Pinch

Where Do You Keep Your Brown Sugar?

2010-03-12T11:33:00.006-06:00

The Container Store: enemy or savior to the cluttered house? Discuss.

I'm on the fence. I have found several very practical items there. I love the glass juice pitchers and my nice looking short term storage boxes for my kids' school work and the wheeled, wire sports bin that lives in our front closet. But it's all so excessive, the buying of boxes to put your stuff into.

Anyway, on my last trip to TCS I came home with something I'm totally enjoying: an airtight sugar bowl. I popped a ceramic sugar saver in the bottom and have about a cup of brown sugar stored within. It's been a few weeks and it's kept the sugar perfectly soft. I keep the container out with my regular sugar bowl, salt cellar and pepper grinder. I buy most baking ingredients, brown sugar included, in larger amounts to accommodate the semi-professional work I take from time to time. During the winter oatmeal season, when I use brown sugar more frequently I don't enjoy tucking into a big plastic bag.

It's just the sort of unnecessary/awesome thing I often find at TCS.

As for the brown sugar saver it's a barely 3-inch round lump of terra cotta that you soak in water then leave in your brown sugar to keep it from drying out as is its wont. You can pick one up at Sur la Table, the purveyor of every awesome thing you want in your kitchen. Apparently, it's good for open bags of marshmallows, too. The sugar saver, not the purveyor.

Foolproof Spanish Tortilla

2010-03-12T11:27:00.004-06:00

I owe Beth big for figuring out a way to cook a Spanish tortilla the easy way. Her discovery - simply baking it in a cake pan - not only takes the stress and guesswork out of cooking it in a skillet on the cook top, but the finished product also tastes a whole lot better. The evenness of the oven cooks it way more gently. I'll never use a skillet again.

You can add whatever you like. I like the look of the red pepper in there, but asparagus would look great too. Just start with the potato/onion and add from there. Here's how:

Oven baked Spanish Tortilla
Print recipe only here

INGREDIENTS
5 T extra virgin olive oil
5-6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 small onion , halved and sliced thin
1 t salt
Fresh ground black pepper
10 large eggs
1 red pepper, roasted, rinsed and diced (or 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers , rinsed, dried, and diced)

METHOD
Line a 9-inch cake pan with a piece of parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350.

Toss potatoes, onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper with 3 T of the olive oil in large bowl until potato slices are thoroughly coated. Heat 2 T oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Reduce heat to medium-low, add potato mixture to skillet, and set bowl aside without washing. Cover and cook, stirring with rubber spatula every 5 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Now prep your add-ins. I like it just with roasted red pepper (fresh or, in a pinch, jarred ones). Other options: cooked greens like chard, diced chorizo, bacon or prosciutto, asparagus tips or fresh green peas. Before adding anything to the eggs, you must first sauté or thoroughly drain and dry it.

Whisk eggs and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in reserved bowl. Using rubber spatula, fold hot potato mixture, red peppers, and any other add-ins you like into eggs. Pour into the parchment-lined 9-inch cake pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until puffed up and golden. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a large, flat plate. Remove the parchment paper, invert onto a second plate (or foil-wrapped cake circle) for service. Serve at room temperature.

Top Notch Ramen in Five Easy Steps

2010-03-09T20:54:00.008-06:00

I based this recipe on one from my Wagamama Cookbook. Those Brits do good ramen. I made it tonight and was so enamored with its beauty and flavor that we gobbled it before I remembered the camera. Oopsie. You simply must pick up these ingredients first thing tomorrow. Soup lovers will love you for it.

The five steps all take place in the grocery store. The title is a little disingenuous. The ingredients should not be too hard to procure. Most grocery stores have a decent array of Asian sauces. Here's what you need:

1. Produce: fresh ginger, garlic, green onions, a red onion, bean sprouts, one lime, cilantro. If you see them and you're brave, a fresh red chili. Otherwise dried chili flakes are just fine.

2. Chicken broth (I only use Imagine Organic - it's so perfectly flavored, just needs a bit of reduction time). Pick up two 32-ounce boxes.

3. Ramen noodles. You can, of course, use a thin spaghetti, but I really don't like to. My new favorite noodle is from KA-ME - the Chinese egg noodle. They cook up very nicely and are the right length and texture. KA-ME's curly Japanese noodles look great, too, tho I have not yet tried them.

4. Chicken, though you could substitute steak, shrimp, pork or tofu. One breast per person.

5. Bottled stuff: sweet chili sauce (Mae Ploy is my first choice - I buy it in Chicago at Dominick's). Thai Kitchen also makes a nice one, tho it costs more for a much smaller bottle), malt vinegar (tho cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar make excellent substitutes), and fish sauce (Thai Kitchen is what I buy).

Back at home, all you need is about a half and hour to put it all together.

Chicken Chili Ramen
Print recipe only here

Serves 2, generously

INGREDIENTS
4-6 ounces ramen noodles
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

6 cups chicken broth
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Pinch chili flakes (or a seeded and sliced fresh red chili)
2 T sweet chili sauce (I like Mae Ploy)
2 T fish sauce
2 t malt vinegar (cider or rice wine vinegar are fine substitutes)
1 t sugar

3 green onions, sliced thinly on a diagonal
¼ red onion, sliced thinly
2-4 T cilantro, chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
½ lime, quartered

Preheat grill or oven. Rinse and dry chicken. Rub with a little oil, salt and pepper and cook. When done, bush with a bit of bottled chili sauce (or teriyaki) and set aside to cool before slicing.

Bring a pot of water to boil for the ramen.

To a separate pot, add chicken broth, garlic, ginger and chili flakes and bring to a boil. Simmer on lowest setting for about 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, malt vinegar and sweet chili sauce.

Cook ramen according to instructions.

Prep veggies and reserve.

Slice chicken and reserve.

Add chili sauce/vinegar mixture to the chicken broth and stir in. Allow to simmer 1-2 more minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired.

Divide noodles between two bowls. Top with broth, then chicken, then the cilantro, piece of lime, sprouts and onion. Serve and enjoy.

