i eat, therefore i am

WHEN THE SIDEKICK SHINES

2010-10-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when dining out as I peruse the menu, my eye wanders from the main attraction, a grilled Sea Bass or braised Veal shank, to the right side of the page, though not all the way to the prices, not wanting that to ruin a good meal. But to the side dishes, the "WITH'S", as it were, often determine my choice for the evening, other times the a particularly scrumptious appetizer might be in the drivers seat and steer the courses to follow. The same this can happen with home dinners and did just that when I woke with a burning desire for Eggplant. Perhaps it had been the Italian cookbook I had been reading before bed, or perhaps the dark purple, splendid smooth skin and tender flesh beneath this regal vegetable had crept in to my dreams. Generally served Parmesan style, fried to a golden brown and napped in rich tomato sauce, I grew to love freshly fried eggplant from years of cooking it 3 times a week in Italian restaurants, dipping morsels too hot to touch in to vat's of simmering tomato sauce on the way to yet another smoke break. So I had Eggplant on the brain, my dilemma was I also had some scallops that were in danger of needing an eviction notice from their residency in our fridge. Having recently had a meal with tomato sauce within the past few days it's inclusion redundant. Luck, timing or providence then reared it's pretty head when Chicken fried steak was featured on a cooking show I was channel surfing past. Let me mention I detest chicken fried steak and have never had a decent one in all my years of traveling .When I was young my Father and I logged many a road mile, him fueled on the previously mentioned culinary abortion. The idea however had planted a seed and I decided to use the scallops, in a "white" sauce, to dress the eggplant, accentuate it, put it in a sexy evening dress and send it out on the town.

Frying eggplant, or anything for that matter is not that daunting a project, but it does take some organization and counter space. You need to set up a small assembly line, complete with flour, egg wash, breadcrumbs and last but not least, a frying station. Before you start opening cabinets in a fury, searching for the breadcrumbs you know you bought, you should "bleed" the eggplant. Eggplant can have a bitter flavor, more so when unripe, so bleeding out the bitterness by salt extraction is prudent. Cut your eggplant in to pinkie width, ring finger for those of you with small digits, slices, skin on, or off and place on a cookie sheet, or even cooling rack, as you will want one later anyway. Liberally sprinkle with salt, Kosher works best, you can see the chunks and let sit for 45 minutes, then wipe off the liquid, a salty, bitter brew and discard paper towel. Turn the eggplant over and repeat, this all may seem like a lot, but it will give you time to make a tomato sauce, take the trash or let the cat in. I used the time to set up my breading station. Using two Pyrex dishes and a bowl, I filled the Pyrex with one cup of flour, salted and another with seasoned breadcrumbs. You can use Panko, seasoned, unseasoned, (season yourself), or best of all, homemade, something even I rarely do. Mix up one or two room temperature eggs and you are ready to bread. Breading is simple and not all that messy if you remember to keep one hand for wet and one hand for dry, never the two to meet. Drop a few slices of eggplant in to the flour and jerk the dish back and forth, using the same action you might when sauteing, or flipping an omelet. pat off excess and move to the egg wash, careful to coat the whole slice. Now with your "wet" hand, drain the eggplant, (let the wash drip off), and place in the dish with the breadcrumbs, shaking again and this time giving the vegetable a gentle pat to ensure full coating. Once you have done this with all your slices and you have a nice layered stack, you are ready to fry baby.

Here is where I think most home cooks get a little nervous. Home frying can be a daunting prospect. Some folks will have a "Fry Daddy" or the George Foreman easy fryer Aunt Josie bought you for your 10th wedding anniversary, but for most people, me included, a thick bottomed and high sided pan will be the tool of choice. After you have selected your pan, your second big choice will be what kind of oil should you fry in. I am not going to try to lecture you, nor influence you on the oil you like. Some swear by Canola, while others will tell you Canola causes cancer and creates children with 8 fingers. Olive oil, vegetable oil, lard,, you name it, it is out there and someone will tell you it is good and someone will tell you it is bad. I like Peanut oil, low taste and high burn temperature, again,, my choice and at this moment in time my government has not tried to regulate my use of frying oil, though that day make not be long in coming.
For this dish you do not

Now onto the Scallops, you remember the scallops,, this is a song about the scallops. If you feel confident as the eggplant are frying away, you can start the protein for your dinner. I used sea scallops, but if you like, as did my father, Bay's are fine. Smaller and some say sweeter they cook too quickly for my liking in this dish, but hey, it's your kitchen. After "footing", (removing connective muscle), scallops I pat dry and sear on high heat on side of the scallop in butter. Once the scallop has a nice crust and seal, I removed from the pan and set aside, adding 1/2 sliced Spanish onion, 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 cups of mixed mushrooms. I went with Oyster and Shitake' mushrooms for their silky texture and lack of color, as I wanted to keep the sauce as white as possible. Sweat the onions/mushrooms until they have released their juices and the liquid in the pan has evaporated. then add 1 cup of heavy cream, bring the heat up and reduce by half. At this point I returned the scallops to the pan, hit them with the juice of half a lemon, salt and white pepper and a handful of chopped chives. Let the scallops finish cooking and add a 1/4 cup of grated pecorino, parmesan or cheese of your liking.

We are coming down the home stretch. All that is left is plating and receiving the admiration of your dinner companion, clamouring guest or the confused look from your pet as you walk your creation through the dining room with the pomp and circumstance usually reserved for kings, queens or the pope. I used the eggplant as my base and partially covered it with the scallop and sauce mixture. You can serve any side dish you like, I went with a crisp salad of Romaine, Radishes and Italian dressing.

So enjoy your evening and your company, keeping in mind that your leftover eggplant freezes very well and can later be used in a more tradional manner, such as Eggplant parmesean, made easy now that you have a stash of homemade fried eggplant. Keep cooking and share.

A DYING ART

2010-10-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

What makes a good hostess, or host?
A good host someone who opens their home and their heart to you, who makes you feel their home is your home, your basic needs never going neglected. Weather it be a cocktail party, dinner for eight, picnic for two or a weekend by the sea. A host should have a clean, (within reason), clutter free and warm environment to greet you. Your host should be provider and tour guide, taking you on a journey away from your day to day, a magical place where good food, conversation and comfort rule with an iron fist.
Transversely as a guest you bear half the responsibility as well, or at the very least forty percent. A good guest should be respectful of your hosts possessions and property, considerate to likes and dislikes of the host, accustomed to the ways of land and most of all, along for the ride. A gift is always a nice touch and a staunch refusal to allow your host to do dishes goes a long way with the Miss Manners crowd, as a host your job now becomes to dissuade your guest from toiling in the dish pit, this battle should take no longer than 7 minutes and the results will vary depending the participants. If your an overnight guest, leaving the room the way you found it and doing some manual labor, yard work, making the morning coffee or building a sculpture, is always appreciated.
The simple nuance of the host/guest relationship is a dance, best done with familiar partners, though there is something to be said for bringing a group of strangers together for a magical night . In a time of the Internet, instant messaging, email relationships, the simple act of dinner together need to be cherished. Like the fading elegance of the Thank You note, putting pen to paper, stamp to tongue, a visceral connection in recognition of time well spent.

Veal stew with artichokes and chives, served with parmesan polenta

2010-10-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

I love summer and the food that surrounds it. As summer is officially over and we move into fall and winter, more so on some nights, the stews and comfort food start to make an appearance. Though last night was not cold, or even cool I felt compelled to make something homey and soft, ( Jane is having tooth trouble). I like making meals that require some cooking time and can be prepared hours before service, it makes eating them more enjoyable for me as well, I can forget that I made the dish and just eat it. Another nice thing about stews and such is that you can work with the flavors over time, change things you don't like, or let new things develop, never know what direction something, even an old favorite might take.
Starting with 2 Lbs of veal stew meat, seasoned with dried sage, cumin, salt and pepper and dredged in flour, brown in 3 Tbl olive oil on both sides, you are looking for a good crust to seal the meat. Make sure you do this in a heavy bottomed pot, as burning can be an issue. I have this funny beat up pot my Mother likely bought in the 50's and somehow has survived both her and at times my nomadic lifestyle, but NOTHING burns in it, I love it.
Add 1 Spanish onion, lg dice
2 carrots, cut in similar size to the onions
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Sweat these for ten minutes, stirring from time to time.
Add 3 cups beef stock, 15 minced capers, 1 sprig of rosemary,10 chives, chopped, juice of 1/2 lemon, salt and pepper, bring to a slow boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 1/2 hour. Uncover and add one can,, yes can,, I said it, sometimes canned artichokes just easier and in the winter, far more available. I used pre quartered artichokes, but you can quarter your own, or if really feeling ambitious you can use fresh. At this point you are just adjusting the thickness of the sauce by reduction, so the ball is in your court,, thick or thinner,, both are delicious and depending on what you are serving the stew with may dictate how thick the sauce is. Right before service I check for seasoning and added some more fresh chives.
For the polenta you can use instant, or plain corn meal. I substitute stock, in this case beef, for water and added grated Parmesan and butter at the end.
A bowl seemed the only fitting vessel for this meal with the veal stew sitting on top of the polenta, garnish with scallions, the whole meal was served with a micro green salad, Italian dressing and some warm corn bread. Since most of the work, short of the polenta was done by mid afternoon, I was able to sit down and dig in, kitchen clean and conscience clear. So enjoy and share..whats for dinner tonight?

Holy mock Mole'

2010-09-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

If you have never heard of, let alone tried Mole' sauce you are in for a treat and should try it the first time you it see available at any authentic Mexican restaurant you happen to come upon. Mole' varies from place to place, region to region and in some cases, day to day. Take a moment and look it up on wikipedia sometime, there is a history and a tale as rich as the sauce itself. I won't go in to the details, but the basic premise is that it is a sauce of great honor and tradition, to be served and eaten on special occasions and with reverence with loved ones.

That being said, let me say this is not the end all, be all, Mole' recipe. It is really something I threw together last minute when I was looking for something to with the excess of chicken I had leftover. This coincided with my discovery that the "bbq" sauce I had been thawing, (the label had long since slipped off, if ever there at all), was in fact some Ancho chilie sauce I made a few months back. Ancho chilies are dried pablano peppers and readily available in any gourmet/local store. They have a rich, slightly bitter flavor and great color. My Ancho sauce consists mainly of 10 dried ancho chilies, soaked in hot/hot water for over and hour and up to a day. De stem and rinse the seeds out, toss in a blender with 2 roasted/peeled/seeded red peppers, 6 blackened roma tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper, 2 Tbl olive oil and 1/2 cup of chicken stock,( beef or veg will do)...and blend until smooth. Scald in a cast iron pan and simmer for 20 minutes. It stores well and goes great with fish/fowl or meat. Plus, as in this case, it works for a base for other stuff,,always a plus in my book.

