August 28, 2010

Something old, something new

La Grolla Italian Restaurant in St. Paul

When I was in my mid-20s, I moved to Minneapolis to be closer to my then-boyfriend, now-husband, Mike. I seem to have been incredibly fortunate during that time because, not only did I meet my husband, I met some amazing friends who are still tops in my book. In fact, at the tippy top of that list is Rhonda, one of five people who attended my wedding at the Chapel of Love in the Mall of America, somebody who was not only my Maid of Honor but who continues to be the true meaning of “Best Friend”.

Rhonda is partly responsible for my interest in cooking and eating good food. One of my favorite quotes of hers is, “I’ve never met a food I didn’t like.” Since I have known her, she has been able to do what I long to do — whip together something fabulous using a jumble of ingredients she has in her pantry and fridge. Watching her do this on so many occasions when I have been the lucky guest at her table has inspired me to keep learning with hopes that one day I can do the same.

She’s not just a great cook, though. She knows good food and where to find it. In fact, just this past month, when I made an express trip to her neck of the woods, she gave me a whirlwind tour of her St. Paul, the other half of the Twin Cities that I remember only as the host to the Winter Carnival and the location of her wedding which I was fortunate enough to be a part of several years ago.

The first night I arrived, it was late–nearly 10pm by the time we got to her house from the airport. But it was 8pm my time and I was hungry. Being the foodie and excellent hostess that she is, Rhonda knew exactly where to go for a late-night meal. In minutes, we were at the fantastically peaceful patio at La Grolla Italian Restaurant on Selby Avenue. It was exactly what I needed after a long flight.

Penna Alla Vecchia Bettola

I had the Penne alla Vodka, which is sautéed with shallots, tomato, and basil, and immersed in a creamy vodka sauce. I wish I had the recipe to share with you because it sang to me in warm, inviting tones. It was the kind of meal that makes you feel immediately welcomed, immediately at home. Even now, several weeks later, I can taste the combination of perfectly al dente pasta in combination with the silky smooth texture of rich, creamy, slightly tomato-y sauce. It reminded me of the recipe I found from an episode of Barefoot Contessa for “Nick and Toni’s Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola.” So yummy!

If memory serves, Rhonda had Tilapia ai Carciofi, which was a pan-seared Tilapia filet with artichoke hearts and white wine lemon sauce. Rhonda reads my blog, so she can correct me if this is incorrect. There were moments throughout the meal where we were both too busy savoring our dinners to stop and chat. That’s a miracle considering I went home nearly hoarse from all the talking we did that weekend.

Salut Patio in St. Paul

The next night, after she made us an amazing brunch of thick, fruity smoothies and spinach quiche, Rhonda and her husband, Larry, took me to Salut Bar Américan on the famous Grand Avenue in St. Paul. Even though the summer air was sticky with humidity, the patio of this French bistro-style restaurant was packed with diners. As we walked through the patio to get to the doors of the restaurant, there was a festive buzz which seemed to predict how the evening might play out. And, sure enough, like everyone else there, we had a great time enjoying each other’s company over a table loaded with marvelous flavors.

We started by sharing the summery Watermelon Salad. Big, thick slices of watermelon were christened with a gin and lime vinaigrette and laid onto a bed of arugula, ricotta salata, toasted almonds and pink peppercorns. It was a cool, crisp contrast to the sticky heat of the summer outside.

Of course, I don’t have access to that recipe, but once again, Ina Garten comes to the rescue with a similar one: Arugula, Watermelon, and Feta Salad. I haven’t tried this, but I can’t help but wonder if, when making the vinaigrette for this recipe, I could substitute the orange juice for gin and the lemon juice for lime. I’m sure I will have to play with it to get it just right, but it seems the sassy yet delicate flavors of the salad at Salut are just a tweak or two away from Ms. Garten’s.

For dinner, Rhonda and Larry each had Duck a l’Orange. It was served in an orange brandy sauce over carrots, leeks, and potatoes. Both savored each bite and mentioned more than once that it was the best Duck a l’Orange they had ever had. We made a pact then and there to return when my husband visits since he loves duck.

My entree was the Arugula Pesto Penne with roasted cauliflower, tomato, ricotta and parmesan bread crumbs. It was very tasty, but by then, I had filled myself up on Watermelon Salad and Pommes Frites with Bearnaise sauce. I must make another trip to St. Paul in the near future to try it again without any salads or appetizers so I can savor it as it was intended.

