Some time ago, Annalena wrote about tians. This is another one of those families of dishes where the name of the vessel used to cook it, has become the name of the dish. You know a lot of them. Yes, you do. Think you don't? Well, ok: casserole.. paella. cassoulet.
See what Annalena means? "Tian," as she found out some time ago, is an old dialectical word from Provence. And it makes sense when you see recipes for tians: they almost always involve what we think of as "Mediterranean" or "southern European" cooking. They involve basil, tomatoes, eggplants, onions, and in this case, zucchini. BUT... we're going to do this a bit differently, and we're going to combine it with something that, at first glance does not seem to work with the squash, but on tasting it, will make you think "SHEEEYEEET. Why didn't I think of that before?"
This recipe is pretty close to the one presented by David Tanis in the NY Times not that long ago but as usual, Annalena did her tweeking, to make it easier on herself, and ultimately, ragazzi, on YOU.
Here we go. Let's measure first. Get a tablespoon of curry powder. Any kind you like: you can use hot, very hot, sweet (what Annalena used), JUST MAKE SURE ITS FRESH. Seriously, ragazzi, old curry is dead curry. Smell it. If it doesn't smell, well, exotic, toss it and get some new stuff. Put that to the side, and measure out a half cup of extra virgin olive oil. Now, mix up in whatever proportion you like , a cup and a half of plain dry bread crumbs and panko. This, by the way, is a good place to use up any left over bread ends you have lying around. Annalena happened to have some left over brioche crumbs from her adventure with summer pudding, so she used those, with her panko (by the way: did you know that "panko" is Japanese for "small bread?" Bet you didn't. See what you learn here?).
You will also want a BIG onion, or two medium sized ones. Peel them, half them lengthwise, then turn them on their cut end, and make thin slices. As usual, there is no need to bring the surgeon's approach here, but try to get them nice and thin
Now, rather than use the pint of halved cherry tomatoes that the recipe calls for, Annalena suggests you get one of those big, misshaped but delicious heirloom tomatoes, and chop it up roughly. Don't skin it, no need to. Just put it to the side. And get yourself a healthy tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs. Rosemary is what the recipe called for, but you can use thyme, basil, a mix, whatever. And you can increase the herbs. Just be careful here, because zucchini, as you know, has no strong flavor.
We keep measuring. You need a smidgen of white wine - maybe a third of a cup, a couple of chopped garlic gloves , or more if you like it more (Annalena does, and did), and then you need a healthy two pounds of summer squash. You can use all of the same kind, or mix them up. Honestly, the flavor at the end and the color, is not going to show whether you used the same type or mixed them, so use what you have. You can use the monstrous ones you sometimes find in this recipe, and if you do, please slice them thin, to make sure they cook.
We are ready to start. Let's preheat our oven to 400, and get a baking dish of some non metallic nature. It need not be large. Annalena used an oval, 9 inch pie pan (glass), for this. Rub oil around the inside of it, and put it aside, while we cook.
Get a medium sized pan - not too big, and dump in the curry powder. Cook it at medium low heat for no more than a half a minute. You'll smell the spice coming up. Immediately add 2 tablespoons of that oil, stir it together, and add the bread crumbs. You might consider adding a teaspoon of salt here. Cook this all for about 3 minutes, and then, get it out of the pan, immediately.
You can use the same skillet if you like, but if it wasn't too big, you will be frustrated now. You should use a big one. Put another two tablespoons of the oil in the pan. Add the onions, the herbs, and some more salt (again, a teaspoon). Cook the onions slowly, moving them frequently. You want them to go to a deep brown caramel color. Then add your tomatoes, and up the heat. The water from the tomatoes will keep the onions from burning. Cook it for about five miuts, and then add the wine. Cook for another couple of minutes, until the wine begins to boil, and then take the pan off the heat.
Now, we start layering. You are trying to make three separate layers here, so Annalena suggests you start with small quantities, and work your way up. The order of layering is onion/tomato, then zucchini, and then crumbs. You put in your zucchini in concentric circles, and if you begin to run out, well.. you ALWAYS have more squash in the house during the summer than you think. After you have things layered, finishing with crumbs, pour the remaining olive oil over the thing, and put it in the oven. This is going to bake for a while: at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half. It's ready when you stick a fork into the dish, and the zucchini seem ridiculously tender.
You can eat this right out of the oven but Annalena does not recommend doing that. It tastes better if you let it sit, and rewarm it, or served at room temperature. It's ok cold, but not terrific.
What it is, as you will have noted, of course, is VEGAN!!!!! Yes, ragazzi, a vegan dish that doesn't taste like one.
So, if you're planning for a party and you have a vegan friend coming and don't know what to serve: here you go. Or make it for yourself. Annalena plans to. Often.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Olive oil cake - pick your region of choice
Annalena is sure that at least some of you have decided that olive oil has become as complicated as wine. Olive oil tastings? Blindfold tastings? VINTAGES? Words like "woody, oakey, fruit notes, pepper," etc are all over the bloody place. And of course, we look to ORIGINS as well. One would think that you do not have a proper household unless you have a bottle of olive oil from every single region of Italy. For now, as far as Annalena knows, we do not see regional affiliations for Spanish, Greek, Portuguese, or other olive oils, but let us face it: it is only a matter of time.
So what does the cook do? Well, after many MANY years and many MANY bottles of oil, Annalena has come to a conclusion and she commends it to you. She has two types of olive oil in her home. Both are extra virgin. The one she uses for cooking comes from California. The one she uses to dress vegetables and salads, her "finishing" oil, so to speak, is from Umbria. There is a taste difference, and that is what things come down to with olive oil. There is no right or wrong: there is only what you like. For example, her handsome pal Adam prefers the California oil for his salads, etc. That does not make him wrong, it just means he tastes the oils differently than does Annalena, or the Guyman for that reason. So, taste, sample, ask questions and settle on what you like. Plan to spend some money, but as Annalena has said before: a bottle of olive oil costs less than a bottle of wine, and lasts longer, especially around her house.
These preparatory remarks result from a recipe which Annalena found, for LIGURIAN olive oil cake (emphasis in the original). The recipe was very clear: you HAD to use LIGURIAN olive oil, because of its' buttery flavor.
Well, Annalena has been to Liguria, and she remembers the olive oil. Buttery is not something that comes to mind, although she certainly did love the olive oil. And as noted above, she does not have Ligurian olive oil in the house, and she was not going to trek outside, in plus 90 degree weather to look for a bottle of Ligurian olive oil, when she had perfectly good Umbrian olive oil in the house.
So, ragazzi, if you want to make this - and you DO want to make this - use the olive oil you have and you like. It's a very easy cake , and it's very soft and surprisingly light. And Annalena shall tell you why it is so light.
You start with a stick of melted unsalted butter. Yes, butter. We are putting butter and olive oil in this cake. Then, 2 cups of all purpose, unbleached flour. As soon as you measure out those two cups, take a quarter cup out and put it to the side. Add a half tablespoon (also known as 1.5 teaspoons) of baking powder to the large armount of flour and a pinch of salt.
Measure out a quarter cup of milk, and add that to the melted butter. Now, add 3/4 cup of your olive oil of choice, and mix this well. Again, put it to the side. Take a bit of it, with a brush, or a paper towel, and grease a ten inch pan. Annalena has a spring form, and that worked beautifully. If all you have is a 9 inch pan, use it, but be ready for overflow.
Now, we start making the cake. Put four large eggs, a cup of sugar, and the grated zest of two citrus fruit of choice, into a big mixing bowl. Using a whisk attachment, get to work, and let it go for a long time- at least 5 minutes. Watch what happens. The eggs will billow up into a very pale yellow mass. This is essentially how you make genoise, and it is what is going to make your cake very light: the air you mix in with the eggs, taken with the structure afforded by the yolk, and you have a nice tower of cake when you're done.
Add half the flour mixture to this egg mixture and fold it in well. Now add the oil/butter milk mixture, all of it, and combine that. Finally, add the remaining flour. Fold that in.
Remember that quarter cup of flour? Now pour that into your greased pan, and shake it around, to coat the whole pan. Pour in your batter, and put the thing in the oven at 350, for 30 minutes.
This cake stays fairly moist, so if you use the "straw in the middle "test, you may feel that it's undercooked. Unless it truly looks liquid, you're ok if the top of the cake has browned well.
All of the fat in this cake makes it fairly resistant to staling, so don't refrigerate it. It will keep at least three days, especially if you cover it after you've cut and eaten some of it.
It's delicious gang. Serve it with some poached fruit and some ice cream. Annalena plans to do that this week as she brings over one of, if not the, handsomest married couple she knows. And they are straight, ragazzi
So what does the cook do? Well, after many MANY years and many MANY bottles of oil, Annalena has come to a conclusion and she commends it to you. She has two types of olive oil in her home. Both are extra virgin. The one she uses for cooking comes from California. The one she uses to dress vegetables and salads, her "finishing" oil, so to speak, is from Umbria. There is a taste difference, and that is what things come down to with olive oil. There is no right or wrong: there is only what you like. For example, her handsome pal Adam prefers the California oil for his salads, etc. That does not make him wrong, it just means he tastes the oils differently than does Annalena, or the Guyman for that reason. So, taste, sample, ask questions and settle on what you like. Plan to spend some money, but as Annalena has said before: a bottle of olive oil costs less than a bottle of wine, and lasts longer, especially around her house.