I gently reheated 1 Qt Ancho sauce, and added 1Tbl cumin, 1 Tbl Chimayo red chilie powder, 1 Tbl chili powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt/pepper to taste, mixing it in while the sauce is not yet heated, it mixes smoother when not hot. Then reduce to around 3 cups, or until you get a nice sauce consistency. Now for the big finish,,the chocolate, I used 3 squares of Lindt chococlate with chili, which I seem to see at every store I run into. You can use any kind you like, I would stick with higher grade, don't toss in a Hershey bar, ideally some Mexican chocolate would be wonderful. Again,, this was a toss together meal, so work with me.

So we have our sauce, all we need now is a good civil engineer and we can start to construct our masterpiece. As I mentioned, I had a few cups of chicken meat, pulled from the previous nights roasted bird, corn tortillas, ( a fridge staple), jack and cheddar cheese, cilantro and diced spanish onion. I find that warming the tortillas in the microwave the easiest for this and placed 4 corn tortillas in a small plastic bag, micro for 30 seconds and let them steam in the bag for a few moments before assembling, caution, there will be steam, hot tortillas and potential danger, have no fear,, trundle on. Place tortillas on cutting board and put a little sauce on each, followed by shredded chicken, lightly seasoned with salt/pepper, chilie powder and lime, sprinkle some raw onions and cheese and roll,,you do know how to roll don't you? Put down some sauce in an oven safe dish, lay filled tortillas on top and cover with sauce and cheese. Bake, covered at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, uncover for ten more, or until cheese and sauce is bubbling and brown.

In this case I had some canned re fried beans, yes canned re fried beans, sometimes you do what you have to, for a side dish and since dinner really did not take up much time I made a Avocado "relish" to top the enchiladas with. The relish is just basic guacamole, but instead of smashing all the ingredients together, I dice the avocado and fold in the cilantro, onion, garlic, jalapeno, lime and salt, which by the way kills on chips.

All this really shows is that you can toss together anything from your fridge in a small amount of time, if you look at it with an open mind, and might just stumble on to your own masterpiece. So get started creating and share..you might like the resulting smiles.

Sole stuffed with smoked bluefish.......?

2010-09-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

This may sound like more work than some of our previous projects, however it can be done in stages and you will be done before you know it. The summer of 2010 has not been the best fishing season in recent years, partially due to new restrictions limiting size and amount of the catch, so I have been finding different things to do with what is available, local and fresh. After a steady diet of swordfish and scallops I decided to look no further than our flat little friend,, the fillet of Sole. I like it for its versatility, consistency in size and subtle flavors. Easily pan fried with a lemon, caper sauce or lightly breaded and baked, it cooks quick and is a nice source of protein.

I knew I had to make something a little special, since Jane had been digging in the rocky shore line to provide our appetizer, so I entered Zeek's Creek fish and bait shack with thoughts of Bluefish, or Bass. Finding none of the previously mentioned delicacies I perused the usual suspects and thought the Sole looked the happiest among the clan. Right next to the sole was some of Zeek's smoked Bluefish, lightly smoked and studded with peppercorns,,,, a light bulb went off in my head,,and sole stuffed with smoked bluefish, spinach and cream cheese was born!

Now all this was going to need was a sauce and I was on my way, since I had a large bag of basil from the farmers market, I thought it sounded like a good time to make some pesto for the winter and use a little on the fish tonight.

Making pesto is not hard and does not take long, it freezes well and is so much less expensive to make than purchase, plus you can tailor the taste to your liking. I find most commercial pesto's to be a weak in the garlic department and for me, a good garlic base defines a good pesto.

1 Lbs basil leaves, large stems discarded

1/2 cup toasted crumbled walnuts, pine nuts or try different nuts..Almonds...Pistachios..

5 cloves peeled garlic

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt..pepper to taste

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Wash the basil well, pat dry and place in blender or food processor, add remaining ingredients and pulse/grind until you have a smooth paste. You may need to add more olive oil and you will need to push down the side with a rubber spatula for an even grind. In the end you will have around 2 cups of pesto which you can put up in portion size containers and freeze for the long winter. When storing, be sure to cover the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil,, it will help prevent browning. If browning does occur the top layer can be tossed out, or mixed in, depending on your mood and the quality of the company you are feeding.

On to the main course,, stuffing the fish. For starters mix 4 oz of room temperature cream cheese with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup shredded smoked bluefish.. you can substitute smoked salmon, oysters or trout, juice of 1/4 lemon and some chives, salt and pepper to taste keeping in mind the bluefish is peppery, set aside.

Blanch a large handful of spinach and let cool

Now take your sole filet's and cut them down the middle, there will be a natural split, cut along it, one will be larger than the other. Lay your fish skin side up, there is no skin, however you can the marking of where it once was, sprinkle with salt and pepper and put down a few leafs of wilted spinach, keeping in line with the fillet. Then "spread" on the bluefish/cream cheese mixture, it will be thick, you can make little logs and press them down onto the spinach. Do not make it too thick, remember you are going to be rolling this up, so the filling will add up. From smallest to largest end, roll the fish in a pinwheel and place in buttered oven dish, avoid placing too close and give the fish room to cook. Give them a splash of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice to finish. Now you are ready for the oven, set to 375 degrees, bake covered in tin foil for 10 minutes, uncover and bake for 8-10 minutes more and you ready to eat!

For service you can either top the fish with pesto, or as I did, serve under the sole,, I like the way the pinwheel looks on a plate, so keep on cooking and check back here for more food from my table.

One side note,, if you make extra bluefish/cream cheese mix, it is wonderful on toasted pita or a ritz cracker!

Look what we found!

2010-09-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

Summer is over as the Harvest moon has set but tell that to my taste buds. Last night we dined on fresh clams right from our front yard, or in this case, front shore. Now I know most people will have to resort to going to your local fishmonger, but nothing screams summer like a bowl of steaming clams, some broth and if you like...melted butter!
A couple of times a year Jane gets up the gumption to sit in the outgoing tide and sift through the silty home of the Rhode Island clam and every time she does, I reap the rewards. There really is nothing to making good steamers as long as you remember to take the time and care to preparing them for their steam bath. After a good washing and light scrubbing with cold water, put your clams in a bowl, cover with cold water and add 1Tbl salt & a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of corn meal, mix in the clams and put, covered with a wet towel, in the fridge. The clams will "eat" the corn meal and spit it out, along with any sand their have digested recently. We usually repeat this process at least twice over a one day period.
All you have left to do know is steam your clams and dig in. Set up a steamer, you can add aromatics to the water,, herbs, onion, garlic,,anything you like, however I like mine straight, traditional, unadorned. With clams in pot, bring the water to a boil, covered for about 5 minutes, you can give the clams a toss at the halfway point, they are done when they open. If the majority of the clams are open and you have a few that refuse, have no fear and pass those over, if a clam won't open it has good reasons and we should no doubt them.
Place your clams in a bowl, ladle a cup of broth for dripping and rewarming and serve with melted clarified butter, if you choose. The clams we get are often so sweet and succulent I find they need no help, so i forgo the butter, but some people find that part integral to the equation. Whatever you decide you can't go wrong and it could no be easier. We served the clams as an appetizer, along with smoked bluefish spinach stuffed sole, but you are going to have to wait until the next post for that recipe. So until,, eat more clams and let summer live on, share and have fun!

Chicken Livers!...the sky is falling

2010-09-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

Now if you know anything about my Mother, you know she was no Julia Child, she did however know food. Being a good Jewish gal from Brooklyn she knew a thing or two about the chicken liver.
So shake off your prejudice and dust those glands with flour. They deserve another chance if you have relegated them to something you pass over in the meat department, or better yet from your local chicken herder. They work well straight up, just salt, pepper and some flour, sauteed in butter or oil and served with hot peppers and lemon. Or you can make them Asian with a simple marinade of soy, ginger, sesame and rice wine vinegar.
My favorite is still something of a variation on liver and onions with bacon.
I dust the drained chicken livers with Chimayo red chili, cumin, salt/pepper and garlic powder. Heat a large saute' pan and add butter or oil, both is a nice touch and after dredging the livers with flour pan sear them for 4 minutes a side. When you turn your livers, add one thin sliced vidallia onion, 2 cloves of minced garlic and if you have it, a 1/2 cup of cooked chorizo, (Mexican sausage), you can also use bacon. If using bacon, render the bacon 1/2 way, then add your livers and continue to cook, using the bacon fat to cook the livers, which adds a ton of flavor. When the livers are near done, add 1/2 a cup of chicken stock, one diced tomato and a handful of chopped cilantro. The flour and stock will make a rich sauce, for extra artery clogging you can "finish" the dish a pat of butter, it will give the sauce a nice shin and lets face it, butter tastes good.

I usually serve with grit's, (because I am a junky), but mashed sweet potato's, rice,or anything to soak up the goodness will do.
So, throw caution to the wind and enjoy a dish that will make your Mother proud,,well, maybe not your Mother, but mine with be thrilled. Keep cooking and remember to share, it's more fun!

Release the Beet!

2010-09-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Beet,,,,,,
Much maligned in childhood, well, not mine,, but of lore, right along with brussel sprouts and Popeye's favorite, spinach. Many folks aversion to the beet is their introduction to them. If you have ever tried the lowly "salad bar" beet salad, with its wilted onions and flavorless texture, I understand your horror. Many of us grew up with a canned beet or two on the culinary landscape and likely ducked them like enemy fire. Fast forward to the green conscious, farmers market new world order and you will discover beets have regained their lofty and regal place on the food chart.
How can one resist the dark crimson, burgundy, yellow or orange flesh that hides beneath the tough, coarse skin? Beets make a wonderful addition to salads, bringing color and a vitamin or two. A nice side dish, hot or cold and are very good when given the "salad bar" treatment at home,, try a little mint, white balsamic vinegar, virgin olive oil, red onion, garlic and salt/pepper, toss and chill, serve on baby greens with crumbled blue cheese,,,Sweet Nirvana.
Beets are easy to deal with and just take a little prep to get you on your way to a beet filled day. Buy beets that are firm and preferably have their greens, which sauteed are a great alternative to mustard greens or chard. Cut the stems/greens and rinse the beets in cold water, then in a small pot cover the beets with water, adding a pinch of salt. Bring the beets to a boil, uncovered, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 25-30 minutes. At this point I remove from the heat and go about my day, the beets cook evenly as the cool in the pot...you can't really rush the part of the process. You can cook the beets longer and then just shock them in cold water, but I think the outer edges always get overcooked compared to the center, but hey, if your in a hurry,, it does work.
Once the beets have cooled, cut off the ends and cut them however you choose for your needs. Quartered is nice since it makes them look nothing like a canned beet! Peeling is best done before you refrigerate, once cold the skin tends to cling, also I cut them right after peeling as you are already covered in beet juice, which by the way will stain your tuxedo.
So baby don't fear the beet, put it on your plate and in your diet before the season is over..Enjoy and make enough for two...

