Dumplings

I made this giant plate of dumplings for dinner the other night, and felt just like Cher in Mermaids: fabulous.

These dumplings were delicious. No main course necessary.

4 ounces seitan
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup loosely packed shredded savoy cabbage
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons shredded carrots
1 teaspoon red wine or rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
40-50 wonton wrappers

Combine all the ingredients (except the wonton wrappers) in a mixing bowl. Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Spoon about a teaspoon of the filling onto each wonton wrapper. Dip your finger in a bowl of water and gently trail it along the edges forming one corner of the wrapper. Fold the opposite corner onto the moistened one and press down to seal. Finally, fold the two distant corners over, slightly wetting one, so they join in the middle.

In batches, boil the dumplings for about 3 minutes, until they become translucent. Or saute the dumplings in a little grapeseed oil on a non-stick pan until nicely browned. You could also steam them. I didn't because I only have a metal steamer basket and I was afraid they would stick.

Serve with a dipping sauce comprised of some soy sauce, chives, water, and a few drops of sesame oil.

Passover and Easter Cooking

Passover and Easter are both this week. Are you celebrating?

[White House flickr]

The White House held a seder last night that featured

gefilte fish, charoses, chicken soup with matzo balls, braised beef brisket, chicken roast, sweet potato and carrot tzimmes, carrot souffle, kugel and spring asparagus. Flourless chocolate cake, golden apricot cake and brown sugar macaroons rounded out the bounty. [Chicago Tribune]

What are you serving at your get together? Last Easter, I made a brunch of citrus fruits, muffins, roasted potatoes, baked eggs, and a salad of mixed greens. This year, I'm making a dinner, but am unsure what to serve. I like light and bright for Easter, and unlike Passover, this holiday definitely features things that rise. Maybe a souffle?

Seitan Tamales

The addition of fresh (well, frozen) corn to these tamales enlivens the otherwise too-uniform texture of the masa harina and provides a sweet contrast to the tangy tomatillo sauce.

This recipe will make about 10 tamales. Double it for a bigger crowd.

1 cup masa harina
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup corn kernels
about 10 corn husks

Whisk together the dry ingredients, then stir in the water and oil, until a thick dough comes together. Mix in the corn and set aside, covered, while you prepare the filling.

If your corn husks are dried, place them in a large bowl of warm water to soak.

4 tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and roughly chopped
1 jalapeño, stemmed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, tender stems and leaves
1 small clove garlic
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 onion, cut in half again, lengthwise, and sliced thinly crosswise
juice from 1/2 lime
Salt and black pepper
4 ounces seitan, finely chopped

In a blender, puree the tomatillos, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, and water.

Over medium low heat, saute the onion in the oil until softened. Stir in the tomatillo sauce and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened slightly. Squeeze in a little lime juice, season with salt and pepper, then add the seitan and cook until warmed through.

Pour about an inch of water into a wide bottom pot and set it on to boil.

Open a corn husk, with the wider of the two ends toward you. Spread about two tablespoons of the dough over the bottom half of the corn husk, leaving a clean 1/2-1 inch border around the edges. Pile another two tablespoons of the filling onto the masa. Lift the two long sides of the corn husk and press the masa together. Then fold those sides over in the same direction. Fold the bottom up and set the tamal, seam side down, to rest while you finish preparing the rest of the tamales.

Place the tamales, open end up, in a steamer basket and place this in the boiling water. Turn the water down to a simmer and steam for about 40 minutes.

Serve with (vegan) sour cream and salsa.

(Adapted from)

Chermoula Tofu with Fennel and Quinoa

Recently a friend gave me some meyer lemons she had preserved. I'd never cooked with preserved lemons before, so I wasn't sure how to best feature them. But she suggested they paired well with Middle Eastern food, and another friend, who saw the lemons sitting on my table, suggested I make chermoula, a marinade used in Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking that features preserved lemons.

For this dish, I adapted this Gourmet recipe, but since I don't eat meat, I paired the flavorful paste with tofu. It was terrific.

Tofu:
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
12 whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
a large pinch saffron threads, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (or to taste; if you use preserved lemons, they are already very salty so you may not need much extra salt)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon peel plus 2 tablespoons preserved lemon juice (or fresh lemon juice to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 (14 ounce) block tofu, cut into four "fillets"

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Wrap tofu in a clean, dry cloth and place between two plates. Weigh down the top plate with a couple books or something else heavy, but stable, and relatively unbreakable.

With a mortar and pestle, grind together the coriander seeds, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and saffron. Combine spices with all other ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until it resembles a thick pesto.

Lightly grease a non-stick baking sheet and place the tofu "fillets" on the sheet. Cover with chermoula* and bake for approximately one hour, until the edges of the tofu are crispy.

*You could make this ahead and leave to marinate for an hour or so before baking. Because the baking time for the tofu was so long, I didn't marinate at all, and the dish was still delicious.