These preparatory remarks result from a recipe which Annalena found, for LIGURIAN olive oil cake (emphasis in the original). The recipe was very clear: you HAD to use LIGURIAN olive oil, because of its' buttery flavor.
Well, Annalena has been to Liguria, and she remembers the olive oil. Buttery is not something that comes to mind, although she certainly did love the olive oil. And as noted above, she does not have Ligurian olive oil in the house, and she was not going to trek outside, in plus 90 degree weather to look for a bottle of Ligurian olive oil, when she had perfectly good Umbrian olive oil in the house.
So, ragazzi, if you want to make this - and you DO want to make this - use the olive oil you have and you like. It's a very easy cake , and it's very soft and surprisingly light. And Annalena shall tell you why it is so light.
You start with a stick of melted unsalted butter. Yes, butter. We are putting butter and olive oil in this cake. Then, 2 cups of all purpose, unbleached flour. As soon as you measure out those two cups, take a quarter cup out and put it to the side. Add a half tablespoon (also known as 1.5 teaspoons) of baking powder to the large armount of flour and a pinch of salt.
Measure out a quarter cup of milk, and add that to the melted butter. Now, add 3/4 cup of your olive oil of choice, and mix this well. Again, put it to the side. Take a bit of it, with a brush, or a paper towel, and grease a ten inch pan. Annalena has a spring form, and that worked beautifully. If all you have is a 9 inch pan, use it, but be ready for overflow.
Now, we start making the cake. Put four large eggs, a cup of sugar, and the grated zest of two citrus fruit of choice, into a big mixing bowl. Using a whisk attachment, get to work, and let it go for a long time- at least 5 minutes. Watch what happens. The eggs will billow up into a very pale yellow mass. This is essentially how you make genoise, and it is what is going to make your cake very light: the air you mix in with the eggs, taken with the structure afforded by the yolk, and you have a nice tower of cake when you're done.
Add half the flour mixture to this egg mixture and fold it in well. Now add the oil/butter milk mixture, all of it, and combine that. Finally, add the remaining flour. Fold that in.
Remember that quarter cup of flour? Now pour that into your greased pan, and shake it around, to coat the whole pan. Pour in your batter, and put the thing in the oven at 350, for 30 minutes.
This cake stays fairly moist, so if you use the "straw in the middle "test, you may feel that it's undercooked. Unless it truly looks liquid, you're ok if the top of the cake has browned well.
All of the fat in this cake makes it fairly resistant to staling, so don't refrigerate it. It will keep at least three days, especially if you cover it after you've cut and eaten some of it.
It's delicious gang. Serve it with some poached fruit and some ice cream. Annalena plans to do that this week as she brings over one of, if not the, handsomest married couple she knows. And they are straight, ragazzi
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Beyond its prime? HARDLY. Blueberry cheesecake ice cream
This one is for those of you who have ice cream makers, but fear for making custard, and also, for folks who have fruit in their refrigerator that has gone just a bit beyond, well, let's say optimal conditions.
Today, at the farmers market, Annalena's personal vegetable goddess Nevia returned about 20 containers Annalena had used for bringing Nevia lunch. When she got them home, Annalena found that one of them was filled with blueberries. BUT... these were, shall we say, a bit overripe. Annalena tasted, and found them a bit toward the vinegar end of things. Also soft, and probably not suited for use as lunchbox fruit. Later that day, when visiting Nevia to pick up sauce tomatoes (the soft ones that won't sell), she learned that those blueberries were supposed to have been given to her... a week ago. Ms. Nevia, a perfectionist if there ever were one, was horror stricken. She urged Annalena to throw them away. BUT... the strega had other things in mind.
See, when fruit looks a bit far gone, (a BIT... NOT rotten and stinky)... don't toss it. Cook it. You can filter out the truly bad stuff, and then you can fix what is left. Frequently, it doesn't take much. Today, it took sugar, water, and lemon juice. That is all. And the result is a blueberry sauce that you can use, as is, or in the cheesecake ice cream, which follows. The recipe is from one of Annalena's gods, David Lebovitz, and his book "The Perfect Scoop." Annalena (surprise surprise) modified it, and she'll tell you what she did.
First, let's make the blueberry sauce. For every two cups of berries, you will need a quarter cup of sugar, or a bit more if they are not really perfect. Mix them together in a pot, and over low heat, cook them, stirring, until the berries begin to give up their liquid. It will not take long: blueberries do have a tough little skin (why they seem to SNAP when you eat them), but four minutes is plenty. The sugar crystals do the job.
While that's happening, mix together half a tablespoon of cornstarch, a tablespoon of cold water, and a tablespoon of lemon juice, for every two cups of berries. (If, by the way, you have more than a quart of them, don't keep increasing. Annalena found that doubling the quantities was fine for her six cups of berries). Stir that liquid into the berries, and then let the mass come to a boil. Let it boil for a minute, take it off the heat, and let it cool.
Now, to the ice cream which, ragazzi, is as simple as simple gets. You need 8 ounces of cream cheese (and here, gang, Annalena suggests you use the one that's "so spreadable it's incredible. And she's NOT talking about any of her friends - although she COULD be). Cut it into pieces. Put it in food processor, together with a cup of creme fraiche (or sour cream, as the original called for), a half cup of milk (or half and half, as per the original), 2/3 cup of sugar, and the peel of the lemon you used above. Just take big pieces. The food processor is going to do the rest. Turn it on and let it work for five minutes, max.
You've got your ice cream base, carini. You can freeze this and make cheese cake ice cream, plain.
OR.... remember that blueberry sauce? Well... when the ice cream is just about ready, you can start layering amounts of ice cream, and sauce, and alternate. This is nice, and it will give you something that serves up as sauce and ice cream. OR... just before the ice cream is done, stir in some of the sauce. As much as you like. And then let that work. (Annalena likes it both ways.. THE ICE CREAM ).
And that's it, ragazzi. Bad turned into good. Bad turned into REAL good. Trust Annalena on this one: you will feel like you are eating a truly frozen fruit cheesecake. If this is up your cul de sac, well, get churning.
We shall continue with desserts next time, ragazzi, as Annalena makes another olive oil cake. You will be amazed at the simplicity. And if you get around to making it, how good it is.
Today, at the farmers market, Annalena's personal vegetable goddess Nevia returned about 20 containers Annalena had used for bringing Nevia lunch. When she got them home, Annalena found that one of them was filled with blueberries. BUT... these were, shall we say, a bit overripe. Annalena tasted, and found them a bit toward the vinegar end of things. Also soft, and probably not suited for use as lunchbox fruit. Later that day, when visiting Nevia to pick up sauce tomatoes (the soft ones that won't sell), she learned that those blueberries were supposed to have been given to her... a week ago. Ms. Nevia, a perfectionist if there ever were one, was horror stricken. She urged Annalena to throw them away. BUT... the strega had other things in mind.
See, when fruit looks a bit far gone, (a BIT... NOT rotten and stinky)... don't toss it. Cook it. You can filter out the truly bad stuff, and then you can fix what is left. Frequently, it doesn't take much. Today, it took sugar, water, and lemon juice. That is all. And the result is a blueberry sauce that you can use, as is, or in the cheesecake ice cream, which follows. The recipe is from one of Annalena's gods, David Lebovitz, and his book "The Perfect Scoop." Annalena (surprise surprise) modified it, and she'll tell you what she did.
First, let's make the blueberry sauce. For every two cups of berries, you will need a quarter cup of sugar, or a bit more if they are not really perfect. Mix them together in a pot, and over low heat, cook them, stirring, until the berries begin to give up their liquid. It will not take long: blueberries do have a tough little skin (why they seem to SNAP when you eat them), but four minutes is plenty. The sugar crystals do the job.
While that's happening, mix together half a tablespoon of cornstarch, a tablespoon of cold water, and a tablespoon of lemon juice, for every two cups of berries. (If, by the way, you have more than a quart of them, don't keep increasing. Annalena found that doubling the quantities was fine for her six cups of berries). Stir that liquid into the berries, and then let the mass come to a boil. Let it boil for a minute, take it off the heat, and let it cool.
Now, to the ice cream which, ragazzi, is as simple as simple gets. You need 8 ounces of cream cheese (and here, gang, Annalena suggests you use the one that's "so spreadable it's incredible. And she's NOT talking about any of her friends - although she COULD be). Cut it into pieces. Put it in food processor, together with a cup of creme fraiche (or sour cream, as the original called for), a half cup of milk (or half and half, as per the original), 2/3 cup of sugar, and the peel of the lemon you used above. Just take big pieces. The food processor is going to do the rest. Turn it on and let it work for five minutes, max.
