Weekly Cheese: Tomme Crayeuse

This weeks Weekly Cheese is one of my very favorite: Tomme Crayeuse (tohm cray-YUHZ). It is made from the milk of mountain grazing cows in the Savoie region of France in the Swiss Italian Alps. This buttery, semi-soft, soft-ripened cheese is layered with damp earthy flavors including straw and mushroom in the rind, and a mildly milky but tart almost citrusy center. When eating cheese I like to imagine myself enjoying a food with ancient roots and a long history; I was surprised to learn that this cheese is actually a relatively recent invention. It was developed in the nineties by a French Affineur (an expert in maturing cheese) Max Schmidhauser. He partnered with a cheesemaker in order to make a cheese superior to the areas classic: Tomme de Savoie; and I'm very glad he did. This beautiful cheese has a dusty brownish grey and white rind with bright yellow spots caused by cellulose in the cows diet. The ivory interior is smooth and soft with a slightly crumbly dense center getting a little gooey as you get closer to the rind which is thin and pliable enough to easily slice and delicious to eat.



















Reading the process raw milk undergoes to become this delicious cheese gave me a whole new appreciation for the art and craft of making cheese. One secret to this amazing cheese is two stages of aging for a total of about two to three months: the first in a warm moist environment; much like a sauna, the second in an equally moist but cool cave. The first stage loosens and softens the outer crust of the cheese and the second brings out the earthy mushroom flavor and preserves the milky center. This particular combination of techniques creates a moist flavorful wheel or tomme that now competes for popularity with Tomme de Savoie, and in my book is the hands down winner.
























I like this cheese best on a good piece of bread, or simple crackers.

Romaine and Artichoke Cobb Salad

This Romaine and Artichoke Cobb Salad is full of bold ingredients with assertive flavors and subtle textures: buttery avocados, rich bacon, sweet tomatoes, fresh floral cilantro, tender artichokes, crisp romaine and tart funky blue cheese vinaigrette. Ingredients that usually play a staring roll work together here to create a bold but balanced salad modeled after the original. A classic Cobb salad features chopped ingredients including bacon, avocado, blue cheese and tomato, and is traditionally made with iceberg lettuce and hard boiled eggs. I swapped in romaine and braised artichokes, and added some fresh cilantro (fresh herbs are amazing on any salad). While my substitutions were simple and easy to imagine, this concept could easily translate to a whole slew of recipes following a few basic principles: chopped ingredients, soft textures, and bold flavors. Try adding or combining poached chicken, tuna, or other chopped meats, corn, mushrooms, lightly steamed veggies like green beans, broccoli, etc, olives, beans, cheese, boiled or roasted potatoes, carrots or beets, and on and on. As a rule of thumb soft and savory ingredients work the best; you don't want any of your ingredients to be sweeter then the tomatoes or crunchier then the lettuce. As you can see this kind of salad is a great way to pack in the flavor and, I have to say, makes it really really easy to eat your vegetables. I few things I would keep in mind: the bacon is necessary, or I should say something must play the roll, and those are mighty big shoes to fill. If your trying to make this dish vegetarian I would try either olives or marinated, pan fried and crumbled tempeh. It is also important that the lettuce is crisp. One of the secrets to this recipe is a roll reversal. Lettuce is usually one of the softest components in a salad, in this case it's crunchy, juicy texture asserts itself, giving the dish the necessary body not supplied by its more glamorous players. This main dish salad is light but loaded; the good stuff in every bight; enlightened with tomatoes, artichokes, crunchy romaine, bracing chili blue cheese vinaigrette, and fresh floral cilantro and more than adequately enriched with avocado and two thick slices of bacon per salad, bacon in every bite, who doesn't like that.


the recipe:

1/4 - 1/3 head romaine lettuce
1/2 - 1 medium tomato
1/4 - 1/3 avocado
2 - 3 baby artichokes
2 thick slices bacon
1-3 tbsp chopped cilantro

vinaigrette:
4 - 5 tbsp blue cheese
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small clove garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
fresh chili, minced, to taste
salt, to taste

Note: You will probably have extra vinaigrette for an additional salad (or not, I don't judge). Also, I've given a range of amounts for many of the ingredients because this recipe is for a single salad; so make it the way you like it, and enjoy!

Add an inch of generously salted water, a squeeze of lemon juice, a grind of pepper, and a tablespoon of olive oil to a saucepan. Clean and trim baby artichokes (see Saveur's how-to slide show), and add to lemon water. Cover and simmer approximately 20 minutes, checking often to prevent over cooking. Drain and cool. Separate, rinse and cut ribs of romaine into half inch slices, dry thoroughly. Fry slices of bacon, drain on paper towels and crumble or chop into small even pieces. Chop avocados and tomatoes and braised artichokes into small even size pieces. Mince and smash garlic with a pinch of salt and combine with lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, chili, and salt. Crumble in large chunks of blue cheese; whisk vigorously and slowly drizzle in olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Lightly dress chopped romaine with a few tablespoons of vinaigrette and mound on plate. Arrange remaining ingredients over top or along side and top with chopped cilantro and additional blue cheese vinaigrette. Serves 1.

