Say Cheese!

Oh how I love cheese. Once I learned that cheese could be an entire course, I longed to be European and not just of European decent. Americans, at least the ones I was raised with, did not eat cheese as a course. It was often just an ingredient, occasionally a snack or appetizer; never a course.

As a child I loved cheese, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned about all the delicious and varied cheeses of Europe. The boutique cheese makers of California didn’t really start popping up until I was well into my adulthood.

My mom would make me a cheese quesadilla with a corn tortilla and a slice of American cheese when I was a little girl. I loved that. While I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, I still make them and consider them comfort food. White trash comfort food maybe, but they are delicious none-the-less. Just don’t look too carefully at the package of Kraft American cheese slices and you might be able to ignore the fact that isn’t really cheese. Pasteurized prepared cheese product. Huh?

White Trash Quesadilla

1 home style 6” corn tortilla (if you have access to actual home made tortillas, I envy you)
1 slice Kraft American cheese slice

On a non-stick griddle, heat tortilla on one side over medium heat until hot. Turn and place cheese slice on heated side. Continue to heat until cheese is melted and slightly bubbly.

Fold into thirds and serve. Yum! Ooey, gooey and delicious. Try one with a bowl of cream of tomato soup on a rainy afternoon. I swear you will like it, especially if the soup is homemade.


If you look on Wikipedia for “List of Cheese” you will find a VERY LONG list of cheese from around the world. There are a ton of them! But, that list doesn’t even have French or Italian cheeses. There are separate pages for those. My point is: there are a zillion cheeses from around the world. I have tried a lot of them, but I know that I have barely scratched the surface.

We have a Rhodesian Ridgeback, so I am often intrigued with other things from South Africa, but I would never have thought that I should spend some time trying to find a sampling of South African cheese. Today I learned of Bokmakiri, a soft goat’s milk cheese that I’m going to have to track down now.

Back when I was a kid my parents would order Roquefort dressing when we went out to dinner. Roquefort’s tangy taste and pungent smell, not to mention the mold, is not something that would attract positive attention from a seven year old. Believe me, I was there. Ahh, but thankfully we all grow up.

For a quick, easy and delicious side dish try Mizithra with browned butter over pasta. Mizithra is a Greek cheese made from ewe’s milk. It is usually available in specialty shops and is worth looking for. There really is no substitution, although you will be able to find suggestions, they are not the same, and I say don’t bother. Making this dish is simple; it only requires three ingredients and can be made in the amount of time it takes to boil the pasta.

   Mizithra with Browned Butter

1/2 pound spaghetti
6 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter*
6 ounces Mizithra cheese, grated

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook spaghetti per package directions. Drain well. Return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, in a sauce pan, melt ghee over medium low heat and cook until slightly browned. Pour browned ghee over pasta and toss with 2/3 of the cheese. Top each serving with some of the reserved cheese.

*If you do not have ghee or clarified butter, take ½ cup unsalted butter and melt over medium low heat in a saucepan. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil and let foam, stirring constantly so that it does not boil over and butter turns to a golden brown color. Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Let stand five minutes to settle and then pour over pasta, leaving behind any solids in the bottom of the pan.


Wait, I’m giving you a recipe for a snack and a dish with cheese as an ingredient, albeit a main ingredient, still just an ingredient. What about the cheese course?

My Belgian friend Vee often has family dinners with include us as extended family. After we finish the entrée, out comes the cheese platter that includes several different cheeses, some yummy bread, maybe some fruit and more good wine. After the cheese course, if we can fit it in, comes dessert. The cheese course is common place in France and much of Europe and is becoming more and more common in the United States. Restaurants are now offering cheese on their dessert menus. Okay, Americans don’t quite get the cheese course if they are including it as dessert, but we are making great progress and I understand the French originally included it with dessert too.

Vee’s father loves cheese and the stinkier the better. He loves Limburger. I grew up watching Looney Tunes and Pepe Le Pew. I have never had any interest in Limburger cheese, except when Charles traveled all the way from Belgium for a visit; I wanted to surprise him. There I was at the Whole Foods cheese counter asking for Limburger with a silly smirk on my face. I can’t help but envision a black cat with a painted white stripe down her back and a huge chuck of the smelly cheese. I think Charles was touched by my purchase. I have to say, Limburger does smell, but then it falls flat for me. It just doesn’t have the taste I’m looking for. It doesn’t tastes like it smells; that’s not why I don’t like it. It’s just not what I’m looking for.