You've got your ice cream base, carini. You can freeze this and make cheese cake ice cream, plain.
OR.... remember that blueberry sauce? Well... when the ice cream is just about ready, you can start layering amounts of ice cream, and sauce, and alternate. This is nice, and it will give you something that serves up as sauce and ice cream. OR... just before the ice cream is done, stir in some of the sauce. As much as you like. And then let that work. (Annalena likes it both ways.. THE ICE CREAM ).
And that's it, ragazzi. Bad turned into good. Bad turned into REAL good. Trust Annalena on this one: you will feel like you are eating a truly frozen fruit cheesecake. If this is up your cul de sac, well, get churning.
We shall continue with desserts next time, ragazzi, as Annalena makes another olive oil cake. You will be amazed at the simplicity. And if you get around to making it, how good it is.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Beating the system: crab stuffed fish
What does she mean, "beating the system?" Well, as always, Annalena shall explain.
You know the experience of going into a store, be it fancy, or pretend fancy, and you see something that REALLY looks tasty. And it's outrageously expensive. But you buy it, because you're hungry, or you think that it will taste good, etc, etc, etc.
Then you get the stuff home and you cook it. And you think "good, but...."
Can Annalena see a show of hands of people to whom this has happened? It's happened to her. So she knows it happened to you.
One of the items that falls under this category, without question is crab stuffed fish. Yes, you've seen it, haven't you? Maybe you've taken it home. Well, here is an ingredient list of one such product, taken from one of Annalena's on-line purveyors:
Sole, Crab Meat (With Sodium Acid Phosphate [To Keep Color]), Mayonnaise (Soybean Oil, Water, Egg, Egg Yolk, Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Natural Flavors, Calcium Disodium EDTA [Protects Quality]), Bread Crumbs (Bleached Wheat Flour, Dextrose, Yeast, Salt), Eggs, Scallions, Celery, Red Bell Pepper, Dijon Mustard (Water, Mustard Seeds, Vinegar, Salt, Citric Acid, Sulphur Dioxide [Preservative]), Chives, Jalapeno, Salt, Dill, Pepper, Old Bay Seasoning (Celery Salt [Salt, Celery Seed], Spices, Mustard). MAY CONTAIN SHELL FRAGMENTS.
Annalena is fine with the stuff like sole, and crab, etc, but REALLY? Do you really want all that stuff in your dinner? And at 14.99 a pound, this is not especially cheap. Well, Annalena heard about one of her friends buying crab stuffed salmon, and she put her sizable foot down. This was NOT acceptable to Annalena. So, we had a cooking lesson last night, and we made crab stuffed fish. And it was good. No, it was MORE than good. It was REALLY good. And now, ragazzi, let's make it together. And in the process, we will learn a technique more than just a single recipe.
One of two constants in this recipe, is that you need fish fillets. Get 3-4 of them. You can use flounder, sole, or as we did, black sea bass. Anything that either has an edible skin, and has the skin on, or one that has been skinned. For example, flounder skin is not really edible. On the other hand, black sea bass, striped bass, and others, are. (Striped bass is hard to find in the right size though). You need pieces that are kind of like the standard flounder fillet. And they should be between 6 and 8 ounces each, to make a single serving.
The other constant is crabmeat. Now, crabmeat is expensive. But get the good stuff. You only need about a cup of it for 3-4 servings, and you're worth it. You know you are.
Put the crabmeat in a bowl, and now, the fun begins. You get to add stuff. You need something crunchy. Traditionally, this is green pepper. Annalena did not have any peppers in the house , so she used a small rib of celery, and a scallion, both of which she chopped very fine. The scallion also satisfies the "small onion" chopped requirement. You do need some kind of shallot, or or onion, etc. About 3 tablespoons worth. Finally, Annalena adds the zest of half of a lemon. Those are the vegetable components. You will note, no herbs, and no salt. She does add a scant quarter cup of mayonnaise, both to give some fat to the fish, and also to hold the crabmeat together.
Please use this as a guide. You can substitute various crunchy things here, and you can use herbs, and you can add a jalapeno, etc. Just don't overdo it, because crab is delicate, and you want the taste to come through.
Let's mix all those things together. Now, we turn to our fish. Sprinkle each fillet with salt. Then, on one half of the fillet, mound the crab mixture. Start small, so you get equal amounts on each fillet, and then use up the rest. Pile it up if you have to.
Now, take the half that does not have the crab on it, and fold it over the mound of crab mixture. If you want to, you can seal this closed with a toothpick. It's not necessary, but it makes for a nicer presentation at the end. Move these to a buttered, glass or ceramic baking dish, and get them in the oven, for 15-20 minutes. You can tell with it's ready, by sticking a knife into the fish. If it goes in easily, and softly, it's done.
And know what? You have company food here. Crab always does seem, to Annalena, to have a sense of celebration about it. And indeed, a good meal should ALWAYS be a celebration. Make it. Make your variations. And tell us about them.
And Annalena apologizes for this type face today. She doesn't know what happened. She'll fix it. Promesso.
You know the experience of going into a store, be it fancy, or pretend fancy, and you see something that REALLY looks tasty. And it's outrageously expensive. But you buy it, because you're hungry, or you think that it will taste good, etc, etc, etc.
Then you get the stuff home and you cook it. And you think "good, but...."
Can Annalena see a show of hands of people to whom this has happened? It's happened to her. So she knows it happened to you.
One of the items that falls under this category, without question is crab stuffed fish. Yes, you've seen it, haven't you? Maybe you've taken it home. Well, here is an ingredient list of one such product, taken from one of Annalena's on-line purveyors:
Sole, Crab Meat (With Sodium Acid Phosphate [To Keep Color]), Mayonnaise (Soybean Oil, Water, Egg, Egg Yolk, Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Natural Flavors, Calcium Disodium EDTA [Protects Quality]), Bread Crumbs (Bleached Wheat Flour, Dextrose, Yeast, Salt), Eggs, Scallions, Celery, Red Bell Pepper, Dijon Mustard (Water, Mustard Seeds, Vinegar, Salt, Citric Acid, Sulphur Dioxide [Preservative]), Chives, Jalapeno, Salt, Dill, Pepper, Old Bay Seasoning (Celery Salt [Salt, Celery Seed], Spices, Mustard). MAY CONTAIN SHELL FRAGMENTS.
Annalena is fine with the stuff like sole, and crab, etc, but REALLY? Do you really want all that stuff in your dinner? And at 14.99 a pound, this is not especially cheap. Well, Annalena heard about one of her friends buying crab stuffed salmon, and she put her sizable foot down. This was NOT acceptable to Annalena. So, we had a cooking lesson last night, and we made crab stuffed fish. And it was good. No, it was MORE than good. It was REALLY good. And now, ragazzi, let's make it together. And in the process, we will learn a technique more than just a single recipe.
One of two constants in this recipe, is that you need fish fillets. Get 3-4 of them. You can use flounder, sole, or as we did, black sea bass. Anything that either has an edible skin, and has the skin on, or one that has been skinned. For example, flounder skin is not really edible. On the other hand, black sea bass, striped bass, and others, are. (Striped bass is hard to find in the right size though). You need pieces that are kind of like the standard flounder fillet. And they should be between 6 and 8 ounces each, to make a single serving.
The other constant is crabmeat. Now, crabmeat is expensive. But get the good stuff. You only need about a cup of it for 3-4 servings, and you're worth it. You know you are.
Put the crabmeat in a bowl, and now, the fun begins. You get to add stuff. You need something crunchy. Traditionally, this is green pepper. Annalena did not have any peppers in the house , so she used a small rib of celery, and a scallion, both of which she chopped very fine. The scallion also satisfies the "small onion" chopped requirement. You do need some kind of shallot, or or onion, etc. About 3 tablespoons worth. Finally, Annalena adds the zest of half of a lemon. Those are the vegetable components. You will note, no herbs, and no salt. She does add a scant quarter cup of mayonnaise, both to give some fat to the fish, and also to hold the crabmeat together.
Please use this as a guide. You can substitute various crunchy things here, and you can use herbs, and you can add a jalapeno, etc. Just don't overdo it, because crab is delicate, and you want the taste to come through.
Let's mix all those things together. Now, we turn to our fish. Sprinkle each fillet with salt. Then, on one half of the fillet, mound the crab mixture. Start small, so you get equal amounts on each fillet, and then use up the rest. Pile it up if you have to.
Now, take the half that does not have the crab on it, and fold it over the mound of crab mixture. If you want to, you can seal this closed with a toothpick. It's not necessary, but it makes for a nicer presentation at the end. Move these to a buttered, glass or ceramic baking dish, and get them in the oven, for 15-20 minutes. You can tell with it's ready, by sticking a knife into the fish. If it goes in easily, and softly, it's done.
And know what? You have company food here. Crab always does seem, to Annalena, to have a sense of celebration about it. And indeed, a good meal should ALWAYS be a celebration. Make it. Make your variations. And tell us about them.
