tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-160988602024-03-14T06:08:47.591-04:00ToastPointKatherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-46297714466277118112009-09-28T23:16:00.000-04:002009-10-01T20:44:20.676-04:00D.C. Farmers Market<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKCUu9ThTwLmZ2TGrrLA1ooSB86OUNDoJA1AhhfEfEqMUhArBwQ0-xifKuyTWdnRU1_0K4uGvU2pAuNN2qnW3nWQj4IrVynj7tNqPfK1T7cbNSP6dS_0q0PXtAipQOnAEcKB0/s1600-h/IMG_0765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 304px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKCUu9ThTwLmZ2TGrrLA1ooSB86OUNDoJA1AhhfEfEqMUhArBwQ0-xifKuyTWdnRU1_0K4uGvU2pAuNN2qnW3nWQj4IrVynj7tNqPfK1T7cbNSP6dS_0q0PXtAipQOnAEcKB0/s400/IMG_0765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371508984267482642" border="0" /></a><br />Although Eastern Market is a joy, the D.C. Farmers Market is something else altogether. You won't find precious heirloom tomatoes here, baby. Turkey legs are more the style at 1309 5th St N.E., near the intersection of Florida and New York Ave.<br /><br />The D.C. Farmers Market is all about the butchers—several of them in one big warehouse—competing for your love and attention. Need a duck? They've got it. Looking for some of those trendy pig odds-and-ends? They've got it. (In fact, I went with a friend who was in search of a particular cut of country rib. They didn't have what she wanted laid out, so a butcher went in the back, brought out a the appropriate huge slab of pig, and hacked them out for her right then and there.) Turkey necks? No problem. And the hot links. Oh God, the hot links.<br /><br />When you're done shopping, stop in at the National Arboretum and get some Corinthian columns with your ready-to-eat smoked turkey leg.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com150tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-5514134451779849812009-08-18T22:42:00.006-04:002009-08-18T23:13:30.066-04:00Braised Short Ribs with Pappardelle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwjaX1JoXZIr-Xu5j-oY4lInZWQ-59V26mCLFq6O6YgpnhQO-CqARCw3CLt_bOWcut6M2DoJqI1NLNE6vnPvR66tRCe6M0BV9_4V6jJV7JIo4l4wmyF1t8Y9HDchLbSDsicaH/s1600-h/IMG_0754.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwjaX1JoXZIr-Xu5j-oY4lInZWQ-59V26mCLFq6O6YgpnhQO-CqARCw3CLt_bOWcut6M2DoJqI1NLNE6vnPvR66tRCe6M0BV9_4V6jJV7JIo4l4wmyF1t8Y9HDchLbSDsicaH/s400/IMG_0754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371507712415710866" border="0" /></a><br />Short ribs take forever. <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2006/03/braised-short-ribs-with-guacamole.html">This recipe</a>, for instance, is pretty much a weekend affair. So when you make them, why not make a lot, right?<br /><br />But here's the problem: short ribs are not snackable. Most of the leftovers Chez ToastPoint get consumed while standing at the fridge. The Human Vacuum lacks a decent sense of temporal food allocation, so he will cheerfully eat bok choy or chickpea salad for breakfast. But hard, cold short ribs are not very appealing any time of day, and I assume they are even less appealing first thing in the morning. So they sit, delicious yet congealed, in a Tupperware.<br /><br />This is a quick and tasty solution to the Case of the Cold Short Ribs (the Cold Case of the Short Ribs?). Rich and filling, it doesn't feel like pesky leftover disposal at all—more like $18 restaurant pasta.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Braised Short Ribs with Pappardelle</span><br /><br />In a large skillet, warm over medium heat:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon olive oil</span><br /><br />Add and cook until caramelized (about 20 minutes):<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 large onions</span>, preferably sweet, roughly chopped<br /><br />Meanwhile, microwave or otherwise warm up:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2-3 leftover braised short ribs</span> (like <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2006/03/braised-short-ribs-with-guacamole.html">this ToastPoint fave</a>) plus drippings, braising liquid, or whatever made it into the Tupperware<br /><br />Shred the meat into a large bowl retaining any fatty juices that have accumulated:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2-3 Tablespoons butter</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon olive oil</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">small handful toasted pine nuts</span> (optional)<br />Just toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Watch carefully though, they burn fast!<br /><br />While the onions continue cook, bring a large pot of water to boil, <span style="font-weight: bold;">salt</span> it, then add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 lb pappardelle</span>, or other wide pasta<br /><br />When the pasta is done, drain it, dump into the bowl, and add the onions. Give everything a good long stir to get the noodles well coated.<br /><br />For that $18 restaurant feel, sprinkle with:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fresh basil</span>, roughly chopped (optional)Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-64552366739957507382009-01-25T11:16:00.001-05:002009-01-25T11:16:00.339-05:00Chicken Paella<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8aWy94SV-RuUw2K1sYlHTf7K5s2doOWfprXM-36xZhvj1WESOhO4vOi9BXVK0cj4KwpZCft9iou0BeoWPmvtzzI9P3DZz240TY_2gWgZKF8iCLsxfs5NdMnnSpxD2a840gqh/s1600-h/IMG_0666.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8aWy94SV-RuUw2K1sYlHTf7K5s2doOWfprXM-36xZhvj1WESOhO4vOi9BXVK0cj4KwpZCft9iou0BeoWPmvtzzI9P3DZz240TY_2gWgZKF8iCLsxfs5NdMnnSpxD2a840gqh/s400/IMG_0666.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294524613161190674" /></a><br />Lately, I've been trying to get over my anti-chicken bias. I like to roast a nice chicken, but I become deeply unenthusiastic when the carcass gets broken down any further. I never order chicken in restaurants, or check the chicken option on those little reply cards for weddings and banquets. This is totally unfair to the humble bird, which can be a very delicious and non-utilitarian foodstuff.<div><br /></div><div>This is a variation on <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2006/02/quick-paella-and-peach-sangria-more.html">another paella</a> I posted long ago--tweaked to accommodate ToastMom's shellfish allergy and shopping schedule that didn't permit live mussel purchasing. It is perhaps a closer kin to the simple, luscious <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2007/09/tomato-paella.html">tomato paella</a> posted more recently. But, in the spirit of pluralism, I'll give you this one too, and you can decide.</div><div><br /></div><div>In general, though, the paella trick is a useful one. The big secret: It's essentially a classier, snazzier, and much tastier version of the rice-based casseroles beloved of Midwestern moms. It seems like a lot of steps, but once you know how to build a paella, you can adapt it to many purposes.</div><div><br /></div>***<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Chicken Paella</span><br /><br />In a very large skillet with tight-fitting top, warm:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Tablespoons olive oil</span><div><br />Add and brown on all sides:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">1-2 pounds chicken thighs</span>, or parts from a whole cut up chicken, with bone in and skin on</div><div><br /></div><div>Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Wipe out pan and warm:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">2 Tablespoons olive oil</span></div><br />Add and cook until fat renders a little, about 2 minutes:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 - 1/2 pound chorizo sausage</span>, the dried kind is best cut into 1/2 inch dice, but you can crumble in the kind from the refrigerator case, too.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Add, and saute until soft:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 medium onions</span>, roughly chopped</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">2 large carrots</span>, diced<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 large garlic cloves</span>, minced<br /><br />Add and cook until softened, about 5 minutes:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained<br /></span><br />Add and stir until well coated in oil:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 cups long grain rice</span><br /><br />Pour in and bring to a boil over medium-high heat:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4 cups chicken broth</span><span style="">, </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">white wine, or water</span><br /><br />Then add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2-3/4 teaspoon saffron or ground turmeric</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 teaspoons salt</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pinch of cayenne</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pinch black pepper</span><br /><br />Arrange chicken pieces on top of the rice, put on the lid, reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed, chicken is cooked through, and the rice is soft and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan. </div><div><br /></div><div>Toss in:</div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup frozen peas</span><br /><br />Cook for 5 more minutes until peas are no longer frozen. (NOTE: A good trick is to thaw the peas in warm running water before adding them.) Turn off heat and let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Serve up in the pan and let people dig out steaming bowlfuls for themselves.</div>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-22054772551289197312009-01-23T11:13:00.001-05:002009-01-23T16:25:58.194-05:00Crab and Avocado Soup with Wasabi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytK3PVs0UBB7Q2Pw80d0qZPqFfu4l9LzoT-IzRzAYZXdN0TPcSGNu8n0BEfs0IaoRzboJDld1pHnM8CV7sL5MkP9KNwOl5MXIoabXs9tBE4mJvVv16UynXW00f2ox1496Iyd0/s1600-h/IMG_0742.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytK3PVs0UBB7Q2Pw80d0qZPqFfu4l9LzoT-IzRzAYZXdN0TPcSGNu8n0BEfs0IaoRzboJDld1pHnM8CV7sL5MkP9KNwOl5MXIoabXs9tBE4mJvVv16UynXW00f2ox1496Iyd0/s400/IMG_0742.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294304023963782706" border="0" /></a><br />My favorite kitchen muse--<a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_archive.html">rotting</a> <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2006/05/kandy-kolored-tangerine-flake.html">food</a>--is at it again. With a package of (fake) crab meat expiring in the fridge and an overzealous Costco avocado purchase, the Human Vacuum and I turned desperately to Google. And who came through for us? <a href="http://www.avocado.org/">Avocado.org</a>, of all places, with a recipe from Sam Hazen. According to the <span style="font-style: italic;">very enthusiastic</span> prose of his <a href="http://www.avocado.org/recipes/chefs/chef-list/hazen">bio</a>, Hazen is a "celebrity chef" of Tao in New York, who knows "secrets of a most delectable variety."