Chicken Parm

As diverse and progressive as some parts of the community I grew up in are, there are a few sects I did not gain great culinary exposure to. A classmate's dad came in 2nd grade to explain Hannukah and make latkes, an Afghani restaurant popped up between visits home from college, Lotte Plaza served a large Korean population--yet oddly enough, and despite a fair share of peers with Italian last names and heritage, I never experienced a true Italian Grandmother style meal until I got to Philadelphia.

Growing up, when we had pasta for dinner, my mother nearly always made her own sauce, some garlic and oil in a pan, can of tomatoes, salt and pepper and a bit of sugar, served over Barilla (we always wanted angel hair). There was usually a piece of Italian sausage on the side.  I always felt my Mom's sauce was the best, and when I first made that assertion to some college classmate with first and last names littered with vowels, I was subsequently laughed out of the room.  Every once in a while on a busy weeknight we had a Prego vegetarian lasagne (don't knock it until you've tried it).  There were lots of Italian "subs" from Ledo's on Friday nights, but nowhere near the per capita "hoagie" consumption I've witnessed in Philly. Come to think of it, I ate it, and loved it, but if you had said, "capicola, prosciutto, mortadella, salami" to me then, I would have only recognized one of the four, and maybe put the sandwich down before I got more clarification on the other three. Oh, and pasta parties the night before big HS sports games were weekly, but there was a lot of professional catering, jarred sauce, and frozen meatballs being passed around.

My nieces and nephews will be a 1/4 Italian, so I know my love for all things Italian-American will only continue to grow. I still don't understand what exactly "gravy" is, I stand by it being something that belongs on turkey, but I do know what a "cutlet" is, and what "Sugo Sunday" looks like (although I'm not always entirely sure what's in the pot). I've learned that is OK to occasionally eat more than one sausage, as well as a meatball, and a short rib in one sitting, and you don't really have to skip the bread basket if you want to indulge in dessert.

I have a go-to meatball recipe, sausage and peppers are regularly put in a big fry pan when I'm at a loss for how to feed a large group, and I've cranked out several batches of homemade pasta in the past couple months.  Recently, I tried my luck at chicken parm, homemade start to finish (minus a jar of sauce, a real Italian might of had some in the fridge/freezer on standby). I had plans to run 13.1 miles the next morning, so I figured no better time to carb load.

There was a lot that needed to be prepped ahead for this meal-- sauce, the breaded and fried chicken, the fresh pasta--so I formed a plan of attack. I bet a real Italian Grandmother could whip up chicken parm with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back in a kitchen that wasn't her own, but I wanted to be organized and not kill the zen I was building up for the next day's activities.

I started with the pasta. A scant cup of flour and an egg per person, with tsps of water as needed to get the dough to form. Once I had the dough ready, I covered it to let it rest for a bit while I worked on the chicken. I had two large breasts (wishful thinking), so I sliced them in half into four cutlets, and stamped them out with the tenderizer a bit. I set up three bowls in a line, in this order, flour with salt and pepper, a couple eggs lightly beaten, and Italian breadcrumbs, and got all the cutlets breaded and ready for the hot tub. I cleaned up the mess, washed my hands, and returned my attention to the pasta. The dough had time to rest, so it was nice and elastic. I rolled it through the pasta machine, set it aside.  At that point, I was ready to get rolling.

Let the dough rest after kneading for a few min so it gets its elasticity back 

I added a little extra flour once it was cut to prevent it from sticking together

I set a pot of water to boil on a back burner, and began heating up oil on a front burner. I made the mistake of just resting the chicken cutlets fried of a plate with a paper towel, which made the bottom sort of soggy, so I would suggest setting up a jelly roll pan with a wire cooling rack over it at this point instead. I also turned the oven on at this point so I could roast some broccoli.

could do this a few hours ahead

crunchy crust is key to hold up against sauce and chz

I fried the chicken cutlets for a few minutes on each side--probably about three minutes per. They were pretty thin, and there is nothing worse than overcooked chicken, but I wanted to get the breadcrumbs nice and brown and crispy. Don't leave them in the oil too long, because you will overcook the chicken as it still needs to go under the broiler to melt the cheese on top. I didn't use that large of a pan, so I did the cutlets in two batches. 

