Gastronomiquelle

Seeds

2011-12-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin seeks are the perfect Halloween snack to munch on while you cut a jack-o-lantern. But plenty of other squashes have delectable seeds that can be eaten well into the fall and winter.

It is true, sometimes it takes a bit of time to separate the seeds from the gooey insides of an acorn squash (or whatever you are serving up), but the results--spread on a cookie sheet, sprinkled with some salt, and baked until golden brown--are well worth the effort.

Also, waste less. Good mantra.

Christmas Tree-Shaped Food: Oddly Impressive

2011-12-08T13:30:00.000-05:00

I was trolling the interwebs recently, desperately avoiding all the work that is quickly piling up, looking for some Christmas-y blog post ideas. I ended up stumbling on an absolutely astonishing number of food-arranged-as-christmas-tree pictures. Who knew (not me) that there is such an active food arrangement subculture? I have to say, I'm oddly impressed.

Here.

Hats off.

Ninjabread Men

2011-12-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

Get into the holiday mood with these awesome cookie cutters, which you can buy here (once they are restocked).

And for the more zen-minded baker, there are yoga cookie cutters.

Words to Live By

2011-11-28T13:36:00.001-05:00

From Dinner: A Love Story, a blog I just can't get enough of.

Too Much Food?

2011-11-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

You've gotten up out of your tryptophan-induced coma to find a kitchen full of--you guessed it--the food from last night. Truth be told, I'm a leftover sandwich kind of girl. But if that's not the kind of hair of the dog you were looking for, Mark Bittman has 20 pointers.

Birkiland Finds

2011-11-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

Birkiland is a store that highlights Icelandic design through its online store and pop-up shops. Good job Iceland--way to keep it creative.

Wall hooks for handles.

Schnapps in a sweater.

Bringing tea to a whole new level.

Hot Gravy

2011-11-16T10:46:00.001-05:00

It is almost Thanksgiving, that glorious revisionist history-based American holiday all about eating.

Thanksgiving is predictable in a lot of ways. It comes around on the third Thursday of every November. There will be turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, sweet potatoes with marshmallows (if you are into that), and gravy. And if your family has a whiner like we do (his name is my Dad), you will get someone telling you that the gravy needs to be heated up.

Some people just feel strongly about the temperature of their gravy. It has to be hot. Really hot. And that's usually not a problem when you serve, but once second helpings come around and the gravy on the table is half congealed, things get tricky. In my house this ends with a stalemate: Will I or won't I go heat up more gravy for my Dad (I won't). So in the great tradition of peacemaking and Thanksgiving, I give you the heated gravy boat.

Water-heated thermal gravy boat ($6.99)

Large Porcelain Gravy and Sauce Boat with Warmer and Candle ($23.99)

Cordless Gravy Boat Warmer ($24.95)

Spinach and Sweet Potato Cake / Bread / Quiche

2011-11-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

This recipe is a go to for me. I found it originally on La Tartine Gourmande, a dreamy food blog full of inspired food, and I have been making it ever since. The best part about making it? That I've never done it the same way twice. I've used buckwheat flour, rice flour, and regular flour, or a mixture of that. I've tossed in some Asiago, another time its been smoked gouda (which gives a rustic smokey flavor), or just some grated up whatever-cheese-I-have-in-the-fridge. I've written the recipe below with the combination I've liked the best, but keep in mind that you can work with what you've got and keep it fluid.

This isn't really a cake, or a bread, or a quiche. Béa (who has a book coming out soon) from La Tartine Gourmande listed the recipe as a cake, but it reminded me more of a savory bread. I served it to someone who immediately said "oh what a wonderful quiche!" What you get is something sweet with sweet potato, savory with spinach, salty with cheese, and substantial with flour. With all that vegetable goodness cooking up, it can get a bit dense and moist, which is where I think the quiche part comes in.

Make it, then you can decide what to call it.

Also, it is killer after sitting for a day. I love to cut it into cubes and take it with me for lunch.

--

Preheat oven to 350. Peel about 8 oz of sweet potato (a medium/small sweet one) and grate it (you are shooting for 7 oz of peeled and grated sweet potato). Chop 3.5 oz of spinach. Grate 3 oz of pecorino romano.* Put sweet potato, spinach, and cheese on a plate and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together 3 eggs and 6 + 1/3 oz. rice flour.** Mix well. Stir in scant 1/2 c. olive oil and mix well before adding scant 1/2 c. milk. Fold the vegetables and cheese into the dough along with a pinch of salt,*** 1 tsp ground coriander, and 2 tsp baking powder. Stir to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased bread pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

*Again, I've used asiago, gruyere, emmenthal, and even smoked gouda.
**Feel free to use regular flour if that's what you have on hand or prefer.
***Skip the salt if you opted for a salty cheese.

Love in the Kitchen

2011-11-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

I tend to think most reincarnations of that "made with love" mumbo jumbo are a bit lame. If an ingredient list includes "love" or "hugs" or something equally mushy I find another recipe lickity split. But these Etsy creations bring happiness to my cynical heart. Because really, who couldn't use a little more love in the kitchen?

XOXO Print from vol25. Available here.

Food is Love Postcard from daisychestnut. Available here.

Kitchen Art Print from FlourishCafe. Available here.

(I have a soft spot for cross stitch)
Cooking with Love Cross Stitch PDF pattern from andwabisabi. Available here.

Cheese or Font?

2011-11-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Murray's Cheese Shop in the West Village

Cheeselovers and typeface enthusiasts unite at cheeseorfont.com. Who knew nomenclature could be so confusing?

ie: Tabassom: cheese or font?*

Play for reals here.

After playing for a few minutes, my success rate was below 50%. I'm not proud.

*Answer: font (I know, right? I got that one wrong...)

Biking and Drinking

2011-11-02T09:30:00.000-04:00

Biking season may be coming to a close, but what better way to stave off the cold than with a nice drink? Public has the answer.

"Cleveland is the City"

2011-11-01T18:33:00.002-04:00

It's true. Bone Thugs told me.

Ruth Reichl is the newest convert to that sweet Midwestern city on the lake. Welcome to the team, Ruth.

I can honestly say that there is no other place like Cleveland, Ohio. I don't live there, and I haven't for a while, but there is something about Cleveland that is hard to shake.

The truth is, it is hard to talk about Cleveland (though I've written about it before). It has a feeling--a comfort in imperfection, almost--that you don't understand without being there. The most thoughtful and accurate representation of the pleasantness of Cleveland's diverse and unusual landscape was a truly heartfelt piece written by Anthony Bourdain after the death of Harvey Pekar in 2010. Bourdain's tribute to Pekar becomes an homage to the city that Pekar loved, a fitting ode to a man who, like the city, was beyond simple description.

Bourdain describes Cleveland:

A place so incongruously and uniquely…seductive that I often fantasize about making my home there. Though I’ve made television all over the world, often in faraway and “exotic” places, it’s the Cleveland episode that is my favorite–and one about which I am most proud.

Another great (and actually oddly accurate) portrayal of Cleveland was on 30 Rock. Watch it.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

From Haiku for the Single Girl by Beth Griffenhagen
(via Cup of Jo)

True story: I have gone to a Halloween party dressed as the Swedish Chef. It is not cute.

Best wishes for good costume choices and a happy Halloween.

Cloth Napkins

2011-10-27T10:30:00.000-04:00

I swoon for just about everything on EmersonMade's website, but these sweetly simple napkins made me think of home. My parents use cloth napkins every night. Unlike handkerchiefs, which I've always found difficult to integrate into my daily life (they don't store well in purses), cloth napkins are such a good way to be less wasteful and add a bit of color to dining.

Pig Mac?

2011-10-25T13:00:00.000-04:00

Image from Serious Eats

Obviously the good people over at Serious Eats have far too much time and drink on hand given that one editor's hangover caused him to come up with the idea of replacing the middle bun of a big mac with pig skin. Read the entire explanation here.

Good idea? Bad idea? Heart attack heaven?

Otsu

2011-10-24T11:00:00.000-04:00

I've been having a small-scale obsession with finding a perfect recipe for soba. Soba, Japanese buckwheat noodles, are smooth and hearty--the perfect comfort food. But poorly made soba is...well, horribly bad. I knew I was leaving my own area of expertise when I kept trying to make soba and failing miserably. So I turned to 101 Cookbooks, a choice I am oh-so-glad to have made, because this recipe is perfection.

I made a few changes to the original recipe. Mostly, I didn't include the tofu and used more widely available cousins of the ingredients listed. Here is the original recipe, and my version is below.

Grate the zest of one lemon and a 1-inch cube of fresh ginger (peeled) into a large bowl (the same one you'll use to serve the noodles).* Add 1 Tbs honey, 3/4 tsp cayenne, and 3/4 tsp salt; stir to combine. Slowly add in 1 Tbs of fresh lemon juice (use that lemon you just zested), 1/4 cup rice vinegar and 1/3 cup of soy sauce. Stirring quickly, drizzle in 2 Tbs of olive oil and 2 Tbs of sesame oil.

Meanwhile, cook 12 oz of soba according to the directions, or until noodles are just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Combine the cooked soba with the dressing, 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, and 3 sliced green onions. Toss to combine and serve at room temperature or cold.

*You can also assemble the dressing in a food processor rather than by hand.

**Photo courtesy of S. Hubball

Dear RuBo

2011-10-19T10:30:00.000-04:00

I'm ashamed. I mean, even when I'm not updating this blog (which is most of the time, I admit it, whatever), I try to be up on my shit. But HOW could I have MISSED the perfection that is Ruth Bourdain for so long?

Ruth Bourdain: A mystery person (he? she?) who writes a Tumblr/has a twitter account that mimics Ruth Reichl's writing style but with Anthony Bourdain's crass humor. In short, divine.

As RuBo is primarily twitter-based, I'm just going to blame my tardiness on my inability to understand Twitter and therefore to shy away from it. But then the other day I was trying to figure out if anyone had tweeted about a "police situation" that I accidentally walked passed/through in Boerum Hill and Twitter tricked me into signing up. Damn you, Twitter.

But now I am glad I was tricked into signing up because I figured out (don't judge me, Twitter is confusing) how to follow Ruth Bourdain (and Ruth Reichl), and I think my world is a better (at least it is much more funny) for it.

So, dear RuBo, I thank for you bringing your humor to my life.

Ps.

Guy Fieri = The harbinger of the apocalypse. Agreed.

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

2011-10-17T10:15:00.002-04:00

Craft fairs are the best.

There have been some changes around here. Not just slight changes. I'm talkin' big ones.

1. I've moved. And as it turns out, moving is not easy. Who are these people who move frequently? I have some questions for you:
- How do you afford it?
- Do you ever adjust to driving a UHaul?
- Do you ever find the things that you lost?
- WHY do you move frequently?

I had no idea when I decided to move that I was vaulting myself from the comforts of a perfectly lovely, if somewhat rundown, home into a harrowed universe of stress and uncertainty. It is a world where money gets flushed down the toilet in the form of things like UHaul insurance and suspiciously expensive wall hooks. Though they tell you you can bring whatever you want into this new world, approximately 4% of your possessions will be lost forever, a toll paid to the gods for granting you strength in your time of need (as the dresser was slipping through your hands on its way up the stairs). You lure unsuspecting friends into slavery with the promise of pizza and beer. It is an ugly place.

Why did I bring this fate upon myself? What would possess me to put myself through the torture of moving? Well...

2. I'm going to graduate school. The driving force behind my move from Washington DC to New York was my enrollment in the Food Studies masters program at NYU. I knowwwww. I know. School of dreams, right? Yes, it is.

3. As a poor grad student I have no money. I know I talk about being frugal and all that blah blah blah, but this time is no joke. And boyyyy, New York is not cheap, especially when it comes to food.

4. Sink + Mini Stove/Oven + 2'' of counter space + fridge = My New York Kitchen. Now let's be clear, if you hadn't noticed from the pictures, my DC kitchen wasn't exactly palatially large (or nice, for that matter), but it was a comfortable little place where I could, oh you know, use a cutting board with relative ease (rather than having to balance it precariously around the edges of the sink and frighteningly near the dirty compost container). My diet in New York has consisted mostly of bagels from the shop down the street and toast with jam, butter, jam and butter, peanut butter, peanut butter and banana, peanut butter and honey (a particular favorite), or hummus.

I've been thinking of how best to deal with these life changes o'mine as concerns this blog. Obviously due to time constraints (school+work), a mini kitchen, and the lack of funds, testing recipes and blogging them isn't a direction that this blog should go in if there is any hope of getting to a more consistent posting schedule. Let's face it, even without these changes I was never that good at keeping up with getting new recipes up. I'd get so involved that I'd forget to take pictures and/or write down measurements in real recipe form, making them likewise unbloggable. Frankly, though, I don't blame me [much]. I am, after all, first and foremost an eater, not a blogger. Sorry (but not).

So I am left to look at other avenues, because while I considered giving this space up and letting the blog peter out into internet oblivion, I came to the conclusion that I just don't want to let that happen. I like it here, and I'm not ready to give up quite yet.

Here's what you can look forward to:

More frequent posting (maybe I should put this under goals...)
New York-y things
More about eating out (get ready for a lot of bagels)
More non-food general life stuff. Frankly, I've never been one for restrictions. This will always be a blog about food, but in my life food is everything, so let's just go with it.
Instagram pictures because I just downloaded Instagram, and while I don't entirely understand how to use it, I love it.
More Q&A (so send in your food questions)
Some other stuff, too. I like to keep things fluid.

Instagram= Simple things look cool;
helping non-artistic people look artistic. Thank you.

Spread the word, tell your friends: Gastronomiquelle is back.

Gilt Taste

2011-06-25T10:35:00.000-04:00

I've been a member of Gilt, one of now many online fashion retailers that essentially offer online sample sales, for a while. I joined with gusto, but quickly found that:

50% off of a $600 dress is still more money than I am willing to pay.
The self-imposed stress of online shopping with a time constraint and limited information is really too much: "I HAVE to get this now, otherwise someone else is sure to get it. What if I wait and it is too late?" Click. Just wait until the credit card bill comes...
I am rarely free at EXACTLY noon when the sales go live. Log in at 12:08? The only things left are the orange patent leather pumps and some bejeweled mini dress in size 0.

These factors contribute to the fact that I rarely go to Gilt and almost always trash their daily email without even looking at the day's sales. But when I got the email for Gilt Taste (still in its Beta phase), I was curious. Former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl is lending her expertise to the project, which automatically gives it some street cred amongst the food obsessed. There are recipe ideas, videos, and tutorials offered on the site, but - of course - the most important thing is the food.

Gilt Taste doesn't wow with its prices (I googled a few offerings and found no price difference at other online retailers) in the same way that its fashion site boasts big markdowns. Its high-end offerings are sure to get your mouth watering, though, and will make you think seriously about dropping $60 on some truffle cream or a month's rent on Wagyu strip steaks.

Gilt Taste still has a while to go to diversify its offerings: the same retailers continue to show up with the same products week after week. But I'm willing to give them some time to figure things out if it means good food at good prices sometime in my future.

Bagels, Bagels, Bagels

2011-06-09T10:44:00.000-04:00

When it comes to bagels I was spoiled growing up in Northeastern Ohio. Sure, sure, Cleveland isn't generally the first (or second, or third) place to come to mind when thinking about where to find a good bagel. But tucked away in a mini strip mall on the east side of town is Bialy's Bagels, serving up some of the best bagels outside of New York City (that I've ever had). Seriously, just read the reviews on Yelp! if you don't believe me.

So what is a girl to do living in Washington D.C. in a neighborhood with a distinct lack of good bagel availability? Buy bagels from the grocery store, you say? The horror.

I decided to make my own. I was nervous. I don't know exactly where I picked up the idea that making bagels was incredibly difficult, but I had. I knew there was boiling involved, which frightened me a bit. I went into this whole experience with very low expectations of the outcome.

And so I found myself whipping up some bagels on an unusually warm day in early April (I've clearly been sitting on this post for a while) with ease. I kneaded, and boiled, and baked with relative ease in the morning When all my bagels were fresh from the oven, I put them in a bag and walked over to a nearby park, all the way garnering hungry (and confused) looks from innocent passersby who caught a whiff of the sweet bagel smell wafting from my bag. I met some friends at the park, and we sat happily on the grass enjoying our bagels and some of spring's first sun.

My bagels are not Bialy's bagels. Some day in my dreams I will learn how to make a bagel as good as that. But these were good and are happy stand-ins until my dream comes true. These bagels are flavorful enough that they don't require much cream cheese or other adornment, which says a lot coming from me as my love for cream cheese has caused it to be banned from the house to save me from myself...

This recipe is courtesy of a fellow Clevelander, Michael Rhulman who lets baker Bruce explain the ins and outs of bagel making. In this case I won't actually rewrite the recipe here as I think Bruce does a superb job of explaining everything that goes into bagel making, including that aspects of the recipe can be adapted and played with, though there are some bagel lovers out there who would consider this sacrilege. I can add, though, that the recipe is easy. The most time-consuming aspect of the process is timing multiple rises, but those can be managed easily by planning ahead.

Living Social deal for Porkland...Spa-lami

2011-04-01T10:28:00.000-04:00

http://livingsocial.com/spalami

Barring what I consider to be a truly gross picture of pink of bacon/animal fat in the background, this deal is awesome.

Except for the crucial issue that I would never be able to sit through a spa day like this without eating the "beauty products." A damned waste of good meat.

Still, though, I suppose I wouldn't mind too much living in Porkland...

