La Fin des Haricots

Cheeseburger Soup

2011-11-04T21:58:00.000-04:00

This fall has been a tough one. I have worked and traveled a lot. And by "a lot" I mean 15-hour days for about two months straight in random cities that are not my home "a lot." To be fair, traveling for work isn't all bad. One benefit is you get to explore some pretty nice restaurants.

Now, while I had some fabulous meals, I can remember only one: Cheeseburger Soup. Yes, you read that correctly. A little diner in a small town in Kentucky served up my most memorable meal in quite some time. Every Tuesday my colleagues and I enjoyed this little gem, which was an all-you-can-eat, sold-out-by-noon, 1000-calories-per-bowl, guilty pleasure. Notice that I do not say it was my most refined, expensive, culinarily adventurous, or delicious meal. And part of me hated myself for enjoying it so much. But it was good.

Now that I am back home, I decided to try my hand at recreating this dish. Sans the government-issued cheese of the original. And it was perfect. Not exactly a replica, and likely not much healthier than the original. But well worth the effort. And, dare I admit, delicious.

Ingredients
-1 lb ground beef
-1 T. olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-2 carrots, diced
-2 stalks of celery, diced
-1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet
-2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
-1 T. Montreal steak seasoning
-1 tsp. dried parsley
-1 tsp. of garlic powder
-1/2 C. dry red wine
-4 T. butter
-1/4 C. flour
-4 C. chicken broth
-2 C. milk
-2-3 C. of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
-8 oz. sour cream
-plenty of Kosher salt and pepper
-1/2 box of macaroni noodles, cooked al dente

Brown the beef, and season with the Kitchen Bouquet, Worcestershire sauce, Montreal steak seasoning, dried parsley, and garlic powder. Deglaze the pan with the wine for about 1 minute. Set aside beef and juices.

In the same pot, sauté the veggies in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add the butter and, when melted, whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the meat (and juices) and milk, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add cheese, season to taste, and stir until melted. Add sour cream, stir until incorporated, and then add noodles.

It may look humble, but I devoured 3 bowls. Maybe 4. It is good to be home.

Beach Cooking: Saffron Seafood Chowder

2011-10-07T18:24:00.001-04:00

We do not spend time at the beach without making seafood chowder. Over the years, I have experimented with various recipes, resulting in my very own recipe. Keep in mind that this, like all chowder recipes, is forgiving, so use what you have on hand. As long as you have fresh seafood, it will be delicious.

Ingredients
-5 pieces of bacon
-1 onion, minced
-3 carrots, chopped
-1 small red pepper
-1 large potato, diced
-4 ears of corn or a bag of frozen corn
-1 tomato, seeded and chopped
-1/2 C. cream
-1/2 C. flour
-1 tsp. saffron
-Kosher salt and pepper
-fresh parsley
-3 lbs of seafood (I used a combination of large clams, cod, shrimp, and scallops, but use whatever is freshest and wild caught), washed, cleaned, and cut into similar sized pieces
-homemade or store-bought seafood stock, 8-10 C.

To make the stock (if you are so inclined): Seafood stock is actually pretty pricey, considering it is just seafood scraps/bones/shells, water, and veg. And it really is not difficult to make. But buy it by all means (unless you are neurotic like me), as one will know the difference. I made the stock mainly because we froze all our shrimp shells from prior dinners. When I got up on the morning I planned to make the chowder, I dumped the shells (4-6 C.) into a stock pot on medium heat, added whatever leftover veggies were in the fridge (half a leek, half an onion, a carrot or two and an old tomato) and 1/2 C. white wine. Then, I just covered the lot with cold water and simmered (do not allow the stock to come to a boil), skimming off any froth as it emerged, for 1 1/2 hours. I left it to cool. And went to the beach. Later that day, I strained the broth and reserved.

To make chowder: cook the bacon and reserve. Sauté the onion in the bacon fat until translucent. Add carrot and potato. Once the veggies are tender, add red pepper and tomato and cook for one minute. Add flour and saffron and cook for 2 minutes. Add as much broth to cover the veggies by several inches and simmer until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When ready to serve, throw in seafood and simmer until the shrimp is pink and the fish flakes. Add parsley and cream, season to taste, and serve piping hot. I served with a simple salad of cucumber, tomato, and mozzarella.

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Cooking at the Beach: Assembly Supper

2011-08-31T08:41:00.001-04:00

Sunday night neither A nor I felt like cooking. We were too busy exploring the ocean and trying not to get burned.

So we assembled supper instead--leftover cocktail shrimp, cheese and crackers, olives, cherry tomatoes (from our CSA) with fresh basil (from my parents' garden), a plate of fruit we bought pre-cut at an exorbitant price, lovely tiny CSA raspberries, and some pastries from a local shop. I did get up from my seat on the porch for long enough to make deviled eggs. But only barely.

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Cooking at the Beach: Shrimp Cocktail and Sausage and Tomato Risotto

2011-08-29T15:16:00.001-04:00

I have a confession to make. When I head to the beach, the first thing I pack is not my swimsuit but a chef's knife, sel de mer, a cast iron skillet, and my homemade chicken broth. I understand if you stop reading at this point, as I am clearly not very cool.

But if you do keep reading, we are at the beach this week, for some much needed R&R. As I am (a) naturally Canadian pale and prone to burn after 5 seconds in the sun, and (b) allergic to chlorine, I don't spend too much time on the beach or at the pool. But I do love to cook at the beach--something about the challenge of cooking in a strange, ill-equipped kitchen, I think.

