The Butter Dish

Summer Camp, Munchkins and Monkey Bread

2011-06-27T13:51:00.000-04:00

Many of you may not be familiar with "Monkey Bread." My first encounter was at summer camp when I was eight. Part of the camp's daily routine was a cooking class (explains a few things, doesn't it?). We made black and white cookies, pretzels, pizza and Monkey Bread. If you've never have had it, it's bit hard to explain. My best description is that it's a cake made of Munchkins, or donut holes, if you didn't grow up on Dunkin' Donuts. You make it in a Bundt pan, and serve whenever, although I think it's best-suited for brunch. At my camp we used a store-bought dough (Pillsbury biscuits), to make the sweet rounds of bread that fill the pan. It was delicious, but guess what's even more delicious? Making your own dough from scratch.

Of course, this recipe came from Cook's Illustrated, my bible. And of course it has many steps, but I wouldn't be sharing it with you if I didn't think it was worth it. I served it recently during a brunch with my good friends (and family) Katie and Eric. Weeks later we still can't stop talking about it when we get together.

Note: One essential piece of equipment here - a stand mixer

The dough
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus another 2 tablespoons butter melted
1 cup warm whole milk
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package rapid-rise yeast (or instant)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons salt

Put the oven rack in the second to lowest position, and turn oven on to 200 degrees. When oven hits 200 turn it off

In bowl of stand mixer mix flour and salt. In a large measuring cup combine the milk, water, butter and yeast. Turn mixer on medium speed and add the liquid. Once combined allow mixer to go for 6-7 minutes until dough is nice and shiny. Coat large bowl with non stick cooking spray and pour dough in, cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven for 60 minutes.

As the dough rises you'll need to prep the brown sugar coating.

Mix together 1 cup dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon. In another bowl melt 1 stick of unsalted butter.

Butter Bundt pan with the 2 tablespoons of softened butter.

When the dough comes out of warm oven, pour out onto floured surface. You will need to cut the dough into 64 pieces. It's really quite easy. Form the dough into a smooth round, and cut in half, then take each half and cut into quarters, then take each quarter and cut them into quarters. Once the dough is divided, roll it gently in your hands until it forms a smooth ball, then dunk in butter then roll in the sugar. Line the dough balls in the Bundt pan until you create a few even layers.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for another 60 minutes in oven. Remove from oven, and heat oven up to 350 degrees. Place the bread in and cook for 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, not longer. Turn cake unto a flat serving dish. Let cool for 20 minutes.

Optional: While bread cools, whisk together 1 cup confectionery sugar with 2 tablespoons milk. Drizzle glaze over top. Not necessary, but totally delicious.

"Axis and Allies," Phil McConkey and Steak Sandwiches

2011-03-06T08:00:00.007-05:00

Lots of families have memories of playing board games like "Shoots and Ladders" and "Candyland" and watching Disney movies like "The Swiss Family Robinson." Our house was a little different. We played "Axis and Allies" and "Conquest of the Empire" and watched "Escape from Alcatraz" and "Bridge Over the River Kwai." We rarely missed a Giants game, and when necessary we listened to the game on the car radio. On rainy Saturday afternoons we watched a taped version of SuperBowl XXI when the Giants defeated the Broncos, always stopping to watch Phil McConkey catch Mark Bavaro's tipped ball for a touchdown in a tense fourth quarter a few extra times. Post-game we would re-enact the play in the living room with my Dad as Phil Simms and my brothers and I taking turns playing Bavaro and McConkey.

My Dad ran a tight ship. Whining was a great way not to get what you wanted. He rarely raised his voice to us. He didn't need to. A quick glare from Dad, and we would cease and desist. My Dad's dark hair is a striking contrast to his green eyes, and are more fitting of an Irish or Scottish red-head. I never met my Grandmother, but she was Scottish and fair skinned and I am guessing the eye color came from her. His eyes are his "tell," and they communicated a lot. Each look had its own message, some merely commands (be quiet, eat your dinner, listen to your mother, time for bed, etc.) and others a bit more complicated. Growing up my brothers and I learned the meaning behind each one.

There was the look he gave at church that signaled to put our coats on before Communion. After Communion we'd bless ourselves on our way to the car, and be home for opening kick-off. My Dad would do a quick prayer as we drove home. Not sure if it was an epilogue to the Mass or prelude for a Giant win, probably both.

There was the look he gave when we were acting up in the car on our way out to my Aunt and Uncle's place in Long Island. We could see his glare in the rear view mirror telling us that he planned to let us all out on the Throgs Neck Bridge if we didn't quit it.

There was the look he gave me when I pitched my first Little League game. I struck out the entire lineup. I'd like to think it was my pure talent, but I'm guessing that the boys, upon seeing a girl pitcher, swung as hard as they could at whatever junk I was throwing. Nevertheless, I remember the way my Dad looked when I glanced at him from the pitcher's mound.

There was also the look he gave his dinner if the contents appeared unfamiliar. It was a curious look with one eyebrow slightly raised. I wouldn't say he is a picky eater but I you could say he is a suspicious eater. You won't be catching him eating Pad Thai or Crunchy Spider Rolls. My Dad likes steaks and roasts, rye bread, hot dogs and sauerkraut, string beans, Le Sueur peas, ripe beef steak tomatoes, split pea soup, ham and cheese, bacon and eggs, and Steak-umms.

I can be pretty sure he's not eating Steak-umms any more, but when my brothers and I were kids I remember him making Steak-umms for lunch on weekends. We loved them. We ate them on rye bread from Wall's Bake Shop (Hewlett, LI). The bread was awfully nice for slabs of greasy steak, but growing up we ate everything on this rye bread..

When I was older and living on my own, I ran across Steak-umms in the freezer section at my grocery store. I was so excited. I bought them and went home and promptly made them. I didn't have the Wall's rye bread, but I made do. I wish I could say they were awesome, like I remembered, but they fell short. They also made my studio apartment smell pretty bad for a few days.

In an effort to relive this childhood memory, I am going to reinvent the steak sandwich so that it has more in common with real steak than with Steak-umms.

There are three simple elements to my steak sandwich; steak, cheese sauce and sauted onions. Use any bread you please. I like using a baguette, but use whatever makes sense to you.

Cheese Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup of milk
1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese
salt/pepper to taste

Melt butter in sauce pan, then add flour and wisk until smooth. Add milk and continue to whisk and then add cheese. If it's too thick for you, just add more milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sauted Onions
1 teaspoon of vegetable
1 large onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Heat up large skillet with vegetable oil. Add onions and keep at medium to high. After a few minutes add salt and pepper. Let cook until golden brown and soft, and then remove from pan.

Steak
1 - 1 1/2 lbs of eye of round steak (place in freezer 30 minutes before dinner, then slice meat as thin as possible, almost shaving off pieces. Freezing the meat will make it easier to slice)
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
salt/pepper to taste

Use the same skillet you used for the onions. Add vegetable oil, and heat on medium high. Before adding meat sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. You will probably do this in two batches. The meat will only take a couple minutes on each side.

Once meat is done, arrange sandwich. I like to start with onions, then steak, then cheese sauce.

Delicious.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2011-02-22T20:35:00.001-05:00

When I was 6 or 7, I remember my mother taking my brothers and me to the Galleria in White Plains. J.C. Penney was our spot at the mall, and we would get new pairs of jeans and our pictures taken at Penney's photo studio. Pictures and shopping were followed by a visit to the food court. I loved the food court. My brothers always went for a slice of pizza at Sbarro, but my mom and I went to the vendor who served up fluffy baked potatoes smothered in broccoli and cheese. It was an absurd amount of food for a child but I ate the whole thing. My mom did too. My brothers looked on with a bit of disgust. I'm sure they thought we were out of minds to pass on a slice of pizza for a meal that involved broccoli. Not sure what happened to the potato vendor at the mall. Guess it disappeared along with Orange Julius. Sadly, Sbarro is still kicking around.

Broccoli and cheese are a wonderful pairing. Not sophisticated per se, but it's homey and feels uniquely American, in that we love to throw cheese on our food whether it's hamburgers, french fries or apple pie. And broccoli can be off-putting, but cooked right and smothered in cheese, well, it's outrageous.

I came to writing this post via a recipe I found in the latest edition of Cook's Illustrated. I'm not even sure if I'd ever had a truly great version of broccoli and cheese soup before, but this version is definitely special. It's very rich and just perfect for a cold winter night.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 lbs of broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets (buy about 3 lbs at grocery story, by the time you cut them down and remove their woody stems you'll be left with 2 lbs)
1 medium onion roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dry mustard
a pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups chicken stock (homemade is always best)
2 cups fresh spinach
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a large soup pot melt butter, then add onions, broccoli, salt, dry mustard and cayenne. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Then add 1 cup of water, and the baking soda. Cook covered for 20 minutes on medium. Stir once at the 10 minute mark.

Add chicken stock plus 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then add spinach. Cook for a few more minutes then turn off stove. Puree the soup in small batches in your blender, adding some of each cheese to each batch before you puree. Pour pureed soup into large bowl. Let cool for at least an hour before refrigerating. If you you plan to serve right away, simply bring soup back up to a simmer in the same pot you've been using.

Sad News and Two Fabulous Soups

2011-02-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

I have sad news to share with you all. You are not going to believe it. Make sure you are seated before you continue reading. Ready? Seated? Good. Here it goes. I made an Ina Garten recipe and it flopped. Moment of silence please.

Every Ina Garten recipe I've made resulted in tremendous success. She's always lists the right ingredients, measurements and cooking times. I should write her to tell her what happened. Anyone got her address in the Hamptons? Send along if you do. I promise not to visit her even though that would be awesome. I love her house. (It's featured on her FoodNetwork show.)

Now, you are probably wondering what Ina recipe to avoid. Steer clear of her lemon bars, unless you have a solution to getting them out of the 9 x 13 pan you bake them in. They refused to come out and it got messy. Chunks of lemon bar flew about the kitchen. The shortbread crust had a cement-like quality that fused with the baking dish making a tight, nearly water-proof seal. I almost had to toss the baking dish. Tragic.

So rather then sharing the lemon bar recipe as I had planned, I'm going to share two wonderful recipes for soup. Probably better for everyone's waistlines anyway. The recipes come from "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Dinner." It's a fabulous cookbook, and I've referenced it on my blog before. I highly recommend making your own stock if possible. It makes a big difference.

Curry Cauliflower Soup
(This is an an odd-ball soup, but if you like curry you will love this. It's creamy with no cream, and filling enough to serve for dinner)
1 large onion, small dice
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large head of cauliflower, broken down into chunks (1 inch pieces)
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (1 inch pieces)
4 cups of chicken stock

Garnish
a few lemon wedges
plain yogurt (whole or low fat)

In a soup pot drizzle olive oil (1 tablespoon), and heat on medium-high. Saute onions and garlic. After a few minutes, add curry powder and salt. Cook for another minute or two and then add cauliflower, potatoes and stock. Bring to boil, and then on medium heat proceed to cook for 20-30 minutes until potatoes and cauliflower are fork tender.

You can puree soup with blender or hand held emulsion blender. If you are doing it in your blender like I did, let soup cool a little and do it in small batches so that the blender doesn't explode soup everywhere.

Serve with a squirt of lemon and a dollop of yogurt.

French-Style Tomato Soup
(This is a fairly traditional, but the dry vermouth, fennel seeds and cinnamon make it different and special)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cups tomato paste
1/3 cup dry vermouth
3 medium onions, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine dried herbs and crush them with your finger tips to make them fragrant. In a soup pot drizzle olive oil (1 tablespoon), and heat up on medium-high. Saute onions and garlic. After a few minutes add salt, pepper and dried herb mixture. Cook for another moment or two and then add tomato paste. Stir with wooden spoon until ingredients are fully combined. Then add vermouth and the can of tomatoes. Let boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add broth, and bring back to boil. Lower to medium and let cook for 20 minutes. Stir in cinnamon, and it's ready to serve.

Delicious.

Lobster Risotto for My Spoiled New Year's Baby

2011-01-09T09:23:00.007-05:00

Hello reader(s)! Belated Happy New Year to you! Like many of you, I'm sure, I'm working on tapering down from a holiday season full of delicious but excessive dining and imbibing - and I promise I'll post something healthy very soon - but let's go back for a moment and relive the holiday season at my house. Let's do it in verse form, shall we? Humor me.

'Twas the holiday season
And from start to end
I found myself cooking
For family and friends.

It started with cookies
Of all types and styles,
Then we hosted with stew
(Bourginon a la Child).

On Christmas Eve we fed many,
A buffet of crab, shrimp and lamb,
All the while smiling,
Cocktail in hand.

And on Christmas morning,
Oh, did we eat!
Smoked salmon & eggs,
Homemade sticky buns - sweet!

Then we had more guests,
My father's whole clan,
For more crab dip, shrimp cocktail
And a spiral cut ham.

And you'd think we'd be finished,
The New Year impending,
But I thought "Just one more dish!
Something worth remembering!"

So we invited some guests
Lit a fire to set the mood.
Then I made a quick list
And ran off to Whole Foods.

There, I purchased some rice,
Caviar and some lobster.
Once home, I commenced
Risotto fit for a mobster.

But our guests were sick or busy,
So it was just me & the hubby.
We put the kids to bed
And opened some bubbly.

Soon, dinner was ready,
Delicious, fragrant risotto.
Topped with more lobster meat
And salty sturgeon roe.

I presented it fireside
And thought "wow, this is nice"
Just as my husband said
"Meh. It's just rice."

Just rice?!! I'm incredulous!
It's perfection! Just right!
But he just shrugged his shoulders
And took his next bite.

The nerve, I thought!
He might as well have said Ick!
Can't he be complimentary
Instead of being a dick?

Now it should be said -
I knew before our aisle march -
That there is a disparity
In our respective love of starch.

Still, I was bummed.
I had thought it a treat.
And he did eat it up
But I still felt defeat.

He apolozied profusely;
He hadn't meant to be rude.
The flavor is amazing,
But it's not his favorite food.

In the end, I forgave him;
He'd not meant to offend.
It seems I've spoiled my baby
Through great food with no end.

The wind gone from my sails,
I suddenly felt tired.
And instead of ringing in the new year,
We fell asleep by the fire.

It's clear to me now -
As I guess it always was -
That when we feed people
We really serve part of us.

So diners, keep in mind,
Cooking comes from the soul!
Please consider your chef's efforts
As you gaze into your bowl.

And as for my husband?

He's a really good guy,

And the upside, of course,

Is he'll usually give me his fries.

Happy 2011! Make some lobster risotto, even if it's just for you! But find somebody to help you eat it...those resolutions won't keep themselves!

Lobster Risotto with Champagne, Tarragon & Caviar
Ingredients:
3 T. good olive oil
2 large-ish shallots, diced
1 small (or 1/2 medium) yellow onion, diced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 c. champagne (or prosecco or, in a pinch, good, dry white wine)
10 cups fish fumet (concentrated fish stock), seafood stock or lobster stock
About 12 - 16 oz. lobster meat (I bought four 3-4 oz. tails)
2 T. fresh chopped tarragon
1 T. fresh chopped chives
1/2 c. freshly grated parmigiano reggiano(or more), plus extra for garnishing
salt & pepper
about 2 T. Butter (optional)
about 2 T. caviar for garnish (optional)

* In my opinion, buying larger lobster tails doesn't pay. They tend to be more expensive and the meat ends up tougher because it is steamed in its shell - which takes longer for larger lobsters - and then essentially cooked again when added to the risotto. If you are making your own stock and therefore need whole lobsters, that's a good reason to go with bigger crustaceans. I was lucky enough to find fresh Fumet at Whole Foods, but I suspect it was there specially for the holiday.

Instructions:

Over a pot of seasoned water, steam the lobster tails until just cooked (4 to 5 minute for smaller tails). Remove from steamer and allow to cool before removing meat from shells. Set aside.

In a large skillet or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add shallot and onions and saute until translucent, stirring continuously, about 3 minutes. Add rice and saute until rice is coated with remaining oil and onions are incorporated, about a minute or two. Add champagne and stir continuously until moisture is absorbed. Begin adding stock or fumet, about 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and waiting until liquid is almost entirely absorbed before adding the next cup. You will continue this process for about the next 30 minutes until the rice achieves the correct consistency (moist but not runny; dense but not gluey, al dente). Remove from heat.

Roughly chop about 1/2 to 2/3 of the lobster meat, reserving the remaining 1/2 to 1/3 in tact to slice and serve atop the roisotto. Stir the chopped meat into the risotto. Then, stir in the parmigiano, tarragon & chives. If adding butter (I really never do), fold it quickly in at this point.

Plate servings of risotto in bowls. Garnish with additional cheese, sliced lobster meat and a dollop of caviar. This recipe makes 8 side dish portions or 4 generous main course servings. Enjoy it. If the people you serve it to don't enjoy it, kick them out of your home and eat their risotto for dessert. Never let the bastards get you down!

NOTE: Please, please, if you have leftover risotto ~ refrigerate it overnight. Form into 1 1/2" balls, roll in panko and fry in 1/2" of olive oil until it is golden brown. Enjoy these - arancini - as the wonderful treat that they are! I think they're supposed to be good luck or something. Of course, here at my house, I say good luck finding any leftovers.

Happy New Year, My Wakeful Toddler, and Orange Vanilla Panna Cotta

2011-01-02T14:00:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I had every intention of writing and posting this item Saturday during my son Simon's nap. Yesterday morning he woke up crying -- bad sign. By 11 a.m., he was rolling around on the living room floor rubbing his eyes and screeching. I took him upstairs for his nap, which I hoped would be a long slumber. He was out in minutes. I showered and organized the kitchen and living room, and then sat down to write. It was 11:52, and I heard a soft moan coming from Simon's room. I prayed that he might find his way back to sleep. I always hope that will happen and it never does.

Since Simon was born he's struggled with sleep. He's a year and half now, and he's pretty much mastered falling asleep on his own, but staying asleep, well, that's a different story. My husband and I are always amazed by how loudly he cries when he's tired. He screams at the very top of his lungs. At Thanksgiving, when we were visiting my husband's family in Los Angeles, he cried so hard the first night that he lost his voice. I'm sure when we eventually expand our family our next child will be good sleeper and be very quiet. That's how it works, right? (I don't actually want anyone out there to answer this question, so please keep your thoughts to yourself, thank you very much)

Now, back to the point of the post. I made Orange Vanilla Panna Cotta for dessert on New Year's Eve. I had made an Asian-themed dinner, and I thought this made for a refreshing, cool ending. I adapted this from another cookbook Morgan (my sister-in-law) gave me last year, "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper." It reminds me of a creamsicle, but better because you eat it with a spoon. The texture is similar to soft serve ice-cream. It's dreamy.

Orange Vanilla Panna Cotta

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
zest of 1 orange
1 cup sour cream

Mix gelatin and water, and set set aside. On medium-high heat combine cream, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a near boil, and then remove from heat and add gelatin mixture. Let cool for a few minutes. In a large bowl combine sour cream with zest, and then gently pour cream mixture over top. Mix until smooth.

Pour 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup portions into ramekins or small bowls. Juice glasses or small mugs can work too. You will serve this in whatever you use. This panna cotta is super soft, and I wouldn't try to plate it. I think they would just turn into a puddle, not pretty and hard to eat.

We Climb the Short Rib Because It's There

2010-12-28T13:37:00.007-05:00

Hello & Merry Christmas from not-so-snowy Baltimore. I know some of you reading this up north - and down south - are rather snowed in, but the Christmas blizzard of 2010 was a bit overstated 'round here and we didn't even get enough to play in. Boo! I know, I know...a lot of you have been severely inconvenienced by the holiday snow and I am sorry for you, but I was really looking forward to getting cozy and vegging out a bit now that the Christmas rush has slowed. Ugh! And what a rush it was! Helping Santa is a busy, busy job and we had a lot of fun with friends and family, but now that it is over, I was all about being snowed in, having the husb build a fire and making something warm and comforting, like this ragout you're about to hear all about. But now I'm told that we're expecting temps in the 50's in a few days. Freaking global warming!! Al Gore was right...it really does ruin everything.

So, I say screw it. I'm making short rib ragout anyway. Join me, won't you?

This recipe came about in my favorite way possible; it came to me when I encountered an ingredient so impressive and fresh that I had to purchase it and come up with something to do with it. Specifically, I was in my favorite Italian market (Ceriello's at Belvedere Market, neighbors), buying something completely unrelated when I came across the biggest, most impressive beef short ribs I have ever seen before in my life. They looked like they were from a Brontosaurus. I had to buy them. But as wonderful as short ribs are, I sometimes find a plate of braised short ribs to be overwhelming. At worst, they can be greasy and heavy. At best, they are rich and delicious and, well, heavy.

But there they were, just like the Mt. Everest of short ribs. And, you know, whenever you hear that someone has perished on the way up Mt. Everest, you think "Why? Why would someone climb Mt. Everest?" And the answer, of course, is, because it's there. They climb it because it's there. Food is a bit like that. Sometimes we must cook because the food calls us to it. I think this is actually the best reason to cook something. We should always be looking for ingredients that are perfect, whether it be tomatoes at their seasonal, bright red, juicy peak or fresh tuna taken immediately off of a fishing boat along the Atlantic coastline. It's a European ideal that cooks should enter a market without preconceived notions of what they might cook tonight but instead, let the products available to them that day dictate what's for dinner. Unfortunately, it's the furthest thing from how Americans eat. We'd probably all be a bit healthier and a lot more satiated if we could teach ourselves to eat ingredients at their peak and not because we think we should have everything we want exactly when we want it. We are a bunch of entitled so-and-sos, aren't we? We should really get over ourselves. OK, lecture complete. Moving on to deliciousness.

So, if I want to eat the short ribs because they are perfection, but I don't want a plate of short ribs, what do I do with them? I braise them, of course, and I make thick, satisfying, savory pasta sauce and serve it over pappardelle (wide, rustic pasta). Duh. This is an all-day sort of recipe that cooks low and slow for quite some time in a dutch oven (ooh lala. Bonjour Le Creuset. Joyeux Noel.) but it's worth it and it's not at all hard. No mountain climbing required. If you'd like, begin the recipe the day before you'd like to serve it to allow the flavors to marry overnight. This will also allow you to easily skim a lot of the fat resulting from the ribs out of the sauce. Please enjoy it, and please, please have a happy, healthy 2011!

Beef Short Rib Ragout over Pappardelle

Ingredients:

3 - 3.5 lbs. beef short ribs (bone-in)

4 oz. really good bacon, chopped into 1/4" dice (it helps to freeze bacon slightly before attempting to chop it)

2 - 3 T. olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used a food processor)

1 large or 2 small carrots, finely chopped (ditto)

3 (or more, to your liking) cloves garlic, crushed

2.5 cups good red wine

2.5 cups beef or veal stock

1 T. tomato paste

2 bay leaves

2-3 stems each, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, tied in a bunch with cooking-safe string, to make bouquet garni

1 large can whole peeled tomatoes

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh grated parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano cheese, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Fresh parsley

12 - 16 oz. pappardelle pasta, or other broad, flat pasta, or rigatoni

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat short ribs dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat about 1 - 2 T. olive oil in dutch oven on stove top. Sear short ribs on all 4 sides and remove from dutch oven. Set aside. Heat remaining oil and sautee bacon until well browned, but not burned. Remove bacon from the pan and set aside. Sautee carrots and onions in resulting fat until onion becomes translucent and carrots begin to soften. Return short ribs to rest on top of vegetables. Cover with wine & stock. Add tomatoe paste bay leaves, herbs and garlic, plus the reserved bacon. Open the can of whole tomaotes and coarsely crush tomatoes with your fingertips. Add tomatoes and juice to the dutch oven. Stir carefully. Cover and place in the oven for about 3 hours.

