Monday, December 23, 2013

From Alice: Indian style collard greens

Annalena will confess, collards are a vegetable she had not done much with.  She was familiar with very old school, southern cooking, which involved a long, slow cook of these greens, usually with a piece of smoked pork of some kind.  And she love it.  She really does.  But when Annalena starts cooking southern (other than Italian), it always turns out... WRONG.  Have you wondered why there are no recipes for fried chicken here?  Or shoo fly pie?  Or hush puppies?  Or any of the other wonders of southern cooking?  It's not for lack of trying, or lack of respect:  it is, rather, for lack of competence.

Enter Annalena's muse, Ms  Alice Waters.  We go to her most recent cookbook again, for this one.  Her recipe, plus a trend in the type of collards one can get, make this possible.  It is SO good, and if you are looking for leafy greens, to serve at Christmas, which no one will have had before, this is the one to make.
You need one somewhat unusual item, but you should be able to get it.

The trend of which Annalena speaks, is the availability of younger collard greens.  Early in the season, the young, smaller leaves are available, and they do not need, and should not be, cooked for a long period of time.  You cook them just like swiss chard, or any other tender, leafy green.  As the year progresses, they get bigger, and tougher.  Well, somewhere along the line, someone realized that you could plant collards sequentially, rather than all at once, and get the younger ones for a longer period of time.   And that, ragazzi, has made Annalena very happy.

She is told that collards are eaten fairly regularly in India.  This may very well be the case.  Annalena has not verified this ; however, the spices here are Indian, and the dish is simple. SO simple.  So, ragazzi, if you are in the midst of a complex preparation for Christmas (as Annalena is), this one will make your life easier, and will get some good vegetables into you and your guests, between the ridiculous surfeit of richness that is coming your way.

The recipe multiplies.  To Annalena, one bunch of young collards is enough for two people. So increase as your needs require.  Cut the stems of the collards where they join the leaves.  You won't be using these.  Now, get the leaves into some boiling salted water and let them cook for, oh, 5-7 minutes, max.  Drain them, and when they are cool, roll them up in to cigars, and cut a "chiffonade"  (strips) of the leaves.  Squeeze them, along the way, to get out water.


The size of your frying pan will depend on how many bunches you are cooking.  Annalena is making four, so she needs her big one.  For every bunch of collards, get a tablespoon of olive oil hot, in the pan.  Have ready, again, per bunch, a teaspoon of ground cumin, and a teaspoon of brown mustard seeds (Black mustard seeds are truly Indian.  If you have them, or can get them, use them.  Brown mustard is what Annalena had, and it's what she used).  

Note that we have NO garlic, and NO onion in this recipe.  There is a reason for that.  Indian cooking very much is an aspect of religion, and since all food is offered to Vishnu, (in the school from which this recipe comes), what is repugnant to Vishnu, may not be used.  Garlic and onions are (presumably, because they grow underground).

Clearly, Vishnu would not make it in Italy.    Ok, enough of a digression.  When your olive oil is hot, add the greens, and stir them to coat with the oil.  Add the spices, stir for a minute, and if you need to (you very well might), add a few tablespoons of water.

And... you're done.  Unless you want some salt.  

Now, as another of Annalena's gurus, Ina Garten once wrote "how easy is that?"

So, carissimi, enjoy your holidays.  If you don't make this, hold it, perhaps for New Year's, perhaps for after, when you need something "clearing" and delicious.

If you do not see Annalena over the next couple of days, worry not. She will be in the kitchen... Baci.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Tis a gift to be simple: shaker meyer lemon pie

Oh, do you all feel it ragazzi? "It" is, of course, the pressure of the last days before the holiday is upon us.  Does it not seem to all of you that, regardless of how you try to alleviate the last minute stress , it is still there?  Annalena certainly feels it.  Indeed, the layers of stress, on stress, on stress, are one reason why she has not been back here for a week, when all of you need recipes. (Although the statistics say that you are all reading three recipes:  the spaetzle, the braciole, and the cranberry chuckles.  That should be an interesting Christmas dinner).

Annalena's dinner this year will be a complex one.  She is giving herself a reprieve from her "try to reduce your cholesterol and your weight" diet, and is going full out.  Sort of.  What follows is one of the things she is cooking, which is far from Christmas traditional on a surface level, but dig deeper.  And it makes sense.

You know of the  Shakers religious sect, do you not?  If you do not, please read them up.  They are important, and they have influenced our society, way beyond what Annalena could talk about in a cooking blog.  If you have ever sung "Simple Gifts," you are acquainted with the Shakers. And if you haven't, go look it up.  Look at the words.  Was there ever a song that so codified everything good, without being too preachy?  Annalena thinks not.

Let us go a bit deeper here, as Annalena promised.  This is a lemon pie, which does not sound very Christmassy.  BUT.... citrus is in season in the depth of winter.  Not in cold climates like the Northeast, certainly, but in Florida, in Louisiana, in California, from which the  Citrus Bomb, the  Citrus Stud, and the Queen of Artichokes dispatch the beautiful fruit that sustains Annalena when if she eats another apple or another pear, she will scream.   And while the Gang of Three have not always been around, citrus at the holidays was always a special treat.  Annalena knows families who wait for the crate of grapefruit, or oranges, etc, that relatives send.  In times past, these were chancy, difficult transport, and  you made them last. And you were happy to get them (there is a line in the song "The Wells Fargo Wagon" which does express this.  Look it up).  And, as Annalena has pointed out previously, in the original Cinderella, the Prince falls in love with Cinderella because she gives up her precious orange to her evil step sister, who didn't get one.

So , you see, ragazzi, whatever we think of them now, citrus were, and should be, thought of as precious.  And the Shakers did, and do think of them that way.  Shakers are known for their philosophy of wasting nothing. So it is, in this pie, which is made from the WHOLE lemon.  Yes, indeed, all of it (seeds exempted).  And ultimately, it uses less of this (at one time) expensive fruit than you would think , for what is a great, great holiday dessert.  There is not much labor here, but you do have to have some patience. And here we go.

First, the lemon filling . Get about a pound of lemons, and mix them up.  Get about 2/3 meyer lemons, and 1/3 regular lemons (these will be lisbons, they will be larger, more yellow, tarter, and with a thicker skin.  This is what the Shakers would use:  meyer lemons are a relatively new cultivar.  Now, wash them, and then cut off the little tips of the fruit, at the ends.  Cut them down the midlle, lengthwise.  Now, the fun part.  Put the cut side down on a firm sturdy surface, and with a very, VERY sharp knife, slice half moons, as thin as you can.  The original recipes said that you should finish the song "simple gifts"  (one verse and one refrain), in the time it takes you to cut up one lemon.  If you work faster than that, your slices are too thick.  Keep slicing, until you've worked through all the lemons.  Then, put them in a bowl, with 2 cups of sugar (another expensive item at the time.  Stir this all together with your hands, cover it, and leave it ,  overnight, at room temperature.  You'll be curing the lemons, and the next day, you will have a thick, incredibly interesting lemon syrup.

Next, let's make pie crust.  Now, t his is certainly not a traditional Shaker pie crust, but it certainly is good.  We need a double crust, so we put 2 cups of all purpose flour in a food processor, with half a teaspoon of salt.  Pulse it five times.  Now, get about 4 ounces of cream cheese (and Annalena has told you the one from Pennsylvania is really fine here).  Break it into four pieces, and process it in the machine until it's incorporated.  Next, add twelve ounces -  a stick and a half - of unsalted butter, cut into small cubes. Pulse this for 10-12 times, for three seconds or so a pulse.

We have a  much wetter dough than we normally would with pie crust, so we'll use less liquid.  Add a tablespoon of cider vinegar, and two of ice water, and process until it begins to come together.  Dump the dough out, divide it in about half (one should be just a bit bigger than the other.  Weigh it if you can:  you're looking for 60/40 ideally.  Flatten your halves into discs, wrap them in foil, and let them sit overnight.

On baking day, turn up your oven to 425, and let the dough come to room temperature.  It may take a couple hours to do so, but you want this to roll easily, and it will if it's soft enough.  Meanwhile, break four eggs into the lemon mix, and stir this all up.

When the dough is soft, put a good snow of flour on a surface, and roll the bigger piece of dough out to about 1/8 inch thick.  It should be thin enough so that it can fit into the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan (ceramic or glass), with overhang.  Now, pour the filling in.  Repeat the procedure with the dough, to make your top crust.  Lay this on top, and crimp the corners.  (there are many illustrations of this on line. Annalena commends you to them for information).  Put the pie on a baking sheet, and make a few cuts in the top.  If you are so inclined, beat an egg, and brush the pie with it.  This will darken and crisp it.  Annalena does not bother.    Put it into the oven, and check after forty minutes.  If you have thick, bubbling syrup coming out of the vents, you are done.  Take out the  pie, and let it cool to room temperature.  It will take a while.  NEVER refrigerate this pie.

Slice it with a nice, berry based ice cream. Annalena is using huckleberry, but strawberry, raspberry, cherry, blackberry, all seem just fine to her.

Give it a try, kids.  Citrus season is here.  Make the most of it.

Tomorrow, we balance this with a ridiculously easy Indian style vegetable, courtesty of the Goddess:  Alice Waters

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Go Ask Alice: jerusalem artichoke and fennel soup

Annalena's readers know that she worships Alice Waters.  And the publication of a new book by the redoubtable Ms. Waters is cause for joy in Annalena's heart.    Now, Ms. Waters' new book came out some weeks ago, so it is not new, but it is new to Annalena , who just got to it yesterday.

Annalena has already made three recipes from it.  Two of them, in her opinion, are not really of general interest:  if anyone wants to make preserved kumquats, or candied kumquats,  please let her know and Annalena will share.  But this soup... OH, this soup.

Jerusalem artichokes are also known as "sunchokes."  They are a winter vegetable:  you don't see them until November at the soonest.  They are a root vegetable, and having nothing to do with artichokes ("Jerusalem" probably comes from the fact that they are the root of a sunflower, which is "girasole" in several languages).  They are the largest source of the food substitute "inulin," which is important for diabetics and folks with sugar diseases.  And they are delicious.

There are several recipes for these delights in these blogs. This one may be the best of all.  Ragazzi, it is so easy, and can so easily be turned from vegetarian, to vegan, that you all should have it.  You do need a food processor, but you don't need your oven.  And you can have the soup in well under  an hour.

