Chickpea Tagine with Chicken & Bulgur: Bittman rules!

Fucking Bittman. I've got to hand it to that guy. I may not like everything he suggests, but every now and then he kills it. Plus dude is pretty entertaining in those videos he does on the NYT site. What I do like about his schtick is that his recipes are usually pretty straightforward and come together very easily. Even this tagine, with a relatively long list of ingredients, is incredibly simple to prep for. Literally about 15 minutes of chopping and measuring and I was good to go. And that's with bumping everything up by half 'cause I got screaming deal on chicken thighs at Costco (don't give me any shit, either. Oregon grown Foster Farms, no addtives, hormones, etc. Sure, the chicks live a bit "cozily", but even those supposedly PC "free range" birds at your organo-mart usually never leave the warehouse they're crammed into).

The end result was a palate popping, holy-Jesus-this-is-good plate of Moroccan influenced deliciousness. The spices were spot on, the chickpeas and bulgur become this decadent mush, and the chicken practically fell off the bone before being shoved in all its savory fabulousness into my mouth. In other words, this bird is the fucking word! Absolutely company worthy too, this one.

So if you have some friends who are deserving and need to be awed by your kitchen skills, throw some of this in front of them. It seems multiplying ingredients by the number of thighs you need to serve seems to do the trick. And that 4 serving thing below? Don't believe it unless you're serving a bunch of Karen Carpenter wannabes. This is so good it really makes 2 large servings because everyone will be back for seconds. Plan accordingly. Also, canned garbanzos were the deal, and use chicken stock, not water if you want the full flavor of this dish. You do like full flavor, right??
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Chickpea Tagine with Chicken and Bulgur
from "The Food Matters Cookbook"

makes: 4 servings
time: About 1 hours with cooked or canned beans, largely unattended

"Braise precooked (or canned) chickpeas and chicken in a North African spice mixture and the chickpeas disintegrate, the chicken becomes fork-tender, and everything is intensely flavored. It’s an extraordinary dish and made even more so by the bulgur, which is cooked right in the stewing liquid."- MB

ingredients:
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained, with liquid reserved
2 cups bean-cooking liquid, stock, or water, or more as needed
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 bone-in chicken thighs
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon cumin
1-1⁄2 teaspoons coriander
1-1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
1⁄2 cup raisins, chopped dates, or currants
1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned are fine; include their juice)
1⁄2 cup bulgur
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

method:
1. Put the beans and the liquid in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Adjust the heat so the mixture barely bubbles.

2. Meanwhile, put the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet. Cook, turning and rotating as necessary, until it’s brown on both sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the chicken to the pot of beans.

3. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from the skillet. Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, raisins, and tomato; cook and stir just long enough to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the mixture to the beans and adjust the heat so the mixture returns to a gentle bubble.

4. Cover the pot and cook, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture is bubbling gently, for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir the bulgur into the bottom of the pot; it should be covered with about 1 inch of liquid. If not, add more water. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and the bulgur is done, another 10 to 15 minutes. Serve each chicken thigh with a big spoonful of the chickpea mixture and garnish with parsley.

Braised Artichokes: get thee to the farmer's market!

I just came across this recipe in Mark Bittman's "Minimalist" column on the NYT site today (plus watch a video of the ever entertaining Bitty making the dish). This is the first time I've ever posted a recipe without first making it, but this is so simple and reads so perfectly that I can't imagine it not being delicious. Plus Bittman has built up a pretty good credibility reservoir in my consciousness. So if you're looking for inspiration as to what to grab at the weekend farmer's markets around you, a half-dozen or so fresh artichokes might be just the thing to add to your list.

As always, thanks to the NYT for letting me "borrow" another picture (this one by staff photog Evan Sung). It made my mouth water just looking at it!
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Braised Artichokes
from Mark Bittman/NY Times
time: 45 minutes

ingredients:
4 medium artichokes
4 tablespoons butter ( 1/2 stick)
1 cup chicken stock, or more as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon.

method:
1. Cut each of the artichokes in half; remove the toughest outer leaves,
use a spoon to remove the choke, and trim the bottom.

2. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep skillet over
medium-high heat. When it melts and foam subsides, add artichokes, cut side
down. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add stock (it should come
about halfway up the sides of the artichokes), bring to a boil, and cover;
turn heat to medium-low. Cook for about 20 minutes or until tender, checking
every 5 or 10 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan, adding
more stock as necessary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and transfer
artichokes to serving platter.

3. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid
is reduced to a sauce. Stir in lemon zest and juice and remaining tablespoon
butter; taste and adjust seasoning. Serve artichokes drizzled with sauce.

