Peanut Sauce

It's an instinctive, improvisational recipe, and I probably make it differently every time.

Begin with peanut butter (almond butter is good, too). You probably want at least 1/3 cup for each person/portion. Measure this into a bowl or plastic container (then you can store any leftover sauce in same). Add 4 Tbs tamari, 2 TBS roasted sesame oil, a dash of rice vinegar. Mix it up. Add some crushed or finely chopped garlic at this stage, if you want it. Ginger is nice too, and a few teaspoons of miso added will lower your breast cancer risk by 50% (when eaten daily). You can also add chili flakes.

Then check the texture. If it is still very thick and stiff, add a small amount of hot water, and blend until the consistency you like has arrived. Then check the taste, and adjust for balance. If it is too sharp, add a little honey or sugar.

Good on pasta with steamed veg, rice with tofu and veg, nice on rice noodles.

Spinach

I eat a lot of fresh spinach, but recently I've found some excellent uses for the frozen variety.

Laurie Colwin's Creamed Spinach with Jalapeno Peppers

Servings: 8 as a side. But I can eat at least half of it by myself.

This is an adaptation of a recipe from Home Cooking. Laurie Colwin said it was "so good it made me want to sit up and beg like a dog" and I can't help but think of that line every time.

2 pkg (10 ounces each) frozen spinach
4 T butter, plus extra for topping
2 T flour
2 T minced onion
1/2 tsp (one clove) minced garlic
1/2 c evaporated milk
black pepper to taste
3/4 tsp celery salt
6 oz Pepper Jack cheese, cubed
1 or more chopped jalapenos, fresh or pickled
bread crumbs


Preheat the oven to 300º F.

Cook the spinach. Drain well and reserve 1 cup of liquid. Chop the spinach fine.

Melt the butter, blend in the flour, and cook very briefly. Add the onion and garlic. Cook more, without letting anything brown.

Slowly whisk in the spinach water and the evaporated milk. Add the pepper, celery salt, cheese, jalapenos, and spinach. Cook on low heat until the cheese is melted and the mixture is blended.

Pour into a buttered baking dish or casserole and top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake for about 45 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

***

Parmesan Spinach Balls

A fabulous appetizer. Serve warm or at room temperature with a good quality mustard.
Original recipe yield: 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
* 2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 4 small green onion, finely chopped
* 4 eggs, lightly beaten
* salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix the frozen chopped spinach, Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, butter, green onion, eggs, salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls.
3. Arrange the balls in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

How Much Fennel Do You Use in Cooking? I mean, really?

These tips, however, are very useful, despite their semi-obsession with all things fennel. (via Rebecca Blood)

Here are two I'll use for sure:

Peeling Chestnuts

The hard shell of a chestnut protects the tender meat. This technique removes in one piece both the shell and the thin membrane that covers the meat. 1. Score the shell of each chestnut around its equator. Do not cut into the meat. 2. Heat chestnuts in a 400-degree oven until the shells split, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven. As soon as they can be handled, lift off shell and membrane (they should come off together) from each half. -- Cook's Illustrated

Coring Apple Quarters

When apple quarters are cored starting at the stem end, the quarters tend to break. However, this problem does not occur if you core the quarters starting at the blossom end. -- Cook's Illustrated