Spring Soup

By Brianne Harrison

The 70 degree days were glorious and made it easy to forget that we’re just barely into spring, which means the occasional shower and cooler weather. For me, there’s nothing better on a chilly, wet day than a nice hot bowl of soup. The recipe below is my take on kale and white bean soup. I ran out of kale and substituted a zucchini I found in the fridge, and tossed in some sausage I had in the freezer. The results were warming and delicious:

Spring Sausage Soup
½ lb turkey or chicken sausage, casings removed
1 zucchini, diced
Clove of garlic, minced
1 can white (navy) beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken stock
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Put a medium sized soup pot over medium heat and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. When heated, crumble the sausage into the pot and cook, stirring, until the sausage is browned evenly. Remove sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

2. Pour off any excess grease from the sausage and replace the pot over the heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and sauté briefly, for about 2 minutes, just until the zucchini starts to brown slightly.

3. Return the sausage to the pot and add the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the beans, and cook for about three minutes. Season to taste. Spoon into bowls and serve with crusty whole-grain bread.

Cook’s note: This is a highly adaptable recipe. You can replace the zucchini with chopped spinach or kale (just omit the sautéing step if you use these greens), or make this vegetarian by removing the sausage, adding more beans, and replacing the chicken stock with vegetable. Let your imagination run wild!

Healthy Roundup:
Turkey or chicken sausage has far fewer calories and less fat than pork sausage, but the same amount of protein. It’s now available at most grocery stores.

Beans, as most of us know, are high in protein and cholesterol-lowering fiber and low in fat. The high fiber content helps keep your blood sugar stable after the meal, so you feel fuller longer. They’re also a good source of folate, manganese, vitamin B1, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, and iron.

Zucchini is noted as an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C, and a very good source of magnesium, vitamin A, fiber, potassium, folate, copper riboflavin, and phosphorus. Many of these nutrients have been shown to help prevent atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, and the magnesium can help reduce high blood pressure and the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Black Garlic: The Ingredient that Wouldn’t Go Away

By Pat Tanner

I first encountered black garlic at last summer’s Fancy Food Show, where I refused to take even a nibble. (This from someone who once voluntarily ate toasted mealy worms.) My thinking went something like this: “Garlic that is turned jet black and described as sweet? No thank you!” But when restaurant chefs all over the country started singing its praises, I warily ordered some from earthy.com. (It is also available at Wegmans and some other upscale markets.)

Long story short: I am smitten.

Black garlic does taste sweet, but not sugary sweet. More like molasses sweet, although others have detected balsamic vinegar, chocolate, licorice, and fennel. It was developed in South Korea as a health product and is purported to contain twice as many antioxidants as regular garlic. The black, sticky cloves are made by taking regular, run-of-the-mill garlic, fermenting it for three weeks in an environment of controlled heat and humidity, and then ageing it for another week. In the process, the acrid bite normally associated with garlic is completely mellowed out.

New recipes using this black gold are popping up online every week. Among the first I tried was Scallops with Black Garlic at steamykitchen.com. Fabulous. I also made black garlic puree from a recipe by Jeremy Fox, who just left the highly regarded vegetarian restaurant Ubuntu in Napa, California. It’s as simple as pureeing cloves from two heads of black garlic in a blender or mini-food processor and adding as little water as needed to make the mixture pourable. Like the vinaigrette below, it is terrific drizzled over chunks of warm, cooked potatoes and hard cooked eggs.

For additional recipes - as well as the full story behind the development of this welcome new ingredient - visit blackgarlic.com.

BLACK GARLIC VINAIGRETTE
Adapted from Caron Golden, San Diego Network News

5 cloves black garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Process until the black garlic is completely incorporated. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. (Good over greens as well as warm, cooked potatoes.)

Makes about 1 cup.

Mussel Power

By Brianne Harrison

When I need to do a quick, lean, satisfying meal at any time of the year, I find myself grabbing a bag of mussels. Mussels are rather brilliant creatures. They’re inexpensive, cook in minutes, and practically create their own sauce. They can be eaten on their own, in a white wine sauce, or with chopped tomatoes and herbs. Like chicken, the possibilities are nearly endless, but this is my favorite preparation:

Steamed Mussels
1 lb mussels, cleaned and debearded
½ yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
a few sprigs of thyme

Pick over the mussels and discard any that are open and don’t close when lightly tapped.

In a large pot with a lid, heat just enough olive oil to cover the bottom over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and sauté for a minute, until the onion starts to take on a creamy color.