After 3 hours, remove dutch oven from your oven. Remove bay leaves and bouquet garni. If you're working a day ahead, at this point you would allow the whole thing to cool a bit before placing it in the fridge overnight. Then, the next day, remove the fat solids from the top of the sauce and proceed by removing the ribs and bringing the sauce back up to a simmer on the stove top. If you are working within one day, remove the ribs from the sauce and use a serving spoon or ladle to skim as much fat from the surface of the sauce as possible and proceed by bringing the sauce to a simmer on the stovetop. Remove the meat from the bones and separate fat from the meat. Discard fat and bones. While you are dealing with meat, bring the sauce to a simmer on the stove top and add the diced tomatoes and parmigiano, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom. Return the beef from the ribs to the pot and simmer sauce until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook pasta according to package. Turn sauce off and add ricotta cheese. Stir to incorporate. Drain pasta thoroughly and add it directly to the sauce, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately with grated cheese, a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and a big, fat glass of red wine. Enjoy!

My Bake-Off Career (and Sugar Shuttles)

2010-12-25T08:11:00.001-05:00

I would like to be on one of the Food Network recipe contest shows. Specifically, Ultimate Recipe Showdown, the one hosted by Guy Fieri. They typically have a mixed bag of contestants. There are talented home cooks with interesting techniques and recipes and there are truly awful recipes from some harebrained amateurs. I recently saw an episode where a contestant was pureeing sauteed chicken with hot sauce in a blender. For what purpose, I don't know. I had to click through and watch something less disturbing like "Jerseylicious."

The most disturbing display of amateur cooking I've ever seen was on one of Gordon Ramsey's show. One of the contestants thought it was good idea to cook a whole chicken inside a pumpkin. Ramsey gags as he pulls the pale wet chicken from the belly of the pumpkin. The pumpkin had birthed the chicken - twisted. Regardless, I want to be on a show as a serious contestant. As important days go in my life, it would rank pretty high. Not before the day I married my husband or the day my son was born, but I think being the winner on a show would come in a solid 3rd.

I've tried to win cooking contests before, and I have never won. I recently lost in a bake-off at my office. I even submitted two recipes in the hope that would increase my odds. I actually intended to submit three, thank God I didn't. That would have been humiliating.

I made crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies and the recipe below -- sugar shuttles. I made the oatmeal cookies a few years back for another bake-off. I got a 3rd-place finish, which was fairly disappointed considering the top prize went to a Duncan Hines cake. The sugar shuttles didn't win either in last week's bake-off, but I guarantee they're worth making (and eating). They're soft and buttery and different, and they come from the same book I've been using a lot lately, The Gourmet Cookie Book. This was Gourmet magazine's best recipe from 1951. Enjoy.

Sugar Shuttles

1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
2 egg yolks, whites reserved
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, butter, egg yolks, salt and vanilla in a bowl with a spoon or with your hands. It’s easier with your hands. Once a dough is formed, let rest covered in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

While dough rests, beat the egg whites, and pour about ½ cup of sugar into another bowl.

Take dough out of refrigerator, and pinch off about 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon sized portions. Roll into log shape, about 1 ½ inches long. Dip in egg whites and roll in sugar.

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes until barely brown on the edges.

Makes 18-24 cookies

Maple Shortbread Squares

2010-12-15T20:13:00.001-05:00

I found another gem in The Gourmet Cookie Book. The official name of the cookie is "Skibo Castle Ginger Crunch." It's British. It had one ingredient exclusive to the U.K. The recipe calls for Lyle's Golden Syrup. Not sure what that is, so I replaced it with maple syrup. I also replaced the ginger with cinnamon. I thought the cinnamon made better friends with the maple syrup then ginger.

Pre-heat oven to 350, and butter a 13 x 9 pan. Line with one sheet of parchment paper long enough so that about 2 inches hangs over each end of the pan.

Shortbread Base
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Mix dry ingredients, and then add butter. The best way to combine the butter with the dry ingredients is with your fingers. If you have a pastry cutter, use that to help with the process. It'll take about 5-8 minutes.

Once completed, pour mixture into your greased pan and with your hands press down and spread to cover the entire surface.

Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes until lightly browned.

While it bakes heat the ingredients below on medium-low heat in a saucepan for about 5 minutes.

Topping
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

It will become smooth and gooey. When the shortbread comes out of the oven, pour the topping over it. Let cool on counter for about an hour, and then put in the refrigerator over night. This will make it easier to cut.

The parchment paper hanging over the edges is the key to getting this out of the pan. You should be able to lift with ease, and cut into as many pieces as you want. I made this into 24 squares.

Super Soup, with apologies to Ro Zucc

2010-12-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Hello?? Where am I? What is this thing? A blog? What's a blog? Oh. That sounds neat. I'd like one of those. what? I have one? ME?!? Where?!? THIS ONE? Whaaaat? This is my blog? That's so weird. You must be mistaken. I don't have a --- wait! Do I? That does seem familiar. WAIT! I do! I do have a blog! Hello blog! It's been forever! What have you been up to? Nothing? And it's all my fault? Because I haven't posted anything? Hmm. I guess you do have a point there. Sorry about that. Oh, come on! Don't be angry! I'm sorry for ignoring you! I won't do it again! Can't we just move forward? We can? Thanks, blog. I've missed you too. I really am sorry. I promise to make up for it. Right now. With the best soup ever.

So, once upon a time, I was in college. I say "once upon a time" because I still go to the gym at said college and, judging by the appearance of the co-eds around me, they are very young which would make me sort of, um, vaguely, relatively, old-ish. Regardless, my beloved co-blogger Beth & I met there at Loyola College (now Loyola University Maryland. Another subject for another day. Don't get me started.) and I have many, many fond memories of my time there. From what I recall. Pieces are hazy. But I think it was great.

A really great thing about Loyola was the housing. Most of it was re-purposed apartment buildings that had been built for real people, then purchased by Loyola and used as student housing which meant that there were very few traditional dorms. It was pretty sweet. Other kids were totally jealous. We had kitchens. We had in-room bathrooms. We had living rooms. The trade-off? We had LOTS of roommates. At first, there were 5 of us in my room, and later 4. So, that's more than one roommate. By up to 400% more. I think. I wasn't a math major.

Regardless, as any of you who has maybe lived with one 19-year old girl can attest, 4 or 5 of us in one room was sometimes a lot. And I don't think I was super good at it. My intentions were good, but it was almost like my intuition regarding my own species was somehow sort of off, like the cow that gets confused and wanders away from the heard only to get caught in a barbed wire fence. It was sometimes wonderful, and sometimes a struggle but ya know what? When I look back on it, I remember a lot of good stuff, and I'm still friends with all of those girls that I ever lived with and that makes me happy. They all have good lives and GORGEOUS kids and they're happy, too. And we're all still in touch. Except this girl Brenda who lived with us briefly who had a really weird relationship with her brother and wore a lot of overalls. I don't know what happened to her. But for the rest of us, I wish we could see each other more.

My roommate Toni was my direct roommate our Freshman year. That meant we shared a bedroom in a larger apartment.There was a lot of really good stuff about living with Toni. She is very funny. She is neat as a pin, which just made me feel bad that she had to live with me. She has an excellent wardrobe and always let me borrow her sweaters. She would occasionally pluck my eyebrows for me. She believed that when things went bad, it was probably best to go to the mall. But Toni's family also owns the best pizza place in Wildwood, NJ - Sam's Pizza - and whenever she went home she brought back a BIG stack of pies for us. AWESOME. Although, being a seasonal business, Sam's would close for a big chunk of the school year. And you would think it would be sad. And it was. BUT! When there was no pizza, Toni used to bring back her mom's chicken soup. Ro's (her mom's name is Ro) Super Soup. Or was it 'Soup'er Soup? Dunno. Never asked her to spell it. Don't care. It was so delicious, so comfy. It was traditional chicken & rice soup, with carrots & onions and chicken (duh). And you wouldn't have thought it would be remarkable, but it was. It sooo was. It was SUPER thick with shredded chicken and rice and it literally warmed your soul. And we would heat it, and eat some, and then heat it again the next day (or later the same day), and eat some more. And it just kept getting thicker and better.

Now, I wasn't the culinarian that you see before you now back at Loyola. I was just starting to dabble. And I think it was probably years before I really started to think about Ro's soup and how to recreate it. But I'm having a soup moment right now, so I decided this was the year to figure it out. 'Cause I don't live with or near Toni anymore, or Ro for that matter, and my babies need this soup! So, I set off on the soup making, and I made my own stock from a whole cut-up chicken. And then I pulled all the meat so it was perfectly shredded like Ro's. And I chopped carrots and onions. And I simmered. And I added rice. And I seasoned. And I tasted. And it was not right. Thin, brothy, blah. And I simmered. And I seasoned. And I put it to bed for the night to let the flavors marry. And I did it all again the next day. And it still sucked. And then I got desperate and added some saffron that co-blogger Beth left at my house months ago which I swore I would never use because she left it acidentally and saffrom threads are EXPENSIVE. But Ro's soup was definitely a beautiful yellow shade and I had to. (So sorry Beth! I swear I will replace it!) But the soup was still just soup, not Souper.

And then fate intervened. My daughters, specifically, intervened. It was their dinnertime and they were fussy and cranky and difficult and I forgot about my soup. I left it simmering away. And we got through dinner, and I got the little one bathed (she is slippery like an eel, that one!) and then I realized my soup was boiling. Boiling! And probably ruined. Probably stuck to the bottom of the pot and burnt. Probably awful.

Or, perhaps, perfection. It was thick, hearty, yellow, soothing, comforting, delicious, better-than-it-should-be perfection. In a word, Souper. I'm going to share it with you because it is the sort of thing that might help us all towards happiness and world peace. But I'm gonna preface with apologies to Ro, 'cause I'm sure this isn't her way or the right way, but it filled the hole in my world left when I graduated and got circumstantially cut-off from the real deal. Now, if I can only get Sam's to deliver to Baltimore, we'll be all set.

Souper Soup

For Stock:

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken, cut into about 6 or 8 pieces

1 whole large - or two small - onions, skin on, quartered

2 carrots, cut into several large pieces

2 celery stalks, cut into several large pieces

2 bay leaves

12 - 20 whole peppercorns

1 T. Kosher salt

Enough water to cover completely, at least 10 cups

Instructions:

Place chicken, vegetables & seasoniongs in a large stockpot and add water to completely cover all ingredients. Cover stockpot and simmer for at least three hours. Remove from heat, cool slightly and remove chicken. Set chicken aside to cool (I retained my carrots, chopped them and added them to my soup later, too). Strain stock into another large pot, cover and refrigerate overnight. Discard remaining vegetables. The next day, remove chicken skin and bones and chop or shred further if necessary, and remove any fat from surface of stock. Continue with soup recipe as below.

For Soup:

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

2 medium or large onions, chopped, not too finely

3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thick coins

1o cups chicken stock (as above)

3 -4 cups chicken, shredded (from stock recipe as above)

2 cups uncooked rice (I used brown)

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 T. fresh thyme, stems carefully removed

1 - 2 tsp saffron threads

Salt and pepper, to taste

optional: 1 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms, sauteed in olive oil

Instructions:

Warm 2 T. of olive oil in a large stockpot. Add onions and carrots and sautee lightly until onions are just barely softened. Add chicken stock, chicken and rice, bay leaves & thyme. Stir. Simmer soup, covered, for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add saffron (and mushrooms, if desired...they weren't in Ro's soup as I recall), and season with salt and pepper, remembering that you can always add more, but you can't take it out. Turn up the heat just a bit to acheive a gentle boil and leave the pot uncovered, stirring regularly until the soup starts to reduce and thicken to your liking. When soup has reached the consistency you desire, serve it in big bowls with good crusty bread. Enjoy!

7 weeks, Cookies, Cookbooks and Lemon Thins

2010-11-18T15:53:00.015-05:00

It's been seven weeks since my last post. Coincidentally, I started a new job seven weeks ago. I wonder if these two facts are related. (Sigh)

I have been cooking during this busy time, although I had not felt truly inspired until my wonderful sister-in-law Morgan sent me a gift. I received a cookie cookbook. I don't have a cookbook that is strictly devoted to cookies. I have lots of on baking, but not on cookies. Morgan sent me "The Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe From Each Year, 1941-2009." It has fantastic pictures and great anecdotes about each cookie. This past Thursday I made Lemon Thins -- the best cookie of 1979. They are glorious, and simple to prepare and bake. Thin and light, they make you feel like you are not eating something wrong, though you clearly are because these lovelies are full of sugar and butter and eggs. Yum.

Lemon Thins

2 eggs (room temperature, leave eggs out on kitchen counter for 90 minutes prior to use)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon zest
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup all purpose flour

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a little non-stick baking spray.

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla with hand mixer for 5 minutes, no less. Then stir in lemon zest. In separate bowl beat butter with hand mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then fold butter and flour in increments into egg mixture. Once incorporated, drop 1 spoonful (about teaspoon) of batter on lined baking sheet. This cookie dough is more like cake batter.

Bake for 5-6 minutes. Once the edges are browned slightly, pull out. Let cool for a minute on baking sheet, then move to a cooking rack.

Makes 2 1/2 - 3 dozen cookies depending on how much batter you eat along the way.

I plan to bake cookies from this book the rest of December. If you are not a cookie lover, I apologize. I'll have a different theme in January when I start blaming my dryer for shrinking my clothes.

Halloween (Butternut Squash and Black Bean) Soup

2010-10-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

Halloween is great. I love candy corn, kids in costumes, parades, carved pumpkins, hot apple cider and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Halloween as a kid was almost as good as Christmas. It was magical. You got to dress up, eat sweets, and stay up late. I remember one year my brother Vince was a werewolf. He wore brown shoes, brown socks, brown corduroy pants, a brown and white checked button down shirt, brown wool sweater and a very scary werewolf mask. It had a head of curly brown hair, protruding snout and large blood fangs. He was the neat-est and fiercest werewolf and 2nd grader that ever was.

The only drawback to Halloween is the pressure to dress up. As a kid it was fine, but starting in high school it became a burden. I dreaded it in college and in my twenties. My ideas and execution were terrible. I have a long history of bad Halloween costumes. One particularly embarrassing year in college involved giant bunny ears and glitter. It was bad, and there are lots and lots of pictures. There was also the year that my husband and I dressed up as salt and pepper shakers. I thought getting a cab to the party was humiliating. The ride back was much worse. I don't frown on people who do get dressed up. In fact, I think it's great. I'm creative when it comes to food, but I totally bomb on artsy projects like Halloween costumes and dioramas. Hopefully, when it's time for me to help my son with school projects I will find some creative inspiration (or an assistant).

Now, the orange and black soup:

2 2-lb butternut squashes or 1 4-lb butternut squash
1 medium onion, small dice
1 tablespoon olive oil
32 oz low sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 16 oz cans of black beans, rinsed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Split squash in half, scoop out seeds, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 1 hour. Flesh should be soft when you pierce with fork. Let cool, then scoop out flesh and mash with fork

In large soup pot, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions and saute until soft. Add salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper. Add stock, and bring to medium simmer. Stir in smashed butternut squash. Let cook on medium for about 20 minutes until squash fully incorporates. Stir often. Add in black beans, and let cook for just a few more minutes.

Serve with warm bread.

Irish Bars, Michael Flatley and Guinness Beef Stew

2010-10-07T06:00:00.006-04:00

This recipe is a tribute to my drinking days. I am not much of drinker anymore. I have two beers and I'm falling down drunk. Pathetic. In the old days (meaning my twenties), I could really throw them back. Some of my favorite bars included Murphy's, Mick O'Shea's, Mackey's, Nanny O'Brien's, Ireland's Four Fields (formerly know as the Four Courts), The Irish Times, The Dubliner, Biddy Mulligans and The Irish Chanel. I could go on, but I think I am only embarrassing myself. And if I wasn't at an Irish bar, I was drinking with my Irish Catholic friends. I recall in college trying to track down a poster of Michael Flatley for my friend Karen's 21st birthday. Sadly, we couldn't find one so we settled on getting her a pinata, a 30 pack of beer, and a video of "The Lord of the Dance." We all got drunk, cracked open the pinata, watched "Lord of the Dance," played a nice binge drinking game called "Power Hour," and then headed out to the bars. I'm exhausted just thinking about doing all that. Granted, I did spend most afternoons resting on the coach watching "Jerry Springer" and "Days of our Lives" in my dorm. College = money well-spent.

Since I don't drink much now, I get my kicks from cooking. I basically made up this recipe. I browsed lots of recipes for Guinness stew, and I took what seemed like the best parts of each of them. Adding the baker's chocolate came from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. I think this one ingredient takes this stew recipe from good to great. I've made beef stews before, but this is my favorite by far. I don't think I will ever not make this version. Guinness has wonderful texture and flavor. Obviously it's great to drink, but it's also awesome to cook with -- and no hangover. I'm going to have to research other ways to incorporate it in my food. Perhaps I'll pour it over my corn flakes tomorrow, or swirl it in my oatmeal. I'll keep you posted on my findings.

Guinness Beef Stew

1 1/2 - 2 lbs stewing beef
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 medium onions, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, 1-inch pieces
5-6 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 large tomato, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 dried bay leaves
2 cups Guinness
1/2 cup water
1 ounce bittersweet baking chocolate
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped.

Pat the stew meat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper over meat. Dredge each piece in flour and shake off extra flour.

Heat up 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in dutch oven. Brown beef on all sides. It will take about 8-10 minutes. Remove meat from pan. Add onions, carrots, potatoes, salt, thyme and bay leaves. Let cook down and scrape the bottom of dutch oven with wooden spoon to get all the brown bits left from the stewing meat. As the tomatoes start to break down, add beer, water and baking chocolate. Bring to a boil, and then turn off stove. Place in a 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Before serving stir in two tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley.

My Husband's Birthday, Idiots, Hellman's Mayonnaise and Chocolate Cake

2010-10-02T12:30:00.001-04:00

A few Friday nights ago, I made "Idiot Chocolate Cake" by chef and author David Lebovitz. Supposedly, only an idiot can screw up this recipe. There are many things that I'm not good at, but I know how to read and execute a recipe. This one required a springform pan. I didn't have one, so I picked one up. I also picked up ScharffenBerger chocolate as the recipe recommends and I even brought my eggs up to room temperature, a practice I've always been leery about. The cake is simple and it took only a few minutes to combine the chocolate, sugar, eggs and butter. I poured the batter into a buttered and cocoa powder-ed springform pan and placed it in a roasting dish. Following the recipe instructions to create a water bath, I poured hot water in the roasting dish to surround the cake. I set the timer for 75 minutes, and I placed it in my hot oven. The smell of it baking was glorious. I was so excited. The one-hour mark hit, and I took a peak at the cake. The top looked a little odd, full of bubbles and craters. I was momentarily concerned, but not alarmed. I waited another 15 minutes, and took the cake out. The top now really bothered me, and I stared at it for awhile. As I stared, the cake fell in on itself. Crap.

The recipe did have a warning regarding the springform pan, and recommend wrapping it in tinfoil if you suspect it's not waterproof. And I did in fact wrap the pan, but not tightly enough. Water had made its way into the cake, and ruined the whole thing. I was pissed. Thankfully, I was able to comfort myself by eating the only edible part of the cake, the top crust -- and it was tasty. David Lebovitz should have added a footnote for idiots. I mean, doesn't he know how many idiots are out there? Lots and lots. The idiot footnote should read as follows: "The springform pan you just bought is not waterproof. Wrap it tightly with layer upon layer of tinfoil or your cake will be a soggy mess."

I wanted a great chocolate cake for husband's birthday. This "Idiot Cake" was a test run. Thank God. But now what? He loves chocolate cake, and I really wanted to get this right. I would try Lebovitz's cake again, but my confidence was a bit shaken. This recipe shall be shelved for the time being. I needed to think. I often get inspiration when I think back to the food I ate many moons ago. As I kid I remember my mom making a chocolate cake that had mayonnaise in it. It was awesome -- moist and chocolate-y. The recipe was published in a Hellman's Mayonnaise cookbook. I have no idea how we came to have this book, maybe Hellman's sent it to us because of all the tuna salad and egg salad sandwiches we ate. I scoured the internet for the recipe. There were countless versions. The best of the bunch came from Cook's Illustrated (surprise, surprise).

This is so simple -- no frosting, no water bath, no springform pan, no room temperature eggs. This is idiot-proof for idiots.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
1 cup hot strong coffee
2/3 cups mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
confectionery sugar for dusting

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8" by 8" square pan.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Combine chocolate, coffee and cocoa. Whisk until smooth and let cool for a minute or two. Then whisk in mayonnaise, egg and vanilla. Then stir mayonnaise mixture into flour.

Once fully incorporated pour into buttered pain, and cook for 25 - 30 minutes.

Let cool in pan for 1 - 2 hours.

Turn cake out onto serving platter and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve with dollop of fresh whipped cream.

P.S. I've clearly relapsed on baking. I have not moved on to soups and stews as I said I would in my last post. Oh well, I guess I need a court-ordered stint in baking rehab.

Baking Bender and Crumb Cake

2010-09-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Recently, I've been on a baking bender. I've made peach shortbread, apple shortbread, biscuits, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, pound cake, loaves of bread and crumb cake. My husband and I have been countering the onslaught of calories with extra trips to the gym, and I've been adding additional miles and hills to my runs. I'm experiencing an odd combination of muscle soreness, dehydration, burgeoning love handles and rapid mood swings. I'll feel great for about an hour after I've consumed a cup of coffee, a slice of pound cake and a cookie for breakfast. It's hard to get back to that original morning high as I spend the rest of the day looking for cheap scores of Hershey miniatures and chocolate kisses. I plan on rehabbing for a bit and working on recipes for soups and stews.

The highlight of the baked goods bender was my crumb cake. If you ever had a thing for Entenmann's crumb cake, you are going to love this recipe. The best crumb cakes are equal parts crumb to cake. The ratio on this cake actually favors the crumb. It's not quite a one-to-three (cake to crumb) ratio, but it's tipping the scales in that direction.

I adapted this recipe from Cook's Illustrated. It's straightforward. If you need to buy an 8" x 8" baking pan, do it. You'll definitely make this cake again. Also it's a good pan to have. Lots of recipes call for this size specifically, including cornbread, brownies, blondies and granola bars.

Crumb Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line an 8" x 8" pan with tinfoil. You'll need two sheets of foil, cut to fit the bottom and sides allowing about 2 inches to hang off the edges.

Crumb Topping
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cups dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup cake flour

Stir sugars, butter, salt and cinnamon until it forms a paste, then add flour until it forms a cohesive ball. Set aside

Cake
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
Powdered sugar for dusting

Whisk the dry ingredients together. With hand mixer on medium add butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Then add buttermilk and eggs, keeping mixer on until fully incorporated.

Spray baking dish with non-stick spray and spread batter out evenly. The batter is very thick and it won't want to spread, but be patient and work it to the corners gently. It'll happen.

Start taking pieces of the crumb ball and form little boulders of deliciousness. They don't need to be perfectly smooth but they should be about the size of marbles. As you make them start laying them on top of the batter. You'll want to cover the entire surface. At the end you'll be adding these little boulders on top of each other, not in a full second layer, but pretty close.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Remove and let rest for 30 minutes. Use tinfoil sling to remove from pan, and let sit for another hour on a wire rack. Then dust heavily with powdered sugar.