<br /><br />Here is one of those delectable secrets--an odd, cold soup that is surprisingly satisfying as a winter lunch. It's filling, which you could probably guess from looking at the ingredients. But it's also not guacamolesque in the slightest, which you might not expect.<br /><br />***<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Crab and Avocado Soup with Wasabi</span><br />adapted from <a href="http://www.avocado.org/recipes/chefs/chef-list/hazen">avocado.org</a> (seriously)<br /><br />In a food processor, puree:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 large ripe avocados</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 1/2 cups chicken stock</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 cups minced shallots</span> (or onion)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Tablespoons lemon juice</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 1/2 teaspoons salt</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Tablespoons wasabi paste</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 teaspoon cumin powder</span><br /><br />Add and gently whir:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 cup heavy cream</span> (I used milk, and it was still plenty creamy)<br /><br />Pour into four bowls. Divide between the bowls as garnish:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4 oz. jumbo crab meat</span>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com81tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-56900960012821480902009-01-22T20:00:00.000-05:002009-01-22T20:36:38.892-05:00Matzo Ball Soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWC3IbngbUJoaxo7xmSBa8fLZxAYxpsUz4mnc21c4X_gkKVwgeIwhM6FoNzNoZAytuQkGJxNi1Cx927VKSQcO0hLbXImRRC942GMj3uZjNKoSO8PttyFl8P3ldE0LVjMQaKB3f/s1600-h/IMG_0680.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWC3IbngbUJoaxo7xmSBa8fLZxAYxpsUz4mnc21c4X_gkKVwgeIwhM6FoNzNoZAytuQkGJxNi1Cx927VKSQcO0hLbXImRRC942GMj3uZjNKoSO8PttyFl8P3ldE0LVjMQaKB3f/s400/IMG_0680.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294297066872009826" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Though I am a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiksa">shiksa</a>, raised by a shiksa, matzo balls did make the occasional appearance in my house growing up. My sister's godfather is a Jew (ponder that one for a minute!) and there was a period where ToastMom was in charge of the soup at his Passover festivities. But I didn't really understand the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into a real Passover matzo ball until I married one of the Chosen People.<br /><br />I awoke in New York on the morning of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_Seder">seder</a> and emerged from the bedroom to find the Human Vacuum's mom on the floor of her kitchen trying to strain chicken broth through cheesecloth, which involved lifting the biggest stock pot I have ever seen. She was on the floor because she's 5 feet tall on a good day and 100 pounds on a bad day, so the counters were too high for this activity.<br /><br />I chipped in that day, and have helped make the soup for every seder hosted by ToastMom-in-Law ever since. I may be a gentile, but I have known the anxiety of waiting for the matzo balls to float on Passover. I have strained chicken broth in the early morning. I have suffered for this marvelous, perfect soup. Which is it should be.<br /><br />Tales of soup-based heroism aside, matzo ball soup should not be reserved for Passover. It has all the healing powers of chicken noodle soup (indeed, it is known in some circles as Jewish Penicillin). And it's not hard to make if you have the chicken broth already on hand.<br /><br />You should give it a try. Or, in the idiom of the ethnicity responsible for the soup: Eat! You look thin!<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Matzo Ball Soup</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For the soup</span>:<br />In a large dutch oven with a lid, warm over medium heat:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon olive oil</span> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmaltz">schmaltz</a> (chicken fat)<br /><br />Add and saute until soft:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2-3 large carrots</span>, cut into coins<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 medium onions</span>, minced<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2-3 ribs celery</span>, cut into 1/4 inch pieces<br /><br />Then add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2-3 quarts chicken stock</span><br />(NOTE: If there is one place to use real, homemade stock, this is it. That said, broth from a can or box is fine. I personally wouldn't bother with bouillon broth, but it would work in a pinch--if, say, the sun is going down on Passover and you have no soup.)<br /><br />Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 teaspoon dried dill</span>, or 1 Tablespoon fresh dill<br />Generous <span style="font-weight: bold;">salt</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">pepper</span><br /><br />You can leave this simmering as long as you like, or no additional time at all. Whatever your schedule demands.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For the matzo balls</span>:<br />Start these about an <span style="font-style: italic;">hour before you want to eat</span>, though most of that time does not require your attention. I buy a box of <span style="font-weight: bold;">matzo ball mix</span> (not the soup mix, just the balls), but you could also buy matzo meal in its raw form. Both will have directions about how to turn the mix into matzo balls.<br /><br />When the directions call for refrigeration, don't skimp. That part is important to the eventually fluffiness of your creation. The recipe will also call for oil. If you have homemade chicken stock and, like me, you've been too lazy to skim it before freezing, scrape off the fat and use that instead.<br /><br />Make the matzo ball mix, refrigerate as instructed, then form into 1 inch balls. Wet or oil your hands before rolling the balls. It's less sticky that way. Drop them all in the simmering pot with the broth and close tightly. Cook for 20 minutes.<br /><br />Serve piping hot. Eat. Feel happy. Then guilty. Then happy again.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-8650701906120137782008-11-04T17:16:00.000-05:002008-11-04T17:23:41.101-05:00Palin PastaOn this, the last day of the 2008 election, and thus probably the last day the name <em>Palin</em> will decorate our highway medians (at least for three and a half years), I give you a final culinary thought on the election season:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpM2xayTIoycaNLslgyKD4xstY4RgSbRN-Py-3l9MiBtVaAAgwsclG5QOmvxXXA8zqW6l7RImvCnuXZMK9l-z4oht8pewBHGM0JMA_0l2VQ62oIM8ipOnDw6U3g7OV2JjPNBr/s1600-h/IMG_0628.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpM2xayTIoycaNLslgyKD4xstY4RgSbRN-Py-3l9MiBtVaAAgwsclG5QOmvxXXA8zqW6l7RImvCnuXZMK9l-z4oht8pewBHGM0JMA_0l2VQ62oIM8ipOnDw6U3g7OV2JjPNBr/s400/IMG_0628.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264931202005496770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />No, your eyes do not deceive you. What you see above is pasta in the form of tiny spinach and egg moose. I haven't yet tried this miracle of modern pasta science, but I already know how it will taste--like bitter, bitter tears.<br /><br />I recommend serving them in an abbreviated <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2008/03/spaghetti-carbonara.html">carbonara</a>. Fry up some bacon cut into small pieces, dress the pasta with butter, and sprinkle on bacon, Parmesan cheese, and minced fresh herbs. Alternately, use this pasta in place of elbow macaroni in Kraft mac and cheese.<br /><br />I suspect that Sarah would prefer the latter preparation.<br /><br />This moose monstrosity was generously provided by ToastMom.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-58605112326385297532008-09-19T11:30:00.000-04:002008-09-19T00:28:03.773-04:00Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgPJO86h8k1u0BzH6w0pVWhmtkA5JbE69pgRbdTgG_ani9gnuw8NppV6XxFekSec31LVntvsyosS3Fo-S1v2dNMSvMwNdCMsOmK-T0MXw6qq3HxeP7pFoU92c1z0DhQPXi5_Q/s1600-h/IMG_0576.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgPJO86h8k1u0BzH6w0pVWhmtkA5JbE69pgRbdTgG_ani9gnuw8NppV6XxFekSec31LVntvsyosS3Fo-S1v2dNMSvMwNdCMsOmK-T0MXw6qq3HxeP7pFoU92c1z0DhQPXi5_Q/s400/IMG_0576.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247577270083554786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've made this salad twice already this week. They serve it at <a href="http://www.kramers.com/books.cfm">Kramerbooks</a> in Dupont Circle alongside a pulled pork sandwich, but it's good with everything. Seriously. Everything.<br /><br />When the Human Vacuum and I hit Costco last weekend, they were hawking seedless watermelon two-packs. What kind of gluttons manage to consume two watermelons in less that 5 days? People who know about this delicious salad.<br /><br />It's a refreshing breakfast. It's a marvelous side salad. It's a fruit and cheese dessert course. It truly can be all things to all people.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad</span><br /><br />In a large bowl, whisk together:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Tablespoons olive oil</span><br />Juice of <span style="font-weight: bold;">one lemon </span>(or other acid, such as rice wine or fruit vinegar)<br /><br />Cut into small dice and add to dressing:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 of a red onion</span><br /><br />Cut into 1 inch dice and add to bowl:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 seedless watermelon</span> (or buy precut, I don't mind)<br /><br />Crumble in:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 chunk feta cheese</span>, approximately the size of a deck of cards<br /><br />Roughly chop and sprinkle on:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5-6 fresh mint leaves</span><br /><br />Stir and begin to consume immediately, standing in the kitchen, before summer is gone.<br /><br />NOTE: Delicious variations include adding toasted pine nuts, replacing feta with olives, replacing watermelon with honeydew. But the original is the best.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-66033656523652181452008-09-18T23:30:00.001-04:002008-09-19T00:25:24.077-04:00Gumbo, Or Possibly Jambalaya<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJuweCm7WfeXHswmEZMc_frO0_AqerWp5_8YMcRPdytdQMt_xl5kj9IQocfB0DdcBhYFSOQmRb0_8Z4fqHGkyxnIYxpfD97VXhOUl0tNbNq9r2BOqZB-0O-3VW2HkiWJhpTlY/s1600-h/IMG_0567.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJuweCm7WfeXHswmEZMc_frO0_AqerWp5_8YMcRPdytdQMt_xl5kj9IQocfB0DdcBhYFSOQmRb0_8Z4fqHGkyxnIYxpfD97VXhOUl0tNbNq9r2BOqZB-0O-3VW2HkiWJhpTlY/s400/IMG_0567.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247578309083963762" border="0" /></a>This is sort of gumbo, and sort of jambalaya. We had okra. We had spicy sausage. We had shrimp. I had a vague idea that all of these things were involved in Cajun cooking. And I was right--they're just not traditionally all in the same dish. I never made it to New Orleans before the hurricane, so what do I know? This dish is a freaky mutant combination of the two.