Yield: 4 servings.

Pan Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad, because you care about others!

In my continuing effort to rid your pantries of those pesky piles of excessive seasonal produce and give you fabulously satisfying reasons to spend quality time in your kitchens, may I supply you with another recipe that I guarantee will draw admiring looks and choice compliments from those lucky enough to share it with you. This isn't something you share with just anyone. This is for people you really, really like. And when their tongues are hanging out of their mouths in astonishment and they are begging for the recipe, you absolutely DO NOT want to tell them how ridiculously easy this was to throw together. Just promise to print out the recipe when you get a chance and then conveniently "forget". You may be asking "well then why are you sharing it?" Because I am a great humanitarian who is filled with nothing but altruistic impulses and cares for nothing more than your happiness, that's why! Geez, have you read anything I've posted??

Okay, this isn't just about me being so nice. Actually it is more about Mark Bittman's altruistic impulses and way with an easy food fix, as I grabbed the recipe off of the New York Times site. So with that disclaimer, and with everything (almost) you need at your local farmers markets right now, this is the side salad you MUST SERVE this holiday weekend! Happy Labor day everyone!!
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Pan-Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad
from Mark Bittman

ingredients:
1/4 pound bacon, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
4 to 6 ears corn, stripped of their kernels (2 to 3 cups)
Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste
2 cups cored and chopped tomatoes
1 medium ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
2 fresh small chilies, like Thai, seeded and minced
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, more or less.

The bacon and corn commingling in a most holy union!

method:
1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to render fat; add onion and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes, then add corn. Continue cooking, stirring or shaking pan occasionally, until corn begins to brown a bit, about 5 more minutes; remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Drain fat if you wish.

2. Put lime juice in a large bowl and add bacon-corn mixture; then toss with remaining ingredients. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings.

Food news to satisfy your curious appetite!

In case you need it, here's a pretty good dim sum primer from an article in the SF Chronicle that also lists some of their choice Bay Area dim sum restaurants. If you don't know your har gau from your gai lan, check it out!
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Also from the SF Chronicle's "Kitchen Essentials" series, a list of Ten Pantry Essentials. The whole series of articles, which have included the "Top Ten Cooking Techniques" and a list of kitchen tools. In the essential pantry item list, I have to admit I might not have thought of using fish sauce in my Caesar dressing if I was out of anchovies. They also offer substitutes for their choices in case the ones the are pimping are hard to find. The whole series is a really great resource, and only reminds me of how pathetic the food section of our PDX paper, The Oregonian, is.
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From my fave cocktail columnist Jason Wilson in the Washington Post, a timely piece on Tiki cocktails, perfect for the warm weather ahead and its accompanying outdoor beverage enjoyment, with several recipes you can expect to see me post about.....soon! You can bet JW's Zombie and Mai Tai are both in my future this summer!!
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Is there no end to the fabulous food inspiration from Mark Bittman's Bitten Blog at the NY Times site? Greek nachos, anyone? Hell yes!
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I'm also dying to make food scientist Harold McGee's yogurt and crème fraiche. Two things you can easily buy at the store, but seem so much better (and interesting) if I make them in my own kitchen.
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Skirts, hangers, flatirons, flanks. In these leaner times it's time for leaner (and less expensive) cuts of cow. This article from the Los Angeles Times has some good tips on how to get your money's worth and cook 'em right so you won't even miss those more expensive New York's and rib eyes. Well, you still might miss them, but your wallet will feel better!

And I thought I KNEW you!!

You know how devastating it is when you've established a relationship with someone, a person you thought you could trust COMPLETELY, and then there is....an INCIDENT. I had that happen to me recently and I'm struggling to get over it. But since bloggers are supposed to put themselves out there, I'll look at this as cheap therapy. I'm a little uncomfortable talking about him....oh, did I mention it's a man?...but to save others from blindly falling for his charms, here it is......
The "he" in this story is none other than Mark Bittman, he of NYT and Minimalist fame. You know, Mr. "How to Cook Everything". I've had a string of successes following his advice, to the point where I read his baking instructions for this Lemon-Poppyseed pound cake, and even though I couldn't believe he'd bake a loaf cake that long, as in one hour and 15 minutes long, I suspended disbelief, because Mark wouldn't possibly let me down. Surely he made this several times in his own kitchen before committing it to print, right? Or at least one of his assistants who actually did the testing would have said "Excuse me, Mr. Minimalist, maybe we should cut back the oven time on this bad boy because this is one dry motherfucking pound cake." But apparently no one dared question his eminence, although when I put it in the oven I dialed back the timer by ten minutes. Even that didn't save the cake from being slightly dried out with a thicker than desired crusty edge (although truth be told the crusty edge was pretty damn tasty). So here is the corrected version, which I, wiser but with rose colored glasses in pieces on the kitchen floor, present for your enjoyment.....
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Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake
adapted from "How to Cook Everything"

ingredients:
9 oz. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter softened
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
1-1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 cup poppyseeds

method:
1-Preheat oven to 350*. Butter a 9"x5" loaf pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

