My Penzey's order arrived while I was on vacation. I had forgotten what I had ordered, so it was like getting a present to open it up. Now I feel inspired to make all kinds of things. I got coriander and fennel, two ingredients I've been missing in some Moroccan dishes, and some dried spearmint for lamb dishes and tabbouleh. I ordered poppy seeds for lemon-poppy seed bread, although I might look for an even more-intense use, and three thick, beautiful, virile vanilla beans. I also ordered some star anise "pieces" and was pleasantly surprised to find they're mostly whole.

Round it out with some chicken stock base and a freebie Italian seasoning and I'm ready to start cooking.

Posted by Kim at 09:13 AM | Permalink

Todd's grandmother died recently, and while Todd's mom was going through some of her things she found this cookbook and thought of me. It's a relic of the early sixties, but it has a refreshing and honest (and sometimes amusingly dated) view of cooking and hostessing, with tons of make-ahead advice. I've only made one thing from it so far, but it isn't the recipes that I find appealing. Stories and tips (such as how to decide what to serve for a balanced and easy-to-eat buffet) are sprinkled throughout the book without feeling like essays or forced intros to the recipes. It's fun to curl up with and read.

The recipe I did make was au gratin potatoes, and the main thing I learned from it is it's not that hard and you don't need a mandoline. I would actually use a different recipe next time, because you sprinkle flour on each layer in this one to thicken the sauce but it actually just makes curdled-looking squiggles (it was tasty, though). I think Julia has some wonderful herb-infused milk potato recipes.

Posted by Kim at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I kept the main ingredient of the chocolate puddings I made the other night, ricotta, secret from Todd until he told me what he thought of them because he doesn't like ricotta. He told me he liked them well enough, but that the texture felt like a mistake. I liked the texture, a cross between mousse and cheesecake. This was a recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis on the Food Network that I adjusted from 6 servings to 2.

Drain 1/2 pound ricotta for a couple hours, then add it to a bowl with 1 egg yolk, 2 ounces melted chocolate (I melt in microwave until almost melted, then stir until the carryover heat has finished the job), a tablespoon sugar and a splash of almond extract. I only have a hand-held mixter with one type of attachment, so first I whipped the egg white with a pinch of cream of tarter to soft peaks, then whipped in a tablespoon sugar (beaters and bowl must be clean to get volume with the white). Then I beat the ricotta with the other ingredients there. Stirred some of the whites into the ricotta mixture to lighten, then folded in the rest of the whites. Baked in a water bath for 25 minutes in a 325 degree oven, then cooled for a few hours in the fridge.

Posted by Kim at 06:15 PM | Permalink

Two more meals from the pig (pork shoulder) I butchered last weekend. I threw some diced tomatoes in the slow cooker with about 1 1/2 pounds of the meat, then added cumin, ancho chile powder, salt and oregano. Cooked 7 hours, first on high for an hour, then low. Then I added a whole chipotle chile and some of its adobo and stirred to break up the pork. Cooked for one more hour. The first night we ate it over rice topped with chopped tomato, avocado, onion soaked in red wine vinegar and parsley. The second night was tacos in flour tortillas.

Posted by Kim at 10:11 PM | Permalink

What do you do when you can't use the traditional walnuts in your banana bread? Chocolate, of course. I used a recipe for cranberry-banana bread from Chocolate & Zucchini , which meant I got to use my new kitchen scale.

Cream 1/4 cup butter (55 g) with 1 cup sugar (200 g), then add 2 eggs, one at a time, then 2 overripe bananas, 1/4 cup water and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Sift together 1 3/4 cup flour (200 g), 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt (I added a few gratings of nutmeg). Mix dry into wet, add a pile of chocolate chips, then bake in a greased 9 x 5-inch pan for 55 minutes in a 360 degree oven.

Posted by Kim at 09:51 PM | Permalink

As a thank-you for giving us a jumpstart when our battery died (we left the lights on and only discovered it the day before we had to move the car because of alternate-side parking) I made dinner for a couple of friends. I finally tried something from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen; I'll be doing that again.

I made pork stew with prunes and onions; the pork turns out nice and tender and kind of sweet. There are about five layers of flavor in the stew, only one of which I was less than happy with (the pearl onions could've been better, I just have to figure out how). I started prepping this the night before by cutting an X in the root end of 12 pearl onions, blanching them for 2 minutes, then cooling them and popping off the skin.

The next morning I butchered a pig. (It only felt like I butchered a pig; I actually cut up a boneless pork shoulder I had ordered for $1.99 a pound from Fresh Direct as part of my new efforts to grocery shop more economically. It took about 45 minutes and involved removing the meat from a huge, freckly flap of pig skin. Cracklins anyone?) I cut about 1/4 of it into cubes for the stew, then tossed them with 2 tablespoons of oil seasoned with cinnamon, pepper, rosemary and thyme and put that in the fridge.

Six hours later (and 2 hours before dinner) I cooked the pork in a deep skillet (no extra fat) with the lid on for 5 minutes, then with the lid off until all the moisture had boiled off and the meat was browned, about 10 minutes. Took the pork out of the pan and added 1 cup diced onion and cooked until browned, then added that to the pork. Combined 1 tablespoon each red wine and mustard and 1/2 cup dry white wine in the pan and reduced to a glaze, then added another 1/2 cup wine. Reduced, then added the last 1/2 cup wine and reduced that. Added 3 peeled garlic cloves, 12 baby carrots and a bay leaf to the pan, then poured in 1 3/4 cup chicken broth and added the pork and onions back in. Set on a back burner on low, covered, for 45 minutes.

