Al Dente

What to Cook this Weekend: Smoked Salmon Vermicelli

As a new parent, I have a stack of home and cooking related magazines languishing piles all over the house.  Sunset Magazine consistently delivers recipes I can cook in minimal time and with optimal deliciousness so I try to look at it when it arrives.  The January 2008 issue offered a recipe for Smoked Salmon Vermicelli.  This dish has been a welcome repetition at our house in winter and spring.  Someone must try it this summer and let me know if it needs lightening up.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, cut into half-moons
1 cup whipping cream
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
About 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
About 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 pound vermicelli
8 ounces hot- or cold-smoked salmon, cut into pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large, high-sided frying pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture has thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Add pasta to water and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.

3. Add salmon to cream mixture and stir to combine. Pour pasta into frying pan with salmon-cream mixture and toss to coat, adding some of the cooking water as needed to moisten pasta. Add parsley and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

--flauersmartini

Grill Season Kick-Off, Day 4: The Cheater's Barbecue

I've taken some time off from blogging to focus on being a new parent.  I've also taken some time off from sleeping, and let's face it, cooking.  On the other hand, being a new parent has forced me to consider some short cuts in cooking that I never considered before and not all of them are bad. 

Memorial Day weekend we hosted an impromptu barbecue.  We really didn't have time to create anything fancy so we picked up some bratwurst, salmon fillets, and lamb chops for the charcoal Weber.  We soaked the brats in the undrinkable Miller High Life someone left at a party last year.  For the salmon fillets and lamb chops, we used Tom Douglas's Rub with Love Salmon Rub and Rub with Love Bengal Masala Rub.  Rubs are very easy to make but if you have to use a pre-made rub I highly recommend Rub with Love.  They can be used for meats, fish, and vegetables.  Any of them taste quite good on grilled zucchini.

I admit that I feel a bit of a cheater for not creating my own rub and sharing it with you, but I'm giving myself a big pat on the back for not claiming Tom's rubs were my own when asked about them at the barbecue.
--flauersmartini

12 Days of Holiday Eats, Day 4: Bavarian Nut Stollen

This is actually my father's recipe and his tradition, but I intend to adopt it some day.  In the meantime, I'm happy to be the recipient of the recipe and the treat.  Every year, he bakes up huge batches of this Bavarian Nut Stollen.  On Christmas Eve, he and my mother deliver friends and family a nut stollen wrapped with ribbon. Christmas morning, we eat this with a sausage and egg frittata. 

Ingredients for Bread

1 envelope of active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 stick of butter
1 egg yolk
Zest of 1 lemon
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon of salt

Ingredients for Nut Mixture
2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
2 1/2 cups ground walnuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 egg white

Ingredients for Glaze
2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup confectioner's sugar

Directions for Bread
1. In a small bowl, pour 1 envelope of active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/4 cup of lukewarm milk for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, pour 1 cup scalded milk over 1/2 stick of butter, cut into bits, stir the mixture until the bread is melted, and let it cool to lukewarm.
3. Beat in 1 egg yolk and grated rind of 1/2 lemon. Add the yeast mixture.
4. Beat in gradually 4 1/2 cups of flour sifted with 1/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt.  Beat the mixture until smooth.
5. Transfer dough to a butter bowl and turn to coat it with butter.  Let it rise, covered with a tea towel in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.

Directions for Nut Mixture
1. In a saucepan combine 2/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water.  Bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, washing down any crystals clinging to the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water.  Boil for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of ground walnuts, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.  Remove the pan from heat.
3. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
4. Lightly beat 1 egg white and stir into mixture.  Let it cool further.

Directions for Stollen
1. Punch down dough, roll it into a 19-inch by 14-inch rectangle on a floured surface.
2. Spread nut mixture on dough, leaving 1/4-inch border.
3. Beginning with a long side, roll the dough tightly jelly-roll fashion and pinch the edges and ends to seal them.
4. Put the roll seam side down on a cutting board and halve it lengthwise with a sharp knife.
5. Twist the halves together, keeping the cut edges up, pinch the ends together, and push the twist together lightly.
6. Arrange the Stollen on a butter and floured baking sheet and let it rise, covered with a tea towel in a warm place for 30 minutes or until it is 1 and a 1/2 times in bulk.
7. Bake th Stollen in a pre-heated oven at 375-degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350-degrees and bake the Stollen, covering it lightly with foil if it browns too quickly, for 25-30 minutes more, or until it is golden.
8. Let the Stollen cool.

Directions for Glaze
1. Into a small bowl, sift 1 cup confectioner's sugar.  Add 2 tablespoons hot water.  Stir the mixture until smooth and glossy.
2. Drizzle the glaze over the Stollen in a zig zag and sprinkle walnuts over the top. Let it dry and serve.