2- In a mixing bowl cream butter with mixer. Add about half the sugar and combine well. Add rest of sugar and combine. Then beat in egg yolks one at a time. Add dry ingredients and mix in by hand. Add lemon juice and zest. Beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks and fold by hand into butter mixture with the poppyseeds, combining completely.

3-Spread batter into loaf pan. Insert onto middle rack in oven. Bake until toothpick stuck into middle comes out clean. Start checking at around 45 minutes. When done remove from oven and let cool for five minutes. Carefully invert onto plate, then gently turn over once more onto serving dish.
##### ##### #####
one year ago today @ E.D.T.: things you need to know in Life is Meals!

Not just something you want.

No, if you're like me, it's something you need. I always feel like somewhat of a tool whenever I get the chocolate craving. I'm one of those who LOVES all things cocoa-fied. It almost seems too easy, too unoriginal. But nothing satisfies like a nice, smooth, sensual spoonful of mousse or panna cotta (that's why my experience at Simpatica was so crushing), or even an old-school dish of chocolate pudding. Chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream slathered in Hershey's syrup, dark chocolate bars. You get where I'm going....or maybe where I'm from? That's why this little dish of chocolate mousse from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" is so nice. A quick, all-too-easy dessert to throw together for your next dinner party that will have your friends acting like giddy little kids. We had six people and there was enough left over for everyone to have a small second portion if they want...and they will!
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Chocolate Mousse
from How to Cook Everything

I also topped this with chopped roasted pistachios which added a perfect salty-nutty counterpoint. I got the already roasted and shelled pistachios at Trader Joe's.-bb

ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

method:
1- use a double boiler or a small saucepan over low heat to melt the butter and chocolate together. Just before the chocolate finishes melting, remove it from the stove and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.

2- transfer the chocolate mixture to a bowl and beat in egg yolks with a whisk. Refrigerate.

3- beat the egg whites with half the sugar until they hold stiff peaks but are not dry. Set aside. Beat the cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks.

4- stir a couple of spoonfuls of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it a bit, then fold in the remaining whites thoroughly but gently. Fold in the cream and refrigerate until chilled. If you are in a hurry, divide the mousse among six cups; it will chill much faster. Serve within a day or two of making.

Turnips...more f*cking turnips??!

I've never joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) program, where you get weekly shipments of produce from a local farm. I always knew I would wilt faster than a bunch of kale under the pressure of having to use all those vegetables. Apparently I'm not the only one. Slate contributor Catherine Price has an entertaining piece about her own CSA trauma over what to do with all the late-winter veggies....the turnips, kale, parsley...that were rotting away in the fridge. It helps when you can turn to Mark Bittman and Green's Restaurant founder Deborah Madison. For those of you who may be suffering your own collard calamties, this is worth reading just to hear her coin the term, in reference to America's new found sense of localized eating, how we are becoming "Michael Pollan-ated".

Dungeness Crab Cakes a la Bittman!

It is crazy how lucky I am to live in a place where the world's greatest crab is available at insanely cheap prices. w and I tend to get that "I have to have it...now!" glint in our eyes with ever increasing regularity during the cold weather months when our Dungeness crabs are at the peak of their delicious powers. Usually when the "need" strikes we'll head up to ABC Seafood on SE Powell and have them yank a couple of unlucky specimens out of their hot tub-sized holding tanks and take them home, all the while listening to them clawing futilely to escape their paper sack in the back seat. Which is actually kind of creepy to listen to...something you know that has these sharp pinchy claws and is probably really pissed off making this "scratch...scraaatch" sound right behind you while you drive, like they're going to jump up and grab you from behind..."You think I'm going into that pot of boiling water, asshole? Guess again!"