Once the chicken is fried, let it rest for a few seconds on the cooling rack you placed over the jelly roll pan so the coating can crisp up. At this point, you also want to heat up your sauce (but not all of it, leave some cold for putting on top of the chicken before it goes in the oven). I used cold sauce to top the chicken cutlets because when it's hot, it tends to run all over the place.  I put about 1/3 cup of sauce on each cutlet, then topped with lots of shredded mozzarella.  I used the shredded stuff out of the bag because I had it, but slices of fresh would also be lovely. Turn on the broiler and once the broiler heats up, drop that pasta in the water, which should be boiling at this point. After you drop the pasta in, get the chicken with the sauce and cheese under the broiler. The pasta will barely take 2 minutes, so be ready to pull that and drain it, and the chicken probably took 3-4 minutes to melt the cheese on top. Everything came together REALLY fast for me at this point, but I was cooking for myself, so I was able to persevere through several minutes of madness without anyone asking if they should dial 911.

nom nom nom nom nom

I roasted some broccoli tossed with olive oil, chopped garlic and red pepper flakes as a side and it all came together to be an excellent meal. I left two of the cutlets without sauce and cheese and stuck them in the freezer, and made two portions of the chicken parm, one for that night before the race and one for the night after. 

Although there is no way to avoid last minute cooking, a lot of this could be done ahead of time. A favorite jarred sauce (I like Lidia Bastianich's)  is perfectly acceptable, as well as a box of dried pasta. The chicken cutlets could be breaded and fried a couple days in advance and stuck in the freezer, or done before guests arrive, so once they are there, they just need toppings and the broiler. It could be made very kid friendly using chicken tenders, or chopping the cutlets up into smaller pieces to resemble nuggets. Also, as heavy the meal seems, I left the table feeling full, but not sick. I think portion control is the key. At a restaurant, you would likely get 1/2 lb of pasta and a couple cutlets--- but you really don't need that much if you factor in a salad or hearty veggie side. 

I did the broccoli ahead of time and served it at room temp with the meal

I am looking forward to making this again, and for a larger group. Mangia! 

Thanksgiving

As much as Thanksgiving revolves around old traditions, it is an exquisite opportunity for making new traditions. Growing up, I loved my family’s Thanksgiving traditions---Margarette Ave, two large dining tables, a walk down to Loch Raven Reservoir, Auntie C’s sweet potatoes, A’s scones, Grandma’s stuffing, and Top Gun blaring in the background (don’t ask). Thanksgiving wouldn’t have felt like Thanksgiving without all these things. As life and stages of life started to change, the traditions suddenly did not seem as important. The first year we missed Thanksgiving was to visit my sister who was studying abroad in Galway (wasn’t going to turn that down for turkey). The next year, I missed it because I was studying abroad in Galway (and managed to put together a celebration courtesy of Marks and Sparks). The next year, I was a vegetarian (and also someone that doesn’t particularly care for mashed potatoes). The next year, I was working in the UK (although I did manage to enjoy three expat turkey day celebrations). 

The year I returned from abroad, Thanksgiving was still on Margarette Ave, complete with seating for over twenty, Kenny Loggins booming, and all the familiar foods, but my Grandmother was gone.  We still held the celebration in her house as it was being prepared to be sold, but it was the beginning of the end of Thanksgiving traditions as I had known them all my life.  In the past couple years, the large ranch house on Margarette Ave was sold, “the children” have become married adults with in-laws, and cousins redistributed themselves on both coasts.  It’s been back to the drawing board as we have all had to rethink our fourth Thursday of November game plan.

This year, my sister and her husband offered to host in Philadelphia.  Thanksgivings of the past were a mix of up to forty family, friends, and the occasional strays, eating done in shifts. Our celebration this year was six people seated at the dining table all at once. We did all the cooking day of.  We started the day with breakfast sandwiches and fresh squeezed blood orange mimosas (perks of living within walking distance to Whole Foods) instead of a trip to the Columbia gym.  T smoked a turkey and made a fresh herb rub.  There was no celery in the stuffing. The mashed potatoes were homemade (talk to A about that one). Buzz made pecan bars.

Cheers to new traditions!

I think one of the best parts of being able to form new traditions, besides the introduction of a family member that is capable of smoking a turkey and my brother taking an interest in baking, is the opportunity to try new recipes. I first made these green beans for the “Second Thanksgiving” my family would hold at our house so we could actually have leftovers.   It was one of those straight from the couch watching Food Network to going to the grocery store for ingredients kind of moments. We never had green beans, or green bean casserole at our traditional Thanksgiving (nor did we have marshmallows on our sweet potatoes), but I was confident this recipe would pass muster with my family. After all, it had fried shallots of top! What could be classier than fried shallots?