Macaroni and cheese gets an upgrade

2010-09-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

After being bombarded by adverts for Pizzareia Uno and their new "lobster" menu, including Lobster macaroni, I thought I should give this lofty dish my personal touch and perhaps lift what has to be a poor substitute for a great idea and bring it to you.
I know it is summer and the thought of a plate of bubbling, steamy cheese laden pasta might turn even the heartiest of tummies, however I found a relatively cool night a few days ago and thought this would be the chance to give it a run.
Also, trying this now will help to ensure it's coming out perfect the next frost covered day on the calendar. You can substitute any pasta you choose,, I prefer the largest Penne or Rigatoni you can find and in this case, boxed is a better choice than fresh as it holds better under baking and certainly when reheating, that is, if, a big IF, there happen to be any leftovers.
If you have never made Mac N' Cheese from scratch is does require a few simple techniques that if you don't have in your bag of tricks, you should and soon will. You will need to make a Bechamel sauce, one of the "Mother" sauces, for a base in your mac n' cheese. Do not fear as this is easier than is sounds and will come in handy. Your "Mother" sauce will turn into a Mornay sauce with the addition of cheese.
Bechamel is basically a roux, (equal parts flour and butter, cooked for 5 minutes to remove the raw starch flavor), and half and half or milk,, (note, non fat will not do the trick,, this is not a Jenny Craig recipe). Once you have "cooked" your roux, add the milk/ half & half, bring to boil, while stirring and lower heat. At this point you can add the cheese, slowly stirring it in to avoid clumps.
MAC N' CHEESE ROYAL
1 PINT HALF AND HALF
3 Tbl BUTTER
3 Tbl FLOUR
1 Tsp LOBSTER BASE, available at most grocery store
2 Tsp OF SMOKED PAPRIKA
A PINCH NUTMEG
SALT AND PEPPER

1 CUP OF GRATED GRUYERE CHEESE
1 CUP OF GRATED FONTINA CHEESE

3/4 LBS OF PENNE/RIGATONI (or CHEFS CHOICE) of PASTA
1/2 TO 3/4 Lbs OF FRESH COOKED LOBSTER
5 BASIL LEAVES CHOPPED
1 CUP OF FRESH CORN, COOKED AND CUT FROM THE COB

1/2 STICK OF BUTTER
1 CUP OF RITZ CRACKER CRUMBS
2 CLOVES OF GARLIC (minced)
JUICE OF HALF A LEMON

Cook flour and butter together for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning, add lobster base, nutmeg and paprika, Milk or half and half, bring to a boil, again, careful not to burn and shut off. Slowly mix in cheese and basil, season to taste with salt and pepper.
While your waiting for your Mornay sauce to come together you can cook the pasta, drain and cool, keeping your pasta a little al dente', remember it is going to bake.
For the ritz crust, melt the butter and garlic, add ritz crumbs, lemon and S & P

Now that you have all the parts all you need do is assemble. I used a Pyrex dish, (9x6), but anything you have will work and for this dish, the prettier, the better. It is a nice dish to serve whole at the table and let people dig in for themselves. Pour in 1/2 your pasta and half of your sauce, then evenly place lobster in dish, cover with remaining pasta and sauce, loosely top with ritz crackers and bake, covered at 350 degrees for 1/2 an hour, uncover and baked until crust is golden brown, let cool 5 minutes and serve.
You be the judge, i have never been to Pizzareia Uno, but I am guess after this dish you won't feel the need to either...enjoy and make enough for everyone!

Not quite Refried Beans and other goodies

2010-08-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

The staple and mainstay of every Mexican meal for me starts and ends with the beans. When traveling and eating in every Mexican,, not to be confused with tex/mex, establishment I can find, I use to things to test their merit. The first, if they offer it, is a proper and well executed Chile Rellenos,,a Anaheim Chile, roasted and peeled, stuffed with Monetary jack Cheese, battered, fried and served with a rich and dark red Chile sauce. A close second is the re fried bean, simple and tasty this mainstay has filled many a belly and made a full day's hard work possible. Though simple, everyone has their own twist and turn and some work,, some on the other hand,,do not.
I stumbled in to my bean recipe years ago while trying to find ways to make food less fatty and, (even if just slightly), better for you, or me, as the case may be. My re fried beans are not technically re-fried, however I think you won't miss the lard, or pork fat traditionally used to Re-fry beans. They still have the creamy texture we love and covet and all the flavor you crave, demand and have come to expect.
First you need a bag of Pinto beans, I try to buy them from a supplier who "moves" a lot of beans, as they can sit for ever on your commercial or chain grocer's shelf. Pick through the beans, look them over for small rocks which make their way in to the bag now and then. Rinse and soak overnight, but not more than 24 hours,, they will eventually ferment, causing a white foam to form on the water and rendering the beans sour. I usually soak from 12 to 18 hours. After soaking, drain the beans and in a heavy bottom pan, I have a special bean pot I inherited from my Mother, who used it for Cod knows what. You want something that will not scald the beans during the long cooking process.
Heat your pot and roughly chop one Yellow Onion, or Sweet Vadilla, sweat the onion with 3 large cloves of garlic. Once translucent, add 2 Tbl ground Cumin, 3 Tbl Chimayo red chili powder, or any high quality red chili powder found in a Gourmet shop or local bodega, stir in the dry spices and cook for one minute, to mix thoroughly and the cooking brings out flavor. Next, add the beans and cover with water or better yet beef, chicken or vegetable stock, usually takes about a quart of liquid,, but you may need to add more during the cook process. I do not add salt until the end, it tends to make the beans tough. Bring the pot to a boil, cover and lower heat to a strong simmer. Checking and stirring every hour the beans should cook in about two to three hours,, depending on your altitude, age of beans and the luck of the draw. When the beans are fork tender, uncover and cook down the liquid until the beans are a creamy consistency. If you do not want re fried beans, you can drain them and use them for any number of things, add to soups, make a salad, use them as a side dish. But if re fried is your goal, evaporating most of the liquid will do the trick. At this point I salt to taste,, beans will require good amount of salt and quantities will vary depending on your taste and the saltiness of your stock. I finish the beans with a handful of chopped cilantro, which some find optional.
Once you have good beans, you have the building blocks for a great and healthy meal. My beans have now been served with Grilled Sea bass taco's and last night they found their way on to a plate with Annatto marinated bone in Pork chops and a green chilie sauce I made, portioned and froze last year. The beans also freeze well and add a touch of Mexico to any meal. I am sorry I have no pictures, but my photo loading program is on the fritz,, darn PC's,, but a pot of beans is not the most photogenic of food suffs there is, so use your imagination and make the beans your own with any twist you enjoy. Eat up and share!

Peach and Blueberry crisp.....

2010-08-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's peach extravaganza I still had enough energy to make Peach and Blueberry crisp. Now I am by no means a baker, with guidance and patience I might make dough boy, but baker is not in the cards, too much science for me. If you fall into this category have no fear, crisps are not really baking. They are pretty forgiving, a quality I admire in a baked good. You can use any fruit you have handy or better yet, is in season, ripe and abundant.

I had not made a crisp myself in years so I looked up a quick recipe and used it as a guideline. Having no oats in the house I found a bag of home made local granola, made by my friend Steve and his partner Claudia, OM HOME GRANOLA, (OmhomeGRANOLA.com). It happened to be cinnamon and raisin, which worked perfectly for me, also, because it has been so humid as of late and I had not properly stored said granola, (sealed plastic bag, or a house with air conditioning would have helped), it was a little damp, or let's say less than it's usual crisp delicious self. So I had my oats and like most kitchens I had flour, brown sugar and butter. The nice thing about the crisp is that you can make the recipe your own with any number of small changes or additives. Add crystallized ginger to the fruit, use orange or watermelon juice to marinate the fruit in, add mint,, really the possibilities are endless.

Here are some basic guidelines,, the rest is up to you and your tastes, as with all things food, have fun and share!

Peach and Blueberry crisp

2 cups of fruit...(in my case, 1 1/2 cup peaches

1/2 cup blueberries)

2 TBS lemon juice

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1 cup of Oats..(or crumbled Granola)

1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar

1/3 cup of Flour

1/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix fruit with juice, ( add a touch of sugar if you feel the fruit is too tart), put in small baking dish

In separate bowl mix the dry ingredients and add the extract and butter, mix and let sit for ten minutes.

loosely crumble the "crisp" mixture on top of the fruit and bake for 20 to 25 minutes,, let cool,( at least a little), on a rack and serve.

Home made ice cream, blueberry, was my choice for an a accompaniment, but you can pick your own poison,,good luck!

Pretty as a Peach

2010-08-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

Well if you have an ounce of sense in your head you have discovered your local Farmers Market. These days you would have to be Bubble Boy not to have stumbled across mass amount's of healthy people glamoring around stands containing the fruits and vegetables of the land you live in. So it will come to no surprise to most of you that Peaches are here, have been for a while and will continue to be for a month or so. Most markets sell them by the pound, or in bag's, (either 1/4 or 1/2 Peck), a quarter Peck is around 12- 15 Peaches depending on the kind and the size, and how many you eat on the way home, a common issue for me, so I get a little extra for the drive.

What in the name of Cod am I going to do with 12-15 peaches that will undoubtedly ripen at exactly the same moment and rot soon afterwards? Freeze them!, Yes it is a little work, but not much compared to the rewards, imagine making a peach pie in the middle of winter using your own Local peaches? Thanksgiving and Christmas spring to mind if you follow those things, need to impress your Mother in-law? peach pie while the snow is falling..try it.

For now lets not focus on when and how you might use the peaches to your advantage, just how to get them to storage.

I brought a large pot of water to boil, with a pinch of salt added and quickly placed/lowered..not dropped, the peaches into the water, counted to ten and carried the pot to the sink, where I gently poured the peaches into a colander. Then replacing them in the pot I covered them with cold water and ice cubes. When you are refilling the pot with water, use your hand to diffuse the force from the faucet, peaches bruise VERY easy, nobody likes to be bruised. Let the peaches

chill in the water for a few minutes before placing on a paper towel, or on a cooling rack in the sink,, my method of choice. If you hit your mark and the fruit is just ripe enough, the skin will literally fall off the peach, but some will require a gentle tug to remove the skin. Next, over a large bowl and with a paring knife cut the peach to the pit in quarters, at the last one, you should be able to "pop" out a section, and once you are in, you're all set. Cut each 1/4 into whatever size slices you like, I shoot for 4 slices out of a 1/4. Once this is done squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon on to the peaches and toss lightly.

Seems like a lot, but you are coming down the home stretch. On the largest sheet pan or plastic cutting board that will fit in your freezer place plastic wrap, or if you have one, a rubber baking mat. If you have not seen these they are great for cookies and any baking needs and they roll up for easy storage, plus very little cleanup, your local culinary store will have them. You just need something to keep the peaches from freezing to the sheet pan, or whatever flat surface you choose to use.

