Revel & Feast

Compost Cuisine: Amazing Ways to Make Delicious Food Out of Garbage

2012-01-12T19:34:00.000-05:00

Reblogged from AlterNet.com:

Chefs are taking sustainability to new heights by gazing into the depths: that is, at what would otherwise be deemed not fit to eat.

January 11, 2012 |

Photo Credit: Chad Harder

Think you're living the anti-waste life? OK then. Pop quiz:

When you eat dates, do you also eat the pits?

Trace Leighton does. As the co-owner of Origen, a "farm-to-fork" restaurant in Berkeley, California, Leighton saves date seeds, then dries them and grinds them into a paste that subtly flavors trifle and honeycake.

"They're high in protein," she says.

She also halves nectarine pits and extracts their kernels, grinding these into pastes or boiling them into delicately flavored syrups.

If milk sours in her kitchen, she bakes with it rather than pour it down the drain. Coffee left over in coffeepots at day's end? Freeze it in ice-cube trays: These babies won't dilute tomorrow's iced-coffee drinks.

Such waste-not ingenuity is part of a new movement among chefs who are taking sustainability to new heights by gazing into the depths: that is, at what would otherwise be deemed not fit to eat. While we've heard of snout-to-tail, "whole-animal" restaurateurship, the practice of creating fabulous dishes from stems, seeds, skins and other usually discarded plant parts gives "bottom of the food chain" a whole new meaning.

Sean Baker, who spearheads this movement, calls it "compost cuisine."

"When you have high respect for how things are raised and produced, you're not going to throw any parts of them away if you can help it," says Baker, who was named Esquire magazine's 2010 Chef of the Year and is the executive chef at Gather restaurant -- also in Berkeley. "If we're using the whole animal, then why not use cauliflower leaves, carrot peels, corncobs and cornsilk?"

At Gather, he turns carrot parings and lemon peel to ash in a hot oven, then uses the ash to flavor sauces and vinaigrettes. Grilled and charred cobs and tough tomato ends become highly concentrated microstock. Deep-fried cornsilk becomes a lacy, spun-sugarish garnish. Squash stems are suvéed and stuffed, canneloni-style. Baker uses watermelon in at least eight different ways -- including pickling its rind and juicing and gelling its peel.

While the many-fingered citron known as a Buddha's hand is typically used only as a decoration or for its zest, Baker pressure-cooks then purées the whole fruit to make a sauce for Dungeness crab, or flavored with pork skin, for pizza.

"It takes extra work to think and cook sustainably. It's tough, because sometimes you aren't able to use it all. I can't save every single beet top," Baker says with a sigh, "although I wish I could."

Gather's popular kale salad "blows through a hundred pounds of kale a week." Because the salad uses only leaves, "I sat down with a notepad trying to think of how to use kale stems."

Solution: Pressure-cook these tough, fibrous rods, braise them in puttanesca broth with anchovies and tomatoes, then serve them with melted burrata on toast.

"They come out almost like noodles."

At the organic farm in Ben Lomond where he buys fresh produce, "sometimes we'll be looking at something and the farmer says, 'Oh, I'm gonna compost that' -- and I say, 'No, I'm gonna cook that.'"

One day, Baker noticed that the farm's Little Gem lettuces were brilliantly, beautifully green -- but bolted. (When leafy vegetables reach the end of their growing cycle, they "bolt" up tough, tree-trunklike seed-bearing stems. Bolted lettuce is typically dismissed as too hard and bitter to eat.)

Baker surprised the farmer by buying the Little Gems.

"We marinated them, suvéed them, sliced them, then finished them on the grill. They ended up not tasting bitter at all. They looked like sushi rolls" -- and went onto Gather's vegan charcuterie plate.

At Origen, Leighton and co-owner Daniel Clayton boil fruit cores and peels into syrups to use in sodas and cocktails. Ditto fennel fronds. Bumpy Brussels-sprout ends, spinach stems and other typically discarded produce parts are boiled into stock, puréed into mousses, diced and sautéed and served au gratin.

"When they're cooked, when they break down, they've got just as much flavor" as the more favored parts of produce. "They just aren't as pretty," Leighton says.

Rather than composting bruised and overripe fruit, she uses it in sauces and spicy-sweet Southeast Asian sambals. Too-soft fuyu persimmons recently went into a butter-tequila-lime sauce, served over striped bass. Mushy tomatoes become house-made ketchup. Squash seeds go into nutty-tasting moles and pipiáns.

"I've been striving to use every little bit of everything for so long that at this point I can hardly even remember how much gets thrown away every day in other commercial kitchens. But say they cut a lime in half. They'll squeeze the juice out of half and toss the rest." By contrast, "we use the juice, the zest and even the pith for pectin."

As a foster child housed with Asian foster families, Leighton was exposed early in life to culinary traditions far less wasteful than Western ones. She learned to cut fish and meat close to the bone and use fishtails, fins and bones in broth. As for eyeballs, "I grew up knowing that people eat those, too. Western society is very rich in many ways, but with very limited resources. Yet most people still act as if our resources are unlimited. We need to wake up. We need to always be asking ourselves: How can I be creative? How can I use this and this and this?"

Sean Baker agrees. Some ideas come to him in the kitchen, others on the farm. But he's always picturing new possibilities.

"The idea is to get your brain really moving so that you can think: This is something that would have ended up in the trash or the compost pile, but now it's a sauce or a salsa or a soup."

About to toss that orange peel? Not so fast, pal.

"I have a huge problem," Baker says, "with people who don't walk the walk."

Anneli Rufus is the author of several books, most recently The Scavenger's Manifesto (Tarcher Press, 2009). Read more of Anneli's writings on scavenging at scavenging.wordpress.com.

Pork Chops with Lemon & Crispy Sage

2011-07-20T13:17:00.001-04:00

This little piggy went to market.

This little piggy went home.

This little piggy jumped into my frying pan.

And I ate him up yum yum yum.

PORK CHOPS WITH LEMON & CRISPY SAGE
printer friendly recipe

4 bone-in pork chops, 1/3-1/2 pound each
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked blacked pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 sage leaves
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1/2 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon

Season the meat with the salt and pepper.

Melt the butter over medium high heat in a saute pan that's large enough to hold all of the pork chops in one layer. Add the sage leaves and fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Carefully remove the sage leaves to a paper towel.

Add the garlic and let cook for a few seconds, until fragrant.

Place the pork chops in the pan in one layer and brown deeply, about four minutes per side.

Add the wine, lower heat to medium, bring to a simmer and then cover for 10 minutes, until the pork is cooked through.

Place the pork chops on a platter.

Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice and reduce by a quarter.

Pour the pan sauce over the pork and garnish with the sage leaves.

Serves 4 very well.

Chopped Vegetable & Bulgur Wheat Salad

2011-07-11T10:09:00.001-04:00

After a few summers of pining away for an herb garden and completely having the means to create one but being lazy about actually doing it, we finally got our act together and planted an herb container garden on our back porch. Or rather, Matthew planted while I watched and drank cocktails. Mint, oregano, tarragon, laurel basil, Thai holy basil, parsley, chives, scallions, sage and a scotch bonnet pepper for good luck. So far, the herbs are growing nicely even though it looks like some bug is munching on the basil leaves. Should I spray the plants with something to deter bugs? I want to avoid pesticides but I also don't want to feed all the bugs in the neighborhood so there's my dilemma. Gardening tips would be appreciated.

This salad takes advantage of herbs freshly picked from the garden. You can use dried herbs if that's all you've got but it's worth the extra effort to get your hands on fresh. This tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge because the grains soak up all that herby vinaigrette. I like to take a big container with me to work for a week's worth of easy, healthy lunches.

CHOPPED VEGETABLE & BULGUR WHEAT SALAD
printer friendly recipe

1 cup bulgur wheat
1 cup hot, almost boiling water
14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
12 stalks of raw, thin asparagus, chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Put the bulgur wheat into a bowl large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Stir in the hot water and cover for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, shallots and salt.

Add all of the chopped vegetables to the bulgur wheat. Pour over the dressing, add the herbs and combine well.

Refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the flavors to come together. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Serves 8.

Almond Sugar Cookies

2011-06-16T16:25:00.000-04:00

Today is a good day to bake some cookies. Sure, it's 85 degrees outside but so what? I'm a big believer in baking year round, instead of just during the winter holiday season. On a hot summer day, nothing goes better with a tall glass of lemonade than a freshly baked cookie.

This is a basic sugar recipe that makes soft, chewy cookies. I topped them with some sliced almonds but you can put whatever nuts you like on top. Or leave them naked. Because when it's hot outside, naked might be the way to go. For you and the cookies.

ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES

printer friendly recipe

1 cup plus 1/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup softened unsalted butter

1 tablespoon milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2 1/3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together one cup of the white sugar, the brown sugar and the butter until light and fluffy.

Thoroughly mix in the milk, egg and vanilla extract.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Working in thirds, stir the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture.

Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Roll slightly heaping tablespoons of the dough into balls. Roll the balls in the remaining sugar.

Place balls about two inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Press lightly with the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten a bit.

Gently press a sprinkling of the sliced almonds into the top of each cookie.

Bake for 9-11 minutes until very lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for five minutes before transferring to wire rack. Cool completely before eating.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Salad Lyonnaise

2011-06-08T10:28:00.000-04:00

And we are back after our unintended spring hiatus....

I meant to take off only a few weeks from blogging because I was really busy with a whole bunch of other stuff but somehow a few weeks turned into a few months. So here we are in June. March, April and May slipped right past me. My bad. It won't happen again.

Salad Lyonnaise is a culinary work of art that is perfect in every way. This salad is not only a personal favorite, it's also a national treasure of French bistro cooking. Originating from the city of Lyon, you can find this dish on menus all across the country. I feel so chic when I eat this salad, like I should be wearing vintage Chanel and sitting in a tucked-away cafe on a cobblestone street on the Riviera with a glass of sauvignon blanc in one hand and a small poodle named Madame FiFi in the other. The way the cool, bitter frisee and crunchy croutons contrast with the warm and gooey poached egg is divine. And the bacon...did I mention there's bacon? Big cubes of bacon called lardons fried up crisp and fatty. All coated in a tangy Dijon vinaigrette. Heaven on a plate.

SALAD LYONNAISE
printer friendly recipe

12 ounces frisee, torn into bite size pieces
4 eggs
2 teaspoons plain white vinegar or rice vinegar
4 strips of thick cut bacon
4 slices of baguette, cut into one inch cubes
2 tablespoons of butter
1 garlic clove, smashed
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

To make the croutons, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the bread cubes and toast until lightly browned and crisp on the edges, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, shallots and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare the lardons by cutting the bacon into one cubes. Fry in the same pan that you made used for the croutons, over medium high heat until crispy and deeply browned. This will take 5-7 minutes depending on how the thick the bacon is. Remove to a paper towel until ready to use. (Tip: save the bacon fat the accumulates in the pan and use it to scramble eggs or make hash browns for breakfast the next day.)

Toss the frisee, bacon and croutons with just enough salad dressing to lightly coat. Divide among four plates.

For the poached eggs, crack each egg into an individual ramekin or small bowl. Heat a shallow saucepan of water to a boil over medium high heat. The saucepan should be large enough to hold all four eggs at once. Stir in the plain white or rice vinegar and then lower heat to medium low so that the water comes to a slow simmer. Gently slide one egg at a time into the water by dipping the edge of the ramekin below the surface of the water. Use a spoon to push the egg whites around the yolk, forming an oval or ball. Do this for all four eggs as quickly as you can. Cook the eggs in the water for 4-5 minutes, or until the yolk are set the way you like them. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and gently shake off the excess water. Place one egg on top of each salad. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Bon Appetit!

PS: Watch this video for tips on how to poach an egg perfectly.

Mozzarella, Chili & Lemon Crostini

2011-02-13T09:26:00.003-05:00

These little yummies from Jamie Oliver are a cinch to prepare and taste fantastic. I usually don't eat dairy but I make an exception for these crostini. They're just that good. I made a huge platter to serve as appetizers before Christmas dinner and my family gobbled them up in record speed. Don't be put off by the slivers of chili- they're not so spicy hot that you'll burn your mouth if you're not a spice lover. The mozz and lemon cool things down considerably.

Speaking of Jamie, he named his last kid Buddy Bear Maurice. BUDDY BEAR. That is a naming tragedy of epic proportions. I'm a big Jamie fan but, um, uh....what? Poor baby. His life is going to be so hard once he steps foot on a schoolyard.

MOZZARELLA, CHILI & LEMON CROSTINI
from JamieOliver.com
printer friendly recipe

8 slices ciabatta bread
1 clove garlic
extra virgin olive oil
2 small balls of buffalo mozzarella
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 red chili, deseeded and finely sliced
a small handful of fresh basil leaves
1 lemon for zesting

Heat a griddle pan until it’s really smoking hot, then griddle each slice of ciabatta for a couple of minutes on each side until they are nicely charred.

Cut the garlic clove in half, rub each ciabatta slice with garlic and drizzle with a little olive oil. Tear the mozzarella evenly over the 8 crostini. Season well with salt and pepper, sprinkle over the sliced chili and basil leaves and grate over the lemon zest. Finish with another drizzle of olive oil.

Makes 8.

Super Bowl Chili

2011-02-06T13:46:00.000-05:00

I'm going to try something new tonight. I'm going to watch the Super Bowl. Like actually really watch the game instead of surfing the internet or reading a magazine while the teams are on the field and then paying attention only during the commercials. This will be completely out of character for me because I am not a team sports girl. I'm not an any kind of sports girl. (With a slight exception for figure skating. What's up, Johnny Weir! I love you!) I'm definitely more Posh Spice than Sporty Spice. But I started watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix and now I can't stop. I am addicted. (Hey, Tim Riggins! I love you too!) I've watched ten episodes in the past two weeks. I have no idea what's going on in any of the scenes when the Panthers play so I've been trying to learn a bit about the game. So I guess I might like football now.

Clearly, I am no expert on football, let alone the Super Bowl. However, I do know what you want to eat during the Super Bowl. CHILI. Of that I am certain. So here's my chili recipe. I've been working on it for a while now so I hope you like it. The flavor is spicy but not hot, which makes it kid friendly.

Now, vegetarian friends, I know one of you will email and ask, "Can I make this without meat?" Here's the answer. "NO." This is a red-meaty, beefy, not low calorie and not fat free chili. If you want veggie chili, then look at this or this. If you want meat and lots of it, then stay right here.

SUPER BOWL CHILI
printer friendly recipe

3 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions, diced
3 green bell peppers, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 bottle beer (I use stout but get whatever you like as long as it's not too hoppy)
2 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 guajillo chilis, soaked and chopped (buy them here)
1 14 ounce can black beans, drained
1/4 cup Ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
cilantro for garnish
shredded cheddar for garnish

Heat oil over medium in a large pot. Add the onions, pepper and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cover the pot with a lid and sweat the vegetables for ten minutes.

Turn the heat to high and add the ground beef. Brown beef completely, removing excess fat with a spoon.

Add garlic and beer. Cook off the alcohol in the beer for about five minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the cans of tomatoes, including all the liquid, the tomato paste, the chilis and the black beans.

Add all of the dry spices and cocoa and stir well

Lower heat back to medium and simmer, partially covered, for two hours. Stir occasionally.

Serve with cilantro and cheese, if desired.

Serves 10-12.

Read Up & Eat Up for January 2-8, 2011

2011-01-09T11:29:00.000-05:00

Last week's best in recipes and food news on the web.

SALON
Francis Lam shows us how to make fresh yogurt in eight minutes.

80 BREAKFASTS
Nutella Croissant French Toast. Heaven on a breakfast plate.

THE BITTEN WORD
Two cute guys put their cooking magazines to good use and share their top 10 favorite recipes from 2010.

HUFFINGTON POST
Eat what all the cool kids are eating. Eating Well magazine reveals foods trends and fads for 2011. Looks like bacon's glory days are fading quickly in favor of super fruits and meatless alternatives.

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Rising food prices move closer to the crisis levels that provoked riots and shortages in poor countries a few years ago. Retail food prices in the United States are expected to increase 2 to 3%.

Truth Behind the Labels: How Meat Eaters Can Find Out if Their Dinner Was Really Humanely Raised | Food | AlterNet

2011-01-08T09:36:00.003-05:00

EcoSalon / By Vanessa Barrington

So what does humane treatment of animals actually look like? Who defines it? And most important, if you're a meat eater, what is your personal line?

January 7, 2011

This story first appeared on EcoSalon.

A few years ago, on a tour of a small village in Vietnam, we were taken to a small farm compound, where the residents manufactured rice paper wrappers for spring rolls and raised a few farm animals for food. There were chickens clucking around and a few friendly, waddling ducks. There was also an enormous pig housed in a small, concrete enclosure.
As our group approached, the pig rose up on her hind legs, placed her front legs on the ledge of her pen, and looked us all straight in the eyes with a completely charming mixture of intelligence and humor. Without a doubt, that pig was posing. The pen was small, but clean. The pig appeared to have plenty of freedom of movement. The pig was whole, no cropped tail, no sores, nothing amiss. I can’t pretend to know if that pig was a happy pig. But from my limited human perspective, she looked contented.

Every time I think about how we raise animals for food, I think about that expressive pig. That pig represents both my deep ambivalence about eating animals and also what I think of as the ideal way to raise animals for food.

For those of us who do eat meat, who don’t raise our own animals, one at a time, or who cannot afford to pay top dollar to buy direct from a very small farm, that ideal is pretty near unattainable.

