That Grill

Seasons (and seasonings) change. After the winter of my polar vortex discontent, it was time to turn from sauce laden, oven dependent comfort foods to springtime grilling. When I first started to cook, as a young twenty something living alone in NYC, I longed for an outdoor cooking device. Every time I cooked meat in my tiny teeny "kitchen" that lacked ventilation it wreaked for days. Fast forward to life in the burbs, and a fancy grill that was my Mother's Day present a few years back, and I'm living the dream. Of course it took longer than usual for the three foot snow pile that came between me and that grill to melt. But once it did, I began to heat it up with chicken fajitas. No ordinary fajitas, mind you as I use a special rub - Detroit Mexicantown seasoning. It comes in a decorative little tin, and the contents must be a well kept secret as they are not listed other than "spices". Embracing this refreshing simplicity, I always make sure to have some on hand. Add in some peppers (red and green), warmed tortillas and a little guacamole and you have yourself dinner without a greasy pan to clean up afterwards. It's true what they say, if you make it there you can make it anywhere.

Who can turn the world on with her smile...? Wait. Stop. Wrong show. That Girl (ABC, 1966-71) starring Marlo Thomas came first and was the show that paved the great white way for all of our single, independent career women to follow. Wanna be actress and temp worker Anne Marie, a girl from Brewster, NY trying to make it on her own in the big apple, with her affable puppy dog boyfriend Donald Hollinger along for the ride. Anne was always finding her self (and sometimes her toe) in a jam, but despite the pleas from her parents to give up her dreams, come home and get married like normal girls, she persevered. Quite possibly my favorite opening TV show montage, Anne Marie set a course for women from Mary Richards to Murphy Brown - allowing us free to be you and me.

The Recipe:

1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast split and trimmed

2 tsp fajita seasoning, preferably Detroit Mexicantown

Dash of lime or lemon juice

1 green pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

1 red pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

12 flour (or corn) tortillas

Guacamole (your on your own here)

Queso fresco

Place 1 tsp of rub in the bottom of a shallow container. Place chicken breasts side by side on the rub and sprinkle 1 tsp of rub on top. Add dash of juice, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Heat grill on high for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium high and place chicken directly on the grill. My grill has an upper shelf grate that I cover with foil and cook the peppers up there at the same time. If your grill lacks this feature, you should get a new one. Cook, turning once for 15-20. Remove chicken from heat, slice into thin strips and enjoy.

Triple Barry Pie

I'm a fan of most berries, but not of blueberries I must admit. First of all, they look purple to me so I feel like I'm being lied to. And then there is the smell - yuck. Nevertheless, this recipe is a blue (not purple) ribbon winner from Bon Appetit, July 2002  and is brought here today courtesy of Lori B. A friend and neighbor in our under urban small town that I often describe as Mayberry meets Peyton Place. Discovering Lori's baking talents was a bit like finding buried treasure. She always brings a spectacular star spangled concoction to our annual 4th of July fireworks party that puts to shame anything I make. Now, we have firmly established that I am no baker (see Cooking With Alice Everyone can't be George Washington Apple Crumble and You Can't Win Them All). Blueberries,  raspberries and blackberries -the delicious looking picture says it all - a treat for any pie hole.

Wallace Berry, Barbara Barrie, Ken Berry, the entire Barrymore clan - yes, all fine upstanding barry varieties. Yet, three Barry's standout as defining my youth: Barry Williams, Barry Manilow and Barry Gibb. Not that I don't love me some Barry White or Barry Bostwick {who I once rode on a plane with from Detroit to NYC  and he's very tall), mind you. First up, Barry Williams aka Greg Brady. Eldest of the Brady six and the moral compass of the brood.  If you don't ask yourself "what would Greg Brady do?" at least once a day you may not be living right. Next is of course Barry Manilow - he writes the songs that makes the whole world sing - and that's a huge responsibility. And last but by no means least, is Barry Gibb. Bee Gees mastermind who wrote the most iconic song of an era on a airplane cocktail napkin (if you have to ask, you shouldn't be reading this). All three in one way or another made my 70's playlist what is today. You are once, twice, three times a Barry, and I love you.


