Confiture: A tutorial for putting summertime in a jar

If you’ve been noodling around in this blog, you’ve noticed that when the fresh fruit comes on the market in the good old summertime, I’m making jams at least once a week. It’s simply what I do. I haven’t bought a jar of jam in so many years, well, I can’t remember how long it’s been. Making my own works on a number of levels for me - it’s a creative endeavor, it gives us a far superior product that can’t be replicated on a mass market model, and provides a stock of ready to go gifts in a pinch.

New to my neighborhood? Expect a few jars of jam. Christmas? Expect jam. Feeling blue? How about some toast and jam?

So, why then, is this post titled ‘Confiture’?

Pretty simple, actually. I quit making jams - the American way - with pectins and more sugar a few years ago; taking up the French method, instead. That means simply cooking fruit, sugar and lemon juice in a nice copper pot until it thickens. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the pectin method - except that it really got in the way of making jams the way I wanted, with the ingredients I wanted, rather than some fussy recipe. And, trying to get the pectin in at the right time, before or after the boil, and getting things to thicken consistently - well, it was just stupid.

The French method gives me amazing latitude with ingredients - without as much sugar by weight. I can use sugar or honey. Toss in some herbs or spices. Liquors? Of course! And I cook the product until it’s thick enough. Nearly 40 years of experience making jam gives you a ‘feel’ for that.

One of the other delightful aspects of making confiture is passing the tradition along to others. I’ve actually taught several friends to make their own jams, marmalades and such in my kitchen. 

I digress. Now I’d like you to make some confiture.

It’s not really very difficult or expensive. You don’t absolutely need the copper pots. They are nice, and I recommend them to produce a nicer product - once you really get the hang of it and really get into this. The beauty of the copper is the wide top - which allows for faster evaporation during the cooking process - and the even heating. That means no burnt spots on the bottom of the pot and the faster cooking means not having to cook the life out of your beautiful fruit. But to start? Just get yourself a good quality pot with a heavy bottom. A good quality stainless steel soup pot will work. That’s what I used for a very long time.

Go to the farmers market and select some good fruit. Yesterday, I told my husband that it was time to get the apricots - as they aren’t available but for a short time in June and into July. Away we went, and I want to tell you that when you’re going to make a big batch of jam, bargain. Don’t pay the going price per pound. You need more fruit - and this is the time to negotiate. My apricots were marked $3.00 per pound. I asked how much I needed to buy to get the fruit for less - in this case it was $2.50 per pound for 10 pounds and over. Sometimes, if you can buy a case or box, you can get it down even less. Peaches are a obvious choice for this. But, I came home with about 12 pounds of apricots.

When selecting fruit for jam, appearance isn’t your first criteria. I’m selecting fruit that is intact - without obvious bad spots - but intentionally picking fruit that is across the ripeness spectrum. The more ripe that fruit is - the more flavor and color. The less ripe? It has more naturally occuring pectin for gelling. And the thing about apricots - they really aren’t the most flavorful fruit to eat out of hand, but oh la la when they are cooked! You can take a so-so apricot and cook it, and it becomes something wonderful.

And vanilla pairs with apricot like bees and honey. It’s a natural.

EQUIPMENT

You need the following to make confiture:/jam two heavy pots - one for cooking the jam and the other for ‘processing’ the jam filled jars. We’ll talk about ‘processing’ in a moment. A ladle. A good long-handled wooden spoon. Some basins or bowls for prepping fruit, weighing ingredients. Measuring spoons. Metal soup spoons in the freezer - cold. A canning funnel to fill jars with. Canning Tongs to grip the jars - to put them into and out of the hot water processing bath without burning yourself. Jars and new lids. A paring knife. Paper towels. Hot pads.

I recommend measuring solid or dry ingredients by weight. It’s far easier and more accurate. And I also suggest using grams/kilograms. Again, it’s far easier to measure ratios of sugar to fruit ( I use 50% to 65% sugar to fruit, by weight, as a general rule of thumb). Measuring is what you will do - instead of using a ‘recipe’. So try to beg, borrow, buy or steal a kitchen scale with a Tare measurement function - Tare is where you can zero out the measurements as you add ingredients.

What do I mean by ‘processing’? That means putting the filled, capped jars of confiture/jam into a large pot of boiling water - and then ‘processing‘/cooking it for 15 minutes. This is how you ensure a good vacuum seal of the lid, and ultimately a safe product that will last on the pantry shelf for at least one year. When you remove the jars from the water bath and set them out on a table to cool, you will begin to hear the ‘POP’ of each lid. That’s how you know the seal is successful. The center ‘button’ of a canning lid will draw in - concave, and you won’t be able to push on it and have it spring back out. Tap on the lid with a spoon, and the sound will be higher pitch ‘ring’. When you open a correctly sealed jar lid, you’ll hear a sharp sound like a ‘pop’. Here is a nice little graphic of how to test your jar seal.

Here’s an important safety note: Never, not ever, re-use the liners in two-piece canning lids. Always use new ones. The same goes for one piece lids. The chance of a bad seal, and a jar going ‘bad’ just isn’t worth the pennies for a brand new lid.

Successful canning is also dependent upon setting up your workspace intelligently. Mise-en-place in the French culinary tradition! Everything in it’s place and ready to go. If you are hunting around for a necessary tool or ingredient during the process, you risk scorching or other mistakes.

Once you have it all rounded up - your equipment and ingredients - it’s time to go to work prepping your fruit.

As you can see, I get these handy plastic basins from my local restaurant supply house. They come in handy for many cooking tasks and are a real neat item to have. I also pull out a smaller one to catch all the trimmings and scraps - making it easier to toss them into the compost or the trash. The fruit just got a good bath in the sink.

Because I want a finished product that is smooth and spreadable, I got the food processor involved. Just a few pulses is fine. If you like it chunkier, don’t do this step, but stone fruits like apricots aren’t going to cook down quite as readily as say, raspberries, for example.

Now we get to the measuring part. I had nearly five kilograms of fruit - pitted and pulsed. So that meant about this much sugar - just about 65% sugar to fruit by weight. Using this method means that you don’t have to worry about getting just a certain amount of fruit - get what you can, or use what you get off the tree. Whatever X number of boxes of raspberries from Costco weighs, is what you will use. Figure the sugar accordingly by weight.

Then you will need lemon juice. You will always want to put the juice of at least one fresh - never, ever bottled lemon juice! - into each batch. What you are seeing above is two batches. It takes too long to cook that much at once, and would overcook the fruit. So I used the juice of two whole lemons.

When you’ve got your fruit, lemon juice and sugar all mixed together, it’s time to pour a batch into your cooking pot. Now is when you can add those special ingredients - in this case a vanilla bean paste. I added about two tablespoons to the batch. Always taste your way through recipes like this! Flavors are never the same - but are dependent on the variety of fruit used, its ripeness and other factors. So more or less will be needed. And remember, the cooled product tastes a little more muted than when it’s hot. This means being a little more assertive with the flavors. 

Cooking until you have a good ‘set’ is part of the art of making confiture/jam. There are a couple ways to do it: by temperature, using a candy thermometer (which I’ve always found annoying), or having several metal spoons or small plates in the freezer. When the mixture has cooked to the point that it’s starting to feel thick - I start testing with the frozen spoons. Put a bit into a spoon, and set it in the fridge for about five minutes. Drawing your finger through the chilled sample, you’ll know when it’s thick enough for you. And, the chilled mixture won’t run when you tip the spoon sideways - it might come off in a ‘blop’ but not drippy runny.

Here’s a graphic to illustrate the jelling point. If you are new to making confiture, don’t stress out over getting this ‘just right’. There is no ‘just right’. There’s only what you like. And, shoot, if it turns out that it’s a little runny, big deal. Drizzle it into yogurt or over ice cream, use it as a base for a sauce or vinaigrette dressing, glaze chicken or fish with it, serve it along side cheese and prepare to accept kudos anyway.

One last point - the jars. I used good old Mason or Kerr jars with the two-piece rings and lids for a million years. They’re just fine. Until you really get into this thing and want something a little classier. Then I discovered SKS bottles and  jars. I happen to like the clear glass oval hex jars - with black lids which I think are richer looking than the gold. The 3-3/4 ounce jars are perfect. I also use the 6 ounce. The folks at SKS are really nice, and will be happy to help and answer your questions.

Here are some additional resources and links for making jam and confiture:

Fresh, healthy, fast and easy: Strawberry jam from the maven

If you want the added pectin method, try this from the maven - Summertime in a jar: A step by step guide to making homemade jam .

Cantalope jam is summertime harvest at its best from the maven

Bacon Apple Jam from the maven

Jam I Am: A Lifelong Sticky Obsession from the maven

Carrot Confiture: C’est si Bonne from the maven

California Cook: Making Jam in small batches (with big pleasure) Los Angeles Times

Jam Session: The simple secret to making homemade jam Bon Appetit

SKS Jars - a wondeful selection of jars for jams and confiture

Mauviel Copper pans at Amazon, although I recommend you search around for better deals like on eBay.

