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White Chicken Chili

10 Tuesday Jan 2012

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This recipe was originally born out of the desire to experiment with salsa verde. I love the tang of tomatillos and green chile, and as an added bonus my daughter enjoys it much more than its tomato-based counterpart. As is often the happy way of culinary evolution, it became a vehicle for some of my other favorite ingredients along the way. For me, this dish wouldn’t be same without all the stir-ins: velvety chunks of seasoned avocado, sharp cheddar, sour cream, cilantro, and tortilla chips.

This is a great recipe for entertaining — just prep all the add-ins ahead of time and set it up buffet-style so guests can serve themselves. There is also something appealing about getting to control your own food destiny that makes this approach more kid-friendly. Even if you wouldn’t eat some of the extras individually, I encourage you to try them in this because they bring so much flavor to the party.

White Chicken Chili
makes 10 generous bowls

For chili:
3 cooked chicken breasts or meat from a small rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
15 oz. can cannelini beans, drained
7 oz. salsa verde (I use Herdez)
8 oz. canned diced green chiles
4 c. quality chicken stock (I use homemade or Kitchen Basics brand)
2/3 c. heavy cream
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne (your preference)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. coarse salt + more to taste

For toppings:
2 avocados
juice of half a lime
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
tortilla chips (I am currently best friends with Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips)

In large stockpot, saute onion in oil over medium heat 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute more, then add beans, salsa, and green chiles and stir well. Add chicken stock, cream, and all seasonings and bring to simmer. Simmer lightly for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to come together. Add cooked chicken, stir, and simmer just til heated through. Taste once more for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

While chili is simmering, roughly chop avocados and place in small bowl with lime juice, olive oil, and salt. Mix well and set aside, then prepare other toppings as needed. Serve hot bowls of chili with mix-ins as desired.

Recipe Notes + Tips:
This chili finishes with a thin consistency more like chicken soup than a traditional red beef chili. The melted cheese and sour cream provide some additional texture, and that’s plenty for me. However, if you prefer a thicker chili, there’s an easy fix. At the start of the recipe, add an extra can of cannelini beans. Once you’ve added stock, cream, and seasonings, but before adding chicken, use an immersion blender to puree the beans and create a richer consistency. Continue recipe as above.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully transfer the hot soup to a traditional blender, puree, and then return to pot. I love my immersion blender, definitely one of my must-have tools. Like most kitchen appliances, you can easily spend five times what you need to, so shop around. I’ve had my $15 Proctor Silex version for years, and it’s blended everything from butternut bisque to apple butter beautifully.

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Creamy Butternut and Sausage Pasta

05 Thursday Jan 2012

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I am not even using the word “squash” in the title of this recipe because it’s not fair. People see that word, and they think baby food: stringy, overcooked, bland… they think “I hate squash.” My 14-year-old son has certainly uttered those words before, and he came back for seconds of this pasta.

Instead of squash, think about the word “butternut.” Now that’s more like it. This pasta is creamy, buttery, smooth, and nutty. A little kick from smoky cayenne amps up both color and taste, and the natural sweetness of butternut (squash) is the perfect foil to the savory garlic and fennel of Italian sausage.

This pasta is also a great way to start the new year, especially after weeks of holiday over-indulgence. This isn’t the kind of food that wreaks of diets and deprivation, but rather the sort we should really be eating every day: balanced, tasty, and nourishing. It is a warming, hearty helping of fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium, and heart-healthy omega fatty acids. You can also opt for turkey Italian sausage and skim ricotta to keep it lower in fat, or add even more fiber and vitamins with whole wheat pasta. I eat it because it tastes good, but I enjoy it more because I know it’s good for me.

