Whole Roasted Squash With Tomato-Ginger Chickpeas & Za’atar

I read myself the riot act about 6 months ago, when my cholesterol level reached a new high. My doctor seemed nonplussed, perhaps because my cardiac calcium score was a perfect zero. But I was not happy. Yes, I had lost weight and was exercising, but to be honest, my heart belonged to cheese. And eggs. And ice cream. Something had to change.

Breakfast was easy. The whole eggs (which I had been eating almost daily) were replaced by Starbucks Sous Vide Egg whites or oatmeal served with a side of chicken sausage. Lunches were yogurt or soup or vegan bean burritos or salad or tuna or peanut butter. I started snacking on nuts and fruits and avocado.

But dinner remained a challenge for some time, as it’s the one meal my husband and I always eat (and often cook) together, and he loves meat. Though we often cooked chicken, we were definitely eating more red meat than recommended, not enough fish and almost never an entire veggie meal. He loves salmon, so we added that more frequently into the rotation. But It was hard to convince him to forgo the red meat. Until his cholesterol returned elevated – though not as high as mine.

We decided it was time to tackle dinner together. We dropped red meat from the menu, except for the occasional grass fed beef and lamb or top rib in a cabbage soup, upped the fish to several times a week, and started rotating in some vegetarian dinners.

I’m proud to report that, with just these changes, my total cholesterol dropped over 60 points and my LDL almost 50 points! I’m still not where I want to be, but I’m on my way, out of mandatory statin territory and eager to move further into meatless cuisine.

Luckily, I have a few vegetable-forward relatives who are also creative and wonderful cooks, and who have generously shared their recipe and ingredient gems with me. Let me in turn share this one with you.

See you in the land of meatless meals!

Whole Roasted Squash With Tomato-Ginger Chickpeas & Za’atar

Cousin Karen modifed this recipe from Ali Slagle at the NYTimes by adding some of my homemade za'atar that I had shared with her. It's the perfect addition!

Ingredients

  • 3 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
  • cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • 3 14½-ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 oregano sprigs plus leaves for garnish
  • tablespoons peeled, finely chopped ginger
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 3- to 4-pound butternut squash
  • ¾ cup full-fat plain yogurt (I use sheep yogurt)
  • Za'atar to taste

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 300 degrees. On a sheet pan, stir together the chickpeas, ⅔ cup olive oil, tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano sprigs and 2 tablespoons chopped ginger. Season with salt and pepper and spread in an even layer.
  • Scrub the squash and prick in a few places with a paring knife. Transfer to a foil-lined sheet pan and coat lightly with oil, salt and pepper.
  • Bake the squash in the preheated oven on the bottom rack and the chickpeas on the upper rack until a knife slides easily through the squash and the chickpeas and tomatoes are dark red and thick like jam, 2 to 2½ hours, stirring the chickpeas occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, stir the remaining ½ tablespoon ginger into the sheep yogurt. (If using Greek yogurt, you may need to thin it with a little water) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Discard the herb sprigs, then season the chickpeas to taste with salt and pepper. When the squash are cool enough to handle, cut into big pieces and scoop out and discard the stems, seeds and stringy bits. Keep the skin on – it's edible. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the squash to a platter flesh side up, then top with the chickpeas, some of the ginger yogurt and a very generous sprinkle of za'atar. Serve the remaining yogurt alongside.

Pretty Darned Near Absolutely Perfect Bagels

One of the challenges with making bread is that I want to bake more bread than my husband and I can eat. At best, it takes us a week to get through a loaf, slicing, freezing, thawing and toasting our slices one by one. When the sliced bread in the freezer piles up, I make breadcrumbs. Even with that, we still struggle to finish up what’s in the freezer before I want to bake bread again.

My reason for not eating as much bread as I make is that I’m always on a diet. This is not the issue for Mr TBTAM, who can eat as much bread as he wants and still weighs the same as he did the day I married him. But the bread he wants on a daily basis is not my artisan sourdough, though he does enjoy it immensely whenever he makes a sandwich. The bread he wants and eats on a daily basis is his morning bagel.

Not just any bagel, mind you. The right kind of bagel. The perfect bagel. Dense, chewy, flavorful, not too well-done, not too pale, and not too large. With everything bagel topping.

In New York City the perfect bagel is to be found in only one place, and that’s Absolute Bagel on Broadway at 108th street. For almost 30 years, once a week on a weekend morning, Mr TBTAM would arise at 6 am to ride his bike to Absolute before the block-long line started to form out front, returning home with a half dozen everything bagels, still warm in their paper bag. Once, he and our friend Noel undertook a bagel hunt, venturing into far-off Brooklyn is search of a more perfect bagel than the Absolute bagel. It was not to be found, although the bagels at the Bagel Hole came close to their Absolute benchmark.

Now that we’re living back home in Philly, Mr TBTAM has yet to find his perfect Philly bagel. Not that he hasn’t tried, and he’s tried quite a few – Whole Foods (“so-so”), Famous Deli (“up there, one of the best so far”), Bart’s in Powelton (“up there with Famous, but not quite there”), Kismet in Reading Terminal (“pretty good”), Kaplans in Northern Liberty (“in the middle”), Spread on South Street (‘pretty good, I think”). He has high hopes for New York Bagel on Haverford and City Line Ave, based on recommendations from several friends and a distant memory of liking their bagels 30 years ago, but has yet to make the schlep.

The bagels he grew up on were from Rollings Bakery, located at that time on 5th Street in East Oak Lane, now relocated to Elkins Park. Imagine a soft but chewy bagel with a firm but pliant crust. Now sit on it. That was the old Rollings bagel. The current Rollings iteration is no longer misshapen and squashed, and just as delicious as the old Rollings bagel, but for some reason, they don’t satisfy Mr TBTAM anymore. I suspect it’s because Absolute bagel has ruined him for any other bagel.

Quite a long prelude, but necessary so that you might understand why a bagel-making undertaking on my part might be pretty high stakes in this family. But, remembering my oft-recited mantra “How hard could it be?”, I decided it was time to try. So I made a dozen bagels using Claire Saffitz’s recipe in the NY Times, mixing in a bit of home-milled heritage wheat with heritage bread flour from Sunrise Mills.

Imagine my shock and delight when Mr TBTAM declared my very first batch of bagels to be as good as the bagels at Absolute! Though the man has never lied to me, even to make me feel good, I just could not believe it. So I foisted a few bagels onto my daughter and mother-in-law, who loved them as much as did my husband!

I, on the other hand, was not satisfied. The bagels I made using Saffritz’s recipe were delicious, but the crust was just a little too hard for my liking. My recollection of the Absolute bagel crust is that it’s dense and chewy, but pliable and even a tad squishable, though not squishy. The bagels I made did not squish much when pressed, if at all. Something was still not right. So I dove deep into the bagel making rabbit hole, reading about boiling and baking times, and exploring a multitude of bagel recipes.

Turns out that the reason one boils the bagels is to set the crust and keep the bagel from puffing up like a loaf of bread when it hits the oven, allowing it to maintain that bagel shape we know and love. The longer one boils the bagel, the thicker and denser the crust becomes, making it more resistant to the rising bagel innards, leading to a flatter bagel. As for baking times, I found this among other recipes, which recommended a much shorter 15 minute bagel bake. Hmm….