And the Winner is...

2010-03-02T12:14:00.004-06:00

Tara Burns! The order of views from high to low was:

5. When You are Attacked by a Squirrel
3. Cookies that Could Cost You Your Job
4. Eight Reasons Coffee Might be the Boss of You
1. Cookie Monster, Yoda, and Afternoon Tea
2. Indoor S'mores: Seriously

Congratulations, Tara!

If Anonymous would like to come forward I offer a prize for making me laugh out loud.

Thanks, all, for playing. And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Celebrating Two Years with Fun, Games, and Pinch-worthy Cookies

2010-03-01T11:08:00.007-06:00

Pinch is two years old today. I was surveying all the posts written since its debut (nearly 250!) and decided a fun way to celebrate would be to have you rank five posts in order of how many views they've tallied individually.

The contest will be open for 24 hours. To win, you must rank the posts (#1 will have been the most read post, #5 will have been the least) correctly. All entries must be submitted in the COMMENTS section in this post (below). The first person to submit the correct ranking will receive two dozen of my new favorite cookie, Hazelnut Biscotti.

So, here are the posts, in order of when they appeared on Pinch:

1. Cookie Monster, Yoda, and Afternoon Tea
2. Indoor S'mores: Seriously
3. Cookies that Could Cost You Your Job
4. Eight Reasons Coffee Might be the Boss of You
5. When You are Attacked by a Squirrel

Good luck! And thanks so much for reading.

Where to Buy Avocados, Broccoli, Carrots, and Citrus

2010-02-26T17:10:00.010-06:00

Many readers have written in over the last two years (Pinch is gonna be two on Monday, yo!) asking for advice on the best grocers from which to purchase produce. So here's a starter list, inspired by The Atlantic food writer Corby Kummer's blind tasting of produce from Whole Foods and Walmart in his Northeastern locale. Pinch is Chicago-based. The following store recommendations are based on price and quality.

There's no Walmart in my 'hood so you won't see that as an option. You won't see Stanley's, either. Stanley's can be good, but I found it not reliable enough to justify the trip west. I don't get to the indoor Green City Market very frequently. Remaining indoor market Saturdays are February 27, March 13 & 27, and April 10 & 24 from 8:00 am- 1:00 pm at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

The outdoor market begins May 12. I am so looking forward to riding my bike there are getting my Ciabatta fix and filling my bike baskets with farm produce. Until then, I'll be shopping for:

Avocados - Dominick's, Treasure Island, or Whole Foods. I'm at WF more frequently and will always check to see if there's a deal on avocados. Many times this winter I've seen them at $1 apiece. If you buy firm avocados, allow them to ripen at room temperature in a brown paper lunch bag.

Broccoli - Trader Joe's. They sell Earthbound Organic crowns and conventional (non-organic) baby broccoli that we love. In the fall I love picking up crowns at the Green City or LP Farmer's Market.

Carrots - Whole Foods. And I no longer buy baby carrots on account of them not tasting like anything. I buy 2# bags of organic carrots at WF and find them substantially better than any other carrots in the city grocers.

Citrus - Trader Joe's has the best prices on lemons, limes, Navel oranges, and Clementines. They get a nod for carrying Key Limes, blood oranges and Meyer lemons when they are in season (right now for the latter two). Whole Foods has the best Texas Ruby Red grapefruit.

Restaurant Week Ends and Wine Week Begins

2010-02-24T22:27:00.006-06:00

Leave it to Chicago to eat and drink its way through winter.

There are just a few days left of Restaurant Week in Chicago. If you couldn't get a table at your favorite steakhouse for restaurant week you've got a second chance. Smith & Wollensky's 46th annual Wine Week begins Monday, March 1 and runs until the 5th.

This is the third year for Restaurant Week, which is sponsored by the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau. Just two years ago for the inaugural event there were 35 restaurants on board. This year they've got more than 170 restaurants participating, so you can easily find a restaurant you haven't tried yet.

The deal is for a prix-fixe three-course lunches for $22 and dinners for $32 through February 28. The Wine Week deal is $10 for ten wines with your lunch order. You go to Wine Week for the wine. Lunch is a mere matter of course.

How Do You Store Your Coffee Beans?

2010-02-23T14:51:00.007-06:00

Metropolis told me just to store them in the dark,valve bag in which I bought them. They said it shouldn't be airtight.

Peets aggreed about storing in a dark container but disagreed about air, advocating an airtight container as the best storage option. They sell two models in the North Ave shop.

Both retailers were quick to pronounce temperature extremes as a bean's sworn enemy. One particular counterperson was ready to throw down when I mentioned reading a proponent of refrigerator storage.

Starbucks founder Jerry Baldwin recommends storing beans that will be used within two weeks in the fridge, and storing in the freezer for longer periods. He doesn't like air tight containers as they trap air in. He suggests bagging beans and squeezing out as much air as possible.

Personally, I keep my beans in the bag in which I purchase them (these days from Peet's in a valveless generic bag). I buy about 3/4 of a pound every week, on Thursday afternoons when they arrive at the store freshly roasted.

More time to kill? Read Baldwin's thoughts on the subject.

RealTime Lunch: Mexican Pork Tenderloin Stew

2010-02-09T13:11:00.007-06:00

In Mexican Everyday, Rick introduces this recipe (he calls it Pork Tenderloin a la Mexicana) with the advice, "Make it a staple in your kitchen." Not to be one to disregard a trusted authority, I immediately procured a pork tenderloin and a couple of poblano peppers and made my new favorite stew. Trouble is, we didn't love it so much when we had it the other night.

Soups and stewy things always tend to be better the next day when flavors have had more time, and a second round of cooking, to emerge. I'm enjoying my leftovers immensely. And so it comes to be that, today, on a gorgeous and snowy Chicago winter day, Mexican Pork Stew is being offered on Pinch.