This year, after a couple years of following Alex Guarnaschelli’s instructions more or less to a T, I found myself missing ingredients and without any motivation to make a run to the grocery store. I had purchased the green beans, mushrooms, and shallots (the main bits) a few days before, but I failed to double check for sour cream or Dijon mustard.  I had just been in Whole Foods that morning picking up breakfast supplies, and despite the signs all over  the store reminding shoppers, “don't forget the cream!” or asking, "do you need rolls?”, the previous evening’s hangover and crippling anxiety over choosing a variety of organic breakfast meat prevented thorough thinking.  

Fuel for the day

Here is the original recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alexandra-guarnaschelli/stovetop-green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html

Post hot tub

Not your momma's green bean casserole

You should try the original recipe, but if you happen to be lacking sour cream, or Dijon mustard, here is my solution.  I ended up using mayonnaise instead of sour cream and the last scrapes of a jar of Dijon plus some hot and sweet mustard.  Also, instead of cayenne, red pepper flakes.  I used more green beans than the recipe calls for, because I believe there is too much sauce for just one pound of green beans.

Non-Traditional Stove Top Green Bean Casserole

1 ¼ - 1 ½ lbs Green beans, trimmed

1 lb white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into ½ in slices

2 tbs mustard – any kind except yellow mustard which simply won’t cut it

2 cloves garlic, 3 if you like

1 tsp red pepper flakes

3 tbs flour

1 cup chicken stock

¾ cups heavy cream

2/3 cup mayonnaise

3 medium shallots, thinly sliced

Another ¼ cup flour

2-4 cups oil

Salt and pepper

Set up a bowl of ice water with a strainer in it.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the green beans for 3-4 minutes.   Once the beans are blanched, transfer them to the bowl of ice water so they stop cooking. Allow to cool, then remove from ice water (using the strainer will make this easier, but you can also just add straight into a bowl of ice water and use a slotted spoon to remove them directly from a bowl of ice water) Set aside.

Whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, and heavy cream together in a bowl and set aside. Melt a couple tbs of butter in a pan and add the slice mushrooms. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and sauté for a couple more minutes. Add the flour, and fully incorporate. Add the stock, stir to mix in with flour and mushrooms, and bring to a simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in the mayo, mustard, and heavy cream mixture and bring back to a simmer, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Season to taste. Keep warm over low heat while you prepare the shallots.

While the sauce is simmering, heat up oil to fry the shallots. Toss the slice shallots with flour, salt, and pepper. Once the oil is hot enough for frying (test it with a shallot, it should bubble and pop), add the shallots. Make sure to shake off the excess flour as you put the shallots in, and try to break them up and separate them before adding to the pan, and monitor the heat of the oil (might want to turn down to medium). When they turn golden/medium brown, remove from oil with a slotted pan and place on a plate covered with a paper towel.

Add the green beans to the sauce, stir, and heat over low heat until heated through.  Serve topped with the fried shallots.

Cooking with My Mother

I could write a book about cooking with my mother, but I’m not going to. I’m going to stick with a blog post as The Kitchen of A. Darr tell-all memoir would likely take years and all I have is the dwindling hours of the work week.

I enjoy cooking with my mother for several reasons. One, we often cook together in our kitchen at my childhood home, which is by no means the granite countertop and stainless steel fortress so often ooo-ed and ahhh-ed over on HGTV, but entirely functional, and with more counter space than any apartment kitchen I cook in day in and day out.  Second, her kitchen is always stocked. Fancy sprinkles for roll-out cookies? Check! Flank steak and lamb chops in the freezer? Mais oui! Cheese and charcuterie from every Western European country? Boom. Third, the woman knows her stuff. I still call her on the reg, even if I’m at my laptop, finger strokes away from a Google search, to get her opinion of cook times, methods, and ingredient substitutes.

AD does not care what website she gets her recipes from, or if her plate looks exactly like the picture.  AD stocks up on expensive ingredients, like olive oil and vinegars, and the fancy cake mixes, at William Sonoma seasonal sales to use in both the everyday as well as stuff Christmas stockings. A.D. keeps it simple and doesn’t fuss over technique or elaborate table settings.  Basically, my mother is a kitchen honey badger. 

I was home a few weeks ago and we cooked together. It’s take a few years for us to be able to do this without one of us peacing out and retiring to the living room couch in exasperation, but we can do it now. We mulled over restaurant options, but after a quick pantry survey that yielded lamb chops, brussel sprouts, and those delicious store-bought mashed potatoes (don’t hate), we decided to cook at home.

