My First (fullyfromscratch) Risotto

I've gone over one of life's biggest humps. I've made my first, fully-from-scratch risotto. And it was good.

This is dangerous territory, though, because risotto is one of those dishes that is never fully conquered; there are so many variations and combinations and permutations! This frustrates and excites my cooking mind at the same time, pitting my left brain against my right, my creativity vs. my tick-that-off-the-list-and-be-done-with-it-ness (a battle I'm familiar with as someone who has always loved math just as much as musical theatre). Anyway, that got a bit reflective. Sorry about that. Here is the evidence of my first risotto battle won.

Comfortably Full

Today Penn came home to me shuffling about the kitchen saying, 'I had a frustrating day. Tonight we're having MY comfort food' (which basically means anything with pasta, homemade sauce and lots of mozzarella and parmesan).

Baked vegan/gluten free pasta with homemade meat sauce.

It was such a frustrating day . . .  I put mozzarella on the salad, too.

We both had seconds.

A Delicious Post-Paleo Saturday

Just some favorites revisited as a Saturday treat post Paleo-Lent.

Tuna Melt on Rye
with a bit of rocket on top

Tuna salad (solid white Albacore in water, mayo, fresh lemon juice, S&P and a dash of marjoram if you have it), super-sharp cheddar, toasted rye, rocket. Done.

Killer Cinnamon Buns

Taken from a trusty butter-loving blogger, Smitten Kitchen. These take 1/2 a day to make, but it is WORTH IT. I flavored my glaze with some more cinnamon, a little allspice and a bit of freshly grated nutmeg. Holy moly with tea.

Eating Paleo (A Colorful Food Heaven)

So, I've been disgustingly overcommitted at work lately and, while I truly enjoy every minute of the work I do, sometimes I read so many words and type so many sentences as an editor that my insides crawl at the thought of writing any more when I'm finally home on my couch. Photos, on the other hand, I can always seem to manage.

As you've gathered from the title of today's blog, I've gone Paleo. Don't worry. Not forever. I won't spend the rest of this blog judging you for eating cheese or putting your eggs on toast. I'm only doing it for Lent as a way to get myself back in the groove of full-on healthy living after an intense year. The following are a few selections from:

Adventures in a Cave (wo)Man's Kitchen 

Chipotle Braised Bone-in Chicken Breast
with a fresh salsa salad and homemade sweet potato crisps

Modified from here. To sum up: I used all olive oil to keep the chicken Paleo and chipotle paste instead of powder. And always about 3x as much lime as any recipe calls for. :)

Pan-fried Pork Sausage in a Fresh Tarragon Jus

with a sweet potato and carrot puree and just-right steamed green beans

 It is riDONKculously hard to find breadcrumb-free sausages in our Waitrose (they were everywhere in Oxford's Covered Market, so I guess I got really spoiled!). But, I did eventually find this lovely brand: Debbie & Andrew's.

This was probably my favorite meal since starting the challenge (I've already recreated it once). So comforting after a long, stressful day!

Sesame Encrusted Lamb Meatballs
with a toasted cashew salad (lime vinaigrette) and dry roasted courgette (olive oil and lime drizzle over everything)

Majorly modified from here. To keep it Paleo, I used food-processed cashews instead of breadcrumbs. Also, I didn't include the currants or Penn would've killed me. Finally, I would suggest using fewer sesame seeds in your crust. They were a bit overpowering in my version.

  (Obviously these are pictures of Penn's plate above, since I can't have yogurt as a Cave Woman. So, he got a spiced yogurt dip and I made a lemon mayo drizzle for mine. Both were delish!)

Cilantro Pesto Chicken Tenders and Endive Salad with Crispy Chorizo, Toasted Walnuts and Baby Plum Tomatoes

drizzled with a balsamic and lemon reduction and strong olive oil

 Penn got to have sharp cheddar crumbles on his salad, too. He's also to thank for the ingredients in the salad: it was all his idea. 

 LOOK at that glisten-y chorizo! For the pesto, just blend a massive pile of cilantro (stems and all) with loads of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, S&P and whatever fatty nut you have lying around (I'm not talking about your crazy Uncle Joe. I mean pine nuts, cashews, walnuts . . . you get the idea).

And when all else fails, Paleo breakfasts RULE.