Don't serve sick people sick food (and Stuffed Peppers)

2010-09-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

When I was 12 my grandfather had a stroke. He spent eight weeks at a rehabilitation hospital 45 miles from our house. My mom was there every day, my dad on the weekends, and my brothers and I were there most days after school. We loved our Grandpa. He was gentle and kind, and we hated seeing him sick. My Dad called him "Pop." They were close. My Dad had lost both his parents when he was in his twenties. They logged many hours together working in our yard -- chopping wood, trimming hedges, clearing brush, planting trees and maintaining our expansive vegetable garden. My brothers and I would chip in too. Afterwards my Dad on occasion would take us to the local watering hole. My brothers and I would sip cherry cokes and play Pac-Man at the one video game in the corner of the bar, while my Dad and Grandpa grabbed a beer.

Visits to the hospital were rough. There were so many patients, like my Grandpa, in recovery but in terrible pain. Scott, the guy in the room next to my Grandpa, had spent the better part of a year in a coma after being hit by a truck and dragged for a mile. He was 18 years old. When we were not around he kept my Grandpa company. He was in a wheel chair and his body was shrunken from months in bed. His parents were there every day and like Scott they were warm and thoughtful. I can only imagine how they must have felt the day their son finally opened his eyes.

It was a long drive back home so we spent evenings having dinner in the hospital cafeteria. You would assume it would be bad. Institutional food can be disgusting, but not at this hospital -- it was delicious. They weren't breaking new ground but the food was flavorful, warm and familiar. They served typical American fare: stuffed peppers, roast chicken, meatloaf, pot pies, open-faced sandwiches, vegetable medleys and fruit pies and crisps. All of it fresh, not that Sysco nonsense. In "Carla Hall" speak, this food was made with love. Eating and talking about the roast chicken or strawberry rhubarb pie was a pleasant distraction and needed reprieve.

Fast-forward 20 years: When I had my son Simon, I was in the hospital for 5 days. On day 3 my husband told the nurses to stop bringing the food, not that I ate it the days before but the smell of it in our room was making us ill. It was a very nice hospital in a nice area, so why where they serving me such slop? Am I in prison? Did I do something wrong? I thought I just had a baby. Each morning they would bring in a tray of watery eggs served over a greasy slab of ham with a side of pale fruit and a half-frozen English muffin. I have a vivid memory of my husband lifting the cover off the tray and saying "Oh man," pause, "Yuck," as if he saw a squashed bug on the floor.

It's a terrible thing to serve patients bad food. Don't patients and their families have enough to deal with? Let's try not to make them more sad and sick with bad food. You think the road to recovery includes cups of green jell-o with chunks of canned fruit? I'm not a doctor, but I'm also not an idiot. Consuming godawful food can't be good for you. This needs to be national movement. Let's get Michelle Obama and Alice Waters on board. It's even more important than trying to get overweight but otherwise healthy Americans to eat less and seasonally.

As I discussed the topic with my husband we came up with a few catchy slogans for the movement:

"Don't make people more sick and sad with your disgusting food, assholes"

"Stop serving bad food because it's making everyone vomit"

"Stop making sick food for sick people"

I like the first one best. I'll be making t-shirts so if you want one, send me an email or post a comment.

I'm not going to attempt to solve this problem in this post. I am going to complain, call for a movement, and share a recipe that is great to make at home and would translate well if made and served at a hospital cafeteria.

Stuffed Peppers

3 cups cooked white rice
1 lb ground beef (chicken, turkey or lamb works too)
4 cups medium dice of onions, carrots, and red pepper. Use whatever combination you want, or whatever you've got in your refrigerator
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, strained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake
2/3 cup cubed (small) fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (either homemade or a quality one from the supermarket)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
5 or 6 medium-sized green bell peppers, tops cut off, seeds and white membranes removed. Pick peppers that are the same size, and ones that have a flat bottom. They need to sit upright. (If you are one of those people who thinks green bell peppers are evil, then don't use them. Use red, yellow, orange, purple or whatever is your favorite.)

You don't need to do this in a dutch oven, but I did because I love my 6-quart Mario Batali dutch oven. You could also do this in a Pyrex dish or any other oven-safe pot, pan, or roasting dish. You want the peppers to fill the space completely. The peppers should be nestled in next to each other so that they don't topple while they bake.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Coat bottom of dutch oven with a drizzle of olive oil and place peppers in dutch oven, cut side up. Season peppers with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes.

While peppers cook, saute your vegetables in olive oil (1 tablespoon). Cook until soft and lightly brown. It'll take 15 minutes. As they cook add salt, fennel seeds, oregano, paprika and red pepper flake. Once vegetables are cooked add in the beef. Break meat up with wooden spoon and let cook until there is no more pink.

In a large bowl combine cooked rice, beef and vegetables mixture, diced tomatoes and parsley. Mix with large spoon until everything is incorporated. Taste to see if it needs additional seasoning.

When peppers are done, fill them with the rice and beef mixture. Don't be shy, really pack them. When each one is filled, sprinkle with cubes of fontina and top with a ladle of tomato sauce. Place them back in the oven for 30 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

The Fabulous Host of My Very Own Cooking Show

2010-09-13T22:49:00.005-04:00

So, it's finally happened! After years of mentally narrating my own every move in my little kitchen, I hosted my very own cooking show. And I think it went really well. I was poised, the audience was responsive, the recipes were smooth and complete and I effortlessly conducted demonstrations while cleverly producing finished products from the oven behind me on set. It was awesome.

Mind you, it wasn't televised and the audience was a my aunt's very captive garden club, but it sort of counts? Right? OK, so no, it's not a cooking "show" if there is no filming involved but it was fun and I think everybody had a good time. See, I was invited to give a cooking with herbs demonstration to the lovely Crofton Master Gardners' Club. And I did. And they are either the nicest group of people I have ever met or they confirmed for me once and for all what I have long suspected: I am charming, witty, skilled with a knife and just a plain old natural.

No? Well, I didn't accidentally curse or cut myself, and that's a victory I think. There have to be points for that. And Beth will attest that on my worst day I am WAY more charming that that smug Michael Chiarello. And I'm nowhere near as scary as that creepy Sandra Lee. OK, fine, I'm a different, less spine-tingling-ly-stepford kind of scary. Plus,I have a no-catch-phrase policy that I think gives me a (less annoying) edge over Rachel Ray. No, I don't like her. I get her appeal, but that is Beth that likes her, not me. Crap...that probably just got me black listed from having a show on Food Network for a few lifetimes. So, while my real television debut is probably a ways off (like, never) I'm pretty much ready should the opportunity knock. I mean, I already have my own chef's coat. That's half the battle, I think.

Here are the herby recipes I shared with my new fans. They are all really easy as I was afraid to attempt anything I couldn't finish in such a public forum. As I told my audience, in most cases, you can swap out an herb I have used for one that you prefer or have a plethora of on hand. But they're pretty good just as they are so this is a good place to start. Let me know what you think...it might be good for my ratings, even if they're only in my head.

Herbed Shrimp Cocktail with Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce
An easy, interesting twist on the classic

Ingredients:
For shrimp:
2 lbs large (U-25) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large lemon, divided
about 12 - 18 whole peppercorns
salt & red pepper flake, to taste
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs (I use 40% tarragon, 20% flat-leaf parsley & 40% chives)

Instructions:
In a steamer or stockpot, bring about 4 cups of water, seasoned with the juice of 1/2 the lemon, kosher salt & red pepper flake to taste and whole peppercorns to a gentle boil. Add shrimp to steamer basket or a fine mesh metal collander fitted to your pot and place over - NOT IN - simmering water. Cover and steam shrimp, uncovering only long enough to shake the the shrimp once or twice to allow for even cooking, until shrimp are just cooked. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle immediately with olive oil and toss to coat...shrimp should be coated, not sitting in oil. Add oil slowly...you can always add more, but it's tough to take it out! Immediately, while shrimp are still warm, add fresh herbs and the zest of 1/2 of that lemon. Toss completely to coat evenly with herbs. Salt lightly with kosher salt if you wish. Chill shrimp for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving with cocktail sauce (below).

For cocktail sauce:
1 1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. prepared horseradish
2 T. Wostershire sauce
1 - 2 T. Rose's Lime Juice (to your liking)
dash of Tabasco
fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
2 T. vodka (optional)

Combine all ingredients and stir well. Chill at least 2 hours before serving with shrimp.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Not-particularly-authentic-but-entirely-delicious Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce similar in texture and method to a pesto. To me, it tastes like summer.

Ingredients:
2 - 3 lbs. beef skirt steak or hangar steak
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
kosher salt & fresh black pepper to taste

1 c. fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves (heavy stems removed)
1 1/2 c. fresh cilantro leave (heavy stems removed)
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
zest of one large lemon
2 - 3 T. fresh lemon juice
1 or more cloves garlic
Red pepper flake, to taste
1 - 2 tsp. kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1/4 - 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

For the Chimichurri Sauce, place the nine ingredients from parsley through black pepper in a food processor or blender. Pulse quickly a few times to get things started. As ingredients begin to shift, slowly drizzle in olive oil until you acheive the consistency of a thick pesto. Taste and correct seasoning to your liking. Chill at least an hour before serving with steak (as below), pork, or maybe even a hearty steak-like fish, like swordfish. If stored in an airtight container, this will easily keep for a week, perhaps longer.

For the skirt steak, cut the steak into grill-able lengths (6" - 8") and, in a glass baking dish, season liberally with red wine vinegar, salt & pepper. Chill, uncovered, until you are ready to light the grill. Then, take it out of the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature while the grill heats. Heat grill to the high end of medium-high (I dunno...I make it up as I go along, people). Place the skirt steak on the grill and turn down the heat a bit and grill for only about 3 - 5 minutes per side (turn it just once if you can) for medium rare. Remove from heat and allow to rest about 7 - 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2 strips. Serve with Chimichurri Sauce as above. Delicious.

Basil-Lemon Simple Syrup Three Ways
Use this simple syrup to make a granita, refreshing lemonade or as a base for a cocktail. This method is also lovely with mint. Try mixing different herb and citrus combinations!

4 c. water
2 c. turbinado sugar (aka Sugar in the Raw)
1 cup fresh whole basil leaves, divided
The zest (just the yellow part, not the pith) of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan and add the lemon zest (please note: you are going to want to remove the lemon zest from the syrup, so don't use your microplane this time. Using a sharp knife, slice 1" pieces of zest from lemon, taking care not to end up with the pithy white part of the rind). Gently bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Don't walk away from this...you do not want it boiling over onto your stove. Once sugar has dissolved completely, carefully transfer syrup to a stainless steel bowl sitting in an ice bath and add 1/2 cup of whole basil leaves to steep as syrup cools.

While syrup is cooling, place the remaining 1/2 cup of basil leaves in a blender with 1/2 cup lemon juice. Pulse to combine until the leaves are fully incorporated into lemon juice and the mixture is pourable. Feel free to use an extra squeeze of lemon or a few drops of water to get everything combined. Place a fine mesh seive over a compatibly sized bowl and pour pureed lemon-basil mixture through, pressing the solids left in the seive to release juices. Add the strained liquid to your cooled simple syrup.

To make a lemon-basil granita, perfect for accompanying fresh fruit as a dessert, pour the mixture carefully into a jelly roll pan (a flat, stainless pan with at least 1" sides) already placed safely in your freezer. Freeze for a minimum of 4-5 hours or overnight, scraping occasionally with a fork once freezing begins to create a flaky, "snowy" texture.

To make basil lemonade, fill a tall glass with ice and pour the cooled mixture to about 1/3 - 1/2 way up the glass, depending on desired sweetness and concentration of flavor. Fill the rest of the glass with sparkling water or club soda, stir gently and enjoy.

To make a perfect summer cocktail, pour 1 oz. simple syrup mixture into a cocktail shaker with 2 oz. of your favorite rum or vodka. Shake to combine and pour into an appropriate glass filled with ice. Top off with a splash (or more, to your liking) of club soda and enjoy.

Thanks to all of my new friends in Crofton for having me! I had a blast!

America's Test Kitchen and (Chocolate Chip Cookies)

2010-09-10T06:00:00.011-04:00

First, let me be clear about the Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen empire: I love the magazine, the cookbooks, website and show. Recipes are precise, descriptions of techniques are detailed and include pictures and diagrams. My only problem is they are patronizing. The show leads with Christopher Kimball, the editor, talking about some all-American dish -- macaroni and cheese, roast beef, baked ziti, buttermilk biscuits, etc. He then proceeds to crap all over the way most home chefs make it. Kimball declares: "Whenever you taste baked ziti at your stupid pot lock dinners, it's almost always disgusting." Kimball sighs and continues, "Well, today we are going to show you fools how to make a baked ziti that's worth eating." I'm exaggerating, but only a little. (Here's how he actually describes the typical dish: "Overcooked ziti in a dull, grainy sauce topped with a rubbery mass of mozzarella.") My baked ziti could use some improvement but I think it's pretty tasty. "American's Test Kitchen" has never let me down. When they reinvent recipes the results are wonderful, but do they need to be such jerks?

Can you imagine a show about another regional cuisine that starts off by crapping on the way the average local cook prepares that very cuisine? Think how absurd it would be if Mario Batali had started off Molto Mario with a rant about how terrible the gnocchi was on his last visit to Italy. Of course, that could never happen because no Italian has ever made a bad meal, but let's pretend for a moment. I'm not disagreeing that American home chefs could use a little help, but don't break our spirit. If you want to attack someone, go after the real "bad guys," like Marie Callenders, Tysons, Stouffers, Lean Cuisine, etc. These companies are fooling everyday Americans into thinking that defrosting and reheating their food is simpler and healthier than roasting a whole chicken in your oven.

Listen up Kimball, ease up on us home chefs. We may have more to learn but that doesn't mean we aren't already making tasty food for our families and friends. Including baked ziti.

In honor of ATK's love of American food and hate of home chef's' execution, I'll be making a version of their chocolate chip cookies. I came to know this recipe from Mehan's Kitchen, which adapted it from an issue of Cook's Illustrated. These are truly the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Instead of using softened butter, this recipe uses brown butter. The cookie itself tastes like caramel.

What's more American then chocolate chip cookies? Well, I guess apple pie, that's first. Chocolate chip cookies are a very close second.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (use whatever you like, dark, milk, semi-sweet)
3/4 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or whatever nut you like or skip this altogether

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk flour and baking soda first in small bowl. Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in sauce pan. Stir constantly. Butter will bubble and then brown. You will start to see brown flecks when the browning starts and then it will take a few more moments.

Remove from heat and pour hot brown butter in a large bowl. Add the rest of the 4 tablespoons of butter, and stir until melted and slightly cooled. Then whisk in sugars, salt and vanilla. Once smooth add in eggs. Beat until the batter is shiny and looks like caramel. Then fold in flour in increments. Then add chocolate chips and nuts.

Line baking sheet with parchment and measure 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons portions for each cookie. Arrange 12 cookies on baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.

Makes 24 cookies.

Tony Bourdain & The Judgemental Toaster

2010-08-31T20:46:00.005-04:00

OK, so this post isn't really about Anthony Bourdain, but I just want to take a moment to out-disdain Beth in regards to my beloved Mr. Bourdain. Yes, he did go to some lame-o pub thing in his DC episode, but it was in the name of meeting a CIA agent and in Baltimore he went only -and exclusively - to the ghetto. Anyone who has ever read Kitchen Confidential knows that Tony is no Baltimore tourism ambassador, but seriously, he called us "rust belt" (um, whhhaaat?) and ate only at fried-crap carry-outs and some dive-ass bar with actual gangsta-cum-"actors" from The Wire. WORST PART? He took the actual uniquely Baltimore-specific phenomena of The Wire and steamed crabs and threw them into the DC episode. So, while I totally get the sensation of being bummed-out by his choices whilst wandering your hometown, I am not sure he's ever done anybody as wrong as he done us here in Charm City.

I was able to actually hear Tony's explanation for dissing us hard from the horse's mouth when he and his BFF (and my hunky culinary crush) Eric Ripert actually stopped into Baltimore on their "Cooks' Tour" speaking tour this past May. First of all, given his blatant distaste for my fair city, I was shocked - SHOCKED! - that they came here at all, but then I got to sit there and listen to Tony say that he actually finds Baltimore quite charming yet he is under no obligation to paint a fair and balanced portrait of the destinations he profiles for his viewers. Still, all ghetto, and no mention of, say the local James Beard nominee who is actually doing the local, sustainable thing that the rest of the world is endlessly prattling on about? No visit to the nation's oldest continuously-running public market wherein lies the world's finest crabcake? He did go to Chap's Pit Beef though, if memory serves. Props to that. Still, he was kinder to Cleveland...Uzbekistan, for that matter. I get that he's not obligated to show things as they are, but it's a shame. This city takes enough of a beating. The former Baltimore-city tourism drone in me dies a little.

So, why did I just buy Tony's newest book in hardcover and plow through it in a weekend? Because snarkiness is a quality that I admire. Also, I respect his frankness in terms of his own culinary limitations and I do enjoy his general bitchiness. (That's different from snarkiness.) But, he's a little judgemental, even for my tastes and you know I judge (especially when you crack open that commercial bottled marinade. NOT COOL!)

OK, so this post was all about Anthony Bourdain. But it's not just him. When you think about it, there's a lot of jugemental-ness (yeah, I know, you're judging my grammar) surrounding food. People have really strong opinions about what they eat and what you should or should not eat. We live in a food-porn world, but when you think about it, what you choose to eat and when and how and how much is a pretty intimate decision. It's not surprising that everybody and their mother throws in their two cents.

In fact, my mom even has a judgemental toaster! If you should decide that you might like your toast toastier than the toastiness achieved in one toasting, it usually says no and refuses to work, leaving you with unsatisfactory toast. What? Crazy? I like my toast a little dark. Don't judge.

I would like you to continue to withhold judgement as you read this next recipe. Although I know it is generally accepted culinary practice, I always feel a little indulgent and perhaps gluttonous when I begin a recipe with ample amounts of olive oil and butter sizzling away in a pan together. But judge if you want; you can't beat the result. Here's a fun recipe that has very few ingredients, comes together quickly and is sooo good. It's also all about the summer goodness of tomatoes and Vidalia onions. I spun it out of a dinner I watched my sister prepare a few months ago and the lime adds an unexpected something. Thanks Kat!

Sea Scallops with Vidalia Onion & Plum Tomatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
16 fresh, lovely sea scallops
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2-3 T butter
1 1/2 cups diced Vidalia onion
6 - 8 Plum (Roma) Tomatoes, chopped & seeded
the juice of one lime
kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper
freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (Don't buy it grated. Grate your own! I judge you!)

Instructions:
On two layer of paper towels, lay out the scallops to dry, flipping them once. Just do it quickly. doesn't take much, but makes a difference when searing. Season them liberally with salt & pepper on both sides once dried. In a large saute pan, heat the butter & olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until slightly softened and translucent. Add the scallops, clearing little openings in the onions for the scallops to be in direct contact with the pan. No need to be anal about it. Sear the scallops on that first side for about 2 minutes. Flip them carefully and add tomatoes to the pan. Squeeze the lime juice over everything and simmer for about three minutes, stirring around the tomatoes and onions just a bit. Turn the heat off immediately. Overcooking scallops is easier than breathing through your nose.

Transfer the tomato-onion mixture directly from the pan to serving plates and nestle the scallops on top. Grate some fresh parm on top. Enjoy. This would probably be really good over pasta or a simple risotto, but it's nice just served with a good, crusty bread also. And a salad. Salad is my life. Eat more salad.

Bourdain and Washington, DC (and Lemon Rosemary Pound Cake)

2010-08-27T06:00:00.001-04:00

Can you believe that Anthony Bourdain came to Washington, DC and featured Chadwicks? This is old news (the show aired in 2008), but it still bothers me. "No Reservations" came to DC and spent 15 minutes in a place that serves loaded potato skins, soggy fries, and well-done burgers. I like Bourdain so I'm going to distribute the blame evenly between him and the producers of the show. How did they research DC? Did they Google, "I'm a sweaty tourist and I'd like to eat mediocre food in Georgetown, where should I go?" To be fair, the episode also featured Jose Andres, which is better. Andres is an awesome chef and brand with an equally awesome accent, but I see him more as an ambassador for Spanish food than a representative of DC. And if Bourdain wanted to showcase a Washington tradition, Old Ebbitt would have been the spot, not Chadwicks. You can get your raw oysters, crab cakes, rockfish and ribeyes. Very DC. It's not going to blow you away and it's painfully crowded but the food is consistently good and it's great for people watching.

Actually, I'm at a loss to think of a chef that captures this city's personality. When I think of the places I love to eat in DC none of them are very "DC." Brasserie Beck, Bistro Lepic, Palena Cafe, Indique, Et Voila, Blue Duck, Sonoma, Dino and Ardeo are fabulous but aren't exactly capturing DC's soul. I see Bourdain's dilemma. Let's examine DC for a moment. The native population seems more southern then northern, but there are lots of transplants from all over the country and the world. I need to find a chef with big personality and likability. They should have a southern style with an international edge. Hmmm ... who can be DC's culinary voice?

I thought for several days. Then it came to me. She has not blown up yet, but I nominate Carla Hall from Top Chef (Season 5). Jaques Pepin does not look like an easy guy to impress, and she blew him away with peas. I like Carla. Colicchio can roll his eyes all he wants when you talk about making food with "love," but when you make food with love you show respect to the food and the cooking process. I can drink and eat to that. Cheers! Bon Appetit! Carla now runs a catering business -- Alchemy Caterers == which is fine, but I want to eat her food whenever I want. Open a restaurant! I'd come a lot, and I'd bring friends. And I'd write about it on my blog, and the 3 people that read this blog will also go. Carla: Are you listening? You are the ideal candidate. You are southern-born, perfect for DC. You went to Howard University, awesome. You traveled to Europe as a model, so cool. You returned and went to L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland, fabulous. And you are very very tall. Doesn't really have anything to do with anything, but I think it adds to your charm.

In honor of my nomination, I am posting a recipe inspired by one of Carla's winning episodes. She made a nectarine and strawberry tartlet with thyme, lemon and cream. I love the idea of including fragrant herbs like thyme, basil or rosemary in sweet dishes. Mint is not the only herb that gets to crossover from savory to sweet.

Watch your back, mint. Your friends are coming for you.

The pound cake recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated "Baking Illustrated" cookbook. I added the lemon and rosemary to honor Carla. This cake is very dense, and is almost like a short bread.

Lemon Rosemary Pound Cake

16 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cake flour
zest of 4-5 lemons
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

Pre-heat oven to 325, grease 9 x 5 loaf pan, and line it with parchment paper. You'll need to use two sheets that overlap each other. This is a fairly annoying step, but if you don't do it you might not get your cake out, and you'll have to hack into with a fork or spoon. Not pretty. Cut parchment paper to fit the length of the loaf pan, and then cut another piece to fit the width. You'll want the parchment paper to line the bottom and sides and have an inch or two hanging over each edge.

With a hand mixer beat sugar and butter together. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, vanilla, water and salt. Then add egg mixture in a stream to sugar and butter with hand mixer on. Once incorporated, fold in lemon zest and rosemary, then fold in flour in 1/2 cup increments.

Pour mixture into lined cake pan. Bake for 70-80 minutes. Mine took 75 minutes. Start checking at the 70 minute mark by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it's done.

Let the cake rest for 5 minutes, then pull it out of loaf pan. The parchment paper will make this easy.

Let cool for another 20 minutes.

It's delicious.

I bet it would also be awesome if you used basil or even thyme.

Speaking of Tom Sizemore...

2010-08-24T10:26:00.007-04:00

Well hello there! Remember me? It's been a while. While my co-blogger Beth has been picking up the slack this summer, I've been moving twice, living out of a suitcase and trying to exist without an internet connection. Can you imagine? No internet at all? I don't think you can. Regardless, my family and I are settling into our new home and the internet is up and working so I'm back, Baby! I'mmmm BACK!