Carnitas...sort of

2011-03-24T14:00:00.001-04:00

Now I want to make it clear that this is not meant to be an authentic recipe for carnitas. In fact, I am ashamed to say that my personal experience with carnitas is limited entirely to Chipotle. But when I found myself face to face with a 6 lb pork shoulder that was sitting in my fridge for what was sure to become a dangerously long time if I didn't act quickly, I decided to go for carnitas, inexperienced as I may be with the pork dish.

I scoured the internet for some recipes and came to terms with the fact that given the time I had available, I would have to abandon the idea of adhering to the more traditional method of chopping and browning the meat beforehand (like in this recipe or this). Another common prep technique is to brown the already cooked meat right before serving (here's an example). I didn't do this, but I easily could have and it would have deepened the flavor and dried up a little bit of the excess moisture.

The truth of the matter is that I had an overly busy work week and a crock pot I planned to take advantage of. So one night before bed I dumped a bunch of things in my slow cooker, turned it on, and slept. Hey, it worked for me. The next night Flats and I were enjoying our carnitas on flour tortillas with guacamole and spicy salsa. And because the recipe makes so much, we enjoyed it on sandwiches for the next few days and my parents even got to take a pint of it home with them (whether they wanted it or not...) when they came to visit.

Combine 4 whole cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 cups of beer (I used Yuengling because that's what I had in my fridge), 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and a 6 lb pork shoulder (bone in) in a crock pot. Cover and turn to "low" for 8 hours. When pork is finished cooking, discard excess cooking liquid/fat. Using two forks, shred meat (it should easily fall apart). Either serve immediately or reheat later (that's what I did).

(Makes enough for about 8 servings)

*When I make this again I will definitely play with spices and heat. Chipotle, jalapeno, or even simple cayenne from your spice rack would be a great addition and deepen the richness of the pork.

Irish Soda Bread

2011-03-17T13:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up there were certain food constants; I wouldn't even call them traditions because they were completely ubiquitous with the way my sisters and I grew up. They were the sort of things that gradually as I grew older and spent more and more time at other people's houses I would discover, with a mix of confusion and earnestness, that not everyone does that? It took me years to figure out that not everyone believes that dinners are made up of three components: meat, vegetable, and starch. People can eat just pasta for dinner, I thought? Yeah...

Other things, though, I knew were more special. Every St. Patrick's Day (and some random times in between), by dad makes Irish Soda bread. He stays up late March 16th (like I did last night) making batch after batch. On St. Patrick's Day he loads bags of soda bread into the car and takes them to the school where he has worked for the last 30 years for the other teachers. As much as this soda bread is a constant in my life, it has become a sort of legend amongst the other teachers who now know to expect my dad, bread in hand, on the morning of St. Patrick's Day. (And I should note that he always bakes a loaf or two for our family, which we munch on for breakfast, snacks, desserts, and any other excuse we have.)

My dad's ceremonial baking of bread would be one thing if the bread were mediocre. People would smile and take some without thinking much of it. But this is not that bread. In fact, the strong caraway and its thick scone-like texture make this bread anything but a wallflower among baked goods. This recipe, passed down for quite a few generations in my family, stands out. It is uncommonly good (but then again, maybe I'm just biased).

Everyone has their own soda bread. Search the internet or buy some at a bakery and you will find seemingly endless variations. This is a great version, but my no means the only one.

Flats and I ate our soda bread this morning, with a beer for breakfast (also made by my dad, quite a multi-talented guy) and some scrambled eggs. What a great way to start a day.

Preheat oven to 400˚ F.

Sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in 1 stick of butter with your finger tips (also can be done in a food processor). Add 4 Tbs sugar, 2 tsp caraway seeds, and 1 cup raisins (dark or light, depending on your preference). In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of milk and 3 Tbs vinegar. Let sit for five minutes before adding to flour mixture. Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased and floured 9 inch round cake or pie pan. Bake at 400˚ F for 10-15 minutes and then at 350˚ F for about 30-45 minutes.

Serve with butter. Mmmm.

And if my soda bread slices look a little messy--take a guess at who forgot to grease the pan. This girl.

Getting Older...Is Awesome

2011-03-04T13:23:00.001-05:00

I've hit the point, particularly with a recent "milestone" birthday, at which the people around me stop celebrating their birthdays and begin to lament them. Now, I unabashedly love birthdays. I love my own birthday and have often received flack from my loved ones (ahem) for attempting to prolong my special privileges for a month (ie "I don't have to do the dishes tonight, it is my birthday month" etc.). I love celebrating other peoples' birthdays too (possibly more than my own), but it really gets me down when people aren't excited for their own birthdays (I'm sorry, it is a day just for you--what is not to like!? Honestly.) They get sad about getting older, blah, blah, blah.

So seeing as how I am constantly looking for fodder in my fight to get more people to love birthdays, I thoroughly enjoyed this article about old people who have stopped giving a crap. Flats sent it to me yesterday with the email subject line "honey, this is going to be us!" and I couldn't agree more. Generally I don't mind the idea of getting older, it sort of makes me excited for all the things I have left to do, but I am now officially impatient to get there.

They had me at cobbler for breakfast.

*Also, the pictures in the article are fantastic.

Chicken Burgers

2011-02-16T09:25:00.001-05:00

I was visiting Baby a couple weeks ago when my sister HG treated us all to some chicken burgers for dinner. I have to admit, I don't usually give ground chicken the time of day, especially if I could have beef instead--chicken can just be so bland! But HG's chicken burgers made me a convert, and it was with that in mind that I whipped up these burgers with some ground chicken that had been hanging out in my freezer for a month.

Flats and I ate our burgers on wheat bread with some leftover Valentines Day cheese (we chose to commemorate the holiday with cheese rather than the traditional chocolate), sprouts, avocado and spinach. Flats even whipped up some sauteed mushrooms with balsamic vinegar to add to the spread. This was a great, quick, weekday meal. Just what we needed.

Thanks, HG!

Chicken Burgers
(Makes four medium-sized patties)

Combine 1 lb ground chicken, 3 Tbs plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 c. bread crumbs, 2 Tbs minced onions, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground black pepper and a dash of ground nutmeg in a bowl and stir to combine with a spatula. Form four patties. (These can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours before cooking.)

Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in frying pan and fry patties, about 7 minutes per side r until cooked through. Alternately, you can grill the burgers.

Black Velvet

2011-02-08T10:43:00.000-05:00

=Black Velvet. Surprisingly good--almost like a cider.

Wedding Cake of Dreams

2011-02-04T13:00:00.001-05:00

Future husband take note.

(Picture from Norbiton Fine Cheese in the U.K. There aren't a ton of options for cheesey cakes in the U.S., but here is one.)

Chicken Smothered with Onions

2011-02-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

Some recipes are good. Others are great. This recipe is great.

Chicken Smothered with Onions was my introduction to cooking, my gateway drug if you will. I came across the recipe in an old Bon Appetit years ago and decided to make it for Sunday family dinner. I was totally clueless and cooked a double recipe on the stovetop on a hot August afternoon in a house with no AC. By the time I stepped away from the stove my face was red as a tomato. This dish, though, is much better suited for a quiet February night inside than a sweltering late summer family dinner party, but truth be told it is good whenever it is served. This is dream food, what you've been craving without even knowing it until that first rich bite of chicken, onions, and gravy.

Chicken Smothered with Onions was big in my cooking repertoire when I was in high school and did a lot of cooking for my sisters and parents. It was a favorite on the birthday dinner circuit and generally made an appearance every month or so. During college when I was cooking less in general, I more or less forgot the recipe (at least, could no longer cook it by heart) and stopped making it as often. I've been thinking about the recipe and what made me fall in love with cooking a lot lately, and so I made it again for old time's sake for over the weekend.

I also made a pie with some out-of-season berries (worth it) sweetened with honey and lemon zest, but I didn't write down the recipes, so I will just tantalize you with pictures and this one tip on pie making for the food processor-less cook: Freeze your butter and grate it into the flour mixture--don't waste your time cutting buter in with your finger tips or knives! I used this recipe for the pie crust (great crust) and cut the shortening in with my fingers, then grated the butter in, quickly integrated, and added the ice water. Perfecto.

Thanks to Flats for her wonderful photography skills (all these pictures are her doing). I do take full responsibility for failing to plate the chicken more picturesquely. I understand it doesn't look like much, but you have to understand that I was just so impatient to start eating that I couldn't (really couldn't) put much time into making things look good because I was too focused on sitting down at the table and stuffing my face (which turn out to be a fairly common issue for me...)

Chicken Smothered with Onions from Bon Appetit October 1993

Start with a whole 3 1/2 lb chicken (ish) and quarter it if you are up to it (directions here). Otherwise, get about 3 lbs of whatever kind of chicken cut you like. I've made it with boneless skinless chicken breasts, bone-in chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or a random mixture of those at some point or another. Keep in mind that cooking times may vary depending on how thick the pieces are, but keep a meat thermometer handy if you are in doubt. (Note: the whole chicken I bought was a bit bigger than 3 lbs, so I cut it up but didn't use all the meat with this recipe.)

Anyways, now you've got your chicken, dry it off with a few paper towels and season liberally with salt, pepper, and paprika. Melt 1 1/2 Tbs butter into a heavy large frying pan and add chicken. Cook for about 10 minutes or until chicken starts to get some color, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. To the same frying pan, add 2 large onions, sliced. Stir onions to coat with butter and get any brown bits left over from the chicken off the pan. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes.

Return the chicken (and any juices) to the pan, setting on top of the onions. Add 3/4 cups dry white wine and 2 bay leaves to the pan. Increase the heat and let the mixture boil for about 8 minutes, or until most of the wine has evaporated. Add a 14 1/2 oz can of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally.

Remove chicken from the pan and set aside (cover with foil to keep warm). In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbs flour and 3 Tbs water. Slowly add to the onions and broth, whisking well to integrate. Also add 1/4 C. heavy cream and 1/4 tsp. mace or nutmeg (optional). Boil mixture for about 8 minutes until sauce thickens. Return chicken to pan and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T20:12:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone has a very happy 2011, full of food and good love.

Here are a few highlights from 2010:

Food truck fever swept cities across the country [picture from Mr. T in DC via Flickr]

The McRib came back to McDonalds, left again

One whole year without Gourmet

Jamie Oliver came to America in the name of healthy eating

Hight fructose corn syrup became "corn sugar"

Four Loko became a sensation, got banned

Unprecedented dedication to gingerbread homes

World's largest pumpkin weighs in at 1810 lbs

Things you think I'm missing? Let me know. See you in 2011!

Oh, Baby

2010-12-10T09:20:00.002-05:00

Some may remember my manic posts from a few months back about my niece/nephew to be.

Well, he is here, and he is perfect.

And we have so much to do together!

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

2010-12-08T10:33:00.000-05:00

Brrrrrr, it is cold outside. I haven't seen any snow yet, but I know it is around here are there. Mostly now, here, it is just a bright sun, clear skies, and a biting wind. I want to stay in my house where it is cozy, preferably in my bed where it is cozier. I hibernate.

Also, I eat. Mostly warm comforting things like ribollita (my dinner tonight), but also pasta, which I don't tend to eat a lot of in general. In the winter, though, I am powerless to resist the lure of pasta, and the warmth a bowl of still-hot-from-the-stove pasta can spread into every inch of my body. [But I fear it is a perpetuating cycle: The more pasta I eat, the more time I spend in my pajamas, snuggled in bed.]

I started making this pasta last winter when I was reminded of its simplistic charm by Smitten Kitchen. In true form, I never really granted the ingredient list any importance in a strict sense. Instead I'd use some piece of cheese I found back in the furthest part of the barely opening dairy drawer in my fridge and go with it. Results were mixed.

This time, though, I was making the trek across town to pick something up and decided to extend my errands to include Dean and Delucca. Dean and Delucca, which I so want to hate but can't help loving (very much against my will) snap as soon as I walk through the double doors and set eyes on the cheese section (not to mention the pastries, the fresh pasta, the meat). That is where I bought a block of really nice Pecorino Romano, because being an adult means it's time to follow recipes, right? Until I found out I was out of spaghetti at home. Rotini anyone?

15 minutes later (well, add another five minutes for fast-paced hungry picture taking), I sat down with my bowl of cheesy, peppery pasta. And oh was it goooood.

As a connoisseur of other "versions" of this recipe, I can certainly understand why Pecorino is the star of this dish. It is sweet and milky and doesn't weigh down the dish with too much salt. The pepper cuts the dairy and the soft noodles with spice. I threw in a bit of cayenne pepper as well to really add heat.

Cook 1 lb spaghetti (or rotini) in a big pot of salted water. Drain and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Dry out your pot and heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add pasta and 1 cup of the pasta water (watch for spitting oil/water!). Add 2 Tbs butter, 4 oz grated Pecorino Romano, and 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper to the pasta and stir until well-incorporated. Add more pasta water as needed to keep the sauce smooth and light. Serve with a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano.

Back Down South

2010-11-29T09:30:00.006-05:00

After four flights, a nine-hour layover in Seattle, and a red eye, I'm back on the east coast. As my plane landed outside Washington D.C., I looked out the window to see no snow-capped mountains, no vast ocean speckled with islands, and suburbs stretching as far as the eye could see. I was far from Alaska. And while returning home is always refreshing--to be back to familiarity and normalcy--I think I'll always be happy to return to Baranof Island.

Dinner waiting for me when I got off the plane, purchased by one wonderful host, MB. [They had to be separated because of an earlier incident during which a leg was lost.]

Crab cooked. Beer, cheese, crackers: Picnic. [We went directly to Baranof Island Brewing Company from the airport for a growler of delicious Brown Ale.]

Sitka sunrise.

Tlingit totem.

Foggy dusk.

MB walking, XtraTuf proud.

Muskeg; snowy-topped mountains.

Craggley cedar.

Headed Northwards

2010-11-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone is abuzz about Thanksgiving: Tast Test: Store-Bought Stuffing; Vegetables for Thanksgiving, Served Natural and Raw; Spirits, A Thanksgiving pre-game Strategy; and Bon Appetit's Thanksgiving Guide. There is enough information out there for even the most hapless cook to find some success next week.

Me? I have a couple posts from last year's Thanksgiving that I think deserve attention: brining a turkey and leftovers. Nothing new, but important nonetheless. But I'm not joining in on the Thanksgiving tradition this year in the same way that I have in the past. Instead, I am headed to visit a friend in Sitka, Alaska, where we will have a non-traditional day of giving thanks. The menu is dependent on the success (or failure) of various fishing and hunting trips. There will be friends, food (no matter what it turn out to be), drink, and lots of thanks.

I love traditions, particularly those that involve good food. But this year I am ready for a happy departure. I have a lot to be thankful for, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate.

Wednesday Recipes: Cranberries

2010-11-17T14:10:00.000-05:00

Today is on of my sisters' birthday (there are four of us in all). And in honor of this sister, today's recipes will celebrate the cranberry. Because I can think of few people in the world who show such undying devotion to these bitter red berries. She will do just about anything to get some and loves them cooked in just about any way. Each and every Thanksgiving she prepares her own very special cranberry sauce--an integral part of our feast and then proceeds to proactively encourages the eating and enjoyment of cranberries to anyone who will listen or who, God forbid, doesn't have any cranberries on his or her plate.

Cranberries are too often, and much to my sister's dismay, relegated to side dish status once or twice a year at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. "But they're so good!" she would say. I can only agree and do my own small part to encourage cranberry love:

Cranberry Walnut Crunch from The New York Times

Cranberry Orange Mustard from Serious Eats

Sparkling Cranberries from 101 Cookbooks

Cranberry-Almond Olive Oil Cake from Pithy and Cleaver

Kale Chips

2010-11-15T12:35:00.002-05:00

Look around--at a farmers market or grocery store. Look past the root vegetables and squash and you'll see green--lots of it: Collards, Kale, some things I don't know the name of (well, the vendor at the farmers market told me this morning, but I've already forgotten). We are in the middle of green season. Kale, a relative of cabbage, is known to withstand harsh climates and even gets better after having endured a frost, which means that November is prime kale-eating time. Plus, kale is a nutritional powerhouse loaded with beta carotene, vitamins, and calcium. Sounds great, huh?

Arghh, life would be better if I liked kale. I've tried. Really, I have. I've had it stir fried and boiled. I've tried to close my eyes and concentrate on nutritional benefits--this is good for me!--only to be sidetracked by taste. It's not just kale, either. I hate collard greens; beet greens make me want to run and hide, and I will always eat around bok choy if I find it on my plate. I'm not a picky eater in general, but greens are just not my thing. (I have an extensive theory about how I might have this gene because I also don't like broccoli.)

A while ago, though, I stumbled across a baked kale chip recipe on Smitten Kitchen. I decided to give the green another try. And after a few batches involving an over-salting mishap, I became a kale convert. The chips themselves get so thin and dry that they practically dissolve in a flurry of crunch the second you bite into them. But they don't sacrifice taste as they get thin and crunchy. They have a subtle, nutty taste--none of the bitterness I usually associate with kale. It is important to use any additional salt or spices sparingly because the flavor will become very (VERY) concentrated as the kale cooks and loses volume. I used equal parts salt and sugar to give flavor (Kale kettle corn?), but be creative with what you like.

Wash and completely dry one bunch (about 12 stalks) of kale, either curly leafed (pictured) or regular. Preheat over to 300° F. Cut out center stalks and cut or tear leaves into desired size. In a bowl, toss the leaves with 1 Tbs olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp sugar until leaves are coated. Work in batches if kale is too bulky to all fit into one bowl.

