Dispensing Happiness

A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.-Elsa Schiapirelli

That's me, the magical good cook.

Borrowing from my friend Dexygus, I've created my own food blog.

Read of my exploits in the kitchen! Salivate over the descriptions of fabulous desserts and savory meals I've concocted!

No, seriously...go ahead. It'll make my day.

Thursday, February 17, 2005

Is it 1902?

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Found at ETVS; you may want to give up sausage after reading this!

Murder in the Meat Industry
No, trust me; you really don't want to know how the sausage is made. San Leandro sausage facory owner Stuart Alexander, 43, was sentenced to death on February 15 in Oakland for the murder of two United States meat inspectors and a California meat inspector. What a thankless job meat inspection must be: obstruction from the USDA and death threats and violence from the industry you're policing. How bad must conditions in packing houses be be that their owners will kill to keep us from learning of them! Of course, many exposés have long ago demonstrated that meat producers have no scruples. The only surprise is that the victims' bodies were ever found.

The secret is out!

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Ok, I do own the 7th edition of the CIA'a The Professional Chef. But this is still good to have around:

From the Chicago Tribune
FOOD COLUMN
Secret agents
* Mirepoix recipes from the CIA declassified for home cooks

By Leah Eskin, Chicago Tribune

Mirepoix may sound like a malady. It involves tedious dicing of onion and carrot and celery stalk. And raises certain suspicions. The lowly vegetable chop, sources claim, is essential to highbrow stock or soup or sauce.

Which is why mirepoix is a secret guarded by the CIA -- the Culinary Institute of America. Officials at the CIA believe in mirepoix. They subscribe to the theory of vegetable-enhanced stock, through thick and thin. CIA recruits commit to memory its core tenet: two parts onion to one part carrot and celery. As well as its variations, white mirepoix (with leeks), matignon (with ham), battuto (with garlic) and the exalted Cajun trinity (onion, celery and green pepper). Every station of the kitchen brigade can recite these convictions, on command.

And yet, by relying on humble ingredients, mirepoix carries out its mission undercover. This is why it needs its curious code name, derived, according to "The Penguin Companion to Food," from hapless husband Charles-Pierre-Gaston-Francois de Levis, onetime Duke of Mirepoix. And why, conspiracy theorists note, CIA recipes declassified on the Internet omit reference to mirepoix.

Whitewashed recipes may call for onions and carrot and celery, but unless the home cook has access to a hardbound copy of "The Professional Chef," 7th edition, the word mirepoix (and the detailed photo illustrations of its construction) will be missing. She may, in ignorance, fail to chop the components into fine (for fumet), medium (for white stock) or large (for brown stock). She may skip celery altogether. And why not? The celery stick, after-school staple, fails to inspire.

In the interest of transparency (of both stock and recipe), know this: Mirepoix is nothing more than chopped vegetables. And nothing less than the soul of the stock. Sweated and slow-simmered, skimmed and strained, it is rendered invisible. Its contributions are strictly on deep background. And yet, indispensable.

Such intelligence, frozen into quart or cube, is vital to the campaign against carryout. The stock-stocked freezer is always on high alert, capable of chicken noodle or veloute on demand. Admire its foresight, which adheres to the motto of the CIA itself: Preparation is everything. the following recipes are all adapted from the Culinary Institute of America.

Top-secret chicken stock

Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients:
4 pounds chicken parts
4 quarts cold water
Mirepoix

Mirepoix ingredients:
1 each, diced: large onion, carrot, celery stalk
5 or 6 whole black peppercorns
3 or 4 parsley stems
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsps. salt

1. Settle the chicken in a large stock pot. Pour in water. It should cover the chicken by at least 2 inches; add more if necessary. Slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming any foam that rises.

2. Adjust heat to establish a slow, lazy simmer. Cover partially and simmer for 2 hours, skimming as necessary.

3. Add mirepoix along with the remaining ingredients and continue to simmer, skimming as necessary, until the stock is fully flavored, about 1 hour.

4. Remove chicken parts and cool. Save the meat for another use. Discard the skin and bones.

5. Pour the stock through a cheesecloth-lined colander into a large metal container. Discard the solids.

6. Place the metal container in a sink filled with ice cold water to cool. Pour into labeled storage containers. Quarts are handy for soups. Ice cube-sized portions offer sauce assistance. Store in the freezer for up to three months.

Top-secret beef stock

Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients:
4 pounds beef (chuck, ribs, shank or neck)
4 quarts water
Mirepoix

Mirepoix ingredients
1 1/2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 each, coarsely chopped: leek, carrot, celery stalk
1/4 cup celery leaves
3 or 4 parsley stems
3 or 4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 tsps. salt, or to taste
1 sprig fresh thyme

1. Settle the beef in a roasting pan and place in a 400-degree oven. Roast until deep brown, about 45 minutes.

2. Transfer the beef to a soup pot. Pour 1 cup water into hot roasting pan and scrape bottom to loosen any drippings; pour over beef. Add remaining water (there should be enough to cover beef by 2 inches; add more water if necessary) and bring to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer gently for 2 hours. Frequently skim away any foam that rises to the surface.