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Creamy Butternut and Sausage Pasta
makes 8 servings

2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
1 1/4 lbs. bulk Italian sausage (mild or spicy based on your preference)
1 lb. rigatoni or other large tube- or shell-shaped pasta
2 tsp. coarse salt + more for pasta water
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne (adjust to preference)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3 tbsp. roasted walnut oil (see Recipe Notes, can substitute olive oil)
3 tbsp. real maple syrup (can substitute 2 tsp. turbinado sugar — do not use artificially flavored pancake syrup)
1 tsp. dried thyme (or 2 tbsp. chopped fresh)
1 tsp. dried basil (or 2 tbsp. chopped fresh)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. grated Parmesan or other favorite hard cheese + more for serving
1/2 c. creme fraiche, heavy cream, or ricotta (your choice)
a few ladles of pasta water, about a cup

Oven 425F. In roasting pan, toss squash cubes with walnut oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Roast for 40-45 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until tender and caramelized on the edges.

While squash is roasting, boil pasta in salted water in a large stockpot. (Quick tip: heavily salted water is key to avoiding bland pasta. I use about a tablespoon of coarse salt for every pound of pasta; the finished noodles taste more flavorful, not salty.) Cook for a minute or two less than pasta package directions indicate, as you’ll be cooking it further in the sauce later. I used pipe rigate from World Market, but any large pasta will do. Tube and shell shapes are ideal because in stirring, they stuff themselves with the thick, chunky sauce.

Multi-tasking alert: while the squash is roasting and the pasta is boiling, crumble the Italian sausage in a large skillet and cook on medium-high heat. As sausage begins to brown, add thyme, basil, and garlic and cook two minutes more. Total cooking time will vary depending on water/fat content of your sausage; mine takes about ten minutes. Drain sausage well on paper towels. Finish by feeling generally efficient and handy in the kitchen for doing three things at once. ;)

Reserve a few ladles full of pasta water, then drain pasta and return to pot. (Pasta water already contains starch and salt, which make it the perfect liquid to add to pasta sauce.) Add cooked sausage and roasted squash, including the scented, brilliant orange oil from the bottom of the roasting pan. Stir in Parmesan and whatever you chose as your creamy element (creme fraiche, cream, or ricotta) and warm through over medium heat. Add pasta water as needed to make a rich, creamy sauce; you’ll need more if you opted for ricotta. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. I serve mine with a sprinkling of extra cheese, a mixed green side salad, and a chunk of whole wheat bread.

Recipe Notes + Tips:
Have I mentioned lately how much I love roasted walnut oil? It is all the best of walnuts — complex, nutty flavor and a heart-healthy punch of omega fatty acids — without the bitter aftertaste. It goes beautifully with leafy greens, root vegetables, and squash, as well as pork and chicken. You won’t find a better partner for strongly flavored cheeses ranging from Parmesan to Stilton. It is perfection with roasted beets and feta, or added to honey mustard vinaigrette, but its uses are hardly limited to the savory. I love the subtle nuttiness it brings to chocolate cake and banana bread; the scent of a few drops warmed in the pan transforms pancakes and french toast. Roasted walnut oil also compliments fruit, especially citrus.

I use La Tourangelle Roasted Walnut Oil, and it can be purchased at some grocery stores, T.J. Maxx (if you get lucky), the La Tourangelle web site, or in 3-packs on Amazon. Regardless of the brand, I have learned from experience that it is vital that the bottle say “toasted” or “roasted” walnut oil; walnut oil pressed from unroasted nuts has none of the scent, warmth, or flavor.

Roasted walnut oil is one of those pantry-building ingredients that will amaze you with its versatility. It responds well to higher heat, and it can be substituted in equal measure in recipes calling for canola or olive oil. Obviously it should not be eaten by those with nut allergies, and I never make gifts with it unless I have already asked the recipient about food sensitivities/allergies. Assuming that doesn’t apply to you, try it and let me know what you think. :)

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Angela’s Sugar and Spice Pecans

01 Sunday Jan 2012

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It takes courage to cook for me. Severe food allergies can make the kitchen feel like a minefield — it requires a lot of attention to detail on the cook’s part (and a lot of trust on mine) to voluntarily enter this realm of label reading and ingredient monitoring. I love to cook and I love to feed other people, so I can understand that it must be frustrating to my friends and family for me to feel so off-limits when it comes to any kind of culinary care-giving.

