Pasta alla boscaiola.

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

My brother, Bill, spent several years teaching at a culinary school in Tuscany (the lucky dog). He introduced us to this incredibly simple yet intensely flavorful pasta recipe during his stint at Toscana Saporita. I didn’t realize until recently that the sauce is called boscaiola, which refers to its woodsy, mushroomy flavor.

This pasta sauce is so incredibly easy that I make sure I have the few ingredients on hand all the time so I can throw this together in a hurry for a hearty and satisfying weeknight dinner. It’s one of our go-to recipes during the winter.

pasta alla boscaiola

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
1/2 cup whipping cream
8 ounces dried pasta of your choice
grated Parmesan for serving

Place dried porcini in a glass bowl or 2-cup measuring cup; add boiling water to cover. Let sit 20 minutes until softened. Drain mushrooms and coarsely chop; reserve the soaking liquid, pour through a fine strainer and set aside. Meanwhile, open the can of tomatoes and remove the whole tomatoes, smushing them with your hands to break them up; place in a bowl and reserve tomato juice.

In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat; reduce heat slightly and add garlic. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add chopped mushrooms and cook for another minute. Add smushed tomatoes and tomato juice. Season with salt. Cook over medium heat so sauce bubbles and begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Add cream; taste and season with salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes until sauce thickens nicely.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain, reserving a bit of cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot, add half of sauce and toss to coat. Dish into serving bowls and top with additional sauce. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

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Homemade baked potato chips.

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

Oh, Oven Chips, how I do love thee. Your dark, crispy edges. Your intense saltiness. You’re so easy, and so eminently flexible. You’re perfectly comfortable with burgers, but you can dress up, too, and go alongside a fancy fish entree.

oven chips

2 fist-sized Yukon gold potatoes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
coarse salt
dried thyme or Herbes de Provence

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes (peel or don’t: your call). Using a mandoline, slice them thinly. In a medium bowl, toss the potato slices with 1 Tbsp. olive oil (more if needed). Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, smear with more olive oil. Place the potato slices on the baking sheet, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle generously with coarse salt and herbs to taste. Bake until golden brown and getting crisp on the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes.

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Revisiting a few faves.

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

I’m investing my time this week toward two goals: 1) learning to use a new camera (a Canon Rebel xsi, if you’d care to know) so that I can create better photos to share with you here on writes4food; and 2) testing several new recipes. For the next several days, I’ll be revisiting some top recipes from the past 12 months.

In the meantime, allow me to rave about one of my favorite things: Weck canning jars. I haven’t actually canned anything in them (yet) but find that they make ideal storage containers. These 1L jars hold an assortment of grains and dry goods. (See here for some great recipes using whole grains like quinoa, farro and rice.)

 

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A perfect little cake.

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

One of my favorite cookbooks is Around My French Table, by one of my favorite food writers, Dorie Greenspan. Her cooking is always original yet grounded in tradition, fresh yet comfortable, sophisticated yet unfussy. I find her recipes to be interesting and inspiring—they’re not difficult, but some do take a little thought and time. Over the holidays, I made an orange-almond tart and a stuffed pork roast from Dorie’s book, and both were as delicious as they were gorgeous.

When I began writing this blog, I spotted the website French Fridays with Dorie, a community of cooks who share an interest in her recipes and approach to food. There’s a schedule of recipes for group members to make, and then people post links to their blog posts about their experience with the recipe. [So, I'll post a link to this piece on FFWD.] According to the community’s rules of thumb, members don’t reproduce the recipes, but rather share any tweaks they’ve made and any photos they’ve taken.

Last Friday’s recipe was for Quatre-Quarts (meaning, ‘four fourths’) — it’s the French version of a pound cake. The name refers to the equal proportions of four key ingredients: flour, butter, eggs and sugar. Let me say it: I. Love. This. Cake. It’s exquisitely simple, easy to make, not too sweet and a great foil for any kind of fruit or whipped-cream topping you’d care to add. In the book, Dorie notes that this is the cake that French mamans prepare as an after-school snack for their children.