3. Add mirepoix and remaining ingredients. Continue to simmer gently until stock has developed a full, rich flavor, about 2 hours. Remove meat and reserve for another use.

4. Pour stock through a cheesecloth-lined colander into a large metal container. Discard solids.

5. Place container in a sink filled with ice cold water to cool. Transfer it to labeled storage containers. Store in the freezer for up to three months. Remove any fat from the surface before reheating.

Top-secret vegetable stock

Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients:
2 tsps. olive oil or corn oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tsps. minced shallots
3 quarts water Mirepoix

Mirepoix ingredients:
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 each, thinly sliced: leek, celery stalk, carrot
3 cups thinly sliced vegetables; consider parsnip, fennel, broccoli and whatever else appeals
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 Tbsp. salt, or to taste
4 or 5 whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp. juniper berries
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over low heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until they are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add mirepoix and remaining ingredients. Slowly bring up to a simmer. Cook until flavorful, about 1 hour.

3. Pour stock through a cheesecloth-lined colander and then allow it to cool completely before freezing in airtight labeled containers.


Copyright 2005 Los Angeles Times

My Own Invention

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I think I'm a pretty good cook. I can most certainly follow directions. With few exceptions, recipes turn out as they're supposed to. And occasionaly, I like to just make things up.

Maybe I have ingredients that need to be used. Perhaps I'm in the mood for something. Or, I'm inspired by something I've seen or read.
Whatever prompts me, I do like to come up with my own recipe, now and again.

The other night, I made Garlic Almond Chicken.

I think it had something to do with the 40-clove chicken recipes I'm always hearing about...I just wanted to try something with a lot of garlic.

I made two versions, as always: one with chicken, and the other with a chicken-substitute, Veat.
I baked the dish in bread pans, because it's just the right size.

The results? Really, really good. Lots of flavor from the garlic. The almonds were crunchy, with a nice seasoning. And the garlic? Both crunchy and caramelized. Wonderful to eat. Matt enjoyed it, a lot.

So, if you're interested, here's my recipe:

Garlic Almond Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 head of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 cup unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup olive oil (adjust as needed)
Salt and freshly gournd pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, on both sides. Place in baking dish. Toss garlic over chicken, then scatter almond pieces. Pour olive oil over chicken.
Bake about 45 minutes, or until chicken is done.

Yeah, I know...really simple. But really, really tasty!

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Heart-warming

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For Valentine's Day, Matt and I made each other dinner (we'd already dined out, Saturday). He prepared sushi for me (yum), and I gave him a nice, warm bowl of
Ginger Chicken Soup.



Very simple to make, and was a good use for the three containers of chicken stock in the freezer.

From the most recent issue of Food and Wine:


Chicken Soup with Jasmine Rice and Ginger

* HEALTHY
* MAKE-AHEAD

ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
SERVES: 4
The Good News There may not be any clinical proof that ginger helps fight colds or the flu, but this supereasy, gingery chicken soup will undeniably make you feel better.
ingredients

* 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon jasmine rice, rinsed
* 4 cups water
* One 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
* 3 cups chicken stock
* 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
* Pinch each of salt and sugar
* 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro


directions

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the rice with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender and porridgelike, about 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut the piece of ginger into slivers: Thinly slice the ginger crosswise; stack the slices, removing the bottom rounded slice, so the stack is stable and easy to work with; cut the slices lengthwise into thin slivers.
3. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, salt and sugar to the rice, bring to a simmer and continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in half of the ginger and simmer for 10 minutes longer.
4. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls, garnish with the shredded chicken, sliced scallions, chopped cilantro and the remaining slivered ginger and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be made through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight. When reheating, add extra stock to adjust the consistency.

NOTES One Serving 128 cal, 3 gm fat, 0.2 gm saturated fat, 16 gm carb, 0.6 gm fiber.


Recipe by Mai Pham
From Ginger
This recipe originally appeared in March, 2005.

Obviously, I didn't taste it myself, but Matt thought it was wonderful. And like I said? Really, really, easy.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

I'm Just Here for the Show

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I adore Alton Brown. Matt and I watch "Good Eats" all the time. My FIL has the first of AB's books, "I'm Just Here for the Food". I've added "I'm Just Here for More Food" to my Amazon.com Wish List.

Basically, I'll watch, try or buy anything he's involved with (with the exception of "Iron Chef America"...I detest Bobby Flay).

And here's a neat article about Brown,, complete with recipe!

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

I'll Never Be a Pastry Chef

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Today was my in-law's 42nd wedding anniversary. To celebrate, I decided to make them something spectacular (as Matt said when arrived at their house "if you didn't know I was bringing something like this, you haven't been paying attention").

