tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79180882102367246472024-03-04T22:10:25.911-08:00Make do and make it goodTechniques, recipes, and tips for good home cooking. Also, an ever expanding list of things you can make yourself instead of buying at the store, with instructions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-78780234490030595922011-01-20T14:23:00.000-08:002011-01-20T17:01:20.988-08:00A winter wine dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg1cckBFHKYRABi0DYwDG-k9dQmANml-dvmeiSULIkSO67XsyChptMCqnfYVj3wY_MYx5F2LxJJsx9ULpptHuO4SbEk8BOn9mBws5UugH7eKtXhDjBlEnLTB0HT9J-pY4W5bHH9xh64i0/s1600/65443_895242609498_2725782_48664859_6791326_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg1cckBFHKYRABi0DYwDG-k9dQmANml-dvmeiSULIkSO67XsyChptMCqnfYVj3wY_MYx5F2LxJJsx9ULpptHuO4SbEk8BOn9mBws5UugH7eKtXhDjBlEnLTB0HT9J-pY4W5bHH9xh64i0/s320/65443_895242609498_2725782_48664859_6791326_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564396310486500242" border="0" /></a>[All photos courtesy of Meg Kassabaum. Thank you Meg!]<br /><br /><br />Last month, just to make sure everybody was properly warmed up for the holidays, we put together a full-on bring-your-A-game wine dinner. 5 courses, 5 wines, all original recipes. And I believe we can safely say it was a success...<br /><br /><div>We fed 14 people that evening, more than we have in the past, but it went off without a hitch (well, with a couple minor hitches, but none that guests ever had to know about...).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We started off with a number of small finger foods for people to snack on while everybody arrived and settled in. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8Hp62bL1EvoHEUx2KRJunJEMmwIsoiURkHI61bHQFHC04mixFWbbvfmEfcL2Gn9Y0nXmnLenXIA72vITZ7dYlsacYL9AKW-_3md9b7t7I9dG64nc4BtOWtXiGebL0TLeIFlCT_5Jv6Fy/s320/63636_895241696328_2725782_48664831_2783002_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564386949423720306" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" border="0" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><br /></span></div><div>There were farmer's market radishes with salt and butter.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhw2Pw6qeyKtDg04H5dTQvL1syyJ-UWPchuehhcQd0l85cnP05qH-lJ48wOAyUmlUGkvz6tAwsaENbWa-fFK7mfmbomWsjj8jz8RXL6SbF67yuvGF_l2ajyPamO5w2wsIsjYV2v4MIq_Ee/s1600/68549_895241616488_2725782_48664829_6670777_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhw2Pw6qeyKtDg04H5dTQvL1syyJ-UWPchuehhcQd0l85cnP05qH-lJ48wOAyUmlUGkvz6tAwsaENbWa-fFK7mfmbomWsjj8jz8RXL6SbF67yuvGF_l2ajyPamO5w2wsIsjYV2v4MIq_Ee/s320/68549_895241616488_2725782_48664829_6670777_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564387572571217010" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 320px;" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There were boquerones (marinated Spanish white anchovies) and marinated mushrooms.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfteqxq4mt7SYAkwAFNNOFsOKNWMIkNCibfTvls2dbDSNoc9BX27SDvkWtXOsHdZnfbsSOKq4MQh5QbacatxKfaOEfjQaCHsoma4c3UfXQ8E65a3O2EA04q5js2uEM1fo4lkwvhDnX36I4/s320/68114_895241381958_2725782_48664822_7179350_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564387362765670322" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; text-align: right; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" border="0" /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There was smoked salmon.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi0cxgFBBnFab2EgEh9z3kC9rzMVjlOQFOZlSrzIhmPfaF-5L77LaCTNyb8VearBM-_7846TkEzi2stuJF0G2kdtFCOL8EywhGC_nMPwpHXiRo2THOEbq13ILfv1d5JQvFLnYCR90_S40/s1600/163457_895241446828_2725782_48664824_7892232_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi0cxgFBBnFab2EgEh9z3kC9rzMVjlOQFOZlSrzIhmPfaF-5L77LaCTNyb8VearBM-_7846TkEzi2stuJF0G2kdtFCOL8EywhGC_nMPwpHXiRo2THOEbq13ILfv1d5JQvFLnYCR90_S40/s320/163457_895241446828_2725782_48664824_7892232_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564388061657374306" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And there was Galician canned pulpo.</div><div><br /></div><div>All of this with plenty of <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/avinyocavabrut.html">Cava Avinyó</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n6dt4Tg4ceTvQ9-FtZTFgDDCcGrHX1aatwAJszIr0_RJU7HfE4UVK4uQTVWnQIa8Hh_m52JhNg-1tSiYBPWURw8hN4_MiE-hCy6CQjQE2SIf7GpGhACTywBZc5wrEMwLjz7_1KIk0U-j/s320/163396_895242744228_2725782_48664862_7524516_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564389165458502018" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" border="0" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Off to a good start, we sat down to a spicy roasted tomato soup with garlicky NC shrimp (from our friends at <a href="http://www.coresoundseafood.org/">Core Sound Seafood</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>For wine, we drank <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/ferreirorebisaca.html">Do Ferreiro's Rebisaca</a>, always a winner with shellfish.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVcabdoqBHfrbNCwqdRq_8NXoCoowly5XkXlQAQMqzGSmdVNjqON22anqcprAP2WaOf5KsnYK9KrgES8z1ohAHZjJ4FL1F1iLfWEXYNVMSEPcJkt02WdmD1WVbg26_MlSB_e96Q3eOs1A/s1600/162805_895242953808_2725782_48664867_7618714_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVcabdoqBHfrbNCwqdRq_8NXoCoowly5XkXlQAQMqzGSmdVNjqON22anqcprAP2WaOf5KsnYK9KrgES8z1ohAHZjJ4FL1F1iLfWEXYNVMSEPcJkt02WdmD1WVbg26_MlSB_e96Q3eOs1A/s320/162805_895242953808_2725782_48664867_7618714_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564390608532626834" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n6dt4Tg4ceTvQ9-FtZTFgDDCcGrHX1aatwAJszIr0_RJU7HfE4UVK4uQTVWnQIa8Hh_m52JhNg-1tSiYBPWURw8hN4_MiE-hCy6CQjQE2SIf7GpGhACTywBZc5wrEMwLjz7_1KIk0U-j/s1600/163396_895242744228_2725782_48664862_7524516_n.jpg"></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Up next, fresh whole wheat homemade paste made by Lindsey. It's topped with blanched strips of locally-grown Tuscan kale, and Turkish-spiced ground lamb.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here we moved onto to reds, in this case the fresh, vibrant, yet powerful <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/joandangueragarnatxa.html">Garnatxa </a>2009 from <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/joandanguera.html">Joan d'Anguera</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvLMcLSXtrDzu8xSncLDNrPrdwPwItmUpSj0nvj-t73ov73Zb1btIOwhchu5hNB7hNo8bUnE1QrNfuRSPAGXYRkZttfzLwAskX1Dahyphenhyphen4a5xGvDh-6Q7YoV8osaCbAu6_j-QFYhvRNUfu6/s1600/154836_895243402908_2725782_48664879_1285161_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvLMcLSXtrDzu8xSncLDNrPrdwPwItmUpSj0nvj-t73ov73Zb1btIOwhchu5hNB7hNo8bUnE1QrNfuRSPAGXYRkZttfzLwAskX1Dahyphenhyphen4a5xGvDh-6Q7YoV8osaCbAu6_j-QFYhvRNUfu6/s320/154836_895243402908_2725782_48664879_1285161_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564392089671569202" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 320px;" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>Then, it was time for some medallions of roasted pork tenderloin along with garlic brussel sprouts. The sauce is made from cashew cream, (dairy) cream, ancho chilies, and oloroso sherry to produce a deep, rich flavor.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which of course required a deeper, richer, wine, one which could also handle some spices. For this we turned to an older Rioja, the 2005 <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/luberrima.html">Monje Amestoy</a> from <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/luberri.html">Luberri</a>. I'm happy to report the wine was up to the task.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TqzAhgOvCN2E70IdumaAaContsF6Q0nl1FnjP45i5fRhwUrdeF4lBKEucKPaudIV2VT2dJAmxZE8qubsajELdtqXzx1SYdpSJBvO9zxN6x_Am0YJtMtehzwpRSZ5tiMo9wSC-qYdT9J4/s1600/72027_895243692328_2725782_48664886_298364_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TqzAhgOvCN2E70IdumaAaContsF6Q0nl1FnjP45i5fRhwUrdeF4lBKEucKPaudIV2VT2dJAmxZE8qubsajELdtqXzx1SYdpSJBvO9zxN6x_Am0YJtMtehzwpRSZ5tiMo9wSC-qYdT9J4/s320/72027_895243692328_2725782_48664886_298364_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564393575053941330" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" border="0" /></a>The oloroso sherry in this sauce with the pork provided the transition into our final course, which was paired with the<a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/gutierrezsangre.html"> Sangre y Trabajadero</a> oloroso from <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/gutierrez.html">Gutierrez Colosia</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the plate were dried dates stuffed with a blue goat cheese, then wrapped in bacon and broiled until crispy. They sat atop a bed of spinach topped with a light and simple balsamic vinaigrette.</div><div><br /></div><div>People had different opinions about which was their favorite dish of the evening, and which was their favorite wine, but it was pretty much unanimously agreed that this was the killer pairing.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIxfQj9fHMYw-o9shWfgUbeqkTDjajBhT1knJ67rEXxzi9YRag3kqyILmQXUB-VaMEsCg0EDJ6sN8fGVp7LDxZhwIiYtghDy8wTwaqorM8uR-Soc_sf3qp-UgrJjWrfmUsGeg6hN3Ou0W/s1600/65410_895243722268_2725782_48664887_578702_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIxfQj9fHMYw-o9shWfgUbeqkTDjajBhT1knJ67rEXxzi9YRag3kqyILmQXUB-VaMEsCg0EDJ6sN8fGVp7LDxZhwIiYtghDy8wTwaqorM8uR-Soc_sf3qp-UgrJjWrfmUsGeg6hN3Ou0W/s320/65410_895243722268_2725782_48664887_578702_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564394189531693474" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We are already scheming about the next one....</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Until then, cheers!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCySjzU9fEWnIQuqKNOjA3Xcmu6Skj1duzmiLWCVzlO9ufvobicyF5aKarUF7DPxVOWyHmQiHpjbRsUdJlymERwOhTdT22ow7ONRant1omkR6IW6NqM6-yp6qq8F-DKjVYKFfA72hyphenhyphenNa5/s1600/162927_895243807098_2725782_48664888_7391242_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCySjzU9fEWnIQuqKNOjA3Xcmu6Skj1duzmiLWCVzlO9ufvobicyF5aKarUF7DPxVOWyHmQiHpjbRsUdJlymERwOhTdT22ow7ONRant1omkR6IW6NqM6-yp6qq8F-DKjVYKFfA72hyphenhyphenNa5/s320/162927_895243807098_2725782_48664888_7391242_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564395872591969538" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIxfQj9fHMYw-o9shWfgUbeqkTDjajBhT1knJ67rEXxzi9YRag3kqyILmQXUB-VaMEsCg0EDJ6sN8fGVp7LDxZhwIiYtghDy8wTwaqorM8uR-Soc_sf3qp-UgrJjWrfmUsGeg6hN3Ou0W/s1600/65410_895243722268_2725782_48664887_578702_n.jpg"></a><br /></div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-50250487318049586812010-11-29T16:10:00.000-08:002010-12-03T08:02:25.063-08:00Quick and easy spice cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSC1oL7defLVuYNF0cCn7kAr_TNzsJwrLEj5COxn5WMjZwiTcYbZEc45B4S9Wj4CRZCKdNo6BdORNlL8o_AgsmivdYi3g0ryCwZCoW84CEUJTz5S5_4pLa_GYGZmoSaCteIKKsg3KeLvq2/s1600/DSCF0038.jpg"></a><br />Here's the scenario: the holidays are approaching and you're given the task of bringing baked goods for your office meeting/bridge club/lemur appreciation society/whatever, and you want to bring something homemade and seasonally appropriate. But of course you've waited until the last moment. As you open your fridge to start getting your ingredients together you realize – horror! – that you are all out of milk and eggs. What to do?<div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSC1oL7defLVuYNF0cCn7kAr_TNzsJwrLEj5COxn5WMjZwiTcYbZEc45B4S9Wj4CRZCKdNo6BdORNlL8o_AgsmivdYi3g0ryCwZCoW84CEUJTz5S5_4pLa_GYGZmoSaCteIKKsg3KeLvq2/s320/DSCF0038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546462808179939970" border="0" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span>Here is the recipe for your situation: an absolutely delightful spice cake (really just a sweet quick bread) that requires no milk and no eggs. It is also great fun to play around with in various ways. You can vary the level of sugar depending on whether you want it to be more of a dessert or more of a breakfast item. For spices, you can use whatever sounds good (or whatever you have). Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, etc. – those nice holiday flavors – are all welcome in any combination you fancy. I particularly like to add grated fresh ginger to give it a good bite. But most fun of all for me has been playing around with the liquid: while water works just fine, I have so far used coffee, porter, and hard cider instead, all to great effect.<br /><br />The recipe is adapted from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tassajara-Recipe-Book-Edward-Brown/dp/1570625808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291335671&sr=8-1">Tassajara Recipe Book</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quick Spice Cake</span><br /><br />Preheat oven to 350.<br /><br />Butter and flour an 8 inch cake pan<br /><br />Mix together in a big bowl 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup white flour, 1/4 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want it to be), 1 tsp. baking soda, and spices (any of the following: 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp. allspice, 1 tbsp. ginger, or whatever else looks good).<br /><br />In a small saucepan, melt 1/3 cup butter. Add to this 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, then 1 cup cold water or other liquid, such as coffee, dark beer, cider, etc.<br /><br />[Quick note: if your butter is still hot, and your water quite cold, this will produce a very odd reaction, creating a kind of crystallized-looking mixture. Don't worry, this is fine, and it's also kind of cool looking...]<br /><br />[Quick note #2: you could just use oil instead of butter and make it completely vegan]<br /><br />Now mix your butter mixture in with your dry ingredients. Do not over-mix! This is a quick bread, so do just enough to moisten all the dry ingredients. It's ok if the batter is still a little lumpy and uneven.<br /><br />Pour the dough into the cake pan, and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.<br /><br />For an extra nice touch, sprinkle powdered sugar on top before serving.</span></div></div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-30856129297658644952010-11-17T07:58:00.001-08:002010-11-17T08:12:37.284-08:00Cooking oilsJust a quick note today to point you towards <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/dining/17curious.html?ref=dining">this article </a>by Harold McGee in the New York Times. McGee is without a doubt one of the most interesting food writers in operation. His book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Food-Cooking-Science-Lore-Kitchen/dp/0684800012/ref=pd_sim_b_1">On Food and Cooking</a> is absolutely essential reading.<br /><br />His column in the Times this week is about cooking oil. The basic point is that most oils (good olive oil, bad olive oil, refined seed oil, etc.) are pretty much indistinguishable once heated: <div><br /></div><div><blockquote></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; "><blockquote>We were surprised at how thoroughly heat obliterated the flavors in cooking oil until they all tasted more or less the same. Even prize-winning, and costly, extra-virgin olive oils lost much of what makes them special, though they retain their apparently healthful pungency. To get food with the green and fruity flavor of good olive oil, it seems more economical and effective to fry with an inexpensive refined oil and drizzle on a little fresh olive oil after cooking.</blockquote></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I've always used a slightly fruity but fairly neutral olive oil as my everyday basic cooking oil, but I might consider using more seed oil now. </div><div><br /></div><div>Readers, do you have any thoughts on this?</div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-69046470330861091772010-11-09T13:57:00.000-08:002010-11-09T14:07:13.480-08:00Lindsey's beautiful stuffed pumpkin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRXs0pl3onN_ERSysaPFAkHEYu3ingdwjg5CYCPInet_YtflTOUg9I3XPKyA87y2YuWPXCZXoniIZy3SbE9dBTitpGy0papf0aSmqDcKP5E0rsS8dmDmYo-_PPvp3j9hG-Ux7oEisHtke/s1600/pumpkin2.JPG"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvqzozMAN3kUCAqL58WnQp34sUgVkCP6uKfPUQiw35SYHkzwtuNTQ_mC947GsZ8dw32LE0YEr530zv9J4GwF7rKYZ8Voz_x4jIHh9f5VkU0gG-r6kOqKj2dcJ7zMu0dWtXZeLdFZ1OXLa/s1600/pumpkin1.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvqzozMAN3kUCAqL58WnQp34sUgVkCP6uKfPUQiw35SYHkzwtuNTQ_mC947GsZ8dw32LE0YEr530zv9J4GwF7rKYZ8Voz_x4jIHh9f5VkU0gG-r6kOqKj2dcJ7zMu0dWtXZeLdFZ1OXLa/s320/pumpkin1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537577641788238434" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 196px; " /></a><div>Lindsey, as you may <a href="http://edumacationalenrichment.blogspot.com/2009/10/croute-en-potiron-pumpkin-with-cheesey.html">recall</a>, loves a stuffed pumpkin. And this time she really outdid herself...</div><div><br /></div><div>These little pie pumpkins were full of rice, caramelized onions, chunks of apple, Italian sausage (from <a href="http://www.salamisbymail.com/zcstore/">Giacamo's </a>in Greensboro, NC), and shiitakes from our logs (yes, we grow shiitakes in our backyard). </div><div><br /></div><div>In keeping with the autumnal feel of the dish, <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/basque_country.html#sagardo">basque-style cider</a> was used as a liquid (this style of cider is not at all sweet, and pretty acidic). The whole thing was then topped with cheese and baked. The cheese melted and browned, the pumpkin flesh was softened and infused with cider, and the whole thing came out beautifully... A triumph!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRXs0pl3onN_ERSysaPFAkHEYu3ingdwjg5CYCPInet_YtflTOUg9I3XPKyA87y2YuWPXCZXoniIZy3SbE9dBTitpGy0papf0aSmqDcKP5E0rsS8dmDmYo-_PPvp3j9hG-Ux7oEisHtke/s320/pumpkin2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537583241904927794" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div> </div><div><br /></div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-59753535979341727182010-11-04T14:05:00.000-07:002010-11-04T14:40:36.904-07:00You do not need to soak your beans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyB-ns_a3cdgh8mr72Ak6h3DfKyCYFzOksBB49p58i4QMoIKdCTb9duf6-QOwlfJRQKRCpV3gBct_BV61k57NSD-5Ei-B418GwIAzUrkDLuUzQaQysiibGusNIXvnikqsAaZbLeEAeDQf/s1600/beans.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyB-ns_a3cdgh8mr72Ak6h3DfKyCYFzOksBB49p58i4QMoIKdCTb9duf6-QOwlfJRQKRCpV3gBct_BV61k57NSD-5Ei-B418GwIAzUrkDLuUzQaQysiibGusNIXvnikqsAaZbLeEAeDQf/s320/beans.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535810132617079714" /></a><br />I was really glad to see <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/dining/03appe.html?ref=dining">this article</a> in the New York Times yesterday.<div><br /></div><div>It is a common (and, to me, galling) assumption that beans need to be soaked before cooking. I have seen this myth repeated many, many places, including cookbooks where the authors should have known better (Mark Bittman is a notable exception). As beans make up a very large portion of my diet, and I am always proselytizing on their behalf, I'm glad to see the truth spoken in a major media outlet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, it is true: beans do not need to be soaked before cooking. As in the recipe provided in the NYT article, dried beans can used directly in a long simmered stew, with no ill effect. Quite the contrary, in fact: this technique does a great job at melding flavors together. </div><div><br /></div><div>But also, it is possible to cook dry beans on their own without soaking. The difference? It will take a little longer, though not nearly as much most cookbooks say. </div><div><br /></div><div>So why soak at all? Well it will cut down on cutting time somewhat. The other potential reason is texture. This is somewhat anecdotal, but it does seem that sometimes, when using dry beans directly, the beans don't cook quite as evenly. This only seems to happen with older beans, though, which you should try to avoid anyways. And it can also be remedied by cooking the beans slowly and gently. My opinion is that, for texture, the best thing you can do is cook your dry beans in a crockpot for a few hours. It won't save you any time, but it requires practically no labor, and it really produces great results.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the important thing to remember here: beans do not need to be pre-soaked, so don't let a lack of soaking stop you.</div><div><br /></div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-65302281123267997852010-10-17T14:45:00.000-07:002010-10-21T14:56:49.051-07:00As it get colder... beer bread!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQCnF0WC5GimFIFIDEHHkkiI3w8KbGTkDxSAQ3fVo8UOXfmZJzZk0zqY4X6KcHkfq3dwkbP_8S8EjARWQV-saiuRAKB5IifdKTGwNH73cZH0htScL75WCTCEgj40bKBMMevM9-4ApiGN6/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQCnF0WC5GimFIFIDEHHkkiI3w8KbGTkDxSAQ3fVo8UOXfmZJzZk0zqY4X6KcHkfq3dwkbP_8S8EjARWQV-saiuRAKB5IifdKTGwNH73cZH0htScL75WCTCEgj40bKBMMevM9-4ApiGN6/s320/DSCF0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529136468034753346" border="0" /></a><br />This quick beer bread might be the bread I bake most often. It is extremely satisfying and easy to make – I don't know if I've ever screwed it up. It has a warm, malty, yeasty flavor that I find very comforting, especially as the weather turns cold. And the best: it can be made in under an hour, start to finish. This means I can wake up in the morning, make the bread, eat some for breakfast, and still make it to the office on time.<br /><br />If it has a drawback, it is that it's not terribly versatile. This is not a bread for mopping up sauces at dinner, and it's nearly useless for making a sandwich. But for some things it's really good: as toast with butter (obviously), and it is great with certain sharp cheeses, like cheddar or aged gouda. Also, it makes good friends with many kinds of hearty cold weather stews.<br /><br /><div>Oh and of course it's great with a beer! The best autumn lunch ever might be this beer bread with cheddar, mustard, apple, maybe a little salami, and a nice malty British style ale....</div><div><br />Though I just stick with the basic recipe most of the time, there are a number of possible felicitous variations here:<br /><br />-Try different types of beers. This is the most obvious variable. Try lighter and darker beers for different results (but avoid heavily hopped beers, unless you want bitter bread). If you want to get a little crazy, try a pumpkin ale or other seasonal spiced beers. (As a side note, the Joy of Cooking says to use any beer except stout, but I have used porter before, and the line between porters and stouts is thin to non-existent. Does anybody know why the Joy would say that? Hit up the comments if you have thoughts)</div><div><br />-Add in a quarter cup of nutritional yeast for additional savoriness.<br /><br />-Add in grated cheddar (or other cheese) for increased cheesiness.<br /><br />-Play around with the ratio of whole wheat to all purpose flour. Or substitute some fine corn meal for some of the wheat flour for a different texture.<div><br />-A favorite at our house: bake in muffin tins instead of a loaf pan (reduce cooking time to about 20 mins.)<br /><br /><br />This recipe is straight out of the Joy of Cooking. As with all quick breads, the key is to not over-mix when you add the beer to your dry ingredients.<br /><br /></div><div><br /><i><b>Quick Beer Bread</b><br /><br />1 cup all purpose flour<br />1 cup whole wheat flour<br />1/2 cup rolled oats<br />2 tbsp. sugar<br />2 tsp. baking powder<br />1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />12 oz. beer (not flat)<br /><br />Mix together all the dry ingredients.<br /><br />Fold in the beer, but don't over-mix. It's fine if the dough is a little lumpy.<br /><br />Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan, and bake at 400 for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.