tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74194557525982823782024-03-05T14:06:42.355-05:00The Economical EpicureanFor the food fanatic without a lot of funding or free time (and also for the alliteration-friendly!)DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-12270514622778277182011-12-08T13:57:00.001-05:002011-12-09T14:54:32.362-05:00How to fill up on free samples without looking like a (total) gluttonIt's the most wonderful time of the year for an economical epicurean, and not because of all the gingerbread and honeybaked ham one gets to consume. Much better than that: this is the time of year when many food purveyors are more generous than usual with their free samples. It would be nice to think it's all in the spirit of giving, but, if you'll forgive my cynicism, they just know you'll be more likely to buy that $20 wheel of Humboldt Fog when you're in a state of holiday marketing hypnosis.<br />
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Filling up on free samples has long been one of my favorite pastimes. As soon as I got my driver's license, I started borrowing my parents' minivan for special weekend trips to the grocery stores that enabled my free food addiction. The store I liked best was the long-gone Eatzi's, which peddled 16 oz. cups of soup for $7 (and this was the 90s!). While not so generous in its pricing, Eatzi's was -- for a brief while, at least -- incredibly generous with its samples. It seemed that everywhere you turned there was a different mayo-and-sour-cream based dip to smother a cracker with. These dips sold for around $5 each (and this was the 90s!), so I felt minimal guilt about all the cracker-smothering I did. All good things must come to an end, though, and so did Eatzi's sample stations. It was an omen of bad times ahead, because soon enough, Eatzi's itself was gone, too. I like to think it was the lack of market demand for $7 soup and not my gluttony that brought down the house.<br />
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Back in those days, I had no shame about my flagrant displays of greed, but as I've gotten older I've learned the importance of subtlety. There's a Whole Foods not far from my office, so maybe one or two days a week (Tuesdays are the best, I've found) I'll head over there to cruise for freebies. I am not the only one. It seems many people also enjoy this pastime, but most of them appear to lack my talent for it. They stand there filling up their toothpicks with four or five cubes of cheese, stuffing their faces like squirrels before dipping in for another round. To watch it is to fully appreciate why communism is a failed form of government: people are natural gluttons and will always try to take far more than their fair share, never mind the regulatory "Please take one" signs. But there are ways to exercise one's greed without being so <i>obvious, </i>and there are ways to sample heartily without putting grocers out of business<i>. </i>Here's how to eat for free like a pro. <br />
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1. Even if you are there to just fill up on samples, you should still carry a basket or push a cart. Better yet, fill it with a couple items you don't intend to buy. Even better than that, put the item that's being sampled (not the sample itself, of course!) in the basket.<br />
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2. Okay, actually, you should try to buy <i>something</i>. One person isn't going to force the establishment to stop giving out free samples altogether (though I really do take full responsibility for Eatzi's ban on samples), but what if everyone was there just to fill up for free? A store without samples it would be. <br />
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3. Make several laps. Don't loiter. Take one sample and go on your merry way. Come back a minute or two later, and take another one. Repeat. You'll need your exercise anyway.<br />
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4. Look as distracted as possible. Play with your phone or recite your "grocery list" aloud. (If you don't have a grocery list, recite <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C782-Xf4NPk&feature=related" target="_blank">that one</a> from<i> Sesame Street</i>: "a loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butter.") Make it look like an accident that you just walked right into that Mediterranean hors d'oeuvres display for the third time. "Oh, hummus, I didn't see you there!"<br />
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5. Pick up a sample, eat it, then pick up the container of whatever is being sampled. Examine it closely, as if you are seriously considering it for purchase. Read the ingredients list and say something like, "Hmm. I didn't taste the smoked paprika in there." Have another sample just to be sure.<br />
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6. Wear disguises at grocery stores where there are clerks manning the samples, so you can stop by more than once. I'm only half-kidding. They probably don't recognize every repeat offender, but it may not be a bad idea to stash a wig in your bag when you go grocery shopping.<br />
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7. If a clerk appears to be giving you the stink-eye after you've sampled one too many, look at them with a sheepish, "Aw, gee!" smile and rub your belly to show how hungry you were. If they don't give you a knowing smile in return, then start muttering incoherently about sinners and the apocalypse. They'll leave you alone. <br />
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8. Look for samples in every nook and cranny in the store. The Whole Foods I go to has this one cheese station that's hidden behind a column. Two advantages here: the bowl is nearly always filled with Gouda because so many people seem to miss it, and I can chow down out of public view. <br />
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9. Don't stuff samples into your purse. How tacky! Only ladies ages 75 and over can get away with such behavior. And, to reiterate, if everyone acted in this way there would be no more samples. So, maybe just stuff them into your pockets instead; no need to be so ravenous. Just be careful before you do laundry or all your clothes may also be sampling those brownie bites.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-6471344365471437052011-09-22T10:08:00.000-04:002011-09-22T10:16:59.947-04:00Reunited and it tastes so goodBlog, I know I did you wrong. For months I left you cold for my other blog. A <a href="http://skepticbride.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">wedding blog</span></a>, of all things! Ridic. But that's all over now and I realize how much I missed you. Blog, baby, will you take me back? I just want to cuddle up with you and muse about pasta, not rant about the stupid wedding deejay.<br />
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Here's the catch, though: I want to talk about cooking in my new married life because there is a lot to say. Blog, is that okay with you? Is it okay that I don't always make my dishes quite as frugally as I used to? (Marriage has its financial rewards.) Is it okay that I have cut all yellow squash from my dinner repertoire? (Marriage involves compromise.) Is it okay that I no longer subsist on raw cabbage from time to time to maintain my girlish figure? (Marriage is a commitment to stay together through thick and thin, and I take that commitment quite literally, especially the thick part.)<br />
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Funny how my last post was about pre-wedding dieting. HA! I say to that, Ha! How things have changed. While I have not exactly been "letting myself go" just yet, I've enjoyed reconnecting with two long-lost friends, Meat and Carbs. We're just letting bygones be bygones or, more accurately, letting backflab be backflab. No big deal. But the real reason for our renewed friendship is this whole married life thing. <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2010/04/guitars-buicks-pineapple-pizza.html">Special Someone</a> and I like to sit down for dinner and enjoy a meal together when we're both home. I like to cook more than he does, plus my tolerance for <a href="http://steakumm.com/steaks.htm">Steak-umms</a> is non-existent-to-quite low, so I end up doing most of the preparations. But my single gal style of cooking cannot keep up with this man's idea of a normal portion or a filling meal. I am starting to comprehend the challenge my mother used to face nightly, cooking for her bottomless pit of a husband, three ravenous sons, and an equally gluttonous daughter (back in my youthful days of turbo-charged metabolism -- man, I miss those days).<br />
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Anyway, if I were to cook traditional Economical Epicurean-style meals for Special Someone every night, he would get too skinny (and I'm still in that newlywed phase where I think we need to eat the same thing, together, every night, so for now making our own separate dinners is not an option). And no amount of <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/04/cream-of-poverty-soup.html">Cream of Poverty soup</a> could ever sate this fellow. So it's a trade-off: either he gets skinny or I get fat. It's more fun getting fat, so without too much further ado, I present my original recipe for the most compliment-inducing meal I have ever made for him. (Not to get all "here's a man-pleasing meal to please your man" on you -- this is genuinely delicious, and though it's not very innovative, it is surprisingly quick and inexpensive to make, and will last you for days if you're not married to Special Someone.)<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Penne with Vodka Sauce, Sausage, Shrimp, Spinach, and Sundried Tomatoes (There's got to be a less unwieldy name for this, but at least I lay it all out there, and anyway Pasta with Five Esses sounds a bit contrived.)</span><br />
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I know what you're thinking: "Surf and turf? No way that's economical!" True, it ain't rice and beans, but it's not as bad as you think. (My recommendations for cutting costs are in the ingredients list.) Also, I must confess I totally cheated on this one and bought jarred vodka sauce. This was the more economical thing to do since we don't have any vodka in our house for some reason, i.e., I drank it all, and cream is darn expensive. The vodka sauce I bought was this fancy, all-natural Whole Foods brand that was on sale for $3.99 (I happened to be there eating free samples for lunch and felt the sudden urge to make penne alla vodka for dinner). I'm still including homemade vodka sauce in the recipe since it's super easy and convenient to make if you're the kind of person who manages to keep vodka and cream in the house at all times. You're the kind of person I aspire to be some day.<br />
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With all the spinach in this dish, it's a complete meal. The only accompaniment it may want for is some crusty bread.<br />
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Makes 8 servings (more like 4 in our household) and reheats well for lunch and dinner over the next couple days. Total time, including prep: 30 minutes<br />
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4 T olive oil<br />
10 garlic cloves, finely chopped (sounds like a lot, but it's part of the vodka sauce; if you use store bought vodka sauce, just use 3 or 4 cloves)<br />
1 small- or medium-sized onion, sliced into thin strips<br />
2 spicy Italian sausage links, casings on, sliced into thin discs (feel free to use more sausage, but in the spirit of frugality I decided to save the rest of the package for lentils and sausage later in the week)<br />
1/2 lb. frozen precooked peeled and deveined shrimp, any size, thawed or mostly thawed, tails removed (about half a bag)<br />
a handful of sundried tomatoes, chopped (a nonessential but surprisingly inexpensive ingredient that adds excitement to any dish!)<br />
1 lb. dried penne pasta<br />
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
1/2 t sugar<br />
1/4 c vodka<br />
1/2 c heavy cream<br />
6 oz. baby spinach (or the contents of one bag)<br />
additional salt to taste and freshly ground pepper<br />
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan<br />
some parsley or basil (optional -- I make mine herbless and it's fine that way)<br />
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Special Equipment: a stick blender (or regular blender or food processor)<br />
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Place the olive oil, onions, and garlic in a Dutch oven and turn on the heat to low-medium (not the usual way, but starting garlic and onions in cold oil draws out more flavor than heating the oil first). Once things are getting a little crackly, add the sausage, shrimp, and sundried tomatoes and stir everything around for about 3 minutes (the sausage and shrimp are precooked so you really just need to heat them up). If you are using store-bought vodka sauce, dump in the entire jar along with the spinach. Cover the pot and go cook your pasta.<br />
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If you are making homemade sauce, remove the shrimp and sausage from the pan and set aside. Turn up the heat to medium, add the tomatoes with their liquid along with the salt and sugar to the Dutch oven, and stir around for a couple minutes to break everything up a bit (vodka sauce traditionalists tend to puree the tomatoes first and then add them to the pot -- do this if you don't have a stick blender, but otherwise you can blend everything at the end and it will have some good savoriness from the sausage and shrimp that were cooked in the same pot). Add the vodka, and while the sauce is simmering, get to work cooking the pasta: add about six cups of water to a large pot and set it on high heat, throw in a tablespoon or so of salt once the water boils, then add the pasta and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and return to the pot, reserving a bit of the water.<br />
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At this point the vodka sauce is definitely done, so turn off the heat, stir in the cream, and if you have not already pureed the tomatoes, puree the sauce with the stick blender or transfer it to the regular blender. Stir the pasta and the shrimp and sausage into the sauce, then stir in the spinach. Do not fear that this pasta dish you made has turned into a salad -- all that spinach will wilt almost beyond recognition. Add a bit more salt if you like and some freshly ground pepper. Serve with the Parmesan cheese and the herb(s), if desired.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-47864709274083372932011-04-28T09:15:00.015-04:002011-05-03T09:24:44.990-04:00The Skeptic Bride's Slimdown PlanHi, friends! Sorry I've been away for so long. And to those of you who landed here from The <a href="http://www.blogger.com/skepticbride.wordpress.com">Skeptic Bride</a>, welcome! This is where I used to write up my own recipes and adapt cookbook recipes to my economical tastes. The blog--not the cooking--fell under severe neglect after I met <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2010/04/guitars-buicks-pineapple-pizza.html">Special Someone</a>, since who wants to spend their evenings sitting in front of a computer screen when there's an adorable boyfriend to play with? Once he became my adorable fiance, though: PANIC! I needed a new outlet dedicated entirely to wedding madness. Ergo, the Skeptic Bride was born.<br /><br />Our wedding is now just three months away and I've recently been inspired to start trimming down my physique a bit in preparation for it (I'm fully aware that I sound like I've been corrupted by<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> The Knot, and it's probably true.). Longtime readers of this blog may recall that when I used to feel fat, I would eat massive amounts of <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/12/taste-of-winter.html">cabbage</a> <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2010/02/lynne-rossetto-awesome.html">salad</a>. However, cabbage can only do so much to keep you alive. Despite being fibrous and requiring a lot of chewing, it does little to help one feel full for a long time. (Trust me, I've laid awake many a night, post cabbage dinner binge, craving a steak and a baked potato.) So now I'm getting a little smarter: adding more protein, controlling my portions, and getting up from this chair once in a damn while.<br /><br />Well, duh. Everyone knows that's how you lose weight - eat better, eat less, and move more. To prove I'm not just all hat and no cattle, I'll provide some details (probably more than you care to know), complete with a few recipes. Now, I must admit that this new weight loss program, if you can really call it that, has been going on for only about two weeks. Okay, so maybe I <span style="font-style: italic;">am</span> all hat and no cattle. I don't even know what I weighed to begin with, so I can't provide any numbers proving this thing works. Still, my clothes are fitting better already, I feel more energetic during the day, and I'm convinced my back flab has depleted ever so slightly. So here's what I've been doing:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Not going to the Ethiopian lunch buffet</span> near my newish office in NoNoPe (North of <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/08/saying-yes-to-nope.html">NoPe</a>). Another "duh," but it was getting to be a real problem. Still, it's delicious and a great deal at $7.95 on weekdays. I highly <a href="http://www.addisababarestaurant.com/">recommend it</a> to anyone who doesn't care what they weigh or can exert good self control at a buffet table.