I was looking for a chewy but not too chewy crust that was pliable. Not sure if the small amount of optional whole wheat I was adding in to my flour might be the culprit, I left it out. Then I shortened the bagel boiling time from 1 minute (but probably closer to 1 1/2 minutes given I was floating 4 bagels at a time in the boiling water) to 45 seconds, working with at most one or two bagels at a time, aided by the Timer on my Iphone clock app. I then tweaked my baking time – half my bagels went in at 450 for the 20-25 minutes Saffrtitz recommends, and the other half went in at 450 for 15 minutes. Worried they’d be undercooked, I checked the internal temp after taking the 15 minute bagels out of the oven – 200 degrees. Just right.

Bingo! The combination of a 45 second boiling time and 15 minute baking time got me as close to an Absolute bagel as one can get without schlepping up to 108th and Broadway. Chewy crust with a satisfactory, but not too squishy squish when pressed. Delicious, with a dense but not too dense interior.

I’m now making bagels weekly! The dozen I make barely satisfies my family’s needs once I’ve given my husband his half dozen and the deliver the rest to my daughter, her husband and my mother-in-law. This just makes me SO happy…

I’ve thought about trying sourdough bagels next, but these bagels are much easier to fit into my life than sourdough. I do plan on adding back the home-milled whole wheat flour next week, just because I think I can. And trying out King Arthur Lancelot High Gluten Flour, as the higher the gluten content, the chewier the bagel.

Other than that, I’m not making any changes. Because these are pretty darned near absolutely perfect bagels.

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5 from 1 vote

Pretty Darned Near Absolutely Perfect Bagels

This recipe will get you as close to an Absolute Bagel as one can get without schlepping up to 108th and Broadway. Modified from NYT cooking recipe by Claire Saffitz. (I highly recommend you read that recipe and watch Claire's video)
Servings: 12 Bagels

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 tbsp Barley Malt Syrup
  • 7 grams Active Dry Yeast (1 packet or 2 1/4 tsp)
  • 540 ml Lukewarm water (105 – 110 degrees)
  • 885 grams High Protein Bread Flour
  • 17 grams Kosher salt

Boiling and Topping

  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 cup Barley Malt Syrup
  • Bagel toppings (Everything, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt, dried minced onion)

Instructions

Prepare the Bagel Dough

  • Whisk 2 tbsp barley malt syrup into 120 ml lukewarm water into a small bowl. Add the yeast and stir till dissolved. Let sit until the mixture foams, about 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour and salt and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture and the remaining 420 ml water. Mix, using your hands and a bowl scraper, until the dough is shaggy. Knead it in the bowl till it's a solid mass, then turn it out onto a clean counter and continue kneading till there are no dry spots and the dough is stiff but very smooth and still slightly sticky (15 mins or so).
  • Gather the dough into a ball and place it in a large, clean bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.

Divide, Pre-Shape and Shape the Bagels

  • Using your fist, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a clean work surface. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 equal 120 gram pieces.  
  • Pre-shape each piece into a tight ball by gently flattening the dough out onto the work surface. Then, working your way around the circle, pull the edges towards the center, pinching them shut to form a tight dumpling-like pouch. Turn it over, seam side down, and cupping your hands around the dough, drag it in a circular motion to form a tight, high dome. (Watch this video from KA for technique) Repeat with all the pieces, then cover them with a damp towel and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Line two large rimmed baking sheets with lightly oiled parchment paper. Working one piece at a time, roll your hand in the center a few times to create a bulb at each end. Then, switch to two hands and roll outward to about 12 inches of even thickness throughout. Now, wrap the rope around your open hand, overlapping the ends over your palm, then flipping your hand over to roll the ends together to seal and form the bagel. (Watch this video from Maurizio of the Perfect Loaf for technique.)
  • As you form each bagel, place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet, evenly spacing six bagels to a sheet. When you’ve formed all the bagels, cover each baking sheet with a piece of plastic, followed by a damp towel and transfer the baking sheets to the refrigerator. Chill at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Boiling the Bagels

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the center. Fill a large, wide pot or Dutch oven oven halfway with water and bring to a boil. Set a wire rack next to the Dutch oven. Set your various bagel toppings on small plates next to the wire rack. Set the timer on your phone to 45 seconds.
  • Add 1/4 cup barley malt syrup and 1 tsp baking soda to the boiling water in the pot, skimming excess foam as it forms. Remove one sheet pan of bagels from the fridge and place it on the counter near the stove as possible. Working quickly, drop 1 to 2 bagels gently into the boiling water, then immediately start the timer. At around 20 seconds, gently flip the bagels using a large slotted spoon, and at the 45 second mark, gently remove the bagels from the pot and place them on the wire rack. Repeat until you've boiled 6 bagels, waiting if need be between batches to maintain a steady boil.

Topping & Baking the Bagels

  • Discard the parchment sheet from the baking pan you used to store the bagels in the fridge. Gently dip each bagel into its chosen topping, and arrange them spaced equally back on the now bare baking sheet. Place the sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, turning the pan 180 degrees after 8 minutes to assure even baking. Remove to a rack to cool.
  • Repeat the boiling, coating and baking process with the second sheet of bagels from the fridge. Let the bagels cool completely on a wire rack before eating.

Za’atar

I’m excited about this season’s Za’atar, because its almost entirely from foraged or home-grown spices.

We picked the sumac along a dirt road in Northern New Hampshire in late June. It was the most luscious, oil-packed, fragrant sumac I’ve ever encountered. (Read about how to find and dry sumac here.)

The oregano and thyme hailed from Pennsylvania and New York City, grown in sis Rosemary and friend Paula’s container gardens, as well as my own window box in the mountains. I dried the sumac by laying them it for a couple of weeks on a cooling rack atop a baking sheet, and the other herbs in the food dehydrator for two days. The marjoram was store bought, and I vow to grown my own next year. I mixed it my Za’atar few weeks ago, and packaged it today in these adorable spice jars I found on the internet.

There are as many recipes for Za’atar as there are chefs. I used this one from Spruce Eats. I’d love to find a source for the Za’atar plant, an oregano that hails from the West Bank in Palestine, the flavor of which we try to emulate by mixing western oregano, thyme and marjoram. Maybe I can try my hand at growing that. It’s what Ottolenghi uses in his Za’atar spice blend,

I’ve used Za’atar in chicken and pasta dishes, but enjoy it most sprinkled atop Lebanese flatbreads.

Most of my Za’atar is already called for, but I still have a few jars leftover. Let me know if you want some.

A Trio of Mushroom Dishes for a Trio of Mushrooms

If you’re ever in the Lake Winnipesaukee area, as we were last month visiting family, stop in at the New Hampshire Mushroom Company in Tamworth. If you’re lucky, the mushroom-growing rooms will be open to the public when you visit. Unfortunately, most of the crew was out giving a mushroom foraging tour the day we visited, so no back room tour for us. Nonetheless, we still managed to score a HUGE box of gorgeous shrooms – Lion’s Mane, Chestnut and Blue Oyster. I was a bit worried we’d never manage to use them all, but my fears were ungrounded, as we had several occasions the following week to share our bounty with family.

First, I made the most wonderful Mushroom Lasagna for dinner at Irene’s with Mr TBTAM’s family, based on a recipe from Martha Rose Shulman. We left the leftovers for Irene, and were pleased to hear it was just as delicious the next day when reheated.

