Wow, it's been awhile since I posted a tasty treat here. But here's a good one! Especially if, like me, you are the proud owner of chickens, who are beginning to lay once again! Ah, all that fresh, truly-free-range eggy goodness deprivation gone for another year. Hurrah!
I sure wish I'd gotten a picture of these....they are so pretty, as well as tasty. They're pretty easy to make, though the philo is a bit tedious. Someone said that philo cups are available commercially, so that would be worth checking into.
Baked Eggs in Philo Cups with Lemon Sauce
Plan on one or two eggs per person...or more, if they're really hungry! Have as many ramekins on hand as you plan to make eggs. Melt butter and brush each ramekin with melted butter. Open up a package of philo dough and slice a strip off, about five inches wide. Cut this strip into thirds, to make squares (at least close). Brush each piece with butter as you work. Place a piece of philo into a ramekin, layering one on top of another overlapping, to cover the whole inside of the cup and sticking out a bit on top. Put at least 7 or 8 pieces in each ramekin...until it looks like enough, like a little philo cup. Repeat with all the ramekins. (Save the rest of the philo for another use.)
Put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cream cheese or other soft cheese on the bottom of each philo cup. Then crack in one egg in each. Snip chives over the top (or you could use other herbs), drizzle with just a smidge of cream, and salt and pepper over the top. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for oh, maybe 20 to 30 minutes? Depending on how done you like your eggs.
While the eggs are baking, make the sauce: melt two tablespoons butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add two tablespoons flour and stir and cook until the mixture is lightly browned. Add about 3/4 cup milk (honestly, I didn't measure--just keep adding it until it's the right consistency) and cook and stir until the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens. Add the juice from one lemon. Add more milk if it's too thick.
Drizzle sauce over the eggs at the table. Enjoy!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Briami and Manestra
Wow, it's been awhile since I posted on my food blog! I've been so busy I haven't even been cooking all that much. The week our church was made a cathedral, I realized that it was a whole *week* that I went without cooking a "real" meal, if you don't count fixing a quick-style huevos rancheros with store-bought refried beans, which I don't. :-)
One thing that's making me busy is the cooking class we're doing at church, though. And it's been so great! I am teaching it tomorrow. I figured I'd better test the recipes tonight. Honestly, though I've eaten it and enjoyed it and knew it'd be very easy, I've never before made either of these recipes. They're just which ones fit best with my vegetarian night. And let me tell you--they were *so tasty.* Hibi was very impressed as well! (That's all who are home tonight to enjoy it, though I know Paul will enjoy some later.)
A note about the vegetables: I know it's beyond eggplant season, just barely but still. And zucchini too. Though when I went to pull out my zuke plant yesterday, I found it still had little tiny zukes on it, and I didn't have the heart! So I left it. Anyway, I do plan to tell the folks that, and that they should really make this in late summer or early fall. But this was scrumptious all the same.
You could substitute other vegetables for the out-of-season ones....like peppers or carrots, and in season you could use green beans. I also used rosemary, even though the recipe I was following said to use dill. I don't have dill, and I do have rosemary growing in my garden. This recipe is very conducive to adaptation.
Briami (Roasted Vegetable Casserole)
3 zucchini, cut into 1" rounds
5 large potatoes, cut into 1" rounds
1 eggplant, cut into 1" rounds
1 medium onion, chopped coarsely
4 garlic cloves, chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons mint
2 tablespoons parsley
1 small piece of rosemary
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients and place in a large baking pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until all vegetables are tender. Check frequently and add water if vegetables seem dry. Liquid should be absorbed when done.
Manestra (Orzo with cheese)
1 16 oz. package orzo
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
mizithra, feta, or parmesan to taste
Cook orzo in boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet until butter is melted, and add orzo. Stir for a couple of minutes. Add cheese to taste.
Enjoy!
Friday, September 28, 2007
We heard recently that there's a new restaurant in our area of town called Nutshell, and that it's all vegan. Now, I probably wouldn't have tried it if we didn't have a vegan in the family, but we did tonight. And I have a message for non-vegans and non-vegetarians: if you love good food, go to Nutshell! It was amazing food. The only complaint I have is the very slow service. And I do mean *very slow*. Don't arrive very hungry. Though we perhaps should have expected to wait for awhile because we did get there at 7:15 on a Friday evening, but I've seen lots of other reviews saying the place has very slow service.
Anyway, three of the four of us loved the place. Zachary did not love the place, but even he had things he liked about it. He didn't like waiting so long--we got there at 7:15 and put our name on the waiting list. I don't know how long we waited, but it was a long time. We were finally seated, and then quickly ordered, but it was again a long time before our food came. We were in our car driving home at 9:30. That's slow service!
One word about the price: some would consider the price to be a negative. It was a bit pricey. My entree was $14. But I say it was worth every penny, plus the wait....well, I could really get rid of the wait and be much happier!
But on to the good stuff. After we ordered, I saw the olive oil menu sitting on the table and remembered that I'd seen a review that talked about their olive oil menu. So we ordered some. You can select from about 5 different breads or an assortment, about 6 or 7 olive oils from all over the world, and a ton of different salts. We chose the assortment of bread, the Chilean olive oil, and a volcanic salt. Well, I know what good olive oil and salt and bread taste like. But we were all blown away by how good it tasted! "Like and explosion of flavor in my mouth!" were the words uttered by my jaded 13 year old. I'd like to go sometime and just have something simple like soup, along with a variety of breads and olive oils and salts.
After the long wait, our entrees finally came. Zachary didn't like his spaghetti, but the rest of us did! It was spaghetti with a creamy porcini and truffle sauce. It was just how you'd imagine it to taste, with the very pungeant truffle flavor throughout the spaghetti. It was delicious. I've got the leftovers in my fridge for my lunch tomorrow. :-)
Hibi had a grilled pineapple and avocado sandwich, which came with bamboo fries. She really loved it. I was interested to try those fries, but I have to admit, I was expecting them to be...well, woody. Not at all! Very interesting flavors and we all enjoyed some.
Paul had the potato pancakes, which he also enjoyed. They were very interesting, too--they were basically like puffs of mashed potatoes, with interesting toppings. I don't remember much about them because I was so focused on my own and the kids' meals.
I had the Jamaican BBQ and it was all delicious. It had lots of different things in it....red beans and rice, corn fritters that were SPICY!, something like a hash browns but I'm not sure it was potatoes. Boy, I sure wish I'd remembered what all was supposed to be in it! Then there was an orange half that was hollowed out a bit and stuffed with a mixture that could have been potatoes or yucca or something like that....but it definitely had coconut in it, and it was nicely sweet but not overly. Oh, and grilled squash and onions.
