In witf's Kitchen with Chef Donna Desfor

Cookbook Review: SPQR

2013-01-23T05:01:00Z

SPQR: Modern Italian Food and Wine
by Shelley Lindgren and Matthew Accarrino with Kate Leahy
photos by Sara Remington

Facts: Ten Speed Press, 304 pages, $35.00 (or Amazon at $23.10)
Photos: 180 plus maps
Recipes: 79

Give To: Italian food and travel enthusiasts; anyone interested in culinary and Roman history.

Stock up on: Classic seasonings. I recommend the diversity and quality that comes from The Spice & Tea Exchange: Sea Salts such as Brazilian Atlantic, La Baleine French Sea Salt, and finishing salts such as Cyprus Flake, Murray River, and Fleur de Sel. For the Fluke Crudo recipe that follows, Lime Frost Sea Salt is a must! Peppercorns to season, including Black, Green, and White. Classic pantry seasoning and spice staples like clove, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and herbs such as thyme, sage, basil, and rosemary, etc.

Working the Pantry: Traveling the historic roads of Italy requires a traditional pantry. Then, again, giving that tradition the modern flair San Francisco is know for requires a touch of the avant garde. To satisfy both, stock up on blends that are rooted in traditional flavor profiles from The Spice & Tea Exchange pantry such as Italian Street Fair, Florida Sunshine and Pirate’s Bite for seasoning; experiment with blends and rubs, such as Chef Donna’s Adoro Blend, Tuscany Blend, and Vik’s Garlic Fix. Then stretch your curiosity with things like Chef’s Choice Steak rub, or the interesting flavors of Espresso Steak rub and Butcher’s rub. Naturally, TSTE™ Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the four olive oil blends (Mushroom Paradise, Tomato Tarragon, Tuscany Blend, and Gourment Pepper) are a must!

The Review, by Linda Avery*
SPQR. Hmmm… SPQR? I didn't know what to make of it. A typo? No, an acronym for Senatus Populesque Romanus. SPQR translates to “The People and Senate of Rome” and was the emblem of the Roman Empire. Today, SPQR is a restaurant in San Francisco and now a book, actually a cookbook, featuring wine and recipes from that restaurant.

Shelley Lindgren is wine director, and co-owner of SPQR (the restaurant in San Francisco); Matthew Accarrino is executive chef. Together they stitched together this cookbook covering the northern and central regions of Italy in a very clever manner.

Eight regions are featured in the book: Lazio, Le Marche, Umbria, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Aldige, Emilia-Romagna and Lombardia, Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta, Liguria and Toscana. I know. Hey, that’s more than eight regions. Yes, it is. But, they weren’t literally referring to regions of Italy as we know them.

The authors chose ancient roads of the Roman Empire to define their chapters. Everyone has heard of The Appian Way or Via Appia in Italy. Via Appia travels only through Lazio. But Via Aurelia, for example, spans Liguria and Toscana. That is the clever thing. Many of the ancient vias (AKA roads) in the network traveled through more than one region as we know them. But, it’s logical that this connection, geographical, agricultural and sociological, would also inspire many of the same dishes. I like it. I like it particularly because my ancestral region of Le Marche, on the Adriatic, is usually a forgotten area but there are twenty pages devoted to Le Marche in SPQR.

Each chapter begins with a map of the area, anecdotal information about the area, the names along with history/profile of the white and red grapes grown in the area and recommended producers e.g. Alto Adige (Red Grapes) Lagrein…. nearly black in color… flavors in the wine exhibit blackberries, blueberries, red currants, leather… Recommended Producers: Alois Lageder (plus several more).

Following Lindgren’s take on the wines, Accarrino relates an aspect of the foods in the region like the Truffle Hunt in Umbria and the German and Austrian Influence in Alto Adige. The recipes in each region include starters, mains, and a dessert. The subtitle of the book “Modern Italian Food and Wine” is exemplified in recipes such as Spiced Ricotta Fritters with Smoked Maple Syrup, Asparagus with Lardo-Wrapped Rye Dumplings, Goat Cheese, and Sprouting Greens, Passion Fruit Panna Cotta with Coconut Spuma.

The recipes aren’t particularly complicated but several have sub-recipes within. Ingredient amounts are listed in both volume and metric weight measures (which we love).

*Special thanks to Linda Avery for providing the review. Ms. Avery is a food writer, editor and a Board Member of the esteemed Les Dames d'Escoffier, Chicago Chapter.

FLUKE CRUDO, Sausage-Stuffed Olives, and Citrus
(photo © by Sara Redington)
Serves 6

Senigallia, a cosmopolitan beach town on the coast of the Adriatic, has two of my favorite restaurants in Italy, La Madonnina del Pescatore and Uliassi. Both take advantage of the bountiful local catch, focusing heavily on seafood. It is a particular specialty of chef Moreno Cedroni, who in addition to running La Madonnina, operates a bar where he specializes in crudo and “salumi,” made from fish. Crudo is seafood served in its freshest, purest form: raw. I find it pairs well with salty accents, like green olives stuffed with sausage and fried – a specialty of the southern Marche town of Ascoli Piceno. To match the briny flavors of the olives, I also garnish the crudo with sea beans, little vegetables that grow in the San Francisco Bay. Their salty crunch pairs particularly well with seafood. (Use capers if sea beans are unavailable.)

Ingredients
For the Crudo
1 cup (150 gr) kosher salt
1/3 cup (75 gr) sugar
About 1/4 cup mixed citrus zest (orange, Meyer lemon, grapefruit)
5 to 10 mint leaves
One 8- to 12-ounce (227 to 340 gr) fluke fillet, boned and skinned

For the olives
2 ounces (57 gr) sweet Italian sausage meat
12 to 18 large green pitted olives, like Casteveltrano or Cerignola
1/4 cup (32 gr) Wondra flour
1 egg (50 gr), lightly beaten
1/4 cup (30 gr) fine dried breadcrumbs
Kosher salt
1 orange, segmented
1 Meyer lemon, segmented
1 grapefruit, segmented
1/2 cup sea beans (or capers)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
Extra virgin olive oil
6 to 12 small mint leaves

Method
Make the crudo
1. Using your hands, rub the salt, sugar, zest, and mint leaves together to release the mint and citrus flavors.

2. Lay out a long sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Scatter half of the cure on the plastic in an even layer about the length of the fish. Place the fish on top and cover with the remaining cure. Wrap the sides of the plastic wrap over the fish, forming a snug package and refrigerate for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

3. To make the olives stuff the sausage meat into the hollows of the olives. Dredge the olives in Wondra, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Refrigerate until ready to fry.

4. Cut the citrus segments thinly crosswise and mix together in a small bowl. Bring a pot of unsalted water to a boil. Prepare the ice bath. Blanch the sea beans for about 1 minute, then drain and shock in the ice bath. Unwrap the fish, rinse it under cool water, and pat dry. Slice crosswise into 1/8-inch thick pieces. Lay the pieces on chilled plates.

5. In a small bowl, mix the salt and lime zest together. In a small pot, heat 1 inch of olive oil to 360°F and line a tray with paper towels. Fry the olives until the breading has turned golden, 1 to 2 minutes. With a spider skimmer or slotted spoon, lift the olives out of the oil and drain on the paper towels. Season with lime salt.

6. To serve, spoon the citrus around and on top of the fish slices. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with lime salt. Finish with the fried olives, sea beans, and mint leaves.

Food Wednesdays: Food Traditions during the Holidays

2012-12-12T20:57:31Z

Early into December something clicks. That holiday feeling takes over and my instincts are to recreate my holidays past. Growing up I never paid much attention to how our traditions were created or happened. But when I married and had my own family – a blended one at that – I happily introduced them to my most beloved traditions and, of course, learned theirs. I can’t say I’m surprised that most of our traditions center around food and gathering at the table. As time passes, I’m happy to watch as our own family traditions evolve knowing that one day these are the gifts our son might take to his new family.

What holiday traditions do you cherish? What foods epitomize the holidays to you? Tune into Radio SmartTalk next Tuesday, December 18^th as we discuss food, traditions and all things holidays! And, please share your thoughts and comments, your recipes and ideas, in the comments box below.

While there are many things I loved about the holidays as a child, I’ve had to adjust my expectations to what I can manage in the present. When I was a child the family gatherings, foods, and festivities magically just happened. Today holiday planning becomes a delicate balance of time with resources. I constantly measure practicality against sanity – my sanity. It’s a delicate go. My family’s story is one rooted in old-world Slovak tradition. Christmas-time is big and grand and richly grounded in religious ritual where food has both purpose and meaning. It's easy to get caught up in those memories: I plan too much, and eventually childhood memories give way to the limitations of a 24-hour day (no one actually sleeps this time of year, do they?).

Perhaps a season of madness and endless to-do lists isn’t a bad thing, though. At the heart of it all, we gather. Every tradition I hold dear at some point has food as a part of its ritual. We open stockings first on Christmas day, while we drink juice and have that much needed first cup of coffee; Christmas cookies are brought out, and thus the day begins. I suspect the same holds true for most – that food plays some part in every tradition. And, I suppose, that the foundation upon which tradition (perhaps even a culture) is built is little more than food, a table, and people gathered round it.

Again, I invite you to share your holiday traditions, recipes, and stories in the comments section below. As we shift into a higher gear next week, perhaps the nostalgia of holidays past will ease the madness and remind us of the many blessings that food, table, and those that gather with us offer.

Recipe: My Family Recipe for Pierogies
My family’s most enduring tradition is that of the Christmas Eve Wiglia meal. This recipe – my version of the Pierogi – is what we serve. When you consider a pierogi is little more than a traditional dumpling this recipe becomes very versatile. The dough is silky smooth, almost pasta like, and in my opinion trumps all others. While the fillings are old-world traditions, you could substitute just about anything to suit your own tastes, traditions, and culture.