Kuchinprofi canning funnel is the absolute BEST I’ve ever used, and works flawlessly with the smaller jar openings of the SKS jars and bottles. 

My favorite book on confiture is Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber

Damn easy BBQ baked beans.

And, I really mean easy. And good. 

In fact, my husband says to make these beans any time at all! We’re having the leftovers - what little there was from last night’s party - with a fried egg on top, and a green salad on the side.

Cruising around the other day for a new idea for baked beans to serve in a backyard party last night, I ran across several that simply suggested sauteing some onions and green peppers, adding in canned pork and beans, and baking it with some bacon on top. Sounded fine … except for the canned pork and beans part. The sodium in both top national brands comes in at 18%. Too damn much! And then, there’s the high fructose corn syrup, the modified food starch and all other stuff that we just don’t need or want. Don’t get me started here.

I love easy. I don’t love heart disease and the other bad things that come from faux food.

So I opted for cans of regular navy beans - but you can use white beans or any kind you like - well rinsed and drained.

This recipe is awesome - in that after a bit of simple prep, you can stick it in the oven and pretty much forget about it for two hours.

Simply fry up the bacon in a nice cast iron skillet - one with deep sides, like a chicken frying pan. Remove the bacon and set aside. Then in the same pan, saute the onions and peppers. Add the bacon back in. Hmmmm. What a great aroma!

Now you can add the beans, sauce, and all those wonderful fixins’ that make it truly yours! Taste your way through the recipe - each and every step. Now, it’s time to add the remaining bacon on top, and slip it into the oven, uncovered, on 325 degrees for about two hours. Check it occasionally. Ovens vary.

INGREDIENTS

3 cans of navy or white beans - rinsed and drained

BBQ sauce - About one cup.  I used some that I’d made the other day. Use what you like - and watch those sodium levels and faux ingredients! That’s another reason I tend to make my own. It’s keeps in the fridge a long time, because of the vinegar and sugar in it.

1 big onion - diced

1 big green bell pepper - diced

8-10 big thick slices of bacon - 2 sliced up for frying, the others reserved for the topping

Brown sugar - about 3/4 cup

Blackstrap molasses - about 2 tablespoons

Pickapeppa Sauce - about 2 tablespoons

Worcestershire Sauce

Liquid Smoke - Hickory or Applewood flavor - about 2 tablespoons. I like the Stubbs brand.

Tomato paste - about 3 tablespoons.

Vinegar - about 1/4 cup or to taste. I prefer a Jerez  sherry vinegar for this.

Dry mustard - about 1 tablespoon

Paprika - about 1 tablespoon. I prefer a ‘sweet’ or ‘bittersweet’ Spanish Pimenton paprika.

Dried Herbs - I like to toss in Thyme, Marjoram, Savory, Greek or Italian Oregano, dried Shallots, maybe some garlic and/or onion powder (not onion ‘salt’!) 

Cheers!

Chilled Carrot Soup: Antidote to hot summer days

The weather in Reno, Nevada is hot. It wasn’t a mere week ago. In fact, I believe there might have been a dusting of snow in the mountains just a thirty minute drive from here. That’s the way weather works in the high Great Basin. When the temperatures rise to kiss the 90 degree mark, I get busy making chilled soups.

Along with jam making, that’s my summer passion. Cold, refreshing soups. I’ll make a couple different ones each week, and we’re good to go, switching back and forth. It’s such an easy way to round out the meals - especially when mining the leftovers, like a bit of this and some of that. What’s more - it’s incredibly healthy and a no-brainer for those watching their calories.

This offering is a favorite that I’ve made many times and ways before, however, I just got my new edition of Garde manger: The art and craft of the cold kitchen, by the Culinary Institute of America. I love the Garde Manger or ‘cold kitchen’ - soups, salads, sandwiches, appetizers, cheese, terrines, pates and the rest. It includes everything that I truly adore about cooking.  And, there was this really intriguing sounding version of my favorite. Carrot Soup.

Using carrot juice in carrot soup is something that I’ve been noticing top flight chefs - particularly from the world of molecular or modernist gastronomy - doing lately. In fact, I got the inspiration for this from Modernist Cuisine: The art and science of cooking, and their recipe for a caramelized carrot soup. Now, I confess that the techniques of true molecular cooking is something that I’m just not prepared to tackle at home. It’s truly over my head, but the concepts of what goes with what, certain techniques and ingredients can be adapted very successfully.

Although I sure wasn’t going to make my own carrot juice and then centrifuge it (what?), it gave me the idea to go buy a bottle of good quality organic carrot juice. The idea here is to get the most vibrantly ‘carroty’ tasting soup. You see, cooking carrots enough to make soup from them - that means cooking them almost to mush - saps a lot of their characteristic flavor. To compensate for this, a lot of recipes will add curry powder, ginger and a host of other flavors.

I wanted the carrot soup of all carrot soups - not a poseur! This one delivers.

THE INGREDIENTS

3 lbs  peeled diced carrots

2 large minced shallots

1/2 of an onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup white wine - whatever kind you are drinking ;-)

Juice of 2 large oranges

16 ounces carrot juice. I used Lakewood Carrot Juice.

3 tablespoons Dried Thyme - I used Lemon Thyme from The Spice House

And to give things a little more of a French accent,

3 tablespoons of Parisian Bonne Herbes 

1 tablespoon of Ground White Pepper

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil 

Salt to taste - for the carrot *boiling water, and the final soup

Sufficient water for boiling the carrots

NOTE: The water that you boil your vegetables in should be liberally salted - and it should actually taste good just by itself and reflect the end saltiness of the cooked food item. This is one of the most important lessons that I’ve learned about cooking. Save the boiling water once you remove the carrots for processing. You’ll be adding it back in - as a veggie broth - to the finished soup.

THE TECHNIQUE

Sauté the shallots, garlic and onion in butter until soft, and remove from heat. Reserve.

Boil the carrots in sufficient salted water.

When the carrots are incredibly tender and soft, process them with the sauteed vegetables and small additions of orange and carrot juice, wine (and cooking water only as needed to thin) in a blender - *in small batches! - until they are pureed very silky smooth. I add a drizzle of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil now and then in this stage. I think the oil carries flavors and creates a better mouthfeel - and silkiness. Actually, I used a Blood Orange flavored extra virgin olive oil - by O -  to amp up the flavors.

Taste your way through the processing! Notice that there isn’t enough salt, pepper, or other flavor? Add more now.

Chill thoroughly. Test the flavors again and adjust - by adding a bit more carrot juice, orange juice or even wine or olive oil.

Serve with a drizzle of yogurt - and that red you might notice is my Sweet Pepper Jam, the green is snipped fresh chives.

Enjoy this soup as a wonderful first course, or as a meal with a Big Salad and great bread.

Bon Apetite!

NOTE: Took this soup to my Wednesday night girls MahJong potluck - poured it into shot glasses, garnished with yogurt, the sweet pepper jam and snipped chives. There was a big OMG! Everybody thought that was a grand idea, and loved the soup, too! So, I’m thinking that a backyard party I’m doing on Friday might include a couple soups done like this.

Update on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 17:52 by mavenandmeddler

For a late outdoor dinner, on an especially sizzling day (100 degrees at noon), we needed cooling food. So did this soup, plus another one - melon and cucumber with cream.

Served them in individual wine or cocktail glasses that had been chilled before hand.

Since I had two soups - I first served one, then salad course - then the next soup, before serving the main course.

Everybody was pretty wowed.

Update on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 17:58 by mavenandmeddler

Served two chilled soup cocktails last night - it had been blisteringly hot all day.

Brought out one - in cold chilled stemware - then offered the salad course, then brought out the next soup cocktails, followed then by the main course.

Everybody loved it.

Radish leaf pesto: Making fans of the 'unconvinced'

A while back, I was tossing the nice fresh radish leaves into the tossed green salads - congratulating myself over how clever and resourceful I was. He doesn’t like them there - preferring instead the sublime cold crispness of iceberg lettuce, with a couple slices of tomato. You could say he is a ‘salad purist’, or merely ‘unconvinced’. I won’t tell you what I actually said. I was instructed to keep the damn radish leaves out of future salads - along with the baby greens that he doesn’t favor.

So tonight, delayed but never stopped, I served up an antipasti of radishes right out of our garden, with a bit of cheese, a few crackers, olives and pickles - around a puddle of a green pesto type sauce for dipping.

“How do you like the pesto I made?”

“Good! I like it on the crackers with the cheese”

I smiled to myself. Gotcha.

It was really very tasty - and ever so simple to whip up in the small food processor.

