warm roasted-radish salad with radish greens & mint dressing

our warm days
and
plunging cold nights
have me craving
a taste of spring
with
warm comfort

a morning visit to the farmer's market
and a
beautiful radish melange

got me thinking
of
warm salad
good books
and
the days to come

warm roasted-radish salad
with
radish greens & mint dressing
(printable recipe)
1-2 bunches of your favorite radish variety
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
preheat the oven to 375F.  wash and dry the radish. remove the leaves and reserve for dressing.  place on a parchment lined sheet pan. dress with olive oil and sea salt, making sure each piece is lightly coated and well seasoned.  * if you have different sizes of radish, cut or leave whole so they are of equal size. this will ensure even cooking. if you don't wish to cut, roast in separate pans. 
roast for 15-20 minutes. 
remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the radishes.  return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes, or more if the radish are not yet tender to the touch.
meanwhile prepare the dressing
radish greens & mint dressing
1/4 cup packed--cleaned and dried radish leaves
1/4 cup packed--de-stemmed mint leaves
1" green garlic**--from the bulb end
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
2 tsp white wine or champagne vinegar
pinch salt
generous pinch pepper
about 1/2 cup olive oil
whiz the radish leaves, mint leaves, green garlic, lemon zest , lemon juice, and vinegars in a food processor or blender.  add olive oil in a steady stream until you get the consistency you like. i prefer a loose dressing.  taste and add salt and pepper. (you can add a bit of yogurt if you want to make a nice dipping sauce)
**if you can't find or don't want to fuss over green garlic, a small clove of garlic will work just fine.

pull the radish from the oven and give them a minute to cool slightly.  if you wish to slice them, do so as soon as they are cool enough to handle.  place in a bowl and toss with as much dressing as you like.  adjust seasonings once more.  serve while still warm

2012 begins...{honey roasted carrots}

Happy New Year!
a well worn phrase

with

genuine intent

i find

when spoken

it is always with a positive lilt

and rarely 

a

tone of indifference

or

sarcasm

no gifts to buy

no religious or political schism

just

the turn of the calendar

giving us all 

a chance

to

review

renew

resolve

for 2011

my goals were

i will not judge in disappointment, 

as i am confident

i too fall short of expectations 

others place on me

-

rather than toss the years of the past i will carry them forward

both as

fond memories and retrospective caution

and 

i will eat more fruit

for 2012

i have chosen a theme

...dust yourself off...

simply

bootstrap mechanics

get up

wipe off the dust

and give it another go

oh

and eat more vegetables

like these

 
  

honey roasted carrots

2 dozen small carrots-washed, peeled and trimmed

2 Tbs honey

1 Tbs white balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp toasted whole cumin seeds

warm the honey and vinegar to thin.  toss the carrots in the mixture and place on a lined sheet pan.  sprinkle with cumin seeds.  place in a 350 oven and cook until soft and caramelized, about 30-35 minutes.

i also like to serve these, with some tooth to them, as a crudite with dip.  you only need to cook them until they are softened but not colored--about 25 minutes. they are delicious with a simple tahini/soy sauce dip.

linking up to
full plate thursday

carciofi alla giudia {jewish artichokes}

much like finding

crawdads in louisianna

brisket in texas

and

barbeque in  memphis

you can find 

specialties in each italian region

rome is no exception

but

it also has something really special

the 

jewish ghetto

it is very small

virtually abandoned come dusk on fridays

it has

a cuisine of its own

the most famous item

possibly

the fried artichoke
carciofi alla giudia
(printable recipe)
serves 4-6
4-6 chokeless or baby artichokes
lemons
olive oil for frying
salt and pepper
italian parsley (for garnish)

fill a large bowl with cool water. squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the water and stir. trim each artichoke, removing all tough outer leaves and trimming the stem (do not remove entirely).  toss the trimmed artichoke into the lemon water to prevent discoloration.
*if you cannot find chokeless or baby artichokes, you can use any artichoke, however, you must trim it to the tender leaves, cut off the prickly tops and remove the choke prior to placing in the water.
heat at least 3-inches of oil on the stovetop to 325 degrees.
meanwhile, remove the artichokes from the water and place on paper towel to dry.  place each artichoke stem side up on the counter and gently push to flatten, being careful not to break the leaves.  place in small batches in the hot oil and cook until soft, but not browned.  remove from oil and place on paper towel or kitchen paper to drain and cool.  allow to sit at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours.  just before serving, heat the oil to 375 degrees and fry the artichokes, careful not to crowd the pan, until they are browned and very crispy. depending on the size of the artichokes this can take as little as 5 minutes and as long as 10 minutes.
remove from pan, drain slightly. sprinkle with salt and pepper. serve with a garnish of chopped parsley and a lemon wedge.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

i am playing mind-games with myself

loading my kitchen with

pumpkins, squash, gourds

and all things fall

all while

cranking the air conditioner

up, Up UP

feeding my husband soup

as the outside temperature rises above one hundred

however

if i waited until the weather cooperated

2011 would be looming

before

soup weather arrives

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
(printable recipe)