Add the mussels, white wine, and thyme. Cover the pot and let steam for about 5-7 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally. Check the mussels; if they’re open, they’re done.

I usually serve this over whole-wheat spaghetti, with some garlic bread to sop up the juices. If you want a slightly more robust sauce, remove the mussels from the pot after they’re done and whisk a knob of butter into the juices.

Healthy Roundup
Mussels are fairly low fat and are good sources of protein, vitamin C, Thiamin, riboflavin, folate, potassium, zinc, vitamin B12, iron, phosphorus, manganese, and selenium.

Garlic has been said to reduce cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure. It’s also an excellent source of vitamins B6 and c and a good source of selenium

Homemade Beauty, Part I: Sugar, Sugar

By Brianne Harrison

Many of us are in full-on recessionista mode, trying to trim spending wherever we can. Since I, like so many others, spend quite a bit of money supporting the multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry, I started to think that that might be an area I could save a little by rolling up my sleeves and making my own. As it turns out, I was right: you can make a startling number of beauty products yourself; in many cases, using ingredients you already have in your home!

I started simple with a sugar scrub that turned out to be luscious and quite effective. You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your tastes—take out the cocoa for a straight-up sugar scrub, add some lemon or orange zest, or the essential oil of your choice—the possibilities are endless!

Chocolate Sugar Scrub
1 c natural sugar (you can substitute white or brown as well, particularly if you have some brown sugar that’s dried up and can’t really be used for baking anymore)
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
A few drops of the essential oil of your choice (I recommend lavender, vanilla, orange, or peppermint)
Enough light olive oil or grapeseed oil to make a paste (about 4 T)

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine. Store in a jar or Tupperware container (this doesn’t need to be refrigerated). Use liberally in the shower to slough off dead skin, especially on rough areas like elbows and knees.

Since this is made with all natural ingredients, you can also use it as a (delicious!) lip scrub.

“The Conscious Cook”

By Pat Tanner

Tal Ronnen is a chef who started out, as he writes in his cookbook “The Conscious Cook” (William Morrow 2009), loving “steak, hollandaise sauce, and rich wine reductions.” In his teens he turned to vegetarianism and eventually to veganism, all the while refusing to give up beautiful, flavorful, rich, and filling foods. He has become renowned for his sophisticated, fine-dining vegan cuisine.

I put the cookbook’s recipes to the test first with his Caesar salad. It’s hard to imagine a good one without eggs, anchovies, and Parmesan, isn’t it? Ronnen manages to capture the flavors and textures masterfully. His recipe introduced me to Veganaise, a surprisingly good vegan mayo. I also prepared a main dish of cornmeal-crusted tempeh with smoked tomato sauce, green chile relish, black bean puree, and braised kale. Also delicious.

Although the recipes deliver excellent results, the book itself is flawed. The index is practically useless, and instructions can at times be sloppy. The tempeh recipe, for example, instructs the cook to reserve the broth (which is superb) that the tempeh braises in. Yet it never says what to do with it. Another recipe is for Asian Tacos with Kinpira. Kinpira is never defined. (According to Wikipedia, it’s sauteed root vegetables).

These shortcomings are frustrating because this could have been the first vegan cookbook to make an impact in the vegan-hostile world - as you’ll discover if you give the following recipe a twirl. Note: the brackets are mine.

[Vegan] Caesar Salad with Focaccia Croutons

1/4 loaf plain focaccia, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (such as Veganaise)
1 tablespoon white [or yellow] miso paste
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tablespoon light agave nectar
1 cup olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 small heads romaine lettuce, shredded
Caperberries [optional]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the focaccia cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

2. In a food processor, mince the garlic and capers. Add the mayonnaise, miso paste, nutritional yeast, agave nectar, and 1/2 cup water and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream. Continue to blend until emulsified, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Place the lettuce and croutons in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss well to coat. Garnish with caperberries and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings [with plenty of dressing left over].

Mistakes that Work

By Brianne Harrison

Over the years, I’ve found that mistakes can frequently lead to interesting culinary discoveries and creations, both good and bad. Luckily, this time it was a good one. The mistake was: I forgot to take the salmon out of the freezer to defrost, which meant I had to completely reassess my dinner plans. I reached into the fridge and came out with a few leaves of kale that desperately needed to be used, a cup of pre-made potato gnocchi, and a couple of strips of bacon. The resulting dish was a surprising play of textures and flavors: the smoky bacon worked nicely off the slightly bitter kale, adding a hint of sweetness to the dish, and the soft gnocchi offset the crispy bacon.


