Seasonings

A Christmas Quickie

2011-12-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

Want a yummy Christmas candy treat with only a little time to spare? Here is the answer for you: White Chocolate, Cranberry & Pistachio Bark. This recipe is out of Jane Hibler's The Berry Bible, from which I've nabbed a number of good recipes.

This treat is a natural at Christmas, with the beautiful white chocolate enveloping the plump red dried cranberries and the salty green nut meats. I suspect you could make this with a milk or dark chocolate too, but haven't tried that yet. The only caveat is to use a very good quality white chocolate. Most white chocolate available at the grocery store are just sweet with very little taste, so splurge on the good stuff for this one or just go home. I use Callebaut, which I found at Whole Foods. Feliz Navidad!

White Chocolate, Cranberry, & Pistachio Bark

3/4 lb. good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 c salted pistachios, lightly toasted
1/3 c dried cranberries

Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper. Melt about half of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over lightly simmering hot water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has fully melted. Add the remaining chocolate and stir. Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.

Add the nuts and fruits, quickly and gently folding them into the chocolate with a rubber spatula. Pour the mixture into the center of the cookie sheet and spread with spatula into a free-form shape about 1/2 inch thick. Let bark harden in a cool spot for at least 4 hours. Do not refrigerate.

With a heavy knife, cut bark into odd rectangular shapes. Store candy in an air-tight container The candy will keep for at least a month if stored in a cool spot.

A Chiang of Pace

2011-11-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

With white frost tinging the lawn and the furnace chugging away, it seems that winter is getting ready to tip its hat to us, which of course means the holidays will be right around the corner, along with the festival of food that will surely follow. To combat the oncoming onslaught, I pulled out one of my vegetarian cookbooks to look for something yummy but still reasonably healthy, and stumbled onto this recipe called Chiang Mai Tofu Grill with wok-fried vegetables and peanut, coconut & kaffir lime sauce from the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook. I know I just lost about half of my readers after the word tofu, but you could easily make this recipe with chicken or even pork in place of the tofu, and if you have never cooked with tofu but wanted to try, this is the recipe for you.

This recipe is not hard to make, although it will require preparing things in stages, and is not a recipe you can decide to make on the spur of the moment. But there is nothing really challenging in this recipe, except for maybe finding the kaffir leaves, which I found at Whole Foods in the fresh herb section - I have also seen these leaves in markets that carry Asian and Thai ingredients. In the end, if you cannot find the kaffir leaves, I think you could leave them out without a serious effect on the taste of the sauce - however, they do add that wonderful aroma that welcomes your nose whenever you enter any Thai restaurant, so I would highly recommend trying to locate them.

Anyway, the recipe requires four main stages: marinating the tofu (a must, particularly if you are trying out tofu for the first time), making the peanut sauce (which is surprisingly light, at least my version was), prepping the vegetables, and the cooking. This is a great recipe for weekends, as you can prepare this recipe in spurts between the myriad errands and other fun weekend tasks.

Chiang Mai Tofu Grill

1. Prepare the Thai Basil-Soy Tofu:

2 blocks firm tofu
1/4 c light soy sauce (I used tamari, or you could just use the dark soy as well)
2 Tb dark soy sauce
2/3 c vegetable or chicken stock, or water
2 Tb lime juice
1 Tb minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t sambal oelek
2 oz. palm sugar (I used brown sugar)
1/4 t cracked pepper
1/4 c Thai basil, chopped (I just used regular basil)

Slice each tofu block in half lengthwise so that you have two thinner slabs. Combine the remaining ingredients, except basil, in a pot and heat to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Add basil and pour sauce over tofu slices. Marinate for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Prepare the Peanut-Kaffir Lime Sauce:

1/2 c coconut milk (I used light)
6 kaffir leaves, fresh or frozen
2 Tb minced ginger
1/3 c smooth peanut butter
1 Tb soy sauce
1/8 t Thai red curry paste
1/2 oz. palm sugar (I used brown)
2 Tb lime juice
1/4 t salt
1/2 t sambal oelek
2 Tb hot water

Gently heat the coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves and ginger in a small pot over low heat. Cover, turn off the heat and let the liquid infuse for one hour. Reheat and whisk in the remaining ingredients until well blended. Bring to a simmer, season to taste and add more liquid to thin the sauce, if necessary. Keep warm until ready to serve, or refrigerate up to 3 days and reheat before serving.

3. Cooking it all up:

3 Tb peanut oil (I used canola, which works well in high heat)
1 yellow onion, julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned
6 oz. snow peas, julienned
1 large red pepper, julienned
1 medium zucchini, julienned
1/4 c roasted peanuts, chopped or crushed
Cilantro and/or Thai basil, chopped
lime wedges (optional)

Remove the tofu from the marinade, but keep the marinade. Chop the tofu into uniform bite-size pieces, but don't cut it smaller than about 1 inch cubes or rectangles. Heat 2 Tb oil in a wok and cook the tofu until golden on both sides. Remove tofu from the wok and set aside; cover to keep warm. Heat 1 Tb oil in the same work and stir-fry the vegetables until just tender, adding some of the reserved tofu marinade to season. (Alternatively, you could cook the tofu and the vegetables at the same time in two different woks/skillets, but my sous chef was off that day, so I just cooked them one after another in the same pot.)

To serve, place a generous portion of the vegetables over the bottom of a plate and top with the tofu. Sprinkle with the peanuts and the chopped herbs, then drizzle the warm peanut sauce over top to taste. Garnish with lime wedges and serve with jasmine rice, if you like. EAT!

An Abundance of Peas

2011-09-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

As often happens to summer gardeners, there is always at least one plant in the garden that outshines all the others in term of its prolific growth and abundant yields. A few years ago during the long hot summer, it was our zuchini plant that ran amuck, continually sprouting many obscenely large but delectable green rods all summer long. This year's over achiever is the snow pea vine. We went pea-crazy this year, putting in sugar snap peas, shelling peas, and edamame, in addition to the snow peas. They all did very well, but the snow pea vine, which was the first to yield pea pods, is still managing to crank out pods, while most of the other pea vines are dead and gone.

This gardener's dilemma soon turns into the cook's dilemma of what to do with the copious bounty. So I turned to my trusty veggie resource, Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and tried her recipe for Sugar Snap Peas with Scallions and Dill, substituting the snow peas for sugar snaps. The first time I made this recipe, I was utterly shocked at how a recipe that came together that fast could be that good (and having super-fresh peas didn't hurt). I have made this recipe at least a half a dozen times this summer, and am still not tired of it.

I would highly recommend removing the strings from the pea pods as instructed in the recipe. Normally I am fairly lazy and have skipped this step in the past when cooking with pea pods, but found that it really makes a difference in getting rid of the woody fibrous part of the pea pod that you would otherwise end up chewing on like a cow chewing cud. It's easy to do too - just grab the top of the pea pod (where it was attached to the vine) and pull it down the spine of the pod.

Sugar Snap Peas with Scallions and Dill

1 lb. sugar snap peas, strung
6 scallions, including a few inches of the greens, finely sliced
1 Tb butter or olive oil
2 Tb chopped dill or another favored herb

Put the peas in a skillet with the scallions, a few pinches of salt, the butter, and enough water just to cover the bottom. Cook until bright green and tender, about a minute or two - taste one to be sure. If using olive oil, add a little to the pan now. Taste for salt, season with a little freshly ground pepper, and add the dill. Serves 4.

Pucker up, Baby!

2011-08-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

At least once a summer, I make fresh lemonade from scratch. I warn you though, it will spoil you and you won't want to drink any more of those canned frozen lemonade-from-concentrate concoctions. In reality, none of these scratch recipes really take very much time anyway, so skip the freezer section and head to produce to pick up a big bag of lemons instead.

Here are three different lemonade recipes from my files. If you are a purist, then I suggest the muddled mint recipe for you, minus the mint. Of course, you will have to do some fine tuning of these recipes to fit your own personal levels of sweetness and pucker, but that's no biggie. And naturally, the substitution of a little vodka for water never hurt anyone...

One last warning for you. All of these recipes include a step in which the lemonade mixture is poured into a pitcher filled with ice, prior to pouring into the individual glasses also filled with ice. When I originally was testing these recipes, I thought this was overkill, but actually it is a necessary step, as the ice serves as a way not only to quickly cool the lemonade but more importantly to dilute the concentrated lemonade mixtures. So don't skip this step, unless you really like your lemonade strong!

#1: Muddled Mint Lemonade

6 large lemons, thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, ~ 2 c
1 c sugar
1/2 c fresh lemon juice
2 c water

Trim thick stem from mint leaves. Place sliced lemon, mint, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl and mash using a muddler, mallet, or potato masher until juicy, about 5 minutes. Strain lemon mixture through a coarse sieve set over a large bowl, pressing masher on solids to extract some pulp and as much liquid as possible. Mix water into lemon liquid. Fill pitcher with ice and pour lemonade over. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. To serve, fill 4-6 tall glasses with ice and add lemonade. Adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2001.

#2: Strawberry Lemonade

1/2 lb. strawberries (1 1/2 c), trimmed and halved
1 1/2 c fresh lemon juice (~ 5 lemons)
3/4 - 1 1/2 c sugar (depends on how sweet the berries are, and how sweet you like it)
3 c cold water

Puree berries with 2 Tb lemon juice in a blender until smooth, then force through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove seeds. Stir together strawberry puree, remaining lemon juice, sugar, and water in a large pitcher until the sugar is dissolved. Taste, then add more sugar if desired. Serve over ice. Can be made 2 days ahead and chilled. Makes ~ 1 1/2 quarts. Adapted from Gourmet, June 2001.

#3: Ginger-Honey Lemonade

3 c water
1/4 c minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 - 1/2 c honey
1 1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/2 c sugar

Bring 1 c water, honey, sugar, and ginger to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolved. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool, then strain syrup into pitcher. Mix in lemon juice and remaining 2 c water. Fill pitcher with ice. Let stand 5 minutes. Fill 4-6 tall glasses with ice and add lemonade. Adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2001.

Sweet Tart

2011-08-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

Today's recipe for Fresh Raspberry Tart just screams IT'S SUMMERTIME, CATCH ME WHILE YOU CAN. I found this recipe a few years ago in Janie Hibler's The Berry Bible, which is highly recommended perusing for any of you fellow berry lovers. Hibler says that she was given this recipe by Marie Simmons, an award-winning food writer and Bon Appetit columnist.

This tart is one of those rarities that requires very minimal effort in terms of ingredients and preparation, but yields a maximum in taste and presentation. In addition, this recipe can apparently be prepared with other summer fruit, including blueberries, strawberries, apricots, peaches or figs, according to Simmons, so you can customize to your heart's content.

The tart itself is comprised of a lightly sweetened cookie-like crust, topped with a layer of baked raspberries then finished with fresh raspberries for a double berry hit. The tart is good enough to be served completely au naturel, but I think a smidge of lightly sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche, or (better yet) a scoop of good vanilla ice cream would make for a most excellent flourish.

Fresh Raspberry Tart

Crust:
1 1/2 c flour
2 Tb sugar
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 425. Wipe an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with a paper towel dipped in a flavorless oil if the surface isn't well seasoned.

Combine the flour and sugar in a food processor. With the motor running, gradually add the butter through the feed tube. Process until thoroughly incorporated.

Stir the egg yolk and vanilla together in a small bowl. With the motor running, gradually add egg mixture through the feed tube. Pulse the mixture until it begins to pull together. If the mixture seems too dry, add 1 to 2 Tb ice water and process until a dough forms. The dough should be crumbly but not dry.

Turn the dough out directly into the tart pan. Press it up along the sides and on the bottom of the pan in a relatively even layer (I used a 1/2 cup metal measuring scoop to help level and press dough into the sides of the pan). (Note: while the crust can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to be baked, it tastes best when it is baked right away.)

Filling:
1/4 c sugar
2 Tb flour
2 1/2 pints (5 c) fresh raspberries, blueberries, or high-quality strawberries, rinsed and drained

To make the filling, stir the sugar and flour together in a large bowl until blended. Add half of the berries and toss to coat with the sugar mixture. Spoon into the prepared crust and top with any sugar left in the bowl.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the berries are hot and bubbly, 30-40 minutes, running a spoon through the berry mixture to turn over any berries that still have flour on them halfway through the cooking time. Remove the pan from the oven. Carefully arrange the remaining berries, stem ends down, close together all over the surface of the tart, pressing them down gently into the hot berry mixture. Cool the tart on a wire rack.

Before serving, push the tart out of the pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Makes 8-10 servings.

We Want the Funk!

2011-08-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

I tasted this Asian Cabbage Salad a few years ago at a 4th of July BBQ potluck. It was brought by the mother of a good friend of mine, whom I am guessing has seen a lot of potlucks in her time. Not surprisingly, this dish was one of the hits of the day, and the chef graciously shared the recipe with all of us - thanks Connie P for bringing the funk!

I just made this for the first time myself, and it was the perfect summer meal for a late Sunday night dinner, after being too pooped from working in the garden all day to slave over a hot stove. I guess technically that it is a salad, as the title indicates, but it is a full meal deal, with cabbage, veggies and fruit, lean protein, and some good fats. It is also one of those recipes that is very amenable to your own personal tastes (red pepper instead of pea pods, fresh herbs, etc.) and to what you may have on hand. Sorry to not include a picture of the actual salad - we ate it up so fast we never had a chance to snap a photo. But here it is in all its crispy crunchy glory...