4 cups butternut squash-cut into large dice

4 cloves of garlic-kept whole

2 shallots-cut in half

salt, pepper, olive oil

1/2 medium onion--diced

2 stalks celery--diced

1 Tbs whole coriander--toasted

1 tsp whole cumin--toasted

2 whole cloves--toasted

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper

1/8 tsp red chili flakes (or more if you like very spicy)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 oz calvados (optional)

6-8 cups low sodium chicken broth (or water for vegetarian)

2 tsp brown sugar

cream or sour cream (optional for serving)

toss the butternut squash, garlic and shallots in a bit of olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on two sheet pans and roast at 400 until the squash becomes soft and beginning to brown--approximately 40-50 minutes.  Check on it after 25 minutes and turn to allow for even cooking.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a stockpot, heat a bit of olive oil (just enough to coat the bottom lightly) and slowly cook the onions and celery until they are soft. Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle crush the coriander, cumin, cloves and salt until they are nicely ground.  add the chipotle pepper, chili flakes and thyme, and toss all into the onion mixture.  cook for a minute or two, until there it seems like a paste, then add the calvados (if using) and stir until it is absorbed.  add the broth or water, the roasted squash, roasted garlic, roasted shallots and brown sugar.  simmer for 30 minutes.

for a hearty thick soup

using an immersion blender or stand blender, blend the soup until everything is evenly pureed.  reheat and serve topped with a bit of cream or sour cream

for a refined, silky smooth soup

*this will remove some of the strength of the spices, but will still allow for a flavorful soup.  i prefer the soup with this extra step, but it is not required.

push the pureed soup through a fine sieve, discarding the remaining solids

swirl in a bit of cream


I am participating in Tuesday Night Supper Club 
and
Hearth and Soul
and
alphabe-thursday

i think it went well

Thanksgiving

we cooked for 35, although we are only 18

18 hungries

of all ages, shapes and sizes

we were equal  in our desire to eat good food

and it didn't disappoint

Our day began at sunrise

off to the grocery to pick up our special order

fresh turkeys

3 of them

yes 3

you heard me

three

one for the roaster

and two for the deep fryer

we worked in the kitchen

my mom, my aunt and I

slowly working our way through the list of tasks posted on the fridge

in a rhythm that only those whom have cooked together season after season could perfect.

We all have our strengths and we eased into our roles as if time hadn't passed between us.

a friend arrived and rotated in and out as help was needed

she sous chef'd with hubster on the turkeys

which were fabulous

by the way

he marinates them with double secret sauce

injecting until they looked like they'd been on 'roids.

and then fries them until they submit

so here was our menu

The first bottle of bubbly popped around noon and we carried on from there.

We had planned to sit for dinner at two..

but

...the best laid plans...

However, when it was ready to serve up the grub...

the vibe changed

big time

and there was a bit of a frenzy

and everything got on the table

and the side table

and the third table we had to move in to fit everything

and soon enough

our dinner plates were full

and the only photo I have

is this one

and as promised 13 days before (click me)

The house was not dirty, and it was tidy.

There was a place for everyone at the table

The food was delicious and plentiful

Laughter floated to the rafters

There WAS football

...and pie

I resolve to carry this feeling of gratitude with me today and all days...

as I have much to be thankful for

and many to be thankful to..

and now to some recipes

Roasted Root Vegetables
(printable recipe)

i used a melange of the following

rutabaga

parsnip

beets

radish

turnip

sun choke

carrots

fennel

whole garlic cloves

and i tossed them in

olive oil

kosher salt

and then I roasted them at 400 turning occasionally for about 45 minutes

then I pulled them out of the oven and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and popped them back in the oven

until they were glazed and cooked through

and a little crispy

I added more salt and pepper to taste

and served

Cranberry Fluff
(printable recipe)

this is a recipe from my husband's childhood. His Aunt Ethel used to make it and it has become a family favorite.

