Pannone Appétit!

Polish Stir-Fry and Pierogi Pot Stickers a la Rachael Ray

2012-02-27T07:04:00.000-05:00

This recipe always amuses me, mostly because past attemptsto make it have seen me botch it every time – at least five times previous to thisone. I would leave the stems on the kale(big mistake), or burn the pierogi, or never be able to get past thesauerkraut…. However, the sixth timeseems to have been charm, for something clicked this time around, and I finallygot the blesséd dish made to perfection… or at least, to the point whereI find it delicious. :)

The original recipe calls for sauerkraut. As much as I’ve tried over the years,sauerkraut is not something for which I’ve ever acquired a taste. I find it overpowering. So, I thought to switch out the sauerkrautfor the same amount of store brand bagged coleslaw mix. That seemed to do the trick, rather thanomitting the cabbage entirely. There wasjust enough of the sauerkraut taste and texture without the flavor beingoverpowering, along with the addition of the carrots and red cabbage foradditional color and taste.

Also, I used hot paprika in this version, for the solereason because it’s what I have on hand. Sweet or smoked paprika would change the dish in other directions that Ithink would be equally tasty, so don’t be afraid to experiment with these otherkinds of paprika.

A spicy brown mustard or Dijon mustard would go nicely withthis, if you’re not fond of sour cream.

Polish Stir-Fry and Pierogi Pot Stickers a la Rachael Ray

3 tbsp butter, softened

1x 16 oz package pierogi, any kind

1 cup water

1.5 lbs kielbasa, cut on an angle into large slices

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large red onion, cut into quarters and each quarter sliced

1 large bunch kale, leaves torn from stems and coarsely chopped(discard stems)

1x 16 oz bag coleslaw mix

1 tsp Coleman’s Dry Mustard

1 tsp hot paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

To serve (optional)

Sour cream

Spicy brown mustard

Dijon mustard

In a large skillet, cover the bottom with the melted butter. Arrange pierogi in a single layer on thebottom, then add 1 cup water. Coverskillet and place over medium heat flame, cooking for 8 minutes.

Heat another large skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté kielbasauntil brown. Remove from skillet andkeep warm. Drain fat from skillet andadd vegetable oil, raising the heat to high. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or so until soft. Then add kale in batches, covering each timeafter kale is added, until kale wilts down. When all the kale has been added, stir in the coleslaw blend, groundmustard, paprika, salt and pepper to combine. Cover the pan and let cook for 5 minutes or so. Stir the kielbasa into the pan, stir tocombine, and heat through. Remove fromheat and transfer to a serving platter.

Meanwhile, remove the lid from the skillet where the pierogi arecooking, and let any remaining liquid boil away. Let the pierogi brown in the pan, turningonce as the liquid evaporates. When bothsides of the pierogi are browned, remove from the heat and fold in the herbs,along with additional salt and pepper. Add to the serving platter with the kielbasa & vegetable mixture. Serve with sour cream and/or mustard on theside.

Adapted from Rachael Ray (2004) Cooking ‘Round the Clock

Three-Bean Chili

2012-02-27T07:02:00.000-05:00

Here’s a vegetarian chili for Lent. I make this chili (adapted from Rachael Ray’soriginal 30 Minute Meals cookbook)often, especially when pressed for time. It’s quick and easy to make, and tastes like it’s been simmered forseveral hours.

I used vegetable broth in this batch, though I usually makeit with Negra Modelo, a Mexican beer. Feel free to use whatever beer suits your palate. I also swapped out the usual chili powder forchipotle chili powder, aiming for something with a smokier taste. You can experiment with various kinds ofchili powder (hot, ancho, chipotle, cocoa-chile, e.g.) to see which amuses youthe most.

Three-Bean Chili

1 tbsp olive oil

3 habañero or jalapeño peppers, seeded (or not) and minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1x 16 oz can refried beans, any kind

1x 15 oz can black beans

1x 15 oz can dark red kidney beans

1 box Pomi tomatoes

1.5 cups vegetable broth or 1 bottle of beer

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

A handful of fresh cilantro leaves, torn or chopped

Salt to taste

To top:

Sour cream, scallions, shredded cheese

Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Sauté peppers, onion, and garlic for about 5minutes, until soft. Add remainingingredients except toppings. Stir tocombine. Raise heat and bring to aboil. Reduce heat to low, cover, andsimmer for about 10 minutes or until ready to serve. Serve with desired toppings.

Adapted from Rachael Ray (1998), 30 Minute Meals.

Vary Amin’anana

2012-02-27T07:01:00.000-05:00

I found last week that I very much enjoyed the break fromsandwiches by eating Senegalese Stew for lunch. Having the new list of recipes in the insert included with this year’sOperation Rice Bowl, I’ve decided to follow this list in preparing meals for theweeks of Lent, in the hopes of being more mindful of what and how I eat, ofwhat my sisters and brothers elsewhere in the world eat, to fast a little byeating less – again, not in some arrogant, liberal “one with the poor”nonsense, but to break my heart open, even just a tiny crack, this Lent.

This week’s offering is from Madagascar. No, it's not affiliated with Disney, but -- "I like to move it, move it...."

Vary Amin’anana

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ small onion, minced

2 inches fresh ginger, minced

1 tomato diced

3 cups collard greens, washed and thinly sliced

1 cup rice

2 cups water

Salt, to taste.

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger and tomato, and sautéfor 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add inthe greens and stir for one minute. Addin water; raise heat and bring contents of the pot to the boil. Then add in the rice and salt. Reduce heat to medium, and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the wateris absorbed. Serve hot.

Thoughts on Fasting

2012-02-21T07:02:00.001-05:00

Fasting is notdieting. Fasting is not about keeping aChristian version of kosher. Fasting isabout hunger and humility (which is increased as we allow ourselves to becomeweak.) Fasting is about allowing our heart to break.

Fr. Stephen Freeman

Prayer withoutfasting is a gesture. Mercy withoutfasting is a gesture. Fasting is not agesture. Fasting is where things getreal…. Fasting reminds us that ourculture is one giant narcotic and if we don’t pay attention, we can skate throughour whole lives anesthetized, asleep, numb. Fasting reminds us that Christianity is not to continue to do what we’vealways done while tacking on a nominal good intention or two. Christianity is not a gesture. Christianity is not a vague wish forgoodwill. Christianity is to bestripped, in the name of love, of all that is familiar, safe, anodyne, andnailed to a cross.

Heather King

At right: Christ in the Desert (1872), Ivan Kramskoi

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, thebeginning of Lent for Catholics and other Christians around the world.

For Catholics, the familiarnotices of the regulations for fasting and abstinence will be found in parishbulletins and diocesan Websites. No meaton Fridays, along with fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Keep the regulations, stick to the rules, andyou’re good.

Or are you?

And what exactly is fasting?

I’ve been thinking a lot over thelast few weeks about fasting, doing a little research, trying to come to adeeper understanding as to the why and the how of fasting. Is there something beyond a mere legalism,with endless bickering over what constitutes a “full meal” and what doesn’t, orwhat is meatless and what isn’t? Whyfast? And how does one fast? I’m not sure that I have a final – or even agood – answer, but the following ideas have come forth after much ruminationand reading.

When I was in seminary, I wasencouraged to “do something extra” instead of “giving something up” duringLent. Spend extra time in prayer, or doan additional act of charity, rather than “give something up” – whatever it was,it was supposed to be “positive,” rather than something “negative,” likefasting.

This isn’t bad advice, especiallywhen “giving something up” becomes Pelagianism, is divorced fromcharity, or remains merely legalistic in practice. Still, such advice can, though notnecessarily, itself lead to another version of Pelagianism, where the extra actis one more item on an already full to-do list whereby one tries to show Godand the world how “good” one is. Moreover,even as I tried to follow this advice, it always seemed...incomplete, as ifonly one engine out of several were functioning. Something was missing.

A few years ago, I came across apamphlet by Bishop Kallistos Ware, titled “When You Fast.” He outlined a much richer account of fasting,grounded in the Orthodox tradition. Here, Bishop Ware connects fasting with prayer and almsgiving in a waythat I’ve come to find helpful.

So, why does one fast, and how doesone do it? Here are my thoughts – takethem for what they’re worth. I’m only abeginner and a fool to boot, and if your spiritual advisor or director tellsyou otherwise, heed him or her.