Shall we begin?  Yes, let's.  You start by peeling and slicing one medium yellow onion (you could probably use a red one, but the soup is white, so you may want to hold with the color). Slice it as thin as you can, into rings, but don't be surgical.

You need to put this in a pot, with three tablespoons of fat.  Annalena made it with half and half butter and olive oil, but she sees no reason why you couldn't use all olive oil.  Get the oil hot, and  then add the onion.  Sprinkle some salt in, and as it softens, get a pound of sunchokes (this will be about 9-10.  If you have more, use them).  Peel them, just like you were peeling a potato, and then cut them into chunks.  Get them as even in size as you can.

Toss them around with the onion and the fat for a few minutes, and then add 3 cups of cold water.  That's right, ragazzi, water. Not chicken stock, water.  When you want your vegetables to be the star of a soup, water is what you want.  Bring this to a boil, then lower it to a simmer, and cover the pot.  Check back in five minutes, and every five minutes thereafter, until you can pierce the biggest of the sunchoke pieces to its core, with a knife.

When you're there, get a bulb of fennel.  Get rid of the fronds, and if the outer layer seems yucky, do that too (generally, this happens only in larger fennel bulbs).  Then, slice the bulb like you did the onion , and add the slices to the soup, and cook about five minutes more.

You're just about there, amici.  Get out your food processor, and process the mix in two parts.  This is important, because there's too much of it for one processing step, and also, because it's almost impossible to distribute the solids and liquids equally.  Your first batch is going to be much thicker than your second.  So, you combine them.  You stir them together, and you add another tablespoon of butter, but divide it:  put half in the first batch when you're pureeing, and then the other half, with the second batch.

Don't ask.  It seems to work.   Or leave it out if you're going vegan.

Ragazzi, Annalena swears, this soup is better than each of its parts.  It is truly excellent soup.  If you want to bulk it, make some  olive oil seared croutons, with rye bread or pumpernickel.  It's a meal in and of itself.

You MUST do it ragazzi.  Please tell Annalena you did.  At this time of year, with very little to work with, we cooks must do what we can.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Keeping it clean: fish in sweet and sour pepper sauce

Well, ragazzi. Annalena has been away a few days, but it seems that you have been keeping yourselves busy, haven't you?  Many of you seem to be making spaetzle and fruit gels.  The spaetzle recipe, which Annalena posted on the 25th of November - a mere 3 weeks ago - is about to become the second most hit upon recipe in this entire blog. And well over 100 of you have looked at the cranberry chuckles.

BUT NONE OF YOU ARE COMMENTING.  Annalena needs your voices.  What is it about these recipes that makes you want to read them?  Please let Annalena know.

Ok, now as some of you may have gathered, Annalena's most recent health report was less than an A+ .  Her blood pressure and cholesterol were both deemed marginally high, and she was told to lose weight.  All fair, but of course, this means adjusting the way one cooks, and eats.  And Annalena has found a very valuable ally in Ms. Martha Rose Schulman, who writes a column on healthy recipes for the NY Times.  This is an adaptation of one of her recipes, which is itself an adaptation of another recipe.  (And that's how we cook, carini).

Normally, Annalena would not be giving you a recipe that used peppers in December; however, when she went to her farmers market on Monday last... she found some!  Certainly not perfect, and certainly not what she would put out in a salad, but for a slow cook like this... yes, yes, yes.  And for those of you who find yourself with time, and then no time, to cook, this is perfect.  It is a fish recipe that in fact can sit for a few days (refrigerated, ragazzi).  So, let's make it.  If you need to go to the supermarket or your health food store to get a couple of peppers, Annalena gives you dispensation.

Let's start by preparing our veggies.  Get a big onion, peel it, and then slice it in half, lengthwise.  Then, slice the halves into half moons, thinly.  Put that aside.  Next - and this is an "if" amici - you have coriander seeds, or if you like them, and can get them, pour out a tablespoon. This is a strong flavor, so be warned.  Then, slice up two bell peppers.  If you have red, or yellow, fine.  If you don't, you can make do with riper green ones.  Just don't go with two completely green ones, as the flavor of the dish will not be the same.  Also chop up two cloves of garlic.  If you like curry, pour out two teaspoons of whatever your favorite is (Annalena does recommend this).  You will also need 14 ounces of canned tomatoes, with their juice. Annalena does not bother with small cans of tomatoes, so the other half of a large can will have to be used for something else. Like vegetarian or chicken chili, for example.    You also need a couple of tablespoons of honey, and a quarter cup of either white, or white balsamic, or apple cider (the preferred type) of vinegar.

And finally, the fish... Now, the recipe Annalena had was for cod; however, Annalena had monkfish.  Use a firm white fish, of whatever type you have.  DO NOT use flounder, cod, or sole, but if you have halibut, or monkfish, or cod, or haddock, or hake or anything like that, that is what you want.  Do not change the quantity of anything else.  Plan on 6-8 ounces of fish per person, and then go forward, thinking you'll serve 2-4 people, depending on how much fish you have.

Ok, here we go.  Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a big skillet.  Add the onions, and the coriander seeds, if you use them, and cook with frequent stirring, until you see the onion begin to go translucent.  Now add the peppers, and a good quantity of salt ( a big pinch).  It is hard to oversalt peppers, as they have so much liquid.  Keep stirring, and eventually the peppers and onions will go soft.  (In the alternative, bring the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and check every couple of minutes.  It should take you 6-8 minutes to get everything soft).  Now, put in the garlic, and if you use the curry, that too.  Stir for a minute until you smell that curry.

Good, huh?  Ok, now we add the tomatoes, and if you happen to have a couple of bay leaves, put those in too.   Put the heat to medium, if you lowered it, and cook for 5-8 minutes, until you see the tomatoes reduce some.  Stir in your honey and vinegar,  add salt and pepper, and simmer for five minutes or so.

NOW we get to the fish.  Put the fish pieces , whatever type you use, into the sauce.  Surround the fish with it as best you can, cover the pan, and then simmer .  You need to check this frequently, because different types of fish take different times to cook.  Monkfish, for example, takes longer than cod. Test by putting a soft knife (like a butter knife), into the thickest portion of the fish, and checking if it's done.   When it is, take everything off the heat, and let it cool down.

Taste  your sauce.  Annalena could have used more vinegar (no comments, mein Kinder), but the Guyman thought it was fine.  If you're eating, serve it, or if not, put it away and let it sit in the fridge for a day, two days, or even three. Then reheat it  very gently.

Any grain you can think of will go with this.  Annalena and the Guyman ate it with emmer.  This is recommended.  Rice will do very well, as will any of the heartier, whole grains. Perhaps kasha or barley if you're branching out.

Ragazzi, we all have to save our calories.  This one comes in at about 300 calories a portion. And it's tasty.  One cannot fairly ask for more.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Trying new things: chicken in a maple yogurt and orange marinade

A few weeks ago, ragazzi, Annalena read an article in the New Yorker (now, a lot of things have to fall into place for Annalena to read a whole article these days, but they did),  and it mentioned a service of which  Annalena was not aware:  Quinciple.  This is a service which is somewhat of a cross between a  CSA and a "personal shopper" for groceries.  Once a week, they will send you a box of what they consider "good stuff."  They make no assertion of it providing anything more than two meals, for two people.  So far, Annalena is enthralled with it, in part because their choice of ingredients is not normally what she would put in her grocery cart, and she is being introduced to new things,  and new sources.  Who knew, for example, that someone grew rice in Vermont?  Certainly not Annalena.

They also include convenient recipe cards, and that is what provoked this post.   Last week's box included chicken legs, a container of maple yogurt, and oranges  (it sort of sounds like "chopped" doesn't it?).  There was a recipe for the chicken legs, marinated in the yogurt and orange juice.  And know what?  It's good.  It really, really truly is.  There are some flaws with the recipe, which Annalena is going to do her best to see you through, but ultimately, you should make this recipe.

You start with two chicken legs, broken into the thigh and leg portions.  T his is not hard to do if you're not squeamish (if you are, buy them already disjointed).  To separate the thigh and drumstick, turn the leg over, so the skin is down, and probe,  with your finger, until you find what is clearly a round, joint.   If you put  a small, sharp knife there, they will separate easily.  Just cut through the skin, and you have your parts.  (You don't have to do this, by the way, but it is easier to manipulate the parts, than the whole leg).  Now, wash those chicken parts, and then put them in a bowl with a cup of the maple yogurt, and the juice and grated peel of one orange.  You should also add a healthy teaspoon of salt.   Cover everything with the mix, and put it in your fridge, for at least a few hours, preferably overnight.

As far as Annalena can tell, t his is how the recipe works: yogurt has a mild acid in it, which tenderizes the meat.  The maple syrup adds  a sugar element, which will lead to some lovely carmelization.  So will the orange juice, which will also add its flavor.  And a little grated orange peel goes a long way in flavoring things.

When you're ready to cook, get some fresh herbs.  The recipe called for oregano, which was also in the box, but Annalena was tempted to use thyme, or even rosemary.  The tarragon in her fridge will wait for something else.  Turn on your oven, to 375.  And, get a large skillet, and get it hot.  When it is in fact hot, add two tablespoons of olive oil.

Now, here's where you will need to be "careful," which is a bit of an overstatement.  Take the chicken parts out of the yogurt mix, and get as much of it off as possible.  The recipe stated that a little of it, on the chicken is ok.  Well, it really isn't, as Annalena will explain.  Put the chicken, skin side down in the hot pan, and sear for about five minutes.  At this point, you are supposed to be able to turn the chicken over.

Well.... maybe not.  See, yogurt, being a dairy product, is loaded with milk proteins.  When heated, they STICK and they STICK hard.   Anyone who has ever tried to clean up burned milk will verify Annalena's lament.  Now,  whoever is responsible for wine, needs to be thanked immeasurably for it, for many reasons, including this.  If you add some white wine to the pan (move your face away), it dissolves that stickiness, and you'll get your chicken up off the pan with no problem.    Trust Annalena here.  She never lies about wine.  Once you have it turned over, get the whole pan in the oven, for 20-25 minutes.  IF you happen to have an extra orange around, it is nice to cut it into quarters, or sixes, and put that in with the chicken.  You'll have some lovely carmelized oranges at the end.