True to form, A.D. Googled a recipe and came up with crusted lamb chops with a pan sauce. I let her take the protein duties, as well being responsible for heating the mash up in the microwave, and I took hold of the brussel sprouts. I considered just roasting the sprouts, but I had also had a large martini before we started cooking, so I was feeling slightly more adventurous.

baa baa black sheep

I started by trimming the sprouts, cut off the stems and pulled off some of the outer leaves, and then chopped them in half. I got some garlic and red pepper flakes sautéing in the pan and threw the sprouts in. While they browned, I considered my next steps. I decided to speed up the cook time. I poured some white wine (always within reach in A.D.’s kitchen) and poured some in the sauté pan. After I let the alcohol cook off, I then threw a lid on it---steamed sprouts! Took the lid off and tasted one, and realized they weren’t quite right. Oooo, what makes everything better? Grated parm! Ah, and the oven was on from the lamb chops! Put some grated parm on top and stuck the pan in the oven. This browned the cheese and finished cooking the sprouts. Perfect!

Gettin crusted

We had a fantastic meal. My Dad even broke out a nice bottle of red--- classy guy!

Excellence is hereditary

Brussel Sprouts Cooked Three Ways

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Brussel Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

½ cup white wine

Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Over medium high heat, heat a couple tbs of olive oil in a pan and cook garlic and red pepper flakes for about 30 seconds. Add the brussel sprouts and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour wine in pan and let the alcohol cook off, about 30 seconds. Place lid over sprouts and turn heat down. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove lid and sprinkle parmesan cheese over sprouts, then stick pan in over for about 3 minutes, or under the broiler for just under a minute (watch it!). Enjoy!

Sproutz!

Rosh Hashanah Salad

I first came into the idea of semi-homemade when my mother acquired a Cake Doctor cookbook. We always had a couple boxes of cake mix around the house for last minute baking needs and the Cake Doctor made those boxes of shockingly golden yellow “homestyle” cake that much better. Often, it was just an extra tbs of extract, some mini-chips, or the addition of sour cream making up short bits of “doctoring”, but they always went a long way. Now, in my own kitchen, I keep a box of cake mix around because I am simply not that organized when it comes to keeping a real baking pantry of flours, sugars, baking soda, power, extracts stocked. I am always good around the holidays, or if I commit to making something for a birthday, but if I get a strange urge to bake or make a flakey baking commitment, Duncan Heinz to the rescue.  

In addition to baking, the semi-homemade style has infiltrated other parts of my diet. Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite resources for finding products that eliminate huge chunks of cooking and meal preparation. I love the turkey meatballs for the occasional meatball hoagie, jarred sauces for a quick curry, mire-poix to get soup started, precooked lentils and beets for a salad, frozen chopped fruits and veggies for juices--- I could go on and on.  They also have some fresh, non-shelf stable items in the semi-homemade line up including cooked chunks of turkey and salmon, yogurt sauces, fresh pizza dough, and lots of chopped and washed vegetables in the produce section. In general, I’m not a big fan of their produce, but I always pick up a bag of their broccoli slaw.

I buy it with the intention of making some elaborate coleslaw as a side salad for the week, or stuffing it into wraps, but half the time I eat a couple portions as a side with a bit of vinaigrette and I find the bag slimy and rotted in the crisper a week later.  I was headed down this path recently, about 2/3 of a bag about to meet its doomsday in the following 48 hours, when I found myself responsible for preparing a salad for a Rosh Hashanah celebration.  

I had googled Rosh Hashanah menus and recipes earlier in the day and decided to keep it light and simple, anticipating plates of brisket and kugel that would follow the salad course.   I was feeling fall-ish, as well, and while not on the pumpkin train quite yet, I knew crisp chunks of apple would add sweetness in addition crisp and texture.   I was also sort of hung-over, craving Vietnamese food, thinking about the chopped peanuts that I love so much on top of the grape leaves. Chopped peanuts weren't quite it for this salad, but walnuts would certainly do!

Don't skip toasting them.

I think Pink Ladies are best. 

For the vinaigrette, I used Sesame Oil, orange marmalade, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice.  I added the lemon juice to help keep the apple from browning, although vinegar apparently will help prevent that as well.  I really did not keep track of how much of anything I added, so the recipe below is rough estimates, add more of less of everything to taste. I chopped and toasted the walnuts and then chopped the apple into roughly ½ in chunks. I threw the slaw, cooled walnuts, and apple into a bowl, tossed that, then added the dressing, and tossed some more.

toss away, tossers!

