Love to Eat, Learn to Cook

Leah's NY restaurant suggestions

2011-11-13T13:37:00.007-05:00

Franny's (Pizza and Wine)
295 Flatbush
Brooklyn
http://www.frannysbrooklyn.com/
... pizza worth waiting in line for...

Bierkraft
191 5th Ave.
Brooklyn
http://www.bierkraft.com/
... they make sandwiches! Amazing sandwiches!

Bark
477 Bergen St.
Brooklyn
http://barkhotdogs.com/
...gourmet hotdog joint...

Blue Apron Foods

http://www.facebook.com/blueapronfoods

Brooklyn Larder
228 Flatbush
...specialty food store...

Ice Cream!
Ample Hills Creamerie
623 Vanderbilt Ave.
Brooklyn
...salted cracked caramel...

Gourmet Falafel
Kulushkat Gourmet Food
446 Dean St.
Brooklyn

and more great falafel...
Maoz Vegetarian
http://www.maozusa.com/

Doughnut Plant
Manhattan

Rare Bar and Grill
Manhattan
... Leah claims the best burger in the world... hmmmm?

Choinkwich at the (fancy ice cream sandwich with cookies from the Treats truck with bacon and bacon marmalade)
Big Gay Ice Cream Truck
125 E. 7th Street.
Manhattan

But wait there is more... another doughnut place that Leah wants to try:
Shaikh's Place
1503 Ave. U.
Brooklyn
... more of a diner than a doughnut place, but people go there for the doughnuts...

The Pickle Guys... for those of us who love pickles.

Amish Market
http://amishtribeca.com/

Best Pan "fried" chicken ever

2011-08-02T10:05:00.002-05:00

from 6/2011 Bon Appetit

6-12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 475.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in 12" cast-iron skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking.

Nestle chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook about 12 more minutes until fat renders and skin is golden brown.

Transfer skillet to oven and cook 13 more minutes.

Flip chicken and cook 5 minutes more.

Transfer chicken to plate and let rest 5 minutes before eating.

Cardamom-Walnut Crescents

2011-03-31T20:04:00.002-05:00

adapted from the NYT 12/15/10
(a reader sent it in and she got it from a Williams-Sonoma cookie book!)

Cardamom-Walnut Crescents
--------------------------

For the Dough:
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 c. shelled walnuts
1/4 pound unsalted butter chilled, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cardmom
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Vanilla Sugar:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 vanilla bean

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine all dough ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until dough resembles coarse meal. Then process until it begins to hold together.

2. Roll 2 teaspoons of dough at a a time into a half moon shape. Arrange 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until firm (18-20 minutes)

3. Make vanilla sugar by putting sugar and vanilla bean into clean food processor bowl and process until vanilla bean is completely pulverized.

4.Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack. Sift vanilla sugar over cookies (this will also sieve out any pieces of vanilla bean). Allow cookies to cool completely.

Foodie Trip to NYC

2010-08-05T08:03:00.006-05:00

Friday night
----------
Hole in the Wall Chinese place on Canal Street (that was open at 10:50) between Broadway and West Broadway on the south side of the street

fried Pork Dumplings
Hot and Sour Soup
Egg Drop Soup
Spring Rolls

Certainly nothing to write home about, but all perfectly acceptable and surprisingly not overly greasy. The pork dumplings had a filling that was slightly different and quite tasty. The Hot and Sour soup was very perky and quite good - although a little thin on the veggies. We were very happy that they let us in and fed us, to be perfectly honest. Everyone who came after us was turned away.

Saturday
-------
Argo Tea Cafe
75 University Place
http://www.argotea.com/

I had my first bubble tea (coconut) because this was the very first place I've found that will make a bubble tea with soy milk. It was very sweet, but quite tasty and the tapioca was vegan, but it was also little squares instead of pearls which was a bit odd.

Union Square Green Market
http://www.cenyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket
We picked up a lovely bagette and some jam from a producer who had driven down from western mass that morning. We also got some blueberries, good, but on the sour side. Some olive rosemary rolls which were heavy and dry and not very tasty. Some whitefish salad that seemed to be unsmoked and was also rather blah. An emergency brownie which I carried around all day in my purse "in case of emergency" an emergency mini cherry pie (see bus ride home below). We liked the baguette and jam best of all, but it was a fun way to have breakfast and we sat at a little table in the shade of the trees and enjoyed trying everything.

Dim Sum Go Go
5 E. Broadway
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/26073/restaurant/Chinatown/Dim-Sum-Go-Go-New-York
I like being able to order the exact dumplings I want... we ordered about 10 different ones. My favorite was the stuffed mushrooms, the bean curd skin rolls, the duck and cabbage. Everything was well flavored and very fresh and hot. Flavors were subtle and clean. The setting is modern looking and crowded - although we showed up the two of us at 12:30 on a Saturday and were seated right away. I would certainly go back.

A wine bar/bistro
On the south east corner of 8th and 18th
1/2 bottle of syrah and pommes frites (and emergency brownie)
We had to break into our emergency brownie because the waiter was ignoring us. We had to go in search of him to even order the pomme frites. But we got to sit at the huge open window looking out across the intersection of 8th and 18th and it was easy to keep an eye out for our friend that we were meeting. Nothing special about the pomme frites. Nothing good to say about the service. The brownie was a little disappointing to.

City Cakes
251 West 18th Street, Lower Level
http://www.citycakesny.com/
4 cupcakes
1 chocolate with basil frosting was most interesting... the favorite was the golden cake with the chocolate frosting - a sort of idealized homemade cupcake

Chez Oskar
211 DeKalb Ave.
Fort Greene, Brooklyn
http://www.chezoskar.com/
A lovely seat outside on a warm summer night at a cafe table. A glass of cidre... a lovely salad of arugala, green apple and grapefruit... two very rare lamb chops with couscous... risotto ... tarte tatin... and decaf espresso... all lovely as can be.

Cake Man Raven
708 Fulton Street
Brooklyn
the very best Red Velvet Cake I've ever had... a huge slice (well, it should be for $6.00)... but amazing.

Sunday
------
Russ and Daughters
179 E. Houston Street
http://www.russanddaughters.com/
bagels, gravlax, reg. cream cheese, tofu scallion cream cheese, white fish salad, german potato salad, pickles, bagel bread pudding, orange juice... the gravlax was amazingly rich and dill infused...the white fish salad was quite smoky. We took our picnic to a nearby park and sat and indulged under the spreading trees... yum.

Rice
81 Washington Street
Dumbo, Brooklyn
http://www.riceny.com/home.php
We didn't actually eat here, but it looked amazing and they were kind enough to let us use their bathrooms without making us purchase anything (so that we could really enjoy our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge). Kelli was wearing a Red Sox hat and the man who showed us the restrooms said, "Anything for a Red Sox fan." Who knew that her Boston cap would be our ticket into the bathroom in Brooklyn? They have the very coolest bathrooms ever. I'd definitely go back to have some food anytime.

Tasty Hand'pulled Noodles
1 Doyers Street
Chinatown
very small, not overly tidy or clean, slow, and our pan fried noodles with chicken and shrimp were mysteriously missing the shrimp, but all that said, the noodles were delicious. I'd probably go back and try it again.

bus ride home
emergency cherry pie from Union Square Green Market
This pie was fantastic... I want to go back and pick up a few more... thin, but very good pastry, crisp on the bottom, tart cherries...just perfect!

Black Pepper Cabbage

2010-06-18T20:12:00.004-05:00

This is a surprising recipe from my friend Kelli who learned to cook this during her year living in Afghanistan. It is deceptively easy and deceptively spicy. Watch out - I bet you didn't realize black pepper could be so hot. This is also amazingly good for you, wonderfully filling and the spices make it deeply satisfying. It must be the perfect dish.

Believe it or not, I've actually made it too spicy for my taste a few times in which case I mix it with sauerkraut (right out of the can or P.O.E. from New York City if I have it) and the vinegar from the sauerkraut dampens the heat and makes a nice mix. I actually love this combination with some spicy deli mustard and a chicken sausage for lunch or dinner. Yum!

I've become partial to the curry variation which I've listed below.

---------------------------------------
Black Pepper Cabbage

1/2-1 head green cabbage roughly chopped
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil (or a thin spray with olive oil spray)
1- 1/2 cups water or broth
1/2-1 teaspoon turmeric
2 pinches sea salt/kosher salt
1/8 -1/4 cup freshly ground pepper

1. Spray dutch oven or braising pan with oil and heat pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until beginning to brown.

2. Add cabbage and water or broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and cook until cabbage is soft 20-30 minutes.

3. When cabbage is softened add turmeric, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Serve warm.

--------------------------------------
>>Shallot-Curry Variation

1/2-1 head green cabbage thinly shredded
4-5 shallots, thinly sliced
1 heaping teaspoon good quality curry (sweet or hot)
1-1/2 cups good quality broth
2 pinches sea salt
1/8-1/4 cup freshly ground pepper

In step one, once the onions have begun to soften and brown add the curry and stir to distribute and cook until fragrant - about 1-2 minutes.
Follow step 2 and 3 the same.

---------------------------

Those wonderful Earthquake Cookies

2010-06-16T18:49:00.003-05:00

My friend Mary Ann has done it again! She was with me last week when we tried these little deadlies at Sofra and thought they were the cat's pajamas... and now she's has searched the web trying to find a recipe that replicates them and she's already tested out two recipes. Amazing. All that productivity while I was just starting to lean back and contemplate a drive back over to Sofra to buy more cookies...

So here's the link to the better of the two recipes:

http://www.ouichefnetwork.com/oui_chef/2010/02/chocolate-earthquake-cookies.html

This blogger is bent on improvement so this recipe may change over time and become even better. As of right now it is very good and pretty darn close to the original, but falls short in moistness... the centers of the original cookie was soft and fudgelike (I mean that in the nicest way).

I'll be trying these soon myself... well, after I finish off the bag that Mary Ann gave me.

Yum!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
7/2/10

I made this recipe yesterday and baked them today and I felt pretty happy with the outcome. I made a few modifications to the recipe, however, that I'm just going to document here for my own handy reference.

substituted 4 tablespoons EVOO for butter
substituted white whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour
I used a mixture of chocolates to make up the 12 oz. - some unsweetened Scharffen-Bergen with (4 oz) with 5 teaspoons of Turbindo sugar added, some Lindt dark chocolate and some 70% dark chocolate chips.

I baked the cookies for 15 minutes.

Asian Coleslaw with miso dressing

2010-06-09T20:30:00.003-05:00

It is the first week of my CSA and the cabbages were huge. I wanted to use the giant Napa Cabbage to make a coleslaw for a cook-out I was going to tonight, but I wanted to have some myself so it needed to be a low fat job with no dairy in it. Miso dressing seemed perfect because

1... it would make a "creamy" dressing without any dairy
2... I already had it in my fridge
3... and last but not least, I love it... so voila!

This recipe is adapted from epicurious.com... I thought their recipe was good, but a shade too sweet to my taste and I reduced the amount of oil to keep it in the "relatively low fat" department. In fact, I found that I could leave the olive oil out all together and the dressing comes out great. I particularly like it with lime juice too.

I keep a jar of "the ginger people" minced ginger in the fridge also just in case I don't have fresh ginger on hand and I need it for a recipe. It does have a little added sugar in it - for those of you worried about that - but it works perfectly in just about anything you need fresh ginger for and it keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator (right between the capers and the tube of tomato paste).

Here's a link if you want to see what the jar looks like: http://www.gingerpeople.com/pantry-essentials/minced-ginger.html
I buy mine and my miso at Whole Foods.

--------------------------
Asian Coleslaw with Miso dressing

Veggies:
1 giant head Napa Cabbage, very thinly sliced (or green cabbage or a mix of green and purple)
1-2 carrot, shredded
3 scallions finely sliced or 1 small red onion thinly sliced

Dressing:
1/4 white miso
1/4 honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
optional (1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

sesame seeds for garnish

1. Toss veggies together in a large bowl.

2. In a blender combine all the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth. Pour dressing over veggies and toss to coat. A black pepper and toss.

3. Serve and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

No Knead Bread - updates

2010-04-28T15:38:00.003-05:00

I have been making this bread all the time lately. We've made it for our new neighbors and we've been making the dough and using it for our weekly make-your-own pizza night. So here's the thing... when I make this recipe and I'm using it for a loaf of bread I use almost 2 cups of water plus the 4 tablespoons of evoo... when I make it for flat bread and/or pizza dough I have to cut back to the water or it is just too sticky to spread out in the pan... so for pizza I use 1 1/2 cups of water (but I still use all that lovely olive oil).

Too sum up:
Bread: 2 cups water
Flatbread/Pizza dough: 1 1/2 cups water

-----------------------------------------------
No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, NYC (he now has a book out called: My Bread: The Revolutionary No-work, No-Knead Method... I'd recommend it if you try this and get really interested in doing more)
Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 14-20 hours for rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting (I've been using bread flour lately)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (I use a scant tablespoon of sea salt for bread/ 2 teaspoons for pizza)
1 5/8 c water (I used closer to 2 cups for the bread/ 1.5 cups for pizza dough)
[I also add 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil]

cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (I use flour here instead - whatever you prefer)

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.

3.Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (NOT terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8- quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats... including the lid. When the dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on rack.

Yield: One 1 1/2 pound loaf

The Winning Cookie!

2010-02-13T14:08:00.007-05:00

Today at the Watertown Free Library the staff had a chocolate festival to help us get through a long Saturday at work. These cookies were a big hit... something chocolate, but with a twist. Recommended pairings (that we were unable to do at work)- beer and/or a nice glass of port.

Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles
(from Vegan Cookies by Isa Changra Moskowitz)

follow this link to the post punk kitchen and the recipe:
http://theppk.com/blog/2009/09/16/mexican-hot-chocolate-snickerdoodles

Lonely Girl Sauce

2009-07-22T06:08:00.004-05:00

Technically, this is a recipe for a salad dressing, but I love this potent, tangy sauce so much I've been putting it on everything. I spooned it on warm linguine with fresh basil and it was delicious. It added pizzaz to steamed broccoli. Spooned over grilled fish. Oh yah, and it is great on a salad. So what's the downside? Or said another way: Why the name? Well there are only five ingredients and the first two are raw garlic and anchovies. Once you make the sauce, however you would be hard pressed to identify that anchovies were in there, but those salty little fish add heft and umami and really make it work so don't even think about leaving them out. This works best if you can get all the adults at the table - or at a minimum your significant other - to eat a lot of garlic along with you that way no one really be able to tell how strong you smell... except the mosquitos. One delightful side-effect of eating a lot of garlic in the summer: it keeps the mosquitos away.

The first time I made it I followed the directions and minced the garlic and anchovies together with my chef's knife until they were a rough paste, but now I just throw it all in the blender (more or less) and it comes out perfect with a lot less work.

Lonely Girl Sauce
--------------

1-4 garlic cloves, minced
6 anchovy fillets
2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
7-8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a blender, combine garlic, anchovies and lemon juice plus a pinch of salt. Puree. With blender on low speed, pour in a slow stream of olive oil. Blend on high until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. This will last several days in the refrigerator.

A grown-up version of the Hostess cupcake

2009-06-24T14:11:00.004-05:00

I made these dark chocolate and coffee cupcakes for my friend Mary Ann as a birthday gift and she came up with the brilliant suggestion of piping whoopie pie frosting (made with a marshmallow fluff) into and on top of them. For me the frosting really makes them, but it only works because the cupcake is so dark, dense and chocolaty.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
--------------------
1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup (2 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
2 rounded teaspoons instant espresso + 1 cup boiling water (or 1 cup hot coffee)
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place oven rack in the middle position. Line 18 muffin tins with liner paper/foil cups.

2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, combine cocoa and chocolate; pour hot coffee over cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth; let cool slightly. Whisk in mayonnaise, egg and vanilla.

4. Stir mayonnaise mixture into flour mixture until combined.

5. Using a 1/2 cup measure fill muffin tins 1/2 full to 2/3 full. Bake until wooden skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out with a few crumbs attached, 17-19 minutes.

6. Let cupcakes cool in pan for a few minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

7. Fill and frost with Fluff Frosting.

Fluff Frosting Recipe
------------------
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
5-1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 heaping cup Marshmallow Fluff

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the shortening, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. When the mixture is smooth, beat in the Fluff.

To fill and frost 18 cupcakes, you will need 1 1/2 times this recipe amount. It helps to use a pastry bag with a metal tip.

Dinner Soup

2009-06-16T05:07:00.004-05:00

I was out in Seattle visiting my dear friend Kelly when she made this yummy and sustaining soup for dinner. I thought, "Wow this is yummy and it might fly at my dinner table - there is something for everyone!" So yesterday, with pounds of collard greens, tatsoi, bok choy and spinach from the first CSA pick-up of the year I decided to give this soup a try... and it worked! I served it with some good quality bread (in Seattle we had the very best sourdough rosemary, but I couldn't get my hands on that here in Boston so I bought a well made baguette).

Don't feel like you have to follow this recipe exactly - soup is not that precise, after all and you should put in what you have and not worry too much about it. The key here is the brown sugar, cider vinegar and mustard that give it a very distinctive flavor. And by all means use greens - lots of them. My kids didn't actually eat them (of course not), but they did sip the broth and soak it up in their bread and I'm telling myself that the nutrients from the load of veggies I put in there got into their little bodies that way.

Kelly's Dinner Soup
---------------

1 Turkey Kielbasa cut into half moons (or 1/2 a Kielbasa and 1/2 pound cubed thick cut ham)
2 medium onions, chopped (yellow or sweet work fine)
2 medium carrots, diced
1 tablespooon olive oil
1-2 pounds roughly chopped greens (collard greens and kale for long cooking, spinach and tatsoi go in at the last minute)
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup brown sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons spicy mustard (I used dijon, but a good quality deli mustard or a whole grain mustard would work too)
16 ounces roughly chopped tomatoes (canned are fine)
1 can pinto beans rinsed
1/2 pound cooked elbow macaroni
2 quarts low salt chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

1.In a large soup pot or dutch oven, saute onions and carrots until onions are soft (about five minutes). Add in meat and saute for another minute or two. Add in greens and cook until the greens have wilted down to a more manageable size. Add brown sugar, vinegar and mustard and mix.

2. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer gently for at least an hour (if you are using kale and collard greens they will be tastier and easier to digest if they simmer for that long).

3. Right before serving add pinto beans and macaroni.

Serve with bread

Daikon Salad

2009-06-04T14:00:00.002-05:00

I've been working a lot of catering jobs this spring because budget cutbacks have reduced my hours at the library. While this may be sad for my librarian aspirations it is great news for my food blog because more catering means lots more interesting food ideas coming my way.

Here's a very healthy salad that Feast Creative Catering served at a recent Kiddish. (For the uninitiated, a Kiddish is the luncheon after a Bar or Bat Mizvah.) I loved how pretty it was with the pea sprouts and the chopped cilantro. It is also incredibly tasty and it holds up well for a few days after you make it although it is really best the day you make it. You'll notice that over time the red cabbage bleeds into the daikon and the colors get a little muddy after a day or two. Also worth noting that this is actually quite good for you, but don't let that stop you from enjoying it.

To give credit where credit is due the original recipe for this salad is from Martha Stewart's healthy collection, but I have made a few modifications (which I note). Also, I made this recipe for my big 40th birthday bash (more about that later) and I used 1 whole green cabbage and 1 whole red cabbage and, just so you know, that made enough salad for 70 people plus a gallon left over. You may want to use only a quarter of the cabbages and find some other use for them... just a thought.

And where did I find pea shoots? Trader Joe's is carrying them (sometimes) along with the sunflower sprouts. It is a real treat if you can find them because they are so attractive and have a lovely sweet flavor, but you could certainly make the salad without if you can't track them down.

Daikon Salad
-----------

1 part purple cabbage, finely shredded
1 part green cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 part grated daikon radish
2 parts grated carrot
1 part sweet pea shoots
1 part sunflower sprouts
1 part pea shoots
1/8 part chopped cilantro leaves (or mint leaves if you prefer - or both - or mint, cilantro and thai basil)
1/4 part sesame dressing
toasted sesame seeds

1. Toss all ingredients except for cilantro, dressing and sesame seeds in a large bowl to combine.

2. Drizzle dressing over tossed vegetables and mix to thoroughly combine.

3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Sesame Dressing (makes 3/4 cup)
--------------

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil (or even olive oil)
fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon boiling water

1. In a blender or food processor combine all ingredients except for water and blend for 1 minute.

2. Add water and blend an additional minute.

Dressing will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Eating in Seattle

2009-05-13T10:23:00.001-05:00

Here are some of the highlights of my time in Seattle. You may get the impression that I spent the entire week eating and... you would be correct. It was delicious and fun, but I'm sure there are other things to do in Seattle... there must be right?!

Wallingford (hip neighborhood west of the U District)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Trophy Cupcakes (flavors like Mexican hot chocolate, marguerita, hummingbird (banana with added fruits) very pretty and very delicious.
http://www.trophycupcakes.com

Chocolate Cafe - there is one of these here in Wallingford, but there is another one at Green Lake so you could combine consumption with a walk around the lake to burn it off and another one near the cool library downtown ( 1000 4th Ave.) to refresh yourself after touring that temple of librarianship.

International District (downtown - a kind of Chinatown ++)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uwajimaya - giant Japanese supermarket (http://www.uwajimaya.com/)
Kinokuniya Bookstore (in one corner of Uwajimaya) - 525 South Weller Street (Uwajimaya Village) opens at 10:00am (great pens, notebooks, all things Japanese)

We had Dim Sum at Jade Garden 424 7th Avenue South which was delicious, varied and interesting. We took some of the leftovers home and they were even better the next day. We had Chinese broccoli with a thick soy sauce, bbq pork inside a puff pastry roll sprinkled with sesame seeds, shrimp and seaweed wrapped in tofu skin... and we kept on going)

Also in this neighborhood we stumbled on a cool store on 602-608 Jackson called Kobo (http://www.koboseattle.com/flash.html) with crafts, jewelry and interesting things from Japan. They had the pretties umbrellas in there too.

U District
-------------

Blue C Sushi is the Tokyo style conveyor belt sushi spot that everyone (in our party) agreed was the tastiest and freshest in Seattle. It is in University Village (a sort of outdoor mall) but don't let that turn you off. The food was very good and the whole experience is very fun... although I think one tends to eat too much since you feel like you might miss something interesting as it goes by. They also have Happy Hour out there in Seattle so stop by then and food is cheaper. The one we went to is at 4601 26th Avenue NE, but there is another one in the Fremont neighborhood. (http://www.bluecsushi.com/)

Queen Mary Tea Room
This was an all out Anglo-fest with great tea and great food. We had the Afternoon Tea which comes on a three tiered silver tray, but you can select different options. It is cozy so if you want to go call and make a reservation - appartently it is hard to get in. (http://queenmarytea.com)

Queen Anne/BellTown
-------------------------------
Macrina: Great bakery and lovely neighborhood to walk around in. You must try their chocolate chip-orange brioche... it was amazing! (www.macrinabakery.com/cafes/index.html)

Downtown
---------------
Cafe Campagne: the truth squad is forcing me to admit that I didn't actually eat here, but it comes highly recommended by my foodie friend Seong who suggests going at Happy Hour to sample some of their onion tart and pate on the cheap (http://www.campagnerestaurant.com)

West Seattle
-----------------
Alki Beach - go hang out, walk along the beach and enjoy the sunset and feel like your in some vacation spot (as long as it is sunny outside).

Cactus on Alki (http://www.cactusrestaurants.com/alki.html)

There is also a great bakery if you are over there in West Seattle to check out. Bakery Nouveau (http://www.bakerynouveau.com/welcome/) famous for their double baked almond croissants... yum!

Other restaurants of note:
-----------------------------------
Also, Carmelita's (http://www.carmelita.net/) a fine vegetarian restaurant to check out.
and from my previous trip to Seattle try La Carta de Oaxaca at 5431 Ballard Ave, NW Seattle for an authentic Mexican night out (http://www.lacartadeoaxaca.com) - it is in cool neighborhood to walk around.

Other than eating
(I'll admit it. There are a few other things to do in Seattle, but all of these outtings combine nicely with a stop for refreshments.)
------------------------
Walk around Green Lake.
Walk around Queen Anne Neighborhood.
Walk around the International District.
Visit the Central Library and make sure not to miss the 4th floor, the children's room etc.
Don't forget the visit to the Ballard locks too to see the salmon running...(http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/tour/locks.htm)

Notes from Shemetra on New Orleans

2009-02-06T13:28:00.001-05:00

These are my notes - taken in haste - while waiting for our first course at Delfino's last week. If anyone is traveling to N.O. anytime soon check these places out and report back.

Okay, here are my notes from Shemetra who begs a big disclaimer that although she has been back one time since Katrina she hasn't lived in N.O. since Katrina so she's afraid some of this might be outdated. Plus, she has refrained from sending you to places that have great food, but that (in her words) "you'd be shot dead if you went there."

Also, she said, her favorite place to eat in N.O. is her mother's kitchen and since that wasn't a real option for you I'm not listing it. She said not to bother getting red beans and rice since her mom's his the best, but I'm not entirely sure you need to follow her advice that closely...

Lunch:
Mendina's (off Canal Street - take street car all the way up - before the bend where all the cemetaries are)

French style lunch: Degas (across from City Park and Museum). She says go to the museum in the morning and have lunch at Degas.