<br /></i><br /><br /></div></div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-31986471365426485442010-10-05T13:50:00.001-07:002010-10-05T13:58:54.134-07:00Doing crab cakes a little differently<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Q-P9e9xbtBuhITt15piqP1wbMqzJ-IsLcv7gWu_t8kfGvUvkG1_VvWoQ8cyf7jb4uGPNtU1OPrrClUfQ9yIBYeMWOOV2qpSSatT2eCAZn6XWP2BCuTBI1jNgXigkOTUJRFKyOBceB00A/s1600/DSCF0118.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Q-P9e9xbtBuhITt15piqP1wbMqzJ-IsLcv7gWu_t8kfGvUvkG1_VvWoQ8cyf7jb4uGPNtU1OPrrClUfQ9yIBYeMWOOV2qpSSatT2eCAZn6XWP2BCuTBI1jNgXigkOTUJRFKyOBceB00A/s320/DSCF0118.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524664959393646642" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pretty much all recipes for crab cakes require mayonnaise.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br />That's what I learned yesterday evening as I tried to make dinner. We had about a half-pound of crab meat left from our most recent CSF delivery, and Lindsey had requested crab cakes (a CSF is a Community Supported Fishery, like a CSA but for fish. Ours is called <a href="http://www.coresoundseafood.org/">Core Sound Seafood</a> – check them out they do excellent work).<br /><br />Now I had made crab cakes numerous times before (pretty successfully, I believe, as the repeated request demonstrated). As per my usual cooking style, in making them previously I had based my approach on an existing recipe to get the basic idea, then taken it and done my own thing, adjusting and seasoning as I saw fit. The recipes always include some mayonnaise.<br /><br />The problem was that last night I didn't have any mayonnaise. We usually make our own (much better tasting than the store-bought stuff), and I just didn't feel like taking the extra step. So I decided to wing it, without mayonnaise.<br /><br />The result? Excellent! More straight crab flavor, and a little lighter. I would in fact probably do it this way again (though I have to say, a little dollop aïoli on top would be quite nice...).<br /><br />Here's what I did (all measurements are very, very approximate):<br /><br />I mixed the 1/2 pound of crab meat with a 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs. For flavoring, I used a generous dash of pimentón (smoked paprika – it belongs in pretty much everything), a pinch of cayenne for heat, a couple tablespoons of mustard, a few splashes of cider vinegar, and some salt. To bind it, I added tablespoon of olive oil and a small egg. I combined it all thoroughly, shaped it into 4 cakes, and dredged the cakes in a little flour. These were fried on medium-high heat in a mixture of butter and olive oil until nicely browned. Add a squeeze of lemon on top and it's ready.<br /><br />And to drink with this? <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/basque_country.html">Txakoli</a> of course! </div></div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-24148923404255010932010-08-17T05:45:00.000-07:002010-10-22T07:39:46.573-07:00Cutting potatoes, Spanish-styleThe last time I was in Spain, we were served <span style="font-style: italic;">patatas a la riojana</span> at a winery in - where else? - La Rioja. This dish is typical of much Spanish cooking in that it relies not on complexity, but on specific techniques and high quality ingredients. In this case, it's just onions, a little garlic, chorizo, potatoes, and broth.<br /><br />The idea is always simple - like with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padr%C3%B3n#Padr.C3.B3n_peppers">padrón peppers</a>. These peppers are served all over the place in tapas bars when they're in season. They are fried in olive oil until slightly charred, then sprinkled in salt. That's it. Sounds incredibly simple; and it is. But, crucially, what makes them so delicious in the tapas bars is that they are just the right peppers grown in just the right soils in Galicia. They are fried in high quality olive oil and sprinkled with high quality coarse salt. You have to put all these elements together to make padrón peppers just right.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">patatas a la riojana</span> we had that day were incredible. What, we asked, is the key to making something seemingly so simple so good? The matriarch of the place gladly explained how to make dish to us. According to her, there are two key things. One is in the ingredients: to make it just right, you need to use chorizo that hasn't completely finished curing. This way, the chorizo releases more of its flavor into the dish (this, clearly, cannot be reproduced at home, unless you're curing your own chorizo) The second crucial thing is in the cutting of the potatoes: they need to be cut into little irregular pieces in a technique called <span style="font-style: italic;">cascar</span>. This verb translates roughly to "crack" or "chip." The idea is that instead of cutting through the potato, you stick a pairing knife into it, then pull back so the potato breaks naturally where it wants and creates irregularly shaped pieces.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2tMmPqfDttr9k0RM4jq45SNhEgazdOitOBkknDgTnV-j8oAmENdIR58auJSgxLvQJTiu02EDsE0EK8xZodgW-XlMOqZMH4GRwY5Ib0aP_3rMnSnn5Y32urvS7-UrAiiuHVQq92aL1cJL/s1600/DSCF0036.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2tMmPqfDttr9k0RM4jq45SNhEgazdOitOBkknDgTnV-j8oAmENdIR58auJSgxLvQJTiu02EDsE0EK8xZodgW-XlMOqZMH4GRwY5Ib0aP_3rMnSnn5Y32urvS7-UrAiiuHVQq92aL1cJL/s320/DSCF0036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506360503848231090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>This affects the starch structure of the potatoes and has two effects. The first is that the starch from the potatoes thickens the sauce properly, and the second is that the potatoes more readily absorb the flavors of the sauce. If anyone knows a more detailed scientific explanation for this, please hit up the comments, I'd love to hear it... Looking around, I can hardly find any information on this cutting technique. The best I could find was <a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/Jagged-Edge">this</a>.<div><br /></div><div>I find it fascinating, and I wonder why it's not better known.<br /><div>And beyond stews and saucy dishes, I've found that cutting potatoes this way is great for frying too. In fact, a few Spanish sources insist that this is the proper way to cut potatoes for a <i>tortilla de patatas</i>, a statement with which I will not disagree. The potatoes seem to develop a beautiful golden color and that comforting creamy texture inside far more readily. Again, any information on why this is would be appreciated.<br /><div><br /></div><div>So try cutting your potatoes like this next time, whether it's for a stew, a tortilla, a breakfast hash, or any number of other dishes. Take a starchy potato and peel it. Using a pairing knife, hold the potato in one hand, insert the knife, then pull it back and upwards towards you. You will feel the potato break and crack. With a little practice, it goes very fast, and I find it much more fun than regular potato cutting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa66Wt1XCoqWDCa4HghyPdyz9EFVC0r0eXUoVlqMg6KryH4bwynNzrM-md0Ij9WBudRSYPjhh5CDzJsELPGdulrF41ibj3IXm6IOBEt9fJuNvmFVLWEpxASMUIpNGgrKch7b_3bKqAecM/s1600/DSCF0041.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa66Wt1XCoqWDCa4HghyPdyz9EFVC0r0eXUoVlqMg6KryH4bwynNzrM-md0Ij9WBudRSYPjhh5CDzJsELPGdulrF41ibj3IXm6IOBEt9fJuNvmFVLWEpxASMUIpNGgrKch7b_3bKqAecM/s320/DSCF0041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506361032627418754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-34104219339466188412010-07-25T13:24:00.000-07:002010-07-25T13:38:02.297-07:00Aaand we're back.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTa-MBdRnX_mosicEaKpmQUoySdG2PFTaZvgKLGyTrUI4lkH4MH3_zyIWISQjQnkHMLssWrWKVG8xaHKEORcNiWW0z-5JKmV0nGYudgB1dnYj8GztBxdj1WDXO6v6bG6z6oPnxqCI8vbf/s1600/smiles.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTa-MBdRnX_mosicEaKpmQUoySdG2PFTaZvgKLGyTrUI4lkH4MH3_zyIWISQjQnkHMLssWrWKVG8xaHKEORcNiWW0z-5JKmV0nGYudgB1dnYj8GztBxdj1WDXO6v6bG6z6oPnxqCI8vbf/s320/smiles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497945836161927986" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Getting married!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnvpHPjYzF4Ch1zs025CKgT6Vxvza0eD8hDzN4xmVAjRJzKXH1cH8IVBkUXdL3dfFKqJy5C3KPu_9e0j53nIBy8Wu4NvO15Ojt_OtUgLRrF0c1HjtkW0dvg5m2Lmu3efAkGn5u2PLtxg1/s1600/lobster+2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnvpHPjYzF4Ch1zs025CKgT6Vxvza0eD8hDzN4xmVAjRJzKXH1cH8IVBkUXdL3dfFKqJy5C3KPu_9e0j53nIBy8Wu4NvO15Ojt_OtUgLRrF0c1HjtkW0dvg5m2Lmu3efAkGn5u2PLtxg1/s320/lobster+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497944672884187874" border="0" /></a><br />Cooking live lobsters from the Vieques fishmarket on our honeymoon!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0G0t2tjmfCVonEbubX4esfO801o1P_AmpyYlJJMGlj_xjIiZUKdXNA6pnSXUprcMRqAWCFMSaRnU5ppd5Cb4cHQoWDbH4eC2ZUasdM2ZTkxKCTb1noZro4Yt3uBEZizQ2u2JgmpktIvoD/s1600/lobster1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0G0t2tjmfCVonEbubX4esfO801o1P_AmpyYlJJMGlj_xjIiZUKdXNA6pnSXUprcMRqAWCFMSaRnU5ppd5Cb4cHQoWDbH4eC2ZUasdM2ZTkxKCTb1noZro4Yt3uBEZizQ2u2JgmpktIvoD/s320/lobster1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497944664978853778" border="0" /></a><br />Our Lobster feast!<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZx1HfYgF9Xvo2inql8-Foi3_SSTmf5mMKKfHMAMEZuIxCLvcSGJrNuo4Lg6uoP4JEYMfLr82onW-Cut77yotzf7C9dQYAhKkX8ATjhI5n8mPEIRmxVDUAfRTh2Lm6KvEyqf_mvzIki0yw/s1600/beansandrice.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZx1HfYgF9Xvo2inql8-Foi3_SSTmf5mMKKfHMAMEZuIxCLvcSGJrNuo4Lg6uoP4JEYMfLr82onW-Cut77yotzf7C9dQYAhKkX8ATjhI5n8mPEIRmxVDUAfRTh2Lm6KvEyqf_mvzIki0yw/s320/beansandrice.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497944663391165922" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Tropical rice and beans with coconut, mango chile salsa and avocado lime salad. We make it good wherever we are.<br /><br />Sorry for the long <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">interruption</span> folks. We had a busy spring and early summer. Highlights: Getting hitched on May 15th at the Celebrity Dairy and traveling to Puerto Rico for a 2 week honeymoon. After all the excitement (and with the arrival of full summer excellence) we're ready to get back to posting about cooking and food! We've got a lot of new stuff to tell you about, including adventures in backyard chicken raising and cooking with our own fresh eggs so look out for updates over the next few weeks. For now I'll leave you with some shots from the spring.<br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-80145682588624920182010-03-11T10:42:00.000-08:002010-03-11T10:56:25.096-08:00Ravioli lessons with Chris and Meg: a photo essay<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxPLdAISdzHyRym0X9mDzTNX83eSk8CqaQBEfOsj-nv58_03K0xiFMR8LVBSpCRTrq5yjHDB7VpLFNZ4Wfsxxg2qoLMeEpsw1n7wV3hdskl_DaT7xuuRAVT1fiE3nzHQfdCW0Y467qzTh/s1600-h/finished.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxPLdAISdzHyRym0X9mDzTNX83eSk8CqaQBEfOsj-nv58_03K0xiFMR8LVBSpCRTrq5yjHDB7VpLFNZ4Wfsxxg2qoLMeEpsw1n7wV3hdskl_DaT7xuuRAVT1fiE3nzHQfdCW0Y467qzTh/s320/finished.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447451291041631282" border="0" /></a><br />The finished product.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhqVz58Q_I2IoFiKVD87fF1O1HNBwL0YrYfzVwgvKSyj4VbylUJ3Ydmu0PKLEXvxT3FCqK6JFxG_rGS8ou8GPKz4f2HT6UbksB7L98lW3L6VY_HNHysgEP61S2u9ces-7WLYIhYs_JPhE/s1600-h/closed.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhqVz58Q_I2IoFiKVD87fF1O1HNBwL0YrYfzVwgvKSyj4VbylUJ3Ydmu0PKLEXvxT3FCqK6JFxG_rGS8ou8GPKz4f2HT6UbksB7L98lW3L6VY_HNHysgEP61S2u9ces-7WLYIhYs_JPhE/s320/closed.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447451118767868802" border="0" /></a>waiting to be cut...