Thursday, April 28, 2011

Pickled eggs

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Hot Dog Boy, also known as my younger son, is in a pickle phase. Luckily, Costco sells huge jars of those adorable tiny dill pickles - they're so small I really want to call them "picklets." We're going through them at a respectable clip these days, and last week we finished up a jar. I was about to spill out the brine but my husband stopped me. "Let's pickle some eggs," he said.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Ultimate grilled cheese with pesto

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I love grilled cheese above all other sandwiches. And I love all grilled cheese, high and low, even American cheese on flabby white bread smeared with butter, the way my grandma made it when my parents went out of town. My calorie-conscious mom made her grilled cheese open-faced in the toaster oven, dry as a bone. Grandma believed in butter, as all grandmas should.

My favorite grilled cheese these days involves fresh mozzarella, pesto, and La Brea Bakery rosemary olive oil bread. The cheese and bread are on our "must buy" list at Costco. I make my own pesto, either a traditional basil pesto or, if I'm feeling creative, maybe something unusual like a radish leaf pesto.

I brush the outside of the sandwiches with olive oil, toast them slowly in a cast-iron skillet until they're golden, and serve them for a light dinner or a weekend lunch. The cheese and pesto run together in a mild, aromatic, creamy mess. The bread has just the right amount of crispy crunch on the outside. Four of us have eaten a dozen sandwiches in one sitting. I've given in; now I just use the whole loaf.

Of course, your mileage may vary. My ultimate grilled cheese may not be your ultimate grilled cheese. You may prefer nuts in your bread, a sharper cheese, mustard instead of pesto, a slice of tomato, a bit of bacon. I won't argue. It's grilled cheese. It's all good.



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Ultimate grilled cheese with pesto
Creamy mozzarella, aromatic pesto and La Brea Bakery bread: Now that's a great grilled cheese.
Ingredients
1 loaf La Brea Bakery rosemary olive oil bread1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese1/2 cup pesto sauce (prepared or homemade)3 Tbsp olive oil salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Slice the bread approximately half an inch thick. You should end up with 16 slices, not including the heels. Drain as much liquid from the mozzarella as you can and pat it dry with a paper towel. Slice the cheese about a quarter inch thick.Lay half the bread slices out on the counter or a cutting board. Spread each slice generously with some of the pesto. Top with cheese, dividing the cheese evenly among the bread slices. Sprinkle on salt and freshly ground pepper, then lay the remaining bread slices on top and press down gently with the palm of your hand.Heat a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. While the skillet is getting hot, brush the outside of each sandwich with olive oil. Lay the sandwiches in the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side, pressing down occasionally with a spatula to flatten the sandwiches. When the sandwiches are done, remove them to a cutting board, slice them in half on the diagonal, and serve immediately.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 8 sandwiches

Friday, April 22, 2011

Apple matzoh kugel for Passover

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A few years ago I volunteered to help my younger son's class celebrate Passover. Of course, I signed up to bring the snack. I invented this apple matzoh kugel because it was easier to transport than matzoh ball soup for 22 kids and two teachers. Also, no heating involved - it's fine at room temperature.

I like this kugel for breakfast, but it makes a fine dessert as well. This is as close as it gets to apple pie during Passover; a little ice cream wouldn't hurt.



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Apple matzoh kugel for Passover
A traditional dessert kugel (pudding) for Passover with apples and cinnamon.
Ingredients
6 sheets matzoh4 eggs2 large apples, peeled, cored and grated1/2 cup granulated sugar1 tsp cinnamon3 Tbsp melted butter or margarine
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x12-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.Break the matzoh into smallish pieces. Place a colander inside a large bowl, and put the matzoh pieces in the colander. Run hot water over the matzoh and let soak about 5 minutes, until the matzoh is soft. Pick up the colander, let the water drain out, and press the soaked matzoh to remove as much water as possible.Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the soaked matzoh, apples, sugar, cinnamon, and butter or margarine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake about 45 minutes, until the edges are browned, the top is golden, and the kugel is firm.Serve as a side dish or dessert. Can be eaten hot or cold.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 12 servings

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Backyard eggs by Olivia

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Backyard chickens are all the rage in Los Angeles. I visited a friend the other night whose young daughter Olivia is raising chickens behind their house. Olivia feeds them, cuddles them, and collects the eggs, which she sells to friends and neighbors. She gets one or two a day and prices them based on size.