Spread kale into a single layer on a cookie sheet (again, it might be necessary to work in batches). Bake for about 20 minutes. Keep them in for a bit longer for a really dry chip with a bit of a char. Take them out of the oven sooner if you like raw kale and just want a little crunch. Either way, these make a great snack and are a perfect way to take advantage of the season.

Grilled Pears

2010-10-28T10:00:00.029-04:00

I was home at my parents' house a few weeks ago when I got to talked with my aunt about (what else?) food. She mentioned being at a friend's house and eating grilled pears. Hmmm, I thought, good thinking. Of course, so obvious. Fruit on the grill tends to be pretty great. Grilled bananas are a personal fav. But I don't have a grill. Regardless, I filed the idea far away in the back of my mind where random food mentionings go to brew.

When Flats and I first moved in together over two years ago, we were both dirt poor. There were some struggles for a while as we both tried to find jobs, keep jobs, and in general stay on our feet in a new city. We would go to the grocery store and spend $40 on a week's worth of food for both of us. Sometimes we think back and wonder how exactly we managed to keep our budgets so low. Oh yeah, it was because we only ate bread (toast), butter, milk, and sweet potatoes.

Every weekend I would make two loaves of bread, and it would last us the week. Roasted sweet potatoes filled in the rest. Peanut butter made a rare appearance when we remembered about protein deficiencies, and curry was our fallback spice. While this system managed to keep us within our budget, it was hardly the healthiest of options. I think it didn't really occur to us then how limited our diet was, but that thought was clear to Flat's mother, who was sure we were suffering from various vitamin deficiencies (likely) and began sending us Harry and David's fruit of the month. Well, Flats and I have since raised ourselves out of poverty (mostly), but the fruit continues to show up on our doorstep once a month (thanks!), much to Flats' and my excitement.

No surprise, but this month was pear month, which is how I ended up with these grilled pears. What's that? Oh yeah, no grill. I used a grill top, but I bet a real charcoal grill would give a much better flavor.

Slice two pears in half lengthwise, then in half again lengthwise (as though they were four equal columns). Cut the core out of the inner slices. Warm up your grill/grill top, and grill pears for about 3 minutes on either side.

I served mine with a bit of cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprikle of cinnamon, and it was great. Ice cream would also go well. The warmed pears practically melt in your in mouth. Mmmm, a perfect fall treat!

Mushroom Ricotta Pasta

2010-10-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

Phew, the last few weeks have been busy. Things came up, weeks wizzed by, and suddenly it is the end of October and I wonder where the month has gone. What have I cooked? Not much, unless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches count.

I've been here feeling very sorry for myself for a while now. But I think the less mea culpa and the more cooking, the better. Because really, I think that being busy the past few weeks, months, year is representative of a lot of people's lives, not just mine. When I get home after a long day at work, I hardly want to cook a prize-worthy dinner. But that's just the point: there is something between the PB&J and a culinary masterpiece. So I'm going to try to highlight things that are fast and easy because we are all busy (I'm not the only one!), but that doesn't mean we have to eat cereal every night.

This recipe is not very special. It is nothing ground breaking or incredibly new, but it is good. Good because it has subtle rich flavors. Good because it is three things that are, really really good on their own: pasta, mushrooms, and ricotta. Good because it is quick and satisfying.

Cook 1 lb of pasta. (You can do the rest of the prep while the water is boiling and pasta is cooking--the timing is almost perfect so that everything is finished at nearly the same time.)

Slice two cloves of garlic as thin as you can. In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbs butter and 1 Tbs olive oil. When oil is hot, add the garlic and saute until garlic is light brown. Using a slotted spoon, fish the garlic out and set aside.

Meanwhile, slice 1/2 cup oyster mushrooms and 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms (substitute any other mushrooms you have or like). Add the mushrooms to the pan after garlic has been removed. Cook on high heat stirring constantly until mushrooms are brown and no longer watery. Season with salt and pepper.

When the pasta is drained but still hot, stir in 16 oz. part skim ricotta, reserved garlic, dash of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and serve with mushrooms and parsley (which I just so happened to find in my fridge and add as a garnish, so it is by no means necessary for the dish) and serve immediately.

Note: This dish doesn't keep particularly well: the noodles absorb all but the thickest of the ricotta and leave everything a little dry. If you have leftovers and want to reheat them another night, try adding a little tomato sauce, or a can of diced tomatoes to change the dish up a bit. Alternately, add a bit of milk and some vermouth to smooth out the cheese and keep with the creamy texture.

Cutest. Cake. Ever.

2010-09-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

Here.

From Smitten Kitchen.

Venison Meatballs with Caramelized Onion Tomato Sauce

2010-09-26T10:35:00.000-04:00

Flats' parents came to visit last weekend. They rolled into town in their white RV/van, lovingly dubbed Vanna White, bearing gifts of ground venison and homemade pesto late last Friday for an unseasonably warm weekend in the District.

Venison and homemade pesto may seem like unlikely choices to bring to your daughter and her roommate. But this is actually not the first time Flats and I have been the lucky recipients of such gifts. You see, Papa Flats is an amateur gardening enthusiast. Each spring he plants a host of vegetables and herbs, the most successful of which is almost always basil. Come mid-summer, Papa Flats' kitchen transforms into a pest-making factory. He experiments with different nuts (traditionally pine nuts are added); this year he added a little cucumber to one batch just for the heck of it (how the best discoveries are made?). A visit from Papa Flats in late summer guarantees at least one pint container filled with delicious pesto. Mmmm.

As for the venison, Papa Flats does some real estate work in South Carolina, where he has a contractor with an affinity for hunting. Last year, Papa Flats got a whole deer (processed and packed) from a contractor as a Christmas present. This time he didn't get the whole shebang, but he did bring a 1 lb bag of ground venison for us.

Later in the week, after we had bid goodbye to Mama and Papa Flats and Vanna, I made these meatballs and sauce when Flats and I had a friend over for dinner. Along with a bottle of wine and loaf of good bread, I can't think of a better way to spend an evening. The bacon in the meatballs gives flavor and binds the lean venison meat. The sauce is a little sweet, with caramelized onions and roasted red peppers, which is a perfect accompaniment to the meatballs.

MEATBALLS:

Combine 1/2 large onion (or one small onion), diced; 1 clove of crushed garlic; 1/4 c. garbanzo bean flour (or regular all-purpose flour); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; dash of cayenne, or more depending on how spicy you like things; and 6 slices of bacon, fat trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Stir ingredients until combined. Add 1 lb of venison and stir just until mixed together, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Form the meat into 4 inch balls and place in a casserole dish. At this point they can be refrigerated overnight (that's what I did) or baked in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

SAUCE:

Cut 3 onions lengthwise (along the grain) into 1/4 inch wide slices. In a dutch oven, or another heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, add 3 Tbs olive oil over medium heat. When oil has warmed but is not smoking, add sliced onions. Stir to coat with oil, cover, and cook on low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally.
While the onions are cooking, clean two red peppers and cut them in half. Lay the red peppers flat (you can cut small slits in the ends to get them flatter) skin side up on a sheet pan. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until the skin of the peppers is entirely black and burnt. When the peppers are cool enough to touch, peel the skin off and rinse off any excess burnt stuff. Chop your roasted red peppers. Set aside.

[If you want to skip the above, buy a jar of roasted red peppers and use 8 pieces]

When onions have finished cooking, add red peppers, a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, and 1/2 c. red wine. Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes. Serve over pasta and meatballs.

Wednesday Recipes: Peaches

2010-08-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

Late August peaches, with soft fuzz and sweet flesh--ones that are so juicy they are almost hard to eat--make peaches from any other time of year underwhelming at best. Of course, the best way to eat peaches right now is fresh. Here are some other recipes, though, that you can use if you have any extras (should you have enough self control not to eat them all, all at once) or for any that look less than perfect.

Pickled Peaches from Gourmet, August 2005

Peach Jam from Tea and Cookies

Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting from Smitten Kitchen

Five-Spice Rubbed Halibut with Peach Ginger Relish from The Washington Post

August is National Peach Month!

Tomato Jam

2010-08-22T17:53:00.000-04:00

Summer is coming to a close. As happy as I will be to have lower temperatures (it has been one HOT summer here), I will be disappointed to lose the good summer growing season. Going to the farmer's market for good-quality produce is one of my favorite things about the summer. Nothing from a grocery store in February can even come close to how late summer peaches taste, and the same goes for most other fruits and vegetables. How can the best flavors of summer last into winter and early spring? Canning is one option.

I have to admit, when I first spied this recipe I was suspicious: Would tomato jam really taste good? Yes, yes, I am aware that tomatoes are technically a fruit, but to approach them as a sweet is certainly a shift in thinking. But I was intrigued, and so I bought some tomatoes and set to boiling. Luckily we had a few extra jars around the house for canning (or you can freeze it).

Cut slits in an "x" shape at the bottom of the equivalent of about 2 lbs of tomatoes. Blanche the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes, until the skin begins to pull away from the bottom slits. Cool and remove skins. Cut out the hard white top, and squeeze out any seeds. Chop tomatoes into roughly 1 inch cubes. In a large pan, combine tomatoes; 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced, juice and zest from one lemon, and a cinnamon stick. Once mixture has come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour (don't go longer, even if the jam looks watery--it will jell up when it cools).

If you are canning, pour jam into hot sterilized jars (made enough for about three 8 oz. jars), then process jars for about 15 minutes in boiling water. Be sure to use new lids that will seal while being processed in the boiling water. If there is a chance that one jar didn't seal, refrigerate it for first use.

This recipe can be found in its original form from Joe Pastry here.

Pao Doce

2010-08-17T22:21:00.002-04:00

I recently started going through some old cookbooks I saved from my parents' trash when they were moving a few years ago. I have to admit, I haven't spent much time actually looking through them. Usually I decide to make something and will page through the index of each one to search and compare particular recipes. So Sunday I sat down with scrap paper in hand to mark pages I wanted to come back to. I didn't actually make it very far, though. I stopped in the "Breads" section of an old East Texas women's club book, headed to the kitchen, and made the Pao Doce recipe I found.

Pao Doce is a Portuguese sweet bread. I should mention, I am not Portuguese, and I had never even heard of Pao Doce before. This bread reminds me of a brioche of challa, but with a cakier crumb. Now that I've looked Pao Doce up (after I made it), I see that it is much more common to make into rolls rather than a loaves, which is what I did. When I make these again, I think I will knot the dough and maybe glaze them to make a true dessert bread. But in the mean time, this recipe is a great option for a sweet bread that is a nice change of pace.

Flats and I have been eating slices with a little butter or plain with just a glass of milk.

Combine 2 envelopes active dry yeast in 1/4 c. lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar. Scald 1 c. of milk. Remove from heat and pour directly into a bowl with 1/2 c. softened butter and 1 c. sugar. Stir to melt butter. When milk mixture is cool to about room temperature, add the yeast mixture, 3 eggs, and 1 tsp. salt. Once combined, add a total of 5 cups of flour, one cup at a time. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 15 minutes, adding more flour as needed so that the dough remains elastic but not sticky.

Place dough into a buttered bowl. Toss to coat in butter, then set aside to rise for about an hour or until doubled in size. (I usually put a damp dishtowel over the bowl so that the dough does not dry out, but be sure to watch that the towel doesn't stick to the dough if the dough rises too high.) After the dough has risen, punch it down then form it into two balls, placing each one in a 9 inch pie or cake pan (I used one of each because that's what I have). Allow to rise again for an hour and a half. If you like, cut slits in the the top. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the bread from pans and cool on racks.

Wednesday Recipes: Beets

2010-08-11T20:19:00.000-04:00

I love beets, but I sometimes find myself wondering exactly how to cook them. I have a memory of someone telling me that they can be hard to deal with (aside from the clothes-staining aspect), so I've tended to stear clear of preparing them myself. But what is to stop me--some vague and fuzzy maybe warning? Not any more.

*Be sure to wear your apron!

Roasted Beet Salad with Guajilo Chile Dressing from Serious Eats

Clear Summer Borscht from The New York Times

Beets with Stout and Sauteed Beet Greens from Gourmet, March 1990

Simply Roasted Beets from Not Eating Out in New York

Wednesday Recipes: Squash

2010-08-04T21:38:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has a backyard garden probably has some summer squash right about now. If you don't have a garden, a farmers market or grocery store is sure to satisfy your craving. The easiest and best way to cook summer squash is to chop it up, steam until tender, and serve with a dollop of butter mixed in. But, here are some other suggestions:

Summer Squash Gratin from 101 Cookbooks

Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte from Smitten Kitchen

Roasted Goat Cheese-Stuffed Squash from Use Real Butter

Sauteed Summer Squash with Red Pepper and Onion from The New York Times

Zucchini Slaw with Blue Cheese

2010-07-25T16:48:00.000-04:00

It has been said before, on this blog and elsewhere, that I have a tendency to pinch pennines, particularly where food is concerned. This habit, I'll have you know, is not one that I practice entirely out of choice. You see, I suffer from money-spent guilt. I've been better about it lately (better? my bank account would not agree), but I recognized the miser in me last week at the farmers market when I--without thought or pause--bypassed all the bright, in-season and I'm sure delicious (but then again, how would I know?) expensive veggies at the farmers market and went directly for the "3 for $2" squash section. I spent at least 10 minutes choosing the largest, best-looking zucchini and squash, so that I could get my money's worth, of course.

Then I got home and realized that I only have a handful of zucchini recipes, one of which is zucchini bread, and have I mentioned my oven is not working? Actually, I don't even really like zucchini that much. Or rather, zucchini isn't exactly something I crave or wish I had when I don't. I generally use zucchini as a filler in sauces and other dishes, a holdover from when I was in college and would get a few cheap veggies from the grocery store to eat with pasta for the week. Zucchini as a main ingredient? I was lost.

I made the first version of this as a filler/side for flats and me one night. I had low expectations to say the least. But when we ate it it was actually...good? Who knew raw zucchini had such a mildl, buttery light flavor? I sure didn't. But quickly this recipe has become one that I will surely use again and again.

Wash one large zucchini. Cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Using a box grater or a food processor, grate the zucchini. In another bowl, combine 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste (a dash of cayenne pepper is a great addition if you like heat). Whisk the dressing until combined, then pour over grated zucchini. Crumble about 2 Tbs of blue cheese onto the zucchini and toss. Serve cold.

Regional Cuisine: Red Snappers

2010-07-20T20:59:00.000-04:00

No, this post has nothing at all to do with fish. Regional food? You got it.

Everyone has a home town favorite you can't get (or at least, its just not the same) anywhere else. How was I to know when I left Ohio that the white bratwurst I know and love is not what the rest of the country--or Germans for that matter--think of as bratwurst. But man, oh man, what I wouldn't do for a bratwurst sandwich from the West Side Market after a bad dat. Once, when visiting my sister at college, my parents and I actually stopped on the way to the airport to buy a bratwurst sandwich. Needless to say, the other passengers were not crazy about that sauerkraut-soaked sandwich in the overhead bin. New York and bagels, New Orleans and Po'Boys, South Carolina and boiled peanuts...and the list goes on and on. Everyone's got something.

Which brings us to my trip to Maine last month. Now, don't assume this is going to be a seafood related post, because its not. Mainers may love their fishing, and you can't beat the lobster, but the thing that will rile up the calmest of Maine residents is if you compare their hot dogs to hot dogs you can find anywhere.

I actually side with the Mainers in this argument given the fact that simple visual evidence proves that "Red Snappers" stand out. These things are RED. Now, I know this picture isn't the best, but believe me when I say that the color of this tubular meat really IS that bright. That red.

These bad boys are made from beef, pork, red #40, red #3 and are packed into a natural lamb casing, which "snaps" when you bite into it. As for taste, these franks aren't a radical departure from good-quality hot dogs, that red dye doesn't signify spice or some secret special flavors. But these dogs are good. Really good. So maybe I could live without the red color, but I guess it is a tradition? So next time you are in Maine, get some lobster, but make sure you don't miss out on a true Maine classic--the Red Snapper.

Clafoutis

2010-07-15T22:01:00.002-04:00

Last Friday I took a break from my work and went to the farmer's market outside my office. I'd already eaten what I brought for lunch, but I was still desperately hungry (what else is new?). Plus, I needed some fresh things to stock my kitchen before my house burgeoned with weekend guests the next day. This Friday farmer's market is a relatively new addition to downtown D.C. Groups of pale government workers come out of their offices and leave their food courts behind for the first time in months, though you can tell from the looks on their faces, and the fact that the longest line is without fail at the table selling candied popcorn, that they can't figure out exactly what to do with their new farmer's market.

I perused the stands looking for something to eat immediately and something to take home. I found both at a little booth tucked in a corner selling only flowers and a few cartons of fruit. Here I bought a pint of some of the best blueberries I've ever eaten (and I ate them at my desk as soon as I got back from the market--the entire pint was gone in under 20 minutes). I also picked up a quart of sour cherries that looked as though every cliche cherry picture ever was taken based off the contents of the cardboard container I picked out. What is it with sour cherries that they all seem to be so picture perfect?