Well, sort of. Our loyal reader will recall that in her last post, Beth was mentioning how, some days, she feels a little bit like Tom Sizemore in Blackhawk Down. Beth & I are in sync about most things, so it should come as no surprise that I, too, have been feeling a lot like Tom Sizemore, but not Tom Sizemore, the beleaguered, tough-as-nails American soldier in Blackhawk Down or the heroic, tough-as-nails American soldier in Saving Private Ryan or the cynical, tough-as-nails DEA Agent in point break or even the psychotic, tough-as-nails gangster in Reservoir Dogs. Oh wait...that was Michael Madsen. Anybody else think they might be the same person? I digress.

No, my friends, I am afraid I feel like real life Tom Sizemore. Yes, I am in a very bloated, overweight, exhausted to my core, vaguely hungover, in and out of a toxic relationship with Heidi Fleiss, Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab sort of place right now. As a result, I am in the midst of a nutritionist-prescribed "re-calibration" diet, intended to, at long last, get my system back on track after the removal of my gall bladder earlier this year. Essentially, I can eat lean protein, vegetables, brown rice, oatmeal, fruit and nuts. No gluten, no sugar, no dairy, no alcohol, no caffeine. But, ya know what? It's all right. Not as bad as you might think. I really only miss cheese. And wine. And ice cream which I only ever want when I'm told I cannot have it. Plus, it's only two or three weeks. I figure I can do almost anything for that long, especially if it's for the greater good. In this case, the greater good of me.

With all of that in mind, here's a little recipe I whipped together for dinner the other night. Health-wise, you can't go wrong with salmon, so that's where we'll begin. And, if you think I'm sitting here steaming everything, I think I mentally signed on to be re-calibrated when the aforementioned nutritionist said "you can have olive oil and butter." Try this on salmon, chicken, pork...might even work on swordfish and stuff! I served it with brown rice with all of the extra pan drippings stirred in. Yum. Even my parents and husband thought this was delicious and they are not on any weird diets.

Please note that the sauce must come together quickly, so please be sure to have all of your chopping, etc. done before you begin, lest you overcook your salmon.

With any luck, soon I'll be feeling a lot less like Tom Sizemore and a lot more like Uma Thurman, his co-star in Kill Bill. Oh, shoot...that was Michael Madsen again. Seriously, has anybody ever seen them in the same place at the same time?

Roasted Salmon with Whole Grain Mustard & Cremini Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. fresh Salmon fillet
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 lemon
2 medium shallots, diced
2 T. old style whole grain Dijon mustard (Maille brand is what I use)
1 T. capers
2/3 cup cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, stems removed, halved or quartered into bite-size pieces
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 cup delicious dry white wine or chicken stock (for deglazing)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a baking dish in there to preheat along with it. In a large saute pan, heat 1 T. of the olive oil over medium high heat. Season salmon liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper and a drizzle of additional olive oil. Place the salmon flesh side down in the saute pan. Allow to brown for about 1 minute and carefully turn it with a spatula. Cook for one more minute, skin side down. Transfer salmon to the baking dish that has been preheating in the oven.

In the pan you just took the salmon out of, quickly add the shallots, mustard, capers & mushrooms, plus at least 1 T. of lemon juice, more if you like. Saute, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Saute for another minute. Turn up the heat just a bit and add the wine or stock to deglaze the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for a minute and then carefully pour it all over the salmon that has been cooking away in the oven. Allow to roast for about 12 more minutes (after searing, the salmon should cook for a total of about 15 minutes or until it separates easily when poked with a fork, but not until it's "flaky." No one really wants their fish "flaky." "Flaky" is dry.) To serve, transfer salmon carefully to plate and sort of mound all the good mushrooms & stuff from the sauce on top. Reserve the pan jus for rice if you so desire. Enjoy.

My Alley (and "Indian-Style" Chili)

2010-08-18T06:00:00.005-04:00

There have been days when I have treated the alley behind my house like the streets of Mogadishu, and I'm Tom Sizemore in "Black Hawk Down." I barrel down full speed in my blue Subaru Outback. No stopping. There are low flying birds, double parked cars, recycling bins, and my stupid neighbor hauling God-knows-what into his garbage. Simon (my son) has lost it about a half mile back. He ate his last saltine cracker. I'm digging for any lint covered snack for him at the bottom of my purse. It's a treacherous ride and I'm agitated. I need to get into my garage and into my house as soon as possible or I'm going to have to call in some Black Hawks to clear the way. For a new parent, getting through your daily routine can seem as daunting as a late-afternoon assault in a lawless city.

And you certainly don't have to be a new parent to have days where you feel a little like Sizemore. You might not be up against road blocks of burning tires and helicopter debris, but the lady at the CVS counter trying to locate a coupon in the black hole she calls a purse is giving you a nervous twitch.

On days like this, I need to eat dinner on my couch sitting next to my husband. I must be able to eat with one utensil (spoon or fork, no knife) and it ought to be served in a large bowl so that I can be utterly clueless about portion size.

I've made this recipe dozens of times. It's like an Indian chili, full of spicy and earthy flavors. There are a lot of ingredients, but don't let that deter you. And if you need to go out and buy cumin, coriander and garam masala, do it! You will be making this recipe again and again. I can promise that.

I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Quick & Easy Indian Cooking" by Madhur Jaffrey.

1 small-medium onion, roughly chopped
2 inches of fresh ginger, finely chopped
6-7 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium-sized tomato, roughly chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 lbs ground lamb or ground chicken. I used ground turkey (dark meat) last time, because that's all that had at Whole Foods.
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garam masala (you can definitely get this at Whole Foods, but most grocery stores have it too)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small hot green chili, finely chopped (jalapeno will do great, and you can remove seeds if you don't want it too hot. I did.)
6 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
1 cup peas (frozen will do great)

Heat up oil in nonstick pan. When oil is hot add onion, ginger and garlic. Cook until light brown. Add cayenne, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and turmeric. Stir. Add tomatoes and yogurt and cook until tomatoes soften. Add meat, salt and garam masala. Stir and break up meat for 5-8 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and turn to low for 25 minutes. Then add lemon juice, green chili, cilantro and peas. Bring back to simmer then lower again covered for a final 10 minutes.

Serve over white or brown rice.

"Good Will Hunting" and Michael Chiarello, again (and Fried Chicken)

2010-08-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I fantasize that I'm the "Good Will Hunting" of the culinary world. I imagine that I'm the janitor at the Culinary Institute of America. Ben Affleck and his brother whats-his-name drop me off and all through the night I work in the CIA kitchens. I sous-vide and souffle. I leave my treats in plain sight so that students and teachers can get a taste. They cry over my genius. I'm then outed by some pompous teacher. Tom Colicchio? No -- mean, but not mean enough. Perhaps some French guy, Eric Ripert? Nope, that won't work either. Love that silver fox. Let's see. I know. Michael Chiarello. Perfect. So Chiarello catches me leaving one of my treats. I try to walk away quickly pretending I don't hear him yelling after me. I confess that it is I who is the culinary genius everyone has been pulling their hair out to find. But I'm in trouble with the law or something like that. I'm forgetting the storyline a bit, but I know that I have to go see a Robin Williams type character, an "every man" mentor of sorts. Chiarello racks his brain to find someone that can relate to me.

I first meet Giada. She's okay, very nice, but her cleavage is distracting. I thought she only did that to get ratings for her show, but apparently, she always has them out on display. Next is Emeril but he talks too loud, and insists we meet in front of a studio audience. Then I meet Bobby Flay. Good guy. Loves to grill. He displays respect for American food and American home cooks. With Flay's help I'm able to channel my genius and further sharpen my culinary skills, leaving a jealous Chiarello in the dust.

And that's the end of my fantasy.

The point of my fantasy is that I have a problem with Chiarello (insert forced laugh). That's partially true, but the point really is that all home cooks should be exceedingly proud of their work, and a few of us might just be hidden geniuses. Like me, I'm sure you are mostly self-taught. I read a lot of cookbooks, watched a lot of cooking shows and ate lots of food. That's how I learned. My knife skills are embarrassing, but that doesn't mean my food isn't delicious. I'm a diamond in the rough. I'm patting myself on the back. Feels good.

Now, the food: Here's a great recipe for fried chicken, I adapted it from an Ina Garten recipe. Whenever I eat fried chicken I am confused as to why I don't eat it more. Michel Richard tells a story about first coming to the U.S. and having a bucket of KFC chicken. He was awe struck: "We don't have anything like this in France, so crispy, so juicy" Never have I heard a French chef have anything kind to say about American food, let alone fast food. What an admission. I've paraphrased a bit, but it's no secret Richard is a sucker for fried chicken. It's one of the highlights at his downtown DC restaurant, Central.

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, legs, thighs, wings, breasts (halved)
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
If you don't like heat, I think it would be great to substitute a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary instead of cayenne. And if you are feeling really crazy a couple of teaspoons of curry powder would be an interesting twist.

Pour buttermilk over chicken and let sit overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 350

Mix flour, salt, pepper, cayenne. Dredge chicken in mixture and set aside.

Heat up vegetable oil in large pot with a heavy bottom. I used my Dutch oven (8 quart). Oil should be 1" deep. Heat oil to 375. I highly recommend getting a candy/oil thermometer. Don't crowd the pan. Place no more then 3 or4 pieces of chicken in pan at a time. Cook 3 minutes each side. You will need to do this in two batches. After the first batch, let the oil come back to 375 before you add more chicken. Chicken will be golden brown, and will further darken in the oven. Place chicken on metal wire rack on top of a sheet pan. When all the pieces are fried, place in oven for 35 minutes.

Serve with buttery string beans and buttermilk biscuits.

Kitchen Work (and No-Knead Bread)

2010-08-01T09:34:00.040-04:00

You can tell a lot about people by the way they work in a kitchen. Even before Michael Chiarello outed his jerky-ness on Top Chef Masters, I could tell he was a major you-know-what from watching his show. Like a flock of birds, vegetables soar into the air in perfect formation as he flips them in his saute pan."Pasta should always be served hot, or room temperature", he declares while rolling his gnocchi. A clear shot at the all-American (cold) pasta salad. He smirks at the camera as he dices the tiniest of shallots. Dinner with friends is served outside. Everyone sips wine, marvels at the view of the Napa Valley hills, and talks about how awesome their friend Michael is. Is Chiarello trying to teach us something, or is he just a big show-off? It's as though you asked Michael Phelps to show you how to swim and during lesson one, he throws on his Speedo LRZ racer and swims eight laps of butterfly. Impressive? Yes. Helpful? No.

Then there is Sandra Lee, who looks awkward and dangerous in the kitchen. I'm surprised she has all her fingers with the way she wields a knife. She should have home cooks guest star on her show to guide her through a recipe. The last 10 minutes of the show isn't even in the kitchen. Sandra unveils her tablescape, and reviews how to use the Bedazzler on table linens.

Befitting my personality, I'm a home cook whose number one rule is "clean as you go." I'm also a fanatic about "prep work." It's not unusual for me to start dinner "prep" at 6AM. It's extreme, but I work full time and I have a 1-year-old son. I have no time to clean big messes after dinner (though I'm happy to let my husband do it), and I have no time when I get home from work to wash and chop vegetables. I love cooking, but I'm practical. It's probably why I like Rachael Ray. If you put aside her personality, she can show us home cooks a lot. She never wastes food or time in the kitchen, and she is always letting you know if the ingredient she's using is available at your grocery store. I'm a fan, personality and all. I even have one of her shirts. It's says "Yummo." I wear it under my clothes like the way Clark Kent wears his Superman shirt. Well, that's actually not true, but I wear it when I run.

This week I made a "No Knead" bread. Fits my cooking habits perfectly. Who has time to knead? This is a famous recipe by Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery. Amanda McClements, Metrocurean Blogger, made it during Washington DC's Snowmageddon. I read her post, and I wanted to make it right then. But I had no yeast on hand, and I didn't think my husband wanted to wait in line for 3 hours at the grocery store to pick up a package of yeast. I don't know what made me think of trying it again 5 months later, but I'm glad I did.

The following recipe is from Cook's Illustrated, which adapted it from the famous Jim Lahey recipe. It's "almost" no-knead bread.

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons room temperature water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mild-flavored lager (I used Stella Artois)
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Mix the dry ingredients first, then add wet. Stir in bowl until ball forms. The dough ball will look tattered.

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 18 hours. Crazy, I know.

After 18 hours, knead 10-12 times.

Place on a piece of parchment paper (12" x 18") sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Place in pan or skillet that's 10" or 12" to help form the round shape you'll need. Cover loosely with plastic wrap for another 2 hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees with your 6-8 quart dutch oven inside, lid on. Let it heat for 30 minutes.

After the two hours, dust the top of the dough with a bit of flour and make a 6 inch slit across the top with sharp knife. Lift dough out of skillet using parchment paper to lift it out, and then lower into dutch oven. Cover and let excess parchment paper stick out the sides. Lower oven temperature to 425 and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid, and then cook for another 20 minutes.

Voila!

Crumbs on my face (and Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Sauce)

2010-07-30T08:30:00.001-04:00

July 26 marked the 7-year anniversary of my first date with my husband. Ben took me to dinner . We ordered steak sandwiches and drank a half dozen beers each. I could really throw them back in those days. We spent the rest of the summer doing pretty much the same thing. It was great. We drank, we ate , we laughed. Nobody can make me laugh harder than Ben.

The first time I cooked dinner for Ben I made scallops. I actually didn’t know if he liked seafood. It was a simple recipe; I dipped them in melted butter, coated them in Ritz cracker crumbs, broiled them in my oven and served them with a wedges of lemon. Classy. Ben loved them, and we still talk about that meal. We've made some great food but we've had some misses. I recall one night when we had been drinking much of the day. I think it was St. Patricks's Day, but I may be making an excuse for the daytime drinking. In any event, we decided not to eat at the bar with our friends. We decided to come back to my apartment to make dinner. Tacos. Disaster. I nearly chopped my own hand off trying to get the pit out of an avocado. I don't think we talked while making or eating dinner. I remember thinking, I need to eat this quick so I can sober up. We passed out immediately after.

Ben and I are suckers for the same kinds of foods. Actually, we are suckers for most food. Though some foods rate higher than others. We both love pasta. We like to eat mountains of it.

After 7 years, I don’t feel embarrassed when I have crumbs on my face or suggest we eat pizza in bed. In the kindest way Ben lets me know about the food on my face and deters me from eating in our bed.

I created this recipe on a whim after I bought too many tomatoes over the weekend. And Ben and I had not had a pasta feast in quite some time. This recipe is under ten ingredients. Isn't that fabulous? I thought you'd think so.

Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Sauce

Preheat oven to 375

2 tablespoons olive oil

4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced.

5 medium to large ripe tomatoes (seeded, and chopped into half inch pieces)

2 medium eggplants (peeled and cut up into half inch pieces)

1 ½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flake

In dutch oven heat up two tablespoons of olive oil, and cook garlic for a minute or two, careful not to burn it. Add eggplant, tomatoes, salt, pepper and red pepper flake. Cook for another few minutes while stirring the vegetables.

Place in hot oven for 25 minutes, covered. Take out of oven to stir and break up tomatoes and eggplant. Cook for another 25 minutes. At this point the tomatoes and eggplant will be very soft. Stir until the sauce is cohesive.

Toss with 1 lb of al dente rigatoni (or whatever pasta you like best). Stir in 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

The eggplant adds a meaty depth to the sauce.

Raspberry Cake

2010-07-22T11:49:00.006-04:00

Home cooks should keep in mind they are not on "Top Chef." Don't get stressed out about cooking for your family or friends. People are thrilled to eat anything that's homemade. No need to learn how to make a "gastrique." Gastrique sounds like a competitor to "Beano", and I have no plans of finishing off a dish with it. People can take care of their stomach problems on their own.

Look for recipes that have a reasonable number of ingredients that are easy to find. If necessary, simply omit the 1/8 teaspoon of some random spice that costs $20 for 8 ounces. Some people will say never to make a recipe for the first time for guests. I break that rule all the time. Am I really going to make an entire cake for my husband and I the week before I make it for guests? No way! My waistline can't handle that. People are eager to like whatever you make, even if it's a tad overcooked, or bit dry or not exactly what you hoped. Your guests will love it. Promise. Of course, that's contingent on not making them sick, so careful on general food safety issues.

I made this raspberry cake for the very fist time for dinner guests last weekend. Everybody had seconds. The following day, I ate a slice after breakfast, after lunch, after mid-afternoon snack and post dinner. It's dense and sweet. It has lots of butter, sugar, eggs and almond paste. Blueberries or blackberries would work great if you are not a fan of raspberries.

The proper title is "Raspberry Frangipane Cake". It was featured in the Washington Post a few weeks ago. I called it Raspberry Cake because when I say "Frangipane" I sound like an idiot.

14 tablespoons of unsalted room temperature butter
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 tube almond paste (7 ounces)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extraxt
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups raspberries

Preheat oven to 350, and butter and flour a 9" round cake pan

In a large bowl, beat (with hand-held mixer) sugar, almond paste and butter. I sliced up the log of almond paste before adding. It's very thick and sandy so I recommend breaking it up. Turn mixer to low medium and add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract. With large spoon fold in the flour in increments.

The batter is delicious. I ate a lot of it during the folding segment.

Fold in the raspberries, being careful not to over-mix

Pour batter in cake pan and cook for 40-50 minutes. It took exactly 44 minutes in my oven. Top should be golden brown. Insert toothpick in center of cake and it should come out clean.

I dusted the top with powdered sugar and I served it with a dollop of (homemade) whipped cream.

Participatory Eating (and Sun-Dried Tomatoes)

2010-07-17T10:42:00.013-04:00

Getting kids to eat more than hot dogs and chicken fingers is the modern parent's dilemma. Kids are picky, and of course they love Oscar Meyer and Tyson. I would very much like to say something negative about these corporations but I fear that I might disappear or take a fatal fall.

But I do think there is a solution. You hear a lot of people say that getting your kids involved in the cooking process will perk up their food interest. Two summers ago, I made homemade pretzels with my nephews. They loved them. Granted, pretzels are not hard sell for kids, but their eyes lit up when we were making them. Children will want to eat the fruits of their labor. So obvious and logical, kids are so simple, I thought. What I didn't realize is that this is equally applicable to adults.

For example, I thought I hated sun dried tomatoes. They always seemed dry and chewy, and sometimes bitter. I had let a few bad sun-dried tomatoes ruin my perception. But then, I made them myself last week. And now I'm in love -- in love with the process and the taste. Perfectly simple to make, and the results are amazing. They are so versatile. You can put them on sandwiches or wraps, eat them plain, throw them in a salad, make a pesto, use them in spread, toss them with pasta, and much much more. I don't have the Tuscan sun available to me, so I made them in my oven.

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees
Halve and de-seed 3 lbs of plum tomatoes
Place them on a baking sheet
Sprinkle just the tiniest bit of salt
Let cook for 8 hours

Heaven! That's all you have to do. This is a seasonal recipe. The trick here is that the tomatoes you start with have to be sweet and ripe. Do not buy tomatoes at Safeway in December and try to makes this. I'm guessing that it will probably taste a lot like scotch tape.

After making these, my husband, who loves sun dried tomatoes, made a meatloaf. It was a Giada DeLaurentis recipe: "Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-dried Tomatoes." I have to say it was incredible. I also happen to be a sucker for meatloaf.

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped up sun-dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 lb ground turkey
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Then spray a 9" x 5" loaf pan with vegetable oil and pour mixture in.

Cook for 50 minutes at 375. Temperature in the middle should reach 165 degrees.

"The Butter Dish" brought to you by SaltySourSpicySweet

2010-07-13T14:32:00.011-04:00

It's a name change, not a game change. After much discussion (two ten-minute conversations), Kristin and I have decided to change the name of our blog. SaltySourSpicySweet has treated us well, but we (meaning I) had trouble with enunciating all those words starting with the letter "S". I would stutter and stammer when trying to spit the name out, and more often then not I was mixing up the word order. As a brand, I was screwing up the whole thing. Kristin, being a dear friend and understanding co-blogger agreed to the change. "The Butter Dish" is new new name, and we are so pleased to have butter in our title. We aren't changing our blogspot web address as of yet, so no need to change your bookmark if you have this address saved. Isn't it funny that I think you have this bookmarked?

So welcome, to "The Butter Dish", a place where we will continue to "dish" about recipes and eating. It's a double entendre, but not the sexual kind.

Tomato and Summer Vegetable Bake

2010-07-11T14:41:00.009-04:00

I am hoping this recipe makes the cut for the Washington Post's tomato recipe contest. Deadline is July 15. If only this was American Idol and you all (my two readers) could text in your votes. But thankfully, unlike American Idol, recipe contests are not really about votes but about taste. At least, I hope that's the case. I've never entered a recipe contest before and I am hoping I win right out of the gate. Winning is about talent and ego. I think I've got the talent, and I am working on an overblown ego. I try to never listen or learn from mistakes (because I never make them, duh). I'm smarter and better looking then most. I'm also very humble and really "f*cking nice". You might recognize that last line, I took it from Mel Gibson. I understand he's got a tremendous ego, and a real way with women.

And now, my recipe.

1 medium summer squash sliced, 1/4 inch thick
1 medium zucchini sliced, 1/4 inch thick
5 medium tomatoes, sliced, 1/4 inch thick
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (use whatever bread you have in the house)
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese

First you need these vegetables to give off a bit of their water so you should sweat out the zucchini and squash. Slice them and then toss them in a colander with a dash of salt. Let them sit in colander over a bowl for 60 minutes. After that lay them out on a clean towel and press another clean towel to absorb excess moisture.

For the tomatoes, lay out the slices on a clean towel, sprinkle with a little salt and let them hang out for 30 minutes or so. Then, just like the zucchini and squash lay another clean towel to absorb the excess moisture. This step may seem annoying but it prevents this dish from become watery. I wish I could take credit for the idea but I got it from an an article in Cook's Illustrated a few years back.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

In a large bowl toss together squash and zucchini with salt, pepper, garlic, parsley and the remaining olive oil. Lay out a layer of squash/zucchini in dish. Then lay out a layer of the tomatoes. After the tomatoes are down add a couple cracks of pepper and a pinch of salt. You want all the layers well seasoned. Repeat this until you are out of vegetables.

Please in hot oven for 30 minutes. Turn oven up t 425. Combine cheese and bread crumbs and pour over top. Bake for another 15-20 minutes. When the top is brown it's done.

Let cool for 15 minutes. This is great as a side dish and main dish.

Baked Goods (and Orange Cake)

2010-06-28T17:30:00.000-04:00

I love baked goods. Few things are better than a perfectly moist cupcake with a generous smear of frosting. Equal parts cake to frosting is not a bad thing. Recently, it has become cool to hate on the cupcake -- which I hate. I mean, "don't hate the player, hate the game". I thought everyone knew that. Cupcakes rule.

In addition to loving cupcakes, I love brownies, blondies, chocolate chip cookies, lemon bars, blueberry muffins, pumpkin bread, banana bread, pumpkin pie, apple pie, scones, rugala, pound cake, pecan pie, chocolate cake, cheesecake, danishes, crumb cake, strawberry rhubarb crisp and apple brown betty. This list is suppose to make you hungry. Is it working?