Spanish style lunch: Lola's paella (byob) - near the fair grounds

At 10:00am go to Mother's and order the package "Gumbo to Go" - freeze it and then right before leaving for the airport wrap it in a double layer of aluminum foil and bring it home with you - make gumbo when you get back and fell like your still in N.O.
(Shemetra says don't eat at Mother's - always crowded and overrated in her opinion, but if you ignore her advice she says that you could get a good Po' Boy there)

Places with great service:
A must: Antoine's (in the French Quarter) for Eggs Benedict.
Galatoire's (old N.O. style service) try the bread pudding souffle
Bayona's kind of nuovo, but amazing

You could go to Paul Prudhomme's restaurant "Cape Halls" - she gives it a nod.

Then she stressed "be careful what neighborhood you go to and what time of day - I have no idea where the bad neighborhoods are these days."

And the final vague suggestion (she couldn't remember the name), "there is a great place off the causeway for barbeque shrimp"... for what it is worth.

Hope you have a great time and enjoy some great eats.

Thanksgiving Day Menu 2008

2008-11-28T07:59:00.004-05:00

Thursday, November 27, 2008
1:00pm

Pre-Meal Nibbles

organic baby carrots
pitted country olive mix
pitted kalamata olives
sweet pecans
sweet and spicy pecans
shelled, salted and roasted pistachios
marcona almonds with rosemary

aged Colorado goat cheese
fresh goat cheese
aged cheddar (Cabot reserve)

D'Artagne pate de campagne
Truffled pate

red-seedless grapes

homemade crostini
sesame crackers
rosemary crisps

beer: John Harvard Brew House

The Main Meal

Roast Turkey with cornbread sausage stuffing
Neiman Ranch Kansas City style BBQ pork ribs
Cornbread sausage dressing
Garlic Mashed potatoes
Cider Braised Squash with Rosemary
Oven-roasted beets
Steamed broccoli with butter and salt
Braised fennel
Cornbread
homemade whole cranberry and Grand Marinier sauce
homemade turkey gravy

Romain and Arugula salad with Roquefort, toasted pine nuts and red grapes
Homemade croutons
Homemade Balsamic Vinagreitte

Dessert

Apple Pie
Derby Pie
Bittersweet Chocolate and Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Dancing Deer Bakery Gingerbread

Fruit Bowl (clementines, fuji apples, seckle pears, kumquats)

Coffee and tea

Something to Say About Lasagna

2008-11-02T13:20:00.007-05:00

A friend of mine recently asked for my input on a lasagna she was planning to make. "Hmmmm," I thought to myself, "I don't really have much to say about lasagna." Ha! As it turned out, I had more to say than I initially thought. That is probably the truth about far too many things in life.

I started off with an innocent enough thought about sausage. In my mind I saw a rather traditional lasagna with a meaty tomato sauce and I didn't want plain ground beef in that sauce. Not even plain ground beef, browned and seasoned with salt and pepper and oregano. No, it had to be sausage. And very good sausage please. I said go to Dipasquale Sausage on Watertown Street in Nonantum (if you're outside the Boston area search out your best local sausage maker) and buy their fresh sweet Italian sausage. Remove the skins. Saute. Drain. This will be the meat for the sauce. Oh so good.

Then I started thinking about cheese. I use ricotta. Not everyone does, I know, but I do. Mixed with egg and freshly grated Pecorino Romano. You could use a freshly grated Parmigiano if you like that better, but I prefer the tangy, sharp jolt of Pecorino over the mellow roundness of Parmigiano. Call me crazy. That's okay. I can take it. Then freshly chopped flat leaf parseley. No compromises here: must be fresh.

Another key here as regards the cheese: double the recipe. Whatever the recipe calls for in terms of quantity for the cheese - double it. Otherwise you'll find yourself putting skimpy little layers in and I don't like skimpy in a lasagna.

Then my brain goes to pasta. Barilla no-boil noodles are fine, if that's the best you can manage, but fresh egg pasta sheets will revolutionize even the most traditional lasagna. My girls made a lasagna that was Prego sauce, shredded mozzerella, Trader Joe's meatballs (sliced in half) and egg pasta sheets - it was out of this world... which says a lot about the role of the noodle in this dish. One extra note here: if you are making the lasagna a day or two ahead of when it will be baked then you might want to stick with the Barilla no-boil noodles... cooked noodles can get too soft and gummy if they sit around waiting to be baked. If you are planning on assembling and baking right away - well, do the right thing and get the egg pasta.

Whole Foods carries fresh pasta sheets and Williams-Sonoma carries a dried egg noodle pasta for lasagna that requires cooking, but which makes a fine lasagna.

Then there is sauce. Time for true confessions. I use Prego (the shame! the shame!), but if you really want to ramp up your lasagna either make your own or buy a fresh sauce in the refrigerator section of the supermarket.

Don't forget the pan! You need an extra deep baking dish for this and since I don't have one, I always buy an extra deep foil pan and use that with a solid cooky sheet underneath to give it a firm base. It makes a world of difference to plenty of room to make your layers and still have enough pan to extend beyond so nothing is seeping, oozing, dripping over... you get the picture. Not pretty.

Ah, yes Lasagna. I don't really have that much to say on the subject. Do I?

Couscous with Marcona Almonda

2008-10-22T06:42:00.005-05:00

I'm on a roll with Marcona Almonds (especially the Trader Joe's version with Rosemary). I usually roast pine nuts and toss them in with my whole wheat couscous, but last night I went a little crazy and threw in these almonds instead. Excellent.

Again, this is less than a recipe, but make the couscous (regular or whole wheat) according to the directions... I use plenty of good olive oil, but cut back a smidgeon on the salt since the almonds are pretty salty...then after you've fluffed the couscous toss in the almonds (as many as you want) and stir it up. So good.

I served it up with a mound of sauteed and steamed brussel sprouts that still had a little bite to them. Healthy and delicious... what more could a body want?

(how about chocolate cake?!)

Chicken Salad with Marcona Almonds

2008-10-21T07:28:00.005-05:00

This isn't what I would call a real recipe, but if you assemble these key ingredients together you'll be amazed that something so simple can be so delightful.

Trader Joe's has started carrying thick sliced roast chicken breast - exactly like what you would make at home. I do roast a chicken often - once every week or two - but I don't always have extra meat left over so it is handy to be able to pick this up all ready to go into my salad.

When I see the words "Chicken Salad" the first thought that pops into my head is mayonnaise and I'm not a big fan of mayo so I'm kind of turned off before I even got going. My preferred dressing for chicken in a salad is a balsamic vinaigrette. Make your own - it is so easy to do and, in my opinion, so much better than anything you can buy.

The Marcona Almonds from Trader Joe's really make this dish. Regular Marcona almonds are roasted in olive oil and they are rich and oily and delicious, but Trader Joe's sells theirs not merely roasted but also seasoned with coarse sea salt and rosemary which is amazing and does wonders combined with these other ingredients.

I like my vinaigrette quite acidic so I make it with equal parts oil and vinegar. Feel free to reduce the vinegar if you find it too strong for your tastes.

The combination of textures and flavors is so bright and exciting - the apple is crisp and sour/sweet, the dressing is bright and acidic, the almonds are nutty and fragrant with rosemary and the chicken gives it some meatiness and heft. Ooooh it is so good I'm going to have to go make up another batch right away.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicken Salad with Marcona Almonds

1/4 pound thick sliced roast chicken breast, cubed
1 Macoun apple, peeled and cubed (a fuji, or granny smith would be okay if Macoun's are not available)
a handful (or more if desired) roasted and salted Marcona Almonds with rosemary
balsamic vinaigrette to taste (see below for recipe)

Combine the first three ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle dressing over. Toss. Taste and add more dressing if desired.
Eat!

Serves 1

Sara's Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 part good extra virgin olive oil
1 part balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting screw on cap or lid (a Ball canning jar works well). Shake vigourously until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Your dressing is ready to use.

My Avocado Tricks

2008-05-09T15:16:00.001-05:00

I love avocados. Guacamole reigns supreme… sliced avocado’s in a maki roll are the best… avocado on a salad (sigh) – heaven. For a long time I would pick up a few Haas Avocados and feel like I was taking a gamble – would they be brown and spotted on the inside when I cut them open or would they be pristine green. Then I learned that if I bought them rock hard and let them ripen up at home they were almost guaranteed to be perfect.

A lot of people avoid avocados because they contain high levels of fat, but that is a mistake. Avocados are high in fat, but it is the “good” kind that helps lower your LDL and raise your HDL levels. I’m not advocating going on an all avocado diet or anything, but if you find yourself avoiding them all together for health reasons, maybe you want to do a little more research and rethink that plan.

I started buying them in mesh bags from Trader Joe’s or from Costco and hanging up the bags on a hook in my kitchen until they were perfectly ripe. The only problem I had was that all four or six would be ripe at the same time and we would have to rush to get them all eaten up before they went downhill.

Then I learned something that has really changed my life: once avocados are ripe you can store them in the fridge where they will keep in their perfectly ripe state for a long long time. This new discovery blew me away. Now, I could have perfectly ripened avocados on hand all the time.

So to reiterate:

#1 – buy your Haas Avocados rock hard

#2 – hang them up in a mesh bag until they are ripe (I determine ripeness by pressing gently around the stem end – if it is soft and yielding the avocado is ripe)

#3 – once they are ripe, put them in the fridge and use them one at a time as needed for up to a week.

Jill’s Orange County Quick Guacamole
------------------------------

My friend Jill taught me this quick and easy guacamole recipe. She always tasted her guacamole on a corn chip to judge if the seasoning was right – since the chip itself adds some salt I thought this was a sensible notion plus it made for some tasty snacking in the kitchen for the chef.

2 ripe Haas Avocados
your favorite salsa (I like Green Mountain mild, but give me a break I’m from New England)
salt and pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 a lime if you have it
chopped cilantro (optional)
finely sliced scallion (optional)

1. Peel 1 avocado and mash with a fork in a medium bowl.
2. Peel the 2nd avocado and cut into small cubes and add to mashed avocado.
3. Mix in 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa and lime juice (if using) until well combined.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and scallions if using.
Serve

Sesame Noodles

2008-05-06T10:03:00.002-05:00

I was looking for something different; something new. I’d been eating my miso soup and my natto and my soba noodles, but now I wanted a new flavor. I was searching for something truly delicious that I could really sink my teeth into.

Steak was out, and so were lamb chops – not macrobiotic approved. So I pulled out my old Cook’s Illustrated – not a publication known for its healthy recipes, but I knew they’d give me something delicious.

Flipping through the pages of the September/October 2004 issue, I stumbled upon Sesame Noodles. These silky, crunchy, spicy rich noodles are one of my favorites and it occurred to me that I could probably make the recipe Macro friendly with only a few simple tweaks.

So that’s what I’ve done. For Macro purposes I use organic Soba noodles that are part whole wheat and part whole buckwheat and I’ve substituted the sugar with rice syrup. I still use Tabasco even though strictly speaking hot peppers are not allowed.

This one came out so delicious that it passed my ultimate test - my husband liked it. If a macrobiotic dish passes muster with him it must be something special. I serve these noodles at room temperature or cold right out of the fridge – or even better, pack them for a picnic.

A note about toasting the sesame seeds. I found a choice of sesame seeds at Whole Foods. One kind had their outer hull still on and one kind had the hull removed. I chose the sesame seeds with their outer hull still on since it seemed to be along the same lines as brown rice and other whole grains. When I went to toast them in a dry skillet on the stove I found out that as they heat up the outer skin pops (not unlike pop corn) and the seeds start flying out of the pan in all directions. So I now use a screen lid to cover the pan while I’m toasting and when they start popping I turn the heat off and let them settle down.

Sesame Noodles
(adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Sept./Oct 2004)

8.8 oz. Wheat and buckwheat soba noodles
Toasted Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons shoyu (soy sauce)
1 Tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 Tablespoon rice syrup
hot water
2 scallions, sliced thinly
1 medium carrot grated
1 medium cucumber (seeded, peeled, 1/8” slices)
chopped cilantro (optional)

1. Fill a 4 quart sauce pan with water and bring to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. When done strain and rinse thoroughly with cold water so that they will not stick. Toss with 1-2 Tablespoons of toasted sesame oil and set aside.

2. While water is boiling, heat a small frying pan and add sesame seeds. Stir and watch closely. When the seeds start popping turn the heat off and keep stirring until they have begun to cool.

3. While the noodles are cooking, in a blender combine the peanut butter, garlic, ginger, shoyu, rice vinegar, Tabasco and rice syrup. Blend until smooth. Add 1 Tablespoon of the toasted sesame seeds and blend until smooth again, scraping down the sides as needed. Add a little hot water and blend until the sauce is smooth and thin enough to pour.

3. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss to coat. Mix cucumber, carrots and scallion. Sprinkle with remaining toasted sesame seeds. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro if using.

Oven Roasted Turnip Wedges - Rutabaga Fries

2008-03-06T09:38:00.008-05:00

I was waiting in the check-out line of my local wholesale produce store when the lady behind me said, "Excuse me. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what are you planning on doing with all those turnips?" She pointed at the pile of six large rutabagas piled high in the front of my shopping cart.

She went on to tell me that she loved turnips and usually boiled and pureed them - sometimes with the addition of carrots. When I was a kid we called the later "Carnip" and had it for Thanksgiving when we were over at our friends' house.

I was, of course, not at all offended by her curiosity, but went on (most likely on and on) about how I cut my turnips into wedges and brush them with a good olive oil, sprinkle them with a pinch of sea salt and then roast them in the oven until they are a lovely carmelized brown... and then I eat them all. I told her that they are addictive when cooked in this way and she said she was going to have to try it out.

Turnips are a vastly under-rated vegetable. If you're not buy it, just try these and be amazed. It is not just my macrobiotic deprived self that loves these either - even my meat and chocolate loving husband finds these roasted turnips to be delicious.

I've tried this technique with Macomber Turnips and White Turnips but although those varieties are great for other uses (pureed soups being a great example) they are not ideal for roasting - too high a water content so they don't carmelize properly. Rutabaga, on the other hand, is dense and drier and comes out nicely browned and slighly sweeter - the crisp, crunchy edges are the best.

Oven Roasted Turnips
---------------------

1-2 large Turnips (Rutabaga or Swedish Turnips)

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Peel and slice turnips into wedges. I cut each turnip into quarters and then each quarter into thirds. I make it a point to have pointy edges on my turnip wedges because those crisp up and brown much better than thick rectangular edges.

3. Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil into a rimmed baking sheet or glass baking dish or pie plate and spread evenly. You can do this with much less olive oil, but lots of oil ensures even browning. Lay out turnip slices in a single layer and brush top and sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of sea salt.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove turnips from oven and turn each wedge over. Turn oven down to 350 and place turnips back into the oven. Bake another 20-30 minutes until both sides are browned and the turnip slice is soft when pierced with a fork. If a few of your wedges are thicker, remove the thinner and fully cooked slices to a plate and let the thicker slices cook on in the oven until they are soft.

5. Eat them right away or you can also save them and reheat them in small batches - about 15 minutes in a toaster oven. I think they are even better the next day, reheated.

How a Bacon and Butter Eater becomes a Macrobiotic...

2008-01-10T09:10:00.000-05:00

Well, my food writing has been rather sparse for the last few months and now with the coming of the New Year I think it is time to explain.

As anyone who reads this modest blog knows, I love food and I love to eat. My lifetime philosophy includes, "Butter makes anything better" and "Just add bacon." I couldn't be happier trying new foods and flavor combinations and although writing this blog may not have been good for my waistline - I did put on the pounds there trying all these yummy treats - it was loads of fun.

Well, last October I found out that I had a mild form of Crohn's Disease. Crohn's Disease is an auto-immune condition that never goes away and can get worse over time. I had two choices before me... take lots of drugs for the rest of my life or try a radically restricted diet. I'm not really that interested in taking the drugs, if I can avoid it, so since October 15th, 2007 I've been trying to do the radical macrobiotic diet and it seems to be helping. That's good news. I think. Because it means that for the most part I'll need to stay on this regime for life.

What is Macrobiotics?
I keep calling it "my crazy diet" and it feels a little extreme to me, but I do feel pretty healthy and energetic and that's got to be a good thing.

Macrobiotics is all about eating the most basic and unprocessed of foods... whole grains instead of flour, no refined sugars, lots of vegetables (some fruits) and lots of fermented foods like miso and natto etc. I love miso so that's no problem, but I'm still working on the natto - I'll have to write a whole entry about that challenge.

So what can I eat?
Whole grains like brown rice, barley, quinoa, millet, oats.
Sprouted grain breads that have no flour in them.
Vegetables like greens, onions, root vegetables, mushrooms and squashes
Seaweed (or sea vegetables) like wakame, kombu, nori, etc.
beans, tofu and edamame
Fruits like apples and peaches
some nuts and dried fruit
nut butters - a little peanut or almond butter
some fish

What is off the menu:
no white flour or rice
no sugar
no dairy
no caffeine
no meat
no tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant or peppers

I can't say I've been perfect. On Thanksgiving and Christmas I ate meat and since I often find myself fixing meat for my family I do occasionally indulge in a little sample, but for the most part I have been following this outline. Amazingly, I like the food. Yes, it is rather plain, but I've found some very simple dishes that taste wonderful to me. I've become a big fan of turnips roasted in a little olive oil with a sprinkle of sea salt... so good. I've learned how to make my own maki rolls with brown rice and vegetable fillings that are satisfying and delicious. With no sugar in my diet I find carrots very sweet and a peach really feels like dessert.

I'm still trying to imagine how to write about food and eating and cooking when my own diet is so limited and I'm going to try to figure it out over the next few weeks and months. Even if I'm restricted I still love food and I still love food that tastes and looks good so somehow I've got to figure out a way to meld the macrobiotic with the gourmet. I stopped writing for all those months because I didn't think anything I was eating would appeal to anyone else. Well, maybe that is true, but I've decided I'm going to keep writing about what I'm cooking and what I'm eating anyway. Hopefully something yummy will come out of it.

Fixin' What the Kohlrabi Did

2007-11-24T18:40:00.000-05:00

In the final month of the harvest this year, my CSA was doling out large quantities of leeks, carrots, parsnips and turnips. I was pretty happy about that though since I'd saute up the leeks in a little olive oil then add the root vegetables roughly chopped and enough water to cover - simmer until everything was tender and then puree it all in my blender. It was so delicious I was making it in copious amounts and eating it all - a little every day.

Then one fine autumn day, I found two Kholrabi in with the rest of my veggies from the Farm and I blithely peeled and chopped them and threw them in the soup. What harm could it do, right?! Ugh! I'll never make that mistake again. The soup turned out very bitter and medicinal tasting and nobody wanted to eat it - including me. Worst of all I had made a huge batch and there must have been a gallon of it in my fridge.

I thought about it for a few days. Should I just eat it as it was? Like some kind of soup penance so I'd learn my kohlrabi lesson? Or was there some way to fix the soup to make it edible? delicious? palatable? Hmmm. I thought and thought.

Here's what I ended up doing:

The fix:
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Macoun apples peeled and chopped
1 heaping teaspoon sweet curry (Penzey's or other good quality)
1 peeled and roughly cubed butternut squash

I sauteed the onions until transulcent, added the curry and stirred for a few minutes. Added the apple and the squash and stirred to coat everything with curry and oil. Add water to cover and simmered until very tender. Then pureed in my blender.

Now I had one bitter orange soup and one sweet and richly spicy orange soup. I combined the two and voila! The sweetness of the butternut squash and the apple with the complexity of the curry completely masked the bitterness of the kohrabi.

Of course, now I had two gallons of soup, but it was absolutely delicious. In the end two gallons of yummy soup is a lot easier to eat than one gallon of yucky soup. Plus it freezes really well (I froze half).

Celery Root Remoulade

2007-10-30T08:10:00.000-05:00

I've been missing-in-action with my blog of late - lots of food related crises in my life, but more about that later.

This week the pressing food issue is what to do with all the Celery Root - also known as celeriac - I've been given as part of my weekly CSA share. I'm partial to a very French salad using celery root with a remoulade sauce and so I made it and it was wonderful. Don't be turned off by the brown nobbly appearance of your celery root, wash them, cut off the exterior and you will find a pristine creamy white interior. This salad is served at almost every bistro and cafe in Paris and once you try it you'll realize why - it is the more elegant cousin of our cole slaw.

The recipe calls for white pepper. Feel free to substitue black pepper if that's all you have.

-------------------------------------
Celery Root Remoulade

1/4 cup high quality mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar or 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon drained capers, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
a pinch of dried tarrago, crumbled
salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
4-6 small celery roots (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled and cut into matchstick pieces or shredded coarse.

In a small bowl stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, capers, mustard, tarragon and salt and pepper to taste until combined well.

In a large saucepan of salted boiling water cook celery root 2 minutes. Drain celery root in a sieve and refresh under cold water. Dry celery root completely. Add celery root to sauce and stir together. Chill salad until ready to serve.

Variation: add 2 Tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream, 2 cornichons (sour gherkins), minced and 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves to the sauce.

Peach Pizza

2007-09-11T08:09:00.000-05:00

Necessity is the mother of invention, as we all know very well. Peach Pizza was created on an evening when my husband was away on business, my kids were already in bed and I had friends coming over in the evening and absolutely nothing in the house to serve them. I searched around in my freezer, fridge and cupboards and found:

frozen puff pastry
2 peaches
demera sugar
ground cinnamon or cardamom (optional).

I preheated the oven to 400. Took out one sheet of the puff pastry which was a sweet little 10-inch square. I put the puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper in a sheet pan to defrost for 10 minutes while I peeled and thinly sliced the two peaches. The peaches were sweet succulent specimens from a local orchard and I had a pang about sacrificing their loveliness to a baked tart, but in the end I thought it was worth the gamble - they could always come out even more delicious once cooked.

When the puff pastry was soft, I scored a square about 3/4 of an inch from the edge all the way around. Then I carefully arranged the peach slices within the scored square, nicely overlapping. I sprinkled all with a few big crystals of demerra sugar (you could sprinkle with your spice of choice here if you were opting in) and baked it for about 25 minutes - or until the risen outside edge was golden brown and quite firm.

We ate it room temperature with a cup of tea, but hot out of the oven vanilla ice cream would be nothing to sneeze at.

Of course, you could use apples and cinnamon sugar if that is what you have on hand. Or pears. Plums might be too juicy. The puff pastry came from Trader Joe's and was only $4.99 for two sheets. It is lovely to have on hand in the freezer for just such dessert emergencies.

Apple Cider donuts

2007-08-31T15:49:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of apple cider donuts which I usually eat about once or twice a year when I'm out at my favorite orchard in Stow, Massachusetts picking up peaches on a quiet day in August.

Apple cider donuts are so named because they have apple cider in the batter. Sadly, for my waistline if not my tastebuds, they are cooked in hot oil - as in deep fat fried, which may account for their amazing deliciousness.

Here is a link to an article in the Washington Post that I found informative when it comes to apple cider donuts:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8595-2004Oct5.html

I have to admit, that this is one item I'm not ever tempted to make at home. Deep frying is so hot and messy, and then you are left with dozens of delicious donuts sitting waiting to be eaten right in your very own kitchen. No thanks, I think I'll pass. It is far superior, to my mind, to go pick up a bag of six little mini apple cider donuts at the orchard - three plain and three cinnamon sugar coated - thus putting a limit on the totally number of donuts consummed for that day.

So you overbaked a chocolate cake. Now what?

2007-08-09T19:53:00.000-05:00

I'm sure nothing like this has ever happened to you, but today I baked a chocolate pound cake that came out a little dry. I probably overbaked it a wee bit - I was using a bundt pan rather than the 9 x 5 loaf pan the recipe called for and even though I thought I was checking it often enough I probably wasn't. It still tastes quite good, it is loaded with dark chocolate chips, but it is going to need some help to get eaten.

Of course, I could just toss the cake in the garbage and move on, but I hate to do that. The cake isn't burnt or ruined beyond being edible - it is just ever so slightly too dry. Plus, I've used Valrhona cocoa and some excellent dark chocolate in it, not to mention two sticks of organic butter and four eggs - I just can't bring myself to waste all those expensive ingredients. Since no one in my house is going to eat this cake as is, I've put it into a large freezer bag and put it in my freezer. Cakes freeze beautifully so in a few weeks or a month when I need a dessert for a crowd, I can take it out and defrost it. Of course when I do that I will still have the same slightly dry but intensely chocolate cake before me that needs a little help. Here's what I'm going to do with it.

Tiramisu. Yes, I know Tiramisu is traditionally made with lady fingers or pound cake, but wouldn't it be wonderful with a deep dark chocolate cake instead - I sincerely think so and the slightly dry cake will benefit from the dip in espresso and the layer of enriched whipped mascarpone.

There is one major modification that must be made because the cake is chocolate - I decided to cut out the sweet Marsala wine, which I feel will clash with a heightened chocolate level. Instead of Marsala, however, I would happily use a coffee flavored liqueur, even a chocolate liqueur or a good orange liqueur. Or you could skip the liqueur all together and use straight up espresso. You choose.

Here's the plan:

-----------------------------------------------------------
Tiramisu with chocolate pound cake
Serves 6-8

1/2 to 1 dark chocolate pound cake, slightly overbaked
1 cup espresso (8-10 shots)
2 tablespoons Kahlua, Godiva liqueur or Grand Marinier (optional)
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
3 cups mascarpone cheese
1 cup chilled heavy cream
unsweetened cocoa or bittersweet chocolate for garnish

Prepare the espresso and cool completely. Mix liquer with espresso, if using. Slice the cake into 3/4 inch thick slices and cut into strips. Dip the cake strips, one at a time, in espresso-liqueur mixture and line the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with a single layer of cake. Set aside.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with 2 tablespoon sugar until they form soft peaks.

Beat cream in another bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks.

In another bowl, beat 4 egg yolks with the remaining sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add the mascarpone to the egg yolk mixture and blend until well combined.

Fold cream into mascarpone mixture gently but thoroughly.

Lightly fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.

Cover the espresso soaked cake layer with a thick, even layer of the mascarpone mixture.