In just two days, Rhonda managed to welcome me into her home as an honored guest and give me a tour of her St. Paul. What I found there was an old friendship made new again. Over plates of steaming, heartwarming food, I was reminded again and again how my friendship with Rhonda came to be.

Thank you, Rhonda, for such a memorable, refreshing time!

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Filed under Barefoot Contessa, Comfort food, Cooking, Dining out, Dinner, Eating out, Family meals, Food, Food memories, Ina Garten, Pasta, Salad, Watermelon, meals, restaurants

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August 8, 2010

Finicky memories around my table

Big meals require big pots, and lots of them.

We had some special guests at our dinner table recently — our twin, nine-year-old nieces. Cooking for nine year olds is both simple and challenging. It’s simple if you don’t mind having Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, cheese pizza, or cheeseburgers for every meal. It’s challenging if you want to cook something that doesn’t involve processed cheese.

At first, I was frustrated because I expected them to be open to all of life’s culinary adventures, especially if I had put time and effort into making it myself. But then I remembered something important: I was the exact same way when I was their age.

If you know anything about me at all, you know I am a child of the 70s and 80s. I grew up on processed foods. I was most content if all I had to eat each day was food from a box or a can. And yet, somehow, I managed to come away from that childhood with lots of wonderful food memories that involved little time around a microwave and lots of time over a stove.

I suspect part of that has to do with the fact that no one went out of their way to make something just for the kids at the table. When the family came together for a meal, we were expected to eat what was placed before us or do without. So, although I didn’t always eat what was placed before me, I was exposed to it often enough that, as I got older, I came to appreciate it more.

These days, my philosophy is the same as my parents and grandparents. I make one meal and strive to avoid becoming a short-order cook. So, while my nieces were here, I made Barefoot Contessa’s Asian Grilled Salmon and Green Spring Vegetables, grilled corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes.

The corn on the cob and mashed potatoes recipes were my own, if you can call them that. I learned how to make mashed potatoes from my mom when I was in college. Along with the recommended butter and milk, I added sour cream to them. I’ve provided a recipe at the bottom of this article.

The corn on the cob just involves wrapping it in aluminum foil and throwing it on a medium-hot grill for about 10 minutes (five minutes on one side, then flip it for an additional five minutes). Adding some butter to the inside of the foil before the corn goes on the grill makes it taste even better.

And, speaking of butter, I used my immersion blender to whip a dash of salt and pepper and some chopped scallions into the butter served at the table. Some used this butter for the corn on the cob while others added it to their mashed potatoes. It probably goes without saying that neither of the girls were interested in butter with “green things” in it.

No crying over spilled milk--even if it's chocolate.

As I suspected, the girls ate lots of mashed potatoes, a sprig or two of the veggies, and maybe three kernels of corn. They were concerned by the “burn marks” on the corn. I told them this added flavor, but I only received disbelieving eyebrows as a response. And that’s okay. I learned from my own food memories that half of being interested in different foods is being exposed to them. In fact, one of my nieces proved this by daring to try the salmon–something I realized I had never actually done myself. I was surely proud of her for that (and slightly ashamed of myself for asking her to try something I would never eat).

All I have to show of that night are the memories we made and a fistful of pictures taken after the meal was over and everyone had gone home. It didn’t even occur to me to take pictures before then.

We had three generations and four separate families represented at the table that night, ranging in ages from 20 months to 72 years. Somewhere in the midst of it all, a glass of chocolate milk was spilled, a young girl announced that salmon tasted like chicken, uncles and grandparents discussed the origins of ice wine, and one very proud aunt was humbled remembering her own unwillingness to try something new. I wonder if that meal will be one of the ones that simmers and stirs in the memories of all present such that, years from now, we will recall with some fuzziness and exaggeration having the time of our lives together.

Mom’s Mashed Potatoes

6-8 Russet potatoes per person
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4-1/2 cup of milk
1/4-1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Peel and slice the potatoes into half-inch rounds. Place them in a large pot and cover with water. Put the lid on the pot and heat to boiling over medium-to-high heat. As soon as they start to boil, remove the lid and turn the heat to medium. Allow to boil for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a fork slides easily into the meat of one of the largest potato slices. Turn off the heat and drain the potatoes.
Add the butter and some milk to the potatoes and then, using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until they start to crumble and combine. Add the salt and pepper. Check for moisture. If the potatoes seem goopy, do not add any more liquid. If they seem dry, add a 1/4-cup of sour cream. Continue to mash. As they start to come together, add milk and sour cream until they are at the desired texture. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed.