<br /><br />It was delicious on the night-of, but the leftovers were the real reward. The soft, flavorful rice was a joy for lunch the next day after a night of soaking in the spicy, tomato-y juices. So make lots.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Gumbo, Or Possibly Jambalaya</span><br /><br />Heat in a large heavy bottom pan or dutch oven:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 Tablespoons oil</span><br /><br />Add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1-2 large onions</span>, diced<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 cloves garlic</span>, peeled and crushed<br /><br />Cook until onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Add and cook until warmed through:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 to 1 pound sausage</span>, kielbasa, andouille, or even chorizo, cut into coins<br /><br />Wash, remove tops and tail, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, then turn heat to high and add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 pound fresh okra</span><br /><br />When okra browns slightly, add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 Tablespoons tomato paste</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 teaspoon cayenne</span>, or more to taste<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 teaspoon oregano</span><br /><br />Cook on high, stirring often, until tomato paste starts to darken and caramelize. Add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 can diced tomatoes</span><br /><br />Give everything one more good stir, then layer on top:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 pound uncooked shrimp</span>, peeled<br /><br />Sprinkle on top of that:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 cups rice</span>, long grain preferred<br /><br />Add until rice is covered with liquid:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3-4 cups chicken stock</span>, or water, or watered wine<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">salt and pepper</span><br /><br />Turn heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until rice is tender.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-72547871234318499322008-04-16T18:10:00.001-04:002008-04-16T18:21:45.069-04:00Toasting Spring with Pastis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ePjBK4Yv_IDlR-QUIZ0pxs83Pk7cOJZA-fSWeUDJb3HeU5LuQfAczyI1I7Leu3AW1e43WTG1HSBuKHW5yZpOSxice2gaBEGq7gjhBvO2oSKkE2N32ln1zY7ri_Izeq9gLM_c/s1600-h/IMG_0454.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ePjBK4Yv_IDlR-QUIZ0pxs83Pk7cOJZA-fSWeUDJb3HeU5LuQfAczyI1I7Leu3AW1e43WTG1HSBuKHW5yZpOSxice2gaBEGq7gjhBvO2oSKkE2N32ln1zY7ri_Izeq9gLM_c/s400/IMG_0454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189970903616689458" border="0" /></a><br />It's not really spring in Boston. Far from it. But it's sunny at least, and there are birds chirping. and it's April, dammit. So I decided to break out my favorite hot weather drink: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastis">pastis</a>.<br /><br />It's the poor man's absinthe: a little sweeter, a little lower proof, and with 100 percent fewer wormwood-induced hallucinations. Mixed with cold water, it turns the color of <a href="http://shop.showcaseantiques.com/images/items/RMM692.jpg">green milk glass</a>, and makes a mean sippin' drink.<br /><br />Pastis and cold filtered water is best on a sultry August night in Paris. Failing that, it's not bad in an overheated Beantown apartment with a slice of strawberry for color. And it's delicious with one thing that's a little harder to come by in Paris: ice.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To make your own, just pour 1 ounce of pastis, such as Ricard, over ice and dilute with water to taste. I go about 2 parts water to 1 part pastis, but go with whatever appeals to you.</span>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-673400502491780462008-03-20T01:06:00.000-04:002008-03-19T22:26:57.738-04:00Spaghetti Carbonara<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN71EMVAIN4xSOWIMggjUq06f3Kj00iFv_Jo2NiWay5HATKT7ksNioqOrS-0CtVnp1w-FcqMs-xSx-PXXRUAHITEdRV2FQEI9fTvsbEB7QjEkXyu2A5wVi7Gi-g-a51pNbbWFs/s1600-h/100_2541.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN71EMVAIN4xSOWIMggjUq06f3Kj00iFv_Jo2NiWay5HATKT7ksNioqOrS-0CtVnp1w-FcqMs-xSx-PXXRUAHITEdRV2FQEI9fTvsbEB7QjEkXyu2A5wVi7Gi-g-a51pNbbWFs/s400/100_2541.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135079015972170674" border="0" /></a><br />My college roommate (of <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2006/02/bourbon-pear-apple-sauce.html">bourbon pear apple sauce</a> fame) made the simplest, fastest version of this recipe for me the day I arrived to visit her in Paris for the first time, jetlagged and starving, farther from home than I'd ever been. She plunked a bowl down in front of me of just-boiled pasta, tossed with egg and cheese. It was a revelation--something new, yet familiar and comforting. It was precisely the right way to start off my first (semi) grown up travel in a foreign land.<br /><br />As we all know, however, bacon makes everything better. This iteration of the dish, called by its right name, <span style="font-style: italic;">spaghetti carbonara</span>, is bacon and eggs on pasta. In the spirit of my roommate, I tolerate no fripperies here. Cream? No. Red pepper flakes? No. Even pancetta is too much for me--it's better with American-style salty pig bits. Just pasta slicked in bacon grease and egg yolk. You know you love it.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Spaghetti Carbonara</span><br /><br />Start water boiling for pasta.<br /><br />In a large skillet, fry:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5 slices of bacon</span>, cut into half inch pieces (or however many slices you have left in the package--this is flexible)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 whole clove garlic</span>, peeled and lightly crushed<br /><br />When the bacon is very crisp, remove the pieces from the pan with a slotted spoon. I know it seems fussy, but it's totally worth it for crispy bacon at the end.<br /><br />While the pan is still hot, splash in:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Tablespoons vermouth</span>, white white, or similar (optional)<br /><br />After the booze bubbles off, turn the heat off and leave the pan sitting on the burner.<br /><br />Meanwhile, beat together:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 eggs</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup grated Parmesan</span> or similar<br />lots of <span style="font-weight: bold;">fresh ground black pepper</span><br />I always do this in a Pyrex measuring cup, for ease of pouring later.<br /><br />Cook <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 pound of spaghetti </span>according to the package directions. Drain. Dump the pasta into the bacon grease pan and turn until the strands are coated. Then slowly drizzle in the egg mixture, stirring vigorously to avoid clumping. The heat from the pasta will cook the egg and melt the cheese.<br /><br />Sprinkle with fresh <span style="font-weight: bold;">herbs</span> for pretty if you have guests. If you don't have guests, eating leftovers for breakfast is legit: It's bacon and eggs!Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-91936056119148064842008-03-14T12:56:00.000-04:002008-03-14T15:15:29.933-04:00Irish Potatoes?What have we here?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhup56HYQN4ETglQNOfHzLoOoA976_cyu8chh1ydvbJ7PpHUoYTRBKgZQeePNXh1oeQWAI2_UzChgxvsPwEqCPKxHDa6yxH6T4XzSsRluj2oshQAwMvREjiIhfNZnfYAxLMBirv/s1600-h/IMG_0308.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhup56HYQN4ETglQNOfHzLoOoA976_cyu8chh1ydvbJ7PpHUoYTRBKgZQeePNXh1oeQWAI2_UzChgxvsPwEqCPKxHDa6yxH6T4XzSsRluj2oshQAwMvREjiIhfNZnfYAxLMBirv/s400/IMG_0308.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176653914543355490" border="0" /></a>Could these be the world's most precious new potatoes, plucked from the carefully-tended beds of an eccentric billionaire's winter greenhouse? Are they Idaho spuds genetically modified for dwarfism? Peel-and-eat tater tots? Could they be some kind of modern art commentary on the Irish-American immigrant experience?<br /><br />Nope. They're <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ryans-Irish-Potatoes-Ounce-igourmet-com/dp/B0006TLIG0">Oh Ryan's Original Irish Potatoes (TM)</a>! What are these taste treats made of, you ask?:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LpX0twf7ifzB1jsKcDdD2YXm9EPjSe585OBZR3_gS3NjFfMiyNoYriknZDf2-YG6WytdWOKIm5fDYjkt9tBy0r6bkXOvtQihbmw3mLqsMsNJRjY__GaoNK9op0fmvzAdLRUJ/s1600-h/IMG_0299.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LpX0twf7ifzB1jsKcDdD2YXm9EPjSe585OBZR3_gS3NjFfMiyNoYriknZDf2-YG6WytdWOKIm5fDYjkt9tBy0r6bkXOvtQihbmw3mLqsMsNJRjY__GaoNK9op0fmvzAdLRUJ/s400/IMG_0299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176655314702694002" border="0" /></a>Like the <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2008/03/hummingbird-cake.html">hummingbird cake</a> from earlier this week, they straddle the delicious/horrifying divide expertly. Also like the hummingbird cake, they have a certain retro feel--the green foil labeling, the playing on outdated ethnic stereotypes ("Ha ha! Those Paddys can't get enough of the 'taters!"), the weird compulsion to <a href="http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/jello/11.html">make food look like other foods</a> or <a href="http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/partycake/5.html">non-food items</a>.<br /><br />I picked up this box for something like four bucks at my friendly neighborhood Shaw's grocery store. Look for them wherever trashy, sugary seasonal foods are sold. Get your own box in time for Monday's St. Patrick's Day festivities, and line your stomach with a few Oh Ryan's Original Irish Potatoes (TM) before you start guzzling whisky and/or green beer. It's the Irish way!Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com320tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-13292816892315397352008-03-12T09:24:00.000-04:002008-03-12T22:21:41.545-04:00Nearly No-Knead BreadI. Made. Bread.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKl_L0uQfJEGrLty-GUGBrYEO8gVK1blN-xWlHYbbAa-7xpBbommT4l5hqo_AcDioVeiCIzYe4y5ZnvfWFPxxzCP4bzJvtsTa7wJH-LLADIJDrr59q1Po4ds_N3RRE9UvoOnxh/s1600-h/IMG_0322.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKl_L0uQfJEGrLty-GUGBrYEO8gVK1blN-xWlHYbbAa-7xpBbommT4l5hqo_AcDioVeiCIzYe4y5ZnvfWFPxxzCP4bzJvtsTa7wJH-LLADIJDrr59q1Po4ds_N3RRE9UvoOnxh/s400/IMG_0322.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176661404966319762" border="0" /></a><br />And not just any bread. Good bread.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTb9cgwr3MLfA8sajHi-bBLMRHr3L5FgUWXMEI4KU6BmK4XtJ2T1EsV6tNGcvoZzFbuqrdtZKkcNsEer3jNy9E689xOtRXOeZF2QD2UB5IR5XrpwdxYlEycx2jDA3-Hm5c-2S/s1600-h/IMG_0319.