we cut it up, I had no problem finding the bean since I’d been the one to hide it. Whether it’s tamales and atole for friends in February or making another King’s cake next year, I don’t mind at all.  It’s one more thing to look forward to.

Rosca de Reyes/Three Kings Bread
Adapted from Fany Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico. Gerson uses the same dough to make the rosca de reyes and pan de muerto. The original recipe called for bread flour which I didn’t have so I substituted unbleached, all purpose flour in equal parts. I had limited fruits available so I added lemon zest and tossed in raisins at the last minute.

Like pan de muerto, it’s impossible to stop decorating once you’ve started. I had a very fixed idea in my mind of how it should look, but quickly realized there are countless ways to incorporate spices, nuts. fruits, and add ins. The recipe yields enough dough to make two roscas. After the final rising, I set one in the freezer to make later in the week. The dough can be very involved and I thought it could be a good make ahead solution if it works. I’ll update then.

For bread:
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons orange blossom water
2/3 cup whole milk
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Orange zest from one medium orange
Lemon zest from one large lemon
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

4 to 6 plastic, non-melting figurines or fava beans
3 ounces assorted candied fruits (orange, fig, acitrón or lime)*
1 egg, beaten

*For this version, I used candied oranges and dried figs.

For topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (about 1/4 cup)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Dissolve the yeast in the orange blossom water. Whisk in a 1/3 cup of the milk and 1/2 cup of the flour and blend until smooth. Leave in a warm place (about 70°F) until it begins to bubble and puffs up slightly, 20-30 minutes.

Put the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the sugar, salt, and zests and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds. Add the eggs, the remaining 1/3 cup of milk, and the yeast dough. Mix at low speed until it starts to come together. While mixing, add the butter gradually, in small pieces until incorporated, increasing the speed to medium. Continue beating for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough is soft and comes off the sides of the bowl. If the dough is still sticky, add a little flour as needed but no more than 1/3 cup. Add in the raisins and incorporate into the dough if using.

Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or butter and place the dough inside. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough, gather the sides together and flip over so the bottom is on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to use, remove from refrigerator , uncover and place a towel on top. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place (about 70°F) and bring to room temperature, about 1 hour.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, butter and vanilla until well incorporated. Set aside or chill for later use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line to baking sheets with parchment paper or  non-stick liner and set aside.

Divide the dough in two large pieces by cutting not pulling the dough. Shape each piece into a large ball. Poke a hole in the center of each and shape into a large doughnut. Tuck the beans or figurines into the bottom of the dough at random spots. Set each rosca on a baking sheet. Lightly brush the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Scoop out the butter topping and form into desired shapes to decorate the cake. Top with candied fruits and sliced figs.

Place in the preheated oven and bake until the tops are golden and it sounds hollow when tapped, about 40-50 minutes. Slice and serve.

Makes 2 large roscas.

When I read in Fany Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico that well-rendered lard actually has less saturated fat than butter, I decided to finally try it. Making a special trip to the farmer’s market, I picked up a tub of Flying Pigs farm leaf lard – the best grade for baking. A little bit of lard goes a long way to making pie crusts flaky, so I thought it would work well for mantecados. I didn’t want to lose the barely there flavor of butter so I didn’t go whole hog, using equal parts lard and butter. Instead of cinnamon and cloves, I opted for crushed anise seeds and lemon. As promised, they were all crumble and sand – a new favorite that couldn’t be older. Feliz Nochebuena!

Mantecados de Ánis/Anise Shortbread Cookies
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces leaf lard, at room temperature
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest from one large lemon
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon anise seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and lard at medium speed for about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and increase the speed to medium-high. Occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, continue to beat until it is pale and fluffy, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Blend together the flour, spices and salt. Add this to the creamed butter all at once then stir with a wooden spoon or spatula for a couple of turns. Return the bowl to the stand and mix on the lowest speed until the flour is just incorporated, do not over mix. Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, push together to form a large flat disc, and wrap well. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick liner.

