{Eating}

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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Better Than Bubbe’s

4.15.10
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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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{Eating}

Playing Chicken

3.6.10


Another week gone by and, I’m pleased to say, another two of my recipes singled out by the editors of Food52. I still haven’t actually won any of their contests, but lots of honorable mentions do add up. This time it was my Scarborough Fair Chicken and my Golden Rösti (made from yellow beets). I’ll share the former with you first. My dear friend Marilee was recently asking me for a good roast chicken recipe, and I think this one is deliciously reliable. The name, of course, refers to the old English ditty and the herbs mentioned therein: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Add some butter, lemons and shallots, and you’re in serious business. The chicken you use really matters—and here I’m going to flog the organic argument once again. Despite the American propensity for enormous breasts, they’re just not worth keeping our chickens in captivity in order to force-feed them the required diet of (subsidized) corn. Go for a nice free-range roaster and you’ll enjoy better flavor and a freer conscience. Read the rest of this entry »

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{Eating, Health}

Asian Avian

12.30.09
raw_chickensillustration by janice richter

Isn’t there something faintly S&M about this illustration? I just love it. Kudos to Jan Richter for her great eye and accomplished technique. (And I happen to know she makes a mean coq au vin.) This is just the sort of plump organic bird you want to find when you’re setting out to make any number of cold-weather dishes. G makes the classic Jewish penicillin when I get sick (about once a year, knock wood) but I often look further east for something therapeutic. This recipe tips its hat to a classic Hispanic arroz con pollo but shifts gears with anti-inflammatory turmeric; lots of warming, healing ginger; and a hit of fish sauce. I think it’s similar to the Filipino arroz caldo. You keep cooking the rice so it’s somewhere between risotto and congee, that perfect comforting texture. And the bright yellow color is like a ray of sunshine. Read the rest of this entry »

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{Eating}

Crowning Touch

12.23.09
JR_crown_roastillustration by janice richter

For the first time in 5 years, G and I will be home for the holidays. After being in Iceland, Morocco, India and Vietnam in December, I’m really looking forward to relaxing in our own little cottage in the snow. (Though I’m still dreaming of Egypt. Next year, Inshallah.) The question, then: what to cook for Christmas? My mother was Episcopalian and my father was a Jew and, when they married, they both stepped gingerly away from their religious practices. My dad had a beautiful singing voice and on occasion acted as cantor of the local temple on the high holidays, and we often attended Passover seder at friends’ homes. In our own, we celebrated Easter and Christmas, sometimes going to church but always with big feasts and wonderful music—Bach, Handel’s Messiah, traditional carols—to which my mother lent her own beautiful singing voice. Tamales were a Christmas Eve tradition, stuffed with pork or chicken and purchased from a local restaurant, though we had all been taught by my mother’s mother how to make our own. And always at Christmas, See’s candies—nuts and chews, please. What I wouldn’t give for a butterscotch square right this very minute. Or a piece of my grandmother’s fudge with walnuts. Read the rest of this entry »

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{Eating}

Crying Fowl

12.14.09
green olivesphoto by george billard

One of my favorite quick and easy dinners is to quickly sear a couple of confit duck legs (my nephew Chase used to call it “comfy duck”) and plop them on top of a nice mound of sauerkraut with a few juniper berries and let the whole thing roast for a bit. Toss a salad and you’re done. So I was a little thrown off my game when G unpacked a couple of fresh duck legs the other day. What the hell am I going to do with all that fat? was my first thought. But then I laid hands on Alice Waters’ incredible The Art of Simple Food and there was the perfect recipe for Braised Duck Legs with Leeks and Green Olives (two other ingredients I just smugly happened to have on hand, along with the required stock, wine, carrot and bay leaf; some day I will do a post on Essential Things to Stock in Your Fridge and Pantry). I got things started, and then G stepped in and brought it on home, stirring up some delicious polenta to go with the duck. It turned out crispy and lush, not fatty at all, and the vegetables caramelized into a delicious sauce.

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