It's hearty and lean and not unlike a fancy chili. The cooking time really is short. I'm reluctant to provide timing on recipes because people work at different comfort/skill levels and with a variety of distractions. But it took me less than 30 minutes, for sure. Next time I'll start making it at around 3 and let it sit for a few hours, then reheat at dinnertime. That would probably deliver the dish to its more flavorful 'leftover' state. Oh, and it wasn't spicy. Not even a teeny bit.

Mexican Pork Stew

Print recipe only here

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
2 poblano peppers
1 to 1 1/2 pounds pork loin or tenderloin, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 T canola oil
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
one 15-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)
3/4 cup beef broth (or 2/3 cup water plus 2 T Worcestershire sauce)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

METHOD
Roast or broil the poblanos, turning until blackened all over (allow 5 minutes over an open flame, or 10 minutes in the broiler). When done, transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate or towel, and allow to cool.

Trim and cube the pork and dry with paper towels. Don't skip this! Sprinkle with kosher salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet and, working in batches if necessary, add the pork and brown all over, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and reserve.

Using the same skillet, add the sliced onion and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, rub the blackened skins off the chilis and pull off the stems and seed pods. Rinse and cut into strips. Add the peppers and pressed garlic to the skillet with the onions and cook for another few minutes.

Add the tomatoes, broth or water/Worcestershire to a pot (I used a 3-quart Dutch oven) and bring to a boil. Add the peppers and onions, lower the heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

Add the pork and chopped cilantro to the pot and cook for about five minutes. Season to taste and serve, or cover and let rest. Reheat for 3-5 minutes before serving.

On the Menu This Week: Grilled Chicken with Mustard Sauce

2010-02-08T21:02:00.003-06:00

This is a family favorite. Key is the marinade which is really out of this world. I'm partial to Eden Organic Tamari, which I buy locally at Whole Foods. It has the most depth of flavor. I will often let this marinate for an hour or two in the fridge. The meal is very quick to pull together on a busy weeknight. As always, it's extremely light and exceptionally flavorful. Experimenting with different mustards is fun, too. I've been out of that wonderful Pommery Mustard for awhile and have been happy with plain old Grey Poupon.

If you live among sauce- or mustard-hounds you might just double the mustard sauce recipe. Some guests have opted to dip everything on their plates into the sauce.

Grilled Chicken with Mustard Sauce
Print recipe only here

INGREDIENTS
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts, one per person
Tamari
2-3 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Dijon and Country Dijon Mustards
Milk

For the marinade:
Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry, and place in a covered dish with:

* 1-2 T tamari or regular soy sauce (I like Eden Organic Tamari)
* 1T olive oil
* A few garlic cloves, smashed or sliced

Pierce breasts all over with a fork and allow the chicken to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, and up to overnight.

To cook:
Preheat grill.

In a small saucepan combine:

* 3 T Grey Poupon dijon mustard
* 3 T Grey Poupon country dijon mustard (the coarse one)
* 1/4 cup milk, nonfat or lowfat here work well
* A few turns black pepper

Stir to combine and heat gently, allowing it to barely simmer. Keep an eye on it - you're really just heating it through and not looking to reduce or thicken very much.

Grill chicken and plate with a generous dollop of sauce before serving. Serve with plain Basmati rice and something green, like Spicy Lemon Baby Broccoli or Szechuan Green Beans.

NEWSFLASH: One in Eight Americans Visited Food Banks in 2009

2010-02-02T15:11:00.015-06:00

The Pinched News sidebar is full of some really thought-provoking stories right now.

In mid-January the Times ran a report on CDC data that suggest obesity rates in the US have plateaued. Rates are still high, of course, but didn't get higher. From that article:

Some experts, though, were not optimistic that the leveling off was a result of improved eating and exercise habits.

“Until we see rates improving, not just staying the same, we can’t have any confidence that our lifestyle has improved,” said Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Children’s Hospital Boston.

Another compelling article was Snack Time Never Ends. If you have children, you can relate, I'm sure, to the lunacy of taking snack time to the end of every activity. When my children were very small this wasn't an issue for me - it' s only since they began playing team sports that I've taken umbrage with unnecessary post-game consumables. Nice hustle, kids! Do you want Pringles or Oreos with your Capri Sun?

And we wonder why we have an obesity epidemic on our hands.

A few articles concern school gardens, including Caitlin Flangan's recent missive in The Atlantic regarding the appropriateness of using time and money for school gardening programs in low-performing schools. While Flanagan misses an essential point of the innovative and practical teaching that is contained within the confines of even a waxed paper cup filled with potting soil and a few seeds (measurement! condensation! germination!) she does make a case for these lessons superceding lessons in higher math and reading. This is a good time to add that my children's urban public school is on the cusp of completing a roof garden with no public funding whatsoever, seeded financially via a Friends-of-the-School giving program, and seeded literally by a volunteer-led after school program called - perfectly - Super Seeders.

Finally, the news that startled me the most was this headline from today's Journal: One in Eight Americans Used Food Banks in 2009. Clearly, opening our wallets to local food banks remains necessary if we're serious about combating hunger in the US.

Don't see the articles in the sidebar? Find them under FOOD & CHILDREN here.

How to End a Cooking Slump

2010-01-31T21:56:00.008-06:00

I've been in a bit of a slump in the kitchen. A few factors got me here, mainly a lapse of creativity and a shortage of time to plan and shop. But I'm turning a new leaf. Aren't seasons wonderful? I'm slamming the door on January but full of anticipation for the longer days in the coming months.

How do you restart your kitchen fire? I hit the books. Earlier I spent some time scrolling thru some favorite cookbooks (The Wagamama Cookbook and Mexican Everyday) and picked several new recipes to try out. The foods I was looking for are all winter foods - slow cooked, often with some chili peppers. Mexican and Asian are great year-round but I love adding more heat to the winter plate. It warms you from within.

