Love them to death

For my friend Sarah's (count her among my four or maybe six readers) birthday, I made a dish that I had seen on Paula Deen's cooking show. Although I am not one of her regular viewers, I do appreciate Paula's total lack of fussiness and snobbery, as evidenced particularly in her use of a can of Cream of Mushroom soup in at least half of her entrees. Also, I happen to have a bizarre on-again/off-again love affair with Savannah, Georgia -- Paula's home base -- which may have something to do with why she's so appealing in a guilty-pleasure sort of way. The guilt, this time, and the pleasure, came in the form of deep-fried, bacon-wrapped macaroni and cheese. Because it's not enough to just deep fry mac 'n' cheese -- gotta add some nitrates, too! Anyway, my slightly modified version is worth posting, if only for thrills. Definitely a conversation piece anywhere. Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Recipe: Hurt So Good (Deep-Fried, Bacon-Wrapped Macaroni and Cheese)

[You could just make the mac and cheese and call it a high-calorie day. But if you really want to take five years off your life, continue all the way through.]

Serves 8 people with fairly normal eating habits or 3 Montgomery County cops.

3 C macaroni
1.5 C grated cheddar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 C sour cream
4 T butter, cut into pieces
1 C milk
1 lb. bacon
toothpicks
flour for deep frying
2 or 3 eggs, beaten (may be substituted with 1/2 to 1 C milk)
plain bread crumbs for deep frying
peanut oil for deep frying (may also use vegetable oil, though results will not be as crispy nor as sinful)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Boil macaroni according to directions. While macaroni is boiling, stir together eggs, sour cream, butter, and milk. Do not worry about butter mixing in perfectly; it's in there for flavor. Drain macaroni and, while still hot, add cheddar. Stir in egg mixture. Spread macaroni with egg mixture into 13" x 9" baking dish and bake 30-45 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Refrigerate at least a few hours or until chilled. Heat oil in deep pan (I used a stockpot -- frying pans never work for deep frying). Cut chilled mac and cheese into 3- or 4-inch squares. Wrap each square in one strip of bacon, securing with a toothpick. Roll bacon-wrapped squares in flour, then dip completely in egg (or milk), and roll in breadcrumbs. Test the oil to make sure it's hot enough by dropping in a tiny piece of the mac and cheese. If it immediately sizzles, you're good to go. Fry squares till dark golden brown (1-3 minutes, depending on heat of your stove). Eat cautiously.

Chicken with Pluck

Just over a week ago, I was advising, rather adamantly, that all four of my readers eat only beans and a few greens and bootlegged chicken salad. I think my fanaticism may have been a result of my unemployment, which, I'm pleased to announce, will be a thing of the past starting this Monday. So, I've decided to really let loose and celebrate with a chicken recipe! You know it's an official throwdown when there's poultry being served. Eating like kings, I tell you! We're even buying fresh herbs (but only because the cats kept sitting in my herb pots).

In all seriousness, this recipe's really, really good. I wish I could say I invented it myself, but, alas, it's another Mark Bittman gem. Actually, it came from one of his readers, who answered a request in "The Minimalist" column last year for recipes for summery ten-minute meals. I'm including the link here, as it features this chicken recipe as well as nine other keepers.

Below, my more detailed and slightly modified version of the "Basil chicken, Indian style." FYI, with the marinade time it takes quite a bit longer than ten minutes, though the prep time is quick.

Recipe: Basil Chicken

1/2 C basil leaves
5 cloves garlic
one-inch piece of fresh ginger or 1 t ground ginger
6-oz plain yogurt
2 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
4 chicken pieces (boneless, skinless breasts are preferred; to save extra money, buy dark pieces or buy it with the skin and bones and just be sure to try to get the marinade under the skin)

Using a mortar and pestle, preferably a very big one, grind together the first 9 ingredients. You can also pulse them together in a food processor for a few seconds, but no more than that. Add to the chicken pieces and marinade overnight, or at least several hours (my mom has marinaded them for about an hour before and the results are still quite good, though not outstanding). Chicken may be broiled, baked, or -- ideally -- grilled.

Hace calor, mucho calor...