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTb9cgwr3MLfA8sajHi-bBLMRHr3L5FgUWXMEI4KU6BmK4XtJ2T1EsV6tNGcvoZzFbuqrdtZKkcNsEer3jNy9E689xOtRXOeZF2QD2UB5IR5XrpwdxYlEycx2jDA3-Hm5c-2S/s400/IMG_0319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176663140133107394" border="0" /></a><br />Bakery-quality...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP8_geIiQz7NFzAFkR1u0hBbcLe68XCyUaiw_Weban4xS6RE57mgacOBWxl8EFrvqDTrsr8PwbRhoN8adJ4Hvq0B8LkZswcDWWxsp5bYtpMS-7QSzKRzGQhYMrXRAcTRrZieD/s1600-h/IMG_0317.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP8_geIiQz7NFzAFkR1u0hBbcLe68XCyUaiw_Weban4xS6RE57mgacOBWxl8EFrvqDTrsr8PwbRhoN8adJ4Hvq0B8LkZswcDWWxsp5bYtpMS-7QSzKRzGQhYMrXRAcTRrZieD/s400/IMG_0317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176661383491483266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Crisp-crusted...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPLxSWKBU5y2mKral91AT0vGrC4A0Om2R8RiDUVjoiN0y0dDZGK9gMTUmtxCy00aZWEIpbAP_hRqEDUONnzsYY3EFXfJdcQ2ouTg5-yNpaPt_ExDKVlM3OWrpxC7s4wukgPhP/s1600-h/IMG_0318.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPLxSWKBU5y2mKral91AT0vGrC4A0Om2R8RiDUVjoiN0y0dDZGK9gMTUmtxCy00aZWEIpbAP_hRqEDUONnzsYY3EFXfJdcQ2ouTg5-yNpaPt_ExDKVlM3OWrpxC7s4wukgPhP/s400/IMG_0318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176663118658270882" border="0" /></a><br />Tangy, moist-crumbed bread.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpH7_ZwOJEIX2MITzLXAgc2I40ycrRzWDrC7D3VgxjTehhD7iHOTNe33hEbDe855yv08DyOx5fDXo0L2Lnaaa0kAiG2XcJFG7cPqVjn73FW6wlr5uk0IESVs8Rfobpz1S0gqZM/s1600-h/IMG_0329.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpH7_ZwOJEIX2MITzLXAgc2I40ycrRzWDrC7D3VgxjTehhD7iHOTNe33hEbDe855yv08DyOx5fDXo0L2Lnaaa0kAiG2XcJFG7cPqVjn73FW6wlr5uk0IESVs8Rfobpz1S0gqZM/s400/IMG_0329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176663127248205490" border="0" /></a><br />There are those who must be thanked. 1) The Human Vacuum, who gave me a subscription to <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cook's Illustrated</span></a> this Valentine's Day, and 2) the fine people in America's Test Kitchens (where <span style="font-style: italic;">Cook's</span> is produced), who labored mightily to improve the already miraculous <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=1&oref=slogin">No Knead Bread</a> recipe recently popularized by the <span style="font-style: italic;">NYT</span>'s Mark Bittman, and succeeded.<br /><br />If you are, like me, yeastphobic and shy of bread baking, this is the way to begin. First, watch the <a href="http://video.on.nytimes.com/index.jsp?fr_story=35eac03d90314ffed6a0c0ae143ab87b1474fb89">video</a> of Bittman making his version of the bread, complete with a demonstration of the cool technique where you cook it in a Dutch oven. Then read the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html">article</a> in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Times</span> that explains why letting the dough sit for 12-24 hours works gluten miracles.<br /><br />And then listen up while I tell you about the tweaks in <span style="font-style: italic;">Cook's Illustrated</span>: The flavor is improved by adding a little beer and a little vinegar. The texture is improved by reducing the liquid and indulging in a smidge of kneading between the first (super long) rise, and the second (shorter) rise. Just 15 quick knead. Also, <span style="font-style: italic;">Cook's</span> offers a handy tip: when you turn out the dough, do it on a piece of parchment paper and then use the paper to lower the ball of bread dough into the already hot Dutch oven. Just leave the paper in there while it cooks and spare yourself burnt hands at all stages of the process.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cook's Illustrated</span> is protective of its innovations (and rightly so), so I have made a moral compromise and annotated the <span style="font-style: italic;">NYT</span> recipe below rather than copying the <span style="font-style: italic;">Cook's</span> recipe. But you should really <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/subscribe.asp?incode=ICB07C0F0">subscribe</a>.<br /><br />***<br />Here's the <span style="font-style: italic;">Times</span> recipe, with my notes on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Cook's</span> tweaks in <span style="font-style: italic;">itals:</span><br /><p>No Knead Bread <span style="font-style: italic;">(or in this case Nearly No Knead Bread)</span><br /></p><p>Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery <span style="font-style: italic;">and Cook's Illustrated</span><br />Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising</p> <p>3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting<br />¼ teaspoon instant yeast<br />1¼ teaspoons salt<br /><del>Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed</del>. <span style="font-style: italic;">I skipped this and just used a little more flour</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons room temperature water</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons light flavored American lager beer, like Bud</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 Tablespoon white vinegar </span><br /><br />1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add <del>1 5/8 cups water</del><span style="font-style: italic;"> 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons room temperature water, plus 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons light flavored American lager beer plus 1 Tablespoon white vinegar</span>, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. </p><p><span class="bold">2. </span> Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; <del>sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. </del></p><del> <p><span class="bold">3. </span> Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.</p></del> <span style="font-style: italic;">Knead the dough 15 times, then form into a ball. Optional: Place on a sheet of parchment paper.</span> Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.<p></p> <p><span class="bold">4. </span> At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to <del>450</del> 500 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. <del>Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.</del> <span style="font-style: italic;">Lift dough into pan on the sheet of parchment and reduce heat to 425.</span> Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.</p> <p> <span class="bold">Yield</span>: One 1½-pound loaf.</p>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-76872916668545391532008-03-11T21:06:00.000-04:002008-03-11T18:09:06.720-04:00Hummingbird Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdKHyt2AFQA9x3N8V16l_aOonAibeh5uQSu8kRfTLSc4TC1fyTnXBdwk72gma_tQwzLkTOZpEHN3MuwlAP-dfwmeHB4O8ILQ_gXekn4LkLjFrPAAlnymsIuyo8IjzwVv3pHie/s1600-r/100_2850.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IIN4m7x9Y9BXTSUwKpKg1j-BcoumuwpgR3hwOcyDNl3HigtRWYCFL4fdf3tI2ydWlJmNbjhuVwKUSeeIkgruCUVyy8AYSHEH3reYt_kOvYWPjDzTI9EmkKcs1jpRuKzMhc7r/s400/100_2850.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139562502981448818" border="0" /></a><br />I've been hesitating over whether to post this cake for months. Because it's sort of delicious and sort of disgusting at the same time.<br /><br />When the holiday season descends, some people rewatch <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4867975537967299162"><span style="font-style: italic;">It's a Wonderful Life</span></a>, some people read <span style="font-style: italic;">The Night Before Christmas</span> aloud <span style="font-style: italic;">en famille</span>. And some of us--a very special sorority, to be sure--flip through the recipe boxes of their ancestors.<br /><br />For some reason, I was struck this year by the fact that my granny's recipe box, a flimsy tin number painted with orange flowers, contains about a million recipes involving a can of crushed pineapple. There must have been a craze for the stuff that coincided with my granny's most prolific young-wifely recipe clipping phase.<br /><br />This mad assemblage of spice cake, banana, and canned pineapple under a blanket (really more like a duvet, actually) of cream cheese frosting could not be ignored. It was ridiculously fun for the ToastWomen to make. Truly, you have not lived until you have poured <span style="font-weight: bold;">one and a half cups of "salad oil"</span> into a bowl of cake batter. Even now, an image of the Pyrex measuring cup, overflowing with oil, looms golden and horrifying in my mind's eye.<br /><br />The result was headachingly sweet. One thin slice could send the vulnerable into diabetic coma. To my mind, it actually <span style="font-style: italic;">tasted</span> retro. This one is, I think, for dedicated nostalgic cooks only. And yet...the taste sticks with you. It's "different," with all that the use of the term implies, good and bad. In fact, I wouldn't mind having a slice right now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82kXrPNSfI5td5v_n4DBakgcHv2kgdiVPaVkoNmdrMQ_CBxuoOlQDcf37GodFb0WOE5iZT2w8d-75C37zkPBObT_vgCvubAUrPUfGRVlcxX1BhFAC15dyzszL2CerRTRHJvrF/s1600-r/100_2840.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9JBGip_VGlQHOrxvAR5yxxvEhvN4Xqah29lEXzkpsx1TUjCh_xV1upwwUnlgDhAsIy7tJmnm3GfxgxJjByj_R097LflE6mGUcTxoCXVw37W6qFGLutKXIM408HlWfJukC8xn/s400/100_2840.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139562640420402306" border="0" /></a><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hummingbird Cake</span><br />from my granny's recipe box, with granny-style directions preserved<br /><br />For the cake:<br />3 cups <span style="font-weight: bold;">flour</span><br />2 cups <span style="font-weight: bold;">sugar</span><br />1 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">salt</span><br />1 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">cinnamon</span><br />3 <span style="font-weight: bold;">eggs</span>, beaten<br />1 1/2 cups <span style="font-weight: bold;">salad oil</span><br />1 1/2 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">vanilla</span><br />1 <span style="font-weight: bold;">can 8 oz crushed pineapple</span>, unstrained<br />2 cups chopped <span style="font-weight: bold;">pecans</span>, divided<br />2 cups chopped <span style="font-weight: bold;">bananas</span><br /><br />Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bow, add eggs and oil, stir<br />until moistened. DO NOT BEAT. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup nuts and<br />bananas. Spoon batter into 3 9" greased pans/ Bake at 350 degrees for<br />25-30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes.<br /><br />For the frosting:<br />2 8 oz packages <span style="font-weight: bold;">cream cheese</span>, softened<br />1 cups <span style="font-weight: bold;">butter</span>, softened<br />2 package 16 oz each of <span style="font-weight: bold;">powdered sugar</span><br />2 teaspoons <span style="font-weight: bold;">vanilla</span><br /><br />Combine cream cheese and butter until smooth, add powdered sugar slowly<br />and beat until fluffy. Stir in vanilla, put nuts on top (I didn't, as you can see, because I'm not a fan of nuts in dessert).