Place the peaches in rows, cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze for 6 hours or overnight. Now all you need do is put the peach slices in a freezer bag, and you have set yourself up for a winter of success, at least in the peach department. You can add them to smoothies, or bake with them, tease, then please your friends with your bounty of fresh fruit from your local farmers market in the middle of a long New England winter. I am making a Blueberry and Peach Crisp with some of my "leftovers" from my afternoon of peach freezing, look for the crisp in the next edition and keep on cooking!

been gone so long I needed a chicken

2010-08-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

I have been remiss in my writing as of late, see last posting from yours truly, (dated June of '09). So I feel it is high time to get back on the horse, or in this case, into the kitchen. However during the summer months I try to do as much cooking as I can on the grill, in the relative comfort of my back yard, catching summer breezes and fighting the mosquitoes.

Last night was no exception, with the humidity level spiked at 89% and very little wind, the house was a bit unbearable. I had however planned for this event the day before and made a creamy Potato salad with chives, mint and a light caesar dressing, so I was ahead of the game. Cutting any commercial caesar dressing with an equal amount of mayonnaise and a splash of white balsamic vinegar makes for a nice easy dressing, salt and pepper to taste. Any component you can make a head of time will save you time and energy. There are days when I just "feel" like cooking, so I try to take advantage of those moments and I make things that can be frozen and used later, or something that will get devoured within 48 hours,, less in most cases.

Grilled marinated vegetables from my Farmers Market, ( Coastal Growers' Market, coastalmarket.org ) would accompany my grilled chicken. Any veggie's you prefer or that your children will eat will suffice, this time of year the market is overflowing with bounty and choice. I marinated with a little left over salad dressing from the back of the refrigerator, this time it happened to be a honey mustard vinaigrette, cut with some Olive Oil and Red Wine vinegar, salt, pepper and crushed garlic cloves. As with all cooking you can use whatever you like best,or happen to have on hand, sometimes just cleaning out the ice box can cause your brain to stumble into some wonderful concoctions. When you do find something you like, especially by accident, try to write down on an index card, or your handy electronic device, a brief description of what you just made. Like me your memory might not be what is once was, for a variety of reasons we will not go in to here.

Now grilling a whole split chicken may seem a little daunting at first, but it is really quite easy if you remember a few things. First you need to lower your grill temperature, something I am remiss to do, but in this case a necessary evil. Lower heat, something hovering around 350-400 degrees will keep your bird from cooking too fast and drying out, it will also lessen the risk of flair ups and a charred bird. You can purchase split bone in chicken from your grocer or ask your local butcher to split a whole chicken for you, providing they are not a 16 old with spikes in their face, purple hair and the attention span of a Nat. Knowing your butcher in this case is a plus. If you feel up to the task , splitting your bird is easy and good practice. I used a 4 # roaster chicken, I find that larger birds can be a little tough. Place your chicken backside down, after patting dry with paper towels, on a cutting board. I keep a separate board for chicken and meats. All cutting boards will absorb flavor and liquids so unless you like your watermelon scented with garlic, a fruit and veggie board are in order. It sounds like a lot of boards, but all culinary stores carry multi packs of inexpensive boards, which can be discarded after prolonged use.
With a sharp and heavy blade, I like the Chinese cleaver, cut into the breast plate and separate the chicken halves with your hands, pressing downward. The back bone will be exposed and can be cut out with a little elbow grease or a good whacking. Of course some folks, mostly those south of the Mason Dixon line find the back bone a coveted possession, so if you hail from there, or just like to get personal with your bird, feel free to leave it in. Pat dry again and rub liberally with salt and black pepper. Your marinade can be anything you like, I went with Adobo sauce from a can of Chipotles, the juice of one lemon and some smoked paprika. Marinate for 3-48 hours, having spent the day doing yard work I opted for the short marinade time of 3 hours.

Place the chicken, bone side down, on the grill and cover, keeping the top on the grill will keep the smoky flavor locked in and let the bird cook at an even temperature. Half an hour at 350 degrees will get your bird close to done, I usually flip the bird to breast side down, crisping the skin and cooking the chicken through. You can also just keep the chicken bone side down and increase the heat to 500 for the last 10 minutes. If you are concerned your chicken is not completely cooked, poke a sharp knife or grill skewer in between the leg and thigh, if the juice runs clear, your all set, blood, or red juice will tell you to continue cooking. As with all meats, resting is an important factor and I stick with 4 minutes a pound, so in this case my bird sit's for 16 minutes or so, covered in the comfort of my kitchen. This also gives me time to grill my vegetables and make a small salad of yellow tomato's and pickled beets,, yes I pickled them and that recipe will follow at a later date, or feel free to email me for it.
All that is left is the plating and a desert decision, which in my case will be a wine berry sorbet Jane made last week with wine berries from the garden, but the choice is yours, so enjoy and keep reading!

ONE

2009-06-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

One may be the loneliest number as "Bread" put forth in the 70's, but in terms of cooking it need not be. Last night I was alone for dinner, something that does not happen often, but something that does give me a chance to explore the notion of cooking for oneself. First I think you need dispel the notion that is hardly worth the effort, "why bother" crossed my mind a few times as I stared at the wide expanse of my refrigerator, "I could have peanut butter and jelly" floated through my brain as I searched for a "proper" meal to make.

Instead of getting discouraged or overwhelmed it is easier to plan for your week's menu as apposed to just one night's. By making a little more of 3 things you can easily eat for the week and save yourself some time on those nights when you feel too tired to deal with the whole cooking process. Example, cook a whole chicken on Monday and make some three bean salad or a garden salad, (covering your leftover with a damp towel, it will last a few days). The chicken will make a nice first night meal and leave you plenty for chicken salad/tossed in pasta, topped on your salad,, the list is endless.

If you are like me and not all that fond of eating the same thing two nights in a row, grill a steak on day two with roasted new potato's, also great fodder for a meal on the fly later in the week. Grill a batch of vegetables, you'll find they come in handy.

Day three, roast a large piece of Salmon, good with your bean salad or on it's own and the leftover holds up well. Flake the "extra" Salmon and toss in some with Fettuccine and garlic cream sauce, add some frozen peas, (we all have those somewhere in the back of the freezer), and a little chopped Prosciutto, you have yourself a quick Pasta Della Nona. I try to keep some Prosciutto in the freezer, it lasts a long time and since it usually packed with paper separating the slices it makes it easy to grab just a bit when you need it.

By planning ahead for your week you can save time in the long run and eat well to boot. If you feel the urge to make a full pan of Lasagna, go right on and do it, when it is cooled, portion it into individual servings and freeze it. Keeping a list of things locked away in your freezer will help you remember what you have stashed away for a rainy day. You can include freezing dates so you know who might be past their prime and experiencing freezer burn.

Another thing about cooking for yourself is it allows you to have total freedom and try new things. You can cater to your own tastes and in the process you may stumble upon your next "Masterpiece" or signature dish.

Dinner for three

2009-06-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Finally back to work here after a week in NYC, which one would think was full of great food adventures, sadly I was laying carpet all week and food took a back seat. But the night before I left we had a dinner guest, one of JM's friends from college and JM wanted to make her a fine "nice to see ya" meal.

So I mostly stayed out of the kitchen, going in every once in a while to check on progress or snap a few photos. The one thing I did do was to make an appetizer plate. I love a little nosh in the afternoon and I had those Oysters, (remember those Oysters?) from the Farmers market. What better way to build a plate than around some fresh Oysters and Shrimp? Well add some farmers liverwurst, Black olives and cheeses, you have a snack fit for a Queen. I cheated and used cooked shrimp purchased from Zekes Creek and doctored up some cocktail sauce we had in the fridge from the dawn of time,, does that stuff ever go bad? A little horseradish, lemon and Tabasco and it tasted brand new. Smoked Cheddar and Sheep's milk Blue cheese and crackers rounded out the plate, while I topped the Oysters with Sambal.

JM meanwhile was Roasting a 3 Lbs "spoon" roast, which your butcher these days refers to as a "Sirloin" roast. Rubbed with S&P, smoked Paprika and African Bird pepper, ( a spicy red pepper), the roast was footed and oven ready. Footed, you say? JM had these cool old little spiked feet that you stick into the bottom of the roast to keep it off the roasting pan and give it full air circulation. I had never seen these before and thought they were the coolest thing going, not sure if you can pick them up at a Kitchen store or if they are one of those great ideas that fell by the wayside with the advent of the microwave oven and the "Chop's it All", (see late night infomercials). If you do come across them, I recommend purchasing. She started the roast at 450 degrees for ten minutes, to seal it, then lowered the heat to 325 degrees for an hour. The old standard of 20 minutes per pound works pretty well if you like your meat rare, as we do and you can increase the time by 5 and 10 minutes accordingly for medium and well. Remember to always let your meat rest after cooking, I go with 5 minutes per pound, covered in tin foil to keep some of the heat in.

To go along with the fine offering of cow JM was making Garlic scape's sauteed with Arugula,, all from the farmers market and I was chipping in with Lionaisse potato's. The scapes were cut into "bean" size pieces and tossed in butter, with the Arugula, lemon and S&P, they only take a few minutes, long enough to wilt the Arugula and actually taste a bit like green beans with a hint of garlic. A very short season on those means you will most likely be waiting until next year to try them, but worth the wait.

I attacked the potato's, using Red Bliss, medium sized, about 8 to 10. Sliced and blanched for 10 minutes they were drained and put in a buttered casserole dish. While they cooked I took 1 small white onion, sliced and sweated it in 2 Tbl Butter. Once the onions became translucent I added 2 Tbl flour and cooked that for five minutes, stirring constantly, (well almost constantly), to make a roux. One cup of 1/2/& 1/2 was added with fresh nutmeg, fresh Thyme, white pepper and a pinch of salt.

Brought to a boil and cooked for 5 minutes it was removed from the heat and 1/2 a cup of Pecorino Romano cheese was stirred in, then poured over the potato's. Some Panko bread crumbs topped the dish and covered it went into the oven for 45 minutes along with the roast at 350 degrees. When the roast came out, the tin foil was removed from the Potato's as to let them brown for 10 more minutes. Since everything was cooked, rested and ready JM did the carving and I went back to the Red Sox game, (which we won !) and awaited my feast. Some Store bought Brownies from our local Grocer, (Dave's), who by the way make a mean brownie, (so good in fact I have forsaken making brownies), and some Ginger Ice cream finished a fine meal with good friends, or in this case, friend. So, keep on cooking and have fun, afterall that is really what it is all about.

correction from last blog

2009-06-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Liverwurst and porkchops were from "Pat's Pastured" meat.............will be back at the blog on monday, am in NYC for the week,, Bruce Cockburn Concert and Sven apartment upgrade,,,paint and new carpet..eat well!

another day at the market

2009-06-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday seems to come with great frequency these days. Perhaps with the summer my weekdays fly by quicker, or I pay even less attention, if that's possible, to what day of the week it is. Whatever the reason, I woke yesterday to the realization that it was Farmers market and I was hungry for more.