Potato Gnocchi with Kale and Crispy Bacon
1 cup potato gnocchi
A few leaves of kale, chopped (you can also substitute spinach or broccoli rabe)
3 slices of bacon, chopped
Fresh-ground pepper

Cook the gnocchi according to package directions and drain when done.

Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-covered plate to drain. Drain excess bacon grease from the pan, reserving about 1/2T in the pan.

Return the pan to the heat and add the kale. Saute until wilted. Add the gnocchi and toss until the gnocchi colors slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the bacon, remove from the heat, add ground black pepper to taste, and serve.

You can easily replace the gnocchi with pasta in this recipe, and you can also use pancetta if you don’t have any bacon.

How about you, readers? Do you have any kitchen mistakes that worked?

Mardi Gras Comes with a Hurricane!

By Maureen C. Petrosky

I’m relishing every minute of our snow- covered Norman Rockwell setting. Ice skating, building snowmen, and hanging out by the fire and sipping hot cocoa are the best parts of winter in the northeast. However, considering the endless forest of broken trees, day-long power outages, the fact that navigating a driveway safely is an Olympic sport on it’s own, and that the kids haven’t had school in over a week, I understand that all this snow might be getting to you. So how about a hurricane instead of another blizzard?

I’m talking about the famed New Orleans cocktail sure to warm up even Old Man Winter. While you warily watched the latest batch of flurries yesterday, it’s likely you forgot one of the nation’s biggest soirees was in full swing- Mardi Gras! The fact that it fell on a Tuesday didn’t help the hype either, yet this flashy celebration from N’awlins may be just the thing to kick your winter up a notch.

Both of Mardi Gras’ famed cocktails, the Sazerac and the Hurricane, are surefire party starters; not mention major warmers, as both are serious sips. The Sazerac dates back to the 1830’s. Based on rye whiskey, this cocktail is layered with flavors of honey and spice. While it has a hint of sweetness it’s nothing compared to the sugary rum-based Hurricane. Say what you will about the Mardi Gras debauchery, they’ve found a way to have fun in the middle of winter, and you should too. So whip up a King Cake and a big batch of Jambalaya. Invite your snowed-in neighbors and celebrate this winter wonderland.

An Authentic Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane
(recipe courtesy of patobriens.com)
In a 26 oz. Hurricane glass, mix
4 oz. of Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Rum or a good dark rum
4 oz. of Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Mix
Fill with crushed ice
Garnish with an orange and cherry

The [Brrrr] ‘R’ Months

By Pat Tanner

The debate continues as to whether the old saw still holds that you should eat oysters only in months containing the letter ‘r’ in their names. Since I glom on to any excuse to devour the tasty mollusks, I’m sticking with the ‘r’ theory, which allows eight months of indulgence.

Here are my current favorite preparations, both of which require minimum effort (other than the shucking) but yield maximum results.

Oysters with Bloody Mary Mignonette
“The Ferry House Cookbook,” by Bobby Trigg (2006)
1-1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or less to taste)
1/4 cup vodka, preferably Absolut
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
36 oysters in the shell, scrubbed
Vodka for splashing

In a small bowl, stir together the horseradish, shallot, and pepper. Whisk in the vodka, then the tomato juice, then the lime juice. Garnish with the chives. Cover and refrigerate.
Shuck each oyster and smell to make sure it is fresh. Remove any broken shell or debris. Cut through the muscle holding the oyster to the shell and serve the oysters in their larger bottom shells in a bowl set on ice. Splash each oyster with vodka and then top with a dollop of mignonette.

Serves 6.


Pancetta-Wrapped Oysters and Arugula Salad
riasbaixaswines.com
2 dozen fresh oysters, in their shells
4 ounces sliced pancetta
2 large lemons, each cut lengthwise into 4 wedges
8 ounces baby arugula, washed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Grilled lemon halves, for garnish
1 tablespoon snipped chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Thoroughly scrub and carefully open oysters. Discard top shell. Cut under the oyster meat to release it from the bottom shell. Cut pancetta into 2-inch-long strips; wrap oysters with pancetta strips and return to the half shell. Place pancetta-wrapped oysters and lemon wedges on a large broiling pan. Roast 10 minutes or until pancetta is crisp.

To serve, in a large bowl toss arugula with olive oil and salt; place salad on a large platter. Arrange oysters (in shells) on arugula. Garnish with grilled lemons and chives.
Makes 6 first-course servings.

