What I learned on my summer vacation

I just returned from 10 days at the glorious Chautauqua Institution in western New York.  There’s so much to be said about this 166 year-old place where I annually meet up with old friends, listen to music, learn about the world we live in, and walk along the lake as much as possible. But I’ll leave that to someone else.

We live simply when we’re in Chautauqua because our lodgings are very small and we are limited to the clothing and “stuff” we can get into our luggage. I love to cook and I’m willing to make it part of my daily vacation routine. But I found myself in small ill equipped kitchens with limited refrigerator space.  Despite this we were pleased with the meals we created while away. If nothing else, we were happy to skip the lackluster pizza by-the-slice-and greasy offerings from the grill. There aren’t many restaurant options at the Chautauqua Institution … it’s not about the food after all.

Before we left our little attic kitchen we were able to consume all our fresh groceries and give the remains of our canned goods to the local soup kitchen. I hate waste so this made me very happy. My way to avoid waste at home is to freeze things for future use. But after our time of careful shopping and cooking I found myself slightly appalled by my over crowded freezer. In comes Nupur with a clean-out challenge. Talk about timing. I always try to  bring part of my Chautauqua experience home with me so this year I’m bringing home “eating better and not buying groceries that exceed our need”.  I’m going to start by drawing down on our current stock.

Let the draw down begin.  Today’s challenge: farro, homemade vegetable broth, and frozen unpeeled shrimp.  I’ll let you know what I come up with.

Cherries and summer have arrived

Summer is here. I can feel it. Yesterday, I tasted it.

The first of the stone fruits showed up at a small temporary fruit stand on Woodside Road.  Cherries. Warm, round, juicy, and sweet.  I hadn’t considered cherries a stone fruit until the bubbly young woman selling them referred to them that way.

“Last to blossom, first to fruit. That’s cherries. And once they show up, apricots, peaches and plums can’t be far behind.”

I always put cherries in a separate category, with their own special short season. They come earlier than the other summer fruits and are usually long gone from produce stands and grocery stores by the time beautiful ripe peaches were easy to find. I remember the vans, tents and stands that showed up briefly along the Sonoma Country roads we sometimes traveled when I was growing up. Where were going? I don't know anymore but I vividly recall one cherry seller with van he always parked under the same grove of Eucalyptus trees.  A hand painted sign boasted “fresh cherries” and "ice cold cherry juice" but we never stopped. Who can blame my parents? Maybe we had to be somewhere or they were worried about somebody's bedtime or naptime or mealtime.

But once I had a car of my own, I went searching for that van. Despite the fact that it wasn't cherry season I hopped in my brand new 1983 Toyota Corolla and went looking for a familiar grove of Eucalyptus trees with a beat up van parked in the shade.  I found it. "Ice Cold Cherry Juice" was the only offering that day. I bought myself a large bottle and drank it on the spot. The color was rich and deep and the juice was not too sweet. It was refreshing and delicious.

The road takes a different curve in that spot now and the Eucalyptus trees are gone but I still catch myself looking for that van when I find myself driving through Sonoma County. Happening upon that stand on Woodside Road yesterday was the next best thing to finding that long gone van.

I’m happy I was able to rise from the cloud of a serious cold and that my schoolwork was behind me so I was able to leave the house and do a few errands or I would not have seen the inviting “today's pick” tent that popped up in Redwood City yesterday. 

I’m thankful for the hardworking young man who drove the freshly cherries picked all the way from Escalon, California so his girlfriend could sell them and I could enjoy them. 

And, I’m so glad FS shared the image of the first cherry growing on the tree at the Outlook Inn because it got me ready for the tastes of summer.

I'm very happy that the once resident teen has returned home from his first year of college. Surely the best sign of summer's arrival.

Last School Lunch

 

I made school lunch for the last time today. And I cried.  I didn’t cry at Senior Volleyball Night, the St. Pius Baccalaureate Mass, or the Mother/Son Walk at the Serra Fashion show but this morning standing in my kitchen staring down at the last bolillo, the bowl of tuna, and block of cheddar the tears simply rolled down my cheeks.  I had known for years those big events were coming and I carried a freshly laundered vintage hanky to each one because I was sure I’d be reduced to a puddle of tears. At that moment I wanted something beautiful, dainty and dignified in my hand but the tears did not come. But this morning I was in my jammies and slippers searching for a hanky or tissue.