For conscious omnivores, who eat meat sparingly and thoughtfully, who avoid meat raised under conditions that we call “factory farming,” what is a reasonable level of animal welfare in farming? And how accurate are our perceptions of what constitutes “good farming”? Farming is a struggle for farmers. There is a delicate balance between the scale and methods that will allow the farmer to stay in business and earn a living, and letting the animals experience life as naturally as possible.

So what does humane treatment of animals actually look like? Who defines it? And most important, if you’re a meat eater, what is your personal line?

The Humane Society of the United States has been actively documenting the worst abuses of factory farming in a series of undercover investigations. In December, a video showing atrocities at a Smithfield pig breeding facility in Virginia was released. The pigs were kept in gestation crates barely large enough for their bodies for their entire lives, live pigs were thrown in dumpsters, and baby piglets were left to die in manure pits after falling through the slats of the crates that their mothers spent their entire lives in.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a video documenting the routine mutilation of turkey poults at the nation’s largest turkey hatching facility was released. Fifty percent of the turkeys available in typical grocery stores came from that particular hatchery.

How can you be sure that you are not contributing to such practices? Find out what humane treatment is, study the certifications, and then buy meat that you can feel good about.
At a glance, here are the various certifications, their affiliations, and their logos:

Animal Welfare Approved: Animal Welfare Institute (non-profit)

Humane Farm Animal Care: Humane Society of the United States (non-profit)

Global Animal Partnership: Non-profit, but partially funded by and affiliated with Whole Foods

USDA Organic: Govt agency (the National Organic Program includes animal welfare standards into its rules)

American Humane Certified: The American Humane Association (not-for-profit corporation)
All these standards are summarized here. Download the pdf chart to see a chart of side-by-side comparisons.

It’s a complex issue so here’s my take on it:

Best of the Best:
If you have plenty of money and access to small farms, go for the strictest certification, which in most cases is Animal Welfare Approved. This certification seems to cover mostly very small family farms. Some of the small family farms from which you buy might more than meet the requirements, but they also might know their customers well enough that they don’t become certified. The lesson here is to know your farmer and visit the farm, if you can. In which case, the certification doesn’t even matter.

Next Best:
Humane Farm Animal Care does a great job of writing standards for operations of different sizes and scales. Some of the commonly available mid-sized regional producers are able to meet these standards, so if you buy your food in a grocery store, not direct from farmers, this is the best certification to look for.

The Rest:
Global Animal Partnership has some good standards on important issues, but doesn’t address a lot of issues that need addressing. If Whole Foods is your store, you can see where they are headed with their certification system that rates producers according to a series of steps.
USDA Organic is better than nothing but doesn’t impose many restrictions on how the animals are treated other than those relating to feed, antibiotics, and hormones.
American Humane Certified is the weakest because it isn’t transparent and doesn’t address many issues. Plus, it allows a lot of common practices none of the others do.
In the end, you have to decide what your personal limits are – both budgetary and ethically.

Summary of Major Requirements Per Species by Certification
Chickens:
Growth Hormones – prohibited by all except not addressed by American Humane Certified
Antibiotics – prohibited by all except allowed by American Humane Certified
Outdoor access – minimum access required by USDA Organic, pasture required by Animal Welfare Approved, not required by other certifications. When provided, there are specific requirements laid out by Humane Farm Animal Care
Space – 6 lb. per square foot required by Humane Farm Animal Care, .67 square foot per bird for roosting, plus range space required by Animal Welfare Approved, 6.2 lb. per square foot required by American Humane Certified, no space requirements from other certifications.
Required dark periods for sleep – 6 to 8 hours required by all except no requirements by USDA Organic or Global Animal Partnership
Beak and toe clipping – Prohibited by Humane Farm Animal Care, Animal Welfare Approved, and Global Animal Partnership, unclear whether allowed by others.

Pigs:
Growth Hormones – Prohibited by all except allowed by American Humane Certified
Antibiotics – Prohibited by all except allowed by American Humane Certified for disease treatment only
Outdoor Access – Pasture required by Animal Welfare Approved, access required by USDA Organic, not required by Global Animal Partnership or American Humane Certified, standards for both indoor and outdoor care by Humane Farm Animal Care
Tail Docking – not allowed by Humane Farm Animal Care, Animal Welfare Approved, Global Animal Partnership, allowed by USDA Organic and American Humane Certified

Cows
Growth Hormones – Prohibited by all except allowed by American Humane Certified
Antibiotics – Prohibited by all except allowed by American Humane Certified
Pasture Range Requirements – Pasture raising and finishing required by Animal Welfare Approved, Feedlot and grass allowed by Global Animal Partnership and USDA Organic (minimum pasture requirement), standards for both pasture and grass written by Humane Farm Animal Care, (feedlots allowed) no requirements by American Humane Certified

This is the latest installment in Vanessa Barrington’s weekly column, The Green Plate, on the environmental, social, and political issues related to what and how we eat.

New Year's Aspirations

2011-01-03T18:00:00.015-05:00

I couldn't be bothered to make any New Year's resolutions because, let's be honest, New Year's resolutions always get broken. So this year, I resolved not to make any resolutions. (And yes I do realize that resolving not to make any resolutions is itself a resolution but you know what I mean.) I'm going to make New Year's aspirations instead- some worthwhile goals to work toward during the upcoming year. Goals that will thrill me if they come into fruition but that won't crush me if they don't happen.

Here are my food related 2011 New Year's Aspirations:

1. Try to make two or three meatless dinners per week. Eating more vegetables and whole grains instead of lots of meat will be healthier for us and better for the planet.

2. Plant a vegetable and herb garden in the back yard. I tend to kill plants with my black thumb so this will be a challenge. I also dislike any sort of outdoor activity that brings me into contact with dirt, rocks, plant matter, bugs, wind, rain or sun so, um, this should be fun. And by fun I mean not so much.

3. Try at least one new food per month. This shouldn't be too hard because I can go to the local Vietnamese supermarket and pick out almost anything on the shelves because I have no idea what 90% of the items are because I can't read the labels, which are often written in Asian languages I don't understand. And the produce section is full of exotic fruits and vegetables that I have never seen before but that I am eager to taste.

4. Start posting cooking videos on R&F. I have been meaning to but I just haven't. I have a video camera, a big kitchen and lots of ideas so I just need to get my act together and DO IT!

5. Host one dinner party per month for friends. I have a pretty dining room and even prettier friends. They should be brought together.

6. Donate food several times per year to the local food pantry, not just when prompted at the holidays.

7. Dine at NYC's Per Se, which I am absolutely certain is the greatest and best restaurant in the whole entire world despite never having been there before. Some things you just know. Thomas Keller is a genius. That is something we all know. Per Se is rather expensive so I probably won't make it there this year but a girl can dream!

All of those things sound doable, right? I better get started. Only 362 days left in the year to get them all done.

Spinach Balls

2011-01-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!! Did you party hard this weekend or lay low around the house? We hung out at home on New Year's Eve, drinking prosecco for the adults and sparkling grape juice for the kiddos. Then we went to New York to visit Matt's family on 1/1/11, the most propitious day of the new year. My mother-in-law has a New Year's Day tradition of preparing dishes that are purported to bring you good luck for the upcoming year. We ate roasted pork shoulder because the pig symbolizes abundance and prosperity, kale for wealth because it's green like money, long noodles for a long life, Hoppin' John for good luck and whole red snapper with head (and teeth!) and tail intact, which is "a fish that swims forward" which means that we will continue moving forward with our lives into the New Year. Had I planned ahead, I would have taken some pictures for you but alas! I did not. So you'll just have to take my word for it that the food was cooked to perfection and a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Now that we've covered New Year's, let's rewind back to Christmas. I cooked up a storm and will be posting some of the recipes over the next few weeks. Check out these spinach balls, which were served as an appetizer while we unwrapped gifts. They were a huge hit. The spinach balls were great for the holiday but I think they'd be even better for a retro themed cocktail party Mad Men style because they're a total throwback to the 1950s and 60s. Serve them up with pigs in a blanket, rumaki and a cheese ball. Put on your best wiggle dress, blast some Elvis Presley and toss back a dirty martini or two. Or three.

SPINACH BALLS
adapted from Simple Comfort Food
printer friendly recipe

2 10 ounce packages of frozen chopped spinach
1 1/2 cups dry Italian style breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs made from white bread
1 large onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted and cooled to room temperature
4 eggs, well beaten
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, basil or chives
1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino roman cheese

Put the frozen spinach in a large bowl and add enough water to just cover the spinach. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Break up the spinach with a fork and put back in the microwave for another 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a sieve and cool for ten minutes. Then squeeze out as much water as possible.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Put the drained spinach into a large bowl and break up with a fork so that it isn't one big clump.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly.

Form heaping tablespoons into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Put as many as you can one baking sheet. You should be able to fit all of the balls on one standard sized baking sheet.

Bake for 16-20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

These can also be made ahead of time. After baking, allow the spinach balls to cool completely. Freeze until ready to use. To reheat, bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 36 spinach balls.

A Christmas Letter

2010-12-24T13:54:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

Please bring me a maid this year. I've been cooking all day for tomorrow's Christmas dinner for my family and now my entire kitchen looks like this:

And I want a pony too.

Love,

Janee

Ginger Spice Cookies

2010-11-27T10:46:00.000-05:00

We didn't do a lot yesterday, mostly hung around the house watching tv and sitting in front of the fireplace. We were still stuffed from the huge Thanksgiving dinner that my mother-in-law cooked the night before. The table was loaded with turkey and gravy, sausage stuffing, brussels sprouts, green beans almondine, roasted leeks and carrots, salad, two kinds of cranberry sauce, bread and butter. And just when we thought the table might collapse under the weight of all that deliciousness, my mother-in-law walked into the dining room carrying a bowl of mashed potatoes. And not a little bowl, but a huge bowl with enough potatoes piled high to feed a small army. Oh and I forgot to mention that all this came after champagne, red wine and a generous selection of hors d'oeuvres, including a knockout edamame hummus that is definitely a contender for the best hummus I've ever tasted. And then we finished off with apple pie and homemade ice cream.

Thus, yesterday was spent recovering from the excess of Thanksgiving and family togetherness but I still wanted to cook something fun for the kids so I baked these cookies. I've been trying to perfect a recipe for thin, chewy spice cookies for a while now and I think I've finally got it. There's enough ginger to be pronounced but not so much that you can't taste the molasses or other spices. These are pretty darn good. I hope you try them.

GINGER SPICE COOKIES
printer friendly recipe

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1 egg
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour (buy it here)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon dried orange peel
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream together the butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the molasses.

Beat in the egg until well combined.

Sift together all the remaining dry ingredients, except for the remaining sugar.

Add half of the dry ingredient to the butter mixture and stir well. Repeat with the other half.

Chill in the fridge for two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll tablespoons of dough into small balls. Roll each cookie dough ball in the remaining sugar until coated.

Place the cookie dough balls on a nonstick baking sheet about two inches apart.

Use the bottom of a glass to gently flatten each ball into a small circle, about 1/3 inch thick.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until deep golden brown.

Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

One Pot Meal: Spatchcock Chicken with Brussels Sprouts & Potatoes

2010-11-25T09:32:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I roasted a spatchcocked chicken a few weeks ago along with some brussels sprouts and potatoes. It occurred to me this morning that this dish would be perfect for a casual Thanksgiving meal for a small group of people, if roasting a big turkey isn't part of the game plan. Turkey is great but it's a bit much if you don't have a dozen people to help you eat it. And you don't have to dirty up a lot of pots and pans to cook this chicken. One roomy roasting pan is all you need.

Don't know how to spatchcock a chicken? It's pretty easy to do. Watch this:

And now I am off to the in-laws' house for our Thanksgiving dinner with the family. I'm not cooking a damn thing this year and I am a-okay with that. But I have big plans for Christmas dinner...

SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN with BRUSSELS SPROUTS & POTATOES
printer friendly recipe

4 pound whole chicken, spatchcocked
1 pint brussels sprouts, cleaned and root ends trimmed
4 potatoes, cut into two inch chunks
6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 lemons
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon rosemary
2 teaspoons savory leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spread the brussels sprouts, potatoes and garlic in an even layer in the bottom of your roasting pan.

Lay the spatchcocked chicken on top.

Drizzle with the olive oil.

Halve the lemons and squeeze over the entire pan. Tuck the lemon pieces into the vegetables.

Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables with the rosemary, savory, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

Roast for 50-55 minutes.

Serves 4.

One Pot Meal: Lamb & Lentil Soup

2010-11-05T21:55:00.001-04:00

Dried leaves falling from the trees, gray clouds in the sky and a blustery wind beating against my door. You what that means... soup! Really, what's better on a miserable day than a bowl of steamy hot, meaty soup?

I had some beautiful lamb bones stored in the freezer, leftover from a fantastic piece of lamb that I cooked for a back porch dinner party this summer with a couple of our friends. (Which was amazing by the way, butterflied leg of lamb with mint and basil pesto, YUM!) Waste not, want not is a kitchen credo I try to incorporate whenever possible so I saved those raw lamb bones, which still had a good amount of meat on them, to serve as the basis for another meal. I'm not made of money and it's always good to stretch a buck with the groceries. I already had the lamb bones from another meal but you can always ask the butcher at the supermarket if you can buy a few bones. They're usually cheap, generally not more than a few dollars per pound, so don't feel like you have to splurge on a pricey leg of lamb before you can make this soup.

If you don't have lamb bones then beef bones will work too. And if you don't have bones, well, then I feel a bit sorry for you but don't worry, the lentil soup will be tasty all on its own if you skip the bone parts. In lieu of bones, you can add in some chopped cooked leftover meat near the end of cooking, whatever you happen to have.

Oh and I have to mention that my kids, ages six and eleven, loved this soup. They ate a few bowls each. Inexpensive and kid approved. Score!

LAMB & LENTIL SOUP
printer friendly recipe

2 pounds meaty lamb bones
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, diced small
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced small
2 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cup dried lentils (any color you like)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 quarts low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the bones and cook on all sides until deeply browned.

Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and potatoes. Add all of the herbs and spices. Mix well.

Cover and sweat the vegetables for 15 minutes.

Add the lentils, tomato paste and broth. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.

Lower heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Remove bones and pick off any meat. Add meat to pot.

Makes 8 very generous servings.

Tomato Sauce with Chorizo & Peas

2010-10-24T15:53:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to post this recipe for, like, forever. Or at least since the beginning of September, which feels like such a long time ago even though it wasn't. It's funny when time plays tricks on you like that. Another funny thing is that usually I dislike peas because I don't like the way they sort of smoosh in my mouth when I eat them but, for some reason, they're really quite yummy in this tomato sauce. You'd think I have the same problem with blueberries. But I don't. It's strictly a pea thing. Don't know why.

TOMATO SAUCE with CHORIZO & PEAS
printer friendly recipe

28 ounce tin plain tomato sauce (make sure it's plain, not seasoned with basil or anything like that)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces fresh chorizo, removed from casings and crumbled
1 small onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.

Add the chorizo and saute until no longer pink, stirring frequently

Add the onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the chorizo starts to brown.

Add the smoked paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and bay leaf. Stir thoroughly.

Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.

Add the peas. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Sauces one pound of pasta, whatever shape you like.

The Vegetable Express: A Way to Sell Produce to Those in Need | Food | AlterNet

2010-10-09T03:58:00.004-04:00

By Barry Estabrook, The Atlantic

Posted on October 3, 2010, Printed on October 9, 2010
http://www.alternet.org/story/148392/

"Vegetables for sale!" Hilary Martin hollered. "Sweet corn, watermelons, leeks, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, carrots, rutabagas, herbs!" Last Wednesday, with storm clouds threatening, Martin cruised slowly down a Burlington, Vermont side street in a 1988 GMC delivery truck. The aged vehicle served two decades in New York City with the United States Postal Service before she picked it up at a dealership in the Bronx a couple of years ago and drove it 250 miles north, where it began a second career as a delivery truck for Diggers' Mirth, a collective farm in Burlington's Intervale area that she operates with four partners.

This summer, the truck added a third title to its resume: roving vegetable stand. One evening a week, members of the cooperative drive the aging vehicle around Burlington's Old North End and peddle organic produce. Vermont may be a hotbed of all things local/sustainable/organic, but the trend bypassed the Old North End, where the median family income in 2000 was only $27,500, and fully one-third of the residents lived in poverty. Like hardscrabble neighborhoods everywhere in the United States, the area has no supermarkets, leaving residents the choice between traveling great distances on less-than-convenient public transportation or paying high prices for shabby-looking produce at local convenience stores—if they can find it.

Martin and her fellow Diggers saw an irony in that situation. Burlington's Intervale, a 350-acre zone of organic farms, compost projects, and walking trails that sprang out of a junk-strewn floodplain adjacent to the Winooski River in the late 1980s, borders the Old North End. All of the members of the collective live in the neighborhood. And although they sell their crops at a weekly farmers' market in the area (in addition to one in central Burlington), that clearly wasn't enough to satisfy residents' appetite for fresh produce. "We are aware that a lot of social movements can be elitist," Martin (who is the daughter of the woman I live with) said. "So we're trying to bring fresh vegetables to where people are at home and where they are going to use the produce."

When the collective initiated the truck service this past July, they didn't expect immediate profit. Prices were set lower than the going rates at the farmers' markets (a chalkboard on the side of truck offers carrots and tomatoes at $1.50 per pound, watermelon at 50 cents per pound, and herbs at $1.00 a bunch). "You have to build awareness among your customers," Martin said. "It took us a while to make the farmers' market in this neighborhood take off. Now it's great. Besides, we thought it would be fun."