So JM and I grabbed our bags and a small cooler and headed over the bridge to Casey Farm. From the top of the Jamestown bridge we could see clear skies ahead, leaving behind some ominous looking clouds hanging over Newport that had caused some consternation on our parts. I love the Farmers market, but trundling around in the rain is not my idea of a good time, plus it tends to water down my coffee. As we arrived I was happy to see the parking lot was twice as full as it had been on my trip and was informed that on JM's visit the week before it had been much the same. Good to see people are finding Casey farm and the wonderful event there every week.

With the warmer weather and the season moving into full swing the vendors tables are getting full and the choices getting a little more difficult. After all, there is only so much food one can purchase and eat for one week. I left JM with the Meat people from Jamestown's own Watson farm, (sadly they as of yet do not have a website), who provided us with some lovely bone in Rib Eye steaks and Andoullie sausage. Due to some Government regulation they, as well all the meat vendors, are only allowed to sell their product frozen, which is fine, except if you want to run home to throw your "catch" on the grill.

I headed straight to the table housing some of the finest shellfish New England has to offer. Matunuk Oyster Farm, (http://www.rhodyoysters.com/), did not disappoint, the Oysters, Littlenecks, Steamers and Lobsters looked fantastic. The table had the scent of the Ocean and it's bounty, I could not have been happier, unless I had my oyster knife and a lemon!

We picked up some baby Spinach, more Arugula, Red Turnips and Garlic Scapes, which I had never seen, along with some homemade Liverwurst from Farm Stead Inc,(http://www.farmsteadinc.com/) . The same people I purchased the Pork Chops from a few weeks back that were such a hit I may never look at a pig the same again. There was also my first Strawberry sighting, however I refrained, waiting for another week or so for the flavor to really come out. They did look great, as did everything. I have also been very happy with the freshness of everything I have received from them. The Arugula I got last week was still beautiful by weeks end. Something I can never say about "commercial" Arugula. So any argument you have about higher prices can get tossed out the window when you factor in waste, even if taste was not an issue, which we both know, IS.

Sadly the coffee was not set up when we were at the market and neither of us functions well without it. I left JM at OLGA's Cup and Saucer, (http://www.olgascupandsaucer.com/) and went to check out the crowd gathered around the Alpaca's. JM did pick up some scrumptious Ginger Scones and a Calamata Olive loaf and some kind of Coffee cake squares that barley made it home. Everything I have tried of theirs has been great and since they are located across the street from SBI, (photo lab, in Providence), I can vouch for their coffee and friendly service as well, ( side note, nice bathroom too!). Great place for a coffee/cookie break in the middle of a busy day.

I have heard of Alpacas but do not think I have ever seen one, certainly not up close and personal. Let me tell you they are cute little dickens and great for entertaining the kids while you are shopping. It was hard to fight through the munchkins to get close enough for a photo. The people from PARADISE Farm Alpacas, (http://www.paradisefarmalpacas.com/),

were very informative and the Alpacas seemed to enjoy the attention. I would have liked to ask a few more questions but my coffee Jones was kicking in and I could see JM drifting toward Robin Hollow Farm's table,(www.robinhollowfarm.com/Home.html ), a sure sign that our weekly trip is coming to an end. So a quick stop to pick up some wonderful flowers, (I highly recommend not leaving without), and we were on our way. The flowers I picked up the previous week were still looking pretty good by weeks end and nothing says summer like having fresh cut flowers on the table by your bedside.

Check back tomorrow to see what becomes of this treasure chest of goodies and have a great day! Remember...WHO'S YOUR FARMER?

THIS LITTLE PIG

2009-06-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

For starters let me say I am sorry for my absence, no excuses, just sorry. I will try not to let it happen again.

Now, lets talk Pork. Last night was one of those cool, border line cold New England day's. All I could think of was comfort food, so I set about making a good old fashioned Mac n' Cheese and something stewed. Now I have not eaten, let alone made Mac n' Cheese in years, but I figured what the heck, how hard can it be? After all my shelves, much like yours, have some sort of pasta hanging around and there is usually some cheese in the fridge, 1/2 & 1/2, (or milk) and bread crumbs. So I sweated 1/2 an onion and a clove of garlic with 1 TBL of butter and 1 TBL of flour for a few minutes then added 1 cup of 1/2 & 1/2, bringing it to a boil. Some S & P, grated nutmeg and fresh thyme went into the pot with 1 cup of cubed aged Cheddar. With the heat off I let the cheddar melt while I boiled 2 cups of small pasta shells, leaving it a little al dente' so as to not overcooked during the final baking. Cooled and rinsed the pasta went into a buttered casserole dish covered with the cheese sauce and topped with some Pecorino Romano cheese and Panko, (Japanese), bread crumbs. This was covered with tin foil and put into the refrigerator for later. Now to getto the star of the evening, our friend the pig. I chose country style Pork ribs, bone in of course and was happy my market had some very meaty ones available. 2 pounds of Pork ribs were salted and went into a heavy bottomed pan to braise. After one side had a nice color to it, I flipped the ribs and added 1 white onion, thinly sliced and 3 cloves of minced garlic, cooking for another five minutes. Then was added 1 can of diced tomatoes and 4 Chipotle peppers,(with Adobo sauce), 1 cup of Chicken stock, 1 TBL Sambal, 4 sprigs of thyme, S & P. Brought to a boil this was covered and turned down to a simmer where it cooked for 90 minutes, the last 30 uncovered. Now while this was simmering I boiled 3 beets for 30 minutes and let them cool in their own liquid. These were to be added some Swiss chard sauteed with garlic and finished with the juice of one lemon. With an hour left on the cooking time for the ribs I put the Mac n' Cheese in the oven, set at 350 degree's, to finish up in time for the ribs to be done. The last 10 minutes of cooking for the mac was done uncovered to give it a crisp crust and some color. The house filled with the smell of ribs and baked goodness just as JM walked in the door from work and dinner was on the table in minutes. Proving once again that planning and timing win in the world of making a nice meal.

Mommie, why is the fish Blue?

2009-06-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

You may remember from yesterday that Greg Zeek, local fisherman/fish monger was saving a few pounds of Bluefish he had caught the previous day for me. True to his word when I stopped in, there he was, smile on his face, fish in hand. It was as nice as I expected it would be.

Bluefish seems to be one of those love it or hate it fish, with the nay sayer's and proponent's firmly ensconced in their own little camps. People say it is oily, or tough and strong is a term I have heard bantered about. Needless to say I do not agree with these descriptions. I am happy however when, for whatever reason people do not scoff up all the Bluefish at first sight, as it leaves more for me and my people, the Bluefish lovers, (sort of like Star belly Sneatches, without the obvious star).

As with yesterdays meal I was going for less is more with my approach to preparation, the A.A. terminology, Keep it Simple Stupid comes to mind, or KISS. But I digress. I took some of the mustard/mint vinaigrette from a few nights ago and brushed the fish lightly with it, giving it a glossy coat, but not enough to pool in the dish. S/P and the juice of 1/2 lemon* finished the prep. The fish was in a Pyrex dish, which was going to go in the oven at 400 degree's for 15 minutes when the time was right. What no grill you ask? Scratching your head, not with the mighty Bluefish. Blue can be delicate and like Salmon the "fattiness" can make for flare ups on the grill. Charred Blue is not good, perhaps one the reasons people say they do not like it. JM likes to wrap the bluefish in tinfoil and toss it on the grill which does give the fish a nice grill flavor. I find that baking the fish brings out the flavor and keeps it very moist. So moist in fact my dinner guest, Sven, thought it was the best Blue he had ever had, high praise from such a Fishavore.

To go along with the aforementioned Bluefish I had some Asparagus, which I planned to steam, then finish with garlic and O.O. in a light saute'.

Remember when your Mother would make three bean salad and you and your sister would shove each other out of the way in an effort to find the best hiding place? Well, as someone far more quotable than me once said, "the times they are a'changing". Three bean salad can be both versatile and healthy. It is very easy to make your own and you do not have to stick to the formula of Green beans, Wax and Kidney beans. In my case I chose Black beans, dark Red Kidney and Cannelli or Navy beans. All canned, drained and rinsed they went into a large bowl with one Red Pepper, small dice, one clove of crushed Garlic, made into a paste with salt, 1/2 cup minced red onion, two ears of roasted corn cut off the cob, a small fistful of cilantro, oregano, S/P, O.O. splash of red wine vinegar,( to taste) and toss it all together. I let it sit at room temperature for one hour to let the flavors blend then refrigerate. Taking the salad out of the cooler a little before service will bring the flavors to the surface.

When roasting the corn, I soak the ear's, husk and all in water for 15 minutes to give it some moisture, then grill or roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. If grilling, just cook until the outer leaves are charred and the corn "gives" to the touch, let cool, shuck and cut.

The usual green salad made an apperance tossed with an Italian vinagrette. Sven chose a beer made by Magic Hat http://www.magichat.net/, JM and I water and by all accounts the evening was a sucess, topped off with a Red Sox win!

* add lemon juice one hour before service to avoid "cooking" with the acid from the lemon

Hook, line and sinker

2009-06-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

Fishing season for commercial fishermen officially opened yesterday and as luck would have it I have one of Rhode Islands finest, most avid fisherman living right here on my little Island. What makes this is even more important to someone like me who does not know a hook from a line, and thinks a sinker is something Jonathon Paplebon, (pitcher for the Boston Red Sox), needs to incorporate into his arsenal, is that Greg Zeek has a nifty little bait shop that sells locally caught fish.

Zeeks Creek Bait & Tackle Inc
194 North Rd Jamestown, RI 02835401-423-1170

Zeeks has been selling quality, high quality fish for as long as I can remember out of a shop the size of a postage stamp. JM and I mark the day this gem opens on our calendar and cry when they close in the fall. I try to get there early and see what the day, or the night has brought and avoid the rush, or finding out later that I missed out on some Bluefish that was caught on last night's line. So much to my joy I was greeted yesterday with some of the nicest Stripped Bass I have seen, (well, since, last summer).

As three lovely ladies made their rather large purchase I eagerly ordered the last two filet's in the ice chest and was rewarded with 1.5 Lbs of Bass that had been swimming happily along the shores of Narragansett Bay only 12 hours previously. This beauty had been 30 plus pounds!

Determined to do as little as possible to change the natural goodness of this prize fish I marinated the fillets in O.O., S/P, a few slices of red onion, cilantro leaves, 2 crushed Garlic cloves and an hour before service, the juice of one lime. I really just wanted the flavor of Stripped Bass to be the star of the plate. To accompany the Fish I had some Beets and a Sweet Potato I planned on simply roasting, tossed with O.O., S/P, Garlic and Onion powder. Roasting the Beets brings out all the sugars and the color is wonderful. Again, there are times when less is more and this is one of them. Simple treatment of the freshest products. At this point I am doing my best to just not mess with the essence or integrity of the product. There is a whole school of thought behind this, spearheaded by Tom Colicchio' at Craft in NYC. http://www.craftrestaurant.com/

For the most part I think this is a great approach as we seem to be leaning toward doing more to our food and changing the product to our liking as opposed to letting it shine on it's own.