Not being well-versed in the wiles of sour cherries (somehow I missed this phenomena growing up?), I decided to defer to Joe Pastry, my go-to-man for all things baking, as well as dorky historical food factoids. Joe recently made a clafoutis, a flan-like cross between a cake and a pudding, which, in a drastic departure from norms that define my life, I can spell but cannot say (or rather, just feel hopelessly idiotic saying). The batter can be made in under 3 minutes using a blender or a food processor, and the cherry pits stay in. The entire things can be thrown together and popped in the oven in under 15 minutes. And it is so worth it. The sour cherries retain their tartness but lose the edge while the smooth batter is sweet and simple alongside.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a pie pan or 9'' round baking pan (you can also use a cast iron skillet, in which case you don't need to grease it). Wash and stem about 1 lb sour cherries, then spread them in a single layer in the baking dish. Combine 1 1/4 cups milk, 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 3 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla, a splash of amaretto (optional), 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup flour in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Pour batter over cherries. Bake in hot oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Cool and serve.

For a slightly different take on clafoutis, check out this chocolate cherry clafoutis and this ratatouille clafoutis.

Wednesday Recipes: Galettes

2010-06-30T23:06:00.000-04:00

It has been hot. Outside, inside, everywhere. As far as I'm concerned, global warming is now global HOTing. I'm not a hot weather lady; I was not made for it. But I've generally made hot weather work for me with moderate success. Lately, though, the heat has been too much. Our early summer heat wave is more reminiscent of the ones at the very end of summer, that are not only expected but somehow accepted because fall is so close around the corner. But fall is months away here in the Mid Atlantic. With nothing to look forward to and unrelenting hot weather, I began to think (worry) that maybe I just forgot what summer is like--has it always been like this? Maybe this wasn't a heat wave but a semi-permanent seasonal temperature shift. Maybe I've just imagined that I can deal with hot weather.

But just then, right at that point that I was really, really getting nervous about three more months of living life as though in a greenhouse from Hell, the heat wave ended. Normal summer is here, and I realized how much I missed it. Having daily highs in the 80s has made me actually want to cook--in a way that standing over a painfully inefficiently insulated hot oven is no longer a thought that makes me want to go stick my head in the freezer. That being said, I'm not about to braise any lamb shanks in the near future. So here's to ovens!

I decided to change things up a bit this week. Instead of taking a single ingredient and showing how many different ways you can make it, I'm taking the way something is made and changing its key ingredients. Meet the galette. A galette is basically a rustic free-form tart. But they are incredibly versatile. And easy, did I mention easy? You can really fill them with whatever wonderful thing you want--they practical demand creativity. But just in case you aren't feeling creative, here are a few ideas:

My own attempt at creativity with a galette, Andouille, Goat Cheese and Bell Pepper Galette

Apple Galette from Pinch My Salt

Cabbage and Mushroom Galette from Smitten Kitchen

Pear and Balsamic Vinegar Galette from Joe Pastry

Apricot and Thyme Galette from GooLife eats

Wednesday Recipes: Avocados

2010-06-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

I had a beloved avocado. I grew it from an avocado pit, stuck pins in its sides and put it in water until it split and roots shot out from the bottom. I started it when I first moved to D.C. and it sat there, on my windowsill, ever since.

That is, until this spring when I made a huge mistake: I put the avocado out on my front porch. Within two days it was entirely eaten--roots and all. I was angry, I was sad. But once I got a hold of myself, I wasn't that angry (I was still a little sad, though). I mean, how could I blame the squirrel, or other mystery creature, for wanting to eat my avocado? I love to eat avocados, too!

Guacamole with Fresh Corn and Chipotle from Bon Appetit

Avocado Ritz (a simple South African specialty with shrimp) from Rainbow Nation

Tuna Ceviche with Avocado from New York Times

Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad from Smitten Kitchen

My Television Debut: Top Chef

2010-06-20T19:43:00.000-04:00

It was late March when I got a frantic call from Flats; what were my plans on Wednesday, she wanted to know. Why the hurry (I wanted to know)? Because we were getting tickets to attend the first episode of Top Chef, that's why.

And so Wednesday came, a sweltering spring afternoon in Washington DC. We arrived for the taping along with two hundred other people and stood outside for an hour waiting for the producers to let us into the air conditioning. By the time we were finally let into the building, everyone was hot and slightly annoyed. Had everyone there not been so glad that they were not at work at 1 pm on a Wednesday afternoon, there certainly would have been some sort of uprising. Once inside, we waited in the entrance area for another hour (but this time they gave us fancy water). Finally they lined us up to make our entrance. Our instructions were clear: eat as much as you want, talk about the food when you are near the food, and stand clear of the judges. We received our directions in silence, until, of course, the producers explained where the wine was located, at which point the entire room erupted into cheers.

We went around the room tasting dishes, talking to chefs, and drinking wine. Padma was beautiful, Tom definitely continues to walk the scary/hot line, and Eric Ripert was just lovely (though I have to say that I disagreed with his comments about leaving skin on rockfish). I can say from personal experience that the person who lost clearly deserved to lose; his dish was not on the level of the other contestants'. And the person who won, ehh, that food was good but not great. He also had an attitude, which was clear from meeting him for two minutes and was further proven when the show aired.

By the time the judges had finished, most chefs had run out of food and were starting to pack up. Finally the producers asked the rest of us who were still there to leave. So we went outside and they took camera shots of small groups walking into the building.

Come last Wednesday, Flats and I were obviously thrilled to watch our screen debuts. I mean, we had some quality camera time while we were there. Suddenly, though, the show was over, and we caught a glimpse of Flats, but that was all. Thankfully, a friend with an eagle eye took this screen capture:

That green polka-dot skirt--yeah, that's me. Granted, it was only a split second of on-screen time, but that's good enough for me!

Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

2010-06-15T10:00:00.001-04:00

This was the plan: get up early(ish) Saturday, make something good, and head over to a park to watch the World Cup with my friend Pintje for a soccer-watching picnic of sorts. This plan failed to take into account quite a few factors. First, who could have known that Pintje's Friday night would carry into Saturday morning (not in the good way)? How was I to know that the temperature would reach 99? AND how could I have foreseen that U.S. soccer fans would come out of the woodwork with faces painted with stars and stripes, beers in hand, ready to make this World Cup unforgettable? While this is great for the U.S. team and the future of U.S. soccer, it added a whole lot of intensity to our soccer-watching picnic.

I don't know if I've ever been that hot. Without going into too much unnecessary detail, it was humid and hot anyways, but add hundreds of people packed together, excited about sports and most likely drunk made things a whole hell of a lot hotter. It was sweaty. It was smelly. But good thing I had Pintje, right? Nope. She slept on a blanket off to the side, "listening" to the game.

And my oatmeal cookies, the ones I had made early that morning for our picnic, went uneaten.

I've had some time to reflect on the situation, and having these oatmeal cookies all to myself is looking better and better. I'm not a fan of chocolate chip cookies (gasp). They tend to be too dry and sweet for me. But these cookies, oh these cookies, are cakey and flakey, with a salty-sweet combo that makes me want to eat them all day long.

I shamelessly lifted this recipe from the Hodgson Mill box of Steal Cut Oats, which I had left over from this recipe. They call this recipe "Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies,"but truth be told, there really isn't that much oatmeal in these guys. Not enough (in my opinion) for them to be called oatmeal cookies, which I think would mislead people's expectations of this recipe. And so I call them Oatmeal Sugar Cookies because I think its more descriptive.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Bring 1/2 cup steel cut oats and 1 cup of water to boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer oatmeal for 10 minutes, stirring. Using a standing or hand-held mixer, cream 3/4 cups butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla. In another bowl, mix together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ground cloves. Mix egg mixture and flour mixture together. Fold in oatmeal. Add 3/4 cup chopped nuts and 1 1/2 cups raisins (optional, I didn't add either). Form cookies on lightly greased baking sheet. I made big cookies, about 12 in all, which cooked for 20 minutes, though smaller cookies would be finished in closer to 10-15 minutes.

I'm Back, Asparagus and Fingerling Potato Soup

2010-06-13T15:34:00.005-04:00

I know, I know, the last few weeks have been a major blog fail. I accept full responsibility, so let's move on to the good part: food.

My parents came to visit last weekend. The weather was hot, hot, hot, but we had a great time. I was beat from the week, so I didn't do very much cooking while they were here. My mother brought some marinated skirt steaks, and we ate those their first night. Now I don't tend to buy much meat for Flats and myself, mostly because it tends to be expensive, but also because I don't like to buy meat unless I know I will use it right away, which rarely happens. A good piece of meat, then, is pretty notable, and these skirt steaks were no exception. Skirt steaks actually tend to be relatively cheap, though they need a good marinade to make them tender. Cheap enough even for me to buy and cook up; possibly to be shared with the world on this very blog, so meat lovers stay tuned...

BUT, this post is not about meat. It is about soup. A wonderful soup. Come Sunday night when my parents had gotten on their way and I was looking for something that would keep my mind off of how much I other stuff I should do (clean, sleep, work, pay bills, etc.), I looked into my fridge to evaluate what food was a) still there and b) still edible.

And so we have Asparagus and Fingerling Potato soup because what two things did my parents bring with them? You guessed it! A giant thing of asparagus and a bag of fingerling potatoes. I was hoping for a good soup (read: edible), but what I got was a great soup. Roasted asparagus has a smokey, almost meaty, flavor that went perfectly with the potatoes. So at the risk of making everyone really, really sick of asparagus by making it a key ingredient two posts in a row, here is the recipe:

Preheat over to 400 F. Spread 1 1/2 lbs trimmed asparagus* on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 Tbs melted butter. On another baking sheet, sprinkle 1 Tbs melted butter over 4 cloves of garlic (feel free to increase), 1 medium onion roughly chopped, and 1 lb peeled and chopped fingerling potatoes. Put both baking sheets in the oven; leave the asparagus in the oven for 20 minutes, and the potatoes for 40 minutes (or until soft when pricked with a fork).

Working in batches, put a portion of the roasted vegetables in a food processor or blender, along with (in total) 1/2 cup of white wine, 1/2 cup of milk, and 4 cups of stock (preferably chicken or vegetable). Once each batch of soup is smooth, transfer to a large saucepan, straining any chunks through a fine colander, chinoise, or sieve as you go.** When all the soup is mixed and strained, season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and serve or refrigerate overnight to let the flavors deepen.

*trim the hard whitish part of the stalk off the bottom of the asparagus.

**you don't really NEED to do this step if you are pinched for time, but it will make the soup's texture much more uniform. Also, use a spatula to press the soup through the colander if it doesn't strain out easily.

Wednesday Recipes: Asparagus

2010-05-19T20:47:00.001-04:00

I've got some, you should get some. 'Tis the season.

Creamy Asparagus Soup from Thought for Food (a great blog my mom just passed along to me--it catalogs a year in cooking school. There is a treasure trove of recipes waiting to find cooks in here)

Asparagus Salad with Sweet Balsamic Vinegar from October 1997 Bon Appetit

Asparagus Panzanella from Smitten Kitchen

Asparagus Carbonara from The New York Times

Grilled Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus from Use Real Butter

Farmer's Market Booty

2010-05-17T11:13:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday was beautiful. One of those windy spring days that is the perfect combination of cool and warm, making you remember why spring is special. Flats was out of town, and I had to stay close to home in order to have a new washer and dryer delivered (an ordeal, to say the least).

So I went to the farmers market that just started up again a couple blocks away. It is small with no more than about 10 stalls, but sometimes small is good. I don't think the merchants appreciated this gusty day quite as much as I did though; they were too busy attempting to give change while simultaneously trying to prevent their canvas awnings and tents from blowing down the street.

Check out all the wonderful things I bought:

(My neighbors think I am insane for setting up food on my back porch and taking pictures of it. Occupational hazard?)

But really, look at how perfect these eggs look with all their imperfections; not like grocery store eggs (at least the kind that I usually buy). These ones actually have NORMAL variances in size, color, and shape. And the yolks are bright orange and thick. Their taste is so...eggy. Like a grocery store egg turned up in intensity.

And since I was housebound, I took advantage of all my fresh produce and made a wonderful breakfast, with a smoothie full of strawberries, eggs, toast, and some red tea my sister gave me (which has a pretty astounding color, but a very nice taste--Starbucks Passion tea). So considering that the day was wholly unsuccessful in that I am still washing my cloths in a washer that both makes my cloths smell like metal and makes my entire apartment shake like an earthquake during the spin cycle, I would say it was very satisfying food wise. And that's all I can really ask for.

Menudo: Smell Inhibits Ability to Eat

2010-05-15T11:11:00.001-04:00

Menudo has been on my mind of late, if my recent post hadn't made that clear enough. I informed Flats that this week would be the week; Tuesday was the day. Menudo would be eaten. I'd had this can of Goya Menudo for long enough.

Come Tuesday, I was bogged down at work with little hope of leaving before eight. There would still be menudo, though. I called Flats on my way home, and she opened the can and started heating it up. I walked in the door, up the stairs, exhausted from my day but ready to be adventurous, and I was greeted by smells of tomatoes and chili. But then I kept walking. The closer I came to the kitchen, the more it smelled like...poop. Yep, that's right.

Menudo is a Mexican soup/stew made with tripe and hominy, using a tomato sauce base. Traditionally, menudo is made to serve a crowd--think big family gatherings. Though not difficult to make, it is time consuming simply because the tripe takes so long to cook and become tender. As a mainstay in Mexican households, menudo also has infinite variations.

Now, I've had tripe before, and it wasn't half bad. But this was just a little too much for me. One encounters a certain amount of funk when dealing with tripe regardless. Flats and I gave it a try, we both took bowls, but after a few bites, the need to distance myself from that smell overcame my willpower to eat the menudo. In the end, it was tossed down the toilet (fitting, I think) as the garbage disposal is broken.

I refuse to make a final call on menudo until I have tried the non-can version.

Wednesday Recipes: Tomatoes

2010-05-12T21:55:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. It is not exactly tomato season (late summer). And that's what I told my pregnant sister when she asked for recipes. Apparently, Baby loves acidic food, because that's all Baby Mama wants to eat. So here's one for the bun in the oven.

I tried to find recipes that could use tomatoes that are slightly out of season. Of course everything is better with some late August heirloom tomatoes, but there are 11 other months in the year that need some tomato love too.

Romesco Sauce from right here

Shakshuka (eggs in spicy tomato sauce) from Smitten Kitchen

Roasted Tomato Soup from 101 Cookbooks

Panzanella from Hungry Again (ok, this one really does need some good tomatoes)

Caramelized Tomato Tart Tatin from the New York Times. Here is a link to the story that accompanies the recipe.

Add It to the List...

2010-05-08T15:06:00.000-04:00

...Take Baby to markets (or any markets really) to teach baby about all the wonderful food there is out there.

It is my opinion that too many people are afraid of food. Sure, some people don't like certain tastes, and I respect that. What I have a problem with is when people refuse to try something new because it is a departure in some way or another from the traditional "safe foods" like mac'n'cheese (a personal favorite) or spaghetti.

We are all guilty of doing this in some way or another. Sure, I still have a giant can a menudo that a friend gave me months ago. It sits in my cupboard, and I look at it when I look to find something to eat. I even feel a tinge of guilt when I turn to Flats and say "we have noooooo food" in my five-year old pity-me-please voice. Because we do have food. We have menudo.

The truth of the matter is, I don't really come home from a hard day at work and think to myself "man, I could really go for for a 30 oz can of Mexican tripe stew right now." It's true.

So I will take Baby to markets (in Cleveland, that would be the West Side Market, the best place on earth) to show Baby from a young age how many types of food there are out there--and you don't even have to be afraid of them! Aka, don't be like me and put off eating something new. Maybe we'll even eat some menudo together.

What's Going On?

2010-05-08T14:48:00.000-04:00

Did you think I forgot you on Wednesday? Of course I didn't--how could I? I just didn't have time to post Wednesday recipes this week. Yes, time, that thing that seems to slip through my fingers just when I'm sure I've managed it.

Look forward to more recipes soon.

Love from your time-challenged friend,

Gastronomiquelle

Wednesday Recipes: Rhubarb

2010-04-28T10:01:00.001-04:00

My mother asked me the other day if I knew any good rhubarb recipes. Rhubarb pie (for obvious reasons) was my initial answer. And--but then I stopped. For how much I love rhubarb, I am severely limited in my use of it. It can be tricky because it is so sour, so I suppose that's why I don't tend to experiment with it much. So here you go mom! (though I realize it's a little late)

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie from me

Rhubarb and Ginger Brioche Bread Pudding from May 2010 Bon Appetit (now there are some people who appreciate rhubarb!)

Curried Duck Legs with Ginger and Rhubarb from The New York Times

Strawberry Rhubarb Pecan Loaf from Smitten Kitchen

Buttermilk Rhubarb Bread from Eating Out Loud

Hey, Big Baby!

2010-04-27T10:00:00.003-04:00

My sister and her husband are having a baby.

I cannot put into words how excited I am. I don't have any nieces or nephews [yet]. I am not anywhere near in a point in my life that involves children, but I plan on taking full advantage of the fact that my sisters are.

I am starting a list of all the things I will do with Baby. In no particular order:

- Teach Baby how to cook, with an emphasis on red meat and offal

- Take Baby to the park (any park), hopefully with a picnic

- Read Baby Each Peach Pear Plum, although I have a feeling Baby's mother will beat me to this one

- Buy/make Baby a chef's hat, for cooking lessons, or course

- Introduce Baby to The Temptations, Otis Redding

- Read Baby The Avacado Baby, a little known children's book classic

- Play with Baby as much as possible

This list is obviously ever-evolving. I am accepting suggestions.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

2010-04-26T16:23:00.002-04:00

My dad came to town last week. Unfortunately, he did not drive, so I am still short a pasta maker, which is currently in Cleveland waiting for transport to Washington. But, pasta maker or not, it was wonderful to see him. He was only in town for a night, he got in at 6pm Tuesday, only to have meetings all day Wednesday and fly out at 6pm. Oh, and Tuesday was his birthday.

