For the Kids

Sausage, Fennel and Kale Risotto

Ingredients:

1/2 lb italian sausage, or what ever you prefer (I used Richardson's Family Farm), crumbled

1 1/2 cup aborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

5 1/2 cups of hot chicken stock

1/2 bunch of lacinato kale, chopped

1 fennel bulb, sliced thin

1 medium onion, finely chopped

pinch of saffron

salt ad pepper

parsley for garnish

Method:

Cook sausage until browned; set aside. Put saffron in the white wine, and set aside. In a medium sauce pan or skillet heat oil over medium heat, add onions and cook until soft. Add fennel and cook until the onion is translulcent. Add rice, and stir to coat with oil. Cook until the rice is slightly translucent. Pull the saffron out of the wine, and add the wine to the pan. Stirring occasionally, cook until most of the wine is absorbed. Add stock one ladle at a time, allowing most of the liquid to be absorbed between additions. Continue this until the rice is tender, but still has tooth to it, stirring occasionally. Stir in sausage and kale until fully incorporated. Add butter and cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley, and more Parmesan if you desire. 

Need a new camera.

Cooking for Couples, Pt. 1

As a man in his late twenties, it's inevitable that most of my friends are in relationships, or married. You get used that, yet it becomes difficult to hang out with one part of the whole, absent some designated 'boy's night out' thing, which leads to someone's partner asking, "What do y'all do when you're alone, anyway?" 

Well, I'm not telling; I might get my bro-man card pulled, and then where does that leave me? Fortunately for yours truly, most of my buddies' significant others are pretty damned awesome, and a blast to be around. Of course there are exceptions, but I'm all about setting expectations, and managing the exceptions. This leads to a healthy lifestyle, free of conflict with your friend's lovers whom you cannot stand to be around. You know who you are, you swine!

Anyway, I've seemed to cook a handful of meals this month for some of these dynamic duos. Last weekend after softball practice, I had Jim Jam and the beloved Cici over for dinner. This particular couple happen to be a great match, fun to play with, and overall badasses. They had me over for dinner on New Year's Day, so it was time to repay the favor. Cici is an art grad-student, and Jim Jam is a musician, and co-worker of mine at the Wheats; good people. 

Ain't they cute?

I wanted to do something that I could prepare ahead of time, and simply reheat after softball. I decided to braise some oxtail, and make some Tuscan bean stew. In order to serve up 'perfect' beans, free of explosions or cracked skins, I used a technique that in theory would simmer slow and low enough to avoid such annoyances. Unfortunately, I failed to take into account that the beans I was using had a shorter cooking time than the beans suggested in the recipe that I was basing this meal on. The end result was still delicious, but a few beans went the way of the Challenger. So. Be. It. Lesson learned. 

We started this meal off with a nice Prosecco and salumi plate of mortadella, spicy sopresseta, and olives stuffed with feta or sun-dried tomato courtesy of Mandola's. This was followed by a simple salad straight from the garden, topped of by a traditional balsamic vinaigrette. After reheating and shredding the oxtail, it was time to serve up the bean stew. The flavors of the stew were complimented nicely by the oxtail; Old World flavors of salty pork and rosemary marrying the sweet, red wine and thyme infused beefiness of the braise. Simple and delicious, just like me. We enjoyed a nice, big, dry Ruffino Aziano 2006 Chianti Classico with our main; a well crafted Tuscan red to sip while eating food inspired by the same region.

Gotta love that kitchen lighting!

An island of oxtail amid a stormy sea of gastronomical delights...

Since you've been such a good reader this year, here is a recipe for you. Sorry, no braise for you!

