From The Barefoot Contessa at Home: Lemon Fusili with Arugula

I'm trying hard to start cooking again. It helps to actually go grocery shopping. I adore shopping for groceries, because after I do it, I feel SO responsible! I love unpacking our stuff and putting it away and then occasionally checking out our awesome pantry. When we first started living together 11 years ago (we've only been married for 4 years), grocery shopping was a total adventure, and we'd let each other get a random "luxury item"---and it was always something we never ate, like Hobnob cookies from the British section or Turkish Delight. I just get so inspired when I shop for food!

Anyway, today I was inspired by the sunny looking lemons, and I knew it was the day for Ina Garten's Lemon Fusilli with Arugula. I have not made this in YEARS, and I'm not sure why, because it's awesome and we both LOVE it. It makes awesome leftovers and is creamy but light---and perfect to showcase those late summer tomatoes! This is from Barefoot Contessa At Home---probably my favorite Ina Garten cookbook of all time.


Here's the recipe---

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 cups heavy cream
3 lemons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch broccoli
1 pound dried fusilli pasta (I used capittavi, just because I love the shape)
1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

From the Metal Box of Doom: Martha Stewart's Lemon Polenta Cookies

Yep, I've been away and totally neglecting this blog. I'm lucky that Jaime doesn't totally dump me as an internet friend.

Now that I'm in the last stretch of my pregnancy (read: nesting), I find myself wanting to cook more and more. As you can see, I basically have not cooked...since March. Pathetic, right? I'm so out of practice that I didn't even take a picture of these cookies when I made them!

Years ago, I cut out this recipe from an issue of Martha Stewart Living. I had no experience with polenta then, but I was intrigued by how sunny and happy these cookies looked. I initially tried to use the pastry bag to make them in their cool "s" shape, but I could never do it. Eventually, I gave up and used my cookie scoop, which I highly recommend...they come out looking like happy scoops of yellow ice cream. They are DELICIOUS and perfect any time of the year. I gave my friend Duff the recipe, and she loves them and is smart enough to freeze some of her batches...I'd do it too, but they never make it to the freezer.

Here's the recipe from Martha's website, and I follow it to a T:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Italian polenta, or yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest, (1 lemon)
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, polenta, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip (such as Ateco No. 826). (TOO FANCY FOR ME, GUYS! Use the COOKIE SCOOP!)

Pipe S shapes about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, spaced 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake cookies until edges are golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to wire racks; let cool about 10 minutes. Remove cookies from parchment, and transfer to racks to cool completely.


You'll see another post from me soon...with pictures, I promise.

Simple Vanilla and Agave Nectar Cupcakes

These are simple, tasty cupcakes. There's no sugar in them, there are no animal products either.
I used whole wheat flour in place of white flour.
I didn't "frost" them with anything. I could have, but that's a recipe that would confectioner's sugar and sadly, that is not part of clean eating.

Oh, I highly recommend this cookbook even if you're not vegan. You can use non-vegan ingredients if you choose to; I've done that in the past. Here are just a sampling of the tasty recipes within the pages: Pineapple Right-Side-Up Cupcakes, S'mores Cupcakes, Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes, Chai Latte Cupcakes, Pistachio Rosewater Cupcakes, Much Margarita Cupcakes (I have made these and they are divine.)

Simple Vanilla and Agave Nectar Cupcakes (makes 12)
Ingredients
2/3 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup light agave nectar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat for cleaning eating purposes)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions
1. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and preheat overn to 325.
2. Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl; allow to sit for a few minutes to curdle. Beat in agave, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until smooth. Fill liners two-thirds full. Bake 20-22 minutes until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean; don't overbake or cupcakes will be dry.
3. These cupcakes need to cool at least an hour before topping or filling, and also, to develop the flavor and texture properly.

Bobby Flay's Throwdown: Adobo-Seasoned Chicken and Rice

...or as I like to call it, arroz con pollo.

I adore Bobby Flay. I will eat anything he makes/suggests/writes about. I have been faithfully watching Throwdown! for many years now and it is still hard to watch without salivating. I think I must have seen every single episode at this point---including the one where he wins the biscuit throwdown against the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, TN. The Loveless is the only restaurant featured on Throwdown! that I've even been to, and I have to say that those biscuits are made of butter and crack. I think I might have also had fried chicken there, but I don't remember---those biscuits steal away any other memory of that meal. I know this is off topic, but I have been hoarding a bag of that biscuit mix in my pantry for maybe a year now, and I think today might be the day to make those damned biscuits. Anyway, I digress. The biscuit episode also cemented in my mind the greatness of Bobby Flay. If he can win against those biscuits, then he can also probably cure cancer.

