Fresh Parmesan

Giving Thanks

2008-11-27T21:11:00.004-05:00

To my friends and family: Thank you.

Thank you for supporting me by reading this blog and indulging my curiosity in the kitchen, for letting me prattle on about recipes and restaurants, for buying me all of the cookbooks, kitchen gadgets and pots and pans that a girl who loves food could ever want.

For all of you that have eaten and enjoyed my food-- you have no idea just how happy it makes me to cook for you. (And for those of you that have eaten and disliked my food- thanks for keeping me on my toes.)

For everyone that has given me a recipe they love-- I'm so appreciative that you shared a part of your life with me. I feel very lucky to live in a place where good food is plentiful; to know when my next meal will be and to never fear going hungry are things I hope to never take forgranted.

If I don't tell you enough face to face, over the phone or in an email, I'm so thankful for all of you. And, on this night, I'm especially grateful for a family recipe for squash casserole and a dirty vodka martini. Happy Thanksgiving.

30 Second Meals

2008-11-19T07:58:00.000-05:00

Think Rachel Ray has cornered the market on dinners that are fast, delicious and require less than 10 ingredients? Think again. My very own special guest-blogger—“The Urbanite”—has concocted a dish so simple that it makes La Ray look like the Galloping Gourmet. Tragically, I will not be making this dish in my home as a certain co-habitant who shall remain nameless has a devastating shrimp allergy, but I can assure you that The Urbanite only offers up top-quality fare. Also, I would really like to live vicariously through my readers so, if you make and enjoy this dish, please leave a comment telling me so!

7 Minute Shrimp Sauté
Serves 2

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
10 cloves garlic, whole
½ lb. fresh, cleaned shrimp
15 oz. can canellini beans
fresh thyme
pinch dried chili flakes
crusty bread, for serving

Sauté the garlic in a medium pan with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook 5 minutes. Add the canellini beans, a bunch of thyme and the chili flakes and cook until the beans are warmed through. Serve with crusty bread. Mmmmm.

Choose or Lose

2008-11-05T07:42:00.001-05:00

In honor of the historical significance of yesterday’s election—and the increasingly colder weather here in Atlanta—I present a truly democratic dish: chili. There’s something for everyone: meat (or meat substitutes), beans (or extra tomatoes instead) and a fiery-hot spice blend (or a mild flavor). The recipe is specifically intended for the slow-cooker, but if you have a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot and some extra time on your hands to stir, you could definitely make it on the stove as well. Oh, and the list of possible toppings far exceeds what I’ve listed here, so please, exercise your right to choose!

Pro-Choice Chili with Optional Toppers
Serves 4-6

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or butter
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef, turkey or tofu crumbles
salt and pepper
28 oz. diced tomatoes (regular, fire-roasted or Italian style)
3 cans (45 oz. total) drained and rinsed beans (kidney, garbanzo, black or pinto)
16 oz. tomato sauce
DIY spice blend (approx. 1 tbsp. of each or any of the following: chili powder, chipotle chili powder, cumin, paprika or unsweetened cocoa powder)
Optional toppers: shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped raw onion, blue corn tortilla chips or scallions

Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute more. Add the meat (if using) and cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper, then drain and transfer to the slow-cooker.

Add the tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce and stir to combine (add the meat substitute now, if using). Add in your choice of spices and stir again. Cover and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours (taste with about 1 hour left and adjust the seasonings to taste). Serve with the toppers of your choice.

Customized Cuisine

2008-10-24T10:37:00.001-04:00

In keeping with my goal of delivering easier, more budget-friendly recipes that don’t require a trip to the specialty store, I tweaked my favorite salmon-and-cream-cheese quiche recipe a bit to make it more everyday friendly. Quiches are one of the most versatile, cost-effective meals you can make. And, they brown up wonderfully the next day in the toaster oven, so the thought of eating leftovers for lunch at work won’t be so grim.

Make it your own by…
- Subbing the spinach or leeks with the veggies you have in the fridge (I’m talking to you onions and bell peppers). Or try frozen corn kernels.
- Replacing the cream with milk or plain soy milk to make it a little healthier.
- 86ing the bacon to keep it vegetarian.

Kitchen Sink Quiche
Serves 4

1 pie crust, pre-baked according to package directions
4 strips center-cut bacon
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium leek, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 c. fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature (or softened for 45 s. in the microwave)
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 eggs
2/3 c. cream (heavy or light)
1 c. (divided) your favorite shredded cheese (I like gruyere or havarti)
1 tsp. nutmeg sea salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet lined with foil, cook the bacon, turning once, until it’s browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool. Crumble into small pieces.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leek and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the spinach and cook until just wilted (not even a minute). Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, leek mixture and lemon juice with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring just until combined. Add the cream, ½ cup of the cheese, the crumbled bacon, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Tear off 3 thin strips of aluminum foil. Gently fold the foil around the pie crust, being careful to not break the crust or go too deep into the pie tin. Set the pie on a baking sheet and pour the quiche batter in, then sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the center is set. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Restaurant Review- Stella Trattoria

2008-10-20T07:57:00.000-04:00

The same folks that brought us Osteria 832 and the popular noodle chain Doc Chey’s recently unveiled their (slightly) more upscale Italian concept, Stella Neighborhood Trattoria.

Located in the Grant Park neighborhood and bordering historic Oakland Cemetery, Stella still feels a little shiny and new to be called a local spot. The ground-level patio offered welcome breezes on a recent fall evening, but, unlike nearby seafood mecca Six Feet Under, affords diners no view of the cemetery. And that’s a shame, because the mixed-use complex that houses Stella isn’t much to look at.

The comparisons between Stella and another casual pasta spot, Figo, are inevitable. Although Figo is a chain, corporate has done a better job integrating the restaurants into their respective neighborhoods—the spot on the Westside leans towards industrial chic, the locale in the Highlands, cozy and worn-in. However, the food at Stella has a leg up on Figo, both in quality (many of the organic ingredients have local pedigrees) and in selection (daily specials reflected the early fall season nicely).

A starter of crisp, fried calamari with garlic aioli and crunchy basil leaves succeeded in providing my daily dose of grease. Every so slightly chewy, the calamari was nonetheless well seasoned and fresh tasting. The portion was on the smaller size, but who really needs the usual 4 lbs. of fried food we receive as an “appetizer”? It was nice to still be hungry for my main course.

For my main course, I chose the boscaiola, a dish of cremini mushrooms, spinach and pancetta tossed with cavatapi in a creamy mascarpone sauce. (An aside—servers, please learn how to pronounce the names of your dishes.) Believe it or not, the pasta was a little too on this side of al dente for my taste—a few minutes longer in the pot would have allowed it to really melt in the mouth. The veggies tasted fresh and the sauce was perfectly seasoned (I didn’t even miss the salt and pepper shakers that weren’t on our table), but the pancetta was cut a little large. My dining companion’s dish didn’t fare quiet as well. The “Tuscan Chicken” pasta (spinach fettuccine tossed with organic chicken and sun-dried tomatoes in a cream sauce) could have benefited from the addition of some fresh herbs and Parmesan shaved on top. But, the portion was generous for the price and none of it went to waste.

The wine list was a highlight for me—almost everything is available by the glass and all but one varietal is under $10 (I had a lovely dry Riesling, a steal for $6). One complaint—the server had to come back to inform us that the requested beer was unavailable. Sell-outs happen, but servers should stay on top of the no-go list.

All in all, Stella is a welcome addition to the rapidly gentrifying scene in Grant Park. I’m told that it’s family friendly, which is nice for an intown spot I suppose, but I do hope it doesn’t become overrun with screaming toddlers, ala Osteria 832. Flinging pasta against the wall to test for doneness is one thing, but flinging it at fellow dinners is quite another.

Hail to the Chef

2008-10-20T07:48:00.000-04:00

Ok, I’m back, I don’t want to make a big thing of it, “but you’ve been gone for so long,” I know, I know, I’m sorry. Can we please put this behind us?

Here’s the skinny: I’m going to post a little less ambitiously, I’m going to factor in time and cost a little more judiciously, and I’m going (to attempt) to keep in mind that not everyone has access to the more exotic of ingredients. That doesn’t mean that a 4+ hour pasta recipe isn’t going to show up next week (spoiler!), it just means that I’ve had some time to ruminate on life, the failing economy, my personal weight-loss goals, etc. during this downtime.

So, without further ado…

UPDATE

2008-07-18T16:09:00.004-04:00

I'm taking a slightly more extended vacation than originally planned, but never fear--I’ll be back with new posts by the end of the month.

Until that time, check out some of the sites that are making me hungry (links to the left). Seriously you guys, these are some good eats!

I’ll NYC Ya

2008-07-02T08:09:00.002-04:00

That’s right guys: it’s time for my semi-annual pilgrimage to the Big Apple, home to all manners of exciting and delicious foodstuffs that I promise to report on when I return. With any luck, I’ll have discovered a new cheese or two, eaten a vegetable I’d never heard of and even quaffed a trendy cocktail. Oh, and of course I’ll make time for some Indian food lit by twinkly lights.

I’ll be back with a new post on July 12th. Until then, I leave you to drown your sorrows over Fresh Parm’s temporary hiatus in my favorite margarita recipe. Enjoy!

Frozen Fruit Margaritas
Makes 2 drinks, serves 1

3 oz. tequila
3 oz. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. superfine granulated sugar
2 oz. Triple Sec
10 ice cubes made from fruit puree (try watermelon, mango, or strawberry)
coarse salt

In a blender, blend the first five ingredients for 30 seconds, or until there are no more large chunks of ice. Rub the rim of a margarita glass with a cut lime and dip it into the salt. Pour the drink into the glass and down immediately.

Curry in a Hurry

2008-06-30T08:10:00.002-04:00

Reading over the ingredient list, the name of the recipe may strike some as odd: how can it be a curry when there’s no curry paste or powder in it? Readers, meet my good friend Thai curry. Thai curry is sweeter and milder than traditional Indian curries—you could almost think of it as curry for beginners. To make this recipe even more palatable to the food-shy amongst you, the halibut can easily be replaced with chicken or shrimp. And, for the bold, feel free to have a heavier hand with the turmeric and ginger—I could go up to almost 2 tablespoons of the ginger especially.

As far as other substitutions go, the turmeric and ginger really need to be there, as does the coconut milk and clam juice. However, if you don’t have any cilantro on hand, try swapping it out for fresh basil. There is a basil variety specifically called Thai basil, but regular old basil will work just fine—the sweetness of the herb is a delicious compliment to the mild spice.

Thai Fish Curry
Serves 2

½ small white onion, cut into large pieces
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp. turmeric
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tbsp. cumin
3 cloves garlic, peeled
¾ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
12 oz. halibut fillets, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 c. unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 c. clam juice
red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
sea salt and black pepper
cooked jasmine rice, for serving

In a food processor, combine the onion, cilantro, turmeric, ginger, cumin, garlic and red pepper flakes until a dry paste forms.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of the spice mixtures and sauté for 1 minute. Add the fish and cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Add the coconut milk, clam juice and bell pepper and simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 3 more minutes on each side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fish to a plate and keep warm, but leave the peppers in.

Raise the heat to high and boil until the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce, about 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the fish to the skillet and gently stir to cover the pieces with the sauce. Stir in the cilantro, then serve over jasmine rice.

Dad’s Dessert

2008-06-27T08:06:00.004-04:00

Even though I grew up in the south, with an avowed southern family, we never really ate the typical “down home” fare of our region. Chicken was baked rather than fried, greens were of the spinach variety instead of collard and desserts were for special occasions, not every night.

But, when my dad did pull out the ancient, hand-churned ice cream bucket, I knew that something wonderful was to follow. We might not have eaten a lot of sweets, but when we did, we did them the old-fashioned way. This cobbler might not be exactly traditional (the crust is more crunchy than biscuity), but the flavors are all spot-on. Pair this with some homemade vanilla ice cream and you have the only summertime dessert you’ll ever need.

Summer Cobbler with Lemon Crust
Serves 6

4-5 very ripe peaches, skin removed*, cut into 1-inch thick wedges
3 c. ripe strawberries, stems removed, cut in half
1/3 c., plus ½ c. sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
½ c. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
½ c. unsalted butter, softened
1 egg yolk
½ a lemon, zested
½ tsp. vanilla extract
vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Butter an 8x8 square glass baking dish. Combine the peaches and strawberries with 1/3 cup of the sugar and the cornstarch in the dish. Let sit until the sugar dissolves, tossing to thoroughly combine.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and ½ cup of the sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the yolk, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour while mixing until a moist dough forms.

With a wooden spoon, drop the dough on top of the fruit, spacing evenly. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 55 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream.

*Side Bar- To make peeling the peaches easier, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Drop the peaches in the water and let cook 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water. (Note- If you feel the skin and it doesn’t feel loose around the fruit, return to water and boil an additional minute. If peaches aren’t sufficiently ripe, they will take significantly longer in the boiling water.) When peaches are cool enough to handle, make a small cut into the skin, then peel off.

The Morning After

2008-06-26T08:09:00.001-04:00

Ok, so maybe not the morning, but the early afternoon at least. If you read yesterday’s post then you know that this recipe came out of leftovers from a slow-cooked chicken dish that I just couldn’t bring myself to heat up as-was. If you aren’t starting with those same leftovers, you can use any old cooked chicken (just try to use something that isn’t already heavily flavored with something that wouldn’t jive with curry). Leftover rotisserie chicken would be great, and for you non-chefs, even a doggie-bagged chicken breast from last night’s restaurant meal would do. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, some canned tuna (packed in water, please) would make a nice substitute for the poultry.

Curried Chicken Salad
Makes 2 sandwiches

1 chicken breast (reserved from Parmesan-Herb Chicken), cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. red curry powder
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. lemon juice
sea salt and black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 stalk of celery, split lengthwise then thinly sliced
4 lettuce leaves
½ large, ripe tomato, cut into 4 slices
4 slices of whole-wheat bread

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, curry powder, honey and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cilantro, scallions and celery. Add the chicken and toss to combine.

Assemble each sandwich using 2 lettuce leaves, 2 slices of tomato and half of the chicken salad.

Now and Later

2008-06-25T08:01:00.001-04:00

I don’t assume that my readers make all of the recipes I post here at Fresh Parm, much less make them in the order I present them. However, if you do happen to be able to carve out two days together, may I suggest making this recipe, then turning the leftover chicken into curried chicken salad? The catch is that you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow to read the chicken salad recipe, so—if you think you’re game—get everything assembled for the chicken today so you’ll be ready (after perhaps a quick run to the store tomorrow) to turn the leftovers into a light and tasty lunch.

Not that the chicken isn’t tasty the first day (the herbs and Parmesan fuse to make a very flavorful coating and the potatoes deliciously retain hints of the sherry), it’s just that I think you’ll really be wowed by the makeover the chicken gets for the curried salad. It’s a winner.

Parmesan-Herb Chicken with Potatoes
Serves 2-3

5-6 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ a medium white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
¾ c. chicken broth or stock
¼ c. dry sherry
sea salt and black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb. total)
1 tbsp. herbs de Provence
1 tbsp. garlic powder
¼ c. grated Parmesan

Arrange the potatoes, onion, celery and carrots in bottom of slow-cooker. Pour the chicken broth and sherry over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and black pepper, then lay on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the herbs de Provence, garlic powder and Parmesan on the chicken, pressing the seasonings and cheese into the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Foodie Word: Mother Sauce

2008-06-24T08:14:00.001-04:00

The first part of this week’s “foodie word(s)” is one we all know: sauce. But what does the Epicurious.com food dictionary have to say about this culinary staple?

Sauce (n)- a thickened, flavored liquid designed to accompany food in order to enhance and bring out its flavor

I don’t know about you, but that seems like a pretty broad definition to me! If virtually ever liquid accompanying food is a sauce, shouldn’t there be some type of classification system to help us keep things straight?

The 19th-century French chef Antonin Carême sure thought so. He evolved an intricate methodology by which hundreds of sauces were classified under one of the five "mother sauces." The mothers are:

1. Espagnole- brown (beef or veal) stock-based
2. Velouté- light (chicken or fish) stock-based
3. Béchamel (basic white sauce)
4. Hollandaise and mayonnaise (emulsified sauces)
5. Vinaigrette (oil-and-vinegar combinations)

This classification system comes in handy for several reasons, namely that, when you’re in the kitchen, having a methodology to follow is essential for allowing experimentation. There is a basic mayonnaise recipe that all chefs learn and, once you know the ingredient ratios and emulsification technique, you can flavor that mayo a thousand ways (see: mayo, curried). Same with vinaigrette—you don’t have to be a foodie to know that the dressing pops up on virtually every restaurant menu in one form or another. But a chef can never arrive at a blueberry, walnut vinaigrette (served over mesclun with fresh chèvre—yum) if he doesn’t know the technique.

So you see, readers, why we owe a great debt to Antonin. Without him, how would we ever have arrived at sauce hybrids like aioli and brown butter? I shudder to think of a world without them!

COW- Cheese Of the Week

2008-06-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

Buffalo mozzarella is the cheese that most excites me when I spot it on a menu. Not because it’s exotic, not because it’s hard to come by, but because it is infinitely superior to cow’s milk mozzarella, which is the world leader in ubiquitous cheeses.

If you’ve never had buffalo mozzarella (or mozzarella di bufala), then I mean no condescension when I say you don’t know what you’re missing. At once sweeter and tangier than cow’s milk mozz, buffalo mozz is instantly recognizable (which also makes a phony menu claim all the more outrageous to those with discerning palates). If you’re looking for it in the grocery store, it can usually be found with the specialty cheeses, packaged in small tubs filled with water or brine. Don’t be fooled by anything in a similar package labeled “bocconcini” or “ciliegini;” although these could be buffalo, they’re very likely not and an inspection of the ingredient label will dispel any doubts.

There are a thousand uses for good quality buffalo mozzarella, but one of the best ways to appreciate its uniqueness is in a traditional caprese salad. All of the creaminess sings through the tomato and basil and pairs exceptionally well with the tang of the vinegar. Try this now, while tomatoes are at their seasonal best.

Best Caprese Salad
Serves 2

2 ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
8 oz. fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced into thin rounds
1 c. (loosely packed) fresh basil, cut in a chiffonade
10 kalamata olives, pitted
balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
sea salt and black pepper

On a plate, layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella. Sprinkle the basil confetti on top and scatter the olives around the plate.

Drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinegar, followed by the olive oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Mole Mole

2008-06-20T08:28:00.005-04:00

Raise your hand (or just wiggle your mouse) if you’ve ever felt totally uninspired staring at the package of raw chicken in your fridge. You want to make something new and creative, but you don’t want to spend a bunch of time or money doing it—and you really don’t want to have to make a last minute run to the grocery store.

If you’ve ever found yourself in that situation, these recipes are perfect. It’s likely that you already have everything in your cabinet that you need to make the chicken (it’s just some sugar and spice after all, but with a sweet and savory, mole-inspired twist). And, if you can think enough in advance to grab a bell pepper and a jalapeno when you’re at the grocery over the weekend, you probably have everything you need to make the delicious corn relish too (don’t worry about the cilantro if that’s not one of your herb staples—you can swap it for parsley or just leave it out). Mix it all together, everything cooks in under 10 minutes and—presto!—dinner is served.

Side Bar: Incidentally, the chicken and corn relish make awesome leftovers when the chicken is sliced up and thrown into a warm flour tortilla with the relish and a little queso fresco.

Mole-Rubbed Chicken
Serves 4

vegetable oil
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
1 ½ tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. cinnamon
sea salt and black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Lightly grease an indoor grill pan with the vegetable oil. Heat to medium-high.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the next 6 ingredients. Add the chicken and turn to coat, pressing the mixture into the meat.

Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Spoon corn relish over each piece and serve immediately.

Corn Relish
Makes approx. 2 cups

1 tbsp. butter
½ white onion, thinly sliced
1 c. corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thaw completely if using frozen)
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno (ribs and seeds removed), minced
sea salt and black pepper
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add the corn, bell pepper, jalapeno and sauté until the veggies are just tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.

I Love Fishes Cause They’re So Delicious

2008-06-19T08:20:00.003-04:00

And cheap and easy and healthy and versatile… I could go on, but I think this recipe pretty much speaks for itself. Only a handful of ingredients, a blessedly short set of instructions and a super quick prep make this one of my best weeknight, busy-person friendly recipes that doesn’t sacrifice nutrition for speed. And it takes no more time to make it for 2 or 4, so buy an extra filet, bake it up, wrap it in foil in the fridge and pop it on a bed of greens topped with mustard vinaigrette (seriously just olive oil, vinegar and Dijon) for a light lunch the next day. If you hate salmon, then swap it for halibut. Finicky about all fish? Chicken’s the next best choice.