And Annalena apologizes for this type face today. She doesn't know what happened. She'll fix it. Promesso.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Summer sunshine: heirloom tomato and mozzarella tart
Lest anyone accuse Annalena of being frivolous at a very serious time, she needs to say something up front. She is very aware of what happens in the world, and today, Florida is a dangerous place to be. She has seen this before, and she keeps her counsel, because there is little she sees she can do. What she can do is try to make things a bit happier and tastier for her friends who read this. So, knowing that Annalena knows about 'the trial' and has her views on it, we move on.
Annalena has said , many times, that one takes ideas where they are. Keep your mind and eyes open, and you will find ideas for cooking where you might not imagine. Such is the case here. Two or three times a week, Annalena journeys to the gym, to get beaten up by her trainer, the miraculous Melissa. And while she hates it, she does her cardio on the treadmill. She tries the best she can, but Annalena is not a runner. Rather than runners' high, she experiences runners' annoyance. She cannot do it without television or music. And such was the case last week, while she was watching food network, and a show that is not high on her list was on , "The Neelys."
Now, much that was shown on that recipe, will never make it to Annalena's table. One recipe was exhibited, however, where Annalena said "hmmmm. This would work." And indeed it did. She modified it, because, well, you will see. And it is a terrific recipe.
Heirloom tomatoes have come into season. YAY. And you will use them in this recipe. Two or three large ones. You will also need a pound of mozzarella, and a pie crust. Also, a few leaves of basil.
That is all. The television show counseled using a store bought pie crust. Annalena cannot consent to this. Read labels. And you can make your own piecrust very easily. Annalena provides instructions on this blog site, however, to review. You need 14 tablespoons of unsalted butter (that's two tablespoons short of two sticks). You divide them into 9 tablespoons, and 5 tablespoons (9 tablespoons is a stick plus one). Cut the butter into small cubes. Wrap the smaller amount and put in the freezer, together with a bag containing 2.25 cups of flour mixed with a half teaspoon of salt. Put the 9 tablespoons in your refrigerator. Wait an hour
Now dump the flour in a food processor, with the 9 tablespoons of butter. Process for thirty seconds. Add the 5 tablespoons and pulse, for 20 seconds, twelve times. Add a tablespoon of cider or white vinegar, and 5 tablespoons of ice water. Process for half a minute, stop, and open the machine. Press some dough in your fingers. If it adheres easily, groovy. If not, add two more tablespoons of water do the same thing, and you'll be done. Plop this on a table, gather it together, divide it into two equal pieces, and wrap each one in foil.
You only need one for this pie, so put the other in the freezer against another pie in the future (and Annalena thanks the formidable Rose Levy Bernbaum for this recipe). Refrigerate the other overnight.
Take your pie crust out about 1.5-2 hours before you want to bake. About a half hour before baking, get your tomatoes, and slice them. Annalena used a green one, a yellow one, and a red one. Make your slices about a quarter inch thick, and lay them on a paper towel to drain some of the liquid. Get a pound of GOOD quality mozzarella (in the tv show, the mozzarella was in the shape of a block. DO NOT USE THIS. This was supermarket mozzarella. Get the good stuff). You can use plain, or smoked. Smoked is really good. Slice that, too. Count the number of slices of tomato you have. That's how many slices of cheese you'll need.
Let's roll out the pie crust. Sprinkle a good amount of flour on your surface, and roll out the dough evenly, to about 11-12 inches in diameter.
And here's one of Annalenas tricks of the trade. Take a baking sheet, turn it upside down and put some parchment down. Put the piecrust on it, and then start layering slices of tomato and cheese. Alternate tomato and cheese, and alternate colors of tomatoes. Do the layering about two inches in from the border, and then fold it up around the tomatoes.
Put this in a 375 oven for about 45 minutes. You'll have a beautiful, light brown tart. It might be soft if you didn't get enough water out of the tomatoes, but it will still be good. Put some basil leaves on it, and then let it cool. When it firms up, move it as best you can to a serving plate. If it won't move easily, just serve it from the baking sheet. Here's a picture of Annalena's:
Tasted good, too
Annalena has said , many times, that one takes ideas where they are. Keep your mind and eyes open, and you will find ideas for cooking where you might not imagine. Such is the case here. Two or three times a week, Annalena journeys to the gym, to get beaten up by her trainer, the miraculous Melissa. And while she hates it, she does her cardio on the treadmill. She tries the best she can, but Annalena is not a runner. Rather than runners' high, she experiences runners' annoyance. She cannot do it without television or music. And such was the case last week, while she was watching food network, and a show that is not high on her list was on , "The Neelys."
Now, much that was shown on that recipe, will never make it to Annalena's table. One recipe was exhibited, however, where Annalena said "hmmmm. This would work." And indeed it did. She modified it, because, well, you will see. And it is a terrific recipe.
Heirloom tomatoes have come into season. YAY. And you will use them in this recipe. Two or three large ones. You will also need a pound of mozzarella, and a pie crust. Also, a few leaves of basil.
That is all. The television show counseled using a store bought pie crust. Annalena cannot consent to this. Read labels. And you can make your own piecrust very easily. Annalena provides instructions on this blog site, however, to review. You need 14 tablespoons of unsalted butter (that's two tablespoons short of two sticks). You divide them into 9 tablespoons, and 5 tablespoons (9 tablespoons is a stick plus one). Cut the butter into small cubes. Wrap the smaller amount and put in the freezer, together with a bag containing 2.25 cups of flour mixed with a half teaspoon of salt. Put the 9 tablespoons in your refrigerator. Wait an hour
Now dump the flour in a food processor, with the 9 tablespoons of butter. Process for thirty seconds. Add the 5 tablespoons and pulse, for 20 seconds, twelve times. Add a tablespoon of cider or white vinegar, and 5 tablespoons of ice water. Process for half a minute, stop, and open the machine. Press some dough in your fingers. If it adheres easily, groovy. If not, add two more tablespoons of water do the same thing, and you'll be done. Plop this on a table, gather it together, divide it into two equal pieces, and wrap each one in foil.
You only need one for this pie, so put the other in the freezer against another pie in the future (and Annalena thanks the formidable Rose Levy Bernbaum for this recipe). Refrigerate the other overnight.
Take your pie crust out about 1.5-2 hours before you want to bake. About a half hour before baking, get your tomatoes, and slice them. Annalena used a green one, a yellow one, and a red one. Make your slices about a quarter inch thick, and lay them on a paper towel to drain some of the liquid. Get a pound of GOOD quality mozzarella (in the tv show, the mozzarella was in the shape of a block. DO NOT USE THIS. This was supermarket mozzarella. Get the good stuff). You can use plain, or smoked. Smoked is really good. Slice that, too. Count the number of slices of tomato you have. That's how many slices of cheese you'll need.
Let's roll out the pie crust. Sprinkle a good amount of flour on your surface, and roll out the dough evenly, to about 11-12 inches in diameter.
And here's one of Annalenas tricks of the trade. Take a baking sheet, turn it upside down and put some parchment down. Put the piecrust on it, and then start layering slices of tomato and cheese. Alternate tomato and cheese, and alternate colors of tomatoes. Do the layering about two inches in from the border, and then fold it up around the tomatoes.
Put this in a 375 oven for about 45 minutes. You'll have a beautiful, light brown tart. It might be soft if you didn't get enough water out of the tomatoes, but it will still be good. Put some basil leaves on it, and then let it cool. When it firms up, move it as best you can to a serving plate. If it won't move easily, just serve it from the baking sheet. Here's a picture of Annalena's:
Tasted good, too
Friday, July 12, 2013
Stuffed shells: what else need be said?
Got your attention, didn't it, ragazzi? Annalena has made a bet with herself. She thinks that this recipe will soon become the second most read recipe in the blog. Braciole is number one, by a factor of well over 20. Annalena still wonders about that. But this one will get up there. She'll let you know.
Stuffed shells are the kind of thing that make people eyes open. When Annalena told people she was making them, there was an almost audible sound close to culinary orgasm (you all know what that sound is, she is sure). And know what? It's pretty much justified. Stuffed shells look like they are a lot of work, and they really aren't, if you do it the Annalena way. Let's just walk through this, and you will be the hero (or heroine, or diva or goddess or what have you), of all of those who are lucky enough to get your food.
Annalena presumes that you have a quart of homemade tomato sauce available, which you should. If you don't know how to make it, do a search within this blog of tomato and butter, and you'll find her 45 minute sauce, courtesy of Marcella Hazan. You'll get two quarts. Use the rest for eggplant parmagiana, or meatballs, or anything else - like braciole.
You will also need a large bunch of spinach, leaves torn from the branches and stems (you can probably get away with a package of thawed spinach, but remember why you're here). Steam that, and then put it in a bowl to cool down. You're going to do a bit of that here.
