To commemorate the Denver Bronco's record-breaking fifth super bowl loss, I have invented the following salsa.
Cover with boiling water in a bowl
about 1lb of tomatillos, husks removed.
(3) big jalapeños
Let sit five minutes. This step is designed to remove any bitter flavors in the skins. You can skip it if you are unscrupulous.
Cut the seeds and veins out of two of the jalapeños, and the stem off of all of them. This step is designed to get more jalapeño flavor without making the salsa too hot. You can skip it if you don't care how hot the salsa gets.
Place jalapeños and tomatillos in a small stock pot with
1/2 med. onion
(2) cloves garlic, crushed
1 t salt
1 T oil
about 1/2 c boiling water (i actually don't know how much water i used when i made it)
simmer over med-low heat for 45 minutes.
set a coarse-meshed sieve over a bowl. remove with a slotted spoon, and then using a pestle, mash the tomatillos and the one jalapeño with seeds in it through the sieve. the purpose of this step is to remove the seeds but keep all of the pulp and fiber, which has flavor. you could use a food mill for this step if necessary. you could also skip this step entirely but then i no longer warrant the results.
place the jalapeño-tomatillo puré back in the stock pot. add:
2 T olive oil
2 t vinegar
blend it all with an immersion blender. i introduced this step because the salsa was too thin when i made it. it turned out to improve the flavor and texture. i was going to add vinegar anyways to balance the tomatillos.
it should be smooth and glossy and somewhat thin for salsa. adjust the salt as necessary.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Pasta e fagioli
I have tried multiple versions of this recipe and this is the one I currently like best. I am writing down a version I cooked based on notes taken during the PBS show Lidia's Italy in America. I ignored, mis-transcribed or contradicted some points of Lidia's recipe, so the one she cooked will look quite different from mine. Also she didn't give amounts and I didn't use measuring cups; measurements are approximate. I write the way I cooked it the first time, and in parentheses mention how Lidia cooked it and how I cooked it the second time.
Mince (Lidia processed to a paste but I just used a chef's knife):
4 cloves garlic
about 1T fresh rosemary
about 4 oz. bacon
warm in a heavy pan and let fat render. Chop (again, Lidia used a food processor and I a knife):
2 carrots
1/2 large white onion
add to the pan and fry until onions translucent. now add:
a little salt
(1) anaheim pepper, chopped (Lidia used pepperoncini; 2nd time i used a handful of little pickled pepperoncini, and had more from the jar as garnish)
(1) 22 oz. can italian plum tomatoes (Lidia instead used tomato paste, so her soup was much less tomato-like)
1t white vinegar (Lidia didn't add this, but i added it to balance the tomatoes; 2nd time i put 2T of brine from the pepperoncini jar instead of vinegar)
bring to a boil and add:
4 c hot beef stock (Lidia used boiling water)
1c (dry basis) white beans cooked in water with bay leaves, and their cooking liquid (Lidia put rehydrated but raw beans; 2nd time i used 2c)
(2) medium potatoes, peeled and cut in big dice
black pepper
meanwhile boil in as little water as possible a pound of
1lb pennene (like penne, but smaller [Lidia used ditalini; 2nd time i used elbows])
when potatoes are done, partly mash the soup with bean masher. remove pasta from pasta water when al dente with a fry basket and set aside. there should be about 2c pasta water left. dump this into the soup. Lidia just put the dry pasta in the soup to cook. i consider my method superior because you still get the texture benefit of the pasta starch but pasta does not expand in the soup while storing.
serve bowls, putting pasta to your liking.
