As You Cook It

Swiss Fried Potatoes

2009-01-21T07:17:00.002-05:00

Who knew the Swiss were awesome with potatoes? The rosti is basically an enormous hashbrown, cut into wedges like a pizza. The recipe below suggests applesauce and rosemary for garnishes, and I heartily endorse this plan. This was one of my hands-down, favorite recipes I've made in awhile.

One note: the butter content is enormous. I made eight medium sized potatoes in two pans, and used the recommended amount, but yes. This is not a diet food. Still, uber-tasty.

Also, I used normal applesauce and rosemary. *Shrug*

From Epicurious:

6 large russet potatoes (4 pounds)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped shallots (about 6)
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 tablespoons (about) prepared usli ghee* or clarified butter, divided
Rosemary and Brown Butter Applesauce

Cook potatoes in large pot of generously salted boiling water until partially cooked (tester will meet some resistance), about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes, rinse in cold water, and drain again. Peel, cover, and chill until very cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Coarsely grate potatoes into large bowl. Melt butter in large ovenproof castiron skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 6 minutes. Add shallot mixture, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to potatoes (reserve skillet). Toss to blend evenly (do not compact potato mixture). DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt 4 tablespoons usli ghee in reserved skillet over medium heat. Add half of potato mixture (5 1/2 to 6 cups). Stir gently until ghee is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Spread potatoes to even layer, then press firmly with metal spatula to compact. Cook 5 minutes, pressing and flattening occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Place slightly smaller skillet atop potato cake. Weigh down with heavy can (such as 28-ounce can of tomatoes). Cook potato cake 15 minutes, pressing occasionally.

Remove can and small skillet. Press potato cake again to flatten. Spread with 2 tablespoons ghee.

Place skillet in oven and bake potato cake uncovered 15 minutes. Run narrow spatula around potato cake. Turn out onto platter, bottom (crusty) side up. Immediately cut into wedges and serve with applesauce. Repeat with remaining potatoes and ghee.

* Indian clarified butter (also called ghee); available at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores and at Indian markets.

Cold Weather Calls for Soup

2009-01-19T10:34:00.004-05:00

Yesterday J and I made a very winter soup for dinner: while called "Barley Soup with Porcini Mushrooms", it's really more of a general vegetable soup, especially since there is a lot of potato involved. It was my first chance to use my Christmas mandoline, and what a sweet one it was. Not only did it do all it promised about making all that vegetable cutting significantly faster, it was really fun. The last one I had came with a pretty weak handguard (next to huge blade = kinda scary), but this one is much stronger and makes a huge difference. All in all, mandolines are awesome.

We made two major changes to the recipe:
1- The store didn't have any porcini mushrooms, dried or fresh. At all. So we went with dried oyster mushrooms. Still delicious; no complaints.

2- In order to get some protein into the soup, we added some lentils, about 3/4 as many lentils as barley. It was really good--the heavy winter vegetables mix with lentils very well, and it made the dish more of a fully rounded meal.

All in all, it was one of the healthiest dinners I've had in a while (sadface), and quite tasty. It also turns out in this nice golden color, which I would prove if I hadn't lost my camera cord. Next week I'll have a new one.

One last note: the Food and Wine site says that overall this recipe takes 10 hours. That is outrageous. I think everything--chopping, simmering, and all--came to maybe 2.5. So, I have no idea what they're talking about.

Ingredients

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (2 cups)
2 cups warm milk
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound pearl barley (1 1/4 cups), soaked overnight and drained
3/4 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

In a bowl, cover the porcini with the warm milk and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes. Rub the porcini in the milk to rinse off any grit, then coarsely chop them. Reserve the milk.
In a large saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook over moderate heat until browned, about 15 minutes. Add the porcini and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the stock, bay leaf and barley and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, cover and simmer until the barley and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the reserved milk, stopping when you reach the grit at the bottom. Simmer for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve, passing olive oil and Parmesan cheese at the table.

Make Ahead

The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Add more stock when reheating if the soup is too thick.

Lazy Days BBQ Pizza

2009-01-16T07:21:00.005-05:00

As much as I really hate Sandra Lee's show, the concept of "semi-homemade" isn't a bad one. I don't know anyone who actually makes all their own stock, or all their own bread. This recipe is a build-off of ready-to-go pizza crusts. We've used both the Botoli and the Trader Joe's pizza dough, and they're both great. All prep included, this takes about 15 minutes of actual work, and another 12-15 in the oven. Not bad, if I do say so myself.

