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A New Favorite Food Blog – “My Social Chef”

October 21, 2010 by Katherine

Photo: My Social Chef

I was conducting my morning ritual, making my way around the wonderful world of the web in order to catch up on the news and ascertain just what kind of day I was likely to have (the weather forecast, my horoscope, potential writing projects, newly published books to add to my ever-increasing list of books to read), when, on The Daily Beast, I came across a Hungry Beast post for “The Perfect Roast Chicken.”  It caught my attention.  I’ve roasted only a few chickens to date, and I would never claim that they were “perfect,” so I wanted to see what the contributing writer, Petrit Husenaj, recommended – a simple, easy, must-try it technique.  I wondered, who exactly is Mr. Husenaj?

Turns out he is a writer and the creator of the food blog My Social Chef.  I bit.  What is a social chef and what is his story?  Well, it also turns out that he has a rather interesting story – he’s an adman turned cook, caterer, and party-throwing aficionado – and he’s rather good at telling stories as well.

My Social Chef … you had me at the “Fig, Eggplant And Feta Cheese Salad.”  No need to have gone on with Foie Gras French Toast and Zucchini Blossoms (the photo of which looks exactly like my grandmother used to make them).  And that’s just the first page of the blog.  Page two tempted me with Rock Shrimp With Cilantro Pasta, the photo of which made it look so appetizing I am willing to commit to the use of heavy cream in its preparation.

Each recipe is introduced by My Social Chef with a charming anecdote.  Foie Gras French Toast?  The result of his recent foie gras obsession and a sale on Gilt Groupe.  The fig salad?  His doctor’s recommendation to avoid stress and the urge to eat unhealthy food when traveling through insane airports.  And he provides entertaining (both the noun and the adjective) Tips: for Music (intimate dinner? cocktail party? casual dinner?), Booze, Clean-Up, and more.

My Social Chef is now in rotation.

Posted in Novel Suggestions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Ode to Yogurt

October 20, 2010 by Katherine

Photo: The Healthy Apron

That I am a fan of yogurt is not a shock to those who know me; it’s on my list of Food I Love — twice — breakfast and lunch, done up two different ways (on different days, of course).

Fitness Magazine published an informative piece titled, “10 Surprising Health Benefits of Yogurt.”  These benefits include: flatter abs courtesy of calcium; a strengthened immune system from good-for-you bacteria; high blood pressure prevention from the potassium; and red blood cell and nervous system maintenance provided by vitamin B12.  Check out the article for the other six, as well as a list of their Favorite Yogurts.

As for what to look for when choosing a yogurt, keep in mind that not all yogurts are created equal, and some can actually do more harm than good.  The Healthy Apron has a great post on How to Pick A Healthy Yogurt.  In a nutshell, you want to make sure that you’re not ingesting too much sugar (many of the fruit-in and flavored yogurts are high in sugar content – more than 20 grams of fat per 6-ounce serving) or too much fat (eschew the full-fat offerings for lower-fat varieties – less than 3.5 grams of fat per 6-ounce serving).

I tend to go for 1% Plain, organic if I can find it.  You can always sweeten it up with a little honey or agave nectar (the latest healthy sweetener).  I like to squeeze the juice that’s left from half a grapefruit to give it some extra flavor.  Add your favorite fruits, nuts, seeds, granola, whatever is appealing.

An added bonus?  If you’re really in a jam (i.e. the jar of mayonnaise has seen its last scrape), plain yogurt will do its part hold together a decent tuna sandwich (with a little red onion, salt and pepper).

If you’re not already eating yogurt, try including it in your daily menu a couple of times a week.  Your body will thank you.

Eat well!

Posted in Tip of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Mark Bittman Swears – This is the Best Vegetable Soup Recipe, Ever

October 13, 2010 by Katherine

Photo: FreeDigitalPhoto.net

The air is cooler now.  It readies me for Sunday afternoons spent cooking up a pot of something, the aroma filling the apartment, heaven.