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July 22, 2010

Boiling frozen chicken

Is it safe to boil frozen chicken and eat it?

I know boiled meat isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but every now and then my dog has a bout of pancreatitis and boiled chicken breast is the easiest food for his little body to digest while he gets back to normal. Toward the end of this last episode, the only chicken I had was frozen and I didn’t want to wait to defrost it in the fridge. I could have defrosted it in the microwave, but I was curious–can you boil frozen chicken?

After a quick Google search, it seems the overarching belief is that if chicken is boiled from its frozen state, whomever shall partake of it, will surely die a slow, painful death. I don’t know about you, but whenever I am within earshot of such panicked certainty, I immediately doubt whatever has been said. That’s when I gave up on finding the answer from the masses and turned to the experts at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

Turns out, we can all rest a little easier now. Chicken can be cooked from its frozen state, but there are some important rules to follow.

First and foremost, get out that handy-dandy thermometer and check the chicken as it cooks for an internal temperature of 165°F. The FSIS says it will take about twice as long to cook a frozen chicken than a raw one and I found this to be true when I boiled a single chicken breast for my dog. Instead of taking five minutes to boil, it took just a little longer than ten minutes.

Second, only cook chicken on the stovetop (as in boiling) or in the oven (as in roasting). Do not try to cook frozen chicken in the microwave or in a slow cooker. In those instances, always defrost it first.

Let’s all take a deep, calming breath now, knowing that there is one less thing in life to be worried about. As long as you abide by those two rules, no one is going to die a slow, painful death because you boiled frozen chicken.

For more information about safely handling chicken in the kitchen, go to the Food Safety and Inspection Service website.

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July 13, 2010

Is “Fast and Fabulous” possible?

Tonight's menu!

Over the last several weeks, I have spent less time in the kitchen and more time in my office finishing up the first draft of my novel. While I’m happy to report that the first draft is complete, I am surprised to say that the entire exercise has left me a bit bereft of mental energy. This is why when I watched a recent episode of “Barefoot Contessa” which promised a meal that would be “Fast and Fabulous”, I felt hopeful that my feeble, worn-out brain had found the answer for this week’s din-and-swim menu.

The premise of the episode is that Ms. Garten’s friend called and wants to visit her for dinner that evening. She has about an hour to go to the store, buy her ingredients, and then return to the kitchen to cook. Sounds like something out of “Top Chef” than “Barefoot Contessa.” Still, she promises that it will be a meal requiring little time, while reaping great rewards. The menu: Mustard-Roasted Fish, Dill Fingerling Potatoes, Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli, and, for dessert, Honey Vanilla Fromage Blanc with Raspberry Sauce.

Fast and Fabulous Fish

The result? According to my “taste testers”, the fish was indeed “fabulous”. They tell me the sauce was well-suited for the fish. Hubby tells me that the mustard sauce perfectly paired with the flavor of the Chilean Sea Bass. He loved the infusion of mustard, creme fraiche, capers, and shallots with the medium texture of the fish. (Note: I chose Chilean Sea Bass over the Red Snapper called for in the recipe because the snapper looked a bit wimpy at the store. In the “Fast and Fabulous” episode, any white fish is recommended for this sauce.)

As for whether or not it is a quick meal to throw together, it took about two hours to make, mainly (I think) because this was my first time making it.

The broccoli dish was the most time-consuming and tedious, what with chopping broccoli, basil and garlic, toasting pine nuts, zesting and juicing lemons, and roasting everything. None of the other dishes required so much prep work and, if I find myself in need of something easy (read, mindless) to throw together, I will likely include Ms. Garten’s Broccolini and Balsamic Vinaigrette, which truly is “fast and fabulous”.

Dill Fingerling Potatoes

Can I agree with the “Fast and Fabulous” promise? Was there “truth in advertising” with this particular episode of “Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics”? Maybe. The fish and dessert were particular highlights and seemed to be enough to satisfy everyone at the table, except me. I didn’t eat the fish and was disappointed in the sides. The broccoli and potatoes were okay, but I’m used to more flavor and better textures when it comes to Ms. Garten’s creations, even with her side dishes.

Perhaps it was just me, the head space I’ve been in lately. I was happy about half the meal but scratched my head about the other half. In the end, it was all very easy–you might even use the word “fast”–but if I’m honest, I can only say that it wasn’t totally fabulous.