Asian Cabbage Salad

Dressing:
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c sesame oil (do not substitute another oil - the sesame makes this dish)
1/4 c white wine vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
1 Tb sugar (or to taste)

Whisk together in a small bowl and set aside while preparing the rest:

Salad:
1/2 head cabbage (or lettuce), shredded
3 chicken tenders or equivalent (I used skinless chicken breast), grilled or sauteed, then sliced
1 package Ramen noodles (discard the nasty salt-MSG package), boiled and drained
fresh pea pods (snow peas or snap peas), cut into bite-size sections, to taste
pine nuts or slivered almonds, to taste
1 small can Mandarin orange slices, drained well
toasted sesame seeds

In a very large bowl, combine the cabbage, sliced chicken, noodles (may want to cut these a bit if they are long), pea pods and nuts. Pour the dressing over and toss well. Top with orange slices and toasted sesame seeds and serve. Makes enough for 2 hungry diners - double or more if taking to a big gathering.

Light and Lovely

2011-05-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today's recipe is one I was introduced to by a vegetarian friend, who brought this along to share at a Thanksgiving dinner. For that reason I have always associated it with fall and turkey, but when I was asked just recently to make a quinoa dish, I pulled this out and realized what a great light all-season treat this could be.

This recipe, for Quinoa Salad with Apples, Pears, Fennel, and Walnuts, was published in The Best American Recipes 1999: The Year's Top Picks from Books, Magazine, Newspapers and the Internet (Best American Series). I don't have a copy of this book, so I don't know where the recipe actually originated from and can't give credit where due. But here it is, packed with healthy quinoa, lots of fresh diced fruit, a dash of shallots, and brightened up with a light citrus dressing. It's also a great way to introduce yourself to fennel, if you are not already acquainted with this seductive bulb. Enjoy in the spring sunshine (if you can find some!)

1 c quinoa
2 c vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 t salt, or to taste
2 apples, peeled, cored, diced, and sprinkled with lemon juice (to keep from browning)
2 pears, peeled, cored, diced, and sprinkled with lemon juice (to keep from browning)
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, diced
1/2 c c dried currants
2 shallots, finely diced

Rinse quinoa well (remove saponins - don't ask unless you really want to know). Bring the stock to a boil in a 1 quart saucepan, then add the rinsed quinoa and salt and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, still covered, for 45 minutes, then fluff with a fork and set aside to cool. When cooled, mix the quinoa with the apples, pears, fennel, currants, and shallots in a large serving bowl. Then make dressing:

Freshly grated zest of 1 orange

Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 c fresh orange juice

3 Tb fresh lemon juice

1 Tb extra-virgin olive oil

salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the quinoa mixture and toss to mix well. Sprinkle with 1/2 c toasted walnuts, and serve. Serves 4 as a main course.

Vote for Pedro

2011-03-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

photo from Seasonal Fruit Desserts

Today's recipe makes use of a unique ingredient I received as a gift. Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927, or Pedro, as his closest friends call him, is a lovely after-dinner digestif. Technically classified as a sherry (but unlike any sherry I've ever had before), Pedro is a beautiful deep amber brown, with the color and almost the texture of maple syrup, with an interesting array of flavors. Deborah Madison, the creator of today's recipe, describes Pedro more elegantly and succintly than I can as "syrupy dark sherry that smells of dried fruits, sun, and molasses-tinged caramel. I cannot taste it without thinking figs, raisins, prunes, and almonds". I don't know how hard it is to find Pedro, but if you have a sweet tooth and ever run across this, I would highly recommend trying it out. But even if you can't track down any Pedro, don't let that stop you from trying out this recipe (see below).

Today's recipe, or rather recipes, are from Deborah Madison's Seasonal Fruit Desserts. I first became acquainted with Madison's vegetarian recipes though her cookbooks, most notably her classic volume Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, which I would recommend to anyone, carnivores included. But I have always found that her dessert recipes were excellent in terms of taste and reliability, so I definitely snapped up Seasonal Fruit Desserts when I came across it. The first recipe, Figs in Pedro Ximenz, is based on the very simple technique of poaching dried fruit in a warm yummy liquid brew. The second recipe, for Almond-Corn Flour Cake, is really just a vehicle here for delivery of the figs, the stars of today's show. But you can enjoy the figs without the cake if you prefer, and I have also listed Deborah Madison's suggestions on alternate ways to enjoy the figs. Of course the year-round accessibility of dried fruit means you can make this dessert anytime you want, but I would think it would be best enjoyed as a treat in the fall after a hard day of raking autumn leaves.

Figs in Pedro Ximenez
1 1/2 c dried figs (Calimyrna or Mission, or a mixture)
1 1/2 c Pedro Ximenez or Shiraz
2 Tb honey (I suspect you could back off on the amount of honey to use here)

Snip stems off the figs. Put them in a small saucepan with the sherry, honey, and water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes until figs are soft and succulent. Turn off the heat and remove figs to a serving dish with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid behind. Cut some or all of the figs in half to expose their seeds.

Bring the poaching liquid to a boil and cook until bubbles cover the surface and the texture is syrupy when you tilt the pan - about 5 minutes. Pour the syrup over the figs, cover, and let stand until you're ready to serve them. The figs will keep refrigerated for weeks. Serves 6-8.

Serving suggestions: serve figs in small individual bowls with a spoonful of creme fraiche around, or alongside a mound of ricotta cheese or even coffee ice cream. They are also delicious served with a thin slice of Almond-Corn Flour Cake (see recipe below).

Almond-Corn Flour Cake
3 1/2 ounces almond paste
2/3 c sugar (I would try 1/2 c next time)
8 Tb unsalted butter, at room temp
3 eggs, at room temp
1 t vanilla
1/4 t almond extract
1/2 c sour cream or yogurt
2/3 c corn flour (I found mine at Whole Foods)
2/3 c flour
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375. Butter and flour an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan (can also use a loaf pan or individual ramekins). If using a pan without a removable bottom, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Pulse the almond paste with the sugar in a food processor until evenly combined. Add butter and pulse until well amalgamated. With the machine running, add eggs one at a time until well blended. Scrape down the sides, then add the flavorings and sour cream and blend until smooth.

Mix the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl, then add half to the batter to the wet mixture and pulse three times. Add the second half and pulse 3 times again. Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is well combined, give it 3 or 4 more pulses, and then pour the batter into the prepared pan and even the surface. Bake in the center of the oven until golden and starting to pull away from the pan, about 35 minutes for a 9 inch cake, about 20 minutes for individual cakes.

Cool 10 minutes, then turn cake onto a serving plate and peel off the paper if you used it. Dust with powdered sugar. Serves 8-10.

Mr Ott's Caprice

2011-03-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

I just got back from some business travels, which also gave me time to catch up with old friends I hadn't seen for some time. One of the people I got to reconnect with is a former roommate's father, who is an amazing cook. I remember the first time I ever saw a picture of him - he was baking home-made doggie biscuits while his dog gazed hypnotically at the oven waiting for them to finish baking. Of course he used to spoil us non-canine folk as well with great food whenever he visited, and would send us recipes for his latest culinary creations. I still have some of these recipes, and am sharing one today called Mr. Ott's Caprice, which is for chicken breasts stuffed with lots of Mediterranean goodies. I remember this recipe fondly, as it is not only delectable, but was also one of my first real forays into cooking somthing not out of a box, and helped cement my burgeoning love for cooking. Thanks Mr. Ott!

Mr. Ott's Caprice

1/2 c finely chopped red onion
2 Tb olive oil
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1/2 c Kalamata olives, cut in thin strips
1/4 c pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/2 c oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into thick strips
1 c crumbled feta cheese
2 Tb grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tb fresh marjoram (or 1 t dried)
6-8 boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450. In a large ovenproof skillet, cook onion in 1 Tb oil over moderate heat, until softened. Add garlic and cook, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to bowl and let cool. Stir in all remaining ingredients up to and including the marjoram.; salt and pepper to taste, then stir until combined.

Insert a sharp paring knife into the thicker end of each chicken breast and cut a lengthwise pocket carefully, making it as wide as possible without puncturing sides. Fill each breast with filling.

Clean the skillet used for the onion, then heat 1Tb oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, and brown chicken (on bottom). Leaving chicken as is in skillet, transfer skillet to the oven and bake until just cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Put skillet under broiler to brown the tops, about 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!

Roast Chicken, Honey?

2011-03-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

from Cook's Country, Feb/Mar 2010

Who doesn't love a piping hot roast chicken? And being so easy to make, it should be in every home cook's repertoire. It's really just a matter of popping a chicken into the oven, with very little fuss or prep (although make sure you get a roasting chicken, or at least a young small chicken - don't buy a tough old fryer). Today's recipe is along those lines of simplicity, and produces a fantastic bird. But beware to those of you who have sworn off chicken skin - this may get you hooked again!

Honey Roast Chicken

1/2 t paprika
3 1/2 - 4 lb. chicken, giblets discarded
1/2 t cornstarch
1/2 c water + 1/2 Tb water
1/4 c honey
2 1/2 Tb cider vinegar
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 t minced fresh thyme
1 Tb unsalted butter

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 375. Combine 1/2 Tb salt, 1 t pepper and the paprika in a small bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub paprika mixture under skin of breast and over outside of entire chicken. Tuck wings behind back, and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Arrange chicken, breast side down, on V-rack set inside roasting pan. Roast until just golden, about 35 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and flip breast side up. Raise oven temp to 450. Pour 1/2 c water and broth into roasting pan. Return chicken to oven and roast until thigh meat registers 165-170, 30 to 40 minutes.

During the last 30-40 minutes of roasting, make the glaze by stirring cornstarch and 1/2 Tb weater together in a bowl until no lumps remain; set aside. Bring honey and 2 Tb vinegar to simmer in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/4 c, 3-5 minutes. Slowly whisk cornstarch mixture into glaze. Return to simmer and cook 1 minute.

When chicken has come to the appropriate internal temperature, brush chicken with thick layer of glaze and continue to roast until glaze is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting boared, brush with remaining glaze, and let rest 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour pan juices and any accumulated chicken juices into saucepan; skim fat. Stir in thyme, bring to simmer, and cook until sauce it slightly thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and remaining vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce at the table. from Cook's Country, February/March 2010.

Carrot, Cilantro, and Chiles, Oh My!

2011-02-28T20:17:00.000-08:00

from Williams Sonoma Best of Taste

Well, after my last two rather unhealthy (but nonetheless satisfying) recipe posts, I feel the need for something tilting a bit to the lighter and healthier side. With the winter blahs seeming to carry onward, that means soup's still fair game here in my house, so here's a soup recipe I made for the first time last year. It's from The Best of Taste by Williams Sonoma, which hasn't always been the most reliable source of recipes for me. I certainly love the look of the Williams Sonoma cookbooks, but have not yet been fully convinced on their recipe reliability factor. But that aside, this carrot soup is a very straightforward and foolproof soup to make, with few ingredients, and very tasty to boot. And don't skip the salsa - it really makes this soup.

Carrot Soup with Cilantro & Chile

2 Tb butter
2 Tb canola oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 Tb finely chopped fresh ginger
3 lb carrots, peeled & chopped
5 c chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tb creamy peanut butter
juice of 1 lime

In a large pot, melt butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add carrots and stock; bring to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter. Puree soup, strain, if desire, discarding any remaining big solids. Just before serving, add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve a spoonful of salsa (recipe below) on top of each bowl of soup. Serves 4.

Cilantro-Chile Salsa:
1/2 c coarsely chopped cilantro
2 Tb roasted peanuts
fresh lime juice
2 t finely chopped jalapeno

Pound cilantro, peanuts and jalapeno to a paste in a mortar. Add lime juice and salt to taste.

Double Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate-Orange Buttercream Frosting

2011-02-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day gave me a good excuse to take a little detour from a recently self-imposed regimen of no sugar/wheat/dairy (which, truth be told, has made me feel better overall, physically & mentally). Naturally any Valentine's treat practically mandates a chocolate component, and as long as I was going to blow the calorie bank on this one, I wanted to do it up right, so I am made a Double Layer Chocolate Cake with a Chocolate-Orange Buttercream Frosting. (You know you are in trouble when you have to haul out the Kitchen Aid standmixer.)

The recipe is actually an amalgam of two separate recipes. The cake recipe is from "Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake" from Cook's Illustrated March/April 2006 issue, while the frosting recipe is from "Devil's Food Cake with Chocolate-Orange Buttercream Frosting" in the March 2004 issue of Bon Appetit. The cake, while very good, pales in comparison to the frosting. The first time I made this frosting I was completely blown away by how a mixture of pretty much just butter, sugar, and chocolate could transform into something so light and airy tasting. My recommendation for making this cake is to frost the cake shortly before serving to avoid having to refrigerate it - once the frosting is chilled, it hardens and affects the texture (but not the taste).

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake

12 Tb unsalted butter, very soft
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 c Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 c hot water
1 3/4 c sugar
1 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 c buttermilk
2 t vanilla
4 large eggs + 2 yolks

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat to 350. Grease two 9-inch round by 2-inch high cake pans with softened butter; dust pans with flour and knock out excess.

Roughly chop chocolate and combine with cocoa and hot water in double boiler over simmering water; stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 c sugar to chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1-2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl.

In bowl of standing mixer fitter with whisk attachment, whisk eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 1/4 c sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2-3 minutes.

Replace whisk with paddle attachment. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with spatula as needed. Add butter 1 Tb at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about 1/3 of flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 second). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture. Scrape down side of bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until butter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once of twice with spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; smooth batter to edges of pan with spatula.

Bake cares until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool cakes to room temp before frosting, 45-60 minutes.

Chocolate-Orange Buttercream Frosting*

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
3-4 Tb (or more) water
12 Tb unsalted butter, room temp
2 c powdered sugar, sifted (divided use)
1/2 Tb grated orange zest
1 t vanilla
1/4 t coarse kosher salt
1/2 Tb Cointreau
Chocolate Curls for decoration (optional)

Stir chocolate in double boiler over simmering water until smooth. Cool until barely lukewarm but still pourable. Mix cocoa powder and the water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until smooth and thick but still pourable, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if necessary. Cool.