Ingredients
Pierogi Dough
1 large egg
½ cup milk
1 ½ tablespoons sour cream
½ cup water
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Sauerkraut and Onion Pierogi Filling
1 lb. bag sauerkraut
2 tablespoons butter
1 small Vidalia onion
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Sweet Cheese Pierogi Filling
1 lb. ground farmer cheese (or Dry Flake Cottage Cheese, also known as Pot Cheese), drained one hour in a colander lined with cheese cloth
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Salt

Special equipment needed:
Cut and seal (from The Pampered Chef) or ravioli stamper

Make the Pierogi Dough: Using a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment (a dough hook would work well here, too), mix together the egg, milk, sour cream, and water until well combined. Add the flour, a little at a time and mix until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, up to 10 minutes. Incorporate more flour if the dough is too sticky. Roll the dough into a ball, and let it rest under a warm inverted bowl, about 20 minutes.

Prepare the fillings:
Sauerkraut and Onion: Drain and lightly rinse the sauerkraut (rinsing reduces the sharpness of the kraut). Finely chop the onions. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onions until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the sauerkraut and sugar; stir to combine. Continue to sauté until the sauerkraut and onions begin to caramelize, and become golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

Sweet Cheese: In a medium bowl, combine the cheese with sugar, egg and vanilla. Add a pinch of salt (to bring sweetness into balance).

Make the Pierogies: Take 1/3 of the dough (leaving the rest of the dough beneath the bowl) and roll out thin, about 1/16" but no thicker than 1/8", long strip. When rolled, the dough should be sufficiently wide to fold over, in half. This is how you will form your pierogi once you place the filling inside. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on the top half of the dough strip, spacing at least 2" apart, leaving sufficient room to cut and seal the pierogies.

Lift the lower half of the dough up over the filling so the filling is nestled right along the fold and lightly press the air out around the mound of filling. This will seal the filling in the dough. Using the Press n Seal cutter/ravioli stamper, place half of the cutter over the dough centering the covered mound of filling. Cut and seal the dough into a half moon shape. Move the pierogies to a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat until all the dough and filling is used.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When you are ready to cook the pierogi, gently drop small batches of pierogi into the water. When the boiling resumes reduce heat and gently simmer for about 10 minutes. (It’s a good idea to do a test pierogi and adjust your cooking time accordingly. For thicker dough, simmering time will be longer).

Remove to a colander with a large slotted spoon and rinse lightly with cold water. Transfer back to the parchment lined baking sheets to freeze or to hold, if you are serving that day.

To freeze, put cooked pierogi on baking sheet lined with parchment paper in freezer until frozen. Place pierogies in a freezer bag or storage container. Use within 3 months of freezing.

To serve, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter stops bubbling add the pierogies and fry until golden brown on each side. Remove to a platter and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Cookbook Review: The Essential James Beard Cookbook

2012-11-23T18:46:36Z

The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking, by James Beard; edited by Rick Rodgers with John Ferrone

Facts: St. Martin’s Press; 358 pages, $35.00 (or Amazon at $23.10.)
Recipes: 450
Give To: Food enthusiasts and culinary students; cookbook collectors; young couples learning to entertain.

Review provided courtesy: The Spice & Tea Exchange

The Review:
Julia Child said, “[i]n the beginning, there was James Beard.” For many, that sentiment holds true. Along with Julia, James Beard was one of the most influential chefs and food writers in America, championing both French cooking and the preservation and maintenance of great local food traditions to average home cooks. But what he mostly did is embodied in his newest book The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking where he captures the essence, technique and flavor of most of the foods we know and love and cook in our homes and for our friends.

Perhaps it is Beard’s insatiable curiosity about food and culture, or how food evolved over the four-decade span of his cookbook writing that make this book a triumph, or maybe it’s just that his recipes and format changed depending on the venue. Each are clearly reflected in the selection of recipes and Beard’s narrative form – the formula relayed as if he were speaking directly to the reader. Throughout this books and its 19 chapters, which follow the very progression of a smart cotemporary meal service and preparation, it’s Beard’s voice that teaches you how to cook, and gives you confidence to break away from the recipe and having taught you the virtues of simplicity and the excitement of discovery from everything you cook.

Partnering with The Spice & Tea Exchange, The James Beard House and St. Martin’s Press delight in helping all readers further their exploration by providing the opportunity to win a copy of The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking by commenting on any of The Essential James Beard Cookbook posts between now and December 1^st (full details here). Each time we post a recipe you’ll get a glimpse of the essence of Beard – his storytelling through his recipes, and an understanding of why the recipe selected helped to change the way we cook in America today. And then, The Spice & Tea Exchange, with permission from The Beard House and St. Martin’s Press, modernizes the recipe with a contemporary flavor profile update, using modern day gourmet seasonings and spices, hand-crafted spice and herb blends, infused sugars and, of course, sea salts and pepper blends unlike the type Beard or any of his contemporaries had in their pantry.

When Beard died in the mid-eighties, he could not have known that the food revolution that was his life would continue on for decades. But he surely knew that America was coming into its own in the kitchen and tha in the 21^st Century cooking and eating and talking about it would connect young and old, celebrity chefs and novice bloggers, sports fans and video gamers, races and generders and classes and kinds as we sit at the American Table and celebrate real food, food for flavor and food for fun. James Beard would have expected nothing less, and his cookbook, The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking provides us a vehicle to do just that.

To make efficient use of The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking cookbook, The Spice & Tea Exchange recommends:
Stock up on: Classic seasonings: Sea Salts such as Brazilian Atlantic, La Baleine French Sea Salt, and finishing salts such as Cyprus Flake, Murray River, and Fleur de Sel. Peppercorns to season, including Black, Green, and White. Classic pantry seasoning and spice staples like ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and herbs such as thyme, sage, basil, and rosemary, etc.

Working the Pantry: Breaking from tradition requires a strong sense of understanding where Beard was going with flavor. Stock up on blends that are rooted in traditional flavor profiles such as Florida Sunshine and Pirate’s Bite for seasoning; experiment with blends and rubs, such as Signature Blend, Chef Donna’s Adoro Blend, Tuscany Blend, and Herbes de Provence. Then stretch your curiousity with Chef’s Choice Steak rub, or the interesting flavors of Espresso Steak rub and Vik’s Garlic Fix. Tailgater’s, Blood Mary Mix, and Crazy Chicken, not to mention our Cultural Blends for Beard’s foray into different cuisines. As you gain in confidence, keep plenty of bay leaves, allspice, cumin, chili powder, paprika, clove and kibbled mushrooms, Beer Powder, Worcestershire Powder, and Burgundy Wine Powder to use as flavor builders.

From The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking
Compound Butters
The following basic butters here are useful for canapés and sandwiches, and they fill a need very often for snacks and sauces. [Editor: They are also useful to have in the freezer to put on top of hot grilled steaks, chops, chicken breasts, and fish fillets, or to flavor boiled or steamed vegetables.]

Chutney Butter
Cream 8 tablespoons(1 stick) softened unsalted butter and add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chutney. This is improved by the addition of a little curry powder; the amount has to be lieft to your own taste. [Editor: About ½ teaspoon of curry powder would tint the butter a vibrant orange-yellow and give it a brilliant flavor, too. Melt a pat on grilled chicken or pork chops.]

The Spice & Tea Exchange suggests Indian Yellow Curry with its fresh blend of fresh pepper, fenugreek, turmeric, garlic, coriander, chili, cumin, mustard, ginger, cloves, mace, fennel, celery seed, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon. For a deliciously different take, try Thai Red Curry, a spicy red curry blend with fresh pepper, cumin seed, onion, garlic, coriander, lemongrass, cilantro, paprika, sea salt, chili flakes, ginger.

Garlic Butter
Crush several cloves of garlic through a garlic press and cream with 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter and ½ teaspoon of salt. This is a matter of “stop and go,” for you know better than I your capacity for garlic flavor. So, let your own taste guide you.

The Spice & Tea Exchange suggests substituting about 1 ½ teaspoons of Vik’s Garlic Fix, and a few grinds of Florida Sunshine. Let the flavors meld in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving. Note: you can pulverize the Vik’s Garlic Fix to a fine grind if you prefer. A Universal Mill is perfect for this application.

Try this recipe from The Spice & Tea Exchange in addition to the several other Compound Butter Recipes offered in The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking.

Recipe: Backwoods Bacon & Bourbon Compound Butter
Makes 1 cup

This recipe uses the intensely smoky and super-flavored Backwoods Hickory Rub from The Spice & Tea Exchange. Blended with fresh pepper, smoked sea salt, garlic, onion, smoked paprika, cracked brown mustard, hickory powder, soy sauce powder, brown sugar, this melds so perfectly with the hearty flavors of the bacon, the complexity of a good bourbon, and then the hint of sweet from the apple cider. The resulting compound butter is perfect as a finish to beef, pork, and a great flavorful fat to use as a base when you sauté fish.

Ingredients
2 or 3 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon bourbon1 tablespoon apple cider
½ to 1 teaspoon Backwoods Hickory Rub
2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 cup homemade butter, at room temperature\

Preparation
Cook bacon in a small skillet over medium-low heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to render out the fat; let your bacon crisp, but do not over brown it. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the bourbon, apple cider, Backwoods Hickory Rub, and brown sugar. Return to heat and cook until everything is well-combined and bacon pieces well coated. Remove from heat and let cool about 10 minutes.