Next, you need one pound of large shell pasta. Get the biggest ones you can find. Take that pot in which you just cooked your spinach, and fill it with water. Bring it to a boil, add a good spoonful of salt, and toss in the shells. While they are cooking, get a colander ready. After about 8-10 minutes (when the shells are pliable), dump them out and drain them well. Let them cool. Seriously, LET THEM COOL. You're going to be handling these babies, and Annalena does not want you to hurt yourself.
Make a filling, by first combining a pound of good quality ricotta (and remember: good quality ricotta does not come in a plastic tube with a name that ends in "O"), and a pound of mozzarella, chopped into small pieces. You can do this with smoked or plain mozzarella, and please use buffala. There is no reason to use the really good pure burrata or anything like that here. You want firmness. Annalena adds salt and pepper to this, and nothing more, except the spinach. You might choose to do more, but for the first time, Annalena urges you to try it in its pure form.
Now, get that spinach, which should be cool, and squeeze out the water. Squeeze HARD. Then chop it up. Mix it in with your cheeses.
Get a large, earthenware or glass baking dish - at leasat 9x13, maybe bigger. Pour about a third of the sauce on the bottom. Turn on your oven, to 375. Now, if the shells are cool, take them, one at a time, and put a generous tablespoon or so of filling into them. You have enough filling for somewhere between 24-28 of the shells. You probably had more than this in the box, so if you like, you can fill these with something else, or you can augment your filling, or like Annalena, you can just stand there and eat the things out of hand. Yes, it's like a scene from the song "I'm Living in Shame," but Annalena is what she is.
Put the shells in the baking dish, filled side up. Then, pour the rest of the sauce over them. Cover this with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. This will finish up cooking the pasta if it's underdone, and the flavors will mingle.
If you are going to eat them right away (not the best idea, but still a good one), get some good parmesan, and grate and sprinkle away. If you are going to let them sit for a day (the preferred way to do this), then let them cool, covered with the foil, and reheat them at 375 until they're hot. That's about 30 minutes. THEN put on the parmesan.
You may be surprised how filling these are, but you may also be surprised how many of them you eat, notwithstanding how filling they are.
Yes, these are not for every day, but you can certainly make them once in a while. They don't freeze well because of the cheese, but they will keep in your fridge for a week or so. You can portion them out, and have em as you like.
Sunday dinner anyone? C'mon, take down this one, the braciole recipe, and make some people happy. Including yourself. You deserve it.
Stuffed shells are the kind of thing that make people eyes open. When Annalena told people she was making them, there was an almost audible sound close to culinary orgasm (you all know what that sound is, she is sure). And know what? It's pretty much justified. Stuffed shells look like they are a lot of work, and they really aren't, if you do it the Annalena way. Let's just walk through this, and you will be the hero (or heroine, or diva or goddess or what have you), of all of those who are lucky enough to get your food.
Annalena presumes that you have a quart of homemade tomato sauce available, which you should. If you don't know how to make it, do a search within this blog of tomato and butter, and you'll find her 45 minute sauce, courtesy of Marcella Hazan. You'll get two quarts. Use the rest for eggplant parmagiana, or meatballs, or anything else - like braciole.
You will also need a large bunch of spinach, leaves torn from the branches and stems (you can probably get away with a package of thawed spinach, but remember why you're here). Steam that, and then put it in a bowl to cool down. You're going to do a bit of that here.
Next, you need one pound of large shell pasta. Get the biggest ones you can find. Take that pot in which you just cooked your spinach, and fill it with water. Bring it to a boil, add a good spoonful of salt, and toss in the shells. While they are cooking, get a colander ready. After about 8-10 minutes (when the shells are pliable), dump them out and drain them well. Let them cool. Seriously, LET THEM COOL. You're going to be handling these babies, and Annalena does not want you to hurt yourself.
Make a filling, by first combining a pound of good quality ricotta (and remember: good quality ricotta does not come in a plastic tube with a name that ends in "O"), and a pound of mozzarella, chopped into small pieces. You can do this with smoked or plain mozzarella, and please use buffala. There is no reason to use the really good pure burrata or anything like that here. You want firmness. Annalena adds salt and pepper to this, and nothing more, except the spinach. You might choose to do more, but for the first time, Annalena urges you to try it in its pure form.
Now, get that spinach, which should be cool, and squeeze out the water. Squeeze HARD. Then chop it up. Mix it in with your cheeses.
Get a large, earthenware or glass baking dish - at leasat 9x13, maybe bigger. Pour about a third of the sauce on the bottom. Turn on your oven, to 375. Now, if the shells are cool, take them, one at a time, and put a generous tablespoon or so of filling into them. You have enough filling for somewhere between 24-28 of the shells. You probably had more than this in the box, so if you like, you can fill these with something else, or you can augment your filling, or like Annalena, you can just stand there and eat the things out of hand. Yes, it's like a scene from the song "I'm Living in Shame," but Annalena is what she is.
Put the shells in the baking dish, filled side up. Then, pour the rest of the sauce over them. Cover this with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. This will finish up cooking the pasta if it's underdone, and the flavors will mingle.
If you are going to eat them right away (not the best idea, but still a good one), get some good parmesan, and grate and sprinkle away. If you are going to let them sit for a day (the preferred way to do this), then let them cool, covered with the foil, and reheat them at 375 until they're hot. That's about 30 minutes. THEN put on the parmesan.
You may be surprised how filling these are, but you may also be surprised how many of them you eat, notwithstanding how filling they are.
Yes, these are not for every day, but you can certainly make them once in a while. They don't freeze well because of the cheese, but they will keep in your fridge for a week or so. You can portion them out, and have em as you like.
Sunday dinner anyone? C'mon, take down this one, the braciole recipe, and make some people happy. Including yourself. You deserve it.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Raiding the freezer: grilled prawn (or shrimp) and bean salad
Annalena has said this before, and she will say it again: pity the cook during the summer. Even when the food is raw, and even if it's cold when you eat it, SOMEONE was in the kitchen, with fire, in the heat, making it. Many of the dishes that we enjoy in their cold form, do have to be cooked. Do be a bit of a witch for a minute: that cold fried chicken didn't fry itself. Nor did that luscious, cooling vitello tonato braise itself. And the list goes on. Cooking is work , ragazzi, even if it is as simple as chopping up vegetables to make a salad: someone did it for you. So if someone is making your food, Annalena insists that you go and give them a great big hug, a great big kiss, and say "thank you" RIGHT NOW. As MFK Fisher put it "not now, but NOW."
And so we come to this recipe. When Annalena and the Guyman went out for lunch on their anniversary, they asked their chef friend Melissa L to cook for them. And she did. And one of the things she sent to the table was a warm salad of grilled shrimp, chickpeas and vegetables.
To say it was good, understates things. And yes, Annalena thanked her profusely. And then she went home and thought "that was a really good idea." And she needed one, because Sunday was haircut day, which meant Annalena was getting a late start on things, and she also did not want to be in the kitchen for a tremendous period of time.
Melissa L's idea turned the trick. And here is how Annalena did it.
First, she presumes that you are cooking beans from time to time, and you are freezing the leftovers. Ragazzi, you really must start doing this. They are lifesavers. So, get a cup or so of frozen white beans out of your freezer (if you don't have them, get to work. This is NOT going to be good with the canned stuff).
Let them defrost, or just run hot water over them, and melt the ice. You don't need anything fancy.
You need as well, a pound of medium sized shrimps or prawns. Shell them. You won't have nearly as much left, and that's ok. Put the shelled crustaceans into a bowl, and toss them with a few tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and a bit of a teaspoon of salt. You will be using more salt in the dressing.
Get out your ridged grill pan, and brush some olive oil over that. While it's heating, get a small head of lettuce washed and dried. Again, you could do this ahead of time. In fact, you should, if you can.
When the grill pan is hot, put the shrimp/prawns on it. You will have about 20 of them, and by the time you have the 20th one down, it will be time to turn the first one. And by the time you turn the 20th one, it will be time to take them all of the pan and toss them into a bowl, with the beans. Let that sit, while you make your dressing.
Remember that half of a lemon we used? Well, we don't waste things in Annalena's kitchen. Squeeze the other half of it into a bowl, and toss in a teaspoon of salt. Get about a half cup of olive oil, and whisk like a madperson, until you have an emulsion.
As Nadia G says "let's plate this dish." Put a serving of the lettuce leaves on a plate, then a nice amount of the beans and shrimp. And now, pour dressing over it. Be generous. If you are in a herbaceous mood, some fresh herbs are nice.
VOILA. Summer lunch, done, without much trouble. And remember, you cooks: let someone else wash up. And if they hugged, kissed and thanked you, do the same.
And so we come to this recipe. When Annalena and the Guyman went out for lunch on their anniversary, they asked their chef friend Melissa L to cook for them. And she did. And one of the things she sent to the table was a warm salad of grilled shrimp, chickpeas and vegetables.
To say it was good, understates things. And yes, Annalena thanked her profusely. And then she went home and thought "that was a really good idea." And she needed one, because Sunday was haircut day, which meant Annalena was getting a late start on things, and she also did not want to be in the kitchen for a tremendous period of time.
Melissa L's idea turned the trick. And here is how Annalena did it.