Fennel:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, quartered, cored, then sliced, with a few fronds reserved for garnish
salt+pepper

This slower-cooking fennel method really mellows the vegetable. It loses some of its pronounced anise flavor, and becomes sweet and mild. It's a great way to prepare fennel for non-fennel lovers.

15 minutes or so before the tofu is done, heat oil in a skillet over medium-low. Add the fennel, and cook until tender. Season lightly with salt and pepper before serving.

Quinoa:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water (or stock, if you want more flavor)
salt+pepper

Combine the quinoa and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered, until tender, 10 or so minutes. Season lightly and before serving.

Plate this dish quinoa first, then fennel, tofu, and fennel fronds.

Huffington Posting; for Moderns

A bit of Meals; for Moderns news: this week, I began blogging for the Huffington Post Chicago. My first post, a sappier (HA HA!) adaptation of this M4M post, is up now. Check it out!

Guest Post: Raspberry Cinnamon Ice Cream with Almond Cookies

Sabra is back again, folks, with more seasonal sensations!

When she sent me this post it was still Winter. But by now, we should all have had a breath of Spring. Welcome back, ice cream. It's been a while.


When I was visiting my sister Lisa in Washington, DC over the holidays, I overheard a couple of her friends talking, across the table laden with our Mexican-themed Christmas feast. Tom and Jordan were talking about remodeling their kitchen and getting rid of “unnecessary” appliances. Tom began to list off a few of them that were currently sitting on the porch waiting to be taken away. My ears perked up when I heard ice cream maker. Me: “Seriously? You have an ice cream maker sitting on your porch that you are about to throw away?” Him: “Yep! We only used it a couple of times, so we are getting rid of it. Do you want it?” Me: “YES!!!” And shortly after I arrived home in Madison, a barely used ice cream maker arrived at my doorstep. Thank you Tom and Jordan! Confession: I’ve been secretly coveting an ice cream maker for years. I could never justify actually spending the money to purchase one, but there’s nothing wrong with accepting a free gift! Being the dessert lady that I am, I wasn’t content making something mainstream for my first try with the ice cream maker, so I modified the vanilla recipe in the instruction booklet and voilà! Raspberry cinnamon ice cream. Yum. (Thank you Cuisinart Instruction/Recipe Booklet for providing me with the basics).

Raspberry Cinnamon Ice Cream
This recipe makes 10 1/2 cup servings.

2 cups heavy cream – chilled
1 cup whole milk – chilled
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
Cinnamon to taste

Combine all of the ingredients except the raspberries and cinnamon and follow the instructions on the ice cream maker. Add the raspberries and cinnamon during the last 10 minutes. Freeze until the ice cream reaches the desired consistency. When I made this recipe, I used local organic cream and milk, and organic raspberries. I reasoned that with so few ingredients, quality was important. I think it paid off with the taste. Also, if you are feeling guilty about cooking with heavy cream, it is a must for the texture. I have since made chai ice cream using whole milk only and it turned out more like ice minus the cream.

Being someone to tends to go overboard when making desserts, I couldn’t show up to Tuesday Dinner with ice cream and no accompaniment. So I found this recipe for little nut cookies in one of my favorite cookbooks, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison.

Almond Cookies
This recipe makes 3 dozen 2-inch cookies (or half as many 4-inch cookies).

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup lightly toasted almonds, finely chopped (I recommend using a food processor if you have one)
Powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth and light. Beat in the egg, then add the vanilla, almond extract and salt. With the mixer on low, stir in the flour and then the nuts. Drop the dough by teaspoons (or tablespoons for larger cookies) into cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned on top and slightly browner on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on rack completely, then dust with powdered sugar. When I made these cookies, I used a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon to form the cookies and ended up with much bigger cookies than I had originally intended. So if you are looking to make little cookies, I recommend making them smaller than you would think. Enjoy!

[Making] Maple Syrup

Not so long ago, I was complaining about this culinarily uninspiring time of year. But March is great for lots of things, and perfect for maple sugaring. I was so lucky to have caught the tail-end of my dad's backyard maple sugaring operation in Michigan this year. And what follows is a description of his process, including tips from my mom, who has helped teach maple sugaring as part of her job at Sarrett Nature Center. (There, she has also helped for cooking the syrup into candy. Perhaps that's something we should try later this Spring?)

If you want to tap a tree, you need cold nights and warmer days. The rising and falling temperatures create the right pressure environment for the sap:

During warm periods when temperatures rise above freezing, pressure (also called positive pressure) develops in the tree. This pressure causes the sap to flow out of the tree through a wound or tap hole. During cooler periods when temperatures fall below freezing, suction (also called negative pressure) develops, drawing water into the tree through the roots. This replenishes the sap in the tree, allowing it to flow again during the next warm period. Although sap generally flows during the day when temperatures are warm, it has been known to flow at night if temperatures remain above freezing.
(Read more from the Cornell Sugar Maple Research and Extension Program)

Ok, so let's begin shall we?

