Julia – Page 40 – Grow. Cook. Eat.

November 14, 2008

Native Cantabrigian Mesclun

When I tell people my lettuce crop is in full swing in November, they are usually surprised. Most people think of lettuces as a summer crop (maybe spring?). In fact, lettuces prefer the cooler weather. In the summer, they get bitter and bolt – the stalks spring up woody and the plant starts to flower and go to seed. In the cool weather they are sweet and a little spicy. The plants can survive a frost and even a light dusting of snow.

These lettuces fall into the “cut and come again” category. If you harvest properly, about 2 – 3 inches above the root, they will keep growing all season. While I don’t typically pick the lettuce in advance, sometimes I will harvest over a few days so that I have enough for a larger gathering. Each day, I pick only the biggest leaves, and the others keep growing. Unlike store-bought lettuces, my backyard lettuce lasts an impressive 10 days in the refrigerator – no need to worry about picking lettuces a few days in advance. Even better, they can last over night after they've already been dressed. This comes in handy if you pre-make sandwiches for lunch or dress too much salad for a dinner and want to eat it the next day.

I’m growing three types of lettuce for my Mesclun mix:

Tatsoi….

Mizuna…

Arugula….

Portobello and Mesclun Salad

3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 shallot, diced
2 sprigs of thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 pound mesclun
2 tablespoons truffle oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
freshly grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put portobellos on a baking sheet, fins up. Sprinkle garlic, shallots and thyme on top. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinergar on them and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until they are tender. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. When mushrooms are cooled, slice them. Toss lettuce first with truffle oil. Then season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Top with mushrooms and parmesan cheese.

November 11, 2008

Thank you!

Psychgrad at Equal Opportunity Kitchen gave me my first blogging award! This is quite an honor for two reasons:

1. As you know, I just started blogging a few months ago. I've enjoyed the practice of writing on a regular basis and forcing myself to try new recipes and think about food in a different way. It's flattering to know that others are enjoying my blog as well!

2. The award comes from Psychgrad, quite an accomplished food-blogger. She and her mother co-write their "living cookbook with colour commentary." I started reading their blog soon after I started my own. I've enjoyed reading about their culinary adventures, especially their perspecitve on Jewish holidays and food. I'm always inspired by their recipes, and they help get me out of my own cooking rut.

If you were in Cambridge, I would make you a thank you present:

Cappuccino Brownies with Cinnamon and Chocolate Glaze

8 oz. semi sweet chocolate
6 oz. soft butter
2 tbs. instant espresso, dissolved in 1 tbs. boiling water
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs.
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt.

1. Melt chocolate and butter together. Mix in espresso, vanilla and sugar.

2. Beat in eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated.

3. Mix in flour and salt.

4. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes in a 9” x 13” pan.

5. Remove brownies from pan and let cool. Spread cream cheese frosting on top, and let cool in the refrigerator.

6. Pour chocolate glaze ontop of frosting. Let set. Cut into bite sizes pieces.

These freeze well so you can eat just a few at a time and save the rest for later.

Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese
6 tbs. soft butter
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together

Chocolate Glaze

6 oz. semi sweet chocolate
2 tbs. butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tbs. instant espresso dissolved in 1 tbs. boiling water

1. Melt everything together in the top of a double boiler.

November 10, 2008

Challah Revisited: Babka

My first few attempts at challah were surprisingly easy and successful. The recipe yields two loaves. And while I could easily eat both before they go stale, I decided to experiment with the dough. Babka seemed the natural successor to challah… the sweet, yeasty dough with chocolate swirls in the middle. Martha Stewart has a recipe that uses butter and milk. I made it once and for such a complicated recipe it was disappointing. Zabaar’s makes the best babka I’ve eaten and it’s dairy free. It seems like a logical step that challah enriched with eggs and oil would be as suitable substitute for sweet dough enriched with butter and milk.

I switched out the recipe for the dough, but otherwise used Martha’s technique.

I blended bittersweet chocolate with butter, sugar and flour. I rolled out the dough to ½ inch thick rectangle and sprinkled the chocolate mix on top. I rolled up the dough like a jelly-roll and folded it until it fit into a loaf pan.

I sprinkled the dough with a streusel topping of flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon.

Voila! Babka!