VOILA.  Some rice (from Vermont), some local greens, and you have a pretty darn good dinner that you could serve to company.

So, ragazzi, this one probably falls right in between rich and healthy, so we have a good way to end the week.  That, and the fact that the spaetzle recipe has skyrocketed to Annalena's third most popular recipe.  Make some good food this weekend, carini.  Annalena may pop in, but the strega is tired.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Back to richness: mushroom bread pudding

Yes, she's a contrarian, isn't she?   Yesterday, Annalena gave you a healthy lean fish recipe.  Today, we're going the other way and making something with eggs, milk, cream, butter and challah bread.  The only thing bordering on the "healthy" here is the mushrooms.  But it is so, SO good.

Truth to be told, Annalena started making this as soon as she got the recipe, which was 1993.  Now, she makes it for Thanksgiving, but not every year.  The reason for that, is very simple:  she would eat it all.  Every year.  Every bit of it.  It's a recipe from Anne Rosenzweig, back in her nice days  (Annalena will explain privately, to anyone who wants to know what that means).  And just as some would tell you to "love the sinner hate the sin," Annalena will tell you "love the recipe, ignore the writer."

Annalena has made some changes to the recipe to make it easier to cook.  She thinks the dish is better for them; however, in the interest of  honesty, she will tell you where she changes things.    On this one, she's going to tell you what your ingredients are first, because there's a few of them, and it'll be easier if you have them all ready.

First, you need a loaf of challah bread.  In the original, you could use challah or brioche.  It's very difficult to find brioche in a loaf shape.  Challah is much easier.  Also, the recipe says a "small" loaf, which is too vague for Annalena to deal with.  Get a loaf of challah.  And, finally, with this, the recipe calls upon you to slice the challah, and then take the crusts off of it.

RIGHT.  Can you imagine Annalena doing that?  Uh, no.  It's not necessary, and the dish is better for the crusts.   So, just slice your challah as if you were making a sandwich.  Put it aside, whilst we gather the rest.

"The rest" includes a cup and a half of broth:  the original calls for "rich mushroom stock or turkey stock." (it also calls for a cup and a quarter). Again, RIGHT.   Annalena used chicken.  If, by some chance, you have some mushroom soaking water around from reconstituting dried mushrooms,  dilute it by a third, and use that.  Or, if you HAVE mushroom storck, or turkey stock, use it.

You also need 1.5 cups of heavy cream  (instead of 1.25), a cup of whole milk, four large eggs.  Then, a teaspoon of salt,  a couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter, a chopped half onion (a small one, or a couple of chopped shallots),  a couple of cloves of garlic, minced, a half tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme, and then a pound of wild mushrooms, sliced.  Annalena uses chanterelles.  Use what's in season, and stick to ONE kind.  The recipe is better with one.  So, if you're making this in the spring and you happen to have morels....

Let's make our liquid first.  Put the stock in the pot, and when you do, stop after you've put half of it in.  Remember that mark.  Now, pour it all in, and cook it down to the halfway mark, and then add the heavy cream.  Now, you want to reduce it, to the point where it was with ALL of the stock in there (1.5 cups.  See why Annalena had you start with 1.5?).    Off the heat, add the milk, the eggs, and whisk them together.

Start your oven to 350, and while it's warming, melt the butter in a big pan, and add the shallots, the garlic, and the thyme, and cook them for a couple of minutes.  Then add the mushrooms.  Cook them until they have wilted, and the water that comes off when they're cooking, is gone. That'll be about ten minutes.

While you're cooking the mushooms,  you can toast the challah.  Do this by laying the bread (unbuttered), over baking sheets, and bake at 350 for five minutes, and then turning and baking for another 3.  It'll get a little brown, but not too much.  Please don't leave out  this step:  it may be the most important one.

Okay, now the fun stuff happens.  Instead of the loaf pan, which is too small, get an 8x8 or 9x9 pan (try not to use metal), and layer bread on the bottom.  Now put on mushrooms.  About half.  Put more bread on top of the mushrooms, repeat with more mushrooms, and end with bread.   It won't be even.  Now pour the liquid over this.  Do it slowly.  It will seem like too much, but the bread is going to absorb a lot of it.  Just give it time.  When it's a solid, soggy mass, put some plastic over it, and refrigerate it overnight.

To bake it, fill a large glass or metal baking dish with boiling water, and put the bread pudding pan in it.  Let the water come up half way (you'll want to protect your hands here).  Take off the plastic, cover it with foil, and put the whole thing in the oven, at 350.... for two hours.

Yup, two hours.  It needs it.  And  you'll be glad you did.  You can take the foil off after an hour and a half if you like a crispier topping, but you don't have to.

It's a lot of work, but this serves 12.

RIGHT.   No, seriously ragazzi, this is ridiculously rich.  It's so good, you'll be tempted to eat a lot, right off the bat. Eat some protein first.  Then come back to it.  And yes, it's serious labor, but think of the admiration of your friends.

We continue with richness either next time or time after, ragazzi. Annalena has never shared her shaker lemon pie with you, and that's criminal.  But she also may be telling you about a new chicken recipe tomorrow.  Come back!!!!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Doesn't feel like it's clean: oven poached fish

Ok, ragazzi, this one is for Emily,  Annalena's first trainer.  It's only fair:  yesterday you got a ridiculously rich brownie recipe.  Today, you're getting a very light - but very GOOD fish recipe, courtesy of Martha Rose Schulman, who writes a column for the Times  called "Recipe for Health." It is only on line, unfortunately for you paper readers, but give it a look.

Annalena had bought a pound of hake from Shakyamuni Karlin and Prem Morris (Wade and Jan), and was planning to do some kind of saute' .  She happened onto the Times food section, and saw that Ms. Schulman (who is a professional cookbook writer, and a damn good one.  Annalena uses her books constantly), had dedicated a week to using white fish and shellfish.  Essentially, the recipes were along the theme of a simple, low fat cooking technique for the fish, coupled with a very flavorful sauce.  Indeed, had Annalena  bought clams, she would have made the recipe with hot red sauce.  But hake seemed to fall within the confines of the white fish recipe that Ms. Schulman had posted, for other white fish, so Annalena gave it a try.  Let us just say that the  Guyman and Annalena ate well.

Now, "oven poached."  Think about that for a minute.  How can you poach fish in the oven?  And why would you?

Well, Annalena will explain the latter, and she will explain Ms Schulman's technique, which is brilliant.  You want to poach in the oven, because anyone who has ever tried to remove a poached fish fillet from a pot will know that there is a lot of anguish and difficulty in trying to get it right.  The way you do it in the oven is similar to the technique you use for making crispy bread:  you put boiling water in the oven while the fish is cooking, and then, you get poached fish.  Absolutely brilliant.

Ok, so let's get cooking.  Set your oven to 300.  Yup, 300. Before you do that, set the racks in your oven  so that a pot can sit on the lower rack, and you have room for a baking sheet above.  The acute reader will recognize that 300 is the temperature we used when we poached fish in olive oil a few weeks ago.  "Low and slow."

So, bring a pot of plain, unsalted water to the boil, and while that's happening, line a baking sheet, either with foil, or parchment.  Foil is better here, but either will work.  If you use the foil, brush some oil on it.  Rinse and dry your fish fillets:  any white fish of some thickness will do - and then sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper, before you put them on the sheet.

Now, slide the thing into the oven, on the top rack, and let this cook for at least 15-20 minutes.  Don't peek before 15.   Then, check with a knife, to see if the fish is tender and flaky at the center,  and cooked to your liking.  It could be 15, it could be 20, and it could be 30 minutes.  So much depends on what you like, and how thick your fish is.

Ms. Schulman serves this fish with a green, tomatillo sauce, and if you look on this site, Annalena does give you several "salsa verde" s; however, this time around, she used her favorite from American Spoon. If the green sauce isn't giving you chills, then use something else.  But do use something, because the fish can use the flavor boost.

A six ounce portion of this fish (the Guyman and Annalena ate 8 ounce portions), is 158 calories, and has no added fat.  That gives you time to play with the other components of your meal, if you like.  Maybe you can even have a chocolate cheesecake brownie, if your trainer allows it  :).

Okay, ragazzi,  tomorrow, perhaps we go back to rich and fatty.  Annalena has a bread pudding recipe she really wants to share with you.  A domani.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Richer than rich: chocolate cheesecake brownies

You can see Annalena's "versatility" in these pages, can you not?  Last time around, she gave you a wonderful vegan chili that is just the thing after rich food. And now, she's going to give you something to counterract all that healthiness.

Annalena found this recipe in a King Arthur catalog.  In fact, she found it in a King Arthur catalog about six times.  But she never took it, because Annalena just does not make chocolate things.  She seriously does not; however, she was asked to do a  Bake Sale, and in what was her finale' with bake sales for the organization, she presented these, because "everyone loves chocolate."    They area going to take you a bit of time to make, but if you need something for those special occasions, this is what you want.  It really is.

You need to make two batters:  a chocolate one, and a cheesecake one.  And to make the first, you need a cup of unsalted butter.  That's two sticks, ragazzi.  Melt it in a BIG pot (you're going to be adding a whole lot of stuff here), then add 2.25 cups of granulated sugar.  You mix this while the butter is melting, and you get a shiny, even textured mess.

Take this off the heat and then add 1.25 cups of cocoa (and carini, get GOOD stuff here. Use Dutch process, or black cocoa, but do not use the stuff in a tin you can get at the supermarket, please? It is NASTY), as well as a teaspoon each of salt, and baking powder.  I f you  have espresso powder, or even (GASP), instant coffee (Annalena has it for baking and it comes in handy during power outages, ragazzi), add a teaspoon of t his as well.  Finally, add a generous teaspoon of vanilla.  Stir this all together, and then mix in, one at a time, four eggs.  Finally, a cup of all purpose flour.  Mix this to smooth, and then stir in two cups of chocolate chips.  Again, ragazzi, use the good stuff.

Not really hard, huh?  Messy, but not hard.

Now, for the cream cheese batter, you need a pound of room temperature cream cheese.  Here, the stuff from Pennsylvania will do ya just fine.   Beat it to smooth, and then beat in 3/4 cup of sugar, a half cup of flour, tw teaspoons of vanilla,  a few tablespoons of whole milk, and then 2 eggs.   (Annalena  could have eaten this batter, as it was).

