Poet's Pantry

2010-01-11T23:07:00.005-05:00

Sausage and Beans

Proportions are flexible. So are times--adjust heat to suit your schedule. It's nice to cook this for a while, but it is good right away, too.

I make this in a dutch oven. The bit of mustard makes a gravy with the bean sauce.

Celery
1 big clove garlic
1 can Goya butter beans or lima beans, just drained a little--keep most of the liquid
teaspoon of dijon mustard

Stew over low to medium flame.

Sausage: you can use any kind, just cook it a bit before adding it to the beans. Link sausage (I like hot Italian links)--roast at 400º for up to 20 minutes, turning once. Slice on roasting tray, and add all to the pot of beans. Or, cook a bit of finely chopped chorizo and add it.

Can serve 2. But I always wish I had more.

2006-05-21T22:30:00.001-04:00

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.

2006-05-05T23:46:00.001-04:00

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.

2006-05-05T23:42:00.000-04:00

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

2005-12-13T11:32:00.001-05:00

Vegetable Lo Mein (aka Crunchy Hippie Pasta with Veg and Spicy Peanut Sauce)
from Julie Jordan's Cabbagetown Cafe Cookbook

This very flavorful dish is made with pasta (regular or whole wheat) and vegetables tossed with a garlic sauce. Any vegetables you have on hand are good--these are just suggestions.

Sesame Garlic Sauce

8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or crushed
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter (the natural kind)
2 tsp dark sesame oil (I use Kadoya)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne

Lo Mein

1/2 pound spaghetti or linguini
1 head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces (6 cups)
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces (4 cups)
1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into bite-size pieces
2 carrots, grated
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chibes or scallions
1 cup Tamari-Roasted Almonds (chopped or not)

1. Prepare the sauce. Mix together the garlic, ginger, peanut butter, sesame oil, vinegar, tamari and cayenne. Set aside.
2. Cook the spaghetti until al dente.
3. Prepare vegetables, either by steaming, blanching, or sauteeing. Mix cooked vegtables together with grated carrots.
4. Mix together all ingredients in a large pot, and reheat for a few minutes, until piping hot.
5. Serve sprinkled with almonds.

Serves 4.

2005-12-11T20:37:00.001-05:00

Urban Legend Cookies (aka Neiman-Marcus Cookies)

(Recipe may be halved):
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
2 cups sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal**
24 oz. chocolate chips
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375º F. Makes 112 cookies.

** measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.

2005-11-14T17:31:00.001-05:00

Reward

I was wildly productive today (bought insulation for pipes, stopped at two Walgreens, got oil changed and car washed, plus stopped at Goodwill for a browse), and am rewarding myself with this marvelous dinner.

Tibetan curried potatoes (from Salon, Nov 2000)

A recipe with a history, to be eaten shamelessly.

In preparing the dish, the single most important thing to remember is that the potatoes have to be mouth-meltingly soft. You'll know they're approaching that stage when neighbors start pounding on the door, drawn by the intoxicating smells that have seeped out of your kitchen. Lock the door, if you haven't already, and stir in the garnish.

(Serves four.)

1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 stubby piece of fresh ginger, about 2 inches long, peeled and finely minced
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne (or other fiery pepper)
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) clarified butter (see note)
6 medium Yukon Gold or Red Bliss potatoes, peeled and parboiled for 15 minutes, then cut into cubes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
To garnish:
1 scallion, including the green part, trimmed and minced
Several sprigs of fresh cilantro, minced

Heat the Sichuan peppercorns in a small, ungreased skillet over medium heat until they begin to darken and release their aroma. Turn them into a small mortar or onto a chopping board and pulverize to a coarse powder.

Mix the pepper powder, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne and salt together to form a paste. Heat the clarified butter in a large skillet and blend in the paste. Cook, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon, for a few minutes, to let the butter become fully seasoned. Meanwhile, toss the potato cubes in the soy sauce until it has all been absorbed.