I tinkered with the recipe, replacing the rum called for (you could also substitute vanilla extract) with Cointreau, which produced just the most wonderful orange flavor. I topped slices of the cake with a bit of plain Greek yogurt sweetened with local honey and good marmalade, plus a couple of orange segments. (See a how-to for that yogurt-honey-marmalade combo here.)

If you’d like to try your hand at a Quatre-Quarts, or French pound cake, then I’d recommend this delicious version from my fellow Cincinnati food blogger on her site SoupAddict.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Inspired by, Recipes | Tagged | 6 Comments

In praise of: a new nonstick.

Posted on January 20, 2012 by

A small writeup in the January issue of Bon Appetit sang the praises of the Aeternum line of nonstick cookware from Italian manufacturer Bialetti (makers of the beloved Moka stovetop espresso pot). The pans are Teflon-free, which is a bonus. But what caught my eye was this quote: “Food literally slides around on the ultra-slippery surface, which crisps chicken thighs just as well as our cast iron.”

Whaaa? A nonstick pan that actually browns and caramelizes food? Sounded too good to be true. And when I discovered that Amazon.com sells the 10-inch Aeternum saute pan for about $30, well, I had to check this out for myself.

Sure enough, this pan works as advertised: wickedly nonstick (food does slide around) yet capable of browning nicely. My first experiment was a batch of caramelized onions, which turned a lovely toasty color. And simple sautéed sea scallops were perfectly golden brown, and the pan generated enough fond (that’s the nice brown crumbs that proteins like meat or seafood throw off as they caramelize in a hot pan) to create a flavorful pan sauce. What’s more, the Bialetti Aeternum line is incredibly lightweight, and the nanoceramic nonstick coating doesn’t contain PFOA, a chemical common in Teflon-based nonstick pans that the EPA has found to be harmful to us and the environment.

If you’re looking to replace an old Teflon-based nonstick pan or are adding to your cookware wardrobe, I’d recommend Bialetti’s Aeternum line. I think the saute pans, available in 8-, 10- and 12-inch sizes, would be much more useful than the saucepans (it’s not often you need a nonstick saucepan).

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Granddad’s granola.

Posted on January 19, 2012 by

My grandfather, my dad’s dad, was an utterly charming and good-looking man, with a head of silver-white hair and matching full beard that gave him a Papa Hemingway kind of look. A die-hard sailor who in the 1970s crossed the Atlantic from Florida to the Mediterranean, he’s responsible, via my father, for my love of boats and water. Granddad was a big guy, and he carried his bigness right in his midsection. His love for cashews and cookies and good scotch was legendary. But his hefty appetite didn’t prevent him from being remarkably active; he famously shattered an ankle while skateboarding at age 57 and was still windsurfing in his 70s.

I don’t recall my late grandparents as particularly health-oriented; they both had their share of preventable health challenges later in life. Grandmother was a meatandpotatoesandpie kind of cook. But on my annual visits to their home in Florida throughout my high-school and college years, I noticed that Granddad always got his day off to a healthy start with a bowl of homemade granola cereal. (He also embraced the Chemex coffee maker waaaaay before today’s caffeinistas declared it de rigueur.)