<br /><br />[ToastPoint notes: Obviously, you should frost the cake, using the usual layer cake method, before putting the nuts on top. Serve on a vintage-y cake plate. Store in refrigerator, or the bananas continue to ripen in a scary way.]Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-39131669811380527922008-02-27T20:43:00.000-05:002008-02-27T18:01:46.279-05:00ToastPoint Goes Dutch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBsaGJiUIChcfbUj9Fm124scRl-BgwWJGd1b93Ihym5r0XAigmvQ6bGidhDosNyqP6GPdsYPNiv8GJfLJqLIvjMZ_T49vfEbhc-T7Ll6yvHzw_8DQBZ826Vq6QoONlu6B3e8h/s1600-h/IMG_0016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBsaGJiUIChcfbUj9Fm124scRl-BgwWJGd1b93Ihym5r0XAigmvQ6bGidhDosNyqP6GPdsYPNiv8GJfLJqLIvjMZ_T49vfEbhc-T7Ll6yvHzw_8DQBZ826Vq6QoONlu6B3e8h/s400/IMG_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171794971383243970" border="0" /></a><br />ToastPoint recently had occasion to take an excursion to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Countries">Low Countries</a>, and what did she find there? Dutch babies! No, not the offspring of Amsterdammers (though I'm sure there are some of those around): Delicious fluffy pancakes, in their bite-sized manifestation in this case. If the small American pancake is a silver dollar pancake, then I suppose these are silver <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1786306.stm">guilder</a> pancakes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRazetv1fa1sSiiOwzkK1BynWiESm139wkY_d7a9QaIlA9ScOtiRKBhjhOmN-3jaYTDsPn1TN9akiKHecoy0gBc9yVFYnWMRFHvA1NC_-_OV6I83KRO6qSIhf6yd9_4BXr76r/s1600-h/IMG_0013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRazetv1fa1sSiiOwzkK1BynWiESm139wkY_d7a9QaIlA9ScOtiRKBhjhOmN-3jaYTDsPn1TN9akiKHecoy0gBc9yVFYnWMRFHvA1NC_-_OV6I83KRO6qSIhf6yd9_4BXr76r/s400/IMG_0013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171795297800758482" border="0" /></a>The Human Vacuum and I savored this light-yet-filling treat at an unlikely location: A tiny basement level coffeeshop/Internet cafe right next door to the <a href="http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2">Anne Frank House</a>. After contemplating wartime privation and tragedy, nothing will cheer you up like a peek at your email and a late breakfast of sweet, eggy, buttery, sugar-dusted treats (or, oddly, a pastrami sandwich, if you prefer). The juxtaposition of the sober, modern museum facade and the cheery red canopy of the cafe is a perfect example of truth in advertising.<br /><br />If you can't make it to Amsterdam, there's an appealing <a href="http://orangette.blogspot.com/2005/02/9-am-sunday-butter-and-babies.html">recipe for making your own jumbo version at Orangette</a>.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-58630220994006335002008-02-27T00:33:00.000-05:002008-02-26T21:33:50.030-05:00Cucumber Tangerine Salad with Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV0TU2SJo8nIKwGx_UWX2FAZZ3ZHb6Z9xaNFvRq72jKGOYIYxndX4LQEvALMroUAclUMmIvsQCvs4XveKl9iOXkwLJaOmjXjFdOhusWWrtCYRPI7wCf0vKO9unu8npVw72WqA/s1600-h/IMG_0273.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV0TU2SJo8nIKwGx_UWX2FAZZ3ZHb6Z9xaNFvRq72jKGOYIYxndX4LQEvALMroUAclUMmIvsQCvs4XveKl9iOXkwLJaOmjXjFdOhusWWrtCYRPI7wCf0vKO9unu8npVw72WqA/s400/IMG_0273.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171471070719583410" border="0" /></a><br />The name pretty much tells you everything you need to know--this salad sounds like a crazy person assembled it. But it tastes like that crazy person was really an<span style="font-style: italic;"> idiot savant de salade</span>. It's in the same spirit as the even crazier, even more delicious dish at the longstanding D.C. Greek and Turkish tapas hotspot, Zatiniya. There, they call it "<a href="http://www.zagat.com/Verticals/Menu.aspx?VID=8&R=74743&HID=3606">Portakal Salatasi</a>" which the menus describes as "oranges, red onion, pine nuts, kalamata olives and feta with orange blossom dressing."<br /><br />You should really go to Zantiniya (Hint: Go early so that don't have to wait with the beautiful people at the bar for an eternity. The place is very chic) and have their version. But failing that, this is a tasty, quickie at-home version that omits the olives and is therefore slightly less threatening and more of a go-along-to-get-along side salad.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cucumber Tangerine Salad with Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts</span><br /><br />In a dry pan, gently toast until golden:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 cup pine nuts</span><br /><br />Cut in quarters lengthwise:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 English seedless cucumber</span> (or a normal cuke, if that's what you have)<br /><br />Peel and de-pith:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 tangerine</span>, mandarin, or other small orange-like fruit<br />Pull segments apart and cut each one in half.<br /><br />Combine all of the above in a bowl, and toss with:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon white vinegar</span> (I used rice wine vinegar)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 teaspoon rosewater</span> or orangeflower water (optional)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">black pepper</span> to taste<br /><br />Crumble on top:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Tablespoons goat cheese</span><br /><br />Refrigerate until serving.<span id="ctl00_ctl00_MainMasterPageContentHolder_MainContentPlaceHolder_Menu_lblMenu"><br /></span>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-64375702381222893722008-02-27T00:32:00.000-05:002008-02-26T21:33:05.225-05:00Indian Asparagus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fVrQjSjbdjYPVuM7u86u6a33EgLe_FmqL4w9MEmfkucbROmo3YP3FjhaDzQg5o2zh5sq1e1qJWf024lzVk8E9noCPfxmrfW1HzypefK89ayrGWuz9yPUrzmiBZHL_E9vaI2B/s1600-h/100_2754.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fVrQjSjbdjYPVuM7u86u6a33EgLe_FmqL4w9MEmfkucbROmo3YP3FjhaDzQg5o2zh5sq1e1qJWf024lzVk8E9noCPfxmrfW1HzypefK89ayrGWuz9yPUrzmiBZHL_E9vaI2B/s400/100_2754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135074016630238098" border="0" /></a><br />I love asparagus. We here in the ToastPoint household buy asparagus nearly every time we go to the store, regardless of season (take <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> <a href="http://www.michaelpollan.com/article.php?id=80">Michael Pollan</a>!). But as good as basic steamed asparagus is, sometimes you want something a little more interesting. Especially in the winter when puttering around the kitchen and fussing with multiple hot pans is more appealing.<br /><br />And how can you lose by adding oil, spices, yogurt, tomato, and nuts? The result is really good (if not nearly as good for you as the steamed version), and suitable for serving to foodies.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Disclosure: The fine people at The Lisa Ekus Group sent me this cookbook (for free!) umpteen months ago and I have been sitting on this recipe since then, because I am an ungrateful wretch. It's a pretty book full of pretty food, and would be good for those who have mastered the basics and are in the market for a take-it-to-the-next level Indian cookbook for dinner party recipes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></span></span></span></span>***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Indian Asparagus with Pistachios<br />(based</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">on</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Hari Nayak and Vikas Khanna's </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Sweet and Sour Asparagus with Cashews from</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Indian-Cooking-Hari-Nayak/dp/1596372338">Modern Indian Cooking</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br />Boil for 2 minutes, plunge into cold water, and then set aside:<br />1 lb <span style="font-weight: bold;">asparagus</span><br /><br />In a large skillet, warm over medium high heat:<br />3 Tablespoons <span style="font-weight: bold;">oil</span><br /><br />Briefly fry:<br />1/2 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">cumin seeds</span><br />1/2 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">mustard seeds</span><br /><br />Quickly add and cook until golden brown:<br />1 large <span style="font-weight: bold;">onion</span>, thinly sliced<br /><br />Add and fry for one minute:<br />1 Tablespoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">fresh</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">ginger</span>, minced<br />1 clove <span style="font-weight: bold;">garlic</span>, minced<br />2 small <span style="font-weight: bold;">chili peppers</span>, de-seeded and minced<br /><br />Stir in:<br />1 Tablespoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">ground coriander</span><br />1/2 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">ground cumin</span><br />salt<br />1 large <span style="font-weight: bold;">tomato</span>, chopped (I used a small can of diced tomatoes, drained)<br />1/4 cut <span style="font-weight: bold;">yogurt</span><br /><br />Cook for a minute or two, then add the asparagus and cook for another minute or two.<br /><br />Serve garnished with <span style="font-weight: bold;">pistachios</span> (or the cashews in the original recipe)Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-47379603042266710752007-12-02T20:29:00.000-05:002007-12-02T20:54:21.934-05:00Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7i0XxTzeTaYW-l8-7r1TgBzYnD63vCT3lM1RZvmBkMnWn_o4-Te9fMoMdbwvR5JvAbOr8UEZhOPZa4qSphOVQUYyViMkZZ0WN_xAMKCg6HOhho3Gl4-pNF5Fp5XbkoOmoRDK/s1600-r/100_2873.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqwxqd19uSLm_w-dtc7BBZ0UDLzupfIlcrhPKvqz6mIvLDrxf4szRjEoxPxF8Q8KZWzqoEVhavj6VjcbdkN82Bly0QgvaBK1lzDe3jU0RXwBRq2fyGInV7TLylnjooDKnTjIO/s400/100_2873.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139554604536591458" border="0" /></a><br />Some day--no time soon, mind you, but some day--I'm going to be a horrible pregnant woman. Already, despite being 100 percent non-gestating, I have incredibly specific food cravings, often for frustratingly unspecified dishes.<br /><br />Today, for instance, I was grooving on the memory of some great Thanksgiving sweet potatoes (Craig Claiborne's recipe, for those who are interested), but wasn't in the mood for the traditional brown sugar glaze. Instead, I wanted something spicy and exciting to go with the lamb chops and <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2007/05/braised-bok-choy.html">baby bok choy</a> I had planned for dinner. And now, thanks to the miracle of Google, even very vague cravings can be satisfied. A search for "sweet potatoes + spices + recipe" yielded <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/106070">this</a> fantastic, hit-the-spot result. These are definitely going into the regular rotation, since they're as easy as they are tasty <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> they make the house smell fabulous. I'm sure to be craving them again soon.<br /><br />Hey, at least it's not pickles and ice cream.