Beat butter, 2Tb sugar, and orange zest in large bowl to blend. Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth. Beat in cocoa mixture. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until frosting is smooth. Mix in Cointreau.

Frost and assemble cake. If not serving right away, the cake can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated; let cake stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving. However,as I cautioned above, the refrigeration will cause the frosting to harden somewhat, which will affect the seemingly light consistency of the frosting, but not the flavor. Serves 10-12.

* the original recipe in Bon Appetit called for twice the amount of frosting for a two layer cake, but I found half the amount was plenty - but increase to your own liking.

Hey all, this recipe's also now been posted at the Sweet as Sugar Cookies blogspot and Real Sustenance- check them out sometime!

Cheese & Beer - Almost as Good as Peanut Butter & Jelly

2011-02-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

photo from deecat on Virtual Tourist

With the Superbowl bearing down on us (no pun intended, fellow glum Chicago fans), I have to figure out what to serve up for the big event. Last year I made Shrimp Jamabalaya to ensure a win by New Orelans. So this year I will continue the tradition, and seeing as I am rooting for the Pack (sorry again fellow Bears fans, but I did live in Wisconsin for 5 years), I think brats and some Wisconsin Cheese Soup will help to ensure victory.

Some years ago the State Journal-Register printed this recipe from The Feed Store, a venerable old soup and sandwich shop in Springfield Illinois, just across from the Old State Capitol. They used to serve the most amazing soups - mostly cream-based from what I remember, which explains a lot (see the short list in the picture). I haven't been in there in years, but I think they are still in operation. I haven't tried out this recipe before, so I will likely make some additional comments to this post after the deed is done on Sunday. Go Cheeseheads!

Wisconsin Cheese Soup

6 cups beef broth (homemade, if possible)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 Tb chopped green bell pepper
1/2 c chopped celery
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 t paprika
1 t dill
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t Worchestershire sauce
4 oz. beer

Cheese Sauce:

1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
5 1/2 c whole milk
3/4 - 1 c flour
14 oz grated cheddar cheese (go for the good stuff here)
1 1/3 c whipping cream

Put beef broth in stockpot and bring to a boil. Add onion, green pepper and celery as broth begins to boil. Add dry spices and Worcestershire sauce to stockpot and stir thoroughly; add beer. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes.

While broth is simmering, begin preparing the roux for the sauce. Melt butter in pan large enough to contain all of the finished soup. Put milk into a separate pan and place on high heat to bring to a boil. Be sure the butter has time to melt before the milk boils. When the butter has melted, keep on low heat and gradually mix flour into it with a wire whisk. Add more flour as need to make a thicker roux. Cook for a minute or two on low heat, until roux bubbles slowly, and remove from burner. As milk comes to a boil, pour into roux all at once. Beat vigorously with a whisk. As sauce begin to thicken, start adding the cheese, a little at a time, and beat it into the sauce as it melts. Continue to beat for 3-4 mintues to yield a smooth creamy sauce.

Carefully add broth mixture to the white cheese sauce and mix thoroughly. Add the whipping cream and the soup is ready to serve. Makes 1 gallon (~ 14 servings).

Notes added after:
-the cheese is the star here, so don't skimp on the quality of the cheese, and get a cheddar that is super tasty.

-a good flavorful beef broth is key as well (be wary of store-bought variety, as they can be very salty and not much else in terms of flavor).

-depending on how thick you prefer your cheese soup, you may want to use the higher flour amount indicated in the recipe. My soup didn't end up as thick as I remember it being at the Feed Store, so I would probably go down that road next time...

In Memory of Tuna Noodle Crisp

2011-01-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

Today was my mom's birthday, and she would have been a remarkable 81 this year. Happiness and Peace to you, Mom!

Thinking about her now is kind of like comfort food, bringing a smile to my soul more often than darkening my mood over her too-early exit from this world. Making some of her old standard recipes has the same effect on me too, so I think it is time to whip up some Tuna Noodle Crisp. This was a Friday night staple in our house growing up, which was the one and only meatless night of the week (powered by Catholicism, not Vegetarianism).

Over the years I've made a few small changes to the recipe (exchanging 1/4 cup of Crisco for a few tablespoons of olive oil), but the taste is essentially the same. Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Crisp

4 oz uncooked egg noodles
2 Tb olive oil
1/3 c chopped onion
1/3 c chopped green pepper
1 can of cheese or cream of celery soup
1/2 c milk
1 Tb pimento (optional)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
7 oz. can tuna, drained
small can of young sweet peas
1/2 c potato chips, broken, or breadcrumbs

Cook noodles to almost al dente; drain and set aside. Don't overcook the noodles, since they still have to bake in the oven, unless you prefer completely limp noodles.

Heat oil in large skillet, then saute onion and green pepper until tender. Stir in soup, milk, pimento, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add noodles, tuna, and peas. Place in a 1 1/2 qt casserole dish. Top with chips or breadcrumbs and bake 25-30 minutes at 350.

Merry Chai-mas

2010-12-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

Image by Eshwa

I'm in charge of breakfast for Christmas morning this year, and in addition to the usual juice and bubbly combo that I will offer, I want to make something warm and homey, so I've settled on Chai. I've tried making it before, but haven't yet hit on a reliable recipe, so I've spent the last few days researching and playing around with different recipes. After 6 trials, I've finally got a recipe that is almost perfect (for me, anyway).

Chai, I have discovered, is quite a balancing act. Getting the tea strength, sweetness, and level of spices (6 total) all in harmony takes some doing. I drew from 4 main recipes for my trials, including the Chai recipe from Vij's restaurant here in Vancouver, known as perhaps the best Indian restaurant in North America; the other 3 were from Joy of Cooking, Rebar Cookbook, and a personal recipe from a friend of Indian descent.

For the tea, black tea (usually Orange Pekoe) was called for in all 4 recipes, so that was a no-brainer.

For sweetness, recipes either called for sugar or honey, and the amount indicated was often "to taste". I did find the non-Indian recipes too sweet, at least for my taste. I also found that the sweetness can easily overwhelm the spices, so getting the sugar/spice balance right was a must. I tried both white granulated sugar and honey in my trials, and even though I am not a big fan of the white powder, I think sugar (or a very mild tasting honey) would work best, as I don't want any inherent taste from the sweetener masking the spices either.

For the spices, a cinnamon stick and cardamom pods were the only commonalities to all recipes. Both recipes of Indian origin also called for fennel seeds, while the North American-style recipes used sliced fresh ginger, whole cloves and whole peppercorns. I ended up using all six spices, and was pleased with this particular melange. Of course you could do as many or as few of these as you want, or even use other spices (vanilla, anise, etc) - it all depends on your own palate. One big warning for you though - make sure you are not using old spices. My fennel seeds and cardamom pods were very old and had lost most of their strength - when I starting using fresher spices, it made a HUGE difference.

For the milk, most recipes indicated milk containing fat, either whole or 2%. I used 2% for all my trials but suspect that the Chai would be much richer with the whole milk. The amount of milk used in each recipe varied, anywhere from 1:2 to 1:5 milk to water ratio. I tended towards the 1:2 ratios for creamier Chai.

For the method of preparation, there was a huge variety here, but in general most recipes consisted of heating the water or water/milk mixture with the spices, and letting this mixture steep for some amount of time, followed by the addition of tea (and milk, if not already added).

So if you are still following along after all that digression, here is the winning recipe. This recipe ended up being a fairly close relative of the Joy of Cooking recipe, with a huge reduction in the sugar amount and the addition of fennel seeds. Chai to the World!

Chai
3 c water
1 1/2 c milk (whole preferred)
1/4 c sugar, or to taste
2 cinnamon sticks
16 cardamom pods, crushed to release the seeds
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced thinly
1 t fennel seeds
1 t whole cloves
1/2 t whole black peppercorns
2 Tb black tea leaves (~ 5 tea bags, depending on size)

Combine all ingredients except tea in a saucepan. Heat to almost boiling, then remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes. Return to a simmer and remove from heat, then add the tea; cover and let steep for 2 minutes. Strain and serve immediately. Makes enough for 4-5.

Pickled & Tipsy Turkey

2010-11-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

With US Turkey Day fast approaching, I discovered my brother is going to do his first turkey (on the Big Green Egg) and is looking for some hints on cooking turkey. So I am posting my own evolving method for turkey preparation, which I affectionately call Pickled & Tipsy Turkey. This recipe is a true hybrid from a number of different recipes and my various turkey trials over the years. The brining leaves the bird very juicy, the cheesecloth keeps the breast from getting dried out and overcooked, the Port gives the skin a beautiful color, and the vegetables give the pan drippings some depth. This recipe is still a work in progress, but makes for a tasty and juicy bird for your Thanksgiving feast.

Pickled & Tipsy Turkey

Large brining bag
2 c table salt
12-15 lb. fresh turkey

Dissolve the salt in about 7.5 L of cold water in a very large stockpot. Add turkey to a brining bag and pour brine over (let brine cool first if it is warmish or hot). Set turkey in a very cool spot (40 degrees F or colder) for 4 hours (I put mine outside on the deck), making sure the the turkey is well submerged in the brine.

Remove turkey from the brine, rinse very well under cold running water (to remove excess), and pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place turkey, breast side up, on a V-style roasting rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Place turkey uncovered in the refrigerator and air-dry for at least 8 hours to overnight.

3 Tb butter, at room temperature
2 foot square piece of cheesecloth
3 c turkey or chicken broth
1 c tawny Port
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 medium Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped

Position rack in the bottom third of oven and preheat to 325. Pat turkey dry again, inside and out, and stuff the bird with your stuffing of choice. Place turkey, breast side up, and rack into a large roasting pan, then truss the bird as required. Rub turkey breast with 1-2 Tb melted butter, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold a 2 foot square piece of cheesecloth in half twice, forming a 12 inch square. Dip the cloth in water; squeeze out excess moisture. Drape cloth over turkey breast tucking cloth under at sides. Add 1 c water to pan then roast 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the broth, Port, and remaining 1 Tb butter to simmer, stirring until butter melts. Baste turkey well with Port mixture, and add celery, onion, carrot, and apple to roasting pan. Roast turkey 70 minutes, basting twice with Port mixture.

After the 70 minutes, stir to coat vegetable with pan juice (add more water or broth if pan juices are low) and baste turkey with pan juice; roast 20 minutes.

Remove cheesecloth; roast turkey until skins browns and meat thermometer registers 165 for breast and stuffing, and 170-175 for the thigh, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 50 minutes longer.

When turkey is ready, transfer to platter and tent with foil for 30 minutes before carving. If making gravy, strain out the remaining pan juices, skim the fat, then use in gravy to really boost up the turkey flavor.

Quickie but a Goodie

2010-11-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today's recipe caught my eye in the current October/November issue of Cook's Country. The magazine contains a middle section with quickie dinner recipes, and the Pork Chops with Bourbon-Apple Pan Sauce looked tempting. I gave it a whirl the other night, and it truly was quick, easy, and tasty to boot. So without further adieu, here it is:

Pork Chops with Bourbon-Apple Pan Sauce

4 bone-in or center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
1 Tb sugar (divided use)
1 Tb vegetable oil
1/2 c orange juice
1/3 c bourbon (I used part Jack Daniels and part Scotch)
1/4 c apple butter
2 t cider vinegar
2 Tb unsalted butter
1 t minced fresh thyme

Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt, pepper, and 1 t brown sugar. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, until just smoking. Cook chops until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

Add orange juice, bourbon, apple butter, vinegar, and remaining brown sugar to now-empty skillet. Cook over medium heat, scraping any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in butter and thyme. Return chops and any accumulated juices to skillet and simmer, turning to coat, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Roasted Yam and Apple Salad

2010-11-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

photo from Cook's Illustrated

I just made this dish for the first time the other day, and give it a big thumbs up. I originally saw the recipe in Bon Appetit a few years ago, but funnily enough the recipe actually originated at a Duncan, BC restaurant called Bistro 161. The restaurant has a link to the recipe on their website, although the ingredient amounts and proportions vary a bit from the recipe I used from the October 2008 Bon Appetit, which is posted below. If you are a yam fan (and who isn't), this is a recipe for you!

Roasted Yam and Apple Salad

Vinaigrette:
2 1/2 Tb apple cider vinegar
1 Tb mild Indian curry paste (such as Patak's)
2 1/4 t honey
3/4 t Dijon mustard
1/2 c vegetable oil

Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 days ahead - cover and chill until ready to use.)

Salad:
3 lbs yams, peeled, cut into 1 to 1 1/4 inch cubes
2 Tb vegetable oil
1 Tb cumin seeds
1 Tb Asian sesame oil
1 t salt
3 large Fuji or Gala apples, cored, cut into 1 to 1 1/4 inch cubes
2 c stemmed green grapes
1 c dried cranberries
1/2 c almonds, toasted & chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Mix yams and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Spread out on prepared sheet in single layer. Roast until yams are tender and lightly bornwed on some edges, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature. (Yams can be made 2 hours ahead - let stand at room temperature.)

Place apples, grapes, and cranberries in very large bowl. Add yams to bowl, scraping in any juices from baking sheet. Add vinaigrette to salad; toss gently to coat. Transfer to large platter. Sprinkle almonds over and serve. Serves 8-10.

Braise the Lord!

2010-10-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

photo from Cook's Illustrated

I've been feeling guilty of late, posting lots of good but not necessarily good for you recipes, so I decided to post something a little more health conscious. Today's recipe is for Braised Cauliflower with Garlic & White Wine. Although not a favorite for many, cauliflower is great for its capacity to soak up and carry flavors, kind of like tofu does. This recipe, from Cook's Illustrated Best Skillet Recipes is easy and fairly quick, uses common ingredients often on hand, and is also wonderful as part of a homey fall dinner.

Braised Cauliflower with Garlic & White Wine

3 Tb + 1 t olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t red pepper flakes
1 medium head of cauliflower
1/3 c dry white wine
1/3 c chicken broth
2 Tb minced fresh parsley

Trim, core, and cut cauliflower into bite-sized florets; set aside.