While perusing my forever-old recipe box recently, I was delighted to come across an index card with Granddad’s granola recipe. It’s written in my meticulous, Helvetica penmanship (honed by countless blue-book essays in high school English class). This recipe is loaded with flavor, thanks to toasted whole almonds and sesame seed, which I distinctly remember. I’ve posted other great recipes for homemade granola here and here, but this one might be my favorite, strictly for sentimental reasons.

granddad’s granola
(makes a ton)

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sesame seed (preferably unhulled)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup bran (see Note)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup very coarsely chopped toasted almonds (see Note)
1/2 cup honey
1 cup organic raisins
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread a sheet of parchment paper or foil on a large rimmed baking sheet. In a large bowl, stir together oats, sesame seed, sunflower seed, wheat germ, bran and oil. Spread on the baking sheet and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, then bake for 15 minutes more. Remove pan from oven and transfer the granola back to your mixing bowl. [Careful; you don't want to wind up, as I did, with sesame seeds and oats all over the stove.] Drizzle honey over the granola, sprinkle with cinnamon and add nuts and raisins. Toss gently to combine thoroughly. Return the mixture to the baking sheet and bake 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until granola is toasty brown. Remove pan from oven and let granola cool; it will crisp up as it cools. Store in a plastic container.

Note: No reason why you couldn’t use 1 cup of wheat germ in place of half germ and half bran. For the nuts, choose quality whole almonds that have been roasted but not salted. Use a chef’s knife to chop them into large pieces.

Posted in Breakfast/brunch, House favorites, Recipes | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Try this: Quinoa breakfast.

Posted on January 16, 2012 by

If you’ve been following along at home, you know by now that I’m on a big exploration of whole grains—bulgur, millet, wheatberries and the like. (If you’d like to catch up on the, um, germination of this project, see the initial post about cooking with whole grains). Just days after embarking on this experiment, I discovered a cooking class presented by Dandelion Chef Laura Robinson, who began the evening by showcasing a whole mess of grains, many of which I’d never seen before. (Hello, millet! And here I thought you were just bird food.)

Of the dozen or so grains we discussed, one of them was quinoa, which I enjoy quite a bit. Laura brought along a box of quinoa flakes (think: the little quinoa seeds rolled flat, like oatmeal). What? Never seen quinoa flakes before! She touted the flakes as a tasty hot cereal for breakfast, so I beelined it to Whole Foods to find a box in the cereal aisle. (It costs between $4 and $5 a box, so it’s not a cheap alternative to oatmeal.)

It’s very quick-cooking and creates a porridge-like texture that reminds me of Cream of Wheat. It’s packed [packed!] with protein: 16 grams per serving, while my regular oatmeal has 5 grams. And it’s yummy: a bit grassy-tasting, as is regularly cooked quinoa (so if you don’t love quinoa, then this breakfast option isn’t for you), and not as heavy-in-your-belly as oatmeal can be. I toasted the flakes lightly before dumping them into boiling water with a pinch of salt, and then added a smidge of raw sugar just as they finished cooking. Topped with your favorite oatmeal add-ins, this could be a nice variation in your breakfast routine.

quinoa cereal with fruited yogurt
(with thanks to Laura Robinson for the inspiration)

quinoa flakes
pinch of salt
raw or brown sugar to taste
1 cup lowfat or nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I like the Fage brand)
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. orange marmalade
1 orange, segmented
1 Tbsp. toasted almonds (slivered or sliced)

Measure water and quinoa flakes according to package directions. As you bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan, toast the quinoa flakes lightly in a dry nonstick skillet, about 3 to 4 minutes. When water is boiling, add flakes and a pinch of salt; cook for 1.5 to 2 minutes [told ya: quick]. Remove from heat, add sugar to taste and stir to cool a bit, then transfer to a bowl. Top with a dollop of orange-honey yogurt and several orange segments, sprinkle with almonds.

Note: You could use any combination of yogurt and jam or preserves, and top with another fresh fruit. I think blueberry jam, frozen blueberries and toasted walnuts would be sublime.

{apologies for the photo … I hadn’t had coffee yet!}

Posted in Breakfast/brunch, Recipes | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Delicious farro with butternut squash.

Posted on January 13, 2012 by

My earlier post this week established my love for and interest in cooking with whole grains: farro, quinoa, bulgur, wild rice and the like. Winter seems like the perfect time to experiment with these hearty, protein-packed grains, with all their nutty flavor and satisfying texture.