Weekly Cheese: Boucheron

This is the first post, of hopefully many posts, in a new feature I'm calling the "Weekly Cheese". I'm working at a cheese and Charcuterie counter at a small gourmet food market, and am immersed in the delicious world of cheese: "real" cheese. I say real cheese because once you start exploring this diverse and flavorful world, you'll probably never go back to supermarket cheese again. For those of you who have already discovered this world, you know; these cheeses are alive with flavors and textures, and each wheel comes with a story and each cheese a history, some going back hundreds of years. If your cheese experiences are limited to blocks of cheddar and string cheese, find yourself a good cheese counter, and dive in. Don't feel intimidated, just go for it. I recommend tasting at least a few cheeses every time you go, and buy small amounts (a quarter pound is pretty common) of a variety of cheeses. You should really buy only enough cheese to eat in a day or two, and go back for more freshly cut from the wheel or block. Don't be dissuaded by a cheese you dislike; likes and dislikes are necessary to narrow down your choices as you taste your way through the worlds huge variety of cheeses. Some people dislike an entire category of cheese, like sheep's milk, or aged cheeses, or stinky cheeses, these preferences will help you and your cheesemonger to make your first choices. I just caution you to test your preferences periodically. As you expand your palette and try more cheeses that fall out of the norm, you will find yourself able to tolerate more diverse flavors and textures.

For my first Weekly Cheese post, I will start with Boucheron [BOOSH-rawn]; an accessible, very briefly aged (5-10 weeks), soft, pasteurized, goat cheese from the Loire Valley in France. This cheese is a looker, a bright white bloomy rind covers a small forearm length log. Your cheesemonger will, using a wire, slice from this a perfect disk that reveals a beautiful cross section of bright matte white and dove gray. It's visual appeal makes Boucheron a great cheese for a party or cheese board. But its easy-going taste and price make it a great everyday cheese. The middle of this laid back cheese is mild, dense and crumbly like a fresh goat often referred to in the US as a Chevre, but then it gets interesting. As you can see, there is a layer of gooey cheese around the large chalky core, and finally a thin bloomy layer of mold similar to a brie style cheese. This is because of the nature of a "bloomy -rind" or "soft-ripened" cheese, (like brie) which age from the outside in. Thanks to the magic of mold you get two cheeses in one; a creamy, mushroomy, "brie" style, contrasting with a dry and clay-like, mildly tangy fresh goat. Boucheron also plays well with others. It is especially good on salads or with grapes, and compliments just about any bread or cracker. I especially like it with a simple spinach salad.























Finally, I know people don't need much encouragement to talk about cheese, but I ask, if you have tasted Boucheron or are inspired to taste it by this post, contribute to the discussion. Let us know what you think; what are your favorite pairings?, any similar cheeses you would recommend? Where do you get your cheese? any tips on serving or storage? etc....

Spicy Snap Pea Slaw

First, I would like to start with an apology for the lack of posts in June. My computer died and my blogging future wasn't looking good. Luckily my friend JS lent me his computer and saved the day. So, I thought I would take a sec and give special thanks to JS for the computer, RH for the digital camera, and LB for photography lessons, and a collective thanks to RB and my whole Foodie posse for hundreds of delicious meals and nerdy food conversations. As you can see without all my great friends, this blog would not be possible.

I had an amazing 4th of July; great food, lots of sun, and a surprise - perfect view of the fireworks! I started the day with a trip to the farmers market and breakfast with friends. Then I got sunburned laying in the sun reading (I know Mom), and spent a few hours cooking and hanging out with my friend LB. I made this snap pea slaw, and LB made amazing vegan strawberry coconut ice cream. We brought our creations to RH's for an "Indoor BBQ". RH made BBQ Seitan from scratch, and RB made basil pesto pasta salad. There was also watermelon, cherries, and appetizers. It was all delicious and the company couldn't have been better. We ended the evening on the roof. The New York City fireworks were moved to the Hudson this year, on the other side of Manhattan and we were anticipating an explosion free evening (a fate i wouldn't wish on my worst enemy); we were shocked when the festivities started, and we couldn't have hoped for a better view! All in all, it was a magical summer day in Brooklyn.

This crunchy fresh snap pea slaw is a perfect side for a potluck or picnic because it stays crisp for days, and can be dressed how ever you like to fit with just about any menu or theme. Its also easy to make; the two main ingredients are snap peas and "knife skills", along with some carrots and a sesame dressing.

the recipe:

approx 6 cups snap peas
2 lg. carrots, julienned
1 clove garlic, finely minced
4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp honey (or sugar)
2 tsp minced fresh herbs ( I used mint, parsley, and cilantro)
Sriracha Chili Sauce to taste (or your favorite chili sauce or minced fresh chilies)

Clean snap peas, and snap off both ends, pulling down the side to remove fibrous threads. thinly slice diagonally and combing with julienned carrots in mixing bowl. In smaller bowl, combine remaining ingredients adjusting to taste. Slowly add dressing to vegetables until lightly coated. Serves approximately 6-8.