I’ve made hundreds of lunches sometimes with pleasure, occasionally with a little resentment but mostly by rote. Have you ever driven to a familiar place and when you arrived you didn’t really remember the drive? That’s what school lunches were like most days. Andrew wanted the same thing every day: tuna on a roll with cheese, fruit, water, and a bag of Sun Chips. He’d be pleased to find string cheese, cookies or another treat but didn’t miss them if they weren’t there.  When he was practicing for volleyball, wrestling or football he needed more so there might be an extra peanut butter sandwich or granola bar.  Making his lunch didn’t take much thought or time and I did it almost everyday for the last 13 years.

I did change things up now and then with some hits and a few misses. Turkey was favored for a while, he liked it and it didn’t make his backpack stink the way the tuna did. But before too long he missed the tuna and it was back to Costco for the multi-pack. Leftover pasta and pizza were a welcome change especially once he got to high school and had access to the cafeteria microwave. At one point, in a fit of independence, Andrew made lunch for himself but that didn’t last long. There was the bagel and cream cheese phase, the Top Ramen phase, and the “I don’t have time to eat” phase. There was the year in grammar school he got hot lunch almost every day until thankfully he grew tired of it. He’ll tell you that was the year he was heaviest and got sick the most due to the poor nutrition. He might be right.

I didn’t want to make a big deal out of the last lunch but I did stick in a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup as a special treat.  I placed the brown bag next to the door, in “the drop spot” like always and wiped away the tears before Andrew was out of the shower.  As he was getting ready to leave he said, “I don’t really need a big lunch cuz were having pizza in Hudleson’s class”.  He spied the Reese’s cup and pulled it out to leave at home for later and took the rest.  It was just like any other day, I’m not sure how much of it he’ll eat or if he even needs it but it’s there if he does.

I insisted on a picture. I guess I did make a big deal out of it. I’d like to thank the resident teen for indulging me.

Who needs a pizza stone?

 

The January 2011 cover of Sunset Magazine promises “Pizza in a skillet … and other one-dish wonders” and there’s a photo of “Luscious & low-fat: Easy broccoli rabe skillet pizza” to whet your appetite. I’ve made the broccoli rabe version once or twice and it is delicious. But it’s this easy skillet technique that I’m most excited about. Pick up a package of whole-wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe’s and use whatever you have on hand to top your pizza … it’s fast and economical and you can please everyone with a custom pizza. Fancy or finicky, everyone’s happy. Follow the Sunset recipe directions for preparing the dough in the skillet and cooking in the oven but top anyway you like.

Here’s how I topped the pizza most recently: spread about ¼ cup of char-roasted cherry tomatoes on the crust, sprinkle with a cup of shredded Italian cheese mix, 1/3 cup of sliced roasted red peppers, and 8-10 baby artichokes blanched in salted water with 1 teaspoon of dried Italian Seasoning and cut in halves and quarters. Sprinkle with some crushed red pepper and coarse sea salt just before serving.

Sunset Magazine's Skillet Pizza Recipe

Disclaimer: I work as a Recipe Tester in the Sunset Test Kitchen, but I am not compensated for this blog or for endorsing Sunset Recipes. Because of the time I spend with these recipes, I am familiar with them and confident about the results. That is why I often turn to Sunset when searching for recipes or ideas.

Swiss Orange Chip Tart

Growing up we always went to Swenson’s when we wanted ice cream; it was a San Francisco original and never disappointed. When I was very young I liked bubble gum ice cream but once I matured some and discovered Swiss Orange Chip there was no turning back. Orange continues to be my fruit of choice when it comes to chocolate but I rarely see it on dessert menus. Memories of Swenson’s ice cream led me to this dessert. When I saw Dories Greenspan’s "double chocolate and banana tart" I was inspired to try something similar with oranges and enter into food52’s week 28 contest. (Find a link at the end of this post.)