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Filed under Barefoot Contessa, Broccoli, Comfort food, Cooking, Dinner, Fingerling potatoes, Fish, Food, Ina Garten, Kitchen, Kitchen tools, Meal preparation, Potatoes, Side dish, Vegetables, cooking methods, meals

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July 5, 2010

Seductive cantaloupes jump off the vine

Sugar water sits in the concave where vine met melon.

We’re smack dab in the middle of our summer here in Phoenix. The temperatures during the day will likely not dip below 100 in the next two months. And soon–as in last week–the humidity will layer itself over the high mercury, leaving us feeling like fish out of water, gasping for relief.

If you’ve read my previous posts, you know my garden is gasping for its own survival. Two tomatoes plants, a couple of pumpkin plants, and all four potato plants have gone to their final compost heaps. The cucumber plants and green peppers still have one or two leaves worth placing hope in, but otherwise, they’re not producing fruit anymore (if they ever produced at all).

The cantaloupes, on the other hand, they’re another story. The fruits I have been following for the last several weeks practically jumped into my hands today when I touched them. The air filled with honeysuckle sweetness and cool sugar water dripped onto my fingertips as the melon left the vine. It was difficult to keep working in the garden after that. Nature can be very seductive. Melons in particular are known to throw even the most pious into a swirl of unbridled ecstasy. Fortunately, I was able to control my urges long enough to finish my work and get a picture of this tantalizing fruit.

If I can hold off on eating them all by myself, I will share them with my family tonight after dinner. What a lovely way to end the July Fourth weekend.

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June 29, 2010

Camp Shamiana eat-a-long

Walk down Shamiana lane.

Okay, so Shamiana isn’t a camp but it kind of sounds like one I might have gone to as a kid. Shamiana is a restaurant in Kirkland, Washington, just outside of Seattle. It’s tucked away in a quirky stripmall and easy to miss, but if you missed it, that would be a total shame. The food is wonderful and, to this day, more than four years after having eaten there, Hubby and I still crave Chef Larson’s food.

Yeah, you read right. I said “Chef Larson”. He’s a white guy who makes fantastic food inspired by having lived in Pakistan and other parts of the subcontinent of India in his youth. He has won the James Beard Foundation Award for his Indian-inspired cuisine and some of his recipes have been featured in Bon Appétit magazine. Still, I have many Indian friends who didn’t go there for a taste of home. They went there because they understood the spirit behind Chef Larson’s cooking. They went there to taste some of the familiar but often unique flavors inspired by their homeland.

And remember, I never said it was the most authentic Indian food. I only said it was good.

Authentic or no, it was one of our favorite restaurants in the Seattle area and we went there often. We both still crave certain dishes from it and talk about it on a regular basis. The last time we discussed it–about two weeks ago–I started wondering if any of the recipes were available online. I began my search. And, over the past weekend, I uncovered several of Chef Larson’s treasured recipes: Major Grey’s Chicken, Pulao, and Raita. Combine that with a separate recipe for Naan and one for Vegetarian Samosas, and a nostalgic, well-rounded dinner was planned!

This was my first whirl at making anything remotely close to Indian food. After I got everything cooked up, I wished for some of our friends from Seattle and Phoenix–people who grew up in India, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, people I loved sharing a table with–I wished they could have been with us around that table. I would have liked to hear what they thought about it all. Frankly, I would have loved just having them there, period. They were (and still are) good friends.

Thankfully, I did have some great people around the table with me–my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Bridget and Russ, and my husband Mike. Of course my little nephews were there too, staying just long enough to inhale some chocolate milk, eat three bites of rice and samosa, and head off to play in the next room. My dog, Parka, enjoyed bits from the chicken dish but I’m not sure the spicy curry liked him back.

They ain't pretty, but they're mine -- and delicious!

Not surprising, perhaps, was the fact that the samosas were the most labor-intensive of the recipes I made. It included a lot of chopping, some sauteeing, besides mixing and rolling out dough. The hardest part about it was having to scrape the dough off the counter after having rolled it out. I should have used more flour on the board. It took some coaxing and more time than I would have liked, and they didn’t turn out very pretty, but the end result was delicious. I will definitely make them again, especially now that I know about the flour thing. This recipe came from the regaled Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook by Robin Robertson.

Everything else was fairly simple to make.

Pulao is the name of Shamiana’s rice pilaf dish. It has lovely flavors which blossom from a complex mix of spices: cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and bay leaves. This dish is a feast for the eyes, nose, and mouth with its saffron color, the fragrant spices, and a taste to match. It required more attention than other rice dishes I make, but it was worth it. Once I got through those first couple of steps, though, I was able to let it sit off the heat, under its lid for as long as I needed to finish up everything else. This recipe can be found here, but it’s mixed in with two other recipes, so I am adding it here by itself for ease of reference.

