Twice Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Would you just look at that date? November 1st! Where did October go? And all of you in the northeast U.S. are probably wondering where fall went. Snow before Halloween. Amazing.

Thank heaven we don't have snow, but it hasn't stopped raining here in South Florida for days. And I mean a near-constant deluge. It's all remnants of Hurricane Rina. Well, weather like this has made me do some organizing around the house and some cookbook and magazine reading; and it's gotten me thinking about the (coming sooner than we think) holidays.

I was glancing through Fine Cooking Magazine and came across an intriguing sweet potato recipe. Every Thanksgiving, I invariably serve them in some form or another, sometimes savory, sometimes sweet, sometimes an old fashioned southern sweet potato pie. (I remember my mother used to make those mashed sweet potatoes with orange juice and topped with marshmallows back in the 50's. Anybody else remember that?)

So I decided on a test run, which I do when company's coming. Not so much when it's family. They're forgiving. :)  It was fabulous! Creamy sweet potatoes with sour cream, divine browned leeks and sweet sausage. And because I had some left over, I refrigerated them without the Gruyère and the next night, grated some on top and reheated them in a hot oven. Tasted great, so you could make these ahead....a real plus for a holiday dish. 

Twice Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Leeks and Sausage
From Fine Cooking Magazine, December/January Issue

Ingredients:

4 small sweet potatoes (about 8 oz. each)
1 Tbs. olive oil  
1/2 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage (or link sausage, casings removed) 
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 lb. leeks, white and light-green parts only, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 2 cups) 
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme   
Kosher salt 
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Gruyère

Method:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil.
Poke the sweet potatoes a few times with the tip of a knife and arrange them on the baking sheet. Bake until completely tender when pierced in the fattest part with a skewer, 35 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, breaking it into small bits with the edge of a slotted spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 
Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat and add the butter. When it melts, add the leeks, sage, thyme, and 1-1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring stirring, until the mixture just starts to sizzle. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are very soft and starting to turn golden, 10 to 15 minutes. 
When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, carefully cut them in half lengthwise and gently scoop the flesh into a medium bowl, leaving about 1/8 inch of flesh in the shells. Mash the scooped flesh with a fork or potato masher until smooth. Stir in the sour cream and 1 tsp. salt. Fold the sausage and leeks into the mashed sweet potato and season to taste with salt. 

Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high. Mound the filling into the potato skins and top with the cheese. Put the potatoes in a 9x13-inch baking dish and broil until the cheese is golden, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

50 Women Game Changers in Food: #18, Clotilde Dusoulier

This is the first Game Changer post on a blogger. It ought to be interesting for the next month because for some reason, Gourmet listed four of them in a row.
I'm of two minds about including them on the list; have they had the experience and been involved in the culinary world long enough to be included on this impressive list of 50 world-wide game changers? And if so, do you think four spaces on a list of 50 is just about right? Can you imagine the debate that went on about this?
Of course real talent should be recognized and rewarded no matter the age. Everyone has to start someplace and these girls began blogging for fun, just as we have, and their blogs have resulted in successful (probably surprising themselves as much as anyone else) careers.

The food blogs have amassed an enormous internet audience and their influence is spreading through the entire culinary landscape, whether the old guard likes it or not. And let's face it: a lot of them do look down their noses at bloggers; they better get with the program as food blogging is here to stay and will continue to grow. (Remember what Julia Child said about Julie? “Julia said, ‘I don’t think she’s a serious cook.’ ”) So I think the best of the bloggers deserve recognition, but I did give a thought to other innovative women chefs who were ignored. I'd be willing to bet if I asked my daughter if she knew who Clotilde Dusoulier was she would say no. She's a foodie, a super cook, but not a food blogger. It's an interesting conundrum, isn't it? (And no, she'd never heard of her.)

So our first food blogger Game Changer is Clotilde Dusoulier. She certainly qualifies as being young (early 30's) but as well, you can't deny she has become an influence in the culinary blogging world. Her Chocolate & Zucchini blog is widely read and Clotilde has made a big name for herself. I doubt when she began blogging, she would ever have imagined how her life would change. 