Are you a fan of Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City?” Can you name Mary Ann Singleton’s favorite Swenson’s ice cream flavor? Yep, Swiss Orange Chip but I swear I liked it first. Maybe the upcoming musical at A.C.T. inspired me too.

Tart Dough

1 ¼ cup flour

¼ cocoa powder

2 tablespoons sugar

zest from one orange, save fruit for tart topping

½ teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces and well chilled

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, sugar, orange zest, butter, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the butter is the size of a pea.

In a bowl or measuring cup with a spout whisk together cream and egg, processor is running pour into flour mixture. Process just until the dough comes together.

Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Put a piece of parchment larger than the tin over the dough, extending above the pan. Fill the parchment with pie weights, beans or rice. It gets tricky here because a standard crust is baked until golden brown but that test doesn’t work with chocolate. Make sure the crust looks and feels baked but doesn’t smell burnt. Bake for 20 minutes with the weights in, remove the weights and cook another 10 minutes until the bottom is fully cooked. Cool completely on a rack before filling.

Orange Caramel

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 teaspoon orange oil

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup sugar

2 ½ tablespoons corn syrup

Whisk together ¼ cup cream and 1/8 teaspoon orange oil, set aside until needed.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and corn syrup, using a silicon spatula stir gently until sugar is melted. Once melted only stir to avoid hot spots, remove from heat when cream turns a light to medium tan color. The sugar and corn syrup should be over the heat about 4 minutes. Whisk cream and oil into the hot mixture.  Cool slightly, pour into cooled crust, and tilt to coat crust evenly. Chill in refrigerator to set caramel.

Bittersweet Orange Ganache and Fresh Orange Topping

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

¼ teaspoon orange oil

4 tablespoons, unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into several small pieces

3 large navel oranges (one of them should be the orange from the crust)

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

orange juice/water

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1 cup cream and ¼ teaspoon orange oil to boiling and pour over chocolate. Let sit for about 30 seconds and stir gently until combine and the chocolate is melted.

Add butter to chocolate, one piece at a time, until butter is melted and completely integrated and mixture is at least room temperature. Stir gently to avoid bubbles.

Pour over caramel layer and return to refrigerator to set.

Peel and section oranges over a bowl (See link to technique below). Once the ganache is set, lift the sections from the juice and place around the edge of the tart, on the ganache just inside the crust. Add 1 tablespoon of orange juice, use the juice left from the sections and add water to reach 1 tablespoon of liquid, if needed to marmalade and melt in the microwave. Drizzle over orange sections. Return to refrigerator to set glaze.

The tart should not be refrigerator cold when cut and served.

Useful links: 

Food 52: Your Best Late Winter Tart (Sweet or Savory) - BOOK 2 -- WEEK 28

Food 52, Videos: How to Segment (and Slice) an Orange 

"Tales of the City" at A.C.T. in San Francisco May 18–July 10, 2011 

 

 

FFwD: savory cheese and chive bread

 

Once again, it’s Friday and time to post my latest attempt at one of Dorie Greenspan’s recipes from her book, Around My French. This savory quick bread (pages 34-36) came together as easily as promised. I sampled this bread each of the ways Dories suggests. I had a slice when the bread was still warm from the oven.  Once the bread cooled I cut up a few cubes and invited a neighbor over to share the bread and a glass of wine. The bread was good but the conversation was better. My favorite way to eat this bread was lightly toasted and buttered.

The cheese is both grated and cubed. The grated cheese gives the bread it’s flavor and the cubes provide a toothy cheese texture because they don’t melt completely. This is a great technique. I want to try it in quiche next. I made the cubes very small but next time I’d like to make them a little bigger and see how it changes the bread.

Kitchen tip: keep butter wrappers that have a fair amount of butter on them. Fold the wrapper over on itself to keep the butter fresh until needed to grease pans or cookie sheets. 

Notes:
Used Comte cheese.
1 teaspoon Maldon salt.
Instead of optional cayenne I added a dash of Tapitio to the milk.
Used some sliced toasted almonds I had on hand in place of walnuts.
About 40 minutes cooking time.

 Visit French Fridays with Dorie to see what everyone is doing with this recipe.