The problem with baked goods is the baking part. They are not easy to execute well. Pretty much everyone can make a decent cookie but to make a GREAT cookie is not easy. I read a lot of recipes, and many baking recipes (specifically cakes and cookies) call for precise measurements, oven temperature, cooking time, and room temperature ingredients. Now, I'm good at getting my butter to room temperature. My Irish grandmother never put her butter in the refrigerator. It always sat out in a cool corner in the kitchen. I don't do the same exactly, but I do put my butter out the night before I bake something or the morning before I have company over for dinner. Soft butter is just so awesome. But the one thing I'm not comfortable with is the room temperature egg. How do I get it room temperature? I leave it out all day? That seems wrong. I take a lot of pride in my cooking, and my wost nightmare would be to serve food that will make people sick. Some live dangerously, I do not. When the recipe calls for room temperature eggs, I ignore.

The following recipe I found online. It's a Mario Batali' recipe. The preparation and ingredients are simple. A few easy steps that I can put to memory. This is my favorite kind of recipe.

Olive Oil and Orange Cake

6 medium sized oranges
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 eggs
1 1/4 all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Zest the 6 oranges, and juice one of them. Combine zest, juice and olive oil in small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, sift flour with baking soda and set aside. In yet one more bowl (this time a large bowl), whip eggs, sugar and salt until fluffy (2 minutes). If you have a hand mixer use it, otherwise a whisk will do fine.

In increments combine flour with egg mixture, folding in gently with spoon until combined. Then do the same for the orange olive oil mixture.

Once fully combined, pour into an oiled 9 inch cake pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Let cook for about an hour, and then dust with some powdered sugar.

Perfect summertime dessert.

Granola Bars

2010-06-19T13:57:00.009-04:00

I browsed a bunch of recipes before beginning my latest project -- granola bars. Alton Brown has a nice one, and so does Ina Garten. Making granola bars is kind of like making rice crispy treats. Both involve melting sugar and butter together (brilliant!) - then pouring that mixture over cereal (more brilliant!). My recipe is inspired by Brown and Garten, but I made it my own by adding more sugar and butter. My general motto is more butter, more sugar, more salt, more garlic, more more more.

Readers take note, when following a recipe don't be afraid to add a little bit more of whatever you like. I mean, what's one more clove of garlic, a teaspoon of sugar, another sprinkle of salt or a few extra shakes of red pepper flake (though not in your granola bars)?

Professional chefs know this well. They are already ahead of the game by not shopping at Giant for wilted vegetables and steroid-bloated chicken, but on top of that they are amping the flavor with more butter, more salt, more spice, more pork fat . . . more crack! There, I said it. There have been times that I wonder if the food I'm eating was sprinkled with some highly addictive substance, because I can't stop eating it! (A good example would be the fries at Blue Duck Tavern. Duck fat is a wonderful thing, but perhaps the chef is finishing them off with a shake of sea salt cut with cocaine.)

Moving on . .. .

Here's my recipe for granola bars. No drugs involved.

Turn oven on to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. And butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl combine the following:

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw sunflower seeds (shelled)
1/2 cup flax seeds (available at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, etc.)
1 cup chopped unsalted nuts (use whatever you have. I had pecans and cashews so I used them.)

Once combined, spread mixture out onto lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Stir. Cook for another 8 minutes. When it's done cooking pour into large mixing bowl and add 1 teaspoon of salt. The cereal won't look brown but it should be fragrant.

On low heat, combine 6 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1 cup of honey and 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Once it's all melted, poor over the rolled oats mixture. Add 1 cup of dried fruit. I used golden raisins.

Pour into buttered baking dish and press down evenly. It's going to stick to your hands, so use a piece of parchment paper between your hand and the gooey mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Then let it sit for 3 hours to cool. You have to wait this long. It's terrible but it's true. You won't be able to cut them into squares if they are not totally cooled.

Try to cut them in 2" x 2" squares. These are very rich, you don't want them big.

Gorgeous Granola

2010-06-12T05:21:00.013-04:00

I'm not one to brag but the granola I made on Friday night is GORGEOUS. I'm "making eyes" at it right now. The color is fantastic. The rolled oats, chopped cashews and chopped pecans have a beautiful golden brown color.

I'm composing this post at 5:30AM on Saturday morning. My 1-year-old son is not even up. I have no idea why I'm awake, but here I am staring at granola. Yes, I'm officially a weirdo. Not weird in all ways, but a bit odd when it comes to food.

My husband loves granola. We've sampled many supermarket brands, and we've dabbled in locally made farmer's market types. There are definitely some good ones out there, but after whipping up my own granola I might be hooked on homemade. There was a great article and recipe about granola in the most recent Bon Appetit, "Breakfast Outside the Box," by Molly Wizenberg. Her article spoke to me because as I stated above, I'm a weirdo. But her point being, you don't have to dread your hair or wear patchouli to make your own granola. Granola is delicious, it's easy to make, and it's way cheaper then buying it at the store. It's half the cost.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

Combine the following:

6 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped cashews
1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon
1 heaping teaspoon of ground ginger
1 heaping teaspoon of salt

Now taste it. Does it taste good? Then proceed. If not, add more cinnamon or ginger or whatever spice you like.

Now add 1 cup of honey and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil.

Stir vigorously. You want to get the oats and nuts coated with the honey and oil.

Pour out on to your baking sheets.

Place in oven and set timer for 8 minutes. Take out of oven and stir the oats around. They will already being browning. Place in oven another 8 minutes. Continue this process until the oats are the right color for you. Also, it burns fast, so keep on eye on them. Total cooking time for me was about 25 minutes.

Let cool, and store in Tupperware in refrigerator.

Serve with milk or yogurt. Delicious.

The only way to make garlic bread

2010-06-06T12:14:00.000-04:00

I am not offering any twist on this. I'm sharing it with you directly as Ina Garten shared it.

It is dripping with olive oil, butter, and fresh herbs. It's a wonderful mess. I made this along with steak and salad for a few friends over Memorial Day weekend. The steak was marinated and perfectly cooked, thanks to my husband Ben, but the star of the show was this garlic bread. I had countless pieces. By piece number 2 I learned to sop up the meat juices with the bread. I don't even know know how the bread had any more sopping abilities considering it was already completely saturated with deliciousness.

Pre-heat oven to 400

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup oregano, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely copped
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 loaf of ciabatta, cut in half horizontally.

Heat olive oil over a medium heat in a sauce pan. While that warms, smear the two tablespoons of butter on one side of the bread. Once the olive oil is warm, add the parsley, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper. Cook for a minute or two, then poor the mixture over the half of the bread without the butter. Then lay the buttered side on top, wrap in tin foil and place in hot oven for about 5-8 minutes.

Very easy.

My son Simon who is 1 loved it. Who wouldn't! He was going piece for piece like the grown-ups. Thank god I made more then one loaf. I did not intend on making the two, but sometimes I'm clairvoyant when it comes to food.

Red Beans and Rice

2010-05-28T20:12:00.006-04:00

This is not a glamorous dish, but my style of cooking is not glamorous. For me, simple is best. I like recipes with a few easy-to-find ingredients. I like to make a recipe once and then put it to memory. And then each time I make it I can make variations depending on my mood and what I have or don't have available to me at the store or in my kitchen.

My rice and beans has an almost equal ratio of beans to rice. I don't know why most recipes have a 1-to-3 beans to rice ratio. I love beans, so the more the merrier, plus a few less carbs is never a bad thing, right Mr. Atkins?

1 medium red pepper, medium dice
1 medium green pepper, medium dice
1 medium onion, medium dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt (add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt if you are a salt addict like me)
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (you can use smoked, hot, sweet, whatever you have on hand is what you should use)
1 teaspoon turmeric
2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, heat up the oil, then add red pepper, green peppers and onions. Cook on a high heat for 3-4 minutes. Turn it down to a medium high and then add garlic, salt, paprika and turmeric. Cook for another 12-14 minutes on a medium heat. You kitchen will now smell like heaven.

Then add the following ingredients

3 - 3 1/2 cups cooked white rice (if you have the time prepare the rice a day ahead so it's a little dried out)
2 - 2 1/2 cups cooked red kidney beans (if you are using canned, just be sure to rinse them first)
1/2 cup cooked chorizo, medium dice (optional, but delicious)

Stir the ingredients together, turn the heat to a medium low. The rice will become a beautiful yellow-orange.

To finish the dish stir in 1/3 cup chopped cilantro and the juice of 1 lime.

I'd also like to mention that the total cost for the two main ingredients of this dish, rice and beans is $3.40. A 1 lb bag of dried red beans is $1.70 and a 32 oz bag of white rice is also $1.70.

Need I say more?

Perfect Tomato Sauce

2010-03-28T10:56:00.001-04:00

There's nothing that unusual about what goes into this tomato sauce, it's the cooking process -- finished in the oven -- that makes it different. Roasting the sauce gives the tomatoes a lot more flavor.

2 28 oz cans of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flake (or aleppo pepper)
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano
2 TB olive oil
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped.

Preheat oven to 350

Heat up dutch oven with olive oil, and add onions and carrots. Sauté for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Then add garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flake, and oregano. Cook for 2-4 minutes until you can really smell the garlic. Add the two cans of tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn off stove. Cover dutch oven and place in oven for 1 hour. At the 30 minute mark, take out of oven and give a stir and try to break up tomatoes.

After hour the tomatoes should have fallen apart. If needed, break them up by stirring vigorously with wooden spoon. If you want a perfectly smooth sauce, use an immersion blender.

Lamb and Chickpea Stew

2010-03-21T19:22:00.001-04:00

I've been cooking lots. You wouldn't know it because I've been neglecting SatltySourSpiceySweet. I promise to share more. Good news is that I've made lots of yummy things the last few weeks. The creative juices have been flowing.

Here's a recipe that I have adopted from Cooking Light. Chickpeas are so much more then hummus. They are wonderful all on their own. Try eating them whole.

1 pound of lamb stew meat
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp aleppo pepper (red pepper flake will work too)
1 tsp cumin
1 TB tomato paste
1 TB honey
2 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, but store bought is good too)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cups of chickpeas (or 1 15 oz). I actually bought the dried beans, and used chickpeas in a bunch of different recipes over a week.

Heat up dutch oven or large soup pot with a a little olive oil. Pat stewing meat dry, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Brown meat on both sides, and then set aside. Add onions, red pepper and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, then add salt, aleppo pepper and cumin. Cook for another few minutes. Add back lamb, and add tomato paste and honey. Stir until meat is coated with paste and honey. Add chicken stock and chickpeas. Bring to boil and then turn to low and let simmer covered for 1 hour.

Stir in cilantro before serving. Best to serve over couscous.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

2010-02-14T11:56:00.001-05:00

Want a rich, creamy soup without using any cream or milk? Try butternut squash -- it's delicious practically on its own.

6 cups chicken broth (use homemade stock if you have it, makes a HUGE difference)
4 cups cooked squash, mashed up. (split squash in half, remove seeds, place in baking dish, cover in salt/pepper/olive oil, and cook at 400 for about 45 minutes until flesh is tender)
1 large onion finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

In large stock pot, cook onions with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Let soften, 5-8 mins. Add garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne and curry powder. Let cook for a few minutes. Add cooked squash and chicken broth. Turn up burner to high. Bring to boil, then turn down to medium low for about 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to create a smooth, creamy texture.

The Most Delicious Meatballs

2010-01-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

A lot of meatball recipes call for combining ground beef with pork and even veal. But these are so good you really only need to use beef. Start with these ingredients:

3 small onions, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely chopped
2 TB Olive Oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 400

Heat up saute pan with olive oil. Add onions, carrots, salt, pepper and oregano. Cook on a medium heat until onions and carrots are soft and lightly browned. It takes about 15 minutes.

Set aside, let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the following ingredients.

2 lbs ground chuck (beef)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg beaten
2 TB chopped italian parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
onion and carrot mixture

Simply mix with your hands.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (for easy clean-up).

Form meatballs with your hands. They should be about the size of a ping-pong ball. Place in oven for 10 minutes, then turn them once, and cook for another 10 minutes.

They are done! Serve with spaghetti and fresh tomato sauce.

Cold Outside, Chili Inside

2010-01-10T15:58:00.007-05:00

What is up with this weather? I mean, I'm from New England and all that, and I'm all for some snow now and then, but in case you're reading this in California, it's freaking cold out here! Even my in-laws in Florida are bundled up against the elements! I can't remember the last time it was any warmer than 37 degrees. So, let's make chili!

I feel like I post chili recipes all the time, but this one is different as it is a "white" chili...really more ecru than white, but I digress. I made it up last week with a pound of turkey that had originally been slated for some turkey burgers, but who wants a burger in this weather? This weather calls for steamy, soothing comfort in a bowl. It also came together very quickly from ingredients that I had in the house already which is also important in weather like this. Temps in the 20s do not inspire me to "run out to the store real quick"... bundling up my kids takes 20 minutes alone. I think this post-holiday-exhausted, wintry-mix-forecasted, too-cold-to-breathe-deeply, "Mommy, my hair is frozen" time of year calls for something cozy and this definitely qualifies.

This recipe is also a lot smaller than my other chili recipes, so it isn't so overwhelming. On the other hand, it's only about 4 servings so it could easily be doubled if you like. Don't double the liquid though...it will take forever to cook down. If you double the rest of the ingredients, just go with 4 total cups liquid, not 6.

And for God's sake, stay warm! It's bitter out there!

White Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

2-3 T. olive oil

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 large white onion, diced large

1 - 2 colves garlic, chopped

1 15 oz. can Cannelini beans or Garbanzo beans (I prefer Cannelini), rinsed & drained

1 small can chopped green chilis

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

1 12 oz. light beer

1 T. ground cumin

1 T. ground coriander

1 T. dried oregano

1 T. dried cilantro

2 tsp. chili powder

dash red pepper flake or cayenne pepper (to taste)

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a medium stockpot (I used my beloved Le Creuset), heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion & garlic and sweat gently. Don't brown. As onion becomes translucent, add turkey and cook thoroughly. You might have to turn the heat up just a tad. Once turkey is cooked through, add cumin, coriander, oregano, cilantro & chili powder. Next, add beer & broth, followed by green chilis and beans. Stir to combine all ingrediants and simmer over medium high heat for 45 minutes to an hour, half the time with lid on, half with the lid off. Don't allow to boil. Taste chili and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and red pepper flake or cayenne to taste. Easy on the salt if you're using canned or boxed broth.

If chili is not as thick as you want it to be, combine 2 T. flour with 1-2 T. milk in a small cup, mix thoroughly and pour slowly into chili, mixing it in completely, about 10 minutes before you want to serve chili. Serve with shredded cheese and cornbread or chips. Enjoy!

Yummy Chicken Soup

2010-01-03T13:39:00.003-05:00

Great chicken soup starts off with homemade stock. It's a must. Below is a simple stock recipe. It's nothing to put together. Please start the recipe the day before you serve.

10 cups water
1 whole chicken - 3-4 pounds - cleaned and packet of giblets removed
1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
1 tsp of kosher salt
1 onion, cut in half
2 carrots
2 ribs celery

Combine the above ingredients into one pot. Cook for 4 hours on low heat. Your kitchen will smell divine.

Drain in colander. Dispose of vegetables, and reserve chicken. The chicken is going to fall apart. It's a bit messy, but throw it all in a bowl and let cool. Once cooled remove all the meat. Best to do it with your hands. Shred chicken into small bit size pieces. You will use for chicken soup.

Place stock into large bowl, and place in refrigerator. The next day you will notice a nasty layer of fat on top. Skim it off.

Now, you are ready to make the soup.

Below are your final ingredients

2 cups each of celery and carrots, sliced.
3-4 cups of shredded chicken - whatever you got from the chicken the day before.
10 cups chicken stock
salt/pepper to taste

Combine the above items in large soup pot. Bring to a high bowl, and then lower to simmer. Cook for about 40 mins, or until celery and carrots are soft.

All done!

Feel free to add pasta or rice if you want.

Beer and Cheese Bread

2009-12-06T09:50:00.005-05:00

This recipe came directly from Cooking Light, but I don't know how in the world it got in there. It's not light at all. It's cheesy and dense and wonderful.

I made this for a belated Thanksgiving dinner hosted by our our good friends/cousins, Eric and Katie. Thanks Eric and Katie!

This recipe makes 2 loaves (each in a 5" x 9" loaf pan)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2 TB olive oil
1 cup onions (finely chopped)
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves chopped
6 cups all purpose flour
6 TB sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 cups Monterey jack cheese - grated
2 12-ounce bottles lager-style beer (I used Stella Artois)
Cooking Spray
4 TB melted butter

Cook onions in saute pan with 2 TB olive oil on medium-low for 10-12 minutes. Then add garlic and pepper.

While onions cook, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in large bowl. Make a small well in the mixture for the onions, cheese and beer.

Let the onions cool for a minute or two before adding.

Add onions, cheese and beer to the flour mixture. Stir until a sticky dough develops.

Spray loaf pans with cooking spray and split the dough equally into the loaf pans.

If you only have 1 loaf pan (like I do) just do them one at time.

Before placing in the oven drizzle 1 TB of melted butter over each loaf and sprinkle on a pinch of pepper. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and then drizzle another TB of melted butter. Bake for another 15-20 minutes. The bread should be golden brown.

This Week's New Recipe: Ice Water

2009-12-01T15:38:00.002-05:00

I know, I know...it has been ages and ages since I have posted a recipe. In my defense, I have had a baby, although that's clearly no excuse as my dear co-blogger Beth had a baby earlier this year and never skipped a blogging beat, but there's really a much more interesting reason for my absence.

Usually, I like to cook the recipe that I am posting within a few days of making the post. That way, it's fresh in my mind, I can photograph it for y'all and make any necessary notations. However, I haven't been able to do this because I haven't been cooking and I haven't been cooking because I can't eat anything. That's right...nothing! Nothing worth eating anyway. Why, you ask? Why? Because in addition to managing my existing reflux with accompanying esophageal ulcer, I am nursing a baby with reflux and it seems I also have gallstones which will necessitate the removal of my gall bladder in early 2010. That means I cannot have dairy, tomatoes, citrus, fat (yes, you heard me...fat!) including all fried foods, caffeine, chocolate, eggs, pork, beans, onions, garlic, carbonated beverages, wheat, oats, red meat (yup, there goes my reason for living), and, just to rub salt in the wound, red wine and most other alcohol.

So, herewith is my recipe for water with ice. It's refreshing, low calorie and good for you!

Just kidding. After some serious thought, I realized that Asian cooking is one of the few cuisines that manages to pack a lot of interesting flavors and foods together while avoiding most of the pitfalls listed above. However, I can't trust my local Chinese food place to be up front about fat content, so I'm on my own. Granted, the official gallstone diet says I should pretty much be vegetarian, but it does allow for seafood. So, I've broken out the wok and I thought I'd share a successful recipe with you guys. With any luck, in a few months, I'll wean the baby, have the gall bladder removed and find that the ulcer has healed. Until then, work with me.

Shrimp and Snow Peas with Fresh Ginger & Plum Sauce

Ingredients:
18 large or jumbo shrimp (about 3/4 lb), peeled, deveined if you feel like it
2 cups fresh snow peas, tough ends snipped off
1 cup mushrooms, any variety
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, julienned
2 scallions, diced
1 1/2" knob of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 T. Peanut oil
2 T. Mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 T. Plum Sauce (available in Asian section of your grocery store)
2 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice Powder

2 cups cooked rice (jasmine rice is excellent with Asian foods) or Udon noodles

Instructions:
Clean and peel shrimp and toss in 2 tsp. 5 spice powder. Set aside.
In a wok or large frying pan, heat peanut oil and toss in fresh ginger and scallions, stirring constanly to avoid browning. Cook for one minute or until fragrant. Add shrimp and continue stirring. Add mirin. Allow to cook off. Working quickly, add snow peas, mushrooms, and pepper, stirring continuously until vegetables are just cooked. Peppers and snow peas should remain crisp. Remove wok from heat. Stir in plum sauce and serve immediately over hot rice or noodles. Serves 2.

The Best Blueberry Muffins

2009-11-22T07:48:00.004-05:00

This recipe makes 12 delicious muffins; the cinnamon sugar really pushes them over the top. And this recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated's Baking Illustrated. It's a wonderful cookbook - I highly recommend it.

Preheat oven 350

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine eggs, 1 cup sugar, butter and sour cream.

Add the frozen berries to the flour mixture, and then add the sour cream mixture.

Once combined, spoon into your well-greased muffin tins. Cook for 30-35 minutes

Let cool for about 5-8 minutes.

While the muffins cool, melt 3 TB of butter, and make a mixture of cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar.

Take each muffin and dip the top into the butter then roll in cinnamon sugar.

Let sit for another 10 minutes, and serve!

Pumpkin Muffins for Kenny and Syl and Conrad and Mason

2009-11-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

I adapted this recipe from a few different recipes I saw on All Recipes. They came out perfect on the very first try.

I made them for my dear friends Kenny and Sylvia on my first visit with them with their new twin boys, Conrad and Mason.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (1 15 oz can)
1/2 cup water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

Makes 24 muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Sift the following ingredients together in large bowl - flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Next beat together eggs, oil, water, pumpkin and vanilla in another bowl.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and beat with hand mixer.

Then fold in raisins and chopped walnuts.

Spray muffin tin with nonstick backing spray and fill them up about three quarters. Bake for 15 minutes.

Delicious.

Easy Beef Stew

2009-10-25T11:38:00.001-04:00

I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite all time cookbooks, "Cover & Bake." It's from the writers of Cook's Illustrated. I made this stew the day of my son's baptism. It was wonderful, and easy to prepare. I love one pot meals. I served it with fresh bread (for sopping) and butter. Everyone was happy and very full. I think my brother had 3 helpings!

3 lbs stewing beef - dried off with paper towel, and then seasoned liberally with salt/pepper

5 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 lb of red potatoes cut into quarters. If potatoes are larger, cut a bit smaller. They should be bite-size

2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped

1 cup of red wine - that you'd like to drink:) I used a Malbec

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tsp salt

3 tb flour

Preheat oven to 300.

You'll need a large pot - something that can hold 8 quarts, and that's oven safe. I used my dutch oven.

Heat up 1 TB oil in pot, and then start browning the meat in batches. Remove meat from pan, and then add onions along with 1 tsp salt. Scrape bottom to get all the delicious brown bits. If they are being a bit stubborn, go ahead and add a little bit of wine - like 1 TB. That will help deglaze. Let onions cook for about 5 minutes. Then add 3 TB of flour, one at time. Stir to coat the onions. Then add chicken stock and wine. Cook for about another 2 mins. Then add back the meat, and place in oven for 60 minutes.

After that, add potatoes and carrots and return to oven for another 60 minutes. Remove from oven, and place on stove. Heat should be on low. Add peas and parsely and let cook for about 5 mins until peas are no longer frozen.

Serve in shallow bowls, with lots of bread and butter.

I'm Back! (With Risotto)

2009-10-11T19:51:00.007-04:00

It's been just about a month since my last post. September was challenging for me, to say the least, but don't worry readers (all two of you) because I'm back! I will now be posting every other Sunday. I would like to do a post each week, but I don't want to promise something I can't deliver. So let's cross our fingers and hope I can bring you two fabulous recipes a month. And the following recipe is FABULOUS. I adapted it from a recipe from the Washington Post's Food Section this past week. Thank you Joe Yonan!

Curried Butternut Squash Risotto

2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup roasted butternut squash, mashed
(you can roast the squash the day before you make this risotto, just cut a squash in half and roast for 40-60 mins at 375, season before roasting with salt/pepper and olive oil)
1 cup Arborio rice
5 cups chicken stock (homemade if you've got it)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp curry powder

Bring chicken stock up to boil, and then turn down heat to low. Heat a large skillet with a bit of olive oil and start to cook the onions/garlic - 5-7 mins. Then add the rice, salt/pepper and curry powder. Cook for about 3 mins.