Add the seasoned potatoes to the skillet and turn up the heat to medium high. Cook until the potatoes have a crunchy brown coating on the outside and a meltingly soft interior. Use a spatula to turn them constantly so that they brown on all sides. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes over medium-high heat.
When the potatoes are as described, toss in the minced scallion and cilantro. Continue cooking for one more minute to allow the garnish to wilt and cling to the potatoes. Turn everything into a serving bowl. Then, as the Tibetans say, "Ngotsa manang ni choe" -- "Eat shamelessly."

Cook's note: Clarified butter (ghee) is easily made by putting the half-stick of butter in a heatproof measuring cup and setting this on the rack in a preheated warm oven. When the butter has melted and the solids have separated out, remove the measuring cup from the oven (with a potholder -- it will be hot!) and carefully pour off the clear liquid into the skillet, letting none of the solids escape. (Discard these or, as I do, eat them mopped up with a little piece of bread.) This pure butterfat can then be used for frying, and it will not darken the way whole butter does.

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 lb Brussel sprouts

3 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt (or less)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Soak Brussels sprouts in cold water for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain, trim ends, and cut each sprout in half. Toss sprouts with olive oil, salt, pepper. Transfer them to a lightly oiled sheet pan and roast, turning once or twice, for 20 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp outside and tender inside. Serve hot.

Tonight, I am having these as sides to broiled tilapia, but any feature protein (or not) would suffice.

2005-10-31T17:20:00.001-05:00

Stuffed Squash

This is a recipe that takes a lot of improvisation. What follows is simply tonight's version.

Bake a halved, scooped butternut squash, rubbed with a little oil and placed open-side down, in a 350º F oven for about 45 minutes or until mostly soft. Meanwhile, cook a cup or more of rice--just about any kind will do, but I like a medium grain brown rice.

Chop a 1/4 cup of almonds and toast them lightly in a small (cast-iron?) pan. When done, remove from pan, and saute a small chopped onion and half a chopped apple, until soft. A little coriander and salt are good here.

Today I added some dried cranberries and about a 1/4 cup of crumbled Wensleydale with Cranberry cheese. A sharp cheddar is also very good.

When the squash is cooked most of the way through, take out of and carefully scoop most of the soft flesh to mix with the other ingredients. (Leave some flesh in so the skin holds form.) Then spoon the mixed mix back into each squash half. Sprinkle extra cheese over the top, and return to the oven for ten minutes or so. The filling is just as good served alongside something else, however.

2005-10-24T21:05:00.001-04:00

Menu for a Rainy October Sunday

Vegetable Curry

This is a mild curry I made up. Serve with rice, and a side of sour cream or plain yogurt.

Cut into bite-sized pieces:
onion
green beens
carrot
red cabbage
red pepper

Start onion and pepper sauteeing in canola oil. When these are soft, add:

2 Tbs garam masala
1 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs coriander
1/2 tsp dry yellow mustard powder
1/2 tsp chile powder
salt

After a few minutes, add the rest of the cut up veg, and some cooked, drained chickpeas.

Add a half-cup of orange juice, and let this mixture simmer until most of the liquid has gone and the vegetables are tender.

Tilapia in Lemon-Garlic Sauce

Marinate tilapia in the juice of one lemon, two cloves crushed garlic, and a bit of melted butter. Bake at 350º F until fish is white a flaky.

Pumpkin Bread

Wet:
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup water
2 cups pumpkin puree (canned works well)

Dry:
3 cups sugar
3-1/3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix wet ingredients in one bowl, mix the dry ingredients in another. Pour dry into the wet slowly, mixing the entire time. Bake for one hour at 325º F in three small loaf pans (or two regular bread pans).

2005-01-21T01:03:00.002-05:00

Migas: bacon, egg, and heaven

I made this tonight, having read about it at Centrs' journal, and it was out of this world.