There is a mean part of me that wants to e-mail Charles some information that I found while writing this blog: there is a study that shows the Anopheles gambiae (the mosquito that causes malaria) is equally attracted to the smell of Limburger as they are to the smell of human feet.

Do not get me wrong, I am not afraid of stinky cheese. I’ve been on sort of a quest for some great ones since our dinner with Charles this past summer. We have experienced a few that we will not buy again. Here is a list of some of the winners:

Livarot – cow’s milk, France, a soft, pungent, washed rind cheese. Its earthly aroma is likened to the smell of a barnyard. I have to agree, and I know that this sounds disgusting, but this cheese is fantastic when served at room temperature. When served cold, you get all of the smell and not of the fantastic taste. A friend of mine brought some back from France for me. I’m not sure of the legality of carrying cheese on a flight from France to the United States, but I’m going to make this request of all my friends and family until I find a good local source.

Blue du Bocage – goat’s milk, France, a soft blue cheese. It is toasty, meaty with a sweet finish; extremely creamy without the bite some blue cheeses have. It is expensive and hard to find, but it is worth it.

Burnet – goat’s milk, Italy, a tangy soft cheese with a thin rind. It smells of mushroom and crème fraiche. This is one of my favorites.

For a cheese course, I recommend selecting a minimum of three cheeses, preferably made from different types of milk. I try to pick a strong cheese, a mild cheese and a unique cheese. I also vary the types of cheeses, some soft, some hard, some young, some aged, etc. Always serve cheese at room temperature, for it brings out the taste. If you plan ahead, there isn’t an issue.

A really fun cheese that is delicious is Mimolette. It is a dry bright orange cheese with a rough gray-tan rind. A slice of Mimolette is often mistaken for a slice of cantaloupe at first glace. It is a fun cheese, sure to start a conversation for those that have never seen it before. It is a hard, salty cheese that goes well with fruit.


If are interested in cheese as a course but never tried it, I direct you to Cheese Course 101 on NPR. It’s a great article.



Forget cake; let them eat cheese! Bon appétit.

Fall

Okay, I made it perfectly clear that autumn is my favorite season, so I could have called this post Autumn Part Deux or Fall. I selected the less pretentious, simple and straight forward Fall.

I also made it quite clear that I never have enough time, so today’s blog is about hearty fall foods and saving time so one can actually take a deep breath at least once during the week.


This morning I started my short ribs so that they can cook all day tomorrow in the crock pot while my husband and I work and the boys go to school, swim and what ever else teenage boys do while unsupervised.

In order to get great flavor, you really have to brown the short ribs on all sides and well. Then I made the sauce they will simmer in for 10 hours. It’s quite simple, but delicious. Tomorrow morning, I’ll throw everything into the crock pot, set it to low and go. When we all get home, we will have the most tender, saucy meat. Yum!

Did I mention that you have to brown the ribs on all side and well? Doing this takes its toll on my heavy bottomed Dutch oven. It is nothing a good soaking will not remedy, but the task of cleaning that pot looked daunting this morning.

My next step was to make some Italian meat sauce for my lasagna and a spaghetti dinner. I thought rather defeated, “that Dutch oven would be perfect, but look at the bottom.” Then I thought, “THAT Dutch oven is perfect!” It already had some yummy browned bits of meat that would flavor the sauce perfectly. All I had to do was wipe out the remaining short rib sauce, and I have to admit all I did was take a silicon spatula and scrape out the sauce. There were small amounts left, but it was tomato based and was not going to hurt my spaghetti sauce and maybe it would even add another layer of flavor.

I browned the ground beef and Italian sausage and then sautéed the onions and garlic. Then I added the tomatoes, seasonings and simmered the sauce for two hours. All this cooking took care of more than one half of the scrubbing of my pot: a real time saver!