Then start adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time. Keep adding liquid and stirring as it absorbs into the rice. Repeat process until you've added all the stock, 30-35 mins. Stir in butternuts squash mash, and cook for another 5 mins.

Now, Joe Yonan recommends serving with toasted pistachio nuts on top. Sounds lovely, but I didn't have any in my pantry, so I toasted some pine nuts. Worked just fine : )

The 'If You're a Vegetarian, Stop Reading Now' Burger

2009-09-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

My husband and I were inspired to make this recipe for two reasons. First off, I recently bought $60 worth of smoked dry-cured pork (think prosciutto, but more rustic). Sick, I know. I don't even know why. I don't plan on having a party. It just seemed like a good idea.

The second part of my inspiration came from burgers my husband and I bought at Eastern Market last weekend. We bought sirloin burgers with chopped smoked bacon in them. Delicious. The guy behind the meat counter admitted to making them for breakfast that morning. Hilarious.

The burgers got me thinking :). And, of course, why use plain old beef when you can use delicious veal?

Now, go try this at home. I command you!

2 lbs ground veal
1/2 cup chopped Surryano ham tips. It's dry cured and smoked.
4 TB Worcestershire sauce
3 TB plain bread crumbs
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp dried oregano

Combine everything, and make four patties. They're best cooked on a hot grill, 4-5 mins per side.

Yellow and Red Tomato Coconut Curry Soup

2009-09-06T16:20:00.002-04:00

My husband and I love tomato soup. We especially like it with fresh tomatoes, and even better if they are August tomatoes. Last summer I made tomato and white bean, and a tomato and corn, and a tomato and meatball soup. It came out a little thick, and it was more or less a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. Not my intention, but delicious nonetheless.

This summer I was inspired by all the beautiful yellow tomatoes I've seen at the farm stand I like to frequent in Maryland. I made a delicious salsa of red and yellow tomatoes for a party. I thought the taste and color were awesome. This got me thinking about soup. This recipe is truly inspired, just ask my husband.

7 yellow tomatoes (approximately 4 lbs.), plus 2 medium-sized red tomatoes

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup coconut milk

chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions

Wash and core the tomatoes first, then drop into boiling water for a minute or two, a few at a time. Remove tomatoes and place in a bowl of ice water. Once they’re out of the ice bath the skins will come right off with your hands. Seeding them is messy but takes no time over your garbage or disposal. Cut the tomatoes in half (horizontally), and with your fingers remove the seeds and that jelly- like stuff. You can then dice up the tomatoes and place in a bowl. Keep the yellow and red tomatoes separate. They are added to the soup at different times.

In a large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic with some olive oil. Once the onions become translucent add salt, pepper, curry powder, turmeric and coriander. Then add yellow tomatoes, and let cook for 20 minutes, on medium low.

Add chicken stock and let cook on medium low for 10 minutes. Then taste soup and see if you need to add more salt or pepper.

After any needed adjustment, puree the soup with a regular or immersion blender.

Once the soup is pureed, add the chopped red tomatoes. Let cook for 10 more minutes on low.
Then add 1 cup of coconut milk, stirring to combine.

Garnish with cilantro

Meat and Cheese on Bread, refined

2009-09-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

As I think I've mentioned recently, I'm substantially pregnant and it just does not bring out the best in my culinary repertoire. Especially early on, I want cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks, maybe a few hot dogs. In short, I'm not so much on the salads while with child. But we can't just give in to every craving, lest we emerge from the baby-having heavier and with elevated triglycerides.

But sometimes I can work the standard craving profile into something delicious to eat that is less of a dietary landmine. The following pizza is not only super quick and easy, but it has everything I'm looking for (meat? check. cheese? check. bread? check.) without derailing my nutritional standings entirely. You've likely seen a similar combination on restaurant menus lately since the ingredients are a classic flavor profile from Italian cooking. The key here is to use really good ingredients and just baaaarely cook them so the retain their own perfect flavors and textures. Hey! Bonus! That makes this a super fast dinner option too! Enjoy!

This dish is so popular around my house because it really has everything. Not only are meat, cheese and bread all well represented, but it has the perfect Salty Sour Spicy Sweet (that sounds sooo familiar) balance that we strive for around here. What more could anybody - pregnant or otherwise - want? If you feel like going the extra mile, check out my co-blogger's pizza dough recipe from March 2009 for a homemade crust. The figs have a short season, so if you can't find them, use just the fig preserves. The flavors will be almost as good.

Prosciutto & Fig Pizza with fresh Arugula

Ingredients:

2 loaves white or whole wheat Lavash (Middle Eastern flatbread)

3 - 4 T. fig jam or preserves (available at decent cheese counters or Whole Foods)

1/2 pint black mission or turkish figs, stems removed, quartered

1 cup freshly grated or shaved hard Italian or Spanish cheese, such as Parmiggiano Regiano, Asiago or Manchego (it really is better if you grate it yourself)

1 tsp. red pepper flake

1/4 lb. imported prosciutto, sliced paper thin

4 cups fresh baby arugula

the juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp. olive oil

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions:

Arrange oven racks so that the top rack is at its highest setting under the broiler. Preheat oven to 375. On each of the 2 loaves of lavash, spread half the fig jam, scatter half the figs and half the cheese. Season to your taste with red pepper flakes.

Bake pizza for about 5 minutes on top rack until cheese is melted. While that is happening, toss the arugula, lemon juice & olive oil together in a bowl. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.

After 5 minutes baking at 375, turn the oven to Broil and slide the top rack out just far enough to scatter 1/2 the prosciutto on each pizza. Return rack to oven and broil pizzas for about 3 minutes until prosciutto is warmed and cheese is browning. Don't turn your back! you could be about 30 seconds from black pizzas depending on the strength of your broiler. Remove pizzas from oven. Top each with half of the seasoned arugula and cut into quarters. Grate a little more cheese on top if you want. Serve immediately.

Avocado Lime Dressing

2009-08-30T09:26:00.000-04:00

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine. I altered the recipe to fit what I have in my pantry and refrigerator. I hate buying an ingredient and only using it once for a recipe. What a waste!

This dressing is great over a salad of romaine lettuce, orange and yellow bell peppers and cucumbers. Sprinkle roasted salted pumpkin seeds on top. It adds great crunch.

In a blender combine the following ingredients.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup avocado
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 white wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, chopped
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

hi...remember me?

2009-08-24T09:27:00.006-04:00

I'm Kristin, co-founder of this blog. Doesn't ring a bell? I used to post all the time. You know, with the long, rambling anecdotes before the recipes? I've missed you guys! I haven't really been anyplace, but I am really pregnant and it hasn't inspired much great cooking or creativity. I know, I know...my beloved co-blogger Beth has a brand new (super sweet, super cute) baby and SHE blogged all through her pregnancy AND pretty much every week since. What can I say? I've got nothin'...no excuses. I just haven't been feeling like myself. But, my intentions are still good...during my absence, I've made a few things that I think you might like. Here comes one now.

Throughout both this pregnancy and my first, I haven't had unusual cravings so much, but I do pretty much want meat and cheese on bread for pretty much every meal. It's not a recipe for a healthy me or a healthy pregnancy. So, I've tried to take advantage of every possible opportunity to avoid my own worst instincts and work around my nagging need for a cheeseburger.

Therefore, I present to you a salad so delicious and unique that I actually crave it even though there's no red meat involved! In fact...no meat at all! It does make use of some of the best produce of summer and is packed with antioxidants, bright colors and intense flavors. Secondary bonus: it's super easy. It's wonderful served with simply grilled fish or chicken. Make it an entree salad by topping it with some grilled shrimp or scallops. It is simple enough eat it any old night, but it is definitely special enough for company.

Tropial Spinach Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing

For the dressing:

the zest of 1/2 lime

the juice of 1 - 2 limes (depending on size and juiciness...at least 1 T. of lime juice)

2 tsp. fresh ground ginger (NOT dried or powdered ginger)

1 tsp. honey or 2 tsp. sugar in the raw (or more, to taste)

pinch of kosher salt

1 - 2 T. canola oil

For the salad:

1 large mango (or 2 smaller mangos), peeled & cubed

1 avocado, cubed

1/4 cup red onion, sliced paper thin

1/2 pint blueberries, rinsed

5 cups baby spinach leaves

Instructions:

In the bowl you intend to use to assemble the entire salad, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, ginger and honey or sugar.* Taste the mixture. It should be pleasingly tart and sweet, but not too much of either. Add more lime juice or sweetener as needed. Then, season with a little bit of salt for balance. Once you are happy with the flavor, whisk in the canola oil until dressing is slightly thickened. I have to confess, I once made this dressing quickly and forgot all about the oil and no one was the wiser, although it does balance the acid in the lime nicely. Set the dressing aside.

Prepare all of the fruits and onion and add to the dressing, tossing lightly to coat, but be gentle since the avocado and mangoes are both easily mushed. Allow combined ingredients to sit for a minute or two to absorb the flavors of the dressing. Add the spinach leaves and toss completely immediately before serving as the acid in the dressing - while it preserves the lovely colors of the avocado and mango - will wilt the spinach leaves quickly. Serve as a side salad (as shown with yummy salmon burgers) for 4 people, or top with shrimp or whatever you like as an entree salad for 2 people. Enjoy!

* - I used to use 1/2 a packet of Splenda as the sweetener and it worked nicely, but I am 100% off artificial sweeteners so I've switched to honey or turbinado sugar. If you use raw sugar, you will have to whisk longer but it will dissolve in the lime juice. Do not serve gritty salad.

Myrtle Beach Curry Chicken

2009-08-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

I packed equal parts clothes and cooking equipment on my beach vacation this year. And to be really honest, I think I actually packed more of my kitchen then my wardrobe. Oh well! But with a baby, it's hard to go out to dinner. In fact, my husband and I never go anywhere with out the little guy. We love him so much, but he can't do dinner yet. We tried once or twice, but he still very much likes to cry from about 5- 7 each night. Since we can't go out, it's important to me that we eat well! His bed time is 8 p.m., which gives me time to whip up a delicious dinner.

Below is a recipe I just threw together on our trip. Normally, I would have used fresh ginger and fresh garlic, but I didn't have them available. (But yes, I did have coriander. I am a good packer.)

It may have been improvised, but this recipe is awesome. A true keeper!

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1nch pieces
1 1/2 yellow onion roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, de-seeded and roughly chopped
1 cup (half a can) of coconut milk
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Combine curry powder, coriander, turmeric, ginger and garlic powder, and set aside. Sprinkle about have of the spice mixture on top of the cut-up chicken. Sprinkle a little salt and fresh ground pepper on top too. Heat up a large skillet with 1 TB vegetable oil, and brown chicken. Don't worry about cooking through, just get the meat nice and brown and remove from pan. Add onions, tomato and the rest of the spice mixture to pan. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until tomatoes and onions are soft.

Return chicken to skillet, and then add 1 cup coconut milk.

Let simmer on medium low for 5-8 minutes. Allow chicken to cook through and the the sauce to thicken. Serve over rice!

To the Beach!

2009-08-09T09:45:00.003-04:00

I'm taking a little vacation. I'll be back to my regular Sunday posts on August 23.

Lime Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Salsa

2009-08-02T19:00:00.008-04:00

Pineapple Salsa

1 1/2 cup pineapple chopped into 1/4 inch pieces (grill the pineapple first if you have the time)
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 TB cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 jalepeno, deseeded, deveined, and chopped finely
Juice of 1 lime

Make salsa early in the day if you are serving for dinner. The longer it sits the better it will taste.

The shrimp is too easy. Buy a medium size shrimp, not too small because we want to thread them on skewers. If you can buy them all cleaned even better. If not, you will need to shell them, remove the yucky stuff from their backs, and pull the tails off. It doesn't take that long, it's just messy.

Thread the shrimp onto skewers and be sure to pierce each shrimp twice, at the thickest part and at the tail. This makes for even cooking.

A few minutes before grilling drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Grill on high heat for 5 minutes, turning once. Cut a few limes in half and grill them, cut side down, for just a minute.

Remove the shrimp from their skewers before serving and squeeze the limes over the top.

I like to serve these with warmed corn tortillas. Guests can pile the shrimp and salsa into the tortillas, and a dollop of fresh guacamole adds even more flavor. They will love it.

Citrus Soy Marinade

2009-07-26T15:23:00.000-04:00

Use this marinade for any kind of meat. My husband and I have used it for skirt steak and swordfish steaks. It's awesome.

If you are marinating steak you can do so up to 24 hours. If you doing fish, 30-40 minutes is plenty. If you do it longer, the marinade will end up cooking the fish.

zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 garlic cloves minced
1 TB grated ginger

Combine all the ingredients at once. Very simple.

Summer Corn Chowder

2009-07-19T20:10:00.001-04:00

4 cups fresh corn (get 8 ears of corn, and shave off corn kernels with serrated knife)
2 carrots, diced
2 onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
8 cups low-sodium chicken stock

Start off by cooking down bacon in soup pot. Cook on medium high until bacon is crisp, then remove and set aside. Add carrots, onions, celery, and salt/pepper to soup pot, and cook in remaining bacon fat on medium for 15 minutes. Then add 3 cups of corn, and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Taste and add additional salt or pepper.

Add chicken stock, and cook for about 20 minutes. Again taste and see if it needs additional seasoning. Then use immersion blender and puree soup. Once it's smooth, add last cup of corn and the bacon you set aside, and cook for another 5-8 minutes.

That's it!

You won't even miss the dairy.

I ate too much at my parent's over vacation

2009-07-12T14:54:00.003-04:00

Got on the scale the day after my vacation, and I don't just feel fat. The scale doesn't lie. I went to Stew Leonard's one too many times. If you are from Connecticut, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, it's time to eat light so salads are in order.

Here are a few of my favorite salad dressings. I never buy bottled dressings. Homemade is a million times better and super-easy.

Honey Balsamic
2 TB honey
2 TB balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt/pepper

Honey and Rice Wine
2 TB honey
2 TB rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt/pepper

Dijon Vinaigrette
2 TB Dijon mustard
2 TB red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt/pepper

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
2 TB dijon mustard
1 TB honey
2 TB red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt/pepper

Strawberry Balsamic
2 TB strawberry jam
2 TB balsamic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt/pepper

In all of these recipes, simply mix all ingredients other than oil with a whisk and then add olive oil in a slow stream until incorporated. You won't be disappointed with any of these. Delicious. Just remember not to dress the salad until right before you eat.

4th of July Vacation

2009-06-30T12:33:00.001-04:00

No post on Sunday. Sorry! I'm on a little vacation to visit my parents. I'll be back to my regular Sunday posts on Sunday, July 12.

Chicken Satay (No Dairy!)

2009-06-21T17:12:00.005-04:00

I've actually made this dish many times. Its fallen out of my rotation, but I'm plugging it in back in. It's super simple. And who doesn't love peanut sauce? I could eat it like soup.

Cut 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into strips (or if your market sells raw chicken cut into tenders, buy that). Combine 1 TB fish sauce, 1 TB red curry paste and 1 TB vegetable oil. Pour marinade over chicken and let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour.

While chicken marinates, combine the following in a saucepan on medium low heat

1 16 oz can of unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup peanut butter (use the organic, sugar-free kind)
1 tsp red curry paste
1 tsp sugar

Use a whisk to help ingredients come together. Cook for about 15 minutes. Feel free to add more curry paste or sugar to taste.

Take chicken out of refrigerator and thread onto wood skewers. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side.

Spoon some hot peanut sauce over the chicken, and garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts. Serve over rice.

Vietnamese Grilled Pork Skewers

2009-06-14T17:00:00.005-04:00

I have a new diet for awhile. I must go dairy-free. My son is more then just sensitive to my dairy consumption, he's allergic. Sad, but true. So I need to re-think my entire diet. I'm most sad about cheese. Soy milk is not so bad, and soy ice cream is actually quite delicious, but there can be no replacement for cheese.

This is going to be hard, but thankfully there are cuisines that involve little to no dairy. Vietnamese being one of them. Thank GOD!

My husband made Vietnamese pork on Saturday night.

This marinade will work for about 1 lb of pork.

Buy any cut of pork you like -- boneless loin or chops work well -- and cut into thin strips.

Combine the following ingredients:

zest of one lemon
half of one onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 TB sugar
3 TB fish sauce
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp black pepper

Blend in a blender until it's a thick paste. Pour over the pork and marinate for up to an hour (don't do it any longer, since these are strong flavors). Thread the pork onto wood skewers and cook on a hot grill for just 1-2 minutes per side.

Serve over rice noodles, and garnish with chopped peanuts.

You say tomato, I say hell yes

2009-06-10T21:00:00.000-04:00

I think it's clear by now that I have some pretty strong feelings about food, but few ingredients inspire the rapture that I experience at peak tomato season. We're not there yet, but local tomato perfection happens on the East Coast beginning in July and stretches almost through September. I was fortunate to grow up in a home with a sizeable vegetable garden and when the tomato harvest hit, I was sent door to door to our neighbors to offer up the bounty we couldn't consume alone. I remember my parents sending me out into the garden with a huge metal collander to pick the tomatoes that were so huge and beautiful that they bent their plants to the ground. I also remember hauling pounds and pounds of tomatoes inside and slicing one open, salting it and eating it like a piece of fruit (which technically, it is, but that's a conversation for another time). The memory of the scent of the tomatoes, their plants and the heat are practically tangible to me. Heaven.

As I type, I'm looking out my dining room window at my little cherry tomato plants in my container garden. They won't bear fruit until much later in the month at the earliest, but I can't wait! These are the things that keep me going. Still, some nice tomatoes are popping up in stores now.

I feel like people tend to pick tomatoes by color alone. Color can be a good indicator, but it's certainly not everything. A lot of hot house tomatoes available in super markets have gorgeous red outsides and pale, mealy, sad insides. Tragic. I think the best way to pick a tomato is to smell it. To me, the smell is earthy and warm and sort of like what I assume heaven will smell like, but again, I think that's the rapture talking. I actually own tomato scented cologne (demeterfragrance.com) so objectivity might not be for sale here today. I think that during the summer months, you should definitely go to a farm stand or a farmers' market to get your tomatoes. There's not much point in making this recipe in the winter.

This recipe is perfect for showcasing peak tomatoes. It's not a traditional Spanish Gazpacho, which has much less going on and consists mainly of tomatoes, stale bread and sherry vinegar, but this soup does boast some pretty amazing seasonal flavors. It's also really flexible. No red bell peppers? Use whatever color you like. Don't like garlic? Leave it out and kick up the lemon. The only really important part is the tomatoes.

Not-so-traditional Gazpacho

Ingredients:

8 - 10 medium fresh, ripe tomatoes, seeded. No need to be too precise.

4 scallions, rinsed well with outer layer removed, trimmed of root end and tough green tops; PLUS one scallion, cleaned, trimmed and diced, set aside for garnish, not blending

2 cucumbers

1 jalapeno, stem, seeds & membrane removed

3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, whichever you prefer (or a combo of both)

1 red bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed

3 T. sherry vinegar (you may use red wine vinegar if you prefer)

1 12 oz. can low sodium V-8

2 stalks of celery, diced

The juice of 1 lemon

kosher salt, cracked pepper and red pepper flake or your fave hot sauce to taste

Instructions:

Peel skin from 1 & 1/2 cucumbers. Split down the center and scoop seeds out with a spoon. Dice remaining 1/2 cucumber and reserve for garnish later. In the blender or bowl of a food processor, combine 1/2 the tomatoes & the cucumbers, half the vinegar & herbs, garlic, peppers and scallions. Pulse until desired texture is acheived, adding V-8 a little at a time just to keep the mixture moist enough to process. I typically do not use the whole can of V-8. I like it pretty finely pureed, but you are free to leave it chunkier if you like. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. Repeat process with remaining ingredients, tomatoes through vinegar, and as much V-8 as you need. Don't worry about putting exactly the same amount of each ingredient into each batch...breaking the recipes into two batches just allows you better control and is easier than dealing with an overflowing blender and will make no difference once everything is mixed together.

Mix two batches together and taste. Season with lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce to your taste. Stir in diced cucumber, scallions and celery reserved for garnish...this step just provides a nice crunch to the texture. Cover soup tightly and chill for at least an hour before serving.

I like the gazpacho just as it is, served with a piece of good, rustic bread toasted in a pan with a little olive oil and a grating of manchego or parmesean cheese melted on top (as shown), but you may also garnish with a drizzle of really good olive oil or a dollop of sour cream (not both) or a tablespoon of coarse chopped herbs. Makes 8 - 10 servings. Enjoy.

Too Many Bananas!

2009-06-07T16:21:00.004-04:00

My smoothie craze is over, mostly because my son Simon is not fond of my consumption of dairy. He screamed last Saturday after my last smoothie, pretty much all day.

Got the message! I'll try making smoothies with soy milk. Although I've heard that soy may not be so good for baby boys either, something to do with estrogen. Whatever.

Here's my point: I have too many bananas now. So on Saturday I made banana bread. I browsed lots of recipes, and I came up with my own version. It's not too sweet, and is perfect for breakfast.

10 TB unsalted butter softened
3 bananas, smashed
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flower
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9" x 5" loaf pan. If you don't have this size you can use 8 1/2" - 4 1/2" loaf pan. Just don't use all the batter. Fill pan to 3/4 full.

Mix together flour, sugar, backing soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl mix together bananas, yogurt, eggs and vanilla.

With hand mixer, mix butter with dry ingredients. Then start adding banana mixture. Mix at medium speed until smooth batter forms.

Pour into loaf pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes.

Hola! Me llamo Lupe.

2009-06-04T09:30:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the Wethersfield, Connecticut Public School System and, later, Loyola College in Maryland (now Loyola University of Maryland...no comment), I have absorbed portions of 7 school years of Spanish language education. I say portions because I am nothing like fluent in reading, speaking or understanding the Spanish language. Not. Even. Close. Of my handful of educational failings, it is definitely the most glaring. Considering the amount of time spent in Spanish class and considering that one of those years was spent in honors Spanish (clearly, the result of placement by an over-confident guidance counselor), I know next to no Spanish.

My knowledge of Spanish is so scant that by junior year of high school, I was terrified of being called on in Spanish class because that was the year that la professora (the delightfully wacky Sra. Peel) stopped speaking any English, so not only was I sure I could not answer her properly, I probably wasn't even going to know what I had been asked. Unfortunately, my Spanish name, Cristina, was not only pretty common but it was practically the same as Catalina, Catarina and several other names also very common in Spanish class. I was so regularly alarmed that my name might have been being called that I was eventually prompted to research and construct the proper verb tenses and sentence structure to request of Sra. Peel an official name change. Needless to say, I have no recollection of that question, but Sra. Peel was impressed enough to grant me my name change. Henceforth, I would be referred to in spanish class as Lupe. Ahhh...Lupe. Similar to nothing and much, much more conducive to zoning out in spanish class.

While my knowledge of the Spanish language is poor, my knowledge of the cuisines of Spain, Mexico and much of Latin America is extensive and growing. I love authentic Spanish cooking, especially lovely little tapas. We'll talk about that some other time. I also loove Mexican food, and I'm no snob about it...Tex Mex is just fine by me. I just really appreciate the balance of fresh ingredients, nice spicy spices, good cheeses, the almighty and prominent tomato and cilantro flavors and, of course, we all know how I feel about braising and grilling. Basically, in my heart of hearts, I am Lupe, my generic American rootlessness replaced by rich Latin cultural heritage. Or, at the very least, rich, Latin food.

So, on behalf of Lupe, I present a burrito so profoundly good that my jaded husband (who is totally spoiled by my willingness to make elaborate and tasty meals on an average Wednesday) looked at me the other night and said "wow." Translation: Muy Bueno.