They certainly succeeded on that front. As a riff on the ice-cream-truck jingle, they picked up a used guitar amp at a second hand shop, strapped it to the front bumper with a bungee cord, and broadcast their approach with disco music. "We wanted to do something a little weird," she said. "Make people happy and excited that we are around."

Her first two "customers" of the evening were certainly happy and excited. "Hey," she called to two grade-school-aged boys on their bikes. "Want a slice of watermelon? It's free," she said.

She stopped the truck and offered them a red plastic bowl full of wedges. Each grabbed two. An elderly woman materialized behind the truck, saying that she needed a half pound of fresh spinach. Within minutes, Martin, attired in dusty jeans and a stained Johnny's Selected Seeds cap, was surrounded by a scrum of customers who were buying tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and carrots as quickly as she could bag them and make change. Others stopped by to grab a free piece of melon. A large woman wearing a billowy black T-shirt came down the sidewalk dancing to "Eye of the Tiger," saying to no one in particular, "These guys always have the coolest jams," as she collected a bunch of radishes and paid, without missing a beat. A jogger in full-Spandex regalia trotted up, purchased an eight-pound watermelon, tucked in under her arm like a football player, and continued on her way.

And that pretty much set the tone for the next two hours. Rolling along the streets, Martin hollering her sales prattle out the window, stopping a couple of times on each block to deal with customers.

"People are really psyched to see fresh vegetables," Martin said. "Even if they don't buy, they like the presence of the truck. They smile and laugh."

As if on cue, a young man sporting an impressive tableau of tattoos came out of a house. "Do you guys take food stamps?" he asked. Martin had to explain that they did not have the necessary machine. "But we will next year," she said.

The vegetable truck will make it last run of the year this week as the cooperative's crops thin out and potential customers begin to spend their evenings indoors. To the surprise of the Diggers, it actually turned a modest profit this summer, assuring it another season on the streets of the Old North End.

"When next year?" the foiled food-stamp customer asked.

"In July," said Martin. "As soon as we get the first ripe tomatoes."

Judging by the smile on his face, I'll wager that he will be waiting by the curbside eagerly when the vegetable truck returns.

Barry Estabrook is a former contributing editor at Gourmet magazine. His work on a dairy farm and fishing boat taught him that writing about food was easier than producing it.

© 2010 The Atlantic All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/148392/

One Pot Meal: Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet Topped with Biscuits

2010-09-16T19:57:00.000-04:00

Oh, boy, have I got a fantastic recipe for you today. A really hearty, comforting cassoulet that screams Welcome Fall! It's not quite cool enough outside yet to break out the chunky knit sweaters and hot apple cider but this dish is so tasty you just might start making it year round. I would not object.

This is what it looks like when it comes out of the oven, golden brown and bubbly hot around the edges.

I know. Beautiful. Food like this reminds you that life is good. Very good. This recipe makes enough for a crowd so invite your best friends over and eat that good life together.

SAUSAGE & WHITE BEAN CASSOULET TOPPED WITH BISCUITS
printer friendly recipe

For the cassoulet:

1 pound sweet or spicy sausage (pork, chicken, turkey or duck, your choice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small carrots, sliced thinly
2 celery stalks, sliced thinly
3 cups sliced leeks
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 cans white beans, drained well
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place a heavy 9x13 baking pan on the largest burner of your stove. Add olive oil and heat over medium.

Add the carrots and celery. Saute for five minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Remove the sausage from its casings and break into bite size pieces. Add to pan and saute for 5 minutes, unless the sausage starts to lose its pinkness around the edges.

Add the leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, sage and mustard. Saute for ten minutes.

Add the flour and stir well. Saute for another couple of minutes.

Add the beans and chicken broth. Stir well. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the cassoulet is simmering, prepare the biscuits.

For the biscuits:

4 cups flour, sifted
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/3 - 1 1/2 cups milk

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add the milk a little at a time, stirring with a fork. Add enough milk so that the dough comes together in a soft mass but isn't too sticky.

Turn out the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Pat out the dough into a 9x13 rectangle. Cut out twelve 2 1/2 inch wide biscuits.

Turn off the heat under the cassoulet.

Arrange the biscuits in a single layer over the top of the cassoulet.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown.

Serves 8.

Birthday Cake!

2010-08-21T17:03:00.000-04:00

I made this cake for my darling daughter's birthday party, which was held at a local bowling alley this afternoon. Overall, I am pretty proud of myself considering that this was my first time making a tiered cake. Transporting the cake from my house to the party location all the way across town resulted in the layers settling a bit but I am okay with that. The cake still looked pretty and the kids loved it!

Gemelli with Ground Pork & Green Beans

2010-08-14T10:42:00.001-04:00

In all my years of cooking, I never thought before to combine ground pork, green beans and pasta. And then, all of a sudden, while sitting in my office yesterday contemplating the bag of green beans in the fridge that had to be used immediately before they spoiled and wondering what I could cook for dinner that would be new and exciting (or at the very least not ordinary and blah), this recipe came to me. Juicy morsels of ground pork and fresh green beans with lots of garlic and fresh herbs over short pasta. This combination was quite tasty- meaty and herby in a very comforting but not too heavy way that is perfect for a summer dinner.

If you don't like pork then substitute ground turkey instead. Any kind of short pasta will do so don't feel like you must use gemelli if you have a different shape on hand. Ziti, penne or rotini would be just as good.

GEMELLI with GROUND PORK & GREEN BEANS
printer friendly recipe

one pound gemelli
one pound ground pork
1/2 pound of green beans, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram, or one teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh savory, or one teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or one teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon dried orange peel
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup white wine
1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1-2 tablespoons prepared bread crumbs, plain or Italian style

Cook the gemelli in lots of boiling salted water according to the package directions. Start preparing the sauce as soon you put the pot of water on to boil before you add the pasta.

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large heavy bottomed saute pan with high sides. Add the ground pork and saute until browned and most of the pink color has disappeared, about 6-7 minutes.

Add the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute for a few more minutes until the shallots soften and become translucent.

Add the tomato, marjoram, savory, thyme, orange peel and Dijon mustard. Stir thoroughly.

Pour over the white wine and allow the wine to cook out for three or four minutes.

Spread the green beans on top of the pork. Add the chicken broth and tomato paste. Stir to combine.

Cover, bring to a simmer for a couple of minutes and then lower heat to low. Cook for 7 or so minutes, or until the green beans are tender but not mushy.

Uncover and stir in the breadcrumbs to thicken the sauce. Cook for a couple more minutes.

Cover the pan and remove from the heat until the pasta is ready.

When the pasta is cooked, drain thoroughly. Mix together with the pork and green beans. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 generously.

Taste Something New: Dragonfruit

2010-08-08T18:38:00.002-04:00

Dragonfruit is strikingly gorgeous- creamy white flesh speckled with tiny jet black seeds, all ensconced in a hot pink and green skin.

While wandering around the local Asian supermarket, my son picked up one of these beauties from a display of exotic fruit and we couldn't resist adding it to our cart because we had never tasted dragonfruit before. We both thought that dragonfruit, also called pitaya, was an Asian fruit but a Wikipedia search revealed that it is actually native Central and South America. It's part of the cactus family.

To serve, we simply halved the dragonfruit lengthwise, scooped out the flesh with a spoon and cubed it. Then we piled all that pretty fruit back into the shell for a very lovely presentation.

The flavor and texture remind me a lot of very ripe kiwi, juicy and sweet with a faint tartness. The tiny black seeds add a teeny bit of crunch but they're not that hard.

Eating this fruit was a special treat and I will definitely pick up a few more the next time I visit the Asian supermarket.

Taste of Hartford 2010 Starts Today!

2010-07-26T10:07:00.000-04:00

Taste of Hartford is back! Starting today and until August 8th, you can dine on the cheap at some of Hartford's most popular restaurants. Presented by The Greater Hartford Arts Council and The Hartford Advocate, this annual summertime promotion offers 3-course gourmet dinners for only $20.10. No tickets are required but I do suggest that you make reservations in advance at each restaurant to ensure that you'll be able to get a table. All the info you need is right here. And here's the list of participating restaurants:

Agave Grill
100 Allyn St., Hartford
860-882-1557
AgaveHartford.com

Bin 288 Panini & Wine Bar
228 Pearl St., Hartford
860-244-9463
bin228winebar.com

Black Bear Saloon
187 Allyn St., Hartford
860-524-8888
BlackBearHartford.com

Black-Eyed Sally's
350 Asylum St., Hartford
860-278-7427
BlackeyedSallys.com

Carbone’s Authentic Italian Cuisine
588 Franklin Ave., Hartford
860-296-9646
CarbonesHartford.com

City Steam
942 Main St., Hartford
860-525-1600
CitySteamBreweryCafe.com

Costa del Sol
901 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford
860-296-1714
CostaDelSolRestaurant.net

Damon's Tavern & Sports Bar
310 Prospect Ave., Hartford
860-233-9900
DamonsTavern.com

DISH Bar & Grill
900 Main St., Hartford
860-249-3474
DishBarAndGrill.com/DishHome

Feng Asian Bistro
93 Asylum St., Hartford
860-549-3364
FengRestaurant.com

Francesco's Ristorante
318 Franklin Ave., Hartford
860-296-3024
RistoranteFrancescos.com

J Restaurant | Bar
297 Washington St., Hartford
860-527-7764
jrestaurantbar.com

The Half Door
270 Sisson Ave., Hartford
860-232-7827
TheHalfDoorHfd.com

La Casona Restaurant
681 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford
860-296-9929
CasonaRestaurant.com

La Fonda Restaurant & Bar
269 Franklin Ave., Hartford
860-296-8256
LaFondaHartford.com

Max Downtown
185 Asylum St., Hartford
860-522-2530
MaxRestaurantGroup.com/Downtown

Mayor Mike's
283 Asylum St., Hartford
860-522-6453
MayorMikes.com

Morton's The Steakhouse
30 State House Sq., Hartford
860-724-0044
Mortons.com/Hartford

Nutshell Cafe
229 White St., Hartford
860-956-2836

O'Porto Restaurant
2074 Park St., Hartford
860-233-3184
OportoHartford.com

Peppercorn's Grill
357 Main St., Hartford
860-547-1714
Peppercornsgrill.com

Salute
100 Trumbull St., Hartford
860-899-1350
SaluteCt.com

Tavern Downtown
100 Allyn St., Hartford
860-524-9990
TheTavernDowntown.com

Tisane Euro-Asian Cafe
537 Farmington Ave., Hartford
860-523-5417
MyTisane.com

Trumbull Kitchen
150 Trumbull St., Hartford
860-493-7417
MaxRestaurantGroup.com/Trumbull

U.S.S. Chowder Pot IV
165 Brainard Rd., Hartford
860-244-3311
ChowderPot.com

Vaughan's Public House
59 Pratt St., Hartford
860-882-1560
IrishPublicHouse.com

VIVO Seasonal Trattoria
200 Columbus Blvd., Hartford
860-760-2333
vivohartford.com

Wood-n-Tap Hartford
99 Sisson Ave., Hartford
860-232-8277
WoodnTap.com/Hartford

Cherry Clafouti

2010-07-22T08:11:00.003-04:00

Ooh la la! Let's be French and fancy free while we dine on Cherry Clafouti! This was my first foray into clafouti baking and it turned out well, rich with eggy custard cake and juicy with fresh cherries. Speaking of cherries, did you know that cherries are not a berry like strawberries or blackberries? They are a stone fruit, like plums and peaches. That makes sense once you think about it but I never realized the difference until recently. This recipe calls for sour cherries but you could probably use sweet cherries if that is what you have. Just use less sugar. The taste will be much sweeter but still delicious.

Traditionally, the French serve cherry clafouti for dessert but I would not be mad at anyone who served this to me for breakfast or brunch. Or any other time really.

CHERRY CLAFOUTI
from The Gourmet Cookbook (buy it here)
printer friendly recipe

1 1/4 pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 1 pound frozen sour cherries, thawed and drained
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons kirsch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
confectioners sugar for dusting

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

Toss cherries with 1 tablespoon sugar and spread evenly in the baking dish.

Combine eggs, milk, flour, salt, butter, kirsch, extracts and remaining sugar in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour batter over cherries.

Bake clafouti until puffed and golden, 35 to 45 minutes.

Cool slightly on a rack (clafouti will sink as it cools) and serve warm, dusted with confectioners sugar.

Serves 6.

Scrambled Eggs & Prosciutto on Toasted Baguette

2010-06-26T16:57:00.000-04:00

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, blah blah blah. You already know that. I know it too but I still rarely eat breakfast. Not being a morning person (AT ALL), I just can't get myself to the breakfast table every day. Or on any day really. My life is hard enough before 8 am no matter how much coffee I've drunk, which means I am a perpetual and habitual breakfast-skipper. So I embrace brunch instead, but usually only on the weekends or special occasions. Scrambled eggs are a great go-to main dish for brunch because they're easy, cheap and tasty. But plain old scrambled eggs don't feel that special if you're aiming for an elegant brunch spread. But toss those eggs onto some toasted bread with a snippet of chives and suddenly you're dining in style. Lots of different folks do a variation on scrambled eggs on toast - for inspiration, check out Smitten Kitchen and The Hungerstruck Confessions of a Food Fanatic. Here's my version.

SCRAMBLED EGGS & PROSCIUTTO ON TOASTED BAGUETTE
printer friendly recipe

8 slices of baguette, cut on the diagonal 1 inch thick
1 large plum tomato, cut into 8 slices
8 eggs
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
few grinds black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 slices of prosciutto
2 tablespoons snipped chives

Lightly toast the baguette slices in the toaster or at 350 degrees in the toaster over or regular oven for five minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper until very well combined.

Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the eggs and scramble. Wait until the edges around the pan start to look set and then gently stir in one direction for a few seconds. Repeat the process until the eggs lose that soupy look and start to hold together in creamy curds. When the eggs are just set into large curds, spoon them into a bowl and cover loosely with a light dishcloth to keep warm.

Put the saute pan back onto the heat. Raise the heat to medium high. Lay the prosciutto slices in the pan and saute just until they frizzle up and get a bit crisp on the edges. Remove prosciutto to a plate and tear into bite size pieces.

Add the tomato slices to the pan in a single layer and cook just until they start to sear a bit. You don't need to turn them over because you're cooking them on one side only.

Place two toasted baguette slices onto a plate. Top each piece of baguette with a slice of tomato. On top of that, put a generous spoonful of scrambled egg. You want to use the equivalent of two scrambled eggs per serving. Put some of the prosciutto on top of the egg. Garnish with the chives.

Serves 4.

This Book Is Gratuitous Overkill But I Secretly Want to Read It

2010-06-21T20:24:00.006-04:00

Did the world really need a cookbook based on the Twilight series?

That's a rhetorical question, obviously.

Everything about this cookbook cracks me up even though I haven't actually seen it in person. Yet. You know I am running out to buy this little gem as soon as possible. I must confess - I have a weakness for anything related to vampire stories set in high school. (Buffy! Greatest tv show EVER! I highly suggest you buy all seven seasons on DVD and watch every episode in chronological order, then watch them again with the commentary. I promise it will be a life changing experience.) And I totally love Twilight. Me and my friend Christine stayed up all night reading Breaking Dawn after waiting at the bookstore for hours before the midnight release. We walked around looking like zombies with circles under our eyes for the next two days but it was completely worth it. And we will be at the movie theatre watching Eclipse next week. Us and all the 12 year girls and their moms.

But I digress.

As I was saying, this cookbook is hysterical. I mean, look at the title: The Unofficial Twilight Cook Book Love at First Bite. Ooh, First Bite. How clever. Whatever. It's the "Unofficial" part that really gets me, like there's going to be, or could be, an Official Twilight Cookbook sanctioned by Summit Entertainment, the studio behind this entire phenomenon. How big can that corporate merchandising machine possibly become? Seeing as how there are Twilight t-shirts (acceptable), Twilight underwear (pervy), Twilight party supplies (eating cake off of Edward's face does seem kind of awesome), Twilight contact lenses (creepy and probably not FDA approved) and Twilight wine from the Vampire Wine Society (seriously, I didn't make that one up), a cookbook doesn't seem quite so weird.

Let's see what other people have to say about this. Here's Cary's review on Amazon:

Hello, I was very dissapointed ... very. I thought that this cookbook would teach me how to cook for my boyfriend, but instead it pretty much made him dump me. The reason, well, most of the reason, was because of the Team Edward Tacos. It says that they are supposed to be "glittery" and "dazzle" your guests, but it didn't tell me how it was supposed to be glittery with just ground beef and or lettuce.

First of all, Edward is a vegetarian! So, IDK why there is a beef rendition ... that would seem more like Team Jacob ... which is totally not cool with us Team Edwarders. Anyway, that is beside the point.

So, I did what it said, and put some glitter in it, and I also only put in lettuce because Edward doesn't eat beef. My boyfriend was all choking and stuff and thought I was stupid when I showed him the cook book.

Also, it doesn't even tell you how to make the heart in the apple ... and I was all like WTF?!

Anyway, I think that the recipes were pretty not so great, especially when they all made twilight puns that didn't even happen in the movie ... like it says the Team Jacob lasagna will "tattoo your face with taste", but that didn't happen, and Jacob doesn't even have a tattoo on his face. Then I was thinking that the lasagna would fur-splode! but it didn't and the book was saying that it was a lasagna to "be-WERE" of, but IDK what that meant when the lasagna can't become a were-lasagna like the book made it sound like.

IDK, I was just really confused and I couldn't pronounce most of the words ... which was not to cool when I love to read about Twighlight.

Wow, Cary. That sucks. I hope you two can work it out. If Bella and Edward can overcome the Volturi, an army of newborn vampires, werewolves and the highest risk pregnancy that the world has ever seen, then maybe you and your guy can overcome a meatless glittery taco. Have faith.