INGREDIENTS

A good fistful of fresh, nice looking radish leaves

A good fistful of Italian flat-leaf parsley

Some snipped chives

Fresh herbs plucked from their woody stems - oregano, marjoram, a bit of tarragon, savory.

A clove of garlic

Olive oil - Get the good stuff out. I prefer either Spanish or French.

Salt and pepper

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

A bit of grated orange and/or lemon zest

A drizzle of vinegar

Tuck it all into the bowl of the food processor - and add enough oil (say about 1/3 cup to begin with) to allow it to emulsify. Adjust seasonings. Add some grated parmesan, or some toasted nuts, if you wish and whizz it all some more. Taste your way through it. Use very good olive oil.

Fragrant and peppery, this is just wonderful for a dipping sauce - but it also excels stirred into warm rice or other grains, hot pasta, cooked vegetables or even into a soup. Do as the French do, spread a bit of good butter on the radish, then a bit of this pesto, and eat with great bread.

Hehehehe! And they’ll never know better.

Bon appetite!

Green beans to win over the veggie haters

I’m actually thrilled that we’ve gotten past the era of ‘al dente’ vegetables. Actually, taken in by this nonsense for a while, it caused some angst around the dinner table for my husband - he of the old tyme New England cook vegetables until they cry ‘uncle’ persuasion. We were at opposite ends.

Spending more time traveling through parts of the world lately, where the food has an undeniable reputation for excellence, I’ve learned that you should either cook the damn thing - or put it into a salad. Cooking the damn thing doesn’t, however, give license to turn bright, tasty vegetables to a gray mush. There’s a middle path - and it’s seldom acheived by use of a microwave oven.

Braising vegetables is an under-used technique that delivers perfectly cooked, bright, flavorful vegetables that even the most stubborn vegetable hater might just have cause to reconsider. That it’s so simple is just a nice bonus. This technique works great with asparagus, carrots, beets (make sure that larger vegetables are cut into smaller bite-sized pieces of roughly equal size for even, quicker cooking), turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, winter squash - just for example. At the end, you could even add a lovely sweet glaze - again carrots or squash are the obvious choice for this - of a bit of water, butter and a spoonful of sugar. Reduce it down over lowered heat until it’s just a light glaze.

I begin with a splash of olive oil, onions (lots since I love ‘em), a couple cloves of garlic sliced, the vegetables- and bit of water. You can also use stock or wine, but begin with water.

Over medium-high heat, start to saute the vegetables - with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. After a couple minutes, pour in some water - about one-third cup - create some steam. Clamp a tight lid on it. This is when the glass lids really come in handy. You can monitor the action.

Check them ever few minutes - to give a stir - and if the liquid has almost reduced to a glaze, add a bit more. Err on less liquid than too much - boiling isn’t the objective.  Now is when you could add stock or wine. I usually add liquid three times. Be sure to get the beans to tender before you add the tomatoes with all their juice. What you see below - they’re fork tender!

Now is when you want to adjust the seasonings - add some dried oregano if you like. Don’t add fresh herbs at this stage - the several minutes more of simmering won’t do them any good. Fresh herbs should always be added right at the end of cooking.

Serve and enjoy!

NOTE: For those who are not the vegetarians among us - starting these dishes with some lardons of nicely browned bacon or sausage would be a dandy idea! 

Here’s a sneaky tip for kids who don’t realize they like vegetables yet - add just a spoonful of sugar to braises like this. Sometimes, kids are actually responding to slightly bitter flavor notes that they haven’t yet learned to appreciate, and the additon of just a sprinkle of sugar can help. A pat of butter helps too.

Bon apetite!

Meaty Bits: Bourbon Maple Pulled Pork, with a French accent

Lest it be assumed that I’ve gone completely over to the meat-free team, I thought it time to get back to appreciating the wonders of meaty bits - particularly of the swine-ish kind. I freely admit to having a deep and abiding love of all things pork - pork fat, ribs, shoulder, trotters, bacon. And, of course, bacon. Oh. I think I said that already. 

But it isn’t just me. The Chinese are said to have buried their departed relatives with a hog, to ensure adaquate supply of Char-Siu in the afterlife. Pigs were referred to as ‘mortgage lifters’ by farmers in the Midwest back in the 19th century. President Harry S. Truman reportedly said ‘no man should be allowed to be president who doesn’t understand hogs.’

“I always use my ‘Holy Trinity’ which is salt, olive oil and bacon. My motto is, ‘bacon always makes it better.’ I try to use bacon and pork products whenever it can.” Chef Anne Burrell

It was time - said my husband - for me to go get a pork shoulder and convert it to meltingly tender, succulent pulled pork.

This dish is so incredibly simple, and really difficult to mess up. Yet, when completed - and it’s a 24-hour labor of love and deliciousness - we feel somehow noble, and accomplished culinary wizards. There are at least a million - well, maybe fewer - variations on cooking and seasoning pulled pork. This post is meant simply as an inspiration and guide. I love the North Carolina vinegar-y, mustard-y version here - to which I’ve added my own touches of Bourbon, maple syrup, Savora mustard condiment, with Herbes d’ Provence from The Spice House.

You can use a dutch oven or a slow cooker - or do as I do, and employ the pressure cooker. Fortunately, I have a pressure cooker that is also a slow-cooker. The Cuisinart CPC-600 is a minor miracle, as it really browns, sautes, simmers and does a fine job as a pressure cooker, too.

You’ll need to buy a 4-5 pound pork shoulder - which is from the top of the hog’s front leg. Don’t confuse this with a Boston Butt, as that has a bone in it. If the butcher has one that is tied with string, take it. That will keep it from falling apart before you’re ready for the shredding. If not, then just tie it yourself with kitchen twine.

First order of business? Put a fine ‘rub’ on the meat - which you’ve patted down with a paper towel. Really slap the rub seasoning into every nook and cranny, before putting said shoulder into a zip-lok bag and into the fridge overnight. Take it out of the fridge, and let the meat stand on the counter for about one hour before browning. Always allow meat to come to room temperature before cooking.

You can buy all manner of ‘rubs’ for meat in most markets these days. But making your own is pretty easy, presuming you have a reasonably well stocked spice cabinet - and I always make ‘too much’ and tuck it away for next time.

INGREDIENTS FOR A ‘RUB’: Brown sugar, mild or bittersweet paprika, ground celery seed (not celery salt), onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, black pepper, and salt. That’s the basic version. I wanted a French touch, so went with more of the Herbs d’Provence - and also added some grated orange zest. You could go the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon route.

Your second order of business is to brown the meat. I mean really brown it all over. Color equals flavor in this dish. Don’t skimp and don’t hurry the process. Remember, this is pork and deserves all your love and attention.

While the pork is browning, craft your cooking liquid - part of which you will use in the pot with the meat, while reserving the rest to make a fine BBQ and dipping sauce for the shredded pork. The world is your oyster here … you’ll need vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, brown sugar, and some sort of liquid (think apple cider, beer, meat stock, bourbon whiskey ). Herbs and spices are essential, too. Here is your time to become creative - but remember, Taste Your Way Through It. If you aren’t sure what a particular flavor will do - add a bit to the base mixture in a small dish. 

If you must have a ‘recipe’ for your first time out, here’s what I used: Bourbon Whiskey, Maple Syrup, Brown Sugar, Liquid Smoke (Hickory), Prepared mustard ( in this case, a French brand that I adore!), Worcestershire Sauce, Balsamic vinegar, Herbes d’Provence, Tomato paste, Onion powder, Garlic powder, Turkey stock.

You might have noted that I never, ever use onion salt, celery salt or garlic salt. I’m the salt police. We get far too much in our American diets, and using those preparations makes it difficult to really guage how much you’re really using. I prefer to add salt as it’s own discreet ingredient.

Again, you Taste Your Way Through this sauce. I made more than enough to cook the pork. I also wanted plenty of sauce.

Now, it’s time to put it in the pot and essentially forget about it. Before doing that, I cut up a huge - a HUGE onion, and several fat cloves of garlic, which I put under the seared pork shoulder. Then I added the cooking liquid. On went the top. Locked the pressure valve. Set the timer. Went to lunch. This is the beauty of the all automatic Cuisinart pressure slow cooker. I set the pressure at Low for about 90 minutes - then it drops to simmer automatically. I checked it when I got home from running around, and gave it another 1-1/2 hours of simmer time with the lid on. I turned the meat occasionally. This was the result:

Now, if you have a Crock Pot type slow cooker, you’ll need about 6 to 8 hours on High, or about 8 to 10 hours on Low to get to this meltingly tender falling apart stage.

So, that leaves doing the shredding and cooking the sauce.

Actually, just take that extra cooking liquid and let it simmer in a sauce pan, while the pork is finishing. That should take no more than an hour to reduce to a nice mellow sauce. When my pork shoulder was done, I pulled it out and took all of what was left of the cooking liquid in the pressure cooker and ran it through the blender - in small batches! You don’t want to be wiping it off the ceiling and out of your hair! Then, I added it to my simmering sauce - and then strained it through a fine strainer. I want sauce that is Oh, Lordy, Lordy velvety smooth!