The Recipe:

Crust
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 tablespoons (about) ice water

Topping
6 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
6 tablespoons whole almonds
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 1/2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
4 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 cups assorted fresh berries (such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries; about 8 ounces of each)

Preparation
For crust:
Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 5 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

For topping:
Combine all ingredients in processor. Process until moist clumps form. (Dough and topping can be made 1 day ahead. Cover topping and chill; keep dough chilled. Soften dough slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)

For filling:
Mix sugar, tapioca, and lemon juice in large bowl. Add berries and toss gently to combine. Let stand until tapioca softens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 15-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1 inch. Fold overhang under and crimp decoratively, forming high-standing rim (which I think is the exact instruction Barry Manilow gave to his plastic surgeon). Freeze crust 20 minutes.

Spoon filling into crust. Crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake pie until crust and topping are golden brown and filling is bubbling, covering loosely with sheet of foil if topping browns too quickly, about 55 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool at least 3 hours. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Cut pie into wedges and serve.

Mushroom 222 Risotto

I'm pretty sure i was absent the day they taught fractions. I'm just saying. So, when the clever (in my estimation anyway) title for this post came to me I began the quest for a good mushroom risotto recipe, that serves three. I have cookbook dedicated just to risotto and began my education there. But I quickly found myself going to the internet and I found an appealing concoction there as well at allrecipes.com. I like that site because it will automatically adjust the ingredient amounts according to your serving size - no math involved. One can also choose between metric and US measurement -  and you all know my feelings on the metric system (see A Chocolate Chip in the Metric System). Had we actually converted when I was in school I would surely have dropped out. But cooler heads prevailed. The recipe that follows is  a perfect combo of book smarts and street smarts as I took the basic concept and applied what I had previously learned. The most difficult part is the constant stirring for 20-30ish minutes, making sure all of the broth is absorbed before adding more, slowly releasing the starch in the rice - it's science, and that's as much as I can say on the gray matter. The result was a rich, savory and most importantly, creamy dish. An A+.

Room 222, 1969-1974's Utopian Los Angeles high school (Walt Whitman High) where all races and classes melded together in a groovy style.Head of the class was Pete Dixon, the laid back American History teacher. Along with his girlfriend and guidance counselor Liz McIntyre, plucky student teacher Alice Johnson (who will always be my Karen Valentine)  and the affable principal Seymour Kaufman they confronted the teenage angst of the cast of regulars Bernie and Jason and occasionally mixed in some common core issues of the day such as race relations, Watergate and women's rights. The show spent it's first two seasons going no where on Wednesdays before the network moved it to the juggernaut Saturday line up of  The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, The Odd Couple and Love American Style (talk about must see TV) and  they began steady average yearly progress in the ratings. But high school always has to end, even on TV and our beloved cast graduated into perpetual youth in syndication. 

The Recipe:

6 cups chicken broth 

16 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups arborio rice

Olive oil 

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, heat the broth to a simmer.Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12 inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan, and add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, add wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add a ladle full or less of  broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth in small amounts, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes, give or take. Possibly more. Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 6 (I did the doubling for you. No need to thank me, thank a teacher)

Have it your way Spaghetti Carbonara

Yes, I am not repeating myself. Yes, I have posted a very good in my estimation recipe for spaghetti carbonara (see bringing home the bacon). Yes, this is a new recipe that I clipped from the New York Times foodie section. Yes, it turns out the Julia child likes it better this way, and I try to be accommodating as possible. The difference lies in how the eggs and cheese are incorporated into the pasta and the bacon.  Traditionally, the beaten eggs are tossed with the cooked pasta (and quickly so as not to create a scramble) and then tossed with bacon and then the grated cheese. The twist here is that the beaten eggs are then whisked into the grated cheese and set aside while the pasta and bacon are melded on the stove top and then they all come together in a large serving bowl. The result is decidedly creamier and seems to please every palette. Now, when I say we are having carbonara for dinner, the Julia child asks "are we having it my way?".

Special orders don't upset us - a total dig at Mickey D's have it our way or the grill order wait 20 minutes highway attitude -courtesy of Burger King, who wants you to have your 1000 calories your way.And besides, I just love the big hats in this commercial....