Clotilde was born and raised in Paris, where she studied to become a software engineer. Following graduation she worked in the Silicon Valley for a couple years and this is when her interest in food and cooking began. When she returned to Paris in 2003, she started her blog, Chocolate & Zucchini. Its success led to a second career in food writing. She eventually gave up her engineering job to try a writing career full time. Four years after she began blogging, she published a book based on her blog. Then another in 2008. She also worked to update the classic of French cookery, first published in 1932 called I Know How to Cook, Je Sais Cuisiner.  And now, her most recent, a book she has edited called The Art of French Baking which is to be released in November. 
Her hopes for the future? A family seems to be foremost, more books and she'd like to mentor young talent.

Now for those of you thinking this recipe for fregola and zucchini sounds familiar, it is. I've posted it before and it's worth repeating. A lot. I serve it frequently and it's always a big hit. Creamy, nutty and cheesy and altogether fabulous. And when I first saw it posted on Chocolate & Zucchini years ago, fregola was new to me, so in addition to a great recipe, I was introduced to an unusual pasta that I continue to use often. 

A month or so ago, I had company coming and I paired this dish with quail from D'Artagnan. What a perfect dinner.

Fregola Sarda with  Zucchini and Pine Nuts
From Chocolate and Zucchini, October 5th, 2004 post

Ingredients:

3 small and slender zucchini

2 cups cooked fregola sarda 

2 handfuls of pinenuts, dry toasted

2 ounces parmesan cheese (or more)

olive oil

salt

herbes de provence 

Method:

Wash and slice three zucchini very thin. Sauté in a bit of olive oil, with herbes de provence to taste and just enough salt to bring out the zucchini flavor. Add the fregola and pinenuts. Grate liberal amounts of parmesan on top and mix in. Serve warm. Serves 2 with leftovers for lunch.

How I cooked the quail:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 
Season the quails with salt and pepper. In a large oven-proof saucepan, heat the canola oil on high heat and grill the quails in canola oil on all sides until brown. Finish cooking them in the oven for approximately 8 minutes.

Join Mary from One Perfect Bite and all the other participants in this fun series.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets 
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Kathleen Van Bruinisse - Bake Away with Me 
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Martha - Lines from Linderhof
Amy - Beloved Green
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda
Nancy - Picadillo

50 Women Game Changers in Food: #17, Dorothy Hamilton

If you're interested in a career in the food industry, then you might consider buying a book called Love What You Do. After all, our game changer of the week, Dorothy Cann Hamilton, wrote the book and parlayed her wanderlust and love of food into a successful career. 

When Ms. Hamilton was in high school, she dreamed about going to Europe. Being a determined woman, she got a student loan and went to college in England. While there, she befriended some French girls and during their visits to France, she got hooked on French food.Then came the Peace Corps in Thailand from 1972 to 1974 where she was introduced to Asian cuisine. When she finally returned to the US, without job skills or opportunities, her father gave her a job at his trade school. Dorothy worked her way up and eventually became an expert in student financial aid. She was invited to see the top trade schools in Europe and France, where she saw the top professional cooking school, run by the French government.

Inspired by these premier vocational schools, Ms. Hamilton convinced her father they should create a culinary trade school in NYC. They actually paid the French government for the curriculum, brought over the teachers and the French maintained the quality control. So The French Culinary Institute was born in 1984. Quite a success story!

Hamilton was the creator and host of Chef’s Story, a 26-part television series, which debuted on PBS in April 2007, and the author of the companion book, Chef’s Story. Her book on culinary careers, Love What You Do: Building a Career in the Culinary Industry was published in the fall of 2009.

Most recently, she was inducted into the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America by the James Beard Foundation and was nominated for the Entrepreneur Award of Excellence by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She has been knighted by the Association Internationale de Maîtres Conseil dans la Gastronomie Française, inducted into the James Beard Foundation Hall of Fame and awarded the Silver Spoon by Food Arts magazine in recognition of her leadership in the American restaurant community.

Because Dorothy Hamilton is not a chef, finding a recipe today was difficult. However, I ran across an interesting article in Food and Wine where she discussed a problem we all have: watching our weight while still enjoying food. She turned to the staff at FCI to help her.
André Soltner, the dean of classic studies at the FCI (and the former chef and owner of Lutèce) offered the following recipe. 