Sesame-Orange Vinagrette

½  cup sesame oil

1 tbs Dijon mustard

2 tbs orange marmalade

Juice one lemon

2 tbs red wine vinegar

Stir together the mustard, marmalade, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar.  Gradually add the sesame oil, whisking the oil and the other ingredient together from a slow stream.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sorry, haven't unpacked my measuring spoons.

In large bowl, toss the broccoli slaw, chopped apple (I used 1 medium pink lady, my favorite), and cooled walnuts. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.

This would probably taste good in a wrap, perhaps with some goat cheese, or with some turkey. You could also toss it with greens, something sturdy like spinach, for a hearty green salad. 

l'shana tova!

Dry Rub

When I was first learning to cook, grilling seemed to me like the best way to cook meat.  Something about a hunk of meat over an open flame, spitting, crackling….

…..actually, my family has been blessed with more than one grill master, with my Uncle M probably taking the overall title. There is this taste, this  juicy, succulent bite, that takes me back to the woven placements and PortMeirion of my grandmother’s dining room table, the best place in my mind to enjoy a steak.  Not a white tablecloth in sight! I can’t remember the last time I even considered dining at a steakhouse. Why would I ever when my family dinners are the finest meat show going?

 Anyway—back to that bite.  It’s like a phantom. I have achieved it only a few times in my grilling adventures but it shows up without fail whenever Uncle M is on the grill. Like, there could be an assortment of ziploc bags stuff with leftover prime rib (because how else would you store leftovers? that’s how we do it in my family) in an unmarked fridge and I would know right away which one my Uncle was responsible for.  It’s incredible.

The seasoning is always simple---salt and pepper, or a really basic spice blend. Uncle M would probably tell you it has to do with timing, and I believe he mentioned something about how the meet feels if you roll your knuckles over it, but I have never really pursued the grillmaster (mistress?) role and I am happy just being a grilled meat eater for the most part. 

I don’t think I ever saw anyone in my family dump a bottle of Italian dressing on a hunk of meat and call it a day, but for whatever reason, the first couple times I grilled, that was as a far as I went. Perhaps some Montreal Steak Seasoning made its way onto the beef and I let it reach room temperature, but I really didn’t do much research. I did make delicious steak tacos once that came from a piece of flank steak that sat overnight in a bath of lime juice, cilantro, vegetable oil, and chili powder, but not much experimenting beyond that.

Dried and rubbed...uhhh

I was inspired to try a dry rub because the steak went with a salad of sorts called Bloody Mary Salad. The dry rub was so simple, too, no exotics spices, just light brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/flank-steak-with-bloody-mary-tomato-salad

I made this a few weekends ago when I was home for my parents because of course my mother just happened to have a flank steak in the freezer that was begging to be dry rubbed and consumed.

Gentle!

brown sugar babe, I get high off your love

Not long after, the NY times featured this article, so I’m pleased to be on trend.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/dining/welcome-to-the-post-marinade-era-of-grilling.html?smid=tw-nytdining&_r=0

ah, brown sugar! how come you taste so good?!

The salad was easy, too. In fact, I’m pretty sure there was no need to go out and purchase anything for this meal.   I think this rub is a great place to start and you probably have all the ingredients on your spice rack and in your pantry.  It was easy, and there was one more bottle of reduced fat Italian on the shelf to be purchased and make its way to sit room temperature on the table at a super lame pasta party.

Complete with Bloody Mary Salad

Rub on!

Clam Spaghetti

When I think of clam spaghetti, I don’t think of 6-8 clams neatly arranged a delicate bed of pasta with a gentle sprinkle of chopped parsley and red pepper flakes.  I think of sitting at the kid’s table in my Auntie Clare’s basement, a big plate of pasta, a pile of chopped clams swimming in butter, white wine, and parsley, with a heaping spoonful of Reggiano cheese on top.  To me, clam spaghetti is comfort food, a Superior Ave special that never fails to leave me with a fully belly and gunning for seconds, or thirds.

Every once in a while I find myself at an Italian restaurant and I see Spaghetti Alle Vongole on the menu. Nostalgic for a plate of Auntie Clare’s buttery, clammy-goodness, I’ll order it. Time after time, I find myself disappointed. I’m sorry, pretty as those clam shells are, I’d rather have the chopped, canned ones that Auntie uses. A couple times, the clams have been gritty-blech. The clam to pasta ratio is always completely out of whack, too. I want Clam Spaghetti, not a pound of spaghetti with a brief, clam opener. Sure, each plate ends with the delectable sauce to be sopped up by pieces of bread, always something to look forward to, but the main event just never seems to measure up. 