Red Bean and Spinach Soup

Bean soup is a staple in my house; its simple to make and fun to improvise. If I have some dried beans (which I always do) a few veggies (ditto) and a complimentary starch: rice, pasta, potato, I've got rich satisfying soup. The same basic process can produce nearly unlimited variations just by mixing up the variables. First you've got beans: red beans, black beans, white beans, pink beans, garbanzo beans etc..... and don't forget lentils and split peas. Next, veggies: you've got the classic celery and carrots, also mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, squash, peppers and on and on. Add a complimentary starch, seasonings and flavorings like spices and herbs, meats (bacon and sausages really go well, but any meat will work), olives, flavored oils and vinegars, etc, and you can see the potential for your own versions are endless.

I was inspired to share my bean soup habit by a new stall selling beans at the farmers market. I realize I am disproportionately excited about this, but I am pumped! I love beans, and these beans are the best; super fresh, and right there with my weekly staples every Saturday morning. Now if they would sell coffee beans at my farmers market I might be able to give up shopping indoors all together.


Red Bean and Spinach Soup
the recipe:

canola oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 cup dried red beans, soaked over night or "quick-soaked"
3 - 4 cups spinach, rinsed and stemmed
1 cup ditalini pasta
salt
fresh ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil


In large heavy bottomed saucepan or dutch oven saute onion in canola oil over med heat until caramelized, but not dark. (lower heat if necessary to prevent burning) Add garlic and saute one minute. Deglaze pan with wine (pour in wine and scrape up any bits (fond) stuck to the pan). Add soaked beans and water to generously cover. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam or scum from the surface. Reduce heat to low and simmer until beans are tender (1 -3 hours depending on the type and freshness of your beans) skimming surface often and adding water as necessary. Generously salt beans and add pasta. Simmer until pasta is nearly al dente. Add spinach and simmer until pasta is done and spinach is just wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve immediately with extra virgin olive oil and fresh ground black pepper. (If you want to make soup ahead, either wait to add pasta and spinach, or remove from heat before pasta and spinach is fully cooked. The soup will finish cooking when reheated.)























Reading this recipe I'm sure you can see all the ways this very basic recipe can be adapted. First you can throw some diced carrots and celery in with the onion, or maybe some peppers and cilantro, or mushrooms... get creative, it's nearly impossible to mess it up. this first step is also a great time to add bacon or whole or ground spices (there flavor is intensified by a brief saute in hot oil). Next, in goes your beans, this is also a good time to add long simmering flavor enhancers like wine, canned tomatoes, cheese rinds, dried chilies, etc. (Note: using dried beans makes a very rich and flavorful broth. If you don't have time to use dried beans, you could try canned and use some meat or veggie stock.) Once your beans are tender, it's time for vegetables and starches; almost anything goes here, just keep in mind the cooking time for each ingredient. Finally, taste and adjust your seasoning; keep in mind if you haven't added one in earlier steps, you probably want a little bit of some kind of "acidic" flavor to balance it all out. Lemon juice or vinegar works great.

Here is an example of one variation: Chickpea Stew with mushrooms carrots and rice. I flavored this batch of soup with a Parmesan cheese rind. As you can imagine, this soup tastes all together different from the red bean soup, with only a few simple changes. Simply swap out chickpeas for red beans, add minced carrots and mushrooms to your caramelized onions, and cubed carrots and mushrooms instead of spinach, simmer with Parmesan and add a little rice and a squirt of lemon.

Rhubarb Ginger Jam

For the first time in my life; I ate jam out of a jar with a spoon. Make this zingy, sweet and tart Ginger Rhubarb Jam and you'll understand. It's rhubarb season, which means my friend RH is making ginger rhubarb jam. I don't know if she was planning on making it a tradition, but it elicits such rave reviews that it has showed up each spring right along with the rhubarb crop. Just when it starts to sound like a jammy fairytale; the bad news: R is moving to Chicago this summer, making this not only an opportunity to make a great jar of jam, but an opportunity to pass on a great recipe, and keep a little bit of my friend right here in Brooklyn. She might be eating deep dish, while I get to savor a Brooklyn slice, but we'll both be eating the same jam every spring.

This jam, like most, is very simple and requires no special equipment. If you make a larger batch, it would be a natural for canning, as rhubarb season is short and a jar of tart rhubarb jam with a warming ginger bite sounds just as good, if not better, in the bitter cold of winter. We made a pretty small and manageable batch, (I don't think R digs the idea of moving jars of jam cross country), great if you want to make enough for you and your friends, or maybe enough to last until the strawberries arrive.


the recipe:

3 lbs rhubarb (discard leaves)
4 cups sugar
zest and juice of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

Cut rhubarb into 1 inch lengths. Mix with sugar and lemon and let sit for 20 minutes. Add rhubarb mixture and ginger to heavy saucepan. Bring to boil and adjust heat to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until gelling point (place a dollop of jam on cold plate. The surface will form a skin when gelled): 45 to 55 minutes. When gelled, skim any scum from the surface, remove from heat and stir to evenly disperse fruit. Ladle into warm jars and store in fridge, or use canning process for self stable storage. Makes about 4 - 5 half pint jars.

