Archive for January, 2009

Submerged

Friday, January 30th, 2009

Wednesday was “fry-night” at school. We had a list of food to cook from the storeroom, but we were also encouraged to bring in an item or two to toss into the bubbling vats of oil. I have a donut obsession, adore good fries, and crispy texture but deep-frying is usually not my preferred cooking method. I brought one lone candy bar to class. Luckily, some of my classmates knew to bring the timeless lunchbox indulgences. Here is a snapshot of what I consumed: Oreo, Twix, Twinkie, Zero Bar, pineapple, drunken banana, apple, croquette, onion, mushroom, broccoli, zucchini, and red pepper. This was my “after-dinner-snack.” I was the girl who ate everything; it was frightening—once I started, I could not stop. Synopsis: pineapples are not worth frying and the fried Twinkie was absolutely luscious and sinful. I was in a gastronomic haze and could not decipher if the lab kitchen more resembled a state fair or Willy Wonka’s playground. I had my fill, loved it, but recognized that I am more of a griller at heart.

This pork chop recipe is a little more my speed.



Panko Crusted Pork Chops

4 pork chops
¾ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon Emeril’s Essence
¼ cup olive oil
pepper

Heat grill pan on stove stop. Mix the panko, chili powder and Essence in a low bowl. Brush the pork chops with olive oil; sprinkle with pepper. Dredge the chops in the panko mixture until coated. Toss on the grill and cook until medium to medium rare (approximately 7 minutes on each side).

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Move Over Idaho

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

Sweet potato is making her mark as a real style icon. The industry just loves her—she is tough, vivid, and is known for revealing a charming soft side after getting some heat. She certainly has personality and she dresses accordingly. At a quick lunch she wears feta or goat—smart and understated. Her new smoky paprika and butter ensemble is like a spicy stimulus package in itself. But no one can deny that when she puts on the butter, brown sugar, and chopped walnuts, she is so undeniably American, and we love that! The best part, she has changed how people think about potatoes. She brings on a new era of vitamin A, beta carotene, and B6 and does so inexpensively. Sweet Potato’s stylist just revealed her new look; she used Mexican influences to capture her hot spirit. The outfit pictured is called: Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Salad.



Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Salad

2 large sweet potatoes
1 roasted red pepper – medium dice
1 ear of cooked corn or equivalent
½ red onion – small dice
1 ½ cup black beans
fresh cilantro leaves – rough chop
s and p

Vinaigrette

1 part lime juice
3 parts olive oil
½ chipotle chili in Adobo sauce
1 tsp Adobo sauce
sugar

Salad

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them to a large dice. Prepare a large pot of water; boil the potatoes until they are just soft; approximately 20 minutes. Meanwhile, roast the red pepper. To roast: place the pepper directly on the stovetop’s open flame. The skin should be black and charred; continue to check and rotate the pepper. Set aside to let cool. In a medium size bowl, add corn, red onion, black beans and cilantro leaves. Peel the red pepper (the skin should slide off easily), chop and add to the mixture. Add the sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper; add the vinaigrette, toss and serve.

Mix one part lime juice to three parts olive oil in an old jam jar. Add ½ of a chopped chipotle chili and 1 teaspoon of the Adobo sauce (more if you like spice). Add sugar to taste. Shake to emulsify the ingredients together. Taste and adjust if necessary.

Posted in Sweet Potato, Vinaigrette | 1 Comment »

Old Soul

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

I am on a cross-country skiing kick right now. I just got a set for Christmas. Most people, who I tell that I am going skiing, respond with, “really… where would you do that?”

We head to Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton so that ski-less friends or husbands can join in the fun. Charlie, Robbie, Brian, and I all made the trek out this past Sunday. Robbie and I hit the snow as Charlie and Brian scoped out the ski rental. We were about 15 minutes in to our intense and flailing workout when we got the call that there were no more skis left, so Brian and Charlie were going to have an “Irish Sunday” at the bar. Everyone was happy.

As I was skiing on the back fairways everything started to look black and white. I felt like I should have traded in my North Face gear for a long winter skirt and wooden skis. I love those antique pictures of people who lived simple lives but made it look good. I realize that maybe cross-country skiing is somewhat of a lost art, but it works for me. I would have done well in the olden days; I have no car, I eat vegetables that are in season, and I drink tea. I do love my Mac, hot showers and bumming rides off of people so I won’t take the metaphor too far. But I will make some old fashioned food and that leads me to a stew, a one-pot dish with a lot of soul.