Scandal in Candyland

First, they try to change the composition of chocolate by petitioning the FDA to allow cocoa butter to be replaced by cheaper fats.  Now there are allegations of chocolate price fixing in Canada that may expand to other types of candy.  What in the world is happening to chocolate and what does this mean for chocolate's biggest season?
-flauersmartini

What to Cook this Weekend: Cranberry Relish with Ginger

Cranberry relish is one of the best Thanksgiving dishes to prepare in advance.  Letting the juices marinate for a few days can help the flavor.  I also find it the least stressful dish to make for this big meal so it's a nice way to start out.  For the last few years, I've made this version from Williams-Sonoma's website.  I do find that I always have leftovers even when serving the recommended 8-10 people.  I'm pretty sure the guests like it because most have requested it every year. In any case, this would be one of the few occasions my family members have neglected to tell me how they really feel about a dish so I'm inclined to believe they like it. 

Because of the leftovers, I've gone beyond using it for the standard sandwich condiment.  This recipe, in particular, can be used as a topping for vanilla ice cream and to make a festive champagne cocktail.  I've also used the relish to mix with plain yogurt for breakfast.  This year, I might even try it in a batch of muffin mix.  I'm sure readers have other ideas more brilliant than mine for leftover relish.  Post them in the comments so we can try them out.

Ingredients:
1 orange, unpeeled and preferably
organic, scrubbed
2 bags (12 oz. each) fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger

Directions
Cut the orange (with its peel on) into 16 chunks and discard any seeds. Working in batches, combine the orange chunks, cranberries, sugar and ginger in a food processor. Pulse to chop finely and evenly, stopping once or twice with each batch to scrape down the sides of the work bowl.

Transfer to a storage container, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to develop the flavors. Bring to room temperature and stir well before serving. Serves 8 to 10.

-flauersmartini

What to Cook this Weekend: White Bean and Chard Soup

It's soup season.  The leaves are turning and there is a cool gust of wind every now and then.  Frankly, I eat soup all year round but I get really excited about making it in the fall.  I'm a big fan of making large batches of several different types and freezing them for future consumption so as not to overdose on one flavor.  The newest addition to my soup repertoire came about because I keep getting a delivery of organic chard.  Chard is good.  I like it, but I must say I struggle to find new and interesting ways to cook it.  I saw this recipe published in Culinate and immediately took it home.  It is the epitome of a fall soup - hearty, healthy, and warm.

Ingredients
2     bunches Swiss chard, washed and trimmed of stems
2 to 4     anchovy fillets, packed in olive oil (I say go easy on the anchovies.)
½     Tbsp. rosemary leaves, fresh
½     of 1 garlic bulb, cloves crushed and peeled
¼     cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
3     cups cooked white beans
2     cups bean broth (the cooking liquid from the beans) and/or chard water (the water from blanching the chard)
6     cups chicken broth (homemade if you have it, if not 3 14-ounce cans of chicken broth) You could substitute vegetable broth to make this friendly for the vegetarians.
¾     cup dried pasta, small shells or orecchiette (in essence, a shape to catch the beans)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

   1. In a small stock pot, blanch the chard in 2 cups lightly salted, simmering water until the color is set. Drain the chard, reserving any liquid that remains. Coarsely chop the chard.
   2. Very finely chop anchovies together with the rosemary.
   3. In a small saucepan cook the garlic cloves in olive oil over low heat, stirring often, until garlic is pale gold — about five minutes. Discard garlic and pour the garlic-infused oil into a soup pot. Heat oil over medium heat; stir in the anchovies, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Add chard and cook until tender, stirring to coat the leaves thoroughly with oil. Add the beans, and cook until heated through.
   4. Add up to 2 cups of reserved chard water and bean broth (the liquid from cooking the beans), as well as the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then add the dried pasta and cook until the pasta is tender.
   5. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. To serve, divide the soup among bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

If using canned white beans first thoroughly rinse them before adding to the soup. In place of bean broth make sure you have 2 cups of reserved cooking water from the chard (using a little more water when blanching the chard).

--flauersmartini

Midweek Happy Hour: Gin, Lillet, and Orange Bitters Martini

Let's get the apologies out of the way first. I don't have a good Halloween cocktail for you. But, I think this is a brilliant fall drink so I'm posting it anyway.

On the good advice of Sous-Chef on the Run, I took a trip to the Eastern Washington town of Walla Walla and ate at Whitehouse-Crawford Restaurant. The meal was quite good, but the highlight of my evening was my first sip of a Gin, Lillet, and Orange Bitters Martini. I know some purists who will tell you that a traditional martini isn't really a martini unless it includes orange bitters. Generally speaking, I'm a 3:1-ratio-with-an-olive girl. That's gin to vermouth, none of this vodka martini nonsense. But sometimes you have to try something new and the Lillet seemed like a reasonable and refreshing substitute for vermouth.

