Family Thai(s) Green Beans

Heaven, I'm in heaven, and it is all thanks to my friend Ann and her smart buy at a subdivision garage sale. You see, she landed a stash of Cook's Illustrated magazines, and from the pile one issue emerged and spoke to me. My favorite dish at my favorite Thai restaurant (Sy Thai in Birmingham if you must know) is Prik Khing, which is greens beans, prik curry sauce (whatever that is) and your choice of meat (usually chicken). Anyway, skimming through the January/February 2007 issue, I came across a recipe entitled Schezuan Greens Beans at Home and my interest and taste buds were immediately peaked. Running through the ingredient list, I was surprise to find all but one was a normal pantry item - even the sherry, for which I bought a bottle during my Cooking With Alice phase and used only a tablespoon or two. The only thing I didn't have was the toasted sesame oil, but after a quick trip to the internet (which is always easier that a trip to the store) I realized I could make my own - toasting sesame seeds, crushing them and mixing with oil. The recipe also calls for ground pork, but I had some leftover grilled pork tenderloin in the fridge, so I used that instead. Truly delicious and hauntingly similar to the restaurant version. The key is to cook the beans until they shrivel, otherwise they aren't tender enough.

Ah, the 80s and their Regan era sitcoms. NBC's Family Ties was no exception, melding hippies from the 60s with their mainstream nuclear existence in suburban Ohio as parents with 3 (eventually 4 when the Cousin Oliver syndrome hit the show) children, one of whom bucked the liberal trend by being a devoted Young Republican and capitalist. Catapulting Michael J. Fox to stardom, the show followed the antics of Alex P. Keaton and family through the trials and tribulations of growing up, always with a heartfelt laugh track. I mean, what could be more entertaining than a father who works for PBS instilling his values on a son devoted to supply side economics? And did  you ever notice that big commercial stove in their kitchen? Oh, how I envied that as a young girl. Rather cheesy theme song, however, I mean what would we do with out us? Sha la la la.


The Recipe:

2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed. cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 pound ground pork (but you know I love reruns, so I use whatever leftover pork I have, chopped)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, sherry, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, pepper flakes, mustard and water until sugar dissolves, set aside. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add beans and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp and tender, and skins are shriveled and blackened in spots, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer beans to a large plate. Reduce heat to medium high and add pork to now empty skillet. Cook, breaking into small pieces, until no pink remains, about 2 minutes (if using leftover cooked pork, add to pan and warm through). Add garlic and ginger, cook stirring constantly, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Return beans to pan and add sauce. Toss and cook until sauce is thickened, 5 to 10 seconds. Remove from pan and stir in sesame oil. Serve immediately. Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side.

Rigatoni Orlando and Dawn

Sometimes the best meals come together in the simplest of ways – and in this case have only three components. Born out of my love for all things Italian: fresh sausage, canned chopped tomatoes and tubular pasta (in this case rigatoni). Now, the key is to use only the finest of these three, so of course the lead item is the sausage. And, where else can one fine the freshest homemade Italian sausage but at my favorite Traverse City stop – Folgarelli’s. Regular readers know of my love affair with this place and all of their products, and the sweet Italian sausage is a hit every time. Cooked and them mixed with the chopped tomatoes (adding just a hint of kosher salt) and a good brand of dried pasta like Barilla or De Cecco and you have a dinner time hit on your hands.

Tony Orlando and Dawn (ie, Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson), are as much a part of the 70s as bell-bottoms and disco balls. With hits like Candida, Knock Three Times and Time a Yellow Ribbon, and He Don’t Love You (Like I love You), they are forever embedded  in our pop culture musical score. Not only could they sing, but they could dance and act as well - just take a look at their 1974 Variety Hour a la Sonny and Cher. That was a show to end all shows! Not to mention an appearance or two on The Love Boat, and Telma Hopkins tour de force on Bossom Buddies. You don’t have to knock three times or tie a yellow ribbon to be reminded of such greatness - It's no wonder they weren't just a one hit wonder.

The Recipe:

1 pound fresh sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
1 pound Rigatoni
1 28 ounce can chopped and seeded tomatoes
kosher salt (to taste)

In dutch oven or (knock) 3 (times) quart heavy saucepan cook sausage until no longer pink. Add tomatoes and salt, heat to a boil and them simmer for at least 20 minutes (or once on the pipe if the answer is no). Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain. Mix pasta and sauce. Serves 3 very hungry people.