We fast, we give up, or perhapsbetter, we letgo, in order to be freed of all that keeps us from loving God and ourneighbor as ourselves. We let go, wewake up, we let our hearts be broken open, so that God and others may enter in,and we might step out of our own prisons of sin. As Fr. Scott Hurd puts it, we fast in orderto feast. Or, as Heather King notes,we fast in order to wake up, to make our prayer and almsgiving and faith real,and not just an empty gesture. And all of this to be done withand in joy, without force.

Moreover, fasting is done, not inisolation, but in conjunction with prayer and almsgiving. They support and reinforce each other,especially when done in joy, humility and charity. It’s part of the reason why “doing somethingpositive,” at least for me, falls short. I find it to be a four-legged stool missing three of its legs. Following the tradition of the Church, bothEast and West, “doing something positive” needs to be joined with almsgiving,fasting, and prayer. Otherwise, sittingon that stool is going to get a mite tricky…

Finally, wash your face andsmile. (cf. Mt. 6:16-18) Let the joy of letting go and the freedomflowing from this joy open all sorts of doors whereby Love may enter in.

These, at least, is my thinkingat the moment. What do others, perhapswiser and more experienced, think?

UPDATE I: I came across this great post about Lent on Aggie Catholics. Check it out.

UPDATE II: A Reluctant Sinner has a great post about Lenten fasting and practices that's worth reading.

UPDATE III: Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia preaches about almsgiving, fasting, and prayer during Lent.

UPDATE IV: Msgr. Charles Pope on the key to true fasting.

For further reading:

St. Thomas Aquinas. SummaTheologica, II-II, QQ. 146 and 147

Fr. Stephen Freeman. (2011). “The Nativity: Why We Fast”

Fr. Stephen Freeman. (2011), “Fasting Without Force”

Amy Frykholm. (2010). “Fasting Toward Home.” In The Spirit of Food: Thirty-four Writers on Feasting and Fasting toward God. Ed. Leslie Leyland Fields. Cascade Books.

Fr. Scott Hurd. (2011). “We Fast in Order to Feast”

Heather King (2010). “Fast, Pray, Love”

Caroline Langston. (2010). “The Joy of the Fast.” In The Spirit of Food: Thirty-four Writers on Feasting and Fasting toward God. Ed. Leslie Leyland Fields. Cascade Books.

Thomas Maltman. (2010). “Famine.” In In The Spirit of Food: Thirty-four Writers on Feasting and Fasting toward God. Ed. Leslie Leyland Fields. Cascade Books.

LaVonne Neff. (2010). “My (Self-Righteous) Food-Stamp Fast.” In The Spirit of Food: Thirty-four Writers on Feasting and Fasting toward God. Ed. Leslie Leyland Fields. Cascade Books.

Deacon Curtis Turner (2010). “I am not ‘giving up’ anything for Lent”

Bishop Kallistos Ware. “When You Fast.” Conciliar Press

Suzanne Wolfe. (2010). “This is My Body.” In The Spirit of Food: Thirty-four Writers on Feasting and Fasting toward God. Ed. Leslie Leyland Fields. Cascade Books.

Senegalese Stew

2012-02-21T07:02:00.000-05:00

With Lent upon us, I thought I’d offer some simplevegetarian recipes.

I discovered this stew fromSenegal last year during Lent. It, andseveral other recipes, was included as part of the annual Operation Rice Bowlsponsored by Catholic Relief Services, to highlight what some of the peopleserved by Catholic Relief Services actually eat.

This recipe is offered not toengage in some silly and meaningless “Oh, if we eat this we’re one with thepoor!” nonsense. There is no liberalguilt and self-righteousness here.

The cooking time for theblack-eyed peas will depend largely on the age and quality of the peas you use.

Senegalese Stew

¼ cup oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tbsp tomato paste

4 cups vegetable broth

½ cup black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, thendrained and rinsed

2 carrots, chopped

1 sweet potato, chopped

¼ tsp hot pepper

1.5 cups rice, uncooked.

Heat oil to medium heat in a skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until tender. Add tomato paste and mix thoroughly. Add broth and bring to a boil, then addblack-eyed peas, carrots, sweet potato and hot pepper. Lower heat, cover, and simmer until peas aretender. Add the rice, cover, and boil 10minutes. Remove lid and boil 10 moreminutes until rice is tender. Do notstir until the very end of the 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe adapted from Catholic Relief Services’Operation Rice Bowl Insert (2011)

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

2012-02-21T07:01:00.002-05:00

Lenten fare doesn’t have to befish, shellfish, or pasta. This recipefor Sweet Potato Chili that I found last week on Boston.comis a good example of something that can be served during days of fast andabstinence.

The recipe as described below isvegan, though I served it with sour cream and shredded cheese for somethingmore along vegetarian lines.

Sweet Potato Chili

2 sweet potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1x 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1x 14.5 oz can of tomatoes, of any variety and/orcut (stewed, diced, whole, etc.)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

Salt, to taste

1 cup water

½ cup orange juice (or an additional cup of water)

Sour cream and shredded cheese, to serve (omit ifsticking with the vegan version)

Throw everything in a slow cooker, cover, and cookon Low for 6-8 hours.

Adapted from http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/05/sweet-potato-chili-vegan-crockpot.html

Chili-Pasta Skillet

2012-02-21T06:59:00.002-05:00

Comfort food. Everyone loves comfort food of some sort,whether it be macaroni and cheese, chili, or whatever other food reminds you ofhome and hearth.

Following on a request from areader to include some additional comfort food recipes, I offer you Chili-PastaSkillet. This is a large recipe, but youcan easily portion it out into smaller containers, and freeze it for a nightwhen you don’t feel like cooking or time is short.

Chili-Pasta Skillet

2 lbs ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2x 15.5 oz cans red kidney beans, drained andrinsed

1x box Pomi tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1x 15 oz can tomato sauce

2-4 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded (or not) anddiced

1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked

2-3 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic salt

Shredded cheese

Sour cream, to serve (optional)

In an extra-large skillet, sauté ground beef andonion until meat is brown and onion is tender, stirring to break up meat. Drain off fat. Then stir in beans, Pomi tomatoes, tomatopaste, tomato sauce, jalapeño peppers, macaroni, chili powder, andgarlic salt. Bring to a boil, thenreduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the macaroni istender, stirring often. When macaroni isfinished cooking, remove from heat, sprinkle with cheese, and cover. Let it stand 2-3 minutes, until the cheese ismelted. Serve hot with sour cream, ifdesired.

Adapted from ThePotluck Cookbook (2010), Meredith Print Advantage.

An Afternoon of Oysters

2012-02-13T06:53:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday, I had thepleasure of attending an oyster tasting and tutorial at a local seafoodrestaurant through a course offered by a local adult education program. Oysters are a delightful if rare treat on mytable, and I was curious to learn more about how to savor them.

And so, on a cold late winter’safternoon, on a day where light flurries had sprinkled snow like salt on theground, I arrived at the restaurant. Handed a menu of the afternoon’s offerings by the event hostess, I wentto the bar to buy one of the suggested drinks (a cocktail discussed below),then took a seat by a window. The lateafternoon sunlight broke through the scattering clouds of the day’s earlierstorm, and I chatted with some of the other attendees who sat near to me.

Oysters, oysters, oysterseverywhere, until you half-expected to be seated on a throne of shells by theclose of the afternoon. Raw oysters,cooked oysters, pickled oysters – Lucullus would be envious of our good fortuneat attending such an event.

The event began with theexecutive chef coming out to speak with us about how oysters are grown andharvested, the four kinds of raw oysters we’d be sampling that afternoon,oysters and their terroir, and thevarious species of oysters found around the US.

Then the sommelier came out toexplain what beverages pair well with oysters. Basically, oysters go with just about any alcoholic beverage, welearned, but they are especially good with citrus-flavored drinks, Champagne,Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadet. Winesfrom colder climes and wines from areas with chalky limestone soils, especiallythose from the Loire River valley, Nantes, and the Champagne region, are highlyrecommended for serving with oysters. She also mentioned a house specialty cocktail made from organic vodka,flavored with cucumber, lime, and grapefruit bitters that also complemented theeating of oysters.

Ah, but I’m forgetting the rawoysters themselves! Here’s a picture ofthe four types we were served:

From left to right: a Merry oyster (from Duxbury, MA); a Wianno oyster(from Barnstable); a Wellfleet oyster (from Wellfleet Harbor); and a NakedCowboy (from Port Jefferson Harbor, Long Island Sound.)