Two days later, Mr TBTAM and I made a pasta using the leftover cooked lasagna noodles (If you cook the whole pound box instead of the half pound called for in the recipe you have a LOT of leftover noodles) that I sliced into long tagliatelle-like shapes and tossed with the same mushroom mixture as in the lasagna, substituting heavy cream for the bechamel. OMG, perfection!

Finally, again using that very same recipe as a base, Rachel and I made mushroom toasts to serve my family, who came over for dinner while she and brother Joe were staying with us. This time, we served that cooked mushroom mixture atop toasted slices of a baguette from Metropolitan Bakery in Reading Terminal Market. The only thing better than those toasts was having my sibs and their spouses around our dining room table, probably the thing I had missed most when moving to NYC 30 years go, and the thing that makes me happiest about our move back home to Philly.

Here are the three recipes. Enjoy!

Mushroom Lasagna

Based on a recipe from Martha Rose Shulman in the NY Times. The bechamel is made with olive oil instead of butter, and is just lovely.

Ingredients

Mushrooms

  • 1 ounce mixed dried mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used Lions Mane, Chestnut and Blue Oysters, but you can use crimini if that's what is available)
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup fruity red wine
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper

Béchamel

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • Salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Lasagna

  • ½ pound dried lasagna noodles
  • I cup grated mixed Parmesan/Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup with 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl, squeezing to extract all the juices. If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Measure out 1½ cups of the soaking liquid and set aside. Rinse the mushrooms until they are free of sand, squeeze dry and chop coarsely. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.
  • Cook the Mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and sweat. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down. Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt.
  • Make the béchamel. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw-flour taste. Season with salt and pepper. Pour while hot into the pan with the mushrooms.
  • Meanwhile, boil the water with a little olive oil for the lasagna and cook the noodles according to directions, till al dente. Drain. Spoon a thin layer of béchamel and mushrooms over the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread a ladleful of the mushroom/béchamel mixture over the noodles and top with a layer of Parmesan. Continue to repeat the layers, ending with a layer of the mushroom/béchamel mixture topped with Parmesan. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes till edges are slightly crispy and top is browned. Serve.

Tagliatelle with Mushrooms

Dried and fresh mushrooms combine with a light, olive oil bechamel and Parmesan or mixed aged cheeses to make a delicious pasta. Serve with a tossed green salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce mixed dried mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used Lions Mane, Chestnut and Blue Oysters, but you can use crimini)
  • ½ cup fruity red wine
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound dried tagliatelle
  • grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup with 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl, squeezing to extract all the juices. If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Measure out 1½ cups of the soaking liquid and set aside. Rinse the mushrooms until they are free of sand, squeeze dry and chop coarsely. Set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and sweat. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down. Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
  • While the mushrooms are cooking, boil salted water for the pasta and cook the pasta in the water till al dente, then drain and toss in with the mushroom-cream mixture. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese and serve.

Mushroom Toasts

Serve cooked mixed mushrooms atop toasted baguette slices, topped with grated Parmesan.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce mixed dried mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms sliced (I used Lions Mane, Chestnut and Blue Oysters, but you can use crimini if that’s what is available)
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup fruity red wine
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • extra virgin Olive oil
  • 1 long baguette
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup with 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl, squeezing to extract all the juices. If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Measure out 1½ cups of the soaking liquid and set aside. Rinse the mushrooms until they are free of sand, squeeze dry and chop coarsely. Set aside.
  • Cook the Mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and sweat. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down. Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Keep warm while toasting the baguette slices.
  • Toast the Baguette Slices. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice baguette, arrange slices on a baking sheet and generously brush with olive oil. Bake until lightly toasted, 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Assemble Toasts. Spoon warm mushroom mixture atop the baguette slices. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese and serve.

Banana Bread (with Chocolate Bits)

I’m generally not a fan of bananas eaten anything other than in vivo, ie., peeled and popped into the mouth, fresh but not too ripe. I don’t like them in ice cream, oatmeal, cereal, cakes or even in fruit salads. Certain foods, in my opinion, just need to be enjoyed one-on-one, you know?

But last week, in my mother-in-law’s kitchen, a few over-ripe bananas were calling out not to be wasted, so my daughter and I decided to make banana bread. I figured that since others were there with us that evening, I would be under no obligation to eat the thing I was making, and my daughter and I would have a little kitchen fun, which we did.

To my surprise, I loved this bread! Perhaps it was the scattered chocolate, or the lack of large banana pieces to turn me off. Or the use of melted butter rather than oil or room temp butter.

Whatever.

This bread is moist, flavorful and keeps well in the fridge. It’s delicious eaten warm or even better, toasted and topped with a schmear of cream cheese.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

I love that this recipe can be made entirely by hand, using just a whisk, fork and rubber spatula. This recipe is adapted from The Kitchn Website, which unfortunately left out a step in their instructions (forgetting to tell us when to add the sugar.) But the entire post is otherwise well worth the read, and the accompanying pics are great.

Ingredients
  

  • softened butter for greasing the pan
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 medium, very ripe bananas
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 ounces good dark chocolate, shaved or chopped into irregular sized small piece

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F with rack on bottom third of the oven. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8×5-inch loaf pan, then line with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the long sides, and lightly grease the paper too.
  • Whisk melted butter and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Whisk in milk and vanilla. Peel the bananas, slice and add them to the bowl, mashing them in with a fork or pastry blender, leaving pieces as small or large as you like (I like them small and few in number.) If you want an entirely smooth batter, mash the bananas separately, then add to the batter.
  • Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl, then gently fold them into the batter using a rubber spatula just till combined. Do not over-mix. Fold in chocolate pieces.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 50-65 minutes, checking with a toothpick or cake tester starting at around 50 minutes (Mine took 60 minutes, and could have gone another 5 minutes without harm.). This is a very moist cake, more likely to under- than over-bake.
  • Cool bread in the pan on a wire rack for a least 10 minutes before removing from pan, then cool another 10 minutes before slicing.

Ode to a Smoked Trout Lyonnaise

Moving to Philly and being retired means I get to visit Valley Green as often as I want. So, last week I met Susan for lunch at Brunos and a post-prandial walk along Forbidden Drive. There, we encountered a battalion of rubber-booted fisherman standing in the stream and parade of pickups and cars following a small tanker truck along the path.

Yes folks, it was trout-stocking day on the Wissahickon.

Which got me remembering the time Lou caught some gorgeous trout in the Loyalsock River, which we brined and smoked on the Weber in the back yard at our cottage. Gotta’ get Lou back up to the mountains this summer, I thought.

Next day, meeting an old med school friend at Musette (yep, this retirement thing is working out just fine, thank you..), there on the menu was a Lyonnaise salad with green beans, topped with – you guessed it – smoked trout!

OMG – heaven on a plate.

Then yesterday, while arranging and stocking my new pantry, what did I find but a can of smoked trout from Trader Joes!

It was 3 pm and I hadn’t eaten lunch. I remembered the leftover baby kale and lettuce and a small amount of uncooked bacon in the fridge and knew exactly what I was going to do. Make Mark Bittman’s Salad Lyonnaise, topped with smoked trout.

OMG perfect.

I mean, really. A salad tossed in a warm vinagriette made from olive oil, bacon with its rendered fat, Dijon mustard, shallots (or in my case, garlic) and sherry wine vinegar, all topped with a poached egg? Only the French would think of that. And now I was going to gild that lily with smoked trout. Oh yeah, it was delish.

