{Eating, Health}

Juicy Breasts

1.26.12
photos by gluttonforlife

I’m not one of those people who’s at a loss for what to cook. I have a repertoire of favorites and a list as long as my arm of new things I want to try. This is not bragging. There are plenty of things I do not have: Children. A Pulitzer Prize. Thin thighs. Yet on some nights even I don’t have it in me to start whirling around the kitchen like a culinary dervish. On those nights, I just want something delicious to appear on my plate. But there’s no takeout up here, remember? So I like to store a few tricks up my sleeve. Nothing wrong with a little help from your friends, though I can’t recommend fast food. Nor canned food, for that matter. Not to harsh your mellow, but do you know about the epoxy liners in most cans? They’re made with Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that can mimic human estrogen and is linked to breast cancer and early puberty in women. (The horror, the horror.) The Environmental Working Group tested canned food bought across America and found BPA in more than half, at levels they call “200 times the government’s traditional safe level of exposure for industrial chemicals.” So much for those canned beans, my darlings.

 

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Wings & a Prayer

7.28.11
photos by gluttonforlife

Just a month ago, I was waxing poetic to you about wings. If you still haven’t made a batch, I want to urge you to give it a whirl. They’re delightful as an hors d’oeuvre or snack, but they’re also great as the centerpiece of a meal. I know my way is more involved than simply coating them in barbecue sauce and sticking them in the oven, but that doesn’t begin to do them justice. To get the perfect combination of rich, silky meat and crisp, sticky skin, you really need to add in a couple more steps. You don’t need to get all crazy like David Chang, who brines his wings, then poaches them in duck fat, then smokes them and then grills them. Although they’re sublime. I’ll let you skip the smoking step. But brining, poaching and grilling is the way to go. None of it requires much attention, but you’ll snap to when you bite into your winged masterpiece.

 

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Wings of Desire

6.27.11
photos by gluttonforlife

I never was much into wings. My friend Busby always sang their praises when she wasn’t going on about California Pizza Kitchen or Popeye’s fried chicken. They just never seemed meaty enough to me, and I hadn’t yet developed a fondness for eating things off the bone. But G has a passion for wings, and in learning to make them for him, I fell for them. That happens sometimes, doesn’t it? Indifference turns to pleasure and life just gets that much better. Now I understand how succulent, how crispy yet gooey, how caramelized and packed with flavor are these little wings. No wonder they make such great stock. Did you ever sample David Chang’s wings at Momofuku Noodle Bar? I’m not sure he still serves them but they were insane. I think they were poached, then smoked and then finished on the grill. (Here’s an adapted recipe which I may try sometime.) The point is, don’t just throw your wings under the broiler and expect them to be great. They have a fair amount of fat, so one great technique is to poach them first and then finish them in a very hot oven. Marinating them overnight or even for a few hours does wonders. They pair beautifully with strong flavors like garlic, ginger and chile, and a little something to help them caramelize like soy sauce, honey or maple syrup.

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Jambalaya!

4.15.11
photos by gluttonforlife

Remember that glorious tasso ham we smoked up for the latest Charcutepalooza challenge? (Read all about it here.) Well, I found a classic way to use it that really maximizes its smoky, spicy flavor. I came across a recipe for jambalaya by Chef Paul Prudhomme, the Louisiana legend whose blackened entrees were horribly bastardized by chain restaurants in the 80s. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “jambalaya” comes from the Provençal word “jambalaia,” meaning a mish-mash or mix-up, and also a pilau (pilaf) of rice. Originally a humble combination of rice and vegetables, it has evolved into a rich expression of local New Orleans cuisine. There are two types of jambalaya: Creole, also known as “red jambalaya,” which contains tomatoes and is usually made with chicken and smoked meat; and Cajun, “brown jambalaya,” without tomatoes, which is more characteristic of southwestern Louisiana. The Creole version, which originates from New Orleans’ French quarter, was undoubtedly influenced by Spanish paella. As saffron was scarce, tomatoes were added for their vibrant color. Ultimately, Caribbean spices and the addition of tasso ham or andouille sausage make this a dish unique unto itself.

 

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Nice Legs

3.11.11
photos by gluttonforlife

I ended my fast a day early—I just felt ready—and have been eating miso soup, a little quinoa and small amounts of cooked vegetables. It feels good to chew again! So in the end, my jeans are a bit looser but, more importantly, I really feel like I hit the reset button. No more sugar cravings. (Did you know that taking probiotics in the morning helps with that by boosting your body’s good bacteria?) And I am resolved to be kinder to myself in all ways; not by indulging my every whim, but by stopping to consider what I really want, on every level, and not acting on impulse. Does that make sense?


Although I am not eating any animal products yet, I wanted to offer you this easy recipe for chicken legs that I’ve had up my sleeve. It was very loosely inspired by the cooking of Suzanne Goin, who firmly believes in the benefits of marinating and the addition of chile de árbol to practically everything. It’s a simple preparation that’s ideal for a quick weeknight dinner, or to make ahead and take with you for a cold lunch.