I don't know, kids. This doesn't look promising. Even I, a professed Twilight fan and cookbook lover, am having a hard time not thinking that this cookbook is absolutely ridiculous. Oh, and guess what- there's another one. Sigh.

What I Do When the Children Aren't Around

2010-06-20T09:53:00.001-04:00

My children are away visiting their grandparents for the weekend so I ate a slice of cake for breakfast this morning. I would never ever let the kids do that, no matter how much they begged.

Artichoke & White Bean Tapenade

2010-06-18T19:04:00.002-04:00

My plans for tonight are supposed to include moseying on down the street to my friend Stacy's house for a little red wine, girl talk and eating lots of this yummy artichoke and white bean tapenade. But alas! My darling daughter developed a 102.4 degree fever sometime between finishing up her last day at kindergarten this afternoon and right now. The hubby is on a recon mission to the pharmacy to pick up some Children's Motrin because, of course, the bottle we already have is part of the recall. Hopefully, my baby girl will start to feel better once we get some meds into her. Maybe then I'll still go out. Or maybe not. I don't know yet. But I do know that I will be eating that tapenade at some point tonight.

ARTICHOKE & WHITE BEAN TAPENADE
printer friendly recipe

14 ounce can artichokes, drained and roughly chopped
15 ounce can white beans (cannellini), drained
3 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup parsley or basil leaves
1 garlic clove, chopped
juice of one lemon
a splash of olive oil

Put all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on high until the desired consistency is achieved. Pulse less for a chunkier texture. Pulse more for a smoother texture.

Serve with crackers, toasted pita or slices of baguette.

Makes 2 generous cupfuls.

Chicken Fennel Patties

2010-06-16T09:43:00.001-04:00

I forgot how much I like fennel. Its anise flavor pairs well with chicken and onion, lending a sweetness and fullness that wasn't there before. In this recipe, the fennel flavor doesn't hit you over the head. In fact, if you didn't know that fennel was in the recipe then you might not be able to guess that it's in there at all unless you have a really advanced palate That's not necessarily a bad thing, just means that these chicken patties are even more delicious than the individual ingredients would be standing alone. If you want to make the fennel flavor more pronounced and recognizable, add in a teaspoon of crushed fennel seed.

CHICKEN FENNEL PATTIES

printer friendly recipe

2 pounds ground chicken
1/2 fennel bulb, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 small Granny Smith apple, finely diced (you can leave the skin on if you want)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg, beaten well
2 heaping teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
few grinds of black pepper

Mix together all of the ingredients really well.

Form slightly heaping half cup measures of the meat mixture into patties. You should be able to make eight patties. (You can do this step up to a day ahead. Store the uncooked patties in a covered container lined with wax paper or parchment paper.)

Grill over medium heat turning once, five or so minutes per side.

Serves 4.

Food for Thought

2010-06-04T16:41:00.008-04:00

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

Beef Negimaki

2010-06-03T12:17:00.000-04:00

Beef negimaki ranks super high on my list of favorite dishes, with chicken negimaki following closely behind. I order negimaki every single time I visit a Japanese restaurant. That's how much I love it. I always look at the menu and try to convince myself that one of the other offerings would be equally satisfying but I somehow always make my way back to my beloved negimaki, even if it's only the appetizer. Recently, I wanted Japanese food for dinner but had no plans to go out to a restaurant so I tried my hand at making negimaki at home. The preparation was a lot easier than I thought it would be, although pounding out the beef into thin slices required a bit more elbow grease than I usually exert in the kitchen. But the effort was entirely worthwhile.

BEEF NEGIMAKI
adapted from Epicurious
printer friendly recipe

12 small scallions, trimmed to 6 inch lengths
1 pound flank steak, about 6-7 inches square in size
1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup mirin
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Prepare scallions:
Blanch scallions in a pot of boiling salted water for 45 seconds, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Transfer scallions to paper towels to drain and pat dry. (I skipped this step and the recipe turned out fine.)

Prepare beef:
Cut flank steak with the grain holding a large knife at a 30-degree angle to cutting board into 12 (1/8-inch-thick) slices (1 1/2 to 2 inches wide). Arrange slices 1 inch apart on a very lightly oiled sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap, then cover with another very lightly oiled sheet of parchment or plastic wrap (oiled side down) and pound slices with flat side of meat pounder until about 1/16 inch thick.

Assemble rolls:
Arrange 3 beef slices side by side on a fresh sheet of plastic wrap, overlapping slices slightly to form a 6-inch square with short ends of slices nearest you. Sprinkle square lightly with a pinch of salt, then lay 3 scallions (with some white parts at both ends) across slices at end closest to you and tightly roll up meat around scallions to form a log, using plastic wrap as an aid. Tie log with kitchen string at ends and where meat slices overlap. Make 3 more negimaki rolls in same manner.

Marinate rolls:
Stir together sake, mirin, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Put rolls in a small baking dish and pour marinade over them, turning to coat. Marinate, loosely covered with plastic wrap, turning occasionally, 15 minutes.

Cook rolls:
Heat a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. While skillet is heating, lift rolls out of marinade, letting excess drip off, and pat dry. Save marinade. Add oil to skillet, swirling to coat bottom, then cook rolls, turning with tongs, until well browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer rolls to cutting board. Add marinade to skillet and boil until slightly syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Cut off and discard strings, then cut each roll crosswise into 6 slices. Pour sauce into a shallow serving dish and arrange negimaki in sauce.

Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer.

Cherry Sugar Cookie Tarts

2010-06-01T13:31:00.002-04:00

Did you have a fun Memorial Day weekend? We spent our time attending a barbecue at a friend's house, watching the town parade, cheering for my son at his Little League game and hauling the deck furniture out of the shed and back onto the deck. The weather was perfect all weekend long for dining al fresco - warm, breezy and, most importantly, no bugs. We ate a few meals out on the deck, including a dinner that concluded with the pretty cherry tarts you see here. On Saturday, I picked up a cherry pitter from Sur La Table so, of course, I had to cook something with cherries after I went nuts pitting a huge bag of them. The tart shells are made out of sugar cookie dough. I initially planned to post this recipe yesterday but I was too lazy watching the debut of Cooking Channel, which looks promising based on what I've seen thus far. Everyday Exotic and Chuck's Day Off will probably win a couple of spots on my Must See TV list.

CHERRY SUGAR COOKIE TARTS

printer friendly recipe

For the cherry topping:

4 cups pitted sweet cherries

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until cherries are glazed. Turn off heat and cool to room temperature before using.

For the creamy filling:

1 1/2 cups plain yoghurt

3 tablespoons powder sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until completely smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the sugar cookie tart shells:

3 cups flour

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

2-4 tablespoons cold milk

Sift together the dry ingredients. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Thoroughly beat in the egg and almond extract until the mixture is pale yellow and smooth.

Mix in the dry ingredients. At this point, the dough will be dry and crumbly.

Mix in the milk, one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together and is smooth. Feel free to knead it a few times if you need to.

Form the dough into a flattened ball, wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for one hour.

After one hour, remove the dough from the fridge. Cut the dough in half. (For this recipe you only need half. I freeze the other half.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out six circles about five inches in diameter.

To make the tart shells, you'll need a muffin tin, regular or jumbo size. Turn it over so that the bottom is facing up. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray, if you want. Lay one dough circle over a muffin cup and gently press the edges of the dough down so that you're making an inverted cup. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookie shells are lightly browned. Carefully remove the shells from the muffin tin and allow to cool on a wire rack.

To assemble the tarts:

Place 1/4 cup of the creamy filling inside each cookie shell. Top with a couple large spoonfuls of the glazed cherries.

Serves 6.

Cooking Channel Launches Today!

2010-05-31T16:58:00.001-04:00

The all new Cooking Channel launches today. I was planning to write a post about the scrumptious cherry tarts I baked yesterday but I can't tear myself away from the tv long enough to type it up. Maybe tomorrow.

Read Up & Eat Up for May 23- 29, 2010

2010-05-30T11:27:00.001-04:00

Last week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

TARTELETTE
Fresh apricots, one of my favorite fruits, co-star with almonds, one of my favorite nuts, in this beautiful Apricot Almond Tart.

WIVES WITH KNIVES
How about a side of Beanhole Baked Beans to go with the barbecued chicken you'll be making at your next cookout?

ALTERNET
Read this book: Tom Standage's An Edible History of Humanity discusses how what we eat has changed the world.

NIBBLE ME THIS
Check out this Greek Style Deep Dish Pizza. I never would have thought to put salami and mint together on a pizza but this combo looks absolutely, mouth wateringly delicious.

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
SLASHFOOD
17% of all food asphyxiations of children are due to hot dogs. Keep your little ones safe with the Kinder Cut hot dog cutting machine.

Cabbage Slaw

2010-05-29T08:10:00.003-04:00

Ah.... my three day weekend starts now! Too bad it's threatening to rain all over the barbecue we're attending today at my friend Stacy's house. Oh, well. Rain happens. We can't have sun every day, I suppose. Despite the inevitability of thunder and lightning, Stacy is going ahead with the barbecue rain or shine. We're going to be good neighbors by bringing umbrellas and a side dish to share- this cabbage slaw to be precise. I really like cabbage but I hate mayonnaise, which means that I've always wanted to like eating coleslaw but I can't. I just can't. So here's my version of coleslaw, made fresh and new with a vinegar based dressing inspired by the famous cabbage slaw made at the Hickory House restaurant, which was owned by the parents of culinary superstar Rick Bayless. You should make this at least four or five hours in advance, or the day before preferably, to give the cabbage time to soak up all the flavors in the vinaigrette.

CABBAGE SLAW
printer friendly recipe

1 head green cabbage
1 red onion
6 celery stalks
4 big garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon dill
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 heaping teaspoon dry mustard

Cut the cabbage in half and remove the core. Discard any tough or wilted outer leaves. Finely shred the cabbage using a mandoline. Put the cabbage into a nonmetal large bowl.

Thinly slice the onion and celery using the mandoline. Add the vegetables to the cabbage.

Add the garlic, parsley and dill.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the cabbage mixture. Mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours before serving.

Serves 10 as a side dish.

Perfect Hardboiled Eggs

2010-05-20T20:39:00.001-04:00

I used to wonder how some people got their hard boiled eggs to be perfectly golden yellow in the middle surrounded by milky white. Mine always had a greenish ring around the yolk, like tarnish on an old piece of gold, until I became privy to the secret for cooking perfect hardboiled eggs every time. I was lounging on the couch in my pjs, watching Chef Anne on my favorite cooking show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, when she shared what is probably the most profound and useful piece of culinary advice I've heard in at least a few years. The secret to properly cooking hardboiled eggs is to:

1. Put the eggs in a pot with cool tap water. There should be just enough water to cover the eggs.

2. Bring the uncovered pot to a boil.

3. Remove the pot from the heat as soon as it boils and cover.

4. Wait patiently for 13 minutes. Exactly 13 minutes.

5. Take the eggs out of the water and let cool down on a plate for 10 minutes before peeling.

And voila!! Perfection! Check out the eggs in the picture. I cooked those little yummy nummies following Anne's foolproof method. Works like a charm every single time.

Artichoke Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

2010-05-15T18:58:00.000-04:00

I wanted to make some homemade ravioli for dinner tonight but I wasn't feeling motivated enough to spend lots of time rolling out the dough by hand, like I did last time. Although delicious, hand rolling fresh pasta wasn't high on my list of Things That Would Be Fun To Do Today so I used some wonton skins instead. They worked perfectly because they're very thin but still sturdy enough to hold a good amount of filling. You can find wonton skins with the Asian specialty items in the refrigerated section or produce section of your supermarket, usually near the tofu.

I cooked all of the ravioli in one go for our dinner but they freeze well too. To freeze, lay the ravioli in a single layer on top of a sheet of parchment or wax paper that has been sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. You can stack a few layers on top of each other, as long as you have a piece of paper separating the layers. The frozen ravioli will stay fresh for a couple of months in the freezer. Don't thaw the ravioli before using and add a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.

ARTICHOKE RAVIOLI WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE
printer friendly recipe

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup water or white wine

Melt the butter in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute one minute.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the water or wine, and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for a few minutes.

Pour the contents of the saute pan into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.

Add back to the pan. The sauce should be loose but not watery. If too thick, add a teaspoon of water or wine at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Keep warm over low heat until ready to use.

For the ravioli:

90 wonton skins
14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained well and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups ricotta
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
zest of 1 lemon
1 egg, beaten well
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
a small handful of cornmeal

Mix together all the ingredients very well, except for the wonton skins, olive oil and cornmeal.

Place one wonton skin on a flat work surface. Brush gently with a little water, making sure to get all four edges.

Place a heaping teaspoon of the artichoke filling in the center.

Gently cover with a second wonton skin, taking care to seal the edges completely. Also make sure that you gently press out any air bubbles around the filling.

Set aside on a piece of parchment or wax paper dusted with cornmeal until ready to cook.

Repeat with all of the wonton skins and filling. You should be able to make 45 ravioli.

To cook, bring a large pot of water to a soft boil. Add the olive oil to the pot and stir well.

One at a time, gently drop in 6-8 ravioli into the water. Stir carefully to avoid breaking the ravioli.

The ravioli will float to the surface when they are cooked through, about three or four minutes. Remove from the pot with a large slotted spoon or a spider. At this point, you can either put the ravioli into individual serving dishes and top with a few spoonfuls of the sauce or you can pour the sauce into a large serving platter and put the ravioli on top of that, family style.

Repeat with the remaining uncooked ravioli. You can cover the plated ravioli with plastic wrap to keep them warm until all of the servings are prepared.

A few of the ravioli might break open, no matter how careful you are. That's just the way it is so don't worry about it.

Makes 45 ravioli, enough for 4-5 people as a main course.

Avocado Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Fresh Tomato Salsa & Golden Pearl Couscous

2010-05-12T12:20:00.004-04:00

First, sorry for the crummy picture. My digital camera unexpectedly died on me just as I was plating the food which meant that I had to use my camera phone, which doesn't take great photos. Or rather, I don't take great photos with my camera phone. Second, despite not being the prettiest picture, this Spanish inspired avocado stuffed chicken was amazing. So, who cares what the pic looks like as long as the food tastes good. Right? Right. Here, we have juicy chicken breasts stuffed with a creamy avocado and cheese filling, topped with fresh tomatoes and herbs, served alongside pearl couscous seasoned with a little onion and a generous pinch of saffron.

My faithful readers (hi Karen!) might notice a repeat of a flavor combination that appeared on the site before- avocado, spinach, tomato, mint and cilantro. Those flavors worked really well together in my Avocado Chop Salad so I was inspired to use them again to jazz up some boring boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Once you find a combination of ingredients that you like, I say stick with that and try to see how many different recipes you can create. If it worked once then it will probably work again in a different permutation. In the chop salad, all of the ingredients are eaten raw so I switched it up this time by cooking the avocado. I wasn't sure if that would work but the gamble was worthwhile because the cooked avocado turned into a cream that melted in your mouth when you took a bite.

AVOCADO STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH FRESH TOMATO SALSA & GOLDEN PEARL COUSCOUS
printer friendly recipe
For the salsa:

3 tomatoes, finely diced (I like Roma tomatoes for this recipe)
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. The salsa can be made up to two days in advance. Stored in a covered contained in the fridge. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

For the chicken:

4 chicken breasts, 2 pounds total
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced AND 2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
24 baby spinach leaves
2/3 cup shredded Manchego cheese
1 ripe but still fairly firm avocado, sliced thinly
8 - 12 toothpicks or 4 skewers

Butterfly** the chicken breasts and put them into a large bowl or food storage bag.

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, the minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken. Use your hands to gently massage the marinade into all sides of the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

After marinating, work with one piece of chicken at a time. Place one chicken breast on flat surface and make sure it is opened up like a book.

On one side of the chicken, lay down 6 spinach leaves in a single layer. Place a few slices of red onion on top of the spinach. Sprinkle with a little bit of the chopped garlic. Arrange a few pieces of avocado on top of the garlic. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the shredded cheese.

Carefully close the chicken back on top of itself. Use 2 or 3 toothpicks, or the skewers, to secure the open edges of the chicken breast. Try to keep all of the stuffing inside the breasts.

Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.

Heat the grill to medium heat. Grill the breasts for about 8 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove to a plate and cover with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

For the couscous:

8 ounces pearl couscous (sometimes called Israeli couscous)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 cups boiling low-sodium chicken broth
big pinch of saffron

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add the couscous and saute until the couscous starts to turn golden brown. Stir frequently.

Add the boiling broth and the saffron. Stir well.

Lower the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn off heat and allow to sit, covered, for a few minutes, before serving.

**COOKING TIP: If you don't know how to butterfly a chicken breast (or a pork chop) then watch this:

Hartford Culture Crawl 2010

2010-05-12T10:37:00.004-04:00

Hey there, Connecticut friends! You should come out with me to the Culture Crawl, which is May 13 - tomorrow night! I helped plan last year's Crawl, as well as this year's Crawl, so I can vouch for its awesomeness. Sponsored by the UCONN School of Business and hosted by the Greater Hartford Arts Council's Associate Board, funds from the Culture Crawl will benefit the United Arts Campaign, which supports more than 150 arts and heritage organizations in Greater Hartford.

The Culture Crawl brings together Greater Hartford's arts scene with downtown's hottest nightspots. Five of Hartford's most popular restaurants will provide exclusive food and drink specials throughout the night while crawlers experience live performances from artists and musicians. NiRo Design Center will host a student fashion show emceed by Courtney from Kiss 95.7, on Pratt Street, which will be closed to vehicle traffic. There is plenty of parking available downtown, including discounted $5 parking at Pro Park on Pratt Street.