This recipe is delicious, but it will always be among my favorites because it’s the first food gift anyone ever gave me after the onset of my food allergies in 2007. Angela certainly knew what she was getting into — she’s seen me through dozens of anaphylaxis episodes over the years and has even had the dubious honor of administering my epi-pen. It takes a real friend to stab you in the thigh with a syringe; it takes an even better one to make you food afterward, when she knows what’s at stake.

These only require a handful of ingredients, but the results are snacking perfection: salty-sweet, satisfyingly crunchy, warm with cinnamon and allspice. They have the added bonus of being gluten-free, sulfite-free, and stress-free. Everyone loves them, even the self-professed nut-haters. (You know who you are.)

For me, this recipe is just the right way to start off the new year because they are all about Possibility. The beautiful thing about hope is that it can bloom so unexpectedly: after a long, dark winter, in the midst of life’s compost. It can even come in the shape of a cellophane bag full of spiced pecans. When you make and share this recipe, I hope you can also share in a little piece of the comfort and faith they represent for me.

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Angela’s Sugar and Spice Pecans
makes 3 cups

1 large egg white
3/4 c. granulated sugar or vanilla sugar (see these Recipe Notes for vanilla sugar how-to)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)
3 c. pecans

Oven 250F. In medium mixing bowl, beat egg white with whisk or electric mixer until it holds stiff peaks. In separate small mixing bowl, stir together sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice until thoroughly mixed. Fold pecans into egg white until they are coated. Don’t stir too energetically, you don’t want to lose all that air you just whipped into the egg white. Sprinkle in the sugar-spice mixture, stirring until all pecans are thoroughly coated with thick, gooey cinnamon yum. (That’s a very technical cooking term, I know. ;)

Spread out pecans in even layer on large parchment-lined baking sheet. (You can try it without parchment, but butter your baking sheet copiously and get someone else to do the dishes.) Bake for 45 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 15 minutes with silicon spatula to bring the gooey bits to the surface. Add an extra 15 minutes baking time if they are not crispy and dry at the end of the 45 minutes; if your oven doesn’t maintain low temperatures well, it may take longer. Allow to cool on baking sheet completely before eating or storing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 weeks.

Quick tip: this recipe easily doubles, just use larger bowls to mix and bake for a full hour. If you make more than a double batch, bake on two cookie sheets to be sure your layer of nuts is not too thick.

Prayers and wishes for a healthy, happy, fulfilling 2012 for you and yours. :)

Cherry Jam and Almond Cookie Bars

16 Friday Dec 2011

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I may be slightly more enamored of almonds than the average person. (Doesn’t everyone buy Odense almond paste in bulk?) But you don’t have to be an almond devotee to appreciate these deliciously dense, chewy cookie bars. Cherries and almonds play very well together, and this recipe makes the most of their complimentary flavors. These are nutty and buttery, just the right blend of salty and sweet. I prefer tart cherry jam for the filling, but you can easily substitute raspberry or apricot. Unlike most cookie bars, these are even more moist in the days after baking, and you won’t find a better partner for a hot cup of tea. Case of almond paste, anyone? :)

Cherry Jam and Almond Cookie Bars
makes 32 cookie bars

3/4 c. unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
7 oz. almond paste (about 3/4 c., see Recipe Notes)
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
3 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt (not coarse)
12 oz. sour cherry jam (I use Favorit brand)
1/2 c. sliced almonds
2 Tbsp. coarse sugar (optional)

Oven 375F. Beat softened butter, almond paste, and sugar in electric mixer until well-blended. Add egg and extracts and mix again until thoroughly combined. In separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry mixture into wet ingredients with rubber spatula until uniformly mixed. Dough will be crumbly.