As you can see, the pork came apart nicely. And you can serve it this way, with a nice drizzle of the sauce over the top - or mix the sauce in for a looser meaty source of joy.

I like making pulled pork sliders with small Ciabatta rolls that I’ve toasted on the griddle. Then I love putting slaw on the sandwich. For me, at least, pulled pork sandwiches MUST have slaw on them. In this case, I actually used a red cabbage and beet slaw, at it was wonderful. You could do a jicama slaw, carrot slaw or any kind of slaw to suit your tastebuds.

Finally, I love making this since I can easily freeze the leftovers for a fast and easy meal on a busy night. And, this pork also works great for pork soft tacos or enchiladas!

And, remember that I said I wanted extra sauce? I got a nice big jar full.

For a smaller recipe, try the Bobby Deen version here.

Bon apetite!

Watermelon salad days.

Wednesday nights are Mahjong nights. A diverse group of ladies - including self - get together for food, wine, camaraderie and cheating at mahjong. I kid them. I play too badly to cheat. I just can’t decide if I play better when I’ve been drinking or worse. Actually, I don’t think it much matters. So, every Monday, the email goes out to determine who will be there, what we’re going to eat, and who is responsible for bringing the main, the salad, the wine, or the dessert. I love doing the salad! 

Just the day before, I’d bought one of those mini-watermelons at the store, thinking I’d just slice it up for eating out of hand - which is always a great idea, of course. But something told me to push it even further this time.

Good call. They all loved it.

I’m just going to suggest general guidelines here, since there are various ways to roll with this ‘recipe’.

Most recipes that you’ll find suggest some combination of the following:

5-6 cups of watermelon chunks

Fresh lime juice

A drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil

Some sort of light salad (white wine) vinegar

A couple tablespoons of sugar

Thinly sliced red onion

Chopped fresh herbs - Cilantro works. So does mint.

Baby arugula, watercress or interesting micro-greens

Thinly sliced baby cucumber/Armenian or English seedless work, too

Feta cheese

And, this is pretty much what I did, except I used my own Fast and Easy Sweet Pepper Jam (thinned down with lemon juice and an orange flavored olive oil) to give the salad smokey notes.

So, give this watermelon idea some thought. See what you come up with. I can pretty much guarantee that everybody will absolutely love it.

Bon apetite!

Fresh, fresh, really fresh pea soup.

Oh, yikes! The Marin Farmers Market makes my head swim! Held every Sunday morning at the Marin County Civic Center - just a mile from the kid’s house in San Rafael, California - it’s a foodie paradise! I’m like a kid on Christmas Eve on Saturday night. I sit there perusing recipes, considering the goodies that I’ll find and how best to use them.

This trip it was peas! Well, there was also a wonderful little goat loin roast - but that’s in the freezer for the time being.

We love pea soup. Even the conventional split pea that just about every restaurant offers on those cold, bleak winter days satisfies. But when Spring has sprung, it’s gotta be delicate fresh pea soup.

I can’t say “no” to plump shelling peas. Buying them is a treat, but I truly enjoy the process of standing over my kitchen counter - with some good music going - and shell peas! It’s one of those old homey things that bring back lots of pleasant memories of summertime, gardens, grandmothers, great aunties and other kitchens of long ago.

I shell a few. I eat a few. Dance around the kitchen a bit and sing out of tune.

A small glass of white wine doesn’t hurt.

This soup is a small labor of love. It’s not terribly hard, or complicated. It doesn’t require any special ingredients per se. Shelling the peas, and then putting the soup through a strainer, after blending takes the most time. The cooking parts are really nothing.

Oh, and when buying shelling peas - be sure to buy about 3X more than you will have shelled peas. I bought about 3 pounds for this recipe. Everybody was standing there at the market teasing me about how much I was buying. “Why don’t you just buy the whole box?” said my husband.

And, these are not the same thing as Sugar Snap Peas. Those can be eaten pod and all. Not Shelling Peas - also known as English Peas.

If you want a soup special enough to really impress guests - this would be it. Fresh pea soup can be so simple and yet amazingly elegant - and it easily pairs with almost any meat, from lamb, to pork, to chicken, to wild game. And it can be made the day before, as it reheats just beautifully.

Fresh Pea Soup

INGREDIENTS

5 cups of fresh peas, shelled*

4 cups of low-sodium, double strength chicken, or vegetable, broth

4 ounces of carrot juice ( I used Lakewood Organic Carrot Juice ). The carrot juice adds a lovely yet subtle tang, and, really, what goes more naturally with peas than carrots? And, you can use the remaining juice in carrot soup later!

1/2 cup white wine - such as a white blend, or a white Bordeaux

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large shallots, finely minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 tablespoons of French Pot Herbs (from The Spice House) or your own equivilant blend of parsley, chives, chervil, French thyme, marjoram and bay leaf.

1-2 large Bay leaves, or a scant half teaspoon of powdered Turkish Bay Leaves (also available at the Spice House)

Kosher salt, to taste

Finely ground black pepper, to taste

Optional:

About 2 tablespoons of finely snipped fresh chives

4-6 tablespoons of crumbled goat cheese/Chevre

TECHNIQUE

In a nice heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the minced shallots in the butter until nearly transparent. Add the peas, carrot juice, wine and the broth - simmer until the peas are tender. Stir in all the herbs, salt, pepper, bay leaves or powdered bay leaf and the remaining butter.

Set up your blender, a bowl or basin with a strainer. Get a kitchen towel to put over the blender! Don’t try and be clever with this. You really, really do want to put that kichen towel over the top of the blender, before hitting the ‘On’ switch. Hold the top on really, really tight. Then go ‘Low’, then to ‘High’. 

Never, NEVER, fill your blender more than 1/4 full of hot soup! Unless, of course, you want to clean it off the ceiling and walls.

Process, in batches, to very silky smoothness. Now, you can quit here and serve. But if you’re trying to impress the guests, go the rest of the way with the strainer. Some thickish solids will remain in the strainer after each batch. That will go back into the blender with any remaining broth for a final blend at high speed. I’m going for the last drop of flavor!

One thing that I want to tell you about working with recipes - taste your way through them! This is what actual cooking is about. If you aren’t sure about adding an ingredient - no worries! Add it to just a spoon full and see what happens. Then you haven’t ruined anything. You should be tasting your way from the salted water to pre-cook vegetables in, right through each and every step to the finished product.

Cooking is as much art as science. Recipes are just a general guideline. Inspiration.

So, now you will have a velvety smooth, fresh tasting soup worthy of a fine dinner party first course.

Take your strained soup, and add it back into the pot to barely simmer for about 30 minutes. Don’t let it boil. And now, is the time to adjust your seasonings.

This soup can make a meal, especially when paired up with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. For purposes of plating for a nice presentation, I put crumbled goat cheese in the bottom of each bowl - ladle in the hot soup, and then top with the snipped chives. You could also top it with buttered croutons.

Notes:

* If you’ve mis-calculated and don’t have enough fresh peas, simply make up the difference with frozen peas. In fact, this can be made with frozen peas, too.

- If you want a bit thicker soup, add a potato to it. Simply cut up a peeled russet potato into small dice, boil until very tender, and add to the peas in the blender.

Glazed radishes? Of course you can cook radishes!

This is probably the last thing you ever thought of cooking - the humble radish. That ubiquitous inhabitant of salads and raw veggie platters actually is quite tasty. I know this for a fact, as I served this last night - we had some friends over for dinner - and all my ‘leftover’ glazed radishes seem to have wandered home with um, Suggie. I don’t got none left for us!

They loved ‘em!

Spring is radish time! Especially in France, where I was recently. I’ve talked about the French way of eating radishes with butter, salt and pepper, on really good bread. That’s a no-brainer. But as a vegetable, the poor radish gets no love, and it should.

Beyond the radish, you really should learn this uber simple technique - glazing some of the most humble of vegetables to raise them to culinary superstars! Think carrots (which my husband reminded me of today - hint, hinty hint) or turnips (he also mentioned those, too). Beets would work. So would parsnips. 

Glazing veggies is super easy!

Cut them into one-bite pieces. Put them into a pan - crowded. Pour some water on them - ALMOST to cover them but not quite. Toss in about three tablespoons of butter, about one tablespoon of sugar (white sugar for max caramelization), salt and pepper. BTB - bring to boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the water reduces and begins to thicken and coat the veggies.

This is when I toss in some aromatic herbs - thyme, chervil, dill, marjoram, oregano, fennel pollen, tarragon. In fact, I used Bouquet Garni from The Spice House for this, only adding some freshly chopped Italian flat leaf parsley at the end before serving … it just makes it look so pretty!

Add this technique to your repertoire and you will be ‘wowing’ your guests!