While preparing the artichokes is a bit time consuming (To see how I prepare my artichokes, click HERE; I don't clean them the way the recipe suggests.) keep in mind you can refrigerate the leftovers. I halved the recipe and ate it for two dinners and a lunch. With certainty this is not the most colorful or enticing dish to photograph, but I'll definitely make it again. The flavor of the broth was sensational.  
(One serving is 193 cal, 8 gm fat, 1.1 gm saturated fat, 23 gm carb, 5 gm fiber)

Artichoke, Cauliflower and Mushroom Barigoule 
Recipe courtesy André Soltner, the dean of classic studies at the FCI

Ingredients:
1 lemon, halved, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
8 large artichokes 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
1 large white onion, thinly sliced 
3 small carrots, thinly sliced 
5 small garlic cloves, halved 
2 bay leaves 
2 thyme sprigs 
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 
1 1/2 cups dry white wine 
1 1/2 cups water 
3/4 pound cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets (4 cups) 
3/4 pound white mushrooms, quartered if large 
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:
Fill a large bowl with water and squeeze the lemon halves into it. Using a sharp knife, halve the artichokes crosswise. Discard the tops. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, pull off the outer green leaves until you reach the tender yellow leaves. Scrape out the hairy choke with a melon baller or spoon. Trim and peel the base and stem, then quarter the heart and add the artichoke quarters to the bowl of water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes. 
In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and carrots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and coriander seeds and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, water and the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the carrots are barely tender, about 3 minutes. 
Drain the artichokes and add them to the skillet along with the cauliflower and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Transfer the vegetables and broth to shallow bowls and serve. 

Make Ahead. The barigoule can be refrigerated overnight. Warm before serving.


Join Mary from One Perfect Bite and all the other participants in this fun series.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast 
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets 
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Amy - Beloved Green
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda
Nancy - Picadillo

Sarah Leah Chase's Scalloped Tomatoes

Hi everyone!  And happy Labor Day! 
We're back and had a wonderful time. Once I get my photos organized, I'll do a post on our Nevis vacation. (I still have one more island post to go on our French Polynesian adventure of several years ago. That'll come first.) I'm looking forward to visiting all of you and find out what you've been doing. 
My daughter and I made a reading list for you. Click here to see what we read and loved this summer.

Sarah's Cold-Weather Cooking is one of my favorite cookbooks. I've mentioned it several times and cook from it frequently. It was published in 1990 and this recipe for Scalloped Tomatoes was included in it. Ina Garten made it on her TV show a couple years ago and mentioned the recipe was from her friend Sarah Chase. My ears perked up....Ina has mentioned Sarah before and always generously gives her full credit.  She adapted Sarah's recipe slightly, so I double checked the original in Sarah's cookbook. I made a mental note to give it a try, but never got around to it. Last year, Deb from Smitten Kitchen posted Ina's version and gave it a thumbs up. So it sure has made the rounds.

I know it says "cold weather" in the cookbook title, but this recipe sure seems loaded with summer flavors to me  (garden tomatoes and fresh basil!) so I finally got around to making it.  And shame on me, I made Sarah's original recipe with bacon grease. How could I not?? You can find Ina's recipe HERE. What a super side dish to serve with something on the grill. Actually, I was nibbling on it for a couple days after as well. All those lovely Parmesan and bacon-encrusted croutons! 

Scalloped Tomatoes
From Cold-Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons bacon fat

2 cups (1/2-inch diced) French bread

16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the bacon fat in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

Add the tomatoes, garlic and sugar to then pan and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the basil and remove from the heat.

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.

                                                             

Fiddling Around

Every year in late spring or very early summer, I read something or other about fiddlehead ferns. One of the articles mentioned they grow wild in New England along mossy stream banks. That kind of lets Florida out, or so I thought until I found them in both the Fresh Market and Whole Foods. So I brought some home, did more reading and made them for dinner the other night.

So what are they exactly? They are the immature leaf fronds of ostrich fern plants that have not yet opened. Fern leaves are poisonous once they open and can only be enjoyed in this early stage. 
What do they taste like? A cross between artichokes and asparagus, kind of earthy and nutty.