  • Whole grains are perfectly comfortable taking a supporting role; they make a fantastic base for any non-lettuce-y kinds of salads.
  • They play well with fresh and roasted seasonal vegetables: think tabbouleh, with parsley and tomato in summer or farro with mushrooms or squash in winter (see below).
  • Whole grains love getting tossed around with olive oil and acids like balsamic vinegar or lemon juice.
  • What’s more, they have history: Grains like farro and quinoa and amaranth have been cultivated as food crops for centuries, and they have international roots that cooks can take full advantage of (quinoa, for example, is a staple in some Latin American cuisines, so it pairs well with vegetables like corn and tomatoes).
  • They’re simple to cook, much as you’d cook white rice or pasta: Simply bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add the grain and simmer until done (cooking times can vary by grain, from about 15 minutes to 45 or so).
  • And yes, these grains are healthful, as their whole nature (meaning, they retain the germ and the bran) provides protein and other valuable nutrients.

But mostly, these babies are just yummy. Here’s a whole grain recipe using farro (but wheatberries, brown rice or barley would work, as well). It’s great as a side for roast pork or grilled chicken, and makes a fantastic take-to-work lunch.

farro salad with squash
(makes 4 side dish or lunchtime salad servings)

1 cup of farro (use pearled or regular)
2 generous cups of butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted in the oven or in a dry skillet
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
Pecorino Romano, goat cheese, feta or other salty cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss onion, butternut squash and zucchini with 1 Tbsp. olive oil to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until lightly caramelized and tender, about 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer roasted vegetables to a large bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the farro in a pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; pearled farro will take about 15 minutes, while regular farro will take more like 40 to 50 minutes.  Drain and let cool slightly.

Toss together farro, roasted vegetables and walnuts with additional 1 Tbsp. olive oil and balsamic vinegar (2 Tbsp. or to taste). Season with salt and pepper. Top with ribbons of Pecorino or crumbles of goat cheese or feta and serve.

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Couponing: a contrarian view.

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

After reading yet another blog post extolling the virtues of couponing, I’m moved to present a contrarian point of view.

To begin, I’ll share several factors in my life that drive my perspective on food marketing, grocery shopping and couponing—and I’ll own the fact that my situation may not be like yours.

  1. Eating and living in a healthful way is a top priority for Rob and me.
  2. We live in an urban area with access to one of the country’s finest public markets, a source for fresh and reasonably priced food. Cincinnati’s Findlay Market is where we shop every Saturday for nearly all our produce, meat, dairy and baked goods.
  3. We don’t have children, so no voracious appetites or picky eaters to satisfy.
  4. We like to cook.

That said, I’m often dismayed when I open our Sunday paper and see the proclamation of $150-something in coupon savings. Why? Because manufacturers use these discounts to push foods that are less healthy and to encourage overconsumption. Let me explain:

Coupons promote foods that are less healthy. Sugary cereals. Pizza rolls. Frozen entrees. Dinners-in-a-box. Pay attention to the food coupons in your Sunday paper: How many discounts do you see on fresh (not canned, or in syrup) fruit or unprocessed food?
Coupons encourage overconsumption. Buy one, get two free sounds like a good deal on the surface. But I’m pretty sure I need only one box of Pop-Tarts (and, if I’m completely honest with myself, I don’t really need the one). Four boxes of hamburger dinner. Ten cups of sweetened yogurt.
Coupons encourage overacquisition. I’m sort of horrified by those “extreme” couponing shows on cable TV, where people crow about their basement stash of 5 years’ worth of canned soup and toothpaste. Where I come from, we call that hoarding. Just because it’s “free,” doesn’t mean you need it.
Coupons push Big Food’s agenda. As a writer and advocate whose goal is to encourage simple, healthy eating, I shudder to see foods touted for their “health” properties. Dairy products with added fiber. Sugar substitutes with vitamins. Whole-grain breads loaded with HFCS. Crackers with antioxidants. Ever notice how many coupons for antacids and stomach-soothing meds there are in the Sunday paper? Maybe we should just be eating a little better …

Because of where and how we shop, I rarely clip coupons. Mostly, I look for savings on personal care and home care products, and on a few staple food items like non-sugar cereals or canned tomatoes. Would I like to reduce our grocery bill? You bet. Am I pissed that there aren’t coupons for healthy choices? Absolutely. Do I think those people with five years’ worth of canned soup and toothpaste in the basement are nuts? Yep.