Cardamom Ice Cream

Yeah! I have a new (to me) ice cream maker, and I love it. So little work for such a delicious result. My very first ice cream experiment involved a custard and some cardamom pods. I was hoping for the best, and the results far exceeded my expectations. The flavor was intense and "exotic" but also familiar: much like a slightly more floral cousin of vanilla. This was all balanced by a rich and eggy custard base.

I have a confession: I am not a chocolate dessert person, (I know many find this blasphemous.) Don't get me wrong chocolate is great, but I actually like vanilla better. Keeping in mind my chocolate disclosure - I have to say, I think this just might be my new favorite ice cream.

I served my cardamon ice cream with sweet ripe cubes of mango. I can't take full credit for the combo as they are two classic Indian ingredients, but the combination was perfect. Both the ice cream and the mango have rich and floral notes, the mango added a nice piny musky complexity that was tamed by the creaminess of whole milk and heavy cream.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, I highly recommend getting one. They are very inexpensive these days, and I imagine it would pay for itself in no time. Not only can you save money, you also have complete control over what goes into your ice cream. I made mine with milk, cream, and eggs from the farmers market, and I could taste it. So fresh and rich and eggy, no store bought ice cream could possibly compete.

the recipe:

2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
6-7 green cardamon pods, slightly crushed


Whisk together sugar and eggs until frothy and lemony yellow. In saucepan, heat milk and cardamom until it simmers. Add milk and cardamom slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly. (This process is called Tempering) Return to pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a spoon: 6-8 minutes. Pour custard through a strainer and cool. Add cream and refrigerate until cold. Process in ice cream maker according to your machines directions.

Spaghetti with Ramps

Ramps are here! Those who are not jumping for joy as they read this are probably scratching there heads. To many ramps are unknown. To those who eat seasonally or stalk their local farmers market for the next interesting treasure, this member of the leek family is the first fresh new offering since fall, as well as the beginning of an onslaught of fresh produce that will last nearly until thanksgiving. The very first fruits and veggies of the year are actually foraged: ramps, fiddlehead ferns, stinging nettles, morel mushrooms, rhubarb, and other lesser known wild things. The season for these wild edibles is quite short, in the case of ramps: about three to five weeks.

I decided to make Spaghetti with Ramps, a very common preparation, as my introduction to ramps for the season. I should warn you; I was only briefly introduced but I could taste the garlicky goodness for hours, if not days afterwards. This member of the onion family tastes like a musky mix between garlic and leek, and while mild, relative to a regular onion, the taste (and smell) really linger. I suggest making enough spaghetti for all of your friends: (spread the stink!)

A ramp is a self contained feast. It comes with two flavors (garlic and leek) and three textures: a tender green top (looks a bit like tulip leaves) a thin red stem, and a little white bulb (much like a scallion.) Mother nature knows the ramp will venture forth early and alone, and gives a chef nearly all they need to whip up an easy dish like Spaghetti with Ramps. I simply separated each ramp into its three distinct parts, chopped the bulbs and caramelized them, quickly sauteed the stems followed by the greens and stirred in some lemon juice (or wine), olive oil(or butter) and Spaghetti with some of its cooking liquid. Gave it a stir and ate it with lots of fresh ground black pepper and lemon wedges. If I would have had it on hand (or hadn't been quarantined by rain,) I would have topped it with a generous mound of fluffy shredded Parmesan, or some breadcrumbs sauteed with butter and parsley.





















recipe:

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 bunch ramps, trimmed and cleaned
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or white wine)
4-6 ounces Spaghetti
salt
fresh ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil


Cut ramps into three separate parts: leafy tops, red stems, and white bulbs. Chop the bulbs and add to large skillet with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt over medium heat. Saute until gently caramelized, stir occasionally and lower heat if necessary. Remove from pan and reserve. Add additional tablespoon of oil to pan and increase heat to medium-high. Add stems and stir fry until just tender, add greens and season with salt, stir fry until wilted. Reduce heat to medium. Add caramelized bulbs back to the pan along with lemon juice and scrape up any bits stuck to the pan. Meanwhile cook pasta in salted water and drain, reserving a cup of liquid. Add pasta, a few grinds of black pepper, and a 1/2 cup cooking liquid to pan stirring gently until pasta is coated and liquid has mostly reduced. Add more pasta water as necessary to achieve desired consistency. (Keep in mind it will evaporate further as it is plated) Serve on warm plates drizzled with extra virgin olive oil; either with lemon wedges and fresh ground black pepper, or with grated Parmesan, or toasted bread crumbs) Serves 2.

Avocado Sandwich / Grilled Cheese with Apple

This is the story of my giant loaf of bread. I have a fantastic loaf of whole wheat peasant bread from my local farmers market. I've eaten it fresh with butter, toasted with butter and honey, butter and jam, and butter and Marmite, (I think someone needs to take the butter away from me) and I still have half a loaf left. It's been unseasonably warm, so soup dunking is out. I rummaged around in my fridge, took an inventory of ingredients, and settled on a sandwich.