I proceeded to make a lasagna with one half of the sauce, layering it with noodles, cottage cheese (we go back and forth between ricotta and non-fat cottage cheese and I think we actually prefer the non-fat cottage cheese’s taste, texture and lower fat content), spinach, shredded zucchini, quattro formaggio (parmesan, asiago, fontina and provolone cheeses) and mozzarella. I am not going to give you the recipe for lasagna because I think of it as a casserole that you can use what you have on hand, so tonight I added spinach and used the lone zucchini we had in the vegetable bin. Next time it might not have added vegetables or maybe it will be roasted red peppers and aubergines or mushrooms or shaved broccoli. You get the idea.

I wasn’t really in the kitchen all day today, even though it might seem like it. In a few hours I have four or five dinners ready:

Lasagna Sunday
Short-Ribs Monday
Spaghetti Tuesday
Short-Ribs Wednesday (if there are any left over)
Lasagna Thursday
And if everyone behaves this week, Sushi Friday at my favorite sushi restaurant:  Yuki Sushi-Santa Clara

It’s a great time investment in making what would otherwise be an insane week to one that is just slightly crazy.

Slow Cooker Barbecued Short-Ribs

4 pounds boneless short ribs, cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup minced onions
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Trim any large layers of fat from the short ribs. Brown the short ribs on all sides over medium high heat in small batches to not over crowd (you may use a non-stick pan, but you want to sear the meat, not simmer it in its own juices, so you may have to increase the temperature). Remove the browned ribs and layer them in your slow cooker.

I highly recommend a programmable version that will hold your food at warm once it is done so that if you are delayed, your meal isn't overcooked.  Try the Rival 6 Quart Smart-Pot Programmable Slow Cooker.  It also has a removable crock for easy cleanup.


Reduce heat to medium, and then add the onion to the pan and sauté until softened and lightly browned. Add the ketchup, water, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and Worcestershire sauce and heat through. Pour sauce over the ribs. Cover the slower cooker and cook on low heat for 10 hours. You may stir twice throughout the cooking time to submerge the ribs, but this is not necessary.

Remove 1 ½ - 2 cups sauce. Strain off fat. Place in a sauce pan and simmer to reduce slightly. Add ketchup or tomato paste as needed for taste. Remove ribs to serving platter, pour sauce over.

Serves 6-8.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 pound trimmed and cleaned Brussels Sprout
1 small shallot finely chopped
2 ounces prosciutto bits (small chopped pieces of prosciutto or substitute chopped pancetta)
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425˚.

Steam Brussels sprouts until barely tender, 2-3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Cut each sprout in half. Place cut side down on a nonstick rimmed baking sheet (or line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat mat).

Sprinkle shallot and prosciutto bits over sprouts. Drizzle with olive oil. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. If sprouts are in a single layer, you do not need to stir during roasting.

Roast 15-20 minutes until Brussels sprout begin to crisp and brown. Toss before serving.

Serves 4-6.

Autumn

Fall is my favorite season, and while we didn’t really have much of a summer this year, I anxiously await cool mornings and evening and the delicious foods fall brings.

I know that you can find pretty much anything year round if you are willing to pay the price, but I am trying to prepare local, organic foods as much as I can.  I truly believe that it is better for my family and the planet, not to mention my local farmers.  As more and more families start eating this way, the cost comes down as well.

I love fall vegetables:  acorn squash, artichokes, broccoli and cauliflower are at their best, Brussels’ sprouts, kale…  I could go on and on.

I woke this morning knowing that I was going to make a pot roast for dinner.  I think the thought of it was finally what made me get out of bed.  We are a week and half into fall, and Indian summer is upon us, so no cool evening, sitting out on our patio eating roast.  Don’t get me wrong, we will be on the patio eating roast tonight, but it will be warmer than I like.  It makes me a little sad.  My youngest son’s reaction as he walked in while I was browning the roast cheered me up immediately:  “that smells so good.”  Yes, yes it does.  Just you wait.  In five hours it is going to taste so good too.