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Going for thirty minute "power walks" before I eat lunch</span>. Work gets demanding and weather in these parts is strange, to say the least, so I can't do this every day. But when I do, it involves putting on tennis shoes with whatever business casual outfit I'm wearing (since my work clothes are not <span style="font-style: italic;">nearly </span>dorky enough to begin with), pumping my arms wildly, and admiring all the pretty flowers in residential NoNoPe while walking as fast as I can for a timed half hour. It's an enjoyable, if ridiculous-looking, part of the day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Cooking as much as I can</span>. I've always cooked fairly often, but now I make a conscious effort to cook larger quantities so that I have delicious leftovers to eat for lunch the next day. This helps me avoid Item 1. Some good old standbys that have been enjoying a revival in my kitchen include: <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/04/cream-of-poverty-soup.html">Cream of Poverty soup</a>, <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/11/not-talkin-turkey.html">sweet potato chili</a>, <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/09/quinoa-quinceanera.html">Seth Quinoa Salad</a>, other assorted vegetarian <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/02/putting-ooh-in-ragout.html">one-pot</a> meals, the occasional <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/03/strangely-delicious-pb.html">peanut butter & cabbage sandwich</a> (now made even more delicious with the addition of Geeta's chili-lime chutney) and, as often as possible, lots of hearty greens like <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/12/kale-is-underappreciated-vegetable-and.html">kale</a> and <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/06/losing-streak.html">collards</a> on the side or mixed into the pot.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Eating as big a breakfast as I can stand</span> (helps control mid-morning fatigue and lunchtime binging). Actually, I made this change awhile ago, but am now expanding upon it. I used to eat, at most, a granola bar or maybe a croissant from 7-Eleven. I would wait until around 10am to eat it; otherwise, if I ate when I woke up, I would be hungry again an hour later. Now, I try to eat a huge bowl of high-fiber, high-protein cereal, drink a glass of milk AND a glass of orange juice, and maybe even top it all off with a fried or hardboiled egg. All this is consumed before I have my first cup of coffee, since coffee supposedly interferes with the absorption of iron that you get from cereal, and I'm iron-deficient to begin with. I would like to start adding smoothies to my breakfast repertoire--my favorite, easy combo is one banana, one plain yogurt, a spoonful or so of sugar, and a cup of OJ--but my blender is broken. (Hello, wedding registry!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5A. Speaking of breakfast, eating more eggs! </span>But eggs are not just a breakfast food any more. I've gotten really into hard-boiled eggs ever since I learned how to cook them perfectly--who knew they didn't have to have putrid grayish yellow yolks and an aroma of fart?--thanks to another great <a href="http://www.blogger.com/threemanycooks.com">Pam Anderson</a> technique. You just put enough water in a pan to cover them, as many as you feel like cooking but not so many that they are crowded, then place the pan on the burner and crank it up to medium-high. As soon as the water reaches a rolling boil, immediately remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes is up, rinse out the hot water and run the pan under cold water until it's completely cooled. Then peel your eggs or keep them in their shells if you don't want to indulge right away. Really, I never knew hardboiled eggs could be so delicious, and they're only 70 calories each. I like to bring them to work for a filling snack or chop them up and add them to salads and pasta. And now I don't have to worry about my coworkers being like "Who farted?"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5B. Did I mention I'm eating more eggs? So yeah, omelets! </span>They are not as fattening or as troublesome to make as many people think. Using my method it's just two eggs and one egg white; you don't need to use any butter or cheese; you fill them up with as many delicious cooked veggies as can fit; and then you eat the rest of the veggies that don't make it into the fold. Omelets do not require any talent, just a nonstick pan and a big spatula. Whisk together your eggs and egg white (you could also use all egg whites if you're gung-ho) for about a minute, add a couple teaspoons of vegetable oil to a frying pan and set it on medium to medium-high heat, dump in the whisked eggs once the pan is hot, scrape around the sides as they begin to set, then--once the middle starts to set--flip the whole thing over as best you can. Don't worry if it falls apart, it will still be highly edible. Then add your precooked veggies (lately I've been using a combo of sauteed spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, and tomatoes) to one side of the omelet, flip over the other side like you're folding over a taco, and slide it onto a plate. The whole process, if your vegetables are ready to go, takes less than 5 minutes. And you can save the veggies to use in an another omelet the next day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Eating smaller portions and eating more often.</span> You always hear this bit of advice from the diet cheerleaders, but I've found it's a good one. Lately, when I pack my lunch, I divide it into two containers. I'll eat one around noon and then the other one around 3. It just doesn't work for me to put it all in the same container and attempt to eat only half, like I used to - I would inevitably finish every bite.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Telling the whiny food-craving part of my brain to shut the eff up. </span>This is where the "eating less" part is extra hard because my brain always thinks I'm hungry. Like, an hour after I've eaten a full meal. This is not because I'm actually hungry, but because I just love to think about food. When this happens I'll drink lots of water or go for a little stroll around the office. If that's not enough to refocus my brain, I'll have a piece of fruit and then usually forget about food until my next meal.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8A. Not cooking so many "man-pleasing" meals.</span> Just typing this makes me feel lame. For a long time, when I would cook for Special Someone, I would stick to those kinds of meals that guys supposedly love: roast chicken, burgers, steak, pork roast, etc., usually all prepared with some kind of irresistible buttery potato dish. This style of cooking was misguided, fattening, and more expensive and time-consuming than it needed to be. While Special Someone is by no means a foodie (though <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2010/04/guitars-buicks-pineapple-pizza.html">he claims</a> to disagree with that statement), he has expressed he is happy to eat my hippie-dippy bean/green/whole grain vegetarian melanges. Not that I believe there's anything inherently wrong with a roast chicken or beef stew (they're delicious!) - it's just that, like my skinnier, single gal old self, I'm now cooking these types of meals more occasionally, and am once again saving calories, time, money, and a few innocent cows and chickens.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8B. Or, finding low-fat substitutions for "man-pleasing" meals. </span>Once again: lame. But wait till you make this delicious alfredo (alfred-faux?) sauce. To make enough for six servings of pasta (lately we're enjoying Trader Joe's brown rice penne - it's the most delicious hippie pasta I've found), heat together in the microwave one half cup of 1% milk, one half cup of chicken broth, and two minced cloves of garlic for two minutes. In a small pot, mix together a quick roux: melt 1 tablespoon of butter and whisk in 1 tablespoon of flower. Dump in the milk/chicken broth mixture and stir it until it gets thick. Add grated Parmesan and salt and pepper and serve over pasta (the other night I mixed in sauteed shrimp, white beans, and kale, and it was great). Also brought to you courtesy of that genius Pam Anderson.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Trying to cut the booze. </span>Um, not really working. Beer is one of my favorite food groups, and I am loathe to eliminate an entire food group. Still, cutting back is something I need to do. One thing that's good for people to avoid when watching their weight is sugary mixed frozen drinks. As delicious as they are, a frozen margarita has around 700 calories. Dios mio! I'll stick with beer, thank you - hopefully just one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Not obsessing. </span>Wait, what? That seems a bit contradictory to this whole long list I just wrote. Why do so many diet manifestos always end with "Don't obsess" or "Enjoy life"? Because otherwise you go crazy, that's why. When I go out to dinner, I want to be able to enjoy myself, not just order a side salad and stare longingly at everyone else's entrees. I figure, as long as I'm cooking most of my meals--all of which are nutritious and low in sugar and fat--I can indulge on those occasions when I do go out. Otherwise, this eating plan becomes a true diet and, as everyone knows, diets don't work.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-25318411089114342982011-01-26T18:06:00.009-05:002011-02-08T12:13:05.736-05:00Revelations<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >You may or may not have noticed that I disappeared from the blogosphere for about 10 months. I can't really say where I've been or what I've been doing that would keep me away so long. (Oh, I did get engaged to Special Someone -- <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2010/04/guitars-buicks-pineapple-pizza.html">how could I refuse?</a> -- but it's not like we don't eat.) I have been cooking just as much as ever, if not more, and have come up with a bunch of new recipes for my repertoire. But every time I would start a new post, its content would feel flimsy and my writing style too self-conscious. I'm sure this post does nothing to change either of those things, but I don't care, 'cause I'm mad as a March hare for lentil sauce.<br /><br />Here's how it began, all in one whirlwind day. I stopped at Whole Foods during lunch to fill up on free samples (the key is to make several laps - disguises your gluttony while burning calories) and on my way out picked up their newsletter. Despite Whole Foods' reputation for catering to the country club set, the recipes in the newsletter are usually cheap to make, surprisingly inventive, and far from fancy. I came across one called "Linguine with Spinach, [Canned!] Artichokes, and Red Lentil Sauce." After reading about the lentils -- "when simmered until they're velvety soft, lentils make a surprisingly creamy sauce for pasta" -- I nearly slapped myself on the forehead. Lentils! Of course they would be a delicious and nutritious pasta sauce. Dal is da bomb, yo - let's Italicize it and throw that joint on some noodles! I just had to try it, that very night.<br /><br />Other than the lentils and linguine, I was not at all faithful to Whole Foods' recipe. I didn't have spinach or artichokes at home, but I did have sweet potatoes, ground turkey, and broccoli and threw those in the mix instead. Sorry, Whole Foods - I realize the whole point of these recipes is to inspire people to buy your stuff, but I just raided your free samples and your free newsletter. Thanks for the inspiration, though.<br /><br />I also made my lentil sauce a bit differently, with the addition of tomato paste and subtraction of lemon juice. I had some leftover tomato paste that needed to be used up immediately (learn from my mistakes and always buy yours in the tube), but no lemons. When life hands you no lemons, use tomato paste! I realize tomato paste and lemon juice could not be more different (eh...I guess they are both acidic to varying degrees and fruit-based, though that's about it), but tomato paste seemed like a nice little Italianate touch and it never hurts on pasta. Without the tomato paste, and with the addition of lemons, this would've been a whole 'nother sauce.<br /><br /></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> 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mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The lentil sauce melded deliciously with the sweet potatoes, turkey meatballs, and broccoli, but it’s so good that it doesn’t really matter what you add it to. I think it would be excellent plain over pasta, rice, or a baked potato. The vegetables, meat, or whatever else you want to throw in there are just a bonus. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I’m sure the artichokes and spinach called for in Whole Foods’ original are also scrumptious. Again, sorry Whole Foods – I failed you, but it was a big win for me.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Recipe: Pasta with Lentil Sauce, Vegetables, and Turkey Meatballs</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Makes 4 servings.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="georgia" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="georgia" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It looks like a lot of ingredients, but doesn’t need to be – other than the lentil sauce, everything is variable, and even the lentil sauce could be easily modified. The turkey meatballs here are incidental – I had made turkey burgers the other night and had some leftover meat. But they were really good in this dish, so if you have some ground turkey I recommend using it here. Sweet potatoes are merely a seasonal addition and a good source of nutrients. They absorbed the sauce well, but you could use another root vegetable or none at all. Same goes for the broccoli. I can’t wait to try other veggie combinations. Next up, collards and cauliflower (for the alliteration, of course), red peppers and olives, and butternut squash and green beans. And in case you want to be extra rebellious, you could even use split peas in place of the lentils if you don’t mind the homely colors. Oh! And gnocchi. The sauce would be incredible atop some gnocchi if you are so inclined. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Or fish! Seriously, it would be delicious over fish, or chicken cutlets, or maybe even pork. Heck, heat some up and drizzle it over your ice cream like it’s a sunset-colored hot fudge! Okay, I think I found the limit.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">For the lentil sauce:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> </p><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />2 t mustard seeds<br />2 t olive oil<br />4 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />1 small onion, finely chopped<br />2 C chicken broth (Whole Foods calls for 1 C vegetable broth and 1 C water, which is more economical. Use whatever you have.)<br />3/4 C red lentils<br />2 t turmeric (I thought this would brighten the color. Not necessary though.)<br />2 T tomato paste<br />Salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />For the rest, if you want to follow what I did beyond the lentil sauce:<br /><br />2 T olive oil for sauteing, more as needed<br />2 sweet potatoes (the smaller kind, or one yam), cut into bite-size pieces<br />1/2 t ground nutmeg<br />2 t ground cumin, divided<br />1/2 lb ground turkey, room temperature<br />1 t Adobo seasoning<br />1/4 t salt<br />2 t Worcestershire sauce<br />2 T chopped flat leaf parsley (only if you have it)<br />1/2 lb whole wheat linguine (or any pasta you half)<br />1 stalk broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces<br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />The lentil sauce and sweet potatoes take roughly the same amount of time to cook, so get these started in tandem. <span style="font-size:100%;">For the lentil sauce, put a small-to-medium-sized pot on the burner and turn to medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook a few minutes – they are supposed to pop after a few minutes but might not. It doesn’t matter. Add the olive oil, garlic, and onion and cook for a minute. Add the lentils, broth, turmeric, and tomato paste, stir everything around, turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pot – these should simmer for about 20 minutes or until lentils are very soft.<br /><br />Meanwhile, for the sweet potatoes and the rest, heat a large skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the sweet potatoes and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. While sweet potatoes are cooking, form the meatballs: in a medium size bowl, gently mix the ground turkey, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, the Adobo seasoning, salt, and Worcestershire sauce </span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >(do not overmix or the meat will get gooey and gross!)</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > and roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter. 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mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"> Move the sweet potatoes to one </span>side of the pan and sprinkle them with the nutmeg and 1 teaspoon of cumin. Add extra olive oil to the pan if it has dried up, and add the meatballs to the other side. Use tongs to turn them, making sure they get browned everywhere, about 10 minutes. Cut into one to make sure it is done (i.e., not pink, or only a teeny bit pink on the inside) - if not, keep sautein'. Check the sweet potatoes - if they are soft enough that you want to eat them, they're done! Add a little salt and pepper if you like.<br /><br />In another pot (yes, I know we're up to three pots now - this is not such an economical dish for your stove or dishwasher), cook whatever pasta you are using according to package instructions. Drain and stir in the lentil sauce, which should be done by now. It will seem like a lot of sauce, but remember, you will also be adding the meatballs and vegetables.<br /><br />Add the sweet potatoes and meatballs to the pasta and lentils, stir around, and cover the pot to keep it warm. In the pan you used to cook the sweet potatoes and meatballs, add a bit more olive oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the broccoli and stir-fry it until bright green and slightly softened. (Feel free to cook broccoli any other way - steamed, roasted, microwaved, etc. - this is just how I like mine.) Salt it a bit and throw it into the pasta. Voila! Enjoy.</span>DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-51998404762524443362010-04-30T14:24:00.005-04:002010-04-30T16:21:12.921-04:00Guitars, Buicks, Pineapple Pizza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2uRRNjmisJepBWuFPvNy7uS0RFFzFBKZ9z6izjePtUnZTkJU2MIh_6J82hDf_Qx1r1qzoo-oUS8cwDUCOCxUrubrKG_V1egwfv47LlWtQqL2oHSY-Y31n0ENnlHvAlISHFVr2HSO3WY/s1600/55+Buick+and+L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2uRRNjmisJepBWuFPvNy7uS0RFFzFBKZ9z6izjePtUnZTkJU2MIh_6J82hDf_Qx1r1qzoo-oUS8cwDUCOCxUrubrKG_V1egwfv47LlWtQqL2oHSY-Y31n0ENnlHvAlISHFVr2HSO3WY/s400/55+Buick+and+L.