But this time there was no such fear as our local QFC market had already-boiled crabs on sale for a measly $4.99 a pound. $4.99!! As soon as I saw their ad, I knew crab cakes were shortly to follow. We LOVE crab cakes. So savory, so delicious, and if you follow Mark Bittman's perfect recipe, so easy! These are all about the crab, with very little filler to distract you from the whole point of your efforts: to eat some kick ass crab! With our Dungeness crab cakes, I don't make any sauce, just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is all I want. This recipe makes six really good sized crab cakes, so if you can restrain yourself you'll each have one left for breakfast the next day (I had mine with a poached egg...yum)!
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Dungeness Crab Cakes
adapted from How to Cook Everything
time: 20 minutes plus refrigeration time

ingredients:
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat (make sure all cartilage is removed)
1 egg
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/2 cup scallion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs, or as needed
about 1 cup flour for dredging
1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
2 tablespoons peanut, olive, or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter (or use all oil)
lemon wedges for garnish

method:
1-Mix together crabmeat, egg, bell pepper, scallion, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add sufficient bread crumbs to bind the mixture just enough to form into cakes. Start with two tablespoons and use more if you need it.

2-Refrigerate the mixture until you are ready to use it (it will be easier to shape if you refrigerate it for 30 minutes or more, but is ready to go when you finish mixing)

3-Season flour with salt, pepper (and curry if you like). Preheat a large skillet, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the oil and butter and heat until the butter foam subsides. Shape the crabmeat into six cakes, carefully dredge each in the flour, and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary and turning once (very gently), until golden brown on both sides. Total cooking time will be about ten minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

The King is dead, long live the King!!

Until a few years ago I used to think that ketchup was the undisputed King of Condiments. Heinz ruled the tomatoey kingdom (and still does as far as all things ketchup go). But times change, and with my ever expanding world view (to go with my equally expanding waistline), I am now an Aioli Advocate.

Garlicky mayonnaise. Is anything simpler, or more versatile in the condiment firmament? On burgers, with grilled fish, shrimp, veggies. Dipping french fries. Yum!! Plus it takes well to riffing, as the following will attest. Add a few spices into your mix, and you can tailor it to suit any edible exploring that may be happening. I did this particular Smoked Paprika Aioli to go with some sautéed shrimp and fried okra poppers (I'll post those as soon as I get them just right...I'm very close) I was feeding my friends for an app course before a recent dinner party. It was fantastic, and received glowing reviews. And sure, you could make your own aioli from scratch, and I have and it's actually even better, but I agree with Bittman, there's nothing wrong with using a Best Foods (or Heileman's, depending on your geographic location) base. Follow this or do your own take. So good!
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Smoked Paprika (Pimenton) Aioli
adapted from Mark Bittman/How to Cook Everything

This would also be an awesome condiment with the Spanish Roast Halibut mentioned at the bottom of this post, which is divine!

ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)
1-1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic, or to taste

method (now read this carefully, because it gets REALLY complicated):
1- Mix all the ingredients together.

Wow, can you believe you made something so complicated? Take that, Keller!
This actually improved given an hour or two in the fridge, and will last several days for further enjoyment.
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: Happy Holidays with this incredible Standing Rib Roast with Rosemary-Thyme Crust

Shrimp, His Way

The "His" referring to the master of simple deliciousness, Mark Bittman (who in his
"How To Cook Everything" calls it Shrimp, My Way). I made this recipe out of the book last night for some friends as a quick appetizer, and it received much praise and even a couple of "oohs" and "aahs". Try it at your next gathering (it would be perfect at a tapas party), preferably washed down with copious amounts of dry rosé like in the pic!
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Shrimp, My Way
from Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything"

ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 or 5 big cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1-1/2 to 2 pounds shrimp, 20-30 count, peeled, rinsed, and dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
minced parsley leaves for garnish (optional)

method:
1-Preheat broiler and set rack as closely as possible to heat

2- Very gently, in a broad, oven-proof skillet, warm the oil over low heat. There should be enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan; don't skimp. Put the garlic in the oil and cook over low heat until it starts to turn golden.

3- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp, salt and pepper, cumin, and paprika. Stir to blend and immediately place under the broiler. Cook, shaking the pan once or twice and stirring if necessary, but generally leave the shrimp undisturbed, until they are pink all over and the mixture is bubbly. This will take from 5-10 minutes. Garnish and serve immediately.
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: Cooking Up a Story at Gaining Ground Farms!

Pasta With White Sausage Sauce...how so few can give so much!

We had this super simple, light yet really satisfying pasta the other night that really drives home the point that a few well placed ingredients can combine to produce something really special. I saw it on Mark Bittman's bittenblog at the NYT site. It defines his whole minimalsit ethos. I added some baby spinach to the recipe because it seemed it needed a little extra lift, and it worked perfectly. Arugula would also give it a nice peppery lift. If you ever want to make something quick that I promise the whole family will get with, this is it!