Since it's still cold here, I am still yearning for nice hot dishes that warm you up from the inside. I've only actually had arroz con pollo once when my neighbor made it for me (it was delicious), and since then, I have been itching to make it myself. For some reason, we never eat chicken on the bone in our house, and I'm not sure why. It has a totally different, savory sweet taste that cannot be compared to the crappy boneless skinless breasts that seem to be the cornerstone of our eating life in this house. Plus, there are few things tastier than crisp and salty skin. Mmm. Anyway, this recipe was relatively easy, but wow, it makes A LOT of arroz. SO MUCH RICE! I may make this again, but maybe with two---NOT THREE---cups of rice. Also, don't get freaked out by the ingredients list. This was easy and probably only took me a half and hour. PS, he lost this throwdown, but I thought this was still really good.

Bobby Flay's Adobo-Seasoned Chicken and Rice
Serves 4
Adobo Seasoning
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika (ha, I used my hungarian stuff)
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano (I used dried)
Yeah, so I made a special purchase of the garlic and onion only to realize when I came home that I ALREADY HAD a little bottle of Adobo Seasoning from Penzey's. I find it infuriating to buy spices or herbs anywhere else BUT Penzey's, as the crap in the grocery store is so expensive and, well, crap. Anyway, I mixed this all up, and since I only made two drumsticks and two thighs, I have more than enough for next time.

Chicken and Rice
4 bone-in, skin-on thighs
4 bone-in, skin-on breasts
Kosher salt and ground pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped (I used a regular white one)
2 medium red bell betters, finely diced (I used one)
1 serrano pepper, finely diced (I used two. I make my own rules when it comes to chiles)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped (or, in my case, pressed)
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 cups long grain rice
5 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock (sorry, Bobby, I was working all day, so I made due with the stuff in the box)
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup pitted picholine olives (I added these, but I'm not sure I would next time)
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
Grated zest and juice of one fresh lime

1) Mix all the spices at the top. Season the chicken with pepper and salt, then rub the mix on the chicken parts.
2) Heat your oven to 375.
3) In a dutch oven, heat enough oil to fry the chicken, skin side down. You are basically going to get these parts nice and brown. After you do that, throw them in a baking vessel and put it in the oven for about 12 minutes.
4) Remove all the oil except for about 2tbs. Put heat on high. Add the onion, bell peppers and serrano pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the garlic and cook for one minute.
5) Add the rice to the pan and coat in the mixture. Cook for one minute. Add the chicken stock and the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes uncovered. Reduce heat to medium and cook until stock is absorbed and rice is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. During the last few minutes, stir in peas, cover, and continue cooking.
6) Remove pan from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. Then remove the lid, fluff the rice, and gently fold in the olives, cilantro, oregano, lime zest, and juice. Add the chicken and stir to combine.

Black Bean Burgers

Eating clean is challenging enough without taking into consideration the needs of the two pickiest eaters in the Philadelphia area. I try to find recipes that have something for everyone (for him: not spicy at all; no eggplant; no mushrooms; no zucchini; no broccoli; no eggs; no fish... I could go on, but it's frustrating to see it all in "print". For her: no beans; no goat cheese; nothing stringy; no fish.) As you can imagine, finding a recipe that will satisfy all three of our appetites is quite time-consuming. I wish I could say that I found the holy grail with this recipe, but I didn't. The child wouldn't even try it because she knew there were black beans in it. I wasn't going to tell her, I was just going to feed it to her, but she saw me prepping the recipe. *sigh*
Anyhow, I found this to be a satisfying and delicious burger! It had a good bite, and in a sandwich prepared with a thick tomato slice, some iceberg lettuce (I know, it has no nutritional value, but I heart it in a sandwich!), a dollop (always feel like Martha when I use that word!) of light sour cream, and some homemade salsa (no spice for the husband), it was fantastic! A really good (almost vegan except for the sour cream) burger. I'm looking forward to lunch leftovers! I'll make it again for me and the husband, while I reheat a frozen Boca burger for the child.