November 7, 2008

My Ten Favorite Dishes: #6 – Lengua

Ken Oringer is probably my favorite chef in Boston (and was also on People Magazine's 50 most eligible bachelors) – he has four and ½ restaurants, and truthfully, I could make a list of my ten favorite dishes in Boston, solely from his menus. Clio, his flagship restaurant, serves modern-French fare. Uni, the sashimi bar on the lower level of Clio (the ½ restaurant) offers modern interpretations of sashimi – my favorite: seared foie gras with grilled uni with a sweet soya glaze and granny smith apples. K.O. is a steakhouse in the Nine Zero Hotel, and La Verdad is a taqueria near Fenway Park. Compiling a list of only Ken Oringer dishes would be intoxicatingly delicious, but not very interesting, so I limited myself to just one: from Toro.

Toro is a tapas-restaurant in the South End of Boston. It’s located on the edge of this trendy, restaurant-centric neighborhood, in a low-traffic section bordering the edgier parts. But the food bring the crowds. The bar and dining room blend together in single area that concentrates the lively energy. The wood bar stools and tables create warmth that accents the fire in the back of the room. The kitchen juts out just barely into the dining room. The ambiance mimics perfectly that of the Tapas bars in Catalania, Spain which I visited last year.

The dishes are uniquely Ken Oringer with a decided Spanish influence. Tortilla Espanola makes a pro-forma appearance, but the real stars of the menu are the grilled corn with spicy aioli and farmers' cheese rub, roasted brussel sprouts and conejo. David at limeduck gives descriptions here.

Since I’m limiting myself to one dish, I will tell you about the lengua… the Spanish word for tongue. The tender meat is smoky, salty and perfectly marbled for richness. The bed of lentils (lentejas) gives it an earthy, textural contrast; and they tone down the intensity of the meat without distracting from its flavor. (Though admittedly, I prefer strong flavors). The salsa verde drizzled on top gives a sweetly, acidic contrast to the meat which rounds out the full spectrum of flavors.

As a side note, growing up, my parents used to take me to a local deli for Sunday lunch. My favorite cold cut was the tongue, and I regularly ordered a tongue sandwich on rye with mustard. It wasn’t until cooking school, 12 years later, that I realized that tongue was, in fact, tongue. I’m not sure what I thought it was, but I never made the blatantly obvious connections.

Have you ever seen a fresh tongue before?

November 4, 2008

Birthday Pizza

For my (ahem) 30th birthday party, I hosted a “pot-luck” dinner at my friend Paul’s restaurant, Daddy-O’s. I asked my chef-friends to bring a dish, and my friend-friends to bring a donation to my favorite charity, Operation Frontline. The warmth of my friends and family, good food and wine created a unforgettable evening.

The highlight of the meal was the Portobello – Pomegranate Pizza, which came courtesy of Susan Regis. It has become a staple in my repertoire and makes a regular appearance at my annual dinner party. The sweet crunchy pomegranate seeds create a bright contrast to the earthy, rich mushrooms. A drizzle of truffle oil elevates the flavors to a new high.

Portobello and Pomegranate Pizetta with Truffle Scented Arugula
pizza dough
4 shallots, sliced
10 garlic cloves, sliced
2 scallions, cut in rounds
2 oz. fresh grated parmesan
2 oz. ricotta salata, grated
4 portobellos, sliced
1 POM fresh pomegranate, shelled
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. truffle oil
1 tbs. butter
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 bunch arugula
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
fresh shaved parmesan (opt.)

1. Sweat shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, until translucent, but not browned.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium high flame. Add butter. When butter is melted, and mushrooms. Cook with out stirring for 2-3 minutes. Spoon about 2 tbs. shallot/garlic mix on top. Sprinkle thyme on top. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes more. Set aside.

3. Divide dough into 6 balls. Roll dough into rounds, as thin as possible and place on a pizza stone or cookie sheet (dusted with cornmeal). Garnish pizza with garlic and shallots, cheeses, portobellos, pomegranates and scallions. Bake in 450F oven until crust is crispy on the bottom, about 10 minutes.

4. Toss arugula with truffle oil and lemon juice. Garnish cooked pizza with the arugula (and fresh shaved parmesan). Cut and serve.

Dough

2 cups water
2/3 oz. fresh yeast
1 # bread flour
10 oz. semolina
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. salt

Heat water to 105F. Dissolve yeast in water. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and semolina. Combine flours, yeasted water and olive oil. Knead for 10 minutes. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let rise in warm place until doubled. Punch down and form.