How, oh how to make a birthday dinner for my dear father, when I work until 6:30 and he'll be hungry from traveling? Not to mention that, when preparing a meal for my father, there is a certain set of rules one must adhere to. Dinner must be made up of a meat, a starch, and a vegetable. I don't have too much of a problem following his rules for a nice dinner, but it certainly took away my back-up option of serving pasta (nothing could be more unacceptable).

The next things to take into consideration were his likes and dislikes. No fish unless it comes as part of a Good Friday fish fry. No pasta (as mentioned above). Otherwise he is pretty easy to please. There are things he likes more than others, though, and birthday dinners are a perfect times to take advantage of that. The man loves mashed potatoes. Like a good Irishman, he could eat meat, gravy, and mashed potatoes until the end of time. But my mother has been waging a one-woman battle against white potatoes for the last couple years and has basically replaced them with roasted sweet potatoes. This dietary change hasn't thrilled my dad.

For the meat portion of the meal, I decided on brisket in the slow cooker. My attempts, though, were foiled by a poorly stocked grocery store. I did spy some short ribs, so I picked up those instead. Remember that lamb shanks recipe? Remember how it works for short ribs too? Well, I did, and so I braised those the day before he arrived, put them in the fridge (which makes it much easier to skim the fat anyways) overnight. I also peeled some Yukon Golds the night before, cut them up, and put them in the fridge to be boiled and mashed the next day. For the vegetable I opted for salad; my father lusts after store-bought salad dressings (who knows), and I just so happened to have some Russian Dressing in the fridge. Perfect!

Now for dessert. Like me, my dad doesn't have much of a sweet tooth. But, the sweet things he likes, he likes a lot. These include: Trappist caramels, ice cream sandwiches, peach cobbler, sweet-roasted peanuts, and pie. I narrowed down the list above easily by eliminating things that I can't get on short notice (Trappist caramels), things that are too casual for a birthday dinner (ice cream sandwiches, peanuts), and things that are out of season (peaches). Pie it is!

This is a man who will do almost anything for a good pie. When I lived with my parents, this usually meant that he would come home from the market on Saturday mornings with a huge crate of some half-rotted fruit. My mother would roll her eyes while he explained what a great deal he got. Then he would look at me and remark that the fruit isn't good enough to eat fresh, so why don't we (that would be me) make a pie.

Good thing I like pies almost as much as he does.

Hands down, this is my favorite pie. I think the first time I ever made it might have been for my Dad's birthday when I was in high school. Ever since then, it has been a favorite on my dessert repertoire. I like the crust so much that I use it for most other pie recipes, changing only the filling. Birthday cake has nothing on this pie.

Because I was working with an odd time constraint, I did as much as possibly ahead of time. I made the crust and rolled it out into disks, then put it in the fridge. I cut the fruit, put it in the fridge, and measured the sweeteners out in another bowl. When the time came, I didn't got for the lattice topping, which looks really really nice if you've got the time. I know the picture above is a bit wonky, but hopefully I'll make it again soon and post some better pictures.

This recipe is from the April 1997 issue of Bon Appetit.

Crust: Combine 3 cups flour, 2 1/2 tsp sugar, and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl, or the bowl of a food processor. Cut 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening and 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter into the flour mixture, using your fingertips or by pulsing the food processor. The mixture should resemble a course meal. Gradually add in 10 Tbs ice water, one tablespoon at a time, stopping (or adding more) when the dough clumps together but is not sticky. Separate the dough into two balls, then flatten slightly into disks and refrigerate until chilled through, about an hour.

Filling: Combine 3 1/2 cups chopped peeled rhubarb (pieces should be about 1/2'' thick, this will be about 1 1/2 lbs untrimmed); 3 1/2 cups hulled, halved strawberries (about one 16 oz container); 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 1 tsp cinnamon; and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

To Assemble: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll out one disk of dough into 13'' round and fit into 9'' pie dish. Pour filling into pie shell. Roll the other disk into a long oval. Using a knife, cut 1/2'' wide strips. Transfer strips to pie, repairing as needed. At this point you can either weave the strips into one another as you place them, or you can simply do them in two layers. When the lattice top is finished, crimp edges and brush lattice with 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tbs water. (If you decide not to do the lattice, simply roll out the second disk, transfer it to the top of the pie, crimp edges and skip the egg wash.)

Place pie in hot oven and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then 350°F for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Layer Cake with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone

2010-04-23T11:03:00.004-04:00

What. A. Cake.

I'm not a big baker. I don't have a big sweet tooth, and I struggle with following directions (I resent constraints). But, on occasion I can get my act together well enough to bake something wonderful, at which point I find myself wondering what all the fuss is about--baking is easy and those rules are so worth it.

And this cake is easy. Yes there are a lot of components (I said easy, not quick). It is a forgiving recipe, which is perfect because I think we could all use a little more forgiveness in our lives. However, one's ability to fold batter does factor fairly highly in the success of the cake portion of the recipe. Just remember, don't stir, and be patient. Fold under and over and you'll be fine. Folding batter maintains air bubbles and keeps the cake light. Stirring instead of folding will give you a thick heavy cake that feels too dry. Still confused? Joe Pastry, my baking hero who makes me want to quit my day job, get a wood burning stove, and give myself over entirely to baking, gives fool proof directions. But never fear! Even if you are still perfecting your folding abilities, your cake will be saved by the syrup poured over each layer. It will moisten any dry cake layers and hide your mistakes. Gosh I love hiding mistakes.

The recipe, adapted from April 2003 Bon Appetit.

Here is a list of ingredient TOTALS from all components of the cake. Just to make grocery shopping a bit easier.

12 eggs
1 cup lemon juice, FROM FRESH LEMONS, plus lemons to garnish if you want. (I bought 10 lemons, which turned out to be just right, but that number might vary slightly)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 3/4 +2 Tbs sugar
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup whipping cream
12 oz Mascarpone

Lemon Curd: Make this the day before because it will need to sit in the fridge. Combine 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice (don't bother making this cake if you think you are going to sub lemon juice in a jar, it's not worth your time), 3 eggs, and 3 eggs yolks in a double boiler and stir. Turn on burner and set to medium heat. Continue to whisk until mixture reaches 160°F. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

Cake: I also made this the day before I served the cake. I wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap and kept it at room temperature (I didn't want it to dry out in the fridge). Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the bottoms of two 9'' cake pans with parchment paper (wax paper if you need a stand-in). Beat 6 egg yolks and 7 Tbs sugar in a large bowl (use a mixer if at all possible) until mixture is very thick, about 4 minutes. In another bowl (with clean beaters) beat the whites from six eggs until soft peaks form. Add 7 Tbs sugar 1 Tbs at a time, beating until mixture is thick and glossy. Fold half of the whites into the yolks, then 1 cup cake flour and 1/4 tsp salt, folding until combined. Add the other half of the whites and 3/4 cup cake flour and continue folding.

Divide batter between the pans and bake in a hot over for 15 minutes. When the cakes are cool, run a knife along the sides to dislodge the cake from the pan. Remove the cakes from the pans. Using a long serrated knife, slowly and carefully cut each cake in half lengthwise so that you have four thin layers. Peel off parchment from the layers.

Syrup: Combine 1/2 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. To that, add 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. Set aside.

Filling/Frosting: Stir together 12 oz. mascarpone and all but one cup of the lemon curd. In another bowl, beat 1 cup whipping cream and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold whipping cream into mascarpone/lemon mixture.

Assemble the cake: Place one of the four cake layers on a plate. Brush 1/4 of the syrup onto the cake. Spread 1/4 cup of the leftover lemon curd, then spread a layer of frosting. Put the next cake layer on top and repeat the process until the cake is fully assembled. Frost the sides of the cake and garnish with lemon slices. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Wednesday Recipes: Coriander

2010-04-21T10:00:00.001-04:00

I think of coriander as one of those spices I never run out of. It sits in the back of my spice cabinet gathering until I am surprised to see it mentioned in a recipe, and I peer into the far-reaches of that cabinet, past the cream of tartar and cardamom and think to myself "If I didn't have this, would my recipe really be different?" The answer to that question, inevitably (and as much as I may try to ignore it) is yes. Still, though, I can't tell you specifically what coriander tastes like. My nose can't distinguish its smell from the aromatic spices that tend to accompany its addition to recipe. The role of coriander in my life is peripheral at best. Let's end that, I think (or rather, Flats thinks and I agree).

Fact: coriander comes from the cilantro plant.

Anyways, here are some recipes to celebrate this taken-for-granted spice.

Sweet Tea Vodka Gravlax from moi

Green Olive and Coriander Relish from April 1997 Bon Appetit--serve this with flatbread as an appetizer, or alongside some meat.

Coriander-Lime Grilled Chicken Legs from the Food Network

Classic Carrot & Coriander Soup from Jamie Oliver

Lemon Sole, Orange and Coriander Ceviche from the BBC

Sweet Tea Vodka Gravlax: Great Thought or Horrible Idea?

2010-04-16T10:01:00.004-04:00

As it turns out, a pretty great thought.

I had half (a little less than half actually) of the aforementioned coupon salmon that needed to be used up (I'll let you know soon what I did with the bigger piece). I don't often find myself staring at a perfectly good piece of salmon wondering what on earth I could possibly do with it. But every time I am, I'm thrilled. Because it means I can make gravlax (aka, cured salmon).

The first time I saw a salmon get cured I was working in a restaurant. Our fish delivery would come Tuesday morning. The head chef would take a huge fillet of fresh raw salmon, pour a mixture of sugar and salt over it, add some seasonal herbs, wrap it in cheese cloth, and stick it in the fridge. It would stay there, tucked in its corner of the walk-in until the next Sunday morning, when the chef would carefully unwrap what had become a slightly shrunken, shiny piece of cured salmon. Its pink flesh turned deep orange, and it became almost transluscent. The head chef was the only one who was allowed to cut it up into the paper-thin slices that were served with bagels during brunch service. I was mesmerized by the transformation. Too bad, I thought, I don't know how to do that at home. [Cue George Michael walk and Charlie Brown song]

WRONG. I do know how to make it at home, thanks to this genius recipe.

So I set about making some gravlax. Except, oh wait, not having planned for this, I didn't have any dill on hand. I could always run to the store, but need we go over the lack of conveniently located grocery store issue again? I also didn't have any gin. I did find some coriander seeds, though (!), as well as salt and sugar. The only booze I could scrounge up was a bottle of sweet tea vodka from the freezer. I might as well make do, I thought.

I waited the 72 hours until it was ready, suspicious the entire time that maybe things hadn't gone as well as I hoped they would. But then yesterday Flats and I tried some sweet tea vodka gravlax with crackers and cream cheese and it wasn't just not bad, it was good. Well done poorly stocked kitchen!

To make your very own Sweet Tea Vodka Gravlax, combine 2 Tbs salt, 2 Tbs sugar, 1/2 tsp coriander and a pinch of red pepper in a small bowl. Pour mixture over 1 lb (ish) of salmon, skin side down. Sprinkle 1 Tbs Sweet Tea Vodka over the salmon Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and put in a Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for at least 72 hours before eating. Feel free to substitute your booze of choice.

To serve, just brush the sugar/salt mixture off the salmon and cut into whatever-sized pieces you want.

Flats, A Coupon, & Some Salmon

2010-04-15T21:49:00.002-04:00

Avid readers (all eight of you) will know that I have written about my roommate before. She patiently puts up with me as I become increasingly manic about perfect puff pastry and the proper treatment of fresh tomatoes (they do not belong in the fridge). She turns a blind eye when I furiously cook myself into exhaustion and leave an infuriating pile of dishes in the sink and a 1/4 inch of flour on every surface in the kitchen. And all those things I don't put on the blog, all those flops and less than perfect recipes--like the garbanzo bean flour/flax seed scones I made a couple weeks ago--yeah, she bravely tastes and kindly encourages through it all.

So rather than continue to refer to her as "my roommate," which I think is boring and unspecial, I'll now refer to her just as Flats. An odd nickname? Sure is. But it is my abomination of "flatmate," a term that Flats and I like so much we wish we lived in England just so we could have an excuse to use it more often. Not long after we began living together we started to refer to each other (mostly just in our daily emails to one another) as "flattie" (think "roomie"). Always one to butcher things further, whether intentionally or not, I automatically began to refer to her as just "Flats" in my head. Months later I shared the nickname with her, and it stuck.

For my birthday a few months ago, Flats gave me some "Gastronomiquelle Coupons." A full description of the gift is right here, but the gist of it is that I'm too cheap to buy a lot of the nicer ingredients, so the coupons are for my use when I would otherwise pass on an ingredient I think is too much money (a Bourgeois food item, if you will). Well, this weekend I cashed in my very first coupon.

We went to the market near our house on a beautiful spring Saturday. We walked around the neighborhood, enjoying it and all its oddities.

And its art,

And enjoyed that it's still a little rough around the edges,

But enough about the neighborhood, back to that coupon! I bought a beautiful big piece of Atlantic salmon.

Perfect!

Wednesday Recipes: Arugula

2010-04-14T09:14:00.001-04:00

Spring is here for some of us, and fast on its way for others. Spring eating is all about making up for all those winter months spent eating casseroles and root vegetables by eating the freshest things possible. Lettuce comes to my mind first. The crunch of really fresh lettuce, and the sweetness--oh! I love lettuce. I haven't always loved arugula, though. It took my palate some time to adjust to this peppery leaf. I started out slowly when I was growing up and we always had a bunch growing outside, putting a few leaves in this or that, or adding it as a garnish (note to home gardeners: arugula is incredibly easy to grow and very forgiving of its environment). Now I'm in to full arugula salads (too much for most, I know!). Here are some recipes that use arugula in different capacities. Hopefully they will help you get your spring on.

Just starting out with arugula? Garnish this Andouille, Goat Cheese, and Bell Pepper Galette with a few leaves.

Goat Cheese-Arugula Ravioli with Tomato-Pancetta Butter from March 2001 Bon Appetit

Arugula Pesto with Wheat Berries from 101 Cookbooks

Sauteed Arugula with Pancetta and Garlic from the Food Network

Artichoke-Arugula Souffle Squares from Food and Wine

What's the Deal With Onions?

2010-04-11T18:21:00.000-04:00

I've had a request to address onions. Ever been in the grocery and wondered whether you can replace yellow onions with red, Vidalias with Shallots? We all have (admit it). Truth be told, I've been dreading putting this post together simply because I know how much information there is out there. If I've left anything out or made any glaring errors with my information in this (or any) post, please e-mail or leave a comment. Spelling corrections are also welcome.

So onions. Let's be clear that there are a lot of things that technically qualify as onions out there, most members of the genus Allium. That being said, I'm going to cover the broad subject of onions, not so much the individual types. Onions appeared on the scene in prehistoric times, but some of the first concrete references we have to their cultivation come from ancient Egypt and the ancient city of Ur in Mesopotamia. Different varieties of onions were eaten in different ways, much like today. There most likely existed a very mild type of onion that was commonly consumed raw. With their cultivation, onions became an important food source, though they were almost exclusively a peasant food in early Greek, Roman, and Mesopotamian societies, which probably was linked to their odor. Nevertheless, Egyptians assigned the onions certain mythical properties, and their health benefits as a sort of multi-purpose cure all were extolled in Greek, Roman, and European health practices.

Onions moved into Western Europe along with the Romans. One variety of white onion (possibly the one that people ate raw so often) was known as unio in Latin, which is the root for the French oignon and the English onion. Christopher Columbus introduced cultivation of the onion to the Americas with his trip to Haiti in 1493. Since then onions have become important in many different types of cuisine, and have largely lost their association with the lower-classes in Western culture.

Onions today are ever-present in cooking. But not all onions are created equal. They vary by size, look, and taste. Here are some of the most common varieties:

Yellow Onions: Yellow onions are probably the most common variety of onion in the U.S. It has yellow skin and white flesh. High amounts of sulfer give it a strong and complex flavor.

White Onions: White onions are white both on the outside and the inside. Their flavor is much more mild than that of yellow onions. White onions are sometimes also referred to as Spanish Onions.

Red Onions: Red onions tend to be sweet and mild, which is why they are commonly eaten raw. They are used both because of their distinctive taste and because of their visual appeal.

Shallots: Shallots are smallish onions, most often seen in small clusters. These bulbs have a delicate and mild flavor with more sweetness than a traditional yellow onion. Shallots originated in central Asia and made its way to the Mediterranean by way of India, though their name refers to a place in Israel where it was once thought they originated. Shallots are not only important in French cooking, but also in many Asian dishes.

Scallions: Scallions are also known as green onions or, in Britain, spring onions. They are simply onions, usually white onions, that have been picked prematurely. Generally the white and light green parts of the onion are used, but some may choose to use the entire green stem to help flavor. Scallions are favored for their mild flavor.

Vidalias: Vidalias are a relatively young type of onion, but one that has become very common in American cooking. In 1931, Mose Coleman discovered the variety on a farm near Vidalia, Georgia. Vidalias are used for their sweet flavor, which is a result of the low amount of sulfur in the soil where they are commonly grown. Legislation has established certain counties where Vidalias can be grown within Georgia. It is the state's official vegetable.

Phew, so that's enough about onions for today. Stay tuned for more on the chemistry of onions, which I'll address in another post.