I decided to make Clam Spaghetti for S and me last night because I think we were both in the mood for/of need of some comfort food. I have been eating far too many bowls of cereal and hummus/peanut butter/carrot dinners, so it was time to cook.  S had talked about delicious smoked clams they concocted the previous weekend at the shore so I had clams and seafood on my mind. Grilling a piece of fish seemed boring and pasta is such a treat—I knew clam spaghetti would hit the spot.

Pretty Sauce

I was semi-concerned about finding canned clams at my usual haunts on my walk home from the gym. I didn’t think Whole Foods would have them, but I was pretty sure Dibruno might. I ran some recon at lunch and DiBruno did not have canned, I believe they were out of stock, but they DID have FRESH chopped clams.  I told the counter attendant I would be back.  Post-gym I picked up a pound of the chopped clams, some fresh linguine, and green onion. As disturbing as reading the register when checking out at DiBruno can be at times, the comfort theme (ie. convenience shopping) began then and there---worth it.

Fresh chopped clams!

Auntie Clare sent me her general recipe a while back. I have made it a few times since, and each time had slightly different results. I was curious to see how the fresh clams would play out in terms of adding to the flavor.  I wanted to keep it light, too.  Less buttery-goodness--- more seafood, wine, lemony-goodness!

I think the fresh clams really made this dish. We could taste the ocean.  Although I actually like the texture of the canned clams, the fresh clams were meaty and juicy and on a different level. Also, I am completely aware a real Italian would NEVER add cheese to seafood, but I just had to do it. I took a couple bites without the cheese, and they were delicious, but I threw on some handfuls of Pecorino Roman after that in honor of Auntie Clare. S, a REAL Italian, tried it with the cheese and said she enjoyed it, but it didn't need it.  Using fresh pasta, a treat, also makes a big difference. It was so light, and it soaks up the sauce in a way dry pasta wouldn't quite be able to.

Fresh pasta treat

Clammy comfort (oxymoron?)

Clam Spaghetti makes 2 hearty main course servings

1 lb fresh, chopped clams

3 tbs of butter

3 tbs of olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 green onions, chopped (I used the whole onion, all white and green parts)

¾ cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

~ ½ cup clam broth (I just used all the liquid that the clams were in)

Juice of one lemon

½ cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh Spaghetti or Linguine

Drain the clams and preserve the liquid to use in the sauce. Heat 2 tbs of butter and all of the oil over med-high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and allow to sauté for about a minute, careful not to burn the garlic--doing this will allow the pepper to infuse the oil and give the dish the heat it needs later.

Add the chopped green onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft, and season with salt and pepper. Add the wine, the stock, the clam broth, and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.  Allow the liquid to reduce by about half, and taste it for flavor.  I often add another splash of wine or chicken stock at this point.  If the clam flavor is way too strong for you, add the chicken stock.  If you think it needs a bit more acidity, add the wine.  My Auntie says, “it will taste strong, but it works once you add the clams”. 

Add the clams and chopped parsley and let it cook for about 2 minutes. Do not overcook.  Taste the sauce again.  Like I added the chicken broth or wine earlier, I sometimes find at this point it needs the other tbs of butter or a bit more lemon juice at this point. The butter will add creaminess and the lemon sharpens the flavor.

Serve over pasta and don’t hesitate to put a bowl of grated Parmesan or Romano on the table (you never know who might like it).  

PS. Make sure you have  some crusty bread around for the sauce!

Sangria

Signature cocktails are fun for entertaining.  They can be seasonal, sentimental, or perhaps they are just the drink that has somehow become your default cocktail bar order or post-work libation.

In college, as shameful as it is to admit, my signature “cocktail” (beside BL bottles) was a Jaeger Bomb. Yup. I accumulated quite the collection of Jaeger bottles received as gifts from age 18-21. Now, my friends give it to me as a sort of gag gift (hehe, puns!).

In a post-college trip to Italy with J, I discovered Aperol.  J and I were walking around the piazza in Como in search of refreshment and could not miss the neon cocktail that graced nearly every table. We ordered 2 and the rest is history. The “Spritz” became a family favorite, and my method of not measuring anything requires that I am always the one mixing up round after round because others just don’t quite get it right and unfortunately, I can’t pass off a specific recipe. Quel dommage.

