Eat. Drink. Memory.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year

The Year of the Tiger is not for the timid.  Characterized by bold and sweeping change, the year's namesake is graceful, powerful and impulsive. It would seem logical to celebrate with verve this charming and ebullient big cat.

Festivities to ring in the Lunar New Year tend to be bold and dramatic, conveying the importance of new beginnings. Beginning February 14 and lasting 15 days, the celebration is food focused, with many of the foods served symbolic of prosperity, good health and long life.

Even if you're unsure of a food's symbolism, you can certainly appreciate its grace and flavor.  Over at my friend Kian's site, Red Cook, he shares a recipe for Braised Abalaone, which is simply gorgeous.

Most of us don't have the time, or perhaps the culinary skills, to create banquet food. For us, there are noodles. 

And while noodles, symbolizing longevity in Chinese culture, may take a backseat to banquet food, they are the great Asian comfort food, served daily in homes for fast and nutritious meals.

There is familiarity as well as tradition steeped in the various noodle dishes prepared by the home cook, whether they are warm and nurturing soups, hearty and healthy vegetable-filled stir frys or light and delicate cold noodle salads. 

Chef-author Helen Chen delights us with her second book in of a two-part series, Easy Asian Noodles (128pp, Wiley, $17.95), a kitchen-sized workhorse of a cookbook devoted to noodle dishes from Chinese, Japanese and Thai cultures.

Small enough to stuff into your bag for quick reference at the market, yet sleekly elegant with beautifully styled photography by Jason Wyche, the guide to all things noodle is made accessible even to home cooks who can barely boil water.

"We're all either working, raising a family or caring for elderly parents. We just don't have the time," said Chen. "I really try to write these recipes the way I cook."

A master of the Asian kitchen in her own right and daughter of Joyce Chen, who pioneered Chinese cuisine in Cambridge, MA, during the 50s, Helen Chen carries on the tradition of accessible authenticity in her recipes and with her cookware, Helen's Asian Kitchen.

Joyce Chen coined the name Peking Ravioli for potstickers, a name still synonymous on the East Coast with the plump filling dumplings. She introduced the American palate to Chinese food that wasn't bathed in cloying sweet sauces or some typical dish like Eggs Foo Yung or Chop Suey.

A restaurateur, a cookbook author, and TV show host, Joyce Chen developed her own specialty foods and cookware line. Needless to say, she was a fantastic cook.

Her daughter became a baker first to distinguish herself from her famous mother. She had bread rising to bake while we chatted.  "No one wanted to eat my stir frys," she said, then laughed. "My mom's cooking was so utterly fabulous."

Why noodles, why now

The last two decades have seen a resurgence and appreciation for comfort food from cuisines around the world.  Chen said the timing was right.

"Noodles, in particular, are very popular," she said.  "Not only are Westerners interested in noodles, but for Asians, noodles are comfort food."

In Asian culture, noodles serve many purposes - breakfast, lunch, dinner or quick snack - because they are easy to prepare and a flavorful mouthful of different tastes and textures.  "With vegetables, they're a really healthy meal... Everything is in that  one bowl," said Chen.

Noodles are filling and satisfying without being greasy or heavy. For many Asians, noodles evoke wonderful memories of childhood. Chen remembered being served homemade longevity noodles on her Chinese birthday (according to the Lunar Calendar).Her mother used to tease that she'd made them so long that Chen would need a step ladder to eat them.

But you don't need to make homemade noodles to enjoy these recipes. Most markets have good quality fresh and dried noodles - wheat, bean and rice - available.  In a pinch, one can use spaghetti for some recipes calling for wheat noodles. Chen also uses prepared chicken stock in her recipes and admits to buying it by the case.

Favorite noodle dish

Choosing a favorite meal is like choosing a favorite child. Each one has different qualities to love. For Chen, she chooses noodle recipes according to what she craves and what she feels like cooking.

"I usually start with, what do I feel like cooking," she said. "I find it easier to think of what form of noodle I want to prepare."  Her cookbook is organized according to preparation - stir-fried, pan-fried, and sauced - so that you can decide how you want to cook, then what you want to cook. 

One of her many favorites is a dish her mother often prepared, Peking Meat-sauced Noodles.  This dish is famous in Beijing, where her mother grew up.

Garnished with fresh bean sprouts and shredded radishes and thinly sliced cucumbers, it is crisp-soft delicious and Chen's comfort food of choice. The dish may be made with ground turkey, although traditionally it is made with pork, and packaged vernicelli or spaghetti may substitute for Chinese wheat or egg noodles.