Tuscan Bean Stew

Ingredients

1 lb dried canellini, great northern, or navy beans*, rinsed and picked over

1 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil

6 oz pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice (use bacon if pancetta is not available)

1 large onion, chopped medium

2 medium celery ribs, 1/2-inch dice

2 medium carrots, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch dice

8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

4 cups of chicken or beef stock

3 cups water

2 bay leaves

1 bunch of lacinato kale, or collards, stemmed, and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 14.5 can/package of diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed

1 sprig fresh rosemary

ground pepper, and salt as needed

crusty bread

Method

Dissolve 3 tablespoons of salt in 4 quarts cold water in a large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250º. Heat oil and pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is lightly browned and fat has rendered, 6 to 10 minutes. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in stock, water, bay leaves, and soaked beans. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (center still firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove pot from oven and stir in tomatoes and greens. Return pot to oven and cook until beans are fully tender, 30 or 40 minutes longer. Remove pot from oven and submerge rosemary sprig in stew. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves, and rosemary and season the stew with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle bowls with olive oil; serve with parmesan and crusty bread. Mangia! 

*Reduce cooking time if using navy beans, they are smaller and less dense than cannellini. 

Beans are finicky and may have adverse reactions to salt and acids. Some think that adding salt too early causes the beans to never fully soften, others think that adding salt too early causes the beans to be mushy. Same with the acids. Texture and tenderness of the beans seem to be affected most by salt, this is mostly due to the swelling of the starch granules within their tender husks, resulting in mealy or gritty beans. The skins also are affected, often resulting in bean skins that are thick and chewy, which doesn't contrast well with the creamy, tender innards. Brining the beans doesn't affect them the same way as adding salt to the cooking liquid. The skins stay soft, and the insides get tender; life is good. The slow simmer in the oven is meant to reduce the number of vigorous bubbles in the pot during the cooking time. A vigorous stovetop simmer is the usual suspect in the case of burst beans. I used navy beans--which are kinda small--so I had a few beans burst, but overall I got what I wanted. Enjoy this on a cold day, with loved ones, or at least someone and their loved one. 

There Must Be Something in the Air

Risotto. This dish seems to be rather ubiquitous at the moment. It had been a few years since I'd last made risotto, which is to say that some brushing up on the subject was necessary. I had already been thinking about risotto, when the most recent issue of Food & Wine showed up featuring a small column on 'Perfecting Risotto'. The recipe included was for Milanese style risotto, which is flavored and colored with saffron. The day I decided that I would try and get risotto down by the end of this month, risotto posts and articles were popping up everywhere.

I decided that I would use the Milanese recipe as a base for duck confit risotto. I had some friends coming over for dinner, and thought this would be a perfect meal served with a simple salad, picked fresh from my garden. I unearthed a leg and thigh from their protective duck fat layer, wiped off the excess fat, and stuck these well preserved animal parts into a hot oven on my roasting rack. I wanted the skin to get nice and crispy, and it didn't disappoint. 

Risotto is a dish that has to be done right, or else it's just some rice dish. It is very easy to overcook risotto, resulting in mushy, dense failure. I like to avoid failing most of the time, and would really like to get the basics down for this delicious dish. I put my patience hat on, and got to work. All of the ingredients, except for the parsley, which I grew, I purchased at Wheatsville, and a few were local, like the duck, butter, and the wine. The results were great, and the only critique I have, would be to use homemade stock rather than store bought. I didn't have any chicken stock on hand so I went with the Pacific brand chicken broth, which was an okay substitute, but I know that homemade stock would make this better. 

Return of the poorly lit kitchen pics.

I was really excited to get to use some of the duck confit. It tasted amazing, and the texture was sublime; supple, rich, and unctuous. The well crisped skin made a delicious garnish, and overall the dish was well received. After a few more attempts with this base recipe, I will share it, but for now, I'll share a nice vinaigrette recipe of my own. It is beautifully green, and healthful. 