I loved the presentation of thefour types: served on a bed of salt covered with seaweed. It was all I could do to resist popping theseaweed, as I did when my sisters and I did at the beach during the summer whenwe were children.

All of these oysters were local,and fresh – so fresh that we had to wash their mouths out with soap before wecould eat them.

Joking aside, the impact offreshness on the taste of an oyster cannot be underestimated. I have had oysters in various forms, whetherfresh, canned, or smoked, some better than others. But these oysters that I slurped down onSaturday were so fresh, so briny… that I had only to close my eyes as I atethem, to smell the sea, hear the roar of surf, the scream of gulls, the sparkleof the sun on a deep-blue sea on a warm summer’s day…

Yes, oysters do have terroir. Sometimes the differences between the four types we were served weresubtle – yet, everyone had their favorites that they preferred. Well, perhaps not everyone. I found myself liking of the four oystersequally. Each type had its own merits,and I found myself content to enjoy each type for its respective merits,without needing to categorize one as “better” than another.

Also interesting was to see whattoppings people put on their oysters. Some preferred their oysters plain. Others liked to rotate between cocktail sauce, lemon, horseradish, orTabasco sauce. My favorite topping was the Mignonette Sauce: Champagne vinegar, shallots, and black peppercorns (pictured below),interspersed with a few oysters topped with lemon, horseradish, and greenTabasco sauce. The toppings truly didhelp to enhance and transform the taste of the oysters.

Mignonette Sauce

The restaurant staff also had astation where we could learn how to shuck oysters. Armed with a thick rubber glove on my lefthand, I thankfully managed to not stab myself and opened my very first oyster,much to my delight and enjoyment.

Raw oysters were followed withfried oysters served with a cinnamon-salt topping (delicious!), oyster stew(rich and creamy on a cold day that had seen flurries during the morning andafternoon), pickled oysters (disliked by most, but liked a great deal by me),and the restaurant’s version of stuffed oysters at the very end of the event(making for a lovely contrast of flavors and textures with the raw oysters.)

We all managed to fill several smallbuckets with oyster shells, and retired from the field of gourmand battle contented andhappy. Much fun! I’m glad I went, andthat the storm, which had threatened to make the commute to the restauranttricky, fizzled.

If you’re curious to learn moreabout oysters, here’s a list of books that I’ve read in the last few years thathave piqued my interest and curiosity. This list makes no claims whatsoever to be exhaustive or exclusive. Most serious foodies, though, would probablyrate Fisher’s book as canonical reading on the topic of enjoying oysters.

M.F.K. Fisher. (1988). Consider the Oyster. Northpoint Press.

Rowan Jacobsen. (2007). A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur’s Guide to Oyster Eating in North America. Bloomsbury.

Mark Kurlansky. (2006). The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell. Random House.

Patrick McMurray. (2007). Consider the Oyster: A Shucker’s Field Guide. Thomas Dunne Books.

I haven’t read Erin Byers Murray’s Shucked (2011) yet, though it’s on my to-read list.

Fettuccine with Strawberry Sauce

2012-02-13T06:50:00.003-05:00

At right: Saint Valentine receives a rosary from the Virgin, by David Teniers III

St. Valentine’s Day. So much is attached to a day nominallydevoted to three Christian martyrs, but in recent centuries seemingly more a votiveday to Eros and his mother, Aphrodite. Red roses and sentimental cards, sweet chocolates and icy diamond rings,romantic dinners by candlelight, whether at a restaurant or at home – these aremany of the images we associate with this day, now nominally devoted to love.

Love – to will the good ofanother for the sake of the other (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, Q. 26, a. 6, ad. 3) – when it is true and real,it is a reflection of the essence of the Triune Godhead, Who is in His NatureCommunity, Love, Relationship. Not thepoisoned and bitter arrows of Eros, or the cruel, whimsical punishments ofAphrodite, but healing, restoration, divinization at the fountain of grace.

But to write this is adigression. “A recipe, please, goodhost!” you are probably clamoring. Myapologies, friends.

Here’s a lovely little recipe Ifound whilst browsing through the aphrodisiac cookbook Intercourses recently. It’s fairlysimple to make, and filling. It’s also anice balance of sweetness, tartness, and saltiness from the strawberries andParmesan cheese, with a bit of richness from the cream and butter, punctuatedby a bit of sharpness from the mint. It’snot overly rich from the butter and cream, either, which also makes for apleasant dish.

Why I like this recipe: for onething, it’s simple in terms of preparation and ingredients. Better, I think, if you are going to showyour belovédyour love for her or him by preparing a meal to do one or two dishes well,rather than a complicated meal of many things done poorly or inmediocrity. For another, it allows youto do a little extra work in the preparation – often, I find, it’s the smalltouches that mean the most. Forinstance: hand-grating the Parmesan cheese from a wedge from the gourmet cheesesection, rather than the cheapo can of pre-grated cheese on sale in the pastaaisle. Or placing a few sprigs of minton the finished dish. Setting the tablewith your best linen, dishware, and silverware, with a lit candle, perhaps, isalso good. Perhaps a bottle of wine – Ithink a dry white (for visual contrast) or red or rosé (to continue the color scheme) –to complete the effect. Nothing fancy,but everything done with concern and attention to detail to show your belovédthat you love them enough to pay attention to them, are concerned enough to gothe extra mile for them.

Ah, but again, I’m pontificating. Meamaxima culpa. Here, dear reader, isthe recipe. I’ve chosen fettuccineinstead of spaghetti as recommended in the original recipe, because I think thebroader noodles of the former are better at holding the delicious sauce. But, if spaghetti is what you have or prefer,by all means, use it.

Fettuccine with Strawberry Sauce

1 pint (1 lb) of fresh strawberries, green topsremoved

½ lb fettuccine

¼ grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp butter

¼ cup heavy cream

Mint sprigs, for garnish

Puree the strawberries in ablender or food processor. Strain into abowl through a sieve to remove the seeds. Set the bowl aside for the time being. Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions; drain, thentoss with the cheese. Meanwhile, heatthe butter and cream over low heat in a small saucepan until the butter ismelted. Do not let boil. Put the fettuccine in a serving bowl. Pour over the strawberry puree, followed bythe butter & cream mixture. Tosswell to combine everything, and serve. Garnish each plate with mint, and pass around additional cheese forthose who desire it.

Adapted from Martha Hopkins andRandall Lockridge. (1997). Intercourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook (1^stedition). Terrace Press.

Caribbean-Style Black Bean Soup

2012-02-13T06:49:00.003-05:00

I’ve been on a legume kick oflate with my soups. Beans have gotten methrough some very lean times, so I’m fond of them. Any worries about my life turning intosomething similar from the bean-eating scene in Blazing Saddles havedissipated, since my digestive tract has gotten used to legumes from myfrequent consumption of them.

This week’s soup choice takes usto the Caribbean, with thoughts and dreams of tropical climes on a frigid latewinter weekend. I didn’t puree the soup,preferring a more liquid version this time.

Caribbean-style Black Bean Soup

1 lb dried black beans, washed and picked over,soaked overnight and drained

3 onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 ham hock

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups water

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Sour cream and cilantro, to serve

Combine all ingredients except vinegar, sour cream,and cilantro in a slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover, and cook on high heat for 4-5 hours,or low heat for 8-10 hours. At the endof the cooking, you can either leave the soup as it is, or puree about half ofit for a thicker soup, returning the puree to the remaining soup after blending. Also, at the end of the cooking, remove theham hock and let it cool for a few minutes until you are able to remove themeat and cut it into bite size pieces. Discard the bone and return the soup to the pot, along with the red winevinegar. Serve in individual bowls withsour cream and cilantro on top.

Adapted from Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good(eds.) (2000). Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: Feasting with Your Slow Cooker. Good Books

Lemony Fish over Vegetables and Rice

2012-02-13T06:49:00.000-05:00

I was on a bit of a seafood kickthis past weekend – cod, shrimp, and oysters found their places on mymenu.

This recipe for cod comes from thesame Betty Crocker Easy Skillet Meals booklet from which I took last week’sCurried Chicken and Peaches recipe. Ilike that the fish is cooked by steaming rather than by frying or baking, whichleaves it moist, rather than dry or greasy.

Use whatever frozen vegetablesyou have on hand or like. I choose afive-vegetable medley for this version.