After grilling the Stripped Bass, 6 minutes or so per side, shining is what we had. Meaty, light, tender, the adjectives and a few expletives just rolled off the tongue as the fish melted in our mouths. The Beets and Sweets roasted at 350 degrees for just under and hour in my trusty Pyrex dish,( I love Pyrex as it imparts no flavor to the food and easy to clean). A green salad as always was present at the table along with some sparkling water, though a nice wine would have made a fine choice.

Tonight I have company coming and am heading back to Zeek's for some Bluefish I spied, which Greg assured me he would hold a few pounds of for me in case I am not the first in line. Not sure what I will be doing with it, but I can be assured of it's freshness and a summer full of more to come. If your not lucky enough to find yourself in Jamestown in the summer look around your neck of the woods and find a local fish monger. For those inlanders out there, and I feel for you, many of the co-ops and "natural food" stores have pefectly fine fish departments. Inquire as to when and where your fish comes from and plan accordingly. You can always plan a road trip to the shore, bring a cooler full of ice and tell Greg I sent you!

Left overs, right here

2009-06-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

Having some "extra" sauce, or left over grilled veggies, a little wild rice, can make a great new meal a very simple task. Take last night for instance. While perusing the fridge I found some of my Tomatillo sauce that had originally gone with Mahi Mahi , (see "Everybody to the Grill", May 27th), the other night. After tasting it I was pleased to find a few days had done it wonders, all the flavors melding together and the heat level significantly higher. Last nights wild rice was sitting pretty in a bowl and looking like it might like to come and play one more night, as well as JM's Rhubarb salsa. Low and behold there were also some grilled vegetables. Now all I needed was a protein and the Bone-in Pork chops I picked up at the farmer's market on Saturday would do the trick. These babies were a thing of beauty, two rib chops weighing in at almost 2 Lbs, they looked more like fine Veal Chops than pork. Being farm raised and organic made them an easy choice for a quick dinner. It had been a long day, doing yard work and catching up on some blogging duties I had been lax about. The pork chops got a healthy dose of Chimayo "special" spice mix, which I have still been unable to pry the exact ingredients out of the good people at Milagrossa Mercatido out of, but I am sure it has red chili, onion, garlic, salt, cumin and a few other things in. Drizzled with olive oil they went back in to the ice box for a few hours while I added the leftover salsa to the wild rice. With a splash of red wine vinegar and O.O., S/P, a few TBL of salsa fresca, (store bought) and a squeeze of lemon the wild rice salad was finished. The grilled veggies and some salad leftovers were going to finish this meal so I went back to watching the Red Sox beating up on Toronto,( finally), and relaxed for the rest of the day. About an hour before service I pulled out the Rice salad and the sauce, veggies and some of those lovely garlic bulbs I bought at the market. The sauce , salad, and veggies needed to get to room temperature to bring out the full flavor. After firing up the grill I tossed on the garlic bulb and a few jalapenos to roast. they were soon blackend and ready to come off, only to be replaced by the Pork chops. About 6 minutes a side did the trick and five minutes to rest while I set up the plates and dressed the salad.This whole meal took no more than 20 minutes to throw together and it was dynamite. The Pork might as well have been Veal chops, when I am the farmers market next week I will get the name and web address of the supplier, these were the best chops I have had since my restaurant days when we often saved the best cuts for ourselves, (don't mention that to my former employer's). So do not dread the leftover dinner, sometimes with a little planning and a bit of luck the student might surpass the master. You be the judge !

The Farmers market is here !

2009-05-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

You know summer is upon us when the farmer's gather weekly on your town common or the parking lot of the local co-op or in my case at Casey Farm in Saunderstown RI. A beautiful farm over looking the Narragansett bay with their own supply of goodies, every Saturday morning other farmers, cheese makers and bakeries join them for a romping good time. Tents pop up, tables come out and are filled with fresh herbs, flowers, vegetables, even shellfish and meats. All to picked through, ogled over and enjoyed under the blue summer skies.

This was the first time I had been to the market, sad to say as I have lived in the area for 30 years, but hey, what can I say ? I bought into the whole "why buy local quality when I can get mass produced ,chemically enhance food for 1/3 the price?" I have been to farmers markets , so before you storm my home in the middle of night with fiery sticks and pitchforks, please try to calm the townsfolk, I have just not been to THIS one. A mistake I have now corrected and am grossly ashamed to admit.

The day was one of those days the New England tourism bureau likes to film propaganda. Blue skies, big sun, salt air, bumble bee's doing their thing, little children running around in funny hats chasing farm cats while unconcerned parents sip fresh ground coffee and munch on warm baguette's with local honey or gooey cheese made right down the road. So I tossed on my Birkenstock's, (kidding, I do not own Birkenstock's), and joined the happy mob.

Grabbing a coffee and Cinnamon roll, which was more like a cinnamon croissant, light, fluffy, just a little cinnamon and brown sugar,(http://www.sevenstarsbakery.com/ ), I toured the tables letting the colors and smells fill my head and imagination. Seeing what dinner plans would pop into my head or where the morning would lead me. I also took some pictures and just enjoyed the people watching. Everything looked great, the selection still a little sparse, mostly herbs, lettuces, radishes, flowers, but the promise of more to come was in the air. As I heard the farmers answer questions about what was on the horizon I realized this will become a weekly pilgrimage over the course of the summer.

I picked up some fingerling radishes, single bulb garlic stalks that look like scallions or baby leeks, Arugula, assorted wild flowers and some one pound bone-in pork chops. A smoked cheddar and some of the creamiest Blue cheese I have ever had, (http://www.farmsteadinc.com/ ), filled my bag.

Since it was not my night to cook dinner I had visions of a salad with the Arugula, one of my all time favorite greens, the radishes, garlic and blue cheese, all tossed with a Mint and mustard vinaigrette I had been thinking about since i had noticed the Mint was looking particularly jaunty in the herb garden the other day. I made a quick call to JM to make sure she did not need anything for "her" dinner and was told to she was still planning and she would figure it all out by game time.

Let me tell you she did!

It all started because we have an abundance of Rhubarb growing in our garden and every year we say "we need to do something WITH this !"

Rhubarb Salsa :

1 c rhubarb, diced small; blanch for 10 sec and rinse with cold water to stop cooking

1/2 c yellow (and/or orange, red) pepper, diced small

1 Sm jalapeno, diced small

1 slice red onion, diced small

Mix juice of 1/2 lime with big pinch of brown sugar and small pinches of salt & black pepper, then stir into veg and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Rub for chicken:

Grind together Balinese long pepper, fennel seed, dried thyme, dried rosemary, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, ground sage. Then grind in juice of 1/2 lime and enough olive oil to make a loose paste to massage onto chicken.

Refrigerate for at least two hours.

The salsa was made, the chicken marinated, then tossed on the grill as the house and yard filled with that amazing odor of grilling meat and fat hitting the open flame. The wild rice simmered in the kitchen while I put together the salad and made Mustard Mint dressing, with a little Rice Wine Vinegar, O.O.,S/P, fresh mint and a squeeze of Lemon. JM was on the grill and Bob Dylan was on the stereo.

So it was that Chicken JM was born!

I made the salad I had been thinking about earlier and we had a wonderful summer evening.

My day started out with a great trip that I hope to make a summer ritual and ended with a face covered in chicken juice, it's only May!

live'r let die

2009-05-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

Liver you say? Liver, really? Chicken livers? Beef? The bodies filtration system makes a fine meal for me and my family?, I don't think so. My Mother made chicken livers every once in while, they were dried and gross and had weird texture, like warm paste. Well my friend, my Mother made chicken livers too and let me tell you, properly handled the chicken, or beef liver can be a wonderful thing. First off, they are cheap, I mean cheap and a great source of protein. Secondly and most importantly, if they are not overcooked and properly seasoned, they are delicious.

My Friday at the market started out with plans of roasted Sausages, with grapes and balsamic vinegar, (some thing we will be seeing in the near future), I was having a hankering for mashed potato's, light fluffy, garlic ,buttery starch. The sausages at the store looked less than appetizing and I was forced to continue my search, adapt, overcome and such. A few weeks back JM and I were craving Livers. A cold blustery New England day on the shore, drizzle of rain and comfort food was calling. However on that day chicken livers were not to be had, we later discovered Friday is the day the chicken liver usually hit the shelves and they last as long as they last, then it is tough luck Charlie, (or in this case, Bruce), until the following Friday. Something to keep in mind when buying livers of any kind is that freshness is your friend, not to say you ever want to but "old" food, but with an internal organ I like to find one that recently had an owner.So shop somewhere where you see the Livers one day and they are gone the next, if you notice the same package of liver hanging around your store you might want to ask your butcher, or look elsewhere.

So with liver in hand I trundled off home and eagerly awaiting my dinner companion. I usually treat livers rather simply and just salted, peppered them with a little red chili powder for spice, then dusted with flour and into a hot pan,(with high sides, Livers spit and pop as they cook, so care is to be taken). Peanut oil works best for the frying as it has a high burn temperature and little flavor. Let them get a good crust, golden brown, before turning and try not to fool with them too much, you can bruise or damage them easily and you want them to seal, holding in all the goodness until your fork pierces them. Once flipped, I added a thinly sliced Vidalia Onion, one large jalapeno, sliced, seeds and all. The livers should take around 3-4 minutes per side.
Then finish the cooking with a splash of chicken stock. You can also add red wine or demi glaze or Marsala, all which make a nice different flavor profile. Give the stock/wine/demi a couple of minutes to mix with the roux that has formed from the flour and oil and you will have nice coating sauce for your livers and something to soak up with your mashed potato's. The livers should be medium rare to medium, still pink and juicy, if you feel like your livers are overcooking you can take them out of the pan and let the onion/jalapeno finish with the sauce and add the livers at the last few minutes or pour the sauce over the cooked treats.
A simple side salad and some garlic rubbed French bread finished out the meal, everyone was fat and pleased. The lesson here is, just because your Mother made a horrible mess of your chicken livered childhood do not fear the Reaper and give it another try. As we age our taste buds mature and you might find a new pal in the liver. Of course all food is not for everyone, you might find you still think eating liver is something to be saved for the brink of starvation, but at least you tried.

I was going to include a picture of two to entice you into the LiverDome, but sadly Liver is not the most photogenic of foods, so cook your own and enjoy.