Beef Stew with Root Vegetables

2 TBS olive oil
1 ½ pound beef stew cubes
1 ½ medium onions – rough chop
2 large cloves garlic – minced
3 TBS low-sodium tomato paste
4 stalks celery – diced
3 large carrots –  rough chop (half coins)
2 parsnips – peeled rough chop
16 oz chickpeas – cooked
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 cans tomato sauce/ Italian tomatoes
2 rosemary and thyme sprigs
s and p to taste

Season beef with olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat large Dutch oven over high heat; add meat. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the meat is seared on all sides. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and add onions. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add garlic, celery, carrots, and parsnips and chickpeas. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the red wine, chicken stock, tomato sauce, rosemary, thyme and salt and pepper. Place Dutch oven in a 275°- 300° oven. Cook for an hour or until meat and vegetables are tender. Serve over whole-wheat pasta with parmesan.

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Pasta Rules

Friday, January 9th, 2009

My third grade teacher posed the question, “what is your favorite food?” All the kids responded with “ice cream,” “cookies,” “chocolate” or simply, “sugar.” My response was “pasta with homemade pesto.” Heads turned, giggles erupted, and the loud one in the class said, “eww, what’s that?” So, I was a little different. I knew what I liked.

I am an Irish/German girl; our pasta was never homemade. In our house the only dough that was handcrafted was cookie dough. I liked that the Italians could make their own and I wanted to do the same.

The quest was on. A couple of months ago, I set out to make my own pasta for a party… with no machine. Big mistake—it takes a lot of major manpower to roll that dough thin. Redemption: going to culinary school (and using a pasta machine). Our Chef presented a thorough pasta demonstration. I went back to my station and reread the recipe; I noticed it stated, “remember—a soft flabby dough makes soft flabby noodles.” I certainly did not want to make anything that would merit the description “soft and flabby.”  I constructed the dough, kneaded it, and sent it through the machine. At the first moment available, I cooked that pasta, dressed it with butter, olive oil, parmesan, salt, and pepper—pure pasta bliss and I like that!

Please keep in mind; pasta won’t really make you soft and flabby, so eat up.


Basic Egg Pasta

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs
pinch of salt

In large bowl mix the flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour. In a separate bowl beat the eggs; add the eggs to the well of the flour. Use a fork to slowly incorporate the flour to the egg mixture. Use a circular motion with the fork—folding the flour under the egg mixture. Once the dough starts to form, use your hands to finish adding the flour. Make sure there is no moisture in the dough (it will stick to the pasta machine). It is also important to not blend the excess “dough bits” to your dough ball.

Your dough should be smooth and elastic. After the dough is constructed, let it sit for 20 minutes in plastic wrap. Split the dough in half. Flatten the dough into an oval. Dust with flour. Send through the machine. Cook and serve.

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When life gives you grapefruits

Friday, January 2nd, 2009


Every winter my family would buy a box of grapefruits from the local rotary club. I used to see my mom and dad preparing breakfast; slicing their citrus in half, creating a bowl with the exterior, then eating the tart pulp of the fruit’s core. There were not many foods that I did not like growing up, but grapefruit was certainly one of them. I loved the idea of the grapefruit but I could not bring myself to enjoy the sharp snack.

Life moved forward. I decide to give grapefruit another try. It did not taste tart; it was actually pretty sweet.

I have a friend, Nick, who is the type of guy that appreciates living in the moment—when he does he says—”this is the pulp of life.” It is a quote that really stuck with me. When I was eating my grapefruit the other morning—I looked at all of the pulp and thought about all that took place between the mindset of aversion to admire. It was a simple moment—but I was in it.

Reflections were high as I was trying to hone in on my New Year’s resolution while doing some last minute shopping at Whole Foods on the holiday’s eve. My resolution for 2008 was to create less garbage. I thought I had a strong year, but as I stood there in line I realized that my reusable bag collection had mysteriously disappeared. I checked out the wall of bags and spotted the one I wanted to buy. I ask the clerk for the price—$25 was the response. My reaction: yikes, $25 for a reusable bag! No way. But wait, does it benefit something? She lets me know that by purchasing the FEED bag, I will provide 100 school lunches to a struggling community in the UN World Food Program. Next reply: how cool—let’s do it! And the decision was made.

This year, I resolve to give–time and money.

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