During that time I soaked 12 prunes in hot water and put out olives, warmed pita and a strained-yogurt dip, and carmelized the onions. The recipe's technique was to boil, covered, 1/4 cup water, a teaspoon of sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and the onions in a skillet for five minutes, then cook uncovered for 10. I don't feel like the onions got cooked enough and will probably try cooking them lower for a longer time the next time I try them (or maybe roasting?). Anyway, after the 45 minutes I added the prunes and onions to the pork and cooked for 15 more mintues with the lid off (the recipe called for it on, but I wanted to get rid of some of the liquid).

I made couscous during the last 15 minutes because my new favorite serving method is a big pile of couscous with a well in it, into which I dump some long-simmering stew (so forgiving timewise, which is great when there are guests) that I top with something green (usually flat-leaf parsley). It's a nice-looking presentation.

Posted by Kim at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This was a quick make-ahead meal (I was able to assemble this while August slept and popped it in the oven when Todd called to say he was on his way home) and it's pretty versatile, too. I've been wanting to make cannelloni for a while, but I was planning to make my own pasta or crepes. It's just an extra couple of steps that kept me from making the dish.

So I turned to no-boil lasagne noodles, which worked pretty well in a pinch. I soaked 4 of them in hot water for 10 minutes while I thawed and squeezed dry a box of chopped spinach. Meanwhile I mixed a scant 1/2 cup ricotta with a lot of Parmesan Reggiano and shredded mozzarella and some oregano, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes. Mixed in half the spinach (saved the rest for my tomato soup the next day), then drained and blotted the noodles. Spread 1/4 of the ricotta mixture at a short end of each noodle and rolled them up. Spread some pasta sauce (I used bolognese, which I think was a little too much but Todd liked) in the bottom of a casserole dish, then place the noodles in seam-side down, then cover them with more sauce and mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Posted by Kim at 07:12 PM | Permalink

Chili is one of those things I make all the time, but I rarely do it the same way twice. Some kind of meat, some kind of beans, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, cumin, chile powder, sometimes cinnamon or molasses. Last time it was ground turkey, a chipotle chile in adobo, kidney beans and cinnamon (plus the tomatoes and onion). With the leftovers I made a pie.

I simply placed the chili in a deep casserole, and put it in the preheating oven to warm it. Then topped it with half of the cornbread recipe I use all the time: 1/2 cup each cornmeal and flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter with 1/2 cup milk and 1 egg. Add wet to dry and mix. (This is the half recipe.)

Baked in 450 degree oven uncovered for 20 minutes, then, because the top was browned, covered with foil and cooked for 15 more.

Posted by Kim at 12:16 PM | Permalink

Every nursing mother I know has put some kind of restriction on her diet hoping to make things gastronomically easier for her babe (we're all martyrs these days). But one baby girl in my "playgroup" (the moms just sit around and talk, nurse, change diapers, etc) has severe distress and may have a lactose intolerance, so the mom's off dairy for a while to see if things clear up.

Which makes baked treats kind of difficult, since she's being really strict and can't have things made with butter or milk. But I found some spice cookies made with shortening. Not so excited about baking with shortening (except for biscuits and pie dough, where it can make a great texture), but it fits the mom's diet, I think. And they tasted pretty good, not very sweet but chewy and spicy.

Start by creaming 3/4 cup room-temperature shortening with 1 cup packed brown sugar. Add 1/4 cup molasses and 1 egg. Combine 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cloves and 1/4 teasoon salt. I also added a few grinds of black pepper. Mix into the wet stuff and chill it in fridge for 1 hour.

Roll into tablespoon-size balls, dip one side in granulated white sugar and bake in 375 degree oven 10 minutes. The recipe is from Epicurious.

Posted by Kim at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's been one culinary misstep after another lately, which is why I haven't written. St. Louis cut pork ribs, which are supposed to have a good portion of fat cut off, still ended up grisly and swimming in their own fat at the end of two hours' cooking. Some sausages, pork with kashkaval cheese, tasted gamey and fatty. A trip to Eddie's Sweet Shop ended in the revelation that it's closed on Mondays, the day we took the long walk.

I did make some turkey chili that I'll redress as leftovers tonight and some spicy molasses cookies, which I'll also write about later.

Posted by Kim at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This was perfect for me because I could prepare it after the baby went to bed and have it in the fridge waiting for me when I was ready for lunch the next day. It'd also be perfect picnic food.

It came out of the Julia and Jacques book I just got. Inspiration for it, anyway. They used anchovies and lettuce; I used tuna and green beans.

Fresh Direct has these par-baked whole-wheat rolls that I love because they're the perfect size for a sandwich (and they perfectly fit the veggie burgers I buy, but I hate to even admit I eat those things), and I can just bake up one or two at a time when I want them. This time I sliced one in half horizonally, drizzled lots of vinaigrette over both halves, then layered on oil-packed tuna, cured black olives, steamed green beans and sliced tomato. Wrapped the sandwich in plastic wrap and put it under a heavy jar in the fridge (so the juices from the tuna and tomato would soak into the bread).

Posted by Kim at 12:27 PM | Permalink