First, she presumes that you are cooking beans from time to time, and you are freezing the leftovers. Ragazzi, you really must start doing this. They are lifesavers. So, get a cup or so of frozen white beans out of your freezer (if you don't have them, get to work. This is NOT going to be good with the canned stuff).
Let them defrost, or just run hot water over them, and melt the ice. You don't need anything fancy.
You need as well, a pound of medium sized shrimps or prawns. Shell them. You won't have nearly as much left, and that's ok. Put the shelled crustaceans into a bowl, and toss them with a few tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and a bit of a teaspoon of salt. You will be using more salt in the dressing.
Get out your ridged grill pan, and brush some olive oil over that. While it's heating, get a small head of lettuce washed and dried. Again, you could do this ahead of time. In fact, you should, if you can.
When the grill pan is hot, put the shrimp/prawns on it. You will have about 20 of them, and by the time you have the 20th one down, it will be time to turn the first one. And by the time you turn the 20th one, it will be time to take them all of the pan and toss them into a bowl, with the beans. Let that sit, while you make your dressing.
Remember that half of a lemon we used? Well, we don't waste things in Annalena's kitchen. Squeeze the other half of it into a bowl, and toss in a teaspoon of salt. Get about a half cup of olive oil, and whisk like a madperson, until you have an emulsion.
As Nadia G says "let's plate this dish." Put a serving of the lettuce leaves on a plate, then a nice amount of the beans and shrimp. And now, pour dressing over it. Be generous. If you are in a herbaceous mood, some fresh herbs are nice.
VOILA. Summer lunch, done, without much trouble. And remember, you cooks: let someone else wash up. And if they hugged, kissed and thanked you, do the same.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
simplifying the simple: cold minted summer squash soup
Ragazzi, Annalena has already provided you with a recipe for a wonderful cold squash soup. It is the entry for July 14, 2008, if you wish to make a comparison. It is a richer, more complex soup, but not very complex.
This one is even simpler. And it is born out of the situation that anyone who belongs to a CSA will have experienced: How am I going to use the..." and with summer squash (mistakenly called zucchini sometimes), as the summer progresses and the "gift that keeps on giving" that is summer squash prevails, one needs as many ways to use this, as possible.
Annalena's CSA last week allowed her "2lb summer squash" Well, ragazzi, 2 lb of summer squash, is a lot more squash than you might imagine. Annalena piled four fairly hefty specimens into her bag to get her two pounds. And then was left with "what am I going to do with them, since we have veggies for the week?"
Enter soup. Seriously, bambini, pureed soups are a godsend, when you have stuff in the fridge that you don't know what you're going to do with. A little thinking, a little flavor matching, and you have something tasty, light, and rather filling. And as it is high summer, what could be better than a light meal of a tasty soup? Indeed, the Guyman and Annalena ate it after the ballet. Perfect for late night. Easy to go down, easy to digest, and rather easy on the calories.
So, what are we waiting for? Let's get to work. First, let's talk about summer squash. There are about a zillion different varieties of them, in various shades of green and yellow. You know the solid green one. THAT, ragazzi, is zucchino, and more than one is zucchini. Others have different names, and you may wish to get to know them because, while they all seem to have about the same flavor, their textures differ. Annalena is a very big fan of zephyr:
http://www.harvesttotable.com/2008/09/zephyr_squash/
What you need to keep in mind, perhaps, is what the soup is going to look like. The resulting soup is going to be a paler version of the squash with which you begin. If you don't mind a pale green soup, then by all means, use plain old zucchini. Go the other way for a yellow soup. An even mix does not seem to work well: the colors muddle, although ONE green squash in a mass of yellow is nice.
The size of the squashes is essentially irrelevant here, although smaller squashes will have less water. You need 2-2.5 pounds for this recipe. Cut it up into chunks, and lose the blossom and stem end. Put them aside.
Now, get two small carrots, a small onion, and two small ribs of celery (Leaves are ok, and you can use one large carrot, and one large rib of celery, or combinations thereof). Chop them very fine. Annalena used her food processor. Get these into a pot with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and a hefty teaspoon or so of salt. Cook for a while, in a heavy pot, at medium heat. Not more than five minutes. Now add your squash chunks, and turn them in the oil Don't brown them. Just coat them.
You now add a quart of stock. Annalena used chicken, but you could use vegetable stock. She fears that plain water doesn't work here. Bring this to a slow simmer and cook, uncovered, for about twenty minutes.
After about five minutes of cooking, add a few sprigs of a mint. Annalena had a bunch of mint from her CSA, with very furry leaves. It was clearly not peppermint, or spearmint, and certainly not wintergreen. Cook this with the squash (if you prefer anothre, light tasting herb, use that). At twenty minutes, the squash will be very, very tender.
You can let this cool, and then when you puree it, you need not be careful, or you can puree it now, and do it in small batches, and proceed with great care, as is what Annalena did. If you are experienced with pureeing hot liquids, you will know what to do. If not, then wait until it cools.
You COULD strain this soup, but you'd lose the best part, and you would have something very pale and unsatisfying. The soup, as pureed here, has an almost buttery, creamy taste. Chill it, and just before you serve it, add a few sprigs of the herb you used in the cooking. Perhaps some croutons, perhaps not.
You will get about six cups of soup from this recipe. Enough for small portions for 4-6, or large meal portions for two. And look at what you used: two tablespoons of oil, lots of vegetables, and chicken stock. Even Emily will be happy with this recipe.
You won't sweat too much making this either. So, ragazzi, head to the kitchen, get it done, and remember who takes care of you. ANNALENA
This one is even simpler. And it is born out of the situation that anyone who belongs to a CSA will have experienced: How am I going to use the..." and with summer squash (mistakenly called zucchini sometimes), as the summer progresses and the "gift that keeps on giving" that is summer squash prevails, one needs as many ways to use this, as possible.
Annalena's CSA last week allowed her "2lb summer squash" Well, ragazzi, 2 lb of summer squash, is a lot more squash than you might imagine. Annalena piled four fairly hefty specimens into her bag to get her two pounds. And then was left with "what am I going to do with them, since we have veggies for the week?"
Enter soup. Seriously, bambini, pureed soups are a godsend, when you have stuff in the fridge that you don't know what you're going to do with. A little thinking, a little flavor matching, and you have something tasty, light, and rather filling. And as it is high summer, what could be better than a light meal of a tasty soup? Indeed, the Guyman and Annalena ate it after the ballet. Perfect for late night. Easy to go down, easy to digest, and rather easy on the calories.
So, what are we waiting for? Let's get to work. First, let's talk about summer squash. There are about a zillion different varieties of them, in various shades of green and yellow. You know the solid green one. THAT, ragazzi, is zucchino, and more than one is zucchini. Others have different names, and you may wish to get to know them because, while they all seem to have about the same flavor, their textures differ. Annalena is a very big fan of zephyr:
http://www.harvesttotable.com/2008/09/zephyr_squash/
What you need to keep in mind, perhaps, is what the soup is going to look like. The resulting soup is going to be a paler version of the squash with which you begin. If you don't mind a pale green soup, then by all means, use plain old zucchini. Go the other way for a yellow soup. An even mix does not seem to work well: the colors muddle, although ONE green squash in a mass of yellow is nice.
The size of the squashes is essentially irrelevant here, although smaller squashes will have less water. You need 2-2.5 pounds for this recipe. Cut it up into chunks, and lose the blossom and stem end. Put them aside.
Now, get two small carrots, a small onion, and two small ribs of celery (Leaves are ok, and you can use one large carrot, and one large rib of celery, or combinations thereof). Chop them very fine. Annalena used her food processor. Get these into a pot with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and a hefty teaspoon or so of salt. Cook for a while, in a heavy pot, at medium heat. Not more than five minutes. Now add your squash chunks, and turn them in the oil Don't brown them. Just coat them.
You now add a quart of stock. Annalena used chicken, but you could use vegetable stock. She fears that plain water doesn't work here. Bring this to a slow simmer and cook, uncovered, for about twenty minutes.
After about five minutes of cooking, add a few sprigs of a mint. Annalena had a bunch of mint from her CSA, with very furry leaves. It was clearly not peppermint, or spearmint, and certainly not wintergreen. Cook this with the squash (if you prefer anothre, light tasting herb, use that). At twenty minutes, the squash will be very, very tender.
You can let this cool, and then when you puree it, you need not be careful, or you can puree it now, and do it in small batches, and proceed with great care, as is what Annalena did. If you are experienced with pureeing hot liquids, you will know what to do. If not, then wait until it cools.
You COULD strain this soup, but you'd lose the best part, and you would have something very pale and unsatisfying. The soup, as pureed here, has an almost buttery, creamy taste. Chill it, and just before you serve it, add a few sprigs of the herb you used in the cooking. Perhaps some croutons, perhaps not.
You will get about six cups of soup from this recipe. Enough for small portions for 4-6, or large meal portions for two. And look at what you used: two tablespoons of oil, lots of vegetables, and chicken stock. Even Emily will be happy with this recipe.