Black Bean Burgers
(makes 6)
2 cups cooked or 1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup pain whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. tomato paste (or ketchup) --- I used tomato paste
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional) --- I used it
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
About 2 tbsp. olive oil plus olive oil spray
Whole wheat buns



Mash the beans with a fork in a mixing bowl. You don't want to puree them; just get them mashed so that no whole beans are left, but you should leave some half beans.
Add the wheat gluten, bread crumbs, child powder, cumin, water, tomato paste, and cilantro if using, but don't mix yet. Use a microplane grater to the grate the garlic in. (A garlic press or very well minced garlic words, too.)Use the large holes on a box grater to grate in the onion.

Mix everything together with a fork, and then proceed to knead with your hands, until the mixture is firm and uniformly mixed (about a minute).

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Divide the burger mixture into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a firm ball. Use your palm to press the ball down on a clean surface to form a patty that is about 1 1/2" thick. Press so that the patty is flat on both sides. Make six patties.

Pour a thin layer of olive oil into the pan. Cook the patties three at a time for five minutes on each side, gently but firmly pressing down on then with a spatula. Spray with olive oil before turning over, for uniform browning. Once cooked, the patties should be very firm when you press down on them.

Serve warm on burger buns.

Creamy Tomato Soup

For the past week or so I've been reading about "eating clean." I'm intrigued and inspired to do it. It's challenging, especially when eating out, but I've decided not to kill myself trying to do it, just to do it as best as I can. Eat clean at home, and make the best food decisions when I'm out. Fair enough.

Tonight I made Creamy Tomato Soup from Veganomicon. Yes, this is a book of vegan recipes. And don't roll your eyes. This soup is delicious. Well, at least I think so. My daughter didn't like it, and my husband declared it "OK," of course, he has a cold and can't taste anything, so his opinion has no weight. (nose in air).

I substituted yucca for the potatoes just because I wanted to. I think it may have made it too thick, and the thickness was a turnoff for the offspring.

I may make it again, just make it a bit thinner.


Creamy Tomato Soup
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped coursely
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary (crushed between fingers)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. waxy potatoes (2-4 averaged-size potatoes) peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 c. sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed!!!)
6 c. water or vegetable broth
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (the fire-roasted are especially worth it here)
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Saute for 1 more minute, until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the potatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. Pour in the water. Cover and bring to a a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heath to medium, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the sun-dried tomatoes are soft.

Add the crushed tomatoes and heat through. If you have an immersion blender, you're in luck! Puree the living hell out of it until it is very smooth. If you don't have one, just transfer the whole shebang to a food processor or blender, in cooled batches, then transfer back to the pot. Add the lemon juice and adjust the salt if you need to.

Serve!

Jamie's Dinners: Tagliatelle with Spinach, Marscarpone and Parmesan

I know, it's been ages since I've posted. I never do well with February, generally speaking. I just want to hole up and not speak to anyone until it's over. I want to watch bad tv and change into my pjs as soon as I come home from work. Worse yet, all I want to eat is noodles and cheese. Or not cook at all, which pretty much sums up the last few weeks. Also, I'm not sure how this happened, but we have not been to the grocery store since the middle of January. Keep your fingers crossed that I make it to March!

In anticipation of our trip yesterday, I busted out Jamie's Dinners and Bobby Flay's Throwdown so I could stock up on some ingredients. Paging through Jaime's Dinners, Tagliatelle with Spinach, Marscarpone and Parmesan caught my eye. It was delicious! Next time I might add some sauteed mushrooms and possibly some chicken.

Tagliatelle with Spinach, Marscarpone and Parmesan
Serves 4---or two with a bit extra if you only had breakfast that day. I don't judge!

1 lb tagliatte or spaghetti (I bought some fresh pasta at the store---makes a huge difference)
olive oil
2 teaspoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced (I pressed mine)
1/2 a nutmeg, freshly grated
14 oz fresh spinach, washed and sliced (yeah---I just washed it)
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 oz marscarpone cheese
2 handfuls freshly grated parmesan

Jamie says:
Bring a large pan of salted water to boil, add the pasta, and cook according to instructions. Meanwhile, get a frying pan or wok warm, add a drizzle of olive oil, the butter, the garlic, and the nutmeg. When the butter melts, add the spinach. after five minutes, it will have wilted down and be nice and dark. A lot of the liquid will have cooked away and you'll have a wonderful intensely flavored spinach. At the point season with salt and petter until it tastes good, then, add the cream, marscarpone and a little ladle of the cooking water from the pasta. Let this come to a simmer then season again.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water, then stir it into the spinach sauce. Add the parmesan and toss everything together. Loosen to a nice silky consistency with some of the reserved cooking water, so it doesn't become too dry. Check once more for seasoning and serve straight away.