Recipes I'm going to try:

From the Wagamama Cookbook:

Chili Beef Ramen
Salmon Ramen
Yaki Soba (stir fried chicken, shrimp and soba noodles)

Courtesy of Bayless:
Slow Cooked Chicken with Tomatillos, Potatoes and Jalapenos
Guajillo Pork and Potatoes
Mexican Pork Tenderloin
Jalisco Braised Lamb

A third resource for finding recipes was a oldie from the NY Times that Kate reminded me about - The Minimalist's 101 Meals. It's a summer list, but I found ten recipes that I'd enjoy eating while Jack Frost is in town. Here they are, Pinched slightly:

1. Taco salad: Toss together Romaine lettuce, chopped tomato, chopped red onion, sliced avocado, a bit of canned corn and a half can black beans, rinsed. Dress with olive oil, fresh lime, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro leaves. Top with thinly sliced freshly sauteed corn tortillas.

2. Not takeout: Stir-fry onions with cut-up broccoli. Add cubed tofu, chicken or shrimp, or sliced beef or pork, along with a tablespoon each minced garlic and ginger. When almost done, add half cup of water, two tablespoons soy sauce and plenty of black pepper. Heat through and serve over fresh Chinese noodles.

3. Southeast Asia steak salad: Pan- or oven-grill skirt or flank steak. Slice and serve on a pile of greens with a sauce of one tablespoon each of nam pla and lime juice, black pepper, a teaspoon each of sugar and garlic, crushed red chili flakes and Thai basil.

4. Salmon (or just about anything else) teriyaki: Sear salmon steaks on both sides for a couple of minutes; remove. To the skillet, add a splash of water, sake, a little sugar and soy sauce; when mixture is thick, return steaks to pan and turn in sauce until done. Serve hot or at room temperature.

5. Cook chopped tomatillos with a little water or stock, cilantro and a little minced fresh chili; serve over grilled, broiled or sautéed chicken breasts, with corn tortillas.

6. Dredge thinly sliced chicken breasts in flour or cornmeal; cook about two minutes a side in hot olive oil. Place on bread with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

7. Thai-style beef: Thinly slice one and a half pounds of flank steak, pork shoulder or boneless chicken; heat canola oil in a skillet, add meat and stir. A minute later, add a tablespoon minced garlic and some red chili flakes. Add 30 thinly sliced basil leaves, a quarter cup of water and a tablespoon or two of soy sauce or nam pla. Serve with lime juice and more chili flakes, over rice or salad.

8. Rub not-too-thick pork or lamb chops with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil about three minutes a side and drizzle with good balsamic vinegar.

9. Heat a quarter-inch of olive oil in a skillet. Dredge flounder or sole fillets in flour and fry until crisp, about two minutes a side. Serve on good bread with tartar sauce.

10. Pan-grill a skirt steak for three or four minutes a side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, slice and serve over romaine or any other green salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon.

Happy February!

Chicken Cacciatore Down on Sullivan Street

2010-01-25T20:23:00.014-06:00

We had Chicken Cacciatore tonight. It was in regular rotation in my youth, much like The Stranger. Billy Joel's line from the Movin' Out/Anthony's Song really goes, "He works at Mister Cacciatore's down on Sullivan Street, across from the medical center..." The next part has the bit with the Cadillacacacacacac.

Anyway, the flavor of Chicken Cacciatore (pron. Catch-a-tory) is great, but I always hated the look of the blubbery chicken skin and bony stew. I use split breasts for this - the dish demands some bone, but they're kept in check. Remove the skin from the breast before cooking, but leave the meat on the bone to add flavor to the stewing sauce. You can easily remove the meat from the bone before plating. The resulting dish is an easy, healthy weeknight meal. Serve it atop pappardelle pasta. It rounds out the plate nicely.

Chicken Cacciatore
Print recipe only here

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 chicken breasts, on ribs
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup white wine
One 14-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

Pappardelle - about 8-12 ounces

METHOD
Remove skin from chicken breasts, rinse well and pat dry. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot (I used a 4-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven) over low-medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and chicken pieces, flesh side down. Brown slightly, then turn over and brown on the other side.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add the white wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, lower the heat and cover the skillet with the lid slightly ajar.

Cook the chicken in the simmering liquid, turning, basting, and smashing up tomatoes from time to time. Cook until the chicken is very tender, about 45 minutes.

Boil a large pot of water for the pappardelle and cook.

Taste the chicken for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper as needed. You can add some freshly chopped parsley, too. I didn't, but only because I seem to always have to justify parsley at my dinner table and it didn't seem worth the trouble.

Drain and toss pasta with olive oil, then portion on plates. Separate the chicken breasts from the rib bones if you like, and plate, topping with a generous ladleful of sauce. Serve and enjoy.

To Die for Hazelnut Biscotti

2010-01-24T23:45:00.010-06:00

I've really been enjoying David Lebovitz's recipes lately. If you haven't checked out his blog, you should. Many of his recipes are there. This biscotti is adapted - just slightly - from his Chocolate Biscotti. I received a case of hazelnut flour at Christmastime (thanks, JDR) and have been working the flour - simply ground hazelnuts - into cakes and pastries.

What I really like about this recipe is the absence of butter. Not only are they a lean cookie, they have just the right crispness for a dunking biscotti. We've been enjoying them all week in our morning espresso.

Hazelnut Biscotti
Print recipe only here

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

NOTES
Be sure to use the best quality cocoa powder you can get your hands on. You decide between natural or Dutch process - it doesn't matter. I use Valrhona's Dutched cocoa. I think it's got the richest, most chocolaty flavor and color. The flavor of the cookie depends entirely on the quality of the cocoa here. They will not be the same amazing cookie is you use an inferior cocoa.

No hazelnuts? No hazelnut flour? No problem! Substitute almonds. Use regular flour. Just don't skimp on the cocoa.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour (or one cup flour and one cup hazelnut flour)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely-chopped
3/4 cup chocolate chips

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350

Toast the hazelnuts for 5-7 minutes. cool. Rub together between your hands to remove skins.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla. If doing it by hand, whisk vigorously for a minute. On the stand mixer, use the paddle and beat for about a minute. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then add the nuts and chocolate chips and mix gently until incorporated. The dough will be a little wet - this is ok.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Lightly flour a work surface and divide the dough in half. Roll the dough into two logs - to about the length of the baking sheet. The logs should be about 2-3 inches wide. Transfer the logs onto the baking sheet, spaced evenly apart.