FFwD: Dorie Greenspan’s "short ribs in red wine and port"

It’s another French Fridays with Dorie. This week’s dish was started on Wednesday, finished and served on Thursday but not posted until Saturday. Things got busy. Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for “short ribs in red wine and port” can be found on pages 254 & 255 in her book around my French table: more than 300 recipe from my home to yours.

They’re predicting snow in San Francisco. Could there be a better night to come home to short ribs? Most of the cooking for this satisfying meal was done the day before which made for a relaxing dinner prep after a long day at work. The overnight chill allowed for a quick and easy removal of the fat. Broiling the meat and heating the sauce filled the house with a warm earthy aroma and just the slightest hint of Asia.  The meat was tender and flavorful and the sauce was thin but velvety rich. In the recipe Dorie warns the sauce will be thin so I wasn’t worried as I warmed it on the stove. Served the short ribs with mashed potatoes and peas. Well received by resident teen. 

Bon Appétit

Notes:

11 short ribs, about 4 inches each weighed close to 6 pounds. I had the butcher cut them in half because I like them small and it looked like they weren’t very big in the photo.

Carrots were small, used 3

Used parsnips, also small, used 2

6 cups broth

Citrus = orange

More salt?

Vegetables got soft but never really browned. The pot I used (yellow Club Dutch oven) was deep and narrow; wonder if there had been more surface space would the vegetables have browned?

Keep an eye on meat while under the broiler.

Very good.

Meat, fall off the bone tender.

Plenty left, will freeze some for future dinner. Hope it holds up.

Would make again but be sure to allow 2 days.

Store meat, sauce, and gremolata separately for tasty leftovers.

Meyer Lemon Pudding to-go

I’ve made Meyer Lemon Pot de Crèmes several times and think they’re delicious but I was looking for something a little homier when I came up with this recipe. I also wanted to use my small Chinese to-go boxes and knew they wouldn’t stand up to a water bath. Voilà, pudding adapted from an old copy of “Joy of Cooking” and entered in the food52 pudding contest. For kids lunches chill pudding in something a little sturdier like Tupperware or Gladware.

I also chilled some of this pudding in used canning jars. Inspired by Stephanie Brubaker & her blog Stephmodo who is always sharing treats from her kitchen with friends and neighbors I wanted to share some of this comforting pudding. My neighbor Patricia is famous for her plum jam and every Christmas I’m a lucky recipient of this homemade treat. Patricia likes the jars and rims back so that she can re-use them and I’m all for it. This year, instead of giving her jars back empty she’ll have ready-made dessert for tonight. Patricia also gave me the lemons I used in this recipe. I have great neighbors!

Meyer Lemon Pudding to-go

½ cup sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon Meyer lemon zest

4 cups milk

2 eggs

3 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and lemon zest in the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl you can set over boiling water. While mixing, slowly add milk and place over (not touching) boiling water. Stir constantly until mixture begins to thicken. About 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 more minutes.

Whisk together Meyer lemon juice and eggs. Stir about 1 cup of hot milk into eggs and add to milk over hot water. Stir constantly and cook for 2 minutes. Don’t overcook. Remove from heat, stir gently until slightly cooled, and add vanilla.

Continue stirring over an ice bath and pour into individual to-go containers and refrigerate until cold and somewhat firm.

*****

In my bridal shower gift (1986)  “Joy of Cooking” edition the pudding is called blancmange but I can’t say blancmange without thinking of Monty Python. At roughly the 3 minute mark the menacing blancmange shows up. 

 

FFwD: Dorie Greenspan’s pancetta green beans

    

This dish is quick and delicious. Green beans are a family favorite and often part of our weeknight dinners. Typically I quickly steam beans and serve them plain so it was fun to give our old standby a bit of a twist. Dorie Greenspan’s recipe found on page 333 of her latest book, Around My French Table was a great discovery. The recipe made more than the two of us could eat. The next morning I quickly reheated the beans and pancetta until they got just a little brown and crisp. I cleared a spot in the same non-stick pan, added a small bit of butter and prepared and egg, over medium. I found the combination very satisfying and tasty. 

Thank you French Fridays with Dorie for keeping me cooking and trying dishes from this wonderful cookbook.