All Cakes Considered: The Mancatcher

After waking up at 6am with the dogs once again on Sunday morning, I decided that instead of crawling back in to the bed I would try and do some baking. Even though I've vowed to make new recipes from my books, I couldn't resist revisiting the sour cream pound cake called The Mancatcher, which has gained a certain fame in my house. First, I just love saying it. I'm making the mancatcher this morning, I told my husband. Watch your back. Melissa Gray's All Cakes Considered is chock full of the kind of cakes I want to make---you know, the kind that you wake up at 2am thinking about.

Instead of writing out the recipe, I'm redirecting you here, because it's intense. The ingredients and the actual cake making itself are simple and straightforward, but one of the points of All Cakes Considered is learning to do things the correct way. If you are an old hand at baking, you're doing what you need to anyway, but following the directions to a T will get you a delicious cake with a moist, dense crumb.

As soon as it was done, I immediately cut it into thirds, sending one each to two friends in town. The mancatcher is just powerful enough to persuade me to make bad choices.

Fruited Chicken Tagine from Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever

I'm not really sure what happened to me last week, but all that momentum from the beginning of a new year was suddenly totally and completely sapped. Waking up felt like plopping my feet in five inches of mud that I trudged through all day long. That's the thing about January. The first week feels awesome, then the next thing you know you start counting the days until spring.

However, before I got sucked into last week, I did manage to make the Fruited Chicken Tagine from Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diana Phillips. Whenever I reach for this book, I look at the title and snicker, but then when I'm eating, I think, wow, this might actually be the best slowcooker book ever. This recipe calls for chicken thighs, which I despise, so I made it with two bone-in chicken breasts instead. Also, it calls for prunes, which, at the bottom of the page reminds you that really are just dried plums. Regardless, I couldn't get myself to buy some, so I used some figs instead, which were awesome. I prepped everything, threw it into the cooker, and took off for a great Thai lunch in south Berkshire County. It's an awesome thing to come home and have dinner ready---after all, that's why I bought the slowcooker in the first place!

Fruited Chicken Tagine
8 chicken thighs, skin and bones removed (or the aforementioned substitution)
1 1/12 tsp salt
1/ tsp cayenne
1/4 cup olive oil (I used way less!)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 tsp ground tumeric
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup dried apricots (I used a whole cup since I love them!)
1/2 cup dried plums (like I said, I used figs, and then I added a handful of golden raisins and currants)
1/2 cup orange juice (I splurged on some that was freshly squeezed---so good!
Grated zest of one orange
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup water mixed with 2 tbsp corn starch
3 cups cooked couscous

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and cayenne. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken a few pieces at at time and brown on all sides.
Transfer the browned chicken to the slowcooker. Add the onion, cumin, tumeric, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar to the skillet and saute until the onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes.
Transfer what's in the skillet to the slow cooker. Add all the fruits, OJ, zest, and broth. Cook and cover on high for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours, until the chicken is tender and the fruit is plumped.
Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook an additional 30 to 45 minutes until the sauce is thickened ( I didn't do this, and it turned out fine. You should eyeball it.)
Serve chicken, fruit, and sauce over couscous!

Lemon Pancakes

My entire family has been stricken with the dreaded stomach bug; hence, my lack of posting. I was sick on Monday and didn't get my appetite back until Friday.

Anyhow, this morning I woke up starving and decided to make some pancakes. I decided on "from scratch" pancakes so I could post here. I had just planned on making regular ol' pancakes, but then I saw a lemon pancake recipe and decided to give it a go. So glad I did!

These are very delicious! The recommended honey & sweetened sour cream were the perfect touch! (Next time I may add Greek yogurt instead.)

Lemon Pancakes (from The Joy of Cooking)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sour cream
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. melted, unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Finely grated lemon zest of 2 lemons

Whisk flour through salt in one bowl. Whisk sour cream through vanilla in a separate bowl. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk, mixing until combined. Fold in lemon zest.

The batter is thick and bubbly. Spoon 1/4 c. batter onto griddle. Cook until the top of each pancake is speckled with bubbles and some bubbles have popped, then turn and cook until the underside is lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Serve with honey and sweetened sour cream.

Abby gives them two thumbs up and declares them, the best pancakes I've ever made.