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466027851121483282" border="0" /></a><br /><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">The following post comes courtesy of the dreamy dude in my life, known in this blog as Special Someone. Although I initially pegged him for a "he's just not that into food" kind of guy, I was clearly mistaken. Also, anyone who uses the phrase "hogwash with Hollandaise sauce" is obvi a keeper.</span></span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >Hello blog-world. The esteemed but exhausted Economical Epicurean (the EE) has passed the keyboard this week to the gentleman she calls her Special Someone (he is me) in the hopes that my rambling prose may inspire her to start blogging again regularly. Now let me preface this entry by highlighting the fact that I am very much not a writer, nor particularly known for creating the type of fine food focused alliteration that you have come to expect from the EE. As a side note, I did, however, start my college career with the best of intentions on becoming an English major. My first semester I signed up for a myriad of courses including ENG 101, ENG 102, ENG 103 and so on. It wasn't until half way through the semester that I discovered these were all Engineering courses. I was not necessarily the sharpest bulb in the pencil box back then. Obvi. Unfortunately, by the point I realized my error the die was cast and I was yet another victim to the allure of the siren song of thermodynamics. Alas. Anyway, I will try to minimize the misplaced modifiers and eliminate egregious errors but I must give apologies in advance for any absence of alliteration.<br /></span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >With that introduction out of the way, I now bid you greetings from the moral high ground of the Special Someone Estate (SSE), conveniently located in the ultra-trendy west SoDNoB (South of Duke, North of Beltway) district of Alexandria, in the humble Commonwealth of VA. Apparently, my one requirement in writing this blog is that I must, at some point, provide an absolutely delicious recipe that can be made by you the reader for pennies on the dollar. So I will get to that. Eventually.</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >First, a little more about myself. Aside from food and cooking, I have many passions and hobbies in my life. Those that probably most affect my culinary orientation and the style of my recipes include old Buicks, Film Noir, the art of Rafael DeSoto, guitars, softball and collecting antique pinball machines and other assorted old junk. So basically my cooking style has both a vintage and sporty but still artsy/musical flair to it. As can be imagined, variations on the ever classic ambrosia abound in the SSE.</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >Now there have been some rumors spread about me in recent editions of this blog that perhaps I only eat to live. The implication being that I am not a "food purist" or, dare I say it, even a "foodie," let alone qualified to ghost write a food blog. To that I say, hogwash with Hollandaise sauce. I have three main rebuttal points supporting my love of food:</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >Point A. Would someone who was not into food go almost six years eating the same meals based on the day of the week? This was back in the days when I worked a lot and didn't have much time to cook nor be as creative as I might like with food, so I just picked my favorite meals and had them repeatedly. I have heard, but do not know for a fact, that Julia Child used to do the same thing. BTW, in case you would like to recreate this scrumptious meal plan: Sunday was pizza night, Monday was fish sticks with macaroni and cheese, Tuesday was steak sandwiches, Wednesday was spaghetti, Thursday was chicken and rice and Friday was taco loco time. Saturday night was a wildcard night with anything goes. For the movie fans out there this meal plan may conjure up visions of <span style="font-style: italic;">Rainman</span>, but I assure you it was for convenience and deliciousness--not out of disdain for food or compulsive necessity. Besides, it wasn't like I had pizza on Mondays and fish sticks on Wednesday. Which would definitely have been a little strange. Definitely.</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >Point B. If I wasn't into culinary delights, why would my parents have gone to all the trouble of trying to set me up with someone who had their own cooking show on television (or as the hipsters out there like to call it, "TV")? True story. After I returned from living overseas a while back, my parents were going on and on about how they had found this wonderful woman for me, how she was single (at least back then) and that she seemed really nice and perky. They were sincerely describing this mystery woman as if my mom had met her in the grocery store and she was dying to meet me. Eventually they revealed this perfect match was Rachel Ray. The kicker being that of course neither of them actually knew Ms. Ray, but were just very familiar with her "TV" show and thought we would be great together, presumably due to our mutual appreciation of food. Thanks so much for that dating help Ma and Pa--the EE is better than RR anyway!</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >Point C. This isn't so much a rebuttal point as it is a non sequitur observation that very few food blogs seem to include much discussion about 1955 Buicks. Which, when I think about it, is really kind of sad.</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >So now having clearly proven my "foodie" credentials (or as we like to say on the mean streets of SoDNoB--my "food cred") it is probably time to provide today's recipe. The short name for the meal is Lasagna with Pineapple Surprise, but my sister's lovingly applied but slightly longer name for it is "What the heck is in this Lasagna? OMIGOSH it is Pineapple. Good grief, you put it in everything so I am not Surprised." I came up with this one night when I was thinking about how much I really like pineapple on pizza, although unlike in the Hawaiian tradition I prefer it with pepperoni rather than ham. Since lasagna has many of the same elements as pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella etc.) I decided to try it in my lasagna and with that impulse, a classic meal was born. The recipe is pretty simple--make your lasagna the way you usually do, just add a layer of pineapple in the middle. If you normally put ground beef in your lasagna, probably best to not include it in this pineapple version. My sauce of preference is Ragu Super Chunky Mushroom, which seems to harmonize quite nicely with the pineapple. Sometimes I like to also add a layer of pepperoni (or you can try ham), but that will be up to your tastes and budget.<br /></span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >Ingredients:</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >Your lasagna recipe</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >1 can pineapple chunks or crushed pineapple (strain out as much juice as possible)</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >pepperoni (optional)</span></p><p><br /></p> <span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" >Anyway, hope you like it and do not consider it an iconic fail. Also, hopefully after reading this disjointed effort, the EE will now be motivated to return soon with yet another one of her great blogs!</span>DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-79273542695155870402010-04-12T10:49:00.006-04:002010-04-26T12:40:44.504-04:00On My MindI've been thinking a lot about whether to continue with this blog. On the one hand, writing and cooking are two of my favorite things to do. On the other, I've been lacking inspiration for quite some time. Not really on the cooking side, but on the "coming-up-with-worthwhile-things-to-say-about-cooking" side.<br /><br />About a month ago or so I got a great haircut, the kind that real grown-up women get, one that seemed to give me a new lease on life, at least for a few days, or till I realized I would have to blow-dry my hair for an hour every morning to make it look the way it first did. Similarly, perhaps a makeover to this blog would be good for a spell. Anyone know how to do that kind of thing? I am pretty tired of this generic, late '90s-ish template.<br /><br />Since right now I don't have anything to say that can be condensed into a single pat post, I will resort to a kind of list of recent musings on cooking and eating. Perhaps this will spark something worthwhile for a better-crafted post next time. One can hope!<br /><br />~After a brunch of oatmeal with a bruleed crust, my friend Rachel W. was inspired to go out and buy a blowtorch to fancify her morning cereal. The other day she texted me that she was making oat bran brulee. Livin' it up while stayin' regular! So, if you too own a blowtorch, that's something fun you can do. Be careful, of course!<br /><br />~I've started cooking a lot differently now that a Special Someone is around. I probably don't cook for him more than once or twice a week, but when I do, it's mostly goodbye weird one-pot experiments with ingredients that may or may not work together (see: this entire blog), hello real sit-down dinners with a protein, a starch, and a green vegetable. Like the grown-up haircut, maybe it's a sign of progress. Yes, I AM worth opening that whole package of chicken breasts.<br /><br />~Speaking of Special Someone, one of our (hopefully not tragic) differences is that he eats to live and I live to eat. But he raved about this one experiment I created a few weeks back, sort of a pasta puttanesca meets spaghetti bolognese. Puttanese? Bolognesca? In any case, I made a spicy tomato sauce with ground turkey (instead of ground beef - so yeah, total insult to both puttanesca and bolognese. But still delicious). It had a lot of garlic, Worcestershire sauce (no anchovies on hand), olives, ground fennel seeds. It was really good, and that is all I can think of to say about it for now.<br /><br />~I tried Mark Bittman's Minimalist <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14minirex.html?ref=dining">recipe</a> for "weeknight tagine" from a couple weeks ago, and have a few thoughts. I'm pretty sad about the end of his blog, Bitten. The Times has condensed all its food blogs into Diner's Journal, which I guess is good news for their budget, but bad news for those of us who have no interest in restaurant trends or wine. Anyway, this tagine, while delicious, was not the first dish of his I've tried that makes me question how well he tests his recipes. He calls for using whole chicken thighs, browning them on either side, and then basically braising them for fifteen minutes. The idea is to turn a traditionally time-consuming recipe into one you can make any weeknight. However, chicken thighs take a much longer time to cook than this recipe implies. My suggestion, if you are strapped for time, is to cut up the chicken into chunks. You can cook them whole, but it will take at least half an hour, not fifteen minutes. Other than that minor misdirection, the recipe is a near perfect mix of sweet and savory.<br /><br />~As always, I'm really late in catching onto a food craze, but the banh mi sandwich is my new obsession. And it turns out I no longer need to travel all the way to wretched Virginia to get my two-buck fix: <a href="http://www.saigoneserestaurant.com/">Saigonese</a> in Wheaton makes one that, in my opinion, is superior to the original Banh Mi DC Sandwich in Falls Church. Eat that, NoVa!<br /><br />So, I guess that's all I have to say for now. In the meantime, I'll hang around the stove and see what happens.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-49357274511725259022010-03-09T10:13:00.006-05:002010-03-11T09:51:47.836-05:00Vacation Inspiration<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZdCFnp4KFWm_MSvBNx1THbwQa9-am_BpL4kjXYE788uhMCeBPq9WImHliU5hqhzAmMJ_ZIAFzOuhg4dN_pOQAfLhS0za3xNmxaKjghjnwaRh8FVDdPQnIjvFyllEm46XPUg5yPCZE8c/s1600-h/24344_508414458346_215500063_30620450_844722_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZdCFnp4KFWm_MSvBNx1THbwQa9-am_BpL4kjXYE788uhMCeBPq9WImHliU5hqhzAmMJ_ZIAFzOuhg4dN_pOQAfLhS0za3xNmxaKjghjnwaRh8FVDdPQnIjvFyllEm46XPUg5yPCZE8c/s400/24344_508414458346_215500063_30620450_844722_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447379560778678706" border="0" /></a><br /></div>A couple weekends ago, I tried to relive a shortened version of <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/01/destination-florida.html">last year's Florida trip</a>. My friend Sarah and I flew down to Tampa, surprised her sister, Emily, who lives in the area and who took the incredible photograph above, and spent a few days cruising around St. Pete Beach and thereabouts. Back in Washington, there were still 10-foot tall, prison-gray snowbanks lining the streets, so I was grateful to be anywhere but home.<br /><br />Sarah and I rode bikes from Dunedin to Tarpon Springs, a Greek fishing community and evidently the nation's natural sponge headquarters - who knew? We had a delicious early dinner Mykonos, a restaurant near the piers, where I ordered a baked lamb-and-orzo special. It was so good I would've jumped up and done the hora in its praise, had my legs not been so sore from the first bike ride of the year.<br /><br />I came home to the chilly air and lingering snow, determined to make a baked lamb-and-orzo special at home. I know you're scoffing, "Lamb? And she calls herself economical." But this impressive dish that serves up to 10 people can be prepared for under $20, easily. Allow me to break it down for you.<br /><br />Lamb shoulder, like pork shoulder of the previous post, is on the fatty side, so it tends to be a lot cheaper than leg of lamb or lamb chops. I found a big ol' 3-pounder at Shopper's for $15, and according to my mother there are better deals out there (try Costco or Middle Eastern or Indian markets). The other main ingredients in the dish - orzo and canned tomatoes - are cheap, and the rest of the ingredients are likely already in your cabinets or fridge. When the lammy is slow-simmered in a simple tomato sauce, then baked with the orzo, the results are a meaty miracle (4 out of 4 other Owens who tried it, plus 1 out of 1 Sanders, concur on this point).<br /><br />I poked around the internets for a recipe, and was initially disappointed to find that the nearest version of this dish came not from some wrinkled yaya but from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/lamb-baked-with-orzo">Martha Stewart </a>(adapted from Greek cooking authority Vefa Alexiadou, in case you were worried my recipe is not authentic enough). Some of the steps in Martha's adaptation seemed a bit gratuitous to me, so I cut them out with no ill effects (e.g., she has you cook the lamb and tomatoes in a skillet and the orzo separately in a pot, when all you really need is one Dutch oven to do everything). I also lightened up the amount of butter and olive oil and it's still delicious, so you're welcome. I seem to be lacking eloquence lately - or maybe it's all the time now - so I will conclude simply: OMG DELICIOUS.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Lamb and Tomatoes Baked in Orzo<br /><br /></span>Adapted from Martha Stewart. Makes 8-10 servings, and keeps well for a few days. The leftovers are delicious. Although the cooking time is long, the prep is easy. Sauteed spinach in garlic is the perfect accompaniment.<br /><br />1/4 C olive oil<br />4 to 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced<br />3 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1 or 1.5 inch chunks<br />1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes<br />1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes<br />1 T red wine vinegar<br />1/2 t sugar<br />salt and pepper<br />1 lb. orzo<br />2 T butter<br />chopped rosemary from 2 or 3 sprigs (optional)<br />2.5 C hot water (more may be necessary)<br />kefalotiri cheese for sprinkling (unless your name is Pappas, you probably don't have this on hand; use Parmesan instead)<br />chopped fresh parsley (optional)<br /><br /><span>Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the garlic, and add the lamb in batches, being sure not to overcrowd. Brown the lamb pieces on all sides and remove from the pot, reserving the liquid. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and a hearty dash of salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Add the lamb back to the pot and simmer in the tomato mixture for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Turn off the burner and add the orzo, butter, rosemary to the pot, and give it a good stir. Add the water to the pot, give it a stir, and place the pot in the oven. Bake for about an hour, or until orzo is al dente, checking on the pot continuously to make sure the dish doesn't seem too dry - if it does, add about a cup of hot water at a time and stir it around. Remove from oven and stir in cheese and parsley. </span><br /><br />(Above photo courtesy of the talented Emily Burnett Magdics. Check out her <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Lakeland-FL/Emily-Rose-Portraits/113206831615?ref=ts">work</a>!)DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-53882325051480277102010-02-09T15:36:00.007-05:002010-02-16T16:40:00.985-05:00Stoo for yooEver since I read Ruth Reichl's first memoir, <span style="font-style: italic;">Tender at the Bone</span>, I had been fixing to make pork and tomatillo stew, a recipe that came out of her hippie days at a co-op restaurant in Berkeley. I finally made it two Sundays ago for a herd of hungry snow travelers, and it was just as good as I expected. So good, in fact, that it even stole the spotlight from a big beautiful molcajete full of freshly made guacamole.<br /><br />I had meant to make it with beef, since I wasn't sure that every visitor to my house was pro-pork, but there had been a run on all bovine products at my Safeway. Plus, pork is cheaper - especially when you stray from the recipe's recommendation of lean pork and choose a big, fatty shoulder roast (about $5.50 for a 3-pound hunk). The fat adds flavor to the stew, and I for one think extra fat is a very welcome thing when you've spent the day plodding through thigh-deep snow or shoveling out a driveway.