Sorry about the lame-ass photo. I was so hungry that night I just kind of dumped and shot!
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Pasta With White Sausage Sauce
adapted from Mark Bittman/ The New York Times
yield 4 servings
time 20 minutes

Mark Bittman's summary: "You can make this sauce stronger or more complex by adding a touch of minced garlic to the butter as it melts, or by using wine -- especially red wine -- as the liquid." (I used red wine and it was perfect! I was worried it might be too "winey", but it combined beautifully. -bb)

ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage (if using link sausage, remove it from the casing)
1/2 cup water, white wine or red wine
1 pound cut pasta like ziti
2 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and drained
1/2 cup or more freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

2. Put the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. As it melts, crumble the sausage meat into it, making the bits quite small, 1/2 inch or less. Add the liquid, and adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers gently.

3. Cook the pasta until it is tender but not at all mushy. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

4. Drain the pasta, and dress with the sauce, adding a little of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary. Toss with spinach, salt, pepper and Parmesan, and serve. Variations: There are a couple of ways you can make this sauce stronger or more complex. A touch of minced garlic added to the butter as it melts helps a lot. A handful of parsley thrown in at the last minute contributes freshness and color. Another interesting twist is to use wine — especially red wine — as the liquid. The wine's astringency perfectly offsets the sweet richness of butter and meat.

Cook's note: Bittman called for ziti pasta. I would use regular penne rigate or farfalle instead the next time. The ziti's smooth surface did nothing to hold the light sauce.

Big Mac, hold the isotopes, please!

I admit to eating a couple if Big Macs a year. And yes, I read Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, so I do so with a certain amount of guilt and shame. But I may finally be forced to go cold turkey(burger?) and give them up for good, especially after reading this article on Forbes website that I was alerted to on Mark Bittman's bitten blog about what exactly may be in that 100% all beef patty. Ah, McDonald's, we had a good run, but I'm afraid it's over. It's not me, it's you!

Trip Planning: Seattle

Thanks to my sis for forwarding this link from NYT columnist Mark Bittman's blog (always an entertaining and appetite inspiring read) that somehow I missed. I get up there a couple of times a year, and it's always good to have the insight. In case you have any Seattle travel plans, knowledge is not only power, it is a full and happy tummy!

photo from New York Times

Lamb, figs, and fire? Bring it on!

Lamb, figs, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, fire......what's not to like?? If you think I'm not running to the market tomorrow to buy my lamb shoulder to recreate this Mark Bittman recipe from Wednesday's NY Times, you would be sadly mistaken. Check it out.....I dare you not to salivate in anticipation!

photo from NY Times

Chocolate Mousse...deliciously cliché!

Does everyone have a sweet tooth like mine? God, I hope not, or all you'll see are these obese, sugar-laden bodies lurching down your street, glazed over eyes searching out that next sugar fix. Any morsel of chocolate dropped by some careless child. Begging old ladies for that linty piece of hard candy they all carry in the pockets of their wooly sweaters....ewww, wait, that goes too far...sorry. But I think you get my point, and the other night we had just the thing that would give any sugar...or chocolate...junkie their fix. Don't be giving me any of your "how cliché" sass either, because well-made chocolate mousse never disappoints. Especially when it is this easy, and this good. It seriously took less than 25 minutes start to finish, not counting a little fridge time to set all that chocolatey goodness up. This was a recipe from NY Times food columnist Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything", which is becoming one of our go-to resources for good, quick, well-thought out recipe ideas. So far he's pretty much batting a hundred, and I'd recommend this as must-have for any cooking library. The mousse itself was perfectly light, decadently rich with the perfect chocolate hit, and each bite was accompanied by much moaning and eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-the-head satisfaction. You need more than that? Go ask grandma for some hard candy!
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Chocolate Mousse
from How to Cook Everything

ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

method:
1- use a double boiler or a small saucepan over low heat to melt the butter and chocolate together. Just before the chocolate finishes melting, remove it from the stove and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.

2- transfer the chocolate mixture to a bowl and beat in egg yolks with a whisk. Refrigerate.

3- beat the egg whites with half the sugar until they hold stiff peaks but are not dry. Set aside. Beat the cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks.

4- stir a couple of spoonfuls of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it a bit, then fold in the remaining whites thoroughly but gently. Fold in the cream and refrigerate until chilled. If you are in a hurry, divide the mousse among six cups; it will chill much faster. Serve within a day or two of making.