Place your home made butter in the bowl of a food processor and add in bacon mixture. Pulse to combine, scraping down sides as necessary. Note: you can use a stand mixer with paddle attachment. The resulting butter will have chunkier pieces of bacon than with the food processor.

Turn out the butter mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper. Fold the paper over the butter mixture, form into a log and roll to desired thickness (for finishing dishes I like logs about 2-inches in diameter). Twist ends and tie with butcher’s twine. Return to refrigerator until firm. Slice off pieces of compound butter as needed, or wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and freeze for up to 4 months.

Food Wednesdays: Kitchen Traditions

2012-11-20T05:01:42Z

This time of year I have my hands full fielding questions and reading all the recipes that came across my desk in anticipation of the holidays! Most people love to hear new ideas about how they can really change their traditional meal, but in the end most want what we already know. It’s tradition. Thanksgiving, especially the Thanksgiving meal, is laden with tradition and you just don’t mess with tradition. Sure, you can tweak it. Just do it so no one really notices. So our approach this Holiday Season is to keep those kitchen traditions intact. And with that in mind, you can find some ideas how to spice up those classics hereand one of my favorite recipes for spicing up your butter below.

Mostly, though, I want to give you some peace of mind. Here’s my quick list of quick saves just in case those old standards turn out a little too old and a little too standard.

First, spice up that butter and then use it to top everything from your vegetables to your turkey!
Recipe: Backwoods Bacon & Bourbon Compound Butter
Makes 1 cup

This recipe uses the intensely smoky and super-flavored Backwoods Hickory Rub from The Spice & Tea Exchange. If you don’t have any on hand choose another spice blend that you do have. Most herb or grill rubs would be perfect. The Backwoods Hickory Rub is blended with fresh pepper, smoked sea salt, garlic, onion, smoked paprika, cracked brown mustard, hickory powder, soy sauce powder, brown sugar, this melds so perfectly with the hearty flavors of the bacon, the complexity of a good bourbon, and then the hint of sweet from the apple cider. The resulting compound butter is perfect as a finish to your Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients
2 or 3 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon bourbon
1 tablespoon apple cider
½ to 1 teaspoon Backwoods Hickory Rub
2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 cup homemade butter, at room temperature (substitute store bought)

Your Thanksgiving Survival Guide:
9-1-1 for vinaigrettes or salad dressings.
When there’s too much tang you need to bring things into balance. A little sweet to tone things down, or a little bitter (think cinnamon, allspice, cilantro) to bring up the other savory notes and flavors in your dressings or sauces should solve the problem. Choose anything sweet, like sugar or a sugar substitute. If after a bit of sugar your flavors are still off, try adding a bit of salt and taste again. Salt can really bring flavors into balance, so if you close, try a pinch of kosher or sea salt.

9-1-1 for frozen, canned, or store-bought gravy.
We all love the short cut, but when it comes to flavor, the premade stuff can be really disappointing. The fix is easy. First, if it’s not too late, pour any turkey drippings into the store-bought gravy. Give it a good long taste and make sure that it’s not already loaded with salt. If it is make sure you resort only to herbs working with rosemary and sage, to start. From there add things like onion, garlic, parsley, etc. Stay away from hard spices like nutmeg, allspice, clove, or cinnamon.

Add richness to any sauce by stirring in a bit of butter or high quality extra virgin olive oil, or both! The fastest way to turn canned (or even store-bought) gravy into a richly flavored stock or sauce is to whisk in a bit of Red wine or even a strong lager or ale, but just a bit. A healthy pinch of herbs, garlic, and onions, can’t hurt either.

9-1-1 for Cranberry Relish
Try blending in some Ginger (candied is fine, too, just chop it up), or tangerine or orange segments – make sure that bitter white pith is all removed! Or, for a nice aromatic punch, use tangerine or orange zest – but just the zest again, no bitter white pith.

If your relish is too sweet, you can soften it with a bit of Pumpkin Pie Spice. The simplest answer? A few grinds of sea salt or kosher salt may just do the trick.

9-1-1 There’s no Chicken Stock!
While most have resorted to canned chicken stock (which admittedly has little flavor compared to homemade) if it’s not at your fingertips you can feel lost. To create a flavorful stock start with about 1/2 cup more water than you need. Put it in a sauce pan and add 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped or Kibbled Mushroom and 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Add in a bay leaf and gently simmer the liquid until reduced by about 1/2 cup. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remember, all you need is a flavorful stock, not a delicious soup base! Remember to adjust your quantities for the amount of stock you are trying to replace. The above quantities are for 2 cups finished stock.

9-1-1 The turkey is supposed to be done and the skin is not browned or crisped.
If you set your turkey into a deep roasting pan, the heat of the oven can’t circulate around the bird and crisp the skin. In 1/2 cup water (or apple cider is even better) melt 2 tablespoons of butter and a few teaspoons of maple syrup and some sugar. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until everything is melted and reduced just a bit. Baste the mixture all over the outside of the turkey. Return to the oven (at least 350 F) for 10 to 15 minutes.

9-1-1 for potatoes that don’t taste like much of anything!
For the mashed potatoes: Your quick fix is onion and garlic powder or salt, plus some olive oil. The olive oil will create a creamy mouth-feel. If you have some fresh herbs, chop some up and just sprinkle them on top. As they get scooped through the aromatics will be released.

For the sweet potatoes: The flavor of sweet potatoes needs to be grounded in something earthy and a bit aromatic, after all potatoes come from the earth. Cinnamon, a bit of clove (just a tiny bit) or some allspice mixed in should do the trick. You can also use some ground ginger or nutmeg, but a judicious hand is needed here. A sprinkle of some Pumpkin Pie Spice isn’t a bad option, instead of fussing with individual spices.

9-1-1 for tasteless stuffing.
All savory dishes are looking to their root flavors to push forward. If you’re stuck with flavorless stuffing give it a good slow taste. You’ve got a few options here: Sweet, Salt, or Vegetal. Most likely you’re going to be looking for a combination of the three. Try sea salt or kosher salt, and a generous pinch at that. Then chop us some fresh herbs if you’ve got them. Or, grate some orange, tangerine and even lime zest and toss a little in. That will brighten flavors up. If you need something earthy to help pull all the richness together, try a bit of nutmeg or ground clove.

9-1-1 I forgot to buy bread for the stuffing!
Prepare your recipe as normal substituting rice, especially if you have a Pecan Style on hand. If not, opt for a combination of brown rice and wild rice blends.

9-1-1 I don’t have all the spices I need for my pumpkin pie….
Many of the classic recipes call for the litany of spices that have come to be known as pumpkin pie spice. If your recipe reads something like… 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. all spice, 1/4 tsp. cloves, ginger, nutmeg… etc. you can substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice blend for the full quantity of spice. If you’re without that, start with some bourbon (about 1 to 2 teaspoons and then add in the spices that you have. If you are out of cinnamon, some Maple Syrup Granules ground fine in a spice mill or up to 1 tablespoons of maple syrup will work in a pinch. Not the same, but deliciously different.

9-1-1 Leftovers… oh, no! not again!
Curried Turkey Salad is easy enough and different enough the day after Thanksgiving to get everyone back to the table for sandwiches at lunch time! Use a 1 teaspoon of a Thai inspired spice blend like Coconut Thai Spice for every 2 cups chopped turkey. Add about 1/4 cup each Greek yogurt and mayonnaise (substitute sour cream for one) and 1/4 cup mango chutney (or a fruit based marmalade or jam). Mix well to combine flavors. Serve.

From in WITF’s Kitchen t we wish you a truly blessed Thanksgiving and, of course, super-delicious meal.

Wine Tip Tuesdays: A cheap wine by any other name...

2012-11-19T17:00:00Z

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I’ve been fielding a lot of calls about doing this year’s extravaganza on a budget. Really? The ONE holiday defined by a MEAL and we want to skimp? I understand this year that it may be a necessity, but the Thanksgiving meal really isn’t too terribly expensive. Until we factor in the cost of wine with dinner. Worry no more! We ran this article last year from Slate.com, Drink Cheap Wine, by Brian Palmer. His advice is as timely today as he dispels the myth that it has to be expensive to be good (and that’s just “good” folks, we’re not even talking “great”!). Palmer points to several studies that validate our choice in the cheap, and then, as if we need one more reason to feel better about slashing our wine budget Palmer adds, “Professional wine critics are quick to point out that they, unlike you and I, can distinguish between high- and low-cost bottles in blinded experiments. Here’s the question they can’t answer for you: So what? The only thing these “successes” prove is that a small group of people have gotten very good at sniffing out the traits that the wine industry thinks entitle them to more money.”

In the end, Palmer’s article suggests that if you like a wine then it’s “good.” Something we’ve certainly heard before. So, the only question I have is why, for the love of all things palatable, can someone point me in the direction of those $2 and $3 dollar gems?

Try this delightful and oh-so-holiday like cocktail. It’s mostly sparkling water, club soda or ginger ale, so there’s no need to use an expensive bottle of sparkling wine to top it off!

Recipe: Spice-Roasted Cranberry Sparkling Cocktail

Makes enough for 6 to 8 drinks

This is a fun beverage that can be made with tequila, vodka, sparkling wine, or just plain ginger ale, club soda or sparkling water. It’s like a holiday ‘Shirley Temple’!

Ingredients
1 cup whole fresh cranberries
About 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice blend
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup candied ginger
1 cup water
Sparkling water, Club Soda, or Ginger Ale
Sparkling wine, to top off (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425° degrees. Arrange cold cranberries on a small baking sheet; generously sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice blend. Roast 8 minutes, shaking the pan to move the berries around about half-way through roasting time. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, make a gingered simple syrup by combining the sugar, candied ginger and water in saucepan. Heat on medium-high until sugar dissolves completely, and the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. Add spice-roasted cranberries and let steep at least 1 hour at room temperature. Strain, reserving cranberries and ginger for garnish; pour infused simple syrup into a serving container.

