Recipe
27 Feb 2009

Chocolate-Marshmallow Mousse

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To welcome me home after my trip to St. Louis, The Astronomer prepared a four-course feast for dinner. We started off with a fragrant tarragon and artichoke dip paired with crackers, then moved on to potato leek soup. The main course was red bell peppers stuffed with savory goodness. For dessert, The Astronomer prepared this light-as-can-be chocolate-marshmallow mousse. The mousse was so lovely that I felt compelled to make some more as soon as we finished off the first batch. Warning: chocolate-marshmallow mousse can be a highly addictive substance. Proceed with caution.

  • 4 cups mini marshmallows (about 6 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook the marshmallows, milk, and chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly, until melted and smooth, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and set inside a larger bowl of ice water. Let stand, whisking often, until cool and thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

Whip the cream and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Increase to high speed and continue to whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes.

Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, leaving just a few streaks.

Spoon into wine glasses or goblets, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until set before serving, about 6 hours. After being spooned into the wine glasses, the mousse can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving.

To serve, garnish the glass with dollops of fresh whipped cream, sprigs of fresh mint, and fresh berries.

Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Restaurant Review
26 Feb 2009

Fitz’s American Grill & Bottling Works – St. Louis

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St. Louisans love few things more than the Cardinals, toasted ravioli, and Fitz’s root beer. Just ask The Astronomer—he’s a native.

Fitz’s root beer was first produced in 1947 and sold alongside hamburgers and fries at a small drive-in located in Richmond Heights, Missouri. The eatery and root beer production shut down in 1970 when the owner retired. It wasn’t until 1985 that the original Fitz’s root beer recipe was resurrected and “St. Louisans once again could enjoy their favorite root beer in bottles.”

Fitz’s American Grill & Bottling Works opened in 1993. According to the eatery’s official website, “To assure authenticity, the call went out for a vintage bottling line. Incredibly, a 1940’s bottling line was found in an old barn in Shawano, Wisconsin. It was refurbished and installed at the restaurant, where it is visible from every table on the main floor. Fully operational, the bottling line can turn out a bottle every second.”

Wes and I sat on the second floor and thus avoided being treated to non-stop bottling action and unflattering florescent lights during our meal.

To kick things off, Wes ordered a root beer served in an icy mug, while I ordered a cool bottle of cream soda ($2.19). My vocabulary isn’t Swarthmorean enough to describe the cream soda’s nuanced flavors, but I assure you that it was superior to everyday root beers like Mug and A&W. There’s definitely something spicy in the mix that gives the brew a smooth and mellow kick. The secret root beer formula was developed with the help of a flavor house in St. Louis and remains a closely guarded secret to this day.

The menu at Fitz’s features all-American favorites like pizzas, pastas, wraps, sandwiches and burgers. I ordered a bison burger—a lean bison patty grilled and topped with spring mix, a tomato slice and onions, and served with a side salad ($9.99).

The bison patty was as dry as a bone, while the grilled onions were raw and the spring mix was a wilted mess. I kept sipping my cream soda to moisten up the meat and help it down my esophagus.

The side salad served with my burger was substantial and uninspiring. Poorly made salads are why Americans have a tortured relationship with vegetables.

Wes went for a BBQ burger with Colby Jack cheese, BBQ sauce and onion tanglers ($8.19), which really satisfied his burger tooth. In retrospect, I probably should of gone for some fatty cow instead of the bony bison.

We also shared an order of onion rings, the first of many during my stay in St. Louis. The freshly fried ringers were of the mass-produced-in-a-factory variety, which is to say that they were tasty and greasy, but not so special.

Come to Fitz’s for the house special root beer, cream soda, and ice cream floats, but don’t bother with the grub. It’s not worth the space.

—

Fitz’s American Grill & Bottling Works
6605 Delmar Blvd
St Louis, MO 63130
Phone: 314-726-9555

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Recipe
25 Feb 2009

Chewy Chai Meringue Cookies

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After preparing some delectable Lemon Bars last week, I was left with seven perfectly good egg whites without a tasty home. I was initially tempted to make another Pavlova Pyatt, but was deterred because fresh tropical fruits are currently out of season. These Chewy Chai Meringue Cookies by Alison Campbell of Austin, Texas won the 2008 Faraday’s Kitchen Store Christmas Cookie Contest. They are crusty on the outside, chewy in the middle, and remind me of wispy clouds.

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup chopped nuts, lightly toasted (macadamias were used in Alison’s prize-winning entry, but pecans or cashews are also good)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift together powdered sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cornstarch and set aside.

In a double boiler, over simmering water, whisk together egg whites and sugar until mixture is warm and sugar has dissolved. Be careful not to overheat, as egg whites will cook and congeal!

Remove from heat, add cream of tartar and salt and beat with electric mixer until egg whites hold stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Add vinegar and mix just until incorporated.

Gently fold in reserved powdered sugar mixture, white chocolate, and nuts.

Drop by large tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

Makes about 24 cookies.