Dinner on Sundays

Experiments With(out) Broth

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:41:00 +0000

Tossing out produce makes me feel horribly wasteful, so wilted vegetables and scraps generally end up in a bin destined for vegetable stock. I can't remember the last time I purchased packaged broth, since there is nearly always some homemade stock lurking in the freezer, but on a cold night not too long ago, I came home from work anxious to make some belly-warming soup only to find my stash had been exhausted. For a brief moment I stared despairingly at the ice box, but since I am not one who likes to change strategy midstream (to put it mildly), I used water in the soup instead.

Lately some of my favorite food writers have been advocating the use of water in place of packaged stocks and broth anyway. Michael Ruhlman strongly favors the exclusive use of water or homemade stocks, and Mark Bittman has been making the same point in his Minimalist column. Until now, I had smugly thought that I would never need to resort to lowly water in my soup making, but, much to my surprise, I quite like the result. This vegetable soup had a brighter flavor than expected -- a hint of summer in a still restorative soup.

The recipe is pretty basic, since I wanted to be able to identify differences in a water versus stock-based soup, but that doesn't mean it's bland. This is one of those times when the end product is better than the sum of its parts.

Basic Vegetable Soup

extra-virgin olive oil
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, sliced into coins
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 dried chili, minced
1 bunch of spinach, cut into ribbons
1 lemon, juiced
hard grating cheese, like Parmesan or Pecorino

Season potatoes and carrots with salt and pepper and saute in olive oil over medium heat until they begin to color a little. Add garlic and chili and cook until they become fragrant. Add water until the vegetables are covered by about a 1/2 inch. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender (15 - 20 minutes, depending upon the size of your vegetables). Stir in spinach and let cook until just wilted. Remove the soup from the heat and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the lemon juice, and ladle into bowls. Garnish the soup with a flurry of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve hot.

Warm Lettuce is Tasty

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:50:00 +0000

While I like to think that I am an adventurous eater, I have frequently been accused of being a picky one. In reality, I just have clear preferences. For instance, I will eat squishy, white bread even if I don't really want to. But eat it I will. And if that squishy, white bread accompanies some really tasty barbecue, I will eat it without complaining.

However, that's certainly not barbecue in the picture -- it's a rather homely salad. For a long time, I've lumped green salads in with squishy, white bread. They've never been a favorite, but I eat them because a little roughage is good for the body and builds ones character (I hope). Eating salads French-style, after the main course, has helped me warm up to them a little. Tangy vinaigrette and crisp, watery leaves are a refreshing palate cleanser after a richer meal. Still, not everyone wants to wait for their salad, and this pontormo salad is one I will happily eat before a meal. A little scrambled egg and salty pancetta wilt salad greens ever so slightly, and the extra savory ingredients make the dish satisfying enough when I'm starving and ready for some "real food."

Pontormo Salad with Egg and Pancetta

This salad is inspired by one served at Cesare Casella's late restaurant Maremma. I rarely use dried herbs, but he used them successfully in his salad. Since the herbs get cooked with the pancetta, I suspect they stand up to the heat better than fresh ones would.

1 small spoon red wine vinegar
1 small spoon balsamic vinegar
1 small spoon red wine
pinch salt
few grinds of pepper
4 big spoons good olive oil
1 big spoon mixed dried herbs (use any combination that you like, preferably Italian herbs)
3 ounces pancetta, sliced and cut into strips
6 eggs
salt and pepper
1 head of dark green lettuce, washed and torn into bite-size pieces

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegars and the wine in a small bowl. Whisk in the salt and pepper, then two spoons of the olive oil.

Place the remaining olive oil, herbs and pancetta in a large frying pan and cook over medium heat. When the pancetta is transparent, after about 5, beat together the eggs, salt and pepper and scramble them in the pan. They shouldn't be too dry.

Dress the greens and mix with the eggs. Serve immediately

Dinner for One

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:19:00 +0000

For the most part, A and I eat together every night. When he is especially busy at work, he'll skip the food ordered by The Company in favor of eating at home -- even if that means dinner is served at 10pm. I would like to think that he prefers his meal accompanied by my stimulating conversation, but more likely the delivery food is pretty lousy and A would really miss Annabella's ritualistic post-meal-lap-sit.

Still, every once in a while there's an especially late night, and I'll eat dinner alone. I try to use the opportunity to prepare foods that are not among A's favorites. This meal was one of those. I had originally planned to eat the cute littleneck clams on the half shell, but shucking them seemed like too much trouble for a solo weeknight dinner. Steaming the clams made for a quick, delicious meal, and there was only one pot to wash -- always an important consideration when I assume dish-washing duties too.