Green Chicken Burritos

Ingredients:

1 & 1/3 - 1 & 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 small Haas Avocados, peeled, pitted and diced into 1/2" chunks (in this recipe, you can get away with using avocados that are a bit on the firm side. If you use really ripe ones, they might get a little too mushy)

1 medium red onion, diced

2 cups shredded cheddar & monterey jack cheeses (I also like the Kraft Mexican blend shredded cheese, but for God's sake, not the one with taco seasonings mixed in)

About 2 dozen grape tomatos, halved

1 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed thoroughly and mostly dry

2 limes

1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, to your taste

6 burrito size flour tortillas, any flavor or variety you like

Tomato salsa, tomatillo or green chili salsa and/or sour cream for garnish.

Instructions:

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil just to prevent them from sticking to the grill. Grill until cooked through, but not over cooked since they will esentially be cooked again once they are incorporated into burritos. (If you prefer to roast, poach or broil chicken breasts, go ahead. I just like the grilled flavor in this recipe.) Chop into 1/2" chunks and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl, combine chicken, onion, tomatoes, cheese & avocados and toss to mix. Set aside.

Using your blender or food processor, combine 1 generous handful of cilantro leaves; the zest of one lime; the juice of both limes and one jalapeno, stem, seeds and membranes removed.* Blend until a pesto-like texture is acheived. If you need extra liquid, use a few drops of canola oil or water. Taste the mixture. If you want it to be spicier, add the second jalapeno. If you want it super spicy, leave some of the membranes and seeds in tact but proceed with caution; you can always add more spice but you can't take it out.

Pour green lime-cilantro-jalapeno dressing over chicken mixture and stir to coat. Place tortillas in microwave between damp paper towels and zap for one minute. Working on a large cookie sheet, add a few heaping spoonfulls (about 3/4 to 1 cup) of chicken mixture directly into the center of the first tortilla. Fold left and right sides of tortilla inward over mixture, and then roll the burrito from top to bottom snugly, placing the finished product seam-side down on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas & mixture. Bake for 20 minutes until tortillas brown just slightly.

Serve with your favorite salsa and sour cream, or "Christmas style" with red AND green salsas as shown. Enjoy!

Smoothies! Quick and Fast Lunch for New Mommies

2009-05-31T16:00:00.001-04:00

I didn't have many cravings during my pregnancy, but post-pregnancy I can't seem to get enough of smoothies! I am truly enjoying the fancy blender I got for my wedding last year.

Smoothies are great because they are quick to put together, are filling and only require one hand to eat (so the other hand can hold Baby Simon).

Here are two smoothie recipes that I've been enjoying the last few weeks.

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

1/2 banana
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peanut butter (sugar free)
3/4 cup skim milk

Throw all these ingredients in blender and blend!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

4 strawberries
1/2 banana
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup orange juice

As stated above, throw all these ingredients in blender and blend!

And, if you want to add a bit more volume and a chill to either one of these smoothies, add a few handfuls of ice.

Thai Chicken Soup

2009-05-24T16:00:00.003-04:00

Ben (my husband) made this soup the other night. He's cooking a lot now that we have baby Simon. I've been a little busy nursing our new son. He'll be two weeks old tomorrow. Happy Birthday SIMON!

This soup takes 30 minutes to put together. The mushrooms are the only thing that requires cooking in this recipe.

6 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, but canned is also very good). Before I had Simon I froze about 4 quarts of homemade stock.
1 16 oz can coconut milk
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (buy a roast chicken at the grocery store)
2 (8 oz) containers cleaned, sliced, white button mushrooms
2 TB ginger, grated
1 small onion, chopped
3 TB fish sauce
3 scallions thinly sliced
1 TB red chili paste
Juice of 2 limes

Start off cooking small onion in soup pot with a little vegetable oil. Then add ginger, 1 TB fish sauce. Cook for a few minutes.

Then add chicken stock, coconut milk and mushrooms. Let cook for about 10 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through. Add shredded chicken.

In separate bowl, combine 2 TB fish sauce, 1 TB red chili paste, and juice of two limes. Stir in soup. Then stir in scallions.

Feel free to add more chili paste if you want the soup spicier, and use any mushrooms that you like.

Pasta With Peas, Asparagus and Sage

2009-05-18T22:35:00.000-04:00

I found this gem of a recipe in Food and Wine. I made a few changes, but this is the basic recipe.

1 lb Penne pasta
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
1 cup heavy cream
2 TB butter
2 TB fresh sage, chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Bring large pot of water to a boil. As water heats, heat up large skillet with some olive oil. Then saute asparagus and garlic for a minute or two. Add chicken stock, and let cook and reduce for 15 minutes.

Water should be boiling at this point, so salt (be generous) and add pasta and cook for about 10 minutes, until al dente.

Back to large skillet . . . add peas, and cream and bring to boil. Cook at high heat for a minute or two until sauce thickens.

Once pasta is cooked, add to skillet. Once fully combined, stir in fresh sage, 2 TB butter and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.

I served this with grilled lemon chicken.

I marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts with the juice of two lemons, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried sage, and 1/2 tsp ground pepper, then grilled them. Simple.

It almost felt healthy.

Mmmmmm...soup.

2009-05-17T20:10:00.005-04:00

Before I begin rambling about soup, let me first congratulate my co-blogger and dear friend Beth and her wonderful husband Ben on the arrival of their beautiful new baby boy, Simon Henry, who arrived last Monday afternoon. Not only is he handsome, sweet and perfect; as is to be expected, he's apparently a very good eater! Mazel Tov!

Now then, soup. I was recently reading a diet book (what? My husband reads books about WWII submarine attacks and he's never actually done that either.) and the author, a natural foods chef, was singing the praises of pureed vegetable soups and their ability to fill you up with good, delicious, fiber-rich vegetables while leaving you satisfied and generally happy. Good point, I thought. I like everything about that idea. I've always been especially fond of potato-leek soup. Now, before you have an Atkins seizure, even the author of the diet book defended the potato in moderation, so long as it isn't saturated with fatty toppings. You may recall from previous posts my affection for potatoes, but this seemed like a safe and rational way to enjoy them, so I hit the web in search of recipe ideas.

Since, to the best of my knowledge, the ingredients for potato-leek soup should be something like: potatoes, leeks, chicken stock, salt, pepper, I was sort of surprised to see that a lot of the recipes I saw called for a lot of fat, a lot of dairy and a lot of crazy steps like roasting all of the vegetables in advance. Suddenly, potato-leek soup was seeming a little more complex than necessary and therefore, a lot less delicious and comfy. In the interest of full disclosure, I am expecting my 2nd baby in October and am only interested in things that are easy and comforting.

So, I made up my own recipe and am pleased to report that it came out beautifully. The soup was delicious, filling and practically creamy, but is also nutritious and really simple. You'll notice I used an immersion blender which made it especially easy, but you could definitely use a food processor or good blender to puree the soup and still get the same result. Also, unlike, 99.9% of my recipes, it can easily be made vegetarian by simply substituting the pancetta for plain old butter or olive oil and the chicken & beef stocks for vegetable stock. Try it!

Potato & Leek Soup

Ingredients:
1 T. Olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta, diced (ask the guy at the deli for 2-1/2" slices and dice them yourself at home, or, look for it prepackaged and diced near other deli meats. To dice it easily at home, place the slices in the freezer for 15 minutes before chopping.)
4 Leeks
4 - 5 cups peeled, cubed potatoes (I used plain old Russets)
2 Quarts (64 ounces) chicken, beef or vegetable stock, or any combination thereof (I used 1Q chicken and 1Q beef stock)
2 tsp Kosher salt (or more to taste)
2 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)

Optional ingredient: 3 T. Half and Half

Possible garnish: fresh chives, shredded parmesean cheese, creme fraiche, fresh croutons or crispy crumbled bacon.

Instructions: To clean leeks, make a long horizontal slice from 1" above the root end of each leek through the green end. Turn leek one quarter turn and repeat the cut, effectively slicing the leek into horizontal quarters, still attached at the white end. Shake leeks gently to separate leaves and soak in a bowl of clean cool water to remove sand and dirt between layers. Remove leeks from water and shake gently to dry a little. Then, discarding the root end and the dark green ends, slice the white and light green sections into 1/2" slices.

Heat olive oil in a large pot and add pancetta. Saute, stirring frequently to render fat and allow pancetta to brown evenly, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the leeks and saute until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, then cover with stock, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper...you can add more later.

Cover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes until potatoes are extremely tender. Remove soup from heat and, using an immersion blender, puree soup until a thick but smooth consistency is achieved. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer soup to a food processor or good blender in several batches and puree to desired consistency. Season again with additional salt and pepper to suit. For a richer flavor, add half and half and stir to combine while soup is still hot. I found the starch in the potatoes created a creamy texture all on its own, so I didn't use the half and half I had bought for this purpose, but if you're feeling decadent, go for it. Just don't get carried away!

Serve soup immediately with your choice of garnish and enjoy! Leftovers will keep in the fridge for about 5 days for easy reheating, but this soup freezes very well also!

Herbed Potato Salad

2009-05-10T10:34:00.001-04:00

4 - 5 lbs of baby Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/4 wedges

Cook sliced potatoes in large pasta pot. Start with cold water, and set heat on high. Salt water liberally. Cook until you can pierce potatoes easily with fork. Total time should be about 30 - 40 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking you'll need to put together the herb mixture and vinaigrette.

Herb Mixture
Combine the follow ingredients in a bowl and set aside
3 TB parsley, chopped
3 TB chives, chopped
3 TB chervil, chopped
3 TB shallots, chopped

Vinaigrette
Combine the following ingredients in a bowl and set aside
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cooking liquid from potatoes
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves finely chopped are pressed through garlic press

When potatoes are done, remove from heat and drain. Be sure to get rid of all excess water. In large bowl, add about half of the potatoes and half of the vinaigrette. Mix and let the potatoes absorb some of the liquid. Then add the rest of the potatoes and the rest of the vinaigrette. Mix again.

I make this recipe in two steps. Once I've added the vinaigrette, I place bowl in refrigerator. About an hour before serving, I add the herb mixture and leave on counter. This potato salad can be served hot, room temperature or cold. Whatever is easiest for you, but I like it best served at room temperature.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2009-05-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers (that means the two of you),

Please go out and get an ice cream machine as soon as you can so you can make this recipe.

2 cups mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped

In a saucepan, bring milk, cream and mint leaves to near boil. In another bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla.

Add a a few tablespoons of warmed milk mixture to eggs/sugar. Careful not to cook your eggs. Whisk in warm liquid quickly.

Then start adding eggs/sugar to milk/cream/mint, stirring constantly.

Let cook at medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. The mixture will thicken.

Once thickened, pour into bowl and cool overnight in refrigerator.

Pour into ice cream machine the following day. Allow ice cream machine to do its work for 20 minutes, then add chocolate.

Then freeze for another few hours, and it's ready to serve.

Judgey McJudgerson's Answer to your BBQ Blues

2009-04-30T22:30:00.001-04:00

I don't know about where you live - except I sort of do because think most of you live more or less near me - but here in Baltimore, we had a little taste of sweltering mid-summer earlier this week and, although we've returned to a soggy, chilly version of spring, I now have the back yard cookout on the brain. Of course, regular readers will recall that my love for my grill knows no season, but once the mercury hits 70 or higher, there's no turning back.

However, regular readers may also recall my disdain for bottled marinades, sauces and dressings. Honestly, read the back of the average bottle of mass produced commercial bbq sauce, marinade or salad dressing and tell me if you don't see just a few things that you might not want to ingest or, at the very least, items you don't understand or recognize. I do not have in my pantry, nor do I know where to obtain, Xanthan Gum. Sodium Benzoate does not sound delicious. Potassium Sorbate could be embalming fluid for all I know.

Sauces, marinades and dressings should impart flavor...that's their whole job. They should not require of their users an advance chemistry degree. They should not last through the apocalypse. They should just taste good. Therefore, you should make them yourselves. Regular readers may also recall that I proclaimed judgement on anyone not willing to make their own BBQ sauce. That may sound harsh, but seriously, what is holding you back? Here, I'll help.

In fact, I consider the arena of marinades my particular culinary strength. Stock your pantry with a few simple, flavorful staples and there is no poultry you cannot baste, no steak you cannot tenderize, no fish you cannot render, well, un-fishy. Of course, I have a few dozen staples in my pantry, but my relationship with food is intense and complicated and may or may not require eventual intervention.

Although I have thus far refused to share my traditional BBQ sauce recipe with anyone not blood related to me, I am going to get you started with a tasty and unique condiment that will spice up your spring grilling and then some. I am guessing a few of the ingredients might require a trip to the grocery store for some of you, but once you buy them, you'll find new and interesting ways to use them if you try. (Homemade salad dressing anyone?) As always, I encourage you to alter everything to your personal tastes and experiment freely! As my almost three year old illustrates everyday, everything is better when it is yours, all yours and nobody else's!

Chinese BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

{Note: Mirin, Hoisin, Five Spice Powder and Siracha are all available in the Asian foods aisle of better grocery stores. When in doubt, shop Whole Foods.}

3 T. Mirin

1/4 c. Soy sauce

3 T. Hoisin Sauce

1 1/2 T. Fresh ginger

1 tsp. garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic

1 tsp. coriander

2 tsp. Five Spice Powder ( a prepared blend of licorice root, cinnamon, anise, fennel seed and ground cloves used in Asian cooking)

1/2 tsp. red pepper flake (or more to taste)

1 - 2 tsp Siracha or Chili-garlic paste (a prepared Asian condiment)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients and whisk thoroughly to combine. Marinate bone-in chicken pieces (as in photo above) or other poultry, skewered shrimp or scallops, beef kabobs, pork tenderloin or chops (or anything else you can think of) in sauce for an hour before cooking, turning occasionally. Then, continue to baste on sauce while grilling over medium high heat to avoid flare ups since sauce has high sugar content. If you want to use the remaining marinade as additional dipping sauce after cooking, bring it to a quick boil before serving to render out any bacteria from raw proteins.

Making Better Burgers

2009-04-26T07:36:00.000-04:00

Instead of ketchup or mustard on your burgers, try this green chili sauce. Kristin and I came up with this recipe, with a little inspiration from a Bobby Flay recipe. Thanks Bobby!

Green Chili Sauce

3 Poblano peppers
3 onions, cut in half
salt/pepper
1 TB honey
3 TB cilantro chopped
Juice of 2 limes

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Coat peppers and onions generously with salt/pepper and olive oil, and roast for 20 minutes. Let peppers rest for about 20 minutes after, and then peel and de-seed.

In a blender or Cuisinart combine peppers, onions, honey, cilantro, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.

And try using a Mexican cheese to serve on your burgers. We used a blanco queso fresco.

Chocolate Orange Zest Ice Cream

2009-04-19T09:00:00.006-04:00

In my 7th month of pregnancy I bought an ice-cream machine. In my 10th month (because that's how long you're really pregnant), I actually made ice cream. It was dangerously easy.

6 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
Zest of two oranges
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, combine milk, cream, zest and chocolate.

In a bowl mix together sugar, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

Let chocolate and milk cook for about 5 minutes until chocolate is fully melted and is almost at boil.

Then add about 3 TB of the warm mixture to eggs/sugar, 1 TB at a time. You want to add slowly as to not scramble your eggs.

Once you've added the 3 TB, then start adding this mixture back into saucepan. Be sure to stir constantly until it's fully incorporated.

Cook for another 5 -6 minutes on medium low until it thickens a bit.

Cool mixture overnight in your refrigerator.

Pour into your ice-cream machine the following day, and follow the instructions.

And you're done!

This recipe makes 5 cups of ice cream.

Brisket is Easy!

2009-04-12T06:47:00.000-04:00

The first time I made brisket it was so-so. It had nice flavor but was ropey and chewy. The second time was a success. The secret to brisket is in the cooking time (long) and the temperature (low). It's in the oven for 4 - 5 hours.

I made the following brisket for my husband for Passover.

I used a 4-lb brisket.

Dry off brisket, and season with salt/pepper, chili powder, paprika and garlic powder. I didn't even measure. I just sprinkled the spices until the brisket was nice and sandy.

After that I combined the following ingredients in a medium size bowl

2 cups tomato juice
3 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 12 oz. beer (I used Sam Adams because it was in my refrigerator)
2 TB light brown sugar

Place brisket in large roasting pan, and pour above mixture over top. Add a few onions, peeled and quartered, and place in 300 degree oven covered with tinfoil

Cook for 4 1/2 hours

Remove foil and cook for another 35 minutes.

The brisket will brown on top.

Transfer brisket to carving board. Pour liquid into medium sauce pan, and keep warm on stove.

Slice brisket against the grain, and serve on large platter. Pour some of the roasting liquid on top, and place the rest in a bowl or gravy boat for those who want more at the table.

If you want to add potatoes, please do!

I added 1 lb of baby Yukon gold potatoes to the roasting pan after three hours. They were delicious.

In addition to the potatoes and brisket, I served string beans with lots of butter. The perfect complement.

Bacon Egg and Cheese Pasta

2009-04-05T19:05:00.001-04:00

Carbonara is yummy. If you have not had it, you need to fix that immediately.

Few things taste better then the combination of eggs, bacon, cheese and pasta.

My husband makes it from time to time. It's a special treat.

There are just a few ingredients, so spend time and money on getting the best ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
6 slices bacon (cut into 1/4 inch strips, and do splurge on the good, thick kind)
4 egg yolks (try to use the freshest eggs possible, or even better go and get them at the farmer's market)
1 cup pecorino cheese
1/2 cup salted pasta water
1 lb pasta (spaghetti will work)
1 TB chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Fill large pasta pot with water and bring to a boil. At the same time, cook bacon in large sauté pan. Cook until brown. Remove bacon, and then add onion. Cook onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add bacon back to pan. Turn heat off.

In a medium sized bowl whisk eggs with cheese and set aside.

Once water boils, add a healthy amount of salt, and cook pasta. When pasta is done, reserve 1/2 cup of water when you drain it. Add pasta to large sauté pan toss with bacon and onion, and then add eggs/cheese mixture. The heat from the pasta will cook the egg, so just mix around for about 3-5 minutes to make sure you don't get scrambled eggs. Add pasta water. A creamy sauce will develop.

Add salt, pepper and parsley at the last minute, toss, and serve.

Happiness at Steak

2009-04-02T21:36:00.004-04:00

Ever go to a restaurant and have a salad so completely delicious and fantastic that it transcends saladness and becomes something more akin to nirvana? A salad so remarkable that it couldn't possibly have been good for you? Silly, that's 'cause it wasn't good for you at all! That feeling of virtue you experienced while passing over the "Entrees" section of the menu in favor of the "Entree Salads" section has you all confused. In many cases, you actually could have had any number of seafood options, half a roast chicken sans skin, a small filet mignon or - gasp - a sandwich on actual bread for fewer calories and fat grams than you just ingested in...wait for it...salad dressing.

Because that's the thing, isn't it? It was just the dressing. Barring other ingredients we all know are bad for us like fried chicken, gobs of cheese or french fries (I swear, there's a place near my house that puts fries on its steak salad...e-mail me. I'll tell you where to find it), it was probably the dressing that single-handedly took your sensible, practically vegetarian dinner and turned it into a Big Mac with large fries.

It's just so crazy because salad dressing's sole purpose is to impart flavor, but, typically, it's primary ingredient is oil. Oil, while lovely and necessary in many cooking scenarios, isn't really all that tasty. Making your own salad dressing could not be easier but I can hardly think of any trick in your cooking arsenal that you'll get more mileage out of. Plus, people ooh and ahh like you just Mastered the Art of French Cooking when you give them fresh salad dressing when all you really did is whisk some stuff together. Plus, making your own dressing allows you to invert the traditional 4-parts-oil-to-one-part-vinegar dressing ratio on its ear in favor of your waistline and cardiovascular health!

Check out the following recipe for a lovely steak salad - my favorite kind of fatty salad - only without the fattiness. Choose lean steak, hard or crumbly cheeses and lovely, fresh, delicious, low fat homemade dressing and run with it from there.

Bistro Steak Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. steak (my preference would be a NY strip, fat trimmed AFTER cooking or a skirt steak)

red wine vinegar

kosher salt

fresh cracked black pepper

4 cups arugula

3 roma tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

1/2 cup sliced cucumber

1/3 cup shredded carrots

1/2 onion, sauteed in cooking spray until browned

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

about 12 Kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 cup fresh croutons (I judge you if you use croutons from a box...might as well put balsa wood on your salad)

3-4 T. Homemade horseradish vinaigrette (as below)

Instructions:

Sprinkle steak with red wine vinegar, salt & pepper. Grill to your liking. Allow to rest 5 - 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2" slices.

In the meantime, sautee onions until evenly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Toss arugula & vegetables, blue cheese, olives & onions together in a medium mixing bowl. Add 2 T. dressing, toss again. Add croutons. Toss. Taste and add more dressing if desired. Top the salad with 1/4 to 1/2 of the steak, depending on appetite.

Horseradish Vinaigrette

3 T. Red Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. wostershire sauce

2 tsp. dijon mustard

2 T. prepared horseradish (or more, to suit your taste)

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

1 1/2 T. Olive Oil

Instructions:

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl with high enough sides to allow for whisking. Drizzle olive oil slowly into mixture, whisking quickly and constantly. Oil is fully emulsified when it is no longer visible but dressing is thickened. Chill until ready to use.

Pizza at home in your kitchen or in your backyard?

2009-03-24T16:40:00.003-04:00

Is it crazy to want to build a pizza oven in your backyard? No, no, it's
not. Mario Batali has one at his vacation home in Michigan. (Please see
NY Times article from Aug 07:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/travel/escapes/17away.html I am jealous.)

I am a new home owner, and I am thinking about getting one of these. My
husband thinks we should start smaller, like perhaps just getting a normal Weber
grill. I guess that's fine for now, but I dream big, REAL BIG.

Of course, you don't need a pizza oven to make homemade pizza. I make
pizza all the time on my pizza stone. You can pick one up William-Sonoma
or Sur La Table. They are inexpensive and are also good for just
re-heating pizza.

Here's a quick and foolproof recipe for making your own pizza in your
own, indoor oven.

1 pkg dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp honey
3 cups flour, (all purpose is fine, if you want to be fancy you can use
the "00" flour.)
1 TB olive oil
1 cup warm water

Pour warm water into a large bowl. Add salt and honey and stir. Then,
sprinkle contents of dry active yeast packet into bowl. Let sit for 10
minutes. The yeast should bloom, and it should smell like bread and be
foamy on top.

Add olive oil and stir, then add three cups of flour. Stir with wooden
spoon until dough forms. Pour out on counter, and knead for 2 - 3
minutes until dough becomes a smooth, cohesive ball.

Then place ball into another bowl that has been greased with a little
olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit on counter for 60-90
minutes. The dough will rise.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, be sure to put pizza stone in as oven
preheats.

Roll dough out on to counter and roll out with rolling pin until you get
a shape that will fit on your pizza stone.

Once oven is pre-heated, pull pizza stone out and sprinkle liberally
with cornmeal. Place dough on stone, and sprinkle top with a little
salt and olive oil. Cook for 6 minutes in oven.

Remove from oven and put on your desired toppings. Cook for another 6
minutes.

Pre-cooking the dough before you add toppings guarantees that the crust
will be nice and brown and flavorful.

Sausage and Fennel Risotto

2009-03-18T11:21:00.002-04:00

2 cups Arborio rice
8 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
1 onion chopped
1 cup pecorino cheese
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
1 fennel bulb, sliced thick
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 cup white wine (something light and dry)
1 TB olive oil
2 TB butter

In large pot on stove heat up (on low) 8 cups chicken stock.