6 strips of bacon
6 eggs
1 small onion
4 corn tortillas
salt
pepper
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar

cook the bacon, saving the drippings. set the bacon aside on a paper towel to drain. slice the onion into rings. cut the corn tortillas into strips. cook the onions and tortilla strips in the bacon grease until the onions start to caramelize. while that is cooking, whisk the eggs with a little water or milk with salt and pepper to taste. remove the tortillas and onions from the bacon grease and put on paper towel to drain. drain most of the remaining bacon grease from the pan. pour the eggs into the pan and start to scramble. when the eggs are about halfway done, mix back in the tortilla strips and onions. cook until the eggs are done. turn the heat down to low, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and use the time it takes to melt to set the table.

serve with the bacon and warm tortillas if you like. some recipes call for adding salsa to the eggs while cooking, but since tastes vary, i just let each person put the kind of salsa they like on top. Serves 2.

2004-11-12T17:06:00.001-05:00

Ginger syrup

This is a syrup you can mix with soda to make fresh ginger ale (mint and maybe rum would be good in it, as well) or as a dressing for a fruit salad.

3 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 cups thinly sliced fresh ginger (1/2 lb; from a 10-inch piece), left unpeeled

Bring water, sugar, and ginger to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan, then stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. Pour ginger syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding ginger. Chill, covered, at least 2 hours.

2004-10-10T23:18:00.001-04:00

Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
(from Laurie Colwin’s More Home Cooking)

1. Melt together 1 stick butter and 2 squares unsweetened chocolate and take the saucepan off the heat.
2. Sir in 1 cup sugar, add to eggs and ½ teaspoon vanilla, and beat the mixture well.
3. Stir in ¼ cup all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon salt. (Add chopped nuts here if you like them.)
4. Bake the brownies in a buttered and floured 8-inch-quare pan at 325º F for 40 minutes.

2004-08-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

Julia Child : Bon Appetit!

I adored her. Read about her life as well as use her cookbooks and you will understand why she said, "Life itself is the proper binge."

2004-07-02T01:14:00.000-04:00

A Note On Roasting Red Peppers

While you can do this on a gas burner, turning the pepper with tongs over and over in the flame until the skin blackens, I do mine in the broiler. When they're charred, I place them in a paper bag for a few minutes as they cool. This causes the skin to steam away from the flesh, making it easy to remove under some cool water.

If you're not going to use the pepper right away, you can store it in a jar with olive oil and a few cloves of garlic. Amazing on pasta, or a sandwich, or in salad, or eaten from the jar, cold, at 3 AM, with fingers or a fork.

2004-06-27T23:06:00.001-04:00

Cilantro Mayonnaise

Ingredients:
3/4 cup reduced-fat (or fat free) mayo
3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 or 2 small cloves of garlic

Place the mayonnaise, cilantro, lemon/lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

***

I had this last week at a Solstice gathering and swooned. It is the best thing I've discovered in ages. Apparently it is from the South Beach diet cookbook. I will be making potato salad with it very, very soon.

2004-05-24T22:04:00.000-04:00

Best Breakfasts

When I was a tiny poet, my grandmother used to make fresh squeezed orange juice for me in the morning. She'd slice a big orange in half and squeeze it with an old-fashioned glass juicer, which I now have. The juice was warm and sweet and very acidic; delicious. Then she'd make bacon and french toast (the best!) in the electric frypan on the kitchen table (which I also now have). After we ate, she'd drain the bacon grease into a coffeecan--she used it to make huge batches of party mix at holiday time (the best!).

A Carriage Trade Pastries cheddar scone, toasted in the oven and slathered with soft butter.

Homemade (Lame No More!) granola and yogurt--either Stoneyfield Farms Vanilla or Brown Cow Maple Vanilla.

Leftover apple pie.

Peanut butter toast.

2004-03-23T12:50:00.000-05:00

Spring and a Poet's Thoughts Turn to Salad....