Combine 1 t of the oil with the garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the remaining 3 Tb of oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the cauliflower and 1/4 t salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the florets are golden brown, 7-9 minutes.

Clear the center of the skillet, add the garlic mixture, and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan until fragrant, 15-30 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the cauliflower.

Add the wine and broth, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

There is an alternate recipe option (which I have never tried so far, but sounds good): substitute 1/2 c water for the wine, 1/3 c plain yogurt for the broth, and cilantro for the parsley; add 2 t curry powder with the garlic, and stir in 1 Tb lime juice with the cilantro

Chip off the old block

2010-10-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

photo from The Foodista blog

Recently a friend of mine set out on a long journey (not of her choice), and to lighten her load along this sojourn, she has made a personal (and very admirable, in my opinion) goal to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie. She has solicited recipes to start this undertaking, so I will share two of my favorite recipes.

The first recipe is for a very traditional chocolate chip cookie, which was imparted to me in grad school days by Brad S (aka Heavy B). I think this recipe is his mother's, who I suspect, being an Iowa matriarch of many children and grandchildren, knows what she's doing when it comes to home-baked cookies.

The second is a recipe for a less traditional chocolate chip cookie that my grad school roommates and I nicknamed Fat Bullets when we first made them, but are actually known as Supreme Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies from Pillsbury's Cookie Recipes to Treasure.

Good luck Jen - let me know if you need a "taster" to help you in your noble endeavor!

Recipe #1: Heavy B's Kick-Ass Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter
1/3 c shortening
1 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 Tb vanilla
3 c flour (can use more for fluffier cookies)
1 Tb baking soda
1 Tb salt
1 package chocolate chips
nuts (optional)

Cream together the butter, shortening, and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Mix into butter mixture. Add in chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Drop onto baking sheets and bake at 350 for about 12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Recipe #2: Supreme Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies (aka Fat Bullets)

4 c flour
1 c unsweetened cocoa
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c sugar, softened
1 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c softened butter
3 eggs
10 oz pack mint chocolate chips

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, beat sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and blend well. Stir in flour mixture; mix well. Stir in mint chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets; flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute and remove from cookie sheet; cool completely. Makes 6 dozen cookies

Glaze (optional*):
2 c sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
1/2 c butter
1/2 c milk
1 t vanilla

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in small saucepan and bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Stir in vanilla; cool. Beat until smooth and of glaze consistency. Glaze cookies and allow to set.

*Personally, I think the glaze is overkill, and prefer the cookies without the glaze, but that is just one chocoholic's opinion.

photo from Cookie Recipes to Treasure

Comfort me with Meatloaf

2010-10-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

photo from firehow.com

With the turn of the season comes a turn of the tastebuds towards more substantial hearty fare, and what better way to kick off the beginning of the rainy season than with meatloaf?

Meatloaf, besides being great comfort food, is easy and so completely versatile in what you can throw into the mix. Recipes can range from straightforward with hardly any "fillers" (like my mom's recipe, which is awesome - I promise to post later), to everything but the kitchen sink (check out the Cook's Illustrated recipe for Glazed Meat Loaf sometime). The recipe I am posting today is sort of in between these two extremes. It is a recipe I found on the internet in the early 90s, and have not idea where it originated from, so I can't even give credit where credit it due. I haven't made it for years, so I dusted it off and gave it a whirl. The result was surprisingly tasty - the loaf was tender and tasted yummy and almost light, and got even better after a day in the frig. I would consider this a great base recipe that you could customize to your heart's content. Cin Cin!

Sicilian Meat Loaf

1 lb. ground round (I used lean ground beef)
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground veal
1 onion, minced
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/8 t each of rosemary, basil, and nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c ricotta cheese
1/2 c ketchup or chili sauce
1 egg, beaten

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Shape into a loaf and place in a roasting pan or large glass casserole pan.

1/4 c red wine
1 small can tomato sauce, thinned a bit with cold water

Pour wine over the loaf and then spread the tomato sauce on top. Bake uncovered at 375 for 60-75 minutes, basting a few times.

Football and...Waffles?

2010-09-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

Football season is here at last, meaning lazy hazy Sundays on the couch watching da' Bears wrestle defeat from the jaws of victory. Last Sunday was an early game, which on the west coast means a 10AM game - not really a beer and brats time of day (for me, that is). But it's the perfect excuse for some good breakfast food, so I whipped up some nice buttermilk waffles. My recipe of choice is from the Joy of Cooking, which I only just discovered this past year. I was amazed at this cookbook when I actually perused it, mostly for its absolutely encyclopedic completeness and up-to dateness. I've made this waffle recipe a few times, and as long as you take a few simple precautions (see my comments below), you will have an awesome breakfast!

Buttermilk Waffles

3 eggs, at room temp
1 1/2 c buttermilk*, at room temp
1/2 - 2 sticks of butter, melted and cooled
1 3/4 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 Tb sugar (optional)

Remove eggs and buttermilk from refrigerator and let come to room temp - this is key so that your butter doesn't congeal when it is added at a later step.

Melt the butter and then set aside to cool. In terms of how much butter to add, it's really up to you. The more butter you add, the crispier your waffles will turn out. But I have used the lower amount (1/2 stick), and the waffles were still damn tasty (although not super crispy).

In a large bowl, mix together all five dry ingredients, then set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and cooled butter. Do not mix the dry and wet ingredients together until you are ready to go the the iron. If you mix these too far in advance, the baking soda, which acts as a leavening agent upon contact with an acidic liquid (buttermilk), will be all pooped out before the batter even hits the grill and you will end up with flat waffles. This recipe also has lots of baking powder as well, which will also start working once it hits liquid. So keep the dry and wet stuff separate until just before.

Heat your waffle iron (heat setting 4 on my Cuisinart iron) and spray the griddles with a bit of cook spray - most waffles irons these days have a non-stick coating, so you usually don't need lots of spray. Once the iron is heated, you are then ready to mix your dry and wet ingredients. Make a little well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Combine with a few swift strokes of the whisk - do not over work the batter. For each waffle, add one heaping 1/2 cup batter, or enough to cover 2/3 of the iron surface. After a few waffles, you may need to turn up the heat a bit as the iron will cool a bit. This recipe makes 6 waffles.

*you can substitute regular milk in case you don't have buttermilk on hand. If so, increase baking power to 1 Tb and omit baking soda. But I highly recommend using the buttermilk.

Hot Mango Love

2010-08-21T10:03:00.000-07:00


photo from Cooking Light, May 1999

Years ago I had a drink called Hot Mango Love at what was the latest trendy bar in Seattle. But I think this title more aptly names my recipe of the day. This recipe, originally titled Salmon and Mango on Greens with Lime-Ginger Dressing, is great all year around, but is exceptionally great in the summer when you want something quick and light right off the grill. This recipe is another gem from Cooking Light, from the May 1999 issue. I don't think I have made much modification to this recipe, although I might recommend making twice the amount of dressing 'cause it is just so good.

Salmon and Mango on Greens with Lime-Ginger Dressing

2/3 c fresh lime juice (~ 5 limes)
1/2 c honey
1/2 t grated fresh ginger
Four 6 oz. skinned salmon fillets
1/4 t salt
8 c baby salad greens mix
1 c sliced fresh mango

For dressing, combine 1st 3 ingredients in a small bowl, reserving 3/4 c juice mixture for the salad.

Place salmon on a broiler pan or grill coated with cooking spray. Baste fillets with remaining juice mixture. Broil/grill 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness, basting at least once after turning. Sprinkle fillets with salt.

Divide salad greens evenly among four plates; arrange salmon and manjo on top of green. Drizzle with reserved dressing (I have also tossed the greens with dressing before putting on plates). Serves 4.

Ole!

2010-08-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

photo from Williams-Sonoma's Best of Taste

The kitchen is still out of order for the time being, but it hasn't curtailed my cooking adventures completely. With the recent heat wave working up thirst levels, I spent two weekends experimenting with 3 different Sangria recipes (Cook's Illustrated, Williams-Sonoma's Best of Taste, and Bubby's Brunch Cookbook) to determine the elements that go into a tasty and well-balanced red wine Sangria. In the end, I figured out a great base recipe (see below) that is very customizable to whatever is available and on-hand at the moment. But I also have a few notes to share with you from my weekend trials.

Wine: I tried two types of wine - Merlot and Rioja - and found that they both worked well. I think I preferred the Rioja, which is a Spanish wine that is often suggested for use in Sangria. I am sure other wines will work too - just don't pick anything really overpowering or heavily wooded. I wouldn't use a very pricey bottle of wine either - it would be a waste, I think. Any $10 bottle should work, as long as it is drinkable. The other added ingredients will boost the flavor and round out any edges on the wine.

Liquor: The most traditional fortifying liquor to add is brandy, although some recipes call for Triple Sec. I tried both of these, as well as vodka. All three will work, but I would stick to either the brandy, which adds a nice flavor dimension without being overly noticeable, or the Triple Sec, which lended more of an orange flavor. The vodka just simply boosts the booze level, which no added flavor.

Sugar: Most recipes call for 1/4 cup white sugar per bottle of wine, which was fine for my tastes. One of my recipes called for a whole cup, which was just too far over the edge. So if you like things on the sweet side, you can boost up the sugar, but 1/4 cup should do you just fine.

Fruit: Lemons, limes, and oranges are most commonly used, and I don't think you can get away from the addition of some sort of citrus fruit to the Sangria - it provides a great tangy balance for the wine and the added sugar. But you can also add other fruits such as apples, strawberries, and even pineapple. The only quandry I have with the fruit is the best way to cut it up. Most recipes will call for you to slice the fruit into thin rings, which will float nicely and look very pretty. But they don't pour out of the pitcher very well, and are not very easy to gulp down, so you could think about cutting the fruit into more bite-size pieces, if you wish.

Other additions: I found that the addition of a little fresh squeezed orange juice adds some great fruit flavor to the Sangria. I also found that a little grated ginger worked well too.

To dilute or not? Some sangria recipes call for the addition of cold soda water just before serving, and I found that I preferred this option. All the recipes I tried were drinkable without the soda water, but I found the undiluted sangria just a little too heavy and ponderous, especially for a light summer patio drink. I found that the soda water lightened the flavor and also stretched the Sangria as well, which is great if you are entertaining.

So here's the recipe I cobbled together and ready for you to customize to any way you like!

1/2 orange, halved & thinly sliced
1/2 lime or lemon, halved & thinly sliced
1/2 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 c strawberries, hulled, halved and sliced
1/2 c fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch dice (optional)
1 Tb grated ginger (optional)
Juice of one orange
1/4 c sugar
3-4 Tb brandy or Triple Sec (vodka in a pinch)
1 bottle dry red wine (Merlot or Rioja/Tempranillo)
2 c cold soda water

Place fruit in a large wide-mouthed pitcher or punch bowl. Pour in orange juice and sugar (and ginger if using). Pour in wine and brandy or Triple Sec and stir. Refrigerate for at least hour, but overnight is best. Just before serving, add up to 2 c of soda water. Stir again and serve over ice in tall glasses.

The Joys of Jello

2010-07-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

There's not much cooking going on at my house right now, as the kitchen is offline at the moment due to our refinishing of the cabinets (although I am testing Sangria recipes this weekend - results to be posted soon!). So I thought this was an appropriate time to share a retro blast from the past with you. "The Joys of Jello" is a cookbook that belonged to my mother, who was a great believer in the wiggly stuff. Growing up, she always had a bowl of it in the frig ready for a quick snack or backup dessert, because of course you had to have something for dessert every night. The pictures in this cookbook (see below) speak for themselves - if anyone wants a recipe, just let me know!

Ring-around-the-Tuna

Summer Salad and few versions of Vegetable Salad

Buckle Up - It's the Law!

2010-07-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

photo from Cook's Illustrated, July/August 2005

I am very behind this year, so much so that I think I pretty much missed raspberry season and now here we are surrounded by blueberries everywhere. Not a bad thing, especially for those blueberry fanatics out there (yes, there are blueberry fanatics, and you know who you are). While not my favorite berry, they are versatile little nuggets, as good raw as they are cooked or baked, and best of all, no pitting or slicing involved. They are also apparently very good for your brain and possess high antioxidant levels, but I just think they are best for your tummy.

Living in a huge blueberry producing area, I've accumulated many blueberry recipes in my private collection. Today's post is inspired by my cousin Cathy who is dreaming of blueberry coffee cake, so I offer to her (and all of you) my recipe for Blueberry Buckle. If you read the last post, you will have some idea what the heck a buckle is - for you uninformed folks, a buckle is basically a cake topped with fruit that luxuriously sinks down into the batter during the baking process or is actually incorporated into the batter (as in today's recipe). I think I have only made this particular recipe once, so I don't think I have done any modifying to the original recipe, which was published in Cook's Illustrated in July/August 2005. It's butter, sugar, flour, and berries - how can it be bad? (Don't answer that...)

Blueberry Buckle

Streusel

1/2 c flour

2 Tb sugar

1/4 t cinnamon

pinch table salt

1/2 c packed light brown sugar

4 Tb unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool

For streusel: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.

Cake

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

10 Tb unsalted butter, soft but still cool

2/3 c sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t grated lemon zest

1 1/2 t vanilla

2 large eggs, room temp

4 c fresh blueberries

For cake: Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray parchment; dust pan with flour and knock out excess.

Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogeneous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.

Transfer batter to prepared pan; using rubber spatula in a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze portion of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake at 350 on middle-lower rack until golden brown and toothpick in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15-20 minutes (cake will fall slightly). Run knife around edges. Invert using 2 plate method, then cool 1 hour.

Crumble, Crisp, Cobbler, Brown Betty, Grunt, Slump, or Buckle?