Eating my lunch, I started rooting around my brain for a poem to submit to my poetry workgroup that evening. Last minute poet, that’s me…

Luckily, this poem arose just in time.

Sometimes, the stars (and the trout) align.

Ode to a Smoked Trout Lyonnaise 

It's a brisk April morning on the old Wissahickon.
Rubber-booted fisherman are tossing their lines
into freshly stocked waters, where the trout are a-kickin',
their rainbow fins shimmer through the shadows of pines.

Which gets me to dreamin' of trout filets swimming
in applewood vapor, still fresh from the brine,
in a black kettle smoker, their plump muscles brimming
with sweet smoky candy-like flavor divine.

Now they greet me at the tabletop tossed with frisee
bathed in bacon-laced sherry and French mustard dressing
flanked by haricot vert, and atop it all lay
a perfect cooked egg like an early spring blessing. 

Margaret Polaneczky
April 20, 2023

Late Winter Poem

Foretelling

If you skirt shadowed sidewalks and keep to the sun,
You will think that the worst of the winter has passed.
Breezes with warm tones of spring days to come 
Brush your cheek with a promise that says this will last.

At park side, a witch hazel catches your eye
With sparkling jewels studding nature's gray weave
Its flowers a happy late winter surprise
Portending forsythia's bright yellow sleeves.

Hold the breeze to her promise,
Hold the light to the day,
The forsythia blossoms are not long away.

Margaret Polaneczky
2/14/2023

Chicken with Dried Mushrooms & Tomatoes

When it comes time to figure out what to make for dinner, I love the internet as much as anyone. I usually head straight to the NY Times Cooking section, or to Epicurious, Saveur or Food 52 for ideas and inspiration. But one weekend this past year, with our Philly travel plans cancelled by an upcoming storm (there is nothing worse than the Jersey turnpike in a thunderstorm with tornado and flood warnings), I had the unexpected luxury of free time on a Saturday morning. Sitting with a cup of coffee, I opened Biba’s Taste of Italy, a cookbook whose spine I had yet to crack in the year since it had been gifted to me by my husband, to see what I might make for dinner that evening.

Written by the late Sacramento-based restaurateur and chef Biba Caggiano, Biba’s Taste of Italy is an homage to the cuisine of Emilia Romagna, the region of Italy where Biba grew up, and where much of her family still lives. Emilia Romagna straddles Italy just north of Tuscany, and includes the cities of Bologna, Modena and Parma. Stanley Tucci visited the prosperous region in his episode on Bologna, and describes it as “a lush land of fertile river valleys stuffed with livestock and billowing with soft wheat”. It also is home to some of Italy’s finest chefs and most amazing cuisine.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

In this region, porcini mushrooms grow in abundance in the wooded forests between Bologna and Modena, and most famously in the area around Borgotaro, home of the Sagra del Fungo, or annual porcini mushroom festival. Porcini from this area have been given the prestigious PGI designation as a national treasure, and have been described as having “a woody aroma and a clean smell recalling hazelnuts, liquorice or newly cut wood”, with “no trace of that smell of hay which often defines less valuable mushrooms”.

Porcini – Image from Wikipedia commons

As Bibi tells us, porcini in Emilia Romagna are used fresh in the spring and fall, and at other times dried. Dried porcini are not considered a substitute for fresh, but an ingredient all their own, as is the broth that results from their re-hydration. In the kitchen, they often serve a supporting role to enrich pasta sauces and enhance meat, vegetable and risotto dishes. In the recipe I chose to make that evening, the dried mushrooms share the spotlight with the tomatoes in a rich, woodsy flavored sauce for a braised chicken.

Now, after all that, I have a confession to make. I did not use dried PGI porcini from Emilia Romagna in this recipe. My dried mushrooms were from the New Hampshire Mushroom Company, gifted to me by one of my sisters, who had recently visited the place.

I also have to admit I was both curious and a little scared of the sauce in this recipe, which uses only five ingredients – tomatoes, dried porcini, garlic, white wine and rosemary. It just seemed too simple, and I could not imagine using only the dried mushrooms in a sauce like this. I was tempted to add some fresh mushrooms and maybe some onion and pancetta. None of which would have hurt, but I am so glad I kept the recipe as simple as it is. Because this dish in delicious. And even better the second day, or as Biba says, “It benefits from being prepared several hours ahead and reheated gently just before serving”. Which, come to think of it, makes it a great make-ahead entree to serve to company.

We served ours with potatoes, but next time I’ll serve it atop polenta.

And get me some genuine PGI Porcini.

Here’s to free Saturdays!

Chicken with Dried Mushrooms and Tomatoes

A lovely braised chicken recipe from Biba's Taste of Italy, celebrating the cooking of the Emilia-Romagna region.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups lukewarm water for 20 minutes
  • 8 Chicken thighs (or a cut up whole chicken)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2-3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 16 ounces plum tomatoes, minced
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Drain porcini mushrooms and reserve the soaking water. Rinse mushrooms well under cold running water, roughly mince and set aside. Strain soaking water through a few layers paper towels into small bowl and set aside.
  • Heat butter and oil in a large heavy casserole or skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan, skin side down. Cook, turning one or twice, till golden on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  • Add porcini, garlic and rosemary to the pan and stir quickly for a minute or so. Add wine and deglaze. When wine is reduced by half, add the tomatoes, season lightly with salt, and cook for a few minutes.
  • Return chicken pieces to the pan and stir them into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, partially cover the pan and cook gently till chicken is very tender, about 40-45 minutes. Stir and check the sauce from time to time, adding the reserved porcini water if the sauce reduces too much.
  • Just before serving, stir in the parsley. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Where to get PGI Porcini

Dried porcini from La Bottega del Fungo, a family run operation in Borgotaro.

Roast Cauliflower with Vadouvan Butter

In the “How did I not know about this before?” category, allow me to introduce you to vadouvan, a delicious Indo-French curry spice mix that will blow your taste buds and your mind. Thanks to bro Joe for turning me on to vadouvan, though the real credit goes to the French colonists in seventeenth century Pundicherry, India who created the spice mix as they blended French and Indian cuisines. Vadouvan is complex and piquant but milder than traditional curry, and a truly exotic treat for your taste buds.

Joe learned about Vadouvan from his buddy Mourad, the modern Moroccan chef whose book Mourad-New Moroccan has become a classic. (You can read my review of the book and my take on Mourad’s recipe for baked beans here) Here’s what Mourad says about Vadouvan –

I can’t think about curry without going straight to vadouvan, on of my all time favorite seasoning ingredients….Vadouvan is a spice mix made with minced shallots and onions sauteed with curry spices and then dried to make a chunky blend. It lets you add the rich flavor of sauteed curry (as opposed to the unpleasant raw flavor of curry powder) to foods without having to cook that flavor into the dish. (Imagine wanting to add a bit of curry flavor to a poached egg – with vadouvan, you just sprinkle it on top)

Mourad New Moroccan

As with any spice mix, the exact spices and their proportions in any given vadouvan can vary, as can the preparation, depending on who’s making the blend. Mourad’s recipe is quite complex, with a long ingredient list that includes shallots, garlic, onion, curry leaves and fresh turmeric, along with pretty much every spice you’ve ever loved, not to mention both yellow and brown mustard seeds, and involves both cooking and then dehydrating the mix. This makes it somewhat intimidating to make, especially if, like me, you’ve never even tasted vadouvan before.