Stew for a Storm

By Brianne Harrison

This time of year, I’m a big fan of comfort foods, and there are few foods I find more comforting than stew. Which is why, this past weekend, as the first snowstorm of the week raged, I found myself gathering spices, chicken, and stock and wondering just what I should do with them. The spices and sweet potatoes in the resulting recipe add a kick and take this stew beyond the usual chicken and dumplings combo:

Spiced Chicken Stew
1 lb chicken thighs, cut into 1” pieces
1 rib celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled & diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
¼ c. flour
¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cayenne
¼ tsp chili powder
3 c. chicken stock
4-5 leaves kale, chopped

1. Mix the flour and spices in a medium bowl. Toss the chicken pieces in the flour/spice mixture until evenly coated. Shake off excess flour.

2. Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken in batches on all sides, and remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

3. Add more olive oil to the pot if necessary. Saute the celery, carrot, garlic, and onion until fragrant and the onion turns a creamy white color, about 3-5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot and stir to combine with the vegetables. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Uncover, add the potatoes, recover, and simmer another 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the kale, recover, and cook a further 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
One of the greatest things about stews is that they tend to improve over time, making this a perfect dish to cook up over the weekend and set aside for a mid-week dinner.

Healthy Roundup:
Sweet potatoes and the spices used in this recipe are very high in antioxidants. Sweet potatoes are also high in dietary fiber and are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals.

Kale is exceptionally high in vitamins A, C, and K and has been credited with helping to fight cancer and other diseases. Like sweet potatoes, it’s a great source of antioxidants and dietary fiber

Better Burgers

By Brianne Harrison

I’m a big fan of fish, particularly salmon, but I inevitably buy a little too much—just a little, not enough to make another meal out of the leftovers on their own. Fortunately, salmon makes a great burger when mixed with some mashed potato. Plus, since the protein’s already cooked, these are great to make when you’re a little strapped for time.

Salmon Burgers
Makes 6 burgers

1 ½-2 cups cooked salmon, flaked, skinless, and deboned (watch out for those little pin bones!)
2 medium-sized or 1 large potato, cubed
1 T. Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice (optional)

Procedure
Put a small pot of water on to boil; boil the potatoes until they’re fork tender. Drain and mash by hand or using a ricer.

Mix the salmon and mustard into the potatoes and stir thoroughly to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you want to brighten up the flavor a bit, add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Shape the salmon mixture into 6 small cakes, about 3- 4” in diameter and ½” thick. Warm some olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the cakes until they’re browned on each side (about 2 minutes per side). Serve on their own or on whole-grain rolls.

The nice thing is, these are just as good cold as they are warm, so they’re great to take along for lunch the following day. They pair wonderfully with a salad or steamed green veg (we opted for snow peas).

Healthy Roundup: Salmon has long been touted for its health benefits. It’s high in protein, low in calories and saturated fat, and loaded with omega 3 fatty acids, which, among other things, are highly beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Nutrients in salmon have been shown to reduce the risk of unwanted inflammation and support the immune and circulatory systems. Salmon is also a good source of Niacin, which has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels in adults with elevated cholesterol levels, and vitamins B12 and D.

Mustard seeds are also a good source of omega 3’s, and there’s been some talk that mustard aids the digestion and speeds up the metabolism

Blueberry Blast

By Brianne Harrison

I’m a sucker for pancakes on the weekend, but I was having trouble finding a good “from scratch” recipe. Most of the cakes I ended up with went tough seconds after they came out of the pan, or they ended up too flat. I wanted a fluffy stack of pancakes that’d soak up a nice helping of maple syrup. And then, I found a recipe for good old fashioned pancakes and my search was officially over.

The pancakes in this recipe come out moist and fluffy every time, and they’re good for snacking on even hours after they’re cooked. This past weekend, I had a little fun with the master recipe and started playing with it. The results were particularly memorable.

Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes
1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
3 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 T white sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch of cloves (optional)
1 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1 ¼ c milk
1 egg
3 T butter, melted

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and cloves into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg, and melted butter. Mix thoroughly, until smooth. Stir in the blueberries.

Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Grease lightly if necessary. Scoop the batter onto the griddle or pan, using about ¼ cup for each pancake. Cook until browned on both sides (unlike most pancake recipes, these pancakes don’t start to bubble on top, so don’t wait for that or they’ll burn).

Cooked pancakes can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven. Serve plain or with a good-quality maple syrup.

Quick Tip: White whole wheat is a bit sweeter than regular whole wheat, which can be a little bitter. If you can’t find white whole wheat, you might want to make these with ¾ cup whole wheat flour and ¾ cup white flour, mixed.

