January Cleanse: Plant Based No Fat Eggplant Caponata

The cleanse continues but to keep hubby engaged and participating, I'm having to make a lot more different foods.  I, myself, could eat the same stew for days and days or last year, I ate brown rice and steamed Kale for a week quite happily.  Yeah, not hubbo.  This is a uber easy dish and very tasty.  You'll be surprised to find that there is no fat it it.

No Fat Eggplant Caponata

1 large Eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups French sliced Onions (halved and sliced) (2 medium Onions or 4-5 ping pong sized ones, which I have a big bag of for some reason)
1 medium/small Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 large can Italian Tomatoes
1 rib Celery, diced
2 T Capers, rinsed
1/2 c Green Olives, rinsed, pitted and halved
3 large Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 T dried Oregano
1 sprig fresh Rosemary (if you have it)
1 pinch Saffron (if you have it)
1 T dried Parsley
1/2 c chopped Fresh Parsley
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/2 t Himalayan or other low Sodium Salt

In a large ceramic dutch oven over medium heat, add the Onions, Dried Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, Saffron and Celery until soft.  You may want/need to add 1 T of Water.  Once the Onions has started to wilt add the Eggplant.  Stir often.  It may stick, but that's okay.  Once you add the liquid later, it will come off the pot and add nice flavour.      Let heat through for a 5-10 minutes.

Add the Garlic and the Bell Pepper.  Heat through and add a T of water if desired.

Add the Tomatoes.  What I do is pour the tin in and then GENTLY squish each tomato into smithereens.  You can use diced if you want to avoid this step.  Swish a quarter of the tin with Water and add to the pot.  Add the Capers and Olives.

Let stew 10 minutes and add the juice of the Lemon.  If you require more brightness or acid, add another half Lemon.

Add the Fresh Parsley and let stew for half an hour or more.

Serve with crusty bread or with Brown Rice.

Eggplant Parmesan - Food Bucket List #11

Eggplant slices ready for the bake

I LOVE Eggplant Parm.... LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  I am not, however, a big fan of how some people make it nor how much work it is to make.  But if I want to avoid greasy, bland Eggplant, then I have to do it myself, as they say.  What do I mean by Food Bucket list?  Well, when we were little kids like 10 years old, we used to play, 'what would your last meal be'?  I know that sounds morbid and I truly don't remember where we even came to know what that meant.  I am fairly certain it wasn't due to anything worth reporting to the Censor because my mother, to this day, won't watch anything too violent or too elicit.  It was probably a soap opera where some forlorn, ridiculously chiselled, leading actor was locked up for something his evil twin did.  Anyhoo, whatever the origins we were fairly young when we started our Food Bucket List.  What are the parameters exactly, should you wish to develop one? Well, a Food Bucket List is similar to a life bucket list with a twist.  What food / dish would you request should you find yourself being asked to order your last meal OR would you be willing to eat in perpetuity and nothing else OR if presented with a menu with the item on it, you will not bother to read the rest of the menu and will order it OR you will go at least 5 km out of your way to have it when in the vicinity of a good representation of it when out of town.  Tira Misu is an example of the application of the third category.  Even if I'm not in the mood for dessert, I will order it if it is on the menu.

The 11th position does vary from year to year but Eggplant Parmesan, the casserole or sandwich version, has had a place on my list since I first tasted it. If I see it on a menu, I get it and unfortunately, it is more often than not, terribly done.  It's actually not that often which is also unfortunate but when it is, I have found it is usually bland, done well in advance so mushy, poorly breaded, under cooked, over cooked or all of the above.  One of my favourite sandwich versions was served at the family joint #Amelio's in Montreal but they recently closed. *sigh* Also unfortunate, Eggplant Parm is also not a quickie quickie dish to make.  It's one of 'those' dishes that requires cooking before cooking.  The key to making it as painless as possible is to be organised and use a recipe you trust because instructions and measurements aren't vague.   This is one such recipe.  It is adapted from a recipe from a Bobby Flay episode of Throwdown.  I liked it because of a few reasons, mainly the deep fryer and peeling the eggplant.  Sometimes when an Eggplant Parm is not properly cooked, you'll get a slimey ring of peel in your mouth like when an Onion slithers out of an Onion ring.  You will love this dish and you will add it to your Food Bucket list.

Eggplant Parmesan fresh from the oven

Eggplant Parmesan

• You will need a Deep Fryer.  I cannot guarantee the results if you pan fry like in other recipes.
• You will need a Deep Lasagna pan.  Ours is 10x13", fairly standard.
• 2 large sheet pans lined with newspaper and topped with paper towelling (or lined with a wire rack)
• 3 shallow mixing bowls, I use metal ones I got in Chinatown.  Wide shallow soup bowls will do.
• 1 large mixing or salad bowl
• Metal tongs

Do not preheat anything now,  I'm just letting you know for reference. I'll tell you when.  
Oil 350 F
Oven 375 F

1 large Eggplant (approx 12")
4-5 c Bread crumbs (1/2 stale Italian loaf) (do NOT use panko.)
3 Eggs, large
1 T Water
1 c Flour
1/2 T Basil, dried
1/2 T Oregano, dried
1/2 T Rosemary, dried
1 t Granulated Garlic
2 jars Tomato Sauce (your favourite Marinara sauce that you would eat on its own)
1 lb Mozzarella, shredded
1/2 c Parmesan, grated

Take your stale Italian loaf torn up and toss into your food processor.  Don't over fill.  You may need to do 2-3 batches.  Pulse until crumbed. Do not let just run because if there is any moisture left in your bread, you risk just getting a big doughball.   Once all crumbed up, bring all the Breadcrumbs back together in a large bowl.  Toss in all the dried Herbs and granulated Garlic.  If your dried Rosemary is still in full leaf form, you may want to pulse a couple of times to break it down.

IF you choose the path of lesser resistance and buy your Breadcrumbs, just toss in the herbs and don't sweat the whole processor thing.  Pour some of the breadcrumbs into one of the shallow bowls, half way.  Set the others aside.

Grate the Cheese, a whole 1lb block OR just buy it grated and save yourself the aggravation.

In the second shallow mixing bowl, beat the 3 Eggs and fill one of the half Egg shells with Water and add to the Eggs.  Beat Well. Set aside.

In the third bowl, place the flour.  Set aside.

Peel the Eggplant and cut the calix off (stem) using a Vegetable peeler.  A T-shaped one is best for this and not the straight handled one.  Cut into 1/2 - 3/4 cm or half inch slices.

On your counter, in front of you place the 3 bowls in this order: Flour, Egg, Breadcrumbs.  Behind the bowls further away from you place a large cutting board with the Eggplant slices set to Left side.  Sound crazy?  Nope, this will help you avoid the dough club-hand and keep thing running smoothly.  Only let your left hand go in the Egg.