We did not stay for dessert, as we'd already been there a long time! Though it's just a half block from Pix Pattiserie, which I was thinking of going to after....but after I did not give a second thought to this idea. I was already sated with some of the best food I've eaten in a long time.
The Citysearch review we looked at for Nutshell says it's a good place for kids. I'd have to disagree, unfortunately. Though it's probably fine for kids to make noise, as it's a pretty noisy place, there's not much that's kid-friendly on the menu. They did offer to make Zac plain spaghetti with vegetables, but he chose the truffle spaghetti because I told him that truffles are very expensive. ;-) But really, I felt a bit out of place there, myself, and not just because I had kids along (they were the only kids in the restaurant). It is a very trendy, hip place where it's cool to be in your 20s and hanging out with friends.
But don't let that stop any of you non-twenty-somethings from trying it! Because why should the twenty-somethings get all the good vegan food?
Anyway, three of the four of us loved the place. Zachary did not love the place, but even he had things he liked about it. He didn't like waiting so long--we got there at 7:15 and put our name on the waiting list. I don't know how long we waited, but it was a long time. We were finally seated, and then quickly ordered, but it was again a long time before our food came. We were in our car driving home at 9:30. That's slow service!
One word about the price: some would consider the price to be a negative. It was a bit pricey. My entree was $14. But I say it was worth every penny, plus the wait....well, I could really get rid of the wait and be much happier!
But on to the good stuff. After we ordered, I saw the olive oil menu sitting on the table and remembered that I'd seen a review that talked about their olive oil menu. So we ordered some. You can select from about 5 different breads or an assortment, about 6 or 7 olive oils from all over the world, and a ton of different salts. We chose the assortment of bread, the Chilean olive oil, and a volcanic salt. Well, I know what good olive oil and salt and bread taste like. But we were all blown away by how good it tasted! "Like and explosion of flavor in my mouth!" were the words uttered by my jaded 13 year old. I'd like to go sometime and just have something simple like soup, along with a variety of breads and olive oils and salts.
After the long wait, our entrees finally came. Zachary didn't like his spaghetti, but the rest of us did! It was spaghetti with a creamy porcini and truffle sauce. It was just how you'd imagine it to taste, with the very pungeant truffle flavor throughout the spaghetti. It was delicious. I've got the leftovers in my fridge for my lunch tomorrow. :-)
Hibi had a grilled pineapple and avocado sandwich, which came with bamboo fries. She really loved it. I was interested to try those fries, but I have to admit, I was expecting them to be...well, woody. Not at all! Very interesting flavors and we all enjoyed some.
Paul had the potato pancakes, which he also enjoyed. They were very interesting, too--they were basically like puffs of mashed potatoes, with interesting toppings. I don't remember much about them because I was so focused on my own and the kids' meals.
I had the Jamaican BBQ and it was all delicious. It had lots of different things in it....red beans and rice, corn fritters that were SPICY!, something like a hash browns but I'm not sure it was potatoes. Boy, I sure wish I'd remembered what all was supposed to be in it! Then there was an orange half that was hollowed out a bit and stuffed with a mixture that could have been potatoes or yucca or something like that....but it definitely had coconut in it, and it was nicely sweet but not overly. Oh, and grilled squash and onions.
We did not stay for dessert, as we'd already been there a long time! Though it's just a half block from Pix Pattiserie, which I was thinking of going to after....but after I did not give a second thought to this idea. I was already sated with some of the best food I've eaten in a long time.
The Citysearch review we looked at for Nutshell says it's a good place for kids. I'd have to disagree, unfortunately. Though it's probably fine for kids to make noise, as it's a pretty noisy place, there's not much that's kid-friendly on the menu. They did offer to make Zac plain spaghetti with vegetables, but he chose the truffle spaghetti because I told him that truffles are very expensive. ;-) But really, I felt a bit out of place there, myself, and not just because I had kids along (they were the only kids in the restaurant). It is a very trendy, hip place where it's cool to be in your 20s and hanging out with friends.
But don't let that stop any of you non-twenty-somethings from trying it! Because why should the twenty-somethings get all the good vegan food?
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Doughnuts at Patrick's Point!
Here is the promised doughnut recipe that I used when we went to Patrick's Point. It was pretty easy to make these while camping, even if it did take forever because of the cool weather. But they're just as easy to make at home.
Here's the recipe, just as I sent it to the campers' email list.
Hey doughnut-eaters,
So, here's the recipe I used for the doughnuts. I don't think I'd
used this recipe before, and when I looked at it originally I thought
"no milk? I'm not so sure..." But Joy of Cooking was the only
cookbook I brought with me, so that was it. And they were
scrumptious, no? I had to make more when we got home, since I didn't
get my doughnut binge in at PP (the real reason for making doughnuts...)
Yeast Doughnuts ala Joy of Cooking
JoC notes that these would be perfect for filling with jelly,
especially how I made them with no holes. It also notes that as you
add the eggs, the dough will fall apart and then come together. (So
don't be alarmed.)
Also, this recipe does best if all ingredients are at room temp, and
especially the butter.
Stir together in a medium bowl:
1 cup warm (105-115 degree) water
2 envelopes active dry yeast (for heavens sake, buy bulk Bob's Red
Mill yeast and save yourself the trouble of yeast that doesn't work
right, and use 4 teaspoons)
Let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add and
stir until the mixture is smooth:
1 cup all-purpose flour
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap (I just use a dinner plate)
and let rise in a warm place until bubbly, 30-60 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat until creamy, about 30 seconds (if you're using
a mixer...):
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
Gradually add and beat until light and fluffy:
2/3 cup sugar
Add, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition:
3 large eggs
Add and beat until blended:
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
grated zest of 1/2 lemon or 1/4 orange (optional; I didn't use it at PP)
Add the yeast mixture along with:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (at home, I'd run out of white flour,
and use whole wheat pastry flour. No one knew any different!)
Mix until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough, which will
be very soft and golden, wraps around the dough hook or paddle and
comes away from the sides of the bowl. (If you do not have a heavy-
duty mixer, the batter can be beaten by hand with a wooden spoon.)
(Here the book says to butter a large bowl and then add the dough,
but I just leave the dough in the same bowl to fine results.) Cover
the bowl tightly with plastic wrap (again I use a dinner plate) and
let rise in a warm place (warm place at PP? Yeah, right. That's why
it took all day) until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch
the dough down, wrap tightly in plastic (I just left in the same
bowl) and then a large plastic bag (just the bowl and plate) and
refrigerate (leave out on the camp table) for at least 3 hours (until
it doubles) or overnight.