And, as for leftovers, they serve up cold just fine - and you could slice them up into a salad.

Bon apetite!

Pâté: Tasty. Easy. House-made. Your own way.

I can’t be the only person who ends up with leftover cooked chicken in the refrigerator, and wants to do something with it - besides soup. Or chicken salad. Or resorting to sneaking it into pasta dishes and ‘stir fry’ just to ‘use it up’. Having just returned from another visit to France, the idea came to me while trying to get back to sleep at 0230 hours. France is nine hours different from Reno, Nevada. Yawn.

One of the delights of traveling through France is sampling the rilletes and Pâtés which every region - and even each town’s farmers market - have to offer. The ingredients are as varied as ways to use salt. Styles range from chewily chunky, laden with bits of pickles and various meats, to smoothly creamy to slide easily over a cracker. But, in the end, it’s a bang-up way to empty out the fridge and have something satisfying, versatile and tasty to show for it.

 

I often make quite a bit more of this - seems that any recipe that I use goes a lot further, probably to my fiddling around with ingredients! - and simply put it into extra clean, small mason jars that I can put into the freezer. Labeled as to what it is, of course. Furthermore, if you have friends who appreciate this sort of meaty goodie - it makes a pretty interesting hostess gift! The lucky recipient can open it right up and serve!

And speaking of fiddling with the recipe - don’t feel like a slave to this recipe that I’ll give you. Use it, instead, as a jumping off point. Cooked chicken livers would be awesome in this! Make it as smooth or chunky as you please. Don’t have chicken? Use turkey. Or pork.

As you see, I’m serving this chicken pâté in the traditional French way - with cornichon pickles and nice French ‘Breakfast Radishes’. But some capers would be a nice addition, too. Or slices of boiled egg? Chopped celery? Chopped fresh Italian parsley? Mais oui!

INGREDIENTS

And, let me, once again, reiterate that my amounts are approximations. 

 4 cups of cooked chicken, light and dark

1/4 cup butter (Afraid of butter? Then use cream. Oops! Wait! We’re getting there!)

1/4 cup heavy cream.

1/4 cup Armagnac, or brandy.

1 large shallot, minced.

1 large clove of garlic, minced.

3 teaspoons of The Spice House Bouquet Garni herb blend - or make up your own blend from basil, marjoram, rosemary, summer savory, thyme, tarragon, Greek oregano, Dalmatian sage and dill weed.

A teaspoon or two of sugar.

Salt and finely ground black pepper - to taste. It will take more than you think. Probably close to a tablespoon of each. 

Pâté - in some fashion - is on the menu in any French restaurant, bistro, cafe or brassierie! They are almost always ‘house made’. Very often, as you see in this photo - drizzled with a caramel sauce. Buried in this one, are noisettes (hazelnuts).

TECHNIQUE

Get the food processor out, and a small saute pan.

You’ll want to saute the shallots and garlic in the saute pan, in a bit of olive oil or butter, until translucent and tender. Set aside.

Put the chicken - torn into shreds or cut into chunks - into the food processor, along with the cream and butter. Pulse to get started. Then put it on, and puree until you have the texture and smoothness that are almost what you want. Add in the shallot and garlic mixture. Blend for a few seconds. Add in the Armagnac and blend again. Taste for salt, pepper and herbs. Like it really robust? Add more. You could even add some hot sauce now. Just a thought.

Divvy up the mixture between some lidded glass containers or short mason jars. Let it rest in the fridge for a couple days for the flavors to develop.

Serve as in the photo- or just spread it on bread for a sandwich, dolled up with some crisp lettuce and a few slices of red onion. Don’t forget the pickles.

Bon apetite!

Le Radis: A new love discovered

Let’s clear the air. I’ve hated radishes for me entire life. They are, almost without exception, hot, woody, and unappealing. The only way I can tolerate them is when they’re sliced and hidden in a tossed salad. Which has always bugged me, since they are so visually appealing. They’re so pretty, bright and happy looking, you think they must be grand?
However, the French ‘Breakfast’ radish has changed my mind, as well as giving me a larger playground when it comes to vegetables. Just a side note: They’re rarely eaten for breakfast here in France. So why the name? They don’t know. It just is. With buerre. And bread.
Heck, almost anything is good with great bread and butter, oui?

Fabien came home from the market a while ago with a couple huge bunches of radishes. And he’s been slaving away in the kitchen, preparing some sort of radish delight for our ‘dinner’ - lunch to you. Wait a minute! He peeled them. Ron is appalled. “Why would you peel radishes” he asks. Fabien simply says, “why not? You must take the skin away to remove the bugs”
I’m having a chuckle over this exchange. It isn’t often that I’m not the Chef d’cuisine, and can sit back and observe.

But, back to the basic reason for this post - I’ve discovered that a simple small radish, lightly dusted with a few flakes of fleur du sel, some olive oil or a drizzle of vinaigrette, and a bit of herbs is a very good thing indeed. These are almost sweet … well, not sweet exactly but certainly not a nasal passage burner. More like nice celery. And, I’ve also noted that in tossed salads, the very small whole radish is used - stems and leaves included! More of the French ‘waste not, want not’ of kitchen wisdom. And it works. I’ve been using the tops from more than radishes in my salads lately - especially when I can find celery that hasn’t been decapitated! Those leaves are magic! Whatever you do - don’t cut them off and toss them!

Bon apetit!

Carrot Beet Salad: Yes, they'll forget they're eating beets!

It always amazes me how many folks think they don’t fancy beets. Must be something to do with never having eaten beets that didn’t come in a can - usually pickled. That noted, I don’t know anybody that doesn’t enjoy carrots. Heck, they’re sweet and a beautiful color to boot. That carrots and beets - the vivid ‘golden’ beets in this case - pair so well together may be surprising, but when you dress both in a delicious maple viniagrette … what’s not to love?

I was on my way to making a same-old carrot salad for dinner, when I happened across a couple of the versatile golden yellow beets in the bin. Hmmm. And, I seemed to remember some dried cranberries in the pantry - which would be even better than the usual golden raisins.

A plan emerged.

INGREDIENTS

3 large carrots, grated

2 smallish golden beets, peeled and grated

1/2 cup of dried cranberries - in a glass dish with enough vinegar to just cover.

Fresh Italian Flat-leaf Parsley, chopped.

One large shallot - finely minced.

Grated lemon zest - About 1 tablespoon.

Salt - About 1/2 teaspoon. To taste.

Ground white pepper - About 1/2 teaspoon.

Sugar - about 1 tablespoon.

Dried Tarragon - about 2 teaspoons.

Garlic powder - about 1/4 teaspoon.

Vinegar -  about 4 tablespoons, to taste. I recommend my ‘go to’ vinegar of choice - Slide Ridge Honey Wine Vinegar. Apple Cider vinegar will do.

Walnut oil - About 4 tablespoons, to taste.

Maple Syrup - about 1/4 cup, or more to taste.

TECHNIQUE

With a box grater or food processor, grate both the beets and carrots. I go to the box grater every time, since it’s just a lot easier to clean. Sprinkle with the sugar and mix. Set aside.

Put the dried cranberries in a small microwave proof dish with the vinegar over them. Heat them for just 15-30 seconds in the microwave to soften them. Drain the vinegar off and reserve the cranberries.

Whisk together a viniagrette dressing - roughly equal parts oil, vinegar and maple syrup. Add the pepper, salt, garlic powder, tarragon, lemon zest, shallots. Whisk until thoroughly blended. Taste. Adjust the balance of tart and sweet with the oil, to suit your palate. Want more garlic powder? Then add some. Feel free to squeeze the zested lemon into the whole thing. Waste not and all …

Pour the dressing over the grated carrots and beets, and add the cranberries.

Take a good handful of the fresh parsley and chop it up roughly, and mix it into the salad.

Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Obviously, you could use raisins instead of the cranberries. I’m a huge believer in adapting recipes to what you’ve got on hand in the fridge or the pantry. Good cooks are not born from slavishly following a recipe. Good cooks follow their nose, tastebuds and common-sense.

For this same reason, I don’t offer you absolute measurements. Taste things as you go. Learn to tell when a dressing is too tart - add sweet. Or too oily - add vinegar. Too bland? Add salt and pepper. Salad dressings are all the same: Acid. Oil. Flavor element. Every vinaigrette or dressing is simply a riff on these three things - well balanced. Absolute measurements deny the type of oils and vinegars that you might have in your pantry. Vinegars have differing acidities, learn to work with what you’ve got. And, quite frankly, everybody has different taste senses. What is just enough of a flavor for me, might not be for you. 

Fast and Easy: Sweet Pepper Jam

We love those big bags of mini sweet peppers that are now available at so many of the big box stores, and most supermarkets. The peppers are sweet as a treat, eaten out of hand - crunchy and filled with great nutrition. They are great on the grill, and super just sliced onto a salad - but it occurred to me that they’ve make a wonderful pepper ‘jam’! But yikes, who’s got time for all that? There had to be a fast and easy way to get that sweet, spicy and tangy flavor, with the nice crispy freshness that just doesn’t come in a jar from the supermarket.