Now, get a 9x13 pan (and here, you CAN use metal), and grease it well.  Annalena used her spray for cooking for this, but be generous.  Pour half of the chocolate batter into the pan.  Now pour ALL the cream cheese batter over that.  Finally, spoon out the rest of the chocolate batter, in big PLOPS.

Now, you get creative.  Get a knife, a spatula, something with an edge, and start swirling the chocolate through the cream cheese batter.  Don't be too enthusiasatic, as it's easy to cover all the cream cheese with the chocolate.  You're looking for a swirly pattern.

Get this into the oven, and bake it for about 35 minutes (if you like soft and gooey), to 45 (if you like firmer and a bit more chewy).  In any event, when they're done, PLEASE LET THESE COOL COMPLETELY before you take a knife to them.

This recipe says it makes 24 brownies.  So be it.  Annalena found 24 too large a serving, and cut it into 30.  But you decide how much richness you can handle.    And enjoy them.   It's not too hard, and it makes a really good dessert.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Let's rest our bellies with some vegetarian chili

Because, ragazzi, we're going to be looking at some very rich dishes next week.  After all, we do have to plan for Christmas don't we?  So while we will be looking at some dishes that call for lavish use of cream and fat and sugar and other good things, let's look at something simple now, and make a good, heartening, and really rather satisfying and good for you, VEGAN chili.

Annalena has said, and she will say again, that beans are not used enough in our meals.  Annalena is as guilty as this as is anyone.  Yes, they  are easy to prepare.  They are  RIDICULOUSLY easy to prepare.  But when all is said and done, you then have SO MANY of them.  And what do you do?   Well, Annalena wants everyone to take a pledge with her and promise to use more beans, and when cooking with them, share the dishes.  Like she did this chili.

She found the recipe in her Penzey's catalogue, or at least the outline of it. As Annalena went through it, she felt that it needed tweeking (as compared to twerking), and she's glad she did.  The original recipe was sounding good: beans, tomatoes, onions, spices.  But there's opportunity here, ragazzi, to get your fiber up, with some more vegetables. And it's very easy to do. So, let's get to it.

Now, first, the beans. PLEASE start using dry beans, preferably heirloom, and preferably organic.  Annalena used rattlesnake beans for this, but any would do.  Use your resources, find something good, and then get to work.

You start by putting a pound of dried beans under water, such that there is two inches over the top of the beans.  Then, leave the alone for a night.    This begins to prep them .

The next step is controversial.  Annalena learned that the soaking water from beans should not be used for cooking water.  Recent research tends to say that dumping this water is a waste.  Perhaps it is, but Annalena does so.  She was taught that noxious, gas causing molecules leach into that water, and do not decompose in cooking. So... you make your choice.  Annalena does change the water, and covers the beans again, by two-three inches of water.  You will probably need a bigger pot at this point, because those dried beans will have expanded.    Get the to a low boil, or even a simmer, and cook them, uncovered, for about an hour.  Check from time to time and cover them with more water, as needed.   You probably will need to do this about twice during the cooking time.  In the last 20 minutes, add a heaping teaspoon of salt.   Then drain them.

Your beans will not be cooked through at this point, and that's fine, because they're going to cook for a while longer.    Since they're cooking at a leisurely pace, you have time to collect what you need:  two medium sized onions (yellow are better here), two large, peeled carrots, and 2-3 stalks of celery, with the leaves.  Annalena peels and quarters the onions, and cuts the other veggies into chunks.  Then, into the processor they go, in batches, and pulsed to a fairly fine dice.

Get about a quarter cup of oil - olive being preferred - and heat it up in a big pot. Add the veggies and stir, adding another teaspoon of salt.  Cook at a low heat, while you gather your spices.

Now, these spices will make a very spicy chili. Cut it back if you like.  Annalena used a tablespoon of ground cumin, a tablespoon of chili powder, and a tablespoon of berebere, which is an Ethiopian hot spice.  You need more than two tablespoons of stuff,  so think about things, and make up your own mix.

Sprinkle that into the onions, together with six chopped up garlic cloves  (we chop these separately, ragazzi, so they don't burn with the other veggies.  )  Stir everything for about two minutes,  and then add your beans, and a large can of fire roasted, chopped tomatos (Muir Woods is Annalena's favorite brand of these. ).  Stir it all together, and then  REALLY lower your heat.  If you have a head disperser, this is when to use it.

This all cooks for a MINIMUM of 1.5 hours at real low heat, and maybe as much as 2 hours.  You can tell when you're done when the water is out of the tomatoes, things are thick and the beans are soft and creamy.

Now, you adorn it as you like, or best of all, not at all.  Just cook up some rice, and sit back and feel virtuous as you eat this for lunch or dinner.  Because very soon, you'll be making cheesecake brownies.  Or mushroom bread pudding.  Just wait ragazzi.

And if you decide not to share, this makes about 8-9 cups of healthy chili.  You selfish folks can eat that a few times and feel more virtuous than those of us who are eating our brownies.

Friday, November 29, 2013

An abundance of riches: crab, artichoke and creme fraiche dip us

Most of us are now undergoing the mid phase of food coma, aren't we ragazzi?  Annalena hopes that all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and she salutes doubly those who worked to cook, and to clean.  Thank goodness for the Guyman, who followed Annalena around, and picked up every dropped scrap, cleaned every pot, and made the event pleasurable for Annalena, who did not have to worry about the mess she made.

Annalena has seen a  TREMENDOUS number of hits on the spaetzle recipe she posted.  It has outpolled the number one recipe (her braciole),  by a factor of four (no joke, carini).  So, if you are reading this and also read the spaetzle recipe, Annalena wants to know what is it about that recipe that is driving the interest?  She is curious because (i) it is not fast  (ii) it is not healthy (iii) it does not use favorite ingredients and (iv) it is not familiar food to most of it.  Hence, help the woman.

Ok, intros out of the way, you might think that the LAST thing anyone needs right now is a rich, calorie choked recipe.  Well, ragazzi, Christmas is less than a month away, and New Year's just a scad more.  Are you ready?  Annalena is not.  But this recipe, prepared yesterday, was a winner.  A BIG winner. So, put it in your recipe  box, and have it handy.

It is not cheap.  As Annalena has said before, crabmeat is expensive.  There are reasons for it, as anyone who has picked crabs can tell you.  Getting a pound of good quality crab meat, is not easy. So splurge.  Make it once.  Or twice.  And eat a small portion.  Or eat a big one and go work out.    Even you folks who don't cook often can do this one.  So, let's go, shall we?

You will need a pound of the best quality crab meat you can get.  Annalena used Dungeness lump meat, but you should use what you can get.  Put it to the side, while you prep the dairy:  half a block of cream cheese (four ounces), cut into cubes, and 8 ounces of creme fraiche.  Put this in a pot, and melt the cream cheese into the creme fraiche at low heat.  At first, it will look like you did something wrong, as water will begin leaching out of the cheese into the pan. Persevere ragazzi, it is all good.  When it's done, you'll have a cohesive white sauce.  

Next, get out your food processor, and put in two or three peeled garlic cloves, a nine ounce package of thawed artichoke hearts, the juice of a lemon, and a tablespoon of Worcestershire  sauce.   Also, about half a cup of grated parmesan cheese (this is not an Italian recipe, so Annalena is going to let you cheat and mix dairy and fish).  Process this until you have a nice, even puree.  Take this, and mix it with the cheese mixture, off the heat, and then stir in the pound of crabmeat.

Annalena wanted to make herself a sandwich at this point, but refrained. Put it in a ceramic dish, and run it under a preheat broiler, for about 3-4 minutes, or until you just start seeing brown spots.

DONE.  And then get out the crackers.  Take a couple yourself, and then stand back, because your guests will attack this.  In theory , this is to serve 12-14 people. Annalena laughs.  Six of us damaged the recipe irreparably.  Such is the holidays, ragazzi.  Go for it.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Have a Chuckle, make a chuckle: cranberry fruit gelees

Ragazzi, Annalena knows that some of you are going to look at the word "cranberry" and think "why the HELL is she giving us that recipe now?"  Ah, yes, Annalena understands.  But pace, pace carini.  There is some method to her madness.  Ascoltate (LISTEN UP)

She only encountered this recipe at the end of last week and had to try it.  And she has.  But in order to try it, Annalena had to secure an ingredient that is shamefully absent in NYC:  fruit pectin.

Pectin, for those of you who are not familiar with this rather gooey, somewhat unpleasant looking stuff, is what stiffens jams (NOT the jams you wear, my preciousses).  No, the jams (and jellies, etc), that you eat.  It is found in high quantities in things like the white rind of citrus, and fruit like quinces, unripe apples, and so forth. And you can find it anywhere people make their own preserves.

Which explains, in large part, why it is nearly absent in New York City.  Annalena made jams and jellies one fateful summer and fall, many years ago (she was barely in her 30s.  THAT's how long ago it was).    The response she got was along the lines of "you're nuts."  And indeed, having done it, she was/is/always will be.  However, for many parts of this country, preserving is a way of life.  Jaded New Yorkers, as ourselves, who are used to being able to get anything they want, at any time they want, are simply not used to a situation where "if you didn't make it, you're not having it."  And it is far more prevalent than you might think. So, as she needed pectin for this recipe (which she found on David Lebovitz' blog,  and which he took from another),  Annalena turned to that supermarket in the cloud (not the clouds.  Annalena is told she must refer to "the cloud"):  Amazon.  It arrived on Sunday evening.  And Annalena got to work on Monday night.

Now, all of you have, at one point or another, eaten that candy called a "Chuckle," yes?  Ah, the smiles of recognition. Well, ragazzi, they are a play on "gelee du fruits"  which are much more seasonal, much more delicate, and much more expensive.  They are made, usually by French  (as the more astute of you could tell from the name), from fruit, in season, sugar, and pectin.  They hold up, and they serve as delightful little items at the end of meals: what the  French would call mignardises (and which we might call a treat with coffee).  Well, Chuckles are one of Annalena's favorite candies.  She likes fruit gelees more.  And the chance to make these herself?  Well..