Healthy Roundup:
Whole wheat flour is a rich source of B-vitamins, vitamin E, and protein. It also contains more trace minerals and dietary fiber than regular white flour.

Blueberries are high in antioxidants such as vitamins C and E. In fact, they’re among the fruits with the highest antioxidant activity. Certain studies have also suggested that regularly eating blueberries may slow aging (specifically, age-related loss of mental capacity), and researchers at Rutgers University have identified compounds in blueberries that promote urinary tract health and reduce the risk of infection. There’s also some speculation that blueberries may raise your metabolism.

Cinnamon has been said to lower blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL, and cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon is also a rich source of antioxidants; can stop the growth of bacteria, fungi, and yeast; and has anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties. Talk about a super spice!

America’s First Black Top Chef

By Pat Tanner

Today we take for granted that America’s most acclaimed restaurant chefs come in all colors. Yet it wasn’t that many decades ago that chefs of color, no matter how talented, worked in obscurity. The first one to break through, at least in recent memory, was Patrick Clark, who won a James Beard Award in 1995, just three years before his untimely death at the age of 42.

A few years ago I came across another aspect of the African-American culinary experience: the legions of dining car chefs and attendants, mostly black, employed by the Pullman Company to service its luxury trains from the late 19th century to well into the 20th. Among them was Rufus Estes, who was born a slave in Tennessee 1857. He worked his way up from Pullman porter to spend much of his working life as a chef handling special parties in private cars. At a time when most fine restaurants would not hire a black chef, Estes cooked for Presidents Cleveland and Harrison, the Polish pianist Paderewski, and the African explorer Stanley, as well as European royalty.

We know this and a bit more because Estes went on to write the first cookbook by an African-American chef. The book’s elegant recipes provide a fascinating glimpse into the life of dining car chefs, who in the Estes’ days used wood and coal stoves for heat and blocks of ice for refrigeration. Many recipes are startlingly contemporary, such as an omelet made with squash blossoms and turkey stuffed with black truffles.

The recipe below, reprinted almost exactly as it appears in “Good Things to Eat,” is for a refined but easy to make citrus salad with blue cheese dressing. Although Estes’ recipes don’t include modern amenities such as a separate list of ingredients or the number of servings, home cooks will have no trouble replicating this one. Of course, few people these days bother to peel grapes. (Just cut seedless green grapes in half and call it a day.)

TRIANON SALAD
“Rufus Estes’ Good Things to Eat” (Dover Publications 2004; first issued by Rufus Estes in 1911)

Cut one grapefruit and two oranges in sections and free from seeds and membrane. Skin and seed one cup white grapes and cut one-third cup pecan nutmeats in small pieces. Mix ingredients, arrange on a bed of romaine and pour over the following dressing: [In advance] mix four tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon grape juice, one tablespoon grape vinegar, one-fourth teaspoon paprika, one-eighth teaspoon pepper and one tablespoon finely chopped Roquefort cheese. This dressing should stand in the icebox four or five hours to become seasoned.

*Image courtesy of amazon.com

Nice and Easy Does It

By Brianne Harrison

After a full day of work and an hour at the gym, what I want for dinner is something fast, healthy, and satisfying. With that in mind, I opened the fridge last night and contemplated my options. The pork chops weren’t completely thawed yet, so I went to plan b: leftover roast chicken.

Protein decided, I reached for one of my favorite, most versatile pantry staples: whole-wheat pasta. A few leaves of fresh spinach, a lemon, and some capers rounded out the dish, which was done in less than 15 minutes with little fuss and very little mess to clean up. Want to try it out? Here’s the recipe:

Weeknight Pasta
Serves 2

1 C cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1 C fresh spinach (or ¼ cup cooked or frozen. If frozen, thaw before cooking).
Juice of ½ lemon
1 to 1 ½ tsp capers
½ lb whole wheat pasta of your choice (I used regular spaghetti)
salt

Boil pasta according to package instructions and drain.

While pasta is boiling, add about 1 tsp olive oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the olive oil is warm, add the spinach and chicken and sauté for about 2 min, until spinach is wilted and chicken warmed through.

Add the lemon juice and capers to the spinach and chicken. Saute for another 30 seconds or so. Taste, and add a bit of salt if the dish needs seasoning (it might not, since capers tend to be a bit salty). Keeping the skillet over medium heat, add the drained pasta and toss over heat for another 30 seconds.

Weeknight pasta with chicken? Done.