I’m not at all averse to clipping coupons in a general sense—like everything related to eating, I would simply advocate mindfulness. Here’s the thing: It’s completely possible to eat well and save money. (Here’s just one article on how to eat healthy on a budget.) It comes down to cooking, simply and with real ingredients. Which is why I’m here, and I hope why you are, too.

related recipes (no coupons required)
easy chickpea and tomato stir-fry
delicious cooking with whole grains
pasta with zucchini, pine nuts and parmesan
best sautéed vegetables
roasted seasonal vegetables

Now, I’m not trying to be a coupon curmudgeon, so please share your thoughts on the topic in the Comments below.

Edit: So, this morning I revisited this post and decided to try a web search for coupons for a healthful product that I know I would use: Kashi crackers or cereals. Here’s the very first link I clicked … sigh.

Posted in Food 4 thought, Recipes | Tagged , | 21 Comments

Delicious cooking with whole grains.

Posted on January 10, 2012 by

A recent article on the food website Zester Daily stated it perfectly: It’s about time we stop talking about whole grains for their health benefits and start talking about them for their deliciousness. And I couldn’t agree more. Ever since my friend and former colleague Tricia Bateman brought a fabulous salad made with wheat berries, tomatoes, corn (oh, OK, and smoked mozzarella) to a work potluck, I’ve been hooked on cooked whole grains, particularly as a base for hearty salads. And we’re not talking about the quote-unquote whole grains that show up in processed foods like boxed cereal and packaged baked goods.

My eating and blogging plan for the new year includes researching and experimenting with recipes featuring whole grains—farro and quinoa (both favorites of mine), wild rice, brown rice, bulgur, barley and the like.

Why have these wonderful grains caught my attention? They’re healthful, sure (their whole nature reserves their innate nutrients, as compared to refined grains like white rice). And whole grains are an inexpensive source of protein, an alternative to beans for those who are trying to eat less meat. For me, the shining glory of whole grains is taste. From the nutty flavor of farro to the fluffy texture of quinoa, whole grains bring real magic to a dish. Even better, they pair with just about everything and every cuisine, so you can create an Italian-inspired dish with farro or a Mediterranean-flavored dish with bulgur.

In short … I’ve fallen in love with whole grains. Apparently, I’m not alone: I’ll be taking a class with Dandelion Chef this week that’s focused on grains. And an article on SFgate.com spotlights whole grains as a basis for a range of flavorful salads.

This week, I’ll share a fantastic recipe for farro with roasted butternut squash, zucchini and balsamic vinegar. Next week, I’ll be experimenting to re-create a salad I recently enjoyed at a local restaurant, which features wild rice, apple, chicken, greens and a creamy basil dressing. And we’ll move on from there … I want to explore making risotto with farro or with brown rice instead of Arborio, making more hearty salads and so on.

Are you with me? Stay tuned for some fantastic, healthy, delicious whole grain recipes coming soon, and check out the related recipes below to get started cooking with whole grain now. (clockwise below: bulgur, wild rice, quinoa, farro)

  
  

related recipes

fantastic bulgur and vegetable salad with many variations 
better than store-bought homemade tabbouleh
wheat berry salad with corn and tomatoes
quinoa and grilled zucchini salad

Posted in Fun ingredient, Recipes, Salads | Tagged , , | 5 Comments