My sincerest apologies to all four readers for the nearly two month-long lapse. In between finishing my master's and looking for a real job, I've been subsisting mostly on granola bars, coffee, and the occasional fried egg. Despite this blog's claims to be economical, it also aspires to epicureanism -- and, clearly, the past month and a half's diet does not meet both criteria. Of course, now that I seem to have some free time, Washington area temperatures are topping 100 degrees and all culinary inspirations have melted away like the chocolates I accidentally left in my car over the weekend. What are the unemployed (me) to do in times of such dire heat and dire food prices?

I shall first list what the abject SHOULD NOT eat or drink in such conditions, despite how appealing these options may sound:

-Homemade lemonade: when lemons are almost a dollar each, you're looking at $6 or $7 for a medium sized pitcher. Who do you think you are, Dean & Deluca?

-Meat: it's expensive and you have to cook it. Do you really want to sweat both dollars and bullets?

-Ice cream: it's expensive, even if homemade, and it makes you fat. You can't afford to be fat!

And here is a brief list of what you SHOULD eat, in my alarmist opinion. The fresh fruit and vegetables in these recipes are available now, which is why you don't see any tomatoes. I will probably post a similar but more tomato-heavy list come August -- the DC area's most infamous month.

-Black bean and corn salad/dip: click here for full recipe

-Black-eyed pea salad: click here for full recipe

-Strawberry salad: toss 1 C or so of strawberries with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and pepper, add to 2 C of spinach, arugula, or some leafy mix, drizzle with olive oil and goat or feta cheese (for a small splurge). Serves 2 as main course.

-Cilantro-garlic yogurt sauce: combine 1 C plain yogurt, 3/4 C finely chopped cilantro, 1 finely chopped clove garlic, 1/2 t cayenne pepper; chill, covered, at least 30 minutes. Serve in a pita with chickpeas, or use as a dip for chopped raw vegetables.

-Chicken salad: DO NOT MAKE THIS YOURSELF. STEAL IT. It's very easy to get it for free this time of year at a graduation party or wedding shower from hosts who don't have enough room in their refrigerators. Serve in a whole wheat pita for added nutrition.

-Best caesar salad: for dressing, whisk together 3 minced cloves garlic, 3 chopped anchovies, 1 t salt, 1 t pepper, 1 T lemon juice, 1 t Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 t dijon mustard, 1 egg yolk, and 1/3 C olive oil. Add to 2 chopped heads of Romaine. Sprinkle with 1 C grated Parmesan. If you want croutons, cut up whatever stale bread you have left in the house into 1/2 in cubes; toss with 2 T melted butter, 2 T olive oil, 2 t salt, 1/2 t cayenne, and 1 t ground pepper. Toast in an oven preheated to 450 degrees until golden, about 10 minutes. Add chickpeas or white beans for nutritional value, if desired. Serves 4 as main course.

-Best smoothie for the buck: you have two options here; both begin with a banana.
1) Combine banana, 6 oz. lime yogurt (trust me, it's the best), 1 C orange juice, and 1 C ice in
blender, or
2) Combine banana, 6 oz. chocolate yogurt, 1 C milk, 1 T sugar, and 1 C ice in blender.

Cream of Poverty Soup

I was going to hold off on this one, but now that "food" and "crisis" are pretty much the only two words I hear hear/see/read in the news lately, it's time to throw together a pot of COPS. I think the total cost is about $4 and it feeds one person for an entire week of monotony. You will get so sick of it, but it's filling and healthy, and even tastes kind of good (I won't lie to you -- it's not delicious -- but I can't afford delicious and, according to all the alarmist news sources, neither can you). It's based on the recipe on the bag of Hurst's 15 Beans, but that recipe calls for a ham hock and a lemon. If you don't mind paying a whole dollar for just one lemon, go ahead and live it up. If you would rather put your dollar toward a forty-ounce to go with your bowl of poverty, follow my lead.