Ok, here is what you need.  A lemon.  A small one.  12 ounces of cranberries (conveniently, this is the size of the bag you can buy.  Annalena has no problem if you buy these cranberries. She likes this company).  You also need 6 ounces of liquid pectin, which is either one standard bottle, or two standard pouches.  Finally, and this is important:  VERY important:  2.5 cups of sugar.  No substitutions, no shorts.  If you do not use all of this sugar, this recipe will not work.  There is a chemical reaction that happens between sugar and pectin, and it is, as chemists say  "stoichiometric," meaning the ratios of the two are key.  (Annalena studied chemistry in her youth).  So if you're willing to get all of this together, let's go.

Take an 8 inch square pan, and line it with parchment paper, with longer sides so that you can lift it out. This entails using two pieces, and laying them perpendicular to the other.  Annalena uses her cooking spray to hold the paper down.  It's a good thing.

Slice your lemon thin, and pull out the seeds as you go. Put it in a food processor with those cranberries, and half a cup of water. Then, process.  Process until it's as smooth as you want it.  Five minutes will give you very smooth, and three will give you slightly chunky.

When you're there, put it in a pot with the sugar, and stir it.  Then, turn on the heat to medium, and watch it.  When it begins to boil, stir, for 4 minutes.  Take it off the heat, and add in the pectin.  Put it back on the heat, and boil for a minute.  Now, pour it all into your prepared pan, and let it cool down.

During the cooling process, this solidifies a lot - not enough , but it does solidify.  When it's cool, move it into the refrigerator onto a stable surface. This is important, because while it may seem very solid to you, it is a gel, and gels flow.   You could easily wind up with a thick end, and a thin end.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you want all even slices, it is.

Chill this overnight.  The next day, pull it out of the pan, via that paper.  Invert it onto a plate, and pat it dry.  Then do the inversion to another plate, and pat the other side dry.  Let it dry at room temperature for a few more hours, before you cut it into 1x1 inch pieces.  You'll get 60-64 of them.

Now, you can roll these in sugar, or you can roll them in cocoa, or, you can dip them in chocolate.  However you do it, you have something which, Annalena bets, you've never had before.  If nothing else, you have a party trick to impress people with the next time you have a fancy dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving, ragazzi.  Annalena feels she's been generous with you as of late, so forgive her if she disappears until after this holiday. As the song goes. "she's got work to do/got so much work to do."

Season the steak and substitute freely: hot pepper and nut sauce

Now, the above does not sound very in accord with Thanksgiving, does it?  Well.... now think about it, ragazzi.  May we have a show of hands amongst the NON vegetarians:  after the turkey feast, the turkey left overs, the turkey soup, who out there knows that s/he is going to be in the mood for a steak?

Hmmm.  See?  There's some kind of "rebound" effect.  You know there is.  You've just gorged on poultry:  soft, tasty, so good for you, so healthy.  And you're about to go on that diet to get it all off.  But just one last hurrah.  And you want it to be ... MEAT.  A steak.

For Annalena, the steak of choice is something like a skirt steak, or a hanger steak, something with "chew" to it.  Ribeyes are not for her, or sirloins, or any of the more tender cuts. To her tastes, they give up in flavor what they make up for in soft, easy texture.  Annalena doesn't mind working for her meat  (and she has, trust her.  But that's for another blog).

And there is nothing wrong, and everything right, with a good, simple, grilled steak.  But you know....   So, here's a sauce that will make that grilled steak even better.  And, the main reason Annalena likes telling you about this recipe, is because of how easy it is to substitute.

As you go through the prescribed ingredients, chances are, you will not have all of them in your home.  Annalena has ONE of the odd ones, and not the rest.  But this is one where substitutions work - to a point.  And Annalena will explain.  So, let's make a sauce.

We start with an ounce of ancho chili peppers.  Here is the place where Annalena does not think you can substitute.  Anchos are the dried version of poblano peppers (did you know that MANY of the peppers from Mexico have different names in fresh and dried form?  Jalapeno/chipotle, for example.  Did you know that?   Aren't you thrilled to be more of a food geek now?).  The anchos have the right amount of heat.  They are probably the mildest of the dried chilis.  So if you go to something else, Annalena advises caution and suggests that you cut them with some anchos.

An ounce of dried anchos is about 2 large, soft peppers.  (When you buy them, try to flex them in the plastic wrapper.  If they are not pliable, don't buy them.   They're too dried out.  Seems odd that a dried product can be too dried, but it's true for many things, including salt cod, and fruit).

Ok, so you have your chiles.  Get some boiling water going, and pour it over the chile peppers.  Let this sit for about 15 minutes, then fish out the peppers, run them under cold water, tear them open and get rid of the seeds and the stems.  While you're doing this please try to wear gloves if you can.  Hot peppers, even the dried ones, are loaded with oil that will get on your skin, and wreak havoc if you touch your mucus membranes later (such as taking out your contact lenses), and if there are any nicks on your hands, you'll find them with the chile oils.  Annalena knows these things.

All you want is the skin of the peppers.  Put this into a food processor, with a couple of big garlic cloves, sliced up and then pulse them to a fine mix.

Now, we're in substitution land.  You need half a cup of toasted pumpkin seeds.  If you have them, use them.  Annalena did not.  She had toasted almonds.  She used those.  She thinks walnuts would work, and maybe cashews too.  The toasting is important, but absolutely not necessary, because the anchos have a toasted, smoky flavor. Pulse those too.

Possible substitution number 2, coming up.  You need a quarter cup of almond butter.  Go ahead, laugh.  How many of you have almond butter in your house?

That many, huh?   Well, for those of you who don't, substitute a quarter cup of a smooth nut butter.  Cashew butter is better than peanut, but they will both work  (you may all laugh at the fact, by the way, that Annalena had cashew butter on hand, but not almond butter).    Also add a big tablespoon of sherry vinegar.  If this isn't around, use balsamic - prepferably the white stuff, or in a pinch, use red wine vinegar.

Now, leave the food processor running, and start streaming in a half cup of good quality extra virgin olive oil.  You'll see the sauce come together as a thick, wonderfully smelling paste.  If it seems too thick to you, add a bit of water.  Taste it, and then add some salt, or pepper, as you see fit.

To say this is good with steak, is to understate matters greatly.  But it is also good with potatoes.   And chicken.  And probably even left over turkey.  Indeed, turkey with mole' sauce is a much bigger thing in Mexican cooking than you would think, and this reminds Annalena much of mole'.

So, ragazzi, if you're deciding to bag the turkey and have a steak, or if you're looking for that weekend meal, now you have it.  Go forth, and enjoy.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Working it: rye spaetzle with cabbage and cheese

Annalena first has to give credit, where credit is due.  This recipe comes out of the NY Times, and is by the redoubtable Melissa Clark, who is one of Annalena's favorite new chefs.  There is a video in which she shows you how to make this, and if for no other reason than to see her handsome preppy husband helping her, you should visit the Times site to see how it's done.

And it is a marvel, ragazzi.  Many people shy from spaetzle, because they feel it is too hard, or because they feel they don't have the right equipment.  Now, as it happens Annalena has a spaetzle maker (of course she does), but it took a while to dig it out.  Ms. Clark suggests a colander, and if you use that, then you will need a second set of hands - hence the lovely husband.  You could also use a food mill, on the biggest filter (the largest holes), but if all else fails, you can use the colander.  Annalena must also point out that her sister in law Christel has told her that she grew up making spaetzle - in  Germany - by flicking the dough off of a fork.  Ananlena tried that once, and wound up with dough all over her kitchen and no spaetzle.  Hence, the spaetzle maker.

This recipe takes a bit more time than most that we post here, but you can break it up into discrete steps and it's not so bad.  And in any event, this is SUCH A GOOD DISH that it's worth the time.

Ok, we start with the veggies.  You'll need 3 leeks, that you slice thinly,  going all the way up to the light green stuff.  You're going to want what looks like a lot of these - 3 cups.  Wait.  These are going to cook to nothing.  Also, you are going to want about 1.5 pounds of a savoy cabbage. Slice it fine.   You COULD do this with regular cabbage, and you COULD do it with red cabbage.  But the savoy is going to be the best, for its combination of tenderness, and also bite.  Condiments:  you will all have garlic cloves in your house.  Get two of them, peel them and crush them and then chop.  Also, a bit of fresh thyme, which you should always have.    What you might not have on  hand, but should, is cider vinegar (if you don't have it, use white vinegar, spiked with a bit of balsamic), and a teaspoon of caraway seeds.

You DO need those caraway seeds here, carini, so get some.  And then use them in other cabbage dishes.

Now, get your biggest pan ready, and melt a LOT of butter in it - 6 tablespoons of unsalted, please.  While the butter is melting, crush those caraway seeds with the back of a big knife.  This will release their oil.

Add the leeks to the butter and cook at medium.  Stir every now and then.  It won't take long before they're tender:  maybe 5 minutes.  Now add the caraway seeds, the thyme, the garlic, and just warm them.  Add the cabbage.  The cabbage is going to reduce quickly too, so don't worry.  Just keep stirring. (Incidentally, ragazzi, a GOOD way to see if your pan is big enough to do what you're going to cook, is to put all of the raw veggies in it before you start.  You should have enough room to work with them.  If not, use another pan.)  It's going to take about ten minutes.    Then add the vinegar, and taste and add salt as you need it.

Now, you COULD do this on a  night other than the night you make the casserole.  In fact, Annalena did.  The cabbage kept very well.  As for the spaetzle, well... She saved it, but this is not something to do ahead of time, if you can help it.

They are actually ridiculously easy to make.  First, get a big pot of salted water boiling, while you mix a couple of large eggs, and a cup and a half of milk (whole, or 2% please, but nothing lighter).    In a separate, bigger bowl, mix a cup and a half of plain, all purpose flour, and 3/4 of a cup of rye flour.  A bit of salt too.  Now, add the egg and milk mixture and stir it with a spoon.  You're going to get something that looks like light pancake batter.

Is your water boiling?  Ok, now get your spaetzle maker, your colander, or your food processor, and in little batches, pour the batter through the  holes.  The stuff will fall into the boiling water, cook, and rise to the top.  As it does, scoop it out, and either toss it into the bowl you used for flour, or right into the cabbage, because that's where it's going eventually.  Keep working until you've done all of the spaetzle.  It will take much less time than you think.  Then, mix it all really well with the cabbage, and pour the whole thing into a buttered baking dish.  Annalena used a glass, 9x13. You can use a ceramic one, or two smaller ones, etc.