Mustard and Herb Crusted Salmon
Serves 2

2, 6-8 oz. center-cut salmon fillets
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
½ tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
½ tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
½ tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
3 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the salmon in the center. Drizzle the olive oil over the salmon, then season with salt and pepper.

Mix all of the chopped herbs together, then sprinkle over the fish. Spread the mustard over the top, using a table knife to cover completely. Bake until the fish is no longer translucent, about 15-18 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet using a wide metal spatula and serve immediately.

Serving suggestion: Wild rice and roasted asparagus.

Quarter Pounder

2008-06-18T07:38:00.003-04:00

Ew, no, not the McDonald’s sandwich! I mean my very own quarter pound loaf of deliciously light, yet rich, sour cream pound cake.

It was a Wednesday afternoon and I got to thinking, “Wouldn’t pound cake be nice with the berries for dessert tonight?” No sooner than I had written it down on my grocery list, however, did I start to wonder why I had just assumed that I should buy pound cake if I wanted it. How hard could it be to bake myself?

Turns out, the answer is: Really easy. I picked up a little sour cream at the store and I was ready to roll. This isn’t one of those cakes that you need to worry about smoothing just so on top, nor is it a faller (like soufflés). Pound cake is sturdy, keeps well for days in the fridge and is just a delicious naked as it is topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Sour Cream Pound Cake
Serves 8

butter-flavored cooking spray
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 ½ c. sugar
½ c. sour cream
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a standard loaf pan with butter-flavored cooking spray and sprinkle with flour on all sides.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar together until a thick paste has formed. Add the sour cream and mix until creamy. Sift the baking soda and flour together and add to the creamed mixture ½ cup at a time, alternating with one egg between each ½ cup. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a few more seconds until everything is combined.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert the pan on a plate to remove the cake, then transfer back to the wire rack and cool completely. After serving, refrigerate any leftover cake.

The Hot Chick

2008-06-17T08:14:00.003-04:00

Always a big fan of hummus, I’ve officially become a chickpea convert after making this stew. Like beans but meatier, like meat but creamier and like peas but silkier, chickpeas are a canned wonder.

Three ounces of chickpeas have almost 9 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, yet less than 1 gram of bad fat. They can be: eaten cold in salads, ground into a flour called gram flour, fried up as falafel, fermented to make an alcoholic drink similar to sake, mashed into hummus or simply roasted, spiced and eaten as a snack. And, pssst… they’re cheap!

Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Stew
Serves 4

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
sea salt and black pepper
½ large white onion, diced
2 ribs celery, split and thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 ½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cumin
14 oz. diced tomatoes
3 ¼ c. chicken stock
¼ c. dry red lentils
14 oz. can chickpeas
¼ c. long-grain white rice
¼ c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 fresh chives, snipped, for garnish

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Cook until browned, about 6 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes and their juices (scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon). Stir in the chicken stock, lentils, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour.

Add the rice and stir to combine. Return the soup to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes more. Add the cilantro and lemon juice and adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle the chives on top.

What Summer Smells Like

2008-06-13T08:22:00.002-04:00

As much as I’ve documented my love for my Calphalon grill pan, there comes a time in every cook’s life when they need to fire up the real thing: an outdoor charcoal grill. Just the smell of one burning away is enough to transport me back to my Florida childhood—summers spent al fresco, running around in the yard all day before the family gathered to grill up a chicken dinner in the late afternoon. I think the sauce back then was KC Masterpiece and, hey, there were no complaints from me—I was just happy to get to lick my fingers clean. Today, however, I’d like to suggest my alternative sauce for when you have a few extra hours to kill. This sauce makes plenty for 4 pieces of chicken (it’d probably even cover 6), so just divide it in half if you’re feeding 2.

Great Grilled Chicken
Serves 4

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ c. vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp. reserved
1 c. tomato paste
1 c. cider vinegar
1 c. honey
½ c. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. Dijon mustard
½ c. soy sauce
1 c. hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. chipotle chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
½ tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
sea salt and black pepper

In a large saucepan over low heat, sauté the onions and garlic in a half cup of the oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish, add the chicken and the marinade. Turn the chicken until completely coated, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Heat an outdoor grill to high. Pour remaining oil on a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack (don’t use cooking spray on a hot grill). Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer marinade to a medium skillet.

Reduce the grill heat to medium and grill the chicken until cooked through, about 7 to 9 minutes per side. Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove chicken from grill and baste with cooked sauce. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving with the remaining sauce.

Very Veggie

2008-06-12T08:30:00.002-04:00

With summer’s produce looking irresistibly fresh and juicy at the market last week and bathing suit season in full swing, I figured there was no time like the present to pull out my secret, Tex-Mex cravings-busting weapon—delicious veggie enchiladas with a sweet and spicy salsa. If you can’t find fresh tomatillos, it’s fine to substitute canned, or start with jarred green salsa and perk it up with the remaining ingredients (although depending on the heat, you may want to skip the jalapeno).

It’s hard to believe it, but, compared to traditional enchiladas, there’s practically no cheese in my version. Instead of using the dairy to “bond” the ingredients together inside the tortillas, the lentil/spinach/stock combination forms a nice, thick glue that’s way more heart and waist-line healthy. Even if you’re a die hard cheese and meat fan, give these a shot. You can still have sour cream!

Potato and Lentil Enchiladas with Zucchini and Tomatillo Salsa
Serves 4

Enchiladas
olive oil spray
½ sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 small red or yellow skinned potatoes, cut into cubes (about 1 ½ cups)
4 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. vegetable stock
½ c. Turkish red lentils
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 c. fresh baby spinach
10 flour tortillas, warmed
1 c. shredded jack or cheddar cheese
sour cream for serving (optional)

Coat a 9x13 casserole dish with the olive oil spray and set aside.

Coat a large, deep saucepan with the olive oil spray. Over medium heat, sweat the onion for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the lentils, oregano and red pepper flakes and raise heat until mixture is simmering. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, 25 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced out. Remove from heat and fold in the spinach leaves, stirring until wilted.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place two spoonfuls of the potato mixture in a tortilla, tuck the sides in and roll up. Place seam-side down in the casserole dish. Repeat until all tortillas are filled, then sprinkle cheese over the top and bake until cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer two or three of the enchiladas to each plate and spoon salsa over, then top with the sour cream, if using. Serve immediately.

Zucchini and Tomatillo Salsa
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini, diced
½ c. fresh corn kernels
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 sweet onion, cut into large pieces
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half
6 tomatillos, husks removed and roughly chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/3 c. fresh cilantro leaves
sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a small pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the zucchini and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the corn kernels and sauté 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine the jalapeno, scallions, onion, garlic, tomatillos, lime juice and cilantro. Pulse to get the mixture to begin combining, then let the motor run until all large pieces are broken up. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine the salsa and the zucchini and corn. Stir to combine.

Bait and Switch

2008-06-10T08:26:00.001-04:00

The usually reliable DeKalb Farmer’s Market left me in a bit of a quandary last week. I intended to purchase halibut for my halibut with burst cherry tomatoes recipe, but sadly the price of my chosen fish was much too great. I didn’t really come armed with a Plan B, so I decided to just buy what looked best (and what was reasonably priced). That ended up being the swordfish.

Not too familiar with swordfish, I set about browsing through a catalog of recipes, trying to find something that would work with the other produce I purchased. Turns out, the rich and meaty swordfish acts almost like chicken on the grill, leading me to believe that if the yogurt spiced chicken I made a while ago worked out, then this marinade would be a natural bath for my fishy friend. And, low and behold, I became a swordfish fan.

Yogurt and Pesto Marinated Swordfish Skewers
Serves 2

2 c. fresh basil leaves
¼ c. pine nuts, toasted
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tbsp. lemon juice
sea salt and black pepper
½ c. plain yogurt
12 oz. swordfish steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 20 mins.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic and lemon juice. Pulse to get started, then slowly stream in the olive oil as the motor runs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add more oil as needed to reach desired consistency.

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt and 1/2 cup of the pesto. Season the fish with salt and pepper on all sides. Add the fish to the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat a grill pan to medium-high heat and coat lightly with cooking spray. Thread one piece of fish onto a skewer, followed by a tomato. Repeat until you have both skewers completed, alternating fish and tomatoes. Grill until the fish is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and drizzle with some of the remaining pesto before serving.

Get the Hint?

2008-06-09T08:14:00.001-04:00

I’ll admit it: As a cook, I love asking people what spices they think are in a dish. Inevitably, they’ll leave one or two out of their answer, which gives me the chance to make the dramatic revelation that the dish contains… anise seed!

This is a great dish for playing ingredient Jeopardy! with your friends. The more refined palates may very well pick up on the hints of cinnamon, while the casual eater will probably just declare it the best version of carbonara they’ve ever had. Either way, you win.

Cinnamon Spaghetti Carbonara
Serves 2-3

2 slices bacon, chopped
2 slices pancetta, chopped
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. whipping cream
¾ c. freshly grated Parmesan
3 large egg yolks
10-12 oz. spaghetti
sea salt and black pepper
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain.

While the spaghetti cooks, in a large pan over medium heat, sauté the bacon and pancetta until almost crispy, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the cinnamon over and sauté 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Whisk in the cream, cheese, and egg yolks until combined.

Add the spaghetti to the sauce and toss over medium-low heat until the sauce coats the pasta, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl and sprinkle with chives.

Cheese of the Week

2008-06-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

It’s rare for us, as Americans, to experience the kind of kinship with our food purveyors as people in other parts of the world are able to. Consider yourself among the fortunate few if you have a local butcher shop, farmer’s market or cheese counter. Unlike East Wittering, Chichester (a small seaside village I once visited in England), most of us can’t walk out of our house, around the corner, and to the town fromagerie. Hell, it wasn’t much before I visited that town did I finally realize that Publix didn’t exactly qualify as a local bake shop.

Fortunately, there are people like Sally Jackson out there, helping us to experience real, artisinal American cheeses in all their glory. Sally and her husband Roger raise sheep, goats, and cows on their sprawling farm in eastern Washington state. They then turn the milk from their animals into hand-made, small-batch cheeses and distribute them to a handful of retailers across the country.

Sally says no to herbs and pasteurization, making only straight-up, raw cheeses wrapped in her signature chestnut leaves. The sheep’s milk cheese is a testament to purity—all sweet, creamy goodness with very subtly notes of rich thyme and fleur de sel. Semi-soft (which actually makes it a lot softer than many other sheep’s milk cheeses), SJ Sheep is bright and uncomplicated, which is just fine when the flavor is this good.

Unfortunately, most of their website is still under construction, and a Google search didn’t reveal any online retailers. However, Sally is well-known in the cheese world and it would definitely be worth your while to inquire about her products in your local cheese shop or even grocery store (the big guys are actually starting to take an interest in the small farms these days). And, if all else fails, you can put in an order with me and expect it sometime around Christmas (central Florida area only, please).

Desperation Dinner

2008-06-06T11:59:00.001-04:00

Many moons ago, I shared my recipe for a soup I like to make when I’ve forgotten to go to the grocery store. 100 Fresh Parmesan posts later (!), I found myself in a quasi-similar situation when I evaluated the contents of my fridge to find the remnants of several meals just kind of… hanging out. Rather than let good produce languish at the bottom of the bin, I decided to see what could come together, right now, over my stove.

I rejected the red onion I found (it’ll keep for a while longer); thought better of adding rosemary (could be overpowering); and decided to pass on some chopped black and green olives (would take whatever I made to a Mediterranean place that I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to).

Asparagus and mushrooms are known to live in harmony, so I elected them the winners of the veggie bin lottery. I decided to unite them not with a leftover, but with a staple—sun-dried tomatoes. Simmered in a simple cream sauce, sun-drieds take on a lovely, juicy quality and have a mild sweetness that pares well with other veggies. Add in a sprinkle of freshly grated Parm, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

End of the Week Spaghetti
Serves 3-4

8 oz. thin spaghetti
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
small bunch (approx. 8 stalks) asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 oz. cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
¾ c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan
sea salt and black pepper to taste
4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and add the spaghetti to the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving one cup of the cooking water, and return to the hot pot.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the asparagus, mushrooms and thyme and sauté over medium heat until the veggies have softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to a plate and keep warm.

Return the pan to heat and add the remaining olive oil and the sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes have softened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a bare simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and let cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables back into the pan and grate in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Pour the sauce over the reserved pasta. If the sauce is too thick, slowly add in some of the reserved cooking water until you reach a desired consistency. Divide the pasta between the plates or bowls and top with the reserved bacon pieces. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Oh, Canada!

2008-06-05T08:27:00.005-04:00

While some of my friends may know this, others of you might be unfamiliar with my love of Canada. Granted, I’ve never visited our northern neighbor, but I can’t help but feel as though I would love it. Maple leaves, French speaking people, loads of snow, a still-favorable exchange rate—what’s not to like?

Add this delicious dessert to Canada’s “pros” list. While doing some research, I found that this sweet treat is thought to be native to Nanaimo, British Columbia (hence the name). I also read that it gained widespread popularity in the 1950’s—I’ll have to take their word for it, as I don’t have a lot of knowledge about Canadian culinary culture in the mid-20th century. What I do have some knowledge of is what makes a simple, delicious, no-bake bar cookie that freezes well, and this is aboot as good as it gets.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars
Adapted from a recipe in Nuts About Chocolate by Susan Mendelson and Deborah Roitberg
Makes 50 bars

Cookie
½ c. unsalted butter
¼ c. sugar
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
1 ¾ c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. shredded sweetened coconut
½ c. blanched almonds, finely chopped

Peanut Butter Filling
1/3 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c. peanut butter
½ c. powdered sugar

Chocolate Glaze
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, with long flaps hanging over each edge.

Fill the bottom pot of a double boiler with an inch of water and bring to a very slow simmer over medium-low heat. In the top pot, melt the butter. Add the sugar, cocoa and vanilla extract to the butter, stirring to combine. Add the egg and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened (about the consistency of hot fudge), about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and almonds. Press the dough firmly into the prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar together in with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread over the cookie and freeze while preparing the chocolate glaze.

Combine the chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and cook on 50 percent power for 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more. Let cool for about 30 seconds, then pour over the chilled peanut butter layer and smooth with an offset spatula. Freeze for at least 30 minutes (can be frozen up to a week before serving).

To serve, remove from the freezer and let come to room temperature for 5 minutes. Pull out of the pan using the foil flaps and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife.

Ooey Gooey Goodness

2008-06-03T08:29:00.002-04:00

I love childhood treats re-imagined for grown-ups and there seems to have been a resurgence in this concept in recent years. I’ve seen an “Oreo” recreated out of white chocolate ganache and triple-dark chocolate cookies; “Pop Tarts” that are really fruit compote hiding inside phyllo dough; “PB&J” sandwiches artfully composed of peanut butter pot de crème, concord grape jelly and homemade vanilla wafer cookies.

This crispy treat homage to the sticky goodies of yore isn’t nearly as fancy as the aforementioned creations, but it definitely hits that nostalgic spot. You can technically switch this up and make it with any non-flake cereal (caramel Cheerio squares, anyone?), but something about the snap, crackle and pop of the original really makes me happy.

Caramel Crispy Treats
Yield 24-30 squares

2 tbsp. butter, divided

6 to 7 c. puffed rice cereal
butter-flavored cooking spray
1 package square caramels, unwrapped

6 tbsp. evaporated milk

Butter the inside of a very large bowl with one tablespoon of the butter. Pour cereal into the buttered bowl and set aside. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the caramels and evaporated milk, and cook, stirring constantly, until melted together (this will take 7-8 minutes).

Pour the caramel over the cereal and stir with a large spoon or spatula until coating is evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and press flat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then cut into portions to serve.

Guest Blogging- The Urbanite, Part III

2008-06-02T07:38:00.000-04:00

Gentle readers, allow me to present The Urbanite's newest real-person-friendly recipe. Fortunately for those of you with city-sized kitchens, it requires no cooking whatsoever and travels well (mayo-free), so it's picnic-and summer-ready. The name also involves alliteration, which always scores points with me.

Simple Salmon and Dill Dip
Serves 4 as an appetizer

1 can wild caught salmon with skin (drained and picked through to remove large bones)*
½ lemon, juiced (if it’s a giant lemon, cut this back a bit)
1 tbsp. capers, with liquid
1 handful fresh dill (or more to taste)
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine first four ingredients and the black pepper in the bowl of a food processor and blend. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency is reached (that's about 3 tablespoons for me). You aren't shooting for mousse here—you want to preserve some of the texture of the salmon and the bits of dill. Taste before adding salt because the capers are very salty. Serve with tortilla chips or toast points.

*Side Bar- The salmon you buy is sort of important here. I like Trader Joe's Alaskan Red Salmon. Make sure you only buy wild caught Alaskan salmon—never ever farmed or Atlantic (bad for the environment). I prefer red or sockeye salmon because it's a prettier color, but I don't think there's much difference otherwise. Don't get smoked salmon, as it will really change the flavor of the dish (smoked salmon dip would be more of a cream cheese affair I think). As for the bones, discard any that are obvious, but don't worry about the pin bones. They're full of calcium and they're going to get blended up anyway.

Join the Club

2008-05-30T08:23:00.002-04:00

On an episode of Top Chef I watched the other day, the “quickfire” challenge was to make a drink using Bailey’s Irish Cream and serve it with a snack. The chefs were, of course, quite creative, turning out fancy, frothed cocktails and nibbles along the lines of tuna tartare and shrimp ceviche. An expert mixologist had been called in to judge and, while she raved over some of their creations, she also commented that she was a little disappointed that no one made a Bailey’s milkshake and hamburger.

Point taken: Sometimes simple and familiar—but perfectly seasoned and cooked—is better than any new-fangled dish could ever be.

California Chicken Club Sandwiches on Ciabatta
Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, approx. 1 lb.
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
juice of ½ lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
4 mini-ciabatta rolls, cut in half and lightly toasted
½ c. homemade mayonnaise
4 red-leaf lettuce leaves
1 large beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced
4 thin slices Pepper Jack cheese
8 strips center cut bacon, cooked
1 ripe avocado, pitted, thinly sliced, and sprinkled with lemon juice

In a food processor, combine the rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, garlic, mustard and vinegar. Pulse to combine, then stream in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and adjust other seasonings to taste.

In a shallow dish, season the chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper, then pour the marinade over. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat and coat lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Cook the chicken pieces for 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

To assemble sandwiches, spread one tablespoon of mayo on each half of the ciabatta. On the bottom slice of bread, layer the lettuce, tomato, chicken, cheese, bacon and avocado, then top with the other half. Serve immediately.

Hoisin Around

2008-05-29T08:17:00.002-04:00

Thick and sweet, hoisin is about to become one of your new favorite sauces if it's not already. A traditional Chinese dipping and glazing sauce, hoisin is made from water, sugar, soybeans, distilled vinegar, salt, wheat flour, garlic, and red chili peppers, amongst other necessary things like preservatives.

It’s pretty widely available (I spied two brands at Publix) and is incredibly easy to work with. I like to doctor mine up a bit, but it’s perfectly fine on its own—straight out of the jar—as a glaze for chicken, fish and shellfish. Just slap it on your protein of choice and grill or broil away.

Hoisin Glazed Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
Serves 2

1/3 c. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. tamari, dark soy sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
½ tsp. ground ginger
2 tbsp. water
2, 5 to 6-oz. filets of salmon, with skin
8 baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half
8 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed and cut in half
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
Cooked white or jasmine rice, for serving

Position an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the broiler.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Place the salmon, skin-side down, on a heavy, foil-lined baking sheet and season each side with salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush, brush about half of the sauce onto the fish. Pour the remaining sauce into a small saucepan and set aside.

In a small bowl, toss the mushrooms and asparagus with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange evenly around the fish. Broil until the fish is opaque, about 8 minutes depending on the thickness and your preferred doneness.

While the fish is cooking, add two tablespoons of water to the reserved sauce. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until it simmers and begins to thicken.

To serve, slide a spatula between the skin and the fish, and discard the skin. Arrange one filet and half of the vegetables on each plate and pour sauce over the fish. Serve with rice.