Now, you can preheat the deep fryer to 350F now if you plan to start frying while still breading, BUT I wouldn't recommend you do this on your first try unless you're confident about your timing and coordination :D.

Let's go.

Place a couple slices of Eggplant in the flour with your RIGHT hand.  Cover and rub it in.  Flip and repeat.  Then bounce it around to dust it off.  This is important or the breading will just fall off.  Place in the Egg.  With your LEFT hand, flip it and coat it and try to handle with the edges but don't worry too much.  Pick it up and place it in the Bread Crumbs.  With the RIGHT hand,  cover the slices with Breadcrumbs and push down slightly.  Flip and repeat until the whole thing is coated.  Bounce and shake off excess Breadcrumbs because they'll just fall off and burn in the fryer.  Place flat on the left side of the cutting board.  Continue to bread all the slices.  Now your cutting board may fill up so you can stack if you want but try to stack off set and not in direct piles.

Now most home deep fryers are not as big as restaurant ones so you will likely only be able to fit 2 slices in at a time.  Gently place one slice in and shove the first one over and lay the second over.  You can try make sure you're always frying one of the bigger middle slices with a smaller end slice so you'll have room.  Fry for 1 minute then, with the metal thongs, carefully turn over in the oil and fry for another minute.  If you've left the basket in, you can lift the two out together and shake off the excess oil.  Or you can use the thongs.  Place to drain on the two baking sheets you've laid out and lined.  Continue until all the slices are done.  You can lightly season with Salt, LIGHTLY, while they're still warm.  Don't over salt because jarred sauce and the cheese will also add salt.

Preheat the oven to 375 with the rack in the middle.

Pour a thin layer of sauce to just cover the bottom of the Lasagna pan.  Layer in the Eggplant.  Our pan was two across and 3 along.  Cover with thin layer of sauce, Mozza and Parmesan cheeses.  Continue until all slices are used up.  Mine had 3 full layers and most of a 4th.  Cover with Sauce, Toss the remaining Cheeses with the remaining Breadcrumbs.  Place over the top of the dish.  Cover LOOSELY with foil and place in the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 until the sauce is bubbling but the topping is not too brown.

Let stand for 10-15 minutes and slice and eat..... or right away.

MMMMMMMM

Quick Healthy Wholewheat Baby Pizza aka Pizza for Baby

Organic Wholewheat Baby Marguerita Pizza - slightly over browned :)

I said I would never do it.  I swore up and down.  It was one of the handful of rules that my old room mate told me to install as a parent.  Don't have a lot of rules but have a few that you stick to. Rule #1 for her is you eat at the table and you eat what is being served.  Well, lil T was having some teething pains Friday and Saturday so he's been jettisoning anything that is hard on his gums.  He wouldn't even eat the things he normally loves like Pasta.  Of course, oddly enough, he would eat Oaty-O's and they're darn crunchy.  Suffice it to say, his whole Sunday was messed up.  He work up early and ate a very small breakfast but then seemed okay and played up a storm but then fell asleep later than usual but stirred at lunch.  We sat him in front of his meal and but he was obviously not done napping.  So during what would turn out to be a 3 hour nap through lunch, I caved in and made him a pizza.

Pizza, yes.  I'm not a mom you'll see feeding my baby junky pizza from the foodcourt with all the grease, sugars and who knows what.  We take T out and we are really good about finding the healthiest option. No mystery minced Chicken Nuggets for us.  When I say, I stopped what I was doing in the middle of a lovely Sunday to make T a Pizza so he would eat SOMETHING, I mean I made it all, Crust and Sauce.  And I did it from start to finish within an hour. 

Quick Yeastless Pizza Dough

 Yields 4 10inch thin crust pizzas


1-1 1/4 c Organic Wholewheat flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1 t dried Basil or Oregano
1/2 c Water
1 T olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Start with 1 c of Flour.

Add the Water and Oil and mix with the fork.  Mix vigorously.  You actually want to build gluten so you can't over mix.   The dough will be soft like bread dough but not sticky.  Depending on your humidity level you may need to add a bit more flour.  When it gets too stiff for your fork, you can use a big spoon or your hands.

We are renting a place right now with a kitchen has no counter space.  D makes it work for rolling but I don't like Flour everywhere.  So you can knead this dough right in the bowl.  Use your fingers and knuckles and give it a proper kicking.  It shouldn't stick to your bowl too much or at all.

Let it rest until you're ready..... meanwhile over by the stove.....
 

Organic Baby Mother Red Sauce

1 tin Organic Tomatoes, crushed or whole
1 T Organic Tomato Paste
4-5 Organic Baby Carrots, minced

(so I don't have to repeat myself, let's assume if it's for lil T, it's Organic.  I point it out not as a pretension because we certainly don't eat all Organic but T does whenever possible, he's only little after all and he's growing and I don't want his cells reproducing with Monsatano-chemical-crap)

Handful Fresh Basil from backyard, chiffonade (ribbons)
Handful of Oregano, we have so much it's ridiculous, pull from stock and roughly chop
Sprig of Rosemary, it's growing into a bush!, pull from stem and mince
Garlic, local
1/2 Onion, chopped
1T olive oil

Why Carrots? Well remember why I'm making this Pizza?  T has not been eating well because of whatever fussy reason.  So I want to make sure he gets his veggies and vitamins.  Plus when you're using whole tinned Tomatoes, the acidity level can be a bit high for the palate of a little one or even some adults.  Without the roundness added by ground beef fat, this takes the edge off.  Some people at a pinch of sugar.

In a medium saucepan, heat 1-2 T of Olive Oil on medium high heat.  Add the Onion and Carrot. Stir until soft.  3-5 minutes. Add the Herbs and the Garlic.  Yes I added the Basil now.  I'm on a time limit here.  T could wake up from his nap at any moment.

Cook the Garlic for only a minute.  You do not want it to brown.  You want to make sure it all gets kissed by the oil and the heat.  Normally I am not uber careful about not browning the Garlic partially because I'm multitasking and I like the taste of toasted Garlic but it can be bitter and I'm not giving the baby any reason for spitting this out.

Add the Tomatoes.  What I do is take one Tomato at a time and smush it in my clean hands and add it to the pot.  You can add the liquid from the tin some or all.  I added it all.  I should have held back a bit because I didn't have enough simmer time so that's why I added the Tomato paste.  Let it simmer for as long as you can.  Since I was worried T would wake up, after about 15 minutes, I pulled out my hand blender and quickly pulsed through the sauce to break down the bigger pieces of Tomato. 

Baby Marguerita Pizza

Preheat your Toaster oven to 400F

Take the dough made above and cut into four pieces.  You can refrigerate or freeze the other pieces.