Harry Potter Chewy Ginger Biscuits

Hi everyone this is the Julia child. Today I am the blogger and chef. I am also the world's biggest Harry Potter fan. Every year on the Fourth of July there is a bake off in our town. Last year as you may know, my mom did not win (see Cooking With Alice: You Can't Win Them All). But this year I wanted to try in the kid's category. So I made a recipe from the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. I got it for a Christmas present from my mom's friend Kristy (see Mr Kristy Green Jeans Soup). These chewy ginger biscuits are yummy, like a sugar cookie with a hint of ginger, which is good because I don't like ginger. It was hard to get the dough just right but we did it by adding lots of extra flour. Blogger Note: Apparently you don't have to a wizard to use this cookbook, but it doesn't hurt! Sadly, Julia didn't win either - I think You Know Who must rig the judging. Both awards in the children's category were won by sisters - so their mother is no squib, if you know what I mean.

JK Rowling's seven books in the Harry Potter series are the best selling books of all time. At our house, not only do we live and breathe all things Potter, but now we eat them as well. This recipe is apparently a reference to a newt-shaped ginger biscuit that Professor McGonagall gives to Harry in book five after he has been tortured by Professor Umbridge. The series chronicles the harrowing adventures of the Boy Who Lived and his friends Ron and Hermione during their years at Hogwarts and beyond. In case you are not a super fan (or even if you are ) play the video and you will be up to speed in 99 seconds.



The Potion, I mean Recipe: (wands at the ready)

3 cups flour (we needed  a lot more..)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp ground ginger

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg white

3/4 cup golden syrup or light corn syrup

1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

Special Equipment: An Outstanding or at least Exceeds Expectations on one's O.W.L.s 

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Place racks to the upper and lower middle positions (or just use two ovens, like I do). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and ginger. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and the sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (but not like the three-headed dog Fluffy), scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, the egg white, and syrup and beat until combined. Scrape the bottom with a rubber spatula to make sure it is fully combined. Scoop out the balls of dough with a cookie scoop or tablespoon. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans and switching shelves halfway through the baking. Slide the parchment paper onto wire racks to cool;do not remove the cookies individually until they cool.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen. Serve with butter beer or pumpkin juice.

Peach Pit Cobbler

Regular readers of this blog know that I grew up with a mother who made more reservations for dinner than actual meals and her memorable main dishes total three. However, she is famous for one dessert - peach cobbler. Every year during the height of peach season (before climate change that usually just meant the end of August) we would beg her to make cobbler. My 5 sisters and I all have this one thing we agree upon: peach cobbler rocks. Now, her recipe comes from the early 1950s edition of the Betty Crocker cook book (which I believe she got for a wedding gift and I know she still has). A few years back I borrowed the recipe and made a copy and have been making the original ever since. It suggests that any fruit can be used, but I suggest peaches. It also says  you can use vegetable oil or crisco, but crisco makes it taste better. This is comfort food dessert at its best.

Have you seen those Back to School Beverly Hills 90210 commercials for Old Navy lately featuring Jenny Garth, Luke Perry, Jason Priestly and the girl (actually, I should say grown woman) who played Andrea?
Boy, do they bring back the memories of those plucky Minnesota  twins (Priestly and Shannon Doherty) who get plopped down in the toney zip code and to make new friends and influence people all the while hanging out at the wholesome Peach Pit diner. The "kids" hung out there for the 10 year run of the show, the savvy writers having turned it into the Peach Pit Afterdark nightclub once the characters were old enough to legally drink. Through all of the trials and tribulations of privileged teenage life, Nat (the modern day Al of Arnold's) and the Pit were always there to comfort bad boy Dylan, rubes Brandon and Brenda, pretty girl Kelly, insecure Steve and nice girl Donna.

The Recipe: (written the way Betty did)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Arrange in a square 9x9 pan 3 cups sliced and pitted peaches
Sprinkle with a mixture of 2/3 cup sugar, 2 tbsp flour and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Dot with 2 tbsp butter

Sift together into a bowl 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt
Add 1/3 cup shortening or oil, 3 tbsp milk and 1 egg

Stir with a fork until thoroughly blended. Drop by spoonfuls over the fruit. If desired, dough may be spread with a spatula to cover the surface of the fruit. bake 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Note: For a larger recipe, double the ingredients and bake in an oblong pan 13x91/2 pan 40 to 50 minutes at 350.

For Kevin