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgGhVRxHLYAcM-Bp7p60K6IxozW8c-yvBP6HsVJbXTusGnvDwqYuj5_XiYvrlPu_dSztRdZJ9oYojHczfjm3e_FgJnMW9X6nqMU39ZcZu_Z2evl3osuXjxJRxugzdrhxNJ-7zdg4HcvPn/s1600-h/closing2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgGhVRxHLYAcM-Bp7p60K6IxozW8c-yvBP6HsVJbXTusGnvDwqYuj5_XiYvrlPu_dSztRdZJ9oYojHczfjm3e_FgJnMW9X6nqMU39ZcZu_Z2evl3osuXjxJRxugzdrhxNJ-7zdg4HcvPn/s320/closing2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447450997922559314" border="0" /></a>closing...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO_hFmRidOuVpJyNFk20iTm_aebny4EOajS6uztOgdVRy5F60O2AJ1FMEF1pRGEh4QHaUaCKJ0dlcK73HKL9KaDpOIsN0XTOai3L1ZSQ6GAhvmVRBMLMggeZb01jnzKmUcEljCdXU86rc/s1600-h/closing1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO_hFmRidOuVpJyNFk20iTm_aebny4EOajS6uztOgdVRy5F60O2AJ1FMEF1pRGEh4QHaUaCKJ0dlcK73HKL9KaDpOIsN0XTOai3L1ZSQ6GAhvmVRBMLMggeZb01jnzKmUcEljCdXU86rc/s320/closing1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447450884769859474" border="0" /></a>Closing...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZNhjy8DFztEnpFDZLAQrOLIAGZK7eWDWk0YFjyw1Us0o5BegL3X4egJE6B0nIiePCa0xDrdtZ1g6ni5GCzfGr0vaWaLO13ISV29_SUXWJZL6dmAC7SHvXnz38uTeLihllIMIETMXtYNb/s1600-h/flip.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZNhjy8DFztEnpFDZLAQrOLIAGZK7eWDWk0YFjyw1Us0o5BegL3X4egJE6B0nIiePCa0xDrdtZ1g6ni5GCzfGr0vaWaLO13ISV29_SUXWJZL6dmAC7SHvXnz38uTeLihllIMIETMXtYNb/s320/flip.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447450696103566994" border="0" /></a>Flip!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPL_DF5HWct9JiE7YQwCgZRJH_mtOPbDw64Qlzp8zSw90g0-grkImsk2BVxWyNa99jMZ5KxqcnsDtiLpZl15A7MnsD7tWn74x106_bfa6zTdTIVA31fu2Q7RJzovC47mbHMKbU0nfXP6nI/s1600-h/unfilled.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPL_DF5HWct9JiE7YQwCgZRJH_mtOPbDw64Qlzp8zSw90g0-grkImsk2BVxWyNa99jMZ5KxqcnsDtiLpZl15A7MnsD7tWn74x106_bfa6zTdTIVA31fu2Q7RJzovC47mbHMKbU0nfXP6nI/s320/unfilled.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447450538001471874" border="0" /></a>The key is no more than a teaspoon of filling<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibA9gq7qLXD3I0thHIkGDSzMGSUEiTtk9hxItmh6Wd7Cn_TrViCTcLswpeHV1kxgW4ImNJT1LM3MO-o0dZkTNy8WCxUwA4Ye00EgdFxTE2Q6Ds_ZSZzFCq_euLhyphenhyphenUWUUoY_Cv0YXLgo8L2/s1600-h/machine.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibA9gq7qLXD3I0thHIkGDSzMGSUEiTtk9hxItmh6Wd7Cn_TrViCTcLswpeHV1kxgW4ImNJT1LM3MO-o0dZkTNy8WCxUwA4Ye00EgdFxTE2Q6Ds_ZSZzFCq_euLhyphenhyphenUWUUoY_Cv0YXLgo8L2/s320/machine.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447450384949155698" border="0" /></a>The pasta machine... fold and then roll... repeat...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjtWmh36fvYe8B2QHJGSqq3astxOKZSywh7YGcY5Vjtgiqc1gyfeh5lC_LasgvHWLByQWurOaCxSZ78evbiERBhYdOtRdL-z9QjFsnj_xNez88bXRHwpIe24cp9l0wHTbWW4rJ77Nx7ad/s1600-h/carmelizing.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjtWmh36fvYe8B2QHJGSqq3astxOKZSywh7YGcY5Vjtgiqc1gyfeh5lC_LasgvHWLByQWurOaCxSZ78evbiERBhYdOtRdL-z9QjFsnj_xNez88bXRHwpIe24cp9l0wHTbWW4rJ77Nx7ad/s320/carmelizing.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447450047661797794" border="0" /></a>Slow carmelizing onions...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-25_XxcZLvNbk9-VZtRuE3vk-WO8Mxs7ZLpwwwGjZrGu0AwjRzEvEq6xMm77kDlIX5_M_BsPsw3ZOhwYMEGerZuiKgiEO7mmhBBBq4a5UJSKV53PAUzOJf6djoicE2G98i_suFHxs0WcZ/s1600-h/feta.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-25_XxcZLvNbk9-VZtRuE3vk-WO8Mxs7ZLpwwwGjZrGu0AwjRzEvEq6xMm77kDlIX5_M_BsPsw3ZOhwYMEGerZuiKgiEO7mmhBBBq4a5UJSKV53PAUzOJf6djoicE2G98i_suFHxs0WcZ/s320/feta.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447449908076346466" border="0" /></a>Feta...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3lAVnGL1nXA3-O1kw0-JBNqfBhaiPtMKpH4GlCs4oNiTI77FC4Zk12BCktYprO_YjwYQK1HBBRFP1C4jTT_8mTzFX5AjEYMaYSEqLhz7SESNZQlCvqg-FstCnHlsvwNBXzpNnP-MqHlA/s1600-h/squash.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3lAVnGL1nXA3-O1kw0-JBNqfBhaiPtMKpH4GlCs4oNiTI77FC4Zk12BCktYprO_YjwYQK1HBBRFP1C4jTT_8mTzFX5AjEYMaYSEqLhz7SESNZQlCvqg-FstCnHlsvwNBXzpNnP-MqHlA/s320/squash.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447449708262642786" border="0" /></a>Butternut Squash...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBpw5Wq_0krKmtryE3JZuiwthvlJA90M0LLF-IFNvOknV5X3BMRK1G1B62PJPclLfPqMYw0FBwilIuNapaezR6YV_yG1EImDScW9gt8Mt3nET4doSYvAZKO1SwlmRjT81zDdpJVCoCvuA/s1600-h/step1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBpw5Wq_0krKmtryE3JZuiwthvlJA90M0LLF-IFNvOknV5X3BMRK1G1B62PJPclLfPqMYw0FBwilIuNapaezR6YV_yG1EImDScW9gt8Mt3nET4doSYvAZKO1SwlmRjT81zDdpJVCoCvuA/s320/step1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447449527608908898" border="0" /></a> The raw ingrediants: Our beginning dough...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-87863931515414491662010-02-08T18:46:00.000-08:002010-02-08T20:04:06.950-08:00The Fifth Taste<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZd4eAma9I3wpCrftS1muOK_z0ieqNC0EivWJzaMJUlVPZGK5ALOVQQrCLaSF483xabYpWpOCHfYc22A_YrKBHaara46hFLzMECboSQGBfQ8K9qnCRyDqfwTN6yJz2BJFYNJ79rnKNDwqj/s1600-h/umami"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZd4eAma9I3wpCrftS1muOK_z0ieqNC0EivWJzaMJUlVPZGK5ALOVQQrCLaSF483xabYpWpOCHfYc22A_YrKBHaara46hFLzMECboSQGBfQ8K9qnCRyDqfwTN6yJz2BJFYNJ79rnKNDwqj/s320/umami" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436088046743929954" border="0" /></a><br />What's up world? Well it's obviously been a little while since anything has happened with this blog... I could try to give excuses - holidays, travels, change of routine, etc. - but in the end there's not much point. The only point is that, well, we're back, and hopefully on a regular basis.<br /><br />Now just because I haven't been updating the blog does not mean that I have not been thinking about food. I have been. Pretty much all the time.<br /><br />And one of the topics that's been on my mind lately is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami">umami</a>. Umami is the least well known and least well understood of all the tastes, by a long shot. In fact, my spell check doesn't even recognize the word...<br /><br />But its importance should not be underestimated. Umami is a crucial element of all cooking, but it's especially important to think about in vegetarian and vegan cooking, because most umami-ness comes from animal products.<br /><br />But first, what is umami? Well umami is the fifth taste. We all know about sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, but then there's this other one. The word is Japanese, and it doesn't really have an appropriate translation. The best is probably "savory," or even "deep savory". It's that meaty, hearty, rich mouth filling taste. It's difficult to convey verbally what umami is, since it's not something we really have the vocabulary for. If this helps, the purest form of umami taste is found in MSG.<br /><br />Umami is what makes a meaty stew so satisfying, especially in comparison to, say, a vegetarian bean stew. And that brings me to the heart of the topic.<br /><br />I believe that when vegetarian cooking seems flat and unsatisfying, it is often due to a lack of attention to umami (and I hope it's clear at this point that I am no foe of vegetarian cooking). Everybody knows about salty and sweet, most know to think at least a little about sour and bitter too, but do many home cooks think about umami? Probably not...<br /><br />So where do you find umami? Well the most obvious is meat, but that's not much help for vegetarian cooking. Seafood is also a particularly fertile source, with fish sauce and anchovies being prime examples. There's also marmite, if you're into that kind of thing (ok I'll admit it I kind of like marmite). But the most versatile is surely soy sauce.<br /><br />I've said this <a href="http://edumacationalenrichment.blogspot.com/2009/01/secret-ingredients.html">before</a>, but I add a dash of soy sauce to pretty much everything I cook. I don't do this to make my food taste like soy sauce - you certainly wouldn't want all your food to take on the distinctive taste of soy sauce - I do it to bring a little umami to the dish. Soy sauce does wonders in small quantities. Seriously, try adding a dash to your sauces, stews, whatever. It makes a huge difference.<br /><br />Other really great (vegetarian) ways to get your umami include mushrooms, parmesan, and seaweed.<br /><br />Mushrooms, especially intensely flavored wild mushrooms, can also do wonders. We keep dried wild mushrooms in the pantry all the time to use in cooking. Again, it's not necessarily about making your dish take like mushrooms (though of course it can be), it's about using the mushrooms for their umami giving properties.<br /><br />Parmesan really doesn't need much said about it. It's great for finishing many types of dishes, especially Mediterranean style ones. One trick that not enough people know about is to save the rinds form your parmesan, then stick them in your soups or stews while they're cooking. They'll give the dish a wonderful richness and lushness (not to mention umaminess!). Pull the rind out right before your dish is done, and spread the gooey deliciousness on a piece of bread for an incredible treat.<br /><br />Seaweed might need a little explanation. One of the important topics in umami, for me, is beans. I cook - and eat - a fair amount of beans. They are a fantastic and wonderfully useful ingredient, but they are also singularly lacking in umami. Seriously, try just making, say, a simple black bean stew with tomatoes and cilantro, and it will fall flat, unless you have incredibly ripe fresh tomatoes or you're topping it with a bunch of cheese, or you make it with chicken stock. The problem, as I see it, is that while beans are "meaty" in some sense, they're distinctly <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> meaty in the sense that, by themselves, they lack the power to bring that delicious savory satisfaction. In short, they lack umami.<br /><br />But try cooking your beans with a piece of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombu">kombu</a> first, and it's a whole different story. Kombu is a type of Japanese seaweed that packs a serious umami punch, and putting a little strip in the water when you're cooking your beans is a brilliant way to bring some glutamic acid to the party.<br />I'm not saying you wouldn't want to finish your stew with little cheese in the end, but it's a lot less necessary when you're cooking your beans with kombu.<br /><br />So in short, don't underestimate the importance of umami! If you're cooking with lots of bacon or chicken stock or cheese, you probably don't have to think about it too much, but otherwise it is totally essential. It's one of just five tastes, for Christ's sake - you can't afford to ignore it.<br /><br />If you've got other ideas about bringing the umami, hit up the comments. I'd love to hear them.awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-529559481511553352009-11-09T16:39:00.000-08:002009-11-11T09:01:44.563-08:00Simplest chickpea stewIn case you haven't noticed, we're all about simple, frugal, and delicious cooking here. This might be the epitome of all these things: almost comically simple, it's delightful to eat, and your wallet will hardly even notice.<br /><br />In short, you saute some onion, carrot, and garlic in a little olive oil and butter, add a little wine, then chickpeas with stock and tomato paste. You let it hang out a little all together for a while, then season with some paprika or other red pepper, finish with a little lemon and parmesan, and that's it. Serve with some grain - couscous, orzo, and quinoa are some of my favorites - and something green, and you've got dinner.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADMTDv37VFjFuHCmbr1IRlXZBcFFDL0qr7hmYpQ8MJLZzoMbH7V0qzY7pAnUH7971jcSA8EEpzZZvaJx7ed6ZOpzgUlMVCu8IK_OhbptKOzHa1PzWPelRkTDgd2XZtUSgIDBYAYndWKid/s1600-h/chickpeadinner.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADMTDv37VFjFuHCmbr1IRlXZBcFFDL0qr7hmYpQ8MJLZzoMbH7V0qzY7pAnUH7971jcSA8EEpzZZvaJx7ed6ZOpzgUlMVCu8IK_OhbptKOzHa1PzWPelRkTDgd2XZtUSgIDBYAYndWKid/s320/chickpeadinner.