how to feed a horse.

Soon after May Day, I realized another holiday was quickly approaching: Derby Day.

Now, who doesn't love the idea of the Derby? I, personally, always associate it with the horse race scene in My Fair Lady--a scene which is engraved in my memory, thanks to The Brother watching the movie some 1,000 times in the course of our youth. It's a hilarious moment, involving big hats and hoity-toityness.

Back in the day, when I lived in Cincinnati, we took a family trip to Kentucky. It was a fun trip. FYI, the grass in Kentucky really is blue.

sidenote: some Ohioans may tell you that Cincinnati is Kentucky. They are wrong: Cincinnati is in Ohio...but, the Cincinnati Airport is, regretfully, in Kentucky. I happen to have fond memories and a sweet taste in my mouth when I think of Cincinnati. Fair enough, I only lived there for the first five years of elementary school...


At some point during that trip we stopped at a horse training center, where they horses prepared before racing at Churchill Downs. It was a huge place and, I guess you could say, it was beautiful. Of course, it was well manicured, like a baseball field, and ringed like a NASCAR track. But, the real dirt and the real grass and the smooth ellipse of the track gave the place a sense of elegance that is lost in those other stadiums. It felt antique inside, like you had stepped back to a time when horses were respected and regal beings. I don't remember seeing ads or billboards, which spurred on that sense of warped time. One equivalent might be Wrigley Field, another place that keeps you in 4th dimension limbo.

Given that this place was merely a training ground and museum, I can only imagine what Churchill Downs must be like!

Granted, I was young when I saw it...maybe 8 years old? So, it's quite easy to paint my memories with an overly rosy patina. But, I'm pretty sure I'm remembering it truthfully.


On our way back home from the training center, we stopped at a farm that led trail rides. I was psyched to go on a trail ride, but we didn't end up having enough time. I remember it was starting to get dark and cloudy. So, instead of going on the grown-up trail ride I did that whole silly sitting-on-a-horse-while-being-led-in-a-tight-circle bit. I was disappointed, and to make up for it the Papadukes bought me a stuffed Clydesdale horse. I subsequently named it Clyde S. Dale during the ride home. I was so clever back then. Sigh...what happened?!

And so began my love of horses and horseback riding. When I left home for college, I moved to The Big City and no longer had easy access to a horse farm. So, seven years of weekly riding suddenly dropped to nothing.

It made me a bit melancholy to no loner ride, but at least the Kentucky Derby continued to harbor a special place in my heart. I was thrilled when I eventually found another KD lover and she decided to have a Derby Pah-ty. Dress code, of course, was spring dresses and big hats, despite the still chilly Chicago air. Eventually, though, she graduated and no one else cared about the derby enough to have a party again.

So, it's been awhile since the last time I really celebrated the derby. This year, though, I was determined to bring it back.

Unfortunately, it was to be raced the day I was to leave for Nevada. So, not one to be deterred, I decided to jump the gun and celebrate the night before the race.

A Derby Day meal is a great time to highlight the freshness of spring and good ol' Americana. Ham and asparagus are particularly traditional, as are mint juleps and anything involving Kentucky Bourbon.

In this case, I didn't have a lot of time to prepare. I also didn't want to make a whole lotta leftovers since I was leaving for the week. So, in building my menu, I tried to incorporate traditional elements of Derby Day into a meal based primarily on things I already had around the house.


Today's Menu

Rose Winning Balsamic Mustard Chicken
Asparagus, Peas, and Basil
Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie Bread Pudding
Rice

I've always loved mustard and, for some reason, I associate it closely with my ideas of America, despite the fact that it's not really American. Dijon mustard, in my opinion, is one of the most elegant condiments around and can bring a simple dish to a whole new level. So, when I was developing ideas for dinner, I immediately considered what I could do with mustard. I've always loved it paired with chicken, but when this is done I usually find the harshness of Dijon needs to be tempered by something sweet.

Eventually, I decided that balsamic vinegar, another elegant pantry item, would provide the necessary sweetness and really compliment the mustard. Also, I thought this combination would produce a beautiful color once the chicken was baked.

Then, of course, there was the traditional asparagus. However, I wanted to try something new with it--I didn't just want roasted or sauteed asparagus. So, when I randomly came upon this asparagus recipe, I knew it was just the thing.

Dessert was easy. Originally, I wanted to go for the traditional bourbon pecan pie, but I didn't have time to make a pie crust. Then I remembered that I had leftover egg mixture from making French matzo that I had been wanting to use up. It was also Shabbat, so I had some challah bread lying around. And ta-da, the choice was clear: next thing you know, I was making bread pudding!


All the dishes turned out perfectly. The cooking times fit together just right and the flavors were perfect compliments to each other. It was an elegant meal, made all the more lovely by a couple of Shabbat candles and some good company.

What a delightful Derby Day celebration!

sidenote: I was saddened to hear the results of the race upon my return. RIP Eight Belles. It was truly tragic. I'm kinda glad I wasn't there to see it after all.










Rose Winning Balsamic Mustard Chicken









2 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on
4 tomatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1/2 c dijon mustard
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2-inch piece ginger, sliced


directions:

1. marinate chicken
a. place chicken in a plastic bag.
b. mix the mustard, vinegar, garlic, and ginger together in a measuring cup. pour into the plastic bag and shake. let marinate at least 20 minutes or as long as overnight.