Mince (Lidia processed to a paste but I just used a chef's knife):
4 cloves garlic
about 1T fresh rosemary
about 4 oz. bacon
warm in a heavy pan and let fat render. Chop (again, Lidia used a food processor and I a knife):
2 carrots
1/2 large white onion
add to the pan and fry until onions translucent. now add:
a little salt
(1) anaheim pepper, chopped (Lidia used pepperoncini; 2nd time i used a handful of little pickled pepperoncini, and had more from the jar as garnish)
(1) 22 oz. can italian plum tomatoes (Lidia instead used tomato paste, so her soup was much less tomato-like)
1t white vinegar (Lidia didn't add this, but i added it to balance the tomatoes; 2nd time i put 2T of brine from the pepperoncini jar instead of vinegar)
bring to a boil and add:
4 c hot beef stock (Lidia used boiling water)
1c (dry basis) white beans cooked in water with bay leaves, and their cooking liquid (Lidia put rehydrated but raw beans; 2nd time i used 2c)
(2) medium potatoes, peeled and cut in big dice
black pepper
meanwhile boil in as little water as possible a pound of
1lb pennene (like penne, but smaller [Lidia used ditalini; 2nd time i used elbows])
when potatoes are done, partly mash the soup with bean masher. remove pasta from pasta water when al dente with a fry basket and set aside. there should be about 2c pasta water left. dump this into the soup. Lidia just put the dry pasta in the soup to cook. i consider my method superior because you still get the texture benefit of the pasta starch but pasta does not expand in the soup while storing.
serve bowls, putting pasta to your liking.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Carrot salad
This recipe I am writing down from memory, having learned it from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and other good foods from Morocco (I am also writing the author's name and the book's name from memory).
Peel one pound of carrots. Simmer them in just enough water to cover along with 1 clove of garlic or two, until the carrots are just cooked. Discard the liquid and garlic, or save for another use.
Mix together juice of one lemon, 1/8 t each of cinnamon, sugar, and cayenne; 1/2t each of ground cumin and sweet paprika, and salt as needed.
Cut the carrots into 1" thick rounds and pour over the lemon juice mixture. Let sit for 5--10 min. so the lemon juice can penetrate a bit. Now drizzle over with olive oil and sprinkle a bit of chopped fresh parsley.
This preparation is simple and the dish is light enough that a person could easily eat 1/3 lb of carrots in one sitting and still have room for a main course. I made an asparagus risotto to go with this and used the boiling water to supplement the garlic stock that I used for the risotto.
Peel one pound of carrots. Simmer them in just enough water to cover along with 1 clove of garlic or two, until the carrots are just cooked. Discard the liquid and garlic, or save for another use.
Mix together juice of one lemon, 1/8 t each of cinnamon, sugar, and cayenne; 1/2t each of ground cumin and sweet paprika, and salt as needed.
Cut the carrots into 1" thick rounds and pour over the lemon juice mixture. Let sit for 5--10 min. so the lemon juice can penetrate a bit. Now drizzle over with olive oil and sprinkle a bit of chopped fresh parsley.
This preparation is simple and the dish is light enough that a person could easily eat 1/3 lb of carrots in one sitting and still have room for a main course. I made an asparagus risotto to go with this and used the boiling water to supplement the garlic stock that I used for the risotto.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Russian Style Hearty Cabbage Soup
This recipe comes from "The Victory Garden Cookbook" by Marian Morash. It was given to me by Jean Lair Smith. It was one of her and Russell's favorite cookbooks. Here is the recipe/commentary verbatim.
Here's a flavorful blend of cabbage, sauerkraut, short ribs, and vegetables. This soup takes a while to cook, but it is well worth the time. I prefer it served the same day, although it can be served 1-2 days later. Be sure to have some good black bread on hand.
4 lb. short ribs
1 meaty shinbone (optional)
1 lb marrow bones
1 large onion
1 large turnip
2 carrots
2 cups beef broth
8 cups water
2 T. tomato paste
Herb bouquet:
4 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs dill
3 cloves garlic
1 t. thyme
1 bay leaf
2 leeks (white portions only)
2 celery stalks with leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 - 3 lb. green cabbage
1 lb. sauerkraut
3 T. oil
3 T. butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 T. sugar
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup chopped dill
Place the ribs, shinbone, and marrow bones in a baking pan. Halve the onion, turnip, and carrots, and add to the pan. Brown in a preheated 500° oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place the meat, bones, and vegetables in a large stockpot. Remove the grease from the baking pan, pour broth into the pan, and cook over high heat until all the brown bits are incorporated into the broth. Add the broth to the stockpot along with the water, tomato paste, herb bouquet, leeks, celery, and 1 Tablespoon salt. Bring the broth to a boil, skim, and simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours.