For each drink: Pour 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) of syrup into champagne flute, rocks glass or martini glass. Fill glass half way or more with sparkling water, club soda or ginger ale. Top off with a bit of sparkling water. Garnish with reserved cranberries and ginger.

Food Wednesdays: Food for your Mind and Body

2012-09-26T05:01:00Z

Rare is the day food isn’t talked about, reported on, or questioned. Food, in any form, has the unique ability to affect our body, our moods, and support (or undermine) our physical well-being. If we know that we are what we eat, why do so many people (as many as 80% of Americans depending on what study you believe) fail to get the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients necessary to support a healthy body? Factor in the daily assault of pollution, food additives, prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, genetically modified or altered foods, not to mention processed foods (which really aren’t food at all), and you'd think we’d be frantic trying to find something healthy to eat. But we're not.

Since early civilization, the external influences of such things as time, work, sleep, the seasons, and food have been recorded. Today holistic and wellness practitioners suggest that every ailment from mood swings, tiredness, inability to concentrate, and anything we tend to blame (and accept) as age- or lifestyle-related, might just be related to our diet. But learning about the right foods to help feed the brain, improve concentration, restore a sense of calm, or energize us is probably a more daunting task than enduring the irritations we’ve come to simply accept as part of our lives, and lifestyles.

It’s all about balance. A body’s weight is on average 60 percent water, 20 percent fat (slightly lower percentage for a man) and 20 percent is a combination of protein, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and other naturally produced biochemical. Since these components are extracted from the foods we feed our body it makes sense that we should eat the right foods (protein, carbohydrates, and fat – the macronutrients) to support our body’s functions. Vitamins, minerals, and other trace elements (the micronutrients) are necessary for hormone production. This means that to maintain a healthy metabolism we need to pay attention to what makes up our nutrient intake. Not surprising, it’s all about balance. We have to eat the right food types (not just the right foods) that provide the benefits specific to our own body. And, yes, every person's needs are different. There is no single formula we can apply wholesale to our population. Perhaps this is why we throw our hands into the air and simply give up. It’s easier to eat what is easy, even if it’s not what’s best.

The foods we need. There are 3 basic (macronutrients) foods we need: proteins, unrefined, fiber rich, complex carbohydrates, and essential fatty acids. Beyond that, there's a whole host of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements that support our natural biological and hormonal functions. How we get these foods, the vitamins and minerals, into our bodies can determine how our body responds and reacts to our daily lives.

Protein foods are central to our healthy whole body. They improve brain function; they are essential for muscle tone and growth, healthy skin and nails. We need protein for tissue repair and in the manufacture of hormones. What is great about protein, though, is that it comes in a variety of forms including vegetable-based proteins (think lentils, beans, tofu, peas, corn, broccoli, and nuts – all of which are low in saturated fats and high in fiber), and poultry, meat, and fish.

Unrefined, fiber-rich, complex carbohydrates (think brown rice, whole wheat or oat-based cereals, whole grain breads, pastas, or legumes), and fresh fruits and vegetables help control mood. These foods encourage the production of serotonin which helps calm the body and the mind.

Essential fatty acids are needed by the body to function correctly, but they cannot be produced in the body. Instead, they come from our dietary intake. Typically we introduce these "EFAs" through the oils we prepare our food in, or by eating oily fish, and fruits like the avocado.

Awareness. One of the best ways to learn what your body needs (other than a whole series of nutritional, biological, and physiological profiling) is to become aware of how your body responds to the foods you feed it. Begin to notice how you feel after a meal. Notice the effects of what you ate on your mood, your concentration, and how your feel physically. From that awareness comes curiosity and from curiosity learning and from learning, ultimately, there is understanding. Understanding what your body needs in response to your lifestyle and discovering the foods that optimize your body’s function can literally change your life and support your health and overall well being.

This is simple and yet difficult work. I learned after my first year as a parent to a 4th grader that if I didn't want to spend the bulk of the school year sick I would need to find a way to boost my immune system. It took a while, but along the way I learned what vitamins my body needs that I don't get in my daily meals. I ultimately discovered my own formula of vitamins, minerals, and herbs that I mix each morning with a fruit juice that is loaded with vitamin C. Now I manage to sail through the school year with little more than a sniffle, if even that.

The same approach can be used to resolve stresses and change in our lives. Everything from eradicating tension to smoothing dry skin to easing hay fever to relieving menstrual cramps and menopausal symptoms, to improving libido can be affected by the effects of what we eat. Taking the time and caring enough to fuel the body in a way that supports it is the most important step anyone can take toward feeling well in life.

Jillian Michaels, fitness expert, life coach, and tough-as-nails-trainer from TV’s The Biggest Loser says in her recent best selling book Master Your Metabolism, “vitamins and other nutrients are necessary for hormone production. Hormone production regulates metabolism so to maintain a healthy metabolism we need to pay attention to our nutrient intake.” Until now paying attention to those needs was a near impossible task. The information that was available to us was typically bad or just simply wrong. Today information about diet and nutrition if prolific, but reliable sources are easier to find than ever before.

All sources are not created equal. In 2008, about 40 billion dollars was spent in the diet industry, according to a report in Business Week. With so many sources of information, choosing a reliable one can leave you navigating a minefield of uncertainty. But you don't have to feel alone. Ask anyone and you find that most people instinctively know what foods make them feel good. And, if they are someone you think of as healthy, they probably have some basic knowledge about the vitamins, minerals, and dietary needs that keep them that way. And then there's the Internet.

Michaels relies on The Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center as her source for scientifically accurate information about the roles of vitamins, minerals, other nutrients, and some foods in preventing disease and promoting health. Promoting health. Now there’s an idea worth finding some time to get interested in. From The Linus Pauling site, Michaels creates a short list designed to add certain nutrients back you’re your diet. For Michaels, this list is about bringing natural balance back to your hormones and, consequently, your metabolism. Does it work? That’s a question only you can answer.

Day-by-day. If you decide to give it a go the rest is relatively simple. It’s a step-by-step, day-by-day process: become aware of how the foods you are eating make you feel and then search for food corrections that might provide the answers to help you change your body, your moods, or both. What is it that could be making you feel bad? Or good? Adjust your diet to provide your body with the fuel it needs and notice what happens. Learn what you like to eat and how those foods can become part of your nutritional plan. Michaels has a cookbook (The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook) out to help guide you. Or, you can begin with these recipes that are created to support your body and your mood.

Recipe: Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins
Makes 6 muffins

Foods that sustain energy levels throughout the morning are a great idea. Choose foods low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates, such as cereal and baked goods made from whole grains. Spices, like cinnamon and ginger can wake up a tired mind and ease sluggish digestion. Oat products are high in protein and a rich source of soluble fiber. They also contain vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese, and magnesium.

This tasty muffin is like eating baked oatmeal. It will fill you up and keep your body going all morning long. Earlier in the summer when blueberries were in season, I froze a few pints. If you have some of your own, toss a few into each muffin and enjoy

Ingredients
1/2 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
1/4 whole wheat flour
1/4 whole grain oat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup spelt flakes
1 tablespoon oat bran (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 tablespoons Lyle’s golden syrup (substitute pure maple syrup)

Frozen or fresh fruit pieces, optional

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a 6 muffin tin with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, spelt flakes, oat bran (if using), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, buttermilk, oil, and syrup. Use a whisk or hand-held mixer to thoroughly combine. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture. Mix until just combined using a large spatula. Over mixing will result in muffins with a tough, rubbery texture.

Bake as directed or cover and store the batter in the refrigerator overnight. The oats and spelt will absorb the liquid mixture. To lighten add an additional 1/4 cup buttermilk, if desired.

Fill each muffin cup almost to the top. Bake until the edges are golden brown and a tester comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in muffin tin on a wire rack about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins from the tin returning to the rack to cool until just warm. Serve.

Recipe: Cranberry Apricot Walnut Jam
Makes about 1 cup

Walnuts are especially rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a plant based omega-3 fat that’s been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. Walnuts are also rich in antioxidants and contain valuable manganese and copper, plus iron, magnesium, and B vitamins. That combined with the wallop of vitamin C in the Cranberries and vitamin A in the Apricots make this Jam a near perfect addition to any meal. Add some warmed chunky jam to your oatmeal or other hot cereal, or slather it on toast. At lunch use the jam as a condiment to a turkey sandwich, or as a delicious warm side to a healthy salad. For dinner, spoon some jam over roasted meats.

Ingredients
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup Demerara sugar (raw sugar)
Scant 1 cup dried cranberries (substitute a generous full cup fresh)
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 small orange)

Preparation
In a medium saucepan combine the orange juice and raw sugar with 1/2 cup filtered water. Bring to a boil over medium and boil for 5 minutes stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and apricots. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes more, until the dried fruits are rehydrated and plump (or if using fresh, the berries are beginning to burst). Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts and orange zest. Let stand to cool and thicken about 20 minutes. Serve warm or refrigerate covered and serve cold.

Food Wednesdays: Squashed!

2012-09-19T05:01:00Z

With a good dose of rain under our belt and temperatures dropping it feels like autumn has arrived. This time of year is a favorite of mine, and quite possibly yours, too. Anticipating the vivid changes outdoors there's also the excitement of a new variety of seasonal foods, including all those winter squashes. Both versatile and tasty, squashes are attention grabbers.