Gently flatten the tops of the logs and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the dough feels firm. Cracks in the dough are normal after the first baking.

Allow the logs to cool completely. Use a serrated bread knife to cut the cookies into 1/3-inch thick slices. Lay the cookies cut side down on baking sheets and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes, turning the baking sheet or flipping cookies over midway during baking.

Once cool, store the cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Serve with espresso or with ice cream.

Winter Citrus: It's 80 degrees Somewhere

2010-01-15T13:40:00.006-06:00

Citrus is one of my favorite things about winter. In addition to having no less than six different citrus fruits rolling about my kitchen (big naval oranges, Ruby Red grapefruit, Meyer lemons, clementine Cuties, and some garden-variety lemons and limes), I have a nice supply of citrusy essential oils (bergamot, neroli, sweet orange). And, yes, Virginia, that is a lemon tree in the background of the photo. And it's flowering!!

Just saying "tropical fruit" takes me away, Calgon-style, in a nanosecond. I may be sitting at my kitchen counter tucking into a Ruby Red grapefruit wearing a merino sweater, cozy corduroy and plush knee-highs, but there's sand between my toes and the sun is on my back, filtered through a canopy of palms.

I do some baking and cooking with citrus - fresh lime goes into guacamole and marinades, fresh lemon goes into salad dressings, aioli, hummus, and sauteed baby broccoli. And everyone under my roof loves lemon cake with a dollop of lemon curd on the side. Everything else goes into lunch bags or consumed in the morning, as a snack or sometimes as dessert. Lately, it's the Ruby Reds that are at their prime. A grocer once advised me on how to select a grapefruit with these words: weight. Pick the ones that are the most density for their size. Some might think he was shrewdly running up my bill. But the heaviest grapefruit is the juiciest one, and nothing beats squeezing the empty half into your bowl and drinking the fresh juice. Nothing.

For those inclined to think about it being 80 degrees and five o'clock somewhere, the fresh-squeezed grapefruit-vodka cocktail is a formidable challenger to the as-yet uncontested supremacy of the gimlet.

A Must Have Kitchen Tool for Winter Baking

2010-01-12T14:25:00.009-06:00

The last must-have tool I promoted was the lime/lemon squeezer. That has been positively indispensable. I use that thing almost every day. I just love the efficiency and the output.

This tool, a nutmeg grinder, won't get nearly as much use as the citrus squeezer only because nutmeg doesn't go into as many foods as lemon or lime. But it has been a welcome addition to my spice cabinet.

Any cook worth their salt will insist that you use freshly grated nutmeg instead of the bland, pre-ground grocery store alternative. And although you certainly can scrape a nutmeg across a grater manually, doing so is really cumbersome.

It bears mentioning that the grinder I bought has some design flaws - it doesn't store seeds easily. I could store them, but only one seed fits under the prongy-thing at a time. Positioning a new seed requires you to empty any stored seeds first, position a new whole seed and then return the stored seeds while trying to engage the spring loaded top. I'm won't bother to replace it, but I'd recommend getting one that's easier to refill, such as this one.

I've been happily grinding nutmeg atop lattes, into Pinched Potatoes au Gratin, blueberry scones, holiday pies and muffins. When I host my Caribbean-themed party, my grinder will come in handy for rum punch and jerk sauce.

So get a grinder, or get one for the gourmet in your life.

5 Entree Salads for the New Year

2010-01-11T21:36:00.006-06:00

This caught my eye today: After Holiday Gluttony, a Perfect Time for Entree Salads from the New York Times Recipes for Health column. I don't get a ton of recipes from this source - Martha's food never gets me excited - but I do like the idea she presents here. Naturally, the recipe that follows her great idea of a title is something I don't want to eat as a main course or otherwise, Curried Rice and Quinoa Salad.

It's very possible to eat light but still be totally satisfied with a entree salad just top a salad with grilled fish, chicken or steak, even a good canned tuna in a pinch. If you've grilled your protein, you want to let it rest for a minimum of five minutes after grilling/cooking, to lock in the juices - so it's not like you're going to wilt your greens. In my world, an entree salad is only really an entree is you've got some form of protein. Without protein, a big salad too closely resembles a refreshing glass of water.

1. Asian Grilled Salmon Salad (substitute steak, chicken or pork for the salmon)
2. Salad Nicoise
3. Skirt or Flank Steak Salad
4. Mixed Greens with Warm Goat Cheese and Roasted Beets
5. Chicken Salad on Greens. When I make this, I toss my greens with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and pinches of salt, sugar and pepper. Mound the greens on a plate and top with chicken salad.

Heathly Winter Baking: Rosemary Raisin Bread

2010-01-05T13:23:00.003-06:00

Decidedly Provencal Rosemary Raisin Bread, underway in the Pinch kitchen as I write, is one of my favorite things to bake in the winter months. Some years I gift loaves along with a jar of good apricot jam. A slice of this bread, toasted and slathered with apricot jam really hits the spot at tea time.

I'm not sure how far this year's loaves will travel. They freeze quite well, and slice easily when frozen. Hoarding is a natural consequence of this discovery. If you want some and don't feel like making it yourself, just show up on my doorstep at tea time (4pm Central).

One caveat - only use extra virgin olive oil here. Nothing else will cut it.

Rosemary Raisin Bread
Print recipe only here

Makes 2 loaves plus a smaller one

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cup plus 2 T warm water
1 ½ T yeast
>¼ cup plus 1 T sugar (divided)
1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil
3-5 sprigs rosemary (divided)
3 # flour (10 1/2 cups)
1 T salt
¼ cup sugar
6 eggs
3 yolks
8-12 ounces yellow raisins

METHOD
Combine yeast, water and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small mixing bowl or measuring cup.