Cumin Infused Olives in Rye Garbanzo Bean Salad with Oranges

I was thrilled to discover this recipe on the "Editor's Picks" list at food52 this week; they even used my photo.  This is what editor Kristen Miglore had to say about my salad.  Here I reworked my rye berry salad from last year to create an entry for the olive and citrus contest.

This salad works with any whole grain and if you’re in a hurry couscous it a great option. I like the olive, cumin, and orange combination as a simple salad before a heavy Mexican, Moroccan, or East African meal. I’ve added that quick salad to whole grains and garbanzo beans for something more substantial. Great on its own for lunch or as a side dish with grilled or roasted meat or fish. And, if you’re wondering, rye has a mild nutty taste but doesn’t taste like rye bread, which gets most of its flavor from caraway seeds.

Cumin Infused Olives in Rye Garbanzo Bean Salad with Oranges

1 cup rye berries or other whole grain

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained



¼ cup chopped red onion

½ cup parsley, coarsely chopped

2 oranges

Dressing: 


2 tsp. ground cumin

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup pitted green olives

2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar


2 tsp. mustard


½ tsp. kosher salt

additional salt and pepper to taste

Place the rye berries and salt in a large pot, cover with 2 ½ cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 60-90 minutes, until tender and most of the rye has split open. Add water as needed to keep the rye covered.

While rye is cooking prepare dressing. Toast cumin in a dry pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds, add olive oil and olives, sauté 1 minute or so to infuse oil and olives with the cumin. In a small bowl whisk together remaining dressing ingredients and scrap olives, oil, and cumin from pan into bowl, toss to combine (adjusting to your taste). Cover and bring to room temperature until ready to use.

Drain rye well and run under cool water to stop the grains from cooking. Transfer to a bowl; add garbanzo beans, prepared dressing and toss to combine. Chill until the mixture is completely cool, or for up to a day.

Zest one orange into the rye mixture. Peel and section both oranges and add to salad along with the red onions, and parsley. Section the orange over the salad allowing any juice to drain into the salad. 

The food52 video on slicing and segment an orange is helpful and fun to watch.

Salted Orange Cardamom Caramels – with or without pistachios or chocolate

You will also find this recipe at the wonderful food52 website and blog. I've added it to the cardamom contest. Check it out and participate, it's lots of fun. I am impressed with the work Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs are doing but what I love most is seeing what the contributing home cooks are creating in their own kitchens.

I love caramel sauce and candy but I’m a bit intimidated by any recipe that requires me to use my candy thermometer.  A strong craving for this combination of flavors sent me to the kitchen despite my fears and I am very pleased with the results.  The pistachios are optional; I don’t think they add much more than a little crunch and color but some of my taste-testers disagree and urged me to leave the option in. A small drizzle of chocolate is also tasty and looks nice but is optional too. Inspired by Emily Luchetti’s Orange-Cardamom Ice Cream (A Passion for Ice Cream, Chronicle Books, 2006) and  adapted from David Lebovitz Salted Butter Caramels (http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/01/salted-butter-caramels/).  Avoid Ultra-Pasteurized whipping cream and use cultured butter if possible.

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, divided (I use Maldon)

4 green cardamom pods, crushed

Zest of 1 medium orange

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

about 4 tablespoons, divided, salted butter, cut in small pieces, at room temperature (cultured if available)

½ ounce salted pistachios, chopped (optional)

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

Calibrate you candy thermometer.

Line a 9-inch loaf pan with foil.  For best results, use Reynolds Rapid Release and coat with cooking spray or butter.

Combine cream, 2 tablespoons butter, vanilla, ½ rounded teaspoon sea salt, cardamom and orange zest in a small saucepan heat to just before boiling – small bubbles will be forming around the edges of the pan.  Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes before continuing. Don’t let the cardamom cream cool too much.

Attach your candy thermometer to the side of a heavy bottomed 4-quart saucepan so that the bulb will be submerged. Heat corn syrup and sugar over medium heat; stir carefully until the sugar melts. Once the sugar has melted only stir to avoid hot spots.

Cook the syrup to 310ºF (155ºC).

You may need to tilt the pan to submerge the bulb and get an accurate reading.