note: it is best made a day in advance

2 small tubs cool whip

1 medium can pineapple chunks in syrup

1 bag cranberries-remove 1 cup and set aside

3 TBS sugar

1 cup toasted walnuts--chopped

take the 1 cup of cranberries you set aside and  place in saucepan.  Add sugar and 2 Tbs pineapple syrup.  Cook over low heat until the cranberries begin to pop.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.  Meanwhile chop the other cranberries in half if small, quarters if larger and toss into large bowl.  Add cool whip and walnuts.  Cut the pineapple chunks in half and add to the mixture...pour in all the remaining pineapple syrup.  Add the cooled cooked cranberries and fold all together.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Green Bean Salad
(printable recipe)

with creamy balsamic dressing

fresh green beans 

sweet 100 tomatoes

toasted almond slivers

durkee onions
salt and pepper

dressing

1 pkg italian dressing mix 

(prepare according to directions except for the vinegar use 1/2 red wine and 1/2 balsamic and don't add water)

2 Tbs light sour cream

The green beans should be crispy for this salad.  You can either quickly toss in salted boiling water and then shock in an ice bath

or

you can put in a bowl and pour boiling water over and let sit until the water cools to tepid. 

layer in serving bowl with the tomatoes and almonds

Toss with dressing, but have a light hand. A little goes a long way..you do not want to glob this dressing on.

Top with durkee french onions

As you can see by the menu, we served so many things.  The pumpkin pie recipe is here.
If you see something on the menu that you want the recipe for...just comment and leave your email address and I will send it to you.

our italian culinary holiday ends, but the culinary journey never will...part duex

We have had amazing weather during our holiday.  Amazingly warm weather. This afternoon the temperature began to cool, which was welcomed.  Marcello and Rafaella's home was a quick and welcomed  walk from our hotel.  They have a tidy flat on the 3rd floor of a lovely building just steps from the University of Bologna.  Their kitchen is very well appointed, and there was plenty of room for us to work.  Rafaella is a very accomplished home cook...and I was excited to learn from her.
Tortellini in Brodo is something I make. I ate it as a kid and it is real comfort food.  As it happens my husband's step-father (also Italian), made it as well...so we both share have good memories of the dish.
As you may recall, we made tortellini and stored it in the freezer. We would be using this pasta today for our Tortellini in Brodo.
I have to say, Rafaella's broth is the best broth I have ever had.  I have been making fresh chicken broth forever...but have always thought it was good, but lacking richness.  Today I learned the secret to making it amazing. And the secret is not chicken...it is beef.  Traditional broth for tortellini in brodo uses more than just chicken.  Furthermore, the meat is not tossed away, it is used in either bollito misto (boiled meat) or meatballs.

Rafaella's Brodo

1/2 stewing chicken

piece of cow's tongue--about 4" long

2-3 meaty short ribs--or flaken ribs with bones

nice piece of beef filet about 1/2lb

1 beef soup bone

2 small carrots-- peeled and kept whole

1 medium onion--peeled and kept whole

2 medium stalks celery--whole

salt and pepper

Place all meat in a large pot.  Cover with cold water.  Bring to a simmer on the stove, skimming foam off top as it forms.  Once it comes to a simmer, place top over, but not completely covering and let simmer for 3-4 hours.  Occasionally check and skim foam off top.  Once done, Strain, keeping meat for other use. Discard vegetables.  You may use immediately or store in refrigerator or freezer.

For Tortellini--bring enough broth to a boil to cook pasta.  Cook pasta until tender and about doubled in size.   Serve in shallow bowls and top with a bit of pepper and parmesan cheese.  The broth should not be treated like a soup, it is a condiment to the pasta.  But don't be too skimpy either...you will love this broth and want to sop up a bit with each bite!

tortellini in brodo

We made and ate so many amazing things, but there are a few I want to feature.  Things that are simple and delicious.

Rafaella had picked up some zucchini flowers at the marketplace.  They are not quite as dear in Italy as they are here.  I have found them at local farmer's markets and sometimes at whole foods--but they will pinch the pocketbook a bit.

It is essential to preserve the taste of the fiore as they are so precious.  Rafaella's recipe--does just that.  She also threw in fresh sage and basil leaves for a bit of a treat.  These zucchini flowers remained crunchy even after sitting for a bit...which was a nice surprise.