Scoop out the dough in tablespoons, roll into a ball and place on the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Using a small spoon dipped in flour, press down on each ball so it form a round disc about 1/2-inch thick. The dough will be fragile but if it cracks or the dough falls apart it can be gently pressed together or reshaped. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake the cookies until the edges are lightly golden, though the tops will still be pale, 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and while still warm, sprinkle generously with confectioners’ sugar. Using a spatula, carefully remove the cookies and lay out on a cooling rack.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

These thoughts were running through my mind as I was coming off the Brooklyn Bridge this Saturday. After taking a break from long distances, I’m once again training for a half-marathon in January. We’re at the point now where each week sets the finish line one or two miles later, fooling the body to push further a little bit at a time. It’s always fun to tell people how far you’ve gone when you feel like you’ve really gone somewhere, though no mile is ever harder than the first. Each time I head out, I feel like I’m learning to run all over again. Once I get started, most runs, my favorite runs, have me feeling like a could go on forever – a reward for starting.

That’s what getting back to the kitchen felt like this weekend. I was coming down from my runner’s high, when I remembered a cake that I’d been wanting to make since starting Hungry Sofia - a tarta de Santiago or St. James Cake. I’d only ever had it around Christmas time when it would come ready-made and wrapped in cellophane from the Spanish market Delicias de España. A traditional almond cake from Galicia, its sold in bakeries all over the region, especially during the feast day for Santiago el Apóstol  in late summer. Since the Middle Ages, the cake has been served to tourists and travelers making the famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela – a reward for arriving.

I thought it would be complicated, but once I got down to comparing recipes, it was really just almonds, eggs and sugar and sugar baked in a single layer. It could be poured over a pastry crust or glazed over with apricot preserves but for this first time I kept it simple. I must have been thrown by the dramatic St. James cross that tops each cake into believing it would be harder than it was. I ended up fashioning my own from fleur de lys and snowflakes.

Of course, I’m not on a pilgrimage, if only because I rarely know where I’m going until I get there. Still, I do aspire to the kind of faith that keeps you moving. I don’t think I could have imagined the places this blog has taken me when I started or the people I would have met. New projects have been overwhelming sometimes but they’ve also kept me trying. Thank you as always for reading and I’ll hope you’ll keep following because I’m still really, really hungry. Tarta de Almendra O Merlo/Almond Cake
Barely adapted from Alfonso Merlo’s recipe found in Penelope Casas’ ¡Delicioso! The Regional Cooking of Spain. I found this book a couple of months ago and its become a favorite. Casas not only takes you to a specific region but a particular city, town, street, restaurant, kitchen with amazing stories and details.

6 ounces blanched whole almonds (about 1 cup)
6 tablespoons, unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
Orange zest (optional)
Confectioner’s sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8″-inch springform pan and set aside.

In a food processor, coarsely chop 2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) of the almonds with the flour. Remove almond-flour mixture and set aside. Combine remaining almonds with 1/4 cup of sugar and process until finally ground. Combine with almond-flour mixture and set aside.

In a mixer fitter with the whisk attachment or using a hand beater, beat eggs at medium speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar until pale and thick.  Stir in orange zest if using. Gently fold in the comined almond mixtures until well incorporated but do not over mix. Pour batter into the prepared pan and set in preheated oven. Bake until the cake is lightly golden and springs back to the touch, about 30-35 minutes.

Allow to cool then sprinkle generously with powdered sugard before serving.

250 g (about 1 cup or 9 ounces) quinoa, well rinsed in several changes of water until it runs clear
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 ounces smoked bacon, cubed
5 ounces (about 2 cups) sliced mushrooms (shitake, crimini, or a combination)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesean cheese, grated
1 pinch grated nutmeg
Sea salt and ground white pepper

In a large heavy pot, bring chicken broth to a boil over medium high heat. Add the quinoa and return to a fast simmer until tender, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.*

While the quinoa cooks, melt the butter over medium heat, in large heavy skilled. Add the bacon, onions, and garlic. Stirring frequently, sauté until the onions begin to soften but do not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the heavy cream, wine, saffron and bring to a simmer.

Set the heavy pot with drained quinoa over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture to the quinoa and stir until well blended. Stir over medium heat until the quinotto thickens or reaches the desired consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesean and parsley. Serve immediately.

Yields 4 large or 6 side dish servings.

*The original recipe recommends draining the quinoa. I prefer a looser risotto so I let the quinoa cool in the broth and combined it with

Empanaditas de Calabaza/Pumpkin Turnovers

Dough for the pastry:
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cups unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon anise seeds

For the filling:
2-lbs pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed into 2-inch chunks
5 ounces piloncillo (about 1 cup), roughly chopped*
1 cinnamon stick, whole
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground anis
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

*Whole cane sugar also known as panela and sold in Latin American markets.