I was casting about for a new vegetable soup recipe when, as luck would have it, Mark Bittman appeared on the Today Show with what he claims is The best vegetable soup ever, no kidding.  I’ve included the recipe below.   He also prepared a chunky Roasted butternut chowder with apple and bacon.  Both recipes are from Bittman’s new tome, “The Food Matters Cookbook: 500 Revolutionary Recipes for Better Living.”

Like the Tuscan Ribollita that I posted back in March, these soups are not merely a starter, they’re a meal.  Do as Mark Bittman suggests in the segment, add a hunk of good, crusty bread and a glass a fruity red wine, and call it dinner.

Buon appetito!

Recipe: The best vegetable soup ever, no kidding

Mark Bittman, New York Times columnist and author of “The Food Matters Cookbook”

Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup olive oil, more or less
  • 2 onions, peeled and chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch parsley, washed and chopped, thick stems discarded
  • 2 or 3 cabbage leaves, chopped
  • 1 bunch chard, preferably white, washed and chopped
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 3 to 4 cups cooked white beans, like cannelloni, with their liquid if possible
Preparation

Put about a third of the olive oil in the bottom of a deep pot and turn the heat to medium.

Add half the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, which takes about 10 minutes.

Add about half of the remaining oil and repeat the process, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.

Add the remaining oil with the parsley, cabbage and chard and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is softened but not browned.

Add the tomato paste and stir.

Mash the beans so that they’re about half mashed and half more-or-less whole. Add this mixture to the pot, along with any bean cooking liquid and enough water to make the whole mixture stewy but not watery.

Continue cooking, tasting and adjusting the seasoning as necessary, until all the vegetables are very tender and the soup is hot. Serve hot or warm.

Serving Size

Makes about 10 servings

 

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

The Meyer Lemon

October 5, 2010 by Katherine

I made a quick trip to Whole Foods Market yesterday and, while in the produce section, I happened to notice what I first thought was an orange, but then realized was a lemon, a Meyer lemon, to be exact.  According to Wikipedia:

The Meyer lemon (Citrus × meyeri) is a citrus fruit native to China thought to be a cross between a true lemon and either a mandarin or common orange. It was introduced to the United States in 1908 as S.P.I. #23028[1] by the agricultural explorer Frank Nicholas Meyer, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture who collected a sample of the plant on a trip to China.[2]

The Meyer Lemon

Having heard of, but never having actually tasted, one (at least that I am aware of), I purchased a few.  I cut a wedge, sniffed, then took a bite.  It smelled and tasted of lemon and orange.  It was both tart and sweet.  It was… unexpected.  I squeezed the lemon, and drizzled some olive oil, on a spinach salad with salmon, tomato, and red onion (citrus helps with the absorption of iron in the spinach).  I’ll do it again.  Lemons, along with the other citrus fruits, have significant health benefits.

So, what’s the best way to take advantage of the unusual qualities?  SheKnows.com has an excellent article on the lemon, which includes the Top 20 Uses for Meyer Lemons:  infuse olive oil with Meyer lemon juice and use for dipping bread; make a Meyer lemon martini; try chocolate Meyer lemon pudding; and roast potatoes with thick Meyer lemons wedges on top.

They have a great recipe for Meyer Lemon Risotto.  And I found two recipes for Meyer lemon cake.  One from Saveur, claiming to be The Best Damn Meyer Lemon Cake.  I have to admit, the use of butter, dried bread crumbs, and blanched almonds has me curious.  Then there’s the recipe from Epicurious, Meyer Lemon Cake with Lavender Cream, that sounds divine.

If you’ve got access to Meyer lemons, you might want to give them a try.  You might be pleasantly surprised.

Eat well.

Posted in Recipes, Tip of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Linguine with Clams – Or Linguine Alle Vongole, A Pasta Favorite

October 1, 2010 by Katherine

Photo: Ken Hammond, Wikimedia Commons

I’ve always wanted to learn how to prepare Linguine Alle Vongole (pasta with clams).  It’s one of those dishes that I often order when eating out, precisely because I have yet to figure out how to make it nearly as good as I’ve enjoyed in restaurants like Peasant and Barolo.