So – instead of making my own vadouvan, I headed straight to Kalustyans, NYC’s spice mecca in Midtown East, whose vadouvan comes highly praised. Kalustyans vadouvan ingredient list pretty much echoes Mourad’s, but uses rosemary instead of ginger. I was impressed but not surprised. Kalustyan’s is really an amazing place, you must go sometime. Luckily, if you can’t make the journey, you can order their vadouvan online. I also hear the LA-based Le Sanctuaire has an amazing Vadouvan for sale.

While Vadouvan is indeed delicious sprinkled on scrambled eggs, it can also be used to make faves such as chicken curry. And it’s insane when mixed into a butter, as its flavor is enhanced in fat. In this form, you can toss it with carrots, or brush it atop grilled duck or fish. Here, I’ve opted to toss it with roasted cauliflower. It’s an easy gateway drug into this mind blowing spice mix. Do try it.

Roast Cauliflower with Vadouvan Butter

I modified a recipe from Good Food Australia to an American kitchen, and increased the amount of vadouvan a tad from the original recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head Cauliflower, washed, dried and cut into florets
  • 2 tbsp Olive OIl
  • 1 tbsp Vadouvan Spice Mix
  • 1 tbsp Butter

Instructions

  • Cut the cauliflower into florets and place in a large bowl. Pour in the olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat well. Spread evenly over a sheet pan tray and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until golden and tender.
  • To serve, melt the butter in a frying pan, add the vadouvan and stir through. Add the cauliflower and toss for a minute or two until well coated over low heat (don't let it burn). Serve.

More about Vadouvan

  • Wild Greens & Sardines has a gorgeous post about making Mourad’s Vadouvan recipe.
  • Spiceography on vadouvan’s history
  • How to use Vadouvan, the curry powder you need in your life – some nice suggestions for incorporating this amazing spice blend into your cooking.
  • What is vadouvan, and why is it showing up in so many menus? from the Washington Post

Gougères

Gougères. The perfect appetizer for the holidays.

So impressive, so fancy, so French. And yet, they are so easy to make. Even better, they can be made ahead and frozen, then simply reheated in the oven when your guests arrive, as they are best served warm.

Gougere are simply a savory cream puff. I first learned to make cream puffs in college, when I spent my summers in the dessert kitchen of a sleep away camp in New Hampshire. My boss, whose late husband had been a French-trained chef, brought his recipes into the camp kitchen and ran the place like it was the French Laundry. She taught me how NOT to put the knives in the sink (after she cut her hand on a knife I had left there, I still feel terrible about that), how to bleach and scrub a wooden counter, how to ice a cake (a first thin layer tamps down the crumbs…) , and most importantly, how to make cream puffs. I still remember boiling the water and butter in the big pot on the stove, then mixing in the flour till it held together and formed a skin on the bottom of the pan. Next we dumped the dough into the big standing mixer, let it cool and added the eggs one at a time. Finally, we piped them onto industrial sized cookie sheets and popped them into the oven. The most fun part was filling the cooled puffs with cream using this industrial sized metal bucket with a pump handle and nozzle – I have no idea what that thing was called, but it was so much fun!

Anyway, gougère are not cream puffs per se, but a cheese puff made without sugar and filling.

Don’t be intimidated by the gougère’s fancy shape, which I messily accomplished using a pastry tube and star tip. You can make something equally impressive (and with much less of a mess) using a small scoop. Which, by the way, is also a great size scoop to use for making chocolate chip cookies.

Pastry bag/Tube vs scoop

Before learning to make gougères, however, you must learn to pronounce their name. Fortunately, I have guy who can help you with this…

Now you’re all set. Happy gougères making!

Gougères

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
  • 1 large pinch kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 1/2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated, plus more for dusting
  • 1 pinch freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon till smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan and a film develops on the bottom of the pan, or when temp reaches 175 Farenheit on an instant read thermometer – about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer dough to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until dough is 145°F (63°C) on instant-read thermometer (you don;t want the dough to cook the eggs when adding them). Beat the eggs into the dough, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the cheese and the pepper and nutmeg
  • Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip . At this point, the gougères batter can be held in the sealed pastry bag at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. (Alternatively drop mounds using a small scoop onto the lined baking sheets.) Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in a 350° oven until piping hot.

Gougères media links

Moroccan Baked Beans àla Mourad

In my continued quest to cook as much as possible from my pantry, I honed in on two cans of Great Northern Beans, originally bought to stock our summer cottage larder, but never used. I suspect that they were several years old, and had made the trip up and back from NYC to Pennsylvania at least twice, if not more. (We empty the larder at the cottage when we shut things down for the season.) Canned beans have a shelf life of 2-5 years, so I knew I was on safe ground using them, and I was determined they were not going to be traveling anymore, unless it was to my kitchen table. Also calling to me was a jar of homemade toasted bread crumbs, which had been languishing in the freezer for almost a year now. Putting the two together, it seemed like a casserole of some kind would be in order.

I also have a new quest to cook more from my cookbook collection. (I know, I have many quests, just call me Don Quixote…) In this case, I found the perfect recipe in Mourad – New Moroccan. This gorgeous tome was gifted to me by my foodie brother Joe, who became acquainted with the author, Mourad Lahlou, in San Rafael, where Lahlou had opened Kasbah, his first US restaurant. Since then, Lahlou has become renowned across America for his modern take on his native Moroccan food, epitomized at his Michelin-star restaurant Mourad in San Francisco. Also, he is really cool looking, check out those arm tats… His current chef de cuisine at Mourad, Rasika Venkatesa, also has an arm tat – she looks adorable as well as hip.

Mourad is more than just a collection of recipes – it’s a great read. In the first 100 pages, Lahlou delves into memories of food, family and life in Morocco, followed by a primer on tools and ingredients, and then the seven things that “really matter to me about Moroccan cooking and my cooking”. These he gives us as seven separate chapters – spices, preserving lemons (“Dude. Preserved Lemons”. I told you he was hip.), couscous (“Here’s how I roll” ), warqua, harissa, charmoula and “the ingenious tagine”. The chapter on spices alone is pure gold. Then follows the recipes. More gold. A chapter on Moroccan Tea. Recipes for basics – pickled fruits and vegetables, stock, sauces, flavored butters and oils, granolas, and finally a list of sources. This book is a journey.

The original recipe, Corona Beans with Tomato Sauce and Feta, was a popular starter at Lahlou’s other SF restaurant, Aziza, where it was served with a feta foam topping and starts with dried corona beans. Because I used canned instead of dried beans, I missed the opportunity to flavor my beans while cooking them and before adding them to the tomato sauce, as in the original recipe. So I made a mirepoix from the veggies used in cooking the dried beans, then cooked the canned beans with them and a little water and brown sugar. I also added the bread crumbs before baking, rather than when serving. The original recipe called for a firm dry feta, but it got a little chewier than I’d like as it cooked. Next time, I’ll use a wetter feta. I’ve included all these modifications in the recipe below.

I was extremely pleased with how this dish turned out. Though served at Aziza as a starter, we served it as a main dish, with a single sausage and some spinach as sides. Next time I make it, I’ll use dried beans as in the original recipe. I’ll let you know how that goes.