2. bake the chicken
a. preheat oven to 375.
b. place chicken in a baking dish and place tomatoes and carrots around the chicken.
c. pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. bake for 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden. every so often you can flip the breasts and spoon marinade over top.








Asparagus, Peas, and Basil



[note: this recipe is adapted from one found in Gourmet, April 2008. it's quick and delicious and highly recommended]




1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil [if necessary]
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/4 c frozen peas, thawed
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
a small handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces


directions:

1. cook onion in butter in a large skillet until onion is tender but not brown. if you need more fat in the pan, use olive oil.
2. add asparagus, peas, salt, and pepper. cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are cooked but not soft.
3. stir in basil. add salt and pepper to taste.








Kentucky Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Bread Pudding


[note: this recipe is adapted from one found in Bon Appetit, December 1997. I used some leftover French Toast egg mixture, but it's easy enough to just mix together an egg and some milk to replace that]



2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c chocolate chips
1 c French Toast egg mixture or 2 eggs + 3/4 c milk + 1/4 tsp vanilla extract mixed together
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp Kentucky Bourbon
1/4 c chopped pecans
4 thick slices challah bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes



directions:

1. put butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each, until butter and chocolate have melted completely and mixture is smooth.
2. whisk together egg mixture, sugar and bourbon in a bowl. slowly add chocolate mixture, whisking constantly. if chocolate begins to harden up, it's ok.
3. add the pecans and mix together.
4. add bread cubes to egg mixture and stir to coat. pour into a baking dish and bake at 350 until set, about 25 minutes.

this ain't no carrots 'n' oats, folks!




Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

May Day melee

Well, like it or not, I'm back.
Actually, it's probably more my loss given that the weather in Nevada/Arizona was surely better than it is here.






I must admit, I was dreading the trip a bit, but it turned out to be unexpectedly great. I saw some super neat rocks, learned a lot of stuff, finally understand a lot more about the rocks I'm studying now, and, of course, enjoyed the beautiful springtime desert immensely.



While there, we had some super animal sightings...and non-sightings, like when we heard the intense rattle of a rattlesnake but couldn't find it hidden in the rocks.

Interesting animal fact: when desert turtles are spooked, they empty their bladders. Unfortunately, this rapidly and severely dehydrates them...and then they are more likely to die. In other words, this is a bad thing.

How that can be deemed a "defense mechanism" is something I will never understand.

We saw lots and lots of cactus, too. Unfortunately, it was near the end of spring flowering season, but we were able to catch a few magenta beauties.









Speaking of cactus, I am now the proud owner of an incredible self-made photolog of The Barrel Cactus. Perhaps I'll create a coffee table book, it will be called The Barrel Cactus Compendium.











Another highlight: dinner in Oatman.








Oatman is an old Route 66 tourist town that is known for it's burros [donkeys]. It's packed with washed up 65-year-old "biker dudes" and has bartenders that are sticklers for i.d. With a population of so few, maybe 10?, Oatman's policies shocked and appalled us. Poor Fairy Lover left hers at camp, so I ordered beers for her and she made sure I had a steady supply of H2O. Apparently, covert beer drinking = not much fun.



Burros are a big deal in Oatman and, really, all they've got going for them. We didn't see any burros hanging out while we were there, but we did discover that Oatmanites are acutely aware of baby burro well-being.










They also sell shirts with pockets in Oatman. Boy oh boy, what a special place!








At the Oatman Hotel we gorged after a long day at the Peach Springs Tuff [where Fairy Girl and I were traumatized as we were forced to watch a man pee while we were being given lecture]. The meal was good: Burro Burgers with Burro Ears aka buffalo burgers and homemade chips that look like donkey's ears. However, nearly everything in town was closed by 5 pm, which meant no ice cream!!!!


But, back in Bull Head City [crazy border town!! they have a gas station chain named Terrible's! a casino lined river (but only on the Nevada side)! crazy! crazy!], we got ourselves some 32 Flavors. Ironically, that was the day Robbins died. No one told me until I got back home, so I, unfortunately, couldn't start an impromptu memorial service at the Baskin Robbins store.






Of all the nights, my last night in Bull Head City was probably the best. The weather was beautiful and sleeping outside was epic. The crescent moon shone brightly in the sky. And behind Terrible's, an unexpectedly perfect shot.

The last day was cool too--lots of obsidian. Say yesssssssssssssss to volcanic glass! Woo!





However, despite all the goodness of my trip, there was a not-so-good part too: while I was gone, I missed a pretty fantastic week for cooking!



May is probably the perfect month for cooking.
Not only is it the best month for spring produce, but it's filled with all sorts of great "holidays" that just beg for some thematic cooking.


I mean, the month starts off with a bang--May 1st or May Day.


May Day is actually quite a big deal in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Historically, May Day brings people from the trade unions out to the square for big rallies and demonstrations. On May 1, 1977 one such rally turned quite bloody and is now known as the Taksim Square Massacre.

This year, the trade unions were banned from rallying and demonstrating in Taksim. Official word of the bans came nearly a month before May Day. Of course, written bans weren't going to deter demonstrators and they showed up to...rally for the right to rally...?

Unfortunately, yet again, things turned nasty in Taksim and grew to an unexpected point. Of course, the police were ready, pulling out the big guns: tear gas and 20,000 policemen at the ready.