Hmmmm. The light bulb went on when I happened across a bottle of a very brilliantly red ‘sweet chili sauce’ in the pantry. 

Almost everybody has a bottle of some type of Asian style sweet chili sauce lurking about in the fridge. It’s one of those things we all buy for the one time we served spring rolls or wontons, and then relegated it to the refrigerator door bins with the rest of the condiments when we finished dipping stuff in it. Well, go get it, and put it to use with the big bag of peppers.

Oh, and pull the food processor out of the cupboard while you’re at it. This recipe took me less than 30 minutes - and I didn’t exactly have a recipe. I was making it up on the fly.

INGREDIENTS

One large bag of sweet mini peppers

One bottle of Asian/Thai ‘sweet chili sauce’

One lemon

2-3 tablespoons of white sugar

• 2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika (‘Pimenton’) - I prefer the Bitter-Sweet

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

TECHNIQUE

Slice off the green stems from all the peppers. Then take your paring knife and slice the peppers lengthwise into halves and quarters - depending on the size. Toss them all into the bowl of the food processor.

Give the processor about four or five ‘pulses’.Then pour in a good sized helping of the sweet chili sauce, the juice of the lemon, and a couple tablespoons of the sugar.

Pulse another few times to blend, and to get the peppers down to a very fine mince.

Taste. Adjust the flavors with more sauce, paprika, sugar, lemon juice or even a splash of apple cider vinegar. Not hot enough? Use a ‘hot’ paprika, or add crushed red chili flakes.

This versatile Sweet Pepper Jam will last in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks, no problem. As I was spooning it into a large mason jar, I also thought “gee, this would make a neat gift - just put it into smaller jam jars!” So, if you need something super fast, this is a great idea!

I don’t think it will last so long at our house, since I can spoon this over just about everything - from grilled asparagus, to veggie burgers, to scrambled eggs, to drizzling it over some herbed goat cheese! And you can still use it to dip crudities into, if that’s what floats your boat.

Seitan hot n' cold salad: A study in contrasts

There are a lot of reasons to eat less meat. My recent flare ups of gout in my hands is but one. The environment is another. Recently, his lordship and I have decided that although we don’t want to completely abandon the savory joys of bacon, pot roast, BBQ brisket, hamburgers and well, all those things … we could be a lot healthier with less of the undeniably tasty and addictive stuff.

As in “less is more”?

Which leads me to seitan. Yes, he asked me what it was, too. 

Honey, it’s another one of those vegetarian protein sources - we need some protein, ya know, to keep the hungry at bay, and protect our lean muscle mass and bones - and you can certainly try it! Bottomline? “It’s fine. Chewy, but just fine.” High praise from a crusty New Englander who thinks pot roast is one of the basic food groups.

Tonight, we had the Chorizo flavored version of Upton’s Naturals Seitan, for dinner. Since I was trying to keep it light and low-calorie - we’re headed back to France at the end of the month, and you know what that means ( plus de Calories, non? ), soup and salad were the menu de jour.

What resulted was a bed of crisp, cold veggies that had been marinated in a ‘sweet’ vinegar (adding a bit of sugar), lemon thyme, salt and pepper, with the hot, spicy sauteed seitan. A study in hot/cold, crisp/chewy, sweet/savory. Contrasts.

This is so simple and satisfying that I’m actually embarrassed to suggest a ‘recipe’. That implies something far more complex! But, I’ll swallow my embarrassment. Ah-hmmm.

INGREDIENTS

One package of Upton’s Naturals Chorizo Seitan

Romaine lettuce. A couple whole leaves on the plate, and 2-3 chopped.

Very thinly sliced veggies: a small golden beet (peeled before slicing), radishes, the little baby sweet peppers, red onions. There are so many things you could use: very thin slices of carrot, green beans, asparagus, fancy radishes like the ‘watermelon’ variety, fennel, cherry tomatoes, radicchio, kale  …. the list is diverse and entirely up to you!

A really good vinegar. I suggest Slide Ridge Honey Wine Vinegar.

A sprinkle of sugar.

Salt and pepper.

Lemon thyme - I recommend The Spice House lemon thyme.

A good crumbly cheese - like an herbed goat cheese.

TECHNIQUE - What? You mean there is one?

Prep your salad ingredients.  Rinse, dry and prep the lettuce. Now is the time to drag out that handy dandy slicing machine - the mandoline that your aunt gave you for Christmas five years ago. Slice those veggies paper-thin! Then put them into a bowl and drizzle liberally with the vinegar, sugar, lemon thyme, salt and pepper. Let ‘em marinate for about 15 minutes, while you get the rest of dinner prepped. Tonight, I reheated some filling Cauliflower and Millet Chowder to go with it all.

Break out a non-stick skillet and sautee the seitan until thoroughly browned.

Plate the lettuce as your base. Spoon the sauteed Upton’s seitan over the lettuce, and artfully top with the marinated veggies. Now crumble some of the goat cheese over the whole business.

Voila!

Serve with some lovely toasted artisan breads, more pickles, and a nice Chenin Blanc? Oui?

Bon appetit!

Cauliflower Millet Chowder: Finding comfort in the white and lumpy

I’m still on something of a mission to find cauliflower dishes which I can say that I really like. My previous effort - Cauliflower in a Marinara Sauce - was a unqualified hit here at home. The question today: Can I do more?

Like so many others, I grew up with some pretty sad excuses for cauliflower dishes - they mostly revolved around a version of putrid yellow, as in hideous faux industrialized cheese.  Bordering on the radioactive color palette, fake food stuffs like this proved that we Americans were truly an advanced technology. And, that we had the refined palate of the average starving Black Lab.

The cheesy messes were leftovers from the Cold War 1950’s, so the nuclear comparison is a fair one. Overcooked, sulphuric-smelling, gluey, tasteless - often observed on compartmented, melamine school lunch trays. Later in the trash. I’ve heard it referred to as the Satan of Vegetables or broccoli’s albino cousin.  I’ve picked up forkfuls of the lumpy white stuff, dripping with butter or stale powdered cheese sauce to disguise the absence of flavor, and wondered: “What’s the point?”

If it isn’t exactly bad, why can’t it be good? WTF?

 

Just the other day, I was leafing though some vegetarian recipes when the light-bulb went on. Soup! That’s good, since there was a rather HUGE cauliflower sitting in my fridge. It looked so pretty and white there in the produce aisle, and I felt so righteous going through the check stand with it. “Observe, you Cheet-os eating mob. I eat healthfully! I actually choose to eat vegetables!”

Then I get home, and wonder: “WTF?”

This offering just might please the most cauliflower resistant member of your culinary tribe - and by that I mean the man of the house. The kids are probably a lot easier to please. Sigh. And, since we are currently trending toward a more meat-free style here, this particular treatment has a lot to offer - nutritionally, ethically, heath-wise, and most important - tastewise.

What intrigued me was the inclusion of millet. I actually like hot cereal made from millet - a very ancient whole grain, popular in Africa, Asia and the Indian Sub Continent. Surprisingly, millet porridge can be found in Russian and German cuisines. In fact, millet predates rice. I think it is a very nutty, slightly sweet tasting grain, that with very little fussing, is quite comforting and nice. Millet is easy to cook, and fairly easy to find in modern grocery stores - Bob’s Red Mill offers a packaged Millet Grits. Hey, I’m from the South, and anything that has ‘grits’ in the name must be good. For celiacs - millet is entirely gluten free!

What resulted, in my heavily modified recipe, is very similar to a classic chowder. Hearty and filling - a bowl of this is going to stay with your for a while! I served it with a dollop of rich tomato coulis, a simple green side salad, and a good toasty artisan bread. My wine of choice: The Terraces at Quarry Vineyards, 2011, Chenin Blanc. 

Hearty Cauliflower and Millet Chowder, garnished with flat-leaf parsley and a spoonful of tomato coulis.

INGREDIENTS

One large head of cauliflower

2 apples, peeled and cored, chopped into four pieces

1 large shallot, finely minced

1 cup half n half

1/2 cup millet, with 1-1/2 cups water for cooking

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into dice

Several cloves of garlic, very finely minced

1 cup white wine

Pot Herbs* ( marjoram, chervil, parsley, chives, thyme Turkish Bay Leaf) - 2 tablespoons or more to taste

3-4 tablespoons of butter

Stock - I recommend either chicken or vegetable stock. You’ll need about 4 to 5 cups. Adjust to the thickness that you like.

Oil - I used Walnut Oil, but Grapeseed would be good, too. You’ll need a couple tablespoons to toast the millet, and then a few more to sauté the shallot.