After some searching, I decided on a sixteen-layer chocolate cake.

I will never be comfortable with this sort of recipe...the genoise had me extremely tense. So much so, that after my dissatisfaction with one layer, I declared the cake would now be an 8-layer, and not sixteen...

With that out of the way, and accepting that my cake would never look like Chef Puck's, I made the mousse and ganache.

For a little extra 'oomph', I decorated with chocolate-covered coffee beans.



While it didn't look perfect, it was a success. My MIL said it's her favorite, of everything I've ever made!

So, even though I'll never go pro, I can still make people happy. And after all, isn't that what it's all about?

In Good Company

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As is often the case, Donegal and Wicklow flopped down on the floor while I was baking/cooking.


No, Wicklow isn't sad or depressed. That's just the way he was built...fortunately, he's yet to learn how to use it to his advantage.


And Donny, giving me a chance to show off my muddy-puppy-paw-print covered floor. Rainy weather, two dogs, a toddler and a husband...you can guess how quickly I jumped up and mopped!

Mardi Gras-ing with the Best of 'em

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I've not yet made it to New Orleans, although I'm considerably closer than I used to be.

So, until I finally visit the French Quarter, I'll have to celebrate Fat Tuesday in my own home.

I found a recipe for a fairly simple Anduille and Chicken Jambalaya, and split it in half to accommodate a veg-friendly version.



Wow...that was some pretty fantastic jambalaya! It's not an obviously spicy dish; no...the kick from the cayenne comes up and grabs you from behind, after you've swallowed. Still, not so spicy that you were begging for bread.
And the rice? Perfectly cooked; not soggy, and with the best of the flavors. The onions and green pepper were so caramelized and cooked down, I didn't even notice them in the dish...and I made it!
And it makes plenty, so Matt has lunch for the week.

And to really put us in the mood, I made a King Cake.



This isn't the recipe I've used before, but it was the quickest one I could come up with at short notice ("It's Tuesday already? Crap!").

I think the biggest difference between this and the one I'd made in the past was the decorating. And the directions!
This one wanted 1/4 cup of lemon juice to 3/4 cup of powdered sugar...and an additional 36 Tbl. water...!
One, I think they made a mistake, and forgot the hyphen for the water. And b, that was the strongest lemon frosting I've ever tasted (yes, I actually tasted it!)

Still, it came out alright. I think I prefer the 'divide the icing into three bowls and tint gold, green and purple' method over the 'use color paste and dye the sugar' one.

I compromised, and did both!



And, just like the real Mardi Gras festivities, I got a bunch of shiny beads...but as a married woman, it's not quite so shocking flashing your husband, is it?

Monday, February 07, 2005

Looks can be deceiving

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Sometimes, you just want a good meal. Not too fancy. Just comforting. And warm...

So, I whipped up Matt's favorite focaccia bread (rosemary and garlic)



and made a goat cheese souffle from a fantastic cookbook my cousin Amanda gave me a couple of years ago. Used a mix of plain and herb-garlic goat cheeses.

It wasn't difficult, but I started to think I'd done something wrong. It just didn't look...right.



What had gone wrong? What did I miss?

But then, I looked at the souffle again, and realized I hand't done anything wrong; it was perfect.

Problem was...I had used a too-big souffle dish! Waiting a few minutes, I saw that it had, in fact, deflated...not something it would have been likely to do had it not come out right.

So, note to self: pay closer attention to the size of your pans and dishes in the future.

By the way, very tasty. And still good the second day, re-warmed in the oven.

Yummy!

.



Alex really loves that blue rice!

Welcome to Polentadome

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Two men enter, one man leave

No, just kidding. More like the battle between cook and cornmeal!

I got ambitious, and attempted to make Moosewood's Polenta Dome.

It didn't sound like it would be too big a deal. Oh, what a puny mortal I am!



Start out with some chopped onion, and garlic, as well as finely chopped sage and grated butternut squash.



Saute the garlic and onions till caramelized...



Meanwhile, cook the polenta in some broth; I used homemade veggie broth. (Funny, the silly book has you stirring the polenta WHILE peeling, seeding and grading the squash. Huh?)



I just love multi-tasking, don't you? (Look closely and you'll see the hideous paneling our kitchen was covered in. We haven't been able to get to the bit behind the counters yet...worst case scenario, we put up black and white tiles as a backsplash. Anything but that icky fake wood!)



Add squash and sage to onions, and cook for just a few minutes.

When polenta is ready, add veggies. If you want, add about a cup of sharp cheese (I went with a fabulous Irish cheddar.)



When properly mixed, pour it all into a well-oiled bowl. Leave till set.



Carefully unmold onto a baking sheet, and bake till crispy.

Ok...so, everything sounds good, right?

Oh, no.

It went in a dome, but came out?



a polenta pancake.

Oh, well...better luck next time.



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