For our first night, we picked up some wild-caught shrimp at our favorite seafood market. (Tip: Find out where the locals get their fish and follow suit. Also, as a general rule, I find that the surlier the purveyor, the fresher the seafood.) After cleaning and de-veining said crustaceans, I emerged them in an ice water brine, seasoned with 1 T. kosher salt, the juice of a lemon (and its rind), some course ground pepper, and 2 cloves of garlic, minced. When we were ready to eat, A. patted them dry and seared in a skillet on high heat for 4 minutes or so. We served with store-bought cocktail sauce. (Although, I contemplated making my own, it really was too much trouble and I can't honestly taste the difference. Rule 1 of beach cooking: Cook and buy on a 1:1 ratio.) The shrimp were lovely: slightly sweet and tasting of sand and sea.

For a main, I made sausage and fresh tomato risotto. I had hauled three rather garishly large tomatoes all the way from Kentucky (further evidence of my not-cool nature), but after the 10-hour journey they looked as if they had seen better days. What better than a risotto, I thought, for which to sacrifice these somewhat bruised beauties? As a concession to my meat-loving spouse, I picked up some sweet Italian sausage. The result--a gooey mess. But, was it ever delicious! The fresh tomatoes paired wonderfully with the sweet sausage and nutty Parmesan cheese. Here's how:

Ingredients:

-2 sweet Italian sausages, removed from their casings
-3 large tomatoes
-sel de mer or Kosher salt
-black pepper
-1/2 tsp of saffron (yes, I packed this too)
-11/4 C. Arborio rice
-3 C. chicken broth
-lots of fresh basil
-1 large spring onion, chopped
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-1/2 C. dry white wine
-3/4 C. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (beach houses often don't come equipped with graters, so I always pack my own)
-3 or 4 handfuls of spinach or arugula, or both, washed and died

Prepare tomatoes by scoring on the bottom and immersing in boiling water for 1 minute. Place in an ice bath and then peel and cut in half lengthwise. Place a colander over another bowl and squeeze each half over the colander. Salt and let the flesh sit in the colander while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Cook the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it browns. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring broth, saffron, and tomato juice to a bare simmer. Add the rice to the pot and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine and stir until absorbed.

Add 1/2 C. of the broth mixture at a time, stirring (I read one cookbook that swore that risotto must be stirred in one direction only, advice I now superstitiously follow) until incorporated before adding the next 1/2 C. The risotto is done when you think it is done--some prefer it more al dente, some less so (me). Start tasting around minute 15, and every minute after that until it suits your taste. When ready, remove from heat, add the cheese, greens, basil, and serve. While not the prettiest of dishes, this is by far my favorite risotto to date--warm, comforting, and definitely sleep inducing!

As we were both in a risotto-induced coma, we skipped dessert. Still, all in all, a truly perfect first vacation dinner.

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Location:St. Simon's Island

Fried Green Tomatoes

2011-08-19T18:44:00.001-04:00

I have never been the model of patience, and this year my small garden has been testing it. Consequently, I have been waiting for my tomatoes to ripen for what feels like years. Finally, I gave up and ripped a few unsuspecting tomatoes from the vine for some fried green tomatoes.

The recipe is easy. Slice your tomatoes. Mix equal parts cornmeal and flour in a small bowl. Season heavily with Kosher salt and pepper. Pour some milk in a bowl with a tsp. of fresh lemon juice and allow to stand for a few minutes. (Most recipes I read called for buttermilk, but this is an easy substitute. Who keeps buttermilk around the house anyways?) Add a tsp. of cayenne pepper to milk. Dip tomato slices in milk, then dredge with flour mixture. Heat 1/2 C. vegetable oil in a skillet (this is key--if you don't have one, get one immediately as it makes all the difference for frying). Fry the slices for 3 minutes or so per side, or until golden brown. Serve with a spicy mayo (1/4 C. mayo, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, a bit of lemon juice, a bit of hot sauce).

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In Memoriam:

2011-08-03T16:50:00.002-04:00

“[A]nd when [she] shall die,
Take [her] and cut [her] out in little stars,
And [she] will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”

--Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene 2

Friday Night Eats

2011-07-24T08:37:00.000-04:00

Friday nights are fabulous. I have opined on my love of Friday nights before. There really nothing better than the whole weekend stretched before you. The other Friday, we had a simple but lovely CSA-inspired dinner: zucchini carpaccio, roast Cornish hens with cranberry bread salad, and St. Germain blackberry panna cotta. Best of all, it came together in about 30 minutes of prep time. (Recipes make enough for 2.) Here's how:

The morning of: Wash and cut hen in half lengthwise. (If you've never done this before, it is easy. Watch this video.) Rub skin with a slice or two of lemon. Chops some fresh oregano, parsley, and thyme (about a handful total). Slather bird with said herbs. Put bird in a bag and cover with equal parts olive oil, white wine, and balsamic vinegar. Throw in lemon rind, and refrigerate until ready to roast.

When you get home:

1. Make zucchini carpaccio--Slice one zucchini on a mandolin as thinly as you can. Arrange on a plate. Mix 2 T. olive oil and 1 T. fresh lemon juice and add a few leaves of fresh mint, chopped. Pour over veg. Season with fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper. Allow to marinate at room temperature while you . . .