Working on a lightly floured surface with half of the dough at a
time, pat or roll the dough out 1/2 inch think. Cut with a well-
floured doughnut cutter (or biscuit cutter, for no holes) and place
the doughnuts and holes on wax paper. Repeat with remaining half of
dough. Let rise, uncovered, in a warm place (ha) until soft and
puffy to the touch (until you can't stand it anymore), about 30 minutes.
Heat vegetable oil or shortening (I use Spectrum shortening) in a
deep pot at least a couple inches deep to a temp of 365. Drop in 3
or 4 doughnuts at a time and fry until golden, turning to fry on both
sides. Drain on paper towels (I used an overturned cardboard box
that I'd wiped pretty clean, and at home I used paper bags) and dust
with powdered sugar or shake in a bag with sugar. (Actually,
shaking in a small paper bag with either one works quite well. You
can also make a glaze if you wish, by mixing powdered sugar with
water. Or use cinnamon sugar. Or honey. Possibilities are endless!)
Make sure and eat these within a few hours, or a day at most. They
won't be good for too much longer than that.
Enjoy!
Here's the recipe, just as I sent it to the campers' email list.
Hey doughnut-eaters,
So, here's the recipe I used for the doughnuts. I don't think I'd
used this recipe before, and when I looked at it originally I thought
"no milk? I'm not so sure..." But Joy of Cooking was the only
cookbook I brought with me, so that was it. And they were
scrumptious, no? I had to make more when we got home, since I didn't
get my doughnut binge in at PP (the real reason for making doughnuts...)
Yeast Doughnuts ala Joy of Cooking
JoC notes that these would be perfect for filling with jelly,
especially how I made them with no holes. It also notes that as you
add the eggs, the dough will fall apart and then come together. (So
don't be alarmed.)
Also, this recipe does best if all ingredients are at room temp, and
especially the butter.
Stir together in a medium bowl:
1 cup warm (105-115 degree) water
2 envelopes active dry yeast (for heavens sake, buy bulk Bob's Red
Mill yeast and save yourself the trouble of yeast that doesn't work
right, and use 4 teaspoons)
Let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add and
stir until the mixture is smooth:
1 cup all-purpose flour
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap (I just use a dinner plate)
and let rise in a warm place until bubbly, 30-60 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat until creamy, about 30 seconds (if you're using
a mixer...):
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
Gradually add and beat until light and fluffy:
2/3 cup sugar
Add, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition:
3 large eggs
Add and beat until blended:
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
grated zest of 1/2 lemon or 1/4 orange (optional; I didn't use it at PP)
Add the yeast mixture along with:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (at home, I'd run out of white flour,
and use whole wheat pastry flour. No one knew any different!)
Mix until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough, which will
be very soft and golden, wraps around the dough hook or paddle and
comes away from the sides of the bowl. (If you do not have a heavy-
duty mixer, the batter can be beaten by hand with a wooden spoon.)
(Here the book says to butter a large bowl and then add the dough,
but I just leave the dough in the same bowl to fine results.) Cover
the bowl tightly with plastic wrap (again I use a dinner plate) and
let rise in a warm place (warm place at PP? Yeah, right. That's why
it took all day) until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch
the dough down, wrap tightly in plastic (I just left in the same
bowl) and then a large plastic bag (just the bowl and plate) and
refrigerate (leave out on the camp table) for at least 3 hours (until
it doubles) or overnight.
Working on a lightly floured surface with half of the dough at a
time, pat or roll the dough out 1/2 inch think. Cut with a well-
floured doughnut cutter (or biscuit cutter, for no holes) and place
the doughnuts and holes on wax paper. Repeat with remaining half of
dough. Let rise, uncovered, in a warm place (ha) until soft and
puffy to the touch (until you can't stand it anymore), about 30 minutes.
Heat vegetable oil or shortening (I use Spectrum shortening) in a
deep pot at least a couple inches deep to a temp of 365. Drop in 3
or 4 doughnuts at a time and fry until golden, turning to fry on both
sides. Drain on paper towels (I used an overturned cardboard box
that I'd wiped pretty clean, and at home I used paper bags) and dust
with powdered sugar or shake in a bag with sugar. (Actually,
shaking in a small paper bag with either one works quite well. You
can also make a glaze if you wish, by mixing powdered sugar with
water. Or use cinnamon sugar. Or honey. Possibilities are endless!)
Make sure and eat these within a few hours, or a day at most. They
won't be good for too much longer than that.
Enjoy!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Egg Custard for One
No, I don't live alone, but my family doesn't always share my food obsessions. :-) I've been enjoying this one solo. A nice little dessert that uses an egg from my huge supply from my hens. :-) It's pretty quick to make in the microwave. I'm not a big fan of microwave cooking, and most of the time would be content without one. But custard is a perfect dish to make in the microwave--no bain marie required.
Egg Custard for One
Use a microwave-safe cereal or soup bowl. Crack one egg into it and beat with a fork. Add two tablespoons sugar and a tiny pinch of salt and stir well. Add 3/4 cup milk, a tiny pinch of nutmeg, and a few drops of vanilla. Stir very well, making sure the egg is incorporated. Put in the microwave for 15 minutes, power level 3. (Make sure not to cook this on high!) It should be set, with just a bit of jiggle in the middle.
I suppose you could top this with fresh fruit. But I enjoy it as is in all it's eggy glory. And you can wait until it cools, but I eat it--carefully!--right after it comes out of the microwave.
One added thing I've been using with this recipe that's really delicious--a little luxury--I bought some vanilla salt at The Meadow on Mississippi and it is *perfect* for this use! I top the finished custard with a small pinch before eating it. Yum!
Egg Custard for One
Use a microwave-safe cereal or soup bowl. Crack one egg into it and beat with a fork. Add two tablespoons sugar and a tiny pinch of salt and stir well. Add 3/4 cup milk, a tiny pinch of nutmeg, and a few drops of vanilla. Stir very well, making sure the egg is incorporated. Put in the microwave for 15 minutes, power level 3. (Make sure not to cook this on high!) It should be set, with just a bit of jiggle in the middle.
I suppose you could top this with fresh fruit. But I enjoy it as is in all it's eggy glory. And you can wait until it cools, but I eat it--carefully!--right after it comes out of the microwave.
One added thing I've been using with this recipe that's really delicious--a little luxury--I bought some vanilla salt at The Meadow on Mississippi and it is *perfect* for this use! I top the finished custard with a small pinch before eating it. Yum!