Squash -- acorn, butternut, delicata, kabocha, and spaghetti -- to name but a few are coming into season, and will remain prominent at least through March. Though available virtually year round, the tastiest of these winter fruits are harvested beginning now with robust flavor remain fairly consistent throughout the winter months. (And, yes! though considered a vegetable in cooking, botanically speaking, squash is a fruit!)

Choosing a squash requires little more than finding one that feels heavy for its size (heavier suggests a small seed cavity and more usable flesh inside) and, then, knowing a bit about what each tastes like. After that, a few basic tips on how to prepare your squash will help you create super-delicious meals.

Each variety of squash has its own flavor, sweetness, color, and texture, not to mention its ideal uses. Acorn, butternut and delicata are generally baked, pureed in soups or glazed and roasted. Spaghetti squash, named for its stringy flesh, is generally steamed or roasted and can be served with a simple sauce. When selecting your squash, look and feel for soft spots, which may mean the squash has been improperly stored. You can buy excellent looking specimens when you find them. Squash will last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months if kept in a cool place (but never the refrigerator) with plenty of air to circulate around them.

Use this handy guide to help select which variety you want to bring home and cook.
Acorn: available in three colors (green, orange, and white), it is the sweetest and least stringy of the winter squashes. It is best prepared baked or steamed and then roasted.

Butternut: one of the most popular and therefore regularly available squashes. It has a creamy texture when cooked and is excellent baked or steamed. Easy to puree once cooked, it makes a delicious base for soup or when used with other root vegetables in purees.

Delicata: similar in looks to an elongated football, it has green stripes and a creamy pulp that tastes similar to sweet potatoes. Delicata is best when baked.

Kabocha: a Japanese squash suitable for frying and stir-frying because of its drier and less fibrous interior. It is dark green with white and orange spots and striations. It is incredibly versatile as it is suited for baking and steaming, and for use in purees, too.

Spaghetti: elongated and pale yellow in color, spaghetti squash gets its name for the spaghetti-like shred the flesh yields once baked.

The sheer variety of squashes available ensures that you never tire of having squash at a meal. Here are a couple of ideas to help get you started. Once you see how easy (and how fast) it can be to prepare squash, you are limited in your use only by the days left in the fall and winter season.

Chef’s Tip for speedy cooking: To decrease the often lengthy time needed to bake, roast, or cook winter squash, place peeled and cut squash into a large microwave safe bowl. Cover tightly with cling film. Microwave on high for about 3 to 5 minutes and let rest in the microwave oven (without opening the door) another 5 minutes more. The squash will be par cooked and you can reduce your recipe cooking time in about half.

Try this wonderful Butternut Squash Bisque from a previous Food Wednesdays column.

Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash
While there are recipes for quick steaming the spaghetti squash, I prefer oven roasting for a far superior texture and a more developed, concentrated flavor. To steam, cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place the squash cut side down in a large heavy pot, filled with about 1/2-inch of water. They do not have to lie perfectly flat, and I prefer that they don’t to prevent scorching of the flesh. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove the squash from the pot to a sheet pan or platter and cool just enough to handle. Using a fork, rake the flesh from side to side to release the steamed strands. Use the spaghetti squash strands in your favorite recipe.

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, choose a small but heavy for its size squash (smaller squash tend to be more flavorful)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation
Put the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil.

Using a sharp knife carefully cut the squash open lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds, and then rub the flesh of the squash generously with olive oil. Place cut sides down on the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Carefully turn the squash so the flesh/cut-side is up and roast until tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and cool just enough to handle.

Using a fork, scrape the flesh of the squash from the skin, and separate the spaghetti-like strands. Remove the strands to a warmed dish and reserve until ready to use.

Toss the squash in a pan with sautéed vegetables and herbs, or top with your favorite sauce or dressing. The squash is cooked when it comes out of the oven; you can re-heat or sauté on the stove top, according to how you plan to serve the squash.

Microwave method for faster roasting: If you are in a hurry, split and seed the squash. Place cut-side up on a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high about 8 minutes, then finish in the oven by rubbing with a bit of olive oil and roasting (cut side up) in a 400° F oven for 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender.

Recipe: Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Salad
Serves 4 to 6

This salad is the perfect autumn spin on warm bacon and spinach salad. It comes together easily; I sauté the squash with the bacon to coax out the warm nutty flavors of the squash.

Ingredients
1 cup wild rice, prepared according to package (to yield approximately 2 to 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped bacon (from about 4 strips of bacon)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 small to medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch dice (to yield approximately 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried dates, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
Coarse or kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to season
Fresh parsley leaves or chives, finely chopped to garnish (optional)
8 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and spun dry (optional)

Preparation
Place a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (that has a lid) over medium heat. Add the bacon and render the fat. When the bacon is almost crisped add the butternut squash and cook without disturbing until caramelized, about 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the butter. When the butter melts, add the onion and sauté until the onion is translucent and the squash is softening, but holding its shape. Add the cranberries and the dates, then the orange juice. Cover the pan and steam-saute the mixture about 3 to 5 minutes until everything is soft and cooked through.

Remove the lid, add the rice, the thyme and the sage. Toss gently to combine. Sprinkle fresh parsley or chives to garnish.

If serving as a side dish, serve immediately. If serving as a topping to a spinach salad, divide the spinach between serving bowls and top with equal amounts of the butternut squash and rice mixture. Drizzle a bit of the remaining pan sauce over each salad to dress the greens. Serve immediately.

Cookbook Review: Beginnings: My Way To Start a Meal

2012-09-18T05:01:00Z

Cookbook Review: Beginnings: My Way To Start a Meal
by Chris Cosentino
photos by Michael Harlan Turkell
illustrations by Simone D’Armini

Facts:
Olive Press, an imprint of Weldon Owen, 192 pages, $25.00 (or Amazon $16.25)
Photos: 72
Recipes: 59

Chris Cosentino introduces himself to the reader by explaining his feelings about cookbooks. In his opinion there are three styles of cookbooks: that of the TV chef who wants to capitalize on their star power; the dumbed down (my words, not Chris’) book where every detail is explained including idle time; and professional cookbooks which only persons in the cooking arena understand.

His desire was to ignore these and get back to old-fashioned books like Fannie Farmer’s – those that provide a framework but leave room for the creativity of the cook. We recognize that not everyone can work in that environment but I must say that I have an aversion to cookbooks that practically give instruction to turn on the spigot before filling the pot with water.

The focus of this book is first courses and being “Italian-style first courses”, we’d call them lunch. I began salivating while reading about salumi (AKA charcuterie) and how to build a meat platter but when I got to "Pickled Boar, Herb Pesto, Grilled Onions & Pine Nuts" and "Dates, Capers, & Anchovies", my stomach was grumbling and there were a lot of OMG’s floating in the air.

After salumi, the book is divided by season, each featuring about 15 recipes. Following seasonal recipes are 15 pages devoted to cheeses: fresh, soft, hard, stinky and how to build the perfect cheese platter. The Larder wraps up the book with recipes for vinaigrettes, stocks, jam, and butters.

His recipes leave room for your creativity whether swapping different fruits and nuts in the recipe below or using a recipe at the end of the meal instead of the beginning. You can see other images and recipes from the inside of this book on the photographer's website.

Recipe
The Land of Fruit & Nuts
Serves 8

The name of this dish is inspired by the promotional slogan that appeared on crates of California fruits shipped across the country in the decades following the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. It appears the same way on my menu at Incanto. Use this salad recipe as a template switching out the fruits and nuts listed here for whatever looks good at the market.

Ingredients
For the vinaigrette (makes 3/4 cup/6 ounces/180 milligrams)
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/60 milligrams) Zinfandel vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/60 milligrams) each pure olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the pistachio butter
1 cup (4 ounces/125 grams) pistachio nuts
3 tablespoons pistachio oil or extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

For the salad
1/4 cup (1 ounce/30 grams) pistachio nuts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt, preferably Halen Môn, and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds (1.5 kilograms) heirloom tomatoes, in assorted colors
2 melons, in different varieties and preferably different colors
1/4 pound (125 grams) arugula leaves
1/4 cup (1/4 ounce/7 grams) fresh opal basil leaves, torn
1 Serrano Chile, cut into paper-thin rings
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/60 milligrams) Zinfandel Vinaigrette

Method
Make the vinaigrette
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, and pure olive oil until emulsified and then whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Make the pistachio butter
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

2. Spread the pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until dry and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely and then transfer to a blender, add the oil and a pinch of salt, and process until smooth and spreadable.

3. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve. (The butter can be made up to 2 weeks in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.) Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C).

Make the salad
1. In a small bowl, toss the 1/4 cup (1 ounce/30 grams) pistachios with the 1 tablespoon oil and a little salt, spread on the baking sheet, and roast in the oven until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool

2. Cut the tomatoes into different shapes and sizes, such as slices 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and 1/2-inch (12-mm) wedges. Halve the melons, discard the seeds, and then peel away the skin, making sure you keep their nice round shape. Cut the melon halves into different shapes, such as crescent moons, halved crescent moons, and cubes. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, melons, toasted pistachios, arugula, basil, and about half of the chile rings. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper, toss again, and then taste and adjust the seasonings.

3. To serve put 1 tablespoon of the pistachio butter on 4 different areas of a large platter, and using the back of a spoon, drag each mound into a streak across the platter. Artfully arrange the salad down the middle of the platter. Top with the remaining chile rings and serve right away.

Food Wednesdays: The Changing Taste of PA Wines

2012-09-12T05:01:00Z

It’s not too terribly difficult to surprise me, but to get me to change my mind? That usually takes an act of divine intervention. Or, in this case, a memorable glass of wine. Yes, this is an article about a Pennsylvania winery. And, yes! You simply must keep reading.