Peking Meat-sauced Noodles

serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 pound ground pork (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup bean paste, preferably Japanese red miso

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

1 pound Chinese wheat or egg noodles or thin or regular spaghetti

10  radishes, shredded for garnish

1 medium cucumber, partially peeled (leaving a few long strips of peel on the sides) seeded and shredded for garnish

2 cups bean sprouts, par boiled for 15 to 20 seconds, rinsed in cold water and drained well, for garnish

10 ounces fresh spinach, washed, par boiled for 15 to 20 seconds,rinsed in cold water, squeezed dry and minced for garnish

5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced, for garnish (optional, see Note)

Note: Northern Chinese have a propensity toward garlic - cooked or raw - and lots of it! The caveat to adding raw garlic garnish to these noodles is: if you're going out on a date or social occasion, leave them out.

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, mix the wine and cornstarch together. Add the pork and mix well. In a separate small bowl, stir the bean paste, hoisin sauc, soy sauce and sugar together.

2. In a wok or stir fry pan, heat the oil over high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the pork mixture and cook, stirring constantly.until the meat changes color and breaks up, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and cook, stirring constantly, until the scallions are soft but not browned, another minute.

3. Stir in the bean paste mixture and 1 cup water and mix thoroughly. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will have a thin sauce.

4. Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in the spaghetti and boil until a little more tender than al dente. Drain and rinse in hot water; immediately divide the noodles among 6 or 8 individual noodle bowls. Place the meat sauce in a serving bowl on the table. Set the vegetable garnishes out in individual bowls and let people sauce and garnish their own noodles.

Southwestern chili recipe hearty winter warm-up

 

When I was a kid, my mom occasionally made ethnic food - a very Westernized stir fry or tacos. She made her own flour tortillas from a recipe, which unfortunately is long disappeared

Unlike my son, who practically cut his teeth on sushi, dim sum and curry, we were not exposed to a wide range of foods beyond our regional cuisine and hearty American classics like pot roast with mashed potatoes.

My mom was a great scratch cook, but women of her era were enamored of the subtleties of French cooking not anything as scarily exotic as Asian or Latin food.

These days you can find a recipe - either traditional or modified - for just about any world cuisine.

I don't know if it's because it's freezing cold or because everyone - but me - is gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday, but recipes for Taco Soup are every where.

Maybe it's because tacos are a quick and easy family favorite.  Maybe it's because nothing shouts fiesta like Mexican comfort food.

I'm a fan of tacos, tortas, burritos, enchiladas - anything salsa- and guacamole-laden, so the idea of Taco Soup is pretty tasty to me. Whatever the reason, I have to weigh in with my own recipe for Southwestern Chili.

This recipe is fast, nutritious and delicious. And who doesn't love a meal that requires minimal effort with maximum flavor.

Southwestern Chili

serves six to eight

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound chorizo (the crumbly Mexican kind)

1 16-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 16-ounce can pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1 12-ounce can sweet corn, drained

1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes & green chilies

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons cumin

1teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoons chipotle chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated for garnish

1 avocado, diced for garnish

1/2 cup sour cream for garnish

1/2 cup taco sauce

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Preparation

In a six-quart stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat before adding onion, celery and garlic. Sautee until soft, about five minutes, then add ground beef and chorizo.  Brown until meat is no longer pink and is finely crumbled, about six to eight minutes.

When meat mixture is browned, add the black beans, pinto beans, corn, diced tomatoes & chilies and crushed tomatoes. Add chicken stock as needed to adjust thickness of the chili.  Stir in bay leaves, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer, where the chili is just bubbling a bit, then reduce heat and cook gently, allowing flavors to marry for about 45 minutes to an hour.

While the chili is simmering, prepare long grain rice, according to package instructions.

Once the rice is ready, spoon a half cup into each bowl, then top with a half cup of chili. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon grated cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon diced avocado, and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Drizzle with taco sauce and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Serve with warmed flour or corn tortillas.

Berry sweet brunch for Valentine sweethearts

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on one of the least romantic days of the week: Sunday. But while Sunday may not shine in the romance department, it positively owns brunch. So let’s make the most of it, shall we?

Invite two or three couples over and celebrate the fact that cupid’s arrow finally hit its target and the pressure is off!