Lemony Fish over Vegetables andRice

1x 6.2 oz package fried rice (rice & vermicellimix with Oriental seasonings, e.g., from Rice-a-Roni)

2 tbsp butter

2 cups water

Grated peel of 1 lemon

1x 16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 lb cod (flounder, haddock, halibut, tilapia, andsole will do also), cut about ½ inch thick and into 4 serving pieces

Lemon pepper, to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

Chopped fresh parsley

Lemon wedges, to serve

Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add in rice & vermicelli. Sauté for2-3 minutes until the vermicelli isgolden brown. Stir in water, seasoningpackage from rice mix, and grated lemon peel. Heat until boiling, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer undisturbed for10 minutes. Stir in vegetables, andreturn to the boil, stirring occasionally. Place fish pieces on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and drizzle withlemon juice. Reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 10 more minutes, undisturbed, oruntil fish flakes easily with a fork and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Shrimp Ali Bubba

2012-02-13T06:48:00.001-05:00

A few years ago, whilst browsingthrough the cookbook section of a local independent bookstore, my eyes fell on Cookin’ with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price. I couldn’t stop giggling, and walked upto the register to purchase it. (Theclerk was as amused as I was when she rang it up.) Coolio? The rapper? He has a cookbook? Huh. Go figure.

To be honest, I didn’t have highhopes for the book, given that many celebrity cookbooks that I’ve used havebeen less-than-stellar. Most requiredmajor adjustments to the recipes to make them work.

Still, I thought as I flippedthrough the pages of this cookbook, you have to get a laugh about recipeswritten indicating spice amounts in “dime bag” quantities. How bad could these recipes be?

In fact, this wankster discoveredthat Coolio, in addition to being a multi-platinum rapper, is indeed the GhettoGourmet. His recipes are easy,inexpensive, but delicious and filling. If you’re willing to put up with rough and risqué language, you’ll makeyourself a decent meal for you and your peeps.

Wanting to use up some frozenshrimp left over from last week’s recipe, this is my adaption of one of theGhetto Gourmet’s shrimp recipes. Iwasn’t sure what kind of beer to use for this recipe. Most of the online guides to pairing beerwith various foods suggested an India Pale Ale for shrimp, but the spiciness ofthe dish seemed to demand something a bit stronger. I did, in fact, use the India Pale Ale, butit didn’t quite do it for this dish. Perhaps next time, I’ll try something a bit darker and heavier.

Shrimp Ali Bubba

4 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ medium white onion, chopped

1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (26-31count)

Salt, to taste

Lemon pepper, to taste

2 tbsp chili powder (Coolio suggests up to 3 tbsp,but that, to me, is going to hide the taste of everything but the chili powder)

¼ cup India Pale Ale or other beer, except lightbeer

Cooked rice, white or brown, to serve

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a largeskillet. When the oil speaks, add in thegarlic and onion. Sauté for 2-3minutes. Add in the shrimp, and seasonwith salt and lemon pepper. Then add inthe chili powder and beer. Stir tocombine everything. Reduce heat to low,cover, and let cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally tokeep everything from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. When finished, serve over rice with theremaining sauce.

Adapted from Coolio (2009) Cooking with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price, Atria Press

Frogmore Stew

2012-02-06T07:04:00.003-05:00

Note: no batrachians were harmed in the making of this shrimp boil. I didn't go Doc Hopper on Kermit.

A dear colleague and friend of mine, nowretired, first told me about Frogmore Stew after a visit to see family in theSouth Carolina Low Country. Herdescription was so intriguing that I had to track it down. I made it once, and fell in love with itsflavors and its simplicity in preparation, cooking, and eating.

I’ve scaled this recipe down to serve myself. You can easily increase the amounts to serve a large party – in fact, this recipe is meant to serve acrowd. The recipe link at Allrecipes.com from which I’ve adapted this version has a conversion tool that will give youthe amounts you need to fill your guests. Or, use the rules of thumb provided at http://beaufortusa.com/recipe_frogmore_stew.htmas a guide.

Given that fresh corn on the cob isout of season here in New England, I used two frozen corn cobs. You’ll need to add a little extra time tocook them if you’re using frozen instead of fresh cobs.

Be sure to have bowls or othercontainers handy for guests to put their corn cobs and shrimp shells intoduring the meal.

Frogmore Stew

4 cups water, plus additional water to add as necessary during cooking to cover everything
2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1x 8 oz red potato, cut into 1inch chunks
8 oz andouille or other hotsmoked sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 ears corn, husked, cleaned andcut into 4 pieces each16 oz shrimp, unpeeled

Bring the water and Old BaySeasoning to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the potato and cook for 15 minutes. Add the sausage and cook for 5minutes more. Then add the corn and cookfor 5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp andcook until they’re pink, about 5 minutes. Drain immediately and serve.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com.

Southwestern White Chili

2012-02-06T07:03:00.005-05:00

Here’s another chili recipe –this time, a white chili made with chicken. As I wrote in my first chili post, chili is something withwhich one endlessly tinkers and experiments, and this recipe is noexception.

The original recipe called forcanned jalapeño chile peppers. These, in my opinion, are flavorless bits of vegetable matter encased ingoo that add nothing to recipes in terms of spiciness, texture, or flavor. Instead, I used a mix of fresh hot peppers ofheat and dried chipotle peppers for a bit of smokiness.

The white Great Northern beanswere exchanged for pinto beans, for the sole reason that I couldn’t find theformer at the market on Saturday. Also,when I think of Southwestern US cooking, along with Tex-Mex and Mexican cooking,pinto beans come more to mind than Great Northern beans, especially in theever-present frijoles refritos andother dishes.

I also added a bit more liquid (2cups of water in addition to the broth) and some condensed stock, to stretchout the chili for the week.

The next time that I make thischili, I might experiment by exchanging hominy for the beans, or perhapsincluding a can of hominy with 2 cans of beans, to make it more like posole.

Southwestern White Chili

3x 15.5 oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1 package condensed chicken stock

1 lb chicken, cooked

3 fresh red hot peppers, chopped and seeded (ornot, if you like the heat)

3 dried chipotle peppers, soaked in hot tap waterfor 30 minutes, then chopped and seeded (or not)

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

To serve:

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Sour cream (optional)

Fresh cilantro (optional)

In a slow cooker, combine allingredients except toppings under the “To serve” section. Cover slow cooker, and cook either onlow-heat setting for 8-10 hours, or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours. When finished, add cheese and stir untilmelted. Top each serving, if desired,with sour cream and/or cilantro.

Adapted from Soups (2009 edition) Better Homes & Gardens Special InterestPublications: Meredith Corporation

Curried Chicken and Peaches

2012-02-06T07:03:00.004-05:00

This recipe has been on my“to-make” list for a long time, and this past weekend seemed as good as any tofinally try it out. It comes from apamphlet of quick skillet meals that I picked up at the market many yearsago.

I’m a big fan of Indian food, which,when done well, presents layers of sweet and fire in its combinations of spicesand textures. This recipe is noexception.

Given that it’s winter in NewEngland, and the only fresh peaches available are imported and tasteless, Iused canned peaches. If fresh peachesare in season, swap out the peach juice with the same amount of grape-peach orapple juice, and the peach slices with a whole ripe peach, peeled, sliced andcut into 1 inch chunks.

Also, use whatever rice you haveat hand as a base. I used red rice thistime around, but basmati rice, jasmine rice, brown rice, and long-grain whiterice are also possibilities. Be sure totake the various cooking times of each kind of rice into consideration as youplan out your preparation and cooking times.

CurriedChicken and Peaches

1 cupuncooked rice

1 lbboneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp currypowder (be sure it’s fresh!)

½ tsp salt

1 red bellpepper, cut into ½-inch pieces

1x 15.25 ozcan peach slices (not halves) – drainand reserve juice – you should have about ¾ cup; cut half the peach slices into1-inch chunks, and eat the other half for dessert.

6 scallions,cut into ½-inch pieces

2 tbsp peachpreserves

Sliveredalmonds, raisins, and additional sliced scallions, to garnish (optional)

Cook rice as directed. While rice is cooking, cut chicken into¾-inch pieces. Set aside for themoment. In a bowl, mix flour, currypowder, and salt; add chicken and toss to combine. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over mediumheat. Add chicken, and sauté 4-6minutes, or until brow. Then stir inbell pepper and peach juice. Cover andcook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the scallions, and sauté for anotherminute. Stir in peach preserves untilmelted, then add in peach slices and heat through for a minute or two. Divide the rice into bowls, and top with thechicken mixture.