Reserve 1 1/2 c. dough and use your hands to press the rest into the bottom of a 9″x13″ buttered glass baking dish. Warm jam in microwave one minute and then spread over cookie base. Pat the reserved dough into rounds approximately 1/2″ thick and 3″ across, then place on top of jam. (There will be spaces between the dough rounds where the jam shows through.) Sprinkle top evenly with sliced almonds, then coarse sugar, and bake 26-28 minutes until top is lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into 32 squares.

Recipe Notes + Tips:
Almond paste is a blend of ground almonds and sugar syrup, usually about 45% almonds. You can make your own, but for this recipe, packaged almond paste is perfectly fine. I find all the large grocery stores in our area stock almond paste in the baking aisle, but you can also buy it on-line. I buy it in bulk on Amazon.com, but dozens of other sites sell it.

Quality almond paste should only include almonds and sugar, never any preservatives or flavorings. One note: marzipan is almost identical to almond paste, but with fewer almonds and more sugar. It will serve in most recipes in place of almond paste, although the results will be sweeter and a tad less moist. (However, in one important way, they are entirely the same: I could happily eat either one by the tube. :)

jammain

Vanilla Bean Butterballs with Chocolate Ganache

12 Monday Dec 2011

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It takes a lot to trump the perfect chocolate chip cookie, but these just might do it. Little nuggets of soft, buttery shortbread sandwiched around creamy chocolate, covered in the warm, sweet crunch of vanilla sugar… forget sugarplums, I’ve got visions of butterballs dancing in my head. ;)

A pile of these make a delicious gift, whether birthday, holiday, or hostess. And although they are sugar-coated show-stoppers, the recipe is actually quite simple — only seven ingredients and a bit of planning involved. My fourteen-year-old just made his first solo batch for a local cookie contest (he won), and he seconds my infatuation. Can cookies sparkle? I think these might…

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Vanilla Bean Butterballs with Chocolate Ganache
makes 18 sandwich cookies

For shortbread:
1 c. unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
about 2 c. vanilla sugar for rolling (see Recipe Notes below)

For chocolate ganache filling:
4 oz. quality semi-sweet chocolate (I like Ghiradelli or Scharffen Berger)
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)

With the whisk of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft and fluffy, about three minutes. Add granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla, and mix again until well-blended. Stir in the flour by hand until it forms a soft dough. Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 3 hours, up to a week.

Working with well-chilled dough, break off teaspoon-size piece and roll into 36 balls about 3/4″ across. (Making them uniform in size is more important than their exact diameter.) Place balls on wax/parchment-paper lined plate and freeze for 30 minutes. While they are in the freezer, make the chocolate ganache for the filling.

Place chocolate, cream, and salt in small pan over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat as soon as chocolate melts and combines with cream into a glossy mixture. Transfer ganache to a bowl and refrigerate until the consistency of thick pudding. (It needs to be stiff enough to hold your cookie sandwiches together.)

Preheat oven to 375F. Place balls of chilled dough about two inches apart on cookie sheets and bake 10-12 minutes. Cook just until set but not browned. While cookies cool on baking sheets, place vanilla sugar in a shallow bowl for rolling. To assemble, put a smear of ganache on the flat bottom of one cookie, then place another on top. Roll in vanilla sugar until well-coated. I refrigerate mine for at least a half hour afterwards to be sure they are well-stuck, but they can be stored at room temperature after that. (You can also sandwich these with raspberry jam, but the exclusion of chocolate from a recipe is frowned upon by my household…)

Recipe Notes + Tips:
Although you can certainly roll these in plain sugar, I love the added flavor and scent that comes from using vanilla sugar. To make your own, just slice a vanilla bean length-wise and add it to four cups of granulated sugar in an airtight container; wait two or three weeks before using, and whenever you think about it, shake the container to evenly distribute the vanilla. As you use it, add more plain sugar to the container to maintain your supply.