Start by setting the table with red and pink accessories like red carnations, candy hearts and vases filled with red and white M&M’S®. Use old-fashioned Valentine cards as place cards.

Now for the most important element – the food. Brunch is all about variety. So take the time to buy or prepare several dishes.

Fruit is a brunch staple. We happen to love incorporating raspberries and strawberries into the menu, not only for their color, but because they’re yummy and healthy, too. In fact, topping traditional pancakes or waffles with Fresh Raspberry Sauce instantly updates an old favorite. For a more savory menu item, try a Raspberry Ham Frittata or Goat Cheese and Strawberry Bruschetta.

We heart pink drinks! Valentine’s Day is the perfect time break out the Maker’s Mark and whip up a refreshing Belmont Breeze. And for those who don’t imbibe, try a simple strawberry smoothie.

What could possibly be sweeter than your sweetheart? That’d be dessert. Strawberry Crème Brulee is a fabulous treat that is as easy on the eyes as it is the taste buds.

Strawberry Crème Brulee

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings
 
Crème Brulee:

1 package (16 ounces) Driscoll’s Strawberries, hulled, divided
2 cups half and half
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup light brown sugar, divided
 
Heat oven to 325°F. Place six 6-ounce ramekins in a roasting pan; set aside.  
 
Coarsely chop 4 strawberries and evenly divided in bottom of each ramekin. Bring half and half to a boil in a saucepot over medium heat. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl 2 minutes or until golden yellow. Slowly whisk hot half & half into egg mixture. Divide among prepared ramekins. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins.
 
Bake 35 minutes or until edges of custard are set and center jiggles when ramekin is tapped. Remove from hot water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover each one with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
 
Heat broiler. Press through a sieve 2 teaspoon light brown sugar evenly over the top of each custard. Arrange custards on a baking sheet and place 2 inches from source of heat. Broil until sugar melts and bubbles.
 
Top each with a strawberry halved.
 
Nutrition Per Serving: 285 calories, 13.26g total fat, 7.23 saturated fat, 6.33g protein, 31.85g carbohydrate, 284.74mg cholesterol, 1.03g fiber, 51.27mg sodium
 
Tip: lighten up the recipe by replacing half and half with milk

Birthday babycakes

I love birthday surprises! One of the best is a box full of baked fun - cake, cup cakes or cookies.  But if your birthday boy or girl lives far from you, shipping becomes a problem.

For instance, I recently wanted to make a birthday cake for a friend, but I had to mail the gift so I decided to make cupcakes with a cream filling rather than an icing - less mess, neater to ship.

My friend is a wonderful person (or he wouldn't be my friend, right) and he deserves a birthday treat which reflects his special self. His favorite cake is chocolate, a solid choice, but he is not a predictable man.  He's solid yet mysterious, so his chocolate cake had to be just as complex and intriguing. 

The recipe I wanted to use was for a Mexican Chocolate Cake because it already is a chocolate cake with a rich, spicy difference.  But, it needed an extra special something - a more complex flavor. The natural choice was chili because it has just the right, unexpected zip, and a bit of savory  to balance the sweet.

adapted from www.MarthaStewart.com

Chocolate Chili Birthday Babycakes

Ingredients

1 stick butter 
1/2 cup oil
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup 70% bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup water
3 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour milk (buttermilk)
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, oil, cocoa, chocolate chips and water in sauce pan. Heat until  all are melted and smooth. 

2. Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, cayenne pepper and salt in a large bowl, mixing well, then combine with first mixture until batter is smooth.  Do not over mix.

3. Pour batter into either a greased and floured cupcake pan or one that is lined with festive  paper cups. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, adjusting time according to your oven.

4. Five minutes before the cake is done, prepare a butter cream icing. Let cake cool before you pipe the icing into the center of each cupcake. This is done by inserting the start tip of your butter cream-filled pastry bag into the center of the cake and forcing the icing into the cake's center while slowly removing the tip.

The recipe called for margarine, but like the original author, I prefer the depth and richness of butter. I also wanted to add a bit of a kick to my cake, so I added 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne. 

Additionally, I didn't think the cocoa powder would give the cake the deep, dark chocolate flavor I was looking for so I added a half cup of melted 70% bittersweet chocolate. The extra liquid meant I had to compensate by adding an extra cup of flour. The recipe didn't call for salt, but I added 1/4 teaspoon for balance. Since I was baking in a cupcake pan, I reduced cooking time to 18 minutes.

