New Year's Cooking Resolutions

As the New Year is here, we probably are thinking about eating healthier. I cooked the goose on Christmas Day and I do not have to repeat that. It was expensive as I knew, but there was little meat so it was only good for two meals. I did the tenderloin and the potato dish for Christmas Eve and it was all good, but I need to let go of some of the fatty stuff!! One of my resolutions for the New Year is to try different dishes from other countries. We seem to try ethnic dishes only when we eat out, and I know I can do these dishes at home just like I do Indian. So I am trying to expand my cooking with some new cuisines this year. I am planning on attending a cooking school somewhere in the world this year. Have not decided where just yet. I’m leaning toward Ireland and go when it gets hot here. These are just two of my resolutions this year, and yes I may fail in fulfilling them, but one must start somewhere.

Thai cooking is just not something I do very often although I really like the flavors of this cuisine. In the new issue of ‘bon appétit’ there was a whole section on techniques for Thai cooking and some really good looking recipes and I thought, “I can do this”. Thai food is simple, but I think we worry about the ingredients and the fiery flavors or the spices. There is more to Thai cuisine than green coconut curry. So put down that Thai take-out menu and prepare this food at home. I am sure that it will be tastier, healthier, and much easier than you think.

The simplest of all Thai dishes are stir-fries. In stir fries you can increase or decrease the amount of spiciness by controlling the amount of chilies. A secret of stir-frying is to blanch your vegetables before stir frying, so this will decrease your frying time and make them fresher. Start out with medium heat to sauté the aromatics (like garlic) that you want to use to infuse the oil with flavor. Set the garlic aside and never let it burn. Let the oil get hot before putting in the vegetables. This helps caramelize the veggies and sauce alike, giving the dish a complex flavor.

Stir-Fried Brussels sprouts with Garlic and Chili

4-6 servings

4 cups halved Brussels sprouts

Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. thinly sliced garlic

¼ cup oyster sauce

4 tsp. Thai fish sauce (nam pla) It can be found in most grocery stores.

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. sugar

½ tsp. (or more) 1/8” thick slices of red Thai chilies. Thai chilies are quite hot.  You can substitute other hot chilies or some less hot chilies if you prefer.  I think I will try and grow some Thai chilies this year in the garden.

Pinch of ground white pepper

½ cup low-salt chicken broth

Blanch Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 15 seconds. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok (A flat bottom wok works great and if you do or plan to do a lot of stir-frying you might want to invest in one.) or large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and stir until light golden brown, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a small bowl.

Increase heat to high; add the Brussels sprouts. Stir fry until they begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add oyster sauce and next 5 ingredients. Stir-fry for 30 seconds; add chicken broth. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced slightly, about 2 minutes; add more chilies, if desired. Stir in garlic.

There are two types of entrées in Thailand, dishes served with rice or dishes served with noodles. Some of these noodle dishes are served as one-pot meals and are often eaten on the go. Rice noodles generally come dried and need a presoak in warm water. Once pliable, they need only to cook for a few minutes. Cooking the rice noodles with the sauce gives them the flavor of the dish. Noodle dishes are often served with garnishes, including chilies, fish sauce, peanuts, and herbs like garlic chives.

Pad Thai

2 servings

5 oz. pad Thai rice noodles

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 large egg, room temperature

6 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined (optional)

2 Tbsp. 1x1/2 x1/8 “ slices pressed tofu (bean curd)

1 Tbsp. sweet preserved shredded radish, rinsed, chopped into 1’ pieces

1 cup bean sprouts

5 Tbsp. tamarind water, or 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. tamarind paste mixed with 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. water

1 ½ Tbsp. (or more) Thai fish sauce (nam pla)

1 ½ Tbsp. simple syrup

4 garlic chives, 2 cut into 1” pieces

½ tsp. ground dried Thai chilies, divided

2 Tbsp. crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts, divided

2 lime wedges

Place noodles in a large bowl; pour hot water over to cover. Let soak until tender but not mushy, 5-10 minutes. Drain; set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg; stir until barely set, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, if using. Cook, stirring, until shrimp and egg are almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Add tofu and radish; cook for 30 seconds. Add noodles and cook for 1 minute. Stir in sprouts. Add tamarind water, fish sauce, and simple syrup and stir-fry until sauce is absorbed by noodles and noodles are well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in chopped garlic chives. Add ¼ tsp. ground chilies and 1 Tbsp. peanuts and toss well. Transfer to serving plates.

Garnish with remaining ¼ tsp. ground chilies, 1 Tbsp. peanuts, and lime wedges.

