2 1/2 lb. small new potatoes
1/3 c. olive oil
10 basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 c. whipping cream
salt and pepper
1 tsp capers
Peel potatoes, cook in salted water, drain and cut in half while still slightly firm.
Put olive oil, basil, and garlic in a medium pan, heat, mashing basil with a spoon. When the leaves look wilted, turn off heat and steep for 10 minutes. Remove leaves, reheat oil, add vinegar, cream, and seasoning. Mix, add potatoes, stir while cream simmers. When sauce thickens, taste for seasoning, serve with capers and/or small basil leaves.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Squash and Lemon Salad
6-8 zucchini/yellow squash
3 firm tomatoes
1 small tomato half
2 lemons
1 1/3 c. dry white wine
2/3 c. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 tsp thyme or lemon thyme
salt and pepper
Slice squash into 1/4 inch rounds, tomatoes into wedges, arrange in concentric circles with a small tomato half at the center.
Skin 2 lemons, cut into wedges, remove seeds, scatter over squash. Add everything else. Bake for 25 minutes at 350. Taste to make sure it's still a little firm/crunchy. Serve cool, but not chilled, with fresh bread.
Source: Summer Food by Judith Olney, p. 88
3 firm tomatoes
1 small tomato half
2 lemons
1 1/3 c. dry white wine
2/3 c. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 tsp thyme or lemon thyme
salt and pepper
Slice squash into 1/4 inch rounds, tomatoes into wedges, arrange in concentric circles with a small tomato half at the center.
Skin 2 lemons, cut into wedges, remove seeds, scatter over squash. Add everything else. Bake for 25 minutes at 350. Taste to make sure it's still a little firm/crunchy. Serve cool, but not chilled, with fresh bread.
Source: Summer Food by Judith Olney, p. 88
Polenta Tart
For the topping:
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 green pepper, chopped
6-7 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped, or a 28oz can tomatoes, drained
pinch sugar
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, oregano, thyme, mixed
salt and pepper
For the polenta base:
3 1/2 c. water
1 tsp salt
1 c. yellow cornmeal
2 eggs
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil
Cook onions and garlic in oil until soft, add the rest of the sauce ingredients, simmer 30 min until quite dry. Set aside.
Bring water and 1 tsp salt to a boil, pour in cornmeal in a slow stream, stirring. Continue stirring for 15 minutes. When dry, cool slightly, stir in eggs, spread into a pie pan. Pat and smooth with wet fingers until it forms a thin pie shell. Place tomato topping in it, sprinkle with parmesan and olive oil, bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Source: Summer Food by Judith Olney
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 green pepper, chopped
6-7 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped, or a 28oz can tomatoes, drained
pinch sugar
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, oregano, thyme, mixed
salt and pepper
For the polenta base:
3 1/2 c. water
1 tsp salt
1 c. yellow cornmeal
2 eggs
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil
Cook onions and garlic in oil until soft, add the rest of the sauce ingredients, simmer 30 min until quite dry. Set aside.
Bring water and 1 tsp salt to a boil, pour in cornmeal in a slow stream, stirring. Continue stirring for 15 minutes. When dry, cool slightly, stir in eggs, spread into a pie pan. Pat and smooth with wet fingers until it forms a thin pie shell. Place tomato topping in it, sprinkle with parmesan and olive oil, bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Source: Summer Food by Judith Olney
Sushi rice
Source: chef Shawn Dempsey, Chiso, at Cook's World cooking class
3 cups short grain japanese rice (1 cup is about 3-4 rolls)
3 1/4 c. water
Vinegar:
1/3 c. rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Wash rice with cold water until water is clear (can soak for 30 minutes before cooking). Add a little over 1 cup of water to 1 cup of rice (or 1 knuckle over the rice). Keep the lid on the rice, or cover with foil with a little hole in it. Cook on high heat until it boils, then turn down to low, simmer 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, let it sit for 10 minutes, do not remove the lid ever.
Transfer to a big mixing bowl or deep plate, spread out evenly, add vinegar mixture, fold in with spatula, cool it with a fan or an open window, let it cool.
10 minutes later, turn it over so it all cools at the same rate. After 15-20 minutes, it'll be ready to use.