Little did he know that I forgot to preseason the roast, so there I was patting seasoning into the remaining sides that needed browning.  Am I worried?  No.  Braising is quite forgiving, lends itself to cheap cuts and once you put it in the oven, there isn’t much to do but wait [or in my case laundry, snap some photos (it’s a long story) and write a blog].

Is it wise to braise a roast for four hours when it is in the mid 70’s outside?  Maybe not, but it is AUTUMN, damn it, and my oven is only set at 250˚, so I’m going with it.

Do you think I’m weird that I am planning on pulling out my boots and sweaters and long skirts this week and am anxiously awaiting thunder showers on Wednesday?  They say isolated thunder showers which I doubt will even make it as far south as me, but a girl can hope.

I was born and raised in California and I have never liked the heat.  I dream about four seasons.  Fall actually falling: yellow, orange and red leaves gently drifting to the ground.  I love roasted foods so much, that we eat roasted cauliflower all summer long, and so that I don’t heat up the house, I’ve perfected a barbequed version.  People ask me why I don’t move back east, and I have to say, it’s the weather.  While I’m not a fan of the heat, I’m not a fan of having to dig my car out of the snow to get to work, tape my windows for impending hurricanes, ice storms or flooding.

This year there were maybe 10 days that were honestly just too hot.  I know we didn’t really have a summer and a lot of people are sad about that, but there is one happy girl over here, roasting away (in the kitchen that is).

 Roasted Cauliflower

1 medium head of cauliflower

1 Tbsp butter

Salt

Pepper

Core the stem from the cauliflower, removing the leaves but keeping the head intact.

Rinse well and let drain a few minutes.  Place on a microwave safe plate and loosely cover. Microwave on high until just tender, about 3 – 4 minutes.  You may also steam the cauliflower in a steamer.  Do not cook all the way through.

Let cool slightly and break into florets.  Toss with butter, adding salt in pepper to taste.

On a hot barbeque, place florets in a barbeque wok and stir fry until slightly charred and brown, about 6 minutes.

The first time I made this my sons said they didn’t like cauliflower.  I told them they had no idea what roasted cauliflower tasted like.  They love it and eat it up.  If your kids are picky eaters, I can’t say if this will work for you or not.  My kids eat Brussels' sprouts too.

Braised Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables

3.5 – 4 pound boneless cross rib roast (chuck roast)

Garlic salt

Pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 small sweet yellow onions, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, smashed

Heart of celery with leaves (or 2 stalks celery), thinly sliced

1 10 ¾ oz can mushroom soup

1 10 ¾ oz French onion soup

½ can water

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 250˚ (use oven thermometer if you are not sure of your oven’s temperature gauge accuracy).

Heat oven proof, heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat.  (I use a Le Creuset 7 ¼ quart Oval Doufeu Oven.)

Rub garlic salt and pepper over entire roast.  Add oil to hot pan and brown roast on all sides.  To ensure even browning, do not shake or move roast while a side is browning.  Turn after about three minutes per side.  I brown top, bottom and all four sides of roast, but it will depend on the shape of your roast.  You may need to hold roast up on its side with tongs to keep it in place while browning.  The more surface area you brown, the better it will taste.

Once roast is evenly and well browned remove from Dutch oven to a plate.

Add onions, garlic and celery to pan with a bit of water and scrape up any browned bits.  Sauté onions until they begin to soften and water evaporates.  Stir in mushroom and French onion soups, water and Worcestershire sauce.  Continue to stir until liquid comes to a boil.  Add roast on top of sauce.  Cover tightly.  Place in oven for 3 ½ to 4 hours without disturbing.

Remove roast from gravy and tent with foil.  If gravy is too thin, simmer, uncovered on stove for a few minutes.  If gravy is too thick, add additional water, stir and simmer briefly.

Slice meat and serve with a generous amount of gravy and roasted vegetables.

Steamed green beans make a nice side dish.

Roasted Vegetables

1 ½ pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes

½ pound baby carrots

½ large acorn squash cut into 8 slices

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Toss vegetables with oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Place in 9 X 13 baking dish.  Bake in oven at 375˚until tender, about 1 hour.  Stir vegetables once or twice during cooking.