Rice the other entrée, is perhaps the soul of the Thai table. I could not finish this article without giving a recipe for coconut rice. You can now buy coconut milk in containers (in the section with the chicken broth) in the grocery store. If you cannot find coconut cream, use 2 cans of coconut milk and use the cream that floats at the top. It will caramelize during cooking, leaving sweet brown flecks in the rice

Coconut Rice

6 servings

2 cups jasmine rice

1 cup coconut cream

1 ½ Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

Rinse rice in a large bowl with cool water until water runs clear. Drain rice.

Combine rice, coconut cream, sugar, salt, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 40-45 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork; cover and let set for 20 minutes.

New Year's 2012

Southerners make their resolutions like anybody else, and probably don’t keep them like everybody else, but they are sure to have their bowl black-eyed peas and a mess of greens for New Years.  My peas will be hoppin’ John and the greens done my favorite way.  Folklore varies about the origins of hoppin’ John. This is a West African dish, a pork-flavored stew pot of rice and black-eyed peas, but the symbolism stays the same. The beans represent coins, and the pork conveys optimism, because pigs forage forward and don’t look back.

We have always had black-eyed peas and greens (usually collards) for New Year’s Day. I love the smell of the ham hock or whatever pork you use for seasoning, cooking with the peas. We could all use some good luck this year, a better economy, better health, and better relationships with family members. I had better eat a lot of peas and greens.

Taken from ‘Garden and Gun’, December and January Issue. The recipe is from the chef Stephen Stryjewski of Cochon Restaurant in New Orleans. (He learned to cook and love this dish in the Carolina lowlands where he lived for a time as an army brat.)

Hoppin’ John

(about 6 servings)

Ingredients (Stage 1)

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over

¾  lb. Tasso ham, diced

1 onion, halved

3 cloves garlic

3 bay leaves

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine ingredients with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 ½  hours. Drain the black-eyed peas and ham, saving cooking liquid separately. Remove and discard the onion pieces, garlic, and bay leaves.

Ingredients (Stage 2)

½ lb. bacon, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

½ tsp. fresh thyme

1 cup Cajun Grain rice or a good quality long grain rice

6 green onions, sliced

½ bunch parsley, chopped

1 tsp. coarse salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Preparation:

Wipe out the pot and return to stove over moderately high heat. Add bacon and render until golden (8 to 10 minutes). Then add the onions, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Using a wooden spoon, stir occasionally, cooking until onions look translucent (8-12 minutes). Add the thyme and 2 ½ cups water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, stir in the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 17 to 22 minutes.

Stir in the green onions, parsley, and black eyed-peas and ham, season with salt and pepper, and adjust the consistency with the reserved cooking liquid. The hoppin’ John should be moist but not soupy.

My greens will be done with my favorite greens recipe. I forget where I got this recipe several years ago.  I try other ways to do greens occasionally but I come back to this one.  We eat greens in the winter several days each week since all I have to do is go to the garden to get mustard or collards.

My Favorite Greens Recipe

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

½ cup onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chicken broth

1 or two bunches of collards or other greens such as mustard or chard

2 tbsps. red wine vinegar

In a large pot, add the olive oil and butter and melt. Add the onion for 1 minute and then add the garlic but do not burn. Add a sprinkle of salt over this. Add the washed and chopped greens to the mixture and stir together for 1 or 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and cook with a covered top for 20-30 minutes on low heat. In the last two minutes of cooking add the red wine vinegar. Season to taste with the pepper and salt.

Happy New Year and good luck!

Southerners make their resolutions like anybody else, and probably don’t keep them like everybody else, but they are sure to have their bowl black-eyed peas and a mess of greens for New Years.  My peas will be hoppin’ John and the greens done my favorite way.  Folklore varies about the origins of hoppin’ John. This is a West African dish, a pork-flavored stew pot of rice and black-eyed peas, but the symbolism stays the same. The beans represent coins, and the pork conveys optimism, because pigs forage forward and don’t look back.

We have always had black-eyed peas and greens (usually collards) for New Year’s Day. I love the smell of the ham hock or whatever pork you use for seasoning, cooking with the peas. We could all use some good luck this year, a better economy, better health, and better relationships with family members. I had better eat a lot of peas and greens.

Taken from ‘Garden and Gun’, December and January Issue. The recipe is from the chef Stephen Stryjewski of Cochon Restaurant in New Orleans. (He learned to cook and love this dish in the Carolina lowlands where he lived for a time as an army brat.)

Hoppin’ John

(about 6 servings)

Ingredients (Stage 1)

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over

¾  lb. Tasso ham, diced

1 onion, halved

3 cloves garlic

3 bay leaves

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine ingredients with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 ½  hours. Drain the black-eyed peas and ham, saving cooking liquid separately. Remove and discard the onion pieces, garlic, and bay leaves.