Pasta with Pesto
I realize that most of my readers probably already know how to make this dish. But I thought I'd post it, because it's my favorite dish for a quick summer dinner. I usually make it on marketing day, for two reasons: one, it's easy to make for the end of a long day, and two, when I'm using basil from the farmer's market I want to use it as soon as possible to preserve the good flavor and freshness.
A food processor works best here. You don't have to have one of those big fancy ones--a simple mini-processor can be had for $50 new, or find one at a consignment shop or garage sale. If you don't have a food processor, a blender will do in a pinch. You could try the old-fashioned method--a mortar and pestle, but I've never had that work for me.
Pasta with Pesto
Start a pot of water to boil for one pound of pasta. We like angel hair, but you could use any kind of pasta. Angel hair cooks very quickly.
Use a colander full of fresh basil from your garden, or one bunch of basil from the farmer's market. Pull the leaves off the stems after you wash it and place in the bowl of your food processor. Add two cloves of garlic and a small handful of pine nuts or other nuts. I sometimes toast the nuts before I add them--be careful not to burn pine nuts! They are very small and burn easily. I have become quite the pine nut burning expert. :-P Process these together for just a few pulses, then add olive oil through the feeder, about 1/4 cup. If you aren't serving a vegan, you can add about 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese now.
Remove the pesto to a large pasta bowl.
Cook the pasta until al dente. When it's almost done, remove about half a cup of the cooking water. Add some to the pesto and stir. You want it to be a nice, spreadable consistency. When the pasta is done, drain and add it to the pesto. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the top, then drizzle a bit of the cooking water over that. Then toss the pasta and pesto together.
I love to top this with halved cherry tomatoes, but I also serve it with roasted zucchini when the cherry tomatoes aren't in season yet. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle.
A food processor works best here. You don't have to have one of those big fancy ones--a simple mini-processor can be had for $50 new, or find one at a consignment shop or garage sale. If you don't have a food processor, a blender will do in a pinch. You could try the old-fashioned method--a mortar and pestle, but I've never had that work for me.
Pasta with Pesto
Start a pot of water to boil for one pound of pasta. We like angel hair, but you could use any kind of pasta. Angel hair cooks very quickly.
Use a colander full of fresh basil from your garden, or one bunch of basil from the farmer's market. Pull the leaves off the stems after you wash it and place in the bowl of your food processor. Add two cloves of garlic and a small handful of pine nuts or other nuts. I sometimes toast the nuts before I add them--be careful not to burn pine nuts! They are very small and burn easily. I have become quite the pine nut burning expert. :-P Process these together for just a few pulses, then add olive oil through the feeder, about 1/4 cup. If you aren't serving a vegan, you can add about 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese now.
Remove the pesto to a large pasta bowl.
Cook the pasta until al dente. When it's almost done, remove about half a cup of the cooking water. Add some to the pesto and stir. You want it to be a nice, spreadable consistency. When the pasta is done, drain and add it to the pesto. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the top, then drizzle a bit of the cooking water over that. Then toss the pasta and pesto together.
I love to top this with halved cherry tomatoes, but I also serve it with roasted zucchini when the cherry tomatoes aren't in season yet. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Fudge Truffle Cheesecake
Or as we call it, simply Chocolate Cheesecake. I clipped this recipe from a magazine many years ago, and I don't even remember which one or when. Maybe it was even from one of those promotional cookbooklets? I don't remember.
I used to make this during Cheesefare Week**, but it rarely gets done anymore at that time of year. We're just so focused on so many different rich foods, and it's just too much to eat a whole cheesecake by ourselves, along with all that other stuff. So, when Paul recently mysteriously found my recipe on the dining room table (not sure how it got there...) and he asked, "oh, are you planning to make chocolate cheesecake?" I said no, but when he said, "could you?" I said, okay.
And I meant to get a picture of it! But I didn't remember to do so until I was on my last bite of it. I was going to snap one of that, but the camera's battery was depleted. So you'll just have to take my word for it: this cheesecake is utterly dark and lovely. It's not too hard to make, either.
Oh and sorry--no vegan alternatives for this one. :-)
Fudge Truffle Cheesecake
First, make the Chocolate Crumb Crust:
In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 15 wafers), 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa and 1/3 cup melted butter. Press firmly on bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
Note on the crust: I sometimes use chocolate wafers, or even chocolate sandwich-type cookies, and omit the cocoa and some of the sugar, to good results. Maybe use a bit more crumbs. It's easiest to make cookie crumbs in a blender or food processor.
Filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened (I *love* the Gina Marie cream cheese, from the Sierra Nevada Cheese Company; you can buy it at New Seasons or Food Front locally. Non-locally, you're on your own!)
1 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is set. Cool. Chill. Garnish as desired (garnish? Who needs garnish?) and refrigerate the leftovers.
**Cheesefare Week, also called Butter Week in the Russian church, is the time in the Orthodox church right before Lent begins. It's the equivalent to Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday in the Catholic Church. Except, of course, that fasting is null and void (practically) in the Catholic church during Lent. In the Orthodox church we really know how to *fast.* :-)
I used to make this during Cheesefare Week**, but it rarely gets done anymore at that time of year. We're just so focused on so many different rich foods, and it's just too much to eat a whole cheesecake by ourselves, along with all that other stuff. So, when Paul recently mysteriously found my recipe on the dining room table (not sure how it got there...) and he asked, "oh, are you planning to make chocolate cheesecake?" I said no, but when he said, "could you?" I said, okay.
And I meant to get a picture of it! But I didn't remember to do so until I was on my last bite of it. I was going to snap one of that, but the camera's battery was depleted. So you'll just have to take my word for it: this cheesecake is utterly dark and lovely. It's not too hard to make, either.
Oh and sorry--no vegan alternatives for this one. :-)
Fudge Truffle Cheesecake
First, make the Chocolate Crumb Crust:
In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 15 wafers), 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa and 1/3 cup melted butter. Press firmly on bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
Note on the crust: I sometimes use chocolate wafers, or even chocolate sandwich-type cookies, and omit the cocoa and some of the sugar, to good results. Maybe use a bit more crumbs. It's easiest to make cookie crumbs in a blender or food processor.
Filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened (I *love* the Gina Marie cream cheese, from the Sierra Nevada Cheese Company; you can buy it at New Seasons or Food Front locally. Non-locally, you're on your own!)
1 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is set. Cool. Chill. Garnish as desired (garnish? Who needs garnish?) and refrigerate the leftovers.
**Cheesefare Week, also called Butter Week in the Russian church, is the time in the Orthodox church right before Lent begins. It's the equivalent to Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday in the Catholic Church. Except, of course, that fasting is null and void (practically) in the Catholic church during Lent. In the Orthodox church we really know how to *fast.* :-)
Monday, August 20, 2007
Caldo Verde
So simple, so good, so good for you!