2010-07-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

My favorite type of dessert, if you've been following this blog, is fruit mixed with a little sugar and spice, covered with some type of topping and then baked until the juices are bubblin' hot and the topping golden brown. These are perhaps the most simple of desserts in both composition and preparation, but so tasty and comforting when done right. Almost any fruit or fruit combo works in this format, and the topping choices are many. Depending on where in the world you grew up, you probably know these type of desserts by the name of the topping:

Crumble: topping composed mainly of the baking triumvirate of flour, sugar, and butter

Crisp: more of a kicked up crumble, with less flour and more bigger bits like chopped nuts and oats

Brown Betty: also similar to a crumble, but with bread crumbs rather than flour - think sweet croutons

Cobbler: we're talking dough here, which can be a thin pie-like crust, a fluffy biscuit like-topping, or more of a dumpling dough dolloped on top

Grunt: basically a cobbler with a dumpling topping but cooked on a stovetop

Slump: a grunt baked in the oven

Buckle: actually more of a cake with fruit nestled on the top, which then sinks down into the cake during the baking process

(thanks to Bubby's Homemade Pies cookbook for lots of the above info)

So for today's recipe I am giving you the recipe for a great filling just awaiting your topping of choice. If you don't have one, I've posted my own crisp recipe in the past (see Rh Factor blogpost from May 2010). This recipe is out of Fields of Green by Annie Somerville, and is lovely. Now's the time to make it, as cherries are on the way out soon (I promise this will be my last cherry recipe of the year).

One warning I will give about this recipe is that unless the apricots are very ripe, this crisp filling tends to be a bit on the tart side. If you are not into puckering up, then I would suggest either reducing or just leaving out the lemon zest altogether, or top with a scoop of ice cream to balance out the flavors.

Apricot - Cherry Filling

1 1/4 lb apricots, quartered (~ 6 c)
1/2 lb Bing cherries, pitted (~ 2c)
1 t grated fresh ginger
1/2 c sugar
2 Tb flour
zest of 1/2 lemon, minced finely (optional)

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and then pour into a 9 inch square or round cake pan, or 6 individual ovenproof dishes. Level the fruit and cover with the topping of your choice (see blogpost for my own crisp topping recipe). Bake at 350-375 (depends on your topping) for 45-50 minutes (25-30 minutes for individual crisps) until the crisp is golden brown and the juices bubble around the sides of the dish. Serves 6.

Cold Turkey

2010-07-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

photo from http://www.treehugger.com/organic-cherries-farmers-market-turkey.jpg

Did"cold" get your attention? Actually, it has nothing to do with the recipe at hand - just a teaser to lure all you hot sweaty folks into reading this blogpost. Yes, it seems like summer is here at last for everyone, even us out on the Wet Coast.

Glancing at my last few blogposts, I see that I have been a little heavy on the desserts (and the desserts have certainly been a little heavy on me too), so I am going to shift gears about, but still remain true to the season. My recipe du jour is Turkey Saute with Fresh Cherry Sauce. This recipe, originally published in the June 1996 issue of Bon Appetit, makes the centerpiece of a light and easy summertime meal, having little prepwork and minimum cooking time. The main time drain in this recipe will be pitting the cherries, for which I definitely recommend the wearing of an apron and the purchase of a cherry pitter. I have to say that while I am definitely opposed to buying kitchen gadets that are specific to only one task, I would strongly advocate a cherry pitter for those of you who love to cook with cherries. I think I got mine at Williams-Sonoma. Enjoy!

Turkey Saute with Fresh Cherry Sauce

1 Tb butter
4 turkey breast cutlets (~ 1/2 lb.)
1/4 c chopped shallots
1 t dried thyme
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 Tb water
1 c fresh cherries, halved
2 Tb all-fruit cherry spread

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season turkey with salt and pepper, then add to skillet and saute until golden, about 2 mintues per side. Using tongs, transfer turkey to plate.

Reduce heat to medium-low, then add shallots and thyme to skillet; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar and water and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits; then add cherries and fruit spread. Simmer until cherries soften and sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return turkey and any collected juices to skillet. Simmer just until cooked through and hot, about 1 minute. Serves 2.

Cherry Crush

2010-07-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

photo from Flickr; uploaded by this inspired life

I am going absolutely crazy these days, as all the yummy summer fruit delights are appearing at the market and tempting me, and I don't know which to concentrate on - strawberries, cherries, raspberries, and blueberries, oh my! For now, I've decided to stick with what's at the top of its game, height of the season, and this week's winner is....... CHERRIES! Out here in the rainy northwest, the big red Bing and bi-color Rainier cherries reign supreme. But for those of you much further east, you are very lucky to have access to the small sour cherries that are absolutely the best for making cherry pie. I also remember my aunt in Illinois had a Queen Anne cherry tree, which yielded the most beautiful white cherries that I can stil taste to this day - if you ever get a chance, try them. My personal feeling about the big red sweet cherries, like Bings, is that they are best consumed raw, fresh and unaltered in any way by cooking, but I do have a few recipes that I do pull out during cherry season, including the one below.

Today's recipe is for Cherry-Almond Cake. It's a rather firm tea-type cake, having half ground almonds and half flour. I hadn't made this one for awhile, so whipped it up for my co-workers. While the recipe as shown below is certainly fine on its own, we discussed several ways in which it could be modified. I might think about reducing the sugar just a hair, maybe down to 2/3 c. Also, the cake does get some height to it, and while the cake portion is delish, I would like to see more cherries incorporated overall, to which my co-worker Elaine suggested the addition of dried cherries to the cake portion, which could even be pre-soaked in rum or even Amaretto...will report back if she actually tries this out. The original recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma cookbook Best of Taste. I don't have the cookbook anymore, so I can't tell how much I have altered this recipe from the original. The picture below is from the cookbook, so you can have an idea of what it is supposed to look like. Enjoy!

Cherry - Almond Cake

1 c whole blanched almonds (I started with slivered instead of whole)
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c sugar, + 1 t for sprinkling
3 eggs, room temp
1/4 t almond extract
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 lb fresh cherries, pitted and halved (~ 2 1/2 c)

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan and set aside.

In a processor, coarsely chop almonds. Transfer 1/4 c processed almonds to a bowl and set aside. To the remaining almonds in the processor, add the flour, baking powder and salt; process until remaining almonds are finely ground. Transfer to a bowl.

In the processor, cream butter with 3/4 c sugar. Add egg one at a time, blending each one fully. Add almond and vanilla extracts. Add half of flour mixture and pulse to blend. Add remaining flour mixture; pulse until smooth, then scrape into prepared pan. Place cherries on top of the batter in a single layer (I put my cut side up, but I don't think it matters) and press in slightly. Mix the reserved almonds with 1 t sugar and sprinkle around the edge of the cake. Bake until a tested inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer to a cake plate and dust top with confectioner's sugar.

Strawberry Fields Forever

2010-06-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

I am back at last, after a lovely month of holiday camping, cruising, and general sightseeing - did you miss me?

And what better time to come back home than during strawberry season. Out east, strawberry season is just coming to a close, while here out west we are just on the verge of seeing these little ruby gems pop up in markets. So to celebrate, I am sharing a recipe for Strawberry Cream Cake I tried out last summer that met with rave reviews. This cake does look (see my photo) and taste great. It is fairly easy to prepare, but I will warn you that it took me the first two days of my summer vacation to complete this cake, so allow yourself some time and don't rush it. This recipe was originally published in the May/June 2006 Cook's Illustrated - don't think I made any modifications to it.

Strawberry Cream Cake

Cake:

1 ¼ c cake flour

1 ½ t baking powder

¼ t table salt

1 c sugar

5 large eggs, room temp

6 Tb unsalted butter, melted & cooled

2 Tb water

2 t vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325. Grease and flour round 9 x 2 inch cake pan or 9 inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and all but 3 Tb sugar in mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reserving whites), butter, water, and vanilla; whisk until smooth.

In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 3 egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1-2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add remaining 3 Tb sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 60-90 seconds. Stir one-third of whites into batter to lighten; add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto greased wire rack; peel off and discard parchment. Invert cake again; cool completely, about 2 hours. (Cake can be wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and frozen; thaw unwrapped at room temp for ~ 2 hours before assembling cake.)

Filling:

2 lbs medium or large strawberries, washed, dried, & stemmed

4-6 Tb sugar

2 Tb Kirsch

Pinch table salt

Halve 24 of the best looking berries and set aside. Quarter remaining berries, toss with sugar in medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain juices from berries and reserve (should have ~ ½ c). Process macerated berries with 5 1-second pulses (should have ~ 1 ½ c). In small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved juices and Kirsch until syrupy and reduced to about 3 Tb, 3-5 minutes. Pour reduce syrup over macerated berries, add pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aides until cake is cooled.

Whipped Cream:

8 oz cream cheese, room temp

½ c sugar

1 t vanilla extract

1/8 t table salt

2 C heavy cream

When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2- 2 ½ minutes more, scraping bowl as needed.

To assemble cake, slice cake into three even layers with serrated knife. Place bottom layer on cardboard or cake plate and arrange ring of 20 berry halves, cut sides down and stem ends facing out, around perimeter of cake layer. Pour one half of pureed berry mixture (~ ¾ c) in center, then spread to cover any exposed cake. Gently spread about one-third of whipped cream (~ 1 ½ c) over berry layer, leaving ½ inch border from edge. Place middle cake layer on top and press down gently (whipped cream layer should become flush with cake edge). Repeat with 20 additional berry halves, remaining berry mixture, and half of remaining whipped cream; gently press last cake layer on top. Spread remaining whipped cream over top; decorate with remaining cut strawberries. Serve, or chill for up to 4 hours. Serves 8-10.

Rh Factor

2010-05-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

I just made one of my favorite springtime treats, Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp. Even though rhubarb would be perfectly enjoyable as the solo star of this dessert, pairing it with strawberries just softens the edges of the tart rhubarb. Surprisingly for such a classic duo, the rhubarb and strawberry growing seasons don't really overlap too much. Rhubarb is one of the first harbingers of spring, usually popping up in the stores in late March or in April for sure, while local strawberries (unless you live in California) won't be seen until mid to late June, at the earliest. So if you are a fan of this power couple, make sure to freeze down rhubarb and strawberries in their prime so you can whip up this red delight in spring or summer.

When I was buying rhubarb this past weekend, the store clerk ringing me up looked at the rhubarb and then asked me what kind of celery it was. This got me thinking about what the heck is rhubarb anyway? According to the all-powerful Wiki, rhubarb is a perennial plant and is technically a vegetable, but some crazy New York court case back in the 40s ruled it should be called a fruit (don't lawyers have better things to do with their time?). There is apparently some relation to celery and fennel, not surprising based on their similar structure. There are a few warnings that one should be aware of when cooking with rhubarb, namely that the leaves contain a chemical that is toxic and should not be consumed, so make sure to trim off the leaves at the top. Also, rhubarb apparently has laxative properties, so consumer beware (this data is from Wikipedia, not from my own personal clinical trials).

OK, so enough meandering and onto the recipe for Rhubarb & Strawberry Crisp. This fruit portion of this recipe came from Fields of Green by Annie Somerville, a cookbook from the celebrated Greens restaurant in San Franciso. I was lucky to brunch at Greens years ago, and would recommend to anyone when visiting the City by the Bay for its awesome food and views. The addition of the orange zest to the fruit is what really makes this recipe, for me at least. The crisp recipe is actually one of the few that I can call my very own.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Crisp

1 1/4 lb rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 c strawberries, cut in half or left whole if small
Zest of 1/2 to one whole orange
3 Tb flour
2/3 c sugar*
pinch salt

Combine all in large bowl, then put into a 9 inch baking dish or into 8 - 10 individual size baking dishes. Set aside while preparing the crisp topping:

1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 t spice of your choice (I often use half cinnamon/half nutmeg or poudre douce)
1/8 t salt
1 Tb ground flaxseed (optional)
1-2 Tb oat bran (optional)
1/4 c chopped nuts

Mix all crisp ingredients together to combine, then add 4 Tb melted butter and mix well to combine. Sprinkle crsip topping over the fruit and put into a pre-heated 375 oven for 35-40 minutes, or until fruit is happily bubbling and topping is golden but not burned. This crips is best served warm, and with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of freshly whipped cream. Enjoy it - it won't last long!

*you can reduce the sugar a little if you wish. I have used 7/12 cup (1/4 c + 1/3 c), but I wouldn't go much lower than that, unless you are using really sweet strawberries.

Howdy, Pardner!

2010-05-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

Looking for a good light spring soup? Here's a good one I just tried. It's actually probably more appropriate for summer, when the fresh tomatoes and zucchini are coming in, but it's still yummy right now too.

This soup is a classic Minestrone soup full of vegetables, beans, and pasta, but with a Southwestern spin on things. The only potentially hard to find ingredient may be the chipotle puree. For the puree, I buy small cans of chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce, which can be found in the Mexican aisle of some markets. Once the can has been opened, I transfer the contents into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator indefinitely. For the puree, just take out one of the peppers and some of the adobo sauce and mash together into a puree. This will add some more heat to the soup, but mostly a rich dusky, smoky flavor, so use it if you can find it.

This recipe is adapted from Rebar's Modern Food Cookbook. Rebar is an outstanding vegetarian restaurant over in Victoria on Vancouver Island - I would highly recommend it to all, even if you are of the carnivorous persuasion. And don't leave there without getting one of their baked goodies for dessert!