I've mostly used this one for days when I feel like cooking, but not really. It's also great for parties, though, cut up into little 3-inch squares.

1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1/3 cup smoked gouda, grated
1/3 cup Monterey Jack, grated
1 1/2 cups mushrooms
1 tsp basil (fresh)
1 tsp tarragon (dry)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1 pizza crust

Saute the mushrooms in the garlic, scallion, and herbs until mostly cooked. Set aside.

Coat the pizza crust in barbeque sauce, leaving a 1 inch margin around the edges. Add Jack cheese, and then gouda on top. Spread cooked mushrooms over the pie, and bake 12-15 minutes.

Ultimate Comfort Food: Garlic and Saffron Soup

2009-01-13T18:17:00.002-05:00

This soup was absolutely amazing comfort food, especially for a chilly day. The actual soup itself has no dairy in it at all--it's thickened with bread, of all things. Cut or torn up bread cooked in the broth, garlic, and saffron. Oh man, it was tasty. It was also a chance to use my handy stick-blender, the novelty of which still hasn't worn off. I did put a little bit of the Jack cheese on top of the soup as well as on the croutons, which turned out to be tasty (it's cheese...it wasn't exactly risky).

In any case, highly recommended recipe I stole from Epicurious. Enjoy.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups trimmed sourdough bread cubes
4 large garlic cloves, quartered
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2 generous pinches saffron threads

Salt
8 1/2-inch-thick French bread baguette slices
1/2 cup grated Manchego or Monterey Jack Cheese
Minced fresh chives or green onion tops
Saffron threads

Preparation

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. add bread cubes and garlic and sauté until bread is light golden, about 4 minutes. Add wine, then broth and saffron; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes. Puree soup in blender. Return soup to saucepan. Season with salt.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange French bread slices on cookie sheet. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over croutons. Transfer cookie sheet to broiler; broil croutons until cheese melts. Place 2 croutons in each bowl. Bring soup to simmer. Ladle over croutons. Sprinkle with chives and a few saffron threads and serve.

A Normandy Christmas

2009-01-09T06:55:00.002-05:00

This recipe is one I made for Christmas dinner this year--I just was not signing on for turkey, and my family has a whole spectrum of eating habits, so we decided on Cornish hens. Alton Brown says that he makes them for his family on Christmas day (using a sandwich iron of all things), but mine we a little different. Still, they were uber-juicy, to the point of my worrying that they were undercooked, but no, they're just like that. The flavors in this recipe give them a sweetness that's really pleasant, and the sage and nutmeg balance it really nicely.

A tip. The garlic I used was pre-crushed, which saved a lot of time and pain. When I made these before, I chopped it myself, but the crushed is easier to spread.

One last note. I assumed everyone would need their own hen, since they are smaller than chickens. Oh no. Even Dad only had one half. Leftovers are always great, but for planning purposes, be on notice.

Anyway, the recipe itself, below (from recipes.com):

Cornish Hens Normandy

3 Cornish hens, frozen
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. orange juice
3 thick slices navel orange, cut in half

Thaw and split hens in half down the middle. Combine salt, sage, garlic, nutmeg, garlic and lemon juice. Rub mixture over skin side.

Melt butter in shallow roasting pan in 350 degree oven. Place hens, skin side down, in melted butter. Roast 15 minutes. Turn skin side up and roast 15 minutes longer. Pour orange juice over hens. Roast 15 minutes or until brown and tender.

Remove to platter. Pour pan juice over. Garnish with orange slices. Slices may be sauteed in butter to which a dash of cloves has been added. Serves 6. Freezes well.

NYT Article: The Latest Must-Haves for the Pantry

2009-01-09T06:30:00.003-05:00

Really interesting article about ways to make your pantry stock more effective and help create better-tasting food on short notice. The link is here. It's definitely worth checking out.

Polenta Gratin with Mushrooms

2009-01-08T07:20:00.003-05:00

Stolen from Epicurious, with a few adjustments. I love those polenta tubes--I can't imagine why anyone would make polenta from scratch for every single use. It's healthy as hell, and equally tasty, and those $2-3 tubes at the grocery store make an easy dinner. Normally I toss polenta with gorgonzola, parm, and pine nuts over the stove, but this is a great family-style recipe. It debuted at Christmas dinner this year, as an attempt to convince my mother (and possibly father) that they like polenta. At least on the former count, it worked. I made it again one week later for a dinner party, and one of the guests requested the recipe.