Ingredients (Stage 2)

½ lb. bacon, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

½ tsp. fresh thyme

1 cup Cajun Grain rice or a good quality long grain rice

6 green onions, sliced

½ bunch parsley, chopped

1 tsp. coarse salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Preparation:

Wipe out the pot and return to stove over moderately high heat. Add bacon and render until golden (8 to 10 minutes). Then add the onions, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Using a wooden spoon, stir occasionally, cooking until onions look translucent (8-12 minutes). Add the thyme and 2 ½ cups water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, stir in the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 17 to 22 minutes.

Stir in the green onions, parsley, and black eyed-peas and ham, season with salt and pepper, and adjust the consistency with the reserved cooking liquid. The hoppin’ John should be moist but not soupy.

My greens will be done with my favorite greens recipe. I forget where I got this recipe several years ago.  I try other ways to do greens occasionally but I come back to this one.  We eat greens in the winter several days each week since all I have to do is go to the garden to get mustard or collards.

My Favorite Greens Recipe

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

½ cup onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chicken broth

1 or two bunches of collards or other greens such as mustard or chard

2 tbsps. red wine vinegar

In a large pot, add the olive oil and butter and melt. Add the onion for 1 minute and then add the garlic but do not burn. Add a sprinkle of salt over this. Add the washed and chopped greens to the mixture and stir together for 1 or 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and cook with a covered top for 20-30 minutes on low heat. In the last two minutes of cooking add the red wine vinegar. Season to taste with the pepper and salt.

Happy New Year and good luck!

Christmas Eve 2011

Tonight is Christmas Eve when we all go to church to sing carols and await the coming of the baby Jesus. A very special night indeed! I will be singing in the choir, and we are doing Ava Maria, which is 9 pages long but only two words to sing, but the trick is knowing when to sing those words. HA!! But it is a beautiful song and I feel lucky to get to take part.

Tonight is also my 36^th wedding anniversary. Who would marry on Christmas Eve? It was the only time my husband had in his residency so we went for it. The service was in Nashville, Tennessee, with candle light and red velvet dresses for the attendants! We spent the honeymoon night in a hotel in Nashville (cannot remember the name) where the country stars went to have some privacy. All I remember about the night was that we had steak. Now, what does that say? I guess it was always the food for me. After church tonight I am doing a special meal with steak, but it has to be simple since we will not eat until after 10PM. The potato dish will be done ahead, so all I have to do is cook the tenderloin and some simple green like broccoli. No dessert this late.

So, Merry Christmas to you and Happy Anniversary to me!

From ‘Saveur’ magazine, October 2011.

Rosemary-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin

1 2-lb. beef tenderloin, trimmed of sinew and excess fat, and tied with kitchen twine

¼ cup canola oil

3 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary (If you don’t have rosemary in the garden put it on your New Year’s list.)

3 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Place beef tenderloin on a sheet of aluminum foil, and rub all over with 2 tbsp. oil, the rosemary, and the garlic. Season the tenderloin generously with salt and pepper, and then let the beef sit at room temperature for 1 hour, to allow the seasonings to penetrate the meat and form a flavorful crust on the exterior of the roast. (This resting period also takes the chill off the meat, which allows it to cook more evenly in the oven.)

Heat oven to 425⁰. Heat the remaining oil and the butter in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully add the tenderloin to the skillet and cook, turning as needed until the beef is browned on all sides, about 7 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to the oven, and cook the tenderloin until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the beef reads 125⁰ for medium rare.

Remove the tenderloin from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes. (During the resting period, the tenderloin will continue to rise in temperature to produce a perfect medium-rare interior, and the tenderloin’s juices will have enough time to distribute evenly throughout the meat.)

When you’re ready to serve the tenderloin, remove the twine, and use a long slicing knife to cut the beef into ½’-thick slices. Transfer slices to a large serving platter, and pour any accumulated juices from the cutting board over the meat to moisten it. Serve immediately or at room temperature with the potato dish given below, and with a green salad or broccoli.

Potato, Mushroom, and Gruyère Gratin

Served 6

2 tablespoons butter, divided

4 ounces wild mushrooms, stems discarded, cut into ¼ -inch slices

4 ounces cremini mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch slices

¾ cup heavy cream

¾ cup whole milk

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 ½ pounds starchy potatoes (such as russets)

1 cup freshly grated aged Gruyère cheese

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400⁰F. Butter the bottom of a shallow 2-or 2 ½ -quart baking dish.

Melt 1 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the wild mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they soften and any liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Work in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the mushrooms in the pan so that they can brown well and stay firm instead of getting slimy and lost in lots of liquid. Pour the cooked mushrooms onto a plate and set aside.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet and cook the cremini mushrooms the same way. Transfer them to the plate and set aside.

Stir together the cream, milk, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and nutmeg in a large saucepan.