The Recipe:

Salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 ounce (about 1/3 packed cup) grated pecorino Romano
1 ounce (about 1/3 packed cup) grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil
hold the lettuce
extra pickle
hold the onion
you won't upset us
1/4 pound slab guanciale, pancetta or bacon,sliced into pieces about 1/4 inch thick by 1/3 inch square
12 ounces spaghetti (about 3/4 box)

Place a large pot of lightly salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with hot water and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, and cheese. Season with a pinch of salt and generous black pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat add the pork and saute until the fat just renders, on the edge of crispness but not hard. Remove from heat and set aside. Cook pasta and drain. Add to pork skillet over low heat and stir for a minute. Empty serving bowl of hot water, Dry it and add hot pasta mixture. Stir in cheese mixture. Serve immediately. Serves 4 your way.

Swiss Mis-Steak

Our third and final installment:

The Ann's have it. Yes, for the next 3 weeks my blog will turned over to Ann(e), my two friends since high school. Back in the day, whenever we would meet new people (i.e. boys) they would say "hi, we're Ann(e)" - which I always thought was so cute and clever. Fast forward an unmentionable amount of years and they still never fail to entertain. 

Definitely a photo that bums the yum because Anne says that  this version of Swiss Steak tasted good. The recipe comes from Savuer -  the creme de la creme of food magazines. And, from the state of the art fancy-schmancy kitchen of Anne's that was featured in Milwaukee's most fancy kitchens monthly, or some such publication - I may not have the name right. What I do know is that it was no accident that we became friends (even though she says she only introduced herself to me because she felt sorry for me). I would be remiss if I didn't relate the story of our first dinner party. It consisted of canned ravioli, box macaroni and cheese and chocolate pudding all served on a Twister mat turned table cloth - the catch? No utensils, I'm going to err on the side of caution and not post any pictures from said  event. Needless to say, we've come a long way since then. Presumably, Anne and her family ate this dish with a knife an fork.

In my opinion, the best cocoa is Dutch, and I prefer to make my hot chocolate with real milk, on the stove top. Call me crazy. My mother, however,  completely bought into the "start your day with a yodel" campaign - as the hissing tea pot was the way she roused us out of bed on cold mornings.

The Recipe: (straight from Saveur - no faux pas here)

Heat oven to 350°. Heat 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Put 3⁄4 cup flour on a wide plate. Season one 2 1⁄2"-thick top round steak (about 3 lbs.) generously all over with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in flour. Brown steak in dutch oven, turning once, until deep golden brown, 12–14 minutes in all. Transfer steak to a large plate; wipe clean. Heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Add 4 finely chopped cloves garlic, 2 whole cloves, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 finely chopped carrot, 1 finely chopped rib celery, and 1 bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 6–8 minutes. Stir in 2 tbsp. tomato paste, 1 tbsp. sweet paprika, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 5–6 minutes. Meanwhile, tie 8 flat-leaf sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme together with butcher's twine; add to pot along with two 12-oz. bottles beer and one 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (with purée), crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil; add reserved steak. Cover dutch oven with foil, then the lid. Transfer dutch oven to oven; braise for 1 hour. Uncover dutch oven, flip steak over, and add one 12-oz. bottle beer; cover again with foil and lid. Return to oven; braise steak until tender, about 1 hour more. Uncover dutch oven and discard foil; return to oven. Cook until sauce has thickened and steak has browned, 15–20 minutes more. Discard herb bundle. Season sauce with salt and pepper; transfer to a large platter. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley, if you like. Serves 6.

Split Peabody and Sherman Soup - The Movie

I know this is supposed to be week three of "Ann(e)" - but the trifecta has been pre-empted to bring you this special re-post in honor of the theatrical release of "Mr Peabody and Sherman". Becasue everything old is new again some Hollywood genius thought a full-length feature film of the beloved, wry and punny 1960's shorts from Rocky and Bullwinkle would be a good idea. I must admit, it gave me paws, but I tried it and I liked it. Well, you know, every dog has his day...

My parents swore by their crock pots (both literally and figuratively) all throughout my formative years. My dad was always making soup or chili or stuffed peppers in his. I mainly remember my mother making her "secret" chili (in which she used bloody mary mix) in hers, child of divorce that I am, but it was a kitchen fixture in both houses from about 1973 onward. I recently inherited my mother's avocado green Rival model (to match the rest of our then appliances). I must admit to never being much interested in slowing cooking. Slow food, yes, but the notion of throwing raw foods into a cooker, turning it on and leaving home for eight hours never much appealed me.  I also saw much humor in the way the crock pot has made a comeback renamed "Slow Cooker", which is apt, since the new ones are trendy stainless steel and no longer actually have a pottery "crock" like mine. And, up until now, I was home all day to cook. So, enter the revolutionary 70s culinary tool, designed to make cooking easier in every American home (until the microwave was invented). I am also lucky enough to have the original recipe booklet with mine, which is where today's concoction comes from. I have never made split pea soup, but am sure that this is the recipe I ate while growing up. I also love some of the other recipes in the book like "Pork Chop Abracadabra" and "Hot Dog -Perfection" . If someone was so inclined, cooking from this recipe book could be a blog in and of itself - but don't get any ideas. Nevertheless, I must admit, it is a great use for that leftover Christmas ham bone, and couldn't have been easier to make.