Dust the finished tiramisù with unsweetened cocoa or chopped bittersweet chocolate.

Refrigerate at least two hours. Can be assembled one day ahead.

Note: The eggs in this recipe are uncooked. Food safety experts caution that consuming raw eggs can expose you to salmonella contamination. Immuno-compromised patients, the very young and the elderly should not eat raw eggs. You can purchase pasturized egg whites for use in this recipe. In some parts of the country it is also possible to buy whole eggs pasturized in their shells.

Restaurant Review: Oleana

2007-07-29T18:01:00.001-05:00

Oleana
134 Hampshire Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts

http://www.oleanarestaurant.com

appetizers: $9-12
entrees: $24-26
desserts: $11-14

vegetarian tasting menu (5 meze plus dessert): $40

wines by the glass: $8-12

Oleana has been around since 2001, but the first I heard of this restaurant and its chef/owner, Ana Sortun, was a series of very interesting articles published last year in The New York Times food section over the course of several weeks - fried mussels with almond-garlic sauce, Persian fried chicken, spoon lamb, spicy carrot puree and olives with za'atar. I can't say I went so far as to make any of her recipes, but I read them all and thought, " How exotic! How exciting!"

Needless to say, when I was recently offered the chance to go to dinner at Oleana I leapt.

Reservations are a must here. This place may be out of the way, but it is well known and well liked and it is very busy. The dining room was crowded on a Wednesday evening at 8:30 and people were still coming it to eat at 9:30. Our table was in the middle of the floor and I found myself bumped and knocked into repeatedly by the wait staff as they passed by. I also found my chair distractingly uncomfortable to sit in for two hours although it was very attractive to look at.

The menu is heavily Turkish influenced, but you will also find Armenian, Greek and north African dishes. It has been a while since I sat down to read a menu and found so many descriptions and words that I didn't understand. Almost every menu item had some component that I was not completely familiar with. Our server was very helpful and happy to answer our questions and I could put together enough of the pieces so that I wasn't asking hundreds of questions. For me, it was fun to have so much before me that was new and unexplored.

My companion started with Heirloom Tomato Kibbeh & Heirloom Tomato Dolma with Labne which overshadowed my more humble appetizer of Grilled Octopus with Spicy Sicilian-Style Bread Salad & Cauliflower. The tomato kibbeh - which was reminiscent of tabouli with tomato instead of parseley - was molded into a flat round disk on top of which rested a gleaming skinned and stuffed garden fresh tomato. The show stopping presentation plus the contrast in flavors - the tomato stuffed with a soft white cheese, the bright grainy texture of the kibbeh and several spices that I could not place - combined to make this a startling delicious start to our meal. My salad was decent, but no competition in taste or appearance: a simple bowl filled with uniformily 1-inch bites of octopus, bread, and cauliflower. There was a dressing, there were herbs and spices, but the overall impression was less than exciting.

My companion chose Lamb Steak with Turkish Spices & Fava Bean Moussaka for an entree - the moussaka having the quintessential Greek tomato sauce. I chose Free Range Veal & Almond Dumpling—Moorish Style with Fennel Escabeche - delicious, intriguing and unlike anything I'd previously experienced. Kudos for presentation - I was presented with three small dishes on a white tray - the veal and almond dumpling came in a little cast iron pot of its own and had a hole in the middle in which to pour the accompanying miniature glass picture of hot gravy. The dumpling was soft and fluffy, the gravy was delicious and the veal was salty and shredded and reminded me of duck confit. The bowl of brightly flavored fennel and orange salad next to it was delightfully refreshing.

We remarked on the portion sizes - nothing seemed skimpy but nothing was too much either which was a boon come dessert time - we had plenty of room left to indulge.

Yes, we were looking at the dessert menu at 9:30 at night, but I can never turn down a chance for turkish coffee - there are simply too few opportunities. My Turkish Style Goat's Mik Ice Cream with Blueberries & Rose Geranium merangue was creamy and intriguing and pleasant enough. My companions Frozen Cocoa Bean Souffle with Hot & Cold Truffles must have been amazing because I didn't even get a nibble.

I can't claim it was a perfect evening - there were delays between courses, the restaurant was crowded, the chairs were uncomfortable, but the food was beautifully presented, delicious, new and exciting and certainly worth a second (and third trip).

Lawton's Famous Frankfurts

2007-07-27T06:20:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid my dad used to take us to this very out of the way hot dog stand in Lawerence, Massachusetts. It had been at least 20 years since we'd ventured to Lawton's Famous Frankfurts, but we set out one day last week to find out if it still existed and if it was as delicious as we remembered.

Lawton's is still in business in its original shack built out over the canal between two old mill buildings on the corner of rt. 28 and Canal Street in downtown Lawerence. The hot dogs are even more fabulous than remembered.

What makes a hot dog above average? Well, at Lawton's all hot dogs are a foot long. All hot dogs are cooked to order. And believe it or not all hot dogs are dropped in boiling oil to cook - yes, that is right, the hot dogs are deep fried. There, my friend, is the exact reason that these hot dogs have lived on in our memories for 20 plus years. The hot dog buns are buttered and toasted while your dog warms up in the simmering oil. And perhaps most exciting of all, the toppings include sauteed onions and sauerkraut. These were the best hot dogs any of us had ever tasted. Lawton's had spanned the varied tastes of three generations and satisfied everyone - no easy task, believe me!

Lawton's also serves hamburgers and lobster rolls, fries and onion rings, but I've never deviated from the basic Lawton's formula - hot dogs and lots of them. If one is planning on consuming two deep fried foot-long hot dogs - well, let's face it there just isn't room to try anything else.

Lawton's is a Pepsi only facility - bring your own diet Coke if, like me, that's what you want to drink. There is no inside seating either, although if the weather is good there are some benches along the canal. If it is raining you may end up eating those dogs in your car, but you won't mind - you won't even notice your surroundings - you'll be lost in happy hot dog contemplations.

This place is one-of-a-kind and highly recommended. Certainly well worth a detour on your next road-trip in northeastern Massachusetts.

Lawton's Famous Frankfurts
Established 1929

606 Canal Street
Lawerence, MA

phone: 978-686-9603

Lawton's opens at 11:00am all year round, but during the winter months closes at 6:00pm. In the summer they stay open until 8:00.

Call ahead if you are in a hurry and they'll have your order waiting.

Swedish Pancakes

2007-07-26T12:28:00.001-05:00

When I was a senior in high school I went up to my friend's house outside of Burlington Vermont during spring break to go skiing. The skiing was a complete failure. My friend, who had learned to ski at age two, took me up to the top of a mountain and I cried and fell and fell and cried all the way down. In addition to memories of abject humiliation I've never managed to forget the delicious pancakes her mother served us for breakfast before I went out to face my day of cold and snowy torture.

My friend's mom would serve up a little stack of six thin round pancakes - about half-dollar sized (if anyone can remember what half-dollars looked like). These pancakes were more like flat, warm custards than any traditional pancakes that I'd ever tasted. Each piping hot minature stack was served up with warm Vermont maple syrup and in my golden memory we could have as many stacks as we could eat before we were sent out to face the day.

I've often thought of those pancakes over the years and wondered what the secret was to making them. I'm happy to report that after all of these years I have the recipe in my hands and the pancakes really are as wonderful as I remember. The reason they tasted custard like is that they are mostly eggs and milk with just the smallest amount of flour to help them hold together. I use a regular 12-inch non-stick frying pan to make these, but if appearances really matter at your house you may want to invest in a swedish pancake pan to ensure uniformly round cakes. I can fit about six tablespoon sized pancakes in one batch. One key point to make here: the pan has to be hot enough so that the pancakes don't spread out too much, but not so hot that they burn. Even with a carefully calibrated frying pan the pancakes were irregularly shaped, but everyone was so busy eating them they didn't seem to notice what they looked like.

Make sure you heat up the maple syrup too in a small pitcher - 30 seconds in the microwave should do it. Warm syrup makes all the difference.

If you prefer, mix these pancakes up in a blender - it is a little less fussy and comes out just as well.

--------------------------------------------------
Swedish Pancakes
adapted from The New York Times Cook Book by Craig Claiborne

1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3 cups milk

clarified butter for brushing the pan

warmed maple syrup for serving (or lingonberry jam if prefered)

1. Beat the eggs lightly until a uniform yellow and then add the milk and beat to combine.

2. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar and salt and mix thoroughly with a wire whisk to combine.

3. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and beat until smooth. If you can't get all the lumps out by beating you can pour the whole batter through a sieve.

4. If you have time, let the batter sit for 2 hours before cooking this allows the flour to expand and thicken the batter a little. If you don't have time don't worry it will still work.

5. Heat a non-stick skillet or a Swedish Pancake Pan over medium-high heat and brush with clarified butter. Pour one Tablespoon of batter at a time. Turn each pancake over once and then stack them on a plate and serve immediately.

Makes enough pancakes for 5-10 people

Restaurant Review: Pava

2007-06-25T16:44:00.000-05:00

Pava
1229 Centre Street
Newton, Massachusetts

restaurantpava.com

appetizers: $9-15
pizzas: $15
pastas: $22-24
entrees: $26-32
desserts: $10

glass of wine: $12-15

Pava swept me off my feet, but left my better-half cold and unmoved. While I was swooning over the ultra-cool, modern and sleek decor he was lamenting the fact that we had to eat our dinner in what amounted to a hallway in a parking garage. He was spot on about one thing - all those hard surfaces made it very noisy. Pava is high-concept Italian served in what is supposed to be a relaxed and cool, but not at all fancy, room that is all polished concrete, smooth black counters and apple green chairs.

This place seems so fashion conscious that I was anticipating a cold shoulder from the hostess and wait staff - the briefest glance reveals I'm no fashionista. Here I found myself pleasantly surprised - everyone was warm, smiling and very helpful. As is my want, I made lots of special requests. I couldn't decide which pasta dish I wanted more so I asked if they could make me a half serving of each and they very graciously complied. Even my companion agreed wholeheartedly that the service was top-notch - although he said if he was paying $130 for dinner he'd like to see the wait-staff wearing something nicer than flip-flops.

I did get a little sticker shock when I looked over the wine choices. The cheapest glass was $12 which was hard to take considering I usually spend about $3 on a bottle. I know very little about Italian wines and hardly ever buy them so I took my servers suggestion of a $15 glass of Chianti and enjoyed it well enough... although I didn't ask for a second.

After we placed our order, a small dish of basil flavored olive oil was delivered along with a few small pieces of focaccia and a super thin and crispy fried bread that reminded me of pappidum but made with wheat flour rather than the standard Indian chickpea flour... it was addictive stuff - as thin and crisp as a potato chip, but the flavor of a good bread.

I had a truly fabulous starter from the "HOT" appetizer section: Brick Pressed Octopus with fresh cranberry beans. The little octopus was crispy and breaded on one side and perfectly cooked - meaty and tasty but not the least chewy - add to that a little dressed endive salad and the beans which looked a little dull, but were addictively tasty. This was a perfectly executed dish and so wonderful I had to ask for a little extra bread so I could mop up every drop of the sauce. My companion was underwelmed by his Golden Beet Carpaccio with chever and endive - it was good, but nothing to stand up and cheer about.

According to me the pasta dishes were out of this world. The gnocchi were light as air, as they should be, and served with cooked radishes - which was a first for me - and a wonderfully buttery horseradish breadcrumb topping which somehow managed to be rich and deliver a kick simultaneously... it was delicious and interesting and I loved it. Across the table, my friend found it a little too challenging - too bitter to his taste. The other pasta was paper thing papparedelle - long wide noodles that were obviously home-made in a thin sauce flavored with fresh thyme and tossed with sauted spinach and shredded duck confit. It came in second to the amazing gnocchi, but still made a good showing and again I had to ask for a few more pieces of bread to mop up the last drops of sauce.

My companion ordered a pizza which was dotted with smoked tomatoes and house-made pepperoni. The tomatoes were amazing - sweet and smoky and the pepperoni was good, but not peppery enough for us. Saddly the pizza had an unpleastantly burnt flavor despite the fact that the bottom of the crust was not burnt - we checked.

True confession: I've sampled every dessert on the current menu and they are all amazing - with some being absolutely fabulous. The Lemon Tart is a marvel of lemony-ness. The Rainier Cherry Pavlova tremendous - the meringue base subtley flavored with hazelnut and filled with a warm banana diplomat cream - the cherries on top were delicious but the underpinnings stole the show. The chocolate sorbet that came one side with the genoise was another scene-stealer... if all sorbet was this good no-one would miss ice cream.

I think Pava is a love-it or hate-it experience. This is no cheap-eats destination and many may not like the look and feel of the dining room, but for the adventurous eater it certainly provides a memorable meal and a great deal of dining excitement.

Final Rating: 1 Thumbs-Up

Sara's Salt and Pepper Chicken

2007-06-19T10:10:00.000-05:00

I have been hemming and hawing about whether or not this chicken dish deserves to be posted since the recipe is so basic as to be hardly a recipe at all. In the end the deciding factor was the taste of the finished product - it is so yummy that we are fighting over the last pieces at the dinner table. Something that good deserves to be shared.

Two notes before I get down to business with the recipe. First, when I say to cook the chicken on one side without moving it (or checking it) at all for 5-7 minutes I really mean it. Leave it alone, go make a salad or something, but don't stand there moving it around the pan or you'll loose the best part of the dish - a crispy brown salty crust on the outside of the meat.

Secondly, chicken breasts won't work for this recipe. Sorry. Chicken thighs don't dry out in this cooking method and they also have a bit more flavor to begin with - an important point when so little seasoning is added.

I wasn't going to deglaze the pan sinced that seemed to be too fancy a step for such a simple dish, but I just couldn't walk away and leave all those little crispy bits on the bottom of the pan - that was where all the great flavor was hanging out. So, no big deal, I just poured some white wine in the pan, stirred and scraped for a few minutes until there was not much wine left and then poured it over the chicken to moisten it and make a very basic sauce.

This chicken makes a great filling for burritos or tacos.

------------------------------------------------------------
Sara's Salt and Pepper Chicken
inspired by a Mark Bittman recipe

Serves 2-4

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
Freshly ground sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Tablespoon oil for the pan
1 cup white wine

1. Spread chicken thighs out on a plate and liberally season with salt and pepper on both sides.

2. Heat a heavy frying pan (cast iron is my favorite) over medium-high heat until it is hot. Put oil in the pan and tilt pan to evenly distribute. When oil begins to dimple (which usually is right away) put chicken thighs in, flat side down. Don't crowd the chicken - do it in batches if you need to. Do not move the chicken or disturb it while it cooks on that side. Allow to cook for 5-7 minutes... if the pan seems too hot you might want to turn the heat down to medium. I wait to flip the chicken over until the side facing up has a visible ring of cooked meat. When the chicken is turned over the cooked side should be golden brown and cripsy in appearance. If the chicken is too dark lower the heat. The trick here is to have the pan hot enough to crisp the meat without getting so hot that the meat will burn. A heavy bottomed pan is a big help to prevent burning.

3. Cook the chicken on the second side for 4-5 minutes then remove to a wide shallow bowl to rest. When all the chicken has been cooked pour the wine into the hot pan and stir and scrape until most of the wine has been evaporated. To put it another way, reduce the wine to 1/4 of a cup or less. Turn off the heat.

4. Cut the chicken up into bite sized pieces and pour the wine reduction over the chicken, tossing to coat.

Serve immediately

An Essential Book on Food

2007-06-12T20:03:00.000-05:00

The Oxford Companion to Food
by Alan Davidson
Oxford University Press
1999

I've been having such a wonderful time with this book that I just had to write about it. I've been talking the ear off anyone I can find because, after all, who wouldn't be interested in the culinary uses of limpets or the history of pasta? This book is so much fun to read through. I've found out all about the domestication of artichokes - something I've always wondered about and the distinct differences in cuisine between the three Baltic states (that would be Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia).

Did you know that the notion that Marco Polo brought pasta back to Europe from China is a culinary myth? I had no idea.

There are no recipes at all - this is no common cookery book. Mr. Davidson does, however, mention the authors of other books in almost every entry so that a dedicated person (such as myself) could find the recipes we want for say "Coronation Chicken" or the uses of Gammelost (a hard Norweigan cheese). Each entry is no mere listing of interesting facts and descriptions but is also written in a witty way that is a lot of fun without being cutsey or cloying. I could sit down on the sofa and read this book for hours... who am I kidding, I have done that!

I grabbed it off the shelf one day at the library because it looked like fun (I really know how to have a good time wouldn't you say?!) and it has been life changing. I have to admit that this book does not make good bedtime reading since it weighs in at about 15 pounds. It is also not an inexpensive book either - $44.20 at Amazon... but you qualify for free shipping.

I think I'm going to become a culinary historian.
Sounds like fun.

Copper River Sockeye: 'Tis the Season

2007-06-05T19:43:00.000-05:00

I can't remember the last time I bought fresh fish. I make my tuna salad from canned salmon (but I still call it tuna salad - go figure). I buy my shrimp frozen from Trader Joe's. I don't often buy fish because I don't like to cook it at home and smell up my house.

Then my friends gave me an article to read from last week's Wall Street Journal about fresh Copper River King Salmon and my curiosity was piqued. That's why when I was meandering by the fish department in Whole Foods today and saw the signs for "Fresh, Wild Copper River Sockeye" I paused. I stared. I stood there unsure of what to do. I suspect that the gentleman working the fish counter knew I was hooked. I asked why it was so much cheaper than I had read about and he said that the first shippment of the season had been up around $26/pound, but the price had come down this week to $16/pound. That was still a heck of a lot less than the $36/pound the King salmon from Copper River was going for. I just wanted to know what it tasted like. I asked if I would have to cook it today (he said I could wait a day or two since it had just been flown in this morning) even though I knew if I purchased it I'd be cooking it pronto. You know how this story ends: I bought a fillet (1.25 pounds) and brought it home for dinner.

Now came the anxiety. I didn't want to overcook this precious fish. I wanted it to be perfect - no pressure. So I looked around and found the following recipe from Mark Bittman. I knew I had the right one when I read these words that Mr. Bittman wrote in the recipe description: "If you make this dish with the most flavorful, beautiful fillet you can find - such as Alaskan sockeye in season - you will be amazed by the richness of the flavor." Bingo!

I modified Mr. Bittman's recipe a smidge - using half butter and half olive oil and I was very careful to cook the salmon for the shortest amount of time he recommended. The tail end of the fish could have cooked a little less, but the wider part of the filet was closer to Medium and was sublime. This fish was so flavorful and rich and yes, buttery.

I asked my husband if he thought we liked it so much because fresh fish was such a rare treat or if it was because this particular fish - flown fresh from Alaska - was really something special. Wise man that he is, he made the only safe reply possible: "It must have been the perfect cooking that did it."

--UPDATE: 6/8/07--
I decided to test out whether the same fish - frozen was as good. I went to Trader Joe's and picked out a package of flash frozen Wild Alaskan Sockeye (the info on the package did not mention where exactly in Alaska the fish was from so this seemed as close as I could get for comparison sake). I cooked the fish using the exact same recipe, method and even the exact same roasting pan - the only difference was going to be the fish itself. I was really rooting for the frozen fish because the price was less than half that of the fresh - so if it could be just as good I'd be thrilled to be eating it all year round.

Well, the difference was stunning. The texture and flavor of the frozen salmon was completely different. Where the texture of the fresh Copper River salmon was delicate and flavor was clean the frozen sockeye had a tougher consistency and was strongly flavored. I think I'll hold out for the fresh fish, in season and eat it a few times a year. I'll skip the frozen salmon and stick to the canned for a lot less money.

----------------------------------
Butter Roasted Salmon

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 pounds salmon filet, skin on, pin bones removed
freshly ground sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Melt the butter in a medium roasting pan in the oven as it preheats, until the foam subsides. Add the olive oil.

2. Place the salmon in the butter, flesh side down, and put pan in the oven. Roast about 5 minutes, then turn and roast 3 to 6 minutes longre, until the salmon is done (peek between the flakes with a thin bladed knife). The fish will continue cooking a little bit after you remove it from the oven so try to pull it out slightly less cooked than you would consider done. Remove fish to a serving dish (to prevent it from over cooking in the hot roasting pan). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 2-4

Mousse au Chocolat

2007-06-02T05:33:00.000-05:00

This recipe is a traditional french chocolate mousse that I started making when I was ten years old. My mom decided that I needed to learn some fundamental cooking skills like separating eggs and working with egg whites so she picked this recipe to be the lesson. It was certainly a delicious way to learn those basics.

You will notice right away that there are hardly any ingredients in this mousse - it is all about technique. The quality of those few ingredients then will really matter which is why I use Valrhona chocolate and Grand Marinier. When I use Valrhona I use 3 bars so I don't have to have any little piddley leftover pieces hanging around in my cupboards and I add one extra egg to compensate. I use two bars (7 ounces) of Valrhona Le Noir 56% Cocoa Bar and one bar (3.5 ounces) of Valrhona Le Noir Amer 71% Cocoa Bar. I prefer a dark mousse that is not that sweet so this mix suits me and my chocolate loving husband, but you may find that it makes a mousse that is not sweet enough for you. You may need to do some chocolate mousse testing at your house to determine the exact kind of chocolate you prefer - this kind of testing is no hardship!

I like to take a bite sized piece of cake - sponge cake, yogurt cake, madeleines' or lady fingers (whatever is on hand) - sprinkle it with liquer and put it at the bottom of the dessert cup before I fill it with mousse. I always like finding this little morsel hidden away at the bottom of the dish when I'm finishing up my last few bites of dessert. It is a fun surprise that takes away some of the pangs associated with finishing a delicious food item.

One more thing - a lot of people nowadays do not feel safe using raw eggs although I can honestly say I've never had a problem. If I'm making this for a large group or for someone who might object to raw eggs I buy a jar of egg whites that have been pasturized and then use the yolks from the eggs I separated - yolks apparently do not easily get contaminated with salmonella. I've heard that it is possible, in some parts of the country, to get eggs that have been pasturized in their shells, but I've never found them in any supermarket near me.

----------------------------------------------------------
Mousse au Chocolat

8 oz chocolate
5 tablespoons water
5 eggs, separated
pinch of cream of tartar
2 tablespoons Grand Marinier, Rum or other liquer

Break up chocolate into small pieces, combine with water and melt in a double boiler, or a mixing bowl set over a saucepan, or in a microwave. Melt it slowly - even very slowly - and once it is melted take it off the heat and let it cool down for five minutes.

While the chocolate is melting add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat them until they hold stiff peaks. With a stand mixer this takes about 2-3 minutes, with a hand held mixer this takes about 20 minutes. Set aside.

When the chocolate has cooled down a little, add the Grand Marinier and stir until nice and smooth. Even cooled down a little, the chocolate is warm enough to curddle the egg yolks so you'll need to temper them. To do that take about a tablespoon of the chocolate and stir it into the egg yolks - stirring until it is combined and smooth. Take another tablespoon of the melted chocolate and stir it into the egg mixture again until it is smooth. This will warm up the yolk a little so that they should not curddle when you add them into the rest of the chocolate. Now add the yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.

Now, fold in a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Don't worry if there are a few lumps, go on to fold in the next quarter of the egg whites, and the next quarter. Make sure you get the chocolate from the bottom of the bowl when you are folding - it is heavy and it tends to want to settle underneath the egg whites so you have to keep scooping all the way down and pulling it up. On the final fourth of egg whites I do try to get out the lumps, but you don't want to keep folding too long and loose the light lifting quality of the egg whites. Just fold until you think the mixture looks smooth and 99.9 % lump free.

Scoop or pour mixture into individual glasses or dessert cups and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Serve with freshly whipped cream (I prefer unsweetened) and strawberries.

Yield: 4-6 individual servings

A Birthday Celebration Menu

2007-05-31T06:40:00.000-05:00

May 30th, 2007

A weekday birthday dinner - for my husband's 41st
a few of his favorite things...

Salad
Boston Lettuce, Radish, Cucumber with kalamata olives
Jacquin Bleuet blue goat cheese, France
Balsamic Vinagrette

Rosemary and Garlic rubbed rack of lamb, New Zealand
olive oil roasted fingerling potatoes
broiled tomatoes with Greek oregano
grilled asparagus with lemon juice

Santa Rita Merlot 2005, Chile ($6.00)

Valrhona chocolate mousse with freshly whipped cream
fresh strawberries

Lemony Chickpea-and-Tuna Spread

2007-05-27T11:45:00.000-05:00

I ate this delicious spread on slices of fresh sesame ficelle years ago after driving up to my mom's with friends and arriving completely famished. This simple spread is satisfying and slightly different than the usual hommous dip that everyone puts out these days. The recipe had been found and clipped-out of the New York Times food section, but one day the original was lost and never found again. Of course, we could make it from memory or even shell out $5 to buy it from the Archives of the paper on-line, but I was not keen on any of these solutions.

And then one day, while looking for a book on Bed & Breakfasts at my local library I discovered something truly amazing. The library has a vast collection of cookbooks - shelves and shelves of them... and, wonder of wonders, I can check them out and take them home. This may seem quite unspectacular to you, but to me this was a revelation. All these cookbooks that I can read and try-out and not have to purchase... I was delirious with joy.

Since that time, I've been taking out two at a time and reading and cooking out of them. The latest was a collection of 300 rediscovered recipes from Pierre Franey's classic New York Times Column, "60 Minute Gourmet" and lo and behold, while flipping through I found the recipe for this yummy nibbble between the Gazpacho Mousse and the Baked Clams with Garlic Butter.