Vanilla sugar is a fantastic addition to your pantry, and there’s no end to its uses: add a teaspoon to your morning tea or coffee; sprinkle it over oatmeal or cream of wheat; give plain yogurt a flavor-boost or blend it into your favorite smoothie; add depth to baked goods from blueberry muffins to lemon bars to apple pie; make a jar of vanilla-cinnamon sugar to use on snickerdoodles, as a topping on grilled peaches, or to caramelize figs… did I mention there’s no end to its uses? :)

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This recipe is adapted from one in Gale Gand’s 2006 cookbook Chocolate and Vanilla. As you might guess from the title, half the recipes are chocolate-focused and the other half vanilla, and all of them I’ve tried are delicious. (Clarkson Potter: 2006, ISBN 978-0307238528)

Clementine-Scented Vanilla Caramels

05 Monday Dec 2011

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Things I learned the hard way:
1. Never put on eye make-up while you have the hiccups.
2. If you promise to have six dozen sugar cookies ready in a few weeks, write that down somewhere.
3. You shouldn’t leave a two-year-old alone with a palette of watercolors, even if you think she can’t possibly reach them.
4. Turns out there is such a thing as too much Worcestershire sauce.
5. There are a LOT of ways to mess up homemade caramel.

I learned that last one this weekend after much sugary carnage. I realize now that the key to exquisite caramel is equal parts butter and patience. As you read through the recipe, you might notice I say “stir constantly while simmering for 45 minutes.” That’s not a typo — I really mean three quarters of an hour. My family graciously took stirring shifts, but a half hour in, my husband declared we were never making homemade caramels again. Fast-forward another half hour to his first taste, and that was quickly revised to, “I’m available to stir anytime.” :) These really are just ridiculously, achingly buttery and tender; sweet without being cloying, with a delicate citrus scent from clementine zest steeped in the cream. I foresee many happy hours of stirring ahead.

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Clementine-Scented Vanilla Caramels
makes 196 dreamy little bites

2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. turbinado or demerara sugar (can substitute packed light brown sugar)
1 c. golden syrup (read more about golden syrup in my Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe Notes, can substitute light corn syrup)
1 c. evaporated milk
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks) plus more for baking sheet
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract (see Recipe Notes)
zest of six clementines (or 2 oranges if clementines unavailable)
1 tsp. coarse kosher or sea salt
10″ x 15″ baking sheet, at least 1″ deep
heavy-duty aluminum foil (regular-strength foil will stick to caramels)
wax paper
candy thermometer

Thoroughly butter a baking sheet lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. In a large pot, mix evaporated milk, cream, and clementine zest. Cook on low until barely simmering, then remove from heat. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes more, then strain out zest.

Now add both types of sugar, golden syrup, butter, and salt to the cream in the pot. If you’re using vanilla bean paste, add it now; if using vanilla extract, wait to add it until caramel is finished cooking. (See Recipe Notes to find out why.) Attach your candy thermometer to the side of the pot, being sure the probe does not touch the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer the ingredients over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for approximately 45 minutes, until thermometer reads 248F.

When thermometer reaches 248F, immediately remove pot from heat. (If using vanilla extract, now is the time to add it.) Very carefully pour the hot caramel on to the buttered, foil-lined baking sheet. (The care is to protect you, not the caramel.) Let the caramel sit until cooled, about two hours. Now would be a good time to cut out the 190-ish pieces of wax paper you’ll need to wrap your caramels. For this recipe, cut your paper wrappers about 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″. Your stirring helpers might also be persuaded to assist here.

Flip the cooled caramel slab out on to a piece of parchment or wax paper and gently remove foil. With a sharp, buttered knife, cut into 14 rows and 14 columns, for a total of 196 little rectangles. Wrap each piece in wax paper and twist the ends to seal. This is another lesson in patience brought to you by homemade caramels, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. I got into a good rhythm and wrapped mine in about an hour. (I also wound up with a half dozen less caramels to wrap, thanks to an innovative self-motivation scheme… ;)

These will keep at room temperature for two weeks easily, but they’ll never last that long.