Super Bowl Sunday Stew

2012-01-30T07:04:00.003-05:00

I must confess: I am indifferent to sports. I mean, I do enjoy going to watch sporting events. I enjoy a good game and good sportsmanship. One of my favorite activities is going with my dad every autumn to a Harvard football game. Yet, to make my life revolve around a sport or season, to the point that it consumes everything? No. To quote Austin Powers – It’s not my bag, baby, honest.

Still, it's always good to see Huxley defeat Darwin. ;)

Even if I don’t get thatinvolved with following the various sports seasons, I do enjoy cooking for gameparties, holding court in the kitchen and chatting with whoever wanders in tonosh.

This is a favorite recipe: SuperBowl Sunday Stew. It’s an easy recipefor the slow cooker, though you can certainly make it on the top of the stoveon a low boil for most of the day. I’mmake it early, in case the one or two of you who read this blog might beinterested in making it for the Super Bowl this coming weekend.

For this version, I tweaked theoriginal recipe quite a bit. Isubstituted fresh okra for the frozen, not particularly caring for thesliminess of the latter, and bulgur for the barley, since I think the textureand taste of bulgur goes better with beef stew. Also, I used a box of Pomi tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes, muchpreferring their flavor to the metallic tang of most commercial cannedtomatoes.

If you go the slow cooker route,be warned that you might need to adjust the amount of liquid, depending on thesize of your slow cooker. Be sure to useas large a slow cooker as you have.

Bernard Clayton, from whose Complete Book of Soups & Stews I’vetaken this recipe, recommends serving it with coarse peasant bread cut into bigchunks.

Super Bowl Sunday Stew

1 lb stewbeef, cut into 1-inch chunks

Salt &pepper, to taste

3 tbspbutter

1x 32 ozcontainer tomatoes juice (preferably low sodium)

1x box Pomitomatoes

5 stalkscelery with leaves, chopped small

2 carrots,washed and cut into thin rounds

2 onions,peeled and thinly sliced

3 garliccloves, minced

1 potato,washed and cut into 1 inch pieces

¾ lb fresh okra,tops removed (a 10 oz package of frozen cut okra may be used instead – noneed to thaw.)

3-4 tbspbulgur

3 beef bouilloncubes or 2 small containers condensed stock

1x 10 oz bagfrozen corn (again, no need to thaw ahead of time)

3 tbspWorcestershire sauce

2 tsp ofsalt, if needed

In a sachet d’epice: 12 blackpeppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 1 half-palmful of dried thyme (place these in asmall cheesecloth bag or tea strainer and drop into the pot.)

1half-palmful of parsley, chopped

If making on stove top: water, addedas needed during the long simmering

Pinch ofcayenne pepper (optional)

Cut the beef into 1-inch chunks and season lightlywith salt & pepper. Heat the butterover medium-high heat in a skillet and sauté the beef until browned on allsides.

If using a slow cooker: Remove themeat from the skillet with a slotted spoon and discard the grease; place inbottom of slow cooker. Add the remainingingredients (except the water and cayenne pepper) one by one to the cookerpot. Cover, and set the pot on High tocook for 2-3 hours, or Low to cook for 6-8 hours. When finished, remove the sachet d’epice and add cayenne, ifdesired, to give a little kick to the stew.

If using a pot on top of the stove: Removethe meat from the skillet with a slotted spoon and discard the grease; place inthe bottom of a large soup pot or saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients (except the water and cayenne pepper) tothe soup pot. Bring the pot to a boil,and then reduce heat to low and simmer, with the pot partially covered, for 6hours. You’ll likely need to add waterduring the day – Clayton writes that he finds that he added about 4 cups ofwater in total for a thick stew. Add alittle less for a thicker stew, a little more for something thinner. Stir the pot often. Towards the end of the cooking time, checkfor seasoning, and if desired, add some cayenne pepper. When done, remove the sachet d’epice and serve.

Clayton notes that the dish is not meant tobe spicy, but, instead, well-seasoned, so don’t go overboard with the cayennepepper.

Adapted from Bernard Clayton, Jr., TheComplete Book of Soups & Stews (1984).

Gallo Pinto

2012-01-30T07:03:00.001-05:00

I came across this recipe via Seasonal and Savory, a blog recommended to me by a friend. It’s an easy recipe that can be adjusted tomake for a quick meal on a weeknight or something more special when more timefor cooking is available.

I used canned dark red kidneybeans in this version. Canned pintobeans are another possibility. If youhave time ahead, you can prepare dried kidney or pinto beans for this meal – a1 lb bag of either bean, soaked overnight and cooked ahead of time, will giveyou the necessary amount of beans for this recipe.

Sriracha was my choice of hotchile paste. You can use whatevercommercial hot chile paste you like, or make your own, such as harissa.

Gallo Pinto

1 tbsp olive oil

2 small carrots, finely diced

5 scallions, trimmed and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

Sriracha, to taste

2 cups long grain rice

3.5 cups water

2x 15 oz cans dark red kidneybeans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Salt, to taste

Chopped fresh cilantro

1 fried egg per person (optional)

Lime wedges (optional)

In a large saucepan with a lid, heat oil overmedium-high heat. Add carrots,scallions, garlic, and chile paste, stirring frequently until fragrant. Stir in the rice and water; bring mixture toa boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, andlet simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is fluffy. Stir in the beansand salt; cook until heated through. Taste to adjust seasonings, and then sprinkle cilantro on top. If you’d like, top each portion with a friedegg and offer lime wedges on the side.

Adapted from Seasonal and Savory.

Buttered Parmesan Ramen Noodles with Peas & Corn

2012-01-23T07:19:00.000-05:00

Buttered Parmesan Ramen Noodleswith Peas & Corn – wait a moment: ramen noodles?! You may be asking, dear reader, if I’ve takenleave of my good senses. (In point offact: why, yes, I did, many years ago.) Ramen noodles aren’t exactly hautecuisine. For many, they bring backmemories of being a starving college student, the lean years of a first jobwhen the ink is still wet on the bachelor’s degree, the leaner years ofeconomic hard times…

Yet, I think that’s the view ofAmericans who have only known the cheap packages of industrial noodles with thenasty, sodium-laden flavor packages. InOsaka, Japan, there is a museum devoted to the ramen noodle. Osaka is also known for the variety and quality of its ramen dishes. Ramen noodles, can, with a bit ofimagination, rise from their lowly status and become something a bit morerefined, even if they may never approach the exalted levels of haute cuisine.

Here’s a version that I foundlast week from a cookbook that I stumbled over during a visit to a local bookstore. Super simple to prepare, it makesa delicious quick lunch. You can easilydouble the recipe to serve two. The nexttime I make it, I might add some hot pepper flakes, to give the dish a littlebit more of a kick. The original recipenotes that you can use other frozen vegetables that you might have on hand,making this an easy meal to prepare with kitchen staples that you likely haveat hand already.

Buttered Parmesan Ramen Noodleswith Peas & Corn

A handful of frozenpeas

A handful of frozencorn

1 packageramen noodles, any flavor (discard the flavor package)

1 tbspunsalted butter

2 tbspgrated Parmesan cheese

½ tsp garlicpowder

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small pot overhigh heat. Add the peas and corn; returnto the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Add in the ramen noodles and simmer until the noodles are cooked, about3 minutes. Drain the noodles &vegetables; transfer to a bowl. Add thebutter, and toss until butter is melted completely. Add the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder,stirring to combine and coat the noodles completely. Serve immediately, with more Parmesan on theside for sprinkling, if desired.

Adapted from Jessica Harlan, Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook, Ulysses Press (2011)

Algonquin (Cocktail)

2012-01-23T07:15:00.001-05:00

I can’t remember the firstcocktail that I had. I think I had itduring a vacation on an island in Maine when I was 19, something with gin…orwas it vodka? I smile, since I had not built up a tolerance for alcoholthen. Making sure that I didn’t sliceoff pieces of my fingers whilst mincing garlic for marinara sauce while wobblyfrom alcohol became of greater importance that preserving the name of thatdrink in my memory.

My next experience of cocktails wasa year or so later, during a seminary immersion experience in Puerto Rico. (I didn’t drink much during my undergraduateyears.) We traveled there during theChristmas holidays, and were there for Epiphany (La Fiesta de Los Tres Reyes Magos.) As guests of our hosts, we were expected to eat and drink whatever wasput in front of us, including copious amounts of coquito (rum-spiked coconut egg nog) and half-shots of robito de gallo, the localmoonshine. Bacardi-based drinks wereeverywhere in Puerto Rico, and I developed a taste for rum & Cokes thatlasted for many years. During graduateschool, I would add martinis and gin & tonics to the list.