In a small saucepan, heat olive oil and 1 ½ sprigs rosemary until fragrant and crispy.

Remove pan from heat and allow to cool.

Sift together flour, salt and remaining ¼ cup sugar.

Whisk together eggs and egg yolks in a mixing bowl (preferably the bowl from a stand mixer), then strain olive oil into eggs and whisk well to combine.

Add the proofed yeast to the eggs and oil and mix well.

Add the flour mixture, yellow raisins and 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary to the mixing bowl and mix using dough hook. When it comes together, turn out onto floured work surface and knead until smooth.

Place in an oiled bowl (use the same olive oil), turning it to coat the top of the dough. Cover the bowl well with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled.

Punch down, knead, and portion into two loaves, each weighing about 2.5 pounds. You will have a small amount leftover - this recipe yields 2 full size loaves and one much smaller one. I usually bake the extra one as a small round loaf on a flat baking sheet.

Kneed each dough ball into a smooth, oblong shape and place in a regular loaf pan (mine measure 9x5x3 on the outside) sprayed with baking release and cover with plastic. Allow to rise again until nicely rounded above the rim of the loaf pan. Don't skimp on this rise. If you do the loaves will rise too quickly in the oven and burst at the sides - bread's version of stretch-marks.

Brush the tops of the loaves with egg wash, score and bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 20-30 minutes. Loaves are done when the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Allow to cool.

To serve, slice with a serrated knife and serve, toasted or not, with apricot jam. The bread freezes well - just wrap tightly with plastic wrap.

Eating well when there's no time to cook

2010-01-03T21:33:00.007-06:00

I enjoy planning a good meal, shopping and spending time in the kitchen. But sometimes time doesn't allow for that. I had one such evening last night. It wasn't that I didn't have time, but I've been down with a head cold and just not really up to the task of making dinner. But, with a nice piece of salmon on hand, some fresh green beans, mixed greens and a dusting of jerk spice, we had a really easy meal that only required me to get vertical for about twenty minutes. It's not terribly inventive, but eating this way beats eating out (for those watching their waistlines, arteries or wallets).

Another idea is the one shown above, concocted with frozen shrimp, leftover pilaf rice and some sauteed onions and peppers. I tossed it all up in a skillet in the galley of a sailboat last week and finished it with a spot of Caribbean hot sauce. Again, I wasn't without time - I just didn't want to spend much of it in the galley. Marina Cay Shrimp and Rice was really good, though I was obviously distracted, both by the hot sauce and the view. Just look at that water!

To pull together your own fast food, start with a protein that doesn't require marinating time or take too long to cook. Flank steak is a nice meat option, especially when you slice it prior to grilling or searing (flank cooks nicely on a hot cast iron skillet). Then add a salad and a side. Green beans sauteed with lots of garlic are super tasty.

Happy 2010!

Nuts: The holiday slow food

2009-12-16T23:31:00.002-06:00

Adapted from the Pinch archives

We always have nuts around. Of the already-been-shelled variety, almonds, plain and smoked, and peanuts (GORP is a favorite household snack) are in steady supply. There's always a small tin of nuts in my glove box. A handful of nuts has gotten my children (by “my children” I mean me) through many an episode of food anxiety.*

In the summer we eat a lot of peanuts in the shell - either at Wrigley or at home watching the game on WGN. Sunflower seeds, also in the shell, are a summer snack when we’re camping or on a road trip. But it’s the holiday nuts that I get really excited about. Each year, right around November 1, I pull down a pewter challis from its perch on the shelf above my cookbooks and fill it with mixed nuts - walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, and brazil nuts - all in their pretty shells. We have a growing fleet of nutcrackers. My favorite is an olive wood screw turning one that I got my daughter out of a Montessori catalog.

Maybe it’s the excitement of the season, but something about cracking my own nuts and enjoying no more than five or six of them in one sitting makes for a delightful seasonal tradition. And this is what slow food is really all about - slowing down, enjoying our food more. It’s not about munching a handful of nuts between frenzied errands around town.

Slow down this season. Enjoy your food, whatever it may be.

*food anxiety - [food ang-zahy-i-tee] -noun
1. Distress or psychic tension caused by fear of one’s next meal not coming quickly enough.

The Audacity of the Cookie Exchange

2009-12-09T13:05:00.004-06:00

I have thoughts about cookie exchanges. See, this is why I have a blog. I'm more of a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell person. Some people are Tellers. They give you every life detail before you’ve even gotten a chance to introduce yourself or ask for directions. I have my Teller moments. My husband contends I'm guilty of sharing my hopes and dreams with the UPS guy. I wish I were making this up. So does the UPS guy.

In a regular conversation - as opposed to a blog post - I don’t tend to tell too much unless I’m asked. Then, the flood gates open. I’ve sensed your interest and intend to cure you of it, permanently.

What I’m trying to say is that no one has ever asked my opinion on cookie exchanges and it’s burning a hole in my esophagus. Pinch protects you and me both - me from maxillofacial injury and you because you can skip this post if you like.

But about the cookies.

I attend an annual Christmas cookie exchange that I’m partly responsible for. By partly, I mean that it wasn’t my idea, only that I set the date for the group. It’s next week.

I have nothing against cookies, Christmas or otherwise. One of my life goals is to produce a French macaron that rivals that of the amazing Ladurée. I sampled macarons from Bouchon Bakery while in Napa last month. While quite good, I was surprised by their size. Thomas Keller obviously took notes from Alice Medrich regarding the enlargement of French confections. I don’t think of Keller or Medrich as part of the American supersizing problem, but the reality is that AM created the American truffle, in its gargantuan proportion, and TK’s macarons are close to four times the size of the French counterpart.

But I digress.

The point of the exchange is to expose yourself/family to different cookies than the ones in your repertoire. No point in everyone trading gingerbread men. It’s all about variety. Rugelach. Amaretti. Pfeffernussen. Biscotti. Shortbread. Linzer.