Foodie Word- Tomatillo

2008-05-28T08:10:00.002-04:00

With our insatiable appetites for the variety modern dining has to offer, it’s little surprise that just one of anything isn’t enough anymore. Today, we prefer a flight of beers for tasting, a trio of crème brûlées for dessert, and a duo of salsas to dip our chips in.

While red tomato salsa remains a perennial favorite, I’ve heard some passionate discourse on the relative newcomer, tomatillo salsa. Tomatillos (say: tohm-ah-TEE-ohs) are essentially Mexican green tomatoes, and belong to the same nightshade family as other tomatoes. They resemble small green tomatoes in size, but are incased in a parchment-like paper husk that must be peeled away before eating. Although tomatillos can ripen to yellow, they’re usually used while still firm and green.

When buying tomatillos, look for ones with dry, tight-fitting husks. Once you get them home, they’ll keep in a paper bag in the fridge for up to a month. Tomatillos can be used raw or fresh and are also available canned in many ethnic supermarkets. Rich in vitamin A and containing a good amount of vitamin C as well, tomatillos are flavorful and healthy fruits with a great degree of versatility.

Simmered Tomatillo Salsa

1 lb. fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
½ large white or red onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ c. water
1 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

Coarsely purée the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, water and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a large heavy skillet and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, then stir in cilantro, lime juice, and more salt to taste. Serve with corn tortilla chips.

Summer Starter

2008-05-27T08:21:00.000-04:00

Depending on where you live, this may or may not be true, but—for the southern part of the US at least—Memorial Day always rings in the start of the summer season. It’s officially safe to put away your sweaters, stash the slow cooker in a cabinet and break out the sunscreen, SPF 1,000 for me please.

If you don’t have a signature summer cocktail, may I suggest making this sweet and refreshingly tart beverage your drink of choice? The acidity of the lemons, sweetness of the sugar and subtle, spicy heat of the ginger make it a real winner. The vodka is optional of course, but I think a little booze goes a long way toward easing the pain of knowing that, as adults, we’re no beginning the greatest three months of our year. Bottoms up!

Ginger Vodka Lemonade
Makes 1 gallon

8 lemons, juiced
2/3 c. white sugar
2 c. water
2-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
1 c. vodka (start there, add more to your liking)
ice cubes

In a 1 gallon pitcher, juice the lemons.

In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar, water and ginger slices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Once the simple syrup is cooled, strain into the pitcher with the lemon juice and stir to combine. Fill the pitcher three quarters full with water, then add the cup of vodka. Stir and taste. Add more water if necessary and add additional vodka to taste. To serve, fill glasses with ice cubes and pour lemonade over.

Saturday Splurge

2008-05-24T09:23:00.002-04:00

Yes, you’re right if you’re thinking that Saturdays on Fresh Parmesan are usually reserved for Cheese of the Week, but this is such an excellent weekend splurge that I wanted to give you the chance to make it on this most sacred of occasions, the celebrated three-day holiday weekend.

If raspberry isn’t your jam of choice, strawberry or grape would definitely work too. And, if you really want to get creative, replacing the chocolate chips with butterscotch chips is a nice flavor combo as well. Heck, you could go completely crazy and switch Nutella for the peanut butter and white chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips, then top with freshly sliced bananas. It’s your weekend splurge, have it your way!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Raspberry Syrup
Serves 4

½ c. creamy peanut butter
8 slices white bread (brioche or challa would work well)
¼ c. mini milk chocolate chips
½ c. 2% milk
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2/3 c. raspberry jam
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
whipped cream, for serving

Spread 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter on each slice of bread. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly between 4 of the slices. Top each slice with chocolate with another slice of bread, peanut butter side down, to make 4 sandwiches.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Soak each sandwich until saturated, about 5 seconds. Transfer the sandwiches to a baking sheet.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the jam and 3 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sandwiches and cook until golden, 2-3 minutes on each side. Top with the jam syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.

Old Faithful

2008-05-23T08:03:00.000-04:00

This one has been in my repertory for so long, I can’t even remember where I got the original inspiration from. What I do know is that it’s 1) simple and fresh; 2) crowd-pleasing; and 3) pretty healthy for a sauté with sauce.

I thought today was a good time to dust this recipe off because the beautiful, bright green stalks of asparagus have been going down in price at the farmer’s market in recent weeks and the basil is holding steady at $0.99 for a giant bunch (seriously, I still can’t get over this one). If the cherry tomatoes aren’t looking good in your area, you can substitute a large heirloom tomato—just make sure to seed it before you chop it or the veggies will be too wet. And if your lemons are cheaper when purchased by the bag, go ahead and buy a dozen or so now—you’ll need them for ginger lemonade next week!

Chicken Sauté with Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Lemon Pan Sauce
Serves 2

2, 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into three-quarter inch pieces
sea salt and black pepper
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
8 asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 tbsp. water or chicken broth
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
small handful of fresh basil, shredded

Season the chicken breast pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. In a medium, not-too-shallow skillet, heat one tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and asparagus and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add another tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the plate with the vegetables and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes—do not allow garlic to brown. Add the water or broth and lemon juice and scrape any burned bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter, stirring to combine. Add the chicken and vegetables back into the pan and cook until just warmed through. Adjust the seasonings to taste and add the basil just before serving.

Getting Warmer…

2008-05-22T08:20:00.001-04:00

It may seem strange to be reading this hearty soup recipe as the temperature outside continues to soar, but hear me out: With bathing suit season upon us, we need filling, flavorful, low-fat food now more than ever. And, on many levels, this soup fits that bill.

Ribollita, basically a soup with stale bread as an ingredient, is a staple in Tuscany and my version is a riff on the classic. To keep this on the safe side of figure-friendly, I cut down the bread to just one roll (ciabatta is great but any crusty white bread will work), plussed up the kale portion and threw in a hint of spice to pack a maximum flavor punch. Although beef stock really does add a richness that I think is critical, you can make this vegetarian friendly by using vegetable or wild mushroom stock and skipping the bacon. And, yes, it adds a few extra calories, but I can’t in good consciousness omit the grated Parm on top.

Ribollita con Verdure
Serves 4

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 thick slices bacon, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium zucchini, cut into thin slices
sea salt and black pepper
½ c. dry red wine
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
5 c. beef stock
1 stale ciabatta roll, roughly chopped
15 oz. can of cannellini beans
4 cups chopped kale
hot sauce, to taste (start with ½ tsp.)
½ c. grated Parmesan

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and bacon and render 4 minutes, until the bacon is almost crispy. Add the rosemary, whole sprigs of thyme, garlic, onion, carrots and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Sauté 7 to 8 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze the pot and cook until half of the liquid has evaporated.

Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and stir in the tomatoes and beef stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and stir in bread and beans. Gradually add the kale and wilt into the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring soup as it simmers until slightly thickened.

Remove pot from heat and add the hot sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with the cheese.

Easy Cheesy

2008-05-20T08:30:00.001-04:00

With the long holiday weekend looming in the not-too-far future, I think a lot of people are looking for new dishes to take to picnics and parties. Not that there’s anything wrong with potato salad, fruit salad, 3-bean salad, etc., but sometimes it’s nice to bring something a little less expected.

Since I believe that different shouldn’t mean time-consuming, I’d like to share this super simple—and very flavorful—twist on a chip and dip combo. The piquant feta is the perfect foil for a creamy and zesty base laced with fresh parsley (use the flat-leaf, or Italian, variety if available). In addition to the pita chips, crudités (carrots, zucchini sticks, sliced radishes) would be great, healthy “chip” alternatives.

Feta and Walnut Dip with Baked Pita Chips
Serves 4 as an appetizer

2 cloves garlic, skin removed
1 c. walnuts, toasted
½ c. skim milk
1 ½ c. crumbled feta cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
handful of fresh parsley, half roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper
4 whole wheat pitas, cut into 8 wedges each
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, walnuts, milk, feta, oregano, red pepper flakes and half of the handful of parsley. Pulse until the dip is smooth, adding more milk if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the remaining chopped parsley.

Arrange the pita wedges on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. In a 300 degree oven, bake for 5 minutes or until crispy. Serve with the dip.

Yo-Foria

2008-05-16T12:36:00.001-04:00

As someone who consumes a significant quantity of yogurt each week (both traditional and soy, with a Greek-style splurge every now and then), it seems odd that I haven’t shared one of my yogurt marinade recipes until now. Yogurt is a fantastic alternative to “traditional” marinades—its high acidity is a terrific tenderizer of meat, but it packs much less of a caloric punch than oils. And, as far as flavor goes, it’s just as versatile as mayonnaise or sour cream but contains significantly less fat.

All yogurts also contain the probiotic cultures Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Probiotics—sometimes known as “beneficial bacteria”—naturally live in your digestive tract, but need regular replenishing. That’s where yogurt comes in. Just one serving a day gives you a healthy dose of cultures to keep you feeling good on the inside. So, break out of the “yogurt is only breakfast food” mentality, and start finding out why this is the real dairy product that does a body good!

Spiced Grilled Chicken
Serves 2

6 oz. plain yogurt (I love Stonyfield Farms organic)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. chipotle chili powder
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
sea salt and black pepper
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large baggie, combine the first four ingredients, then add the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Removed the chicken from marinade and place on a plate. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken on the first side for 7-8 minutes, then turn over and grill 4 minutes more, or until chicken is firm to the touch. Remove from heat and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Twice as Nice

2008-05-14T08:18:00.001-04:00

Needing to whip up two, mayonnaise-based sauces last night, I suddenly found myself staring down the empty barrel of the mayo jar. What’s a girl to do? Inspired by a recent episode of Top Chef (seriously, if you’re not watching, you’re missing out), I decided that the lonely eggs in the back of my fridge were practically begging to be turned into a homemade mayo.

I think it’s a pretty well-kept secret that making mayonnaise is really, really easy. It seems like one of those things that should be intimidating, but I can practically guarantee that you already have everything in your kitchen needed to make it. And, if you don’t have a food processor, you can absolutely mix it by hand (it’s just going to require a little elbow grease). Once you’ve got the basic recipe down, start experimenting! How about a smoky, chipotle-spiced mayo or a homemade tartar sauce for fish n’ chips night? You can do it!

Mayonnaise: Two Ways
Yields 1 cup

1 egg yolk
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. dry mustard
2 pinches sugar
2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp. white or red wine vinegar
1 c. vegetable oil
sea salt and black pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the yolk, salt, mustard, sugar and lemon juice. Pulse 3 times. Add the vinegar and pulse 3 more times. Let the motor run and very slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Curried Mayo
Serving suggestion: Sweet potato fries

½ c. homemade mayonnaise
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 ½ tsp. red curry powder
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate one hour before serving.

Sweet Slaw Dressing
Serving suggestion: Cabbage and carrot coleslaw

½ c. homemade mayonnaise
3 tbsp. sour cream
2 tsp. white or red wine vinegar
½ tsp. celery salt
½ tsp. onion powder
1 ½ tsp. sugar
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over slaw and toss. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Pretzel Poppin’ Fool

2008-05-13T07:57:00.001-04:00

It’s true, I confess: I’m a Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Balls poppin’ fool. The little nuggets of sweet and salty goodness are quickly becoming my at-work addiction. I’m hiding them in my desk drawer, telling myself “just a handful never hurt anyone…” And then, before I know it, I’ve run through a container in 4 days. Thanks goodness Trader Joe’s isn’t a high-end (read: high-priced) grocery store.

My love affair with sweet/salty combinations goes back a long time. My go-to road trip snack? The completely addictive Chex Muddy Buddies. My “healthy” fruit pick? Ripe oranges, liberally salted. I’ve never been able to resist the tang of a citrusy, salty margarita or the call of crunchy kettle corn. Heck, I’ve even gone so far as to eat chocolate covered potato chips just for the novelty of it all.

Luckily, TJDCCPB aren’t expensive and, as far as guilty pleasures go, not terribly fattening. Unfortunately, my midtown apartment puts me at a short, 5 minute drive away from snack food nirvana. How far will you have to travel?

COW- Cheese of the Week

2008-05-10T08:15:00.003-04:00

With warm weather upon (most of) us, I thought it would be a good time to move to a cheese that can stand up to the elements. While the heat of an oven may be a wonderful thing for cheeses like brie, the heat of a summer afternoon can turn them into a runny, sticky mess.

Not so with Farmhouse Cheshire. Thought to be England's oldest cheese, Cheshire is a raw, cow's milk cheddar-style cheese that is sturdy enough to accompany you on a picnic. Cheshire is a smooth, hole-less variety the color of a cantaloupe (this is due to the use of annatto, a tree-based coloring agent that's harmless). The brand of Cheshire I'm most familiar with is Abbey Farm, but there are also respected makers like Mollington Grange Farm and Chorlton Lodge Farm producing this cheese.

The flavor of Cheshire is honestly a little tough to describe. It's salty, for sure, but neither nutty nor fruity, sweet nor sharp. The best I can do is that it's savory in the vein of a classic Cheddar, with a lot more earthiness than you'll find in mass-market brands.

Try it picnic fare, like...
Wheat bread or crackers
Ripe berries and apples
Beer and rose wine
Turkey or roast beef sandwiches
Assorted olives and pickles

I’m Melting!

2008-05-09T08:29:00.000-04:00

I confess to never having been a big breakfast person. Sure, a chocolate croissant never fails to start the day off right, but the mornings that I’m able to procure those are few and far between. I’m usually content to eat yogurt with fresh berries and granola at work, but on the weekends, a little something extra seems in order.

I was initially intimated by this recipe: making my own scones! I’m no baker! But, to my delight, it proved much less tricky and time-intensive than I anticipated. About 30 minutes for the prep and an hour for the bake later, I was munching down on some light, flaky and gently blueberry-sweetened goodness. If I were going to pick a signature breakfast recipe, this one might just be the winner.

Blueberry Scones with Melted Peaches
Serves 2-4

1 lb. frozen, sliced peaches
2 ½ tbsp. brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp. instant pearl tapioca
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. lemon juice
5/6 c. all purpose flour (or ½ + 1/3 cups)
1 ¾ tbsp. granulated sugar, plus 2 tsp. reserved
¾ tbsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter, chilled and cut into pieces
¾ c. fresh blueberries
¼ c. heavy cream, plus 1 tbsp. reserved

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch square baking dish. In the dish, combine the peaches, brown sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and lemon juice. Toss to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using your fingers, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (keep working, it takes a little longer than you might think). Stir in the blueberries, then the cream and combine with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. Form the dough into a ball and, on a floured work surface, pat it into a 1-inch thick round. Cut into 4 wedges.

Arrange the dough wedges on top of the peach mixture and brush the tops with the remaining tablespoon of cream and sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of sugar. Bake until the scones are golden about 50-60 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Fan Fare, Part II

2008-05-08T08:02:00.003-04:00

If you cringed at my last ode to Rachel Ray, you can stop reading now. Because, once again, I feel compelled to share with you an RR original recipe (with some of my own modifications, of course) that I absolutely loved.

This twist on classic Italian fare is a great alternative to ordering take-out or cooking on of those frozen “bag” meals. There’s not a ton of chopping, the meatballs are made with all white meat chicken and the sauce isn’t loaded with MSG. Plus, it’s really fun to use chopsticks to pop the little meatballs in your mouth. It’s kind of like kid-friendly Chinese—what’s not to like?

Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serves 4

8 oz. spaghetti
1 lb. ground white meat chicken
1 egg
2 c. panko (Japanese style bread crumbs)
1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
8 scallions, 2 finely chopped, 6 cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tbsp., plus 1/3 c. tamari (dark soy sauce)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. snow peas, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 inches ginger root, grated
4 cloves garlic, grated
8 oz. baby spinach leaves, washed
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta to cook to al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water before draining.

In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken and egg with your hands. Add the panko, five-spice powder, 2 of the chopped scallions and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and mix thoroughly. Form 1 ½ inch meatballs with your hands and place on a baking sheet. Spray the tops with olive oil baking spray and roast for 15 minutes.

When the meatballs are close to done, heat a large skillet over high heat with the vegetable oil. Add the snow peas, bell pepper, remaining cut scallions, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, 2 minutes. Add the remaining soy sauce and the sesame oil, then add the pasta and toss to combine. If there isn’t enough sauce, add in some of the reserved pasta water to thin. Garnish with sesame seeds and top with the meatballs.

Like White on Rice

2008-05-06T08:21:00.001-04:00

I think I’ve discussed before that growing up in Lakeland wasn’t exactly conducive to earning a proper culinary education. Sure, we had a handful of TexMex joints and actually some pretty decent Italian, but your options for a taste of the orient were either Bamboo Garden (love the crispy rice noodles that come to the table at the start of every meal) or Hunan, where a framed picture of Gloria Estefen hung proudly on the wall.*

Authentic, Hunan was probably not, but they did make some of the crunchiest, tangiest sweet and sour chicken in town. Oh, to this day, I have fantasies about the little tub of red sauce being unveiled before my hungry eyes. While this dish doesn’t quite recreate all the sweet, pineapply goodness of my childhood, if I close my eyes and pop in my old Into the Light CD, I’m almost there.

*Side bar- I think the story involved her stopping by Lakeland while on tour, but it may also have had something to due with her choosing Lakeland as her destination for recuperation from a tour bus accident. This was never quite clear.

Chicken with Homemade Pineapple Barbeque Sauce
Serves 2-3

3-4, 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 c. fresh pineapple, chopped
¼ c. brown sugar
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. tamari (dark soy sauce)
8 oz. tomato sauce
1, 6 oz. can sliced water chestnuts
3 scallions, thinly sliced
white or brown rice, prepared according to package directions

Place a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and coat with a thin layer of the olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and place on the grill. Cook until each side is golden brown and the chicken is firm to the touch, about 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and let rest.

While the chicken is cooking, place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and pineapple and cook until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, tamari and tomato sauce. Simmer sauce for a couple of minutes to thicken. Add the water chestnuts and adjust seasonings to taste.

To serve, stir the sliced scallions into the rice and put some on each plate. Slice the chicken breasts on an angle and pour the sauce over each one.

Cinco or Swim

2008-05-05T08:09:00.005-04:00

Before I begin today’s post, a quick aside: I apologize for my absence last week. Let’s just say several forces aligned (work, a cold, etc.) to prevent me from blogging and for that I’m terribly sorry. Can we just pretend that it never happened? Great, thanks!

Review- El Tesoro

Once upon a time, I discovered a little TexMex place in EAV (that’s East Atlanta Village for all you non-locals) that served up the cheapest, tastiest tacos, quesos and margaritas imaginable. Cantina La Casita is something of an institution around here—along with Taqueria Del Sol and Nuevo Laredo, La Casita is one of my most frequent south-of-the-border dining destinations.

Enter El Tesoro, a new spot from the same people that brought the city La Casita. I dined there for the first time yesterday evening and am pleased to report that many of my favorite features and menu items from LC have made the jump to the new spot.

We started with the requisite chips and salsa. El Tesoro’s two offerings are a mild, green tomatillo and a fire-roasted tomato. I prefer the acidic tomatillo, especially when accompanied by the not-overly-sweet house margarita blanco. Although it’s printed at the top of the menu, I’m sure many diners are surprised to see a charge for the chips and the salsa when the bill comes. If you don’t want them, speak up quickly. We also ordered our standard queso but, and it could have been my imagination, El Tesoro’s tasted thicker and less spicy than LC’s. I guess the only way I’ll know for sure is to visit the original again soon…

I was hoping to sample one tofu and one mushroom enchilada each in my order of two, but when I asked if that was possible, our server said that the kitchen “doesn’t like it” when people mix and match. “Doesn’t like it” and “won’t do it” are two different things to me and I don’t feel like servers should cater to the preferences of the kitchen if they are indeed just that—preferences. If no mixing and matching is a policy, then just say, politely, “no, I’m sorry, we can’t.” Anyway, my two mushroom enchiladas turned out to be delicious, laced with the flavor of cilantro and onions and topped with more of the tomatillo salsa—yum. The accompanying black beans were good, lightly spiced but nothing out of the ordinary.

My date ordered the “platillo grande”—four tacos, one each tofu, mushroom, fried tilapia and chorizo and potato. The tilapia gave Taqueria’s famous fish tacos a run for their money. Crispy and light, the fish was nicely set off by tender cabbage and smooth poblano cream. The mushroom was filled with what tasted like the same mushroom sauté as in my enchiladas and I confess to not tasting the chorizo. But the tofu was my favorite—a slightly crisped exterior with nice heat from the chipotle marinade and the bright crunch of radish and jicama. A well-rounded taco, and a vegetarian one at that!