I can feel my arteries clogging...

2010-04-11T12:08:00.000-04:00

...just by looking at a picture of KFC's new Double Down "sandwich."

Your eyes do not deceive you: two pieces of monterey and pepper jack cheese, two pieces of bacon, some of the Colonel's sauce, all surrounded by two pieces of (no, not bread) fried chicken. This bad boy will be added to menus April 12th.

I think my feelings about the sandwich are summed up by this quote from this Consumerist article:

"This is perhaps man's greatest achievement or evidence of our civilization's impending doom. Maybe it's both."

I'm more disposed to think it is a sign of impending doom.

Wednesday Recipes: Capers

2010-04-07T07:28:00.002-04:00

Capers are wonderful little berries full of tangy flavor. To people who don't use capers very often, buying an entire jar of them for a single recipe can seem a little excessive. I know a lot of people who have jars of capers stuck somewhere in the nether-regions of their fridge, out of sight, out of mind since they were last used 2 1/2 years ago. But I guarantee, if you get up the courage to reach your hand alllllll the way to the back of that ice box to retrieve that old jar, you will suddenly find yourself adding a few capers to that sauce, or tossing some into that salad until you actually have to go back to the store to buy more.

Still having trouble finding your inner caper lover? Here are some recipes to help.

Chicken Piccata from Ina Garten

Sauce Ravigote from New Orleans Recipes at nola.com

Pasta of Steamed Mussels With Tomato and Capers from The Splendid Table

Bagel Chips With Smoked Salmon, Capers, and Lemon from February 2006 SELF

Happy Spring, Happy Times

2010-04-03T20:12:00.003-04:00

I wasn't exactly thrilled about this weekend. Most of my family is in Massachusetts with one of my sisters to celebrate Easter. While they are there, I am home alone in my apartment in D.C. (my roommate is out of town for the weekend). Also, I'm sick, or getting over a cold--or whatever that weird stage is between healthy and not. Meanwhile, my downstairs neighbors are blaring their stereo so loud that my bookcase is shaking. Not an ideal.

But then some wonderful things happened. First, and absolutely most important, is that one of my sisters got engaged yesterday to a wonderful, wonderful man who I can't wait to have as a brother. Yesterday was also our other sister's birthday--what a great birthday present! And I love birthdays, whether they are mine or not.

Then this morning I got up to see spring had arrived right outside my window. Spring in Washington is one of the most beautiful things anywhere. The air smells like fresh flowers from all the tree blossoms opening up. Even though the day started out a little gray, it turned bright and sunny.

I generally hate crowds, especially if they are tourists, but I decided to walk down the Hill to the National Mall.

I steered clear of the actual cherry blossom festival near the Tidal Basin, and opted for the art museum instead.

I even walked by the American History Museum, thinking I'd stop by Julia Child's kitchen, which is on display there. But then I saw the line...

AND THEN, my weekend got even better (if you can believe it). I got home to discover that my best friend from college, who lives all the way in Alaska, sent me a book. No reason, just a happy book gift.

And so my weekend has turned out to be pretty great so far.

(I also have some pulla in the oven, and homemade puff pastry in the fridge. I'll post both recipes soon.)

April Food Day

2010-04-01T14:39:00.000-04:00

April Food Day is a blog aimed at raising awareness about hunger in America. I pilfered this link from another blog that is fully participating in the initiative.

Take a look at their website here for more information, and please donate here.

Wednesday Recipes: Lamb

2010-03-31T09:00:00.004-04:00

Easter is coming up. While there isn't a strict tradition (that I know of) for what has to be eaten on Easter, a lot of people opt for lamb (good choice), though we usually had ham growing up. I think lamb is a great springtime dish, whether or not its eaten to celebrate Easter.

Braised Lamb Shanks from yours truly

Roast Leg of Lamb With Tarragon-Mint Butter from April 2009 Bon Appetit

Lamb and Lentil Chili from Hungry Again

Pasta With Lamb Ragu from Mark Bittman c/o The New York Times

Lamb Chops With Sun-Dried Tomato Butter from February 2008 Gourmet (rip) c/o Love & Olive Oil

Romesco Sauce

2010-03-28T13:08:00.003-04:00

There are no grocery stores near my home. Well, that is a bit of a misstatement. There is a grocery store called Murry's about 2 blocks away. It is a cross between Sam's Club and a 7-11. Almost everything has a shelf life of 3+ years. It stocks about 10 varieties of hot sauce but only two types of cheese; every type of frozen fish sticks known to man, but no chicken broth. There is no organization other than the fact that there is one entire aisle (in a four-aisle store) devoted to soda. Other than that, it's a free for all. Certainly not a full-service grocery store.

I live about a mile away from a really great farmer's market. But there are some things I want to buy that I don't want to get at a farmers market (toilette paper, dried pasta, canned things and kraft singles, to name a few)! This is where my issue comes in. Currently, my roommate and I are carless. I recently decided to sell my car, a real gem of mid 90's sedan design, which wasn't really suited for the narrow one-way streets around my house. Trying to parallel park that beast was a fool's errand that usually involved at least 15 minutes and forcing the passenger to get out to shout "You're too close!" at the appropriate times. While it was sad to see that boat of a car leave my possession, I'm comforted by the fact that it is making some nice man in Medina, Ohio very happy. My roommate still has her car, but it has fallen on tough times.

That's right, car-less city living is really only cool when there is a grocery store somewhere within a 1.5 mile radius of your home. Being car-less has really made me think about what I buy. I'm certainly wasting less, but I'm also avoiding things with heavy, large, or ungainly ingredients until we have a working car. I'm not going to make pudding (too much milk) and I'll skip that recipe for a whole roasted chicken (doesn't pack well into my backpack).

I first saw a recipe for romesco sauce on this blog. It intrigued me, and I put it on a list of things to make. Then I realized that I could go to the farmer's market and transport the ingredients home without wanting to die. It seemed as though my decision had been made for me.

The recipes might seem a little work intensive, but it is well worth it. I made a double recipe and froze about half of it. I've been eating it with eggs, but it can also be used as a dip or as a spread for sandwiches. Lo and behold, this recipe for romesco potatoes turned up right after I made it. I modified the Tea and Cookies recipe only slightly.

Ahead of time, roast 2 medium tomatoes, quartered, in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes. You can also substitue about 1/2 cup canned roasted tomatoes.

In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbs sherry vinegar, 1/4 c. olive oil, and 1/3 c. stale bread. Let sit for at least 5 minutes, until bread is soaked through. In the bowl of a food processor add the bread mixture, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 roasted bell pepper (from a jar or fresh, roasted in the broiler and skinned), about 8 toasted almonds, 1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts with skins removed (rub with a towel), 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp hot sauce (optional) and red pepper to taste. Pulse in food processort until smooth. Serve!

Now, not all of us have food processors. Me, I have an antique food grinder from my grandmother. In my case, I ground all the ingredients separately, then mixed them together in another bowl.

This system is a little more work intensive, but it's a pretty good work out and turns out basically the same product. And yes, I had to attach my grinder to a chair because it doesn't fit on my counter tops.

What's the Deal With Flax Seed?

2010-03-25T09:48:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned in a an earlier post, one of my sisters has discovered flax seed (I've seen plenty spellings as both a single word and two words. For the sake of consistency, I decided to use two words and just stick with it)., and it has been the talk of our sister-wide email chain ever since. My prior knowledge of flax seed has been pretty limited, not going much beyond the knowledge that I really like Trader Joe's soy and flax seed tortilla chips. I associated flax seeds with the uber healthy and didn't give much thought to the fact that its' benefits might not be limited to just the nutritional. In my search for recipes involving flax seeds, I came across this New York Times article about using ground flax seed as an egg substitute. I'm sorry, replacing a dairy with a grain? I became intrigued.

What I've found out about flax seed has not disappointed; if anything I'm even more intrigued. Flax seed comes from the flax or linseed plant (Linum usitatissimum). As far as useful crops go, flax pretty much takes the cake. The fibers of its stalks are used to make linen, while the fruit produces flax seed. This post clearly is going to focus on flax seed, but the linen-making process is also really very interesting.

The most common use of flax seed is to make linseed oil, which is in turn used in linoleum, paints, and wood finishes. The flax seed itself has two main varieties, golden and brown, both of which have similar nutritional values. It is naturally mucilaginous, so it can be ground and mixed with water (1 Tbs ground flax seed+3 Tbs water=approx. 1 egg) to replace eggs in some recipes. Its' high fat content means that some recipes may require less fat. High fat content also means that ground flax seed should be frozen to ensure it doesn't go bad (the seeds themselves are fine at room temperature).

Flax seed consumption doesn't have to be limited to vegans, though. The soft, nutty flavors of the seeds have their own merits. They can be added to salads or sprinkled on finished dishes before serving. Ground seeds can spice up whole grain breads. I even saw one recipe for flax seed fried chicken, which I might experiment with soon.

It should also be noted as a public service that while flax seeds do have some good digestive effects, all stomachs were not created equally, and they can act as a laxative for some people.

I think if I had to be completely self sufficient off of only one crop for the rest of my life, I would choose flax. At least then I'd be able to have clothes, food, and nicely stained wood floors.

Wednesday Recipes: Flax Seed

2010-03-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

This will be a new weekly post on the blog of five recipes I've found while scouring the interwebs. Made up of other blog posts, recipes I've made but not compiled for a complete post, or things that might just look good. Hopefully along with other recipe/informational posts these recipes will provide some inspiration for a meal sometime soon. Why Wednesday? Who knows--because I said so.

Apparently flax Seed is amazingly healthy. My sister just sent me an entire email extolling its virtues. I figured that this would be a great opportunity to kick off Wednesday Recipes and give her some ideas for how best to use flax seed.

Chewy Granola Bars from yours truly (there isn't actually any flax seed in the ingredient list, but I highly encourage that either the brown or golden variety is included in the 3 cups of fruits, nuts and seeds)

Oatmeal Cookies With Flax from The New York Times

Herby Flax Seed Meal Pizza Dough from Grain Free and Gluten Free Recipes

Banana Flax Bread from Hungry Again

Crunchy Sesame-Flax Chicken from Stay Healthy...Live Well!

Andouille, Goat Cheese, and Bell Pepper Galette

2010-03-23T18:00:00.005-04:00

I've been in a bit of a rut lately. A food rut. I'm either all too ready to fall back on old time favorites like Kraft singles melted over noodles (I'd had a bad day), or crave something completely ethereal that only presents itself as flavors and textures combining perfectly in that wonderful test kitchen that lives in my imagination. So many times I'm completely unable to pin down the best way to transition food from its entirely theoretical perfection to something edible on a plate in front of me, which is when I find myself drifting towards the dependability of highly processed cheese.

Reading that book for book club really got me thinking about New Orleans. Again, I've never been to New Orleans, but I spend a surprising amount of time talking about it and its food, and man oh man, do I want to go there someday. In my mind it is a culinary wonderland of flavors. So, with New Orleans on my mind, I found myself at the market standing in front of some smoked Andouille sausage thinking that I could make something wonderful with that.

What would that wonderful thing be? Well I was stumped about that for a while too. I wanted something with richness that balanced heat. I looked through some old recipes and found one for a savory galette. A galette is a rustic tart, sort of like the bottom of a pie with the edges folded over the filling. It can be filled with anything from fresh fruit to, well, peppers and Andouille.

For the galette shell (makes 2): Stir together 1/3 cup ice water and 3 Tbs sour cream (or sub yogurt or buttermilk) in a small bowl. In a larger bowl or food processor, combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to combine. Add 7 Tbs cold butter. If working with food processor, cut butter into chunks and pulse until very coarse meal is formed (chunks of butter should be anywhere from the size of crumbs to small peas). If working without a food processor (me), take 7 Tbs of frozen butter and grate it into the flour mixture (this is a trick I learned for making faux puff pastry, but it is a great technique to save time in just about any pastry recipe). Use a fork or a pastry blender to integrate butter into flour mixture.

Sprinkle the sour cream and water mixture over the dough one tablespoon at a time, using a fork to incorporate. The dough should be moist enough to stay together without being very sticky. Add additional sour cream mixture as needed. Divide the dough in half and press into disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to two days. Dough can also be tightly wrapped and frozen for about a month.

For the filling (makes enough to fill 2 shells): Saute 3 cups chopped onions (about 1 1/2 medium onions) and 1 cup chopped celery in a skillet with 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in 4 cored and chopped bell peppers (I used one each green, red, orange, and yellow, but feel free to use any combination) and 3/4 lb.-1 lb. chopped smoked Andouille and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and melt in 5 oz. goat cheese, stirring to combine (filling can be refrigerated at this point).

To assemble: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with flour. Roll one of the cold disks of galette dough into an 11'' circle. Transfer the dough to the parchment paper. Spread half of the filling onto the dough, leaving a 2'' border. Sprinkle with 2.5 oz crumbled goat cheese and arugula (optional). Fold uncovered edges towards the center, pleating as you go. Bake in hot oven for 35-40 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Can be served cold.

Tip: Spring is coming up, which means fresh fruit is about to come back into our lives. Take a 1 1/2 cup fruit of choice and fill a galette shell with it. Sprinkle top with 1 Tbs sugar, honey, and butter, and bake as directed.

Sweet Potato Muffins

2010-03-16T21:54:00.002-04:00

Book club fare again. In a continued effort to depart from the traditional cheese and crackers fare--especially considering that the whole granola idea didn't end up making it to the table--I made these muffins. My goal was to loosely build our quasi-menu (book club is not a sit down dinner, but we do tend to eat a lot) around the theme of the book we read, One D.O.A. and One on the Way, which takes place in New Orleans. Sweet potato muffins aren't something I would have decided upon in their own right; they would never have occurred to me. But the book mentions them directly, and I took that to be a pretty big hint that maybe I should whip up a batch (such a clear hint, in fact, that someone else from book club also made a batch!). Who knew that I would be so pleasantly surprised by what I got?

I spent some time looking online for a recipe and wasn't that pleased with what I found: recipes with lots of butter and sugar and not a lot of sweet potato. After looking around for a while, I came back to this recipe, which I liked because of the large amount of sweet potato called for. This recipe is very easy and straightforward. The batter may seem a little dry, but don't be discouraged, the raw sweet potato cooks and keeps the muffins moist and sweet.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-muffin tin. Whisk together 1 1/8 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup canola oil, 1 tsp Vanilla and 2 eggs in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, mix 2 cups of flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice and 1/2 tsp salt. (1/2 cup raisins and 1 cup walnuts are optional and can be added at this point). Combine flour and egg mixture. Add 4 cups of peeled and grated uncooked sweet potatoes. Spoon batter into the 12 greased muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Chewy Granola Bars

2010-03-14T10:59:00.002-04:00

You can approach these as either chewy granola bars or very healthy cookies.

My roommate and I hosted our book club last week. Usual book club fare is limited to cheese and crackers. No one ever heard me complain about that, but I did hear someone last week mention that it might be a good idea of we thought out of the box, preferably serving something not packed with fat and cholesterol. So I got to thinking. First I was settled on fruit leather with nuts stuck on top, but it takes a whole lot of fruit to make fruit leather, and it isn't exactly strawberry season.

I got the idea for granola bars from another blog. I figured that could be a great book club snack. Once I started adding all the nuts and fruit, I got to thinking that maybe I didn't have to serve this one to book club. The next morning (day of book club) I cut them up, and sneaked a few scraps in the process. Mmm, delicious. I conferred with my roommate, and we both came to the conclusion that with all the other food we had for book club, we hardly needed anything more. So the granola bars became ours, and for one glorious week we took them for lunches and ate them for breakfasts. They are a little more crumbly than I'd prefer, and I certainly think this recipe can be improved upon. Next time I think I'll add more seeds (I didn't add any this time). Be creative with this recipe and do what you want/what you like. Just use the recipe as a rough guide and you'll get something good.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8''x8'' pan with parchment paper, leaving excess on the sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper. Combine 1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/3 oat flour (aka, 1/3 cup oats ground up in food processor/blender); 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp cinnamon; and 3 cups dried fruits, nuts, and seeds in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together 6 Tbs melted butter, 1/3 cup peanut or almond butter (optional), 1/4 cup of honey, and 1 Tbs water. Pour the liquid into the oat mixture and stir to combine. Spread into prepared pan, using a spatula to pat the mixture down. Bake for 30-40 minutes in a hot oven.

I found that it was best to let it refrigerate over night before cutting, otherwise it was a little too crumbly. Once cut, though, the bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

2010-03-08T21:21:00.005-05:00

The origins of spaghetti alla carbonara somewhat unknown, as is the reason for its name. "Carbonara" comes from the Italian word for "charcoal," but can also refer to the carbonari, or "charcoal burners," liberal revolutionaries who were active in the unification of Italy in the 19th century. In reality, the dish is most likely not related to the carbonari. There are a host of theories about how spaghetti carbonara rose to fame within Italy, and subsequently in the United States in the mid-20th century. Ideas range from squid ink that darkened the pasta to the color of coal to Allied troops whose rations of bacon and eggs were prepared by local chefs. I am willing to leave origin and nomenclature questions unanswered (as if I had a choice) simply because one bite of the stuff is enough to make you remember that some things just aren't as important as making sure you get a second helping.

The dish itself is traditionally made with very hot pasta, grated Parmesan cheese, pancetta, and egg yolks, which are subsequently cooked by the heat from the pasta. But the dish has had a somewhat unfortunate evolution; many serve the pasta in a heavy cream-laden egg sauce practically equal in volume to the amount of pasta served. This overly rich carbonara is enough to make even the most dedicated eaters roll their eyes after the fifth bite and realize that they will be regretting their decision to clean their plates for the next three days. Because, while delicious in its own way, the addition of cream to carbonara strips the dish of much of its subtle flavoring.