Healthy Roundup: Lean meat? Check. Whole grains? Check. Leafy green? Check.
Plus: Capers contain Quercetin, a plant-derived flavonoid which may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Spinach is high in vitamins A (which is an antioxidant that can help protect your heart) and K (which helps prevent osteoporosis), as well as manganese and folate, while remaining low in calories. Spinach also has at least 13 different flavonoid compounds that function as antioxidants and have cancer-fighting properties. Olive oil can help protect you against heart disease and certain cancers. Lemons, naturally, are high in vitamin C, an immune system booster—not a bad thing to have during flu season!

Salad Days in the New Year

By Pat Tanner

I seem to have once again fallen victim to both the excesses of holiday eating and the need for feel-good New Year’s resolutions, so I find myself drawn to salads. Which is why I’ve gleaned the interesting recipes below from some of the Garden State’s finest practitioners.

GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD
Michael Carrino, Chef/Owner, Restaurant Passionne, Montclair

2 heads romaine lettuce, split in half
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Place all ingredients into a large zip-tight bag and allow to marinate about an hour, tossing around every few minutes. Heat grill (or broiler) to high and place the four pieces of romaine on the grill (or broiler pan) making sure they do not touch. Grill for about 1 minute then turn and grill for another 2 minutes.

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE FOR A CROWD
Kevin Sbraga, Executive Chef, Rat’s Restaurant, Hamilton

1 cup sherry vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup olive oil
2 cups grape seed oil, or other mild oil (such as canola or safflower)
Salt and pepper

Blend the vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the two oils until mixture is emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Note: Recipe may be scaled down, retaining a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil. Toss with mixed greens.

MEMBRILLO VINAIGRETTE
Inspired by Will Mooney, Chef/owner, Brothers Moon, Hopewell

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Scant 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons membrillo (quince paste)
Salt and pepper

Combine first three ingredients in a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over a salad composed of arugula, sliced Granny Smith apples, toasted almonds, and Manchego cheese. Makes enough for 4 servings.

A German Christmas Eve

By Pat Tanner

I’ve known Maren and Werner Pinnow of Hamburg, Germany from when their two young daughters, now grown, arrived for pre-school at the Princeton Waldorf School - without understanding a word of English. The youngsters amazed us all when, within a month, they were comfortably chatting with their classmates. The Pinnows stayed on in the U.S. years longer than they intended, returning home only when they feared their daughters might forever lose touch with their heritage.

I recently got a glimpse into that heritage when I received an email from Maren describing the family’s traditional Christmas Eve celebrations. “On the evening of the 24th we begin by opening presents. Then we have our traditional dinner: potato salad with German sausage. Werner and I had this kind of dinner even when we were little – maybe because it can be prepared in advance and you don’t have to spend so much time in the kitchen. It’s very common, especially in the north of Germany.”

In fact, that dinner sounds just right for any night during the busy holiday season. This year, I will combine German tradition with New Jersey specialties by serving assorted sausages from my favorite farms – Griggstown and Cherry Grove – and whipping up my version of German potato salad, which replaces the usual boiled potatoes with fluffy baked ones. I’ll serve beer from a New Jersey brewery and end the meal on a German note with a platter of pfeffernusse. Who knows: if time allows, I may even make the cookies myself.


GERMAN POTATO SALAD
Serves 6

5 large baking potatoes
Vegetable oil, for rubbing on the potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 small garlic clove, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (you might want less)
1/4 cup minced parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each potato once with the tines of a fork. Rub a small amount of vegetable oil over the potatoes and bake for 45 minutes, or until tender. Meantime, combine onion, garlic, mustard, and parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the olive oil, vegetable oil, and white wine vinegar in a saucepan. Heat until mixture just begins to boil (do not let it boil), remove from heat, and carefully pour over the onion mixture. Stir and set aside.

Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the insides, forming chunks. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and combine gently.

Not Your Grandmother’s Stuffing

By Pat Tanner

We cooks never know where our next good recipe will come from. Usual sources include a neighbor or co-worker, the Internet or television, a new cookbook, or a magazine or newspaper column. But a tourism calendar? Not so much.

Yet this stuffing recipe, from a calendar my neighbor presented to me last winter as a thank-you gift for collecting her mail while she lounged on the pink sands of Bermuda, captured my attention. I tested it and pass along the recipe for a couple of reasons.

One, you may be among the many who do not make turkey for Thanksgiving, either because you don’t like the taste or because the size of your gathering calls for a smaller bird. This stuffing is a perfect complement to chicken, duck, game hen, or other fowl.