3 cups short grain japanese rice (1 cup is about 3-4 rolls)
3 1/4 c. water
Vinegar:
1/3 c. rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Wash rice with cold water until water is clear (can soak for 30 minutes before cooking). Add a little over 1 cup of water to 1 cup of rice (or 1 knuckle over the rice). Keep the lid on the rice, or cover with foil with a little hole in it. Cook on high heat until it boils, then turn down to low, simmer 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, let it sit for 10 minutes, do not remove the lid ever.
Transfer to a big mixing bowl or deep plate, spread out evenly, add vinegar mixture, fold in with spatula, cool it with a fan or an open window, let it cool.
10 minutes later, turn it over so it all cools at the same rate. After 15-20 minutes, it'll be ready to use.
Sushi notes
Source: Shawn Dempsey, sushi chef at Chiso, Seattle
Sashimi knife- yanagi- for fish only, made of carbon steel, rusts so dry it quickly, 1-sided so you cut something and it falls away
Make sure everything's dry- wet seaweed is bad news
Peeling a cucumber- use a thing that peels it into sushi-sized chunks, or just peel the whole cucumber into a big sheet like a champ
Avocado: halve, pit, scoop out with spoon, slice
Kaiware: daikon sprouts
When buying nori, don't buy top shelf (too fragile, too fancy) or bottom shelf (cheap and thick). Make sure it's roasted. JFC is a good brand.
To make a temaki (hand roll): put rice on left half (of a wide rectangle), put stuff diagonal from top left to bottom center, bring lower left corner to top center, roll up
Uramaki (like a california roll): put rice on nori, add sesame, turn over, add tobiko (fish eggs) in a divot, avocado, cucumber, crab, shape it with saran-wrapped sushi mat
Futomaki (fat roll)
Hosomaki (thin roll)
Obi: little ribbon around nigiri
Gunkan: "battleship" full of fish eggs or whatever
Cut rolls with a knife that has a little water on the blade
Cut fish across the grain so you don't get a big grain in your fish
Cut unagi (eel) at 45 degree angles
Buying fish:
Tuna, salmon, albacore are easy to get
Yellowtail oxidizes so you can't buy it really
Salmon eggs, tobiko, sea urchin all good
Cooked shrimp/eel, no problem
Whitefish: hard to fillet
Scallops: generally safe
Types of tuna: Bluefin (otoro) is most expensive (and overfished), Bigeye (chutoro, orotoro?) is next, then Yellowfin (maguro?) I think the grades don't exactly match up with the types
"Fresh" tuna not actually good- rigor mortis sets in. Flash frozen is the best.
Spicy tuna: scrape tuna into little bits with a spoon, chop up, add sriracha or sambal
Sashimi knife- yanagi- for fish only, made of carbon steel, rusts so dry it quickly, 1-sided so you cut something and it falls away
Make sure everything's dry- wet seaweed is bad news
Peeling a cucumber- use a thing that peels it into sushi-sized chunks, or just peel the whole cucumber into a big sheet like a champ
Avocado: halve, pit, scoop out with spoon, slice
Kaiware: daikon sprouts
When buying nori, don't buy top shelf (too fragile, too fancy) or bottom shelf (cheap and thick). Make sure it's roasted. JFC is a good brand.
To make a temaki (hand roll): put rice on left half (of a wide rectangle), put stuff diagonal from top left to bottom center, bring lower left corner to top center, roll up
Uramaki (like a california roll): put rice on nori, add sesame, turn over, add tobiko (fish eggs) in a divot, avocado, cucumber, crab, shape it with saran-wrapped sushi mat
Futomaki (fat roll)
Hosomaki (thin roll)
Obi: little ribbon around nigiri
Gunkan: "battleship" full of fish eggs or whatever
Cut rolls with a knife that has a little water on the blade
Cut fish across the grain so you don't get a big grain in your fish
Cut unagi (eel) at 45 degree angles
Buying fish:
Tuna, salmon, albacore are easy to get
Yellowtail oxidizes so you can't buy it really
Salmon eggs, tobiko, sea urchin all good
Cooked shrimp/eel, no problem
Whitefish: hard to fillet
Scallops: generally safe
Types of tuna: Bluefin (otoro) is most expensive (and overfished), Bigeye (chutoro, orotoro?) is next, then Yellowfin (maguro?) I think the grades don't exactly match up with the types
"Fresh" tuna not actually good- rigor mortis sets in. Flash frozen is the best.