Polenta Gratin with Mushrooms

ACTIVE: 30 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 15 MIN
SERVINGS: 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces sliced mixed wild mushrooms (5 cups)
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 cup fat-free half and half
One 18-ounce log of prepared polenta, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the shallot and cook over moderately low heat for 3 minutes. Add the spinach, thyme and nutmeg and cook over high heat until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the spinach evenly in a 2-quart baking dish.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour over moderately high heat. Add the stock and cream and whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and pour over the spinach. Arrange the polenta slices on top of the spinach in overlapping concentric circles, pressing to submerge the polenta slightly. Sprinkle the Gruyère on the polenta, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Uncover the polenta and broil 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, or until golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead

The unbaked gratin can be refrigerated overnight.

New Balsamic Vinegrette

2007-06-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

In my rush to make lunch this morning, I came up with a fun new balsamic vinegrette/marinade to share with the world:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp orange peel
2 tsp fresh thyme

It's sweet, yet not overly so. I'm a big fan.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2007-06-04T10:36:00.001-05:00

I had an appetizer party on Friday, complete with six different kinds of finger food. It was a lot of fun, and pretty low maintenance considering I didn't have to worry about getting people to all sit down and eat at the same time. There were the stuffed portobellos cut into fourths, the easy, easy hummus, Robyn's guacamole, and some other stuff I hadn't made before. One such item is the spinach-artichoke dip, from cooks.com.

Oddly enough, I couldn't find a single recipe for spinach and artichoke dip in any cookbook I own. I thought this was a staple? One of the most standard dips served today? Or do I just frequent California Pizza Kitchen too often?

Either way, the recipe lives up to its boastful title. It was a huge hit on Friday, served with pita chips. It's pretty heavy (there is a LOT of cheese), but in that sense a lot of people got to eat their fill of a relatively small bowl. Out of all six dishes, I think this one went over the best. I started making it 30 minutes before people started showing up, and it was done 5 minutes before the first wave--just enough time to plate and quickly make the kitchen semi-presentable.

Recipe for "Best Spinach and Artichoke Dip"

1 pkg. frozen spinach thawed
1 jar marinated artichokes, chopped
8 oz. Philly cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 stick butter
red pepper flakes to taste

Sauté onions in butter, adding ingredients while mixing and blending well after each addition. Add ingredients in this order: Spinach, Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Parmesan Cheese, Artichoke Hearts, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes.

Remove from heat and put in crocks or microwave dish. Top with Monterey Jack Cheese and melt.

Serve hot with chips or bread.

Saffron Pasta with Tomato Sauce

2007-05-29T07:50:00.000-05:00

I learned a very fun, very cool, very easy new trick with this recipe, that made both my resident guinea pig and I delightfully happy. As broke as I am, I tend to be very wary of using saffron, but especially in ways that I'm not 100% positive will pay off, but this particular use is completely worth it: putting a pinch of saffron directly in the boiling pasta water, and cooking the sauce separately.

Tomato sauce and saffron are a staple of Spanish cuisine, but I'd always combined the two into one sauce. Having saffron pasta with tomato sauce: ingenious. Thank you, Epicurious.

The recipe calls for pork, for which I substituted a much healthier edamame. I also used cheese ravioli instead of adding cheese on top (making this a cheese-less recipe would also work really well), and the ravioli came out golden and beautiful. I also added a handful of peas to the sauce, because....I just love them. And adding veggies to the sauce itself saves me having to make a side dish.

I also added 2 cloves of minced garlic to the sauce. The recipe doesn't call for any, but the saffron + tomato + garlic combination is too good to pass up. Adding no more than two took some restraining, but I didn't want to overwhelm the saffron. And, oh man, it was a good decision. The pasta and the sauce together was so much fun to eat. This falls perfectly in the category of easy to make, quick food (all told, took 20 minutes), that is completely divine.

Recipe:

ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 pound ground pork
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

12 ounces gnocchi-shaped pasta, orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta), or medium pasta shells
1 1/2 teaspoons saffron threads, crumbled
1 cup freshly grated pecorino Sardo or pecorino Romano cheese (about 3 ounces)

preparation

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta; sauté until fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add onion and parsley and sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground pork and sauté until brown, breaking up with back of fork, about 8 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and sage. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens and flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill uncovered 1 hour. Then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat.)

Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and saffron and cook until pasta is just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return pasta to pot. Add sauce and 1/2 cup cheese and toss to blend. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and serve.

Grilled and Stuffed Portobellos

2007-05-24T08:16:00.000-05:00

Because I live in an apartment, an actual grill isn't exactly easy to come by, even for recipes as tempting as this. But any grill pan will do the trick if you don't need the masculine satisfaction of lighting things on fire and/or smokey aspect of cooking.

For the record: combination bread crumbs, two kinds of cheese, and mushrooms = heaven.

The Italian flavors at work create depth and subtlety in flavoring, and make them a great appetizer to any European or Mediterranean themed meal (as mine was). To make them a bit healthier than they currently are, one could reduce the amount of cheese and make the topping a bit crunchier in nature, and less melty. The cheese melted on top is pretty fantastic, however. You have been warned.

Like a nitwit, the second I found my camera, I forgot to take pictures. But I promise they look really cool. I served them as one mushroom cap per person, but you could also chop them into slices and serve as finger food, which I'm pretty strongly considering for the future. For a sit-down meal, however, the one cap per person is a great way to make sure your guests don't gorge themselves on finger foods before the actual meal comes out.

Recipe is from Bon Appetit, 2006.

ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
6 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, melted

preparation

Whisk oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 garlic clove in small bowl for marinade. Using spoon, scrape out gills from mushrooms and place mushrooms on rimmed baking sheet. Brush marinade over both sides of mushrooms, arrange hollow side up, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Mix panko, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 2 garlic cloves in medium bowl. Drizzle butter and remaining teaspoon vinegar over panko mixture and toss. Divide panko mixture among mushrooms, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges and packing down slightly. Place mushrooms on grill, stuffing side up; cover grill and cook until cheese melts and juices bubble at edges of mushrooms, rearranging mushrooms occasionally for even cooking (do not turn over), about 6 minutes.

*Panko can be used in any recipe calling for dry (not fresh) breadcrumbs — such as eggplant parmigiana, chicken tenders, or meatloaf. It is available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Bon Appétit, July 2006

Rick Browne

Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding

2007-05-22T08:10:00.001-05:00

So, I realize that I've been MIA. Sorry--the boy was being oh-so helpful in the kitchen, and the burrito place across the street makes a fantastic BBQ-Ranch burrito (wow, just typing that out makes me feel like a cow...)

But! My parents were in town, and I cooked them a huge Welcome to Me dinner. While I tried so hard to make SmittenKitchen/Epicurious's Garlic Soup, my new food processor that is SUPPOSED to be wonderful and life-saving (it's a Black & Decker...how far wrong can you go?) failed me miserably. Until that point, it looked and smelled amazing, however. I will not be so easily thwarted.

One thing that did go over really well was the bittersweet chocolate pudding, courtesy of Food and Wine. My father is a major chocolate elitist (one of his most endearing qualities), so the idea of anything made with 71% cacao chocolate was immensely appealing to him, as well as any rational human being. And rightly so. This stuff balanced the fine line of being rich and smooth without being heavy. The texture was, in fact, light and airy. It doesn't need whipped cream, per se, but that would be a major boon.

The major reason I chose this dish over another bittersweet chocolate concoction was the fact that puddings can be prepped hours in advance, and needn't be served hot. So, when cooking 3 or 4 or 5 courses, having one dish done and out of the way (and being able to wash all those pans for reuse) is a great stress and space reliever.

The main event of the meal was the Brandy-Tomato Fideos that I had earlier blogged, and were a huge success. The cats were once again thrilled by the idea of my breaking a box of pasta in their presence, my parents hadn't gotten to try it the first time I made them, and they're still just as good (and maybe better) as leftovers, so really...everyone wins. I love those things. Hard. Food and Wine recommends a medium-bodied white for this dish, but my parents brought over a light red (perchance because they know I favor it) which was just delightful.