Creative Loafing employs my favorite food reviewers in the city and, coincidentally, El Tesoro was reviewed last week by the paper as well (read their review here). I can’t say that I agree 100% with this one (I didn’t spot a single child), but they got one thing spot on—the fried plantains are to die for. As for the rest, if I find myself in Decatur I'd be happy to give El Tesoro another whirl, but I'm not saying adios to La Casita just yet, that's for sure.

Bulking Up

2008-04-28T08:16:00.001-04:00

I started out slowly: your basic mussels steamed in white wine and garlic. And, if I do say so myself, they were great. But—you know me by now—I was already itching to try something different with my newfound bearded buddies. Behold—baked, stuffed mussels on the half shell! All the mussel-y goodness you know and love, but now with a crispy bread crumb topping! And if speed is what you need, then these babies are done faster than you can say seafood!*

*Side bar: I’m sorry, it seems as though my inner advertising copywriter came out a little bit and I attempted to sell you on the mussels. My apologies. I’ll try to keep it to a simple, “I think you’ll like them” next time.

Stuffed Mussels on the Half Shell
Serves 2-3

2 pounds Prince Edward Island mussels, cleaned and debearded
1 c. dry white wine
½ c. fresh basil leaves
½ c. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, peeled
¾ c. fresh bread crumbs
1 ½ c. Lemon Zinger tomato sauce (link to previous post)
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add mussels and wine to a large saucepan and cover. Steam on high until mussels open, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain mussels and set aside to cool.

In a blender or food processor, combine the basil, ¼ cup of the olive oil and the garlic. Process until smooth and pour a bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, tomato sauce and Parmesan to the bowl and mix well.

When they’re cool enough to handle, open each mussel and remove the piece of shell that the mussel has detached itself from. Loosen the mussel from the remaining shell half but leave it in the shell. Lay the mussels on a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

Pack each shell full with the sauce mixture. Drizzle mussels with the olive oil and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

The Lemon Law

2008-04-25T08:11:00.004-04:00

On the very off chance that you’re not familiar with the phrase, “lemon laws” are US laws intended to protect consumers from cars that repeatedly fail to meet certain standards of quality and performance. These cars are referred to as “lemons.” The phrase “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade” also references the use of the word lemon as a “bad apple,” so to speak.

I think it’s unfair that lemons are subjected to this negative connotation. What did lemons ever do to us, aside from provide a wonderful natural citrus base for marinades and star in one of my favorite summertime beverages? (Just you wait for my ginger lemonade recipe!) In their defense, lemons are tangy, brightly colored and an excellent source of vitamin C. Lemon juice prevents cut apples and avocados from browning, lemon peel freshens a smelly garbage disposal and lemon oil is a natural furniture polish. And lemons help prevent scurvy, a deadly disease!

So take that, “lemon laws.” How do you like them apples?

Lemon and Rosemary Marinated Chicken
Serves 2

3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
¼ tsp. smoked paprika
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. grill seasoning (chicken or steak flavors will work)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
sea salt and black pepper

In a plastic gallon-sized bag, combine the first six ingredients. Add the chicken, close the bag, and shake gently to coat. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.

Preheat a grill pan to high. Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken for 5 minutes, rotate 45 degrees and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the second side, or until cooked through. Remove from heat onto a serving platter.

In a small saucepan, bring the remaining marinade up to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the chicken. Serve with the sautéed mushrooms.

Sautéed Cremini Mushrooms

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
sea salt and black pepper
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, thyme and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6 to 7 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook until the vinegar has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and more pepper and serve immediately.

Fake It When You Make It

2008-04-24T08:11:00.001-04:00

Not to get all Sandra Lee on you today, but sometimes you need to cut a few corners to get dinner on the table at a reasonable hour (and by “reasonable,” I mean 8, 9 o’clock). We’ve all used shortcuts: bagged salad, minute rice, rotisserie chicken, instant pudding. And, while I’m not espousing using these convenience items as your go-to, everyday standards, I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with turning to them once in a while. Hey, they still beat fast food.

One of my favorite cheat items is frozen, breaded eggplant slices. Perfect for making a quick, fake-out version of the time intensive classic eggplant parmesan, these crispy little veggies taste almost as good as the real deal. I like Trader Joe’s brand, but I’ve seen a few other varieties at grocery stores around town, so you should be able to find one that suits your needs. The slices I buy measure about a quarter inch thick and 2-3 inches in diameter, so I allow 3 per person, but you can certainly adjust the quantity depending on the size of the slices you buy.

Eggplant Par-mock-sean
Serves 2

6 slices breaded, frozen eggplant
8 oz. spaghetti
2 c. Red Pepper Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
3 tbsp. freshly chopped basil leaves
3 oz. water-packed buffalo mozzarella, cut into small pieces
sea salt and black pepper

Using the oven method described on the box, cook the frozen eggplant according to package directions, or until crispy and brown. (Mine cook for 12 minutes in a 425 degree oven.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and boil 7-8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and divide evenly between two plates. Top each portion of spaghetti with a ½ cup of the tomato sauce. Arrange three eggplant slices over the spaghetti and sauce on each plate and top each plate with a ½ cup of the sauce. Divide the basil and mozzarella and scatter half over each plate of eggplant and spaghetti. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Red Pepper Tomato Sauce
Makes about 4 cups

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
½ c. chicken stock
2 tsp. lemon zest
3 tbsp. freshly chopped basil leaves
¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt and black pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and sauté 4 minutes more. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté 1 minute more.

Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Add the lemon zest and basil and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

The High Price of Progress

2008-04-23T08:35:00.002-04:00

In Mexico, where over 50% of the nation’s families live just at or below the poverty line, sharply rising tortilla prices have sparked protests. Tortillas provide nearly half of the daily nutrition for the poor and a rise in their cost means many will go without the little bit of food they subsist on. Tortilla producers are blaming the hike on the inflated price of corn, as investors are diverting their dollars to crops used for biofuel instead.

In Senegal, the price of bread is beginning to make the dietary staple unattainable for the nation’s poorest. Protesters took to the streets recently, where they called for a government intervention. As a country that imports over 60% of its food, Senegal has little control over inflating food prices and the global supply of grain is being stretched thin by high demands for the dwindling food crop elsewhere.

Throughout Africa, Asia and South America, people are being driven from their land. Plots previously home to lush forests—and families—are being cleared to make room for the planting of crops needed to power the booming biofuel industry, with little regard for the land’s human inhabitants.

Houston, it seems we have a problem.

Once hailed as the magic bullet in the war against climate change, biofuels are now at the center of a major backlash. The use of crops for industrial purposes (like making biofuel) has risen by a quarter since 2000. Now, it’s true that producing fuel from plant crops, like corn and grain, is environmentally cleaner than drilling for oil. Biofuels also typically burn cleaner and are made from a renewable resource. But the growing demand for cleaner energy sources means that lands have to be set aside for growing this new generation of crops. And that land, and the resources needed to sustain it, don’t just materialize out of thin air.

The European Union wants biofuels to provide 10% of all fuels by the year 2020. A lofty goal and one cheered by those who see our dependence on limited oil resources as a type of cancer plaguing the globe. But growing numbers of world food supply experts and humanitarian groups are crying foul, citing statistics like the ones above that seem to indicate the very dark side of biofuels many are unaware (or don’t wish to be aware) of. So, the question is: Could one of our plans to save the planet be harming the people that live on it? And, even more troubling: What do we do now?

All We Are Saying…

2008-04-22T08:16:00.002-04:00

Is give charmoula a chance. A virtual unknown stateside, charmoula is a North African staple—a simple marinade typically made of herbs, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin seeds and salt (coriander, or what we call cilantro, is also a frequent addition). The texture is somewhere between a pesto and a sauce, but you can make it swing one way or the other (more herbs vs. more broth) to suit your taste. And, although most commonly used to flavor fish or seafood dishes, charmoula is versatile enough to be used on just about any meat—or on any meat substitute, as is the case today.

As we’ve discussed before, tempeh is a fermented soybean cake. Mmmmm. Ok, seriously, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it at least once. Like tofu, it doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor on its own, but that just means it’s primed to soak up a delicious, fresh and herby marinade. Here, charmoula fits the bill perfectly.

Pan Roasted Tempeh and Vegetables with Mediterranean Charmoula
Serves 2-3

½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
½ c. vegetable broth
4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cumin powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
¼ c. fresh basil, chopped
8 oz. tempeh, cut into 2-inch squares
1 medium zucchini, sliced into ¼ in. rounds
1 c. grape tomatoes, sliced in half
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, broth, lemon juice, zest, salt, cumin, garlic, parsley, and basil. Whisk until emulsified. (You can also use a food processor, but if you do, pulse together the dry ingredients first, then slowly stream in the broth and olive oil.)

In a 9-inch glass baking dish, place the tempeh squares. Pour one third of the charmoula over the tempeh and toss to coat. Layer the zucchini on top of the tempeh and scatter the grape tomatoes on top. Pour the remaining charmoula over the tempeh and vegetables and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the marinade is absorbed and the tempeh browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Don’t Pass This One Over

2008-04-21T08:33:00.001-04:00

For my non-Jewish readers who may not be familiar with the origins of the holiday of Passover, allow me to give you the very, very abbreviated version of events: After induring generations of slavery, the Israelites made a mass exodus from Egypt. Basically, they got the hell out of dodge.

Today, the holiday is celebrated for seven days in March or April (it varies according to the Hebrew calendar) and the first night kicks off with a Seder, a family ritual that involves drinking wine, eating matza (unleavened bread) and partaking in symbolic foods. It does not, however, involve eating any of the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt). Abstaining from grains commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise (I love how literally this translated into eating matza).

The no-grain mandate seems like it would knock out almost every side dish for the Seder, but there is a loophole of sorts. It turns out that quinoa, our favorite ancient grain, is technically a seed and not a grain! Shocking! Commonly considered a grain because of it’s appearance and texture, quinoa is a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and chard, as well as the perfect non-grain grain substitute for Passover.

Rosemary Quinoa Salad
From the menu of R. Thomas' Deluxe Grill, Atlanta, GA
Serves 4, as a side

1 c. quinoa, rinsed
½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced
¼ c. red onion, diced
½ c. fresh corn (about 1 ear)
½ c. frozen peas, thawed
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. water
1 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
sea salt and black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, about 15 minute, or until all water is absorved. Removed from heat. Mix the bell pepper, onion, corn and peas into the quinoa.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, water, mustard and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the quinoa mixture and toss to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.

COW- Cheese of the Week

2008-04-19T17:42:00.000-04:00

I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on a restaurant’s cheese menu and it’s not available at Publix, but, despite its elusiveness, Idiazábal is a really versatile and easy to love sheep’s milk cheese.

Hailing from Spain’s Basque region, Idiazábal has a rich, nutty and buttery flavor and a firm texture similar to that of more well-knowns like Roncal and Manchego. With a waxy, mold-free rind, Idia (we’re on a nickname basis) is a looker. It’s also a super grater and melts decently, making it a natural pair for other foods. Compared to France, Italy and Switzerland, Spain only has a handful of name controlled cheeses, and Idiazábal is one of them. As such, it’s gradually increasing in US availability, but still has a little way to go to catch up with BMOC Manchego. Ask your friendly cheese monger about it and they may be able to procure some for you.

During production, the cheese wheels are lightly smoked over beechwood, hawthorn, or cherry wood for 10 days, imparting a slightly smoky quality that also reads as a little burnt. I’m no expert in the beverage department, but I think this one would pair well with full-bodied reds, like Merlot. And, as usual, you could…

Try it:
Shredded and sprinkled on scrambled eggs
In wedges, served alongside a paella
Melted over a baked potato
Sliced and pressed with ham or pork on a Cuban sandwich

Foodie Word: Emulsion

2008-04-18T08:13:00.002-04:00

In pains me a little to have to admit this, but there are a lot of sciencey things going on with food. The rising of a chocolate cake, the crystallizing of sugar on crème brulee, the molding of a hunk of brie—all are, at their core, scientific reactions. Most of these are satisfying to watch (crème brulee being my particular favorite) but few are as instantaneous at watching an emulsion come together.

An emulsion is the mixture of two (or more) liquids that cannot (or will not, for personal reasons) normally combine smoothly—oil and water being the classic example. Emulsions require a lot of TLC, as you must add one ingredient drop-by-drop into the other whilst whisking rapidly. This action suspends tiny droplets of the liquid being introduced into the receiving liquid, resulting in a satiny textured mixture.

The food dictionary at Epicurious.com informs me that mayonnaise (oil, egg yolks and vinegar/lemon juice) and hollandaise sauce (butter, egg yolks and vinegar/lemon juice) are two of the best-known emulsions. Maybe so, but the best known emulsion to me is also my favorite: hot bacon dressing over spinach salad.

Hot Bacon Dressing over Spinach Salad
Serves 4

8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
sea salt and black pepper
1 bag cleaned and trimmed baby spinach leaves
2 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
4 large white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
½ a red onion, very thinly sliced

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until it’s crispy around the edges, about 6-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat.

Transfer the fat to a small saucepan over low heat and whisk in the vinegar, sugar and mustard until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, eggs, mushrooms and onion. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle with the bacon. Toss to combine and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve immediately.

All the Eggs, 1 Pie Crust

2008-04-17T08:17:00.001-04:00

Lest any hostess try to fool you, quiches are one of the easiest things ever to whip up for brunch, lunch or dinner. If you keep frozen pie crusts at the ready (as I do), you need only a few ingredients to customize your quiche experience. Eggs, obviously, are required, but beyond that, anything goes—bacon, ham, cheese, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms—you name it, you can use it. Unfortunately for me, eggs aren’t really one of my fridge staples. So, when I bought a shiny, new, hormone-free dozen this weekend, I was primed to use ‘em up. And quick.

But it was after I put all of the eggs into my basket (see where I’m going here…), I discovered that my grocer doesn’t carry frozen artichokes. This was problematic, as I had planned to make a chicken and artichoke dish using some of my freshly procured eggs. And the eggs (and the fresh dill I also bought) that I needed to make the aforementioned chicken didn’t really fit into any of my other dinner plans.

So, rather than turn the eggs and dill into deviled eggs (and eat them all in one sitting—oy) or banish the ingredients to the back of the fridge, never to be heard from again (although they probably would have been smelled again, at some point), I chose to splurge on some beautiful smoked salmon and make a quickie quiche. Waste not, want for quiche not, I always say.

Smoked Salmon and Leek Quiche
Serves 4

1 pie crust, pre-baked according to package directions
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
juice of ½ a lemon
3 eggs
1 c. heavy cream
6 oz. smoked salmon, cut into thin strips
2 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
½ tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
sea salt and black pepper
¼ c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, leeks and lemon juice with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring just until combined. Add the cream, salmon, dill, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper and mix well.

Pour the cream cheese-salmon mixture into the pre-baked crust and sprinkle the top with parmesan. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the center is firmly set. (If the crust begins to brown too early, wrap a piece of aluminum foil around it.) Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Top Show

2008-04-16T08:16:00.005-04:00

It seems inconceivable that it took me so long to discover Bravo’s reality cooking competition Top Chef, but now that I’m a viewer, I’m completely hooked. The dishes, the drama, the faux-hawks—what’s not to love?

I was compelled to start watching this season in particular because I read in one of the many Atlanta-based food columns that two local contestants would be in the running. Atlantans Richard Blais and Nimma Osman may not be well-known to the American public, but Nimma is a chef at the much-lauded Repast in Midtown (read my recent review here) and Richard is a local celebrity (and molecular gastronomy superstar), having worked in the kitchens of Two Urban Licks, One Midtown Kitchen and Element, to name just a few.

*****************************SPOILER ALERT***************************

Sadly, Nimma was eliminated in the very first episode for serving some seriously salty shrimp (say that three times fast). One of the judges deemed her plate inedible and she, and her knives, were sent packing. So, that’s left me pinning my hopes on Richard, who has made an impressive showing thus far. In Episode 4, he captured the win with his smoked salmon with faux-caviar and white chocolate wasabi sauce inspired by the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. When his portable smoker when kaput mid-dish, he actually burned wood chips over the fish to impart a smoky note—now that’s thinking on your feet.

If the contestants themselves weren’t reason enough to watch, then host Padma Lakshmi is. Padma, soon to be the ex-Mrs. Salman Rushdie, is a former model who ousted Katie Lee Joel (who inevitably will be the ex-Mrs. Billy Joel) as host in Season 2, presumably because Katie had all the charisma of a turnip. While Padma’s culinary credits are a bit dubious (author of “Easy Exotic: A Model's Low-fat Recipes From Around The World;” yeah, ok), she at least injects some liveliness into the critiques, always fast to announce her displeasure for a dish. And her sizable arm scar (really the result of a car accident, but whatever) gives her just the right amount of “Is she a bas-ass?” intrigue to keep me watching.

If you’re late to the game this season, fear not. In a move that appears to be necessitated by a lack of other quality programming options (Step it Up and Dance? No thank you, Jessie Spano.), Bravo reruns Top Chef constantly. It’s not hard to find a time that they show all the episodes leading up to the current one, so you can not only get caught up, you can get totally hooked. Join me, won’t you?

The Fungus Among Us

2008-04-15T08:01:00.001-04:00

You know how sometimes you get an overwhelming food craving? It could be for something so bad, it’s good (fried mac n’ cheese), for something that’s a delicacy (steak with truffle butter) or just for something you’ve neglected to eat lately (mushrooms). In my case, the latter most is the culprit.

I didn’t often eat mushrooms growing up, as my dad disdainfully referred to them as “fungus” and refused to touch raw ones with the proverbial ten foot pole. My mom would sometimes sneak them into her spaghetti sauce, but that was about it. Truthfully, it wasn’t until I ate an appetizer of brie and crab stuffed mushrooms in college (and the heavens shined down mushroom radiance from above) that I began to get passionate about the woodsy little guys. And now, after the advent of the DeKalb Farmer’s Market, I have access to just about every variety imaginable. For those of you that don’t, this recipe is still within reach because I actually prefer the garden variety cremini in this sauce. You’re certainly welcome to experiment with shitakes or chanterelles, but the luscious wine, cream and freshly grated Parmesan combination make a mushroom splurge (have you seen the price on chanterelles?!) unnecessary.

Bowties in Cremini Cream Sauce
Serves 2

8 oz. bowtie pasta
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
¼ c. dry red wine
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ c. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the bowties until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and cover.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and continue cooking 2 minutes more. Add the wine and reduce until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the cream, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and Parmesan and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Add the pasta to the sauce and cook until the pasta is just heated through. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with parsley.

Tri It, You’ll Like It

2008-04-11T09:22:00.002-04:00

When I was young, the only seafood I would even consider eating was popcorn shrimp from Red Lobster. Somehow, in my mind, shrimp had become divorced from every other sea creature and was permissible only because it “wasn’t really seafood.” Fish, on the other hand, was out of the question entirely. Oh, except tuna sandwiches, I liked tuna sandwiches. The older I got, the more difficult it became to reconcile my bizarre seafood prejudices and I eventually cracked on a trip to MGM (I remember this like it was yesterday) and tried a piece of my dad’s mahi mahi at a restaurant there.

Hmmm, this fish tasted surprisingly… not fishy. It was mild, flaky and really just a vehicle to deliver the delicious butter sauce it was swimming in to my mouth. This experience caused me to have to reevaluate my zero-tolerance policy on seafood. I opened the floodgates—just a hair—and allowed mahi, tuna, salmon and crab to swim into my diet.

Now, all childhood anecdotes aside, I know the recipe for this one looks kind of like a doozy. It’s really not that bad, especially if you prepare the pineapple-mango salsa the night before, as I did. Then, it’s just a matter of cooking some beans and rice and slapping the fish on the grill. And, with all the decorations this fish has got going on, I promise—even if you’re a fishophobe, just try it, you’ll like it.

Tri-Color Mahi Mahi (Green Rice, Black Beans and Yellow Salsa)
Recipe adapted from Susanna Goihman, Azafran restaurant, Philadelphia
Serves 2

Mahi Mahi
2 (6-ounce) mahi mahi fillets
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp. soy sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Green Rice
1 1/3 c. water
½ c. long-grain white rice
1 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper
4 tbsp. prepared green salsa

Black Beans
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ large yellow onion, diced
12 oz. canned black beans, drained
2 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. sugar
red wine vinegar, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pineapple-Mango Salsa
12 oz. canned pineapple rings, juice reserved
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
4 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 jalapeno, chopped
juice of 1 lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a shallow dish, pour the juice from the canned pineapple, the juice of the lime and the soy sauce over the mahi. Marinate as you prepare rice, beans and salsa.