Water for cooking cauliflower

Salt - a large pinch to cook the millet. You’ll need more as you craft the soup. Use what tastes right to you. I add as I go, adjusting at the end.

Finely ground Black Pepper - 1 tsp or more to taste. I LOVE the perfume and pungency of black pepper, so I add quite a lot, especially adjusting toward the end.

This is how your millet and carrots should be - tender and fluffy! Not making soup? Then why not make this for a great side dish with plumped raisins and sliced almonds?

TECHNIQUE

Set a large pot of well salted water to boil, for the cauliflower (separated into florets) and apples. Add them to the boiling water, and cook until very tender.

Toast the millet, carefully and stirring often, in a non-stick pan with just a tablespoon of oil, until it starts to pop and smells ‘nutty’ about 5 minutes or less. Toasting grains like this will always result in richer, deeper flavors.

Cook your millet, in water or broth, with the diced carrots. I use a pressure cooker for this - as it is so fast. My Cuisinart Pressure Cooker has a non-stick inner pan that allows me to sauté, brown and pressure cook all in the same pan. It’s super fast, economical and convenient - allowing soups to slow simmer all day long just like a crock pot. In fact, it’s the best of a crockpot, sauté pan, pressure cooker and braising pot all in one. Of course, you can also cook the millet in a conventional rice cooker or covered pot on the stove! You want to end up with a fluffy, tender millet and carrots.

When the cauliflower and apple is VERY tender, with a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer it to a food processor. Reserve the cooking water! Process in batches with a bit of the cooking water, a tablespoon or so of butter, and a splash wine and the half n half. Puree until very, very smooth and creamy.

Sauté the shallots and garlic in a few tablespoons more of the oil, until translucent, but not browned.

Combine the sauteed shallots, garlic, pureed cauliflower and apples, Pot Herbs, and any remaining half n half, wine and butter, with the millet and carrots in a heavy soup pot, or slow cooker. Add more stock or water if you want a thinner soup. Adjust seasonings once the consistency is where you want it.

You’ll find the Pot Herbs Soup Blend* is a great addition to your spice rack arsenal!  I get it from The Spice House in Chicago. It’s a nearly perfect blend for creamy, hearty, long-simmered soups such as this! 

My better half remarked that he really enjoyed the chowder, pronouncing it savory and satisfying. So, I suppose we can add this to the list of reasons why we really can buy cauliflower without reservation, and put it front and center in the fridge - unashamed, and proud to be white, lumpy and even tasty.

Bon apetit!

Golden Pickled Beets: It's so easy to fall in love

Have you noticed those HUMONGOUS golden beets that seem to be available in the markets now? Slipped those babies into tin foil and into a 325 deg. oven for 60 min. whilst doing other stuff.  Get ‘em fork tender. The skins slip tight off. Slice ‘em up and they go into a nice balanced vinegar/sugar/water solution with dill, onions, garlic ( yes, garlic ) salt and peppercorns. Two days in the back of the fridge and these will ROCK your world.

I recommend using either cider vinegar or the just sweet enough Honey Wine Vinegar from Slide Ridge Honey, Menden, Utah. It’s da bomb! Tell Kelli that Cousin Cindy sent you!

And, if you are a Borscht lover, toss this into the blender or food processor for super quick summer chilled borscht soup. Stir in a little Bulgarian yogurt or creme fraiche. OMG!

Madeleines: Dedicated to the learning process

J’adore Madeleines! Always have, but never really thought much about making them myself, until recently, when I got a deal on a couple of the eponymous fluted baking pans. One of the reasons I can’t say ‘non!’ to a Madeleine, is that it’s so much more than a ‘cookie’. It’s a tiny indulgence of cake! With all the tender crumb and rich mouthfeel that cake has. And too, it gives me a justification for shopping the temptations of the King Arthur Flour website. Oh la la!

However, living at 4,412 ft. of altitude, getting some baked goods to thrive and rise can pose challenges.

I will not be deterred! Storm the barricades! A la Bastille!

So meltingly tender, they come in at about 50 calories each. Not bad, eh?

Starting out with recipes from the modern doyen of all things French in the kitchen, Dorie Greenspan, and adding a dash of David Lebovitz, the results weren’t bad. But I want things my way or the highway usually, so some experimentation was in order.

My first order of business was to adapt the recipes to include whole grains. Not just about good health - although that is important in my great scheme of things - I simply believe the inclusion of certain whole grains create a more complex, and interesting flavor. Some of my favorite flours aren’t even grains at all. Chestnut flour seems to find its way into a great many of my baked creations - for the subtle nutty flavor it imparts, in addition to the enhanced protein, fiber and more. I also like to toss in finely milled, whole kernal corn meal, sprouted whole wheat flour, barley flour, and even spelt.

My way of looking at this? The whole is greater than the some of the parts, and by utilizing all these different ingredients, I’m exposing myself to a broader, more bio-available, nutrient-rich ‘goody’. If this is what it takes to justify including lucious little Madeleines as a part of a ‘healthy diet’, then so be it.

Buy non-stick Madeleine pans if you can …

Then we have to address the entire issue of ‘rise’.

That’s no small trick up here in the mountains. And to make matters even more complicated, the best looking Madeleines have a signature ‘bump’. Or, ‘bimp’ as Clouseau might have said. The little things look pregnant. So, I spent at least a week tweaking the ratios of liquid to dry, and dry ingredients to baking powder. All I can say is that they got a little plumper looking, but the bump that would begin so promisingly in the oven, would disappear by the time they were ready to come out! 

Dorie Greenspan seems to always get it right?

I even emailed the lead baker at my local Whole Foods. He was delightful, and generously made several suggestions. One point that he made: Using whole grains is always going to result in less of a rise. But alas, outside of highly controlled professional baking enivrons, the full bump is not to be had. So, I contented my self with creating a mostly whole-grain Madeleine that was very tasty and satisfying - with that tender, cake-like quality that was really the thing I loved about them all along. Besides, although Dorie Greenspan seems to get the bump, David Lebovitz does not. And, I noted, neither did most other bakers. I was in the majority. Oh well.

The ‘baby bumps’ looked oh, so promising whilst baking ….

The final issue? Icing. To ice or not to ice? It’s up to you. I ice them about half the time, and certainly only when I have more time to play with it. Usually when I do the lemon flavored Madeleines, then I’ll do a wonderful tart lemon icing, using the Lemon Powder and Glazing Sugar from King Arthur Flour. As suggested by David Lebovitz, I also recommend the Rumford double-acting baking powder. Always make sure that you’re baking powder is not too old. Been in the pantry for a year? Maybe you should replace it. You’d hate finding out too late - with a pan of flat Madeleines - that your baking powder was stale. Quelle tristesse!

One last thing, before getting down to the recipe. Measuring weight vs volume. I go for weight each and every time! A small counter-top kitchen scale is one of the best investments a baker - or wannabe baker - can make. Convert all your recipes to weight! You’ll get much more consistent results, and increasing (doubling) or decreasing recipes is a snap! Uh, unlike “Quick! what is the double of 1- 3/4 cups?”

Note: my recipe is adapted for 4,412 ft altitude - hence the odd baking powder measurement. If you are at sea-level, use 3/4 teaspoon baking powder. The idea is - at higher altitudes you don’t need so much baking powder, since the atmospheric pressure is less. You don’t want the product to ‘over-rise’ and then collapse! The all-purpose flour will work, but if you want to play with others, consider beginning with the finely milled whole kernal corn meal, and/or chestnut flour! 

INGREDIENTS

90 grams. or 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder

Pinch of salt

88 grams of granulated white sugar, or 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons

Finely grated zest of one lemon

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

3/4 stick or 6 tablespoons or 3 ounces, unsalted butter, melted and cooled

TECHNIQUE

Sift the flour(s), baking powder and salt together. I use a fine mesh strainer for this.

In a mixing bowl - and I use a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer - rub the granulated sugar and lemon peel together with your fingers. It’s going to smell absolutely incredible! Using the whisk attachment in your mixer, add the eggs to the bowl and beat with the sugar/lemon on medium-high speed until they are a wonderful, pale yellow and reasonably thickened. Beat in the vanilla.

Remove from the mixer. Gently fold in the butter, then the dry ingredients. Don’t over mix or beat.

Cover the batter with plastic wrap, and put into the refrigerator for at least one hour. You can even keep it overnight and bake the next day! I keep my Madeleine pans in the freezer until ready to fill usually, but you can put the batter into the frozen cold pans, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate and bake later.

Here’s a tip: Spoon a nice mound of batter into each spot in the pan, but then leave it alone! Don’t spread it out or otherwise mess with it. The oven will spread it out for you. Fill each spot about 3/4 full.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Note: if you have a true European convection oven, as I do, then you either want to back the heat down 10-20 degrees or reduce the baking time. You will need to experiment with your oven. And I also recommend using a thermometer in the oven.