It is NOT about one-upping your friends. Indeed, the messgage, “Your sugar cookies are swell and all but my Pecan Shortbread are better,” is not at all in the spirit of Christmas.

Forrest Gump was wrong; life is like a cookie exchange. Some people will put lots of time into their cookies; some won’t. Some people will buy cookies at Safeway; some will buy them at Ladurée (I’m going to Paris for THAT cookie exchange). Some will arrive empty handed and leave laden; some will bake for days and leave the spoils for their friends. Some people won't eat a single cookie this year and others will overdo it.

We know life is too short. It's simultaneously too short not to enjoy cookies and too short to complain that our bodies look like we've eaten too many cookies. But there’s something more substantial, too. Do we have friends who will send us home with cookies when we didn’t bring any to the table? Do we have a healthy diet and body image? Do we share our lives, time and talents with others? Do we endeavor to sweeten a life besides our own?

Oh, the audacity of the cookie exchange!

Favorite cookies for the season:
Amaretti
Chewy Ginger Cookies
Christmas Press Cookies
Coconut Macaroons (shown above)
Cornmeal Christmas Cookies
Rugelach
Triple Chocolate Cookies

Pinch Holiday Gift Guide

2009-12-08T11:46:00.016-06:00

The holiday guide! Last year, readers admonished me for failing to produce a good list of ideas. Here they are. Many of these items are in the Pinch kitchen. If they're not, they're on my list of things that should be.

Thanks to AP for allowing me to photograph her hilarious kitchen plaque. I've been dying to feature it here.

Stocking stuffers or things to tie onto wrapped gifts
Fun cookie cutters - I just stuck some initial cookie cutters in my daughters' new advent calendar as a little gift.

Silicone spatulas and basters- The Rubbermaid spatulas are commercial kitchen compatible, and my personal faves. After shedding too many basting hairs into food, I've switched completely to silicone.

Kuhn rikon paring knife/sheath - These come in a variety of colors. I use mine for picnics and camping. The bright color will stand out in your carry on and serve as a reminder to transfer it to your checked baggage. And you'll be able to find it when you drop it in the grass.

Microplane zester - No one should be without one of these. I use mine for Parmesan and citrus zesting.

Lemon squeezer - I have the lime and orange versions. I only recommend the lemon, as it accommodates lemons and limes. You just don't need the orange one.

Zyliss Susi garlic press - Incredibly efficient, this thing will amaze you if you've been stuck with the kind of garlic press that requires you to exert tons of pressure yet yields no pressed garlic.

Cheese slicer - You can pick between the wire version and the plane

Foil cutter - I got one recently and surprised myself by using it all the time

Fluted Pastry Wheel & Ravioli Cutter - This is for the pie- or ravioli maker in your life.

Smaller ice cream scoops - Different sizes are so fun.

Good kitchen shears - So many kitchens lack shears. How else are you gonna trim your artichokes, people? You can spend a lot on shears. This is a pretty low-end model.

$30-$50
Nutmeg Grinder - This particular one is kinda spendy. I have a $10 model purchased at my spice shop. The upscale version I bought as a gift has a better design.

Food Mill - These are incredibly useful and require elbow grease rather than electric power.

Salter Electronic Scale - Every cook worth their salt should have an electronic scale tucked in their cupboard.

5-inch utlity knife - I usually don't advocate purchasing knives for people because they're so personal. But this is a knife that every tomato-lover should have.

Good cake pans - Every home baker should have two 8- and 9-inch round cake pans, a 10-cup heavy-weight nonstick bundt pan and an 8-inch heavy-weight cheesecake pan.

Nicholas Mosse Pottery - gorgeous Irish pitchers, creamers, sugar bowls and butter dishes.

Cookbooks - Cooks always enjoy new material. Faves that are not oft found in cookbook libraries are Rick Bayless’ Mexican Everyday and Madhur Jaffrey’s Ultimate Curry Bible.

$50-$75

Pepper Grinder - I have the Atlas but also like the wooden Peugeut models. Salt and pepper sets area also a great idea. Find some good ones with glass (no acrylic!) and metals - copper, stainless or pewter all are lovely.

All Clad butter warmer - Butter should be melted in a heavy bottomed pot - and this one is perfect.

Pizza Stone and Peel - You'll be a pro with this set. My stone resides in my oven almost permanently. It lends some humidity to the dry electric heat.

Really good gifts
Laguiole waiter’s corkscrew - The wine lover in your life will love you for this one. Some sites will engrave it for you, too.

Bob Kramer knife - Bob was my knife sharpener when I was a working chef in Seattle. Now he's expanded his operation and is selling knives through Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table. I normally don't advocate knives as gifts since they're so personal, but I'd make an exception for Bob's knives. I have a parer he made me 12 years ago and it's gorgeous.

Le Creuset - I love the 3 1/2 and 2-quart models and like everything else they make, save the fruit shapes. Who cooks in a blueberry?

Bad ideas
Cheap espresso machines - a Starbucks gift card would be a better gift.

Slap chop, egg separators, anything that screams, "I really have no idea what I'm doing in the kitchen." (For the person who really has no idea what they're doing in the kitchen - a plaque like AP's)

Cookware sets - usually contain unnecessary pieces

Knife sharpeners - have your knives professionally sharpened by someone who knows what they're doing.

Cool gifts you can present in a cute basket:
Good spices, salt included. Penzey's and The Spice House do mail order. Most cities have a local purveyor.
Collection of Hot sauce, Mustard, Syrup or Honey
Good teas: black, green and herbal

Kitchen towels - I love the stripy absorbent ones from Williams Sonoma
Kitchen hand soaps

Gifts that don’t exist but should
Cast iron double-burner griddle. Not reversible. No reservoir. Short walls so you can cook breakfast potatoes, but not so high as to steam pancakes. I've been searching for one for like 15 years.

Why Do YOU Read Cookbooks?