I wanted to make a sandwich that would highlight the wheaty flavor and chewy texture of my rustic loaf. (Too often whole wheat bread is just swapped with white, no consideration for the fact that they taste different.) You'll notice this casual lunch option is vegetarian, which just goes to show how easy it is to make a sandwich: meat, veggie or other, if you abandon the limiting concept that a sandwich is made with cold cuts, lettuce, tomato and mayo. There are really unlimited other ways to make a meal out of "stuff between bread."

One quick option that most vegetarians know is the avocado sandwich. It's hard to go wrong with an avocado, there are so many ways to prepare this savory fatty fruit. One common mistake is parring avocado with strong flavored ingredients like sharp cheddar cheese, if its really going to shine, you don't want to smother its subtle fresh green flavor. So if in doubt, keep it simple. While I've made much more complicated sandwiches with avocado, this is the bare bones version. Just a perfectly ripe avocado liberally seasoned with salt and fresh ground black pepper, some spicy mayo (mayonaise and Sriracha hot sauce) and sprouts on whole wheat bread. (If it hadn't been nearly 90 degrees, I would have substituted a fried over easy egg for half of the avocado, which is one of my favorite sandwich combinations.) A perfect balance of subtle flavors and textures: rich salty avocado, sweet spicy mayo, crunchy refreshing sprouts all on my nutty, sweet, chewy, soft wheat bread. It was gigantic, but I ate the whole thing and I felt great afterwords, no food coma, and energy all day. This satisfying sandwich is not low in fat, but its really good for you.

The next day the weather turned, my peasant loaf was yet to be finished, and a grilled cheese seemed like a no-brainer. Extra sharp cheddar has no problem standing up to my wheaty friend, but it needed something to lighten it up. I love the combo of apples and cheddar, and all I needed was a little tang to bring it all together. I made a quick relish of apples, cornichon pickles and raisins. The vinegary sweet filling went great with the cheese, almost like a raw chutney. It may seem like a wacky combo, but if you think about it; apples and cheese is a classic, and you often get cornichons, dried fruit and crusty bread with a cheese plate, put it all together and you get a gooey, crusty, salty, sweet sandwich. (If your not into the "chutney" idea you could easily make this sandwich with just cheddar and apple, maybe a little mustard.) Now, I better devise a fate for the remainder of my loaf; I'm thinking croutons. I know, not very glamorous, but I have a head of green leaf lettuce that is begging for some croutons and rich creamy dressing, mmmm...I'll keep you posted.


























Apple Relish:

3 small apples, cored and diced
4-6 cornichons, chopped
2-3 pickled onions, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp, chopped raisins

Combing ingredients and let sit at room temp for at least 10 minutes for flavors to marry. (Don't worry, the vinegar keeps the apples crisp and white)

Oatmeal with Roasted Apples / Banana Bread

A cool spring morning is a delight; and a unique opportunity to enjoy a hearty comforting breakfast without the accompanying bad weather. Here are a couple of breakfasts that will warm you up in the morning and keep you going all day. Before you know it - it will be too hot for any breakfast more substantial then a pint of fresh fruit, (strawberries are coming soon!) or a bowl of cereal. Meanwhile, warm up in the morning with these two wholesome breakfasts.

Oatmeal with the works! Steel cut oatmeal topped with bananas, raisins, cinnamon, milk, and Roasted Apples with Pecans. The picture you see here is the virtuous version; while hearty and scrumptious, definitely throw in a pat of butter and a generous sprinkle of brown sugar if your feeling at all indulgent.

Roasted apples is more a technique then a recipe. (Depending on your taste, you can adjust the quantities and cooking times at will.) Roasting does not merely soften the apples, but rather transforms their texture from crisp, to softly chewy. Sprinkling them with sugar or honey, cinnamon and pecans creates a sort of "apple pie" topping that is great on oatmeal.

roasted apples with pecans:

apples
roasted pecans
butter, cut into small pieces
sugar (or sweetener of choice)
cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Quarter and core rinsed apples. cut into even sized 1 inch pieces. Mix with sugar and salt and spread on greased roasting pan. Sprinkle with butter, pecans and cinnamon and roast for approximately 45 minutes, stirring 3/4 of the way through. (If you like them with a bit more tooth resistance roast for 30 minutes, a bit softer: go for 60 minutes)

Another great breakfast treat (or anytime of the day treat) is banana bread. So fast to whip up, with such a delicious and long lasting payoff. Great hot out of the oven with butter (if your an early riser), but equally good toasted or cold, slathered with sweet and creamy butter. You'll notice I prefer my banana bread with butter, but this sweet, moist loaf can easily stand alone. I am not a baker, and so admit to getting the recipe for this banana bread from Simply Recipes. I've tried many banana bread recipes and this is the best I've made. I love when you make something, and it lives up to or exceeds all of your expectations. From the first bite I thought, " this is what I want banana bread to taste like." I should say I have yet to try baking my moms banana bread recipe, and would have to compare the results. So if your reading this mom, send me your recipe, and we shall see whose recipe takes the cake... er, bread.