To finish my cupcakes, I piped butter cream into the centers after the cake had cooled. Finally, I frosted my cake by brushing the tops with melted butter and dipping them in a mixture of sugar and salt (a 3:1 ratio).
 
To package my birthday babycakes, I put them in a square airtight plastic container, stuffing the pockets with little poufs of plastic wrap to restrict movement. Ready for overnight mail, they should arrive looking great and put a big smile on the birthday boy's face
.  

Making Baklava not as difficult as it seems

From the first bite, I've always loved Baklava. It's a simple dessert with complex contrasts of flavor and texture - honeyed citrus and cinnamon, layers of papery-thin, buttery crust, and finely chopped nuts.

Years ago on a memorable date, my companion wanted to introduce me to the wonders of Mediterranean cooking.  He was so earnest and so completely charming, that I hadn't the heart to tell him I'd eaten already at the restaurant he proposed or that I was familiar with the cuisine.

Never one to disappoint someone, especially someone of the male persuasion, who is trying to make me happy, I never let on and my Prince Charming proceeded to wow me with his Greek restaurant, ordering all his favorites and finishing with the classic dessert.

I loved the way he seemed delighted to delight me, and I loved the honey-syrup drenched Baklava.

Although the love affair lasted only a brief moment, my passion for Greek food and the deceptively simple Baklava has lasted a lifetime.  Still, I'd never considered making Baklava. I always thought it would be too hard, having heard horror stories of phyllo's difficulty. 

The good news is that the dessert, while time-consuming, is not difficult at all and the results are sensational. Make some for your next gathering and your reputation as a domestic goddess will be firmly established.

This recipe is easily halved as well.

Baklava

from Gourmet June 2004

Adapted from Eleni Theos Stelter

Resist the urge to chop the nuts in a food processor — it makes them release more oil, resulting in a heavier baklava.

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 12 hr (includes chilling and standing)

Yield: Makes 32 pieces

Ingredients

For syrup

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1 lemon, halved
1 orange, halved
1 1/2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
2/3 cup honey

For baklava
3 1/4 cups whole almonds with skins (1 lb), finely chopped
2 1/3 cups walnuts (1/2 lb), finely chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 (1-lb) package phyllo dough (17 by 12 inches; about 28 sheets), thawed if frozen

Preparation

Make syrup:

Combine sugar and water in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan. Squeeze juice from lemon and orange into sugar mixture. Add fruit halves and cinnamon sticks. Bring mixture to a boil over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, then simmer 10 minutes. Stir in honey and return to a boil. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Pour through a sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl, pressing hard on, then discarding, solids. Chill, uncovered, until cold, about 1 hour.

Assemble and bake baklava:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together almonds, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until combined well.

Generously brush a 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish with melted butter. Halve phyllo sheets crosswise and stack sheets. Keep stack covered with 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened clean kitchen towel.

Lay 2 sheets of phyllo in bottom of baking dish and brush top sheet generously with butter. Continue to layer 2 sheets at a time, staggering sheets in each double layer slightly to cover bottom of dish, then brushing every second sheet generously with butter, until you have used 10 sheets of phyllo total.

After brushing top layer of phyllo with butter, spread a rounded 1 1/2 cups of nut mixture over it. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter.

Repeat layering 3 more times. Top with 10 more sheets of phyllo. (You will use 50 sheets of phyllo total.) Butter top and let baklava stand at room temperature to harden slightly (to facilitate cutting), 10 to 15 minutes.

Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into 16 equal rectangles, then cut each piece in half diagonally. (Be sure to cut all the way through.)

Bake baklava until golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour. If your oven runs hot like mine does, the baklava will be ready in 30 minutes.

Transfer dish to a rack to cool, then slowly pour cold syrup around edges of hot baklava, in between all cuts, and over top. Let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours. (Cover once baklava is at room temperature.) Do not chill.

Cooks' notes:
• Syrup can be made up to 5 days ahead and chilled, covered. • Baklava keeps in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Meals in minutes: Spicy Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce recipe

Thank you, Rachel Ray for saving the culinary day.

At a loss for a quick dinner this week, I was thinking about scrambling through the drawer full of takeout menus.  Then I remembered watching RR on TV  and watching her prepare a Make Your Own Take Out meal - Spicy Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce.

Ah, shades of the Seventies!  There were very few Asian restaurants where we lived and I remember trying to find authentic ingredients - okay, water chestnuts and baby corn - to experiment with my new wok. 