The carbonara recipe here is one that doesn't involve cream. The sauce coats the pasta, but it isn't soupy (nothing to sop up in your bread). It is a basic recipe based specifically off of Tyler Florence's recipe, but one that seems fairly universal but for a couple variations (for example, some almost identical recipes use a whole egg rather than just its yoke).

Boil water to cook 1 lb. of spaghetti. While waiting for the water to boil, heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a skillet. Add 4 oz. chopped pancetta to the oil and saute for for five minutes over medium heat, or until most of the fat is rendered. Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic to the pancetta and cook for 1 minute. In a separate bowl, combine 2 egg yolks and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. When the pasta water boils, add 2 Tbs salt and the pasta. Drain the pasta when it is finished cooking, reserving the water (very important). Immediately combine the pasta with the pancetta and hot oil. Toss to coat, then add the egg/cheese mixture. The egg will be cooked by the heat of the oil and hot noodles. Gradually add some reserved pasta water, about 1/2 cup, (which is rich with salt and starch) until the sauce has a good consistency and evenly coats the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Start to finish, this takes about 30 minutes, maybe a little less (understandably not everyone is trying to take pictures and troubleshoot while cooking), which is why it is perfect for a weekday night.

Back in the Saddle

2010-03-07T14:22:00.002-05:00

Aaaand, I'm back with a glorious new computer. You see, as much as I loved my old computer (we'd seen some tough times together), it was clearly on its way out. When I lost use of my colon/semicolon keys after a freak green tea-related incident, I knew things would never be the same, but I refused to give up. I even denied that the end was near in the midst of writing letters on my worn-down keys in sharpie. The truth was clear, though, when applications began to be sabotaged one-at-a-time beginning with Firefox and ending with iTunes (a very sad day). One thing is for sure, though, I will miss that iBook, even the CD drive that sounded like a '79 Pinto turning its engine.

R.I.P. iBook

2010-02-23T13:55:00.001-05:00

Who knew that something as simple as restarting a computer could have such dire consequences? Mainly, that said computer would refuse to turn back on again. My dear, dear computer has at long last kicked the bucket. Though I can't say it was entirely unexpected, these things do tend to be unwelcome.

Posting, as a result, will be infrequent until a replacement is found.

Paté

2010-02-19T10:38:00.001-05:00

To me, paté is one of those foods that seems to be too good to be true. Sometimes I think of it; I think of what I want to eat, something that will satisfy--without necessary gluttony--the multitude of tastes my greedy palate is longing for.

My love of paté is a somewhat recent addition to my food repertoire. I didn't grow up with paté, owing to my mother's intense hatred of all things remotely involving liver. I remember a couple times when my aunts would come to visit and bring paté. They would artfully ignore my questions about what exactly paté is. This failure to provide a concrete answer seemed too suspicious (plus that jello part really weirded me out). Its not surprising, then, that my 8 year-old self favored the fool-proof brie-on-a-cracker staple as hors d'oeuvres of choice, unknowingly overlooking the goodness of paté.

I understand reluctance when it comes to paté, I really do. After all, it is, in many forms, a loaf of offal with a meat-jello layer. Not entirely appetizing when approached from that angle. What about it, though, doesn't sound that good? We eat meat in loaf form all the time (meat loaf being the most obvious example). It doesn't seem to bother us so much then. Oh, it must be the liver/offal element that puts people off. I don't mean to burst any bubbles here, but anyone who has eaten a Chicken McNugget has definitely ingested much grosser things than one will find in paté. Trust me.

Next to taste. For those people out there who hate liver because of its taste (Mother), I am sincerely sorry that your taste buds don't recognize liver goodness, but I do begrudgingly accept that people and taste buds differ and that paté may not be your food of choice. Anyone else who has gotten over whatever misplaced fear of paté you may have been holding onto for unknown reasons, I hope this is the beginning of a lifelong love.

A couple weeks ago I was looking forward (or not, as the case may be) to returning to an apartment with very little food other than bread and a half-used eggplant. To make matters worse, I was in the middle of reading Bill Buford's book, Heat, all about his experiences cooking in Mario Batalli's restaurant Babbo in New York City and subsequent culinary adventures. I was knee-deep in well-written prose about homemade pasta, old Itlian ladies who hand stuff tortellinis, and an eccentric butcher's best meat creations. It was making me hungry. For good food. My mouth was screaming for something rich and gratifying. I needed meat. I needed paté.*

So what did I do? I went ahead and bought a thing of paté/liver mousse and a baguette and had a lovely evening. At $8 per package, its a pretty cost-effective remedy to my cravings.

*In another world I would have gone out to some amazingly haughty but delicious dinner that would have cost no less than millions of dollars. Or I would have trekked to New York to eat at Babbo.

I Got Love

2010-02-15T18:01:00.003-05:00

I usually approach Valentine's Day with measured apathy. This year my wonderful roommate and I decided to take advantage of Valentine's Day to celebrate our happy friendship. There are many things we share, aside from the top two floors of a town house in a "transitional" neighborhood and a love (and likewise embarrassment) for Swiffer commercials. For the past (almost) two years, we have each built lives in a city that had since been completely unknown to both of us. We've been through job searches, job losses, heatwaves (aka, summer in DC), snowstorms, car troubles (emphasis on the plural), countless fights with a washing machine that refuses to work properly, and lots of tears (happy and sad). And with each wrench that is unceremoniously thrown into one or other of our plans, I find myself so grateful that we have each other.

Our V-Day dinner was two-fold. My roommate took care of the main course while I focused on dessert. I made a chocolate pudding pie (recipe soon), but I really think that her contribution of four-cheese pizzas with both of our initials in spinach was far more inspired.

And the pie, however less extraordinary and poorly photographed,

Because what is love if not knowing that there is someone who will make you heart-shaped, cheese-intensive pizzas and kill spiders for you? In the immortal words of The Great Sam Cooke, "that's where it's at."

What's the Deal With Creme Fraiche?

2010-02-13T18:11:00.003-05:00

This is a question I'm posing to myself as I just came across an amazing recipe (just wait) that calls for creme fraiche, and I really don't want to have to use up one of my Bourgouis Food Coupons on it (and that's assuming I would even be able to find it at my grocery store).

Creme fraiche is a soured cream originally from France, but variations on it are common throughout Europe. Creme fraiche is less widely available and has a softer, more subtle sourness than sour cream. It can often be used interchangeably with sour cream, but it has two distinct advantages over sour cream in that it doesn't curdle when boiled and can be whipped like heavy cream. (Good thing I did this research because my recipe calls for the creme fraiche to be whipped, and I now realize I can't just sub sour cream, booo).

Many recipes I've found for homemade creme fraiche and sour cream were very similar. But it is my understanding that the recipe below will technically produce creme fraiche, not sour cream because modern-day sour cream requires pasteurization.

For homemade creme fraiche, combine 1 Tbs buttermilk and 1 cup cream (with a fat content around 30%-40%). Heat mixture slowly to 110 F, then let stand at room temperature for 8-24 hours, or until it has a sour taste and a thick consistency. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Harmful bacteria will be blocked by the benign bacteria from the buttermilk, so need to worry.

UPDATE: For a more in depth look at how to make creme fraiche, take a look here.

Snowmageddon 2010

2010-02-11T20:11:00.001-05:00

This is what my world looks like, and has looked like for the past 6 days.

And from my doorway,

It never occurred to me when I moved to the mid-Atlantic that I would see snow drifts bigger than the ones I had grown so accustomed to growing up along the banks of Lake Erie. This snow storm is breaking records left and right (and I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before it breaks my roof). I left work early last Friday (to dodge the snow storm) and have not been back since. What have I done in my free time? Well, I watched a lot of movies, read less than one would expect, slept, and compulsively cooked. I've made spinach pies, baked beans, stuffed squash, a pineapple upside down cake, and the list goes on (this is pretty impressive given that I've basically been home bound for the last week and have had no access to anything other than a corner convenient store). But, my lethargy took over in that I didn't really write many of the recipes down for posting, so I will hopefully make it up this weekend and post something really delicious.

Why Dry Meat?

2010-02-10T18:32:00.004-05:00

I have a super basic question about cooking meats. When are you supposed to dry them with a paper town and when are you not? I literally never do this, but I noticed your last two posts included it as a step. Thanks, Gastronomiquelle!

It is a very good point that many recipes instruct to dry meat with a paper towel. So many, in fact, that its something I do almost without thinking about. There is, though, an explanation.

Almost all instances in which meat is asked to be dried with paper towels are before frying or sautéing. Usually the purpose of sautéing a meat before it is slow cooked, like pieces of meat for beef stew, for instance, is to caramelize* the outside layer of the meat. If there is too much water present, caramelization can't happen because of the different temperatures at which water boils to steam and the temperature at which the process of caramelization occurs (which is higher).

Really what this means is that dryer meat gets a nice brown and flavorful crust more quickly than its wetter counterpart. If meat is stored in a vacuum-sealed bag, it should be let to rest on a plate with a paper towel for at least an hour before cooking (it's been marinating in its own juices, which may seem not that bad, but really isn't good for cooking).

*Technically it is not caramelization that occurs, but something called the Maillard Reaction, which differs slightly from caramelization in that it involves a reaction between sugar and amino acids. The processes, for everyday purposes, don't differ dramatically.

Chicken Fricassee, or Corrupted Coq Au Vin

2010-02-08T22:32:00.000-05:00

I first started making this recipe based off of the Coq au Vin recipe in an old French cookbook. But, I was cooking for my family, so the recipe inevitably had to be changed in order to accommodate a variety of preferences. Traditional Coq au Vin consists of a quartered chicken, browned and cooked with mushrooms and lardon (aka salted pork, aka bacon) in a wine/broth combo. Two of my sisters don't like mushrooms, so those were out. One of my sisters will only eat boneless, skinless chicken. Not only does that mean there would be no bacon, but there would also be no serving the chicken on the bone.

(An aside, Coq literally in French means a cock or rooster, which would have very tough meat that needed to be cooked for a long time. Today we tend to use chickens because they are readily available. Thus, the recipe is not "Poulet au Vin." Vin, of course, is wine.)

I weighed my options. As much as I wanted to make actual Coq au Vin, it was in my best interest to keep the peace. Alas, my dear sister will hear none of my protestations that in only eating boneless skinless chicken she is limiting herself to the most frighteningly bland meat the world has to offer. So my normal plan of attack when I want to cook something that she won't eat is to bake a chicken breast for her to keep her happy. I honestly wonder sometimes how she can eat something with so little flavor. I was therefore determined to get some GOOD chicken to her, so I set about making some quasi Coq au Vin.

As it turns out, this not-really-Coq au Vin is great. Even better is that I almost always have its ingredients on hand (the mushrooms and bacon for real Coq au Vin would be the only things I would have to get from the grocery store). I started making this dish, then, and called it Chicken Fricassee for lack of better name (fricassee generally means meat, usually white, cooked in a thickened broth or sauce).

Start with a 3 lb chicken cut into pieces. Dry thoroughly with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat with 3 Tbs olive oil and 3 Tbs butter over medium-high heat. When the oil and butter are hot, carefully add the chicken pieces and 1/2 cup chopped onion. Brown the chicken on all sides. Stir 3 Tbs of flour into chicken and stir to combine. Add 2 cups of wine, 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 clove of crushed garlic and a bay leaf. Cover and let simmer on medium-low heat for 1 hour. Refrigerate over night.

Either serve as chicken pieces with bone and skin on, or pick the chicken (think pulled pork) from the skin and bone. This is my preference as I also think it makes the dish go a little further. Warm over medium heat until heated through. Adjust seasoning according to taste. The chicken and sauce can be served over mashed potatoes, pasta, or basically anything else you can think of.

Braised Lamb Shanks

2010-02-02T20:58:00.000-05:00

Easy and cheap, what more could you ask for?

First, let's review braising: slow cooking using liquid. Usually used to cook fatty and tough pieces of meat that benefit from the low, constant temperature. Best example: pot roast.

I can't take full responsibility for this thought, though (much as I might want to). It was inspired by the book Heat by Bill Buford, which I am currently reading. The book is about Buford's time working in the kitchen of Babbo, one of Mario Batali's New York restaurants. Aside from making me hungry every single time I read it (really, potential readers beware), it also provides quite a few valuable kitchen tips. This particular dish was extrapolated from Buford's description of the preparation of short ribs. But, instead of short ribs, it was lamb shanks, and instead of cooking for 40, I was cooking for two.

Preheat oven to 300˚F.* Take two lamb shanks, dry them with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a dutch oven,** heat 3 Tbs olive oil until it looks glossy, just before it starts to smoke. Brown the shanks in the olive oil, allowing about 3 minutes per side, or until they are browned (NOT burnt). Pour 1 cup of red wine and 1 cup of stock of choice (I used a marrow bone stock I'd made earlier in the week, but really, anything goes--use water if there's no stock around). Cover the pot, and put it in the hot oven for 3 hours.

If you are eating immediately, remove the shanks and skim the fat off the liquid left in the pan. Reduce the liquid by half by boiling rapidly on high heat. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve.

If you are serving later, remove shanks from pan and refrigerate. In another container, pour the drippings. The fat from the drippings will congeal on top of the rest of the liquid and can be easily removed. To reheat, return both liquid (in its cooled state, it will be gelatinous--totally normal) and shanks to a pan on the stovetop. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, until the shanks are heated through. Reduce the liquid and serve as described above.

*If preferrable, use the stovetop and very low heat instead of a 300˚F oven for braising the shanks. The pot should still be covered
**If you don't have a dutch oven, use a heavy-bottomed large saucepan and braise the meat on the stovetop.

Soufflé: Fail

2010-01-30T12:05:00.002-05:00

I was planning on posting a delicious vanilla soufflé recipe today, but I had a great big souffle fail yesterday when I took what I hoped would be my beautiful soufflé out of the oven only to see it rapidly sink into itself, becoming a mammoth crater of sweet eggy dough. There were a host of problems, all of which I plan on fixing before providing a fool-proof recipe along with tips to avoid a situation like my own. In the meantime, I'm going to be eating a lot of souffles...

Birthday Coupons

2010-01-24T19:06:00.002-05:00

My birthday was a couple of days ago. It was a perfect day, full of things and people that I love. One of the things that made the day most wonderful was the very useful and incredibly creative gift given to me by a very good friend. She and another friend together agreed that I tend to "cook like it's the Great Depression." For better or worse, I guess. They mean, of course, that I quite obviously (and unabashedly) look for recipes with cheap ingredients and will often simply change recipes to edit out things that I decide are too expensive. What can I say, I'm on a budget.

But no more! I now have five coupons for bourgeois foodstuff, redeemable any time I decide I'd like something that I wouldn't normally be willing to spring for.

Notice the sparkles (remnants of which can be found all over my room and occasionally on my face) and the spectacular craftsmanship.

Be prepared to see an influx of nice ingredients!

Oysters With Blue Cheese & Worcestershire and Oysters With Herbed Breadcrumbs

2010-01-20T10:00:00.008-05:00

Herbed breadcrumbs with a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top are on the bottom/left. Blue cheese and Worcestershire Sauce are on the top/right. (both "recipes" are in bold within the text of that post)

Extract v. Imitation, What's the Deal With Vanilla?

2010-01-19T21:10:00.022-05:00

Considering that vanilla didn't even make its entrance into Western cuisine until the later half of the 16th Century and that global cultivation of the plant didn't begin until the mid 19th Century, it garners a surprisingly important spot in cuisines throughout the world today. Some form of vanilla is ubiquitous in kitchens of even the most reluctant home cooks--even the famous Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe calls for vanilla!

Vanilla is indigenous to Central America and grew wild there, where it became important in Aztec cuisine. It was brought back to Europe (along with chocolate) by European explorers. While the spice experienced some popularity and notoriety in Europe, its price and scarcity meant it didn't have a widespread impact on European cuisine. However, in the mid 19th century, it was discovered that the plant could be manually pollinated and global production boomed. It is thus not until relatively recently that vanilla's merits in a wide variety of cuisine were fully realized. Vanilla is valued for its unique flavor, and its ability to compliment and deepen a wide variety of other flavors.

There are basically three types of vanilla that can be used in cooking. The first is the bean. It doesn't grow on the vine as a shriveled black bean, though. Rather, the beans are harvested before they are ripe, then they are steamed before being fermented (the process that makes them black). They can be kept at this stage indefinitely. When cooking with whole vanilla beans, the bean pod is never eaten. It can be used to add flavor to a liquid, but most often the pod is sliced lengthwise, then the seeds are carefully scraped out. Vanilla beans, though they give great flavor, do tend to be expensive.

The second form of vanilla is vanilla extract, a hydroalcoholic solution made from the extracted aroma and flavor of vanilla. US Regulations state that pure vanilla extract must contain at least 35% alcohol. Over 200 different elemental chemicals come together to give vanilla extract its deep and complex flavor. This is also a fairly expensive option. There seems to be a way to make your own vanilla extract, but more on that later.