Where do you find them? The ostrich fern is native to the northeast as well as to the upper Midwestern states. Ostrich fern also grows freely in Alaska and in many parts of Canada. It is grown in the Northwest where wild-food enthusiasts consider it high on the culinary list. Ostrich fern will grow in the home garden in regions with moderate to cold winters and mild summers. It does not do well in areas that remain warm year round. The winter chill period is important to the growth cycle of this fern.

So, look for them in late spring and very early summer. Fiddlehead ferns are only available for a short time, so grab them while you can. Because Florida does not have fiddlehead ferns growing by mossy stream banks or anyplace else, I looked to see where mine came from. The label said: Alpine Foragers Exchange Inc. in Portland Oregon. That's a long trip from Oregon to Florida for sure. I'm rather surprised someone in New England isn't supplying them, but maybe the prices are higher or perhaps nobody's thought of it.

I also read they are fabulous served with morels, which you lucky northerners can forage for at just about the same time. Those two earthy flavors combined must be a gourmand's dream. I think next spring I'm going to splurge and buy some dried morels just so I can taste these two together. But if you love mushrooms and don't want to spring for morels, use shiitakes or any other commonly available mushroom.

How to prepare them for cooking? If more than 2 inches of stem remains attached beyond the coiled part of the fiddlehead snap or cut it off. If any of the paper chaff remains on the fiddleheads you may rub it off by hand. I rinsed them in water and used a soft brush to get the chaff off. After the chaff is removed wash the fiddleheads in several changes of cold water to remove any dirt or grit. Drain the fiddlehead completely. Use them fresh as soon after harvest as possible.
When I made them, I got some salted boiling water going and parboiled them for a couple minutes. Not long, because you don't want them soft. Put them in an ice bath and then dry them completely. The first time, I fried them along with some shallots and garlic and seasoned them with salt and pepper, eating them as a vegetable. Double yum, people. 
Then I read Mary's blog.... Ocean Breezes, Country Sneezes and she had made them with pancetta, something I noticed a few other recipes suggested. Mary also mentioned you can freeze them. I'll try that next year, although I should think getting them absolutely fresh (which I can't) would be key to successful freezing.
The next night, because I had some angel hair pasta, I cooked that and at the same time, browned some pancetta, browned shallots and garlic with the parboiled fiddleheads, tossed it with the pasta and topped with a bit of Parmesan. Oh Lord. Deeee-vine. 

But next time, I'm using bacon which would be just as good if not better (and I almost always have some in the fridge), and mushrooms. Morels would be perfect if I could get them, which I can't, darn it, but we already discussed that. Next spring, if you find fiddleheads in your market or if you can forage for them, take some home. Make them with bacon and mushrooms. What a treat. So here's the recipe...with by-the-seat-of-your-pants instructions;  a combination of several recipes. 

Fiddlehead Ferns with Pancetta

Ingredients:
Fiddlehead ferns
Pancetta, 1/4 inch thick, diced (or bacon)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, diced
pasta, your choice
Parmesan
mushrooms, morels if you're lucky (optional)

Method:
Clean the fiddleheads as described above. Boil them in salted water for a couple minutes, then plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking.
Dry thoroughly. Brown the diced pancetta and remove from pan onto paper towels. I discarded the grease, wiped the pan and added some butter. Add the shallots, garlic and fiddleheads. Brown them lightly and then add the pancetta.

Cook your pasta as desired, drain and toss with the fiddlehead/shallot mixture. Top with some Parmesan and serve.

A Lovely Potato and Asparagus Tart

Recently, uber-talented blog friend Cristina from Cristina From Buenos Aires to Paris posted an Asparagus and Orange Cream Tart. It looked like it would be light and delicious with an unusual combination of an orange-flavored cream and asparagus....very appealing. I was going to make it this weekend with the lovely asparagus in the market right now. And then I got sidetracked with another tart I watched Jamie Oliver make the other day. It had me salivating. Now to the eye, one would think the two tarts were identical. But Cristina used puff pastry and the orange creme is light in texture and contained crème fraiche.  Jamie's was crispy phyllo dough and plain old mashed potatoes, so comforting.....and perhaps appealing more to men?  You have to admit, there is just something about this combo: potatoes mashed with whipping cream, eggs and cheese....phyllo pastry....and fresh asparagus. What's not to like? I mean really. 