Ingredients:3 parts gin
1 part Lillet
Dash of orange bitters
Orange twist

1. Fill cocktail shaker with ice cubes.  Add the gin, Lillet, and orange bitters.  Shake vigorously.
2. Garnish a martini glass with an orange twist.  Strain mixture over the top.

Note: I tried substituting Angostura bitters for the orange bitters and was disappointed. The Lillet really benefits from the aroma and flavor of pure orange.

The Most American Food: Ready to Eat Cereal

I've always found breakfast to be the most difficult meal of the day. We keep hearing that it's the most important yet the breakfast recipe options are atrociously lacking, so I was amused to read Salon.com's "The Breakfast Liberation Front". This line perfectly sums up a longstanding feeling I've had about cereals. "...if it weren't for the chemicals used in bleaching, you might as well tear up a couple of 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheets, add milk and slurp that down for your first meal of the day."

OK, so here's where you, the readers, can save us all from a life of paper-flavored nuggets. What are your favorite breakfast recipes?

Does Baby Food Taste Like the Real Thing?

Having yet to go through the process of childbirth, it's probably a bit early for me to start thinking about feeding my infant solid foods. But after reading this Culinate article on a mother's struggle to decide on homemade, organic, or regular old baby food, I'm wondering if others have tried all three and discovered organic or non-organic brands that actually taste like real food. After all, it seems like a given that a baby's first taste of carrot puree should taste like an actual carrot. How else do you get a kid to eat his vegetables in later life?

Furthermore, is organic baby food really that much better than regular baby food? I've read and heard from pediatricians that the FDA guidelines for growing food to be processed for consumption by infants is pretty stringent. I couldn't find the actual guidelines anywhere on the web so if a friendly reader could pass that along I'd be grateful.

As for making one's own baby food, I can honestly say I haven't seriously considered the possibility. We'll be a two-working-parent household, so I'm thinking there won't be much time for steaming veggies and milling the food. But I must admit I'm curious if there are experienced parents out there who find the time to do this. Please share your secrets.

What to Cook This Weekend: Chard, Tomato, and Cheese Casserole

I'm in the middle of a light kitchen remodel. Who am I kidding? There's nothing light about any kitchen remodel if you cook nearly every day. In any case, the remodel has forced me to choose less complicated recipes that can be prepared while my husband is nailing down flooring under my feet. What's simple and can be saved for future meals? The good old American casserole.

I was given some organic rainbow chard from my neighbor's garden this week. Having never cooked chard before, I had to consult the experts at Epicurious.com. (By the way, I really love their new design.) I found this recipe for chard in a casserole. As it happens, I can also honestly say I've never cooked a casserole. My husband pointed out that the casserole is a staple of most American household recipe books, but I didn't grow up eating them so I don't have any of my own.

It seemed like a good challenge all around. The end result was this simple recipe (slightly modified from the Epicurious version). I also discovered that my husband is gaga for casseroles, so I may have to take a few lessons from his Midwestern taste buds for other recipes to keep him motivated to complete the flooring project.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches Swiss chard, washed, center ribs cut away, coarsely chopped (about 8 cups), or three 10-ounce packages frozen chopped chard, thawed, squeezed dry
2 cups penne pasta
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
3 red bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups packed grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions
1. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and set aside.
2. Boil water and add penne pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy, large Dutch oven over high heat and add the chard. Sauté until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer chard to colander and drain well, pressing chard with back of spoon to release liquid.
5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.
6. Mix in chard and toss to combine. Mix in half of each cheese and the breadcrumbs, then mix with the cooked pasta.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Spoon into prepared dish and layer sliced tomatoes over the vegetable pasta mixture.
9. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and sprinkle the remaining cheeses over. Cover with foil.
10. Bake casserole until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until top begins to brown, about 10 minutes more.

What to Cook this Weekend: Zucchini Carpaccio

Feel free to send me hate mail, but I'm going to come out and say it. I don't like zucchini. I've never known what to do with it and I think the general rule applies--anything with zucchini in it tastes just as good without it. Recently, I signed up for an organic produce delivery service and I neglected to update my delivery list. Guess what? I got zucchini. But since I can't eat raw fish or meat these days, I thought I'd give this very simple recipe a whirl. I enjoyed the flavors, but the fresh zucchini actually had a nice texture and absorbed them all perfectly.