Recipe: Cream of Poverty Soup

1 bag of Hurst's 15-bean soup mix or Trader Joe's Bean and Barley Soup mix
a wee bit of oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 carton or 2 cans of chicken or vegetable broth (or, if you're really scaling down, use water)
1 28-oz. can tomatoes -- doesn't matter if they're whole, plum, diced. Buy whatever's on sale.
lots of salt and pepper
spices, only if you already have them: cumin, coriander, cayenne, and oregano are good in this

Soak beans overnight and drain the next day. Recipes always tell you to "sort" through dried beans, but I don't know what that means. They all look fine to me. Then, heat a wee bit of oil in a big pot and add onion. When onions are softish, add garlic. Cook a minute or so on medium heat and add the beans. Cook another few minutes and add the broth or water. Bring to a boil and add the tomatoes, and add spices if you are using them. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper before serving.

Easter Menu!

Savor this feast like it's your last!

(Disclaimer: I do know that the Last Supper occurred on Maundy Thursday, not Easter Sunday, but who throws a Maundy Thursday party?)

Sometimes the Economical Epicurean tires of always cooking for herself, eating the same leftovers all week, and subsisting mostly on coffee and porridge. So when the holidays arrive, she eagerly throws down. This Easter was no exception.

[Now switching to first person.]

I'm including here the worthwhile recipes from yesterday's feast of the Resurrection. It might seem untimely to be posting this menu after the holiday has passed, but I'm thinking these dishes could be replicated at upcoming Mother's Day and graduation parties or just served at home for brunch or a weeknight dinner. Nothing is difficult or even very expensive -- in lieu of splurging on the more traditionally Easter-y leg of lamb, I cooked up a $10 smoked ham from Shoppers. Likewise, fresh shrimp were sacrificed for frozen (though I guess the most economical thing would be to skip the surf altogether!), and the more desirable asparagus was substituted with green beans.

One thing I did not skimp on was butter -- it was a holiday, for crying out loud! But most of the butter-heavy dishes, with the exception of the scones, could be made with olive oil. Or, in the case of the tea sandwiches, one may omit all the butter and use only lite cream cheese.

If you notice there are no recipes for dessert here, it's because I didn't make any. Thanks to my guests who brought sweet treats!


Recipe: Tea Sandwiches
Makes about 30 sandwiches.
Spread can be made up to two days ahead.

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
2 T chopped fresh dill
2 T chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped fresh chives
1/2 t minced garlic
2 t lemon juice
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 8-oz. package smoked salmon
1 large cucumber, sliced thinly
1 loaf wheat or seven-grain bread, sliced extra thinly if possible

Combine first 9 ingredients with mixer or food processor. Set aside in refrigerator to chill a few hours. Spread on either side of bread, with a couple pieces of salmon or cucumber in between. Cut all the sandwiches into 4 squares or triangles and serve chilled or at room temperature.


Recipe: Mini Fried Egg Sandwiches
Makes 20 sandwiches.

2 T butter
1 dozen large eggs
1/2 C shredded cheddar
salt to your taste
pepper to your taste
10 slices sandwich bread (white or wheat), preferably toasted
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Heat butter in frying pan on medium/high heat. When pan is very hot, break eggs onto pan, about 4 or 5 at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Cook until over-hard, sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper, and assemble sandwiches. Garnish with parsley if you're feeling superior.


Recipe: Cran-Orange Scones (click here to see link from Jan. 14 post)
For Easter, I doubled the recipe and made the scones slightly smaller than usual.
Serve with butter or lemon curd.


Recipe: Baked Brie
Jean Bernard's finest!
Never serves quite enough.

1 mini-wheel Brie (rind does not need to be removed)
1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls
apricot preserves
1 beaten egg
1 package water crackers

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and spread out about half the crescent roll dough (squeeze together the perforations). Place the Brie on top of the dough and spread the top of it generously with apricot preserves. Fold the dough edges over the top of the Brie, and cover with the remaining dough. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve with crackers.


Recipe: Zippy Black-eyed Pea Salad
Serves about 30 and is great for leftovers. Can be made up to two days ahead. I believe I made it a little too zippy yesterday, as it was not the most popular thing on the table. In the recipe below, I cut back on the onion to reduce the bite factor.

1.5 bags of dried black-eyed peas
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 yellow pepper, finely chopped
1 orange pepper, finely chopped
1 half of a large red onion, finely chopped
1/2 C chopped cilantro
juice of 1 whole lemon
2 T olive oil
1.5 t cumin (optional)
salt to your taste
pepper to your taste

Rinse peas, pick over for bad ones, cover under water, and soak overnight. Drain the next day. Toss with remaining ingredients and serve chilled or at room temperature.