So I made it yesterday. What a perfect side for grilled meats or fish. Actually, I ate it for dinner, forget the protein. I hope you've worked with phyllo. If not, there are quite a few videos online that explain everything. It's really quite simple. And the soft filling of this tart balances so well with the crispiness of the phyllo.

The only changes I would make to this recipe would be to use a bit more asparagus on top AND perhaps add some sautéed scallions to the  mashed potatoes.

But I promise, Cristina, I will be making your lovely tart next weekend!  :) It will be absolutely perfect for some ladies I have coming for lunch.

Potato and Asparagus Tart
Recipe from Jamie at Home HERE.

Ingredients:
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Sea salt 
1 pound asparagus spears, woody ends removed, blanched
8 ounces phyllo pastry 
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup freshly grated Lancashire cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Cheddar
3 large organic or free-range eggs 
1 cup (8-ounces) heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Put your potatoes into a pan of salted boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile blanch your asparagus in a separate pan of salted boiling water for 4 minutes, and drain in a colander. 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

Get an ovenproof dish - I used a rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. Layer the sheets of filo pastry in the dish, brushing them with melted butter as you go and letting about 1-inch hang over the edge. You want to get the pastry about 5 layers thick. Put a clean, damp kitchen towel over the top and put aside.

When the potatoes are done, mash them with the cheeses. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and cream and stir into your cheesy mashed potato. Grate in the nutmeg, season well with pepper and mix together. Spread the mashed potato (it will be looser than you expect) over the phyllo pastry, then bring up the sides of the phyllo and scrunch them together to form a rim. Take your blanched asparagus and line them up across the filling, making sure you cover it all. Brush all over with the remaining melted butter and pop into the preheated oven for around 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve just as you would a quiche for a quick lunch or supper, with a salad.

Leek Fritters à la Ottolenghi

Are you getting bored with my posts about new cookbooks? Be honest and let me know in comments if you are. But for today, I hope not, 'cause I have yet another one. And it's a doozy.

The other day I noticed I had run out of Nielson Massey vanilla extract and this gave me the perfect excuse to visit the Williams Sonoma store in the mall. Cross my heart, that was all I was going to buy, not that I didn't walk through the entire store, per usual, but vanilla was supposed to be extent of my purchases. Then I got waylaid by this adorable bunny kitchen towel.

Who could resist? It makes me smile. Besides, it will be the extent of my Easter decorations this year 'cause my grand kids won't be here and it's not worth dragging the Easter box out of storage just for me. Then I found the most adorable bunny dishes AND bumble bee dishes with matching tumblers. 

So cute. But I sure don't need them, so they were admired and easily resisted. (Really, WS is NOT paying me for this post!) I paid for my two items and started to walk out. And there it was. In a basket near the door. A cookbook called PLENTY by  Yotam Ottolenghi.

Let's face it. I'm a sucker when it comes to cookbooks like this one. Would you look at that cover? I already have Ottolenghi: The Cookbook and love it, so I thought I'd really like this one. Usually, when I want a new cookbook it goes on my Amazon wish list OR I buy it used when available. But not this time. I turned around, bought it on the spot, and then went to the nearest chair in the mall and sat down to look at it. Me and all the old men holding their wives' purses. Honestly. I'm pathetic.

So...it's all veggies. Don't you love it? And oh... the photos! Not glamorously posed, but naturally. A real treat to see. I couldn't wait to tell you about it. And show you a few, right from the book (BTW: that's my writing, not theirs):

(I seem to have gotten carried away with stuffed things! LOL) 

So are you drooling? What to try first? A dilemma. And then I came across leek fritters. They reminded me a little of Faith's veggie fritter recipe we all loved around here and still make over and over. But these were so much better, if not as quick to make. Rather more like a pancake. It will be well worth the effort, I promise. I can't begin to describe the flavor. The spices are perfect, not too strong, exactly right.

So here it is:  Yotam Ottolenghi's Leek Fritters with a lovely yogurt/cilantro sauce....delicious.