Time

There is never enough time. No matter how much time there is, it moves at too fast a pace. Ask anyone, with the exception of children on the last day of school after lunch. This is the only time when each click of the clock seems an eternity. Otherwise, time flies. I’m stuck here. I want to say like a grey hound running for a rabbit, but that isn’t really flying, is it? So how about like a bat out of hell. Sorry for being so cliché.

When I started this blog, I made a commitment to myself and to you (you just didn’t know it) to make a post once a week. It has been over three weeks since my last post. I apologize.

What can I say, other than time flies.

I work long hours and have two dogs and a family. Some evenings it is tough to get to everything that needs attention. I don’t always have time to plan dinners in advance. I don’t always want take out. It is expensive and not always the healthiest choice.

Tonight I arrived home with no idea what was for dinner. I also knew that it was getting late and adding a trip to the grocery store wasn’t a viable option. When I walked in the kitchen, I saw the last tomato from my friend’s garden, begging to be used before it was too late. Okay, something with a tomato.

My husband is sort of a meat and potato kind of guy, so protein is a must. I always have frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the freezer. Yes, I buy the 10 pound bag at Costco. They are very convenient to have on hand, and tonight they saved my, well, you know.

I pulled out my DeLonghi Retro Panini Maker. I sprayed the two frozen chicken breasts on both sides with Roasted Garlic Olive Oil from The Olive Bar in Downtown Campbell (see link on the right), using my Prepara Oil Mister.   I then sprinkled the top of the chicken with Pappy’s Choice Seasoning (get the spicy one if you can). Set the chicken on the grill, lower the top and grill for 7 minutes on medium high. Turn and cook for an additional 6 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through. Grilled chicken in less than 15 minutes. Remember, the chicken started out FROZEN. You gotta love it. 

 

Orzo Pasta Salad with Shelia’s Garden Tomatoes

1 pound whole wheat orzo cooked al dente per package instructions, drained, rinsed and cooled
1 pound vine ripened tomatoes, diced
8 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (you may substitute feta cheese, but the Cotija holds up better)
¼ cup Chiffonade cut fresh basil, loosely packed
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Toss all ingredients. Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

Easy Salad

1 bag of baby romaine lettuce
1-2 Tablespoons of Big Paw Flaming Fig Bread Dipper or other favorite, flavorful dressing 

Toss lettuce with dressing.


To plate dinner, divide salad among 2 plates, top with chicken breast. Add a big scoop of Orzo Pasta Salad. Bon Appetite!

Post Script:  Dinner was a snap. Clean up was a breeze. I even had time to write and post a blog tonight!

Post Post Script:  Having the right tools on hand to assist you really helps speed up things too!  I could not live without my Prepara Oil Mister.  I tried the Misto in the '80s and it didn't work.  This one is different.  It really works.  I give them as gifts with The Olive Bar's roasted garlic oil.  It's a great hostess gift (do people still give hostess gifts?) or for any occasion really.

Favorites

What is your favorite type of food? If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

I love all food, so choosing would prove quite difficult.

I’m American, so let’s start with American food. I searched on the internet for American food, because, truly, I’m not sure what American food is. My search led me to a lot of photographs of hot dogs and hamburgers, fried chicken, ribs and chili. Really? Is that the best we can do? I can’t imagine never eating a grass fed filet mignon, wrapped in bacon and rosemary and grilled on the barbeque again. Especially if it is served with a baked potato melting with butter, sour cream, chives and pepper, and of course, some green beans, eaten with my fingers. But wait, I prefer Haricot Verts, which are French, so does that mean I’m stuck with a wedge salad as my vegetable? Perfect steak aside, the rest of “American” food doesn’t really sound that great when you are talking about eternity, ‘til death do you part. And, frankfurters come from Frankfurt, Germany, so how did it get it’s all American status? I eat my two hot dogs a year with ketchup and relish, so I can claim that my version IS American. My first hot dog of the year is usually eaten at a baseball game, so that makes it even more American. The second hot dog of the year is eaten at Costco, another American institution. I think I’m safe counting the hot dog as American, but still, I don’t see myself eating hot dogs every day for the rest of my life.