Shred the cabbage into 1/4 inch slices. You will have approximately 14 cups. Rinse the sauerkraut in fresh water; squeeze dry. Melt the oil and butter in a large pan, and sauté the chopped onions, carrots, and celery until wilted, approximately 10 minutes. Add the sauerkraut and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and cook over low heat until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the liquid from the stockpot, partially cover pan, and braise for 30 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure the liquid has not evaporated, adding more if necessary; set aside.
When the stock is cooked, discard the vegetables, shinbone, and marrow bones, and degrease. (The shinbone meat is good for nibbling.) Then add the cabbage mixture along with the chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, and sugar. Simmer 30 minutes longer. Season to taste. Ladle into big bowls, top with spoonfuls of sour cream, and sprinkle with dill. (serves 6-8)
Notes: Jesse, I think this recipe is a 2 day project because if you want to degrease the stock properly, it really needs to be refrigerated. The congealed fat is so much easier to remove.
Here are some other changes that I either chose or were forced to make: I substituted 3 lbs. of shank bones for all the bones/meat called for. The bones were meaty and needed a full 40 minutes to brown. (recipe calls for 20) Instead of deglazing the pan by heating broth into it, I poured a cup of boiling water into the pan and deglazed, then adjusted the amount of water accordingly. I left out the leek and also the fresh dill in the herb bouquet. I used only 1T. sugar and adjusted the lemon juice to 3T. I used a good quality sauerkraut: "Boarshead". I used only 1 T. each of oil and butter to sauté the onion, carrot, and celery. Finally I did not peel or seed the tomatoes.
To serve, we put dijon mustard on the meat because that's the way my father used to like it.
Good luck. Bon Appétit!
Here's a flavorful blend of cabbage, sauerkraut, short ribs, and vegetables. This soup takes a while to cook, but it is well worth the time. I prefer it served the same day, although it can be served 1-2 days later. Be sure to have some good black bread on hand.
4 lb. short ribs
1 meaty shinbone (optional)
1 lb marrow bones
1 large onion
1 large turnip
2 carrots
2 cups beef broth
8 cups water
2 T. tomato paste
Herb bouquet:
4 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs dill
3 cloves garlic
1 t. thyme
1 bay leaf
2 leeks (white portions only)
2 celery stalks with leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 - 3 lb. green cabbage
1 lb. sauerkraut
3 T. oil
3 T. butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 T. sugar
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup chopped dill
Place the ribs, shinbone, and marrow bones in a baking pan. Halve the onion, turnip, and carrots, and add to the pan. Brown in a preheated 500° oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place the meat, bones, and vegetables in a large stockpot. Remove the grease from the baking pan, pour broth into the pan, and cook over high heat until all the brown bits are incorporated into the broth. Add the broth to the stockpot along with the water, tomato paste, herb bouquet, leeks, celery, and 1 Tablespoon salt. Bring the broth to a boil, skim, and simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours.
Shred the cabbage into 1/4 inch slices. You will have approximately 14 cups. Rinse the sauerkraut in fresh water; squeeze dry. Melt the oil and butter in a large pan, and sauté the chopped onions, carrots, and celery until wilted, approximately 10 minutes. Add the sauerkraut and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and cook over low heat until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the liquid from the stockpot, partially cover pan, and braise for 30 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure the liquid has not evaporated, adding more if necessary; set aside.
When the stock is cooked, discard the vegetables, shinbone, and marrow bones, and degrease. (The shinbone meat is good for nibbling.) Then add the cabbage mixture along with the chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, and sugar. Simmer 30 minutes longer. Season to taste. Ladle into big bowls, top with spoonfuls of sour cream, and sprinkle with dill. (serves 6-8)
Notes: Jesse, I think this recipe is a 2 day project because if you want to degrease the stock properly, it really needs to be refrigerated. The congealed fat is so much easier to remove.