Steamed Clams for One

To remove grit from clams, soak them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1/3 cup non-iodized salt (kosher or sea salt) to 1 gallon of water. Some people suggest adding cornmeal to the brine, but I've never found that to be necessary. Also be sure to discard any dead clams (those that don't close when tapped) after their bath.

12 littleneck clams (or steamer clams from the Northwest), soaked and scrubbed
knob of unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 bottle of dry white wine
red pepper flakes
crusty bread

Melt butter over medium heat in a medium pan until foam subsides. Add onion and garlic, and saute until onions are translucent. Add wine and pepper flakes to taste. Raise heat and bring to a simmer. Add clams and cover the pot for about 5 minutes. Remove clams that have opened to a serving dish, and continue steaming the rest for another 5 minutes. Transfer remaining clams to your dish, and discard any clams that did not open. Top clams with the remaining broth and serve with crusty bread for dunking.

Wee Little Eggplants

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:25:00 +0000

I am a sucker for eggplants. When I was living on my own, I would make a gratin of eggplants and tomatoes and it would feed me for a week. By the fifth day, I would be so tired of it that I could barely take another bite. But somehow I would do it all over again a few weeks later. Eggplants have a cast a spell on me. Maybe it's that lovely aubergine color? So when I saw these cute little specimens at the Yuno's Farm stand, I had to snap them up. They were so slender, they made zucchini look chubby in comparison, and each one was barely longer than my hand.

Chopping these guys up would make them indistinguishable from their larger cousins (aside from the their less bitter flavor), so slicing and roasting seemed like a good way to preserve their character. And I had bushels of kale in the fridge, so I made a quick little pesto to brighten the flavor up a bit and add some nutritional punch. Unlike my earlier encounters with eggplant, there weren't any leftovers.

Roasted Eggplant with Kale Pesto

This is hardly a recipe, but it's a great way to let stellar produce shine. Roasting the eggplant requires little oil, but you could also saute it on the stove. Beware adding too much fat though, or it can become greasy.

5 small eggplants (substitute 1 large), thinly sliced
salt
1 clove garlic
1 bunch kale leaves, stems removed
olive oil
pecorino cheese, grated

Place eggplant on a Silpat lined baking sheet (or a bare sheet brushed with oil) and sprinkle with coarse salt. Roast in a 350 degree oven until the vegetables have softened and colored a bit -- about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop garlic in a food processor with a little salt. Add kale and process until you have a course puree. Start drizzling in olive oil until you have a consistency you like (I would've added more to make a sauce, but I ran out of oil). Stir in the grated cheese and salt to taste.

Remove eggplant from oven, and drizzle pesto over the slices. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Basic Recipes: Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:50:00 +0000

People who know me are well-acquainted with my variety problem. Given the choice between a tried and true recipe or a new one, I'll nearly always go with the novel option. It only makes sense when you have piles and piles of new things to try! But this also means that without special requests for dinner, I would probably never make the same dish twice. Basics like pizza serve as a good compromise -- we have it often enough that I've had time to perfect the recipe, and the toppings can be varied to keep me from getting bored.

The pie in the photograph, which is rather unfortunately colored, was topped with Gruyere cheese, pancetta and leek confit. It was a great combination of creamy cheese, salty meat and slightly sweet caramelized leeks. Still, the pièce de résistance is always the crust. The Italian 00 flour is very easy to stretch extra thin, and it crisps up brown in spots on the pizza stone. It's so good, even I would happily eat it on a weekly basis.

Pizza Dough

Our local, specialty food store has started to carry Italian 00 flour, which I think produces superior dough. It's not as springy as all-purpose flour in this application, and it results in a very crispy, cracker-like crust. If you do use ordinary flour, just be sure to let the dough rest where noted.

Also, you can make this dough without a stand-mixer, using a wooden spoon. I used to do it this way, but the stirring required gives quite a work-out.

20.5 oz. high-gluten flour (preferably chilled)
0.5 oz. salt
0.1 oz. instant yeast (about half a packet)
2 oz. olive oil
14 oz. cold water
cornmeal

Stir together the flour, salt and instant yeast using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Add the oil and water and mix until just combined. Switch to the dough hook attachment, and knead on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should look smooth and evenly mixed. It will be rather sticky, but it should mostly clear the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour. Or if the dough clears the bottom of the bowl, and is too dry, add a few drops of cold water.

Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with oiled parchment or a Silpat. Transfer the dough to a floured board or countertop. Using a dough scraper or a knife, cut the dough into four equal pieces. Sprinkle flour over the top of each piece, and shape each one into a ball. Transfer the balls to the sheet plan, and spray with oil. Either slip the whole pan into a food-grade plastic bag or cover with plastic wrap.