I had an infestation in my kale, which had grown to a huge bush, of bugs just before we left on vacation. So I cut it down to the roots, and when we returned, it was all ready to harvest again! I love greens that do that. Anyway, I hadn't gotten around to making anything with it until tonight. This morning Hibi reminded me that it was there, definitely ready to cook with. So I made her favorite--Caldo Verde, or Portuguese Greens Soup. I have adapted it from the Joy of Cooking cookbook, where it originally called for sausage. It is delicious without! And the kale has never tasted better--so tender! I think this was the best kale I've ever eaten.
You can, of course, use other greens in this soup. I've tried chard, collard greens, I think I even used rapini once. But kale is the best, in my humble opinion.
Caldo Verde
Chop one onion and two cloves of garlic and saute them in a soup pot in one tablespoon of olive oil, until softened and golden brown. Add 4 thinly sliced potatoes OR 2 potatoes and 2 turnips or rutabegas (I used turnips from my garden tonight), 8 cups of vegetable broth or water or a combo, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat; lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10-20 minutes, until potatoes are very soft. Use a potato masher to coarsely mash the potatoes, or use a stick blender to lightly puree.
Chop one bunch of kale coarsely (about 4 cups chopped) and add to the soup. Stir it in, then turn off the heat. Add a half a lemon's worth of juice and serve with lemon wedges and parmesan cheese. Serve alongside some freshly baked raisin bread!
Red Vegetarian Pozole
A friend of mine makes a wonderful Green Vegetarian Pozole (we first found out the difference while in Mexico) and I love it. But I was first introduced to Pozole by my friend Lisa in San Francisco. I'd been to gatherings where pozole was served before, but it always had pork in it and so I never tried it. Lisa's red pozole was so good I had to email her after I got home and ask her to send me the recipe! She says it's from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook. Recently I made it using all produce from my garden. Well, not the avocadoes! I don't think those will grow anywhere close to Portland, unfortunately! Oh, yeah, not the limes either. But the tomatoes, squash, peppers and cilantro were from my garden.
Vegetarian Pozole
4 tsp. vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1/8 plus 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups canned tomatoes with juice, chopped
3-4 cups peeled, seeded and cubed delicata squash (Lisa notes that she uses whatever orange squash she has on hand...however, I think delicata is absolutely the easiest and tastiest to work with)
4 cups coarsely chopped green or red bell pepper (I used the sweet peppers I have growing in my garden)
4 cups drained hominy (2 15 oz. cans)
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
2-3 tbsp. minced chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, sage, or epazote
Grated Monterey Jack cheese, avocado cubes, crushed tortilla chips, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded lettuce, sour cream, and/or fresh lime wedges for garnishing
Warm the oil in a soup pot. Add the onions and saute on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes until golden. Stir in the garlic and 1/8 teaspoon of salt and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and squash and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the bell peppers, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the squash is tender. Stir in the hominy, lime juice, chipotles, remaining salt, and the oregano, sage or epazote. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite garnishes.
Vegetarian Pozole
4 tsp. vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1/8 plus 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups canned tomatoes with juice, chopped
3-4 cups peeled, seeded and cubed delicata squash (Lisa notes that she uses whatever orange squash she has on hand...however, I think delicata is absolutely the easiest and tastiest to work with)
4 cups coarsely chopped green or red bell pepper (I used the sweet peppers I have growing in my garden)
4 cups drained hominy (2 15 oz. cans)
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
2-3 tbsp. minced chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, sage, or epazote
Grated Monterey Jack cheese, avocado cubes, crushed tortilla chips, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded lettuce, sour cream, and/or fresh lime wedges for garnishing
Warm the oil in a soup pot. Add the onions and saute on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes until golden. Stir in the garlic and 1/8 teaspoon of salt and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and squash and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the bell peppers, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the squash is tender. Stir in the hominy, lime juice, chipotles, remaining salt, and the oregano, sage or epazote. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite garnishes.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Garden Produce
We've all been at church camp this week, but I've been coming home to pay attention to all the things around here that need attention. Like the garden! Wow, here's the harvest from *just today.* I didn't even plant those pumpkins--they're volunteers, presumably from last year's compost. And there are more out in the garden, some that are just getting started! And I finally realized that the eggplant varieties I have won't get any bigger, and picked them. One is light purple streaked with white, and then there's the three white ones. The big white one, I think, is two that grew together. And lots of tomatoes! That haven't even been added to the tomatoes in the windowsill yet....did I say we were keeping up with the tomatoes? Well, maybe when we're not at camp! I'm thinking perhaps making tomato soup and freezing it for winter would be a good option for tomato excess.
I have to commend the hard-working stupice for the second year in a row! Much as I love heirlooms, and could be happy with nothing but heirlooms on my table, I also am pragmatic and like to have tomatoes consistently. Stupice is the one for that. I pick at least 3 or 4 every other day, sometimes significantly more, and they're early and go late. Pretty tasty too! They're small, but that's okay for just about any use. They're the ones in the front left.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Eggplant Parmesan
One of my favorite summertime dishes! Though I'm disappointed that my garden eggplant are still not ready. But the tomatoes and basil came from my garden. The original recipe comes from The Joy of Cooking; the vegan version is my adaptation. Though really, the "original" I've adapted as well because I don't think the proportions for the coating are correct.
Eggplant Parmesan
Slice two medium eggplants into 1/2 inch thick rounds. (Make sure to trim both ends; they can be tough and overly chewy.) Set up three dishes: the first, a small plate with flour on it, the second 3 eggs beaten with a tablespoon of olive oil, the third a mound of bread crumbs, processed from about 4 slices of bread. First dredge the slices in the flour, then soak in egg, then coat with the breadcrumbs. Lay each slice on a rack and let them dry for 10 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice 5 large-ish tomatoes and put into a colander. Let them drain for 20 minutes. Then toss with 1/2 cup chopped basil, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for up to 30 minutes, or until you're ready to start layering.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat, in a large skillet, until the oil is shimmering. Add eggplant in one layer and cook in batches. Turn after about 4 minutes, when golden brown. When golden brown on both sides, remove to a plate. Add more olive oil if needed and finish frying the remaining eggplant in batches. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 425.
Coat a 9X12 baking pan with half the tomato sauce. Layer the eggplant, overlapping them as needed, or use an 11X17 pan for less overlapping. Top with the remaining sauce and then dust with 2 teaspoons of oregano and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine and sprinkle over the top: 1 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese and 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese. Optionally, you can sprinkle over the top a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and browned in spots.
We like this with pasta.