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes</span><br /><br />Preheat oven to 425 degrees<br /><br />Combine:<br />1 Tablespoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">ground coriander</span><br />1 1/2 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">oregano</span><br />1 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">allspice</span><br />1 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">cayenne pepper</span> (this makes them fairly spicy, adjust according to your preferences)<br />1 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">salt</span><br />3 Tablespoons <span style="font-weight: bold;">oil</span><br /><br />Wash and cut into steak fry-sized wedges, leaving the skin on:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 large sweet potatoes</span><br /><br />Coat potatoes in oil and spices, spread on baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes, turning once.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-76722336371355404622007-11-21T00:59:00.000-05:002007-11-20T18:44:01.411-05:00Into the Meat Grinder: Bittman's Best Burgers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsMynlcU6mV9tljzpmYenHdToLi4L2X0kr8RxJxXxyMs3gANQ7_f9njZcfG7ZKPbdr1gDNfWd2mQ73fjkWlu4prMeDjUda-lHHgTXUgA-ssg1fVKbkrz-czH12IQuE8qFgOFe/s1600-h/bittmanburgers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsMynlcU6mV9tljzpmYenHdToLi4L2X0kr8RxJxXxyMs3gANQ7_f9njZcfG7ZKPbdr1gDNfWd2mQ73fjkWlu4prMeDjUda-lHHgTXUgA-ssg1fVKbkrz-czH12IQuE8qFgOFe/s400/bittmanburgers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5073340485943170386" border="0" /></a>Since I'm on quite a <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times</span> recipe kick, I might as well post my long-ignored and semi-ignoble effort from this summer at grinding my own meat for burgers. I'm generally not a fanatical DIY cook. I don't can things. I don't bake bread. I only make stock grudgingly and as a sous chef. But ol' Bittman <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/23/dining/231mrex.html?pagewanted=print">convinced</a> me that burger nirvana was right around the corner if only I ground my own.<br /><br />And he didn't just convince me, he convinced Toast-Mother-in-Law, a New Yorker and avid reader of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Times</span>. So this summer she brought some chunks of sirloin out to Long Island and we went to work.<br /><br />After singing the praises of hand-ground meat--and reassuring us that all we needed was a food processor, not some hand-cranked machine manned by a beefy guy in a bloody apron--Bittman warns readers: "Don’t overprocess. You want the equivalent of chopped meat, not a meat purée. The finer you grind the meat, the more likely you are to pack it together too tightly, which will make the burger tough."<br /><br />These seemingly low-key words struck a little too much fear in my heart and I underprocessed. Bittman has also exhorted us to buy fatty meat, and my burgers had too many pieces of insufficiently ground fat in them to really be enjoyable. Still, they were very flavorful and I might try again next summer.<br /><br />If you're looking to recall summer on the first day of flurries (in Boston, anyway) try these under the broiler on on the stove top. And don't be afraid to grind aggressively.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bittman's Burgers</span><br />As <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/23/dining/231mrex.html?pagewanted=print">printed</a> in <span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times</span><br /><p>1 1/2 to 2 pounds <span style="font-weight: bold;">not-too-lean sirloin</span>, in chunks<br />1/2 white <span style="font-weight: bold;">onion</span>, peeled and in chunks, optional<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Salt</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">pepper</span> to taste.</p> <p>1. Start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill. Or, on stove top, heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 3 or 4 minutes.</p> <p>2. Put meat and onion in a food processor, in batches if necessary, and pulse until coarsely ground: finer than chopped, but not much. Put it in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste, then add more seasoning if necessary. (If desired, cook a teaspoon of meat in a pan before tasting.) Handling meat as little as possible to avoid compressing it, shape it lightly into 4 or more burgers. </p> <p>3. Fire is hot enough when you can barely stand to hold your hand 3 or 4 inches over rack for a few seconds. Grill burgers about 3 minutes a side for very rare, and another minute a side for each increasing stage of doneness, but no more than 10 minutes total unless you like hockey pucks. (Timing on stove top is the same.)</p> <p>4. Serve on buns, toast or hard rolls, garnished as you like.</p>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-60663358017770715462007-11-20T22:18:00.000-05:002007-11-20T18:28:31.693-05:00Mango Chicken with Caramelized Onions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSF2iA531atb22GJsYHXZPfTVWadlcxGIwGnax2UTMFMd-LA32oDg4PTfK0Vsow7yOg698uaezJJebeCBnfMVdvUWCb59IUHG4UNWjJH1sywLbbB-iDaglTYZ58MPWQVR_sXs/s1600-h/mangochicken.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSF2iA531atb22GJsYHXZPfTVWadlcxGIwGnax2UTMFMd-LA32oDg4PTfK0Vsow7yOg698uaezJJebeCBnfMVdvUWCb59IUHG4UNWjJH1sywLbbB-iDaglTYZ58MPWQVR_sXs/s400/mangochicken.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054958806118787282" border="0" /></a><br />I'm not sure when it happened, but I am pretty much exclusively a sweet onion gal. Sure, I'll buy the occasional red onion for a particular recipe, or a big mesh bag of plain yellow onions if I must. But if there are Vidalias available, I'll grab them every time.<br /><br />I suspect that this has something to do with my serious impatience as a cook. Waiting for onions to soften, or God forbid, caramelize is torture for me. So I cheat with high-sugar, already softish sweet onions.<br /><br />For a while I was on a campaign to convince the Human Vacuum that sweet onions don't make you tear up as much, in an effort to keep him from fleeing the kitchen when the onion slicing began. I've stalwartly stuck to this position, but he and I both know it's pretty much a lie.<br /><br />Below, a recipe for when you're up to some serious onion frying.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mango Chicken with Caramelized Onions</span><br /><br />In a large skillet over medium heat, warm:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon olive oil</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon butter</span><br /><br />Add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 large sweet onions</span>, very thinly sliced<br /><br />Saute until onions are very soft and quite brown--this is where the flavor comes from, so don't skimp. Turn the heat up to high and add:<br />Glug of <span style="font-weight: bold;">vermouth</span> or white wine<br /><br />Wait for most of the liquid to cook off, then add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 pound chicken thighs</span>, trimmed and cut into 1 inch chunks<br /><br />Brown chicken, then add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 ripe mangoes</span>, peeled , cored, and cut into 1 inch chunks<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon dried cilantro</span>, or 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped<br /><br />Cook until mangoes soften slightly and serve over rice.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-67024476555351301782007-11-19T15:18:00.000-05:002007-11-19T15:26:14.474-05:00Sinful/Ethical Macaroni and Cheese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmD0WVBfV1VUvsNe1304krEaeJ5BsdTAqeUAqbe8oieseI0lATlg-HMlussTQZvfFu7r2w8CSqBB9qO_L_V9tYZY7Vdw-3puIyjYWYsi0K6CobKtV0rz6oUz9ulA8KZG9MI38/s1600-h/macandcheese.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmD0WVBfV1VUvsNe1304krEaeJ5BsdTAqeUAqbe8oieseI0lATlg-HMlussTQZvfFu7r2w8CSqBB9qO_L_V9tYZY7Vdw-3puIyjYWYsi0K6CobKtV0rz6oUz9ulA8KZG9MI38/s400/macandcheese.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134649639501654674" border="0" /></a><br />There has been a lot going on Chez ToastPoint in recent months, not least of which is that its denizens decided to stop living in sin. So I am now Mrs. Human Vacuum. But just when the sinfulness quotient had fallen to near zero in our household, I decided to make mac and cheese. What’s that you say? Mac and cheese--the dinner of choice for millions of angelic children everywhere--seems <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/10/cheddar-and-elbows-exalted">innocent</a> enough? Ha. Not if the ratio of cheese to pasta is 2:1. You read that right: the dish pictured above contains one half of a pound of pasta and a full pound of cheese.<br /><br />This recipe was on the “most emailed” list at <span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times</span> homepage for weeks, and deservedly so. Before now, I’d never made mac and cheese at home from scratch, but restaurant mac and cheese nearly always disappoints. Too much white sauce, not enough cheese, and never enough crisped, chewy top layer. This recipe answers all those objections. It is the Platonic form of mac and cheese. (And easy to make too!)<br /><br />So what occasioned this dive into gluttony now? Lately, H.V. has been playing tennis with a friend of his on the occasional weekend evening. The boys return from their game and I feed them--a pleasingly domestic event. This particular friend is a very ethical eater. He is the sort of person who carries around a card in his wallet with lists of which fish are OK and which are off limits from an ecological standpoint. He’s evangelical about his decisions in an ultra-low key way. He’s also a gratifying big eater, which makes a cook forgive the slight inconvenience of a big list of verboten ingredients. And this meal goes to show that you can be ethical and sinful all at once.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Creamy Macaroni and Cheese<br /></span>The recipe, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/04/dining/041wrex.html">as provided in <span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times</span></a>, which I followed very nearly exactly, with excellent results.<br /><br />2 Tablespoons <span style="font-weight: bold;">butter</span><br />1 cup <span style="font-weight: bold;">cottage cheese</span> (not lowfat) (NOTE: I used 2 percent)<br />2 cups <span style="font-weight: bold;">milk</span> (not skim) (NOTE: I used whole milk)<br />1 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">dry mustard</span><br />Pinch <span style="font-weight: bold;">cayenne</span><br />Pinch freshly grated <span style="font-weight: bold;">nutmeg</span><br />1⁄2 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">salt</span><br />1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground <span style="font-weight: bold;">black pepper</span><br />1 pound sharp or extra-sharp <span style="font-weight: bold;">cheddar cheese</span>, grated<br />1⁄2 pound <span style="font-weight: bold;">elbow pasta</span>, uncooked.