Now remember, I do not want roll out in my tiny rental kitchen or make a floury mess when the baby is about to wake up.  Take a baking sheet and spread a teaspoon of Olive Oil.  Start stretching the Pizza Dough in your hands first.  Try to spread it out as much as you can.  Then place it down on your baking sheet and spread out with the heel of your hand and finger tips.  I made the crust quite thin, 1/4inch and 10" in diameter.

Spread 2-3 T of  Red Sauce out on the Dough.
Top with 1/4-1/2 cut grated Mozzarella.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  I let the oven go a bit long because I was distracted and am not super familiar with how hot the Toaster Oven is.  So it needn't go this brown.

Top with a few fresh Basil Leaves.

Serve cooled down.

I gave T half at lunch and half at dinner.  He loved it.  mmmmm  I ate the crunchier crust bits.


.

Saturday, October 1 - Sweet and Nutty Parsnip and Chestnut Risotto

Sweet and Nutty Parsnip and Chestnut Risotto

I'm not sure how D ended up making Parsnip Risotto.  We had planned on using the Butternut Squash I bought last week because I thought it was a cute shape and it's still sitting on the counter.  Then when I went looking for Parsnips for my soup, he changed his mind.  That's cool.  I love Parsnips.  They're sweet and nutty.  They make awesome chips as well.  The addition of the Chestnuts give the Risotto a nice roundness and autumnal quality.  Yummo!

Parsnip and Chestnut Risotto
 Serves 4 (or Serves 2 with seconds + 1 lunch)

1 c Arborio Rice
2 l (8 c) Veggie Broth
1 med Onion (tennis ball) diced
1 medium Parsmip (1 inch through middle, like large Carrot, 3/4 lb in store, 2 c diced)
1/2 c cooked Chestnuts (4-5) chopped
1 1/2 T Rosemary, fresh, picked from stem, minced
1/4 c Butter
1-2 T Olive Oil
1/2 c Parmesan, real, grated
Salt
Aged, REAL, Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh Parsley

In a small saucepan, bring the Veggie broth to a boil then reduce to a low low simmer.  That means, wisps of steam but no bubbles.

Wash, peel and dice the Parsnip.  Use the whole Parsnip, even the core.  In a large skillet, melt the Butter, less 1 T, on Medium High heat.  Sautee the Parsnip with the Rosemary until al dente soft, 8-10 minutes.  Set aside on one of the dinner plates, usually mine :^D

In the same skillet, heat the Olive Oil on Medium heat.  Sautee the Onions until soft, not browned. 3-5 minutes.  Add the Rice.  Stir until well coated 2 minutes.  Add a dash of Olive Oil if it looks a bit dry. Add the Wine around the pan.  Stir with a wooden spoon until most of the liquid is absorbed. 

Add a ladel of the broth and stir until absorbed (~3/4 c), until you can draw a line down the pan with the spoon and it doesn't close up immediately.  When you're about 3 ladels away from done, about 20 minutes into adding the broth, add the Parsnip back.  Add the chopped Chestnuts when you're 1 ladel away from done.  Stir gently.  You  don't want to mash the Chestnuts.

Add the Parmesan Cheese.  Stir gently.  Turn off the heat.  Add the last T of Butter broken up around the top of the Risotto.  Add the last ladel over top.  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. 

Serve with a drizzle of Aged Balsamic and more Parmesan.  If you want to add some more richness, add a few drops of GOOD Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

MMMMM

.

February 12th - Ricotta and Spinach Gnocchi (no Potatoes!) - Pillows of Cheesy Yumminess

Ricotta and Spinach Potato-less Gnocchi in Mushroom Cream Sauce

There is nothing like handmade Gnocchi. It's always a bit sad when you order it in a resturant to discover, they probably bought it.  Actually, I'm always surprised when an Italian restaurant doesn't make their own Pasta for that matter.  Trattoria in Kits in Vancouver doesn't despite it's price point where a little dive in the outskirts of Seattle, Bizarro Cafe makes it all.  Anyhoo, I digress.  Handmade Gnochhi are just so much more fluffy and light than factory made.  We've made the more traditional Potato variety, as well, even after swearing off the exercise off until we visited Bizarro Cafe, we thought it worth a try.

The Ricotta base rather than the Potato added an additional sort of 'meatiness' and though you might fear that the dairy base might be to heavy, it was quite the opposite.  I did make the mistake of buying a finer Ricotta than the recipe called for so we had to drain it off through a finer, clean dish towel rather than cheese cloth to eliminate some of the excess moisture.  The recipe is from one of D's favourite cookbooks from one of his favourite Bay Area restaurants, The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. I believe the recipe was published on Bon Appetite if you want to go find it :^D.  The recipe makes 4-6 servings.  Make sure to store the portions you don't use right away in extra flour, flat to prevent sticking.

Oyster Mushroom Cream Sauce

1 T Butter
1 - 2 T Olive Oil
1 1/2 c Oyster Mushrooms, separated and brushed
1/2 Shallot., minced
1/2 c Cream
1/4 - 1/2 c Pasta Water
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Parsley, chopped

While your Pasta water is coming to a boil if you're doing Gnocchi, or while the Pasta is cooking if you're doing regular Pasta....

In a skillet, heat the Butter and Olive Oil in Medium/High heat.  Sautee the Mushrooms.  Do not move too much.  Let them brown.  If you move them too much, they will steam rather than brown.  ~5 minutes.  Set the Mushrooms aside on a plate.

At this point you can start to gently place a 6-10 Gnocchi at a time into the water.  You don't want the water too be too active because you don't want to brutalise the delicate Gnocchi.  They'll float sooner than they are done, so watch the clock.

Add some more Olive Oil to the same pan on Medium heat and sautee the Scallions until softened. 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low. Add the Cream and whisk gently to incorporate.  Start to use a draining or slotted spoon to bring the Gnocchi directly form the water to the pan. Do not fuss about draining the water off too much.

Continue to add the Gnocchi as they become ready.  You may want to turn down the heat under the pan to the lowest setting just to keep warm.  If the cream thickens too fast, add some Pasta water.

When you've added all the Gnocchi for two servings, gently toss.  Season to taste.  Add the Mushrooms back and toss again.  Garnish with Parsley and serve.

Fluffy Yumminess!

.

Sunday, January 30th - Gialina Pizzeria - Glen Park/Noe Valley - Crusty Goodness!

Gialina's Antipasto Platter

I have been a bit lapse on the updates.  We had some great dinners after the souffle and ate out in Seattle last week but vacation did not give me the energy in catch up I thought it would.  I blame the altitude. :^P  ..maybe the hot tub.  I'll start with SFO before Seattle.