Recipe Notes + Tips:
This is not the first time I’ve mentioned vanilla bean paste, and I am in love with the stuff. It is another ingredient I discovered by necessity after developing food allergies; since traditional flavor extracts are alcohol-based, they are off limits for those with sulfite allergies. Vanilla bean paste is alcohol-free, which means its flavors do not change with cooking and it’s more palatable in uncooked applications like icing. It has the consistency and sweetness of a thick syrup, and it contains real vanilla beans. It can be used teaspoon for teaspoon in place of vanilla extract, but the paste is much more warm and flavorful and gives your food that beautiful vanilla bean-flecked look. (Feast your eyes on the caramel frosting on these cupcakes.) I use Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste, and you can check out their web site for where to buy.

Final caramel words of experience: the caramel will triple in size before boiling back down, so trust me when I say to use a large pot. I know 45 minutes seems like a long time, but the rise in temperature needs to be slow to avoid scorching the sugar, so don’t try to cook it over higher heat to speed up the process. You will notice a steady rise in temperature until about 223F; from then on, the water is boiling out, so the process of achieving the next 25 degrees takes longer than the initial 223 did. (That’s science for you.)

Two-by-Two Beef Stew

01 Thursday Dec 2011

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This time of year makes me want to cook hearty, filling food that nourishes and warms. For me, beef stew is the perfect dinner when the skies have been gray and cold for days. This is comfort food at its best — comforting to cook and to eat. About the title: the recipe is one I invented over time, without thought of measurements or ratios. When I finally decided to measure out ingredients and write it down, I discovered that everything was in multiples of two. The fact that a creative process aimed entirely at making something good to eat should result in an inherently ordered pattern seems a kind gesture on creation’s part. :)

The name is also a good reminder that this is the perfect recipe for sharing. It makes a generous twelve servings, so bless someone with a home-cooked meal. It seems obvious to make dinner for a family with a new baby or a neighbor just home from the hospital; but I’d wager we can all think of someone who could use a little love right now. Moms of teenagers need just as much care as those with newborns, and a hot meal at the end of a long work day is just as welcome as one at the end of a sick day.

Two-by-Two Beef Stew
makes 12 generous servings

2 c. roughly chopped carrots (about 6)
2 c. roughly chopped celery (peeled, about 5 stalks)
2 c. roughly chopped yellow onion (2 small or 1 large)
2 c. roughly chopped mushrooms (I prefer shitake caps)
2 c. roughly chopped rutabaga (peeled, 1 small or 1/2 large, see Recipe Notes)
4 c. roughly chopped red potatoes (unpeeled, about 6 medium)
2 lbs. trimmed beef stew meat (leaner is not better in this case)
2 c. beef stock
2 c. mushroom or vegetable broth
2 c. + 2 Tbsp. water
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. dried thyme (or 2 Tbsp. fresh)
2 tsp. dried basil (or 2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped)
2 tsp. ground brown mustard seed (read more about it in Recipe Notes for Ham + Chard Tart)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. While it’s warming, toss beef in flour, two teaspoons of the coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. (The flour helps the beef brown and starts the stew’s thickening process.) Cook beef until brown, about five minutes. Add all vegetables, garlic, remaining salt and pepper, thyme, basil, mustard seed, tomato paste, stock, broth, and two cups water. Stir well until thoroughly combined. Allow to come to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 1 1/2-2 hours, until vegetables and meat are tender.

In last five minutes of cooking time, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining two tablespoons water in a small mixing bowl — this is to finish thickening the stew. Add to hot stew while stirring constantly. Continue to stir and simmer until stew is thickened, then turn off heat. Now is the time to taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Allow stew to sit ten minutes or so, until it’s no longer molten, and serve with slices of fresh bread or hot, buttered biscuits.

I don’t actually own a Crockpot (I am the slow cooker around here ;), but this seems like the kind of recipe that would be well-suited to it. If you try it out that way, please post in the comments and let me know how it goes.