Over-Easy Eggs with a Sweet Potato, Paprika Sausage and Baby Asparagus 'Hash'

don't forget the crispy bacon and pan-seared tomato halves

 Just chop up the hash ingredients and fry up in a lightly oiled, hot pan.

My name at work now is 'Gourmet Cave Man'.

Pho Real.

Lots of cultures have their versions of the 'Clean Out the Fridge' meal. Americans do casseroles; Brits do pies; lots of places do soups. The ingredients vary across cultures according to what their 'staples' are, which are those things that are always in the fridge and always ready to be used when all the special stuff runs out. My staples have been leaning towards the East lately, and I constantly go for Fried Rice when I've run out of meat and all I've got is a couple half portions of veg, an egg and piles of onion/garlic/ginger (the trio never leaves my kitchen).

But lately, I've been into soups as a method of fridge cleaning. One of my new favorites to make at home is Pho, which is a lovely change from fried rice and uses very similar ingredients (while simultaneously helping me clean out my ever-growing stock-pile of, well, STOCK).

It's sooooo easy and soooooo satisfying. Piping-hot broth does wonders for the psyche.

You, too, can make Vietnamese Pho.

Tuscan Kale Inspiration

Sometimes you come across an ingredient that is just so beautiful it demands to have its picture taken. This Tuscan Kale was just like that. A wrinkly, green supermodel pouting up at me.

"You can't ignore my charm."

Well, when I was only beginning dinner at 8:15pm last night, I really WANTED to ignore its charm, but, alas, I couldn't.

Gorgeous, right?

The organic produce guy at the Swiss Cottage Farmer's Market never fails me, though I sometimes get overwhelmed by the wall of greens he's got going on this Autumn.

Kale (see Tuscan, above)
Rainbow Chard
Pak Choi
Spinach
Rocket
Tatsoi
Cress
Red Lettuce
Green Lettuce
Sorrel
Claytonia

I've been dabbling in a bunch of them, but this kale really stood out last week and, well, I miss Tuscany.

That's me in Arezzo on a day trip from our home in Orvieto during '09. Open wine bottles in public are classy. But seriously, the vendor who sold it to me at the market opened it for me!

Lots of people don't like kale at all, including the woman from whom I adapted the recipe below, but when it's swimming in piping hot broth and cooked juuuuust right, I don't see how it's possible to hate on kale if you like any other green and leafy, hearty plant.

So, you get a bonus recipe this week because this kale was too pretty to leave unrecorded.

Tuscan Kale and Chick Pea Stew with 

Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper Pita Chips

Majorly adapted from here. 

*I was ready to make toast for dinner because I felt like I had an 'empty fridge,' but this type of soup is always make-able if you've got a relatively stocked pantry. I love surprise deliciousness from a depressingly vacant fridge.*

Thanksgiving for Two: Two Traditions, One Meal, Right Taste, Wrong Continent

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. And it's only 85% to do with its food-centered-ness.

No but seriously, Thanksgiving has always been something really and truly special in my family. Maybe it's because it was the one holiday during the year that brought both sides of my family together, completely, for the whole day; Maybe it's because, for 25 years, I never celebrated it in a house built less than 200 years ago; Maybe it's because on Thanksgiving day, however chaotic, my parents (and later we daughters) steadfastly put out platters of food that smelled, tasted and looked exactly right, a yearly reminder of the comfort and reassurance of tradition. Okay, okay, so my Turkey Day love is 50/50: Family and Food.

In my family, to be honest, those two things have always been inextricable.

So, when there was no way in God's Green Earth that Penn and I could get home for Thanksgiving this year (from our now-home in London), I went slightly insane to the supermarket (and the farmer's market and back to the supermarket and to the corner store twice and— well, you know how it goes). In only four days, I would gather and prepare us a proper Thanksgiving Feast for Two . . . in the UK . . . while working full-time. This meant gathering recipes along with ingredients and taking my first whack at roasting a bird weighing more than three pounds. I knew I could handle all the dinner stuff.

Cornbread Stuffing with Leeks, Sage, Celery and Wild Boar & Apple Sausage

Anything that calls for 'dotting the top with remaining butter' is fine by me. This recipe is an adaptation of the one found here.