Pernil...aka pork shoulder love!

Not to go all Apocalypse Now on you, but I love it when people get all shot up, blood splatters all over the landscape, and general emotional and physical mayhem ensues.........oh, wait, what I meant to say is "I loooove the smell of pork in the evening". Especially a huge honking chunk of pork product slowly roasting in the oven . In this case the star of my little production was an 8-1/2 pound piece of bone-in pork shoulder, and it turned out to be everything Mark Bittman promised in a recent NYT article. Thank god Marlon Brando wasn't around to shove it all in his gaping maw.


The pernil after (top left) and before cooking (left), all rubbed up and ready to go.









The occasion for this big bit of hog heaven (and tiresome cinematic references) was my sis's birthday dinner, which she kindly consented to let me cook for her. I already had my main course agenda planted in my mind ever since reading Bittman's story about a dish called Pernil, which is Puerto Rican spice rubbed, slow roasted pork shoulder. As soon as I read about it (and watched this video), I knew I had to make it....and soon! I really do love large hunks of animal, and luckily I have a large number of enablers who are always more than willing to help me explore this passion. With side dishes consisting of Puerto Rican rice and a bacalao and onion salad (which were both perfectly stunning accompaniments) provided by our friends J&K, this was can't miss. Although I had never cooked this particular meatiness before, I had to believe Bittman's comment that "the process is beyond easy and incredibly impressive, it feeds as many people as a medium-size ham, and the flavor is unbelievable." And it was. Crazy tender, succulent, beautifully flavored from the spice schmear and the fat that had been rendering into the meat for the six hours it spent in the oven. I don't care if I ever see another lean, bland pork loin, because it doesn't even come close to the flavor of the shoulder. Plus, our 8.5 pound piece of piggy cost a mere $17.00!! The bang for the food buck is off the charts. For those of you who have a hard time accepting compliments, this might not be your dish. But for those who love the lotion like me, try this at home next time you have a table of six or eight waiting to be wowed, and let the food love wash all over your deserving ego.

J's fab Puerto Rican rice with sneaky bits of pork loin!







Oh, and did I mention the wine we had with dinner? No? Well, wait until tomorrow.......
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Pernil
from Mark Bittman/NYT
Time: At least 4 hours

ingredients:
1 pork shoulder, 4 to 8+ pounds (or use fresh ham)
4 or more cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion, quartered
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho or other mild chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil as needed
1 tablespoon wine or cider vinegar
Lime wedges for serving.

method:
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Score meat’s skin with a sharp knife, making a cross-hatch pattern. Pulse garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, chili, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty. (Alternatively, mash ingredients in a mortar and pestle.) Blend in the vinegar.

2. Rub this mixture well into pork, getting it into every nook and cranny. Put pork in a roasting pan and film bottom with water. Roast pork for several hours (a 4-pound shoulder may be done in 3 hours), turning every hour or so and adding more water as necessary, until meat is very tender. Finish roasting with the skin side up until crisp, raising heat at end of cooking if necessary.

3. Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up; meat should be so tender that cutting it into uniform slices is almost impossible; rather, whack it up into chunks. Serve with lime.

Yield: At least 6 servings.

Feeling Crabby

Not to rub it in, but I feel for all of you poor, hungry eaters who live in other parts of the country, because every year about this time I get pretty fucking smug about the fact that I can buy one of the greatest treats in the entire food world, something that is so sweet, succulent, and entirely too delicious for a mere $3.99 a pound at our local markets. What could it possible be, that envelopes me in feelings of peace, joy, and gustatory well-being? The only possible answer is Dungeness Crab season here in the NW.

w and I live for this time of year. She get positively giddy at the prospect of breaking apart their reddish -pink boiled little bodies to get at the sweetly satisfying meat inside. Crab eaters fall into two camps. w and I happen to personify this dichotomous eating style. There are your crab cleaners who eat as they go (w), who can't wait for that first bite. Then there are your crab cleaners who have just enough self control who don't eat as they go (bb) so they end with a nice big pile of crab at the end that they can shovel into their mouths at will.