While I must sadly confess todrinking overly sweet concoctions like sour apple martinis on occasion, in recentyears I’ve become interested in classic, old school cocktails. Like the gimlet, the favorite drink of writerRaymond Chandler, a pale yellow-green cocktail that’s “half gin and half Rose’sLime Juice and nothing else,” according to Terry Lennox of Chandler’s The Long Goodbye. Or the Sazerac, a famous New Orleans cocktailthat predates the Civil War.

Members and associates of the Algonquin Round Table: (l-r) Art Samuels, Charles MacArthur, Harpo Marx, Dorothy Parker and Alexander Woollcott

The latest addition to mycocktail repertoire is the Algonquin. Named for the famous New York City hotel that was home to the wits andraconteurs of the Algonquin Long Table, it’s a drink that brings to my mindbiting humor, witty banter, and sophisticated conversation.

Here’s a recipe adapted fromRobert Schnakenberg’s Old Man Drinks: Recipes, Advice, and Barstool Wisdom:

Algonquin

2 oz ryewhiskey

1 oz dryvermouth

1 ozpineapple juice

Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker withice. Shake vigorously; strain into acocktail glass and enjoy.

Schnakenberg also recommends garnishing the drinkwith a Maraschino cherry. I didn’t,thinking that the combination of cherry and pineapple juice might be toosweet. In retrospect, I think that was amistake, to omit the cherry. Withoutthat extra bit of sweetness, something is off about the drink. Should I make another Algonquin, I’ll add thecherry and see what happens.

What are you favorite cocktails, readers?

Carne All’ Imperatrice (Empress Beef)

2012-01-23T07:13:00.002-05:00

Carne All’ Imperatrice. Pellegrino Artusi, the source of this recipe for “Empress Beef,”declares at the head of the recipe that “The name is pretentious, but this dishis fine for a family luncheon.” I smileat his dry, sniffy observation, the observation of the man who wrote the firstmodern Italian cookbook based on Italian recipes, and bourgeois ones at that,rather than on French or French-based recipes that were the standards of theday, especially among the Italian bourgeoisie, wealthy, and nobility.

At right: Bust of Pellegrino Artusi at the cemetery of San Miniato al Monte

Being half-Italian by way ofancestry, Italian food is mother’s milk to me. Yet, over the years, I’ve come to learn that what we twenty-firstcentury post-post-moderns call “Italian food” is a modern invention, and arelatively late one at that: 1891, with the publication of the first edition ofArtusi’s La scienza in cucina et l’artedi mangiar bene (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well). Before that, regional, urban, and localcuisines dominated: the cucina poveraof the rural peasantry or urban poor, and the French-influenced dishes of themiddle and upper classes. There was no“Italian” food of which to speak, at least, not in the sense that wepost-post-moderns understand it. [1]

Artusi, as part of the generationthat saw Italy united in modern times in 1870 under Victor Emmanuel II ofSavoy, wrote his work to appeal to his fellow countrymen and women. He urged them to embrace a sense of “Italianità,”a pride in their newly-united country and its ways. He encouraged them to turn away from regionaldifferences, local squabbles, and foreign influences, in order to bring Italyinto its rightful place on the world stage.

La scienza in cucina et l’arte di mangiar bene is full of wonderfulrecipes; yet, the recipes, as written, do present some challenges for thecontemporary cook trying to follow them. Artusi, being a wealthy member of the bourgeoisie, did not actually cookhimself. Rather, he gathered recipes –mostly from northern and central Italy, though he does include a few Neapolitanand Sicilian recipes also – and gave these to his cook to try out and perfectunder Artusi’s supervision. (Lest youthink that Artusi was an oppressor towards his cook, he wasn’t. They worked well together, and Artusi left alarge amount of money to his cook in his will in gratitude for his work.) So, there are sometimes important detailsleft out in the recipes that a neophyte home cook might not think to do whenfollowing one of them.

Carne All’ Imperatrice is one of these recipes. Artusi, for example, neglects to tell thecook to turn the loaf over to brown on the other side. You also do not learn until you’re well intothe recipe that garlic and rosemary are also needed, since these are notincluded in the list of ingredients at the head of the entry. Still, it’s one of the fun things when you’redoing research into historical recipes to figure out how to make an incompleteor cryptic recipe work. At least, I finddoing so fun. And Artusi scatters delightful stories and observations about hisfellow Italians among the recipes of his book, which are unexpected treats toread.

In any event, here’s myinterpretation of the dish. If you’recurious to see the original recipe, please see p. 267 of Pellegrino Artusi, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well, University of Toronto Press (2003). It’s quite delicious, a dish somewhat between meatloaf and a hamburger ina lovely tomato sauce. I served thiswith carrots & peas. Potato gnocchior broad egg noodles would also, I think, be a good accompaniment, especially giventhe sauce.

Carne All’ Imperatrice (EmpressBeef)

About 1 lbof ground beef

4 oz thinly-slicedprosciutto, finely chopped

3 heapingtbsp of grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

Salt &pepper to taste

2-3 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced

A smallhandful of rosemary leaves, fresh or dried

1 tbspbutter

2 tbsp oliveoil

1 box ofPomi tomatoes

In a workbowl, combine the ground beef, prosciutto, Parmesan, eggs, and salt andpepper. Mix with your hands tocombine. Wet your hands, and form themixture into a loaf about 1 inch high.

Heat thebutter and olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. When it begins to sizzle, carefully add inthe loaf, sprinkle the top with the garlic and rosemary, and let it cook on oneside for about 7-10 minutes. Using twospatulas, turn the loaf over, and let it cook on the other side for another7-10 minutes. Reduce the heat to mediumlow, and add the box of Pomi tomatoes to the skillet. Season the tomatoes with salt & pepper,stir to combine, and cover the skillet. Let it cook another 10-15 minutes, until the meat is thoroughly cookedthrough. Serve hot, with the sauce in a gravyboat to pass around for serving.

[1] See JohnDickie, Delizia! The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food, Free Press (2008) for a history of thisdevelopment.

Basic Beef Chili

2012-01-23T07:12:00.003-05:00

Chili, chili concarne, Texas red—whatever you call that savory concoction of meat, grease, andfire—is the natural child of the arguing state of mind. There’s no recipe for it, only disputation,and almost anyone’s first thought after a taste of somebody else’s version, nomatter how easily it slides down the throat, is that they themselves could makeit better.

--John Thorne, Serious Pig, p. 450

I do love a good bowl of chili ona winter’s afternoon or evening. Yet, asThorne notes, there is no “one” recipe for chili. And thedisputes over chili—whether to add beans or omit them, the choices of meats (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, game), vegetarian chili, the addition of tomatoes, pork,cocoa powder, and even fruit and nuts, for instance—continue to divide puristsand experimenters to this day.

I’m something of a moderate whenit comes to the debates over chili.

Some of the nouveau forms ofchili go, I think, overboard in adding all sorts of meats and spices in a waythat becomes a gustatory cacophony: too many tastes and textures vying forrecognition that they become lost in the clash. Still, there are nouveau chili recipes that are really quite delicious,and show the range of how a humble dish born of mestizo origins on the cattletrails can be adapted and presented.

Moreover, recipes that arepresented as “purer” forms of chili (i.e., lacking beans) can occasionally beso plain as to practically scream for additional seasoning or other additions. Finally, let’s not forget that the additionof beans can stretch a chili to feed a few more mouths or last a few days longer,an economy not to be dismissed in hard times.

I won’t give you a recipe for abasic beef chili, since, like Thorne, I find chili to always be a work inprogress, something to be debated, tinkered with, adjusted, and adapted overtime. There isn’t one version that I’veever settled on myself, so I don’t want to give you, dear reader, a“definitive” recipe. I’m sure many ofyou have your own versions, and I’d love to argue with you about them in thefuture, or in the combox of this post.

For those curious for the recipefor the interpretation of chili pictured in this post, please see the ClassicBeef Chili recipe in Soups, Stews, & Chilis, from the editors of Cook’sIllustrated, pp. 257-260.

For more on the history of chili, please see:

JohnThorne with Matt Lewis Thorne, “Just Another Bowl of Texas Red,” in Serious Pig: An American Cook in Search of His Roots, Northpoint Press, (1996): 450-482.