I love Mexican food: grilled fish tacos, chili verde, carnitas, cocido de reyes, tamales, home made corn tortillas and fresh salsas, just to name a few. I have even perfected a low fat, slow cooker version of carnitas that passes muster with my boys. I make what I refer to as “white chick” posole that even people who claim to not like posole tell me is good. I am not in love with hominy’s texture, so I substitute fire roasted corn in my version, hence the “white chick” label. I’m even known for attempting to poison my father on his birthday with my shrimp cocktail of rock shrimp, avocado and fire roasted salsa. (Dad’s allergic to shell fish.) I think I could eat Mexican food once a day, easy, but every day for three meals? I’m not too sure. And, yes, this means saying adios to tequila and margaritas. Wow, this is harder than I imagined.

Then there is Indian food. I love the curries. Chicken tikka masala and butter chicken are my favorites. Seekh kabobs are delicious as are samosas, biriyani, tandoori chicken and saag paneer. Oh, and don’t forget the naan. Warm, homemade garlic naan, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, cannot be beat. Yum! I love Indian food, but I have to be in the mood for Indian food.

Speaking of curries, my favorite is gaeng kiew waan (green curry). I make mine hot enough to make you cry. If my nose is not running and my eyes are not tearing, then I don’t think it’s a green curry worth its fish sauce. The Thai restaurant near my house has four levels of heat: mild, medium, hot and Thai hot. Due to a miscommunication, I ended up with Thai hot once. It brought me to my knees, but it was also the best I have ever had. Then there are angel wings (stuffed boneless chicken wings), tom kha gai soup, kao pad sapparod (pineapple fried rice), pad Thai, and don’t forget dessert: sweet sticky rice with mango. Could I commit to this cuisine for the rest of my life? Honestly, no.

How about Vietnamese? I love pho (vegetarian with extra tofu is my favorite). If I don’t have it once a week, I feel neglected. It’s my cure all. Pho, a nice bowl of matzo ball soup or jook (chicken and rice porridge) can cure almost anything. They are truly Vietnamese, Jewish or Filipino penicillin. Any of them work, I swear, but I could not give up everything else for Vietnamese or Jewish or Filipino cuisine, even if that means a few more colds a year.

Japanese would get me farther: green tea, gyoza, edamame, agedashi, katsu, tempura, albacore tataki, sukiyaki, miso, soba noodles, sushi, nigiri, sashimi and teriyaki. I love it all, but still not enough to give up everything else.

What could possibly sustain me forever, until I die?

Then it hit me. Italian! We are not talking American Italian food here: spaghetti and meatballs, pizza and lasagna. I’m talking about real Italian food in all its diversity. Platters of thinly shaved prosciutto de parma, mozzarella di bufala, fresh basil and tomatoes. You could start in Calabria (the tip of the boot) and eat seafood until you could eat no more and then work all the way up to Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia for some risotto and polenta. Each region along the way would offer you there own unique style of food, all celebrating their locally grown and raised foods. Oh, don’t forget Sardinia and Sicily too. How could you ever be bored? And remember, all of Italy loves cheese, wine and espresso. One final word: gelato. Yes, make mine Italian

Gamberi

16 large shrimp, cleaned with tails on
4 garlic glove thinly sliced (I use a special mandolin made for shaving garlic)
Fresh marjoram, chopped (one or two sprigs)
2 Tablespoons extra Virgin olive oil
1 pound Roma tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced
Salt and Pepper
Optional: crushed red pepper to taste

In a nonstick pan, heat extra virgin olive oil and stir in the shrimp and garlic. Sauté until the shrimp are opaque. Add the marjoram, tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for just a few minutes until heated through. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with bread to soak up sauce.

Minestrone Soup

1 pound spicy Italian sausage (remove casing)
1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Maui, diced
3-6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 stalks celery, including leaves, sliced
1 cup baby carrots, sliced
1 parsnip, diced
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
4 cups beef broth
1 pound Roma tomatoes, charred on grill, cored and diced
1 15 oz can kidney beans with liquid
1 ½ cups green cabbage, shredded
1 Tablespoon flat leaf parsley, removed from stems
Black pepper, ground, to taste

Brown sausage; drain fat. Add onion and garlic, sautéing until tender. Add celery, carrots, parsnip, cauliflower and broth. Bring to a simmer. Add tomatoes, beans with liquid and cabbage. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add parsley and pepper to taste.