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402463266179931250" border="0" /></a>This is obviously just a template. In its simplicity, this dish also contains another virtue: it invites additions and modifications. Here are just a few ideas:<br /><br />Little bits of meat, whether leftover chicken or some chopped up bacon or pancetta, would be right at home here.<br /><br />Mushrooms would also be a decidedly delicious addition.<br /><br />Add a Parmesan rind with your stock to make a richer and more luscious dish.<br /><br />Onions, carrot, and garlic usually form the base of this dish for me, but there are plenty of other options. Shallots, celery, bell peppers, and leeks come to mind... Or even some chopped olives...<br /><br />For the pepper, paprika is the default, but you can switch it up: try Turkish Aleppo pepper, or smoked paprika, or try stirring in some Harissa (a Morrocan chili paste).<br /><br />Options abound...<br /><br />A quick note about two of the main elements of this dish: the chickpeas and the stock.<br /><br />I highly recommend using dried chickpeas that you cook yourself. Like with most canned beans, canned chickpeas are too mushy for my taste. You can get more toothsome chickpeas by cooking them at home and pulling them off when there's just the right texture. You can also make them extra delicious by cooking them with a piece of kombu.<br /><br />As for the stock, sorry vegetarians - chicken is really where it's at. Of course a good vegetable stock will work wonderfully too; the best, as with the chickpeas, is to make it yourself, whether it be meat of plant based.<br /><br />One last thing: I say to finish this dish with some lemon juice; if you don't have any on hand, use a splash of red wine or sherry vinegar instead, but don't omit this acidic touch, or the dish will likely seem a little flat...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9k3tYQ72z81pz0dU7sdjPk7Rmd4N0Okxy4HHug-pulB2_bD2UU_v8rJaWwC_jq-zMGuiISPY5WPgvi6psWBiGfP6ef-wspJeitkyGgwWMHu0VJ9ql8P4HpcN62hJFQ-ZctWjVKaM2m24O/s1600-h/chickpeastew.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9k3tYQ72z81pz0dU7sdjPk7Rmd4N0Okxy4HHug-pulB2_bD2UU_v8rJaWwC_jq-zMGuiISPY5WPgvi6psWBiGfP6ef-wspJeitkyGgwWMHu0VJ9ql8P4HpcN62hJFQ-ZctWjVKaM2m24O/s320/chickpeastew.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402463548495716546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Simplest Chickpea Stew</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Chop up an onion and a couple carrots, and heat a little olive oil and butter in a deep skillet. Cook onion and carrot over medium heat for 5 minutes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Add a few minced cloves of garlic (I use about 7 or 8), cook for a couple more minutes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Turn up the heat to fairly high, and when heated up add a generous splash of wine (any color will work well, but I prefer white here).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">After a minute or so, add a couple cups of stock and couple tablespoons of tomato paste.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Stir to dissolve, then add 3 cups cooked chickpeas. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cook for 15-20 minutes, until sauce has reduced and thickened to your liking.<br /><br />Add paprika or other red pepper to taste (sorry, can't be much more precise here since peppers vary so wildly in heat and intensity. For mild paprika, you'll probably want about 2-3 tsp.). Add fresh herbs (thyme and oregano are great) if using.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">A splash of soy sauce can be really nice here too, especially if you're not using a meat stock.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Let it all get acquainted for a couple minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in 1 tbsp. or so of lemon juice. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Top with a little parmesan when serving.</span>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-132421900387905672009-10-26T19:03:00.000-07:002009-10-27T07:50:59.400-07:00Best cabbage ever<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGg8-lc-efMXoSzJyXYXQwPapShS6-vynD3RAA_OtXFiaXuZWlsXMLGj_TL-bEE9c5tv2kE8aMWuUuD-J0Fkb_9u-ykbO4doNQ-BfiS-7c7tXBDs2FTy8rBvgpnmzOeFdjLRvlFbZIWZvn/s1600-h/cabbage-tofu-quinoa.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGg8-lc-efMXoSzJyXYXQwPapShS6-vynD3RAA_OtXFiaXuZWlsXMLGj_TL-bEE9c5tv2kE8aMWuUuD-J0Fkb_9u-ykbO4doNQ-BfiS-7c7tXBDs2FTy8rBvgpnmzOeFdjLRvlFbZIWZvn/s320/cabbage-tofu-quinoa.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397101526075107986" border="0" /></a><br />Cabbage is not the sexiest of ingredients, I'll admit it. But I love cabbage. I love its texture when it's been cooked just the right amount of time (i.e. not boiled to death), just lightly toothsome, and the slightly sweet flavor it develops. I'll vouch for cabbage.<br /><br />But there's no convincing to be done with this dish. This is seriously the best cabbage I've ever had. Hands down. It comes from Bryant Terry, whose vegan soul style, as I've said <a href="http://edumacationalenrichment.blogspot.com/2009/05/bryant-terrys-bbq-beans.html">before</a>, I really like.<br /><br />Around here barbecue joints often serve cabbage cooked in pork fat. This is Terry's re-interpretation of the dish. To "make up" for not using pork fat, he uses mustard seeds, pepper flakes, and a little sugar. I put the verb in the previous sentence in scare quotes because really we're not making up for anything here; this cabbage is better than any I've had, animal products or no. And for this one, I actually followed the recipe and don't intend to change it. So simple, yet the result is much more than the sum of its parts. Try it.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh9SmFPrwZ5PjBCaukdFy8xAzy38KPf7T_34q305vsMk08QlURViGvmkbS2-8eNIPL0pzGSV8cnN4u0F8FY4cegnD9MbyIMDc0CzCuU76wZuHWAd7dHGECgoKhs3dOu05dnGTYpnc9rUc/s1600-h/cabbage.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh9SmFPrwZ5PjBCaukdFy8xAzy38KPf7T_34q305vsMk08QlURViGvmkbS2-8eNIPL0pzGSV8cnN4u0F8FY4cegnD9MbyIMDc0CzCuU76wZuHWAd7dHGECgoKhs3dOu05dnGTYpnc9rUc/s320/cabbage.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397101260079398514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"Fried" Cabbage</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Adapted from Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Quarter, core, and slice into thin ribbons a smallish head of cabbage (about 2 pounds).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In a large saute pan, over medium heat combine 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1/2 tsp. salt.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Cook, stirring, until seeds begin to pop after a couple minutes.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Add the cabbage and cooks for 4-5 minutes until it begins to wilt.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Add water, stir, cover, and cook another 4-5 minutes, until water is mostly evaporated.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Voila!</span>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-69539549719471440602009-10-12T18:12:00.000-07:002009-11-11T09:14:31.411-08:00Croute en potiron (pumpkin with cheesy soup / bread pudding)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHW6PEfUsRPrOrKoKSeIBKLxHevGBPWC-JeRBvY8b2QLVaAZSTmljr94f0VJTB7MTyHMr2si55FTnV1CSirF5qCB8VPjb0gGuRMqd3aI27lCIEXWL4dDL1mIWNHoilayF04WR_4Py7Nge/s1600-h/DSCF0038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHW6PEfUsRPrOrKoKSeIBKLxHevGBPWC-JeRBvY8b2QLVaAZSTmljr94f0VJTB7MTyHMr2si55FTnV1CSirF5qCB8VPjb0gGuRMqd3aI27lCIEXWL4dDL1mIWNHoilayF04WR_4Py7Nge/s200/DSCF0038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402889123837720850" border="0" /></a><br />This is a really awesome special occasion dish for vegetarians. It is indulgent, delicious and fussy, everything I like. I made it for "New Dishwasher day" when Alex and I got our new dishwasher installed a week after the old one crapped out on us. It is a bit of a lengthy process but no step is complicated in the slightest and the results are both attractive and tasty.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Croute en potiron</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients for 2 servings:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">One small pie pumpkin per person</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">About 1/4 lb. grated Emmenthal or other Swiss style cheese (I mixed it with parmesan since ours was boring)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">About 3 cups stock (I used chicken this time but veggie stock is delightful)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 stale baguette cut into thin rounds and toasted.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fresh parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, or other fresh herbs</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Garlic</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Wine or brandy</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Preheat the oven to 375.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Scoop out your pumpkins (set aside seeds to roast if you like). After they are all nicely hollowed out, rub the inside with salt and garlic. Set aside.<br /><br />Warm up your stock and add brandy or wine to taste, let it simmer together for a bit to burn off some of the alcohol.<br /><br />Put a thin layer of cheese inside the bottom of the pumpkin, sprinkle fresh herbs and then layer toast. Continue layering alternating cheese herbs and toast until the pumpkin is full.<br /><br />Put the full pumpkin on a baking sheet then pour your doctored stock into the pumpkin over the layers of cheese and bread. Top with a final layer of cheese and herbs.<br /><br />Bake the pumpkins in the middle of the oven until the cheese is golden brown and pumpkins yields to the tip of a knife (err on the side of caution, you do NOT want to overcook the pumpkin or the whole thing will collapse.)<br /><br />Serve the soup in the pumpkin and as you eat it scoop out the pumpkin flesh with the cheesy melty bready soup. Decadence.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-75761633643481988742009-10-12T18:01:00.000-07:002009-10-12T18:11:55.553-07:00End of summer roasted tomatoes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnPIuYbalGg_fFFsOTry3OMA20TdrxzLDQQ4YWUEbjXXWcymsYZB74Rvcd07fYlp0BJrg1oMFLJonx7iCmAUuF2EbAqCRbXGVd03hU5B6TlKq7ekNpUxTJ1XuZzZl5c4gYLC9rE8yi4aW/s1600-h/tomatoes.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnPIuYbalGg_fFFsOTry3OMA20TdrxzLDQQ4YWUEbjXXWcymsYZB74Rvcd07fYlp0BJrg1oMFLJonx7iCmAUuF2EbAqCRbXGVd03hU5B6TlKq7ekNpUxTJ1XuZzZl5c4gYLC9rE8yi4aW/s200/tomatoes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391885910983681954" border="0" /></a><br />This is the perfect thing to do with end of summer tomatoes and it only takes a few minutes. After you broil them you can freeze them or use them right away and it is dead simple. We usually buy the "ugly" (1.50/lb.) tomatoes at the farmers' market. Any kind will do. Preheat the broiler on your oven. Core and slice in half up to 3 lbs. tomatoes, leave the skin on (unless you don't like it, then take it off.) Arrange the tomatoes skins side up in a casserole pan or deep baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Put tomatoes in oven on the center rack and broil until golden brown on top (about 15-20 minutes, but check on them.) At this point you have delicious broiled tomatoes that make a 15 minute sauce taste like you simmered it for hours. We make these on Sunday and use them on weekdays. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRwFj0RvstM3k3u93BXWomja419SFIJwzTy6_Bsqz_xE9AuK4Ll8hfgN2P9yfBjZtkOO2owgDAshY827ofX-wmuDhNPVoyR2nV4eHIzal6n9amSH7VBWbzfi7BxtD7sU-EkLjH2siEcaG/s1600-h/tomatoes.JPG"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-85810596312253586672009-09-23T12:34:00.000-07:002009-09-23T12:37:18.710-07:00You learn something new every day...Who knew that it makes a difference whether you cook your beans <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/perfectly-cooked-beans-leave-the-cover-on-or-off-096360">with the lid on or off</a>?