Leek Fritters

From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Ingredients for the sauce:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped

2 cups cilantro leaves, chopped

Ingredients for the fritters:

3 leeks (1 pound total, trimmed weight)

5 shallots, finely chopped

2/3 cup olive oil

1 fresh red chili, seeded and sliced

1/2 cup parsley, leaves and fine stalks, finely chopped

3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg white

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon self rising flour (see bench note)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Bench notes: 

• To make self-rising flour if you don't have any at hand: mix 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and a pinch of salt.
• This was much like making pancakes. You wait until the bubbles appear on top, then flip.

Method for sauce:

Process all the ingredients together until a uniform green. Set aside.

Method for fritters:

Cut the leeks into scant 1 inch thick slices. Rinse clean and drain dry. Saute the leeks and shallots in half the oil for about 15 minutes until soft. Transfer to a bowl and add the chili, parsley, spices, sugar and salt. Allow to cool.

Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and fold into the vegetables.

In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, whole egg, milk and butter to form  a batter.
Gently mix the batter into the egg white/vegetable mixture.

Add a couple tablespoons of oil to a pan over medium heat. Spoon about half the vegetable mixture into the pan, making about 4 large fritters. Fry them 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp. Remove to paper towels and keep warm. Continue making the fritters adding more oil if needed.
You should end up with eight large fritters. Serve warm with the sauce on the side or drizzled over.

Sophie's Mushy Peas with Seared Scallops

Ahem. Please take note: I am throwing a healthy dinner into the mix of  Super Bowl snacks and Valentine Day sweets. Have I mentioned I am still watching my diet after the indulgences of the holidays? And this certainly fits the bill. Scallops are my favorite seafood and I much prefer them simply prepared. Oh, I can do sauces and other garnishes for guests, but I like easy, lo-cal and fast for myself. So searing with a little prosciutto around them is my favorite way to serve them. Simplicity itself.

When I got Sophie Dahl's book last year I remember reading this particular recipe and thinking what a great idea it was. I love peas, but they are so unruly on a plate. In a salad? Fine. On a plate? No thanks. Here's the answer: Sophie's version of Mushy Peas, a British classic. You've got to try this.....and don't you just adore crème fraiche? Yum. I'm in love with these mushy peas! With any kind of seafood, it's delicious. I just happen to prefer scallops and this makes such a pretty presentation....even if it is just for me.


Char-grilled Scallops on Pea Purée
Adapted from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl

Ingredients:

The peas:
2 cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon crème fraiche
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

The scallops:
Olive oil
4 ounces prosciutto, cut into 16 one inch strips
8 scallops
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (optional)


Method:

Cook the peas in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and put in a food processor. Add the butter, mint and crème fraiche. Purée. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Wrap each scallop with a thin slice of prosciutto. Secure with a toothpick. 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the scallops into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until well browned. Season each side with salt and pepper as it is cooking. When nearly done, throw in the zest and chili flakes. Serve immediately over the puréed peas.  Serves 2-3.

Jack Bishop's Savoy Cabbage

It's always fun to keep you posted about new cookbooks from time to time, but here's one cookbook that isn't new, has no photos to drool over, hasn't gotten a lot of attention in the press and isn't going to win any awards. It should though. It's just about the most complete and knowledgeable book on veggies I've seen. Vegetables Every Day. A virtual encyclopedia of vegetables. Everyone should have a copy in their kitchen library. You'll love it- the author doesn't miss a trick, or a vegetable. The basics. You name it, it's in there. Along with some really excellent recipes.

Jack Bishop is the editorial director of America's Test Kitchen. He joined the staff of Cook's Magazine in 1988 and helped with the launch of Cook's Illustrated in 1993. He established the tasting protocols used in America's Test Kitchen and has authored dozens of articles for the magazine and is a prolific book author.

I've had the cookbook for quite a while, bookmarked lots of recipes and have been trying one after another. I posted one of his recipes quite a while back- crispy fried artichoke hearts. Fabulous. But labor-intensive, as all artichoke dishes are because everyone wants to get to the lovely center. The recipe is HERE. 

Always keeping Bishop's book in mind when I'm in the vegetable section, I spied a gorgeous head of savoy cabbage at Whole Foods, grabbed it, took out Bishop's book for inspiration and made this wonderful side dish.