Recipe: Sprightly Spring Couscous
Serves about 15 as side dish. Can be a hearty meal on its own and can be made up to 4 days ahead. Once again, I'm proven wrong about couscous: it excites! I adapted this from a fantastic Mark Bittman recipe -- the first time I made it I didn't happen to have his ingredients on hand but had all the ones below. He uses bulgur, broccoli rabe, and walnuts in place of my couscous, broccolini, and almonds, all in the same proportions.

1 lb. broccolini
2 T olive oil
2 large shallots, minced
1/2 C chopped slivered almonds
2 C water
1.5 C dry couscous
1.5 C frozen peas, thawed (optional -- good if you want to save money and reduce the amount of broccolini)
1 T lemon juice
salt to your taste
pepper to your taste
1/2 C grated Parmesan (optional)

Bring water to a boil in medium stockpot, add salt. Add broccolini and boil until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove and add to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Wash out the original pot and return to stove. Crank heat to medium, add the oil, and add the shallots once oil is very hot. Saute about 3 minutes and add almonds. Reduce heat to low. Meanwhile, bring 2 C water to boil in small stockpot; add couscous. Fluff with a fork and remove from heat. Let stand about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop broccolini into one-inch pieces. Add couscous, broccolini, peas, and lemon juice to shallot-almond mixture. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.


Recipe: Green Beans
Serves about 20. Can be made a day ahead.

2 bags of Trader Joe's frozen haricots verts, thawed
half stick butter
6 garlic cloves, minced
zest of half a lemon
salt to your taste
pepper to your taste

Bring water to a boil in large stockpot and add beans. Boil until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Blanch in bowl of ice water. Rinse the stockpot and return to stove. In it, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute about 5 minutes. Return beans to pan, stir into butter and garlic mixture, and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon zest and salt and pepper.


Recipe: Roasted Potatoes
Serves about 20. Can be made up to two days ahead.

1 C olive oil, divided
10 lbs. small potatoes (white or red, or both), scrubbed, freed of eyes, and quartered.
6 garlic cloves, minced
chopped rosemary leaves from about 5 short branches
1/4 C chopped fresh chives
salt to your taste
pepper to your taste
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a large baking dish (or two, if needed) with olive oil, add potatoes. Brush more olive oil over potatoes. Roast for about a half hour and remove from oven. Baste with the olive oil and sprinkle garlic, rosemary, and chives; return to oven and roast another 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper and parsley.


Recipe: Holiday Ham
Serves 20 sparingly (10-15 seems more accurate, normally). I happened to get a really good deal on a pre-cooked, pre-sliced ham. Usually it's cheaper to buy the partially cooked, unsliced hams, in which case doneness is determined when the ham's internal temperature reads 160 degrees on a meat thermometer.

1 7-8 lb. fully cooked, spiral-sliced smoked ham
1/2 C apricot preserves
1/3 C dijon mustard

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In roasting pan, bake ham about a half hour. Meanwhile stir together preserves and mustard to make glaze. When half hour is over, remove ham from oven and glaze the skin. Return to oven and bake another half hour or so, until skin is dark and crispy. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Putting the "ooh" in ragout

When I'm cooking for myself on a weeknight, I usually stick to one-pot meals that take almost no preparation, contain some combination of beans, potatoes, and greens, and don't look very pretty. If I were to assign them a name, it would be "peasant food," because they are so cheap and hearty. They are also very tasty, despite bearing a mild resemblance to the contents of a dry heave.

I was quite flattered, then, when I read the New York Times's "Dining In" section this past November and noted that food columnist Melissa Clark had not only bestowed on these types of dishes the somewhat elegant name, "ragout," but featured them as vegetarian main courses for Thanksgiving dinner!

Clark's gourmet-ified peasant food recipes all sound wonderful; I have yet to try them, but will offer you the link.

In the meantime, here are the details of a ragout I made the other night. What it lacks in presentation it makes up for in flavor, convenience, and nutritional value.

Recipe: Sweet-Savory Vegetarian Ragout
Makes 2 generous main course servings.

