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.
Friday, November 29, 2013
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."
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.
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.
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
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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