<br /><br /> Not I... at least not until today.awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-29941903104022635572009-09-23T10:51:00.000-07:002009-09-23T11:42:15.900-07:00This is why I'm hotThis is why I'm hot, I don't got to rap<br />I can make a mil saying nothing on a track....<br /><br />That's kind of how I feel about weeknight dinners sometimes. Ok maybe minus some of the boisterousness, plus we always need to do <span style="font-style: italic;">some</span> work... But the point is that it's possible to put out banging meals on a weeknight with very little effort, which is almost the same thing as making a million dollars for not saying anything....<br /><br />Anyways what I want to talk about here is always having semi-prepared foods around. No I don't mean packaged stuff you buy from Trader Joe's, but items that you partially put together on weekends or whenever you have time or feel inspired, then keep around in the fridge. This allows you to cook meals in 20 minutes that taste like they take hours. This is the key to making killer weeknight dinners.<br /><br />Here are some things you'll often find in our fridge and freezer:<br /><br />Marinated veggies: Blanch or roast veggies like carrots or peppers. Cook them until barely soft, then put in a jar with salt and cover with olive oil. If you're feeling fancy add a little vinegar or a clove of garlic. These are great additions to sauces.<br /><br />Pesto cubes: at the end of the summer when we rip up our basil plants we make a huge batch of pesto, then freeze it in ice cube trays. A cube of this stuff can do magic to many dishes, or just be used with pasta.<br /><br />Stock cubes: homemade stock, frozen in ice cube trays, are crucial. Thinning a sauce? Deglazing a pan? This is good stuff to use.<br /><br />Marinated tofu: you'll find it a lot easier to make tofu tasty if it's already marinated in your fridge.<br /><br />Cooked beans: I guess you could just stock canned beans, if you don't mind your beans mushy and metallic tasting. But the dried ones are so much better (and not as much of a hassle as many think; more on that in a later post). I like to cook them until they're just barely tender to allow for better control over their texture when I'm using with them later. This is a great habit to get into on sunday afternoons: prepare a pot of beans to use throughout the week.<br /><br />Cooked grains: whenever you cook some grains, why not cook twice as much as you need? Keep the rest in your fridge, and it's ready to go for next time.<br /><br />Chopped up leftover meats: let's say you do some grilling on the weekend, and there's a couple of chicken drumsticks leftover. Take the meat of the bone, chop it up into little bits, and keep it around. Now it's ready to go into stews, soups, sauces, frittatas, whatever...<br /><br />There's plenty more options of course. Anything you use that's not on the list? Hit up the comments!<br /><br />Now to come full circle, I'll leave you with this pretty hot remix of the song quoted at the top:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x0KSb-3tNOA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x0KSb-3tNOA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-81938261249869025262009-08-17T14:38:00.000-07:002009-08-17T14:59:47.421-07:00Food thought....The folks over at Ideas in Food come up with some pretty crazy stuff. They probe, deconstruct, and examine food in ways I would never think of. Case in point: <a href="http://blog.ideasinfood.com/ideas_in_food/2009/08/one-minute-pasta.html">this recent post</a> about pasta. They figured out that you can leave pasta to soak for a while in cold liquid, and then cook it like fresh pasta by just dropping it in a hot water for a minute.<br /><br />This brings up a couple of questions:<br /><br />Most immediately, how can we use this technique to create new and delicious things? Soaking in chicken stock or tomato broth immediately come to mind....<br /><br />But thinking bigger for a moment, what else do we prepare unthinkingly that could be done in new ways? What else could we do differently to open up new doors?awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-49531548082157937302009-07-31T04:32:00.000-07:002009-07-31T05:31:27.470-07:00Quick tip: egg in your pasta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS3J9FYjbKSUFjHwkRexAwLoZiAFMdQJmQi7SH-GbsZ9iKZ0yyFYiJaWHTLWwvTF-SLZOHdeE1O9EmVtGYInQlFpTNIZZFDNn_j5VZNDL0g3UUw4164pTEAyRgmybyXRJFlDjftr76bt_/s1600-h/DSCN1392.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS3J9FYjbKSUFjHwkRexAwLoZiAFMdQJmQi7SH-GbsZ9iKZ0yyFYiJaWHTLWwvTF-SLZOHdeE1O9EmVtGYInQlFpTNIZZFDNn_j5VZNDL0g3UUw4164pTEAyRgmybyXRJFlDjftr76bt_/s320/DSCN1392.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364586548437885218" /></a>Here's a quick tip to add a little something to quick simple pasta sauces: crack and egg over your hot pasta before you add your sauce. <div><br /></div><div>The idea is to add a little creaminess, a little luxuriance, to your dish, but without rendering it heavy. This can bring a simple pasta with, say, olive oil, garlic, herbs, and cherry tomatoes to the next level.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's how you do it: when your pasta is ready, strain it and quickly return it to the pot (or to a separate bowl). Crack an egg over the pasta, and mix it in vigorously. The result should be a kind of airy creamy sauce (it should not be little bits of scrambled eggs). This essentially is the technique you use to make carbonara: add a bunch of cheese and bacon and you've got that dish. But add instead some veggies sauteed in olive oil, and finish with just a touch of parmesan, and you've got a brilliant summer dish: light and delicious, with just the slightest hint of decadence. Try it with ripe bell peppers, or with shredded zucchini brightened with lemon. </div><div><br /></div><div>One more advantage of this technique: it does great things to whole wheat pasta, which I don't normally love.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's my current favorite way of using this idea. It hardly seems like it necessitates a recipe, but here it is. Use about 1 egg for every 1/2 pound of pasta.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Heat water for pasta. Add pasta when water is boiling.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet and chop a bunch of garlic. Cook (along with some dried hot pepper, if desired) until garlic just turns golden. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Add in a splash of white wine, a couple tablespoons of the pasta water, some salt, and let cook for a few minutes. Add fresh herbs just a couple minutes before the pasta is done.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">When pasta is ready, quickly drain, return to pot, crack an egg over the pasta, and mix vigorously for about 30 seconds. You should have a light, airy creamy sauce.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Add some halved cherry tomatoes and the garlic/oil/herb mix and toss all together. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Finish with a little parmesan and some fresh ground pepper, and serve immediately. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-36761830971834139402009-07-21T16:34:00.000-07:002009-07-21T17:14:26.710-07:00White wine sangria: my new favorite summer drink<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVIqATqe6CyPzY_4jZEHyXaXsb1ToD-546R6eErS-eWLeC3_QRiYeTIIFpqAzkU9CJMvuJY9ipNpBZKS1Y4DowC6q2hYBpy53NY62dutD9NZYkjheDHyPLNY8w6QzpPHrfct0wl-Egv6c/s1600-h/DSCN1411.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVIqATqe6CyPzY_4jZEHyXaXsb1ToD-546R6eErS-eWLeC3_QRiYeTIIFpqAzkU9CJMvuJY9ipNpBZKS1Y4DowC6q2hYBpy53NY62dutD9NZYkjheDHyPLNY8w6QzpPHrfct0wl-Egv6c/s320/DSCN1411.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361063492107579890" /></a><div>Sangria often sucks. In fact, I don't think I've ever encountered a red wine sangria I've really liked. Red wine seems to me to lack the brightness, the vitality, to make a good summer drink. Add that to the fact that most seem to think you should use the crappiest wine you can find to make the drink, and you've got a recipe for disgusting.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>White wine, sangria, on the other hand, can be truly excellent. With higher acidity levels, less tannins, and generally less volatile components, white wine lends itself much better to this type of drink. I remember a version from a cuban restaurant in Portland (Pambiche) called the Palm Beach Cooler. I can't recall what exactly was in it, but it definitely involved lime and fresh sugarcane. That was good stuff: delicious, refreshing, vivacious, it was everything a summer drink should be. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So this summer I've set about refining and perfecting a white wine sangria of my own, working off a recipe Lindsey originally used. This drink is brightened with lime juice, sweetened with ginger ale, and fortified with rum, creating a kind of Cuban/Caribbean flavor profile (I told you that palm beach cooler has been on my mind...). Then you add in whatever fruit is fresh and on hand (often peaches for me) and serve it over ice. I've dubbed the drink <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">El Veraniego</span>, which translates roughly to something like "the summery one".</div><div><br /></div><div>A note on the wine: as you might have gathered from what I said earlier, I don't believe in using crap wine to make sangria. Boring wine, sure. Bad wine, no. The things you add in might mask some off flavors, but using bad wine will still make an inferior drink. Conversely, any subtleties of a good white will be lost, so don't bother using anything too nice. Dry and unremarkable is ideal. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">El Veraniego </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">1 750ml bottle of decent dry white wine</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">10 oz. (1 1/4 cup) ginger ale</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">4 tbsp. (1/4 cup) rum</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">2 tbsp. (or more, depending on your wine) fresh lime juice</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Fresh fruit, cut up</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">A few crushed mint leaves (optional)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Combine all ingredients. Let sit all together in the fridge for an hour or two.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Serve over ice.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div>Watch out!</div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-25873285651943040552009-07-11T13:27:00.000-07:002009-07-11T14:19:08.654-07:00Summer cookin' : quick fresh tomato sauce<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dKuXFeF6WkF6bFToymMS8Id5ciTSerX2tUimAFXCWAz9nPqH7_yOTFatVESO04Xuxpr2am65XfpyT1b-cXCvOEvbnECXK0SpGO5QKRV8EkzcHFORpG7mladPGCer7Lt9cvUh_MZ1lZVY/s1600-h/roma+on+vine.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dKuXFeF6WkF6bFToymMS8Id5ciTSerX2tUimAFXCWAz9nPqH7_yOTFatVESO04Xuxpr2am65XfpyT1b-cXCvOEvbnECXK0SpGO5QKRV8EkzcHFORpG7mladPGCer7Lt9cvUh_MZ1lZVY/s320/roma+on+vine.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357314132022856546" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXaEEOpkf37YimBTJSZWF6sPhyphenhyphenT6txaGlPmgSZQH0e_ulS53-pWwMeQ7rryWBxxqU-9jejmhUS2urChJJpVelo8t8VK4htIQTmvZFHgKDN_xMVCrOyYl5iK3HnmGKRDXeaOc9U9LKdq5S/s1600-h/DSCN1397.JPG"></a>Sorry for the interruption in the posts for a while there folks, but traveling got in the way... I'm back now (though Lindsey is off in Switzerland), so you can expect semi-regular posts.<br /><br />Now that it's July, I am happily drowning in the summer goodness of tomatoes. They're coming in all colors: red, obviously, but also gold, purple, and even black. We are getting a serious bumper crop in the garden this year, and I'm loving it.