Now for the vegan version:
When you're coating the eggplant slices, dredge with flour, then dip in soy milk, then in vegan breadcrumbs. Instead of cheese, use crumbled tofu. That's it!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Delicata!
I've never grown winter squash before, but this year I tried out Delicata squash. It's my favorite winter squash, because it's tasty, yes, but it's also a lot easier to deal with than lots of other squashes. It's small, small enough to serve two or even just one per piece, and it's skin is a lot thinner and easier to peel than types like pumpkin or butternut squash. (I'm cringing just thinking of the time when I was trying to peel a big winter squash using a dull-ish knife....thinking about how many ways I could injure myself while trying to do so!)
I didn't realize it would be ready so soon, though. I just brought these in from the garden today. I thought I had read that winter squash was planted at the same time as summer squash, and they grew for longer to develop the tougher skins. But these were just about as quick as the summer squash. Does anyone have any more info for me on that?
I've also got pumpkins growing out there that I didn't plant! They must have survived our compost pile and planted themselves. There's quite a few of them, and two quite large ones. I don't know if these ones will last until Halloween....that's why it's good that pumpkin can be used for more than just jack-o-lanterns! One very easy way to use pumpkin is just slice it and fry it in oil. Season with salt and pepper, and add other spices that sound good to you if you wish.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
How I began gardening
While watering the garden, I was realizing that in the time since we got home from vacation, almost a week, we've eaten tomatoes every single day. The day we got home it was eggplant parmesan, on Saturday it was a zucchini-tomato bake with fresh basil and oregano, Sunday we made a zucchini tomato frittata, Monday it was Greek green beans (with fresh tomatoes instead of canned sauce), yummy tomato soup on Tuesday, which I had to make sure I had plenty of tomatoes for because it takes three pounds of them, and last night we had a small tomato basil salad along with our white beans and chard. Tonight we'll have pasta with pesto and cherry tomatoes. In fact, I've bought no produce since we returned home except for fruit and onions.
It's so satisfying to be able to provide such delicious food for my family, all home-grown. Especially when it comes to tomatoes! We'd get sick of zucchini when it keeps giving and giving (though, sadly, I think my zucchini plant has died!) but we will always be hungry for tomatoes. The satisfying feeling is akin the feeling I got when I realized, after Hibiscus was born, that I could feed her completely from my own body, no formula needed. My body was made to make and feed babies. Nothing short of amazing!
I told about how I started gardening on Deb's blog, and I thought I'd share it here, because it's kind of funny! It's really Hibi's fault, or perhaps it's really Robert McCloskey's fault. Here's the very roundabout story of how I began gardening:
My parents always had a vegetable garden when I was growing up, but to be honest it always seemed so utilitarian, and very standard. I never even liked tomatoes until I tried heirlooms. I don't remember going out to the garden to harvest anything myself, like my kids go and eat cherry tomatoes and peas off the plant. And all those straight rows! (I never garden in straight rows...)
One book that we loved to read together when Hibi was five and six was Robert McCloskey's _One Morning in Maine_. It's the long, meandering story of a little girl's day, starting in when she woke and found that she had a loose tooth. When she lost it later that day, she is told that she should make a wish on the lost tooth and she will get it. Lots of things happen in between, but in the end she gets her wish when one of the village storekeepers offers her a chocolate ice cream cone.
Hibi was taken with this idea, and when it came time for her first tooth to come out, she was very excited about a wish being given. At this point, I was worried--the book didn't come with instructions for parents as to how to find out that wish in order to fulfill it! So I convinced her that the tooth fairy (we merged the "wish" idea with the tooth fairy that we'd grown up with) needed her to whisper her wish just as she was laying down in her bed at night. And what I heard that night was a whispered "a turtle!" (I'd been kind of hoping her wish would be the same chocolate ice cream cone...)
Oh, boy. No way a turtle was going to appear under her pillow! So I left a note from the tooth fairy saying that she had charged her parents with taking care of the acquisition of the turtle. A trip to the pet store ensued, and a tortoise was obtained named Torty. (We decided after that that the *first* tooth lost got a special wish; the following ones just got ordinary money!)
After we had Torty in her aquarium, we really felt kind of bad that she didn't have more room to crawl around. So, in front of our apartment, we created a space that was fenced in where she could crawl around. It was Paul's idea to make it a little garden with plants that she would like to eat. So, we especially for her planted petunias (she loved petunias!) and chard and aloe vera. (No tomatoes or basil back then--this was the fog belt of San Francisco!) And not only did Torty have a beautiful little world to crawl around in, but a gardener was born: me. That tiny space was perfect for a beginner gardener as it wasn't overwhelming, but just the right amount of space to figure out how to grow things.
Fellow gardeners, how did you begin your gardening venture? Please leave a comment, and if you blog about it let me know!
It's so satisfying to be able to provide such delicious food for my family, all home-grown. Especially when it comes to tomatoes! We'd get sick of zucchini when it keeps giving and giving (though, sadly, I think my zucchini plant has died!) but we will always be hungry for tomatoes. The satisfying feeling is akin the feeling I got when I realized, after Hibiscus was born, that I could feed her completely from my own body, no formula needed. My body was made to make and feed babies. Nothing short of amazing!
I told about how I started gardening on Deb's blog, and I thought I'd share it here, because it's kind of funny! It's really Hibi's fault, or perhaps it's really Robert McCloskey's fault. Here's the very roundabout story of how I began gardening:
My parents always had a vegetable garden when I was growing up, but to be honest it always seemed so utilitarian, and very standard. I never even liked tomatoes until I tried heirlooms. I don't remember going out to the garden to harvest anything myself, like my kids go and eat cherry tomatoes and peas off the plant. And all those straight rows! (I never garden in straight rows...)
One book that we loved to read together when Hibi was five and six was Robert McCloskey's _One Morning in Maine_. It's the long, meandering story of a little girl's day, starting in when she woke and found that she had a loose tooth. When she lost it later that day, she is told that she should make a wish on the lost tooth and she will get it. Lots of things happen in between, but in the end she gets her wish when one of the village storekeepers offers her a chocolate ice cream cone.
Hibi was taken with this idea, and when it came time for her first tooth to come out, she was very excited about a wish being given. At this point, I was worried--the book didn't come with instructions for parents as to how to find out that wish in order to fulfill it! So I convinced her that the tooth fairy (we merged the "wish" idea with the tooth fairy that we'd grown up with) needed her to whisper her wish just as she was laying down in her bed at night. And what I heard that night was a whispered "a turtle!" (I'd been kind of hoping her wish would be the same chocolate ice cream cone...)