For the glaze:
1 egg white beaten with one tablespoon of water
Sugar for dusting

Pastry Directions:
Bring 1/4 cup of water to a simmer and pour over anise seeds in a heatproof bowl or measuring cup. Set aside until cool, about 15 minutes.

Sift together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until evenly distributed. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the butter flakes into pea-sized pieces, about 15-30 seconds.

Strain the water and discard the seeds. With the machine running add the infused anise water to the dough until it just comes together, do not over mix. Pour out onto a floured surface a knead about 3-5 minutes until smooth. Shape into two discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Filling Directions:
Combine all ingredients for the filling in a large heavy pot, stirring well so that the spices are well distributed. Cover and set over medium heat, stirring frequently. Watch closely until the pumpkin releases water and the piloncillo melts, adjusting the heat as needed so that the pumpkin does not stick to the pan. Continue to cook covered until the pumpkin is dark brown and falling apart, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Assembly Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If refrigerated overnight, bring the dough to room temperature before proceeding. Starting with one disc, roll out the dough to an 1/8-of an inch and cut it into circles about 4 inches in diameter. Lightly brush ridge of each circle with egg glaze.  Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle and fold in half. Seal the edges with the tines of a fork.

Brush with egg wash and lightly sprinkle with sugar.  Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until lightly golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 large or 24 small empanadas.

Caldo de Costilla/Beef Rib Soup
2 pounds bone-in beef rib, preferrably and cut into 8 2-inch chunks
4 whole scallions plus more garnish
½ cup cilantro, leaves and stems, chopped, plus more for garnish
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled
2-3 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 ½ pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks (optional)
1 chicken bullion cube (optional)

In a large heavy pot, combine first six ingredients with 8 cups of water. Bring to a high simmer over medium heat then cook until the beef is tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the potatoes, carrots and bullion cube in using and return to a simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Remove whole scallions and ginger.

To serve, the beef can be left on the bone or cut into pieces. Add a portion of beef and vegetables to each bowl then ladle in broth. Garnish with more chopped scallions and cilantro. Serve with arepas in the morning or white rices for dinner.

Serves 4.

Though I’d been backing up to an external hard drive, it was new and hadn’t been tested. A few years ago during my only prior crash, this fail safe had failed me so I had a terrible feeling of déjà vu as I went through the process again. Talking with tech friends and Apple reps for the past few days, I’ve gotten some great, too-late maintenance tips. But I had to wonder, if powering down completely before transporting your laptop was so important, why had no one mentioned it before? And, if OS X Lion was so wonderful, why was it trying to eat my computer? While blue shirts tapped away on my keyboard, I had a running list of irreplaceable documents and pictures looping (or beachballing) through my mind. Making a silent promise, I swore that if little Mac came back to me I’d be better – I’d polish it with a shammy, I’d repair disk permissions till it hummed, I’d get around to finally naming the hard drive. Then just like that, a Genius named Wendy, doing exactly what so many had done before her to no effect – brought it all back.

Forced to quit, but newly restarted, I’m finally back to my planned post about Maricel Presilla’s hot chocolate with máchica. Máchica is toasted barley that’s been ground to a flour and blended with a variety of spices. Though traditional in Ecuador, I could find infuriatingly little information about it.  I came across some references to it as a Quichua (Inca) staple but according to Presilla, it was introduced by the Spanish via Mexico to be used in place of corn to thicken and flavor beverages. Spiced with panela and cinnamon then added to hot chocolate, it’s the perfect cross between a creamy Spanish chocolate and the new world texture of a  Mexican champurrada but smoother and with a nuttier flavor that’s all it’s own.

Hot Chocolate with Máchica
Barely adapted from this recipe by Maricel Presilla found in Food & Wine, May 2001. Presilla suggests looking for toasted whole barley in Korean markets. I picked up regular hulled barley at the store and toasted it before using. I also switched panela for brown sugar. I wanted to have as sooth a flour as possible so I ground the barley first then ground it together with the panela and cinnamon. Panela can be hard to break up so passing it through the coffee grinder helped. Before adding it to the hot chocolate, I passed it through a sifter to remove any hard particles from the barley. It can be served on its own or with queso fresco.

1/2 cup toasted whole barley (see Note)
4 tablespoons (about 2 ounces) panela (whole cane sugar also known as piloncillo and sold in Latin American markets), roughly chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 cups whole milk
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Pinch of salt

Heat a heavy dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the barley and toast until golden, shaking constantly so that it doesn’t burn, 3-4 minutes.