Remove from heat and stir in warm cardamom cream, until smooth.

Return to heat and cook to 260F (127C).

Remove pan from heat, take out thermometer, and stir remaining butter, until it’s melted and caramel is smooth.

Pour caramel into the loaf pan and let sit for ten minutes, then sprinkle with rounded 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and pistachios, if using. Set on a rack and completely cooled. You can check this by touching the sides and bottom of the pan. When cool, lift foil and caramel from, carefully remove foil**, and slice caramel with a long, sharp knife into squares or rectangles.

** For chocolate option: melt chocolate in the microwave and using a fork drizzle over the caramel.  Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before cutting to allow the chocolate to set.

Wrap caramels individually in waxed paper otherwise they get sticky. David Lebovitz says they’ll keep for about a month but I’ll never know cuz they disappear very quickly around here. 

A Passion for Ice Cream, available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Ice-Cream-Fabulous-Desserts/dp/0811846024/ Disclosure: Emily is my cousin by marriage and I tested recipes in this book before it was published. In spite of that connection, or because of it, I always reach for Emmy’s books first when making dessert.

I don't have any financial interest in the book.

  

FFwD: Dorie Greenspan’s Basque Potato Tortilla or how I learned the truth about my broiler.

Here I am participating in my first French Fridays with Dorie and feeling like a screw up. There is nothing wrong with the recipe just with the cook and her equipment.  I decided this week’s dish would be perfect for dinner because my teenage son is great fan of breakfast for dinner.  Greenspan suggests serving the tortilla with bacon for an American diner meal and I knew my son would love it. The final dish was fine for dinner and very good cold in my lunch the next day but it wasn’t perfect and I know why …

When I try a recipe for the first time I always read carefully through the whole thing once before I shop, again while collecting the ingredients, and one last time before I start cooking. Well, maybe not always. I was in a rush to get dinner on the table and was multitasking. I didn’t read the first paragraph on page 143 carefully enough.  Dorie writes that “the top is almost set – there’ll be a circle of liquid or jiggly egg at the center” but I stopped reading after I saw the word “set”. Finally I figured out that 21 minutes was too long for the eggs to be on the stovetop and checked the recipe one more time.  I had let the eggs go well beyond the suggested 8-10 minutes. Lack of extra ingredients and a hungry teenager forced me to carry on.

This is when I encountered problem number two. My broiler had been pre-heating for a long time, over heated and shut itself off. I didn’t know my oven did this but now I know the truth about my oven’s broiler. The oven was warm because I cooked the bacon in there and I didn’t notice that the broiler was off.  I continually peeked through the window to see if the top had browned and it never did. I finally figured out what was going on but at that point the eggs were very well cooked and I decide to stop and call it dinner. Lesson learned.

I will do better by Dorie next time, I promise.  Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table (available on Amazon) is full of beautiful photos, delicious recipes, and headnotes that make great reading. I encourage you to find out for yourself.

Bon Appetit

Capellini with Mussels & Clams in Rich Saffron Broth

Capellini with Mussels & Clams in Rich Saffron Broth

Dinner for 2

My son has always loved clams with pasta or in chowder and he doesn’t mind if they come from a can but we both prefer them fresh and flavorful right out of the shell. We were Italy when Andrew was first served clams and mussels in there shells; he was pretty young. I was worried that he wouldn’t want the fish once he saw it in its natural form but boy was I wrong because he dug right in and loved it.

Live clams and mussels straight from the fish market allow me to whip up a special dinner quickly on a weeknight. There’s something about seeing the pile of empty shells grow as we each create our own bowl of seafood pasta. Sometimes we eat them one by one and the brothy pasta is our satisfying finish and other nights we empty every shell before we dig into the seafood, pasta and broth combination.  Make sure you have a spoon to get every sip of the yummy broth. Crispy crostini or a chewy bread like Acme Sweet Batard are also great ways to soak up the broth.

Pinch of saffron

2 cups seafood or chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, minced

2 teaspoons tomato paste or 1 grated roma tomato

18 dozen clams, scrubbed

18 mussels, scrubbed and beards removed

1/3 cup crème fraiche

2 oz. angel hair pasta, prepared following package instructions.