(A few notes: I only altered this simple and great recipe with the addition of 1/3 cup roasted salted pecans. I used three large bananas and the full cup of sugar. Also, I took the loaf from its pan after removing it from the oven and let it cool on its side or bottom to encourage the development of a crust. It is also important to mix the batter gently, only until just incorporated, and bake only until just done)

Banana Bread recipe:
(from Simply Recipes)

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Composting

Yeah for compost! and WNYC!

As I dumped my compost into the drop off bin at the farmers market last Saturday, I was briefly interviewed by Amy Eddings from NPR's popular New York affiliate: WNYC. I was happy because I support composting, and I love WNYC! It was fun to hear she used a little part of our conversation in the intro for her piece about compost on the Brian Lehrer show this morning.

Check it out:

http://www.wnyc.org/flashplayer/player.html#/play/%2Fstream%2Fxspf%2F128918



If you want to learn a bit about composting, here are a few informative links:

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/composting/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting

http://www.composting101.com/


If you have the space for your own compost project, or if you are lucky enough to have a farmers market with compost drop off, I highly recommend taking advantage of it. It's easy and rewarding (your garden and the environment will thank you.) Also, separating out all the organic material eliminates the possibility of a stinky garbage, (a major consideration in a tiny apartment), and prevents your leftovers from hanging out in a landfill tell the end of time.

Happy Composting!!

Black Beans with Mushrooms

I'm sure people who know me are surprised that this is the first bean recipe I've posted. Because, well; I love beans. This was not always so, in fact, growing up I hated beans. As was often the case, the issue was texture. I didn't learn to love beans until I cooked them myself from dried beans. The skins where soft, the interior creamy, and the flavor earthy and rich. Now I love beans any which way: in simple beans and rice, cold in salads, dissolving into an unctuous chili, adding body to a casserole, refried, mmm I LOVE refried beans..., I could go on and on. In addition to being delicious, they are extremely nutritious: high in fiber and complex carbohydrates and low in fat. While I think beans taste better when cooked from dried, I also respect the convenience of canned beans. I realize it is not possible in every situation to set aside a few hours to cook beans from scratch, and in these cases, I say open up a can. Any bean is better then none.

Beans are as ancient as civilization and intrinsic to most of the worlds traditional food cultures. They are most often served with grains, think: beans, lentils or tofu with rice; chili or baked beans with corn bread; succotash (lima beans with corn) and its Native American ancestor "the three sisters" (squash and beans with corn). Also: barley and lentils in Europe, pasta and bean soups in Italy, chickpeas with couscous in the Middle East and many others; even a peanut butter sandwich! And lets not to forget the innumerable "hippie" combinations dreamed up in the 70's that have a place in many households' meal repertoires. There is a reason for this pairing; grains and beans form a complete protein -- combined they provide all the amino acids we can't make ourselves. The possibilities are endless, delicious, and just happen to be cheap; a consideration new to many mainstream Americans. Also, if people would replace a portion of their meat consumption with beans they would be doing the environment a favor, as modern meat raising practices are more damaging to the environment then cars. (Buy local meat! know where your food comes from!) So if your not on the bean band wagon yet, wake up and smell the refried beans. (Ok, putting the soapbox away.)

This combination of savory mushrooms and meaty faintly sweet black beans is hearty, stick to your ribs good. Beans, caramelized onions and mushrooms form a savory base, while a light handed use of herbs and lemon and a garnish of sour cream round out the flavor. Add a generous shower of fresh ground black pepper and a side of rice and it brings to mind a kind of black bean stroganoff. This is a basic recipe that could be altered in many ways, and is just one of a countless number of dishes that can be made with this versatile staple. I used black beans because they are my favorite, but just about any kind of bean would work in this recipe, just adjust for cooking time. I made this pot of beans vegetarian, but they can alternatively be made with a couple of pieces of bacon chopped and fried in place of the cumin and chipotle pepper. Also the sliced mushrooms and herbs can be omitted and other veggies and spices swapped in to satisfy just about any flavor craving you can imagine.













































the recipe:

1 lb dried black beans, picked over and soaked overnight (or use quick-soak method*)
2 lbs cremini mushrooms, 4 ground or minced, remaining sliced
4 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 small dried chipotle pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp rosemary, thyme or tarragon
1 tbsp sugar
1 lemon, juiced
fresh ground black pepper
salt


(* Amply cover beans with water and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour. Drain, rinse and use as soaked beans.)