Start preheating your oven to 425, while you grate half a pound of gruyere cheese. Here's one where Annalena would not use a different cheese.  The gruyere gives it the right "feel."  Spread the cheese over the cabbage, get it in the oven, and let it bake away until it's bubbly and crispy - about 30 minutes.  Be warned:  you're going to be swooning from the smell.

And then... you're done.  You have a main dish if you eat big portions, or a side dish, if you feel like making sausage or something like that.  It's a rich dish, and it calls for gewurztraminer, in Annalena's opinion.

This doesn't feel like something for a Thanksgiving meal, but who is Annalena to dictate what you eat? Make it as you want, and enjoy it.  It's a really good, really tasty change of pace, and ultimately, it's not too hard to do.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Roasting your tomato sauce

It is fever pitch time, isn't it ragazzi?  All of us are running around, doing prep work, or advanced cooking,  before THE BIG MEAL  on Thursday (it seems rather unfair that two big ones come so close together doesn't it?)  Now, maybe you have opted out of one or both of them, and that is perfectly reasonable and more than acceptable.  Annalena has found herself, in years gone by, with absolutely no desire to do one or the other (although she cannot remember a year when she didn't do one of them).  This year, she's doing both, and is wondering why.

All that being said, facts are facts, and between now and Thanksgiving, we all have to eat.  Annalena is in the midst of trying to get her "ducks"  (well, actually her chickens, her fish and her pasta), lined up for Mon-Wed for she and the Guyman.  And the pasta on Wednesday, as it is the eve of the big one, needs to be simple.

But good.  And when Annalena saw this recipe, for a tomato sauce that is  ROASTED, she nearly leaped for joy  (her bad knee prevented that, however).  And yes, this is a good recipe for those of you who don't like watching the stove.

Let Annalena be clear:  Marcella Hazan's blissfully simple and clear sauce will never leave Annalena's repertoire.  But being an Italian woman and having only one tomato sauce at her command, will never do.  So, this one:  and it's good ragazzi (would Annalena give you a recipe that wasn't?).

Let's begin.  Simple is what simple does, and in any case, this is easy.  We gather our ingredients:  a can of good quality, whole tomatoes (28 or 35 ounces will work), 8 cloves of garlic (yup, 8), a half stick of butter, and two anchovies that have been preserved in oil.

Even if you do not like anchovies, you should have them in your kitchen.  They add a very wonderful layer of taste to food (the newly popular "unami"  or "meatiness) even in small quantities.  So, ragazzi, don't leave them out.

Now, here's where we begin. Could not be easier.  Break up the tomatoes with  your hands, and dump them into a glass, 9x13 baking dish.  Smash the garlic cloves to get the peels off, and toss those into the tomatoes.  Now, break up the butter into small pieces, and add that, and then add the anchovies. Give it a sprinkle of salt, put it in a preheated, 425 degree oven, and go away for 25 minutes.  Enjoy the wonderful smell of the garlic cooking.  You can't escape it.  And why would you.

After 25 minutes, stir it.  Then go and sit down again, for another fifteen. Take a look.  Does it look thick, almost like a loose jam?  If so, test for readiness by getting something like a potato smasher, a meat tenderizer, or similar, and see if you can break up the cloves of garlic.  If you can, do so... and you're done.

Yes, you really are.  And you have more than enough sauce for four people, if you eat this Italian style, or, according to the recipe, enough for four.  Annalena plans to use it on her pasta and also on a pizza.

She is also told that

Friday, November 22, 2013

Vegan goodness, maybe for Thanksgiving? Turnip and cider soup

For a New Yorker, Annalena has a very bad relationship with apple cider.  She HATES it. She does not see the point of apple cider donuts.  Drinking the stuff makes her feel like she's having cough syrup.  Now, this does not apply to the very dry, alcoholic versions, that are almost like beer.  She admits to being able to swill a few bottles of those, on her own, with no trouble.  

This is all as relevant as anything is on this site, because of her package from her new "pseudo" CSA.  With her CSA ending, Annalena joined a program where they put together a box of various and sundry "bests" for you, and deliver it, once a week.  This week, there was  a quart of apple cider in the box.

Now, Annalena knew of the cider, and figured she would cross her fingers and serve it at Thanksgiving in case anyone wanted it, and that would be the end of it.

However, this company (quinciple, by the way), includes recipes  that are easy, very easy, and ridiculously easy.  In the box was a pound of gold top turnips.  Unlike gold top socks, these turnips are edible, sweet, and indeed, far less "mustardy" than the standard  turnip you will buy.

Annalena LOVES her turnips.  And she had (past tense here), plenty of them in her refrigerator, waiting for their turn to be served forth.    So now she had more.  AND... one of the recipes in the box, was a soup built on turnips, with apple cider as the broth.

She read through it.  Couldn't quite believe it, and read it again.  Hmmm.  And since she was heading in to get the muck of her workout off of her (Melissa had killed her that day), she could do this.  She doubled the recipe, and is glad she did.  And she'll make it again.  So should you. Perhaps for your Thanksgiving repast (a soup is ALWAYS nice, ragazzi), perhaps for after when you want something lighter.   Here we go.  You will not believe how easy this is.

Get two pounds of turnips, whatever type they are.  You could probably also mix in some kohlrabi if you had it, or replace the turnips with the kohlrabi.  Wash them, get the tops off (the stem end), and then cut everything into smallish, half inch chunks.  Do the same with a peeled, red onion (probably best to stick with a red onion here, for sweetness and depth of flavor).  Dump these onto a baking sheet, pour 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil over them, put the tray in the oven at 400, and roast for 20-30 minutes or so.  Check for tenderness.  That's your mark that they're done.

Ok, here's where the cider comes in.  Get those veggies, and a pint of cider, into a blender.  You can do this in batches if you need to.  Pulse it on the puree setting, until you get a nice, creamy consistency.  It is POSSIBLE that you will need, or want, some water.  You may not, and then it will be thicker, and the apple sweetness more pronounced.

DONE.  Really, you are.   You aren't going to get a whole lot out of this:  Annalena got about 5.5 cups of soup, without adding the water.    She would feel comfortable going to 6 cups if she had to.  Now, the original recipe called for adding thin slices of pear to this. Annalena is not going to do that.  Rather, she will float some sourdough croutons on hers, and she and the Guyman will eat it for lunch this weekend.

See.  Now THAT was a painless way to start your meal, if you're going to cook it this year.  And if you are, Annalena salutes you and wishes you the best.  Feel free to pilfer her blog, for whatever recipes you like.  We share here. Just let her know how they work out.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

White, purple green, yellow: Cauliflower and cremini side dish

Years ago, when Annalena was still a bambina, she would watch "The Ed Sullivan Show" with her family every week.  That show tried to showcase the famous, both in the US and the world.  One episode featured a folk band from Japan (Annalena remembers their name not). They were wearing very odd, almost "mickey mouse club" leotards,  black, and singing a song with the refrain "white, black,pink YELLOW - you're everybody."  Presumably, it was a song about world peace and how we are all one.   Whatever. (Annalena could not find a youtube of this mess).

Well,  Annalena thought of that song when considering this recipe (don't ever try to figure out the workings of Annalena's mind.  It's a very dangerous path.  She pays someone very well to do this).    She thought of it because when she made this recipe, she used green cauliflower - sometimes called broccoflower.  There is white cauliflower, which we all know, and the green one, and a purple one, and a yellow one.  Annalena uses the yellow one a lot because it fools people - including herself - into thinking there's butter in it.  She cannot quite get herself to try the purple variety.  It just seems, well, WRONG.    But any of these would work with this dish.

It's also a good way to get people who won't try cauliflower, to try it (and you know  who you are).  And as this stuff is in season now,  and you're probably looking for side dishes for your Thanksgiving extravaganza, well...

Let's go with this one now.  There's a bit of  prep work, but it's really good.  REALLY good.

First, let's measure out the easy stuff.  Get some small containers and measure out, separately, a tablespoon of sherry vinegar (cheap balsamic if you don't have the sherry), a tablespoon of maple syrup (Annalena uses grade B, and DON'T substitute pancake syrup, which you should banish from your home),  and the juice of half of a lemon.  Also, pour out 1/4 cup (that's four tablespoons), of extra virgin olive oil.

To the hard part.  Get a medium sized cauliflower of any color, and start breaking up the florets, until you get 5-6 cups of them.  A standard cauliflower should get you this.  Then slice up 3/4 pounds of cremini mushroom heads  (save the stems to make broth to use in your rice or soup).  No misprint here, ragazzi, peel ten (10) cloves of garlic, and half them.  That's probably 2-3 bulbs.  You also need a couple of sprigs of rosemary, and  have your salt handy.

Now, let's cook.  Mix together the vinegar, syrup and lemon (ok, Annalena mislead you.  You can start by doing this.  No need for three bowls).    Get your biggest nonstick pan out, and add the olive oil at medium heat.  When it's warm, add the cauliflower, the mushrooms, the garlic, and the rosemary.  Add a teaspoon of salt, stir them to coat with oil, and then cover the pan.  Leave it just slightly ajar, and every now and then, stir it.  What you're doing is essentially "oil steaming," which is an Asian technique.  You'll hear the veggies cooking and they'll be softening all the while.  Including the garlic, which is a GOOD thing.

After ten minutes, take the lid off, try to get everything in one layer, and lower the heat to a barely flickering flame (pretty phrase, huh), and don't move things.    Cook another 8 minutes or so, and check for browning.  If you don't have it after 8, be patient and check every two minutes.

Now, get the pan off the heat, and stir in that liquid mixture.  Taste it and add more salt, and more lemon if you like.

And know what? You've got a VERY tasty, VERY healthy side dish, that will serve 4-6 of  you.  Annalena really, REALLY liked this dish. And she's sending it to her cauliflower hating cousin, with instructions to EAT IT!  (Because she's sending it to his cauliflower loving wife, too).

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

A sauce for all seasons, and the meat that dare not speak its name

Ah, Annalena has you intrigued, doesn't she?  In sum, we are going to look at a sauce which, while intended for a meat that no one wants to hear about (she will tell you at the end) which, as Annalena has discovered, is almost universal.   And it is a sauce for all seasons, because even those of you with limited pantries, have this stuff in your kitchen.  If you don't, for shame.