2009-12-02T21:26:00.001-06:00

Adam Gopnik has some ideas. Read them here, in the New Yorker's recent Food issue. I like anyone who echoes my opinion that if you eat out regularly you're eating a lot more salt and fat than you would if you cooked the meal yourself. Which makes it all the more important for the home cook to be a good cook. How else could you be expected to eat your own food? Cookbooks, I'd say, are around to encourage and excite us about food so that we'll do what we're itching to do anyway: TRY THIS AT HOME.

Gopnick puts cookbooks into categories: cookbook as dictionary (where recipes are written to remind the cook of the ingredients of a dish they already know how to prepare); as encyclopedia (which will enable the cook to master a particular cooking style); as anthology (enables the cook to prepare a culturally diverse menu than the encyclopedia approach). The final category, Gopnik calls "grammatical." By this, he means that the cook is not trusted to know anything about cooking or food preparation. Grammatical cookbooks offer extremely specific instruction.

In Gopnikese, Pinch is an anthology. I generally appreciate books written that way. I am always looking to broaden my repertoire. One of the reasons I'm always irritated by Cooks Illustrated is that it's SO grammatical. There are times, though, when I need this kind of instruction. Brining a turkey? Trussing a chicken? Filleting a whole fish? Cooks Illustrated is the perfect resource. I do have some dictionary-type reference books. Many times I just scan a familiar recipe just to make sure I'm not leaving anything out. And as for Mastery...well, I have other demands on my time right now. Also, I'm lazy. I'm not a bread baker because that art demands mastery and nothing less. Of course I just love to buy bread books. I just nabbed The Bread Baker's Apprentice at a school book swap.

I read cookbooks to learn new techniques, new ingredients, new recipes. It's kind of like listening to political pundits. Some get an Amen. Some make me change the channel. The good ones make me think.

How about you?

On the Menu This Week

2009-11-29T22:10:00.006-06:00

What I'm craving, after a week of multi-course meals, is some simple fare. To be sure, we're still plowing thru leftovers. The beets and goat cheese that I bought but didn't use on Thanksgiving will go into the Warm Goat Cheese and Roasted Beets on Mixed Greens, and I'll serve that with leftover Turkey Soup. I made the day after Thanksgiving, having allowed the broth to simmer all night. I sweated a leek, some celery and carrot and then added about two quarts of delicious broth. I added a bit of turkey too, but tend to like to throw that in during the last minutes of reheating since it retains it's flavor and texture better that way.

My biggest hankering, tho, is for fish. Salmon Sandwich with Dill Aioli, and a side order of steamed Artichokes will be on our plates tomorrow, with any luck at the market. We've been eating fish twice a week pretty regularly for about a year now. And we didn't have it ONCE last week. Since I finally made it to the one store in my hood that sells my favorite malt vinegar (Heinz; harder to come by than you'd think) we'll also have Fish and Chips this week.

Also featured this week are Cantonese Pork Tenderloin and Baby Broccoli; Lamb Kabobs and Quinoa; Salad with Lemony Pesto Dressing and Grilled Chicken; and another lemony Chicken Fricasse. To make the last one, I just pound chicken breasts, dredge in salted flour and cook about two minutes per side in a skillet with a smidge of olive oil. Once browned, add a half cup or so of white wine and a bit of chopped parsley, and maybe another splash of olive oil. Season to taste and serve with something green.

On the Menu this Week

2009-11-24T07:39:00.005-06:00

It's a short menu this week - three regular dinners with extended family in town and then the Hootenanny that is Thanksgiving. Last night we had Italian Beef on Sourdough and Spicy Green Beans; tomorrow will be Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and Chanterelle Pizza; Wednesday, with even more family coming in, will feature Flank Steak Fajitas with Spanish Rice, Salsa Verde (pictured left) and Guacamole.

And then, of course, there's Thanksgiving. I'm reconsidering the starters. Last year I did a seared scallop on a smidgen of butternut squash puree with a sage leave garnish. It was lovely but I want something new. Was considering a little Tenderloin Crosini topped with Gorgonzola cream...or a pumpkin soup served in sake cups, but I don't know. Maybe I'll do the antipasti. Will probably decide on Wednesday morning at the chilly farmer's market.

2009 Thanksgiving Menu

To Start

Antipasti Platter of Roast Vegetables, Salumi, Olives and Crostini...maybe

Seasonal Mixed Greens with Gorgonzola, Candied Pecans and Pear

The Dinner

Salted Roast Turkey with Gravy

Amazing Vegetarian Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce

Mashed Potatoes

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Golden Pillow Dinner Rolls

Green Beans with Shallots and Pancetta

The Dessert

Pumpkin Pie

Gingerbread

Cinnamon Ice Cream and Apple Pie

Pecan Pie

Here's some background on method...I'm a turkey-rinser (and, yes, I scour afterwards). Turkey prep begins Wednesday. After rinsing I rub it down with kosher salt and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap overnite. I hate doing it, but I did it once a few years ago and the turkey is so good every year that I have to continue. I'm honestly dreading the process already. It's so, so gross. The salt is rinsed off on Thursday prior to roasting.

The vegetarian stuffing really is amazing, and that's coming from a someone who loves a traditional sausage stuffing. Buy a nice loaf of bread to use - I get a cranberry pecan one from Whole Foods, which I had them slice for me this year. You could, of course, use a nice sourdough, but I like the deeper flavors in the denser bread.

The Golden Pillow Rolls are positively divine. They are like warm clouds. And you can make the dough on Wednesday and do the rest on Thursday, which is nice.

For the green beans, I just saute the shallots and pancetta in a big skillet for a few minutes, then add the beans and season with salt and pepper. The potatoes I often leave up to someone else since I can't bear to use the requisite butter. I just look the other way. The sweet potato fries, which i think i'll do again this year, were the frozen ones from WF - but so good, especially when doctored up with some spices.

As for dessert...Jan's recipe request got me thinking about cinnamon ice cream alongside apple pie. And Gingerbread, which is so good I can't even stand it. Pumpkin Pie just gets made and eaten as obligation. For that recipe, I just follow whatever it says on the Libby's can, but substitute half and half for the condensed milk or whatever nonsense they call for.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.