<br /><br />1. Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to butter a 9-inch round or square baking pan. (NOTE: I used a 7 inch round deep casserole and it was fine)<br /><br />2. In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together. Reserve 1⁄4 cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. (NOTE: Whirl everything but the milk first, to break up the cottage cheese curds)<br /><br />3. Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.<br /><br />***<br />We started with my favorite pea soup and finished with homemade pumpkin bread, but <span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times</span> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/04/dining/04wint.html">suggests</a> pairing this perfect mac and cheese with a green salad and a glass of wine, which sounds about right to me, too.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-63331636810285138062007-09-06T20:52:00.000-04:002007-09-06T20:57:36.577-04:00Tomato Paella<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI_CVgHQGoeHhyafJfHlnkbFhX6Gj0ZIEUpoZeirAaVZSwJps7sWaYGhyphenhyphen3OkN3raAMCHoyvsOzBhhZ7whCl3mE3OSqBYU2xbiZMiXNaigFNnYvvpXXFFcfH0KvmQkrSi63bkW/s1600-h/tomatopaella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI_CVgHQGoeHhyafJfHlnkbFhX6Gj0ZIEUpoZeirAaVZSwJps7sWaYGhyphenhyphen3OkN3raAMCHoyvsOzBhhZ7whCl3mE3OSqBYU2xbiZMiXNaigFNnYvvpXXFFcfH0KvmQkrSi63bkW/s400/tomatopaella.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107259928722089234" border="0" /></a><br />Tomato paella. It sits on the line between fussy and stupidly simple. Yes, stock has to be heated in a separate pan—but you could probably skip the heating, or the stock for that matter (water works). Yes, the tomatoes have to be soaked in olive oil and salt and pepper, but you could probably skip that, too. Don’t have the right rice? Use plain old medium-grain Goya (as I did), it’ll be fine. So make this by the book, or go slapdash. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/dining/05mini.html?ref=dining"><span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times</span>’ Mark Bittman</a> never fails.<br /><br />One thing though: the tomatoes really do have to be good. I was packing juicy, meaty ones, fresh from the Long Island farm stand, and they were awesome.<br /><br />Here’s the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/dining/051mrex.html?ref=dining&pagewanted=print">recipe as the <span style="font-style: italic;">Times</span> ran it</a>. Or you can watch the <a href="http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=c0eca7656817d8a4e6e928522fc1ba8fa651ebb7">video</a>. Very easy to follow. I didn’t have tomato paste, so I substituted finely chopped sun dried tomato and it was delicious.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Paella With Tomatoes</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 1/2 cups stock or water</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes</span>, cored and cut into thick wedges<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Salt</span> and freshly ground <span style="font-weight: bold;">black pepper</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 medium onion</span>, minced<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 tablespoon minced garlic</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 tablespoon tomato paste</span> (or chopped sun dried tomato --ed)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Large pinch saffron threads</span> (optional)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 teaspoons Spanish pimentón </span>(smoked paprika), or other paprika<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 cups Spanish or other short-grain rice</span><br /><br />Minced <span style="font-weight: bold;">parsley</span> for garnish.<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Warm stock or water in a saucepan. Put tomatoes in a medium bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat.<br /><br />2. Put remaining oil in a 10- or 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, saffron if you are using it, and paprika and cook for a minute more. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is shiny, another minute or two. Add liquid and stir until just combined.<br /><br />3. Put tomato wedges on top of rice and drizzle with juices that accumulated in bottom of bowl. Put pan in oven and roast, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Check to see if rice is dry and just tender. If not, return pan to oven for another 5 minutes. If rice looks too dry but still is not quite done, add a small amount of stock or water (or wine). When rice is ready, turn off oven and let pan sit for 5 to 15 minutes.<br /><br />4. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with parsley. If you like, put pan over high heat for a few minutes to develop a bit of a bottom crust before serving.<br /><br />The whole thing takes about 30 minutes, and yields 4 to 6 servings.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-84225507911685441642007-07-17T13:51:00.000-04:002007-07-19T09:25:09.629-04:00Sweet-Corn Fritters<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLK5cV370gFDlD6RfOB4zows8LvEBsAuhdFGHGu90vaPc4GLbPfzdhgFODMrIQZKdOt71krXX1z7gJWsb5lSTJc18iQL0N4BSBybC39wMdsHW_U6RkAjkbkINczu0H1O_-uiqP/s1600-h/cornfritters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLK5cV370gFDlD6RfOB4zows8LvEBsAuhdFGHGu90vaPc4GLbPfzdhgFODMrIQZKdOt71krXX1z7gJWsb5lSTJc18iQL0N4BSBybC39wMdsHW_U6RkAjkbkINczu0H1O_-uiqP/s400/cornfritters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088225298151988658" border="0" /></a>There's something marvelous about fritters. They tap into my longing to be a strong American pioneer wife (as does anything with molasses), and the word <span style="font-style: italic;">fritter</span> is fantastic. Etymologically, what more could you ask than for a word that means "tiny, tasty morsels" to also mean "<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=fritter">to squander or disperse piecemeal; waste little by little</a>"?*<br /><br />This recipe verges on corn pancakes--they're deliciously fluffy and light--though spicy enough to keep the sweetness of the corn under control. The trick with cooking these suckers is to wait until you see bubbles emerging through the raw batter on top of each fritter in the pan before you flip them, just like you would for thick breakfast pancakes.<br /><br />*In looking for the dictionary.com link above, I discovered the the two meanings of <span style="font-style: italic;">fritter</span> are not etymologically related: The fritters pictured above are [Middle English <tt>friture</tt>, from Old French, from Late Latin <tt>frīctūra</tt>, from Latin <tt>frīctus</tt>, past participle of <tt>frīgere</tt>, <i>to roast, fry</i>], while the frittering away of time on, say, this blog is [Probably from <tt>fritter</tt>, <i>fragment</i>, probably alteration of <tt>fitters</tt>, from <tt>fitter</tt>, <i>to break into small pieces</i>]. Huh.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sweet-corn fritters</span><br />Original recipe <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/stories/s1451425.htm">here</a><br /><br />Combine in a large bowl:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 cup flour</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon baking powder</span><br />pinch <span style="font-weight: bold;">paprika</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">salt</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">pepper</span><br /><br />Beat together, then add to the dry ingredients and mix well:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 eggs</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup milk</span><br /><br />Add:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 cups (approx.) sweet-corn kernels</span>, cut off 6 cobs (UPDATE: cooked or uncooked works, as long as the corn's not cooked to death. Frozen corn is also an option)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup sliced scallions </span>or shallots<br />Small handful <span style="font-weight: bold;">parsely</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold;">cilantro</span> or basil or baby spinach leaves, chopped<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1-2 small hot peppers</span>, Thai peppers or jalapeno, minced<br /><br />Pour a generous amount of <span style="font-weight: bold;">vegetable oil</span> into a large skillet, then drop heaping spoonfuls of batter into the pan in small batches. Fry for approx. 2 minutes on a side.<br /><br />Eat over a spinach salad, or dolloped with sour cream.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com153tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-677529894688104322007-07-11T11:20:00.001-04:002007-08-15T16:42:41.692-04:00Ratatouille: A Movie and Dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCydF1tFUE_AUfIcNSEkJu3S5kFOhzN2JR_zpuZ3ohcizdUBsyhO5_cTUm7ofews8vmQZilE4ukRaRfSP7bEUWdttpi5NU9rlg1ZXQ-R9zy5fess0aDDbyjjnrK_6li54-VJmO/s1600-h/ratatouillemovie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCydF1tFUE_AUfIcNSEkJu3S5kFOhzN2JR_zpuZ3ohcizdUBsyhO5_cTUm7ofews8vmQZilE4ukRaRfSP7bEUWdttpi5NU9rlg1ZXQ-R9zy5fess0aDDbyjjnrK_6li54-VJmO/s400/ratatouillemovie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085959756427646834" border="0" /></a>Some of you may recall that I <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2006/11/ratatouille-with-no-peppers-and-rat.html">became extremely excited</a> about the new Pixar movie, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ratatouille</span>, when it was announced last fall. After seeing it, I had no choice but to do a version of the dish as whipped up by Remy, our rodentine hero. Especially since the Human Vacuum's mom (my mother-out-law, previously mentioned <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2006/01/unrefined-haroset-shf14.html">here</a> and in my <a href="http://toastpoint.blogspot.com/2006/11/ratatouille-with-no-peppers-and-rat.html">other ratatouille recipe here</a>), had just come home with a bunch of individually-sized enameled baking dishes from a Long Island tag sale.<br /><br />Mine isn't quite French Laundry (which served as the food consultant for the film), but it's a little fancier than your average ratatouille and there's something very satisfying about getting your own personal baked dish of anything, I think. It's like being at a restaurant, except there's no fussy plating. You just yank the baking dishes out of the oven and plonk them down in front of people.<br /><br />As always, I have omitted the peppers here, since I don't like them and they would have ruined my disk-based composition.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Remy's Ratatouille</span><br />(Inspired by Pixar's <span style="font-style: italic;">Ratatouille</span>. Seriously, I worked hard to duplicate the steps taken by a cartoon rat during a musical montage. Sheesh, I'm a nerd.)<br /><br />Preheat oven to 425 degrees.