November 2, 2008

Guacamole

The strangest thing happened at the market the other day: I found perfectly ripe avocados! Lots of them! And they weren’t bruised or overripe.

Purchasing avocados can be a dicey proposition at best. I typically plan my shopping so that I purchase avocados 4 days before I need them. I buy them obviously under-ripe and leave them on my counter at home to gently ripen. Too often, “ripe” avocados at the market are mushy from other shoppers pressing them to test for ripeness. After several days of this, the avocados aren’t so much ripe as they are bruised. With guests coming for cocktails that night, I instantly filled my basket with 3 of them to make guacamole.

This was an unexpected addition to my Italian themed menu. With that in mind, I made the guacamole with a European accent… seasoning with basil and lemon instead of the typical cilantro and lime. For texture and a nuanced flavor, I added finely diced celery and scallions.

3 avocadoes
3 tbs. finely diced celery
¼ cup chopped basil
3 scallions, cut into rounds
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 large tomato, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

October 29, 2008

Spicy Mayo

When I make sushi at home, I usually shop at the Kotobukiya Market. The fish is reliably fresh and the selection is great. The problem is, when I decide to make sushi, I’m usually already hungry, so I need a little snack. They have little rice balls with savory toppings wrapped in seaweed. For $1.50, it’s a great tie-me-over. Toppings include: miso, spicy tuna, nuto, and salmon. After trying them all, I decided I like the tuna best.

So much so, that I’ll make it at home for myself all the time as a go-to lunch. Maybe it sounds strange to serve tuna salad with rice, but think about a spicy tuna maki roll.

Spicy Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Lan Chi chili-garlic paste (more or less, to taste)
2 tablespoons Hellman’s (sorry, Lydia… no Miracle Whip here)

Mix the spicy mayo with drained, canned tuna. Serve over steamed rice with nori sheets.

The Spicy Mayo also makes a great rub for grilled corn.

October 27, 2008

Kitchen Tools – Spice Grinder

My kitchen is small. Tiny, really. So small that I need to consider each piece of equipment for it to warrant space. I have a coffee bean grinder, but not a spice grinder. Some people use the same type of grinder for both jobs, but have two – one for coffee and the other for spices. I just don’t have the cupboard or counter space for both. Since I grind coffee beans every day, it wins the appliance challenge. But I do like fresh ground pepper – and once a month, I grind fresh peppercorns in my coffee bean grinder.

But Julia, you ask, how do you keep the pepper from tasting like coffee? Because I clean the grinder first. And so I don’t electrocute myself, I need to clean the grinder with a dry cleanser – that is, no soap and water. The best tool: raw rice. I grind ¼ cup raw rice to a fine powder. I discard the rice and wipe out the basin. Voila! A clean spice grinder. I don’t bother cleaning in the other direction, because I rather like the idea of a little peppercorn in my coffee.

Before…..

After….

October 23, 2008

Lambapalooza!!

I had been talking about this for months – the half lamb I was getting as payment for work I had done for Brett. The lamb had been raised by his friends Donna and Cameron down the road. I had been to their farm last summer. It sits on the tip of the Potomac River, just before it meets up with the Chesapeake Bay. They raise about 20 lamb at a time and they are bottle fed twice a day. They lead an idyllic life. The evening I visited their farm, Cameron prepared a dish from his native Iran: lamb kebabs marinated with rose water, yogurt, saffron and a few other spices. The flavor and aroma were intoxicating.

Last week I picked up the lamb – which Brett had kindly slaughtered, aged and butchered for me. Normally, I would have helped with that chore, but my work schedule prevented me from making a timely visit. Nonetheless, I picked up my share and returned home with a trunk-full of meat and other assorted fresh produce from Brett’s farm.

In honor of this momentous occasion, I invited a dozen friends for Lambapalooza. Even with such a large crowd, we only consumed about ¼ of my share.

Barbecued Lamb with Sweet Potato Biscuits

I braised the lamb shanks with red wine, mirepoix and chicken stock. When the meat was falling off the bone tender, I shredded it and tossed it with my smoked tomato ketchup (which doubles as barbecue sauce). I made sweet potato biscuits and sandwich the lamb and arugula in the middle.

