Archive for June, 2008

Too Much “Pop” in the Paparadelle

June 8, 2008

What a bummer.

On Friday, we went out to dinner with our friends Kimrick and John. I had the good fortune of being in a fabulous co-op preschool class with my older son for a few years and that is where I met Kimrick. She is a transplanted Southerner and she radiates warmth and friendship. We hadn’t spent enough time with them until last summer when we went to Lake Wenatchee for a weekend. We had a blast with them and their two kids but did not love the incredibly windy spot where we spent said weekend. John told us on Friday night that when he tells people he went there, 75% of them ask, “Was it windy?”. YES.

Last August was a long time ago, so we were overdue for a dinner out with them. To my delight, she asked if we wanted to go to Tilth. This is an almost exclusively organic, lovely little restaurant in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. Recently, it was written up in the New York Times as one of the restaurant critic’s favorite restaurants in the country outside of NYC (read the article here). I had eaten there once before with a friend but Randy had never tried it so I was really excited to go.

The menu at this restaurant is inspired and inspiring. Everything sounds delicious and to my delight, there were two vegetarian main course offerings and only one of them was pasta! The waitress came by to tell us about the special and it was a – can you believe it – vegetarian risotto. I know I have bitched here about only being offered pastas and risottos in restaurants, but I have to say, I have never been told about a special that I could actually eat. I wanted to stand up and applaud!

The great sounding menu made choosing hard. We agreed to share appetizers and then each order our own main dish. One of the nice aspects of this restaurant is that everything is offered in two different sizes. So you can order enough to share or to eat all by yourself – you have a lot of flexibility. We shared a Zucchini Squash Salad and a Dungeness Crab Salad to share (no crab for me) and my expectations were high.

And this is where the evening went downhill. Not from a company standpoint, we had a wonderful evening talking and laughing with Kimrick and John. No, the food, oh the food! Everthing was sooooo SALTY.

I can hear my brother Michael saying, “But you used to put salt on you pizza!”. And it’s true. I did. I love my salt. I probably even over-salt my food. I had noticed, before the food came, that there was a little dish of sea salt on the table. This fact made me happy because I hate when restaurants don’t include that small detail. The message is “our food is perfectly seasoned so you won’t need salt!”. But everyone’s palate is different and, as I said, I tend to err on the salty side.
But this was something else entirely. The Zucchini Salad had some lovely components to it. Nice thin slices of the squash with arugula (one of my faves) and lots of crunchy hazelnuts with a nicely acidic lemon verbena scented dressing. I couldn’t even taste the delicate sweetness of the zucchini though because of the salt. In the moment, I couldn’t even pinpoint what it was that was bothering me about it because I am so used to under-seasoned food.

And then came the entrees. I ended up ordering the Truffled Papparadelle. What is it about Paparadelle? I just love that shape pasta. I am usually more of a stab-it-with-your-fork kind of girl in the pasta world (think rotelle, penne) than a chase -it -round-the-plate-trying-to-wind-it-on-your-fork type (think spaghetti, fettucine). Maybe it’s because it is too big to attempt the wind-around but still has a much more delicate texture than the big chunky pastas. At some point, why ask why – the truth is I love the stuff.

This dish was a wonder to behold. On top of beautifully homemade noodles all wound around shocking green peas and pea vines (another one of my favorites), was a perfectly fried sunny-side up egg. It all but put out it’s hand and said hello to me. There were no brown edges and even the bottom was perfectly white. I cut in to said egg and the gorgeous orange/yellow yolk spilled over my noodles and I literally started to salivate. But one bite told me something was dreadfully wrong.

Again, it was initially hard to place. I first thought, “Oh, it’s too rich. The yolk with the obviously healthy amount of butter is just too rich for me.”. A few bites later I realized that it was just so salty (in addition to being too rich) that it was literally starting to hurt my tongue. Another bite or two and I couldn’t even look at the plate.

Kimrick, bless her, ordered the special so I got to taste something else. The risotto was made with morel mushrooms and thyme and topped with broiled goat cheese. It sounded so interesting that I almost chose that for my entree. But, to me, it was even worse than the pasta. The goat cheese was very strong and there was way too much of it so after one bite, all I could taste was the powerful tang of the cheese and, you guessed it, salt.

I know the desserts are supposed to be good at Tilth but Kimrick and John had to go get their kids and I was ready for a change of venue anyway. Almost immediately, I started to crave another Papparadelle dish. It is one that I have made many times before and I decided that I would modify it so as to include some of the best ideas from the restaurant dish without the dish-destroying salt. I originally started with a recipe from Cooking for Mr. Latte called Paparadelle with Lemon, Herbs, and Ricotta Salata, but I have made many changes. This is a much much lighter dish than I had at Tilth but it is something that I crave, especially with the changes I made most recently inspired by Tilth.
Paparadelle with Herbs and a Poached Egg
Serves 4
I am a kitchen gear-head and I have an egg poacher. If you love poached eggs like I do, this is a worthwhile investment because they turn out perfect in terms of both looks and taste. If you don’t want to spend the $45 to buy one, I give instructions on how to poach eggs in a wide saucepan.