Batter for Flowers and Herbs

1/3 cup flour

1 egg

1/4 cup sparkling water or club soda or beer

pinch of salt

2-3 ice cubes

Gently mix the ingredients together to form a nice batter (a little thinner than pancake batter). Add the ice cubes to make mixture quite cold.

Dip the zucchini flowers and herbs in the batter, allow excess to drip off.  Drop into pan of very hot oil and cook until light brown.  Remove from oil and drain on kitchen paper.  Sprinkle with salt and serve

For our protein, we made involtini.  Involtini is a piece of meat with something wrapped inside. In our case we used mortadella, sage and parmesan cheese.  Here's the deal with these.  When you start out...they honestly don't really look like much. I was a bit skeptical.  We took small pieces of very thin veal, chicken and pork and placed very small bits of mortadella and parmesan cheese in the middle.  Each filling was topped with about 1/3 piece of sage and then rolled to cover all ingredients and kept closed with a toothpick.  We crammed them in a medium size saucepan, dropped a bit of olive oil and a couple bits of butter on top and let them cook away.  I have since made these at home and they were a big hit...and great for a crowd.  My addition to the recipe is that when I took the involtini out of the pan, I hit the bottom of the pan with a bit of white wine and then just a small knob of butter.  It pulled all the crunchy bits off the pan and made a nice sauce that I then poured over the meat.  You really should use mortadella in this, but if you don't like it substitute with prosciutto, but then watch the salt in the recipe.  Please do not buy mortadella from the grocery store. Get it from a good Italian or German deli...you will be glad you did. Oh...and have them slice it very thin...very, very thin.

We enjoyed so many delicious side dishes, but one that was a complete surprise was the eggplant dish. As I watched it come together, again I was skeptical.  I thought it looked dry and sad.  But it turned out to be absolutely delicious.

Melanzane

Take a large eggplant and slice it to max 1/8" slices.  Place in a colander and coat with salt, or let dry for a few hours on paper towels to reduce bitterness. If you use the salt, be sure to wash the eggplant off, otherwise you will have the equivalent of a salt-lick.  Make sure the eggplant is dry and then cook in a dry pan over medium heat.  When the eggplant starts to color and is soft, it is done.  Arrange in concentric layers on a serving plate.  Meanwhile finely chop 2 cloves garlic, about 2 Tbs italian parsley leaves and about 1 tsp of kosher salt.
Sprinkle on top of the eggplant and then top with good extra virgin olive oil.  Serve room temperature or cold.

And for dessert we had gelato.  Rafaella whipped it up like it was no big deal.  She didn't make a custard by cooking the eggs, which I always do from a food safety perspective, which made her process very quick.  None of us have compromised immune systems and frankly they just do it differently in Europe, so we obbled down every last bit.  And boy did it taste so good!  The recipe was pretty standard, so I won't post it here...but I will show you a photo...

vanilla gelato with blueberry sauce

So the food was great, naturally.  Rafaella knows her way around a kitchen and she is very choosy with her ingredients.  The night was spectacular.  As we sat in their dining room, eating this spectacular meal and talking about our adventure of the past week, it felt as if we were going down memory lane with dear old friends.  I couldn't believe that this would be our final evening together as Marcello had become part of our daily landscape--translating things he didn't need to, not translating things I desperately wanted to understand but didn't need to know...driving us through village and dale....showing us a side of Italy only few non-natives get to experience....getting impatient with us for forever being a few minutes late...shaking his head as we debated if we should smuggle home a full prosciutto (we did not)...introducing us to amazing chefs and cooks throughout the region....and sharing with us his family and his life.

In the end we had to say arrivaderci  to our new friends; Marcello, his wife Rafaella and their adorable daughter Francesca.  They are now and forever a part of my quilt...my quilt of experiences and adventures that I carry with me always.
Thank you dear readers for following me on this journey.

Just one more plug for them...Marcello and Rafaella of Bluone Cooking Tours.  You won't be disappointed!

One Pot Sunday Lunch

I love the idea of a languorous Sunday Lunch. When I lived in England, many Brits took Sunday Lunch at the Pub...where they could have the lovely roast and 2 veg. I gathered it was the equivalent of our Sunday Brunch..except the Brits get to eat Prime Rib, roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and pud, and we don't.
Sunday Brunch is not my favorite.
We pay exorbinate prices for a buffet of precooked food in steamer trays. Then, while trying to get our money's worth, slog back to our tables with our plates overflowing with mediocre fare and find ourselves eating alone. I always find that no matter if all parties at the table "get in line" together, invariably, we arrive back at the table in sort of a tag team effect...someone always missing from the table; mostly due to the omelette bar, or make your own waffle table. Listen, I'm not opposed to overeating, obviously. But I am opposed to overeating because I am trying to find something delicious to eat; and by the time I do, I have already had 14 courses of powdered eggs, steamed pancakes, krab (yes with a K) salad, and various other discouragements, and am full. Too full. I mostly only go to Brunch because of the promise of Eggs Benedict.