We had our annual ski trip with D's grad school buddies this week.  We rotate between Whistler and Tahoe, normally.  We nearly tried Japan to make it closer to VM for once but we made the suggestion too late for good flight costs.  Even though it was unseasonably warm for this time of year in the Bay Area and Tahoe, it worked out oddly well because D and I were able to visit my sisters and get our Sunshine injection for the winter.  This Vitamin D hit is vital for survival in Vancouver for East Coasters (My sister V,  has repeatedly asked me to correct this to read Vitamin D as Vitamin E is making her scientific eyes hurt.  Whislt I know that sun deprived people or those with an addiction to 60SPF, suffer from Vitamin D deficiency, equally too, do we need Vitamin E for healthy skin and I did not think it was the end of the world. She reminded me again last night on the phone to change it so here I am. I think she needs to get out of her lab in Palo Alto and get some Vitamin D :^D)  We discovered this in the first years here when January saw 30 days of rain and 45 days without 'sunshine'.

Gialina's Wild Nettle and Pancetta Pizza

Our first night in San Fran, V my sister and her man, P came in from Menlo and we went out in O's, my other sister's, hood. V and O had tried this new popular pizza place a few weeks earlier.  They raved about the crust which was written up in the chronicle as being the reason to visit.  I normally prefer thin crust and if faced with a gorgeous pizza that I want to finish, will forego the crust.  This crust had the texture and flavour of a nice Italian loaf.  You couldn't leave it behind!

Gialina's Dates with Gorgonzola

Funny thing is my sister V is the tiniest of us all.  She's 5' nothing and a lean marathon runner.  She's the one that suggested we all get our own pizza's.   I looked over at a neighbouring table at the 15" pies and thought, well, maybe my eyes are wrong if V thinks she can finish it.

Gialina's Polenta and Italian Cauliflower

We started with a few starters to share which in retrospect, should have reduced our pizza order.  Our server was very nice but I would have greatly appreciated him telling us we ordered 1 or 2 too many pies.  Oh well.  We started with some Polenta with Cauliflower, right up my alley.  The Polenta with smooth, not too heavy.  Very nice!  The carnivores shared an Anti Pasto platter which is a good starter for 4-5 people.  And finally, one of my favourites which I will definitely try at home was the Dates stuffed with Gorgonzola on baby greens.  Delicious!!

Gialina's Atomica Pizza

Then came the pizza madness, V ordered the Atomica, a simple Red za.  P and D both ordered the Wild Nettles and Pancetta.  P is super lean as well but there is something about or tall, skinny friends from Europe.  They are all born with hollow legs.  He could probably have ploughed through two.  He's quite funny though, if he's not eaten he's very quite like an unwould toy. 

Gialina's Italian Sausage Pizza

I ordered the Pesto with Chard and Olives.  I added Anchovies but with the Olives it was way too salty.  Actually don't think it was the Anchovies.  I think there may have been too many olives.  O and A shared a Sweet Italian Sausage pie.  There was alot of slice swapping and in the end we hand an entire pizza for O to take home for work.

Gialina's Pesto Goat Cheese and Swiss Chard Pizza

I would definitely recommend you go but go early because there are no reservations and it seats maybe 40.  The great thing is you do not feel hurried or rushed despite the queue outside :^D.  I think next time I'd add my anchovies to the Butternut Squash pizza.  The server had told me it's on the sweet side so maybe that would have worked better.

Cost: $$-$$$
Ambiance: Casual, chic cafeteria
Service: Attentive, friendly but not overbearing
Crust: Thick but not bready

Gialina
2842 Diamond St
San Francisco, CA
94131
http://www.gialina.com/
(415) 239-8500

.

Sunday, Jan 16th - Tuscan Tuna (or Toona) Cannellini Bean Salad - Italian Interior Tradition

Tuscan Tuna Cannellini Bean Salad

For nearly a week, last week, D would disappear into our kitchen and mysteriously fiddle around with what looked and smelled like a science experiment.  I respected this little project and didn't snoop.  I was tempted.  We have an open concept kitchen so his disappearing and my minding my own business were both quite large feats.  The one thing I did know was that he was taking his copy of Heat with him.

Heat was a book he brought on our holiday last summer.  It is not a cookbook.  It's a non fictional novel written by a journalist who is convinced or rather WAS convinced he should be a chef.  He travels through Italy and does alot of historical, gastronomic research and also manages to land a job with Mario Batali as a kitchen slave.

The book describes alot of Italian classics and D has tried to replicate despite the sparse write up with descriptions like "handful" and "some".  D went out of his way to tell me about alot of the dishes as he was reading but I didn't recall this one.

TUSCAN TUNA....hmmmmm.  I didn't see nor smell Tuna come into the house and I have had a spike in my olfactory sense of late.  I didn't question it.  Chopping, marinading and hiding went on for days.  I even impressed myself by not looking for it in the fridge.  I think I assumed he was using the Saltcod or some of our other frozen fish.    Then came the boiling.

The spike in my 'odor' sensitivity is what prevents me from making really pungent dishes and also have the ability to eat it.  It's been one or the other for the last couple of months which is why D has to do the Thai Curries or other heady dishes if we plan to eat it straight away.  I reckon things will even out soon enought.  Anyhoo, so he brings out his chemistry experiment, aka Tuscan Tuna and places it in a medium sauce pan.  He puts it to a gentle boil, rigorous simmer for 2 hours.

The main component of the boiling liquid was a dry Chardonnay.  About 20 minutes in, I begged D to take it outside on a hot plate.  When he said we didn't have one, he opened all the windows and I sat with my sweater pulled over my mouth.  I was tempted to go dig up that germ mask I brought home as a souvenir from the Narita Airport in Tokyo.  After it was done, he placed it outside to cool.  Only then did I remember we did have a burner on our gas BBQ outside.  Blast!  I was very disappointed to learn that it would still be a few days before we were to eat the end product.

Then suddenly, one day after work, he rushes into the kitchen, still in his work clothes, which he never does, and got busy with his back to me.  I just assumed he was snacking on Olives or Carrots sticks as he often does after work.  He appears next to me on the couch with a lovely looking bowl of Bean Salad.

It is a Bean Salad lit up with Marinaded Italian Red Peppers and fresh Parsley and what looks like tinned Tuna.  I ask D what it is.  He evasely tells me it's 'Tuscan Tuna'. I tell him it's good but so far having only taken a bit of the bean.  Half way through my second bite I ask him what type of Tuna.  I can't eat Albacore or other big boys right now.  I'm trying to keep my Mercury levels down.  I seemed to have caught him off guard.  He says Albacore because he can't remember that I can only have Skip Jack.  I say well, a little bit won't hurt me.  It is drier than Tuna in Oil which is normal for Chunk Lite in water, so no suspicion yet.  He's flaked it to look like Tuna as well.  The simple Olive Oil and Lemon is yummy.  I tell him it's very tasty.