Shamiana’s Pulao

3 cups basmati rice
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 Teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 Teaspoon grated ginger root
3 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 Tablespoon whole cumin seed
1 Teaspoon turmeric
1 Teaspoon salt
5 3/4 cups water

Start by rinsing and draining the rice 3 times to remove starch and debris. When the rice is clean, heat the oil in a stockpot over high heat. Add the onion, the garlic, and the ginger to the pot-cook, stirring constantly, until translucent (not brown), about 2 minutes. Add spices and stir until they have released their aromas, about 2 minutes. Add rice and stir until all the ingredients are evenly distributed, cook for 2 minutes. Pour the water over the rice and add the salt-stir well. Let rice boil on medium heat until all liquid is gone. Turn off heat and cover with the pot with a lid. Let stand 20 minutes. Fluff rice gently with a fork before serving.

This recipe makes a TON of Pulao.

Naan bread is an Indian flatbread that can be made using a variety of toppings as texture and flavorings. It is typically made in a tandoori oven, I am told, but I was happy to find a recipe for those in the West who only have simple broilers in their ovens. Just heat up the sheet pan as you roll out the dough and slap it onto the pan under the broiler for a few minutes, until it starts to brown and bubble. It requires no more ingredients than what I already have in my pantry: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, vegetable oil, milk, and, in this case, sesame seeds. I found this recipe on the newly launched Cooking Channel TV website.

On a side-note, I’m bummed that Tivo doesn’t give us access to this channel, but it might be for the best because I would be tempted to sit in front of it all day.

Pairing beautifully with the naan and the samosas was raita, a cucumber-yogurt sauce enhanced by cumin and paprika. It’s easy to make (10 minutes) and has a lot more flavor than some of the raitas I have tried in area restaurants. (We have yet to find an Indian restaurant in Phoenix that we love as much as Shamiana.) I dipped my naan into the raita and smeared some on my samosa for a little added cool texture and flavor.

This recipe can be found on the same page as the Pulao recipe  mentioned above. Again, for ease of reference, I have reprinted it here.

Shamiana’s Raita

1 quart plain yogurt
1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 Teaspoon paprika
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 Teaspoon salt

In a glass bowl, add all ingredients to yogurt and stir well to combine.

Shamiana's Major Grey Chicken

Finally, I save Shamiana’s Major Grey Chicken for last because it was the last thing I prepared. It was ready in about half an hour and, like almost everything else, included easy-to-find ingredients. I should have used a larger pan for the chicken. It would have taken less time to cook it then, but I am told the flavors of the recipe came out beautifully, if not slightly mild for my husband. He prefers his spices moderate-to-hot and, next time, I’ll ask him to taste the sauce before adding the chicken to it. That said, it’s best to go milder in case other guests can’t handle as much spice.

I found the Major Grey Chicken on RecipeZaar.com. Some lovely person posted it there, so I am sharing the link for it here.

It was a fun walk down memory lane for both Hubby and me and it seemed to be a delicious introduction to “Camp Shamiana” for Bridget and Russ. I plan to go back there often.

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June 24, 2010

Garden drama: Will the searing desert heat destroy everything?

Cantaloupe vines masquerading as ghosts.

It’s official. The heat and direct sun are taking their toll. Almost every plant (tomatoes excepted) has slowed down production.

The leaves on the cantaloupe plants look practically nonexistent. They’ve shriveled up into tiny ghost-like rags, melting into the steamy heat. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the fruits ripening on their feeble vines will continue to their journey into juicy goodness until it’s time to call it quits. The pumpkin vines continue to grow, millimeter by millimeter, but their oldest leaves are practically ash at this point. Two of the potato plants just up and died. They’d had enough, I suspect. And the beans, well, I should just end their suffering now because there’s no way those fragile skeletons are going to produce the kind of  lush green beans I grew up savoring in my grandma’s kitchen.

What this means, you must realize, is production is over. Oh, these plants were happy and producing lots of possibilities in their heyday, when the temperatures hovered around 95 during the day, but now the Golden Age is over and, sadly, that means the harvest has been somewhat meager at best. What tiny bursts of life started last week have shriveled into wrinkly shells of lost potential. A couple of plants love the sun, and I’ll come to that in a minute, but for everything else, time marches much too swiftly toward the inevitable end. In fact, I’m getting the distinct feeling that it’s all pretty much ready to give up the ghost and give in to the heat.