2. Prepare bread salad. Slice 1/2 a baguette or whatever bread you have into large chunks. (I usually keep leftover bread in the freezer for just this type of dish.) Mix 3 T. olive oil and 2 T. white wine vinegar together. (Less vinegar if you like--I like my vinaigrettes very vinegar-y.) Reserve. Cover a handful of cranberries in hot water and a bit of red wine vinegar. Let sit while you . . .

3. Make blackberry St. Germain panna cotta. These are so easy to make. Follow David Lebovitz's recipe here to make the panna cotta. (I adjusted to make only 2 servings, but feel free to make the whole recipe, as it keeps in the fridge and is so delicious you will inevitably want seconds . . . and thirds.) I always serve my panna cotta in a wine glass or champagne flute--it eliminates the need to try to extract the panna cotta from the dish, which is needlessly fussy in my opinion. Once the panna cotta is in the fridge, make the blackberry sauce. Place 6-8 blackberries in a saucepan with a splash of St. Germain (this elderflower liquor is a lovely addition, but omit if you don't have it, as it is pricey, or substitute with a bit of white wine), 1/4 C. water, 1/4 C. sugar, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the blackberries have mostly disintegrated and the sauce has thickened to a jam-like consistency. Sieve if you want. I never have the patience for sieving, and I don't mind the seeds. Set aside and then . . .

4. Roast the bird: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pile the bread in the bottom of your roasting pan. Set the hen pieces on top. Roast for 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Meanwhile . . .

5. Enjoy your carpaccio and a chilled glass of dry white wine.

6. After 25 minutes, cover hen with foil and roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until done. Set the hen pieces aside and toss the bread (after removing any burnt bits) with the vinaigrette and drained cranberries. Season with salt and pepper.

7. All that is left to do is enjoy your dinner. For dessert, just spoon sauce over panna cotta and serve. (This was so delicious I was not able to snap a shot of it--it was gone in about 30 seconds.)

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Hot Ham Water (a.k.a. Red Beans and Rice)

2011-07-17T11:12:00.001-04:00

Narrator: Michael had asked Lindsay to do the housework, and to his surprise, she was sort of doing it.

Lindsay Funke: Hey, I found that canned ham that we've had forever, and I put it in a pot of boiling hot water, and guess what we're having?

Michael: Soup?

Lindsay Funke: Hot ham water.

~ Arrested Development

Since my not-so-fortunate "rain in the living room incident," I have been on an austerity kick. Kind of like the Greeks, but without the riots . . . thus far at least. My rationale for said measures is not entirely clear, as the insurance is covering the damage. Still, one never knows what will break/flood/explode next, so it seems only prudent to tighten the belt, so to speak. The problem with austerity is it usually means beans and rice. Literally. Which I normally detest.

Looking at this state of affairs as a bit of a challenge, I reviewed several recipes for Louisiana-style red beans and rice. Ham hock--good. Butter--good. CSA veggies--good. White wine--very good. Some CSA-dried red beans from last fall--good? And, I had most of the ingredients on hand. Except for the ham hock--I mean, who keeps ham hocks lying around?

I sent A. out to the store to get said ham hock. (If you, like me, are the curious type, it is better if you don't investigate too closely exactly what a ham hock is. Suffice it to say, it is a very inexpensive part of a poor pig. But it is a necessary ingredient--cubed ham will not substitute with the same effect.)

My recipe does take time; however, most of that time can be spent sleeping/watching t.v./engaging in other worthwhile (or not-so-worthwhile) activities. Chop a couple of carrots, one onion, 2 pieces of celery, one green pepper, and 5-6 cloves of garlic. Put the veggies in a bowl with 1 tsp. each of cayenne red pepper and smoked paprika, 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme (I had it fresh in my garden, use 1 tsp. of dried if not), a couple of bay leaves, 1 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. or so of pepper. Cover and refrigerate. (This step is not necessary--I just knew I would not want to chop and dice early the next morning.) Reserve the end bits and onion skin (see below). Sift through the beans and throw away any bad bits. Place in a bowl and cover with water; cover and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.

And now the secret to not-so-austere red beans and rice--the hot ham water. Most of the recipes I saw called for either water or chicken or beef stock. I decided to instead simmer my lovely ham hock with the leftover bits from the veggies (and one bay leaf) covered in water in my slow cooker overnight on low instead. I woke up at 6 a.m. the next morning--stomach growling. The smell of hot ham water (a.k.a. mouth watering ham stock) actually arose me from my slumber. Anyone who knows me knows that this is not normal. The stock was dark and rich, nothing like hot ham water actually:

I strained the stock into another bowl, leaving the ham hock in the bottom of the slow cooker. I then drained the red beans (now pleasantly plump and less austere looking), and added them to the slow cooker along with my veggies and spices. Then, I poured my stock over the entire mixture, added a T. or two of butter, a glug or two of wine, and turned the heat up to high for several hours (4 or so). (Now, you could keep the heat on low if you are making this on a work day or want to serve for dinner.) Then, I cut up some andouille sausage, cooked in a skillet until browned, and added to slow cooker. At the same time, add a T. of red wine vinegar. Let simmer on high with the lid off for a couple more hours.

Serve with fluffy white rice, spring onions, Tabasco sauce, sour cream, and cornbread. The result--I no longer detest beans and rice. (This recipe makes a large amount, but it freezes well.)