Sweet Potato Soup with Roasted Corn and Chipotle – Lamb Sausage

Sauté sweet potatoes with garlic, onions, carrots and celery in butter. When the onions start to soften, deglaze with white wine and water (or chicken stock). Simmer until the vegetables are soft. Puree and season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and cream. Serve hot, topped with roasted corn (cut off the cob) and diced pieces of chipotle lamb sausage.

Minted Lamb with Minted French Lentils and Peachy Mama Jam

Sweat shallots and garlic in olive oil. When they are soft add cumin and coriander. Let cool. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Rub lamb with onion/garlic/oil mix, lots of mint and a little balsamic vinegar. Serve on a bed of lentils that have been cooked with mirepoix, ginger and curry and seasoned with mint just before serving. Garnish with Peachy Mama Jam just before serving.

Tandoori Lamb with Grilled Naan

My tandoori marinade recipe comes from a cookbook I purchased in Singapore. The first time I prepared this recipe, I was amazed at how the flavor so closely resembled that which I had eaten in restaurants. I have recreated many Asian-style restaurant dishes at home…but this is the first recipe that actually tasted like what I had eaten in restaurants.

Platters of Roasted, Grilled and Sautéed Vegetables

Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Grilled Zucchini, Roasted Beets with Pistachios, Broccoli Raab sautéed with Garlic and chiles, and green beans sautéed with ginger and lime leaves.

…and for dessert – two more masterpieces from Dina

Chocolate Mocha Opera Torte

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Butter Cream

A special thanks to David for taking photos!

October 20, 2008

Methi, Eggplant and Potato Masala

Russo’s Market in Watertown has an extraordinary produce selection – appealing to just about every ethnic group from South East Asian to Armenia to Europe and the Americas. I can often find unusual herbs and vegetables that I’ve seen in my travels or in ethnic cookbooks. It makes for more adventurous culinary experimentation. There are several things I see on a regular basis that I have no idea how to use. One such thing is methi leaves.

When I signed up to participate in “Taste & Create,” I didn’t expect to encounter such exotic ingredients. Taste & Create is a monthly food blog event, in which participants are randomly paired with other food bloggers and asked to choose and prepare a recipe from their partner's blog. I was paired with “Tasty Curry Leaf.” The recipes on this blog have a decided Indian, vegetarian bent. As I browsed through the recipes looking for something fun to try, and I was beside myself to find a recipe that used an ingredient I had seen in the markets, but had never cooked.

I’m not as familiar with Indian cooking so I was intrigued by some of the techniques. Most notably, the raw potatoes are salted before cooking. The excess water is squeezed out. And unlike typical French fried potatoes, the salty seasoning penetrates and satiates.

The methi leaves are considered a vegetable and not an herb. As they are sold with the roots attached, like cilantro or basil, this was not overtly obvious. When cooked, they retain more substance than spinach but have a similar texture: a cross between crunchy and creamy. If you can't find methi leaves, watercress would make a fine substitution.

Though the spice combination is straightforward, the flavors are quintessential Indian: a wonderful and simple recipe. The one modification I made was the addition of a few drops of lemon juice. The next day, we made omelets with the leftovers.

Ingredients:

Potato:1 cubed
Eggplant:1 cubed
(long purple Chinese eggplant/long green eggplant)
Methi leaves: 1 bunch
Onion: 1 medium
Tomato:1 medium
Chilli powder:1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder:1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder:1/4 tsp
Salt:as per taste

Preparation:

Cube the potato and eggplant.Apply salt to them and deep fry in hot oil after squeezing them.For potato cubes,you soak them in salted water in order to season them and also prevent them from turning brown. For eggplant you simply apply salt and keep aside.You squeeze the salted eggplant to remove the bitterness if any.Make sure you squeeze the potatoes and eggplants as well before deep frying.

Now you can avoid deep frying by roasting them in the oven.This is my enhancement to the masala.You squeeze the salted potatoes and eggplant cubes and roast them in a 475F oven for 20 minutes (potatoes) and 10-15 minutes for eggplants in a greased dish.

Chop onions into long thin pieces.Cube tomatoes as well.You can also use tomato puree or tamarind paste/concentrate instead of tomatoes.Chop the methi leaves.Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan.Add chopped onions,saute till brown.Then add tomatoes cubed/pureed/tamarind concentrate,fried /roasted cubes and salt and powders.Saute till oil separates,add methi leaves and saute for a second then add water and cook till done.

Serve with rotis or rice.