Didn't everyone get a wok for Christmas in 1977?

So, I loved RR's MYTO for the day and I made it that very night.  I loved it; the boy scraped out the offending water chestnuts, pronounced it edible, but didn't beg for seconds.

Make Your Own Take Out: Spicy Peanut Chicken

Serves 4

• 1 cup brown or white rice made to package directions
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or other high temperature cooking oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, diced into small bite-sized pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 inch ginger root, grated or minced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter or reduced sugar peanut butter
• 1/4 cup Tamari sauce or reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon chili paste
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts (8 ounces), drained
• 1 bunch scallions, whites and greens chopped on angle into 1-inch pieces
• cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts

Preparation

Start brown or white rice and 10 minutes before it is done begin your stir fry.

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, add bell peppers and stir fry 2 minutes more. Remove chicken and peppers to a plate and add 2 tablespoons more oil to the pan. Add ginger and garlic and stir fry 15 seconds then add in peanut butter, soy, stock, chili paste and sesame oil and stir to combine into sauce. Add chestnuts and scallions and toss 1 minute, add chicken and peppers back to pan with peanuts and turn to coat in sauce. Serve over rice.

Cool Waters recipes thirst quenchers

If one of your resolutions for 2010 was to exercise more and be healthier, drinking more water is likely on your 'New You' to do list too.

 Cool Waters: 50 Refreshing, Healthy, Homemade Thirst Quenchers by Brian Preston-Campbell offers 50 ways to infuse excitement into your drinking water, and the recipes are accompanied by thirst-inducing color photographs by Jerry Errico.

Published by the Harvard Common Press, the 96-page book of thirst-quenchers retails for $12.95 in hardcover.

Cool Waters is full to the brim with healthy, natural, and delicious ways to make ordinary water extraordinary.

Workout Fuel

FROM COOL WATERS

Drink a few glasses of this before, during, and after a strenuous workout—its taste surpasses that of any bottled sports drink, and it has far fewer calories. Coconut water is a natural electrolyte-replacing rehydrator—exactly what you need from a sports drink. Other nutrients here are vitamin C, iron, and calcium. If you cannot find golden kiwis, use green.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 golden kiwis, peeled
• One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup fresh or unsweetened canned coconut water
• Pinch of sea salt
• 4 cups still water

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth, for about 1 minute.
2. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Serve cold or at room temperature.

TIP: Don't confuse coconut water with coconut milk or cream of coconut. Canned coconut water can be found at many grocers and health-food stores.

Roast beef and turkey redux: what to do with the leftovers

It's the season of leftovers.  From Thanksgiving to New Year's, there are big dinners and that means lots of food to re-heat or re-invent.

Re-heating leftovers is easy, but not particularly interesting. In fact, after about one re-heat, the entire food situation begins to look desperately boring.

Whether you cooked a turkey or a rib roast like the one I served Christmas Day, there are lots of opportunities for delectable re-invented meals that go beyond the usual sandwiches.

Soups and stews are go-to recipes for leftover meats (and I always recommend cubing some of that turkey or beef and freezing it for soups or stews later). You can also use cubed or diced meats for a hearty Cobb-style salad as a quick meal.

A Mexican-style lasagna of layered flour tortillas, diced turkey, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and a roasted poblano chili sauce spices up an ordinary after the holidays meal.  This dish makes a fantastic one dish brunch or dinner meal served with a green salad garnished with avocado.

With a homemade pie crust (or store bought, if you must) and some chopped root vegetables and mushrooms, leftover beef or turkey can be transformed into a savory and meaty pot pie just like Mom used to make - and infinitely better than a frozen version.

 

HOMEMADE POT PIE

serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup diced beef or turkey

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup diced carrots

1  medium potato, diced

1 medium sweet potato, diced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup diced onions

1 cup beef or chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Prepared pie crust or puff pastry

Preparations

In a large casserole, mix diced meat, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, peas and onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix stock with cornstarch and pour over the meat and vegetable casserole.  Cover with prepared pie crust and vent with three vertical slashes.

Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until crust is browned and sauce has thickened and bubbly.