I love Eggs Benedict. I find this interesting because I will only eat scrambled eggs if they are very, very dry. It makes me cringe to hear about creamy scrambled eggs...so gross.
Eggs Benedict is made with a poached egg, canadian bacon, english muffin and hollandaise sauce. It's a real United Nations meal. Here's the thing. To me, eggs benedict is the only reason to go to a buffet. It's hardly ever on a menu, and when it is, it is rarely great. I had one of the worst eggs benedict breakfasts ever at a restaurant in South Pasadena. The hollandaise was split and curdled (quite an accomplishment), and the eggs were overcooked...actually fully cooked. When I complained, the waitress brought be out another portion of the sauce to prove that it is how they make it...that was their "version" of Hollandaise. I held my tongue and went home hungry.
Hollandaise is a tricky sauce, I agree. Especially if you have to make a vat of it. Which is why it is best made a la minute (again with the french!). It means to make it as you need it. Not only is it a tricky sauce, it is a delicious sauce...and I mean Delicious with a capital D. I love it. It is especially good over asparagus, but you could pair it with seafood or other steamed vegetables. I like it with everything and am always looking for ways to use it.
I foraged through the fridge and came up with 2 beautiful artichokes that I had purchased at the market several days ago. I squelched a bit with joy...or maybe I said yipee, or maybe I didn't do anything...not sure. But I was happy inside, that I do know. I also still have some amazing heirloom tomatoes sitting on my counter, a cucumber and some freshly dried oregano. When I say freshly dried, what I mean is that I hadn't watered my oregano plant in days and now have "sundried" oregano. I grabbed the nub of baguette that had staled overnight and had all the fixings for a good summer lunch.
Steamed Artichokes with Hollandaise
First get the artichokes ready. Cut the stem so the artichoke can stand upright. Using a sharp knife, lop off the top of the artichoke. Depending on the size of the artichoke, you can cut down an inch or more. You want a clean flat top. Take kitchen shears and cut the points off the remaining leaves. Open the artichoke up. By gently pushing out the leaves, you will see that they will separate while remaining intact. You want to get to the center choke and scoop it out.
You can wait until after steaming, which will make it easier, but I like to clean the artichoke completely before steaming. Place artichoke(s) in a steamer tray in a pot of water and cook until done. You know they are cooked when the leaves will separate easily.
Remove from the pot of water and set aside and cover with foil.

Set aside about 1/4 cup of the hot artichoke water and then add enough additional water to the pot to fill about 3". You will use this pot as your double-boiler. Turn heat to high and get the water to a boil.
In a microwavable bowl (one that is big enough to then sit on the pot and not touch the water), melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter. Remove from microwave and quickly whisk in 3 large egg yolks, juice from 1/2 lemon and a pinch of salt. Place bowl over boiling water and immediately reduce the heat to lowest setting. Continue to vigorously whisk this mixture non-stop until it begins to thicken. Add 2 Tbs of the reserved artichoke water (if you forget or don't use this with artichokes, just use hot water) and whisk until it thickens to a creamy sauce. Add a dash of tabasco and taste for salt...and it's done. The whole process of making Hollandaise should take no more than 10 minutes...outside of the water boiling. It is quick and simple.

Serve along side the artichoke as a dip.
Panzanella Salad
Cut up the bread into large crouton size. Place in oven to crisp..or not...it's up to you. I do because I always like to have croutons on hand. If the bread is already stale, you can skip the step. While the bread is toasting, coarsely chop the tomatoes and cucumber. Place in a bowl with a pinch or two of salt, some oregano, dried or fresh or sundried as in my case. Add a bit, just a touch, of olive oil and just when ready to serve add the bread. The bread should be in the salad, as part of it, not as a topping. It should be in equal parts to the other ingredients.
Serve together for filling yet light lunch.

Sort of makes me yearn for a nice, rich, chocolately cake as a prize for my vegetarian meal. I'll keep you posted!