Pho in the House

Pho tastes like springtime in your mouth. I've only had pho (prounounced FHA) once before at a shop on Argyle Street in Chicago, which is famous for its pho shops. When I lived in Chicago, I was a poor grad student; however, I made it my primary job to eat my way through the city's multitude of culinary offerings. I was a regular on Devon Street, where I happily dug through vindaloo after korma. I made a point to eat as many hot dogs in as many places as I could. Living on the south side, I'm pretty sure I ate at every restaurant in Hyde Park at least twice.

Pho, however, left an impression. I first had this dish with my friend Jet on a trip to Argyle Street in early spring. I think we'd actually already eaten that day, since we were food buddies and spent most of our time eating when we were together. Regardless, I was not in the mood for pho but I agreed to go anyway. The shop was empty so we got a ton of attention, and by the time our hot steaming bowls of anise scented broth showed up, our little table was full of condiments---cilantro, water mint, bean sprouts, chilies, limes, etc. For me, that sealed the deal. Like any good girl from a Mexican family, I am into my condiments, and I will make room for anything with lime in it. It was the perfect meal for a chilly spring afternoon in Chicago, and when I found this recipe in Lynne Rosetto Kaspar's How To Eat Supper, I knew it would translate into a great post-holiday dinner in January in the Berkshires. It's light, easy to make, and warms you up from the inside out. From the Splendid Table website (same recipe!):

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup with Beef and Fresh Herbs
Cook to Cook: Notice
that the thin-sliced beef goes into the bowl raw. The beef cooks in seconds under ladles of simmering broth. To slice meat extremely thin, freeze it for 20 to 30 minutes first. If Asian fresh herbs like perilla (aka shiso) and water mint are available, add them to the table salad.

Cheater's Asian Broth:
1 medium onion, thin sliced
4 large cloves garlic, thin sliced
2- to 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thin sliced
6 whole cloves
1 star anise, bruised, or 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
Fresh-ground black pepper
4 cans low sodium chicken stock, or regular chicken broth
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
Soup:
6 to 8 ounces linguine-style rice noodles
6 to 8 ounces top round steak (chicken breast can be substituted), sliced extremely thin (see Cook to Cook)
Table Salad:
10 branches fresh coriander
6 to 8 branches Thai, or other basil
2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, thin sliced
Generous handful bean sprouts
1 large lime, cut into wedges
Hoisin sauce
Hot sauce
Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler, and preheat. Double up a very large piece of heavy foil. Scatter on the foil the onion, garlic, ginger, cloves, anise, and 5 grinds of pepper. Broil for 5 minutes, turning the pieces once. You want the onion to have some toasted edges, and the spices should be fragrant. Scrape everything into a 6-quart pot. Be sure to get all the anise seed.

Add the broth, sugar, and fish sauce, bring to a gentle bubble, cover tightly, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Put the rice noodles in a large bowl, and cover them with very hot tap water. (To keep them hot, cover the bowl with a plate.) Soak the noodles for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are tender, but with a little more firmness than you want. Stir a few times. When ready, drain and rinse well with cold water. Divide the noodles between 2 large soup bowls.
As the broth simmers and noodles soak, arrange the table salad on a platter and set out the sauces. To serve, divide the beef between the soup bowls. Ladle the bubbling broth into the bowls. Top each serving with a few sprigs of the coriander and serve.

"Beef" Stew

This is the only time of year that I really miss the whole meat-eating thing. And really, it's not that miss meat, because when I think about it, it grosses me out, but I miss the flavors and textures that are often associated with meat. There are some products out there that sort of mimic the texture and flavor of meat. I hate how processed these items might be, but sometimes you have to make concessions. One of our (meaning mine and the child's) favorite meat substitutes is Gardein beefless tips.

I will post my adapted recipe and then the original recipe.

Jaime's "Beef" Stew with Barley inspired/adapted by Joy of Cooking's Beef Stew
1 bag of Gardein's beefless tips (next time I will add 2 bags)
3 carrots peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
3 potatoes peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
1/2 of a large onion
2 cloves of garlic (run through garlic press)
6 c. of water
3 vegetable boullion cubes
1/2 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 c. barley
liquid smoke (adds a good smokey flavor to "meatless meat" and many other meatless soups)
soy sauce
rosemary, thyme, sage, ground chipotle pepper, pepper (all to taste)
olive oil

• Pour olive oil into hot pot and add onion, garlic, carrots, and potatoes. Saute until onions are translucent.
• Add water and boullion cubes
• Flavor with liquid smoke and soy sauce (I don't measure, just a couple shakes of each)
• Shake in all the herbs according to your tastes (I add extra chipotle)
• Add frozen vegetables
  
• Add meatless beef tips
• Bring to boil
• Add barley and bring back to boil for 10 minutes, or until barley is tender.
• Serve; and, like most soups/stews, taste even better the next day!
  