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute half the sliced mushrooms until they have browned and their liquid has been cooked off, remove and reserve. Repeat with an additional 1 tablespoon oil and remaining sliced mushrooms. (Cooking the mushrooms in two batches prevents excess moisture from inhibiting proper browning.) Lower heat to medium and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan. Saute onions 10 minutes then add minced mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until well caramelized, about 20 minutes. (Near the end, stir often and lower heat if necessary.) Add garlic, cumin and chipotle and saute 2 minutes. Add remaining herbs, beans, and about 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and skim scum from surface. Simmer 2 to 4 hours, skimming surface often and adding water as necessary. (There is such a broad time frame because cooking time depends on the freshness of your dried beans. I recommend getting beans from bulk bins at busy stores, as they seem to be the freshest I've found, and cook much faster.) Once beans are soft add sauteed mushrooms and sugar, and liberally season with salt and pepper. (The unseasoned beans will absorb a lot of salt. For best results do not to salt until beans are soft. Early salting extents cooking time and creates a tougher outer skin.) Simmer 10 minutes for flavors to marry. Stir in lemon juice, adjust seasoning, and serve with rice, sour cream, fresh ground black pepper, and raw onion if you like. Serves 6-10.

Braised Cabbage and Purple Potatoes

Good Bye Winter! I like to think of this meal as my good bye winter dinner. (Although it's probably premature; we're still a month away from the spring bounty here on the east coast, and I'm sure there are plenty of potatoes in my near future.) It's easy to think of this less then glamorous dish as peasant or "recession" food, but the results are satisfying and full of pure flavor. Cabbage gets a bad rap, but really is versatile and delicious, ranging from fresh and crispy in a slaw or salad to meltingly soft and sweetly caramelized, which is the case in this simple recipe handed down from my mom. The Cabbage benefits from a slow braise in a covered pot to fully soften it, before the lid is taken off and the water is allowed to evaporate, saving all the flavor and nutrients that are lost when boiled. The real magic happens next, when you throw in a generous nob of butter, and let your cabbage wedge caramelize, bringing out its sweet and buttery flavor. This elevates a simple side to a "can't get enough" revelation. Paired with potatoes and in this case a sweet sausage, and you have a complete meal, that a polish grandma or gourmet chef would be proud of.

I also feel its necessary to address the issue of smell. I know a lot of apartment dwellers who would hesitate to make this for fear of being that person in the building; have no fear. I've made this many times, and it only ever smelled sweet and buttery. The sulfurous stink only shows up when cabbage is overcooked, or unwashed cooking dishes are left to sit. I highly suggest throwing your braising pot into hot soapy water as soon as you are done with it, and you will only have envious neighbors.



the recipe:

1 small head cabbage
2 large potatoes
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dill
salt
fresh ground black pepper


Remove loose, dried or blemished leaves from cabbage, and cut into quarters lengthwise, leaving the base intact. In heavy bottomed pan with tight fitting lid place cabbage cut side down and fill with about 1/2 - 3/4 inch cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to water and exposed cabbage and sprinkle with dill. Cover and simmer until cabbage is nearly completely soft, about 15-20 minutes. Towards end test often with point of knife to prevent overcooking. (If lid is slightly loose, cover pan with foil, or rotate cabbage halfway through cooking, and add water if necessary.) Remove lid from pan and increase heat to medium-low, allow remaining water to simmer vigorously until completely evaporated. Add 2 Tablespoons butter to the pan, shaking pan gently to distribute butter evenly. Saute cabbage without moving until the bottom edges are beginning to brown. Spread additional 2 tablespoons butter on top and exposed side of cabbage wedge. Either caramelize on remaining side, or adjust salt, season with pepper and serve as is. Meanwhile, cut rinsed potatoes into wedges lengthwise, and boil in salted water until tender (approx 20-25 minutes), drain and reserve. When Cabbage is done, remove with spatula to warmed serving plates, and add potatoes and an additional 2 tbsp butter to pan, scraping up any browned bits and gently stirring until potatoes are well coated and heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cabbage. Serves 2-4.

Cheap Eating in NYC

So, the party is over and it's back to the grindstone. After three weeks Mom has headed home and I've hit the job hunt. We ate amazingly well and had a ton of fun on a tiny budget. Some of our tips for making the most of your dining dime: make your own coffee in the morning and don't eat out. I know this may sound like a cruel limitation in a city known for amazing food, but if you have culinary skills and a small budget, I found a "high/low" strategy was the best bet. We had amazing (and amazingly cheap) "street" food: pizza, papusas, and hot dogs, but made a constant activity out of sourcing the best raw materials to bring back to my apartment, and either eat as is, or cook up just the way we liked it; keeping the tip for ourselves. We feasted on cheeses and meats, fresh crispy bread, seasonal veggies and fruits, gourmet vinegars, oils, olives, spices, spreads and condiments, hand made candies and bakery, and of course inexpensive but delicious wine.
































































































































































































We spent a great day shopping in Grand Central Terminal. This may seem odd, but Grand Central is a great place for food shopping. There is an indoor market with everything you could need nestled into one long narrow corridor, just steps away from commuter trains heading up-state, and with easy access to the subway rumbling by unheard beneath your feet. One sees New Yorkers whizzing through the throngs, picking up what is obviously their dinner for that evening, before jumping on the subway home. We stopped at some old favorites, and found some new ones: At O & CO. we bought a great bottle of balsamic vinegar, and were steered towards two delicious cheeses at Murray Cheese by the helpful and genuinely nice staff. We bought some spices from Penzeys (and smelled just about all of them), got a fresh baguette, some spanish chorizo and some crazy good handmade candy from Li-Lac. We chose butter toffee and maple fudge and it was the best of either that I'd ever had. It was my first time stopping at this shop, and I will definitely be back.