Here are some other changes that I either chose or were forced to make: I substituted 3 lbs. of shank bones for all the bones/meat called for. The bones were meaty and needed a full 40 minutes to brown. (recipe calls for 20) Instead of deglazing the pan by heating broth into it, I poured a cup of boiling water into the pan and deglazed, then adjusted the amount of water accordingly. I left out the leek and also the fresh dill in the herb bouquet. I used only 1T. sugar and adjusted the lemon juice to 3T. I used a good quality sauerkraut: "Boarshead". I used only 1 T. each of oil and butter to sauté the onion, carrot, and celery. Finally I did not peel or seed the tomatoes.
To serve, we put dijon mustard on the meat because that's the way my father used to like it.
Good luck. Bon Appétit!
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Cornbread Dressing
Cornbread Dressing
This recipe is adapted from the New Joy of Cooking's "Basic Corn Bread Stuffing". If your turkey is bigger than 12 lbs., or you're serving more than 8 people, you need to double it.
8 c. cornbread (or a mix of good white bread or whole grain bread - I do 10 c. cornbread cubes and 5 or so cups of other bread for a double recipe)
4 Tablespoons butter or olive oil (half and half for double recipe)
2 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped mushrooms
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sage or preferably 1 Tablespoon fresh sage
1/2 t. thyme or 1/2 T. fresh
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1-2 cups chicken stock
1-2 eggs, well beaten
Heat the oil and butter in a large pot and add the chopped onion, mushrooms, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 15 minutes or more. Cut the heat to as low as possible. Stir in the parsley, sage, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Add the bread crumbs and toss until well combined. Stir in 1-2 cups broth, or until the stuffing is very moist. (I think I end up doing almost 4 cups for a double recipe, not sure.) Stir in the beaten eggs. (3 is good for doubling)
Spoon the stuffing loosely into the bird. (Do not stuff the bird with hot dressing if you are not going to immediately cook the turkey!)
If you are baking the stuffing in a dish:
Spread it in a layer 2-3 inches deep in a buttered baking dish. Ladle a little stock or gravy (or turkey juices if you're still baking the turkey) over the stuffing. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes to one hour or until lightly browned and crisp on top.
Bon Appétit!
This recipe is adapted from the New Joy of Cooking's "Basic Corn Bread Stuffing". If your turkey is bigger than 12 lbs., or you're serving more than 8 people, you need to double it.
8 c. cornbread (or a mix of good white bread or whole grain bread - I do 10 c. cornbread cubes and 5 or so cups of other bread for a double recipe)
4 Tablespoons butter or olive oil (half and half for double recipe)
2 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped mushrooms
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sage or preferably 1 Tablespoon fresh sage
1/2 t. thyme or 1/2 T. fresh
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1-2 cups chicken stock
1-2 eggs, well beaten
Heat the oil and butter in a large pot and add the chopped onion, mushrooms, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 15 minutes or more. Cut the heat to as low as possible. Stir in the parsley, sage, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Add the bread crumbs and toss until well combined. Stir in 1-2 cups broth, or until the stuffing is very moist. (I think I end up doing almost 4 cups for a double recipe, not sure.) Stir in the beaten eggs. (3 is good for doubling)
Spoon the stuffing loosely into the bird. (Do not stuff the bird with hot dressing if you are not going to immediately cook the turkey!)
If you are baking the stuffing in a dish:
Spread it in a layer 2-3 inches deep in a buttered baking dish. Ladle a little stock or gravy (or turkey juices if you're still baking the turkey) over the stuffing. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes to one hour or until lightly browned and crisp on top.
Bon Appétit!
Thanksgiving Turkey
This is a combination of advice from Joy of Cooking, Martha Stewart, and what I remember Mama doing for so many years.
1.) Preheat the oven to 450°.
2.) Rinse the turkey with cold water, removing the neck, liver, and gizzards. Dry with disposable cloth or paper towels. If you are stuffing it, do it now. Do NOT pack tightly or turkey will not cook properly. Loosely fill the neck end and secure with pins. Loosely fill the front end, overlap the legs together, and secure with kitchen twine. (Mama always sewed the turkey closed but Martha Stewart advises just to tie the legs together.)