(Printable Recipe)

The One Where It Rains . . . In My Livingroom

2011-07-10T10:03:00.000-04:00

Do you ever feel that the gods might be conspiring against you? Well, I have. First, while on the drive home from D.C. a couple of weeks ago, we heard some "sloshing" from the back seat. (Sloshing from one's car does not inspire confidence, especially when one is 5 hours from home.) We turned around (well, A. was driving, so I turned around) to see 2 inches of standing water in the back seats. We ~~sloshed~~ drove home and took the car straight to the dealer, who gave us a loaner car while our car was, well, getting dried out. The next morning, the garage door fell off its hinges (something to do with a sprocket exploding or something), narrowly missing said loaner car. The next week, A. and I came home to water gushing from our upstairs bathroom and flooding our entire first floor (hello, Poseidon). Lovely.

Fortunately, our insurance company had a clean-up crew on the job in about an hour. The plumber also showed up and fixed the problem (again, something about a valve "imploding," causing our toilet to spew 80-90 gallons of water per minute, and again, I ~~don't care a bit about~~ won't bore you with the finer details). So, for the next few days, we had a few new roommates:

Which is all fine and dandy, except these roommates were loud (jackhammer loud), and hot (the house topped out at about 110 degrees--hello Hephaestus), and just generally drove us crazy.

To escape our ~~own personal hell~~ home, we headed to Jazz in the Park. With a bottle of wine. It was lovely. I even managed to pull together a light supper consisting ~~mainly of stuff I could grab before losing my mind~~ of crackers, cheese, and gazpacho. I wasn't about to turn on the oven.

I'd recommend this recipe even for those of you who have not been flooded and then steamed out of your homes. I did make it slightly spicier than I probably should have. It was hot, hot, hot. A. noted the irony, don't worry. While I am sure this would have been tastier with fresh tomatoes, I (a) did not have the time or energy to boil and peel them, and (b) could not reach my stove due to this guy:

Spicy Gazpacho

(Printable Recipe)

28 oz. can of whole tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. or so of hot sauce (maybe a bit less, like I said, it was hot)
plenty of salt and pepper
1 bell pepper (any kind), finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cucumber, finely diced
1/2 C. water
3 T. red wine vinegar
a handful or two of fresh herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro, some combination thereof, or whatever you have)

Whirl half of the tomatoes in the blender with water until smooth, and roughly chop the remaining tomatoes. Add the rest of the ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Vodka Cream Sauce

2011-07-01T17:15:00.000-04:00

Last week I decided to make vodka cream sauce with penne pasta for dinner. Because who doesn't love heavy cream? And pasta? And, did I mention, vodka? After making my own vodka cream sauce, I am not sure why why I ever bought the stuff they sell in a jar. (Other than, of course, total exhaustion and/or laziness, which are always acceptable excuses.) But really, homemade is so much better. And not at all difficult to pull together. The sauce was rich, spicy, and slightly sweet. Serve with a healthy side salad to try to give some semblance of healthfulness to this meal.

Sarah's Vodka Cream Sauce
(Printable Recipe)

a bit of olive oil
1 28-oz. can of whole tomatoes
1/2 onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 C. (or so--really, who cares?) heavy whipping cream
1 C. of good vodka (I like Kentucky Blue)
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
plenty of fresh basil
1 box penne pasta (or whatever past you like), cooked al dente

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until translucent. Add the tomatoes, breaking up with your fingers as you do. Season with salt and pepper, and add the red pepper flakes. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the vodka, and simmer until reduced by half (10-15 minutes). Add the cream, heat through, and season. Toss with pasta and basil.

Better Than Friday Night Take-Out

2011-06-19T08:00:00.003-04:00

Each week our CSA provides us with either chicken or beef, along with fruits, veg, and a dozen eggs. With a busy schedule, I don't often get a chance to cook with these lovely ingredients during the week. By the time Friday rolls around, it is usually all I can do to call for take-out. However, take-out on a Friday night is not the only option. It is possible to make a delicious dinner with very little effort--and costing much less than take-out. Don't believe me? The key is planning.

Menu: (serves 4)

Roasted chicken with bread salad (Printable Recipe)
Lemon souffle (Printable Recipe) (or just pick up a lemon tart from your local bakery, in which case don't buy the italicized ingredients below)

Shopping List:
(Printable Shopping List)

One small 2-3 lb. organic chicken
Kosher salt and pepper
Dark greens, 2-3 C. (kale, mustard, turnip, spinach, etc.)
1 loaf of french bread, preferably stale
Dried cranberries, 3/4 C.
Chicken broth, 1/2 C.
Garlic, 1-2 cloves
1 scallion/green onion
White wine vinegar, 6 T.
Extra virgin olive oil, 8 T.
1 lemon
Sugar
Butter
3 eggs
2 T. of lemon curd
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Wine (I picked up a bottle of 2009 Starborough Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough at our local wine shop. At around $10, it is a crisp, affordable white wine that pairs well with roast chicken. It also has a decent WS rating of 90 points.)

Game Plan:

Monday night (or the weekend before): Grocery shop (10-30 minutes, depending on your speed of shopping). Gather all your ingredients (listed above).

Tuesday night: Prep the bread salad ingredients (10 minutes). Cut up a loaf of french bread (I used the 1/2 loaf left over from Jazz in the Park) and freeze. Slice one green onion and 1-2 cloves of garlic, and refrigerate. Loosely chop a few handfuls of dark greens, and also refrigerate. (I had a mixture of turnip greens and kale from my CSA, but spinach, arugula, or any old green will do.)