And yes, the tear gas was used. People were forced to stay indoors. Policemen surrounded the square...

All for just 200 demonstrators.

A bit excessive, no?


When I read the news, I had been trying to think of a good May Day meal. True, I was thinking more along the peaceful, uncontroversial lines of maypoles and flowers, not labor and immigration. But, upon reading the story I started thinking about Turkey and Turkish foods. Suddenly the perfect May Day meal popped into my head--a meal to include both the ideas of May Day and a love of Turkey/Turkish food at the same time! [Granted, my logic behind this idea was kinda skewed and will be explained later]


Today's Menu:

Everyone Works, Everyone Wins Kumpir
Un Kurabiyesi


Kumpir is Turkey's take on the stuffed baked potato. However, Turks take it to a whole new level, bringing in some incredible add-on possibilities. My favorite place for Kumpir is the Ortakoy port, in Istanbul. At Ortakoy, there's a small plaza next to the Bosphorous, lined with gozleme, waffle, and kumpir stands.

Kumpir potatoes are huge, but making a delicious meal is simple. Each potato is first baked to bits. Then the hot insides are scooped out and mixed with butter and kasar cheese until you have a smooth and cheesy mass. This mixture is returned to the potato and you are given the option to add anything you want.

The kumpir buffets are lined with filling choices: ketchup, mayonnaise, black olive tapenade, cabbage, pickles, mushrooms, corn, peas, bulgur, hot dogs, green olives...

And, of course, a baked potato isn't kumpir if it doesn't have a dollop of Rus Salatasi [Russian Salad] or Amerikan Salatasi [American Salad]--potato salad on a potato!!!!

Genius.

Another popular combo is ketchup and mayo, which may sound gross, but it's actually quite good. I mean, if you just add a bit of relish to that all you have is Russian dressing...so, it's not that strange.

Kumpir is delicious and definite comfort food. It's easy and fun to make and you can feed a lot of people on the cheap.

Oh, and then there are the Un Kurabiyesi [flour cookies], which are made by many cultures in various forms. Most popularly known as Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cookies. Again, simple but delicious.

Ta-da! A delightfully easy and tasty meal for a peaceful May Day!


So, now you're probably wonderign what this actually has to do with May Day. Well, bear with me and try to follow my construed logic. Granted, the association is a strech and only works if you wanna pull in the old Communist connotations buuuuuut...

1. When everyone works under the same fair conditions then everyone ends up with tasty gruel?
2. From simple ingredients and hard [or not so hard] work comes a glorious glorious meal?
3. One version of the cookies has the word "Russian" in it?
4. I made the meal on May Day and it's all Turkish and May Day is big in Turkey? So yay solidarity?


Ok, ok...so, maybe my logic is just totally shot. I promise that next year i'll stick to the maypole and flowers theme.

Whatever the logic, though, this meal was delicious!

Happy May!



Everyone Works, Everyone Wins
Kumpir
[note: I decided to try and healthify my kumpir this time around, but you surely don't have to do that. In this case, I was inspired by My Husband Hates Veggies and made the filling into a mixture of potato and cauliflower. If you want an easier version or don't feel like doing the cauliflower bit, just leave it out and use only the potato. In that case, your filling will likely fit in the potato, unlike my gluttonous version which seeped over the sides]

2 large baking potatoes
1 small head of cauliflower
water
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese
salt
pepper
toppings: ketchup, mayonnaise, olives, tapenade, potato salad, guacamole, eggs, salsa, chili, beans, peas, corn, mushrooms, tomatoes, chives, bulgur...whatever your heart desires!


directions:

1. prepare the potatoes
a. preheat oven to 450. prick potatoes with a fork and place in the oven. bake until soft, about 40 minutes.
b. remove from the oven and cut a slit down the center, but do not separate the halves.
c. scoop out the insides and mash.
d. return empty potato skins to the oven and bake 3-4 minutes longer.

2. prepare the cauliflower
a. bring a pot of water to a boil.
b. cut the stem off the cauliflower and separate the florets.
c. cook florets in boiling water until tender, 5-10 minutes.
d. remove the cauliflower from the water and mash.

3. prepare the kumpir
a. add the potato innards to the cauliflower. add the butter, grated cheese, salt, and pepper.
b. continue mashing [I suggest using your hands for this] until the mixture is smooth.
c. spoon the filling back into the potato skins. return potatoes to the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
d. serve with toppings!







Un Kurabiyesi




[note: there are so many versions of this cookie out there and this is an amalgamation of many recipes. mix it up a bit and try some different nuts or, if you don't like nuts, forget them altogether!]





2 sticks butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c ground walnuts


directions:

1. cream together butter and 1/2 c powdered sugar.
2. slowly add the vanilla, flour, and baking powder and mix until combined.
3. add nuts and mix until nuts are distributed throughout the dough.
4. chill dough at least 30 minutes.
5. roll 2 tsp of dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. repeat this process until all the dough is used up.
6. bake at 350 until bottoms become golden, about 20 minutes. remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. toss cookies in 1/2 c powdered sugar to coat.

no need to shout mayday on this May Day!




Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

leftovers righted--part III

I have to say that my favorite weekend meal is breakfast. No contest.

I don't usually have enough time on weekday mornings to do anything elaborate for brekkers, so I relish the opportunities the weekend brings.