For the rice, combine water, rice and butter in saucepan. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Stir in the salsa and season to taste with salt and pepper then set aside, covered, until ready to use.

For the beans, heat the oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the black beans, sugar and cumin. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

For the salsa, preheat a grill pan over high heat. Grill the pineapple rings, turning once, until charred, 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer the rings to a cutting board and let cool slightly before chopping into small pieces.

In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, mango, bell pepper, cilantro, oil, ginger, jalapeno, and the juice of the lime. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the mahi mahi, wipe any charred bits from the pineapple off the grill pan and return it to medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade and season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear the fillets, turning once, until well browned and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Divide the rice and beans among two plates, top with the fillets, and spoon some the salsa over each. (There will be salsa leftover.)

Feeling Crabby

2008-04-10T12:45:00.001-04:00

A particularly irritating work week has left me in need of a dish that 1) puts me in a better mood; 2) somehow represents the angst I’m feeling and 3) doesn’t require the grating of carrots. So, a piping hot bowl of crab and corn chowder (no carrots included) sounded like it would fit the bill nicely.

Although the recipe I modified to come up with my own version of this chowder said it serves 4, I can assure you that it would easily feed 6. With leftovers. It also said that using canned crab was fine, but, unless you want little crab particles floating everywhere instead of chunks of real, savory crab meat, I’d go with the good stuff (i.e.- fresh). Just remember to pick through the meat for any shell bits (finding shell bits would make me angry enough to negate the entire point of making this soup). Enjoy!

Red Crab and Corn Chowder
Serves 6

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
2 large baking potatoes peeled, halved lengthwise, then halved again and thinly sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 leeks, cleaned and white and light green parts sliced ½ inch thick
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 bay leaves
½ of a red bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
½ c. dry sherry
4 c. chicken broth or stock
28-oz. canned crushed tomatoes
2 c. frozen corn kernels
12 oz. jumbo lump crabmeat
3 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
½ lemon, zested
fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
hot sauce (optional)
crusty French bread, for serving

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until it gets crispy along the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, leeks, celery and bay leaves and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the red bell pepper and thyme, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the sherry and reduce slightly (about 2 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, corn, crabmeat and Old Bay Seasoning and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Stir in the lemon zest and sprinkle parsley over the chowder. Season with hot sauce, if using. Serve with the bread.

Just Deserts

2008-04-09T08:18:00.000-04:00

Two desserts in one week, you say! What’s Fresh Parm coming to? Well, for whatever reason, I’ve been battling a major sweet tooth lately (personally, I blame the Girl Scouts and their sinister wares). And after the laborious creation of last weekend’s carrot cake, I was in the mood for a sweet treat that wouldn’t compromise my remaining healthy fingertips.

Behold one of the easiest, most sinfully yummy deserts out there—my friend Mary’s faux cobbler. There’s nothing fresh, wholesome or natural about this one guys, and I simply couldn’t care less. It became a college dinner party staple amongst my circle of girlfriends and I’ve passed it on to others several times over the years, always to rave reviews. I’m sure you can do a dozen different variations of this (canned cherries, frozen pineapple, etc.), but the original is the one most near and dear to my heart. Thanks Mary!

Mary’s Faux Cobbler
Serves 4

butter-flavored cooking spray
2, 12 oz. bags frozen mixed berries
21 oz. can apple pie filling
4 tbsp. sugar
1 box yellow cake mix
¼ c. (half a stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
vanilla ice cream for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-inch square baking pan, coat the bottom with the cooking spray. Pour both bags of berries and the apple pie filling into the pan and mix to combine. Sprinkle with the sugar and then the cake mix (you may not need the whole box of mix, so just use what’s appropriate to have an even coating over the fruit). Drop pieces of butter over the top of the mix.

Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 10-15 minutes more, or until top is browned and fruit is bubbling at the sides. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream.

Batter Royale

2008-04-07T08:19:00.001-04:00

I believe that we’ve covered my baking inadequacies before here at Fresh Parmesan. It’s not that I don’t want to improve my mediocre cake and pie skills, it’s just that, well, other people’s recipes usually turn out so much better than my own. Who has the time to bake something that might not end deliciously?

And end deliciously, this cake did. It also ended with 3 broken nails, 4 bloody knuckles and a scene that looked as though the genocide of carrot race had occurred in my kitchen. Grating carrots on the finest side of the box grater really does make a difference in the lightness of the cake, but damn if it isn’t hard labor on a Sunday evening.

Now, the guys over at Bon Appétit really know their stuff, but I don’t believe that means there isn’t room for improvement. The original recipe called for the addition of raisins and pecans to the batter itself, but I’m something of a carrot cake purist and feel as though nut embellishments are best used as a topping. Oh, and the ground ginger is also my inclusion—I love that very subtly spicy zing it gives the cake and I think you will too.

Triple-layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe courtesy of The Bon Appétit Cookbook Calendar
10 servings

Cake
2 c. sugar
1 ½ c. vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground ginger
1 lb. carrots, peeled and finely grated
1 c. pecans, finely chopped (in food processor for best results)

Frosting
4 c. powdered sugar
16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease 3, 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of wax paper and lightly grease again. Using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Gradually add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Gently stir in carrots.

Pour batter into cake pans, dividing evenly. Bake until cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans, about 45 minutes. Cool pans on wire racks for 15 minutes, then remove cakes from pans, return to racks and cool completely.

For the frosting, beat all ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
On a cake platter, lay 4 sheets of wax paper overlapping on all sides, leaving the center open. When cakes are cool, place the first layer on the platter and spread the top and sides with ¾ cup of the frosting. Top with another cake and repeat. Top with the final layer and make sure that all of the cake is covered completely with the frosting. Sprinkle liberally with chopped pecans. (After serving, store remaining cake under dome in the refrigerator.)

East Meets West

2008-04-04T12:33:00.001-04:00

Eastern European and Western Caribbean cuisine… strange bedfellows or a match made in culinary heaven? This unlikely pairing was inspired by a recipe I found for a sort of vegetable and pierogie stew. Adding in kielbasa takes care of the Polish influence and seasoning it with a dash of jerk spice brings Jamaica into the mix. For good measure (and to use up the remains of last week’s shopping bounty), I tossed in some zucchini and cilantro, giving the dish a punch of color as well as flavor. But feel free to toss it whatever veggies you have on hand (I could see red bell peppers, squash or kale all working out nicely). ‘Cause hey—what’s fusion cuisine all about if you can’t mix it up? Go crazy kids.

Caribbean-Spiced Pierogie and Sausage Supper
Serves 4.

4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 small zucchini, diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut in small cubes
15 oz. chicken broth
2 tsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning
8 oz. turkey or pork kielbasa sausage
1 (16-18 oz.) box frozen pierogies*
15 oz. can black beans, drained
sea salt and black pepper
fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
hot sauce (optional)

Heat 2 tbsp. of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the garlic, pepper and onion. Sauté until vegetables are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and let cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato cubes, broth and jerk seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, recover and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes longer, or until potatoes are fork tender.

In another skillet, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the kielbasa and sauté until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Wipe any burned bits out of the skillet and use it to pan fry the pierogies (follow package instructions for precise cooking time).

Add black beans to the vegetable mixture and simmer 5 minutes more. With an immersion blender (a potato masher will also work), puree a small portion of the vegetable mixture (you’re just thickening it, not attempting to puree all of the veggies). Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add reserved kielbasa. Season with hot sauce, if using.

Divide the pierogies evenly among plates and spoon vegetables and sausage mixture over. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

*Side bar- Almost any flavor of pierogie stuffing will work, but I used onion because it’s the only one I could find.

Mighty Meal

2008-04-02T08:22:00.000-04:00

Despite enjoying them in restaurants for years, I’ve never made mussels at home. I’m not exactly sure why not—maybe they seemed tricky to cook correctly, or I erroneously believed them to be expensive. Neither of those things are true, however, as I learned last week when I embarked on making my first mighty mussel dinner.

Once again, the DeKalb Farmer’s Market provided all the necessary ingredients, and on the cheap—only $5 for over 2 pounds of mussels and $0.99 for a beautiful bundle of thyme! Throw in some nice, dry Riesling (for cooking and drinking) and you’re more than half way there. And really, with the exception of scrubbing the beards off the little devils, mussels are pretty low-maintenance. They cook up in less than 10 minutes, don’t require an internal temperature reading, and are fun to eat. Just make sure you bring lots of napkins to the table, along with some hot, crusty bread to sop up all that broth. Not to toot my own horn (ok, maybe just a little), but it’s good.

Oh, and as an optional accompaniment, I whipped together some roasted garlic mayo to dip the oven fries in (I cheated and used frozen parmesan and garlic potato wedges). Just be forewarned—there is a lot of garlic going on in this meal. It might not be the best first-date dinner, but it’s perfect for entertaining. Or for a Monday.

Mussels with White Wine
Serves 3-4

4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves roasted garlic (reserved from recipe below)
2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 ½ c. dry white wine (I used a nice dry and acidic Riesling)
3, ¼”-thick slices of lemon
2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves cut in a chiffonade
1 bay leaf
2 ½ lb. P.E. Island mussels, debearded and scrubbed (any open mussels discarded)
10 grape tomatoes, cut in half and seeded
sea salt and black pepper

In a large, deep pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and salt, and cook for 1 minute.

Add wine, lemon slices, basil and bay leaf and bring to boil. Add the mussels and cover. Cook until the mussel shells open, stirring once, about 6 minutes; discard any mussels that don’t open. With a slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large shallow bowl and cover with cling wrap. Add the tomatoes to the broth and boil until reduced to 1 cup, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Pour broth over mussels and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

Serves 4 as a dip

1 head garlic, sliced in half

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

¾ c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
sea salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the garlic on a small sheet of aluminum foil, top it with the thyme leaves, drizzle with the oil, and season it with salt and pepper. Place another small piece of aluminum foil over it and seal the edges. Roast until the garlic is soft, about 45 minutes. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze four of the cloves into a small bowl and set aside. Squeeze the remaining cloves into the bowl of a food processor.

Add the mayonnaise and lemon juice to the food processor and pulse to combine them with the garlic, then puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary with more lemon juice, salt, or pepper. Serve with oven-roasted potato wedges.

Doggone Good

2008-04-01T07:51:00.004-04:00

Dinner has gone to the dogs. You read that right—courtesy of my favorite TV cook-cum-personality Rachel Ray is a recipe for a quiche (with some modifications to suit my style) that people and pups can enjoy together. Now, I’ve expressed skepticism at this concept before. If dogs have a strict list of verboten foods (including garlic and onions), what dish could I ever come up with that would be safe for them and satisfying for me?

Luckily, dog-lover Rachel came up with a solution. Choose dishes that you can season and spice up after you remove Fido’s portion, and use flavorful meats (like turkey sausage) to give the dishes plenty of depth and heartiness. I’m pleased to report that (although she’s not exactly a picky eater) Molly wolfed her quiche down in record time and was soon begging for more. No, wait… that was my human dining companion. Molly, the dog, had a similar reaction.

Dancing for her dinner

People and Puppy Pie
Adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray, March 2008
Serves 2 humans and 2 pups

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ lb. uncooked turkey breakfast sausage links, sliced into ½ inch-thick rounds (I used a sausage with green and red bell peppers)
9-inch frozen piecrust, partially baked according to package directions
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
4 large eggs
½ c. half-and-half
2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper, for serving (people's portions only)
green salsa, for serving (people's portions only)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs and half-and-half, making sure the yolks and whites and thoroughly combined. Gently mix in the parsley.

Arrange the sausage evenly over the bottom of the crust and sprinkle the cheese over it. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Once quiche has cooled slightly, slice some wedges for the pups. Season the people's portions with salt and pepper and top with the green salsa.

Foodie Word- Tempeh

2008-03-31T12:34:00.002-04:00

Tempeh (TIM-pay) is a fermented soybean cake, with a texture similar to that of tofu, but it’s just a bit denser. It has a pleasantly mild yeasty, nutty flavor that comes through in finished dishes but, like tofu, doesn’t overpower the other flavors used to season it.

Tempeh is high in protein, and thus popular in vegetarian and vegan diets. Less chewy than seitan, its texture is probably the most similar to meat out of any of the meat-alternatives I’ve tried. I recently was treated to a tempeh stir-fry at a dinner party I attended and, had I not known what I was eating, I could have easily been convinced it was some sort of meatball-like addition.

Although the Epicurious.com food dictionary would have you believe that tempeh is “commonly available at health-food stores,” I haven’t always found that to be the case. Publix is a no-go, and Trader Joe’s is hit-or-miss, but the farmer’s market and Whole Foods carry it. If you’re lucky enough to find a store that carries more than one brand of tempeh, go for the Turtle Island brand. They make organic 5-grain, soy and spicy versions, all of which are pre-steamed so they require less cooking time.

So, whether you’re feeling adventurous or just looking to inject some new life into a boring chicken-beef-fish dinner rotation, I’ve listed some tempeh recipes that caught my attention below. My full disclaimer is that I haven’t made all of these recipes myself, but, based on what I have made and found to be true about cooking with tempeh, the dishes below all made my “to-cook” list based on their ingredients and ease of preparation.

Curry Tempeh with Zucchini in Pita Pockets

Tempeh Pepper Steak

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tempeh

Spaghetti Tempeh-Bolognese

Tempeh Stir-Fry with Broccoli and Bell Pepper

Guest Blogging: The Traditionalist

2008-03-28T12:37:00.001-04:00

You know those recipes that you can just tell didn’t come from a cookbook? That taste as though they’ve been perfected with every passing year, getting better and better as they’re handed down from generation to generation? These recipes are so indulgent, so comforting, so soul-satisfying that you wish they were a part of your family’s repertoire. They might not involve fusion-cuisine, complicated gadgetry or inventive garnish, but they’re pretty much impossible to beat in the deliciousness category.

This is one of those recipes.

Serebrin’s Superior Brisket
Serves 6-8.

The meat of it:
4-5 lb. beef brisket from your favorite local butcher
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, cut in half
4 bay leaves
salt and black pepper

Trim fat from meat if so desired. Rub meat with the cut side of the cloves of garlic, and season with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, sear meat on both sides over high heat. Set aside.

Get saucy:
1 c. tomato ketchup
1 c. ginger ale
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
½ c. good red wine

Mix all ingredients together and reserve.

More than one way to cook a brisket:
Crock Pot Method—Place brisket in a crock pot and top with juice from sauté pan, sauce mixture, sliced onions, cut garlic, and whole bay leaves. Cook for 8 hours on low (this option yields a savory, tender, no-knife-needed piece of meat).

Oven Method—Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Arrange meat in an oven-safe baking dish and top with juice from sauté pan, sauce mixture, sliced onions, cut garlic, and whole bay leaves. Cook, covered with tin foil, for 2 ½ to 3 hours.

*Note- For either of these methods, if there isn’t enough liquid between the braising juice and sauce mixture to come half-way up the sides of the meat, add a little more ginger ale or water.

When meat has finished cooking, pour off all liquid into a small saucepan and reserve. Let brisket rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

(Optional: chill meat overnight before pouring off liquid. This will bring fat to the top of the liquid for easy removal, but, oh, that fat sure is tasty!)

Eat your veggies:
½ lb. red or other small thin-shinned potatoes, cut in half
8 oz. package of baby carrots
2 tbsp. fresh or 2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 can chicken broth
12 oz. fresh button mushrooms, cut in half
2 tbsp. butter
¼ c. good red wine
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of a large baking dish with cooking oil spray and add the potatoes and carrots. Pour the chicken broth over and season with rosemary, salt and pepper (don’t be afraid to go heavy on the rosemary). Bake, uncovered, for one hour or until potatoes are fork-tender.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms until browned and tender. Add the red wine and let cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add the mushrooms to the sauce pan of reserved gravy and keep warm over medium-low heat.

Do what you want, but this is how I roll:
Serve brisket with mushroom gravy and veggies on the side, a couple bottles of red wine, and a fruit-oriented dessert (and yes, pies are fruit-oriented).

L’chiam!

Lighten Up!

2008-03-27T08:29:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you just need a salad, you know? I actually find myself needing a salad quite a lot, but it’s easy to get bored with the green varieties. I endeavor to mix it up with spinach, arugula and mesclun, but even then, I often find myself craving a change.

That brings us to the recipe du jour: quinoa salad. To make it a little heartier, I added pistachios and dressed it with a pesto for a minty kick. This works well as a side for barbequed tofu or grilled chicken, but is also nice on it’s own as a simple, midweek, pick-me-up salad supper.

Quinoa Salad with Pistachios and Parsley-Mint Pesto
Serves 4 as a side.

1 c. quinoa
2 c. water
½ c. shelled pistachios
juice of ½ a lemon
2 tbsp. (about 4 sprigs) fresh mint
½ c. (a big handful) fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
¼ c. pine nuts
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper

In a medium sauce pan, toast the quinoa over medium-low heat until you hear it popping and can smell its nutty aroma. Add in the water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.

While the quinoa cooks…
In a small skillet, toast the shelled pistachios over medium heat until they brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then roughly chop.

In a food processor, combine the mint, parsley, garlic and pine nuts and pulse into a coarse grind. Add the vinegar and salt and pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil (if you like it thinner you may need more than ¼ a cup) until you reach the desired consistency.

When the quinoa has finished cooking, let stand for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Squeeze in the ½ a lemon and add the chopped pistachios. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Serve quinoa on a large platter drizzled with the pesto.

Hooray Beer!

2008-03-25T12:30:00.002-04:00

The title of this post may seem strange coming from me (and more than a little late for St. Patty’s day), as I’ve gone on record regarding my dislike of brews more than once. It’s not that I don’t want to like beer, or think that I’m too high-brow for it (please, I love Trader Joe’s Two-Buck Chuck), it’s just I’ve never been able to develop a taste or appreciation for it. I enjoy a nice, fruity cider beer every now and again, but the dark stuff—forget it. (I once turned down a free pint of Guinness. From the Guinness factory. In Dublin.)

However, none of the above is to say that I won’t cook with beer. My first wine pick would never be a rich, woodsy pinot noir, but that doesn’t keep me from enjoying the depth of flavor it adds to sauces and stews. Similarly, I was attracted to the original recipe I found for this dish because I thought it would be a fun challenge to incorporate beer into a traditional broccoli and cheese soup. I attempted to up the ante a bit by using a blend of four cheeses and a zing of Worcestershire and hot sauce, but I think you’ll still recognize the comforting, velvety richness of this childhood soup-staple, now featuring a very grown-up addition.

Beer, Broccoli and Four Cheese Soup
Serves 4.

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. dry mustard
8 oz. beer (try Heineken or Bass)
3 c. chicken broth or stock
1 ½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce
1 c. whole milk or half-and-half
12 oz. sharp Cheddar, grated
4 oz. mozzarella
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
¼ c. grated Parmesan
8 oz. frozen broccoli florets, thawed and separated into small pieces
handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
sea salt and black pepper

In a large soup pot, sauté the onion and carrots in the butter over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour, paprika and mustard over the vegetables and stir to combine. Cook 2 minutes, without allowing the flour to brown.

Whisk in the beer and simmer until just thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, Worcestershire and hot sauce and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in the milk, cheddar, mozzarella, cream cheese and Parmesan and whisk until all are melted and combined. Add in the broccoli and simmer (without boiling) 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve garnished with the chopped parsley.

A Square Meal

2008-03-24T08:29:00.002-04:00

Every once in a while, I like to get back to basics. No fancy sauces, exotic ingredients or cool kitchen gadgets. Just some simple, fresh and hearty fare to keep the house smelling of roasting meat and veggies all evening. One of my favorite ways to give new life to old classics is to use fresh herbs. With spring on the horizon, I thought now would be a good time to toss in some mint (and—bonus—I’ll have some on hand for a mid-week mojito). Mint seems like an under-used herb to me, but there’s no reason to shy away from it. Here, it gives that little something extra to potatoes, taking them from standard side to starring starch.