In the meantime, I have to admit I’m wondering now – should I get an arm tattoo?…

Moroccan Baked Beans ala’ Mourad

Ingredients

Beans

  • 2 15.5 oz cans Great Northern White Beans
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large carrot, minced
  • 1 celery stalk, minced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup water

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes (San Marzano preferred) 375 g
  • 3/4 cup tomato puree (San Marzano preferred) 213 grams
  • 2 1/4 cup water 527 grams
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro 17 grams
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley 17 grams
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar 12.5 grams
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic 12 grams
  • 2 tsp kosher salt 6 grams
  • 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika 4 grams
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 3.8 grams
  • 1 tsp dried oregano 2.6 grams
  • 3/4 tsp ground coriander 1.3 grams
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 0.5 grams
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne 0.3 grqms

Onions

  • 1 tbsp canola oil 13 grams
  • 1 3/4 cups thinly sliced onions 185 grams
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 5 grams

To FInish

  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 112 grams
  • 1 cup dried bread crumbs 41 grams
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 2 grams
  • 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil 40 grams

Instructions

For the Sauce

  • Combine all the sauce ingredients, along with 2 cups of water, in a large saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and simmer until the sauce is thick and reduced to about 2½ cups, for about 50 minutes to 1 hour.

To Make the Beans

  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Saute Carrot, celery and garlic till soft. Add beans, 1 cup water and brown sugar. Heat over medium high heat, stirring gently and occasionally, till liquid is gone. Set aside.

For the Onions

  • Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring very often, for about 10 minutes until they are slightly caramelized, with a light golden brown color. Add the salt and continue to cook another 12 minutes, or until the onions are richly caramelized to a deep golden brown. Add the balsamic vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan to de-glaze. Add the onions to the tomato sauce.

To Finish the Beans

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently stir the beans into the tomato-onion sauce. Spread the beans and sauce in a 6-cup gratin dish or 6 individual oven proof ramekins. Sprinkle the cheese in an even layer over the beans. Mix bread crumbs with dried oregano and sprinkle atop the cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the beans are bubbling and the cheese is melted. Let the beans rest at room temperature for a couple of minutes before serving. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.

TBTAM DIGEST – Nov 30, 2022

Cross-publishing here for those without a substack subscription (Which is free)…

Happy almost December! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying the in-between holiday time. Here’s what’s been going on in my neck of the woods….

What I’ve been cooking on the blog

Where I Ate

  • Valley Green Inn in the Wissahickon Valley.  The perfect location for a lovely Thanksgiving luncheon, capped off with a walk on Forbidden Drive, one of my favorite places in the whole world.
  • White Dog Cafe in West Philly. Founded in 1983 by social activist Judy Wicks, and still going strong today, with several locations around the Philly area. The White Dog was among the very first farm-to-table restaurants in America, and continues to support local farmers, food artisans and brewers with a focus on sustainability and ethical, chemical and pesticide-free practices. Located in three connected Victorian townhouses, the original White Dog is as quirky and charming as ever, though this old timer misses the attached shop, which has been replaced by more dining space. We thoroughly enjoyed our Kennett Square mushroom omelets and Pork Belly Benedict made with Pork Belly from Ironstone Creamery in Pottstown, as well as the uninterrupted, prolonged sit our waitperson allowed us with our dear friends Amy and Noel.
  • Trattoria Moma in Mount Airy, Philly. Well, technically, we ordered in with my dear friend and hairdresser Wendy at her awesomely remodeled apartment after she cut and colored my hair at her salon.  Moma made us delicious pasta, which we washed down with a surprisingly good and affordable red called The Banished from 19 Crimes Wines (great marketing…) and followed with two long and rousing game of Rummikub. Always love seeing Wendy (and beating her at Rumikub…)
  • Charles Pan-Fried Chicken.  Charles Gabriel, famous for his pan-fried, old-school method of frying chicken at his Harlem-based restaurant, has morphed his business post-pandemic to carry-out only and graced us with his presence (and his chicken) here on the Upper West Side. The chicken is delicious, crispy on the outside and incredibly moist inside. The mac and cheese is among the best I’ve tasted. Sadly, the coleslaw was off the menu the night we ordered. We’ll be getting carry-out again, I’m sure!

What I’m Learning

  • Mostly everything on Amazon is now an ad. It’s true. Ads now comprise most of what your search results retrieve on Amazon. Personalized recommendations, sections showing what other have bought who searched for your item or what customers who viewed this item also viewed – Gone. It’s a new income strategy for retailers. But it does not drive sales of products, it just brings in revenue from ad sales. And worse – other online retailers are copying Amazon. Buyer (and Shopper) beware!

What I Saw

  • Matisse in the 1930s – At the Phila Museum of Art. Saw it with my dear artist friend Amy Cohen – I highly recommend bringing an artist along when viewing art! The exhibit was beautiful. Especially interesting were the studies and preliminary work to the mural Matisee painted at the Barnes Estate, and which now lives just across the Parkway.
  • Frank Gehry’s renovation of the Phila Museum of Art is quietly spectacular. One (major) complaint. They moved Jacob Epsteins sculpture “Social Consciousness”, from the back steps of the museum to the U of Penn campus. The statues were the starting point of “Only Connect”, Amy’s performance piece that showed at the Museum (and for which I was proud to provide a voice over for one of the segments). We’ve vowed to go visit the piece at Penn in the near future

  • Photo from Association for Public Art

What I’m Craving

What I’ve been watching, listening to and reading

  • Irene Cara Acapella – Can’t stop listening to this bare vocal version of What a Feeling from Voceaux , who creates acapella versions of iconic live musical performances.  RIP Irene..
  • Somebody Feed Phil visits Philadelphia! A fabulous episode that starts off (where else?) at the Reading Terminal and ends up at Zahav, hitting hot spots new and old in South Philly, Fishtown, Roxborough (Go Dellessandro’s!), the Northeast and Olde City in between. Phil’s wife is from Philly’s suburbs (with an accent to match), so he’s got an insider’s take on the city. Here’s a list of where Phil went. I’ve been to a few. Looks like I’ve got a project when we move to Philly…
  • NPR How I Built This Podcast – Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. OMG this guy is gonna’ actually rein in the outlandishly over-priced pharmaceutical market. Just shows you what good things can happen when billionaires use their wealth for good. Now if Cuban can just fend off those who will try to stop him… A must listen for everyone. And while you’re at it, check out Mark’s site Cost Plus to see if there are cost savings to be had for your prescriptions.
  • The Best Chef in the World. A brief documentary about Sally Schmitt, original owner and chef at the French Laundry, long before there was Thomas Keller.  She and her husband Don raised 5 kids while starting the iconic farm to table restaurant long before that phrase was even coined, cooking simply, locally and ethically, complemented by local wines. Sally recently left us, but fortunately left behind her memoir, Six California Kitchens, complete with recipes and sage cooking advice. In future blog posts, I’ll be sharing some of it what I’ve learned from reading it.

A SONNET FOR THE BOSS
I thought he would never age.
He seemed a different breed,
Gliding effortlessly, tirelessly across the stage.
Born to run, indeed.

A bard whose biceps and pectoralis strained
The seams of a sweat-soaked, clinging black T-Shirt,
He pulled across a low-slung electric guitar again and again,
Stirring heart, mind and groin in concert.

Now he stands alone on bare stage straining
To pull memories from an acoustic held high against a softened gut,
Black T shirt hung loose, creped skin draped o’er biceps waning
His voice a gravel road bumping ‘oer long worn ruts.