The Vineyard at Hershey. The name almost compels the thought “destination.” I guess in a way it is. I’d be waxing poetic to say this is the ultimate destination for all those Pennsylvania wines that have tried so hard to be something other than what they are. Indeed, these wines are what I’ve always wanted them to be. But there’s more. There’s really so much more behind this uber-successful group of twenty- (almost thirty-) something guys that opened the doors to their tasting room in Hershey in February. Since then they have quadrupled their projected wine sales. That little fact alone suggests there’s something different in the way these guys craft their wine.

And there is. The Vineyard at Hershey wines have found their way onto wine lists at places like the Hilton Harrisburg, Stock’s on 2^nd, and Alfred’s Victorian, and tastings being offered at places like Mt. Hill Tavern and The Accomac Inn. Pretty impressive for 4 guys that met in a bar one night.

It was winemaker and property manager Paul Vezzetti’s musings that caught the attention of Mike Wilson, now VP of marketing and outreach. Vezzetti, 28, with a strong Italian family and winemaking influence, was overheard saying that Pennsylvania wines could be world class. When Wilson pressed Vezzetti, he went even further and suggested that he was the one to handcraft such wines. One year later The Vineyard at Hershey’s four partners, Vezzetti, Wilson, Jason Reimer and Doug Gellatly, planted their first vines on 40 acres just off the Toll House Road Exit on Rt. 283 in Middletown. 3 years later Vezzetti began blending their harvest with grapes they bought up from the central PA region. His old-school Italian and fruit forward style of winemaking immediately became distinctive; Vezzetti began grafting his ideas about yeast strains and blending onto those grapes. Almost 6000 visitors and 1500 gallons of wine later, The Vineyard at Hershey might not yet have that “world-class” status, but certainly people are paying attention to these Pennsylvania wines.

The tasting room (open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays) pours the standards you’d expect, like fruit wines, a Catawba, and a Niagara. But that’s pretty much where the sweet, orchard fruit-y, classic Pennsylvania wine similarities end. While visiting, I had the pleasure of tasting a light bodied, but spicy Chambourcin (unlike any Chambourcin I’ve ever tasted), and a Seyval Blanc that would stand up against most of my favorite Sauv Blanc imports. Then it got better. I indulged in Firefly, a full-bodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and even found favor with two semi-sweet wines, their Twisted Kiss and Crimson Fox.

Then talk turned to the upcoming September 15^th release of their Merlot and I was offered a taste: medium-bodied, well-oaked, and hints of plums and cherries. “Jammy,” I thought, “without losing each fruit’s nuance.” Structured with a hint of black pepper, this is a wine worthy of a Napa-style release party, complete with the first bottles arriving via helicopter to an estimated crowd of almost 1,000.

Yes. People are paying attention to The Vineyard at Hershey. With a robust Twitter following @Vineyard Hershey (#wineing) and over 1,200 followers on Facebook (The Vineyard at Hershey), the partners rely heavily on social media outlets to grow their fan base. (Who doesn’t appreciate special discounts for checking in on Foursquare, or for mentioning this article while visiting their tasting room for one Complimentary Tasting!)? Like most of Hershey Harrisburg Wine Country wineries, they have event-based entertainment on their property, indoor and outdoor tasting venues and have started offering private wine-tastings and tours for special events and groups.

As if this wasn’t enough to tempt you to try their wines and prove me wrong, I will offer one closing observation. A world-famous winemaker once told me that people will always love winemakers for their reds, but a truly talented winemaker knows how to create memorable whites. The Vineyard at Hershey’s winemaker, Vezzetti, seems to have taken this to heart and offers up a taste of something to remember in both his Unoaked Chardonnay and his complex Oaked Chardonnay.

The Vineyard at Hershey
598 Schoolhouse Road
Middletown, PA 17057
info@VineyardAtHershey.com
717.944.1569

Food Wednesdays: Tomatoes!

2012-08-22T03:42:10Z

It never seems like summer until August arrives. Finally, the best of summer produce is at our markets; gardens slowly begin to yield their bounty. It’s hot. It’s steamy. The days are long and abundance is the emerging theme. But there is something about tomatoes that brings a wry smile to my face. I remember all the tomato plants we used to have in our back yard hanging heavy with fruit. This was before our dogs thought the green tomatoes were the same as tennis balls. In the sun, the tomatoes were a kaleidoscope of color and it took little more than an outstretched palm to encourage one to fall from the vine. The warmth, the sweet juices and that undeniable fragrance of the tomato — if there is a defining moment of summer, at least in my world, this is it.

Tomatoes are magnificent on their own and match a whole host of this season’s best to make a salad, a salsa, or even a “vegetable” course. Try cucumbers, watermelon, olives, nectarine and peaches. Don’t forget to add in herbs, like basil, parsley, mint, and even cilantro. Other exotic ingredients like ginger and lemongrass add a distinctive note to any tomato combination. And that’s the key. The combination of these summer flavors work together brilliantly. Mother nature knows what she’s doing: she grows together things that go together.

In the recipe that follows, I think you’ll find that the abundance of ripe watermelon available now and the sweet ripe flavor of tomato are exquisite together; the subtle, but oh-so-important structure provided by the flavor of fennel and vinaigrette are not to be underestimated. If you are looking for a stunning composition of flavors to call summer, you might want to stop here.

Recipe: Tomato Watermelon Salad
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
3 to 4 cups fresh, ripe tomatoes seeded and chopped into about ½-inch dice
2 cups chopped watermelon, seeded and chopped into a ¼” dice
1 small head fennel, sliced paper thin on a mandoline
½ cup gently packed fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives, cilantro and mint, plus additional leaves chopped for garnish

For the Watermelon Dressing
1 ½ cups seeded and chopped watermelon
1 ½ tablespoons wildflower or lavender honey
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce*
Pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper, to season

6 ounces Ricotta Salata cheese, broken into chunks, to garnish

*Sweet Chili Sauce is available in the ethnic section of most well stocked grocery stores.

Preparation
Soak the fennel in a large bowl of ice water until it crisps and curls, about 1 hour. Drain and spin dry. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the dressing. Puree the watermelon in a blender or a food processor and then strain the watermelon juice into a small saucepan. Simmer the juice over medium heat until reduced to about 1/2 to 1/3 cup. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey, lime juice and Sweet Chili Sauce. Mix well; add salt and pepper to season. Set aside.

Make the salad. In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes and watermelon; add the fennel. Toss to combine. Add half of the herbs, reserving the remainder for a garnish. Gently toss to incorporate.

Service
Mound a serving of the tomato and watermelon salad in the center of a chilled salad plate. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish each with a sprinkle of the chopped herbs and 1 ounce of the cheese.

Food Wednesdays: Fruit Butters.

2012-08-14T09:01:00Z

When it’s time for vacation I, like most, tend to use up all that I have on hand hoping to get through all that fresh produce before we leave. Still, I know I won’t get through it all, especially the fruit. Whenever I'm at the market, I can’t seem to resist all of those fresh berries, and especially peaches and plums that are abundant right now. So, when the fruit is ripening faster than we can eat it, or worse – it will go bad before we get home to finish it off, I make a quick fruit butter. It’s an easy fast answer.

Say what you will about butter – good or bad – there’s just no way around it. Real butter makes all the difference in the world when it comes to flavor. And, when you add to it a note of fruity sweetness, breakfast just got a whole lot tastier. Don't limit yourself to breakfast though, slather a bit on your bread at lunch time and enjoy with your sandwich or salad. Even a whipped dollop with some cookies at tea makes a luscious afternoon treat. You can buy butter just for this recipe, but I usually have little pieces leftover from other uses collecting in my butter compartment. A cup is about all you need; most of us will have it at the ready.

Ripe fruit is quick to break down over a gentle heat with a little sugar or even just a bit of water; let it soften and its juices thicken over a medium or medium-low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning. I find that a bit of lemon zest or even a splash of lemon juice can sometimes really pull the fruit favor into focus. If you’re up for experimenting, warm spices likes cinnamon, allspice, or even cardamom, can change up the overall flavor profile. Of course, a bit of salt brightens everything up, and then when your fruit mixture is cooled, it goes right into the food processor with that butter. Process until smooth – skins and all – and the spread into a ramekin or form a log on a long piece of plastic wrap. When stored in the freezer the fruit butter will keep for several weeks; in the refrigerator, it should keep for about 5 days.

Recipe: Fruit Butter
Makes about 1 cup

I am no fan of vague recipes; however, in this case it is perfectly appropriate. The measurements and times are nothing more than a guideline. Improvise as you see fit. If it tastes delicious then you’ve found the perfect balance of ingredients. Try combinations like apples and pears; strawberries and bananas; strawberries blackberries and blueberries; peaches and plums, and so on!

Ingredients
1 cup (or more) unsalted butter, at room temperature
About 1 cup of ripe and over-ripe fruit, coarsely chopped
1 – 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (or honey) (optional)
Lemon zest or lemon juice, or both, to season
Warm spices, to taste (about 1 teaspoon or less per 1 cup of butter) (optional)
Coarse salt, to season

Preparation
Place the butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process in pulses until the butter is creamy and well blended.