Lone Star Minestrone

5 c (or less) vegetable or chicken stock
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1 t salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tb minced fresh oregano
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t cracked pepper
1/2 t coriander
1/2 Tb chile powder
1 small yam, peeled & diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded & diced
1 small zucchini, diced
4 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 t chipotle puree*
15 oz can red kidney beans
1/2 c corn, fresh or frozen
1/4 - 1/2 c macaroni
chopped fresh oregano & cilantro
asiago or jalapeno cheese, grated (optional)

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1/2 t salt; saute until translucent. Stir in garlic, jalapeno, spices, yam, and half of fresh oregano. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the pepper, zucchini and remaining salt and cook 5 minutes longer. Pour in stock and add chopped tomatoes, chipotle puree and kidney beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Add corn, remaining oregano and macaroni, simmer until pasta is tender. Season to taste with chopped fresh herbs, grated cheese and lime wedge. Serves 4-5.

* if you can't find this ingredient, just up your chile powder and /or jalapeno if you like if spicy!

What's red and green and minty all over?

2010-04-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Fragole ed Uve con Menta e Vanigilia
(Strawberries and Grapes with Mint and Vanilla)

This is a beautiful, easy, and luscious recipe when the strawberries start calling your name. Originally published in Bon Appetit in May 1997, I've made this recipe countless times, as it is just a perfect marriage of fruit and flavors. Serve it straight, or wrap in it a freshly made crepe and dollop with whipped cream for a special spring treat. Bella!

photo by Nicole Katano

Strawberries and Grapes with Mint and Vanilla

2 12-16 oz. baskets strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 c seedless green grapes
1/4 c sugar
2 t finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 t vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat fruit. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour and up to 4 hours before serving.

Eat at Bubby's

2010-04-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last year on my very first trip to New York City, I went to Bubby's in Tribeca for brunch ...what a place! I would definitely recommend to anyone and everyone visiting the Big Apple. Bubby's serves a huge range of great comfort food, and with high quality local and organic ingredients. Bubby's is best known for their pies and other baked treasures (see photo below), but unfortunately we were too stuffed to sample these wares. I am definitely heading back there next time...

I discovered that the owners of Bubby's have put out 2 cookbooks, one devoted to brunch and the other to pies. I've been perusing their brunch cookbook, and found a few recipes that caught my eye. This morning I tried out one of Bubby's signature dishes, Sour Cream Pancakes, and I think this will be a keeper recipe. These pancakes are surprisingly light, yet with a bit of chewiness to them, and the taste was very good. I don't think these would supplant my tried and true buttermilk pancake recipe, but I can see making these once in a while, especially when there is sour cream on hand. I topped mine with some fresh strawberries, thinly sliced banana, some thawed blackberries, and maple syrup (of course). I found the blackberries a great addition, as their tanginess contrasts well with the sweetness of the maple syrup.

In looking around on the web for a good picture to include, I came to find out that these flapjacks have been rated as one of New York's top pancakes (photo above is from this website). Not a surprise...

Bubby's Sour Cream Pancakes

1 Tb sugar
2 c flour
2 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/4 t kosher salt (or 1/2 t regular salt)
2 eggs
3/4 c sour cream (I used 1/2 c)
2 1/2 Tb unsalted butter, melted & cooled
1 1/3 c milk (I used 1%)

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Using a whisk or a mixer on medium speed, beat eggs in a bowl for 2 minutes, or until frothy. Beat in the sour cream, butter and milk. Stop beating as soon as the ingredients are combined. Using a large spatula, briskyl fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix or your pancakes will be tough (it's ok if there are a few little lumps in the batter).

Per-heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat (electric griddle to 400), testing to make sure it's hot enough for a drop of water to bounce on it. Lightly butter the griddle. Using a ladle or measuring cup, form pancakes on the griddle using 1/4 c batter per pancakes (if you want to make silver dollar pancakes, use 2 Tb per pancake). Cook pancakes until a few bubbles have formed on the surface of each one. Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side. If you want, you can brish the finished pancakes with a little melted butter before serving. Makes about 12 pancakes (Bubby's says you should get about only 8 pancakes out of this, but that's not how many I got).

Eatin' o' the green

2010-04-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Being well into springtime now, I'm sure you've all seen lots of these little bad boys at the market in the past few weeks. If you haven't partaken already, now's the time to carpe diem, as the asparagus season is short. This recipe comes from the September 1996 issue of Bon Appetit, and was published as a companion recipe to the Sweet and Spicy Pork Chops recipe (see last blog post). It does go very well with the chops, but is just as good on its own as well.

Asparagus, Zucchini, and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry

10 asparagus spears, ends trimmed, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch diagonal slices

1 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch diagonal slices

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

Cook asparagus in medium pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and transfer asparagus to bowl of ice water; cool. Drain.

Heat 2 Tb olive oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute until golden but not burned, about 30 seconds - 1 minute. Add zucchini, squash, and bell pepper; saute until veggies are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus and saute until heated through, about 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper.

What a Beautiful Day - I think it's Time to Grill!

2010-04-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Walking through the backyard yesterday, I smelled my neighbor's big grill being fired up for a family barbeque. And let me tell you, those Italians know how to do things right - steak, chicken, and ravioli, just for starters. Anyway, I pulled a "Me,too!" and lit up our sad little gas grill that now has so many holes in it that it is more like a flamer thrower. Luckily, I happened to have some nice pork chops thawed out, and just whipped up a quick little marinade to spice things up. This is a recipe I first found in Bon Appetit over 10 years ago, and now I wish I had made it more often. This has put me on a quest to dust off my old recipes - I am usually so caught up finding and testing new recipes that I don't make my tried and true recipes very often. The recipe below, for Sweet & Spicy Honey-Grilled Pork Chops, was published alongside a wonderful companion recipe for Asparagus, Bell Pepper & Zucchini Stir-Fry (next blogpost, I promise!), which I highly recommend to complement the chops.

Sweet and Spicy Honey-Grilled Pork Chops

2 large jalapeno chilies, stemmed

2 large garlic cloves, peeled
7 Tb olive oil
1/4 c soy sauce
2 Tb Dijon mustard
1 Tb honey
1 Tb sesame oil
1 Tb chopped fresh rosemary
2 t grated lemon peel

4 7-8 oz. pork loin chops,about 1/2 inch thick

Place chilies and garlic in small baking dish. Spoon 1 Tb olive oil over; turn to coat. Roast until chilies and garlic are very soft, turning once, about 40 minutes. Cool, then puree mixture in processor, then whisk puree with 4 Tb oil, soy sauce, Dijon, honey, sesame oil, rosemary and lemon peel in medium bowl to blend. Place chops in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch glass baking dish. Pour marinade over pork chops and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove chops from marinade. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium high heat or broil until no longer pink in center, about 5 minutes per side.

New Season, Ancient Grain

2010-04-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much chance to cook lately (hence the lack of posts - did you miss me?). But it's the long Easter weekend, and I did a little cooking last night to kick it off. I cooked up some nice catfish fillets, which gave us a chance to try out a unique product we bought recently out in the Chilliwack, BC area - garlic honey. Yes, it is honey that is heavily infused with garlic - the smell of it is almost overpowering. But the salesman told me what a wonderful glaze it makes for grilled items and we were sold. For the glaze, I combined it with an equal amount of soy sauce, and a dash of red pepper flakes, and coated the fish with it - yum!

Alongside, I tried out a new recipe for quinoa that I got off www.cdkitchen.com. I started using this ancient grain a few years back, as I was a little bored with rice as our primary grain. Historically, quinoa was predominantly cultivated by ancient South American civilizations, but this practice was largely disrupted after the arrival of the conquistadors. Thankfully, quinoa has emerged once again, likely due in part to its outstanding nutritional profile. Quinoa is often referred to as a supergrain, being chock full of vitamins, minerals, and (unlike other grains) amino acids, carrying all 20 amino acids in fact, which are the building blocks of protein. From a cooking perspective, it is as easy to prepare as rice - in fact I usually prepare quinoa in my rice cooker. Only one thing to remember about quinoa - always rinse the dry grain well before cooking with it, as the outer surface contains saponin, which can impart an unwanted taste to your dish.

Here is the recipe for Quinoa and Feta Salad. At first, it struck me as a bit of an oddball combination of ingredients, but the sweet from the grapes, the crunch from the celery and cashews, the brininess of the feta, the taste and scent from the herbs, and the citrus from the lime marry very well together. This is a great light grain salad for the springtime, and a wonderful way to introduce a new old food into your life. Enjoy!

Quinoa & Feta Salad

3/4 c quinoa

1/2 c raw cashews

2 Tb chopped fresh basil

2 Tb chopped cilantro

2 stalks celery, finely sliced

1 c seedless grapes, halved

1/2 c crumbled feta cheese

2 Tb olive oil

1 lime, juiced

Rinse quinoa well. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add quinoa and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the grains are tender. Drain, rinse well, then drain again thoroughly. Spread quinoa on a baking tray to dry.

Meanwhile, toast the cashews over moderate to low heat, stirring frequently until then are golden brown. Cool, then chop roughly.

In a large bowl, combine dried quinoa, nuts, herbs, celery, grapes, and feta. Squeeze lime juice over all, add olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave salad to stand for at least 1 hour before serving. Serves 4.

Ahoy, Landlubbers!

2010-03-18T19:24:00.001-07:00

I find that with the mention of fish, reactions are usually very polarized – you either love it or hate it. I am definitely in the “love it” category now, but not that I started out that way. The closest thing to fish growing up was Starkist tuna, Mrs. Paul’s frozen fish sticks, and the occasional fried catfish that my grandmother would order when we went out to eat on Friday nights during Lent.

Having lived in the Pacific Northwest for 12 years now (can’t believe it’s been that long!), I’ve been blessed to have access to a huge variety of fresh fish literally right off the fisherman’s boat, and there is truly nothing like it. In fact, we have become such converts that a special dinner out to celebrate is usually at a nice fish restaurant rather than to a swanky steak house.

For the home chef, fish is advantageous for being very easy and quick to prepare, as the cooking time is reduced compared to meat. For instance, this Christmas I did salmon for dinner, and it took me maybe 40 minutes from prep to table, while the New Years Eve turkey took me about 2 days and incurred many dirty dishes.

Anyway, with the big push to eat fish for your health, availability of fresh fish is increasing everywhere. Right now, the first fresh halibut of the season is starting to roll in – my second favorite after salmon. Below is a recipe I picked up just a few years ago (another Cooking Light treasure, from September 2007), and it is wonderful. The original recipe calls for halibut, but I think you could use any other firm white fish fillets in its place – just use whatever is fresh and looks good. The secret ingredient here: cornflakes! They really make the recipe, so do not leave them out.

Crusted Halibut with Chile-Cilantro Aioli

Aioli:

3 Tb mayo (fat free will work ok)

2 Tb minced cilantro

1 Serrano chile, seeded & minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients, stirring well.

Fish:

1 c skim milk

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

2 c cornflakes, finely crushed

1/4 c flour

1/2 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

2 Tb olive oil

4 6 oz. halibut fillets

4 lemon wedges (optional)

Combine milk and egg white in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Combine cornflakes, flour, salt and pepper in another shallow dish. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip fish in milk mixture, and dredge in cornflake mixture. Add fish to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side* or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Serve fish with aioli and lemon wedges. Serves 4.

* If you are using fillets that are a little on the thin side, you may want to reduce the time on each side to 2-3 minutes.

Dutch, Baby!

2010-03-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

I came across this recipe in this month's Cook's Country Magazine, and it brought back some fond memories of college and Walker Brothers Pancake House (http://www.walkerbros.net/locations/index.html). Many a brinner (breakfast for dinner) was had at this fine establishment when the dorm food was just intolerable. The Walker Brothers nearest to campus happened to be a famous one where part of "Ordinary People" was filled, and the restaurant used to maintain the Robert Redford memorial booth (never got to sit it in). All the menu items were outstanding, but most people had there favorite one. My mom always swore by the bacon waffle, and one of my good friends used to get misty-eyed just thinking about the Dutch Baby.

The Dutch Baby is actually of German origin, with Dutch being a bastardization of Deutsch. As for the Baby appellation, this apparently originated in Manca's Cafe in Seattle, famous for making smaller, "baby" versions of this German treat.

The Dutch Baby is pretty straight forward to prepare, and is best consumed right out of the oven (it will start to deflate as soon as it comes out). The traditional way to serve it is sprinkled very generously with powdered sugar, and fresh lemon wedges squeezed over the sugar, which creates a nice light syrupy toopping. If you are a breakfast food lover, and have never tried this, definitely give it a whirl. Prosit!

Dutch Baby

1-2 Tb canola oil
1 c flour
1/4 c cornstarch
2 t lemon zest
1 t salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 c skim milk
1 Tb melted butter, cooled
1 t vanilla
powdered sugar
lemon wedges

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450. Brush surface and sides of a large oven-proof 12-inch skillet generously with the canola oil. Place skillet on over rack and heat until oil is shimmering, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine flour, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs in another bowl until frothy and light, about 1 minute. Whisk milk, butter, and vanilla into eggs until incorporated. Whisk one-third of milk mixture into flour mixture until no lumps remain, then slowly whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.

Remove skillet from oven and carefully pour the batter into heated skillet and bake until edges of Dutch Baby are deep golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and squeeze lemon wedges over sugar. Serve. Adapted from Cook's Country, February/March 2010

The Darling Buds of... March?

2010-03-02T21:34:00.000-08:00

It's only March 3, and spring has definitely sprung here. The crocuses have croaked already, with the daffodils just raising up their tenders heads in Sun Salutation and the tulips not far behind, judging by the proud and perky green leaves erupting all over the yard. Best of all, I noticed that my rhubarb has poked its colorful little head through the topsoil too. Ahh rhubarb, the grand marshall of the parade of new spring produce, to be followed soon by such lovelies as asparagus, spinach, and peas. Of course the California/Mexican strawberries will start showing up in the stores as well, but I just don't dig these, not after enjoying the succulent local in-season ones that show up in late June.