Using the center rack, bake for 11-13 minutes, or until they are golden brown, and touch to the tops give a spring back. I remove them to a countertop and let them sit just a few moments before turning them out - gently - onto  a wire cooling rack. A few might be reluctant to leave the pan, so just use the tip of a knife to insist.

This batch got the Lemon Glaze … oh, and there was a slight ‘bump’

Now, if you plan to ice the Madeleines, let them cool COMPLETELY! Don’t get in a pucker! But if you want to eat them warm, don’t ice them.

The icing is easy. Just take about a cup of the icing/confectioners sugar in a glass bowl, add a couple tablespoons of the lemon powder, and then just enough liquid - this can be water or fresh juice - to make a thickish slurry that you can brush on the cooled Madeleines. I mix it with a small wire whisk. If the slurry begins to get too thick or hard to brush, thin it down a little with a tiny amount of liquid.

I actually like my day-old Madeleines better - I think they have more body and an interesting texture. They keep well in a cookie jar for several days - although iced ones can ‘weep’ and get a bit too moist. That’s probably another reason why I don’t always ice them, unless they’re going to be eaten right away.

Maintenant, allez faire Madeleines!

Curious cauliflower conundrums: Could marinara be the answer?

While getting my hair colored this afternoon, I broached the topic of problematic vegetables with my foodie barber. Yes, ladies - I go to a barber. It’s a long story. 

“Nick, what do you do with cauliflower? Any ideas?”

“You mean, boiling and tossing with butter it isn’t an option?” he shot back, while bravely dabbing away the gray.

Nick and I have been trading recipes, restaurant scores and fond foodie memories ever since I can remember. He grew up in the restaurant business - Italian parents - out in Ely, Nevada. So, it just comes in the DNA.

Some enormous specimens in Le Super Marche in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Makes the stuff in my local Whole Foods look pretty petite by comparison. 

Sure, the butter thing is always there. Then there’s always the lonesome jar of Indian cooking sauce that’s been in the back of my pantry for much too long. But I was looking for something more - like a way to use up the batch of marinara that I made for last night’s pasta.

Nick and I both decided that cauliflower is one of those vegetables that we buy out of guilt and desperation - when we’ve truly exhausted our limits on the same old broccoli, asparagus, green bean routine. The beautifully creamy white heads of anti-oxident power beckon to us from the produce aisle - and we respond with a Stepford-like urge, based on faded memories of insipid white chunks floating in a faux cheese sauce, straight from the microwave. Our childlike palates didn’t know the difference or care. After all, it looked rather like the mac and cheese we loved.

What a shame.

Nick made me promise to let him know how it worked out - cauliflower in marinara.

It’s really very, very good. And, it can be as ‘vegetarian’ as you want, or not.

INGREDIENTS

One small head of cauliflower.

Water for boiling it.

Salt.

Marinara sauce - homemade, if you’ve got it. Jarred, if not.

One can Garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained and patted dry.

Olive oil.

TECHNIQUE

In very well salted boiling water, add the cauliflower florets. Boil until knife tender.

While the cauliflower is cooking, saute the garbanzo beans in some olive oil. Make sure the beans are pretty thoroughly dry - or you’ll get some nasty splatters of hot oil. I blot them dry with paper towel. You’ll want to salt and pepper the beans while sauteing them to a golden brown - and start to hear occasional popping. This takes just a few minuts.

In another pan, heat up your wondefully spicy, garlicky marinara sauce - or the jarred stuff, if you didn’t plan ahead. I hear some of the commercial brands are tolerable in a pinch. Ahem. Add the tender white florets, and the now almost crispy, savory garbanzo beans to the sauce.

Now, if you require more in the way of protein than the garbanzos provide, feel free to use a meat sauce, or do as I did tonight, and grill up a nice little apple-pork sausage to go with it.

Plate it and wait for the kudos.

A chicken in every pot, and love that you can slurp to the last drop.

There are few things in life more comforting that a bowl of steaming hot, homemade chicken soup. Homemade broths spoil you forever more. You keep a handy supply of rocks to throw at the canned or sealed box stuff. Gotta have those little dazzling little droplets of chicken fat - schmaltz - gliding around on top, between and betwixt tender, brilliantly orange carrot, and fragrant celery. The heady fragrance of herbs. Garlic. Onions.

This brings to mind all those Norman Rockwell moments that are tucked into our hearts, of childhood afternoons spent in the kitchen with a grandmother, or favorite auntie. Well, not my grandmother exactly. She preferred the nightclubs of Miami Beach. But I’m sure there were grandmothers like that. Hollywood told me so.

Why people don’t make a big old pot of chicken on a Sunday afternoon - for dinner that night, and meals the rest of the week … well, it beats me. It’s as simple as ‘snap’. I mean, it’s just simmering a nice pasture-raised chicken in a pot of water. Sheesh.

And as an exercise in thrift, it has no peer. You will savor every last slurp. Beyond Sunday supper, you might add some cooked pasta or dumplings to shredded chicken and veggies. I always end up with enough chicken leftover to make some chicken salad, or chicken and veggies in a light white gravy to go over some noodles.

While talking thrift, I don’t mean use a cheap factory-farmed chicken. Buy the very best chicken you can afford. Believe me, you will notice the difference in taste and you will have done something good for a small farmer, and the environment.

TECHNIQUE and INGREDIENTS

One whole chicken - pasture-raised, or higher-welfare, if possible

Water to cover the chicken in a large, heavy bottomed pot

4 carrots, cleaned and peeled. Large diagonal slices

3-4 large stalks of celery, leaves reserved

8-10 new potatoes, or fingerlings

A couple large handfuls of frozen peas (add at the end)

Optional: Green beans

2 large shallots, peeled and thickly sliced

1 large leek. Trim and discard end and tough green leaf parts. Cut down the middle, and rinsed thoroughly. Chop roughly.

A couple sprigs of fresh Thyme

Several good pinches - three fingers - of salt

A couple good pinches of ground black pepper.

3-4 cloves of garlic. Peeled and left whole.

A nice strip of fresh lemon zest.

A good large handful of fresh flat-leaf, Italian parsley. Roughly chopped.

Rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat dry. Put the chicken in the large, heavy-bottomed pot, and cover with enough water to almost cover the chicken. Add the veggies, herbs, salt and pepper, lemon zest. All of it.

Cover. Simmer for 1-1/2 hours, or until the chicken is meltingly tender and easily pulls away with a fork.

Remove the chicken carefully and set aside. Also remove the veggies. Strain the broth. Reduce the broth over medium high for about 15 minutes. Taste it. Make adjustments now.

Now - if you want to - is the time to take the chicken apart. You can simply cut away the legs, wings, thighs and cut the breast and back into halves - and put them back into the pot. Or you can shred the chicken - discarding the skin, and add that to the pot. If you want to add cooked pasta, now would be the time, or even cooked rice.

Another nice thing that I sometimes add: Greens. As in dandelion or spinach. They don’t withstand much cooking, so do it right before serving. Same with the frozen peas. Don’t add those in early. Here is where I add the reserved celery leaves. I think those wondeful leaves are so under-appreciated and under-utilized! I even save them and toss them into salads!

Ladle into giant bowls, get some crusty bread and a glass of Chardonnay, and prepare to make a lot of “oooooh” and “aaaaaah” sounds between slurps.

Bon apetit!

Pasta sauce now and later? As simple as Foodsaver.

Crafting a pasta sauce should be one of those activities that you set aside a leisurely afternoon for. And a couple glasses of wine. It’s a labor of love, so that’s why I make extra. I want to share and extend that love as far as I can! Well, and quite honestly, who has that kind of time? I don’t.

There are few meals that are so satisfying -  and yet so quick and easy - as some really fine pasta and red sauce, so that’s why I suggest that you make a big pot of it. With plenty, why not freeze some for another night - and forget those jars of over-priced and dumbed down ‘gourmet’ sauces from the grocery aisle. I can tell you, as somebody who has been involved in the vanity food label business, there isn’t a label out there that hasn’t been adulterated and dumbed down for market. It’s simply a fact of life. Even the smaller, vanity producers aren’t going to stand there and chop onions like grandma did. They buy them already pre-chopped and frozen, in bulk. ‘Secret’ ingredients are left out as being too difficult to source and too expensive - driving up unit costs. Lots of salt is added to make of the deficit of flavors lost by industrial processes.

Got a favorite pasta sauce recipe? Even if you don’t, the internet is filled with them. From real grandmothers, too.

The beauty of freezing is that if you want meat in it, fine. Go there. And if you make a large enough batch, simply add cooked Italian sausage or other meat to part of it, add cream and vodka to another batch, and leave some plain.

When canning anything with meat, you’d need to use a pressure canner for safety. And for freezing, there’s nothing faster and better than a Foodsaver vacuum sealer.

For this sauce making session, I made one large pot of sauce, and ended up with enough for dinner that night, and five bags for the freezer!