Whichever flavor of crab eater you are, make sure you leave enough crab at the end to make these absolutely wonderful crab cakes from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything". Unlike most restaurant crab cakes that rely on fillers where it's like eating bread with a minute bit of crab, these are almost pure, unadulterated crab eating joyfulness, with just a bit of chopped seasonings, mayo, a tiny bit of bread crumbs, and egg as binder to hold them together. With some gentle handling through the cooking process, you'll end up with some crispy, perfect rounds of seasonal seafood perfection.********************

Crab Cakes
adapted from How to Cook Everything
time: 20 minutes plus refrigeration time

ingredients:
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat (make sure all cartilage is removed)
1 egg
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/2 cup scallion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs, or as needed
about 1 cup flour for dredging
1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
2 tablespoons peanut, olive, or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter (or use all oil)
lemon wedges for garnish

method:
1-Mix together crabmeat, egg, bell pepper, scallion, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add sufficient bread crumbs to bind the mixture just enough to form into cakes. Start with two tablespoons and use more if you need it.

2-Refrigerate the mixture until you are ready to use it (it will be easier to shape if you refrigerate it for 30 minutes or more, but is ready to go when you finish mixing)

3-Season flour with salt, pepper (and curry if you like). Preheat a large skillet, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the oil and butter and heat until the butter foam subsides. Shape the crabmeat into six cakes, carefully dredge each in the flour, and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary and turning once (very gently), until golden brown on both sides. Total cooking time will be about ten minutes. Seve with lemon wedges.

Primed for Roast Beef!

There must be some group think going on out there when it comes to holiday dinners. It seems everyone I talk to is doing standing rib roasts (aka prime rib roasts). It used to be you'd see a lot of ham or turkey thrown into the mix, but now everyone wants to get their cow on for Christmas. I was there last year, but this year I'm taking a different tack because my resourceful sis has found me a turducken for Christmas which I have always wanted to experience in a hands on. I'll let you know how that mysterious chicken-in-a-duck-in-a-turkey combo turns out next week.

But if you've decided to jump on the standing rib roast wagon, then you might want to be checking the following recipe out. w and I had some friends over last Sunday, and I had been jonesing to make a prime rib roast, so I did a little research and found this awesome and preparation on epicurious that couldn't have been easier or more delicious. I made a couple of adjustments to it, and the meat was rocking. Perfectly crisp crust on the outside and spectacularly medium-rare throughout. We had the requisite garlic mashers to help soak up the accompanying gravy, and did the called for roast veggies from the recipe. They sucked, so I've included a braised carrot recipe that w made the other night that I think would be perfect. Beef-O-Rama. Anyone??!
********************

Standing Rib Roast with Rosemary-Thyme Crust
adapted from epicurious
makes 8 servings

an herb crust and special Zinfandel sauce give new meaning to the word flavorful.

ingredients
1 9- to 9 1/2-pound standing beef rib roast (about 4 ribs), all but thin layer of fat trimmed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups Zinfandel Beef Stock (recipe below)

method
Place beef, fat side up, in large shallow roasting pan or on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper. Spread mustard all over beef. Mix rosemary and thyme in small bowl; sprinkle over beef and press lightly to adhere. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Position rack just below center of oven and preheat to 500°F. Roast beef uncovered 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 320°F. Roast beef for approximately 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Roast beef until thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125°F for medium-rare. Transfer beef to platter; tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Discard all but two or three tablespoons of the drippings from roasting pan. Place pan over 2 burners on stove top over medium heat. Add butter to pan and melt. Add flour; whisk until smooth and just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Whisk in stock. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve beef with the sauce on the side.

Zinfandel Beef Stock
It's worth the extra effort to make this rich stock; the slow-simmered taste produces a sauce that far exceeds any made with canned beef broth.
Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 to 4 pounds meaty beef bones (such as neck bones, beef back ribs, or crosscut beef shank)
2 cups chopped onions
2/3 cup chopped carrots
2/3 cup chopped celery
3 quarts cold water
1 cup Zinfandel or other hearty red wine
4 large fresh thyme sprigs
3 large fresh parsley sprigs
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

method
Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef bones; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until deep brown, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bones to bowl. Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot. Sauté until deep brown, about 10 minutes. Return bones and any juices to pot. Add 3 quarts cold water, wine, and next 3 ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 3 1/2 cups liquid, about 4 hours. Strain stock into bowl. If making ahead, refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.) Spoon off fat before using stock.

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Quick Braised Carrots with Butter
from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything"
makes 4 servings
time: about 20 minutes

*Bittman says it is best with butter, but still delicious with oil.

ingredients:
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" thick slices
2 tbsp butter or 1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp maple syrup or 1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley, mint, chervil, or cilantro leaves for garnish

method
1-Place carrots, butter (or oil), water, syrup (or sugar), salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil and cover. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for five minutes.

2-Uncover and raise the heat a bit. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are cooking in butter and oil. Lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, a couple of minutes longer.

3-Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then garnish and serve.

Savory starts and sweet finishes!