I have Salad-Making Resistance. I like to eat the stuff, but the machinations of preparing it somehow bore me. But I do have salad mix, baby carrots and other things about, and when there is no Annie's Cowgirl Ranch Dressing to motivate me, there is:

Lemon-Sesame Dressing (from the Cabbagetown Cafe Cookbook)

1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup light vegetable oil
Juice of two lemons
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tb tamari or soy sauce
I cup lightly packed fresh green herbs (chives, scallions, parseley, basil, dill)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp dried thyme or finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp dried or fresh whole rosemary.

Toast the sesame seeds over low heat in a frying pan until they're lightly browned. They burn easily!

Measure everything, including seeds, into blender and blend until smooth.

2004-02-26T20:12:00.001-05:00

This winter's best soup, hands down...

Red Lentil Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk

3 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)
1 cup red lentils
3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (1 cup)
14-oz. can light coconut milk (you can use regular, but I'm always looking to cut out fat/calories)
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbs. curry powder, preferably hot
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In medium saucepan, heat 2 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring often, until onions start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water, lentils, carrots, coconut milk, 1 tsp. salt and bay leaf. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and cilantro. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add to soup.

Remove bay leaf. In food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth, or use immersion blender. Taste, and add a bit more salt if desired. Serve hot.

2003-09-28T23:36:00.000-04:00

Vitamin A Indulgences

Been cooking often; probably due to the recent purchase of a Cuisinart. Exquisite thing...

Carrots and Garlic
(a modified crockpot recipe)

A bunch of carrots, sliced thinly
A few cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
some olive oil
some orange juice

Throw all ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot. Heat briefly on moderate heat, till the mixture steams. Lower flame, place pot on flame timer. Stir occasionally. If the bottom gets sticky, add a bit more orange juice.

This takes almost no effort, is meltingly good, and nutritious to boot.

Dandelion Greens

I read in The Herb Book today that dandelion greens are one of the most nutitrious foods there is. They're on the bitter side, but distinctively good. After they've enjoyed a good soak in cold water, I chop them finely and saute them in a pan with onion, perhaps with a little bacon fat base. Delicious with sweet potato or buttery pasta.

2003-09-11T21:34:00.001-04:00

CUBAN SWEET POTATOES (WITH GARLIC & CILANTRO)

Put a heavy-duty baking sheet into the oven and preheat (oven and baking sheet) to 450º.

2 medium sweet potatoes
4 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic - or more!
1/3 bunch cilantro
juice of 1 lime

Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, and then cut into half-circle shaped slices about 1/2-inch thick. Put them in a big bowl, add the olive oil and stir to coat well, then season with salt and toss again.

By this time, the baking sheet should be nice and HOT. Take it carefully out of the oven and pour the sweet potatoes onto it - they should really sizzle. Spread them out so they're all flat and in a single layer - there shouldn't be any pieces on top of each other. Put them back into the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes - don't wash the bowl.

Peel the garlic and chop it very finely. Take the leaves of the cilantro off of the stems and chop roughly. (Sometimes I don't chop them at all.) Put the garlic, cilantro, and lime juice into the bowl you used for the sweet potatoes.

When the timer goes off, check to see if the sweet potatoes are browned on the bottom. If they are, turn them over. If they're not, put them back in for 5 more minutes.

An aside about cooking in a hot oven: Cooking in a 450º oven makes this a quick dish to make, and gives you nice and brown potatoes. However, there's a fine line between "brown" and "burnt beyond repair." Use a timer, pay attention, and don't drink any wine until the sweet potatoes are safely out of the oven! Learn from my mistakes...

After the sweet potatoes are turned over, put them back into the oven to get brown on the other side. This will take a little less time than it took for the first side. Total cooking time should be less than 30 minutes - more like 20.

When the sweet potatoes ARE brown on both sides, take them out and immediately toss THEM in the bowl with the garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with a little more salt and a nice dose of freshly ground black pepper.

NOTES: Yes, the garlic is raw. It gets warmed up by the hot sweet potatoes, but it doesn't get cooked.

2003-08-31T20:08:00.000-04:00

CHOCOLATE STOUT CAKE

I'd eat this for breakfast every day. It is so good with coffee, you might not need Prozac.