Recipe Notes + Tips:
Besides being a really fun word to say, rutabagas are pretty yummy in soup, stew, and stock. They are a hybrid cross between cabbage and turnips, though I am convinced a little horseradish joined the party at some point. They share the crispness of green cabbage, but with less of that sulfurous twang. They have a little bite when raw, but that’s largely mellowed on cooking. If you haven’t ever tried one, this is your chance, as they are in season and at their best right now. (And no, this message was not paid for by the National Rutabaga Farmers Association. :) If you prefer, you can substitute the same amount of roughly chopped parsnips or just add more potatoes. I would still say the word “rutabaga” out loud a few times though.

Meyer Lemon Curd

28 Monday Nov 2011

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lemons meyerzest butter
lemoncurd

I don’t think the name “lemon curd” does justice to this rich, buttery custard; it is the perfect blend of velvety sweetness and citrus tang. This time of year, I like to make it with Meyer lemons, a hybrid cross of lemons and oranges that results in a juicier, more flavorful fruit. Lemon curd is a true culinary multi-tasker and can be used as a filling in tarts and cookies or as a topping on ice cream, meringue, or pancakes. A dollop instantly transforms gingerbread or vanilla pound cake. And in the midst of winter, you can’t go wrong with the gift of a bright yellow jar of lemony sunshine.

Meyer Lemon Curd
Makes about 1 3/4 cups

Zest and juice of 3-4 Meyer lemons (can substitute regular lemons if Meyer unavailable),
about 1/2 c. juice and 2 Tbsp. zest
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. fine salt
6 large egg yolks
1/2 c. cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into tablespoon-size pats

Whisk zest, juice, sugar, salt, and egg yolks in medium saucepan until smooth. Bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk and cook 10-12 minutes more until thickened to a custard-like consistency. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, then whisk in butter a pat or two at a time, until all butter is melted and incorporated into the thick, glossy curd. Store in a wide-mouth pint mason jar or other airtight container; keeps in refrigerator up to two weeks.

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Since making lemon curd leaves you with a passel of unused egg whites, it only seems logical to make a pavlova, as I did last week for a dear friend’s Thanksgiving birthday. A pavlova is layers of whipped cream, custard or fruit curd, and meringue; in this case, it’s Meyer lemon curd and a vanilla-scented meringue with a crispy exterior and marshmallow-chewy interior. Consider this post a two-fer. :)

Pavlova Meringue
serves 8-10

4 egg whites
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract

Preheat oven 300F. Place egg whites and sugar in bowl of electric mixer and mix on highest speed until glossy white and forming stiff peaks (about 5 minutes). It may be slightly grainy, but if you see lots of undissolved sugar, continue whisking until more incorporated. Add vanilla and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Spread the meringue on a parchment-lined baking sheet using a silicon spatula. I try for an oval, but part of pavlova’s charm is its imprecision. Bake the meringue for about 1 hour, until an even pale brown with the beginning of cracks around the edges. (It will crack a bit more while it cools — that’s okay.)

To serve, break off a wedge of completely cooled meringue and layer on a tablespoon or two of lemon curd and a generous spoonful of lightly sweetened whipped cream. (I like 1 c. heavy cream + 1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar or regular granulated sugar, whisked until it holds soft, cloudy peaks.)

Note: Meringues cook best in cooler, dry weather, so if it’s hot and humid, consider a lemon tart instead.

meringue

Turkey Stock

22 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Cook

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yum

It stands to reason that I would love Thanksgiving: I love to cook, I love to have family and friends over, and I have an awful lot to be thankful for. Right now my kitchen smells like Thanksgiving heaven, redolent with smoky turkey, onion and celery, sage and thyme, orange and allspice. My children firmly believe we would make millions if we could just figure out how to capture the smell of turkey stock in candle form.

If you’ve never made homemade stock before, now is the time to try it. You are virtually guaranteed to have access to a turkey in the days ahead, and even if you didn’t cook it yourself, most hosts are happy (if slightly amused) to send their guests home with a carcass care package. Cooking stock is surprisingly simple and makes sense both ethically and economically because you’re getting the most you can out of the animal. I also find it’s a great way to use fruit and veggies that are a bit past their prime; our stock this year includes a few old apples and a rutabaga that were rolling around unwanted in the produce drawer.