You will need:
drill with a 3/8" bit
spile/s (you can order these online)
bucket or milk jug for catching the sap
large pot
candy thermometer



To Make:
1. Identify maple trees. Sugar maples, as the name might suggest, produce sweeter sap, but other maples will work as well. You'll just need more sap to create the same end-amount of syrup.

2. Drill a hole in the tree about 2-3 inches deep, and about 4 feet above the ground. You can repeat this process 2-3 times per tree, with all holes at about the same height.

3. Carefully insert the spile into the hole.

4. From the spile, hang your bucket. My dad used old milk gallon jugs, so he added a small piece of plastic tubing to the spile, which then ran into a small hole in the jug.

5. Collect the sap. Depending on how quickly the sap is running, you may need to change the bucket once or twice a day. It should keep, refrigerated, for 3 or so days before cooking.

6. Cook the sap. Because you need a tremendous amount of sap to make syrup, it's best to do this outdoors, in a large pot over a gas grill or propane camping stove. You could also cook it over a log fire, just make sure you have plenty of wood. The point here is that lots and lots of steam will be released over the course of the cooking period. It will peel the paint off your walls.

You may need between 30 and 50 parts sap to create one part syrup. So, begin boiling. And keep boiling. This will take hours.

When you've reduced the sap from about 20 parts to 1 part, or when it is very sweet and amber colored, but still quite thin, remove it from the large pot, and transfer to a smaller pot on your kitchen stove. With a candy thermometer in place, boil this near-syrup on your stove until it reaches 219 degrees F. Keep an eye on it as it nears the proper consistency; it may boil over. To deal with this, some people drip a few drops of cream or butter into the mix. I wonder if oil would work as well, to keep things vegan. When the syrup has reached 219, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

6b. Update: a commenter on my Huffington Post article on the same topic reminded us that the syrup should be filtered before it's finished. Here's what he says:

Either between the outdoor evaporating and bringing it inside or just before bottling, it needs to be run through a filter, otherwise it'll be cloudy. This can be done with filters you can buy just about anywhere that sells maple supplies. Or an easy and cheap way that has worked for me is to pour it slowly through a colander lined with clean cotton dish towels.

7. Store syrup in a glass jar.

This post is with thanks to instructions passed down by my mom, from the Kalamazoo Nature Center, and my dad, a one-man nature center.

The Pennsylvania Post

So sorry, babies, that this post is so late. We were driving back from Pennsylvania today because (big announcement alert!), we are moving there this Summer. My husband, Mike, is going to get a PhD in Human Computer Interaction. This is him.


While in Pennsylvania on this scoping-out-visit, one of my primary concerns was food. We toured grocery stores, got in touch with a CSA, and ate a lot meals out. My favorite of which was nachos (we were on vacation!) and beer brewed onsite at Otto's Pub:


There, looking out over the hills, I felt like I could really live in this new place.

I'm very excited for the adventures ahead. But for now: I need to soak up as much Chicago as possible. Send me your eating in and out recs, fellow Chicagoans!

Maple Syrup

Hey friends, I'm on semi-blog-vacation today. But here's a hint of something I've got in the works. Maple syrup, straight from the trees (and stove). See you soon.

Huaraches

Huaraches are oblong tostada-like open-faced sandwiches built on top of a thick, fried masa base. They get their name from the similarly shaped sandal of the same name. ("Huarache sandals too").

To make these, I didn't actually fry the masa, though I might next time since that seems tastier. I rolled out what amounted to a thick tortilla and cooked it like you would a tortilla on a hot, dry grill until firm and crispy. It worked well, and lacking a tortilla press, I see the thicker huaraches as an attractive option for homemade Mexican.

2 cups masa harina
1 1/2 cups water

Combine the water and masa harina in a large bowl. When it begins to come together, turn it out onto a clean counter top and knead it into a ball. Wrap in plastic and let rest while you prepare the rest of your huarache toppings. (Mine below.)

Unwrap the masa and cut into about 6-8 pieces. Roll huaraches out on a piece of parchment paper until about 1/4 inch thick, mending the sides with your fingers. Cook on a hot, dry griddle until crisping. That should take about 2-3 minutes per side.

Top and serve.

Black Beans
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
red pepper flakes
2 cups cooked black beans
water
salt

In a medium pot over medium heat, saute the onion, peppers, and garlic in a tablespoon or two of the oil until softened. Stir in red pepper flakes to taste and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the beans, along with a little water to loosen them in the pot. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or so, until the beans have thickened but not totally broken down. Season to taste with salt.

Guacamole
1 small clove garlic
salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
3 ripe avocados
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
lime juice (1-3 limes, depending on their size)
red pepper flakes

Mince the garlic, then pour a small amount of coarse salt onto it. Using the edge of your knife mash the garlic into the salt to form a paste. (If that doesn't make sense, check out this helpful video).