<br /><br />I had never cooked with tomatillos before, but what a fun little green fruit they are! They're also remarkably cheap. I bought most of the stew's ingredients, with the exception of the pork, at the Latin market on the ground floor of my office building in <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/08/saying-yes-to-nope.html">NoPe</a>. Here a 2-lb package of tomatillos cost only $1.50 (found some other great bargains, too: limes are 25 cents each; a huge bunch of cilantro is 50 cents; a can of Goya black beans is 75 cents). To cook with tomatillos, you must remove the papery husks, and they may need to be scrubbed if there's still paper stuck to the skin. With the husks removed, a tomatillo looks like a cross between a tomato and a green pepper (their stems are similar). It's the main ingredient in many salsa verdes, and it adds a nice, tart, almost vinegary flavor to this particular stew.<br /><br />The stew disappeared in a matter of minutes. While I do believe second and third helpings are the sincerest forms of flattery, I would have loved to have kept more to myself. But if you are looking for an easy and cheap dish to please - I mean, <span style="font-style: italic;">really please</span> - a big crowd, this is it.<br /><br /><span class="postbody"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Pork and Tomatillo Stew</span><br /><br />Adapted from Ruth Reichl. Makes about 12 servings (per my quantities - you can find the original recipe <a href="http://chocolateandzucchini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1387">here</a>). I'm sure it would also be very good with chicken or beef in place of pork, or you could even omit the meat and add extra beans for a veg version. It tastes even better the second day.<br /><br />1/4 C cooking oil<br />cloves of one whole head of garlic, peeled<br />3 lbs. pork shoulder roast, cut into cubes<br />salt<br />pepper<br />2 bottles dark beer (I used Negra Modelo in keeping with the Latin theme)<br />12 ounces orange juice<br />1 to 2 lbs. tomatillos, quartered<br />1 to 2 lbs. Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped (alternatively, you could use canned tomatoes)<br />2 large onions, coarsely chopped<br />1 bunch of cilantro, chopped and divided<br />2 jalapeño peppers, chopped<br />2 14-ounce cans black beans<br />juice of 1 lime<br />sour cream, for serving (optional)<br /><br />Heat oil in a very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic cloves, then add pork in batches so as not to crowd, and brown on all sides. Remove pork as the pieces get brown on all sides, and add salt and pepper.<br /><br />Meanwhile, add beer and orange juice to a medium-sized pot over high heat. Add tomatillos and tomatoes, bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook about 20 minutes or until tomatillos are soft. Set aside.<br /><br />When all pork is browned, pour off all but about a tablespoon of the oil in the pan. Add onions and cook about 8 minutes, or until soft. Stir, scraping up bits of meat. Add chopped cilantro and pepper and salt to taste. Put pork back into pan. Add tomatillo mixture and chopped jalapeños. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover partially and cook about 2.5 hours. Check for seasonings, add black beans and lime juice and cook an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl, if desired. </span>DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-323075408133082162010-02-02T17:56:00.018-05:002010-02-03T14:52:13.868-05:00Lynne Rossetto Awesome<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvO3yvkeLIB-hh5cC6Z7_MuFLXTRghzgRVSkm1hvzXoSGBpKDvU59Fm9wjEes17lirm6XsbHb-SCt7n5VKV2nSmfOYQAOKMR0SoE0p_lmJR_7JWuVf9-rs4zv2VgvxUnfJdxyOi-THNWw/s1600-h/100_0884.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/AVvXsEjvO3yvkeLIB-hh5cC6Z7_MuFLXTRghzgRVSkm1hvzXoSGBpKDvU59Fm9wjEes17lirm6XsbHb-SCt7n5VKV2nSmfOYQAOKMR0SoE0p_lmJR_7JWuVf9-rs4zv2VgvxUnfJdxyOi-THNWw/s400/100_0884.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434107196729601506" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I listen to a lot of public radio - begrudgingly. To me, it's ten times more tolerable than any other news radio, but this declaration comes with a lot of caveats. For example, I <span style="font-style: italic;">detest</span> that faux-everyman windbag Garrison Keillor, yet his sinister droll still wakes me up every morning (WAMU airs <span style="font-style: italic;">The Writer's Almanac </span>at an ungodly hour). I think <span style="font-style: italic;">This American Life </span>tries too hard to look for the deeper meaning, but I subscribe to their podcast anyway (if you haven't heard <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=339">"The Breakup" episode</a>, you must). I think the hosts of <span style="font-style: italic;">Morning Edition</span> are shrill snotfaces, but they nonetheless keep me company on every morning commute. I get annoyed when NPR reporters over-enunciate foreign words and names, but I still like how they cover corners of the world that most mainstream news sources avoid.<br /><br />The one blameless thing public radio has to offer is <a href="http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/">Lynne Rossetto Kasper</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. </span>If you ever saw "The Delicious Dish" skits on SNL (see Alec Baldwin's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUUHNS_Ew64">Schweddy balls</a>" if you can't immediately recall), they were designed to mock Lynne's show,<span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/">The Splendid Table</a>.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>These skits were funny but unfair, because <span style="font-style: italic;">The Splendid Table </span>is NOT for boring cat ladies. Oh, wait...<br /><br />Not surprisingly, I love Lynne and I love her show. Every episode begins with a visit from Jane and Michael Stern of <a href="http://www.roadfood.com/">Roadfood</a>, who travel the country in search of the best local dives (I've tried a number of Roadfood recommendations, and the Sterns have never steered me wrong). Then Lynne usually does a few interviews with food experts, and gets into the hows and whys of such titillating topics as waxed versus unwaxed cheese. Okay, I admit it's not for everyone, but you have to appreciate Lynne's great big guffaw and her genuine interest in her guests' and callers' seemingly trivial gastronomical concerns. Listen with Lynne, and you too can become impassioned about the history of ramen, the politics of bananas, and the art of knife-sharpening. Plus, she often has cool guests like Amy Sedaris (though Lynne did seem a little unsure how to react when Amy kept mentioning her drug dealer). And lest you think this show is for food snobs, even <em>The Splendid Table's</em> resident wine critic, Josh Wesson, is credited for helping cheap wine earn some respect in the oenological domain.<br /><br />Every week Lynne sends me (along with thousands of other public radio nerds with cats and M.A. degrees) an email with a recipe that she usually comes up with herself. I always read them through to the end, where she signs off "Have a great week" (you have a great week too, Lynne!), but seldom follow them. There was one that caught my eye a few weeks ago, a recipe Lynne adapted called "Salad of Pineapple and Winter Greens with Warm Roasted Chile-Coconut Dressing." The title was a bit lengthy for my taste, but what sparked my attention was the pineapple. A certain Special Someone I know is such a big fan of pineapple that he even puts it in lasagna. I hadn't cooked him anything other than a fried egg sandwich, if that even counts as cooking, so I set out to follow <a href="http://www.elabs7.com/functions/message_view.html?mid=926183&mlid=499&siteid=20130&uid=0d56ad7a7e">Lynne's recipe</a> and make him a Splendid Table-quality first dinner.<br /><br />The pineapple fan liked it (he even ate the soggy, dressing-logged leftovers for the next two days), which I guess was the whole point, but I was underwhelmed. But, as I stated before, Lynne is blameless, so I'm sure I did something wrong. Using the leftover ingredients I had bought for the salad -- peanuts, Thai basil, fish sauce, daikon radish -- I created a different salad a few nights later, one that I'm thrilled to include on this blog. It's just a remnant of Lynne's, and doesn't even have the titular pineapple, but it's definitely worth sharing. Have a great week.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Lynne Rossetto Kasper-Inspired Crunchy Salad with Peanut Dressing</span><br /><br />I'm having deja vu: I think I write about salads like this about 25 percent of the time, as they are my staple for weight loss attempts. But each one always seems better than the last one, so I can't resist posting them. This one contains two of my new favorite ingredients - daikon radish and fish sauce. I'm really late in jumping on the daikon radish and fish sauce bandwagons, but I'm glad I finally did. Fish sauce adds that mysterious umami taste (Lynne, as you may have guessed, <span style="font-style: italic;">loves</span> talking about umami) and daikon is that delicious not-too-sharp radish you find in banh mi sandwiches and some Thai salads. Both are really inexpensive at Asian markets. I also used red cabbage in this salad; normally I buy green cabbage since it tends to be cheaper, but red and green are both 99 cents a pound at H Mart, so I went with the more visually appealing red. As with any salad I create, proportions are up to individual tastes, so this recipe is just a guideline.<br /><br />Makes 4 generous servings. Lasts up to five days in the refrigerator. Add chicken, shrimp, or tofu to make it a more filling meal.<br /><br />For the salad:<br />1/2 head of red cabbage (use green if you prefer)<br />1 carrot, shredded or cut into matchsticks<br />2 green onions, sliced (use green and white parts)<br />1/2 daikon radish, cut into matchsticks<br />1 handful Thai basil, cut into julienne, or cilantro<br />1 handful roasted, salted peanuts, chopped (food processor makes this much easier; cashews or macadamia nuts would also be good)<br />juice of 1 lime<br /><br />For the dressing:<br />3 T peanut butter<br />2 T rice vinegar<br />1 T honey<br />1 t fish sauce<br />1 clove garlic, minced<br />a good sprinking of crushed red pepper flakes<br />1/4 t salt<br />water to thin the dressing, if desired<br /><br />Mix together the salad ingredients; add the lime juice. Whisk together the dressing ingredients; add a few drops of water if you like a thinner consistency. Check seasonings and adjust as needed. Toss dressing with salad. </div>DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-56475056160975963202009-12-28T13:43:00.008-05:002009-12-28T15:29:19.455-05:00Spanx Salad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_xYY82uM_SzR_9b7nP5YLKIV9_7l8yoJnwgkdSz5PBEtOh91-w0dFsja_jK3ht0zxaWsvzjIH4W0N9fnnWnfapXFCqbKSRCAGlHszEFHQ0landMRBetQY9x14wIaF0mFXqtH59zRUFM/s1600-h/Spanx-main_Full.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_xYY82uM_SzR_9b7nP5YLKIV9_7l8yoJnwgkdSz5PBEtOh91-w0dFsja_jK3ht0zxaWsvzjIH4W0N9fnnWnfapXFCqbKSRCAGlHszEFHQ0landMRBetQY9x14wIaF0mFXqtH59zRUFM/s400/Spanx-main_Full.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420376172232759058" border="0" /></a>If you don't know what Spanx are, you are probably not a woman between the ages of 18 and 55 (beyond 55, we get into girdles). Spanx are high-tech undergarments that help to smooth out our squishy bits. Since I have been eating catered cocktail party food almost every night for the past month, and wearing form-fitting dresses on most of these occasions (I'm a salesgirl, not a callgirl, but sometimes there's not much distinction), Spanx tights have been indispensable.<br /><br />I was outraged when a now-former gentleman caller of mine boneheadedly suggested it would be better to "just get rid of" the jiggly parts than hide them under Spanx. To paraphrase the great Destiny's Child, he wasn't ready for this jelly. Still, it would be nice to not feel bloated and gelatinous all the time*, so last night I created this powerhouse salad to help me recover from a month's worth of Christmas cookies, vodka tonics, bacon-wrapped canapes, and things served with Tartar sauce. It's delicious and filling, and it will make me svelte - not that I expect to get rid of my Spanx any time soon.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />*Yes, I'm singing the same old song - see <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/09/eat-more-beets.html">here</a>, <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/12/taste-of-winter.html">here</a>, and probably elsewhere for more posts of this kind. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Spanx Salad<br /></span>Makes 2 hearty main course servings. Can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature. The main ingredient is <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/09/quinoa-quinceanera.html">quinoa</a>, the seed with superpowers. Apparently you can subsist on a quinoa-only diet and live to be 120, it's got so many life-sustaining nutrients. With the addition of broccoli, spinach, and nuts, now you can live to forever - and look good doing it! <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />1 C quinoa<br />2 C water<br />1 T olive oil<br />1 head of broccoli, florets and stalks cut into bite-sized pieces<br />4 cloves garlic, minced<br />1/2 C nuts (any kind - I had a leftover mix of almonds, walnuts, and pecans), chopped<br />a hearty sprinkling of red pepper flakes<br />2 C fresh spinach, tough stems removed<br />juice of half a lemon<br />a sprinkling of ground nutmeg (I'm thinking ginger would also be great, and turn this into a whole 'nother salad)<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />1 handful chopped fresh parsley (optional)<br /><br />In a saucepan, add the quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot, and cook for an additional 10 or 15 minutes, or until water is mostly absorbed. Fluff quinoa with a fork and remove from heat.<br /><br />While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add broccoli, increase heat to medium-high, and stir-fry for five minutes (add more olive oil if the pan dries out). Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir-fry another few minutes. Reduce heat to low-medium and add spinach, cooking until it's wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Mix in the quinoa, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and parsley.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-49564327217502685422009-12-21T10:27:00.006-05:002009-12-21T16:30:02.701-05:00Notes from Snowdown 2009Some lessons for throwing a holiday party during the "Blizzard of the Century," or is it just "Blizzard of the Decade"? Either way, I am still trapped in a knee-deep winter wonderland, with not much to do besides write in this damn blog.<br /><br />1. Obviously, make tons of food and have ample booze reserves, even if the attendance list is reduced by more than half due to inclement weather. Traipsing through two miles' worth of blizzard builds a big appetite. There were surprisingly few leftovers, and we were clean out of beer a little too early.<br /><br />2. Maybe we would've had more beer left if I didn't drink about 28 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ales. Whoops. Also, try to stay awake until all your guests leave (or crash on your couch, still wearing their snowboots, as the case may be).<br /><br />3. This is a no-brainer, but party guests will eat anything if it's wrapped in bacon: paper clips, lint, rubber bands, Christmas ornaments. But they will especially like<span style="font-weight: bold;"> devils on horseback</span>, which is fancyspeak for bacon-wrapped, walnut-stuffed dates. (Actually, I think official devils on horseback contain pecans, not walnuts, but it really doesn't matter when there's bacon involved). Buy one package of bacon (not the thick kind), one container of pitted dates, and one bag of walnut halves. Chop the walnuts so they are thin enough to fit into the dates. The dates and walnuts will make sweet, sweet love, wrapped in a delicious bacon blanket. Gets me all hot and bothered just thinking about it. Oh, use kitchen scissors to cut the slices of bacon crosswise and roll them around the dates. Place them on a baking sheet in a 500 degree oven and bake till the bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes. Serve with toothpicks.<br /><br />4. It's really easy to make a lot of varieties of <span style="font-weight: bold;">crostini</span>, and people will also go wild for these. If you don't have time/inclination to bake your own bread, buy a good quality pre-sliced crusty loaf. Cut each slice into halves or thirds. Set aside and make a couple different toppings, like <span style="font-weight: bold;">caramelized onions</span> (the fabulous <a href="http://hungrygrad.blogspot.com/2009/12/melting-onions.html">Miriam aka Hungry Grad</a> has a good recipe) or my <span style="font-weight: bold;">sherry mushrooms</span> (just slice up a bunch of mushrooms and half an onion and cook in a couple tablespoons of butter on medium-high heat; add a sprinkling of sugar to aid delicious brownedness; and splash in a good helping of sherry or red wine to make a reduction sauce). These go great spread on slices of bread with goat cheese or blue cheese, or just plain. Assemble and heat in the oven on a baking sheet a few minutes before serving, so everything is nice and warm and melty.<br /><br />5. Ooh, I almost forgot!<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Another delicious crostini</span> uses just two cans of white beans, drained; a few cloves of garlic, minced; a third cup or so of olive oil; the juice of half a lemon; salt and pepper; and some chopped, fresh sage and parsley. Mix it all together and dollop onto slices of bread.<br /><br />6. I don't care what the food snobs say, <span style="font-weight: bold;">baked brie</span> is a timeless party classic. Don't bother buying or making puff pastry, though. Just use refrigerated crescent roll dough, a small wheel of Brie, and some kind of jam or chutney (see #7 for recipe for delicious pear chutney, below). Spread out the crescent roll dough as if making a pizza. Place the wheel of brie, rind on, on top of the dough and spread jam or chutney over the rind. Wrap up the brie in the dough as if it's a gift (it truly is!). Brush a bit of egg on top of the dough to get a golden crust. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or till golden brown. Serve with crackers or slices of French bread.