Anyway, I've really come to love rhubarb in the past few years - I think it's the tangy bite that marries so well with sweetness, creating a wonderful duality. I remember staying away from it as a kid, even flinging some newly picked rhubarb into a neighbor's yard to rid myself of the occasion of having to eat it. But I've come to love it, so much so that I drove my husband crazy one spring by trying out countless rhubarb recipes, to where he shudders at the mention of the word now. Luckily for me (and you), rhubarb freezes very well, so I always put down a few bags every year to get me through the rest of the year.

In celebration of the new season upon us, here's one of my favorite rhubarb recipes which is not (surprise) for a dessert - Roasted Salmon & Rhubarb. I got this (and the picture above) out of the Williams-Sonoma The Best of Taste cookbook. It's a very simple recipe, but oh so yummy. The only change I have made from the original recipe is on the cooking time - the cookbook suggest to roast the salmon at 500 for 17-20 minutes, but I think this is way too long and will give you skanky, dried-out salmon. You can either lower the oven temp to about 375 or so, or roast for a much shorter time. Enjoy!

Roasted Salmon & Rhubarb

3 1/2 c rhubarb, cut in 1/4 inch pieces
1/3 c sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
Six 6 oz. salmon fillets

In a small saucepan, combine rhubarb and sugar. Cover and cook over low heat until rhubarb is falling apart, about 20 minutes, adding water is necessary - sauce should be the consistency of applesauce. Stir in lemon juice.

Season salmon with salt and freshly ground black pepper; bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Check for doneness, and if necessary, cook for 5-10 minutes longer, depending on preference.

To serve, spoon rhubarb onto the center of the plate, then place salmon and rhubarb and serve.

How Sweet It Is...

2010-02-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

Team USA is kicking butt this year, and particularly sweet is that they are kicking Canadian butt in hockey. It's nothing but sour grapes around here after the recent US-Canadian men's game, and today at the women's hockey game where US played Sweden, all the Canadians were rooting for the Swedes, and not their friendly neighbors to the south. And it is only going to get worse as we get closer to the gold medal games...

So to clear the palate of all those sour grapes, I am posting a recipe for a sweet treat that just screams "USA"!

Deep Dish Apple Pie

1/2 c + 1 t granulated sugar
1/4 c packed light brown sugar
1/4 t salt
1 Tb juice & 1/2 t zest from one lemon
1/8 t cinnamon
2 1/2 lb. firm tart apples (Granny Smith, Empire, or Cortland)
2 1/2 lb. firm sweet apples (Golden Delicious, Braeburn, or Jonagold)
1 egg white, beaten lightly
prepared pie dough for 2 crust pie

Mix 1/2 c sugar, brown sugar, salt, zest, and cinnamon in large bowl; set aside. Peel and slice apples into 1/4 inch slices. Add apples to sugar mixture and toss to combine. Transfer apples to Dutch oven (do not wash bowl) and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are tender when pokes with fork but still hold their shape, 15-20 minutes. Apples & juices should gently simmer during cooking. Transfer apples and juice to rimmed baking sheet and cool to room temp, about 30 minutes (do not wash Dutch oven). While apples cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place empty rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425.

While apples are cooling, remove 1 dough disk from refrigerator and roll out and place in pie plate, leaving overhang. Place back in refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. Then remove 2nd dough disk from refrigerator; roll out to a 12 inch circle; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Set large colander over now-empty bowl; transfer cooled apples to colander. Shake colander to drain off as much juice as possible (cooked apples should measure about 8 cups); transfer juice to Dutch oven and reduce to syrupy consistency. Mix reduce juice back in with the apples, and transfer to dough-lined pie plate; sprinkle with lemon juice.

Add 2nd dough round to top of apples; pinch edges of top and bottom dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4 inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie plate. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or fork. Cut four 2-inch slits in top of dough. Brush surface with beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with remaining teaspoon sugar. Set pie on preheated baking sheet; bake until crust is dark golden brown, 45-55 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool at least 1 1/2 hours. Modified from Cook’s Illustrated, Sept/Oct 2005 (photo from same issue)

Welcome World!

2010-02-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

So proclaim all the buses and other forms public transportation in Vancouver. Yes, we are well into the 2010 Olympic Winter Games here in the city. All the nationals here are swelling with Canadian pride (why not?) and gold fever. The city itself is getting quite a bit of international PR exposure, and outside of the weather issues (personally I am loving having spring arrive in mid-Feburary), I think Vancouver is showing its best face to the world and sparking some good interest so far. So many friends of mine from the US have been surprised at the beauty of the area – but what do expect from a city that sits on the Pacific Ocean, is bordered by mountains on the northern face of the city, and has a river running through it? I’ve always maintained that Vancouver, while not a beautiful city in and of itself (architecture sucks), is nonetheless in a gorgeous location, and definitely worth a visit if you love the outdoors.

With all the media attention on Vancouver and things Canadian (poutine, big brown beavers, crazy fiddlers, etc), I notice that quite a bit of attention is placed on Vancouver as a culinary melting pot, and rightly so - Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Italian, European (Western & Eastern), Middle Eastern, African, you name it, it’s all here. But as diverse as the cuisines of these nationalities are, it is the abundance of local agricultural and aquacultural riches that forms a common thread to all these divergent cuisines. And above all, I think King among these riches is the salmon. Certainly not an ingredient unique to just BC, but salmon definitely rules the roost here. You know they are serious about their salmon when the waiter at a restaurant will tell you what stream tonight’s catch came from.

Having been out in this area of the world for many moons now, I have loads of great salmon recipes. The one I am sharing today – Maple-glazed Roasted Salmon - is a very Vancouver take on BC’s favorite fish: a simple preparation with a few Asian ingredients (ginger and rice wine vinegar) rounded out with some of Canada’s finest maple syrup. Bienvenue!

MAPLE-GLAZED ROASTED SALMON

1/4 c grated fresh ginger

1/4 c rice or white wine vinegar

1/4 c maple syrup

2 1/2 lbs salmon fillets

1/2 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

2 Tb maple syrup

Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Combine 1st three ingredients in bottom of a large patter. Add fish, skin side up, to ginger mixture. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes. Remove fish from marinade; pat dry with paper towel to remove excess marinade.

Place a baking sheet lined with foil and very lightly coated with canola oil (to easy removal of the fish later) in a 450 oven for 5 minutes (or prep an outdoor grill on medium heat). Place fish, skin side down, on the heated baking sheet (or grill); sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush fish with 1 Tb syrup. Bake (grill) for about 10 minutes. Brush with remaining 1 Tb syrup; bake/grill an additional 5-7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb. 1999

Note: one lesson I have learned is not to overcook salmon – err on the side of undercooking it, if you have to.

Black and Blue All Over

2010-02-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

Well, the SuperBowl has come and gone once again – a great game, for a change. Congrats to the New Orleans Saints on a job well done! And to the losers (see picture), well, there's always next year (permament mantra of a Bears fan).

In honor of the end of another football season , I created a special dessert just for the occasion – Black and Blue Crisp. I used local berries that I froze away a few summers ago, and amazingly they are as good as ever. I’d highly recommend freezing down berries in the summer when they come into season – they come in very handy this time of year when the apple/banana/orange boredom has set in.

Black and Blue Crisp
8 cups frozen blackberries & blueberries
½ c brown sugar
3 Tb instant tapioca
Pinch of salt
Sprinkling of poudre douce (interesting spice blend I picked up a few years bake - can be made without)

Let berries thaw partially or completely in colander. Then combine with other 4 ingredients in a large bowl, mixing gently as the berries can be fragile if thawed completely. Put into a rectangular glass casserole dish and prepare crisp topping.

Crisp Topping:
½ c rolled oats
½ c brown sugar
¼ c flour
¼ t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
1/8 t salt
Ground flax seed, to taste (optional)
1-2 Tb oat bran (optional)
4 Tb butter, cut into small pieces
¼ c nuts, chopped

Mix first 8 ingredients, then cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts and sprinkle topping over filling. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, 40 minutes for partially frozen fruit. Crisp is ready when you can see bubbling around the edges of the dish (you may want to put a baking sheet under the crisp, as the berry filling can sometimes get out of hand when it’s a bubblin’).

Heartbreaker, Dream Taker, Ice Cream Maker, Don’t you mess around with me - no no no!

2010-02-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

Last summer we got hooked on Mario’s Green Tea Gelato, a local Vancouver goody. We were buying a container per week, until one day I looked on the back to discover loads of trans fat on the nutritional label and was shocked. Sure, I expected high saturated fats from all the dairy ingredients, but trans fat? That comes mainly from man-made hydrogenated oil products, doesn’t it? What is it doing in ice cream?

My short term solution to this problem was to get an ice cream maker, which I did this past Christmas, courtesy of my mother-in-law. I figured I could control what I put in and how much I put in. My first attempt, Pistachio Gelato, turned out spectacularly (recipe below).

Ever the research scientist, I still needed to figure out the source of trans fat in manufactured ice cream. I started by casing the ice cream aisle at the grocery store, and found that virtually all ice creams contain trans fat, usually around a whopping 0.5 grams per serving. Even the all natural and organic varieties that contain only cream, milk eggs, and sugar are listed as containing trans fat. What gives? I suspected cream as the culprit, being the major fat bearer in ice cream. A spin through the Haagen-Dazs website deepened this suspicion; their full fat vanilla ice cream, containing cream as the first major ingredient, contains 0.5 grams of trans fat, while their low fat version that has milk as the major ingredient contains 0 grams trans fats. But when I looked at the back of a carton of pure heavy whipping cream (~35% milkfat), it lists trans fat content as 0 grams. What’s the deal?

It turns out that in addition to man-made trans fats (hydrogenated oil products), there are naturally occurring trans fats, which are found predominantly in ruminant animal products (moo). In such products like milk and cream, these natural trans fats constitute about 6% of the total fat. (As for whether these naturally occurring trans fats are equally harmful as the man-made ones, the jury is still out.) So why does the heavy whipping cream nutritional label say 0 grams trans fat? It’s a slight of hand, folks – serving size! A serving size of heavy cream is listed as about 2 tablespoons, and if the trans fat content in the serving size is below 0.5 g per serving, then it is rounded to 0 grams on the label. This rounding is kind of scary when the daily recommended limit on trans fats is 2 grams - one dollop of fresh whipped cream is all it would take to put you over the limit. Ahh, you gotta love the industrial food industry…

So I guess my ice cream maker was bought in vain? Well, not completely. I can still control my ingredients, and will work on a good gelato recipe with little to no cream, but lots of flavor. The recipe below will be a good base for sure, but will require some further tinkering…. Oh darn.

Pistachio Gelato

1 ½ c unsalted whole pistachio nuts

¾ c sugar

6 large eggs

¾ c heavy cream

2 ¼ c whole milk

2 t vanilla

Remove skins from nuts with a towel or hands. In a food processor, combine half of the nuts and ¼ c sugar; pulse to chops nuts coarsely, then process until nuts are finely ground to a rough paste, about 1minute. Stop the processor a few times to scrape down the sides of the work bowl with a rubber spatula. Cut remaining nuts coarsely – do not use processor for this; cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Add cream, egg yolks, and remaining ½ cup sugar in a medium bowl. Using a whisk, vigorously mix together until well blended and a slightly pale, buttery yellow, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Put milk into medium saucepan. Scrape in the pistachio paste, stirring to distribute paste. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until bubbles form around the edges, the liquid just begins to ripple in the center, and the sugar is dissolved., 3-5 minutes; do no allow the milk to come to a boil. Remove pan from heat.

Begin whisking egg mixture with one hand while slowly pouring one-fourth of the hot milk into the yolks with the other. Then slowly pour the warmed egg mixtures back into the saucepan, whisking constantly until well blended. Place saucepan back over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 4-5 minutes. As you stir, make sure to reach all areas on the bottom of the saucepan to ensure that the custard does not scorch. The custard should come to a bare simmer, with steam rising from the surface and the surface rippling, but it should not come to a boil. It is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, and if you draw your finger along with spoon, it leaves a trail that does not fill in immediately.

Set a fine mesh sieve over a medium mixing bowl. Pour the hot custard through the sieve, pressing firmly on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discards the solids. Stir the vanilla into the custard.

Fill a large mixing bowl halfway with ice and enough water just to cover the ice. Place custard bowl into ice bath and let cool to room temperature, about 30-45 minutes. Once cooled, cover custard surface with plastic wrap, the cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in frig for 3-24 hours.

When cool enough, put custard into ice cream maker and churn. During last minute, add chopped nuts and allow to distribute well. When finished, place into a plastic air-tight container and freeze for at least 3 hours (6-12 hours is optimal). Makes 1 quart (1L). Adapted from Frozen Desserts, Williams Sonoma (photo from same book)

Grill of my Dreams

2010-01-27T22:50:00.000-08:00

With all these balmy January temps and the uncharacteristic lack of "liquid sunshine" so common to Vancouver, I fired up the grill tonight, and what a treat! I could almost taste summertime in every delicious bite.

I pulled out an old recipe I hadn't made for a long time at the request of my significant other, who complains I am always trying new recipes and never make enough of my "keeper"recipes. This oldie but goodie is Adobado Pork Tenderloin served with a warm Pineapple-Chipotle Salsa. This was another gem from Cooking Light, in the May 1999 issue (photo from same issue - only wish my photographic skills were that good).

Adobado Pork Tenderloin with Warm Pineapple-Chipotle Salsa

5 ancho chiles

2 c boiling water

1 c chicken broth

2 Tb sugar

3 Tb cider vinegar

1 t dried oregano

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cumin

1/4 t black pepper

1/8 t ground cloves

4 large garlic cloves, halved

2 lbs. pork tenderloin

Heat large nonstick skillet over med-hi heat until hot. Add chiles; cook 2 minutes, turning frequently. Remove from heat; cool. Discard stems and seeds. Combine roasted chiles and boiling water in a bowl; cover and let stand for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain well. Combine rehydrated chiles, broth, and next 9 ingredients (broth through garlic) in a blender; process until smooth. Cook chile paste in skillet over medium-low heat until very thick (about 8 minutes), stirring frequently. Cool.