My mother’s side of the family has a variety of signature cocktails. Gin and tonics, gin martinis (always with olives/cocktail onions and a twist)---as well as jugs of fruity red sangria that make steady appearances during the summer months.   My uncle is usually the one to make it, and it always packs a punch. I don’t know at what point I transitioned from just being allowed to eat the leftover boozy fruit to actively pouring myself a glass or three---I highly doubt anyone gave me permission to upgrade my alcohol scavenger status, but as an adult, I have adopted sangria as a signature cocktail of sorts of my own.

favorite post-work libation - get it from my momma

The great thing about sangria is that it is not as fussy as some other cocktails with multiple components can be. All you need to set up is the jug of sang itself, a big spoon for scooping out the fruit, some ice, and possibly some club soda for mixing---no muddling or measuring required. I think it is served best in larger cups. I served it insmall cups last time and it was difficult to leave room for the booze, or a splash of club soda, once the ice and fruit were in the cup.

it might look a little cloudy--- do not worry!

There is a lot of bad sangria out there. I'm always wary of a non-ethnic restaurant that advertises a sangria special, and I've had few bad house party sangria experiences (typically with white sangria). I think fresh squeezed OJ makes a difference, as well as letting it sit as long as possible, overnight if you can plan far enough in advance. I always add a couple tbs of sugar, and every once in a while, a shot or two of triple sec. I think the added sweet depends on what wine you start with. Always sweeten to taste, which means you actually have to taste it before you serve it, and remember you can always add more but not take away. I sweeten after it has sat for a bit. 

best served cold on a hot day

Red Sangria

Two Bottles of Fruity Red Wine* 

1 cup brandy

1 cup fresh squeezed OJ

1-2 tbs sugar, to taste

1 apple, chopped into 1/2 in pieces

1 orange, chopped into 1/2 in pieces

1 lemon, sliced into thin 1/2 circles

1 lime, sliced into thin 1/2 circles

1-2 shots triple sec, to taste 


Chop up all the fruit and put it in the bottom of a large pitcher. 

Add the wine, brandy, OJ, sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Allow the sangria to sit in the fridge for 3-4 hours, and taste it for sweetness/booziness. Add sugar by the tbs, or shots of triple sec to taste, stirring well and tasting in between. Let the sangria sit for 3-4 more hours. If doing overnight, just try the sangria before serving for sweetness (or when you wake up at 8 am, whatever your palette fancies in the am).  Serve over ice with a splash of club soda (optional). 

*I don't feel you need to use "good" wine for sangria.  If something tastes "good enough" straight out of the bottle, it's going to taste "great" once you add all the fruit and brandy. I generally use a combination of Cabernet, Merlot, and maybe even Malbec. In fact, I really just use whatever is one sale, which is often of the Barefoot/Jacob's Creek/Gallo variety. 

Buttermilk Pancakes

Pancakes are an easy breakfast food to develop a love-hate relationship with. For one, the first couple times you make them, you are bound to attempt to flip them too early.  Then, after you have rearranged the batter and splatter into coherent blobs, you will likely cook them for too long on the other side, and they will then be burnt. It is also easy to skimp on the butter and oil that should be applied to the pan LIBERALLY, resulting in a residual mess that burns to a char and stick to the final batches mercilessly.

Most recent batch of blueberry guys

However, once you get the hang of it, and find a pancake recipe you like, things get easier. Confident in your mastery of the hot stack, you may even be tempted to venture into the realm of healthy pancakes---made from scratch! After mastering that mix that was in your Christmas stocking, and had a nightmare about the nutrition label, you become obsessed with adding protein, cutting a couple grams of fat, and infusing some whole grains.  Why not substitute the eggs with low-fat yogurt? Gluten-free flour blend? Sure!

Healthy(ish) pumpkin pancakes

After forcing your hung-over body to suffer through a few Sunday morning rounds of gummy, lackluster, healthy pancakes, you finally sober up and reach for your copy of Joy of Cooking.  The page with the recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes calls your name and begs for batter stains and grease spots.   Exhausted, and hungry, you collapse into its arms. Voila. It’s love.

Buttermilk pancakes

I believe the key to great pancakes is using a combination of oil and butter to fry them in, and lots of it. If you are worried about fat, don’t eat these every weekend, and for God’s sake don’t put more butter on them when you add syrup!  

I was inspired to make these most recently when S and C were describing a breakfast they had down the shore at Gilchrist’s in Atlantic City. Diner/breakfast spot pancakes are such a treat. They are light and fluffy, yet crisp around the edges. They are never under cooked,  and have a nice brown on them that provides a warm, toasty edge.  A good diner is always going to have a competitive advantage with a huge flat top to cook, grease supplies, and the perennial all-star that has been flipping flapjacks every morning for 30 years, but you can do pretty well for yourself at home and avoid a 2 hour wait.