Check out the restaurants and artists:

Bocca Rossa: Check out illustrator Amy Noonan with $3 drafts and $5 house mixed drinks.

City Steam: Hear saxophone player & instrumentalist Vincent Ingala with tasty crawler drink specials.

Dish: The return of the all female a cappella group, The Sweetest Key, with $3 Trapiche wines and draft beer.

The Russell: View stunning photography by Roger Castonguay & Heather White. Buy one get one drink specials and $5 Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings.

Vaughan's: Hot local band, Johnny Mainstream, tears it up. Get one free Homemade Irish Cream Cocktail.

Get your tickets here! See you tomorrow night!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T10:23:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! It's still early in the morning but my day is off to a great start. My wonderful children surprised me with a big bouquet of my favorite yellow roses! Aren't they beautiful? They're like little blooms of sunshine.

And the surprises didn't end there. My darling daughter served me coffee in bed, which was awesome because I am not a morning person so the jolt of caffeine in my system before getting out of bed ensured a pleasant morning for all. Haha. Believe me, coffee in bed is one of life's little luxuries that I truly enjoy. While I sipped my cup of joe, I watched a little tv. I clicked back and forth between Secrets of a Restaurant Chef on Food Network (Chef Anne, I love you! You're a rockstar in the kitchen!) and The City on MTV, which I had never really seen before. What is wrong with all the girls on that show? Are they supposed to be friends? They all seem to not so secretly hate be jealous of each other. What is the point of the show? And their lives? I don't get it. But that Olivia Palermo person, despite being a mean girl, has really pretty hair. I was sort of mesmerized by her glossy brunette waves when I wasn't too busy cringing slightly at her thinly veiled insults directed at Whitney, who somehow manages to look perpetually confused and smug at the same time. She also has pretty hair. And what exactly does Roxy do? She was "working" in the episode I watched but I still have no idea what her job could be. I am confused by all of this and mystified as to why so many people watch this show religiously.

But I digress.

In addition to presenting me with gorgeous roses, the kids cooked breakfast too!

Scrambled eggs, BACON and grapefruit sprinkled with a bit of brown sugar and then broiled until sweet-tart and slightly caramelized. And that's not just any old kind of bacon. That's thick cut hardwood smoked bacon. The good stuff. nothing says, "Mom, I love you" more than BACON.

As if all that wasn't enough, there was even more....

Belgian Waffles!

Homemade waffles with perfectly crisp exteriors and soft, pillowy insides. Mmmmm. Strawberries. Whipped Cream. Yes.

I was so full after eating all that bacon that I could only eat half of one of these delectable waffles. But my children wisely made a dozen waffles, which we can heat up in the toaster for the rest of the week. That way, we can have a little bit of Mother's Day for breakfast every other day for the rest of the week.

What else can I say but Best Kids Ever? They're amazing.

Sauteed Zucchini with Mint

2010-05-05T18:42:00.003-04:00

Lately, I've had a thing for fresh veggies seasoned with mint. There's something about the clean, bright flavor of mint that makes almost any garden vegetable taste like spring. I cooked this zucchini as a side dish for the fennel and coriander crusted pork loin chops that we ate for dinner tonight. Crisp-tender bites of zucchini gently kissed with a mint infused butter.... yeah, I know that sounds good. And it tasted even better. But, for whatever reason, I just couldn't get my darling daughter to eat a bite. Oh well. She's only 5. There's still plenty of time to convince her that zucchini is delicious. Actually, did she put one teeny tiny sliver of zucchini into her mouth before running to the garbage can to spit it out while exclaiming that it was the worst thing she had ever eaten. She is very dramatic and will probably grow up to win a Tony Award someday. But still, no dessert for her tonight! I assure you, this zucchini will not be the worst thing you have ever eaten. I promise.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I plan to post the recipe for the aforementioned fennel and coriander crusted pork loin chops. Probably tomorrow or the day after. Stay tuned!

SAUTEED ZUCCHINI WITH MINT
printer friendly recipe

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 medium sized zucchini, cut into bite size chunks (leave the peel on)
1 teaspoon dried mint or 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
pinch of sea salt

Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat.

Add the red onion and saute for two minutes.

Add the zucchini and saute for a few minutes, until the zucchini begins to soften but isn't mushy. You're going for al dente here. Four or so minutes should be perfect.

Add the mint. Drizzle on the vinegar. Mix well.

Season with the salt.

Pour into a serving bowl and serve while warm.

Serves 4.

Linguine with Chicken, Garlic & Green Herbs

2010-05-01T10:31:00.000-04:00

Garlic and pasta go together like peanut butter and jelly, hamburgers and french fries, and me and cocktails. As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as too much garlic when it comes to saucing my pasta. In this recipe, tons of fresh garlic punch up the flavor of morsels of tender chicken bathed in a lemony sauce with your choice of fresh green herbs. I used some dry bread crumbs to thicken up the sauce but if you're feeling decadent then you can swirl half a cup of heavy cream into the sauce instead.

LINGUINI WITH CHICKEN, GARLIC & GREEN HERBS
printer friendly recipe

1 pound linguini
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
6-8 large garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup dry Italian style bread crumbs (or 1/2 cup heavy cream)
1 cup your choice of chopped green herbs (any combination of basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, chives or chervil)

Cook the linguini according to the package directions in plenty of well salted boiling water.

While the linguini is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan with high sides over medium heat.

Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Saute until just cooked through and no longer pink inside, about 5-7 minutes. Try not to brown the chicken too much. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the garlic to the now empty pan and saute for a few seconds until the garlic is very fragrant.

Deglaze the pan with the wine and lemon juice.

Add the broth, raise the heat and bring to a boil.

Lower heat back to medium. Stir in the bread crumbs and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the chicken back to the pan.

Stir in the lemon zest, parmesan and the herbs.

Drain the linguini well and toss with the sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 generously.

Read Up & Eat Up for April 18-24, 2010

2010-04-25T10:53:00.001-04:00

Last week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

MENTAL FLOSS
Now you don't have to wonder what makes an egg roll different from a spring roll.

JERSEY GIRL COOKS
Lisa bakes a manly chocolate cake for her hubby. There's Guinness in the cake batter!

THE LIFE & LOVES OF GRUMPY'S HONEYBUNCH
Breakfast Bruschetta. I wish I had thought of that first.

MORE THAN BURNT TOAST
You can make pesto out of more than just basil. Celebrate the arrival of spring with a grilled cheese sandwich slathered with asparagus pesto.

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
ALTERNET
The Campaign for Fair Food strives to ensure that farmworkers receive living wages for their backbreaking labor. Farmworkers in Florida are paid a mere 45 cents for picking a bucket of tomatoes. A day's pay is around $50, a rate that has not changed significantly since 1980. Read this to learn more about The Campaign for Fair Food.

Sweet Roasted Carrots with Coriander & Mint

2010-04-03T18:38:00.001-04:00

I have serious memory issues before 10 am if I haven't been fully caffeinated with a couple cups of coffee. That's why I can't remember the source for this recipe, other than that it was in a home and garden magazine which I leafed through while waiting at the dentist's office for an early morning appointment a few weeks ago. If you happen to know the origin of this recipe then please share so that I can give credit where credit is due because these roasted carrots were delectable, with just enough butter to luxurious and just enough mint to be sweet.

Sweet Roasted Carrots with Coriander & Mint
printer friendly recipe

8 carrots, peeled and trimmed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
small handful of mint leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in the coriander, salt and sugar.

Slice the carrots in half lengthwise. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Pour the butter mixture over the carrots. Turn the carrots to coat evenly in the butter.

Roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and gently browned in places.

Place carrots on a platter and garnish with the mint leaves.

Serves 4.

Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's

2010-03-23T10:34:00.001-04:00

I scream!

You scream!

We all scream for free ice cream!

Head over to Ben & Jerry's to get your free cone anytime today between noon and 8pm. Free cones are for today only so don't miss out! Cherry Garcia, here I come! Or maybe I'll try one of the new spring flavors.

Today Is Free Pastry Day at Starbucks!

2010-03-23T08:38:00.000-04:00

Today you can get your early morning pastry fix at Starbucks for free with the purchase of any handcrafted, brewed or iced beverage. Use this coupon. The offer is good only until 10:30 am so get out of bed sleepyhead and roll on over to your nearest Starbucks!

Kids, Don't Try This at Home

2010-03-22T08:46:00.000-04:00

Gavin eats the world's hottest pepper, bhut jolokia, and almost cries like a baby lives to tell the tale. He whines a lot and turns beet red with sweat pouring down his face. Honestly, I don't understand the purpose of this video. Why would anyone in their right mind knowingly chow down on the world's hottest pepper? What's the point? Bhut jolokia is really hot, as one would suspect from its designation as the world's hottest pepper, which would lead one to believe that taking a bite would be an enormously bad idea. And bhut jolokia is not just hot, like Tabasco hot. We're talking crazy hot, like 1,000,000 Scoville units. By comparison, Tabasco is only 50,000 Scoville units at best. Gavin knew that but he did it anyway. WHY? This video must be an exercise in machoism that I don't understand because I am a woman. Or a reasonable person. If someone ever said to me, "Hey, do you know what would be cool? If you ate the world's hottest pepper and we filmed it for You Tube" then I would respond, "HELL NO. Have you lost your freaking mind?" Let us all learn from Gavin's mistake.

Read Up & Eat Up for March 14-20, 2010

2010-03-21T13:11:00.001-04:00

Last week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

FOOD FASHIONISTA
Perfect for clutzes like me! OOPS! Red Wine Stain Remover is tops on my must-buy list.

WHAT WE'RE EATING
If you like it hot, try Amanda's recipe for homemade Habanero Hot Sauce.

LOVE & OLIVE OIL
Someone please invite me over for dinner and cook this Sundried Tomato Risotto. Pretty please with a sundried tomato on top?

FOR THE LOVE OF COOKING
Did you eat corned beef on St. Patty's Day?

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
FOOD POLITICS
Marion Nestle wonders What Are Food Companies Doing About Childhood Obesity?

Special thanks to Michelle Meiklejohn for the use of her gorgeous photograph! Please visit Michelle's portfolio.

Beef & Leek Turnovers

2010-03-20T09:42:00.010-04:00

The supermarket had a buy one get one sale on 93% lean ground beef last weekend so I snapped up a couple of packages because I sure do love a bargain. And who doesn't love ground beef? Besides being economical, ground beef is the cornerstone of the most popular family-friendly, budget-friendly recipes. Hamburgers, meatballs, meat sauce, lasagna, salisbury steak, stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage, the list goes on and on. Whatever your favorite dish happens to be, I'm pretty sure you could find a way to work some ground beef into it. Take a looksee at this genius creation of hamburger pizza.

As of late, pastry has been the object of my culinary obsession. In the past week, I've baked an apple pie, some really tasty lemon cranberry scones (which I will post for you soon), and the beef and leek turnovers you see in the picture above. The turnovers came about because I wanted to bake something savory wrapped in a flaky crust. Because flaky crust is awesome. And because the scene from Great Expectations where Pip steals a pork pie from his sister's pantry popped (inexplicably) into my head while I was surveying the contents of the freezer and trying to decide what to cook for dinner. Somehow, somewhere deep in my thought process, pork pie became beef pie, which then became beef turnover. And I had a couple of leeks leftover from an earlier meal so beef turnover became beef and leek turnover. And with that, another great recipe was born.

All you Dickens fans, check this out. If you know the story, you will chuckle. If you don't know the story, then you obviously skipped a lot of ninth grade English classes.

Beef & Leek Turnovers
printer friendly recipe

For the pastry:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons ice water

Put all of the ingredients except for the ice water and the egg into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle in the ice water and pulse again until the mixture comes together as a dough. It will be wet in some places and crumbly in others.

Pour out the dough onto a floured surface. Gather all of the dough, including the crumbly pieces, into a ball. Quickly knead three or four times. Fashion into a ball and flatten out into a disk about 8 inches in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.

Crack the egg into a small bowl, beat and set aside until later.

For the filling:

1 1/2 pounds extra lean ground beef
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, washed well, trimmed and chopped small
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, diced very small
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup plain tomato sauce

Heat the oil over medium in a large skillet. Add the leeks, garlic and carrot. Saute for 10 minutes, until softened but not browned.

Add the beef. Saute until fully cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, while breaking up the meat into very small pieces.

Add all of the spices and stir well.

Add the beef broth and tomato sauce. Stir well.

Simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes then cover and simmer for another 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Remove from heat. Pour into a large bowl and allow to cool completely before filling the turnovers. This step could take a couple of hours, even in the fridge, so plan ahead accordingly when making this recipe.

To prepare the turnovers:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the pastry dough in half. Put one half back in the fridge and put the other on a floured board. Roll out to the thickness of a pie crust, about a scant quarter inch thick. Cut out circles that are 6-7" in diameter. I use a small plate as a guide and just run my knife around it. Gather up any dough scraps from around the circles, press into a ball and put back into the fridge while you work with the circles you've just cut out.

Make sure the circles aren't stuck to the board by gently lifting them up and dusting underneath with a bit of flour. Brush the reserved beaten egg around the perimeter of each circle. Place a slightly heaping 1/4 cup of the meat filling in the middle of each circle. Take care not to scoop up too much liquid with the meat. Gently fold over one half of the circle, to create a half circle shape. Firmly press together the exposed edges to seal the turnover. Crimp the edge with a fork. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Brush the tops of the turnovers with beaten egg.

Repeat with remaining pastry dough and meat filling. You should be able to create 8 turnovers.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and looks flaky. If you need to use two baking sheets to bake all of the turnovers at once, then switch their positions in the oven at the 10 minute mark to ensure even baking. Use a spatula to transfer the turnovers to a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 large turnovers.

One Pot Meal: Chorizo, Chickpeas & Broccoli Rabe

2010-03-11T20:04:00.000-05:00

We just ate this for dinner, not even 20 minutes ago. It was so good that I had to share the recipe with you right away. The smokiness of the chorizo highlights the creamy chickpeas and pleasantly bitter broccoli rabe, with everything tied together beautifully by the sweet tomatoes. We sopped up all that delicious broth with slices of crusty bread, baked fresh this afternoon. Tonight was the first time I tried cooking this dish and I am extremely pleased with the results. Best of all, everything cooks in one pot, which means less clean-up later. This recipe is a keeper for sure.

Chorizo, Chickpeas & Broccoli Rabe
printer friendly recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh chorizo sausage (6 links)
1 large onion, chopped
3 big garlic cloves, chopped
28 ounce can of whole tomatoes
1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup sherry
1 2/3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cumin seed
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper
a big pinch of kosher salt

Drain the excess juice from the can of tomatoes. Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl. Cut into large chunks or squish them with your hands until they break into big pieces. A lot of juice will come out of the tomatoes into the bowl. That's exactly how it should be.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and brown deeply on all sides.

Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cumin seed. Saute for one minute.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry.

Add the tomatoes and the juice that has collected in the bowl. Mix in the smoked paprika. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chickpeas.

Spread the broccoli rabe over the top of the ingredients in the pans. Do not stir the broccoli rabe into the pot. Just let it sit on top. Season with the salt and pepper.

Pour over the broth. Cover, lower the heat a smidge and simmer until the broccoli rabe is tender and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Serve piping hot with fresh bread.

Serves 6

Stir-Fried Greens, Bangla Style & Simmered Spiced Soybeans

2010-03-04T11:36:00.000-05:00

Cookbooks make me really excited, especially cookbooks showcasing recipes from far away places that I hope to visit one day. In my quest to incorporate more vegetarian fare into our diets, I've been looking for inspiration in the cuisine of the India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, all places where I have never travelled but I love the food anyway. My current favorite cookbook, Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontintent by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, celebrates the food and cultures of those countries with gorgeous photographs, charming anecdotes and authentic recipes. You should make room for this one in your personal collection of cookbooks because you can curl up with this book in a comfy chair and be entertained for quite a while. The food photography will whet your appetite and the portraits of the villages and their inhabitants will transport you to new and different places. Mangoes & Curry Leaves has given me a better sense of the ancient and fascinating cultures of the subcontinent, which I really appreciate. Every time I cook one of the recipes from the book, I want to run out to the nearest travel agent and book a flight to Mumbai. Give a couple of these recipes a try and you'll understand exactly what I mean. The two dishes below pair perfectly with hot, fluffy jasmine rice.

STIR-FRIED GREENS, BANGLA STYLE
printer friendly recipe

1 pound leafy greens like baby bok choi, spinach or dandelion greens
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon EACH black mustard, cumin, fennel, fenugreek and nigella seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ref pepper flakes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/12 cups finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar if using bitter greens like dandelion

Wash and thoroughly drain the greens. Chop coarsely and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large wok or a large deep heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spices and cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, but not the salt. Stir briefly, then add the garlic and stir-fry for just 10 seconds. Add the onions and stir-fry, lowering the heat to medium after 2 minutes, until very tender and soft, about 10 minutes. If using sugar, add now.

Raise the heat to high, add the greens and stir-fry until they are bright green, 1-5 minutes depending on the greens. Add the salt and continue to stir-fry until the greens give off their liquid, then cover and steam for 1 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to stir-fry until tender and cooked through. Timing will depend on the greens you use.

Transfer to a bowl and serve hot.

Serves 6.

SIMMERED SPICED SOYBEANS
printer friendly recipe

1 tablespoon mustard oil (I substitute vegetable oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 red cayenne chile, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large tomato (about 1/2 pound) diced into 1/2 inch chunks
2 cupped shelled fresh or frozen soybeans (edamame)
1 cup water
1/2 cup coriander (cilantro) leaves

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chile and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until the onion is well softened. Stir in the turmeric, cumin and salt, then toss in the tomato. Stir-fry for 1 minutes, or until the tomato starts to soften and give off liquid.