Put the pan into the refrigerator to rest overnight (or up to three days, but check to make sure it's not drying out). Bring dough to room temperature before you begin to make the pizza, about 2 hours. (At this point, I usually put the remaining balls in the freezer in individual Ziploc bags.) Sprinkle a pizza paddle or the back of a cookie sheet with cornmeal. Gently press the dough balls to about 1/2 inch thick. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 2 hours (this seems less crucial with the 00 flour).

At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, preheat a baking stone in the oven as hot as it will go. To stretch the dough, gently stretch it across your fists and bouncing it gently in a circular motion. If the dough sticks to your hands, dust them with a little flour. If the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for a few minutes before continuing.

When the dough is stretch to your satisfaction, about 12 to 14 inches, lay it back on the peel, making sure there is enough cornmeal to allow it to slide. Top as desired, keeping in mind that a heavy pie will be difficult to release from the peel.

Slide the topped pizza onto the stone and bake until starting to brown lightly on the edges, five to eight minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Wait a few minutes before slicing, then serve.

Makes four medium size crusts.

First Signs of Autumn

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:39:00 +0000

Sunday seems so long ago -- I barely recall what has happened between now and then. Time flies when you're having fun, or maybe I'm just getting old. But I do remember that last weekend I went to the local greenmarket, enjoyed the warm weather and tried to manage both Annabella and armloads of produce with only moderate success. And then we drove upstate with our neighbor in his convertible, with the top down. I came home with as much of a tan as I can hope to get and quickly threw dinner together.

In just a few days, fall seems to have arrived. The mercury today has not passed 60 degrees, and I wore a scarf and jacket to work. Despite the change, I would still be happy to eat this meal. The earthy bitterness of the chard and just a hint of brightness from the oranges don't seem too summery for the weather. I'm not quite ready to eat cabbage and butternut squash, but maybe next week...

Chard Stuffed With Risotto and Mozzarella

Adapted from Mark Bittman in The New York Times

3-4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup arborio rice
pinch of saffron
1 orange, zested and juiced
lump of butter
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
salt and pepper
6 chard leaves
6 1/2 inch chunks of soft pecorino cheese
1/2 cup white wine

Cook rice in vegetable broth, starting with one cup; add broth in stages, using about 3 cups total, until rice is barely tender. Dissolve saffron in juice of the orange. Add to rice, along with butter, hard cheese, orange zest, salt and pepper to taste. Allow rice to cool a bit.

Poach chard leaves in about 2 cups water just until pliable -- about 30 seconds. Drain and cut out the hardest part of central stem.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Form 6 balls of rice 2 to 3 inches across. Dig a hole in ball and insert a piece of soft cheese. Wrap each ball in a chard leaf.

Put balls in a close-fitting oven dish and add wine. Bake 15 minutes. Serve balls topped with cooking juices, more zest, hard cheese and olive oil.

Yield: 6 servings.

Saffron Carrots
Adapted from David Tanis in The New York Times

lump butter
pinch of saffron, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, grated
zest from one orange
bunch carrots, sliced into thin coins
salt and pepper

In a large skillet fitted with a lid, melt the butter over medium heat. When hot, add the saffron, garlic, lemon zest and carrots. Seasons with salt and pepper. Toss the carrots in the butter to coat. Add 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender -- about 5 minutes.

Chez AAA is Closed for the Summer Season

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:08:00 +0000

Ordinarily, no one wants to come to New York in August and September. People complain of humidity, the subway is gross and window air-conditioning units can't stand a chance when matched against soaring temperatures. But this year a series of visitors and house-guests decided to buck convention, and fortunately, they brought lovely weather with them. For three weeks we had a great time seeing the city and eating delicious meals out. But such fun is a bit tiring, and this past Sunday I was ready for a quiet meal at home.

Tropical storm Hanna unkindly paid us a visit on Saturday and rained out my green market shopping trip, so the refrigerator was looking rather bare. There was a bunch of dandelion greens from the Urban Organic box, semi-hard pecorino from an earlier market shopping trip (yum -- ~~I will write down the producer this week~~ from Valley Shepherd Creamery) and some thyme that was nearing the end of its serviceable life. These are the results of a hastily cobbled together meal that was both simple and satisfying.

So many of the recipes I come across use dandelion greens as a soup component, but I really wanted to showcase the greens on their own. I thought a quick toss in a hot dressing would cook the greens just enough to wilt them a little and salty pancetta and cheese would be a good foil to the bitter leaves.

And A wanted some beans, so a twist on the ricotta crostini in the in the NY Times a while ago addressed that craving. The ricotta served to glue the lentils to little rounds of a crusty baguette. So we could dress the crostini to our own liking, I served the components separately.