He proceeds to do flying leaps around the Kitchen.  I take a more scrutinising look at the bowl.  As evil peels of laughter fill the house, he confesses that Tuscan Tuna is the name used to describe the dish used in more interior areas of Italy where fresh Seafood was once quite rare.  It is not Tuna at all.  It is a picked PORK loin!  I can't deny that it was good.  Why? Because it didn't even remotely taste like pork.  All the fat was cooked and drained off.  After the boiling, D stored it in Olive Oil in a container in the fridge in 1 inch cubes.

That's 2.  For regular followers, that is his second successful attempt at a meat dish I am willing to eat.  I opened the window for D last year.  I told him I don't eat meat, poultry ..etc based on aesthetics: Taste, Texture and Smell.  He's had five kicks at the can now and this win number 2.   He has figured out the formula.  His first attempt at a Michael Chiarello braised filet was his rationale that I should love a really good meat dish.  WRONG.  It misses the Taste, Textural and Aromatic marks on all counts.  He was relentless which is good.  He'd like to figure out a way to work meat into our routine because I will admit, it is easier.

If you think about it though, not only is my vegetarian diet healthier but so is the profile of the type of meat dishes I can handle.  Lean cuts, no tenuous fibres, fat all cooked off, no skin, served with lots of aromatic vegetables. :^D

We served this as a side with BBQ Pizza for a Dinner guest tonight with a side Green Salad too.

Tuscan Tuna Salad

100 g of 'Tuscan Tuna', shredded
1 marinaded Red Bepper (Pimento)
1 tin Cannellini Beans, drained
1/2 c fresh Parsley, chopped
1/2 Lemon, juiced
2 T good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients and set aside to souse.

Serve as a starter or side salad.

Friday, January 14th - Parsnip and Savory Risotto

Parsnip and Savory Risotto

I like to collect new and interesting Risotto recipes.  Two of my favourites are the Cream-eriffic Sunny Lemon and Sage , and Butternut Squash, Spinache and Goat Cheese Barley.  Also love using Root Vegetables in the Winter and Parsnip has a nice gentle sweetness about it that lightness that is distinctive from it's starchier kin.  This is a subtle Risotto.  No bold or in your face flavours.  It is demure with wonderfully interesting dimension with the sweetness and texture from the Parsnip. You can use Thyme or Rosemary instead of Savory if you prefer but I would recommend you use fresh and try to limit to just the one.

Parsnip and Savory Risotto

1 1/2 l Vegetable Broth (6 c)
1 c Dry White Wine
3 T Butter
3/4 c Onions, chopped
3/4 c Parsnips, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch fingers
2-3 t Savory
1 c Arborio Rice
1 c Parmesan Cheese, grated

Aged REAL Balsamic Vinegar for drizzling.  The loose stuff often sold in supermarkets are normally diluted blends.

In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and keep warm to the side with a ladel.

In a large skillet, heat 1 T Olive Oil and 1 T of the Butter.  Saute the Onions for 3-5 minutes.  Add the Parnips and Savory.  Saute until the Parsnips are browned. 8-10 minutes. 

Add the Rice.  Add a bit more Olive Oil if the pan is too dry.  Stir until the Rice all glistening, 2 minutes.

Add the Wine in a big swirl around the pan.  Adjust the heat to keep a very very gentle simmer where the steam is active and looks like it wants to bubble but doesn't.  Stir frequently.  That's the love in the Risotto.  It coaxes out the creaminess from the Arborio. Use a wooden spoon. Stir, stir, stir, this isn't a pilaf or casserole. :^D

When the Wine is all but absorbed, add a ladel of broth.  Our ladel is about 3/4 c. When the liquid is mostly absorbed, i.e. you can draw a mote down the centre of the pan with the spoon and it does not close up on itself immediately or very fast. Add another ladel and continue. It should take about 30-35 minutes. Test the rice at about the 30 minute mark. You should cook to your taste. I do like it on the softer side than D but not mushy. D likes it on the edge of hard in the centre. I do not like carving it out of my molars. You can add more broth or water to your saucepan as you feel you need.

Add the Parmesan and incorporate, gently. Check the seasoning. Add the final ladel, that is to say the ladel after you think the Rice is just about there not necessarily all the broth in the pot (you may need more), stir once or twice. D doesn't stir the last ladel at all. Add the Butter in little pieces over top. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

Serve with more fresh Black Pepper, Parmesan and drizzle some nice Aged Balsamic.  Now as I am insistent on using real Parmesan, I am insistent in this case on using REAL Balsamic.  In your everyday salads, you can use your average Balsamic but for this use, the real Aged stuff is quite a bit darker, thicker than 'normal' Wine Vinegar.... unfortunately, more expensive too. If you do not have REAL Aged Balsamic, then I would suggest you reduce 1/4 c of your regular Balsamic in a small saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes until thickened by 1/3 or half.  Use sparingly!

.

Sunday, December 19th - Amelio's Pizza - Mont Royal - Yummo Memory Lane

Amelio's All Dressed Pizza

If you attended McGill University, Amelio's pizza will undoubtedly conjure warm, cheesy and satisfying memories.  There is a sort of unspoken allegiance to this small, unassuming, family run, Pizzaria in Montreal's 'McGill Student Ghetto'.  Having eaten a lot of pizza over the years, there is nothing quite like Amelio's.  There is definitely a loyal following of McGill Alumni who still frequent the old and new locations.  A friend of mine recently had a homecoming reunion in Montreal and they had an Amelio's pizza night for dinner.  Since there were a rather large group, they ordered out and squatted in their old student lounge.

I have had a craving to go back for some years now.  For one reason or another, mainly the brevity of the visits, I have not been able to drag D there.  It does not help that they are closed on Sunday's which are most likely to be our family-free days.  Luckily for me, they recently opened a new location on the swankier Bernard Street in Outremont.  A far cry from the modest environs of the Student Ghetto but smelled just as good.

Amelio's sur Bernard - Outremont

The owner is the daughter of the original Amelio's.  She returned from a banking career in New York to follow her true dream.  She mentioned that she does have a regular flow of McGill Alum up there who have now grown up and bring their kids.  I know I would if I lived there.  The new location is alot brighter and cafe like than the original but still served the same free starter salad in the wooden bowls with shaved carrots.  She admitted the staff and the kitchen are quite new and were probably not as well equipped to handle the traffic of the other location.  I'm sure it will come along with experience.  The tastes were definitely authentic.

Why did I feel so compelled to track this place down?  Well, one particular dish which has eluded me, lo these many years, the Eggplant Parmesan Submarine Sandwich.  I have not found it anywhere else, definitely not in Vancouver.  There are lots of Roasted Veggie subs around but not the Eggplant Parm sub.  As well, you will rarely, if ever find a Vegetarian Pizza in many cities that have Eggplant as a topping. MMMMMM So I dragged D, in the bitter cold of a Montreal Winter across town, despite the fridge at his parents heaving with leftovers so that I might have my Eggplant Submarine.  We brought the food back so we could eat with his parents.  We ordered an All Dressed and a Vegetarian.