The day I stopped by Olivia sold me one medium-sized taupe egg and one stunningly large brown-shelled egg. Olivia's mom is a professional baker, and apparently the chickens eat lots of leftover pastry. Maybe that accounts for the deep orange yolks and the mild, almost sweet taste? Whatever the reason, I plan to be a loyal customer.

In case you're wondering whether I shared these wonderful Westside eggs with my family: um, no. Breakfast for one.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Sweets from Gourmandise Desserts

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Now this is the kind of status update you want to see on Facebook when you get home from work: 

PLEASE come over and take the ridiculous number of cupcakes, palmiers, macarons, petits fours, chocolates and cookies left over from our photo shoot out of our house asap!! Text me for the address...

My friend Clemence Gossett, who owns Gourmandise Desserts and is about to open The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories in Santa Monica, has photo shoots twice a year for her website. These lovely treats were the models. And once the photos were taken, the models were cast aside. No hesitation on my part - I got back in the car and hightailed it over to Clemence's house.

Roughly clockwise from the top left corner: oatmeal bread, red velvet cupcake, flourless chocolate cake, petits fours (which my husband called "epochal"), chocolate-covered bacon, cream puff, mini-palmiers, banana caramel cupcake, chocolate cupcake, and pistachio toffee (in the middle).

Are you jealous?


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Beer bread recipe

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Tonight my children ate bread and butter for dinner. And not much else.

For a moment I wondered if this made me a bad mother. And then I remembered that it was homemade butter and this home-baked beer bread. Not so bad, then.

Work has been stressful and I've been traveling more than I'd prefer. When I'm home, I want comfort food. I love this beer bread recipe because I can get it into the oven in less than five minutes. And because it makes the house smell good. And because it's equally good topped with melted cheese or with peanut butter and jelly. (For the record, I tested that last bit twice yesterday. Two meals of beer bread with melted cheese, and two of beer bread with peanut butter and jelly. Both wonderful.)



I prefer this beer bread sliced thick and toasted. It's a little sweet, which makes it perfect for cheese, jam, peanut butter, or just plain butter. Trust me: You'll be glad you used those five minutes so wisely.



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Beer bread
One of the simplest and most satisfying quick breads you'll ever throw together. Toast it, slather it with butter, and dig in.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 cup whole wheat flour1/4 cup wheat germ1/4 cup dark or light brown sugar1/2 tsp salt2 tsp baking powder1 12-ounce bottle of beer4 Tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large loaf pan with cooking spray.In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, wheat germ, sugar, salt and baking powder. (I always sift the baking powder through a small strainer to make sure there are no lumps.) Add the beer and mix well.Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and drizzle the melted butter over the top. Bake 45 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 1 loaf

Monday, April 11, 2011

Green garlic butter

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I had an interesting discussion with a colleague this week about how people express and perceive love. I think he was referring to Gary Chapman's The 5 Love Languages, the kind of book I must admit I'm not likely to read. Yet I learned a lot about my husband, my children, and myself in that short conversation. One of my kids clearly needs "words of affirmation." And my husband, not much for sappy verbal exchanges, expresses his love primarily through "acts of service,"  including doing our taxes (my hero!) and getting the oil changed in my car.

I'm not sure which of the five languages describes me best. But I do know that the other night, when I baked a loaf of fresh bread way past my bedtime so that my husband would be able to have bread and this homemade green garlic butter for a midnight snack, I was doing my best to express love in a language he would understand.

I've seen other recipes called "green garlic butter" that use regular garlic and get their color from parsley. This recipe uses green garlic - the young shoots of the garlic plant, harvested before the bulb has swelled and hardened. Pretend it's a huge scallion and use the whole thing. It's got a mild, delicate garlic flavor you can't get from bulb garlic. Green garlic is only available in the early spring when farmers are thinning their rows; look for it at your local farmers' market and use it often while you can get it.