Place the garlic, onion, and jalapeño in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Scoop the avocado flesh into the bowl and mash using a fork. Stir in the cilantro, lime juice, more salt, and red pepper flakes to taste.

To keep this for more than a couple hours, place plastic wrap directly onto the guacamole and refrigerate.

Plantains
1 ripe plantain
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
salt

Remove the plantain from its skins. Slice crosswise into pieces.

In a medium pan over a low flame, heat the oil. Add the plantain pieces. Leave them alone to brown for 3-5 minutes or so. Flip. Repeat.

Sprinkle with salt before serving.

Guest Post: Bananas for Bananas

I could not be happier to bring you this totally bananas Elvis-inspired guest post from my incredible friend, Adalena. I like her as much as I like peanut butter: a lot. We met when I lived in New York and was trying, and ultimately failing, to become an ESL teacher. At a teacher training, I remember she said something about the song Murder Mystery, and that was that. We became friends.

I'm glad that music features still in our friendship and am delighted by the Elvis-inspired-ness of this post. Perhaps more musician's favorite guest posts will follow, such as David Berman's all-day-Coke.


Bananas for Bananas

Elvis was on to something when he paired bananas and peanut butter, but since this is vegetarian cooking, today, we'll leave out the bacon grease.

It's been my experience that bananas and peanut butter are a dynamite combo that riffs on the current craze for the melding of salty and sweet, except that the effect is subtler than some other salty-sweet combos. Peanut butter has a mellow saltiness, while bananas don't overpower you with sweetness.

The Goober Smoothie

1 cup of frozen strawberries
1/2 cup of apple cider
1 banana (preferably frozen- but if you freeze it, cut it up first. I froze a banana in its skin and had to hack the skin off- a disturbing image if you stop to think about it.)
1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter

Throw it all into a good blender that can handle the frozen items. Blend using the ice crush setting. Now you have a smoothie that tastes like Goober, that peanut butter and jelly swirled together in the jar. This version is much healthier for you.

Elvis' Diet Banana Peanut Butter Sandwich


This barely needs a recipe but here goes:

1 banana sliced down the middle
1 tablespoon of butter
2 slices of toast
1 table spoon of jam (optional)

The hardest part is really not very hard at all. Take a non-stick frying pan and heat up the pan. Then melt the butter and add the banana once the butter has melted. Cook on both sides until caramelized. Assemble the sandwich with peanut butter, jam, then banana on top. Enjoy as an open faced sandwich.

Smore Bananas!


In case you don't have a camp fire handy, and or don't really like marshmallows, this is a good substitute for s'mores.

1 banana
4 graham crackers
schmears of nutella as needed or desired
1 table spoon butter

Okay, you're going to caramelize the banana as you did in the recipe above.
Now all you need to do is assemble. Schmear as much or as little nutella on each graham cracker. Top with a slice of caramelized banana. Imagine a roaring camp fire, and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Coconut Milk Curry

This is the first time I've attempted a coconut milk curry. I based the recipe on the Green Curry Paste from Charmaine Solomon's Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, a cookbook I really love, but one that is often slightly outside of my culinary comfort zone. An aspirational cookbook.

Her recipe called for galangal, which I didn't have. I substituted ginger, though the wikipedia page assured me it shared little in common tastewise with the similar looking root.

The result was delicious, but not the familiar green curry of Thai takeout everywhere. I think I'll try to experiment around with other curry and curry paste recipes.

2 Serrano peppers (or more to taste), roughly chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
zest from one small lemon or one lime
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons neutral oil
1 tablespoon water

Combine all ingredients together in a food processor. Puree.

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, well shaken
3-4 tablespoons curry paste (if using above recipe; to taste if using otherwise prepared curry paste)
1 pound sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

In a medium pot, stir together coconut milk and curry paste. Add the chopped vegetables. Turn the heat to medium low, bring to a simmer, turn down the heat as necessary, and cook until the vegetables are tender.

Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.

Serves about four.

PS. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Frosting on Cake

Check out this Mondrian cake from the Rooftop Coffee Bar at SFMOMA. They've also got some delightful build-your-own Richard Serra cookies. But I must admit: I'm kind of disappointed in the Jeff Koons hot chocolate.

Yes, I really would like a to-scale Michael Jackson and Bubbles floating in my hot chocolate.

What? Too creepy?

[Laughing Squid via Jezebel]

Rutabaga Mash and Caramelized Shallot Lasagna

This is a hard time of year for eating and cooking. At least in the upper Midwest. Spring is near, but not. The richness we relished in colder months is too heavy today. It's above freezing now, but the rain, coupled with an outright refusal to dress properly, means we're still cold a lot.

This dish is warm, but casual. It's earthy and slightly sweet. But not decadent, not elegant. It's kind of in between. Like March. If you wanted to dress it up, a béchamel would pair nicely. Maybe I'll return to that thought next November.