Serve with crusty bread.

Steamed Artichokes

4 artichokes, trimmed, each the size of a fist
1 lemon cut in half
½ teaspoon dehydrated roasted garlic
¼ teaspoon lemon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
½ cup water

Press artichokes upside down to open leaves. Rub all cut areas with the lemon. Place artichokes in a medium pressure cooker, on trivet. Add water. Squeeze remaining juice from lemon into pan. Sprinkle artichokes with garlic, pepper and salt. Cover pressure cooker; bring to full pressure. Cook 12 minutes, maintaining pressure. Release pressure. Remove artichokes and serve with garlic aioli, clarified butter or mayonnaise.

Leeks and Shallots

Okay, you are probably going to think less of me for this, but I did not start cooking with leeks until I was in my thirties. I am ashamed of this fact, and believe me, I’ve been punished for it enough already: I missed out on over thirty years of delicious leeks.

My dear friend Vee introduced me to Leeks when we were living together after our first marriages failed. Mine may have failed due to the lack of leeks in my larder. As I began watching Vee cook, I noticed a lot of leeks popping up in her dishes. She is from Belgium where leeks have been used for what appears to be forever. Honestly, I don’t remember seeing leeks in the grocery stores of my childhood. Now they are everywhere, and the ones I purchase at the Farmers’ Market are so sweet, tender and delicious.

I think Vee owes me an apology. She should have handed me a leek on our first day of college together. A bunch of leeks and a pound of Belgium chocolate seems a fitting gift from a foreign exchange student, right?

Maybe the leeks were there all along, back in our college days. I may not have noticed, as she was also know for making hash or Hamburger Helper for dinner in the early days of our friendship. I was just trying not to be rude by turning my nose up at her cooking, so I often instead turned away.

I cannot hold a grudge. How could I? Vee and her family have become part of my extended family, and they supply me with the most delicious chocolate covered caramels from Belgium each year. Even with the Internet, I have not found a way to get these chocolates on my own. So my family and I anxiously await her parents’ visits and her return from Belgium when she travels home. Plus, don’t forget the leeks, and of course, the friendship.

Shallots have been in my pantry for a very long time and became extremely easy to find once Trader Joe’s arrived on the scene. I love to caramelize shallots and add them to almost anything: vegetables, stews, soups, eggs, sandwiches and meat dishes. Or, throw some in to the mix when roasting vegetables. In the fall, try a four onion soup: leeks, shallots, sweet onions and red onions. Don't forget the garlic.  Oh, now I long for a cool autumn evening and a big bowl of warm soup.

Until then, I will be sitting with my boys on our patio for Sunday brunch, dinning on a lovely Leek, Asparagus and Aged Gouda Quiche.

Enjoy!

Leek, Asparagus and Aged Gouda Quiche

1 Tablespoon butter
1 leek (white and light green parts only), rinsed thoroughly, halved and thinly sliced
Sea salt and ground pepper
1 bunch (1 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
4 large eggs
1 ¼ cups half-and-half
Ground nutmeg
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed per package directions
1 cup shredded aged Gouda (4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350˚ with rack in lowest position. Melt butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan.  (I use my Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid.)  Add leek and asparagus, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is tender-crisp, about 7 minutes; let cool.

Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Roll out puff pastry sheet to join seams/folds and to fit a 9-inch deep dish pie plate  (I use a Pyrex Grip-Rite 9 1/2 Inch Pie Plate, Clear.) Place pastry in plate and tuck under edges to fit. No trimming is necessary. Sprinkle pastry with cheese; top with leek and asparagus mixture. Pour egg mixture on top.

Bake until center of quiche is just set, about one hour, turning 1/2 turn after 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

Quiche may be made up to one day ahead; cool and store covered in the refrigerator. To serve, reheat at 350˚until warm in center, approximately 30 minutes.

Variation: Add ½ cup crisped crumbled bacon or prosciutto bits or diced Canadian bacon over cheese prior to adding leek and asparagus mixture.