There was an appetizer, which I'll blog as its own entry. For now, the recipe for the pudding:

ingredients

3/4 cup milk
5 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 5 ounces chopped and 1/2 ounce finely grated (2 tablespoons) (see Note)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon coffee liqueur (optional)

directions

Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter eight 1/2-cup ramekins and set them in a large roasting pan. In a small saucepan, heat the milk until bubbles appear around the edge, then pour it into a glass measuring cup. Wipe out the pan and add the chopped chocolate and the butter. Cook over low heat until the chocolate is barely melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk and remove the pan from the heat.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites to firm peaks. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and continue beating until glossy.
In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar and the salt at high speed until pale, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in the chocolate mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins.
Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake the puddings for about 35 minutes, or until puffed and set. Transfer the ramekins to plates and let cool to warm.
In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and the liqueur and whip until firm. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on each pudding, sprinkle with the grated chocolate and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The chocolate puddings can be baked up to 4 hours ahead and served lightly chilled.

NOTES Two excellent and widely available brands of bittersweet chocolate are Lindt and Valrhona.

What Does Your Kitchen Really Need?

2007-05-10T09:48:00.000-05:00

This really great New York Times Food Section article talks about what's essential for any kitchen, what almost anyone can live very happily without, and, probably most helpfully, the price and item that constitute the best possible value.

Sent to me by the Wry Punster, it's a great read and really helpful for anyone looking to beef up their kitchen.

Macaroni and Cheese...the Good Stuff

2007-05-09T07:48:00.000-05:00

I have long argued that boxed macaroni and cheese, the 99 cent kind that could theoretically come shaped like cartoon characters, is a completely different beast than homemade, "actual" macaroni and cheese. Each are delicious and wonderful in their own ways, but they are by no means the same thing. So for the first time in awhile, I rolled up my sleeves and made the good stuff.

I have made this recipe once before, and made the fatal mistake of not using the sharpest possible cheddar known to mankind. As a result, it was bland, bland, and generally eh. This time, however, my friend brought over "Xtra Xtra Sharp Cheddar" and we had a ball. Honestly, I didn't think we had quite enough of it after mixing it all together, but I had other cheddar lying around that I used to fill it out. It worked rather dandily.

I also love that crunch of the breadcrumbs on top compared to the creaminess of the rest of the dish. Completely delightful. It may well be my favorite distinction between homemade mac n'cheese and the boxed stuff.

I also found my camera! Huzzah! So while I didn't get to take pictures of this when I made it (alas), pictures are making their comeback.

And now, the recipe, from The Cook's Manual. I looked for a "classic macaroni and cheese" of some sort in my Cook's Bible, and couldn't find it. Strange, non? Considering it's one of the most classic homemade dishes of all time. Maybe I'm just an idiot who can't use a table of contents/index. But still, really don't think so. Either way, I bought that cookbook for the supercalifragilistic instructions on cooking technique, not the recipe selection. So I'm not too upset.

Ingredients

4 oz macaroni

2 oz butter

1 oz plain flour

1 pt milk

6 oz cheddar

3 tbsp finely chopped parsley

salt and pepper

3 ½ oz dry breadcrumbs

1 ½ oz Parm cheese

Directions

Preheat to 350; grease gratin dish.

Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water until just tender, drain.

Melt the butter or marg in saucepan. Add flour and cook two min, then add milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 min.

Remove pan from heat; add the macaroni, cheese, and parsley to the sauce and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to the dish, spreading evenly.

Toss breadcrumbs and parm cheese together, spread over macaroni.

Bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.

Easy, Easy Hummus

2007-05-08T08:28:00.000-05:00

Hummus is one of the most delightful snacks: not overwhelmingly bad for you, easy, and delicious. Also, we'd gotten a mortar and pestle at Ikea that I swore would gather dust, and lo and behold if we didn't wind up using it for this! You can use a food processor to grind up the chickpeas, but a mortar and pestle or, more simply, just a bowl and a fork might be more convenient if you a) don't have a food processor, b) used to have a food processor until very recently when it decided to form puddles of liquid under itself while still plugged in, or c) want to save the food processor for a more pertinent use later in the evening's preparations.

Also, upon doing a quick Wikipedia search, chickpeas are the best non-animal source of protein there is. So, for vegetarians, people cutting cholestoral, whatever, hummus might be the way to go.

Hummus is also wonderful in that it's a recipe you're supposed to tweak to your desires. If you want it extra lemony, extra garlicky, extra both....or it accepts a wide range of other spices and add ins. Personally, mine is of a slightly more lemony variety, but to each their own.

Alas, I didn't take a picture of this, but I did finally find my camera! So pictures will start reappearing forthwith.

And finally, the recipe.