Green Bean Casserole with Deep Fried Leek Rings

It took all my strength not to eat all these before topping the casserole. Someday I'll share the recipe for this gorgeous fried exterior. It's good on everything.

Baked Sweet Potato and Apple with a Sherry, Brown Sugar, Sage and Butter Glaze

Dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg, of course.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Very Little Frills

Only a wee bit of lemon rind and sugar in the pot with the cranberries.

Oh, and The Turkey, of course.

The packaging read: "Feeds 8 minimum." Hahahhaahaaaaa Joke's on you because I just ate the last turkey sandwich from this sucker.**

Believe it or not, in the middle of it all, it was the Pumpkin Pie that scared me. All I know is that our family's famous recipe is critically-acclaimed and wildly temperamental (kinda like me!). But, it's not Thanksgiving without Pumpkin Pie. "I shall do my family proud!" I decreed.

To prepare you for the big recipe reveal to follow, you'll need a bit of history on this food-family of mine. I often forget it, but my crazy passion for food comes from a loooong line of other crazies. :) The story most relevant to my Thanksgiving endeavor is that of my grandparents' history in the food business.

Mamen and Pop-Pop weren't always called that. Margaret 'Sis' Mendillo and John 'Jack' Menzies met as toddlers. They grew up as neighbors, fought like siblings, fell in love, parted ways, endured wars, reunited, got married, and never stopped adventuring. If I really think about it, their newly-wedded years were pretty awesome. They spent years (pre-Southwest-Airlines years, mind you!) going up and down the East Coast working 'seasons' in Florida, Vermont and The Cape. My Grandfather was a cook and my Grandmother was a hostess (though she cooked up a storm in her own kitchen for sure). They served and rubbed elbows with the rich and famous of their time at some of the top destinations for people of that status.

The place we all heard about the most growing up was 'Lathams', one of the finest restaurants and inns ever on Cape Cod. (If this old postcard is to be believed, the place was subtitled, An Inn of Distinction.) My newly-wedded grandparents worked several seasons there and there's a story for almost every day. Many of those stories involve the owner of Latham's, Pa Latham, as he was called. He was the mastermind behind this '40s-era hot-spot and the culinary genius who kept big-wigs coming back year after year. I'd bet it was Pa Latham who taught my grandfather to carve a roast like a pro, and my grandmother to host dinners fit for royalty (though I know Pop-Pop's upper-class upbringing taught them both a thing or two about polished silver and cloth napkins). One thing we can confirm as a "Pa Latham Legacy" to my grandparents is his Pumpkin Pie recipe.

Pa Latham taught Pop-Pop, Pop-Pop taught my dad, and the extended family has enjoyed it on the last Thursday in November for decades. No one else in history has ever tried to replicate it until THIS YEAR. No pressure. (The pressure was slightly abated by the fact that my co-UK sister was also trying it for the first time up in Scotland. Phew.)

With 70 years of legacy on my shoulders, and a very hungry husband, I embarked on the great adventure to replicate Pa Latham's Pumpkin Pie.

And I did. Wanna know how to achieve the magic? Read on...

Empanadas!! (deserve two exclamation points)

Grace: Penn, what do you want me to make with this ground beef?

Penn: The only good thing to make with ground beef is a burger.

Grace: The only good burger is on a grill.

Penn: (googlegoogleepicurioussmittenkitchen) Let's make these.

Grace: (the night before a 15,000 word report is due) Okay!

Dipped in creamy cilantro sauce. Best use of frozen shortcrust EVER.

Italian Overload

I just got back to England from Italy. Needless to say, I'm a bit culinarily depressed. To abate this, I've been filling the kitchen with a LOT of Italian scents since I got home. Tonight it was this:

Zucchini Rice Gratin.

The recipe was taken directly from here, and I made virtually no change to it (little extra cheese here, some generous drizzles of olive oil there). Unfortunately, I was running around the kitchen too dramatically to take pictures of the process. I can almost guarantee, however, that you will have all the ingredients in your fridge on most average days of the week.

So, Penn and I had a vegetarian dinner that felt like nothing of the sort! The wedges of gratin were accompanied by a massive plate of Caprese scattered with olives of various kinds. And this American girl couldn't live without a bit of garlic bread to add some carbs to this delightfully Mediterranean meal.

A long, drool-worthy blog about Bologna food coming up soon!