Greens from my CSA.

Wednesday night: Season the bird (5 minutes). Remove the giblets and lump of fat from inside the chicken (throw this in your chicken broth freezer bag). Wash and thoroughly dry a 2-3 pound chicken (the smaller the better for this recipe, as we'll be cooking it at an extremely high temperature). Take 4 stems of herbs (I used sage from my garden, but use whatever fresh or dried herbs you have) and shove one stem under the skin of each of the breasts and thighs. Sprinkle the entire bird with Kosher salt and cracked pepper. Twist and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. Cover and refrigerate.

Friday afternoon/early evening: Prepare (but do not bake) the souffles (30 minutes). This is the most time consuming part of the dinner prep, and if you have a day job, you can feel free to skip it entirely. If so, just pick up a nice tart from your local bakery--no one will know the difference. If you are highly neurotic like me, make the souffles anyways (recipe below). Now, I know my pastry chef friends will probably frown on this recipe (especially the make-ahead part), but as they turned out perfectly delicious, I am going to share it. I made up the recipe as I went along, which I wouldn't recommend, although it did work (this time). The souffles were lemony, light, and airy, even after sitting for a few hours (unbaked) in the fridge.

My Easy-ish Lemon Souffles

(Printable Recipe)

3 eggs, separated
3/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2 T. lemon curd
Zest and juice of one lemon
Butter and sugar, for dusting the ramekins

*Note: If you are nervous about making a souffle (and you shouldn't be, they are much sturdier than French chefs would have us believe), read this article on Six Steps to a Perfect Lemon Souffle.

Butter and dust the ramekins. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, lemon curd, and lemon zest and juice until light yellow. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites, vanilla extract, and salt until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the egg whites to the lemony yolk mixture, trying to keep the entire mixture as light and fluffy as possible. Transfer to 4 ramekins. Cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

After you've eaten dinner, and while your guests are still raving about your roast chicken (see below), preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 10-12 minutes. And dessert is served.

Lemon Souffle

Friday night: Assemble and enjoy (1 hour or so, but most of that time can be spent chatting over a bottle of wine). If you have time (I usually don't), let the chicken rest on the counter until it reaches room temperature, about an hour. Preheat the oven to 475. While the oven preheats, take the bread out of the freezer and layer on the bottom of a skillet. Perch the bird, breast side up, on top, like so:

There is no need to truss your chicken--if the thighs are flopping around, just use a toothpick or two in to keep the thighs close to the body.

Roast for 20 minutes, or until the skin starts to blister and turn golden brown. You may need to adjust the temperature of the oven here--I had to turn up my oven to 500 as the skin wasn't browning enough for me. Use your judgment. Turn the bird over so the breast meat doesn't dry out, and roast for an additional 20-30 minutes (start checking at 10 minutes, though, in case your bird is very puny or your oven is very finicky). Flip back over again for 5-10 minutes, or until "done." I wish I could give better instructions, but roasting a chicken is more of an art than a science--I distrust meat thermometers, so I never use them. If you do use a thermometer, insert it in the thickest part of the thigh (not near bone or fat) and pull the chicken out when it reaches 180-185 degrees. It will continue to cook as it rests. If you are like me, grab one of the legs and twist--if the bone turns very easily under the meat, it is done. You could also insert a knife in the breast--if the juices run clear, it is done. This method is riskier, as each time you pierce the breast, you lose precious juices and could up with a dry bird. As I said, art not science. A bird that is ready to come out of the oven should look something like this:

"Done."

As the chicken is roasting, prepare the bread salad. Whisk 8 T. olive oil with 6 T. white wine vinegar. Saute the scallion with the garlic until soft, then add 1/2 C. chicken stock and the greens. Simmer, covered, while the chicken cooks. Add the cranberries and allow them to plump up in the stock for the last few minutes.

When the chicken is "done," remove it from the oven and remove the chicken to another plate. Cover it tightly with foil. Throw the bread into the greens (there may be a few pieces of bread that are too brown to serve, so discard those). Dress the mixture with the vinaigrette and season. Place on your serving platter. Carve the meat and place on top of the salad. Serve immediately.

Who needs take-out?

Mario Batali's Bolognese

2011-06-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

Make this sauce immediately. I am not kidding. It is fantastic. The recipe is huge, but it freezes well. I like to make a batch and freeze it in smaller quantities to pull out for a quick weeknight dinner. And, to top it off, it is so pretty:

Sauce bubbling away . . .

I made one major modification, using my CSA ground beef rather than ground pork and veal. Other than that, the ingredients are all simple--thyme, tomato paste, milk, water, wine, pancetta (or bacon), and vegetables.

Finished sauce

No Place Like Home

2011-06-14T22:12:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, A and I went to D.C. It was nice--historic buildings, ancient art, great food and wine, and even better friends:

The Old Post Office

DOJ Building: Makes me proud to be a lawyer.

But I am of the firm opinion that there really is, "no place like home." And the Bluegrass really is home:

Home.

Our neighborhood hosts Jazz in the Park every Tuesday night in the summer. So A and I packed up our dinner, and headed up the road for dinner al fresco.

I believe that picnics should be casual but elegant. This doesn't mean that they are time consuming or expensive. It does mean that they should be delicious.

I stopped by our local bakery for some prosciutto, brie, and a baguette. Our fridge yielded some leftover pizza toppings (a.k.a bacon, herbs, and scallions), which I tossed with frozen peas to make a quick pea salad.