We ordered two Mediums and the nice owner suggested we order a half half large.  We would get almost the same amount of food for less money.  But we decided to ordered the two pizza's just in case his folks were hungry.

The Sandwich was just as I'd remembered it.  If you carry it out, the toasted bun becomes slightly soggy but in a good way.  It is heaped with the same shredded, fresh iceberg lettuce which too will soften on route which is actually a good thing since the overflowing sandwhich would not contain it otherwise.  It has a considerable amount of melting, oozing cheese.  D thought a tad too much not for memory lane, it was just right.  At the core was the wonderful Eggplant Parmesan.  It was slightly more salty than I would go for but the sandwhich as a whole was not too salty.  Yummo!  I can't wait for my next annual visit and fix!

Amelio's Vegetarian Pizza

The Vegetarian Pizza was just as wonderful.  Heaping with fresh and roasted vegetables and even more cheese, it was perfect for the blustery Montreal winter outside not to mention the long nights spent in Engineering study rooms. D and his folks made a funny observation.  As most cuisines do, there are local adaptions.  Like Curry or Korean food in Spain was never very spicy.  Well, in Montreal, most Pizzerias have French Fries on the menu as well as an Italian Poutine which is basically fries with Bolognese sauce and cheese.  I brought back the takeaway menuAmelio's does not A perfect way to end my visit.

Cuisine: Italian/Pizzeria
Cost: $$-$$$
Service: Warm, friendly, bilingual
Ambiance: Cafe/Upscale Diner
Takeout/Pick Up/Sit In

Amelios sur Bernard

Outremont
1205 Ave Bernard
(514) 903-8397
Montreal, QC H2V
www.ameliospizza.com
 

Take-out Pizza

.

Sunday, December 12th - Pea and Mushroom-palooza Risotto

Pea and Mushroom-palooza Risotto

Guys think it's the ladies with the cravings but it's them as well.  D had a sudden yen for a lot of Mushrooms.  I do not mean that he fancied have a mushroom or too.  It was quite specific.  After breakfast, he said, I think I'll go by TnT today after the gym and "buy a lot of Mushrooms".   And for that fan out there of my syntax, yes, he verbally capitalised it :^P. 

He came back with a pint of Crimini, Oyster, and fresh Shitake.  We didn't eat them in one go.  That would be a tad much even for a D craving.  We had half tonight with the Risotto and the other tomorrow with some Gnocchi...mmmmmm

Pea and Mushroom-palooza Risotto

1 c Crimini/Brown Mushrooms
1 c Oyster Mushrooms
1 c Shitake Mushrooms
3-4 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 T fresh Sage, chopped
1 c Arborio Rice
1/2 c Peas (thawed frozen are fine, I would not recommend tinned, blech)
1 Shallot, minced
1 c Dry White Wine
1.5 l Vegetable Broth
1/4 c (3 T) Butter
1/2 c fresh Parmesan, grated
1/2 c Olive Oil (give or take a few Tablespoon)
Salt (watch the Salt.  Don't over season. Check near the end if you have Salt in your broth and the Parmesan is salty as well)

Brush the Mushrooms clean and trim the stems.  I would not  recommend washing them because they'll soak up the water and make browning quite difficult.  If you do wash, pat dry, thoroughly.

In a large skillet, heat some Olive Oil on high (do not use Extra Virgin, it's a waste of it), enough to coat the pan when heated.  Add the mushrooms in batches, just enough to mostly fill the skillet in 1 layer but room enough to breath.  If you crowd the pan, you will just steam them.  Leave some dancing room.  Do not start moving them right away.  Let them mingle for a 1 minute, then move, sit then move.  Too much moving will steam not brown. Half way through, add some of the Herbs.  Parcel enough the Herbs out to go in with each batch of Mushrooms.  After 3-5 minutes, set aside on a plate and do the next batch.

In a sauce pan, bring the Broth to a boil.  I use an instant, Organic, no sodium Vegetable broth I bought at Whole Foods.  I steer well clear of all broths or cubes who's first ingredient is Salt and in the liquid form, second after Water.  You can use Chicken Both if you prefer. I used to love the distilled, concentrated liquid instant broth they sell in the UK but I can't find it here.

When all the Mushrooms are done, heat some Olive Oil in the same empty skillet on Medium.  Move to using a Wooden Spoon if you haven't already.  Add the shallot.  Soften for 1 minute.  Add the Rice and move around a lot to coat with the Oil.  Add a splash more if you think the pan looks dry.  1 minute.

Add the White Wine in a large circle sweeping the pan.  Stir the rice.  When most of the liquid is absorbed, add 1 ladle of Broth, stirring constantly.  It's a labour of love, accept it.  Adjust the heat as needed.  Other than when you first added the wine, you should not see any violent bubbling.  No bubbling at all really if you're stirring.  The heat and speed I like is where the steam is quite actively wafting off the pan and the mixture looks like it's about to bubble but the stirring prevents it.  On my stove that's a 4.5-5. 

When the liquid is mostly absorbed, i.e. you can draw a mote down the centre of the pan with the spoon and it does not close up on itself immediately or very fast.  Add another ladel and continue.  It should take about  30-35 minutes.  Test the rice at about the 30 minute mark.  You should cook to your taste.  I do like it on the softer side than D but not mushy.  D likes it on the edge of hard in the centre.  I do not like carving it out of my molars.  You can add more broth or water to your saucepan as you feel you need.

At 1 ladel remaining, return the Mushrooms and add the Peas to the pan.  Stir gently because you don't want to 'dirty' the rice too much from the Mushroom bits.  Add the Parmesan and incorporate, gently.  Check the seasoning.  Add the final ladel and stir once or twice. D doesn't stir the last ladel at all.  Add the Butter in little pieces over top. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

Serve with more fresh Parmesan and Truffle Oil if you wish.  Some cracked Black Pepper to eater's taste.

MMMMMMushroomy!

Saturday, November 27th - Trattoria Italian Kitchen - Stylish Comfort

Garlic Toast, Salt and Oil for Mozzarella Taster

The thing about Vancouver, like many places I've lived, is that if you aren't from Vancouver, neither are most of your friends.  As welcoming and friendly Vancouver seems, I think it's more of a Canadian thing than a West Coast thing.  Vancouverites are friendly.  If I am lost or need assistance, someone will lend a hand.  So as a visitor many years ago, I thought well, it will be easy to make friends here.  Well, I find that those who grew up here are like the central gang on Seinfeld.  They're full up on friends and are not accepting any new applicants (unless you date in).  They'll hold a door open for you though :^D.  That means, like in the other places I have lived, that your friends often leave to move on or go home. 