<br /><br />In a small skillet, heat:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2-3 Tablespoons olive oil</span><br /><br />Fry until golden:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5 cloves garlic</span>, finely minced or microplaned<br /><br />Add and cook until the color starts to darken and the caramelize:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6 Tablespoons (or one small can) tomato paste</span><br /><br />Oil the bottoms of 4 individual shallow enameled dishes (or one large one), then spread each one with the tomato paste mixture, dividing it equally. Arrange in the dishes, in an alternating pattern so that they look like the picture above:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 zucchini</span>, cut into 1/4 inch coins and lightly salted and oiled<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 yellow/summer squash</span>, cut into 1/4 inch coins and lightly salted and oiled<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 roma tomatoes</span>, cut into 1/4 inch slices and lightly salted and oiled<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 Chinese eggplants</span> (the long, narrow, bright purple ones), cut into 1/4 inch coins and lightly salted and oiled<br />(NOTE: If you have time, cut the veggies in advance, salt them--but don't oil them--and spread them out to paper towels. The goal is to remove as much moisture as possible ahead of time to keep the product from getting soupy. I did this in a pretty perfunctory way and I was fine.)<br /><br />Dust with <span style="font-weight: bold;">cracked pepper</span> and tuck in springs of <span style="font-weight: bold;">fresh rosemary</span> and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> thyme</span> (or the dried herb of your choice). Cover with foil or parchment paper and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the veggies are meltingly soft and the tomatoes are wrinkled and collapsed like little old men.<br /><br />Sprinkle with <span style="font-weight: bold;">toasted bread crumbs</span> and lots of <span style="font-weight: bold;">parmesan</span> and serve immediately, or let cool and reheat when ready to serve.<br /><br />Because the Human Vacuum loves his ratatouille over pasta, I put a bowl of olive oil slicked, peppery bowties on the table as well, and extra parmesan to pass.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tIq8EdWXQZnaophOHx37fIJZz1yEv1Z4yT8jnHTHLiHZSHI4lK-x4HJOw40_hjVngrY1h5RJJhbbpioWJz3EPcDBFH3Kc2eUnP_CAuyXssczWx57nkJa56DmMI5na75EOUGK/s1600-h/ratatouillecooked.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tIq8EdWXQZnaophOHx37fIJZz1yEv1Z4yT8jnHTHLiHZSHI4lK-x4HJOw40_hjVngrY1h5RJJhbbpioWJz3EPcDBFH3Kc2eUnP_CAuyXssczWx57nkJa56DmMI5na75EOUGK/s400/ratatouillecooked.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085965129431734146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Update: Apologies to commenters. I had to disallow comments on this post because of spam.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-32565468618347892952007-06-14T17:38:00.000-04:002007-06-14T17:53:31.294-04:00Shrimp on the Barbie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpaXvBRl4q3dsq-A4Z4ac4V1ELKaXi5e6E-yfZOfcM7lfnIv02TQSbdf7FVtHCs4rhPj8u8mrCL2bx_exTLja-EUqB2ayuInzuPQ69wl_W9RMatZz-pw1QqoE3u_2oNVLgw6x/s1600-h/BBQshrimp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpaXvBRl4q3dsq-A4Z4ac4V1ELKaXi5e6E-yfZOfcM7lfnIv02TQSbdf7FVtHCs4rhPj8u8mrCL2bx_exTLja-EUqB2ayuInzuPQ69wl_W9RMatZz-pw1QqoE3u_2oNVLgw6x/s400/BBQshrimp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076039009600279922" border="0" /></a><br />This can't even be called a recipe. Just a suggestion. But consider it a strongly-worded suggestion. More like marching orders, really.<br /><br />Buy a big bag of giant frozen shell-on shrimp--the ones that come 8-10 shrimp to a pound. You can get these really huge ones in a grocery store freezer case sometimes, prebagged. They're cheaper there, and the "fresh" ones in the seafood display case were frozen anyway.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB0Tfs9zDGxc8geo4xE7ZgutQ-E4c1aYCE3FMxvi4oV5pUuPqgUnLHlbzLcehRcfXpe0PbGS4k2CuwBzkc-kMSIWS0vU65VX0NpWc7wqv8Y_awoTUSwclmyYa6gzw1oklVqC2/s1600-h/BBQshrimp2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB0Tfs9zDGxc8geo4xE7ZgutQ-E4c1aYCE3FMxvi4oV5pUuPqgUnLHlbzLcehRcfXpe0PbGS4k2CuwBzkc-kMSIWS0vU65VX0NpWc7wqv8Y_awoTUSwclmyYa6gzw1oklVqC2/s200/BBQshrimp2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076039589420864898" border="0" /></a>Thaw them, then skewer them in fat rows, curled against each other like they are spooning. I didn't have proper barbecue skewers, so I soaked come chopsticks in water and used them instead. Slap the skewers onto the banked fired of a barbecue grill, cooking them until the shells start to blacken and the flesh of the shrimp turns bright white and opaque. After careful study, I've determined that the process works best if you cook while consuming a beer or a glass of white wine in the picturesque summer twilight.<br /><br />Grab a skewer each, and immediately consume the world's best barbecue first course, burning your hands on the shells. If you manage to get them peeled without a trip to the hospital for second degree burns, try dunking in premade peanut sauce, cocktail sauce, or black bean sauce.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16098860.post-38210469905989657292007-06-14T17:15:00.000-04:002007-06-14T17:35:25.190-04:00Retro Angel Food Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3CzvNndeihyh9n8Q_hgPtEz84WE1kgPVsO54WmiYu1Tn_qAA-N9M7vga0B3w1XH67MlnffdO8ljooUDWrJggtwsQvhT15MeWxrd9AzCUUaDfNeZDpKNvrsfRB1Ate5BWzNsK/s1600-h/angelfood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3CzvNndeihyh9n8Q_hgPtEz84WE1kgPVsO54WmiYu1Tn_qAA-N9M7vga0B3w1XH67MlnffdO8ljooUDWrJggtwsQvhT15MeWxrd9AzCUUaDfNeZDpKNvrsfRB1Ate5BWzNsK/s400/angelfood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076035981648336226" border="0" /></a><br />Nobody ever bakes a cake for their neighbors anymore. Why is that? Cakes are just as easy--easier, if you count box cake (and I do)--to make today as in 1950. I'm sure there are many complex sociological reasons having to do with the increased presence of women in the workforce, commute time, the falling price of prepared foods, the fact that <a href="http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/11/rosen.htm">no one uses their kitchens anymore</a>, and that we <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bowling-Alone-Collapse-American-Community/dp/0743203046/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-0088165-5918334?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181855904&sr=8-1">bowl alone</a>. But all of that social science added up to my enormous delight when Mr. and Mrs. ToastFriend came over for dinner recently with a cake in tow. And not just any cake: a genuine, homemade coconut angel food cake on a polka-dotted cake stand. Did you get that? It was on an actual <span style="font-style: italic;">cake stand</span>, people!<br /><br />The recipe, as emailed from Mrs. ToastFriend below, seems seductively easy with the help of an electric mixer. But I recommend my method: Wait until someone shows up at your door with one.<br /><br />***<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Angel Food Cake: Many Possible Variations</span><br />From page 705 in the 75th anniversary edition of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Joy of Cooking</span><br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br /><br />Use an UNgreased 10-inch tube pan (this cake is BIG, a smaller pan won't cut it; I'd wash the pan right before use, there can be no grease or oily residue otherwise the cake will collapse b/c it is so light and airy it needs to "stick" to the sides of the pan for support. The first time I made this cake I didn't pay attention to this instruction and it was about half as tall as the cake I brought to your house. And lopsided. Tube pan is clutch for the same reason.)<br /><br />Sift together:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 cup cake flour</span> (if you don't use cake flour, sift the all purpose flour a few extra times to try to simulate cake flour for the fluff factor)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3/4 cup sugar</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br /><br />Combine in large bowl and beat on low speed for 1 minute:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 1/2 cups egg whites</span> (about 11 or 12 large whites)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 tbsp water</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 tbsp lemon juice</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 teaspoon cream of tartar</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 teaspoon almond extract</span> (optional, be careful b/c it is very easy to overdose on the almond extract, a tiny bit goes a really long way) for coconut flavor: add <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 teaspoon coconut extract</span><br /><br />Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture increases to 5 times in volume and resembles a bowl of soft foam (3-5 minutes). On medium-high speed, beat in another <span style="font-weight: bold;">3/4 cup of sugar</span>, 1 tbsp at a time, taking 2-3 minutes<br /><br />When all the sugar has been added, the foam will be creamy white and hold soft, moist, glossy peaks that bend over at the points; do not beat until stiff.<br /><br />Sift a fine layer of the flour mixture (about 1/4 cup) evenly over the batter and fold gently with a rubber spatula only until the flour is almost incorporated. Do not stir or mix. Repeat 7-8 more times until flour mixture is used.<br /><br />If you're going for coconut cake, fold <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup of shredded coconut</span> in with the last addition of flour (the sweetened dried kind works the best I think, of course!)<br /><br />Pour batter into UNgreased pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes (I actually only baked it for about 28 minutes last time.)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Quick icing</span><br />Just beat 4 cups (1 lb, usually one box) of <span style="font-weight: bold;">confectioners' sugar</span> with <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup of butter</span> (softened). Then add in <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 teaspoons of vanilla extract</span>, a pinch of<span style="font-weight: bold;"> salt</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">5 tbsp of a liquid</span>--not water but <span style="font-weight: bold;">milk, sherry or schnapps, or even coffee</span> works (coffee aesthetically makes the cake look a little dumpy unless you cover the outside with shredded coconut for a brown and white ensemble.)<br /><br />Note: I bet you could do a really tasty orange or lemon version of this, too. I'd fold in the zest of one or two lemons or oranges instead of the coconut in that final stage. And substitute a tbsp of freshly squeezed oj for the lemon juice.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439915913640872231noreply@blogger.com10