It is mustard sauce.  Or, more aptly, mustard wine sauce.  It is a classic French sauce (and those of you with some culinary chops will know what "the meat that dare not speak its name " is, at this point, not served very much in fancy restaurants, but clearly a product of French home cooking.    It is easy to make, and you should make it often.   So let's go.  Let's make some.


First, let us look at our protein.  IF you are using meat, as compared to fish (this works spellbindingly well with scallops, and also flat fish like sole and flounder, and heftier ones like cod and monkfish), then let's brown it first.  You will need about three pounds of meat on the bone.  Let's assume you're using chicken.  Use the legs if you can, because this is a braise.  Pat them dry, salt and pepper them, and then add two tablespoons of oil, and brown them well, on all sides.  You may need to do this in a couple of batches - in fact, if you're doing the full 3 pounds, you will.  As you brown the meat, put it to the side.

Clean out that skillet, and add a tablespoon of butter.  Add a chopped onion, and cook it at low heat, until it softens.  It won't take long.   Toss in 1.5 cups of white wine - any leftover you have (Annalena pours her dregs into one bottle and uses that).  Raise the heat, and boil it down by half.

If you are using the meat option, then put the meat in now.  We'll discuss what to do if you're going to use it on fish, below.  Once you have the meat in, add 2 cups of chicken broth.  Cover the pot, and cook at a simmer, for about 45 minutes.

At this point, take the meat out, and raise the heat.  Reduce your liquid to two cups.  While it's reducing, measure out about 1/3 of a cup of good quality dijon mustard.  Also, get a teaspoon of cornstarch and mix it with a tablespoon of  COLD water.  You may not need this, but you might.

When the liquid has reduced, spoon out about half a cup, and add the mustard to it.  Then put this back in with the rest of the liquid.  If you would like it thicker, add the cornstarch solution and stir it to a boil.  Put the meat back in, and you're done.

Now, what if you're using fish?  Well,  if you are doing fish, start with the tablespoon of butter, and do everything that the paragraph above says.  Then, go directly to the addition of the broth.  Don't cover the pot, but cook it down.  Do everything else with the mustard and the cornstarch, and put the completed sauce to the side, while you saute some fish or scallops, and pour the sauce over it.

Annalena has done this with flounder, scallops, and chicken.  She's also doing it tonight, with skate wing.  And what is the meat that  dare not speak its name.  Have you guessed?

Let us just say Peter Cottontail will NOT be hopping down the bunny trail anymore.  And he gave it up for a good dish.   Yes, ragazzi, coniglio, cornejo, haare, etc, is what you classically use in this.  And if you will eat it, do so.  It is terrific.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Red fish, blue fish, green fish, slow fish: confit of white fish with relish

Like the rest of you, Annalena is always looking for ways to make her life a little easier.  A minute here, a minute there, and all of a sudden... you've got two free minutes.

What can one say?  It's for reasons like this that Annalena likes recipes that do not require constant tending, or watching.

You combine this with a wish to eat healthier food, like fish, and there's an immediate contradiction, ragazzi.  We have all been taught - with good reason - that fish cooks quickly, and  that there are few things worse than overcooked fish.    And indeed, this is true.  Annalena understands that there are places where a well done tuna steak is the mark of a good cook. To Annalena, this is the mark of a place she will not frequent again.    Yet, when she found a recipe for a slow cooked piece of fish, she was on it.  And indeed, it makes sense.  And not only does it make sense, it makes a good dish.

Muscular fish, like swordfish, and tuna, almost always DO have to be flash cooked - grilled.  One CAN make tuna confit, and it is a long, slow process that produces a delicious product, but one which could not be confused with a tuna steak.  Indeed, the differences between the confitted tuna and a tuna steak are amazing.

When one turns to the white fish, however, the less muscular ones, the differences are less acute.  Indeed, Annalena has to say that, when she made this recipe, even after cooking the fish for 30 minutes, she was fearful that she had undercooked it.  She had not.  It was moist, delicious, and definitely one to keep at the ready.  It was advertised, in her cooking magazine, as the kind of recipe for a party where the host wants to spend time with the guests. Annalena agrees.    So, let's have a party, and let's have fish.

As this is a white fish, and a bit bland, we need a spicy accompaniment, and here it comes:  it is an amazing relish which Annalena can see becoming a topping for crostini, or for use with chicken, or even as a sandwich if one is really so inclined.    You need two lemons.  Now that meyer lemons have come into season, you might consider using one of those, and one Lisbon lemon.  Grate the peel from them, and put that peel aside for a few minutes.  Now get a small, sharp knife, and cut away as much of the white part (the pith), from the lemon as you can.  Then cut the lemons into thin, round slices.  Take out the pits as you go. Put them in a bowl.

Next, we need half of a small onion, a red one.  A white one is a bit too strong here.  Cut the half a lemon into rings, put it into a bowl, and add a teaspoon of salt.  Just let the mix sit for about ten minutes.  You will get liquid, and what you want to do, is squeeze all that liquid off of the onions.    Mix the onion slices with the lemons.

While you are waiting for the onions to give up their water, get about a half cup of green olives and then pit them.  Annalena loves to do this by simply pounding on them to release the pit, and then pulling it out.  If you have a gadget that does this, feel free.  Do it anyway you like, but PLEASE DON'T START WITH PITTED OLIVES.  As you finish, toss them into the onion/lemon mix.  Now drain about 2-3 tablespoons of small capers, under brine, wash them a bit, and toss them with the olive/onion/lemon mix.    Put the peel in, and now mix 3/4 cup of olive oil.  Stir it all together, taste, and add some salt and pepper as you need it.

Good, huh?  And you will probably have left overs. If you can, let this sit in the fridge for four hours or so.

At dinner time, preheat your oven to - ready for this - 250.  Yup, 250.  That's all.  Put four slices of cod, or some other thick white fish (halibut, monkfish, haddock, etc), in a glass baking dish.  The pieces should be 6-8 ounces in size.  Sprinkle them with a bit of salt.  Pour in half a cup of olive oil, and then crush two red peppers into this (you can leave this out if you want).  Turn the fish, to make sure there's olive oil all over them, and put them in the oven, for 25-30 minutes.   You can, by the way, knock this up to 8 pieces of fish.

That's right, 25-30 minutes.  (Incidentally, ragazzi, if you want to use flounder, or some other thin fish, please feel free, but you should be ready to eat in no more than 15 minutes).  . Check at 30.  You may want to cook for another ten minutes, and if you do, go ahead.  You check by sticking a knife in the fish, and seeing if it's done or not.  "Done" here, is a relative term.

When the fish is ready, take it out of the oven, and let it sit for a minute, while you chop about half a bunch of fresh flat leave parsley into the relish.  Carefully move the fish to plates, and spoon relish over the slices.

Now, how does that sound?  Unfortunately, that olive oil for cooking the fish is really not usable anymore, but sometimes, one needs to be "pound foolish."

Enjoy it ragazzi.  We are coming into that time of year when we want something comfortable, good for us, easy, and which doesn't require monitoring.  We have it here.  Go forth.  Annalena wants to know if you made it.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Back from sabbatical: Annalena makes Borscht

Did you wonder where Annalena had gone, ragazzi?  Did you think you were rid of her forever? HA!  No, carissimi, she just needed some time away from things.  There were days when her head was so fogged up, she literally thought it would explode.  And of course, life gets in the way, doesn't it?  The last time she wrote, Annalena was basking in the warm weather and the late summer produce. And now?  Ragazzi, daylight savings time has ended,  the berries are gone, so are the plums, we are about to enter citrus time.   All in a month, because yes, it has been just about a month.

So we are here, prior to Thanksgiving, in a period where, let us face it, our tastes turn to soups, braises, slow cooking, WARM things. And rich sweets.  Let's not forget those (Annalena certainly hasn't).  And we will have all of those, but first, we are going to go way East for Annalena, and make:  borscht.

To be honest, Annalena has been befuddled by borscht, and never really liked it.  As her gal pal, the Lady from Siberia (Annalena is serious about this), once told her:  "everything has bad versions. Get a good one.  "  Of course, short of visiting  Brighton Beach, Annalena knew not where to get one.  She would see it come out in restaurants,  with chunks of meat in it that looked, well, like something from the cat litter pan, or stuff the pink color of that dreadful medicine Pepto Bismol. So, no thank you.  Then, Annalena tried making one, one year, using no recipe.   She presented her credentials to the Lady from Siberia who looked at her and said  "you didn't mention cabbage.  Did you put it in the soup?"  Annalena had not.  The response was quick, and direct  "if there's no cabbage in it, it's not borscht.  It's just beet soup."

And THAT as they say, was THAT.  Think of it as a culinary bitch slap, if you will.

Not one to bear grudges, the Lady from Siberia brought some of her OWN borscht to Annalena one day. Indeed, Annalena has to say that the recipe which follows will not match the one she tried. . But she will go head to head on lasagna making any time.

Fact is, ragazzi, if you explore this little miniworld, you will find as many recipes as you find  Russian cooks. Indeed, probably more, because other Eastern Europeans will swear that borscht is not Russian, but... theirs.

Annalena goes with the historical evidence here, however, and sides with the view that it is Russian.  So, here we go. Annalena's tribute to Ms. N (who is, in fact, the Lady from Siberia), with borscht filtered through Italian eyes.

If you like beets, this is for you.  If you don't, look at another recipe.  You need beets, potatoes, onions, and cabbage.  And we are now going to discuss quantities. As Annalena studied the recipes, she found that the weight amount of beets and potatoes, is about the same. So, if you start with 1.5 pounds of potatoes (which is a good amount), you will need 1.5 pounds of beets.  And so on, and so forth.  Peel both, and cut them into small cubes.

You will also need a couple of onions, the yellow ones, sliced thin.  If you up the quantities  from 1.5 pounds each of potatoes and beets, then up the onions too.  Finally, the cabbage.  Annalena used savoy:  this is the crinkly one, and she used the leaves from the outside of the head, because of what she was going to do with them, which was cook them forever.    Here again, your quantities are approximate.  Now, you are not weighing. Rather, you are slicing the cabbage into strips, and measuring volume.  You will want a volume of cabbage that is about the same as the beets and  potatoes, combined.  That is not a tremendous amount of cabbage, because  as a leafy green , it takes up much space.  Annalena used about four, very large leaves.    You can vary these proportions of course.  More cabbage will give you a more vegetal soup; fewer potatoes will make it thinner.  Annalena's hair cutter chided her for not putting in a cup of carrots. As you will.  They will sweeten the soup.