This salad is delicious and a cinch to make: juice one orange and whisk with 1/3 C. of olive oil, 1 T. of Dijon, a few T. of white wine vinegar, and Kosher salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over a bag of frozen peas that has been warmed slightly. Add cooked bacon, scallions, and whatever fresh herbs you have around.

I boiled a few eggs, threw a few gherkins in a bowl, cut up an apple and some melon, grabbed some marmalade, and chilled a bottle of wine.

And dinner was served:

There really is no place like home.

Marmalade

2011-06-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Memorial Weekend was glorious--three days off from work, and nothing to do. I did manage to keep busy in the kitchen. First up, ginger marmalade. My first foray into actual canning (I've made jam before, but never canned it) went pretty well. All the jars sealed, and the jam, while a bit more runny than I would have liked, is delicious. I used Alton Brown's recipe. The one modification--adding 1 T. or so of ground ginger. This recipe makes about 10 (8-ounce) jars of marmalade, so you'll have plenty to share with family and friends.

This marmalade is pretty chunky, which didn't bother me.

Jars of jam cooling

CSA Vegetable Risotto . . . For One

2011-06-05T11:07:00.002-04:00

I love having an evening all to myself. I blame this on A's time in the Navy. In reality, I just like to be alone sometimes. The other night A went camping with some work friends, and I was left to my own devices for one whole day and night. I managed to pull my lazy self off the couch to make this vegetable risotto, using the veg from our CSA that A hates (but I conveniently love)--asparagus, sugar snap peas, herbs, and spring onions.

Clockwise from the top left corner: onions, asparagus, arborio rice, fennel, parmesan cheese, and sugar snap peas.

Risotto is extremely versatile. You don't need a recipe--you just need the correct ratio of broth and arborio rice (3:1). Add to that whatever veg/meat you have, toss with parmesan cheese, and you have risotto.

As with most things, there is one tiny catch: risottos are cantankerous. You have to mind them like you would a wayward toddler--never turn your back. But the rewards are worth it:

CSA Vegetable Risotto

My risotto recipe follows (remember, this serves 1 as a main or 2 as a side):

3/4 C. arborio rice
2 1/4 C. chicken broth
1/2 C. dry white wine
few handfuls of asparagus, the tough parts removed and chopped into small pieces
few handfuls of fresh sugar snap peas
fresh herbs, whatever you have
1/2 bulb of fennel and some fennel fronds
1/2 an onion
1 green onion
black pepper
a few handfuls of grated parmesan cheese
2 T. butter

Sauté the asparagus and sugar snap peas in the butter for 3-4 minutes until tender but still crisp. (Use less butter or substitute olive oil if you are feeling virtuous. I wasn't.) Remove vegetables and set aside. Heat the broth in another pan until it is simmering--keep at a low simmer while you proceed. Sauté onion, green onion, and fennel on medium-high heat until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Continue to cook the risotto by adding 1/2 C. of the hot broth to the rice and stirring constantly (this is the temperamental bit) until absorbed. Continue to add the hot broth, 1/2 C. at a time, in the same manner, until the broth is gone and the rice is cooked. (Start tasting at 15 minutes--depending on your stovetop, the rice could be done at 15, 18, or 21 minutes.) Stir in cheese, black pepper, vegetables, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately with a crisp Riesling and a simple salad.

Roasted Caprese Salad

2011-05-29T12:05:00.000-04:00

I have been trying to convince A that he really likes caprese salad, even though he doesn't like tomatoes or fresh basil. But I'm sure he likes it deep down, or at least he will when I'm through with him. (Full disclosure: I have been playing this same little game with onions, asparagus, and "stinky cheese" for nine years to no avail.) I used the Barefoot Contessa's recipe, available here. The tomatoes are slathered with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and plenty of salt and pepper, then slow roasted for two hours. Once cooled, they are arranged with fresh mozzarella and basil, and served. The tomatoes are sweet, tangy, and intensely tomato-y, which is cut by the spicy basil and cool mozzarella. Aaron still doesn't like caprese salad. But oh boy, do I.

It's the End of the World . . . and I Feel Fine!

2011-05-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I decided to have a small gathering to celebrate the end of the world. Did I think the world was going to end? Nope. But I do like any excuse for a party, even a demented, crazy one. A and I picked up a nice leg of lamb, which we barbecued and served with fresh minted peas and raisin, green onion, and almond couscous. A bit of wine, a pavlova, and dinner was served . . . at 7:30 p.m. Boy are we brave.

The lamb was easy--I just slathered it with a mixture of ketchup, red wine vinegar, cumin, smoked paprika, Kosher salt, pepper, ground ginger, and some fresh garlic and herbs from my garden (rosemary, cilantro, basil, thyme, you get the picture). I used to be much more timid when it came to making up recipes as I go. Then I realized, it isn't brain surgery, people. Just throw cover the meat with some dry spices and then coat with ketchup and some vinegar or citrus. It will be okay.

Then hand to your significant other to grill.

(Seriously, though, grill at about 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 130 degrees. Let rest for 20 minutes or so before carving.) And you will have this:

I don't know about you, but I felt just fine Saturday night.

Royal Wedding Extravaganza: All Things British Edition

2011-05-06T19:28:00.001-04:00

Any of my readers who know me, even just socially, will not be surprised to learn that I am a bit of an anglophile. So, while I am not normally a fan of weddings per se, the very thought of the Royal Wedding filled me with great anticipation. I was less thrilled once I realized I had court that morning (and a full day of work after that). We all have crosses to bear, don't we?