Two, I suspected that the tropical flavor of mango mixed with fluffy white rice had major potential to produce a lighter, brighter alternative to traditional bread stuffing. And, boy, was I right.

The stuffing can be made ahead of time (just refrigerate, covered, until you’re ready to stuff and roast the bird). And it couldn’t be easier. If you can cook rice and peel a mango you’re good to go. (If you’re hesitant about peeling and cutting mangoes, which can be tricky, google “how to cut a mango” for a slew of step-by-step video instructions.)


Bermuda Mango Rice Stuffing
Adapted from 2009 Bermuda Calendar, Tropic Traders Ltd. (Hamilton, Bermuda)

To stuff a 4-pound chicken or duck:

2 large or 3 small ripe mangoes
4 cups cooked rice, cold or room temperature (made from about 1-1/3 cups raw rice)
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
2 whole cloves

Peel mangoes, remove stones, and mash to a pulp. (I used a food processor.) Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Chill for several hours to blend the flavors. Remove the cloves just before stuffing the bird. Stuff and roast as usual. (Heat any extra stuffing in an ovenproof bowl, covered, alongside the bird.)

The Right Stuff(ing)

By Judith Garfield

Ready to buck tradition and surprise your family with a new and exciting stuffing dish this Thanksgiving?

I think not.

There are as many variations on stuffing (or dressing as they politely call it in the South) as there are imaginative cooks, but that’s no reason for me to abandon my remarkably simple, delightfully ordinary, completely delicious bread stuffing. Stuffing is a personal thing and we all have our ideas of what tastes best. People can be quite attached to their childhood favorite and would never think of trying something new.

I must admit I fall into this camp. I liken my stuffing to the quintessential little black dress. Simple, classic, and unadorned. You will not find any thing resembling fruit, nuts, or sausage in my loveless stuffing. No cranberries, water chestnuts, mushrooms or olives. And cornbread is out of the question.

Sure, you could probably make a tasty stuffing with one or more of those ingredients, but for me, less is more. One Thanksgiving my friend brought her stuffing that she couldn’t stop talking about-cornbread, apples, walnuts, etc. I made my version and both were passed around the table. You know where this is going. First helping-tie. Second helping-loveless by a knockout.

Here’s my recipe. As usual, proportions are approximate. Serves 10 to 12.

1/2 stick of butter
2 c. chopped celery
2 med. onions, diced
a loaf of white bread (20 ounce size)
a loaf of oatmeal or whole wheat bread
turkey liver (take it out from inside turkey)
2 eggs
1 c. water or chicken broth

Toast the bread lightly and cube it. Sauté the turkey liver, onions, and celery in the butter. Add this mixture to the bread with the eggs and water. Mix well. Hands work best. Season with salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of dried sage. Stuff your bird and put any leftover in a baking dish. Cook the extra with the turkey for last thirty minutes.

I usually never have leftover stuffing to eat with my leftover turkey, but if I did I would put it on a nice sourdough roll with cranberry sauce and herbed mayo- Thanksgiving on a roll.

A Day in Tunisia (in Little Silver)

By Pat Tanner

My first trip abroad, shortly after I was married, was to Morocco and I have had a special place in my heart for the foods of North Africa ever since. So on October 29 I plan to make the much shorter but still exotic trip down to Sickles Market for special tastings and demonstrations. Special guests, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day, will be members of the Mahjoub family, whose Tunisian estate produces olives, sun-dried tomatoes, harissa, olive oils, and other traditional, authentic condiments. The event, which is free and open to the public, will introduce a new line of specialty food from all around the Mediterranean, Tunisia included.

Shortly after my Moroccan adventure I came across the recipe below in Deborah Madison’s first cookbook and it as been one of my go-to party dishes ever since. It can be made in any season, looks gorgeous in a big glass bowl (you can add black oil-cured olives for contrast), is inexpensive, and can be assembled in a matter of minutes. The carrots are sliced lengthwise into thin, fettucine-like ribbons. Using a swivel-action peeler like Oxo’s makes the job a snap. If you haven’t used orange flower water before, be advised that a little goes a long way. Start with half a teaspoon, taste, and add quarter teaspoons after that.

MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD
“The Greens Cookbook” by Deborah Madison, Reed Business Information, 1987

1 pound carrots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Orange flower water to taste

Peel the carrots and discard the peels. Continuing to use the peeler, scrape the carrots lengthwise, working your way around them, removing strips of carrot about 3/8 in wide. Set them aside in a bowl. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Taste and add more orange flower water if needed. Pour this dressing over the carrots and toss them very lightly with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
Makes 4 cups, serving 4 to 6.