--------------------------------------------------
Lemony Chickpea-and-Tuna Spread

Ingredients:
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup sesame paste (tahini), stirred well
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup canned water-packed tuna, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Tabasco to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (or in a blender). Puree to a coarse texture (you don't want it too smooth). Cover and refridgerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

New York City, Food and Fun

2007-05-21T09:35:00.000-05:00

Shemetra, Sherina and Sara (just call me Shara) go to NYC

"New York, New York it's a helluva town,
The Bronx is up and the Battery's down..."

This week my friend Shemetra turned 40. It is shocking when my own friends started doing this… turning 40 really seems like something one’s parent’s friends should be doing. To celebrate the event properly, Shemetra planned a mom’s getaway weekend trip to New York City to see The Color Purple and to eat good food.

We ate a lot of good food, and I will get to that, but first The Color Purple. It was great. Fantasia, was truly wonderful in the lead role, and Oprah Winfrey showed up at the very same show we were at, creating quite a stir and giving us a little extra thrill. Then at intermission we noticed that Jane Fonda was in the theatre too. What a night!

On the drive down from Boston, I warned Shemetra that I wanted to go to a new gelato place on the Upper West Side called Grom’s. She was up for it so we worked it into our thoroughly mapped out schedule.

We parked our car at noon on Saturday and jumped on the subway to go up to Sylvia’s in Harlem for lunch. All the guidebooks we’d read warned us off Sylvia’s with language like, “Sylvia’s is an institution and the food tastes institutional, “ but we wanted to go there and see for ourselves. As it turned out, between Subway issues – no Uptown trains were running from Columbus Circle so we had to go Downtown to go Uptown - and then the wait when we finally got to the restaurant it was 2 o’clock before we were at the table looking at a full plate of food. Boy was it ever worth the wait.

All three of us ended up ordering the same thing – the rib and fried chicken combo with collard greens and candied yams for the sides. The greens were absolutely delicious – I could have eaten a heaping plate of just greens. The menu claimed the collard greens were cooked with smoked turkey, but Shemetra and Sherina said they could taste some pickled pork in there. I’ll have to take their word on that, but oh they were good. We all agreed the fried chicken was perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked – it was scrumptious. I liked the ribs – they had been rubbed with a sweet rub and roasted and then finished with a spicy peppery sauce… for me the flavor combination of subtly sweet and hot and peppery was great. The candied yam was okay, but had a cloying sweet flavor in it that I could not place until Shemetra said it had too much vanilla in it. Actually I think it was imitation vanilla and it was certainly too much which was too bad because the yam was perfectly candied and would have been delicious. Cornbread came with the meal and it was crisp and buttery – quite buttery actually, but not too greasy.

We were far too full to order dessert there although I was tempted to anyway – peach cobbler was on the menu, but we were headed to bargain hunting on Canal Street and needed to stay mobile so I restrained myself and we headed back downtown.

At 5:45 we found ourselves in Time’s Square looking for a place to sit down and watch The Preakness before it was time to walk over and get our tickets for the show. We had actually tried to take a train up Broadway to get our much anticipated gelato at Grom, but had accidentally boarded a train that unexpectedly turned sharply eastward at 59th and headed toward Brooklyn forcing us to jump off precipitously at 5th Avenue. We ended up walking back to Times Square, momentarily giving up on the gelato. We ended up in the basement of Rosie O’Grady's Saloon. As far as I could tell it appeared to be the perfect tourist trap. Therefore I was oh so pleasantly surprised when I ordered my chocolate mousse with Grand Marinier and it turned out to be excellent… just like I make it, in fact, which is my hightest rating. I ate the whole thing - only allowing Shemetra a little taste to verify that it was of the highest quality - with a glass of Shiraz. It was a great horse race even if my horse didn't win.

Sunday we took a walk around midtown and I picked up a dark chocolate dipped glacee apricot at the Rockefeller Center Godiva store. The apricot was sweet, but with little trace of fruit flavor and the chocolate was unremarkable – my general feeling toward Godiva. We had passed the Teucher boutique moments before but sadly it had not yet opened for the day.

We stumbled on a street fair on 9th Avenue with vendors and music and all kinds of delightful things to try. The food was okay, but the atmosphere was festive and fit in perfectly with our celebration weekend. I got an above average falafel sandwich with “the works” minus hot sauce. It was fresh and tasty, but it was very hard to eat while walking and I was too preoccupied with staying clean in the midst of dripping hummous and tahini to savor the flavors and textures as they deserved. Then there was some shrimp cocktail with a nice bright cocktail sauce and some fried green plaintains which were okay, but could have been thinner and crisper. Sherina and I both spotted a sign for “Thai Food $1.00” which lured us in to try a mediocre chicken satay with a one dimensionally sweet peanut sauce… less than adequate. You get what you pay for I guess. I passed up the Arepas (sigh) and the empanadas and the Asian Chicken salad because there really is only so much a body can eat at one time – no matter how sorely tempted.

We were back in our car pulling out of the hotel parking lot at noon when I brought up the idea of driving up to 76th and Broadway to get some gelato at Grom’s. “You know you do get kind of obsessive about these things, Sara.” Shemetra pointed out. Hey, I’m the first to admit it. I am obsessive about food… its food for goodness sake… what is it there for, but to be obsessed over? I didn’t actually step into the store because I had to wait in the car on the corner of Broadway and 77th in an illegal spot, but the gelato was a revelation and well worth the weekend-long effort to try some. Shemetra and Sherina went in and met one of the co-owners and tried ever so many flavors, settling on vanilla in the end. They brought me back a dish of Gianduja, a rich and nutty chocolate hazelnut blend, smooth and creamy and wonderful. I’ll be heading back there soon to try every single one of their flavors… yum. It was the perfect ending to our New York food adventure weekend.

Sylvia’s – the Queen of Soul Food
328 Lenox Avenue
New York, NY 10027
Closet Subway: 125th and Lenox Ave.

Rosie O’Grady’s Saloon
800 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
Open Daily 11:30am, Dinner until Midnight

Empanada Mamas
763 9th Avenue between 51st and 52nd

GROM
IL GELATO COME UNA VOLTA
2165 Broadway
Upper West Side
New York, NY

Plum and Marzipan Crisp

2007-05-18T14:57:00.000-05:00

It must be an occupational hazard. Except writing this blog isn't my occupation. Well, not exactly. This year for my birthday I received most of my gifts in edible form and I am here to tell you (or my scale is) that I've definitely put on a few pounds since I got a year older.

This particular gift came from my Mom who knows that I adore marzipan. I love the stuff. It is not the easiest substance to get my hands on in the States because it is not that popular. I think it must be a lack of marketing and publicity because marzipan is delicious and sweet and no self-respecting sweet-toothed American would not like the stuff if given half a chance. Marzipan is blanched ground almonds mixed with sugar. Almond paste is the same thing minus the sugar.

My favorite is marzipan covered in dark chocolate. Ritter makes a square "sport" bar - don't ask me how a chocolate bar could be, in any way shape or form sport related - that is dark chocolate and marzipan that is pretty good. There is also a lovely Danish bakery in Watertown, MA that makes scores of marzipan ladden treats. Here are a few links to important marzipan info:

J.G. Niederegger GmbH & Co. KG is a worldwide acknowledged producer of marzipan based in Lübeck, Germany: http://shop.niederegger.de

The Danish Pastry House based in Watertown, MA: http://www.danishpastryhouse.com

Teucher of Switzerland makes great marzipan filled chocolates. They are a bit snobby, but I overlook that where marzipan is concerned: http://teuscherboston.com/catalog

I'll admit, right upfront, that I am a snob about Marzipan so I will strongly encourage you not to make this recipe with the supermarket shelf marzipan that sometimes only appears on the shelf around the holidays. Don't bother. Try to find a specialty foods store near you and buy a good quality European Marzipan. It really is worth the extra effort to find and use the good stuff... buy a little extra and keep it in the freezer for those marzipan emergencies.

-------------------------------------------------------
Plum and Marzipan Crisp

TOPPING

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) good quality marzipan (about 5 ounces)
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 sliced almonds

FILLING

2 1/4 pounds plums (about 12), halved, pitted, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

FOR TOPPING:
If using food processor: Blend flour, marzipan, sugar inprocessor until marzipan is finely ground. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until coarse crumbs form. Transfer to bowl and mix in almonds.

If working by hand: using a fork or a pastry cutter, blend flour, marzipan and sugar until thoroughly combined and marzipan is finely ground. Add butter and cut into flour mixture with two knives, pastry cutter or (my favorite) with your hands until the pieces of butter are smaller than peas. Add almonds and mix.

FOR FILLING:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to blend well.

TO ASSEMBLE CRISP:

Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the topping mixture in the bottom of a large and deep pie plate (10 inches is a good size). Top with plums. Sprinkle with remaining topping.

Bake until filling bubbles thickly and top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool.

This crips can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Serves 10 to 12

A Tale of Two Brownies

2007-05-12T06:41:00.000-05:00

Six years ago, my mom gave me a cookbook for my birthday. As is usual with me, it took me a while to look through it and start using some of the recipes, but when I did, I liked them. I liked them a lot. Some of those recipes even made it into the ranks of my weekly standards. This cookbook is The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten.

The very first time I flipped through that book I noticed right away that there was a brownie recipe and that it looked good. I wanted to make it, but everytime I ventured to do so I just could not get past the 1 lb. of butter the recipe called for. That is so much butter, and no-one else in my family likes brownies so I'll be the only one eating them... that means that I'll be eating a whole pound of butter. I just can't do it. I'd see images of myself sitting down at the table with a bowl full of butter and a spoon and that thought alone was enough to prevent me from ever knuckling down and trying the recipe.

Meanwhile, time goes by. Years go by. My friend Mary Ann tells me about the amazing brownies that her neighbor, Peter Kelly makes. They are the best brownies ever, she says. They are the quintessential brownie, the ultimate brownie, the best of brownie kind. Hmmm. Sounds good. Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to get a taste of one of these amazing brownies made by the master himself. Someday...

Well, this year for my birthday (mark this gentle reader - exactly six years to the day) Mary Ann made a batch of Peter Kelly's brownies for me. They were phenominal. I say "they were" because as of this writing they are all gone... gone the way of all good brownies. They were not too cakey, not too fudgy, very dark and chocolate with a hint of coffee and they had the much coveted thin, crinkly layer on top. They were amazing.

Now for the kicker. These brownies, these amazing creations, Peter Kelly's masterpieces were the very same brownies that I had resisted making for six years. Yes, Peter uses the Barefoot Contessa's recipe. It turns out that Ina Garten's brownies really have no more butter than anyone else's... her recipe does call for that frightening one pound of butter, but she also has you make the brownies in a half-sheet pan. If you cut the recipe in half for a 9x13 you only use 1/2 a pound of butter or if you cut it even further for an 8x8 pan you would only use 1/4 pound of butter... After all my hemming and hawing, after all my hand-wringing, after all my valiant efforts at resisting - these brownies were no worse for me than any other brownies. And on top of all that they are wondeful... Ina Garten calls them "outrageous" and I couln't agree with her more.

So, here is the fateful recipe for The Barefoot Contessa's amazing brownies (I've cut it in half so that you won't be frightened off by the pound of butter like I was - silly girl!). And thanks mom and Mary Ann and Peter Kelly for helping me find these brownies after all of these years.

One note about details... this recipe calls for extra-large eggs. If you feel inclined to run out to the store and buy a dozen extra large eggs feel free - or maybe you always have them in the fridge. I don't usually so I cheat and just use 3 large eggs... if you feel guilty about cheating you could add a little water to the recipe - you could even dissolve the instant coffee in said water and then add it. The bottom line is that either way I think you'll be happy with the resulting brownies. Oh my, this is getting complicated. Don't fuss, and don't worry. Just make them and eat them.

Ladies and Gentleman, start your ovens.

-----------------------------------------------

Brownies

1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1/2 pound plus 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces unsweeted chocolate
3 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 1/8 cup
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Melt together the butter, 1/2 pound chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. When melted, remove bowl from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1/2 cup of flour, the baking powder and salt. Add the cooled chocolate mixture.

Toss the walnuts and 6 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/8 cup flour, then add to the chocolate batter.

Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap (as in: to strike with a quick, smart, or light blow) the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Corn Casserole: the best dish at the pot-luck

2007-05-02T22:36:00.000-05:00

I hosted a pot-luck luncheon at my house this past Sunday and there was all kinds of amazing food - I supplied the 11 filet mignons with a red wine reduction and the two kinds of vegetable lasagna. Everything was delicious, but there was only one dish that I helped myself to a second time. It was this corn casserole - a variation of a southern spoon bread. It is absolutely delicious and when you see what goes in it you may be embarrassed on my behalf. Don't be. I'm not ashamed to admit that a side-dish made from Jiffy and creamed corn is amazing... one can't argue with the facts. So without further ado please give it up for...

Max's Easy & Delicioius Corn Casserole

1 can undrained cream-style corn
1 can undrained whole kernal corn
1/4-1/2 c. melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. sour cream or yogurt
1 8 oz. package corn muffin mix (like Jiffy)

Mix all ingredients together in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Bake in said dish, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

However am I going to eat all of those hard boiled eggs?

2007-04-12T15:06:00.000-05:00

I have about 14 hard boiled eggs in my refrigerator right now. They are beautifully decorated and dyed, but eventually I will have to find a way to eat them all. Throwing away food at my house is just not an option. They must be eaten, but what kind of options are there?

The obvious:

Peeled and sprinkled with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper a hardboiled egg is delicious and nutrious. It is loaded with protein (that is in the white) and iron (in the yolk). One large egg contains about 10 grams of fat - all in the yolk.

Quartered on a salad... nicoise or otherwise, hard cooked eggs are great on a salad.

Deviled eggs, of course, but you really need a party to get them all eaten and this is not a big party week.

Egg salad is obvious, but I've never actually eaten it myself. I saw a recipe for it though that called for eight hard cooked eggs and suddenly I thought it might be worth trying - it certainly would use up most of my problem.

The obscure:

Beet Soup - grate beets and onions into a large pot, add water, simmer then refrigerate. Once cool add salt and pepper to taste and chopped cucumber and quartered hard cooked eggs. Serve cold with sour cream or yogurt, fresh chopped dill and chopped scallions. This is a solid idea, the only problem is that it is the total wrong time of year for cold soup. Of course beet soup can be eaten hot, but I'm not as partial to it myself.

Egg Curry - I had a delicious egg curry at a friends house not that long ago that came to mind while I stood staring at the fourteen eggs taking up space next to the milk cartons. Saute coriander seeds, add chopped onions, garlic and tomatoes (canned is fine), simmer and add spices - either your own mix of tumeric, ground coriander, garam masala and or use a good quality curry powder (such as Penzey's Spice Company's)... add eight whole hard cooked eggs to simmering tomato and water and simmer. Cut eggs in half or quarters before serving and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve over white rice. If you are really feeling lazy - just go buy a jar of curry simmer sauce at Trader Joe's and simmer the eggs in that. Maybe add some spinach or cauliflower or whatever vegetables you can think of.

Other sources for recipes that use hard boiled eggs:

>> Try this website: http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/SEASONS/Easter/eastereggs.html

>> Or at least find comfort in knowing that you are not alone in your dilemma: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/389660

>> More ideas - http://homecooking.about.com/od/toprecipes/tp/hardboiledeggs.htm

According to Cooking Light Magazine, hard boiled eggs should be eaten within a week of being cooked... the count down begins.

Good Luck.

Flan - will a custard set with soymilk?

2007-03-24T16:32:00.000-05:00

I have always wondered about this, but I've never been motivated enough to find out. Until this week. I had a few really delicious flan while we were traveling around Arizona and I wanted to try it myself, but if I make it at home I'm going to be using soymilk and I have always assumed a custard would not set-up properly if you didn't use real milk. Boy, was I wrong.

I made the recipe from Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything" for Flan and just substitued soymilk for the milk - without making any other modifications. The recipe said the custard should be done around 30 minutes and mine were still completely liquid so I thought for sure that my little experiment was going to result in no custard, but even in my despair I kept on cooking them. Sure enough, 15 minutes later it was a little thicker and by a full 60 minutes it seemed completely set. Technically, one is supposed to remove the custards from the oven right before they set - so maybe next time I'll try taking them out at 45 or 50 minutes. I cooled the flans and then put them in the fridge to chill. I had one for my after lunch treat and it was amazingly and surprisingly great - very smooth and silky and not tasting overcooked. Both my husband and one of my daughters seconded this opinion - the daughter claiming that she should be allowed to finish the rest of my flan because it was so yummy.

It turns out that this works because it is really the eggs that do all the work of thickening in a custard. I always thought that the chemical make-up of the milk combined with the eggs to create the thickened custard, but I was wrong. In the end it is the magic of eggs that does the trick irregardless of the type of milk: soy or dairy.

Of course, you can use regular milk or cream if you want instead of the soymilk and it will probably be even better.

-------------------------------------------------
Soymilk Flan

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar

1. You can use a loaf pan and make one large flan or smaller ramekins. Six 6-ounce ramekins or 4 larger ones work well for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put water on to boil.

2. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar melts and mixture begins to darken. Stir occassionally. When the sugar mixture turns a dark golden brown - this will take about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour enough to coat the bottom into each ramekin, if using, or pour all into the bottom of the loaf pan.

3. Heat the soymilk and the vanilla in a small saucepan until it is just about to boil. Turn off burner and put aside.

4. Beat eggs, egg yolks, salt and sugar in a bowl with a whisk (or using an electric mixer) until they are a light yellow color.

5. Stirring constantly, pour the milk mixture in a thin stream into the egg mixture until they are completely combined. Pour into loaf pan or divide equall among the ramekins.

6. Put the loaf pan or the ramekins into a deep roasting dish and put it on the middle shelf in the oven. Pour boiling water into the roasting dish until the water comes about halfway up the sides of the custard dishes.

7. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the the custard is almost set, but the middles are still wiggly. Remove from oven and let cool. Refridgerate until you are ready to eat them.

8. To serve flan, place ramekin (or loaf pan) into hot water for 20 seconds, run a thin sharp knife around the edge of the dish and invert it onto a dessert plate.

For a finishing touch sprinkle the top with cinnamon.

In 'N Out Burger, Phoenix, AZ

2007-03-20T09:57:00.000-05:00

At long last, I can finally say I've eaten at the world famous In 'N Out Burger. It feels a little anticlimactic actually, not at all what I expected. Maybe the build-up to the straightforward meal of burger,fries and diet coke was just too much for such a simple meal to bear up under. I'm not saying it wasn't good. It was good. It was fine. The burger, anyway, was better than okay. It just wasn't great or even really good and if I hadn't gone there on purpose knowing it was something memorable and special I doubt if I would have taken note of this meal at all. It would not have made much of a lasting impression. Believe me I'm not trying to be contrary. I was predisposed to be delighted, but it just didn't happen for me. Personally, I'm always slightly annoyed at those persons who feel they must go against the general popular opinion, but that's not what I'm doing here. I would love to be able to report that it was the best ever, but it just wasn't.

Okay, let's analyze it. The burger was a real burger - thinner than I prefer, but tasting fresh and solid and with a ragged handmade shape to it that just made you feel that it wasn't stamped out of meat in some far off processing plant. The burger was good. I didn't know about the sauce that came on it, I'm not usually a fan of those special sauces, but I ate it like that with the standard lettuce, tomato and raw onion and I liked it. Neither of my children had ever eaten a hamburger in their lives and they each ate their naked burgers on buns with ketchup (one even ate a second). No, the burgers were good. Not thick and juicy and homemade tasting like the Wild Willy's ones, nor as thick and tasty as the UBurger ones, but solid and more than acceptable.

We did not like our french fries at all. I was shocked about this since I had reports of amazing fries at In 'N Out Burger, but these were terrible. None of us liked them. The texture was reminiscent of styrofoam and that in itself was enough to turn us off. Maybe they were having a bad day or maybe they just weren't to our taste, but UBurger beat them out in the french fry department for sure - even Wild Willy's whose fries are mediocre at best beat out the fries we had yesterday... they were just plain bad.

There is one point that I should mention. As we sat around the dinner table later that day discussing the In 'N Out Burger experience - and my dismay at finding it less than what I had anticipated - my husband asked about price. That's when the lightbulb went off in my head. That's the reason In 'N Out Burger is so great - it was incredibly cheap - certainly as cheap as McDonald's, but the food, with the exception of the french fries, was far superior. Wild Willy's is expensive (and takes a long time), UBurger is a little faster and cheaper, but not really cheap, In 'N Out Burger was cheap, very cheap and pretty fast (well, compared to Wild Willy's anyway). In 'N Out is high value - if you have to eat fast food then it is the place to go.

One final note: the store was amazingly clean. We wandered in around 3:00pm for lunch and were lucky enough to arrive at a moment when only two people were in line ahead of us. Ten minutes later, when we were sitting down at our table the line was out the door... amazingly this place is busy all day and they still manage to keep it spotless. The tables around us were wiped off as soon as they were vacated and the floors were swept up continuously. Everything seemed shiny and fresh which made the experience of sitting down and eating our burgers much more enjoyable. I found their operation quite impressive.

So was In 'N Out all I hoped and expected it to be? No it wasn't. But at least I've been now, I have my own opinion (and not all the other ones I've read and heard) and I get it now. That's a great feeling. Check it off.

Redendo's Pizzeria & Pasta, Fountain Hills AZ

2007-03-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

Redendo's
Pizzeria & Pasta
New York City
circa 1940s

Fountain Hills, AZ
480-816-1356

We'd been traveling in Northern Arizona for four days and I was tired of chili that stayed with me all day (and night) and burgers and fries. We'd somehow missed lunch between Tonto National Monument and Scottsdale and it was now 3:00pm and we were all starving and getting cranky. I was trying to gently nudge my family unit toward Subway - it always seems the least objectional fast food destination, but my husband saw a big sign in a strip mall that said "Pizza and Pasta" and he turned toward it. (sigh)... I wasn't expecting much.

We'd already had pretentious and mediocre pizza at Picazzo's in Sedona - overpriced and not very good. This place looked like mediocre pizza at best with the added bonus of at least not being over priced. Boy was I wrong.

They had homemade pesto with Pecorino Romano. They had a choice of cheese and they made me an excellent pizza with goat cheese, spinach, sauteed mushrooms, artichokes and kalamata olives. It was amazing. The girls had a cheese pizza which they loved. My husband had a giant Greek salad covered with two kinds of olives, roasted red peppers, feta, tomatoes... it was amazing.

I realized that this place was a great find about halfway through my third slice of pizza and so I resolved that I must try their homemade tiramisu. It was wonderful - a tiramisu to write home about for sure.

This is not the stylish neopolitan style pizza, but real "old fashioned" New York style crust that is thick and crunchy and substantial around the outer edge of the pie... not super thin, but toothsome and delicious.

I highly recommend this place for the next time you are passing through Fountain Hills and are ready for a really good meal.

Spaghetti Carbonara - my family's favorite

2007-03-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

Let me start with a warning: this recipe is not good for you. The Atkins and Zone folks will hate it because it is all pasta, and the low fat folks will hate it because it is loaded with cheese, eggs and bacon. If you are still reading at this point then you'll appreciate that this is one of the most delicious meals on the planet. One of the best things about this dish is that you can and probably do have everything you need to make it already on hand in your fridge or on your kitchen cupboard shelf. I like to have some really good bacon - my favorite is Neiman Ranch uncured bacon - in the fridge for any bacon emergencies that might come up. I mean, let's face it, you never know.

The name comes from the Italian charcoal makers who would go up into the forests for weeks at a time to cut timber and make charcoal. They could only bring food items that would keep and dry pasta, eggs, cured bacon, garlic and wine were perfect. Someone asked me how eggs could be on the list - since we refridgerate eggs. American eggs are washed which removes a protective layer from the shell that would keep them fresh without refridgeration. If you had your own chickens at home you could keep the eggs out on the counter until you used them.

I use all Pecorino Romano - freshly grated, but you can opt for all Parmigiano or a blend of the two. Whatever tastes best to you is the way to go. I also like to throw some frozen peas in with the pasta right at the end of the cooking because I like the little bit of bright color that they add the dish. My kids pick them out and pile them up on the sides of their plates, but someday when they grow up they'll like them too. If you happen to have a few garden fresh tomatoes around you can chop them up and toss them in or sprinkle them on top of the bowl. I'll also broil a few tomatoes and use them if that is the best I have. The red is pretty, yes, but it is the acidity of the tomato that pares well with the satiny richness of this dish. The original recipe (from Cook's Illustrated) has raw garlic mixed in with the eggs and cheese. I like that, but I've started adding the garlic to the bacon and wine instead to mellow out its bite - it was getting to be too much for the kids.

--------------------------------------
Spaghetti Carbonara

1 pound dry spaghetti
1 package best quality bacon (Neiman Ranch is great), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup dry white wine or Vermouth
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1 cup frozen peas, optional

1. Put water on to boil. Salt water if desired. When water boils, cook spaghetti (or whatever pasta you are using) according to package directions for al dente. If using peas, add them during the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking.

2. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat (I use cast iron for this because it keeps these components of the sauce warm while they are waiting for the pasta to finish cooking). Add bacon and cook, reducing heat if bacon begins to burn. Cook until the bacon fat is rendered. Turn heat to medium and add wine, stir and scrape for 30 seconds then add garlic. Stir for 1 minute then turn off heat and cover pan, put aside (at the back of the stovetop is a good spot).

3. Lightly beat together the three eggs and the cheese, put aside.

4. When pasta is done, scoop out 1 cup of the cooking water and reserve. Pour pasta into colander, let drain for 30 seconds then return to the cooking pot. If pasta seems dry or sticky, add enough of the reserved cooking water to loosen it up and moisten it. Pour warm bacon, wine, garlic mixture over pasta and stir to combine. Add egg and cheese mixture to pasta and stir to thoroughly coat.