Anyways, since I was not fortunate enough to watch the Royal Wedding in its entirety live, I made up for lost time that evening by planning a "Royal Wedding Extravaganza: All Things British Edition" (And yes, this is how I referred to it . . . all week long. It was a long week for A.)

To start, we had smoked salmon pate with Melba toast. Easy but delicious:

Ever in the festive spirit, I broke out my Wedgwood china.

For the main, what else would do but roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and potatoes? The recipe I used called for the traditional duck fat (I order mine from amazon.com), which made the meal all the more luxurious (and, dare I say it, fit for a ~~king~~ queen?):

The initial duck fat induced browning.

The Main Event.

To finish, we went for a simple Eton Mess. This was an easy dessert for me, less easy for A., who was in charge of gathering the meringues for said dessert. When he walked in our local French bakery, the French proprietor barked, "What are you doing with a gun in my shop?" A. is, as I may have mentioned, a deputy sheriff, so carrying a gun kind of comes with the territory (here, we diverge ever so slightly from our peace-loving British allies). Aaron persisted, though, and made it out of the bakery alive and, more importantly (I tease), with the meringues. We crushed them, folded them into softly whipped cream, and topped with assorted fruits. I was ever so tempted to break out in "God Save the Queen."

Basically, Eton Mess is pavlova without all the work.

Chicken Tagine

2011-04-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

I had a hankering for mediterranean food the other weekend, so decided to make chicken tajine. There are numerous recipes out there, but they all call for the same basic ingredients--lots of spices, harissa, preserved lemon, chicken, and olives.

I could not find harissa in my local market, so I used this recipe and made my own. This was easy and kind of fun. (Yes, I realize that means my definition of "fun" may be slightly skewed.) Basically, harissa is just a paste made with rehydrated chiles, herbs, and oil. Stored properly, it will keep for ages in your fridge--just cover the top with olive oil each time you open it.

I also could not locate any preserved lemons. Again, these are an easy fix. Purists may balk, but you can cut a lemon into wedges, squeeze the juice into a plastic bag, throw the rinds in after the juice, and cover with salt. Freeze overnight. Pull the bag out in the morning and let thaw. Rise one wedge off (this is obviously a step not to be missed), remove any pulp, and use in your recipe. Store the remaining wedges packed in salt and juices in an air-tight container.

Chicken Stock in a Slow Cooker

2011-04-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

I know some people might think it is excessive to make your own chicken broth. I mean, you can buy it at the super market for about $2.99. The thing is, the homemade stuff is just much better . . . much. And it takes less time to make than a trip to the grocery store. Don't believe me?

Every time we have chicken (whether roasted by myself or the local market), I throw the bones and unused bits, usually the neck and backbone, in a plastic bag in the freezer. At the same time, I also add any leftover veg--that half an onion, pepper, tomato, leek, or parsley that has been languishing in the bottom of the fridge--in another bag. When the bags are full, I pull out my slow cooker, dump the bags out (frozen and all), cover with water, and add a bay leaf or two, peppercorns, and a bit of Kosher salt. Flip the switch to high for as long as you want (usually 6-8 hours does the trick), and go about your business. If you are so inclined, skim off any crud that appears on the top, but it isn't the end of the world if you have better things to do. (I usually do.) When the broth is ready, let it cool, strain it (twice, and maybe even a third time for good measure), and put it in plastic containers overnight in the fridge. Skim off any fat the next morning, close tightly, and freeze. You will end up with at least 2 1/2 quarts of stock, or, about $8.00 worth, which, of course, has cost you nothing but your freezer leftovers.

Thanks to my mother, who tipped me onto making my stock in the slow cooker!

Bachelor Night Pasta

2011-04-16T08:00:00.003-04:00

Sometimes the best dinners are the ones you throw together from what you have in the house. For Bachelor Monday* a few weeks ago, I came home to find 3/4 bulb of fennel (not sure what happened to the other quarter), a bit of heavy cream, some parm, parsley, and some lovely baby spinach. The pantry yielded some spices and pasta, the freezer produced some delicious Stone Cross bacon and my slow cooker broth.

And within 30 minutes, Bachelor Night Pasta was born.

Bachelor Night Pasta

1 bulb (or close thereto) of fennel, sliced
a few handfuls of spinach, arugula, endive, etc.
1/4 C. heavy cream
1/2 C. parm, grated
1/2 C. parsley, chopped
chili pepper flakes
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. dried oregano
plenty of Kosher salt and pepper
6-10 slices of bacon, in chunks
1/2 C. chicken broth
a dash of white wine
1 pound of pasta, whatever kind you like, cooked al dente
1 C. or so of the pasta water

Cook and drain the bacon. Discard most of the bacon fat, but reserve a bit in the pan--saute the fennel with the dried herbs and 1/2 the parsley for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with a bit of wine, and add the chicken broth. Simmer for 15 minutes until the fennel is tender. Stir the cooked pasta with the fennel, pasta water, cream, bacon, cheese, the spinach, and the rest of the parsley. Season again to taste. Devour in front of your favorite guilty pleasure.

*On Bachelor Monday my sisters/cousins/uncle and I like to torture A by watching 2 hours of mind-numbing useless television. Usually, this event coincides with the one night a week or so I actually cook. So it is not a total loss from A's perspective.