Ingredients:4 small zucchini
1/3 cup of fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup pine nuts
White pepper
Chunk of Grana Padio or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Thinly slice the zucchini diagonally with a mandoline, unless you're a whiz with the knife and naturally slice paper-thin perfection. Arrange on a platter in 1 layer
2.  Cut the mint leaves into thin slivers and sprinkle them over the zucchini
3. Whisk together oil and lemon juice and drizzle over the top.
4. Sprinkle sea salt, white pepper, and pine nuts.  Let stand for 10 minutes or refrigerate over night.
5. Just before serving, shave the cheese over the zucchini

While this particular recipe was delicious, I still don't think I like zucchini. Don't start sending me your recipes for zucchini bread.  I've tried it.  It tastes better with bananas.

Midweek Happy Hour: Cirtrus Blossom Spritzer

I'll admit it's been a struggle to find worthy beverages for happy hour during my 9-month hiatus. While everyone else is sipping delightful summer cocktails, I pout in the corner with my glass of iced, bubbling water. Frustration sometimes breeds inspiration. After recently visiting a local cocktail bar, I was given a concoction mixed up by the bartender that was delicious enough to try at home. It's not too sweet, not too sour, and I'm a sucker for muddled mint.

Ingredients
5 mint leaves
1-1/2 ounces orange juice
Dash of orange blossom water
Splash of grapefruit juice
Ice
Soda water

1. Muddle the mint leaves in the bottom of a tall glass with ice.
2. Pour orange and grapefruit juices plus blossom water over the iced mint.
3. Fill remainder of the glass with soda water.
Serves 1

I'd love suggestions for other nonalcoholic, very lightly sweetened beverages suitable for the magic hour. Add them to the comments and I'll try them out.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Factory Farm

It's hard to know where your food comes from these days. We have such a breadth of selection at American grocery stores. You're almost certain to find some fruit from Chile next to your Idaho potatoes. But have you recently thought about the fact that the Iowa pork chops you just bought are probably sitting next to a nice juicy Iowa steak, both from factory farms? Well, perhaps the citizens of Des Moines, IA, and surrounding communities are aware. No amount of air freshener, incense, or scented candles will cover up the "eau-de-hog" stench produced by hog factory farms in their county, or their downtown rendering plant.

There are many reasons to avoid factory farmed beef, dairy, and poultry.  I'm not going to go into them here, but Food & Water Watch does a fine job if you're interested.  They recently launched a fantastic interactive map so you can see how your state looks in the factory farm landscape.

Have Your Bacon, and Wear It Too

Under no other circumstances would I suggest that you wear your bacon, but what better way to show your love of America's favorite cured pork strips than with a cozy bacon-patterned scarf? (via A Full Belly)

What to Cook This Weekend: Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese and Peppered Honey

This recipe, garnered from Epicurious, doesn't actually require any cooking. That's what makes it a good summer dish. There's some debate at my house about whether this dish should be eaten for dessert, as an appetizer, or as part of the meal. As with any dish I like, I generally throw the rules out and eat it whenever I please. I served these with gazpacho and some crusty bread on a hot night this week. It was our Mediterranean refuge from the hot, dirty city.

Ingredients        

1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 fresh figs
1/4 cup soft fresh goat cheese

1.          Combine honey and pepper in small pitcher; you may need to melt the honey a little to blend.
2. Starting at stem end, cut each fig into quarters, stopping 1/2 inch from bottom to leave base intact. Gently press figs open.
3.  Spoon 1 teaspoon cheese into center of each. Arrange figs on platter; drizzle with peppered honey.

Eating for... Who?

For the past several months, I've been watching what I eat, how often I eat, where I eat, and how the food is prepared. No, I'm not testing fad diets. Nor am I trying to lose weight. I'm on a special quest to ingest the best foods to create another human being. Let me just say that the amount of conflicting advice, poor information, and downright sensationalist fear about the pregnancy diet is enough to make a woman's head spin. If I were to tell you how I truly feel about it all, there might be a few unnecessary expletives of frustration tossed about.

Recently, The New York Times offered up some interesting discussions on whether Americans are going overboard in their dietary caution for pregnant women or whether Americans aren't doing enough to educate women about the prenatal diet.  The March of Dimes is striving to offer more accurate and scientific dietary information to pregnant women. From what I can tell, they've been pretty thorough. They do offer up some sound advice without explanation. For further explanation you might have to visit the FDA's website.

In all the research and frustration, I did find the Nutrition Data website to be extremely helpful when I want to know the nutritional value a certain food. Plus, you can look at the nutritional data behind most major fast food restaurants. Personally, I never eat at these establishments, but I found it amusing to look at the Starbucks list to see if I could create the least healthy, highest calorie beverage on their menu. Now if only they could tell me how to stop my husband from stealing food from my dinner plate.  Even when I offer him the stuff I can't eat, he covets the rest.