Warm the broth in the microwave, mix in the saffron and allow it to steep while the seafood is cleaned and the shallots cook.

Melt butter over medium heat in pan or pot with a lid that is large enough to hold the broth and seafood.  Add the shallots to the butter and sauté until softened then add tomato, broth and saffron. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add the seafood, cover and simmer until all the clams and mussels open, 7-10 minutes. Once most of the clams and mussels have opened discard any that haven’t opened and assemble pasta

Divide the pasta between two deep wide pasta or soup bowls, top each serving of pasta with half the clams and mussels. Whisk the crème fraiche into the broth over high heat until combined and heated. Pour the broth over the clams, mussels and pasta. 

Foodie Fights: Corn and Tomato

Fresh Corn Enchilada Soup with Might’ve Been Guacamole (but the tomatoes got in the way)

My inspiration for this soup came from an old favorite enchilada recipe. I picked up all the ingredients for the enchiladas and headed for the kitchen. When I started planning this dish the weather here was still pretty cool but all that changed today. Instead of the rich soup I had planned on I decided to lighten things a bit but not too much, and serve the soup chilled. It was delicious.  My son loved it hot last night and again today when it was chilled. I tried it both ways too and agree it is really good. Next time I might use a large can of green chilies, especially if I use the heavy cream and add the jack cheese.

Make sure to toast the cumin, it really makes a difference.

Fresh Corn Enchilada Soup
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
8 ears of corn (8-9 cups or kernels)
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 quart chicken broth
1 8 oz. container sour cream
½ cup non-fat (whatever you have on hand) milk or
1 cup whipping cream (see note)
1 small can diced green chiles
½ cup shredded jack cheese, optional (see note)
Tortilla chips
Might’ve Been Guacamole (but the tomatoes got in the way)



Prepare guacamole, cover and set aside until ready to use. If you’re serving the soup right away keep guacamole at room temperature, otherwise refrigerate until ready to serve the soup. Bring to room temperature for hot soup and keep chilled if serving soup chilled. 

Slice corn kernels from cobs, set aside until ready to use. 

Warm a large pot over medium heat and toast cumin seeds. (More than you ever wanted to know about toasting cumin seeds but very helpful.)

Once the seeds are toasted add butter and onions. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, salt and corn to combine. Add chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Carefully remove about tow cups of corn from the pot.

Meanwhile, whisk together sour cream and milk or whipping cream.

Using an immersion blender puree until smooth. If you use a regular blender do this in 2 cup batches, drape a clean dishtowels over the lid and hold in place with your hand making sure none of the hot soup overflows. Whisk in the mixed creams. Return reserved corn to pot. Add diced green chilies and cheese if desired. To serve the soup hot, heat gently (do not boil); to serve cold, chill at least 2 hours.  

Pour about 2 cups of soup into a bowl, sprinkle 3 or 4 crushed tortilla chips over soup and top each serving with 2 tbsp. guacamole. Serve with tortilla chips and remaining guacamole.

Note: In the winter months when you’re forced to use frozen or canned corn the extra richness of the cream and cheese works great. I find it’s too rich on a hot day. Make sure to heat the soup until the cheese is melted.
Also, the soup may thicken up when chilled if it does thin to desired consistency with milk or broth.

Might’ve Been Guacamole (but the tomatoes got in the way)

4 medium tomatoes, rough chop
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 serrano peppers
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Gently combine all ingredients.

Foodie Fights: Tamarind and Brown Sugar

Indonesian Spatchcock Chicken and Kederok Salad

Everywhere I look these days someone is spatchcocking a chicken. And no, this has nothing to do with Mixed Martial Arts or WWE. But it does sound like a wrestling move, doesn’t it?  To spatchcock a chicken, is to butterfly a chicken but it’s much more fun to say spatchcock. A butterflied chicken allows for a whole chicken to cook evenly and quickly on the grill, stovetop or in the oven. Since I can’t seem to escape it, I’ve decided to join the maddening crowd and use the technique in this week’s battle. If you want to try it this video might help.