The Secret to Easily Clean Leeks

Trim off roots and dark green ends of leek. Cut leek lengthwise. Hold leek under running water while fanning root end layers with your fingers to allow any sand to be rinsed away. Dry leek, cut side down on paper towels.  Another option is to slice leeks, and then submerge and swish in a bowl of cold water, leaving behind dirt and sand at bottom of bowl.  Lift leeks out of water and place into a salad spinner to dry.  If the leeks are very dirty, you may need to use several bowls of water to remove all the grit. 

 Easy Shallot Vinaigrette

½ cup cider vinegar
1 medium shallot (the size of a golf ball), peeled and quartered
1 heaping Tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard (I highly recommend Maille)
1 heaping teaspoon drained capers
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Place first four ingredients in a mini food processor. Process until purified (there should be no chunks of shallot remaining).

Add oil and process until creamy.

Dressing will last for several weeks, refrigerated.

Beginnings

To the best of my recollection, I took my first cooking class at the age of five.  I was the youngest in the class.  I remember there being teenage boys attempting to learn how to cook before heading off to college.  Honestly, I can't remember what we made, but I want to say rice crispy treats and English muffin pizzas.  English muffin pizza may not have been invented at that point, but you get what I mean:  we were not REALLY cooking.

I still have my very first cookbook:  Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook (1970).  It is worn from use and love.  I was very proud of this book; I still am today.  Occasionally, I make the potato salad from this book.  It calls for homemade French Dressing to flavor the potatoes, celery, relish, onions and eggs.  Just before serving, you toss in some mayonnaise.  I love it, but my boys prefer basic potato salad, consisting of nothing more than potatoes, eggs, mayonnaise and a splash of dill pickle juice, plus salt and pepper to taste.  My grandmother makes their favorite version, so who am I to argue?

My Very First Cookbook                        

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Even as a young child, I knew that making Betty Crocker's "Bunny Salad" consisted little more of playing with your food and was not really cooking.  Imagine canned pear halves arranged on a bed of lettuce as bunnies.  Add raisin eyes, blanched almond ears, Red Hot noses and cottage cheese tails.  Voila, "Bunny Salad"!  I don't recall my mother telling me not to play with my food as a child, but for some reason, playing with food seemed like entering "naughty" territory.  Even today, it can still feel that way, but oh, it can be so worth it.

I am of the belief that fresh Haricot Verts (or in a pinch fresh Blue Lake beans) taste best when lightly steamed (they must still have a crunch), tossed with a little butter and seasoned with salt and pepper and (HERE IS THE TRICK) eaten with your fingers.  My kids can attest to this and even agree.  I don't know what it is.  I thought it might be some chemical reaction with the metal of the fork and knife, but I have experimented with plastic utensils, and they still don't taste right.  This has to be one of the most basic dishes, but it tastes 1000 times better when eaten with your fingers.  Go on, try it!

I may have caused a divorce, or at the very least I've made a man's life hell over this issue.  I was with a chef, heading out to sample a new restaurant's dishes when we bumped into an old friend of the chef's.  Lo and behold, this man and his wife were eating a side dish of steamed green beans.  My heart skipped a beat, and then I looked the gentleman squarely in the eyes and said, "Those will taste better if you eat them with your fingers," so he tried it.  If looks could kill, that man would have fallen face down in his Coq au Vin before swallowing his first green bean.  His wife was disgusted and shocked.  How could her husband of 50+ years suddenly be so savage, have so few manners and take dinning advise from a strange woman less than half his age?  She may never forgive him.  She may have brought it up every family Thanksgiving dinner since.  How could her husband have intentionally embarrassed her to death like that in public?

You might think I feel bad for what I have done to this man.  I do not.  Even if he has never eaten a green bean with his fingers again, he, for one cool autumn night, had the best damn green bean experience of his life.  I do, however, feel bad for his wife.  "She don't know what she's missin'!"

 

HARICOT VERTS

1 pound fresh Haricot Verts

2 Tablespoons butter

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Rinse and stem beans.  Steam beans until tender crisp.  Toss with butter; add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot and eat with your fingers.  Seriously, I'm not kidding about this.