You won't sweat too much making this either. So, ragazzi, head to the kitchen, get it done, and remember who takes care of you. ANNALENA
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
It's baaaaaaaaaack. Oven fried kohlrabi
When you belong to a CSA, as Annalena and the Guyman do, you really have to learn to be creative sometimes. The CSA delivers what they have ready, and your choice is to take it, or not. Sometimes, as with the one we used before (and miss), it meant getting something called "8 ball squash" every week for about a month. These round squashes weighed about a pound and a half, and there ultimately were only so many things that Annalena could do with them. One learns to be creative.
Now, with squash, there is a really big repertoire of recipes. All of you probably have many ideas on how to cook squash. But... kohlrabi? Yes, that critter from yesterday is back. Because it was back in the CSA basket. Allegedly, for the last week, but maybe not.
In the last entry, you read about Annalena's adventure in vegan land with the wonderful lentil, grain and vegetable salad. She sent that recipe off to her friends at the CSA, and they sent one back. It was a recipe sort of the way Annalena likes them. "cut up the kohlrabi, coat it with olive oil and bread crumbs, and bake it until it's brown and crispy.
Well, Annalena can be accused of being less than wordy in her recipes. THIS one (repeated in its entire), is much more along those lines.
But, ultimately, there isn't much to do to change the recipe. Annalena will supplement it, the way she did last night. This is pretty darn good. You'll like it, and you'll feel good about having something that's really not so bad, but also not so healthy.
Get a few - say 2,3 or 4 kohlrabi. Get rid of the stems and leaves, and then peel them. You'll wind up with some very pale, ecru looking spheres. Cut long slices and then put the slices on a horizontal surface, and slice them as if you were making small french fries (the critters do look a lot like potatoes when you peel them). Toss them in a few tablespoons of olive oil: say a tablespoon for every 2 of them. You won't have much oil left over.
In a separate bowl, mix together about a cup of dried breadcrumbs, a teaspoon of salt, and "seasonings." What does Annalena mean by seasonings? She means whatever you like. Annalena went for the hot stuff, and put in a teaspoon of berebere', which is a very spicy, hot, African powder. Curry will work, so will chili powder, etc. Experiment.
Lightly oil a baking sheet, and put the kohlrabi pieces on it, one layer deep. Put that sheet in a preheated, 450 oven, and cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 400 for another 10, and then lower to 350 for ten or more. We use "or more," because you're going to stick a knife into one of them to see if it's tender enough for you. There is no "right" or "wrong" here, because you have to bake them to YOUR texture.
When you're done, if the stuff is too hot for you, a little mayonnaise cures a lot of ills. So would lemon juice. Or tartar sauce. Ketchup, Annalena thinks, would be too strong.
A nice side dish, with one of our weirder vegetables.
They say the kohlrabi is gone. Well, ragazzi, it will be back. And we'll all be ready.
Now, with squash, there is a really big repertoire of recipes. All of you probably have many ideas on how to cook squash. But... kohlrabi? Yes, that critter from yesterday is back. Because it was back in the CSA basket. Allegedly, for the last week, but maybe not.
In the last entry, you read about Annalena's adventure in vegan land with the wonderful lentil, grain and vegetable salad. She sent that recipe off to her friends at the CSA, and they sent one back. It was a recipe sort of the way Annalena likes them. "cut up the kohlrabi, coat it with olive oil and bread crumbs, and bake it until it's brown and crispy.
Well, Annalena can be accused of being less than wordy in her recipes. THIS one (repeated in its entire), is much more along those lines.
But, ultimately, there isn't much to do to change the recipe. Annalena will supplement it, the way she did last night. This is pretty darn good. You'll like it, and you'll feel good about having something that's really not so bad, but also not so healthy.
Get a few - say 2,3 or 4 kohlrabi. Get rid of the stems and leaves, and then peel them. You'll wind up with some very pale, ecru looking spheres. Cut long slices and then put the slices on a horizontal surface, and slice them as if you were making small french fries (the critters do look a lot like potatoes when you peel them). Toss them in a few tablespoons of olive oil: say a tablespoon for every 2 of them. You won't have much oil left over.
In a separate bowl, mix together about a cup of dried breadcrumbs, a teaspoon of salt, and "seasonings." What does Annalena mean by seasonings? She means whatever you like. Annalena went for the hot stuff, and put in a teaspoon of berebere', which is a very spicy, hot, African powder. Curry will work, so will chili powder, etc. Experiment.
Lightly oil a baking sheet, and put the kohlrabi pieces on it, one layer deep. Put that sheet in a preheated, 450 oven, and cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 400 for another 10, and then lower to 350 for ten or more. We use "or more," because you're going to stick a knife into one of them to see if it's tender enough for you. There is no "right" or "wrong" here, because you have to bake them to YOUR texture.
When you're done, if the stuff is too hot for you, a little mayonnaise cures a lot of ills. So would lemon juice. Or tartar sauce. Ketchup, Annalena thinks, would be too strong.
A nice side dish, with one of our weirder vegetables.
They say the kohlrabi is gone. Well, ragazzi, it will be back. And we'll all be ready.
Monday, July 1, 2013
That space aged vegetable comes back: curried kohlrabi, red lentil and grain salad
Now, last year, ragazzi, Annalena attempted to introduce you to the kohlrabi. From wh at she could tell, you were unenthused.
Ok, she could not find a picture of a kohlrabi with a cat; however, she did find one with a very cute, or handsome man, attached to it:
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/dymond_dani/
Now, do you think you might be interested? He's cute, isn't he? Yes, kohlrabi is not something you see every day, but for heaven's sake, do some exploring (Annalena had to, to find her recipe as well as this lovely young man), and you will learn something new, and enjoy yourself in so doing.
Someone once described kohlrabi as tasting somewhat like broccoli stems. Annalena does not agree, but she can see where that might come from. If you like broccoli stems, you will be overjoyed, for you may be saying "well, I dunno about that kohlrabi, but I cant figure out what to do with those broccoli stems."
Ok, admittedly, NONE of you are doing that, or thinking that. But try it. I mean, the stuff is GOOD. Let's get to work.
When you get the kohlrabi, as you'll see from our model, it has long stems, leaves, and a bulb. You may find yourself with LOTS of leaves. Cut them away and then cut them into thin pieces. Then, peel the skin off of the kohlrabi bulbs, and cube the remaining vegetable into small pieces (you would be peeling broccoli stems too. And you'd probably have broccoli leaves as well). Put the bulb portion aside a minute: we're going to eat that raw. But put the leaves, and from 12 ounces to a pound of red lentils into a pot of boiling salted water, and cook for 6-10 minutes. Start testing the lentils at six minutes. These fall apart into a puree pretty readily, so you have to watch them. You want them to just be on the soft side, but to still hold their shape. Drain everything. Rinse it with cold water, and then spread everything out after draining it, on a baking sheet, to dry off a bit.
Let's cook some grains. You can use couscous, but if you want to amp this up a bit, use one of the higher power grains, like amaranth or quinoa. You could use brown rice, too, or whole wheat couscous , if you could find it. Get a cup of the dry stuff, and follow the instructions for cooking it, EXCEPT.... let's go to the dressing.
You are going to make a curry dressing. Yup, you are. You need half a cup of white wine, or cider vinegar. Whisk a tablespoon and a half (sounds like a lot, but it's not), of SWEET curry powder. SWEET here means simply that it is not spicy. You can find it in a good spice store. Then, whisk in 2/3 of a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Taste it, and adjust for salt and pepper. Put three tablespoons of this in with the dried grain, and the water, when you cook it.
Couscous cooks instantly, amaranth and quinoa take about twenty minutes, and whole brown rice, about 45. Whatever you're using, pay attention to the timing. When it's done, it's done, and get it out of the pot and into a bowl. Add the cooked lentils, the cooked leaves, and now, the fresh kohlrabi. Annalena recommends that if you have any leftover green vegetables around, you add them too (she had a mixture of green peans, peas, and fava beans. They worked beautifully). Now pour that dressing in, and stir things gently. Taste again, for salt and pepper and adjust as you need to.
If you want to get super fancy, pile this onto some kind of butter lettuce when you serve it. Or, just dish it up in bowls, maybe with a sprig or two of your favorite herb. It's good cold, it's good room temperature. Not so good right out of the pot.
And you know what? We have a vegan dish here for our vegan friends, and we have a dish fairly high in protein for our trainers out there.
From start to finish, this will take you about 30 minutes to do. How could that be bad? Especially if Daniboi above likes it.
Ok, she could not find a picture of a kohlrabi with a cat; however, she did find one with a very cute, or handsome man, attached to it:
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/dymond_dani/
Now, do you think you might be interested? He's cute, isn't he? Yes, kohlrabi is not something you see every day, but for heaven's sake, do some exploring (Annalena had to, to find her recipe as well as this lovely young man), and you will learn something new, and enjoy yourself in so doing.