"I am a lifelong chocoholic and have eaten many a piece of chocolate cake," writes Elizabeth Means of Williamsburg, Massachusetts. "Never before, though, have I enjoyed anything as much as the chocolate stout cake at the Barrington Brewery in nearby Great Barrington. If I could get a copy of this recipe, I would be eternally grateful."
The dark beer known as stout gives this cake an intense, not-too-sweet flavor.

Cake
2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream

Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

For icing:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.

Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.

Makes 12 servings.

Bon Appétit
September 2002
R.S.V.P.
Barrington Brewery, Great Barrington, MA

2003-01-12T18:56:00.001-05:00

Squash or Pumpkin Tian from Laurie Colwin's More Home Cooking

Using either pumpkin, butternut or delicata squash, peel and seed the squash and cut it into one-inch chunks. Shake the chunks into a bag with some white flour. Shake off excess flour and scatter squash into an oiled or buttered shallow baking dish. Atop this scatter 1/3 cup of good parmesan (parmigiano reggiano is the one and only in my house), 1 large garlic clove, minced, and pepper to taste. Drizzle the tian with 1/4 to 1/3 good olive oil and put it into a PREHEATED 400º F oven. The over must be really hot, or the squash will not be the crispy-topped, molten dish which impresses all but a soggy mess. Bake the tian for 30-40 minutes.

Especially nice opposite some well-steamed broccoli rabe.

2003-01-02T11:06:00.001-05:00

I wowed the folks at the New Year's Day party with this recipe from one of Jeanne Lemlin's Quick Vegetarian Pleasures cookbooks.

Sweet Potatoes Anna

Thinly slice 3 or so large sweet potatoes or yams (yams, the orange ones, are prettier but both are tasty). You want little rounds. Using a vegetable peeler is not a bad idea. Submerge these in cold water if they start to go black on you too quickly. Melt butter, about half a cup. Brush a little of this on the bottom of a pie pan--springform is best if you've got it. then create a nice spiraling layer of potato on the bottom. Atop this, brush more butter, a little nutmeg, and some freshly grated parmesan. I only use parmagiano reggiano, which is exquisite in this. Salt and pepper, if you like. Then do another layer of potato, and repeat until all ingredients are utilized.

Bake, covered in foil, for 45 minutes in a 425º degree oven, then uncover and bake about a half-hour, or till crusty and delicious looking.

2002-11-04T22:08:00.000-05:00

It's a Mushroom-Barley casserole sort of day....

Actually, I've hardly been in the mood to cook or eat, even, and I don't know why. I did make a fairly experimental beef stew, my first ever, but I don't have anything useful to say about it except, I wish I'd done it in a crockpot. I've been eating gingersnaps, peanut butter, snowy owls, hot bacon-cheese dip, and a great deal of water with my warm wine.

2002-10-25T17:21:00.000-04:00

The Julie/Julia Project

Local girl cooks her way through Julia Child's formidable repetoire.

2002-10-23T22:19:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to tell you how I've rediscovered stuffing. Actually, I've only made proper Thanksgiving stuffing twice in my life.

Then I did an impulsiuve thing. In a fit of craving one evening, I bought a box of local supermarket brand turkey-flavored stuffing. I made some, but messed even that up. I added water at the wrong point and it was strange. The next time (this always happens rather late at night. The other day I mentioned to Denise, the Most Excellent Neighbor, that I'd been baking squash at 2 AM the previous night [probably early in the GNE period], and her reaction was raucous laughter...) it was much better. Next (yes, I bought another box) I plan to try baking it after the initial cooking, to see if I can get the crustier texture I like best.

I have a dream of stuffing made of cornbread and green chiles. That's coming into focus, gradually....

2002-10-05T16:42:00.000-04:00

Drinkin & Drivin, Guzzlin & Groovin...

I would like a sidecar, please. And give me a scooter along with it if you could....