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Homemade butter with green garlic
Fresh butter, green garlic and a touch of parsley: Bread has never been so happy.
Ingredients
two stalks green garlic1/4 cup fresh parsley1/2 tsp salt1 pint heavy cream
Instructions
Wash and trim the ends off the green garlic stalks. You want to use as much of it as possible, including the green stem, but you'll have to take at least one layer off the outside to get it clean. Cut into 2-inch lengths and place in the bowl of a food processor with the parsley. Process until finely minced.Add the salt and the cream to the food processor and turn it on. Let the mixture whirl about 5 minutes, until you see the curds and whey separate. The curds are the butter; the whey you want to drain off. I tossed my whey, but if you can think of a use for it, save it - it's basically garlic-flavored buttermilk.Scoop the curds lightly into a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter. Let drain at least two hours, or even overnight. You may have to press the curds and knead them to get out the excess liquid. You'll be left with a soft, smooth butter. Spread liberally on good bread, or use it to top grilled steak.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: approximately 3/4 cup

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Texmati brown rice pilaf with herbs

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Food bloggers get offered a lot of product samples. I'm picky about what I accept. I turn down stuff I wouldn't want to eat or feed my family: processed food, junk food, candy. I also gracefully refuse products I normally buy, on the grounds that I already know I like it and the samples would be better used on someone else.

When the Rice Select folks offered to send me some of their Texmati rice, however, I was powerless. Texmati is one of my favorite grains and it's been a staple in my pantry for years. Grown in Texas, Texmati has the nutty aroma and chewy texture of imported basmati rice - and it's born and raised in the U.S.A. I buy both varieties. The kids like white. The grownups prefer brown. Either way, we rarely have leftovers.  

 

I love the combination of rice, herbs, lemon and grated Romano cheese in this Texmati brown rice pilaf. I have served it at many dinner parties alongside roast chicken, grilled steak, or oven-roasted salmon. I'm pretty sure my mother made it for one of her recent dinners, too. Use any combination of herbs you like. I grab whatever looks good at the farmers' market (or, if I've been taking care of my backyard, from the garden). Parsley, chives, tarragon, savory, cilantro, garlic chives, dill, fennel leaves...it's all good. 





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Texmati brown rice pilaf with herbs
This sunny pilaf goes well with roast chicken, grilled steak, or any simple fish.
Ingredients
1 cup Texmati brown rice2 1/4 cups chicken stock2 Tbsp olive oil3/4 cup chopped mixed herbs (parsley, tarragon, chives, savory, dill, etc.)1 lemon, juice and zest1/2 cup grated Romano cheese salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Combine the rice, chicken stock and olive oil in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, turn down the heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. (Alternatively, combine the rice, chicken stock and olive oil in an electric rice cooker and cook until done.)Add the herbs, lemon juice, lemon zest, grated cheese, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 6 servings

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Strawberry crepes

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[Note: This recipe originally appeared as a guest post on the FoodServiceWarehouse.com blog.]

This is the time of year when strawberries taste like strawberries. Here in southern California, I can find strawberries year-round at our local farmers’ markets. I’m a New York girl originally, so I consider the year-round availability of locally grown strawberries nothing less than a miracle of nature or some higher power.

But even in southern California, whose fertile soil produces most of the strawberries consumed in the U.S., April strawberries are a lot better than January strawberries. They’re also more plentiful, which, because the laws of supply and demand really do work, means that last week I was able to score a full flat (12 pints) for less than $20. And I’m talking big, impressive, red-ripe strawberries, the kind whose juice runs down your arm when you take a bite and whose intense sweet-tart flavor leaves a smile on your face for a good long while.

You might wonder how long a flat of strawberries lasts in a four-person household. In my house, the answer is: Not long. When I wash and hull three pints of strawberries and put them on the table with dinner, I always hope I’ll have a few left to pack in the kids’ lunches for the next day.  I never do. Strawberries are to my kids as Houdini was to that magic box – without fail, they disappear within.

When my mother visited last spring from New York, I asked her to wash and slice the strawberries for these crepes, which we were serving that evening at a dinner party. “It’s such a shame to use these in a sauce,” she said. “They’re too beautiful for sauce!” But it’s at precisely this time of year, when prices are low and supply seems endless, that I put strawberries into smoothies, cobblers, strawberry shortcake, strawberry jam, strawberry crumble cake, and these crepes. Because when strawberries are this glorious and this available, they deserve to be part of everything.