I love waking up early in the morning and making breakfast while everyone else is asleep. I love the quiet of the house and the crackles in the pan. I love the slow evolution of smells that are so much a part of what I believe a weekend breakfast is.

I also love waking up to find breakfast waiting for me. Better yet is waking up because of breakfast smells and crackles.

I love eggs and pancakes, hash browns and bacon.

But, more than anything else, I Love French Toast.


At home, we usually have a little bit of leftover challah bread on Sunday mornings. Not always, that stuff goes fast. But, often there is just enough leftover to make some splendicious delicious French toast.

Of course, during Passover there is no challah and so, seemingly, no French toast.
Well, let me dispel you of that wretched myth! Right here, right now--I will prove it untrue!


Today's Menu:


French Matzo


Last Sunday was the final day of Passover.
Of course, that's when the cravings really hit...man-oh-man, I have never needed French toast as much as I did that morning.

Luckily, because it was the last day, I had good reason to use up my leftover matzo. I could have easily done another matzo brei, or an almond butter and jam sandwich. But, no. I wanted French toast.

So, I decided to give it a try...with matzo. I mean, how could it be bad, right? Sure, it's not gooey bread, but you can't really go wrong with the ingredients. Just marinate some matzo in a mix of milk and eggs, give or take some other flavors. Simple. I mean, French toast is notoriously known as The Easiest And Tastiest [cooked] Breakfast Food In The History Of The World...


From the pictures, French Matzo doesn't look much like anything but sheets of plain ol' matzo. But, these things were actually covered in eggy/milky/cinnamony/juicey goodness--they were anything but plain ol' matzo.

Suffice it to say, this stuff was good.

note: next time I'll try it with warm milk instead of cold--it might soften the matzo a bit more. As the recipe stands, it ends up being a finger food more than a knife-and-fork food...which definitely has its virtues.

The texture was, no surprise, quite different from regular French toast. But, French Matzo has its own thing going on and I wasn't disappointed. Served with a nice pour of maple syrup or a dollop of jam, this recipe is a hit in my book!



Series round-up: All in all, I have to say that, from a culinary standpoint, I am pretty satisfied by how Passover went this year. I came up with a few simple but delicious dishes--some takes on old favorites and some entirely new. It was a good challenge--after a few weeks sans inspiration, it was good to be reminded that sometimes I do have a creative cooking bone in me!




French Matzo

[note: the measures here are completely made up. I've never measured when I make French toast. Just crack a couple of eggs and add enough milk to thin it out, but be sure you don't make the mixture mostly milk. This is just a guide. Also, if you have leftover egg-milk mixture save it to make French toast or bread pudding some other time during the week!]


2 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
4 sheets of matzo
butter


maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar, whipped cream, etc.


directions:
1. mix everything but the matzo and the butter together in a baking dish.
2. place matzo in the mixture and let sit about 5 minutes. flip the matzo and let it soak 5 minutes more.
3. melt butter in a skillet or flat grill pan. take matzo out of the mixture and let the excess liquid fall off. place matzo in the skillet and let cook until it begins to brown. flip and let the other side brown.
4. serve with warm maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar...whatever suits you!

now that's the right way to start a Passover day!




Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

leftovers righted--part II

There's nothing surprising in what I'm about it say:

Passover is rough for the kids.

I mean, being surrounded by constant reminders of untouchable favorites like pizza and mac&cheese, cookies and cakes...it can be unbearable! Matzo is just no substitute.

In many ways, Passover is a holiday of magic. We try and try to come up with new ideas of how to make "regular" foods into things that are Kosher for Passover. There's matzo cake meal and potato starch and egg noodles and all sorts of recipes that try to use these things as replacements for flour or yeast or cream of tartar.

Some people have an ideological problem with this. I don't.
I have a culinary problem with it:

For the most part, I've found that a lot of these recipe attempts are not successful. Sure, they may seem great during Passover, but that's because they are being compared with other disastrous attempts, or just the idea of being able to eat something like cake or cookies on Passover inherently makes them taste good. Oftentimes, I find that people actually try to over-Passover things: sure, Matzo Caramel Crunch is outstanding, but when made without the matzo--ie plain ol' English Toffee--is still K for P and just as good...if not better!

So, in my opinion, you just have to accept Passover for what it is and stick to the tried-and-trues. And, let me tell you, people give Passover a really bad wrap--there are lots of good Passover recipes that are good because they are good, not because they emulate something else!!

But, for the kids, sometimes that's just not going to work...and, sure, I can understand that. I mean, you get cravings even as an adult--by the end of Passover week you just want some darned spaghetti!

In those breakdown moments, I resort to the few recipes that fall into the category of Wannabes that I have found to not only be wildly successful during Passover, but are also things that I would eat any time of year.

Mostly, they are desserts: flourless chocolate cake, macaroons, meringue cookies...

Successful recipes for savory items are harder to come by, but that's usually because they aren't nearly missed as much as the sweet cakes and cookies, and so people don't focus on them. However, I do have one savory Wannabe that is one of my all time favorite Passover foods...


Today's Menu:

Matzo Pizza


I remember mom making toaster oven matzo pizza for me and The Bro. It was so good, much better than the bread based bagel bite...