Wilted Dandelion Greens with Pancetta and Pecorino

I tossed the greens with the hot dressing to wilt them, but unless you really like the bitter bite of dandelion greens, like I do, or if the greens are large and tough, I would recommend sauteing them with the dressing for a few minutes to mellow the flavor.

olive oil
small chunk of pancetta (about 1/4 lb), minced
cider vinegar
dry vermouth (but white wine would likely be better)
bunch of dandelion greens, stems removed and chopped
semi-hard pecorino

Warm a teeny bit of oil in a saute pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crispy. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon or spider to drain. Add a few tablespoons of cider vinegar and about 1/4 cup of vermouth to the pan. Raise the heat to high and reduce the mixture by three-quarters. Drizzle over the greens and toss until greens are wilted. Shave pecorino over the top and sprinkle with reserved pancetta.

Lentil and Ricotta Crostini

There are no measurements here, and the ingredients are just a formula. Combine to your own taste and preferences.

lentils du puy
sherry vinegar
thinned ricotta
milk
dried oregano
thyme
coarse salt
crusty baguette
olive oil

Put lentils in a saucepan and cover with water -- a ratio of two parts water to one part lentils. Bring lentils to a boil and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain if necessary and stir in some sherry vinegar.

Meanwhile, thin ricotta with some milk to make it a bit more spreadable. The amount will vary depending upon the dryness of your ricotta, but aim for the texture of slightly thick yogurt (not strained). Stir in a spoonful of oregano and the leaves from a few sprigs of thyme. Salt to taste, and drizzle with olive oil.

Slice a baguette into rounds. Brush with olive oil and toast under the broiler or in a toaster oven until lightly brown. Slather a bit of ricotta mixture on each toast and top with lentils.

The Omnivore's Hundred

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:39:00 +0000

The blogosphere has been buzzing about a list posted by Andrew Wheeler at Very Good Taste, a UK food blog. It includes 100 foods that he thinks "every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life." There are 37 items I have not experienced, so apparently I have some work to do.

To check a few more items off my list, it looks like a trip to the cheese monger will be on the agenda for Saturday, and bagna cauda may be on the menu at our house soon (sorry A, I can't leave the anchovies out of this one).

Here are the suggested guidelines for the game:

Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
Optional extra: Post a comment at Very Good Taste linking to your results.

My Version of the VGT Omnivore's Hundred:

Venison

Nettle tea

Huevos rancheros

Steak tartare

Crocodile

Black pudding

Cheese fondue (Christmas Eve is not complete without this)

Carp

Borscht

Baba ghanoush

Calamari

Pho

PB&J sandwich

Aloo gobi

Hot dog from a street cart (one is probably enough)

Epoisses

Black truffle

Fruit wine made from something other than grapes

Steamed pork buns

Pistachio ice cream

Heirloom tomatoes

Fresh wild berries

Foie gras

Rice and beans

Brawn, or head cheese (maybe on the next trip to the UK)

~~Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper~~ (I'm a baby about spicy things)

Dulce de leche

Oysters

Baklava

Bagna cauda

Wasabi peas

Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl

Salted lassi

Sauerkraut (I've finally gotten over my hatred of this)

Root beer float

Cognac with a ~~fat cigar~~

Clotted cream tea

Vodka jelly/Jell-O (not sure I want to admit this one)

Gumbo

Oxtail

Curried goat

Whole insects

~~Phaal~~

Goat’s milk (but yes, if cheese counts)

Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more

~~Fugu~~ (doesn't seem worth the risk)

Chicken tikka masala

Eel

Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut

Sea urchin

Prickly pear

Umeboshi

~~Abalone~~ (maybe if the supply is controlled)

Paneer

McDonald’s Big Mac Meal

Spaetzle

Dirty gin martini

Beer above 8% ABV

Poutine (but Quebec is on the short list of places to visit)

Carob chips

S’mores

Sweetbreads

~~Kaolin~~ (this doesn't qualify as a food to me)

Currywurst

Durian

Frogs’ legs

Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake

Haggis

Fried plantain

Chitterlings, or andouillette

Gazpacho

Caviar and blini

Louche absinthe (more likely now that it's easier to get)

Gjetost, or brunost

~~Roadkill~~ (no thanks)

Baijiu

Hostess Fruit Pie (the middle school snack bar was not known for its cuisine)

Snail

Lapsang souchong (a staple at our office)

Bellini

Tom yum

Eggs Benedict

Pocky

Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant (maybe if I get a raise!)

Kobe beef

Hare

Goulash

Flowers

~~Horse~~ (the American in me is showing)

Criollo chocolate

~~Spam~~ (that real food problem again)

Soft shell crab

Rose harissa

Catfish

Mole poblano

Bagel and lox

Lobster Thermidor

Polenta

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

Snake