Best breakfast spot in Margate

Buttermilk Pancakes (adapted from Joy of Cooking) 4 hearty servings

Lots of butter and canola oil for frying

2 ¼ cups of flour

4 ½ tbs sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp of baking soda

1 ½ tsp salt

2 ¼ cups of buttermilk

4 ½ tbs butter, melted

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Have the butter cut up into tabs and the oil available near to where you are frying. I use about 1 tbs butter to a tbs of oil per batch (although I don’t always need to re-up between batches). Use your judgment, just don’t be stingy.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Lightly beat the eggs in the bottom of another, and mix in the rest of the wet ingredients, until just combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and again, mix until just combined. 

Heat the butter and the oil over med-high heat in the skillet. Once it’s melted, and foaming just a bit, add the batter in ¼ cup portions. Cook on one side until bubbles form on the surface, and the edges have browned a little. Watch the heat, and before you flip, you may consider lowering it to medium.

Cook through on the second side, which will likely have a shorter cooking time than the first. Make sure you manage the temperature of the pan. I generally alternate between medium and medium high heat.

Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar or warm maple syrup. 

Homemade Donuts

Similar to how we treat domesticated animals, we, as humans, like to reward ourselves with treats. Treat rewards are particularly relevant in managing children’s behavior and perhaps this is why I associate donuts with childhood.  Sit still for at least 50% of Mass on Sunday? Post-liturgy basement donut sale! Make it to morning swim practice over summer vacation without a meltdown? Dunkin Donuts is conveniently on the way home and has a drive through. No shoes, no shirts, no problems

The fall starting fourth grade was a donut heavy one as I managed to fracture my right arm and two fingers one after the other. My mother treated me to a coffee coolata and strawberry frosted (WITH sprinkles) post-orthopedist appointments that were aplenty that fall.  The subsequent sugar rush soothed my emotions as I was completely torn up having to miss out on all those Saturday afternoons in Umbros and a neon cotton t-shirt with some international team name emblazoned across the back (I think I would’ve been a member of the “China” squad that fall).

My  “adult” awareness of what constitutes a nutritional breakfast has decreased my donut consumption overall, as I walk by Dunkin Donuts on the reg without giving second thought to Barbie pink icing.  Food trends, however, have made donuts more prevalent than ever, as boutique donut purveyors beyond national chains churn out “gourmet” varieties that include exotic spices and booze infused fillings.  In Philadelphia we can enjoy Federal Donuts, the new Beiler’s Bakery stall in the Terminal, and an assortment of South Philly bakeries.  

I’ve always been hesitant to try making donuts because deep frying can really stink up a kitchen/apartment. I was sold on the idea, however, after reading a recent feature in Saveur magazine. The recipes were simple, the instructions clear. If I could get 2” of canola oil to 350 degrees in a 6-qt sauce pan, I could do it. I know places like Beiler’s will always hold a competitive advantage until I acquire bathtub size vats of glaze and an industrial deep-fryer and apparate them up the four steep flights of stairs to my apartment, but I was quite pleased with the results, and homemade donuts will be making a debut on the Mother’s Day menu this weekend!

I chose an Old-Fashioned Spiced Sour Cream recipe from the Saveur feature because I had all the ingredients on hand for the dough and the glaze.  Actually, I didn't have All Spice, but I did have ground Mace, so I used a few dashes of that instead.  Also, sour cream donuts are generally amazing, and I was not ready to take to the time to make a yeast-raised variety.   I cut the recipe by 2/3 and got 8 smallish (2 ½- 3”) donuts, more than enough for my purposes.

Pre-Glazing.

The spice really came through in the glaze, but I experimented with just powdered sugar, and that was really good, too. You could also use a plain vanilla glaze if you don’t have the spices (I have a lot of spices leftover from Lebkuchen baking at Christmas). I got a great crust on the batch I made, and they were not cloyingly sweet.  My apartment did sort of smell like McDonald’s after I was done, but nothing some open windows and scented candles couldn’t fix by the time I went to bed.

After the flip.

Getting Puffed and Golden.

I managed fine on my own, but this would be a fun thing to do in a group.  As with all deep frying, there is a lot to keep track of between managing the oil temperature, timing for flipping/rotating, actually forming and preparing whatever you are frying, so if you can divvy up the jobs, more power to the group. I was aided by the stopwatch on my iPhone and a small kitchen where nothing is ever really out sight or reach. 

The Finished Product!