Savoy Cabbage with Pancetta and Onions
From Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop

Ingredients:

1 head Savoy cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Remove any tough or damaged outer leaves of the cabbage. Quarter the cabbage through the stem end and cut out the core in each quarter. Slice the cabbage crosswise into thin strips. You should have 12 cups. Add the cabbage and salt to taste to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set the cabbage aside.

Heat the oil, pancetta and onions in a large Dutch oven or casserole over medium heat. Cook until the pancetta is crisp and the onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and browned, about 12 minutes. (Make certain to brown the cabbage well. It's fine if it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan a bit. When the stock is added, it will deglaze the pan.) 

Add the stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Cook just until the liquid in the pot evaporates, 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serves 6 as a side dish.

Faith's Vegetable Fritters

Even after all these years, I'm still amazed at the amount of time we spend planning and organizing for the holidays when it seems to be over in  a flash.  Children open everything so quickly, even when you try to slow them down. Mine are now adults, so we take turns opening, but you just can't do that when they're younger.  As it was, we barely got them through brunch, they were in such a rush to get back to playing. Food? No time for food.

But then I've always loved the planning part....the organizing, the decorating, the cooking, finding surprises for everyone. No doubt there were times when my kids were really little that the mass confusion pre-Christmas wasn't quite so much fun, but I always remember enjoying the preparations.

We had adults only chez moi this year; my Michigan kids decided to stay north as it's my granddaughter's first year in college and she wanted to be home to see her old high school friends. This was also, at 4 years old,  my grandson's first year to understand what Christmas is all about. I was sorry to miss that. But they have their own traditions to make.

My NY daughter was here, so this year we kicked back and took our time enjoying every minute. Not always easy....my Florida son works nights in the ER, so he comes right from work for our gift-opening and brunch, and he's exhausted. Then he goes home, sleeps and comes back around 6 for dinner. Not always the case. He's always here for Santa, but if he has to work that night, he misses Christmas dinner. Luckily, this year he got Christmas Day off. I am so grateful to all our emergency services people who are working holidays, while we enjoy ourselves. The ER, no matter the day or time, must deal with patients who are hurting, panicked and worried. I am in awe of people like my son David and so proud of him. 

Fortunately, this year, we were able to reward him with our traditional Christmas brunch, our love for him (and each other) always there in the background and then, later that evening, a lovely dinner....together.

Now that the wrappings are all stowed away, we are perusing our new books, trying to figure out various electronics, admiring new clothes and polishing off leftovers, I often feel the need for quick and light dinners the week following Christmas. Company is still here and we do have to eat, after all. Faith from An Edible Mosaic came up with the perfect answer. It seems like a summer dish, but you can adapt the recipe no matter where you live. I increased the corn (use frozen corn if you need to) and use any veggies you want, but it was perfect just the way Faith made it. 

Thank you Faith! I've been making it on a regular basis!

Vegetable Fritters
Ever so slightly adapted from An Edible Mosaic

 Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, diced small (about 2 c diced)
2-3 ears cooked corn, cut of the cob (about 1 cup corn or more and you can use frozen)
3 spring onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced (reserve 2 TB of the thinly sliced green parts)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream (or use low-fat)
1/4 cup plain yogurt ( I use Fage, and low-fat if you prefer)
1/4 tsp seasoning salt
Canola oil ( I used a tiny bit of butter and olive oil)


Method:
Preheat the oven to 200F.
In a small bowl, toss together the zucchini, corn, spring onions, flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Stir in the beaten eggs just until combined.
Pour enough oil into a large skillet to generously coat the bottom. Heat the skillet over medium to medium-high heat, then drop the vegetable batter by the rounded tablespoonful into the hot oil and cook until golden brown on both sides, flipping once (about 5 minutes per side). Turn the heat down if the fritters start to brown too quickly.
Once the fritters are cooked, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil, then transfer them to a baking sheet and keep them in warm the oven until all the fritters are made. Repeat this process until all the batter is gone.
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, yogurt, seasoned salt, and 1 TB sliced spring onion greens.
Serve the fritters garnished with the sour cream mixture and the remaining 1 TB of sliced spring onion greens.
Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main.