1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2 - 3/4 inch cubes
milk
salt + pepper
2 tablespoons butter
5 largish shallots, peeled and sliced crosswise, not too thinly
pinch sugar
1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, set a large pot of salted water on to boil, and grease a medium baking pan.

Boil the rutabaga until very tender. Once cooked, mash it with some milk to your desired consistency (I left mine on the thicker, rutabaga-y side, but a thinner, saucier consistency might be nice as well). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saute pan over low heat. Add the shallots and the tiniest touch of sugar. Cook over low heat until the shallots become drapey-soft and browned.

Combine the sage and ricotta.

Par-boil your noodles. Even if you plan to use no-boil noodles, I suggest you parboil. This isn't a very saucy lasagna, and so the noodles might not fully cook in the oven.

Begin to layer the dish: lasagne, rutabaga mash, ricotta, shallots, lasagne, mash, ricotta, shallots, etc. Top with a final layer of noodles, a little mash, and the Parmesan cheese.

Bake, covered, for about 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 20 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.

Serves 4-6. Inspired by.

Granola

I made this last weekend. And ate it all week. I urge you, make this this weekend. And eat it all week.

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw nuts (I used hazelnuts and almonds), chopped
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or another tablespoon maple syrup)
1 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)

First, a word of warning: chop (or perhaps smash) those nuts up good. Giant chunks of nuts take a long time to chew. (Sorry, there was just no other way to say that.)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix dry ingredients (except fruit) together in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a separate, small vessel. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and toss to combine.

Bake for 30 or so minutes, until the oats are crispy, stirring once or twice during the baking period.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool. Once cooled, mix in the dried fruit.

Guest Post: Apple Sage Cobbler

Friends, this is Kot's last guest post (for the time being, we hope). It's been wonderful! Thanks Kot!

Now let's all give a[n internet] round of applause to Kot for these terrific contributions to our collective Good Housekeeping/Graham Cracker box recipe file.


I do a lot of complaining about the Joy of Cooking, but I have to admit--I actually use it quite often, especially lately. After I got over the fact that it's totally not something I'd use to plan meals and started considering it more as a resource for building far more interesting recipes, I warmed up to it. It's like the starter drug for cooking.

There's also something mildly comforting about the JoC. It's what your mom had in the kitchen next to do-it-yourself binders stuffed with recipes she cut out of Good Housekeeping and the backs of graham cracker boxes and glued to copier paper. The simple cover; the red circle; the all-lowercase, serif font used on those fantastic three letters. Like I said, I'm really feeling warmer here.

Last week was a challenging one. Not just for me, but for some close friends as well. I initially wanted to do something savvy, fun, and ambitious for my last guest post (bruising lemongrass sounded so cool!), but when it came down to Sunday evening (baking day for the gainfully employed and over-booked) all I wanted was something warm and familiar.

We had also just picked up our produce CSA box for the week and had another bag full of apples. Those who know me well know that I have a serious physical aversion to apples. It's happened to me as for as long as I can remember: the sound (ugh) of someone biting into an apple (ergh) and chewing it (argh) gives me goosebumps, like squeaky chalk on a chalkboard for normal people. Unlike squeaky chalk, though, the apple sound also makes me--you're going to love this--start salivating voraciously. Like one of this guy's test subjects. It even happens when I think about the sound. Right now, for example. I'm shivering and salivating like mad.

So I don't eat (or think about) raw apples. It's pretty physically uncomfortable for me. But baked apples--like those in apple cobbler--are totally tolerable. And what's more comforting than cobbler? (And how else am I going to get rid of these apples??)

I consulted the JoC for a basic cobbler recipe to better understand what I was getting myself into. Cobbler seems like a pretty traditional baked good, and I'm not exactly known for being traditional with my baking, so I felt a little out of my league. I ended up lifting the cobbler dough recipe right out of the "biscuits" section (but added lemon zest, so it's still unique, right?).

Sage, meanwhile, seemed like the perfect pairing. A nice complement, taste-wise, and kind of a warm and comforting herb, as well.

As you'll see in the recipe, I made a sage-infused butter and tossed the apples in it. I strained the sage out before doing the apples, which I wouldn't do next time. I think this would have been really tasty with the sage baked right in.

APPLE SAGE COBBLER

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and have ready an (ungreased) 8x8 inch glass baking dish.

Begin by preparing the dough that you'll put either above (my choice) or below (seems interesting) the fruit.

Sour cream cobbler biscuit dough

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp chilled unsalted butter
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp lemon zest

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Using two knives, cut-in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. The dough should be a bit crumbly.

Whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream, and lemon zest.

Make a well in the center of the bowl. Pour the sour cream mixture into the well and stir just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl (note: this actually never happened for me--everything just got crumbly).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8 to 10 times. Roll (or, using your fingers, press) the dough until it's about 1/4 of an inch thick.