2002-09-27T12:40:00.000-04:00

Tommmmato Pie

An oldie but a goodie...Tomato Pie.

2002-09-23T21:36:00.000-04:00

It's Autumn now, turn on a dime. Turn the oven on. Throw a can of drained lima beans (butter beans) inb a casserole dish, and then a few peeled garlic cloves & some sausage--you have spicy chorizo in the freezer tray. A little tamari. Bake it, covered, about a half hour. A little smoked gouda on the side. Some steamed broccoli rabe. This life, she is good. Close the kitchen window as you sit down to eat...the cool air has arrived.

2002-09-04T23:33:00.000-04:00

I have discovered a new cheese. It is a cow's milk brie from Germany, flavored with walnuts, both creamy and subtle. It is called Mirabo.

2002-09-04T12:36:00.000-04:00

Peach Crisp

I also made Peach Crisp. It is the simplest.

Thinly slice some peaches--5 is a good number. Spread them in a baking pan. In a bowl, toss together one cup of oats, some brown sugar, some cinnamon, a bit of flour. Melt some butter--1/3 of a cup--and mix it in till the stuff is crumble. Sprinkle this on top and put into a 350 degree oven for a half hour.

2002-09-04T12:28:00.000-04:00

Channing Way Shrimp Curry

Last night I made shrimp curry, from a recipe from Ruth Rechl's Comfort Me With Apples. It's a
dish she made often while living in a commune in Berkeley, and thus it is called Channing Way Shrimp Curry.

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 stick butter

4 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cardomom

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon red chile powder

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup well-stirred canned coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest

1-2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

salt and pepper

Cook the onion and garlic in the butter in a heavy pan over moderate heat, until the onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constatntly, for one minute. Whisk in the cream, coconut milk, broth, and lime zest and bring just to a boil. Simmer the mixture, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer, stirring, until the shrimp turns pink and is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the curried shrimp over rice and top with garnishes (raisins, peanuts, chopped candied ginger) with mango chutney on the side. It is good, to, to have some Ali Akbar Khan ragas on hand to play in the background while you eat.

***

We also had a simple spinach salad--spinach, mushrooms, red peppers. I had so much curry sauce leftover, and salad, that for lunch today I will cook up the salad ingredients and pour the curry sauce over them. Yum.

Curry always reminds me of college, when my then-boyfriend Jonah and I made huge, delicious pans of it, often. I was ambitious then and my idea of a good time was to make a five course Indian meal, chutney to lassi, as it were, including samosas and paratha. In fact, this was our Thanksgiving dinner for several of the 5 years we were together. These days I often substitute flour tortillas for roti, and they are fine. But the scent of turmeric on my fingers takes me back....

2002-09-04T11:08:00.000-04:00

The basil I grow outside my front door is thigh high and fat with huge leaves. I am wondering if I should consider making pesto by hand, as this article suggests. It is true my blender isn't quite up to the job, and I've been less than pleased with the consistency of earlier batches.

2002-08-31T16:18:00.000-04:00

I want a cheesesteak right now.

2002-08-31T11:45:00.000-04:00

Last night I came home from work, had a small glass of whiskey and fell asleep on the couch. Woke half an hour later roaring hungry. Here is what I made.

Nachos from Scratch
Cut up 5 frozen, defrosted corn tortillas into triangle chips, and fried these in small batches in canola oil in my cast iron pan. Warmed up leftover black beans. Spread chips on baking tray, strew this with beans, and some chopped green chiles. Heated this in a 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes. Topped it with salsa (I like Enrico's), corn relish, sour cream, and avocado. Ambrosia.

Meals like this make me wonder why I am cooking for myself only most of the time. This is a perfect snack for two, though too informal and messy to serve guests. Personally, I would permanently swoon if someone made this for me. Alas. I guess in the meantime I will have to swoon for myself.