No-Fry Zucchini Fries

Here in England, fries (aka chips) are sold under the category 'Frozen Vegetables' in the grocery store. I know this because I buy my groceries online for delivery to our flat (free delivery is great) and, in that case, one shops by clickable category instead of walkable aisle. This is all to say, as much as I love me some deep fried potatoes, their nutritional value isn't up to snuff.

So, I asked myself, "Self? What is it you like about french-fried potatoes?" The answer was simple:

Salt

and

Grease

When I looked a bit deeper, I also realized that I like the crunchy texture they add alongside my burger. I like dipping them in sauces. I just like.

Tonight's goal, then, was to get a zucchini:

to accomplish the task of a tater. A real veg for a fake one. If we're aiming for nutrition, I also had to give up the grease. No potato, no grease, but I can keep the rest. The result was very pleasing.

Homemade No-Fry Zucchini Fries take more time to assemble than tossing some frozen Ore-Idas onto a baking sheet, but they do not disappoint.

To get started you'll need:

3 medium zucchini (courgettes in the UK)

1 cup plain bread crumbs (I made my own for the first time! Really easy and embarrassing to admit)

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs (you may get away with one, so you can start with that)

Summer Veggie Phyllo Galette

I am going to admit that a few weeks ago I couldn't have told a galette from a tart. Even now, one just looks lazier than another to me.

Tart: Try hard to make your crust look pretty.
Galette: Don't.

Some peasant in ancient France probably laughed at the people who assigned a name to her poor attempt at dealing with the excess crust hanging over the edge of her tart pan.

Whatever the reason for the existence of a galette, eating one is pretty nice (as are most things that involve pastry crusts). I heard about a vegetable version of this usually fruit-based food (recipe found here and modified to make my galette) and I thought it would be a good summer side dish. I also wanted an excuse to buy more phyllo dough, so I decided to make it a Summer Veggie Phyllo Galette.

What you don't see above are the three cheeses all melty underneath the veggies. Mmmmmmmmm.

It wasn't terribly hard to make, honestly. Read on to learn how.

Baguette Apizza

Do I only eat pizza, you ask? Well, in a perfect world and in my version of Heaven, yes. Only good pizza, of course (I affix the prefix "a" to pizza that makes the cut).

So, this "pizza" is really more like bruschetta or an open-face panino, but what the hey.

These were created after a visit to a ten year anniversary celebration at Roots Market in Olney, MD. However, ingredients were items I almost always have on-hand. Just add a freshly baked baguette and you have dinner (or at least a very sharable appetizer).

Assembling these things is not rocket science, but ingredients are vital. For example, I like the firm, fresh mozzarella that comes bobbing around in liquid or that can be plucked directly from the liquid at an olive bar. When combining cheeses along an Italian theme, I like gorgonzola with my mozz. Plain, pitted calamata olives add oodles of flavor to everything and marinated artichoke hearts are divine. As always, fresh herbs are the icing on the savory cake.

I don't need to do much explaining, but here's the play-by-play on putting these babies together.

Farfalle e Fettuccine

On my third try, I have finally created a successful batch of handmade pasta. Honestly, I am shocked that this series of misfortunes ended positively, but the Fettuccine you see below tasted just like Italy (especially when slathered with my father-in-law's quickest and most excellent basil & garlic pesto).

After learning the technique from the most perfect little Italian lady in Orvieto, the first ever batch I tried on my own went in the trash before it could even call itself dough.

The second batch, attempted only moments after discarding all evidence of the first disaster, at least took shape, but ended up tasting pretty floury and got kinda lumpy. Plus, we got lazy and didn't roll it out nearly enough. Thick, floury, and lumpy don't make happy ravioli.

I decided to try again, though I definitely didn't learn from some of the mistakes that ruined this batch's predecessors. The process has the semblance of ease, but it can go very wrong if you're not being conscientious, aware, and patient. There's that word again. My biggest weakness in the kitchen (and in life).

Allow me to share Signora Menichetti's technique and my advice for avoiding disasters when making Handmade Pasta:

Per Your Request: Butternut Squash Phyllo Pizza

Thank you to everyone who voted for the Second Adventure in Phyllo Dough. It was a real pleasure seeing the response and working on a recipe requested by the masses! As you can see above, your choice produced a stunning and rich result.