<br /><br />7. Another gem from <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/04/good-book-and-poached-egg.html">Laurie Colwin</a>, my favorite food writer of all time: <span style="font-weight: bold;">pear chutney</span>. This stuff has many great uses, among them as a spread for baked brie or a dip for devils on horseback. In a heavy pot on the stove, cook together 3 or 4 large, firm pears (cored but not peeled, and chopped into chunks), 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 t salt, 2 t hot paprika, 2 t ground coriander, 1/2 C vinegar, 1 C raisins (I used Craisins in a pinch), and 1 T ground ginger. When the pears are tender add 1/2 C brown sugar and cook it down till "sludgy but not liquidy." This is not in Colwin's directions, but I like to grind up everything in the food processor if using as a dip. <br /><br />8. See the<a href="http://hungrygrad.blogspot.com/2009/12/inquisition-punch.html"> recipe</a> for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Krunk Jewce, Inquisition Punch, or whatever you want to call this delicious sangria-esque concoction</span> made with very well-disguised Manischewitz - also courtesy of the fabulous and clever Miriam. Truly, a breakthrough in Kosher mixology.<br /><br />9. Per request, here's my recipe for these delectable little treats that are sort of a <span style="font-weight: bold;">cross between chewy molasses cookies and gingersnaps</span>, based on Shirley Corriher's "Cracked Surface Crunchy Gingersnaps" (I make them so that they are not all that crunchy). Before baking, they are rolled in regular granulated sugar, which lends them a festive, shimmery cast once they come out of the oven! They are spicy and gingery and perfect for this kind of weather. Cream 1 and 2/3 C sugar and 1.5 sticks butter, add 1/4 C molasses and blend well. Blend in egg on low speed. Set aside and whisk together 2 and 1/4 C flour, 2 t baking soda, 1/2 t salt, 1 heaping T ground ginger, 1 heaping t ground cinnamon, 1/2 t ground cloves, and 1/2 t ground nutmeg. Add the dry mixture to the wet and form a dough. Roll dough into 1.5 inch balls, then roll them in a plate full of sugar. Bake on baking sheets lined with parchment paper for 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove, and leave on the baking sheets for another minute or two before removing to a plate.<br /><br />10. If setting out a vegetable platter, know that carrots are more popular than celery. Just FYI.<br /><br />11. If people can't tell what something is, they are not very likely to eat it. Curse you, <span style="font-weight: bold;">weird feta and red pepper dip</span> with overly pungent briny cheese tang!<br /><br />12. This is not food- or drink-related, but it is perhaps a lesson in resourcefulness. Say you want to build a fire, but you forgot to collect enough kindling wood and now all the sticks in your yard are buried under several feet of ice. If you are anything like me, about half the furniture in your house has been picked up off the side of the road. You are very likely to own a recycled, left-for-dead Ikea wicker chair that has a big hole in the seat and is pretty much unsafe for anyone but a cat to rest upon. Allow your burlier guests to destroy this chair - it will keep them occupied for at least half an hour. Then, throw the pieces to the flames! You will have the hottest, most raging pyre of all time, and your frostbitten friends will be very happy they traveled near and far to enjoy it.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-16037845708372802942009-12-04T14:12:00.005-05:002009-12-11T11:52:53.170-05:00The Fried Egg Sandwich Gets Its DueIs there anything better than a well-made fried egg sandwich? I submit that there is not.<br /><br />I finally exhausted my supply of Thanksgiving leftovers and have yet to make another trip to the grocery store; hence, many fried egg sandwiches have been consumed this week. Lest you think this post is a cop-out for a real recipe, I must stress that not all fried egg sandwiches are created equal and that it is imperative that all human beings know how to make a good one.<br /><br />The fried egg sandwich has not been a very talked-about item in my lifetime, possibly because for years eggs were demonized as agents of high cholesterol. Pair them with the words "fried" and "sandwich" and you've got yourself a figurative heart attack. Eggs have made a big comeback in recent years, I think due to two things: their low cost and the faddishness of raising chickens in the city. Rarely a day goes by without me stumbling across the term "farm eggs" in some blog. I used to think the term was redundant - don't all eggs come from a farm? - but in this usage "farm" is meant to imply "happy hen haven." So, it's now very common to see hundreds of different recipes for baked eggs, poached eggs, and the newly fashionable <span style="font-style: italic;">migas</span>, but what about the quietly delicious and not-that-bad-for-you fried egg sandwich? It demands our attention.<br /><br />I've noticed at homes and roadside diners alike that some people equate frying with cooking at high heat. When it comes to eggs, nothing could be further from the truth. For, as we know, even when you hard-boil eggs, you are not actually boiling them (or at least you shouldn't). Fried eggs must be fried slowly and at low heat, whether you like yours sunny side up or over hard. Turning the burner knob any more than a quarter of the way around will produce eggs the consistency of latex gloves, and no one wants to eat that.<br /><br />It does not matter whether you use white or wheat bread, but one thing is for sure: the bread must be toasted. The nice crunch of toast provides a great textural contrast to the softness of the egg. If the bread is not toasted, the sandwich lacks interest.<br /><br />A piece of cheese is always encouraged, and although it can be nice to experiment with different cheeses, I find that sharp cheddar is always the best default. But I advise against white cheddar, if only for aesthetic reasons. An orange-hued cheddar against the dark yellow egg yolk evokes a beautiful sunset, and white cheddar simply does not achieve that effect.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Fried Egg Sandwich The Right Way<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Makes one sandwich. In the summertime, when there are good tomatoes, this delicious sandwich can become something sublime.<br /><br />a drop of cooking oil (any kind you want)<br />1 egg<br />2 pieces of sandwich bread (any kind you want)<br />1 slice of sharp cheddar (Trader Joe's is the best value)<br />salt and pepper<br /><br />Add the oil to a nonstick skillet or cast iron pan, and set it to low-medium heat. I use very little oil and just try to spread it around well, but you can use more if you want. When you cook eggs, the pan should preheat, so let the oil sit at this temperature for about five minutes, then reduce the heat to low. Break the egg directly into the pan and cook at least until it sets, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the bread. Depending on how you like your eggs, you have a number of options: remove the egg now if you like fairly runny eggs; let it cook another couple minutes without flipping if you like sunny-side up; let it cook another couple minutes and then flip and cook yet another couple minutes if you like over-easy; let it cook another few minutes, flip, and let it cook for another five to seven minutes if you like over-hard (the yokes are completely solid). Remove, set on one piece of bread, add salt and pepper to your taste, and top with the slice of cheese. Put it all together with the other piece of bread and enjoy.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span>DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-72640451013264166172009-11-28T16:42:00.004-05:002009-11-28T16:48:28.753-05:00Hurry hurry hurry, get your money readyQUICK! All 10-16 lb. turkeys are on sale for $5 at Safeway (and probably at other gro stos, too) for the rest of the weekend. These birds cost around $28 pre-Thanksgiving, so you will be saving like 85 percent, according my rough, English major calculations. And you can freeze it till Christmas (of 2010, if you want) if it seems too soon to start gorging on gobblers again so soon after Thanksgiving.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-67641833080938017112009-11-23T12:04:00.006-05:002009-11-23T16:48:39.152-05:00Not Talkin' Turkey<div>Thanksgiving is only three days away, but this year I refuse to add to the Best Side Dishes and Turkey Techniques blogversation. I am still bristling over last year's stuffing episode. Bored of the perennial basic bread stuffing from <em>Joy of Cooking</em>, I went to the trouble of also making a <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/11/turkey-day-recipe-ambush.html">sausage and cornbread stuffing</a>. It was both completely delicious and completely untouched. (Republicans...I should've known.) Maybe your relatives are more adventuresome than mine, but if not, then I recommend you temporarily stop culling the food blogs - except for this one, of course - and stop dreaming up newfangled renditions of sweet potato casserole. Remember, it's only once a year that marshmallows get their place at the dinner table.<br /><br />Better to leave the improvisation to chili (with apologies to Texans and Cincinnati residents), because chili, unlike stuffing or gravy, doesn't have to mark a special occasion. A couple weeks ago my parents came back from Savannah, Georgia, where they had serendipitously stumbled upon a chili cook-off. My dad raved about a sweet potato chili he tried and said it seemed like it could've been a "Diana Owen Original" (his words). I only wish I had thought of it myself! It sounded so good that I set to making one, and it turns out there are already about 200 sweet potato chili recipes on the internet. Mine loosely borrows from a few of these, but it is mostly a DOO (Diana Owen Original). Not to brag, but it's delicious and really good for you -- and it hits the spot when you're watching the Redskins break another little piece of your heart.<br /></div><br /><div> </div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Sweet Potato Chili<br /></span>Makes about 12 servings. Like other kinds of chili, it gets better after a day or two. I've tried to make it a complete meal by adding kale for greenery. Cornbread is a welcome accompaniment, of course. I'm an enthusiastic recent convert to <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/creamed-corn-cornbread-recipe/index.html">Alton Brown's creamed corn cornbread</a>.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br /></span>Whatever cooking oil you want, enough to cover the bottom of a large pot<br />2 large onions, chopped<br />4 large yams or 7 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes<br />about 6 cloves garlic, chopped (no need to mince)<br />2 T chili powder<br />1 t cumin<br />1 t ground coriander<br />1 t ground nutmeg<br />1 t ground ginger<br />1 t cayenne pepper<br />1/2 t chili sauce (I used homemade <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/08/nothing-beats-free.html">Mao Zedong Chili Paste</a>)<br />zest and juice of one orange (sounds weird, but gives this chili a unique flavor and a great scent)<br />1 28-oz. can tomatoes, not drained (I used whole plum, but crushed or even diced would probably be fine)<br />1 can cheap beer<br />1 28-oz. can kidney beans, not drained<br />1 28-oz. can black beans, drained (so they don't turn the chili an unappetizing color)<br />1/2 lb. kale, coarsely chopped<br />1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the sweet potatoes, spices, and chili sauce. Cook for another 15 minutes or so, or till the sweet potatoes begin to soften (add more oil if the pot starts to dry up). Throw in the orange zest and juice, tomatoes, and beer, bring to a boil, and reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes. Adjust seasonings if you want. Add the beans and kale and cook another 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and salt and pepper to your taste.<br /><div> </div>DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-74061136161290795832009-11-09T14:23:00.023-05:002009-11-20T12:51:20.061-05:00Grocery Stores: A Curmudgeonly Rant with Maybe Some Practical UseFor a long time I had been meaning to write some kind of guide to area grocery stores, but I'd never felt much urgency about it until one day recently when I was shopping at the Bethesda Trader Joe's and thinking a steady diet of raw cabbage salad might help awaken my girlish figure from the dead. There wasn't any cabbage in the produce department, so I went ahead and paid for my other items. The cashier kindly asked me if I found everything I was looking for and I asked if they had any cabbages lurking in the warehouse. Her answer: "Oh, we only stock cabbage around St. Patrick's Day."<br /><br />WHAT?!? It was hard to maintain my composure and I had to remind myself that these ridiculous policies are not up to the cashiers. It's unbelievable to me that <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">any </span>grocery store, even a self-proclaimed "unique" one like TJ's, would fail to stock such a mundane item as cabbage, one that something like 90 percent of humans consume. On the other hand, I think it probably says more about the way people cook (or don't cook, as it were) than it does about the store itself. The ideal Trader Joe's customer, I suppose, thinks it's quaint to make corned beef and cabbage for their annual St. Patty's Day drunkfest, but otherwise would never cook such a lowly vegetable with any regularity (heh, regularity and cabbage, get it?) -- or cook at all for that matter, considering the store's emphasis on pre-made foods. This might also explain why TJ's sells Orange Muscat Champagne vinegar, but you'd be SOL if all you want is plain old white vinegar to make brining solutions or Almost-No-Knead bread.<br /><br />Despite my frustrations with Trader Joe's (and just about every other food purveyor I've ever visited), I still shop there almost weekly. When it comes to dairy products, TJ's prices-relative-to-quality can't be beat. Wait -- scratch that -- their milk's expiration date is often, like, tomorrow. But it is <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">the place</span> for cheese, butter, and eggs. Love-hate, that's how I am with every grocery store. Below, my take on where to shop (and not to shop), depending on what you're buying. Sadly, even in this age of one-stop shopping, I have yet to find a grocery store that satisfies most of my (admittedly demanding) needs.<br /><br />Some caveats: This list definitely has a southern MoCo bias since I live in Bethesda and work in <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/08/saying-yes-to-nope.html">NoPe</a>, not far from Silver Spring, but most of the stores I go to are major regional or national chains that don't have too much variation from store to store. I have left out Giant from this list; I personally find it's a lot more expensive than Safeway and the quality is not much better, though I know some people will vehemently disagree. I've also left out Harris Teeter -- I'm a Marylander through and through, and it's only just recently made the long trek from Virginia.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Trader Joe's</span> </a><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Love:</span> Like I said a couple paragraphs ago, this is where you go to buy most stuff that comes from an udder. Just be sure to always check dates on milk, half-and-half, and cream -- you may come across some rare antiques. Cage-free eggs are also a lot cheaper here than at most grocery chains. Some other things I buy at Trader Joe's because of the price/quality correlative: coffee, olive oil, dried pasta, some jarred goods (e.g., olives, capers, pickles), granola bars (only $1.99 per box and the best store-bought variety I've tried), lemons (only $1.59 for a bag of six! That's pretty much unheard of, unless you live in Florida or California), frozen fruit and veggies, canned beans (unfortunately they don't sell dried beans, grrr), bread, jams and jellies, nuts, dried fruit, and two novelty favorites, smoked salmon pieces and mini boiling potatoes. I don't often buy meat there, mainly because I hardly ever cook meat, but I have found that their ground beef and ground turkey is reasonable.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br />Hate:</span> I hate them 'cause they hate me. It's clear that Trader Joe's likes you better if you don't make anything from scratch because they make more money off all their pre-packaged stuff (a lot of which, I'll admit, is pretty good, but I'm too cheap to buy it). For example, they sell lasagna "kits" but not lasagna noodles. *Wrings hands in fury!* I also avoid most of their produce since it's usually pre-packaged and I prefer to select my own quantities. TJ's is pretty lame when it comes to baking ingredients -- some of their mixes aren't bad, but if you do a lot of baking from scratch, better stick to Safeway or Shopper's. No 5-pound bags of flour to be found. Don't bother shopping here for cleaning supplies or toiletries, unless you can justify spending $5.50 on a tube of Tom's of Maine. And finally, don't get too attached to any one particular item, because TJ's may just decide to drop it one day. I've asked employees on separate occasions about decisions to stop selling Kashi Good Friends and frozen edamame (which has since been brought back), and the reason both times was "a disagreement with the vendor." Be wary of any grocery store that hides behind a chipper nautical theme, all the while burning bridges!<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">In short:</span> a great place to shop if your idea of cooking means removing from box and reheating; otherwise, stick to mainly dairy products, bread, nuts, and jarred goods.<br /><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.safeway.com/">Safeway</a><br /><br />Love: </span>Really, the main thing to love about Safeway is watching all the numbers drop down on the cash register screen after you've scanned your bonus card. The sales can be great, but if you don't have a bonus card, there is absolutely no point in patronizing this pit of putrescence. The produce is pathetic, the meat is....oh, right, I'm supposed to say what I love about Safeway. Okay, so not <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">all </span>their produce is pathetic. Root vegetables and members of the onion family are inexpensive, plus they're hardy enough that it's okay if you don't buy them brand new (trust me, you won't be doing that if you shop here). There's a good selection of baking ingredients with a good range of prices and quantities. The same goes for peanut butter, cooking oils (but not olive oil - TJ's is the best value), and some dried goods like rice, beans, and pasta. Prices on cleaning supplies, food storage items, and hygiene products are competitive, though not as good as Target's. But in all honesty, I'm just here for the cat litter -- the Arm & Hammer brand, which I've determined after rigorous testing and observation has the most effective clumping ability and therefore the lowest changing frequency and consequently the best value, is usually on sale!