By the way, it’s 109 degrees in the garden as I write this.

The exceptions to this are the okra and tomato plants. They seem fairly happy in the noonday sun. The okras have put out some new growth in the last few days and the smallest of the two plants has at least two pods waiting to be plucked. There is hope yet. But even the okra is upset about something. They’re still mad about the whole spider mite infestation I left to ravage them until several of their leaves fell off and their flowers stopped blooming. Last weekend I tried to redeem myself and save their lives by spraying everything down with a dose of non-toxic, completely organic surfactant. (My husband can relay the details of the particular composition of these surfactants, but suffice it to say, nothing else was harmed in the spraying of these spider mites.)

Covered watermelons.

I shouldn’t say that. The watermelons aren’t too happy with the sprayage. Not because the spray itself was so bad but because the wet gooey-ness of the soaps in the spray stayed on their thin, adolescent skins. Combine that with the kind of intense heat that can only come from the equivalent of holding a magnifying glass in the path of stark sunlight and the only outcome must be soft, yellow blemishes eating away at the seemingly impenetrable dark-green skin.

That said, not all the watermelons have fallen prey to the cool, smooth-jazz tones of the Grim Reaper. These are now covered in leaves from nearby vines with hopes that the lack of direct light will save their pretty, round bodies.

It is a mini-pumpkin meant for greater things.

I guess the one big disappointment, although I’m not sure I can say this is a complete shocker, is the fate of the pumpkin. Over the last week or so, its growth halted abruptly, right around two or four pounds. This for a pumpkin that is said to grow to 20 pounds.

Is it any coincidence that our hottest temperatures happened around the same time the pumpkin stopped growing? Once growth stalled, ripening began, and today I harvested it. I had to. It looked like it was going to have a heart attack out there. There’s not a stitch of green left on it and at the very top, there’s a slight soft spot (from surfactant? I don’t know).

Thing is, I should know better. Pumpkins in June in ARIZONA? I guess you might say I got a little over-excited about the idea of my garden and it was even more exciting when the plants actually sprouted! But I think if I dare grow pumpkins ever again, it will have to begin towards September and not March.

Basket of goodies.

On a brighter note, and this tells me I’m not a complete gardening failure, I have more tomatoes than I can possibly eat. For a while there, I managed to eat them all without worrying about any going to waste. I wondered if I would ever have that joyful experience that comes from giving away the overabundance of a garden.

As of yesterday, though, I crossed the threshold from delightful nibbles eaten at a leisurly rate to holy cow, what do I do with all of this?

Mainly it’s just tomatoes who are seeking eager, new tables to conquer. Everything else is growing slower than I’d like and I’m blaming the heat. Will the searing desert heat destroy everything? Or will there be more goodies to sample before we churn into humid and hot July and August? Stay tuned to find out!

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June 22, 2010

Should you wash raw meat before cooking it?

Should I have washed that chicken before marinating it?

Long ago when I was in college I started making my mom’s fried chicken. It was comfort food at its best. Mom had given me directions over the phone. Her first step: wash the chicken breasts before cooking them. In fact she and my cooking maven roommates all agreed–wash all forms of meat before cooking it.

I did this faithfully for years, washing chicken, beef, turkey, ham–whatever meat I was cooking, it got a little shower before going in the pan to be cooked. The only exceptions to this rule were bacon and ground meat. I wasn’t sure how to go about washing them without making it all soggy.

Then one day, I started putting two-and-two together.

Why do I wash the raw steaks but not the ground beef? I mean, both are butchered and pass through who knows what sorts of processing plants before landing on my countertop. Both are exposed to the same kinds of bacteria as they make their journey to my fridge. Didn’t the heat from the oven or stovetop kill all those nasty germs? I mean, if I made sure the internal temperature of the steak was at least 145°F, shouldn’t all those sick-inducing bugs be gone? Why would it work for the ground beef and not the steak?

I sat with this question a long time before deciding to take the leap and forgo that particular cooking ritual. The first few times I did it, I held my breath in hopes that my instincts had not been wrong. Fortunately for all of us, no one ever got sick. Was it a fluke? Had I been lucky?

My sister-in-law brought this up to me in a conversation we had recently. She asked if I wash meat before cooking it and, when I admitted I didn’t, a knot formed in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if all this time I had been putting everyone at risk for getting e.coli or something just as dangerous. Up until then, I had gone on instinct. I never took the initiative to go look up the actual rules. I’m glad she brought it up because it made me do some research to find the real answer and now I can share with you what I found.