Then, turn to the fruit.

Sage apple mixture

6-8 medium apples, sliced
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, with the sage, over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and use a fork to mix until the brown sugar seems evenly mixed with the butter. When the butter starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 4-5 minutes to infuse the butter with the sage. Strain the butter to remove the sage and transfer to a large frying pan on medium heat.

Toss the apples in the butter mixture over the heat for 5-6 minutes, then take the pan off the heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the apples to the glass baking pan and drizzle the butter mixture over them, saving around 1/2 tbsp. Place the cobbler dough on top of the apples and cut it to fit, if needed. Cut 3 small steam vents into the dough.

Using a spoon (or a fancy cooking brush thing if you have one!), brush the remaining butter mixture on top of the dough. Sprinkle 2-4 tsp of sugar on top.

Bake until the top is golden brown and the apple juices have thickened slightly--it only took about 30 minutes for me. Let the cobbler cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with fresh whipped cream (you should have some heavy whipping cream left over from the dough!):

1/2 c heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Using an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar until it makes stiff peaks.

Risotto with Lacinato Kale and Ricotta

When I set out to make this, I wasn't sure if I should cook the kale separately from the risotto, then add everything together at the end, or if I should just cook everything together from the start. I went with the one-pot, everything-together method, and I'm glad I did. Though it was a bit awkward to stir in the beginning, the kale cooked beautifully alongside the rice. The dish was cohesive and rustic. It was lovely.

3 tablespoons butter or oil (or a mixture of both)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
1 bunch lacinato kale, tough stems cut away, and leaves chopped
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
4-6 cups vegetable stock, at room temperature or warmed
ricotta cheese (omit for vegan version)

Over medium heat, melt the butter and/or heat the oil in a large, heavy bottom pot. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and paprika and cook until the onion softens. Add the kale, a little salt and pepper, and continue cooking for a few minutes, as the kale begins to wilt. Pour in the rice and continue cooking, stirring, for another few minutes.

Begin adding stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring all the while. Each time, stir until the mixture thickens and most of the liquid has been absorbed, then add more stock. Do this for about 20-30 minutes, until the rice is tender, but slightly al dente, and the mixture is thick and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Serve with a scoop of fresh ricotta cheese.

Serves 4-6.

New $upport for Local Food

Did you catch Corby Kummer's recent Atlantic article (accompanying video above) on Walmart's move toward locally sourced products? It begins to break down Walmart-as-easy-enemy and raises questions about what top-down, profit-driven good could be done for the ground-up local food movement.

Just after reading the Atlantic article, I came across this article my friend Jeff wrote for True/Slant on venture captitalists who will meet with local and organic farmers in Chicago Thursday.

These articles complicate the positions of both local food and big agro.

The anti-big agro argument has addressed the mismatch between the forms of industrial production and the ways nature grows food. Fordist standardization is just not the way food grows best. So, I'm glad to see that some big capital is being pushed into in local food, which prizes diverse, sustainable agriculture. And I hope this means, in turn, that some capital will be pushed away from the giant, troubling, industrial monocultures of the last century.

But I can't help but wonder how local food will bend to meet the will of this new money stream. In the Atlantic article, heirloom varieties weren't to be found among Walmart's local produce selections. And in the True/Slant piece, the venture capitalists tout "value added business" as one way to increase local profitability. Canning preserves sounds innocent enough, but you have to remember that value added business is what put corn components into practically everything we, as a country, eat.

So, I'm open to these new opportunities for local food, but wary too. I believe our best food should be available to everyone, not just the moneyed yuppie set. And perhaps these new, giant, players will help democratize and spread the movement. But we should be mindful of what that democratizing spread looks like, how it is formed, what kind of labor produces it, and what it does to the food we eat.

Celery Root Gnocchi in a Tomato White Wine Sauce

Remember that earthy gnocchi I made a couple weeks ago? Well, I didn't finish it. I froze some of the uncooked gnocchi. Then, the other night, I cooked them up with this simple sauce for a quick, hearty dinner on a rushed evening.

1 pound potato, peeled and quartered
1 pound celery root, peeled and quartered
salt, pepper
about 1 cup flour

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup white wine
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes, drained and chopped
salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

First, a gnocchi reminder:
Boil the potato and celery root until tender. With a fork, finely mash both in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, and about 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir to combine.

Turn the mixture out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding more flour as necessary, until the mixture begins to hold its shape. Don't overwork it. Cut the dough into six pieces. Roll each piece out into a long log, about 1 inch thick (if a log won't form, you may need to add more flour). Cut the logs into 3/4 inch-long pieces. Roll each of these pieces down the tines of a fork, and set aside.

To freeze, lay the uncooked gnocchi out on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until they harden. Then, put the gnocchi in freezer bags and store until you're ready to cook.

To cook, toss the [frozen] gnocchi into a large pot of salted, boiling water. After a minute or so of floating at the top, the gnocchi are done.