Add the soybeans and mix well. Add the water and bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the beans are softened but still firm to the bite. (Frozen or fresh take the same amount of time.) Serve garnished with t he coriander leaves.

Serves 3 - 4.

Quinoa Butter Biscuits

2010-02-28T13:31:00.001-05:00

For some reason, I had a bag of quinoa flour in my cupboard. I must have used the flour to bake something but I can't remember what or when. Has that ever happened to you? I'm constantly finding goodies in my kitchen that I must have purchased and used at some point but my mind is a complete blank when I try to remember the specifics. So then I shove those items to the back of the shelf, where they sit neglected, until I stumble upon them again and try to figure out how they got there. This is why I now have nearly full containers of potato starch, dulse (a sea vegetable that tastes like seaweed) and sorghum flour. The potato starch, in particular, throws me for a loop because it's such a random ingredient to have on hand. What the heck was that for? It's a mystery to me.

Not wanting the quinoa flour to go to waste, I mixed up a basic biscuit dough using half quinoa flour and half regular flour. The resulting biscuits were exceptionally tender, flaky and slightly nutty in flavor. Quinoa is high in protein and B vitamins so it really adds a nutritional boost to an otherwise indulgently buttery recipe.

QUINOA BUTTER BISCUITS

printable recipe

1 cup quinoa flour, sifted

1 cup all purpose flour, sifted

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold butter

2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cold milk (skim is fine)

1 teaspoon nigella seeds (Don't know what these are? Read about them here.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix together the flours, baking powder and salt.

Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Slowly add the 2/3 cup of milk, stirring with a fork, until the mixture just comes together as a soft dough.

Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times.

Pat out the dough into a 9" inch by 12" rectangle. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Looking at the dough, it should be four pieces wide and three pieces deep.

Brush the top of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of milk. Sprinkle with the nigella seeds.

Place biscuits on a baking sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Makes 12 biscuits.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Almond Sweet Cream

2010-02-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

This flourless chocolate cake tasted as good as it looked and baking the cake was almost as easy as eating it. If you like chocolate then you will LURVE this cake because the chocolate flavor is really intense due to the inclusion of high quality bittersweet chocolate. I used Ghirardelli 70% Cacao Extra Bittersweet Baking Bar, which boasts 70% cacao dark chocolate. In case you don't know, 70% cacao equals an unmistakable, highly nuanced, deep, dark chocolate flavor that veers decidedly more toward the bitter than toward the sweet. True chocolate lovers, this is the chocolate you have been looking for to punch up your favorite chocolate recipes to even higher level of scrumptiousness.

This cake was the grand finale to a fun weekend supper that we shared with our neighbors. Usually, I would garnish a cake like this with a few berries and a dusting of cocoa powder or confectioner's sugar but I didn't have any berries at the time. I did have half a bag of sliced almonds so I whipped up a little sweet cream sauce flavored with almond to drizzle over the cake and topped it all of with a small handful of freshly toasted almonds. The cool, nutty cream made an amazing combination with the dense, moist, bittersweet chocolate. In fact, I think I prefer the cream sauce to the fruit that I always used before.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE with ALMOND SWEET CREAM
printable recipe

8 ounces best quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces (not the unsweetened kind)
1/2 pound unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract AND 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
6 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

8 ounces heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan with a buttered piece of wax paper or parchment paper, cut to fit.

Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler over medium heat. The water in the bottom of the double boiler should be barely simmering. Stir the chocolate mixture frequently and slowly to encourage even melting. Remove from the heat when the mixture is completely smooth.

Whisk in the sugar.

Add the vanilla extract and the 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract.

Whisk in the eggs, once at a time.

Sift over the cocoa powder and whisk until combined.

Pour batter into pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with little moist, dense crumbs on it. Coll cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the springform collar and invert the cake onto a plate. The top of the cake should now be on the bottom. Carefully peel off the buttered paper. Then, invert the plate onto a baking rack so that the top of the cake is facing up. Cool cake completely.

Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl. Beat on high with a hand mixer until the creams thickens a lot but is still liquid. Beat in the confectioners sugar and remaining almond extract.

To serve, cut the cake into 12 wedges and place each piece on a plate. Drizzle each piece of cake generously with the almond sweet cream and garnish with a spoonful of toasted, sliced almonds.

Read Up & Eat Up for February 14-20, 2010

2010-02-21T11:49:00.000-05:00

Last week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

BITTER SWEET
My mouth is watering just looking at these savory Little Bundles of Joy. Crafting Aduki Bean Gyoza by hand looks like a delicious way to spend an afternoon. And then, of course, you get to eat them!

THE LEFTOVER QUEEN
Get your best girlfriends together and start your own Ladies Supper Club.

SINGING WITH BIRDS
Homemade whole wheat bread warm from the oven and spread lavishly with huckleberry butter sounds like the perfect snack on a blustery February day.

101 COOKBOOKS
Heidi shows us how to make an incredible Roasted Delicata Squash Salad dressed with miso and harissa.

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
First Lady Michelle Obama Takes on Childhood Obesity in America

Not About Cooking But This Is My Blog And I Can Post Whatever I Want

2010-02-16T20:27:00.003-05:00

Let's watch this fuzzy bunny eat some parsley. Absolute cuteness!

Saturday Night Pizza: Chicken Sausage, Onion & Broccoli Rabe with a Whole Wheat Crust

2010-01-26T15:58:00.000-05:00

Yes, my dears, I do realize that naming a post "Saturday Night Pizza" is a bit confusing because today is not Saturday. It's Tuesday. Boo. I miss Saturday and all of its loungy, no work at all, weekend glory. I meant to post this recipe last Saturday but I was really busy doing Saturday activities (for example, napping, watching bad tv, surfing celebrity gossip sites on the internet) which means that I am now posting Saturday Night Pizza on a Boring Workday Tuesday. So be it.

Let's proceed, shall we?

Saturday night is pizza night at my house. We started making pizza on the weekends a few months ago and we haven't stopped since. We're fortunate to have some deliciously fabulous pizzerias near our house but none of them deliver so that's no good. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT, HARRY? YOU TOO, BARB. Obviously, I have strong feelings about this. I love Harry's pizza and Barb's pizza but, quite frankly, I am too lazy and cheap to drive across town to pick up a pizza that's going to cost me north of $20 if I get all of my favorite toppings. For that price, I want that baby delivered to my doorstep. Or, for less than that price, I can make a couple of pizzas at home. It's not the same but it's still damn tasty.

Last weekend, we made some whole wheat pizza dough because I had a lot of whole wheat flour leftover from an afternoon of bread making last fall. I followed Wolfgang Puck's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough recipe. Skeptics, listen up - whole wheat pizza dough is really quite tasty. Once you get used to the nutty flavor of a whole wheat crust, regular pizza dough comes across a bit lacking in flavor. If you don't like whole wheat then by all means sub in regular dough. And if you don't feel like making the dough then you can pick up some premade dough at the grocery store or the local pizzaria. Most pizzarias will sell you a pound or two of fresh dough if you call in advance.

Only four more days until Saturday!!

CHICKEN SAUSAGE, ONION & BROCCOLI RABE PIZZA with a WHOLE WHEAT CRUST

one recipe whole wheat pizza dough (enough to make two 12" crusts)
8 ounce can plain tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 links chicken sausage (each about the length of a finger), cooked completely and crumbled
1 1/2 cups cooked and chopped broccoli rabe
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 cups shredded cheese, any combination of mozzarrella, provolone and parmesan

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes until the garlic is very fragrant. Add the tomato sauce, oregano, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and salt. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Split the dough in half. Use each half to make a 12 inch crust. I use a circular cookie sheet but maybe you are lucky and have a real pizza stone. If you only have a rectangular baking sheet then use that. (Tip: dust each pan with a bit of fine cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking.)

Spread half of the tomato sauce over each crust. Spread half of the cheese over each crust. Top with the chicken sausage, broccoli rabe and onion.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Switch the positions of the baking sheets. Bake for another 8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes two pizzas. Serves 6.

Roasted Garlic Potato Crisps

2010-01-16T10:51:00.001-05:00

Here's the last hors d'oeuvre from our Christmas dinner, which now feels like it was so long ago... After posting my recipe for Oven Crispy Potatoes, I realized that the recipe could be tweaked a bit to create thinner, crispier potato slices that would be the perfect vehicle for a smooth, creamy, flavorful bite of roasted garlic. These turned out really well so I'm considering making another variation for my next dinner party, maybe with a bruschetta topping or a sweet and spicy chutney. Or maybe just a big dollop of Bacon Jam. Yeah, I think I'm gonna go with the Bacon Jam next time because I've been dreaming about it ever since I ate the last spoonful left over from Christmas.

ROASTED GARLIC POTATO CRISPS
printer friendly recipe

24 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 large russet potatoes, about the same size
1/2 cup very cold heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons finely snipped chives
1 teaspoon Hawaiian black salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the garlic cloves on a large sheet of tin foil, about a foot long. Drizzle with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Fold up the edges of the foil around the garlic to make a small pouch. Make sure that the edges are tightly sealed. Stick the pouch in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Do not open! (You can do this step a day or two in advance. Put the pouch in the fridge until you're ready to make the potato slices.)

Turn up the oven to 500 degrees.

Peel the potatoes.

Use a mandoline or a extremely sharp knife and a very steady hand to slice the potatoes lengthwise into very thin ovals, about 1/8 inch thick.

Let the potato slices hang out on a clean dish towel for a few minutes to absorb any moisture.

Toss the potato slices with the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil.

Spread the slices out onto two baking sheets so that none of the slices overlap.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Take a peek and see if the potatoes are crisping up and turning deep golden brown on the edges. If they're not quite there yet then let them cook for another 3-5 minutes. Switch the positions of the baking sheets if necessary to ensure even cooking. Take another peek. They should be done but if not then cook for another 3-5 minutes. These can go from perfectly golden brown to a hot burnt mess really fast so be vigilant.

Carefully remove the slices with a spatula and place on a wire baking rack to cool. They'll crisp up quite a bit after they cool so don't be worried if a few seem to be a little soft.

Whip the heavy cream with the cream of tarter until the cream becomes very thick and stiff. Add the kosher salt and half of the chives. Mix thoroughly.

To assemble, place a small dollop of the chive cream on top of each potato slice. (You'll have extra potato slices so pick the prettiest ones.) Place a roasted garlic clove on top of the chive cream. Garnish with the remaining chives and black salt.

Makes about 24. Serves 12 as an appetizer.

Polenta Crackers with Bacon Jam

2010-01-04T16:24:00.002-05:00

Here's round two of our 2009 Christmas dinner redux: an hors d'oeuvre featuring BACON jam! Mmmm. This is another good recipe for those of you who like to cook the day before the big event. I served the bacon jam with polenta crackers but, of course, you can spread the jam on any kind of bread or cracker that you prefer, like a crusty baguette or crispy melba toast. I used premade polenta to make the crackers but if you feel compelled to make the polenta from scratch then go right ahead and do that. I think the premade polenta tastes really good but homemade is always better.

The luscious mouthfeel of the bacon jam along with the toasty, almost nutty flavor of the polenta really complimented the Creamy Pumpkin Sage soup that was served alongside. Of all the dishes I prepared, these were the most popular. People gobbled them up as fast as I could plate them. But I figured that would happen, because, you know, BACON.

Polenta Crackers with Bacon Jam
printer friendly recipe

For the Bacon Jam
(adapted liberally and lovingly from Not Quite Nigella)

20 ounces high quality thick cut smoked bacon
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium yellow onions, sliced thinly
4 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons Tabasco
1 1/4 cups strong coffee
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup
1 rounded teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Use a heavy bottom pan with high sides. Fry the bacon over medium high heat until crisp on the edges but still chewy in the middle.

Remove bacon from pan and cut into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.

Fry the onion and garlic in the bacon fat over medium heat until soft and beginning to caramelize.

Add the bacon back to the pan, along with the sugar, Tabasco, coffee and maple syrup.

Simmer uncovered for two hours.

Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

Pulse in a food processor or blender until it reaches a wet, jammy consistency.

Put back into pan. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Skim off the fat that has accumulated on the surface of the pot.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly.

Place back over medium heat and simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated, about half an hour. If the jam looks too dry while cooking, then add a little water (or coffee...or beer).

Serve warm or at room temperature.

For the Polenta Crackers

24 ounce tube of prepared polenta (this is what it looks like)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the polenta into 1/4 inch thick rounds.

Place on two baking sheets in a single layer.

Brush tops with olive oil. Turn over and brush other side.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Switch position of baking sheets and bake for another 15 minutes.

Cool completely on wire racks.

Makes 20-24 crackers, depending on how thinly you can slice the polenta.

To serve, place a rounded teaspoonful of bacon jam in the center of each cracker. Garnish with snipped chives, scallions or chopped parsley.

Creamy Pumpkin Sage Soup

2010-01-02T19:49:00.032-05:00

My goal for last week's Christmas dinner was to prepare a formal, multicourse meal for a dozen people for under $100. As luck would have it, I lost the grocery receipt. Actually, I know where it went ... into the garbage can and hauled away by the trashman before I had a chance to retrieve it. Oops. But I'm pretty sure I stayed within the $100 budget. I'll do some research and try to tally up what the food purchases probably cost and report back to you. In the meantime, I'll post all the recipes from our dinner over the next couple of weeks, starting right now with some yummy pumpkin soup, which was passed in large shot glasses to our guests as they sipped wine and opened presents in front of the roaring fireplace. But first, here's a quick rundown of our Christmas feast.

Hors d'oeuvres: Creamy Pumpkin Sage Soup
   Polenta Crackers with Bacon Jam
   Potato Crisps with Roasted Garlic & Chive Cream

First Course: Green Salad with Honey Roasted Pears & Cranberry Vinaigrette

Palate Cleanser: Grapefruit Granita

Entree: Roasted Pork Loin Stuffed with Spinach & Leeks
   White Wine & Dijon Sauce

Sides: Pearl Couscous with Saffron, Orange Zest & Scallions
   White Balsamic & Thyme Glazed Baby Carrots & Pearl Onions
   Artichoke Hearts Au Gratin

Dessert: Chocolate Mousse on Meringue Clouds with Peppermint Sauce

We started our eating marathon with a velvety pumpkin soup, which I adore because it not only includes pumpkin, a personal favorite, but because you can make the soup ahead of time and reheat it the day of serving. If you decide to cook the soup ahead of time, leave out the cream and milk until you're almost ready to serve. Add those two ingredients an hour or so before serving and heat through gently until the soup is quite warm but not boiling.

CREAMY PUMPKIN SAGE SOUP
printer friendly recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
15 ounce can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
big pinch of nutmeg
salt to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 - 3/4 cup milk

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add pumpkin.

Whisk in broth.

Add sage, pepper and nutmeg.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Slowly whisk in cream, then 1/2 cup of milk. If the soup is still too thick, add more milk.

Add salt to taste.

Puree with a hand blender.

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for another 20 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 12 as a small appetizer.

HAPPY NEW YEAR & HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO REVEL & FEAST!!!

2010-01-01T09:08:00.011-05:00

Happy New Year! Did you party it up til dawn last night? We were stay at home couch bums with the kids, watching movies and eating brownies. Close to midnight, we tuned in to watch Dick Clark's legendary annual countdown for the ball drop in Times Square. Mr. Clark looks and sounds awfully old these days but it was great to hear him usher in the New Year, just like every other new year in my life. I hope he's around for next year! Hang in there, Mr. Clark! New Year's wouldn't be the same without you. By the way, what the hell was Jennifer Lopez wearing? What was that? To my untrained eye, it appeared to be a bedazzled flesh colored unitard with a cape made of furry feathers. Whatever it was it was fugly, especially when she shed the furry feather cape thingamadoo and started writhing/crawling across the stage and whipping her hair around like she was being electrocuted. I would have been afraid if I hadn't been cracking up. I wanted to shield the eyes of my impressionable young children. My son Jakob, who is 10, turned to me and said, "What is that? It's weird. Hey! Is she naked?" Here, take a look for yourself. Be alternately amused and horrified.

To be fair, La Lopez's hair was very pretty and bouncy. And girlfriend didn't fall down even once in those stilt-like boots, which I suspect were the very Louboutins of which she sang. Credit should be given where credit is due. So, Jen/J.Lo/Jenny from the Block/Whatsyourname, I applaud you for looking great from the neck up and for not falling on your butt.

ANYHOO.....

Guess what? Revel & Feast turns one year old today! As I look back on the 525,600 minutes of 2009, I'm really amazed to see how my little idea to share some of my recipes with a couple of friends turned into something way cooler than I ever imagined. Revel & Feast has been visited by thousands of people in at least sixteen countries spanning five continents. Thank you, thank you, thank you to my most faithful readers (hi Family!), to my fellow food blogger readers (hi Lorraine!), to my old college friends who also turned their culinary passions into great sites (hi Liz! hi Annemarie! hi Dena!), and most especially, to you. What surprised me most of all is that people actually try my recipes and seem to like them! That's more than I expected and I hope it continues into 2010 and beyond! Thanks, everyone!

PS: Over the next week or two, I'll post recipes and pics from the wonderful Christmas dinner that I shared with my family. And, maybe a restaurant review or two. Stay tuned!

In Which I Make Grand Plans for Christmas Dinner (Plus a Recipe for Oven Crispy Potatoes!)