<br /><br />It is hot here in Carolina in the summer. So when you haul in plump, fresh tomatoes from the yard, you have the twin objectives of 1. preserving the deliciousness of the fruit, and 2. not killing yourself by standing over a hot stove for any length of time. Luckily, these two goals come together beautifully in the quick tomato sauce. How delicious the quick tomato sauce can be - when made right (which is not very difficult) and with peak fruit - cannot be overstated.<br /><div>Really it should be called a tomato-olive oil sauce, since the oil is almost as important here as the tomatoes. It is the key to the luscious mouthfeel of the sauce, to the almost silky texture you get as the tomatoes break down.<br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXaEEOpkf37YimBTJSZWF6sPhyphenhyphenT6txaGlPmgSZQH0e_ulS53-pWwMeQ7rryWBxxqU-9jejmhUS2urChJJpVelo8t8VK4htIQTmvZFHgKDN_xMVCrOyYl5iK3HnmGKRDXeaOc9U9LKdq5S/s320/DSCN1397.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357313861312985538" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><br /></div><div>As for the tomatoes, you can use almost any kind, but I think what works best here are meatier ones. We've been growing German Johnsons this year, and I find these work exceptionally well.</div><div><br />So there are really just </div><div>three key things to remember here:<br /><br />1. Don't overcook (not hard when it's really hot)<br />2. Use only really fresh, really ripe tomatoes. Your sauce will only be as good as your tomatoes are.<br />3. Don't be shy with the olive oil.<br /><br />Now you can strip this recipe down even further if you want - really, the bare bones are simply oil, salt, and tomatoes - but this is how I like to do it, with copious amount of garlic.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pasta with Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Heat water for pasta in a pot.<br /><br />Chop up a head of garlic (seriously) and heat about 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet on medium-heat. Add garlic, and cook until it just starts to turn golden.<br /><br />Add a splash of white white wine, let it cook off for a minute, then add 1.5-2 lbs. roughly chopped tomatoes. Salt, and crank the heat up to medium so it gets bubbling vigorously.<br /><br />Meanwhile, add a pound of pasta to your boiling water (I recommend penne). Your tomatoes should cook for about as long as your pasta: 10 mins.<br /><br />Drain the pasta just a little before it is done. Return to pot, add with tomato sauce, and put on low heat, stirring to mix everything together. Cook for 3 minutes.<br /><br />Finish with a little parmesan, and consume with a bottle of chilled white wine.<br /><br /></span></div>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-61934705565475678512009-05-06T05:42:00.000-07:002009-05-07T14:34:52.011-07:00BBQ beans and riceIf you haven't checked out Bryant Terry's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Soul-Kitchen-Creative-African-American/dp/0738212288/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241648402&sr=8-1">Vegan Soul Kitchen</a> yet, I highly recommend you do so soon. Terry is a really interesting and thoughtful cook who goes back to an older notion of southern cooking, more focused on vegetables and fresh ingredients, but with plenty of modern and playful twists. Go read his "<a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/reclaiming-true-grits">Reclaiming True Grits</a>" essay to get an idea of his philosophy.<br /><br />I love the idea of Vegan Soul Kitchen for a couple of reasons. First, it shows that you can in fact make banging soul food that is also healthy and fresh. But I also like it because, though I am by no stretch of the imagination vegan, learning how to prepare delicious vegan meals makes you a better cook. When you can't rely on bacon or cream to cover up for an otherwise bland dish, you learn how to better construct a dish to make it flavorful. And moving on from there, you get a better sense of how you should use animal products on a day to day basis: judiciously, not just because.<br /><br />I only got this book recently, and until yesterday had only made his coleslaw, which uses silken tofu instead of mayo to create a slaw that is more delicate and subtle - but also far more delicious - than most slaws I've had. None of that gopy heavy stuff... Yesterday I came home and decided to try something else out of the book, but of course I had no interest in going shopping, so a few substitutions were made.<br /><br /><br />Given the ingredients I had at home, I decided to make a dish called Boppin' John, essentially bbq beans served over rice. It was supposed to be made with black-eyed peas, but I'd recently used up what we had at home, so I used white beans instead. It was also supposed to have tempeh in it, another thing I was out of, and the only other soy product I had was tofu. While I don't think the bean switch was detrimental to the dish, I will go ahead and say it would be better to use tempeh, or to fry the crumbled tofu first to make crispy little tofu pieces, as the crumbled tofu I simply added in was texturally lacking. I also halved the amount of agave nectar (Terry's preferred sweetener), and I am glad I made that choice. Feel free to add more sweetener if that's how you like it.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">BBQ beans and rice (Boppin' John)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Adapted f</span><span style="font-style: italic;">rom Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5P-N2I850IetfTGv01uTWxY-e1dk5bSkQPoqL9cJAu621nkw553Y3EwkzYZOlhOUWo4jJjY6F5l_LRU90FbXY8J9m6aNj5putN3ChzNMD1cNcvgET2ic5RfntKyGNBTEsbeO2IS7Zpy2/s1600-h/bbqbeans.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5P-N2I850IetfTGv01uTWxY-e1dk5bSkQPoqL9cJAu621nkw553Y3EwkzYZOlhOUWo4jJjY6F5l_LRU90FbXY8J9m6aNj5putN3ChzNMD1cNcvgET2ic5RfntKyGNBTEsbeO2IS7Zpy2/s320/bbqbeans.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332690819203188370" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />- Cook 1 1/2 cup beans in ampl</span><span style="font-style: italic;">e salte</span><span style="font-style: italic;">d water until just tender. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the liquid. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Meanwhile, cook up a mediu</span><span style="font-style: italic;">m</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> onion in some olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add 3-4 (or more) mince</span><span style="font-style: italic;">d cloves of garlic. Cook another couple minutes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Preheat oven to 350 F.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-In a blender, combine 2 tbsp. vinegar (sherry or red wine or cider), 1/2 cup tamari, 1 cup of canned tomatoes, 1 chipotle pepper, 1/4 cup agave nectar, 1 tbsp cumin, some thyme, the reserved bean liquid, and a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until smooth.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-In an ovenproof dish, combine the beans, 1/2 pound crumbled tempeh (or fried crumbled tofu), the onions and garlic, and the sauce from the blender.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Bake for about 1 1/2 hours.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Serve over rice (or, in my case, rice tinted yellow with turmeric because it looks cool). This would also be delicious served over polenta or grits.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-58424543007437592412009-04-26T14:56:00.001-07:002009-05-07T14:35:57.084-07:00Morels!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hXY7n8mZMq0XPVIunSQFr6gzk1LxlY-Naq9-L0SHCsODgVllpgDrxc3ocmLIiS2ed9Hohe4hmsiuJwALBpuUbAx-ljcduHkH3VHdOCt0whd4ds9I3PwlKUqvRSdO-wcEvkzWUwltz-jZ/s1600-h/morels1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hXY7n8mZMq0XPVIunSQFr6gzk1LxlY-Naq9-L0SHCsODgVllpgDrxc3ocmLIiS2ed9Hohe4hmsiuJwALBpuUbAx-ljcduHkH3VHdOCt0whd4ds9I3PwlKUqvRSdO-wcEvkzWUwltz-jZ/s320/morels1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329132765644926578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Until the heat wave hit us full blast here in NC (it's 90 degrees as I write this), it was morel season, that brief, delicious periods in which the mysterious fungi appear.<br /><br />Thanks to Lindsey and her intrepid crew of mushroom hunters, we had three glorious meals in the course of a week. They went out to their secret location three times, each time bringing back a bigger haul.<br /><br />All the meals were riffs on the same theme, because there is no need to tinker too much with something so delicious. A light hand, a little butter, a little cream, and a few ingredients that highlight the morel flavor, served over a little pasta: that is the winning formula. And always with a light, earthy, red wine, of course.<br /><br />The first meal involved penne and a little spring onions, all prepared quite simply. We cracked open a bottle of Bugey that we had hauled all the way back from France last Christmas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNSbqdMiM6d22Yk2p_dgYKn0tzpdYahBE8Ghjtov4fwWPPnl6KROBwYppG2KeI3skjj1KWJnuJHaDNTfBMLfT0sDfaWKGN9ba9Yy0L3hRDxPO_lSF0CaSAxc5exOk6Jih_ax1IMvFxPPa/s1600-h/morelmeal1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNSbqdMiM6d22Yk2p_dgYKn0tzpdYahBE8Ghjtov4fwWPPnl6KROBwYppG2KeI3skjj1KWJnuJHaDNTfBMLfT0sDfaWKGN9ba9Yy0L3hRDxPO_lSF0CaSAxc5exOk6Jih_ax1IMvFxPPa/s320/morelmeal1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329127136491001586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The second meal got a little fancier. Lindsey cooked up some skillet roasted chicken thighs and served the whole thing over orzo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5kKMngCqW6SrQ8lJmCvanlSO8w1d3OExB-VM-YC0HuTMrigiNbi1oxwRB_eX-opuk6g3wN1tBumzXKn4G12WQM95nsFHdgsRCf8Fy5S8a2X2L6_kALBDMjSYjKqyZ0ahgOuLDaqoRMwe/s1600-h/morelmeal2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5kKMngCqW6SrQ8lJmCvanlSO8w1d3OExB-VM-YC0HuTMrigiNbi1oxwRB_eX-opuk6g3wN1tBumzXKn4G12WQM95nsFHdgsRCf8Fy5S8a2X2L6_kALBDMjSYjKqyZ0ahgOuLDaqoRMwe/s320/morelmeal2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329130440939670626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The third and final haul was by far the biggest, and this one was prepared with another seasonal delicacy: asparagus. The morels and the asparagus complemented each other beautifully, and with so many morels this time the taste was far more pronounced.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-zj5OSTTtdiQ4WrTlX7IhufLooIq51W51oUYFv8ogiM5QJKbLzJ_pImB38yvp8E8BBAlRPlQKsYoJV2uVo_z-2EeasfD2d8MQqydRElj0DqWD_cDJp47IdojPODAkCL4EXAGd2D5N0g7/s1600-h/morelmeal3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-zj5OSTTtdiQ4WrTlX7IhufLooIq51W51oUYFv8ogiM5QJKbLzJ_pImB38yvp8E8BBAlRPlQKsYoJV2uVo_z-2EeasfD2d8MQqydRElj0DqWD_cDJp47IdojPODAkCL4EXAGd2D5N0g7/s320/morelmeal3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329132897677228194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm looking forward to next spring already...awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-7151295741690302842009-04-16T13:01:00.000-07:002009-08-20T12:58:55.253-07:00Vegetarian Wine Dinner<p>After the success of our <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/host_your_own.html">last wine dinner</a>, where we focused on sherries, Lindsey and I figured it was high time for a new edition. Spring has come here to North Carolina, and the farmers markets are coming back to life, so we wanted to capture the fresh, bright flavors of the season.</p> <p>We had gotten, since the last dinner, a number of requests from our dietarily restricted friends. Because it seemed like a fun and interesting challenge, we decided to make this dinner meat-free.