Beef Stew (basic recipe)

Pat dry:

• 2 lbs. boneless stewing beef cut into 2" cubes

Season the meat with:

• 1/2 - 1 tsp. dried herbs (thyme, marjoram, savory, oregano, and/or basil)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Dredge the meat with:

• 1/2 c. all purpose flour

Shake off excess flour. Heat in a dutch oven over med-high heat:

• 2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil, bacon fat, beef drippings, or other fat

Add the meat in batches & brown on all sides, being careful not to crowd the pan or scorch the meat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2 tbsp. of fat from pan (add more if needed). Add:

• 1/2 c. chopped onions
• 1/4 c. carrots
• 1/4 c. chopped celery
• 1/4 c. chopped leeks (optional)

Cover and cook, stirring often, over medium heat until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add:

• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. of the same herbs used to season the meat
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Add enough to cover the meat at least halfway:

• 2-3 c beef or chicken stock, dry red or white wine, or beer

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low heat until the meat is fork-tender. 1 1/2-2 hours. Add:

• 2 -3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 3-4 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks

Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 35-40 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and skim off any fat from the surface. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Anne's Recipe Library

Since I know you're dying to know what cookbooks I have that I never use, here's a current picture of my library. Scroll down for notes on each.

Ultimate Bread Cookbook
I went through a big bread phase about 8 years ago. Currently, I use this maybe once a year, and it was the very first cookbook I ever purchased.

How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson
Truthfully? I never used it.

Mexico, One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless
I'm really looking forward to using this one, now that I have stocked up on a ton of Mexican ingredients. Needless to say, it's very hard to find good Mexican ingredients in the Berkshires.

Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of the Rose Bakery by Rose Carranini
This was a great gift from a student with a ton of really amazing recipes for baked goods---also really looking forward to working with this book.

Barefoot Contessa: Back To Basics by Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, aka, my hero
I love, love, love me some Barefoot Contessa. I want to live in her house. I want Jeffrey to be my dad. But I've never used this cookbook :(

Barefoot Contessa: Family Style by Ina Garten
Yep. Nothing.

Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver
I HAVE used this one....twice. I love the mint and pea carbonara recipe!

Cupcakes by Martha Stewart
I've been all over this one. No one does baked good like Martha.

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
I've used this a few times since we got a farm share last summer, and I love her recipe for cardamon shortbread.

Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis
I've thought about it, but never used it.

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
I didn't remember I owned this!

The Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten
Now this one I have really used extensively, and her lemon chicken piccata is a relative staple in our rotating menu. Also good---her jalapeno cheddar cornbread. And her coconut cake. And her black bean guacamole. And the recipe for lemon cream pasta with arugula and cherry tomatoes. This is the first Contessa book I got, and I totally love it.

Cupcakes! by Elinor Clivans
This was a gift. Not as good as the Martha book.

All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray
I really, really like this book. I've made a few of the cakes but then I worried I was making too much cake. You know how that goes. Mmm, this makes me want cake!

NYT Cookbook by Amanda Hesser
Thanks, Santa!

Bobby Flay's Throwdown! by Bobby Flay
Another gift from Santa---I am really, really excited about this one.

Cakelove by Warren Brown
I've been meaning to make the Mr. Bananalegs Cake for a long time. My fabulous downstairs neighbor has made a few really good cakes from this book. We went through this cake phase together last year but then I think we may have both agreed that having a whole cake around is like having a loaded gun in the house. Regardless, there is some really good stuff going on in this book.

The Cooks Illustrated Book of Pasta and Noodles
I know! It's wedged in there. When I got a pasta machine, I used this to learn how to make pasta. A pasta machine is also like having a loaded gun in the house. See above.

Cheese Primer by Steve Jenkins
A good reference guide---I used it for, like, a day.

Candy Freak by Steve Almond
This is a really fun book about candy. No recipes, though.

The Whole Food Cookbook by Whole Foods Market
The one thing this book has given me is the poblano corn chowder soup that I have built into the winter rotation. If Jaime wants this one, I may send it to her. Lots of vegetarian recipes.

The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea
Someone gave this to me with a scone pan for our wedding! Never used it.

The Breville Panini Press by Breville
There are some recipes in here, but normally I've inventive enough to make my own panini magic.

Random Recipe Book That Came With My Kitchenaid
Totally unnecessary.