When it's good, matzo pizza is great and tastes just like a good thin crust pizza. It's fast, it's easy, and it's a good way to use up some matzo. But, matzo pizza can definitely be bad and totally unsatisfying.

The key to a good matzo pizza is, in my opinion, getting the matzo crust soft. A hard, crunchy matzo pizza is bad news bears. So, my trick is to rub the matzo with some oil and let it warm in the oven for a bit before putting on the toppings. This way the matzo gets supple but doesn't fall apart into a useless mess.

Last week I served matzo pizza to 2.5 non-Jews who had never had matzo pizza before. I jazzed them up a bit, making a 3 cheese pizza and a roasted pepper-caramelized onion pizza. Served with a side of salad, it was the perfect meal for a lazy warm Friday evening in the spring.

The final verdict by the newly initiated Matzo Pizza Consumers was one of great satisfaction. Everyone went home happy, not missing normal pizza one bit!










Matzo Pizza











for crust:

3-4 plain unsalted matzo sheets
olive oil


for tomato sauce:

1 14-oz can of tomato sauce
6-8 leaves fresh basil, chopped
a few pinches of dried or fresh: oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley
salt
pepper


for 3 cheese topping:

fresh mozzarella
parmesan cheese
soft goat cheese
whole basil leaves


for roasted pepper-caramelized onion topping:

2 bell peppers
2 medium onions, sliced into thin rounds
olive oil
parmesan cheese



directions:

1. prepare the crust
a. preheat the oven to 375
b. line a baking sheet with tinfoil. cover the tinfoil with matzo, breaking up sheets to fill in gaps.
c. brush the matzo with olive oil. place the tray in the oven and let it bake a bit, about 5 minutes. make sure it doesn't burn or begin to brown.


2. make the tomato sauce
a. place tomato sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and cook until it begins to bubble. lower the heat and let cook while you prepare the toppings. stir occasionally and test for flavor.


3. prepare the toppings
a. for the cheese topping:
i. shred the mozzarella, grate the parmesan, and break the goat cheese up into clumps. put in a bowl.
ii. pick off 10-15 whole basil leaves and reserve.


b. for the roasted pepper-caramelized onion topping:
i(a). light a burner if you have a gas range. place a pepper over the flame and let cook until the side blackens. rotate the pepper until all sides are black. place the pepper in a paper bag and close it. repeat with the second pepper. let the peppers sit in the bag for 5 minutes before discarding the charred outer peel. slice the pepper in thin strips.
i (b). preheat the broiler if you don't have a gas range. slice the peppers in half and discard the seeds. put them on a broiler pan, cut side down. drizzle with oil and broil until peppers soften and begin to blacken. you can peel off the blackened skin if you'd like.

ii. heat some oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. add the onions and stir. cover and cook, over medium heat, until onions have reduced significantly and become golden in color. stir occasionally, making sure the onions don't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. if they begin to stick, add some more oil to the pan.


4. assemble the pizzas
a. for the cheese pizza:
i. spread some of the tomato sauce on the matzo, covering it completely. sprinkle the cheese mixture over top. randomly place the whole basil leaves on top of the cheese. bake at 375F until cheese is melted.

b. for the roasted pepper-caramelized onion pizza:
i. spread some of the tomato sauce on the matzo, covering it completely. sprinkle peppers, onions, and some parmesan cheese over top. bake at 375F until cheese is melted.

perfect Passover pizza...puahahaha!





Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

leftovers righted--part I

Sorry folks--the last week or so I've been an absolute train wreck. Between making difficult life decisions, prepping for Passover, getting next week's fieldwork trip to Nevada figured out [yeah, i'll be gone again], and losing two weeks worth of edits on a manuscript, my days have been non-stop ca-razy.

Excuses, excuses. I know.

Luckily, my food life has not felt the agony, but perhaps it's just a delayed reaction. In general, however, it seems that the more crazy my general life is the better my food life becomes.

It's funny, many people can't seem to fathom the amount of time I spend cooking. They think I'm crazy. You can't even begin to see it from reading this blog. It's something I think about constantly and look forward to doing. But, I guess I can see where people are coming from: where cooking is stress-inducing for many it is stress-reducing for me. I enjoy the creative and academic challenges it provides me; it challenges me in ways that work and classes and other entertainment medias can't. It forces me to consider interesting questions and also forces me to develop a sense of focus in periods when I'm completely unfocused. It's a good way to center myself daily.

Plus, at the end of it I have a delicious and edible result...at least, most of the time I do.


Last week was Passover.

Passover has always proved a challenge to me, both from a culinary and emotional standpoint. I didn't grow up in a Jew-rich community, so I would often be the only person in my lunch group relegated to eating matzo. It's not like this was a big deal, and my friends really didn't care. It was never a topic of conversation. Nonetheless, there was always a little twinge of feeling different, in a bad way. Plus, I hated matzo.

Of course, I was younger and more naive then. I didn't understand, or care to understand, a lot of things. So, for many reasons I won't go into here, I eventually came to like Passover. The great seders I had in college [after Year One's disaster] have definitely helped in that department.