One of our favorite food stops is always the Chelsea Market at 9th ave. and 15th st. an indoor market that houses food shops along a long rustically industrial arched hallway. Its full of great food, but we like it mostly for the vibe, its comfy and out of the elements, a good thing when its scorching hot or freezing cold: the latter on our day in Chelsea. You would think it would be swamped by tourists but it's blessedly a nice mix: tourists, locals and foodies. We picked up some soup, bread and bakery, and sat at one of the many tables along the corridor to people watch.

Another great day was spent in Williamsburg. We hit two vintage stores, and apparently a time warp. As we emerged onto the cold empty street at 11 pm, (yes, some stores stay open until 11, one of the perks of living in NYC) we realized we were famished. We walked a few blocks to the main drag: Bedford Ave, for a slice of pizza. I knew we were close to a great pizza place my friends and I used to go to in college at all hours of the night; usually after drinking all night. At least I was pretty sure it was great pizza, but it seemed a sober taste test was in order. Lucky for us, it was as good as I hazily recalled. It embodied everything that makes a New York "slice" the best pizza in America. What a masterpiece of simplicity; a marrying of soul mates: tangy sweet tomato sauce and salty melted cheese. A thin crust that's crispy and charred in spots, but chewy and plaint enough to crease lengthwise. This crease gives your giant floppy triangle the structural integrity needed to deliver your masterpiece the short distance from grease stained paper plate, to your eager smiling face.

My favorite day though, was a perfect confluence of planning and spontaneity, great art, great food, great weather and great company. We started our day getting up early and heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the upper east side. We picked a few new shows to scour in depth, and wondered through some old favorites, not really looking, just absorbing the "museum feel". As our appetite, and the temperature outside, peeked; we left the quite dimly lit interior for the bright and noisy New York sidewalk, and it was warm - balmy! It was The warmest day of the year so far and people were out in force: upper east side nannies with their charges, office workers: suit jackets draped over there arms, old ladies and poodles, local kids full of pent up energy, and clumps of teens loosed from school for the day.

We passed by the two busy hot dog carts near the Met stairs and headed south a few blocks before picking up our "dirty water dogs", as the classic cart food is sometimes "lovingly" referred. I highly recommend grabbing a good friend and building up a good apatite; enough to ask for a slew of dogs, and a card board box to serve as make shift park furniture. I ordered us four with kraut, ketchup, and mustard. We found a bench in the sun just inside Central Park, and feasted in comfort with our cardboard tabletop and a great view of the action: jubilant New Yorkers shaking off cabin fever, plunging into the park smiling and chatting: all with a knowing glint in their eyes: every one of them knows - this is one of those days you wait for all winter.

The day was so beautiful, we spent the rest of it "bench hopping" our way down the east side of Central Park down to the south corner at 59th street. We got an ice cream and watched grubby bottomed kids feeding a goose, ambled along the edge of a man made lake, and walked through the Central Park Zoo(closed for the season). As we neared the end of our walk and the sun was going down over the buildings fringing the park and the gilded yellow light glinted through the bear branches, I knew without a doubt, this was the best day I had ever spent in the park, and I was lucky enough to share it with my favorite person, my Mom.


p.s. Happy Birthday Mom!!

Fort Greene Farmers Market # 2

It's spring! (even though it doesn't feel like it yet). I've been very busy since returning to Brooklyn a few weeks ago, but not to busy to stop and smell the roses, well actually; pussy willows, crocuses, and tulips, some of the harbingers of spring in in my neighborhood. I know its some time before spring veggies hit the farm stands, but by the time they do, the anticipation will make them all the more appreciated. Meanwhile, I'm making the most of stored veggies: onions, potatoes, carrots, cabbages and beets, as well as apples, and green house gems like baby greens, herbs, and cut flowers. This is a great time of year to explore the farmers markets "other" offerings, those that often get overlooked during the height of summer and early fall, when you are inundated in more types of gorgeous fruits and vegetables then you can even eat in a week. (Its best under those circumstances to just go for the gold and eat as much seasonal produce as you can before it is gone.) Now the pickings are slimmer, but sometimes limits can be liberating. Now is the time to try the different cheeses, meats, fish and eggs; jams, jellies and juices; fresh bread, pies muffins and cookies, not to mention mushrooms my very favorite year round "veggie". I'm looking forward to ramps, fiddleheads, asparagus and rhubarb, but until then, I'm enjoying the ingenuity of my local farmers. This weeks favorite: a cheddar cheese and mushroom loaf, that was moist and eggy, while being light as air. I sliced it thick and toasted it before spreading with butter, mmmmm, I know I said I wanted to try different things, but I might have to just buy this one again next week.