S and G are sadly moving back to Montreal.  They're a great food loving, wine adoring couple friends of ours.  As part of their rather rapid farewell, tied to the sudden movement on their real estate, they were doing the rounds on their favourite eateries before heading east.  They love the Trattoria Italian Kitchen.  They mentioned that they used to come alot more often on Tuesdays on their Ten Dollar Pasta night.  I had never been.  I'm rather fussy about eating out for Italian.  I like to know if they make their pasta in house.  Otherwise, I think to myself that I could stay in and that drives D nuts.  He could eat pasta everyday.  :^D  The Trattoria does not but the pasta was not the highlight nor lowlight either.  Though if they did, wow, that would be something, hint hint hint.

Their menu starts with an entire sub section dedicated to fresh Mozzarella.  You can order from a selection of bruscetta, where you will receive two toast heaped with a carefully selected combination of flavours or you can choose a Mozzarella Taster where they give you three different varieties and styles of fresh Mozza with Garlic toast.  We did both.

Mozzarella Taster

 The three Mozza's come in very fresh and soft to slightly more firm and slightly medium, Bufala, Burata(soft one in the middle) and Fior de Latte.  The cheeses are served with Garlic Toast, Olive Oil and Coarse Salt. It was delicious.



Burricotta - Radiccio, Spiced Walnuts and Mozza

We also ordered the Burricotta which was Grilled Radiccio, fresh Cheese, spiced Walnuts, Rosemary and Honey. It was lovely and mild.   I think I preferred just the tasting though.  We washed that down with a refreshing Prosecco.


Fried Brussel Sprouts with Lemon, Capers and Parmigiano Reggiano

We ordered some vegetable sides with our mains.  Some steamed Baby Vegetables (behind the sprouts) and their stellar fried Brussel Sprouts with Lemon, Capers and Parmigiano Reggiano.  Unbelievable.  D did some digging around the internet and found the recipe on line.  He did it for me because Brussel Sprouts are hands down MY FAVOURITE vegetable and he HATES them.  But he liked these.  So he thought, if I could do them like this at home, he'd moan less about eating them.  Watch for the posting soon, maybe even at Christmas :^D

Orecchiette with Fennel Sausage, Rapini and Peperoncino

D ordered something from the specials because he's a sucker for something big and meaty served on the bone.  He had the Ossobuco with Risotto and braised Vegetables.  It's funny.  It was the only glich in the evening though still handled in stellar service.  We were told several minutes after our starters were clearned and our wine served, that our mains would take longer than usual due to a back log in the kitchen.  We very much appreciated than rather than waiting in mystery.  I speculated that it was actually a shortage of the enamel pots they were using to serve the Ossobuco.  He thought the meat was tender, and the Risotto a tad soft but not mushy.  He did comment that he thought the portion was rather small and that is something for D to note.

Ossobuco on Risotto Special

G ordered her all time favourite, Orecchiette with Fennel Sausage, Rapini and Peperoncino.  The portion was healthy enough that D had to reach over and give it a taste.  Their pasta is not over dressed nor over seasoned and well cooked.

S ordered his favourite, I guess as a farewell, as well.  He had the Kobe Meatballs with Spaghetti with Tomato Basil sauce, topped with herbed Ricotta. As part of the Glowbal group, you can also get these Meatballs on their own at Glowbal Afterglow as well.  For you carnivores, these apparently merit making the must have in Vancouver ...or before you move list. :^D

When a restaurant does not make their own pasta, I prefer to order stuffed pasta or gnocchi.  The Gnocchi, however, was served with Peperoncino which sounded pretty essential to the dish.  G laughs when I ask a server 'how involved is the meat' when inquiring whether I could easily extricate the offending ingredient.  I opted instead for the Linguine Gamberini.  Gamberini is a garlic shrimp sauce but the Trattoria adds roasted Tomatoes, Capers and Olives which made it sound more like a Puttanesca.  I was a tad worried that it would be too salty as almost every Puttanesca is because lots of folks tend to season on top of already salty Capers and Olives.  This was not at all.  It was very well balanced and seasoned.  D dug into my dish as well, :^D.

Tiramisu

It goes without saying that since Tiramisu was on the menu, it was going to be ordered. Luscious with the Mascapone and a lovely sauce and a Biscotti on the side. Busting at the seams, but no regrets on the indulgence. 

Cost: $$$ - $$$$ (but they do have $10 Pasta Tuesdays and Wine Wednesdays!)
Service: Stellar
Ambiance: Bustling, slightly loud


Trattoria Italian Kitchen

1850 W 4th Ave

Vancouver, BC V6J

(604) 732-1441

http://www.trattoriakitchen.ca/







.



Friday, November 13th - Tribute to SFO Turkey Meatballs Brasato Al Barolo

Tribute to SFO Turkey Meatballs Brasato Al Barolo

If you have ever lived in the Bay Area, renown for the high per capita gastronomic purveyors, you will likely know of a pizzeria who's name sounds like a highway.  It is famous for number of their dishes beyond their pizzas. One of particular note is their Meatballs.  After much research, D found an approximation of their recipe on line. I had mentioned to D recently that I hadn't had a meatball in a couple of decades and even then, it was either out of a can or at the Hut on a school trip. He seized the suggestion. He did make a few adjustments for his quarterly make-J-eat-meat challenge to make it slightly more palatable for me.  The result was surprising, comforting and tasty.  Though I will admit, still to 'meaty' for me.  I would recommend them to all carnivores out there.  I mean really, the fact that I got through two is huge!  And D, suffered happily through the other dozen and a half.  They freeze well.

Some of you regulars will know I do not like meat. Cafo's and over crowded egg factories aside, I have no real moral objection to meat eating per se.  I just do not like the taste, particularly the taste of fat.  I grew up eating Korean meat dishes which meant: highly flavoured and cooked through.  You would never or rarely see medium Kalbi.  No.  We like the candied char.  MMMM    So I just gave it all up since I was easier than being overly picky.  Now I'm extra sensitive to it to a point, I'm not too great with the Korean stuff either.  Given this back drop, which I have had to repeat to D after his first, 'miss' on the challenge, he's risen to the parameters of success:  Drain all fat, pick low fat meat, do not even attempt 'naked' meat at this stage and the more aromatics the better. 

So far, he's batting .300.  Again! I want to emphasise that these are good meatballs but just missed the vegetarian conversion mark.  One thing I did suggest is that he make them smaller so I would have more browned surface area but they do braise for a long time so you'd have to be careful not to turn it in to a bolognese.