Now, don't get me wrong.--it's not that I ever hated Passover. I've always loved the main Passover event, the big First Night Seder. It's usually a lot of fun at my house, and it's the time when mom makes my favorite thing: her chicken soup. Add in the matzo balls to that and voila! Sheer bliss. In addition to The Great And Wondrous Soup, there were also loads of other great foods, like brisket and charoset and Hillel sandwiches and macaroons and mum's meringues and the absolutely incredible tin of Barton's Almond Kisses. Ohhhhh yum. Yeah, during the seder there was never a feeling of missing bread and it's relatives.

But then, after the Afikomen was found and the party was over, there were not only lots of dishes to be cleaned, but, inevitably, lots of leftovers as well.

Oh, the dreaded leftovers.

Sure, they were good on their own. Plus, chicken salad made from the soup chicken was always delightful. But, by the time the third or fourth day of eight rolled around, I was sick of it. And, of course, lunch was a disaster--matzo sandwiches are only good for so long. We tried to supplement with things like K for P "cereals", which were gross.

So, leftovers were always a problem. Plus, since we usually followed Ashkenazic traditions rather than Sephardic ones, a whole lot of things were off limits. That, of course, didn't help things.

I've never really come up with a solution to the leftovers problem. However, this year, I made a concerted effort to try and do something about it. My efforts were quite fruitful and I came up with a few fun ideas. The recipes I'll post over the next few days are heavy on the matzo side, so for those who love the stuff, these are things you can make any time of year.

(Ironically, I've found over the years that many many non-Jews have a strong love of matzo, while many man Jews don't care for it so much.)



Today's Menu:

Steak 'n' Eggs Matzo Brei



Matzo brei is a popular Passover dish that consists of...well, eggs and matzo. It was never big in our house--why include matzo when you can have eggs straight up?
But, generally, people have very strong opinions on matzo brei and how it should be made.

One thing, however, is (almost) ubiquitous among recipes: the ratio of 1 matzo to 1 egg. After that, all hell breaks loose (see the comments section).

Matzo brei tends to be very lacking in the flavor department. For some reason, most people don't add anything to the concoction of eggs and matzo. Perhaps a bit of salt, but really nothing else. So, this year, I decided to put some effort into rectifying the flavorlessness problem of matzo brei:

I made brisket for the main seder, which, of course, I had leftover. No surprise, I got kind of tired of eating it plain. So, one night last week I came home after a long, very hard day and wanted something easy, but different, for dinner. And so came my creation.

It turned out pretty well, I must say. The brisket itself was highly flavorful and had a fair bit of salt, so I didn't really add anything else to the mix. A nice Passover take on the classic dish and one I will surely make again!






Steak 'n' Eggs Matzo Brei



[note: this recipe was based on one from The Perfect Pantry. I used leftover brisket I had, but you can use any type of meat you've got lying around]



2 pieces plain matzo
2 eggs
leftover brisket
water
butter [or margarine, if you wanna keep it kosher]


directions:

1. prepare the matzo
a. in a large bowl, break up the matzo into pieces. fill the bowl with hot water to cover.
b. when matzo become soft [not disintegrating], grab small handfuls and squeeze with all your might. get out the water and drop the clumps into a separate bowl. repeat this process until you've got all the matzo in clumps.

2. make the mixture
a. whisk together the eggs and pour them over the matzo clumps. lightly mix to cover the clumps with egg.
b. pull the brisket apart into small pieces and add them to the bowl. mix again to incorporate.

3. cook the matzo brei
a. put some butter in a skillet and melt over medium heat. turn the pan to coat the bottom and sides.
b. when butter is hot, pour the matzo-egg mixture into the pan and press down with a spatula to make it into a flat cake.
c. cover and let cook, about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, until the bottom has browned.
d. flip the whole cake, or cut into wedges and flip individually, and let the other side brown.

take that Leftover #1!!





Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

tv is good for kids.

People always ask me when I started cooking and most seemed shocked to find out the answer: I first started cooking when I was 7 years old. I'm not talking about making spaghetti or stirring the pot--I was 7 when I started to seriously get into cooking.

I remember loving the times when my parents would go out for the day and let me stay home alone or with my brother. When that happened, I would plop myself down on the couch and turn on TLC.

This was a time before we had Food Network, so TLC was the main source of my cooking shows. I know, it's hard to imagine TLC being anything but a home improvement game show channel, but back in the day it was the prime food show channel.

It was on TLC that I discovered the chef who, to this day, remains my idol: Martin Yan.

Yan Can Cook (And So Can You!) was a brilliant show hosted by a brilliant man. Later in life--like 7th or 8th grade--I actually got to meet him: he was doing a cooking demonstration at the local Boscovs. I convinced my parents to go to the show and so I went, with spatula in hand, desperately hoping to see his knife. I was sure I would faint.

Before the show began, I was walking around the store with my parents and I saw him. He was talking to someone, but then the other person left and he was free. I was too nervous and afraid to talk to him, but dad pushed me forward. After a few more pushes, I finally went up and spoke to him. He graciously signed my spatula and then went on to give a fantastic cooking demonstration.

One thing I've always loved about Martin Yan is his dual dedication to both genuine, traditional Chinese cooking and development of new creative approaches to food. To this day, I still use the technique he showed there for cutting and de-seeding bell peppers.

I still have that spatula, and a newspaper clipping with a picture of him at the event. They're kept in special places, but literally every single time I see a bell pepper I think of that afternoon.