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 cloves of garlic, crushed.
5 tbsp olive oil (reduceable if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Easy add-ins to alter taste:
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika

Drain the can and crush the chickpeas with either a food processor, mortar and pestle, fork and bowl...etc. Transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Add in remaining ingredients, adding the olive oil last to ensure you get exactly the consistency you want, making sure to taste and alter if necessary.

Everyday Cues

2007-05-07T10:14:00.000-05:00

This NY Times article about food cues was fascinating. It's all about how you can rearrange your kitchen, plates, etc to minimize cues that cause you to eat more than you actually want to. For those of us watching how much we eat, it's kind of a relief that rearranging your plates and hiding the cheese might actually make a substantive difference. Hoorah.

This weekend was fabulous for cooking; as soon as I have the recipes uploaded, I'll post. :o)

Mushroom Pierogi

2007-05-04T07:43:00.000-05:00

Even though one could argue that my last attempt at making dough ended in miserable failure, I decided to try making something a little simpler and build from there. The boy is Slavic by descent, and had introduced me to the wonderful world of pierogi awhile ago, and when I saw the recipe on Smitten Kitchen....well, it looked doable. And Boy was touched that I was "indulging [his] honkiness."

So...yeah. It actually did go well, even if I felt like something of a nitwit when I realized (after already making the dough), that we do not own a rolling pin. I improvised with a bottle of $5 wine, alternating between that and beating the dough into submission with my fists (cathartic).

In the end, the dough turned out a bit thicker than I would have liked (surprise), and I made the pieces a bit too small for the stuffing-to-dough ratio I was going for, but they worked! Not a single one broke in the pot (probably at least in part because the dough was thick), and the filling was actually quite tasty. So yay! Not restaurant quality, but a valiant first effort, in my humble opinion.

Small changes to the recipe: I used shittake and cremini mushrooms instead of porcini and cremini, and 4 garlic cloves instead of 3 (which surprises all of no one).

Recipe is below. Enjoy!

Wild Mushroom Pirogies
Gourmet, February 2001

For filling
1 cup boiling water
2/3 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 medium onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For onion topping
1 lb onions, chopped
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Accompaniment: sour cream

Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter

Make filling: Pour boiling water over porcini in a small bowl and soak until softened,10 to 20 minutes. Lift porcini out of water, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and rinse well to remove any grit. Pour soaking liquid through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a bowl and reserve.

Finely chop onion and garlic in a food processor, then add cremini and porcini and pulse until very finely chopped.

Heat butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook mushroom mixture, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are dry and 1 shade darker, about 8 minutes. Add reserved soaking liquid and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick, dry, and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes (there will be about 1 cup filling). Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely.

Roll out dough and fill pierogies: Halve dough and roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface into a 15-inch round, keeping remaining dough wrapped. Cut out rounds (about 24) with floured cutter. Put 1 teaspoon filling in center of each round. Working with 1 round at a time, moisten edges with water and fold in half to form a half-moon, pinching edges together to seal. Transfer pierogies as assembled to a flour-dusted kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining rounds, then make more pierogies with remaining dough and filling.

Cook onions and pierogies: Cook onions in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Cook pierogies in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to skillet with onions. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.

Epicurious’ notes:

Filling can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
Filled pierogies can be frozen 1 month. Freeze on a tray until firm, about 2 hours, then freeze in sealable plastic bags. Thaw before cooking.

Makes 6 (main course) servings.

Pierogi and Vareniki Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading and rolling
3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

Stir together flours in a bowl. Make a well in flour and add eggs, salt, and water, then stir together with a fork without touching flour. Continue stirring, gradually incorporating flour into well until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding only as much additional flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (Dough will be soft.) Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature at least 30 minutes.

Epicurious’ note: Dough may be made 2 hours ahead, wrapped well in plastic wrap and chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.

Makes enough for about 48 pierogies or 32 varenikis.

Broccoli-Leek Soup with Lemon-Chive Cream

2007-05-02T09:10:00.000-05:00

Deb from SmittenKitchen.com made a comment the other about trying things over and over that you know you don't like. I read that, though "Hmm...so true," and then went home and pulled the exact same move.