*Cooks notes: You’re going to be roasting the chicken with the potatoes for the last few minutes of their cooking time, so make sure that the chicken is ready to go once the potatoes have been in the oven about 30 minutes. Once the chicken is in the oven, watch it carefully, as it’s easy for the top to become too browned. If it’s looking dark, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over it.

Cornflake Crusted Chicken with Herbed Potatoes and Arugula Salad
Serves 2.

1 c. cornflakes, crushed
½ c. plus 2 tbsp. grated Grana Padano
½ tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 large egg
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 small new potatoes, cut into quarters
1 tbsp. each fresh flat-leaf parsley and mint, coarsely chopped
2 handfuls of arugula (about 4 oz. total)
handful of grape tomatoes, each cut in half
1 lemon, cut in half and one half cut into wedges
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a medium baking sheet, toss together the potatoes, sea salt, pepper and two tablespoons of the olive oil, making sure to thoroughly coat each potato. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes on the rack below the center rack.

In a medium skillet, heat four tablespoons of the oil over medium-low heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and chili powder. On a plate, mix together the cornflakes and ½ cup of the Grana Padano, and season with salt and pepper. Coat each piece of chicken with the cornflake mixture, then the egg mixture, then the cornflake mixture again (make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated with the cornflakes). Arrange the chicken in the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Carefully transfer the chicken to a medium baking sheet and bake on the center rack above the potatoes for the last 12-15 minutes of their cooking time.

While the chicken and potatoes finish cooking, combine the arugula with the cherry tomatoes and remaining Grana Padano. Just before serving, dress with the juice of half the lemon and remaining two tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt. Sprinkle the potatoes with the parsley and mint when they come out of the oven and serve with the chicken and lemon wedges.

COW- Cheese of the Week

2008-03-22T10:46:00.001-04:00

Few cheeses are as versatile as fresh chèvre—pure, white goat’s milk cheese that has almost a cream cheese-like texture. The flavor is decidedly unique, often with notes of citrus, ash or herbs (you can actually find varieties rolled in crushed fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme). The cheese comes in a variety of shapes including cylinders, discs and pyramids and keeps well in the fridge, which is a nice feature because you can make a little bit of chèvre go a long way. However, once chèvre has aged beyond the point of edibility, you’ll know—it takes on a sour taste and a chalky texture.

I’ve used crumbled chèvre on salads, stuffed it in chicken breasts, made it into a pasta sauce and eaten it spread on a bagel. But until I was perusing the cheese selection at Whole Foods last week, I’d never before tried it mixed with lemon curd. It was delicious, light and tangy and especially well complimented by the rosemary crackers it was being sampled on. Give this a whirl if you need a super-fast appetizer or if you’re looking for a new way to binge on cheese all by yourself.

Fresh Chèvre and Lemon Curd

8 oz. goat cheese
4 oz. lemon curd
crackers or crostini for serving

In a small bowl, mix together the cheese and lemon curd. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Serve with crackers or crostini.

*Side bar- If you’re feeling really fancy, you can roll up the cheese and curd mixture in plastic wrap and form it into a log. You’ll need to chill that a little bit longer if you want it to retain it’s shape when serving.

Stretching out the Season

2008-03-21T08:16:00.002-04:00

As I ranted to one of my co-workers yesterday, I’m not ready to give up winter quite yet. Oh, I know, everyone else is jazzed about daylight savings time and warmer weather and all that nonsense, but give me a cold, dark night with a piping hot meal any day. It’s hard to curl up on the couch and feel cozy with a big bowl of stew when it’s 80 degrees outside (and believe me, I’ve tried). And, as much as I enjoy the fresh crop of vegetables spring will soon deliver, I’m just not ready to part with my slow-cooked comfort foods quite yet. So I’m taking one last stand by making up a pot of my chicken and dressing recipe. It’s super-simple, stick-to-your-ribs, gooey and cheesy and totally off-limits once swimsuit weather arrives. Enjoy it while you can.

Slow-Cooker Chicken and Dressing
Serves 4.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2lbs. total)
4 thin slices of Swiss cheese
14 oz. chicken broth
20 oz. (2 cans) condensed cream of celery or mushroom soup
3 c. dry chicken stuffing
½ c. butter, melted
salt and pepper

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and arrange in the slow cooker. Top each piece with a slice of cheese. Add the broth and soups and stir gently to combine. Sprinkle stuffing mix over the top and pour melted butter evenly over the stuffing.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Girl Scouts: Cookie Purveyors or Something More Sinister?

2008-03-20T08:25:00.001-04:00

Ok, it’s on between you and me, Girl Scouts. I see you in your twee little uniforms, messy braids and roller-skate shoes, lurking outside my grocery store, on the corner by Starbucks, next to CVS. And I’m not buying.

Well, I wasn’t buying, that is—until you infiltrated my office. A place of business! A supposed safe haven, free from commercial pressures. It isn’t bad enough that I have to resist the constant barrage of leftover cakes and brownies from client lunches, but now I have to watch my back for Girl Scouts too?

And then some individuals, who shall remain nameless, actually bought cookies and gave them away. That’s right, Thin Mints, Trefoils, and Tagalongs started popping up everywhere I looked. Went to the kitchen for coffee, came back with a handful of Samoas. Attempted to chat with the receptionist, left with half a roll of Thin Mints.

These Girl Scouts know what they’re doing. I’ve heard stories about them preying on college students in the throws of mid-term week, visiting their dorms late in the night and selling those crack cookies by the truckload. Their cunning sends chills down my spine, chills which may or may not be related to mass cookie consumption. So listed up friends—they may be our neighbors, our little sisters, our former babysitting clients, but they are not, I repeat not, to be trefoiled with.

Give it up, you know you want some.

Simply Southwestern

2008-03-18T08:14:00.001-04:00

Ok, I think you’re great, Bobby Flay,* but have you ever tried to make one of your recipes after a long day at the office? On a budget? Without an outdoor grill? It’s not easy, my friend.

I’m a huge fan of southwestern cuisine (or Tex-Mex, Latin fusion, whatever you want to call it), but I generally like to keep things pretty simple. Save your ancho chili-crusted tilapia taquitos with mole reduction for a celebratory meal and give me a taco any old day. That said, I do enjoy experimenting with new flavor combinations (within reason), so I immediately looked for a way to simplify the original B. Flay recipe for this dish. I think I succeeded it making it accessible for week-night cooking, but still interesting enough to tickle your taste buds. I’ll let you, readers, be the judge.

Ginger Chicken Tacos with Red Curry-Peanut Sauce
Serves 4.

1 c. soy sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8, 6-inch corn tortillas
Red Curry-Peanut Sauce, recipe follows
1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1/2 c. chopped peanuts (I used the chipotle spiced variety for fun)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Red Curry-Peanut Sauce
1 ½ tbsp. vegetable oil
½ tbsp. sesame oil
½ tbsp. red curry paste
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 c. unsweetened coconut milk
3 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. smooth peanut butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium baking dish, whisk together the soy sauce, oil, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. Heat a large grill pan over high heat until smoking. Remove chicken from marinade and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing each breast into thin strips.

To make the sauce, heat the oil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the curry paste and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the soy sauce, coconut milk and lime juice and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the peanut butter and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lay tortillas out on a flat surface. Divide cheese, chicken strips and cilantro evenly among them. Drizzle with the peanut sauce. Fold the tortillas in half and brush the tops with vegetable oil (or spritz with cooking spray). Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts before serving with extra peanut sauce on the side.

*Side bar- How could anybody that married Stephanie March, aka ADA Alexandra Cabot on L&O: SVU, be anything short of thrilling to talk to? Surely she’s told him all of her stories about working with Ice T—that alone is worth the proverbial price of admission.

Pizza Pizza

2008-03-17T18:11:00.000-04:00

Who doesn’t like pizza? Cheesy, gooey, doughy—it’s hard to find fault in. And who hasn’t been eating it for as long as they can remember? (Although, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been eating it less and less the older you get.) I remember fondly the Little Caesar deliveries of my childhood and I used to live for taking my “Book It!” certificates to Pizza Hut to redeem for a personal pan pie.

But, gone are the days that I can gorge myself on giant, greasy slices with abandon—both because I’m mindful of my waistline and because all that oil makes me feel a little queasy. Still, I’m not going to give up pizza for good, so it’s in my best interest to pack as many veggies on the pie as possible, upping both the nutritional factor and the flavor possibilities. The recipe for one of my favorite pies follows, but I regularly mix up the toppings to include anything from eggplant to broccoli to mock-meat soy crumbles. Toss whatever you have in the fridge on (except that bacon, put it down) and allow yourself a mini-indulgence.

Mediterranean Veggie Pizza
Makes about 8 slices.

1 tube (approx. 14 oz) refrigerated pizza dough
2 c. Tomato Sauce*
12 oz. shredded mozzarella
3 c. (packed loosely) fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and torn
1 roasted red bell pepper (jarred), sliced
6 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
¼ c. mixed olives, pitted and sliced
¼ c. feta cheese crumbles
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large, greased cookie sheet, roll out the dough and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until crust is lightly golden. Remove from oven.

Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, followed by half of the mozzarella. Top with the spinach and then the rest of the mozzarella. Top with the bell pepper, artichokes, olives and feta. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Season immediately with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil right before serving.

*Side bar- My tomato basil sauce works as-is for this recipe, but if you want to make it a little more “pizza saucy,” use less chicken stock, swap out the fresh basil (and use it shredded on top of the pizza instead) for some dried oregano and leave out the lemon zest.

Herbivore

2008-03-13T23:31:00.000-04:00

Looking to slim down? Bored with your current cuisine? Missing a zest for life? You need herbs! The quickest way to convince your palate that you’re eating a delectable dish is to add herbs. The bright, fresh flavors liven up everything they touch and transform a ho-hum meal into a feast fit for a king. Plus, when you’re eating something packed with herby-flavor, I think you’re less likely to down a whole bowl full in search of satisfaction.

Basil, cilantro, rosemary, thyme—I love them all and toss them into as many things as possible. Sprinkle them over a green salad, into your soup, over warm, crusty bread, into pasta sauce—there’s literally nothing you can’t put an herb into (even cookies!). And, if you have leftover leaves, you can always whip up quick and easy pesto like I did last week. Don’t think that you have to be a slave to basil pesto—cilantro and parsley are both excellent and inject new life into the classic.

Cilantro Pesto Bruschetta
Serves 4 as an appetizer

1 baguette, 8, 1 inch thick pieces sliced
1 large beefsteak tomato
8 thin slices of buffalo mozzarella
Cilantro Pesto, recipe follows
sea salt and black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet lined with foil. Spread ½ tablespoon of pesto on each slice of bread, top with a slice of tomato and a slice of mozzarella. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake about 10 minutes, or until cheese is very lightly browned. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

Cilantro Pesto
Makes about 1 cup

3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bunch fresh parsley, stemmed
½ bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed
2 tbsp. almonds, toasted
2 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
juice of ½ a lemon
¼ tsp. sea salt freshly ground black pepper

In a large food processor, add first five ingredients, pulsing until just combined. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until all ingredients are well combined. If this mixture is too thick, add more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate any leftover pesto in an air-tight container (should last about one week).

Indian Winter

2008-03-12T08:22:00.002-04:00

Just when I though central Florida couldn’t get any hotter, it got… colder?! Bizarrely, my visit last week coincided with a very brief cool snap, an Indian winter, if you will. I decided the best way to celebrate this rare occurrence was to make a warm, spicy, comforting dish. With shrimp (it’s still Florida, after all).

The folks aren’t exactly the most daring culinary adventurers out there, but, to their credit, they were game for trying an Indian-inspired dish. I chose this one because it’s very easy to adjust the spice and heat to taste (just up the mustard, garlic and ginger for more spice without heat, or the jalapenos for heat without spice). Served over fluffy basmati rice, it’s a stick-to-the-ribs meal you can feel good about (no dairy!). Just be sure to eat the leftovers before the weather changes again.

Indian-Inspired Shrimp with Coconut, Chilies and Tomato
Serves 4

2 tbsp. vegetable or corn oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 to 3 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (1 for very mild, 3 for hot)
3 tbsp. minced ginger
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground mustard
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cardamom
¼ c. tomato paste
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
13.5 oz. unsweetened coconut milk
1 ½ lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
sea salt
¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Basmati rice, for serving

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil and let heat up, 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, jalapenos, ginger, garlic, mustard, cumin and cardamom and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are slightly caramelized, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook for 2 minutes more. Pour the diced tomatoes into the pan and cook until reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the heat to high, and add the coconut milk. Cook until mixture is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Season the shrimp with salt. Add the shrimp to the pan, stirring often, and cook until curled and pink, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro and season with salt to taste. Serve the shrimp over basmati rice.

Repast—The Review

2008-03-10T12:30:00.001-04:00

From the French “to take a meal,” repast has such pleasant connotations for me—lazy days spent passing the time nibbling on a bunch of grapes and a wedge of brie while sipping rosé and feeling a cool spring breeze on my face. In my book, a repast should be both relaxing and leisurely; Repast, the restaurant I recently visited, delivers on both counts.

The smallish main dining room is illuminated by soft up-lighting and low burning candles, its industrial elements tempered by natural wood and floral accents scattered around the space. Even a table in the middle of the room managed to feel intimate.

For some uncalculated reason, my dinner-mate and I both chose beverages from Germany: Struktur, a ‘04 Riesling for me and Aventinus, a high-gravity beer for him. The Riesling was delicious; warm and fruity in the mouth but with very little after-bite. Perfect for the person, like me, who doesn’t want to pair their wine with each course (or know how to), but would prefer one variety to enjoy for the night.

For the first course, we shared a Tasmanian salmon naan pizzette with goat cheese, fried capers and shallots. (This is the second dine in as many months that a dish we’ve ordered has included fried capers; they’re amazing, but do I smell a trend?) The generous portion of salmon was buttery without even a hint of fishiness. My only complaint—more goat cheese, please!

I also had the white bean soup with Tuscan kale and crispy bacon slices before the main dishes arrived. The soup was tomato based—a surprise—and could have benefited from a little more salt. I would have made the addition myself, but no salt or pepper was offered on our table. I hate this—it smacks of pretension to suggest that I’m not capable of adjusting the seasonings of my dish.

My entrée of Tasmanian salmon in grape leaves with wheat berry couscous in a curry emulsion quickly made me forget about my salt complaint, however. The salmon—cooked medium, as requested—was fork tender and complimented nicely by the salty, slightly crispy grape leaf wrapper. The curry emulsion might have been a little shy on heat, but the flavor definitely came through. I enjoyed it to the last bite.

For his main course, my dining companion chose the porcini-crusted filet mignon served alongside black truffle agnolotti and wild mushroom fricassee. The agnolotti was amazing—tender, ravioli-like pasta pouches stuffed with the most delicately balanced truffle puree I’ve ever tasted. The truffles really allowed the beef to “sing,” enhancing the rich, meaty flavor without coming close to overwhelming it. The filet was petite, indeed, but left us with room for dessert, which turn out to be a really, really good thing.

I’d been told to try the Japanese-style, soufflé cheesecake and I’m glad I heeded the advice. The menu described it as “garnished with citrus zest and tropical purées;” hmm. The citrus, as well as a hint of ginger, was there, but the purées were definitely blueberry and raspberry. It was still delicious, lighter and moister than the ubiquitous “New York-style” cheesecakes, and not the typical chocolate indulgence that leaves you feeling stuffed after a big meal. I’d recommend ending your repast at Repast on this light and sweet note.

Megamame

2008-03-07T08:29:00.000-05:00

It’s hard to believe that, up until 8 or 9 years ago, I had no idea what edamame were. The Japanese name for fresh soy beans, edamame are fantastically versatile and available year-round, thanks to being one of those veggies that freezes really well. They’re available both in the pod (great for steaming and then sprinkling with sea salt as an appetizer) and shelled (used in this recipe and in other soups and stir-fries). If you’ve never had edamame before, the beans are small, bright green and sweet, almost like the crunchier, more verdant cousin of limas. This isn’t a bean that’s going to overpower a dish, so don’t worry if you’re not a big soy person. And, as far as nutrition goes, a half-cup serving of shelled edamame packs 9 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein—not too shabby.

Chicken Edamame Chowder
Yield 4 to 6 servings.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
12 oz. package frozen, shelled edamame
1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder
30 oz. chicken broth or stock
8 oz. sour cream
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
sharp cheddar cheese, optional topping

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder and cook until lightly browned. Combine the chicken, soybeans, peppers, onion, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper in a slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4 hours.
If using low-heat setting, turn cooker to high. Combine the sour cream and flour in a small bowl, then whisk the mixture into the cooker, along with the zucchini. Re-cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more or until mixture is thickened and zucchini is crisp-tender. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, if desired.

It’s the Little Things

2008-03-06T18:00:00.002-05:00

I often say that it’s a good thing it wasn’t up to people like me (highly literate, yet supremely untechnical) to move the world forward. Otherwise, right now we would be using a very sophisticated language while still trying to figure out the mechanics of the wheel. So, I’m very grateful for the people in this world who can figure out what I need and create a functional version of it for me. Though the original inventors of my top-5-can’t-live-without items may not be famous, I feel certain their creations are celebrated the world over.

Silicone Pot Clip
Such a simple little do-hickey, but oh-how useful. Just clip it onto the side of your pot and rest your spoon/spatula/ladle in the crook. Presto—a great reduction in the drippy messes on my stove, and the resulting time it takes to scrub off them after dinner.

Microplane
I could spend an hour mincing the ginger for my Ginger Lemonade (recipe to come when it’s warm enough for ‘ade), or I could whip out this handy tool and zip-zip-zip my way to a pile of teeny ginger bits in seconds. Also awesome for grating garlic into soups and salad dressings.

Citrus Press
Sure, there are fancier electric juicers that you may want to consider investing in if you’re squeezing large batches daily, but for the casual user, these old-fashioned looking hand-helds in fun, citrus colors can’t be beat for a seedless and thorough juice extraction.

Mesh Colander
This little guy does double—nay triple—duty. A colander first, but also perfect for straining homemade stock, sifting baking ingredients together and dusting confectioner’s sugar over a cake. And the little feet help keep your angel hair pasta from making direct contact with any unwashed items in the sink.

Silicone Pot Holders
Again, praise be to the silicone rangling geniuses that started making everything for the kitchen out of this miracle material. Never again will a flimsy cloth pot holder flip back without warning, leaving me bare-handed against the oven rack. Bonus—these double as jar openers for the weak-wristed (myself included).

Guest Blogging: The Meat-Eating Man

2008-03-04T08:25:00.011-05:00

Where to begin? This guest-blogger’s recipe is a bit unorthodox by Fresh Parmesan standards, but the submission was so entertaining that I felt I would be remiss not to share it with you.

My full disclosure is that I did not sample this recipe myself (as I’m not much for roast beef), but I did employ a proxy taster that assures me the Meat-Eating Man knows his way around a Philly. And, if you need any more convincing, behold the picture below showing the sandwich in all of its resplendent, cheesy glory.*

*Fresh Parmesan, its author and its affiliates assume no liability for any health conditions induced or exacerbated by the consumption of the aforementioned sandwich.

Philly Brie and Swiss Steaks
The recipe should yield about four servings. Unless you're me… then two.

1 lb. deli-sliced roast beef
package of brie (top with butter and sliced pecans and bake for 15 min. in a 350° oven)
½ yellow onion, sliced
½ green bell pepper, diced
butter, a lot
Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted

Cook the brie as directed. Chop the pepper and onion halves. Use as much as you like. In a pan, cook them in a lot of butter. Use a half a stick by the time you're done. Toast the hoagie rolls with Swiss on them. Shred the roast beef slices by running a knife through them. When the veggies are cooked, drop the heat to low and mix in the shredded roast beef. Do not cook the pink out of it. Put the meat and veggie mix into the hoagie roll and finally top it with as much brie as you can handle.

Foodie Word- Gremolata

2008-03-03T08:16:00.000-05:00

Gremolata (I’ve also seen it spelled gremolada) is a traditional accompaniment to the Italian braised veal shank dish osso buco. It’s bright flavor contrasts well with the earthy meat, lightening up an otherwise very heavy dish. But that’s certainly not the only use for this easy to whip up accompaniment—like pesto, there are umpteen citrus/herb/fruit and even nut combinations that you can try out. Let your imagination run wild! Below are the basic gremolata recipe and two variations to try out.

Two words of advice: 1) use flat-leaf, or Italian, parsley, which has a lot more flavor than it’s curly cousin; and 2) when you’re peeling or zesting the citrus, make sure you take off just the top layer of skin, not the white pith underneath (it’s bitter).