Sickles Market is at 1 Harrison Avenue, Little Silver, 732.741.9563, sicklesmarket.com

Good Guests Remember Plum Cake

By Millicent K. Brody

As much as many of us love to entertain, it tends to be pretty tiring. By the time you sit down to eat, you’re ready for bed! And, there’s the “Plus-One Factor”: after perusing the guest list and deciding how many leaves you’re going to need to extend your dining room table, there is always a last-minute someone who calls and asks if they could bring one or two of their friendly, overnight visitors. You don’t dare refuse.

But, as tiring as it is, entertaining is also very rewarding, and it’s always great to get your friends together. As one of my friends says, regardless of the holiday, as soon as it’s a table full of people, it’s like Christmas: Lots of good food and lots of people having a great time.

And make no mistake, there’s always lots of good food at my parties (and the parties I go to!) One friend of mine who is expecting sixteen for Yom Kippur is dishing up a Blintz Souffle. As for me, I’ll be serving my traditional Italian Prune Plum Cake. I’ve discovered that plums purchased at a local farmer’s market are far plumper than those you may find in a supermarket, so start scouring your local market and see what you can find.


Delicious Plum Cake
Ingredients:
2 C. flour
2 C. sugar
2 sticks butter
4 eggs plus one egg white, beaten
2 tsp. baking powder
28 prune plums, halved, skin side up
cinnamon and sugar to taste

Procedure:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice prune plums and toss with 2 teas. cinnamon and 2 teas. sugar to taste

Grease a 9x13 Pyrex dish

In large bowl, beat eggs, butter, and baking powder. Add flour. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Take 5 or 6 plums and cut them into several pieces. Toss into the batter.

Hand stir and fold the batter several more times.

Pour the mixture into a Pyrex dish.

Top with remaining plums. Dab with bits of butter. Drizzle with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Served with your favorite cup of coffee and vanilla ice cream.


Blintz Soufflé
Ingredients:
2 boxes of Golden or Ratners Blintzes. (Cherry or Blueberry)
1 stick butter or margarine
4 eggs
1/4 t. salt
1 t. orange juice
1 t. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream

Procedure:
Heat oven to 350 degrees

Take 1/4 lb. butter (1 stick) and place it in a 9x13 casserole dish. Melt in oven.

Place all the other ingredients except Blintzes in a blender and combine.

Place 12 blintzes over melted butter. Pour and pack mixture from blender.

Bake for 45 minutes uncovered. Serve warm with extra sour cream.

Jambalaya Fest 2009

By Pat Tanner

I apologize if I have misled you into thinking Jambalaya Fest is an upcoming public event. In fact, Jambalaya Fest is an annual private party thrown by my good friends Helen and George. And the 5th one took place a couple of weeks ago.

So why am I telling you this? First, to inspire you to devise some sort of annual entertaining event that includes, as does Jambalaya Fest, good food, good drink, good music (preferably live), and a reason to reconnect a group of friends (or friends of friends) who may see each other only once a year and who enjoy catching up.

Guests at Jambalaya Fest have come to expect top-notch jambalaya, cornbread, and cole slaw, to name just a few of the treats provided by our hosts. We also enjoy the music of a jazzy/bluesy local band. (You can preview their work at cdbaby.com/cd/thisoldhouse/from/payplay)

Some guests bring wine or beer, some bring dessert. Which brings me to the second reason. This year I dredged up a decades-old recipe for a confection that turned out to be the hit of the dessert table. These crunchy-sweet nuggets are easy to make, store well, and make a great hostess gift. Use the largest, freshest pecans you can find.

PRALINE NUGGETS (from Gourmet Magazine?)

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, whisked or sieved to remove lumps

2 tablespoons ground pecans
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon bourbon or dark rum
1 large egg white, at room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar

Pinch of salt
2 cups pecan halves

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Butter two large baking sheets. In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, ground pecans, and cornstarch. Add the bourbon and whisk the mixture until well blended.

In another bowl, beat the egg white with the cream of tartar and salt until it holds stiff peaks. Stir one-third into the sugar mixture and fold in the remaining whites. (The mixture will become more liquid.) Add the pecan halves, stirring to coat them well. Arrange them individually, rounded side up, two inches apart on the baking sheets. (You will have batter left over.) Bake for 12 minutes or until they are puffed and golden brown. (It sometimes takes longer.)

Let the nuggets cool on the sheets for one minute. Transfer them to racks and let them cool completely. The nuggets will keep in airtight containers for five days. Makes about 100 nuggets.