3.) Cut the neck into pieces; Put it in the bottom of the roasting pan along with 4-6 carrots, halved crosswise, 2 large onions, cut into 8 wedges, and 2 stalks celery, halved crosswise, and 2 cups water. Set a roasting rack over vegetables in pan. (if you have one - makes lifting the baked turkey out of the pan very easy)
4.) Rub the turkey very lightly with olive oil. Season generously with salt, pepper, and just a little thyme. (leaves, not ground)
Put it into the prepared roasting pan.
5). Put the pan in the preheated oven, tent loosely with foil, (don't press the foil down on any sides), close the oven, and immediately cut the temperature to 350° or 325 ° for larger birds. (15 lbs. or more).
6.) Roast for 1 hour, then baste every 30 minutes with pan liquids, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) registers 125°. For turkeys weighing over 6 lbs, allow 15-20 minutes per pound. For turkeys weighing over 16 lbs., allow 13 to 15 minutes per pound.
NOTE: Add about 5 minutes to the pound if the bird you are cooking is stuffed. (says Joy of Cooking)
Mama always tested for doneness by pricking the skin of the thigh where the joint is and got a spoon and collected the juices to see if they ran clear - a good sign of doneness.
You can take the foil off in the last hour or so, to ensure that your turkey browns nicely. You might have to put pieces of foil around the legs or wing tips at some point if they are browning too much.
Prep time to get the bird stuffed and oven ready: One hour or if it's 6 in the morning and you're sleepy, allow 2!
Happy Thanksgiving and Bon Appétit!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Pesto
For the "classic" Pesto recipe, I consulted Marcella Hazan and my two favorite Vegetarian cookbook authors, Mollie Katzen (Moosewood fame) and Deborah Madison (Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone). I was sure that Marcella's would be the best and certainly the most authentic recipe but I am going with a combination of the 3. I'll use asterisks to tell you how they differed in case you want to go with the Italian master. The directions are Hazan's which are clearly the best.
2 plump garlic cloves
salt
3 Tablespoons pine nuts*
3 cups loosely packed basil leaves, stems removed**
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
2-3 Tablespoons grated pecorino Romano to taste***
2 Tablespoons soft butter, optional
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds pasta
1) Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels.
2) Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, and an ample pinch of salt in the processor bowl, and process to a uniform, creamy consistency.
3) Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand. It is worth the slight effort to do it by hand to obtain the notably superior texture it produces. When the cheese has been evenly amalgamated with the other ingredients, mix in the softened butter, distributing it uniformly into the sauce.
4) When spooning the pesto over pasta, dilute it slightly with a tablespoon or two of the hot water in which the pasta was cooked.
*Katzen called for a full 1/2 cup - way too much but also suggested that walnuts, almonds, or a combination of all 3 could be used.
** Hazan called for only 2 cups. Katzen called for an additional 3/4 cups fresh chopped parsley. Genius.
*** Mollie Katzen totally left this out.
Bon Appétit!
2 plump garlic cloves
salt
3 Tablespoons pine nuts*
3 cups loosely packed basil leaves, stems removed**
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
2-3 Tablespoons grated pecorino Romano to taste***
2 Tablespoons soft butter, optional
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds pasta
1) Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels.
2) Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, and an ample pinch of salt in the processor bowl, and process to a uniform, creamy consistency.
3) Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand. It is worth the slight effort to do it by hand to obtain the notably superior texture it produces. When the cheese has been evenly amalgamated with the other ingredients, mix in the softened butter, distributing it uniformly into the sauce.
4) When spooning the pesto over pasta, dilute it slightly with a tablespoon or two of the hot water in which the pasta was cooked.
*Katzen called for a full 1/2 cup - way too much but also suggested that walnuts, almonds, or a combination of all 3 could be used.
** Hazan called for only 2 cups. Katzen called for an additional 3/4 cups fresh chopped parsley. Genius.
*** Mollie Katzen totally left this out.
Bon Appétit!
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