<br /><br />Sorry, I forgot for a moment that this blog is about food. If you're still reading...<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Hate: </span>Where do I even begin? Produce is often old and overpriced relative to its quality. Most greens are pre-bagged and those that aren't are no longer very green. Citrus fruit is exorbitant, berries are moldy, etc., etc. You know how it's supposed to be best to shop the outer aisles of the grocery store? Well, the opposite is true of Safeway. Stay away from most produce, most dairy (unless, again, you are going antique shopping), most poultry (Perdue's flavorless birds rule the Safeway roost), all fish (it's expensive and already smells before you even take it home; that's a bad sign), and all bread (way overpriced compared to TJ's). So what does that leave you with? Things you should generally avoid eating, such as Chips Ahoy and Clorox.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">In short: </span>Go here for vegetables with long lifespans, baking ingredients, some dried goods, and items that are not actually food.<br /><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.shoppersfood.com/Default.aspx">Shopper's Food Warehouse</a><br /><br />Love: </span>If Safeway is food purgatory, then Shoppers is food hell, as many people seem to believe. I tend to disagree. Yes, their produce can be questionable, but not much more so than Safeway's, and at least it's cheaper and there's a better variety of it. The good things I've found at Shoppers are always-inexpensive generic Richfood brand items (Safeway, on the other hand, has good sales but can't always be counted upon) and huge baking and "ethnic" aisles. Seriously, I did not know Goya made so many products till I started shopping at the Rockville location. There's a lot of other legitimately ethnic stuff, too, though I do appreciate the wide variety of Goya dried beans. Meat can be hit or miss, but I did luck out one Easter with a $10 spiral cut ham that fed a whole army and happened to also be delicious.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Hate: </span>Hate may be a strong word, for once. I am very forgiving of Shoppers' shortcomings, because at least it acknowledges them by billing itself as a warehouse. Safeway, on the other hand, does not always seem all that safe. Still, I recommend you tread carefully at Shoppers: examine produce closely and check expiration dates.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">In short: </span>Go go Goya!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hmart.com/"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">H Mart</span><br /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Love: </span>H Mart is a Korean grocery chain not for the prudish of palate. If pickled pig's feet and ugly fruit are your thing, you will love it here. I sure do, but mostly for the prices, not because I buy that many exotic items. The place gets packed on weekends and it's not uncommon to hear shoppers sniping at one another in loud Korean or Vietnamese. I think this, along with the incredible variety of produce, meat (and meatlike things), and seafood, makes for one of the more interesting shopping experiences you will find in the DC area.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Hate: </span>Locavores, stay away. Just about everything is imported. Also, though H Mart does carry non-exotic items like milk, eggs, and bread, these can be found a lot cheaper elsewhere.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">In short: </span>Go here for rice, tofu, coconut milk, soy sauce, chili sauce, basically anything with an Asian flair, and just about every kind of common fruit and vegetable, plus some very unusual ones. Oh, and don't forget the pig uterus.<br /><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.sniderfoods.com/">Snider's</a><br /><br />Love: </span>Snider's, a Silver Spring institution, is old as dirt. This of course adds to its appeal, since everything else in these parts is so damn new. It's also one of few independent grocery stores left in the area, which earns it a very privileged status in teetotaling Montgomery County: yes, it sells beer and wine, too! There are some pretty good sales here, most of them organized on a shelf near the entrance of the store, or in bins toward the dairy department. The other day my roommate brought home a bunch of spices all priced around $1. Most notably, of all the grocery stores on this list, Snider's has the best value on meat and produce (ask my mother, a champion grocery shopper whose experience and expertise far outpaces my own, if you don't believe me).<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Hate:</span> Brand names and prepackaged items are pretty expensive here (and there's no generic, obv). Also, the aisles are really narrow and the parking lot is often jammed. Okay...so I'm wracking my brain to think of bad things to say about Snider's. It's really a good place -- just not for everything.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">In short:</span> Stick to meat, dairy, sale items (all clearly marked in the same sections), and beer and wine, and avoid most other things.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-75277566666699205132009-11-06T11:46:00.015-05:002009-12-11T11:59:04.255-05:00International Potato Week 2009: FridayI probably should be writing about potato soup instead of potato salad, given how cold it is today, but I don't think Potato Week is complete without this recipe (also, all the potato soups I've made are pretty run-of-the-mill variations on baked potato soup). However, my potato salad is the best there is, and here's why: it's not actually my potato salad but that of Ina Garten, also known as the <a href="http://www.barefootcontessa.com/">Barefoot Contessa</a>.<br /><br />Say what you will about Ina's unabashed love of all things East Hampton, but the lady can cook. If you've ever watched <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/barefoot-contessa/index.html">her Food Networ</a><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/barefoot-contessa/index.html">k show</a>, you may have noticed she's also really good at befriending gay Broadway producers, finding new uses for Pernod, and making eyes at her elfin husband, Jeffrey. But an econom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSP3Pn4zQvY8Q4v56tx0J-evyEPILXh2ADuJen4UGFaUHSydFMkMrwPLYj0a4IpwO4wK1ex3NeqxAsb6_K_890KhctlwHkkkfeBkWNVAj1dJS6hYp7UGJN52YjGIw2SoN7zZs7wsufkls/s1600-h/ina-garten-0406_xlg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSP3Pn4zQvY8Q4v56tx0J-evyEPILXh2ADuJen4UGFaUHSydFMkMrwPLYj0a4IpwO4wK1ex3NeqxAsb6_K_890KhctlwHkkkfeBkWNVAj1dJS6hYp7UGJN52YjGIw2SoN7zZs7wsufkls/s400/ina-garten-0406_xlg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401097278409248818" border="0" /></a>ical cook she is not. She makes scrambled eggs with cream. She tops spaghetti with caviar. She fills pot pies with lobster tail. She makes cheese steaks with New York strip. And her house! Good grief, it's one of those cedar-shingled, Dutch-style, 8,000 square foot "cottages" that's practically dangling in the ocean. Oh, Ina, won't you let me spend the night? I can picture it now: the aroma of fresh-baked <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/11/if-its-good-enough-for-barack-obama-its.html">coffee cake</a> and "good quality bacon" will find its way to one of the guest rooms, where I'll be slowly waking up from the best sleep of my life, on crisp, white, $400 sheets. I'll come downstairs, help myself to a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/campari-orange-spritzer-recipe/index.html">Campari Orange Spritzer</a>, and make cheerful chitchat with the two or three gay friends who've stopped by en route to Manhattan. In the afternoon, we'll set out in your gleaming silver Benz and hit the farm stand, the bakery, the butcher shop, and the fishmonger. Then we will come home, "assemble" our lunch -- I know how you favor assembling over cooking -- and carry it out to the beach in a wicker picnic basket. When the day is done, cute little Jeffrey will give me a lift to the LIRR, we'll talk about his Henry Kissinger days, and I'll be depressed the whole train ride home and probably for the next month. Oh, Ina, I want your life!<br /><br />But I can't have Ina Garten's life, so I will have to live vicariously through her recipes - at least the few I can afford, such as this one for potato salad. This is not the hardboiled-egg-and-mayo-drenched version that ends up at every potluck and barbecue. That stuff is for the proles. This kind is high-class, with a punchy vinaigrette and a smattering of fresh herbs. There's a lot of ingredients, but you can definitely cut some of them out and still make a damn good potato salad. Here's Ina's recipe, with my tried-and-true suggestions for cheapening things up in parentheses.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Aspirational Potato Salad<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Adapted from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.</span> Makes 4 to 6 side dish servings.<br /><br />1 lb small white boiling potatoes<br />1 lb new potatoes (you can make this with just one kind of potato; Ina happens to like the color)<br />2 T good dry white wine (I say you can use bad wine, or none at all)<br />2 T chicken stock (I've left this out before because I didn't have any. NP. You can also leave it out if you want to make this a vegan dish.)<br />3 T Champagne vinegar (who has Champagne vinegar? Use whatever vinegar want, but definitely use it.)<br />1/2 t dijon mustard (crucial -- I might even bump it up to a whole t)<br />2 t Kosher salt (or table salt if that's all you've got)<br />3/4 t freshly ground black pepper (non-negotiable)<br />10 T good olive oil (if, by "good," you mean the huge $5.49 bottle at TJ's? Then, yes, good.)<br />1/4 C minced scallions, white and green parts (hey, at least she's using the whole plant. I prefer to leave these in, but I've made the salad without. If you have some of the other herbs, they won't be missed too much.)<br />2 T minced fresh dill (Ina LOVES her dill. It definitely goes well with potatoes, but again, if you have some of the other herbs you can leave it out.)<br />2 T minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (ditto scallions and dill. You can also use the declasse curly parsley, if that's what you got.)<br />2 T julienned basil leaves (ditto scallions, dill, and parsley)<br /><br />Put the potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover them by a few inches. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander with a towel over it and allow them to steam for another 10 minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes into quarters (alternatively, you can cut them before boiling and then boil for a shorter time, as I prefer to do). Toss them with the wine and chicken stock (if using; if not, just set aside, or mix in the dressing if you have already made it).<br /><br />To make the dressing (which you can do while the potatoes cook), whisk together the vinegar, half a teaspoon of salt, and the pepper, and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette, the rest of the salt, and the herbs to the potatoes, and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature (cold is also just fine).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Above photo from <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.housebeautiful.com/cm/housebeautiful/images/eF/ina-garten-0406_xlg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/barefoot-contessa/barefoot-contessa-table-size-0406&usg=__SvEgx28zenoReWE_XUeqHGnu9DM=&h=460&w=360&sz=39&hl=en&start=17&sig2=cV4HUAh73E35d4QkjmtGbA&um=1&tbnid=Ci1cayaVxne3pM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=100&prev=/images%3Fq%3DIna%2Bgarten%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=AY30Sqj6M5TJlQfl44yzAw">Ina's column for </a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.housebeautiful.com/cm/housebeautiful/images/eF/ina-garten-0406_xlg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/barefoot-contessa/barefoot-contessa-table-size-0406&usg=__SvEgx28zenoReWE_XUeqHGnu9DM=&h=460&w=360&sz=39&hl=en&start=17&sig2=cV4HUAh73E35d4QkjmtGbA&um=1&tbnid=Ci1cayaVxne3pM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=100&prev=/images%3Fq%3DIna%2Bgarten%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=AY30Sqj6M5TJlQfl44yzAw">House Beautiful</a></span>DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-77096253503604426282009-11-05T12:35:00.004-05:002009-11-05T12:53:25.512-05:00International Potato Week 2009: ThursdayYesterday and the day before we traveled to faraway lands, but today we're sticking close to home, specifically a kitchen that's piled high with dirty dishes and reeking of skunked beer. This potato recipe is quick and dirty, like really dirty. Perfect for those mornings when you wake up with mascara under your eyes and a buzzing in your brain. Perfect for any time, really, if you are not at all concerned about heart disease, the effects of nitrates, or your physique. Everything is cooked in bacon fat (including the bacon, of course).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Hangover Hash Browns with Bacon and Eggs</span><br />Serves...however many can stand it, or just 2.<br /><br />Okay, there's not a formal recipe for this, but here's the gist. Cook 5 or 6 strips of bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, chop up a potato or two into 1/2 inch cubes. When the bacon is done, remove it from the pan, but reserve the fat, and set the bacon aside. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook in the bacon grease for 20 minutes or till crispy. If you're not too hung over to remember, season them with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne (or whatever). If the pan seems too dry, add some vegetable oil. Remove the potatoes from the pan, reduce the heat to low-medium, and add a bit of vegetable oil if most of the bacon fat has been cooked away, and break two eggs into the pan. If you like your eggs over-easy, flip them once. If you like them sunny side-up, don't flip them at all. Cook them till they are a doneness you like. Then mix everything together -- the bacon, crumbled, and the potatoes, and top with the fried eggs. Feel better soon...or go puke, I don't judge.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-53403965435292385962009-11-04T14:06:00.004-05:002009-12-11T11:59:04.256-05:00International Potato Week 2009: WednesdayYesterday our potatoes took us to the Canary Islands; today we are off to Calcutta. Amazing how a tuber can transport you from your dingy office in doleful <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/08/saying-yes-to-nope.html">NoPe</a> to a vibrant exotic locale. The following South Indian recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's <span style="font-style: italic;">Indian</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Cooking</span>, and it produces the most pleasantly piquant potatoes you will ever eat. Seriously. If you don't take my word for it, take Madhur's: "Can you imagine cubes of potato encrusted with spicy, crisply browned ginger-garlic paste? Add to that a hint of fennel, if you want it. That is what these potatoes taste like." As she suggests, they are the potatoes of your dreams. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Sookhe aloo (dry potatoes with ginger and garlic)<br /></span>Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's <span style="font-style: italic;">Indian Cooking </span>(1983). Makes 2 servings.<br /><br />If you already have the spices, this dish costs about 50 cents to make. Madhur Jaffrey's recipe has you boiling the potatoes "in their jackets," then letting them cool, peeling them, and finally frying them. If you are a purist about ethnic recipes, go ahead (all Madhur's potato recipes involve this long process), but I find it's a whole lot quicker to just peel the potatoes raw and fry them -- and the results are still delicious. I add a few glops of plain yogurt at the end, for tartness and texture. The spice paste would also be great as a marinade.<br /><br />5 T vegetable oil<br />1 t fennel seeds (optional, but highly recommended)<br />2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes<br />3 cloves garlic, peeled<br />1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger (or 1 t ground ginger)<br />1/2 t ground turmeric<br />1 t salt<br />1/2 t cayenne pepper<br />2 T water<br />A few spoonfuls of yogurt (optional)<br /><br />Special equipment: mortar and pestle or food processor<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Heat the oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, till they are starting to brown, about 20 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, make the spice paste: in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle, grind together the garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, and cayenne, and add the water a little bit at a time. Set aside. Add the fennel seeds to the pan and cook for an additional two minutes. Stir in the spice paste and cook for yet another two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt, if using. Serve warm. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span>DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-20498007086239306442009-11-03T14:58:00.005-05:002009-12-11T11:59:04.256-05:00International Potato Week 2009: TuesdayThis next potato recipe comes from <a href="http://www.josemadeinspain.com/">Jose Andres</a>, owner of Jaleo and a few other DC-area restaurants and boisterous personality behind the PBS cooking show, <a href="http://www.josemadeinspain.com/">Made in Spain</a>. I always order the papas arrugas -- baby fingerling potatoes with a to-die-for cilantro and cumin mojo verde -- so I was delighted to catch the Made in Spain episode where he shows you how to make them at home. They're easy, cheap, and positively divine, or "astonishing!" as Jose would say. I do not have exact directions for the original recipe so the following is my own interpretation, and it has served me well. Also, you should definitely watch Made In Spain, even if you don't like to cook. You will find yourself talking like Jose and dreaming of Iberia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Papas Arrugas<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Adapted from Jose Andres. Makes 4 side dish servings.