Serve and Eat immediately. Have extra grated cheese and a pepper grinder at the table just in case you want to tweek your helping just a little bit. If you can - eat it all now. Spaghetti Carbonara doesn't really re-heat very well.

Lazy-girl's Banana Pudding

2007-03-10T09:41:00.000-05:00

I love cooked bananas. I am fond of frying up a few bananas in butter and adding dark brown sugar and a little rum for a delicious treat - my own simple version of Bananas Foster one could say. Well, in the last few weeks I've been feeling the need for comfort food, but even the rather benign step of melting butter in a frying pan (thus requiring the washing of a dirty pan) was beyond me. Step-in my latest use of the microwave.

This is barely a recipe, but the result is delicious so I'm posting it here, despite its shortcomings, as an excercise in sharing. I would hate to think that anyone might miss out on such warm sweet delights for lack of information.

----------------------------------------------
Lazy Banana Pudding

2 ripe bananas, sliced
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
a pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon rum.

Combine everything in a roomy microwave safe bowl, cover with an inverted plate - or whatever cover you prefer and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes.

Remove from microwave and stir to combine.

If you prefer you can reserve the salt until the bananas are cooked and then sprinkle the top of the pudding with the pinch of salt. The pudding is certainly on the sweet side and the touch of salt sprinkled across the top is rather reminiscent of those popular salted carmels - the salt makes the sweetness even better and more interesting.

Serve with milk or cream.

Serves: Well, it really could serve two, but I'm afraid most of the time it serves just one.

Homemade Croutons - the easy way

2007-02-17T13:45:00.000-05:00

I made a batch of these this morning from a very stale loaf of french bread and they came out so crisp and delicious that they are already almost all gone. I like to put them in my soup or eat my tuna salad on them. My husband likes them in his daily salad. They would also make a good substitue for crackers if you were doing a little wine and cheese thing one evening.

There are all different ways to make croutons that involve sauteeing bread cubes in oil which puts me off entirely - too messy and oily for me. This method is so simple that I've even enlisted my kids to help me. In fact, it was my youngest who discovered that if you "paint" both sides of the bread with oil they turn out even better.

I used to put the grated cheese on them, but I've stopped. It's a whole extra step in the process and they seem to be just as amazingly good without.

-----------------------------------------------
Croutons
adapted from Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa"

1 loaf stale baguette
good quality extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated pecorino romano or parmigiano-reggiano(optional)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice bread into 1/4-inch slices. Brush one side with olive oil. Arrange in rimmed cookie sheet in single layer. Salt and pepper generously. Sprinkle with cheese if using. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Let cool completely. Store in a heavy ziplock storage bag.

High Value Chocolates for your Valentine

2007-02-16T17:58:00.000-05:00

Just before Valentine’s Day, The New York Times had an article on the front page (below the fold, of course) about special chocolates that cost $2000 a pound. Here’s the title and the link if you want to read more.

YOUR MONEY
Figuring Out Gift Giving in the Age of $2,000-a-Pound Chocolate

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/10/business/10money.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Well, my Valentine loves chocolate, but I wasn’t about to consider these super expensive kinds. Not even the little box from NoKa for $65 was worth it to me. No, you have to know your Valentine and mine finds value and frugality more seductive than expensive purchases.

So what was a cost conscious girl to do? I may be on a beer budget, but my tastes are very champagne… it had to be low cost, yes, but very good quality and preferably very dark chocolate. Trader Joe’s came to the rescue. While there picking up the few things I needed for something else I was making, I found a new product that fit the bill exactly: a box of handmade dark chocolates for $2.99. Should I blush to admit it? Well, I won’t I tell you. Yes, it was down right cheap, but it turned out that they are fabulous chocolates and my Valentine has nearly annihilated the entire box. They are all dark chocolate with different flavors – mocha, orange, mint… and they are truly delicious.

You must try them. I insist. For $2.99 I think I’ll buy my Valentine another box. Maybe he needs one a week. On second thought, that would add up to quite a bit over the course of a year. Why I could get 52 boxes of these chocolates for the cost of one medium sized box of NoKa truffles. I think I’ll take the 52 boxes every time – especially when they are this good.

Trader Joe's
Dark Chocolate Collection
Handcrafted, Premium Dark Chocolate

Making that Miso Soup

2007-02-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

My husband and I went out for dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant in the area. It was a cold wintery night and as I cupped the steaming savory bowl of miso soup in my hands all I could think was "I want to make Miso Soup like this at home." Why is it so hard to make a Miso soup that tastes just like the wonderful one I get at my favorite Japanese Restaurants? Don’t waste your time on any of those instant miso soup packets from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s – I’ve tried them all and they just don’t come close to the wonderful warming substance that you get served at the restaurant.

Here’s the deal: You have to make it yourself. The good news is that it is very simple to put together. There are, it must be said, a few oddly named ingredients – things you probably won’t have on hand already, but don’t panic. Go to the Asian food store and buy dried bonito flakes, a piece of dried kelp and wakame. It will be worth it.

This recipe will give you a soup just like the one I had the other night with one big caution - it will be far less salty. I haven't specified any amount for the salt because it will depend on each persons taste preferences. I've eaten this soup with no added salt and liked it and with lots of added salt and liked it too. Depends on your mood, how health conscious you may be feeling among other things.

One other point that bears mentioning… if you want it to taste like the kind at the restaurants use shiro miso (white fermented-soybean paste) and not some other kind of miso. I’ve followed other recipes that say to use whatever kind of miso you want and they produce a fine soup, but it is not the exact same flavor that I was specifically trying to replicate at home. So in this case, where what we are after is duplication, it is worth using this specific type of miso. Once you get used to making it feel free to branch out and try different varieties.

I wanted to see how difficult it would be to find these ingredients so I stopped at a couple of stores to investigate the International Food isle. I found bonito flakes and wakame at Whole Foods, but it took a trip to the Asian Food store near me to find the Kelp and the Shiro Miso. Whole Foods has a variety of misos - barely miso, chickpea miso, red miso, but not the shiro miso I wanted. Miso is refridgerated so you won't find it on the shelf with the soy sauces and the dry noodles. The good news here is that even though you have to track down some of the ingredients they all have a very long shelf life - even the miso, which has to be refridgerated, will last nearly forever. All the dried seaweed and fish will also keep indefinitely.

Dashi is a delicate basic stock, made with dried bonito flakes, that is used extensively in Japanese cooking. Its clarity and flavor can make or break a dish.

Ingredients for Dashi
1 (3 to 4-inch piece) kombu (dried kelp)
6 cups cold water
1 (5-g) package katsuo bushi (dried bonito flakes; 1/2 cup)

to make the Dashi:
Wipe any sand or salt from kombu with a dampened cloth. Bring kombu and water just to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat. Remove kombu with tongs and reserve for another use.
Sprinkle katsuo bushi over liquid and remove pan from heat. Let stand 3 minutes, then pour through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl.

---------------------------------------------------
Miso Soup

1/2 cup dried wakame (a type of seaweed)
1/4 cup shiro miso (white fermented-soybean paste)
6 cups dashi
1/2 lb soft tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
salt to taste

Prepare wakame: Combine wakame with warm water to cover by 1 inch and let stand 15 minutes, or until reconstituted. Drain in a sieve.
Make soup: Stir together miso and 1/2 cup dashi in a bowl until smooth. Heat remaining dashi in a saucepan over moderately high heat until hot, then gently stir in tofu and reconstituted wakame. Simmer 1 minute and remove from heat. Immediately stir in miso mixture and scallion greens and serve. __Serves 6.

Kettle Chips Party Pack of Unreleased Flavors

2007-02-06T10:49:00.000-05:00

Kettle Chips
http://www.kettlefoods.com

Although the official voting is over and done and the Kettle site has named its winner, it is still not too late to order any of the five unreleased flavors. I’d been saving up my own Kettle Party Pack for just the right occasion and the Super Bowl seemed like the right time to pull it out and inflict it on all my friends. Not all of the flavors were loved (I believe several people called the Aztec Chocolate “disgusting”), but it certainly gave us all plenty to talk about during the pre-game show.

Here is the list of flavored chips that we sampled:

Twisted Chili Lime
Dragon Five Spice
Aztec Chocolate
Royal Indian Curry
Island Jerk

I collected only 8 ballots at the party, but people had a lot of additional detail to report to me about what they like, didn’t like at all, what they thought a potato chip should be, how it should be treated. I had no idea that people felt so strongly about potato chips. In the end, nobody in our small group liked the Aztec Chocolate – the best it could rate was “not as bad as I expected it to be”. Dragon Five Spice got three votes for favorite flavor as did Island Jerk.

For me personally, I found that it was a toss up between Royal Indian Curry, Island Jerk and Twisted Chili Lime. Several people strongly disliked the Chili Lime flavor – it was love it or hate it, I guess. For my tastes the Curry wasn’t spicy enough and had too much sweetness to it. I thought the chip with the best kick was the Island Jerk (glad to see that it won in the official race) and I wished that some of the other flavors had been a little hotter.

Now that the official voting at the Kettle website is over you can create your own party pack with the flavors you liked best and have it mailed to you directly from Kettle. It was a fun idea for a party although don’t forget that some people are potato chip purists and make sure you have some plain, salted chips on hand to keep them happy (and quiet).

Chowder Days are back.

2007-02-06T09:44:00.000-05:00

I love chowder. I grew up eating some of the best clam chowder in the world at a restaurant called The Grog in Newburyport – a north shore suburb of Boston. Sadly, when I stopped being able to eat milk and cream I had to give up chowder. Recently, my friend gave me a recipe for corn and scallop chowder that looked so good, I just couldn’t not try it. The only dairy was 1/2 a cup of half-and-half which I thought I could either skip altogether or find some acceptable substitute for. Originally, I was going to use 1/2 a cup of finely pureed cooked cauliflower, but in the end I couldn’t find cauliflower the day I was in the mood to make it so I took the simplest option and just added an extra potato. I made a few other minor modifications to the original recipe – in addition to dropping the cream - to liven it up a little bit and the result came out amazingly creamy and hearty. My husband tried it and then kept eating bowl after bowl. “I can’t stop eating that soup you made,” he said. With a comment like that we’ll forgive him for calling it soup.

If you do manage to have any left over, this chowder keeps well for a few days in the fridge, but it does tend to thicken up quite a bit. I added some boiling water to thin it out when I reheated it.

------------------------------------------------
Corn and Seafood Chowder

1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced leek or shallots
1 cup thinly sliced celery
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large all purpose potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
32 ounces fat-free low sodium chicken broth
3/4 pound seafood (one or all of scallops, shrimp or calamari)

1/2 cup half-and-half, if using

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsely

1.Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leek and celery; sauté for two minutes. Sprinkle with flour, stirring to coat.

2. Add potato, corn, salt, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.
3. Add seafood and cook for two minutes or until seafood is cooked through (shrimp turn pink, a scallop sliced open will be opaque all the way through).

4. If using, stir in half-and-half at this point. Stir in parsley.

Yes it is a chicken sandwich. No, it isn't boring.

2007-02-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

Sandwich of the week at my house: Broiled Chicken Breast with herbs, avocado, cranberry-pepper jelly and great bread. I’ve been eating this sandwich every day for a week and I’m still loving it. I make a big batch of the chicken and keep it in the fridge so that I can whip up one of these masterpieces whenever I’m hungry. The sandwich is sweet and spicy, creamy and crunchy. It really has me going as evidenced by my being unable to eat anything else for so long. I love it with the Herb Broiled Chicken, but if you are in the mood to cut corners you can used canned chicken like the kind they sell at Trader Joe’s and CostCo… it won’t be as wonderful, but it is still pretty good.

What you will need:

1 Herb Broiled Chicken breast (see recipe below)
two slices of your favorite bread
1/2 a ripe Haas avocado
Cranberry-Pepper Jelly

To assemble:

Place two slices of bread side-by-side on a plate. Slice the avocado into thin slices and lay them, overlapping, across one slice of bread. Spread the other slice of bread with a generous slather of cranberry-pepper jelly. Arrange chicken breast on one of the pieces of bread and top with the other (topping side facing the chicken). Slice and eat.

It helps to have ripe avocados on hand. I have the best luck with avocados if I purchase them rock hard, let them ripen up in a hanging basket in my kitchen and then refrigerate them once they are ripe (before they get too ripe). They’ll keep at the point of ripeness in the cool of the fridge for several days at least.

I use the cranberry pepper jelly that I discussed in my posting of 11/15/06. And the bread I make myself from my posting on 12/8/06. You can use whatever jelly and bread you prefer.

-----------------------------------------------
Herb Broiled Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed
freshly ground coarse sea salt
freshly ground coarse black pepper
2 teaspoons dried herbs (such as sage, thyme, marjoram)

1. Lay chicken breasts on counter between two sheets of butcher paper or plastic wrap. Using a kitchen mallet – or a cast iron frying pan – pound the meat until it is a uniform thickness – between 1/4 and 1/2 and inch thick.

2. Liberally season pounded chicken breast and chicken tenderloins with salt, pepper and herbs on both sides. Wrap chicken up in the paper or plastic wrap you are using and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Pre-heat broiler. Remove chicken from fridge, unwrap and arrange in a single layer on a broiler pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes per side under the broiler (tenderloins cook in 3-4 minutes a side). Remove from broiler and check internal temperature with an instant read thermometer or slice into to check for doneness. Wrap chicken in a clean sheet of aluminum foil and refrigerate until cool.

Healthy and Delicious Fast Food - am I dreaming?

2007-02-03T09:46:00.000-05:00

KnowFat! Lifestyle grille

www.knowfat.com

It appears to be a fast foot style restaurant, but if you EAT-IN your food will be brought to your table on real ceramic plates and you’ll get to eat it with metal flatware. There are burgers and fries on the menu, but the burgers are made from lean beef, turkey or Bison and the fries are Airfries that are baked in the oven. You really know that your are in an alternate universe when you get your receipt - in addition to listing how much money you spent it tells you how many calories your meal was and how much protein, carbohydrates and fat were in each item. Whoa baby - I've never seen anything like this before.

So how does all that fat conscious food taste?

Well, I loved my steamed quinoa with roasted Mediterranean vegetables and lean sirloin tips and turkey tenderloins (591 calories, 60 grams of protein, 48 grams of carbs and 15 grams of fat). There just aren’t many places to get quinoa outside of the home kitchen so I was charmed by the novelty. The meats were lean and the low fat sauces were tasty. It was a very satisfying and tasty experience. On top of all that I knew exactly what I'd just consumed thanks to my handy dandy nutritional analysis on my receipt. Some folks might think that kind of reporting is too much, but I loved know exactly what I was eating.

So far so good. Then I needed to run a more stringent test. I brought one of my daughters. Let’s see how their low fat fast food does against her pickiness. She ordered one of the kids’ meals which came with a huge plate of baked French fries and three breaded (but not fried) chicken tenders and a drink (612 calories, 30 grams of protein, 70 grams of carbs, and 13 grams of fat). She ate it all so it couldn’t have been too bad. I stole a few fries out of sheer curiosity and found them very crisp and crunchy, but the taste was a little off for me. The chicken tenders were really delicious – very well seasoned.

For this second visit I had a chicken teriyaki and broccoli burro – which consisted of the a lowfat, whole wheat tortilla filled with steamed brown rice and the chicken and broccoli (680 calories, 39 grams of protein, 105 grams of carbs and 10 grams of fat). It was fine, although certainly nothing to write home about. I felt very healthy eating it and quite contentedly full after.

So would I eat there again? Yes – especially if they were a choice at the food court or in an airport (they will soon have a store at Logan International Airport). It isn’t the best food I’ve ever eaten, but it beats the usual suspects of fast food places hands down. In a situation where my only choices were Pizza Hut, KFC and McDonalds I’d pick the Knowfat! Lifestyle grille every time. My daughter said it was fine, but she won't be begging me to take her back any time soon.

I love the idea – maybe they could refine the food a little more. They have restaurants opening all over the country so check out their website to see if there is one near you to visit and test out.

Roast Lemon Chicken

2007-02-01T07:06:00.000-05:00

I combined three different recipes to make this roast chicken last night for dinner and it was so amazing I had to share it. Roast chicken is pretty straightforward, but I did a few things here that I don't regularly do... I used a larger chicken - could they be more flavorful? - I cooked at a higher temperature - I rubbed the chicken with olive oil before roasting and last but not least, I stuffed the cavity with garlic, rosemary and lemon - I usually leave it empty. The combination of all of these new steps made for one delicious bird.

For the chicken:

1 5-6 pound naturally raised roasting chicken
2 teaspoons each: sugar, salt, herbs (such as sage, marjoram, thyme)
1 lemon
2-3 sprigs rosemary
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the sauce:

Pan drippings
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
juice of one lemon

First off, I bought a six pound roasting chicken because my family of four have big appetites and the small 3-4 pound broilers are just too small for us these days.

Next I did my standard dry rub (see the 11/15/06 post ) but I doubled the quantities so it was 2 teaspoons each: salt, sugar and herbs. Also, I didn’t have time to let it age in my fridge for two days so I did it for just over 24 hours – maybe 30 hours. Which was fine – so now we know.

I took the chicken out of the fridge to come to room temperature about an hour before roasting it. I preheated the oven to 450 degrees – much hotter than I normally use, but I was running late and I had to get dinner on the table. Necessity is the mother of invention, right. Now here’s the changes to my normal, everyday roast chicken.

I stuffed the cavity with one lemon, cut into four quarters, a few sprigs of rosemary and one head of garlic cut in half.

Next I rubbed the bird all over with olive oil and set it breast side down on a rack in my roasting pan.

I roasted it at 450, breast side down for 40 minutes. Then I took it out of the oven and carefully turned it over so the breast was up. The skin was quite dark – not quite burnt, but very browned. I roasted it for another 35 minutes and then turned the heat down to 425 for another 10 minutes.

Once it was done (165 in the thickest part of the thigh) I took it out turned it up to drain out all the juices from the cavity into the roasting pan and then set the chicken to rest on a plate. I discared the lemon, rosemary and garlic that were in the cavity.

I made a quick sauce with the pan drippings. First I set the roasting pan on a burner on medium high heat until it was boiling rapidly. Then I added 1/2 a cup of white wine and stirred and scraped with a wooden spoon until the liquid was reduced by about 1/2. I then added 3/4 cup of chicken broth and stirred and scraped some more. Then I poured the contents of the pan into my gravy separater and let it sit for a minute until all the fat had risen to the top. I poured the sauce through a strainer – stopping when I hit the fat portion of the liquid - into a clean sauce pan and heated it up to a rapid boil. Then I turned off the heat and added 1 tablespoon of butter and the juice of one lemon.

I served the chicken with the sauce on the side and it was one of the best chickens I’ve ever made.

Cake Two

2007-01-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

Well, the week is up, but the cakes are still coming. Here's the second cake of the three and its a good one.

This is the cake I make every year for one of my daughter’s birthday. It is the Cook’s Illustrated recipe for vanilla cupcakes, but it is simple enough to make it in two 9-inch cake pans instead. It may be vanilla, but it isn’t plain or boring… it is very rich and buttery. I have to frost it with cream cheese frosting which I’ll happily admit may be a little over the top, because this future foodie daughter of mine tasted cream cheese frosting for the first time a few years ago and announced, “It is so good, I could die.”

The beauty of this recipe is that it is a snap. There are no fussy extra steps and it is so easy you’ll wonder why you haven’t been whipping up cakes like this for years.

Yellow Cake with cream cheese frosting
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Jan/Feb 2003

CAKE

1 1/2 (7.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Line with parchment paper circle and butter and flour that.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.
3. Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake until the cake tops are pale gold and a toothpick or skewer insterted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 25-35 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Carefully turn out of pans onto racks and let cool completely.
4. Frost with chocolate frosting or cream cheese frosting.

FROSTING

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups (1 pound) confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Put cream cheese and butter into bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat together, starting on slow speed and increasing to medium until well combined, about a minute. Add vanilla and mix on medium speed for another 30 seconds.

2. Add confectioners sugar and mix on slow speed until sugar is fully incorporated. Run on medium for the last 30 seconds until frosting appears smooth and satiny.

A Three Cake Week: Cake One

2007-01-22T18:07:00.000-05:00

It is going to be a busy week. I’ve got two birthday cakes to make, a special tempting dessert for a school meeting and maybe even something special for my book club. That is a lot of cakes for one week – even at my house.

Cake 1 - Luxury Lemon Cake

The first cake is for a meeting for my daughters’ school – a meeting that I’m trying to get people to come out for at my house to help me organize a fun event that is coming up in March. Let’s face it – this dessert is a bribe to get my friends to come out on a cold January night when they could be snuggling up at home. It has to be amazing, over the top and not that complicated – since I have a very busy day myself tomorrow. Also, it had to be both nut and chocolate free because of food allergies... this cake is both. The Luxury Lemon Cake wins for amazingly delicious – rich and moist and very very lemony. I’m going to serve it with my January strawberries (see my 1/16/07 entry) and a dollop of lemon mousse. I’m sort of cheating on the mousse, but really one has to cut corners somewhere. I’m going to fold some Stonewall Farms lemon curd into some Fat Free Cool Whip. My idea is to have lemon in different textures and forms and then the strawberries will brighten up the plate.

A few notes about this recipe. I don’t bother using super fine sugar. Feel free to use it if you have it or if you really want to use it and can’t find it in the store you can process regular granulated sugar in your food processor to make super fine sugar yourself.

I sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and then stir them for about a minute with a wire whisk to ensure that they are thoroughly combined.

Anytime the recipe calls for wax paper I use parchement paper - because I have it on hand. Either one will work.

I’ve made this recipe in a regular bundt pan and it was fine – so if you already have a bundt don’t feel like you have to run out and buy a 10-inch tube. I did invest in one finally because I love this cake so much and know I’ll be making it often.

And one final plea: Don’t skip the glaze! This glaze is designed to be absorbed into the warm cake – it ups the lemon ante as well as tenderizing the cake. So no matter what – don’t skip that step it takes this cake to higher level.

-----------------------------------------------
Luxury Lemon Cake
(recipe by Lisa Yockelson)

Makes one 10-inch cake

CAKE

Shortening (for the pan)
Flour (for the pan)
Finely grated rind of 3 lemons
2 teaspoons lemon extract
3 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (preferabley fine sea salt)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 3/4 cups superfine sugar
5 eggs
1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a plain 10-inch tube pan, line the bottom of the pan with a circle of waxed paper. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess; set aside

2. In a small bowl, combine the lemon rind and extract.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl or onto a piece of waxed paper.

4. In an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar in three additions, beating for 1 minute after each one. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each one. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to keep the batter even textured.

5. Blend in the lemon mixture. On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.

6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula.

7. Bake the cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake is clean when withdrawn and the cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan.

GLAZE

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon juice. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Bring to a rapid boil, the remove the pan from the heat.

2. When the cake is done, cool it in the pan for 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully invert onto another cooling rack, peel away the waxed paper, then set right-side up on another rack. Brush the top and sides of the warm cake with glaze.

3. Leave the cake to cool completely.

Filet Mignon windfall...

2007-01-19T13:59:00.000-05:00

Seven years ago when my husband and I bought our two family house we rented out the first floor apartment to the most wonderful couple. They had been landlords themselves and were therefore super responsible and helpful the whole time they lived there. Sadly, for us, they found a house to buy and moved out, but not far - only a few blocks away.

Every year after that, around Christmas, a large styrofoam box would arrive in the mail addressed to them even though they no longer lived there. Every year, I would want to keep that box - suspecting that it contained some expensive and delicious food items and every year I would wrestle through the decision to do the "right thing" and call up our old tenants and make sure they got their package. Last year, Pauline said, "If you get another one next year - just keep it. I get so many of these things I can never eat them all." She works in a job where she is unundated with these types of gifts at the holidays - lucky her.

So this year, knowing that I could keep whatever came without guilt, I waited expecantly. And of course, nothing came. Figures. Then yesterday what should appear on the front step of our apartment but a giant styrofoam box addressed to Pauline. Yah! I thought - this is it.

I brought it inside and slit the tight plastic wrap that was holding the cooler lid on tight. I pulled out two bags of dry ice and underneath was a box of 12 filet mignons (6 oz. servings). Wow. Now that is a treat.

Here's the dilemma: What should we do with them? Should Linas and I eat them all one by one over the next year? Should I have a big dinner party? How should I cook them? My first thought was 12 individual Beef Wellingtons - that is one of my very favorite things... that would be good and it would make the beginnings of a fun dinner party.

Let me know what you think I should do? Suggestions. Recipes. Thoughts and comments.

I'll let you know what the final verdict is and post the recipe I ended up using.

Winter Vegetable Soup

2007-01-17T06:50:00.001-05:00

This is my favorite winter vegetable soup – I think the parsnips really make it. It is simple and hearty, warming and delicious. This is low fat, high fiber and so yummy you won’t even care that it is good for you. Now if we can just get the weather to start acting like winter it will be the perfect time of year to make this soup.

---------------------------------------------------
Winter Vegetable Soup

1 lb. parsnips, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 onions coarsely chopped
2 large stalks celery
1 small turnip, peeled and chopped
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
sour cream, crème fraiche, pureed cauliflower, croutons, finely chopped parsley or chives as a garnish (optional)

In an ample heavy bottomed soup pot (4 to 6 quarts) combine the parsnips, carrots, celery, turnips and stock or water and bring to a boil.

Simmer the mixture until the vegetables are tender (40-50 minutes).

In a blender, puree the mixture, adding water or broth if necessary to thin to desired consistency.

Return pureed soup to pot and adjust seasonings.

Garnish and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

January Strawberries: Rescued!