1 lb. paparadelle pasta
4 cups veggie stock
3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
2 lemons, zest grated and juiced
3 tbsp. mixed herbs, chopped (I used thyme, tarragon, and Italian parsley)
1/2 cup English peas, shelled (or use frozen)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
1) Put a large pot of water on to boil and when it is close, add a good sized handful of kosher salt.
2) Put the veggie stock in a small saucepan along with the garlic and bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly so it is still boiling, and cook until reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
3) At some point during the cooking, add the peas (whether they are fresh or frozen) and cook for about one minute, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4) Once the stock is reduced, add the zest and juice of the two lemons, cover, and remove from the heat.
5) Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, then drain.
6) To poach the eggs, bring a wide saucepan of water to boil. Add a couple of teaspoons of white wine vinegar and reduce the heat to a simmer. One by one, quickly break the eggs in to a ramekin and add to the saucepan. Once they are all in, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Set the timer for 3 minutes. Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and pat dry.
7) Pour the paparadelle back in to the cooking pot and add the reduced stock. Give it a stir and add the herbs and the peas. Plate it, dust with Parmesan cheese and top with a poached egg.


Epic Cooking

June 6, 2008

Before I met my good friend Michelle, the word “epic” had, for me, had always been in reference to a major work of literature. The Odyssey for example. Or a world class movie like Gone with the Wind. For Michelle, traffic can be epic, waiting in line at a bar can be epic, the quest for the perfect shoe can be epic. I have adopted this word and use it for things that take a lot out of me.

The dinner I cooked tonight was epic.

I should have known because I got the recipe from The Greens Cookbook. It’s one of my absolute favorite books and also one of the first I turn to when I have an important dinner to cook. The dishes are complex in flavor with lots of layers, but not fussy. I was a little stumped as I was choosing my menus for this week so I turned to the spring menus page and this leaped out at me: Artichoke and Fennel Stew with Pastry.

I love artichokes and they are in season for such a short time around here so I try and use them often in the spring. Forget that they are kind of a pain to prepare, I actually enjoy breaking them down and think that the fresh taste is worth it – so much better than frozen. Recently I bought some one cup ramekins and I am always looking for ways to use them. I love bringing my clients these single serving bowls of goodness – they look so classy and there is something so indulgent about having your very own serving in your very own ramekin cooked just for you.

As with many Greens recipes, this one had many components. First you make a mushroom stock, then you make the pastry that will cover the ramekins, then you make the sauce that will get mixed in to the stew, and then you make the stew. Oh yeah, and then you roll out the pastry and drape it over the ramekins (filled with stew) and bake them. And then you make the side dish (Brown and Wild Rice Pilaf) and salad (Greens, Green Beans, and Spice Dipped Goat Cheese Rounds) that you also planned to bring your clients.

I am pretty good at looking at recipes and deciding what can be done in advance. Stock can always be made in advance and can even be frozen, so I did do that yesterday. And truth be told, I made the side dish and most of the salad components yesterday as well, but there was still a lot of work left for me today. As I was simmering the sauce and attacking artichokes with my paring knife, I wondered, “Can this dish be worth all of this work?”. I probably wouldn’t have attempted it if it weren’t from a cookbook that I know well and trust. But in a word, yes, it was worth it.

First of all, they looked great, and they smelled even better. I walked outside to get some thyme to add to the stew and when I walked back in, my doubts began to evaporate. The smell of leeks and white wine and butter was intoxicating. And they tasted really really good. I added those little turnips I bought at the Farmer’s Market last Friday and they were a great addition along with licorice-y fennel, those sweet leeks, mushrooms that had been cooked (separately! yes another pan to wash!) with garlic and lemon juice, all tossed with a sauce that had been made from the homemade mushroom stock and herbs and thickened with a little flour. The pastry draped over top had some cream cheese in it so the tang of that went beautifully with the subtle lemon from the mushrooms. Yum.

But here is something that is not epic. Salad dressing.

In this country, it may seem as though there is no reason to make your own salad dressing. There is an embarrassment of riches in the salad dressing aisle and many of them are really not bad. The problem is that even the “not bad” ones have things like Xanthum Gum in them and I’m not really sure what that is. I know it’s not in my salad dressing I make at home. I’m relatively new to salad dressing making – it started the year we moved to London.

Randy and I lived in a lovely little flat in Kensington for a year. My kitchen was tiny but had decent counter space, decent storage, an ok gas range and oven, and even a pint-sized dishwasher. But my fridge was barely better than a college dorm fridge. It was so small that I had to grocery shop every day because I couldn’t fit more than a day’s worth of food in there. If we were having people over for dinner, I often had to let things sit out on our window sill – at least the gloomy weather was good for something. Condiments? Out of the question unless it was something very very important (think Dijon mustard), because I just couldn’t give up the real estate.