According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, it is not recommended to wash your meat before cooking it. In fact, a cook takes a much greater risk of cross-contamination by washing the meat beforehand. The water splashes, your hands touch it, then you touch the faucet, and then who knows what else before getting the dripping meat to a tray. The splashes in and around the sink touch nearby rags, utensils, and platters you might be using for cooking and/or serving. Any drips that make their way to the floor could have residual bacteria in them, having the potential to infect your dog who licks it off the floor or your child who plays in the water and then sticks her fingers in her mouth.

When it comes to washing raw meat, there is no question about it. The answer is definitively do not wash your meat before cooking it. Instead, buy yourself a good thermometer probe (I recommend the Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer) and make sure to follow the minimum internal temperature guidelines as recommended by the USDA:

  • Steaks and Roasts: 145°F
  • Fish: 145°F
  • Pork: 160°F
  • Ground Beef: 160°F
  • Egg Dishes: 160°F
  • Chicken Breasts: 165°F
  • Whole Poultry: 165°F

Alternatively, not washing produce well enough, especially fruits and veggies you are not peeling or cooking, will put you at just as much risk for ingesting something awful. Therefore, do make sure to wash fruits and vegetables, especially if you are not cooking them or heating them through.

For more information about food temperatures and safety, go to the USDA website and read their “how-to” guide on measuring meat temperature.

Over the next few weeks I will intersperse this blog with other food safety tips, so be sure to subscribe (see subscription box to the right of your screen) or check back often. You can inspire the next article I write by emailing me your questions. You’ll receive a personal response and get credit for inspiring that particular feature article.

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June 19, 2010

In need of a confidence boost from Barefoot Contessa

Summertime means peaches!

It has been a blast cooking up vegetarian dishes for the Vegetarian Series. The big test has been whether I could find recipes that stand up to my comfort food standards, and I think I did that. I’ve learned a lot and will continue trying recipes from all my vegetarian cookbooks, as well as recipes I find online. But recently, I was in need of a confidence booster in the kitchen. The last couple of meals I made for my family fell short and, although they were okay, I walked away from the kitchen feeling a little blah.

Don’t get me wrong, the vegetarian recipes I made for myself, the ones I’ve written about here, have been good. It’s just that I’m the only one eating them and food is meant to be shared.

So, this past week for Din-and-Swim, our weekly gathering of family, I did an All-Barefoot-Contessa-Extravaganza.

Here’s the menu:

  • Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese
  • Moroccan Couscous
  • Broccolini and Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Sliced Homegrown Tomatoes
  • Peach and Blueberry Crumbles for dessert

Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese and Basil

Everything on the menu was meant to be super easy to make so I could just relax and enjoy the activity of cooking. The Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese recipe is one I’ve made dozens of times, always with joyful responses from the meat eaters at the table, especially since I no longer cook it using skin-on/bone-in chicken.

The recipe suggests using skin-on/bone-in chicken breasts and that’s how I started making it, but one day I didn’t have enough chicken breasts with their skins and bones still attached, so I had to make a couple of servings without. As it turns out, my family preferred the boneless/skinless variety. Apparently, they never liked peeling off the skin and digging around the bone.

So, what I do is place all the breasts in a casserole dish. I follow Ms. Garten’s instructions for salting, peppering and smearing with olive oil. Then I lay chunks of goat cheese on top of each breast and follow that up with basil leaves. Cooking instructions are the same. Once everything is ready to come out of the oven, I let it sit for a bit and then, using a spatula, move everything to a platter.

Moroccan Couscous is ready!

The family raved about the Moroccan Couscous. In place of chicken stock, I used vegetable stock and no one seemed to notice. This, by the way, is the only part of the meal that my four-year-old nephew would touch–and he ate three heaping scoopfuls of it. It has currants in it which we told him were like raisins. This made him curious about trying it. Then his little voice raised above the din to say, “I like this, Aunt Sherry!”

My favorite part of the meal (besides dessert) was the Broccolini and Balsamic Vinaigrette. I was surprised by how much flavor resulted from such little effort. This recipe took maybe 15 minutes to make and most of that was waiting for the water to heat up on the stove for the broccolini, so I could do other things while I was waiting.

The vinaigrette was a “normal” recipe with mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon, and of course, balsamic vinaigrette. Just a matter of measuring everything into a bowl and whisking. Once the broccolini was cooked and drained, I poured the vinaigrette over it and it was done. Easy!