Oh, boy. No way a turtle was going to appear under her pillow! So I left a note from the tooth fairy saying that she had charged her parents with taking care of the acquisition of the turtle. A trip to the pet store ensued, and a tortoise was obtained named Torty. (We decided after that that the *first* tooth lost got a special wish; the following ones just got ordinary money!)
After we had Torty in her aquarium, we really felt kind of bad that she didn't have more room to crawl around. So, in front of our apartment, we created a space that was fenced in where she could crawl around. It was Paul's idea to make it a little garden with plants that she would like to eat. So, we especially for her planted petunias (she loved petunias!) and chard and aloe vera. (No tomatoes or basil back then--this was the fog belt of San Francisco!) And not only did Torty have a beautiful little world to crawl around in, but a gardener was born: me. That tiny space was perfect for a beginner gardener as it wasn't overwhelming, but just the right amount of space to figure out how to grow things.
Fellow gardeners, how did you begin your gardening venture? Please leave a comment, and if you blog about it let me know!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Paul cooks!
Yes, he did! I was going to offer that he could do a guest post on my cooking blog, but he just told me that he's almost ready to send his book manuscript in if the preface comes in tonight, and he's all ready to start on his *next project.* So, I suppose he's not interested in blogging right now. So I'll do the honors.
This post is to try to inspire others to garden and raise chickens, because almost everything in the frittata came from our garden or chickens!
Here's how this came down: Paul is still on vacation until tomorrow, and we wanted to attend a different church on this last day. So Paul had energy and time to say, hey, after church why don't we make a frittata with zucchini and cherry tomatoes? Ooh, that sounded good. So we found a recipe for zucchini frittata in Joy of Cooking, and adapted it. Here's how he did it:
First, he sauteed one cup of thinly sliced onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet, until golden brown. We added one large-ish zucchini, thinly sliced, and a small basket-full of cherry tomatoes, halved, and cooked it about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, we beat 5 eggs in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a bit of freshly ground pepper.
Once the vegetables were finished cooking, Paul put them in a bowl to cool. Then I convinced him that even though that broth (oh, he had a Greek word to describe it....probably got it from one of our bishops who love to cook) looked very tasty, it should be drained off before adding to the eggs, so they wouldn't be runny. He saved the broth, however, so I can use it in soup.
So then he added the veggies to the egg mixture, along with 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese and about 1/4 cup combined fresh parsley and basil. He heated two tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet and then poured in the egg mixture and reduced the heat. He cooked it until the bottom was set and then put it in the broiler until it was nice and golden brown. He cut it in wedges and served it. Yum!
I sure hope it isn't next year's vacation before he cooks again!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Summer Garden Stew
Hot! Hot! Hot! It was 104 today! Yesterday it was only 86, and this is the first time this summer it's gotten anywhere close to 104. I couldn't quite think about cooking what I had planned, which was scallion crepes and bok choy from Local Flavors cookbook (which I haven't made before...hopefully I'll be able to make it sometime, as I do have plenty of bok choy in my garden!). Somehow standing over a hot griddle cooking crepes just didn't appeal.
So, I went out in my garden with colander and knife in hand. I went through and picked everything that I could. That turned out to be: one zucchini, a handful of basil, bunch of chives, 5 cherry tomatoes, 2 slightly larger tomatoes, the last of the peas, the first of the green beans, a big bunch bok choy, and one short, fat carrot.
I chopped the scallions I'd planned for the crepes and three cloves of garlic and sauteed them lightly in olive oil. Then I threw in all the other veggies, chopped if appropriate, except the basil and chives. Cooked that for a while and then added a bit of vegetable broth, not to cover, just enough to get them good and wet. I cooked them until the broth was reduced and everything was tender, then threw in the basil and chives.
I cooked a pot of pasta then served the stew over the pasta, and topped it with a dab of butter, ricotta, and parmesan.
It was delicious!
So, I went out in my garden with colander and knife in hand. I went through and picked everything that I could. That turned out to be: one zucchini, a handful of basil, bunch of chives, 5 cherry tomatoes, 2 slightly larger tomatoes, the last of the peas, the first of the green beans, a big bunch bok choy, and one short, fat carrot.
I chopped the scallions I'd planned for the crepes and three cloves of garlic and sauteed them lightly in olive oil. Then I threw in all the other veggies, chopped if appropriate, except the basil and chives. Cooked that for a while and then added a bit of vegetable broth, not to cover, just enough to get them good and wet. I cooked them until the broth was reduced and everything was tender, then threw in the basil and chives.
I cooked a pot of pasta then served the stew over the pasta, and topped it with a dab of butter, ricotta, and parmesan.
It was delicious!
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Trebol
We have a new, cool restaurant in our neighborhood! Okay, technically it's in the next neighborhood over, but just barely. We walked to Trebol, a Oaxacan restaurant, last night, on a gorgeous June evening, past the beautiful rose garden (which we stopped to browse after). We found Trebol to be a place that's more spendy than we'd like to go to frequently, but for a once-in-awhile treat, it's marvelous.
We started out with the guacamole and fresh corn tortillas. We all thought we'd died and gone to heaven. It's studded with carmelized garlic, and is just fabulous! They also bring out a plate of corn tortillas and two kinds of sauces--tamarind and serrano chile.
Paul and I both had the enchilada with spinach and mushrooms and is topped with an over-easy egg--delicious! They made a special dinner for Zac, because nothing on the menu appealed to him. They made him a black bean and cheese burrito. Hibi ordered a vegan soup but didn't like it, so they took it off the bill and brought another order of guacamole for her. She was happy! I had a tamarind margarita, and the kids both had a lavender lemonade. They had all kinds of flavors of lemonade--tamarind, mango, lavender....I can't remember them all.
We enjoyed our meal very much. But we'd really like them to offer a greater choice for vegetarians, especially vegans. The owner/chef is a former chef at Higgins, and he is following the tradition there of using only fresh, seasonal, local ingredients, which is wonderful! However, Higgins also only offers limited dishes for vegetarians. We've never brought Hibi there, so I don't know what they have for vegans.
I do hope they're able to settle into the neighborhood, and provide what this neighborhood needs. I think Trebol has great potential!
We started out with the guacamole and fresh corn tortillas. We all thought we'd died and gone to heaven. It's studded with carmelized garlic, and is just fabulous! They also bring out a plate of corn tortillas and two kinds of sauces--tamarind and serrano chile.
Paul and I both had the enchilada with spinach and mushrooms and is topped with an over-easy egg--delicious! They made a special dinner for Zac, because nothing on the menu appealed to him. They made him a black bean and cheese burrito. Hibi ordered a vegan soup but didn't like it, so they took it off the bill and brought another order of guacamole for her. She was happy! I had a tamarind margarita, and the kids both had a lavender lemonade. They had all kinds of flavors of lemonade--tamarind, mango, lavender....I can't remember them all.