Slice pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open halves, laying flat. Place pork in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish; spread chile paste over all sides of park. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours to overnight.

Just prior to grilling, prepare salsa:

2 t vegetable oil

3 c diced fresh pineapple

1 1/2 c diced onion

1 c diced seeded tomato

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c pineapple juice

2 Tb brown sugar

2 Tb cider vinegar

2 drained chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced

1 Tb adobo sauce

1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tb fresh lime juice

1/4 t salt

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pineapple and onion; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add tomato and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar, chiles and adobo sauce. Cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro, fresh lime juice, and salt; cool slightly.

Remove pork from dish, reserving chile paste. Insert a thermometer into thickest part of port. Place pork on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook for 8 minutes on each sides or until thermometer registers 160 (slightly pink), brushing with reserved chile paste frequently. Serve with salsa.

From Brussels with Love

2010-01-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

From a marketing point of view, I now realize that winter was the absolute wrong time of year to start a blog about enjoying seasonal cooking. How could I expect to attract lots of devoted readers, with so few things that are actually seasonal at this time of year, and the few that are usually eliciting fear or loathing?

Case in point: Brussels Sprouts.

As a child, I don’t ever remember seeing these on our dining table, and I guess the child in me sends many thanks to my mom for that. But my significant other, having spent his early years on a farm, is an equal opportunity fruit and vegetable consumer, which has been beneficial for me and my health. So now we eat these little mini-cabbages on a fairly regular and willing basis, and as Martha would say, it’s a good thing. In fact, I gave Brussels Sprouts my highest honor recently by having it as the headliner vegetable in our New Year’s Eve Turkey Dinner (recipe follows).

A few fun facts about Brussels Sprouts (courtesy of Wikipedia):

- First of all, the name is actually Brussels, not Brussel (wow, you learn something new everyday).

-BS are considered a cruciferous vegetable, like other good-for-you vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and hearty greens.

-In the North America, most of production is on the West Coast (California & Washington), but with some production on the East Coast (Long Island, of all places, and Ontario).

-BS are harvested from June through January, so you can just catch the last of the season if you dare!

Maple-glazed Brussel Sprouts

From Cook’s Country Magazine, December/ January 2010

2 Tb unsalted butter, divided use

1 lb Brussel sprouts, trimmed & halved through core

¼ c chicken broth

1 Tb maple syrup (divided use)

½ t minced fresh thyme

1/8 t cayenne pepper

2 t cider vinegar

Melt 1 Tb butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts and cook, until browned, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in broth, ½ Tb maple syrup, thyme, and cayenne, and cook covered over medium-low heat until sprouts are nearly tender, 6-7 minutes.

Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until liquid is nearly evaporated, about 4-5 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining butter, remaining syrup, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Serves 3-4

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-01-21T20:37:00.000-08:00

Today is (was) my mother’s birthday. It would have been a big one this year – the big 8-0! Although if I were to ask how old, I’m sure I would get the usual “29, again” response she gave every year.

Mom was a good cook, but definitely a product of her generation, for good and for bad. Sure, we ate lots of canned vegetables and fruits, beef, potatoes, and white bread, but then again none of us developed any obesity problems or diabetes. Interestingly, she did limit soda intake, but not KoolAid, which was omnipresent in the summertime (perhaps an economically driven decision?). McDonald’s was only once in a while, and usually after a doctor’s visit, particularly one where shots were involved. One bad habit she passed on to me was dessert after every dinner. She ALWAYS had something around: a Jiffy cake, cupcakes, cookies, pudding, ice cream, or, in a pinch Jello with Kool-Whip – my old friends can vouch for this. That’s been a hard habit to break, but I am almost there.

She cooked by the book too - maybe the German influence from her childhood. I remember one heated discussion with her when I was helping to make one of her Friday night specials, Tuna Noodle Casserole (topped with crumbled potato chips, of course). Our 'discussion" stemmed from the fact that the recipe starts off with “soften ¼ cup chopped green pepper and ¼ cup chopped onion in ¼ cup Crisco in heated pan”. I argued that ¼ c Crisco was probably a bit of overkill, and how about we use a tablespoon of oil instead? No, I was told, you need to follow the recipe as written because that how one did things (after all, she did come of age in the 1950’s).

She did love to cook and try new recipes (challenging given that my father did not really accept change readily), and that is one thing that I have in common with her, or maybe inherited from her. Looking back, I do so wish I had paid better attention to her cooking wisdom, since anyone who has cooked for the years that she did knows all the tricks of the trade, while I am still learning the hard way. In particular, I lament that even though I watched her make gravy thousands of time, I still cannot make a good gravy to save my life.

I still have a number of her recipes for some of the dishes she made for us growing up, and I do make them on occasion, particularly when comfort food is called for. My husband often looks at me quizzically when I prepare some of these dishes, asking “do you really like this?” As we all know, it’s the memories that are the secret ingredients here, and that is what makes those dishes taste so good to some, but mundane to those not in the know.

Here are two of her classics. The first recipe has had some modification to it, to reduce sugar and fat, but it is tasty as hell. The second recipe, well, I can't say that I would probably ever make this or serve it in this day and age, but its sweet and bubbly, with a little tang - just like her.

Baked Beans

4 slices bacon

16 oz can pork & beans

¼ c brown sugar

2 Tb chopped onion

¼ t garlic salt

¼ c ketchup or chili sauce

Fry bacon until crisp and drain; reserve 1 Tb drippings (optional). Combine all remaining ingredients in a baking dish – add in bacon drippings, if using (it does add a lot of flavor). Crumble bacon and sprinkle over the top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Church Lady Punch

Mom was always down at the church hall helping out with events, and one thing she was usually called on to take care of was the punch. This is her #1 go-to recipe – don’t try it unless you have some insulin at the ready. But oh, the memories of it…

6 packs Cherry Kool-Aid

4 c sugar

6 qt cold water

2 46oz cans pineapple-orange juice, chilled

2 large bottler ginger ale, chilled

Mix Kool-Aid, water, and sugar. Add juice and then ginger ale. Make about 80 punch cups.

Going Over to the Dark Side

2010-01-21T18:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess I can’t ignore them anymore. Crying out from the top of my fresh fruit bowl is a trio of bananas so dark they look like they have been dipped in chocolate (mmm, wouldn’t that be yummy if that were the case*). I love bananas (not exactly a local product – my bad), but I prefer mine a pristine yellow, with just a tinge of green. The minute I see the age spots, I recoil; hence, the rapid proliferation of brown bananas at my house.

Not wanting to be wasteful, and having no more room in my freezer to hide them away from sight, I think it’s time for Banana Nut Cake. Yes, I know the usual recourse for brown bananas is bread, but I’ve been tinkering with this cake recipe for some time now, and it is almost perfect (to me). One thing you will learn about me if you follow this blog long enough is that I love to optimize recipes (it’s the scientist in me), trying to minimize sugar and fat, but always maximizing taste and texture. So you will notice that most of my recipes originated from somewhere else, but have been re-tooled after careful experimentation for my own eating pleasure (and yours now, hopefully!).

As for this recipe, I don’t remember where the recipe originated, but I sort of call this my own now, with the tinkering I've done on it.

Banana Nut Cake

4-8Tb unsalted butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 large eggs

1 c mashed ripe bananas (~ 3)

½ c buttermilk

1 t vanilla

2 c flour

1 t baking soda

¼ t salt

½ c chopped nuts

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl on high speed until light, ~ 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla; mix on low speed. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; fold into the banana mixture along with the nuts. Pour batter in a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 35 minutes at 350, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

If you want something a bit fancier, you could split the batter between two 9 inch cake pans for a double layer cake, throw some fresh banana slices into the middle layer for good measure, then slather on some cream cheese frosting and call it a party!

*if chocolate bananas are your thing, there’s a wonderful little chocolate shop on Castro St in San Francisco that maintains a freezer full of frozen chocolate-covered bananas on sticks (go figure).

Sweet Nothings

2010-01-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

My favorite root veggie – unquestionably the yam! I grew up calling these orange-fleshed tubers sweet potatoes mistakenly. It wasn’t until many years later that I actually tried a real sweet potato, which look remarkably like a normal white flesh spud, but which I find too sweet for my taste.

Below is one of my very time tested and favorite recipes: Roasted Yam Fries. I found it many moons ago in the September 1997 issue of Cooking Light, and since then have probably made this recipe at least once a month. In fact, I’ve made up the spice mix in a big shaker jar so all I have to do is shake it over the potato and slap them into the oven. This recipe is so easy and sooooo good – I’ve been asked for the recipe before, so I’d love to share it with all of you – one of my faves.

Roasted Yam Fries
Spice mix:
½ t curry powder
¼ t salt
¼ t cumin
1/8 t ground cloves
1/8 t pepper

Two 8 oz peeled yams
Olive oil

Cut yams in half lengthwise; cut each half lengthwise into 6 wedges (try to make sure they are approximately the same size for even cooking). Put yams into a large bowl, and drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat very lightly, then shake on spice mix and mix so it gets distributed evenly. Place spiced wedges on a baking sheet covered in foil; do not overlap. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes or until very tender.

Comfort me with Apples

2010-01-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

No, this is not going to be a book review of Ruth Reichl’s book (although I would highly recommend her three books – Tender at the Bone, Comfort me with Apples, and Garlic & Sapphires – to any food lover).

After being all healthy and eating my bean soup and braised kale the past few days, it’s time for a little treat. But I don’t want to bust the calorie bank in the process, so I think Cinnamon Apple Saute a la Mode is in order. I found this recipe a few years ago in Drs Roizen & Oz’s “You on a Diet” – but don’t let that scare you off, as this is a very quick, easy, but delicious way to treat yourself.

Of course, the best time for apples is in the fall, but they do store very well, so there are still lots of fairly fresh apples around in the stores, particularly up here in the Northwest. Speaking of which, if you ever get a chance, try Honeycrisp apples – they are the BOMB!

Cinnamon Apple Saute a la Mode:
2 small apples, cored, peeled & quartered (Ambrosia or Jonagold work well)
1 Tb apple butter
1 Tb apple cider or juice
½ t cinnamon
6 walnut halves (any nut will work)
½ c plain or frozen yogurt (optional)

Cut apple quarters into thin slices. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add apples, then cook until apples begin to brown, about 4 minutes, tossing occasionally. Stir in apple butter, cider, and cinnamon. Continue to cook 5-8 minutes, or until apples are tender and sauce thickens, tossing frequently and adding more apple cider if desired. Transfer to serving bowls and top with nuts. Serve with plain or frozen yogurt, if desired. Serves 2.

Braised Hearty Winter Greens

2010-01-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

January is the customary time when many of us decide that this is the year to get healthy. Unfortunately, this time of year is a real drag in terms of fresh food - I think it would be much easier to turn over a new leaf in say, July or August?

Anyway, we all know that leafy greens are good for us, and luckily, there are a number of winter greens that fit that bill - kale, mustard, turnip, or collard. However, I can't say that I acquaint myself with any of these on a regular basis - after all, I did grow up in central Illinois, where the closest thing to hearty greens was Iceberg lettuce.

So last night I tried out a new recipe that was in the December/January 2010 issue of Cook's Country, and I have to say it is a keeper! I made a few modifications, mainly to reduce the butter and sugar called for, and it was still good.

Braised Hearty Kale:
2-4 Tb unsalted butter
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
2 1/2 lbs kale, stemmed & chopped (key to remove stems as they will never get soft)
1 c chicken broth
1/2 - 1 Tb brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
2 Tb cider vinegar

Melt half of butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add half of greens, broth, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Cover and cook until greens are beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining greens and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until completely tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove lid and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nearly evaporated, about 10 minutes - watch near the end to make sure greens don't burn. Off heat, stir in remaining butter and vinegar. Serves 4-6

Time for Soup!

2010-01-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

Well, we are smack dab in the middle of winter, so not much of anything really in season per se, except root veggies and dried beans, which all store well through the winter.

Added to the fact that it is cold and rainy out, it is definitely time for some soup. Here is a recipe for Hungarian Bean Soup, which I've adapted from the "Monty's Blue Plate Diner Cookbook" (one of my fave places back in Madison, Wisconsin). It's also a good way to use any extra cabbage you may have hanging around. For those who are not big cabbage fans, try it, you will like it, as my mother was wont to say often...

Hungarian Bean Soup:
8 oz cooked white beans (reserve some of cooking liquid)
(you can start with dried and cook them, or just use a can that has been drained well)
2 Tb olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 medium carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/3 of a small head cabbage, chopped
1-2 medium potatoes, diced
1 tsp horseradish
1 quart stock (chicken or veggie works)
1 t Paprika, or more to taste
salt, pepper to taste

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute garlic, carrots, celery and onion for 10 minutes until tender. Add in all other ingredients except for the beans. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour.

Add paprika, beans, and some of the beans' cooking liquid (if using canned, I just mush up a small portion of the beans and add to the soup), and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serves 2-3.

Seasons in the Sun

2010-01-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I have decided to try out this blog thing at last!

In the past few years, I've started to become tuned into the fact that all food has its season. I think my realization dawned on me when I picked up some local BC strawberries a few summers ago. Sure, you can get strawberries all year round, but they are not, I repeat, not like the local ones that you can pick up in late June, which are so perfumey and juicy, I could cry thinking about it...Anyway, last year we planted a vegetable garden for the first time, and that definitely clues you in to the fact that all food has its time and place.

Of course, I love to cook (and eat, of course), so I have been trying to make recipes using ingredients that are in season at the moment. Yes, admittedly, there are times when you just can't figure out what else to make with those prolific zucchinis, but that's the challenge at times.

Anyway, I will be posting recipes in line with my new food philosophy, as soon as I figure out this blog thing!