Stocking stuffers

2009-05-29T06:52:00.001-07:00

Keeping your shelves stocked with certain staples makes cooking a great dinner on the fly easy. If all you have to do is buy a protein , some veggies and come home to a house filled with international goodies and flavors, your imagination and palate are your only limitations. Most condiments and oils, vinegars have a pretty decent shelf life and if you live alone or with one other person, your fridge has space to spare. We have a chest freezer and small “college” fridge in the basement which gives us more than enough room to play with, but we are bit on the excessive side.
Having all the extra’s makes Italian/Mexican/French or American Bistro meals an easy dinner. You buy some chicken, you have a lemon, look, some capers, chicken stock, butter, little fresh parsley right outside your door,,my, my….. “chicken picatta” at your finger tips. Put a date on your spices and condiments and make sure you rotate your stock, but with simple planning you can keep a well stocked larder and make any recipe from any book, including your own at any time. Here is a partial list of some of the things that live in my fridge at all times.
1) Sambal….Asian chili paste
2) Capers
3) Olives of all colors
4) Soy sauce
5) Sesame oil
6) Hot chili oil
7) Red and green curry paste
8) Hoisin sauce
9) A multitude of mustards
10) Hot sauce(s)
11) BBQ sauce, or three
12) A buttermilk based salad dressing
13) Pickles
14) Lemon/lime
15) Onion red and white
16) Mayo
17) Anchovies/anchovie paste
18) Sun dried tomato paste
19) Harissa
20) Pickled herring, just kidding, wanted to see if you were paying attention

The dry good are just as important, however here is where dating and packaging becomes a little more important. Things tend to lost on the shelve or forgotten, pushed aside or fallen behind. Plastic air tight containers are good, as well zip lock baggies. Here are some of the things rolling around our kitchen cabinet. I am going to discount the obvious,, sugar, flour, salt, if you don’t already have these things you may well have starved to death already and will not find this list helpful at all.
1) Blue corn flour
2) Canned tomato products…paste, whole, chopped
3) Red wine vinegar
4) Rice wine vinegar
5) Balsamic vinegar
6) Cider vinegar
7) High grade virgin Olive Oil..for finishing salads/sauces
8) Peanut Oil (burns at a higher temp than other oils)
9) Vegetable oil
10) Crisco
11) Instant grits
12) Panko crumbs
13) Raisins, golden/black
14) Kidney beans/chic peas/navy beans, canned for a quick salad or soup addative
15) Dried pinto/black beans
16) Assorted rice’s, brown/white/wild…couscous
17) Dried chili peppers
18) Sardines
19) Assorted stocks, chicken/beef/fish
20) Hormel chili, every once in a while I just don’t have the energy to do anything

Along with this goes the spice crowd, which can have anything you are fond of, or needed 1 tsp of for some obscure recipe you were trying and the bottle went back on the shelf, never to be opened again. If you can’t remember what you used the spice/herb for, toss it. If it seems like it was not that long ago, try to use it for something, add it an old favorite, or invent a new one. I usually have curry powders, chili powders, garlic powder, onion powder, stay away from garlic salt/onion salt, better to add your own salt.
As for salt I like sea salt and kosher, but do keep “table” salt around for salting water or melting the ice at the kitchen door in the winter. Fennel seeds, caraway, nutmeg, ginger powder, Chinese five spice, garam masala, vanilla bean, mustard powder, smoked paprika and anything else you come across and find yourself needing. I do keep some dried herbs, but try to use fresh, or my own dried herbs from the gardens abundance of the summer months.
It all sounds like a lot of work, but if you spend one day late in the summer turning all your basil into pesto, tying and drying your herbs, making chutney out of your hot peppers, you’ll have winter filled with stuff you made and do not have to buy. Tastes great and might even give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. The same goes for making stocks. Store and save your chicken bones in the freezer, when you have enough, make a batch of stock and freeze it in small portions, or fill ice cube trays, freeze and pop out little sauce additives, sometimes all a good sauce needs is a little stock, or demi glaze.

If you are making a batch of cookies, make two, take one and roll it up in a log, wax paper it, freeze. Then the next time you are having a late night cookie crisis you can cut a few slices and have warm fresh cookies with your milk. I love making lasagna but always have a hard time eating the entire thing, so frozen portions end up in plastic bags right next to the meatballs and meat loaf. If you keep a list of what is in your freezer posted on the door you will find it easier to remember and use what is in there. You can essentially make your frozen dinners, putting Stouffers out of business.
I always have chips and salsa, hummus and crackers, olives and pickled jalapenos at hand for that snack on the fly, or impromptu Baseball snack, you never know when a game may go extra innings. Olives, cheese and an apple served with crackers may come in handy when you forget to turn the oven on after you have already out the roast in. So eat, enjoy and experiment, the foods in your fridge and on your shelf may maker strange yet welcome bedfellows.

Just one more note, if you come across these chips and you like spice and flavor, buy these and get the big bag, hide it from your friends and have yourself a party.

you can't always get what you want

2009-05-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

Off to the market I go,checking to make sure i have my "green" bag from the co-op, doing my thing to slow the amount of plastic trash floating around the planet. I have a plan, a vision, something in mind for dinner, i can see it now, all coming together on one glorious plate, the flavors melting together in my mouth, the colors, a painting on the plate, the smiles of my guest(s), it all seems so right.

However when i get the store, my trusty butcher, my friendly meat dealer has not provided me with the cut of meat my heart desires, woe is me as my hopes are dashed and i have to plan on the fly, improvise, adapt, overcome, hell, it works for the Marines, why not me? Looking at the meat department shelves through tear stained eyes I survey the landscape and spy some Top Round roasts, not only on sale, but in my size range for two people. Elbowing my way past a little old man with similar intent , I make for my prize and go to return the baby spinach i had picked up to go with my now defunked plan of mustard/marjoram/panko crusted pork tenderloin.

Have no fear, before i departed i dusted off the gentlemen and helped him reach a smaller top round on one of the upper shelves, chivalry is not dead, but meat before honor i always say, OK, so I have never said that, but it fits and i will continue to say it from now on when circumstances fit.

With roast in hand, some Brussels sprouts, a sweet potato, bag of popcorn and some hood ice cream sandwich's i got out of the store before i caused any more disturbances. My point is ,( you were wondering), no matter how well you plan or how well your grocer is stocked ,things do not always go as planned and you need to be flexible. It happens all the time, more often with fish, as i go to the market and the fish i desired is just not up to snuff, or not there at all, but it can happen with meat or veggies, hell, even condiments. I do not always go with a plan, or a menu in my head, sometimes i just go and see what catches my eyes or stirs my hunger.

Farmers markets are the best place to browse, let the market and season dictate your dinner plans, this is the best time of year as new things arrive every week. New colors, new textures, new flavors to combine in a new way.

The aforementioned roast was 2.2 lbs, just right for two over eaters ,with a small chance of leftovers for a sandwich the next day. I liberally salted and peppered the meat and rolled in chopped thyme, rosemary and oregano, (provided by the little greenhouse, so loving tended to by JM, that lives right outside the kitchen door). A dash of garlic, onion powder and some Olive Oil finished the prep on the mighty beast, it was still early afternoon, so covered into the fridge it went.

The Sprouts and sweet potato were clean, trimmed and chopped accordingly, seasoned with whole garlic cloves, cumin, ground coriander, S/P+ O.O.,(olive oil) and some crushed red pepper flakes.

A quick easy set up and my work was done for the afternoon, so i settled into a Orioles/Blue Jays game and some cracker jack, (Baltimore won in a walk off 12/10 in the 11th). Really i was only in the kitchen for 15 minutes, tops. Cooking was also a breeze, 15 minutes at 475 degrees, giving the roast a five minute head start, I did not want the garlic to burn in the sprout mix, then turning it all down to 350* for 35 minutes, taking out the roast and letting it rest for 10 minutes while the sweets/sprouts finished up. I had some mushrooms running around in the crisper so those ending up in a saute pan, with some O.O. splash of red wine and some demi glaze that has been in the freezer for the past 9 months, all packaged up in little zip lock bags, portioned for quick sauce use.

Just another one of those things that is great to have on hand, takes little effort to make and stores well. If you make one good size batch of demi glaze a year you have happy sauces all year long. It is easy to make and if you need help, just ask me, or look it up, or wait long enough and keep following along, i am getting low and will have to make a new batch in the upcoming months, so I will be happy to walk you down the garden path.

Something else to keep in mind and is often overlooked is letting you meat rest, all meat needs to rest after cooking, I go with about 5 minutes per pound, just cover it with tin foil to keep it warm and let nature do the rest(ing). Even meat that appears overcooked can even out in the resting time and become a nice juicy dinner.

A simple plating and nice salad rounded out the dinner, sadly it was so good all hopes of leftovers were dashed upon the rock as JM and I cleared our plates like Olympic hurdlers, better luck next time. I like having leftover and the challenge of making them into something, but I am fine with starting fresh every night and tonight is movie night, so we are headed to Tio Mateo's Mexican Grill for shrimp tacos. They make the best Diablo sauce, dark, scorched and spicy, I highly recommend them if you are in the East Greenwich RI area. They also house some of my Black and White photos so I hold a soft spot in my stomach for them, Matt and his wife, whose name i can never remember,( and have met to many times to ask politely), do a great job, good prices and really fresh ingredients. Sadly they recently took Horchata, ( a Mexican drink made of rice milk, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg), off the menu, due to lack of interest on the part of New Englander's to try something new, (my words, not theirs, so don't chastise them if you see them, send all complaints to my complaint department). I will answer all your complaints and comments in due time, well comments will get a quicker response than complaints. But some feed back would be nice. Enjoy the day whatever it brings, and if you can,, eat it!

everybody to the grill, there's a fire!

2009-05-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Have to say I love to grill, no heating the house, less clean up and the smell of meat on an open fire makes me feel animal. Last night Fish was the sacrificial lamb, Mahi Mahi to be precise, so nice I had to say it twice.

Love grilling Mahi as it holds up well both to the flames and any flavor profile you care to impart on it. I went with cumin, Lime, smoked Paprika, garlic,onion powder, not usually a big fan of the garlic or onion powder but i was pressed for time and it hits the fish quicker. A nice blast of salt and black pepper, drizzle of Olive Oil and away we went. Most of my time and energy went into a platter of veggies, Baby Eggplant, Fennel, Portabello Mushroom, Yellow Holland Peppers, Jalapenos, Red Onion, Zucchini and a tomato, which I tossed with fresh Oregano, Mint, Thyme and Garlic, Olive Oil/Balsamic vinegar. More salt and pepper and let them soak up the goodness for an hour or so. While those were resting I set about making a Tomatillo sauce to go on the Fish. Tomatillos, if you have never used them make a great sauce for just about everything short of Corn Flakes. To save a little time I pre peeled the tomatillos, around 3/4 of a pound and grilled them until the blackened, around 8 minutes total. Grilled 3 thick red onion slices and 3 jalapenos, about the same cooking time and let them sit in a bowl to cool for 5 minutes. Then the whole mix went into the blender along with 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of salt, a small handful of cilantro and the juice of one lime, blend on pulse until sauce-like and you have a cool accompaniment, warm or cold, for everything, makes a great sauce for Tacos.After the Grilled veggies cooled enough to touch I rough chopped them, added more S/P, dash of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar and tossed them in a bowl with a little more fresh herbs I had saved from my previous chopping. The Fish came off the grill after about 4/5 per side, I have a kettle grill which tends to grill very hot, also I like my fish on undercooked side, as well as meats and frankly most things. Though the Mahi will take to longer heat, it is nice a little rare, more flavor and beter texture, if your meat and fish are fresh, and why use them if they are not?, rarer is better for most cuts, with the exception of tougher cuts that require braising and long slow cooking times to bring out the flavor.