Broccolini and Balsamic Vinaigrette

So all of this was good, including the sliced homegrown tomatoes which I sprinkled a little salt over, but the pièce de résistance was the Peach and Blueberry Crumbles I made for dessert. If you like fruit pies and cobblers, this is definitely a recipe worth trying. It so good that even as I write this–days after having eaten the last ramekin of it–my mouth is watering. I may have to go make another batch.

Like all the others, this one was easy too. The hardest part was really not difficult but tedious: getting the darn skin off those peaches. I guess the peaches I used were either overripe or underripe, I’m not sure. The skin was stuck on hard. And maybe I didn’t let them sit in the boiling water long enough. I was afraid of cooking them, but I did wait a full minute before fishing them out. I ended up using a vegetable peeler to get the skins off and this is likely what I’ll do next time.

Peach & Blueberry Crumbles pre-crumbles.

Once I got the peaches peeled and sliced into wedges, it was a simple matter of tossing all the other ingredients together and then dividing them into ramekins. Then I sprinkled over the mixed topping of flour, butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon and let them do their magic in the oven. By the way, I often notice that Ms. Garten starts her show making dessert first, so I did the same thing and just let the crumbles cool while I made the rest of dinner. Then I served them room temp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I’m sorry I forgot to take a picture of the final serving of these crumbles. By then, I was roaming around in a bit of a food coma from having eaten good food and anticipating the taste of these delicious desserts.

As I’ve said in the past, Ina Garten speaks my language when it comes to cooking. I understand her recipes and learn from them. It doesn’t hurt, either, that every time I make one of them–and it doesn’t matter what it is–I walk away feeling great about my cooking skills and, for me, this is motivation to get back in the kitchen and make something else.

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June 17, 2010

Another one for the kids: vegetarian sloppy joes

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes with slices of home-grown tomatoes.

When I was a kid, it was a special treat to drive up to Oklahoma from Texas to go visit my grandparents. One of the main reasons for the treat was because Grandma was such an amazing cook and she was bent on fattening us all up, one way or the other.

Some of my fondest memories have to do with arriving at Grandma and Grandpa’s house late at night. We had to drive three-plus hours after Mom and Dad had gotten off work for the day, so we often showed up on their doorstep long past dinner. That didn’t matter, though. Grandma always had something heated up on the stove. If we didn’t eat at least something, she would go to bed insulted.

I have to admit, I was a picky eater and, as a result, I tried Grandma’s patience. I could hold off eating far longer than she could stay awake trying to get me to eat, so there were plenty of nights that she went to bed flustered and I went to bed hungry. That said, I never turned away her sloppy joes.

I loved sloppy joes when I was a meat eater, which is surprising since I tend to avoid messy foods in general. But I did love those not-quite-burgers-not-quite-barbecue sandwiches that Grandma would often have waiting for us upon arrival. They were tangy and salty and slightly tomato-y. Since becoming vegetarian, in spite of my efforts to duplicate her sloppy joes using soy products, I never quite got there. Until now.

Saute the onions and add the rest for a delicious meal.

For this recipe, I returned to Robin Robertson’s cookbook Quick-Fix Vegetarian. From start to finish, her “Oh-So Sloppy Joes” took me less than half an hour. One advantage to using soy-based “meat” is that it doesn’t take as long to heat up as regular meat takes to brown.

Essentially, all it takes to put these joes together is: cut up half an onion, saute it till it’s tender, add the “meat”, chile peppers, ketchup, mustard, relish, and salt, and ten minutes later–voila! Dinner is served.

I have offered these sloppy joes to my husband to get a meat-eater’s opinion but he scurried away as if I was offering some type of trick food that will disappear as soon as he swallows it and leave him as hungry as he was before. So meat-eaters out there tempted to try this recipe, you’ll just have to take it from me, someone who has been a vegetarian for a very long time, these are good. In fact…don’t tell my grandmother, but I think they’re actually better than hers.

Robin Robertson’s Oh-So-Sloppy Joes

1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 (12-ounce) package frozen vegetarian burger crumbles
1 (4-ounce) can diced mild green chiles, drained
3/4 cup tomato ketchup
3 Tbs yellow mustard
2 Tbs sweet pickle relish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sandwich buns
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the burger crumbles and chiles. Stir in the ketchup, mustard, and pickle relish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 10 minutes.
2. To serve, spoon the sloppy joe mixture into the buns and accompany with plenty of napkins.
Servings: 4
~From Quick-Fix Vegetarian cookbook by Robin Robertson. Page 86.

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