So, now that our Way Back Machine has been set to 1973, let's revisit one of the best cartoons ever -
Peabody's Improbable History. Shown as a short during the Bullwinkle and Rocky Show, it featured Mr . Peabody (a genius glasses wearing, pipe smoking dog) and his nerdy sidekick Sherman (because every dog should have a boy). Mr. Peabody and Sherman used the Way Back Machine to travel through time, witnessing historic events and making sure they did not go awry, thus not disturbing the time-space continuum. Not being a huge fan of time travel in general, it is surprising that I loved this show so much. But the cheesy puns that ended every episode helped me over the hump.  On any given week Sherman and Peabody came to the aid of such figures as Ponce De Leon, who foundered on his way seeking the fountain of youth in 1513. Or Paul Revere, whose famous ride almost wasn't had Mr. Peabody not suggested he ride a live horse instead of a statue of a horse. But perhaps the best is when they help General Custer at Little Big Horn and when Sherman questions the presence of a hot dog vendor, Mr. Peabody retorts "Come now Sherman, everyone's heard of Custard's last stand". All's well that ends well, especially when Sherman wails "Oh, Mr. Peabody."

The Recipe:

1 pound dry green split peas (soak them first, even if the package says you shouldn't. Trust me.)
2 quarts water
1 pound meaty ham bone
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

Throw it all in. Cover. Cook. On low for 10-12 hours, on high for 5-6 hours. Go to work. Have lunch. Workout. Pick-up the dry cleaning. Get the kids from school. Do homework. Enjoy the soup. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.

I'm on a Mexican To-ma-to

Welcome to week two:

The Ann's have it. Yes, for the next 3 weeks my blog will turned over to Ann(e), my two friends since high school. Back in the day, whenever we would meet new people (i.e. boys) they would say "hi, we're Ann(e)" - which I always thought was so cute and clever. Fast forward an unmentionable amount of years and they still never fail to entertain. 

Up this week is Ann with no E who still lives in the D. For more on her culinary chops see Gouda Times. I credit Ann for my entree in a closed facebook group known as the Virtual Dinner Club, which is essentially food porn from home cooks around the country who are somehow linked to a guy who was friends with a friend of ours (Pam - see Beauty and the Beet Pasta Salad) in college. Make sense? Anyway, one night during this winter of my discontent. Ann and her better half were dining with us. They were talking about their trip to Costco earlier in day, and Ann mentioned that she bought a large crate of yellow tomatoes, but had no idea what to do with them. So I said, "where are they from?" And what does she say? "Costco". Holding back my bemusement, I said "I mean, country of origin". "Oh" she answered "I don't know". Clearly, I was on a wave length far from home. They turned out to be from Mexico. She made salsa.

A one hit wonder of 1983 (a very good year that had more than it's share) Wall of Voodoo's Mexican Radio is truly a stand out. This is quite possibly my favorite 80s food video (if you don't count I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow - although, come to think of it, that may not be about candy at all....). Anyway, why the pot of beans, you ask? No comprende it's a riddle.

The Recipe:

(Ann's Note: Except I added the vinegar before roasting and gave it a little extra time cause it was a bit soupy at first, used fresh corn)

In a roasting pan combine:

2 pints of yellow cherry or heirloom tomatoes, halved

1 small red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3/4 cup corn kernels

2 teaspoons dried cilantro

Sea salt

Drizzle with:

Olive oil

White balsamic vinegar

Pre-heat oven to 375. Toss to coat the veggies in olive oil. Roast in oven until the tomatoes are soft and sweet, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir the mix half way through roasting. Cool before storing. Store covered in the fridge. Before serving, allow the salsa to come to room temperature. Add  fresh chopped cilantro or barbecued iguana.