MEXICAN-STYLE LASAGNA

serves six

Ingredients

6 flour tortillas

1 cup diced turkey

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup diced or canned tomatoes (drained)

1/2 cup diced green onions

1 cup roasted poblano sauce

Preparations

for the poblano sauce

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 poblano pepper, roasted and seeded

salt and pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan, combine milk and butter. Stirring continuously, bring the milk and butter to almost boiling. Whisk in the cornstarch and continue stirring until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and pour into a blender. Add roasted poblano, then pulse until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium-sized casserole, spread a thin layer of poblano sauce, then top with strips of tortilla (each tortilla can be cut lengthwise in quarters to make serving easier), followed by diced chicken, tomatoes, onions and grated cheese. Repeat the layering process, ending with grated cheese.

Bake in oven, preheated to 350 degrees, for 45 minutes or until bubble and cheese is melted. Allow to sit for five minutes before cutting and serving.

Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe makes go-to holiday cake

This is my go-to holiday and special occasion cake - Flourless Chocolate Cake made with a recipe first introduced by Gourmet magazine in November 1997.

The recipe is simple enough for a novice cook, yet special enough, with all its gooey, chocolate-y goodness, for experienced cooks to bake it again and again.

This chocolate all-star is a fixture of my son's birthday parties as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas dessert menus. If I want to make the chocolate lovers in my life delirious with bliss, this is the cake I bake to up their serotonin levels dramatically.

There is nothing not to love about a cake that looks this good, tastes this good and is done, ready to serve in under an hour - including clean up.

I prefer to serve it with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream or seasonal fruits.

Flourless Chocolate Cake Gourmet | November 1997

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Yield: Makes one 8-inch cake

ingredients

4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling

Accompaniment if desired: Coconut Lime Sorbet

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth.

Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.

Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)

Simple and savory recipe: mussels with linguine

 

 

Mussels are one of my favorite mollusks. They're delicious, nutritious, and inexpensive as well as readily available fresh or frozen in most seafood markets.

These tender and versatile mollusks were long considered the poor relative to better known and pricier shellfish – scallops, clams and oysters.  But anyone who’s ever eaten Moule Frites (the hearty French bistro fare Mussels and Fries) knows there is, thankfully, more than one shellfish in the sea.

Since mussels, like their more celebrated cousins, oysters, feed indiscriminately, most mussels found in markets are farm raised. Selecting fresh mussels is not difficult if you follow two simple rules – look for tightly closed shellfish and avoid broken or damaged shells.  While you might keep your mussels on ice overnight in the refrigerator, they are highly perishable and should be used promptly after purchase.

Most live mussels bought in the seafood markets are pretty thoroughly cleaned. However, should they be “bearded,” you simply will need to remove that unsightly stubble of hairs with a sharp tug toward the hinge of the mussel. To ensure they are thoroughly clean, it’s recommended to place the mussels in cold water with a tablespoon or two of corn meal. The mollusks eat the corn meal, then expel any grit or sand, making your mussels much tastier.  They should be well-rinsed before preparation. 

Despite what may seem like a high maintenance ritual, I prefer fresh mussels - alive, alive oh - for obvious reasons.

However, I recently tried green mussels frozen (and already cooked). I was a little leery of frozen mussels, thinking they'd be rubbery perhaps.  I bought a New Zealand brand, Talley's, found at Whole Foods, which were on the half shell, and retail for about $7.99.

The results were pleasantly surprising, tender meat and good flavor.  I made a quick broth with dried Italian herbs, sherry, garlic, sweet onion and diced tomatoes, added the mussels, and then put on a pot of water to boil the linguine. Don’t forget to reserve pasta water to add to the sauce as it helps the sauce adhere to the pasta.

Dinner was ready in less than half an hour. This quick and easy recipe for mussels is great for last minute meals.

Mussels with Linguine

serves four

8 ounces linguine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter, salted

1/4 cup Vidalia onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup tomatoes, diced

1/2 tablespoon Italian herbs, dry

1/4 cup sherry

1 cup chicken stock (or clam juice)

1. Add butter and olive oil to a small stock pot. Stir in onion, garlic, tomatoes, and Italian herbs. Saute for about five minutes or until onions are soft.

2. Add sherry to the stockpot and reduce by half before adding the chicken stock or clam juice and the mussels.

3. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, allowing the flavors to marry.

4. Put pot of water on to boil for linguine. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water to add to your sauce.

5. Add pasta water to your stockpot, then add linguine to mussel and broth mixture. Gently mix, then serve in pasta bowls.  Sprinkle with grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano as desired. Garnish with chopped flatleaf parsley.

Serve with fresh Italian bread.