Sans drum and sax and bass, the words, like new, emerge again
He stirs us now with poetry, rewrit with wisdom’s pen

-Margaret Polaneczky

That’s it, folks! Have a great last day of November !

Spanish Stuffed Peppers – The Evolution of a New Recipe

My love affair continues with Sofrito, the Spanish slow cooked tomato-olive oil-mirepoix that’s a staple in a healthy Mediterranean diet. I now make it regularly, storing it in small jars in my freezer and searching for ways to incorporate it into the foods we make. For example, these stuffed peppers, a recipe I am proud to say I came up with all by myself. Well, actually, that’s not entirely true. I had a little help from my friends (and family). Let me tell you how it went down…

Last week, while at the market, a beautiful multicolored fresh pepper medley caught my eye. I knew I had a pound of lean ground beef and one last ziplock bag of this past summer’s corn in our freezer, and decided to make stuffed peppers. I think I’ve only made stuffed peppers once in my life, so obviously, I needed a recipe.

I went home, took the ground beef out of the freezer and called my sister Rosemary, who I knew made a mean taco stuffed pepper. She told me she uses ground turkey in her recipe – much healthier, I know, but my ground beef was already defrosting. Her recipe also called for salsa and taco seasoning mix, neither of which I had. But I did have sofrito, which would be a delicious and healthy substitute for salsa, thus assuaging my guilt for using beef instead of turkey. The sofrito got me thinking that my peppers might lean more towards Spain than Mexico in their seasonings.

My spice cabinet

Consulting my spice cabinet, I chose sea salt, freshly ground Tellicherry peppercorns (Costco is a great source), ground Chipotle powder (from Sahadi’s Lebanese grocery on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn), Ground cumin (brought back from Morocco by my friend Annette), Pimenton de la vera (Spanish sweet smoked paprika brought back from Spain by our daughter Emily) and Cinnamon (from Penzy’s, a gift from Rosemary). I also snipped some fresh oregano from our windowsill plant that I’d started from cuttings from my friend Paula. Then I got to work.

Consulting a few recipes around the web, I decided I’d precook the peppers, as I did not want them crunchy and did not want to overcook the already cooked meat filling. Baking them wrapped in foil would have been a great option, but I currently have an oven issue (no gas). The counter top oven I’m using is completely unpredictable, and I did not want to be unwrapping and testing the peppers every 5 minutes, so I parboiled them, then let them sit out to cool. Next, I prepared the meat, corn and rice stuffing mixture, adding and adjusting the flavorings as I went.

Tasting the final spiced mixture just before stuffing the peppers, it seemed like something was missing – it needed more umami. How about some fish sauce? After all, fish sauce is a whole thing in Spain, where scientists have reproduced an ancient Roman fish sauce using a recipe found in the ruins of Pompeii. They call it Flor de Garum, and it is said to supercharge dishes with umami. I didn’t have any Flor de Garum, but I did have Red Boat Fish Sauce, which is purported to be the next best thing. So I boldly grabbed the Red Boat from the fridge and added about a tsp to the mix. It worked!

I stuffed the peppers, topped them with some grated cheddar (Manchego would be more authentic, and next time I will try that instead), baked them and served them topped with a little sour cream. They were delicious!

I now present you with a new recipe I call Spanish Stuffed Peppers. Inspired by Rosemary’s taco stuffed peppers, enhanced with herbs and spices from Emily, Annette, Rosemary and Paula, and umami-ized by yours truly. Enjoy!

Spanish Stuffed Peppers

A great way to use leftover corn and rice. Use ground turkey instead of beef for an even healthier version. Diced tomatoes are a fine substitute for the sofrito. I've listed spices at about 1/2 tsp of each, but feel free to adjust amounts up or down to your own tastes.

Ingredients

  • 6 bell peppers, of assorted colors
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 1 cup corn previously cooked or raw
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 large stalk celery, diced
  • 1 large garlic clove, diced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup sofrito (can substitute diced tomatoes)
  • 2 tsp minced fresh oregano leaves (or 1 /2 tsp dried)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (Pimento de la vera if available)
  • 1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder (can substitute chili powder)
  • 1 tsp fish sauce (Flor de garum if you're lucky enough to have it. If not, Red boat brand if available)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Manchego cheese would be a good alternative option
  • sour cream (for serving)

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cup tops off peppers and clean out seeds and ribs using paring knife. Dice the tops and set aside. Place bottoms in a boiling water, filling them with water to prevent floating. Simmer 5-10 minutes or till just tender. Drain and cool.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute onions, celery and diced pepper tops over medium high heat till softened, about 5 mins. Add garlic and saute another minute or so, being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the ground meat and continue cooking till just browned. Add sofrito and spices and fish sauce, cook another minute or so to blend the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning, then stir in rice and corn.
  • Fill peppers with meat/corn/rice mixture and arrange in a lightly oiled baking dish. Top with grated cheese. Place any extra filling around peppers. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or till tops are melted and lightly browned.

A Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Bake-Off

I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as mine. We did our usual back-to-back Thanksgiving dinners, shuttling between mine and Mr. TBTAM’s families, trying not to eat too much or too little at either one.

This year, my family eschewed the homemade turkey and instead had a relaxed luncheon at the Valley Green Inn situated on Philadelphia’s Wissahickon Valley Forbidden Drive, one of my favorite places in the whole world.

I’ve biked, hiked, walked, or run that trail countless times over the years, alone and with friends and family. The place is so special to us that my sister Fran’s ashes were scattered over the waterfalls not far from the Inn, and I can feel her presence in the sounds of the rushing waters. Having our family Thanksgiving on the Wissahickon felt just like coming home for the holiday.

The food at the Inn was great, the service fabulous, and the walk along the trail afterwards a real joy. I think we should do it again next year!

Of course, that was just lunch. Fortunately, I ate lightly, because next up was dinner at Mr TBTAM’s mother’s home. That meal has morphed over the years from a traditional Turkey-centered dinner to a more varied meal with contributions from all the generations, celebrating both meat eaters and vegetarians.

My contribution was, as it has often been, candied sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, on Wednesday afternoon, I realized that I had not purchased enough sweet potatoes. My sister-in-law offered to pick some sweets up for me on her trip to H Mart, the now-storied gigantic Korean grocery that is a great source for well-priced produce and Asian foods. She suggested that we get Korean sweet potatoes instead of more American sweets. I’d never eaten Korean sweet potatoes, but she and her daughter had, and they were convinced they’d be delicious. I was not so sure. We were also not sure how the Korean sweets would behave, so decided not to combine them with the American sweets in the same pan, but cook and bake them separately. Sounds like we had ourselves the set up for a sweet potato bake off.

Now, if there’s anything Mr TBTAM’s family loves, it’s a produce competition. I remember my first family dinner with them, where they spent what seemed like forever discussing the farm stand apples they had gotten that day, anticipating the after-dinner taste test when they would determine if these really were THE best Winesaps ever grown. Who are these people, I recall asking my siblings, who like me, thought that potato chips and dip made from Lipton’s French Onion mix were the ultimate gourmet delight. I mean, ‘cmon – who gets excited about apples? To us, apples were just a second fiddle food, or what my mother would suggest we eat when the answer to “Are there any Pop Tarts left?” was “No, but Daddy gets paid on Thursday. Why don’t you have an apple?” Of course, I’ve since changed my tune, expanded my palate and learned over the years to appreciate real food over processed treats. And, I can now tell you without a doubt that Honeycrisps, not Winesaps, are THE best apple ever grown. But back to the sweet potato taste-off…

What are Korean Sweet Potatoes?