As soon as I saw the ingredients for the latest Food Fight Battle knew I would be cooking Indonesian food.  I was introduced to this delicious cuisine many years ago when I first met my late husband. His mother was born in the Netherlands and his father was born in Indonesia.  My mother-in-law Rita is a fabulous cook and my father-in-law was her biggest fan.  For special occasions Rita would cook for days to create a bountiful rijsttafel or rice table. Other times the feast was potluck with every cook bringing her best dish.  In addition to an incredible feast there was always music, dancing, singing, and laughter.  The women would always spend part of the evening discussing where to find the unusual ingredients needed to create these dishes. If one of them was going somewhere known to sell these unique things she would take requests from the group and at the next gathering the first order of business would be to deliver the groceries in anticipation the next rijsttafel feast. 

My in-laws and their friends arrived here over fifty years ago and had to go a long way to find the herbs, spices and other things needed to create dishes easily prepared in the Netherlands and Indonesia. But with so many hard to find ingredients they were great at figuring out substitutes for just about everything. It’s hard to imagine now that coconut milk was among the things not found at the local grocery store.  As I recall, they tried soaking baking coconut in regular milk and adding coconut extract.  Palm sugar was replaced with brown sugar and lemon juice would stand in for tamarind.  Brown sugar is not a bad substitute and so we still use it often but the same cannot be said for using lemon juice in the place of tamarind.

I poured over Indonesian cookbooks and hand written recipes I’ve collected over the years to come up with something for this battle. Many dishes use sugar and tamarind so narrowing it down wasn’t easy.  I don’t have time to create an entire rijsttafel but will give you a taste for one with this chicken dinner. 

The sauce for the Spatchcock chicken is delicious; it’s rich and the sharp bright flavor of the tamarind keeps the sauce from being cloying and the brown sugar softens any sharpness the tamarind might have. I’m afraid I ran out of natural lighting so the photos do not do this dish justice. The crispy skin of the chicken works beautifully with the creamy sauce.  The variety of textures and shapes in the Kederok Salad look great next to the chicken.  The chilies in the dressing lend a nice amount of heat and the tamarind liquid thins the peanut butter without thinning the flavor.

Spatchcock Ayam Setan (Red Devil Chicken)

3-½ pound chicken

2-3 serrano chilies (arbol or Thai), rough chop           

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

¼ medium white or purple onion, rough chop

¼ teaspoon fish sauce

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate, dissolved in ¼ cup water

1 13.6 ounce coconut milk

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or poultry shears, cut along one side of the backbone and open the chicken like a book. Cut down the other side of the backbone to remove. Reserve backbone for stock or discard. Turn chicken breast side up and, using the heel of your hand, press firmly against breastbone until it cracks and the chicken lies flat.

In a blender combine chilies, garlic, onion, fish sauce, paprika, salt, sugar, tamarind liquid, and coconut milk. Blend until smooth.

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large ovenproof frying pan. Starting with the skin side down cook the chicken for 10 minutes on each side until well browned. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the sauce to the frying pan. Cook the chicken, basting frequently for 20 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by two-thirds and the chicken is fully cooked (165˚).  Test with an instant read thermometer.

Meanwhile preheat the broiler to high.

Place the chicken under the broiler, skin side up, baste with any sauce left in the pan and broil for five minutes, or until it is crisp and sizzling.

Cut the chicken into serving size pieces and serve with the Kederok and plenty of steamed rice to soak up the delicious sauce.

Kederok (Fresh Salad with Peanut Sauce)

Dressing:

2 serrano chili, cut into thin slices

2 clove garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoon tamarind, dissolved in ¼ cup water

2 tablespoons brown sugar

6 tablespoons natural crunchy peanut butter

2 cups bean sprouts

2 cups shredded Savoy cabbage

1 cup peeled and thinly sliced cucumber (if using English cucumber you can leave the skin on)

1 cup sliced, blanched, and chilled carrots

3-4 ounces blanched and chilled snow peas

Whirl chili, garlic, salt, ginger, tamarind liquid, and brown sugar in a blender until smooth.

In a small bowl whisk the tamarind brown sugar mix into the peanut butter.

Toss the vegetables with three quarters of the dressing reserving the rest to pass with dinner.