On the flip side, mine turned out pretty ok. I normally just don't enjoy broccoli soup, though I consistently convince myself that I do. I like broccoli just fine, but the florets in soup always weird me out. This one, however, I found all around enjoyable. The boy liked it, but I always wonder how much is enjoyment, and how much is humoring me. Still, Food and Wine once again did not disappoint. It wasn't overly heavy or creamy, and the flavors mixed really well. The broccoli got room to breathe in the soup, instead of being weighed down by tons of cheese, which I think helped my enjoyment of it overall.

Considering I still haven't found my camera (it's around...somewhere):

The lemon-sour cream mix was a great touch to the soup, I have to say. And, 1/2 cup of cream in a 5 serving dish? Not too shabby on the waistline front. Especially if you use light sour cream as we did, to perfectly respectable results.

Also: with this dish I got to try out our new garlic press. Whee!

A-hem. Now, recipe.

ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, stems peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick, florets cut into 1-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup snipped chives
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

directions

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the leeks and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broccoli, garlic and stock, season with salt and white pepper and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer until the broccoli is tender, 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the sour cream with the lemon zest, lemon juice, chives and Parmesan. Season with salt and white pepper.
Transfer the soup to a blender and puree in batches until smooth. Stir in half of the lemon-chive cream. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and serve the remaining lemon-chive cream on the side.

Balsamic Pasta and Asparagus

2007-04-26T07:45:00.000-05:00

Today's entry comes from, once again, Food and Wine, and the realization that we have two bottles of balsamic vinegar kicking around, and isn't it time that issue was addressed?

Note: I still haven't found my camera, but here's a picture from the F&W website. I promise that in normal kitchens, it really does look that good.

This recipe was absolutely delicious. I really wish I'd made more. The roast asparagus just melts in your mouth--and I'm generally not a fan of soft vegetables, but these were great. I was a little worried about the balsamic sauce being to tart, but the sugar and the parm make a huge difference. This is one for the annals.

I used honey instead of brown sugar, which was fabulous. I also used fusili instead of penne, but I really feel like any hearty, short pasta would do the trick. It has to stand up to the asparagus, and carry some weight to it, but long noodles would be unwieldy.

So yes, ultimately a huge success (Food and Wine rocks my socks) and so easy to make. So, so easy. You do have three things going at once, however, none of them are particularly high maintenance. The asparagus do their thing just fine; the pasta's just boiling, and if you have the balsamic vinegar on medium-low, it'll take just as long as the asparagus does with little to no fussing. It's great!

ingredients

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

directions

Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.
Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.

2007-04-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

So, I realize I've been delinquent lately in terms of updating. Life got topsy-turvy, and somewhere in there I lost my digital camera, but...yes. Updates!

Chickpeas are amazing. Not only are they really good for you, and a staple of several Asiatic cuisines, they've got great texture and are oh-so versatile. What's not to love?

This incarnation was originally from a Food and Wine chicken recipe, with the chicken sitting happily atop of pile of chickpeas. I had these for lunch last week, and the flavors are dead-on. I'd never really used bay leaves (until the braised potatoes two weeks ago) except in tomato sauces, but this thing was spot on. I'm falling quickly in love with bay.

One change: I used dry bay leaves instead of fresh, and basically covered the top of the stock with them. It worked out really well.

And now, recipe.

1 can chickpeas
3/4 cup veggie or chicken stock
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 small onion
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1/4 cup parsley
Salt and pepper

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and 3/4 cup of the chicken stock. Cover and cook over moderately low heat 17 to 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Stir the pepper strips and parsley into the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper; add a little chicken stock to the chickpeas if they seem dry. Spoon the chickpea mixture over the chicken and serve.

Ginger Rice

2007-04-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

For this post, I actually forgot to grab a picture. Oops. Sorry. :o( On the other hand, it looks almost exactly like normal brown rice, so you aren't missing a whole lot in that regard.

This is EXACTLY the kind of dish I love to make, even taking aside the fact that it's rice for a second. It's flavorful and healthy (if you use something like Smart Balance instead of real butter).

It is also not a dish where you skimp on the seasonings. Don't be shy with the ginger; pile it on to your heart's content.

Using basmati rice over any other kind of long-grain really does go a long way *bad dum cheeesh* in this dish to making it more aromatic and interesting. I used brown basmati rice, which I actually thought added another thin layer of complexity to the taste and texture of the rice, not to mention a nod in the health department.

All in all, a fantastic stand-by dish. For lazy days, diets, or a quick Asian side dish that isn't your standard fried rice.

And now, the recipe, courtesy of the latest issue of Food and Wine.

ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 teaspoon salt

directions

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the ginger, rice, stock and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 12 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water has fully evaporated. Fluff the rice and serve.

Bean Salad with Dijon

2007-04-18T08:56:00.000-05:00

The arrival of my monthly Food and Wine is a nice comfort right after all those bills are due on the first. This time around, it had even more intriguing recipes than usual. So, for lunch yesterday, I made their Dijon mustard vinaigrette for a white bean and pine nut salad. Yum!

A salad like this would be great with more vegetables thrown in; since it was for lunch, I was feeling pretty basic. But the vinaigrette was really nice. As usual, I like mine a lot more vinegary and less oily than the standard recipe seems to suggest. The F&W version was:

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

I once again used scallions, and once again, reveled in their awesomeness. I would up the vinegar to 4 tbsp and the oil down to 1/4 cup. Not even for health reasons--I just think it tastes better.

Hopefully much more from this month's F&W to come!

Spicy Pink Vodka Sauce

2007-04-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

I would normally shy away from any dish involving the word "spicy" in the title, as I am what is characteristically known as a "big sissy." However, half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a full can of tomato sauce seemed doable even in my eyes, so I gave it a shot. Also, this may have been one of the only times in the history of the world that I actually had cream in my fridge, so I figured, strike while the iron is hot, right?

It was well worth it. The spicyness added only a level of character to the sauce, which was overall of a medium consistency a strong flavors. I used scallions as my onion in this sauce, and while I've previously found it hard to work with most onions (re: big sissy), scallions may be my new favorite ingredient. Mild, yet interesting. Sweet, yet still adding that onion bite to dishes. Without overpowering your palate every time your teeth crunch on a piece. I'm quite a fan.

One warning: at least on my gas stove, the beginning instructions from the recipe are way too long. After a failed attempt, I halved all of them, up until the tomatoes are added.

All in all, however, this sauce had a lot of pleasant surprises that added up to a well-worth it dinner, even with the unmentioned amounts of cream added to it (so much for that waistline, eh?)

Recipe from The Cook's Bible

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced and peeled

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 can crush tomatoes

½ cup vodka

½ tsp red pepper flakes

2 cups cream

½ tsp kosher salt

1 tsp sugar

Ground pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the tomatos, and bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Ad the vodka and cook for another 10 minues.

Add the remaining ingredients except black pepper and simmer another 15.

Enough for 1 ½ pounds pasta.

Pesto Risotto

2007-04-16T08:53:00.000-05:00

I'm on something of a traditional kick of late, not that anything I do is particularly ground-breaking, but I'm feeling even more particularly traditional that usual. So, going back to the basics: pesto risotto.

In a more adventurous moment, I decided to add pine nuts to the rice and cook them risotto-style the whole way through, as opposed to the usual course of adding all the extras at the very end. I have to say, I approve. I did, however, add the mushrooms in with the last cup of broth, and the pesto at the very end.

I realize I haven't been updating as much lately, but last week especially was kind of the Week of Hectic, starring Me. Things have started improving, though my getting back into the groove of cooking every (other) night has more to do with fears for my waistline amid the pizza and take out Chinese of hectic weeks, rather than any actual change in circumstance. Also, the realization that I have so many random ingredients floating around my kitchen that if I don't do something about that soon, they might eat me as opposed to the other way around.

Recipe

1 cup long-grain rice
2 1/2 tbsp pesto
2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, hot.
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a saucepan, and add rice and pine nuts. Simmer two minutes, until oil has coated rice and they have a pearly shimmer about them. Add the white wine, stirring.

Wait until wine is absorbed, then add 1/2 cup of the broth. Continue adding in half-cup increments after each previous is completely absorbed, stirring often. In the last 1/2 cup, add mushrooms. Once complete, the risotto should be creamy, not watery, but also not too dense.

Once all the broth is absorbed, add pesto; stir. Add parmesan, and stir again. Serve.

Brownie Evolution

2007-04-13T06:19:00.000-05:00

A friend, the Wry Punster, sent me a New York Times food section article about the history and evolution of the brownie. It was probably a bad idea to read it before breakfast, looking at my sad little M&Ms that will function as dessert, in comparison to those behemoths pictured....sigh. But still, on top of setting off my chocolate craving, it's a great article, and worth sharing. And so, here you are!

I have been slacking on the cooking front of late, but more culinary attempts this weekend, I promise!