2007-01-16T09:23:00.000-05:00

I make a lot of rules for my own life, but I can’t always live up to them. For example, I don’t buy strawberries in January. Strawberries are lovely and delicious picked under the late June sun, but the ones you get in the frosty mid-winter months just don’t measure up. So why waste your money. (sigh) Yesterday, the strawberries just looked so beautiful and red and luscious I was suckered into to buying a quart. After all, it is hard, trying to live by the rules all the time.

I bought them from a wonderful wholesale distributor near my house so it wasn’t just the top berries that looked good – they were beautiful all the way down to the bottom layer in the box. The only problem was the taste. Ach! Closer to lemon than any bright red berry should ever be.

So here’s what I did:

Cut the tops of the berries, and cut them into quarters (the long way).
Added 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

I mixed it up thoroughly and then left it sitting on the kitchen counter while we ate our dinner. Every time I walked by I’d give it a little stir.

By dessert time, these berries were coated in a sweet and delicious sauce. I filled up a bowl with chocolate ice cream and smothered it in berries and sauce and it was truly fantastic. Somehow the liquer and the sugar and the berry juice had combined into an amazingly delicious sauce that was not screaming any one particular flavor… I couldn’t really tell that all that orange brandy was in there… all I knew was that I felt like licking my bowl when I finished.

Now, I’m not planning on buying anymore berries this winter – after all it is counter to my own rules for living, but at least now, if I should happen to stumble I’ll know what to do with those sour berries that looked so great when I was standing in the produce aisle.

A New Twist on Pork Tenderloin

2007-01-09T16:50:00.000-05:00

I made this pork for dinner on Friday night and it was universally praised – from the youngest child to the oldest grandparent present. This being the case, I thought it was probably good enough to share. I've combined two Mark Bittman recipes together here because the pan sauce Mr. Bittman used in his pork recipe was a cream sauce and I do my best to go non-dairy most of the time. I love this for its simplicity - it isn't complicated or time consuming but the results are delicious – that is a given - but also almost elegant. I pre-heated a lovely french porcelain casserole dish which I removed the meat to after it cooked, I then poured the pan sauce over all and – since I had chopped fresh parsley on hand I actually did sprinkle it over all. I did forget to take a picture. Well, I’ll have to do that the next time I make it.

--------------------------------------------------
Twice Cooked Pork Tenderloin with Soy-Ginger Sauce

1 boneless pork tenderloin, between 1 and 2 pounds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 Tablespoons butter, or olive oil or a combination

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves for garnish, optional

1. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Put a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat; a minute later add 2 tablespoons of butter and/or oil. When butter foam subsides or oil dimples, add meat (curve it into skillet if necessary). Brown it well on all sides, for a total of 4-6 minutes. Turn off heat, remove meat from pan, and let it sit on a large plate. When skillet has cooled a bit, proceed.

2. Cut meat into inch-thick slices. (I don’t bother pulling out my tape measure for this – the width of the first two fingers on my right hand is just about 1 inch so I use them to measure). Once again turn heat to medium-high, add 1 tablespoon butter and/or oil and when it is hot, add pork slices to pan. Brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes each. Turn heat to low and remove meat to a warm platter. I used an instant read thermometer, stuck deep into the narrow side of each piece of pork to double check that the internal temperature was over 140 degrees. Pork is ideal at 150, and it will continue cooking even after it is removed from the heat of the pan, but you want it to be over 140 at least before you consider it done enough.

3. Add soy sauce and sherry to pan, turn heat to high, and cook, stirring and scraping, for a minute. Lower heat slightly, add ginger and continue cooking and stirring for another minute. Turn off heat and add the last 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Stir sauce until butter is completely melted, then taste and adjust seasonings. Pour pan sauce over pork and sprinkle with parsley if you like.

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

BBQ Sauce Variation (lowfat)
I use my cast iron skillet for this since it goes under the broiler without any risk. Steps one and two are the same, although I cut back on the amount of oil/butter used and just spray the pan. In step 3, use 1/2 a cup of red wine or beer to deglaze the pan and cook until it is almost completely reduced. Add 1 cup of your favorite barbeque sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's - it isn't complex but it satisfies my requirements for a sweet and smoky flavor and I put enough ground pepper on the meat to add some spice to the final product) to the pan and stir. Return the pork to the pan along with any juices that accumulated on the plate while they were resting. Turn the meat to coat it completely with sauce. Arrange meat in single layer and spread another 1/2 cup of barbeque sauce over top of pork. Put pan under broiler for 3-5 minutes - until meat is starting to blacken on corners. Turn slices of pork over and brush with more sauce and return to broiler for another 3-5 minutes. Now they are ready to serve.

Roasting Veggies - broccoli?

2007-01-06T15:39:00.000-05:00

Kizz wrote:
OK, another question. Roasting veggies and including broccoli? Good idea? Bad idea? parameters? Cauliflower, too?

OK, technically that's a ton of questions but at least it's just the one theme.
January 6, 2007 11:14:00 AM EST

Sara writes:

Good question. I'd vote no on broccoli, but maybe that's just me. I mean - to be totally honest - I haven't ever tried roasting broccoli. Cauliflower you can definitely do - see the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated - they had an entire write up and multi step cauliflower roasting recipe and it looked good.

I like my broccoli cooked,yes, but not overly. I love it steamed until bright green and then tossed with butter and sea salt -yum. Even my kids will eat it all up (and fight over it) if you use enough butter. I love broccoli in stir fries too, but I not getting good vibes from roasting. Turnips - yum. Eggplant - even yummier. Potatoes - obvious but still good. Onions, garlic, squash - sure. I'm afraid you'd end up with squishy soggy overcooked broccoli. You know broccoli is related to cabbage - well, imagine roasted cabbage here. Eeeewww. Right. Me too.

You could roast the other veggies and then add the broccoli in the final five minutes - hmmm. Try that and see if you get the best of both worlds. Roasted veggies and perfectly cooked broccoli.

Let me know.
sara c.

Costa Rican Single Source Drinking Chocolate

2007-01-02T18:24:00.000-05:00

So I finally tried the third Allegro Single Source Drinking Chocolate - along with my willing volunteer tasting panel. So why has it taken me so long to write about it?

Well, it was delicious. Definitely. It was very rich and certainly very chocolate. So far so good, but all very obvious. It was not like the Peruvian or the Columbian - it continued to amaze me by being quite distinctly flavored. Now the hard part. How to describe the rich chocolatiness as something completely distinct and unique. I've been stumped. It has required repeated "tests" of the Costa Rican hot chocolate.

We all liked it. I still like it. My favorite of the three types will remain the Colombian - the espresso of hot chocolates in my book. This Costa Rican was delicious. It reminded me of chocolate pudding, but I couldn't tell you why. Imagine a drinkable and warm chocolate pudding.

Again, I'd have to say recommended with reservations - delicious, chocolaty, but also farely expensive. One of my volunteer tasters has recommended Green and Black's Organic Hot Chocolate. That will be up next in my chocolate testing schedule. Any volunteers?

Eccles Cakes - who knew?!

2006-12-30T09:16:00.000-05:00

I walked into my local Irish bakery yesterday to get a little nibble and to waste a few minutes out of the cold while the girls and I waited for our train to the city. The Celtic Crust makes wonderful scones - the best I've had on this side of the Atlantic - and excellent Irish Soda bread and mediocre everything else. While the girls and I studied the display case, a gentleman in front of us in line ordered "one Eccles cake". Hmmm. Here was something new. What is an Eccles cake? Never heard of that before. The sign in the display case said it was made of "puff pastry, raisins, and brown sugar." It looked like a round flaky tart dotted with raisins and sprinkled with sugar. Interesting.

Then the gentleman who had just ordered one started talking. To me. He was obviouly English and said he used to live in Eccles and knew a thing or two about Eccles cakes. These examples that I saw before me, he said, were a very near approximation of the original. Fancy that - a newly discovered pastry and the world's leading authority on it, all in one accidental encounter - I had to have one.

So how was it? Well it was flat and flaky, sweet and rather sticky and it had plump sweet raisins sandwiched in between the sheets of pastry here and there. It was tasty and certainly sweet, but not an instant favorite. My curiosity was completely satisfied, however, and I went on my way content in the knowledge that once again I had left no new food item go by untasted.

For the history behind,and recipe for, Eccles Cakes follow this link (take particular note that the cakes were banned by the Puritans "due to their juicy and exotic richness" : http://www.salford.gov.uk/living/yourcom/salfordlife/aboutsalford/salfordlocalhistory/localhistory-eccles/ecclescakes.htm

McDonald's and Me

2006-12-28T18:38:00.000-05:00

I don't actually hate McDonald's. In fact, and this is not easy to admit, I really enjoy the taste of their food. Like most everyone else, I love their french fries. I really enjoy eating their Quarter Pounder. The problem I have is that after I've happily consumed it all I end up feeling rather sick. That being the case, I tend to avoid the Golden Arches as much as humanly possible. Today, for some reason, the cosmic forces moved my orbit just a little too close to the McDonald's at Boston's South Station for me to escape the gravitational pull of the Happy Meal. I was escorting three hungry children who wanted to go there and since this was their trip to the New England Aquarium I had to give in and bought everyone lunch at McDonald's.

There was a long line - the first of many that we encountered today - so I had some time to consider what exactly I could get for myself that wouldn't leave me feeling queasy. I considered the grilled chicken sandwich, but in the end I opted for the asian salad with grilled chicken. The salad was remarkable in one way - it was completely tasteless. The only thing in it that had a distinguishable flavor were the mandarin orange slices. The chicken tasted like salt and not much else. Those quibbles aside, the salad did fulfill my immediate requirements - it filled me up and didn't make me sick.

The girls gobbled up their happy meals and then started in playing with the toys. Here's the kicker - those happy meal toys were one of the best things that happened to us. The girls played an elaborate game with them on the 20 minute walk to the Aquarium, in the 30 minute wait in line to get into the Aquarium and then later when we were waiting for our outbound train at the station. The toys turned all that waiting time into a fun playtime. I guess that means it was worth the trip to McDonald's... although it is hard to admit.

Christmas Eve Fried Shrimp

2006-12-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, it is Boxing Day (a.k.a. the day after Christmas) so who cares about Christmas Eve anymore - at least not for another 364 days or so. Here's why you might care: fried shrimp. Every Christmas Eve for the last thirteen years I've been celebrating with my husband's family and the centerpiece of the table has always been a huge overflowing platter of homemade fried shrimp. The shrimp are coated in a light and crispy coating so all you really taste is shrimp and they are in such abundance that we can eat as many as we want and still have some left over.

So this year my father-in-law moved to Florida and we were left on our own to make the shrimp. The great thing about that is that now I know how to do it.

Here's what you'll need:

shrimp - we buy 16/20 frozen shrimp (cleaned and shelled but uncooked) about 5 pounds

4 eggs, beaten

salt and pepper to taste (I like freshly ground sea salt and just a pinch of pepper)

flour for dredging

oil for frying

I know this doesn't look like much of a recipe - where are all the quantities, but keep reading. You'll see that it really is pretty simple.

1. Defrost shrimp. You can speed this up if you need to by putting the shrimp in a bowl with cold tap water.

2. Combine the beaten eggs and the seasoning (salt and pepper for me) in a bowl.

3. Put the flour for dredging in a separate bowl - maybe 2 cups to start with - more as needed.

4. Have a clean plate ready to hold the shrimp before they go in the oil and another clean, paper towel lined plate for when they first come out of the oil.

5. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees and have a clean oven safe platter on the middle shelf.

6. Heat up about 3 inches of oil in a cast iron pan or an electric skillet until 375 degrees.

7. While the oil is heating up dip each shrimp into the egg mixture and then dredge it in the flour. Shake off any excess flour and put the shrimp on the plate until the oil is hot enough to start frying.

8. When the oil reaches 375 fry the shrimp in batches - I did as many as I could fit at once which, in my big electric skillet was about 20. The shrimp are done when they have turned pink and are opaque through to the center when you cut one in half - I found that this was between 2 and 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from boiling oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel for one minute. Transfer cooked shrimp to warm oven.

9. Once all the shrimp are cooked, drained and transfered to the oven you can clean up your kitchen if you want (so you can relax and enjoy the meal). The shrimp will hold in the oven for quite a while.

Serve fried shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce, malt vinegar or tarter sauce. Or whatever you prefer.

A Better Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

2006-12-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

On November 23rd I wrote about the cranberry upside-down cake that I made this year for Thanksgiving. Well, I've found a recipe that I like better - thanks to my friend Mary Ann who made this cake for me. This is the cranberry upside-down cake of my dreams. (Yes, I do really dream about food.) The topping is tart and sticky - the brown sugar, dates and nuts really do the trick here - the cake is simple and buttery just the way I believe an upside-down cake should be. It is delicious the day you make it (of course) but it also stands up well to time and is yummy a few days out. That means less work to do the day of. If I make this for Thanksgiving next year, I'll make it the day before and let myself sleep in late the morning of the big day.

------------------------------------------------
Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Cake:
Cooking spray
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted dates
2 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup butter, softened and divided
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon butter, melted
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. To prepare cake, coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray, dust with 1 Tablespoon flour. combine cranberries, dates, walnuts and orange rind in a bowl. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons juice, and cinnamon; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour brown sugar mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle cranberry mixture evenly over brown sugar mixture.

3. Lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; with with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter evenly over cranberry mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; run a knife around outside edges. Invert cake onto a plate; cool.

5. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Cut cake into squares.

Yield: 12 servings

Lovely Latkes

2006-12-20T22:51:00.000-05:00

I grew up celebrating both Christmas and Hanukka (The Lee-Vees are right.... how DO you spell it anyway?!) so now my kids want to celebrate both. So tonight we had our dinner celebration and made this latke recipe and it was great. Of course latkes are oily - that is the whole point - but these do not go over the top into greasy. I served them with the standard sour cream and apple sauce (I confess I like to eat mine with both at the same time!) and also some smoked salmon - delicious.

One pointer, I coarsely grated my potatoes (I prefer the texture) and between each potato I grated some of the onion - this is supposed to keep the potatoes from turning brown. Mine didn't turn brown so it must help - although they probably would have eventually turned brown if I left the batter sitting around for awhile.

Also, we eat our latkes as they come out of the pan (after a brief time "draining" on the paper towels) - when they are at their peak - we don't bother with keeping them warm so we can all sit down together. Hey, with me, it is always all about the food.

Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
adapted from the New York Times

2 large eggs
3 cups coarsely grated, drained all-purpose potatoes (I coarsely grated my potatoes, but you can opt to grate them finely if you prefer)
1 large yellow onion, grated
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-5 Tablespoons Matzo Meal, or as needed
Canola oil for frying

applesauce, sour cream, smoked salmon, creme fraiche, fresh chives or whatever else you would like for serving (my kids wanted ketchup so we went with it although I did feel a few pangs of guilt)

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Add potatoes, onion, salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Stir in 2 tablespoons matzo meal and let it sit for 1 minute to absorb moisture in batter. If necessary add more to make a thick, wet batter that is neither watery nor dry.

2.Place a large skillet (cast iron is the very best) over medium heat for 1-2 minutes to heat up. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot drop in heaping 1/8 cups of batter, flattening them gently to make a thin pancake. When bottoms have browned, after 2-3 minutes, flip and brown on other side. Add oil as needed. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with additional salt to taste. If necessary, work in batches, keeping cooked pancakes warm.

Serve hot with desired condiments.

Yield: 4 servings (about 24 small pancakes)

Lemon Polenta Cake with Rosemary Syrup

2006-12-18T13:26:00.000-05:00

Last November, my friend and I were wandering around Camden Market in London enjoying all the little food stalls. I had some remarkable arepas stuffed with spiced and shredded beef. Then there was the stall making a savory Japanese version of Aebelskiver (the Swedish version being round pancake like balls stuffed with jam or sugar) stuffed with squid and shrimp and drizzled with a thick soysauce, sprinkled with little squares of dried toasted seaweed – very interesting and rather good really, but oh so different.

We were lucky enough to stumble on a young pastry chef and his amazing cake collection, but we were so stuffed already that we only had room for the most unusual and delicious sounding of his creations – the Lemon Polenta Cake with Rosemary. Although he was in the open air – and his “stall” was really only a glorified table he plated our wedge of cake beautifully – it sat on the paper plate drizzled with extra syrup beside a still pool of crème anglaise. It was amazing, in every way. The texture was tender but very coarse and it had a full bracing rush of lemon – not too sweet and not too sour and than a wiff of rosemary. I was brazen enough to ask for the recipe, but he just laughed. So I’ve been attempting to recreate it here at home. This recipe is my most successful attempt to date, but it does not approach the refined and elegant cake I had that autumn day last year. When I get it right I’ll let you know – in the meantime we can make do with this.

Right now this recipe is only by weight which will require you to have a kitchen scale to make it. If the demand is overwelming, I'd be happy to provide a recipe with standard American volume measurements. I just couldn't imagine the demand for a sweet lemon polenta cake with rosemary to be so strong, but I'm probably way off base.

-------------------------------------------------------
Lemon Polenta Cake with Rosemary Syrup

Ingredients

• 175g/6oz polenta
• 50g/2oz plain flour
• 7ml/1.5tsp baking powder
• good pinch salt
• 75ml/5tbsp natural yogurt
• 75ml/5tbsp rapeseed or canola oil, plus extra for greasing
• 2 lemons, juice and grated rind
• 2 eggs
• 2 eggs, whites only
• 400g/14oz caster or super fine sugar
• 2 sprigs rosemary, plus extra small sprigs for decoration
• 225g/8oz raspberries

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together polenta, flour, baking powder and salt.
Put yogurt, oil, lemon rind and 2tbsp lemon juice in a jug and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs, egg whites and half the sugar until creamy. Beat in yogurt mixture until smooth then stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into a lightly oiled 4 cup loaf pan (I used an 9-inch cake pan) lined with baking paper. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile, put remaining sugar in a saucepan with 200ml/7fl oz water and rosemary. Simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and strain.
When cake is cooked, put it on a cooling rack for 15 minutes then invert and remove baking paper. Prick all over with a toothpick and drizzle half the rosemary syrup over. Cool completely.
To serve, slice cake and arrange on plates. Scatter raspberries around and drizzle more syrup over them. Decorate with rosemary sprigs.

Serves 8

Spicy Thai Kettle Brand Chips

2006-12-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

Product:

Kettle Brand Chips
Spicy Thai - ginger with ATTITUDE

all natural potato chips - never any trans fats

My husband is the potato chip lover in our house. I usually forget that we even have a bag in the cupboard, but come lunchtime on Saturday, he sits down with his sandwich and pulls out the bag of chips. Oddly enough, I ran into these spicy Thai chips on a visit to the Science Museum and I just had to try them. I love them. Not that I eat them everyday, mind you, but if I was the kind of person who could eat potato chips everyday these would be my potato chips of choice.

They are spicy, but not so hot that your mouth is burning. They are a tad sweet and more than a tad salty. They definitely give you that sensation of moving from sweet to spicy to hot that good Thai food can do for you. I have to admit that the idea of combining Thai flavors with potatoes would never have occurred to me. I need to get out more. These are brilliant.

So, what does my potato chip loving husband think of these Thai chips? He doesn't really like them. "A potato chip is perfect just the way it is," he says, "Why mess with it?" He thinks flavored potato chips are like flavored coffee and he went so far as to compare my Thai chips to Swiss Mocha Hazelnut Peppermint Stick coffee. So for all of you potato chip purists out there - you may not appreciate these spicy asian themed chips. Everyone else.... you'll love 'em.

The Best Teriyaki Chicken Wings

2006-12-15T20:04:00.000-05:00

I used to make Teriyaki Chicken Wings at home but they never seemed to be as yummy as the ones we'd buy from Whole Foods. For one thing I was using a bottled teriyaki sauce and that just wasn't doing it for us. Another problem was true for my wings and for the more pricey ones at Whole Foods - they ended up floating in a greasy liquid by the time they were done cooking which looked bad and didn't do much for their taste either.

Then one day, we discovered these amazing teriyaki chicken wings at a local produce and prepared foods store called Russo's. These were the best wings we'd ever tasted. First of all, they were completely coated in a very tasty and sticky sauce. The flavors of the sauce were so fresh and clean you could actually taste the fresh ginger which led me to believe they were making an in house teriyaki sauce from scratch for these wings. In my mind these were the best wings, but recently I started to to recoil at the price. Do I really want to splurge once a week on $8.00 a pound teriyaki chicken wings? Couldn't I figure out a way to make these at home just as well? I even considered getting a job there so that I could learn their secret. Hey, they are great wings.

My family will tell you that I've been slaving away for the last week trying to replicate these wings at home - and they have been loving it. This has been a week long teriyaki-chicken-wing-festival at our house with me trying and tweaking and re-trying my recipe and my technique and my family happily testing out each version. What I was looking for here was a simple, not fussy recipe that I could throw together quickly, but that delivered in flavor and texture. I'm pretty sure that the chefs at Russo's - who must be making hundreds of pounds of these wings a week - aren't doing anything complicated or too time consuming and they are getting fabulous wings. Why can't I? First I checked out how much money I'd be saving - for motivational purposes. I can buy Bell & Evans party wings for a mere $2.99 a pound - so it seemed that if I could just get the finished product right I'd be saving some money without sacrificing quality. The big "if" here was getting the recipe right.

The first step was that I had to make a fresh, home-made teriyaki sauce. I wasn't about to let that scare me off. My sauce has five ingredients - I threw all the ingredients in my blender and in 60 seconds it was ready. I marinated the wings in the sauce a minimum of four hours and a max of 24. I have to admit that I didn't notice a huge flavor boost from the marinating, but I did get excited about the fact that the marinated wings didn't stick to the broiler pan - so if you are in a hurry don't marinate just toss the wings with the sauce before you move on to broiling. I opted to broil the wings first which gives them a great burnt-around-the-edges flavor and also rendered a good portion of the fat so that the final product would be a lot less greasy. While the wings were broiling I reduced the marinade by half so that is was thick and syrupy. Then I put the wings in a roasting pan and poured the thickened teriyaki sauce over them, covered them with foil and roasted it all together. I'm pretty sure it is not fussy and I'm absolutely positive that it is delicious. Just ask my family.

The Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup light brown sugar
8 garlic cloves, chopped fine or put through a garlic press
2 " fresh ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped

Measure all of the above ingredients into your blender. Blend on high (I used the puree button) until sauce is a uniform color. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

The Wings:

Buy 2 lbs party chicken wings. Put them into a resealable plastic bag. Pour freshly made sauce over them. Squeeze out extra air from bag and seal. Let chicken marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 24.

When ready to cook, pre-heat broiler. Carefully remove wings from marinade and arrange in a single layer on broiler pan. Broil between 5 -10 minutes on first side or until golden brown and crispy. Try not to let them get burnt. Flip wings over and broil another 3-5 minutes on second side.

While wings are broiling pour marinade into small saucepan and cook on high until it has reduced by about 1/2 and looks thicker.

When wings are finished broiling turn oven down to 375 degrees and remove wings from the broiler pan and put into roasting pan. Pour thickened sauce over wings and stir to coat thoroughly. Cover roasting pan with aluminium foil (shiny side down) and roast for 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with sauce. For the final 5 minutes I remove the foil to crisp everything up a little.

Remove from oven and let cool. Serve warm or room temperature with lots of napkins.

Party Food: Sesame Orange Seared Scallops

2006-12-14T09:16:00.000-05:00

This was a little nibble that I was passing around a party I was working at on Saturday night. The majority of the guests were strict vegetarians, which meant that there were a lot of scallops left over after the cocktail hour and I got to munch on more than my share of these little bites. I give you the recipe as a passed appetizer, but unless you have hired a chef for your shindig or you have very nice friends who are helpful in the kitchen you may want to leave the scallops whole and make this as a lovely entree so you are not trapped behind the stove for the first hour of your get together.

Important things to note:

I have you dry the scallops because they will not sear well if they are wet. That is also the reason the glaze goes on after they are cooked. Make sure you get them nice and dry. You can try spreading out a layer of paper towels in a sheet pan and spreading out a single layer of scallops and then putting another layer of paper towels on top just to be sure.

I have you deglaze the pan with dry sherry. If you don't happen to have that on hand you could use an equal amount of white wine or even broth or water in a pinch.

I use my microplane zester-grater to deal with ginger - it is well worth the price and among many other tricks does a great job reducing the fibrous root to a paste in seconds.

I cut the back the oil on this recipe to lighten it up, but you do need a little to keep the scallops from sticking. I've had luck searing in a good quality non-stick pan and also in a well seasoned cast iron pan. If you use a regular pan (in this instance I mean a pan with no non-stick coating) you may need to use a little more oil to keep the scallops from sticking. In either case, it will help prevent sticking if you heat the pan up empty for 1-2 minutes before filming with oil and putting the scallops in.

As far as sesame seeds go, toasted sesame seeds will be tastier and they are very easy to make yourself. You can also buy toasted sesame seeds. There are also black sesame seeds that would look and taste great - usually found at an asian food store. I have a mix of black sesame seeds and seaweed and salt that is used as a seasoning in Japanese cooking that would work well here too. As you can see there are quite a few sesame seed options.

------------------------------------------
Orange Sesame Seared Scallop Appetizer

Peanut oil for filming pan
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops, patted dry with paper towels
2 teaspoons ground peppercorn blend, or ground black pepper

For Glaze:
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon toated sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon (packed) grated orange peel

For coating:
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine the ingredients for the coating in a small bowl and set aside.

Pat scallops dry with paper towels. If the scallops are large cut them in half or quarters – bite sized pieces. Heat large skillet over high heat. Brush pan with a film of peanut oil. Working in batches, add scallops to skillet in single layer; sauté until brown on outside and just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side if the scallops are still whole. Transfer scallops to a bowl, leaving drippings in pan.