Put about a quarter cup (four tablespoons ) of oil (vegetable), into a big soup pot, together with the onions, and cook them at low heat until they begin to soften.  Add a hefty tablespoon of salt.  We're working with root veggies here, ragazzi, and we're making a LOT of soup.    Now add the beets  and the potatoes, and toss them with the onions in the pot, until everything gets covered with the oil.  Finally, add about two quarts of liquid:  Annalena recommends one quart of chicken stock and one quart of water. Beef stock is used, sometimes, but Annalena feels that beefstock destroys the flavor of your vegetables.  Water will make the soup totally vegetarian, but in Annalena's view, it is not as flavorful.  She has never found a vegetable stock she likes. So we compromise.

Cover the pot, leaving it slightly ajar, lower the heat, and bring it to a boil.  When that happens, add the cabbage, and then replace the cover the same way.

Go away.  Seriously, go away.  For at least half an hour, because that's how long the beets will take to soften, and it will probably take longer.  Test with a knife, to see if the beets are tender.  They will be the item that takes the longest to cook (it took Annalena in excess of an hour).  A good way to tell is to take a potato masher, and then see if you can crush the beets. If you can, they're ready.  If not....

Taste it and adjust the salt , because you will need more.  Now, if you like your soup a bit more sour, get a jar of pickles (GOOD quality pickles.. NOT the kind that the ketchup maker has their label on), and add some of that juice.  Should you not have this, you can use white vinegar.  Look at what happens to the beets when you add it.  Nice and bright.

When everything is cool, puree it in batches (this is Annalena's way.  Not everyone agrees). You will get a magenta colored soup, that is truly delicious.

As for the tradition of sour cream, Annalena is all for it.  She puts a big scoop of it in the middle of the bowl, and swirls it slightly, but does not go for making everything icky pink.

Annalena got three quarts of soup out of this, so use that as your guide, ragazzi.  This is a big soup. Share it.  Have someone bring some rye bread, and someone bring some pickles, and so on.   We are in winter.  Get used to it.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Guatemalan? Chicken

Ragazzi, Annalena could not come up with a title that she thought was clever here, so please bear with the old bird.  The question mark is there, however, because Annalena has absolutely no idea if this recipe is an authentic, Guatemalan recipe, or not.  What she does know, is that it's good.  It's very comforting, it's filling, and .... it's easy.  Also, for those of you who are concerned about this (aren't we all), it is ridiculously low in fat.  So, Annalena shall ship it off to her bud Emily, who has become the cook of Napa.  You will enjoy this one, Annalena is sure.

So let's go. First, you need three pounds of chicken, on the bone, without skin.  Get a mix of thighs and breasts here.  When Annalena did her shopping, she had no trouble getting skinless breasts on the bone.  Thighs were another matter:  skinless and boneless?  No problem.  Skin and bone?  No problem.  Bone and no skin?  Not to be had.  Well, if you can't remove the skin from a chicken thigh, uh....


Ok, so you have your three pounds of chicken.  Put this in a pot, together with a pound of tomatillos, which have been hulled (you can still get them from your farmers market.  Make haste though, and buy extra.  Freeze them for this recipe),  at least one, and as many as you want, of halved jalapeno peppers.  Take out the seeds unless you really want a spicy dish  (please wear gloves when you do that, ragazzi).  Add a teaspoon or so of salt to this, and then, six cups of water.  You're going to make a spicy chicken broth, by bringing this to a boil, and then reducing the heat and simmering, for about 30 minutes.  At the end, separate the chicken and the veggies from each other, and let them, and the broth , cool.

Meanwhile, or afterwards,  slice up a small bunch of scallions, 3 large cloves of garlic,  a large, or two small, green peppers ,  and put this in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil.    (Note that this is the one, and ONLY time, you will be adding oil to this recipe).  Fry this up until it softens, and picks up a little color.   Put these cooked veggies together with the veggies from the stock and now - here's the fun part - rip up a couple of corn tortillas, and throw those in, too.  Also,  you need to add a half cup of  peeled pumpkin seeds (pepitas), and a quarter cup of sesame seeds.  If you are so inclined,  you can toss these in a dry pan until you get the aroma of toasted nuts.

Now, we're going to make our sauce.  Scoop out three cups of the water in which you cooked the chicken, and combine it with the cooked soup veggies, and the veggies from the frying pan, the tortillas.   In sum, everything but the chicken gets put together.

Now, put quantities of it into a blender, and puree it.   If you are a fan of cilantro, at this point, you should toss in a half cup or so of chopped cilantro.  Annalena left it out. You're going to get a fairly thick, green puree .  You won't be able to do this all at once.  Annalena needed to do three batches.   Taste it, and add salt if you need it, which you probably will.  Take the remaining stock out of the pot, and put your puree in.  Bring it to a simmer, and cook it for about five minutes, while you shred the chicken off of the bones.  No precision here,  kids, just get it off the bone.  Rough is better (it certainly is, isn't it?).  Then add that back to the puree, and cook for another five minutes.    Again, adjust the seasoning.

You have a whole lot of leftover broth here, so if you feel the thing is too thick, thin it.  Or, use it to make some rice , but essentially, you won't be using it in this recipe.  You should make some rice , however, to pour this dish over, and then sit down, and lap it up.

Gluten free, low in fat, and spicy.  Reminds Annalena of some of her friends, but that's her.

So,  with apologies for the less than cute title, Annalena gives you a dish out of your usual milieu (look it up)< and wants you to try it.  It's really, REALLY good.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Not Greek to me: potato, cabbage and cheese pie

Ragazzi, cruciferous vegetables reign!  Yes, this is their time,  no question about it.  Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, mustard, etc.  To those of you who might wonder:  why do they call them cruciferous vegetables?  it has to do with their flowers.  If you look closely, there is a formation of a cross in their center (get it?  Cruci...).  Someone once told Annalena that they get their name because no matter how long you cook them, they're crunchy.  Well.. that's not true, as we'll find out here.

It seems to have been an especially good year for these vegetables at Annalena's CSA:  she thinks that they have given her a cabbage every week for the last six weeks.  Now, Annalena is versatile in the kitchen, but there's only so much she can do with cabbages.  So, she was delighted when the woman who runs the CSA sent some cabbage recipes.

This one, a Greek dish, is "patatopita me lakano kai moustarda"    And we can take this apart.  "Pata" seems to be a universal for potato.  "Pita" is a universal for bread, or pie (think pizza).  Let's leave "me" and "kai" alone for a minute, as well as "lakano."  "Moustarda" sounds familiar, doesn't it?  Yup, mustard.  It's a new word.  So, from this we know that "lakano" means cabbage.  "me" and "kai" clearly are connectives, and we have "potato pie with cabbage and mustard."

A bit of a misleading title, sneaky Greeks... the major vegetable in this dish is cabbage, with a lot of onion.  And cheese.  The "glue" of the dish.    There's a fair amount of slicing here, but it's all good, it's all easy, and the result transcends the parts.  So, let's get going.

First, you need a pound of potatoes.  Try to use Yukon gold, and try to use bigger ones.  Maybe 3 or 4 to a pound.  Peel them, slice them into quarter inch slices, and then toss them with a tablespoon of oil and some salt.  Put them in a single layer on a baking dish, and then put them in a 450 degree, preheated oven.  Leave them for five minutes and then come back to flip them.

In that five minutes,  you need to start slicing onions.  You will need six cups, which is about six small or medium onions.  Use a measuring cup.  Peel them, make a horizontal cut, and then cut vertically to get half moons.  When you've got six cups, move to your cabbage.  You need about four cups of this, but here, you can just start with a two pound cabbage.  Make a vertical cut, and then cut out that big core.  Then cut the halves into quarters, and using vertical slicing, shred the cabbage, as if you were making coleslaw.

Your final big task:  about half a pound of a melting cheese.   Gruyere rules here, but fontina will work.  If you use fontina, Annalena suggests freezing it for about 5-10 minutes, because you're going to grate it.  You'll have more than you thought you'd get, but that's ok.

Remember those potatoes? By now, you've flipped them once. Let them cook another five minutes, and then flip them again, for another five minutes.

When the potatoes are done, put them to the side, and lower the oven to 350.  Now, let's cook our other vegetables.  Put two more tablespoons of olive oil in a big pan, and add the onions.  When they begin to sizzle, start stirring.  At first, not much will happen, but then the volume will reduce markedly, and you'll get a bit of color.  At that point, take them off the heat, and stir in four chopped cloves of garlic, and about a teaspoon of cumin, be it ground or whole seed.    Now add a big tablespoon of dijon mustard.    Put all of this in a bowl, and...

Use the same pan to cook your cabbage.  Another tablespoon of olive oil, and then a tablespoon of chopped thyme.  If you only have dried spices, or if you don't have thyme, don't sweat it. Oregano is good here, so is marjoram.    Cook until the cabbage reduces .  You'll see that very easily. Wilting is a good way to describe this.

Taste a strand of your onions and your cabbage and then add salt and pepper, keeping in mind that you'll be combining them.

Get a spring form pan if you have one (8-9 inches) or a deep cake pan if you don't.  Grease it, all over, and then we start layering.  Put a third of the potatoes on the bottom.  They won't cover , but that's okay.  Now add half the onions,  and then half the cabbage, and then half the cheese.  Repeat this a second time, and you'll have some potatoes left over.  They go on the top.

You put the whole thing in the oven.  If you're using a spring form, Annalena suggests you put it on a baking sheet, because some of the liquid is going to leak out.   You bake this for half an hour.    It will smell WONDERFUL.  

Take it out of the oven, and run a knife around the perimeter right away. Then, when it's almost cooled completely, do it again.  If you've used a springform, release it.  If you haven't, then get a plate big enough to cover your pan, bravely take it all into gloved hands, and flip it to get the cake out.  Chances are, there won't be a problem.  If some potatoes stick, you'll know where they were, and you can just put em right there.

You could eat this as a main dish, or you could serve it next to something on the light side, because this is substantial.  And you can feel virtuous.  We won't talk about the cheese.