Pizza Love

2011-04-09T08:00:00.003-04:00

Who doesn't love a good pizza? While I myself sometimes get a hankering for pizza, I must admit that I stick to the traditional--cheese, pepperoni, perhaps a vegetarian if I am feeling particularly righteous. But I don't often veer off the Domino's menu, so to speak.

The other night, however, I was stuck at home (read: too lazy to go out to the grocery store), but craving pizza. I had a random assortment of goodies in the fridge--bits of cheese, prosciutto de parma, fennel, garlic, parsley. Would this a pizza make? I figured I'd give it a shot.

And boy was it worth it. In fact, I think it has spoiled me for pepperoni. Even A., after looking dubiously at the pie, inhaled half of it and admitted, "it looks snooty, but it tastes awesome."

Caramelized Fennel and Prosciutto Pizza with Roasted Garlic White Sauce

1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced and caramelized (just cook over low heat with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of sugar for about 40 minutes)
a few strips of the very best prosciutto de Parma you can lay your hands on (or, in a pinch, use bacon)
white sauce, well seasoned, with a handful of cheese and a whole head of roasted garlic (lop the top of a head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 40-50 minutes wrapped in tin foil)
homemade pizza dough (I am partial to Smitten Kitchen's, which freezes beautifully) or store-bought
a few handfuls of whatever cheese you have on hand (I used some herb cheese, fresh mozzarella, and sharp cheddar)
roughly chopped parsley

Preheat your oven to its highest setting. Roll out the pizza dough as thinly as possible and layer the sauce, cheese, fennel, and prosciutto on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes until pie reaches its desired crispiness, and top with parsley. Let cool for 5 minute or so (if you can stand it) before eating. The prosciutto will crisp up beautifully, and pairs well with the sweet, anise flavor of the fennel and the gooey cheese sauce.

Mini-Break to Persimmon Winery

2011-04-02T08:00:00.005-04:00

A. and I had a mini-break to Persimmon Winery, in Clayton, Georgia the other weekend. Pluses--no Internet or cable, a beautiful cabin surrounded by a peaceful vineyards, and two bottles of wine included.

Minuses--no restaurant, and no grocery store for miles.

If A. was married to a normal woman, she would grab a box a mac n' cheese, a few cans of soup, and a pile of snacks on the way out of town and be done with it. Not me. I started planning a few weeks in advance, as I was determined that our vacation be "totally casual" and "simple." (As A. trenchantly observed, it is neither "totally casual" nor "simple" to make five to-do lists and start packing a week in advance. What can I say? I am neurotic.)

We (and by "we" I mean mostly "me") planned a "simple" menu as follows (just click on the links to be redirected to the recipes):

Saturday (Date of Arrival)

In the car: Egg McMuffins (most definitely not homemade)
Snack: Cheese and Charcuterie Platter
Dinner: Homemade Pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella and Fresh Basil; Salad

Dessert: Homemade Kettle Corn and Chocolate

Sunday

Breakfast: Quiche (included, and it was fabulous), fruit salad, and Caffe Marco Coffee
Lunch/Snack: Fend for yourself...
Dinner: Steak with Peas, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Onions
Dessert: Nanimo Bars

Monday (Date of Departure)

Breakfast: Assorted muffins (included), fruit salad, and coffee

Since we did not have cable television, we rented some movies from iTunes: a bit of the old (Casablanca, Gigi), a bit of comedy (The Seven-Year Itch--okay, so that is old too, but completely hilarious), and a bit of suspense (Inception, which I still don't understand, and Suspicion). We A. built a few roaring fires, I averaged 3 naps a day, and I read (count them) two whole books. It was fabulous.

Poor (Wo)Man's Oysters Rockefeller

2011-03-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

My great-grandparents lived in a small hamlet in rugged Nova Scotia. I have fond memories of picking blueberries behind their house and digging clams along the rocky shore. Alhough they lived modestly, we always ate like ~~kings~~ queens.

(From right to left: My mother, her father and mother, and Great Nanny, my great-grandmother.)

Buggy, as we called my great grandfather, loved smoked oysters. I remember eating them straight out of the tin with him, perhaps with a cracker or two to offset their brininess. Funny how such simple foods--fresh blueberries, clams, tinned oysters--make such vivid memories, even 25 years later.

I like to keep a tin or two of smoked oysters in the pantry for nights when I am home alone. (I have been unable to convince A. that they not "vile.") If I am feeling nostalgic, I eat them straight out of the tin. If I am feeling festive, I make a quick cream cheese spread (mix a tsp. or so of lemon juice and black pepper mixed with a few T. of cream cheese), crack open the tin, sprinkle with parsley, and devour the lot on crackers with a dab or two of hot chili sauce. Just goes to show that "be it ever humble," there is nothing tastier than a tinned oyster. Thanks, Buggy!

Nigella's Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

2011-03-19T07:26:00.001-04:00

I love Nigella. Her recipes are simple, and her style of entertaining is relaxed (if just a bit cheeky). A. picked up some delicious salmon the other Friday evening. After a long week of work, cooking is not high on either of our priority lists: Nigella's Teriyaki Glazed Salmon was just the ticket. Only four ingredients. (Two of which required a trip to the liquor store, but who's keeping track?) A. took care of the grilling. Meanwhile, I cooked some rice and made a quick cucumber salad. It was sublime. The glaze was thick and sticky, and paired well with the meaty salmon and crunchy cucumber salad.