So we had these people over Sunday who were there to chow down on some rocking good, home-style meatloaf (see post below) during our anti-turkey dinner party, but you can't just throw some slabs of meat down on the plate with a couple of sides and call it good. Well, maybe you can, but not in our world. Besides, the more courses we serve, the more good bottles of wine we can open! With that in mind, both w and I came up with our own value-added contributions to go with the Good Eats Meatloaf....a before and after course...to keep the party going.

I love good soup, and am always on the lookout for something different, interesting, and if it's easy, especially on a night when people are coming over, all the better. This recipe from the New York Times' food writer Mark Bittman seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I've never had, much less made, an apple soup, but the combination of apple and fennel sounded too intriguing to pass up. This was also incredibly easy to put together, and with a couple of modifications to the original recipe, way delicious!

In the soup...warm, silky smooth goodness!








w was in charge of the after diner portion of our night of over-indulgence, and she had her eye on a very seasonal pumpkin mousse. When it comes to dessert, I've already stated that I am a huge "cake guy". But then there really aren't too many desserts that I won't get with. Being a fan of all sweet things served in ramekins, though, this one sounded too good....and it was! Not too heavy, with that light, fluffy, um....moussey texture. It was a perfect finish to the evening, especially served with a big ginger cookie.

Pumpkin mousse....like pudding, only better!









These were both fantastic, and again, SO easy. Big wow factor with minimal effort....the perfect dinner party equation!

********************

Apple-Fennel Soup
adapted from Mark Bittman

ingredients:
3 apples (Granny Smith, Winesap, Cameo or Cortland)
1 medium-size fennel bulb, stems removed, diced
1 shallot, sliced
2 small inner stems celery, with leaves
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 2/3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 oz. sweet Italian sausage

method:
1. Peel and core 2 1/2 apples and place in 3-quart saucepan with fennel, shallot, celery, stock, wine, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, until all are tender.

2. Meanwhile, core and finely dice remaining half apple, toss with half the lemon juice, cover tightly or seal in a sandwich bag and set aside.

3. Put sausage into small skillet, crumble and brown until slightly crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.

4. Purée contents of saucepan in a blender; return to pot. Whisk in remaining lemon juice, cream and mustard. Bring to a simmer, check seasonings and serve, with diced apple and a few bits of crumbled sausage, garnishing each portion.

Yield: 6 servings.

# # # # # # # #

Pumpkin Mousse
recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman/FoodTV

ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Ginger snaps, for garnish

method:
Combine pumpkin, 1 cup cream, sugar and spice in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cool fully.

Whip remaining heavy cream and vanilla to soft peaks and fold into cooled pumpkin mixture. Pour into a serving dish and crumble the ginger snaps over top before serving.

Give me a fish......

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life" is an old Chinese proverb. Give me a fish from ABC Seafood out on SE Powell Boulevard here in PDX, and I'll like a king for a night, and as long as ABC keeps in touch with those who do the fishing for them, the rest of my life looks pretty sweet!

I saw the following recipe for crispy sea bass in Mark Bittman's book "How To Cook Everything". I had never attempted to crisp a fish of any kind, so in the interest of broadening my horizons while at the same time satisfying my constant hunger, I headed out to ABC, where they had a perfectly fresh specimen that they thoughtfully cleaned and scaled for me, because as much as I like to play with my food, the idea of pulling out fish entrails and having fish scales flying around my kitchen wasn't too appealing. Besides, the woman at ABC did in about two minutes what would have been for me an endeavor that would have completely demoralized me while at the same time hacking apart this beautiful piece if piscine goodness.

So here it is. A very easy, satisfying dinner with no emotional trauma involved. Just the way I like it!
********************

Crispy Sea Bass with Garlic-Ginger Sauce
From Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything"

Time: 30 minutes

ingredients
Vegetable oil as needed
2 black sea bass, each about one pound, gutted and scaled with heads and tails left on (I used one 1-1/2# fish for the two of us, which was plenty- BB)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon peeled and minced or grated ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Minced cilantro leaves for garnish

method
1- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetable oil to a depth of 1/8", more or less.When the oil shimmers, put the fish in it. Cook, undisturbed, for about 8 minutes on the first side. Turn carefully.
2- As the fish is cooking, heat the peanut oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to color. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and keep warm.
3- Cook the fish 6-8 minutes on the second side. It is done when the flesh offers little resistance to a knife or chopstick; if in doubt, peek next to a bone- the flesh should be opaque.
4- Remove fish to plate(s), drizzle with sauce, garnish, and serve immediately.