<br /><br />The sauce alone is a keeper. You can serve it with anything -- chicken, fish, other veg, bread. I eat it with a spoon. My stomach growls at the very thought. Baby fingerling potatoes are hard to find, but you can use any fingerling or even boiling potatoes. Right now Trader Joe's has bags of these cute little mini boiling potatoes, which I have been using.<br /><br />Don't be afraid of the amount of salt you are using; it's more a part of the cooking process than the actual flavor. The salt is used to make the skin cute and crinkly -- apparently how they do it in the Canary Islands, where this dish originates.<br /><br />2 lbs. fingerling or boiling potatoes<br />kosher or sea salt, lots of it<br />2 cloves garlic, crushed<br />1 bunch of cilantro, well-washed, including stems<br />1 t ground cumin<br />1 t pimenton (smoked paprika)<br />1/2 C olive oil<br />1 T sherry vinegar (optional -- but Jose adds this to everything)<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Special equipment: mortar and pestle or food processor<br /><br />Add the potatoes to a large pot, and add enough water to the pot to just barely cover them. Add about a quarter cup of salt, and cook on medium-high heat for 25 minutes, or until most of the water is evaporated and the potatoes are soft. Drain in a colander and set aside. If the potatoes have too salty a coating for your taste, you can wipe them off with a paper towel.<br /><br />While the potatoes are cooking, make the sauce: with a mortar and pestle or the food processor, grind together the garlic, cilantro, cumin, and pimenton. Slowly add the olive oil, grinding all the while, till everything is fully incorporated. Add the vinegar if you're using it and salt and pepper to your taste, and serve with the potatoes.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-60150413553049654152009-11-02T20:38:00.007-05:002009-12-11T11:59:04.257-05:00International Potato Week 2009: MondayThere is probably already a national potato month or something like that, but I can't wait any longer. I am on a ravenous potato rampage, and I also haven't written anything in awhile (I'm sure you have been completely adrift without me). I formally declare the first week of November <span style="font-style: italic;">International Potato Week</span>, which seems fitting since it's also right after Halloween -- potatoes are great diet food -- and coincides with the dark days of the Time Change -- potatoes are great comfort food, if you'll forgive my use of that stupid term.<br /><br />I will be posting a favorite potato recipe every day, Monday through Friday. Some are invented, some are adapted, and all are unanimously believed to be delicious by those who have tried them. I wouldn't want anyone thinking I am blinded by <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/03/take-back-tuber.html">love for the tuber</a> (such an accusation has been brought against me before). Because it seems appropriate for the season, I may also include a recipe or two for sweet potatoes. But I have only five days, and there are about a billion things one could do to a potato, so I may end up sticking to the lighter-fleshed variety. We shall see how this exciting week unfolds!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes with Feta and Roasted Broccoli<br /></span>Makes about 3 main course or 5 side dish servings. Lasts up to five days and reheats well in the microwave.<br /><br />This recipe's title bears the style of a food snob, but I couldn't think of anything better to call it without getting all Rachael Ray: "Cheesy Green Tater Smash'ems" or "EVOO Greeked Out Broccatoes" were options. Its main ingredients, all fairly common in most households, include potatoes, olive oil, some kind of green vegetable, and some kind of cheese -- making it essentially a deconstructed stuffed baked potato, but without the butter and sour cream. And, like the potato itself, the recipe is very versatile.<br /><br />I came up with it when I found that the last few potatoes left in my 20-lb. bag from Costco had started sprouting coral reef-like growths. Most people in developed countries would throw the potatoes away at this point, but I was unfazed and just peeled them to make mashed potatoes. I also had a couple stalks of broccoli that were starting to turn, and wanted to add those to the mix. What came from these two humble old vegetables was one of the best and easiest potato dishes I have ever eaten. Of course, you do not need to wait till your potatoes and broccoli become potential health hazards to make this dish, but it is a good way to use up aging refrigerables.<br /><br />While the potatoes boil, you cook the broccoli or whatever green vegetable you want to use. Spinach, chard, and other leafy greens are nice alternatives because you don't have to cook them; they just wilt in the warm potatoes. Also, the cheese does not have to be feta -- just about any cheese will be good. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br /></span>3 large baking potatoes<br />2 stalks of broccoli<br />2 T olive oil, plus an additional half cup of olive oil<br />1 to 2 t hot or smoked paprika<br />2 t fresh rosemary leaves, chopped (optional)<br />1/4 C crumbled feta cheese<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks, and add them to a large pot filled with about 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for about 25 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, chop the broccoli stems and florets into bite sized pieces. Toss them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the paprika, then spread them evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then set aside.<br /><br />When the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork, drain them in a colander and return to the pot, but place on a different burner that is set to low heat. Add the quarter-cup of olive oil along with the broccoli, feta, and rosemary and mash with a potato masher till you get a consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to your taste (with the feta and paprika, it might be seasoned enough for some tastes, but I add an extra teaspoon or so of salt and a vigorous grinding of pepper). Serve warm.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-50302650795920658352009-10-11T12:39:00.001-04:002009-10-11T16:39:42.959-04:00What to serve picky eatersSometimes I think, how nice it would be to have my own family to cook for. Then I quickly come to my senses when I remember that most children refuse to eat most things -- a most unattractive quality. Not to mention, children are the dead opposite of economical, unless, of course, you live on a farm. As the saying goes, if you're old enough to read, you're old enough to drive a tractor.<br /><br />But back to picky eater children: I know how awful they are, because I was one. If my parents had had any sense, they would've sent me back. Instead, they put up with my nonsense for years, which meant they ate fried pork chops and instant mashed potatoes about four nights a week. Sometimes I would let my mom mix it up, literally, with some Shake 'n' Bake. <span style="font-style: italic;">But I didn't even help.</span><br /><br />I do not blame my parents for my childhood pickiness. They tried to get me to eat a variety of foods, and my three brothers have always been agreeable eaters. The problem was me, violently obstinate in my refusal to eat, say, all vegetables. I recall one particular episode in which trying a mere morsel of baked sweet potato sent me into a fit of gags and tears. My parents knew I would simply perish if not for Hungry Jack. <br /><br />Twenty years later, one night I found myself on the other side, trying to figure out what to cook for the picky kids -- specifically, my stepcousins once removed. My cousin, their stepmother, told me ahead of time what they eat, which is...pretty much nothing, or sometimes chicken. Meanwhile, my cousin is a vegetarian who eats fish, and she was going to be there, too. In my head I made a Venn diagram of things that every dinner guest would enjoy. The overlapping part of the circles was empty.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>I am not so presumptuous as to think I can influence anyone's eating habits, so I was not about to force anything unusual on my persnickety-palated guests. Besides, I figure, most picky eaters eventually outgrow those palates, as I have done. But I was also not about to let anyone at my table go hungry, so I determined to make <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">anything, </span>that would sate the kids for one meal and that everyone else would be willing to eat. The only solution I could come up with was pasta. We fancy grown-ups could dress ours with shrimp and scallops, and the young'uns could enjoy some spaghetti and meatballs. It seemed easy enough.<br /><br />Well. It turns out that not all children like spaghetti and meatballs. These ones like their pasta with butter and cheese only, and lots of it. Luckily, that option was available, too. Their dad, however, could not get enough of my spaghetti (well, fettucine) and meatballs, for which I was very grateful. I certainly did not make three different pasta dishes for my health.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe(s): Pasta for Persnickety Palates (Pasta Three to Five Ways)</span><br /><br />Makes about 8 servings. Basically, you make one big batch of fettucine, or whatever long pasta you prefer, and separate it into three different bowls (or more if your guests are extra particular) before serving. The tomato sauce and meatballs can be made a few days in advance.<br /><br />For pasta:<br /><br />A large pot filled at least halfway with cold water<br />Salt<br />One and a half boxes of fettucine (or spaghetti or capellini)<br />Butter or olive oil<br /><br />Boil the water. Once boiling, add a couple teaspoons of salt, return to the boil, then add the pasta, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick together. Drain, reserving a tablespoon or so of the pasta water, and return to the pot. If not serving immediately, toss with a bit of butter or olive oil to keep it moist.<br /><br />For <span style="font-weight: bold;">tomato sauce and meatballs</span> (this should be made well in advance of the pasta, as it takes about two and a half hours in total):<br /><br />1.5 lbs ground beef<br />2 minced garlic cloves<br />2 T minced shallot or onion<br />1 t ground fennel seeds (optional, but highly recommended)<br />1 piece of bread, turned into bread crumbs in the food processor<br />1 t salt<br />1/2 t pepper<br />1 beaten egg<br />2 T milk<br />2 T olive oil, plus more if necessary<br />1 onion, cut in half<br />5 cloves garlic, crushed<br />1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes<br />1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes<br />1 t dried basil<br />1 t dried oregano<br />1 t hot paprika<br />2 bay leaves<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />To assemble the meatballs, mix the ground beef with the next 8 ingredients in a large bowl with your hands. Roll meatballs of about an inch in diameter (should make 30-40 meatballs). Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the meatballs, in batches if necessary, and cook till browned all around, stirring occasionally to make sure they cook evenly.<br /><br />If you have guests who do not eat tomato sauce but do eat meatballs (these people do exist), or vice versa, and others who eat both, you have three options: remove enough meatballs for the anti-tomato guest to have his fill, and finish cooking them in a different pan over medium heat; or remove the meatballs that will eventually be cooked with the sauce and finish cooking the meatballs for anti-tomato guest in the original pot, then remove them and re-add the meatballs that will go into sauce; or start the tomato sauce and remaining ingredients in an entirely different pot to make a vegetarian ragu. Good grief.<br /><br />Now that that issue has been taken care of, however you decided to approach it or not, add the two onion halves to the pot, plus a tablespoon or so of olive oil if the pot has dried up, and cook over medium-high heat. Once the onions are softened (after about five minutes), add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, paprika, and bay leaves. Break up the whole tomatoes a bit. Bring sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for two hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br /><br />For<span style="font-weight: bold;"> seafood sauce</span>:<br /><br />3 T butter<br />1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined<br />1 lb scallops<br />2 T cream (optional)<br />2 T chopped fresh parsley<br /><br />Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes on each side, till both sides are pink. Remove from pan and set aside. Add scallops to pan, and cook for about a minute on each side, or till both sides are slightly browned. Remove from heat, and return shrimp to pot. Add cream, if using, and parsley.<br /><br />For <span style="font-weight: bold;">plain boring sauce</span>:<br /><br />4 T (half a stick) butter<br />1 C grated Parmesan<br />a sprinkling of salt<br /><br />As if you need explanation: just add this to some cooked pasta.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To tie everything together for your Party of Persnickety Palates:</span><br /><br />Make the tomato sauce and meatballs well in advance of the dinner gathering. About a half hour before guests arrive, start peeling and deveining the shrimp, grate a whole lot of Parmesan, and chop up some parsley for the shrimp and scallop sauce. About 20 minutes before guests arrive, set the water to boil, and cook the pasta. While it's boiling, reheat the tomato sauce and meatballs, and cook the shrimp and scallops. When pasta is done cooking, divide it onto at least three platters or large bowls, depending on the number of sauce varieties you make, and sprinkle all with extra Parmesan. Garlic bread and a salad are the only sides you need.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-21696033184846328772009-10-04T21:02:00.005-04:002009-10-04T23:27:15.049-04:00First Catering Gig: Lessons LearnedMy friend Sara was kind enough to refer me to her parents, who hired me to cater a luncheon they hosted today for a group from their church. I was, of course, disappointed in my debut, but, lucky for me, the hosts were very kind and easy-going.<br /><br />I've thrown enough parties that I thought this affair, a lunch for just 14 people, would be a no-brainer, but I was wrong. Under pressure, I made a lot more mistakes than I usually do (which, in total, means a LOT of mistakes), but this time the stakes were higher. Yes, I was getting paid, which is both fantastic and completely new, but any time something goes wrong at a party I'm hosting at my house we can just drink enough to compensate, and, I presume, my friends will still like me either way (if this is not true, dear friends, please speak up in the comments section and I will find another hobby). Cooking for someone else's party, I found, was a whole 'nother animal.<br /><br />I didn't make anything that difficult; even my two poached salmon were surprisingly easy -- you just make a foil pouch for each fish, fill it with chicken stock and some lemon juice, and bake it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. But, for some reason -- I think a combination of nerves, carelessness, bad planning, and inexperience -- things didn't go as smoothly as I hoped. Some lessons:<br /><br />1) It's difficult to cook and serve at the same time: I am both cheap and controlling, but it would've been well worth it to pay for a helper or two.<br /><br />2) There are shortcuts I normally don't take when cooking at home that I absolutely should have taken this time; e.g., when catering a party, don't make your own chicken stock or your own bread. No one can tell the difference, or, at least, no one cares.<br /><br />3) Strictly follow recipes you know to be reliable, or don't stray too far off the beaten path. I tried to get fancy with potatoes -- potatoes! my favorite and my staple -- only to find I had tried too hard. I made scalloped potatoes with feta and olives, something I've mentioned before in this blog, but, fearing that this quantity would not bake evenly, I boiled them for too long before baking them, thinking it would help the baking along. The result was waterlogged potatoes soaked in brine. Too bad, because other times I've served them they've been a huge hit.<br /><br />4) There are few things worse than lukewarm soup -- I put a pot of <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2008/12/i-need-to-just-post-this-recipe-once.html">butternut squash and roasted garlic bisque</a> on the burner at a point that I amateurishly deemed too early, and so turned off the burner prematurely. The problem came when I started ladling the room temperature soup into bowls, complete with a garnish of homemade garlic bread croutons and fresh sage. The result of this oversight was a mad rush, and a rejuvenated appreciation for the microwave.<br /><br />5) If you are serving some kind of spinach dish as the vegetable, and you have prepared it ahead of time at home, do not reheat it at the party. Just serve it at room temperature. Trust me! No one wants to eat airplane food on land.<br /><br />6) With apologies to <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/04/good-book-and-poached-egg.html">Laurie Colwin</a>, who said the same thing in <span style="font-style: italic;">More Home Cooking</span>, always buy more lemons than you think you need (this involved an extra trip to the store at 7:30 this morning).<br /><br />7) At the same time, don't be discouraged if not everyone squeezes lemon juice onto their salmon -- even after you "plated" lemon slices as a pretty and functional garnish.<br /><br />8) Though it may depend on the crowd, make<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>a bit<span style="font-style: italic;"> less</span> than you think you need (see #6 -- there are exceptions made for particular ingredients). This goes against everything I ever learned about cooking for a party, but I fear it's true: I eat more than most people do, and my views of a serving size are skewed.<br /><br />9) A good dessert can always help you redeem yourself after a mediocre meal. Try this <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/08/making-most-of-mediocre-fruit.html">upside-down chiffon cake</a>, and use whatever fruit is seasonable. I used apples this time.<br /><br />10) Realize that you, as the caterer, care much more about food perfection than any of the guests -- and possibly even the hosts -- do, and try not to beat yourself up over little mishaps, especially on your first try.