So, fish came off the grill, sauce hot the plate, fish on top, veggies on the side and a wedge of lime, little more S/P and a side salad with light dressing finished out the meal,, all in all, JM and I ate well,, once again, a happy ending.

Memorial day weekend...The Aftermath

2009-05-26T05:51:00.000-07:00

Sounds more ominous than it really is, or was,( the title, that is), but the weekend has come and gone. Good food was made, good food was eaten, good food was digested, you get the rest. Friday was a drive day for me and after a long day on the highways and byways of America's roadways on a holiday weekend nothing says lovin like take out. Zoey and I went Thai Blue Ginger in Greenfield Ma, located right on Main st, sadly they have no website, but they do have a delightfully spicy Drunken Noodle dish which we have enjoyed in the past. Sadly, shrimp and take out equals overcooked shrimp, which I can't blame the folks at TBG for, especially has we delayed in picking up our food, so it sat even longer than it might have had we been on time. One of the things i like most about Thai, and noodles, they keep well and just fine at a summer room temperature. We also had a Green bean, Shrimp, coconut, curry dish, with a name too long to remember, sadly the dish was as memorable. Again, Shrimp, time and take out equaled a less than stellar dish and again, not their fault. I highly recommend Thia Blue Ginger, but i would take the time to eat there, which I have and is delightful. The decor is what you would expect and the Owners/waiters/sisters are pleasant and generally helpful. The spot is small, but never feels crowded even though the tables are close and they usually seem to have a good crowd.

Saturday, tag sale, big fruit salad and cookies, cookies and more cookies. I made some Peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies with Blue corn meal flour which got good reviews and a few requests for the recipe, so though it is not perfected, (nothing in cooking is, or should be), here are the basics, try em and fool around, i plan on making them again in a few weeks, just got a little cookie'd out and can only eat so many, nice to have an event to pawn them all off on...

Follow the recipe on a bag of Toll house chocolate chip cookies, substitute 1 cup of Blue corn meal flour, (which you can find at Whole foods and some Co-Op type markets), for the equal amount of white flour, also add 1 cup of Peanut butter chips and a pinch of Chimayo Red Chili powder.

Make sure you cook on a good thick cookie sheet and lower the temperature to *370, cook for 11 minutes, let rest on the cookie for 2-3 minutes and transfer to cooling rack. I find the cooling rack transfer works really well with all cookies, as the heavier cast cookie sheets retain their heat so well it is easy to burn the bottoms of your cookie, and nobody, I mean nobody, like a burned bottom. Try a small tester batch, you may need to increase the cooking time by a minute or two, most home oven are not perfectly calibrated, and feel free to tweak the mixture to your liking, the next time i make them I am going to up the Spice amount and try to increase the Blue Corn to flour ratio, see if I can get a better blue hue to the cookies, but all in all, the were a success and i hope yours are too.

Saturday night was a simple Grilled Blue fish, marinated in lime, thyme and garlic with a splash of olive oil, little salt and pepper. Add the lime juice about an hour before service or it will "cook" the fish. A compote of grilled Portabello mushrooms and roasted Pablano peppers, topped with a local Goat Cheese, (will get the name for you later), and a garden salad with Ginger mango vinaigrette finished out the dish. Though the fish was out of season, late summer is Blue running time on the east coast, and I cooked it a few minutes too long, Zoey seemed to enjoy it.

Sunday was more tag sale, without the cookies, got rid of everything which was pleasant, nice to unload some stuff, now we can buy more! But, back to the food...Zoey had some nice fresh frozen peaches, so she decided to make a peach upside down cake. Out came the cook books and away she went, with some nice results, see pictures. She thought it was a wee bit dry, but Cool Whip and coffee made it nice.

In the afternoon I made some Goat cheese/Blue fish spread with the left over Blue, added some lemon juice and fresh thyme, black pepper and salt, served with water crackers and Black olives, a nice afternoon snack.

For dinner, Scallops marinated in Lime and Chili powder, two small top round steaks hit the grill, some grilled corn and a salad rounded out the meal. Zoey finished up with some cake and Cool Whip, I hit up some Bart's Mint chip ice cream and passed out in some cool clean sheets.

Now the sun is shining and the grass is growing, so I am going to cut it, will be back later, best to all.

memorial day weekend

2009-05-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

I will be out of town for a few days and likely away from both stove and computer, so eat drink and be merry, see ya soon!

day two

2009-05-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, most of the day was spent in the garden pulling weeds and getting everything ready for JM to plant some stuff so we have more food to play with, and food we grew, which is a plus. Not sure what will get planted this year, but you can count on tomatoes, Jalapenos, herbs galore, maybe some water melon and beans, enough basil to make pesto for the winter and a smattering of other good stuff. Nice to get out in the sun, sweat out a little toxic waste and dunk my head in the ocean for a treat afterward, the water is still freezing by the way, not quite martini cold, but still more than just refreshing. Last night's dinner was a smashing success, sirloin, with Chimayo spice mix, grilled red onions, grilled jalapenos, (of which I had 5), beet salad and a green salad with some rolls rubbed with garlic, very simple and very good, all thanks go to JM who was at the helm, tonight I am on deck.
Made two batches of cooking for a yard sale this week, chocolate chip, large chunks, with Kahlua and from the, Necessity is the Mother of Invention column, peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies with Blue corn meal flour,, I ran out of white flour, and they came out good! Have to bake a little longer, around 2 minutes, and they have a slightly grainy texture, but very slight, all in all, I was pleasantly surprised. Was hoping they would have more of a blue hue, but i did mix some white flour in there with them, around 60/40%, leaning to the white flour side of things. Wrapped them up in wax paper logs and will bake on Saturday, hopefully giving tag saler's a little incentive to buy our old stuff,,ones mans garbage, is another mans garbage, so long as it is not mine anymore. have been on a none keeping crap kick the past few years since my fathers death, read a book, give it away, not going so far as to keep only what i can carry on my back, but trying not to get to bogged down with accumulated stuff,, other than cookbooks and Cd's of course.
Tonight looks like country style pork ribs, bone in, (is there any other way?), which are marinating in some magic Hat beer Ben left in the downstairs fridge back when he was still drinking. They have been soaking in it for a few hours and need to be turned in a bit, then drained and dry rubbed, am going with cumin, black pepper, salt and green chili powder, toss em on the grill and baste them with the remnants of 3 BBQ sauces cluttering up the ice box, mix in some sambal, ( spicy Asian chili mix,,,, amazing mixed with ketchup on french fries, made that little discovery in Hawaii last winter). Picked up some baby eggplant, portabello mushrooms and red onion for grilling, am going to marinate in garlic, Olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, oregano and thyme, the herbs coming from the little greenhouse box JM threw together this past fall, which saved out little herb collection and has helped out all winter long. Cooked some new potatoes while the cookies were spinning around the mixer, tossed with O.O, white vinegar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and mint, they have been chilling since around one, so should make a nice cool touch to dinner, there are a few rolls left and i had top bake some tester cookies, which will come in handy around the 7th inning stretch tonight.
Got some Dylan on the tune box, a fine iced coffee and a cigar, except for the nail i stepped on in the garden of good and evil the afternoon looks rosey. I am off to toss my riblets around the pyrex and put away the dishes from last night. Hope your cooking.

more day one

2009-05-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

JM is home from a long day at the salt mines and drawers are being open and shut, the refrigerator is open and foodstuffs are falling on the floor as the knives come out and vegetables meet the cutting board. I have been a way for a few days so there seem to be some things rotting, hard to eat all that food when one is alone. As Americans we waste so much, we buy wonderful fresh produce, meats and dairy and then struggle to eat it all before it sours. Last week i salvaged a huge bunch of basil that i had bought for a low low price, i think partially because it was on the edge of going south and turned it into some Pesto, using pumpkin seeds, since there were no Pignoli, (pine), nuts or walnuts in the house. It came out well, though a little bitter due to the earliness of the stalk and stem which i hastily ground up along with the leaves, olive oil, garlic and Parmesan. Added a little honey to mask and stored in the basement fridge for a latter date. I guess my point would be, if we take the extra few minutes when managing our larder, we can make some pretty cool stuff and have it for a rainy day. I am big on condiments and having all the little things hanging around the house, capers, anchovies, mustard's, soy sauce, a few kinds of vinegar. If you stock the little stuff, making a great meal on the fly becomes very easy, add a protein, toss a salad and see what happens. Some of my best specials back in my working days came from using all leftovers and things that had to "move", creative flavor profiles from stuff i would not have thought of had i had not an abundance of it on hand. Foods can make strange bedfellows and often afterwards you are amazed and shocked you never thought to put such things in one dish. Substituting one cheese for another, add a spice, try a different cooking method, it's all part of the process and if you are not afraid to experiment your concoctions can become favorites. Well, i am needed in the kitchen and the Red Sox game nears, will let ya know how dinner was after i have tasted it, though i am sure it will be fantastic as JM is a fantastic cook.

day one

2009-05-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well boredom has overtaken me and i am joining the cyber world, kicking and screaming, leaving bloody broken fingernails along the way. People say, why blog? why spend your time, why put your thought out there? why not I reply, they are not doing me any good rolling around inside my head, clogging up important space i need to store baseball statistics and music references from the 70's/90's and the new era. Why the crazy title Bruce? Because i love to cook, have been doing so for thirty years, most of them professionally and make some rather interesting stuff. Everyday someone will ask me what I am making for dinner, or what i had last night and they always say "yum", or really? and give me that same quizical look my dog used to give, turning his head sideways and rolling his eyes back into his head when I asked him if he wanted to go outside in the 10 degree weather to pee. So, if you like to cook and find you need some daily inspiration or ideas about what to make or want a good laugh, which every once in while i might just provide, this would be the Blog for you. I would love to get you started with a doosey, but tonight is not my night to cook, it is my room mates, we take turns, or at least try to and last week i pulled a few double duties, so she is on deck. For the time being we will just call my roomie JM, until she gives me permission to add her name to this daily diatribe. I do believe however that tonight is going to be some grilled steak, not sure of the cut, most likely to be rubbed with some Red Chili spice from Chimayo NM, the finest red chili i have ever come across, which i have shipped to me from a lovely family owned shop called Milagosso Mercaditio, at this writing they still have no web site, but i would be happy to pass along a phone number and mailing address to anyone who loves flavor over heat, but enjoys a good burn on the side. Aside from Red and Green chili powder they make the best spice mix i have come across, which shines on Fish/Poultry and anything with feet. I am sure some grilled jalapenos and veggies will accompany this meal as well as a garden salad, which graces my table on most evenings. OK, so lets eat and see what this brings for us, the future awaits and there is plenty to eat, come hungry and come often.