2009-12-20T10:11:00.020-05:00

Hey there. What's going on? I'm just sitting here in my kitchen, drinking some coffee and listening to Ina Garten's show in the background. I should probably be out buying Christmas presents, or writing out Christmas cards or helping my husband shovel the driveway but I'm not. My bathrobe is too comfy and it's too warm inside to venture out into the cold, even though outside looks like a glittery white winter wonderland after last night's snowstorm. After I drink my next cup of coffee then I will start writing out my shopping list for the big Christmas Day dinner that we'll be hosting for our family. My goal is to serve a formal sit-down meal of least five courses for twelve people for under $100 - two appetizers, a salad, an entree with three sides and a spectacular dessert. $100 seems like a reasonable amount for a dozen people, doesn't it? I mentioned the $100 goal to a few people and their reactions were really interesting. A couple of people thought $100 wasn't nearly enough and one person thought $100 was overly generous. I seem to be the only person who thinks $100 is just right. So I'll guess we'll need to wait and see how it all works out on Friday. After Christmas, I'll post the shopping list along with all the recipes I used. And, of course, pictures!

Anyhoo, let's talk about potatoes now. In my opinion, potato chips are the highest and best use of the humble potato. Do you dare to disagree? I didn't think so. Well, maybe you can rightfully claim a tie with french fries. I will allow that. I came up with this recipe for Oven Crispy Potatoes because I wanted to blend the thin, crispyness of a potato chip with that slightly creamy inside of a perfectly executed french fry. Obviously, I didn't *actually* invent this recipe all by myself. It's a simple way of roasting sliced potatoes that has been done a bazillion times before by a bazillion different people but this is how I do it. This recipe is really more of a technique than anything else. Once you've mastered the roasting part, which is super easy, you can season the potato slices any which way you'd like. My personal favorite is dill, with thyme a close second.

OVEN CRISPY POTATOES
printer friendly recipe

3 large russet potatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons very good quality olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried green herbs of your choice: dill, thyme, sage, parsley, rosemary, or any combination of those
1/4 teaspoon finely ground white or black pepper
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Peel the potatoes. Slice 1/4" thick using a mandoline. If you don't have a mandoline then use a very sharp knife and a steady hand. You should have long oval slices.

Toss the potato slices in a large bowl with the olive oil, dried herbs and the pepper.

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Use two baking sheets if you can't fit all of them on one sheet.

Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until deeply golden brown on the edges but still a little soft in the middle. If you're using two baking sheets then switch their positions in the oven halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.

Remove from oven. Use a spatula to transfer the slices to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the salt and serve right away while piping hot.

Serves 4.

10 Great Foodie Gifts Under $50

2009-12-06T09:55:00.011-05:00

Only nineteen more shopping days until Christmas! Have you started shopping yet? A couple of my Facebook friends recently posted status updates about already being done with their gift shopping. Those people amaze me. I used to wait until the last minute to buy gifts, which meant I was always battling for the last parking spot at the mall, pushing my way through crowded stores and, invariably, becoming exasperated when I failed to find the perfect gift for that special someone at the 11th hour on Christmas Eve. But all that changed a few years ago when I discovered the joys of online shopping. No long lines, no crowded parking lots, no Christmas carol muzak. What's not to love?

Here are 10 great but still affordable gift suggestions for everyone on your holiday gift list, from some of my favorite online stores.

1. Anthropologie: I love everything about this store. The clothes are to die for and the homegoods are absolutely charming. The Stockholm Floral Apron will delight the foodie fashionista. $28

2. Williams Sonoma: Sweetheart foodies looking for any reason to pucker up will appreciate the romance of the Copper Ribbon Kissing Ball, a fun take on traditional mistletoe. $49.95

3. Stonewall Kitchen: For the sweet tooth foodie, give the Chocolate Dessert Topping gift set that includes three scrumptious flavors - Raspberry Liqueur Hot Fudge, Bittersweet Chocolate and Chocolate Peppermint. $20.95

4. Crate and Barrel: Wine lovers will really like the Vinturi Red Wine Aerator. $39.95

5. Harry & David: Too often, our older neighbors spend a lot of time alone so let's try to remember them this holiday season. Surprise your elderly neighbor with the White Bird Teapot and brew up a couple cups of tea to sip over an hour or two of conversation. I bet they'll be so pleased to spend some time with you. $16.95

6. Batter Up Kids Cooking Shop: Get your youngest foodie in the kitchen and see what they whip up with the Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook. $17.99

7. Penzeys Spices: Health conscious foodies can tour the culinary globe from the comfort of their kitchens with the eight no sodium seasonings included in the International Salt Free 8 Jar Gift Box. $38.59

8. Wine Country Gift Baskets: Give the Windwhistle Grove Vintners Selection Gift Basket to your favorite foodie couple that loves to entertain friends at home. This gift basket is filled with everything they need to have a few friends over for wine and tasty snacks. $49.95

9. Sur la Table: Give a tiny herb garden. Potted Culinary Herbs help make every home cooked meal taste extra special, all year round. $24.95

****REVEL & FEAST'S FAVORITE GIFT IDEA****
10. Heifer International: For the foodie who already has everything, honor them with a gift that benefits others. A Gift of Bees provides a family from an undeveloped country with the opportunity to earn income through the sale of honey, beeswax and pollen. Or, give a Gift of Geese, Ducks or Chicks. Gifts of fowl provide families with eggs to eat or sell. As the fowl grow and reproduce, their offspring can be gifted to neighboring families. These are beautiful and compassionate gifts that truly capture the spirit of Christmas. $20-$30.

Read Up & Eat Up for November 22-28, 2009

2009-11-29T09:40:00.011-05:00

Last week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

RAMBLING SPOON
Gourmet may be no more but its Asian correspondent blogs on. Karen takes us to Vietnam with Here and There: Two Extraordinary Thanksgivings.

THE KITCHN
You have lots of leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Use it wisely. In Praise of the Humble Turkey Sandwich.

BAKING BITES
More ideas for turkey sandwiches. Cuz like I said, you have lots of leftover turkey.

MOTHER NATURE NETWORK
Waste not, want not. Learn 10 Ways to Curb Your Food Waste.

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
JAMIE OLIVER
The Naked Chef launches an online dating site. For real. Apparently, it's going to be the place where food lovers meet. I can't decide if this is a fantastic idea or a terrible idea. Either way, I am intrigued.

Just in Time for Thanksgiving - Sausage, Fennel & Pear Stuffing

2009-11-25T09:31:00.014-05:00

Hi everyone! Once again, I apologize for being MIA. Sorry! I've been working in New York City for the past couple of months and, given that I live in central Connecticut, the commute has been a bit rough. Two hours one way and then two hours in the other direction. But now I'm back, just in time for the long Thanksgiving weekend! Yay!

Mmmm. Thanksgiving. Turkey, cranberry sauce, STUFFING!! Or dressing, if you'd rather call it that. Down south they tend to call it dressing and up north we tend to call it stuffing. Here's the technical distinction: stuffing is cooked inside the bird while dressing is cooked in a pan alongside the bird. I prefer my stuffing prepared outside the turkey but I still call it stuffing because whenever I call it dressing people give me confused looks and have no idea what I'm talking about. So stuffing it is and always shall be in my house. Although, I love the word dressing because it sounds like you're accessorizing your turkey. Only the most fashionable turkeys are fully dressed in the season's finest trimmings. Haha.

We usually go to my in-laws' house for our Thanksgiving feast which means I rarely get a chance to roast a whole turkey with the works because that's not a meal you can whip up quickly on an ordinary day. So I like to make just the stuffing and serve it as a whole meal with a big green salad. I know. It's a brilliant idea. This works for us because my stuffing recipe has everything you need for a meal- meat, veggies and bread. It's all in there, plus the addition of a little fruit to sweeten the deal. The building blocks of this recipe are turkey sausage, white bread and pears but feel free to switch it up if you don't have any of those things. In a pinch you can sub in pork or chicken sausage, whole wheat or spelt bread, or apples. Vegetarians, you can use soy sausage (which is surprisingly delicious so don't knock it, carnivores) or double up on the veggies and fruit. And now that I'm thinking about it, a handful of chopped pecans or chestnuts would be great too. Maybe I'll add some next time.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

SAUSAGE, FENNEL & PEAR STUFFING
printer friendly recipe

1 loaf (16 ounces) crusty white bread, unsliced, cut in large but still bite-size cubes, 1" or 1 1/2"
3 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 fennel bulb, cored and diced small
20 ounces mild turkey sausage
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon dried savory
1/4 teaspoon dried orange peel or 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fennel seed
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 ripe but still firm pears, cored and diced with skin left on
2 cups low sodium chicken, turkey or vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread bread cubes on a baking sheets in a single layer. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes to dry out the bread and to brown a bit. Remove from oven and pour into a very large mixing bowl.

Melt half of the butter in a large pot over medium heat.

Add onion, garlic, celery and fennel. Saute for 10 minutes, until softened.

Raise heat to medium high. Add sausage and saute while breaking up sausage in little pieces. Saute until sausage is no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the thyme, savory, orange peel, salt, fennel and pepper. Stir completely.

Add the turkey and vegetables to the bread cubes.

Mix in the parsley and pears.

Use the remaining butter to grease a large baking pan, at least 9x13 inches.

Spread the stuffing into the pan but don't pack it down too tightly.

Pour half of the chicken broth all over the stuffing.

Cover with tin foil. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

At the 45 minute mark, take out the stuffing and stir it. Add another 1/3 cup of broth. Recover with the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Do another check and add a little more broth if necessary. Use your good judgment. If you like wet stuffing then by all means add all of the broth. After the last check, take off the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until nicely browned on top.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 10.

Oven Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Zest

2009-10-04T09:15:00.009-04:00

Here's a piece of trivia for you- asparagus spears can grow up to ten inches in twenty four hours. Ten inches! Isn't that amazing? Who knows, maybe you'll win a Trivial Pursuit game with that piece of knowledge. I'm really tempted to plant some asparagus next summer so I can witness this for myself but I don't have a green thumb so it probably won't happen. I'm really terrible with plants. My house is the place where plants come to die.

Asparagus is a really versatile vegetable that goes well with almost any entree. You can't ever go wrong with a side of steamed asparagus, seasoned with a pinch of kosher salt. I'm a big fan of steaming vegetables because it's a quick, low-fat method of cooking that retains nutrients but there's only so many days in a row that you can eat steamed veggies without getting a little bit bored. Oven roasting vegetables can break that monotony. Thicker asparagus fair especially well in the oven because they're really dense so they can stand up to the heat. The thinner asparagus that are about the diameter of a pencil also roast up well but they tend to get too crispy at the ends so you need to watch them carefully to make sure they aren't drying out too much and burning.

This is my go-to roasted asparagus recipe and you can switch it up a ton of different ways to suit your mood. Like most roasted vegetables, the addition of a little garlic or chopped fresh herbs would not be frowned upon. So root around your fridge and see what you have. If you want garlic, mix in a couple of sliced cloves before you slip the pan into the oven. If you're planning to sprinkle on some fresh herbs, do it when you add the lemon zest at the end so that the flavors stay fresh and vibrant.

Try this asparagus with some poached eggs and hot buttered toast for an easy, elegant lunch.

OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON ZEST
printer friendly recipe

1 pound asparagus, which is usually one bunch
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
zest of one lemon
big pinch of good quality salt (I like to use Hawaiian pink salt but kosher salt is good too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Trim the woody ends of the asparagus.

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle the olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar over the asparagus. Gently shake the pan back and forth so that all of the pieces are coated.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are tender, but still a bit crisp.

Place the asparagus on a serving platter.

Sprinkle the lemon zest over the top.

Serves 4.

Read Up & Eat Up for September 20-26, 2009

2009-09-27T16:47:00.007-04:00

Last week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

THE RECIPE GIRL
Simple but far from basic. Rosemary, blue cheese and butternut squash risotto...mmmmm!! This recipe will please veggies and meateaters alike.

THE ARUGULA FILES
Restaurant review of Taqueria Nacional in Washingon, D.C.'s Capitol Hill, complete with mouthwatering pix. Apparently, this joint offers a chorizo taco. I am so there on my next trip to DC.

SALAD IN A JAR
Eat carrots. Stay skinny.

STIRRING THE POT
The annual autumnal obsession with maple syrup begins. Did I mention muffins AND brownies are involved?

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
WHITE ON RICE COUPLE
Feed the hungry. We have so much. Let's give back.

Pan Roasted Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes & Basil

2009-09-27T15:47:00.011-04:00

Hi guys. Sorry that I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. Life served me up a big bowl of crazy and I've been running around like a madwoman trying to do this and that and consequently not really getting anything done that I actually want to do. You know how it is sometimes. I also haven't had reliable internet access, which obviously throws a few kinks into my blog writing schedule.

I'll tell you more about what I've been up to later. But I'm here right now and boy do I have a great recipe to share with you.

Pan roasting chicken creates that crisp, succulent skin we all love and prevents that dried-out meat we all hate. The flavoring possibilities for pan roasted chicken are limitless but this recipe is a particular favorite of mine. Sundried tomatoes combine with fresh basil, lemon, white wine and a touch of sweet butter to create a mouthwatering sauce for the chicken breasts. If you happen to have them, a small handful of chopped black olives would be a great addition right before serving.

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES & BASIL
printer friendly recipe

4 boneless, skin-on chicken chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 tablespoon cold butter

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Season the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper.

When the oil is heated, place the chicken pieces skin side down and brown well, about 4 minutes. Turn over and brown the other side, about two or three minutes.

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Saute for a minute or two until very fragrant.

Add the wine and lemon juice. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add the sundried tomatoes.

Cover and simmer for twelve minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low if the pot reaches a full boil. You want just a gentle simmer.

When the chicken is cooked through, remove to a platter.

Turn off the heat under the pan.

Swirl in the butter until fully incorporated.

Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts. Garnish with the basil.

Serves 4.

TIP: I usually buy the sundried tomatoes that come packed in oil in a jar. If you have that kind, substitute the tomato oil for the olive oil for an extra layer of flavor. It's okay if you can only find the sundried tomatoes packed plain in plastic. They'll rehydrate when you cover the pan to finish cooking the chicken.

Read Up & Eat Up for August 30-September 5, 2009

2009-09-06T21:00:00.006-04:00

Last week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

FOOD BLOGGA
When life gives you lemons, make... lemonade cookies?

DELICIOUS DAYS
Zwetschgendatschi!! God bless you.

INSATIABLE CRITIC
Gael Greene eats at Bar Luna in New York City.

COOKING WITH AMY
Amy dishes about her inside look at the General Mills corporate headquarters.

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
COPYWRITERS KITCHEN
Lorraine whips up her family's favorite tomato and cheddar cheese pie. Bonus: also includes a fantastic and EASY recipe for a perfect, flaky pie crust like grandma used to make.

Farmers Market Salad

2009-09-06T19:46:00.008-04:00

The end of summer is upon us. Now is the time to visit your local farmers market to pick up the best of the summer's jewels before they're gone until next year. Juicy, vine ripe tomatoes of all sizes and colors, fragrant basil with leaves as big as your palm, young and slender green beans... these are just a few of the produce items I'll miss the most. Sure, you can buy all these things at the neighborhood grocery year round these days but the summer-fresh flavor of handpicked vegetables still warm from the sun in the fields can't be duplicated by vegetables grown out of season in commercial, corporate hothouses. There's simply no way that an insipid grocery store tomato can compete with an organically grown heirloom tomato that made its way from the field to your table in less than a day. I'm willing to bet money on that statement.

I took my kids to the Simsbury Farmers Market last week and we came home with so many goodies. We purchased a couple pounds of bright red heirloom tomatoes, a pound of green beans, a pound of Japanese baby eggplants, the biggest bunch of basil I have ever bought anywhere, a crusty boule of whole grain French bread, a bag of freshly popped kettle corn, a bottle of handcrafted Hudson Valley Homestead lemon thyme vinegar, and two massive ice cream cones with sprinkles for the kiddies. All of it came to less than $35 dollars, which I think is a pretty good deal considering that the vinegar alone was $10 (it's only $5 on the Hudson Valley website so I'll order from there in the future). And this is what we made for dinner that night:

Summer on a plate. Looks good, doesn't it? Adding some warm sausage makes the salad very substantial, so it's great for dinner. If you don't like sausage then substitute grilled chicken. To go vegetarian, substitute fresh mozzarella or goat cheese. Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

FARMERS MARKET SALAD
printer friendly recipe

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon thyme vinegar or whatever vinegar you like
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 pound pork or turkey sausage links, either sweet or spicy, whatever you like
1/2 pound green beans (bonus points if you can get your hands on some haricot verts)
1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly
1 pound of the best tomatoes you can find, cut into bite sized slices or chunks
1/2 small boule of crusty bread, cut into big cubes to make about two cups
a big handful of basil, torn into pieces

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, sugar, salt and white pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

Cook the sausage links however you prefer. I like to grill them on a medium hot grill for about 20 minutes.

While the sausages are cooking, steam the green beans until crisp-tender. An easy way to do this is to put the green beans in a microwave safe bowl with a inch of water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. Carefully remove plastic wrap and drain green beans thoroughly. Rinse green beans with very cold water. Drain off as much water as possible before putting the green beans into a large serving bowl.

Add the onion and tomatoes to the green beans. Make sure to add any juices that have come out of the tomatoes.

When the sausages are done cooking, slice each link into bite sized pieces while still warm and add to the bowl.

Pour the dressing over the bowl and mix well.

Add the basil and bread right before serving. Mix well.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Read Up & Eat Up for August 23-29, 2009

2009-08-29T21:19:00.000-04:00

This week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

YUMSUGAR
Spaniards like to play with their food! Titanic Tomato Fight Takes Over Valencia, Spain.