Roadfood by Jane and Michael Stern
A great read! I consult it whenever I travel. No recipes, though.

Pie by Ken Haedrich
I've made many pies from this book---the lemon blueberry cornmeal is a favorite.

The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer
This is one of the books that has inspired this project. It should have a much bigger role in my kitchen.

How To Eat Supper by Lynen Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift
Lynne was an early food hero for me. When we moved in together, I listed to her show on our old NPR station, and I can safely say that Lynne Rossetto Kasper taught me how to cook. My friend Kristin and her wife came to visit us this fall and Kristin was awesome enough to put post-it flags on all the recipes she and Erica love from this book. I am so excited to use it! Expect to see some recipes soon. It's hard to know where to start!

Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips
Since the purchase of a long desired for crockpot, I've been using this pretty frequently. I'll be making the fruited chicken tagine from this book soon!

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese

I feel kind of silly posting this recipe. It's completely basic! But, it's a recipe that I never made before in a cookbook that usually sits on or around my kitchen table because I love to read it. The cookbook has journeyed with us from duplex, to apartment, to suburban home, to city rowhome. It's my go-to book. The Joy of Cooking. This is not only a recipe book, but a book to read. I love to read about spices, or measurements, or good food combinations, etc.

Joe & I enjoyed it, Abby didn't care for it much, probably due to the breadcrumbs, or to the fact that she thinks that when I say I'm making macaroni & cheese, she's expecting to see that damn blue box. I served the mac & cheese with stewed tomatoes and altered the recipe quite a bit.

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
(my adaptations are in italics)

12 c. water (didn't measure)
1 tbsp. salt (a couple dashes)
8 oz. elbow macaroni (entire bag of egg noodles)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
12 oz evaporated milk (I had fat-free on hand, so that's what I used)
12 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (10 oz.)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. dry mustard dissolved in 1 tsp. water (squirt of dijon mustard)
3/4 tsp. salt (skipped)
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (Joe won't eat anything spicy, so I just dashed in some paprika)

I also added some breadcrumbs on top. I usually don't, but I made homemade rolls last week and turned the leftovers into breadcrumbs and I wanted to use them up.

Boil water and cook pasta until tender (I slightly undercooked because I planned on baking it in oven as well.)

Drain and return to pot. Add butter, stir until well blended. Add evaporated mik, cheese, eggs, mustard, salt and red pepper and stir until smooth.

Set the pot over very low heat and, stirring constantly, bring the mixtgure to a first bubble of a simmer, 5-10 minutes. It should thicken noticeably. This may take several minutes. Increase the heath slightly if the sauce is still soupy after 5 minutes, but watch very carefully. Do not overheat, or sauce will curdle. Serve immediately. (I topped with breadcrumbs and some butter and baked for 15 minutes.)

I Heart Food.

I'm Jaime and I love food. I love to look at food. I love to read about food. I love to take pictures of food. I love to talk about food. And, yes, I love to eat food.

Things you need to know about me and food:

1. I am a vegetarian, OK, technically a pescetarian (that means I eat fish) but only because my doctor told me to!

2. My husband is a picky eater and my daughter is a picky eater. Unfortunately, they do not coincide with their differences. Most nights each of us are eating different things. This is annoying. On nights that we all eat and ENJOY the same thing, I mark the day on the calendar to be celebrated as a holiday for years to come.

3. I, despite my current appearance do prefer to eat healthy, nutritional, non-processed food. (Ha! You'll laugh to yourself when you see the first recipe I post and the following item.)

4. I have a sweet tooth. I love cakes, cookies, and pies; however, I am very snobby about baked items. Very infrequently do I eat bakery items, I find them flavorless. And don't even get me started about grocery store "bakeries." Ew. There are few people whose baked goods uphold my standards, and therefore, possess the right to clog my arteries. These people include: myself (nose in air), my mom (although she no longer bakes), my sister Jill (her chocolate chip cookies are divine) and my friend Heather whose red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting will have you smiling all throughout your quadruple bypass.