Pour sherry into pan and stir, scraping up any drippings that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine is reduced by half then add garlic and remaining oil to skillet; stir 30 seconds. Add orange juice, soy sauce, and orange peel. Boil until sauce thickens to syrup, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.

Pour glaze over scallops and mix to coat.

When ready to serve, skewer each scallop on a toothpick and dip it in coating so that one side gets covered with sesame seed mixture.

Serve warm as a passed appetizer.

Pre-dinner snacks for kids: fruits and veggies

2006-12-13T11:25:00.000-05:00

Trying to get my kids to eat their vegetables can be a challenge. Lately I've been trying a new tack and it seems to be working out very well. This is no magic formula and it certainly isn't rocket science. What it does do is get lots of good food inside my kids without any begging or cajoling (that would be me) or complaining or grumbling (that would be them).

Right around 5:00pm my children begin to wail and carry on about how hungry they are. We don't sit down to dinner until after 6:00 so I give them a snack. A snack right before dinner seems like a bad idea, but I put out bowls of carrot sticks, slices of apple and grapes and any other veggies or fruit that I have on hand. This works out in so many ways. They are legitimately hungry not just bored so they are glad to have something to munch on. I'm happy to let them fill-up before dinner on fruits and vegetables since it may be the only time all day that I can get them to eat healthy without having to put up with any complaining. The bonus for me is that these little snacks satisfy them while I'm busy making dinner so I don't have to be constantly talking them down from their hunger induced hysteria.

To make it easy on myself, I do the simplest preparation I can get away with. Thus carrot sticks (or even easier - pre-washed baby carrots) sometimes with hummous or peanut butter. Cucumber slices with salt. Apple slices, grapes. Anything that my kids will eat that is in my fridge.

When we do sit down to dinner at 6:30 I'll still have vegetable on the menu - usually broccoli - and they'll still eat some as required by mom and dad. At that point, I don't really have to worry too much since they have already consumed the total number of USDA recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables.

Cornmeal Pancakes

2006-12-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

I seem to have developed a grudge against regular ol' pancakes. I don't know what it is, but they just seem so blah, so plain, so not interesting to me these days. So the other day it was crepes for breakfast (lunch or dinner) and today it is cornmeal pancakes. I love 'em.

I do my best to use whole grain cornmeal because it is both healthier and tastier - and really, how often do you get to find those two things in the same sentence? The downside to whole grain cornmeal is that it is not shelf stable because the germ of the corn kernal contains oil which can go rancid over long periods of time. Don't let a little thing like that put you off. If you want to buy whole grain cornmeal I suggest buying it at Whole Foods where you can buy just what you'll use from their Buy-In-Bulk aisle. Also, I store my cornmeal in a ziplock bag in my freezer to keep it fresh. If you read all that and just think "what a bother" go ahead and use regular shelf stable cornmeal that you'll find in the baking aisle of any supermarket.

I like thin pancakes made small. So this batter is very wet. I measure out about a Tablespoon on the griddle for each pancake so that I get tiny ones... and when they are all done I prefer mine spread with raspberry jam. The rest of my family sticks with maple syrup on theirs, but I don't hold it against them.

-------------------------------------------------------
Cornmeal Pancakes
Adapted from Fanny Farmer

Ingredients

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 Tablespoon of baking powder
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup milk

> Put the cornmeal in a mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over, stirring briskly until well blended. Pour in the melted butter and stir thoroughly to combine. Let stand on the counter to rest and cool while you measure and prepare the other ingredients.

> In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder with a wire wisk. Set aside.

> In a small bowl (or in your liquid measuring cup) combine the beaten eggs and the milk and beat together briefly. Add the egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine.

> Mix the flour mixture into the cornmeal mixture and beat the batter until it is completely mixed.

> Heat the griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat (do not use as high heat as you would use for white flour pancakes). Film the griddle with butter or oil when it is hot. Using a Tablespoon to measure out each pancake. Cook until bubble break on top of the pancakes and turn them over. Cook another few minutes, or until the bottom of the pancakes are lightly browned and set. Serve hot.

Bread that is easy but tastes great anyway - update

2006-12-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

I made a loaf of the No Knead Bread - replacing one third of the all-purpose flour with White Whole Wheat flour (King Arthur brand). White Whole wheat flour is 100% whole wheat and it is not lightened by any horrible bleaching or chemical bath - it is simply a flour made from winter wheat which produces this lighter version of whole wheat flour. Just so you know, White Whole Wheat flour has the same mineral, fiber, protein content that regular whole wheat flour has. The loaf came out looking the same as the previous loaves that were made with all-purpose white flour, but it had an ever so slighly darker color and what I found to be a lovely nutty flavor. My children sniffed out the difference right away - how do they do it?! - and said they didn't like it. Maybe next time I make it I'll only use a half cup of whole wheat flour.

I have to tell you, the reason I love this bread recipe so much is not the fact that the bread requires no kneading. I actually don't mind kneading. Kneading is fun. Kneading is excercise - of a sort. The reason I love this bread recipe is that it turns out a beautiful loaf of artisanal bread from my humble oven - a loaf of bread so good I would gladly pay for it, but I don't have to. I've worked much harder to make much worse bread in the past - the combination of ease and delicous results is the attraction here. So I'm going to re-name this bread recipe - let's throw out the "no knead" lable. I'll call it "The best bread you'll ever make at home" recipe.

What do you think?

Pineapple Bake goes with Ham

2006-12-10T20:18:00.000-05:00

A few years ago I went to a friends house a week before Thanksgiving for a big potluck meal. We had decided ahead of time that a ham would be the centerpiece of the table since everyone was anticipating lots of turkey in the days and weeks ahead. One of the other dinner goers brought an utterly delicious side dish that everyone devoured and that went perfectly with ham. It was a Pineapple Bake. I know very well that everyone is familiar with the fact that pineapple and ham were made for each other, but this is a new twist that you might want to bring with you this holiday season to impress your in-laws. As you well know, I don't like recipes that leave me with leftover half cans of strange ingredients so I've modified this one to use up an entire can of pineapple which makes it fit into a 9 x 13 baking dish - just the right size for a big family gathering.

Pineapple Bake
Time: 45 minutes (plus a minimum of 3 hours to soak)

Ingredients
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoon flour
6 beaten eggs
1 stick of unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons)
16 ounce loaf of Italian bread
cinnamon for sprinkling

> Combine pineapple, sugar, flour and eggs in a medium mixing bowl.

> Melt butter. Add a dash of cinnamon to melted butter.

> Slice the bread into thick slices then cut it into cubes. Put bread in large mixing bowl. Pour butter over cubed bread and toss to coat.

> Pour the Pinapple mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.

> Evenly distribute the bread cubes into the baking dish - putting them on top of the pineapple mixture. Push down on the bread, but do not mix. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 3 hours in the refridgerator - over night is okay too. You want the bread to get fully saturated.

> Remove pan from fridge and remove plastic. Allow to come to room temperature while the oven pre-heats to 350 degrees. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the top is lightly brown.

Crepes for breakfast

2006-12-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

There are so many reasons to prefer crepes for breakfast over regular American pancakes. Just so you know, crepes are pancakes - just very thin flexible ones. They are easy to make, taste great and go with a huge assortment of condiments and toppings. They taste great rolled up and dipped in maple syrup, but they also can be spread with jam or Nutella, or sprinkled with sugar. You can even roll up a slice of turkey or ham inside a crepe for a savory take on a breakfast wrap. Once you've made the batter, it will keep for days in your fridge, so that if you are in the mood for a dessert crepe after dinner you can whip one up with almost no effort.

The best part, for me is that I can throw crepe batter together in the blender and not have to get out (and get dirty) several mixing bowls and assorted other items. You can buy yourself a crepe pan - the authentic blue steel one I have was only about $15 and is wonderful to work with - but you certainly don't need to. Any small frying pan can be used. If you are going to go with the melted butter rather than the heart healthy canola oil, just melt the butter in the pan you plan to cook the crepes in- since you'll be putting a little butter in there anyway to keep the crepes from sticking - it will save you one less item to clean.

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons canola oil (or melted butter)
1 cup flour

If using melted butter, put 2 Tablespoons butter into the pan you will be using to make your crepes and melt on low heat. When melted, take off heat and let cool.

Pour 1 1/4 cups milk into the blender (don't bother dirtying a liquid measuring cup - just use the measurements on the side of the blender container). Crack the two eggs into the blender. Add salt. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until a uniform color.

Add one cup flour to blender and blend until smooth. You may need to stop the blender and scrape down the sides if any flour got stuck to the sides. With blender running on low speed slowly pour in the oil or butter. Blend on high for 30 seconds more.

When you are ready to cook, heat up the pan you will be using on med heat. Once it is warm spread a thin layer of butter in the pan. When the butter has finished foaming you are ready to cook. Depending on the pan you are using you may only need to add this butter for the first crepe or you may need to add it between each crepe - it will vary based on the cooking surface.

You don't want to pour the batter into the center of the pan - even though it might sound like a good place to start. Instead, holding the pan in one hand, pour a slow steady stream of batter off to one side of the pan and then tilt the pan with your wrist to twirl the batter across the entire surface of the pan. This part is a little tricky, and it might take some practice crepes before you feel confident, but don't psych yourself out - it isn't hard and you'll get the hang of it after a few tries. I've found that it is easier to get the entire surface of the pan covered if I add more batter. Don't fret about having too much batter in the pan, if you end up with too much - no worries. Just pour the extra back into the blender.

The crepe will start to pull away from sides when it is ready to turn. We flip ours and then count to 5 (one Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc.) And that's it they are done. If you don't feel like being a short order cook at breakfast then just make them all ahead of time and stack them on a plate in a warm oven.

Bread at Home: Why Bother?

2006-12-08T10:38:00.000-05:00

Let’s get this straight – I don’t make my own bread. I just don’t see the point of putting in all the time and effort when I can buy some of the best bread in the world made by professional bakers any day of the week. Iggy’s is available everywhere in the Boston area and they make the most fantastic crusty baguettes, Pullmans and a pecan raisin bread to die for. I can buy a variety of Russian, Polish and even Lithuanian rye bread from Pana-rama. If I feel inclined I can go to a store in Brookline and buy a dense and nutty rye bread imported directly from Lithuania. The most delicious challah I’ve ever tasted, from Cheryl Ann’s Bakery, is available at the local supermaket and it beats my homemade challah handsdown. You can see why I don’t think there is much to gain from making my own bread at home. Until now.

I saved this recipe when it appeared in the New York Times Food Section on November 8th because I knew it was something special, but I never got around to making it. It wasn’t until this week’s NYT Food Section carried a follow-up article with hints about how to modify and adjust the original recipe that I felt like I had to give this one a try. Mark Bittman claimed that the recipe, “has been translated into German, baked in Togo, discussed on more than 200 blogs and written about in other newspapers. It has changed the lives (their words not mine) of veteran and novice bakers.” Whew that is one serious recipe for bread, don’t you think?

Here’s the original recipe as it was run on 11/8/06:

-----------------------------------------------------
No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, NYC
Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 14-20 hours for rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.

3.Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (NOT terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8- quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on rack.

Yield: One 1 1/2 pound loaf
-----------------------------------------------------

Okay, so yesterday I tried it. The dough was so wet and sticky I couldn’t really “form it into a ball” but I tried anyway. I don’t have a covered pot in any of the materials specified in the recipe so I used my All-Clad Stainless Steel Dutch oven. I’m glad Mark Bittman said it might look like a mess because mine did, but I just kept going. My loaf came out with a great chewy crust and a delicious light crumb. Here’s the real reason to bake your own bread – aside from how good it tastes – my house smelled so delicious and homey. My kids even noticed when they got home from school how wonderful the house smelled. Everyone loved the bread, it is not like any homemade bread I’ve ever made before. Believe it or not, when we finished the last piece of it yesterday I mixed up another batch and put it to rise on the back of the stove to bake today. It is that easy and that good.

The first time I baked this bread I did not pre-heat the lid to the pan I was using. The second time I pre-heated both the pan and its lid, side-by-side on the same oven shelf. The different results I got in the finished bread were dramatic. The first bread was a uniformly round disk like bread - about 3 to 4 inches high . The second bread - with the pre-heated lid rose much higher in the middle - 6 inches at its crown - and split attractively down the center. I don't particularly prefer one over the other - they were both delicious - but if you are aiming for a particular look in your finished product it is good to be aware of the difference a small thing like pre-heating (or not) the lid can make.

Another caveat you should know. I added more salt than in the original recipe – a scant Tablespoon. Also, in the follow up article they mentioned that you can substitute up to 50% of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. I’m going to try that variation tomorrow.

Look at me. Now, I’m not just baking my own bread, but I’m baking it everyday. We’ll see how long this lasts.

Here’s the link to the original article: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html?ex=1165726800&en=55fdc83a0e7b6687&ei=5070

Here’s the link to the original recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?ex=1165726800&en=76163622e0d0da6d&ei=5070

Here’s the link to the follow-up article with all of its helpful hints: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/06/dining/06mini.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin

Happy Baking!

My Pilgrimage to the Foodie Shrine

2006-12-06T20:56:00.000-05:00

I received a remarkable email invitation a few weeks ago with a big bold headline reading "Meet Christopher Kimball. Take a tour of the famous Test Kitchens." I confess, I did receive the same bold invite last year at about the same time of year. I did not manage to screw up enough courage to acutally go though. I read those words on the e-card and my mind was filled with visions of a cocktail party type event with everyone circulating around the room, oozing culinary intelligence, nibbling on perfectly delicious little morsels and chatting wittily about the latest brining techniques and how their dessert souffle came out at their five course informal dinner party for 10 the night before. Very intimidating. How could someone like me, who loves to cook and eat, but has no cooking pedigree, attend such a gathering of august and celebrated cooking luminaries?

This year when that e-invite arrived, my personal coach - in the form of my work-out buddy - told me that "of course, you should go." Okay, I agreed reluctantly. you are right, but good grief, what will I talk to people about? I'll meet Christopher Kimball and I'll freeze up, my mind will go blank, I won't know what to talk about. "See," she said, "you're already putting a negative spin on it. That's a defeatist attitude. Just tell him what you love about his magazine. Flattery never fails." Okay. I had to agree again. I certainly couldn't own up to having a defeatist attitude. Now I had to go.

So I went. Perhaps you recall my visions of the cocktail party atmosphere? Well, the grim reality was all ride-on-a-Tokyo-train. People were packed in there so tight they were only letting new guests in when the appropriate number of happy shoppers left. It was all about selling the cookbooks (there was a very long line to buy those) and signing the cookbooks (there was an even longer line for that). I thought about getting in the lines, but it didn't seem worth it. I did get some nibbling in - some very delicous crystallized ginger topped holiday cookies and a slice of their perfect pound cake (practically perfect in every way). I admired the huge library of cookbooks they have on-site and the vast test kitchen with its array of extra stand mixer bowls. They had Kitchen Aid food processors, I noticed. I wonder if those are better than Cuisinart or if they just get them free from the vendor.

The doors had opened at 5:00pm and I had arrived at 5:10 to find these crowds. When I left at 5:30 there were 150 people lined up outside - almost all the way down the block waiting to get in. This was more rock concert than I had ever anticipated.

(sigh) I never did get a chance to talk about brining.

Seasoned salt v. Salt Free Seasoning

2006-12-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

While cruising the aisles of the Penzeys Spice store near me (Arlington, MA) I came across their new salt free blend of herbs and spices that they claim will make my food taste so good I won't need to salt it. I felt the immediate need to put their claim to the test.

Here's what I did:

I took 1 lb. of ground turkey and divided in half.

I put 1/2 pound of ground turkey in a mixing bowl with 2 teaspoons of Penzeys' Mural of Flavor (salt free) seasoning and 1 Tablespoon of finely chopped onion.

In another mixing bowl I combined the remaining 1/2 pound of ground turkey with 2 teaspoons of Penzeys' Polish Sausage Seasoning (for which the first ingredient was salt) and 1 Tablespoon of finely chopped onion.

I mixed each bowl separately, with a separate fork until well combined and then put them in the refridgerator for about 5 hours until it was time to make dinner.

I shaped small patties - I was passing these off as "homemade sausage" to my unsuspecting family - and arranged them in an oiled rimmed baking pan and baked them - turning once for about 15 minutes (or until cooked through). I'm probably stating the obvious here, but I cooked the two batches separately in separate pans so that the flavors would not get mixed together - no accidental contamination of salt with no salt.

I served my homemade sausages (lazyman's meatballs really - since I cut out all the fussy extras you find in meatball recipes) with bow-tie pasta and a traditional jarred tomatoe sauce (no, I don't make homemade sauce all the time) , sauteed spinach and a salad.

I gave my kids one of each kind of sausage patty - without revealing any information about the differences - and neither one of them liked the salt free sausages... although they ate many of the salted variety. My husband and I noticed that the salt free sausages were much drier in consistency than the salted ones. I was rather surprised about this finding - although I believe the explanation is the same one I use for my dry aged roast turkey with salt - the salt in the seasoning helped the ground meat absorb more water so that it stayed moister when it was cooked. I actually enjoyed the flavor and the taste of both sausages - they were quite distinct from each other, which was good since no one else like the dried out salt free ones - I was left eating all of those.

The final results:
If I'm making homemade sausage again for my family I'd have to go with the moist and delicious Polish Sausage Seasoning.
If I try the salt free seasoning again I'll need to add something to the meat mixture to keep it moist (like chopped apple) or perhaps I could try cooking the sausage patties in boiling chicken broth instead of drying them out with a blast of oven heat.

So how do my findings reflect on Penzeys claims about their salt free seasoning? Well, it is tasty. I tried it on top of my scrambeld eggs and didn't miss my usual salt and pepper at all. I could imagine using it instead of salt in certain dishes, but as I found from the drastic effect no salt had on my cooked meat it won't be replacing my salt shaker (these days it is more likely a salt grinder) any time soon.

Penzeys Hot Chocolate Mix

2006-12-05T10:43:00.000-05:00

After my stint, a few weeks ago, trying out those rich, delicious and rather pricey single source drinking chocolates I feel compelled to try every other new hot chocolate mix I run into.

Penzey's Hot Chocolate Mix is $2.09 for a 4 oz. jar which is six servings.
available at Penzey stores and from their webstie (wwwpenzeys.com)

This mix has a light chocolate flavor with other flavors mixed in - there is cinnamon and vanilla. There is no chocolate in this mix only cocoa so that accounts for the thinner consistency... this drink is much less like drinking a melted chocolate bar. This is a more beverage like beverage. If you know what I mean.

I liked the taste of it, but I'm guessing not all chocolate lovers will. It is a sweet and spicy drink that is mostly chocolate flavored but the spices definitely change the experience - in a good way for me, but a purist might be distressed by the addition of anything to their chocolate moment. I would also like to point out that it is quite a bit less decadent - only has 1 gram of fat per serving - everything always tastes better without the added weight of guilt thrown-in.

What to do with winter tomatoes?

2006-12-03T17:54:00.000-05:00

Winter tomatoes are just not tomatoes. Not even the super expensive ones that come still attached to the vine. Those little grape tomatoes are above average, but still not nearly a real tomato. They don't really taste like anything at all. So this is what I do with them.

These tasty winter tomatoes are wonderful as a side with grilled lamb or steak and broccoli, but sometimes I make them when I'm cooking up pasta and cut them up and mix them in like a very rustic sauce. Best to start preparing these first thing and get them cooking so that they'll be done when the rest of the dinner is ready - they cook for 20-40 minutes. I ususally do this in my toaster oven - the tray will fit 6 to 8 tomato halves nicely, but you can certainly do it in your oven if you feel inclined. I just use whatever oven temperature the rest of my meal is using. The whole point of these tomatoes is that they are easy to make no matter what else is on the menu.

Buy one big tomato (a full size tomato not a plum or cherry or grape) for each person you plan on serving (excluding fussy children - mine won't touch these, but maybe yours will).

Cut each tomato in half across the middle (not along the stem axis).

Arrange the tomatoes in a rimmed baking sheet, cut side up.

Brush liberally with olive oil.

Season with freshly ground salt and pepper.

Crumble oregano, thyme, tarragon or marjoram (or try a blend of some or all of these). If you have bread crumbs on hand sprinkle some of those on. You can also sprinkle some pecorino romano on too. Whatever you fancy really.

Put tomatoes in oven and bake until soft - 20 to 40 minutes depending on oven temperature.

Serve with meal.

You'll be amazed what a little time in the oven has done to these winter tomatoes - they'll actually taste like tomatoes. Now we'll be able to survive until August when the real tomatoes return.

A Kumquat Dilemma.

2006-12-02T10:09:00.000-05:00

I have a kumquat problem. I bought them for my Thanksgiving Day fruit bowl. They looked fabulous. I ate one or two. I believe someone else ate one. Now I have almost an entire pint of kumquats left over and I don’t know what to do with them. Throwing them out is not an option.

According to Epicurious I could make a variety of cranberry kumquat relishes and compotes. Well, that is a nice idea, but I still have cranberry sauce left over so I really don’t need anymore of that kind of thing filling up the back of my fridge for the next few months. I could make a highly rated date-kumquat sticky pudding, but it only uses 6 fruit so I’d have to make about four sticky puddings and I think that might be three too many. Or what about that wonderful lemon tart I made for Thanksgiving a few years ago which was covered with candied lemons. I could make a Kumquat tart in the same vein and use up all my cute little orange fruits.

Then I remembered orange cake. Orange cake is one of my favorite things in the world - orange cake with orange frosting. When I was a child, Sara Lee® sold an amazing orange cake in the freezer section of the grocery store. I long for that orange cake. It has grown and grown in my memory over the years until it has reached a pinnacle of delicious, moist oranginess. Perhaps I could make a kumquat cake that would simultaneously use my left over fruit and give me orange cake to eat. Good plan.

Here is an unusual recipe for orange cake that I’ve made before (with an orange). This time I tried it with my kumquats. The cake is very moist and flavorful – although not exactly the cake of my memories. One bonus: the entire cake only has 30 grams of fat in it. I’m still working on a good frosting. If you use an orange, buy a navel orange so you don’t have to worry about seeds.

Fresh Kumquat Cake
(Adapted from Fanny Farmer)

1 pint Kumquats (or 1 large bright-skinned orange)
3 eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

> Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour the baking pans (either two 8 inch round cake pans or one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan or four mini loaf pans).

> Cut each kumquat in half widthwise and remove any seeds. Put all the kumquats in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

> Measure flour, corn starch and salt into a small mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with a small whisk. Set aside.

> Put the eggs and whites in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer, using a whisk attachment, until well blended and foamy.

> Continue beating and slowly add the granulated sugar. Beat until thick and light colored, a minimum of 5 minutes.

> Using the lowest speed on the electric mixer, slowly add the flour mixture. Once it is all added let the mixer run for two seconds longer then stop it. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in any remaining drifts of the flour mixture.

> Fold in the chopped kumquats. Don’t overfold.

>Spread the batter in the baking pan or pans. If baking in a loaf pan, bake for about 45 minutes and start checking for doneness at about 35 minutes. In layer cake pans about 20-25 minutes, in the mini loaf pans about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Turn onto a rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired and serve.

Favorite Stuffed Peppers

2006-12-01T10:17:00.000-05:00

These are the best stuffed peppers I've ever had. I think it is the curry powder that pushes them beyond the ordinary. You can use the regular curry powder that you buy at the grocery store or try one of Penzey's Spice Company's special curry blends to liven it up even more. (http://www.penzeys.com).

Stuffed Green Peppers
Adapted from a recipe by Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey

4 green peppers, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds
8 sweet or hot Italian sausages (pork, turkey or chicken)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon curry powder
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 egg, beaten lightly
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano
2 Tablespoons olive oil

> Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

>Cut off the stem of each pepper. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise or widthwise. Drop into boiling water for one minute. Drain.

>Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove the meat from the sausage casing. Add the meat to the skillet and cook, stirring to break up any lumps. Add the onion, garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste.

>Cook stirring often about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool briefly.

>Scrape the sausage mixture into a mixing bowl and add the rice, egg and broth. Stir to blend. Stuff the pepper halves with equal portions of the mixture and sprinkle with the bread crumbs blended with the cheese. Sprinkle with oil. Arrange the halves in a baking dish and bake 45 minutes or until piping hot and cooked through.

Yield: Four servings.

Why knives matter.

2006-12-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

I’m not a true believer when it comes to kitchen gadgets. I don’t want people to waste their money and fill up their precious kitchen storage space with little bits of plastic and metal that are only good for doing one or two cooking jobs. You really don’t need that many tools in your drawers to cook well. What you do need is a few high quality tools that you can use to do just about everything. This is why knives matter.

If you cook daily – as most of us who have to make dinner every night do – than you will be using your knives constantly. It is worth investing in good quality knives. Knives that are forged. Knives that can be sharpened. Most importantly, you want knives that feel comfortable in your hand. Chances are pretty good that you don’t need an entire knife set – although the fancy cooking stores and the fancy knife manufacturers would like you to think so. The basic knives that you will use every day are: A chef’s knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. A Santoku knife – which is all the rage on cooking shows these days – is also worth considering.

Some quality knife brands are Wustoff, Henkel, Global and Shun. Even these brands make lesser quality knives with stamped blades so look carefully and make sure that you are trying out their best knives. A stamped blade will be thinner, the tang of the knife will probably not run all the way through the handle, it will feel lighter and most importantly it will not last as long and be as sturdy as a forged knife.

Before you buy – hold the knife. Try different styles. See what feels best in your hand. I’ve sold knives to countless customers at the cooking store where I work and one thing that never fails to amaze me is that a customer knows immediately, by the feel of the knife in their hand, if they like it or not.

Take care of your knives. Don’t wash them in the dishwasher no what anyone says. Wash them by hand, dry them and put them away after you use them. If you leave them in the sink their blades will get knocked around and dulled.