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-16545894197602949212009-09-24T14:51:00.016-04:002009-09-25T10:31:23.246-04:00Recipe Redux: A Crazy Rant<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexTjmVSKE4kRKhZgJSWJVjSR6UVDUlJUO2eb_UFfW_-hSYbnfNwNyqE4DvdTWx2o5j7tDDLyfC7J8tawuHNQdPZVtSuEsslB14GIkGZmfNU5pJ50Pco59PS4xgMRO1ktfV-Mo4K4iEuk/s1600-h/41+Qo5wzjFL._SL500_AA280_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexTjmVSKE4kRKhZgJSWJVjSR6UVDUlJUO2eb_UFfW_-hSYbnfNwNyqE4DvdTWx2o5j7tDDLyfC7J8tawuHNQdPZVtSuEsslB14GIkGZmfNU5pJ50Pco59PS4xgMRO1ktfV-Mo4K4iEuk/s400/41+Qo5wzjFL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385404099319625730" border="0" /></a>Almost every time I read the "Recipe Redux" column in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/pages/magazine/index.html"><em>New York Times </em>magazine</a>, I am reminded that I should have been born at least fifty years earlier. "Recipe Redux" works like this: the <em>Times' </em>food editors choose an archived recipe, reprint it, and create a similar, more updated version. It's the updated part that I can't come to grips with, that sometimes spirals me into the darkest of depressions. <div> </div> <div><br />Take, for instance, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/magazine/13food-t-001.html?_r=1&ref=magazine">Huguenot Torte</a>, a recipe Craig Claiborne printed in 1965 with permission from <em>The First Ladies' Cookbook. </em>This recipe was featured in the chapter on Mrs. Martin Van Buren - anachronistically, it turns out, since the recipe postdates President Van Buren's term by an entire century. Whatever its origins, it looks like one for the Economical Epicurean's files: a few easy steps yield a crisp crust and a custardlike filling with apples and pecans, which are likely the only ingredients you might need to go out and buy.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Fast forward to the present: Huguenot Torte 2009 is not a torte, or anything you would bake in a dish, but "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/magazine/13food-t-002.html?ref=magazine">Thyme-Meringue Cookies with Boozy Apple</a>," created by a woman who wrote a book called <em>Or</em><em>ganic and Chic</em>. Go figure. In my nostalgic discontentment, I created this chart to compare the two recipes:<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 477px; height: 449px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><col style="width: 148pt;" width="197"> <col style="width: 104pt;" width="138"> <col style="width: 165pt;" width="220"> <tbody><tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl66" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 148pt; font-weight: bold;" width="197" height="34"><span style="font-size:85%;">Recipe Name</span></td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left: medium none; width: 104pt; font-weight: bold;" width="138"><span style="font-size:85%;">Huguenot<br />Torte<br />(1965)</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></td> <td class="xl68" style="border-left: medium none; width: 165pt; font-weight: bold;" width="220"><span style="font-size:85%;">Thyme-Meringue Cookies with Boozy Apple (2009)</span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl69" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; width: 148pt; font-weight: bold;" width="197" height="20"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Number of words<br />in name</span></td> <td class="xl64" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 104pt;" width="138"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />2</span></td> <td class="xl70" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 165pt;" width="220"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />6</span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl69" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; width: 148pt; font-weight: bold;" width="197" height="20"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Number of<br />ingredients</span></td> <td class="xl64" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 104pt;" width="138"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />10</span></td> <td class="xl70" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 165pt;" width="220"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />12</span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl69" style="border-top: medium none; height: 25.5pt; width: 148pt; font-weight: bold;" width="197" height="34"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Amount you<br />might have to<br />spend (in 2009)<br />to have a<br />complete<br />ingredient list</span></td> <td class="xl65" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 104pt;" width="138"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />$4 </span></td> <td class="xl70" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 165pt;" width="220"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />$30 (Maker's Mark<br />is an ingredient)</span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl69" style="border-top: medium none; height: 15pt; width: 148pt; font-weight: bold;" width="197" height="20"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Number of steps</span></td> <td class="xl64" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 104pt;" width="138"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />7</span></td> <td class="xl70" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 165pt;" width="220"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />23</span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 64.5pt;" height="86"> <td class="xl71" style="border-top: medium none; height: 64.5pt; width: 148pt; font-weight: bold;" width="197" height="86"><span style="font-size:85%;">Specified<br />kitchen<br />equipment</span></td> <td class="xl72" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 104pt;" width="138"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />"rotary beater"<br />(I think this means electric mixer),<br />whisk, baking<br />pan</span></td> <td class="xl73" style="border-top: medium none; border-left: medium none; width: 165pt;" width="220"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />two baking sheets;<br />parchment paper; small, heavy-bottomed pan; food processor; standing mixer; piping bag with tip; cup for piping bag to "rest in"</span></td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><br /></div> <div> Maybe you can appreciate my consternation by now? And it's not only the multitude of steps and the extensive and expensive batterie de cuisine needed to make Huguenot Torte 2009 that bring on my existential crisis. It's also the social ramifications! Let me clarify: torte is a group dessert, it's something you cut into and pass around; cookies are more often eaten alone, frequently on the fly, or sometimes while you sit at your cubicle, staring at your computer screen with dead eyes. Torte brings people together; cookies encourage isolation. And notice how these thyme-meringue-boozy cookies are piped out onto a cookie sheet: identical but spaced apart, conformist without coalescence. Cookies -- and, in particular, cupcakes, which are in essence cake for loners -- are tearing at the fabric of society!<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. I have a flair for the melodramatic and a bad case of PMS. A cookie or four will help me feel better.<br /></div><div> </div><br /><div> </div><span style="font-size:85%;">(Above photo credit: Amazon.com)</span><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div>DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-783954401445635292009-09-21T11:12:00.015-04:002009-12-11T11:59:04.258-05:00"Sometimes we all got to swim upstream"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBi6U0caX-WkE-YubF4KrJhI0ZAz3bxjgdbRqOY1c1CTVJKWlGdju9FVp-vwFzGJ-ggxLsTw-l1uL2cCKFifnCUDmJID3vk26AsbcNpvklJWZUvdosGNxuOF4TkBrfvdwwcbM6DQvpbHk/s1600-h/100_0816.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/AVvXsEiBi6U0caX-WkE-YubF4KrJhI0ZAz3bxjgdbRqOY1c1CTVJKWlGdju9FVp-vwFzGJ-ggxLsTw-l1uL2cCKFifnCUDmJID3vk26AsbcNpvklJWZUvdosGNxuOF4TkBrfvdwwcbM6DQvpbHk/s400/100_0816.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384057769453784850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[If you can identify the above lyrics without googling, I will make you breakfast.]</span><br /><br />Attention, shoppers! Trader Joe's now sells Smoked Salmon Pieces for $1.99 a pack! Now you can soak up some alpha omegas, enjoy wholesome salty deliciousness, and stay true to your Economical self.<br /><br />What are Smoked Salmon Pieces? Why, they are pieces of smoked salmon, just like the kind you might buy if you were rich! The main difference, I guess, is that they are smaller than the ones normally encountered on a bagel. I think these are the leftover bits that are not big enough to sell for six or eight bucks. But, you do the math and tell me which is the better deal!<br /><br />I've been buying Smoked Salmon Pieces as if the apocalypse were coming. Lately, my work-a-day lunch is crackers and cream cheese with the smoked salmon and a few capers. (To keep costs even lower, I buy generic brand cream cheese by the block - it's a lot cheaper than the kind that comes in a tub.) Last night I decided to be a bit more creative and, if I may boast, made one of the most delicious quiches I have ever eaten.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Deconstructed Lox Bagel Quiche<br /></span>Serves 8, and lasts for about a week. Great hot, cold, or at room temperature. I think it tastes better a day after you make it than it does fresh out of the oven. The custard filling is made with milk instead of heavy cream, so it's a bit lower in fat than most quiche recipes. But the consistency is still very creamy, thanks to the cream cheese (hmm, maybe it is not that much lower in fat than most quiche recipes - so much for my <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/09/eat-more-beets.html">birthday diet</a>). The flaky pastry crust is delicious and easy. Crust is best when the fat mixed into it is very cold, so I recommend putting the butter, after it's been cubed, and the shortening into a bowl and freezing them for about 10 minutes before mixing.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>1 Basic Pastry Dough (see recipe below); a store-bought quiche crust, though not as delicious, is a time-saving alternative<br />about 8 or 10 dried beans for weighing down the crust during parbaking process<br />4 eggs<br />1.5 C milk<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>3 T flour<br />1/2 t ground mustard<br />1/2 t salt<br />1/2 t ground pepper<br />about 1/4 block of cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces<br />1 medium tomato, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces<br />2 T capers<br />2 T minced shallots (optional, but recommended)<br />Smoked Salmon Pieces (use the whole bag if you're feeling spendy; if not, just use about half of it)<br />a few teaspoons of chopped fresh parsley (optional; dill would also be good if you have some)<br /><br />Press the pastry dough into the bottom and sides of a pie or tart pan, making sure it's very thin and evenly spread. Poke several holes in the bottom and sides with a fork. If using a pie pan, use the fork to create decorative indentations around the edges of the crust. Chill in the fridge for a half hour. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove crust from fridge, and scatter the dried beans around the bottom to weigh it down. Bake it for 20 minutes; remove from oven, remove the beans, and bake the crust again for another ten minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack, keeping the oven turned on.<br /><br />Meanwhile, make the custard: whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, mustard, salt, and pepper. Set aside.<br /><br />Once crust has cooled down, scatter the cream cheese, tomato, capers, shallots, salmon, and parsley around as if decorating a pizza. Pour the custard over the crust, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The center might be a little jiggly, but not liquid. Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Basic Pastry Dough</span><br />Adapted from <span>the</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span> Gourmet </span><span>cookbook</span>. Makes enough dough for 1 regular pie pan or 10-inch tart pan. There will probably be extra dough, which you can shape into muffin tins or freeze for later. This is a really good recipe for flaky pastry, and it has become my standby for quiche, tart, and pie crusts. When I use it to make a dessert, I add a tablespoon of sugar.<br /><br />1.25 C flour<br />3/4 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes<br />2 T cold vegetable shortening (yes, Crisco -- don't hate, appreciate)<br />1/4 t salt<br />3 T ice water<br /><br />In a medium bowl, blend together the flour, butter, shortening and salt with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (a few lumps can be pea-sized, but the rest should be crumbly). Drizzle in the ice water evenly and continue mixing until a dough is formed. Squeeze a handful or so -- if it crumbles apart, add more water, just a tablespoon at a time, till the dough comes together. (For even less work, you may do all the aforementioned steps in a food processor -- make coarse crumbs and a few pea-sized pieces, then add the water and pulse a few times till dough is formed.)<br /><br />Turn the dough onto a work surface and divide into four portions. Using the heel of your hand, push down on each portion once to distribute the fat. Roll them all together to make a single ball of dough again. Cover it in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator at least an hour.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419455752598282378.post-24346330206983475372009-09-09T15:45:00.011-04:002009-12-11T11:59:04.258-05:00Eat more beets<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOxNmpml91B4nCw0NzCIOckqs1cWvH5NPKzKFv4XEGKvpawf7W8v4rGnrdy4JFwfjPxPkWMENWdpy_fA4mtIjjtMPyaszxLY9XRzD8OWtd25unDQpulqyUWRgIqFQ0vqN4Cx6OGZder4/s1600-h/100_0804.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/AVvXsEiLOxNmpml91B4nCw0NzCIOckqs1cWvH5NPKzKFv4XEGKvpawf7W8v4rGnrdy4JFwfjPxPkWMENWdpy_fA4mtIjjtMPyaszxLY9XRzD8OWtd25unDQpulqyUWRgIqFQ0vqN4Cx6OGZder4/s400/100_0804.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382130858639395538" border="0" /></a><br />From whence this back flab and these love handles? I thought we were supposed to<span style="font-style: italic;"> lose</span> weight in the summertime.<br /><br />But the summer is over, I'm about to turn 27, and I'm fatter than ever. Well, probably not fat by American standards, but heavier than appropriate for my frame. I think I'm even starting to grow jowls.<br /><br />Time to stop making <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/07/aioli-is-ai-mazing.html">this</a> and <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/07/this-is-why-were-fat.html">that</a>, and stick to just vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. In particular, I must stop baking so much. Even when I bake for the sole purpose of gift-giving, I end up eating the raw dough equivalent of about 12 cookies. I also need to stop buying lunch, so that's <span style="font-style: italic;">adios</span> to tacos con chivo and empanadas from <a href="http://econepicurean.blogspot.com/2009/08/saying-yes-to-nope.html">NoPe</a>'s many fine dining establishments. And I really need to cut back on the alcohol, or at least modify my habits. By the way, did you know a frozen margarita contains roughly 700 calories? Vodka martinis from here on out, hold the vermouth and olive. Better yet, I'll just have ice water and get bored after 30 minutes at the bar. What fun my 27th year is going to be.<br /><br />I can seek both consolation and a smaller waist in the crunchy deliciousness of good salads, like this one I made recently. Partially inspired by a recipe in <span style="font-style: italic;">Gourmet'</span>s September issue, it contains beets, which took me all of 27 years to learn to like. The beet was just about the only vegetable I disliked, and wrongfully so. I mean, it's a cheap root vegetable with some edible greens attached! It's like we were made for each other! In this salad the beets are chopped into cute little matchsticks, making the transition to beetlove a lot easier than it might be if you tried to boil up a bunch and eat them in one sitting. It's similar to dating: you think the guy's ill-mannered and unattractive at first -- and let's not even talk about his sweating problem and tendency to overuse "whatnot" -- but slowly, surely, you will cave, and come to appreciate that he's actually good for you and has a nice dark pinkish-purple interior. I get a little crazier with every passing year. Happy birthday to me!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe: Beginner's Beet and Apple Salad</span><br /><br />Makes 6 side dish servings. Inspired by Gourmet, whose recipe is just beets, parsley, and goat cheese. No goat cheese in my version, and it's fine without. But I still wanted it to be a fairly substantial salad, so I added some greens and an apple, which is also chopped into matchsticks like the beets. This salad is really good, really good for you, and really crunchy! To make it more filling, consider adding walnuts, sunflower seeds, or almonds. Also, unlike most dressed salads, this one actually tastes better the next day. Oh, and if you have just gotten a manicure or you are having tea with the Queen tomorrow, don't make it -- or wear gloves if you do. Beet juice stains like whoa.<br /><br />2 small beets, peeled and chopped into matchstick-size pieces, plus their greens<br />juice of half an orange<br />1 apple, chopped into match-stick size pieces (squeeze a bit of lemon juice onto these -- it will keep them from browning right away)<br />1 quarter of a medium onion, thinly sliced<br />1 C loosely packed, chopped fresh parsley (I think some mint in here would also be good)<br />juice of one lemon (or a bit less if you want to lemonize the apple)<br />1/2 lb salad greens (arugula, spinach, frisee, or whatever you want)<br />a big drizzle of olive oil<br />fresh ground pepper<br /><br />In a large bowl, stir the orange juice into the beets, then add the apple, onion, parsley, and lemon juice. Add the salad greens and a big drizzle of olive oil and toss everything together. Finish with some pepper.DEOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07339174835044922398noreply@blogger.com0