Hemp Vinaigrette

scales up easily

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp hemp oil

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp champagne vinegar

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp finely minced garlic

1/4 tsp finely minced shallots

Salt and white pepper to taste

Method:

Combine oils and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, add all other ingredients but the salt and pepper, mix. Slowly drizzle in the oil mixture, whisking to form the emulsion. Taste, and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Sunday Lunch

When I was in England last year, one of my favorite discoveries was Sunday Lunch. This, of course, was dinner, not lunch, but the Brits can do as they please with the English language, so let's not question them. You could also call it Sunday Roast, if you'd like, and the idea is very traditional. You have roasted meat (pork, or beef), all the trimmings (roasted potatoes, carrots, haricot verts, and cheesy cauliflower), gravy, and Yorkshire pudding. 

Sunday Lunch at the Cock and Hoop, Nottingham, England, UK.

The Yorkshire pudding was the most recent addition to this traditional British meal, serving as a filler during the hard times from the beginning to the middle of the last century. Meat was expensive, and everyone looked forward to eating this delicious roast every week. When England was rationing food during the first World War, the yorkie appeared. From what I've read, it was originally served before the meal, to take up some space in your belly, ensuring that there would be left overs to eat throughout the next week. 

Sunday Lunch at Chez Flapjacks, Austin, TX, USA

Poppin' fresh.

Yorkshire pudding is really a biscuit-souffle hybrid. It's predominately egg, and thanks to it's hollow middle, it is a great vehicle for delivering gravy to your mouth. Nowadays, the Yorkies have made it on the plate with the rest of the goods. I really like them, and after trying a few recipes, feel that I found one that really works, which I will share with you now. 

Yorkshire Pudding

To be served with roasted meat

Yields about eight puddings

Indgredients:

2 cups flour

2 Tbsp milk

4 eggs

AN salt

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 400º. In a medium size bowl, lightly mix egg and milk with a fork. Whisk in flour until a thick, smooth batter forms. You want the batter to be easy to pour, if it is too thick, add more egg, not milk. Let rest for fifteen minutes to hydrate the flour. Fill muffin pans 1/5 of the way with oil (or fat from the roast), place in hot oven for 10 minutes (should be done while batter is resting). When the oil is starting to look hazy, but not quite smoking, remove muffin tin from the oven, and pour in the batter. If it doesn't sizzle, place the tin back in the oven for a few more minutes. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the puddings rise. If they start to fall when remove, you can put them back in the oven for a few minutes. Pour out excess fat, and fill with gravy/drippings, and serve immediately. 

From what I've read about these, if you need to thin the batter, use egg, not milk. You want it to pop. The hot oil will keep the center hollow, and you want them to be browned and crispy, but not too crisp; they should retain some of their chewiness. You can reserve the hot fat to reuse if you like. Happy eating!

How to Make Bacon Toffee

Back in September, when I was fasting, I did a lot of reading about food. I found two blogs that are worth both mentioning and reading. The first was one called Butter Pig, created by Tom Dowdy, a chef that had gone to the CIA in New York, had a tech job, and loved to feed his friends elaborate meals that were true Dionysian affairs, the second was Obsession with Food, written by Derrick Schneider, another techie-foodie, and best friend of Tom. It was on OWB that I found out that Tom had died suddenly last December, a solemn occasion that was celebrated by a beautiful feast prepared by his best friends for his family and loved ones. Tom's impact on his friends was powerful, and Derrick does a beautiful job of interpreting such a difficult subject in two admirable, and inspiring posts from earlier this year. The meal they cooked, and the feelings of remembrance, love, and grace, resound deeply with me. 

I had been pouring over these blogs late one foodless night, when I found it. It seemed too good to be true; a combination that seemed wrong in every way, yet so laden with ecstasy that it had to be right, like a forbidden culinary love affair. Bacon toffee. I wrote the recipe down in my recipe book, and vowed to make this beastly abomination soon enough. I tried my first batch for Thanksgiving, but the absence of a candy thermometer proved fatal to the consistency, and color of the final product. Guessing when candy hits 285º is hard your first time, so I sought out the tools I needed. Version 2.0 of the bacon toffee went off without a hitch. It hit its temperature, ensuring that it would have a hard break, and set up beautifully. I took the entire batch to Wheatsville on Sunday, and doled it out over the next two days to all my meaty friends. They loved it. I'll be making more this week end for an annual Holiday beer tasting potluck that a buddy of mine throws. Enjoy friends. This is a secret weapon for your arsenal. 