FOODGEEKERY
My arteries say no but my tastes buds say yes please! Double Down with KFC.

SERIOUS EATS
Easy and elegant recipe for Salmon with Citrus Dressing from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook.

BITTEN
Mark Bittman from The New York Times knows how much you love peanuts. In a Nutshell, You Can't Get Enough.

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
DENA'S RECIPE EXCHANGE
My friend Dena shows us how to crack secret grocery codes to determine whether the produce we're buying is organic or genetically modified.

August 29 is Festival Day in the Catskills

2009-08-26T14:34:00.007-04:00

This Saturday, put the top down, slip on some Jackie O sunglasses and follow the long country road that is Route 23A as it winds through the picturesque Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. You'll discover 40 miles of fun, farms, history, food and festivals as you make your way through the villages of Haines Falls, Hunter Village and Prattsville. All of the festivals have free admission.

First stop: Haines Falls. Visit the Mountain Top Historical Society's Annual Open House, open at 11 am until 5 pm. According to the Open House website there is a lot of family-friendly excitement going on all day that's not exactly foodie in nature but still sounds like a good time:

Trunks & Travel, photographic exhibit and John Ham book signing in the Train Station, Herb Schmidt’s Ole Time Jazz Band, the Schoharie Valley Cloggers, Picnic Foods, Crafts, Hay Rides, Puppet Show and Rip Van Winkle Himself! Picture Yourself as a Victorian Traveler ~ Dress up in Victorian clothing and have your picture taken.

Treasures from My Trunk ~ Interactive presentation by Mary Jeanne Bialas at 2 p.m. in the Red Barn. Experience the sights and sounds of travel in New York State during the 1800’s! Whether traveling by rail, canal, river or road, there’s no such thing as packing lightly for a wealthy Victorian on the move. Audience members are welcome to become a part of the performance. An extensive exhibit of Victorian era clothing will be on view.

Photographic exhibit, Trunks & Travel, on view in the train station, showing how people got to and around the Mountain Top in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The exhibit is based on photographs from the Society’s archival collection.

After you check out the Historical Society, it's just a hop, skip and a jump over to Peace Village, which will feature live entertainment, meditation, games, face painting, storytelling, kite flying and -of special interest to all you home cooks- vegetarian cooking demonstrations. According to the website, "Peace Village is a place where relaxation comes easily. People come here to learn new things about themselves, to enjoy silence and solitude, and to find peace of mind." This place looks really cool, in a very relaxed, tranquil, spiritual, non-cultish sort of way. I don't know about you but Peace Village sounds pretty darn good to me. We could all use a little more self awareness and peace of mind!

Next up: Hunter Village! I'll be there all day covering the events taking place at the Catskill Mountain Foundation's Harvest Festival, which celebrates local farmers and sustainability. In the Village, you can view local artists' works during the Sidewalk Art Show from 10 am until 5 pm and score some bargains at the many yard sales up and down Route 23A. And, of course, local farmers will be marketing their products. At 3 pm, head over to the Mountain Cinema for a discussion and screening of Food, Inc., led by Karl Weber, editor of the film's companion book: Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter and Poorer- and What You Can Do About It.

You might remember that we've talked about Food, Inc. before. Have you seen it yet? You should. I have to admit that I haven't seen it yet, despite the fact that I am related to Karl Weber and consider myself to be a socially conscious foodie. Shame on me. So I'm going to see it on Saturday. You should come with me. I expect to see you there.

Last, but not least, the village of Prattsville: This is your chance to be a part of local history when The Zadock Pratt Museum hosts the First Annual Colonel George Watson Pratt Heritage Day! I know... who the heck is George Watson Pratt? Wikipedia says he was the son of Zadock, for whom the museum is named, and that he died in the Second Battle of Bull Run. Well, that's news to me because I didn't even know there was a First Battle of Bull Run. Guess I need to dust off my history books. Here's a pic of George.

I love a man in a military uniform. Not so sure about the beard though.

All of these events will take place rain or shine so cross your fingers and hope for sun!

Upcoming Connecticut Food & Farm Festivals

2009-08-26T11:15:00.013-04:00

Some fun events celebrating farms, food, food in film, and music are coming up:

HOLCOMB HARVEST
The 2009 Summer Food Film Festival starts Thursday, August 27 (tomorrow!) at Holcomb Farm in West Granby, Connecticut. Grounds open at 6:30 pm with a farmers market, where you can indulge in the season's bounty, including goods from other Connecticut farms like locally produced goat cheese from Sweet Pea Farm, garlic from the aptly named The Garlic Farm, fresh eggs and juicy blackberries from Maple View Farm, and sweet peaches and baked goods from Lost Acres Orchard. During the market, Matt Tofil, owner and chef of Copper Mill Bistro, will present a cooking demonstration for all you winers and diners. Northeast Organic Farm Association will present a discussion at 7 pm followed by a screening of the film Nourish at 7:45 pm. (I can't seem to find a clip from the movie but I'll keep looking and post one later.) The seating area is outdoors behind the main barn. Bring something to sit on and something to munch on (or dig into your goodies from the farmers market). Don't forget the bug spray. Admission is a steal at a suggested $3 donation per person and children are free. For more information and directions, click here for the Holcomb Farm website.

If you miss out on the August 27 events then maybe you can make it on September 3. The farmers market will be on but it doesn't look like Matt Tofil will be around. There will still be a movie though- instead of Nourish, you will enjoy a showing of The Real Dirt on Farmer John at the same time and location.

SIMSBURY FARMERS MARKET
Okay, technically this isn't a festival but there's reggae and food so it's definitely a party! The date is August 27 so maybe you can plan a foodie day and hit this earlier in the afternoon and then head on over to Holcomb Harvest. Hannah’s Field will be jamming Gypsy reggae at the market from 4 to 6 pm.

Griffin Farmstead will showcase some of their very friendly goats and goat cheese. Lani Rosen from Full of Joy Yoga will teach a children's yoga session from 2-3pm. Mod Skin Labs, a local organic skin care company, will be demonstrating their newest products so stop by and maybe you can pick up a sample or two. Glen, "The Honey Guy" from Three Sisters Farm, will be available to assist with your sweetening needs. There is no admission charge, which makes this a great outing for larger groups or families. For more info and directions, click here for the Simsbury Farmers Market website.

FARM DAY AT THE FISH FAMILY FARM
Join the Lutz Children's Museum on Saturday, August 29 from 11am until 4pm, for Farm Day at the Fish Family Farm in Bolton, Connecticut. This popular end-of-summer tradition features live animals, hay rides, games for all ages and live music. And most importantly, all the farm fresh ice cream you can eat!!! Admission is $6 per person. Click here for more info and directions to the farm.

Ginger Red Plum Spare Ribs

2009-08-20T18:46:00.014-04:00

We took a day trip up to Boston last weekend to spend some long overdue quality time with several of our friends from college. Gwen, our hostess with the mostess, set out a great spread for us to nosh on throughout the afternoon, including a pitcher of her refreshing (and dangerously potent) red sangria and a platter of delectable pork spareribs that had all of us licking our fingers and coming back for more. Spareribs are totally delish and a great way to feed a crowd but they're not something I think of preparing at home too often, probably because you need to plan way in advance to allow for several hours of cooking on low heat to create tender ribs. I'm usually not put together enough to think ahead like that. But as I was wandering through the supermarket meat department a couple days after returning from Boston, I had Gwen's ribs in mind so I picked up a big package of pork ribs and a bottle of barbecue sauce. I spent ten minutes standing in the condiment aisle, mesmerized by the many varieties of barbecue sauce before I finally picked one. Smoky, Hickory, Whisky Flavored, Hot 'n Spicy, Gluten Free! So many choices, only one rack of ribs. Sweet Baby Ray's original flavor made the cut because I'd tasted it before and knew it was a great basic barbecue sauce with a good balance between sweet and spice that would play well with the goodies I planned to mix in to add even more flavor.

When it came time to start cooking, I resorted to Google for assistance because I wasn't about to ruin five pounds of gorgeous pork ribs by not knowing what I was doing. A few searches later, I decided to go with the oven instead of the grill because of the rainy weather. Okay, fine. I went with the oven because the last time I tried to grill ribs they turned into jerky. Tasty but kind of tough and chewy. I was guilty of rushing the ribs on an overly hot grill and it showed. So this time, I let them go low and slow for a loooooong time in the oven and discovered that good things really do come to those who wait.

This recipe makes enough barbecue sauce to generously slather all over five pounds of spare ribs with enough left over to cover four or five pounds of bone-in chicken pieces, in case some people don't want to eat pork. Any leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a month.

GINGER RED PLUM SPARE RIBS
printer friendly recipe

5 pounds pork spare ribs, cut into individual riblets
3/4 cup red plum jelly
1 cup plain barbecue sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger (the kind in the spice aisle, not fresh ginger)
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
optional: 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Microwave jelly in a large bowl on high for 30 seconds. Then whisk the jelly to loosen it up. Microwave on high for another 30 seconds. Whisk again. The jelly should be melted a bit and loosened up enough to be somewhat liquid, like a thick gel with little lumps in it. If it's not, microwave again at 15 second intervals until you get the right consistency.

Whisk the barbecue sauce, ginger and orange zest into the jelly until completely blended together. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use. You can make the sauce way in advance if you want.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Take out a baking sheet pan. Measure out a length of heavy duty tin foil to be twice the length of the baking sheet.

Lay the foil on the pan and arrange the ribs in one layer across the foil. It's okay if they touch.

Season the ribs on both sides with the salt, pepper, onion powder and cayenne or red pepper, if using.

Wrap up the ribs loosely in the foil to create a packet, taking care to seal the folds in the foil well.

Roast the ribs in the oven for 5 hours. Do not open the door to peek into the oven. Do not open the foil packet. Just wait. For 5 hours.

After 5 hours, remove the ribs from the oven. Take the foil packet off the pan and place on a heatproof surface.

Turn up the heat in the oven to 400 degrees.

Pour any liquid out of the baking sheet. Place a new sheet of foil on the pan. This piece of foil should be the same size as the pan.

Open the foil packet and remove the ribs with tongs. Gently shake off any liquid and place back onto the foil covered pan in one layer.

Brush the ribs very generously with the barbecue sauce on all sides.

Place back into the oven for 10 minutes. Check the ribs to make sure that the sauce is caramelizing a bit but not burning. You can turn over the ribs right now if you want. Put the ribs back into oven for another 10 or so minutes, until the sauce darkens and turns shiny and a bit sticky.

Let the ribs rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Serve 6-8.

Green Beans with Saffron & Cumin Seed

2009-08-01T11:01:00.013-04:00

Espana. One of my favorite places in the world. From the awe inspiring architecture of Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia to the natural beauty of Madrid's Royal Botanical Gardens and the revered Museo del Prado to the rousing and sensual flamenco of the Andalusia region, Spain is steeped in a culture that is gracefully yet fiercely passionate and rich in tradition. And the food... oh, the food! For me, the siren call of Spanish cuisine lies in the use of saffron, the cornerstone seasoning of many traditional Spanish dishes like paella. Adding a pinch of saffron to your food imparts a gorgeous yellow color and a very distinct taste, kind of like sweet honey with a metallic edge. Saffron is quite pricey but it's well worth the investment because you use only a small bit each time and the flavor pay-off is huge. Buy only a small amount at a time and store in a tightly covered container in a dark, dry place.

In this recipe, saffron, cumin seeds, shallots and a small splash of sherry vinegar dress sauteed green beans with the characteristic flavors of Spain. These green beans pair well with Smoky Orange Grilled Chicken or Citrus Roasted Pork Shoulder. Vegetarians can make a whole meal by adding a couple cups of cooked chickpeas after the green beans are finished cooking. Increase the cumin seed and vinegar to 1 or 1 1/2 teaspoons each, depending on your taste.

GREEN BEANS with SAFFRON & CUMIN SEED
printer friendly recipe

1 pound of green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 big pinch of saffron
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (if you can't find the seeds then substitute ground cumin)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Add shallots and cumin seeds. Saute for a few minutes until the shallots soften. (Be careful because a couple of the cumin seeds might pop out of the pan as they heat up.)

Add the green beans and stir to coat the beans completely with the oil and cumin seeds. Saute for a few minutes.

Crumble the saffron over the green beans. Sprinkle with the salt.

Add the water.

Cover and steam until the green beans are crisp-tender, about five minutes.

Uncover and allow any water still in the pan to evaporate over the heat.

Remove from heat. Sprinkle the vinegar over the green beans and mix well.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Lamb Chops with Blueberry Sauce

2009-07-30T07:46:00.018-04:00

By now we've all heard about the amazing antioxidant benefits of eating blueberries so we can agree that, at a mere 83 calories per cup, blueberries are amazingly good for you. And you and I have chatted before about how easy it is to use frozen blueberries in your baking when you can't find fresh. We've also talked about pairing blueberries with champagne and sorbet for a simple yet elegant dessert. So now let's turn our attention to using blueberries in a savory recipe that combines blueberries, herbes de provence (for a little French flair, ooh la la) and red wine to create a sauce for tender lamb chops. The sweet-tart flavor of the blueberries and the floral aroma of the herbes de provence gently tame the slightly gamy flavor of lamb.

This dish is really easy to prepare so it's great for everyday dinners but still chic enough for a dinner party. If you cook this for a dinner party, you can prepare the lamb and the sauce up to an hour ahead of time, leaving out the butter at the end. Hold in a low oven with the door slightly ajar until ready to serve. I like to preheat the oven to 225 degrees and then turn it off before I put in the lamb to wait for my guests. Make sure that the oven isn't too hot because you don't want to accidentally overcook the lamb, which should be cooked to medium if you follow the recipe directions. Swirl the butter into the sauce right before serving.

LAMB CHOPS WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE
printer friendly recipe

8 lamb loin chops or rib chops
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely minced
1/3 cup red wine
1/2 pint blueberries, washed and any stems removed
1 teaspoon herbes de provence
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Season lamb on all sides with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.

Saute lamb on both sides until browned, about two and a half minutes per side. If you prefer a more well done chop, add another minute per side. Use your good judgment.

Remove lamb from pan and place on a plate.

Add shallots to pan and saute until translucent, stirring frequently.

Add blueberries and saute until the fruit begins to break down, about five minutes.

Add the red wine and herbes de provence.

Raise heat and bring to a quick boil.

Lower heat to medium-low. Add lamb back to the pan and simmer gently for a few minutes.

Swirl in the cold butter to thicken the sauce.

To serve, arrange the chops on a platter and spoon the sauce over the top.

Serves 4.

Curry Lime Grilled Chicken

2009-07-17T15:05:00.011-04:00

The first time I ate Indian food was in the West End of London during my study abroad program. My friend Moshe was mortified, rightfully so, that I had somehow managed to be on this planet for twenty years without ever tasting a samosa so he treated me to lunch on a sunny afternoon, but not before we tried to wheedle our way into the closed theatre where our hero Harold Pinter was rehearsing his (then) new play Ashes to Ashes. We were unsuccessful in our attempt to gaze upon our beloved Harold and we had to content ourselves with merely being in the same building as such a powerful creative force. We trudged off to the restaurant, slightly despondent but also laughing really hard because the guard on duty clearly thought we were stalkers or, at the very least, crazy Americans.

The name of the restaurant where we ate now escapes me but I will always remember my first taste of chicken curry. What a revelation! I grew up eating bland food and my family rarely ate out in restaurants so ethnic food wasn't part of my life. But I was hooked after that first bite. I like to think that was the point where I became a lot more adventurous in my eating and open to tasting foods from other cultures. Curry Lime Grilled Chicken is my humble ode to the magnificent flavors of Indian cooking. There's nothing quite like the first time you have a culinary epiphany but this recipe is my reminder of that great afternoon I spent with a friend way back when we were young and convinced that all the world was our stage.

CURRY LIME GRILLED CHICKEN
printer friendly recipe

4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
juice and zest of 3 limes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons good quality mild curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek

Place chicken pieces in a large zip-top bag or in a large, wide bowl.

Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Turn the chicken around in the marinade to ensure that each piece is coated.

If using a zip-top bag, gently press out excess air before closing. If using a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Marinate chicken in refrigerator at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours. Turn the chicken a couple of times to allow even marinating.

Heat grill to medium. Grill chicken, about eight minutes per side for larger pieces like the breast. Smaller pieces like the wing will take a few minutes less.

Tastes great hot, at room temperature or cold.

Serves 4 generously.

Food, Inc. Now Playing

2009-07-03T10:06:00.018-04:00

There's a lot of buzz right now about a little movie called Food, Inc. that takes an inside look at the effects of modern food production in the United States. Directed by Robert Kenner, Food, Inc. draws upon the works of many writers, including Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma). Variety magazine called it a “ civilized horror movie for the socially conscious, the nutritionally curious, and the hungry” so be forewarned that viewing this movie might spoil your next meal. That said, this movie raises numerous important issues that all of us, as socially conscious, health conscious and eco-conscious citizens, should know about.

Check out the trailer:

My Connecticut neighbors, you're in luck! Food, Inc. is now playing at Real Art Ways Cinema in Hartford, starting tonight and continuing through July 9, 2009. Showtimes are at 7pm or 9pm and tickets are cheap. Click here for more info. I'll probably go check out the movie sometime this week so drop me a line at revelandfeast@gmail.com if you want to come along.

If you don't live in the Hartford area then you can look here to find a showing near you.

If you can't make it to the movie, then please pick up a copy of the companion guide, also entitled Food, Inc. And I have to brag- the book was edited by my brilliant father-in-law Karl Weber!!