</p> <p>Now a note on the philosophy behind this: vegetarian cooking can be wonderful, creative, and satisfying, but there’s two things it should not be. It should never try to pretend to be meat, or in some sense try to make up for the lack of meat. It should stand on its own, proudly, not trying to live up to some meaty standard. On the other hand, it should not feel austere or have any air of health-nut self-righteous masochism. So no mock chicken, and no sacrificing deliciousness.</p> <p>In developing the menu, it became clear that the wines were all going to be white. The flavors were bright, the fresh herbs plentiful, the spices liberally dispensed, and the generally more refreshing and acidic flavor profiles of white wines just worked better.</p> <p>So that was the game plan: all vegetarian and all white.</p> <p>We started off with some little bites and some <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/avinyovidagulla.html">Vi D’Agulla</a> 07, the lightly sparkling wine from <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/avinyo.html">Avinyó</a>.</p><p> </p><p><img src="file:///Users/alexanderwallace/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///Users/alexanderwallace/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwJx2b0C1_K2ESHfFfNkbrVsbUy_LjUYB3YBKpE41I9l5HuOS7BNnD-j9tdShDWJjUX_i0fFuusClwDnzSk7gpTU1iV8UuoP9YePBM9p33mkTHane5heUzFk93CH2HmUjk5pHuYUDJe8X/s1600-h/tapas"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwJx2b0C1_K2ESHfFfNkbrVsbUy_LjUYB3YBKpE41I9l5HuOS7BNnD-j9tdShDWJjUX_i0fFuusClwDnzSk7gpTU1iV8UuoP9YePBM9p33mkTHane5heUzFk93CH2HmUjk5pHuYUDJe8X/s320/tapas" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372137259068453538" border="0" /></a></p> <img src="file:///C:/Users/Office/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><p>We had so<img src="file:///C:/Users/Office/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" />me roasted almonds with pimentón, and carrots marinated in olive oil, sherry and garlic. There were little crostinis: one with a generously-herbed feta and another, reminiscent of a sping picnic in the French countryside, with butter, radishes, coarse salt, and a little leaf of fresh oregano. Lastly, there was the new house favorite: kale chips. These are pieces of kale tossed with olive oil, cider vinegar, and salt, and baked until perfectly crispy. The effect is odd, tantalizing, and addictive: a shattering crisp rapidly gives way to a melting texture, while the flavor is salty, a little sour, and wonderfully vegetal.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcQOXfeIe_Ufah3wVCSmnKx2Erj_FTq9jxIhaMxnCpRYR88a737pQp-BqOHsXTxUHGIlvPXF4GH0vBvd4kT9II18TkKaENc9tvJFu0VwUjU8YC4qiQ6kqFLIdIBw4T9drrLNofSLiW_S2/s1600-h/fritter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcQOXfeIe_Ufah3wVCSmnKx2Erj_FTq9jxIhaMxnCpRYR88a737pQp-BqOHsXTxUHGIlvPXF4GH0vBvd4kT9II18TkKaENc9tvJFu0VwUjU8YC4qiQ6kqFLIdIBw4T9drrLNofSLiW_S2/s320/fritter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325382217856230418" border="0" /></a></p><p>After the Vi D’Agulla was dispatched, we sat down to the first dish, a chickpea-sweet potato fritter on a bed of fresh pea shoots with a homemade cumin-pimentón aioli.</p> <p>The fritters themselves were earthy and enriched by the rich aioli, the whole thing complemented by the clean, crisp, pea shoot.</p> <p>The wine here was the <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/gurrutxagatxakolina.html">Gurrutxaga Txakolina</a> 07. We’re a wee bit obsessed with txakolina here, and while it may be a slight exaggeration to say that it plays well with pretty much anything that isn’t too sweet, it showed beautifully here, clear citrus notes singing.</p> <p>After that came a soup of roasted garlic and lemon with truffle oil croutons (photo missing, sorry). Lots and lots of garlic, mostly roasted with a little fresh, a dash of cream, and a hefty dose of fresh lemon juice for the high note. We had this with the <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/acoroa.html">A Coroa</a> <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/acoroagodello.html">Godello</a> 2007. I’m not sure if it was some combination of the crisp wine with the lemon in the soup or something else, but to me the whole thing was actually reminscent of seafood, like there was something almost ocean-y about it despite it lacking anything from the sea…</p> <p>Next up, portabello caps stuffed with risotto and topped with homemade fresh cheese.</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTonoR1Wzh5x3kOSN9A2luyQ9uAR1V6t91z8qAccm4UAenUULsgkfDQG3P7oR1tgKfhdAdDmoG97qrXMYbo5rLAESIJz7Kq12Ak2L6Z915Lyf6Un3hxGqBuAPjZpfw1AaeWKNm4MFZrJAz/s1600-h/stuffed+mushroom"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTonoR1Wzh5x3kOSN9A2luyQ9uAR1V6t91z8qAccm4UAenUULsgkfDQG3P7oR1tgKfhdAdDmoG97qrXMYbo5rLAESIJz7Kq12Ak2L6Z915Lyf6Un3hxGqBuAPjZpfw1AaeWKNm4MFZrJAz/s320/stuffed+mushroom" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372137480181392834" border="0" /></a></p><p>This was the most complex dish of the meal. The mushroom caps were marinated then grilled. The risotto was made with lots of spring garlic and spring onion, and a good amount of saffron. After the mushroom caps were stuffed with the risotto, we added toasted pine nuts on top, and then finally the cheese. The whole thing finally went into the broiler for a few minutes.</p> <p>We brought out the <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/ostatu.html">Ostatu</a> <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/ostatublanco.html">Blanco Rioja</a> 07 here, since it was calling for a a slightly rounder wine then what we’d been drinking until now.</p> <p>Finally, dessert. Thanks to our deliciously mild weather here in North Carolina, we could enjoy the first strawberries of the season.</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZACTpJZeou7X8rfNQA32PqEo2a0L_LhZKJocN8yfIrYc0JGSRoFgb371Zzzp48QGUYjqbbuWQOrY63bw0JX6vXmyzEprC0HnVX_PqpzMt9YoGqJ68Hr0_xNXyig6y5Lld-NzSXMUXfZWA/s1600-h/dessert"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZACTpJZeou7X8rfNQA32PqEo2a0L_LhZKJocN8yfIrYc0JGSRoFgb371Zzzp48QGUYjqbbuWQOrY63bw0JX6vXmyzEprC0HnVX_PqpzMt9YoGqJ68Hr0_xNXyig6y5Lld-NzSXMUXfZWA/s320/dessert" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372137654413124898" border="0" /></a></p><p>What we did was slice the strawberries and arrange then in a circle. We sprinkled them with crushed pistachios, and drizzled them with a balsamic syrup reduction. And in the middle, a little mound of chocolate goat cheese from <a href="http://www.celebritydairy.com/dairy/dairy_main.htm">Celebrity Dairy</a>. I know, chocolate goat cheese sounds wierd. And it is, but in a delicious way. It’s very sweet, so you only want a little, and the goatiness is muted by the chocolate but still present, just enough to give it something special and keep things interesting.</p> <p>The dish was crying out for something with nutty caramel notes to accompany it, and the obvious choice was <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/maestrosierrapx.html">Pedro Ximenez</a> sherry. This one was from <a href="http://www.demaisonselections.com/maestrosierra.html">El Maestro Sierra</a>, and it did not disappoint.</p> <p>That was the last of the dishes, but it was not the last of the wine drinking. As often happens, the porrón came out after the meal, and yours truly was all too happy to demonstrate its proper use.</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEV-3-mSSttxrkLVzfoHCvAKK1OKuHLsKF0VFQu-kXwjyUTklP8GJfgLCiHgjWyCk6dVu8QVjLDt0UeT_lSzUmVnfbma5W20KxPW1U4MrQuQVao8vMkPk0gjxd9yXsEOMaMgOyd-C_zFJo/s1600-h/alexporron"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEV-3-mSSttxrkLVzfoHCvAKK1OKuHLsKF0VFQu-kXwjyUTklP8GJfgLCiHgjWyCk6dVu8QVjLDt0UeT_lSzUmVnfbma5W20KxPW1U4MrQuQVao8vMkPk0gjxd9yXsEOMaMgOyd-C_zFJo/s320/alexporron" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372137819631817410" border="0" /></a></p> <p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>(Thanks to Meg Kassabaum for the pictures)</p>awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7918088210236724647.post-56186958471161863292009-02-27T12:31:00.000-08:002009-02-27T15:35:43.122-08:00Polenta, and a successful dinnerThe last two dishes I've cooked have been - how to put this? - if not exactly failures, then at least pretty blah. One involved a not-so-great combination of flavors, the other involved burnt garlic, among other issues (Burnt garlic?! Who does that? How amateurish...). I needed to redeem myself a little and give my culinary ego a little boost, and so I set out to cook dinner last night determined to make something more than just palatable. Jeff and Lindsey agreed that my creation was indeed quite tasty, the only criticism being that it was little unfocused. If nothing else it was aesthetically pleasing:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnY9l_Zrwt3OmIi7YrJ-_c02k4c5LP3tjRPHSYyJGYP2xqWHx6fsx1qvNmDgrIZTMyYHc5dSncyIKgFaDiw4rPf353mSl-K0Rqg_UxG-2qE8jJfF0DOVuzTGFxbO9GxXa2oWb44PHoqeuh/s1600-h/polentaegg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnY9l_Zrwt3OmIi7YrJ-_c02k4c5LP3tjRPHSYyJGYP2xqWHx6fsx1qvNmDgrIZTMyYHc5dSncyIKgFaDiw4rPf353mSl-K0Rqg_UxG-2qE8jJfF0DOVuzTGFxbO9GxXa2oWb44PHoqeuh/s320/polentaegg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307623508096071042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I started off by slowly cooking onions, carrots, and white sweet potato in abundant olive oil in a cast iron skillet, eventually adding some frozen bell peppers, a couple chipotle peppers, and garlic, which I did not burn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNnQ_WyxS1hWpfU8No9Co-dSbFnF3BMTJWavCPd47beXgldyYd984dzKFFJENUadDeI9iP7_v2GoZWcw54l0PETDvU9TER0Gnj9tJa-D_GnkNNPu2x8oQ4egIN79LOARzxsyNTXEporvn/s1600-h/veggiessaute.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNnQ_WyxS1hWpfU8No9Co-dSbFnF3BMTJWavCPd47beXgldyYd984dzKFFJENUadDeI9iP7_v2GoZWcw54l0PETDvU9TER0Gnj9tJa-D_GnkNNPu2x8oQ4egIN79LOARzxsyNTXEporvn/s320/veggiessaute.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307623968479812690" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At the very end I added some incredibly tasty baby spinach from the farmer's market, cooking it just long enough for it to wilt, and a splash of sherry vinegar (see <a href="http://edumacationalenrichment.blogspot.com/2009/01/secret-ingredients.html">ingredients I put in pre</a><a href="http://edumacationalenrichment.blogspot.com/2009/01/secret-ingredients.html">tty much everything</a>). I served this over polenta, and topped it off with a fried egg and a little bit of grated pecorino. Ok so you can see why this might have seemed a little unfocused: there was a lot going on for one dish. But at least all the flavors were delightful and on good behavior, not clashing with each other despite a couple strong personalities. It all went down quite well with a bottle of vinho verde.<br /><br />Let's talk about the polenta for a second. I adore polenta, but when something involves almost constant stirring for 20 minutes, it will inevitably fall into the category of "something I make only occasionaly." I wish it weren't so, but it's the truth. Then I discovered that there is actually a way to cook polenta without stirring! It takes about twice as long, but who cares when you can kick back and sip your whiskey while it does its thing? It goes like this:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">No-stir Oven Polenta</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Preheat your oven to 360 degrees.<br /><br />Depending on how thick you want your polenta, use anywhere between 4 and 7 cups of liquid for every cup of polenta.<br /><br />Mix polenta and liquid together in an oven-proof pot.<br /><br />Bake for 40 minutes with the lid off.<br /><br /><br /></span>That's all it is. Personally my favorite way to do it is to use 4-5 cups of stock, then when I pull it out of the oven stir in 1/2 cup of whole milk and either a little butter or parmesan. But there are so many ways to tweak it, it's fun to play around and this recipe is very forgiving.awhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16114952833510365423noreply@blogger.com3