2002-08-31T11:37:00.000-04:00

A few culinary reading suggestions:

Eating together : recipes & recollections / by Lillian Hellman and Peter S. Feibleman

Commentary on and recipes for food from all over Europe and the States, with particular focus on New Orleans. Tells how to make the perfect soft-boiled egg and articulates the difference between Cajun and Creole cuisines. Snarky Lillian Hellman and her writer pal collaborated on this.

Tender at the bone : growing up at the table and Comfort me with apples : more adventures at the table, both by Ruth Reichel. Have just begun the first of these, and it reads like a novel. Very nice.

2002-08-28T13:37:00.000-04:00

Special for the canine palate today:

Kong toy recipes. For example:

BANANA RAMA: 1 fresh banana · 2 tbs wheat germ · 1 tbs plain yogurt (can use your pet's favorite flavor as well) · Kong Toy that best fits your pet's chewing temperament In a bowl, mash up banana. Then, add wheat germ and yogurt. Mash all ingredients together and use spoon to add to Kong. Freeze for 4 hours. Makes 1 serving for Medium Kong. Double for every Kong Size that is bigger.

2002-08-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

It's Julia Child's 90th birthday! Send her a note.

2002-08-14T20:24:00.000-04:00

This recipe for bleedycake sounds intriguing. Maybe I'll make one for Samhain....

2002-08-13T17:59:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite funnywoman folksingers, Christine Lavin, has a "Sleep While You Bake" recipe section oh her website. I was intrigued by this recipe....Intensive Sensitive Tomatoes.

2002-08-11T16:47:00.000-04:00

a couple things about the marinade...

the soaking overnight thing is a debate amongst cooks. i never think it's necessary.

also, the tofu is excellent deep fried (an quarter inch or so in a cast iron pan...) use a hi temp cooking oil if you do this, like peanut oil or something. it cooks fairly quickly, and it's great on sandwiches or just as a snack.

and i always put fresh cracked pepper on my salads - i think it's wonderful.

2002-08-06T16:16:00.001-04:00

Kteela's Marinade

Designed as a tofu marinade, also doubles for a beef or portabella marinade, and it's quite good as a salad dressing. about a quarter cup of balsamic vinaigrette about a tablespoon or so of olive oil (the following ingredients are better fresh, but dried will do...) minced garlic minced onion oregano cilantro (just a bit) chili powder cumin basil salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste anything else you have lying around (jalapenos are good, a bit of soy can replace the salt, well you get the picture...) let the marinade itself sit for a few hours, shake or stir occasionally. marinate extra firm tofu (cut in thin slices - about a quarter inch or less - off the brick), beef, portabella mushrooms, whatever for a couple hours. overnight is never necessary, but if it saves you time it's ok. i like to either fry, grill or bake the tofu and beef. the mushrooms i usually just try to grill. for salad dressing, toss with fresh dark greens (field greens and spinach are best), red onion, sliced black olives, white mushrooms, sliced baby carrots or shaved regular carrots, red and yellow peppers...etc. top with freshly shredded parmesan and croutons.

2002-08-06T16:16:00.000-04:00

Ismali corn with Orzo

Another Laurie Colwin recipe, adapted by me. Into a big cast iron skillet or frypan, I put a few tablespoons of butter & then chopped scallion, red pepper, green beans and scrape fresh coen off the cob into the pan too. Salt, and sprinkle on some chili powder, stir. Meanwhile, I might've cooked up some rice or orzo, though this is delicious by itself, or cold, or in a quesadilla. When it looks delicious, serve. Tonight I also chopped up a few tamari roasted almonds & fried them up too.