And who better to teach me than Chef David Pasternack of ESCA (one of my pre-/post-theater picks, or pretty-much-anytime picks).  I don’t typically pull from the Today Show twice in one week, but when I saw this, I couldn’t help myself.  The recipe is included below.  And here’s a link to the show’s site, so that you can watch the video segment.  The added bonus in the video?  David Pasternack’s take on garlic bread.

Buon appetito!

*******

Recipe: Linguine with clams, pancetta and red pepper flakes

Chef David Pasternack

Ingredients
  • For the linguine meal:
  • 1 pound dried linguine
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 6 ounces pancetta, cut into thin strips
  • 8 mild dried red chiles (such as Italian finger hots), whole
  • 2 3/4 pounds clams (mahogany or littlenecks, about 48 total), scrubbed clean
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup clam stock or lobster stock (recipe follows) or pasta cooking water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to finish
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to finish
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
  • For the clam or lobster stock:
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 4 black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 parsley stems
  • 1 2/3 cup dry white wine
  • 4 pounds or chowder clams or 4 lobster bodies
Preparation

To make the linguine:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook for 1 minutes less than the box directions (al dente). Drain in a colander, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid if not using the clam or lobster stock (recipe provided below). Toss the pasta in the colander with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 6-quart pot or Dutch oven with a lid over medium-high flame. Add the garlic and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to take on color, about 4 minutes. Add the chiles and the clams, cover the pot, and cook until the clams begin to open, about 2 1/2 minutes. Then add the wine and the clam or lobster stock, or reserved pasta water (it should bubble when it hits the pan), and replace the lid. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, checking to see when all of the clams have opened (discard any that don’t). Add the pasta and season with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the parsley, toss gently to combine, and cook for an additional minute or so to thoroughly reheat the linguine. Divide among four bowls, being sure to distribute the clams equally. Drizzle each bowl with a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of crunchy sea salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.

To make 1 quart of clam or lobster stock:
Over a medium-low flame, heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot. Add the shallots and cook slowly until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley stems and white wine. Raise the flame to high, bring to a boil, and cook until the liquid reduces by half, about 7 minutes. Add the clams and enough water to completely cover them, about 1 quart. Bring to a boil, reduce the flame to medium, and cover. Simmer until all the clams have opened, about 6 minutes. (Discard any clams that don’t open.) Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. Let the stock cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Clam or lobster stock can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen.

Serving Size

Serves 4

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What’s In Season – October

October 1, 2010 by Katherine

Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Photo: Epicurious.com

October is such a good month.  It makes me think of pumpkins and leaves turning and long walks and Halloween.   In terms of what you’ll find at the local farmers’ market, think vegetables and fruits resulting in hearty, richly flavorful recipes.

Vegetables:

Broccoli, pumpkins, spinach lettuce, sweet potatoes, and winter sqaush.

Fruits:

Apples, cranberries, grapes, and pomegranate.

Recipes:

I covered a fantastic pumpkin recipe, from the Today Show, in my last post, “Pumpkin Risotto – The Perfect Fall Dish.”  If you like pumpkin and like risotto, this is for you.

As for a suggestion for fabulous, purple Concord grapes, I am turning to blog fav, Smitten Kitchen.  She has a recipe for Grape Focaccia with Rosemary.

Sweet potatoes are covered by Epicurious.com, with a Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Fried Sage and Shaved Chestnuts recipe that looks amazing, and they’ve got one for Pomegranate, Beet, and Blood Orange Salad that I am going to give a try.  (Don’t forget,  if you buy a bunch of beets, keep and saute the beet greens.)

And, lastly, there’s an unbelievably flavorful recipe in which you can put that winter squash to use.  What exactly is meant by “winter squash“?  About.com has the answer, including photos, so you can identify them at the market or grocery store.   In the case of the recipe below, Moroccan Chicken with Rice, winter squash means butternut squash.  Give this one a try.  Your taste buds will thank you.