Whenever I watched Yan Can Cook, and Capriel's Cafe right after it, I'd get antsy. Most often, the result of this was me in the kitchen using whatever we had in the fridge and cupboards to make a new dish...and a big mess. Wow, things haven't changed much!

This is where some of my first recipes came from, like roasted red pepper bruschetta and caramelized apple applesauce. Some of those dishes are still on my list of favorite things to make.


Another place that inspired creativity in the kitchen was my grandma's house. It's not that she was one of those grandmothers who cooked a lot--she didn't--but what she does cook is great. And I remember, quite vividly, a particular time in the kitchen with her when we made up a recipe together...

I thought it was an ingenious dish--a real masterpiece, I'd never had anything else like it. After that evening, it would become a regular staple in my young cooking repertoire...

So what was it?

Yeah, as it turns out, now that I'm 23 and a bit smarter I realize that what I made that night with my grandma was a down 'n' dirty, quick 'n' easy American stir-fry.

It was basically chicken with whatever veggies were in the fridge, sauteed with soy sauce, duck sauce, and sesame oil. Some spagehetti was tossed in at the end. And, voila!

So, ok, unoriginal. But, boy was it good!


Recently, I realized that it's been absolutely ages since I've made stir-fry. So, one evening, when I had a bunch of leftover veggies and was too tired to do something elaborate, I decided that it was time for a stir-fry.


Today's Menu:

Citrus Spice Stir-Fry
Vegetable Fried Rice


The inspiration for this stir-fry recipe actually came from some leftover cabbage. I was trying to come up with something to do with it and I came across a tasty sounding slaw recipe. I didn't have the jicama it called for, but I did have a grapefruit that was just dying to be used.

I didn't really want a slaw for dinner, though. So, I thought, why not adjust it a bit and make a stir-fry recipe. The sauce would be perfect and the grapefruit would give a little zing.

To go alongside, I decided to beef up some rice...with veggies and an egg. Fried rice--haHA! Perfect.

Typically, for fried rice it's best to use day old leftover rice, but I just cooked mine up with a 1/3 less liquid than usual and put it in the freezer to cool while I made the stir-fry. It turned out juuuuust fine.


Sure, it's still not a traditional stir-fry, but I think both Yan and Grandma would be proud of me. The results had a wonderfully agreeable flavor, the grapefruit was a fantastic twist! Definitely a keeper for a quick, but not boring, lunch or dinner.






Citrus Spice Stir-Fry



[note: this recipe was inspired by a cabbage slaw recipe on Epicurious, October 2005. Feel free to try out different citruses!]




1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium purple onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, julienned
2 yellow bell peppers, julienned
1/4 of a small head of cabbage, coarsely shredded
1 pink grapefruit, segmented and segments cut in thirds
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
salt
pepper
olive oil



directions:

1. cook the meat and vegetables
a. heat some oil in a large saucepan. add chicken and cook until starting to brown.
b. add garlic and onions and cook until onions become translucent.
c. add remaining vegetables and cook until they become tender, 3-5 minutes
d. add grapefruit and cook another minute. lower the heat.

2. make the sauce
a. combine the soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, and spices in a bowl. whisk together.
b. add the sauce to the pan and raise the heat. cook until sauce is reduced by 1/4.






Fried Rice


[note: this is best made with leftover cooked rice. however, if you don't have any, cook some rice using 1/3 less liquid than is typically used. put the cooked rice in the fridge or freezer and let cool completely before using. you can cook the rice first and let it cool while you start the stir-fry]

1 c cooked rice
1/3 c chopped carrots
1/3 c peas, fresh or frozen
1 egg olive oil


directions:

1. put a smidgen of olive oil in a saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. when oil is hot, add the carrots and peas. cook until they become slightly tender, 3-5 minutes.
2. add the rice and stir until the mixture is warmed through.
3. make a hole in the center of the rice and pour in the egg. break up the egg with a spoon and stir to scramble and mix with the rice. continue stirring until all the egg is cooked.

this one's for you Martin Yan, my hero!




Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

saying no to the status quo.

My year in Turkey was a major time of food discovery for me...

Ok, let me clarify that statement:

It's not that Turkish food is a real adventure--for some people it is, maybe, but I grew up with it somewhat. However grains and pulses other than rice [or pasta, actually--other than manti--Turks tend to fail miserably with pasta] are featured prominently in the cuisine. This is a serious difference between the Turkish and the American diet. Sure, we've heard of lentils, but that doesn't mean we eat them and we sure as heck aren't inundated by foods that contain them.

In my opinion, Turks have a leg up on us.

This may sound strange, but I was actually lucky to have limited cabinet space in my Ankara kitchen because it forced me to devise a new method for storing dried goods like rices, grains, and pulses. After much thinking, and many empty water bottles, I developed a storage system on my counter. The great thing about this was that I constantly saw what I had--I didn't forget the bulgur in the back of the cabinet--and it got me to experiment with lots of grains and pulses in a way I'd never done before.


Now that I'm back and can't have a countertop system, I already find myself forgetting things in the back of the cabinet. It's not as bad as before, but it does happen. However, my experience in Turkey has served to bring all sorts of new ingredients and ideas to the forefront of my mind and added significant diversity to my world of food.