Classic Gremolata

1 lemon
¼ c. finely chopped fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Using vegetable peeler or micro-plane, remove zest from lemon and mince. In a small bowl, combine zest with parsley and garlic. (Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.)

Mixed Herb Gremolata

¼ c. finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp. finely grated lemon peel
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve over meat or poultry, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.

Dill-Orange Gremolata

¼ c. chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp. finely grated orange peel

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and spread over fish (mahi mahi or halibut would be great) before roasting in the oven.

COW- Cheese of the Week

2008-03-01T10:57:00.000-05:00

Tired of not tasting your cheese? A friend of mine who doesn’t do dairy recently commented that giving up cheese on Tex-Mex dishes wasn’t hard because she could barely distinguish the taste of it anyway. And she’s right—could you really pick out the flavor of cheese in your burrito or is it mostly just a textural sensation that’s registering? It got me thinking—how much of the cheese you eat do you really taste?

A quick remedy for the flavorless cheese curse might be Seaside English Cheddar. This savory fromage has a little more bite than your average domestic cheddar thanks to the inclusion of protein crystals and sea salt. She’s a mature cheese, at 18 months, and has a briny, warm flavor that positively refuses to be ignored. And that’s a good thing.

Why don’t you try it…
Melted over Granny Smith apple slices
With tomato as a grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough
Sprinkled on a broccoli or cauliflower gratin
As the star of a cheddar-beer soup
Solo (this post is about really tasting cheese, after all)

Stuff It

2008-02-29T11:37:00.003-05:00

Like so many of my other recipes, I was initially drawn to this zesty one-pot meal because I already had almost everything I needed to make it. A run to the store for some chicken, kielbasa and a bell pepper, and I was good to go. The dish is also full of opportunities for substitution—throw in some zucchini if you need to use it up, swap chicken for shrimp (just don’t cook it as long) or trade the scallions for parsley (I used both because my parsley looked like its days were numbered).

Cooks Notes: I’ve found, after repeated makings, that the gravy usually needs to go a little longer than recommended to achieve the desired consistency, so don’t worry if you find yourself letting it simmer a few minutes more. Oh, and start slow when adding the hot sauce—you can always shake more over the finished dish but I’ve yet to find a way to subtract it once it’s in there.

Jambalaya Stuffing No-Bake Casserole
Serves 4.

1 baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tsp. herbs de Provence
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
14 oz. turkey kielbasa cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 ribs celery from the heart with leafy tops, chopped
½ c. white mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
¼ c. hot sauce
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Scatter the bread on a baking sheet and season with the herbs de Provence. Toast until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.

In your largest nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In another, smaller skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, celery and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the reserved bread cubes and vegetables to the chicken mixture and combine. Stir in 1 cup of the broth and turn the heat to low.

In the (now empty) vegetable skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the remaining 2 cups of broth and the hot sauce, season with salt, pepper and thyme and cook until the gravy is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. To serve, pile the stuffing into shallow bowls and top with the gravy and scallions.

Souped Up

2008-02-27T07:59:00.000-05:00

I really dislike throwing away leftovers, but the constant desire to create something new nags at me whenever I heat up last night’s dish. There have been a handful of times that I’ve turned Monday’s chicken into Tuesday’s casserole but it’s tricky (and can end up being more costly than intended) to reuse and recycle.

This was my conundrum as I faced down the remains of the delicious, guest-blog-recipe-provided Multi-tasking Risotto I made a few days ago. No doubt it would have been good reheated but I just wanted to do something… different with it. I felt like the words “beef barley soup” were coupled up in the part of my memory devoted to food (which I once estimated to take up 85% of my total memory capacity), so, inspired by that, I experimented with a meatless version. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself, even if the end result was more reminiscent of a cream of mushroom soup than a beef-barley soup. I only used what I had on hand for this, so if Sherry or tomato paste would mean a trip to the store for you, just skip them.

Risotto Remix
Serves 2.

2 tbsp. butter or extra virgin olive oil
½ c. sliced cremini mushrooms
splash of dry Sherry
leftovers from multi-tasking risotto (I had about ½ c.)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 can (14 oz.) beef, chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 c. water
1 tbsp. tomato paste
¼ heavy cream or half-and-half
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the leftover risotto and sprinkle with thyme. Add the bay leaf and then pour in the stock and water. Stir to combine and continue stirring while adding tomato paste. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.

My Personal Last Supper

2008-02-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

By popular demand, I’m presenting an addendum to my post last week in which I reviewed the book My Last Supper. Feast your eyes on the details of my final repast.

The Setting: I’d like to go in late fall, when the last of the leaves are turning and it could snow any day, in a rambling old home perched on the rocks at the edge of the sea in Maine.

The Food: I think it goes without saying that I’m going to need a lot of cheese. I’ll start with a big wedge of brie de meaux served with hot baguette slices, followed by some 2-year Manchego and red seedless grapes, and then a generous helping of fresh chevre smeared on rosemary focaccia. After that, I’d like a cup of creamy lobster bisque, with a healthy hint of sherry. Next, I might enjoy a caprese salad (yes, more cheese) made with heirloom tomatoes, the ripest mozzarella di bufala and the most verdant basil available. For my main course, I’ll make it a hodgepodge: my mom’s squash casserole, a plate from a low-country boil (fresh gulf shrimp and crawfish with spicy corn and potatoes), roasted asparagus drizzled with garlic butter, a taste of spicy vegetable panang curry, a few bites of tempura Japanese bagel maki roll, a small piece of seared filet mignon (medium-well) with truffle butter, and, if I’m being honest, a crispy chicken taco loaded with lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream.

For dessert, I’d be loathe to leave this world without one last taste of vanilla bean crème brulee, made with the purest of vanilla beans and caramelized to a deep, golden crisp. Oh, a handful of sour gummi worms.

The Drink: I’m not a wine connoisseur by any means, but I’d love a glass each of Southern White and Red from the Lakeridge Winery. With dessert, just give me some good, semi-dry champagne. And if things get swinging at the after-party, I’d like a nice stiff margarita, extra salt on the rim, please.

The Music: Billy Joel will be crooning select songs from his vast and magnificent repertoire during the meal, and OutKast will get the crowd on its feet for some dancing afterward.

The Guests: Family and friends are all welcome but, if this is really it, I’d like a roundup of some of my favorite celebrities so that I may go out having had one final oogle. After dessert, let’s usher in: Gwyneth Paltrow, John Krasinski, Will Farrell, Gisele Bundchen, Helen Mirren, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Ellen and Portia, Michael Cera, George Clooney, and Sarah Silverman. I’ll think we’ll have fun, no?

Let Them Eat (Someone Else’s) Cake

2008-02-25T08:26:00.001-05:00

I won’t mince words—I’m no terrific baker. I can certainly follow package or recipe directions, but left to my own devices, I don’t know that I could produce a cake that would rise, much less be worthy of a blog entry.

So, I get a little help in the baking department. My go-to-gal? Martha Stewart (or, more accurately, the minions that create dishes in her name). When you have that many resources at your disposal, your recipes are almost guaranteed to be winners and this light, moist and satisfying-yet-not-overly-sweet cake is no exception. And, only five ingredients and minimal assembly is my idea of a dessert recipe worth sharing. Glad you’re out of the clink Martha!

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Serves 8.

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 ½ c. semisweet chocolate chips (or 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate)
6 large eggs, yolks and white separated
½ c. granulated sugar
confectioners' sugar

Prep: Preheat oven to 275 degrees and butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Combine butter and chocolate in a large bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted. Let cool slightly before whisking in egg yolks. In another bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar; beating until peaks are stiff and glossy (this can take a while—use a hand mixer if your wrist tires easily). Whisk a few dollops of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold mixture into remaining whites.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is just set in center, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before dusting with confectioners' sugar.

Guest Blogging- The Urbanite, Part II

2008-02-22T09:29:00.000-05:00

There are a few reasons why I don’t have a file of comfort food recipes. One is that they usually take a lot of time, gadgets, or manual labor, which are in short supply for “the urbanite.” Another is that I don’t eat meat, which eliminates just about everything my southern grandma ever made. So I came up with this recipe as an amazing, stick-to-your-ribs, cold weather meal (or side dish, if you’re June Cleaver). It is not, however, a quick recipe, so plan accordingly.

There are a few appealing things about using barley instead of rice to make risotto. For one, it’s a whole grain, unlike white rice (brown rice risotto is a pipe dream—the outer grain of the rice will never break down). For another, it behaves itself better than rice, meaning you don’t have to stir it obsessively like normal risotto, which is how it got its name. If you are too lazy to make risotto, or just too busy to stand over the pan, this is a perfect risotto for you. This recipe will make 2-3 servings, more if it’s a side. One tip: Say no to nonstick! For this recipe, you want a little sticking, so you can get those delicious brown bits from the onion and the mushrooms. I use a ceramic pan but I think stainless or cast iron would work beautifully.

Multi-tasking Risotto

2 tbsp. butter or margarine
½ of a white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed (allows the garlic to spread through the dish better)
¾ c. barley (not the “quick cooking” kind)
4-5 c. vegetable stock
1 tbsp. dried herbs (thyme, sage, herbs de Provence or a bay leaf would be terrific)
1 c. cremini and shitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese and/or pine nuts to garnish

Heat the stock until boiling, then turn off the heat and cover. Meanwhile, melt the margarine in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and herbs and sauté until soft. Then add the mushrooms and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the barley and stir to coat. Toast the barley for one minute, stirring constantly.

Risotto is all in the method: transfer one ladle of stock into the pan and stir until its completely absorbed. Keep going like that until you get a good amount of mushroom gravy in the pan, about 10 minutes. This will keep your barley from drying out when you take a break, which I promised you could do. From that point, you can just add a ladle of stock, stir, and leave it to cook for about five minutes at a time. When you come back, give it a stir and scrape up the good stuff on the bottom of the pan. As for the heat, its pretty important to get it right if you want those breaks. You don’t want a big sizzle when you add the stock, just a simmer. After 40 minutes the barley should be al dente. If its still crunchy and you’re out of stock, don’t panic. Just add ½ to 1 cup of water, stir, and let cook. You can keep doing this as long as it takes--but it shouldn’t be more than 55 minutes or 5 cups of liquid. The end result should be rich and creamy.

Add salt (taste it first because the stock can be very salty) and pepper and garnish with parmesan cheese and/or pine nuts. If you use margarine (I like Earth Balance) and soy parmesan, you’ve got yourself a Vegan-friendly meal.

Moroccan Than Not

2008-02-21T08:45:00.003-05:00

Despite the dazzling array of ethnic eateries Atlanta has to offer, I’ve yet to find a spot for authentic Moroccan food (if any ATL readers know of one, I’d love the tip). Called the “culinary star of North Africa,” Morocco had the good fortune of being smack dab in the middle of the spice route, which left the country’s palate with plenty of Mediterranean and Asian influence, not to mention the “flavors” that remained after France and Spain finished jockeying for control of the country in the 20th century.

Unlike some other African cuisines that are more beef and lamb-leaning, I’ve found dozens of Moroccan recipes that star chicken and feature many of my favorite spices and ingredients—how can you go wrong combining ginger, cinnamon, and cumin with things like couscous, dried fruit, pistachios, lemon and pine nuts? Which leads me to…

My surplus of pine nuts. After discovering that they’re a ridiculous bargain at the DeKalb Farmer’s Market, I bought a big ol’ sack and got to work on some pesto. Mucho pesto consumption later, the pine nuts were still hanging around, so I decided to find a new recipe for them. A skim of one of my slow-cooker cookbooks led to the discovery of a Moroccan chicken stew. I made a few modifications to accommodate my tastes (and the contents of my pantry), so feel free to play around with this one yourself. Perhaps you can inject your own [insert country of your heritage] influence into modern Moroccan cuisine.

Moroccan Chicken Stew
Serves 2.

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1.5 lb. boneless, skinless chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs or drumsticks)
1/4 c. dried cranberries*
1/3 c. dried apricots, coarsely chopped
8 oz. chicken broth
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
pine nuts, toasted (optional)
prepared couscous, for serving
fresh cilantro (optional)*

Add carrots and onions to the slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to cooker. Sprinkle in the cranberries and apricots. In bowl, whisk together the broth, tomato paste, flour, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, ginger and cinnamon. Pour over the chicken and veggies. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6.5 to 7 hours or high-heat setting for 3.5 to 4 hours. Prepare couscous according to package directions. In a large bowl, spread the couscous and top with stew. Sprinkle pine nuts over the stew and garnish with cilantro.

*Side bar 1- The original recipe called for raisins, but I don’t care for raisins, so I used cranberries—delish.
*Side bar 2- I didn’t have any cilantro on hand, so I used some fresh flat-leaf parsley and it worked just fine.

Review- My Last Supper

2008-02-20T08:25:00.001-05:00

Ever wondered what some of the world’s most famous chefs would enjoy for their last meal on earth? My Last Supper by Melanie Dunea attempts to shed some light on that topic, with interviews, photos and recipes from 50 notable chefs.

The meals range from the soul-satisfying (linguini with white clam sauce for Lidia Bastianich), to the pretentious (Michelle Bernstein lost my interest during her long-winded description of asparagus), to the gluttonous (oysters, caviar, ham, squab and pheasant for Jacques Pepin). Some wish to go out on a sweet note (Jamie Oliver would have rice pudding with roasted peaches), while others just want to wash everything down with a nice, stiff drink (Juan Mari Arzak would like nine different alcoholic beverages and a Coke, but no water. He hates water.). Tyler Florence objects to the concept of a last supper (“It’s not fair, frankly”) and only eventually concedes that he won’t be dining on any haute cuisine (“No fucking foie gras”), preferring instead the southern feast of his childhood—fried chicken, collards and black eyed peas. I knew I liked that guy.

As part of the interview, each chef was asked whom he or she would invite to the last supper and what music would play in the background. After careful consideration, I think I’d most like to be at Charlie Trotter’s last repast, dining alongside Hunter S. Thompson, Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald while Miles Davis and Bob Dylan play together. Although, Daniel Boulud’s supper was a close second—Bacchus and Escoffier are coming, but Bono’s doing a solo (boo). And I don’t know that they’d agree to it, but if they did, I’d like to attend Angela Hartnett’s dinner, where Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld will be performing their stand-up together.

I particularly enjoyed the pictorials—they give a real sense of the chef’s personalities in the ways they’ve agreed to be immortalized. Mario Batali wears a vibrant headdress of turnip greens, while Anthony Bourdain strips down to nothing, holding only a strategically placed ham bone. Lydia Shire hoists up an impossible large lobster, and Neil Perry rests a fish in his lap that looks like it matches him, poundage-wise. But I must confess my bias for Wylie Dufresne’s shot, which combines wit with cheese. He’s stretched out on a table surrounded by stacks of Kraft singles—love it.

Here Comes the Sun (Dried Tomatoes)

2008-02-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

For Christmas, my mom gave me the Bon Appetit Cookbook Desk Calendar, which I keep on my desk at work. Rarely does a day go by that I’m not distracted by the recipe du jour and lost in food-thought for about 30 minutes. The first featured dish I decided to try my hand at was a chicken and sun-dried tomato sauce concoction, chosen because I had a huge bunch of beautiful, fragrant fresh basil in the fridge (thank you DeKalb Farmer’s Market for selling such spectacular basil bouquets for a mere $0.99). The finished product earned an “it’s amazing… mmm, cream” from the bf, so here’s hoping that you’ll receive similar kudos if you give it a whirl.

Braised Chicken in Sun-Dried Tomato Cream

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. oil from oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ c. dry white wine
1/3 c. heavy cream
¼ c. sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. fresh basil, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan. Sauté 4 minutes on each side. Add the garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds (be careful not to brown it—it can get bitter). Add the wine, cream and sun-dried tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, covered, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate. Return the skillet to the heat and add the basil. Raise the heat until the sauce boils and cook about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spool sauce over chicken.

Serving Suggestions: I paired this dish with winter vegetable ratatouille and buttered rigatoni. For the veggies, I diced up what I had on hand (squash, broccoli, and an onion) and tossed them in olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet, which I popped in the oven at 375 for about 15 minutes. Then I tossed in some cherry tomatoes (leave them whole) and cooked another 10 minutes, until the tomatoes burst. I sprinkled on a little basil right before serving. The rigatoni I just tossed with butter, garlic salt and grated Parmesan. I made a bed for the chicken with the rigatoni, so plenty of the sauce dripped down and gave it some extra flavor.

Fan Fare

2008-02-15T08:23:00.003-05:00

I’m not ashamed to admit it—I love Rachel Ray. I love that she’s not a formally trained chef, I love that she makes 30-minute meals and I love that she’s nosy enough to include a feature in her monthly magazine that looks into celebrity’s refrigerators (Kristin Chenoweth’s is the best to date). I watch her shows, I subscribe to her magazine, I own several of her cookbooks. What of it?

I’ll tell you what—she delivers consistently delicious recipes than win me rave reviews at home. Either her test kitchens are religious in their QA process or I am oddly adept at choosing only the best ones to make. Say what you will about her personality (and I’m sure there’s plenty to be said), her staff is spot-on when it comes to perfecting dishes. In the March issue of EDWRR, I found a new, yum-o soup that was simple and hearty—just what I was looking for on an unusually cold February night. Served with garlic bread basted with basil butter, this one-pot meal was reminiscent of both a chowder thanks to the dry sherry (this is one time I’m advising you not to skip an optional ingredient), and of a dumpling soup thanks to the gooey gnocchi. Score another one for Rach.

Chicken and Leek Soup with Gnocchi
Recipe courtesy of Every Day with Rachel Ray, March 2008.

Serves 4.

2 tbsp. EVOO
3 leeks, rinsed, white and light green parts sliced length-wise, then crosswise into
thin slices
4 celery hearts, cleaned and sliced thinly
½ white onion, sliced thinly
1 bay leaf
32 oz. chicken stock
2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 package fresh or frozen (thawed) gnocchi, 12-16 oz.
3 tbsp. dry sherry, optional
1 tsp. smoked paprika
handful of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, onion and bay leaf and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and stir in cream. Return the soup to a bare simmer. Add the chicken, gnocchi, sherry and paprika and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Woodfire Grill- The Review

2008-02-13T13:28:00.000-05:00

When you’re the girlfriend of a thespian, you accept that you’ll be without him most evenings, all weekends, and always on Valentine’s Day (a prime night for theatre-goers looking for romance delivered via the full-text version of Romeo and Juliet).

So, this year we opted to celebrate cupid a few nights early at Woodfire Grill. Helmed by chef Michael Tuohy, Woodfire emerged as an Atlanta standout in the local/organic/seasonal foods movement not long after its 2002 opening. Despite it’s proximity to strip clubs and adult video stores on Cheshire Bridge Rd., Woodfire’s interior immediately takes you to a cozy, California wine-country cottage, with a blazing open hearth and antiqued wooden benches. Candle and torch light illuminate the intimate main dining room, while several private rooms with curtains drawn and an upstairs loft (used, I was told, for special events) frame the space.

The menu has undergone some recent changes and our server explained that the “small plates” are now larger than before. Well, some of them. Out starter of prosciutto di parma and bra tenero with shaved fennel, olives and arugula featured three, extra-thin slices of the pork and four dots of the piquant and creamy bra tenero cheese. Tasty, but tiny. Also, the fennel was mysteriously absent… Hugely different (and I do mean hugely), was a fritto misto of calamari, white fish and shrimp (which was unlisted but a very happy surprise). The hefty dish came with a bland aioli on the side and flash fried slivers of onion, lemon (that pared particularly well with the seafood) and capers. I made a mental note to look into this fried lemon concept further.

Getting full, we pressed on to the main course, opting for two large plates instead of several more small ones. The wood-grilled free-range chicken was just as I remembered—impossibly juicy with crispy, flavorful skin that there is never enough of. Accompanied by steel pan greens and a mild salsa verde, this dish was both healthful and filling. My date’s wood-grilled ribeye (locally procured) with fingerling potatoes and black truffle butter had a high and a low point. High—the butter that melted down over the seared crust of the meat, infusing it with a surprisingly light truffle flavor that enhanced the beef without overwhelming it. Low—the ribeye itself came out barely room temperature. Strange, given that the restaurant wasn’t even half full and our table was with in eyesight of the wood burning grill. The date commented that the potatoes were nice but nothing special until they too met that magical truffle butter.