And so, because of that, I started making my own salad dressing and putting it in a mustard jar. I could fit almost a week’s worth in there and if we ran out, it was so easy to whip up a new batch. It opened a whole new world for me. I have always been a big salad eater and suddenly, it all just tasted better. So here is my basic recipe that is totally no-fail. I encourage you to taste it as you go and adjust it to your liking. If you mess up and add too much vinegar, you can just add more oil to balance it. I like using balsamic vinegar here but red wine vinegar is good too and will give you a more subtle dressing. This is the time for the good stuff – best quality mustard, vinegar, and olive oil. If you are using balsamic, splurge a little. The cheap stuff is just cheap red wine vinegar that is color enhanced!

Balsamic Vinegar Salad Dressing
Makes enough for the week
1 small shallot, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
6 tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Put the minced shallot in a wide mouth jar (like a jam jar) along with the mustard and vinegar. Put the top on and give it a good shake. Open it back up and pour in the olive oil, then add a good pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste. Put the lid back on and give it a really good shake. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

I like to make dressing in a jar because I can really get it emulsified (mixed together) that way. Also, then you can just put the jar in the fridge and you are ready to dress your next salad. You can certainly just whisk it all together in a bowl though.


Gazpacho

June 3, 2008


I love gazpacho. What’s not to love? It’s cold and refreshing, has tons of flavor, is really healthy, and can be garnished to your heart’s content. And it looks beautiful. I even like bad gazpacho – you know, where the texture isn’t quite right or the balance of flavor is off.

Randy and I went to Spain for our honeymoon and I ate gazpacho every single day and sometimes twice a day. Lunch was always a bowl of the soup and a “tortilla” which is like a frittata made of eggs, potatoes, and onions. I looked forward to this lunch each and every day. It was always a little different depending on what town we were in, but always delicious. I often started dinner off with gazpacho instead of a salad because, after all, it is kind of a liquid salad, but oh so much better. Really cold, tangy from the tomatoes and sherry vinegar, sweet from the onion and cucumber, and all nice and crunchy.

As much as I love the soup itself, the garnishes really make it for me. Big toasted croutons are my favorite, but this time I also included diced avacado and hard boiled egg. It all just made a good thing that much better.

As our June gets off to a very wet start, I thought I would beckon summer with a Spanish menu. Along with the Gazpacho, I served a Vegetable Paella, Smoky Swiss Chard, and for the Dana Treat, a Vanilla Bean Flan.

Gazpacho
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 6-8

One of the best things about this recipe is that it is dead easy. Really all you are doing is chopping and mixing. It is a great do-ahead recipe because it can sit for up to two days in the refrigerator and needs no last-minute attention except for garnishing. To make great croutons, cut some good sourdough bread in to large (1 inch) cubes. Toss on a baking sheet with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, a good dose of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown. I don’t drizzle my gazpacho with olive oil, but you certainly can!

3 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and seeded, cut in to 1/4 inch cubes
2 medium red bell peppers, cored and seeded, cut in to 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium cucumber, seeded and cut in to 1/4 inch cubes
2 large shallots, peeled and minced
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
5 cups tomato juice
1 tsp. Tabasco (optional)
Olive Oil (optional)

Combine tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, shallots, garlic, salt, vinegar, and pepper in a large glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato juice and Tabasco. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve cold with garnishes of your choice.



Change of Plans

June 1, 2008

Although it is the first of June, I am wearing a down jacket – in my house. For many many people in this country the weather is really starting to heat up but here it feels more like October. Not quite winter-like but with the hint of winter in the air.
We were supposed to have wine and appetizers with our friends Lauren and Travis this afternoon. They have a great backyard for the kids to play in and Travis is a great cook (Lauren handles desserts) so we were looking forward to it. Alas, the weather is not cooperating and since their hot water heater busted a few days ago, there is no basement play alternative for the kids. So they are going to come here.
Now whenever we have someone over, no matter how casual the event, I always make something. I just can’t not. But when I got their voice mail giving us their change of plans, we had just come back from an epic round of grocery shopping. Trader Joe’s and QFC with both kids. So there was no way I was going to go back out to grab more ingredients for my already stuffed fridge. What did I have a surplus of? Eggs.
I had never made Deviled Eggs before and I actually just winged it. I have had them enough times to re-create them without a recipe. They are the perfect last minute food. It took 20 minutes to make them and about 15 of that was waiting for the eggs to cook. We have an incredible chive plant outside that has those beautiful purple blossoms bursting from almost every stalk so that is what I used as a garnish. These are not your grandmother’s Deviled Eggs!
Deviled Eggs
Makes 12

6 eggs
2 tsp. mustard
3-4 tbsp. creme fraiche
1 tbsp. capers, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp. chives, chopped

Place eggs in a saucepan and then cover with cold water. Add about a tablespoon of white vinegar. Bring to a full boil, then cover and turn off the heat. After 10 minutes, drain and run cold water over the eggs. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice vertically in half.

Scoop all the yolks in to a small bowl and give them a good mash with a fork. Add the mustard, creme fraiche (you can certainly use mayo here instead), and capers. Stir with a soup spoon until everything is well incorporated. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more creme fraiche.

Using that same soup spoon, carefully fill each of the eggs with the yolk mixture. Garnish with the chives. You can refrigerate this for several hours, but pull out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving to take the chill off.



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