And for the sauce:
In a wide pot over a medium-low flame, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook until the onions soften, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more, then pour in the wine. Turn the heat up to medium and let the wine bubble for a couple minutes, then add the tomatoes and some salt.

Cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, 15 minutes or so. Puree the sauce for a finer texture, if desired, and garnish with parsley.

Sweet and Spicy Cauliflower

A few days ago, I spied this recipe and, despite my ketchup concerns, was quite charmed. I wanted to make it, but not to batter it, and not to fry it. I did that, basically. And it was good.

1 head cauliflower
1/2 cup ketchup (a not-cornsyrup kind. and I promise the final dish won't taste like ketchup)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
two teaspoons sweet paprika
several good twists freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
cilantro for garnish

Steam the cauliflower until just, almost cooked. Then, plunge it in cold water to stop the cooking.

Whisk together the ketchup, soy sauce, maple syrup, water, lemon juice, paprika, and pepper. For a spicier sauce, add a teaspoon or more red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a wok or large saute pan over a medium flame, heat the oil. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook until just beginning to soften (about two minutes). Add the garlic and ginger and continue cooking for another minute.

Pour the sauce into the pan with the vegetables and cook for a minute or so more, stirring to combine. Drain the cauliflower, then add it to the sauce, stir to coat, and cook until heated through.

Garnish with cilantro. Serve over rice.

Serves 3-4.

Guest Post: Lentil Loaf

Though today's guest poster, Colleen, and I grew up in the same town, I don't think we met until sometime after highschool. I'm not sure I can pinpoint the exact moment, but I keep returning to the grainy memory of a sing-along in a mutual friend's basement. Whether we met then, or in another moment, I've always been glad to catch up with Colleen when we've both been home for the Holidays. And now that I know she's a talented cook, I'm glad we can catch up via this guest post!

I've been seeing a lot of recipes for meat-substitutes made with lentils lately: meatballs, burgers, and now, this loaf recipe. I think I'll take some inspiration from Colleen and experiment more with those lovely legumes.


This warm, protein filled lentil loaf is a great addition to anyone’s winter weekend meal regimen. Once you taste this Italian-style casserole, it will become evident that the multiple, time consuming steps are worth every minute.

I made a few adjustments to this recipe, mainly because of what I did and did not have on hand, both recipes are equally yummy. I imagine a southwestern twist on this recipe would also be great. Just by exchanging the herbs, sauce and cheese, you are able to transform this meal into a different dish all together.

I initially tested this recipe out on my fiancé, who is an omnivore and somewhat of a picky vegetarian-food eater. His double thumbs up were followed by a very quick and quiet dinner. This dish is a must when winter is dragging out too long and you need some comforting food to warm you up.

Lentil Loaf
Adapted from Everyday Italian

1 cup green lentils
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 cup medium brown rice
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, shredded
4 cups fresh spinach (or 10oz of frozen)
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
½ cup of fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup marinara sauce, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
½ tablespoon of black pepper
1 ½ cup of diced whole milk mozzarella, divided
½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese, divided
1 tomato, sliced

Spread 1 tablespoon of the oil over a 10 by 4½ by 3-inch loaf pan.

Place lentils in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Bring 3 cups of water and bouillon cube to a boil and add rice. Cook rice 10 minutes and add lentils. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer mixture for 30 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic cook one minute. Add carrots and cook a few more minutes before adding the spinach. Cover until spinach wilts slightly, about 5 minutes.

When the rice and lentils are cooked trough, add corn, basil, oregano, eggs, marinara sauce, and salt and pepper to the mixture, mix together. Then add one cup of mozzarella, ¼ cup of parmesan and the spinach mixture, mix until incorporated.

Pour mixture in to the prepared pan and top with sliced tomatoes, pieces of fresh basil and the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Cook for 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Guest Post: Pulaski Day Menu

On Monday, Chicago celebrated Pulaski Day. Pulaski's birthday follows on Saturday. If you don't know about Casimir/Kazimierz Pulaski, his compelling story is worth a read. Soldier of fortune, saver of George Washington's life, all-around Revolutionary war hero, honorary citizen of the United States. And let's not forget, member of the Polish nobility.

In honor of Pulaski and his day, our old pal Joe is back with a multi-part Polish feast. Though it can be kind of heavy, I always associate Polish food with the coming of Spring--ever since the epic Easter at my cousin Danny's apartment, after which I declared my intention to eat all things in pierogi form.

That didn't really pan out, but my enthusiasm for Polish fare has not diminished. Thanks so much to Joe for this post. Let's all raise a pierogi for Pulaski this weekend.

--

To celebrate Pulaski day here’s my meatless menu, although I did make sausages on the side. So eat, drink, and loosen your belt as this serves at least 6 to 8 people. I recommend lots of fine Pilsner to wash it down.