Someone once described kohlrabi as tasting somewhat like broccoli stems. Annalena does not agree, but she can see where that might come from. If you like broccoli stems, you will be overjoyed, for you may be saying "well, I dunno about that kohlrabi, but I cant figure out what to do with those broccoli stems."
Ok, admittedly, NONE of you are doing that, or thinking that. But try it. I mean, the stuff is GOOD. Let's get to work.
When you get the kohlrabi, as you'll see from our model, it has long stems, leaves, and a bulb. You may find yourself with LOTS of leaves. Cut them away and then cut them into thin pieces. Then, peel the skin off of the kohlrabi bulbs, and cube the remaining vegetable into small pieces (you would be peeling broccoli stems too. And you'd probably have broccoli leaves as well). Put the bulb portion aside a minute: we're going to eat that raw. But put the leaves, and from 12 ounces to a pound of red lentils into a pot of boiling salted water, and cook for 6-10 minutes. Start testing the lentils at six minutes. These fall apart into a puree pretty readily, so you have to watch them. You want them to just be on the soft side, but to still hold their shape. Drain everything. Rinse it with cold water, and then spread everything out after draining it, on a baking sheet, to dry off a bit.
Let's cook some grains. You can use couscous, but if you want to amp this up a bit, use one of the higher power grains, like amaranth or quinoa. You could use brown rice, too, or whole wheat couscous , if you could find it. Get a cup of the dry stuff, and follow the instructions for cooking it, EXCEPT.... let's go to the dressing.
You are going to make a curry dressing. Yup, you are. You need half a cup of white wine, or cider vinegar. Whisk a tablespoon and a half (sounds like a lot, but it's not), of SWEET curry powder. SWEET here means simply that it is not spicy. You can find it in a good spice store. Then, whisk in 2/3 of a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Taste it, and adjust for salt and pepper. Put three tablespoons of this in with the dried grain, and the water, when you cook it.
Couscous cooks instantly, amaranth and quinoa take about twenty minutes, and whole brown rice, about 45. Whatever you're using, pay attention to the timing. When it's done, it's done, and get it out of the pot and into a bowl. Add the cooked lentils, the cooked leaves, and now, the fresh kohlrabi. Annalena recommends that if you have any leftover green vegetables around, you add them too (she had a mixture of green peans, peas, and fava beans. They worked beautifully). Now pour that dressing in, and stir things gently. Taste again, for salt and pepper and adjust as you need to.
If you want to get super fancy, pile this onto some kind of butter lettuce when you serve it. Or, just dish it up in bowls, maybe with a sprig or two of your favorite herb. It's good cold, it's good room temperature. Not so good right out of the pot.
And you know what? We have a vegan dish here for our vegan friends, and we have a dish fairly high in protein for our trainers out there.
From start to finish, this will take you about 30 minutes to do. How could that be bad? Especially if Daniboi above likes it.
Eventually, we all have to eat: Coleslaw with Chinese Cabbage
Well, well, well, ragazzi ed amici. We all had one roller coaster of a week now, didn't we? All of us, including we lawyers, now know more about standing than we did, SCOTUS may now be the best known acronym in the universe, and to quote the line from the Judy Collins song "All the bells are ringing the weddings have begun." Indeed, it was a week of high, after high, after high. For Annalena and the Guyman, there was, of course, NY Pride, but ultimately, our week ended the way it should have: a dinner with a good friend: KC as he shall be called here. Or, "the ginger who does not cook." Yes, that could be any of you, but there is only one "KC the ginger who does not cook" in the heart of Annalena. Perhaps he will make this one, since there is no real cooking involved. But who knows? In any event, you should make it.
Remember from the last post, where Annalena told you that if you were carefully paying attention, you would notice that there was half a head of Chinese cabbage left over after the recipe was made? She was going to teach you what to do with that. And indeed, here it comes.
Let's just review a minute: most of us like coleslaw, in some form or another, yes? Annalena is a big fan, so is the Guyman. So, Annalena asks a question: why don't we have it more than at picnics or barbecues, or cookouts, etc? And why do we BUY it, or buy preshredded cabbage, where we don't know WHEN it was preshredded, and so on and so forth. And why do we always use the same, green head cabbage?
No question about it. Good coleslaw transcends a lot of things, and one could argue "if it ain't broke don't fix it." Well, Annalena is not suggesting fixing what is broke; however, she is suggesting that we broaden our horizons today, by using a different type of cabbage: CHINESE cabbage - to make coleslaw. AND... she's suggesting that you salad eaters consider making coleslaw as your dinner salad, instead of your traditional ones. She thinks you will enjoy it. Now here we go. It is ridiculously easy to make.
First, you need half of a large head of Chinese cabbage, or a whole, small one. Cut the small one in half, lengthwise, and then, using a big knife, shred it by cutting slices as thin as you possibly can. This will be harder to do at the top end of the cabbage, where the leaves are green and soft. As you get to the crisper, whiter leaves, your knife will enjoy cutting into things more, and it will be a breeze. Put this in a bowl - a BIG one - and then get your three side shredder out. Clean about 2 large carrots, and then shred them on the teardrop shredder, and add them to the cabbage.
Now, half of a small onion, or a shallot. Dice this as finely as you can. Here, a surgeon's approach is better, because you don't want big pieces of onion in this salad. Put that onion in the bowl as well.
Annalena's original recipe called for adding sugar. If you must... but try not to. Rather, a teaspoon of dry mustard powder (or more), a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar, and a quarter cup (just a quarter cup) of mayonnaise. Use the real stuff, we have no idea what's in the fake stuff or the "light" stuff, although we know there's sugar. Stir this all together. Taste, and add some salt and pepper. Now, finally, the thing which to Annalena's taste, makes the dish. A heaping tablespoon of poppy seeds, which are a natural with cabbage (caraway is actually better, but in a raw dish, the seeds of caraway are disconcerting. Stick with poppy here).
Stir everything together, and you are done. Completely. Serve it forth. There's enough here for four big, or six smaller appetities, although you may find yourself going back into the kitchen and making more. Perhaps you should plan ahead, and double the recipe for that fourth of July party you're having.
Give it a try, ragazzi. The familiar will always be with us, and we all love it. Branch out a little. Use that odd veggie. And tell Annalena if you liked it.
We're revisiting an old friend next: the notoriously difficult vegetable from outerspace: kohlrabi.
Remember from the last post, where Annalena told you that if you were carefully paying attention, you would notice that there was half a head of Chinese cabbage left over after the recipe was made? She was going to teach you what to do with that. And indeed, here it comes.
Let's just review a minute: most of us like coleslaw, in some form or another, yes? Annalena is a big fan, so is the Guyman. So, Annalena asks a question: why don't we have it more than at picnics or barbecues, or cookouts, etc? And why do we BUY it, or buy preshredded cabbage, where we don't know WHEN it was preshredded, and so on and so forth. And why do we always use the same, green head cabbage?
No question about it. Good coleslaw transcends a lot of things, and one could argue "if it ain't broke don't fix it." Well, Annalena is not suggesting fixing what is broke; however, she is suggesting that we broaden our horizons today, by using a different type of cabbage: CHINESE cabbage - to make coleslaw. AND... she's suggesting that you salad eaters consider making coleslaw as your dinner salad, instead of your traditional ones. She thinks you will enjoy it. Now here we go. It is ridiculously easy to make.
First, you need half of a large head of Chinese cabbage, or a whole, small one. Cut the small one in half, lengthwise, and then, using a big knife, shred it by cutting slices as thin as you possibly can. This will be harder to do at the top end of the cabbage, where the leaves are green and soft. As you get to the crisper, whiter leaves, your knife will enjoy cutting into things more, and it will be a breeze. Put this in a bowl - a BIG one - and then get your three side shredder out. Clean about 2 large carrots, and then shred them on the teardrop shredder, and add them to the cabbage.
Now, half of a small onion, or a shallot. Dice this as finely as you can. Here, a surgeon's approach is better, because you don't want big pieces of onion in this salad. Put that onion in the bowl as well.
Annalena's original recipe called for adding sugar. If you must... but try not to. Rather, a teaspoon of dry mustard powder (or more), a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar, and a quarter cup (just a quarter cup) of mayonnaise. Use the real stuff, we have no idea what's in the fake stuff or the "light" stuff, although we know there's sugar. Stir this all together. Taste, and add some salt and pepper. Now, finally, the thing which to Annalena's taste, makes the dish. A heaping tablespoon of poppy seeds, which are a natural with cabbage (caraway is actually better, but in a raw dish, the seeds of caraway are disconcerting. Stick with poppy here).
Stir everything together, and you are done. Completely. Serve it forth. There's enough here for four big, or six smaller appetities, although you may find yourself going back into the kitchen and making more. Perhaps you should plan ahead, and double the recipe for that fourth of July party you're having.
Give it a try, ragazzi. The familiar will always be with us, and we all love it. Branch out a little. Use that odd veggie. And tell Annalena if you liked it.
We're revisiting an old friend next: the notoriously difficult vegetable from outerspace: kohlrabi.
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