Bacon toffee slams!

Bacon Toffee

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 stick of butter

1/4 cup water

5 strips of bacon

Method:

Crisp bacon, set aside to dry on a paper towel lined plate, chop into small squares when cool. In a sautè pan or sauce pan combine the rest of the ingredients, and mix well with a metal whisk or wooden implement (plastic will melt). Bring the mixture up to 285º[300º works], remove from heat, add bacon, and pour onto a  baking sheet covered in Silpat, or parchment paper. Let rest for two hours. Cover with a clean towel, and lightly rap with a hammer to break the toffee into shards. Keep in a covered container at room temperature. 

Mother Nature Laughs Long and Hard

Mother Nature's Son

Red Rocket

"You should really get that checked out..."

I'm just sayin'?! Okay, that has to be the most hilarious thing I've seen growing from the ground. I almost pissed myself, I laughed so hard. It got picked.

I don't post many recipes here, but today, inspired by this radish, I'm going to. This is a recipe that comes from The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating, by Fergus Henderson, owner/founder of St. John. This may be one of the least unusual recipes in this canon of offal, game, and swine. You should buy it. 

Radishes to Accompany Duck or Goose

The fresh, peppery radishes make a perfect foil for the rich birds. 

Ingredients:

3 bunches of radishes with happy leaves

Juices from the roasting pan of the duck or goose, or duck fat and a splash of chicken (duck) stock

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Remove the leaves from the radishes and wash both the leaves and radishes. Heat up your roasting juices or fat and stock, then add the radishes. Let this sizzle, stirring frequently. In approximately 5 minutes the radishes will have changed to pink blushing orbs, still crispy but with a hint of giving. Add the radish leaves and remove the pan from the heat. The leaves do two things: they give a wonderful flavor, and they add a structural weave, preventing your radishes from rolling all over your plate when served. Season with salt and pepper and stir, letting the leaves wilt a moment, then serve with roast duck or goose. 

 

Duck Fat  Loves You

I think that this dish can do more than accompany duck or goose. We had it last night with a Niman Ranch Ribeye Roast, and it was a nice foil for the rich meat of the roast. I think you could use the drippings from roast beef or pork, and it would be just fine. If you have duck fat laying around, then use it. Duck fat is the bomb. I've made this recently to accompany pan seared duck breast, and it is a nice complimentary flavor, so if you plan on having duck soon, try this. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, or may be entertaining one, butter (preferably the Remember When Dairy variety, for the non-vegans) and some Imagine No Chicken Chicken Broth would do fine. For those vegans who may actually read this, a blend of some of the richer oils, like walnut, and grapeseed oil, with the aforementioned broth, would produce nice, tender results. 

Enjoy. 

Showing Appreciation with Food

I'm required to have departmental meetings quarterly, and it can be difficult to schedule them without interfering in someone's life. So, I decided that I would cook my staff lunch as a nod of appreciation for their efforts and sacrifices.

I wanted to do some easy Indian recipes, mainly because they scale up so nicely, and taste great. My original plan was to do Chana Masaladar (actually Punjabi, not Indian), which is similar to Chole, potato curry, and Kharee Masoor Ke Dal -- lentils flavored with curry leaves.

Due to a scheduling mishap yesterday, I was unable to go to Swad and buy the curry leaves. I tried Fiesta to see if they had them, but no dice. So, no dal. Oh well.

I got up early and made these two dishes, and some basmati rice.