Korean sweet potatoes or Goguma are a sweet potato variety found across China, Japan and Korea. In Japan, they are called Satsumaimo. Despite their name, sweet potatoes are not potatoes. Nor are they yams. Sweet potatoes are in fact a tuber of the morning glory family, thought to have originated in South and Central America, where Christopher Columbus discovered them along with the new world. The sweet potato was brought to Asia either by Europeans after Columbus, or by the Polynesians long before Columbus. Or maybe they are indigenous to Asia, where 57 million year old fossils of leaves from the morning glory family have been recently identified. Who knows?…

Regardless of its history, Korean sweet potatoes are purplish red on the outside with a starchy, cream colored interior that becomes yellow as it cooks. They are drier and sweeter than the American varieties, and are extremely flavorful, taking on what has been described as a chestnut flavor when cooked. Like all sweet potatoes, Goguma are high in fiber and packed with nutrients, and there are many ways to cook them, including a traditional Korean candied version.

The Bake-Off Methodology

For our bake-off, I simply used our traditional Thanksgiving candied sweet potato recipe, which I’ve shared before on this blog. I peeled and cut the American sweet potatoes and the Goguma, then prepared a pan of each for a taste test at dinner time.

The dryness of the Goguma necessitated some adjustments to my recipe. It took a good 10-15 minutes longer to soften the Goguma when first cooked.

American sweets (left) vs Korean Sweets (right) after steaming

In addition, they soaked up the glaze very quickly during the baking phase, so I made some extra glaze and even stole some from the pan of American sweets so the Goguma wouldn’t dry out. This did not appear to put the American sweets at a disadvantage, as they remained moist and caramelized beautifully.

American sweets (right) vs Korean Sweets (left) halfway through baking

The results

The Korean sweet potatoes, though not as pretty as the American sweets, tasted delicious! They were indeed flavorful, and their inherent nutty flavor came though, even with the extra glaze. They were perfectly cooked, neither too soft nor too firm, and had more density and substance than the American sweets. They tasted just as good as the American sweets, and a few preferred them (including me).

Finished American sweets (above) vs Korean Sweets (below)

If this were a scientific publication, I’d say that our un-blinded, non-randomized, not-entirely-controlled taste test suggests that Korean sweet potatoes are equivalent and non-inferior to American sweet potatoes when baked using a traditional American Thanksgiving candied sweet potato recipe. Further research, of course is necessary.

Happy Holidays to all!

Candied Korean Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds Korean or Japanese sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 6 tbsp water
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 Tsp salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions

  • Peel the potatoes. Cut them lengthwise in half. Place cut side down on counter and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices.
  • In a steamer set over boiling water (I use a pasta inset w/ my 8 quart calphalon boiler) steam the potatoes, covered, for 15-25 minutes, or until they are just fork tender. Let them cool, uncovered.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the potato slices in one layer, overlapping them slightly, in a buttered shallow baking dish. (I find my vintage Dansk 10 1/2 x 7 1/2 inch baker to be the perfect size for a single recipe.) Combine the remaining ingredients in a small pot, bring the mixture to a boil and cook it over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring while cooking. Drizzle the syrup evenly over the potatoes, and bake the potatoes in the middle of the oven, basting them with the syrup mixture every 15 minutes, for 1 1/2 hours, or until the syrup is thickened and the sweet potatoes have deepened in color.
  • May be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated.

Notes

NOTE – Korean sweet potatoes can be very thirsty, and may absorb all the glaze before they are fully cooked. The amounts in this recipe are optimized for how my potatoes acted, but yours may act differently. Make sure they are softened well from the initial steaming. While baking, watch them closely, and if the glaze absorbs long before optimal caramelization or before they are fully cooked, add a little water to the bottom of the pan to thin out the glaze so you can continue basting, or make some additional glaze to use.

Farro with Oyster Mushrooms & Onions

One of my goals in retirement is to shop more at the farm markets, in order to support local farmers and eat more seasonally. It’s something I could never find the time to do when I was working. (Though I have friends who managed to do so even with full time jobs, so really, what was my excuse?…)

Although I adore the Union Square Green Market, it’s a bit of a schlep to visit on a regular basis. Thankfully, we have a wonderful farmer’s market every Sunday here on the Upper West Side, on Columbus Avenue just behind the Museum of Natural History. That’s where some lovely-looking oyster mushrooms caught my eye last weekend. Actually, they were the only variety the mushroom guy had left by the time we reached the market late afternoon. I brought them home in a brown paper bag. Then they sat in the fridge for a day or so while I wondered what to do with them.

I decided not to make this mushroom-broth infused farro, or this mushroom risotto with those oyster babies. Rising food prices have led us to commit to cutting out food waste and working first from the fridge, freezer and pantry when planning dinner. So instead, I reached for the leftover farro I discovered in the fridge, and concocted a little mushroom-onion delight. We served it alongside some sausages we found in the freezer and a salad made with greens and leftover homemade lemon dressing from the fridge. It was a delicious and satisfying dinner.

I’m really enjoying shopping the farm markets and looking for meal inspiration in my own fridge and pantry. Not to mention the upside of seeing our overcrowded, impossible-to-find-anything shelves take on a Marie Konda-like serenity as we begin to work our way through their contents. And the gratitude of realizing that these are the first-world problems of a life lived in abundance.

In that vein, I’ve committed us to use our food dollar savings towards a monthly donation to City Harvest, whose goal is to rescue NYC’s excess food so it doesn’t go to waste, distributing it to food pantries and soup kitchens across the five boroughs. They also run free neighborhood mobile markets, teach healthy cooking, and work with corner markets and groceries to encourage and support them in selling fresh produce and other healthy foods in their neighborhoods. Check out their App and online map that folks can use to find free food across NYC. A cause worth your contribution!

Farro w/ Oyster Mushrooms and Onions

A great use for leftover cooked farro or rice. To make using uncooked farro, you can add the uncooked farro to the mushroom and onions just after they've sauteed, along with the recommended amount of water (or better yet, mushroom broth), and cook them all together till the farro is done. Serve as described.

Ingredients

  • 2 large clumps Fresh Oyster Mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Onion, large, large mince
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 sprig Fresh thyme, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • sun dried tomatoes packed in oil for garnish
  • Grated Parmesan cheese for the table
  • 2 cups Leftover Cooked Farro or Rice

Instructions

  • Clean oyster mushrooms with a dry brush or paper towel. (Do not wash, as they will suck up all the water.) Chop the mushrooms into largish bite size pieces. They will be all sorts of shapes. Use all of the mushroom, even the stems.
  • Heat butter and oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan. When hot, add onions and saute over medium high heat till translucent. Add garlic and thyme and stir for a minute or so.
  • Add mushrooms and saute, letting them sit for spells so they brown, but being careful not to let them get too dry. (Oyster mushrooms don't have much water to give off, unlike other mushrooms you may be used to using. Although mine stayed nice and moist, if yours seem dry, at this point you can add a little mushroom, chicken or beef broth – but be careful the mushrooms will absorb it all if you let it cook too long.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add farro and cook till heated through.
  • Plate and garnish with thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes. Pass the Parmesan.