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Sopa de Lima

7.23.10

mexican limes

Not as in Lima, Peru, as in Mexican lime. I had a reader request for Yucatecan sopa de lima, the Mexican version of Jewish penicillin, and I was happy to oblige, in part because I had a big jar of freshly made chicken stock in my fridge. The timing didn’t really work out for photos as I only know how to make them look good using natural light. So you’ll have to make do with a couple that show the difference between the small, seed-filled Mexican limes (not unlike key limes) and the more ubiquitous Persian limes. Either one works for this soup, and you can even use lemon. I ended up using both. This recipe was not something I grew up eating. My mother’s cooking was much more influenced by her mother’s New Mexico roots. And although I have eaten this soup in Mérida, I consulted a number of sources to get it right, including Rick Bayless, the Chicago-based chef (and Obama favorite) whose recipes tend to be impeccably researched and very authentic. I can’t really say this is his recipe; I changed it too much. His stock calls for pork bones, and for a few other ingredients I didn’t have on hand. But in the end, I wound up with a delicious, light but satisfying soup redolent of cinnamon and cumin, with a bit of chile heat, a pleasingly tart finish and a fabulous garnish of crispy tortilla strips. It’s great in hot weather and cold, and if you have stock on hand, you can cook up a pot in about an hour. Read the rest of this entry »

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{Eating, Health}

Liquid Gold

7.18.10
photos by gluttonforlife

Once you make chicken stock using this recipe, I promise you’ll never want to go back to that stuff in the box, no matter how organic it is or how convenient it seems. You can make an enormous vat of this and freeze small containers or even ice cube trays full of it to use for months. If space is at a premium in your freezer, you can boil the stock down to a concentrated and syrupy demi-glace which can later be reconstituted into stock by adding water. I got this recipe from Nourishing Traditions and it’s really quite similar to most chicken stock recipes you’ll find, with one key exception: you cook it over very low heat for at least 6 and as many as 24 hours! Turns out this make a huge difference in the flavor, color and consistency of the stock. It’s rich, golden, unctuous without being greasy and highly flavored. Of course it helps if you are using a whole chicken, or lots of good bony parts, including necks and feet.


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Finger-Lickin’ Good

7.13.10
photo by george billard

We made fried chicken this weekend but we were too busy to take any pictures of it, so all I can offer you is this shot of my nephew who said it was the best dinner he’d ever had. That’s some endorsement. The recipe came from Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. If you don’t know about these two cooks—a delightfully odd couple—let me just give you a little background. Edna, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 89, was the granddaughter of a former slave who had helped found Freetown, a Virginia farming community. She grew up on the fresh food at hand, then moved to New York City where she cooked for and rubbed shoulders with artists, musicians, writers and Communists. She had an elegant style and a gift for simple, classic flavors. Late in life, Edna encountered Scott Peacock, a gay man half her age, a kindred spirit and chef whom she mentored and befriended. In fact, the two wound up sharing an apartment, and Scott cared for her until her death. (A situation that was evidently problematic for her family.) They collaborated on a cookbook, The Gift of Southern Cooking, that is full of wonderful traditional American Southern recipes, including the one I used for fried chicken.


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Well Preserved

5.14.10
photo by george billard

G came back from the market last week saying there were no more Meyer lemons and I kicked myself because I had wanted to preserve a bunch before the season was over. But they are at their peak in California now, and I found a great place there willing to ship me a whole bunch. Birch Hill Organics, a small family farm run by the Burchiels, grows Meyer lemons and kiwis in Atascadero, weeding and fertilizing them by hand. (Daughter Stephanie also has a burgeoning business of delicious soups.) Lemons are naturally antioxidant, alkalinizing and detoxifying, and the Meyer variety is especially thin-skinned and sweet. These fairly burst from their box in all their golden-yellow intensity, and I’m thrilled that I can preserve them to use in the coming months. No idea what I’m talking about? A preserved lemon is a beautiful thing. Alice Waters makes a preserved lemon relish with shallots, olives, parsley and olive oil that she calls “a welcome spot of brightness in the winter.” With fish, roasted or grilled meats, or paired with a rich, ripe cheese, the tangy, faintly bitter and highly aromatic rind (you generally discard the pith and pulp) hints at sunshine.


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Better Than Bubbe’s

4.15.10
)

photo by sarah shatz (courtesy of food52)

The editors of Food52 picked one of my recipes as the wildcard winner this week! Hooray! They called my Tuscan chicken liver paté “a rich dose of umami,” which indeed it is thanks to the addition of anchovy, capers, parmesan, shallots, garlic and wine. This is not your Jewish grandmother’s chopped chicken liver! It is a gussied-up Tuscan version—taught to me by a diehard Italophile—and it really is a winner, especially when served with a garnish of fried sage leaves and a glass of prosecco or, my personal favorite, Lambrusco. Amanda Hesser tweeted that it would be a good prelude to spaghetti carbonara, but I can’t agree—better before a whole roasted sea bass served with broccoli rabe.



Tuscan Chicken Liver Paté

makes about 2 dozen crostini


1 pound organic chicken livers

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1 large clove garlic, smashed

3 anchovy filets (or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste)

1 tablespoon capers, minced

4-6 sage leaves

2/3 cups dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

grilled country bread, for serving


Trim any sinews from the livers and dry well with paper towels.


In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Sautee the shallots, garlic, anchovy, capers and sage until shallots are lightly browned, 6 minutes or so


Season the chicken livers with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook over high heat until browned, then add half of the white wine (1/3 cup) and keep stirring with a wooden spoon, breaking up the livers as they start to cook through. When the wine is absorbed, add the second 1/3 cup and repeat the process.


Remove from heat and transfer to a food processor. Process until quite smooth, then add lemon zest and cheese and process again. Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature to spread on grilled country bread.

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