Lastly there is imitation vanilla, which looks, smells, and seems to be interchangeable with vanilla extract (but it isn't really). Imitation vanilla is made up of artificial flavorings meant to recreate vanillin, the primary component of vanilla extract. Most often this synthetic flavor is made from lignin, a biproduct of the paper industry, or from the Guaiacum plant. As a result of its focus on only one flavor, vanillin, imitation vanilla is by definition not as complex as vanilla extract and therefore shouldn't be used as its unequivocal equal. However, for most home baking that uses small amounts of vanilla, imitation vanilla will be fine, though its flavor not as strong (some suggest doubling the measurement of imitation vanilla if vanilla extract is called for). Only the most discerning of palates will be able to notice the difference between the two in a finished dish. So, if you have the means and the inclination, use vanilla beans or high-quality extract. If you are looking to save and aren't having a four-star chef over for dessert, feel free to use imitation vanilla instead (with caution). As always, beware of things that are REALLY cheap as it will probably be evident in its taste.

Fresh Pasta Basics, Troubleshooting

2010-01-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've had quite a lot of trial and error with pasta and ravioli making over the past couple months. I figured I would pass along some of the lessons I've learned.

Flavoring pasta: It is easy to add to pasta for both color and flavor. Spinach is a great example. To use spinach (either fresh or frozen) cook first and drain well. After it is drained, add it to the egg before combining with flour. Either use the food processor to integrate the egg and spinach uniformly, or work the spinach in by hand. If the addition is watery, keep in mind the amount of flour may need to be increased to compensate. Try to steer clear of additives that greatly increase the liquid in the recipe as this will negatively effect the texture of the pasta and it won't hold up as well.

Letting the dough sit: This is crucial to having a dough that's easy to work with because the gluten needs time to absorb the egg. While pasta dough that hasn't had half an hour or so in the fridge is still usable, its texture won't be as uniform, and it may be stretchy.

Rolling sheets in the pasta press: Most pasta makers have numbered notches that allow sheets to be rolled out with varying degrees of thickness. Begin with the largest setting and move through each setting until pasta is as thin/thick as needed. This will make the sheets of pasta more uniform and will largely prevent the holes and waves that can plague pasta sheets that were rolled too thin, too soon.

Determining thickness: I find that most of the time the second-to-thinnest setting is the best. It ensures a cleaner cut if the pasta is being cut into noodles. I also find that it holds up better for stuffing.

Ravioli stuffing: Keep a bowl of water nearby to brush along the edges of the pasta if it is too dry to hold together after fastening. Also a good tip is to put the finished ravioli on a single layer on a sheet pan. Transfer the pan to the freezer. Freezing the pasta just slightly will ensure the dough doesn't stick or break as it is sitting while the rest of the ravioli is being assembled.

Is this what I get in a box at the store?: It surprising how often I'm asked this questions. The answer is no. This pasta is made with egg and would hardly have a long shelf life. The dried pasta in the box at the grocery store is made with Semolina flour and water.

Culinary Cleveland, Great Lakes Brewing

2010-01-11T16:47:00.002-05:00

I am from Cleveland but now live on the East Coast. Since leaving the Great Lakes for the Atlantic Ocean in college, I've had to spend a surprising amount of time defending my home town. Granted, Cleveland deserves some of the flack it gets. That river burning thing was unfortunate, but--I'm eager to point out--the last incident was over 40 years ago.

Most criticism seems to be either weather or sports related. Yes, Cleveland is cold, lake-effect snow is pretty much a given during January and February, and spring doesn't really start until . So what--Boston is cold too, but East Coasters can't seem to get enough of it.

Our reputation for failing sports teams is also well deserved. We haven't won a national championship in any sport since 1964 (pre-Superbowl) when the Browns won the NFL Championship. Before that it was 1948, the last time the Indians won a World Series. ESPN went so far as to call Cleveland the most tortured sports city in America. But I think that's what is so GREAT about Cleveland; even in the face of so much failure, fans still go out to see the games of all three of the professional sports teams. Most cities would have just given up. Not us.

There are other things that people don't like about Cleveland. For example, most people on the East Coast think Ohio is in a different time zone. Untrue. Others think Ohio is farmland. Only. Once when I traveled to New York city with a college friend, he commented on how impressed he was that I crossed the street against the light as I was "just a little farm girl from Ohio."

[Ohio, by the way, is not helping itself out on this one with those new license plates. Poor decision.]

So when I point out that not only am I from a city, but that I also start prime time at 8pm, we start to get to the real issues about what people think about Cleveland. Cleveland is a poor manufacturing city suffering from job loss and economic issue long before the Recession. The term "Rust Belt" doesn't exactly thrill our tourist bureau, I'm sure. Its no wonder people aren't getting in their cars and driving to Cleveland en mass. But if people were willing to leave the East Coast and give Cleveland a chance, I think they would find a lot of really amazing things tucked into this shrinking city on a lake.

Culinary Cleveland is vibrant but gets overlooked too often because of people's other pre-judgments about the city. From high-end restaurants with celebrity chefs like Michael Symon, to stick-to-your-stomach Eastern European home cooking, Cleveland has a whole lot to offer. One of the city's standouts is Great Lakes Brewing Company, a microbrewery started in 1988 in Ohio City, on Cleveland's Near West Side. Great Lakes has set the bar for microbrewing in the area. It is incredibly popular within the Northern Ohio area, but I haven't seen it expand much beyond that, much to my dismay. So imagine my surprise and elation when I discovered that a bar only a couple blocks away from me is putting Great Lakes on tap. A long-awaited and happy infiltration of the East Coast bar scene that I hope to see continue.

The bar is The Big Hunt at 1345 Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington DC.

UPDATE
I've also seen Great Lakes brews at Pizza Paradiso in Dupont, and at D'Vines in Columbia Heights!

Goetta

2010-01-08T15:00:00.002-05:00

Goetta came into my life one fateful fall day in Worcester, Massachusetts while I was visiting my sister and brother-in-law. We were trying to figure out what to eat for breakfast when my brother-in-law, a Cincinnati native, got a tube of what looked like the run-of-the-mill Bob Evans plastic tube of breakfast sausage out of his freezer. I was intrigued to say the least. I had never heard of goetta, let alone eaten it.

My brother-in-law explained (my sister would have helped out, but alas, that poor soul doesn't eat pork or beef). Goetta is German offal-oat mixture, not scrapple, not sausage. Mostly it is eaten for breakfast, prepared the same way that breakfast sausage would be. But as far as he is aware, knowledge of goetta seems pretty limited to the greater Cincinnati area. No wonder he has to stock up every time he's in Ohio (when I saw him at Christmas he was carting three 1 lb rolls of the stuff)!

But what it is like? Fried pork and beef flavored oatmeal is what it tastes like. The edges are crispy and the inside is warm and mushy (and I mean that in the best possible way). Don't think, though, that the cut oats drain the meat flavor. Every bit is meaty and delicious. At once both rich and delicate, each bite of goetta practically melts in the mouth. However, my favorite description of goetta has got to be what one website called "Cincinnati Caviar"--what more could you ask for?

If you are not luck enough to travel to the Cincinnati area, or can't pay someone do so for you, you can mail-order Glier's Goetta, which seems to be the major producer. Watch out for shipping costs.

Go now and spread the word about this culinary wonder from the heartland. Maybe one day it will expand its fan club to well beyond Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

Of note, there is a Goettafest every August just outside Cincinnati for true enthusiasts

Oysters, A Love Affair

2010-01-07T21:36:00.006-05:00

Oysters are gross. At least that was my reigning opinion of them all of my childhood and into adulthood, and one that was formed based solely on looks. Let's face it, fresh from the sea looking like rocks, on the half shell, or completely removed from their shells, oysters are hardly look appetizing. But what's that they say about looking past what's on the outside? Of course I had to talk myself up to it, prepare myself to be seen with something so, well, ugly. There was certainly intent before action. I'd be ready, then falter. When, how would I take the plunge?

The first time I ever ate an oyster was when I was attending a college alumni Bull and Oyster Roast. Perfect, this is my chance to try an oyster without the financial burden that accompanies eating them in most restaurants (it was buffet Bull and Oyster Roast). I was in a relatively dark hall and most people people were drunk to the point of apathy, so no one would notice if I spit out my oyster. There was no pressure, no judgement. I was ready.

I watched as the server shucked three oysters and spooned a dollop of red cocktail sauce into the shells. I took the small plastic plate back to my table, and two other friends and I--almost pinching our noses in gross anticipation--scooped up an oyster each and threw them back down our respective throats. We looked at one another with a sigh of relief. Ah, we thought, not so bad. We looked back at the oyster line, decided it was too long to get any more and headed for the wine table instead. I felt a sense of pride, as though I'd joined an exclusive club for those willing to eat raw moluscs. Good enough for me. The pride with my new club membership, though, didn't last much past that next glass of wine. I certainly hadn't given much thought to my oyster. I have no recollection of what it tasted like, and barely any memory of its texture (slimey comes to mind, but I'm not sure that isn't entirely because that's what it LOOKS like). All in all, my first oyster was an incredibly forgettable experience.

And then I decided that oysters and I needed to start over, act like we'd never even met before. A clean slate. Before I headed back to the midwest for Christmas with my parents, I stopped at a seafood market and picked up 60 Chincoteagues--the cadillac of Oysters. I happily ignored my mother's advice to only get two or three per person (yeah right!). And with me in the driver's seat, the oysters in the trunk, we had a lovely 6-hour ride.

My dad was thrilled to have oysters, while my mother was slightly less enthusiastic but certainly positive about the idea. Shucking oysters is not something I am remotely good at (a I quickly found out), which is why I was so pleasantly surprised that my father seems to be such a wiz at prying the shells apart. That first night we ate them on the half shell, with cocktail sauce on the side. And what an amazing things these mollusks are--I actually actively ENJOYED my oysters. There was nothing passive about it; I didn't slide the oyster down the back of my throat for fear I would actually TASTE it. The oysters themselves were rich and juicy with a sweet saltiness from the juices. In short, they were delicious. We all ate happily, each of us definitely having more that two or three. The next night we ate some on the half shell, and I broiled about a dozen others in their shells. To the shells I added some herbed bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan (probably about 2 tsp of the mixture to each oyster). I also experimented adding blue cheese, Worcestershire Sauce, and lemon juice to some. I broiled both batches for a few minutes and served them hot.

If you haven't tried oysters you absolutely should. I don't mean canned oysters, or a lump of something you think might be an oyster in some seafood chowder. No, to have fresh oysters--they don't even have to be raw--is a real treat. If nothing else you'll be sure you hate them. But avoid making the encounter forgettable, which you easily can if you are too afraid (as I was!) of eating "gross" food.

Hot Loaf

2009-12-23T10:00:00.002-05:00

aka Potato Bread

I found this recipe in MFK Fisher's How to Cook a Wolf. She wrote this seminal work during World War II as a guide to ward off hunger (aka, the wolf) amidst the shortages and rationing that accompanied the war. The entire book is worthwhile in itself if only for its unique approach to budget meals that both nourish and please, but its value as a cookbook also shouldn't be overlooked.

I'm generally unbothered by vague recipes, but some of MFK Fisher's really add a new dimension to what I would consider vague. Then again, I suppose she was writing in the 1940's, when most every housewife was either solely responsible for her family's eating (in the days before takeout and frozen meals) or had a cook to take over that duty; Fisher clearly operated under the assumption that her readers had a fairly firm understanding of kitchen basics. As a result, making this recipe was partly experimental, but the outcome was good enough that I think its worth a post.

Boil 1 peeled and chopped potato until tender. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the water. Mash potato until light.

When the potato water is cooled slightly (specifically it should be between 100 and 115° F, a little warmer than room temperature, but water that is too hot can kill the yeast) add 1 package of active dry yeast and stir to dissolve. In another pot, bring 2 cups of milk to a boil. Add the mashed potato, 1 ½ Tbs lard or shortening, 1 Tbs sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Let cool. Add yeast mixture.

Begin to slowly add flour to the mixture. In all, the recipe will require about 5 cups of flour.

After adding three cups to the pot and combining, turn the dough onto a work surface and work the next two cups in by kneading the dough. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Place the dough in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place. Fisher asks for the dough to rise overnight, but I gave mine about 3 hours. After the first rise, knead the dough again for about two minutes and shape into loaves (I used two loaf pans, which worked well, but the dough can also be baked as a round on a sheet pan) and let rise for another hour (Fisher calls for another 3 hours). Bake in a warm oven set to 375°F for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Herbs de Provence

2009-12-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

When a recipe calls for Herbs de Provence, do you really have to go out and buy them?

This question came up when I was home for last month. My sister is as faithful to a recipe as a dog to its master, while I tend to be loose at best when it comes to following recipes. My laid-back attitude along with my affinity for the inexpensive are the two main reasons I've never actually bought Herbs de Provence. It is almost as though when I see "1 Tbs Herbs de Provence" on a list of ingredients, I translate it automatically in my head to read "1 Tbs of thing you find in your cupboard that you think might be good in this dish." So when my sister asked me to hand her the Herbs de Provence, and I answered that we didn't have any and shared my personal Herbs de Provence mantra, it doesn't really come as a surprise that she looked at me with a mix of surprise and derision. So here is a real response for her, and anyone else who is wondering.

In the 1970s, Herbs de Provence was created and sold as a mix of herbs from Provence. This modern marketable blend of dried herbs was adapted to reflect the herbs commonly used in Provencal cooking. As with most adaptations of an original that finds its roots in tradition and personal taste, a perfect definition of what Herbs de Provence contains simply doesn't exist. There are some guidelines, though, that dictate what goes into Herbs de Provence. Almost all recipes contain basil, thyme, savory, marjoram, and fennel. In addition, some mixtures include lavender, though it is contested how faithful its addition is to the traditional Herbs de Provence. Many of the recipes I've come across vary significantly from one to the other, a fact that is important to keep in mind if making your own. It is more important to get a balanced flavor that will work with a dish than the follow the recipe to the T.

To make your own Herbs de Provence, combine 2 Tbs thyme, 2 Tbs summer savory, 1 Tbs Marjoram, 1 tsp fennel seed, and 1 tsp basil. Store in a sealed container.

Fresh v. Dried: Fresh herbs can be substituted at a 3-1 fresh to dried ratio.

There are also many options for anyone who isn't as interested as creating the mix by hand. Remember, though, how much each recipe can differ from another. Pre-made versions of the spice blends are available in almost all grocery stores, or they can also be ordered online.

Holiday Cards

2009-12-11T18:50:00.010-05:00

I do realize, of course, that Christmas cards generally have little to do with food. However, my Holiday cards involve food STUFF, and so I feel this post is still within the purview of this blog.

A few weeks ago, during a conversation about linoleum cuts, someone offhandedly said "You know, you can do those with potatoes, too?"

Why no. I didn't know that. Enter this scheme, cooked up by my roommate and me, to make cheap, lovely Holiday cards to send to friends and family this winter.

I rooted around in my kitchen to find an assortment of odd tools that could possibly be used to carve a potato. There seemed to be a shortage of large-ish potatoes at the grocery last week, so my roommate decided to try our luck with a big sweet potato.

I carved a design that I'd drawn earlier into a halved sweet potato. We had some paint left over from when we'd painted some old chairs last year. My roommate brushed the paint onto the sweet potato and stamped it onto half sheets of card stock.

And now we have 60 beautiful postcard Holiday cards that probably cost, total (and excluding postage) no more than $15!

Ribollita

2009-12-06T15:14:00.003-05:00

It's winter time, and that means comfort food. But comfort doesn't always have to come in the form of a gigantic serving of warm homemade macaroni and cheese (me) or a large square of creamy, crunchy bread pudding (my roommate).

One of my sisters introduced me to ribollita, and it has been my go-to for a warm, satisfying winter meal with fewer than a bazilion calories ever since. There are lots of variations of this Tuscan soup, which was originally intended as a way to use up leftover minestrone. This recipe contains easy-to-find, easy-to-store ingrediants that tend to be pretty inexpensive. It is a much more simple take on the stew. The recipe is from Giada de Laurentiis and can be found in its original form here.

Warm 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, 4 ounces of chopped pancetta,* 1 clove of minced garlic, and 1 tsp each of salt and pepper. Once the onion has begun to brown and the pancetta looks crispy, add 1 Tbs tomato paste and stir to combine. Add 15 oz canned diced tomatoes, 1 pound defrosted and drained frozen spinach, 15 oz drained canned cannellini beans, 1 Tbs Herbs de Provence, 3 cups of chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, and a Parmesan rind to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Giada suggests serving the soup over toasted Ciabatta rolls (a twist on a traditional ingredient for the actual stew, stale bread) that have been brushed with garlic. I find that the soup is more than enough to fill even the emptiest of stomachs with or without the addition of bread. But the rolls come in handy, especially if the soup needs to go a long way. To serve I like to fish out the parm rinds, dice them, and add them back into the soup. Serves 6-8, depending on portion size.

*I was all set to make this soup before I realized that my grocery store's deli doesn't carry pancetta. I did have the option of paying 3x as much as I normally would for some prepackaged pancetta. Generally unwilling to spend too much money, I opted for prosciutto (in the ingredients picture above). While both are Italian dry-cured meats, the two have very distinct flavors. Most notably, prosciutto is MUCH saltier. Even though I cut out the addition of the salt at the beginning, the soup was still almost too salty for me to eat. So I would not recommend switching in prosciutto. Instead, if pancetta isn't on hand, I would forgo the meat all together. I've had vegetarian ribollita and, though the taste isn't quite as complex without the meat, it's still full of flavor.

**This is a great way to get rid of old Parmesan rinds. I actually found a package of them at the store, which was perfect for this recipe. Feel free to add as much as fits your tastes, but do be sure to decrease the salt added at the beginning accordingly.