Place the fruit, a bit of water, the sugar (if using) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium low. As the mixture simmers, add in a bit of the lemon zest or juice and stir to incorporate. Gently simmer until the fruit breaks down and releases its juices stirring occasionally. If the mixture gets too dry, add more water and mix frequently until the fruit is jam-like. Remove from the heat and let cool, about 15 minutes. Add the fruit to the butter and process until well combined. Taste. Add salt to season. Transfer to a ramekin and place in refrigerator until firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

For extended storage, cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Food Wednesdays: Ceviche

2012-08-08T06:58:18Z

Ceviche, cebiche, or even sebiche, can send people running for the door. Not fair, I say! We’ve come to terms with sushi, so its time ceviche gets its due. In fact, for every person who claims it’s the idea of eating raw fish that scares them off from a platter of citrus cured oceanic goodness, I say pay heed. What I’m about to tell you should whet your appetite at least enough to want to try one bite. If you’re lucky enough to be in the hands of a capable cook, you’re destined to be a fan forever.

Recipes:
Classic Ceviche
Cooked Ceviche (for those who can’t, just can’t, do it!)

Ceviche (pron. seh-Bee-chay) is a traditional South American dish of raw fish or other seafood tossed with citrus juice and fresh herbs and vegetables such as hot chiles, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro. The dish has a long history, but its origins are disputed. To rely on our modern classic interpretation of the dish would suggest that ceviche came to us from the Spanish (who introduced limes to the Americas). Still, Ecuadorians and Peruvians claim that the juice of the passion fruit was the original curing liquid. Regardless of its origin, the premise for making ceviche remains the same: fresh fish is cured in a highly seasoned and spiced acidic liquid.

Conventional wisdom, or urban legend, will have you believe that the citric acid in the citrus curing liquid “cooks” the raw fish. While the citric acid does alter the protein structure of the fish it does not “cook” the fish per se. Instead, the protein becomes more opaque and firm, but the acid does not kill bacteria and parasites as heat may. That is why ceviche, like sushi, depends on the freshest and highest grade (read cleanest) seafood possible.

Because you start with fresh fish and a tart curing liquid, ceviche is typically offered as a light meal eaten at lunch or as an appetizer to start a meal. Traditional South American ceviche restaurants called cevicherias often close mid-afternoon since the morning’s catch is no longer fresh by the afternoon. While each ceviche starts with the freshest fish possible – usually sea bass or flounder – there are as many variations on the remaining ingredients as there are countries and cultures in South America. In Ecuador, ceviche is usually made with shrimp and served with corn nuts, that aren’t like the corn nuts we are familiar with in our stores. Instead, they are extremely large corn kernels that when cooked, do not pop and fluff. Instead, the kernel gets puffy and the interior gets soft.

In Peru, ceviche is garnished with thin-sliced onions and chili peppers, then served with sweet potatoes and large kernel corn grown in the mountainous Andes, called choclo. Chileans turn their named sea bass into ceviche buy using tart grapefruit juice with the lime juice and seasoning the curing liquid with mint and cilantro.

Whichever culture inspires your recipe for ceviche, there is one thing each ceviche has in common, and that is its byproduct “tigers milk,” or the leftover ceviche marinade. Colored brightly from the chile peppers and the seasonings, the marinade is often mixed with vodka and presented to diners with their ceviche.

As ceviche becomes more mainstream it’s not unusual to see chefs bring regional ingredients into their own recipes. In Central America and the tropics you can find such things as passion fruit and coconut milk added. In coastal states you can find ceviche combined with everything from avocado to celery and more.

For home cooks, ceviche can be an easy, make-ahead summer supper that offers almost endless possibilities for change. The key to a good ceviche, of course, is top-quality fish and seafood. Buy sushi-grade fish whenever possible, and for extra security, allow the fish to cure in lime juice or other citrus juice at least 8 hours or overnight before serving. Add your other chilled, chopped ingredients -- tomato, onion, avocado, jicama, watermelon, cilantro -- just prior to serving for best results.

Classic Ceviche
Serves 8 as an Appetizer

Ceviche is believed to have originated in Peru or Ecuador in Inca times. The seafood was originally marinated in chicha, a fermented corn beverage. The Spanish introduced citrus to these countries and with their influence the juices of lemons, limes and Seville oranges have become the marinade or cooking liquid. The traditional essence of the ceviche is retained by using key limes and a garnish of roasted corn and roasted sweet potatoes. It is made contemporary with the addition of fresh garden vegetables and the fresh herb cilantro. I drop my lime wedges into raw or turbinado sugar before serving. I like the elegant note of sweetness it adds to the overall tartness of the dish.

Ingredients
About 1 pound fresh sea bass or red snapper fillets (or other firm white fresh fish such as shark, mahi-mahi, or sole)
1/4 cup finely chopped red (or sweet) onion
About 1 cup fresh key lime juice (substitute fresh lime juice)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup red bell pepper, small dice
1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, small dice
1 small jalapeño seeded and finely minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges, for garnish

Toasted sweet corn kernels, for garnish (optional)
Roasted sweet potato slices, for garnish (optional)

Preparation
Make the Ceviche. Trim the sea bass fillet and cut into small bite size cubes, about 1/4- to 1/2-inch. Place the fish into a non-reactive mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl combine the chopped onion, lime juice, and salt. Pour the lime juice mixture over the fish and stir to combine. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour to cure. During this time the seafood will essentially “cook” in the lime juice.

Remove the cured ceviche from the refrigerator and drain, discarding the lime juice. Place the ceviche in a clean mixing bowl. Add the chopped bell peppers and the jalapeño pepper. Toss to combine. If not serving immediately, return the mixture to the refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.

To Serve
Add the chopped cilantro to the ceviche mixture and toss. Place on a chilled serving plate and dress with toasted sweet corn kernels and roasted sweet potato slices. Squeeze a bit of fresh lime just before taking to the table. Garnish with wedges of lime.

Cooked “Ceviche”
Serves 6 as a starter

This dish uses the classic ceviche combination of refreshing citrus from the orange and lime juice, the heat from jalapeño, a nice crunch from cucumber, and the sweetness from the scallops. Although it's not a true ceviche, since the scallops are already cooked when you put them in the marinade, the taste is wonderful with the added layer of flavor from the grill. This is a perfect starter. The bright and bold marinade gets your appetite read for a delicious main course.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds large sea scallops (about 20) (ask for “dry pack” scallops, which are not held soaking in solution)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 small navel orange
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 medium hot house (also known as seedless) cucumber, peeled and halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced (to yield about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallot
2 teaspoons finely chopped, seeded jalapeño pepper (about half of one large jalapeño)
Coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to season
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Place the scallops in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Place a grill pan over medium high heat and brush with canola oil.

Grill scallops until just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cool.

Cut the peel and white pith from the orange. Cut segments free from membranes. Coarsely chop enough segments to measure 1/4 cup and place in a large bowl (reserve remaining orange for another use). Add lime juice, cucumber, shallot, jalapeño, and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir to combine flavors. Taste. Season with coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Cut the scallops in half or into quarters (you should have about 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces). Add to the cucumber mixture, tossing to combine. Cover with cling film and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.

To Serve
Remove from refrigerator. Add cilantro and serve on chilled salad plates.

Food Wednesdays: Cookbook Review: Food In Jars

2012-08-01T23:17:14Z

Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round
By Marisa McClellan
Photos by Steve Lagato
Facts: Running Press – 230 pages $23.00 (or at Amazon starting at $13.81; Kindle Edition at $10.99)
Recipes: Over 100
Photos: 85 +
Give to: CSA share participants; Farm stand junkies and wholesale warehouse shoppers.

This is the best of times and the worst of times. Markets, farm stands, and CSA baskets are unabashedly abundant with fresh produce, fresh fruits and a whole host of garden staples, like herbs and edible flowers. We buy them, haul them home, but inevitably can’t get through all that food before it starts turning bad. Being one that hates to waste or toss food, I somehow never have managed to get on the canning bandwagon. Who needs the fuss or the mess? And do any of us really even have that much time to dedicate to such a project? I guess for me, the biggest hurdle is that my over-flowing bushel of food contains a multitude of things. Certainly it’s not all going into one can!

Enter Marisa McClellan of the popular blog Food in Jars. In her first book by the same name, McClellan does what I think everyone has been waiting for: she makes canning easy because she does it in small batches. “These are recipes that I prepare in my own apartment in Philadelphia, without the space and amenities of a huge kitchen, and they’re a terrific way to bring the bounty of a local farmers’ market into your home and serve it throughout the year,” says McClellan. Having read her book, I actually believe now that small batch canning is possible. But even more so? It doesn’t require a huge chunk of my time to do it.

For the canning purist, McClellan goes through all the basics in the first few pages without turning canning into a science class. She quickly, but thoroughly, covers everything you need to have and know, which is a surprisingly small list and mostly already present in your well-stocked kitchen. As far as the processing stuff and tweaks and changes you might make to account for acidity or altitude? She makes that easy, too. Then with no apologies for canning only a few jars at a time, McClellan dives headlong into a progression of classic canned goods, from jams, fruit butters, jellies and marmalades to the uber-sophisticated curds and conserves. Then she tackles the garden and the orchard including recipes for pickling, salsas and relishes, sauces, syrups, whole fruits and for the health conscious – she even includes granola and nut butters.

Let’s just say that after my first flip-through the pages, which are chock full of photos of the finished products (that look like they were photographed on one of our local Amish farmsteads, btw), I was ready to head into the kitchen and preserve whatever was there.

Recently released, her timing is perfect. I seem to have a lot of extras these days. Farm stand visits and CSA takes are too abundant for my small family to consume in one weeks’ time. McClellan shows me how to take what I have left over and, usually in under an hour, turn out a couple of processed jars that don’t take up an entire cold cellar, but instead a small corner of my pantry. And with mouth-watering names to her recipes, like oven-roasted peach preserves, or spiced pickled pear halves, and even grape ketchup and spicy honey mustard, I’m paying a little more attention to what I’m bringing home in the hopes of getting them into jars before they disappear in my kids mouths.