Potato Curry with Yogurt Gravy
Ingredients:
2 large potatoes (can also use paneer)
2 Tbs oil or ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbs coriander powder
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp paprika
a pinch of asafoetida
2 tsp gram flour, or all purpose
1 bay leaf
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp finely chopped green chile (serranos are great)
4 Tbs yogurt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 cup H2O

Method:
Peel and cut potatoes into your desired size. Boil potatoes until a fork goes through them easily, drain and set aside. In a bowl, mix yogurt with tumeric, paprika, coriander, ginger, and chiles. 

Counterclockwise: Tumeric, coriander, ginger, paprika, serrano.

Over medium heat, heat ghee/oil. Add asafoetida*, cumin seeds, flour, bay leaf, and roast until the flour browns lightly (3o seconds - 1 minute). Add yogurt paste. Stirring constantly, stir fry until ghee/oil and paste separate, about 1-2 minutes. Add water incrementally, stirring constantly. Cook about 2 minutes.

Add potatoes and mix well, but very gently so you don't break the potatoes. Add cilantro. Remove bay leaf. Cook for 2-3 minutes. You can add more water if the gravy is too thick, but may not be necessary.

Cover and cook for up to four minutes. Add salt to taste, serve hot.

I heart pools of ghee. My doctor does not.

Chana Masaledar
Ingredients:

4 Tbs Ghee or oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

a piece of fresh ginger, about 1/2 inch square, minced

2 Tbs tomato paste

1 can or 3/4 lb garbanzo beans

2 Tbs lemon juice

salt to taste

Method:

In a large skillet, heat ghee/oil. When hot, put in cumin seeds. As soon as they begin to darken (very quickly!) add the chopped onion. Stir and fry for 7 minutes. 

Slow and low, that is the tempo...

Turn heat to low and add coriander, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well, and add the garlic and ginger, stirring for three minutes. Add tomato paste, stir until evenly incorporated. 

Open and drain chick peas, reserving about 2 Tbs of the liquid (or if using dry garbs, soak overnight, cook for at least two hours or until tender, and use 2 Tbs of the cooking liquid). Pour this and the chick peas into the skillet. Add salt, cayenne, and lemon juice. Mix well, and cover, letting the flavors combine for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, adding a few Tbs of water if too thick (not always necessary). Be careful not to break the chick peas. Serve hot, with basmati rice.

This recipe came from the back of  a Rumi poetry book. It is one of my all-time favorites.

Okay. Here's a tip on basmati rice. You know how when you go out for Indian food, and the rice is perfect -- each grain is separate, and laying on each other like some hot, white, starchy orgy. Well, there is a reason for that. Soaking. After you measure out the basmati, soak it in water for up to an hour. This will both make the cooking time less, and separate the grains. The ratios vary as well. For one cup of rice, use two cups of water (like normal), but for 2 cups of rice, you need 3 1/2 cups of water. It's weird, but it works out. 

These recipes are easy to do. Most Indian food recipes seem daunting because of the laundry list of spices that are used. It's okay, drink some wine; relax. Wheatsville carries most of theses spices in bulk, minus the asafoetida, and once you have them, measuring them out ahead of time really makes these recipes easier to follow. 

The staging of the spices also assists with the depth and levels of the flavor profiles of each dish. DO NOT ADD ALL THE SPICES AT ONCE!!! You will end up with a confusing tastsing, and possibly bitter meal -- I've done this with the Chana and it sucked. 

*Asafoetida - You need this. There is no substitute for this spice. You can get it at Fiesta, Whole Foods, Central Market, any Asian grocery. It is stanky, and almost unpleasant until cooked. Some say it smells like cat urine, I agree. It doesn't taste like it smells once it combines with hot ghee/oil. Do not be afraid, it is your friend. Oh, and a little goes a long way, so that bottle you buy will be around for a while. 

I like to serve most Indian dishes with condiments such as: yogurt (or riata), chopped onions, chopped cilantro, chopped serranos, and chopped tomatoes. Flat breads such as naan or roti are good as well.

Have fun. Happy eating.

"You think I'm torturing you. I'm giving you flavor, so you can mix with rice and spices and be the lovely vitality of a human being." -- Rumi