Clipping: Chicken Tikka Masala from Saveur

I have a thing for Indian food. Of course, there is no Indian food in the immediate area that I will eat happily. Before the Christmas break, I decided that I wanted to learn how to make some Indian dishes that I love. My friend Emily, probably the coolest person I know, always used to get Saveur magazine, so two years ago I ended up subscribing too, and I love it. However, I've made very few things from it (including a very elaborate Eggs Benedict bruncheon that Emily and I made once for our husbands). In the last issue I read, I spotted a great recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala, which looked amazing. In true Anne style, I clipped it, and it's been untouched on my fridge for weeks. While we were away for the break, we were in Madison, Wisconsin, where I gathered many key ingredients that are not readily available here, and when we returned, I saw the recipe stuck of my fridge and happily realized I had everything to make it. It was perfect for a New Year's Eve that consisted of playing Donkey Kong Country and watching old episodes of House. Here is the recipe from Saveur:

Chicken Tikka Masala
The chicken in this dish is kept separate from the sauce until the end to preserve its succulence.
(NB: I never realized what a difference this makes in the taste!)
1 tbsp. ground turmeric
4 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. red food coloring (optional)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 2 1⁄2" piece ginger, peeled and chopped,
plus julienned strips for garnish
1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1⁄2" cubes
1⁄4 cup Greek yogurt, such as Fage
Kosher salt, to taste
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. paprika
2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Cooked basmati rice, for serving
1. In a blender, purée turmeric, 2 tsp. garam masala, coloring, garlic, ginger, jalapeños, and 1⁄2 cup water. Put paste into a bowl. In the same blender, purée tomatoes and strain through a sieve. In a bowl, mix 2 tbsp. paste, chicken, yogurt, and salt; marinate for 30 minutes. Place oven rack 4" from heating element; heat to broil. Transfer chicken to a foil-lined sheet tray; broil until cooked, 5–6 minutes; set aside.
2. Heat butter in 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add coriander and cumin; toast 4–6 minutes. Add paprika and onions; cook until soft, 6–8 minutes. Add remaining paste; brown for 5–6 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and 1 cup water; boil. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened, 6–8 minutes. Stir in remaining masala and chicken; season with salt. Serve with garnishes and rice.

It was fantastic! The frozen nan I bought from Trader Joe's was so-so, but the dish itself was excellent.

My verdict---
1) It's a keeper!
2) Maybe good to make on a Friday or weekend night. Not good for a long day helping students come up with thesis statements on Huck Finn.
3) Don't do what I did and mix up the half and half with heavy cream. When we reheated it today, I threw in some heavy cream and it was perfect.
4) I was all caught up in going to amazon and hunting for a spice grinder, but at the last minute I realized that I could just use my empty salt grinder.

The Recipe Library: Working Through Our Libraries One Recipe At A Time

Last month, right before I clicked the "Complete Order" on an amazon shopping cart with the critically acclaimed New York Times Cookbook in it, I thought to myself

"Do I really need another cookbook?"

I got up from my office chair, wandered into the kitchen and turned to my shelf of cookbooks, running my fingers on the spines. It turns out that the one I had last used was Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, and before that, I couldn't remember cracking one open. Let me tell you, I have a lot of really great cookbooks, yet I find that I hardly ever use them unless I'm making something for a special occasion. Since both my husband and I both work, there seems to be less and less time to explore my cookbooks for a weekday meal. Instead, I tend to rely on old favorites. On a typical week, this is what our dinners might look like:

Day 1: Thai Beef and Coconut Rice from Martha Stewart. Yes, this is the second time I've mentioned her, and you should know right now that I adore her and when I look online for recipes, her website is always the first place I look. This Thai Beef recipe is my go-to meal, and I think I could eat it three times a week---with extra chilies, lime, and basil. My husband, on the other hand, looks defeated every time I announce I want to make it for dinner.
Day 2: Pizza we make from a Chef Boyaree mix. Don't laugh. We have it down to a science and it's pretty okay.
Day 3: A visit to Chef's Hat, our favorite diner in town.
Day 4: Some kind of soup I make in the crockpot---varies between beef stew or chicken poblano pepper chowder.
Day 5: Some kind of meat/rice/veg combo
Day 6: If I'm lucky, a repeat of Day 1
Day 7: Leftovers from Day 4?

As you can see, we are in a bit of a food crisis at my house. Before we moved here, I loved to cook, but there were also plenty of old reliables that could be brought in at the last minute (Hello, Jimmy John's? Two Hunter's Club sandwiches, please!). Since eating out is hard where we live, I keep buying cookbooks to inspire me to make great things, but I'm not really using them. So back to the Amazon shopping cart. I didn't buy the book, and after some thinking, I realized I wanted to dedicate this year to using the resources that I already have. My friend Jaime and I have been looking for a joint project, so she's going to join me---we plan on working to use two new recipes per week, which we will post here.

Luckily, Santa brought me the NYT cookbook---and soon I will do a post so you can see what books I'll be working from.