1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 in. cubes
2 T olive oil
1 C vegetable or chicken stock, divided, plus more as needed
1 small chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t cumin
1 t nutmeg
big handful of spinach
2 T chopped slivered almonds (optional, but highly recommended -- though expensive, a bag can go a long way)
2 T raisins
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium to large pot on low-medium heat; add sweet potatoes and stir until potatoes begin to stick a bit to the pot. Scrape up browned bits and add about a half cup of stock. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Once potatoes are fairly soft, turn heat back down to low-medium and add onions, garlic, spices, and beans. Cook until onions and beans are soft, adding more stock as it's absorbed. When beans and potatoes are very soft, add spinach, almonds, and raisins and cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

I've never met a buffet I didn't like

Disclaimer: I didn't much care for the $10 T-Bone Buffet at the now-defunct New Frontier Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. But such cases are rare (pun intended!).

The Economical Epicurean's culinary pursuits are not limited to the domestic. I remember reading an article reprinted from the Christian Science Monitor that claimed that the prices of groceries inflate at much quicker and higher rates than do the costs of entrees at restaurants. Of course, if you eat mostly vegetarian food at home and try to avoid buying produce out of season, it's invariably more economical to dine in. But there are certain cuisines that, I am convinced, are cheaper and more satisfying to enjoy at a restaurant. The two that come to mind here are Indian food and sushi. In the case of Indian, the spices are expensive and can be hard to find while the cooking can be terribly time-consuming; unless you make Indian food often, it might not be worth it to buy cardamom pods or tamarind.** In the case of sushi, fish is expensive enough in the grocery stores; once you factor in the "sushi-grade" requirement (which, in grocery stores, usually falls well below restaurant standards), it costs a fortune.

Overall, I think it's much more rewarding to go out for these kinds of foods. And where can you get more bang for your buck than at a buffet? Admittedly, buffets often feature the restaurant's homelier selections, which become extra homely after hours of sitting out on hotplates. But the following buffets offer delicious dishes that would be far more expensive to make at home. And they're all lunch buffets, which means you stuff your face early in the day, still can't bear the thought of food when dinnertime comes, and ultimately avoid that dangerous "late-night" eating.

The best part? Nothing remotely reminiscent of the tire-flavored "Vegas Strip Steak Special" on these buffet tables.

**Disclaimer #2: my spice rack contains two somewhat costly Indian staples, garam masala and ground turmeric, which I often use to flavor chickpeas, potatoes, and stews. But it would probably be expensive and time-consuming to make, say, an authentic Lamb Vindaloo at home.

Haandi
4904 Fairmont Ave, Bethesda
Every day from 11:30am-2:30pm
$10.95 weekdays, $12.95 weekends
http://www.haandi.com

A few dollars pricier than your typical Indian all-you-can-eat, and justifiably so: this is The Mother of the lunch buffet. Highlights include the palak paneer (homemade cheese cubes cooked in a spinach sauce), chicken tikka, and lamb curry. Beautiful presentation and serene setting.

Tiffin
1341 University Blvd, Langley Park
Weekdays from 11:30am-2pm
$8.95
http://www.tiffinrestaurant.com

The wait staff comes in extremes -- aloof or over-eager -- but the goat curry makes it worth it. A satisfying study break for the slaves of McKeldin Library.

Woodlands
8046 New Hampshire Ave, Langley Park
Weekdays from 11:30am-2pm
$6.95

Fantastic vegetarian buffet; also a good escape from the library. I find the ambiance underwhelming but the food excellent. Don't think that just because it's vegetarian it's going to be low-fat -- you won't be able to stay away from the pakora (lentils fried in pastry) and dosas (fried crepes filled with spicy vegetables).

Hinode
134 Congressional Lane, Rockville
Weekdays from 11:30am-2pm
$10.95

Great selection of sushi and rolls at a great value. Friendly and attentive staff. Nothing out of the ordinary (it's a buffet, remember), but always satisfying. I'm a sushi novice, so don't take my word for it, but my sushi aficionado cousins and uncle frequent this place, too.

Any more suggestions? If you know of a great buffet, send the details my way! I'll continue to update this list as my waistline continues to expand.

Me and Mike Sanders enjoying his Christmas Party buffet!***

***The above picture was shamelessly stolen from fatchicksinpartyhats.com