Consider getting at least one ceramic bladed knife. Although they do get dull eventually, I’ve had a ceramic bladed knife for 10 years and it is still as sharp as the day I first opened the package. In addition to being low maintenance, ceramic knives are great for cutting up lettuce for a salad because they won’t cause the edges to brown. Two Ceramic Knife brands are Kyocera and Boker.

Keep your knives sharp. Either learn to sharpen them properly yourself or invest in a knife sharpening system – such as Cook’s Choice – or bring them to be professionally sharpened. Even the best quality knives will get dull and loose their edge. Knives need regular maintenance to keep them performing at their top level.

Great knife article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/15/dining/15KNIF.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5090&en=1642923fe13c16f3&ex=1260853200&partner=rssuserland

In n'Out Burger v. Uburger v. Wild Willy's

2006-11-30T06:57:00.000-05:00

Let me get this off my chest: I’ve never been to In n’Out Burger. I’ve read about them, I’ve heard a lot about them, I even have an In n’Out Burger beach towel, but I’ve never actually eaten a burger there. I feel the pressing need to make a trip out to Southern California or Las Vegas (the only place they have restaurants) in order to try them out, but without an expense account it will just have to wait. So why is In ‘Out burger relevant to this discussion of two local burger joints in Boston? In ‘Out burger did it first and has been doing it for a lot longer (and is a lot more famous).

These three stores are all in the same business – made to order, hand pressed, freshly ground meat hamburgers, fries and shakes. They are in the fast food business, but they aren’t really fast. Their food isn’t really cheap, but you can’t really mind too much, because it is so good.

Uburger, which just opened within the last month, in Kenmore Square, has the heart and soul of a fast food place - despite the fact that it is one of a kind, it looks and feels like a hip chain restaurant. The food is way better than McDonalds or Burger King – they don’t even belong in the same sentence really (so sorry) – but it still feels like it is doing the same kind of business. The burgers are very good – the fast food burger of your dreams really – freshly made with shredded lettuce and tomato. The French fries were amazing – thin, fresh cut, shoe-string fries that were crispy and just salty enough… three cheers for those fries. Very decent onion rings – in a side-by-side comparison I almost always prefer onion rings to fries so it really tells you something about their fries that I liked them better. Their limited menu includes hot dogs – a fabulously big grilled all beef dog – chicken sandwiches and salads (including, believe it or not, a field greens with pear, walnut and gorgonzola number). The place is very clean – if you eat there you won’t be walking around looking for a clean table – they are all wiped off and rubbish free. Next time I get tickets to a Red Sox game I’m smuggling my Uburger meal into Fenway. Lunch for two was $12 and the wait for our food was about 10 minutes.

Wild Willy’s, in Watertown Square for over a year now, is a place to go get a homemade burger that you don’t have to make yourself. The burgers are handmade and thick, grilled over an open flame, they always ask you how you want it cooked (you can tell Uburger, but they won’t ask), served on a buttered grilled bun with whole leaf lettuce and an ample slice of tomato. The burger is more distinctive here – different, not necessarily better. The fries at Wild Willy’s are a disappointment – also fresh cut from real potatoes on-site, but too thick to crisp up, they are kind of soggy and never very good. The onion rings are fabulous. They also have shakes and salads. No hot dogs here, but chicken tenders as well as delicious chicken sandwiches – very moist chicken breast with a lot of flavor. This place is more of a theme restaurant with western saddles at the counter for my kids to play on, a replica of an old Chuck Wagon in the center of the eating area, and western murals on the walls. There is also table service – of sorts. You order at the counter and bring a wooden numbered block to your table where it will be delivered after about a 10 minute wait. Lunch for two is about $15. Neither fast, nor cheap, Wild Willy’s is definitely a lunch destination.

After all that field research I can’t decide which is better. I like them both. They are much more difficult to compare than I anticipated going into this study. I guess the only thing I can do is eat at both of them a few more times… I’m sure a few more hamburgers will clear things up. A few more chicken sandwiches. A few more salads. I can see I have my work cut out for me.

Ratat - oeeewie!

2006-11-28T14:46:00.000-05:00

My kids are not big fans of vegetables. I’m sure your kids are. Everyone else’s kids seem to be. I have friends whose children will eat grilled asparagus, roasted beet soup and sautéed kale. Please! The only way I can get my kids to eat kale is in Veggie Booty – and I don’t think that powdered-kale-covered-crunchy-corn-puffs count as a vegetable, exactly.

The pediatrician says don’t worry. If they eat broccoli and carrots they will be just fine. Well, my kids will eat carrots, raw only, and broccoli – with lots of butter and salt added. I hope that still counts. Apparently if a nutritionist were going to pick two vegetables to eat these two would be the winners.

But my husband and I eat all of our vegetables. We are stellar examples of vegetable lovers. My husband loves salad and has one every night with dinner. All summer long I’m cooking and serving and eating with gusto all the interesting and tasty vegetables that I get from my share at my local CSA.

My children do eat a lot of foods that some people might find exotic. They love burritos, for example. Chinese food is a favorite as well. I can even take them –willingly and without bribery of any kind – to Dim Sum in Chinatown and there are some adults that won’t go there with me. That is what is so infuriating. I know they would like them if they only would give them a real try. But they won’t. And I can’t make them. Believe me, I’ve tried.

When I was a kid I ate everything. Really I did. You can ask my mother. But I didn’t like zucchini. I don’t know why, but somehow I just set my mind against it and I would not eat it. No amount of cajoling, no rational talking to, nothing would sway me. I didn’t like zucchini. I kept it up too. Well into my 30s I still thought “I don’t like zucchini” Then one day I brought one home from the farm, sliced it very thin and sautéed it in olive oil with sea salt. It was so delicious. I was as amazed as anyone. How could I suddenly find a deep and abiding affection for a vegetable I’d detested my entire life?

For one thing – because I knew that I didn’t like it I had never tried it again as an adult. I had only my childhood experience to go by and it simply did not occur to me that I might feel differently about something if I tried it again as an adult.

I guess this explains why experts tell you not to make a big deal about eating or not eating a specific food. Either they will try it or they won’t and if I don’t make a big deal out of it there might be more chance of their trying it with an open mind before they turn 33.

So for now it is lots of carrot sticks and buttered broccoli, but I do believe that someday my children will be digging in to my homemade ratatouille alongside my roasted turnip and my green salad.

And now for something completely different...Ribs!

2006-11-26T19:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, enough about Thanksgiving already. Let's move on. December is around the corner. Let's talk ribs. I know it is not exactly grilling season, but a lot of people have gas grills now (I'm not one of them) and use them all year round and of course there is always the broiler.

Here's an amazing recipe for Chinese style ribs. The original recipe called for six 1 1/2" thick chops but I used country style pork ribs (on-sale - and more surface area!) Also, the original recipe said marinate between 3-5 days... I tried them at 2 days, very good, 4 days also very good, but the best ones were at 7 days. So, if you're thinking about dinner for a week from today (as if!) - well, this is the way to go. One more thing - I changed the original recipe because it would have left me with leftovers of each of the three sauces - which I hate to have hanging around because I never use it again - this way you use the entire jar for most of these.

2 9.3 oz jars Hoisin sauce
1 12.4 oz jar Oyster sauce
1/2 container (8.7 oz) Black Bean with Garlic sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1" peeled ginger root, grated
1 teaspoon red food coloring

5 1/2 lbs country style pork ribs

1. Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl.

2. Put the pork in a large heavy ziplock style storage bag (a freezer bag is good). Pour the marinade over the pork. Squeeze the excess air out of the bag and seal it. Using your hands work the marinade so that it covers all the pork evenly. Let marinate in fridge for at least 3 days and up to 7.

3. Prepare your grill so that you have a very hot side and a cooler side. Put the ribs (with lots of marinade still clinging to them) on the hot side of the grill and let sear for about 4 minutes. Turn and sear on the other side. When the ribs are well charred on the outside move them to the cooler side of the grill for another five minutes or so (or until they look done when you cut into them. Alternately: if you are cooking these in your broiler - sear them on each side in the broiler and then move them into the very hot oven to finish there.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Day Menu 2006

2006-11-26T19:22:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Day Menu
Thursday November 23, 2006
1:00pm

Pre-Meal Nibbles

organic baby carrots with stems
celery sticks
kalamata olives
cracked green olives
sweet and spicy pecans
lime citrus cashews
spiced pistachios

aged french goat cheese with cranberry pepper jelly
roquefort
sliced baguette

homemade cheese ball with crackers and granny smith apple

wine: Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2006 (we all liked it)

The Main Meal

Roast Turkey with cornbread-sausage stuffing
Grilled Marinated Boneless leg of lamb
Cornbread-sausage dressing
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Baked spiced yams
Steamed broccoli with salt and butter
Brussels Sprouts with sugar
Cider Braised Squash with Rosemary
Corn bread
homemade whole cranberry sauce
homemade gravy

Salad with homemade croutons

wine: Milton Park Shiraz 2006

Dessert

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Rustic Apple Tart
Vanilla ice cream

Fruit Bowl (clementines, fuji apples, seckle pears, fresh figs, kumquats)
Fancy Medjool Dates
Italian marzipan fruit

Coffee and tea

My Favorite Chocolate Pecan Pie

2006-11-25T17:52:00.000-05:00

My mom makes this pie every Thanksgiving, but you needn't wait to have it just once a year. The key here is good dark chocolate - the stronger the better as far a I'm concerned. The original recipe called for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but we use bittersweet chunks to ramp up the chocolate punch.

You will need an 8 inch pie plate for this one - it really works best in this size. I don't recommend trying to double the recipe or increase it by half to fit a larger pie plate because you'll run into trouble with getting the proper consistency in the filling.

One 8 inch Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 pre-baked 8" pie crust, partially baked

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans (6 oz)
6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 extra large eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

>Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

> Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly into pie shell.

> Combine corn syrup, sugar, and eggs in a medium mixing bowl.

> Add butter to corn syrup mixture and combine thoroughly.

> Pour slowly & evenly iinto pie shell.

> Bake 1 hour.

Learning from Leftovers

2006-11-24T19:19:00.000-05:00

This year my Thanksgiving leftovers taught me something that is going to come in handy next year. I re-heated my cider braised squash with rosemary for lunch today (see 11/18/06 blog entry for the recipe) and it was actually much better today than it was yesterday. Next year I'm making it one day ahead and heating it up in the oven before the meal. Although I love this dish and wouldn't skip making it, it is a last minute dish that takes up a lot of space on the cooktop when I'm trying to finish gravy and saute brussel sprouts. I'm excited to save myself the headache next year. I'll do the whole dish ahead, but wait to sprinkle it with vinegar until right before I serve it on the big day.

This year I was feeling a tad lazy during the clean up. I noticed that my slow cooker was already out and plugged in since it had been busy keeping my potatoes warm all day so once I'd cut all the salvagable meat off the turkey I didn't bother to put it all away in the fridge, but just threw it in the slow cooker (I had cleaned out the leftover mashed potatoes - just so you know) along with

all the leftover celery I could find - about three stalks,
one whole onion (skin still on) sliced in half
two bay leaves
and an entire bunch of parseley that I hadn't used
water to fill
2 teaspoons kosher salt
5-10 whole peppercorns

I set it on low and left it until this morning after breakfast. This was the best turkey broth I've ever made. It was clear and amber colored and rich and tasty. I've strained it now, discarded all the bones and vegetables and frozen most of it in small batches.

When the broth was finished, I salvaged the little pieces of turkey meat from the bones - most of the time I would just toss it along with everything else, but I felt like saving it this morning so I picked it carefully out of the tangle of overcooked celery, parseley and turkey bones and found that I had about 1 1/2 cups. The texture was reminiscent of canned tuna -since it had been cooked to death - first roasted yesterday and then in the slow cooker for 12 hours - so I ended up making a turkey salad with it - adding mayo, chopped celery, an entire bunch of scallions chopped - both green and white, and a grated carrot, and some fresh ground pepper. It is good as it is, but I'm thinking maybe a little curry and some red grapes or diced apple might be a nice addition.

Cranberry Upside-down Cake

2006-11-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the new thing that I made this year. Everyone loved it... there is only a little sliver leftover. Everyone that is except for me. It came out fine, but it was too heavy on the cinnamon for my taste. What I did really really like about it was that it was not too sweet.

I got up early this morning to make it so I could put it in the oven before the turkey went in. I considered making it the night before, but I thought the cake would get a little soggy and stale if I made it too far ahead. I mixed up the dry ingredients the night before and left them out on the counter in a covered mixing bowl. I left the butter and the eggs out as well so they would be at the proper temperature first thing in the morning.

Cranberry Upside-down Cake
(Adapted from FamilyFun magazine)
Serves Ten

Ingredients
6 Tablespoon butter, softened
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/12 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cups buttermilk

> Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter and pour it into a 9 inch springform pan.

> In a mixing bowl, combine the cranberries and the brown sugar, then scatter the mixture atop the butter. Sprinkle on the pecans.

> Beat the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and the sugar at medium speed with a electric mixer until well blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract.

> Combine the flour, bakin powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir well. Beat a third of the dry ingredients in to the creambed mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk. Continue alternating in this way until you've beaten in the last of the dry ingredients. Pour the batter over the cranberries and spread to even out if needed.

> Bake the cake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let it cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving platter and remove the pan.

Lamb not Ham

2006-11-22T21:15:00.000-05:00

Everyone in my family loves lamb. So for the last few Thanksgivings I've marinated a boneless leg of lamb and then grilled it for our Thanksgiving day meal. I love it because it is so easy and I don't have to worry about it needing precious oven time - I have a regular single oven kitchen. Everyone else loves it because it is so delicious. It makes a great compliment to the turkey.

I buy a 4-5 pound boneless leg of lamb. In an ideal world I would buy a 4-5 pound butterflied leg of lamb which would be a bit easier to grill since it is an even thickness throughout, but I can't ever seem to find a butterflied leg of lamb bigger than 1 or 2 pounds so I go with the boneless and make it work.

This year I picked up my lamb with my turkey on Tuesday. When I got it all home I mixed

1/2 cup of olive oil,
1/2 cup of crushed garlic,
1/2 cup of chopped fresh rosemary

into a paste and spread it over the inside and outside of the meat. The I ground sea salt and black pepper over both sides of the meat. After that, I put the whole thing into a gallon sized ziploc bag - squeezed out the extra air and put it in the fridge.

On Wednesday, I pulled out the bag with the lamb in it and added

1 cup of dry red wine

I resealed the bag and worked the wine and the lamb around with my hands to make sure the wine was getting into all the nooks and crannies. I put the lamb back in the fridge and turned it over once or twice during the day.

Thursday I'll take the lamb out of the fridge about one hour before I plan to grill it so that it can come to room temperature. If the weather co-operates I'll grill it outside. I'll make a fire on one side of my grill - sear the lamb on each side for 3 to 5 minutes and then move it to the cool side and cover until it is done. The lamb varies widely in thickness so some of it will be well done and some will be quite rare, but I actually find this to be an advantage since some family members like it charred and others prefer it very pink.

If it is wind blown rain tomorrow - as predicted - I'll cook it in the broiler and finish it in a hot oven. I'll be able to do this since the turkey will be sitting and resting and the lamb can be cooked in the last 1/2 hour before we sit down to eat.

I'll serve the lamb with lemon wedges - fresh squeezed lemon juice on grilled lamb. I can't wait!

Roasting the Bird

2006-11-21T19:53:00.000-05:00

I've followed my own advise and I have my little turkey (only 12.3 pounds) resting comfortably on a rack in my fridge after a nice rub-down with salt, sugar and herbs.

So now I have to decide how to actually cook this bird come daybreak tomorrow. My grandmother actually used to start her Turkey Wednesday night and roast it overnight at 200 degrees. People in my family still have fond memories of that tasty treat and it must be admitted that no one ever got ill after eating it, but I just don't think I'd feel comfortable cooking that slow and low myself. Let me take that back - I'll try it sometime, but not for Thanksgiving. There is a lot riding on the Thanksgiving day Turkey.

My plan - as of this moment, but believe me it is subject to change - is to start my turkey off at 450, breast side down for 20 to 30 minutes. Then I'll turn the turkey over - always tricky - and maybe lower the heat to 400 for another 20 minutes and then lower the heat to 350 until the end or maybe I'll lower it to 325, or 300 sounds good. I can never decide. The idea behind this is that the high heat at the start will give me my very crispy skin, but the low heat to finish will cook the meat more gently and produce a better finished texture.

I did something along these lines last year and, due to a few miscalculations, had my turkey completely done and out of the oven at 11:30. We weren't eating until 1:00. I was a bit stressed out about this at the time, but I covered it in foil and put a hot damp kitchen towel over the foil to hold in the heat. The turkey was absolutely the best one I've ever served... the long rest did it wonders... although I don't know if I'd plan that long a rest intentionally. The USDA would certainly not approve, but don't let that scare you off. I'm aiming to have my bird done by noon so that it can rest for a least an hour before I carve it.

I'll let you know how things turn out.

Chocolate Product Testing

2006-11-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

It is a tough job but someone has to do it. Why not me.

The first product we tested (for some odd reason I got a lot of volunteers to help me with this assignment) was chocolate covered cocoa nibs. Here are the details:

Sweetriot
flavor 50 and flavor 65 (there is also flavor 80 but we couldnt' get our hands on that to try it)

flavor 50 is 100% cacao covered with 50% dark chocolate, flavor 65 is 100 % cacao covered with 65% dark chocolate and... well you get the idea.

The candies come in a fetching little tin. The copy on the label is hip and kind of trying to be interesting and fun. The only problem for us was that the pieces are so small - think chocolate covered pop rocks here - that we were not experiencing the intense burst of chocolate flavor we were expecting. The little pieces have a nice crunch, but surprisingly the flavor was just not there.

If you want a little chocolate kick you'd do better carrying Hershey's kisses in your purse than a tin of these. I know that is the ultimate in chocolate heresy to admit, but in this case I'm afraid it is the truth.

Next we went on to test out some new Single Source Drinking Chocolates (that's fancy talk for hot chocolate) by Allegro coffee. These babies are expensive - let me get that off my chest. A package - containing six servings - cost $13 at Whole Foods.

Here are the details:

Allegro coffee
Single Origin Drinking Chocolate
Peruvian 64 and Columbian 53 (there is also a Costa Rican one that I have yet to try)

First off, I expected that this was a marketing gimmick. I thought we'd try these hot chocolates and find them good, but not discernably different from each other. Boy was I wrong. Even the color is different. The Colombian is very dark in color and flavor - it is the chocolate equivalent of espresso. The Peruvian was a lighter shade and a sweeter lighter taste. Both of them were completely delicious and energizing (I was zinging around for a few hours after this testing session). Will I buy them again? Yes, probably. Will I buy them often? Not likely. The cost (in dollars and in calories - each serving contains about 13 grams of fat and that's not including the milk or cream you use) is just too high for me - this is a wonderful and delectable chocolate excursion - a chocolate vacation even - that I might go on once or twice a year. On the other hand, if you are looking for a gift for a chocolate lover in your life these might be just the thing.

Cary's of Oregon - English Toffee

2006-11-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

Cary's of Oregon (http://www.carysoforegon.com)
413 Union Avenue
Grants Pass, OR 97527

English Toffee

In case you didn't know, we are entering the real candy season of the year. Some folks mistakenly believe Halloween is the big annual sweets event in America, but Halloween (a one-day-only extravaganza of kid candy) doesn't begin to compare with the month long candy binge that we go on as a nation from Thanksgiving until New Year's. People pull out all the stops and load up on expensive chocolates from Godiva and Neuhaus and tins of confections from Crate & Barrel and Willliams-Sonoma.

I don't believe most Americans eat much toffee during the rest of the calendar year, but come December toffee is suddenly more widely available.

I love toffee all year round. I can't wait around for December to enjoy it. My preferred toffee is dark chocolate covered - with nuts. I've even made it myself - although it is a lot harder than you might think - even with a candy thermometer.

Cary's is the best toffee I've ever had. It is not too hard. It is not too soft and chewy (like the real English Toffee that you get at sweet's stores in London). Cary's English Toffee is divine.

I was in Oregon over this past summer and I tried to work a pilgrimage to Cary's world headquarters in Grants Pass into my itinerary, but no one else felt inclined to drive 250 miles out of our way just for a little candy. How sad.

Next year, I'm renting a car by myself and going. Anyone want to come along?

My Catering Job

2006-11-19T20:22:00.000-05:00

It is 1:00am and I’m pumped up on the green tea and chocolate I’ve been using to keep me going on the job. Of course I’m home now and I don’t need to be wide awake and ready to work – I need to be able to go to sleep and I’m just going to have to wait.

There is nothing like a good solid dose of a professional kitchen to sober up the naïve food lover – that would be me - who is apt to romanticise the fine eating experience.

The stress, the heat of the kitchen, the general rudeness, getting shoved out of the way if you’re not doing it well enough, fast enough, “go find some dirty cups to pick up and let me do this you’re too slow” The hours spent standing at the propane burner making blini and smiling and chatting with the party guests. The rush to get everything ready before the party starts – with the owners running around frantically announcing “20 minutes” left – “10 minutes before the party starts” and then the long slow burn at the end of the evening when all the party goers are dancing away and we’re washing, drying, packing up and load the car and wishing they’d hurry up and finish their fun so we could get the last few items put away and go home to bed.

I know it sounds insane but I actually enjoy this catering job. Despite the fact that it is real hard work, I have such a good time.

In catering every job is totally different – a different place, different people, a different type of party – its all new. Each job is a new adventure.

The food portion of the evening is of unending interest to me – does that really come as much of a surprise to you? I love all the miniature appetizers that was pass at the beginning of a party, the homemade corned beef that I’ve never tasted like of before, the marvelous capers on the vine that are so beautiful drapped over the little rolls of smoked salmon and delicious to eat as well.

The biggest shock for me is the realization that catering is not about the food – although a lot of times the food is very good. Catering is about presentation, about drama and creating an event, a spectacle out of eating – thus the blini bar, the guacamole bar, the crostini bar… I’ll stop there, but you get the idea.

As a server dressed in all black at one of these events I am completely invisible. There is nothing quite like the sensation of being unseen in the midst of a sea of people… you hear conversations, you observe and yet you yourself are a nonentity. The people at the party do not perceive you as a person, instead I am transformed into the blini lady or the catering girl, or the arm that is carrying that tray of little treats around the room. It is an interesting feeling – to be fully present, but to not be seen.

Why write about food and eating anyway?

2006-11-18T09:28:00.001-05:00

If a good novelist has a good memory and a great novelist has a great memory then a great food writer has a remarkable memory. Remarkable because it is not just a memory of people, places and things, but one of smells, textures and tastes. __The crunch of a candied grape that came as an amuse bouche between the cheese course and dessert at La Cote D'Or in Burgundy in 1985. __The mousse-like texture of that chocolate cream pie that I had at last year's Thanksgiving.__The flavor of those sautéed onions smothering the foot long masterpieces at Lawton's Hot Dog Stand in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

I love food... and not just those three star meals at fancy French restaurants either. I love good food - whether it is the best buritto in town or the best Napoleon. I can't say I'll eat anything, but I love to try new food - experience new flavors - find a new favorite dish. I seem to remember special meals I've eaten very clearly, no matter how long ago they were.

I actually believed everyone shared this kind of taste recall until I got married. When I try talking with my husband about the appetizer we had on our honeymoon in Mexico 10 years ago, his eyes start to glaze over. He can't believe anyone could remember — or be interested in remembering — the fabulous taste of that homemade guacamole on fresh, warm corn tortillas, or the piquant taste of the soupa de lima – recalling it can still make my taste buds tingle.

So you can see I have a food thing going on. This special gift - maybe an X-men style mutation would be more like it - drives me to write this blog. At least here I can rave and swoon over new tastes and old favorites.

And if you roll your eyes at me I won't be able to tell.

Winter Squash Braised in Cider for Thanksgiving

2006-11-18T07:22:00.000-05:00

I have a lot of rules about Thanksgiving, but one of the most sacred is that I try at least one new dish each year just to keep the menu from getting too set in its ways. The only problem I’ve run into with this rule is that if I really love the new dish one year then it becomes a full fledged Thanksgiving side dish from that time forward and after a few years I begin to wonder why I’m making 28 side dishes. Eventually I will have to cut back, but not this year.

What I love about this particular squash recipe, and the reason it made it into the pantheon of official Thanksgiving side dishes at our house, is that it stands out on your plate between all of the rich food piled up there. The squash is tender and sweet, but the rosemary pulls it back to savory and then that little bit of vinegar gives it a sweet and sour punch. It is lovely. I hope you give it a try.

My final suggestion is that it really is worth any extra effort or side trips to specialty stores in order to use delicata squash in this particular case. Butternut will suffice in a pinch - but the delicata (although more of hassle to peel) is what really makes the flavors balance so perfectly.

Winter Squash Braised in Cider
Adapted from Deborah Madison
Time: 15 minutes prep, 40 minutes cooking

3 pounds delicata or butternut squash
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
3 cups unfiltered apple or pear cider
Salt
1 teaspoon balsamic or apple cider vinegar, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper.

1. Halve squash lengthwise, remove seeds with spoon. If using delicata slice into 1/2 moons 1/2 inch thick and then peel each slice. If using butternut cut into long 1/2 inch wedges, peel each wedge and then cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
2. Melt butter I in a 12 inch skillet over low heat until foamy. Add rosemary, and cook over medium heat to flavor butter, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Add squash, cider and 1 teaspoon salt. If squash is not covered by cider, add water to cover.
3. Bring to a simmer, and cook until squash is tender and cider has reduced to a glaze, stirring frequently, 30-40 minutes. Sprinkle with vinegar, and season with salt and vinegar. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 servings