So, when I think about dinner now I try and actively think about my dry goods cabinet. I have great large bags of green and red lentils, yellow split peas and chickpeas, semolina and bulgur--all bought at the Indian grocer for cheap!cheap!cheap! I've got quinoa and a few shapes of pasta, as well as couscous. A few basic rices are also on the shelves, but I find now that I consume rice at a much slower pace than before. I love rice, but it gets boring!

All in all, I have a great array of ingredients. Using them I've added such dimension and variety to my cooking, as well as added significant vegetarian sources of protein and nutrients to my diet.


One thing I've started considering lately is how to use new grains in recipes traditionally made with a certain type. I don't mean going off the deep-end and going crazy to create something that doesn't even resemble the original dish. I know a lot of people who do that and it's just not for me--if I want to create something new and original, I'll do that. When I'm trying to slightly reinvent a dish I always try to keep the essence of the original.

A recent successful attempt at this is the subject of this post.


Today's Menu:

Roasted Mushroom Quniotto
Basic Salad


This menu came about for three reasons:
1. I didn't have any arborio/risotto/short-grain rice
2. I didn't actually want rice but I did want risotto
3. I wanted a vegetarian meal that provided some protein


I made this dish a few weeks ago for dinner. I had been feeling like a lot of my recent meals were a bit heavy, so I really wanted to cool it and return to vegetarian food for a little while. I knew I would be eating some hefty meals in New Mexico as well, so I thought it would be good to have a break before going.

I had considered risotto for a while, but the idea just wasn't sending me. I really really really didn't want rice. Plus, I didn't have any of the right kind of rice sitting around the house, which meant a trip to the grocery store.


I kept thinking but everything I came up with was an unpleasing idea. Time was running out, so I returned to the risotto idea. What could I do to make it better? How could I make it a good healthy meal? Could I use a different grain? But what would mush-up like rice while retaining some character?

I mentally roved through my cabinets and wasn't getting anywhere. Then, suddenly, it came to me--that little box of quinoa tucked away in the back corner...qunioa! perfect!

Not only is quinoa protein rich, but it mushes when slow cooked with liquid. It holds a bit more texture and rigidity than risotto rice, but in a good way.


It's a neat little thing, quinoa. Not technically a grain, quinoa is actually related to leafy vegetables like amaranth and Swiss chard. The leaves of the plant are eaten, but what most of us know as quinoa is actually the seeds of the plant.

If you look at a quinoa grain, it looks to me like the cross-section of one of those roly-poly pill bugs, all wrapped up snug and tight. As it cooks, the germ begins to separate from the seed making the finished product look like a little curly-cue with a clear center and an opaque outer rim. It doesn't get to be as soft as rice, but it retains a desirable slightly chewy texture.


Quinoa has a distinct earthy, nutty flavor and I wanted to accentuate this feature. So, I tried to think of what I could add to the dish that would compliment the flavors and textures of quinoa. Eventually, I came upon the idea of mushrooms--with their dirty, woody flavor they would make a nice addition. Roasting the mushrooms for a short time would also bring out their juices and create a complimentary chewy texture.

Other than that, I didn't add much. I used a flavorful vegetable broth and some fresh herbs from my windowsill, but I really wanted the interplay of flavor and texture between quinoa and mushroom to be the highlight. Paired with a light salad--parfait!


And it was. Absolutely delicious. Totally nutritious. Satisfying. A new favorite use for quinoa and a new dish in the no-fail rotation. Great for veggies and vegans. This one's a winner.

In fact, maybe I'll make it for dinner tonight...just thinking about how good it was starts me a-cravin'!










Roasted Mushroom Quinotto










for roasted mushrooms:

1/2 lb button or crimini mushrooms
olive oil
salt
pepper


for quinotto:

1/2 medium onion, chopped finely
1 cup quinoa, rinsed until water runs clear
4 c vegetable or chicken broth
water (if needed)
roasted mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme
olive oil
salt
pepper


directions:

1. roast the mushrooms
a. preheat oven to 375F
b. toss whole mushrooms with some olive oil, salt, and pepper.
c. put mushrooms stem-side-up on a baking dish lined with foil. place in oven and roast until tender but not wrinkly.
d. remove from oven and let cool before slicing

2. make the quinotto
a. pour broth into a saucepan and heat over a medium flame.
b. heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. add onion and cook until translucent.
c. add quinoa and cook another 30 seconds.
d. reduce heat to medium and add 1/2 c of the warm broth. cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed.
e. add 1/4 c more of the broth and stir until all the liquid is absorbed. repeat the process until all the broth has been used up.
f. taste the quinoa--if it is still too hard, continue the process with more broth or water until it has become quite soft and becomes somewhat mushy. it will retain a chewier texture than rice.
g. add sliced mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. cook until mushrooms are warm.







Basic Salad



[note: this is my go-to salad. it's a flexible recipe that mostly depends on what i have in the fridge and what I feel like having in terms of cheese, nuts, and dried fruit]







romaine lettuce, coarsely ripped
tomato, coarsely chopped
bell pepper, coarsely chopped
cucumber, coarsely chopped
celery, coarsely chopped
scallion, coarsely chopped
carrot, coarsely grated
mushroom, coarsely chopped
feta cheese, cubed
walnuts, coarsely chopped
dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar


directions:

1. put the vegetables, cheese, nuts, and dried fruit in a large bowl.
2. drizzle olive oil and vinegar over top and toss to coat. add more oil and vinegar to taste.

say yes to quinotto!






Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.