Eat well!

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

Moroccan Chicken and Rice

This one-pot chicken and rice jumble gets an autumnal boost from butternut squash and is laced with the fragrant perfume of a variety of mixed dried spices.  It’s not a spicy dish but is wonderful served with Harissa, a North African spicy pepper paste.

1 onion, chopped
2 tsp (10 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 skinless, boneless free-range chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each ground cinnamon, cumin seeds, garlic powder, ginger, turmeric, and sea salt
2 cups (500 mL) chicken broth
2 cups (500 mL) butternut squash, chopped*
1 cup (250 mL) basmati rice (can use wild rice and/or quinoa)
1/4 cup (50 mL) raisins (can use dried cranberries or cherries)

In a large, wide saucepan or Dutch oven (or deep skillet), saute onion in oil until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add chicken and sprinkle with seasonings. Stir-fry until  spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour in a little chicken broth.  Using a wooden spoon, scrape up  and stir in brown bits from pan bottom.

Add remaining stock and stir in squash, rice, and raisins.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer, stirring halfway through, until rice is tender and chicken is cooked, 18 to 20 minutes.  Garnish with sliced green onion.

Serves 4

* Speedy Squash Tip: When chopping butternut squash, with its characteristically tough skin, the going can be slow.  But here’s a trick: microwave the whole squash, on high, for 2 minutes.  This creates steam inside which softens the skin, making it easier to peel.

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Pumpkin Risotto – The Perfect Fall Dish

September 29, 2010 by Katherine

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Drilnoth/Gallery

Yes, I know, you hear the word “risotto” and you immediately think “endless stirring” or “too difficult” or “not worth the effort.”   I am here to be you to tell you that none of these things is true.

You can believe me, because I used to feel exactly the same way.  That was until I was living in South London and had a flatmate who thought nothing of using whatever happened to be in the cupboard or refrigerator to cook up a pot of the tasty stuff, usually while coming and going from the kitchen, and generally doing other things.  Of course, my competitive side emerged; if she can do it, so can I.  And I discovered, I could.  And you can too.

While I have a couple of favorites (shrimp with fennel, and mushroom), there was a cooking segment on this morning’s Today Show which got me on the risotto theme, so I’ll stick with their suggestion for today.  It sounds amazing, it’s healthy, and it’s seasonal to boot: Pumpkin Risotto, courtesy of Beau MacMillan, executive chef of Sanctuary on Arizona’s Camelback Mountain.  The recipe is included below.

The one piece of advice I will give – picked up while watching a video of Mario Batali preparing risotto – is, as you add the stock (the liquid) to the arborio rice, do not let it absorb all the way before adding more; leave a little excess liquid when you add the next ladle.  I don’t know why it works, but it does.  Your risotto will be al dente (as it should be).

Buon appetito!

**********

Recipe: Pumpkin risotto

Beau MacMillan

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups Arborio rice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups hot chicken stock
  • 2 cups fresh pumpkin juice
  • 1 each medium pumpkin, peeled, roasted and pureed (reserve one cup)
  • 1 cup diced pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1/2 cup mascarpone
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2 ounces fried sage
  • 2 ounces sage pesto
Preparation

In a medium-size heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and bay leaf and saute, stirring continuously, just until softened, which takes about three to four minutes.

Add the rice and continue to stir, using a wooden spoon, to coat the rice with the oil.

Add the white wine and continue cooking, stirring often, until it has been absorbed by the rice.

Add the diced pumpkin and pour in small amount chicken stock and pumpkin juice and stir.

Cook and allow rice to absorb. Repeat until all the liquid has been used.

Stir in the pumpkin puree and the diced pumpkin and reduce the heat to very low so that the risotto doesn’t simmer anymore.

Stir in the parmesan, mascarpone and butter to give the risotto a nice, creamy finish. Spoon it immediately into heated shallow serving bowls.

Garnish with fried sage and a dollop of sage pesto.

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

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