2002-08-06T16:15:00.001-04:00

Spinach Cheese Soup/Sauce

Jenn (the cookingest girl I know in SF, and she is from Buffalo) made this for me when she got her new pressure cooker. I didn't use a pressure cooker, but was able to cook the spinach to a close-enough pulp. I also changed the order of some of the steps. Here's what I did: stemmed & washed a package of fresh spinach. Dumped it into a deep pot with a heavy bottom, and cooked it over medium heat, with about a cup of stock. You can use more, or less, depending if you want a soup or a sauce. Meanwhile, I chopped some garlic & sauteed it in olive oil with basil and thyme in a cast iron skillet. Jenn said a bay leaf is key, but I didn't have one, and the result was still delicious. When the garlic was underway, I added two tablespoons of flour to make a roux, whisked it till the flour was toasted, then added a bit of half & half. I quickly pureed the now pulpy spinach, and stirred it into the roux, and dumped in cubes of cheese--maybe 1 1/4 cups--mix of peper jack and extra sharp cheddar. I whisked as the cheese melted. (While this could have been eaten in this exquisite state, I actually went a little further & fried, again in olive oil, a few fresh pierogie (potato and onion, in this case) and served them with the spinach-cheese sauce poured over.)

2002-08-06T16:15:00.000-04:00

Baked Eggplant

Today I sliced up an eggplant--long thin slices, like steaks--and I dunked them in some egg lightly beaten with half & half (I never have any milk around) and water, then into a dish in which I crushed Ritz crackers (oh, the buttery evil corporate goodness...) and some oregano. I lay these on a tray which I probably should've greased. Instead I drizzled a little oilve oil over the top. Baked them at 350 degrees F for less than 20 minutes; till they were golden and tender. Ate with salsa (Enrico's medium is my favorite.)

2002-08-06T16:14:00.000-04:00

Superior Tuna Sandwich

I bought some of that tuna in the foil pack, mashed up up with some mayo (I like kind of a lot) and some chopped scallion. On plain Monk's whole wheat bread after an hour in my backpack in the sun, this was delicious. Later I put another one in the fridge to sit and it was delicious cold. That tuna quality makes a difference.

2002-08-06T16:13:00.000-04:00

Brolied Salmon (originally posted 7.05.02)
Depending on how big your fillet of salmon is (half a pound per person is plenty), pour into a shallow dish tamari (japanese soy sauce) and roasted sesame oil (I like Kadoya) and chopped scallions, enough to just cover the bottom of the dish. Place the fish flesh down inthe marinade for 15 minutes or so. Set the oven to broil. When oven is ready, put the fish skin side down into a metal pan (trays are not ideal as the extra marinade will slip out and make a mess in the oven) and pour the extra marinade over it. It will burn in the pan, but cleans up pretty easily after a bit of soaking. Broil till the fish flakes easily at the thickest part, and the top has a nice roasty look (5-10 minutes, but must be checked frequently). Serve with steamed asparagus and orzo.

This dish is actually super fast & takes little effort, but will impress anyone with an intact tongue.

2002-08-06T16:12:00.000-04:00

Fresh Green Bean Salad (originally posted 7.22.02)
Tonight I made a little dressing of olive oil and lemon juice, salt, into which I placed about 6 green beans five minutes of out my garden. The beans had spent 2 of those minutes in hot water which I heated in a butter melter. I tore a leaf of fresh basil to put on top. I let them sit for a few minutes and then ate them with my fingers, greedily, in my incredibly hot living room, feeling like the luckiest human in the world.

2002-08-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

Corn Relish

I made and canned four jars of corn relish yesterday. I have never even had corn relish, much less made it, but I was inspired by (who else?) Laurie Colwin, a few recipes in the Junior League of Dallas Cookbook (Fourth Edition), and the sweet abundance of incredibly fresh farmer's market corn. Here's the general idea:

Get very fresh corn. I used 8 ears. Cut it off the cob into a big pan. add chopped bell peppers--red is mandatory, yellow and green are nice. I used 1 of each. Add a cup of brown sugar, a cup and a quarter of cider vinegar, 2 Tbs dry mustard, 2 Tbs kosher salt, and some cayenne. You could also use curry powder. Boil this down for around a half hour, then add fresh chopped onions (2 medium-sized ones). If you don't know how to can stuff, follow the instructions which come with Ball jars.

I haven't tasted this yet, but the experience of making it was quite satisfying and made me feel productive & well-fed before a bite was had, and that is lovely.