Goat cheese and potato pierogies with braised red cabbage
Roasted redskins with sauerkraut
Potato pancakes with spiced apple sauce


Goat cheese and potato pierogies with braised red cabbage:
Thanks to cooks.com for the dough recipe.
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup water

Mix ingredients into large bowl reserving ½ c water. Work gradually til it starts to come together. Turn onto a well floured surface and kneed gently, drop that baby on the board a few times but be don’t be cruel, you want nice pliable dough. Wrap in plastic and let rest 20 minutes.

When you are ready to fill them turn the dough out on a well floured board and roll out roughly to the thickness of pie dough. I had a little trouble at first as it wanted to shrink on me. Just make sure to keep the board well floured. I used a large mouthed coffee mug to cut circles but you can use whatever shape you want as long as it's round.

Filling:
4 medium baking potatoes, peeled
4 ounces goat cheese (I used herbed)
4 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes til just cooked through, drain and let cool 15-20 minutes. Mash them well and mix with other ingredients. Don’t be afraid to over season slightly as the dough is boiled and sautéed and will lose some flavor on its own.

Spoon a tb or so of the filling into the center of the dough circle and fold over into a half moon shape, pressing the edges down with your fingers. The dough should be moist enough to seal, but if not use a little water. Drop into rapidly boiling salted water one at a time stirring the water so they don’t stick to the bottom. When they float to the top remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to dry. Mine turned out rather rustic looking as if my Polish Grandma made them. Alright I don’t have a Polish Grandma but if I did they would probably looked like hers. Use a ravioli press if you want a more uniform shape.

Right before serving saute the pierogies in oil and butter. Serve over the braised cabbage with sour cream on the side.

Braised Red Cabbage:
1 head cabbage thinly sliced
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Large pinch brown sugar
2 cups water

In medium pot saute cabbage with a tb or so of vegetable oil til slightly wilted. Deglaze with wine and cook down about halfway. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Roasted Red Skins with Sauerkraut:
1 pound red skin potatoes washed and quartered
¾ pound sauerkraut
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons Olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients together and place in oven proof casserole dish. Roast 45 minutes until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife. Toss with kraut and crank the oven up to broil. When the kraut is heated through and nicely brown in a few spots, it's ready.


Potato pancakes with spiced apple sauce:
3 medium potatoes washed, peeled, and finely grated
3 tablespoons flour
1 egg
2 cups apple sauce
2 tablespoon dark rum
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch brown sugar

Heat pan or griddle to medium high heat. Combine potatoes, flour and egg in bowl. In sauce pan combine apple sauce and spices. Place potatoes on griddle in a thin layer with a little oil, just like making hash browns. Turn when nicely browned on the side. When apple sauce is bubbling add rum and flame to satisfy your pyro tendencies and to burn off the alcohol. Spoon over the top of pancakes and serve.

Blue Corn Hard Shell Tacos

Today: technique Tuesday. A how-to. An epiphanic tortilla tutorial.

Did you ever realize you can make your own hard taco shells with soft corn tortillas? Taco shells that are enormously more delicious than those cardboard boxed communion-wafers-of-cornmeal?

I just realized this.

Heat a 1/2 inch or so of oil in a low-sided skillet. With tongs, grab a tortilla. Hold half of the tortilla under the oil, folding the tortilla to begin forming the taco shell shape. When the first half is cooked, lift the tortilla from the oil. Grab the other half of the shell with your tongs and repeat with the uncooked side.

Let drain on paper towels. Fill with your favorite taco fillings.

Linguine with Leeks and Savoy Cabbage

The last time I made a lemony pasta, it was decidedly undelicious. So this time, I trod lightly-lightly with the actual lemon juice, but used the acidic white wine and lemony thyme to underwrite the brightness in this dish. It came out wonderfully. Wintery, but green, light, and yes, bright. Spring-leaning. Welcome, March.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter (or additional oil)
3/4 pounds Savoy cabbage, quartered, cored, and sliced into 1/3 inch slices
4 leeks, white and green parts only, sliced in half lengthwise, then chopped into 1/3 inch-wide half moons
salt + pepper
3/4 pound linguine
3 cloves garlic, chopped
leaves from a few sprigs of thyme
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
lemon juice
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Set a large pot of salted water on to boil.

Meanwhile, melt the butter, if using, with the olive oil in a wide pot over medium-low heat. Stir in the cabbage and leeks, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, and let cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water.

When the cabbage and leeks are softish, stir in the garlic and thyme. Cook for a minute or so, then pour in the wine. Continue cooking until the wine has mostly evaporated away.

Test the pasta. If it's not done yet, remove the leek-cabbage mixture from the heat and wait until the pasta finishes.

When the pasta is done, add the noodles and parsley directly to the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Season with additional salt and lots of pepper.

Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice onto the top of each serving. Sprinkle with grated cheese, if desired. Serve with garlic toast.

Serves about four.

(inspired by)