The recipe below makes several scented, savory quarts, perfect for soup, stew, and pot pie. It will keep for a week or two in the refrigerator or a few months in the freezer. Feel free to change the seasonings or vegetables to suit your palate and pantry.

Turkey Day Stock
Makes about 5 quarts

1 turkey carcass, including bones, skin, and leftover meat (I use a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving stock)
2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into quarters
8 carrots, unpeeled and cut/broken in half
4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut into thirds
1 bunch celery (about 10 stalks, no leaves), broken/cut into halves
zest and juice of 2 oranges
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. whole allspice berries
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. crushed brown mustard seed
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh sage
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
1-1/2 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns

Put all the ingredients in your largest stockpot (must hold at least 8 quarts) and cover with water. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for several hours. When liquid reduces by half, fill with water again and simmer for one hour more.

Strain hot stock into large bowl or second pot. To store in refrigerator for use in next two weeks, fill sterilized quart-size mason jars with hot stock, leaving 3/4″ space at top of jar. Put on fresh lids and allow to sit out on counter until you hear the pop of each lid sealing, then refrigerate. (Steam will seal jars well enough to buy you extra time in the fridge.) If you prefer to freeze your stock, allow it to cool completely, then place in quart-size Ziploc freezer bags labeled with date; freeze up to three months.

(If you figure out that whole candle thing, let me know. :)

Easy Homemade Bread (Really)

19 Saturday Nov 2011

Posted by in Cook, Read

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smsandwich

I have a confession: I have murdered so many sourdough starters that I’ve lost count. This is especially sad because I love everything about baking bread — the scent of yeast, the smooth elasticity of kneaded dough, a slice of warm, buttered bread fresh from the oven… honestly, that’s my idea of romance. There is something so satisfyingly wholesome about turning flour, water, salt, and yeast into nourishment to eat and share.

In the past, my well-intentioned resolve to bake bread from scratch has lasted for whole days at a time before real life intervened. I tried again and again, leaving piles of breadcrumbs and jars of century-old starter in my wake. I burned out an electric stand mixer on a batch of leaden whole wheat. I dabbled in bread machines, but I could never quite accept the notion of “homemade” bread that I hadn’t actually touched until each oddly-shaped loaf emerged from its little metal case. Then in 2008, I fractured two vertebrae and a rib while kneading bread dough (my first hint that I had osteoporosis). I don’t give up easily, but even I was a wee bit discouraged after that.

So when a dear foodie friend of mine recommended a book entitled Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, I was skeptical. I’ve made recipes that required more time than that just to proof the yeast, and don’t even get me started on kneading, resting, and rising. But I borrowed his copy, and as I read it, I started to believe it was actually possible. Then I set a timer and made the first batch of dough: four loaves’ worth was rising on the counter before my five minutes were up. When the first loaf came out of the oven looking like something from a bakery in Provence, I was impressed; then my family polished it off in about the same amount of time it took to make it. Only contented sighs and a few smears of butter on the counter proved it ever existed, and I was happily converted to the ranks of Bakers of Bread.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day was written by a chemist and a pastry chef, and through an extensive research process, they whittled down making bread to its essential steps. There is no proofing, no kneading, and no second rising phase. A recipe makes enough for four 1-lb. loaves, so you can enjoy fresh bread every day, and it’s easy enough to make that both my kids (ages 11 and 14) can do it. The basic recipe for white bread is so tasty, it took me a long while to venture into other combinations, but everything I’ve tried in the cookbook is delicious. My most recent batch was Roasted Garlic Potato Bread, which I used to make open-face meatloaf sandwiches (a play on the traditional side of mashed potatoes) and Turkey BLT’s (pictured above). If you’re a would-be baker or have one in the family, this book is worth every penny. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it out. :)

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