Spicy tuna: scrape tuna into little bits with a spoon, chop up, add sriracha or sambal
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Chicken Soup
3 bone-in chicken breasts
a bunch of stock- 2qts? If you don't have any, make some, just boil the odds and ends from the celery, carrots, and onion in water for a while, then remove.
1 big onion, peeled, uncut
4 sprigs celery
6 carrots, or to taste, sliced
parsley, to taste
ginger (optional), about 1tbsp fresh grated
noodles (Polish Kluski or whatever you like)
Get a large pot. I don't know how big yours is, but mine is 8 qts. Fill up to less than 2 inches from the top, with stock/water. Boil chicken, skim off the junk that floats to the top until most of it has stopped rising.
Keep simmering and add the onion and celery (to be removed later).
Simmer for 3 hours with lid on, but slightly ajar.
During the final 1/2 hour add carrots, parsley, ginger, salt and pepper to taste. Add noodles whenever so that they'll be done when they're done.
After 3 hours turn off heat, remove celery, onion and discard. Remove chicken and hopefully all the bones. When cool enough remove the chicken from the bones and put back into the broth.
Source: the Danseys
a bunch of stock- 2qts? If you don't have any, make some, just boil the odds and ends from the celery, carrots, and onion in water for a while, then remove.
1 big onion, peeled, uncut
4 sprigs celery
6 carrots, or to taste, sliced
parsley, to taste
ginger (optional), about 1tbsp fresh grated
noodles (Polish Kluski or whatever you like)
Get a large pot. I don't know how big yours is, but mine is 8 qts. Fill up to less than 2 inches from the top, with stock/water. Boil chicken, skim off the junk that floats to the top until most of it has stopped rising.
Keep simmering and add the onion and celery (to be removed later).
Simmer for 3 hours with lid on, but slightly ajar.
During the final 1/2 hour add carrots, parsley, ginger, salt and pepper to taste. Add noodles whenever so that they'll be done when they're done.
After 3 hours turn off heat, remove celery, onion and discard. Remove chicken and hopefully all the bones. When cool enough remove the chicken from the bones and put back into the broth.
Source: the Danseys
Monday, April 13, 2009
Spring Panzanella
Spring Panzanella Recipe
The bread I used also had walnuts and dried cranberries in it, but I think I'd prefer a seeded whole wheat version. Use whatever you like.
1 lb loaf of hearty, day-old, whole wheat bread into 1-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme - just pluck leaves from the sprig
a couple pinches of salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, cut into segments
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
4 handfuls spinach
1/4 cup small basil leaves
In a large bowl toss the bread with the garlic, shallot, thyme, salt and olive oil. Turn the bread out onto a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes - or until they are nice and golden and crunchy.
In a cold skillet pour in a splash of olive oil, a splash of water, and a couple pinches of salt. Dial up the heat and when the water starts to bubble stir in the asparagus. Cover, wait about twenty seconds, now add the peas. Cover, wait a few seconds, now add the spinach. Cover and cook just a few more seconds until the spinach starts to collapse just a bit.
Put the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Now pour the asparagus and peas and all the pan juices over the top of the bread.
Give it a good toss, add the basil leaves and toss again. Serve the salad family-style on a big platter.
Makes about 6 - 8 servings.
Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spring-panzanella-recipe.html
The bread I used also had walnuts and dried cranberries in it, but I think I'd prefer a seeded whole wheat version. Use whatever you like.
1 lb loaf of hearty, day-old, whole wheat bread into 1-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme - just pluck leaves from the sprig
a couple pinches of salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, cut into segments
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
4 handfuls spinach
1/4 cup small basil leaves
In a large bowl toss the bread with the garlic, shallot, thyme, salt and olive oil. Turn the bread out onto a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes - or until they are nice and golden and crunchy.
In a cold skillet pour in a splash of olive oil, a splash of water, and a couple pinches of salt. Dial up the heat and when the water starts to bubble stir in the asparagus. Cover, wait about twenty seconds, now add the peas. Cover, wait a few seconds, now add the spinach. Cover and cook just a few more seconds until the spinach starts to collapse just a bit.
Put the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Now pour the asparagus and peas and all the pan juices over the top of the bread.
Give it a good toss, add the basil leaves and toss again. Serve the salad family-style on a big platter.
Makes about 6 - 8 servings.
Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spring-panzanella-recipe.html
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