Food Memories: Dreaming of Julia Child (Among Other Things)

2012-01-17T07:17:00.000-05:00

It has been a few years sinceI’ve read My Life in France (JuliaChild with Paul Prud’homme) and Julie & Julia (Julie Powell), and dreamt of JuliaChild. At the time, the books and dreaminspired some jottings and thoughts. However,other things called for my attention shortly after these notes were writtendown. Forgotten, I left them aside until this past weekend, when I stumbledover them. Several years and many otherbooks have intervened, but I do recollect clearly how deeply both books,especially Child’s, affected me, to the point that Child appeared in my dreamsshortly after I finished them.

Memory…I’ve been thinking a greatdeal about memory over the last two months or so. Prompted by “The Inner Identity of ImmersionMemoir,” a recent article by my friend, Suzanne Farrell Smith [1], I’ve beenmusing over the key role memory plays in making us human and shaping personalidentity, and the explorations of the importance of memory in, e.g., St.Augustine, Proust, Ricouer, and Cavell.

Memory, I would argue, is deeplyembedded in our experience of food and eating. For instance – the smell alone of garlic and olive oil is enough totransport me back in time and place to my Italian grandmother’s kitchen, awakeningnot only memories of smells, tastes, sounds, touch, and sight, but evoking alsoprofound emotions and images of those days. A bowl of pasta e fagiole isnever “just” a bowl of pasta e fagiole, forme. The merest taste of that combination ofcannellini beans, ditalini, and chicken broth transports me back thirty yearsto Farmington, Connecticut, to my grandmother’s kitchen and winter weekendafternoons when we would often visit my grandparents and enjoy a bowl…

Forgive my reverie, dearreader. Perhaps you, reader, have aparticular dish or drink whose memory awakens similar reflections and emotionsin you.

Returning to Child's and Powell’sbooks: what made me pick them up in the first place? I recall two primary reasons. One was to begin reading some of the classicfoodie literature, in the anticipation of taking a hobby and becoming moreproficient in and knowledgeable about it. Yet, secondly, there were also a whole host of memories behind mydecision. PBS and public television werea large part of my childhood. I am oldenough to have seen reruns of Julia Child’s “The French Chef” on television andher later shows as part of the store of my childhood recollections. My mother, grandmother, and perhapsgrandfather often watched the show (I cannot remember if he was there in theroom with us), with Child’s warbly voice filling the living room at mygrandparents’ house.

Still, being so young, I had noidea who Child was, and the foodie revolution she was brewing in her Cambridgekitchen. All I knew of her then was thatshe was a tall, striking woman with a – unique – voice who was very excitedabout cooking, and in whom my grandmother and mother, and I think mygrandfather as well (a veteran of the European theater of World War II and Francophile),showed a great deal of interest.

During this, my early childhood,my mother had me help her cook, as she insisted that I learn how to at least preparesimple recipes so as to be able to take care of myself when I left for collegeand set out to make my own way in the world. Yet, time and Divine Providence had other plans, and it was not until myfirst turn in graduate school, studying philosophy, that I was truly forced bycircumstance and desire to learn how to cook for myself.

I love to eat well, as my girthand barrel-shaped physique attest, but I didn’t then (and still don’t now) wantto be eating out of cans and heating up prepared foods all of the time. Also, I had pretensions and illusions of impressingwould-be female romantic partners with my culinary skills. Thus it was that I began a long, slow, andoften hilariously incompetent path of self-training de re coquinaria (that’s “about matters of the kitchen,” for thenon-Latin speakers at the table.)

However many mistakes I’ve made andkitchen disasters I’ve created – and some have been quite spectacular – I havecome to love cooking as a hobby, as a means of showing others how much I carefor and love them, much as my Italian grandmother did. Cooking is, for me, prayer, meditation, service,an act of love, a joy-filled hobby, not merely a means to put nourishing ifindifferent-tasting slop on the table to be wolfed down as quickly as possibleso as to get back to the next task demanded of me.

But I digress, in one of my usuallong-winded asides.

What I wish to do, dear reader,is to set up why My Life in Francestruck me so hard. Child writes abouther own meandering journey through life: these memories, combined with joie de vivre, élan, and passion, combinedwith Powell’s own story and commentary, resonated deeply with my own story andmemories, a resonance that I find only too rare in this life. Something about following an unconventionalpath, drinking life down to the dregs, turning passions and interests into waysto love and serve others, always with common sense, discipline, and moderation– these are the things that drew me so deeply into her life.

As I put the books down, Ithought: well, I have both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, so why don’t I try a few of therecipes? And that’s what I did over thenext two weekends or so. It was thenight after I made Sauté de Boeuf à la Parisienne from Volume I [2] whenthe dream visited me after passing through the ivory gates that guard the placewhere dreams dwell.

My experience of French cuisineis limited, so I had no idea what to expect when I lifted the wooden cookingspoon full of the dish’s sauce to my mouth to check for seasonings. The explosion of flavor that detonated in mymouth was a wondrous surprise, the sort of surprise, as G.K. Chesterton mightsay [3], where one raises a jug to one’s lips expecting water, only to find thatwine is contained therein; the sort of surprise that is, in the end, at theroot and heart of true joy.

The unexpected delight of a saucerich with the flavors of Madeira, beef stock, cream, mushrooms, shallots, salt,and pepper, covering the beef, and sinking oh-so-slowly between the crevices ofrice and peas I had prepared as side dishes opened the gates to a new room inthe storehouse of my memory. I hadnothing with which to compare this sensual blast in my previous gastronomic experience,as the sweet and meaty sauce passed over my lips like a lover’s intense kiss, orthe brush of an angel’s wing on my heart, leaving me hungry for more.

I do not know if Child waswatching over me from her celestial kitchen, but that night, full of butter,Madeira, and Bordeaux, I dreamt we two were researching Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I was hunting down obscure information forher on the computer while she chatted with me about the project and people weseemed to know in common. (Please notethat I never met Child in person when she was alive, nor do I have any personalconnection to her. How she knew P------,a deceased mentor and friend of mine, is known only on the other side of theveil.)

What the dream means, I do notknow. That I will leave to the Freudiansand the soothsayers (charlatans all). Butter,Madeira, and Bordeaux may indeed have funny effects on the physiology andfunctioning of the brain such that it leads to strange and lucid dreaming. More importantly, though, I am struck by theway that cooking has a wondrous, contagious way of reaching across time, space,and boundaries of all sorts to connect the lives of complete strangers andbring joy. And all of this is strangely joinedby, prompted by memory…

Tell me some of your food dreamsand memories, dear reader. What culinarydelights visit you in the nocturnal hours? What are some of your favorite memories of food and table?

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[1] Suzanne Farrell Smith, “TheInner Identity of Immersion Memoir,” TheWriter’s Chronicle 44 (3), December 2011, 68-83.

[2] Given that Child and hercollaborators exhaustively tested each recipe before they published Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Ifollowed both recipes to the letter, and thus cannot print them. If you are interested in testing them outyourself, please see Volume I, pp. 325-326 for the recipe.

[3] See G.K. Chesterton, The Surprise, in The Collected Works of G.K. Chesterton, vol. XI: Plays and Chesterton on Shaw, complied and introduced by Denis J. Conlon, Ignatius Press (1989):297-340. There is also a DVD version ofa recent production of the play available as well.

Salmon Chowder for One

2012-01-17T06:57:00.007-05:00

Sunday was a blustery, frigid New England winter day, and a bowl of hot soup after mass seemed like a good choice to break the Eucharistic fast.

However, being a single gentleman, and not always wanting to cook up huge batches of food to have as leftovers, I'm grateful for cookbooks like Madison & McFarlin's What We Eat When We Eat Alone, since they're full of great recipes that prepare dishes in small quantities for a meal or two. Salmon Chowder for One piqued my interest, so I thought I'd give it a try.

This is the first time I've tried the Salmon Chowder for One. To keep the chowder on the light side, I used water as the liquid for the soup, adding a little half-and-half at the end. If you'd like something a little richer, use milk for the liquid; for a more robust taste, use fish stock.

I adapted the recipe to make it more reminiscent of spring by adding a handful or two of frozen peas for a bit more color. No need to thaw the peas beforehand: just drop them into the chowder during the last five minutes of cooking, and they'll be fine.

Add an additional cup ofwater/stock/milk to make enough for two servings. About 1.5 servings otherwise.