There's nothing like the perfect combination of flavors. Better yet, there's nothing like bacon to bring out the perfection in all other flavors. This Butternut Squash and Bacon Pizza is a delightfully authentic Italian flavor combination, with a bit of a twist (my new friend, Phyllo). At our favorite pizza place in Orvieto, Charlie's Pizza, the Ghiotta Pizza was a hit among us American visitors. Its squash, onion, pancetta, and gorgonzola topping medley was well balanced and exciting to our palates that were so inundated by tomato. I was thrilled when this recipe choice won the vote because of its connection to so many wonderful memories in the Charlie's Pizza dining room . . .

Shepherd's Pie Warms My Heart

There are few American comfort foods that I actually crave. I'm not much of a Tuna-Noodle Casserole girl and my mom never made American Chop Suey. Rather, I lean toward other cultures' comfort foods: (Real Italian) Spaghetti, Meatballs, and Sausage; piping hot Miso Soup; and good old Irish Shepherd's Pie.

I especially like to think about how a dish like Shepherd's Pie came into being. It is so obviously a dish of necessity rather than snobbery. So, if you prepare it with this in mind, the flavors will be rich and your mind will flash with images of rolling Irish pastures (Okay, maybe not really, but you'll have a full, warm belly at least—something invaluable in the perpetual rain and gloom on those rolling hills).

When a friend requested a good Shepherd's Pie recipe, it was a chance for me to simulate some of the many delicious versions I've had on both sides of the Atlantic. We start with the basics:

A cheaply and easily acquired fresh herb—Parsley.

Then we fill in the nutritional and flavor blanks with the most basic of roots and veggies (Celery, Carrots, Onion, Garlic, and Potatoes).

These are things in virtually every refrigerator and sitting in crockery on every counter around the world. Here's how to put it together into Shepherd's Pie, a great Irish tradition.

Full Ingredient List:

(Filling)
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine (not cooking wine, instead use that last little bit from dinner the night before. I used Pinot Noir)
2 lbs. lean ground lamb (I am so glad I found lamb to use. Yum, yum, yum. You can always use ground beef, but it just isn't the same)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 packet of brown gravy mix (this is really for thickening purposes, so you can just used flour or corn starch instead. Be sure to compensate for flavor-loss with a little extra salt, stock, or Worcestershire sauce)
1/3 cup beef stock
4 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped

(Topping)
5-6 red potatoes, quartered
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 Tbs. butter

Preheat the oven to 400º.
Start with the dicing. Keep the pieces small and uniform. These guys are the supporting cast, not the lead.

Warm the Butter and Olive Oil over medium heat.
Add in the Carrots, Celery, Onion, and Garlic.

Sautee until soft and slightly browned (season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste).

Mix in Tomato Paste and Wine evenly, stirring until alcohol smell dissipates and mixture thickens slightly.
Add Lamb to pan and cook until no longer pink (During this process, start water and Kosher Salt boiling for Potatoes.  Add them into the water when it starts to boil).
Once the lamb is browned, stir in Worcestershire Sauce, Gravy Mix, and Beef Stock.
Simmer the lamb filling on low heat while you drain the cooked potatoes.
Allow potatoes to steam in the colander for a few minutes, until the edges whiten slightly (thanks to my Daddy for this great mashed-potato trick!). Back in the pot, mash the potatoes with the Heavy Cream and Butter.

Once you have mashed them roughly, use a standing blender or an immersion blender to whip them to a very smooth consistency (this makes piping easier and gives a nice contrast to the heavier filling).
Drain off all fat from lamb filling (if any).
Stir in chopped Parsley, reserving a pinch for garnishing the finished product.
Transfer filling to baking dish.

Place potato topping in a pastry bag with a "star" frosting tip at the point. Pipe the potatoes to cover and seal the entire dish.

Place entire dish, uncovered, into oven and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbling around all edges. Place under broiler to brown the potatoes for about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining chopped parsley.

Serve piping hot with sweet baby peas as accompaniment (I was going to put the peas in the pie, but then I forgot them on the counter. Putting them on the side is quite nice, though. They add a little sweet, clean flavor to the richness of the pie and they won't be over-cooked this way, either!).

So yummy. I hope you enjoy it, Kathy (and everyone else)!