D's Memories of SFO Red Wine Braised Turkey Meatballs

2 - 2.5 lbs Lean Ground Turkey
4 oz (~120g) by weight grated Parmesan
400g or 1 lb. Stale or Dried Bread (we keep stale bread in the freezer for this reason)
1 small Onion (tennis ball), finely diced
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 bunch Parsley (~1c), chopped
1 T fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/2 T fresh Oregano, chopped
1/2 T fresh Basil, chopped (optional)
2t dried Fennel Seeds
2t Chili Flakes
1/2 lb (~225g) Ricotta (half a tub)
1/4 c (give or take a T) Milk
4 large Eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325F

Mix the Turkey with Salt, Chile flakes, Fennel Seed, and Herbs. Add the Onions, Garlic, Parsley, and Parmesan.  Ideally you should do this by hand wearing gloves or really clean hands. 

Put the Bread in a food processor; process until finely crumbled like sand. Add the Bread Crumbs and Ricotta to the Turkey; mix by hand. Add milk to achieve a moist, soft texture.

Beat the Eggs lightly in a bowl and then add to the mixture. Mix until Eggs are barely incorporated. Don’t overmix.

Form into balls 3T sized balls (size of an average plum, though I'd go smaller). Heat a large dutch oven with Olive Oil, fry until golden brown all over. 

Remove from dish, drain all fat well, and place the Balls back in to the dutch oven to braise in your choice of sauce (See Below) for 2-3 hours.  Allow to cool in the sauce slightly before serving. 

Serve over Pasta with more Parmesan.

D's Barolo Red Wine Sauce for Braising

1 oz dried Porcini Mushrooms
1 small Onion, finely chopped 1 Carrot, chopped (same size as Onions)
1 Celery Stalk, chopped (ditto above)
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2-3 bay leaves
1 T fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/4 c fresh Parsley leaves, chopped and packed
3 T Tomato Paste
2-3 c Barolo other big Red Wine
1 (28-ounce) can Italian Tomatoes, smushed (I use my hands)
2 c Vegetable stock
Salt and pepper


Soak the Porcini Mushrooms in 1 cup of heated Broth until for about 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve.  You could use cheesecloth if you're fussed but if you're careful about the sediment on the bottom, you won't need to bother.  Set the Porcini aside and reserve the liquid.

In the empty dutch oven, with the Turkey Balls set aside, drain all the fat, heat and add 1-2 T of Olive Oil.  Add the Onions, Carrots, and Celery, sautee until soft and golden, 3-5 minutes. Add the Garlic and stir for 1 minute, don't brown too much.  It goes bitter fast.  Stir in Bay Leaves, Rosemary, Parsley, and Tomato paste. Add the Wine and gently simmer about 20 minutes until reduced by about half.


Add the Tomatoes, Porcini Mushrooms, Mushroom Liquid.  Bring to a simmer then add the Turkey Balls.  Add enough Vegetable Broth to almost cover the Turkey Balls. Braise in the oven as above for 2-3 hours.

Tuesday, Oct 5th - Angel Hair Pasta with Pesto and Canellini Beans

Angel Hair Pasta with Pesto and Canellini Beans

A Vegan friend of mine told me that combining a complex carb with a legume provides you with a complete Protein allowing one to have all the building blocks to stay healthy without the need for meat substitutes or the like.  I saw something similar on Food TV regarding the proliferation of Maiz and Legumes all over the world.  It makes sense, all over, particularly in areas with less access to expensive meat or for religious restrictions, Rice and Beans or Grains and Beans are staple dishes.  I've always wondered how they 'figured' it out.  Really, yes, we know now from nutritional science that the combination gave us complete proteins but how could they?  Curious.  Anyhoo, it's yummo!

I simply cooked Angel Hair pasta and tossed with with 2 T of   Cilantro Cashew Pesto I had made earlier and frozen. Simply defrost for 30 s in the microwave or allow to thaw if you have time.  I added 1 small tin of Canellini beans, drained  in and tossed.  You can choose to briefly heat the beans in a non stick pan before adding to the pasta.  Ours were at room temp and the Pasta was hot.

Garnish with Fresh Parmesan. MMMMM

Wednesday, Sep 22 - Arugula Pesto - a Peppery and Garlicky experience

Arugula Pesto with Wholewheat Fettucini

We have been growing Arugula in a window box on the balcony.  A friend of ours had recommended it because he was having real success with it in his garden.  They're in San Francisco though and so I still had my doubts.  Our herb garden is fairly healthy but the leaves never really get as large as the store bought. Well, during one hot spell my Basil really took off.

Anyhoo, it took us a while to find the seeds since most of the larger box gardening stores only carried more standard veg.  We found a place on Commercial that had a wider variety but alot of the seeds were written in Italian.  With a little help, we figured out that the Rucola seeds were what we were looking for :^P

When we first planted it, I thought we had weeds because it seemed impossible that it would sprout within two days.  When they first sprouted they looked like clover.  D insisted that they were the Arugula since they were sprouting prescisely where he had laid the seeds.  Within two weeks we had a window box full of baby sized arugula.  It will continue to grow if you need it.  Purely organically grown out in front of us, it was easily twice as peppery than any we'd bought so it goes a long way.  So it was not a surprise that by now that autumn is upon us.  We have more Arugula than we know what to do with.  D asked that I harvest the rest and make a pesto.  I harvested two packed cups or a draining colander full without putting much of a dent in the modest box.

Now I quite liked it but I would recommend you make it slightly looser than you would Basil or Cilantro Pesto because you will need less per serving.  Probably 1-1 1/2 T per serving rather than 2 Tablespoons.  D found it a tad too peppery and so I think for his sake, I'l return to making it half and half Basil and Arugula. 

Arugula Pesto

2 c Baby Arugula, packed
1/2 c fresh Basil
1 clove Garlic (I used 2 and it was too much though it could have been that clove)
1/3 Pine Nuts
1/4 c Olive Oil
1/4 c Parmesan Cheese (the REAL stuff.  Nothing in a green plastic cone)
Pepper to taste

This will make four portions.  This volume of ingredients is small enough to do in your smaller processor like an apartment sized or handblender attachement processor (not the hand blender itself!).

Layer the Garlic, Herbs and then the Pine Nuts.  You will likely need to add the Arugula in batches if you are using the smaller processor.  Our handblender attachement cup is just about 3 cups.  Blitz for a few seconds, pour in some of the Olive Oil and more Arugula.  Continue until you have added all the Arugula and you see the consistency you like.  Add the Parmesan and finish blitzing.  Since my aim into the little cup is lousy with the rasp, I shave the Parmesan with a peeler into the processor.

Place the Pesto on the bottom of your bowl.  Top with the cooked pasta lifted directly from the cooking pot into the bowl and toss.  You can loosen it up with some pasta cooking water or more Olive Oil.  Serve with fresh Parmesan.