Note: Macerating the strawberries in sugar draws out the juices and creates a beautiful syrup. If you have any of the syrup left over, mix it with champagne for a lovely aperitif, with sparkling water or club soda for a refreshing bubbly beverage, or with lemon and water for a beautiful strawberry lemonade.


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Strawberry crepes
Classic French crepes topped with juicy sugared strawberries. Make it in the spring when strawberries really taste like strawberries!
Ingredients
2 pints fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar2 Tbsp Grand Marnier (or other orange-flavored liqueur)1 cup all-purpose flour2 large eggs3 Tbsp butter, melted3/4 cup milkpinch of salt water, as needed
Instructions
Combine the strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar and Grand Marnier in a mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit at room temperature while you make the crepes. The longer it sits, the more juice the berries will release.Whisk together the flour, eggs, butter, milk, salt and remaining sugar in another bowl until the mixture is smooth. Add water, a little at a time, until the batter is the consistency of heavy cream. You want the batter to be quite thin so it will spread easily around the pan.Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Then, working quickly, add about 1/4 cup of batter to the pan. Immediately lift the pan and swirl the batter around so it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. When the batter stops moving and is starting to set, put the pan back on the stove.In about 30 seconds, the edges of the crepe will begin to lift slightly and turn golden. Flip the crepe carefully with a spatula (or, if you’re brave, pick it up with your fingers and turn it by hand). Cook briefly on the second side. Fold in half, then in half again so you have a triangle. Put the finished crepe on a plate and start over again.To serve, place two triangles on a plate and top with the macerated strawberries. Those of you who like whipped cream should feel free to add some at this point.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 12 crepes

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Radicchio salad with lemon and olives

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All you parents will understand the surge of joy, mixed with a twinge of guilt, that goes with the words "date night." Organized couples book a babysitter once a week and stick to a schedule. We're not that organized. Our date nights are occasional at best, and when a few months have rolled by without one, we can tell.

Of course we love our children - of course! And of course our time with them is precious and fleeting and limited. But take it from us, kids, you want your parents to have date nights. Parents need time to recharge and reconnect without having to worry whether you'll overhear or see something you shouldn't.

It's spring break, and the kids are visiting my mom on the East coast. Two working parents + two weeks of spring break = thank goodness for Grandma. The kids and Grandma are having a great time. Guess what? So are we. Because we've got a solid week of date nights.

On our first date night we walked the mile down to fashionable Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice. We ended up having dinner at The Tasting Kitchen, a restaurant I'd been wanting to try. My pasta was fine, and Michael's pork loin was really good, but what blew me away was the radicchio salad. The slightly bitter magenta radicchio was shredded, tossed with a few smashed green Lucques olives and parmesan shavings, and dressed with a light lemony vinaigrette. It was astonishingly simple. I should have ordered two and passed on the bucatini. Next time I'll know.

Here's my version of that pure, delicious radicchio salad. Look for radicchio in the produce section near the lettuce; it looks like a small red cabbage, bright magenta with very white veins and core.




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Radicchio salad with lemon and olives
This simple salad uses radicchio, an Italian salad vegetable in the chicory family. Don't skimp on the salt - it cuts the bitterness of the radicchio.
Ingredients
1 head radicchiojuice of 1 lemon3 Tbsp olive oil15 green olives, preferably Lucques variety, cut into quarters lengthwise1 ounce (approx.) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler into thin strips salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Peel the outer leaves off the radicchio if they look bruised or damaged. Cut the radicchio in half through the core, then remove the core by cutting a little "v" around it and pulling it out. Cut the radicchio into fine shreds, about 1/4 inch wide. Wash the shredded radicchio in very cold water, then dry it thoroughly. (I prefer a salad spinner for this, but wrapping it in a towel and swinging it around above your head is much more dramatic and works just as well.)Put the dried radicchio in a salad bowl. Squeeze over the lemon and drizzle on the olive oil; toss thoroughly. Add the olives, cheese, salt and pepper and toss again. Taste and adjust to suit your preferences. I like my salad very heavy on the lemon; if you like yours milder, start by squeezing over half the lemon and work up from there. Don't skimp on the salt - even with the salty olives and cheese, you need it to balance the bitterness of the radicchio.Serve immediately as a first course or a light lunch.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 6 servings