Salmon Chowder ForOne

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

A pinch of dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 Yukon Gold or russet potato, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 8 oz)

1 small handful each parsley and celery leaves, chopped

½ tsp smoked or regular paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups water (fish stock or milk can be used as well)

1.5 cups frozen peas (no need to thaw)

Half-and-half, to finish

1 chunk salmon, cut into bite sized pieces, about 4-6 oz (smoked salmonis fine)

Melt the butter in a pot or saucepan over mediumheat. Add the onion, celery, thyme andbay leaf; give a stir and sauté for a minute or so, until softened. Then add the potato and half theparsley/celery leaf mixture. Season with the paprika and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirringoccasionally.

Add the water (or stock or milk), and bring to aboil. Reduce heat to low and cover thepot. Simmer for about 15 minutes, untilthe potatoes are tender. Five minutesbefore the potatoes are finished, add the frozen peas. Mash a few of the potatoes against the sideof the pan to give the soup some body. Add a little bit of half-and-half or more milk to enrich the chowder. Taste for seasonings: add more salt andpaprika, if necessary, and ground black pepper.

Put the salmon pieces in the bottom of the pot,cover it, and let it simmer for 5 minutes longer. Serve hot, with the remaining parsley/celeryleaf mix on top and an extra shot of paprika, if desired.

Adapted from What We Eat When We Eat Alone: Stories and 100 Recipes, Deborah Madison & Patrick McFarlin (2009)

Chicken, Kale, & Red Lentil Soup

2012-01-17T06:55:00.002-05:00

I happen to be fond of kale and lentils, and this recipe seemed a good way to use the extra chicken left over from the pasta salad recipe.

Kale is a wonderful vegetable to use in soups and other dishes, and is highly nutritious. If you are lucky enough to find several varieties of kale at your local market, or at a farmers' market, give each of them a try.

I like the contrast of colors in this soup -- the green of the kale, the red of the lentils, the white of the chicken -- bright and cheerful during the short, cold days of a New England winter.

You can replace the red lentils with brown, green, or yellowlentils, but the cooking times will be longer – see the respective packagedirections for more information.

Chicken, Kale, & Red Lentil Soup

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 carrots, coarsely chopped

8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 half-palmful dried basil, crushed

4 cups coarsely chopped kale

Salt & pepper to taste

2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked

2-3 plum tomatoes, chopped

½ cup dry red lentils

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in onion, carrots, and garlic, andcover. Cook for 5-7 minutes or untilvegetables are nearly tender, stirring occasionally.

Add broth and basil; stir to mix. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat to low andcover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add in kale, salt & pepper. Return to boiling and again reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken, tomato, and redlentils. Return to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until kaleand lentils are tender.

Adapted from Soups(2009 edition) Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Publications:Meredith Corporation

Homemade Pasta, My First Attempt: Tagliatelle with Broccoli

2012-01-17T06:51:00.001-05:00

For Christmas 2010, my mother bought me a pasta machine, which has sat unused in my apartment until this past weekend. I've been wanting to give pasta-making a whirl for a long while. For many years, I've had Teubner, Rizzi, & Leng's The Pasta Bible, bought back in during my first round of graduate school. The lovely and intriguing recipes therein for homemade pasta, of all sorts of shapes, colors, textures, and ingredients (flour, buckwheat, whole wheat, cornmeal, eggs, and chocolate) I can now attempt.

It was surprisingly easy to make thepasta dough and to cut it out, though I’ll need some work to become moreproficient.

Cooking the pasta in thesame water as the broccoli cuts down on the number of pots to clean, as well asallows the pasta to absorb the flavor and nutrients from the broccoli left overafter the broccoli has been cooked. Youcan do the same thing if you are preparing pasta to be served with greens likebroccoli rabe, collards, kale, and the like.

Tagliatelle with Broccoli

1 recipe fresh pasta dough, prepared and cut into tagliatelle, or 1 lbdried tagliatelle or fettuccine
1.25 lbs broccoli, cut into florets
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 or 2 hot chili peppers, seeded (or not) and minced
6 anchovy fillets
¼ cup olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Grated pecorino cheese, to serve

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. When it boils, add in the broccoli andcooking for 3-4 minutes, until crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from water and set aside; do not empty the water out ofthe pot, and keep it at the boil. Add inthe pasta and cook until al dente; drain, set aside, and keep warm.

In the meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over mediumheat. When the oil speaks, add in thegarlic, chili pepper(s), and anchovies, and sauté for a few minutes, until theanchovies have melted into the oil. Addthe broccoli, salt & pepper, and sauté for a few minutes more, until heatedthrough.

Put the pasta in a large serving bowl, and pour the contents of theskillet on top of it. Toss gently togetherand transfer to plates. Pass thepecorino cheese around for guests to serve themselves.

Buon appetito!

Noodle recipe and dish adapted from The Pasta Bible: The Definitive Sourcebook, With Over 1,000 Illustration s, by Christian Teubner, Silvio Rizzi, & Tan Lee Leng

Lemon Chicken Pasta Toss

2012-01-17T06:46:00.001-05:00

This is from a new casserole cookbook that I received as a Christmas present this past year.

Many of the ingredients I had left from last week's batch of cooking, so this recipe seemed a good way to use them up before they went bad. One thing I try to do when planning meals for a week is to see what ingredients and leftovers I have on-hand, to cut down on as much waste as possible. It's good economically, and it's good stewardship of the earth and its resources.

This was a quick recipe – about40-45 minutes from start to finish. Ithink I added too much lemon juice when I made it (using the juice of twolemons); hence, the lower amount in the recipe below. (The original calls for 3 tbps.) Still, this was delicious, and I would makeit again, especially in the summer when tomatoes are in season.

The original recipe calls for multi-grain pasta. I had the requisite amount of whole-wheat pasta, and swapped that out for the mutli-grain. Use whichever type your palate prefers.

Lemon Chicken Pasta Toss

2 cups whole wheat ormulti-grain pasta (I used rotini. Penne will work also.)

12 oz skinless, boneless chickenbreast, cut into 1-inch cubes (1 large breast will do.)

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tbsp oil (olive oilpreferred)

1/3 cup finely chopped shallot

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth(preferably low-sodium if using canned or boxed)

Juice of 1 large lemon

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 pint halved yellow and/or redcherry or grape tomatoes

3 tbsp capers, drained ifpacked in brine, rinsed, if packed in salt

A small handful of Italian(flat-leaf) parsley, chopped

Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain; return to hot pan; cover and keep warm

In the interim, toss the chicken in a bowl with theflour until lightly coated; set aside for the moment. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet overmedium-high heat. When hot, add thechicken and sauté for 6-8 minutes until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the other 1 tbspof oil to the skillet. Add shallot andgarlic and sauté for 1 minute or so until tender. Stir in broth, lemon juice, salt andpepper. Cook uncovered for about 4-5minutes, until reduced to about 2/3 cup. Stir in the chicken, capers, parsley, and tomatoes, and heat through.

In a large serving bowl, toss the pasta with thechicken mixture. Serve hot, withParmesan, if desired.

Adapted from ThePotluck Cookbook (2010), Meredith Print Advantage.

Welcome to Pannone Appétit!

2012-01-13T06:51:00.000-05:00

IV. Tell me what you eat: I will tell you what you are.

-- Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste, "Aphorisms"

123. Cooking is the oldest of the arts; for Adam was born fasting, and the new-born child has scarcely made its entry into this world before it utters cries which can only be quieted at its mother's breast.

-- ibid., "Philosophical History of Cooking: Introduction"

Welcome to Pannone Appétit!, a foodie blog by Catholic philosopher-librarian, Jason Pannone!

I'm so very glad that you've stopped by to check out this blog! I pray that you will stay for a bit, enjoy the posts, and perhaps partake of the conversation, if you feel moved to do so. Recipes, musings, and other ruminations await our breaking bread together over the coming months as we begin to spin this tale.

To learn more about what Pannone Appétit! is about, please see the FAQs page. Also, please be sure to read The Fine Print to learn about some important blog policies.

I'm still working out some of the formatting and technical issues, so please be patient as these are addressed over the next week or so.

To begin the journey properly, let us pray:

Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, St. Lawrence the Deacon, and G.K. Chesterton, pray for us, that this blog be a place of sharing, conviviality, charity, humility, good humor, and cheer. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

With that, off we go on this Adventure! Stay tuned for the first posts, beginning next Tuesday...