Working with one potato at a time,  peel the potatoes and cut into even slices that are no more than 1/8-inch thick and stir them into the cream mixture. A vegetable slicer is ideal, although the slicing can be done with a sharp knife. To make the process easier and safer when using a knife, cut a thin slice off one of the long sides of the potato so that is sits flat and does not wobble on the cutting board.

Bring the potatoes just to a simmer over medium-high heat, then remove the pan from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer half of the potatoes to the prepared dish, spreading them evenly. Top with the cooked mushrooms but leave any accumulated mushroom liquid behind. Spoon the remaining potatoes over the mushrooms, spreading evenly. Pour the potato cooking liquid evenly over the top and sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake until the top is browned and the potatoes are very tender and bubbling around the edges, 45-55 minutes. If the top gets too brown before the potatoes are done, lay a flat sheet of aluminum foil over the top. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Goose for Christmas

I have read several articles lately about cooking a goose for Christmas and decided this was the year for me. I have never eaten or cooked a goose, so why not give it a try? A goose is an expensive item, as I have priced one at Whole Foods for $85.00 for a 12 pound goose. So I do not want to mess it up!

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, on the Cratchit family’s holiday table are potatoes, gravy, applesauce, a pudding “like a speckled cannon-ball” blazing with ignited brandy, but at the center of the meal is a glorious goose. Dickens writes that the Cratchits rush to take their places at the table with their spoons crammed in their mouths, “less they should skriek for goose before their turn came to be helped.” Mr. Crarchit said he didn’t believe there ever was such a goose cooked. Its tenderness and flavor, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration. Mrs. Cratchit saw one small bone left upon the dish, yet everyone had had enough.  These are such great lines from this famous story.

Goose has played an exalted role in food history. Among French and German Jewish communities, beginning in the early Middle Ages, geese were fattened through the autumn and butchered around the time of Hanukkah, before the coming of winter. The Pilgrims brought the domesticated goose to this country, where it was a popular holiday dish until the 19^th century, when it was gradually supplanted by the turkey, a bird now farmed on an industrial scale as the goose has never been.

I keep reading that the goose is hard to cook and that it is greasy. The goose fat can be used for frying potatoes, root vegetables, peppers, onions, eggs and even making goose liver terrines. I plan on putting the goose fat to work for me. Use the leftover goose to make stock for soups.

When I bring to the table my “beautiful roasted goose” I would like to remember Tiny Tim’s grateful voice, “God bless us, everyone.”

This goose recipe is from executive chef Brian Alberg of the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Christmas Goose with Gravy and Roasted Vegetables

Serves 8

For the Goose and Gravy:

1 12-lb. goose, wing tips, neck, and giblets reserved

Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 lemon, halved

8 sprigs thyme

4 sprigs sage

8 cups chicken stock

2 ribs celery, roughly chopped

2 small yellow onions, chopped

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 oz. baby carrots, peeled

1 lb. baby beets, peeled

1 lb. small potatoes, halved

6 cipolline onions, peeled

2 large parsnips, peeled and cut diagonally into 1” slices

1 celery root, peeled, halved, and cut into 1” slices

1 head garlic, cloves peeled

1 sprig rosemary

¼ cup flour

Roast the goose. Prick skin all over with a fork; season with salt and pepper; squeeze lemon juice over the skin. Place spent lemon haves in cavity along with 3 sprigs each thyme and sage. Place goose on a rack in the roasting pan; heat pan on stove over high heat. Add stock; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover with foil, and steam (to render goose fat) for 1 hour. Discard lemon and herbs. Heat oven to 325⁰. Uncover goose; remove it with rack. Pour pan liquid into a measuring cup; let sit until fat rises to top. Skim off fat; reserve for another use. Add 2 cups pan liquid to roasting pan along with celery, onion, and large carrot; reserve remaining pan liquid. Return goose and rack to pan. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Place goose breast side down; cover with foil. Roast for 1 hour.

Begin the gravy: Heat butter in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add wing tips, neck, giblets, and 2 sprigs thyme; cook until browned, about 15 minutes. Add reserved pan liquid; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until reduced by half, about 1 hour, Strain goose stock; set aside.

Increase the oven temperature to 475⁰. Uncover goose; turn breast side up. Roast until golden about 70 minutes.

Meanwhile, roast the vegetables: Toss remaining thyme and sage, oil, carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, parsnips, celery root, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper on two baking sheets. Roast, stirring, until golden brown, about 45 minutes; keep warm.

Transfer goose to a cutting board; let rest for 15 minutes. Strain pan liquid into a measuring cup; let sit until fat rises to the top. Skim off fat (about ¼ cup), and return to pan with the celery, onion, and carrot. Heat over medium-high heat; brown vegetables for 8 minutes. Add flour; cook for 4 minutes. Add strained pan juices and goose stock; boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Strain gravy; season with salt and pepper. Serve goose with gravy and roasted vegetables.

Merry Christmas