Using a spice or coffee grinder or working in batches, grind the toasted barley to a fine powder. Combine with panela and cinnamon and quickly grind together until the panela is completely broken up and well incorporated. Using a strainer, sift the powder well to remove any hard particles and discard.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate and whisk quickly until it is melted. Whisk in the barley mixture and the salt and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until the hot chocolate is thickened and smooth, about 4-5 minutes. The chocolate will set up quickly so it should be watched closely. If there are still lumps, carefully pulse in a blender for a few seconds or use an immersion blender to froth. Serve at once.

Apprehensive about starting something I couldn’t finish, I’ve been sticking to the top deck – frying, stewing, and sautéeing. This week I decided to risk it and try something I’d been putting off for when Mrs. Tappan TGF320 was in a good mood. I first came across socca (also known as farinata) in an old Mark Bittman piece that resurfaced a few week ago. A kind of crêpe or flatbread, it’s made with simple batter using garbanzo flour, water and olive oil. Fresh herbs, parmesean, and sliced onions can also be tossed in. In Uruguay, where there was a large Genovese immigration, its known as fainá. Served on top of pizza, it becomes fainá a caballo or fainá on horseback.

Because the cast-iron skillet (for the fainá) and pizza stone are both preheated inside the oven, I’d know soon enough if it was going to cooperate before I’d committed the batter. In case it was a fail, I bought the pizza dough pre-made and figured the tomato sauce could be frozen. The batter could rest for anywhere from 2-12 hours so I could always try again later. In the end, none of that mattered because after a about 15 minutes my oven was steadily working its way up to blazing hot. Moving fast, I rolled out the pizza while the batter rested and messily added the toppings. Because it needs a few extra minutes, the batter went in first followed by the pizza. Done at about the same time, I added a drizzle of olive oil to the fainá and dropped the skillet down to the broiler to brown the top. The broiler made a half-hearted attempt at crisping but it didn’t matter too much. It had put in a good day’s work and needed a rest.

Fainá a Caballo/Chickpea Crêpe atop Pizza
In minimalist fashion, Bittman makes a resting period for the batter optional but the batch I left out at room temperature for a couple of hours came out the best. Still, he does figure out how to do it without a wood burning oven and cooper pan so keeping it simple has its merits.

Known as socca in Nice, cecina in Tuscany, farinata in most of Italy, and fainá in Genoa, Uruguay, and Argentina, it can be served atop pizza or as an appetizer. I did read that canola or sunflower oil is often used in Uruguay where olive oil can be expensive but haven’t tried. I included the recipe for the pizza I made  as well but any variation would work, though a sauce heavy slice balances out the crispness of the flatbread well.

For the fainá (barely adapted from this article by Mark Bittman):
1 cup chickpea flour (also sold as garbanzo flour)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup lukewarm water
4-5 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

Sift together the chickpea flour, salt and ground pepper. Slowly, stir in the lukewarm water, whisking constantly to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cover, and let sit for two hours at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet inside.

Stir the rosemary into the batter. Carefully remove skillet from oven and pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the heated pan, swirling to cover the pan. Pour in the batter and place in oven.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until it’s firm and the edges are set. If it looks dry, brush lightly with olive oil and place under the broiler to lightly brown the top. Watch carefully.

Sprinkle with salt or pepper. Cut and serve on its own or toss it on some pizza.

For the pizza:
1/2 pound thawed, frozen pizza dough, divided and formed into a ball
3 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound ripe tomatoes, cut in half horizontally
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
¼ cup parmesan or manchego cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Shape the dough into a ball and allow to sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes or up to an hour before shaping.

While the dough rests, prepare the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onions and cook until golden, about 15 minutes.  Using the side of a large knife or mortar and pestle, mash the garlic to a paste and combine well with salt and pepper.  Add to the skillet and sauté and additional 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pass the cut tomatoes through a box grater, reserving pulp and juice and discarding the skin. Stir in the tomato pulp.

Bring to a simmer then turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately or puree until smooth. Makes about 1 ½-2 cups.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-12-inch circle.  To stretch the dough, hold the dough between the palm and fingers and gently press the edges while you pull it counter-clockwise, to form an oval.  Place the dough on the peel and cover with 5 or 6 slices of mozzarella. Spoon the tomato sauce on top, leaving a border, and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Position the peel at the far edge of the baking stone and, in one smooth motion, slide it toward you, leaving the pizza on the stone.  Bake until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack, sprinkle with oregano, and wait several minutes before slicing.