I’m quite sure I’ll never be one to schedule that Saturday or Sunday for putting up my preserves, but I’ll happily tackle McClellan's book throughout the remainder of summer and put up a few jars of deliciousness in between all that summer fun!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Blueberry Butter
Though I’ve been a lifelong fan of blueberry jam, it was only very recently that it even occurred to me to take a stab at making blueberry butter. The resulting butter is just wonderful: Less sweet and sticky than a traditional jam, it ends up tasting like blueberry pie in a jar.

Makes 3 (1-pint/500 ml) jars

Ingredients
8 cups puréed blueberries (about 3 dry quarts/1.7 kg blueberries)
2 cups/400 g granulated sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation

Put the puréed blueberries in a 4-quart capacity slow cooker. Place a lid on the pot and turn it on to low. After it has cooked for 1 hour, remove the lid and give it a stir. From this point forward, you will want keep the lid slightly cracked. I have found that propping it open with a wooden spoon or chopstick gives just enough room for the evaporating steam to escape.

This butter will need between 4 and to 8 total hours total in the slow cooker. The time varies depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks. Check the butter at least once an hour to track the progress.

In the final hour, add the sugar, lemon zest and juice, and spices. If you want to speed the evaporation, remove the lid and turn the cooker up to high. If you do this, make sure to check and stir the butter every 10 minutes to prevent scorching.

When the butter is nearing completion, prepare a boiling water bath and 3 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process (see below). Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Once it has cooked down to be as thick as ketchup and spreadable, determine whether you like a chunky or smooth butter. For a smoother texture, purée the butter using an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender); for a slight chunkiness, leave it as it is.

Turn the slow cooker off and ladle the butter into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

The sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.

How to process
1. If you’re starting with brand-new jars, remove their lids and rings. If you’re using older jars, check the rims to make sure there are no chips or cracks.

2. Put the rack into the canning pot and put the jars on top.

3. Fill the pot (and jars) with water to cover and bring to a boil. I have found that this is the very easiest way to heat up the jars in preparation for canning because you’re going to have to heat up the canning pot anyway. Why not use that energy to heat up the jars as well?

4. Put the lids in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring them to the barest simmer on the back of the stove.

5. While the canning pot comes to a boil, prepare your product.

6. When your recipe is complete, remove the jars from the canning pot (pouring the water back into the pot as you remove the jars) and set them on a clean towel on the counter. There’s no need to invert them; the jars will be so hot that any remaining water will rapidly evaporate. Remove the lids with tongs or a magnetic lid wand and lay them out on the clean towel.

7. Carefully fill the jars with your product. Depending on the recipe, you’ll need to leave between 1/4 and 1/2 inch/6 mm and 12 mm of headspace (that’s the room between the surface of the product and the top of the jar). Jams and jellies typically get 1/4 inch/6 mm, while thicker products and pickles get 1/2 inch/12 mm.

8. Wipe the rims of the jar with a clean, damp paper towel or the edge of a clean kitchen towel. If the product you’re working with is very sticky, you can dip the edge of the cloth in distilled white vinegar for a bit of a cleaning boost.

9. Apply the lids and screw the bands on the jars to hold the lids down during processing. Tighten the bands with the tips of your fingers to ensure that they aren’t overly tight. This process is known as “fingertip tight.”

10. Carefully lower the filled jars into the canning pot. You may need to remove some water as you put the jars in the pot. A heat-resistant measuring cup is the best tool for this job, as it won’t transfer heat to your hand.

11. Once the pot has returned to a rolling boil, start your timer. The length of the processing time will vary from recipe to recipe.

12. When your timer goes off, promptly remove the jars from the water bath. Gently place them back on the towel-lined countertop and let them cool.

13. The jar lids should begin to ping soon after they’ve been removed from the pot. The pinging is the sound of the seals forming; the center of the lids will become concave as the vacuum seal takes hold.

14. After the jars have cooled for 24 hours, remove the bands and check the seals. You do this by grasping the jar by the edges of the lid and gently lifting it an inch or two off the countertop. The lid should hold fast.

15. Once you’ve determined that your seals are good, you can store your jars in a cool, dark place (with the rings off, please) for up to a year. Any jars with bad seals can still be used—just store them in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.

Peach Jam
Every summer, I make a point to buy my weight in peaches. I slice and freeze a bunch, can halves in light syrup, and make peachy sauce, butter, and jam. Glorious peach jam! Peaches have become one of those fruits that are nearly always available, but they are only transcendent during the months of July and August. Those mealy, impenetrable fruits that you pay a small fortune for during the winter can’t possibly compare. Make this jam during the season and forget those out-of-season abominations.

Makes 3 (1-pint/500 ml) jars

Ingredients
5 cups peeled, pitted, and chopped peaches (about 3 pounds/1.4 kg whole peaches)
3 cups/600 g granulated sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 (3-ounce/85 ml) packet liquid pectin

Preparation
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Combine the peaches and sugar in a large, nonreactive pot. Stir so that the peaches begin to release their juice and mingle with the sugar. Bring to a boil and add the lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Let the jam continue to cook over high heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you like a smoother jam, use an immersion blender (taking care not to burn yourself with hot jam) to break down some of the chunks. Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil for a full 5 minutes. It should look thick and spreadable.

Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Note: When it comes to peeling peaches, most instructions will tell you to blanch and peel them whole. I’ve found that it’s easier and less damaging to the fruit if you slice them in half and remove the pits prior to their hot-water dip. After 60 seconds in a pot of boiling water, the skin should easily pull away from the peach halves.

Food Wednesdays: When you are one.

2012-06-21T02:24:11Z

Mise en place, or “everything in its place.” It’s the first thing you learn as a chef; it’s the first thing every cookbook and recipe writer tells you to do. Get all of your ingredients out, measured and prepared before you start your recipe. I’ve done this for years, and as odd as this will sound, never truly appreciated the importance of mise en place until a few days ago.

This month, I find myself in a wonderful, but quite unusual place: that of being alone. Alone, as in, just me. No husband, no kids or dogs, no family, no schedules; nothing to tend to or care for other than a lovely home and myself. Then I realized that cooking for just myself – just one serving – was foreign territory for me. Sure, I was single; but I didn’t cook then like I do now. Back then I was content with take-out or frozen; salad bars and whatever came in a package that took less than 15 minutes on a stove-top.

Not wanting to return to my former “one-serving-and-done” habits, I took myself to the local market. It only got worse as I wandered through the aisles hoping to find inspiration. Everything was packaged in multiple serving size portions, and here I was looking to cook for just one. With my stay limited to just a few weeks, the thought of leftovers wasn’t appealing. I’m practical enough to know that I’d end up putting a lot of food down the garbage disposal. Freezing, too, was out. In three weeks’ time I’d be gone. I left the market daunted; it may have been a first for me.

When I returned to my fancy, albeit temporary, digs and was faced with the reality that I would, eventually, have to eat, I started exploring the kitchen that was at my disposal. It was impeccably stocked with just about everything I could have hoped to find. As I was opening cabinets and drawers (feeling so deliciously naughty for actually having permission to romp through someone else’s things!) something quite astonishing happened. I began to think of all the wonderful meals I was hungry for, the food that I might not typically prepare for my family and their “meat and potato” repertoire. Pots and pans and utensils incited cravings for everything from comfort food to elegant, fussy food; kitchen gadgets conjured up notions of preparing fresh fruits and vegetables, and then the iterations of those ingredients in all sorts of different soups, salads, sautés, and desserts. I quick made my list and returned to the grocery store.

I have a favorite line from a movie, where Diane Keaton plays a writer and at one point on the telephone she pronounces something like, “I’ll find my zen place: I’ll do a little cooking and a little writing….” And that’s exactly how I felt. I needed to find that “zen place” in this strange but wonderful kitchen. I turned on the music, and before putting any of my groceries away, I chopped, and prepped, and even did a little cooking. I mise en placed! Within an hour or so I had all sorts of ingredients at the ready and neatly stored in the refrigerator. I set up the counter tops with pinch bowls from my “survival kit” and realized that short of a run to a butcher, or fish market, anything I wanted to eat was probably only about 15 minutes of cooking time away.

As a professional I know that what TV chefs and cooks need you to buy into is that their wonderful meals are only a handful of minutes away. Truth is, they’ve had a team of talent mise en placing for them before the lights and camera ever got turned on. To stage that same set up for myself, it took but an hour of my time but was worth each second invested. I discovered the heart and soul of this kitchen, and let it lead me. I got to actually enjoy chopping through vegetables and grating a few different cheeses. I cooked up some fresh pasta and some sausages and savored the aromas filling the air. Now, in this corner of the world while I am one – at least for the next few weeks – I can prepare single serving meals, without feeling like I have to cook big or invest a lot of time and energy into it.

It’s not often food rattles me to the core, but in this case I needed to be taken out of my element to reconnect with everything wonderful about the experience of mise en place. And perhaps, when I return home, I’ll set aside a bit of time to rediscover that “zen” place in my own kitchen, even if it is just to snap out another ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of meal.

Foodie Find: Cooking with WITF! Watch us on TV!

2012-05-31T17:58:06Z

Tune int WITF TV on Saturday, June 2nd at 11 AM to 3 PM, for America's Home Cooking: From the Garden. During WITF's Spring Pledge drive you'll be treated to feature segments about our region's great farms, farm markets, restaurants and even cooking segments! Learn how truly easy it is to live "field to fork" this summer, and enjoy some great recipes to help you get through that boutiful harvest. Recipes include carrot soup, granola, quinooa, iced tea with herbs and infused cocktails, fruit recipes, ceviche and even a super delicious Tuscan classic Panzanella salad.