In another large sauté pan, brown sausage and set aside. Cook fennel in the same pan until softened, and then set aside.

Add 1 TB olive oil to pan and cook onion until soft, then add rice. Cook for 1 minute. Then add 1 cup white white, and let rice absorb. Then start adding chicken stock in 1 cup portions and stir, each time allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Do this for about 30 minutes. Taste rice to see if it's ready. If it is, stir in sausage, fennel and parsley. Then add 1 cup of cheese and the 2 TB butter. If the rice become too thick, just add some more stock to loosen it up. If needed, add a a little fresh ground pepper.

Serve with salad or green vegetable. I like it with roasted broccolini.

White Bean and Asparagus Soup

2009-03-11T16:47:00.003-04:00

2 carrots (chopped)
2 onions (chopped)
2 celery stalks (chopped)
(If you have a food processor, let it do the work for you!)
1 TB olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, but store bought is very good)
2 16 oz can white (northern) beans (rinsed)
2 cups asparagus (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)

In soup pot sauté carrots, onions and celery with olive oil for 15 minutes. Cook at a medium heat. Then add salt, pepper and thyme. Then add asparagus. Let cook for another 5 minutes. Then add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Let boil for a minute or two, and then turn down heat to low-medium and let cook for another 30 minutes.

Taste before serving, and add salt/pepper if needed.

Asparagus season is about to start, so this soup is great to serve in the next few months.

Is there really a difference between Bread Pudding and French Toast?

2009-03-04T12:59:00.003-05:00

Kristin and I had a discussion on this topic earlier this week, and we've have decided that there is no real difference. It's bread and eggs and cream. One is served after dinner, and one is served in the morning. But I like my breakfasts to be more like dessert anyway. I mean, couldn't you serve donuts for dessert, or perhaps apple pie for breakfast? It would be perfectly okay with me.

I make my French Toast as a casserole. It's inspired by a recipe I saw on Paula Deen's Food Network show.

I altered Paula's recipe a bit. She uses a bit more cream and butter, if you can believe that.

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

Egg/Cream Mixture
8 eggs
2 cups half and half
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

Combine ingredients and beat until smooth.

Slice one loaf (16 0z) French bread. Each piece should be 1 inch thick. Line up in a well buttered 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour egg/cream mixture over top. Let sit in fridge for about an hour, or even overnight.

Pecan Cinnamon Crumble Topping
1 stick softened butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix altogether with hands in small bowl

Spread crumble on top of casserole and place in hot oven for 45 minutes

Plagarism is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

2009-02-27T00:30:00.005-05:00

I just wanted to take a second to let you all know, loyal readers, that I hope you are making use of this very blog to steal our recipes and pass them off as your own as your friends and family heap upon you the praise you so richly deserve for feeding and nurturing them. It's not that I don't want credit. Typically, I want credit for everything. I just think that when it comes to food, that's not the point. With food, I think the point is to share selflessly.

I am just as subject to gluttony as anybody else, but I just think the idea of, say, baking a pie for yourself - while tempting - is not as much fun as baking a pie for a family meal or a friend's cookout. Also, I think part of the fun of recipes are the variations and deviations that enrich the original ingredients as recipes pass from hand to hand. I believe strongly that, unless you're baking (that's all science, dontcha know), you should always mess with a recipe and make it your own.

That said, I'd like to share with you a recipe I've been messing with a lot lately. My dear friend Courtney found it on a delightful blog called Sass and Veracity (http://www.sassandveracity.typepad.com/) and passed it on to me as I was trying to prepare a party menu. Courtney & I do some illegal, underground catering so we're always on the browse. Anyhoo, after following the recipe the first time I prepared this delicious dish, I've been altering it to suit, well, me, ever since. As you'll see, I'm still cravin' the braisin' (who doesn't?), but this one is just so good, I think you should try it too. From it's original form on Sass and Veracity (which she adapted from a cookbook), I've dressed it down a bit, made it a little less elegant and a little more like a stew. It's an evolution. And you know what they say...evolve or die! OK, so no one really says that but I think it's probably true. Anyway, thanks to Sass & Veracity.

Let us know when you make delicious adaptations to the recipes we post. If you have good ideas, we'd love to plagarise them.

Pork Shoulder braised in Guinness Stout and Cherries

Ingredients:
4 cups (2 16 oz. cans) Guinness
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 4-5 lb. pork shoulder
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
3 T. Olive Oil
3 large onions, halved and sliced
5 - 6 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
3 T. tomato paste
5 whole allspice, crushed
2 or 3 bay leaves
1/3 cup molasses
1-2 cups water
8 small new (red) potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
about 2 dozen baby carrots (or more if you like carrots)
1 large slice toasted crusty bread per person you're serving

Instructions:

Several hours - or the night before - you intend to begin cooking the pork, bring the Guinness, cherries and vinegar to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Pour into a bowl and cover tightly and allow to sit for a few hours or overnight. This is to reconstitute the cherries, I think. I was toying with not doing it from the original recipe, but I think it also allows the vinegar to mellow. I'm gonna skip this "let it sit" step someday...I'll let you know how it goes.

Preheat the oven to 300. Season the pork shoulder generously with salt and pepper. In a large dutch oven (awww yeah...Le Creuset) or big, oven-safe pot, heat the Olive Oil. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides. This should take a total of about 15 minutes. The pork shoulder is not a piece of paper...it has many sides. Don't slack. Remove pork from pot and allow it to rest on a platter.

Drain all but about 3 T. of the dripings and oil from dutch oven. Return to heat and add onions, stirring regularly and sauteeing, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sautee while stirring for about 5 more minutes. Add tomato paste and combine well, cooking for about a minute.

Add the Guinness & cherries, bay leaves, allspice, molasses and stir to combine. Return pork shoulder to the pot. If the liquid does not mostly cover the pork, add water as necessary until the roast is more or less submerged yet is not FULLY under water. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 1 hour. Remove from oven, turn the pork shoulder and return to the oven, cooking from 1 hour. Remove from oven, add the potatoes and carrots. Return to oven and cook for an additional hour.

After 3 total hours cook time, remove from oven. Remove pork from dutch oven and set aside. It will likely be falling apart. That's the idea. Place dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a hard simmer, reducing for about 5 - 7 minutes.

Shred or slice pork and serve atop toasted bread, topped with carrots, potatoes, onion, cherries and a generous ladle of reduced sauce. Enjoy. Serves a lot of people so invite friends over!

NOTE: This is a more rustic interpretation of the recipe as I first read it which called for no carrot or potatoes IN the cooking liquid, but rather for the pork, cherries & liquid to be served atop mashed sweet potatoes. I just really love a one-pot meal. Try it either way. Let us know what you think.

Chicken Meatballs

2009-02-18T21:40:00.001-05:00

Me love meatballs! I really do. They are great as a companion to pasta. They are wonderful solo, and they are fantastic on a roll with melted mozzarella. Here's a simple and healthy recipe for chicken meatballs. I made them over the weekend for my nephews. They loved it!

2 onions
1 carrot
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup parsley
1 TB ketchup
1 TB Worcestershire
2 lbs ground chicken
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450

Put onions and carrot in food processors and pulse until they are finely diced.

In large bowl combine all the ingredients. And then mix with your hands! It's the best tool for this job.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and use 1/4 cup scoop to make the meatballs.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn and bake for another 15 minutes.

Yee haw!

2009-02-16T12:18:00.009-05:00

I think the word 'authentic' is wildly overused, don't you? The reason I think it is overused is that when something is actually authentic, it usually goes without saying. So, I'm wary of things flashing their own authenticity. I like to think I'm pretty shrewd and when something is authentic, I'll know it without having to be told.

That said, I'm gonna spare you the 'authentic' shpiel on the following chili recipe. I could tell you that it is Authentic Texas Chili because it uses real chunks of beef versus ground meat and has no beans, but I know we have at least one Texan reader (my lovely sister-in-law, Angie. Hi Angie!) and I don't want to be called out for being a big poseur. Plus, having never been to Texas, it seems unlikely that I have conducted enough research or gained enough experience to back up any claims of authenticity. In other words, I wouldn't trust me if I were you.

You can trust, however, that it is delicious chili and you won't be sad if you make some very soon. This recipe makes a lot of chili, so it's perfect for having friends over to watch a game or shutting yourself in your house for the weekend and refusing to leave. Please feel free to experiment with seasonings, but don't scoff at the cocoa powder...it gives the flavor real depth and no sweetness whatsoever. I don't know or care if cocoa powder is an 'authentic' chili ingredient...I just know it tastes good. On that, I would certainly trust me.

Texas-ish Chili

Ingredients:
4 lbs. cubed stew beef
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour, seasoned with 1 tsp. each: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder plus a dash each of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper
3 - 4 T. canola oil
2 - 32 oz. "boxes" of low-sodium beef broth or stock
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 14 oz. can plain diced tomatoes
5 - 8 chipotle chili peppers (from a can, available in the Mexican Food Aisle)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup chili powder
2 - 3 T. cumin
3 - 4 T. coriander
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T. dried oregano
1 tsp. cayene pepper (more or less to taste...take it easy. You can always add more but you can't take it out)
a few shakes of your favorite Hot Sauce, like Tabasco or Cholula

Instructions:

Season beef with copious amounts of salt and pepper. Heat Canola oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Working in batches, lightly coat beef chunks in seasoned flour and brown on all sides in the canola oil. Remove beef from oil and set it to rest on a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining beef. As you do this, a dark brown roux will develop in the bottom of the pot. Do your best not to let it burn or scorch. Add onions to the roux and sautee, stirring almost constantly until they begin to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic to the pot and continue sauteeing, about 2 minutes more.

Add liquid ingredients to pot, beginning with the broth, then tomato sauce, vinegar, diced tomatoes & the chipotles, too. Sometimes I add a splash ot two of liquid smoke if you have it. Stir, making sure to loosen bits of onion, beef and roux from bottom of pot. Add the dry ingredients (chili powder through oregano) and stir to combine. Please note: add a minimum of the cayenne now and wait a while before adding liquid hot sauce or trying to perfect the spice. As the liquid cooks away, the heat will increase, making what you thought was bland chili spicier and spicier. Allow the mixture to some to a simmer.

Using tongs, return the beef to the pot. Reduce heat to medium, cover and allow the chili to come up to a simmer, stirring regularly. Allow to simmer for 2 - 4 hours, stirring at least ever 20 - 30 minutes or so without allowing the chili to really boil.

Before serving, turn the heat way down and take a taste. Now is the time to increase the cayenne or hot sauce to your liking.

Serve chili in big bowls with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced onions, fresh cilantro or any other toppings you enjoy. Plus, serve some chips or bread of your choosing to help sop it all up. A corn muffin never killed anybody and offers a nice sweetness to counter-balance the heat. Enjoy!

Chicken Bouillabaisse

2009-02-11T15:22:00.005-05:00

This is a wonderful and hearty chicken stew. You can serve this with some crusty french bread. It's a great dish to entertain with, and it's not too expensive. Just skip the saffron and this won't bust your budget.

2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (cut in half)
4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
1 1/2 TSP salt, 1 TSP pepper, 1 TSP rosemary
(combine these three and season chicken)
1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 TSP fennel seed
1 TSP saffron threads
1 TSP salt
1/2 TSP pepper
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound baby Yukon potatoes, halved

Brown chicken in dutch oven in about 2 TB olive oil. Cook medium to high, it's about 6-7 minutes each side.

Set chicken aside, and drain fat out of dutch oven. You only want about 2 TB left in the bottom.

Preheat oven to 300

Add garlic, fennel, saffron, salt, pepper, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and wine to pot. Simmer for 25 minutes until garlic is soft. Use blender or immersion blender to puree.

Add back chicken. Add potatoes.

Cook for 70 minutes in pre-heated oven until potatoes are soft.

Hearty Lentil Soup

2009-02-05T20:49:00.003-05:00

Soup is a wonderful way to entertain. It's easy, and it can be made ahead, and everyone likes it. If you have a friend who doesn't enjoy a hot bowl of soup and crusty bread with a generous smear of soft butter then perhaps it's time to evaluate the friendship.

And if you don't have large soup bowls, go out and get some. You want a bowl that is easy to hold if you happen not to want to eat at your kitchen table ... or if you simply don't have a kitchen table. I love casual eating, and sitting comfortably on my couch with my husband or a group of friends is one of my favorite ways to enjoy a home cooked meal. Now, don't laugh, but here's my best description of a good soup bowl: Sturdy, tall, and deep. I know, I know. It's a bit much, but there it is.

And now my soup, which is hearty enough to serve as a main course for dinner

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 medium onions, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 pound lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
12 cups low-salt chicken broth
6 fresh thyme sprigs

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover, reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Braisin' Fool

2009-02-03T14:51:00.009-05:00

Sometimes it is the simplest things that make me happiest. Not the cheapest things, necessarily, but simplest. I've recently acquired my first Le Creuset dutch oven and I could not be more delighted. See it? Isn't it pretty?

I've always wondered why they were so damn expensive and what the fuss is all about, but now I know! You can cook anything in it and it cleans up with no effort whatsoever. Seriously, you just put meat, liquid and seasonings in it and put it in the oven for a few hours while you do other stuff and when it's ready, you get to enjoy deliciousness that just melts in your mouth. This is called braising. The manufacturers say that my new Le Creuset is forged of iron, but I think it is really made of gold, kryptonite and magic.

So, as with most new toys, I want to use it everyday. Apparently, it does all sorts of other things aside from braising but who cares? I'm a braisin' fool! I'd like to share the following recipe with you because it was so simple and delicious yet a far cry from your standard pot roast. Carnitas is a Mexican-style shredded pork dish that makes for some wonderful tacos. Yummy. If you don't have a Le Creuset, you should get one - I swear, I'm receiving no kickbacks from the fine folks at Le Creuset! I'm just in love is all - but you can do this in a crock pot or slow cooker or a lesser dutch oven as well. Regardless, this is a fun recipe to play around with...adjust the seasonings if you like!

Carnitas

Ingredients:
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 - 1/2 cup lime juice*
2 T. wostershire sauce
4 - 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 (or more to taste) chipotle peppers, plus 1 T. Chipotle sauce from can
1 beef bullion cube (don't ask questions...just do it)
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. coriander
2 T. chili powder
1 T. dried cilantro, or 3 T. fresh
dash of cayenne pepper

2 - 3 pounds pork shoulder (sometimes referred to as Boston Butt)

Instructions:
If using a dutch oven, preheat oven to 325. Combine first 12 ingredients in your dutch oven or slow cooker and stir to combine. (Remember the Le Creuset doesn't like metal...use a wooden spoon). Break up the bullion cube a bit if possible. Add pork, cover and place it in the oven or turn it on if it's in your slow cooker.

Oven method: cook for about an hour at 325, then turn it down to 250 and let it continue to cook slowly for at least another 2 or 3 hours or so. When pork falls apart easily when you try to shred it with a fork, it's finished.

Crock pot method: Assemble braising liquid and add pork as above. Set slow cooker for 6 hours (medium high) but be aware that it can take less than that. Check it after 4 hours and adjust temperature / cooking time accordingly.

Remove pork from braising liquid and shred with two forks. To make the carnitas extra delicious, reduce a few cups of the braising liquid down by half in a saucepan over medium high heat and pour the concentrated sauce over pork.

Serve carnitas with warm corn tortillas, your favorite salsa, green onions, fresh cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and, that great American-bastardized-taco staple, shredded cheese. Carnitas also makes for awesome nachos. Or burritos. Or quesadillas. Or taco salad. Or topping for your breakfast cereal. OK, that was a step too far, but if you don't enjoy them, I don't know how to make you happy.

* - you can squeeze a bunch of limes if you want, but a lot of markets now carry real lime juice bottled. Buy the one with the fewest ingredients to save time. Nice to have on hand to stock a bar too.

Ben's Mac and Cheese

2009-01-28T09:10:00.006-05:00

This is my husband's dish. It's adapted from a cook book called "Cover and Bake." Great title! I highly recommend picking it up.

It's very indulgent and is best suited for Super Bowl parties and ski weekends.

1 LB pasta (macaroni, corkscrews or shells work best)
6 TB unsalted butter
1 medium garlic clove, chopped (optional)
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
6 TB flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3 1/2 cups whole milk
5 1/2 cups Colby cheese (16 oz)
2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar (8 oz)
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs (or make your own fresh breadcrumbs by pulsing 4 slices of white bread with a dash of melted butter in blender or food processor)
salt
ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Bring pot of water to a boil with 1 TB salt, and cook pasta only to al dente. Remember, the pasta will soften more in the oven. Drain and set aside.

Use same pot and melt butter, then add garlic, cayenne, and mustard. Then add flour and let cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and chicken stock. Cook for 5 minutes and let come to a low boil. The mixture will thicken. Turn heat to low and stir in the cheese. Let cheese melt into sauce. Taste it, and add salt or pepper if needed.

Add pasta to sauce and mix, then pour into 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and some fresh ground pepper.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. This is the hardest step :)

If you make this a day ahead, you'll want to take it out of the refrigerator 1 hour before putting in the oven. Cooking time will be longer, 40 - 50 minutes.

A Light Dessert (Sort of): Lemon Poppy Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

2009-01-25T10:23:00.006-05:00

Cupcakes are not a trend, they are here forever, and I think that's great. They are delicious, and easy to make. Unlike other baked goods, they are basically fail proof. Not sure why, maybe it's because they are small, or maybe it's because most errors can be hidden by a heavy dollop of frosting. Who knows :)

I developed the following recipe just over the weekend. I don't really think it qualifies as a "light" dessert, but they are lemon-y and that reminds me of healthy things.

1 stick softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup lemon zest
1 TB poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup lemon juice

Start by combining flour, soda, powder and salt. Set aside. In separate bowl cream together butter and sugar with hand mixer. Once fluffy add eggs, then zest, then buttermilk, then vanilla, then lemon juice, and finally poppy seeds.

Once combined, slowly add flour mixture.

When full mixed, spoon out 1/4 cup into lined cupcake trays. Cook at 350 for 20 minutes. This will make a dozen.

Vanilla Frosting
1 stick softened unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 - 2 TB milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

With hand mixer, blend butter with sugar. Then stream in milk until frosting forms. Then add vanilla. That's it!

Everything in Moderation

2009-01-22T15:51:00.005-05:00

I'm so confused. I try to keep up with all of the most current advice on diet and nutrition and all that good stuff but it's hard, isn't it? Last I heard, fat was back in, but only good ones, the USDA food pyramid is now an upside down conical cylinder and carbs are still the devil unless they're 100% whole grain in which case you'll die later this week if you don't eat enough of them.

I don't know what to make of it. I try to make sure that the vast majority of the meals I make here at home are low in fat and sodium, high in both protein and vegetables and yet still delicious but sometimes that feels like trying to recreate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with the little 3-pack of crayons they give kids at TGI Fridays. It's enough to make you start trying to pass mac 'n' cheese off as a vegetable. Plus, sometimes it's just nice to eat something for no other reason than it tastes wonderful. Is that so wrong?

In this particular instance, it isn't wrong at all. Please read on and whip up this delicious pasta dish anytime you want because it is fast and easy and healthy and scrumptious. Notice its lean protein, whole grain carbs, green leafy vegetables and hard cheese, imparting flavor and calcium yet very little fat. Look at you eating healthy! Good work!

Of course, now my problem is that this "sauceless" pasta is so delicious and balanced that I am overzealous and my issue with portion control rears its ugly head again. It doesn't matter how good for you it is if you eat a 1/2 pound of it. It's always something, isn't it? The war with nutrition wages on, but at least we've won the dinner battle.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:
One 14 - 16 ounce box whole grain or nutrient enriched pasta (like Barilla Plus)
One 20 ounce package Hot Italian Turkey Sausage
3 - 4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flake (or more to taste)
the zest of 1 lemon
the juice of 1/2 lemon
5 - 6 cups or more fresh arugula (it's a veg-e-ta-ble)
1/2 c. freshly grated hard Italian cheese like parmesean, romano or asiago

1/2 - 2 c. reserved pasta water, as needed

Instructions:
Bring water to boil to cook pasta per the manufacturer's recommendations. While the pasta is cooking, remove the sausage from its casings and crumble while cooking over medium-high heat. The goal is small crumbles. Since turkey sausage releases so little fat, you may choose to use a little cooking spray to get things going. Once the turkey is entirely browned, clear a little space in the middle of the pan and add the garlic and red pepper flake and bring it up to heat, about 1 minute. Keep it moving so the garlic doesn't scorch! Add the lemon zest and a squeeze of the lemon juice...feel free to use more if you like. Add a ladle-full of the starchy water from the boiling pasta and let it reduce down, stirring all the while. Repeat as necessary to give the sausage mixture a little body; just don't add so much that the mixture seems watery. The starch will help the sausage mixture to adhere to the pasta a bit better.

Drain the pasta and return it to its pot. Drop the arugula over the hot pasta. Working quickly, pour the sausage mixture over top and toss everything together to combine well. Immediately sprinkle the pasta with freshly grated cheese and toss to combine once more. The arugula really shrinks down to nothing but is scarcely cooked so it holds its nutrients...feel free to add more.

Serve pasta immediately. Like so many pastas, this one is even better the next day. Cherish your leftovers.

Kristin and Beth's Fisherman's Seafood Stew

2009-01-18T14:59:00.005-05:00

Kristin and I and our husbands got together Saturday night for a budget- and belly-busting dinner. By no means is this an inexpensive meal, but it's entirely worth the money and time. It probably comes out to about $25 a head. Although, keep mind that when Kristin and I cook for 4, we are really cooking for 6 - 8 people :)

The following recipe would be enough for 6 people who understand quantity control, or 4 people who drink too much and overeat.

4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
4 dried bay leaves
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp saffron threads
1 lb mussels
1 lb little neck clams
1/2 lb shrimp, shells removed (remove tail if desired)
3/4 - 1 lb lean white fish cut into bite size pieces (tilapia works great, and it's inexpensive)
9 oz chorizo (3 links), skins removed and sliced
14 oz can whole tomatoes cut into strips, juice reserved
2 cups fish stock or chicken stock
1 cup dry white white
1 TB chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 2 TB olive oil in Dutch oven. Add bay leaves and hot pepper flakes. Cook until bay leaves start to brown. Add onion, red pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes until it starts to soften. Add saffron and cook for another minute or two.

Add stock, tomatoes and juice, and wine. Bring to boil. Add clams and chorizo, stir, and simmer uncovered for 3- 4 minutes. Add tilapia and shrimp and simmer for 5- 6 minutes. Add mussels, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes until mussels open.

Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve with bread (lots of it, preferably sourdough), and butter (lots of it!).

Easy and Healthy Tomato Soup

2009-01-14T08:17:00.002-05:00

This is so easy, it's almost embarrassing, but I love a recipe that you can put to memory and be done with it.

This also has the bonus feature of being good for you. It's warm and filling, and it's not going to kill you on its calorie count. Although I have no idea what the calorie count would be, I do know that this doesn't involve bacon or cheese or pasta, so there's that.

2 medium onions, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
2 TB olive oil
1 TB butter (salted is fine)
1 28 oz can of tomato puree (make sure it"s puree, not tomato sauce)
1 32 oz (4 cups) carton of chicken stock. Use low sodium if you can find it, or homemade if you're just that good
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp rosemary

Heat olive oil and butter on medium in soup pot until melted. Add in carrots, onions, celery, salt, pepper and rosemary. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. You want it good and caramelized.

Add chicken stock and tomato puree. Bring to a boil, and then bring temperature down, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Taste to make sure the seasoning is right, and then serve.

Of course, feel free to add a little dairy if you want to make this a cream of tomato. Add 1 cup of whole milk. You will be happy that you did.