In both of my visits to Woodfire Grill, the service (from the valet to the host to the wait staff) has been attentive, friendly and spotlessly professional. Even on a crowded night, you’ll feel as though every employee is aware of your presence and is aiming to please. It would almost be eerie if it wasn’t such a refreshing change from the “you need us more than we need you” attitude that seems to be a trend in upscale restaurants. Woodfire Grill offers not only happy-to-serve staff, but also local and organic food you can feel good about eating (and not terrible about paying for). Book it for a date night now.

Je Suis Français

2008-02-11T08:09:00.000-05:00

Ou pas. But I am a total Francophile, thanks to some Swiss family members and a French pre-school teacher that wasted no time in teaching me my un, deux, trois. I confess that I’ve enjoyed French cuisine only a handful of times over the years, due primarily to a lack of availability in the south (although, sadly, this seems to be the case in most American cities) and lack of a budget for flying to France on a regular basis.

So it is primarily out of necessity that I’ve mastered a few traditional recipes—I can whip up a cheesy fondue, bake a sink-proof soufle, whisk together a rich béchamel and I shouldn’t have to tell you about my deep and meaningful relationship with crème brulee. But only once in college had I attempted soupe a l'oignon before (that’s what you’d call onion soup if you were in France—you don’t have to say “French,” because, you know… you’re in France). I recently decided to take a second stab at it because of the discovery of a recipe in one of my slow-cooker cookbooks that made it sound terribly easy, and I’m happy to report that it was not only easy but delicious to boot.

My only point of contention with the recipe was that it called for “Swiss” cheese. Gruyère or Emmentaler are much preferable to me, and Gruyère should be procurable in almost any supermarket. I also like a nice Appenzeller, but that may be harder to come by. If you must use Swiss, please, I beg of you, don’t buy the Kraft singles version.

Onion Soup
Serves 4.

2 tbsp. butter
1 ½ lbs. yellow onions, sliced*
½ tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. dry white wine
4 c. beef broth
freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 slices of baguette, toasted and cut into bite-sized pieces
½ c. shredded Gruyère, Emmentaler or Appenzeller

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until they’re limp and transparent, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over onions and continue to cook, stirring, until onions are caramelized, 8-10 minutes. Transfer onions to slow cooker. To deglaze pan, add wine and return to medium heat. Scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon and add them to the slow cooker along with the broth. Season to taste with pepper. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours.

When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Divide soup evenly into four individual (oven-safe) bowls and top equally with toasted pieces of baguette and shredded cheese. Place soup bowls on a baking sheet and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

*Side bar- I guess it’s kind of an anachronism, but Vidalia onions work really well.

Guest Blogging- The Urbanite

2008-02-10T10:37:00.000-05:00

It’s fair to describe me as the sort of person who can’t sit still. I cultivate chaos the way others might tend to a rose garden or a “human relationship.” Because of my life’s frenzied pace, and because I am a great believer in cooking as little as possible, I often find myself eking out an existence solely on fruit salads, beans and rice, and the occasional appetizer. So when I invited myself—perhaps foolishly—to guest blog for my dear friend Carolyn,* I panicked when I realized that I had nothing to share with you that a five year old couldn’t make. Fortunately, I was assured that other people also have frenzied lives and wish to spend as much energy cooking as they do reading Perez Hilton. So, here are my two favorite, 3-minute meals.

Black Bean Dip
If you’re like me and you’ll eat this for dinner it should feed you twice. For a party, I would double the recipe.

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ of a small white onion (about 2 tbsp., chopped)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 tsp. sour cream or plain yogurt
½ tsp. cumin
sea salt and cayenne pepper, to taste (Tabasco also works well)
4 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese (about ¼ of a cup when shredded)
squeeze lime juice
chopped scallions, red onion, cilantro, or parsley for garnish

Sweat onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the black beans, sour cream, cumin and cayenne and mix well (don’t be a baby about the cayenne—it wont hurt you and it’ the salvation of this pot of beans). Bend with an immersion blender to the consistency of chunky salsa (a potato masher works well if you’re Amish). Turn the heat to low, add the cheese and stir to melt. Taste and adjust for salt and spice.

If it’s too thin, add more cheese or a tbsp. of cream cheese. If it’s too thick, add more sour cream or yogurt, or a few spoonfuls of warm water or vegetable stock. Add the lime juice last, after you have taken the dip off the heat. It will thicken as it cools; that said, this grey-ish, chunky-ish dip is hardly a Van Gogh, so be sure to put some care in the garnishing. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Cannellini Beanie Dip

1 can cannellini or white kidney beans
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
lemon juice
sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp. herbs de Provence

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until blended. Serve with toasted ciabatta bread or on crackers.

Variation: This is also a great base for a modified white “pizza.” If you’re so inclined, spread onto already-baked thin pizza crust (I would blind bake the crust; you don’t want to cook this spread or it will dry out), add roasted eggplant, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fresh basil, or maybe chicken or anchovies if you are an omnivore. Drizzle the whole thing with a bit of olive oil. Heat under a broiler for a minute or so, then top with shavings of (fresh) parmesan.

*Side bar from the editor- I had to practically beg my dear friend to contribute these recipes. Don’t let her fool you, the woman knows her way around a bean.

BBQ Rx

2008-02-07T08:20:00.000-05:00

After the seemingly endless stretch of Meat Week from January into February, I decided it was time to take stock of the meals I enjoyed. I sampled some truly delicious pinto beans, crunched down on some freshly fried okra and savored a crispy and saucy chicken down to the bone. I did not, however, have the chance to explore any vegetarian barbeque options as I had hoped to. I decided that this was something that must be remedied, and fast. But I needed to do some research…

It became immediately apparent that the meat replacement I should be working with was seitan (say-Tahn). While barbequed tofu certainly has its place, seitan has more of a meat-like texture, a little chewier and stringy which, in this case, is a good thing. Seitan is basically wheat gluten, made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch dissolves, leaving the insoluble gluten as a gummy mass. I promise you that the end result (i.e.- cooked and flavored seitan) is much more appetizing than the above description would lead you to believe.

Now, I realize that I’m venturing into potentially unfriendly waters here because people are serious about their barbeque, but I don’t intend for this mock-meat recipe to make a case against any of your traditions (although the accompanying, traditional slaw recipe is excellent with mock and real barbeques alike). Rather, I hope that if you ever find yourself in need of a meat-ternative as I did, you’ll give it a shot. And then you can go back to your baby back ribs.

Pulled “Pork” BBQ Sandwiches
Makes 4 sandwiches.

4 kaiser rolls, split
2 tbsp. butter, divided
10 oz. seitan
1 medium onion, sliced
½ c. barbeque sauce
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
hot sauce (optional)

Drain seitan on paper towels and blot off any extra liquid. Using a very sharp knife, shred the seitan into bite-sized pieces.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp. of butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the seitan, barbeque sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and hot sauce (if using) to taste. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

In a toaster oven or under the broiler, toast the rolls until just browned. Spread with remaining 1 tbsp. of butter, then top with seitan mixture and slaw. Serve immediately.

Classic Southern Slaw
Enough to top 4 sandwiches.

6 oz. bagged slaw mix
½ c. mayonnaise
3 tbsp. sour cream
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. ground mustard
½ tsp. celery salt
1 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the slaw mix. Add the slaw mix and toss to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Souper Tuesday

2008-02-05T19:25:00.000-05:00

I take my civic duty to vote almost as seriously as I take my food, so, in honor of Super Tuesday, I’m sharing my favorite super (and super quick in order to hasten your return to the election coverage on TV) tomato basil soup. It’s a one-pot wonder of comfort and cream that you actually don’t have to feel that bad about returning to for seconds. While the soup can serve as your primary (ha- see what I did there?) meal, it’d also be great enjoyed with Manchego grilled cheese sandwiches or an easy arugula salad.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

2 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 tbsp. flour
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 c. chicken broth or stock
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. chiffonade of fresh basil leaves
1 bay leaf
1 c. light cream or half and half
salt and pepper

In a large medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and continue cooking, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes (don’t allow the flour to get dark). Add the tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, basil and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and discard the bay leaf.

With your immersion blender (or in a food processor), puree the soup until smooth. Stir in cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to heat and simmer until heated through. Serve immediately.

Guest Blogging- The Beginning

2008-02-04T12:55:00.000-05:00

I consider myself very fortunate to be surrounded with good friends and family that share in my appreciation of food (or at least appreciate my food enough to eat it without complaint), and who also have been very supportive of my efforts here at Fresh Parmesan (hi mom). It’s been a lot of fun thus far sharing my recipes, ideas, food-obsessions, cheese picks and the like with all of you and I hope I’ve inspired at least a few of you to get into the kitchen and try new things this year.

So, it’s thanks to your support that I announce the creation of my Guest Blogging series. From time to time, and starting later this week, I’ll be featuring recipes authored and/or recommended by FOFP (Friends of Fresh Parm), who, I’m happy to note, come from all walks of life and have widely varying degrees of culinary prowess. I’d like to extend an open invitation to any of my readers who wish to contribute to please do so; your recipes can be simple or challenging, quick-fix or all-dayers; veggie or meaty; original or borrowed—basically anything that you enjoy eating, I’d enjoy giving a spot on the blog to. Don’t for a second question if your idea is “gourmet” enough—please reference my Forgot-to-go-to-the-Grocery-Store Black Bean Soup if you think I’m harboring any grand culinary pretensions—because all recipes are welcome here.*

What do you say, readers? Are you game? Are you hungry? Do you want your 15-pageloads of fame? Send ‘em in!

*Side bar- Except for anything with bananas. I’ll reject all banana recipes flat out.

COW- Cheese of the Week

2008-02-02T10:45:00.000-05:00

This weeks COW is our first foray into sheep’s milk cheeses. “Pecorino” by itself is a general term for any sheep’s milk cheese made in Italy. Two D.O.C. varieties, Romano (Sardinia) and Toscano (Tuscany), are pretty widely available in U.S. cheese shops or gourmet markets. Pecorinos are, in general, oily cheeses because sheep’s milk contains a very high percentage of butterfat. There are some Pecorino knockoffs sold that blend sheep and cow’s milk and they’re almost always less flavorful than the real thing.

My favorite Pecorino variety is Pecorino al Ginepro (Italian for “juniper”). The rind is washed in a mixture of the juice of juniper berries and sometimes a local red wine, resulting in a beautiful tint that stains the edges of the cheese when sliced. With a very firm texture and rich sweet/nutty flavor, Pecorino al Ginepro is perfect for not only pairing with wines and fruits, but also incorporating into other dishes.

Try it…
Shaved over a sauté of porcini mushrooms
Sliced thickly with salami and prosciutto
Grated over the topping of a casserole
Sprinkled into minestrone (or any hearty vegetable) soup
Melted onto crusty bread with roasted red peppers

Retro Refrieds

2008-02-01T08:15:00.000-05:00

When I was in elementary school, I went through a phase of giving myself manicures and pedicures on a regular basis. I can only imagine that the results were terrible, but the whole process made me feel very grown up, very “lady who lunches” (even though my lunches were closer to fried cheese sticks than foie gras). One day, I had a friend over for manicure time. She was preparing the bowl of hot, soapy water for us to soak our nails in, but, unable to get the water sufficiently hot from the tap, she suggested we “nuke” it. I panicked—I didn’t know what “nuke” meant but I certainly couldn’t let her know that! I think I tried to stall, maybe mumbled something about not being sure if we had a “nuker,” and waited for her to give a further clue as to the identity of this mysterious device. Eventually, the “nuker” was revealed to be the microwave and I made a mental note to use my cool, new terminology whenever possible.

Although I don’t often use the nuker when cooking today, its use seems ironically appropriate in this, my old-school Bean Pie recipe. Thanks for the vocab lesson Jo!

Bean Pie

1 can of refried beans
2 tsp. chili powder
1/3 c. of your favorite jarred salsa
3 tbsp. green olives, pitted and chopped
1 c. shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
4 oz. sour cream
4 oz. cream cheese, softened in the nuker
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
Tortilla chips for dipping

In a glass pie pan, spread the refried beans evenly along the bottom. Sprinkle the chili powder on top and nuke for 1 minute on high. Stir the beans and then top with the salsa, olives and cheese. Nuke on high 2 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly melted.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and cream cheese. Spread the mixture over the cheese layer and sprinkle the cilantro on top. Serve with chips.

Foodie Word- Rocket

2008-01-31T17:38:00.000-05:00

I first came across rocket while studying in London. One of my favorite haunts was a U.K. based chain called Prêt a Manger. Think of a Panera or Atlanta Bread Company, but featuring sandwiches with more interesting, higher quality ingredients that are ready to grab and go. There was a vegetarian sandwich that I wanted to try, but listed on the package as an ingredient was something identified as “rocket.” There didn’t appear to be any spaceships on the sandwich, but closer inspection would have been impossible without unwrapping, which I think would have been frowned upon pre-purchase. So, I decided to take my chances. Imagine my surprise when I bit into delicious, peppery arugula on my selection!

Yep, that’s the vocab surprise—rocket is just another name for arugula, the bright, mustardy green that I’ve noticed has been appearing more and more on American restaurant menus as of late. Arugula is delightfully versatile—top a sandwich, Prêt style; stir in into a soup; sauté it with some garlic; toss up a simple, zesty salad. If you’re sick of spinach or think mesclun greens are just meh, take arugula out for a spin (I hear she puts out… great flavor).

Absurdly Easy Arugula Salad

2 bunches arugula (or about 12 oz.), washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces*
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper
Hunk of Parmesan cheese (not fresh)

In a salad bowl, drizzle the arugula with the oil, squeeze on the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss until well mixed. Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin pieces of Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

*Side bar- Lots of grocery stores are now carrying pre-washed baby arugula that would be perfect in this salad—look at the bottom of the rows of bagged salad greens.

Loco for Cocoa

2008-01-30T08:18:00.000-05:00

On a cold midwinter’s night, is there any cup more comforting than a cup full of hot chocolate? (I guess possibly a big mug of Southern Comfort, but that’s a topic for another post.) I’m not talking about that powdered junk that you mix with water—I’m talking rich, steaming, genuinely chocolate-y cocoa that makes your whole house smell delicious. And it’s easy! Seriously, once you’ve tried this recipe and tasted the fruits of your less-than-15-minute labor, you’ll be a convert.

Hot Chocolate
Makes 4 mugs-worth.

3 c. whole or 2% milk
1 c. half-and-half
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 c. plus 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
whipped cream for topping (optional)

Pour milk and half-and-half into a small pot and add the cinnamon stick. Heat to a bare simmer over medium heat.

In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon. A few teaspoons at a time, stir the hot milk into the cocoa mixture to make a smooth paste. Scrape the cocoa paste mixture into the saucepan with the milk and simmer 2 minutes, without boiling. Stir in the vanilla and remove from heat.

Pour into mugs and top with the cream you whipped up in your immersion blender (or the canned stuff).

Rolling Bones BBQ- The Review

2008-01-29T17:48:00.000-05:00

Last night, we found ourselves downtown at destination #2 of Meat Week ’08: Rolling Bones Premium Pit BBQ. Squeezed in amongst historic homes and unidentifiable small business on a not-yet-gentrified stretch of Edgewood Ave., Rolling Bones is housed in what appears to be an old gas station (much like Taqueria del Sol’s Decatur outpost). By the time the 20 or so Meat Weekers had piled in, we’d taken not only the best seats, but every seat in the joint.

I’d like to say up front that, if this were a proper restaurant review, I would have tried several more of the meats and sides. However, this reviewer had to cough up her own cash to enjoy said BBQ, so this write-up is just a small taste of what Rolling Bones has to offer.

I started with a quarter, white meat chicken (in the mild sauce), fries and pinto beans. The chicken was a study in tenderness clichés: falling off the bone, sliceable with a plastic fork, so moist and juicy I could have mistaken it for a chicken sponge cake (ew). The skin was cooked to a perfect crisp and, despite the whole portion swimming in a sweet, smoky sauce, held up admirably to the very last bite, with not a trace of sogginess. The fries were pretty standard (I would have enjoyed the option of smothering them in cheese), but the beans were a big winner. The broth around them held little flecks of pork and was thick and rich enough to call the dish a stew. I also sampled a few slices of the brisket, which were comparably tender but also had a lot more charring around the edges than the chicken. I love char, but if it’s not for you, consider yourself warned. The collard greens were swimming in good, salty broth, but needed some vinegar to liven things up.

A fellow Meat Weeker was generous enough to let me sample from his mammoth plate of riblets, which were a little on the fatty side, but full of the same addictively smoky flavor as the brisket. The only real loser was the potato salad, with a blend of undercooked spud chunks and tiny bits of onion and celery in a thin, overly mustard-y dressing.

On the whole (hog), our visit to Rolling Bones was great success, major event! Once the Meat Week haze has passed, you can bet you’ll find me exiting the drive through (did I not mention that all of this can be yours—to go!?), sauce dripping down my chin as I nibble a few furtive, juicy bites on the way home.

Break On Through to the Other Side

2008-01-28T10:31:00.000-05:00

If crème brûlée isn’t the most enjoyable dessert to make and eat, then I don’t know what is. Unlike other treats that are out of sight when the fun happens (it’s pretty tedious to sit in front of the oven to watch a cake rise and darn near impossible to see ice cream set up in the freezer), crème brûlée gives you the chance to view, up close and personal, a chemical reaction.* And you get to use a blow torch.

From your basic vanilla bean to the exotic passion fruit and ginger, I’ve tried dozens of varieties of crème brûlée, but the one I enjoy the most is pumpkin. With delicate hints of spice and a creamy, luxurious interior, it’s the perfect January anecdote to those pesky New Years diet resolutions.

*Side note- To learn more than you need to know about the stages of caramelization, check out Table 1.

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
Serves 4.

1 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tbsp. white sugar, plus 4 tsp. reserved
4 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ginger powder
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/2 c. mashed, cooked pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Arrange 4, 4-6 oz. ramekins or custard cups in a large metal baking pan. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, brown sugar, and white sugar. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they’re frothy and lemon-colored. Slowly add 1/4 cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer the egg mixture to the remaining hot cream, and whisk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and pumpkin, and continue whisking until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl and then divide among the ramekins.

Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins in the pan. Bake until they’re just set (the center should jiggle slightly when the cup is tapped), about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before covering with aluminum foil. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of each ramekin with 1 teaspoon of the remaining sugar, twirling the ramekin around in your hand to distribute the sugar evenly. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar and serve immediately.

Fresh Parmesan

Giving Thanks

30 Second Meals

Choose or Lose

Customized Cuisine

Restaurant Review- Stella Trattoria

Hail to the Chef

*UPDATE*

I’ll NYC Ya

Curry in a Hurry

Dad’s Dessert

The Morning After

Now and Later

Foodie Word: Mother Sauce

COW- Cheese Of the Week

Mole Mole

I Love Fishes Cause They’re So Delicious

Quarter Pounder

The Hot Chick

What Summer Smells Like

Very Veggie

Bait and Switch

Get the Hint?

Cheese of the Week

Desperation Dinner

Oh, Canada!

Ooey Gooey Goodness

Guest Blogging- The Urbanite, Part III

Join the Club

Hoisin Around

Foodie Word- Tomatillo

Summer Starter

Saturday Splurge

Old Faithful

Getting Warmer…

Easy Cheesy

Yo-Foria

Twice as Nice

Pretzel Poppin’ Fool

COW- Cheese of the Week

I’m Melting!

Fan Fare, Part II

Like White on Rice

Cinco or Swim

Bulking Up

The Lemon Law

Fake It When You Make It

The High Price of Progress

All We Are Saying…

Don’t Pass This One Over

COW- Cheese of the Week

Foodie Word: Emulsion

All the Eggs, 1 Pie Crust

Top Show

The Fungus Among Us

Tri It, You’ll Like It

Feeling Crabby

Just Deserts

Batter Royale

East Meets West

Mighty Meal

Doggone Good

Foodie Word- Tempeh

Guest Blogging: The Traditionalist

Lighten Up!

Hooray Beer!

A Square Meal

COW- Cheese of the Week

Stretching out the Season

Girl Scouts: Cookie Purveyors or Something More Sinister?

Simply Southwestern

Pizza Pizza

Herbivore

Indian Winter

Repast—The Review

Megamame

It’s the Little Things

Guest Blogging: The Meat-Eating Man

Foodie Word- Gremolata

COW- Cheese of the Week

UPDATE