We enjoyed our meal very much. But we'd really like them to offer a greater choice for vegetarians, especially vegans. The owner/chef is a former chef at Higgins, and he is following the tradition there of using only fresh, seasonal, local ingredients, which is wonderful! However, Higgins also only offers limited dishes for vegetarians. We've never brought Hibi there, so I don't know what they have for vegans.
I do hope they're able to settle into the neighborhood, and provide what this neighborhood needs. I think Trebol has great potential!
Friday, June 08, 2007
Giant Crusty and Creamy White Beans with Greens
I recently saw this book at a friend's house and I knew instantly that I had to have it. But I decided to take the prudent approach: I first got it out of the library. After it has to go back, *then* I will buy it. ;-)
Super Natural Cooking is written by a San Francisco author. And it is visually so appealing, as well as having wonderful recipes and information about the virtues of different ingredients.
Today I am taking dinner to a friend from church who is ailing. This dish seems to purr lovingly, "comfort food" to me. It came out so scrumptious! (Yes, of course I had to taste it! I had to make sure it's good, didn't I?)
1/2 pound medium or large dried white beans, cooked
1/2 pound medium or large dried white beans, cooked 3 tablespoons clarified butter or olive oil (since I wasn't cooking for a vegan, I used the butter! And I used more than 3 tablespoons...)
Fine-grain sea salt
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 or 7 big leaves chard, preferably rainbow chard, cut into wide ribbons
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
Drain the beans, then heat the butter over medium-high heat in the widest skillet you've got. Add the beans to the hot pan in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans with butter, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3 or 4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. Salt to taste, then add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the onion softens. Stir in the chard and cook until just beginning to wilt. Remove from the heat and season to taste with a generous dose of salt and pepper. Drizzle with a bit of top-quality extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.
I'll bring it over with a loaf of bread from Di Prima Dolci.
Garden Stir-Fry
I made a meal with vegetables completely from my garden last night! It was a simple stir-fry with peas--the edible pod kind, radishes, and broccoli rabe. I even added some fresh oregano though that doesn't seem very authentically Asian! In not too long I can add cilantro, as that's about ready to cut. I used sesame oil to stir-fry and started out by frying cubes of tofu. Then I took out the tofu and fried the veggies. Next came a couple of tablespoons of bean paste, and then 16 oz. of cooked soba noodles, then the tofu came back in. It was delicious!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
What the World Eats
I found the link to this interesting photo gallery on my cousin's blog. It is an interesting look at what families eat all around the world. I found it fascinating to look at the amount of junk food compared to vegetables, processed foods compared to primary-source foods, and how much each family spends on food per week. And how much soda some families consume! Wow. I'm thinking of doing the same for our family, but I'd have to carefully document what we ate in a week to get an honest picture. Now that we don't live way out I can just run to the store that's just a mile away to pick up ice cream, or a forgotten ingredient, or whatever.
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Gratin of Cherry Tomatoes with Ricotta and Basil
Cherry tomatoes are in the farmer's market now! Whoohoo! My own tomato plants are still weeks away from producing ripe, delicious tomatoes (some of which are cherry tomatoes) but they somehow have them in the market. On the upside: some of my plants have little tomatoes on them, and one has a tomato the size of a small egg!
This dish is one of my favorite summer dishes. But then I have so many favorite summer dishes! Summer is my favorite time to cook, because the ripe, flavorful vegetables of summer need so little in the way of preparation to be absolutely wonderful.
This is not veganizable. So I used the rest of the bunch of basil to make pesto for Hibi, and she ate cherry tomatoes along with ciabatta, which I served alongside the gratin to sop up the yummy juices, and pesto. She was happy! You could, I suppose, make it with a vegan ricotta, but I think you'd have to make it yourself because I know of no commercial vegan ricotta. Or just bake tomatoes with the other ingredients.
Gratin of Cherry Tomatoes with Ricotta and Basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds cherry tomatoes, preferably a mix of red and yellow
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta
2 eggs
2 tabelspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 425.
Choose a shallow baking dish that is just large enough to hold the tomatoes snugly packed in a single layer. (I used a 9X13 pan.) Using 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, grease the bottom and sides of the dish. Add the tomatoes, rolling them around to coat with oil.
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, 5 tablespoons of the basil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Sprinkle half of the mixture over the oiled tomatoes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, the remaining 3 tablespoons basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt, the eggs, flour, and cream. Stir until well blended and creamy. Pour this mixture over the crumb-topped tomatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining bread crumb mixture and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Place in the oven and bake until the cheese is slightly browned and the tomatoes have not yet burst, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature, spooned onto individual plates.
This served the three of us non-vegans with just a smidge left over, and I'll bet when I go back to the kitchen I'll find that it's gone. :-) It would, of course, serve more if it was served as a side-dish.
From The Vegetarian Table: France by Georganne Brennan
This dish is one of my favorite summer dishes. But then I have so many favorite summer dishes! Summer is my favorite time to cook, because the ripe, flavorful vegetables of summer need so little in the way of preparation to be absolutely wonderful.
This is not veganizable. So I used the rest of the bunch of basil to make pesto for Hibi, and she ate cherry tomatoes along with ciabatta, which I served alongside the gratin to sop up the yummy juices, and pesto. She was happy! You could, I suppose, make it with a vegan ricotta, but I think you'd have to make it yourself because I know of no commercial vegan ricotta. Or just bake tomatoes with the other ingredients.
Gratin of Cherry Tomatoes with Ricotta and Basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds cherry tomatoes, preferably a mix of red and yellow
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta
2 eggs
2 tabelspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 425.
Choose a shallow baking dish that is just large enough to hold the tomatoes snugly packed in a single layer. (I used a 9X13 pan.) Using 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, grease the bottom and sides of the dish. Add the tomatoes, rolling them around to coat with oil.
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, 5 tablespoons of the basil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Sprinkle half of the mixture over the oiled tomatoes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, the remaining 3 tablespoons basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt, the eggs, flour, and cream. Stir until well blended and creamy. Pour this mixture over the crumb-topped tomatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining bread crumb mixture and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Place in the oven and bake until the cheese is slightly browned and the tomatoes have not yet burst, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature, spooned onto individual plates.
This served the three of us non-vegans with just a smidge left over, and I'll bet when I go back to the kitchen I'll find that it's gone. :-) It would, of course, serve more if it was served as a side-dish.
From The Vegetarian Table: France by Georganne Brennan
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